Want to get your beer brewed by Sam Adams?

It's the dream of all homebrewers everywhere, the realization of all those hours working tirelessly and often thanklessly in their kitchens toasting malts, boiling hops, transferring and measuring, transferring and bottling: the chance to make it to the big leagues and see their homebrewed creation hits the shelves of every local package store and overlarge Whole Foods beer section across the country. It's a long shot, a pipe dream, but you know what? Sam Adams wants to help you. That's right - Sam Adams wants to make all you homebrewer's dreams come true. 


Seriously. Sam Adams wants to brew and bottle and market and sell your beer. The only catch? It has to be the best beer they come across... and I'm assuming that they're going to have alot to choose from. It is a nationwide contest after all, and in the beer world, the possibility of getting your homebrew mass produced is just about as tempting as getting signed by an NHL team is to a peewee hockey player. However, somebody does have to win, and why shouldn't it be you?  I only wish that I was into (and better at) homebrewing, or I'd join the fray myself.... 


Read on for more information about the contest and last years winners: 


SAMUEL ADAMS ANNOUNCES LONGSHOT AMERICAN HOMEBREW CONTEST:

Samuel Adams honors specialty homebrews in a category all their own with an extreme twist on annual homebrew competition

Boston, MA - September 2010 -Innovative home brewers from Georgia and Illinois triumphed over more than 700 competitors to win this year's Samuel Adams LongShot American Homebrew Contest - Category 23. Jim Koch and the Brewers of Samuel Adams beers, encouraged this year's entrants to incorporate unusual and unique ingredients into their recipes.

Georgia resident Richard Roper created a brew he named Friar Hop Ale, and Illinois resident Rodney Kibzey submitted his Blackened Hops beer. As avid homebrewers know, the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) classifies beer styles into 22 different categories depending on style and brewing process, and they reserve "Category 23" for beers whose ingredients are so unusual that they need a place all their own. This year, the brewers at Samuel Adams wanted to focus the annual competition on these innovative beers.

In addition to Richard and Rodney's winning brews, Samuel Adams also honors Employee Homebrew Winner Caitlin DeClerq for her Honey Bee's Lavender Wheat beer. All three winning homebrewers will have the opportunity to brew alongside the Samuel Adams Brewers in Boston. Their recipes will be bottled and available nationally in the 2011 LongShot Category 23 Variety 6-Pack. 

"I started homebrewing the first batch of Samuel Adams Boston Lager in my kitchen 26 years ago, and ever since then I've been passionate about creating unique and interesting brews that challenge the perception of what beer can be," said Jim Koch, founder and brewer of Samuel Adams beer. "This year we asked homebrewers to push the boundaries and brew their own one-of-a-kind beers. I was very impressed by the quality and creativity of the homebrew entries submitted to this year's Samuel Adams Longshot American Homebrew Contest - Category 23; Richard Roper's Friar Hop Ale, Rodney Kibzey's Blackened Hops and Caitlin DeClerq's Honey Bee's Lavender Wheat are all exceptional beers that will give American craft beer drinkers an opportunity to taste interesting ingredients and flavors that they may have never expected in a beer."

For more than 10 years, Samuel Adams employees have competed in their own annual homebrew competition. The staff contest challenges Samuel Adams employees to channel their passion and knowledge for craft beer by experimenting in their own kitchens. Once all the employee homebrews are submitted, Jim and the other brewers at Samuel Adams spend a day tasting the employees' entries, and they choose three finalists. Those three employee homebrewers attend the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) and ask attendees to vote for their favorite. This year, GABF attendees chose Caitlin DeClerq's brew as their favorite.

A panel of industry judges including Jason Alstrom and Todd Alstrom of BeerAdvocate, Tom Dalldorf from Celebrator Beer News, John Holl, freelance beer writer, Julie Johnson of All About Beer, Bob Townsend from Southern Brew News, and Tony Forder of Ale Street News joined Jim Koch in selecting the consumer winners. Together, they selected the winning brews based on the American Homebrewers Association Beer Judge Certificate Program guidelines. Each beer was carefully evaluated on the aroma, appearance, flavor and mouthfeel of the beer as well as the overall uniqueness of the process ingredients used and creativity. 

The 2011 Samuel Adams LongShot American Homebrew Contest - Category 23 Variety 6-Pack will be available nationwide in select retail stores beginning March 2011 for a suggested retail price of $9.99. The variety pack will include two bottles each of Richard Roper's Friar Hop Ale, Rodney Kibzey's Blackened Hops, and Caitlin DeClerq's Honey Bee's Lavender Wheat.

ABOUT THE WINNERS AND 2011 CONTEST

Richard Roper's Friar Hop Ale combines his love of hops with his affinity for spicy Belgian ales. To develop his recipe, Roper created a hybrid of two styles, uniting the big hoppy taste of an IPA with the spicy, fruity flavor of a Belgian. The toasty caramel sweetness from the malt and Belgian candi sugar mimics a Belgian ale, while the big citrus hop notes of an IPA balance the style. A spicy yeast fermentation and hints of orange and coriander round out the brew. Richard's Friar Hop Ale is a refreshing beer that can be enjoyed any time of year.

Rodney Kibzey's Blackened Hops is a perfect combination of deep roasted malt character and citrusy hop bitterness. Harnessing eight years of homebrewing knowledge, Rodney found that combining debittered dark malts and citrusy hops yielded a surprising and unique flavor for this brew. Its black color hints at roasted malt and coffee flavors, but it is the big hop character really steals the show. Packed with citrusy and piney American hops, this beer has a big flavor and clean bitterness. This is Rodney's second LongShot American Homebrew Contest win; he won in 2007 with a Weizenbock and his beer was included in the 2008 LongShot Variety Pack.

Caitlin DeClerq has worked as a member of the Samuel Adams sales team since 2006. She created her Honey Bee's Lavender Wheat with dried lavender petals, giving it a fragrant but soft aroma. A citrus tartness and slight sweetness from the honey and vanilla balance out the finish in this California resident's brew, perfect to sip while kicking back and relaxing.

2011 SAMUEL ADAMS LONGSHOT AMERICAN HOMEBREW CONTEST CATEGORY 23

Creativity is paramount in the 2011 Samuel Adams LongShot American Homebrew Contest - Category 23. For a second year, aspiring homebrewers will be challenged to push the boundaries of traditional brewing by submitting original brews that don't fit into any of the traditional Beer Judge Certification Program style categories. 

Interested beer drinkers can go online in March 2011 to www.samueladams.com for contest rules, regulations and information on purchasing a homebrewing kit. In addition, they can download Jim Koch's video, "The Art of Homebrewing" offering his personal tips on making a successful homebrew. Winners will be announced at the 2011 Great American Beer Festival.

Jim Koch knows first hand the challenges and the personal rewards of creating a quality homebrew. He brewed the first batch of Samuel Adams Boston Lager in his kitchen in 1984. Now, 26 years later, Koch is a recognized pioneer of the U.S. craft-brewing revival. He continues to push the boundaries of brewing, by leading the charge in the extreme brewing category, and following his passion for elevating the craft beer-drinking experience. 

When Samuel Adams began offering its homebrew contest 10 years ago, it was Jim's dream that it would be a springboard for aspiring brewers, bringing attention to the quality of homebrewing, and perhaps launch a career or two. To date, Bob Gordash, winner of the 1996 LongShot Homebrew Contest, and Don Oliver, winner of the 2006 Samuel Adams Longshot American Homebrew Contest, have gone on to become professional brewers, turning their homebrewing hobby into a career as Jim did 26 years ago.


So what does everyone think? Gonna enter this year's contest? Better start brewing! 

The People's Pint Beer Dinner at Cambridge Common

Last night's beer dinner at the Cambridge Common was a fantastic time, as usual. With a slightly smaller crowd than what is typical at these events, the atmosphere was very cozy and intimate, with lots of space and time to ask questions and learn more about the beers and the People's Pint Brewery. Suzanne and Kate were there, though this was one of their very last events before they leave the Common to open their own craft beer store in Belmont in early November. I had the opportunity to meet their hand-picked replacement, however, and Ben seems to be totally ready and excited to pick up where the girls leave off. He assured me that they will continue to put on beer dinners at the Cambridge Common after Suzanne and Kate leave, which really got me excited. If you haven't been to one of these beer events yet, you really need to move it to the top of your "to-do" list. The atmosphere, food and beer really just can't be beat!

Pied PIPA

Last night's dinner featured 5 different beers from the People's Pint Brewery, located in Greenfield, Massachusetts. Never having tried any brews put out by them before, I was really looking forward to the tasting - and I wasn't disappointed. We were first served Pied PIPA, an American IPA with 5.2% ABV. This beer is brewed with Cascade hops and a special strain of Marris Otter malts, which is a slightly nutty English malt, creating an interesting dynamic between pine and citrus hoppiness and sweet caramel. The mouthfeel verged on sticky, and there were very slight hints of fruitiness on the backside, which was definitely different. While I didn't consider this beer outstanding, it certainly wasn't subpar either - the only thing keeping me from ordering it again was the overlong aftertaste of lingering bitterness. Though I enjoy a nice bitter IPA as much as the next hophead, I like to keep any aftertaste short - I'm not a huge fan of tasting my beer 30 minutes after my last swallow, and this brought my opinion of the Pied PIPA down a couple notches. 

Provider Pale Ale

Following the Pied PIPA, we were served our starter course (a Ploughman's Platter) alongside a glass of Provider Pale Ale. This is a clean, refreshing and crisp beer, with floral hoppiness and some nice biscuity malts. The mouthfeel is very light with a dry finish, and there are slight hints of herby sweetness throughout the brew. I thought that it paired really well with Ploughmans Platter, with the fresh bread highlighting the doughy malts and the beer's hop notes cutting through the creamy, slight heaviness of the cheddar cheese. This beer was extremely well balanced, in my opinion, and highly drinkable. It'd be nice to enjoy with any sort of sandwich lunch or cheese platter. 

Double IPA

Our third beer was a Double IPA brewed with over four pounds of Columbus and whole-leaf Centennial  dry hops per barrel. This beer is a must-try for all you hopheads out there, though for those slightly more bitter-shy, I'd suggest that you pair the brew with something similar to the salad we enjoyed along with it. The salad we were served was dressed in a Balsamic Vinaigrette, with lots of toasted walnuts and Gruyere cheese on top. The richness of the nuts and cheese really helped to reduce the sharpness of the extreme bitterness in the beer, which my companions really appreciated. The Double IPA tasted a little like Wachusett Larry DIPA to me, with lots of tropical hops and a strong grapefruit presence. The beer was slightly sticky however, verging on syrupy, and this probably would keep me from ordering more than one or two pints. So, though not super super drinkable (and why would you expect it to be at 8% ABV), this beer was really good and worth seeking out. 

Farmer Brown

Finally our entrees came, Short Ribs and Mashed Potatoes paired with Farmer Brown Ale, and Grilled Salmon with Ginger-Apple Chutney, Parmesan Risotto and '09 Slippery Slope. Interestingly enough, Slippery Slope is a Braggot, which has been described to me as 1/3 honey, 1/3 apple cider and 1/3 malts and barley. This beer was probably one of the most unique brews I've come across, tasting very fruity and liquory, almost exactly like a very delicious hard cider. I thought it was awesome and paired extremely well with the slightly spicy, slightly sweet Ginger-Apple Chutney on the salmon. Unfortunately, my companion thought so as well, and since the salmon was the dish he ordered, I was only able to steal a few quick sips while he was using the restroom. On the bright side, Farmer Brown, the beer that came with my meal, was one of the best brown ales I've ever tasted, and probably my very favorite beer of the whole night. The beer itself, as you can see from the picture, is extremely dark, bordering on black, and looks thick and flat. Do not be fooled, however, because the mouthfeel is actually really light, sort of medium to light bodied, and is highly, highly drinkable. The brew is heavy on pecan nuttiness, which I thought was awesome, with lots and lots of roasted grain and smooth malts present. Paired with the short ribs, the brew gave off a slight smokiness and a tiny bit of bitter coffee. Overall, it was phenomenal and I will be making the trek down to one of the few stores that the People's Pint distributes to in order to score myself a few bombers (heck, this stuff was so good I'd probably pack a lunch and head out to Greenfield to get myself a glass if it came to that). 

Oatmeal Stout

Our last beer, served with dessert, was an Oatmeal Stout. After the glory I experienced drinking the Farmer Brown, I was sure that the next dark beer would be a let down, but no, no, no. The Oatmeal Stout was delicious, especially paired with the dark, chewy, chocolate oatmeal brownie they served it with. It was very sweet, heavy on the milk chocolate, smooth, creamy and not super heavy either. The extreme sweetness of the chocolate present in the beer was balanced really well by some bitter coffee and roasted malts, resulting in a great, drinkable brew. Not a bad way to end the night at all, and again, there I was trying to steal a few sips from my buddies after I'd drained my glass. What can I say, I'm just a beer freak. 


Bottom line, you need to get yourself to a beer dinner at the Cambridge Common or risk missing out on one of the best experiences you may ever have in your life. Yes, I realize that sounds extreme, but guys!! These nights are so fun and so educational, you really can't help but have an awesome time. Hopefully I'll see you there next time... look for me, the girl trying to steal everyone else's beers.... : )


Cheers!!

Excursion to Cambridge Common Restaurant

This past weekend I made a trip to one of my favorite restaurants in the world, the Cambridge Common. Located in cute, bustling Porter Square, the Common is a must visit for all craft beer lovers. With 31 beers on tap, 16 of which rotate, they have a great selection and the staff always knows their stuff. The food is pretty darn good too, with their menu running the gamut from Deviled Eggs to Steak and Frites to BLT Salad. I can personally vouch that their burgers are to die for, and this weekend's Greek Salad with Chicken was delicious as well. I'm trying to avoid sounding like an infomercial for the restaurant here, but it's hard - it's really just that good. 

From Left to Right: Opa Opa Opatoberfest, Avery Kaiser,
Southern Tier Pumpking, CBC Great Pumpkin

On Saturday night the place was busy but surprisingly, my companion and I did not have to wait for a table. Having checked out their "Daily Rotating Taps" list online before coming, I already knew what I wanted and immediately ordered my first sampler. This, in my opinion, is the hallmark of a great beer and restaurant and one of my favorite things about the Common: they offer a pick-your-own sampler of 4 different 5oz brews. This allows you to try way more beers than if you were forced to order a one-size-fits-all 20oz pour, while also lessening the stress and disappointment of ordering something you don't like and being stuck with a whole pint of it. My first sampler was fall themed, including Opa Opa Opatoberfest, Avery Kaiser (an Imperial Octoberfest), Southern Tier Pumpking and Cambridge Brewing Company's Great Pumpkin Ale. It arrived promptly, and I immediately dove in. The Opatoberfest was very smooth and very malty, with a heavy caramel and bread presence and slight hints of fruit in the background. I found it superior to the Avery Kaiser Oktoberfest, which was a little too sticky, syrupy and spicy for my personal taste. It was described on the menu as being brewed with spice and maple, which sounded interesting, but didn't translate well on my palette. On the other hand, both pumpkin beers we tried were amazing, heavy on the real squashy/pumpkin flavor and light on the spice. I loved the Pumpking so much in fact that I went out and bought a bomber of it yesterday.... which I then promptly consumed. The Great Pumpkin was the first beer I've tried by the Cambridge Brewing Company, but given the option, I would have bought a bomber of that yesterday as well.... Trying it out Saturday night made me even more excited for the Great Pumpkin Festival at the Cambridge Brewing Co. coming up at the end of the month!

Mayflower Porter, Lagunitas Wilco Tango Foxtrot,
Lost Abbey Lost&Found, Oskar Blues Ten Fidy

My second sampler was a bit of a mish-mash of flavors and types, consisting of Lost Abbey Lost & Found (a Belgian style Dubbel), Oskar Blues Ten Fidy Imperial Stout, Lagunitas Wilco Tango Foxtrot (an Imperial Brown Ale) and Mayflower Porter. All four beers were very dark but that's pretty much as far as their similarities go. Lost & Found was thick, liquory and sweet, tasting heavily of plums, raisins, molasses and bready malts. Typically this style of beer is not my cup of tea at all, but I loved this brew and recommend you give it a shot... if you can get your hands on it, that is; this is the second time I've had it on tap at the Common, but I haven't seen it on the shelves at any stores around here. The Oskar Blues Ten Fidy was great - very thick, slightly chewy, with lots of chocolate and roasted malts. It was very sweet too, with tiny hints of dried fruits and bitter coffee. The Mayflower Porter was your standard porter, very roasted and earthy, with roasted chocolate, roasted coffee and slight hop bitterness on the finish. The Lagunitas WTF was probably my least favorite out of the four beers in the second sampler, which, being a big brown ale fan, I would not have guessed. It tasted kind of burnt to me, with more hops and not enough nuttiness than I personally find enjoyable in a brown ale. 

As far as rankings are concerned, if I had to pick, I'd say that out of the eight brews I tried, Southern Tier Pumpking and Lost Abbey Lost & Found are tied for first, while Lagunitas Wilco Tango Foxtrot and Avery Kaiser are tied for last. There weren't really any beers that I greatly disliked though, and certainly none of them jumped out as ones you should absolutely avoid. So try and try alike, and definitely get yourself over to the Cambridge Common if you haven't already. I'll be there again tomorrow for the People's Pint beer dinner, so look for reviews on that some time Wednesday afternoon! 

Welcome to ROCKTOBER

Wooo it's the first day of October!! October is a GREAT month for beer lovers - there's so much to taste and even more to do! Here's the low down on what events you may want to attend this month to get your craft beer on:

Friday, October 1:

Harpoon Oktoberfest (Boston, MA)

Saturday, October 2:

Harpoon Oktoberfest (Boston, MA)

Pittsfield's Third Annual Berktoberfest (Pittsfield, MA)

Witchtoberfest (Salem, MA)

Sunday, October 3:

Julio's New England Beer Fest (Westboro, MA)

Tuesday, October 5:

Beer Vs. Wine Dinner Featuring Blue Hill Brewery (West Roxbury, MA)

People's Pint Beer Dinner at Cambridge Common (Porter Square, Cambridge, MA) --> Look for me here!

Thursday, October 7:

Springfield Museum's Oktoberfest: The Art of the Brew (Springfield, MA)

Friday, October 8:

Fifth Avenue Liquors (Not Your Average) Oktoberfest (Millis, MA)

Saturday, October 9:

Luke's Super Liquors 14th Annual Oktoberfest (West Yarmouth, MA)

Legal Seafood's Oyster "Brew"haha Beer Dinner (Copley Place, Boston, MA)

Sunday, October 10:

Aqua Grille's Second Annual Oktoberfest Cape Cod (Sandwich, MA)

Tuesday, October 12:

Troegs Beer Dinner (Hingham, MA)

Wednesday, October 13:

Beer vs. Wine Dinner @ American Craft (Brookline, MA)

International Beer Dinner @ Sel de la Terre (Natick, MA)

Friday, October 15 (Also known as SuzySixPack VIP Member John Reilly's 24th Birthday!)

Beer Wars Dinner @ McCormick and Schmick's (Faneuil Hall, Boston, MA)

Boston Cares Oktoberfest @ Samuel Adams Brewery (Jamaica Plain, MA)

Saturday, October 16:

The Boston Lobster Party (Boston, MA)

Wormtown Brewery Oktoberfest  (Worcester, MA)

Monday, October 18:

Smuttynose Beer Pairing @ the Biltmore Bar & Grille (Newton, MA)

Tuesday, October 19:

Lagunitas Beer Dinner @ the Cambridge Common (Cambridge, MA)

Wednesday, October 20:

Autumn Beer Dinner @ No. 9 Park (Boston, MA)

Eat Local, Drink Local with Clown Shoes Beer and The Rox Diner (West Roxbury, MA)

Northwest Fest Kick Off - a Rogue/Pike Keg Party @ Redbones (Somerville, MA)

Saturday, October 23:

Annual Oktoberfest (Sturbridge, MA)

Saturday, October 30:

Cambridge Brewing Company Great Pumpkin Fest 2010 (Cambridge, MA) --> Look for me here!!

Sunday, October 31:

Harpoon & Halloween Beer Dinner @ Gargoyles on the Square (Somerville, MA)

I'll try to update the events list as more come in. If there is an event that you are holding or planning on attending that isn't on the list, please comment or send me an email and I'll be sure to put it up. If you are not form the Boston area and follow the blog, let me know! I'll post up events from your area as well! 


Who's going to what this month? You gotta hit at least one of these events.... Some of them (The Great Pumpkin Fest, for example) are simply not to be missed!!!

Pairing Beer with Pasta

Pairing beer with pasta is not something I usually do. So, when a friend recently asked me to suggest a few beers for him to serve alongside the Italian cuisine he is planning to serve at his upcoming dinner party, I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I was a bit stumped. Not sure what it is about pasta, but there's just something about it that doesn't scream 'beer!' to me in the way that oh, pretty much everything else does. And yet, there I found myself last night, with a bowl of spaghetti in front of me and a taste for beer on my tongue. Since I began training for a half marathon a few weeks ago, I've been craving carbs like nobody's business, and after all, it was Wednesday night, which seemed like a perfect time to relax and enjoy a brew. So, pasta and beer, I wanted them both - what's a girl to do?

 Well, a few things, primarily research and tasting. And (lucky dog that you are), I, as your resident go-to beer gal, have taken the liberty of doing both for you (I'm a kind-hearted soul, I realize that). Before we can do anything though, we need to narrow down what kind of pasta dish we're talking about, which basically means the sauce. Pesto, for example, has an herby, garlicky bite, and is a totally different animal than say, an Alfredo, with its slightly nutty cheesy creaminess; as such, each needs to be paired with different beer. Last night, the pasta in my bowl was dressed with a simple, fresh marinara sauce, which, again, is wildly dissimilar from the two sauces previously mentioned. The way to think of it is that pasta is the blank canvas while the sauce acts as the colors that give it panache. So, what colors are we painting with in our dish and how does that affect our beer choice? Read on. 

In general, the stronger the flavor of the sauce, the stronger you are going to want your beer. So, for something like the slightly sweet, slightly acidic, middle-of-the-flavor-road tomato sauce I enjoyed last night, you're going to want to go with a similarly middle-of-the-road beer - for example, an amber ale. The hoppiness of the amber will cut through the sprinkling of cheesy parmesean on top and contrast with the slight richness of the sauce quite nicely. Additionally, the toasted malt flavors also present will complement and bring out some of the grainy flavors in the pasta, creating a very well balanced food-beer pairing. For a richer tomato sauce featuring meat, or a lasagna, for example, we'd want to go a little heavier on the flavor and select a Rauchbier, which, with its smokiness, will pair very well with the meat component of the dish. Going in a different direction, a spicy sauce, like a Fra Diavlo,  should be served with an IPA; depending on the specific beer, IPAs can vary in degree as far as flavor is concerned, but can always be counted on to pump up and highlight the spice factor with their extreme hoppiness. Herby pestos go well with a strong Belgian ale - Duvel in particular works really well with those flavors, while Alfredos - assuming you haven't added chicken, broccoli or any other accoutrements - can stand up well to a rich oatmeal stout.  For those thinking that oatmeal stout, with its sweet coffee-chocolate profile is an odd pairing with an Alfredo dish, try it out - the rich heaviness of both create a really nice, hearty effect.    

Bottom line, you want the flavors in your beer to either compliment or contrast with the flavors in your meal, and you want to be sure that the heaviness of your dish is matched by a similar richness in the brew. For beginners, a good rule of thumb is to pair light meals with light beers and heavier meals with dark beer; another way of thinking of it is to substitute light beers where you might serve a white wine, and dark beers where you'd serve a red. There are so many possibilities out there, and while many, many of them are going to be amazing, some just aren't going to work. So experiment. The world of liquor and food pairings is not just limited to wines after all! Surprise all your friends and order a beer next time you're at an Italian restaurant - you may just get hooked. If you're looking for specifics, here's what I drank last night with my ziti with red sauce:

Tröegs Hopback Amber Ale

:

Hopback Amber Ale pours a bright, clear, coppery-red color with one finger of off-white head that quickly dissipates. The aroma is great - caramel and toffee, toasted malts and warm biscuits, all balanced very well with a fruity/floral hop presence. The taste is both sweet and bitter, with slight hints of citrus and a strong malty background. It feels smooth and creamy in the mouth, but medium bodied, and finishes slightly dry. This beer is extremely drinkable, especially for 6% ABV, and tasted awesome with my spaghetti dinner. It would also pair very well with pizza (same types of flavors) or even a nice juicy burger. Other suggestions to pair with your pasta and red sauce include Stone Levitation, Green Flash Hop Head Red Ale and Bear Republic Red Rocket Ale. 

National Drink a Beer Day!!!

Hey everybody and happy Tuesday! Or should I say Happy Drink a Beer Day? Yes, that's right, today is a holiday and even better, it's a holiday dedicated completely to beer. What could be better? So go on, don't be shy, and crack open one or two in celebration this evening... or afternoon, as the case may be. What will I be drinking tonight? Glad you asked. 


As luck would have it, today is actually a double holiday day, with the other fun celebration centering around a delicious strawberry dessert. So, in commemoration of both National Drink a Beer and Strawberry Cream Pie day, I will be lounging around tonight with a glass of Pete's Wicked Strawberry Blonde in hand, an absolutely delectable combination of both. 



Pete's Wicked Strawberry Blonde is a fruit beer brewed in Texas but widely available in the Boston area (my thinking is that if it's gotten up this far, it's reaching my friends in the MidAtlantic states as well!). It pours an orangey-yellow color with a thick, bubbly white head and decent retention, though very little lacing. It smells.... like strawberries. And not in a bad way. The scent that reaches my nose first isn't that fake, cloying strawberry syrup strawberry, but fresh, clean strawberry, reminiscent of jam cooking away on the stove. I immediately am intrigued and drawn in by the yummy fruitiness I have inhaled. On the first sip, Pete's tastes remarkably like a pale ale, with lots of toasted malts and graininess, though the strawberry flavor does follow. In the mouth, the strawberry is definitely less pronounced than in the aroma, but I would certainly prefer that to a cloying strawberry cough syrupy mess. In this case, the hints of strawberry are very well integrated into the beer as a whole, presenting as a well balanced and refreshing treat. Oddly, this beer got panned on BeerAdvocate, receiving only a C, or mediocre, rating. I myself have given the beer at B+ , or very good, and I do think that it is just that - very good. It isn't spectacular, it's not world-renowned, but there aren't very many strawberry beers on the market, and this one is very drinkable and both tastes and feels good. Besides, what else are you going to drink to celebrate the two arguably best obscure holidays revolving around food and drink? Pick up a 6-pack!!!


For those of you not strawberry inclined, what are you drinking tonight?!

Pick of the Week: Wachusett Larry

While summer is officially over according to the calendar, I don't think you'll find that the weather agrees. These 80-something degree days will eventually pass us by, however - as difficult  as it is at the moment to imagine - so this weekend I encourage everyone to take advantage of the fleeting sun and heat and enjoy your favorite summer brew one last time. For me, that's Larry, a Double IPA brewed by Wachusett Brewing Company. 


Larry, at 7.5% alcohol, is an Imperial IPA, so expect a bit of a hop-bomb - though not, in my opinion, so much of a palette wrecker that non-hopheads can't enjoy it. It pours a orangey-amber color, crystal clear with one finger's worth of off-white head, good retention and great looking lacing. The sight of this beautiful beer alone made me swoon - the aroma emanating from it put me totally over the edge. Think tropical paradise:  juicy pineapple, sweet grapefruit and tangy citrus with a nice, slightly toasted malty background to round it all out. Larry tastes much like it smells, all fruity hops and bicuit-like malts, with a bitterness that is evident and pronounced but not super-overpowering. This beer is highly drinkable with its medium to full, kinda creamy, kinda dry mouthfeel and swiftly passing aftertaste. It really is a outstanding IPA, no question about it. Sold only in 22oz bombers, I suggest that you pick one up and share with a friend... or enjoy the whole thing yourself..... trust me, once you take one sip, you'll want to.