I humble-bragged the other day that I have been invited to be a regular contributor to the The Today Show’s food blog. My first post appeared this morning, a “beer brawl” between New England and New York in honor of the Super Bowl. I’ll admit that this is certainly not the most original post idea, but I’m trying to aim for the middle of the target a bit with my first submission. I don’t want to blow it right out of the gate!
Click image to read the post
The post turned out well, but something happened that I hadn’t anticipated – my stuff was edited. Mostly the edits were good ones and the post is certainly the same in spirit, but it’s a strange feeling to have someone come between me and an audience when I’m writing about beer. I’m sure I’ll get used to it (it happens all the time at work), but it’s strange to have someone messing with my stuff. Even if she made it better. 😦
Anyway, everyone head over to the post and check it out, and while you’re there, maybe leave a comment or ten so the folks over at NBC think I’m a genius. Everyone except John King of course, who would probably write that the “Bites” blog bites a little more today because of my crappy post.
Beer & Whiskey Brothers 
Congrats Jim. Pretty damn cool.
Thanks, Dave. It’s a little bizarre, actually!
Nice. It’s every beer blogger’s dream to write for the Today Show food blog.
I thought it was every beer blogger’s dream to drown in a bottling tank full of Pliny the Elder…
Well, that too.
You never answered the title question…or where you advised not to by Today?
So who in your opinion wins: NY beer or NE beer?
I answered it: “All in all, I think New England has a slight advantage over New York, but it’s really anyone’s game.”
Translation: New England kinda kicks New York’s backside, but I don’t want to piss anyone off with my first post!
🙂
I agree with that assessment. Now if New England were facing CO, it’d be a lot harder to call–CO makes a hell of a lot of good beer!
BTW: Loved the Today piece.
Agreed, and thanks for the compliment on the post.
Wow, the rigamarole one needs to submit to to be able to comment on the Today blog is a wee bit intrusive. I do think the retinal scan, thumbprint, and urine test were nearly over the line.
Did you get the cavity search like I did? Not to bad once the gloves warm up!
And what was “turn your head and cough” about?
I’m not sure – it reminded me of a priest I knew as a kid… 😦
No love for Don, that bites. Good post.
Thanks, John. Last year with the Packers would’ve been a great opportunity to get Don in on the act out of the gate. I have plans of working him in for sure, but it would’ve been forced in this post and I want to get a vibe for the whole process and audience before I start drawing too far outside the lines. But we’ll get DonnyBear in there!!
I think the Today show already has a funny bald guy who does weather…although I’d pay to see that Battle Royale!
ESPECIALLY if there were bear suits and/or baby oil involved!
Good call…I mean being political about it. I’m glad to see that craft beer is getting some publicity from an outlet like NBC.
Yeah, I figured the Today Show’s blog wasn’t a place to be a total beer snob – there’s lots of really good stuff from both regions, so I just focused on the positives. Today didn’t make any suggestions about the outcome, but I figured why be an ass? 🙂
“I say: Pick up a few selections I’ve suggested from craft brewers…” I suppose you were wiser than I would have been. I’d have gone for the low hanging fruit with “draft picks.” 🙂
Ha ha – good one. The orginal post said “I’m rooting for the home team, wherever home is” and I suggested picking up some beers from a local craft brewer near you. That didn’t make the cut…
So, was it worth the “casting couch” session with Al Roker? Or was that Don’s contribution?
Good first post, and I’m sure you’ll be able to let your snob flag fly before too long!
There wasn’t a casting couch at all, but that didn’t stop Don from offering to help in that regard. Awkward!
Yes, the snob flag will certainly fly, but I think the audience is so general over there that I have to keep it a little 101 for newbs. It’s a great chance to bring folks into the craft beer fold – I don’t want to blow it by ranting about Simcoe versus Cascade!
Ugh… posting a comment on that website is a pain in the arse…
It’s a great post, Jim, but I feel that you did Massachusetts breweries a disservice when you said “if these were the Boston Patriots of old it would be no contest.” You can’t even call out one other Massachusetts brewery? Even though the mayor of Boston is a moron, you can rest assured knowing that craft beer geekery has a strong following in Pats country.
The Boston area has some amazing breweries, though I admit that many of them are small and don’t see widespread distribution outside of MA. For starters, you have the Cambridge Brewing Co. which recently bottled an incredible belgian IPA, Pretty Things who make a great barleywine (among other unique brews), and of course Harpoon which consistently puts out a great selection of go-to beers. If you venture further out from Boston you have Wormtown Brewery (Worcester), Wachusett Brewery, Clown Shoes and Notch Brewing (Ipswich), Jack’s Abbey (Framingham), which specialized in lagers — something quite unique in our ale-happy world), and many others. And if you want to trek even further out in MA, you’ll get to the Berkshire Brewing Company which has not let me down once.
I know that it’s not quite realistic to mention these local breweries in an article that sees a nationwide audience, especially when most of them aren’t available outside of Massachusetts, but as a Pats fan and an ardent supporter of the MA brewing scene, I felt obligated to give my favorites some support and recognition.
Though, hey, come on let’s be real. It’s Boston vs NY. For beer, as with sports, there’s obviously no contest! Go Patriots!
First off, I didn’t know Pretty Things and Clown Shoes were in MA (my bad there) but overall, I tried to focus mostly on breweries with wide distribution so people outside of New York and Boston had a fighting chance to find them locally (with the probable exception of Captain Lawrence). I eschewed Harpoon because they aren’t that awesome (serviceable, but not amazing) and I’d rather mention Sam Adams, who has done so much for craft beer and is widely known and distributed.
Anyway, thanks for the good info for the local scene up there, sounds tasty!
And as a Jets fan who lives in NJ, there’s NO WAY I can condone your “Go Patriots” comment!!
And for Maine and New Hampshire Gritty McDuff’s does some decent beers, and in particular if you can ever get your hands on any White Birch Brewing they’re a relatively new brewery out of Hooksett, New Hampshire–they’ve been doing some really good stuff out of a small facility that the owner/brewer mostly handbuilt (although because of codes he’s slowly buying up the real machinery). Another new New Hampshire brewery is Throwback Brewing out of North Hampton, I’ve only had one of their selections, a black IPA they made this summer, but if it’s any indication they’ve got a groovy thing goin’
I’d figure New Hampshire would be a good beer state, what with their slightly rough and rebellious streak (not to mention all those damn vanity plate – never seen as many in my life!)
Can’t forget we have the highest level of beer consumption in the nation, and the cheapest alcohol in general–Live free (with a delicious drink in hand) or die
Don’t worry Jim, there are a ton of good breweries there and too god damn many to mention. I spend a lot of time there. You gotta talk about what people know. Hill Farmstead is top notch, but unless your a beer geek, you’ve never heard of it.
Well I am a beer geek, but apparently one who doesn’t go north of Poughkeepsie.
Blow their minds by telling them that Tuthilltown Spirits is making bourbon in New York. Probably start a riot.
Of course, that distillery is actually in New York, unlike the Jersey Giants.
Don’t think that it escaped my attention that the Giants are from New Jersey and none of the beers I mentioned are.
I think the world of micro distilling is starting to heat up in a very interesting way. Maybe Don needs to pitch a post or two about it to them.
Good post Bro… You did good.
I totally agree with you, Jim (about both the Jersey Giants and microdistillation). I wrote a lot about it, and cited both of you, in my green drinks predictions for 2012:
http://www.examiner.com/green-drinks-in-philadelphia/2012-predictions-for-green-drinks
The game last night was a good one, in contrast to many Super Bowls – pretty wild that it went down to the last play, so hey, cheers to NJ!
Nice article Brendan, but I was a little disappointed when I realized it wasn’t about Shamrock Shakes! 😉