March 2006
Morimoto Black Obi Soba Ale, Rogue, Oregon, USA
Posted by on Friday, March 31, 2006 in - 1 comment
Soba, eh? Buckwheat to most of you. Rogue, however, has made a celebrity chef beer out of it. Celebrity Iron Chef, that is. I don't know what to make of it, holding the beer in hand, cap unpopped...celebrity beer. The brewerys notes state: • “Black Obi Soba is brewed with roasted buckwheat and …
Belgium: Cinq Cents, Bieres De Chimay, Baileux
Posted by on Wednesday, March 29, 2006 in - 2 comments
I thought I had this one over a year ago. How sad to be colour challenged or at least colour negligent, confusing blue cap for white. That was so 2005. I've grown so much since then. • Anyway, it's better late than never, so here is the triple from the Trappists at Scourmont Abbey in Belgium …
Here's to Spring - Lancaster Brewing Company's Winter Warmer Ale
Posted by on Wednesday, March 29, 2006 in - 4 comments
On the 21st of March, after a day of eating chocolates and other Hershey candies, I was slumped in a chair in a room at the Hershey Lodge in Pennsylvania sipping a Winter Warmer from the Lancaster Brewing Company. What else would a person drink on the first day of spring? Especially when the …
Posted by on Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Traditional Values
Posted by on Tuesday, March 28, 2006 in - 1 comment
This story is only breaking in India and South Africa so far according to Google News: • “Spokesperson An Frankie said she was given beer at school as a child and called for a return to the old ways.” • Ah, the old ways...the 1606 ways...kids in the factory ways... • The Punjab in India …
St Paddy's Season at the Half Penny Pub, Sayville, NY
Posted by on Monday, March 27, 2006 in - leave a comment
While researching Irish beers and Irish pubs prior to St Patrick's Day, I started to think of this holiday not as just a day but a season. Then I noticed that in the beer company advertising for St Patrick's Day that the corporations too appear to have adopted this notion of the week prior to the …
The Role Of The State
Posted by on Sunday, March 26, 2006 in - leave a comment
Here is an interesting editorial from The Seattle Times including this passage: • “In the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman, the state has been saying it wants to keep wine and beer expensive so that the people will drink less of it. To that end, in the wholesale market the state …
The Two-IPA Challenge
Posted by on Friday, March 24, 2006 in - 2 comments
I've wanted to try this comparison for a while. Sgt. Major's IPA from Fitzroy Harbour in the Ottawa Valley is a unique beer in at least the eastern side Canada in that it attempts to take on the US style on its own chewy hoppy terms. Hop Devil IPA from Victory in Pennsylvania is one of the classic …
Smithwick's Irish Ale in the USA
Posted by on Wednesday, March 22, 2006 in - 12 comments
My friends from England knew exactly what this beer was when it arrived in the US on March 11, 2004 in time for St Patrick's day that year. Thanks to Guinness USA, the owner of Smithwick's (pronounced "Smiddick's"), this traditional Irish Red Ale first appeared in pubs on draught in "key markets" …
Two Simpler Dogfish Brews, Delaware, USA
Posted by on Monday, March 20, 2006 in - 20 comments
Indian Brown Ale and 60 Minute IPA from Dogfish. While they make the excellent yet basic Shelter Pale Ale, Dogfish Head is one of the great micro-breweries of North American and well-known for innovations like the continually and highly hopped 120 and 90 Minute IPAs. Heck, for St. Patrick's Day …
Volo, Toronto, Ontario
Posted by on Saturday, March 18, 2006 in - 3 comments
The other day, when I did rock, we headed up Yonge Street in Toronto to finish the evening at Volo, a much discussed beer bar amongst the Bar Towelling set. With very good reason as well. While I wasn't able to take my camera and get some shots, I can tell you that the place seats about 40, is …
Blending Beer
Posted by on Wednesday, March 15, 2006 in - 21 comments
Mixing beer has a venerable heritage - whether it is the black and tan with Guinness floating upon a higher gravity lager or Newcastle Brown with its pre-made mix of 1/3 older stock ale and 2/3 fresh...or is it the other way? But recently I have taken to 20% good raspberry lambic with 80% oatmeal …
Catching Up With The Emails
Posted by on Monday, March 13, 2006 in - 1 comment
Yes, we get emails but then we also notice we have lives and jobs and I never get back to doing a proper round up of the household hints you good folk send me so here goes: • Lew Bryson keeps in touch via regular emails and in his most recent he has this notice for events this Saturday and the …
Bending The Law
Posted by on Sunday, March 12, 2006 in - 2 comments
What an evil example for us all - a politician having a Guinness in public: • “Texas gubernatorial hopeful Kinky Friedman says there was an open beer in his hand as he rode in a parade car in Dallas with his trademark black hat and burning cigar. Friedman appeared to violate the state's open …
Quick Note: St. Rogue Red Ale, Oregon, USA
Posted by on Friday, March 10, 2006 in - 4 comments
Disarmingly complex. • Red-garnet with orange tinge ale under a creamy off-white foam and rim head. The aroma is sweetly malty with some fruit-juicey notes. A combination of soft water and low carbonation makes this particularly moreish. In the mouth, rish sweet bisubuity malty with juicy cherry …
Beer Before Smoothies...And Milk
Posted by on Thursday, March 9, 2006 in - leave a comment
Even I suspect this study a little, though for now I am blaming the cold remedies filling my brain: • “The report was paid for by the corporate parent of Lipton Tea, which is now using the scientists' advice to advertise tea's benefits. The nutritionists say they didn't know the extent of …
Barley Wine: Old Horizontal, Victory, PA, USA
Posted by on Tuesday, March 7, 2006 in - 2 comments
Barley wine. Sorta like winter warmers times two that have funnier names. No insanely massive hopping or extreme exotic malts, though there is a bit of each. More like a lack of water really. Two other favorites of mine are Old Foghorn from Anchor and Druid Fluid from Middle Ages. • Old …
Wooot!!!
Posted by on Monday, March 6, 2006 in - 5 comments
You can't imagine what I felt when I read this great news: • “All types of beer (2–4% dilution) were found to counteract these stimulation-induced effects and significant reduction of neopterin formation and tryptophan degradation was observed (p < 0.01). Data demonstrate that beer reduces …
Old Chub, Oskar Blues Brewery, Lyons, Colorado, USA
Posted by on Friday, March 3, 2006 in - 7 comments
Canned Beer Goodness • We get great emails around here and this week I had one of the most interesting exchanges with Marty Jones, • Lead Singer of the Oskar Blues Brewery in Lyons, Colorado. Marty sent me some information about their two beers in cans and how they were bringing their ales to …
Book Review: <i>Travels With Barley</i>
Posted by on Thursday, March 2, 2006 in - 5 comments
I have not yet gotten on to the great reviewing list out there even if I am on the great beer news PR consultant list. That's OK as I pretty much like most beer books that are put before me including this one. • Travels With Barley: A Journey Through Beer Culture In America, published in 2004 …
