Adam’s Beer Blog

I stopped into my local craft beer store (Shep’s Deli), and picked up a few brewskis which I thought I would share with you.

1. The Boulder Brewing Co. “30th Anniversary Flashback Ale”

This is a really tasty brown ale brewed in the Indian style. Essentially, it is a brown ale that tastes like an IPA - or at least, a real hoppy brown ale. I dig this beer. This is a very balanced brew and it is quite enjoyable to drink.

An india brown ale. Citrusy with a prominent hop aroma, finishes clean, crisp and dry with dark roasted flavors from the biscuit and chocolate malts completmenting the bountiful cascases.

ABV: 6.88%

2. Weyerbacher Heresy

I had to pick up another one of these. The first bottle I drank was when I was getting over a cold and didn’t quite have my taste buds back yet. I look forward to re-sampling this Russian Imperial Stout which is aged in Kentucky bourbon oak barrels

ABV: 8.2%

3. Atlanta Brewing Company #’s Ale

I’m actually drinking one of these as I type. This beer has somewhat grown on me. It is a bit different from what I normally drink (obviously heavily hopped IPA’s, pale ale’s and stouts).

This beer is touted as a “World-Class Special Bitter” - brewed in the style of an English Bitter (and a fine one at that) - Quite easy to drink.

No information available on the brewers website, but the label sports a 2008 World Beer Cup Bronze award for best special bitter or best bitter category.

That’s about all for now. There are A LOT of (great) new beers popping up in and around this market and I have tasted a good number of them. Unfortunately, I have not had much time to bog about what I am currently drinking, but I expect that situation to change soon.

Adam

Drink with the fish and sharks (and other marine life) at the Florida Aquarium tomorrow evening. “The perfect excuse to drink like a fish” their advertisement states.

I will actually be at the aquarium tomorrow in the morning, but will unfortunately miss this event which is scheduled to run from 7:00 to 11:00 PM

The Florida Aquarium’s SudsFest ‘09 is really pouring it on with craft beer from breweries all over the world. Dive into fantastic beer and delicious food from local area restaurants all for the price of admission. There will be a sea of live entertainment throughout the Aquarium and plenty of opportunities to check out our dazzling exhibits and cool creatures. So have a great time, but don’t get too tanked.

Tickets (beer and food included - cash bar for liquor):
$50 per ticket, $45 for members,
$60 at the door

Age 21 and up only.

More information about the event here.

Adam

As a lover of beer, beer can chicken and Indian food and spice, I think I might have to try this recipe (via the Detroit free press).

Serves: 4 / Preparation time: 20 minutes Total time: 2 hours, 20 minutes

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
3 1/2- to 4-pound whole chicken
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 can (12 ounces) beer

In a small bowl, whisk together the cayenne pepper, coriander, cumin, ginger, paprika, salt and turmeric.

Place the chicken in a large glass baking dish, then rub it with the lemon juice. Rub the skin of the chicken with the spice mixture, then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 6 hours.

Preheat the grill on high.

When ready to grill, turn off the middle burner and reduce the sides to medium-high (about 375 to 400 degrees).

Discard half of the beer. Place the half-filled can on a sturdy work surface. Holding the chicken right side up (wings and neck cavity on top) insert the beer can into the lower cavity.

Transfer the chicken and beer can to the grill. Stand the chicken over the center of the grill, positioning the legs to keep the bird standing upright. Grill, covered, over indirect heat, until an instant-read thermometer inserted at the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees, about 1 hour. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

From and tested by the Associated Press. 237 calories, 6 grams fat (0 grams sat. fat), 2 grams carbohydrates, 41 grams protein, 730 mg sodium, 133 mg cholesterol, 1 gram fiber.

You dont have to use beer either. Any liquid will work. I have used and will recommend 2 parts mojo to 1 part water. There are also several beer can chicken stands which can help to keep the bird propped up a little better than just a 12 oz can.

Adam

So, there is a new beer bar in Dunedin and it is dangerously close to my wife’s office

While I have not had the opportunity to stop in, their Twitter page boats “40 Taps, 200 beers, 1000 square feet“. A few of my co-workers have been on multiple occasions and have reported back nothing but good things.

I am certainly looking forward to visiting soon . . .

Address:

Dunedin House of Beer
927A Broadway
Dunedin, FL

Adam

So, I was cleaning out the garage this weekend and in one of the boxes I found a bottle of “Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout” tucked away in a box that was also holding an emergency supply of water jugs (my wife is paranoid about hurricane season).

If I had to guess, I would say this bottle is 1 1/2 years old. Now, there is a popular misconception that heat will ruin a beer. Well really, this just is not true. It is generally light that will destroy beer. Ever wondered why most bottles are dark colored? Beer advocate has an OK write up about this here.

So, back to my hidden bottle of Old Rasputin. I’m drinking it now. And after 547 days or so of being in the garage in 80-90 + degree heat, it is still as good as any stout gets.

Adam

Yes indeed it is that time of year again. The Florida Brewers Guild is preparing for their annual beer fest. Always an enjoyable event.

When: Saturday March 7th, 2 - 6pm
Where: Centro Ybor, Tampa Florida

Get your tickets now before they sell out.

I was browsing a beer forum or site somewhere and ran across this position with Craft Brewers Alliance, Inc.

Staff Accountant, Portland , OR

Posted: 12/10/2008 5:17:13 PM

 

Job Description

 

Craft Brewers Alliance, Inc. representing high quality hand crafted beers with a portfolio from Widmer Brothers Brewing Company, Redhook Ale Brewery and Kona Brewing Co. has an immediate opening for a Staff Accountant based in Portland, OR. This position reports to the Assistant Controller and is responsible for various accounting activities including supporting the preparation of the monthly excise tax returns, monitoring and follow-up of past due accounts receivable, and supporting the activities of the Finance Department.

 

Nice list of clients: Redhook, Kona Brewing,  Goose Island Beer Company and Widmer Brothers. I knew I should have paid better attention in my college Accounting class.

Adam

So, I picked up a Terrapin Wake and Bake Stout yesterday with the hopes that this particular brew didn’t taste like the used coffee ground coming out of my coffee pot the next morning.

As the Terrapin website summarizes:

This is a full bodied imperial stout with flavorful coffee taste and aroma. Black as night, this coffee stout is thick, rich and full of flavor. It includes a special blend of coffee created by Terrapin and Jittery Joe’s Coffee.

Well, my hopes were quickly diminished that very night. This beer just does not appeal to me. In fact, I found it disgusting. I had a similar experience with Bell’s Java Stout. Am I crazy? Am I the only one that feels like they are drinking a pint full of used, burnt coffee grounds? A 97 percentile rating on Rate Beer. An A- (excellent) rating on Beer Advocate.

I’ve almost decided that these beers are just not my style. But not until I try the Redhook Double Black Stout bomber that I picked up today.

Adam

I was just reading over the mrbeerfans.com, that they are looking for volunteers for a beer tasting or a beer contest to help raise money for the Momentum Festival.

The Momentum Festival benefits charities such as Dream Factory and United Cerebral Palsy of Tampa Bay/Achieve Tampa Bay .

Adam

Hey all. I am getting ready to do a major overhaul to my “Ultimate Tampa Bay Beer Guide” page.

If you can think of anything that should be added such as beer stores, bars, breweries etc, please feel free to to post a comment or shoot me an e-mail.

In an effort to stay more active on my blog, I have signed up for Twitter.

Please feel free to follow me there.

http://twitter.com/adamsbeerblog

While reading my news feed today, I was alerted to an upcoming episode of How Stuff Works on the Discovery Channel. Of course, this episode will be about beer making!

Via the Beer Examiner:

The one hour beer episode will run on “How Stuff Works.”  Flavor, diversity, history, culture, hops, malt, water, yeast, big brew, little brew and homebrew will all be touched upon.

Also likely featured will be Dogfish Head Brewing Company’s owner Sam Calagione and his “insightful” perspectives about “how stuff works” for the small brewer.

You can view air times here. Be sure to set your TiVo or DVR.

Adam

Seasons greeting! I hope everyone out there is doing well and drinking lots of good beer.

Yes, this blog has been quiet as I have been quite busy with other thing leaving me with zero time to write. I hope to change that soon.

Adam

Yes, it is that time of year again. Your opportunity is here to sample over 200 beers at one of the nation’s largest beer tastings (and become one with nature at the same time).

Tickets to the event are not cheap, but perhaps it will help cut down on the number of people which, in turn, makes the lines shorter. And after all, all the proceeds from the event benefit the animals at Lowry Park Zoo - one of the best zoos in the country. Once again, I will not be there this year. Not because it is too expensive but my wife and I cannot get a baby sitter for the night.

You can find much more information about the event here.

Adam

Over the weekend, a close friend of mine introduced me to Harr’s Surf & Turf Market in Palm Harbor Florida. Not only do they have a great selection of meats, prepared food/dinners, wine and cheese, but they also have an impressive selection of imports and domestic micro-brews.

Check ‘em out!

Harr’s Surf & Turf
3235 Tampa Rd
Palm Harbor, FL 34684
(727) 785-8873
Click for map

My wife snapped this picture the other day of a Chicago White Sox fans with a jersey on that reads “GOT BEER?”.

Funny. And just a quick side note: I am a Rays fan (previously known as the Devil Rays) and she, is a die-hard White Sox fan.

Adam

My apologies for the lack of blogging. I’ve been quite busy with my day job and traveling a bit. Try to write a few blurbs soon.

Adam

This is really a follow up to my previous post about my trip to Charleston.

I forgot to mention that when we went to the Piggly Wiggly, I noticed that they carried Victory Brewing Co. beers. I was excited because I still have not had their HopDevil IPA (Victory does not distribute to my area). Unfortunately, the only beer they had was the Storm King Stout (well not that unfortunate).

Storm King Stout is a Russian Imperial Stout with the alcohol content ringing in at 9.10% ABV.

With a huge, Pacific Northwest hop aroma & character upfront, Storm King subsides into massive, roast malt complexity. More flavor than mere words can adequately describe. Rich and substantial, it will warm your heart.

I picked up a sixer of this to take back to Florida. Not a bad brew but it does not top my favorite stout of all time: Old Rasputin from the North Coast Brewing Company.

Adam

A few weeks ago, my family made the trip up to Charleston, SC to see my newly born nephew! Yes, I am officially an uncle now. While most of the time was spent visiting family, this didn’t mean that we were not going to be drinking some good beer in the process.

One of the first things we do when we get into town is to hit-up the local supermarkets to see what wonderful offerings they have. Harris Teeter usually has a nice selection of beer so we headed over there. We ended up grabbing two different six packs of IPA the first being Magic Hat Brewing Company Hi.P.A. Not a bad American IPA but nothing out of the world special. Certainly drinkable. The other sixer we picked up was the Mad Hatter IPA from the New Holland Brewing Company. I think I would choose this beer as my favorite of the two as it had a nicer hop bouquet to it probably from the dry hopping process. For some reason, we passed on Lakefront Brewery IPA which has an excellent rating on BeerAdvocate. Ohh well, there is always next time.

With our time mostly devoted to spending time with family, there wasn’t much time to visit any local breweries or brew pubs in the area (not that there are many). We did, however, get the chance to head downtown Saturday night to grab a bite to eat and drink some pints at Charleston Beer Works. I found what I was looking for! COAST brewing Co. beer on tap! Their HopArt IPA was great. A nicely balanced hoppy brew that was oh so easy to drink. It tasted extra fresh too.

Walking a fine line of sweet malt and assertive hop character. A hop presence so enticing it truly is a work of art. (7.7% abv). Brewed year-round.

Also on tap from COAST was their 32/50 Kolsch and I believe their Red Legs Scotch Ale.

After leaving CBW, we headed down King St. a few blocks and wandered into the old standby Mellow Mushroom who always has a ton of beers on tap and in the bottle. To my surprise, there was such a thing as a Double Dead Guy Ale from Rogue. As it turns out, this is a new offering from Rogue so we had to try a few pints. My impressions: The taste is very much similar to the Dead Guy Ale only the beer is much stronger (of course). Not bad and I have to admit that Dead Guy isn’t one of my most favorite beers and I didn’t really get much out of this brew either (other than a buzz). You can read some reviews over at Beer Advocate here.

And I almost forgot. My brother in-law and I had made a trip to the Piggly Wiggly AKA “The Pig” to pick up some things needed for a party. To my surprise, they had a very large imported and microbrew selection. They even sold 64 ounce growlers right in the store. This, of course, is something that you will not see here in Florida. Go figure, the liqueur store right next door must close early on Sundays (something like 3:00) but they are allowed to remain open late here in Florida but cannot open before 11:00 a.m. The reasonings behind it boggle my mind.

Adam

With a rating of 100 on Ratebeer.com and outstanding reviews over at Beer Advocate, Bells Hopslam is certainly a nectar of the God’s.

Now, I can’t give away all my secrets (and I doubt my secret will be affected too much by this post), but Rollin’ Oats in Saint Petersburg has 6 packs of Hopslam for only $14.99! That is about 3-4 bucks less than you will find anywhere else.

Just and FYI

Adam

What a great new addition to our area! When time permits, I certainly look forward to stopping by the Oldsmar Tap House for a visit.

Via their Myspace page:

Oldsmar Tap House is a different kind of bar. With 35 beers on tap, including American micros, specialty Belgian ales, German lagers, and other craft beers, as well as over 75 bottles of beer from all over the world, you’ll have little trouble in finding the right beer for you.

But great beer isn’t the only reason to stop by. You’ll find your old friends here and you’ll make new ones, too. You’ll find your neighbors enjoying a drink or two. Make Oldsmar Tap House your neighborhood bar.

And for all you beer geeks and afficinados out there, you’ll love the joint. You’ll be drinking the finest craft beer, out of proper glassware, served at the beer’s right temperature. A member of BeerAdvocate.com or RateBeer.com? Bring your laptop and rate your beers, Wi-Fi access is available.

Oldsmar Tap House is currently the #1 rated beer bar in Tampa Bay on Ratebeer.com!

They will be added to my “Ultimate Tampa Bay Beer Guide” shortly but here is some more info on their location:

Oldsmar Tap House:
300 State St. E. #107
Oldsmar, FL 34677
Map here

Hours:
Mon - Thu: 3pm-11pm
Fri: 3pm-1am
Sat: 4pm-1am
Closed Sundays

Yes, it has been almost 2 months since the annual Florida Brewers Guild festival but I figured I would finally write a few blurbs on our experience.

It has been a few years since we have been able to make it to this event due to scheduling conflicts or what have you. This year, we were able to secure a baby sitter and my wife and I headed out to Ybor City on a beautiful (and rather cool) Saturday afternoon.

I was absolutely amazed at the number of people that were at the event. Centro Ybor was filled with people guzzling some great beer. I didn’t stick around to find out who the winners were in each category but a few standouts were Lagunitas, Bell’s Brewery and (somewhat surprisingly) Hop’s Brewery who’s Winter Pale Ale was fresh and tasty. There was also a stout that was excellent. (I can’t remember their name and they didn’t have a sign at their booth!)

For reference, you can see a scanned copy (PDF format) of all the vendors and the beer that they served HERE.

Adam

Not that this is really news . . . But some people might not know.

One minor difference to note is that there is a difference in the alcohol percentage when compared to what one would get in the 22 ounce bomber. The fine folks at Lagunitas have stepped it up a bit to 8.4% compared to 7.5% for the 22oz bottle.

Ohh ya, the bottle pictured below has long since been consumed.

If you are in the Washington D.C. area during the days of May 16th and May 17th, check out SAVOR “an American Craft Beer & Food Experience” (If i can find some cheap airfare, maybe we will head up.)

The 48 participating craft brewers will be pouring their versions of many of the world’s classic beer styles, such as pilsener, porter, pale ale, and stout. Revered styles like wheat beers, barrel aged beers, and Belgian style beers will be chosen specifically by the brewers to best complement an item from the menu.

More info here.

I just hate to see news like this especially after such a nice gesture by Samuel Adams. Sometimes Karma just doesn’t work in your favor.

Via tampabays10.com . . .

The Boston brewer of Samuel Adams craft beers said it is recalling an undetermined amount of beer because of defective bottles that may contain glass particles.

The company said the defective bottles came from a glass company that provides Boston Beer with about a quarter of its glass bottles. The “small grains or bits of glass” were discovered during a quality control operation at the firm’s Cincinnati brewery, Boston Beer said in a statement. The problem was confirmed Friday, and was traced to bottles coming from a single manufacturing plant.

The company said it has not received complaints or reports of injury. A spokeswoman, Michelle Sullivan, estimated that the particles of glass are found in fewer than 1 percent of the bottles coming from the problem plant. Only Samuel Adams beers in 12-ounce brown glass bottles are involved in the recall. Potentially dangerous bottles are embossed around the bottom with the code N35 followed by OI.

Article continues here.

Hopefully the amount of beer to be recalled is small and money grubbing lawyers aren’t already hearing the sounds of cash registers.

During this critical time of a world wide shortage of hops (partly due to the fact that farmers are growing corn for ethanol production instead of hops), it is nice to see such a wonderful gesture by the nations largest craft brewer Boston Beer Co. AKA Sam Adams.

Via SunJournal.com:

A shortage of a key ingredient in beer has shown that even business competitors can come together over a cold one now and then.

That happened last week when the nation’s largest craft brewery, Boston Beer Co., the maker of the Samuel Adams brand, agreed to share 20,000 pounds of its hops with craft brewers throughout the country, including two in Iowa.

A worldwide shortage of hops has left smaller brewers unable to buy the important perennial flower that adds some of the bitterness and aroma to beer.

About six weeks ago Boston Beer sent out letters to small brewers that it wanted to help them by making available some of its hops at cost. The company said it received 352 requests totaling about 100,000 pounds.

“It shows how great the need is and I felt really bad,” said Boston Beer Co. founder Jim Koch. “We even fudged it a little and went over the 20,000 pounds, but we just don’t have the capability of filling this hole ourselves, but we were able to fill 20 percent of it.”

More here.

OK, actually it is spelled “Garde Dog” as in “a traditional French Biere de Garde”.

Via Beeradvocate:

The Biere de Garde is golden to deep copper or light brown in color. They are moderate to medium in body. This style of beer is characterized by a toasted malt aroma, slight malt sweetness in flavor, and medium hop bitterness. Noble-type hop aromas and flavors should be low to medium. Fruity esters can be light to medium in intensity. Flavor of alcohol is evident. Earthy, cellar-like, musty aromas and flavors are okay. Diacetyl should not be perceived but chill haze is okay. Often bottle conditioned with some yeast character.

This beer just hit stores shelves within the past few days. Freshly brewed during March (this month), this brew is meant to be consumed during spring and summer. It would make a very nice summer drinking beer as it is quite easy to drink. Unfortunately, this beer just doesn’t do it for me. I would describe it as almost “tasteless”. PLEASE keep in mind that I am used to drinking heavier beers (IPA’s, stouts, Imperials).

**UPDATE** I drank a Garde Dog the other night with a big plate of chicken Parmesan and spaghetti and this beer went great with it. Nice and refreshing and easy to drink! So, perhaps one should give this dog a chance.

Some specs from the brewer:

ABV: 5.8%
Plato: 14
IBU’s: 27
Specialty Malts: Malted White Wheat, Flaked Wheat, Rye Malt, Biscuit
Hops: French Strisserspalt, Saaz
Process: Spring French classic brewed with an American twist

More info and humor (always from this brewer) here.

Always interesting reading, the latest newsletter from Boulder Beer is available online now.

Read it HERE.

Since Thursday was the first day of spring, I decoded to kick of the season by picking up a six pack of Copperhook. Sure I could have opted for something else, but for $6.99 a six pack I figured why not. Plus, I was going to be BBQ’ing for 10 people and I had a feeling that this would be a nice refreshing brew to drink while standing over a hot grill.

My prediction was not far from off. Each beer was consumed straight from the bottle and chilled to a very cold temperature in a tub of ice water. This beer is very easy to drink and was indeed very refreshing. Crisp and clean, I cannot comment on the color considering it went straight from the bottle into my belly.

I’ll be sure to grab more of this while it is available.

Adam

For years, this stout has been on store shelves in this area yet I have neglected to try it. Considering that the brewer also creates one of my favorite IPA’s of all time, Indica IPA, I am not quite sure what I was thinking.

Recently, I decided to toss an eight ball stout into a “mix your own” 6 pack at ABC liqueur since they give you 15% off the total price with your member card.

Appearance: Pitch black with very little head.
Taste: Malty and chocolate - Nice balance of malt and Pacific hops. Not too bitter (but I don’t mind more).
Overall: Very drinkable/enjoyable. Definitely something I will pick up again.