Not to be out-classed!

Let me set the stage … on a recent vacation trip down south ...its early evening & I’m in a
South Carolina grocery store looking to pick up a six pack for the next few
nights while traveling & settling in. We’re in a rush, as we’re both looking forward to getting to our place to stay for the night. The grocery store has the usual chain store brews, but this one jumps out (maybe due to its prominently displayed “ON SALE” bright yellow price tag)? It’s a store brand called “PIG SWIG!” Adjacent was a brand called “PIG SWILL!” I’m being rushed to pick one so we can
finally get to our destination. Don’t know why, but I opted for the ‘Swig” rather than the “Swill” (Maybe I feared the sure ridicule from Debby if selecting to drink ‘swill’ and thought I could easier slide by with a ‘swig’? Anyway, the price was right for either one ($4.99) Regardless, Debby was quick to question me at the checkout counter, and I was really glad I didn’t select the “Swill!” We got back to our motel & I unleashed a bottle of “Swig.” It was pretty damn good! I started reading the label & learned it was made by a micro brewery called Thomas Creek Brewery, out of Greenville SC. (Check it out at http://www.thomascreekbeer.com/index.html)
and was marketed by Piggy Wiggly under their own brand name. Normally it’s labeled as the in house “Dockside Pilsner,”

I would agree with the description. So, do you think buying a bronze medal winner
beer in a world beer competition in a grocery store for $4.99 a six pack is
such a bad move? So in retrospect, my
only regrettable error was not being able to get past the name & not trying
the other relabeled store brand (Swill) for $4.99. I won’t make the same
mistake the next time I’m in a Piggly Wiggly down south! What's above is what to look for if you ever find yourself in a Piggly Wiggly!

Classy, Not Trashy

"Classy, Not Trashy, Beer Cocktail Recipes"
from Chowhound

The New Generation of Beer Cocktails

Mentioning the term beer cocktail still elicits skepticism from people, ranging from "Why would you waste a perfectly good beer?" to warnings about the folly of mixing beer and liquor. Nevertheless, bartenders at fashionable New York bars and restaurants like the Breslin and Death & Co are experimenting heavily with beer cocktails, and have even carved out dedicated sections of their menus for them.

The new generation of beer cocktails is interesting and complex, a far cry from "car bombs" and boilermakers, explains Shaher Misif, a bartender at Cantina in San Francisco. "[Now] it's an ingredient in cocktails, rather than just dropping a shot in your beer." In other words, beer is being used as a flavorful carbonated mixer.

Here are our favorite new beer cocktail recipes, perfectly suitable for tailgates, picnics, or barbecues.

Say what, American beer prices?

Appalling! When you get used to excellent beer for less than a dollar, it's a downer to see American level prices.

After spending time today in the czech Home Depot, hey what can we say, it feels so normal, Matt drove to a watering hole that sells beer to go. Stocking up before the playoffs this weekend was a necessity.

He sent me in alone, since I'd never been there before, and the kids were already happy in their car seats. I must admit, it was a fun store/brewpub. I picked out a handful of liter bottles, along with two 1-liter growlers to go. I didn't look at prices at all, because it's typically such a bargain! Well, each of my 1-liter growlers was 125CZK, or about $6.00. That's about $3.25/pint! Better than American bar prices I guess, but not by much. What's going on, Czech Republic? Is the local industry tuning into demand for specialized beer?

Takeaway: Visitors, get here fast, while the beer still cheap!

One other note, this is the same place that Anthony Bourdain visits on his 'No Reservations' show for the Czech Republic. For anyone who has seen that episode, it's where he eats a roasted pork knee, a local favorite.

Now back to the beer...

I'm sipping on the first of the two growlers. It's an IPA, "Jubiler", from a brewery in Moravia, in the southeastern part of the country. [Pivovar Vyskov] Once poured, it had only a slight head, less than acentimeter, although this might have been a consequence of sitting in the growler. (?) It's clear and dark golden, with a nice, but not overpowering hop aroma. The internet says the following - 'this beer is hopped 4x - including hopping in cold lager tank. 15.3 ° Hops used: Kazbek, Premiant, Cascade.' For all of that hopping, I would have expected a stronger hop presence. It's lacking the strong florals and pines that I want, but is still satisfying. The bitterness is there in a comfortable dose. I'd like a bit more carbonation, but I tend to like higher carbonation. On the whole, I'd definitely drink it again....but would I buy it? At such a premium to other good beers, even czech IPAs, I'm not sure that I would. I'd seek out the Czech 'Samari' IPA, for a few less crowns, any day.

Undo edits

Burns going down

I've been curious about ginger beer for awhile, and saw this in the grocery store tonight. It's non-alcoholic, but has BEER in its name, so I think it still counts for this blog....

Despite its billing as Jamaican, it's made in Germany.

It's very light in color, almost white when poured - similar to fresca. It has light carbonation. Upon tasting, the ginger punches you in the face and burns the back of your throat. It pleads for the addition of something else....whiskey, vodka, rum, or even water. The ginger is over the top strong. It's also quite sweet, which maybe balances some of the spice. It would be a fantastic mixer. Taking a break from spirits tonight, I decided it could be salvaged with a lime.  I added juice from an entire lime, and then decided to add water as well. After all that, I can honestly say it's really delicious. I'd definitely make one again. Maybe next time with whiskey.

They're ALL Winners!

[I had to put this in a proper post, so the results weren't lost! -Jenny]


They're ALL Winners!
OK, perhaps Navy scored am few more points, but Army beat the point spread, so really, who actually won the game? Just wait until next year! So, for the other contest of the day – The “Hop Battle”, here are the results and analysis….. 

HOPBACK by Troegs
Short head & no sign of carbonization. Mellow color. Bold hoppyness, but that’s what I was expecting from all these contestants. The beer was a little sweeter than anticipated (but I lean toward sweeter beers anyway), and not too much bitterness. I felt the beer was smooth, tasted good, but was still looking forward to the other contestants.

HOPWOLLOP by Victory
Lighter in color, but a bigger head in glass upon pour. Full hop flavor & smell, but a little too citrusy for me for a more winter oriented beer. Seemed a little raw on my pallet (maybe it was the 8.5% alcohol content?). With the heavy citrus (imo) overtones, it might make a better competitor for the Belgian whites or local Heavy Seas varieties (with their high alcohol content). Seemed to fill me up & tried to prevent me from eating any more of the junk food I’d laid out for the game. After recovery, I sampled …

HOPDEVIL by Victory
Big large head upon pouring, & a very hoppy smell & flavor on first sip. I can say that for the first time I recognized the “Piney Overtones” that many analysts’ have made reference to in evaluating beers. But despite what other more experienced critics have had to say about this brew, I wasn’t all that impressed. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good, really good, but not what I was looking for this late in the game.

Only for the purpose of objective scientific research, I felt obligated to go through the sampling process again during the second half, just to verify my initial observations… (After all, if an experiment can’t be replicated, the conclusions drawn are suspicious! – right)? 
AND TODAY’S HOP CONTEST WINNER IS?..........

HOPBACK by Troegs! It was the smoothest, and even had a good head after my 2nd pour where I poured it directly into the glass rather than down the side (like thought was the ‘old school’ way?). It just tasted better & went down smoother. I have a hunch this is Matt’s favorite domestic beer, but his preference had no influence on my analysis.

I think my next competition may center on “Bock Beers,” as spring is just around the corner. Or at least something to look forward to? Perhaps we can coordinate it with “The Final Four” basketball play-offs? Let me know who’s got game for it!

Gameday for the "Battle of the Hops"

“Battle of the Hops” – December 10, 2011

This afternoon is the annual Army Navy game, the very best football game of the year! As is my long standing tradition, I will watch & celebrate it with a plentiful supply of good beer & junk food. But to change things up a little, this year I decided to participate in another contest while watching the one on the gridiron. I will match 3 high hop beers against one another & pick my ultimate winner. Though be forewarned, today’s winner is likely to be only that – the winner of a single contest, because just like the two teams on TV today, they’re each very, very good and deserve respect!

The hop contestants are listed below along with the maker’s description of each.

HOPDEVIL from Victory Beer
Menacingly delicious, with the powerful, aromatic punch of whole flower
American hops backed up by rich, German malts. HopDevil Ale® offers
a roller coaster ride of flavor, coasting to a smooth finish that satisfies
fully.
Composition:
Malts: Imported, German 2 row
Hops: American whole flowers
Alcohol by volume: 6.7%

HOP WALLOP Very Hoppy Ale also from Victory Beer
We celebrate the pioneering spirit of old Horace ‘Hop’ Wallop and those who dare mighty adventurous things in this vivid, robust ale. As our annual homage to the hop harvest, expect loads of aromatic splendor and bitter beauty.
Composition
Malts: Imported German malts
Hops: American whole flowers
Alcohol by volume: 8.5%

HOPBACK ALE from Troegs
Alcohol by Volume: 6%
Hop Bitterness
(IBU's): 55
Color (SRM): Amber
Availability: Year
Round
Malts: Pilsner, Munich
Hops: Cascade,
Williamette, Nugget
HopBack Hops: Whole
Leaf Nugget, Mt Hood
Yeast: Ale
Tröegs Brewery’s Flagship beer, HopBack Amber Ale derives its name from a vessel in the brewhouse called a hopback. As the ‘wort’ is being transferred from the brewhouse to fermentation it passes through the hopback vessel. Packed full of fresh whole flower hops, the wort slowly circulates through this vessel extracting the essence of the aromatic hops. This vessel adds more time and more hop character that creates a fresh, spicy taste and rich caramel note that defines this signature ale.
TASTING NOTES
Deep amber in color under a huge creamy head.
The aroma very apparent, bold and spicy with a slight floral character. Balanced with caramel malt, this well-rounded amber ale has an up-front floral spice that builds with a flush of sweetness.
FOOD COMPLIMENTS
Big, robust flavors like red meats and strong cheeses. The assertive flavors of our HopBack will hold up against strong cheeses like Stilton and Smoked Cheddar.


OK, so there are today’s 3 hop contestants. I’m sure you know enough about the football contestants already. And just like one can’t rely on everything one reads (Navy is predicted to win by 7 points today) – (by some!)), we’ll have to wait until the hop contest is over to see who today’s winner is. Stay tuned!
P.S. Be prepared to expect a slight delay in result reporting. Post game celebrations may interfere with timely posting :)

Everything is new again

This is a cop out post because almost every beer we drink is 'new', and I just can't keep up. 

Ohhhhhh, the problems we have.... :)  

So here's a picture, but not a description. I can say that it's REALLY GOOD. And it's different than the standards we've been enjoying lately. Because it's German and not Czech. A lovely wheat beer. Yum. Matt's quote was, 'this is the beer I've been looking for (lately).' 

Alcohol is 6.9%.