God Only Knows

Welcome to Newcastle Brown Ale, the one and only. Yes, yes, I know, it's another brown. But I LIKE them, dammit.



Newcastle, England is where this beer is brewed. It's kind of close to Scotland, which doesn't seem to have anything to do with the tast, yet it was on their website, so I felt I should mention it. The town WAS the first place in Britain to brew beer, which actually does matter quite a bit to me, now that I think about it!

Their site in all flash, so I can't get a picture of this easily, but go to the site, and check out the first page. Hit refresh several times. The bottle caps have snappy little saying in them, like"For a bitter taste, drink with ex-girlfriend."


While looking for pictures of Newcastle, elsewhere, I found this. Holy crap! Don't drink TOO much beer, b/c you could end up like this guy! It just looks uncomfortable.

There is a lovely review of Newcastle posted on epinions, which I am blatantly posting here because I love it: Newcastle Brown ale pours to a light brown, almost cola-like color with a pock-marked foamy head and a soft malty nose. The palate is smooth and nutty, slightly sweet, with a light cracker-like malt character and a hint of chocolate. The hops are just barely perceptible in the finish. This is a wonderfully delicate beer, and a classic English brown ale. Though not as assertive as American brown ale, which is a maltier, hoppier brew, Newcastle should be appreciated for it’s subtle delicacy. It’s easy to throw loads of hops and malt at a beer and make it a big one. A far truer test of the brewer’s art is to produce a drinkable, subtly flavored delight the likes of this one.

If you have to buy bottles, buy bottles. But if you haven't had this before, meaning you, little one, go get it from a place that sells it on tap. Yummy yummy yummy.

I'm a Lazy Sod

For the second week in a row, I let Beer Friday come & go without the appropriate post. Bad Beer Girl! No points for me. OK, so let's call this Beer Saturday, and get a move on, shall we?

It's Saturday, it's a non-work day, and I'm feeling pretty ok with the world, even though it's damn chilly out today. What beer goes with that? How about a beer I personally will always associate with middle-aged, mid-western vacationers? You know who you are. You take your white, office-worker body south for a week & come back sunburned & obsessed with a CD of bad steel drum music or Mexican folk songs. I present you with a Corona, with a lime wedge, of course. Please don't squirt lime juice in your neighbors' eyes as you struggle to get it into the bottle. It's not polite, and simply highlights the fact that you don't drink this all that often.



My mid-western office-worker body would give anything to be 'miles away from ordinary' right now.

Blame It On The Rain

Today's beer is Heineken, because it's easy. And because I liked their keg-can ads. And because my favorite color right now is green. Not because it is the best beer in the world. It's just easy. Bottoms up!

Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)

This song is stuck in my head, along with a mental image of Freedom doing an awkward running man. Oh hello, Friday. I’ve been waiting for you all week, and yet still you were able to sneak up on me, catching me off guard. Friday days are spent making sure everything has been done for the week. I can’t relax until I know it’s all taken care of and done. But then, Friday morphs into anticipation, full of promise & hope. Oh, and beer.

What? Who said beer?

I feel that we need a fun beer today. Not a novelty beer, b/c who wants to drink SIX novelty, funky-flavored beers? Not me. But I would like something summery, springtime-ish, something we can imagine we are drinking outside, in the sunshine.

A summer beer, you say? Obviously. And one I've tried before? Absolutely. Last week just made me sad. How about a Harpoon Summer Beer? This brewery was founded on the Boston waterfront by 3 Harvard grads. Can you say pretentious, boys and girls? You would think so, but the beer is NOT. Quote describing the Summer beer from the site:
"Harpoon Summer Beer is a light-bodied, golden ale that is brewed in the Kolsch style. It originated centuries ago in the German city of Cologne. Clean, clear, and crisp - it makes an ideal summer beer."


It is only available in the notheast, and I'm kind of annoyed that their site doesn't tell you where you can buy it.

Liar

Today's beer is Arrogant Bastard Ale.



If you're feeling super-thirsty, you might want to try the Double Bastard Ale. Both are from the Stone Brewing Company in California. This beer has serious 'tude. I love it. The website rocks and has great FAQ's. I haven't tried it, since I live in the middle of the freakin' country. So I can't give you a review. The reviews from sites like RateBeer.com are extremely high. So I want some. Now. Today. Don't you think a beer named Arrogant Bastard would be a good beer for me? Me too! Maybe I'll order some from HiTimeWine.com. That a great site, by the way. They shipped me some Hinano, the Tahitian beer, once for The Husband's birthday.

Drink up, and if you've had this beer before, please give a review in the comments. Tell me if it's worth paying the extra shipping just to try it! Happy Friday!