The New York Botanical Garden is a museum of plants, an educational institution, and a scientific research organization. Founded in 1891 & now a National Historic Landmark, it is one of the greatest botanical gardens in the world. http://www.nybg.org/
All right, chalk this one up to creative advertising at its best. I’m as much of a cynic as any when it comes to clever marketing ploys, but being able to totter into my back yard and plant my beer coaster at the end of the night is admittedly a pretty cool idea.
As part of Molson’s “Red Leaf Project,” the beer company is urging its fellow Canadians to get involved with restoring the country’s green spaces, distributing biodegradable coasters seeded with…well, seeds. Black Spruce seeds, specifically. Just plant them in a place legal to do so, and wait several years to see the fruits of your besotted labors.
Sadly, most Americans will miss out on this one, even if they do manage to get their hands on a Canadian seed coaster. Northern New York is about as far south as these trees will grow. But wherever you end up trying this, be sure you’re not mistakenly picked up for littering with lager on your breath. I don’t know that any police officer’s going to believe you’re actually planting trees. —MN
Beer Here: Brewing New York’s History looks at the tradition of brewing in the city from the first Dutch settlers through to modern day. And that tradition has seen a lot of changes. In 1880 New York State was the largest producer of hops in the country, and the city boasted numerous breweries and beer halls…
As you may or may not already know, The Bronx Brewery has thrown in with our lot for a challenge of Brobdingnagian proportions. (Okay, that’s an exaggeration—they’re uber-talented beer brewers, but I just wanted to toss off that word at some point before the end of the workday.)
The Urban Hops project is already underway, with the NYBG and The Bronx Brewery having joined with community gardens to plant over 120 Cascade hop vines around our borough. What comes of these plants will be used to brew a truly original Bronx beer, the profits of which will go right into the Bronx Green-Up program. It’s pretty neat business.
The Urban Hop brew won’t hit bottles until fall, but if you want to get a taste of what the BB folks are doing with craft beer these days, there’s a pair of perfectly good opportunities this Saturday, June 16, 2 and 4 p.m., at the New York Historical Society’s weekend Beer Here event. The brains behind the brewery will be in attendance, as will their sudsy-delicious concoctions. Click through for more info. —MN
It’s October, and that means it’s officially pumpkin beer-drinking season! But just where did the concept of pumpkin beer come from? Thankfully our friends at Serious Eats have tracked down all the details, including why Colonial Americans replaced malt in their beer with pumpkins, a pretty little ditty, and the brewery that invoked a pumpkin beer brewing renaissance. Check it out, but be warned, you might end up a little thirsty. Good thing we’ve got our Bugs and Brews event coming up soon!
According to The Medieval Garden Enclosed, the blog of the Bonnefont garden at the Cloisters in upper Manhattan, the now ubiqutous flavoring agent of beer, hops, was not commonly used until the 15th century. Hops, Humulus lupulus are a fascinating (and tasty) crop, and you can check them out in person in the Herb Garden here at The New York Botanical Garden.
Prior to the introduction of hops to brewing, summer intern Bryan Stevenson tells us that beer in Europe was flavored with an assortment of herbs including stinging nettles (Urtica dioca) for bitterness, alecost (Tanacetum balsamita) for flavor and body, and a mixture of herbs known as gruit. Head over and read the whole fascinating story on The Medieval Garden Enclosed.
Beer Here: Brewing New York’s History
