I Think I'll Just Stay Here And Drink

Today's beer is Peachy's favorite. It is brewed in Vermont, and is not available here in the not so wild (mid) West. Tomorrow I will purchase a variety of northeastern beer at this state liquor store along the highway, on our way in from the airport. Those crack me up, by the way.
So the beer? Magic Hat #9. It's brewed by Magic Hat Brewing Co., who's website is mildly annoying. So instead I direct you to BeerAdvocate, and My Life Is Beer, who have many reviews posted of this beer.#9 is a fruit beer. What is a fruit beer? Again, from BeerAdvocate:
A generic form of flavored beer, some breweries actually use real fruit, though most use an extract, syrup or processed flavor to give the effect of a particular fruit. Usually ales, but with not much ale character to them and commonly unbalanced. Malt flavor is typically hidden with a low hop bitterness to allow the fruit to dominate.

I have a very open beer mind, and I look forward to trying this, but I still don't think this is going to be one of my personal faves. Certainly not The Husband's. We haven't been a big fan of perfume-y smelling beers in the past, so I'm going to pick out a back up, also from the great state of Vermont, which is apparently a beer sort of girl's mecca. My choice to taste will be Otter Creek's Oktoberfest beer, available only August to November.

I'm so looking forward to eating fresh seafood and drinking new beer that it's really overshadowing everything else about this weekend. That's ok by me. See ya on the flip side. Peace out.

Mad Season

The beer today is Boddington's Pub Ale, my new substitue for Caffrey's, my long lost love. Brian's Beer Belly loves it, but Beer Advocate reviewers seem disappointed in the canned variety. For that reason, I'm offering this on draught today.

Boddington's hails from England, where it has been enjoyed for more than 200 years. It was brewed at the Strangeways Brewery in Manchester for all of that time, right up until this year, when the corporation that bought the small label in the 90's turned the production of the beer into another corporate process. Boo, I know. But I'd like to believe that I am honoring the years of brewing that took place in that one little brewery. And I'm positive that I am missing something in the taste that was likely there before. But I wasn't 21 until the late 90's, so I missed my window.

It's a creamy, light, golden beer that seems to conjure up the word 'honey.' I love it. And since it's feeling a little bit like fall already, what with the kidlets in my area starting back to school already, I'm ready for a seasonal beer shake up. I hope you're with me. Here's to the first of many many fall beers at Beer Girl's Blog Bar.

Torn

Beer is no longer cool?
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/15/business/15beer.html?8seia&emc=seia

The King Of Steam

I want to taste local Cali beer. So I hope to get my hands on an Arrogant Bastard, which was featured here. But today's beer is one native to San Fran. Anchor Brewery's Anchor Steam.

From their site:
Anchor Steam derives its unusual name from the 19th century when "steam" seems to have been a nickname for beer brewed on the West Coast of America under primitive conditions and without ice. The brewing methods of those days are a mystery and, although there are many theories, no one can say with certainty why the word "steam" came to be associated with beer. For many decades Anchor alone has used this quaint name for its unique beer. In modern times, "Steam" has become a trademark of Anchor Brewing.

The reviews on BeerAdvocate are pretty good. Here's a quote from one in particular:
Clear light copper. Frothy, small white head. Dry, hoppy and clean. Loads of woody, earthy mint hop notes and a clean malt profile. Medium light body. Lager like clarity in texture with a slight apple fruitiness and hints of lemon peels. Dryish as it closes. Not overly complex but a tough style to nail. Even better on tap.

I'll give you my personal opinion either when I have a minute to post next week, or when I get back on Friday. Have a great weekend, and a good next week. I'm going to geek out at a dork conference. So you all really know I'll be posting anyway. :)