The Sounds of Summer

Day #564 La Choulette Ambrée / Brasserie La Choulette, Hordain, France
Previously from this brewery: Sans Culottes and more Sans Culottes

Important points for you to know:
1. I'm hungry for Mexican food
2. My iPod played Sabotage by the Beastie Boys not once but a respectable twice today
3. Point #2 is important as this is the greatest song ever made by the Beastie Boys
4. I will entertain arguments on point #3, but it better be a damn good argument
5. I'm officially tired of the 'chance of severe thunderstorms' weather pattern that we have every single day
6. If you put a laundry basket down in my house (clean or dirty), turn around, count to two, and then turn around again, it's guaranteed that there will be a dog snuggled up in the laundry basket
7. I spent four hours today in a windowless room - not good for the soul

With those important points now committed to your memory, we move to our beer review.  Tonight is a bottle of La Choulette Ambrée from Brasserie La Choulette in France.  This Biere de Garde pours with
an amber color and dissipating white head.  The main aromas are malt, bread, and apple, and when you drink it down you find a caramel sweetness, yeast, dark fruits, and a touch of lemon.  A solid beer, but this isn't your typical Biere de Garde.  In fact, it was more Belgian dark ale than anything.  If you're looking for something lighter with more peppery spice and possibly more easily accessible, may I recommend something like Garde Dog from Flying Dog Brewery.

Summer shines in

Thing to Think About Today:
Your thing to think about today is whether or not Blurred Lines is officially "the" song of the summer.  Every year, there's something that hits the airwaves in June or so and instantly gets played to death by people both young and old in a celebration of warm weather, pool parties, fun memories, and cold drinks.  This Robin Thicke song, featuring Pharrell and T.I., has all of the ingredients: Catchy beat, repeatable lyrics (Hey, hey hey!), there's a dance you can do to this song, it sounds 47% better if played with your car windows down and sound turned up, and you're 32% more embarrassed to admit you like it during the winter months. Check it for yourself and tell me if you agree.... hey, hey, HEY!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyDUC1LUXSU

"What rhymes with 'hug me'?"

p.s. there is a topless version of this same video on vimeo.  Why?  Because it's THE song of the summer, I believe. And because people like topless models.  But you'll have to find that one yourselves.

The Day the Vampires Took Over

Day #523 Twilight Summer Ale / Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR

Previously from this brewery: Marci's take on Sour Raz, and my take on Saison de Poivre 

I'm typing this in between throwing back a beer and shoveling forkfuls of a delicious dinner into my face (I'm home alone, so therefore no need for manners).  I sauteed some shrimp & garlic, and served over pasta, baby spinach, olives, and capers and topped with a splash of a California olive oil and a craaaaazy delicious 20 year old balsamic vinegar.  Life is good, friends.  And if you truly are my friend, you may want to consider following BlogNamedBrew on Instagram, and (new this week) BlogNamedBrew on Twitter.  Do it.  Don't make me sad.

On this beautiful almost-summer evening, I'm drinking a Twilight Summer Ale from Deschutes.  This is important for one main reason: this means Deschutes is finally shipping their delicious beers east of the Mississippi!  This beer has a bright copper color with a thin wispy white head.  There's a really nice aroma of lemon and pine, and the taste is full of lemony goodness.  There's a touch of malt sweetness to keep the hops in balance, although you get a touch of bitterness on the end.  It's light, but very flavorful, and at a manageable 5% ABV, this one definitely deserves a place of honor at family gatherings, BBQs, or tailgates this summer.

Much better than a movie about Vampires

While I didn't visit Deschutes in their Bend home, I did get to sample some beers at their Portland outpost.  Great place to spend an afternoon.

Thing to Think About Today:
Somebody follow me:  This beer is named Twilight.  A recent cultural phenomenon was tween reading turned hit movie Twilight.  This series featured uber pale actors who were vampires or werewolves or undead or something, and there were love triangles or teen angst or other things.  Why this was popular with people older than 14 I have no idea, but it was.  And whatever it was, it definitely had vampires.  Oh, vampires, you say?

Vampire Weekend is one of my all time favorite bands, and just this week they released their new album, Modern Vampires of the City.  To no one's great surprise, it's been on repeat since the moment it hit my iPod.... and it's fantastic.  A more introspective record than their first two offerings, this new offering will still serve as my soundtrack for the next few months.  Have I already graced you with the presence of two songs from Modern Vampires of the City?  Yes I did.  In fact, I did it twice!

So, your thing to think about for the remainder of the evening will be a third offering, Everlasting Arms, from a very cool performance they did in conjunction with a concert film Steve Buscemi (distant relative of one of the band members) directed.  Enjoy your summer evening!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ps6TjI7ws0

Beer 121: Bell’s Oberon

I think I hit mental rock bottom this afternoon.  I’ve been losing project details lately -- too much happening too fast -- and I had no idea what time an event I’m planning was scheduled for later this week.  Nothing I had in writing agreed on a time for this event and I’ve been inadvertently telling various people different times.  I actually had to call the host venue and ask what time they had in their schedule.  Like I said, mental rock bottom.  The good thing is that it seems to have jumpstarted my brain again so I have that going for me.  Has anyone else had something like this happen?  I’ll admit I feel a bit loony over it.

***

It seems to have been a nice -- albeit windy -- day today.  In honor of that, I’m opening a Bell’s Oberon Ale.  Described on the label as an American wheat ale with the color and scent of a summer afternoon.  (pause for beer sniffing)  Indeed it does -- a bit wheaty, a bit citrusy.  Is it the color of a summer afternoon?  Maybe a late afternoon summer.  It’s a deep golden hue, slightly cloudy with a moderate head that’s leaving lots of lacing in my glass.

The flavor is spicy hops but they aren’t overpowering.  There’s the taste of citrus and bread.  With a relatively low ABV (at least for me) of 5.8% ABV, this says summer afternoon drinking to me.

I wish the sun was still up.  This Oberon makes me want to kick up my feet and chill on the deck.  And on that note, I bid you cheers for the evening!