November 2011 ArchivesPublished: Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 11:53 a.m.Last Modified: Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 11:53 a.m.ABITA BREWING COMPANY Vanilla Doubledog Abita Brewing Company's 25th anniversary ale, Vanilla Doubledog, is a brilliant manipulation of its flagship Turbodog, a light-bodied, dark brown ale with hints of chocolate and chicory. Doubledog is a beefier version, weighing in at 7 percent alcohol by volume, while Turbodog is 5.6 percent ABV. Doubledog has a more pronounced mocha flavor, and the judicious use of vanilla beans lends additional depth to this dark, garnet-colored beer. As with most anniversary products, Vanilla Doubledog is made in limited quantities, though brewers sometimes extend production on products that prove popular. (Hint) If you're a fan of Turbodog, you won't be disappointed with its brawny cousin. Pair with burgers or gumbo. Eric Pera can be reached at 802-7528 or eric.pera@theledger.com. Check his blog postings at thedish.blogs.theledger.com. For the AJC I say it every holiday season, but it’s still true. Shopping for the beer geeks on your list is so simple -- just buy them something rare or seasonal or find out what style of beer they love and create a special mix pack.How about celebrating Southern craft beer with a collection of winter and holiday brews, such as Abita Christmas Ale, Highland Cold Mountain Winter Ale, Red Brick Old Stock Ale, Sweetwater Festive Ale or Terrapin Wake-n-Bake Stout. Belgian breweries make some of the world’s most interesting and complex holidays beers. A few to look for: Corsendonk Christmas, N’ice Chouffe, Delirium Noel, De Ranke Pere Noel, Dupont Avec Les Bon Vieux, Fantome de Noel, Scaldis Noel and St. Bernardus Christmas. Beer glasses from a special brewery always make a fun gift. But if you want to splurge, grab a set or two of Spiegelau Beer Classics glassware. They come in lager, tulip, wheat and ale shapes and sizes in packs that retail for around $25-$75. Compared with a generic shaker pint, you’ll be amazed by the quality of the ultra-thin glass and the way it reveals the true color, aroma and flavor of the beer, while helping retain the temperature and carbonation. Almost as much as drinking beer and arguing about beer, geeks like to read books about beer -- and sometimes argue about those, too. There's no doubt “The Oxford Companion to Beer” edited by Garrett Oliver (Oxford University Press, $65) is at the top of the 2011 list of most important beer books. The 900-page encyclopedia easily delivers on the jacket hype that touts it as “the most comprehensive reference book ever published on the subject.” But it’s also surprisingly entertaining. Here are three more beer books to slip under the tree: “Craft Beer Bar Mitzvah” by Jeremy Cowan with James Sullivan (Malt Shop Publishing, $16.99) is another example of the crazy chutzpah and offbeat branding genius of Cowan, the man behind the Shmaltz Brewing Co. and He’brew, “the Chosen Beer.” “Brewed Awakening: Behind the Beers and Brewers Leading the World’s Craft Brewing Revolution” by Joshua M. Bernstein (Sterling Epicure, $24.95) is a good primer for exploring craft brewing and a guide to current hot topics like extreme beers. “The Great American Ale Trail: the Craft Beer Lover's Guide to the Best Watering Holes in the Nation" by Christian DeBenedetti (Running Press, $20) suffers from the same problem that plagues most guidebooks -- they’re often outdated on arrival. But this one still has a lot of good info and the section on Georgia is sure to start some fights around here. If you’re looking for stocking stuffers, gift subscriptions to beer magazines, like Beer Connoisseur, and papers, like Southern Brew News, are always a good bet. And, of course, beer festival tickets, which often sell out far in advance, make a super gift. Here are a few on the horizon: World Beer Festival, Jan. 28 in Columbia, sponsored by All About Beer magazine, allaboutbeer.com. Sweetwater’s Brew Your Cask Off, March 10 in Atlanta, with guest brewers and Sweetwater beer, brewyourcaskoff.com. Classic City Brew Fest, April 15 in Athens, with lots of Georgia beers and a new cask ale pavilion with one-off firkins, brewfest.net. What beer gifts are you giving (or hoping to receive) this holiday season? Join the discussion on the AJC Drink blog: blogs.ajc.com/drink.
$1.2 Million Coastal Restoration Project Dedicated to Louisiana Conservationists
LAFAYETTE,
La. - Representatives of Ducks Unlimited and several partner
organizations gathered Tuesday at Pointe-aux-Chenes Wildlife Management
Area to celebrate the completion of a $1.2 million coastal restoration
project in southeast Louisiana and to dedicate it to Ron and Jackie
Bartels of Schriever. More than 100 people attended the dedication
event.
"Ducks Unlimited is pleased to recognize the Bartels' unyielding commitment to conservation by dedicating the Grand Bayou Unit project to them," said DU Executive Secretary Dan Thiel. "Pointe-aux-Chenes WMA is one of the most popular public lands for waterfowl hunting in the state, and it is only fitting that Ron's and Jackie's conservation legacy be tied to it." The Bartels' are well-known in the conservation arena for their pursuit of an impressive list of international game species as well as for their dedication to conservation organizations such as the Safari Club International and Ducks Unlimited. Ron has been an active DU volunteer for many years and currently serves as the Advisory Senior Vice President for Membership. "If you're going to harvest game, you absolutely must give back to the resource," says Ron, manager at Eagle Consulting, LLC and Facilities, Inc. He and Jackie have impressed upon their children and grandchildren the importance of a strong conservation ethic. At last count, 35 members from four generations of the Bartels family are carrying forward a passion for conservation through active support and involvement in organizations like Ducks Unlimited. "It makes me feel great that everybody is involved," Jackie said. The Grand Bayou project restored hydrology on approximately 3,255 acres of coastal marsh habitat through the installation of water control structures and levee work. In addition to enhancing public hunting opportunities on one of the most popular areas in the state, the work enables LDWF managers to restore and maintain coastal marsh vegetation and salinity levels that support migratory waterfowl, shorebird and neo-tropical songbird populations, resident mottled ducks and myriad other marsh-dwelling species. "This project is a premier example of Ducks Unlimited's work to restore vital Gulf Coast marshes," Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Robert Barham said. "The efforts of all partners involved greatly assist Wildlife and Fisheries' efforts to efficiently and effectively manage the area for waterfowl and a wide variety of fish and other wildlife." "Anytime we are able to advance coastal restoration projects and mesh them with increased opportunities for wildlife management, it's a win-win situation. And this project accomplishes both objectives," Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne said. The project, led by Ducks Unlimited, is a cooperative effort among 17 partners, including the North American Wetlands Conservation Council, the LDWF, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation, Abita Brewing Company, Irene W. & C.B. Pennington Foundation, TransCanada Corporation, ExxonMobil Foundation, Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Foundation, Go-Devil Manufacturers of Louisiana - Warren Coco, Safari Club International - Louisiana Chapter, Trapp Cadillac-Chevrolet, Inc. - Heinke Trapp, Songy's Sporting Goods - Barry Songy, Matthew Hagen, Dr. Ted Price, Pierre Olivier, and Bobby and Linda Burguieres. Ducks Unlimited is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 12 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. |
