Beer travel for Memorial Day: 10 options and more

by Jamie Rhein on

Head to any state and you’ll find a favorite local beer with quite the following. At HalogenLife, Kyle Anderson has come up with a favorite 10 beers in 10 states list to add perfection to a Memorial Day weekend trip. The list doesn’t mean you should drink and drive your way across America. Instead, use it as a guide to the best beers whether you’re beaching it, going on a picnic, or throwing a backyard barbecue.

Read on for Anderson’s suggestions as well as other best beer options.

I’m quite fond of Barley’s Brewing Company in Columbus. You’ll have to go to this microbrewery restaurants to partake, however–unless someone brings you a sealed glass jug of it like a friend of mine once did for her husband. Her main job was figuring out how to keep it cold long enough to make it to Sturbridge, MA. This was back when a glass jug filled with liquid could be a carry-on bag.

My favorite beer and food pairing is Barley’s Pilsner and sauerkraut balls. For a beer lover’s experience, order a sampling of each arranged from the lightest to the darkest. It’s a bit hard to find parking, but here’s a tip. Park at the North Market and head in to buy Jose Madrid salsa and chips. Get your parking ticket stamped, and voila, parking has just become affordable. By the way, this is a family friendly place.

For beer to take on the road, try Great Lakes Brewing Company. Brewed in Cleveland, the beer never disappoints. Burning River is the one we bring home the most. Great Lakes Brewing also has a brew pub in the Ohio City section of Cleveland, but it’s also easy to find at grocery stores and many convenience stores across Ohio.

If you’re driving through Montana, try Bayern Brewing Company, the only German-style microbrewery in the Rockies. The brewery is located in Missoula, but you can find its beer elsewhere. Every summer when we head to Montana, this beer is one thing we look forward to. Not the only thing. One thing. Try Juergen’s Bayern Pilsner.

Karen, the Gadling non-beer drinker vouches for St. Arnold’s Brewing Company in Houston and expressed disappointment it wasn’t on the list. Now it is. St. Arnold’s is touted as Texas’s oldest craft brewery. You don’t have to be at the brewery to partake On Thursday nights from how through the summer, you can quench that beer thirst while listening to a Thursday night concert at Discovery Green. Because this beer is also bottled, you can take it with you when you head out of Texas. Before you go, take in a public brewery tour at 1:00 on Saturday. Tours are $5 and included beer tasting and a souvenir glass.

Here’s Anderson’s list. The article gives a run-down of what makes each beer a standout. Enjoy a beer adventure this Memorial Day. Just don’t drink and drive.

San Francisco International Film Festival

by Jamie Rhein on

The San Francisco International Film Festival started Thursday and goes through May 9. If I wasn’t miles and miles away, I’d go. I still have a bit of a buzz from my experience at the Cleveland International Film Festival last month where I took in Brook Silva-Braga’s film “One Day in Africa,” plus three more.

What I found most intriguing about my movie-going Saturday was the intersection between the various countries that were represented by the movies, the directors, and the audience members. I imagine the festival in San Francisco might have a similar feel.

Depending upon which theater one ducks into, one’s experience of the world might be charming and uplifting, serious or fun, kind of depressing, or downright disturbing. The films rest on the passion and drive of the film maker. The variety is astounding. Even if you aren’t going to be able to take in a festival, browse through the film selection and savor the scope.

Because most films aren’t the ones that splash into main stream movie theaters after months of advertising, when the lights turn down, the unfolding of each story can be a surprise. Each film I saw, except for Brook’s, was one I did not know about before I settled into my seat. I was with a friend who snagged me the pass, so I went with her selections and wasn’t disappointed. We saw: “Surveillance,” “Prodigal Sons” and “The Wrecking Crew.”

Unfortunately, I don’t see that any of the films I saw are showing in San Francisco, so I don’t have a specific recommendation–except if you can manage it, see at least four films that seem totally different from each other. That results in a buffet where there’s sweet, sour, salt and spicy. You’ll leave wanting more, but satisfied. One of these days, I’ll have enough time to see 20 movies like one woman I met when I was at Brook’s film.

Actually, I did notice on the San Francisco festival’s list a movie that I have seen, but would love to see on the big screen. “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” It’s showing on April 29.

If I were going, I’d also take in “City of Borders” because it sounds interesting and excellent. It’s about the lone gay bar in Jerusalem with layers of stories in its telling. The director is Chinese. That’s cross-cultural.

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Brook Silva-Braga, One Day in Africa and the film festival circuit

by Jamie Rhein on

This is season of film festivals. Brook Silva-Braga and his movie “One Day in Africa” drew me to the Cleveland International Film Festival a week ago Saturday. It was the premiere weekend of his film and I didn’t want to miss it. Plus, Brook was going to be there. Ever since his guest blogger run at Gadling, I’ve been keeping up with his travels and wanted to meet the guy behind such interesting work.

I was able to catch up with Brook at the film’s second viewing at 9:20 a.m. Even with the early time slot, the theater was full, the audience alert and Brook an engaging story teller. After the film, he fielded questions from the audience and stuck around later for further conversation.

The movie pulled me back to places in West Africa where I’ve traveled myself, and throughout I kept thinking–oh, I recognize that. I remember.

The first details I noticed were the sounds. The thwacking of the wooden mortar and pestle, the swoosh swooshing of a broom across a carpet, grain rubbing against each other in a calabash as women’s fingers sort though to pick out small pebbles and chafe, a farming tool turning over dirt in a field, and the children’s voices.

For a region of the world Brook had never been to before, he intuited the specifics of the cadence of the people in each country. Interestingly, although six countries were represented, if he had gone to The Gambia, he would have found people with similar stories. What’s striking about these stories is how they illustrate how access to education and services have such an influence over people’s lives.

Access to a clinic for child birth and the differences between how men relate to their wives are shown along with how each person views his or her own opportunites–or lack of. In The Gambia there are people who also struggle to acquire water and coax crops out of dry land and others who are hooked into services and have found economic success in the world economy.

Because Brook found his subjects in different African countries, the result is that there’s a notion that the continent does have factors that unify the people despite the differences in ethnic groups, politics, religion and geography.

During the question and answer period, Brook told about the choices he made as a film maker and the serendipity that hooked him up with his subjects. When he crossed over into Morocco to start filming, he had a loose plan, but was not sure what or whom he would find. The result is that as he found out more about each of the people he chose as subjects, so did the audience.

In the mix f the six people’s stories are the hard to answer questions about sustainable development, women’s and men’s roles in society, the disparity of educational opportunities, the consequences of political strife, how religion can influence world views, and the role of western culture in Africa. There are the underlying issues of changes need to be made–if any.

Even though it’s been more than a week since I saw the movie, I find myself thinking about the people whose stories Brook captured so well, and I can still hear the sounds of grain, the earth and their voices.

There are more opportunities to catch One Day in Africa. Here are two of them this month.

Boston International Film Festival on April 18 at 8:30 p.m. AMC/LOEWS
theater, Boston Common: 175 Tremont St. There is another short film showing at 8:00 as part of the same session.

Newport Beach Film Festival at Newport Beach, Calfornia on April 29 at 1:30

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Cleveland and how to take part

by Jamie Rhein on

This past week, Cleveland has been a buzz with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony activities. People flock to this city by Lake Erie for such occassions. For that reason, the Hall of Fame has worked hard to get the ceremony back where it belongs.

Over the past several years–as in more than 20, the power house people who organize the inductions have opted for New York City instead of Cleveland, the city accredited to the birth of Rock and Roll when 1950s DJ Alan Freed coined the term during his Cleveland broadcasts.

I guess those who are New York prone have decided that Cleveland’s not a “Mistake on the Lake” after all. The induction festivities will be in Cleveland once every three years starting this year. That was the buzz a couple years ago, and I heard yesterday on the news that this is a done deal. This is great news for Cleveland because the ceremony brings in millions of dollars and will hopefully create a renewed interest in the museum. For the public, it’s great. Today, for example, admission to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is free. Several Cleveland restaurants have been offering special drinks and dishes and there have been special concerts. Plus, Cleveland is sure cheaper than Manhattan.

According to the events page on the Hall of Fame website, if you want to watch the simulcast of the three hour ceremony, you can buy a $5 ticket at Ticketmaster outlets or online. You can also call 1-800-745-3000. Or, if you’re in Cleveland, head to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. There will be broadcasts throughout the museum and on the huge screen on the Main Stage.

Starting at 6 pm tonight you can also watch the induction ceremony hoopla including the red carpet arrivals and backstage interview buzz at Public Hall via live streaming video at www.cleveland.com.

Who is getting inducted this year?

Performers

  • Jeff Beck
  • Metallica
  • Little Anthony and the Imperials
  • Run-D.M.C
  • Bobby Womack

Early Influence

  • Wanda Jackson

Sideman Category

  • Bill Black
  • DJ Fontana
  • Spooner Oldman

Cleveland International Film Festival: One Day in Africa

by Jamie Rhein on

The Cleveland International Film Festival, from March 19-29 is the largest film festival in Ohio. That’s merely one reason to attend this kaleidoscope of images and stories from around the world.

The other reason is that Brook Silver- Braga will be at the premiere of his film One Day in Africa. Brook wrote the Gadling series Across Northern Europe. Back in January, I wrote a post about Brook’s film and he promised to keep me up to date about the schedule. Now the news is out, and he has added the details to the One Day in Africa Web site.

I’ll be at the screening on Saturday, March 28th at 9:15 a.m. There is an earlier showing on Thursday, March 26th at 7:25 p.m.

Along with Brook’s gem are dozens of others that span subject matters and countries. I’m going to the preview party this Friday in Columbus at the Wexner Center for the Arts so I can give you a heads up on what other films to look for.

In the meantime, here’s a link to the complete film listing and schedule. To help wade through the offerings, some are divided out as being teen friendly.

If you do head to Cleveland, the film festival takes place at Tower City. Take some time to go to Terminal Tower, the original part of the building. First of all, the art deco atrium is stunning. Terminal Tower was the 2nd highest building in the United States in the 1960s after the Empire State Building. The Prudential Building in Boston took its 2nd place status away from it.