Daily Loaf

It is known throughout the land – I am flamboyantly enraptured with every single beer produced by Left Hand Brewing. Their Milk Stout is the most excellent session stout ever, JuJu Ginger is the best accompaniment for sushi since wasabi, and Polestar Pilsner is so yummy it makes an ale junkie like me develop insane cravings for lager. But most of all, Left Hand’s seasonal and limited beers conjure intense feelings of euphoria – Oak Aged Imperial Stout, Rye Bock, and the Midnight Project collaborations with Terrapin Brewing. Read the rest of this entry »

With the holidays approaching, the glorious bounty that is winter seasonal beer begins to descend upon the shelves of local bottle shops. One of my favorite seasonal offerings is the Petrus Key to Heaven gift pack, which features 6 unique brews from Belgian brewery Bavik-De Brabandere, many of which have been wood aged for at least two years. Among these fine examples of Belgian brewing are the sour lactobacillus joys Aged Pale and Oud Bruin, and the beefy, malty Dubbel Bruin.

A Blond Ale is also included in this cornucopia of Belgian funkiness. The bottle features a monk resembling pimp Santa on the label, proudly displaying his key to heaven and goblet – no doubt full of high-quality beer. Since Santa is down with snow, the North Pole, reindeer, and all that, Petrus Blond is best served cold, unlike many Belgian ales whose flavor characteristics are at their finest around cellar temperatures. Read the rest of this entry »

I challenge you to find a more suitable, adult-appropriate companion for a well assembled burger than a flavorful brew. But not every beer has the power to bring out the best in every burger — some matches are just better than others. Thankfully, Square One Burgers has an extensive beer list and a huge variety of killer burgers, so no matter what your preferences include, you have the opportunity to setup an ideal burger/ beer scenario. Read the rest of this entry »

According to beer judging guidelines, brown ales should be a celebration of sweet dark grain. English style browns exhibit a heavier, dominant malt character with very little hops presence, while American browns tend to balance malt and hops flavors, sometimes with a modest degree of citrusy bitterness. Alcohol content of both types is usually moderate, somewhere between 3% and 5% ABV.

Jackie Brown, a noteworthy brown ale from Mikkeller, defies categorization under both English and American style. This specialty beer takes the generic base style of brown ales, with the signature appearance, aroma, and mouthfeel and adds a mountain of nugget, simcoe, and centennial hops, resulting in a brown beer that’s bitter as hell. Read the rest of this entry »

Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale — Brewed in Portland, Maine by Shipyard Brewing Company, Pumpkinhead is easily the mildest, most accessible, and sessionable pumpkin beer. At 4.5% ABV, this institution in pumpkin ales pours a golden hue, emitting aromas of wheat grain with faint traces of baking spices. On the palate, nutmeg dominates; making it very pie like, yet the brew is light bodied and easy drinking. It’s a nice introduction to pumpkin beer, with all the quintessential flavors packed into a thin, light-tasting brew.

Wolaver’s, Dogfish Head, Weyerbacher and Terrapin after the break: Read the rest of this entry »

With 15 years in the beer making game and distribution in several Southern states, Atlanta Brewing Company is the oldest operating brewery in Georgia. It all began with the malty brown Red Brick Ale – which won a gold medal at the 1998 World Beer Cup. In addition to Red Brick, the flagship brews include Peach Tree Pale Ale and a Blonde that took first place in the golden/ blonde ale category at the 2007 Great American Beer Fest. The 7.7% ABV Double Chocolate Oatmeal Porter, my favorite from the brewery’s lineup, started as a seasonal offering whose popularity eventually warranted year-round production. Read the rest of this entry »

There’s a new phenomenon spreading around town: the growler. It’s essentially a big jug that can be filled and refilled with beer. A common storage and fermentation accessory used by homebrewers, this awesome artifact of beer culture is beginning to enjoy greater visibility and mainstream relevance. We’ve all been faced with the dilemma – the party must go on, but either the pub is closing or you can’t drink any more and then safely drive home. In places that are licensed to sell package alcohol, growlers resolve these predicaments. Read the rest of this entry »

In the mountain town of Boulder, Colorado, Avery Brewing operates with imagination and a commitment to craft beer. The brewery’s website proudly asserts, “we brew what we like to drink — with utter disregard for what the market demands — and search out fans with equally eccentric palates.” They found me many years ago, and since then I have thoroughly enjoyed my fandom.

I think Adam Avery is the bees knees. Now president and brewmaster, he was once a homebrewer who became ambitious enough to start a commercial venture. And since the beginning, the beer produced by the brewery that bears his name has been consistently excellent, challenging the way I think about how beer should taste, how much alcohol it should have, and how large a dose of hops should be added.

Ellie’s Brown is one of my favorite examples of the brown ale style. The brew takes its name from Adam Avery’s former canine companion, a chocolate lab named Ellie (1992-2002) whose likeness is depicted on the label. Read the rest of this entry »

Here’s a video interview with Brian “Spike” Buckowski, founder and brewmaster of Terrapin Beer Company, from my trip to visit the brewery recently. We chatted about the new year-round Hopsecutioner IPA, Side Project Volume 7 — Maggie’s Farmhouse Ale, and the second release of Side Project Volume 3– Gamma Ray Wheatwine. Clip also features comical appearances by the brewery’s resident cat, Hops.

Terrapin Beer brews its magical potions in the hip college town of Athens, Georgia. The brewery’s legacy began with a kickass Rye Pale Ale and, a mere six months after its commercial debut in 2002, that sole effort won a gold medal in the American Pale Ale category at the Great American Beer Festival.

In 2004, Golden Ale was introduced, winning a silver medal at the World Beer Cup. India Brown Ale and Sunray Wheat Ale have since been added to the brewery’s standard repertoire, as well as the Monster Beer Tour – a seasonal collection with bolder character (and more alcohol), including Rye Squared, Wake-n-Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout, All American Pilsner, and Big Hoppy Monster. The most recent addition to the seasonal Monster Beer rotation is Gamma Ray, an 11% ABV wheat wine that was initially brewed as a one-time release. Read the rest of this entry »

House of Beer, Dunedin’s newest beer bar reaches out to brew fanatics by hosting a Grand Opening shindig that lasts all weekend. Starting Friday, the event will feature special drink prices that continue through the weekend, a ribbon cutting ceremony with Dunedin mayor Dave Eggers Saturday at 6:30pm, followed by a mayoral guest bartending stint. All tips received by Mayor Eggers will be donated to local charities Dunedin Doggie Rescue and Raising Hope. Read the rest of this entry »

This Friday, July 10th, celebrate 13 years of beer with Dunedin Brewery. In honor of its anniversary, the brewery will release a limited edition beer brewed especially for the occasion. This 5.2% ABV Bohemian Pilsner — nicknamed “Lucky” — has been lagering for about 45 days, in line with the traditional Bavarian technique of storing bottom-fermenting brews at colder temperatures following an initial fermentation, allowing the beer to smooth out and become clear.

German malt imparts a golden straw hue, with bold floral aromas from the German and American hops varieties. Taste is crisp and drinkable, somewhere between pilsners typical of eastern Germany and western Czech Republic with a little Dunedin thrown in at the right places — namely the hops assortment.

Festivities are not limited to consuming rare brew delights. The brewery opens at noon, serving lunch and great local beer. Yappy Hour runs from 5-8 pm, drawing throngs of local dogs and their owners – or vice versa. Taking over at 9pm, special musical guests The Heavy Pets.

Stop by Dunedin House of Beer tonight between 7 and 9 pm to try free samples of Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, Bell’s Oberon, and Abita Purple Haze. House of Beer, Dunedin’s newest beer bar, will also be celebrating their grand opening next weekend, with beer specials, funky kegs, and the mayor of Dunedin as a guest bartender.

Boon Gueuze, 6%
Brouwerij Boon, Lembeek, Belgium

In the Senne Valley region of Belgium, there’s a town called Lembeek where wild yeasts blow around in the evening breezes. They drift in through the open windows of local breweries, landing in uncovered vats, magically transforming wheat grain, aged hops, and water into a beer that explodes with delightfully objectionable flavors. This spontaneously fermented ale is called Lambic, a nod to the area where the style originated, and is still predominantly produced.

Some lambic brews receive a flavor injection during fermentation – sweet raspberry, peach, apple, cherry, or banana. In the United States, fruited lambics see infinitely more mainstream visibility than their unfruited derivatives. And that’s a damn shame. Without the fruit addition, lambics are tart and funky, with a ton of assertive character and complexity that leaves you stumbling over descriptors. Flavors so wrong that they’re right.

Gueuze is a blend of several different unfruited lambics of varying age, usually 1, 2, and 3 years. The wild aspect of fermentation and the blending means that batches tend to vary from year to year, making gueuze a really collectable, searchable, geekable variety of beer. The full flavored older lambics radiate sourness, intermingling with the younger, mellow toned ones which contain the fermentable sugars that facilitate one more round of zymurgy magic. Like champagne, gueuze derives its carbonation from secondary fermentation that takes place inside the bottle, so after blending, the bottled gueuze conditions for at least 6 months before being packaged. And then there are the nerds like myself that hoard gueuze and store it for an additional 10 years before finally resigning to the urge to savor it. Just like fine wine, gueuze thrives with age.

A 12 ounce bottle of Boon Gueuze sports a caged cork that pops out releasing a gust of vinegary aromas. The clear orange brew decants into a flute glass with active, carbonation, creating a mountain of clean white head. After being poured, gueuze should rest until the temperature reaches around 60 degrees. By then, carbonation has calmed, the best flavors begin to surface, and any sediment displaced during the pour has settled to the bottom of the glass.

To the nose, the beer has the soft aroma of fresh flowers soaked in vinegar and confectionary green apple juice.

Flavors are extremely sour, dominantly reminiscent of malt vinegar, wheat bread, and tart citrus. The lack of hop character lends to a slightly cidery, champagne-like quality, which is compounded by the sparkly, light mouthfeel. It finishes with a lingering outdoorsy tone – dank, dusty, and natural. And more vinegar, of course.

If you are just becoming accustomed to this kind of brew and want to tone down the delicious sourness, pair gueuze with a soft, buttery cheese like brie. The creamy texture and mild funkiness from the cheese’s rind will offset the gueuze’s intense flurry of sharp flavors and allow the earthier elements of the beer to shine through.

Since I’ve been all over Cigar City Brewing’s happenings over the past few weeks, it seemed appropriate to broaden my local beer love and highlight another hometown superstar in the tiny Scottish heritage town of Dunedin.

With almost 13 years of local beer-making under their kilt, Dunedin Brewery consistently crafts award winning gems. In 2003, one of their flagship brews, Pipers Pale Ale, took top honors as the most stylistically perfect brew commercially produced in Florida at the Best Florida Beer Championships. At the 2009 BFBC, brewers Norman Dixon and Trace Caley did their thing, winning awards for the brewery like it was their job. Redhead American Red Ale was named the top beer in its category, with second place nods going to Pipers Pale Ale, Beach Tale Brown Ale, Nitro Stout, Brewmaster’s Reserve Rye Pale Ale, Brewmaster’s Reserve Belgian Tripel, Brewmaster’s Reserve Barleywine, and the seasonal Biere de Café. Read the rest of this entry »

Cigar City Brewing is relentless; they refuse to stop making ridiculously great beer. RateBeer recognizes their Hunaphus Imperial Stout as one of the world’s ten best Imperial Stouts, and Big Sound Scotch Ale ranks among the top ten of its style. Then there’s Bolita Double Nut Brown Ale, which ranks #1 in the brown ale category on RateBeer – it’s the best brown ale currently produced on the planet as judged by a massive group of very critical beer nerds. Yep, in our own backyard, folks. This is truly beer history in the making.

The side of Bolita bottles reads:

Bolita was a type of lottery popular with the working class citizens of the Ybor City district of Tampa. Bolita means, ‘little ball’ but profits from the illegal (and often rigged) game were anything but little. In the 1920’s Tampa native Charlie Wall was the undisputed kingpin of the Bolita racket.

Our Bolita is a Double Northern English-style brown ale that has a complex malt forward character with notes of chocolate, toffee and hints of roasted nuts in the finish. Bolita pairs well with Baklava, Big Band music, cool evenings and robust cigars.

Sounds great. Now check out this variation — Bourbon Barrel Bolita. It begins with Cigar City’s Bolita Double Nut Brown. After three weeks of fermentation, the brew is transferred to Maker’s Mark barrels. Three months later, it hits the bottling line, where each bottle is filled by hand and then individually numbered. Since this batch of Bourbon Bolita only yielded 221 bottles, it is a pricey beer, but it’s completely worth it. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ll go ahead and say it — Mr. Dunderbak’s pretty much owns the draught beer game in the Tampa Bay area. It takes me forever to choose a beer from among the 50 options. Rare brews, classic brews, hometown brews, casks, a Guinness surger. Every style is represented, and the finest examples of those styles at that. So, a very enthusiastic cheers to owner JB Ellis for being dedicated to good beer and consistently tapping the best kegs available in the local market.

But it’s impossible to enjoy a tasty brew among the kitschy décor without giving in to the intoxicating aromas of German food. So here’s a short guide to pairing this playground of beer with some of the choicest menu items. Since the taps rotate frequently, the beers used for pairing will come from the extensive bottle menu. Read the rest of this entry »

For the past few years, Pete Slosberg of Pete’s Brewing Company (as in Pete’s Wicked this-and-that) has been teaming up with Alan Shapiro, president of SBS Imports, and Daniel Del Grande from Bison Brewing to craft a limited special release beer that benefits a good cause. The Reunion collaboration was inspired by the late Virginia McLean, a former coworker of Slosberg and Shapiro. The trio worked together when Pete’s Brewing Company was in its early stages, at the forefront of the American craft brewing movement that took place in the mid 1980’s. With 100% of Reunion proceeds benefiting the Institute for Myeloma and Bone Cancer Research, almost $100,000 has been raised as of early 2008.

The Reunion fundraising effort began in 2007 with a 7.5% ABV imperial brown ale brewed with 6 organic malts, hopped and dry hopped with 3 different varieties.

Reunion ‘08 Red Rye Ale is also made from all organic ingredients — barley, flaked rye, hops, caraway seeds, water, and yeast. It is essentially a chemical fertilizer, pesticide, and additive- free version of Pete’s Wicked Red with a rye and caraway seed injection. Read the rest of this entry »

Read the rest of this entry »

Learning the origin of a particular style of beer often divulges an account of the human past. Sri Lanka doesn’t have a lengthy indigenous beer-making tradition; the inhabitants dabbled more in distilling coconut booze. But colonization by Portugal, Netherlands, and the British Empire, and eventual classification as an overseas British territory brought a unique sort of brew to the South Asian island nation.

Like Otter Creek’s Otter Mon Jamaican Stout, the basic characteristics of Ceylon Brewery’s Lion Stout make it of the foreign/export variety. Brewed with increased strength to survive overseas voyages and tropical climates, it’s sweeter than a typical English, American, or dry Irish stout and more subdued than an imperial stout.

Read the rest of this entry »

Big Sound Scotch Ale, the latest seasonal release from Cigar City Brewing, can be purchased in 25 ounce bottles at Whole Foods, Leukens, Kingdom Liquors, World of Beer Clearwater, and several Total Wine locations. But get it soon; bottles are going fast, and once they’re gone, there’ll be no more until next year.

Luckily enough, I was able to persuade Wayne Wambles, the head brewer and man with the beer plan, to score a bottle that we could split. So we sat down at the Oldsmar Tap House and proceeded to geek the hell out on a really great beer. Read the rest of this entry »

May 22 – Free craft beer tasting at Mazzaro’s Italian Market in St. Petersburg. Craft brew specialists will be sampling beers from upstart sensation Cigar City Brewery, as well as the new Levitation (a sessionable brew) from Stone Brewing, and a selection of beers by Southampton Publick House. Event runs from 1-5pm. Free Southampton glassware with purchase.

May 23 – Spring Beer Fest at Tank’s Tap Room. Free tasting featuring yummy brews from Tampa’s own Cigar City Brewing, Gordon Biersch, Bell’s, and many, many others. They’ll also be unveiling a new food menu, raffling gear for The Little Patrick Foundation, doing giveaways, and hosting games. Live music performances and Romel from the Havana Cigar Factory offering live cigar rolling demonstrations and specials. Festivities kick off at 2pm and continue to close. Call (813) 961-BEER (2337) for more information. Read the rest of this entry »

Behold! Greg Koch’s 45 minute “Be Remarkable: Ethics, Camaraderie, Passion” keynote speech from the 2009 Craft Brewer’s Convention. With inspiring ideas in regard to industry practices, plenty of beer geek humor, and “I Am Craft Brewer” intro montage goodness. Read the rest of this entry »

Not only will they feature your unfortunate photos on their website, you also have a chance to be on Schmaltz’s Jewbelation 13 label! That’s worth embarrassment, right?

Pairing beer and food has always been a major fascination, but lately I have become preoccupied and unable to focus. All I can think about is a variety of fine brews accompanied by little plates of delectable fare. After much persuading, five of my friends agreed to skip dinner and embark upon a beer and snack paring marathon.

Read the rest of this entry »

Continuing Bethany Sherwin’s roundup of local beer store selection, we present Total Wine on Dale Mabry:

This location has the Dogfish Head seasonal and rarity motherload — Palo Santo Marron, Raison D’Extra, Red & White, Fort, Chicory Stout, Aprihop, World Wide Stout, and multiple cases of 120 Minute IPA priced at only $8.99 a bottle. For an intensely complex (and strong) potion, mix equal parts World Wide Stout and 120 Minute and then call a friend to help you drink it. The blend is called a Heaven & Hell, and word around the campfire is that Dogfish Head might produce wood aged batches of this diametrically opposed potion, as they did with Johnny Cask 75 Minute IPA, a barrel conditioned fusion of 60 and 90 Minute IPAs. Read the rest of this entry »

Michigan brewery, Jolly Pumpkin Artisanal Ales, has nothing to do with seasonal gourd beers and everything to do with open air fermentation, exotic French and Belgian yeast strains, oak barrel aging, and bottle conditioning. All their beers are funky, spicy, and sour, packed full of Brettanomyces and Lactobacillus goodness.

Maracaibo Especial is a 7.5% ABV Belgian inspired brown ale made from all natural ingredients — barley, wheat, hops, yeast, and water; brewed with cacao and spiced with cinnamon and orange peel. After fermentation, the brew matures in oak barrels for several months, and after bottling, it goes in the cellar for a few more months. The process by which it’s crafted is drastically different from the rapid, highly mechanized assembly line production of mainstream domestic; this type of beer simply has more soul. Read the rest of this entry »

While I really enjoyed Dos Cocoas Chocolate Porter, the 4th installment of the Terrapin Brewing Side Project series, I was distracted by thoughts of what the brew would taste like with higher ABV and a bitter coffee injection. As I drank Dos Cocoas, I couldn’t get Terrapin’s Wake-n-Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout out of my mind. I fully realize that in some circles mixing beer is frowned upon, but my intense curiosity compelled me to swallow the snobbish pride and entertain my inner mad scientist. Read the rest of this entry »

Bit from the Stone Brewing website via Vimeo:

“I Am A Craft Brewer” is a collaborative video representing the camaraderie, character, and integrity of the American Craft Brewing movement. Created by Greg Koch, CEO of the Stone Brewing Co. and Chris & Jared of Redtail Media…and more than 35 amazing craft brewers from all over the country. The video was shown to a packed audience of 1700 craft brewers and industry members at the 2009 Craft Brewers Conference as an introduction to Greg’s Keynote Speech entitled “Be Remarkable: Collaboration Ethics Camaraderie Passion.” As is tradition for the CBC Keynote, a toast to the audience was offered. This time, the beers offered for the toast were all collaboratively brewed craft beers including Isabella Proximus, Collaboration Not Litigation, AleSmith/Mikkeller/Stone Belgian Style Triple, Jolly Pumpkin/Nøgne-Ø/Stone Special Holiday Ale, and 2009 Symposium Ale “Audacity of Hops.”

Happy, powerful, beery video after the break:

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Break out your calendars, beer fans. Here’s the scoop on this week’s brew agenda –

Thursday, April 30th : Oldsmar Tap House welcomes Dan Gordon, co-founder and original brewmaster of Gordon Biersch Brewery. Come out for an evening of mingling – and drinking, of course. A variety of Gordon Biersch brews will be available on draught. 300 State Street East, Oldsmar

More after the break:

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A fancy dinner deserves the company of a high quality beer; at The Table Restaurant (539 Central Avenue, St Petersburg, 727-823-6372) in downtown St. Petersburg, you can get both. Just like wine pairings, certain foods go better with certain beers. So, cast aside the domestic lagers — or even the tasty mojitos — and get hip to the ways of intermingling The Table’s impressive food and beer menus. Here’s how it goes:

If you’re in the mood for the snacky goodness of cheese, try the Spanish Cheese Selection with Belgian beer, Saison Dupont. The funky, dry spiciness of farmhouse ale blends with the nutty taste of Manchego, the mild acidity of Queso Fresco, and the tanginess of wine-bathed Drunken Goat, while stabalizing the sugary elements of dark rum guava spread and balsamic glazed almonds.

Wahoo Ceviche Cones, a signature dish of the restaurant, pairs well with German Hefe-Weizen Hacker-Pschorr Weiss. The traditional wheat beer’s creamy texture and bready, lemon banana flavor add another layer of depth to the sweetness of raw wahoo fish and citrus vinaigrette perched atop a blue corn tortilla cone.

Many more after the break: Read the rest of this entry »

This Earth Day, express your support of green farming and healthy living by drinking organic brews. There’s a decent size selection available locally, all of which have been produced without preservatives, and when cultivating the grain and hops, natural techniques are applied to encourage growth, rather than chemical fertilizers or pesticides.

I’ll start with one of my favorite breweries — North Coast, a Fort Bragg, California beer sensation that produces a diverse line of impeccable beer, including two superb organics. Read the rest of this entry »

If you love beer — or even moderatly enjoy it — and haven’t been to the Oldsmar Tap House, you’re doing yourself a massive disservice. The beer-intensive, yet laid back, environment and a constantly rotating tap list make OTH one of the local centers of the beer geek universe. Coming up on the event calendar – April 23rd is Chimay Night. Explore the palatable product line from one of the world’s seven beer producing trappist monasteries, where brewing is conducted or overseen by Cistercian monks. Get a free gold-rimmed Chimay goblet with your first Chimay Premiere, Cinq Cents, or Grande Reserve (while supplies last). You can also explore another 30+ taps along with a wide selection of craft and import bottles. Live music by OTH All Stars. 300 State Street East #107. Oldsmar (813) 855-9181

I go crazy for flavorsome brown ales, so I am totally thrilled to finally have access to Smuttynose Brewing Company’s Old Brown Dog Ale, a recent newcomer to the local market. Hailing from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Smuttynose concocts a variety of excellent beers — a delightfully peaty porter, an IPA bursting with Amarillo hops flavor, a big huge quad, a monster Russian imperial stout, and so on. Today, I turn my attention to their delectable brown ale, which won a silver medal at the Great American Beer Fest. Read the rest of this entry »

Tomorrow (Saturday the 11th) at Datz Deli — All Hail the Ale — a celebration of the world’s best beers matched with fine cheeses. $25 per person includes 5 ounce pours and commemorative glassware. 4 pm- 7pm. 2616 MacDill Ave. Call (813) 831-7000 or email dixon@datzdeli to reserve your spot. Here’s the pairing lineup :

Westmalle Trappist Tripel : Belgium : 9.5%
This Belgian offering hails from one of the world’s seven Trappist monasteries, where brewing is conducted or overseen by monks. The cloudy, golden brew sports fruity, floral aromas. A strong malt component results in toasty flavors; the slight honey citrus sweetness is balanced by a mild alcohol warmth and a dry finish. The sharp, smoky flavors of Grafton Village Smoked Cheddar compliment the maltiness of Westmalle Tripel.

Many more beers after the break: Read the rest of this entry »

This week’s free beer sampling is set for Thursday the 9th from 11am until 2pm. Stop by Datz Deli for lunch and enjoy free samples of Samuel Smith’s Organic Cider, Southampton India Pale Ale, and a variety of brews from Green’s Gluten Free Beer.

And don’t forget, this Saturday, Datz presents All Hail the Ale, a sampling featuring 8 of the world’s finest beers paried with cheese and charcuterie. $25 per person includes commemorative glassware. Starts at 7 pm. Reservations required. Call 813-831-7000 or contact dixon@datzdeli.com to reserve your spot.

Everyone knows Whole Foods on Dale Mabry is the place to be for high quality food and beverages. My favorite thing about the beer section, besides the fact that it’s located directly across from the massive cheese cooler, is the presentation. The way the beers are grouped together tells a story, and seeing all those cases of beer sitting out like that does something exciting for me. So cheers to Chris, the specialty department manager, for exercising serious beer wisdom and making this location a beer nerd’s playground.

Since this is a Whole Foods, it’s no wonder I found a slew of organic beer. Read the rest of this entry »

Every culture has its own customary mixed drink creations; the Germans are famous for combining their pure Reinheitsgebot brews with carbonated sodas or fruit preserves. In Mexico and many other Central/ South American countries, there’s a tradition of mixing light beer and Clamato. In classier circles, this drink is referred to as a Bearded Clam. Thirsty yet? Didn’t think so.

Chelada is a 4.2% ABV blend of Clamato Tomato Cocktail, made by Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages and Anheuser-Busch’s Bud Light. With salt and lime added. Fishy corn tomato salt lime; now that’s what I call beer.

While out on the rounds doing my part in the Tournament of Tacos, a large quantity of Chelada was discovered at Acapulco Grocery. I’ve read reviews on this beer, which usually leave me in tears from laughing, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to write one of my own. Cheers to Brian and Taylor for moral support and for shelling out the $1.99 so that I could subject myself to this deliberate gross out. As the other food site contributors assessed Acapulco’s taco offerings, I settled down with my 16-ounce can of Chelada and prepared to hold back the sickness. Read the rest of this entry »

Quality of life for insatiable hopheads living in Florida has improved substantially within the last few months. A colossal beer from San Diego’s Stone Brewing has entered the local market, leaving a mass of traumatized taste buds in its wake. Stone’s website describes Ruination IPA as “a liquid poem to the glory of the hop, so called because of the ruinous effect on your palate.” And let me assure you, this is not a clever marketing statement; it’s the honest truth.

Hops are female flowers from the plant Humulus lupulus, which are used in brewing to add aroma and bitterness. Alpha acids in resin secreted by the hops are mostly responsible for the bitter taste and subsequent IBU (International Bitterness Units) rating. On average, most brews rate between 15 and 45 IBUs. Stone Ruination has over 100 IBUs. To achieve this catastrophic bitterness, Ruination IPA is brewed with high alpha acid Columbus and Centennial hops and then finished with a hearty Centennial dry hopping to enhance the brew’s Humulus lupulus smells and add another layer of aggression to the brew’s overall flavor.

Now, let’s talk IPA (India Pale Ale): Read the rest of this entry »

The excellent folks at Datz Deli in Tampa have invited me to conduct weekday beer tastings and special beer and food pairing events. So here’s the agenda:

March 30th : 11am-2pm. Free samples of Lindeman’s Framboise and Young’s Double Chocolate Stout, with plenty of beer available to go. This is the first time Datz will be open on Monday.

April 1st : 6pm-7:30pm. Free beer and food samples hosted by Tampa Bay Metro.
Featuring Southampton Brewing’s Double White, Altbier, and IPA.

April 9th : 11am-2pm. Free beer samples. Specific brands coming soon.

April 11th : 4pm-7pm. Datz presents All Hail the Ale. Featuring 8 of the world’s best beers paired with gourmet food: Ayinger Dunkel Weiss, Westmalle Trappist Dubbel, Orval Trappist, Brooklyn Local 1, Brooklyn Local 2, Dogfish Head Fort, Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard, Lindemans Gueuze Cuvee Rene. $35 per person includes beer, food, and commemorative glassware. Reservations required. (813) 831- 7000

Cigar City Brewing Launch Party
Oldsmar Tap House
Saturday, March 28. Starts at 2pm
I am really excited about this event, not only because I will be serving as a guest bartender for the day, but I will also be surrounded by a mountain of Cigar City’s brewed delights. I’ve sampled these joyous concoctions several times at trade shows and beer nerd events, but not a collection this extensive and drool-worthy.

As far as the beer lineup, 16 ounce pints of Maduro Oatmeal Brown Ale and Jai Alai IPA will be available all day. Limited edition beers will be tapped on a schedule until the keg or cask runs dry.

Schedule and more info after the break:

Read the rest of this entry »

Garrett Oliver is the man; the philosophy reflected in his book, The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food, speaks to my holistic sensibilities and makes my mouth water for fine brews and food prepared in the old school tradition — from scratch with fresh ingredients and no preservatives or other modern food science. But Garrett Oliver doesn’t just write rousing books; he also brews exceptional beer. Since becoming the brewmaster in 1994, he has propelled Brooklyn Brewery to high status among the top 40 breweries in the nation.

I love Brooklyn’s year-round lineup; the seasonal Oktoberfest Marzen is on par with the authenticity of Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest and the buttery, peppery Local 1 is the definition of Belgian strong light ale. The Brewmaster’s Reserves and Limited Releases — Black OPS, Blast Imperial IPA, Flemish Gold, Manchester Star, and Savoir Faire — are all crazy delicious. So are the innovative collaborations with Schneider Brewery — the Brooklyner- Schneider Hopfen-Weiss and the Schneider-Brooklyner Hopfen-Weiss.

A new addition to the Brooklyn lineup — Local 2 — is a dark ale crafted from German pilsner malt, English chocolate malt, Belgian dark sugar, New York state raw wildflower honey, citrus peel, Belgian yeast, and hopped with Perle, Aurora, and East Kent Golding hops. After brewing, a secondary fermentation takes place inside the corked, 25 ounce bottle. Read the rest of this entry »

Off State Road 580 near downtown Dunedin, a mountain of beer joy lies in a rather unassuming strip mall. Luekens Liquors is rated by Beer Advocate as one of the best places to buy snobby brew in the Bay Area. A quick survey of the copious beer selection reveals that inventory is scattered everywhere, with no apparent organizational system whatsoever. Wild Blue is shelved between Christmas beer and Boon Gueuze; the same beer is displayed in five different locations. Browsing the shelves of this brew Wonderland is similar to digging for vinyl records. In order to find the good stuff, it is often necessary to look at every single item. In some ways, that aspect adds to the charm, at least for someone like me. Exploring in this manner is way more interactive than simply buying a six pack. Here’s what I found on my treasure hunt through Luekens. Read the rest of this entry »

People have been documenting their thoughts on beer since the development of written language. In my quest to gain higher levels of brew appreciation, I’ve undertaken extensive data digging, which has yielded many timelessly relevant snippets of beer wisdom. So break out your email options and get ready to snazzy up your signature line.

Behold — a collection of my favorite beer related quotes, after the break:

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As I walked the dusty path toward the front entrance of Skipper’s Smokehouse, the festive sounds of Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes mingled with the heavy aromas of cigar smoke and Cajun spices.

The occasion is the 10th Annual Best Florida Beer Championships Brewer’s Ball. It’s kind of a big deal in the beer community, like a twisted version of prom for brew aficionados. This IS the most important day of my life. After being outfitted with hand stamps, food tickets, and plastic cups, myself and the rest of the eager crowd was set free to graze among the taps, filling when necessary. Yes, that’s right; a beer fest where you pour your own beer — one of the few shared fantasy worlds of beer nerds and kegger meatheads. No separation from the tap; just walk right up there and give it a pull. Pour a little splash or overflow the cup. It’s your world, champ; everyone else is just living in it.

For this glorious occasion, all cups were filled with beer that was brewed in Florida — 24 works of genius in total, all gold medal creations chosen by Beer Judge Certification Program judges and members of the professional brewing community, during blind taste tests that were held weeks prior to the event. With the exception of a home brew variety, all the beers offered are also commercially available in Florida. But I am getting ahead of myself.

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Florida Micro Beverage has been putting in serious work. This local distributor of beer, wine, and soda has picked up a slew of new products for the coolers of local beer bars and shops. Among these exciting brews — extensive lines from North Carolina’s Highland Brewing Company, Fort Collins Brewery out of Colorado, and Erie Brewing Company from Pennsylvania.

Erie Brewing turns out a superb product mix, including Railbender Scottish Ale, Mad Anthony’s American Pale Ale, and Presque Isle Pilsner. The brewery’s product naming celebrates Pennsylvania’s history, particularly the people and places involved. Their current seasonal, Drake’s Crude Oatmeal Imperial Stout, takes its name from Edwin Drake — as in Drake’s Folly for all the history smarty pantses — the first guy to successfully drill oil in Northwest Pennsylvania.

Drake’s Crude Oatmeal Imperial Stout definitely lives up to its gooey industrial nomenclature. As it pours into an American pint glass, the bulky black body supports a frothy cap of khaki head that reduces to a thin layer of diverse sized bubbles. Read the rest of this entry »

Think about the massive amount of performance pressure within an industry such as beer. Certain recipes mark milestones in the evolution of brewing, like Pilsner Urquell,  which defined a new style of beer and took its name from the region where it originated. You’ve got experimental breweries like Dogfish Head, partnering with university archaeology departments to analyze residue found on ancient pottery, crafting a modern brew from these ingredients so that we can appreciate beer as it might have tasted in its more ancient forms. That’s a hard act to follow. How about this — currently operating European commercial breweries date as far back as the year 1040. Serious beer intimidation.

And then there’s Terrapin Beer Company from a tiny college town in Georgia. In 2002 their only beer, a Rye Pale Ale totally unknown except for the few places in the vicinity of Athens, GA where you could find it on tap, took first place in the American Pale Ale category at the Great American Beer Festival. I’d say that’s strong performance in the face of pressure.

Today, Terrapin produces a great number of kick ass beers. Read the rest of this entry »

If you know me on a personal basis and are planning a trip anywhere outside of Florida, prepare to be handed a shopping list and an envelope of cash. There are a few things I will need you to bring back for me. As further compensation, upon your return, we will gather with the expressed purpose of getting bombastic in celebration of beer that can’t be found at local retailers.

This is a story about beer nerds — myself and several friends — getting together with recently obtained out-of-town travel brew, along with some mail-order finds. We sat in my living room with this load of beer joy and giant plates of edam, cheddar, and wheat crackers, and surrendered to a marathon of serious beer business.

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For some reason, pseudo beer drinkers everywhere have become enamored with a certain amber ale that goes by the name Fat Tire. As a beertender, I couldn’t go one night without being on the receiving end of some nonsensical harangue about how Fat Tire is the best beer ever made and every bar in the world should have it on tap. Folks, I’m here to tell you, and I might catch a fair amount of sass for this, Fat Tire is the Schlitz Malt Liquor of the New Belgium product line.

Before I begin, I’d like to point out that the company responsible for brewing Fat Tire demonstrates admirably sound environmental practices and crafts outstanding beer masterpieces like Le Terroir, La Folie, and Abbey Grand Cru. Let me make this perfectly clear; I’m not dissing on New Belgium Brewery. This diss is directed specifically toward Fat Tire Amber Ale. It is, perhaps, the least good beer produced by New Belgium, yet it’s wildly fashionable even in areas where it isn’t available. I am convinced the popularity of this foul brew is purely a result of the want what we cannot have phenomenon coupled with euphoric delusions brought on by travel situations. Read the rest of this entry »

Sociologists note that festivals, including events like parades, involve the temporary suspension of societal norms. In these liminal settings, the individual is permitted to conduct themselves outside the conventions of acceptable behavior. This includes being loud, overeating, becoming drunk, dancing — or some wicked hedonistic combination of all the aforementioned. The activities associated with Mardi Gras exemplify festival-centered norm suspension, even Mardi Gras as it occurs in PG rated format on the main drag of a charming little town in Pinellas County with a high concentration of Scottish residents.

Last night, myself and roughly 30,000 other people descended into downtown Dunedin, some trampling flower beds and littering profusely. As an avid fan of outdoor drinking events, people watching opportunities, and yummy things like kettle corn and funnel cakes, I usually have a riotously enjoyable time at Dunedin Mardi Gras. The plan is always something like: grab a few brews from the Dunedin Brewery tent and wander the crowded streets looking at this strange swarm of people, making sure to peer into the window of the pet grooming shop to say hi to the kitties that live there.

This was the tentative agenda for last night. Little did I know, I was about to face epic disappointment. Read the rest of this entry »

Harviestoun Ola Dubh Special 16 Reserve
Whiskey barrel aged old ale, 8%
Scotland

Old Engine Oil, produced by the Scottish brewery Harviestoun, is definitely among my top ten favorite beers produced by humans on planet Earth. It looks and tastes like it sounds: dark, slick, and chewy. The body’s density and combination of burnt, bitter, and slightly sour flavors can be too much for the mainstream domestic beer drinker. However, since I am a professional, I pine for a more extreme version of this delightfully acidic, oily sludge of a brew.

Harviestoun Ola Dubh is Old Engine Oil after it has been matured in whiskey casks. Highland Park single malt scotch barrels, to be exact. Harviestoun turns out 12, 16, and 30 year batches. If your beer preferences lean toward light lagers that lack strong flavors, Ola Dubh is not for you. Now, please excuse me while I wipe the drool off my chin because this beer is most definitely for me.

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Terra-Rye’Zd
Rye Schwarzbier, 6.6%
Left Hand / Terrapin Collaboration

It’s true, I am perpetually harping on the awesomeness of Left Hand Brewing. I’m totally, shamelessly on their jock, and I’m ok with that. When most thought it couldn’t get any worse, Left Hand went and did a limited release collaboration beer with Terrapin Brewing out of Athens, GA. If that wasn’t enough to send me into rare beer frenzy, this collaborative concoction just happened to be the synthesis of two beer styles that make my pulse race with joy: rye grain brews and black lagers. Good lord, are they trying to give me a heart attack?

When poured into a pint glass, Terra Rye’Zd’s Read the rest of this entry »

Nøgne Ø Brown
English Style Brown, 4.5%
Norway

Norway: home of freaky death metal, smoking hot models, and user-friendly light lagers. Who knew they could produce such multidimensional ales? The Nøgne Ø (pronounced non-yay) brewery truly breaks the typical Scandinavian beer mold, turning out a line of big, bold beers, all of which I find thoroughly satisfying. It was hard to pick one brew from Nøgne Ø’s extensive line, but after careful consideration and extended scouring of distributor product lists, I chose the Brown Ale.

The grain recipe combines a little bit of everything: wheat, Maris Otter 2-row barley, chocolate malt, brown malt, amber malt, and caramel malt. Imagine the head brewer sweeping his arm across all the grain-littered counter spaces at the brewery — “let’s just put all this in the mash.” But this mad mixture works, as the sheer maltiness of this brew is pure heaven. Read the rest of this entry »

Petrus Oud Bruin (Old Dark), 5.5% ABV, Belgium

For the salt and vinegar potato chip loving, malt vinegar French fry craving, sour apple candy enthusiasts, imagine a deeper, darker version of that tart, tangy goodness, served in a tulip glass.

Enter Petrus Oud Bruin, an ale crafted in the Flemish tradition by Belgian brewery Bavic de Brabander. Flemish ales are characterized by a mild to extreme sourness attributable to the presence of atypical brewing yeasts or lactic aids from barrel aging. In the case of Petrus Oud Bruin, it’s a little of both. After the initial fermentation process, the brew is aged in oak casks for 20 months, blended in a manner similar to Scotch, and then treated to a secondary fermentation in the bottle.

When poured, the opaque brown body shimmers Read the rest of this entry »

Scrimshaw, North Coast Brewing, California
Pilsner, 4.4%

Those who know me as a beer drinker know, first and foremost, that I’m a dark beer girl. It’s nut browns at baseball games and schwarzbiers on the beach for me, please. I also require a healthy dose of hops here and there, along with the terrible brettanomyces funkiness of sour ales.

Although I gravitate toward big, bold, deep, dark, extreme beer, there are certain occasions when a girl needs the refreshing goodness of a clean pilsner. In those times I turn away from my muddy brew fixation, yet I am not afraid. North Coast Scrimshaw fulfills the need for a light bodied, European-style pilsner without leaving me wanting for flavor.

Scrimshaw pours into a tapered pilsner glass with exuberant and rapid carbonation. Yet, after half a minute, the bubbling brew has subsided and the two inch crown of head has reduced to a thin white ring.

A brilliant orange body gives off earthy aromas of fresh cut grass with the slightest traces of baking bread. The initial flavors are fresh and unaltered, like healthy organic cereal. Read the rest of this entry »

Otter Creek Otter Mon
Jamaican Style Stout
Vermont, ABV ?

I feel compelled to experience all the goodness beer has to offer, from near ethereal to utter schlock. I tend to seek out vintage, extreme, or limited brews; the fleeting moments of beer-making. Enter the Otter Creek World Tour, a series of one time releases from Otter Creek/ Wolaver’s Brewing in Vermont.

According to Otter Creek’s website, “the brewery’s resident Otter travels the world in search of unique, interesting and unusual brewing styles. Whenever he finds something new and exciting, he teams up with Brewmaster Steve Parkes to produce Otter Creek’s interpretation of the world’s best beers” And I thought my job was cool.

Otter Creek’s Otter Mon is a colonial Jamaican delight, fermented with English ale yeast and raw cane sugar, British Goldings and new world Liberty hops, and barley roasted to Jamaican coffee-style perfection. After scouring the internet and making numerous phone calls, I still have no idea what the abv is for this beer. The flavors and sensations suggest the beer falls somewhere within the 7-8% range, but I’ve been fooled before.

Poured into a pint glass, the opaque brown body emits subtle aromas of coffee and bitter chocolate mixed with slight traces of alcohol. A crown of khaki colored head leaves impressive lacing for its diminutive size.

Initial flavors are deliciously bitter espresso with a slightly burnt, almost acidic crispness that adds a smoky tone to the drinking experience. The sugarcane presents itself as a mild boozy warmness, similar to good Jamaican rum, heating my nose, cheeks, and throat.

Since Otter Mon is brewed with cane sugar, I expected a slick, tongue coating mouthfeel, something like a black patent malt cough syrup. To my delightful surprise, the body was rather light, with very little carbonation. It reminds me of those weekend occasions when I put a little splash of dark liquor in my coffee instead of milk and sugar. Cheers!

Left Hand Rye Bock
Rye Doppelbock, 7.6%
Left Hand Brewing, Colorado

Left Hand beer rules. Seriously, everything that emerges from this Colorado brewery’s vats is pure gold. One offering from Left Hand’s seasonal Big Mo’ Series is Rye Bock Lager. It’s a doppelbock, which is a fancy word for a strong beer that uses bottom fermenting yeast and dark malts to create a lager with the appearance and flavor characteristics of an ale.

Facilitating this masquerade, the recipe for Rye Bock combines malted rye with roasted munich and carafa malt. These hearty grains are balanced by the bitter spiciness of northern brewer and perle hops. Translation: this range of ingredients suggests an epic flavor adventure is about to transpire. Read the rest of this entry »