The Best of the First Year

Volume 2, Issue 1 - March 17th, 2006

This issue is dedicated to the best of variety of beer-related things I've come across in this first year of beer-writing. Some things are completely new for this year, while others are simply new to me. Of course, this is simply my opinion, and in the words of the Alstrom Brothers, "There are no beer experts, just beer drinkers with opinions." So feel free to disagree, and please share your opinions with me.

Our First Anniversary

Happy St. Patrick's Day! It has been one year, eleven newsletters, around one-hundred subscribers and who knows how many pints of beers since our very first issue this day last year. At first, I must admit, I didn't know all that much about beer, and still have a long ways to go. But by writing, reading, researching, visiting breweries and brewpubs, and most importantly drinking a wide variety of brews from craft-breweries around the world, I know I have expanded my knowledge of beers, and hope that I've been able to pass some of that knowledge along to you, my readers. Thank you for all the questions, comments and positive feedback. A toast to another great year… Raise your pint, and I hope that it's not filled with "green" beer!

Cheers!
Keith

The Best Beer Store

"Build it and they will come!"
"Go the Distance!"
"Is this Heaven?"

Well, pretty close for a beer lover!

No, I'm not talking about a baseball diamond in an Iowa cornfield... I'm talking about the best beer store I've ever visited. Just watch the headlights turning off Route 9 at the sign of the big red bottlecap that says "Half Time" (http://www.halftimebeverage.com/ )

I was surprised when my wife told me to go ahead and spend $100, and I'm slightly ashamed to say I spent a little more. How could I resist? They carried most if not all of the beers available from Rogue, Dogfish Head, Stone, Cisco, Southampton, Goose Island, Ommegang, Avery, Cooperstown, Otter Creek, Lagunitas, North Coast, Brooklyn, Bear Republic, Harpoon, Weyerbacher, Victory, Heavyweight... and plenty more American craft breweries... must have walked that aisle alone 5 times in awe. Then there's the German aisle, the British aisle (British Isle?), and of course the amazing Belgian aisle. And then there's the coolers well stocked with singles. And you can mix & match your own six-packs from anything in the coolers or on the shelves.

And after my cart is full, I notice the taps. One of the clerks tells me that they just put four fresh kegs on in the past hour alone, with twelve taps in total. Awesome stuff like Rogue Saison, Cisco Porter, and Aventinus Eisbock (though a growler full of such potent beer is possibly, dare I say, too much!). And if you don't have your own growler (a 64-oz jug with an air-tight cap for taking home beer on-tap), they will sell you one.

Beyond the selection, the store itself is probably the nicest, brightest, cleanest, well-stocked, well-organized, and well-staffed beer store I've ever visited. Really. Located on Route 9 in Poughkeepsie, New York, it is well worth the drive from anywhere in the Northeast... actually, anywhere really! I can't imagine a beer lover not finding at least a cart full of beers they either want to stock up on or have been searching for and wanting to try. Beer Paradise!

The Best Beer Book

Garrett Oliver is a true Renaissance man when it comes to beer. Not only does he brew some amazing beers as head-brewer at Brooklyn Brewery, but he is a lecturer, teacher, writer and promoter of great craft beer, knowing the history, process and lore of beer better than almost anyone. And then there's his true gift of pairing food with beer. Garrett's book "The Brewmaster's Table" (www.garrettoliver.com/books.html)

is the bible when it comes to finding the beer to match with a particular meal (or vice-versa). The book also includes historical information on classic beer styles, as well as descriptions of a few well-selected examples of each style. But it is his vivid descriptions of the savory flavors of both food and beer that will leave you drooling over the pages. Don't read this one on an empty stomach!

The Best Brewpub

Not only did Canada beat the USA in a World Baseball Classic game, but I'm sorry to say that Canada beats the USA in the best brewpub category as well this year. A trip to Montreal this Fall lead me to discover "Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel" (www.dieuduciel.com). From the outside, it could simply pass for another neighborhood corner bar, but inside pours some of the best beer I've ever encountered in a brewpub.

At least 8-10 different brews being served, including one cask beer (hand-drawn, kept at cellar temperatures), and many are styles with a unique twist. The Péché Mortel was outstanding, the best of a stellar bunch, an imperial stout with a rich coffee flavor. The Gaélique (Irish Cream Ale) was an incredibly smooth and flavorful malty red beer with a Guinness-like head and mouthfeel. I tried a couple of others as well including the Cask-IPA and the Saison (farmhouse-style ale), and everything was truly exceptional.

Our waiter was quite friendly, very knowledgeable about the beers, and was thankfully happy to converse in English (since my limited French vocabulary doesn't extend to beer-related terminology). I have only two complaints: (1) apparently they only bottle and export Péché Mortel and an occasional one-off variety, and (2) it is six-hours away from my home in New Jersey.

The Best Brewery

North Coast Brewing (www.northcoastbrewing.com) from California brews three different lines of beers… some say "North Coast", some say "ACME" and some simply say "Organic". No matter what the label says, they are all delicious craft-brewed beers. They are a brewery that tends to stick to textbook styles, but they brew each style particularly well. Their "Blue Star" Wheat Beer is crisp, flavorful and refreshing. Their "ACME Brown Ale" has a definite honey aroma, with flavors of molasses and brown sugar. And their "Cru D'Or" Organic Abbey-Style Dubbel is a rich and fruity brew that may be among the best American renditions of a traditional Belgian beer. While I haven't tried their entire lineup yet, I've yet to be disappointed. They are not as easy to find as say, Sam Adams, they do distribute to many US states, and are available in Whole Foods Markets around the country.

The Best New Beer of the Year

While I've sampled many incredible beers over this past year of writing, the one beer to hit the market in the past year that stands out in my mind (and in my taste buds) above all the rest is Sixpoint's Bolshoi (www.sixpointcraftales.com).

My first serving of this beer came in a brandy snifter, black as night with a moderate tan head and aromas of rich roasted barley and floral hops emanating from the glass. The taste is complex, warming, and extremely drinkable all at once. The initial rich roasted but not burnt flavors meld slowly into a mildly fruity, sweet and caramel-like middle, finishing with the subtle but noticeable presence of warming alcohol and ever so slightly spicy hops, while the roasted notes carry right through to the finish. There's a creaminess that permeates that just makes it even more drinkable. While other such imperial stouts may have strong chocolate or coffee notes, this one is all about the complexity of the roasted malt itself, which has dimensions and flavors that may include bittersweet chocolate and dark roast coffee, but goes far beyond. I honestly can't even describe all the flavors that come through... it changes and gets better the more you drink. Of course, with its high ABV (12% alcohol by volume), one glass will do just fine for an evening... even though the alcohol doesn't come through in the taste as strong as one might expect.

Simply put, a wonderfully rich and complex stout, perfect for lingering over on a cold winter evening.

The Beer News Story of the Year

(It could have only been better if it happened to me!)

Hot and cold running beer...
Mon Mar 13, 2006

OSLO (Reuters) - A woman thought she was in heaven when beer instead of water flowed from the taps in her apartment in west Norway.

"I turned on the tap to clean some knives and forks and beer came out," Haldis Gundersen told Reuters from her home in Kristiansund, west Norway. "We thought we were in heaven."

Beer in Norway is among the most expensive in the world with a 0.4 liter (0.7 pint) costing about 50 crowns ($7.48) in a bar.

Gundersen said she tried the beer but that it tasted a bit odd and was not fizzy.

It turned out that a worker in a bar two floors below had mixed up the pipes on Saturday evening, wrongly connecting a new barrel to a water pipe leading to Gundersen's flat. The bar got water in its beer taps.

"If it happens again I'm going to order Baileys," she said.

Click here for Alex Hall’s Norwegian Plumbing for Dummies

Beer Quote

From the TV show, Cheers:

Sam:   What will you have, Norm?
Norm: Well, I'm in a gambling mood, Sammy. I'll take a glass of whatever comes out of that tap.
Sam:   Oh, looks like beer, Norm.
Norm: Call me Mister Lucky.
            (or Mrs.Gundersen)

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