Zeitgeist, beer temple, torpedo fuel, fish beer and beerlieve-it-or-nots

May 10, 3:12 PMBeer ExaminerCharlie Papazian

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One million beer bottles were used to build this Buddhist Temple in
Thailand.  The monks were saving beer bottles for 25 years.

These beery tidbits were found in the last couple of issue of the Institute of Brewing & Distilling’s magazine called Brewer & Distiller. 

Brewery Budvar (the other “original” Budweiser) is upset at a UK microbrewery.  Seems that BrewDog brewed a beer called Zeitgeist and claimed it was the first “mass marketed commercially available black lager.” In the UK Budvar has an “original” and a “dark” version of its lager.   Not leaving anything to chance they even have a third tap in some pubs that blends the two.  Really?  Is that necessary?   Perhaps that third tap should be BrewDog’s Zeitgeist and let the beer drinker decide which it likes.  But I don’t think it works that way in England.

The Society of Independent Brewers reports that “Britain’s local brewers produced 10% more beer in 2008 than in 2007.  They forecast a rise of 15% in 2009.  This is all happening at time when pub and beer sales in the UK are metaphorically tanking.  Also SIBA news reports that they’ve established an upper limit of 200,000 hectoliters (about 171,000 U.S. barrels) for a brewery to qualify for voting membership.  Fullers, Marstons and Shepard Neame are now excluded from voting, yet they can be associated members.  This won’t stop me from enjoying a Fullers, Marstons or Shepard Neame on tap and in good condition, whilst on journey to the UK.

Buddhist Monks in Thailand built a temple out of more than 1million recycled beer bottles.  They started collecting bottles in 1984.  “The more bottles we get the more buildings we make,” said the Abbot.  There’s also a mosaic of Buddha made from bottle caps.  Beerlieve it or not – the temple is no on an approved list of eco-friendly sight seeing tours in Southeast Asia.   Nuts!  I missed this on my last trip to Thailand.  What’s next for the Vatican?  I’m not going to even touch Mecca.

In Africa moonshine liquor is consumed because people can’t afford to buy beer.  Moonshine leads to health problems.  SABMiller Company has figured to introduce a beer made from cassava root (tapioca starch).  Thus the brand N’Gola will be born; replacing the 40% corn with 40% cassava in a pale lager beer.  Here’s to your health.  P.s.  I once had cassava homebrew on the Fijiian island of Lakemba in 1978.  blehh.  I'm sure SABMiller can do better.

Earlier this year E-Fuel Corporation reached a deal with Sierra Nevada Brewing to create high-grade ethanol from spent beer yeast.  Expected to go online this fall.  Fuel from Torpedo’d yeast anyone?

The oldest Belgian, Romainie Pollet had her 110th birthday. She attributes long life to the one glass of beer she has every afternoon.  We’d all love to know what beer she has had and hope not to be disappointed.

Japanese microbrewery Tosa Kuroshio Bakshu on the southern island of Shikoku has introduced Karyudo Beer.  The distinctive ingredients include dashi (made from dried kombu seaweed) and dried bonito (a dried fish ingredient in sushi restaurant miso soup).  I’ll try just about anything once.  Just a dash of dashi makes you drink like a fish.