Witbeer for Whit

After a Saturday full of housework and other boring chores, we waited until the big kid was off to a sleepover birthday party and the baby was napping to open the Clementine White Ale/Witbeer (5.9% ABV). Clementine is brewed by Clown Shoes Beer in Ipswich, Massachusetts.

Bear down Arizona!

Too late for a summer seasonal? Nah.

My husband seems to like beers from The Bruery in Placentia, California. So, in continuing with that he brought home their summer seasonal, the Trade Winds Tripel (8% ABV) is a Belgian-style Golden Ale with a Southeast Asian twist. 

According to the label, they used rice in the mash to lighten the body and increase the gravity (instead of using candi sugar - typical for such a beer) and spice with Thai Basil. The result is an aromatic, digestible and complex beer made for a lazy summer evening. 

College Hoops and Doppel Weizen

We plopped down on the couch after a crazy week (work and kids) to relax and watch the Arizona / St. Johns basketball game.  To further relax, we opened a bottle of The Limited Release Bavarian-Styled Doppel Weizen (8.5% ABV) made by The Lagunitas Brewing Co. in Petaluma, California.

Catchy phrase beer flop

Back in August I made a trip to Lincoln, Nebraska to surprise my mom for her birthday.  As I combed the aisles of the local Hy-Vee looking for a baby bath tub, I spotted a few unusual beers.  So I mixed and matched a six-pack and hauled them back to Arizona to share with Scott.

Tonight I opened the last of the beers from that collection, the Get-R-Done Golden Lager from SchillingBridge Winery and Microbrewery in Pawnee City, Nebraska.  I wanted to like this beer because this small town brewery is trying to help revitalize the economy of Pawnee City, Nebraska with their catch-phrase beer, but I just couldn't.  It is not good.  The beer is flat from the moment you pour it in a glass (pic below was taken less than an minute after I poured) and the flavor is nothing special.  It's better than a flat can of Coors Light, but only marginally.

And yes, the beer is named for Larry the Cable Guy...my absolute least favorite comedian of all time.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/02/AR2007070200711.html

Oh Happy (Snow) Day!!

It's always a happy day when I go to the grocery store and realize that New Belgium has released their new seasonal beer.  I kind of feel like a kid again when I see it.  I study the art work, smile a little and send my husband a text asking if he wants 6 or 12.  Duh.

Tonight we enjoyed the Snow Day Winter Ale (6.2% ABV) from New Belgium Brewing Co. in Fort Collins, Colorado.

The back story behind the beer..."In 2003, we had a massive 37-inch snowstorm over two days in Fort Collins. Everything shut down for a couple days – no work, no school, no cars. The only way you could get around was by ski or toboggan. When we began brewing Snow Day, we looked to this one storm for inspiration. The dark characters of the malt bill reflect the dark stormy sky at the beginning of the snowfall. But on the third day, the sun broke through and everything was glorious! The name Snow Day evoked joyful freedom. Everyone remembers waiting for the school report as little kids. When you heard your school was closed, you suddenly had all day to play in the transformed, white landscape. Well, that’s the kind of emotion we put into this beer."

Le Scoot's Merle

Le Merle, a Belgian Style Farmhouse Ale (7.9% ABV) from the North Coast Brewing Company in Fort Bragg, California.  The Le Merle is a rustic ale, pale in color, inspired by the rich brewing traditions of the Flanders region. Abundant hops and a Belgian yeast strain contribute exotic aromas of tropical fruit.

It's tough to judge the flavor/quality of this one as I only had a sip and Scott (affectionately called Le Scoot by his sister-in-law) had already had about 6 beers before opening this bottle.  I don't remember it being bad but didn't have enough to say if it was really good.  We may have to try this one again.

Lipman home brew

We went to a birthday party for a friend on Saturday night and another friend brought some of his Pumpkin Amber home brew to share.  It was pretty delicious.  Pretty much just like having Pumpkin Pie filler flavor in liquid form, in a glass, which is awesome because that means you don't have to eat the nasty crust of Pumpkin Pie.

Thanks for sharing Ben!