Ketchup

Second batch of homebrew is almost ready for second fermentation, so fingers crossed. Bubbling is mostly stopped, gravity truth to be unveiled tonight. The Cream Ale involved way less STUFF, so maybe it's more idiot-proof? We shall see.

Works busy, economy is crap, and I think I am putting my house on the market to buy another one down the street. Gotta keep it interesting, you know.

I am going to Baltimore & DC for the 4th, any recommendations on where to get a decent beer?

Also, Jessica from Obsidian Public Relations thought I might find this interesting enough to post on my blog, so here you all go:

Flying Saucer will present a beer tasting featuring Schlafly Beer on Monday, July 6 at 7 p.m. The event will be hosted by Stephen Hale, head brewer at St. Louis-based Schlafly. Six of Schlafly’s bottle-conditioned and barrel-aged beers will be paired with selected meats, artisan cheeses and dessert. Featured beers include the Tripel, Grand Cru, Bière de Garde, Quadruple, Oak-Aged Barleywine and Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout. Tickets for the event can be purchased at Flying Saucer and are $30 for U.F.O. Club members and $35 for non-members.

Still haven't started

I went out of town to visit my mom in New England for Mother's Day, work's been all consuming, and I haven't had at least 4 hours at home to myself in the past 2 weeks, but I think I may be able to start my brewing experiment tonight or tomorrow night. We shall see.

In the meantime, please read Bull E. Vard's announcement that THERE IS MORE SAISON BRETT AVAILABLE! Oh yeah. Happy.

Sin City Brewing Co.

Just sharing an article I dug from the Las Vegas Journal Review. I had a Sin City Amber, I think, last time I was in Vegas, and I wondered where it all came from.

Microbrewer Creates Beers with Distinctly Las Vegas Flavor

A hobby that began in college turned into a 20-year career for Richard Johnson.

And all he was trying to do was get free beer.

Now, Johnson hopes his beverages will become synonymous with a trip to Las Vegas.

Johnson, 46, created the Sin City Brewing Co. in 2003, inventing his own special beer brands and selling them on tap at Las Vegas bars and taverns.

Three years later, he opened a small bar inside what is now the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort where he sells his four custom brands of beer by the pint and offers a line of Sin City Brewing Co. logo apparel and other merchandise.

The 400-square-foot location has done well enough to warrant a second site, which is opening at the end of March at the Flamingo. The 900-square-foot bar will overlook the Flamingo's 15-acre pool area and wildlife complex and also offer an outdoor patio.

Johnson hopes the Flamingo outlet will lead to other Sin City Brewing Co. locations on the Strip.

"We needed a microbrewery that identified with Las Vegas," Johnson said. "People go into cities and the easiest way to get to know the town is to buy some of their products. Beer is definitely one of those ways to get to know the city. It makes you feel like you get a taste of the place."

Microbreweries have exploded across the nation in the past decade, many of which began like Johnson's, as someone's hobby. For three straight years, microbrewery beers have outpaced the sales of imported beers, the American Brewers Association reports.

Johnson creates four beers—Sin City Amber, Sin City Light, Sin City Stout and Sin City Weisse. He brews the beers in small batches (100 kegs at a time) at the Gordon Biersch Brewing Co. on Paradise Road. He helped build the brewery in the late 1990s when he worked for the company.

Johnson said he brews his beer using traditional methods, premium raw materials and a strict adherence to the Rheinheitsgebot, the 1516 German beer purity law.

Johnson employs five people at Sin City Brewing and he oversees production of the beer.

Popularity at the Miracle Mile Shops bar and the new location at the Flamingo means more of Sin City's beer needs to be directed toward the company-owned locations. Johnson has scaled back the bars and taverns to about 15 locations from a high of 50.

He has no plans to turn the microbrew bars into microbrew pubs that offer food service.

"For us, it's all about the beer," Johnson said.

Copyright (c) 2009, Las Vegas Review-Journal

Aaaaand, I'm back

Still digging out from Unread Email Mountain, trying to convince the dog that we really were always going to come back for him, slathering lotion on burned skin and dieting from spending that much time at an all-inclusive. But it was awesome. Just the right balance of sun, sand, sea spray & beverages needed to get me thru the next handful of crazy weeks before a long holiday break.

Back to the Beach

Our entire company is picking up and headed to Cancun next week. There may be some good beer available. There may not be. I might stick to brightly colored blended drinks served frosty on the beach. Catch ya on the flip side.

Dream Vacation - Beer Town USA

So, who wants to go to Colorado with me before it gets snowy? The "Napa Valley" of beer is Colorado. Denver ranks first in the nation in beer production per capita and second in the number of breweries. There are more than 100 breweries statewide. Breweries include Coors, Anheuser-Busch, Rockies Brewing Co, Bristol, Breckenridge, New Belgium, Aspen, Avery, Great Divide, Odell, and more.

The Great American Beer Festival, in Denver hosts thousands of people every September for tastings, live music and entertainment. **correction - it is Oct 9th-11th, per Lee**Brewmasters compete for coveted medals in more than 58 categories. Farther north, visitors can enjoy the Annual Colorado Brewers' Festival, June, in Fort Collins. Enjoy music, food, games, entertainment and beer sampling. Don't miss the Annual Telluride Blues and Brews Festival, every September. This Colorado favorite combines the best brews with the finest in traditional blues music.

Two thousand and eight?

Happy New Year! Yeah, ok, I am a little late on that. A little late on a lot of things, I am afraid. I still have a Mexico mindset, which apparently means saying "Gracias," to the gas station clerk after receiving my change, and avoiding my endlessly buzzing smart phone by imagining having another something-made-with-tequila and just not worrying about it right now. I had some beer, I did. Sol, Dos Equis, and Tecate. But mostly I stuck to the fruity confections that seemed most appropriate to the locale. See? It looks slightly out of place, doesn't it? Like it should be a giant glass rimmed with salt and a slice of lime festively garnishing the side. Not a lonely little beer can, sweating in the sun.

I am sorry that I missed the beer blogger meet up. Hope you all had a blast. When I saw that you guys left me a voicemail, I was half hoping it would be psuedo-drunken slurring. And then I remembered that we're grown ups, and it is just really really nice to be missed. I can't promise no more trips to Mexico, but I am wishing really hard that I get to meet you all for reals sometime.

Sam says hi

I am in Boston for work. Like all work trips, it is a whirlwind. Up at at 'em at 7 am, go until it's not fun anymore, fight rush hour traffic to Logan and get back on a plane to cow town as the sun sets. But I did manage to snag Sam Adams, and he said to tell you all hello.

Harpooned on an island

I really wasn't done with vacation. It never lasts long enough. I did manage to finish 3 books, go sailing, hit the beach, laze around, and get the Husband to step away from the Motorola Q for a while, so I think it went well. Now I am back, and dreaming of not being back at all.

We went to the Vineyard for a long weekend, and needed beers to go with all those lobster rolls, stuffed quahogs, sushi and scallops we planned to eat. So we picked up some Harpoon Summer Beer and regular Harpoon Ale.

Harpoon Ale was the first in the family of Harpoon beers. When it was first brewed in 1987, there were virtually no other American Pale Ales or Amber Ales available in Boston, let alone an ale brewed within the city limits. Harpoon Ale was the product of extensive research and test brews by Harpoon’s founders to find the right beer to launch the Harpoon Brewery. When first seeing Harpoon Ale in a glass, you will notice its golden caramel color. You will also see that it is not excessively carbonated. High carbonation would mask this beer’s subtle flavor. The first aroma will be fruity. This is produced by the yeast and is a signature characteristic of Harpoon’s proprietary yeast strain. The second perceptible aroma is from the malt, with a delicate caramel note. Upon tasting Harpoon Ale, you will find that the malty, fruity character is nicely balanced by the mild hop bitterness. It has a smooth, medium body. The finish of this beer is crisp but not dry.

Harpoon Summer Beer is a Kolsch style ale. Originating in the Rhineland city of Cologne (Koln), Kolsch ales have the characteristics that many people associate with lager beers. Kolsch is brewed with an ale yeast, but like other northern German light ales, it is straw gold in color and light bodied. The flavor is mild. The hopping levels provide a crisp, dry finish that make this beer particularly refreshing. Harpoon Summer Beer is a beer brewed to be enjoyed with summertime activities. It is light, refreshing, and crisp.This beer goes well with a wide variety of foods, including delicate dishes such as salads and seafood.

I would like a lobster roll, a Harpoon Summer, and the ability to hear waves lapping at a beach again. ~sigh~

Hey Y'all! Miss me?

I just came back from a work/ad/media/conference jaunt right outside of Austin, TX that was fun and interesting and oh-my-god humid. But since this is the beer blog, I thought I would tell you about what I drank. In quantities far too large, by the way. I drank Shiner Bock, brewed by the Spoetzl Brewery, which is located somewhere around Houston, Austin and San Antonio.

Shiner Bock has been brewed at this brewery since 1913, but used to be a seasonal beer for Lent. (Huh? Keep reading...) Today Bock makes up 80% of all the beer sold by Spoetzl, who used to keep their business within a 70 mile range, but now are actively growing distribution. They just started appearing in parts of Missouri.

I drank many bottles of Shiner, like this one. For a random point of reference, one of the friendly Texas bartenders who we kept hopping during our cocktail hours told me that she thought Shiner Bock tasted kind of like Sam Adams. It might, maybe, to some people, but not really to me. Sam Adams is more of a dark lager, while a bock is a style all on it's own. BeerAdvocate is at the ready with a description:

The origins of Bock beer are quite uncharted. Back in medieval days German monasteries would brew a strong beer for sustenance during their Lenten fasts. Some believe the name Bock came from the shortening of Einbeck thus "beck" to "bock." Others believe it is more of a pagan or old world influence that the beer was only to be brewed during the sign of the Capricorn goat, hence the goat being associated with Bock beers. Basically, this beer was a symbol of better times to come and moving away from winter.

As for the beer itself in modern day, it is a bottom fermenting lager that generally takes extra months of lagering (cold storage) to smooth out such a strong brew. Bock beer in general is stronger than your typical lager, more of a robust malt character with a dark amber to brown hue. Hop bitterness can be assertive enough to balance though must not get in the way of the malt flavor, most are only lightly hopped.

Average alcohol by volume (abv) range: 5.5-7.5%

So it comes with a little ABV kick. And as I said, I drank many bottles of Shiner, maybe one too many. I never poured it into a glass (because I am classy!) so I can't note anything about color, or head, etc. All I can tell you is that it smelled sweet, kind of malty, tastes smooth, sweet, and only has a little bit of carbonation.

The Demon You Know

I ate so MUCH. I could have kept a whole village alive on the food I consumed this weekend. It is actually quite astounding. I only managed to try 2 beers. (Hey, cut me some slack, this weekend was all about MOM, not all about beer.)

I tried one of A-B's newest brews, the "craft" types they are brewing for different regions. I had a Demon Hop Yard IPA at Westbrook Lobster in Clinton, CT. I didn't expect much, so I wasn't surprised when it poured a clear and filtered amber color into the pint glass. I was suprised to detect a fair amount of hops, and a taste that actually bit back! I wouldn't say that it was anywhere near the BEST IPA I've ever had, but it was pretty darn good. So...wow. Good job.

My brother & sister-in-law were up for a beer last night, so we cruised to New Haven and hit up the Bru Room at BAR, in the Yale neighborhood. We didn't have any (thank god) but I saw the HUGE pizzas they were bringing to the tables, and I think we'll have to do that sometime. They looked & smelled wonderful. I had a pale ale, which seemed nice and balanced and went down easily. My brother had a thick and sticky stout, which was sweet and delicious, but I was far too full to appreciate it all. The bar started to get crowded around 11:30-midnight, full of Yalies in ironic t-shirts, and we had to get home early to get up for the big family brunch the next day.

Moms Day Hiatus

I'm going on my own mini vacation, and vacation to me always means fresh seafood, time spent on the water, and grabbing a new beer or two. It's Mother's Day weekend, and I am going to visit my own little madre. As additional benefits there will be the Long Island Sound, my brother and sister-in-law, my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. I'll try to grab some interesting beer to talk about here. In the meantime, have a great weekend, and do something nice for your mom, the mother of your children, or yourself if you are a mom.

It is still Wednesday, right?

I woke up at 4 am, to leave the house by 5 am, to catch a flight at 6:20 am. What time did your ass wake up? Yeah....rock on, business warriors. The Drury next to the airport is not the hot spot you may imagine.

But how did you spend your Wednesday night? Mine ended with a couple of Schlafly's, watching Chuck Berry, the world's greatest experimental whammy twang bar king crimson stunt guitarist at Blueberry Hill in St. Louis. I'd post pics, but I'm so flippin' brilliant, I don't have the required connections. I might do it later. I might not. I'm like that.

That's right, I shot that. Mr. Berry, checking out the chest on the young, cute, blond sound engineer who happened to be wearing a tank top. Ha!

Sniff, Cough, Sneeze, repeat

I have a gross, nasty, annoying cold. I have had a cold for a week and a half. I picked it up in Vegas, which just sounds disgusting. I'm living on pseudoephedrine, cough drops and Airborne. I can't taste anything. I needed to whine about it for a moment. Thanks.

B Side

Are we on the flip side yet? I'm exhausted. One more week until we do the Vegas thing, which I am SO looking forward to, I can't even explain. Fall used to be my favorite time of year, as a kid, what with the start of school and Halloween and my birthday. In high school and college it meant crunchy walks and football games. Now it means bagging 60+ bags of leaves and wishing it wouldn't rain again so I could paint the porch. Ah, adulthood. On the plus side, our kitchen is awesome. So awesome. I think I am going to have to learn to actually cook now. Baking and fixing dinner are not the same as really knowing how to cook. When things are happier, we'll have a party of some sort. Post-Thanksgiving, pre-holiday, perhaps? Dark beverages, fattening food, and the like.

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.

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. :)

Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?

Beer Post! Since this was the week of my adventures in Chi town, I wanted to pick a Chicago beer. However, I find myself really wanting to feature a beer I has IN Chicago, but is not necessarily unique to the geography. Hence, today is a double bonus Beer Friday. That's right, 2 beers in one day. Can you even stand it?

The first is a product of Rock Bottom Breweries. They used to have a location close to me, but it closed a few years ago, and so I haven't had Rock Bottom beer in quite some time. I seriously doubted it would be anything special. For the most part I was right, but it was free, and therefore much better than if I had paid my own money for it. With this in mind, I give it to the points-earners, also for free. Don't you love it? Yes, you moochers, you love free stuff, just like me.

Here are the locations of their restaurants. I had a few Erik the Red Ales, so that's what ya get. Very hoppy, a little tangy, and a little too much to drink as fast as I did. :) This picture is NOT from Rock Bottom, but it's a red, so I'm using it for illustration purposes only.

Second offering here is a Chicago beer. While I did not go to Goose Island this trip, (blame someone's wife for that,) I have been to the bar location in Wrigleyville in the past. I love these types of places, and Goose Island's Nut Brown Ale is just so damn good. Their website's description:

Brewed in the English tradition, Nut Brown Ale combines the finest domestic and imported malts to produce a chestnut-hued ale of unusual complexity. Subtle notes of chocolate, honey and fine tobacco give this world champion ale an enjoyable and satisfying "nutty" finish.

I gave up on the summery beers this week. I wonder if visiting Chicago had anything to do with that. It wasn't cold or anything, but there's something about that place that makes you feel as if everyone eats & drinks a little heartier than in other places. Not MUCH heartier, mind you. Y'all know that I'm a midwestern girl too!

I hope that you enjoy the "nutty" finish on your free beer. I'm looking forward to enjoying a nutty finish of this week. Whew. I can't believe Friday actually arrived this week at all. I'm so Loverboy.

Kalamazoo

Beer Post!

Two Hearted Ale from Kalamazoo Brewing Company is an IPA with juicy/citrusy flavor, and kind of a kick on the back-end. Excellent summer beer! AND...I found a place that serves it here, in my bad beer town. Happiness!

Their site describes it thusly:
India Pale Ale style well suited for Hemingway-esque trips to the Upper Peninsula. American malts and enormous hop additions give this beer a crisp finish and incredible floral hop aroma.

I have to comment, though, that they should really work on their labels. I'm a picky bitch when it comes to packaging, and this really ain't doin' it for me. And really? It's all about me.

Next week I think I'll be picking something from my Chi-town jaunt. I'm leaving tomorrow for the windy city, to bug a friend, crash on her couch and generally try not to be a mooch. I've been promised that I can take her out to dinner at least, to pay her back. Beer will be involved. And then I have to attend a conference to get some learnin' before I come home next week. I mean, my employer IS paying for the trip, so it's only fair that I bring something back with me besides beer, receipts for beer and memories clouded by beer, right?

I'll miss The Husband, and The Dog, and even you guys. But I promise to have fun anyway. :)

Story of My Life

I just got back from Puerto Rico, which was a work trip, and I am on my way to a less exotic destination now. Beer? Yes please. Lots of it.
I have zero creativity in me right now. Beer is El Presidente, from the Dominican Republic, because I liked it quite a lot. From Brian's Beer Belly: "Brewed in Santo Domingo, the capitol of the beautiful if impoverished nation that shares a border with the even more impoverished Haiti, Presidente is the Domincan’s most popular beer. Despite the spanish speaking natives of the DR the bottle proudly declares in English that Presidente is brewed "With a Fine Selection of Malting Hops, Barley, and Corn Grits." So the Dominicans aren’t that adept at advertising. At first smell the golden liquid seems a tad skunky, but so does Molsen so let’s get beyond that shall we? The pilsner type beer provides a crisp taste that is not unlike Red Stripe or Rolling Rock. Hey, this stuff isn’t a fat beer lovers dream. It doesn’t taste like anything special but that’s what is so great about it. This beer is meant to be enjoyed on a hot summer day when the temperature in the shade reaches into the hundreds."