Category: Guide to better beer

how to discover new beer to try

Posted on

a mysterious IPA

A brewery that I had not heard of before is making quite the interwebs buzz. Buzzards Bay from Massachussetts has created a serialized beer with a mystery on the label.

““The Case of the IPA” is a hard-boiled detective farce printed chapter by chapter on 12 bottles of a newly released India Pale Ale. Each 22 ounce bottle not only has 22 ounces of brilliantly deduced IPA, but also 1 of the 12 chapters of the story. Each case has 12 bottles, which makes for the entire tale told in a case. And so, the Case of the IPA is indeed a case of the IPA.

Brewer Harry Smith proposed the idea to author Paul Goodchild and they quickly agreed on a format: a noir-ish detective serial. Smith brewed up a batch of hoppy craft brew whilst Goodchild penned the story. It’s a mystery of zany brewers and their intrigues; sure to tickle the ribs and please the belly of any fan of craft beer.”

And here is the first installment (not the beer, the mystery):

Posted on

Mikkeller + Nelson Sauvin + wine barrels =

Ardent followers of these posts will know that Mikkeller graces these pages at least once a month and that one of my favorite beers of the past couple years was the Mikkeller Single Hop Ale made from Nelson Sauvin hops.

To celebrate the last new year, Mikkeller brewed Nelson Sauvignon. Again using Nelson hops and aging the new creation in white wine barrels. It never made it stateside.

But here is the good news. The newest iteration Nelson Sauvin Brut will arrive in the US next year. It is the champagne inspired version.

Posted on

50 Beers from 50 States – UPDATE

42!!
UPDATE: NOW I HAVE 43!

The inital goal of 40. Check. Now onto the next goal. 45!

Ambitious? Maybe, considering my only travel was to Oregon and Colorado this year.

I still have feelers out there that might garner me some local brews from Tennessee, Alabama and North Dakota. And thanks to the Beer Bloggers conference, I got Indiana and the incredibly hard South Dakota knocked off the list.

As usual, if you have access to these states:
Alabama
Arkansas
Kentucky – THANKS TO ALLTECH BREWING – OFF THE LIST
North Dakota
Oklahoma
Tennessee
Virginia
West Virginia
Send me an e-mail and I we can work out the details. Including a donation to a local food bank.

Posted on

Visit all 12

Lists are very handy. Especially in places like Portland, where the beer is flowing seemingly on every corner.

That’s why this list of 12 from John Foyston and the Oregonian is sooo helpful.

How many of these fine establishments have you been to? I have been to exactly 1.

I better get cracking when I visit in December.

Posted on

Happy Anniversary

Not mine, that is back in October. But thanks!

Today is the anniversary of the first sale of Pilsner Urquell!

Josef Groll brought a brand new style into the world this day in 1842. Pilsner Urquell was first served at the feast of Saint Martin markets.

So raise a glass of good pils (it’s out there) and give thanks to this delicious beer style.

Posted on

Plew’s Brews

Colorado is the focus of this month’s posts but you can’t forget the other big craft beer mecca, that would be Oregon.

Here is another great place to drop in and sample some eclectic brews. Plew’s Brews is in the St. John’s neighborhood of North Portland.