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I am not an island guy, not big on cruises either, but I understand the allure of a tropical getaway especially if the company behind a resort is going ecological with it.
That said, when I saw this…
…on the Culture Cut Instagram, my initial thought was, could I bring my own beer? Corona is what it is but there is a reason why you shove citrus into it to flavor it up. Then I saw that…
…the Corona was unlimited and I am now firmly on pass.
Hello Brewing Team!
Got a quick favor to ask. Can you send us a keg of what we call beer, because we need to get it to a new marketing partner so they can make these…
…because its cool right? Plus it saves people from actually drinking it.
Thanks in advance, the Marketing Team
New Belgium’s, well, Belgian Collection seems more a historical afterthought now in VooDoo Ranger 19.2oz times but the Colorado and North Carolina breweries are adding to their namesake with the new Belgian Style Pilsner. It may not be hip like the Italian, hoppy or Czech dark pilsners but it is a welcome addition to me.
At least Sierra Nevada likes our nations park even if the federal government just wants timber. Because now through July 2025, the brewery is selling Pale Ale National Parks Collection, featuring four stunning vistas from famous sights that, one hopes, will be treated better in the future.
I have been quite dismissive of hard seltzers on this blog for what I think are good reasons but one outlier has been on my mind, Bottle Logic Brewing and their barrel-aged versions.
I made a beeline one Saturday to finally try one and settled on…
Miehana Madness part of their Lightning in a Bottle series of cocktail-inspired spirit barrel-aged hard seltzers. It is a rum barrel-aged seltzer in honor of famed Anaheim tiki bar Strong Water that has “layers of juicy orange, lush coconut, a zing of pineapple and lime, and the familiar warmth of rum. With a light, cocktail-like mouthfeel and intentionally low carbonation…”
There is coconut and orange and very much a rum texture to this. Fairly slick on the tongue and not seltzer bubbly at all. abv is well hidden. Some vanilla sneaks in at the end.
Breweries have been supplying mash to distilleries here and there and some have even tried to make special beer spirits using it. Now Lagunitas has teamed with local Petaluma distiller Griffo on a spirit sibling for famed Triple IPA, The Waldos’ Special Ale
Here are the details on how it is made, first a “Waldos mash using 100% malted barley. The unfermented mash takes a half block trip to Griffo later and Mike and his team are ready to take over. They ferment the mash and add the Waldos’ hops to the copper pot still before running it through the still two separate times. The spirit is then put into a large American Oak cask made by famed French cooperage Seguin Moreau. After several years aging, its proofed to 84 for a final ABV of 42.0% (whoa) and the spirit that is Still Waldos is ready….”
Lawless Brewing is taking both Saturday, April 26 & Sunday, April 27 to celebrate their 4th anniversary in North Hollywood.
There will be an Anniversary Beer Release which I am excited to hear what it is and there is also a Birthday Cake Shake Slushie drop with sweet sprinkles that I am less keen on.
Andy Weir is back in space with Project Hail Mary has the feel of two book ideas jammed into one. The initial premise of a person waking up to find himself on a spaceship is a great start. Remembering slowly how he got there is another good bit. But about halfway through, the hero, the badly named Ryland Grace encounters another ship and the sci-fi novel turns into a buddy film.
Will keep spoilers to a minimum since this is being made into a film like Weir’s previous book, The Martian which also had a lead character MacGyver’ing. This time it is two. Guess the next book will have three.
This is a book that had me spinning possible better book ideas once the Rocky character shows up. Part of the issue is that, as opposed to the Martian, this plot is stuffed to the gills. The Martian was simple. Survive on Mars. This was the sun going out, earth is in danger and must figure out why but have to figure that out light years away. And when the stakes are that high the problems become larger and larger and the solutions to those problems become more and more implausible.
How Grace and Rocky can fix all the issues seems way past the grasp of two beings no matter how smart or resourceful. I wish the book has just stayed with the amnesiac astronaut plot all the way through.
For beer, since the book is about, ostensibly, two different cultures working together. See if you can find worldwide collaboration beers. Or barring that, finding an East Coast meets West Coast on a beer style that is not often seen like an altbier or a beer with a strange adjunct.
Not many places sell home brewing supplies, as well as craft beer to-go, as well as having a well curated beer bar too but Windsor Home Brew Supply does and has two locations to boot.
It is a Swiss Army Knife of shops just across the road from Bottle Logic Brewing but totally without the noise level. There is a small but mighty selection of craft beer, the tap list utilizes clip boards and bright yellow 8 1/2 by 11 paper to showcase an eclectic selection of beers for those looking for a deeper cut and less IPA than is normally seen.
I did not leave with any bottles but I did grab an ISM meets Threes beer, plus another collab beer from Highland Park and Pinthouse as well as a Czech Pale Lager from Solaris.
Topa Topa Brewing has a new Solitude Series IPA Mixed pack out with three new hops…
• Nelson Sauvin hops offer notes of gooseberry, white wine, and the tropics
• Simcoe hops showcase stone fruit, citrus zest, and piney tasting notes
• NZ Cascade hops present flavors like honeydew, grapefruit, lime
My first pick would be the Nelson Sauvin since it is such a unique hop.