Projo Beer Blog

NEW YORK (AP) -- A company that started out as a joke celebrates ten years in business.

Founder Jeremy Cowan says that starting out, he and his friends just thought it would be fun for Jews to have their own beer and brewed up something called "He'Brew."

Ten years later, with 2 million bottles sold, it's not a joke anymore.

Cowan says he likes the beer, but wouldn't want to abandon the inside joke that started it all, the punch line being "don't pass out, pass over."

The tiny San Francisco-based brew, which depends almost as much on schtick as it does on brewing expertise, is celebrating its anniversary with several new beers. They include a rye-flavored tribute to the late comedian and free-speech icon, Lenny Bruce.

Check out their Web site.

-- The Associated Press

The variety 12-pack: Isn't it a great source of pleasure and treasure for the beer drinker?

I know. These mixed packs may seem like a convenient way for brewers to dump unpopular offerings, and there's no guarantee you'll like all of the selections. But they provide an even greater opportunity for beer drinkers to discover enjoyable new brews.

I've stumbled across two variety packs in recent weeks that I think are worth sharing -- one from the Boulder Beer Co., which bills itself as Colorado's first microbrewery, and the other from the Shipyard Brewing Co. of Portland, Maine.

>> Continue reading: In praise of the variety pack

PORTLAND, Maine -- Like most small breweries, Gritty McDuff's went through a lull as fast-rising sales of craft beer leveled off in the late 1990s.

But Gritty's and the craft beer industry as a whole are now enjoying a resurgence as sales are growing at their fastest pace in a decade.

Production of craft beer - those specialty brews typically made in small regional or local breweries - last year grew by 9 percent, the biggest jump since 1996, when the microbrewery craze of the '90s was still going full tilt. Mainstream beer sales fell slightly.

Read the full story.

The Associated Press

A friend brought the Brooklyn Brewery East India Pale Ale along for the limo ride as we headed to our wives' 20th high school reunion Saturday.

>> Continue reading: Brooklyn Brewery

Tried out Wachusett Brewing Company's Summer Breeze over the weekend. It was an impulsive selection while drooling at the local beer cooler Sunday, but just the name alone made it a good pairing with the burgers I was about to slather with grilled, chipotle-spiced onions and mushrooms. Should have stuck with an old standby, though.

>> Continue reading: Untested waters

I'm on a mission now. I must find Berkshire Brewing Co.'s Steel Rail Extra Pale Ale, as recommended by masslive.com's Beer Nut.

>> Continue reading: Beer Nut: Brews for partygoers