Do Authors Smoke Pipes and Wear Corduroy Jackets with Faux Elbow Patches? Because I'd Like That.

Over at the best-researched beer blog on the planet, Ron Pattinson is scheming out a future publishing empire. Books... That reminds me. Ours is almost done. With luck, Around Brussels in 80 Beers will be on shelves and online come March or April.

Tell your friends. Really. If you help spread the word I promise to show some measure of shame at the coming wave of pimpery. That won't be easy, because shamelessness is really more my nature.

When Yvan and I started we thought we'd have a problem finding 80 places in town to drink good, craft Belgian beers. By the end we had a tough time narrowing it down. By telling you about a few of the places we've had to leave out, I might sell you on the quality of the ones we put in. So I'll try that, pretty soon.

Eighty places is a lot, by the way. And we do you a favor by leaving out all those atmospheric but overpriced corporate-beer-list cafés around the Grand Place. You don't need our help to find those anyway.

Meanwhile, go visit Cogan & Mater at booksaboutbeer.com to finish your holiday shopping.

Sequestered in a dark room somewhere, Alan and Stonch are drinking heavily and flipping through slides to judge the best entries in the Beer Blog Health and Beauty Wet Cleanup on Aisle 13 Road Rally. If I don't win I vow to weep big man-tears while screaming and shooting my pistol in the air.

The Embrasse from Dochter van de Korenaar is getting good reviews from the knowledgeable Babblebelters. It appears the beer was a hit at the Kerstbierfestival. Told you it was a good brewery, didn't I? One to watch.

Brand new beer blog launched by friend and artful homebrewer Stefan Berggren. It's called Layers of Foam. Good stuff, check it out.

Christmas beer tasting of sorts tomorrow at my house. Blaugies Moneuse Speciale Noël, Senne Equinox, and De Dolle Stille Nacht. You're not invited, unless you work in my wife's office. But maybe you do.