I Just Wanna Love U (Give It To Me)

Friday's finally here. Ahhhhhhhhh. It's sunny, warm but not hot, it's the end of July, and it's beer o'clock.

Today's beer is the one that so impressed me last weekend. Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale. Maybe it was all the hummus I had eaten earlier than evening. Maybe it was the fact that right before I drank this I had suffered through another Miller Lite. Maybe it was just THAT good. But whatever stars aligned, I became a HUGE fan of this beer.

It looks a bit strange, in a clear bottle and an old fashioned label, but it's good. BeerAdvocate's reviews rate it pretty highly. Here's a bit of history, lifted directly from this site:

The Old Brewery at Tadcaster was founded in 1758 and is Yorkshire’s oldest brewery. Samuel Smith is one of the few remaining independent breweries in England, and further is the last to utilize the classic Yorkshire Square system of fermentation solely in stone squares.

The rich Samuel Smith strain of yeast at The Old Brewery dates from the early 1900s. Hops are hand-weighed by the master hop blender, and the brewing water is drawn from a well sunk over 200 years ago.

First introduced to the U.S. market in 1978 by Merchant du Vin, Samuel Smith beers quickly became the benchmark ales for the emerging craft beer movement. To this day, they remain among the most awarded.

All Samuel Smith beers are vegan products, registered with The Vegan Society, as seen here.

Info about the Nut Brown, also lifted directly from their site:

Often called “mild” if it is on draft, brown ale is a walnut-colored specialty of the North of England. A festive-occasion beer, brown ale is one of the oldest English brewing styles, mentioned in literature in the 16th century. Beers brewed at the old brewery have a round, nutty flavor because of the Yorkshire square system of fermentation.

Walnut-like color and palate of hazelnuts. Wonderful balance of roasted crystal malt and aromatic hops. Long clean finish.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Stilton cheese, grouse and roasted game hen, barbecued duck, pepper steak; spicy food, paella, stir-fry, teriyaki, Thai food, Chinese food, creamy chicken and pineapple curry. Serve at 55 degrees.

Gold Medal and "Top-Rated English Brown Ale" —World Beer Championships, 2004

Truth From Fiction

What's the beer this week (ahem, last week)? Why, it's a summer classic? Hefeweizen! Specifically the Widmer Brother's brewery's Hefeweizen, which according to their own site, is the standard by which all other hefeweizen's should be judged. Beer Advocate's user reviews tells a slightly different story here, but since it's the first of it's kind to be featured on my blog, we'll start with this one.

What's a Hefeweizen, you ask? Well, one descriptions reads thusly:

A south German style of wheat beer (weissbier) made with a typical ratio of 50:50, or even higher, wheat. A yeast that produces a unique phenolic flavors of banana and cloves with an often dry and tart edge, some spiciness, bubblegum or notes of apples. Little hop bitterness, and a moderate level of alcohol. The "Hefe" prefix means "with yeast", hence the beers unfiltered and cloudy appearance. Poured into a traditional Weizen glass, the Hefeweizen can be one sexy looking beer. Often served with a lemon wedge, to either cut the wheat or yeast edge, which many either find to be a flavorful snap ... or an insult and something that damages the beer's taste and head retention.

So basically we're talking about a pale, German wheat beer. Sounds good to me. I had one this weekend, since they were some bar's special o'the day, and I rather enjoyed it. The only other Hefe I've ever had was by my old favorite micro brew guy, so I'll have to expand my repertoire before I personally pass further judgment.

Sidenote: I also had a Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale this weekend. It was like a little chocolate-nut beer party in my mouth. Happiness for a Beer Sort of Girl, to be sure.

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. :)

You're Pretty When I'm Drunk

I signed up to be a member of BeerAdvocate.com this week. Dear lord, how I love this site! It will inspire me for years. And in looking over our past beers, I realize that I needed the help. Some have been great, some have been horrific. I know. But I'm dealing with some demons here. I used to be a beer snob. Light anything was never good enough for me. Too bland, too nothing, too flavorless. And then I decided that I should go on a diet. And now I drink lights because I don't have the will power to only have one of anything. If I did, I would pick one excellent full bodied beer, and be happy. But that's not me. I'm still watching my oh-so-girlish figure, so I can't go all out for the gutsy, heavy, dark beers all of the time. And it's summer, so I automatically want something lighter and colder. But I just can't serve Miller or Bud around here any more. I just can't DO IT. So I'm taking baby steps into more exciting beer lands. This week's beer is what The Husband & I have been drinking all week at home.

According to the Boston Beer Company:
Sam Adams Light is not just a lighter version of Samuel Adams Boston Lager® but rather the culmination of over two years of tireless research and brewing trials to create a flavorful Light beer. And it has proved to be worth the wait. Brewed using only the finest two row malt and German Noble hops it has a smooth, complex roasted malt character that is superbly balanced with the subtle orange fruit notes of the Noble hops. Sam Adams Light® finishes crisp and smooth without any lingering bitterness, leaving you yearning for more.

In Beer Girl language, it's a light beer that tastes more like a real beer. It has flavor. Some light beer drinkers will not like that about this beer. But that's why I love it.

I'm going to try for a patriotic tie-in, what with this being the Fourth of July weekend & all. Here's my half assed attempt, in VH-1's This to That in So Many Steps Style.

San Adams used Ben Affleck as a celebrity spokesperson....Ben Affleck dated Jennifer Lopez....who was in The Wedding Planner with Fred Willard....who was in Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle with Jamie Kennedy...who starred in the Boiler Room with Sean Caan....son of James Caan...who was in Dick Tracy with Dustin Hoffman...who played in Rain Man...with Tom Cuise...who starred in Born on the Fourth of July!

See? sam Adams IS Patriotic. :) Happy Holiday Weekend!

Take It Or Leave It

First things first. Intro the beer FIRST, and then say who's drinking it in the next post. Yes, excellent idea. And as my post title should tell you, if you don't want what I'm offering, don't take it.

There used to be a tiny little brewpub in this town. It was in a weird space, in a strip mall, owned and completely operated by a guy & his wife. There was only ONE brewing vat, and it was about 3 feet away from the bar, so it was truly a MICRO-brew place. This guy made the best beer I've ever had, and his wife turned out some mean pizza. They moved to Hawaii several years ago, and my life hasn't been the same since.

One of this guys' best brews was a Birch Porter. Yes, birch beer! But not like carbonated soda junk. This was dark, smooth, and I loved it. I haven't been able to find another like it. Birch beers are not all that common, especially in the midwest. I went on a virtual quest to find a birch beer, to order from anywhere & ship to myself, or at least go buy while I am going galavanting around the country this summer. And sadly, I came up empty handed. So if you know of where I can order real live alcoholic birch beer, PLEASE let me know. In the meantime, here's what I'll be tiding myself over with:

Birch Beam
8 oz of Birch Beer (soda)
2 1/2 oz of Jim Beam

Whine. It's just not quite the same.

Wild Honey

The beer today is Leinenkugel's Honey Weiss. The site describes it:
Select malted wheat, Cluster hops and a hint of Wisconsin honey give this unique refresher a clean, crisp, slightly sweet taste. Winner of four awards (Silver in the World Beer Cup®: 2000 & 2004; Gold in 2002 and Silver in the 1998 Great American Beer Festival®) in the American-Style Wheat Ale or Lager category.


Available in cans and bottles. Here is where you can buy Leinies. Mostly mid-west, so sorry to you coastal peeps.

My Homies

Found a fantabulous recipe for grilling steak, WITH BEER! Yeah. I love you, BeerAdvocate.

Stuff you need:
*Thick-cut, well-marbled steaks
*1 bottle of Dopplebock (Thomas Hooker Liberator, Ayinger Celebrator or even Sam Adams's Triple Bock)
*Broccoli (1 average-sized head, per person)
*Parmesan cheese (half a cup or so)
*Chopped garlic (as much as you want)
*Salt and pepper
*Olive oil (a few tablespoons)
*Yellow and orange tomatoes (1 of each, per person)
*Balsamic dressing

Stuff to do:
1. Get an airtight container, drop the steak in, and pour the entire bottle of bock over the steak. Seal the container and give it a good shake, then stick it in the fridge at least overnight or up to 24 hours, re-shaking occasionally.

2. When it’s time to grill, simply slap that doppelbock-soaked piece of meat on the grill and get cooking. Personally, we don’t like our steak cooked more than medium rare; anything more is a waste of meat and its goodness. And besides, you just killed any bacteria by soaking it in alcohol.

3. While the steak is grilling, steam up the broccoli, then mix it gently with the olive oil. Shake in the parmesan cheese and chopped garlic (to your preference), then add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Chop up the tomatoes length-wise into meaty slices, then arrange on a small plate and splash on just a bit of that balsamic dressing.

5. Recommended: You can always reduce the leftover beer marinade by cooking it down on low heat, then drizzle it over the finished steak. Feel no need to add anything to it; the beer is tasty by itself and even more so when blended with the juice from the steak.

Pair with more doppelbock beer, or contrast with something light, like a pale ale or lager. Now go forth and grill with beer ...

Damn, stomach, stop your growling. I *know* it's lunchtime.

Rainy Day

Today is FRIDAY. And FRIDAY is BEER DAY. And not just to please PlatinumGirl, although I'm sure she will be happy to see it, today's beer is Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

Beer review stolen from BeerAdvocate.com:

Pours out with a 1"head thats holds up most of the way, with some foamy lacing. Appearance is a gorgeous transparant amber color with lots of bubbles and a little yeast settlement. Absolutely beautiful. The aroma is all about the citrusy hops and piney spices. Very appropriate for a brewery located at the junction of the Cascades and the Sierras...very nice.Taste is even better....mirroring the aroma but with a slightly more bitter hop taste, some floral esters....yeast is very prominant here, even for a bottle-conditioned APA. Some grainy malts are subtle here(that's what I prefer anyway), just enough to provide some balance to those wonderful hops. Mouthfeel is great, with a medium body and the perfect amount of carbonation. Very crisp, biting finish and the best dry afteraste I've ever had in a APA or even an IPA, for that matter. This is THE preeminent West Coast pale ale, and for good reason. It's great by itself, or it pairs well with most anything. A favorite snack of mine involves paring it w/ jack, colby, and medium or sharp chedder followed by a jonagold apple when you're done with your beer. Try it, it's great!!

Holiday

Today's beer is Yuengling Lager. The only reason I have had this beer, and in great volumes, is due to the fact that one of my friends from college was from Pennslyvania, or PA, as he called it. Anyway, he would make the road trip several times a year, and make it back here with cases of this stuff, raving about how amazing it was. The Yuengling Brewery is supposed to be the oldest in the US, and I believe them. Their traditional lager is nothing crazy, zany or oddly flavored. It's just good, solid, classic beer, amber colored, and pretty mild in terms of hoppy flavoring. Great cold cold cold. I've only had it from a bottle, so I can't argue bottle vs. draught. You can't buy it here in the mid-west, so I'm sort of bending my own new rules to include it.

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."

Too Much of Anything

I'm not in a beer mood.

I know!

Drinks at Beer Girl's Blog this week are bad rum punch concoctions. Mostly Hawaiian Punch and Bacardi Gold. I've made pitchers and pitchers of the stuff to keep you all busy while I am in Puerto Rico. I hope you don't get sick. Red punch puke is not something I'd like to see or smell when I get home. As a bonus, THIS GUY will be here to help you with your drunken rum punch mission while I am gone. Doesn't he just look like he can't wait to pour those drinks for you? I bet he'll hit on all you after you've had a few!


Sorry if you know this guy, I just thought it was an awesome pic. Poor guy, it's probably just a personal photo from some vacation, and here I am using it for my own amusement.

If you're mad it's not beer, I'm sure I have some plain old Bud Light or Miller Lite in the fridge too.

Salsa de Noche

It's Cinco de Mayo. Ole! It's also my brother-in-law's birthday. Happy Birthday, little dude. I can't believe it's still going to be another year before you can have a beer on your birthday. ~sigh~ It's ok, I promise to drink one for you today.

Actually, since it is Cinco de Mayo, I am temporarily abandoning my beer platform. There are frosty margaritas for everybody right here. It's not Beer Friday yet, so I don't feel like counting up everyone's points. You lucky visitors, Margarita Thursday is for EVERYONE!


God, I could use a drink.

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!

I'm Not Okay (I Promise)

Today's beer is a Chicago brew.
Goose Island Honker's Ale


Next week I promise to pick something out of my ordinary rotation. Because, yes, I know this is another brownish ale. Although technically it's a pale ale. From the Goose Island site:

Named one of the best beers in Chicago, our Honker's Ale combines a spicy hop aroma with a rich malt middle to create an exceptionally balanced American Pale Ale. Craft brewed in small batches with pure filtered water, Midwest malt, the best hops and our own special yeast, Honker's Ale brings fine English-style brew to your mug.

Yummy.

Happy Friday to all. Enjoy your weekend, don't think about work, and good luck on the continuing b-ball brackets.

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.