“I should like a great lake of ale, for the King of the Kings. I should like the family of Heaven to be drinking it through time eternal.”
from Mr. Frank Zappa
You can’t be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer.
~ Frank Zappa
Something to think about…
“Sometimes when I reflect back on all the beer I drink I feel ashamed – Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the brewery and all of their hopes and dreams. If I didn’t drink this beer, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. Then I say to myself, ‘It is better that I drink this beer and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver.” – Jack Handy
What is in the 'fridge?
from Bridgeport in Portland….
a Belgian Tripel from their Big Brews line
also from Samuel Adams in Boston
the Longshot Home Brew winners 2008
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.
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
from Charles Papazian
“Craft beer is concerned that you keep discovering, it’s never finished…”
What's in the 'fridge?
One from Mexico and one from Washington state..
Nice Amber ale with just a touch of sweetness. This would go well with sweet BBQ. Easy to drink and not bland like some ambers can get.
From Red Hook brewery, this is another amber type beer. Nice to drink but lacks a little something. Not bad but I could certainly find more bold tastes in the beer aisle.
new from Sierra Nevada
Sierra Nevada Kellerweis Hefeweizen
The great Imbibe magazine/website alerted me to this new beer set to arrive in June. When I get my hands on some, I will give you a review. Sierra Nevada is branching out into newer beers. First there was the Torpedo IPA now a hefe. I wonder if this will be in the banana/clove style or the Widmer wheat style.
Rubicon Brewing
As part of American Craft Beer Week, I tasted two from the Sacramento brewer, Rubicon.
First up was Monkey Knife Fight Pale Ale. Now usually, I am not impressed by Pale Ales. To me they all tend to blur together. This one stands above the masses. Has a slight spice taste and not too hoppy.
Second was the Purple. A helles-maibock. It’s a good solid beer but not very bold. This would be better served with food. Something spicy like good kung pao chicken.
