The guys from Tasty Dude Films, who were kind enough to review beer for Brews and Books earlier this month, just release part one of their new film. Be a buddy and check it out.

Lots of interesting stuff in the worlds of ink and barley in the last week, including a great win for amateur brewers in Utah, a look at the science behind Red Riding Hood, and an examination of the many appearances of Sherlock Holmes. Check out all the links after the jump.

Brews

• Bar Harbor may not be big enough for two breweries, as Atlantic Brewing is set to buy Bar Harbor Brewing. [from beerscribe.com]
• BeerNews.org has a sneak peek at Harpoon’s new Leviathan beer, the 9% ABV Bohemian Pilsner.
• In a post that reminds me of my love for western beer, Brian discusses the great community of local breweries in Boulder, CO. [from Blog About Beer]
• Appellation Beer asks “What the heck does ‘extreme beer’ mean?” with some very … interesting … discussion in the comments.
• Y’know those novelty pens with a bikini-clad model whose swimsuit comes off when the pen is upside down? Australia’s Skinny Blonde Beer delivers the same thing on a beer bottle. [from nextround.net]
• From the “beer is saving the world” file, A Good Beer Blog looks at a new Sudanese brewery and the stability it could be a sign of.
• Although the fight to have stronger beer on tap in Utah is still ongoing, this week amatuer brewers in the state got a break – homebrewing in Utah is (finally) legal! [from beerbloggers.com]
• With two more sours announced for release, Captain Lawrence is one of the few breweries pushing one of my favorite styles. [from beernews.org]

Books

• One of fiction’s most beloved characters has adventured in quite a bit of science fiction. [from io9]
• I cannot wait for indie artists and authors to take on some of Marvel’s most popular heroes. Recently, Joe Quesada revealed more about the project. [from Galleycat]
• Bookavore has a great review of the wonderful Gone-Away World by Nick Harkaway, and talks about some other recent books worth buying in hardcover.
• Twitter’s path to world domination continutes with Picador’s (genius) new 140 Character Book Club. [from Galleycat]
• Hot damn, adults are reading more! Trish offers some great ideas about why fiction reading is on the rise with adults, and how you can help create readers. [from Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'?]
• How cool is this? The science behind the classic children’s story “Little Red Riding Hood.” [from Geekologie]
• Over at Books on the Nightstand, Michael asks a terrifying but important question – What if your local went away?
• After years in production, R. Crumb has finally completed his massive Biblical project, an adaptation of the book of Genesis. [from CBR / Robot 6]

Table of Contents is late, but not forgotten. Have a great week!

If your mom has a sense of humor, Love, Mom by Doree Shafrir and Jessica Grose may be the perfect Mother’s Day gift for this year. Collecting hundreds of never-before-seen submissions to the wonderful PostcardsFromYoMomma.com, the book is a compendium of notes, emails and IM conversations from moms to their college-aged and twenty-something children.

The messages cover every classic mother-child topic of conversation, including (but not limited to) sex, relationships, weddings, shopping, sickness, health, drugs, dressing right for cold weather, calling home once and a while and, of course, Dad. Perhaps the funniest chapter is the first, “Your Blob is So Funny and Clever”, which is all messages about blogs, IM slang, Facebook and all things computer-related that mom just can’t seem to get a handle on. Happily, the remaining chapters are just as strong and gut-bustingly funny. You can’t help but giggle at a mom passing along “the best article” she’s read about the risks of oral sex (y’know, just FYI), or recounting the digestive dilemmas of the cat. Sprinkled among the notes is commentary from the authors, “advice for moms”, and messages from celebrity moms and daughters.

As the authors write on Love, Mom‘s jacket, emails from moms are “the most fun to read when they’re from someone else’s mom.” I can’t recommend the book highly enough for mothers and their children to enjoy together. The book is a great reminder that our moms will always be our moms, and their messages are always sent meaning well – even if that part is sometimes lost in the translation into digital.

And Mom, if you read this – thanks for reading my “blob!” I’ll call home soon, I promise.

Love, Mom : Poignant, Goofy, Brilliant Messages from Home, by Doree Shafrir and Jessica Grose – 17.99 – Hardcover – ISBN 978-1-4013-2342-4 – Hyperion

A beer “5,000 years in the making!”

I’ll admit, that line on the bottle is one of the things that made me stop and take a second look at this beer. Just as people in a bookstore will often judge a book by it’s cover, we beer geeks are susceptible to great art and clever design in our purchases. On only those grounds, the Orkney Brewery Dragonhead Stout is a sure winner. The bottle design screams class, with a beautifully-done front label that has a short description of the beer and brewery. On the back – in a move I wish more breweries would make – the brewers offer notes on the beer’s look, taste, smell and mouthfeel.

At the end of the day, however, design on the bottle isn’t nearly as important as it’s contents. Does the Dragonhead live up to the (apparently) 5,000 years of hype?

The Orkney Brewery, located in the Scottish Orkney Islands, has been brewing beer since 1988. Along with the Dragonhead Stout, Orkney produces the world-renowned Skull Splitter Wee Heavy, the whisky-aged Dark Island Reserve, and a full line of seasonal and year-round brews. Orkney boasts that “The unrushed culture [of Orkney] with its traditional values influences the way we make our beer… We give undivided attention to each stage of the brewing process to ensure that our beer reaches you in perfect condition.” This traditional and unrushed approach seems to be working for the brewery, as their range of beer has won national and international acclaim.

Here in the states, the Dragonhead Stout is imported by Legends Ltd, and is available around the country. The notes on the bottle from the brewery are;

Dragonhead is a legendary stout: dark, intense and fully-flavoured, it is our tribute to the Vikings and their cultural legacy in Orkney.
On the nose, this black stout has a smooth roasted malt aroma giving bitter chocolate, dark roasted coffee and Smokey notes balanced by hints of spicy Goldings hop.
On the palate, the dark roasted malts combine to give a rich, rounded palate with chocolate, toast and nut flavours, with a satisfying spicy hop finish.

I had the (lovingly described) 500ml bottle poured into an imperial pint glass. The pour is classic English stout – near-black with a khaki-colored head. The frothy head is truly substantial for the style, a few fingers high and nicely creamy. Not bad retention either, with attractive lacing as the head fades. Aroma is just as the label promises, with bitter chocolate, coffee and a hint of Goldings. To look and smell this beer is to observe a perfect stout.

Unfortunately, the illusion falters upon tasting Dragonhead. The flavor gives promising hints of roasted malt and coffee, but is just too weak – almost as if someone diluted the beer with extra water. Fittingly, the carbonation is mild and the brew has a subtle, dry finish. Even though the beer is easy to quaff I certainly wouldn’t call it a smooth drinker, as there is an unpleasant astringent finish.

Certainly, someone looking for a sessionable stout wouldn’t be let down by Dragonhead. The light body, flavor and ABV promise to make this a brew someone could toss back quite a few of. Along the same lines, Orkney’s Dragonhead Stout could be a great crossover beer for macro drinkers – while the hallmark taste, aroma and look of a stout are present, they don’t assault you like most stouts.

I don’t seem to be with the majority with my thoughts on Dragonhead, so perhaps I just got a bad bottle of the stuff. However, with so many great American- and UK-brewed stouts available, I’d steer fans of the style towards something a little more substantial rather than take any chances.

What do David Sedaris, graphic novels, the Salt Institute and champagne have in common?

Give up? All are part of next week’s Maine Festival of the Book in Portland, Maine. From April 2-5 2009, the city of Portland is celebrating the written word with author signings, presentations, panels, readings and other events. The festival, put on by Maine Reads (in collaboration with organizations statewide), is in it’s third year.

While the bulk of the events are taking place at USM Abromson Center on Saturday, there are plenty of things to entertain and educate on Thursday, Friday and Sunday all over town. Another plus – other than Sedaris’ sold-out performance, all the events are free!

On Thursday, the 2009 Festival of the Book begins with a visual presentation on the history of the book at the Glickman Family Library at 4 pm. Friday starts with a noontime presentation by local graphic novelist Jay Piscopo, and is followed that evening by a reception for participating authors and sponsors. David Sedaris performs at Merrill Auditorium on Friday night.

Saturday features nine hour-long readings, author discussions, signings, book sales and performances at the Abromson Center, starting at 9:30. Topics of the presentations cover everything from gardening to celebrity biographies, and a full list of presenting authors is available here [.doc file]. Saturday closes with a poetry slam at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies, which begins at 7 pm.

Sunday evening, the Festival of the Book concludes at the Portland Stage Company on Forest Avenue. The Company will be preforming selections from Water Dogs, the new book from Lewis Robinson.

While I’ve already made my love for beer festivals and tastings clear, I’m the first to admit that I’m just as passionate about books as I am about beer. I’d encourage everyone to go to at least some of these events next week. Authors, publishers and book-lovers are a fun and fascinating lot, and this festival is a rare chance to peek beyond the pages of your favorite books. In my years working at a bookstore, one of the most enjoyable parts of meeting authors is learning about their process, expertise, and everything else that goes into getting a book published. With a free event spread over four days, you really have no excuse not to check it out.

Check out a full list of Saturday’s events below.

Abromson Center, University of Southern Maine

9:30 am Room 213

Springboards for Literary Pursuits

For authors Colin Sargent and John Manderino the focus of each of their new books is derived from musings. Sargent built his historical novel on the strange and exotic life of Sacagawea’s son Jean Baptiste and the question, “Whatever happened to the expedition papoose of the Lewis & Clark Voyage of Discovery?” For Manderino, it’s the entanglements of real life and the lives in the movies that become the basis for his memoir. The authors will discuss their inspirations and read from their books.

9: 30 am Room 109

The Changing Face of Maine: New Mainers

The changing landscape of Maine’s population enriches our communities, while raising new challenges. In a multi-media presentation, Reza Jalali discusses this book, which chronicles the lives of some of these new Mainers.

11 am Room 109

Jane Austen’s Gardens: Love in the Shrubbery

Kim Wilson (In the Garden with Jane Austen) explores the roles of gardens in the lives and loves of Austen and her characters.

11 am Room 213

Writing Your Way Back Home

Memoirists Meredith Hall (Without A Map) and Jaed Coffin (A Chant to Soothe Wild Elephants) will discuss the challenges and joys of writing about the places—both spiritual and geographical—where they and their stories began.

12:30 pm Room 213

The Writing Life

Ann Hood, author of The Knitting Circle and Comfort: A Journey Through Grief, her new book on the loss of her 5-year old daughter, reads from her work and discusses her writing.

12:30 pm Room 109

What’s Your Life Worth?

A reading by Alex Irvine of his near-future noir novel Buyout, with a discussion of prison issues raised in the book.

2 pm Room 109

From Champagne to CNN: Tales of Two of History’s Great Entrepreneurs

Tilar Mazzeo and Bill Burke will discuss their New York Times best-selling biographies of Madame Clicquot and Ted Turner, revealing their tycoon’s secrets of success and the art of living well.

2 pm Room 213

Meeting of the Apes

Two particularly quick-witted and talkative apes, Hannah Holmes (The Well-Dressed Ape) and Bill Roorbach (Temple Stream), address their collisions with the rest of the natural world. This strangely self-analytical species often displays a fascination with its role in nature, a practice demonstrated differently in each of these prime primates. Roorbach’s recent work has taken him into the woods and fields behind his own house, a primitive but not always primate domain. Hannah Holmes has turned inward, primarily, to consider the fundamental animalness of this ape we so often mistake for something extraordinary.

3:30 pm Room 213

Maine as Inspiration and the Craft of Writing: A Discussion with Portland Writers Lewis Robinson, Andrew McNabb and Lisa Carey

Moderated by the Publisher of Warren Machine Company, Ari Meil, this event will be a discussion of why Maine provides such rich inspiration for writers, and what has brought the writers Lewis Robinson (Water Dogs), Andrew McNabb (The Body of This) and Lisa Carey (Every Visible Thing) to their respective places in the literary world today. The writing process, including publishing, also will be discussed.

After a long Maine winter, spring has finally sprung. Luckily, the arrival of a new season means loads of new seasonal beer!

Pennsylvania-based Victory Brewing Company opened in the mid-nineties, and has steadily expanded to become a large regional brewery. Victory beers, brewed with whole leaf hops and mostly based on traditional German styles, have won a number of awards at American beer festivals. With distribution through the Midwest as well as along the east and west coasts, the brewery is certainly one of the better-represented craft breweries nationwide.

Along with a regular rotation of beer 9 styles deep, Victory brews about a dozen limited release and seasonal beers. Their summer seasonal, an unfiltered wheat beer, is the Sunrise Weiss. From the brewery;

As invigorating as the morning rays of the summer sun, Sunrise Weissbier satisfies when the heat is on, too. This unfiltered, Bavarian style ale is true to its origins with all ingredients except for the water having been imported from Germany. It remains unfiltered to feature the tangy, fruity flavors of its unique yeast. The imported German malt contributes greatly to add a crisp, citric snap that makes this beer a superb summertime refresher.

Poured into a traditional weizen glass, the Sunrise Weiss is a cloudy straw yellow. Huge, rocky head on this baby, and a carbonation so active it threatens to shake the glass. Nose is German wheat beer through and through – fruity esters along with the slightest wheat and spice notes. Most apparent are banana, clove and citrus, but all come together in a nice, clean mix.

The beer tastes like Bavaria. That’s really the most succinct way to put it. Tastes of spicy clove, bananas, wheat malt and a citrusy finish with a tiny kick of bitter hops. Well-rounded, and brewed perfectly to style. Super-bubbly mouthfeel, almost like a sparkling wine or champagne. The finish is suitably light and crisp for a summer beer, and just sticky enough to leave your mouth feeling slightly coated.

The Sunrise Weiss is a textbook example of an unfiltered summer wheat. While it doesn’t break any new ground or push the boundries of the style, it’s nice to have a traditional brew like this among all the extreme beers being released. Highly drinkable, this Victory brew is worth keeping in your fridge to pull out when the weather warms.

I'm not quite sure how I feel about the results of this study, considering my degree is on the higher end of things. (from Geekologie)

Lots of interesting stuff this week in the news and blogs, including some great new beer releases, a Twitter book, and the real story behind Harry Potter. Check it all out below, in this week’s Table of Contents.

Brews

- Another good one from Ashley the Beer Wench, looking at the myth of Beer Calories. [from The Beer Wench]

- Denver favorites Great Divide and Pablo’s Coffee are collaborating to release an Espresso Oak Aged Imperial Stout. [from The Full Pint Dot Com]

- A Good Beer Blog takes a look at the fella at Guinness who helped create beer QA.

- Andy Crouch (author of the awesome Good Beer Guide to New England) encourages us to evangelize about craft beer. Preach, brother! [from BeerScribe]

- This May, Shipyard debuts the next brew in the Pugsley’s Signature Series. [from Beernews.org]

- A few notes about the Canadian craft beer industry from “Kasper on Tap.”

- Maine hopheads will have another local IPA to drink very soon, reports Luke at Blog About Beer.

- Want to improve your beer vocabulary? Check out Randy Mosher’s Tasting Beer. [from Appellation Beer]

Books

- If you absolutely NEED to read in 140 character or less bursts, James Brindle has put out the first Twitter hardcover anthology. [from GalleyCat]

- It ain’t all tweets and blogs – this week, Bookseller’s Blog covered how booksellers can use Facebook to develop community and target advertising.

- In case you missed the fireworks, here’s some video and reaction to the publishing panel at SXSW this week. [from GalleyCat]

- Ann encourages us to break our own “rules” and read genres and books we might write off initially. [from Books on the Nightstand]

- The real story behind the publication of Harry Potter. [from vidtronic's YouTube channel]

- Jeff Howe, author of Crowdsourcing, wonders if NPR will save the news biz. [from Harper Studio]

- How to David Foster Wallace-ize a sentence – because the world needs more 1,000-page, meticulously endnoted novels. [from kottke.org]

- The Twilight series inspires teens to pick up Wuthering Heights. This gives me hope for the future. [from parentdish]

Have a great weekend!

photo by flickr user wakest

People who live and work in the world of books – folks like librarians and indie booksellers – tend to pride themselves as huge supporters of free speech.  No matter where you fall on the political, religious or philosophical spectrum, we can usually find something to recommend to you.  In the world of the written word, pretty much nothing is taboo.

Except getting it on.

Granted, the difficulty selling books about sex almost always comes from squeamishness on the part of a customer, not a bookseller.  The culture around sex in the US isn’t exactly a welcoming or celebratory one.  It is all too easy to offend someone by suggesting a book about s-e-x, but there are so many good books on the topic that it would be unfair to write them off as a whole.

These titles are certainly engaging enough to attract even a casual reader, and are all well-written, well-researched, interesting and entertaining.  So snuggle up with someone and get reading!

Bonk by Mary Roach – 14.95 – W. W. Norton

Mary Roach, whose previous books have focused on the curious science of cadavers and ghosts, turns her wit and wisdom towards sex in her latest book.  In Stiff, Roach looks at the science behind sex - from the groundbreaking studies by Kinsey to the futuristic technology and devices of contemporary sex and sexuality.  I can’t imagine a more entertaining book about sex studies and research than Bonk, nor an author that is as hilariously involved in their own research as Mary.  From a “marital aid” factory in California to a Danish sow furrowing farm, there is hardly an aspect of sex research that she left, ahem, untouched.  If you want a fairly in-depth book about the intersection of science and sex (or a quick and entertaining casual read), Bonk is highly recommended.

Sex; A User’s Guideby Stephen Arnott – 7.99 – Delta

Did you know the graham cracker was initially made to lessen the sex drive?  Or that Cleopatra had a bee-powered vibrator?  These are just of the trivia tidbits from Sex; A User’s Guide.  From a history of contraceptives to a glossary of sex slang, Arnott’s book is basically a really awesome, really filthy version of Schott’s Miscellany or an Uncle John reader.  If you are a trivia nut, or aren’t squeamish about tossing sex-themed fun facts into conversation, or just want to know more about the history of sex in different cultures, you can’t do much better than this slim volume.

Dr. Tatiana’s Sex Advice for All Creation by Olivia Judson – 16.00 – Holt

Written under the guise of an advice column, Sex Advice for All Creation looks at the gonzo sex practices of the animal kingdom.  Answering “letters” from insects, birds and lizards, Judson takes a wry and ultimately compelling look at evolutionary biology.  The question-and-answer format makes the book a real page-turner, and manages to keep the book entertaining while educational.  If the oddest sexual trivia about the animal kingdom you’ve heard is the well-known fate of a male praying mantis, you’ve only scratched the surface of the bizarre practices of non-human mates.

Sex for America, edited by Stephen Elliott – 13.95 – Harper

The subtitle of Sex for Americais “Politically Inspired Erotica”, which was enough to pique the interest of this blogger (my undergraduate degree is in Political Science).  Elliott should be commended for the mix of up-and-comers and established voices in the world of sexual fiction he got for this book.  The stories in the book tend to take a liberal slant, but certainly offer “adult” tales for people of every taste and sexual orientation.  The 24 tales include, among other topics; a tryst between a liberal and conservative, a funny bondage story where the threats are of conservative policy rather than physical acts, and a campaigning competition between husband and wife.  Though the book does fit into the realm of erotica, Sex for America is interesting as a examination of the place of sex in modern America, and the clash of “free love” versus conservative social policy.

Guide to Getting it Onby Paul Joannides – 24.95 – Goofy Foot Press

The Guide to Getting it On is the only “instructional” title on this list, because it is really the best one I’ve seen.  Equally fitting on the shelf of a couple or as the text in a sex education class, the nearly-1,000 page book talks about sex frankly and with a sense of humor.  Published in over a dozen languages, 6 editions, and a winner of multiple awards, Joannides’ book deserves all the praise it has received.  Although the tone is hip, light and informal, the Guide to Getting it On is meticulously researched and covers every sexual topic under the sun, from the benign to the kinky.  The book deserves a place on the shelf of anyone who has had sex, is currently sexually active, or thinks they will be in their lifetime.

Come next week, the taps and “showcase” price will be switched out for Rogue Ales, hailing from Newport, Oregon.  So far, we know that Yellow Snow IPA, Dead Guy Ale and Rogue Chocolate Stout will be on tap on the 26th for 2.50 a pint.  As the event draws closer, expect the showcase list to grow.

If you’ve been waiting for an excuse to go to the Great Lost Bear or sample some new beer, find a way to get down to Forest Avenue this or next week.  Rogue and Brooklyn brew some of the best craft beer on the market, and you won’t be able to try their beer for any cheaper than these showcases.

If you can’t wait for the Maine Brewer’s Festival in November (or even the American Craft Beer Fest in June), Maine’s capitol is offering another beer-tasting option just next month.

The first ever Central Maine Brew Fest is scheduled for April 18th at the Augusta Civic Center.  Most of the myriad brewers and brewpubs usually at the Maine Brewer’s Festival will be slinging samples, along with local heroes The Liberal Cup and brewing supplier Kennebec Home Brew Supplies.

Tickets are still available, and go for $25 a pop – not a bad price for the number of breweries that will be at the festival.  As is the norm with beer festivals, there are both afternoon (2 p.m. to 5 p.m.) and evening (7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.) sessions.  Along with food and prizes, both sessions will feature live music from the State Street Traditional Jazz Band and Strause & Company.  As a bonus for people not from the Augusta area, both the Comfort Inn and Holiday Inn in the capitol are offering reduced room rates for the night of the festival.

I’m certainly excited to see what kind of festival comes from the large venue and central location of the Central Maine Brew Fest.  Time will tell if this will be a viable Spring companion to the Maine Brewers Festival, and I hope the event offers another annual chance for Mainers and the folks of northern New England to sample all the great craft beer from Maine.  Make a weekend of it – get jazzed about the world of good beer on the 16th when Beer Wars premieres, and then sample some on Saturday.

Check after the jump for a full list of brewers, accommodations and ticket information from CentralMaineBrews.com and Central Maine Festivals, LLC.

Saturday afternoon & evening, April 18, 2009

Sample new and traditional brews from Maine companies large and small

Live Bands, Food, and Prizes

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The first ever Central Maine Brews Fest will be underway next spring. You may purchase tickets or volunteer for the event. NOTE: A limited number of tickets will be sold. Order now!

Participating Brewers

• Allagash Brewing
• Andrews Brewing
• Atlantic Brewing
• Casco Bay Brewing
• Geary’s Brewing
• Gritty McDuff’s Brewing
• Kennebec River Brewing
• Kennebec Home Brew Supplies
• Liberal Cup
• Oak Pond Brewery
• Peak Organic
• Sea Dog Brewing
• Sebago Brewing
• Sheepscot Brewing
• Shipyard Brewing
• Sunday River Brewing

Performing at Both Shows

STRAUSE & COMPANY Original American Music
STATE ST. TRADITIONAL JAZZ BAND New Orleans Style

Sponsors

Comfort Inn • Augusta – Special Brew Festival rates at the Comfort Inn Civic Center Augusta. $65.00 Rate includes deluxe continental breakfast, indoor pool and hot tub. Right across the way from the Festival. Many restaurants and shopping nearby. Must call the hotel directly at 207-623-1000 and ask for the Brew Fest Special rate.

Holiday Inn • Augusta – SPECIAL Brew Festival rate of $65.00 (plus tax) at the Holiday Inn Civic Center, host hotel for the Brew Festival. Located adjacent to the Civic Center and the Festival. Ground Round attached, open 6:30am to midnight– join all your friends at the Holiday Inn! Call 207-622-4751 for your Brew Festival hotel accommodations.

Atkins Printing • Waterville