Sixty cent special

I try to support local businesses so I am not normally a Safeway shopper, but one day after picking my kid up from school I decided to stop at the Safeway on the way home.  I picked up a sixer of the Mudshark Up River Light because it was one of the few local beers they had in cans (side note: wish more of the local breweries would start canning their delicious brews so that I can pack them in my backpack when doing outdoor things like hiking or biking and also drink them in the pool).

I'm also not normally one to look over my grocery store receipt either in the store or at home.  Sometimes it makes it home and sometimes it doesn't.  But today, for some reason, I happened to glance at it when I got home and was unpacking the groceries.  The first thing I noticed was the Mudshark line item.  Turns out the sixer was on sale ... for a whopping $3.49.

THREE DOLLARS AND FORTY NINE CENTS!!  

That's cheaper than the gallon of gas I just purchased! WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?

And no, it was not a mistake.  It was on sale, twice.  Dammit!!!  Had I known what a steal this sizer was, I would've picked up a few more for the pool.  Bummer.  Maybe now I'll start looking at my receipt (at least at the beer line items) before I leave the store so I can run back and load up on any crazy booze bargains.

UpRiver Light (4.2% ABV)
Mudshark Brewing Company
Lake Havasu, Arizona

According to Mudshark, UpRiver Light is "a light American lager; this is our lightest beer with the lowest carbohydrates. This lightly golden colored beer is made for easy drinking with a delicate smooth finish. This beer pairs nicely with any meal."  According to me, it is a crisp and thin light beer.  There really isn't much to this beer, but that doesn't mean that it is bad.  It is a well executed LIGHT LAGER.  To me, it is the perfect 100+ degree day beer to drink in mass quantities in your pool or to drink in on a brisk evening while sitting around the campfire with a bag of Cheetos.

"Upriver Light is not your downstream beer"; "Pack It In ... Pack It Out".

Summer melonbeer

It doesn't take any slide toward room temp to taste the watermelon in the Strange Brewing Company's Watermelon Hefe. The initial sniff of the 400+ pounds of organic watermelons used in this beer is subtle, yet unmistakably that sweet and musky summer watermelon smell.  Thankfully the taste follows the smell, flip-flopping with the wheat through the whole drink to stay light, unsweet, and just melon enough. The finish and slight aftertaste are lovely and dissipate just as they should. It would be ideal on a hot hot hot day, although I could drink gallons of the stuff even on the rare rainy day in Denver. 

The Watermelon Hefe is Strange's most popular seasonal brew (5.9% ABV and 20 IBUs) and as one of the meisters here put it: "The name practically sells it." The first time, maybe, but not the 3rd, 15th, or 28th. This, along with GoodJuju from Left Hand Brewing Company and any cold Czech Pilsner (sorry, New World), has just become my go-to summer beer. 

Brewery art.  Strange Brewing Company --- 1330 Zuni, Unit M, Denver, Colorado 80204

The brewery, which opened in May 2010 after the two owners lost their jobs, hides in an industrial strip mall under the highway, next to a shop selling neon signs, and just across the train tracks from a restaurant supply store. The requisite food trucks replace any need for a food kitchen (today it is crepes) and the only thing missing is outdoor seating. 

Interestingly, the brewery is currently being sued by Strange Brew Beer and Winemaking Supplies in Marlboro, Mass. for allegations of trademark infringement. (Even though if you Google "Strange Brew" you also find  a tavern in Manchester, New Hampshire, and a coffee shop in Austin using the phrase in their names.) As a result, Strange Brewing (in Denver, Colorado) appears on Facebook as "That Brewery on Zuni."  Bottom-Side Up Brewing Co in Vernon, Conn., and 21st Amendment in San Fran also appear to do watermelon hefeweizens. You don't see THEM suing, do you?

Rating 4.8 out of 5.

Case of writer's block and thirsty new recruits

Welcome back, me!  I took some time off from the blog because, quite frankly, I was suffering from a case of writers block.  But don't worry -- I still drank plenty of beer during my break.

During my severe case of writers block, I was able to recruit some thirsty writers to help me cover the states I am fond of, or have a special connection to: Colorado and Virginia.  So, the more they drink ... the more you'll see posts about beers and breweries from those two states.

A column on the left side of the blog will also detail breweries in each of those states.  I'm still working on doing a little re-organization to help divide the main blog page into states, but I am not there yet.

So for now,  you may have to read about beers you cannot have.  Which sucks, I know.  But at least that way if you ever find yourself in Virginia or Colorado (and someday I hope to have a Nebraska writer too), you'll know what is worth seeking out and worth skipping over.

Cheers!