How this beer makes me feel: in pictures

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Brief Beer Update from PDX

We tried to get to Walking Man Brewing Co after our hike but it was closed. SO, Yesterday we took a trip to Amnesia Brewing Co, a local brewery we had heard was one of the region's finest. It truly did not disappoint. Desolation & Copacetic IPAs were delicious, but the Desolation was a bit sweet and not a typical IPA. Too much malty and a little weird dark color. But an enjoyable pint, nonetheless.

The Copacetic though...heavenly. Perhaps one of the best we have had. All the words apply: piney, citrus, balanced, perfect. We'll have two.

The Dusty Trail Pale ale and the Slow Train Porter were yummy yummy too...But this is IPA country!

We enjoyed the outside ambience (Ben called it a car port) with the lovely sun and gentle breeze...ahh this is heaven!

On our list next up: Full Sail Scottish Ale, Caldera Brewing Pale Ale, Hub IPA, Hopworks IPA.

If only it were a Duck-Rabbit truck...

Beervana

[Minutes from our recent meeting featuring the illustrious and honored guest Jeff Holland, Creative Loafing's own beer guru, will soon be featured. In the mean time, enjoy this post!]

Greetings earthlings from Beervana, that is, Portland Oregon. Yes, it is everything Ben and I dreamed it would be--good food, glorious city, wonderful principles that are echoed in the people and the land, and most certainly, good beer! Add to that some good friends and kick a$$ good weather and we are well into enjoying our vacation here.

Well, we haven't been here too long. Err, not even two full days. But I arrived on Fri night and waited for Ben to get in at the Rogue Ale House wedged right in between our gates (D5 and D7--he was coming in from DC, myself from ATL). Had the delicious Sesquicentennial Ale, which I'm pretty sure I'd had before, but I still enjoyed it in its tall glass. I was not exactly in quite a "reviewer mode" so I'll leave it at that.

Saturday took us to Kenny & Zuke's, a Jewish style deli, where I first tried the Ninkasi IPA. BeerAdvocate gives it a B+ overall but I don't agree. It was a quintessential West-coast piney citrusy delicious floral amazing fruity IPA. So far my favorite in Oregon (well, of 2)

Next up, Deschutes Brewery. The one in Portland, that is. I'd been told this pub/brewery wasn't too special (though the beer we can all agree is excellent) but I beg to differ. Even from an asthetic point of view. Gorgeously rennovated garage with exposed beams and rafters, exposed brick walls, etc. Quite loud and large and I wasn't a fan of the TVs on the wall, but we sat outside for my 6 sampler. You can check out the Deschutes beers here. The Green Lakes Organic Ale was surprisingly good. I don't know why I didn't think an organic beer would be good. What prejudice! The Obsidian Stout was a wash, weak, watery, tasteless, like a bad porter, in my humble (or not so) opinion. The Inversion IPA was a real solid IPA, but not quite as tasty as the Ninkasi. The Red Chair IPA was delicious. While I couldn't drink a whole cup of it, I think my favorite was the Black Butte XXI, a yummy barrel aged beer with strong flavors of espresso and chocolate. I can't remember the last one. Eh.

So far...so good. Had another Ninkasi at dinner and a sip of a Widmer (might as well while here) at the Portland Bike Festival where we saw Tall Bike Jousting (yes) and a dance-bike troup (yes).

Any other hints or recommendations will be taken seriously. Planning forward includes:
-afternoon (today) at Bridgeport
-Amnesia (we hear the best place)
-Deschutes Brewery in Bend, along with Bend Brewing Co
-Ninkasi in Eugene
-Full Sail in Hood River

On our quest to find the world's best IPA.

Of God and Beer and People

Beer played a major role in my recent trip to Utah. I had a lot to learn about all the strange rules around beer there. For example beers on tap have lower alcohol and so 'full strength' beers only come in bottles. There are, however, quite a few breweries. I even picked up a couple growlers at Moab Brewery but dropped and shattered it on the way to the airport. I did successfully get a few bottles home, including the Devastator from Wasatch. It's a double bock with over 8% alcohol putting the fear of God and beer in the hearts of man throughout the state. Check out the label with the big horn sheep demolishing the staples of Mormon architecture in flames.

But speaking of beer and God I wanted to share with you another gem I discovered while figuratively panning near the Colorado. This found by Dave on a local country station Sunday morning. Yes, Billy Currington, people are crazy (for God and beer).

Beer-Club-In-Extensia

While you all are enjoying Beer Club, agent Catherine and I visited Alexandria's own Rustico, a pizza joint with a killer beer selection. I had several beers, since you could order ponies. Of note: Hitachino Nest XH (a dark ale matured in sake barrels, the one with the cute little owl on it), which is completely delicious and needs to be consumed by you, whoever you are, immediately (look out for the plum taste in there), Southern Tier Iniquity, who continues to impress me with one of the most amazing and genre-bending beers I've ever had (a jet-black imperial IPA, with the deeply complex dry roasted coffee/chocolate quality of a stout but everything you expect from the Avery Maharajah in terms of hops), and the Founders Dirty Bastard (a terrific Wee Heavy Scotch Ale, didn't leave out the hops like some scottish do), I'd give this two thumbs up, along with both the others. Wish we were there to have some Saisons, but I figured I'd try some rare and out-of-state beers on tap while I could. Cheers!

Sweetwater Donkey Punch

Sweetwater's 4th release from teh expeimentla 'dank tank' series is a new batch of Donkey Punch and is out very soon. This was on the brewery's Twitter page (5 hours ago):

"the DP Barleywine is being bottled today. Draft is flowing now and the 22oz bottles should be in stores on monday"

Look forward to sampling. They also have photos on their page of the DP being packaged on their bottling line.

P.S. great time at BSP last night, tried Cask Great Divide Hercules DIPA, Duck-Rabbitor Doppelbock (1st keg in GA), Lagunitas A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale, and Avery Maharaja. All great.

BEST TAGLINE EVER FOR A BEER!

A new beer called "S" from Korean brewer Hite is touted as having a "smoother and cleaner taste with more dietary fiber!"

Seriously... That's what I've been missing. I just drank a bottle of Bells Two Hearts Ale, and I was thinking, "it's delicious, but I have not had enough leafy greens today." Well, look no farther.

The ad copy says:

"Dietary fiber is so popular these days it has been dubbed the 6th nutrient. Dietary fiber is known to enhance intestine movement to help people keep in shape...S is an icon for the new style leader."

Best Father's Day Idea Ever

England just gets some things right. (Though, according to Katie, they may have been handing out terrible beer. Either way, though...) Here's the key quote:

"Posies of flowers are given to mums on Mothering Sunday and we wanted to give a laddish, blokeish gift to the men. A bottle of beer hits the mark."

Challenging Coors for Best Beer Technology

Want to have that post-beer run during the run itself?

Look no farther: Beer Pouch is here.

Beer Legend Wade Boggs

Though I posted a while back about this amazingly prolific drinker (who can also be found in the movie "the Princess Bride"), another drinking icon, baseball hall-of-famer Wade Boggs, is cashing in on his legendary status. While Boggs is best known for being a Red Sox and Yankees mainstay, among drinkers he's known for his epic 70-beer road trips. If you want to ask him about how his bladder could even hold that much beer over the course of a flight and a bus ride, he'll be the celebrity bartender at tomorrow's Lowell Spinner's game (a minor-league baseball team in north-eastern Massachusetts.) Just remember: he never drank anything but Miller Lite. Maybe that's the secret...

Beer Reviews From Odd Places, AND Out of Town Reviews, II

Well, this time I may not be posing at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, but last night I did have the chance to sample Virginia's own Old Dominion Brewing Company's Bourbon Barrel Oak-Aged Stout in a bizarre movie theater while watching the Hangover. We decided to visit the quaint little local theater because it's smack in the middle of Old Town Alexandria, a beautiful historic town on the Potomac river a mere mile or so from where Catherine and I are staying for the summer.

When we walked in, we heard there was a one-drink minimum, and that they sold decent beer. Great, I thought. So I tried the Dominion Stout that I've been wanting to taste for quite a while. It was served in a plastic cup, unfortunately, but I could still smell the tobacco and chocolate flavors that dominate this excellent beer. Catherine and I found some seats, and noticed that the sound set-up was a bit weird, and that the screen was oddly sized. Even stranger was the owner: he came out, stood in front of the screen, and asked a series of bizarre questions, explained the drink minimum, and then tried to teach us how to see out of a car at night (turn the interior lights off, he said) and figure out what your dominant eye is (you have to point and close your eyes or something). Also, he told us that Gordie Howe was his favorite hockey player. And that they had 25 tons of air conditioning to use up (not even sure what this means). He answered some other odd questions and then, twenty minutes after the movie was supposed to start, told the projectionist to start up the reel, and then stood up in the back to watch it with us. When the credits opened, he said, loudly, "here's the movie you came to see." Wow. No wonder there are some befuddled reviews of this place on yelp.

Anyway, by the time the movie started, I was almost done with the beer. I do believe the soothing, velvety mouthfeel of the stout and the delicious (and quite noticeable) sweet bourbon and vanilla tastes that supplement the chocolate/tobacco flavors helped me to enjoy the supremely odd show put on by the proprietor that preceded the film. But The Hangover was way better than the opening act: it's damn hilarious. My favorite part involves Phil Collins, Mike Tyson and air drumming. I have to be honest, the bourbon barrel Stout felt a little out of place when watching a movie about guys putting down too many Coronas. But that was a good thing: this movie is so engrossing that any distance is good distance.

Budweiser -- King of Beers, Misguided Schoolmarm

Today the otherwise reputable Drive a Faster Car directed me to Budweiser's Lager Lessons, Atlanta edition.

I was willing to give the King of Beers a shot -- hey, they're taking their show to the people. Even better, they're taking the people to school. Beer school, that is.

My curiosity was rewarded with (ahem) a flash introduction to Lager Lessons Live. Behold, what apparently represents the perfect pour:


Folks, I'm no expert. And I'm not one to tell tales out of beer school. But let's be reasonable: that is no way to pour a beer. Nor is it any way to copy edit. (Heck, I don't know how to "do" a reasonable pour.)

I'm all for Budweiser giving lessons on how to drink beer, but frankly you'd be better off reading up, starting your own beer club, and tilting your glass 45° for the first half of your pour.

Brick Store 10 Year Anniversary

Ironically, the Brick Store celebrates its ten year anniversary today (and all the next two weeks)...as do Ben and I--today!

But...sadly, Ben is really really busy and isn't available to celebrate much, so I grabbed Frank (of former Beer Club fame) and we jotted down to the BSP to enjoy the special keg of Founder's Old Curmudgeon Ale. Totally, totally insanely delicious, and so different. I won't go into much more, the professional reviews are so much better than mine. BeerAdvocate gives it a B+, but which I'd say is wrong. Definitely an A- in my mind/mouth! Rate beer gives it a 97 (of 100) and I'd say that's a bit high, but pretty good!

I was lucky too to get a history of the BSP I didn't know from Frank. The owners started out at the Mellow Mushroom in Athens, and modeled their BSP on the Globe in Athens. Coo!

Back to the beer...

Here's a brief pitch from the brewers themselves:
This Old Ale conjures up thoughts of classic sea fairing ports, there local pubs and the weathered fisherman that frequent them. In traditional style Curmudgeon is brewed with an intense focus on the malt bill creating a very strong, rich, malty characteristic and a sweetness indicative of its cousin the barleywine. We are especially proud of the balance in this beer making it deceptively smooth and drinkable at 9.8% alcohol by volume.
Editor’s Note - The 2006 bottled version has been aged in bourbon barrels.

Loved it!

BSP 12 year celebration

If you read this blog I probably don't need to tell you about the upcoming bonanza of beer to mark the Brick Store's 12 year anniversary. Starting tomorrow at 5PM they'll be tapping a special keg everyday until the 26th. Then on Saturday they're going nuts and tapping a new keg every hour starting at 12PM and going til 12AM. To finish it off Sunday will effectively be a holiday in Decatur, as nothing will get done.

Here's the lineup:

6/16 2006 JW Lees Laguvulin Cask
6/17 Founders Curmudgeon Old Ale
6/18 2006 Terrrapin Big Sloppy Monster (Jack Daniels for 9 Mos.)
6/19 Victory V-12, Victory Wild Devil
6/20 ‘07‘T smisje Kerst, Pisgah Solstice Tripel
6/21 Duck Rabbit Dopplebock
6/22 Ola Dubh “Highland Park 30 yr”
6/23 Sweetwater French Oaked (Bordeaux !st run) DIPA
6/24 Avery Maharaja (Firkin)
6/25 Lagunitas Barrel Aged Brown Shugga
6/26 Cigar City Jai Alai Cedar Aged IPA (Firkin), Hansens Kriek Lambic (Firkin)

Saturday 6/27 The Big Finale
12pm – Duck Rabbit Brewery “Pauls Day Off” American Strong Ale
1pm – Sweetwater Oak Aged (Bordeaux French Oak 2nd run) Creeper Belgian IPA
2pm – Highland Cattail Wheat (Trappist yeast version)
3pm – Allagash Interlude Wild Ale
4pm – Atlanta Brewing Co. ‘08 Winter Ale in Pappy Van Winkle
5pm – Allagash Confluence Wild Ale
6pm – Ballast Point Victory at Sea Coffe Vanilla Imperial Porter
7pm – Allagash Victor Strong Dark Ale
8pm – Oskar Blues Stranahan Barrel Aged Gordon Double IPA
9pm – Allagash Victoria Strong Pale Ale
10pm – Oskar Blues Stranahan Barrel Aged 10 Fidy Imperial Stout
11pm – Allagash Hugh Malone Belgian IPA
12am – Oskar Blues Stranahan Barrel Aged Dale’s Pale Ale

Another Snarky Title: New Sucky Beer to Premiere at Old Sucky Concert

Perhaps Bon Jovi was once cool, but Moosehead Light Lime never will be. This is an epic marketing disaster unfolding before our very eyes.

Quote revealing total lack of beer knowledge of the marketing genius who came up with this one:

"It's a flavour that's not overwhelming. It's consistent through the whole bottle or the whole glass."

(Editor's note: I guess this beer doesn't have different flavors at the bottom of the can, like, um, I don't know, a Dannon fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt container.)

Also, I've been known to rock some Bon Jovi in my day, but seriously, what does this next quote say about you as a person if you wanted to go to the Bon Jovi concert (in short, I think it means you're in the "awful taste" demographic):

Gracewood said the demographic of consumers at the Bon Jovi concert is perfect for their new beer, so they want to give the music fans a special treat.

Breaking News: Dogfish Head to Brew More Crazy Crap

This article in Scientific American says that Dogfish Head is brewing a "new" beer that reproduces a 9,000-year old Chinese recipe for a fermented wine-like beverage. Not only is that not new, it's been on the shelves for the last couple of years (it's called Chateau Jiahu, and I'm sure you've seen it. Not really beer, but I like it a lot.) Of more newsworthy import are these next paragraphs: 

Next week, the brewery will be bottling up the first large batch of Sah’tea for the general public—a modern update on a ninth-century Finnish beverage. In the fall, The New Yorker documented the intricate research and preparation that went into making the beer, which was first offered on tap at the brewery in May. In short, brewmasters carmelize wort on white hot river rocks, ferment it with German Weizen yeast, then toss on Finnish berries and a blend of spices to jazz up this rye-based beverage.  Reviewers at the BeerAdvocate universally praised Sah'tea, comparing it to a fruity hefeweizen.  One user munched on calamari as he downed a pint and described the combo as “a near euphoric experience."

And Dogfish is also bringing back one of their more unusual forays into alcohol-infused time travel. Called Theobroma, this cocoa-based brew was hatched from a chemical analysis of 3,200-year-old pottery fragments from the Cradle of Chocolate, the Ulua Valley in Honduras. Archaeologist John Henderson at Cornell University first described the beverage in 2007 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, pushing the first use of the chocolate plant back by 600 years. Dogfish first sold Theobroma in May 2008, and the next batch—made from a blend of cocoa, honey, chilies, and annatto—will be on shelves and in taps in July.  The chocolate beer was apparently too sweet for Evan at The Full Pint, who writes that it contained “a ton and a half of sugary sweetness” with “an insane amount of gooeyness left behind on the roof of your mouth."

Sam, Rupesh, and Creative Loafing's Beer Issue

Yesterday I waltzed into Slice in downtown Atlanta looking to grab some dinner. Since I was alone -- so very, very alone -- I grabbed the Creative Loafing at the bar.


"Look, it's the beer issue!" I said to my brain. "Maybe if I read this article on homebrewing, I'll have something insightful to say and look smart at beer cl--"

And then I saw it.

Rupe and Sam hoisting forth their beers on the cover. Our Rupe. And our Sam. On the cover with beer!


But who are these other beer drinkers? Are Rupe and Sam in another beer club? Are they too cool for us? Should the Dirty South Beer Club worry about defection?

I mean, the article makes the folks sound pretty awesome -- growing hops, performing science, brewing beer. All we have to offer is stunningly attractive members with loose morals and a cursory knowledge of HTML. It's not much, but it's all we've got.

On behalf of the Dirty South Beer Club, I beseech you, Rupe and Sam -- please don't forget about us little people!

10 best breweries?

At the previously referenced event, one conversation came up about the 10 best breweries in the US. Now that Bells Brewery is finally here in GA, would Bells make the cut?

I tried to figure it out in my head...top 10 breweries...what a task! And I am someone who leans towards dark beers and IPA, so my list may be biased, but here's what I figure:

* Stick to breweries you have tried (therefore, the elusive Russian Hills cannot compete)
* US based breweries only
* They don't have to make every beer insanely good, but they do have to make excellent special beers. (Hence why Bell's is in the competition in my mind, their Hop Slam and Expedition Stout are amazing, but their other beers come in at a "decent" level in my mind.

But I really don't know if Bells IS in the top ten. Here's my list, in a sort of order but not really:

1. Avery
2. Dogfish Head
3. Great Divide
4. Duck Rabbit
5. Three Floyd’s
6. Rogue
7. Stone
8. Brooklyn
9. Victory
10. Weyerbacher
11. Flying Dog
12. Founders
13. Port Brewing Company (I have had a limited selection, all of which are excellent)
14. Moyland’s (I have had a limited selection, all of which are excellent)
15. Bridgeport?
16. Terrapin? Only their special brews like Rye Squared, Big Hoppy Monster, potentially Dos Cocoas, and anything Oak Aged. Well actually maybe Bells beats Terrapin.


Now surely not everyone will agree, but that's my list and I'm sticking to it. Maybe I just think Bells is overrated, but I don't think they'd take a cut in my top ten. Maybe in the top 16 they could bump someone out.

But not surprisingly, someone has already made a listing of the top 50 breweries. Not surprisingly, that someone is Beer Advocate. And their list of 50 does not include Bells.

Not sure I really agree with their listing at all, actually, but I was pleasantly surprised to see the delicious Snake River Brewery in Jackson WY make the list. Harpoon at #49 I can see, but does that trump Bells?

So...where does Bells fit??

Happy Happy Saturday

Yesterday we hosted our first ever Dirty South Beer Club party. It was awesome. Vargo hosted, a grillin' was involved, as were 3 pony kegs of beer, containing: Bell's Oberon, Allagash White, and Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA. It started out in the early afternoon and carried through til about 12 midnight. Turns out we got the right amount of beer--almost all gone after the party! Guests kindly brought other delicious beers to share and the food was done potluck style. Vargo/Lauren were excellent hosts, making sure people always had food and drink and were playing horseshoes or bocce. Or, talking about beer.

A job well done, DSBC!

Best Beer Run Ever

Listen to this:

Police say 51-year-old Danforth Ross of Vassalboro was charged May 29 with operating under the influence after he and a friend made a beer run on a riding lawn mower. The arrest came after the two emerged from a variety store with two cases of beer.

Vivian, why don't you try that mode of transportation on the way to the party tomorrow?

Beer's Law

You guys will never guess what I discovered today while reading about the solar radiation budget of sea ice... Beer's Law. The law states that the amount of short wave radiation transmitted through a material decreases exponentially with distance from the material surface on which the radiation is incident. Thanks Beer. (German mathematician August Beer)

Ten Cent Beer Night

35 years ago today, Cleveland Municipal Stadium hosted ten cent beer night when the Indians hosted the Texas Rangers. As could be expected, the stadium was full of people who wanted to get totally smashed and didn't even like baseball. Ergo, lots of nudity, fighting, and a large-scale riot. Well, in honor of the anniversary... someone in Cleveland is hosting ten cent beer night. For real. Who wants to go? 

The News You Have Always Wanted to be True...

...now is. After exercising, it is better for you to drink beer than to drink water. I love the hell out of science. Anyone want to follow the scientific method and try this out for ourselves?

Georgia Recall: Athens Brews Bad Coors Light

But... I thought the whole point of it was to be sub-par in the first place?