Beer in the new era

How hard is it to make your own cider? There's an orchard around here where you can press your own apples and as wholesome and cheerful as that is I would not be opposed to turning it into booze.

I've had a couple homemade ciders and both makers admitted they used store-bought apple juice. Both were pretty good, it might be a good way to start, espcially if you can get some good juice.

I've made a few batches of beer, though none recently, but I'm about to get back into it with a mead this fall.

http://www.foodgps.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/the-bruery-trade-winds-tripel.jpg

belgian style with an asian flavor: fresh thai basil. really good, had it with some thai food tonight.

(the bruery trade winds)

enjoying the hell out of some of this 2nite:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3200/2413364985_594e676023.jpg

1) Man, I love Goose Island Honker's Ale - I could easily drink a 6 of this in a sitting, I'm afraid.

2) Does anyone know where to find Augustiner in NYC?

Had a few of Sierra's Celebration Ale last night. Heavier than I remember it being in years past, but very drinkable. Not a quaffing beer. Nice spice flavors on top of the normal Sierra West Coast style IPAness.

Man, I love Goose Island Honker's Ale

This one has been a recent pleasant discovery for me. It's showing up at more and more places around NYC, and I think I prefer it to the usual Sierra Nevada/Brooklyn Lager options.

Had a few of Sierra's Celebration Ale last night

I tasted this recently and didn't like it - too spicy and bitter.

I got to try the Zatec Bright Lager from Czech Republic last night. Somewhat hoppier than the usual Czech lager style, which I guess is appropriate since Zatec, the hometown of the brewery, means "Saaz" as in Saaz hops. Very good.

in some sort of inadvertant tour of the eastern bloc of beer, I ended up with a couple of interesting things. The standout was probably Svyturys White, which is a super drinkable unfiltered wheat from Lithuania. Coming in second was the Zamkowe 1321 "beer" (not a lot of marketing in Poland I guess), which was pretty decent, although its brother the Zamkowe Extra was pretty dire, really sweet and overbearing.

Been making my way through the lucky hat winter sampler and so far i like all of it.

i think it is interesting how you guys in nyc are getting excited about goose island being distributed in your area while i am in chicago and excited about brooklyn finally widely available here.

really excited about lagunitas brown shugga being released again.

goose island is a good beer, first time i enjoyed it was at the Sycamore bar in brooklyn.

i drank some microbrew IPA tonight. i didn't really hear the server except that she said it was good & $3. it was fine. very drinkable!

if i decide to drink more later it will be the BECK'S left at the radio station last week by the guys who have the show before me.

(they usually leave corona so i see this as a slight step up.)

Becka is totally a good beer and a serious step up from Corona in my opinion.

a couple of my buddies continually buy all of the available Becks tallboys in their area.

It's a German lager - so it can't be that bad. Not as good as an HB Original, but few beers are.

every German I've ever met thinks it's bad (maybe just cause it is the most well known german beer among americans), I probably couldn't tell the difference between it and a lot of other German pilseners, though.

For mass-distributed Germans, it's not my favorite, but I'd still take it over Corona, or pretty much any American domestic brand. Of the mass-distributed Germans, my order of preference goes St Pauli Girl >>> Lowenbrau > Becks.

Svyturys White, which is a super drinkable unfiltered wheat from Lithuania.

Just saw this in the grocery store near my office, might try it. it has pull tab tops, I think.

last night for bday celebration:

stone smoked porter
la chouffe
le merle
also received a bottle of Harviestoun ola dubh:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3655/3570876234_d63437d7f3.jpg

http://www.harviestoun.com/OlaDubh/
http://www.insidebeer.com/articles/20090703_3

http://www.drunkenpolack.com/images/reverend.jpg
was loving this over the weekend

nice omar! i see old engine oil around here and there, maybe i'll pick up a bottle.

oh btw becks is probably the lesser of the common german imports but it's good and mysteriously cheaper at my store than any other european 12 pack. so everytime i buy a 12 i have to be like "do i like pilsner urqell $2.50 more than becks"

Went to a dinner last night that featured beer pairings from Three Floyd's.

Drank the following:

Jinxproof | Continental Pilsener 5.1% bottle
Admiral Lord Nelson | English Style ESB 5% draft
Gumballhead | American Wheat 5.5% draft
Alpha King | American Pale 6.5% draft
Behemoth | Barley Wine 10.5% bottle

I'd had Gumballhead and Alpha King before; the former is probably my favorite American wheat, and the latter is a big, hoppy, but very drinkable pale ale. The surprise was how good the Admiral Lord Nelson was -- had a nice kick to it, in contrast to some other ESBs I've had, which can sometimes be too mild.

Gumballhead is Godhead

looking forward to a thanksgiving down south where bell's two hearted ale and new belgium beers are sold!

christmas ales!

the bruery's "two turtle doves"
affligem noel
rogue santa's private reserve
st bernardus christmas ale

oh man omar, la chouffe
i've never seen it in the states, i might be just looking wrong

WAIT

i have seen la chouffe and i just had some

the one on the left i think

http://www.beerbottlecollector.com/Quickstart/ImageLib/MVC-006Sken.jpg

sorry, the right

yah la chouffe is all over my local store that sells Belgians (in Chicago)

picked up a 750ml of one of these guys there the other night, shit was good as hell

http://www.beerpusher.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/hi-eng-label.gif

$12 tho :/

Got Life and Limb (a Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada collab.) at a place in Chicago. Really, really good.

Also had Founder's Canadian Breakfast Stout. Ridiculously good beer.

I am drinking wine tonight :(

Where in Chicago?

They tapped Life and Limb at Sheffield's last night. No idea if they still have any.

Hopleaf had it for like one night, but were tapped out by the end of the night.

had a Lagunitas Little Sumpin Extra Ale and a Lagunitas Hop Stoopid Ale tonight as a birthday traet

both quite fine, super sharp and hoppy like i like beer to be.

Lagunitas Brown Shugga has been on tap everywhere in Chicago. I love that beer and am frankly surprised at how often I have seen it this year.

I had a Port Breweing Imperial Pils that was totally decent on Sunday. I think it was called Panzer.

Had the Mikeller Santa's Helper Monday night... it was good, but not my favorite of the style.

Lagunitas Brown Shugga has been on tap everywhere in Chicago. I love that beer and am frankly surprised at how often I have seen it this year.

Thought about getting that at Clark St. Ale House tonight, but went with Three Floyds Alpha Klaus Porter instead. Maybe I'll go back.

I have seen Brown Shugga at the following places: Kuma's Corner, Jerry's Sandwiches, Jake Melnick's, Small Bar on Division, Bavarian Lodge in the suburbs, Sheffield's and Hopleaf I think.

Basically what I am saying is that you will find it at a lot of places. I wouldn't go back to that specific place just for Brown Shugga.

i love all the Lagunitases i've had so far so i'll keep an eye out for brown shugga

was actually lookin for Goose Island Honkers Ale tonight but could not find it for some reason. weird cause it's not like it's exotic or anything (?)

also another beer that has basically been my NFL beer since september is Lakefront Riverwest Stein. Milwaukee's (Actual) Best. super "sessionable" amber lager

I am drinking a Three Floyd's Dreadnaught tonight. Possibly my favorite double IPA ever.

agreeeeee

yo Brown Shugga is 10%!!! I call it "double beer".

It is what I call "dangerous beer"

because it is so good.

Yeah, so I went to Hopleaf tonight and had the Lagunitas Brown Shugga, per your recommendation. Excellent stuff.

Can you taste the brown sugar?

i wouldn't say that you can taste the brown sugar, but there is a nice sweetness that is definitely unique.

Trader Joe's has their anniversary ale again. It is really just a Unibroue dark ale in a 750ml bottle for 5 bucks. This is a damn good deal. Belgian style of course.

I bought that a couple weeks ago. Think I'm going to save it for NYE.

bummed i bought a four pack of the Dogfish Head Midas Touch. tastes too grape-y, really off-putting. :(

Deal alert: Trader Joe's Vintage Ale 2009, 9% ABV, tasty, sweet & spicy dark ale, 750 ml bottles for $5. The cork says Unibroue so I'm guess that's who makes it. Quite good.

Oh, lol xpost