Brewers, do you wish you had a way to talk to your fans directly? Well, I want to give you that chance.

I want to start running a weekly blog series, called the Brewer’s Corner, where a different brewer (or someone in the beer industry) each week will write a blog.

It can be about anything you want. Do you have a new beer that is coming out? How about expansion? Do you have a strong opinion about what you see is going on in the beer world and you want to share it? Beer-trading? Do you hate the special beer release days, or do you love them?

Basically, it’s your way to get the word out on whatever you want. All I ask is you don’t say anything that can get me sued, and no swears (it’s a family news agency after all).

I have commitments from a couple of brewers who want to do a blog. If you are interested, please shoot me an email at nmiller@wickedlocal.com.

This is not limited to New England brewers by the way. Brewers are welcome from anywhere.

The third annual Boston Beer Week is set to begin next week.

There are tons of events going on throughout the week, such as beer dinners and tap takeovers and just fun times.

Here are a few highlights that you should check out if you want to celebrate the Boston beer scene.

Beer Advocate is hosting the Official Beer Week Kickoff on Tuesday at the Cambridge Brewing Company from 5 p.m. to close. The event will feature beers from Cambridge Brewing Company, Enlightenment Ales, Idle Hands Craft Ales, Mystic Brewery and Night Shift Beer.

The event will also feature the debut of Mass Appeal, a collaboration beer brewed by the above breweries and the Alstrom brothers.

That same night, the Flatbread Company at Sacco’s Bowl Haven in Somerville, will host a Mass Brewers Guild tap take over, featuring nothing but Massachusetts beers. The event goes from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

On Wednesday, the Salty Pig in Boston will host a “Grapes vs. The Gargoyle,” dinner, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. It will be a beer dinner where patrons will vote which beverage, wine or a beer from the Stone Brewing Company, goes best with each dish. Sounds tasty.

On Thursday, JM Curley will host the Contract Brewers Summit, with the founder of the Shmaltz Brewing Company, Jeremy Cowan, and the founder of Clown Shoes Beer, Gregg Berman, coming together and having an open discussion about contract brewing from 7:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. And of course, many of the beers from both of these companies will be available on draft.

And of course, the American Craft Beer Fest on Friday and Saturday are can’t misses. I’ll be at the Saturday afternoon session. Maybe I’ll see some of you there.

For a complete list of events, click here.

Can someone lend me $6,000? If you do, you can come to my house, drink a lot of really good beer and play with my new Beer Arcade you just bought me.

The Octane 120 Beer Arcade from Dream Arcades just looks fun, and I don’t even play video games (except free ones online).

The Beer Arcade is described as “a high-end gaming PC, full driving controls and a beer tap in one unit.”

Basically it is a sit-down video game system that simulates sitting in a car, including a steering wheel and pedals. It also features a HD projector for wall display, and features dozens of driving sims.

And, the reason it is getting featured on a beer blog? It also has an in-dash tap handle and can hold either two five-gallon kegs or a half-barrel, which means you can pour beer while you pretend to drive.

“Of course, we don’t condone REAL drinking and driving, but kicking back a few Bud Lights while playing your favorite games is a different story,” the company said in the release.

Personally, I’d substitute a half-barrel of something like Dogfish Head 60-Minute IPA, but you get the idea. This would be perfect for hours of in-house entertainment.

The Octane 120 Beer Arcades are custom made, and cost about $6,000 each.

For more info, click here.

I love lists.

Lists almost always elicit debate. Everyone has opinions and people want you to know why your list is wrong.

I was excited to see the latest issue of Boston Magazine dedicated a large portion of its magazine to beer this month – I recommend picking it up.

One of the articles they have is they pick “The 15 Best New England Microbrews,” and they do a really good job. However, I disagree with some picks, so I’m going to give my picks. The list will feature only New England beers available in bottles. Boston Magazine’s pick will be listed first as “BM,” and my pick will follow as “MINE.”

1. Farmhouse Ale/Saison.
BM : Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project’s Jack D’or.
Mine: Mystic Brewery’s Sauvignon Blanc Barrel Fermented Saison.
Both are excellent beers, and you can’t go wrong with either, but I like the flavors the barrel imparts on Mystic’s saison.

2. Imperial/Strong Ale.
BM: Cambridge Brewing Company’s Audacity of Hops.
MINE: The Alchemist’s Heady Topper.
Heady Topper is just a personal love right now. I can’t get enough of this imperial IPA.

3.  Pale Ale
BM: Berkshire Brewing Company’s Steel Rail Extra Pale Ale.
MINE: Maine Beer Company’s Peeper Ale.
Peeper Ale smells so good, it just makes you want to drink one after the other. That’s a good quality for a beer.

4. Porter
BM: Slumbrew’s Porter Square Porter.
MINE: Berkshire Brewing Company’s Coffeehouse Porter.
Berkshire’s Coffeehouse Porter is a New England classic for good reason. It’s darn tasty.

5. English Pale/Bitter Ale
BM: Shipyard Brewing Company’s Old Thumper
MINE: McNeill’s Extra Special Bitter.
McNeill’s beers can be fantastic, and this is one of those.

6. Belgian-style Tripel/Quad
BM: Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project’s Baby Tree.
MINE: Exact same pick
Great beer, great pick

7. Brown Ale
BM: Ipswich Brewery’s Dark Ale
MINE: Peak Organic’s Brown Ale
Two excellent beers, but I have to give the nod to Peak Organic’s Brown Ale.

8. Stout
BM: Maine Beer Company’s Mean Old Tom
MINE: Wormtown’s Sweet Tats.
If you follow my blog, you know I love Sweet Tats. Chocolate, coffee, vanilla etc. Mmmmm….

9. White/Wheat Beer
BM: Allagash’s White.
MINE: Same.
Another great pick. Hard not to pick Allagash.

10. Amber Lager
BM: Cape Ann’s Fisherman’s Brew.
MINE: Magic Hat’s Vinyl.
Both are really good, easy drinking brews, but Vinyl finds its way into my fridge better.

11. Session Ale
BM: Baxter Brewing Company’s Pamola Xtra Pale Ale.
MINE: Notch Session Ale.
Session is not really a style, so I just picked the low alcohol beer I drink most awesome from New England.

12. India Pale Ale
BM: Smuttynose Brewing Company IPA.
MINE: Maine Beer Company’s Lunch.
Maine Beer Company does nothing but fantastic beers. This is one of Maine’s best.

13. Amber Ale
BM: Opa-Opa Brewing Company’s Red Rock Amber
MINE: Maine Beer Company’s Zoe.
A repeat of #12. If you see a Maine Beer Company label it because the beer will be awesome.

14. Pilsner/Light Lager
BM: Notch Brewing Company’s Pils
MINE: Samuel Adams Noble Pils
I usually buy singles, and rarely buy six packs. I’ve already bought two sixers of Noble Pils in less than two weeks. That means it’s good.

15. Fruit Beer
BM: Magic Hat Brewing Company’s #9
MINE: Cisco Brewer’s Pechish Woods.
Cisco’s Wood Series of beers are some of the best in New England. This one is made with peaches and is phenomenal.

OK, now it’s your turn to judge. What do you think of the two lists? Which beers would you add or take off the list? Let me know.

Just a reminder about Jack’s Abby Brewing and the Tavern hosting a cask lager festival tomorrow in Framingham.

Here are all the details:

First Annual Lager Cask Fundraiser For One Mission

Saturday, 16:00 until 19:00

Jack’s Abby is teaming up with The Framingham Tavern to host our first annual fund raiser for One Mission. We will be serving 12 lager casks. In addition to our own, we will be featuring several other Massachusetts breweries.

This will be a great chance to try some very special local casks as well as support a great cause. No tickets needed. Pay per pour with 100% of proceeds going to One Mission.

One Mission is a childhood cancer foundation dedicated to enhancing the lives of pediatric cancer patients and their families.

Breweries Serving Lager Casks:

Watch City Brewing – Bitchloden Summer Lager

Haverhill Brewing Co – Annie Schwarz Black Lager

Cape Ann – Fisherman’s Brew

Harpoon – Bohemian Pilsner

Ipswich Ale Brewery – Corn Bock

Jack’s Abby Will Be Providing:

Hoponius Ginger Union

Coffee Smoke & Dagger

Bacon Smoke & Dagger

Mai Bock Hurts Like Helles

Jabby Brau dry hopped with Glacier Hops

Jabby Brau dry hopped with Amarillo Hops

Leisure Time Lager with Grapefruit

Press releases and beer news has been coming fast and furious lately, and I haven’t been able to keep up with it.

So, I’m just putting all of the news in one giant epic post.

First off, I’m getting rid of Cider Thursdays. I’m still going to be writing about cider, but it’ll be when I have something to write about, instead of just saving it for its special day every two weeks.

That being said, here is some cider news right now. Saw that Downeast Cider House held its Boston-area release party on Wednesday and I couldn’t have been happier. Downeast just makes a phenomenal cider, probably the best I’ve ever had. Previously, it was only available on draft in Maine, so I can’t wait to get it closer to home. Beer bars, do yourself a favor and give this wonderful beverage a spot on your draft list.

Some sad news from the beer world – read on the Frosty Knuckle Facebook page that Frosty Knuckle beers will not be available any time soon “due to production issues.” The note to beer and fans said they “will strive to continue to be part of the ever-growing craft brew industry.” I hope that’s true, because I absolutely loved the Frosty Knuckle Ale. I wish I bought more of it.

Back to some positive news, such as Allagash Brewing Company releasing its very popular Black in four packs of 12-ounce bottles. Previously, it was only available in 750 ml. The four pack is a good option if you don’t like drinking 750s.

Also just about to hit stores in Linchpin, a collaboration beer by Green Flash and Founders. I actually have mixed feelings about this beer. I like both breweries, but the beer is a White IPA, and I’ve failed to find one that I really enjoy. I’ll try it.

Troegs announced on Twitter this week that its excellent Perpetual IPA, brewed last year, will be a year-round beer. I can’t wait. I enjoyed this beer immensely.

Other new beers(or newish, again, I fell behind on these), include Sixpoint’s Apollo. This is a summer wheat beer brewed with Bavarian wheat ale yeast and wheat and barley malt. I have some of this in Beatrice (my beer fridge) at home, and it is a great summer beer.

I love old kung fu movies, so I love the name of Shipyard Brewing Company’s newest beer, Monkey Fist IPA.

Described as a “new generation IPA, ” it is a 6.9 percent ABV beer, available in 12- and 22-ounce bottles and on draft.

“It’s easy to load up on hops and create an American-style IPA,” said Bruce Forsley, director of sales. “The trick is to draw out the subtle elements in the hops – the aroma, the citrus characteristics – and still maintain harmony with the malt. Our master brewer Alan Pugsley has done a magical job striking this balance with our unique interpretation.”

Beer brewed for a good cause always tastes a little bit better. That’s why I will buy the new Flying Dog Brewery’s Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout. It is brewed to benefit the Oyster Recovery Partnership in Chesapeake Bay. Plus, I like a good oyster stout as much as the next guy.

And, with the warm weather coming back, summer seasonals are back, including the Narragansett Summer Ale, a really refreshing summer beer. Also making its return is the Newcastle Summer Ale, which I actually prefer to the original Newcastle.

OK – inbox is emptied. Yay.

Do you like beer? Do you like movies? How about movies about beer?

If you answer yes to those questions, “The Love of Beer,” a documentary featuring women in the brewing industry in the Pacific northwest may be for you. The movie is making its Boston debut, along with a panel of local women in the beer industry, next week.

Here are all the details:

The Love of Beer Boston Premiere

Women on the forefront of the craft beer industry

The Boston Area Beer Enthusiasts Society (BABES)is pleased to present the first Bay State screening of The Love of Beer, a documentary celebrating the women at the forefront of the Pacific Northwest beer community. A panel of women in the craft beer industry will follow the film. A total of 1,989 breweries operated for some or all of 2011,of which 1,940 were craft breweries. While the industry is expanding rapidly, growing 13% by volume and 15% by dollars in 2011, women within the industry are a vast minority.

When:     6:30 pm – 9 pm May 26, 2012
Where:   Appalachian Mountain Club, 4 Joy Street, Boston
Cost:       $10 per person. http://theloveofbeerboston.eventbrite.com

Twitter:  #loveofbeer

Panel:

Kelly McKnight – Brewer at Watch City Brewing Company, Waltham, MA

Caitlin Jewell – Marketing and Mayhem Director at Slumbrew, Somerville, MA

Cat Portner – Founder at Portner Brewhouse and + Craft Beer Test Kitchen

Andrea Stanley – Malster – Valley Malts, Hadley, MA

Cambridge Brewing Company has been named the Best Brewpub in America by Chow.

The honor came after Cambridge Brewing Company was one of 16 brewpubs put into a bracket, with fans voting online for their favorite.

Cambridge advanced past the Southampton Publick House, Wrecking Bar and Revolution Brewing before reaching the finals against North by Northwest of Texas. In the final voting, Cambridge Brewing Company got 54 percent of the fans vote.

I’ve never been to the brewpubs that the Cambridge Brewing Company beat out, but I know they brew some incredible beers, and I can’t help but think they deserved this honor. I’ve been to dozens of brewpubs and it is my favorite, so I’m glad to see they won.

I hate writing recipes, but I made a beer recently from scratch, and found myself having to write one. Here’s my take on a Belgian Style Wheat Ale. I used the Chinook Hops I grew last year for this beer. Not a typical hop for a wheat ale, but it came out good. Play around with the recipe, and see what happens.

8lbs Liquid Wheat Extract

1lb Dry Wheat Extract

1lb Malted Dry Wheat Grain

5 ounces whole leaf Chinook Hops

4ounces or there abouts Coriander

4ounces or around that of dried Orange Peel

Liquid Belgian Wheat Ale Yeast

5 Gallons of Spring Water

Chill all 5 gallons of water in the fridge for at least 24 hours. Don’t go all fancy with the spring water. Just get some cheap stuff from the grocery store.

The day of the beer making crush the coriander, so that it looks like cracked pepper. Add that, and the orange peel into a tea strainer. Yup they’re just going to chill together before the boil. You know, get to know each other, and stuff.

Steep the grain for about 15 minutes in 1 to 1.5 gallons of 160 degree water. Remove grain, and then add the extract. Note: Be sure to put the liquid extract into some hot water before pouring into the boil. It’ll slide out for you better that way. Stir all the extract until its melted. Add about 2.5 ounces of hops, along with the coriander, and orange peel. Let that steep for 15 minutes, and then add the last amount of hops for about 5 to 10 minutes. Take off the burner. Remove the tea strainer with the coriander, and orange peel in it.

In a fermenting bucket pour the wort into it, and be sure to use some kind of strainer so all the hops don’t go diving into in the bucket. Take the remaining cold water, and dump into into the fermenting bucket. Take a temp reading, and if its 75 degrees or below then you can pitch your yeast.

Shake the fermenting bucket so all the yeast go for a swim among all those awesome sugars that will become alcohol.

Hide your fermentor in some dark, cool place for two to five weeks. Then bottle, or keg it. You’ll have about 2 cases of beer. The ABV should be around 6 percent. Invite some friends over for grilled meat, and beer. You’ll be glad you did.

One last thing. Its mother’s day this weekend, and Norman has been goin

g through a lot with his mom lately. Please keep him, and his mom in your thoughts, and hope that she pulls through. And if you can, give your mom a hug, and tell her you love her. If you can’t do that then give her a call, and tell her. If sadly, she’s no longer with you then toast to her this weekend, and thank her for bringing you into this world. We live but once, and it means the world to moms when you tell them you love them.

Better beer fans will have a nice treat when they go to New England Patriots games next season.

Yesterday, I once again had an opportunity to be a judge in the Samuel Adams’ New England Patriots Homebrew Contest.

The winning beer will be available at Gillette Stadium all next season.

Other judges included Jim Koch of Samuel Adams, Mike Adams of WEEI, Carolyn Faye Fox of the Improper Bostonian, Kerry Byrne of the Boston Herald, Jen Harmon of Yankee Brew News, Gail Ciampa of the Providence Journal, Dan Hausle of WHDH and the whole cast of the Loren & Wally show.

We got to try six different beers and to try to choose the best. The beers were a sahti, a Scotch ale, an IPA, a Belgian pale ale, a robust porter and a sweet stout.

I can’t tell you who won, but I can tell you it is the closest vote we, the judges, have ever had. It came down to two beers and we had to have a taste off to decide which one was going to be brewed.

Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.