Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
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%)”
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.”
Tallgrass is a Kansas based brewery that is into the can thing. This beer caught my eye recently…
OASIS
(ABV 7.2%, 93 IBU)
“Oasis is a Double ESB/IPAish beer that came about from playing around with one of Jeff’s favorite homebrew recipes. Here at Tallgrass we love malt and we love hops, and this beer has both of them in record quantities; well, at least records for our baby brewery.
As our summer seasonal at 7.2% ABV and 93 IBU, Oasis is a big beer that has to be priced a bit higher than our regular line of beers. We think that once you taste the over-the-top hops and surprisingly sturdy malt backbone you will realize why it’s worth it.”
On the heels of “OREgasmic” comes Creek. A dual meaning beer name in the Chatoe Rogue series that also includes Dirtoir Black Lager and Single Malt Ale.
“Creek” is a cherry beer (AKA Kriek). Montmercy cherries to be exact. The beer is dedicated to the creeks of Oregon and the really large creek, the Willamette that is on the eastern edge of the Rogue hopyard.
As with the other Chatoe beers, all ingredients are incredibly local and all Oregon. Including their own Revolution hop and Dare and Risk Malts.
It is a near impossible Herculean task to pick one Portland beer bar as the best. It might be impossible to pick the best beer spot on SE Division. What with Apex and Beer Mongers across from each other.
Why is it hard? There are just a lot of places to visit and to visit enough that you can get a good read as to the atmosphere, the type of list changes, the staff attitude and myriad other reasons.
That being said, here is my personal countdown of Top 3 Portland Beer Bars: (As of right now & subject to change)
3. HOP & VINE
Nice amount of taps with a wide style variety. Then they have bottles too. The atmosphere is laid back and casual. Very coffeehouse chic. But what sets them apart is the beyond awesome back patio. An oasis in the city where you can let the cares of the world pass by as you drink your beer.
2. SARAVEZA
The decor is the best. I absolutely love the use of bottlecaps in the bar and in the tabletops. Great design work that must have taken a long time. Like its Killingsworth neighbor, the list is small and varied. Always interesting and not static. Their bottle selection in old school ‘fridges is drool worthy.
1. BELMONT STATION
Why are they # 1? Choice. An abundance of choice. For example, I walked in on a July day and found a Nebraska brewed beer WHILE I was drinking a beer from Astoria, Oregon! The bottle selection is tremendous. If it was brewed in Oregon, Belmont has it. Then you can hoard your find at the bar next door and probably run into one of their many events.
There are a lot of beer websites out there. Some work better than others. Obviously, I prefer mine but pintley.com is an intriguing entry.
It is still in the beta phase but from the little bit of playing around that I have done it is quite addicting. I am impressed by the graphics though they could probably stand to add more beers to their list. (I say that of everything except the encyclopedic RateBeer and Beer Advocate sites)
Here is what they say about themselves: “Pintley is a new kind of beer website—one that only recommends beer you’re sure to love.
Unlike other beer sites, Pintley doesn’t just know beer; it also knows you. Pintley learns from your ratings and tasting notes to understand exactly what pleases your palate the most, so you can be your own beer expert.
Personalized beer recommendations, tasting notes, and a vibrant community are just a click away. It only takes a few minutes to get started, and best of all, it’s free.”
So check it out and let me know what YOU think of the site. Does it work for you?
Thanks to one of my college buddies, Erika and the magic that is Facebook, I can bring you this interesting article from the great craft beer state of Colorado. Click HERE. (NOW)
OK, now that you have read the little blurb and have returned back here, HERE is the link to the really cool and intense map of Colorado beer.
I will certainly be using it when I go to Boulder in November.
Thanks to the alertness of Edward Beckford, here is the website for the upcoming Long Beach craft beer spot.
Congregation Ale House will be pouring this late summer and is a welcome addition to the LA Beer Scene. Hopefully they will add something to the upcoming LA Beer Week.
Thanks to the kind folks at Lazy Magnolia, I had the pleasure of a their Southern Pecan beer.
36 down and 14 to go!