It was with some tongue and cheek qualities that I write that headline for this blog posting, if somewhat late after the fact. Anyone who put the words Vermont and beer in the same sentence should already know that it's one of the biggest beer destinations in the country if not the world.
I had in mind a plan for a vacation, or as I like to call them beercation, in early August. In my travels I always like to involve good food and drink and I made the effort to spend a bunch of time doing that. The other part was to do a bunch of cycling, hit the trails, work off the beer gut, and drink as much incredibly good beer as I could.
I would like to report that I succeed heavily... aside from maybe the gut thing...
East Montpelier up Snow Road
First lets talk about the cycling and what Vermont offers for it. In three words scenic pure beauty. The second part is something I discovered and really respected. Big inclines... fast down-clines, and thin air because of high altitudes.
In short if you are a flatlander (one of the good ones) like me showing up it's quite a challenge, but the views are all worth it. I was staying in the Waitsfield VT area which is in the center of the state, and came across a website that offered many central trails and routes as ideas for rides. It's this one here: Central VT bike routes . With that I set off excited, but realized I was in for a real challenge.
I did a simple Berlin pond loop earlier and noticed that my crossbike (I have named her Cynthia), could do well, but the gravel and bumpy roads and thin air was doing a number on my lungs.
By the time I headed to East Montpelier it was evident that taking breaks was gonna have to happen. The good thing is there are plenty of reasons to stop and just take in the vistas, if not to pick your spleen off the ground from the tough climbs.
Typical Vermont trail road
Summer in Vermont is just unbelievably scenic. The hillsides exude green spaces like no other, cascading with backdrops of the mountains, Crystal deep blue skies accent it in the middle perfectly, rolling vistas and a blue green sandwich combine for incredible views. There are no distracting billboards, there's even very little litter as well. It is unspoiled and feels completely untouched.
By the time I made it to Barre for my highest ride though I thought I was going to die. Strangely on these bike tours I was doing, I saw NO other riders doing them. Two wheeled riders, cyclist and motorcyclists are everywhere in Vermont. For a motorcycle rider, you have numerous twisties and little cars. For the cyclists the same appeal. Many of the main highways are just easy enough to ride on with no fear of getting hit. It just seemed when I went off road.. I was alone, and I thought... am I crazy enough to do this shit?
Still there is something to be said to be stuck in the middle of nowhere overlooking the mountains, and nobody to be in your way. It does feel like you have it all for yourself. The rides in Barre, Montpelier, and Norwich were hard, but there is plenty of simple riding to do just on the main roads.
Lake Champlain trail outside Burlington VT
One of the popular and most impressive is a trail that was part of an old discontinued railroad bridge that cuts right down the middle of Lake Champlain. The Island Line Trail, is a trail that actually goes right in the middle of Lake Champlain, it's all flat, and is like riding on the middle of a wide open lake surrounded by the Adirondacks on one side and the Green Mountain range on the other. This is also a real easy trail if somewhat long, you don't have to be a serious rider to do it, as I saw many families and their kids taking the scenic ride. Simply flat out stunning views and scenery.
Even with all this riding hey... I am not just here to sight see ya know! While every vacation is beercation like I say, nothing says beercation like being in Vermont.
Lawson's Finest Liquids - Sip of Sunshine IPA
One of the biggest draws in Vermont is that it contains some of the most highly rated and sought after IPAs in the country, mostly from brewers like The Alchemist, Lawson's Finest Liquids, and Hill Farmstead just to name a few. Take one of the most popular beer styles and stick it all in one small place and you don't just have beercation... you have beer nirvana for some.
After much research I decided I was going to stay in the Waitsfield area to be near Warren which contains the Lawson's brewery. It is also not far from many trails, and gives easy access to the towns of Montpelier and Waterbury for more beer choices as well.
Beer hunting is fine, but there's ways to go about it than just spending a bunch of time waiting forever in line, or chasing hyped (depending on your opinion) beers.
It was evident that after a few days there was more than enough great beer to go around. I do like IPAs, but I am not crazy or obsessed with them as some people are. However, due the styles popularity and the demand for the ones that come from many Vermont brewers, IPAs dominate the landscape. Good news.. they are excellent.. bad news.. you want something else your choices are really limited.
Lost Nation's - Rustic Ale
Still there's plenty of ways around this. One place I have liked often and visited in the past was Hill Farmstead, mostly because of their saisons. I went and visited to pick up a few bottles, but also realized going to this packed brewery was not always the most convenient way to try some of their beers sometimes. Still you can't beat the views and quiteness somedays. Their beers are all over restaurants and bars in the area. If you really want to try their beers, don't go to the brewery, just go to the plenty of places in nearby towns and cities and check out their taplists. You'll save yourself some time. Another place I discovered that made great beer was Lost Nation. They didn't just make solid beers, and some cans to take home, they made a variety of decent different styles. They were a big highlight for me and I strongly recommend you check them out.
Nevertheless, the Hill Farmstead brewery has expanded and is in a great scenic area of Greensboro. Sometimes the crowds can be a bit big, but one tip someone told me was to visit not too long before the close to avoid large crowds.
The Alchemist Focal Banger at Mad Taco
The Waitsfield area turned out to be more convenient than I imagined. Stores and shops for delivery of Lawson's and Alchemist products were nearby, even after the early morning crowds left and took their cases home back across the border.
Same with restaurants as well. The Mad Taco offers a fantastic tap list, and simple basic and well made food. It's also dirt cheap as I feasted on Pork Belly tacos so much I practically overdosed on them. Dining options in the area are far and few between, but manageable, and I found myself at Mad Taco often so much that I pretty much had just about everything on the menu.
More importantly was the fantastic place I stayed at called the White Horse Inn.
Get your fridge ready for beercation!
An amazing breakfast was presented every morning from a seasoned pastry chef. Timely and clean rooms and excellent hospitality.
The chef bakes so much he leaves cookies and little nibbles all over the Inn for you to snack on.
Did I mention they also provided me a fridge for my beer cation needs? I needed this more for the purchases at the stores I visited in the state and travels along the way than for the beers bought in Vermont proper. Heck the White Horse Inn servers Lawson's and Alchemist beers to begin with!
More so Vermont offers everything you want in a beercation. Spectacular beer, and spectacular scenery.. it's even better when you can combine it both.
Till next time .... cause you know I am coming back!
2014 was once again filled with lots of good and memorable new beers for me. It always surprises me the amount of incredibly good beer that is out there year after year. As for the beer slayer in me, I was also lucky to get in a lot of travel, which gives me the opportunity to be surrounded by many beers I never have access to.
There was also quite a bit of online West coast purchases last year as well, and interestingly enough I almost wanted to get a Bourbon barrel scotch ale in my favorites this year, as it seemed there were many that I had this year. Still as good as those beer were, there didn't quite always make the cut in greatness.
So here it is in the video below, my favorite beers of 2014. Cheers and Enjoy!
I awake once again, It's the morning and the jet lag is at this point gone with the trials and pains subsided of sleep deprivation, but I feel my place of time is lost. I look outside. The sky is gray... the pavement is ... gray... the rain comes down again.. it is... gray... the colors are.... gray... where in the HELL is the sun I ask myself in this country? I turn to my wife... "are we in Seattle or something?"
"What are you doing in bed?! Get UP! We have plans to take care of!" she said to me.
Ah yes I said to myself, for today was the day I almost forgot. Today was the day to go search for that elusive beer, the one that is seemingly on the mind of many beer fans. One that is quite obscure and one that deserves special attention, sold only once a year in Copenhagen, from Belgian brewery Cantillon. It is simply... Blåbær.
"Yes today we go get Blåbær!" I said with big satisfaction. "It was like I dreamt of it!" I remarked with a shit eating grin bigger than a Chesire cat.
"No actually you didn't dream of it" my wife said with an annoying look, hands on her hips and poised as to why I still hadn't gotten out of bed.
"What? What do you mean I didn't dream of it? I had dreamed I tasted it, then we went to some other places like Mikkeller along the way too, and it was great!"
"Yeah you did that yesterday remember?!" at this point she was getting frustrated.
"I did?! you mean this was real?!" I sat up in bed stunned while Magnus flummoxed his lego pieces and tossed them around with reckless abandon. "Oh my god this really happened!".
It turns out, when I sat up I realized I had already slayed the dragon the previous night. In between times, we managed to make our way down to Ølbutikken and also the passing Mikkeller bar to partake in the glorious beer suds that this city and country offered.
"You were right! Absolutely right! Wow I remember the journey like it was yesterday."
* - *- *
Somewhere between our cavorting and travelling we made an effort to make our way down to Ølbutikken where Cantillon Blåbær was to be sold. There were a few things that were also on the radar though that got taken care of first.
"Where's the licorice!?" I said to myself. It was a food item I really wanted to explore here while we visited.
I remember reading about how there were really good licorice shops and that it was very popular in Denmark. A quick Google search popped up one maker who had a series of shops of what one might even call "artisan" crafted licorice. His name was Johan Bulow and he makes a product simply called Lakrids.
We set out to try and find his store, and discovered after getting easily lost that we had to actually go underground, into a basement department area to find it.
The result was incredibly satisfying, if not a big hit on the wallet. Licorice here is not what you think it is back in the United States. Forget about Twizzlers and ropes of over sweet plastic. The items here are of a completely different vein. Chocolate coated, numerous fruit flavors, dustings with other sweet confections, and of course an old classic that is quite jarring to many North Americans which he made that I fell in love with, simply black and salted.
Licorice seemed to be everywhere we looked as well and we picked up several different makers. So far after having tried many others in various price ranges, the Johan Bulow items were becoming favorites of ours but they were all really good. We did seem to prefer them over the other cheaper brands.
Licorice didn't just seem to be candy, it was also in other products and most surprisingly, it was in beer.
I found quite a few local breweries, and lots of beer that had licorice as an ingredient. Most of them were stouts, and to some extent darker beers such as brown ales.
You can actually see me review a licorice beer here along with some Blåbær and Copenhagen highlights below.
Getting back on course though was needed. The plan of attack was set in motion. We headed to the Vesterbro neighborhood which was also home to the Mikkeller bar. The path to be traveled would take us past Mikkeller but we would definitely have to go to find Blåbær first. There was one address though on Vesterbrogade street which was along the way for Mikkeller that had me a little confused. They do have a bottle shop in Norrbero, but this address was not the bar on Viktoriagade. I wondered if this might be another bottle shop and it could be worth checking out some goodies.
I arrived in a staircase apartment like entrance completely confused after I got buzzed in. Still I figured I was here so I might as well check it out. I opened a door to what was obviously an office situated in a loft, beer posters on the wall, benched tables, and lots of neck bearded workers sitting behind laptops.
It was one of those situations of awkwardness, the one where you think you are making probably the wrong decision, but think that a slim chance is worth checking out. Then you open the door, and you have the error of your ways staring you back in your face, and then you have to explain yourself.
"Can I help you?" a nice gentlemen said in very good English.
"Uh... hey... I was looking for a possible Mikkeller bottle shop?" in which I knew I was already at the wrong place and interrupting a bunch of people who had work to do, than to deal with some beer guy who at times wasn't aware of how to get around Copenhagen sometimes.
I had actually stumbled upon what appeared to be one of the companies corporate offices. The staff was actually very nice, and they mentioned that there was no beer here to be sold, but that the bar was just around the corner. Uh I knew that.... just not and smile I said to myself,,,
"Oh thanks! I'll be on my way, I'll probably see you there too!", to which they replied with much thanks. Turns out I would run into these group of merry workers again, but more on that story later. The hunt for Cantillon Blåbær would now continue.
The store that sells it is not far from the Mikkeller bar, but the plan now was a full on hit for the bottle shop Ølbutikken where the item is sold. One thing I had to keep myself aware of was there was a "very" good chance though, that the beer may not even be there.
The beer is released once a year at the shop, and sold as a special release with lots of demand for beer fans. That release happened about 2-3 months before I had arrived. I had sent a couple of emails to the store owner before the trip, and was told that he did keep some bottles for future customers who could not attend the release in person and take a bottle home. There was though some very important stipulations about purchasing this beer from the store. First, only one bottle could be sold to a customer, and secondly, the bottle had to be consumed on the premises when you bought it. You were not allowed to leave the store with a full bottle.
I had no issue with this at all, in fact it's a great way to make sure that the beer is available to more people who want it.
Finally, the destination was staring me in the face. A giant black letter sign lead me to the basement of a store, with a nice thick wooden bench and rows of bottles on shelves and coolers sitting around. Inside I was already loving the variety and the availability of beers I normally can't get my hands on. Still I had to stay focused... FOCUS ... look for Cantillon!
A cooler off to the corner contained some decent Belgian beers, and there was a particular top shelf filled with various Cantillon bottles. Classic Gueuze, Kriek, Brucosella, Iris, and a few others.
But I didn't see any Blåbær.
So damn close I thought. But I wasn't going to give up so easily. It was time to introduce myself to the shop owner and inquire about this mysterious beast. I spoke with the proprietor of the store, a younger guy who seemed like a very enthusiastic beer fan. We had chatted a few times in email, but he said he actually had some problems setting up email and his Internet connection in the store. "You're actually lucky I just got this setup today! It's actually working!!" he said with a huge excitement under his breath.
"Well that's great, but do you have any Blåbær?" I nervously asked.
"Of course it's in the cooler over there!"
"Huh?!" I swear I looked it up and down, but then he pointed to the bottom far right corner of the rectangular door, the spot where discerning beer hunting eyes often fail to look over and over again, the place that disappears often in the recesses of the mind of a beer shopper like me, barely lurching over the tips of your feet where your eyes don't reach.
There it was. In the corner were about a dozen maybe 16-18 bottles. Their dark blue and almost gray like appearance almost made them invisible, and they were not close to the glass. It was almost as if they were hiding from me. The beer came in two sizes, a large 750ml and a smaller 375ml. This was a great option, I would have killed a larger bottle but I knew it would cost more and I had more beer to drink at the Mikkeller bar I wanted to check out as well.
When beer hunting and slaying, know your plans, and stick to your guns.
My wife is also a big Belgian lambic fan. She is often not a fan of beer in general but really likes these styles of beers having spent a semester in Brussels during college. To her the beer doesn't taste like regular "beer-beer" as she likes to refer to it. I would buy a small bottle and we would share it. It would allow me enough to judge it, and leave room for more beer to consume down the street at Mikkeller, and save a little bit more money as the bigger bottle was more expensive.
Speaking of price, this was not cheap either. Once again things in Copenhagen were not just an easy pinching, and this 375ml beer cost me with conversion rate close to $28 US dollars.
The sale was rung and it was going to happen. Two glasses were given, the proprietor popped the cork, a perfect sound not excessive, and no gushing, a great start. I slowly carried everything, sat myself at the table and readied myself to document the experience. Before I even tasted this beer, first giving it a look and examining it's bouquet, I realized I probably made my first mistake.
I should have bought the bigger bottle....
One sip confirmed it...
I REALLLLLY... should have bought the bigger bottle...
People like to hype up rare beers, and to some extent it is justified and other times it isn't. This of course also had me concerned about whether this beer would live up to expectations. Still I've had several of Cantillon's products luckily and they are wonderful brews, so I was looking for some of that magic, but had also read that other people didn't care for this beer either.
Even with all these thoughts in my mind, I always go into a new beer with no expectations. It could be amazing, or it could be ordinary, or it could be downright terrible. Luckily for me, the experience was the former.
The first thing that struck me about the beer was it's appearance. A slow decant and simple pour showed off one of the most impressive colors on any lambic I've seen. It was a perfect ruby gem red. Shiny. Virtually no hues and just a little bit of pink fizzy head that dissolved to of course nothing, to let the beauty of this color shine. It literally looks like you are cradling a ruby gem in your hands.
The aroma and bouquet provides a plethora of fruit experiences. Classic earth funky tones come with blueberry, cherries, raspberries, even a peach like fuzz note on the nose.
Then there is the taste. Drizzled lightly sweet balsamic vinegar over fresh fruit in a glass, poured over peaches and blueberries, with big earthy notes of fresh tiled soil and almost fungus mushroom quality. Great sweet acidic like tones, complex flavors but wonderfully balanced. Light mouthfeel with some playful carbonation.
It's easily the best blueberry beer I've ever had to date.
My wife who grew up in Maine around wild blueberries was enjoying herself as well. She really enjoyed it too, as she got caught up on the free WiFi in the store over her email.
It was at this point I wish I could drink more of this, but the die was cast. The hardest part about drinking a brew that is amazing is the experience comes to an end. There is a pathos knowing that this experience will never again happen, amongst the joy of having an amazing drink.
We then made our way to the Mikkeller bar down the street. A fantastic spot, with a downstairs like entrance, subway tiles that cling to the wall, and a giant chalk board with the latest menu beer items ready to be slayed.
Mikkeller - AK Alive
Oh yes this is going to be good. Interesting saisons and wilds given were ripe for the taking, and then they even serve beers from 3 Floyds here. Dear lord this is like nirvana. There was even more than just that, as I glanced over a bunch of silver dollar sized rye bread pieces for sale, their green watercress tops licking at my face and attention. "Hello there!" said a young familiar Dane, a guy who I had already met earlier who finally got away from his desk, and was now off his shift. "Yeah this guy came in earlier! Hope he likes the beers!" Guess I was making a name for myself already, as a big tattooed bloke poured me a saison. I didn't take long while glancing around that the ambience here was different from many of the other spots we had visited in Copenhagen,
This place is filled with Americans. It was hard not to notice. So this is where they all end up huh? Why can't I escape these people when I travel? But then it again it was a fun familiarity as well all recounted our trial and tribulations adjusting to a new place. "I can't figure out how much money I took out of the ATM!" bellowed this hilarious guy from Kentucky, wads of Krone bursting from his hands eager to be spent. Another bearded young bloke, who wouldn't be out of place at any craft beer bar, neck beard included then asked me, "HEY have you ever had any Two Hearted!?"
why yes young man... yes I have.... oh boy have I ever had lots of that excellent brew.
This was all taken in as the staff free of charge poured us a bottle of AK Alive, suds and brett funk enveloping the room in a hazy cloud, passed hand in hand, glasses clink at the ready, merriment unleashed.
Another great treat about this bar is the giant chemistry flask the size of a watermelon, filled with a cherry like wine, that was cheap, simple, and easily devour-able.. one that my wife enjoyed and partook in while the conversation ebbed and flowed all late afternoon, Danes still stuck at work... us tourists drinking and plundering their wares...
This ... is ... so awesome...
"Yeah that was really cool! wasn't it!?" I remarked to my wife who was probably wondering about my sanity at this point.
"And oh yeah we also went to that really cool bar, ya know! The oldest one in the country!" Katrine had taken us their as I recalled with much vigor. Founded in 1723, it's interior is warm, inviting, filled with love and stories that I wish the walls could tell us. The beer selection though was rather pedestrian, but was served with care, and what did look like locals who were very old who had been coming here for ages. Simple Tuborg Classic was offered, it might have been even from a beer engine (cask), and simply hit the spot. Even Katrine's pram fit in the place, with Magnus fitting in well.
"That was so AWESOME!! when we did that too!!"
By this point my wife had that look on her face, the one that was hovering over me as I was still nestled between the sheets in rapture of beer and drink bliss.
"Can I ask you a question?" she said matter of factly...
"Why yes darling... say... anything..."
"ARE YOU STILL FUCKING DRUNK?! Cause we went to that bar on the FIRST day we arrived DON'T YOU REMEMBER ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS?!?"
Oh.... .. I guess when you put it that way... I uh... kinda remember it a little differently.
It's one thing when memory is so detailed... but the days go by and times seem to be a blur...
She was right though. Cantillon and Mikkeller was the previous night. Our first evening we arrived, Katerine took us to a real cool bar spot, and there I was awake, luckily with no hangover, but with a sense of completeness, and heavenly in rapture of the memories while still nestled and nuzzling the bed sheets.
"Yup that was great".
"Good I am glad you enjoyed it." At this point my wife seemed at least content with my memories. But before I could hit the pillow and take in another great morning of coffee and tasty wares, she had one more thing to belt out.
"Now get your ass out of bed we got 15 minutes to catch the train to go to Helsingnør!"
....
fuck...
* - * - *
POST NOTE: The above events did occur, but not in the exact times as the blog chronicled (which is mentioned). Also my wife didn't really yell at me... but believe me she can... also we really were late for that dam train... more on that later...
What the heck day is it? Time goes by so fast you forget what you're up to. Drink chasing, loose ends to tie down, you lose track of everything. Finally got back to the idea of writing and had quite a few ideas around the old woodshed, even thought yeah I'll have to get my fav beers idea going for 2014 soon.. Then I realized... I never even posted my favorite new beers in 2013!!
How could I have forgotten to put this up here? In the end though when I think back to those old winter days, which are coming here shortly, I was horrifically sick with the flu. So perhaps I didn't want to relieve that memory of 3 weeks of being bed ridden, and not shaving for a month. I had a good excuse for growing a beard cause I had no strength and couldn't be bothered while hacking up 600 pounds of phlegm every morning. It of course is long gone, mostly because I hated looking like a homeless person and certainly don't want to look like a walking stereotype of some beer geek.
So here it is! My favorite new beers of 2013, so enjoy! And yes there will be one for 2014... and I expected to be sick as a dog in January too.
I haven't written anything in some time and I was wondering if there would be a good opportunity to talk about drink having been busy writing and doing more reviews of beer and other drinks online than actually just blogging. However, an unforeseen event event came to town recently that provided me a real good opportunity. Sure there have been a myriad of beer events that I have been to in the past several years, but this event hearkened back to reminders and desires of when I first really started taking beer more seriously and started noticing that there was truly something special going on.
I received an email mentioning an event called Goose Island Migration week that was to take place in Washington D.C. from the well known Goose Island brewery. Long story short, a few local places and favorite beer stomping grounds of mine such as Churchkey and Meridian Pint were going to have some nice Goose Island beers to be purchased, including many that are highly rated, coveted, and no longer being made.
I have been lucky to have had many of these beers from Goose Island, a combination of diligent hunting, willful spending, and to some degree just plain dumb luck. Many of them have also been featured on my YouTube ImbibeHour Channel.
I always loved beer but 3 years ago, a discovery of Bourbon County Brand Stout changed my life. There was this brewery taking one of my favorite spirits (bourbon) and making beer from it's barrels, and the results shocked me. More so, they made a beer that would become an iconic piece of history, a barrel aged bourbon barrel beer from 23yr old bourbon barrels that used to hold Pappy Van Winkle bourbon whiskey. It was simply called Rare Bourbon County Stout.
Here is where the story flashes back. Before the advent of so called "craft" beer, and the explosion it has taken since then, Rare was a beer that was only on a few enthusiasts minds. Since that time, craft beer and beers like Rare have exploded in popularity. In short Rare Bourbon County Brand Stout has become an iconic legend. I remember that while I didn't seek it out at its release, I thought $40 dollars for a bottle of it seemed ridiculous at the time, around the time I made the video above. Forty dollars? Heck I could buy actual real good bourbon for that much, maybe even a couple of Weller's.
Fast forward to now nearly 2000 reviewed beers since, I still thought of this beer. Even with all the great ones that came before it to this day, I kicked myself in the head thinking I really missed out on a great opportunity. Could a, should a, would a, done it.. grabbed that iconic green bottle when I had a chance. I even realized that 40 or so dollars for that beer, was in my opinion, an insane bargain.
I felt this was one of those multitude of beers I would never get a chance to have then out of nowhere Goose Island came to town..
Bourbon Count Brand Vanilla Stout 2010.
Nestled in the back of my head was a trip down memory lane. The Goose Island brewery came to town bring gifts of lore, King Henry, non existent versions of regular Vanilla Bourbon County Stout. Other beers showed up, along with Cherry Rye, and other classics including Matilda, even a brett version of Matilda.
The other popular mainstays were also here, and you could easily try them.
2010 Vanilla had to be first for myself, having missed it in the past along with Rare. The classic bourbon county brand stout flavors still remained, thick and lush, with a nice creamy texutre. Molasses, chocolate, coffee, oak, and warmth, all the classic notes of a well aged barrel aged beer were here. However, it did seem like the vanilla was muted on the nose, and missing quite a bit in the taste.
Rare Bourbon County Brand Stout
At this point I was already pretty darn happy about what I was experiencing. Other beer fans I knew were at the event and we basically were all enjoying ourselves quite a bit, but there was the buzz that we all knew that Rare had to be around the corner. Indeed it was, more of an afterthought than a surprise as most of us saw the staff while waiting out in line with a box of Rare being carried into the bar.
There was no way I was going to be able to have an entire bottle for myself, although if I could, believe me.. I would. Small pours were handed out by the staff so that at least everyone who came, could get a taste. So what's the verdict?
A mixed bag. The nose is exquisite unlike any other whiskey barrel aged brew I've had. The nose screams of toasty oak and large tobacco notes, with the woody angles going from cedar, to barrel char, and with the woody sensations giving a cigar box quality. It's one of the most perfect examples of a whiskey barrel aged beer I've had. Then the taste follows nicely on all the right places, but then on first quaff, my mind raced with the library of hundreds of other beers I had before this one for comparison and one thing became obvious. Even while getting to enjoy the delicacy of this beer, I felt I was still too late to the party. In short, Rare felt past its prime, and I had missed it's pinnacle, but at least I got to slay the green dragon as I liked to call it.
I thought I would take some time out and talk about what it takes to get to this point, and more importantly the advice on going after best desirable beers, since this event really reminded me how much I've changed over the years, and the beers that have followed since then. Taking these points into consideration will make your experience truly more enjoyable.
Seek and enjoy the chase.
The experience of tasting beer over a long time is a fascinating journey, and it is full of many highs and lows, but the vast majority of the results are very positive. Everything comes around full circle, and there was no perfect example of this than my 3-4 years of wanting to try and eventually taste Rare Bourbon County. The desire for the ultimate beer, or the perfect tasting beer, is never ending. Often it's the anticipation of what will might happen that is even more exciting than the actual taste. Some feel that this beer or that beer is the perfect beer, end of story. But it should never be that simple. If it was why would you want to bother with any other beer? You could just drink that one all the time? Perhaps that's how you do feel and that's fine, but there's a very big world out there worth exploring. I've also met others on this journey who have had way more beers than I have, such as upwards of 10,000. They're still out there looking, and believe me they aren't stopping anytime soon. They, like me, are having too much fun.
Everybody is Different
I know that not everyone likes the same things as I do. Some people at the event I know said they were floored, others agreed with me and felt the beer was past prime. Others commented they felt the texture was sublime, where I felt that was one of the beers weakest qualities. That's the thing about opinions, nobody is right and nobody is wrong. We all like and get different things. Take this into consideration and find out what you like, which leads me to the next point.
Listen to Yourself
There I said it. I know.. contradictory right? You're reading this article, and I was tempted to say dont listen to anybody, when I .. am TELLING you what to do. What I am getting at is you have to be your own judge and be honest with yourself and your palate. Really just pay attention and not be influenced by others, or ratings. Places like BeerAdvocate and the like are great, I use them all the time and as I mentioned I am a supporter, but they are not the be all end all to what are the best beers. You should look at my channel and places like BeerAdvocate as guides. Some you will find more useful than others. They point you along the way and give you directions, but it's up to you to decide which way to go.
Do your homework
There is a wealth of information about beer and what it is on the Internet, but you need to cycle out the noise from what are legitimate reputable and reliable sources. Understand beer more than just hops, malt, water, yeast. Look at true beer organizations, and what criteria they have. Taste a variety of different beers. On average I personaly review 2-3 new beers every day that I have never had before. It keeps me on my toes and I look forward to it. It's fun. In fact I don't even consider that work, it's pure playtime. Don't just randomly go on to some website and say what are the best IPAs I should have? It's never that easy. So do your homework, beacuse homework is rarely this fun!
Baby steps
This sort of follows the previous point. You are going to enjoy beers like Rare, and other big important beers more, if you go out and try easier to access beers of the same type, or preferably simpler but just good beers like it and many of them. The simple reason why is you will have a bigger background to draw your experiences from, and the experience will become richer. Seek a great opportunity sure if you have the chance, but build yourself up for the big dance. Start off slowly and work your way up.
Live in a good beer region/town/city
Yeah I know, it sort of smacks of a bit of bias and uprooting but there are some huge advantages if you live in a region that has a lot of good beer because of either great shops and/or breweries. Variety is the spice of life, and living somewhere where there is a lot of choice in great beer is going to make you appreciate it, and diversify your palate. Also you will run into other people like you at breweries and bars that share your same passion and make connections. If you don't feel you live in a good region, plan a weekend trip to one, or take a vacation. Do whatever it takes. Homebrewing is also a good alternative. Can't find beer you like often? Make your own.
Get to know people in the industry
For this one, it will really help in your journey to appreciating good beer. Visit breweries that you like and strike up conversations with the staff, and the brewer. If you have a favorite place to shop in, get to know the staff even outside of beers you want to taste. Find a decent bar and frequent it often and know the people who work there (and tip well!). All these industry types will lead you to better beer and give you tips on where to find or access it.
Embrace luck
I don't know how else to say this but the enjoyment of rare beers is just sometimes dumb luck. I don't know why or how but it just happens. You will find yourself in search of beers you think you'll never find, and then somehow it just shows up in your lap. A perfect example was that at the Goose Island event, some guy sitting next to me didn't even know it was going on. He just walked in and showed up to go to a bar for a drink. I've just randomly been in some of my favorite bars, and then suddenly on the menu was a gem. It just happens.
Don't beat yourself up
The one thing I've discovered so far on this journey into great beer is that there is a lot of good beer to go around. In fact the reality is there is TOO MUCH good beer around. I hear lots of complaints online from people who said they can't get the latest hyped up beer release, or couldn't get to a bar event when the keg kicked. Understand that there is always a next time, and there's always another beer out there. Don't get angry, and be patient. It took me 3 to 4 years to just even try Rare, and anybody who knows me knows.. patience is not my strong suit. For others that night at Churchkey it might have been even their first big beer, and that's nothing to get angry about. Plenty of people I know have had beers that I have desired for a long time. You don't deserve it more than the next guy. There is always another beer out there . You'll be ready. So order/grab something else and move on.
Sharing a beer with Goose Island Brewer Dave Tohtz
Being back to seeing Rare again brought back a lot of memories. The experience was truly unforgettable, more so because it just completed a long cycle. It was also really amazing to know that for some people, this might have been the very first important beer they ever tried at this event, and they just might be starting on a new journey I know far to well. I hope they'll have just as much fun as I am having, and enjoy the ride.
The Goose Island Migration Event is touring other cities, look out for it and make sure you go.
In the realms of great beer, there is one brew made out in Santa Rosa California that is highly coveted and released only once a year in beer pubs. That beer is a very large hopped IPA called Pliny the Younger from Russian River. The problem is in order to get a glass, you have to travel to only a few select places to get it. California which is the home of Russian River brewing company, offers a few places to get it. I've also seen Pliny Younger in Denver. For our hero who was always curious about this beer, there was one option that was a little bit more economical sense wise if I was to get my hands on this so called coveted "nectar of the gods". Philadelphia PA often has kegs of it, and one of my favorite beer bars was holding a much publicized event to taste the beer. I took a day trip (and early day trip) to Monk's Cafe, to wait in line with many beer fans and also to get a sampling of many other Russian River brews. Taking an adventure to try one of the most coveted beers in the world I found out takes a lot of planning. When I thought about everything I was doing, I couldn't believe I had to go to this much effort just to try one beer. However, I was very glad I did, since when I arrived 2 1/2 hours early before the bar opened, there were already 20-30 people ahead of me in line. 20 minutes later, the line snaked around the block with hundreds of people, many who I am not so sure were even able to get a glass once the bar opened 2 hours later. I had to document this event for my channel being a big beer drinker and fan, and it turned out that the journey was probably the most memorable thing about it. There's always one thing about good drink, it's sometimes the chase which is more exciting than the actual reward. Watch the video below to see how I made this day trip, which started promptly at 6:30 AM in the morning for a long drive to Philadelphia. Cheers!
I had the fortunate chance to connect with Jeff Hancock of DC Brau. I've enjoyed quite a bit of their beer, and it's been interesting to watch his business thrive in the DC area at a time when the growth of craft beer is exploding in popularity. I wanted to interview Jeff for my channel on YouTube, and we luckily got our schedules in order and recently did it.
You can listen to the interview below, it's all just audio. It's much like a podcast, you can just hit play and listen to it in the background while surfing somewhere else or doing something else also. I did provide brief breakdown of the sections if you want to go to certain subjects. Feel free to check it out!
It was another year again in beer. 2012 brought many highlights, much of it coming from a trip to Vermont visiting Hill Farmstead. Not sure what is in that water that is producing the beer up at Hill Farmstead (fairy dust? unicorn tears?), but it is making some of the best beer I ever had.
Another surprise how a particular style that can normally polarize me a bit, became the source of some my ultimate favorite beers. That style was the saison - farmhouse ale. I had so many enjoyable ones that I officially am crowing 2012 the year of the saison for myself.
I made a video of the highlights in beer for 2012. Feel free to check it out on my channel as well. There were also many other brews I wish I could mention but it was hard to pair down a list of 600 (which was far shorter than last years) beers as highlights.
There has been a lot of changes lately in the craft beer world since I can remember. Living in the Washington DC area for many years gave me a real good opportunity to witness such changes, particularly when a new establishment came along called Churchkey.
Churchkey Birch & Barley, is a craft beer bar that has 50 taps and 5 casks, and is managed by beer director Greg Engert, a former employee of the Brickskeller.
I sat down to talk with him about the birth and growth of craft beer and his establishment. It was quite an interesting and if you want to see it grab a drink and spend 1/2 hour watching the video below. Cheers!
Something seems to be happening in the drink world that defies explanation. Two unlikely concoctions, beer, and liquor (in the form of cocktails) have come to a-head on meeting in a full collision melding with craft practice. How did this seemingly happen?
Brewers have taken the world over with interesting beer. Revisiting old styles, revamping them, taking on new twists, and giving many things for beer geeks to salivate over.
With that, mixoligists and bartenders (can they be one or the same... sure) using their knowledge of solid cocktails, combine their smarts and find interesting ways to meld flavors, technique, and history to make something different and hopefully delicious.
Mixing alcohol into beer is really nothing new. How many times have you heard of depth-chargers, car bombs (or that other name that isn't so flattering), boiler makers, snakebites and so forth. Sometimes adding things to a beer involved things that just seemed like an afterthought out of boredom, such as the stories I hear from people dunking a shot of whiskey X into a pint of brew. I doesn't even have to be other alcohol, shandys, radlers also come to mind.
However, sometimes people put a little more effort into a good drink, and when they do the results can shine, and from that you can have a beer cocktail with true thought and great taste.
Beer cocktails aren't without their controversy either. Some brewers cringe at the idea of a beer they concocted, slaved over, perfected after many repetitions, just to have someone seemingly pour something ELSE into the mix. Dam them all some might say. Others might be more flattered. What if you could punch flavors out, enhance them, use good quality ingredients, just as the brewer intended, could it work? For myself personally, I am on the fence, but I take exception to anyone who does things with good technique, and understanding of what came before, and those who use the right things at the right time. A beer cocktail can truly get it right.
Pictured above is a beer cocktail developed by Gina Chersevani, and published in the Washington Post (recipe here). In it, she uses a fantastic craft style American Porter beer made in Hawaii that I have actually reviewed before called Maui Coconut Porter. Just toss a shot of whiskey into your glass after you pour? Hell... and no.
In this drink, she uses classic cocktail ingredient and proportions, that enhance the character and flavor of the drink. Chairman's rum is used, to give a molasses kick with a very dry match of the porters roast, coconut milk and sweet syrup come into the mix to pull out that coconut of the porter also, and add a sweetness not unlike a good refreshing summer cocktail.
I decided I had to try this drink out and get an idea if a beer cocktail can really deliver. And when done right, it really shines. There are plenty of other beer cocktails out there, and so long as they are done with thought and care, I'd love try more myself. Check out the video below to see how I made this drink.
It wasn't suppose to happen this way. It wasn't suppose to happen at all.
When I started out deciding to write a blog about drink, I was very focused on spirits. I've been a big fan of cocktails and spirits, and started focusing on bourbon primarily when I started. However, there were many times I just want to just sit back and grab a beer, instead of mixing up drinks.
Beer.
It's one of those ubiquitous drinks that is just about anywhere on the planet, and when it comes to imbibing alcohol it's probably the first place you begin. I started drinking beer up in Canada when I was in my late teens, not unlike most people who discover beer. Back then there really wasn't much choice. Many of the top producers or what some today would call macro-breweries, even made beers that weren't available in certain areas of the country, keeping certain brews to only local markets (I still to this day have never seen Molson Export sold anywhere West of Ontario, maybe things have changed?). On top of that many of the liquor laws did not look kindly to imports, and taxes were generally higher. In short there was less options, and you ended up usually drinking the same domestic mass produced fizzy yellow lager that probably first fell in your hands, because it was cheap and easy to get. Then something happened.
It's hard for me to pinpoint the exact date I noticed something change, but around the late 80s / early 90s a word came up that I heard called "micro". Small independent brewers were trying to make their way on to the scene. Part of my personality is to always taste something new, and when I heard there were small independent micro-breweries trying to make an appearance I desperately wanted their beer. Reports came out about mass produced beer being pedestrian. There were comments that small producers could make a better product, they used old recipes, better ingredients, the large mammoth breweries got so large that they could no longer make a quality product, and so forth. They were "different". All the points seemed to indicate their beer was better to some. Still, whether you believed this or not, I often could never get my hands on these micro-beers, and if I did they weren't cheap.
When I came to the US and settled down 14 years ago, I remember distinctly wanting to try some better beer. I was definitely not a fan of beers of macro US produced breweries. I grew up being inundated with their advertising, and flooding the market, and perhaps more so really hated their beer not just on taste but out of some pride to buy local and some perhaps nationalistic sentiment. Hey why have fizzy yellow US lager, when I can have... umm.. fizzy yellow Canadian lager? This sentiment, didn't last very long, my tastes changed, and more importantly, I got bored. Also in my young days of yore, it was probably a stupid sentiment to be had, so I'll chalk that up to inexperience. I found myself leaving beer and going to wine. Then something else happened.
I was at a liquor store in the US and started noticing more varieties of beer on the shelves. I went to other places, some even specialized in beer sales. Depending on what state I was in, the laws sometimes were less restrictive than what I grew up with, the shelves were filled with LOTS of different beers, some from around the world, more so than what I saw in Canada. I was quickly drinking a lot of Belgian beer and liking it.
My head exploded, I had to have them all. Then around 2002 I saw a 6 pack on the shelf that said beer of the year. I thought that was a pretty dam bold statement to make. I looked at the package and it said Dogfish Head Raison d'Etre. Long story short, I took it home, and my life since then for beer has never been the same. When I gushed my enthusiasm for the beer to a store employee about the micro brewery he described a term that to me was new. Dogfish as he mentioned, was some of the best "craft beer".
Since that day over ten years ago, "craft" beer has taken off unlike anything I have ever seen. There are more breweries now that I can think of. Beer made locally is now considered desirable, perhaps even filling in with the niche of supporting local farms, and having an emphasis on a better product. In Washington DC where I was living there were no local breweries 10 years ago, now with Port City, DC Brau, and a host of others there are several. The same thing has happened in other areas of the country, and there is now a lot of craft beer. Attitudes are changing about acquiring beer. Instead of just going out to the bar and having "the usual", there are craft beer bars, where you can drink several kinds of beer from multiple breweries. Events can be held, and even the brewery reps and sometimes the brewers themselves will be there and you can talk to them. Local breweries are also turning into social centers. Instead of heading to the store, you can go to the brewery and buy beer there direct from the source. Many breweries have tap nights, entertainment, and it has become a social gathering spot and not just a place to take away the wares, or have a tour (you've seen one fermenter you've seen them all I say!). Speaking of beer to take home, you can fill up on tap beer with a growler and take it home as well (either at the brewery, and some other beer bars). This is a common practice in many States (it varies depending on the law), where you can bring in a growler to fill of 64oz of fresh tapped beer and just walk home with it. Growing up in Canada, this was impossible because of the liquor laws. When I first came here I didn't even know what a growler was.
Suddenly I was very excited about beer again.
With my insatiable appetite, I had something at my disposal that as a young beer drinker years ago was practically impossible. The Internet, and more so, the information that comes with it.
With a host of active tools and a world of instant information literally at my finger tips, I discovered beers I could only dream of twenty five years ago, and more importantly "understand" them better. In 2011 I finally decided to chronicle my year in tasting beer, and I decided to make a video about it. The results are below. Grab a few beers, sit down and relax and watch the show.
I don't know where craft beer is going in this trend, but I am really liking the amount of drink and choice that is available. Even back in Canada, there are more independent breweries than before, beer is now taking off more than ever and what could be a better time to have a great drink to imbibe on once in awhile.
