What the firk?

If you’re in the Southeast, pick up the May/June Southern Brew News. My article on Brewer’s Brewing Company in Beaufort, S.C., is one of the features.

Back in March, we took part in the Special Firkin Night, the brew pub’s Friday Night tradition of serving cask-conditioned ale. One of their beers is set aside in a firkin and cask conditioned, which makes the beer velvety smooth and delicious. We even got a taste of Brewmaster Josh Brewer’s most recent creation, the Skull Creek Stout, which I couldn’t write about earlier because it was top secret. I couldn’t break the Circle of Trust. Since the Brew News doesn’t post its articles online, read up on the excursion at Untamed Beer.

One of the many cool things about Brewer’s is that they truly follow green business practices. While green is all the rage and everyone likes to think they’re being green and are promoting it like crazy, Brewer’s is keeping it real.

They aren’t selling those little tote bags for a dollar either.

Got brass?

I started this post in January to follow up after the Super Bowl commercials. And then forgot about it. Originally entitled “The stain takes gold,” I wanted to applaud the Tide-to-Go commercial, “The Talking Stain.”

I also wanted to comment on the use of the Rocky soundtrack in commercials. It will not automatically make it a good commercial. (Who was the advertiser? All I remember is Rocky. Don’t get me wrong, the Rocky soundtrack is sweet.)

Anyway, finally St. Pat’s Day rolled around and I wanted to share this Guinness commercial that was coming on at least twice during PTI on ESPN. So quick, funny. I wanted to post it for St. Pat’s Day, but the commercial wasn’t online yet. Finally, it is. Enjoy.

Tapping the Coast

Check your local watering hole for the January/February issue of the Southern Brew News, a laid back, candid regional newspaper that covers beer-related news and events throughout the South. More importantly, demand that your bar serve Coast Brewing Company’s beer.

Unfortunately, the paper’s South Carolina section is usually slim on content. So when I found out that Coast was opening in North Charleston (and heck, I wanted to write about beer and local business), I got in touch with both parties, and viola: free PR for Coast and a cover story for the Brew News.

Graffiti: cheaper than spray paint and a jd record

From The Atlantic to Wired, everyone’s been writing about Facebook. Regardless of praise or criticism, it is a useful social networking tool. You can reunite with your old friends, or land new clients.

This, however, is not an article on how Facebook is changing how we do business or re-weaving the social fabric of our lives. This post is to celebrate Graffiti, a simple, effective application on Facebook that challenges our inner artist and reminds us of why we loved (and hated) Microsoft Paint.

Gift exchange

A client’s Christmas party is coming up later this week. To prepare appropriately, we’re bringing gifts for a gift exchange and brushing up on the do’s and don’ts at holiday gatherings. Forbes has a short and sweet slideshow presentation that recommends us to:

1. Arrive early: a good chance to talk to key people before things get busy (if they’ve even arrived yet).

2. Don’t be a wallflower: build your network by meeting new people.

3. Stay in control: getting drunk will lead to embarrassment and start the gossip train.

4. Don’t flirt: harmless flirting could be perceived as sexual harassment. (Refer to #3 for further guidance.)

5. Don’t just talk business: snooze…that’s what you’ll do the rest of the year. Get to know colleagues’ outside interests.

6. Accept invites to other firms’ Christmas parties: a simple way to network outside your company.

Remember some lessons from childhood: Take care of yourself. You’re only responsible for your own actions, and not others. Now, if the blitzed person receives the Executive Desk Gong in the gift exchange and starts to ring it, is it my responsibility to take it away from him or her? Or do I take a picture instead?

Give thanks