Greetings, all. I hope you are having a hoppy and productive summer. Just a few updates and reminders as we move into the long, hot daze ahead.
The summer solstice party was a big success. Many thanks to Eric and Caroline for being such generous and understanding hosts. There was lots of good beer, good food, and good company. The heat was a definite reminder of why we want to hold our summer parties in a place with air conditioning! Thanks again, Eric and Caroline! We really appreciated your hospitality and your a/c.
Pam, Scott and I had a very enjoyable time at the AHA NHC in Las Vegas. It truly was "beer and loafing." Cheers to Pam for coming up with such an apropos slogan! The beer was great, the people were nice, and the sessions were informative. Next year's conference is scheduled for June 16-18 in Baltimore. The organizers made a very enticing pitch, so mark your calendars. It would be great to see more MASHers there.
The Commander SAAZ Interplanetary Homebrew Blastoff is fast approaching. The deadline for entries is July 21 - final judging is July 31. Enter early, enter often.
July is American Beer Month. Support your favorite local and regional brewers. For more information, check out www.americanbeermonth.com. The primary focus is on wheat beers, which is our BotY beer for July. We're looking forward to Mark Kelley's educational talk at our next meeting.
The Hogtown Brew-Off in Gainesville is scheduled for the weekend of October 16th. Mark your calendars and reserve the dates. The Hogtown folks did a great job with their first competition last year and I'm betting that this year's will also be worth the trip.
As per the June meeting at the summer solstice party, we are going to move the Coconut Cup to November. The January/February beer calendar was just too crowded. We figured that the first weekend of November, before people start getting worked up for the holidays, would be a nice, uncluttered time. Also, it would add a certain element of suspense to the BotY. The next Coconut Cup is scheduled for November 5, 2005. Mark your calendars.
Finally, for all of you who have been getting on the Webmaster's case, many archival pictures have been posted. They're there in their pure, undoctored glory. Remember, be careful what you wish for. Enjoy.