Dr. J's Beer Blog

How Much Guinness Can One Drink In a Week?

2010-03-27T06:57:00.000-07:00

I may have the answer to that question. Let's see. My story starts on Saturday, March 13th. The day of the Atlantic City Saint Patrick's Day Parade. Sadly, there is a torrential downpour, hurricane force winds and flooding. The Parade is canceled. What to do? The keg of Guinness I have in my living room pub is at least 3/4 full, so naturally the answer is have a party!! At 2pm, the guests start to arrive. At 2:05pm, the Guinness is being poured in typical Irish fashion. At 9pm, the guests leave. I couldn't keep track of the pints poured, but let us just say there were many.

Wednesday night is St. Patrick's Day. It happens to be a work night. Oh, what the hell. I'll pour a couple of pints. Two glasses will never hurt me, after all, Guinness is supposed to be good for you!

Before I know it, it's Friday. My friends and I head to Philadelphia for Super Saturday weekend. Super Saturday is Six Nations Rugby day when all six teams play three games in one long day. We spend all of Saturday in an Irish Pub watching matches beamed via satellite from Europe to Philly, but not before we spend Friday night at Bard's Irish Pub drinking pint after pint of Guinness. A couple of different pubs later, we're back at Bard's finishing off the night. It's now 2am. That's a lot of Guinness. Before I know it, it is 8am and it is time to get ourselves up and head to Tir Na Nog Irish Pub for the rugby matches. Tough moving, but we rally. A full Irish breakfast will give you the kick in the rear you need to have that next pint.

Once again, time flies by and it is 5pm. I haven't seen the bright daylight let, just rugby. Bar tab closes in on $400.00 (6 guys). We pay up and head to McGillian's Ale House. I can definitely feel the day coming to an end. Not quite yet though, as I don't make it back to the apartment until 11pm. After an uneventful morning, I slowly make it home on Sunday afternoon. My wife says to me, "Do you want a pint of Guinness?" "No thank you honey, I think I have had enough for the week." She says, "Ok, but I am having one, I am really looking forward to it." She pulls on the tap, the tap sputters and spits. Keg is empty, wife is mad. How much Guinness can one drink in a week? A lot!

The Beers in Review

Rader Blonde Belgian Ale: This 6.5% blonde ale had a very familiar aftertaste that I couldn't quite nail down. A peak on the bottle, revealed that the beer was brewed with gin. Interesting. Made a good appertif. Light, spritzy and full of flavor.

Hoffman Lager Beer (Helles): Another excellent beer from Climax Brewing in NJ. Brewer Dave Hoffman is so proud of his German lagers that he doesn't name them after Climax Brewing like he does with the rest of his beers, he names them after himself! He has done his German heritage proud with this Helles style lager. A light lager, this is an awesome drinking beer. Rhineheitsgebot!

Flying Fish Exit # 1: Flying Fish Brewery from Cherry Hill, NJ, hit the nail on the head with this oyster stout. Their Bayshore Oyster Stout reminded me of my time in Dublin, Ireland drinking oyster stout at the Porterhouse Pub. Flying Fish made their oyster stout just as smooth and silky as the Porterhouses! And at 7%, it even had a kick that Porterhouses didn't. Can I get this in a sixtel?

Beer Trouble

2009-12-12T13:50:00.000-08:00

What's up with me? I can't figure myself out. Maybe I should see a therapist. Is there a beer psychologist out there? Naturally, I enjoy beer. Maybe I enjoy beer too much. I fancy myself the connoisseur. All of the various beer styles appeal to me. Pairing beer with food is now a hobby of mine, as well as cooking with beer. I like to read about beer, write about beer and talk about beer. Here is my problem, I have draught beer in my home. Three taps going in the winter time and four in the summer. I switch beers by the season and also allow room for homebrew. I know what you are thinking, "What is the problem?" Well, here it is. I drink bottled beer. Not exclusively, as I partake in my taps on a regular basis. My point being, with up to four tap lines running in my home with various rotating styles of beer, why would I ever have to have a bottle of beer in my house?

The main selling point to my wife for having kegged beer in the house was that it would save money. I wouldn't have to buy all of those pesky, expensive bottles of beer anymore. But guess what? That's exactly what I am doing. I am such a beer geek, that, even with four different kegs in the house, I can not drink the same beer over and over again. I need help.

Beer In Review:

The Bad Elf Series

Bad Elf: A winter golden ale with loads of hops. They add 3 pounds or so to the brew kettle. Oddly enough, the ale has a malty sweet smell, not hoppy. The initial taste is even sweet and then the follow through is all hop. Finishes warm. A good drinking ale for the winter months.

Very Bad Elf: This ale is brewed from an English recipe dating back to 1795. No question here which side of the scale this beer leans too. Malty all the way. Sweet aroma, sweet taste, warm finish. The Elf is becoming badder with each sip, clocking in at 7.5% abv.

Seriously Bad Elf: This English Double Ale is a hefty 9% abv. Extremely smooth, surprisingly light tasting, almost ESB ish. No mistake though, the alcohol will hit you. To quote my friends in Dublin, this beer is brilliant.

Criminally Bad Elf: Ahhh! A barleywine style ale for the holidays. This ale represents one of the reasons I look forward to the holiday season, a warm finishing ale to warm you up on a cold winter night. This Bad Elf version had a surprising twist to it. Very sweet and warm to start, but by the time the beer makes it to the back of your throat, a large hop wallop develops. Once you finish this 16.9 oz wonder, you'll know why the Elf went criminal.

Imperial or should we come up with a different name?

2009-11-07T13:09:00.000-08:00

Let it be known, I'm all about the beer. Lately, though I seem to be getting tired of a trend that I see forming in the craft beer camp. Imperial. It's a word that is popping up in front of more styles of beer than I can count. Years ago there was one imperial beer and that was Imperial Stout. Now, don't get me wrong, I love a strong beer. I love my Belgians, I love my barleywines, I love my uber IPAs. I even enjoy all the different Imperial beers that have been served my way. I guess what I am getting at, is it's pretty cool to see an Imperial Pumpkin Ale or an Imperial Double Bock, but have we "jumped the shark," so to speak? If the shark was jumped, I think for me, it was when I saw my precious summer time favorite session beer turned into an Imperial......Imperial Belgian Wit Ale. Is it a contradiction or am I just off base here? I enjoy all styles of beer, I appreciate the effort, skill and creativity of our hand crafted brewers in all that they do. I'm probably just thinking out loud and my thoughts shouldn't have made it to the written page, but I was wondering, what do you think?

For those of you new to well brewed beer, the term Imperial is used when a style of beer is more extreme then the standard style. For instance, higher alcohol content, larger quantities of hops, malt, etc.

I'm really not complaining, just pontificating. I won't complain until Dick brews an Imperial Yuengling Lager!!!

The Beers in Review

Van Steenberge Golden Dark Belgium Ale: From the VanSteenberge Brewery in Belgium, this 10.5% ABV pours a heavy, dark reddish brown with a sweet aroma. Well carbonated, there is a sweet, herbal mouth feel that finishes with a strong malty after taste. Once it goes down, about three seconds later, the heat from the 10.5% hits you. This is a delicious strong ale. One or two will do the trick.

Optimator: The Spaten Brewery in Germany makes a mighty fine double bock. Usually there is a chilly evening in October. The first one deserves an Optimator!! 7% ABV, a malty blast of lager heaven.

Riverhorse Tripel: Belgian style Tripel from the Riverhorse Brewery in Lambertville. 10% ABV. I like my New Jersey Breweries, Riverhorse, Flying Fish, Climax. Truth be told, I haven't had a Riverhorse in years. Rumors were running rampant that with new ownership, Riverhorse had upped the ante a bit. This Belgium style Tripel does not disappoint. Perfectly spiced, evenly malted, very warm in the finish, one could put a "Brewed in Belgium" label on it and never no the difference. Comes in six packs, 12 oz bottles. Just perfect for the amount of alcohol in it. On a side note, if you try this brew, have some wasabi peas as a snack. Incredible together!!

ESB: Speaking of New Jersey, this ale is a treat I do not get to sample too often. Not one for overly naming their beers, The Climax Brewery in Roselle, NJ keeps it simple and special. Their extra special bitter is phenomenal. Smooth, easy drinking, perfect. Even better and unique is the fact that Climax Brewery only packages their beers in growlers. No 12oz bottles, No bombers. No champagne size containers, just a huge growler filled with their beer. You gotta love it, and you gotta have company!!

Hop it up!

2009-08-18T05:31:00.001-07:00

I started growing hop vines in my backyard garden. I did this because I am a home brewer and thought it would be neat to add my own home grown fresh hops to the kettle. My other reason was that as an avid beer drinker and brewer, the hops, which happen to look really cool, would serve as a conversation piece and attention grabber. As it turns out, my hop vines are now the most interesting and physically imposing plant in the garden. Now, into my third hop season, the vines are pretty massive and yield a lot of hops. This year I came up with an innovative use for my fresh hop cones. The hop garnish. Instead of a wimpy piece of fruit in your guests glass of beer, I now place a fresh hop cone into mine and their beer glasses. Talk about a conversation starter! The great thing about the hop garnish, other than how cool it looks floating in the beer, is that it "belongs there." What better garnish then hops with beer?

For the brave among you, when you finish drinking the beer, eat the hop. Bitter as can be, but not that bad!

The Month in Beers

Sirius, from Lagunita's Brewing. Not the satellite radio company, but a special release, high gravity cream ale. Lagunita's Brewing released this batch as a celebration for spring. I was a little late and did my part by drinking four to kick off the summer season. I don't know if it was the 7% alcohol or my nostalgia for my high school go to beer, Genesee Cream Ale, but this beer was damn good. Well balanced hop bite with a malty follow through. Cool, creamy and delicious.

Flower Power IPA, from Ithaca Beer Co., Ithaca NY. Dr. Stu once again provided the refreshments. He loves all things Ithaca. He not only went to college in Ithaca, he went to two colleges in Ithaca. I wonder if this beer had anything to do with that? An extremely drinkable IPA with ever present hops in the aroma and taste, but not overpowering enough to make this beer have a one or two beer limit.

Here is one with a limit. West Coast IPA from Green Flash Brewing in San Diego, Ca. Highly hopped and the taste is in every sip. Very strong grapefruit rind taste. This is a tasty brew, but I couldn't drink more than two. 7.5% alcohol, with a huge hop wallop in every sip. This beer was not only brewed with a large amount of hops, it was brewed with four varieties. Simcoe hops for the extreme grapefruit rind taste, Centenial hops for the piney taste, Columbus hops for the bitterness and Cascade hops for the aroma.

Can or Can Not. That is the Question

2009-07-14T07:43:00.000-07:00

I haven't written a beer blog in quite awhile, but that certainly does not mean I have not been drinking beer. First my usual beer related ramblings and then on to the beer!

I refuse to drink beer out of an aluminum can And the reason has nothing to do with taste, convenience or my ability to single handedly crush one with my bare hand. My reason is about the protective liner inside the can. Have you ever heard of Bisphenol-a, also called BPA? If its name is not in the forefront of your mind, it should be. BPA is a chemical used in the production of plastic. It is also used in the production of plastic resin that is used to make liners for food and beverage cans. The most commonly used products containing BPA are canned food, plastic baby bottles, baby pacifiers, milk bottles, water bottles, canned soda pop and beer cans. BPA's claim to fame is that it does not absorb the odor of foods or change the flavor of foods that are stored in the containers. Over six and a half billion pounds of BPA are produced worldwide on an annual basis. Ninety five percent of all people tested were found to have BPA in their urine samples. I mentioned that BPA is a chemical, but did I mention it is toxic? Rats exposed to BPA were shown to suffer a greater incidence of breast and prostate cancer. Young rats showed signs of accelerated puberty. BPA consumption has also been linked to diabetes, miscarriages and a host of other reproductive failures. Currently, the government of the United States of America has introduced legislation to ban BPA in all food and beverage products. In the meantime, to lower your risk of BPA exposure, eat fresh or frozen vegetables as opposed to canned and purchase products, like beer in glass containers.

The Beers

Sierra Nevada, Torpedo Extra IPA, This, as expected, was a highly hopped beer. The grapefruit citrus rind, piney taste was paramount. It's bitter hop taste was completely balanced by the warming finish, due to the 7.2 % alcohol volume. Hopheads will appreciate this ale. I found it very enjoyable, despite not being a huge hop fan. Well crafted. Will make a nice year round addition.

Stoudt's, Abbey Triple (2001). That's right. Not a typo. 2001. My buddy, Dr. Stu gave me a bottle he found lying around in the back of an underused fridge. I thought it would be skunked. No way. She popped open like a brand new bottle. This beer was so alive, it seemed like the yeast was having a conversation in my glass. The ale was extremely thick and cloudy, I couldn't even see my finger in the glass, even only a 1/2 inch away from the glass wall. This 8 year old beer had an extreme mellowness to each swallow, followed by a big punch. I was using the 750ml bottle as an aperitif. By the time I had finished drinking it, I had forgotten about eating. I was truly intoxicated. I highly recommend aging this ale. Delicious.

Founder's Brewing Imperial Stout. Given to me by a state trooper, vagabond rugby player, this beer poured darker than a can of Castro Motor Oil. No head, pure black gold, Texas tea. 10.5% alcohol, 90 IBU's, this beer was malty with a hop bite. I can not tell you what my stout loving wife thought of it, as I did not share the three bottles that were given to me.

Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron, unfiltered brown ale. Here is one I did share with my wife. 12% alcohol with a nice touch of carmel and vanilla notes. One or two of these was plenty to end the evening with. I thoroughly enjoyed this big beer. My wife, who only likes thicker, darker, warmer, high alcohol beers loved it. It surpassed her big beer standards.

Finally, a Real Irish Pub

2008-11-13T10:05:00.000-08:00

I love an Irish pub. Even before I lived in Dublin, Ireland, I used to think the USA version of an Irish pub was the best place to quaff pints. Once I moved to Dublin, I found out how unauthentic the USA version of the Irish pub really was. When my stint in Ireland was finally over and I moved back home to southern New Jersey, I tolerated the phoney Irish pubs that were built here as "tourist" attractions. Authentic Irish furniture, expensive beers and no real Irish atmosphere.

Well, my drought is over. Wandering around Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, I was about to walk into the sister version of Atlantic City's Irish Pub, when right next door I noticed a drinking establishment named Bards. I walked into the door of Bards, a door I will be going through quite often. As soon as I walked in, it felt like I was in one of the many pubs I used to frequent on Baggot Street in the D2 section of Dublin. It was low key, cozy and as friendly as a good pub goer would like it to be. I met the bartender Evan and told him that I would be right back with my family. One of the coolest things about pubs in Ireland was that a lot of them were family friendly and Evan told me that Bards fit that bill.

My wife and I and two kids made it back to Bards and before I knew it we had two pints of Guinness in front of us, poured the traditional way. A rarity here in my section of New Jersey. Not only did I have a traditional pour in front of me, but let me tell you another mark of an extraordinary Irish pub. I was about three quarters through with my Guinness pint when I turned to look at some of the Irish wall hangings. By the time I had turned back around to grab my stout, without even asking, Evan had walked up with another full pint for me. It was like he could read my not to incredibly complicated mind. I asked Evan how long he had been bartending at Bards. He replied that he frequented the place so often as a patron, the owner decided to hire him.

Old, rickety wood floors, decidedly Irish pub furniture, fire place in the rear, Bards had so much charm and atmosphere I could easily have moved right in. Dart boards to spend the afternoon or evening with and just like in Ireland, no overkill with zillions of TV's. Two well placed TV's to catch the game on. A very nice Irish beer selection on tap. Guinness, Smithwicks, Harp and Strongbow Cider as well as Hoegarrden, Ithaca Brown Ale, Acme IPA, Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA and Troegg's Hopback Amber. A few Belgian bottles to boot. This was even better than Ireland, a smorgasbord of beer.

The Guinness at Bards is a huge attraction. Be it myth or fact, The Guinness is said to be the tastiest and freshest in all of Philadelphia. To have the freshest Guinness in Philadelphia means that Bards must go through a lot of the dark stuff and this I do not doubt. When we were there for early lunch on a Sunday, the place was beginning to fill up. What I found out was that it was not just for the Guinness, but for the food.

The food at Bards is incredible. One of my favorite dishes of all time is Chicken Pot Pie. Well let me tell you, the Chicken Pot pie that I shared with my wife and daughter (it was way to big for a 4 year old) was possibly the best Chicken Pot Pie I ever had. This pie had so much delectable pie crust surrounding the awesome chicken, vegetables and gravy, you could die and go straight to heaven. I personally ordered the chicken curry. Chicken curry? With all of the authentic Irish offerings on the menu? You bet. When I lived and Ireland and visited the UK a lot, I developed a taste for spicy curry dishes, which were very popular there. Bards curry was top of the line. I raved about it the whole way home. We also had a tortilla appetizer that had an amazing fresh, homemade salsa. Delicious.

At this point in my ramblings, do you think I like the place? I haven't had a chance to write a beer blog in a few months. With the new baby and all the activities around the house, sitting down to the computer to write about my favorite subject has been difficult. But once I got home from Bards, I made the time. This place was awesome. I will be going there every time I go to Philadelphia, you should too!

Bards is located at 2013 Walnut Street in Philadelphia, a block away from Rittenhouse Square, next door to the Irish Pub. www.thebardsirishbar.com 215-569-9585

Before I close, one suggestion to the owner, If Setanta Sports package was on the TV, I would be there for every Rugby game televised!! Maybe even for Hurling and Gaelic Football too. Not soccer though!

The Beers in Review

Slow Buffalo Brewing Company, IPA: This beer will never be found anywhere unless you are friends with Rich Anderson and his brewing partner Jonesy. These home brewers brewed an IPA which was down right fabulous. Easy drinking, the perfect balance of hops. I loved this beer. These guys keep trying to make an uber IPA, but I am just thrilled to death that they fell short of one of those high alcohol, crazy, overly hopped, maniacal beers. This one was just plain drinkable and enjoyable.

Flying Fish Brewing, OctoberFish: I love Octoberfest beer. The whole German fest season strikes me right to the core of my Germanic roots. This is all I have to say about Octoberfish.... I purchased two sixtel kegs for my in house pub in Mid-September. By the End of October they were gone! Does this make me sound like a lush? It could, but OctoberFish attracts a lot of visitors. Get this one in bottles for yourself next Octoberfest season. Always one of my favorites.

Avery Brewing, The Kaiser, "Imperial Octoberfest Lager": By definition of Fest Beer, I knew going in that anything billed as imperial would not be a session beer. Sometimes the word Imperial scares me (this will be a topic for another blog), but I was prepared for this one as I only bought one bottle. Sweet malty aroma, strong malt taste with a taste of spices that are familiar in Belgian beers. Hop bitterness in the aftertaste. Warming finish. Taste improves immensely as the beer temperature warms. 10.03% alcohol. Be careful. This was a good one, but not a drink all day beer.

Weihenstephaner Fest Beer: If you are going to review a fest beer from Germany, might as well make it from the world's oldest brewery. Weihenstephaner has been brewing since the year 1040. Wow. At 5.8% alcohol this was the opposite of The Kaiser. Light yellow color, slight wet hay aroma. Malty taste as well as a grassy taste. All and all, once you had a couple bottles (Hey, it's a fest beer!), it was very good.

Dogfish Head Brewery, Punkin Ale: October also means Halloween and the start of fall. You can't get by fall without seeing a pumpkin or two. I have been searching the world for a quality pumpkin ale. I don't know why, because I can't stand pumpkin ale. I have tried many. They all start out fine, but by the time I get through the bottle they become too rich for my blood. The taste gets annoying. I want to like it. I want to have it. But up until now It has been a no go. I should have known Dogfish Head would have pulled this off. Not only was this beer drinkable ( I had four on Halloween night while trick or treating), it was so pleasant tasting that I can't wait for Thanksgiving. I have two bottles saved to have with pumpkin pie desert

The General Lafayette Inn & Brewery

2008-07-06T08:13:00.000-07:00

About 10 years ago or so, I surprised my wife on our wedding anniversary with a weekend trip to a romantic Bed and Breakfast. Prior to our trip, I sold the idea to her by giving an historical account of the Inn's participation in the Revolutionary War. I mentioned to her how a wise General named Lafayette outsmarted the British with a brilliant maneuver that is still being studied in history books today. I told her that the Inn was originally constructed in 1732 and was also rumored to play a part in the Underground Railroad that helped to free the slaves. I even spoke of the possibility of the two of us running into three of the Inn's of ghosts that have been playing pranks there for generations.

There was one thing that I didn't mention.

When we pulled our car into the General Lafayette Inn, my wife turned to me and said, "Leave it to you to find a Bed and Breakfast that is also a brewery!" My wife and I had a fabulous time. We had afternoon beers, retired to our room for a little anniversary celebration and then took a much needed post beer snooze. A few hours later we headed back into the Inn for a gourmet dinner and more handcrafted beer. It was a great anniversary.

10 years later, enter Stuart Katzen. Dr. Stu, a chiropractor, "former" rugby player, "fishing" partner and drinking buddy is a very good friend of mine. Dr. Stu lives in PA and frequents the General quite often. Rumor has it, he goes there so much, he must own part of the place (or maybe just a barstool). Stu has been after me to come back to the General, so I took the short ride from Philadelphia via the Jersey Shore to meet Stu and his buddy Joe for some more of that good beer and fine food.

This time I was given the VIP treatment. I was introduced to the owner and brewmaster Chris Leonard. Chris gave me the run down of the whole operation and introduced me to his assistant brewer Russ Czajka. Russ took us down to the basement and gave Stu and I the brewery tour. We saw the debut of the General's new bottling machine. Russ mentioned that the General would soon be bottling their own brew for local sale. The operation was very impressive and I was quite surprised how they managed to fit so much equipment in the historic basement. In the old days, people were not as tall, so you can imagine the dimensions of a 300 year old basement.

Once the tour was over, we walked through a crowded dart room filled with rugby players. Not a good combination, rugby players, beer and darts. We made it through unscathed and Russ said to me that the Blackthorn Rugby Club frequents the General for it's fine ales and well-hung dart board. It turns out Russ is a charter member of the Blackthorn Club. I didn't want to tell Russ that I used to beat up on Blackthorn on a regular basis, as I had not had my beer or food yet. Only Kidding Russ!

When we made it back to the table there were three pints of cask conditioned, unfiltered Sunset Red Ale, served on the English style hand pump waiting for us. Red ale is a tasty treat, when it is in a cask, it is even better. This Sunset Red was just what the doctor ordered. Medium body, malty and very smooth. While we were drinking our Reds, I noticed on the beer menu that Chris brewed a light beer. The beer wasn't just light, it was extremely light as it clocked in at 1.9%. Chris told me he wanted to do something that other brewers were not doing. Every micro-brewery on the planet tries their hand at making an extreme beer style or imperial beer style, but no one has ever really gone in the low alcohol direction. Chris said he wanted to make a beer that people could thoroughly enjoy, yet have 3 or 4 with no ill side effects. His quest was the ultimate session beer and thus was born Lafayette's Escape, an extremely tasty, full bodied ale. This was without a doubt the best low alcohol beer I have ever tasted. I whole heartedly recommend this beer to everyone.

Now, on the other side of the coin, Chris brews an incredible 12% Rasberry / Mead /Ale. I think this beer has a 1/4 tun of Rasberries brewed in it. Nowhere's near a fruit lambic, this beer is extreme in it's own right. My friend Stu brought a growler to my house over the weekend and needless to say we were enjoying this very refreshing beer in the summer sun with all of the ill effects intact. Loved it.

If you are interested in a gourmet dining experience (Chris regularly hosts beer dinners) or some simple, yet signature bar food with very fine handcrafted ales, the General Lafayette Inn and Brewery is the place to be. Did I mention you can sleep there too? They have five spacious rooms to choose from, one of which I can personally vouch for its comfortableness!

To learn more about the General Lafayette Inn and Brewery visit www.generallafayetteinn.com or call 610-941-0600

The Beers In Review:

Back Burner Barley Wine: This selection from Southern Tier Brewing was tasted way back in March 2008. Barleywine time. This was a cold weather, warm in the belly beer. I was actually able to serve this 220z bomber to my wife and I at the exact serving temperature. I had this baby in the garage where the temp was 42 degrees. The first taste of this ale gave a very strong hop bite followed by a strong citrus rind after taste. The 2nd taste mellowed on the tongue a lot in a very good and surprising way ( My wife noticed this too). As we finished the bottle, we both commented that this was a very good barley wine. Clocks in at 10% alcohol.

Innis & Gunn Oak Aged Beer: The Innis & Gunn Brewery from Edinburg, Scotland produces fine Scottish Ales. They made this beer as a one time experiment that has become so popular it is brewed on a regular basis. The beer, a light colored Scottish Ale, is aged for thirty days in oak barrels. This ale has a honey tint to it's light color, a thin head and a strong wet hay aroma. The beer tastes light even though it is 6.6% alcohol. Very well balanced with a citrus taste, malty mouth feel and light oak on the tongue. There is a hint of vanilla in there as well. This ale tastes like it was brewed by artists who paid attention to every detail. A fine beer, a treat to be had.

Baltic Thunder: This porter was originally brewed under the name Perkuno's Hammer by the now defunct NJ Brewery, Heavyweight Brewing. It was always one of my favorites. The recipe and brewing rights, now owned by Victory Brewing, has lost nothing in the transition. At 8.5% alcohol, this Baltic Porter has a mix of toffee and subtle fruit tastes (prunes?), billed as a dark lager ( which doesn't make sense to me, isn't porter an ale?), it is still one of the best porters you can find and enjoy on the planet.

Shock Top Belgian White: Anheuser Busch did it to me again. I saw a new white beer ( I love them) and bought a six pack. After I got it home, I read that Shock Top Brewing was a Budweiser Company. It turns out they are a little jealous of Coor's Blue Moon and decided they want to get in on the white ale market. It poured incredibly well. A beautiful, dense cloudy beer. Unfiltered, hazy, yellow color. Made my mouth water. I grabbed it for my first taste. Nothing there. No taste. By the time I was half way through my glass the taste started to come through and I started to enjoy it. The second bottle proved better (Does the alcohol help?). Coriander, banana and cloves were noted in my tastings. Overall, it ended up being an enjoyable beer. Not in a Hoegarden or Allagash White way, but definitely in a Blue Moon way.

The Ship Inn

2008-05-02T15:38:00.000-07:00

My old friends and I have an annual tradition. Once a year we get together to celebrate the opening of trout season. What started out as a mind bending day trip has gradually morphed into a four day holiday. When we were in High School (over 25 years ago), we used to load into my '72 International Scout and my friends '78 Bronco, hitting the road at 3am to make it for the opening "drop the line" 7am whistle. We would travel 2-3 hours just to fish. Actually, I think we drank more beer than we fished. We would crack our first can of beer at 6am, drinking in the cold morning air waiting for 7am to come. We'd fish for a few hours and then hit the beers, eventually heading home. Always with a designated driver and our parents were never the wiser.

Over the years we got older and the routine changed. We'd still head to our spot in the wee hours of the morning getting there two hours before fishing time, start drinking and then fish and then drink some more. But now because we were older we needed after fishing entertainment. That's when the "shaker joints" came into play. After a morning of fishing and drinking we would head for the Adult Entertainment venues. Nothing worse than a bunch of drunk college students in a strip bar. I am glad we grew out of that phase of our fishing trips or should I say lived through it.

A few more years down the line we became more established in life and decided that getting up at 3am to drive three hours to our fishing spot was ridiculous. That is when one of us came up with the idea of camping. Now, the one day trip has turned into a 3-4 day Trout Fishing Holiday. Oddly enough, we still only fish about four hours on this trip. The days have increased but the fishing time stayed the same. What could we be doing with all of our other time on this trip? Drinking naturally. Well, we call it bonding with our friends, getting in touch with nature, stress reduction therapy etc. But no matter how you look at it or what you call it, we were still there for the same reason we were there for 25 years ago, the beer.

Here is one of my favorite highlights of our annual trip. This is the part I start getting excited about two months before April, the beginning of trout season. After we fish in our fishing hole and then move down the stream to fish the Damn, it is usually about noon when we are finished. Just around the bend from the Damn, in Historic Milford New Jersey is the Ship Inn. The Ship Inn is what gets my salivary glands in a tither. New Jersey's first brew pub, the Ship Inn owned by the Hall family, brews English style ales. And they are quite good at it.

Much to the chagrin of the locals in attendance, around noon, 5 or 6 scruffy, waterlogged, some drunk, dirty fisherman parade into the Ships Inn and immediately take over the bar. Are we loud and obnoxious? Obviously. But for the most part we are personable, funny and usually form some sort of bond with the bartender, who is typically an attractive young lady. On our most recent trip there, the bartender was a young lass named Stephanie. I use the word lass because it rhymes with sass, and Stephanie can give as good as she gets. We have been going to the Ship Inn on an annual basis since 1994 and every time I walk in the door, I eye up the Old Style, English Hand Pump Beer Engine and ask, "What do you have in the casks today?"

Never to be disappointed, I always have the Best Bitter Ale. Served at a cellar temperature, Brewmaster Tim Hall's Best Bitter is so smooth it is silky. Just as good as any bitters I have had in England. I look forward to a few pints of Best Bitter each fishing trip. The Chocolate Stout is another winner. Dark, smooth and creamy, hints of chocolate all over it, the stout lovers in our group ate this style up. In our gathering of merry, sometimes grouchy fisherman, we have a few domestic swill drinkers. Sadly, for them there is not a domestic swill in the house. The Hall family only serves their own handcrafted ales and select imported ales on tap. They also have a fine bottle collection. Not to worry though. If you bring a few hardcore swill drinkers in with you, I settled them on Tim's ESB Ale. I love an ESB and this one proved to be extremely drinkable and even satisfied our "Light" beer guys.

The food in the Ships Inn is very good. We have our staples. Each time we go there we order a Shepard's Pie, a Scotch Egg and Buffalo wings. The Wings at the Ship Inn are extraordinary, as is the Shepard's Pie. But what gets the guys going is the Scotch Egg. The boys call it an Egg Meatball. What it is, is an egg shaped meatloaf filled with sausage, ground meat and a hardboiled egg in the middle. It is served with Picalilly Sauce, which is a dipping sauce made from cauliflower, carrots and mustard. It is very good.

My one exception with the Ship Inn is that on our latest trip, the bartender Stephanie refused to take down and fill the decorative yard glass hanging over the back of the bar. I wanted to fill it with some ESB and prove my manhood to the bar patrons. Stephanie refused to take the yard glass down. At one point I even offered her double her 20% gratuity, which was a lot considering we had 8 guys there drinking and eating that afternoon. In hindsight, it was probably best. As I mentioned previously, we were scruffy, drunk, waterlogged fisherman. Tim Hall should know that no matter how hard we tried, Stephanie would not break the "No Yard Glass Drinking Rule."

The Ship Inn is New Jersey's first Brew Pub and is located in Milford, NJ about 100 yards from the Delaware River and is worth a trip. As a matter of fact it is worth about 15 trips and still counting.

Beers In Review:

Allagash Tripel Reserve: This Belgian style ale had a nice, sweet refreshing smell. Almost fruity, very enticing. As I poured this beer, I couldn't help to notice the color. The beer had a orange, goldish hue with a formidable head that, as expected, thinned rapidly. The first sip had a well balanced fruity taste that was enjoyably refreshing. The second taste revealed all of the spices that were meticulously used in the boil. This ale even had a bit of a spicy kick to it. As the beer went down, you noticed the warming sensation from the 9% whollop this Tripel was packing. The best part of drinking Allagash's Tripel Reserve was the way the initial fruit taste morphed into a blend of spices and herbs then finishing dry and refreshing. Nothing reserved about this beer. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Avery Brewing Hogheaven Barleywine Style Ale: I really enjoy Avery beers. Particularly their IPA and extreme IPA styles. They take hops to the next level while never losing the balance between hops and malt. That being said, as far as their Barleywine goes, I just don't see it. It is a terrific beer, but I would never guess it was a barleywine. I like the traditional sweet malty taste of a barleywine. This one was all about the hops, which I am sure will please the guys who lean towards the high hop end. It was very good as an extreme IPA, give it a try and decide for yourself. 9.2 %

Stone Vertical Epic 07: The guys at Stone Brewing bred a Belgian Saison with a Belgian Tripel and came up with a helluva an ale for an offspring. She poured a light, orange color with a sweet, ginger aroma. Once in the mouth you felt a very dry taste which then left you with a bitter, hoppy aftertaste. Very good use of ginger and orange peel as those spices are right there on your tongue. This was an easy drinking, mellow, relaxing ale. The stamp of California was all over this brew This was one of the best, and I hate to use these words, entry level Belgian Beers one could drink. No offense meant by my use of the words entry level, but this ale is so easy drinking it could easily open up the world of Belgian beer to the non-Belgian beer drinker.

Hop Crisis

2008-02-17T07:30:00.000-08:00

It seems we are in the midst of a hop crisis. Weather conditions have wreaked havoc on the hop crop in Europe. Demand for Bio Fuels have farmers in the US trading in hop space for corn and other potential biofuels. The crisis will not effect the big brewers as much as the craft brewers. Watery beer doesn't use as much hops to come up with its distinct tastelessness. The average beer drinking American probably won't even notice that we are in the middle of a crisis. As for the rest of us, the hop crisis is as serious as the gasoline shortage of the 1970's and the price increases on barrels of crude oil today. Take away my SUV, charge me over $4.00 a gallon for gasoline, but never, ever mess with my Imperial Brews and my IPA's.

As craft beer consumers, we can expect a beer price increase due to the hop shortage as well as an increase in the cost of harvesting barley. Add transportation fuel costs to the mix and good beer is going to be more expensive. The price increase won't be an issue for me. I will keep the cost relationship for good beer in perspective. An average four glass bottle of wine costs $12.00. A six pack of beer or a couple of bombers or even a champagne corked bottle of Belgian Ale is still a bargain compared to wine.

The problem is what to do with the lack of hops situation. Hops are the distinct ingredient in all of our beers. We get our tastes, flavors and aromas from a variety of hops. Craft brewers will probably use their creativity and use more spices and less hops, ala the Belgians to make up for the shortage. But I have come up with an alternative. Start growing your own hops. It doesn't take much space. I planted two hop rhizomes last season in the spring and then filled up a bucket full of hops in the late summer. These two rhizomes literally took a couple of inches in ground space and about six feet in height. I didn't even string them out the way they were supposed to be planted. I had them grow on a trellis. I am assuming most craft breweries must have some yard space. Let's get the Rhizomes planted. It's time to grow hops. Maybe our fellow American Beer Drinkers can take part. Backyard hop gardens. Let's not take this crisis lying down, we can start a hop revolution. Our slogan: Save Your Beer, Grow a Hop!

The Beers

Aktien-Brauerei Kaufbeuren St. Martin Dunkle Dopplebock: That was a mouthful to pronounce. It was also a mouthful to drink. A deep, dark black malty beer. Thin head with a roasty, smokey toffee taste. Smooth mouthfeel. Classic German Dark Beer! Cold, Strong and Refreshing. Given to me by my good Friend from Michigan, I can imagine drinking this one in Frankenmuth with my lederhosen on and a polka in the background.

Undercover Investigation Shut Down Ale, Lagunita's Brewing Co.: This bitter ale was thick and malty looking with an extreme warming taste sensation. This baby had no balance between malt and hops as it leaned way towards the hoppy side. A huge bitter aftertaste! Delicious. 9.28 alcohol per volume, so it's a strong one.

Butte Creek Brewing Co, 10th Anniversary Imperial IPA: What a beer! Cloudy reddish, copper color, no head to speak of, mild hop smell, moderate malty aroma. This beer went down with a malty start, warmed up with a dry, hop bitter finish. I consider this beer a close second to Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, a compliment to be sure.

Belzebuth: France's answer to Barleywine. This ale clocks in at 13% and pours a cloudy, rusty color. This devil has a sweet malty aroma to entice you with temptation. Once you tasted it, you would dance with the devil's sister. Very warm and tingles all the way down. This is one helluva a beer. The ultimate fireplace brew!!

Belgian Rule?

2007-11-23T05:17:00.000-08:00

Why is it that Belgium brewed beers do so much damage (Think Hangover) and are the cause of many a holiday of havoc? As an experienced beer drinker, I am aware of the higher alcohol content as well as the much bigger sized bottle. This awareness leads me to drink with caution. A couple of small goblets before dinner as an aperitif, another goblet or two with dinner and a glass with desert. That's it. A total of 36 ounces of finely crafted beer. While the beer is being imbibed, my spirits are uplifted, my gabbing increases, wittiness runs rampant. I am the life of the Holiday. I say things I wouldn't say to my in-laws, even after a dozen pints of Guinness. I make jokes you wouldn't make after a half dozen glasses of DogFish Head 60 Minute IPA. My mark is left. Another Belgium inspired holiday.

So what is it? Why the headache the next morning? Why the brain fog? Yes, the alcohol content is high, but I am aware of that. I drink within reason. On any other given day, I could have a dozen pints of Guinness (153 ounces of beer, trumping the 36 ounces of Belgium Ale) with no negative effect at all. The same with my ESB or lager, no problem there. So, what is it? It must be the secret ingredients.

I have learned that after quietly existing as a peace loving member of the European Union, Belgium has secretly, over the past few hundreds of years, been trying to takeover the world.
It is a very subtle attack, they brew high alcohol beers with secret ingredients. They place candies and fruits in their beers. They add spices like cloves and mix them with their own home grown hops. The Belgians have concocted brews that slowly chip away at human thought, brainwashing the drinkers to become Belgians. This is how they will take over the world. Before long, attracted to the unique tastes and aromas of exotic Belgium Beers, the entire world will be making Brussels their home. The Belgians will take over the world. You have been warned.

The Beers in Review:

Trappistes Rochefort 10, This Trappist Belgium Ale, pours a dark, blood red with a thick, copious head. The ale gives off a sweet, malty aroma with a touch of fruit. As typical, a mixture of many flavorful spices. # 10 finishes off dry and warm. The monks that brewed this ale, packed a whollup in there, with a whopping 11.3% alcohol per volume.

Trappistes Rochefort 8, The number 8 shares many of the 10's characteristics as far as color, aroma, taste and finish, yet 8 comes off tastier and more of a drinkable treat then its Trappist brother. The less alcohol, not by much, makes this ale drinkable, yet still dangerous. My favorite of the two.

V Twelve Ale, Victory Brewing: This Belgian inspired ale, of a whopping 12% alcohol by volume, was a rare treat. The 12% alcohol was so subtle in taste, that I wasn't really aware of the ale's potency as I was drinking it. A good sign I am sure. A sign that allows you to want even more of this beverage once you have finished the bottle. Victory V Twelve Ale was very smooth with a very enjoyable light sweetness to it. The most remarkable thing about the beer, besides the taste, was the color. Poured in a wide mouth goblet, the color of the ale was the deepest red I have ever seen. I actually found myself staring at this glass of beer numerous times as I was drinking it. V 12 is an incredibly well done beer and tastes fantastic.

Butte Creek Brewing Co. Organic Revolution 10th Anniversary Imperial IPA, you gotta love the word Imperial. Once you see that, you know that you are getting an amped up beer. I'm a little weird in my taste of IPA's. I prefer a "normal" IPA, one that has a bitterness to it, but more importantly a drinkable quality. I am not fond of the hopped up IPA. On the other hand (here is my weirdness), Once the hopped up IPA goes out of hop control, beyond the hopped-upness, I like it. There seems to be three categories of IPA. 1. True to Style. 2. Extreme IPA 3. Beyond Extreme, as in Imperial. I like number 3. Once the IPA becomes hysterical, it gains a true balance. The hop is cut down, by the malt, the alcohol mellows the bitter aftertaste with a true warming finish. I like that. Butte Creek does a great job of brewing well balanced Imperial IPA. Moderate malty aroma, deep copper color, dry, warm and bitter all at the same time. A terrific beer that is comparable to Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, but without losing it's own individual differences. Well done.

My Rugby Team Has A Drinking Problem

2007-06-10T09:48:00.000-07:00

Rugby is an interesting game. Besides being the number two spectator sport in the world, in the USA, rugby is looked at the same way some would look at a traffic accident; with curiosity, awe and disgust. The curiosity is first. Curiosity will hit a person like a ton of bricks and make that person wonder, "What the heck is going on here?" The awe shortly follows as the wide open mouths, with expressions of amazement, take in the pure athleticism mixed with elegant, controlled violence. The disgust usually takes place after the match as the ruggers partake in traditional rituals such as drinking beer from a dirty rugby boot, or singing ribald songs whilst running naked through a pub.

While soccer is known as a gentleman's sport played by ruffians, rugby has the opposite reputation and is known as a ruffian's sport played by gentleman. In rugby, you will never see the fan riots and maulings that you do in soccer. Rugby is a sport ruled by social etiquette and protocol. Ruggers are a polite group of lads or even ladies as the case may be.

Once a grueling 80 minute rugby match has been played, tradition has it that the opposing teams will gather and share food and drink together. The third half as it is known. This social gathering allows the players to brag about their wounds and game time heroics over copious amounts of beer. As the beer flows like the Falls in Niagra and inebriation takes place, the ruggers sing songs, play drinking games and celebrate their victories with naked Zulu Warrior marches throughout the pub. Rugby can be quite fun.

But alas, my rugby team has a drinking problem. Not the drinking problem that can land you in A.A, but the kind that dictates their horrible taste in beer. The beers that are light in color and taste. The beers that need to be served ice cold, so that you cannot tell that the beer has no taste. That kind of drinking problem. But then again, I guess when you are drinking beer out of a dirty rugby shoe, the beer shouldn't be a ten dollar Belgium Ale. Or if someone is constantly dropping a golf ball in your beer cup and you have to guzzle what you have in the cup, a Russian Imperial Stout would be out of the question. And I suppose it would be a waste of money to fill a funnel up with cask conditioned ale for the short journey through the tube and into the stomach.

Maybe my rugby team doesn't have a drinking problem after all. As a matter of fact, maybe they are just wise beer consumers and I have an observational problem. On the other hand, our team bar, The Muskett Tavern, home of the Jersey Shore Sharks Rugby Club may have contributed to the problem by having a serving problem. With Bud Light being the only beer on tap, the Muskett is also known for its $2.50 bottles of Bud, Miller and Lite. The big attraction at the Musket is the always on special of $3.25 bottles of 22 oz Coors Light and thankfully the East Coast's own precious mass brewed gem, Yeungling Lager (A rose amongst the thorns of domestic swill). It's difficult to shame your rugby team when there are precious little choices.

So now, it seems, the rugby team does not have a drinking problem. It seems they are acting in their own best economic interest. Why waste good beer, when you can chug and spill all the swill available to you at little or no cost?

What of the tavern and their serving problem? A few of the older statesman rugby stalwarts (Think, Me!), formed a nice relationship with the bar manager. One night the manager says, "So, what kind of beer do you guys like to drink? I'll try and get it for you." So, in addition to large 220z bombers of domestic beer, we now have in the Muskett's fridge, bottles of Victory Hop Devil and Golden Monkey, Magic Hat Blind Faith and #9 and a few different Sam Adams selections as well as bottled Guinness.

Once again, it appears my rugby team may now have a drinking problem. But at least we will be going down in good taste!

The Beers:

Monkey Wrench Dark Ale, cask conditioned winter dark ale from Daleside Brewery in England. This dark brown beer poured a thin head with a nice roasted malt aroma. Full bodied and well balanced at 5.3 %, this ale was extremely drinkable and the perfect session beer for watching an NFL game in the winter time.

Tripel Belgian Style Ale, from Southern Tier Brewing in Lakewood, NY, USA. This beer poured into a pint glass was light red with almost no head to speak of. The aroma was sweet and malty. This beer leaned towards the malt side with a good balance of cloves and spices to give it the Belgian seal of approval. This style of ale had a sweet and dry finish. You wouldn't know this was a New York brew.

Belhaven Wee Heavy, This Wee Heavy from the Belhaven Scottish Brewery was a terrific beer for a cold winter night. At 6.5% Wee Heavy had a crisp, dry, warming finish. Many tastes were found in this beer. Vanilla, smokey, roasted and malty to name a few. This was a very good beer.

Bluebird Bitter, This English Ale from Coniston Brewery was the ultimate session beer. You could drink this one all day and enjoy every sip. At 4.2%, this bitter had a very full taste with a complexity of many different hops apparent in every swallow. I classify this beer in the incredible category for its style.

Sunrise Weissbeer, an unfiltered wheat beer from Victory Brewing in Downingtown, PA, USA. A Cloudy, yellow beer with a very thick and frothy head. The beautiful smell of citrus and cloves immediately catches your attention. Light bodied and refreshing, this beer leans towards the sweeter side. A very dry finish with citrus overtones, Sunrise Weissbeer was tangy, refreshing treat. Perfect summer beer and a worthy effort once again by Victory Brewing.

Beers Around The World

2007-04-01T10:01:00.000-07:00

" I'm French Mr. Eckland. My parents started me on wine mixed with water when I was six... The truth is, I don't believe in excessive drinking.... We had martini's before dinner, white wine with the fish, red wine with the main course, champagne with desert, cognac with the coffee and port after dinner." ---- Father Goose, 1965 , a Cary Grant movie.

The above quote from Father Goose really makes you want to get invited to that house for dinner. The French can drink and I am quite sure they would not consider the above list as excessive drinking. The French are known for their able drinking ability and also their preference for wine. Other countries also have interesting labels attached to them concerning the type of drink that they drink.

Right next door, is Belgium. A country smaller than most states in America, but a country with over 400 different locally brewed beers. Beer in Belgium is given the same respect as wine in other countries. Lambics, ales, sour beers, pilsners, Trappist Ales, white beer. Belgium has it all and they are not afraid to up the ante when in comes to alcohol content.

The Czech Republic is responsible for the style of beer mostly consumed in the United States. Let me rephrase that. The Czech Republic is responsible for the style of beer that we in America, loosely base our most popular beer recipes on. The Pilsner was invented in Pilsen, Czech Republic. Up until the time of Pilsner, beers were dark and cloudy. In Pilsen, they cleared the beer up and came up with a lighter crisper style. A few towns over in Budweis, their style of pilsner was so good, it inspired Adolphus Busch in and around 1875 to come up with his own Budweiser brew. The Budweis beer made in the Czech Republic can be bought in the United States under the name Czechvar. Only the names are similar as the actual taste of the two beers is worlds apart.

Germany is another country that tends to brew crisp, clean, refreshing beers. The land of the oversized beer mug is known for their lagers, but are second to none when it comes to serving up a large, frothy glass of wheat beer. Also called, Weissbier or Weizen or Hefeweizen. These beers are becoming hugely popular in America due to their refreshing qualities and perfect paring with the summer season. Nothing beats a Weissbeer on a hot summer day.

The land of Ale, England, brews some of the oldest and tastiest beers ever concocted. Britain is responsible for the extreme hop movement in the United States. When the Brits discovered additional hops added to the brew pot preserved the beer for the long boat trip to India, the India Pale Ale was born. On a more subtler note, the cask conditioned Bitters and all the other ale styles served at cellar temperature in pubs across Britain, are luscious examples of how a good beer should taste. And please, on a cold winter evening, never forget the king of all ales, the mouthwatering, stomach warming, tastiest of treats, the Barleywine.

When listing countries known for their unique drinking habits, one of the most unique would be the Republic of Ireland. Forget the green shamrocks, give me the black stuff. Stout sort of had the same origins as the British IPA. During the 1820's, Arthur Guinness was brewing porter beer in Dublin, Ireland. Arthur was exporting his beer to the Caribbean. To survive the trip, he made the beer stronger and renamed it Extra Stout Porter. Eventually the Porter was dropped from the name and the beer survived as Guinness Extra Stout. Overtime, the beer morphed into what we consume today, Guinness Draught. Guinness Extra Stout and Foreign Extra Stout are also available, but not as popular with the masses. If given the chance, try a bottle of Extra Stout, it will stand up to almost any American version of bottled stout. Truly a classic.

What of the Good Ol' USA? The roots of this country as a people represent one big melting pot of nationalities . The same could be said of our beer and our breweries. We have learned from other countries and brew beers of all styles. We have even taken the old traditional styles and Americanized them into bigger, bolder, brasher beers. While mostly known for our light and extra light lagers, American Microbreweries are foraging ahead with styles and tastes of beer that could not be found in any other country. The beauty of American beer is the same as the beauty of America, variety.

This Month's Beers

Arcadia Scotch Ale: Brewed in Battle Creek Michigan, this Scotch style ale is perfect for the style. It is very close to my bench mark beer, McEwan's Ale. Not as strong in alcohol as McEwan's but just a flavorful in taste. Sweet, malty taste with a warming finish.

Victory Brewing, Hop Wallup: This beer started with a strong hoppy aroma, almost like the trimming of a fresh hedge. A light bodied beer that has an extreme tilt towards hop bitterness at the finish. Despite the delicious hop wallop and the 8.5% alcohol, this beer is not only extreme, but extremely drinkable. To date, Victory Brewing has never disappointed me with any of their offerings.

Alaskan Brewing (Amber, Winter & Stout): The Alaskan Brewing Company brews a fine trio of beers in their Amber, Winter Ale and Stout. My good friend sent me these beers as a gift and they did not disappoint. The Winter Ale did not have any funky Christmas tree tastes, just a mild, drinkable ale with a hint of spruce. The Amber was also very drinkable and made a great session beer for me, as I drank all 6 in a row. The Amber is actually a German Alt beer and is a very good representative of the style. The stout was the big surprise, as I am a huge stout fan, I tend to be picky in my selections. This one was an oatmeal stout and smelled like a cup of hot coffee with a chocolate bar melted in. Delicious to boot. If this beer was on nitro it would remind me of the hand crafted Stouts at the Porterhouse Pub in Dublin, Ireland.

Pranqster: I tried this beer partly because of the name. I was known as the pranqster in college due to my playing of the pranks. This Pranqster, brewed in California is a Belgian Style Ale, light in color with a nice clovey aroma. Lot's of different herbs and spices in the taste. A very refreshing beer that due to the 7.5% alcohol content sneaks up on you. Very drinkable. A good summer beer.

It Has Never Been a Better Time to be a Beer Lover

2007-02-17T11:13:00.000-08:00

Wine is but a bowl of broth, ale is meat, drink and cloth. - 16th Century English Proverb

The whole "real" beer movement is starting to become very complicated to me. In 1991, it wasn't a problem. Now, at times, it can be a headache. In 1991, you opened the fridge and there was one brand of beer in it. Once you popped the top, that was it, you were committed. Granted, unless you had a large head start on me as far as quality beer goes, the beer that you just popped open was not much to write home about. More than likely, it was something very cold and something somewhat tasteless.

When I went out in public to a restaurant or bar in the early 1990's, my draught selection was usually the same beer that I had in my fridge. There was no adventure or experimentation, just blind loyalty to the beer with the least amount of calories. Less filling, who knew about taste? Didn't all beer taste virtually the same? Cold, carbonated, thin and not much else?

Zoom ahead 10 or so years. The beer revolution had taken it's foothold. Beer didn't have to taste like water. Beer didn't even have to taste like each other. There were now styles and strengths. Beer became something to be enjoyed and anticipated like a fine, no, I won't say it. How about anticipated like the next summer blockbuster you just saw the trailer for at the movie theater. Extreme, but truthful. Fast forward another five years and you are now in the midst of a beer explosion. The guys who make the watered down, tasteless beer are now jumping into the "craft" beer industry and they are trying their hand at making beer with taste. Succeeding too, I might add.

Look around. It has never been a better time to be a beer lover. The local beer store has so much selection and stock, one could spend an hour trying to find the right beer. Trust me, I know. Every day, beer distributors are bringing in fine new imports by the dozens. Beers from breweries that are so small you couldn't even find them with a map are now on our shelves. Take a peak at the tap selection of your local pub. Two or three handles? I don't think so. Six or seven would be more like it. And what about the super taverns with over a hundred different beers to chose from? They used to be hard to find, now they are popping up everywhere. Brewpubs? You bet. Books about beer. Beer magazines, beer newspapers, websites, beer blogs. Beer is every where. Beer dinners and tastings. Cooking with beer. Beer is better with cheese than wine. You name it, beer has exploded.

Never in a million years would I want to go back to the day when I popped a can of my favorite "beer" from the fridge, but as I mentioned earlier, the beer movement has made beer much more complicated. Now I have to make decisions. What beer would go best with the meal I am having? Which beer suits the weather and or the season? Do I want to have a glass of a sipping beer or would two or three pints of a session beer be better? Do I have the appropriate glass to serve it in? Is the temperature right? Wait a minute. Wawawawawa. I sound like a wimp. I sound like one of those wine guys. What am I talking about? Beer is for heroes and champions, the nectar of the Gods. The drink of the human race. It doesn't need to be picked apart by my new found sense of knowledge, it just needs to be drank and enjoyed.

Who am I kidding? I like my beer knowledge, I like my beer selections and I like the fact that it takes me more than a couple of minutes to decide what kind of beer I am going to drink. It has never been a better time to be a beer lover. Viva La Complication!

The Beer

Hobgoblin Ale: I found the UK based Wychwood Brewery Beers when I used to live In Ireland. I am glad that they made it across the sea. These are very hearty ales that are well crafted with many different tastes that come through. A very ruby red in color, this beer has a perfect balance of malt flavor and moderate bitterness. If you try, you can even taste a hint of toffee and chocolate flavor.

Rescue India Pale Ale: Brewed by the Barley Creek Brewery in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, this beer has the distinct taste of a homebrewed beer. Most beer when bottled by the pros loses that homebrew personal touch. It is a certain taste that lingers in a beer made at home. A good taste. Rescue IPA has it. Slightly sweet malty smell with a bitter hop after taste.

The Bad Elf Beers: Very Bad Elf: This was the best beer of the holiday season, as far as I am concerned. Maybe I drank too many and that is why I remember it fondly. That is probably the problem. This beer is so drinkable it is dangerous. Goes down like a "Mild", but has the taste and the alcohol content of a much bigger beer. Very Smooth. Dangerous at 7.5%.
Criminally Bad Elf: The Ridgeway Brewery in the UK who crafts the Bad Elf series seems to keep to a theme. Beers that that taste like lighter ales, but pack a whollup. Criminally Bad Elf is a Barleywine style ale, but tastes much like a lighter ale, yet kicks in at 10.5%. Be careful when you host a flagon of this barleywine.

Here is my Ode to the Big Brewer:

Jimmy Buffet's Landshark Lager, Stone Mill Organic Pale Ale and Winter's Bourbon Cask Ale: The Landshark Lager and Stone Mill Pale Ale fooled me. Listed as Margarita Brewing Co. in Jacksonville, FL. and Green Valley Brewing, NH. I thought I was trying out a couple of new breweries. After some research, I found out that the new companies were Budweiser Breweries trying to be stealth. The Winter's Ale was no secret as they give themselves credit on the label. All the beers were very drinkable with plenty of taste to go around. I enjoyed everyone. The Winter's Ale, one at a time is plenty. Very vanilla tasting. I liked it, sort like you like a cream soda. Enjoyable, but one is plenty with desert. The surprise of the A&B Beers was LandShark Lager. Even not knowing this was from Bud, thinking it was Jimmy Buffet lending his name to a thin type, mass made beer, I was shocked. More Stella Artois and Budvar than Miller or Coors, this beer had hints of a Cech pilsner recipe. Enjoyable and very refreshing. It should make some Parrot Heads happy.

Du Chesse De Bourgogne: This Belgian Ale was a blend of 8 month and 18 month old beers than aged in oak casks. Sounds good? It was. Sweet smell, carbonated like champagne with a slight raspberry taste to it. Reddish Brown color, clocks in a t 6.2%. Very good and refreshing. It has the taste of a lambic, but the alcohol of a sturdier beer.

The Fridge Full of Beer

2006-12-14T16:47:00.000-08:00

"Beer that is not drunk has missed it's vocation."--Meyer Breslau, 1880

I have a drinking problem. Alright, it is not so much a drinking problem as it is a collection problem. I am addicted to buying beer. I cannot go into a beer store without leaving with a variety of beer. Sadly, the beer doesn't even have to be new to me or my taste buds, I can walk out with just as many "old friends" as new ones. That is my problem.

What is even worse is that I do not even get to drink these beers. They are becoming stockpiled in my spare fridge. This is the fridge that cannot fit food due to the beer bottles lined up throughout. The very same fridge I talked my wife into purchasing because it would be great to have extra food space, especially around the holidays.

My problem was not really a problem until a year or two ago. I used to go to the beer store, find the beer I wanted and then bring it home and drink it. No problem. My problem started to surface when my home pub was built and three beers were placed on tap (Guinness, a home brew and a micro-seasonal). Now, I lean towards drinking beer from my taps. Prior to installing the pub, I had told my wife we would save money once the kegs were set-up because we would not have to purchase "bottles" of beer anymore. That is when I realized I was addicted to buying beer. I rationalized in my mind purchasing bottles of beer for the times when my wife and I would go out to eat. I figured we would only go to BYOB places, this way I was guaranteed good beer. I also knew that I needed a constant variety of beers to review and critique for my "Beer Hobby." Well, it turns out, since we had our baby girl, we don't actually get out a lot. We are home so much, the other day, my 2 year old daughter asked me if I wanted to have a beer with our dinner. Sad, but true.

The other part of my problem is that when I see a beer I like, I just don't buy one bottle, I buy two. So, even if I drink one, the other is becoming part of the stockpile. At this point and time I have a veritable smorgasbored of beer, not only in my spare fridge, but also in the area of my house I use as a "celler" to age my high alcohol beers. What can I do?

Each year I have a beer party at my house where all the guests are required to bring a different style of beer. We then taste all the different styles and drink our favorites. This year, I am telling the guests not to bring beer. We are going to have an intervention. We will drink all of my beer. I will not be guilty of contributing to the beer that has missed it's vocation.

The Beers

90 Minute IPA: Dogfish head outdid itself and thanks to Wayne at my Beer store, I have a keg of it in my home pub. This is an incredible beer. Buy it in the bottle, have it on tap. Just drink it. Doc's Place in Somers Point, NJ has it coming out of the faucet. This is a sipping beer. To be enjoyed and relished.

Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A: He'Brew the Chosen Beer, from New York. The label is enough to make you purchase this beer. Hilarious. A double IPA that clocks in at 10% alcohol. A hop lovers delight. Great beer.

Below Decks: Heavy Sea's Beer from Clipper City Brewery in Baltimore produced a fine Barleywine Style ale. This is a drinkable barleywine. A session barleywine if there could be such a thing. Great taste and moderate alcohol content allows you to enjoy more than a few of these beers.

15th Anniversary India Pale Ale from Otter Creek: Talk about a beer that you can enjoy more than one of. It is a shame this is an anniverary beer. Stock up now, so that you will have a few to last until their 20th anniversary. Sweet, malty smell let's you know that alcohol is an ingrediant. Nice hop bite, even better hop kickback. A delicious beer worthy of celebrating anyone's anniversary.

The Perfect Pub

2006-09-12T16:20:00.000-07:00

There is something about being in the right watering hole. You actually feel it the moment you walk in the door. The atmosphere, like a dense fog, envelops your every sense. The comfortableness hits you smack dab in the middle of the face and you know you are exactly where you need to be. But what makes the perfect pub? Is it the material wood, brick and morter? Is it the people who work there? The people who drink there? The beer they serve?

Yes, I say. Yes.

To me the ideal bar, pub, tavern is not a hit or miss combination of the above, but an exact science. An astrological lining up of the planets in a precise way that creates the perfect drinking and living experience. I have been to many a pub where the establishment shined in one or two of the criteria. For instance, the bartender is awesome in one bar. In another, it is the people there that make the evening. While yet another, the choice of beer provides enough excitement to make coming back an event to look forward to. Rare is the place that has all of that. When you find it, you stick with it and you pray to God that nothing bad ever happens to it. Isn't that what Sam Malone and the fellows at Cheers had?

My ideal pub is sort of on the dive side, sort of. I like my pub to be darker, not bright and airy. I like to be shocked when I walk outside into the daylight, sort of like Dracula when he has been up to long. Give me wood walls, mixed with some old fashioned brick, old wood fixtures, a long mahogany bar with a brass rail. Old antique memorabilia hanging on the walls. Not the stuff that is meaningless to everyone, like at a Friday's, but stuff that has meaning to someone. Someone like the bar owner, the workers or even the patrons. Give me a working fireplace to take the chill off in the winter and provide that homey feel. Provide me with comfort food, typical stuff like well done hot wings, a big homemade beef cheese burger, piles of fries and a pot of beef chili. And the not so typical stuff. The stuff you might not eat at home but crave every now and then, stuff like a thick liverwurst and onion sandwich or a grilled cheese and tomato on whitebread.

Stick a tube up there somewhere, so if I happen to be at the bar and the game is on, I can catch it. Even more importantly, so I can watch the 9000th showing of John Wayne in the Quiet Man. Forget the radio, an old fashioned juke box with an eclectic variety of songs from across the board will suit me just fine. Classic rock, country, blues, big band, 70's corney AM pop, lay it on me. And while your at it, make sure a copy of last week's newspaper is laying on the bar, any day will do, I haven't read it yet. If there is room, a pool table couldn't hurt, a dart board is a must and shuffleboard would be nice.

When I sit at the majestic bar top, the publican calls me by name, and asks what it is I'll be drinking tonight. I don't expect him or her to know my drink, because I am not a man of one. I am a man with moods. That being said, my tap selection needs to have a quality lager or pilsner, Guinness, an ale on the bitter side, something else with a kick to my tastebuds like an IPA and then lastly, a seasonal rotation. I'm not asking for too much, am I? And while I am asking, please also have a nice bottled selection so that if I want a Belgium or a Barleywine I can endulge my mood.

Lastly, let my friends be there, if they're not, I'll make new ones. I'm not leaving this place.

The Beers

This time around I spontaneously reviewed a few beers with my friends at a Friday night happy hour on my back porch. I give to you a drunken review, uncensored.

Urthel Hop-it: "A superior hoppy Belgium Ale." The beer poured, "holy cloudy", it looks like it has a Yeast Infection, with just a hint of Sea Monkey's floating in it. The yeast is alive! No hop smell, yeasty. !st taste is very bitter. This beer was too busy. It tried to be a Belgium Ale and an IPA at the same time. The bottle's advertising was very catchy. Made you want to buy it, but this beer was trying to be too many things.

Weyerbacher, Double Simcore IPA: This beer poured a bodacious head, like a high priced Madison Avenue hooker. Great head, very thick. Dark copper hue. Sweet hoppy smell. Bitter after taste, like biting into a grapefruit rind. Seductive in a non-threatening way. 9.0% alcohol. A quality beer.

General Lafayette Inn & Brewery, Hefeweizen: Nice, straw color, strong head. Sweet, slight fruit smell, light bodied, taste of cloves. A perfect summer session beer. Great to have a growler full on the beach. One of the best Hefes out there. Drank a lot of this beer this summer.

OK, my finale. Never let a friend finish their beer first and then tell him to go help themselves to your fridge, because if he does, he may come back out with an open bottle of Hoegaarden Grand Cru that you purchased in Belgium 5 years ago and were saving for a special occasion.

Hoegaarden Grand Cru: All I can say is that when you divide 12 0z three ways, you don't get to have too much. The 4 oz I had was completely awesome. A mellow taste with 8% alcohol made the 4 oz dribble one of the more enjoyable beers that I will never get hold of again.

Beer Intelligence

2006-07-28T18:13:00.000-07:00

"When the beer is in the man, is the wisdom in the can."--- Old Dutch Proverb

Most people think that beer drinkers, when in the act of drinking beer, lose a degree of intelligence. I disagree. From personal experience, I have found that after one or two libations, my intelligence factor increases at least two or three fold. As a matter of fact, the more beer that I consume throughout the day or evening the smarter I think I become. Put a cigar in my mouth and not only will I also look more intelligent, but the confidence from looking more intelligent carries over into a further increase in my mental capacity.

How do I know this? Only an increase in intelligence would allow people to spend hours debating the merits of pretzels versus beer nuts. A greater mental capacity enables two people to play Juke Box Wars, where each person picks their 5 favorite songs, plays them and then decides whose was better. Politics? Religion? Spouses? Beer allows one to discuss these subjects with more flair than Tim Russert, Billy Graham and Dr. Phil. Not only does beer highlight mental prowess, but it also brings out empathy and compassion. After a heated discussion on the mechanics of warp drive and a debate on whether or not people can energize and transport between two locations, I watched two bar mates spend a half hour hugging and saying, "No, your right." "No, you are." " I love you man!"

As far as my increased beer intelligence goes, the American Journal of Epidemiology in 2004, published a study that said drinking alcohol, even in low amounts, might be associated with higher cognitive ability. I do not doubt the results of this study, as I stumbled upon it after a night of intelligent beer enhanced conversation. I came home after an evening at the pub and was doing a Google search for the latest American Idol results. Somehow my beer sharpened computer skills led me to the American Journal of Epidemiology. I doubt that would have happened if I was drinking water.

The Beers in Review

Hercules Double IPA: This incredibly strong (note the name) IPA had a beautiful hop smell. The beer, when swallowed gave off a multitude of hop tastes. It was very well blended. Brewed by the the Great David Brewing Co., If Hercules completed 12 labors, this was his 13th! One of the best Super IPA's out there. Found in a gas station in North Carolina, I have not been given word on where else to find this beauty.

Victory Hop Devil: This award winning IPA from Victory Brewing in Downingtown, Pa. has a very nice hop aroma, not overwhelming, even a slight, sweet, malty smell. A hoppy pungent first taste, that quickly becomes very drinkable. Hop Devil pushes the hop envelope, at the same time delivering a quality, well crafted IPA. Good stuff.

Magic Hat Batch 371: I found this concept very appealing. Brew a beer, give it a number, not a name, don't say what style it is, let your consumer try and figure it out. Batch 371 had a sweet, fruity smell. The first taste was very dry. 2nd taste was even dryer. The beer bears no resemblence to the aroma. My guess is a Belgium Ale. A lambic type beer, closer to a Geuze style.

Harviestoun Brewery, Bitter and Twisted: This Scottish Brewery brewed a clear, crisp bittered ale. Mild hop smell with a bitter hop taste. Very smooth. A crisp and sharp finish, right to the end of the bottle. Lightly carbonated for the classic Ale style.

Beer Means Everything to Almost Everyone, Everywhere

2006-06-03T13:34:00.000-07:00

Beer is possibly the greatest sociological commodity in the history of civilization. Wow, did I just say that? It is actually pretty difficult to write a sentence that contains the words "greatest" and "history of civilization" while being truthful. What is not so difficult is providing, the factual information that will persuade everyone else that my declaration is correct.

Beer knows no bounds, socially or economically. Beer drinkers can range from red-necks drinking Bud to high-brows sipping Sam Adams' Utopia. A low-end six pack of beer can cost someone around three dollars, while at the same time it is also not hard to find a 12oz bottle of beer that costs over ten dollars. Every country in the world, from the good old USA to Thailand, and everywhere else in between has beer and more importantly beer drinkers.

Beer has been around since primitive times ( at least 50,000 years) and has survived Ancient Egypt, Medieval times, the Spanish Inquisition, Crossing Oceans, World War I and even Prohibition. Beer, as was most early edibles and drinkables, was found by accident. Some grain was left in a container. The container was rained on. The grain became wet. Wild yeast attacked the watery bowl of grain, causing a bubbling fermentation. Some brave soul stumbled upon the liquid concoction and Lord knows why, decided to drink it. Luckily, the person did not die, but instead became drunk. The feeling was well appreciated and beer was born.

Beer over the years has been used as a social lubricant. A glass or two of beer has gotten many a party started. Beer has been used to inspire. The relaxed feeing from the malted, fermented barley has produced many priceless artworks, music and novels. Art of the deal? Over time, a mug of beer has sat at plenty of financial tables. Beer has even been used medicinally. In Ireland, a pint of stout was involved in countless cures for all sorts of bodily aliments. Beer has even been used to procreate the human race. A couple of beers can result in some freaky, old fashion lovin. Isn't that what Jimmie Buffet sings?

When you raise your next pint glass or mug of beer, think about all that has happened and gone before. The long history of beer. I am sure before you have finished your glass, you too, will say, "beer is the greatest sociological commodity in the history of civilization." Maybe it will take three glasses.

The Beers

Allagash White: Summers here. And while thoughts may turn to baseball, the beach and barbecues, my thoughts turn to wheat beer! Nothing, to me, is more refreshing on a hot summer day, than a cold glass of wheat beer. I look forward to it so much, that once summer is over I refrain from having wheat beer to build the anticipation for the next summer season. This year, I tried an offering new to me. Always a fan of Belgium Wheat or White beers and also a huge fan of Allagash Brewing, it was a beautiful day, when my beer store finally stocked Allagash White. I never had an Allagash White before, so I was very excited to get this bottle home. No disappointment for me. Allagash White was true to the Belgium Wheat style. The beer gave off the tried and true smell of cloves. Not overpowering, but just enough to get the mouth to water. A beautiful amber color, with a bright white head. The clovey, citrus taste was just what the doctor ordered. Allagash White was superbly light, crisp and refreshing. The town of Hoegarden would be proud. I like this beer so much, that it has earned a spot in my house tap system. In addition to bottles, Allagash White also comes in 1/6 kegs for your beermeisters.

Dogfish Head Immort Ale: I enjoy a high alcohol beer. High alcohol beers make a great night cap or a terrific after dinner drink. Immort Ale was no exception. At 11% alcohol, this ale smelled a bit like toasted oak. The first taste was not what I expected. The taste of the beer had hints of maple and vanilla, but what really set the beer apart was the smokey oak taste. As the beer went down, the smokey oak flavor was very pleasant. Once that first sip goes down then the warming sensation hits. It hits you with a smattering of vanilla. This was a very well crafted beer and should be enjoyed slowly. At 11%, you have to be carefull. I purchased extra bottles for my beer cellar.

Cinco De Mayo means Beer in Spanish

2006-05-05T18:06:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like a good holiday celebration. Almost every holiday should involve family, friends, food and drink. The major holidays are usually much anticipated and often associated with lots of excitement. Good old fashioned festivities. Me, I am a fan of the minor holidays. Jim Belushi said it best in an episode of According to Jim, "The kids have Christmas, the gays have Halloween, St. Patrick's Day is mine."

All my favorite holidays revolve around beer. I am a huge fan of St. Patrick's Day. I day dream about Octoberfest for at least a month prior. The thought of barbeques and beer bashes with the 3 summer holidays gets me through the cold winter months. And lastly, an often over looked, but celebrated none-the-less holiday has me dancing in the April showers waiting for the 5th of May. Cinco de Mayo.

Most people think that Cinco De Mayo is Mexican Independence Day. Nope, it's not. The Mexicans won their independence on another date. Cinco De Mayo marks the date that the Mexicans defeated the French in a battle where the French, led by Napoleon III, were trying to conquer the country. Now that we have that tidbit settled, let's talk about the drink. A holiday that revolves around eating spicy Mexican dishes and washing it down with cold beer is a holiday worth celebrating. Mexico is not really known for its beer, more so for its Tequila and Margaritas, but Mexico's beers are the most popular in our country. The best selling beer in America is Corona ( Who would have thought they could knock off Bud Light? Why should Bud complain? They won't, they own a huge share of Corona.) As far as Mexican beers go, I was more of a fan of Dos Equis or Tecate. An ice cold Tecate on a hot summer day hits the spot like William Tell's arrow in the apple on that poor guys head.

But when it comes to Cinco De Mayo and eating spicy Mexican food, only one beer stands the test of time, Negra Modelo. A well crafted, dark Mexican beer. Roasty color, malty smell with a crisp sweet finish. Awesome. I just downed a Negra Modelo beer with the Fajitas I made for dinner. A very enjoyable beer that I only seem to have on Cinco De Mayo. Sort of like a Guinness on St. Patrick's Day for the non-Guinness drinkers. When I popped the top on the Negra Modelo bottle of beer this 5th of May, it dawned on me that I only drink this beer once a year. I guess that is one of the reasons why I really look forward to Cinco De Mayo. Not only do I get to have a Mexican meal, but I get to drink a fine beer and get a little loco. Aribba, Aribba, Negra Modelo.

The Beers:

Brooklyn Lager: Talk about a beer that gives the impression of a domestic blue collar beer. Lagers are what the masses drink after a hard days, sweaty work. Brooklyn, a hardworking blue collar sounding town if I ever have heard of one. But this beer is as far away from blue collar as one can get. My first sip put me right smack in the middle of Prague. This was one of the best lagers I have ever swallowed. I tried my first one and immediately new I was sticking with this beer for the day.

Bierre de Gamme, La Rulles: This was my Easter dinner beer. A Belgium Ale, unfiltered, unpastuerized, bottle conditioned Ale. This beer had a sweet smell and a very enjoyable taste. A light crisp beer, despite packing a 8.4% alcohol by volume. She'll sneak up on you. Packaged in a champagne bottle.

Duvel: The Devil in Belgium. This beer was originally concocted because of the popularity of lighter, crisp ales. The Duvel brewers didn't want to lose market share to all those English ales that were making their way into the country. But don't let that fool you into thinking that this beer is a tame bitter ale. They don't call her the Devil for nothing. A well balanced, beautifully crafted beer with all the hallmarks of hundreds of years of Belgium brewing history. Duvel is crisp, well carbonated, tastes great cold and has enough alcohol in it to knock you over after a bottle or two.

Erdinger Hefe-Wiezen: When I lived in Ireland and this was the only wheat beer on draft that I could find, I thought Erdinger was awesome. Since then, in my area in New Jersey, Erdinger is not available and cannot be found. Luckily, a friend had a bottle to share with me. I saved it for the first warm, sunny day of spring. I Opened it up and poured it into my special Erdinger glass. My memory was better than the actual beer. While Erdinger is the number one selling wheat beer in the world, it's taste is more on the bland side. Decent beer, but nowhere as tasty as at least a dozen American micros of the same style. Erdinger does pour with an incredible champagne type consistancy.

Beer Flood

2006-04-04T10:33:00.000-07:00

Disasters can take many different forms. Huge disasters, like Hurricane Katrina or a giant Tsunami scare the dickens out of me. Earthquakes, wildfires, mudslides, tornados and large meteors are also nothing to laugh about. When one spends too much time thinking of disasters, beer will provide a pint of disaster relief. Unless you lived in London in 1814. I always thought I was safe from a beer disaster. The closest thing I had ever heard that involved beer and the word disaster was either a spilled pitcher or an empty keg. This was not the case at a local brewery in London, England. As it turns out, a vat of beer with a small crack in it exploded. The vat was holding the liquid equivalent of 4000 casks or wooden kegs, causing its very own Tsunami of beer.

A domino effect ensued, with the rushing liquid causing more beer vats to explode. The beer broke down the brewery wall and flooded into the city streets, invading and destroying buildings and homes in its path. The locals were found to be either running or swimming for their lives, while some were lapping up the "free" ocean of beer. 12 people were stampeded to death in the rush for flowing beer. By the end of the day, 20 people had been killed by drowning, stampede and a few from alcoholic coma. Interestingly enough, a riot broke out in the hospital due to the smell of beer coming from the injured townspeople. The previously admitted patients, who happened to already be in the hospital for various illnesses, accused the hospital staff of holding out on them, and wanted beer for themselves.* And the English think Americans are without restraint?

I could see a beer frenzy like this happening at a Philadelphia Eagles Football game. Imagine if only one keg burst free. It would be like yelling fire at a crowded movie theater. Thankfully, (did I say thankfully?) beer today is stored in metal vats. The odds of a beer explosion/disaster ocurring are basically slim and none, but there is always wishful thinking.

The Beer

Young's Dirty Dick Ale: Young's brewery owns a pub in England that is 261 years old. The pub was named after a regular patron who never washed or bathed, Dirty Dick. Dirty Dick's Ale was sweet smelling, red in color with a very nice, mellow taste. At 4.1% alcohol, it is a very drinkable beer.

Grant's Scottish Style Ale: Brewed in Yakima, Washington using Scottish malts and American hops, the beer had a sweet malty smell and a sweet malty taste. A hint of hops in the first swallow, Grant's had a very smooth finish.

Ruination IPA: Stone Brewing, the brewers of Arrogant Bastard Ale, also make this incredible, out of this world, IPA. I poured the beer into a large mug and placed it about 2 feet away from my body. I could clearly smell the hops coming from this beer. Based on the results of an Italian study concerning hops and curing cancer, my first taste gave me every indication that Ruination IPA may possibly be the cure that the Cancer Society is looking for. This beer was hopped up. Considering the amount of hops, this beer was very well balanced and drinkable. It is not a one beer curiosty, it is definitely a having more than one kind of beer. I am now drinking it as part of my health & wellness program.

Loose Cannon Hop 3rd Ale: Brewed in Baltimore, Maryland by Clipper City Brewing, this bottle fermented, yeast on the bottom ale had a sweet, hop smell and a hint of citrus in its taste. Sort of like a grapefruit skin. This was a very pleasant, enjoyable beer. A beautiful reddish, carmel color, it is a shame that I only had one bottle to enjoy. I like this beer. Their motto, " It's Heavy Seas that Seperate the Men from the Boys," refers to Loose Cannon's IPA style. IPA (India Pale Ale) were brewed with extra hops so that the beer could survive the long voyage from England to India. This beer will not survive long in your fridge.

* Alan D. Eames, The Secret Life of Beer 1995

Stomach, Friend or Foe?

2006-03-24T11:50:00.000-08:00

To paraphrase author Samuel Blythe, "The human stomach will easily accommodate numerous quantities of beer, but the human stomach cannot handle a similar quantity of any liquid that does not cheer or inebriate." Written in an article titled, THE OLD GAME in 1914, there has never been a more true sentence. Sammy went on to say that he tried to prove this fact by trying to drink as much water as he would drink pilsner and he could never do it. I understand.

The college rugby days had many an all night quarter bounce game, followed by a shot-gun can of beer, a small funnel chug, and then leisurely drinking until the night was over. Try that with a few gallons of water. I don't think it is possible to finish the same quantity of liquid with water as with beer. The Blythe cheer factor comes into play. Water is boring. As I have matured, the drinking games were replaced by multiple pint glasses and intellectually stimulating conversation. Well, maybe just the multiple pint glasses. The stomach still seems to hold a lot of beer. "Come on, one more." I know those words come from our friends sitting on the barstool next to us and those same words also come from the inner workings of our intoxicated brains, but do they come from our stomach? I have a funny feeling our stomach just doesn't know when to quit. That and the efficient way beer is transferred from inside our body to the outside. Our stomach is probably much smarter than we give it credit for. He gets full, sends it off to the kidneys and the next thing we know, the seal is broken. And that my friends is the secret to intoxication. Our stomach doesn't ever actually become full. He passes the buck and allows us to drink more and more.

I have a good friend, a philosopher of sorts. His mission in life was to always play rugby and live in quest of the ultimate tan. He is in his 50's now, and damn him, he plays rugby every chance he can get and his skin is as dark as ever. He once said to me, "Don't eat your drinking money." It took me years before I ever realized the deeper meaning to his words. Initially, I thought he meant, If a person only has so much money to spend on a night out, don't use a portion of it on food, save it for drink. It was when I read the words of Samuel Blythe that the true meaning dawned on me. "If you eat, you idiot, your stomach will get full and you won't be able to drink."

Atlantic City Beer Festival:

This event was a blast. Over 100 different beers to sample, live Irish music (St. Patrick's Day weekend), thousands of beer lovers, it was beer drinker's paradise. Stone Brewing, recently brought into New Jersey was there. Their Arrogant Bastard Ale was fabulous. DogFish Head from Delaware was in full force, as was Heavyweight Brewing, Lancaster Brewing, Brooklyn Brewing and one of my Local favorites, Riverhorse Brewing. Imports like Chimay, Paulaner and Guinness, had their full line-ups spread out for everyones enjoyment. Even Budweiser, had some new brews to sample. The Highlight of the festival was sampling Sam Adams, Utopia. A 25% alcohol, $140 bottle of beer. One of the best tastes to ever cross my lips. The Tun Tavern also saved a cask of their award winning Freedom Ale, Barleywine, awesome. The beer stands were set up in a large oval. I cannot remember how many laps we did, but my brain was not to happy the next morning. It seems in the excitement of things, I forgot my beer festival rule of drinking a bottle of water every half hour or so. In addition to feeling no pain that afternoon, the hangover the next day was priceless. This will be an annual event. Start thinking about next year. I am.

The Pied Piper of Beer

2006-03-05T12:38:00.000-08:00

The Pied Piper, so the story goes, played his pipe in the town of Hamelin, collecting all of the mice as he marched through the streets. As he played his merry tune, the rodents followed the Piper out of town. The sad part of the story is that when the Piper was not paid for his services, he stole 130 children. You don't really hear much about that part of the story. Actually, the piper was blamed for the missing children, but was never proven guilty. It seems during the 1200's, parents gave their children up to the crusade movement, their guilt forced them to blame the Piper.

Okay, I went off track a bit there. The Pied Piper had the ability to start a movement. With his merry tune, one mouse started to follow him down the street, which led to two, then three, four, five, and so on, until hundreds and hundreds of mice followed the Piper out of town. Every single mouse in the town was completely on board with the Piper. The same thing is happening with good beer, the only difference is that we have many Pied Pipers. Is Samuel Adams a Pied Piper of beer? Sure is. Boston Beer Company's Beer had taste and also had the advertising campaign that started the Pied Piper ball rolling. Once people tried the beer and liked it, word of mouth took over and more and more people made the switch to good beer.

This happens with all of the microbrews. Flying Dog, Smuttynose, Allagash, Heavyweight, Dogfish head, Riverhorse, Victory and Flying Fish too name a few, are all Pied Pipers of Brewing. In the small world of microbrewing, these breweries do not have the budget of Samuel Adams to spend money on national print and television ads. So maybe they rely on catchy phrases or the stylish artwork on their cardboard six pack cartons to grab our attention. Once our attention is grabbed, hopefully we will buy the beer and enjoy it. We then tell a friend and maybe even our local tavern. Word spreads and more and more people are drinking good beer.

The only way to keep good, quality beer in the forefront of consumers is for us to drink good quality beer. I know this is a tough mission. Not many are up for the task. But you and I are the chosen few. It is our responsibility to try different beers, to speak up to our beer store managers. Let them know which beers we like and which beers we are willing to purchase. If Microbreweries are the Pied Pipers, we are the legion of beer followers that will ensure quality beer of many different styles, finds its way into our lives.

The Beer

Sierra Nevada, Celebration Ale. The innovators of hoppy beer in America, Sierra Nevada pioneered the hoppy style of beer in the beginning of the microbrew movement. Celebration Ale doesn't disappoint. The brewers from Chico, California have made a seasonal ale that is as hoppy as an IPA. A terrific brew.

Pinkus Organic Original Munster Ale. This German Alt beer poured a hazy golden color with a thin head. At 5.1% alcohol, the beer had a refreshing wheat beer taste. Slight cloves with a surprisingly dry after bite finish. Coupled with the sweet smell, this beer was very enjoyable.

JU JU Ginger. Ale brewed with ginger from the Left Hand Brewing Co., Colorado. This was a very light beer in taste and in alcohol as it came in at less than 4%. Hazy, orange color with a citrus taste. Just a hint of ginger. I would have liked more. This beer was very refreshing and would make an excellent beach beer.

Go for a Pint?

2006-02-14T15:13:00.000-08:00

Go for a pint? Grab a beer? When I lived in Ireland, me mates would say, "Do you want to meet for a pint?" Back home in the US, my friends say, "Let's grab a beer." A friend of mine from South Africa asked the question, "How about going out for a few ales?" This last one always confused me a bit, because he would always order a lager. After a few outings, I finally told him that if he wants to go out for a few ales, he has to at least drink one. He explained to me that where he was from, ale meant beer in general, not style. Needless to say, I forced a pint of bitter on him before he switched to his, dare I say it....Danish Lager. How about the Aussies? The ones that I knew, called a beer a beer. Just like us Yanks. When I eventually ended my stay in Europe, I tried to bring the vernacular to my old stomping grounds. I tried saying, "Lets go for a pint." Since most of my friends are big Guinness fans, I even tried, "Let's grab a few stouts." Niether one seemed to flow as well as, "Do you want to grab a beer?"

The other big difference I noticed concerning drinking terminology was how we address our local drinking establishments. In England and Ireland, they refer to their watering hole as the "Pub" or as their "Local." As in, "I spent the afternoon at my local." Or, as in, "We went to the Pub." The Irish and English never really used the proper name of the pub. They talked about it as if you knew exactly which one of a hundred pubs they were referring to. And as far as they were concerned, amongst themselves, they knew exactly which pub they were referring to. Overhere, it is a different ball game. We tend to use the proper name of the bar that we frequent. If it is a one word name, like Gregory's, we'll use the whole name. If it is a long name or two words, we'll chop it up or give it a nick name. For instance, Skelly's High Point Pub, would be "The High Point". The Rod and Reel Tavern would be "The Rod" and The Greater Pittsburgh Irish Pub would be "The Pitt." So rather than say, "Do you want to stop at the pub for a pint tonight?", we would say, "Let's stop at the Pitt for a few beers."

The good news is that no matter what language or terminology is used, one way or the other you will end up sitting at a bar with some style of glassware filled with a liquid made from malted barley and hops.

The Beers

I was out and about recently and managed to have a few of my favorite "Popular" Beers.

Stella Artois: The Star from Belgium, this lager is brewed with Cech hops, giving it an incredible crisps clean taste. As far as imported lagers from big breweries go, this is my favorite. If you see it on tap, give it a try.

Yuengling Lager: A well balanced lager from the oldest brewery in the United States. I actually love this beer. It is my go to choice when I am chowing down on hot Buffalo Wings at my Local's ( The Rod ), wing night. Smooth and rough at the same time.

Murphy's Stout: After drinking so much Guinness, it is nice to find the occasional pint of Murphy's on tap. What I like about Murphys as opposed to the same creamy, smoothness of Guinness is the slight burnt roasty taste. A nice change of pace.

Anticipation...All About Beer

2006-02-03T17:14:00.000-08:00

Bump in the road. Curve ball. SNAFU. These are accurate descriptions for when a person cannot get their hands on a beer when they planned on having one.

Go with the flow. Roll with the punches. Zig Zag. These are accurate descriptions for what a person does while they are waiting to get their hands on the above mentioned, desired beer.

Friday evening around 6:30pm is the perfect and usual time for me to pour a smooth, flavorful pint of beer. Friday, 6:30pm means that I have finished the day and more importantly the week. Work is through. Chores are finished. The baby has been taken care of, and most assuredly, she is fast asleep for the night. 6:30 is the time that the pint glass gets filled up. 6:30pm is the time that the beer gets a head on it. 6:30pm is the time that satisfaction meets head on with accomplishment. Unless.......Bump in the road. Curve Ball. SNAFU.

Once in a blue moon, the wife has some sort of work thing happening on a Friday night. Once in a blue moon, on a Friday night, I am responsible for putting the baby to sleep. This entails filling up a bottle of milk and settling into the rocking chair until she is finished drinking and ready for sleep. On a typical night, she doesn't even get to finish her milk before her pretty head nods off fast to sleep. On my Friday night, she finished her milk and stayed awake. As I rocked and rocked, and rocked and rocked, my thoughts turned to my 6:30 beer. What would I have tonight? Would I pour from the tap, dip into the fridge or dig out of the celler? Ale? Lager? American Micro? Import? Strong? Light? What the hell am I going to eat with it? Snack with the beer while I am cooking dinner, or have the beer and snack in place of the dinner?

As you can see, a lot can happen while you are sitting in a rocking chair. The beauty of the whole experiance is that while I was rocking, and mind you, enjoying myself holding my daughter, man, was I working myself up into a frenzy for my 6:30pm beer. My daughter did eventually fall asleep and I'll have you know that during my rocking, I chose to have a Strong Lager and a snack as my dinner. Some nights are just worth the wait and some nights you can just skip dinner.

The Beers

Samuel Adams Imperial Pilsner 2005 Harvest: This Brewmaster's edition poured a nice thick, white head with a surprisingly darker color than I expected. Carmel in color. I took my first whiff and Bamm. Hops. Lots of them. The first taste was very hoppy, but a different kind of hop. Don't take this the wrong way, because it was very good, but the first taste had a citrus sensation to it. Like biting into the bitter end of a grapefruit peel. The hop taste stuck around swallow afer swallow. The select Bavarian hops that the big boss chose for this beer gave it a distinct taste. At 8.8% alcohol and a strong hop taste, this pilsner would please the biggest hop head in the valley. It was awesome with spicy, grilled venison sausage.

Hecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier: Speak German? German Smoke Beer. A distinct taste that appeals to only a few. But if you like smoked meats and cheese this beer is for you. I personally love this beer and enjoy eating summer sausage and bag bologna between sips.

FrostBite Ale, Lake Placid Brewing, NY: Copper colored beer with a medium head. An evident hop fume exists. Strong hop taste, followed by a dry sensation. A very good beer that would take the bite out of anyone's frost. Drank a bottle with a wedge of Gruyere Cheese. The hops complimented the cheese in a very favorable way.

Draught v.s. The Bottle

2006-01-19T16:06:00.000-08:00

First off, why is draught pronounced draft? Why isn't it draught as in drawtt? My 7 yr. old niece and I were having a typical uncle / niece discussion, when she decided to read the label on my Guinness bottle. She said, "Uncle J, what does drawtt mean?" My mother immediately chimed in, "It is pronounced draft." My reply back to my mother was something typical from my usual know-it-all self, "I have lived in Europe, it is pronounced as it is looks, drawtt!" Mom said, "Look it up." Damn it. I hate when I am wrong.

Websters Dictionary says: Draught /draft/ British version of draft. Concerning beer. To draw up.

Now that we have the pronounciation down pat, does anyone have trouble with the word bottle? Ok, me neither, which brings me to the point of this discussion. Draught beer or bottled beer, what is better? On the surface, this question is very simplistic. The draft version of a beer just seems better. The art of the pour, the look, the atmosphere, the hot looking bartender pouring the beer. How can you top that? But what about the lowly bottle? Some beers are conditioned in the bottle, they age there, they grow there. They develop a distinct taste there. Think about a fine Belgium Ale. Most people make a big deal about a fresh pint of Guinness poured out of the tap, but it is actually pretty difficult to taste the difference between the fresh pint and the Draught Bottle, unless you are in Ireland or a very busy USA Irish pub.

Pop the top off of a bottle or fill up a mug from the faucet? I really think it depends on what type of beer you want to enjoy. Higher alcohol beers that age well, definitely fare better in the bottle. Ales come out of the tap just a tad tastier and smoother than their bottled counter parts. Lagers and pilsners taste great on draft, but are just as refreshing when poured out of a bottle. American Light beer needs to be served very cold and drunk from the actual bottle to keep you from realizing that it really doesn't taste like anything.

When I have a choice, I choose draft beer. Probably not so much for the taste, my reasons are the superficial reasons stated above. I like the art of the pour. I like the anticipation of waiting for my beer. I like the atmosphere of having a pint in a real pub. Draft beer is how beer was meant to be served. There weren't to many bottles in the pubs in 16th century Europe, were there? And lastly, there is also nothing wrong with a hot bartender either.

The King of Kegerators, The Sudsbuddy. The Sudsbuddy Beirmeister is the way to go if you want kegged, draft beer in your home. Made out of a durable plastic and round in shape, the Sudsbuddy when empty only weighs about 40lbs. Cooled by a thermoelectric motor, the Sudsbuddy is extremely quiet and energy efficient. One of the biggest virtues of the Sudsbuddy is that it is portable and you can take it outside. In the summer, it can sit on your porch or poolside. It even has a car adaptor, so you can take it camping or to a tailgate party. Sudsbuddy comes in a variety of colors, so it will fit into your recreation room's decor. Or do what I did ( I have two of them), put them under a bar or counter top. The Sudsbuddy can hold one 1/2 barrel of beer. If you home brew, it can hold two 5 gallon kegs. If you like microbrewed beer, most come in 1/6 kegs. The Sudsbuddy can squeeze two of them in there also. Think multi-tap towers. You can even get it set-up for Guinness and other nitro beers (Mine is). I love my Sudsbuddy. Go to www.sudsbuddy.com and check them out for yourself.

The Beers

DogFish Head, World Wide Stout: At $8.29 for a 12 oz bottle, this beer better be good. Forget about it. This beer is incredible. More Barleywineish than stoutish, this 15% alcohol beer had a sweet smell and poured very thick and dark. No head, no visible sign of carbonation. The first mouthfull gave off a slight raisan taste which followed through with chocolate overtones. My wife even found the chocolate in this one. The finish was very warming. This beer was fabulous. It is $8.00 well spent.

Harvieston Brewery, Old Engine Oil: Like the name implies, this Scottish beer was thick and dark, just like a stout. Chocolate smell and taste. 6% alcohol gave this beer some legs. A very good beer, terrific as an after dinner beer or a cigar beer.

Reaper Ale, Deathly Pale Ale: The strong hop smell of this beer told me it was not going to be like a typical pale ale, and I was right. This beer was more IPA than PA. A strong amount of bitterness which mellowed the more you drank. Rusty in color with a sparkling white head, This beer was a tasty treat.

Moderately Drunk?

2006-01-03T12:06:00.000-08:00

I have always been told that beer by itself is not a very good drink for getting drunk. If you want to get drunk, have a few mixed drinks or down a bottle of wine or two. Maybe even have a few shots of whiskey. By virtue of alcohol content, compared to hard liqour or wine, beer is a drink of moderation. Now, moderation flys out the window if you are drinking cases of beer from a funnel or playing quarter bounce like a college student. Quantity and volume in the long run will always trump moderation, no matter how slight the alcohol content. For that matter, beer drinking duration is another bump in the road. It is the time that one puts into the event that gets one into trouble. Drinking beer over a twelve hour period, even 3.5-4% beer will lead to a serious bout of drunkenness. How about cross polination? Quantity + Duration = Profound Drunkenness.

Not being a mixed drink drinker or a serious whiskey guy, I can honestly say that when it comes to inebriation soley from beer, I have been there. I know the quantity thing. I know the duration thing. I know the polination of the two. Beer can get you drunk. So where does this moderation thing come in? For me moderation came into play gradually overtime. Over a slow period of moving away from swill beer and learning to appreciate quality, well brewed beer. One or two, ok maybe three or four quality beers satiates your entire being. To borrow a phrase from John Denver, "It fills up your senses." Great taste, smell, mouth feel and after taste, leaves you complete. It takes 12 -24 Light beers to get the same feeling, only it's not the same feeling, you're just drunk. Good quality beer, leaves you euphoric and finished. You don't need anymore. It doesn't mean you can't have anymore. Have as many as you like. But remember, duration and quantity take away moderation. The drink of moderation can easily become the drink of excess. And you know what else? There is nothing wrong with that either. Beers for everyone!

The Beers:

EEL River Brewing, EEL River IPA, This California Micro has done a fabulous job with their IPA. 7% alcohol, this beer pours a dark, rusty, carmel color with a sparkling, white head. The faint hoppy smell does not even indicate the pleasure about to enter your mouth. The first taste is a very well balanced mouthfull of hops. Nothing overpowering or pushing the edge of drinkability as many American Micro's do with their own IPA styles. This is a very drinkable IPA with an ever present, but well balanced hop content. The closer you get to finishing a 12oz glass, the better the beer actually becomes. A true sign of a great beer.

DogFish Head Brewing, Olde School Barleywine: This is a very strong beer. Rolls in at a whopping 15% alcohol. Surprisingly transparent in color. Almost looks like a whiskey in the glass, except for the thin head, which naturally gives it away. There wasn't even a hint of visible carbonation. Slightly sweet, slight fruity smell, raisen like. The first taste was very thick on the tongue, carbonated and warming, almost a burn. Delicious. Not typical of the Barleywine styles I am used to. More Whiskeyish in appearance and taste than a barleywine, but very good none-the-less.

Lindeman's Peche Lambic: Now here is an ale for celebrating a New Years Eve midnight toast. This bubbly peach lambic from the Lindeman's Brewery in Belgium will win many points with the non-beer drinking female crowd. This ale is a pleaser. The beer was so full of peach taste and so refreshing, I think it would go down just as well on a hot summer day sitting on the beach. After having a few Black and Tan's and a Barleywine on New Years Eve, the Peach Lambic hit the spot. Bring a bottle home for the wife and yourself. You won't be sorry. Oh, and it is modestly light in alcohol.

2005: The Year in Beer

2005-12-20T11:26:00.000-08:00

Since it is almost Christmas and New Years Day is right around the corner, what better time than to reflect on all of the good beer and good times associated with good beer that I have had this past year. As a matter of fact, why don't I take the time to put together a list of a few of Dr.J's Best of 2005, a remembrance, or lack there of, of things beer.

The highlight of the year has to be the opening of my very own house "Pub." The look and feel of an old world Irish and British pub, with three beers on tap, my house bar almost gives me a reason to never go out. Having only had a "soft" opening, I am looking forward to my annual January "rugby guys over the house for beers night" to officially open the pub.

My daughter's first birthday party ranks high on my list of proudest moments. I can't believe how fast a year went by. It was also the perfect opportunity to crack open a few bottles of one year old Allagash Curieux , Belgian style Tripel, aged in Kentucky Bourbon bottles, to celebrate the occasion. A beautifully crafted beer that I am also saving for my daughters 21st birthday.

Each year, me and the boys head to Milford, New Jersey for our annual, opening day trout fishing/camping weekend. The weekend is always a blast. Nobody fell in the fire, drowned, or cut their hand open. And no other senseless act of violence occured. There was plenty of beer, lots of stumbling, a few fish caught and a creature with the initials BR foraging around the outskirts of the cabin late at night, gorging on Cheeto and Dorito crumbs. One of the best parts of the trip is our Saturday afternoon stay at the Ships Inn, New Jersey's first brew pub. Great beer and a delicious Shepards Pie to boot.

For pure beer excitement, nothing beats a Mark Haynie Beer Night. Mark is an extreme beer collector and is not afraid to share his bounty with everyone. I mean everyone. Mark, one of the founding fathers of the good beer movement in New Jersey, invites all and their guests to the Somers Point Fire Hall, where he provides great food and a beer selection second to none. All at his own expense. This doesn't just happen once, but three or four times a year. Kudos to Mark for providing me and many with great beer and great times.

As far as drunken fun goes, my best memory, or what I can recall of it, is at Atlantic City's Tun Tavern. My friends and I showed up there for an Octoberfest that never took place. We decided to stay and make our own Octoberfest. We showed up at two in the afternoon and my buddies let me take them on a guided tour of the Tun's Beers. We then settled into our favorites and drank, drank, drank. At six in the evening, a school teachers convention party was breaking up, some of the teachers we befriended gave us their "all you can drink" bracelets. The next thing I know, it is nine pm and I am standing outside waiting for a cab with my friend and neighbor Magoo. Two cabs pulled up, I got in one, he got in the other ,we headed home seperately and paid two seperate cab fees!!

A late summer evening at BR's house cannot be beaten. Drinking Hoegarden all day while swimming in the pool and Hoegarden all night while sitting in the jacuzzi hot tub. Fine time.

I like to do a lot of cooking and I like to cook with beer. My best recipe this year was for a medieval Scottish dish called, get this, Cock-a-Leekie Soup. More like a stew filled with chicken, leeks, barley, vegetables and dried plums. I substitued a cup of chicken broth with 12oz of McEwan's Scottish Ale. The beer, I mean soup, came out incredibly well. I have since made two more batches and each one gets a little better.

The best beers I have had this year were from all around the beer board. Imported wise, my favorite this year was Dekonnick Belgium Ale. This beer was a very drinkable, great tasting 5% alcohol ale. Loved it. While on the subject of Belgium, Victory Brewing's 12 was simply awesome and wins my Belgium Style beer award. If I had to pick a dark beer, Flying Dog's Gonzo Imperial Porter wins the prize. As far as American lighter styled beer goes, Long Trail Ale, From the Long Trail Brewery and ESB from Riverhorse Brewery win my drinkability, session beer award. The Barleywine, on the spot, right then and there, award goes to the Tun Tavern's Freedom Ale. Beautifully done, tastes like it has aged three years. Speaking of aging, the aged Barleywine award goes to Heavyweight Brewing's 2003 Old Salty. Incredible.

Being that there is another week or so left in 2005, I still have a little time left to create some more beer memories. Here is to you and your beer memories. Maybe we can get together and swap some in person. Happy New Year!

The Beer:

Orval Belgian Trappist Ale: This beer pours a nice rusty color, looks a little like unfiltered apple juice with a huge, thick, foamy head. Orval has a sweet smell to it, but is surprisingly bitter. A very dry beer, that bites you in the mouth on the second sip. A classic Belgium Ale. Very good.

Monster Ale 2003 from the Brooklyn Brewery: I aged this beer for over two years and I was not disappointed. 11% alcohol. Pours a very dark copper color with a sweet raisen smell. A thick, sweet, warming beer. Aging brings out more flavor, so sock some away.

Why is it that one can polish off a bottle of wine with no problem, but drink two or three glasses of Barleywine and you feel it the next day? Wine is 13-14% alcohol, Barleywine is 8-10%. Just a thought.

Flying Dog Brewery, Horn Dog Barleywine: Nice, thick, dark beer with a slight sweet smell. Very thick in the mouth, almost like a syrup. Lightly carboanted, as it should be, warming, but not overwhelmingly warming. A half of a glass is very relaxing.

The Happy Holiday Beer Story

2005-12-06T11:11:00.000-08:00

It was just before Christmas in 1983. My good friend and I had just finished our quarterly chiropractic school final exams and were getting ready to head back to our respective home states for the holidays. After a grueling four days of tests, we were ready to blow off some steam at our favorite watering hole. Mind you, our watering hole was one of the biggest dive bars and redneck hangouts in Marietta, Georgia. Terry's was the name and stumbling out alive was the game. On this particular night, we had drank our share of bad beer, and were ready to head out on the town to impress the ladies of Atlanta with our ability to slurr the English language. Since we were both in the holiday spirit, we noticed that there were two meager pine saplings in the parking lot which struck an uncanny resemblance to Christmas trees. After a five minute battle with the trees ( my friend says it was more like 30, and the trees almost won), we stuck them in the front bumper of my 1972 International Scout, rolled down the truck windows, turned up the Oak Ridge Boys Christmas cassette and sang Christmas songs all the way down Route 41. When we got out of the truck, we noticed our "Christmas Trees" had magically disappeared from the truck's bumper and by the end of the night, none of the ladies would even let us approach them let alone show off our slurring skills (go figure). Thankfully, we did not have to show them to the police either.

25 years later, it is safe to say I won't be pulling any pine trees out of the ground and decorating my truck. And thankfully I have matured enough to not drive intoxicated, especially while singing Christmas carols at the top of my lungs with the windows open. It is also safe to say (my wife told me so), that I won't have to impress any strange women with my slurring ability. But one thing is for sure, it is nice to know the memory is still there.

Happy Holidays and Safe Holidays!

A Side Note: It has been one year since I started Dr. J's Beer Blog. This site has went from zero hits per month to over one thousand. I thank you for reading my ramblings and hope to continue providing you (I hope) with entertaining beer stories.

And Now The Beers:

Weyerbacher’s Imperial Pumpkin Ale: I went out on a limb and bought some more pumpkin ale. Not a big fan of the style, but have been warming up to it recently. I brought a few bottles of Imperial Pumpkin Ale to Thanksgiving dinner. It was a hit. I served the beer with desert, apple pie and of course pumpkin pie. The ale really tasted like pumpkin. It was delicious with the apple pie, a bit of overkill with the pumpkin pie though. This beer should be on everyones holiday desert list.

Smithwick’s Irish Red Ale: A favorite of the non-Guinness crowd in Ireland. Smithwicks, pronounced Smit icks (believe me, I’ve been laughed at for my Americanization of the name) is a tasty, robust ale. It is very light in alcohol. It is about 3.4% which makes for a great session beer. It would be Ireland’s answer to light beer, only with body and taste. Carbonated more like a lager than an ale.

Hoegaarden Grand Cru: Not a wheat beer, more a Belgium Tripel, this Ale is an ever changing symphony of tastes. I purchased 6 bottles of Grand Cru when I was in Belgium and have been aging them and drinking them at the same time. This years sample is three years old. Grand Cru pours an almost dark peachy color and gives a very complex taste. You can pick up fruit, maybe some melon in the taste. The beer has a very warm finish and posts an 8% alcohol content. Very tough to find, but if you see it grab it, it is worth it.

To Brew or Not To Brew....

2005-11-22T12:27:00.000-08:00

About a decade ago, post CML (cans of Miller Lite), I expressed an urge to try and brew my own beer. The urge itself amazed me, because my only experience with home brew was a few years prior. After one of my rugby matches, a teammate offered me a bottle of his home made beer. It did not matter to me how tired, sweaty or drained I was, one sip of his beer and I immediately spit it on the ground thinking it tasted like wet hay. So, I said, thanks, but no thanks, and out of my cooler I picked up a can of Miller Lite.

Years later, with a refined taste and knowledge of beer, I wish I could try his beer again, enjoy its taste and share in his brewing accomplishment. Unless it actually did taste like wet hay. Either way, Coy, if you are out there, I apologize. I hope that my spitting out your beer did not send you back to the world of CML.

I have to admit, I was scared to brew my first batch of beer. My wife bought me a complete homebrewing kit for Christmas, she even bought me a set of stainless steel pots. Coincidently, much to my wife's chagrin, that same Christmas, my secretary bought me a homebrewing kit also. With two kits, fate would have it that I was destined to be a homebrewer. And with simple advice from the local homebrew shop, how could I fail. I'll never forget the shopkeepers words, "Have you ever made soup? It's as simple as that."

Thankfully, my wife had also bought me lots of homebrewing books to build up my confidence before actually brewing my first batch. In hind sight, I still do not understand those books and the shop keeper was right. It was as simple as making soup. Boil water, add ingredients, stir, ad more, stir, cook some more, stir, add more stuff, stir, cook, stir. Done. Wait two weeks, drink beer. Drink damn good, healthy beer.

As time went on, things did get more complicated as I advanced into another level of brewing, buying more equipment, changing recipes around, coming up with my own. But one thing didn't change, damn good beer. The best part was naming the stuff. Dr. J's Rock the Dock Bock was an early popular brew. Friends actually requested me to make more. Dr. J's Subluxation Ale was even mentioned in Brew Your Own magazine.

So, what's on tap now? That's right, I said tap. I graduated from putting my beer in bottles to kegging 5 gallon batches of brew. Nothing like pouring one of your own on Draught, and right now it is a Belgian Winterfest Ale. Brewing your own beer is very rewarding and there is a lot of pride involved when one of your friends takes a swig and says, "Hey, this is really good." So, I say to you, give it a whirl, and if you don't want to get involved with all of the brewing stuff, there is always a Mr. Beer machine!

The Beer:

Dr. J's Belgian Winterfest Ale: A dark red beer with a thick head, The smell of cinnamon and slight orange follows with a hoppy taste. The beer tasted pretty good. I should have followed the recipe. I was supposed to add a whole jar of clover honey to the brew, but I thought that it would have made it to sweet. Now the beer tastes like it should be sweeter and not so hoppy. If I don't tell my experienced guests that it is a winter ale, and just tell them it is some sort of Belgian IPA, I'll be alright.

Heavyweight Brewing, Two Druids Ale: Based on a medieval recipe before hops were used in the brewing process. This beer contains Rosemary, Yarrow and Sweet Gale. It pours a nice thick, cloudy color with a thin head. You can smell the Rosemary. The first taste is sweetish and fizzy. Deceptively strong. You don't notice the warming sensation until after a few sips. I don't like to compare beer to wine, but if I did, this beer would be like a very dry chardonnay or a dry champagne. A great beer to toast the New Year as well as enjoy the other 52 weeks of the year.

Flying Fish Brewing, Grand Cru Winter Reserve: I had to try a professional breweries Belgian Winter Ale to see how my home brew version stacked up. It is a good thing one of my patients brought this in for me to sample. Light, orange color, bright, white head. Nice, tasting beer, clean, crisp and refreshing. The only problem is that I can't describe the taste. I really don't know what it is that I am tasting. I do know I like the beer. I just can't pick up the spices. Maybe you can help me out? My version had the pronounced taste of definite spices, even if they were not in the correct proportions. But, maybe that is because I know what I put in there. What's in there Fish Guys? Secret Recipe?

Dr. J's Public House

2005-11-08T12:50:00.000-08:00

I have always wanted to own a pub. Serving drinks, being in charge of an awesome beer selection, creating the atmosphere of a really great, relaxing neighborhood bar seems like an incredible way to earn a living. Isn't it natural to want own the type of place you enjoy being around? But then reality sets in and you realize that owning a pub costs a lot of money, is very hard work and according to the many publicans I talked to in Ireland, more stressful than lucrative. But still, everytime you set foot in a good local tavern your mind starts to rearrange the furniture, change the decor and edit the tap selection. Maybe you even change the food menu around and come up with a new name for the establishment. The "dream" to own is still there, haunting you like the ex-girlfriend who would never just give-up and accept that things were over.

How can you enjoy the best part of both worlds? How do you own a pub without the stress, hassle and financial costs, while being able to design, create, operate and enjoy your own pub? The solution is quite simple. Build a pub in your home. Dr. J's Pub recently opened for family and friendly business. My wife and I just finished an addition on our home. As part of the addition, I negotiated for a space to build a small 4 barstool pub. A little room in my home is now decorated in the style of an old Irish Public House. My pub has a 3 tap beer tower, hooked up to a dedicated Guinness line, a tap for my home brew and a rotating tap that currently contains a 1/6 keg of Flying Fish ESB. The pub walls are all done in knotty pine, stained dark mahogany with a mahogany bar top. Warm lighting and all of my beer decorations to boot. In essence, I am the proprietor of my own pub without all the hassles. I am in charge of who comes over for a pint ( most of the time), the beer selection, serving and just plain playing the publican. It's fun and I get to realize my dream with out having the risk of owning a bar. My advice to you is to find a spot in your house, the basement, garage, closet or even a shed and build a pub. It will set you free.

The Beers

DogFish Head Punkin Ale: This beer poured a deep amber color with an ample head. The aroma was of Nutmeg. My fist sip reminded me of pumpkin pie, but with not so much pumpkin and minus the sweetness. I guess it was the lingering aftertaste of all the different spices. Surprisingly drinkable and a very good beer. 7% alcohol which should help you get through Thanksgiving dinner in a mellow way.

Riverhorse Special Ale ESB: Poured a nice dark copper color with a thick, foamy head. My first taste was of a surprisingly hoppy flavor (on the mild side, but very detectable). The aftertaste was filled with a touch of honey. As I finished this beer, it dawned on me that this ale was almost meadish, but a manly Mead. The type of mead you might imagine Robin Hood drinking, not the type of sweet, swarmy stuff they serve you in one of those Irish Castle dinner shows. This was an enjoyable beer and would be a great compliment to a restaurant BYOB meal. Perfect to have one before, during and after dinner.

Brasserie Des Rocs Triple Imperiale; AKA Belgain Special Dark Ale: This beer gave off a sweet, malty smell and poured a beer that was dark carmel in color and a firmly carbonated head. At 10% alcohol the beer was very warming, almost like a Barleywine and had a malty taste to it. This ale is bottle conditioned with all the sediment intact. Brasserie des Rocs makes a good dinner beer. Very filling and one 750ml bottle is all you really need.

The Allure of Ale

2005-10-25T11:29:00.000-07:00

Way before I knew what a Lager was, I had heard of Ale. As a young man, I would often watch movies on the television where swashbuckling swordfighters would duel to the end. Knights would battle on great steads with enormous lances, Hercules performed his Twelve Labors and Robin Hood took down the Sheriff of Notingham. On not one Saturday afternoon, did I ever hear the words "Lagers for all!"

Ale conjures up the image of ancient, heroic times. Old time taverns, with large tankards of foaming over-the-top ale. Songs singing, maybe even fists a flying, but a good time had by all. Years before I knew there was a difference, Ale meant beer. Little did I know, that the beer I was used too meant Lager. While they are both still beers and It was beer the heroes were drinking in their taverns, they used the term Ale. Not to bore all of you, but the difference between the two styles is that Ale is made with a top fermenting yeast, giving rise to a smooth, subtle and relaxing taste. Lagers are beers that are fermented with cold temperature yeasts and are stored and aged at colder temperatures during fermentation. The results are a cold, clean, crisp beer. Pilsners are Lagers, as are Octoberfest beers.

I enjoy a good Lager, always have. It's the German in me. A big glass of Stella Artois or Pilsner Urquell, a nice mug of a crisp Samual Adams Boston Lager or a pint glass of Yuengling. All good stuff. Refreshing and enjoyable. The problem is that when I am presented with a choice, a mult-tap pub with its fair share of Ales, I am drawn to the Ale. I enjoy the smoothness, the light carbonation, the warmer (supposed) serving temperature. The easy drinkingness, the way a pint can go down in four or five gulps. A well made Ale is a beauty to behold. But, the biggest draw is the romanticism. Downing pints of Ale, knowing that the most famous characters in literature were doing the same, it's just plain alluring. So until, Sinbad asks for a Lager, I'll mostly drink Ale.

By the way, after I re-read these paragraphs, the phrase "Lagers for all!" sounds pretty good too!

The Beers:

Ironically, my first beer is a lager.

Ayinger Oktoberfest-Marzen: Octoberfest beer, 5.6% alcohol. Pours a medium, reddish color with a thick head. Mild, malty smell. Light to thin first taste with lots of carbonation. Billed as an authentic festival lager. Drinkable and tasty. True to style. Good beer, but you can taste a big difference between this beer and a lot of American Microbrews. I prefer the American interpertations.

Rogue Smoke Ale: Smoke beer is an acquired taste, one that I enjoy. Rogue Smoke Ale poured an amber color with a thin head. The beer had a nice burnt wood, smokey smell to it. You can immediately taste the smoke with the first mouthfull. These beers go great with smoked meat and cheeses. Rogue's Ale was very good.

Flying Fish ESB: Extra Special Bitter Ale. Poured a nice red color with a medium ale head. Very Smooth. I had this beer on tap, served at 45 degrees. A very good English Style Ale with a hint of Flying Fish. Drinkable and Enjoyable.

The Hangovers Hurt More Than They Used Too!

2005-10-11T12:10:00.000-07:00

To paraphrase a line from an Old Hank Jr. song, is it just me, or do the hangovers hurt more than they used too? It's probably me. I seem to have always had a problem with hangovers. In a way, it is a mixed blessing. The thought of one is always present in the back of my mind, and that thought can sure curb ones enthusiasm for overdoing it, most of the time. In college, it seemed like you could do no wrong. Beers all night? No problem. It was a different story when other types of alcohol were thrown into the mix. Maybe that is why I never became a mixed drink drinker.

On the occasional night that enthusiasm could not be curbed, a mind splitting headache would be with me for most of the next day. The type of headache that makes a person swear off booze, forever. Or until the next week anyway. I remember a few times that my father would be down for a visit or at a party with some of my friends and the alcohol would be flowing. Pop would always wake up fresh as a daisy and never complain, while I was laid up wishing for death. I thought, "Man, it will be nice when I get older and these hangovers will stop." Yeah, right. I never did build up the antibodies for a hangover the way my father did. So, instead, I went on the search for the ultimate preventative hangover cures.

The weirdest thing I have noticed about myself, is if I go a few days, say Monday through Thursday, without drinking more than one beer a day, the first day that I have four or more beers, I get a wicked headache the following morning. But, then the next day, I am good to go and headaches are non-existent. The first day is like a vaccination of beer and the next day I am immune. Strange.

I have perfected a pre-beer drinking ritual that allows me to be semi- productive the next morning. I fill up a big glass of water before heading out and pop down a few vitamin B complex capsules along with a couple of fish oil capsules. Too much alcohol, naturally dehydrates the body, so a big glass of water helps to start the evening with a nice base. ( I will drink a couple of more glasses during the evening, depends on if the beers are flowing into me.) The vitamin B replaces the vitamin B that the alcohol takes out of your system and the fish oil is good for brain function. When I come home, I have another couple of glasses of water followed by more of the same vitamins. Next, a full tablespoon of pure honey is forced down my throat. The honey replaces the sugar that the alcohol takes from the brain. The honey trick is an old Vermont Folk Medicine for preventing hangovers. Mind you, I only do this when I know that I am going to be drinking over a long period of time, say at a Mark Haynie Beer Night, or a Michael Jackson tutored tasting. It works. The only issue is when you don't know you are going to be drinking more than you should. That is when you are caught with your pants down, so to speak. If I remember, I'll try to drink a lot of water before bed, but I usually don't, so I wake up with a bad headache and then I swear I'll never have another beer again. But, the next evening roles around and there is that bottle of Belgian Ale staring at me from the fridge!

The Beer

Smutty Nose Wheat Wine Ale: This beer poured a dark, cloudy, orange color and gave off a nice, sweet barley odor. The first taste was of definite Barleywine characteristics, but the after taste changed to a well balanced hoppy finish. I love a good barley wine. The Wheat Wine Ale is a barleywine / wheat beer hybrid. Very good. This should win some awards. Get it while you can, it will only be around for a little while longer. Brewed by Smutty Nose. www.smuttynose.com ( This Just In: Wheat Wine won the Gold Medal at the Great American Beer Festival. I knew I could pick a winner! Congratulations!)

BarHarbor Blueberry Ale: This micro, brewed by Atlantic Brewing Co. , Bar Harbor, Maine poured a beautiful reddish color with a nice thin ale head. The smell gave off a hint of Blueberry touched with hops. Very nicely carbonated. The first taste was very slightly fruity, but nothing like a fruit beer. The Blueberry gave the ale a distinctive taste. You could pick up blueberry and hops with each swallow. Damn good beer. Very drinkable. www.atlanticbrewing.com

Allagash Curieux October 2004: I purchased a case of Curieux last year when my daughter was born. I saved a few bottles for her first birthday and I am saving a few more for her 21st and maybe even a wedding and a grandchild. I hope it will last that long because it is absolutely fabulous. Belgian Ale aged in Kentucky Oak Bourbon Barrels. 10% alcohol, it is one incredible beer. The October 2004 aged very well and the excellent tastes were even more pronounced than when I first purchased it. For your sake, I hope they brew a 2005 version. Stock up! www.allagash.com

Tun Tavern Freedom Ale: One of the best Barley wines I have ever had. Awesome. This beer has won awards in the Barley wine category. Brewed at the Tun Tavern in Atlantic City, New Jersey, it is simply awesome. Thankfully, they only serve it in 10oz glasses. It is 11% alcohol! http://www.tuntavern.com/

Drinking Beer With My Daughter

2005-09-23T12:34:00.000-07:00

I have a baby at home. She is a beautiful, bouncing, blonde, baby girl. She'll be one year old very soon. This whole father thing is very new to me and I am learning as I go along. The other day, I was staring off into space, as I usually do and wondered, "what will it be like to eventually share a beer with my daughter?" I was thinking about the idea of a proud father sharing a pint with his son. Not having a boy, and being an equal opportunity parent, I imagined the same scenario with my daughter. Don't tell my wife this, and please correct me if I am wrong, but, I feel as if that first legal pint at the local pub while watching a game or having pleasant conversation is a milestone that I should be looking forward to.

I have a couple of memories of my Father and I drinking a few beers together during my college years. I have this feeling that it was something he looked forward to. A father & son bonding, the sharing of something special that we could both enjoy together. It has been years since college, and my father and I continue to bond in this "special" way, too often and too much, according to my mother. But I would like to think, that the first time was special for Dad. I would bet he really enjoyed it when I made my way to the bar and bought him a beer (Probably, with his money. Now it seems, I am the one who purchases all the beer). My dad actually has decent taste in beer. One year, I tried to trick him and poured a canned Light beer into a pint glass, telling him it was a rare imported beer from Germany. He took one sip and said, "tastes like piss."

I am looking forward to teaching my daughter some of the important things I learned in my life. Not the least being, that beer is a special drink to be respected and enjoyed, that not all beers are created equally and too many beers are not a good thing. But more importantly, a pint or two can bring a little girl a little closer to her dad.

Now the reviews:

Don de Dieu, from Canada's Unibroue: One more wheat beer made it under the wire before summer ended and fall began. This 750ml corked champagne bottle was loaded with a classic wheat beer. Good smell, thick head, great aftertaste. All About Beer Magazine gave this beer top honors in its category. The only problem, if this is a problem, is that the beer was 9% alcohol. Summer wheat beers in my fridge are typically light in alcohol. This baby was a killer. Halfway through the two pint bottle, you're drunk already. At least I was. Very good beer. Deserves its ranking.

King Lager, from Victoria, Australia: Finally, a real Australian Beer made it to South Jersey. King Lager had a sweet taste to it. Went down very smooth. The coolest thing about it was it poured a thick head, just like a homebrew head. It looked like an Ice Cream float in the mug. The head stayed for the duration too. This was a decent beer and would make a great addition in the cooler at the beach.

Long Trail IPA, from Vermont: This IPA poured a nice light, amber color, with a very thin, typical ale head. Mild, hoppy smell. The taste was light, crisp and very refreshing. The hops were present in a very pleasant drinkable manner, not over powering at all. Long Trail IPA is a great "drinking beer." You could easily stick with this beer over an afternoon of football and be extremely happy. A picture of the bottle should be in the dictionary next to the term "session beer."

Yards ESA, Extra Special Ale, from Philadelphia: In contrast to the above, the hops are out and playing around in this beer. Moderately, strong, hoppy taste. ESA is bottle conditioned to the point of actually being alive. Every bottle of the six pack I purchased, poured a thick head, that never went away. The beer was so alive, I had to wait for it to settle before I could finish pouring in the bottle. They don't call this beer special without a reason. ESA was just the beer I was looking for to go with a nice Thai dinner. Very enjoyable beer.

Gonzo Imperial Porter, Flying Dog Brewery from Colorado: This beer was a special edition beer in memory of the prolific writer Hunter S. Thompson. The owners of the brewery were friends with Gonzo. Someone, ok, me, needs to start writing letters to the brewers. This beer cannot stay a seasonal or special only selection. When I tell you, it was the best damn porter I ever put in my mouth, I am not lying. It may be the best damn beer I ever put in my mouth. Incredible. It actually defies description. I shared this beer with a few friends, without saying anything about how I liked it. I saw first sips, blank stares, second sips, then the words "wow" come out of mouths. I need more of this. Now.

Since their Porter was so good and I really like Octoberfest beer, when I saw Flying Dog Brewery's Dogtoberfest, I grabbed a six pack. Deep, dark, red with a thin ale-ish head, this beer beer was lightly carbonated and smooth like a cask conditioned mild ale. Very tasty. I enjoyed this beer and felt it is exactly what an Octoberfest Beer should be like. A beer you could enjoy all day at an Octoberfest celebration with not too many ill effects the next morning. Clang some mugs filled with Flying Dog together and celebrate the seaon.

The Wheat Beer Wars

2005-09-09T17:15:00.000-07:00

For me, the end of summer marks the end of imbibing one of my favorite styles of brew...The wheat beer. I am a huge fan of Weisse, Witt and Hefe-Weizan beer. These beers signify fun in the summer sun. The refreshing taste and moderate alcohol content lend itself to a thirst quenching experience. The first wheat beer I ever had was in the late eighties in a beer bar called Taco Max located in Atlanta, Georgia. Taco Max was known for their very hot chicken wings and their over 100 different bottles of beer. I was perusing the menu, when the name Hoegarden came up. Naturally I pronounced it Hoe, not Who, and was completely sold on the name. I ordered one. Thankfully, it was a hot summer day and we were drinking on the outside deck, the refreshing, thirst quenching taste made me fall in love with the beer, and it has been a favorite of mine ever since. Incidently, I still pronounce it with a Hoe for sentimental reasons.

Wheat Beer Wars

I took the time this summer, to try a variety of wheat beers. I battled one beer against the other and wittled the compatants down to one victor. Here are the contenders:
Schneider Weisse Hefeweizan
Paulaner Hefeweizan
Franziskaner Hefeweizan
Hacker-Pschorr Weisse
Ayinger Brau Weisse
Schneider Weisse (original)
Schneider's Organic Wiesen Edel-Weisse
Hoegarden
Ommegang Witte
Julius Echter Hefe-Weiss

Quite a list. This was one war that I wished did not end. Here is my personal critique.

Schneider Weisse Original German Hefeweizan: This beer poured a dark, ruddy color with a thin head that died quickly. No outstanding odor. 1st taste was a little thick for a wheat beer. The after taste did not leave a strong impression, though the beer was enjoyable. I give the first 80z a 3.5 out of 5 and the second 8oz a 4 out of 5.

Ayinger Brau-Weisse: Poured a very thick head. The 1st taste let you know you had a classic. The smell of cloves was every where. The after taste was perfect. Again, cloves everywhere. This was a very fine beer and a great representative of the style. I gave it a 4.5 out of 5 for the first 80z and a 5 out of 5 for the second 80z.

Paulaner Hefe-Weizen: This beer poured a medium light to dark, cloudy color with a nice thick head. The odor was nothing to really mention. 1st taste was very refreshing and the after taste was not overpowering. (For me, wheat beer after taste is enjoyable when it is overpowering) 1st 60z, I give it a 4 out of 5. The second 6oz gets another 4 out of 5.

Hacker-Pschorr Weisse: Light, cloudy color with a thick head that disipates quickly. Light clovey smell, not too strong. 1st taste was very refreshing. The after taste had the cloves at just the right level. 1st 6oz, 4 out of 5. The 2nd 60z, 4.5 out of 5.

Ommegang Witte: The first taste was incredible, but the after taste was not what I was looking for. This beer had more of a dry champagne taste. Very crisp with bubbly sensations. 1st 12oz, 4 out of 5. The second 12oz got a 4.5 out of 5. Hey, it came in a big bottle!

Hoegarden Witt: Very light colored, cloudy beer. Lots of muck in the bottom of the bottle! The odor was heavy in corinder. The first taste, was smooth and light. The after taste was very light, crisp and airy. Not very clovey. 1st 60z, I gave it 4 out of 5. The 2nd 60z received a 4 out of 5.

Schneider's Organic Wiesen Edel-Weisse: I have a thing for organic foods, so this was exciting for me. The color was light amber with a aromatic clovey smell. The 1st taste was mellow, not overpowering. Aftertaste was full of cloves, coriander and other spices. Very good beer. 1st 4 out of 5, 2nd 6oz, 4 out of 5. I bought this beer multiple times this summer.

Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse: This beer is another one of my favorites. Brings back memories of eating huge pizza slices at the Saw Mill Tavern on the Boardwalk in Seaside Heights, NJ. Funny thing is, once again, my beer taste was impeccable when I was just out of high school. This was my first wheat beer without knowing I was drinking a wheat beer. This beer pours a nice thick head with plenty of staying power. Very light and cloudy with an excellent aftertaste. I give this beer a 4.5 for the 1st 6oz and a 4.5 for the second 60z.

Julius Echter Hefe-Weiss: As I write this I am sipping on a Julius Echter, beer, that is. Julius founded the University of Wurzburg in Germany, sometime in the 1500's. Yes, useless information, but like I said, I am sipping on a Julius Echter, beer, that is, as I write this. Light, cloudy color with a weak smell. The first taste was thin, but the after taste was pleasantly clovey. 1st 60z, I gave it a 3 out of 5 and the second 6 oz, I gave it a 3.5 out of 5. Not the best beer to write with.

And the winner is, Ayinger Brau-Weisse Bavarian Hefe-Weizen. This was a terrific beer and incredibly well done. If you can find it before the fall gets here, grab a few and enjoy. Congrats to the runner up, Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse. This beer stood the test of time for me, as the first time I tried it was in 1981. As far as my favorite summer beer goes, Hoegarden, even though it didn't get the top score, it will still have a place in my fridge.

A Brutal Brew Tool

2005-08-31T02:54:00.000-07:00

As I have mentioned in previous writings, the road that led me to beer enlightenment started off with a Black & Tan. I remember the evening clearly. My rugby team had just finished a preseason, evening practice session at our new field in Atlantic City. Being it was summer and the temperature was high in the 80's, with typical Jersey Shore humidity, sweat, lots of sweat was the order of the day. Our playing field, due to much planning on my part, was located around the corner from a pub. In rugby, being the game is quite physical and physically demanding, pub locale is essential. Thirsty, tired boys need to be replenished... quickly. Another well known fact about rugby is that it is also a gentlemen's game (ironic, being there is nothing gentle about it). The gentlemen part is that before and after the game, the players are very well mannered and leave whatever happened on the field, on the field. That being said, there is an aspect to the game that is very social. The home team is required to host an after match party with plenty of beer and food for the opposing team. Thus, the second reason for the close proximity of a local pub. In our case, it was the Irish Pub across from Bader Field in Atlantic City.

This brings me back to our first practice session. After the practice, we ended up at the Irish Pub, where a few of my teammates had ordered Black & Tans. I had just walked up to the bar and was about to order my typical Light Beer when I noticed this strange, oddly colored beer. Black on the top and a distinct line in the middle separating it from another beer. I had to try this concoction. When my pint was given to me and I raised the glass and took a sip, I didn't like what I tasted. I drank it down but didn't like it. I actually preferred the top portion, so my next order was a straight Guinness which I thought was Ok. By the third Guinness, I was in love. But I digress.

Now, years later and a much greater appreciation of beer, I actually enjoy a Black & Tan. Once I entered the world of Ale and learned to drink that style of beer with enthusiasm, the Black & Tan became a lot easier to enjoy. A Black and Tan is typically a Stout or Porter poured over an Ale. In Ireland, you never want to order a Black & Tan, as it is a derogatory term associated with the Irish Troubles of the 1920's. A Half & Half is the term used in Ireland. This will get you a Guinness and a Harp Lager.

A few weeks ago, I was stumbling around the Internet when I came across a website for a Black & Tan spoon. This is a tool used to pour the perfect Black & Tan. This spoon was in the shape of a Lagerhead Turtle and was called the Brutul. I ordered one and it was shipped to my door for all of eleven bucks. Let me tell you, I have been having a blast ever since. When the Brutul arrived I couldn't wait to make a B&T, so I ran out to buy a six back of Bass Ale (my never depleted stock of Guinness is always ready). I thought it would be a trick to pour, but it was as simple as can be. I had the perfect Black & Tan at home. The fun part was reading the card that came with the Brutul. It listed recipes of all the different combinations you could make. For instance, a Black Velvet is Guinness and champagne. The Patriot is Guinness and Sam Adams. I decided to make up a few of my own. A "Der Dubliner" is Guinness and a Hackor Schorr EdelBrau Ale. Very Good combo. A "GuinnyLing" is A Guinness and Yuengling. Nice taste and a terrific color. Yuengling has that nice reddish color. My next combo, which I personally feel will be the rage at all the better beer bars, is a "Dirty Hoe." Pour a Guinness on top of a Hoegarden for a summer treat. Can you imagine ordering a couple of Dirty Hoes from your bartender? For the conservatives among us, think of your garden tool after a hard day in the dirt. For the rest of you, keep your mind off of Pacific Avenue.

The Brutul can be found at www.brutul.com or e-mail bill@brutul.com. This is a great little purchase and makes a very affordable gift that will be the talk of the party.

Beer Snobbery & Victory Does It Again

2005-08-11T12:50:00.000-07:00

To paraphrase (and directly change) the funniest line from the movie Sideways, "If anybody orders the F*!@#% king Budweiser, I am out of here!" The question of the day, is when did I become a beer snob? My taste in beer started out good, went to bad, became better and now it is located right in the middle of outright snobbery. How did this happen? One day I am filling the cooler up with cases of Miller Lite and the next day I am buying champagne corked bottles of Belgium Ale. The ascent to fine beer was as rapid as a 4 bottle of Barleywine headache.

As it stands now, I can trace the beer snob roots to my latter rugby days. It all started when the team used to go to the Irish pub and someone forced me to have a traditional pour Black & Tan. Wasn't fond of it, but kept at it. This turned to an ungodly affection for Guinness Draught. Once I crossed the Guinness line, I knew there were other beers out there. I became a member of a micro beer of the month club. Even during my beer of the month tenure, my tastes were still below par, as most beers I didn't enjoy. At least I still had my domestic swill to fall back on.

I have to say the turning point for myself was in the Philadelphia Airport. I was on my way to Atlanta for a conference. I found a book in the bookstore called, "The Good Beer Book", by Tim Harper and Garret Oliver. Man, that book opened my eyes. It had stories about the brewing industry, the history of beer, the beer itself, it actually made my mouth want to try good beer. The other thing that the book accomplished is that it made me want to try home brewing. I casually mentioned this to my wife and never really thought of it again. That Christmas, my wife bought me a complete home brewing kit, including the pots and pans. I brewed a German Bock and an Irish Red Ale. From that moment on, a "regular" beer was no longer good enough for me. I subscribed to Beer magazines, purchased Beer books and went to Michael Jackson beer tastings. When I go out of town, I search for micro breweries and beer bars. When I stay in town, I go to the local with the best beer selections. It gets worse, I even stop in the beer store just to "look" and see if anything is new. That's not too bad, but I do it weekly!

Beer snob? I don't know. Beer lover, yes indeed. I love to talk beer, read beer and most importantly enjoy beer. Beer is the F *&%#@ king best!

Time for reviews:

Victory Saison Ale- Victory Brewing is the awesome brewery from Downingtown, Pennsylvania. Their V12 is one of my favorite brews. I was very anxious to try their Saison. Saison is a style of beer brewed in the southern part of Belgium, the French-speaking part. Saisons are a rustic beer brewed in early spring to be consumed in the summer months. A very refreshing beer. I saved my Victory Saison to have with a very large plate of spicy Blue Claw Crabs on a hot summer evening. I worked hard catching crabs all weekend and put together a feast for my wife and myself. Saisons, I am told go best with sausage, duck or lamb. Three foods I can live without. To me, a summer beer calls out for crabs. And they were perfect together. The first thing you have to notice about a Victory Saison is the smell. Pour it in a wide mouthed glass and you will not believe the aroma. Incredible! The color is very golden and the beer pours a thick head. The first taste lives up to the purpose of the beer. Extremely refreshing. The taste is actually divided up into three parts. When it hits the mouth, it is a little bitter (nice) and then it turns to a dry, spicy sensation. The Victory Saison finishes up with a very refreshing taste. The beer itself came in a champagne cork 750ml bottle and poured two nice size glasses. Get yourself a V Saison Ale before the summer is over! Go to www.victorybeer.com and check out all the other fine beers.

Samuel Smith's (England) Organic Ale & Organic Lager- This was probably redundant, I mean beer, especially good beer, is made from all natural ingredients. Organic means that the ingredients (hops, barley, malt) were not treated with any pesticides or unnatural plant food and fertilizers. Being a health nut, I try to eat as much organic food as possible, so I decided to give the beer a try. Couldn't tast the "Organic-ness", but really liked the beer. The Ale was smooth and had a nice hoppiness to it. The lager didn't have the (nice) harshness of a Cech lager/pilsner, and it didn't need it. The beer was strong tasting on its own in a smoother way. Both were very enjoyable and I felt much healthier afterwards.

Do you remember your first time? Plus, the fish are flying in South Jersey!

2005-07-24T08:13:00.000-07:00

I was wondering to myself a week or so ago, "What was the first beer I have ever had?" I was very surprised with my answer considering all of the "dark years" spent swilling mass produced, watered down, canned beer. I was 16 years old on the verge of turning 17, so this puts me back in the summer of 1979. My friends and I decided to start drinking beer. The legal drinking age was 18 and I was a big guy at that time, so I was the one elected to make the purchase at the liquor store. The three of us, after perusing the aisles, decided on one six pack of Moosehead Canadian Beer. My first beer was a real beer. Go figure. At that age, I would have thought that advertisements from Bud and Miller would have went right to our heads. I can even still sing the jingles to mass made Piels, Schmidts and Schaeffer. Those beers never even made the cut.

The funny thing is, I remember our next beers being from Molson, Heineken and Gennesee Cream Ale. Not bad for a teen age high school student. I won't get into the fact that a high school student shouldn't be drinking illegally and behind his parents back, but I will say, we drank way more responsibly in high school then we did when we were in college. A six pack between three guys? And if we happened to be in a car, believe it or not, one of our friends wouldn't drink a drop. A designated driver before they even came up with the term. That's the way it was for me back then, a couple beers every now and again, sometimes a little more. I don't know what happened when I was introduced to higher education. My taste in beer went down hill, as I guess my income did ( I had a lucrative job mowing lawns in High School). I remember a story that took place at college in Atlanta, where my friends and I found a local swill beer called Drewrys. It was about $8.00 a case, plus you returned the bottles for a $1.50 refund. When we were trying to hook up with girls we would tell them that we purchased an exotic French beer pronounced Drewray`. The sad truth is that I think the beer was brewed with water (unfiltered) from the Chattahoochie River. Oh, the headaches the next day.

Those college years were fun even though they were devoid of taste. I guess it would be a waste playing Quarter Bounce with Guinness Stout or Hoegarden. I figure a college kid's instinct is not too bad. It's tough to damage yourself when the only alcoholic beverage you have during the night, even in quantity, was Miller Lite. I used to say, "Boy this Miller Lite is great, about a 45 minutes after you stop drinking, you feel like you never even had one!"

The Fish are Flying in South Jersey...

Flying Fish Brewery from Cherry Hill, New Jersey has their seasonal Summer Farmhouse Ale on select taps and in bottles all around the North East. The Farmhouse Ale is a sharp, crisp beer with just enough hop flavor to make you go, "Ahhh, hoppy!" The beer is surprising light in color compared to the full taste. I enjoyed a few last night with a beautifully grilled steak, grilled eggplant (Aubergines, for you Europeans), yellow squash and grilled red potatoes. The meal was great due in no small part to the beer which was a major high-lite.

Also, try their Belgian Style Dubbel. Nice. And I have mentioned this before, I can't wait for September, because Flying Fish makes one of the best Octoberfest beers around there.

I ate the worm and the girl cried

2005-07-07T11:36:00.000-07:00

My wife and I were visiting family over the weekend when the conversation turned to "crazy things that were done while intoxicated." My wife turned to me and said, "remember that time you made the Girl Scout cry at the Red Bank Music Festival." When I heard that, I knew I was in trouble. As she told the story, it made me laugh. A) Because it was funny and B) because of nostalgia. It used be when you were in your late teen years and early 20's, you could come up with a story like that every weekend, now it seems you are "lucky" if something funny happens every couple of years. Now, don't get me wrong, it is nice to grow up, but I will never begrudge someone a harmless intoxication every once in a blue moon.

My not yet wife and I were enjoying a hot, summer afternoon on the river at the Red Bank Music Festival with another couple. My buddy and I were enjoying a few beers and a occasional bottle of Snapple mixed with Rum (Not a good combo, especially in the heat). After a few hours, hunger set in, so we were off to visit the food booths set up around the park. As we stumbled around, we came upon a 4H booth where the volunteer was lecturing a pack of Brownie Girl Scouts on the merits and biology of the earth worm. After the class, the volunteer asked if there was any questions. I stepped up and asked, "What do they taste like?" Before there was an answer, I scooped a few up and wolfed them down. As we ran away, I could hear one of the Brownie Scouts crying over the fate of the swallowed worm.

Later that afternoon, we took a ride on a riverboat. A discussion ensued about "time". I chirped in with my two cents that time meant very little to me. To prove my point, I ripped off my favorite watch and much to the shock of many an innocent bystander, I threw it in the river. I miss that watch. Other than the memory of the hangover the next morning, you can see why my wife bringing up this discussion would provide a few chuckles. Like I mentioned at the top of the story, a harmless intoxication can be quite nostalgic.

Now, on to the beers.

Samual Adams Black Lager: This was a very good beer. Usually I am not too fond of the Sam Adams dark beers, but this one was done very nicely. Enjoyable. It will rank up there with the Sammy lager, ale, summer fest and winter fest brews.

Blanche de Chambly White Ale from Unibroue: Big disappointment. Hoegarden is one of my favorite white beers. This beer tasted exactly like Hoegarden. That was my disapointment. I wanted to try something that would taste differently. Couldn't taste the orange that the description said I would. I give the brewers credit though. Unibroue is a Canadian Brewery that brews Belgium style beer. Well, they got this one dead on.

Pierre Celis Signature Collection, Grotten Brown: Speaking of Hoegarden and Belgium beers, Celis is the man who got the party started. The Grotten Brown was aged in the Valkenburg Caverns. The beer tasted as good as it was rugged.

La Trappe Tripel: Trappist Ale brewed in the Abbey of Koning-Shoeven. Very smooth dark, strong ale. This Monk filled Abbey is in Holland. Which now makes it one of the few beers I enjoy from Holland.

Hennepin Ale: Ommegang Brewery, Cooperstown New York. A hoopy, crisp farmhouse ale, named after the priest who discovered Niagra Falls. Worth going over in a barrel for.

Becks Premier Light: I know, why would I even try this beer? One word, marketing. The TV Commercials brag about it having the fewest calories of any real beer. 64 calories per 12 oz. I wanted to see how much it tasted like water and the other water based light beers. Guess what? This beer has taste. Tastes like a real beer. I venture to say that it tastes better than most of our big brands' regular full bodied beers. This one will take the place of any other light beer for me. You have to try it.

The Round-Up: Dr. J's European Adventure Comes to a Close

2005-06-19T11:00:00.000-07:00

My wife and I left Dublin for a long weekend in Paris, France. I wasn't too excited about the beer scene as we would be in one of Europe's wine meccas. The two most popular French beers in France are Kronenbourg and 1664. They remind me a little too much of the popular American beers. 1664, though had more taste and was enjoyable. Sort of like drinking a Yuengling. Thankfully, Belgium is close by, so most of the Taverns had Leffe on tap. Leffe is a quality Belgium beer that never fails to please. I prefer the Blonde. As in beer style. Ok, and also as in my wife. I am a sucker for a blonde. Back to the beer. Leffe brews a Blonde and Brown. The Blonde is lighter and more refreshing on a hot day. The Brown is a nice winter warmer.

After Paris, I had a business trip in Geneva, Switzerland. This was one of those one day, fly in, fly out trips. After my meeting, I had scheduled ample time for a local pub visit before I had to make it to the airport. As luck would have it, across the street from the train station (that takes me to the airport) was a pub called, "Les Brasseurs." The pub made its own beers. My only problem was that I didn't speak the language and my waitress didn't speak English. So, I had to point at names on the menu and nod my head up and down politely. I managed to have a few very good, well made beers and to top off my experiance, I met a whole table full of college students who were drinking out of their own "table keg." Never saw one before, but now I see them in all the better living catalogs. It is a very tall, plastic cylinder filled with beer and a tap at the bottom or base. I think they were charging around $70.00 for a full one to be brought out to your outside table. The kids seemed to be having a ball. The "table keg" was almost empty, so I better change "seem" to "were", as in they were having a ball.

My next adventure had me in Brussels, Belgium. I was very excited about going to Brussels. I love Belgium beer. The thought of going to this tiny, little country that brews over 400 different beers was sort of like a child trying to go to sleep on Christmas Eve. Brussels is a great city to visit. We (I went with another chiropractor from Dublin) spent most of the time in the "Grand Place." The Grand Place is a big square in the center of the city. Adjoining the square are alleys lined with shops, taverns and restaurants. Other than beer, Brussels is also known for its food, primarily dishes with Mussels and it is also famous for its Frites. A fried potato like a french frie that you dip in a mayo type sauce. Just writing this is making me hungry for mussels and frites. The beer sampling was tremendous. The only problem was that because a lot of the Belgium beers are high in alcohol, after you ate, you were ready for a nap or bed. An interesting side note is that in all the countries I visited, they all had an Irish Pub in them. Not a bad thing for sure, but the weird thing was that they were always full of Irish people away on a holiday. I would have thought that if you were "getting away", you would want to try something different. The Guinness was always flowing and the Irish were always singing, just like in Dublin.

Being German and being proud of the German Brewing heritage, I was very happy when I was asked to speak in Hamburg, Germany (Yes, it is really true that the Hamburger came from Hamburg). Hamburg also brews a beer called Astra. I tried to get into the brewery, but it was closed the Sunday I was roaming around. Astra is a light, lager/pilsner style beer. It is brewed by St. Pauli Girl. It is also the official beer of the college age backpacker, because it is cheap. I tried a few. Nothing to complain about. A crisp light beer. On the other hand, after my speaking engagement, the attendees took me out for a beer and dinner. Guess where they tried to take me? An Irish Pub. I protested loudly until they found me an authentic German Tavern. This tavern's specialty was Kolsch Beer. The beer came out in a wooden rack holding ten, 8oz glasses of Dom Kolsch. The glasses were small and narrow. I thought the rack was to share with the table. It turns out the rack was for me. I smell a hangover coming on. After two racks and an evening in bed. I said goodbye to Hamburg. The funny thing is, my hosts pocketed the wooden rack, the ten glasses and sent me home with them. I packed the glasses in my suit case, but the German security gaurds would not let me take the wooden rack on the plane. Try pleading with a German Security officer. Fat chance. I didn't get my rack.

The last place I visited in my European adventure was London, England. I flew over to meet my wife's sister who was there for a weekend visit. She used to live in London, so I was given the insiders tour. I really enjoyed London. The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) organization has kept real ale alive and well in the London Pubs. It was great to be able to have a cask conditioned pint of ale at any time. Especially along with a big Sheperds Pie or some Fish and Chips. The best part about my trip was that it was during the Rugby World Cup. This was England's year that they won the whole shabang. The electricity in the air was palpable. At the time of my visit, Ireland was still playing good rugby and they were to be playing France at 7am English time, Sunday morning. (The World Cup was played in Austrailia). My sister-in-law had me up and in the pub where she used to live by 6am for the pre-game drink-up. Thank God for cellar temperature beer early in the morning. My only problem with the morning and the pub was that it was in a French speaking neighborhood. Here I sat with my Irish Rugby jersey among very loud, cheering Frenchmen, whom I couldn't understand. The Irish decided to play bad that morning and after 4 or 5 pints, I think I started to speak French. After the match, I had my sister-in-law take me to, you guessed it, an Irish Pub. It seems I was a little home sick.

Holy Head Batman: Dr. J's Excellent European Beer Adventure Part Three

2005-06-07T17:03:00.000-07:00

As you can tell by the jist of my European Beer Adventure, proximity is everything. The closeness of all of these great beer drinking countries is a traveler's dream. For instance, I went to bed one Saturday evening thinking about how nice it would be to have a cask conditioned, celler temperature, English Bitter. The craving was pretty strong, but the problem was that it was impractical for me to go to the airport on Sunday and book a flight, albiet short, to England and be back the same evening. Now, don't get me wrong, ala my New Castle trip, it can be done. But I don't like to stress myself out on Sundays with the next day being Monday and work and all. Then, out of nowhere, an idea hit me. Take the ferry to Wales. Wales is attached to England, there must be Bitter there.

On Sunday morning I headed out to sea via the Irish Ferries. I decided to take the leisurely 3 hour trip across the Irish Sea to Holyhead, Wales and then take the high speed (1.5 hours), catamaran ferry back to Dublin. If you have never been on a Ferry in Europe, you are in for a big treat. My only experiance with Ferries, would be the ones we have here in the States. The Ferries are usually small here and not extravagant at all. Think Cape May Ferry. The Irish Sea Ferry had 11 decks, multiple restaurants, bars, live entertainment, movie theater and various shops. It looked like a cruise ship and in fact was bigger than at least one cruise ship I have been on. The catamaran ferry was a lot smaller, but it did not sacrifice comfort for speed. I even managed to watch Adam Sandler as Mr. Deeds in the boat's theater on the way home. But, I am getting ahead of myself.

On my trip to Wales, I had a very nice breakfast, wandered out on the deck to see the sea, and then parked my self in the lounge and listened to two Irish gentleman perform Jimmie Buffet songs. I resisted the temptation to have a couple of pints of Guinness on the ride. Afterall, wouldn't have that defeated my purpose? I arrived in Holyhead right on schedule and wandered off of the ship without a map or guidebook. I was only looking for a pub, how hard could it be? It wasn't. A short walk up the hill found me in front a a pub called The Boston. A little sign beneath the sign said, "Always a Warm & Friendly Welcome." Sounded good to me. It was a real hangout. Like one of the old waterfront, dock workers bars you see in the old movies. There were a half a dozen Welsh man watching a car race on the TV and a few shooting pool. I sat down at the bar and perused the taps. Guinness, Bud, Stella, Carlsburg. It wasn't looking good. I said to the bartender, where are the real Ales? Thankfully, he pointed to another part of the bar and there they were, three or four hand drawn, beer engine taps filled with cask conditioned Ale. My day was made.

The bartender was a long, haired rock and roller type fellow. He asked me if I was a Yank. He was pretty impressed when I told him that I had taken the ferry to Wales just to have a few pints. He spread the word to the other "gentlemen" and before you know it I was made to feel very welcome and full. The bar kept buying me pints of Ale until I told them my ship was about to leave. I wobbled back down the hill, jumped on the ferry and settled back to watch an Adam Sandler movie, which incidently, was very funny. Or was it the Ale?

Dr. J's Excellent European Beer Adventure Part Two

2005-04-27T14:25:00.000-07:00

Once I had exhausted the beer supply in Ireland, it was time to bring my taste buds to other countries. Europe, with all of its different countries in close proximity, has unique travel advantages. For instance, in the United States, one can hop on a plane and fly for 1 - 2 hours and be in another state. In Ireland, a plane hop for 1-2 hours gets you in another country. Weekend trips to other countries are common place. Even better, the price is right!

Europe, Ireland specifically, has a low cost airline called Ryanair. It is a no frills airline with very, and I mean very low airline prices. One weekend, I had got the notion in my head that I wanted to drink Newcastle Brown Ale in Newcastle , England. So, I flew overthere for about $18.00 round trip. There was one catch on this outing. Ryanair flights that fit my schedule were not the best for a rewarding and relaxing trip. I flew out of Dublin at 8:30pm Saturday and booked a return flight for 10am the next day. 12 hours in Newcastle. 12 hours that I had to make the best of. It didn't work out as well as I planned.

I landed in Newcastle and hailed a taxi around 9:30pm. By the time I had got to the city and checked into my hotel it was 10:00. I noticed that there was a very busy English "old style" pub across the street. The pub was named the Crown Pasada and it was my target for Newcastle Brown Ale. Since I hadn't eaten all day, I figured I would grab a bite to eat at Japanese buffet a few doors down. Most pubs do not sell food, especially in the evening. Prime drinking hours.

The Japanese food went down as fast as I could eat it and I then scurried over to the pub. Much to my chagrin and anger, the pub door was locked and nobody was inside. It was 11:05pm. I had forgot the pubs in England close at 11:00. My only choice now was to visit a night club. Night clubs are open most of the night. They are crowded with loud music and twenty something-year olds. Thankfully, I found Buffalo Joes.

Buffalo Joes is a night club that is similar to the college night spots in the states. Live bands that jam out on songs that everyone knows the words to. It was cool to hear songs like the Scottish eighties hit, " I can walk for miles" with everyone singing at the top of their lungs. Even better, the bartenders, girls dressed in skimpy cowboy outfits would jump up on the bar and do a song and dance number every 15 minutes or so. Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, the beer. I managed to get my New Castle Brown Ale that night. Buffalo Joes provides the Dog in 20oz bottles. Alas, no draft, which is what I really wanted. For your info, the Dog is what locals call New Castle Brown Ale. It seems Gentlemen would tell their spouse they were going out to walk the dog in the evening and they would end up at the local pub drinking a NC Brown Ale.

So, was the trip worth it? I didn't get the draft beer that inspired the trip, but I managed to have a fun night out. The bottled brown ale was very good, after all it was a big bottle. After two, how could it be bad? The next morning, I spent an hour walking around the city taking pictures of all the bridges. New Castle is the city of Bridges and a very beautiful city to take pictures of.

Next Blog, my adventures continue as I will discuss my trips to Paris, Brussels, Switzerland and Hamburg.

Dr. J's Excellent European Beer Adventure

2005-03-28T14:27:00.001-08:00

Last blog, I made mention of an opportunity that allowed me to work in Ireland for about a year and a half. In 2002, a close friend of mine, who practiced chiropractic in Dublin, invited me to join his business as a partner. Just as I was considering the business venture, I was appointed as chiropractic liaison to the World Health Organization. Seeing this as a great way to drink many different beers at their source, I jumped at the chance. No, seriously, this was my way of giving back to the profession and to allow myself the time for personal and professional growth. Oh, who am I kidding? This was a great opportunity to drink beer in different countries.

I ventured overseas and made my home in the Donnybrook section of Dublin. I lived for the weekly rugby matches and pints of Guinness in some of the best pubs in the area. My local (the term for your neighborhood pub) was Kiely's, home of the Leinster professional rugby team, which was just a few meters from Leinster's Donnybrook rugby stadium. I made a point of trying to visit different pubs in the area each weekend. Some of my favorites were Toners, Doheney & Nesbits and Donaghues on Baggot Street. The Stag's Head was another great pub, named for the huge stag's head mounted over the bar. These pubs were off the tourist path and were where the Dublinites hung out. The Guinness flowed through the beer lines with such frequency, it was not uncommon to see the Guinness delivery truck out front each morning. It was in these pubs that I could taste the difference in a pint of Guinness compared to the USA pint. The freshness you hear so much about was a fact in these pubs.

The typical Irish pub in Dublin had a few different beers on tap. Imported beers like Budweiser and Miller( Ha! and expensive too!) with the two standard European Imports, Heineken and Carlsburg. Add your Five taps of Guinness, a few Smithwick's Irish Ale taps, if you were lucky a Kilkenny Irish ale and that was about it. One or two pubs would have the German wheat beer favorite, Erdinger. In my opinion, it seemed most of the younger Irish would drink Lagers like Bud and Carlsburg and even a lot of Bulmers (a hard apple cider on tap), while the older gents would drink pints of Guinness. Budweiser markets their advertising overthere just as much as they do here. And I guess it is working. As for me, even though Guinness is my favorite brew, man cannot live on Guinness alone. This led me to my search for different beers.

Every now and then your mouth screams for a good lager. I wasn't about to start drinking mass made USA beer or even the Danish brands. That is when I found the star. Stella Artois from Belgium is probably one of the best lagers you could put your lips on. It is fairly common in most Dublin pubs, a few even have it on tap. My chant of "Stella, Stella" (think Brando in On the Waterfront) has gotten me through many a lager draught. Finding Stella Artois pointed me next in the direction of Czechoslovakia. It turns out, Dublin beer stores carry a fair number of Czech Pilsners. I was even able to drink the fabled Budweiser from the city of Budweis, not to be confused with Budweiser from the city of St. Louis. I never made it to Czechoslovakia or its main city, Prague, but after drinking so many of their native brews, it is now one of my must visit places.

The summer weather in Dublin is not what I would call summery. A hot day would be around 70 degrees F. When those days pop up you have to make make sure you have a huge glass of German wheat beer. As I mentioned, Erdinger wheat beer is the most popular Weiss beer and is one of the best. The Whole in the Wall pub located on the back wall of Phoenix Park, Dublin's answer to NY's Central Park, is the best place to go on a sunny, not so hot, summer day. The Whole in the Wall is named for the actually whole in the wall in the pub. The pub used to be a speakeasy and beers were passed through the hole in the wall. The pub butts up to Phoenix Park and the patrons grab their beers and go sit in the park on blankets, play frisbee and just lounge around. It's pretty funny, as the bar staff have to walk in the park to get their beer glasses back into the pub. The Erdinger is on tap and just goes great with the park atmosphere. The pub itself is pretty cool, as they have a carvery open all day. Carvery is the term the Irish use for buffet with hot carved meats, potatoes and vegetables. It is a gigantic plate of food, as good as moms, for only about 10 bucks. Local musicians show up at the pub and drink pints while "jamming" Irish folk songs or cover music. It is a very fun day.

That pretty much covers Dublin's beer scene except for two important items. One is the Brew Pubs. Dublin has two. Messrs. Maquires is right on the river off of O'Connell Street. This pub is awesome. The beers are all incredible, the view is great and the food is just as good. It is a very old pub, 4 stories high with good atmosphere. They brew a bitter that is out of this world. The Porter House at the end of the Temple Bar district brews their own beer and serves over 100 different beers of the world. This place is a beer lovers paradise. The Porter House makes an Oyster Stout ( Brewed with real oysters) that is probably one of the best stouts on the planet. It goes with out saying that a dish of fresh oysters, which they have, goes along great with their stout.

Lastly, you haven't been to Dublin unless you have experienced one of the Australian bars. Well actually, they cover all of the southern hemisphere including New Zealand, and South Africa. The two main pubs are the Down Under, off of Grafton St. and the Outback (not the USA chain) attached to the movie complex. The Down Under is really down under. It is in a basement. Both pubs are really good, but I prefer the Down Under. They serve all the real Australian beers ( Not Fosters) as well as South African and New Zealand varieties. It is a really fun place to go as it is filled with Australians. The Aussies are a great bunch. Never met one I didn't have a blast with. You wouldn't believe how the place is when one of the Southern Hemisphere Countries are playing rugby. A very wild time. The crowd is crazy and full of fun and booze!

Next blog, I will continue my adventure and tell you all about the other countries I visited and the beers that I drank.

The Brilliance of Guinness

2005-03-19T05:48:00.000-08:00

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, here are my thoughts on the liquid black stuff.

I'll never forget the day my lips first settled upon a pint glass filled with Guinness Stout. I picked up the glass and watched the beer settle into its calm blackness. I then raised the mighty stout to my mouth and gently poured in a hearty swallow. I almost gagged. It was 1993 and my usual beer tastes were formed around cases of Miller Lite and buckets of Rolling Rock. That night, my rugby mates encouraged me to finish the beer. Not one to waste alcohol, I tried again. Two swallows, three, half the pint. By the time I got to the bottom of the glass, Guinness was growing on me. By the time I finished my second pint, I was hooked. Guinness Draught became my beer. Guinness gets all the credit for opening my door to the world of different beer flavors and styles. Once I had learned to appreciate my first Guinness, I began to search out imported and microbrewed beers. I started to read beer books, subscribed to a "Beer of the Month Club" and even became an avid homebrewer. Nowadays, I have had almost every beer style out there, traveled the world to taste beers where they are actually brewed and as you can see, even write about my beer experiences. And not once have I forgotten my first love.

Guinness Draught is the one beer I would not be caught without. The taste of a pint of Guinness is almost indescribable. All I can say, is that when that first sip crosses my lips, the sensation in my brain is "Ahhhhhhhh." The second sip is pure heaven. It is rare that I don't finish my first pint in four mouthfulls. To this day, when driving home after a long hard days work, Guinness is the only beer that will actually make me start to salivate in anticipation. Liquid gold.

The icing on the cake, is that contrary to the average person's opinion, Guinness is not as filling as it seems. Less calories than a regular beer and less alcohol, it is the perfect session beer. Perfect as an appertif, digestif and desert beer, one can't really describe a time when a Guinness is not called for. One of my favorite things to do, is purchase a few cans of smoked oysters at the Whole Foods Market (healthy oysters) and sip a pint of Guinness while eating the succulent shellfish. Guinness is so dear to my heart, that when an opportunity to live in Ireland and work in Dublin for a 1 1/2 year period came up, I jumped all over it. I drank Guinness at its source, St. James Gate, Guinness Brewery and some of the busiest Guinness serving pubs in Dublin. They say the Guinness in Ireland tastes much better than the Guinness in the United States. They say it is fresher. Well, it is not that the actual untapped keg of beer is fresher, the kegs may be almost the same age. What determines the freshness of the Guinness, as any beer, is how long the beer sits in the keg once it is opened. And the fact is, the Guinness flows through the beer lines in Ireland way faster then it does at your local Fridays. So, does the Guinness taste better in Ireland? You bet your pint it does. On the same note, a bottle of Guinness Draught here, tastes the same as there. Believe me. I brought some back with me and I had a blind taste test. Couldn't tell them apart. So, where can you get the best tasting Guinness on tap? Frequent the pubs that have the most Irishmen in them. You would be hard pressed to taste the difference between a pint from Dublin and a pint from the Pig and Whistle Irish Pub in Manhattan, NY.

In closing, nothing, I mean nothing is better than a pint of Guinness. Brilliant, just Brilliant.

Cheers!

The Day McEwan's Scotch Ale Saved My Life

2005-03-09T11:37:00.000-08:00

Due to the years I have put in and the nature of my chiropractic occupation, I happen to have chronic elbow tendonitis. Lately, it has gotten really bad. Bad enough for me try anything to get rid of this condition. The newest path I am pursuing to rid myself of this affliction is called prolotherapy. The doctor injects sugar water mixed with lidocaine directly into the ligament. The sugar causes an inflammatory reaction within the joint, which then causes the body to start to strengthen the ligament. Sounds good. The problem is that a 3 inch long needle gets poked multiple times in the elbow joint. The lidocaine is to help you deal with the pain. Guess what else the lidocaine does? Lidocaine wears off. Then the pain comes. And the pain comes on strong, and gets stronger and stronger until misery presents itself.

That's where McEwan's Scotch Ale comes in. I don't like to take pain pills, never have. Unfortunately, I don't like pain either. Thankfully, the night before my jab fest, I had brought home a six pack of McEwan's Scotch Ale. Even more thankfully, I didn't drink any of the ale that night and had saved the whole six pack for another time. That time came up quicker than I had imagined.

One beer took the edge off. Two beers knocked about 30% of the pain away. Three beers, and I was able to relax and enjoy my McEwan's Scotch Ale. McEwan's is a wonderful ale. Dark, warm and very smooth. The maltiness and roasted barley mix well together and remind me a bit of Guinness Draught mixed with a couple ounces of the Mexican liqueur, Kahlua. A very nice taste. McEwan's Scotch Ale is 8% alcohol, thus the pain relieving capabilities. After four 12 oz bottles, I was okay for the night and had minimal elbow discomfort. Though, I did feel a little cloudy in the head the next morning. A few nights later I had my last two McEwan's Ales. McEwan's Scotch Ale is a very enjoyable beer. I was able to better appreciate my two bottles without the elbow pain.

McEwan's Brewery dates back to 1856 and is located in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Heavyweight....Worth the Trip!

2005-03-01T05:51:00.000-08:00

Beer stores are a frugal place. The environment for shelf space is very competitive. The Beer stores only want to stock their shelves with products that they can sell in volume, thus all the Budweiser and Coors Light. In a perfect world, you would be able to walk into any beer store and find the best microbrewed beers in the country. Sadly, this is not the case and one of the best brewery's in the country is not even stocked at my local beer store. Thankfully, on a recent road trip, I stopped at a beer shop in a different part of the state and found a few styles of beer from my favorite local brewery, New Jersey's own Heavyweight Brewing Company. Heavyweight makes some great beers. I remember the first time I tried a bottle of their Belgian style ale, Lunacy. I went back to the beer store the next day and special ordered a case. Incredible beer. Then there was the time I went to Firewaters Pub at the Tropicana Casino and found Heavyweight's Porter, Perkuno's Hammer on tap. This is one of those richly, dark, creamy beers that makes a stout lover drool. This sampling caused another special order of a 24 bottle case.

But, I digress. My recent road trip found me staring at the shelves at two other Heavyweight styles. Old Salty and Stickenjab. Old Salty is a barley wine. I love barley wine. The extreme warming sensation of a barley wine will cheer you up on the dreariest of winter days. Old Salty is probably one of the best Barleywines I have ever tried. The maltiness is second to none. I even tried a taste test comparison with Young's Old Nick Barley Wine from England. No comparison. Old Salty beat Old Nick hands down. I have a collection of Old Salty 12oz bottles from 2002 and 2003. I am aging them for a few years to see how they turn out. Barley Wine is supposed to "ripen" with age as time brings out even more character in the beer.

The next beer, Stickenjab, is a German style Altbeir. This beer is bottom fermented and cold stored for four weeks. My wife pretty much only likes one kind of beer. She loves Guinness Stout. That doesn't stop me from offering her a sip of every beer I try. When I gave her the Stickenjab, I almost didn't get it back. Her comment was, "I could drink this beer, this is good." After I did get the beer back in my hands, I agreed with her. Stickenjab was very drinkable at 6.4% alcohol by volume. I enjoyed this beer and kept the pint glass away from my wife. Afterall, who knows when I will be able to get another one.

Heavyweight Brewing is located in Ocean Township, New Jersey. Visit there website at http://www.heavyweightbrewing.com/ .

The Week Of Beer

2005-02-17T09:06:00.000-08:00

I usually save my beer tastings for the weekend. I try not to have too many beers during the week. Maybe it is because of my own preference for maintaining a degree of personal fitness or it might be a sense of duty I feel to protect my patients from over indulgence. I am not sure which. On occasion, after a hard day, I will open up a bottle and relax before dinner, but I usually like to keep the "more than one" sessions for the end of the week. That being said, I broketh my rule and had a tasting each night of last week.

I started my week with a beer from Weyerbacher. Weyerbacher Brewery in Pennsylvania, USA, makes some of my favorite beers and has some of the best names for beer that anyone could come up with. This brew was an Imperial Stout aged in oak barrels, with the name, Heresy. Awesome beer. It didn't have a huge taste of whiskey like the Allagash beer I reviewed a few weeks ago, but it did have a nice oaky finish to it. The beer did not lose any of its Imperial Stout qualities either. This should please stout lovers everywhere.

Next up was Bass Ale. Yes, of course I had Bass Ale many times before. But never out of a pub draught, 16oz can. I was anxious to see if the Bass Ale would retain the same taste and texture as when I drank it on tap in England. It didn't. But it was much better than the 12 oz bottle and even better than the American tap version. Worth buying a few, especially if you like regular Bass Ale. An extra tidbit of almost useless info is that the Bass Ale triangle logo was the first ever legal trademark in England.

My third beer style of the week was Kolsch, a German ale, that get this, can only legally be brewed in Germany in the town of Cologne. This is where the style was invented. I purchased two bottles of Gaffel Kolsch, which according to the beer bible (M. Jackson's Beer Companion), is the perfect example of a classic producer of that style. This was my first Kolsch, not to be mistaken for Grolsch, the Pilsner/Lager from the Netherlands. Gaffel was dry, light and very good. Look for this beer. It is probably hard to find, but it is worth the hunt. Top notch!

While I was looking through the beer shelves I came across a small bottle of Belgium beer. The typical Belgian beer bottle is usually of great size, so when I saw a bottle that was only 11oz, and labeled "Best Belgium Ale", I decided to try it out. DeKonnick Belgium Ale was probably one of the best Belgium Ales I have had in that it was different then most that I have tried. It was lighter in alcohol, 5% by volume and also lighter in taste. It did not have a strong after taste and was very agreeable. And the fact that it was in small drinkable bottles meant, you did not have to have 3 glasses at one time. Though this did not stop me from having two! I give you warning, this is a very drinkable beer, I only stopped at two, because that is all I had.

Since I am writing about Belgium beer, on another evening I tried Belgium style ale from the Ommegang Brewery in New York, USA. Ommegang states on their bottles that their brewery is 3,624 miles from Belgium, but has the heart and soul of Belgium in their beers. I tried Ommegang's Rare VOS, a big beer, in a big bottle, with a big kick. My first taste didn't do too much for me. This happens a lot and after a few sips, I can usually appreciate the style. On this beer, I got to the bottom of the bottle and still wasn't overly thrilled. Now, this must be just me, because many of my friends love Rare VOS. I liked it fine, but I just expected more. Ommegang makes some incredible tasting beers, I actually have a few other styles on the shelf that I have had before and enjoyed immensely. I guess I am not a big Rare VOS fan. Before I become sure of that, I will try another bottle and see what happens.

For my last beer, I'll leave you with a mystery that maybe you could help me solve. I found a German Beer that I have never heard of or have read anything about. The bottle was written completely in German. I do not have a clue as to anything about this beer except for that fact that it tastes great. Here it is, Neuschwansteiner Weihnachts-Bier. A couple of clues for you. The beer, I figure, must be seasonal. There was an illustration of a snowy landscape and horse drawn sleigh to give it that Christmas feel. It also had a Grolsch style bottle cap. If you know what this beer is let me know. It was very good.

Aventinus on a winter evening!

2005-02-07T10:21:00.000-08:00

With a name like Zimmerman, my attraction to German beer is obvious. The whole German atmosphere of drinking beer out of large steins, sitting in a beer garden, listening to the oompa band is a fantasy just too good to be true. For some that may seem like a weird fantasy, but for those of you reading this, I hope you agree that cold, full mugs of German beer can’t mean anything but a good time.

The German’s have three styles of beer that I really enjoy. Octoberfest beer, whether it be from Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr or Spaten, brings a huge smile to my face with the very first sip each end of September. Bock beer, a strong, often dark lager, that I enjoy every winter and Hefe-Weizen, a German wheat beer style, that makes the summer months that much more enjoyable.

What if you were able to combine the best parts of two of the above styles? Take the dark bock beer and make it with wheat. Strengthen the alcohol content by twice, bottle ferment the beer with a pure, top fermenting yeast that settles on the bottom of the bottle, and what you would have is an Original Wheat Doppelbock Ale.

Aventinus, Germany’s Original Wheat Doppelbock Ale is 8.0% alcohol with a deep, dark brown color. This beer gives you the best of both worlds. A strong, dark beer with tastes of wheat and cloves. Aventinus is a warming beer that will take the chill out of you on a winter evening. I had two bottles of Aventinus with a hearty Shepard’s Pie I had made. They tasted great together. I know what you are saying, “How could you cross German beer with English / Irish food?” Bock beer tends to go great with meat, like pork, so, I stretched a bit and had it with loads of ground steak in the pie. It worked for me.

Aventinus is brewed by Germany’s famous Schneider & Son Brewery, makers of one of the best German Wheat Beers on the market, Schneider-Weiss. Aventinus was first brewed in 1907 in Munich. On the label of the bottle is an illustration of Johannes Aventinus, the person who first gave a description of Baveria. For more information on Aventinus, visit the brewery’s website at http://www.schneider-weisse.de/ .

Victorious Victory for the # 12

2005-01-30T15:47:00.000-08:00

One may be a lonely number, but the number twelve can be even lonelier if you only purchased a single 750ml bottle of the Victory Brewing Company's V Twelve Ale. This Belgian inspired ale, of a whopping 12% alcohol by volume, was a rare treat. First, 12% alcohol is just about like drinking a glass of wine. Second, the 12% alcohol was so subtle in taste, that I wasn't really aware of the ale's potency as I was drinking it. A good sign I am sure. A sign that allows you to want even more of this beverage once you have finished the bottle. Victory V Twelve Ale was very smooth with a very enjoyable light sweetness to it. The most remarkable thing about the beer, besides the taste, was the color. Poured in a wide mouth goblet, the color of the ale was the deepest red I have ever seen. I actually found myself staring at this glass of beer numerous times throughout my afternoon of beer enjoyment. The color of this ale really was something to see.

I used Victory V 12 as an appertif. I had ordered some Chinese food for home delivery. Chicken and Broccolli in a brown sauce. As I was waiting the customary 30 minutes for my food, I poured a nice chalice full of beer and sat in my wide back chair to enjoy this brew on an empty stomach. I have to tell you, V 12 is an incredibly well done beer and tastes fantastic. By the time I had finished my first glass, I had forgotten about my food and poured another. Thankfully the doorbell rang before I had finished my second glass. I wasn't sure how Chinese food would go with Belgian beer, but happily, it didn't matter. The ale was so good, any food would have been complemented by its subtle complexity. V 12 is bottle conditioned in 750ml, champagne corked bottles. They are perfect to take to a nice BYOB restaurant with just about two 12 oz servings per V 12.

The Victory Brewery Company is located Downingtown, Pennsylvania. They are the brewers of many fine beers. You can lean more about Victory Brewing by going to www.victorybeer.com .

Beers for Braveheart

2005-01-25T13:59:00.000-08:00

Christmas time in the United States is the time of the year where the beer lover is inundated with the beer gift pack. The "12 Beers of Christmas", "Beers of the World", "Belgium Beers and Goblets" are the types of packages one might see on the shelves of their local beer store. One package I came across this year, I had never seen before and that was The Historic Beers of Scotland brewed by the Craigmill Brewery in Strathaven, Scotland.

The winters in Scotland can be quite harsh. Cold, damp and dark. The kind of weather during the kind of season that would keep a sensible person inside next to a fireplace having a Scottish Ale or two. Scottish Ales were a beer that I have always been fond of, especially this time of year. The full bodied beer and the cold outside temperatures are a perfect match. The Craigmill Brewery upped the ante a bit and decided to brew five beers using historic recipes, recipes that date back as far as the 9th century. The box that the beer was displayed in was intriguing. All of the beer had a historical account of their recipes and ingredients. Beers brewed with heather, kelp, pine, elderberries and gooseberries were enough to have me gift myself and purchase a gift set.

Grozet is a wheat beer brewed with gooseberries, dating back to the 16th century. This beer was as refreshing as any wheat beer and atypical of the Scottish Ale style. Grozet would probably taste great on a hot summer day. Alba is a brown beer brewed with spruce and pine. The wood flavor actually came out in the beer. I know, who wants to taste wood in their beer. But the wood gave the beer a really smooth after taste. My wife, who will only drink a dark beer, loved this one and almost drank my entire bottle. Alba at 7.5% alcohol made the perfect after dinner beer. Fraoch has been brewed in Scotland since 2000BC and the main ingredient added to the secondary fermentation is heather. The heather gave the Fraoch a dry wine after taste. I had some spicy chicken wings with this beer and the two tastes complemented each other perfectly. Ebulum was first brewed in the Scottish Highlands during the 9th century with elderberries as the added ingredient. Elderberries, at that time, were used to treat many ailments, including the flu, arthritis, neuralgia and sciatica. Maybe I should give this beer to my patients with each spinal adjustment. Ebulum was a very dark, almost black ale. This beer also had oats added to the wort, which gave the beer a silky quality to its taste. Kelpie, it goes without saying is brewed with seaweed. Kelpie actually had a sea breeze aroma, so I cracked open a few oysters and thoroughly enjoyed drinking this beer. My favorite beer of the five was the Alba, which made me wish I had purchased a few more gift sets.

The Craigmill Brewery is located in an 18th century watermill located on the bank of the river Avon, near Glasgow. The beer is actually brewed in a stone kettle based on an 18th century design from Glasgow University. If you see the Historic Beers of Scotland Gift Package, grab a few. They are worth it for the taste as well as the history. Visit the Craigmill Brewery website at www.heatherale.co.uk or contact at fraoch@heatherale.co.uk .

Allagash Curieux.....Belgian Style with Kentucky Flare

2005-01-16T05:09:00.000-08:00

I enjoy big beers. Big, meaning big in taste, heavier in alcohol and larger in volume. I am a sucker for those 750ml, champagne wire corked, bottles. There is nothing better to me, than on a cold winter night, uncorking a belly warming beer and sipping the two and a half pints away. These are the beers that are meant to be savored a taste at a time, not chugged like a frat boy with a beer bong.

Allagash Brewing from Portland, Maine makes such beers. This brewer is the champion of Belgian style beers and the innovator of a few "new" styles for us to experiment with. One such beer is Curieux. I was spending my typical long amount of time in front of the gourmet beer case of my local beer store, when I spotted Curieux. The first thing that jumped out at me was the price. Any beer that retails for around $12.00 a bottle needs to be picked up and have the label read. The second thing that stood out was that Curieux was secondarily fermented in oak bourbon barrels from Kentucky. This I had to try. Belgium style Tripel Ale aged in whiskey barrels. Every now and then, I sip some Jameson's 12 year Irish whiskey along with a pint of Guinness ( a wee one, they say in Ireland ), so I was interested to see how the Curieux played out and how much of the bourbon taste would be in the beer.

Curieux was not a pleasant surprise. It was a miracle! This beer was incredibly warm, with a tremendous mouth feel. The first sip presented a slight, almost vanilla taste and smell. Very enjoyable. You could feel the 9.5%-10.5% alcohol warm your throat and heat your belly. As the first sip settled in, the taste of kentucky bourbon came through. The taste was actually shocking. A beer that tasted like whiskey. I enjoyed this beer so much that I didn't want to drink the whole bottle in one sitting, I wanted to savor it again on another evening. I used my air-vaccum, wine preserve pump and preserved the Curieux for the next evening. Curieux managed to maintain all of its qualities the next evening even after being opened.

Allagash only brewed a limited number of Curieux barrells this year, and sad to say, they are probably already gone for the year. After I finished my Curieux, I purchased 6 bottles for myself. And since they were dated October 2004 on the label, the same month and year my daughter was born, I plan on saving a few bottles for her 21st birthday. I hope they age well. You can learn more about Allagash Brewery by going to their website at www.allagash.com .

Low Carb, No Alcohol....Not Sleeman's

2005-01-13T08:38:00.000-08:00

I must be crazy to initiate my beer blog with a review of a light beer. Light beers usually have no taste and even less alcohol. The only time I ever enjoy a light beer is on a hot, summer day, after some strenuous activity, like a rugby match or a hard session of lawn mowing. The most enjoyable part of these mass produced, watered down oddities is that you can quaff the whole 12oz in two refreshing gulps and then pick a hardier beer from the fridge. The trend to even further water down the beer reached an all time low-point with the "low carb" version of light beer. Isn't all beer really low carb? I mean, come on, who is going to quibble over 10-15 carbs. That sounds pretty low to me. So, I was surprised to see a low carb, light beer, microbrew offering from Canada, Sleeman's Clear. 95 calories, 2.5 grams of carbohydrates, but get this, 4.0% alcohol. Not the standard 2.8% we see in low carb beers, or even the 3.2% we see in light beers. I purchased a six pack and thought I would give it a try with a couple of slices of South Jersey pizza. First taste, damn, it tastes like water. Second taste, no it doesn't, there is something there. Third taste, is that alcohol I taste? Finished bottle. Is that alcohol I feel in my brain? Yes, Sleeman's Clear was surprisingly good and won me over after the first one. My next test was to give a few to my tasteless, low carb beer friends. Guess what? They loved it. But since they are only used to drinking 2.8% alcohol beer, the session became dangerous. Be careful on the uninitiated. If you would like to try a light beer that is low in calorie, but not in taste or alcohol, give Sleeman's Clear a try. You won't be disappointed. For more information visit the Sleeman website at www.sleeman.com or e-mail them at info@sleeman.com .