I am a Craft Beer Drinker…
I am a Craft Beer Drinker from New Brew Thursday on Vimeo.
..are you?
If not get out there and not settle. The message needs repeating. Be it from craft brewers in America or Canada.
Mike’s Organic
We dip back into New Zealand to look at an organic brewery by the name of Mike’s. I like that they celebrate both mom and dad. (Some organics forget the male of the gender) “mike’s is committed to offering you the very best quality organic beer that we can produce. Joining us are mother nature, who supplies all of the ingredients, and father time, who matures the beer for us.”
Their IPA sounds like a bitter treat:
“Inspired by the hoppy English pale ales but leaning toward the highly hopped American variety. Pours rich golden amber with a faint haze and a creamy white head settling to a fine veil. The aroma is complex with tropical fruit including passion fruit, pineapple and melons all vying for attention.
The flavour is something to behold, with the sweet tropical fruits now balanced out by the strong biscuity malt flavour and absolutely intense hop bitterness. The very full mouth feel and glowing warm aftertaste serve to further keep the hop bitterness in check.
This is an extremely hoppy beer, if the drinker is not partial to hops, they might struggle with this drop. For the true hop heads, this is nectar to be savoured.
Serve chilled in small stemmed goblets, to be sipped on cool Autumn evenings. This beer needs to be treated with respect, weighing in at 9.0% ABV, it’s no lightweight and should be shared with good company.”
Beer Reviews
You may have noticed that my site started with more reviews of beers than it does now. That is a conscious choice. I am not a great beer reviewer. My skill is more in choosing beer for people and getting beginners onto the beer bandwagon. But I would be remiss if I didn’t showcase some people who review well. Movies have reviews. iTunes reviews songs so I see the niche that is filled.
So if you want to see a clean site with lots of photos and well written reviews of a variety of beers, here is another that I can recommend…
Hoggie’s Beer Reviews. You can also check out his YouTube channel via his site as well.
Cheese Bar Portland
Yes, cheese goes great with beer (and vice-versa). So why not visit one of the most sought after cheesemongers in beer soaked Portland.
“We have a rotating menu of sandwiches, salads, soup, baked cazuelas, and cheese and meat plates. We have 6 rotating beer taps, bottled beer, and wine to enjoy here or to go. Menu items incorporate local and seasonal ingredients. Our focus is on food that is beer and wine friendly.”
You don’t have to sacrifice good food for craft beer.
Cheers: A History of Beer in Canada
Here is what the press release has to say…“The author of Notes on a Beermat: Drinking and Why It’s Necessary is back. Nick Pashley brings his wit to bear on beer’s illustrious history in Canada, from Prohibition (and who thought that was a good idea?) to the beer that turned Quebec City drinkers blue and actually killed sixteen of them in 1966. Where else this season will you find a book that includes Prince Charles, Paris Hilton, Ron Keefe, and Rocco Perri, the great Hamilton bootlegger of the 1920s (you may be able to find him today encased in cement at the bottom of Burlington Bay)?”
From that description, it looks to be a fun book. I have recently read two history books. Both great topics. One was as dry as day old toast. The other is bright and lively. I certainly hope this book is more of the latter. You can find this at Amazon. (And to digress, shouldn’t Amazon ship beer?)
Museum quality beer
Thanks to the Celebrator magazine, I saw a great to expand anyone’s beer horizons.
A museum exhibit on BEER!
Here is what the City of Fullerton (in the OC) has to say about it:
“Kegged, Casked, Bottled or Canned: 10,000 Years of Beer
Open to the public through October 10, 2010
This exhibition tells the story of beer with with advertising material, tap handles, metal signs, prints, beer steins, and fixtures from the home brewing industry.
Bottle Cap Treasures: Art Workshop for Adults!
Tuesday, September 14
7:00-9:00pm
Turn old beer bottle caps into fun magnets and jewelry! Bring your own bottle caps or use some of ours for no additional charge.”
$12 general/ $8 museum members
Louisiana Beer – NOLA Brewing
Each of the Louisiana breweries that I have focused on have great histories and NOLA is no exception. Here is the NOLA story: “NOLA Brewing is the concept and dream of entrepreneur Kirk Coco. Kirk is a native New Orleanian who earned his BA and Juris Doctorate from Louisiana State University, his MBA from the University of New Orleans and served 11 years as a Surface Warfare Officer in the United States Navy. After watching the effects of Katrina while on deployment in the Arabian Gulf, he decided to come home to help rebuild and develop commerce in post-Katrina New Orleans.
While enjoying great tasting beer of fellow New Orleanian and home brewer Byron Towles, the question arose, “Why doesn’t New Orleans have several great local micro-breweries like Portland or Seattle to offer a variety of beer to a city full of brewing history?”
Once the cradle of brewing in the Deep South, New Orleans boasted world famous beers such as Falstaff, Regal, Union, Dixie, Jax, New Orleans Brewing and XXXX (Four X).”
And here is the beer that stood out amongst the many good choices:
“Hopitoulas is a West Coast style India Pale Ale that has 6 malts and 6 hops and has been additionally dry hopped for three weeks. A month and a half to make each batch, we think you’ll appreciate our extra work in the perfectly balanced, hoppy flavor Hopitoulas packs.”
West St. Mungo
Scottish craft beer is on the rise. BrewDog gets the press but if you dig, you can find some really good beers like those from West Brewing.
Like…
St. Mungo
“Our beer homage to Glasgow’s Patron Saint and fellow brewer. Mungo is a clean and crisp amber-coloured lager beer with a distinctive malt sweetness and subtle hop bitterness, including refreshing notes of vanilla and citrus.
A very drinkable and palette- cleansing beer, excellent with food. (ABV 4.9%)”
back to the beer bookshelf
I am still working through my Beer a Day book from Jeff Evans and now another book shows up to chronicle breweries and offer practical advice. How am I supposed to stay caught up?
“Great American Craft Beer takes readers on a passionate and informative journey through the most palate pleasing ales and lagers produced in America today. Built on the inalienable truth that there is a beer out there for everyone, the book directs readers to focus on the flavors they already enjoy tasting, such as sweet fruits, roasted coffee, or bitter hops. More than 80 styles and 340 beer profiles are accompanied by full-color photographs and illustrations of the beers and beer labels. This unconventional approach allows drinkers of all experience levels to step right up to the bar and order their next pint with confidence.
If you like the taste of . . .
fresh oranges
tangy lemons
ripe raspberries
creamy pumpkin
toasted caramel
rich espresso
bananas
dark chocolate
smoked meats
Try . . .
Address Unknown IPA by Willimantic Brewing
312 Urban Wheat Ale by Goose Island Brewing
Raspberry Tart by New Glarus Brewing
Punkin Ale by Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Anchor Bock by Anchor Brewing
Speedway Stout by Alesmith Brewing
Hefeweizen by Live Oak Brewing
Black Chocolate Stout by Brooklyn Brewery
Smokestack Heritage Porter by East End Brewing
Both a personal guide and companion to the exciting world of American craft beer, this unique book touches upon several subject areas, including not only beer, but food, travel, history, and the stories and personalities of those who brew America’s best beers. It includes 25 perfect pairing recipes and profiles of some of the best brewpubs in the country.”