A continued love affair

Me + Winter = Stout Love Forever

I was wandering the shelves of my friendly neighborhood liquor store, looking for something, anything different, really, and not finding much that piqued my interest. At the bottom of a display, I saw a sixer of this. Check out Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout, brewed by the Anderson Valley Brewing Company in Booneville, CA. According to the brewery’s site:

With its deep, dark brown-black color, thick, full-bodied, velvety-smooth mouth feel, mocha character, and, strong yet subtle hop bite, Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout is one of the thickest, richest, and most complex stouts on the market today. In 1990, it became our first gold medal winner, at the Great American Beer Festival. Barney Flats was judged so superior to the other stouts that no other medals were even awarded in its category. Try it and see why Stewart Kallen described it as, "Slippery, creamy, dark, and sweet as a Pacific May morning," in his book, The 50 Greatest Beers in the World.

Jason, of the Almstrom Bros of Beer Advocate, noted the following:
Presentation: 12 oz brown long-neck bottle with no freshness date. Blurb about the beer on the back label.
Appearance: Stout black with a wispy light brown lace.
Smell: Sweet and tangy with a mild coffee and chicory aroma.
Taste: Rich, smooth and textured. A fight between the roasted flavour and hop oil … hop oil finally gives up. Hops give a good fight with a flowery bitterness and leave a short trail of flavour. Roasted flavour keeps on pushing on, full bodied and a bit of sweetness come through. The finish is of a faded tangy roasted ending.
Notes: Seriously hearty stout, very full bodied and pretty much no holds bared on your taste buds. This is what you call a beefed up stout … where is my cigar?

My pathetic reviews can’t top Jason’s insightful notes, so I am not going to try, except to let you all know that this is hands down, absolutely, my favorite stout right this second. Go find some!

Oh, and I ripped this picture off of the Google. I didn't go on a glass buying spree. Mine was consumed from a regular old pint glass. Of course.

Chocolate for Friday

Received the below message from 75th Street Brewery today. Still not clear what the brew could be classified as, but sounds good.

Even Darth Vader can't resist the force of the brew we've got on tap now at 75th Street...

Chocolate Assent

75th Street's master brewers are releasing this rich brew to you TODAY!!
Chocolate Assent's dark brown color pours to match the six pounds of Colombian dark chocolate within the brew. The assent's aroma is full-on malty caramel with hints of the chocolate cacophony to come. Your palate will be challenged at first sip with a smooth bitterness start [reminiscent of your first chocolate chip cookie] before the lingering bittersweet chocolate taste tags along. This brew is a go-getter [as in GO GET A GROWLER] that suits a cozy night by the fireside.

But don't plan on us providing the fire. Spark it yourself.

Stop in for a pint TODAY for FIRKIN FRIDAY, January 9th at the 75th Street Brewery in Waldo.

Cheers!

Black Ops

Remember my little hey-let's-break-the-law-and-send-booze-thru-the-USPS episode? My sister-in-law returned the favor by sending me some Brooklyn brew. I received a bottle of Brooklyn Brewery's Black Ops Imperial Stout last week. I waited for the right moment to break it open, which turned out to be Sunday, the night before my husband and I had to return to work after 10 consecutive days of vacation. Aaaannnnnd, thud. But I slept very well.

Regardless, a strong imperial stout was perfect for the winter evening, and this is definitely a STRONG one. According to Beer Advocate info, Brooklyn Black Ops was aged for four months in bourbon barrels, bottled flat, and re-fermented in the bottle with Champagne yeast. There were 940 cases produced. The label looks much prettier in RL than here in the picture I ripped off of someone else's Flickr.

I kept the 750 ml bottle on my kitchen counter top for more than a day, so it was definitely room temperature by the time I poured the dark, motor oil colored stout into 2 pint glasses, and waited for the abundant dark tan head to settle down before we tried it. The first whiff seemed to contain some of the bourbon barrel character, but to be honest, mostly all I smelled was raw alcohol. Well, it is an 11% ABV beer. It kind of intimidated me, but only because it was a school night. The taste starts with dark roasted malts, chocolate and coffee flavors, maybe a little vanilla, a little bourbon burn, and ALCOHOL. A mostly direct quote from my husband went something like this, "This might be a great evening after all." I refrain from conjecturing what he meant by that.

All I know is that he polished off his glass long before I did. This was a sipper for me. Good, smooth, with the alcohol burn becoming less apparent with each gulp, but still a sipper. I couldn't really imagine having too much of this, but one pint was perfect. I had to get up early in the morning for the first time in almost 2 weeks. Blerg.

Boulevard gives the best presents

Boulevard is like the childless aunt and uncle you had when you were a kid. They give the BEST presents. (Although admittedly, as a really young girl, I didn't fully appreciate the Sergio Valente jeans my aunt gave me for my birthday one year. I could have only been 5 years old at the time.)

But Boulevard did better than Sergio Valente jeans. They gave beer bloggers a big Smokestake Series-sized bottle of a stout they are working on. It was available for pickup after 3 pm yesterday, and I lost track of time, as I am prone to do. I called their front desk at 5 minutes before 5 pm and begged Amy to wait a few minutes past 5 for me. I was there in 4 minutes. :) THANK YOU AMY!!


I really wanted to enjoy it while watching the debate last night, and graciously shared it with my husband. (I am not so gracious w/beer at times, so I felt I earned extra points for this.) The bottle included a note of thanks for blogging about Boulevard (of course) and some info about the brew contained within. It is a non-release brew that may become a Smokestack Series beer over time. It is based on an Imperial Russian Stout, fermented w/Belgian yeast, and contains a whole variety of hops, malted barleys, rye and oats. Imperial Russian Stout definition from BeerAdvocate:

Inspired by brewers back in the 1800's to win over the Russian Czar, this is the king of stouts, boasting high alcohol by volumes and plenty of malt character. Low to moderate levels of carbonation with huge roasted, chocolate and burnt malt flavours. Often dry. Suggestions of dark fruit and flavors of higher alcohols are quite evident. Hop character can vary from none, to balanced to aggressive.


It poured prettily, with a thick pillowy head that took some time to settle down. Good! It left lacing along the glass throughout. Good! It smelled like roasted goodness, with a healthy hint that this beer has teeth. I could tell it would be heavy in ABV from a sniff. It was 9%, which makes sense with the style. First sip was good, echoing the roasted, burnt smell, a little bitter, perhaps from a hops bite, and dry. Very dry. I kept associating the alcohol burn with the bitter taste, but I couldn't tell you if that is really what it WAS. I thought it was MUCH more bitter, bite-y, and dry in the first few sips. By the time we finished the bottle, I was really enjoying it, finding more sweet and roasted elements than harsh.

I really liked this beer. My husband REALLY liked this beer, and that doesn't always happen with ye old beer blog selections. More often than not, one glass is more than enough for him, but this time he wanted half of whatever was left. Which, again, graciously, I shared. I think it was the bite. He's always been a decent hop head, just not into Belgians, I suppose.

Thank you SO MUCH, friends at Boulevard. The Big Stout was awesome, and I am so happy to hear that you all are working on new artisan beers to add to the Smokestack Series over time. It was cool to be included in that process, even to a small degree.

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Like Chocolate Milk

I grew up as an allergied kid. I always had the sniffles, and had to have some dramatic surgery to make my head all better when I was about 6 which involved my nasal cavity. I know, gross. Turned out that I and my younger brothers are allergic to bovine dairy. Yeah. Milk. And all milk products. Don't tell me about your lactose intolerance, it is NOT the same thing. Children that can't eat ice cream or cheese pizza are going to live their entire adult lives feeling like something was missing.

I try to fill that void with beer, apparently, and I found one I think I heart. I picked up a grab bag of goodies from Rimann this weekend, after a co-worker asked me how she could find a beer that tasted like chocolate. Since I had it on the brain, I picked up some random chocolate stouts, and one Left Hand Brewing Company Milk Stout. I drank it, I didn't share it, and if I bought a 6 pack, I might have to protect it from the Husband like a mother bear protecting cubs. It is seriously that good. AND, it is a dark, sweet, CHICK beer. I promise.

It poured out of the bottle into a pint glass very dark brown, almost black coffee. It had puffy and cappuccino-like head. The smell was awesome, like spiked sweet coffee in a glass. Some maltiness, coffee and hot cocoa-like scents.

Taste was sweet. No joke. Not candy-cloying, but definitely sweet. What I found astounding was the real milky taste and mouth feel. I liked the ever-so-slight slight bitter finish.Overall just so smooth. Like chocolate milk. As a kid who could never, ever, drink a whole big tall glass of chocolate milk, this was like manna to me. I loved it. I will drink more.

But in the meantime, I plan to turn my attention to pumpkin and Oktoberfest brews in the immediate future. We're already well into September!

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Define Decadent

Per Merriam-Webster

1 : marked by decay or decline
2 : of, relating to, or having the characteristics of the decadents

3 : characterized by or appealing to self-indulgence <decadent pleasures>

By those definitions, the Fort Collins Double Chocolate Stout is either in decline, or a self-indulgent treat. Hrm.

I took my 22 oz bottle and managed almost 2 pint glasses from it. (Think about much beer you miss when the barkeep leaves a little too much room or the waitress sloshes it around?!) This is very dark beer. Almost black, but with enough rust around the edge and brown in the sticky foamy head that you realize it is dark, dark, dark oily brown. It reminded me a bit of Rogue’s Chocolate, but probably because Lee said he & his lovely were drinking some, and I wanted it.

The bubbly head didn't last through the whole glass. Actually, it didn’t even last through the first third. I was yakking on the phone to a friend about rings and dresses and other girly wedding themed items, and took a big swig without really thinking, and was smacked with a mouthful of bitter chocolate and roasted coffee. One glass into my bottle, and I was feeling a little light headed. This isn’t a “thick” feeling beer, but it is a tiny bit grainy. There was the typical dry aftertaste, but seemed a little more bitter and greasy than normal.

Overall it was good, but now I just want Rogue. Guess it’s another trip to Batson for me this week. I really need to transition to springy beers, despite my love for dark brews. It's diet time again. Time to update the pointy post!

Buy yourself something pretty

I stopped by Batson on my way home tonight. Picked up some beer for the hubby, who had a full day, and 2 kinds of beer for me, who is having a full day/week/month/year. For him was the-beer-who-cannot-be-named, and for me, two little experiments:

An 8.45 oz bottle of Sam Adams Triple Bock. It cost $4.30 at Batson, and the hand written shelf sign read, "Poor Man's Utopia." I had no idea what it was, so I bought it. According to the Beer Advocate, it is something Sam Adams brewed for limited releases, with the most recent being 1997. So technically, this beer was brewed last the year I turned 21, if not before. Neat. Straight from the site:
We recommend serving it at room temperature in a snifter a few ounces at a time - one bottle should generously serve two to three. Its warming malt character and fruit esters make it an ideal after dinner aperitif. Due to legal restrictions, Samuel Adams® Triple Bock® can not be sold in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Washington, and West Virginia.
It is a crazy, black, oily looking substance, that apparently many dislike and contains massive amounts of alcohol. So I need a crazy beer testing friend for sharing. The husband won't drink motor oil!

The other is a Fort Collins Double Chocolate Stout. Double chocolate stout just sounds yummy, and the site calls it decadent. I am hoping so. Decadent would be nice right now.

Rogue Post, or Don't Cry Over Spilled Beer

I bragged about my pretty bottle of Rogue Imperial Stout that I had waiting for me at home. I came home BEFORE 9 PM! OK, not because I'm balanced, but because someone has to let the dog out, and no one else is in town. But I digress. I was so looking forward to cracking open that Imperial Stout. Seemed like a wonderful thing to do on a cold and lonely Wednesday night. I even took a picture with the crappy camera phone and everything. (Side note, remember how I bitched about needing a new camera? And then I got one? Yeah. guess where it is? With The Husband. Out of town. For biz. Explain to me again why everything becomes "ours" once you are married?) ANY way.

I poured. I drooled. I plugged in my laptop power cord, set my beer on a side table, settled in for a loser's night of excel, powerpoint and tasty beer. But then. THEN. I watched one lonely hyper dog get tangled in said cord and knock over previously mentioned side table, sharing my precious stout with the not-so-appreciative carpet. Nooooooo! Dammit. I didn't even take a SIP, people. This was tragic. I almost cried. But I was too busy cleaning up the floor before my dog got tipsy.

I had about 2/3 of another pint left. I drank it like it was the last water available on earth. Slowly. Carefully. While glaring at the dog. Poor little dude.

I poured this from the ceramic 0.75 litre bottle (2007 Edition) into a pint glass to produce a thick tan head of about 1-1/2". The beer is DARK. And sticky. And has an incredible aroma of chocolate and coffee and caramel. The head had incredible retention. The taste is not as sweet as some of the beers I have been drinking lately, but has a caramel sweetness contrasted with an espresso bite. I wish I had more. But I managed to restrain myself from doing anything disgusting to the carpet, even though that would also result in getting very interesting search traffic. That's the amount of self control I have. Impressed?

At Last

Spot from Guinness. I don't seem smart enough to make YouTube and Blogger act like they love each other. Anyone who has hints, they'd be welcome!

Anyway, cute spot, with nerds being nerds always. Etta James' At Last is the track, which of course is a wedding song for millions of people. Me & the Husband included.

**edited to add that clearly I am not a creative person. Those 2 words, "cute spot," are enough to make some people's heads explode. To them, I am sorry.**

Like I could leave it at that?

No, can't leave the St. Pat's stuff alone. Not yet.
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Planning on doing some partying this St. Patrick's Day? If you are, remember to take this number with you. The St.Joseph Medical Center and Yellow Cab will provide cab rides in the St. Paddy's Wagon for those who've had too much to drink. They won't take you to another bar - these rides are only good for a "take me home," trip. The first $25 of the fare is on the house. Rides start at 3 p.m. Saturday and end at midnight. To catch a ride, call (816) 943-3949.
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You don’t have to drink cheap beer with green food coloring tomorrow. It will make your tongue a really ugly color, never mind the taste. Of course you could go for a Boulevard's Irish Ale, which you already know I adore, or a Guinness, which has done an excellent job "owning" St. Patrick's Day. But there are other loverly Irish brews out there from which to choose. In case you weren’t aware, I’ll elaborate.

The top and/or most popular Irish pours (besides Guinness) are Beamish Stouts and Reds, Harp (a lager from Guinness), Murphy's Stouts and Reds (owned by Heineken) and Smithwick's, another red.

Guinness is DARK, like all stouts and has a thick mouthfeel. Surprisingly to some, stouts actually contain quite a bit less calories than their lighter looking cousins. Guinness tastes more like coffee and grains than the others, at least to me.

Beamish Stout is all about unsweetened chocolate and strong espresso. Same stout consistency overall, however. I’ve only had this a few times.

Murphy’s Stout is more roasted malts and a lighter mouthfeel, despite looking very thick and dark. It smells like coffee & chocolate as well, but somehow manages to go down in a way I can only call silky. I *heart* Murphy’s.

Harp is a lager, meaning it is lighter in color and mouthfeel. It is clear gold in color and tastes more ‘crisp’ and smooth than the others.

Beamish Red is red in color, duh, and focuses on malty, caramel flavors. Of the reds listed here, I think it is the mildest/sweetest. Second only to Boulevard’s version.

Murphy’s Red is similar, but with slightly stronger hoppiness. If you aren’t a huge hop fan, this might not be your favorite. I don’t consider this to have much of a kick, but I like Pale Ales and other high-hop beers, so take that with a grain of salt.

Smithwick’s is also an Irish Ale, but it is brown, not red in color. (Don’t pronounce the “w” in that when you order it. Say “smitticks,” or “smiddicks,” unless you want the smart ass 22 year old waitress to correct you. That won’t make you feel very beer snobbish.) This is balanced between malts & hops, but definitely the most bitter of the reds, in my opinion.

Don’t know what to have? Order a Black&Tan or Half&Half, with Harp & Guinness (or Guinness and Bass). You don’t have to struggle with a decision, it looks cool, and certainly makes you more sophisticated than your bar mate, who is chugging something indescribable with green foam on top. Blech.

I am a Chemical SUPER Freak

Say yeah for chemical explosions. Say yeah for not really realizing what all of those warehouse, industrial-type areas just north of downtown have going on until something explodes. Say yeah for really black skies, stinky air, and mild, momentary panic. I started to imagine that I had a headache & sore throat. Maybe I did. Or maybe I am highly susceptible to suggestion. I lifted this pic straight from KansasCity.com. Just to spread the love, you can read the story via MyFoxKC.


Me & a few others had a scheduled dinner with a rep who was in town. Most everyone bailed after our company excused everyone early to escape the smoke, going home to theoretically save their own lungs, with the outside air circulation vent turned off in their cars. Being a fool, I decided that it wasn't that bad, and met the rep for dark stouts at McCoy's Public House. The stouts were tasty, the company was good, and the raging chemical fire seems to be less of a threat now.

When it thunders, I go outside to look. When the tornado siren wails, I go straight to the nearest, biggest window. If I had been standing on the beach in Thailand, I'd be the idiot pointing and exclaiming, look, something crazy is going on with the water. Whoosh. Keep your fingers crossed for me that nothing truly freaky was burning. I think my throat is getting sore...

Storm Preparedness

Winter decided to arrive. And in this area of the country, a 50-60 degree day in the middle of January is almost always followed by a blanket of ice. Yesterday was gorgeous. I am glad that I got to enjoy it a little. Today it is 18 degrees.

In 1996, lots of people lost power. I was at college, in an apt., and managed to escape any damage. In 2002, hundreds of thousands lost power and my wedding was almost cancelled due to "dangerous weather." It wasn't, we celebrated, and promptly ran away to French Polynesia, where ice storms are as foreign as tsunamis are in Kansas. But now we live in a neighborhood with overhead lines and massive trees. I'm not sure we are going to escape this weekend with both heat and light. It seems a lot to ask.


I haven't been to the grocery store, go I guess I will be skating by there on my way home. And stopping by the beer store. Because a weekend like this requires both a porter AND a stout.

I'm gonna sip Sam Adams like it's my birthday

My father-in-law and step-mom-in-law gave me beer for my birthday. A whole lot of beer. This beer. Because they had read my review. How crazy is that? I laughed and laughed. And I drank one last night. So lovely.

Llama School

When winter rolls around, and I'm working on insulating myself from the nasty bitter wind that blows, I drink a lot of *dark* beers. I know some of you are not fans of the dark brews. But I think it is because you are afraid. Be not afraid. A beer sort of girl will take you by the hand, and show you the dark side. It is not evil. It is rich, comforting, and delicious. So sit up straight, and be sure to grab your pens, pencils, paper, or if you insist on being all digital, your keyboard. You're about to get some learnin'.

Beer school is now in session. Here are a few types of dark beers, and how I describe them. In all fairness, I describe them this way because the Alström Bros explain things so perfectly, and they always nail it.

Porter - The porter style of beer is responsible for the cartoon image of a drunk swigging from a jug marked XXX. X's were used to denote strength, so one X would be less strong than XX. So you know this style of beer is OLD SCHOOL. It is also the father of the stout. Porter brewers learned that they could roast grains to make them dark, and this turned into the stout. Porters are dark, no doubt, but typically aren't made with roasted grains, and so have a slightly simpler taste. They're a little dry, like wine, but they pack a powerful taste punch. Just because they are dark does not mean they are the strongest beer around. Usually they are on par with your everyday average domestic light in a bottle variety of beer.

Stout - (my fave) - I described it in last week's beer post, but boiled down, this is a very very dark beer, that makes someone think about something rich, like coffee or toffee or chocolate. It isn't sweet like fruit beers can be, it can feel almost dry when compared to light colored beers. The main flavor of a stout comes from roasted barley. Carbonation is usually minimal in stouts, which is why they are usually put on a nitro tap in bars. The nitro sytem is what is responsible for that creamy, masking effect that makes pouring a Guinness so fun to watch. The big 3 are Murphy's, Guinness and Beamish.

Oatmeal Stout - A variation of the traditional stout, this came about when people thought that adding oats to the brewing mix would make the beer healthier. The side bonus is that oatmeal stouts tend to be a litle sweeter than traditional stouts. What you get is a very silky-smooth beer that has a BIG taste, but doesn't feel like you should have to chew it.

Tonight, however, I'm drinking another regular old stout. Because I like them! And I feel like I've earned it. I worked out today and everything. So there. Today's beer is Bridgeport Brewery's Black Strap Stout. I opened this beer almost 15 minutes ago, and then got side tracked by this stupid post. So it's been sitting awhile with only a few sips taken, and the head is still almost an inch thick. Regardless of how long I left it there, I have a feeling that it would leave lacy trails all the way down the glass as I drank it. (That's a good thing!) It totally smells like chocolate and coffee, with almost a cocoa taste immediately hitting me. After that dissolves, there's a little bitter kick of hops, with some molasses, and a dry, i-need-to-drink-more-now feeling left in my mouth.

Short but Funky

I'm freezing this weekend, and I want to drink beer. So I reach for a comfort beer. For me, this is the beer version of mashed potatoes. A stout! Today's beer is Sierra Nevada's Stout. Before anyone jumps down my throat about picking "bigger name" beers, I'll remind you that the beers I review/recommend are based largely on accessibility. There are thousands of amazing craft brews that can only be purchased in one place. That doesn't help me when I want to try something, and I can't get my greedy paws on it. And it doesn't help anyone reading this who lives in a completely different part of the world.

So Sierra Nevada is readily available at stores and bars across the US, and it's a good, solid stout example. A stout as defined by BeerAdvocate: "Inspired from English & Irish Stouts, the American Stout is the ingenuous creation from that. Thankfully with lots of innovation and originality American brewers have taken this style to a new level. Whether it is highly hopping the brew or adding coffee or chocolate to compliment the roasted flavors associated with this style. Some are even barrel aged in Bourbon or whiskey barrels. The hop bitterness range is quite wide but most are balanced. Many are just easy drinking session stouts as well. "

The official BeerAdvocate review states:
Appearance: A smooth black with leather hues around the edges and a creamy tan head with great retention.
Smell: Rich dark and on the dry side hints of fruit esters and grain aromas with a full earthy hop leaf nose, notes of ripe plum and light molasses are also detected.
Taste: A creamy full bodied brew with a roasted barley bitterness, notes of chocolate and a touch of caramel. High hop bitterness to balance that begins light, turns sharp and slightly tingly, eventually imparting its earthy flavour in the aftertaste and complementing the dry bitterness left from the roasted barley. The aftertaste stays with you for a very long time.
Notes: One of our favourite stouts; a well balanced brew showing both malt and hop complexities without one being the more dominant.

In plain english, this is one tasty beer with big flavor and a bit of a bite in the aftertaste. It is quite filling, so this is something I sip on for a long time. No pounding back stouts for me. I'd get full before I got drunk.

C.R.E.A.M.

Beer of the weekend is Samuel Adam's Cream Stout. Sam Adam's site says it's the cappucino of beers:

Samuel Adams® Cream Stout is a true cream stout, balancing body and sweetness with the natural spiciness of grain and hand selected English hops. Our Brewers use generous portions of roasted chocolate and caramel malts as well as unroasted barley to impart a fullness of body, a roasty malt character and rich, creamy head. Its dark mahogany color make it almost as easy on the eyes as it is on the palate.

BeerAdvocate reviewers agree:
Pours black with large brown head. I definitely taste chocolate, but not over sweet. Along with that I taste caramel, roasted coffee. Its all pleasent to the taste buds. For a stout the drinkability is amazing. I will revisit the beer again and again.

As the beer flowed from the bottle it created a beautiful dark, almost black pool im glass that was topped with a delightful tan head that had true staying power. Smell is an intoxicating mixture of chocolate, coffee, caramel, plums, prunes, raisins, and figs. Taste is superb, with just the right combination of roasted malt, coffee, and dark fruit. Finishes with a magnificent dryness to create a perfect ending. As you may guess, I really liked this beer.

Beer Girl says it's good, so drink it!

Beer Run

Since it’s the weekend before St. Pat’s, I’ve decided that there will be a choice of 4 beers here at Beer Girl’s Blog. Yes, I said FOUR! And no, none of them will be green.

Since we did Caffrey's last week, this week I'm offering Guiness, Murphy's, and my local favorite.

Choice #1 (the obvious one) Guinness

I love a good stout as much as the next Irish lass, but sometimes this is a bit heavy for me. I always think of it as a winter beer, which probably isn’t fair. It’s a slow sipping sort of drink, for truly savoring your beer. The website even has some nifty tools, like this downloadable door hanger. Funny stuff. Despite the fact that they have bottles & cans of this stuff, it’s still best from a tap. Maybe I just like it that way so I can watch the settling of the creamy head. I don’t know. Don’t drink this beer ice cold, it should be kept at what Guinness defines as ‘cellar’ temperature.

Choice #2 Murphy's Irish Stout

According to the website, Murphy's is: "Brewed from all natural ingredients, Murphy's Irish Stout is smooth and creamy, with a subtle bitterness. This truly satisfying stout is one to be savoured. Best served chilled between 4-6 degrees Celsius." It also won a Gold Medal in the International Beer Olympics. Good alternative to Guiness, as if you needed one!

Choice #3 Murphy's Irish Red

Described by the site as: "Well balanced and full-bodied, with hints of malt and caramel, this truly refreshing red beer has a unique speciality beer flavour. Best served chilled between 5-7 degrees Celsius. Perfect accompaniment to ethnic foods." Ethnic food, huh? I didn't know that. All I know is that I like it.

Choice #4 (local pick) Boulevard Brewery's Irish Ale

Another Irish Red brew that I adore. (In case you haven't noticed, my favorite beers are brown & reds.) The Boulevard website describes it thusly: "Boulevard Irish Ale, our springtime seasonal beer, is patterned after red ales that have a rich Irish heritage. Our recipe combines five kinds of malt to provide a complex, toasty flavor and reddish hue. Nugget and English Kent Golding hops are added to enhance the beer's complexity and to produce a pleasing balance." It's only available for a few months, so it intensifies my lust for this beer. Enjoy it now, it'll be gone soon!

Pick your poison, and let's roll.