Reindeer Games - Brew Moon's Rim Job Opens New Doors

The other night, I attended a Christmas party in the sticks, and thus, had low expectations on the quality of beer served. I even brought my own six-pack of Winter Warmer just in case (Of course, I would never go to a friend's house and not bring beer. It's just uncouth.) However, I was pleasantly surprised to see someone had brought a twelve-pack of the Warmer, and also a twelve-pack of Sierra Nevada Celebration (which I've written about previously. Can ya guess that I kindsa likes it?)

But the real surprise came when I saw a gentleman rubbing the rim of his beer glass in a pile of cinnamon. I asked what the Hell that was about, and he said that he had brought two growlers of Brew Moon's Rudolph Red, and that is how they serve it in the restaurant. So, he brought along some cinnamon to go along with it. For those not in the know, Brew Moon is a restaurant and microbrewery that used to have several location around my area, and sadly they were all replaced by Rock Bottom, a wannabe brew pub if there ever was one.

Anyway, this nice young man invited me to cinnamon up and have a taste. It was quite extraordinary, actually. Two great tastes that taste great together, and I'm not really even a huge fan of red ales. But I love my cinnamon. Maybe that made all the difference.

What really amazes me is where people even come up with these ideas. Who sits around drinking and wonders what beer would taste like with cinnamon around the rim of the glass? And what other fantastic delights await us, waiting to be discovered by drunks? What if barbecue sauce tastes great around the rim of a glass of Harpoon and we just don't know it?

I say we try everything. Go forth, gentle reader. take a plunge or two and see what's out there. Dump cheese in your Sam Adams. Throw some salsa in your Dos Equus. You never know

Beet Writer: Hopaholic goes On the Road with Magic Hat's Kerouac, and some Other Tasty Treats

So, we have pumpkin beer, blueberry beer, apricot, watermelon, raspberry, all kinds of crazy things that drunk brewers can think of. What's left to put in our beer? Why, beets, of course.

Last night, I tried Magic Hat's newest offering: Kerouac, which the menu at Sunset Grille and Tap said was a "beet beer." I asked the bartender what was up with that, and he insisted that it doesn't taste like beets (and thankfully, is not served with beets floating in it like some of those blueberry ones), and it is surprisingly good. He also told me that at $4 a pint for 5.6%, it's a great deal. Being that I had already warmed up with a Golden Monkey and was feeling pretty good, I went for it. Also, I figured it would make for a good post on here.

The Kerouac must be so new, that I couldn't even find anything on their website about it. And Beeradvocate.com had very little info, and even seems to have made an error on the alcohol content (or the Sunset did.) So, you'll have to go on my opinion alone here. Other than the funny pun in the name, I can say that it does not taste like beets. It is quite delicious, in fact. It is pretty dark and reddish, and quite sweet and fruity, which I normally shy away from, but this was really good. I imagined it was loaded with sugar to give it that kick, and my high blood sugar the next morning confirmed it. Oh well. Take the good with the bad, I suppose. Anyway, try the Kerouac if you can find it anywhere.

I was going to leave after that, but two young gentlemen were seated next to me who were obvious rookies, and I got a kick out of them trying to figure out Sunset's huge beer list. Finally, one of them turned to me and asked what was good. I must have looked like an old drunk or something. I suggested the Golden Monkey, of course. It was a few minutes later that he asked me if it was safe to park in the Rite-Aid lot down the street, and I realized he was driving. Whoopsee. After a couple beers they asked if there were any other good bars around (For shame! They were most definitely suburbanites). Even though they were already at one of my favorite haunts, I know it's not for everyone, and it was kind of a meat factory that night, so I suggested Big City or Wonder Bar might be more their speed. I do love poisoning young minds.

Anyway, that was my Saturday. Other than the Golden Monkey and the Kerouac, I tried the Anderson Valley Winter Solstice (quite a kick in that one, too, as it is brewed with caramel and their special holiday spices) and the Mayflower Thanksgiving Ale ('Tis the season, right? Oh, it's always the season for a 7.7%-er) Both were up to my standards, so if you see them anywhere, give them a taste. I imagine the Mayflower won't be around long.

That's all I got today. Hey, be happy that I could remember that much. The best news, I did all that drinking for about $20, plus tip. And that was enough to ensure my holidays will be happy.

Winter Beer is Here!

Tonight, I felt the first real frigid temperatures of the season while waiting for the bus. I even saw my first puddle turned to ice. It is a bad sign, half-way through November, since we have December, January, February and most of March to go yet. But there is a silver lining in this dark, cold cloud: winter beer.

Winter beer is heartier than other kinds and other seasons. I feel like you can really taste it, not just drink it. Magic Hat has some of my favorite winters, including the Roxy Rolles, a hoppy amber, and Sierra Nevada will soon be releasing their award-winning Celebration Ale, which is my favorite Christmas gift. Even Harpoon Winter Warmer, which isn't hard to find, unless your local liquor store is sold out, like mine was, is much better than the average beer. these go with your traditional holiday foods, too, so fear not. No one will think you strange for drinking them at the table. The Harpoon is better with your desserts, though, apple pies and pumpkin pies and such. And finally, for my favorite beer label ever, the Smuttynose Winter Ale. Another amber, the Smutty Winter is probably the most warming and mellow of the bunch, and at 4.8%, feel free to have a few.

So, get out and enjoy the season, and the seasonals. These are just a few of the good ones, but, hey, we're just warming up. Hopefully.

Leviathan: The Search Continues...

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the Harpoon Triticus and its mammoth 14% kick. This past Saturday, I went to the Asgard in Cambridge, and saw the familiar logo on one of the taps (the logo I recognized because I put it in my post, lo those many weeks ago.) I asked the bartender what it was, and he said it was the Leviathan Imperial IPA. Ah, so it was true. There was more in this Leviathan series. And at 10%, I could enjoy this and still settle in for an evening of drinking and baseball.

This was definitely different than the Triticus, not as think and Scotch-like. Still not to be chugged (and I can say this because I did down the last few gulps quickly) but certainly an excellent beer, one of the best IPA's I've ever tasted. And that is saying something.

The scoop on the Leviathan series? Well, from their website:

The Harpoon Leviathan Series surfaced at Harpoon in the summer of 2008. The series is an exploration in brewing big beers for adventurous palates. Leviathan beers will be brewed in 120-barrel batches. The beers will be available in 4-packs and on draft for distribution.

Crap! Summer? This is already Fall? Will I still be able to score this stuff? How many of them are there? Will it be back next summer? Will I ever see you again?

Clearly, this calls for a hard-target search or every liquor store, packy, bar, tavern, brewery or hole-in-the-wall dive in the Boston area. And if anyone sees or hears anything about this, sound the alarm and let me know. I will be eternally grateful.

My Reputation Proceeds Me

First off, let me say something surprising. Fall is here (Well, no surprise there), and while this is one of my favorite beer seasons, I find myself continuing to buy Sam Adams Octoberfest. There's certainly nothing wrong with it (In fact, it's the ebst Sam makes), but I think I should be branching out a little. And it's not like Sam is even cheaper than other folks. I bought a six pack the other night for $8.99. Come on, Sam! Where's the love?

Anyway, that's not what I was going to write about. I had a funny experience at my friend's birthday gathering the other day. I was meeting the rest of the party at Mantra in Downtown Crossing in Boston, a fine Indian restaurant by day and apparently a club by night (which i only found out later.) I arrived first and so I hunkered down at the bar and asked what they had for beer. The selection was rather slim. I ordered a Taj Mahal (when in Rome, right?). It's a lager, which I tend to shy away from, but this one was good. Beer Advocate gave it a pretty bad grade, but I didn mind it. Not too big or small. Not too bitter. Tasted good, kind of thin. I'm not sure if it went with the Marinated Spring Chicken I ordered for dinner, but who cares?

The funny thing is that when the rest of my party arrived and I paid my bar tab, the bartender mentioned that he was looking into getting some new kinds of beer, and asked if I had any suggestions. I wasn't sure if I gave off some sort of vibe or smelled of beer, or if I have reached some level of fame, but it was kind of cool. I told him Sierra Nevada and he said, "Oh yeah. I've heard of them." I groaned and walked away.

I guess I am somebody.

Change of Pace: Wine and Wii

Just so you don't think I'm a beer-cat and never drink anything else, I went to a wine-tasting on Saturday. Now, I admit that I'm not exactly an expert on fine wine, I can certainly hold my own in the presence of others who usually consider beer their first choice.

In the scope of the actual wine-tasting "contest," where attendants try to guess the wine based on the description, I only got 2 out of 5, but I was impressed by the fact that the two I got right were my favorite two wines, and they were from California and Australia, two of my favorite regions for wine. So, at least I proved that I know what I like and I'm not just faking it or going willy-nilly out there.

But you can't go to someone's house for a wine-tasting without bringing something yourself, so I brought a Parker Station Pinot. I had never heard of this before, but it was given to me so I hoped it was good enough for the crowd I was in (and if not, well, I didn't pay for it.) It ended up being quite delicious, and a nice contrast to all the Merlot that people had brought.

But really, the true highlight was me, after a few glasses of wine, banging out "Don't Fear the Reaper" on Rock Band and getting a pretty awesome 99%. not bad for my first time, if I do say so myself. I think I only missed one cow bell beat that ruined my whole deal. I was hoping Walken was going to come out of the TV and shout, "More cowbell!" at me.

Anyway, as much as I enjoy beer, it's good to mix things up once in awhile. Do be careful with wine, however. It has never actually made me sick or anything, but it is a much different hang-over the next morning. I'd say the philosophy is the same as with beer; stay away from the cheap stuff and enjoy it. If you do have a bit too much, then just remember; the sure is more cowbell.

Into the Sunset

Last night, I went to the Sunset Grill & Tap in Allston, one of my favorite places, home to 112 taps and 380 microbrews, and I left wondering why I don't go there more often.

It was a friend's birthday, so we were expecting a bunch of people, which always lights a fire under me to try and be the best drinker at the table. I didn't see what everyone was drinking, but I think I did a pretty fair job. I started with a Victory Golden Monkey, a really tasty 9.5% beer, on tap no less (even the Publick House only has it in bottle.) It's a smoothy. Definitely make it your business.

When my competition arrived (the guest of honor's boyfriend, and the only other person that I knew in attendance who could possibly be a better drinker than I), he approved of my choice and suggested a beer I had never heard of: Harpoon Leviathan Triticus. The Triticus checks in at 14%, so high that they will only pour you 8 ounces at a time (barely a glass), but that's okay because this beer needs to be sipped like a fine Scotch. It tastes almost like chocolate syrup. I don't really know how to describe it, so I'll let their website:

Latin for "wheat," Triticus is a strong and dark wheat wine-style ale that
boasts 14.3% alcohol-by-volume. The blend of 50% wheat malts, including
caramel and chocolate, provides color and depth of flavor. Complex hopping
and dry-hopping lends a delicate spiciness and just enough balance to
complement its strength. Once brewed, the Triticus was transferred to
50-gallon bourbon barrels and aged at the brewery for over 2 months.

It certainly tasted like it's been waiting for two months to be enjoyed. There are obviously a lot of beers I have never had, but for me to have never heard of this beer, and from a brewery right in my backyard no less, is crazy. It is probably the highest AC I've had in a beer, and that is saying something. My competition was right, and he certainly didn't mess around, drinking three of them. I have to say, although I loved it, this is not your Daddy's beer. This one is for serious beer drinkers only. Anything with that much alcohol is not to be trifled with. but if you think you can handle it, give it a whirl.

I switched to the St. Bernardus ABT 12 next (I have a funny thing when I go to a place like the Sunset, where I don't like to get the same beer twice. Seems wrong when there's so many choices.) at 10.5%, it is the highest alcohol content of any of their beers, dark, fruity, and to quote their site, "the absolute top quality in the hierarchy of the St. Bernardus beers." That is saying something, because they have an excellent Tripel.

For some reason (I guess that's just what you do on these occasions), we left Sunset (after paying a ridiculously large bill) and went to the White Horse Tavern, a nice establishment, especially if you like pool (which I do not), the only problem is that the selction is obviously not what it is at Sunset. I was able to get Sam Adams Octoberfest, which I consider the best Sam has to offer and is sort of like drinking eggnog on Christmas. You can't go a fall season without having a few Octoberfests. I had two, plus some lame, cheap free shot that some girl was handing out. I also signed my life away for a cheap Zippo, which I may live to regret, but they always look so cool in the movies that I just couldn't resist.

Anyway, point is, the White Horse is fine, but nothing stacks up to the Sunset for selection and quality beer. The food is pretty good too. My only problem is that the crowd is usually pretty young, so if you're not into that, try going on an off night or during the day. And parking around there sucks, but if you're there to really enjoy yourself, you shouldn't be driving there anyway.

So go and drink yourself silly.

Fenway Beer Blues, Part II

If anyone actually reads this, I have an important question: is Speakeasy Big Daddy really that terrible, or did I get a skunked one? Seriously, I almost sent it back at the Sunset Cantina the other night, which would have been a first for me. I have never sent any beer back, ever. It must have been kicked, right? I'm sure they wouldn't steer me wrong. According to their website, they've been "legit since 1997." Wow. A whole eleven years of brewing. they must know what they're talking about.

Uh, sorry. That was uncalled for. Here's a link to make up for it.

As luck would have it, I got to go to a second Red Sox game and get another crack at the beer vendors. This time, I played it more wisely, methinks.

Again, I went with my Dad, who invited me along when he scored complimentary tickets by entering his town Little League Baseball into the Granite City Electric Field of Dreams contest. The contest consists of Granite City Electric giving one lucky Massachusetts town lights for one of their baseball fields, plus 4 other towns cash prizes for their league. Apparently, last time my Dad entered, they won cash and a lawnmower at second place, but didn't get free tickets, so this was way cooler. We even got a hat. Good enough for me.

We came away with no lights or loot, however. This, of course, has nothing to do with beer, but it's still funny, because when they showed the drawing during the pre-game show, I actually made it on TV for a few seconds. I should have yelled out the name of this blog or wore a T-shirt or something to promote it, but whatever, I was there.

As far as the beer, truth be told, it wasn't much to speak of, but hear me out. I only drank Sam Adams, Guinness and a Bud (A Bud! Me!) This is really slumming it for me, but here's the kicker; I didn't mind. In fact, it was pretty good. Even the Bud. Guinness is, naturally, always good, and I can stomach Sam for a baseball game, but Bud? I can't remember the last time i drank one of those. And I kind of enjoyed it.

I think my body sort of enhanced the taste because it had been so long. Like if you eat healthy for awhile, then decide to have a doughnut. Obviously, there is nothing good about it, no nutritional or earthly reason to eat a doughnut, just like there's no reason to drink a Budweiser. I'm not even sure you could actually get drunk off of it, unless you had maybe fifty. But for some reason, it tasted really good.

Maybe I've been too hard on the old King of Beers for all this time. Maybe it's not so bad. But I wonder, would it taste that good if I drank it more often? Or would I start to feel like crap, much like someone would if they actually did eat doughnuts all the time?

I must say, though, that at least I made that discovery. No need to worry next time I go to Fenway. No need to force down a lousy Miller Lite. Just save that Bud for the occasion, like you would a chocolate glazed.

Top Picks Part 1 - Sierra Nevada Brewing Company

I thought I would write about some of my favorite beers and places, since I have to write about something anyway because it will look like I've been writing this for awhile (and, let's face it, even I can't go out drinking every night.)

So, today I'll be talking a little about Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, bar none one of the best brewers out there. Go on, tell me I'm lying. Founded in 1979 by Ken Grossman in Chico, CA, Sierra Nevada has fast become one of the top brewing companies in the world. It began rather humbly in 1976 when Ken first opened his own store after studying chemistry and physics at Butte Community College and California State University at Chico. (Note to self: if you want to brew really good beer, study learn some Chem.) This is the awesome part, from their website:

Two years later, it was time to make the dream a reality. Ken and co-founder
Paul Camusi cobbled a brewery together from dairy tanks, a soft-drink bottler,
and equipment salvaged from defunct breweries. Though the equipment was secondhand, they created a first-rate microbrewery. The ingredients were premium, including the copious quantities of hops that would become the brewery’s trademark. An avid backpacker, Ken named the new company for his favorite hiking grounds—the Sierra Nevada mountains

What a story. And what a beer. So, of course, the Hopiholic is going to tackle them. Let's take it by the numbers, shall we?

My personal favorite of their offerings is the Celebration, a dry-hopped ale brewed especially for the holidays (Which means it's coming soon. Whee!). You can look up all the info here, but the important thing is that you're looking at a 6.8% alcohol by volume with the Celebration, which is right in my wheelhouse. It's got an intense aroma, so it tastes good with prime rib or wild fowl again, perfect for the holidays). Crazy pastas work well, too, like goat-cheese ravioli or fettuccine. So, start looking for this around Thanksgiving or so, and definitely drink as much as you can.

Second only to the Celebration is the Anniversary Ale, which is a Fall beer, so I have some in my fridge right now. It's an American-style IPA, well-hopped, with a slightly malty finish, and the Magic Number on this one is 5.9% (once again, a very hittable pitch. Maybe down in the strike-zone, but definitely something you can drive.) It goes very well with any kind of spicy Asian dish, or even fine chocolate desserts. Personally, I like to skip the chocolates and just take the beer straight, but you do whatever you want.

As I mentioned in the previous column, Sierra makes a delicious ESB, which they call Early Spring Beer since that's when they release it, but it is an Extra Special Bitter. It's an unfiltered beer, combining English and West-Coast-styles, for a reddish hue (or as George Costanza might say, "a pinkish hue") and a smooth taste. I have no idea what you would eat with it, but if you're like me, probably some kind of chicken will go with almost anything. Or Pizza.

And now, the grand-daddy of them all, the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, the signature beer of the brewery. this one is available these days in most bars, all year, so I'm sure most of us have encountered it, and probably have had it. If it is an option, it is always my very first choice. Straight-up Sierra has a 5.6% alcohol by volume, and premium Cascade hops for a nice flavor. This one also goes well with spicy cuisine, or anything in my book. It is a great bar beer, a perennial favorite.

Sadly, I can't tell you much about the Porter or the Stout, although I've been meaning to try them. I'm not much of a Barleywine guy, either, so I don't have many good things to say about the Bigfoot. But just about everything Sierra Nevada makes is awesome in my book, so definitely make it your business.

Highest recommendation from the Hopiholic.

Fenway Beer Blues

So, for my inaugural entry, I wanted to set the tone a little for what will hopefully be a semi-regular thing and to let any actual readers know what they are in for (besides biting sarcasm and grim cynicism.) I'm going to write about my Adventures in Beer. This may seem very unappealing to some, and some may be thinking, "Why is he writing about this?" but I feel that there are plenty of uneducated drinkers out there, so if I can help even one of them, then my job is complete.

Let me give you a "f 'r instance." Last week, I went to a Red Sox game with my Dad (an uneducated drinker if there ever was one). Since I work very close to Fenway Park, I thought I would get an early start at Boston Beerworks, one of my favorite watering holes. I had to meet the Old man at Who's On First?, a dive that specializes in cheap beer and cheaper women, so I figured I had to get my jollies in early.

So, at Beerworks, I started with my old stand-by, the Fenway Pale Ale (when in Rome...), an American-style Pale Ale that actually doesn't really taste like one, but it's still very good. It's dark, pretty hoppy, and gives you a nice bitter kick at the end. Anyway, I found a seat at the bar (amazingly), ordered up some nachos, and commenced people-watching.

As we go forward, I should point out that I am not a fast-drinker. I like to enjoy my beverage and taste it going down, not drink thirty beers in ten minutes and pass out and tell everyone the next day how awesome I am because I drank thirty beers. Come on, would you drink wine like that? Well, if you were my ex-girlfriend, I suppose you would, but real people wouldn't. Why drink good beer fast? It's a waste, not to mention a hazard.

Having said that, I was under a bit of a time crunch, and I noticed that Beerworks was sporting a new tap: Bay State ESB (Extra-Special Bitter) that I really wanted to try. I only had a scant few minutes, so I made the quick decision to down the Pale Ale and order an ESB. I did not regret it. The ESB was delicious (even better than the Sierra Nevada ESB, which according to their bottle, means Early Spring Beer. Those scamps!) In fact, the Extra Special Bitter was not all that bitter, even less than the Pale Ale. but it was very hearty and tasty. Definite recommend if you're at a Beerworks location.

Unfortunately, I had to drink it fast because I had to meet my Dad at Who's on First?, where he would not doubt offer to buy me a beer. I hurried over, and Bob was well into a Bud bottle, and offered to buy me a Sam (Boston Ale, not my favorite of theirs, that would be the Octoberfest, but better than anything else they had.) He drank two to my one while we chatted about the Sox/Rays series, but I was still way ahead on points, of course. And due to the speed of my drinking, feeling slightly contented.

Here's where we go downhill. Once inside Fenway, my dad insists on drinking a different kind of ESB, Extremely Stupid Beer. Yes, this would be the $25.00 (or whatever they charge these days) Lite beer. Yes, we all know it. It seems to have come straight out of the Fenway urinals. Absolutely disgusting. In fact, I think it killed my buzz altogether. I heard my stomach say, "Hey, wait a second! Weren't you drinking really good beer not twenty minutes ago?" The Urinal Cake Lite actually made me ill. And not because it was a bad batch or whatever. it tasted normal. It's just gross all the time. Of course, I had two, but only because the Old Man was buying and, hey, I'm at a game.

So, thumbs up for the Beerworks offerings, natch. If you're going to Fenway at all, though, either pre-party and skip their watered-down crap, or seek out the couple of decent stands they do have: the Irish Beers (Guinness, etc.), or the Sam Adams way down in right field. And I think some sections have a Heineken guy walking around, but he may be tough to find. I say stick with Beerworks, Cornwall's (not for any good food, though), or even the re-tooled Cask n' Flagon, since they at least have a decent selection as well. Otherwise, either mortgage your house and risk the tummy ache and buy the Lite Piss, or sneak in a flask.