Homebrew: How-To!

So the brewing is coming along a lot better than the first couple of trial runs and I see high hopes for this towards the end of the year and with the colder weather, we can expect better results from the yeast being able to survive.  Our Lager and Dobbelbock should definitely show amazing results by then as well.

Currently we have a Honey Wheat and a Lager fermenting, but I'm worried about two things with these. The first being that we are experimenting with secondary fermentation conditioning.  By this I mean we are adding a flavoring agent (or fining agent) while it is going through it's second cycle of fermentation and I'll explain why this is necessary later on in this post.  but the point I'm trying to get at I guess is that we are coming closer to what I guess you could call a "Beta" version of our drink.  We're sorta at an indev or alpha stage right now...

Check out Lacey's Blog!!!!

Simpleton Tips

How To Homebrew Your Own Beer!

The first thing you need to figure out is what kind of equipment you'll need and you have to base that on two things: How much space you have and whether you decide to pick All-grain brewing or Extract Brewing.

All-grain means you are going the hard route and doing it the professional way and the old fashioned way.  But that doesn't mean it's any better than extract, just a little bit more refined.  Extract is done using malt extracts that are already mashed and sparged to the perfect consistency for instant usage.

As far as mashing and sparging, I'll explain that later.  Just sit tight and I'll break everything down.

The next step you need, is finding a recipe.  before you even come up with the insane idea of making your own recipe, try someone else's for a change.  The way I made my gumbo taste so good was perfecting my great-grandmother's recipe first!  There are plenty of places around the incredible edible internet but I've found that some of the recipes out there are not 100% reliable and even though you can't trust every site, I've found these guys over at TastyBrew.com  to be pretty safe!

The recipe I'm going to walk you through, however, is actually from a well respected magazine that I frequent called Brew Your Own.  Their website, too, is full of useful info along with recipes, clones, and etc. 

This is a recipe for what they are calling Weed Puller Cream Ale and I find that to be perfect for a brew virgin and not to mention the unbearable weather we've been having in the South....

Weed Puller Cream Ale

(5 Gallons/ 19L, All-grain)

OG = 1.050 (12.4°Plato)

FG = 1.009 (2.2 °Plato)

IBU = 18 / SRM = 3 / ABV = 5.4%

Ingredients

4.41 lb. (2kg) Pilsner Malt (2°L)

4.41 lb (2kg) American Pale Ale 2-Row Malt (2°L)

1.76 lb. (800g) flaked rice (0° L) 

3.36 AAU Liberty pellet hops (0.84 oz./ 24g at 4% alpha acids) (60mins)

1.68 AAU Liberty pellet hops (0.42 oz./ 12g at 4% alpha acids) (1min)

White Labs WLP001 (California Ale), Wyeast 1056 (America Ale) or Fermentis Safale US-05 yeast

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Weed Puller Cream Ale

(5 Gallons/ 19L, Extract)

OG = 1.050 (12.4°Plato)

FG = 1.009 (2.2 °Plato)

IBU = 18 / SRM = 3 / ABV = 5.4%

Ingredients

5.84 lb. (2.65 kg) Pilsner liquid malt extract (2°L)

1.14 lb. (520g) rice syrup (0°L)

3.36 AAU Liberty pellet hops (0.84 oz./ 24g at 4% alpha acids) (60mins)

1.68 AAU Liberty pellet hops (0.42 oz./ 12g at 4% alpha acids) (1min)

White Labs WLP001 (California Ale), Wyeast 1056 (America Ale) or Fermentis Safale US-05 yeast

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So what does all this mean? Plato? SRM?

Let's go through all of it.  

Malt.  By malt, I'm referring to malted barley or other grains that have been malted through the process of forced germination in order to wake up those deliciously fermentable sugars. Malts come in many shapes and sizes and are widely available online and possibly at a homebrew supply near you!

Hops. They are a leafy, green, and pinecone-like cousin of marijuana and the primary bittering agent for beer. although most people like to think that these are required for beers, there are several types of beers that do not include them but they are one of the four ingredients required by the German Purity Law of 1516 known as the Reinheitsgebot along with Water, Malts, and Yeast.

OG and FG. They stand for Original Gravity and Final Gravity and refers to the density of a liquid, or in this case, density determined by alcohol and sugars.  The initial gravity is the density before the yeast begins the alcohol conversion process, and the final is what the density should read after all fermentable sugars are converted into alcohol.

IBU.  This term stands for International Bitter Units and this is determined by the amount of hops that are used in the recipe and for how long each addition of hops is present.  As you can see from the recipe, it calls for two separate amounts of hops and the usage is for two different amounts of time.  The introduction of hops to the boil counts for about 90% of the IBUs and most of the flavor whereas the second addition, only being about a minute, is primarily for aroma and only accounts for a small amount of the IBUs.

SRM. Standard Reference Method.  This is the most complicated and the simplest term when it comes to brewing.  It is a system of reference for the color of the beer and is determined by the attenuation of light at 430 nanometers through one centimeter of beer contained in a 1x1cm cuvette and the measured reading is then multiplied by 12.7 to produce the SRM.  I DID NOT COPY THIS FROM WIKIPEDIA.  I love Chemistry...  But basically it's saying "How dark is your beer on a scale of 1 to 80."  Just for reference here, Bud Light is like a 6 or 8 whereas Guinness is about a 60.

Lovibond Units (°L). Lovibond is another color reference for beer and although some people (like myself) use it to describe the color of the beer itself, it is primarily used for the color of the grains.  This scale is more or less like a scale of 1 to 300.  The darkest being a newer type of malt called Carafa-III which is about 280°L.

ABV%.  Alcohol by volume.  If you honestly didn't know what this meant, please don't even both ever drinking again.

So now that the Chemistry and Algebra lesson is out of the way, let's talk about Culinary Arts.

In order to make beer, you go into simple steps:

Collecting Fermentable Sugars - Mashing then sparging grain or buying Extracts.

Boiling Sugars - Waking up those sugars.

Adding Hops - After the pot comes to a boil, hops are added then boiled for up to an hour

Chilling Wort - Very important so no microorganisms survive and yeast does not die

Primary Fermentation - Addition of yeast cells

Secondary Fermentation - Straining and clarification of beer

Priming (Optional) - Adding a corn syrup dilute to sanitize for bottling

Bottling (Optional) - Making portable and profitable

So with all-grain brewing, the first thing you would do is mill the grains.  If they are not milled (cracked and crushed through a milling device) then you will not be able to get all that sugary goodness out of them. 

Mashing is the process of steeping them in hot water (about 150°F) to release these sugars and about one liter of water is required for each pound of malt or grain.

After mashing is sparging, which my homosexual friend Zane refers to as a "nnnnnnasssty word."  Sparging is the process of running the remaining required amount of warm water (this time about 175°F) over the grains after they have been strained, in order to catch all the sugars left behind. In mass production (and small time too), this is done in a Lauter Tun.

With extracts, you simply open the can and boil that baby on in.

Now with both methods, you will bring your pot to a boil and you must make sure that you have a total of six gallons of initial water in order to produce five gallons of wort.  The wort chilling process like I stated before is vital.  Many homebrewers use systems and devices such as counter-flow heat exchange or cooling coils made of copper in order to reduce the temperature drastically.  You can be creative with this, but reducing the temperature down to about 75°F in less than 30minutes is essential.

After cooling, the addition of yeast is require to turn that boring liquid into our favorite chemical: Ethanol.

About two packets of Safale S-05 would be required for this or 9grams of yeast total.  Pitching the yeast is an important factor, where you dilute the yeast in water (preferably warm, about 95°F) and adding it to the chilled wort.

Storing it in an airtight container with a lid and airlock is also a must, along with keeping this fermentation device in a nice and cool environment (about 75°F).  Your best choice is to buy the Ale Pail and the Airlock from MidwestSupplies.com.  The instructions are simple and the success rate is about 95%.

After about a week of resting in the fermenter, strain the beer of any impurities into a temporary location, clean the pail, and strain back into the fresh pail with no or little sediment along with it.  

After another week of resting, the beer is ready to chill and drink.  You can bottle if you like by diluting 3/4 cup of corn syrup in 1/2 cup of boiling water and adding to the ready beer.  This process is called priming and is another necessary step in sanitation when it comes to bottling.

So my advice to you: make sure everything is clean, practice makes perfect, and have as much fun as possible.

Pictured from Left to Right:

Lawrence, wielding a pot cover and whisk

Me, wielding a pot cover and wooden spoon

Be sure to share this info with your friends and if anyone needs advice or a recipe or anything, please send me an email at ChuckMac2005@gmail.com!

Bon Boire!

Jewbelation Vertical

He'Brew's latest little gem to me is a little bit of a let down but then again it just really wasn't what I was looking for.  I was more or less expecting something more like Arrogant Bastard's Vertical but it was WAY too malty for me.  It honestly had a serious undertone of Rye Whiskey that had been sweetened beyond belief and then blended into a almost porter/ stout like consistency.  Some of you might find comfort in a brew like this, but I really could not handle the sweetness of it.

I would recommend it for anyone who likes American Wild Ales like Arrogant Bastard or Dead Guy but not so bitter.  Otherwise, I don't think it would be worth the $10 a bottle.

Bon Boire!

Wheat Beer Review

It's summer and a little intense for heavy beers but thanks to SCIENCE we have discovered a few wheat beers that are not too heavy to drinking in such miserable heat and humidity.  So I figured I could do a quick run down of some of the most available wheat beers out there that won't weigh you down as you go.

Baltika #8 Russia Wheat Beer

A pretty nice and full brew that was very heavy in wheat flavor.  Almost to the point to where is was scented with hints of Rye whiskey and flavored like a yeasty bread roll.  About as light as your average pilsner, it drinks with the body of a Belgian double or tripel.  Just a little trivia about Baltikia, it is the second largest brewery in Europe, second only to Heineken.

Cucapa Mexi Honey Wheat

From the mystical land known as Baja California, Cucapa is more or less known for their Dark and Pale Ales, but they have a pretty interesting honey wheat beer that is less focused on the typical coriander and citrus peel taste and really does focus around the honey.  Drinks smooth and light, perfect for a summer day.

The guys and I plan to start brewing our Honey Wheat on Wednesday.  Slow and cold fermented, we expect it to be light and drinkable but have a nice ABV.

Bon Boire!

Vacation: Part Three

Hello again everyone.  Still feeling under the weather and my Crohn's disease is still flaring up pretty bad.  The good news is that I intend to dish out a decent review this time and give you some special details.  I managed to accomplish this by typing piece by piece while slipping in and out of extraordinary pain and suffering.  I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did and be sure to let me know what you think of the daily Beer Fact in the upper right corner.

The beautiful island of Cozumel, Mexico!

Us posing with three parrots who don't give a shit.

A park in the middle of a shopping center.

Horse in a luchadore's mask.

Same park but from other side.

The infamous Senor Frogs, where a Scotsman hosted the biggest party ever.

The food was amazing.

But the Margarita Conga line was better.

The Scotsman became very irate with me for grabbing the bottle.

And trying to take it....

It was filled with majestic statues of wildlife and other random things.

Back on the boat!  I indulged in a little bit of the ancient art of Karaoke.

And had a beer.  Warsteiner Verum was one of the few "real" beers

that was on the ship that was not a stout.

The girls also sang some Karaoke.

I'll buy a beer for the first person to guess the song they're doing.

The aft of the boat at about 4am.

It's hard to tell, but the one star in the sky (minus the Sun hurr durr)

is actually not a star nor the moon but MARS.

Same as the last picture, I took the picture at about 4am.  I wanted to catch the sunrise

for once instead of sleeping in!

We definitely enjoyed everything and everyday of it and I highly suggest you check into a cruise whenever you get a chance.  Just for reference once again, we went on Norwegian Cruise Lines.  It was the 8 day Caribbean Cruise and our departure port was New Orleans but other ports are available.

It ran us about $500 per person plus expenses.  But it didn't help that I had several drinks while aboard....

Remy Martin XO?  Only $15 a pour?!  Me gusta....

I hope you've all enjoyed my little recap of vacation.  It was fun while it lasted.

Bon boire!

Am I Just Insane?

So to make up for the fact that i haven't update my blog in forever and a day, I might actually open a SECOND BLOG!!!

The reason?

Because on top of being married, working 45 hours a week, attending class 15 hours a week, owning and maintaining a house and everything else I'm doing in life; why shouldn't I busy myself even more?

Because I want to start brewing.

Like seriously full on make some beer for all to enjoy, and I want to blog about it.

But I do have a lot of promises I need to make up to all of you including my bourbon reviews and even some seriously good wine reviews coming up.

In the mean time, check out this label I made, I think it should sum up everything I expect in my future beer.

Bon Boire!

SPACE BEER

Found this on a NASA related blog on the National Geographic website.  Hope you enjoy!

It's probably no surprise that today's astronauts are discouraged from drinking on the job. Space tourists, however, may have different expectations.

Enter Australia's 4 Pines Brewing Company, which this Saturday will be conducting human experiments in Florida—taste testing space beer. (Related: "'Global Warming Beer' Taps Melted Arctic Ice.")

According to ABC Melbourne, the brewery has made its first batch of suds designed to be drunk on commercial space flights.

Astronaut Karl Henize enjoys a Pepsi on the space shuttle Challenger in 1985. Guess he wasn't a fan of New Coke, either.

—Picture courtesy NASA

What's the big deal, you may ask? Why can't I just get a Bud Light or a Heineken? You certainly could, 4 Pines might reply, but it wouldn't taste very good.

One of the enduring problems with eating or drinking in space is related to what's called space adaptation syndrome.

In orbit, the fluids in your body are no longer being pushed by gravity into your lower half. But your body is still trying to pump things around as if you were standing on Earth.

This leads to excess fluids in the upper body and head, which in turn causes nausea, vomiting, and swelling.

Yum.

Aside from the nausea, eating becomes less enjoyable, because the swelling also applies to your taste buds, and this dampens down flavor in a very noticeable way.

"Astronauts have been known for years to throw handfuls of salt and bottles on Tabasco sauce on their meals," 4 Pines brewer Jaron Mitchell told ABC Melbourne.

The new space beer is a "big, full-bodied" stout that brewers hope will taste great and be less filling, even in microgravity.

A drop of carbonated soft drink floats on the space shuttle Challenger in 1985.

—Picture courtesy NASA/Johnson Space Center

At the same time, brewers made the space beer less carbonated than Earth beer, to counteract so-called wet burps.

"On Earth when you burp, due to the gravity that's acting on your stomach, the gas and the liquid separate," Mitchell said.

"However, in space ... the gas and the liquid can both come up during a burp."

Yum x 2.

Of course, NASA was evaluating the challenges of bringing bubbly beverages to space long before the days of Virgin Galactic.

Space shuttle experiments conducted almost a decade ago brewed a small amount of beer in space and tested a device for dispensing carbonated drinks in zero-G.

Plus, in a twist on the concept, Japanese brewer Sapporo last year made a limited edition space beer with barley grown from seeds that spent five months in Russia's Zvezda Service Module on the International Space Station.

The company sold 250 six-packs for the equivalent of $110 each—but only in Japan.

Bon Boire!!

IN SPACE.........

New Discoveries for a New Year

I think some of this information might impress the shit out of all of you, but at the same time might also prove to be quite boring to others.  In the old-fashioned spirit of College and whatnot, I've actually decided to study up on my favorite subject: Getting Drunk.  

There are so many ways to do so, and so many products to e joy in the process, but I am here to shed light on some of the newer ways to do so with some of the newer things you can do it with, only complicating the scene further.  Lately in my research, I've come across a few interesting little tidbits about this and that including:

• Ancient Spirits
• New AVA and other country Appellations (Wine Growth)
• New Types of Brew

Seriously.  Are y'all as excited about this as I am?  

Ancient Spirits

To start off, I am going to talk about these extra aged spirits, the likes of which we haven't seen in American since the Prohibition time when it may have actually been worth paying this much for a drink!  Could you imagine sipping on 35 year old XO Cognac knowing that the used barrel would be heading towards the Canadian Club distillery, and being used now to make whisky for Al Capone?  (That sir, would make you a badass.)  Some of these Ancient Spirits really are more than just expensive and old proofs of your favorite drinks, they are history lessons as well.

Some of the more famous ones like Old Pappy Rip van Winkle Bourbon, and Mount Gay 1703 Reserve are widely available, although a little difficult to obtain.  They radiate this wonderful golden oak sensation throughout and really maintain the quality that brought them to be as widely known as they are today.

Others that may be a little harder to find would include Black Bull's 40 year Bourbon, which has tastes and similarities that could easily put to shame some of the finer Single Malt Scotches.  Also, multi-vintage Cognacs are aged in this manner for up to 27 years,  truly adorning their status as XO.  A few include Chateau de Montifaud and Charbay XO.

New American Wines

Since 1980 when Augusta, Missouri was declared the first recognized American Appellation, we have yearned for better areas to grow and new products to explore.  Just a little tip, Napa was not recognized until 1981. This year, a new Appellation, a subregion of Napa, is now recognized amongst the states.  Known as Calistoga, it was first founded in 2009 but vintages of the wine will not appear until 2011 with the actual AVA on it.  Currently only one vineyard is producing wines with this AVA, that being Chateau Montelena (the stoner minds behind Bottle Shock).  They currently have 4 or 5 wines available for sale from the appellation but they will not display the AVA's name until 2011.

Calistago can be seen just to the Northwest of Napa

No idea what they taste like, but if it's anything like Montelena's Cabernet, it will be incredible.

Also, two new grapes have been recognized but only one is used predominantly in wine.  It goes by the name of Traminette and is a hybrid of Gewurztraminer that produces smooth and sweet but slightly spiced wines.  Currently only found in the Niagra areas of New York state but it's assumed to make a big comeout soon.

New Brews!

Thought you were bored of drinking the same damn thing every day?  Well guess what, new beers and a new TYPE of beer are on their way!

The first thing that has me excited is Abita's Strawberry harvest Lager which is a seasonal fruit beer made with local strawberries that are to die for.  Sierra Nevada is also shoving their Hoptimum to the shelves this February, and you can also expect to see Dogfishhead release a brew that's been kinda hush hush lately.

As far as the new type, how does Black IPA sound?  Like an oxymoron right?  Well for purists' sake and just for people who can't take a joke, it is now being called Cascadian Dark Ale.

It's produced from extra dark chocolate and black patent malts.  They soak for about 10-12 minutes in 160°F water, producing a very deep black, but thinner brew that drinks, smells, tastes, and replicates and IPA.  But with the blackness of a stout.

Typically only found in the Northwest (the Cascadian mountain range), they are now becoming nationally recognized since the National Brewers Association picked up the Black Patent malt and the brew in general as new products.  So far I've only found three brewers which are Stone, Caraffe, and........ Abita.

No shit.  A brew I haven't heard of that is only found in America, and only three major brewers make it.  One happens to be five miles from my house.

Sweet.

Bon Boire!

Rogue Santa's Private Reserve Ale

I can't believe I'm actually doing an update today!

The other day I decided to finally try this after having it tease and taunt me for nearly a month.

Rogue Santa's Private Reserve

Although it really seemed like a real interesting brew, I was a little disappointed at first but then some of its underlying beauty started to bloom towards the end.

Nice and hoppy with a nice toasty malt, but what threw me off for a spin was this overbearing flavor of spruce, almost like a perfume really.  Honestly not a bad brew, but I think it's certainly a once a year beer.

Try it out some time especially it your house is lacking a tree and you absolutely need to huff some Xmas tree.

Corsendonk Christmas Ale

I know it's been a while but I'm delivering as promised!!!  This is just the first of a few Christmas Ales I'll be reviewing until Christmas Day, and yes you can expect me to do one of my favorite line of all time: Abita.

But the first was one pointed out to me by my good friend, Theresa. She told me about it and explained the flavor and whatnot, but completely sold me on the fact that it came with a free chalice laced with a gold rim.

That's right.  I love free shit.

So anyway, here's my overall analysis of a wonderful work of art from the heart of Belgium, this is Corsendonk Christmas Ale!  Visit the brewery by clicking here!

Pictures courtesy of my wife's camera I stole while she was at work.  Pictured is the 12oz bottle along with the free chalice enclosed in the 6-pack for $14.99.

The bottle really screams "CHRISTMAS!!!" at you.  Most others kinda put on a little show, maybe add snowflakes or some crap to their label.  but this one is colorful, snowy, has a star on it and everything.   Unlike Brooklyn Lager which just barely changes the color of the label, this is a complete overhaul of its original format.

As you can see, the dark abbey style ale is very similar in color to the bottle itself, barely allowing any light to pass through.  Most who revel over the thickness of a beer's head boast that you can float the bottle cap on the head, but with this brew, you could float a brick!  It's so interesting because it allows you mix this heavy top head with a smooth and light body that really drinks like a crisp lager.

The aroma is pretty typical of a Christmas Ale with nice little warm notes of coffee, pecan and hazelnuts; but a little hit of metal and chemical is present due to its rustic hops.

Once again, the body is creamy yet crisp, not overbearing like a stout yet not watery like a lager.  A very nice balance of flavor and ability to drink, not something you would normally expect out of a "spiced" ale.

Also, unlike most Christmas Ales, this isn't overly Christmas-y.  Just the label.  Although it still has those great notes of deep and heavy cinnamon and nutmeg along with a refreshing citrus zest; it's not too heavily present.  You can still taste the slightly bitter hops and deep roasted malts through all the holiday flair.

My dad told me once before, "Christmas beer is the shit they put back in the tank because it wasn't good enough to drink then."  You can clearly see what my opinion while I gently nurse the second bottle.

This was a nice introduction for me this year considering I usually skip on what I used to call novelty beers.  If others produce the same quality as this one.  I believe I will be tempted to try more than a few other Christmas Ales.

For a little bit of langiappe, here's the notes I took while drinking this beer.  If you read carefully, the second to bottom line states "Heavy nuts."  I need to get some better adjectives.

Bon Boire!

Top Ten Beers - Part Two

<<NEW POLL!!! GO VOTE!!!>>
Lately I feel like I can burn through a case of each of these on any given day, so I think it's time for a much overdue update.  This is the second half of my Top Ten list of my favorite beers.  In the can, bottle, or barrel; all of these wonderful brews are worth it down to every last drop. 

#5 - Gordon Biersch Heffeweisen

A microbrewery based out of California, Gordon Biersch is working its way across the country in forms of on location microbrew restaurants and just recently they have begun a bottling process.  My first taste of REAL beer came from these guys when they opened near Harrah's Casino in New Orleans.  I was 15.  They brought out a sampler tray with six beers on six coasters.  Each coaster described the beers and you drank them.  The one I was instantly taken with was the Heffeweisen.  Although not my favorite type of beer, it was at the moment the first beer I drank and knew that this was what beer should taste like.  Aroma was full on wheat and hoppy, and the taste was strongly influenced with gentle fruit and surprisingly enough bananas.  The description on the coaster said that Heffeweisen beer was originally designed for kings, and this statement could not be any truer for I felt like a king at that moment.  Unfortunately, this is one I can't get in the bottle, but it's definitely worth the trip down to the city to get it on tap!  Follow them on Facebook, and you can receive a coupon for free Garlic Fries!

Pairs perfectly with gourmet pizza and Asian stir-fry.

#4 - Rogue Dead Guy Ale

A seriously good beer.  Very refined and smooth, doubly so when poured on tap.  The brewers over at Rogue have been doing their thing and doing it well in almost every style of beer on market.  Gaining critical acclaim from their wild brews like Yellow Snow IPA, Chocolate Stout, Mocha Porter, and Iron Chef Morimoto's Imperial Pilsner.  Their Dead Guy Ale, however, is the shining star of their flagships beers.  The superior quality of which has been modified into other brews like the Double Dead Guy and the John John Ale (which is infused with whiskey that was distilled with Dead Guy's wort!) This would have easily been a little higher on the list if not for the price, it can reach nearly $7 a bottle or $8 a pint in some places.  It has become the standby for me when I go out with the guys.  We normally go to the Barley Oak, an old fashioned tap house on the Lakefront that supplied nearly hundreds of beer.  Even with all that variety, I somehow end up getting the same damn thing every time....  It's either this, or #2 on this list.

Pairs great with grilled sausages and sauerkraut.

#3 - Abita Strawberry Lager

This sounds a little sketchy to people from the outside, but within the Greater New Orleans area, everyone knows that this once a year brew is so good that you'd kill for it.  Made with just hops, malted barley, yeast, spring water from the Abita Springs, and fresh Pontchatula strawberries.  Every year, I can expect to sell about 250-300 six packs a month for the three months that its actually available.  It's just that big of a deal.  Likewise, this one would be higher, not because of the price, but the availability sucks.  The quality is well worth it though. Underneath the beautifully sweet strawberry taste is a rich plethora of light malts and gentle hops.  If you're ever in the area, check it out.

Drink with Fried Chicken and Red Beans

#2 - Abita Andygator

I've mentioned it in one of my past blogs but its worth mentioning again.  This beer hands down rocks.  A Helles Dopplebock that is a cool balance of malt and hop with an intense bit.  Very fragrant of rye and grains of paradise, it drinks with the smooth flavor of wheat and berries.  A serious beast that will grab you by the feet and keep dragging you down with it; one sip will have you craving a second bottle long before you even finish the first.  A pint bottle filled with 8% ABV of pure goodness.

Pairs well with Buffalo Wings, Cheese Fries and any kind of bar food in general.

#1 - Abita Amber and Abita Turbodog.

I'm just a sucker for Abita.  Living so close to the brewery has given me the opportunity to drink beer so fresh that it will bring tears to your eyes.  But of their main line of fine brews, these two stand out the greatest of all. The Amber is brewed in the tradition of a good quality German Marzen, and Turbodog is killer ale brewed with extra dark roasted malts.  I swear if I had a kegerator at home, either one of these would always be on tap for me.

Best to drink with Jamabalaya, Gumbo, and Crawfish Boils!

Hope you're not too hungover from Thanksgiving to kick back a few brews.  I'll be working on the wine list soon but in the mean time I have a few new wine to share with you along with some more cocktail recipes that are to die for.

Bon Boire!

Nostalgia KRS-2100 Keg-O-Rator Refrigerated Beverage Keg Dispenser

A Few Good Beers Part Two

Hope I'm not rushing into this one a little too quickly but I've got a few more I want to tag on after these anyway.  But I have found a good selection of some beers that are available in 22oz bottles.  Unlike the last post where everything was local, these will be domestic but should be available in your area as well!  It took some time for me to choose the right ones for today but I hope you'll enjoy as much as I will!

Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA

The first thing the pops into my head every time I even see this bottle is the theme from Speed Racer.  It makes me want to get behind the wheel of a stockcar and just peel out and go crazy.  But I'm not going to do that since drinking and driving is not only dumb but against the law.  Instead, I like to sit back in my sofa, put on a good movie and pretend like I'm James Bond or something.

Racer 5 is a really good example of what an IPA should taste like: extra-hopped, bitter yet fruity, and tough.  Now I'm not saying it's a hard thing to swallow, but being in a 22oz bottle it is really meant to be enjoyed like a wine, over a long period of time.  Take your time enjoying this beer because a joy ride should be worth your while.  Hopefully this one will be a little easier for you to obtain than some others posted here, and it is a definite must for beer enthusiast everywhere.

Retails for about $5.99 per 22oz bottle.

Rogue Chipotle Ale

Now before you freak out about the ingredients, I am going to clarify that it is made out of real smoked jalepeños.  In addition to that, Rogue is already famous for its great line of ales and specialty beers (including a Pilsner that was hand crafted for Iron Chef Morimoto!) What is so magical about it is that the chipotle peppers actually give the beer more body and texture than they do flavor.  But it goes with out saying, the flavor is smoky and spicy, much like a Shiraz if you're into the whole wine world.  The head that is produced from pouring looks toasted and smoked, a great introduction to the beer about to follow.  A real treat for those of you looking to try something different and it more than greatly pairs well with soft creamy cheeses and cheap drive-thru Mexican food.  

Retails for about $6.99 per 22oz Bottle.

Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale

One of my personal favorites as far as domestic ales go.  not only because it's strong and flavorful, but the price is impressive for a craft beer of its caliber.  Stone is a little on the eccentric side, and Arrogant Bastard is not shy at all when it comes to its bold flavor and even bolder attitude.  Everything from the label to its cap and its shipping boxes describe it as a beer that boasts, "You're not worthy..." or "You're too cheap."  Very thick and creamy body, heavy taste of oak and smoke along with gentle hints of coffee and raw chocolate, and an aroma strong enough to wake the dead.  Overproofed at about 8-10% abv, and just bitter enough to make you pucker.  Not a beer for those, "who enjoy those sissy yellow beers,"  but more for those into a darker Belgian style ale.

Retails for about $3.99 per 22oz Bottle

Abita SOS Wheat-Pilsner

A newer beer from my favorite local brewery, SOS just recently came out after the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.  It initially was promoted as a "Charitable Pilsner" and donated 75¢ per bottle to the recovery of the coast.  A very interesting blend of wheat beer and pilsner, it shines with a very smooth and light body which is accompanied by a bittersweet aroma and taste.  Pretty decent beer for those of you who enjoy Pilsners and lighter Heffeweisens like Erdinger Crystal.  Personally not my favorite in the line, but it was worth a try.

Retails for about $3.99 per 22oz Bottle.

Abita Andygator Dopplebock

Abita has a great selection of crafts and reserves when it comes to their beer, but Andygator is the granddaddy of them all.  This Helles Dopplebock is a whopping 8% of pure malty bubbling goodness.  Pays great homage to the old belief of beer being "liquid bread" and like the bottle says, it is meant to be sipped, not gulped.  A wonderful array of fruit and wheat flavors in this monster really tie in the entire brew, making it a perfect drink for nearly any time of day.  Including 6am at the boat launch.  By far one of my favorite 22oz beers out there, not too mention its label pretty much describes its fierce nature.  You'll hear me mention Abita many times throughout this blog, but I still think Andygator may be one of their best.  Buy a bottle if you can.  Try it if you dare.

Retails for about $4.99 per 22oz Bottle.

Well that's all I have for you today!  I might do a third follow up on beer reviews if you want, but I'll still do individual brews as time goes on.  Good luck finding these and happy drinking!