Agriculture and Old School Rap; Perfect Together

Day #631  Keikoppenbier / Brouwerij De Plukker, Poperinge, Belgium
Previously from this brewery: Keikoppen

Back home after a  road trip to New Jersey to watch football yesterday.  Not a perfect day by any stretch of the imagination, but it did include a PSU win, which is always welcome.

I mentioned yesterday that part of the Beercycling tour took us through the region of Belgium famous for growing hops, and right in the middle of this was Brouwerij De Plukker, notable for being the first organic brewery as well as for growing their own hops on the farms next door.  We had a chance to meet the owners, Joris and Kris, who were nice enough to take time out of their day to give a Masters class in hop farming and brewing, share some of their beers, and let us wander around and take pictures.  In case you didn't know (and I didn't):
1. Hops grow on vines that are staked and supported by wires, and the vines grow at least 20 feet high or so
2. There are male and female versions of the plant
3. Having male versions of the plant in your hop field can get you in hot water, as only unpollinated plants have lupulin, the oil that helps preserve and flavor beer (or something like that)
4. Hops enjoy the same soil qualities as potatoes; hence, you often see them in places like Belgium and the Pacific Northwest
5. Hop cones smell DELICIOUS
6. De Plukker uses no pesticides on their farm, instead relying on natural methods to control pests

Grow up delicious!

Enough about agriculture, you're here for the beer.  We sampled a glass of Keikoppenbier, a blonde ale with a huge head and a dark gold hue.  There are light aromas of citrus and pine, and the taste pleasantly reminded me of an American Pale Ale in hoppiness and flavor.  It was dry and earthy, with a touch of bitterness on the finish.  Very enjoyable beer, and I greatly enjoyed meeting the brewers/farmers and hearing their story.

so pretty.....

Per the owner, the name of this beer is derived from a nickname of someone who lives in Poperinge, and describes someone who is stubborn and hard headed.

Thing to Think About Today:
All that learning about hops today means more hops are still needed.  If I need more hops, then I'm taking you back in time to 1993 to let Naughty By Nature drop some Hip Hop Hooray on us all.  Hooray for hops!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA2_-eQ26tY

"cause I'm naughty by nature, not 'cause I hate ya"

Religion In a Glass

Beer #621 Westvleteren Blond / Sint-Sixtusabdij van Westvleteren, Westvleteren, Belgium
Previously from this brewery: Blond and Westvleteren 8

And so we come to one of the reasons I thought going on the Beercycling trip would be a lot of fun - getting to Westvleteren to sample some of the rarest - and widely regarded as best - beers in the world: the abbey beers of Sint-Sixtus.

Time to wandelroute!

Marci has done a far better job than I could on explaining Trappist beers, so I'll just link to her comments and move along.  Visitors aren't actually allowed in the Abbey where the beers are made, but we were able to make a stop and pay our respects in a grotto on the grounds with a religious shrine.  As it was said while we were there (and I'm paraphrasing), "a holy spot before we have a holy beer."

Very cool, peaceful spot to contemplate things

Despite not being able to hang out with the monks, the cafe next door had all three varieties of the beer brewed on tap, as well as whatever they want to sell you.  Seriously, some days they have beer for sale, some days gift packs, some days cheese, some days they sell out and go all Belgian Soup Nazi and it's NO BEER FOR YOU. Although I doubt they yell when they say this.  To get a full case, you need to call a special number and pray someone answers; they don't, apparently.  If by some small miracle you get them to answer they tell you what day you can come pick up your case, and then do everything short of take a DNA sample to make sure you don't try to buy another case and resell it.  Our group hit the jackpot, as they had an abundance of six pack gift boxes, which came with two glasses.  SCORE!

Did we buy some Westy?  Why, yes.  Yes, we did.

I'm fascinated by these monks.  They only make as much as they need to pay the bills and support the religious order.  If they have a special need, as they did when they needed a new roof in 2012, they release a small bit of beer in America and other places, and watch as beer geeks line up for days to pay exorbitant prices for the rare chance to sample this beer.

Ah, this beer... we ordered and shared all three drafts during our lunch at the cafe.  The Blond pours a hazy gold color, and you get prominent notes of grain, biscuit, and grass, and there's definitely more bitterness than a typical blond.  There's some light citrus in there as well, and drinks very smooth. There's not much malt sweetness, but enough to balance out some of the flavors.  Just a wonderful beer.  While the Westy bruins take all of the credit, this blond holds up to any beer out there.

Thing to Think About Today:
The monks at Sint Sixtus as about as close as I come to believing in religion.  So, let's celebrate with The Shins and a live version of the lovely Saint Simon.   Good night, my friends.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjLJcCvMpow

"Nothing really holds a candle to / The solemn warmth you feel inside of you"

Day 610: Westvleteren Blond

Being an admitted beer geek, one of the highlights of the Beercycling trip was the opportunity to get my grubby little hands on some beer from Westvleteren--the only one of the eight Trappist brewers that doesn't ship to the United States.

In case you were wodering, the Trappist order originated in the Cistercian monastery of La Trappe, France. Various Cistercian congregations existed for many years, and by 1664 the Abbot of La Trappe felt that the Cistercians were becoming too liberal. He introduced strict new rules in the abbey and the Strict Observance was born. Since this time, many of the rules have been relaxed. However, a fundamental tenet, that monasteries should be self-supporting, is still maintained by these groups.

Monastery brewhouses, from different religious orders, have existed across Europe since the Middle Ages. From the very beginning, beer was brewed in French Cistercian monasteries following the Strict Observance. The Trappists, like many other religious people, originally brewed beer to feed the community, in a perspective of self-sufficiency. Nowadays, Trappist breweries also brew beer to fund their works and for good causes. Many of the Trappist monasteries and breweries were destroyed during the French Revolution and the World Wars. Among the monastic breweries, the Trappists were certainly the most active brewers. In the last 300 years, there were at least nine Trappist breweries in France, six in Belgium, two in the Netherlands, one in Germany, one in Austria, one in Bosnia and possibly other countries. Today, eight Trappist breweries are active; six in Belgium, one in the Netherlands, and one in Austria. 

Trappist beers must meet strict production criteria:

• The beer must be brewed within the walls of a Trappist monastery, either by the monks themselves or under their supervision;
• The brewery must be of secondary importance within the monastery and it should witness to the business practices proper to a monastic way of life;
• The brewery is not intended to be a profit-making venture. The income covers the living expenses of the monks and the maintenance of the buildings and grounds. Whatever remains is donated to charity for social work and to help persons in need;
• Trappist breweries are constantly monitored to assure the irreproachable quality of their beers.

Westvleteren is brewed by the monks at Sint Sixtus Abbey. For awhile, the monks outsourced their recipe to Saint Bernardus and some people say that the Saint Bernardus 12 and the Westvleteren 12 are pretty much the same beer. I'm going to reserve judgement until I can do a side by side comparison.

Our trip first took us to a lovely grotto adjacent to the abbey. It seemed appropriate to visit a holy place before enjoying a holy beer.

We then rode over to the front of the abbey but I didn't get any photos. After that it was another two minutes around the corner to In de Vrede, a cafe and visitor centre, the only place to purchase Westvleteren beer other than the abbey. The gift shop is not guaranteed to have anything from the abbey for sale, but the day we visit we hit the jackpot. They were selling six packs of Westvleteren 12 that came with two tasting glasses. I am very happy to report that all six bottles and both glasses made it home safely. No small feat considering that they were tucked in our bikes' saddlebags for the next several days and had to survive being checked in our luggage!

Once our group raided the gift shop, we sat down to a well-earned lunch and shared quite a few bottles of the blond, 8 and 12.

If you're wondering, from left to right: 8, blond and 12.

The blond poured a hazy, deep gold color with a bright white head. It has a zesty, bready aroma with hints of white grapes. I also wrote in my notes, "What is that? Apple?" Do what you want with that comment. The flavor was also a little bready, grassy. I noted very light fruit and some honey as well. There's a perfect balance to this beer. There's a reason why the beers of Westvleteren are often ranked among the best in the world. They are damn tasty.

Beer stats:
Style: Blond
ABV: 5.%
IBUs: Uknown
Rating: Excellent

Previously reviewed from Sint Sixtus Abbey
First out the limo!

August and Everything After

Day #609 Augustijn Blonde / Brouwerij Van Steenberge, Ertvelde, Belgium
Previously from this brewery: Their own St. Stefanus Grand Cru, and house beers they produce for bars: de Garre, Klokke Roeland, and Monk's Flemish Sour

After spending our first night in Ghent (great town, by the way), the next morning the Beercycling crew was headed north to Brouwerij Van Steenberge.  In a trip filled with behind the scenes access to brewers and brewery owners, this one may have taken the cake.  The father-in-law of the current owner gave us the least safe, most in-the-machinery tour of the trip, and we drank beer with the owner, all of which made for a truly unique experience.  More about that soon enough....

Up close and real personal, taken from inside the bottling line

In the tasting room, our first pour was the Augustijn Blonde, which had a bright blonde hue and puffy, lingering white head.  There are aromas of Belgian yeast, and the taste gives you a nice malt sweetness, with notes of grain and apple, and a good mild hop balance.  Easy drinking, flavorful, and refreshing.  Everything you want in a beer.  There is a long tradition of Augustinian friars brewing beer in the area of Ghent, stretching back to the 13th century.  In 1978, the brewery acquired a popular recipe from the friars; hence the Augustijn name.

Blondes... always good

Due to some legal mumbo jumbo, this beer is being released in America under a different name; be on the lookout for bottles of St. Stefanus hitting shelves in stores near you.

Thing to Think About Today:
Yes, I dropped a Counting Crows reference in this post title.  You don't get that here, I regret to inform you.  As August(ijn) turns to September, sweater weather is soon to follow.  The other song currently rolling around in my head: Sweater Weather by The Neighbourhood. Hey, it's a close of a connection as I can make, and I fully admit it's not a great one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCdwKhTtNNw

"One love, two mouths / One love, one house
No shirt, no blouse / Just us, you find out"

Blonde on Blonde

Day #601 Vedett Extra Blond / Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat, Breendonk, Belgium
Previously from this brewery: Their flagship beer Duvel, and more Duvel

Today seems like a great day for a baseball game, so instead of an avalanche of words you get the quick and dirty.  Well, not too dirty.  This is a family friendly beer blog, after all.

Today's beer is a bottle of Vedett, a blonde ale from Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat that I had with dinner after the first day's ride (admittedly, a short 8 mile journey).  It pours a clear, bright shade of gold, with a huge foam head - although that can probably be attributed to the stupid manner in which I poured the beer. When you take a sip, you get a refreshing, easy drinking lighter beer, with tons of grain noticeable, and just a touch of hops flavor.  This beer was first brewed in 1945, and it checks in with an easy 5% ABV.  I freely admit no one is flying to Belgium just to drink this beer, but I did enjoy drinking a local favorite.

Highlight of this beer might be the fact that if you send in a photo of yourself, they just might put you on the label!  I got a bottle with a guy sitting on the hood of an antique car.  Others had different labels, but all with home photos.  Cool concept!

Vedett Blond.  Check it.

If you find yourself in Kortrijk, Belgium (and who knows, you just might) you need to make sure to stop at Gainsbar.  After the dinner on the town square where I had this Vedett, the Beercycling group wandered to this bar, which was advertised as the best beer bar in town.  We walked to the front door as the owner was cleaning off tables outside, and found that they were closing for the night.  A tiny bit of sweet talking later and a small bit of "but we came all the way from America to drink here :)" and Eliza let us in for one round.  And then another, because she forgot to mention a sour beer that was on draft.  And then a thrash metal cover of Luka came on (the place definitely had a punk rock vibe) the stereo.  And then another round.  And then I got the sense Belgium was a fun place to be.

Thing to Think About Today:
Could I find the heavy metal cover of Luka?  No, dammit.  So instead you get something youtube described as the punk version of Luka, which doesn't seem really all that punk.  Anyway, it's Friday, so celebrate! And if anyone finds the thrash metal version that Eliza had on the stereo at Gainsbar... email me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGE3YVfgxQY

King Me!

Day #589 Tripel 8 / Brouwerij Fort Lapin, Bruges, Belgium
Previously from this brewery: n/a... this beer is the first out the limo!

As some of you may have read yesterday, this blog has just returned from a 13 day trip to Belgium, which included an awesome ten day bike tour through the Flanders region of the country.  For those of you who like cycling, travel, and drinking amazing beers, I cannot recommend the good people at beercycling.com enough!  Evan and Henk, our guides, did a fantastic job of putting together itineraries for each day, getting us behind the scenes access at world class breweries, feeding us, and making sure we had a great time.

I don't intend to review every beer I drank in Belgium (sometimes, taking notes is way less fun than just enjoying a beer), I don't intend to review every beer in the order they were drank (not that I even remember what order they came in), and I won't recap every minute of every day spent across the pond (do you really care what I had for lunch in Ghent?).  I will, however, highlight a few key points, mention some of the cool things I saw, and OF COURSE review many of the incredible beers I drank.  Don't expect the reviews to be overly lengthy; like I said, I had more fun drinking them than I did writing about them.

First up was a visit we paid to Brouwerij Fort Lapin, a newcomer on the Belgian brewing scene.  Housed in an old chocolate factory, this brewery was started by Kristof Vandenbussche - a former HVAC specialist who loved brewing beer.  Named for the local fort (and Lapin means 'rabbit' in French, in case you were wondering about the logo), this brewery only produces two beers, and doesn't ship outside of their local area.  Why?  Because Kristof only wants to brew enough beer to pay the bills and be happy.  He's not trying to be beer giant InBev.  Smart thinking, and I'm sure one that affords him much happiness.

I sampled both of the beers there, and today's review is for the Tripel 8, which poured a hazy gold color with a nice, white, fluffy head.  The taste was dry, with promintent notes of grain, and a balance of malt and mild bitterness.  A typical but tasty Belgian blonde beer - and refreshing after our ride from Ghent over to Brugge. One interesting thing I noticed; Americans are quick to categorize their beers and create new "unique" styles. In Belgium, unless you're talking lambics or gueuze, you pretty much get blonde and bruin as your styles.   They keep it simple, and I like that.

Nice glass....

How's this for good timing?  As I write this review, it's Belgian National Day!  Basically, that's like their 4th of July, as it commemorates the day Leopold I swore his allegiance, becoming the first "King of the Belgians".  Special meaning this year, as King Albert II is abdicating the throne, and his son, Crown Prince Phillipe, is taking over.

Thing to Think About Today:
In honor of King Phillipe's ascendance to the throne, I present America's version of The King, Elvis Presley, in tribute.  Long live the new King, the seventh Belgium has ever known.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDID_E0FDUU

Day 588: Beercycling to De Plukker

From July 5 to July 17, Mr. Blog Named Brew and I were off on an adventure of a lifetime--nearly two weeks spent exploring Belgium and Luxembourg. Ten of those days were spent with a group from Beercycling. What's Beercycling? Only the greatest way ever to experience Belgium! Evan and Henk are fantastic guides and I can't begin to express how much I appreciated Henk hanging with me at the back of the pack while we were tackling hills. Hills are not part of my regular rides and they gave me plenty of grief in Belgium. Lucky for me, Henk has the patience of a saint.

Evan, Mr. Blog Named Brew, me and Henk celebrating
the finish (victory?) at Cantillon.

The Beer Cycling Gang!

I honestly can't recommend this trip enough. If you like cycling even a little bit and if you like amazing Belgian beer, you need to start saving your pennies and make this trip happen. We enjoyed it so much, we're already talking about doing it again in a couple of years. Here's some highlights from the trip. I hope to recap in a bit more detail during the next several days. I'm still having a hard time believing I actually did this!

Location of our first beer of the trip

What was it like? We saw towns and cities of all sizes...from sleepy Zwalm to bustling Bruges to historic Ghent. Most of the brewery tours were incredibly personal as in a sixth generation family brewer came to hang out with our group and open a magnum of Gulden Draak that's been aging since 2009. Yeah, that happened.

Seriously. The entire country looks like a damn postcard.

Those experiences were contrasted nicely with a couple of "standard" tours like the one at De Halve Maan.

More history, less brewery in action. Loved the Bruges Zot!

It was peaceful. It was hot--evidently I can't flee far enough to get away from the heat. It even finds me halfway around the world! I learned so much about beer and about Belgium. I also learned that I am a hell of a lot stronger than I give myself credit for. The nine miles of hills on Tuesday morning proved that. Pedaling 220+ miles in broiling temperatures also provided some evidence.

Typical lunch setting. Park the bikes, set up a picnic,
pinch myself to prove it's really real.

It wasn't all biking, beer and goofing off. This is the Last Post
ceremony--conducted every day to honor the war dead. Poignant.

After the tour ended, we were off to Luxemburg City for about 30 hours. I think I'm going to let the photos do the talking. 

Memorial celebrating Luxembourg's freedom

Luxemburg City. A city divided by a massive ravine. 

As we do here in the States, Luxemburg City had an art installation
involving tons of these fun little elephant statues. This one
reminded me of Belgium with the giant wind turbines!

I wasn't kidding about that ravine!

Sadly I won't be drinking these hops next year.
I don't think De Plukker will be distributing to the U.S. for awhile.

One of the highlights of this trip--and there were many--was the chance to meet the owner/brewer of such a variety of breweries. Take for example, De Plukker. We met Joris Cambie one of the two owners of what's best described as a nanobrewery. He comes from a long line of hop farmers and a couple of years ago with a good friend decided to start brewing with his own hops. The result? De Plukker blond. An amazingly refreshing blond ale that hit the spot during one of the hottest days on the tour. Coolest part about this stop on the tour? Sitting drinking a beer brewed with hops that were grown right outside the brewery's door.

The Keikoppen bier (blond) poured a hazy deep straw color with a huge craggy white head. It had a great--and very refreshing--citrus aroma. The flavor is well balanced with the hops having just a bit of an edge. Lots of good beer flavor, a hint of pepper, good amount of citrus. Very smooth. Maybe it was the heat or exhaustion influencing my notes, but I thought this was an excellent beer.

Beer stats
Style: Blond
ABV: 6.1%
IBUs: 32
Rating: Excellent

Previously reviewed from De Plukker
This is the first!

Blondes, Beers, and Blonde Beers

Day #525  Blonde Ale / Thomas Hooker Brewing Company, Bloomfield, CT
Previously from this brewery:  A Blonde and a Munich Style Golden Lager

Rather "blah" day today, for some reason.  I think I was expecting the weather to be glorious this weekend, and it's not, and now I'm dissatisfied.  I rarely check the weather, so did people at work talk about sunshine coming to town?  Did I just assume the weather would be amazing because it was a Saturday, and Saturdays are made for nice weather?  I went into today with dreams of sunshine and bike rides and walks with the dogs and beers on the deck... and I ended up taking a two hour nap this afternoon because I couldn't think of anything better.  Don't get me wrong, I love a good nap on the weekend.  I was just hoping for sunshine (and naps).

Tonight's beer is the Blonde Ale from Thomas Hooker Brewing.  Out of the bottle, this brew is a pale straw color with no head.  The aroma is a mild bit of grain and wheat, and the taste has some lemon, but mostly grain and cracker, with some mild bitterness and nutty flavor.  In the spirit of full disclosure, this isn't the greatest beer in the world, but a decent choice when you're looking for something light with a good flavor.  This blonde is definitely light, with an ABV of just 4.6%.

Don't let the lack of rain right now fool you!

Thing to Think About Today:
If I'm enjoying a blonde ale, I hereby think we need to close out with an homage to blondes.  I present the always hilarious, always awkward, always good Flight of the Conchords and Leggy Blonde.  Goodbye to all the blondes (and sure, the non-blondes too) out there.  Enjoy your night!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCub8r1T5Rs

"Blondey, blondey, blondey, blondey....."

Day 514: Prism Brewing Company

Have you heard of the website Dogshaming? Go check it out--obviously after you read this blog--and I promise you'll be entertained. While this isn't the funniest posting you'll find, it does remind me that I need to name a future dog Waffles. 

Oh, Waffles! Poop goes in the backyard.

Today's beer is the Shady Blonde from Prism Brewing Company. After starting off my Sunday afternoon by sharing a sampler with Mr. Blog Named Brew, I had the desire to continue some Sunday-Funday day drinking with a grown-up size Shady Blonde.

It's a blonde ale (duh) brewed with blood oranges. I'm a sucker for blood oranges. (pun intended) As you can see from the photo, it poured a hazy yellow color. It was borderline electric yellow outside in the sunshine! It did have a loose white head but that dissipated rather quickly. It has a great and dominant orange aroma that doesn't waver in the flavor. There's a nice tartness in the flavor as well that balances out the strong orange notes. The malts and hops were evenly balanced and it made for a very refreshing beer for the summer months. 

Beer stats

Style: Blonde ale

ABV: 4.5%

IBUs: 32 

Rating: Great

Previously reviewed from Prism Brewing

Hers and his reviews of Bitto Honey IPA

Beer 329: Harlem Beer Company and a Call to Action

Whatever you want to call her...hurricane, superstorm, cyclone...Sandy wreaked havoc on the east coast. I know many people, whether through real life or Internet connections, who were deeply impacted by this storm. Friends have been without power for days. One of their parents lost everything. As I sit here at age 37, looking at the life I've created for myself, I can't begin to imagine what it's like to have it all washed away after a much fuller lifetime.

I thank god we were spared this time around. Last October we weren't so lucky. But after a week of living without power, tossing out everything in our refrigerator and several thousand dollars in home repairs, we're back to normal. In fact, the house is looking better than ever. But our neighborhood wasn't destroyed. Our schools were fine. I didn't find myself in a shelter or dealing with FEMA.

This time around I find myself feeling guilty and lost. What can I do? I'm just far enough away to make the logistics of volunteering in person too challenging. It's time to put my money where my mouth is and make a contribution to the relief efforts. And I'm asking you to do the same.

Click one of the links below to support either the Red Cross or the ASPCA. Better yet, click both of them like I did!






Another option is a donation of blood. Countless blood drives were cancelled during and after this storm and blood is a much needed resource all the time -- not just during natural disasters. Check out the Red Cross's site for a blood drive near you.

Just in case the links above don't work, click here for the Red Cross and here for the ASPCA.

In keeping with my New York theme, I'm reviewing the Sugar Hill golden ale from the Harlem Beer Company.



It poured a golden apricot color with a thin white head and has a bready fruit aroma with undertones of honey. The flavor has some metallic hop bite, biscuit and fruity hop. It's an easy drinking beer. Not one I would go out of my way to find but enjoyable. Cheers!

The Jungle, The Jungle, The Brothers, The Brothers

Beer #328 Citra Blonde Summer Brew / Widmer Brothers Brewing, Portland, OR

Raise your hand if you're knocking on the door of being 90% done with your 365 craft beers from 365 craft breweries in 365 days adventure?

<looks around.... doesn't see anyone else with their hand raised>

Feeling good about the progress so far, but there are 37 more beers to go.  A lifetime in beer blogging years, really.  Speaking of lifetimes, it feels like this week took a lifetime to complete.  Surprising, considering that I only worked three and a half days this week.  I know you're in the same boat, I know you're tired, I know you're cranky, I know you're ready for the weekend.

Therefore, enough with the fluff - it's business time.  Tonight's beer is the Citra Blonde Summer Brew from Widmer Brothers, located in Portland.  Speaking of Portland, currently two friends of ours are wrapping up an extended vacation in Portland, and their pictures, tweets, and texts make me wish I was getting on a plane to head back to one of the greatest beer cities in the world tomorrow.  Anyway, this was a brewery we did not visit in Portland during the beer vacation back in June, mostly due to the fact it's distributed to the East Coast, and therefore wasn't a huge priority.  Still... would have been nice to visit them in person.

This beer has a clear, pale gold color with a slight white head.  The aroma is of lemon and hops, and when you take a sip, you get plenty of citrus and fruit, with subtle malt notes, and a dry bitter finish.  This is a light bodied beer, but still packs a ton of flavor.  Great beer, and I'm daydreaming about next summer as I write this one.

Sup, bro?

Widmer started back in 1979, when Kurt and Rob Widmer started home brewing.  A brewery followed in 1984, and the rest is history.  Yes, tonight's beer is a summer seasonal, but again let me say: good beer knows no season.

Thing to Think About Today:
In the spirit of the Widmer Brothers, I'm letting the Avett Brothers wrap up with Shame.  No shame in tonight's beer, no shame in my game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I83llca5mf0

"Shame. Boatloads of shame....."

Gone Fishing

Beer #323 Fish Tale Organic Blonde Ale / Fish Brewing Company, Olympia, WA

Well, things didn't quite go according to plan on Saturday, now did they?  Despite some awesome tailgating work put in, our efforts didn't translate to a win.  However, a day spent with great friends is one to cherish, so I'll choose to ignore the turd in the punch bowl that was the actual game.

To celebrate beer #323, allow me to reminisce for a bit.  You see, my first car was a gently used 1988 Mazda 323, which was a lovingly handed down to me by my Mom when she got a new car.  It had everything a sixteen year old kid needed - enough room to haul around some friends and a tape deck.  It was dependable (until the period of time when I had to jump start it every day to get it going) and fun to drive, and more importantly it gave me independence to go places and do things without having to rely on anyone else.  In essence, the road to adulthood started with the 323.  I have very fond memories of my old car, which got me around until junior year of college at which time Mom handed down a gently used red 1992 Mazda Protege.

I doubt I have any photos of it from back in the day, so here's a picture of a similar 323 I found courtesy of Google image search.  I seem to recall mine being a darker silver, but I really didn't feel like searching all day for the exact version.  Use your imagination.  It appears this car is for sale in Wichita, Kansas if you're in the market for a 24 year old import sedan.  Maybe I need a second car these days.....

Luxury (at least to a 16 year old) Automobile

Okay, enough time spent day dreaming, let's get down to business.  Today's beer is the Fish Tales Organic Blonde Ale from the Fish Brewing Company.  This beer has a hazy gold hue, and you're greeted with a floral aroma.  The taste is light (this beer is 4% ABV), with a tiny bit of sweetness, and hints of grain and apricot.  Nice beer for a warm summer day, say for example when you're washing your Mazda 323.  This beer is another example that people can order rather than a watered down macrobrew when they don't want something incredibly complex or boozy.

Fish food.

Fish has been brewing since 1993, and they produce multiple brands under their roof: the Fish Tale line, the Reel Ale line, Leavenworth Biers, and Spire Mountain Ciders.

Thing to Think About Today:
If we're thinking about Fish beers, let's go ahead and think about Phish, the jam band that formed all the way back in 1983, found national prominence in the 1990's, and has been touring seemingly ever since.  I never got too far into their work, as something about fourteen minute songs tends to make me stop paying attention.  That, and I didn't smoke six pounds of weed a day like most of the Phish fans I knew.  However, on a Sunday when we're starting to batten down the hatches in preparation for Hurricane Sandy, a little soothing jam might be just what the doctor ordered to relax.  Well, that and a beer.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfdcHOtAxhY

"For when my hand was holding hers / She whispered words and I awoke....."

Beer 321: Finch's Beer Co. Golden Wing

I'm posting from the car so this is going to be short and sweet.

Finch's Beer Company is based in Chicago, Illinois. I had the fortune to find a can of their Golden Wing blonde ale (5% ABV).


It poured a hazy golden color with a white head. It smells a bit of banana. The flavor is very hoppy -- very much more than I expected for a blonde ale. There's also some bready yeast flavor and spice. The hops are a bit too dominant for me and it has a surprising bitter finish. I'll rate it average...I'm sure someone out there would enjoy a very hoppy golden ale; just not me.

Cheers.

Bikes and Blondes (But Not at the Same Time)

Beer #251 Valeir Blond / Browerij Contreras, Gavere, Belgium

We're slowly becoming bike people.  I'm not entirely thrilled with this idea, because from years of running on the Schuykill River trail, the bike people were always complete douchebags.  Hopefully we're becoming better bike people than the average bike people, anyway.  Today, we bought and installed a bike rack (and trailer hitch) to make transporting our bikes a bit easier.  I now own bike shorts with the padded seat, which I'm occasionally embarrassed by.  Don't judge us - we need exercise.  Drinking beer every day is, as you can imagine, not the healthiest lifestyle to lead.

This being said, today's beer is the Valeir Blond from Browerij Contreras.  It pours an effervescent apricot color, with a lingering thin white head.  Your nose picks up earthy, funky aromas of yeast.  The taste is crisp and dry, with apple, biscuit, and a mild bitterness on the finish.  Nice beer if you're a fan of Belgians, and quite frankly, you should be a fan of Belgians.

Fun little bottle.

This brewery has been in operation since 1818 (as Brouwerij Latte), and the Contreras family took and renamed it in 1898.  The name Valeir comes from a legendary warrior who fought in an epic battle back in 1453.  So, now you know.

Thing To Think About Today:
This came on the iPod on the drive home, and  it's about as good of a song for a beautiful, sun drenched Friday afternoon as there has ever been.  Yes, it's Rusted Root and the always fun Martyr.  No, it's not an official video, but all of the live versions of this song on Youtube seem to suck, so hey - close your eyes and imagine it's 1994 all over again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIkIPWybuWg

Beer 165: A Hooker, a Blonde and a Style Icon

I recently read a quote by Florence Welch (Florence and the Machine) in which she said, "My face isn't right for them" in reference to casual, street clothes. For those who don't know, Florence is renowned for her avant garde clothes choices. No pattern is too wild. No cut too bizarre. I adore her.

I've secretly felt the same way about regular clothes. Not for me. I'd much prefer to be dressed to the nines. Only when I'm waxing poetic in my closet about my sartorial choices, no one is around to validate me. Thanks, Florence. You totally helped me feel my own normal.

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So we covered my style icon...now on to the Hooker and blonde. (Watch what I'm about to do!)

Hooker Blonde Ale poured a deep straw color with little to no head. It isn't clear at all and kind of looks unfiltered. The smell was grains and citrus with floral notes. The taste was sweet with a hopped finish. It's a very drinkable 5.1% ABV. I'm just not sure if I want to drink it.



I'm also slightly confused because the bottle calls it a blonde ale but their website refers to it as a cream ale. Whatevs. Another one knocked off the list!