Pic(k) of the Week: Safe soft drink?

Hazardous indolence in the time of coronavirus.

As seen on a sidewalk in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA, on 22 May 2020.

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Pic(k) of the Week: Thank you, essential workers.

Thank you, nurses, doctors, first responders, utility workers, postal workers, farmhands, factory workers, truck drivers, grocery store workers, sanitation workers —and, of course: brewers, winemakers, distillers— and many, many, many more.

Thank you, essential workers.

A sign seen in DeKalb County, Georgia, USA. 20 May 2020.

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Great American Beer Festival 2020 canceled due to coronavirus concerns

There's some sad but expected (and prudent) news from the [U.S.] Brewers Association.

The association has announced that, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the public portion of its 39th annual Great American Beer Festival —scheduled for 24-26 September 2020, in Denver Colorado— will not be held this year. In its place: an "online immersive experience," rescheduled for 16-17 October 2020.

The association does say, however, that it still plans to conduct its annual national competition of beers over multiple categories, but as to exactly how the judging of beer will occur —whether in person, virtually, where, etc.— it has not yet offered details.

UPDATE: In response to a tweeted query, the BA wrote: 
"The final plan is still under development but will include strict schedules and directional traffic patterns, personal protective equipment, temperature checks, continuous cleaning and sanitation, etc."

Boulder, Colo. • May 21, 2020 — The Great American Beer Festival® (GABF), the country’s preeminent beer festival and competition, will pivot its 2020 event, originally scheduled for September 24-26 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, to an immersive online experience October 16-17.

The 39th Great American Beer Festival may look different, but beer lovers from around the country will have the opportunity to come together in new ways to celebrate the nation’s craft beer community. The spirit of the festival will live on through live and virtual experiences with beer lovers and breweries nationwide on October 16-17, 2020. The event is still in planning, but experiences will likely include beer tastings, conversations with brewers, local brewery activations, and at-home beer and food pairing deliveries.

The festival’s renowned professional beer competition will take place in 2020. A panel of more than 100 professional judges will assess the more than 7,000 expected entries to identify the three beers that best represent each style category. The GABF gold, silver, and bronze medals are recognized around the world as symbols of brewing excellence. Brewery registration opens on June 9. More information on the competition, style guidelines, and awards ceremony here.

More information about the 2020 GABF logistics, schedule, and ticket options will be released in the coming months.

Earlier this year, the association also canceled its annual Craft Brewers Conference (and its biannual World Beer Cup) both of which had been scheduled to occur in San Antonio, Texas, in April.

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Pic(k) of the Week: Vesti diem!

Wash the rainbow. 

Paint the breeze. 

Clothe the day. 

Colorful wash pinned to a clothesline and left to dry, old-school-style.

As seen in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, on 9 May 2020.

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Pic(k) of the Week: Zwickel-Teasing

Zwickel is the German word for a type of stainless steel valve designed for taking samples [from] enclosed containers, possibly under pressure. [...] The Zwickel cock is built with a highly sanitary design and is generally found on bright beer tanks and uni-vessels.

— The Encyclopedia of Beer (1995)

'Zwickel-teasing' is a euphemism for taking a sample large enough for, uh, quaffing.

In the photo, a brewer was zwickel-teasing a 'Mild Ale' from a fermenting/conditioning vessel. He offered me the 'sample' to taste. I accepted.

May is American Mild Month, the sixth such iteration of this nationwide celebration. I've written about that: here.

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