Australia Conference results
Final results are in for the Australia Conference of the Beer Championship Series, and your winner by a landslide is Foster’s Lager. Here are the standings:
1. Foster’s Lager: 54 percent
2. Toohey’s Lager: 14 percent
3. Cooper’s Lager: 10 percent
4. Monteiths Original Ale: 8.5 percent
4. Steinlager: 8.5 percent
6. James Boag: 5 percent
So Foster’s and Toohey’s advance to the 64-beer bracket and a chance to compete for the title of Oklahoma’s favorite beer. Surf on over Monday for our next conference, the Oktoberfest Conference.
Beer of the Night: July 29
Tonight’s TTB Beer of the Night is Boulevard Zon.
I can’t say enough about how good Boulevard Zon is. Marshall brewmaster Eric Marshall recommended Zon when I asked what his favorite summer beers were, and I think it’s pretty clear that Eric is a brewmaster, because he hit the nail on the head. Just a great, refreshing summer beer! (And yes, that is a straight-from-Disney-World Mickey beer glass thank you very much!)
Last day to vote in BCS Australia Conference
Voting wraps up tonight in the Australia Conference of the Beer Championship Series. Right now, Foster’s has a huge lead, so the race for second place is on. You can cast your vote right here. Just a reminder, the top two beers in the conference will earn an automatic entry in the 64-beer BCS bracket, where beers go head-to-head based on your votes. The winner will be crowned Oklahoma’s favorite beer. So click on the link and have your say.
The Australia Conference is the 19th of 24 conferences, so 36 beers have already earned their way into the bracket based on fan voting. Here’s a recap of who’s already in:
1. Marshall Conference: Sundown Wheat, McNellie’s Pub Ale
2. Mexico Conference: Modelo Especial, Tecate Lager
3. Canada Conference: La Fin Du Monde, Molson Canadian
4. Northwest Conference: Rogue Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout, Rogue Dead Guy Ale
5. Asia Conference: Sapporo, Asahi
6. COOP Conference: F5 IPA, Native Amber
7. College Refrigerator Conference: Pabst Blue Ribbon, Keystone Premium
8. Great Britain Conference: Newcastle Brown Ale, Fuller’s ESB
9. East Coast Conference: Dogfish Head 60-Minute IPA, Sam Adams Boston Lager
10. Europe Conference: Pilsner Urquell, Carlsberg Pilsner
11. Megabrew Conference: Budweiser, Coors Original
12. West Coast Conference: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Anchor Steam Beer
13. Germany Conference: Spaten Optimator, Warsteiner Dunkel
14. Mountain Conference: New Belgium Fat Tire, Oskar Blue Dale’s Pale Ale
15. Choc Conference: Signature Dubbel, Waving Wheat
16. Midwest Conference: Boulevard Wheat Beer, Big Sky Moose Drool Brown Ale
17. Organic Conference: Samuel Smith Organic Ale, New Belgium Mothership Wit
18. Southwest Conference: Shiner Blond, Santa Fe Chicken Killer Barley Wine
Leinenkugel set to release 2010 Oktoberfest
I know football season and the fall must be right around the corner because I’ve received all sorts of notices recently about the release of Oktoberfest beers. The latest is from Leinenkugel, which sent out the following press release, including a recipe for beer-infused brats:
CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. — On the heels of the success of Leinenkugel’s warm weather brew, Summer Shandy, Leinenkugel’s Oktoberfest will return this autumn. As the seasons give way to crisp, cooler temperatures, Leinenkugel’s Oktoberfest will again bring the traditional German Marzen-style flavor to bottles and drafts across the U.S. beginning late-August through October.
First introduced in 2001 to honor company namesake, Jacob Leinenkugel, who came from Germany and started Leinenkugel’s in 1867, Leinenkugel’s Oktoberfest is brewed with Munich, Caramel and a blend of 2-row Pale malts. These barley malts give Leinie’s Oktoberfest a rich, hearty character and deep amber color, while four hop varieties provide an aromatic and smooth, well-balanced lager.
“Seasonal brews have become a favorite of craft beer fans who are seeking different flavors throughout the year to compliment the seasons,” Jake Leinenkugel, president of the 143-year-old Upper Midwest brewery. “We are delighted to share Leinenkugel’s seasonal favorite, Oktoberfest, with Leinie loyalists – new and old – following this summer’s nationwide success of Summer Shandy.”
Available nationwide in six and 12-pack bottles at supermarkets and liquor stores and on draft at bars and restaurants, Leinenkugel’s Oktoberfest pairs well not only with bratwurst and sauerkraut, but is also an excellent complement to full-flavored hors d’oeuvres and hearty soups and chili. Leinenkugel’s Oktoberfest retails for approximately $6.99 – $7.49 a six-pack.
Try this brew-infused seasonal recipe that highlights Leinenkugel’s Oktoberfest.
Leinenkugel’s Oktoberfest-Infused Brew Brats
• 1 dozen brats
• 1 dozen brat buns
• Leinenkugel’s Oktoberfest, to cover
• 1 medium large sweet onion, sliced
• 1 green pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow pepper, sliced
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 2 ounces butter
Place brats in a Dutch oven with sliced onions, peppers and butter, cover the brats with Leinenkugel’s Oktoberfest. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer until brats are cooked. Remove brats and set aside remaining beer mixture. Grill brats until golden brown and return to beer mixture until ready to serve. Serve brats on fresh brat buns with your favorite toppings (sauerkraut, onions, peppers, ketchup, mustard). Savor with a Leinenkugel’s Oktoberfest and enjoy.
Wild Brew set for Saturday
The annual Wild Brew fundraiser is set for Saturday night at the Tulsa Fairgrounds. This is the beer event of the year, people, so if you don’t have plans for the weekend, you should consider dropping in. One catch, you have to have advance tickets, and you have until 4 p.m. Friday to buy them. Go to www.wildbrew.org and click on the “Tickets” link. Now, if you are planning on buying tickets, or already have tickets, you can expect one hell of a beer list. I’ll paste the list below. It is indeed a fantastic selection of beer that includes all of our local Oklahoma favorites. (Plus it’s the only place you can get the Choc-Marshall collaboration Wild Brew Belgian-style IPA on tap.) And since you shouldn’t drink on an empty stomach, Wild Brew features a huge selection of local restaurants that will serve their fare as well. The event also features live bands. And aside from giving you the chance to sample some great beer, Wild Brew benefits a good cause, with proceeds going to the internationally recognized Sutton Center for avian research.
2010 Wild Brew beer list
Marshall Brewing Company
Wild Brew
Sundown Wheat
Atlas IPA
McNellie’s Pub Ale
Old Pavilion Pilsner
Big Jamoke Porter
COOP Ale Works
Horny Toad Cerveza
Zeppelin German Wheat
Native Amber
Oktoberfest
Gran Sport Porter
DNR Belgian Golden Ale
F5 India Pale Ale
Mustang Brewing Company
Washita Wheat
Golden Ale
Amber Lager
Zambezia Premium Lager
Kudu Premium Lager
Huebert’s Old Tyme Lager
Battered Boar Brewing Company
Company Man Pale Ale
Briarpatch Amber Ale
405 Oklahoma Lager
Coconut Cream Stout
Chucks Pumpkin Ale
Heartbreak Hefeweizen
Sam Smith
Strawberry, Cherry, and Raspberry
Organic Ale
Organic Lager
Lindemans
Faro, Pomme and Cuvee Renee
Ayinger
Brau Weiss, Weizen Bock, Jahrhundert
Paulaner
Fuller’s Porter
Salvator, Hefe, Pils
Dolomiti Italian Lager
Left Hand
Milk Stout
Sawtooth
400 # Monkey
Ommegang Hennepin Farmhouse Ale
Anderson Valley Brewing Company
Barneyflat Oatmeal Stout
Boont Amber
Hop Ottin’ I.P.A.
Great Divide Hercules Double I.P.A.
Point Black Ale and Nude Beach
Leinenkugel Honey Weiss
Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat
Leinenkugel Berry Weiss
Leinenkugel Classic Amber
Leinenkugel Summer Shandy
Warsteiner
Warsteiner Dunkel
Warsteiner Ludwig Weiss
Carta Blanca
Dos Equis Amber
Dos Equis Lager
Boulevard Pilsner
Long Strange Triple
Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale
Double Wide I.P.A.
St. Bernardus Biere Blanche Witbier
St. Bernardus Tripel
St. Bernardus ABT 12
St. Bernardus Pater 6
St. Bernardus Prior 8
Unibroue Blanche De Chambly
Unibroue La Fin Du Monde
Unibroue Trois Pistoles
Unibroue Maudite
Unibroue Chambly Noire
Young’s Double Chocolate Stout
Way-Out-of-Context Big 12 Quotes: Part 3
Today, Big 12 football media days wraps up, so we wrap up our second annual Way-Out-of-Context Big 12 Quotes. Once again, here are actual quotes from coaches along with the official Thirsty Beagle interpretation.
First up is first-year Kansas coach Turner Gill.
Kansas coach Turner Gill: “Good morning. Everybody got smiles on or not? I don’t know.”
The Thirsty Beagle: What’s not to know? Take a look at them. Are they smiling or not?
Gill: “I got a smile because I just got my family moved from Buffalo, N.Y., to Lawrence, Kan. So it’s been a great summer for me.”
TTB: And you thought Lebron dissed Cleveland on the way out of town!
Gill: Obviously, we get into the football stuff, but we’ve really gotten into building relationships.”
TTB: You can criticize Kansas players for their lack of football skills, but you can never knock their ability to express their inner self.
Gill: (In response to a question about how he feels about Kansas and Kansas State being a nationally televised Thursday night game) “Yeah, Kansas and Kansas State are a nationally televised game on Thursday night.”
TTB: Yeah, we know. We just said that.
Gill: “That’s what my purpose here on this earth to do, is to work with young men between 18 and 22 years old. That’s what I love to do.”
TTB: Don’t even try to be 23 and come around Lawrence, Kan., ’cause Turner Gill doesn’t even have the time of day for you, mister.
Up next we have ol’ Bob Stoops.
Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops: “Good to be here again. Going on 12 years, I guess.”
TTB: Stoops unsure how long he’s been in Big 12. Maybe he’ll also be unsure how many players to put out on the field.
Stoops: “It’s one thing to be entertaining without being a great competitor. I’m not much for that.”
TTB: Don’t just try to be funny around Bob Stoops, all right. You better damn well be funny and competitive, or he just doesn’t have time for you.
Stoops: ”But, you know, don’t cry over spilt milk.”
TTB: Well, what if it was the last of my milk, and I really needed it to bake or cake or some muffins or something? Can I cry then? Don’t judge me Bob Stoops!
Now we’ll move on to Dan “I’m not fired yet?” Hawkins at Colorado.
Colorado coach Dan Hawkins: “Good morning guys. I guess it’s still morning. I don’t know.”
TTB: I mean, he just sets these quotes up on tee. Coach that doesn’t know the difference between morning and afternoon? Football team that doesn’t know what it’s doing? Go ahead and tell me there’s no relation there.
Hawkins: “Really on any given day you could probably split them with a razor hair.”
TTB: Remind me to never go play football for the diabolical Dan Hawkins. Anyone who tries to split people with razor hairs is no coach for me.
Hawkins: “As you know, we’re not one of those outfits that ever give all the reps to the ones anyway.”
TTB: You know, I’m no football savant, but if you’ve been getting your butt kicked for like four straight years, maybe you should consider giving the ones more reps. I know, call me crazy.
And we’ll conclude the second annual Way-Out-of-Context Big 12 Quotes with every Sooner fan’s favorite guy, Mack Brown.
Texas coach Mack Brown: (On how Garrett Gilbert reacted after being thrown into the national championship game last year) “It was funny.”
TTB: Really? I don’t think too many of your fans thought it was that funny.
Brown: “I saw him in pregame. He ate all of his steak, so he wasn’t nervous.”
TTB: You think nervous people can’t eat steak? You’ve obviously never tried one of my steaks. Irresistible. Even to nervous people. So take that.
Brown: (On his respect for Tom Osborne) “A lot of what we do is modeled after him when he was in the Big 8 at Iowa State and Oklahoma.”
TTB: Hate to be stickler for details coach, but I’m pretty sure Tom Osborne was never at Iowa State or Oklahoma.
Brown: (Reporter says, “Mack, a lot of people talking about the OU-Texas game October–”) ”You mean the Texas-OU game?”
TTB: Ah, that wily Mack Brown, always stirring up trouble!
OK folks, that’s it for this year. Hope you enjoyed our three days of frivolity at the expense of our Big 12 coaches. See you next year.
Choctoberfest set to make return
After a year off, Choc Beer Co. announced today that Choctoberfest will return for 2010. The first bottles of Choctoberfest, Choc’s version of Oktoberfest, were bottled today in Krebs. Mark your calendars, the beer is expected to hit store shelves and bars around the start of August.
Way-Out-of-Context Big 12 Quotes: Part 2
The Thirsty Beagle is back for day two of the 2nd annual Way-Out-of-Context Big 12 Quotes. Today we have Missouri, OSU, Kansas State and Texas Tech, which unfortunately no longer has Mike Leach to provide his trademark sarcasm. Alas, we continue with real coach quotes and the official Thirsty Beagle interpretation.
Let’s start with the still-part-of-the-Big-12 Tigers.
Missouri coach Gary Pinkel: “Well I think what kind of happened to us a little bit was that a lot of players going to the NFL the last few years were coming back leaner than what we had them. …They lean them up a little bit more than what we did.”
The Thirsty Beagle: Missouri: home of fat and slow football players.
Pinkel: “We have a lady that works in our player development area that just deals with nutrition. That’s one of her areas.”
TTB: I’m not clear here; is it the only things she deals with, or one of her areas? If I’m this woman, I’m holding out for a better contract.
Pinkel: “Those decisions — they don’t ask me. If I gave my opinion, it wouldn’t matter.”
TTB: I can feel the confidence and self-assuredness flowing over here.
Next up is the 43-year-old Mike Gundy:
Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy: “This upcoming season provides us with an opportunity for us to develop some new faces, let some of these young guys get in the fold quick, gain a lot of experience.”
TTB: Translation: We’re going to get killed.
Gundy: (In response to a question about how the new offense is going) “I guess the best answer for your question is it’s gone much smoother than what I would have thought it would have gone early in spring.”
TTB: Translation: I thought we were really going to suck.
Gundy: “Obviously, he had some success in the second half, our football team did, and he was in the second half.”
TTB: This year’s award for Master of the Obvious goes to: Mike Gundy!
Gundy: “I think it should be a great game, and obviously the chance to play on TV is good for everybody involved. Other than that, I don’t really know a lot of difference from Thursday to Saturday.”
TTB: Yet another good reason for Gundy to give up play calling: it’s better to have someone making the game plan who knows the difference between Thursday and Saturday.
Now we move on to the ghost of Bill Snyder, I mean, Bill Snyder:
Kansas State coach Bill Snyder: Moderator: “Coach, you want to make an opening statement? You generally don’t, but if you choose to do so, we’d love to have you do it.” Snyder: “I don’t.”
TTB: Hey, the guy’s old. He can’t be wasting time on long, rambling soliloquies.
Snyder: (In response to question about whether he’ll have knee surgery) “…We’re going to have to put it off until after the season. So I’m still not sure whether we will or won’t. Depends on whether I decide to go back to playing golf or not.”
TTB: Bill Snyder’s priority list: 1. Golf. 2. Knee surgery. 3. Football.
Snyder: “We came out of the spring with three young guys that were viable contenders for the No. 1 quarterback spot. Is that good or bad? You could make a case either way.”
TTB: So go ahead and make your case, buddy, ’cause Old Man Snyder sure as hell ain’t doing it for you!
Snyder: “I think somebody told me the other day that we returned five catches outside of Daniel at the wide receiver position.”
TTB: You think someone told you, or they did? Because that’s some pretty specific information to not be sure if someone actually told it to you.
Snyder: “I can understand both sides of the fence.”
TTB: Man, I didn’t even know you could understand a fence in the first place, let along both sides of it.
Snyder: “I thought it was a great conference as well.”
TTB: Now he just thinks it’s a giant pile of human waste.
And finishing things up today is the new man on campus, Tommy Tuberville.
Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville: “Defensively, we want our defense to take a step up. We want to let them know that they’re part of the team.”
TTB: Time to start pulling your weight, defense. You no-account, good-for-nothing, trouble-making so-and-so’s!
Tuberville: (On who will start at quarterback) “So this is just part of their growing process coming here today, and at the end of the day we’ll have a vote, and we’ll let you (media) pick out the starter. That will make it easier on me.”
TTB: Ha. Ha. Pretty funny, Tuberville. Trying to work the media, huh? Well maybe you’re a little too funny, pal. I’ve got my eye on you, Tuberville.
Tuberville: “We’ll have a starting quarterback for the first game.”
TTB: Dammit. There goes my dream that Tuberville was going to try to out-do Leach by being even more zany and not even starting a quarterback in the first game.
Tuberville: “There’s not a stat in the game where a quarterback throws it 70 times and completes 35 and four touchdowns.”
TTB: Ummm, coach, actually there is a stat. It’s called “35-of-70 with four touchdown passes.” I don’t know how much you know about football.
Tuberville: “One thing to tell you, you got to Tech and throwing the ball and made a lot of yards, the error rate, it’s good, scored points, won some games.”
TTB: Whaaaa???
And we’ll wrap day two up on that thoroughly confusing note. Check back tomorrow for day three, featuring Bob Stoops, Mack Brown and two other guys. You know, whoever’s coaching Colorado and Kansas these days. Those guys.
2nd annual Way-Out-of-Context Big 12 Quotes
Big 12 football media days kicked off today in Irving, Texas, and that signals the return of a popular feature from last year on the blog: the Way-Out-of-Context Big 12 Quotes. Sit back and enjoy all the coach-speak you can handle, along with my official interpretation.
Let’s start things off was Nebraska Coach Bo Pelini. What did the coach of the North Division favorites have to say?
Nebraska coach Bo Pelini: “I think we finally have some depth on our team.”
The Thirsty Beagle: Translation: That Bill Callahan guy really screwed the program over royally!
Pelini: “…I will not be taking any questions in regard to Big 10 issues. We’re excited about being in the Big 12 this year. …All our focus is on the Big 12, which is a great conference.”
TTB: Translation: We think the Big 12 is super awesome. Why else would we get the hell out of here as fast as we can? (Side note: About 200 reporters went on to ask thinly veiled questions about Nebraska jumping ship.)
Pelini: “…we’ve been doing our homework on the opponents. You know, obviously, the out-of-conference opponents first.”
TTB: Give the guy credit, he’s at least figured out how to read a schedule.
Pelini: “…at the end of the bowl game, after the Arizona game, when I said Nebraska’s back, I wasn’t saying we arrived, and we’d won a national championship or anything like that.”
TTB: That’s good, coach, because they don’t typically crown the winner of the Holiday Bowl as national champions or anything.
Pelini: “You go through the conference, and the fans and the institutions in the Big 12 are highly respected institutions, very classy programs, very classy fans.”
TTB: What is this, the Ron Burgundy special? You stay classy, Big 12. In fact, the Big 12 is so classy that Nebraska’s hypothetical moving vans are going to mow the conference down as the Huskers high-tail it to the Big 10.
Next up is Baylor’s Art Briles. Briles could have best been described as the star of last year’s media days: He shot from the hip, cracked jokes, talked a big game and took no prisoners. Then he actually spent another year coaching at Baylor. Let’s see if that experience mellowed him out this time around.
Baylor coach Art Briles: “I guess I’m no different than any other coach in America today.”
TTB: No, coach, you are different. You coach football at Baylor. Big difference.
Briles: “Everybody’s excited, enthusiastic, pumped, eager, anxious, high hopes, big dreams, but what I got to do is turn them into reality.”
TTB: Easier said than done, my friend.
Briles: (In response to a question about why he feels good about his team) “You know, I mean, the easy answer is chemistry, of course.”
TTB: The hard answer is actually having good football players.
Briles: “They don’t know Danny Watkins, that he was a firefighter and a hockey player before he ever played football. He’s played football four years.”
TTB: Take us to the promised land, Danny Watkins.
Briles: “I think I know where he’s at, but I thought I knew a year ago too, and I found out I wasn’t as smart as I thought I was.”
TTB: I found out you weren’t as smart as you thought you were when you decided to take the Baylor job.
Briles: “The thing I like about our guys who we’re putting on the field this year is they’re going to be very fresh, very fast and very fearless.
TTB: Do you ever get that not-s0-fresh feeling?
Briles: “If I tell you I’m going to go out and buy you lunch today, it’s my day to buy lunch, forget your billfold.”
TTB: Coach Briles: “OK guys, it’s time to practice, but first, who wants lunch? I’m buying!”
Next up is Iowa State coach Paul “I am so proud to be your coach” Rhoads.
Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads: “There’s a word we refer to often in our program, and that’s development.”
TTB: Hey, some programs talk about stuff like “wins” and “championships.” Well not at Iowa State, pal.
Rhoads: “We face a very challenging schedule that some rate as the toughest in the country.”
TTB: Some rate Iowa State’s schedule the toughest, others forget they had a football team.
Rhoads: “The 2010 season, even though as much as I’d like to avoid that schedule and move on, I’m forced to play it and prepare for it.”
TTB: This year’s recipient of the Most Confidence in his Team Award: Not Paul Rhoads.
Rhoads: “There were three areas that I think we markedly improved last year. One, tackling… Number two, we had to keep points off the board. … Those things got to remain, and then we’ve got to shore up our run defense. We’ve go to limit the yards that we give up in the passing game and so on and so forth.”
TTB: Get ready people! Since they’re going to tackle everyone, keep points off the board and shore up the run defense and limit yards in the passing game, Iowa State is poised to shut out every opponent they face in 2010!
Wrapping up day one of Big 12 football media days is Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman.
Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman: “Well, certainly in our fan base, our former students dream of the days of the mid-80s and 90s where we were that marquee type of team.”
TTB: And then there were the 2000s, which were pure crap.
Sherman: “There will never be a lack of quarterbacks in the Big 12.”
TTB: Really, coach? Do the names Tony Lindsay, Aso Pogi and Bobby Reid not mean anything to you?
Sherman: (In response to a question about quarterback Jerrod Johnson) “Because he’s so dang bright about things, sometimes he can see things or anticipate things that aren’t happening.”
TTB: OK, I knew Johnson was a pretty decent quarterback, but I didn’t know he has studied under Ms. Cleo or something.
Sherman: “He came in here, and we asked him to do some things that were really magical because we didn’t have linebackers.”
TTB: Now I know two good reasons whey A&M hasn’t had the best defense the past couple years: They’ve been trying to use magic and parlor tricks to stop opposing offenses, and they were playing without linebackers. Seems like a couple pretty good reasons for your defense to struggle.
OK, folks, that wraps up day one. Hope you enjoyed. We’ll be back tomorrow to take on day two, which will feature Missouri, OSU, Kansas State and Texas Tech.
Vote now in the BCS Australia Conference
Voting is now open in the Beer Championship Series Australia Conference. The top two vote-getting beers will earn automatic entry into the 64-beer BCS bracket to determine Oklahoma’s favorite beer. Have your beer say today!
