Posts

Posted on

Kloster Andechs

Andechs Monastery is one of the most beautiful spots on earth to be brewing. And they have been there since 1455!! On the top of a hill, west of the big city of Munich, out in the countryside (almost).

They have a great cavernous beer hall. Plenty of outdoor seating. A great giftshop with incredible prices. Fish and pork aplenty and many excellent beer choices depending upon the season. Their darker beers go excellent with the pretzels and pork.

Spezial Hell and Dunkle Weissbeer being my favorites.

Posted on

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.

Posted on

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.

Posted on

new Abita beer

2812009154735200_Abbey_Ale
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.

Posted on

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.
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.
Einhorn
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.
mix
This was sooo good. Like a candy bar. The mixture was just right. I highly recommend this. Great for dessert instead of ice cream.

Posted on

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.

Posted on

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.