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A Series of Firsts!
There are quite a few groundbreaking first time events/accomplishments that are going on this, the first month of 2009. We just witnessed the inauguration of the first non Caucasian President, the Arizona Cardinals are going to their first Super Bowl and we completed our test run of the "Ales On Rails" Promotion on Friday (pictures located throughout). More on the "Ales On Rails" expedition later, let us begin by turning our attention to Barack Obama and The Arizona Cardinals.
I think it is worth reflection to put the accomplishments of both under the microscope for a second. I have compiled a convenient timeline to help you sort it out.
1865 - Slavery abolished
1869 - Suffrage no longer restricted to race
1898 - Morgan Athletic Club (precursor to The Cardinals) founded
1901 - Renamed "The Racine Cardinals"
1919 - Whoops! Somehow forgot to give women the right to vote 50 years back when race restrictions were lifted, sorry!
1920 - Cardinals become a charter member of what will become the NFL
1950's - Cardinals compile only 33 victories in the entire decade, long tradition of "sucking" firmly in place
1961 - Barack Obama born in Hawaii
1988 - Cardinals move to Arizona
1996 - Obama elected to Illinois Senate
1999 - Cardinals win first playoff game since coming to Arizona (and in 52 years!)
Nov. 4, 2008 - Obama elected the 44th President
Feb. 1, 2009 - Cardinals perhaps become 43rd Super Bowl Champ.
Wow, what a rich tapestry of history we've woven in this country! Makes me want to drink a beer... oh, that's right, this is a brewsletter! Let's get on with it!
This week we tackle all sorts of new ground. The brewers discuss the health benefits of beer drinking, the irrepressible Mike Kruchko from our Scottsdale location offers some options for you movers and shakers out there, I give you a brief "Ales On Rails" recap and have a conversation with our new coffee machine that may or may not have actually happened. Any way you look at it, I have way too much time on my hands!
Kääkehään,
Your Friends at The Four Peaks Brewery and Four Peaks Grill & Tap
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Our day began serenely enough
at 9 o'clock on a crisp Friday morn. A small contingent of The Four
Peaks South Ambassador Committee (FoPSAC) headed to the Train Station
at Dorsey and Apache. Tickets were acquired, seats found with little
difficulty and the voyage began.  First stop, Matt's Big Breakfast
in Phoenix (you need a good solid base if you are to begin an
undertaking such as this). Quick, simple and delicious; after a few
salami scrambles, hog and chick, and French Toasts later, we were ready
to begin our quest through "Beer-topia."
Destination #1, The George and Dragon
located on Central Ave. in Phoenix. We watched a little soccer/futbol
on the telly as well as some Sportscenter/Cardinal trash talk on
another, then we chatted and joked with the proprietor, David Wembley. Before we knew
it we were a few Kilt Lifters into our day and it was only 12:30. If we
were going to check out (remember) anything else, we had to keep moving.
Next stop, Portland's Restaurant & Wine Bar
conveniently located just down the street. This time, talk of the US
Airways crash was paramount and some delicious Sunbru Kolsch was the
beverage of choice. Moving along we stopped at The Roosevelt,
also just a few scant blocks away. Typically open at 5 pm, a few
strings were pulled and we were given the VIP treatment and private
viewing, perhaps staying there a bit longer than we should have!
As the afternoon began to wane, we decided to grab a quick Kilt Lifter at another historic Phoenix locale, the Hotel San Carlos back on Central Ave. before stopping at a Four Peaks server favorite, Seamus McCaffrey's, conveniently located right next door. Oddly enough, after a few more Kilt Lifters, some members of the FoPSAC decided to call it a day. After
fragmenting into a small 3 person contingent, the last of us decided to
hit one more bar, Majerles.
Why not, it was 2 blocks from the train station and our breakfast had
seriously worn off. Some chicken strips, "Gorilla" wings and sliders
along with, you guessed it, more Kilt Lifters later, we were exhausted and
felt compelled to head home. It was about 6:15! Yes, we had come to the
realization that we were no longer the professional drinkers we had
always boasted about in college. But we had a great deal of fun trying!
We would like to thank all the businesses mentioned here for their hospitality. We look forward to spending more time with all of you with the assistance of the LRT!
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CASK-CONDITIONED AND SEASONALS
IN SCOTTSDALE THIS WEEK
8th Street Ale: Your favorite English-style "Best Bitter" and unofficial beer of the Phoenix Light Rail. Come on in and enjoy one today! IN TEMPE THIS WEEKHop Knot I.P.A.: Our most popular of cask varieties. It goes fast so come in soon and have one before it switches over to... 8th Street Ale: I know, I sing its praises altogether too many times, but when something is this good I just can't keep quiet.  SEASONAL DU JOUR
Currently in between seasons, check back for updates!
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5 Questions With The JAVO Machine...
In lieu of a 5 questions with a co worker, I thought I should
do a special 5 questions installment with our MVP of this winter. Yes, this "employee of the month" has performed flawlessly through a busy and sometimes  tumultuous football season to make it a success. Always being there and constantly ready, never
sleeping and maintaining constant vigilance when everyone else began
to fold. Of course I am referring to the
JAVO machine! You may be unfamiliar with
the latest mechanization installed here at the Tempe Brewery, but we couldn't
be more proud! Always on the forefront
of technology, the good folks at Four Peaks decided that brewing an entire pot
of coffee in the summer for one person was not only economically unfeasible but
also avoidable. What other solution
was there? Judging from the almost
unanimous response from our guests, we believe you couldn't agree more. Through the miracle of modern science we are
able to take something as simple as pouring hot water over ground coffee and
make it better with the use of cutting edge equipment! This single pour system makes "your dreams
come true" much like "Laverne and Shirley" did back in the late '70's. So, being the intrepid reporter you know me
to be, I got hopped up on copious amounts of caffeine and sat down for a one on
one conversation with the entity we only know as "JAVO." So please, sit back and enjoy...
1. What is your favorite Four Peaks
beer? Please elaborate.
I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO PRODUCE
ANYTHING OTHER THAN COFFEE EVER SINCE I WAS PROGRAMMED BY THE GOOD FOLKS AT THE
JAVO BEVERAGE COMPANY!! THEY LOVE ME SO
MUCH I CANNOT DEVIATE FROM THE PRIME DIRECTIVE OF SERVING ONLY THE FINEST
COFFEE! PLUS, I HAVEN'T SLEPT IN YEARS
AND DEPRESSANTS WOULD HAMPER MY PRODUCTIVITY. 
2. What can you tell me about yourself?
I AM ORGANIC, ALL NATURAL
AND KOSHER, I DON'T PLAN ON TAKING OVER THE WORLD BUT, BY GOD, I KNOW I WON'T
SLEEP THROUGH IT!
3. These days fresh and exotic coffees
are, what would you say, en vogue I guess, what sets you apart?
LOOK EINSTEIN, I JUST
TOLD YOU! YOU WANT ME TO BE A KONA
BLEND, CHECK!! COLUMBIAN AND FRENCH
ROAST, I GOT IT COVERED; YOU WANT HAZELNUT ICED COFFEE, JUST PLACE AN ORDER TO MY HOME OFFICE STEPHEN HAWKING! I'M SORRY; I GET
KINDA EDGY AFTER A LONG DAY OF JUST SITTING IDLE.
4. What Four Peaks food do you think you
go the best with?
WHAT'VE YOU GOT?? ICE CREAM CAKE, YOU BET! YOUR SUNDAY BREWER'S BREAKFAST, YEAH I THINK
I'VE BEEN THERE MORE TIMES THAN YOU SUCKLE AT YOUR MAMMAS' TEAT BIG BOY! HELL, I'VE EVEN SEEN YOU PUT BACK A
DOUBLE JAMESON AND JAVO WHEN YOU LOST YOUR VOICE! YOU KNOW THE IRISH CONSIDER THAT A MEAL IN ITS OWN RIGHT!
5. You seem to get pretty intense, is
there anything you would like to get off your chest?
DAMN STRAIGHT I
WOULD!! I AM THE LIFE BLOOD OF AMERICA
MORNING, NOON AND NIGHT! I DON'T ASK
FOR ANYTHING IN RETURN, I JUST WANT TO SEE ALL OF YOUR PATRONS ENJOY A NICE HOT CUP OF
ME WHEN THEY SHOW UP...THEY WON'T REGRET IT!
THIS INTERVIEW IS OVER AND I SAY GOOD DAY, SIR! Not long after this interview was conducted the JAVO machine had a mild breakdown and needed a thorough cleaning. But fear not, JAVO is now back behind the bar ready to serve you an always fresh, always tasty, cup of coffee. Please have one with your Stoutamisu today.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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Thursday, January 22nd: Beer Dinner at Pesto Brothers Piazza in Historic Downtown Flagstaff, all beer provided by your humble little Brewery! Call (928) 774-3020 for Reservations and details!
Tuesday, January 27th-31st: FBR Open at the TPC of Scottsdale
Tuesday, February 3rd: The First Beer Dinner of the year. Officially SOLD OUT!! Saturday, February 14th: Valentine's Day, special menu unveiled next Wednesday!
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The Brewers Blog
It's a new year, a new President, a "new" pro football team
(we were at the game...WOW). It's also a
time when people tend to navel-gaze, not for introspection but to ponder how
the navel got so deep and how did it get surrounded by such a great gut?
An immediate, and we would say knee-jerk, reaction to this
discovery would be to say something like, "I need to stop drinking beer". Now, we're all for moderation but recent
studies show that to stop drinking beer may actually be bad for your
health.
Why? Well let's see
what you'd be missing.
B vitamins. In particular, folate, which has shown signs
of reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, Alzheimers disease, and several
cancers.
Silicon. Beers is one of the best sources of silicon
which helps fight off the effects of osteoporosis.
Antioxidants, ferulic acid for
example. Just one beer has more ferulic acid
than a tomato and the other antioxidants in beer may help to raise the level of
other antioxidants in the blood helping to prevent diabetes and heart disease.
Fiber. Beer has loads of soluble fiber. (Editor's
note; the word "loads" was carefully chosen)
You may have what you perceive as a "beer belly" but that is
an unfair description. It is the
calories in alcohol that are fattening, not any unique ingredient to beer. In fact, ethanol itself has been shown in
studies by the Harvard School of Public Health and the British Medical Journal, to be beneficial to
heart health by raising HDL levels (good cholesterol), lowering levels of
certain clotting agents, and normalizing blood sugar levels. These findings were proven with beer, wine
and spirits. All of this, of course, can
only be achieved when alcohol is consumed in moderation. Massive alcohol consumption will unfortunately
reverse some of the benefits of ethanol.
Also, if you're an Atkins Diet adherent and you have an
irrational fear of carbohydrates we are here to tell you that many wines have
far greater carb contents than beer.
So, by all means, sacrifice a little but don't eliminate
something that may very well help you on the road to better health through
moderation.
We'd like to give a special thanks to a great champion of
beer's health benefits, Charles Bamforth, Ph.D., department chair, food science
and technology, and Anheuser-Busch Endowed Professor of Malting and Brewing
Sciences at University of California, Davis, and special professor in the school
of biosciences at University of Nottingham, England. He is Editor in Chief of the Journal of the
American Society of Brewing Chemists. His most recent book is Grape vs. Grain (Cambridge University), a comparison of wine and beer. Without his research and constant insistence
on beer's benefits much of the knowledge we have today would not be available.
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The Grill & Tap Dispatch
with Mike Kruchko
So I've had a few people ask if I'm
going to be able to write from week to week without just writing about sports
and the answer I give them is we'll have to see. That being said, with the over abundance of
Cardinal coverage that we will be inundated with the next, oh, 280 hours or so,
I'm going to leave that alone...but, I would like to at least say congratulations
to the team and fans. And I mean the real
fans out there, not the "fans" that still have the price tags on their
Fitzgerald jerseys.
Ok, well what if you're not into
the Super Bowl or maybe you just want to look at what else you can do with your
time in the upcoming days; let me see if I can throw a little something out
there for everyone to do while still being able to enjoy your favorite Four
Peaks beers?
With the weather being somewhat summer like, now is
a perfect time for the Arizona National Boat and Watersports Expo. Starting today at the newly renovated Phoenix
Convention Center you can check out the latest in ski boats and fishing boats,
shop for marine accessories, plan vacations and catch wakeboarding and ski pros
demonstrating tricks on a 170ft. lake located directly on Third Street; all
this while having an 8th St. Ale or two (or six). What's better than having a few beers on the
water (as long as your not the one driving!)? Ok, I guess it's more like being
near the water, but you get the gist.
This event will be running through the weekend and don't forget that
it's perfect to take the light rail downtown...so now would be a great time to
give it a try if you haven't.
If comedy is your thing and you
want to enjoy a few Kilt Lifters, than visit our friends over at the Tempe
Improv for Christopher Titus. An Improv favorite, Titus will be performing
his hit comedy stand-up nightly from Thursday the 22nd till Sunday
the 25th. I've never seen
him, but I hear great things about his show....
The big
dog of the Valley referred to as "The Greatest Show on Grass," kicks off next week with the FBR Open starting on Monday
the 26th with PGA practice rounds and celebrity Pro-Am events! Everyone visits the FBR during the actual
tournament weekend, but many don't realize that the days leading up to that
have plenty to offer while not having to fight the crowds. For the two or three people in the Valley
that may not be familiar with FBR, I'll give everyone the details they need
next week, but don't forget that the whole shindig happens virtually around the
corner from the Grill & Tap in N. Scottsdale, so you have your pre-event
location as well as your post party stop before you call it a day already set
for you!
And if
you're looking for a little more relaxed alternative in the Tempe area then you
could always participate in the 5th Annual Walk 'n Roll Dog
Walk at Tempe Town Lake. While this is
not a Four Peaks sponsored event, it is a great
event to get out with your four-legged friend and enjoy a day of music,
auctions, fun and fundraising for a great organization. The event is on Saturday the 31st
in the early afternoon, leaving you plenty of time to visit some of the crew
over at the brewery and enjoy the weather on the patio.
All right, that should hold most of
you over for the next week or so...fill those planners and make sure to get your
best "Golf Outfits" ready for next week; because what says golf tournament more
than overly priced outfits with 6 in. stilettos!
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A Few Parting Words... That about wraps it up for this week. Hope you enjoyed it as much as we did putting it all together. Now a few tantalizing nuggets to get you to come back next week! Super Bowl Sunday, wow! We don't know what to expect to be honest with you. This situation has obviously never happened before. I was actually approached by more than a few patrons Sunday after the NFC Championship Game asking if they can put in reservations for February 1st! Typically, Super Bowl Sunday consists of being busy early on with people getting kegs and growlers to take to parties. By the time kickoff actually occurs, there isn't any problem getting a seat. We are not planning on doing anything too special, but we are expecting it to be busier than normal! If you want a good spot the only thing we can say is to show up early! We are officially entering uncharted territory! Also, by this time next week we should have the finalized menu for our Valentines Day celebration. That's right all you lovers out there, we've got a whole slew of specials to delight both yourself and your significant other! We cordially invite all of you to come in! Lastly, don't forget about the Pesto Brothers Piazza Beer Dinner tomorrow night in Flagstaff. Be sure to say "hi" to Teddy, Andy, Randy and Jim for me. If interested call (928) 774-3020 for details! Son, a woman is like a beer. They smell good,
they look good, you'd step over your own mother just to get one! But
you can't stop at one. You wanna drink another woman! - Homer Simpson 
Vikings DE Jared Allen And The Rest Of The Four Peaks Starting Defensive Line...Yeah, Right
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