April 2010
Quebec: L'Infernales, Micro' le Grimoire, Granby
Posted by on Friday, April 30, 2010 in - 2 comments
What an odd beer. I had a Creemore Springs Kellerbier just before this and am stunned how similar this 9% brew is. It pours a deep caramel with a cream foamy froth. One the nose, grain and a bit of spicy hop but then this real musky tone. In the mouth, caramel notes with some dry spice (clove and …
Ontario: Matt's Sleepy Time, Beau's VanKleek Hill
Posted by on Wednesday, April 28, 2010 in - 5 comments
No. 1 in Beau's Wild Oat Series, Matt's Sleepy Time is styled as a Belgian Imperial Stout. I know Belgium had an empire once, I just didn't think we were talking about it all that much. • It pours a massive fine mocha head and I am drinking dry cocoa coffee nutmeg mousse to make room in the … read more »
More Thoughts On That Pesky Albany Ale Question
Posted by on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 in - 80 comments
I have been thinking more about this pre-1850 invention called "Albany ale" and I am a bit surprised to find so many references to it of one sort and so few references of another. The stuff was made in volume, transported and traded over great distances but now seemingly forgotten to memory. As we …
What The Heck Was "Albany Ale" In 1847... Or 1807?
Posted by on Monday, April 26, 2010 in - 8 comments
So I am nosing around looking for India pale ale references on Google news archives when I spot this one in a newspaper from 1847's Newfoundland to something called Albany ale. In hogsheads no less. • What the heck is it? It is listed in the The Public Ledger of 12 Oct 1847 amongst other … read more »
PGP 6.0: London Skittles Mania Strikes Nation
Posted by on Sunday, April 25, 2010 in - 1 comment
Not really. Not really at all. But as I am fascinated by the idea of London Skittles I can dream. I am fascinated by skittles, I think, as a pub game primarily because of the act of throwing a fairly heavy weight accompanies the act of drinking beer. We don't do that much anymore. We really don't …
Sour Beer Studies: Abbaye De Saint Bon-Chien, Switz.
Posted by on Friday, April 23, 2010 in - 2 comments
I needed to dip into the stash. Back to 2007. A bad back curing, the seventh anniversary of blogging meeting the 47th birthday. And a new base ball bat. An 1870s base ball bat. For the annual RMC game. It's been a big week in a big month. • Is this the greatest beer I have ever had? At 11% I … read more »
Knut Sent Me The Greatest Beer Thing Ever
Posted by on Thursday, April 22, 2010 in - 2 comments
Other than beer, of course. That is the problem with the whole breweriana thing - compared to beer, it sucks. Compared to everything else in the world, it's really great. • Like this poster. Knut of Norway (aka Norske Knut) sent it in the mail this week. Actually he sent FOUR copies of it - two …
What Does This Regulation Tell Us About Us?
Posted by on Wednesday, April 21, 2010 in - leave a comment
I love reading liquor regulations as much as the next guy. More maybe. So, I was thrilled (thirlled!) to see that Ontario had passed Ont. Reg. 116/10 last Saturday. It comes with the exciting title "Minimum Pricing of Liquor and Other Price Matters" and, boy oh boy, is it ever about a bunch of …
UK's LibDem's Go Handbags On 2D Pub Minister Stuff
Posted by on Monday, April 19, 2010 in - 2 comments
I was not impressed when the UK's Labour government, now third in the polling for next month's election, announced their Minister of the Tavern idea a mere 675 or so weeks after they gained power. It appears that I am not alone, that the centrist Liberal Democrats, now near first place in the …
Jolly Pumpkin's Oro de Calabaza Discussed On NPR
Posted by on Sunday, April 18, 2010 in - 1 comment
National Public Radio aired a good piece on Jolly Pumpkin and its brew Oro de Calabaza today. I think I have one left in the stash as well as a couple other of their beers. I may have to make a run to Michigan if I run out. I may have to. After all, a stash has to be worth calling a stash, right?
One Of The More Interesting Bars In the World Today
Posted by on Saturday, April 17, 2010 in - 1 comment
And it is in Zimbabwe. This account in The Times of London today by the son of the owners of the resort where the bar can be found is hilarious. Imagine coming home for a visit to run into this at the other end of the property: • ...from my left, a tall, beautiful girl, graceful as a gazelle in …
Best Beer Blog Post Of 2010... So Far
Posted by on Friday, April 16, 2010 in - 2 comments
I don't subscribe to any beer journals but do pick them up from time to time. Even so, I have to back Jay over at Hedonist Beer Jive 100% on his post "The 5 Most Boring Topic in Beer Journalism." I love the line in #3 "Beer Advocate wastes four or more of their thin, scant pages every issue on …
7/11 To Sell Own Below-Premium Beer Brand
Posted by on Friday, April 16, 2010 in - 4 comments
I love the meaninglessness of beer trade categorization whether it's the 783 recognized craft beer styles or the many different ways macro-brew makers describe its monotony. But this great news just adds to the beauty of it all: • Convenience store beer buys dropped 4% in 2009, according to …
Quebec: Dominus Vobiscum Hibernus '09, Charlevoix
Posted by on Thursday, April 15, 2010 in - 2 comments
One of the beers that Marcel from Marche Omni called me back to get my hands on. Is this the beer to help my back? Is this, more to the point, marketing? It clearly is as Charlevoix has a few different brands - I recently had the imperial milk stout under their crazed cow brand. Dominus Vobiscum …
Colorado: Fourteen, Avery Brewing Co., Boulder
Posted by on Tuesday, April 13, 2010 in - 2 comments
Well, that's a nice beer, Avery. The label says bottled in 2007 and at 9.46% (also according to the label) it not only has held up well, it is displaying fine form. Rich and mellowed yet still a big bomb. • It pours that beery mahogany we all like so well and sits under a rich thick lace leaving …
How To Drink From A Two Litre Glass Boot
Posted by on Monday, April 12, 2010 in - 5 comments
Hidden behind all the splendid simplicity of the tale of boy meets girl, boy meets glass boot, boy beats girl, girl trains, girl beat boy with glass boot, girl mocks boy is an incredibly important lesson in how to down 2 litres of beer when drunk from a glass boot. Turn it sideways.
Surely A Bequest More Valued Than Gold...
Posted by on Sunday, April 11, 2010 in - 1 comment
...or the cottage or the house or maybe that savings account: • A beer mat enthusiast who spent a lifetime tracking down some of the world’s rarest mats has left his extraordinary collection to a close friend. Ian Calvert died two weeks ago aged just 48 after battling with Parkinson’s for seven …
Where Should Sergio Travel For Good Beer?
Posted by on Saturday, April 10, 2010 in - 10 comments
I get lots of lovely emails. Many are about people wanting me to talk about their beer related products. Some are from people who want to place ads. But once in a while I get an email from someone who wants to know where they can get a good beer like Sergio from Brescia, Italy who wrote: • We … read more »
Friendly Welcoming Conservative Evangelical Churches
Posted by on Thursday, April 8, 2010 in - 4 comments
That is what the website says: "[w]e are three friendly and welcoming conservative evangelical churches, committed to hearing God speak through the Bible and prayer." That is great. I am a church going guy and the son of a minister so I like to read that happy positive sorta stuff. I especially …
Session 38 Echoes On And On and On...
Posted by on Wednesday, April 7, 2010 in - 5 comments
For some reason "The Session" has not triggered that much continuing heated debate over the 38 months it's been going on. The Session, if you don't know, is the name for the once monthly universal beer blogging topic. It ebbs and flows as far as participation goes and recently has been on a bit of …
Is Every Local Always The Local We Respect?
Posted by on Tuesday, April 6, 2010 in - 9 comments
One of the reasons I am glad I called this a blog about "good" beer way back when is it is up to me and you to decide what is, in fact, good. If you and I disagree, we are still each right for our own purposes. "Good" has so much openendedness it is almost never bad. Few words are so useful in … read more »
Remember To Cut Your Six Pack Plastic Thingies
Posted by on Monday, April 5, 2010 in - 3 comments
I don't get that many six packs and even fewer sixes of cans but I just finished off a six of Dales Pale Ale that I picked up a few weeks ago when I was over to the other side. Apparently, they are actually called six pack rings or six pack yokes if you believe the internet. After I ripped off the …
Quebec: Sticke Alt, Trois Mousquetaires, Brossard
Posted by on Saturday, April 3, 2010 in - leave a comment
Oh dear. The race apparently is on as Stan say Jay is going to pass me for blog posts. So I better start posting posts whether I like them or not. Maybe... maybe I will do posts about beer people and their birthdays. DAMN. Jay does that already! OK - beer people and their pets. Maybe. I will have …
Session 38: Cult Beer Is So Cultish I Missed The Point
Posted by on Saturday, April 3, 2010 in - 1 comment
Missed it entirely. The loss of RSBS continues to resonate as I missed the usual number of lead up warnings and notices about this month's edition of the Session hosted at Beer Search Party. I caught Jay's submission and that was it. Our host, Sean Inman, explained his purpose in this way: • One …
What Else Do People Do To Justify A Beer?
Posted by on Friday, April 2, 2010 in - leave a comment
I found this article both a bit sad and a bit sensible. I have friend who runs to eat pie and I suppose it makes sense that there are any number of people jogging ("running" is so self-congratulatory) for the same effect: • “I think people who run sometimes use it as an excuse that they can do …
This Is The 2,000th Good Beer Blog Post
Posted by on Thursday, April 1, 2010 in - 11 comments
I just noticed this milestone after post number 1,997 ticked by and wanted to make mention. Even though there are posts back to May 2003, the stand alone beer blog was born with this post on Saturday, 23 October 2004. Three days later I was posting a list of a handful of other beer websites that I …
