North Carolina

I am traveling to north carolina and was wondering if  anybody could give me suggestions for some beers to pick up on my trip that I can't get here in Ga.

Three Beers

If for some reason there were only three beer you could have for the rest of your life what would they be?

I started thinking about that and its a tough one.

I would have to go with 5 seasons winter Jack which is really Dogwood.

Sweetwater IPA, because its my first love.

and, Great Divide oak aged yeti.

I can't say I've had a ton of beers but out of the ones I have had I could be happy with these.

My IBA is going to blow!

I brewed an IBA last thursday with a friend, and we had a good time brewing but we may have created some kind of monster IBA. The grain bill of the beer was pretty big (thanks to Weasel). But nothing had happened in the fermenter for two days which will scare you a bit. But today when I went in to check on the beer I saw my bucket completely swollen and about to blow! The lid on the bucket was shaped like a dome and my air lock was clogged to the brim with yeast. I was freaking out yelling at my wife to go get towels and at the same time trying to explain that we just might have beer all over the closet. This has never happened to me, I have just heard horror stories about exploding beers. So the only thing I could think to do was to move the bucket to the bathroom and try and pull the air lock out and let the beer breathe. And a good thing I did move it to the bathroom because as soon as I pulled the cap of the air lock yeast and beer started pouring out. It wasn't some huge explosion but it was pretty nasty. Now my beer is almost back to normal and I hope it turns out so that I can let some of you guys taste it. Im thinking it will end up around 9%.  Thats my story.

Rainy Saturday

There is nothing to do but drink and sit today. Not sure if that a bad thing, but none the less I am bored. 

Sam C. rallying the Troops/Dogfish Head Music Vid.

Sam Calagione

Respect this little speech he gave at the Blind Tiger in NYC

Dogfish Head "Pinchin' Pennies" Music Video

Pretty amazing video stab at macro breweries.

Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout Cupcakes

For the first time in my life, I made cupcakes from scratch yesterday (no Betty Crocker here, just Chef-Boy-R-Mike). I used Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout as the base for the mix. The flavor of the beer really came through in the cake. What's great is that the cake is very rich, but not too sweet. It's a very different flavor that takes you by surprise and then wisks you away into a fog of cream cheese frosting. I hope at least one of you get to experience it before there all gone.

The NEW Jolly Roger Pourhouse (under construction)

The New and improved jolly roger pourhouse with a 3 tap draft system is well on it's way to being fully functional. The Kegerator is in, the bar has been moved accordingly, and the kegerator components thoroughly cleaned. I have the finishing parts arriving today or tomorrow. Viva Draft beer.

My first keg

So I have just finished cleaning out my first 5 gallon Pepsi keg. And it is sad in a way because that means that I have finished my first brew that I had made for the new keg. I made an oatmeal brown ale, and surprisingly it turned out alright (for a DME brew).  Im just a little sad that the day I taped it is over. One of the coolest feelings is when people who dont drink beer or drink bud, or other beers that suck, and even people who do drink Beer (real beer) all trying my beer and really enjoying it. I was really nervous about letting a bunch of people drink my beer because I was thinking to myself " What if it sucks, what if it tastes like feet ass and smells like armpit hole" But then a friend told me "why would you want to hold on to a beer that sucks when you could get people to drink it?" Then it occurred to me that no matter what, because people are at my house and they feel obligated to drink at least one of my beers to say they tasted a home brew, or because most of friends are dirt poor and they didn't bring any beer, I could empty a 5 gallon keg even if it sucked. So now that I think back maybe all just said they enjoyed my beer to be nice. At the end of the day my keg was empty and whether the beer was good or not (which it was AMAZING ) we all had fun and that what beer is about. Sometimes.

Beer Is Expensive

That's it. I just wanted to share. It's a small price to pay.

Three Sheets

On St. Patrick's Day, I found myself cleaning out my beer fridge and watching TV.  When I say cleaning out, I was literally cleaning it out.  I spilled a Chocolate Stout all over the place a few months back (some of you may have witnessed this) and I was just now getting around to wiping the whole thing down.  The Television programming was subpar that evening as I haven't found anything that interests me on Monday nights.  I came across a marathon for a show called Three Sheets on the Mojo Network.  Most of you may are probably familiar with this show already, but for people like me who are just a little behind the times, I thought I would share.  The subtitle is "The World's Biggest Pub Crawl."  In this show, the host goes to different parts of the world and drinks what the locals are drinking, i.e. Scotch in Scotland, beer in Germany, Bourbon in Kentucky, or Malt Liqour in Compton.  While the host is fairly annoying, I was very intrigued as I watched the Oktoberfest episode.  

Having attended the Great American Beer Festival with Weasel in October, it was very interesting to witness the biggest beer festival in the world second hand through this show.  At the Great American Beer Festival, you are given a 4 ounce tasting glass to take to each vendor for tastings.  At Oktoberfest, attendees drink from one litre mugs and sit at one table all day (if you get up, you lose your seat).  While watching this take place, I pulled out some old stock Spaten Octoberfest so I could take part in the festivities.  Participating in Oktoberfest would be a great time, don't get me wrong; Experiencing the world's biggest party in Germany with a gigantic soft pretzel hanging around your neck can't be a bad time.  The Great American Beer Festival, on the other hand, was less of a party, but a more of an educational good time.  I probably tried over 150 beers.  I tried beers that I didn't like, I tried beers that I loved, and I tried some sodas that I thought were incredible beers (your taste buds get a little shot through the evening and if you can find a key lime beer, let me know).  At the end of the show, I thought that the GABF came out as being the more sophisticated festival, which came as a surprise because Americans are usually the ones who are throwing alcohol at the back of their throats, while Europeans are the ones who are known for sipping alcoholic beverages.  Now keep in mind that Oktoberfest is an anniversary of a two week wedding reception and the GABF was designed as a beer competition.  The two are completely different animals and comparing them to each other is like comparing apples to oranges.  I want to be clear that I am not implying that Americans are in anyway better people or better beer drinkers than Europeans, but when it comes to a good beer festival, I think that it belongs to Denver.

With that being said, I might go buy the first season of Three Sheets.  It's not anything like actually being there, but it's a good time to grab whatever they are drinking on the show and experience something new from the television in your own little way.

Stone Brewing Videos

A Stone Arrogant Bastard Video from thelocalbrew,com

New Stone Brewing DVD Trailer

Catalina Beerfest

She Loves It, She Loves It Not.

After my trip to Sweetwater for wed. beers this week and Scotty K's post about his unquenched thirst for IPA , i had to pose a question.

In an attempt to be sooo over-the-top, has Sweetwater actually made their IPA a very drinkable treat for beer newbies and...(gasp)...even Women?

Here's the thought process. If you love Sweetwater IPA and evangelize about it's life changing abilities you know one thing: Women and craft beer virgins surprisingly take to this beer. It is obviously it's outstanding grapefruit/mango/citrus aroma and taste right off the bat coupled with the fact that they are getting a taste of something local.

Here's what is amazing. Sweetwater IPA is EASILY the hoppiest, straight off the vine, radical, citrus infused, out of balance, west coast style IPA on the planet. At 6.8 percent alcohol it is most def. not an imperial but has the Hop schedule to prove otherwise. THIS is exactly what makes this beer so mind-blowing to a hop head like myself and what makes this beer such a welcome wagon on a boring beer road to the un-assuming craft beer crawler.

Mike F. had a keg of the IPA for his birthday 2 years ago. Coors light drinkers thought that had just sliced a little piece of liquid heaven...

THIS is IPA...the monster, the bouncer, the bodyguard of all regular beer styles, this is not for the faint at heart...Well just like american brewers are known to do, they blew that philosophy right out of the water. Sweetwater succeeded in making the most un-accessible ipa...very... accessible. Weird.

weez

Can't Wait

I know this is for posting beer news, but I have to get this off my chest.

Ever since I moved to Florida I have been unable to drink the greatest beer that we all love.  Sweetwater IPA!  I go months at a time without tasting the goodness and every sip includes.  So in less than 3 days it will be nice to take TWO IPA's and drink one of them and enjoy the feeling that my throat and taste buds will go throw when the coldness and the sweet grapefruit taste hits them.  I hope that will send me into some incredible high and make my body feel even better when I take the second IPA and pour it all over my body.  

Sorry for that, but someone needed to know my heart.

Never Forget!

"You have to always be drunk. That's all there is to it--it's the only way. So as not to feel the horrible burden of time that breaks your back and bends you to the earth, you have to be continually drunk. But on what? Wine, poetry or virtue, as you wish. But be drunk. And if sometimes, on the steps of a palace or the green grass of a ditch. in the mournful solitude of your room, you wake again. drunkenness already diminishing or gone, ask the wind, the wave, the star, the bird, the clock, everything that is flying, everything that is groaning, everything that is rolling, everything that is singing, everything that is speaking . . . ask what time it is and wind, wave, star, bird, clock will answer you: "It is time to be drunk! So as not to be the martyred slaves of time, be drunk, be continually drunk! On wine, on poetry or on virtue as you wish."

Charles Baudelaire.

Cheers fellow froth talkers!

Spaten

So last night i get a text from Dee Dee. It's a very normal "Im at taco mac..what beer should i try text" i get them all the time from numerous amounts of people (kinda flattering). Well Dee is new to beer but willing to explore so i shot her a quick text: "Allagash White" Allagash is brewed in Maine and specializes in traditional Belgium style beers. The Allagash White is a fine example of a Beligian Wit Beer. (any respectable human should be honored to taste this.) I quickly got a reply asking what her friend should try that would be similar to the over-hyped fat tire (New Belgium Brewery) Off the top of my head i figured Anchor Steam was a great choice. Stylistically it's a different beer but has soo many similar characteristics in taste. Shortly after i get this message: "You would NOT like the guy we're with! He disagrees passionately with your beer choices." My initial reaction led to a short reply: "he's doesn't know what he's talking about. I'm picking beer for you not him" After i sent the text i got all kinds of pissed...i HAD to know what this ball bag was sipping on himself that made him the buck-stopping authority on what beers these ladies needed to dive into. I sent a text.."what is this guy drinking" the response.."Spaten". SPATEN, SPATEN?!? He better pray to everything German that he's not drinking Spaten Lager. Mouthing off about my beer choice and drinking Spaten Lager will get your esophagus sewn shut at the roger. There's nothing inherently wrong with Spaten Lager but being proud, proud enough to battle me over Spaten spells retard. I know he wasn't drinking Spaten wheat...it's just like Allagash, and i know it wasn't the oktoberfest because it's not in season, and i know it wasn't the Optimator because that beer is too good for an idiot. Spaten Lager it is. I could kill this guy. I hope he feels very knowledgeable drinking a perservative filled German beer from Stanford Connecticut. Geez.

Weez

Short's Brewing

For you guys who may not be familiar with Short's Brewing...PLEASE let me introduce you. Short's is in Bellaire, MI and makes EASILY the craziest, most experimental beers on the planet. I'm adding a link to their 13 imperial beers series...do yourself a favor and respect this level of creativity. When i was in Boston at the extreme beerfest i had the oppurtunity to try 5 of these. The flavors they packed into these beers was mind-blowing, without being silly or contrived. These guys are the real deal. (which means they will probably never be available in GA. *puts gun to temple*)

I was also able to taste their sweet stout fermented with fresh plumbs and their stout fermented with peanuts. Both were awesome.

http://shortsbrewing.com/imperial_beer_series.html

enjoy. 

Quantity Time, Quality Time...Quantity Beer, Quality Beer

I had quite a realization last evening. I went to see Limbeck with the Dena guys (which was pretty lackluster, i mean the guys are cool but Limbeck is well...Limbeck). 

I'm gonna talk about Quantity and beer but i'm not concerned about the amount consumed. Last night i truly appreciated Newcastle. Here's the deal: Quality beers work for quality time, and Newcastle works for quantity time. At a show it's about saying hello, giving hugs and making surface conversation between burst of loud music. These un-intrusive, mundane, run of the mill beers work amazing in these situations. Last night i drank my newcastle, yelled into Carsons ear, hugged 3 people i havent talked to in over a year, and watched the band. I didn't think about the beer during any of this unless i found my cup empty. I spent quantity time with the patrons of vinyl and consumed quantity beer, and i saw the beauty in the beast i've been known to battle.

The other point is pretty self explanatory but i'll elaborate a bit. I've never enjoyed a beer as much as i have when i share it with a friend, or even someone trying "great beer" for the very first time. Quality time with friends and family is what craft beer embodies. Watching limbeck with a raison' de'etre does the beer nor the band any justice. Sitting at the Roger or the Corner bar, the brick store on a double date, 5 seasons after work, on the patio with the wife, or dale's in the woods...quality time begs for the compliment of quality beer.