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Athletic Brewing Company is entering the festbier ring with “America’s first non-alcoholic Oktoberfest brew. In honor of the traditional Oktoberfest beers, this Festbier is brewed with German Vienna and Munich malts, and German Hersbrucker hops.”
And they sent out their intro to the beer email in September like normal non PSL in July people!
Strata, El Dorado and Citra hops are the trio powering this new IPA from AleSmith who is fresh off of celebrating an anniversary.
Or should I say Stone and Societe.
I am kind of surprised that the old school and new school San Diego breweries hadn’t collaborated before. But since they are, I am glad they are going the West Coast IPA route.
California doesn’t see the fresh hop bounty that Oregon and Washington does but the occasional glimmer appears. Just look for the spiderweb to get a Strata Fresh Hop Arachne from Ogopogo Brewing and Three Weavers.
We are onto review two from the City Beer Store of San Francisco beer purchase. By the end of the month, I will rank all six. Side Pull was a strong start, how will beer # 2 fare?
Lenticular Cap is labeled as a “Dry-Hopped Modern Pilsner” by this McMinnville, Oregon (Go Wildcats!) brewery. ForeLand uses Michigan Copper and Meridian hops. Neither on the tip of the hop lovers tongue. LC pours a light and bright yellow. The taste is just as bright. Getting big amounts of bread and lemon. As it warms, it takes on a more floral near to but not quite potpourri.
I like the beer quite a bit but was expecting a little more hoppy bite to it so it ranks a skosh below.
Iowa State is ranking just inside the top 10 so off to Ames and Alluvial Brewing we go to see what beers I would cyclone into a taster tray…
Lutris Pale Ale – “Our flagship pale ale featuring Citra hops & heirloom Maris Otter malt. Double dry-hopped with Citra and Apollo. New England style, hazy.”
Lontra IPA with Coconut – “Citra, Citra, Citra, Maris Otter, Citra and Citra. Made using the Norwegian Lutra Kveik yeast which brings a strong tropical flavor, pineapple and stone fruit. This variant was finished with hand toasted coconut for a summery twist.”
Waitoreke NE IPA – “Softly hopped, NE style IPA with tons of late hops from the famous New Zealand hop, Nelson Sauvin. White wine and gooseberry notes. This variant features additional Galaxy hops adding hints of tropical fruit.”
Coastdream DIPA – “Double dry-hopped w/ Mosaic and Sultana hops. Pineapple, bright citrus.”
BTW – Alluvial refers to alluvium which is “clay, silt, sand, gravel, or similar detrital material deposited by running water”
Imagine Anchor Steam Beer or Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, an iconic beer. Then barrel it.
That is what Bell’s Brewery has done with Uberon, their twist on Oberon. “Uberon is a bourbon barrel-aged version of our iconic American Wheat Ale. It’s strong, spicy, warming… Uberon tastes like our classic American Wheat Ale with a shot of bourbon dropped into it.”
I chose this book because NPR recommended it, read HERE. And this slightly in the future sci-fi novel from Katie Williams really works well in spots. The lead character, as it were, shifts every one or two chapters to show a broader portrait of the group of people being focused on and the happiness machine, Apricity, that brings them together.
Apricity is owned by what appears to be a better run morally tech company. You swab your cheek, place the saliva into the machine and it will spit out three suggested actions that you should do to achieve happiness. Simple as “get more sleep”, “get a dog” and others much harder and scarier.
But this book isn’t about the dark edges so much. It is more involved with Pearl, the Apricity tech, her ex, her son and a celebrity Calla Pax. Those chapters are the weakest.
There is life at stake but nothing huge like life v death. Even the corporate espionage was soft pedaled. Everyone is mostly nice if odd. The conceit and the machine are the best part of this tale.
Humans and Americans in particular tend to not do what is in their best interest. I would love to see the results of a beer Apricity on me. Would it go way off in one direction, would it tell me to drink an old favorite long forgotten or would it shield me from hops that I do not like. Interesting thought experiment for sure.
Institution Ales has released a new Pale Ale brewed in with the TOaked Homebrewers Club to honor their 10th Anniversary of brewing at home. (BFH)
Here is how the Camarillo brewery describes it, “This beer is a double-dry hopped Pale Ale featuring Nugget, Mosaic, & Cryo Pop. Cryo Pop is a proprietary hop blend by Yakima Chief hops that’s super tropical and citrusy.”
When people say that they hope a movement doesn’t stop some secretly just hope it will fade out so that they don’t have to do the extra work.
Well, I ain’t gonna help you with that last part.
Go HERE and please read the first of what will be more than one post about how to make festivals better. How you do that requires looking at some crappy behavior towards women.
Here is one question for men to ponder: Have you ever chosen clothes for a festival based on not being sexy? Because of the ramifications?