365 different beers from 365 different breweries in 365 days with random musings on beer, food, music, sports, dogs and anything else interesting along the way
I’m writing this with an endless loop of Funky Cold Medina playing in my head thanks to the description provided by The Boilermaker of a “funky saison”.
I know it doesn’t rhyme and the meter is off, but here I sit, typing away, wondering “why you so fly?”. It’s the funky cold medina.
***
Evidently Birthday-Celebrating-Marci forgets to take photos
I banked this beer on my birthday bar tour -- ok my birthday bender -- at The Boilermaker. St. Somewhere is brewed in Florida, which I never associate with craft beer. But 125 days into this adventure, we’ve encountered two breweries already. The Saison Athene poured a dark yellow and had a slightly floral aroma with a little spiciness. The taste was awesome -- balanced, lots of carbonation, kind of tart, a little earthy and citrusy. I also wrote “cherries? candy?” in my notes. Then I drank a lot that day/night and have no clue what that meant.
Overall I would drink the Saison Athene again if I encountered it. I’m also definitely going to check out some of the other offerings from St. Somewhere.
Cheers! I'm off to find all my Tone Loc tracks on the iPod.
Beer #124 Good Golden Harbor / Leelanau Brewing Company, Leland, Michigan
I have been surprised by something and I've learned something this week. I'll start with what I've learned - the Boilermaker Bar is now officially open. Technically, they've been open for about two or three weeks, but just had their grand opening last night. Really interesting domestic craft beer list, and a really relaxed yet sophisticated vibe inside. This bar is owned by the same people who run Farmers' Cabinet, another favorite beer bar of ours. Went to this new spot on Marci's birthday, and I'm sure we'll be there again soon. If you're in the 11th & Walnut area of Philly, definitely stop by and drink some beers.
I mentioned a surprise as well. I've been surprised by a brewery flying under the radar that has managed to blow me away with an amazing beer. Previously, Anchorage Brewing Company came from seemingly nowhere to produce one of the better beers I've had in ages, and now Leelanau Brewing has managed to completely astound me with their beer. This Biere de Garde is aged in oak and pours a pale golden color, and you pick up the scent of bread and fruit, but most notably you get a pleasant sour aroma. The taste is magnificent. A heady and funky mix of tart, sour, and citrus flavors with a touch of bitter hops. The oak doesn't overpower you, but instead lends a mellow earthy flavor around the edges. This beer is a mortal lock to finish the year in the Top 25, and I can't wait to get back to the Boilermaker to open up another bottle. If I'm not mistaken, the third Michigan beer/brewery to make my top list so far. Marci also sampled this beer from this brewery, so check that out (plus slutty prom dresses!) here.
Thing to Think About Today:
In the spirit of things that are new, such as Boilermaker and Leelanau, and because my post on Bell Biv DeVoe managed to get some mild attention on Facebook (three people commented - I was one of them), let's take some time and think about New Edition. Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky, Mike, Ralph, and Johnny too!
I could not have asked for a better birthday. Big ups to Gary for putting together a food and beer filled adventure. (Small deduction on execution for making me walk ten blocks in very high heels after running around in that same pair of shoes for five hours at a work event.) We hit Amada for a ten course chef’s tasting lunch and a pitcher of sangria. Then we were off to The Boilermaker (sorry no website that I could find) where we made friends with the bartender Matt -- great guy who knows his beer. The Boilermaker -- typically a light beer and a complimentary shot -- is a new (only open two weeks) craft beer bar. Forty drafts (twenty-eight downstairs and twelve upstairs) and I think there were around ten different boilermakers. I couldn’t resist - I had the California. Quite tasty! I have two new beers to review as a result of that trip. The Boilermaker is from the same group that brought us The Farmers Cabinet, which if you're reading this blog...you know I love!
A third beer was had but it was Jolly Pumpkin’s Fuego del Otono, which translates to Autumn Fire. Kudos to Gary for translating before seeing the bottle. It caught our eye with its description of being a biere de garde brewed with chestnuts. It was indeed nutty and spicy and quite delicious. I didn’t take notes on it because I knew it was out of the running for a review. I crossed Jolly Pumpkin off the list when I reviewed the Madrugada Obscura several weeks back.
***
Tonight is a summer beer kind of night -- Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy is the drink of choice. It pours a bright, hazy and appropriately lemony yellow with a small head. It smells strongly of lemons and tastes like lemonade and a light wheat beer had babies. It’s not going to challenge you but it will refresh you.
Leinenkugel’s website describes it as their take on a traditional German radler. A radler? Prepare for some knowledge. A radler is a traditional German beverage that pretty evenly blends beer and German-style lemonade. Check out the wikipedia page for more information than you’ll ever need on radlers and shandies.
And on that note I’m off to break into my growler of Alla Spina from Victory Brewing. So far year 37 is treating me quite well. Cheers!
