BEERDED LADIES

The Brewery

According to its own website, Phoenix Ale, opened in mid-2011, is Phoenix's newest brewery -- and I believe it because I can't find much information about them. So far, they've released six different ales, all traditional English-style and unfiltered. The current fleet ranges from a watermelon wheat to an imperial porter with a couple hop-centric efforts in between. The baby brewery is the brainchild of Gregory Fretz, a local Phoenix resident and former beer sales rep. After fifteen years hawking other people's craft brews, "Fretzy" (below, with Brewmaster John) decided to make a go of hawking his own. Living the dream, Sir.

The 15,700 square foot brewery is located three miles East of downtown Phoenix and holds a 20 barrel, three vessel automated system custom built by Oregon's JV Northwest. They offer free tours and tastings so be sure to stop in and let Fretzy show you around if you're in town.

The Beer

I tried this cold 22oz bottle of Hoppy Valley on Mother's Day, hence the flowers. It's labeled as a Session IPA, coming in at 3.9% ABV, allowing me to purchase it cold from the grocery store in SLC. While the brewery claims it's an American IPA, it tastes very English to me, with more malt than hops and a piney backbone. The pour is a nice amber with about a half inch of quickly diminishing cream-colored head. The aroma is American for sure -- grapefruit and a little fresh grass, but the mouth feel is smooth and light. The malt tempers the initial hops, pushing the aforementioned pine to the back of the palate and providing a overall lager-like experience, with bready notes and hints of molasses. Not my absolute favorite Session IPA, but a solid choice for a cool, pleasant day -- might pair well with a leisurely baseball game or an afternoon fishing trip.

Now that I've conquered Arizona, I'm back on track and heading towards Delaware. Dogfish Head, take notice: I'm coming for you. Unless, of course, I bump into an Arkansas brew along the way...

Uinta Brewing Company is one of those little boutique-y breweries that you want to love so much because they're sweet and small and earnest and 100% wind powered but... their beer can be hit or miss. The odds are truly against these guys -- Utah closely monitors the distribution of higher ABV beers so instead of bucking the law like our friends at Epic, these guys have made do with the laws God (er, his followers...) gave them. Yet, despite my theory that creativity often flourishes under constraint, Uinta's line is straight forward and sticks to sessionable style codes. This is all not to say I dislike their beers, they just play it a little closer to the chest than some of their fellow SLC breweries.

The brewery, stashed away in an industrial office park near downtown SLC, features an inviting taproom with wooden tables, a circular bar and a selection of sandwiches ordered deli-style with golf pencils and a notepad. Also, Utah doesn't allow flights because of some BS "vessel per customer" law, so there goes just about the only fun part about a low ABV brewery. 

Their naturally lower ABV beers are, of course, a notch above their attempts at an IPA or coffee porter. The Wyld Extra Pale, at 4.0% ABV and 29 IBUs was the best of the litter. Lemony on the nose with a subtle floral hop aroma, it's medium-bodied with a piney beginning, some caramel malt and a citrusy but fairly dry finish. Kind of one note, but drinkable and good with a meal. Too bad the sandwiches sucked.

I revisited SLC in May and was able to catch a fresh batch of Sum'r Ale, which lived up to everything I had read about it. The use of Sorachi Ace hops give this refreshing brew a bready, buttery quality that pairs nicely with a warm day/a bbq/watching my nephew play baseball while trying not to get caught drinking beer in a public park. the nose is soft lemons and rich biscuit -- like a light lager with the subtle sweetness of a true golden. Well done, Uinta.

  If you're in the area, I'd say swing by Uinta's facility before heading to Epic to get your feet wet. Oh and it's pronounced U-IN-TAH. You're welcome.

Imagine my surprise when I read that there's an entire Connecticut Beer Trail filled with tiny, regionally distributed breweries just waiting to lead you on a tour! According to the Connecticut Historical Society, Connecticut is home to at least fifteen independent breweries and just as many brewpubs. Connecticut craft beer is brewed with the same love and care exhibited by their more established neighbors and it shows. Enter Cottrell Brewing Co...

The Brewery

Pawcatuck's Cottrell Brewing Company was founded in 1996 by Charles Cottrell Buffum, Jr., the great grandson of printing press manufacturer C.B. Cottrell. Brewmaster Charlie decided to open his microbrewery in the same warehouse that once housed the elder Cottrell's factory. As an homage to his family, Charlie dedicated his award winning flagship brew, Old Yankee Ale, to the colonial-era Cottrells famous for purchasing much of Connecticut & Rhode Island from the Native Americans. Today, Cottrell Brewing is a tried and true Mom & Pop business boasting a range of styles, limited but growing distribution and a strange but mesmerizing promotional video (see above).

The Beer

Cottrell Brewing's Mystic Bridge IPA happened to be the closest CT brew I could find on tap and thus became my Connecticut representative. It pours a dark, honeyed amber, topped with a good amount of cream colored head. The aroma is subtle grapefruit with some grass and a hint of rich sweetness from the malt. Upon sipping, this IPA is resolutely East Coast, with crisp citrus fading into an earthy muddiness coating the palate. The hops are there, but they're not smacking you across the face. Malt kicks in near the end to provide a slightly sweet caramel finish that dissipates pretty quickly. The hops don't exactly cut the malt -- it's more like they work in tandem to give this beer a depth you won't find in many lighter body IPAs. The result is less about balance and more about a solid but simple IPA that can stand up to about any culinary situation. And at 6%, the Mystic is fairly drinkable, too. And, um, somebody wrote a song about it.

This stop on the 50 States journey has been fittingly short and sweet, just like Connecticut. Up next: Dogfish Delaware! 

I'm not sure. In lieu of offspring and in place of always a bouquet of Lilies, this year I'd love for a fantastic craft beer to be my Mother's Day present. BUT, unless it's Heineken my mom doesn't usually drink beer. Many moms don't drink beer at all and for a number of good reasons. They avoid carbs and yeast because getting older means quirkier digestion and easy weight gain. They don't like anything too strong tasting, for reasons Google can't seem to explain though I can verify through experience. 

That could all change this Mother's Day...

Take mom on a brewery tour! Take her! Take her! She shall see! (Green Eggs and Ham, you learned from that book!) You know the right thing to do. And The Pink Boots Society's president Teri Fahrendorf, has urged all brewpubs and packaging breweries to offer tours and beer samplings this coming Sunday, for Mother's Day. And for good reason...

"At one time, all beer was brewed by mothers in their homes for their family," Fahrendorf says. But the Industrial Revolution turned a household activity into a business, and brewing became stereotyped as a big-muscle, men-only job." - Washington Post

If there's no accessible brewery in your area, here's a couple of beers that you could bring in a lovely basket - with flowers - to a Mother's Day brunch that you prepared BECAUSE IT'S MOTHER'S DAY AND YOUCANCOOKFORONCEGODDAMNIT!

If your mom usually drinks:

1.WINE, go with a Sour or Saison.

Mom's LOVE wine. If this is your mom's drink of choice get her a beer with similar palate points. Like Goose Island Lolita, a Belgian style pale ale/sour and aged on raspberries and wine barrels. It has bright jammy fruit flavors and is crisp and refreshing. Or go for the Jolly Pumpkin Bam Noire which would be a fantastic red wine replacement. Dark and smooth with hints of sweet plum, and cacao with just enough tartness to let you know it's a Saison.  

2. ROLLING ROCK (or similar), try a Session IPA or a light Hefeweizen.

Can't go wrong with Rogue's MoM which is a tasty light Hefeweizen that is brewed with rose petals. Or the Founder's All Day IPA which is not only a pretty 4.7% ABV but is deliciously malty enough to ease mom into the amazing world of craft IPAs.

3. HEINEKEN... ugh, I mean...

This is tough. I've gotten this question a handful of times at the bar I work at, "Do you have anything on tap that's like Heineken " No. There's nothing that's quite like it; it is in a category of terrible all it's own. If your mom has a particular enough taste that this is her beer of choice, I'd go all the way with a really nice IPA. The Stone Enjoy By 05.17.13 is FANTASTIC. Eleven different hops added at all points of the brew process. It's a veritable hop party in your mouth! 

Take the plunge. If she hates it, make it a joke and say "just kidding" and pull out a six pack of Heineken or some Black Box red wine that you've already chilled in the fridge. Works. Every. Time.

Ankle deep in my quest to review a representative beer from all fifty of these nifties, I found myself face to face with a state so saturated with incredible craft breweries that I could barely count them. Actually, I definitely CANNOT count them... That's why my Colorado post has come down to a tie! 

The Breweries

Avery Brewing Company was founded in Boulder, Colorado in 1993. Head brewmaster Adam Avery grew his business from a small, seven barrel capacity brewery to a nationally distributed and well respected craft beer outlet. They have a wide range of year round brews as well as a rotating roster of seasonals. I spent some time in Boulder a few summers ago and visiting Avery's taproom was high on my todo list. They offer free tours seven days a week, no reservation necessary, and walking through the sprawling outdoor brewery is inspiring to say the least. They've recently amped up their barrel conditioning program so be sure to check out the rows of wine and whiskey barrels patiently incubating delicious special brews. Check out the virtual tour in the video above for a glimpse of their space. And don't forget the cask canning line! Team cans FTW!

The craft classic, Dale's Pale Ale, (or as my brother lovingly calls it -- DPA), is produced by Oskar Blues Brewing Company in Longmont, Colorado. Since its 1997 brewpub start, Oskar Blues has become a microbrew titan, with widespread national distribution and a brand new brewing facility in sunny North Carolina. 

After local success peddling killer homemade suds and Southern fare at Oskar Blues Brewpub & Grill in Lyons, CO, owner Dick Dale Katechis took the business a step further and installed a primitive canning plant in a rickety barn next door. As such, Oskar Blues holds the esteemed title as the first American craft brewery to can their beer. At first, the guys canned each beer by hand using a table-top machine. Just imagine that dedication. Now, of course, their canning line is gigantic and way automated (see below).

One can visit both the brewery and the little brewpub, as I did back in 2010. Here's a picture of my Mom posing with one of Oskar Blues' handsome servers. Please excuse the picture quality -- the photo was taken after a couple flights.

The Beers First, the Avery. I enjoyed this fine witbier out of a chilled can, straight from its little metal mouth. It was a beautiful Monday afternoon, so I grabbed my dog, a few cold ones, some baseball mits and a friend and headed to Prospect Park. What better way to wind down the day than sharing light, citrusy beer while tossing around a softball under the Spring sun? That's what I thought.

It's a little grainy on the nose, which I like in a wheat beer -- unfiltered yeast and a bisquity backbone lend structure to a style that can border on flimsy or soda-sweet. The mouthfeel is smooth and juicy, as expected, and I'd imagine a frothy, white head if it were poured out into a glass. I got a lot of lemonade at first, with some herbal spice on the back end to balance it out. The body maintains a light and refreshing character throughout -- perfect for hanging out at the park. It finishes with a slightly tart, champaign-like zing that's quickly tamped down as it dissipates, leaving almost no aftertaste. Easy drinking goodness.

[Reblogged from thegreatbeerquest] 

Oh, Dale's! How I love thee. Let me count the ways:

1. Hops! As the beautiful, iconic graphic above suggests, this little pale that could is brimming with fresh, leafy hops. It rings in at 6.5% ABV with 65 IBUs, and I can't help but love the symmetry there. Dale's hop profile runs the gamut from citrusy to piney to grassy to floral, with the strongest contender being the citrus (mostly blood orange and deep tangerine) followed by a healthy dosage of fresh cut grass at the finish. This is a serious American style pale.

2. Cans! As mentioned, Oskar Blues was the first craft brewery to can their stunning line of ales, making them the leaders in the craft can revolution. I've long been a proponent of canning good beer -- it's durable, less sensitive to light and heat, keeps the carbonation intact and facilitates easier and less wasteful shipping methods. 

3. This video! So pretty!

4. Malt! In a good Pale Ale, balance is key. Dale's takes care of this by featuring a rich, sweet caramel malt that mellows out the hops and provides a velvety mouthfeel. I'm not a big fan of overly malted or bready beers, especially when it comes to Pales or IPAs, and Dale's hits on the nail on the head with this one.

5. New Royal Pints! AKA America's first fancy tall can! 

“Continuing to push the boundaries is what gets us up in the morning, it’s what drives us. This package is a product of that drive and passion. We continue to do what we love, toss a can in your backpack for the backcountry or a grab a stovepipe (19.2oz.) at music and sport venues. 19.2 ounces of Dale’s Pale Ale to go with your favorite band, hell yes.” says Oskar Blues Soul-Founder Dale Katechis in this 2012 BeerPulse.com article.

That about sums up my Western roundup, although it must be said that these two beers faced some tough competition as Colorado state representatives. There must be something in that ice cold Rocky mountain water that makes beer taste better, or at least produces some wacky and super creative brewers. Endless honorable mentions go to New Belgium for having a kick ass brewery tour complete with a sweet Airstream trailer parked out front, Great Divide for making amazing seasonals, Tommyknocker for recently coming to NYC with an excellent Pilsner (pictured below) and Boulder Beer for keeping it psychedelic. So much beer, so little time. 

Next up, I'll cheers the Constitution State with a Connecticut review. 

There are a lot of obvious fun things I've been introduced to as a beer blogger, first the shower beer, now the Jockey Box.

I saw my first JB at a recent event organized by my fellow lady. This one (below) was fancy and sleek, via SingleCut.

If you haven't figured it out yet, the Jockey Box is essentially portable taps that allow you to expertly dispense cold beer ANYWHERE. Classier than a straight keg tap, perfect for tailgating, picnics, or your bedroom.

Now, I know what you're thinking: I WANT ONE. Here's a couple of things you should know before you make your Jockey Box purchase.

50' or 120' coil - What length should you have in your Jockey Box?

The 50' is significantly cheaper, but it needs time to recover between pours and is meant to accomodate smaller events where beer is poured intermitently. If you are planning a large party or event where beer pouring is constant, go with the 120' coil.

Ice Ice Baby

Coils MUST be covered with CUBED ice at all times for proper beer flowage.

Be prepared!

Get yourself a tapping tool box so you will be prepared for any keg, coil or CO2 troubleshooting. And always have extra coils and hoses on hand.

Now...

If you're a beer lover of simple means and also handy with a drill, here's how you can make your own!

Intro to your box

Supplies

Instructions:

If you're not so handy, there are also many places to purchase Jockey Box's online. Beverage Factory offered the lowest prices I could find for a JB with 120' coil, though they all hover around $600.00

Also, if you're a home brewer and want to add a little swag when pouring your beer at an event, Portable Bar Company makes custom Jockey Box Covers. Sample, for Ballast Point.

I hope you enjoy these boxes as much as I do. Until my next beer discovery...

It's 48 degrees outside right now and according to my iPhone, tomorrow will get up to 61. While those numbers are far from promising, my fellow New Yorkers and I are banking on a smooth slide in to Spring this week. It just has. to. be. here. already.

The Mets have hit the field for another losing season, we're rounding out another bracket busting NCAA tournament and yesterday I walked from the LES to SoHo without wanting to die. So, it's time to abandon your porters and stouts in favor of my new favorite flavor: the Saison. 

Historically, saisons weren't brewed to have similar characteristics. They simply referred to a group of beers fermented during the cooler months and stored for Spring enjoyment by hard working Belgian farmers. That's why we also call them farmhouse ales. Today, saisons share a number of qualities -- they're generally fruity, highly carbonated and spicy. That's why they pair so well with a sunny afternoon, Ok, there's your background. On to the drinking.

My Top Five Saisons (in no particular ranking order)

1. Brooklyn Brewery: Sorachi Ace

I love this big bottle/tap release from Brooklyn Brewery. I don't usually love Brooklyn's beers, but I LOVE this saison. Its green apple crispness, bubbly, champagne body and subtle sweetness at the finish make it the perfect companion for oyster happy hour (one of my favorite Spring time activities). It also pairs nicely with a good old New England style crab or lobster boil. If you find yourself in NYC and in need of some seaside-esque happy hour goodness, check out Lobster Joint on Houston St. in the Lower East Side. It's a little bright inside for my drinking-habit-tastes but the happy hour is on point -- $4 Sorachi Aces (all drafts, for that matter), $1 oysters & $4 lobster, crab cake or fried oyster sliders. I'm not sure how they stay in business but I'm sure glad they do. 

Ain't nothing wrong with watching an adorable girl kiss some lobsters while you enjoy your Sorachi Ace. Nope.

2. Brewery Ommegang: Hennepin

Ommegang's Hennepin was one of the first craft beers I laid lips on and it continues to be one of my go-to's for a refreshing warm weather pint. Back in college, I knew a bunch of kids who worked at a cafe in the East Village. Even though they only had two taps, one was always dedicated to Hennepin and we consistently drained it. I'm not ashamed to say it went well with breakfast eggs. Nicely balanced with a mix of coriander, herbal spiciness and sweet orange peel, the mouth feel is smooth and the finish is surprisingly dry. It goes down easy and stands up well next to almost any snack. Careful with that high ABV though -- it's well hidden. 

3. Dogfish Head - Stone - Victory Collaboration: Saison du BUFF

This one took some digging to find when it was first released in 2010. I was living in Northern California and had to drive about two hours to a liquor store in a lonely strip mall east of San Jose to get my hand on a single 12oz bottle. These days, however, the collaborative saison is getting some much deserved added distribution and you can pick one up in most Dogfish Head sanctioned outlets. The beer itself is surprisingly easy going given the punch these three breweries usually pack, a quality I wholeheartedly appreciate in a saison. Not as sweet as many of its brethren, the du Buff garners a mellow, mid-palate very herbal spice kick and crisp, peppery lemongrass finish to dry it out. I'm particularly fond of the beer's limey-ness, as it cuts through my favorite early Summer snack (carne asada tacos, duh) like a shiny knife.

Here's a sweet little video about this craft beer meeting of the minds.

4. 21st Amendment: Sneak Attack

Wild card! This sneaky little can makes its way onto shelves during the coldest months of the year when most American beer nerds are knee deep in bourbon barrel aged stouts and coffee soaked porters. I stumbled upon Sneak Attack's gleaming cream colored face last January and it surely brightened up a cold, blustery Brooklyn night. I cracked the tab, poured it slowly into a semi-clean pint glass and... Coriander! White peppercorn! Clementines! Tangy lemon! Champagne! Bubbly and refreshing but strong enough in spice to hold up against any slow cooked Winter's meal... I can't wait to enjoy this sucker alongside some Summer BBQ, come to think of it. Pork shoulder & a Sneak Attack? Fire up the grill already.

5. Two Roads Brewing Co: Worker's Comp

 My family lives in Connecticut, so when I visit I try to vet their local "package stores" for any interesting New England-centric releases. That's how I found Two Roads Brewing Co. (Stratford, CT). It happened to be the day after Easter, so I grabbed a six pack of their freshly debuted saison, Worker's Comp, and settled down with some Chinese takeout (Yes, I know I live in spitting distance of the best Chinatown outside of China but there's just something about suburban Chinese food that makes it SO unexplainably amazing -- anyone feel me?). Anyways, this saison only enhanced my General Tso's tangy, spicy deliciousness and stood confidently by me as I destroyed some salty Chow Mein. The young brewery managed to strike a balance between juicy tropical fruit and dry, peppery clove without that all-to-familiar overpowering, palate-takeover sweetness. I especially liked the smooth pear -- subtle but persistant, soft enough to coat the tongue throughout. At a mere 4.8 ABV, I was able to down a few while still saving some room for illicit helpings of my Dad's Moo-Shu Pork and maintaining a decent level of familial conversation.

So, while this next week attempts to flirt with the 70s, crack open a cold, spicy-sweet Saison and enjoy this Spring weather, friends! It won't be long until we're sweating into our adjunct lagers and yearning for the porter-doused nights of yore.

Okay, this is from a blog, but still:

"The original Aramaic text talks about "strong drink" and "lines of ale vats." ... When the Bible was translated, centuries after Jesus had ascended to the throne of heaven, "strong drink" was replaced by "wine." At the time, beer was considered the commoner's drink, while wine was considered an upscale beverage reserved for the elite. At the time of the translation, wine was savored during the fine meals by the culturally enlightened. Beer was swilled by ignorant peasants. Historical accuracy was sacrificed because ignorant peasants were not doing the translating." - Beer Church

So, Jesus most likely turned water to beer, drank beer at the last super and WE SHOULD be drinking beer at communion.

Fun Biblical beer references to share around the dinner table: Numbers 28:7-10, Proverbs 31:6, Isaiah 24:9.

Easter Beer History:

The Danes brew Påskeøl "Easter Beer," which is usually a 5-6% lager and Bock's are historically associated with Easter, Lent and Christmas. In fact, Doppelbocks, sometimes referred to as Fastenbier ("Lenten beer,") emerged in the late eighteenth century as a powerful lager variant of the old monastic strong beer, monks' "liquid bread" which they brewed for Lent. It would be enjoyed consumed only for religious purposes during the 46 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. It was the only thing they consumed during that time, because they were holy, and pure. The secular version of this sacred strong bier was called Bockbier.

But let's get back to the Danes, and when women ruled brewing:

"Denmark has a long history with the art of beer making that predates Christianity. It goes back to their own Norse mythology with the goddess Freya who by virtue of her domain being the goddess of harvest was also known as the goddess of beer. ... The role of the woman as brew master of the home continued until the Reformation when their role in brewing gradually began to fade as beer became less a byproduct of food production and more a commodity. This was primarily due to the influence of the church and advent of merchant class." - Water from the Vine

So remember, church = decline of women brewers.

All this history has made me thirsty. So, what beer shall I pair with my upcoming Easter Dinner?

I'm going to phone this one in and refer to the folks at The Good Pour as they put together a fabulous Easter Dinner Beer Pairing list which includes Evil Twin Brewing's "Ryan and the Beaster Bunny."

Also, homemade Peeps.

HOP-y Easter everyone!

Of course, when put in the position of choosing a single beer to represent an entire, hop crazy, stoned blind landmass, why not go with the best? So, Pliny it is. And Pliny it will be.

The Brewery

It's really not much to look at -- a storefront on a suburban street in Santa Rosa that empties out into a dusty parking lot filled with rough looking local boys in checkered Vans and snapbacks with worn, flipped up brims. I spent a few years between high school and college living in and around these Northern California towns and I didn't even notice RR until I moved back for grad school some years later. I think its humble brick and mortar presence is a big part of its charm. 

A pizza-heavy brewpub with as much seating as they can fit, the customers range from craft beer pilgrims to construction workers fresh off a shift to families munching on warm, saucy pizza bites. During my most recent visit, I was able to secure a spot at the bar and immediately ordered a pint of Pliny followed guiltily by a California sampler flight. My girlfriend and I were vacationing nearby and she kindly offered to drive my drunk ass up to the hotel afterward, hence the pint and flight combo. Otherwise, I would have probably fallen asleep on the bar. These beers don't fuck around.

The Beers

Pliny the Elder is one of my favorite beverages of all time. I'm not going to waste your time with my own description, other than to say that it undoubtedly lives up to its juicy, citrusy, and hop-heavy reputation. And then some. Fresh from the tap, it pours a warm caramel with a slight, bright white head that dissipates quickly. The smell will knock you off your bar stool and the refreshing aroma is balanced by a syrupy mouth feel and crisp, grapefruit on the palate. It scored a well deserved 100 on RateBeer and its 8% ABV is conservative considering its impressive abundance of flavor. It's simply everything I ever wanted in an IPA, so sue me. 

The second beer I tasted is Great Beer/Great Wine. It's a Session ale only released at the Brewpub during the great grape harvest, usually around mid-September. According to RR's description, this smooth Blonde is brewed to give the sweaty winemakers something cool to drink after coming in from the endless vine rows.

Wine country's blatant beauty is overwhelming yet RR's Great Beer/Great Wine is anything but, in a good way. It's crisp and malty, with a quiet sweetness and a creamy mouth feel. Not too tart and not too bisquity, it scored a 91 on RateBeer. I enjoyed the tropical fruit aroma and the pleasant, honeyed sour quality reminded me of switchel, an age-old concoction consumed by farmers at the end of a work day. I worked on a Vermont dairy farm throughout high school, so I'm a little nostalgic when it comes to antiquated country beverages. Ok,  maybe a lot nostalgic.

So, there you have it: California. I've spent several years living in the Golden State and I can't say that I miss it. Compared to their perfect beach sunsets, the smell of ocean air, the SF Giants in all their glory and the aggravatingly cheerful disposition of flower children, I much prefer my gloomy NYC neurotics and threadbare Queens baseball. But I do miss one thing, and that's Russian River Brewing Company. Oh, and Mission style burritos.

I'm not Irish (and you're probably not either.) So, St. Patrick's Day. Why?

Because you're going to anyways...

I want to drink on St. Patty's, but I don't want to be a St. Fatty. What should I drink?

You're in luck! TIME found 7 low carb beers for you to drink this St. Patrick's Day. 

"...we consulted the experts for the best way to satisfy your thirst at the bar for under 200 calories a glass. According to Chris Swersey, the technical brewing projects coordinator at the Brewers Association who monitors beer and health for the Association, stouts are a good option. You might think they're high in calories because they're dark and full-flavored. "But beers in this style actually tend to be relatively lower in alcohol and carbohydrates than other craft styles, and therefore lower in calories," he says. - TIME

Surprisingly, they named 21st Amendment Bitter American as one of the beers! High five for craft beer!

Green beer is SOOO fun!

You just HAVE to be fancy and impress your friends/patrons. Fine. Just, please use natural dyes because artificial dyes SUCK.

"...synthetic chemicals do absolutely nothing to improve the nutritional quality or safety of foods, but trigger behavior problems in children and, possibly, cancer in anybody." said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson." - FOOD SAFETY NEWS

(I wish they would dye it red for easter.)

So, what beer pairs best with hating St. Patrick's Day?

I don't hate St. Patrick's Day. It's cute, and should maybe only be celebrated by children, like Halloween.  Hate or love, you want to celebrate the Irish, therefore, you should go for an Irish Stout. I hate to let my ladies down, but the best Irish Stout I've tasted is the classic Guinness Draught. BUT, I would love to try Three Floyd's Brewing Co.'s Barrel Aged Black Sun Stout.

Tasting Notes from Beer Advocate: "Follows the nose with boozy bourbon up front, some dark chocolate, and a light marshmallow. Lots of roasted malts. Finish is boozy bourbon and caramel." 

Sound's amazing, and it's from a local Chicago Brewery that made a recent foray into the film industry. 

This is kinda my dream. Having a family brewery, using the proceeds to fund film projects. Next time I go home, I'll have to make a trip to Chicago...oh, whoops! Got distracted. Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!

It’s no secret that beer is New York’s latest beverage of choice. Venture into any bodega and you’re bound to find rows upon rows of colorful six packs overshadowing sulking cans of Bud and Coors. Craft beer bars are popping up all over the city, from cult brewery Evil Twin’s just-opened Greenpoint mega-outpost, Tørst, to exclusive, rare-beer speakeasies like Proletariat in the East Village to friendly bottle-heavy drinking havens like our Orchard Street neighbor, Top Hops. Production is experiencing a renaissance, too, with homebrew shops and breweries opening on what seems to be a monthly basis. Seems like a new trend, a passing fad? Not so, says Brooklyn Brewery’s founder Steve Hindy.

“A century ago, there were hundreds of beer gardens and halls in the city and 48 breweries in Brooklyn alone,” Hindy explained in a 2011 Crains New York article. “You see all of that coming back now.”

Throughout the 19th century, German immigrants flooded into lower Manhattan. They arrived with a passion for brewing and consuming lager, a style of beer lagered, or stored, at cool temperatures during fermentation. Lagers are often lighter and crisper than their British-style counterpoints, allowing for gregarious, communal and even family-friendly drinking for hours on end without risk of over-intoxication. Thus, the NYC beer garden was born, welcoming picnickers, merchants and hardscrabble laborers alike.

A typical New York beer-garden. Creator: Glackens, William J., 1870-1938

While German food has never truly fallen out of fashion, German-style beer gardens diminished in the face of the growing Temperance movement and subsequent Volstead Act, which outlawed the sale of alcoholic beverages and forced US and foreign production lines to a halt. By Prohibition’s end, over half of American breweries failed to reopen. While New York breweries like Rheingold attempted to bounce back, they were soon overtaken by big Midwestern corporations brewing mass quantities of inexpensive adjunct lagers, or light beers that use corn or rice as filling ingredients. The popularity of these beverages, due in part to their powerful advertising capabilities, dominated market share and pushed many small breweries and import/export businesses into obscurity. That was until Cranston Act was passed by the Carter administration in 1979, legalizing craft and homebrewing and opening the door to a more beer-friendly culture.

So why are the sudden resurgence? Many market experts attribute the rise in popularity to growing national interest in craft beer, or microbrews, in tandem with New York’s rich historical relationship with German-influenced brewing and food culture.

Tuesday’s Culinary Conversation, The New Little Germany: New York Revisits the German Table, brings together renown restaurant critic Mimi Sheraton, third generation charcuterie master Jeremy Schaller, Chef Kurt Gutenbrunner of the Standard Biergarten, craft beer expert Joshua M. Bernstein and Culinary Conversations curator Jane Ziegelman. Representing different pieces of the neo-Kleindeutschland puzzle, these panelists elaborate on a three-course Austro-German menu complete with beer pairings provided by museum favorite Brooklyn Brewery and Queens newcomer SingleCut Beersmiths.

SingleCut and Brooklyn Brewery represent two poles of the NYC craft beer boom. With distribution in more than 25 states and 20 countries, Williamsburg’s beloved 28-year-old Brooklyn Brewery pumps out some of the best lagers on this side of the Atlantic, in addition to a full run of other styles. Their flagship Brooklyn Lager will be served at the event’s kick off to wash down a German-style snack from Schaller & Weber. Later in the evening, Queen’s SingleCut Beersmiths provide pairings for Chef Gutenbrunner’s appetizer and main courses. Opened in 2012, SingleCut is Queen’s first brewery since Prohibition. Their flagship 19-33 Lagrrr! is a refreshing cross between a Czech and German Pilsner with a serendipitous name – 1933 is both the taproom’s address (19-33 37th St. in Astoria) and the year Prohibition ended. Alongside the 19-33, guests will sample SingleCut’s Jan Olympic White Lagrrr!, a white lager with a lemony aroma and a pleasant, biscuity sweetness.        

    Barrels of 19-33 Lagrrr! line SingleCut’s Queens Brewery & Taproom

Join us March 19th and raise a pint to German culture while we transform 103 Orchard St. into a bustling New York beer garden. Tickets can be purchased by visiting our website or calling 1-877-975-3786. Tickets can also be purchased in pairs through our partners at Couples.HowAboutWe.com, including a signed copy of 97 Orchard: An Edible History by curator and host Jane Ziegelman. Cheers!

“Hey do you know why IPAs are called INDIA PALE ALES?!?”

Have you ever heard someone call an IPA an “EEE-PAH”? I have. Lets break it down… The “pale ale” part of IPA is in reference to pale malts. The India part is a little hazier.

One of the dominant breweries distributing to the workers and communities along the route of the East India Trading Company was also popularizing and producing pale ales. The Hodgson brewing company began advertising “pale ale” by name in the late 1700s.  Batches prepared with extra hops were well received and considered fresher, and it became common knowledge that beer must be brewed with more hops to be preserved for the long hot journey to India. This has since been proven a myth, and porters along with other styles were successfully transported safely long before and after this “discovery” without such high hop content. None-the-less beer recipes demanded it, and such ales were considered “Pale Ales prepared for India”. The term evolved and the style spread for its obviously distinct taste. The first mention of “India Pale Ale” was in a Hodgson ad in the Liverpool Mercury, September 30, 1830.

Little known fact: These are all little known facts. People get this story wrong all the time. I’ve heard “A ship carrying IPA sank off the coast of England and the people liked it so much they started brewing the beer for themselves, not just for India” and “it was too hot to drink porters and other dark beers that were popular in Europe so they made the bitter hoppy ale to better suit the weather”. Lies. It’s all LIES.

Over-all point: IPA as a style distinction is vast and encompassing of a wide variety of ales. To think that the term came about as a matter of happenstance and marketing buzzwords is kind of quaint. Not as cute, perhaps, as a barrel washing up on shore, but still a story worth telling.

 “Do you know why beer bottles are usually brown or green?”

Skunky beer is not my favorite kind of beer. Isohumulones, also known as the isomerized alpha acids of hops, are the culprit. When exposed to ultra violate rays, they break down into free radicals, which then interact with sulfur containing proteins.  The product of this interaction is remarkably similar to the chemical Molotov cocktail that skunks produce when they spray. Thus, the foul warm Becks you had at last summer’s BBQ… Or every Corona you have ever had.

Brown and green bottles help filter the light, giving the beer a fighting chance to remain as is until consumption. Some breweries have combated the light by developing hops that are less light sensitive, such as Miller’s Tetrahop Gold. But one must wonder: is a man made hop the same as a true hop? I guess it depends if you believe in God’s hops.

Little known fact: Corona’s campaign of “putting a lime in it” could revolve entirely around ridding the bad taste of hops gone bad. Of course there is something festive and tasty about a citrus spiked beer, but I am curious of this particular brand’s association with the method and if it has anything to do with the clear bottle. There is no comment on behalf of the brewery.  

Over-all point: Hide your beer!

 “Anchor Steam owns the word Steam!”

A steam beer, also known as a California common beer or damfbier (German for “steam beer”) is made with lager yeast without the use of refrigeration. The origin of the word steam is speculative, but if it is indeed from the German version, it is in reference to the beer being brewed at higher temperatures. The beer would cool and release a steady cloud of steam above the brewery, as Anchor claims was visible above its San Francisco facilities when cool Pacific Ocean air blew over the shallow vats of brew spread across the roof.

In 1999 Anchor attempted to sue the Canadian company Sleeman for violating their rights to the term “Steam beer” which they trademarked in 1981. The suit was dismissed on account of the fact that Anchor didn’t distribute in Canada at all, and wasn’t actually in competition or conflict with Sleeman.

Little known fact: Saporro bought Sleeman in 2006 for 400 million dollars. The steam beer has since been discontinued.

They are better because they choose the bar, not out of social circumstance, not out of convenience, but by their internal compass. The divining rod within! Their guts! In search of warmth, they choose our hearth.

They are a diverse bunch, but they all have me in common. I say “me”, not “the bar”, because these are the folks I get to know better than the rest. They are the folks who keep me entertained as I try to entertain them, as last call crawls just a little bit closer. We’re clocking some serious time.

Now, I’ve noticed there are some reoccurring conversations and events that comprise this special companionship -- and they are not different than what you would imagine to happen among a group of strangers stranded on a desert island, or a long car ride -- just heavily influenced by alcohol. 

My next few posts will be dedicated to these themes, which I’ve generalized into 3 categories: JOKES, GAMES, and BEER ANECDOTES. I’ve purposely excluded LONG WINDED PERSONAL STORIES, because, well, yeah, no body wants to hear about that. 

The Brewery Anchorage, Alaska's Midnight Sun Brewing Company was opened in 1995 by homebrewers Mark Staples and Barb Miller. They operate a modest facility, Anchorage's only full time production brewery not associated with a brewpub. Their beers run the gamut, their style refusing any attempt at pinning down -- the kind of renegade spirit we've come to expect from the good old 49th. This is especially true when it comes to, of course, wild strains, according to a 2011 Beer Connoisseur interview.

Just as Seinfeld was a “show about nothing,” Midnight Sun’s pattern is to have no pattern. “We brew beers we want to drink,” says Barb. There is a lot of experimentation with ingredients, spices, yeast strains (25 this year) and barrel aging. They routinely make Belgian-style beers, use souring organisms, and allow Brettanomyces to make their beers wild. They also offer hoppy yet clean American styles. There are collaborations, commemoratives, anniversary brews, four quarterly Imperial IPAs, a wood-aged barleywine and two pumpkin beers.

While Midnight Sun is distributed throughout a handful of the lower forty-eight, the brewery itself seems like a really cool space and worth a visit if you find yourself up in our fair country's nether regions. Apparently the brew team keeps a tasting loft stocked with every draft beer they make and every bottle in distribution. And they hosted this rad Pink Boots event for the entire month of February! Sign me up.

The Beer The Brooklyn craft beer bar where I occasionally trade pints for tips happens to stock two varieties of Midnight Sun in 22oz bottles. Naturally, I opted for the one with the dumbest name -- the Panty Peeler Abbey Tripel -- took her home and after some mild conversation, well, peeled her open.

Ok, ok, I'm sorry. I'm over the name. Now you get over it. Ok, let's move on.

The beer pours a satisfyingly rich, deep amber color with a slight but frothy head thanks to the bottle conditioning. This particular bottle was taken home warm and then chilled overnight in the fridge, so I'm giving Midnight Sun the benefit of the doubt and blaming my low head yield on the temperature disruption. 

The nose is refreshingly spicy for a tripel -- bitter orange and coriander instead of the sugary, Skittles-like scent many American style tripels exude. I also noticed layers of a bready, pit fruit yeastiness that added to the tripel's complexity. After experiencing the aroma, I wasn't wowed by the taste. The spice and sweet was extremely well balanced throughout, with subtle pear and apple softening the white peppercorn and clove, but maybe that was my issue. It didn't have that characteristic Sweet Tart lingering I was expecting. I can see this being a big plus for some drinkers -- probably thinner than me and with much better teeth -- but when I want a tripel, I kind of want a tripel, know what I mean? I appreciate the lack of sugar in the aroma, as it often masks or overwhelms the senses, but I do love that sting of sour-sweet that sits on your palate as the beer pours back. And I found this guy lacking in that department, not completely delivering the punch to the mouth the nose surely packs.

However, at a reasonable 8.5% ABV, this tripel is drinkable and smooth and should be enjoyed with a close friend alongside a crackling fire, a delicate snowfall and some fresh baked gingerbread cookies. Or you can do what I did and split a bottle with your roommate while watching Bar Rescue and eating chips. Whatever works.

- MH

Oh, and if anyone has leads on some good Arizona or Arkansas craft brews, please toss them my way! If I don't find a bottle soon, I'm going to have to skip over these As and head straight for California... Please, don't make me go to California. Not this soon.

P.S. This photo is what comes up when you do a Google Image search for "Alaska Beer"...