Hello!
My name is Matthew. I'm a Communications pro and
Social Media geek in New York City.
I blog, I tweet, I take pictures and make movies; therefore I am Matthew Hurst.
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Posts
- May 05, 12
As television networks kick off the upfronts introducing new programs and picking up where existing series left off, there is increasing conversation about using social media to connect fans and viewers with their favorite shows, as well as how many may be cutting-the-cord altogether. Full disclosure: I’m an employee at Nielsen, who have a great perspective of cross-platform insights into what consumers watch, but the measurements shared in this post are my own and are not necessarily shared by my employer.First, here’s a funny and surprisingly accurate primer on how TV viewing is measured in the US (from Jess3 and ESPN):
Appointment Viewing
For the last two years I’ve been using social media tools like Get Glue, Miso, and IntoNow to track my viewing and to share my favorite TV shows with friends. These social networks use websites and smartphone apps to encourage more social viewing, opening up the sometimes isolated TV watching experience by connecting viewers who check-in to the same program and generating conversations among fans of the shows. For example, here are some of the shows I’ve checked-in to most recently:
View Matthew Hurst’s check-ins on GetGlue
By putting these social media tools into viewers’ hands to interact while watching, more consumers are using their smartphones and tablets simultaneously while watching TV. And there have been many case studies showing that social media discussion drives more people to tune-in to TV shows, and even some corrolation between the increase in online buzz corresponding increases in TV ratings. Of course, not all viewers want to use social media while watching TV, so while GetGlue and others may not be a repleacement for the TV ratings it does make an interesting way to measure about your own viewing behavior.
Cord-swapping
Another major change in the way I watch television is that I no longer subscribe to pay-TV, and have become a so called Cord-Cutter. When I moved to NYC I decided to forgo Cable or Satellite and replace most of my viewing with online video sites like Netflix and Hulu which offer many of the same TV programs. Since then I’ve added faster internet service for more HD video, a networked Blu-ray player to stream content, and a new big screen TV to showcase all my favorite shows. Increasingly I’m not alone in my choice to cut the cord, although the vast majority of Americans get their TV through cable and I even pay my old cable provider for broadband internet access.
For me cord-cutting is a viable option not only because it’s less costly, but because it allows me to watch TV on my own schedule. For years time-shifted viewing has been a growing trend, first with the emergence of DVR and On-Demand viewing and now with an increasing variety of viewing sources. From screens small (like my smartphone and tablets) and larger (like my new TV) not only can Americans view television more sources than ever before, but also whenever we want and with more choices of what to watch!
- May 05, 12
With the recent update on Facebook to both personal profiles and pages using the Timeline interface, many brands are reevaluating their marketing strategy on the social network. Likewise individuals promoting their personal brand should consider updating their Facebook presence to take advantage of these new opportunities.
Recently I’ve written about how timelines can be used for visual storytelling, and likewise Facebook’s new design lends itself well to creating social narratives out of photos and status updates, especially by highlighting key events in our lives. Timeline’s changes to personal profiles gives individuals greater control not only of what information is shared publicly vs privately, but to highlight their own accomplishments and personal stories with friends both new and old. And because we know most employers look for Facebook profiles of job candidates during their evaluation, it’s critical to make sure your timeline reflects your personal brand.
Timeline also changes the Facebook pages for brands, and earlier this year I converted my Facebook Open Graph application (for this website) to a full-fledged page. Facebook pages can be built for personal brands to share career accomplishments and insights with like-minded professionals, which might otherwise come across as spammy to your friends; one of the top reasons people are unfriended is for sharing too much work-related information. Many brands have used applications to customize their pages in the past, but now Timeline will become the public face of these pages, allowing them to create more engaging stories which reflect their history. So far I’ve added my work history and career accomplishments to my Timeline, showcasing my professional development for all to see, with the most recent stories highlighed at the top of my timeline (a bit like a blog).
For example, here’s how I use my own Facebook page:
While no one Facebook strategy is the best for all personal brands, it seems clear that Timeline will give individuals new opportunities to tell their own story. For others Facebook’s new Subscriber option may offer a viable alternative, giving journalists (for example) a way to share public updates using their personal profile. And like all marketing strategies you should pick the tactics which contribute to your goals for your personal brand, whether it’s a Facebook page like mine, or just changes to your individual profile.
- May 05, 12
As a communications professional I see my work not just as copywriting, but ideally to tell stories through my writing. My storytelling can take many forms through the written word, including blog posts or social media, and even tactical media like press releases or fact sheets. But of course writing isn’t the only way to tell story, and as a visual storyteller I’ve created a number of infographics
and visualizations that intergrate data with images and text to help make complex stories more accessible. Not to mention my work as a film student writing and editing short stories in video.Another kind of visualization that is helpful for telling narrative stories is a timeline, which spacially represents key events over time. In a timeline events can be as significant as a milestone/landmark developments which culminate from continuous iterative progress which is illustrated over time, or as simple as a tweet/status update that shows a conflict’s initiation/resolution. And like all narrative storytelling there are key elements like context/setting and esclating conflict which should be resolved by the end.
While this timeline isn’t strictly chronological (it’s split into parallel narratives from other cities around the world), it starts with a specific conflict (iPhone theft) in a setting (New York City), and concludes with examples of the conflict being resolved.
For example, here’s a story I made about the increase of stolen iPhones around New York City, including my own iPhone theft in July 2011, told in a timeline built using excerpts from social media and blog posts:In the interest of better sharing my own professional (and personal) story, I’ve added a page of timelines which help tell my stories visually. The section includes a overall timeline of my life, professional developments, a list of blogs I’ve written for over the last 8 years, and a few of my favorite personal stories. Please take a look at my visual storytelling using these timelines, and feel free to let me know what you think in the comments of this blog post.
- Jan 18, 12
Ever since I started blogging in 2004 I’ve been trying to better understand my audience of blog readers through stats like unique visitors, pageviews, social media shares, or the number of comments readers add to each post. Analyzing these data points gives me a better a understanding of which pages interest my visitors most, and helps me think of new blog posts I hope will resonate with my audience. As an online marketing strategist I also try look at how readers come to my blog, focusing my efforts on what content I can offer which will introduce new readers to my blog, as well as how to connect with them outside my own website.
In the interest of trying to become more transparent as a blogger, here’s a look back measuring my own blog’s audience during 2011:
- A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 4,900 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 4 trips to carry that many people.
- In 2011 there were 15 new posts on the blog, growing the total archive on this blog to 61 posts so far.
- Twitter and Facebook were my main sources of referral traffic, but increasingly Google+ brought new readers to my site.
- I’ve had far fewer comments in 2011 than in previous years, and average less than a comment per post.
- My most read posts in 2011 were actually from previous years, bringing in visitors searching for “Twitter internships” and how to become “Social Media Marketers“, showing the long-term value of SEO built through blog writing.
While this analysis looks at stats from this website using WordPress’ built-in tools, these insights into my blog’s audience can be gathered on any kind of website. Here are some of the website measurement tools you can use to learn more about visitors to your own site:
- Google Analytics is a great tool that offers stats about your site’s visitors, the content they visit, and how they find your site. There are many advanced featured for businesses to use, including goal tracking and conversions, which come in an easy to use interface. Most importantly, it’s a free tool that’s easy to set up on any website.
- PostRank measures engagement on your site (integrating Google Analytics data) and elsewhere online, and offers publishers perspective on who shares links to your site through social media.
- Lijit is a search tool you can install on your site, which also offers insight into what users are searching for when they visit your website.
- SEOmoz is paid tool for online marketing professionals that helps you optimize your content for search engines. In addition to helping you research the rank of your site for various keywords and find backlinks from around the web, SEOmoz helps you research competing sites and offers suggestions to improve your own content.
- WordPress Stats is a built-in feature for bloggers using the platform, and offers real-time stats about popular content and referral links (as seen in this post).
Extra credit: Since 2012 marks my 8th year as a blogger, I’ve also added new pages to this site which offer a timeline of my blogging career as well as some of my favorite copywriting as professional blog writer. Hopefully sharing some of my experiences as blogger will help you better understand your own blogging efforts, but if you think of any questions feel free to leave a comment on this post which all of my readers can learn from.
- Dec 31, 11
Looking back on 2011, I wanted to recap my favorite internet memes, music, trends, and more during the year which saw many changes in communications and technology. Until recently I’ve posted a monthly list of my favorite ideas on this blog, and though I’ve lapsed these updates I still share my favorite media on my Tumblr blog. Every day on Tumblr I share the best memes, infographics, viral media, and ironic links, many of which contributed to this list of Top 11 memes.After the jump, check out my favorite memes from 2011!
Did I miss any memes which would be on your own list? Feel free to leave a comment and share your favorites from 2011. Until then, here’s looking forward to more memes and creative media shared online in 2012!
- Dec 24, 11
I wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a happy holidays, and a happy new year in 2012! Once again I’m home for the holidays in St. Louis, but I’ll be back in New York City in time to celebrate New Year’s Eve.
Every year I create a Very Indie Xmas mixtape of holiday songs that are a bit more unique than what is played on commercial radio and in shopping malls. This year I’m sharing these holiday mixes from the past few years, and this year’s mix is available as a playlist on Spotify; you could consider this my gift to you this year.
And if you’re looking for a last-minute gift feel free to check out my Wish List page, filled with gift ideas for the geek in your life. Better yet you can learn more about my favorite charities during this season of giving.
- Nov 24, 11
Not only is Facebook increasingly synonymous with social media usage, but it’s ubiquity reaches more than 7 out of 10 web users every month, and a growing number of weekly and daily users like myself. Here’s a few more ways to understand the impact of Facebook:
- Time spent on Facebook accounts for about 1 out of every 5 minutes time spent online every month, and the most total time of any website.
- Facebook’s app is the most downloaded for iPhones, with over 100 million iOS installations. Outside of Android’s stock apps, Facebook is the most downloaded and used app.
- Next to Google, Facebook is the second most visited site on the web.
- While 45% of my friends on Facebook are female, women represent the majority of Facebook users
My 550+ friends on Facebook represent only a fraction of Facebook’s 800+ million registered users, but it represents a historic shift in creating larger circles of friends. Thanks to Facebook’s ubiquitous popularity, I’m able to keep in touch with friends in high school and college who live hundreds (and thousands) of miles away, whereas only a few years earlier I would more easily fall out of contact with my friends. Since I grew up in the Facebook generation, I’m not alone in using the social network to keep loose-ties with old friends following my own graduation and relocation to New York City. Here’s a few more stats about how I use Facebook to connect with friends:
5 years ago I reluctantly joined the social network, admittedly at the behest of Lauren Reid who wanted to make our relationship “Facebook official”. I’m happy to say we’re still “in a relationship” (even though only 24% of my friends are single), and that I’ve been hooked on Facebook ever since. Here’s how I used Facebook when I first started:
I’ve seen this social network grow from a core of friends and college classmates into an everyday network of family and friends used by some people I never thought I’d interact with online; most recently my Mom even signed up! You can connect with me through my Facebook profile or by becoming a fan of my Facebook page for this website.
- Oct 28, 11
Last month Nielsen (my employer) released a new State of the Media report focused on social media use in the US and around the world. This report offers a unique snapshot overview of the social media landscape, using measurements of consumers’ behavior in their browsers rather than survey data. It reveals not only the significant growth among the population visiting social networks and blogs, but also who makes up the audience on these sites and how they use social media. Here’s a few highlights of its key findings and takeaways:- More than 4 in 5 American who are active online visited Social Media websites within the last month
- About a quarter of all time spent online is using Social Networks & Blog sites, more than twice as much as the next nearest category of websites.
- Facebook is by far the most popular social networking website globally, and in the U.S. Tumblr is among the fastest growing
- Growth in social media users comes from people of all ages and increasingly among those aged 55+, making social media more representative of the online population overall
As a member of Nielsen’s global communications team (full disclosure), I helped research and write this report, working together with our thoughts leaders/experts and designers to create compelling data visualizations that help convey Nielsen’s insights into consumer behavior. The response to the report has been overwhelmingly positive, with coverage by key news media and thousands of links shared across social networks. Of course all ideas/opinions expressed on this site and in social media are my own (and are not necessarily shared by my employer), so hopefully you find the analysis and insight in this report as helpful as I do.
Visit the Nielsen’s website to read the Social Media Report and download a copy of your own.
- Sep 16, 11
I’ve wrote before that Twitter has inspired a fixation by online marketers like myself because of how it can be measured. Since my previous post, Twitter has continued to grow its influence among newsmedia, brands, and consumers around the world. Even among experienced Twitter users like myself, Twitter use has changed significantly over the last year as the social network broke records and even breaking news. As of writing this blog post, marking my first 4 years using Twitter, here’s how I’ve used Twitter:
- I joined Twitter 1462 days ago on September 15, 2007
- I’ve posted over 16,100 tweets in four years, almost double my total since April 2010, and average 11.3 tweets per day and 328 tweets per month
- I’ve gained 1677 followers, about 2/3rds more since March 2010, and I’m following about twice as many Twitter users (1347) as I was during my prior blog post measuring Twitter
In celebration of my 5th year using Twitter, I wanted to update my status about how I use the social network, so I created this infographic using Visual.ly to help illustrate my use on Twitter as of September 2011:
Click here for a version of Matt Hurst’s Twitter infographic which is automatically updated based on my most current usage on the social network.
Extra credit: Follow @MattHurst on Twitter and see how I use Twitter and hear what I have to say.
- Sep 13, 11
As social media becomes increasingly intertwined with daily lives, it seems inevitable that romantic relationships make greater use of social media. It wasn’t long after online networks were created that web users found the Internet to be a ideal medium not just for academics communicating over long distances but for developing friendships and romantic relationships as well. Perhaps the first social networks formed around dating sites during the web’s early years, and once these social networks began to take part in our online routines, the relationship status became a key part of profiles. Today many consider updating your relationship status from single to “in a relationship” a legitimate means to acknowledge their entry into a committed relationship, and sharing the news of an engagement is only a mouse click away for Facebook users.
Couples use social media to tell their story and about preparations for the wedding, and to exchange photos and share memories with wedding guests (and maybe those who couldn’t make it) after the big day. One popular trend for newly engaged couples is to make a wedding website on which couples can share the story behind their relationship and to share wedding day plans in advance with guests, not to mention making it a breeze to link to their wedding gift registry. Some even use social media to propose to their spouse, creating a unique proposal but also making it easy to share their special story. Here’s a few of the unique ways couples are using social media to share their proposals and weddings:
- A Google Maps engineer created a scavenger hunt for their would-be fiancé, navigating around NYC using the Maps app on their smartphone
- Dozens have proposed by updating their status on Twitter
- During the Royal Wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton the couple broadcast their wedding via a live stream on YouTube. News and chat about their wedding set a new record for tweets per second.
- A single issue Groupon good for one marriage contract
- One creative partner set up a series of proposal-themed web links for their would-be spouse to click-thru using StumbleUpon
- An enterprising couple checked-in to the altar using Foursquare to pop-the-question
- At least one couple proposed (and accepted) via LOLCats
This summer I had the honor to attend the wedding between two of my friends, Mark Welsh and Kristin Welsh. Before we arrived in Destin for their wedding, we used their wedding website to make our own plans for when to buy plane tickets, where to stay, what to do in Florida, and which gifts we could buy through their wedding registry. From the day of their engagement up to the ceremony on the beach, they celebrated news about the wedding with friends and family. And afterwards we used the same social networks to share photos and relive their special day.
Here is a timeline of my favorite memories from Mark and Kristin’s wedding, as told through social media clips by friends, family, myself, and the bride and groom themselves:
Social Media continues to have a profound effect on all our relationships, bringing romantic couples together and connecting us closer with family and friends when couples share their special day. Or at least it’s likely to shape how we share memories in the future, just as wedding photography and videography has in the past, by creating unique memories not only on the big day, but all the day leading up to and in the lives they choose to share together.
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Tweets
- Celebrating a good friend's engagement on top of Chicago. Thanks to @jpruth for the tip! [pic]: http://t.co/BEfiP1zM
- Beautiful day on the lakefront @ Oak Street Beach Food + Drink http://t.co/TgMhPZ7X
- The hangover, part 1 (@ The Original Pancake House) http://t.co/CHUKQZkx
- Hurst Chronicle daily is out! http://t.co/aECT1KbS ▸ Top stories today via @pewinternet @pepsi @Edgecliffe
- Been in chicago all of 5 minutes walking to the hotel, when I definitive give directions towards Division St to 2 co-eds
- @matthewfong probably because today was all about how Facebook "is taking over the world". Also because we're still using Twitter.
- Sweet home Chicago! (@ Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) w/ 154 others) http://t.co/OarJL9Gx
- American Airlines flight #AA371 @ LGA - American Airlines Terminal http://t.co/JOXRVuJA
- 2004 flashback: The Internet at the Dawn of Facebook http://t.co/BRTjbGDe (via @MeganGarber)
- Clear skies, ready for takeoff @ LGA - American Airlines Terminal http://t.co/JqqQChJr
- @sree love that they were able to update with today's data in their live visualization. Of course earlier today they forgot to add a title.
- LGA to ORD via flight #AA371 (@ LaGuardia Airport (LGA) w/ 174 others) http://t.co/6Ej0jVYS
- 8 Meaningless SEO pitches http://t.co/gGYT24mI (via @AlhanKeser)
- Couldn't agree more #sixseasonsandamovie RT @CaitlinCali There can never be enough Community...
- The 'Rich Guy Play Toy' Future of Newspapers http://t.co/apfPr6X3 Newspapers are cheaper than private jets?
- @justex07 sloppy editing happens all too often in the news business these days; @laurenreid found 2 "TK"s in the newspaper earlier this week
- NYTimes built this beautiful #DataViz of past tech IPOs, but forgot to add the title/headline to the page http://t.co/bHhoL5lM #SEO #fail
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Info
- Communications Analyst at The Nielsen CompanyPublic Relations and Communications | Greater New York City Area, USSummaryI'm a Strategic Communications professional with a background in Political Communications and in Media Production. My goal is to integrate market research with people and technology; that means I need to be as comfortable with a database as I am writing a press release.
As a Social Media power-user I am always testing the emerging technologies. Follow me at twitter.com/MattHurst to learn more about what these skills mean on a daily basis, and please check out my resume blog at MatthewHurst.comSpecialties: Strategic communications, online marketing, social media, market research, copywriting, video editing, MYSQL, XML, PHP, Photoshop, CS4, Final Cut Pro, VoteBuilderIDExperience- Aug 2010 - PresentCommunications Analyst / NielsenResponsible for media relations and communications which promote Nielsen's online measurement and social media services. Created media-friendly content, including reports and blog posts, which showcase Nielsen's insights about consumer behavior online.
- Jan 2010 - Jul 2010Online Marketing Specialist / Blue Fountain MediaCreating results-driven marketing strategies, including SEO services and social media marketing, that increase traffic from target audiences and improve conversions.
- May 2009 - Aug 2009Online Analyst (Intern) / New Media StrategiesConducted research of word-of-mouth consumer discussion online, social media analysis, and crisis communication monitoring.
- Jan 2009 - Jun 2009PR Consultant / Living ClassroomsConstructed strategic communications plan for DC non-profit, including a revised Media Kit, and website development work.
- Oct 2008 - Dec 2008Consultant / Department of CommerceLed YouTube video contest for the Digital TV transition, and created online social media outreach for the campaign.
- May 2008 - Aug 2008Deputy Voter File Manager / Missouri Democratic PartyDesigned and maintained database registry of voter information, using VoteBuilder and Donkey management systems. Conducted research through telephone surveys and interpersonal canvasing with Field Operations, designed to be compiled in voter file registry. Identified target constituency of undecided voters to direct our communications campaign towards.
- May 2007 - Aug 2008Founding Editor & Reporter / 61revised.comDeveloped branding, established new local media property in St. Louis as a blog targeting college audiences.
Education-
2008 - 2009American UniversityMaster of Arts in Public Communications
Activities: PRSSA -
2003 - 2008Webster UniversityBachelor of Arts in Film
Activities: Film & Video Society, Forensics
Additional Information-
Websites:
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Interests:social media, opinion leadership, blogging, photography, film
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Posts
Earlier this year Nielsen launched a data visualization contest, and now the list of entries has been narrowed down to 5; vote for your favorite on their website.
Infographic showing how American Moms use online, mobile, and social media in their daily lives
Things FoxNews has declared there is a “War On…”
- War on Christmas
- War on Marriage
- War on Easter
- War on Hanukkah
- War on Fall Holidays
- War on Halloween
- War of Fossil Fuels
- War on Salt
- War on the Constitution
- War on Sugary Drinks
- War on Spuds (vs. “nannystate”)
- War on Chocolate Milk
- War on Ladies’ Night
- War on Fishermen
War on WomenWar on Conservative Women
Things Wilco has declared there is a “war on”
Six months out from Election Day, here’s my 2012 electoral map scenario. You can build your own electoral map using this neat interactive data visualization from the NYTimes.
Shepard Smith reacts to Mitt Romney reacting to Newt Gingrich quitting (by dkostv)
“Politics is weird, and creepy…and now I know lacks even the even loosest attachement to anything like reality”
NYTimes infographic showing how investment income grew more than 5 times greater under Democratic administrations than under Republicans
via clientsfromhell:
Me: So I resent you that invoice from a few months ago, with the additional stuff you asked for: detailed line items, the contract reference number, and a copy of my driver’s license. Will I be seeing a check soon?
Client: I think you formatted it weird, and accounting gets really pissed…
As television networks kick off the upfronts introducing new programs and picking up where existing series left off, there is increasing conversation about using social media to connect fans and viewers with their favorite shows, as well as how many may be cutting-the-cord altogether. Full disclosure: I’m an employee at Nielsen, who have a great perspective of cross-platform insights into what consumers watch, but the ideas shared in this post are my own and are not necessarily shared by my employer.Is anyone surprised the company that made their design modeled on the Terminator would make AR glasses?
via smarterplanet:
Oakley Plans To Launch Its Own Brand Of AR Glasses - PSFK
At the start of this month, Google secretly began testing its augmented reality goggles with selected employees. The prototype eyewear allows users to view messages, videos, maps, and images in real-time. Now, Oakley has confirmed that it’s testing similar technology that will rival Google’s ‘Project Glass.’
Colin Baden, CEO of Oakley, stated in an interview that:
As an organization, we’ve been chasing this beast since 1997. Ultimately, everything happens through your eyes, and the closer we can bring it to your eyes, the quicker the consumer is going to adopt the platform.
Oakley has been working on technology to produce head-mounted displays for nearly 15 years, and has 600 patents mainly relating to optical specifications. Baden refused to confirm if Oakley would produce its own pair of smart glasses, or if the company would only license its technology.Great talk from Eric Neuman at the NY Content Meetup in Brooklyn.
via simpleactually:
A lot of content creators are terrified that unless they legislate file sharing away (a la sopa) there will be no way for them to make money. This is not true. In order to survive, businesses need to change the way they think about the commodity that is information.
President Obama Pensively Peering Out Of Windows…
via obamawindows:
There goes Bo, eating grass again. I wonder if he knows I’m the president.
(Pete Souza/White House Photo)
Nielsen looked at viewership and advertising across five traditional primetime genres and found that dramas account for the largest share of viewership, timeshifting and ad spend, while reality programs claimed the largest share of product placements.
via breakingblog:
We’re all familiar with TV news tickers, scrolling along the bottom of news channels. But what if a ticker only appeared for a few moments when a story breaks? And what if it worked across all live TV channels? Here at BreakingNews, we’ve created a connected TV app that does just that.
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Map
- Kansas City, MO, May 20122012-05-30 - 2012-06-03
- Gabe and Linda get married2012-02-29 - 2012-03-04
- Christmas 20112011-12-21 - 2011-12-27
- Turkey Day trip 20112011-11-22 - 2011-11-27
- Nicole & Scott's Wedding2011-09-07 - 2011-09-12
- Late Car 2.02011-08-12 - 2011-08-14
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Posts
- What Beer should I drink in Chicago?
I’m headed to Chicago, Illinois this weekend, so I’m wondering which local, craft beers you’d recommend during my visit? Feel free to a leave a comment with your favorite Illinois brews I should check out…
Want.
via theorderofgoodbeer:
It is only too appropriate that the brewery responsible for Deviant Dale’s shares it’s initials with two simple words: Outstanding. Beer.
I’ll be the first to admit, as some of you may recall, that I’ve had my share of doubts concerning those Oskar Blues folks. After underwhelming, though not altogether unenjoyable, experiences with Gubna & Dale’s Pale, I was pleasantly surprised by their Imperial Red, G’Knight; but still far from ready to hop on the beer bandwagon & proclaim OB the best thing to happen to canned beer since pop tops.
Then along comes Deviant Dale’s and… Wow. Deep golden-amber pour with a finger of thick, frothy head. That first inhale? Mmmm - loads & loads of piney, citrusy, grassy hops. Those wonderfully hoppy notes stayed right there in the taste as well, every deliciously resiny drop. Delicate lacing adorned the glass from top to bottom, each ring evidence of my pausing just long enough to come up for air.
This may not be my favorite canned craft beer, but it’s definitely a welcome addition to my top five. My hat’s off to you, Oskar, for making me a Blues-liever.
Brewmaster’s Notes: Gold Standard Export Kellerbier (by TheBrooklynBrewery)
Really excited to try this beer on draft!
Alcoholic Beverage preferences by poltical affiliation/leaning in the U.S. I didn’t see many craft beer options in the list for their poll, but it certainly brings a whole new aspect to the candidate you most want to have a drink with: their beverage of choice.
I submitted Brew Noob’s profile as part of Pepsi’s “Internet Taste Test”, and this is how their improv actor interpreted my love of “tasty beverages” and over-tweeting tendencies…
“Matthew H” (by Pepsi)
Speaking of beer’s abilities to enhance problem solving skills, what do you think the above chart represents? The whole pub-quiz and answers are available here.
A new study by the University of Illinois goes against conventional wisdom that drinking impairs rational and analytical thinking.
Scientists found that men who either drank two pints of beer or two glasses of wine before solving brain teasers not only got more questions right, they also were quicker in delivering correct answers, compared to men who answered the questions sober.
The study suggests that moderate drinking improves creative problem solving, by lowering our ability to focus and think “out of the box” as they say. However, those drinking above the legal limit (.08 in most states) fared much worse on problems which required more focus.
Stack Exchange is a network of Q&A websites for programmers and developers to ask questions and help crowdsource their answers. Most recently, the network introduced a new site for Homebrew enthusiasts to ask questions, trade notes, compare recipies, and introduce hacks.
Lots more beer stores are including tasting rooms, giving patrons the chance to try before the buy (or filling their growlers)…
Finally got to experience Mission Liquor’s Tasting bar….yes this is inside a liquor store!
At least a few of my friends asked about which beers are Kosher as passover approaches; a few beers can involve an animal byproduct in their bottling, so my vegan friends have trouble with this as well. Fortunately most gluten-free beers should be a safe, tasty alternative for the adventurous beer drinker in your life (including anyone with Celiac Disease).
One particularly interesting gluten-free beer comes from Ramapro Valley Brewery in upstate New York is called Passover Honey Beer, a certified Kosher beer that is brewed from honey (sorry vegans) and flavored with molasses. And according to this post about gluten-free beers:
As the name implies, it is not only gluten-free but kosher for Passover. It’s a sweet beer with a sharp apple aftertaste. At the Gluten Free Beer Festival this Honey Beer won an award for “an original range of flavors.”
Another favorite Kosher beer of mine is He’Brew, which Schmaltz Brewing Company calls “the chosen beer”. All of this brewery’s beers are considered Kosher, and it should be available on both coasts (they have breweries in upstate NYC and near San Francisco). I consider this another perfect pairing with matzo ball soup, particularly their Genesis Ale.
It all goes to show that beer goes with any occasion, regardless of any dietary restrictions you might have!
In case you ever forget how competitive this beer game is, check out these billboard advertisements spotted in NYC…
via mattgalligan:
“Who uses the word chalice?”
I always thought that “chalice” crap was silly. Glad someone agrees.
Because great beer is brewed in great places, the archecture may also inspire their brewers.
Boulevard Brewing Company Sign by Mr. Bell on Flickr.
via drydenlane:
And now for something completely different… I spotted this seaweed ale at Hop City, a great beer store on the west side of Atlanta. I really want to try it. Has anyone had it?
photo by hall penn
Sounds like a tasty combination from a few of our favorite brewers!
Stone Brewing’s Collaboration with Bear Republic and Fat Heads, TBA Hoppy Brown Ale Brewed with Brown Sugar and Molasses.
The ghost of Christmas beer and its creepy label
February 19, 2012 by ljgolden on Flickr.
