“My competition is not the other brewers, it’s ignorance.”
Jim Koch
Speaking of berries
I just finished reading Sam Calagione’s book about entrepreneurship and brewing so I thought I would showcase one of his beers that I wish I could find out here on the west coast. The Black and Blue is made with blueberries and blackberries in the signature Dogfish style. They start with a Belgian Golden then pour in the fruit to make this a big & assertive beer.
Though I am bummed that Black and Blue and Fort and other limited releases aren’t readily available there is good news. 60 Minute IPA and 90 Minute IPA is showing up in BevMo’s and Whole Foods has been carrying Midas Touch so grab some while you can.
Sour Wench
I was in the celebratory mood because Eagle Rock Brewery passed another permit hurdle today so I went over to the nearby Verdugo. I tried the Sour Wench from Ballast Point.
This is a beer brewed with blackberries. Sam Adams also has a new Blackberry Wit so I guess that blackberries are the hip fruit. This offering isn’t particularly sour nor is it super fruity. It is right in the middle. Thanks to the berries it is more interesting than other beers and it does have an awesome red look to it.
Not really to my taste however, but I can see how this would be an excellent starter for someone who wants to try fruit and/or sour beers.
new Abita beer
This is a nice looking red-amber ale. As you may have figured out by now, I am a sucker for brewery special releases. This one is a nice Belgian dubbel. With part of the proceeds going to the St. Joesph Abbey. Not much aroma but it does carry an alcoholic punch. Not bad but it could use a little more spice to counteract the alcohol and malt.
The Daily Pint
I made my first trip to the Daily Pint this Memorial Day weekend and it was well worth it. Very similar to Lucky Baldwin’s in Pasadena. Old (in a good way) with the smell of casks past. Really nice selection of good beer choices though I must say there were two customers who ordered BMC that made me wince.
On to better news, the beer! I started with the Sublimely Self-Righteous from Stone.
They really do dark IPA’s well. Probably better than anyone else. This pours a beautiful dark black with a great head. Easy to drink but heavy. This would be great for a late fall BBQ.
Second up was the Einhorn Spezial Pilsner.
Another beer that looks really good. Now, I am not a big pils fan. But this one is pretty good. I could have done with just the pint instead of the boot.
Lastly, I had a combo. A mixed beer cocktail so to speak. Youngs Double Chocolate with Raspberry lambic.
This was sooo good. Like a candy bar. The mixture was just right. I highly recommend this. Great for dessert instead of ice cream.
What's in the 'fridge now
My Memorial Day selections….
from Deschutes a big, big barleywine
from Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing a nice summer Hefe
Almost as bad as the beer hat
saw this in the Los Angeles Times, I fear for humanity
Beer belt Ah, Memorial Day: a long weekend perfect for hanging out in the backyard and catching up with old friends.
And who wants to miss a minute of the action by going back and forth to that pesky cooler? Urban Outfitters literally puts the hip in hipster with this balancing act of a solution: the Beer Belt. The plastic holders mean you can strap in and sling back a six-pack while slinging burgers at the grill.
Aside from the serious repercussions of too much alcohol intake, we also have to point out that there’s no cooler. In this climate, you’d have to drink fast in order to keep your PBR nice and chilled.
Want to belly up to this belt? It’s yours for $18 at UrbanOutfitters.com.
Brew news you can use
If you want to get interviews with important Oregon brewers, get excellent beer reviews or just listen to a fellow beer geek then I urge you to take a listen to Lisa Morrison and her Beer O’Clock radio show / podcast.
I personally think that every part of the country should have someone broadcasting the great things that are going on in each area’s brewing scene. Be it Portland or Asheville.
from Charles Papazian
“Craft beer is concerned that you keep discovering, it’s never finished…”
New email address!!
Now whenever you have a beer or beer related question, like, why is Budweiser advertising that they have new specially designed glasses for drinking Bud out of? or why is Busch Gardens no longer giving out free samples of of Bud? You can send them to me and I will give you the best answer that I can.
beersearchparty@gmail.com