Weekend Wrapup

Ahhh YEAHHH. Did some thangs this weekend...would you like to know what? I'm guessing no, but if for some reason you'd like to know, then here it goes: I spent this weekend with my two best friends named Whiskey and Beer. Friday was low key, with thoughts of Evan Williams (the whiskey, not a dude) dashing through my mind and the finest beers flowing like golden fountains of divinity, I got drunk. Saturday was a lil different, but still with that "whickey"  n brew in the system. Started at Cavanuagh's Rittenhouse with the bol Booker T. They had a weak beer selection; the best choice would be the Victory Headwaters. Had a few of them and a couple whiskey gingers. Next we stopped in for another beer at the Wrap Shack cuz I needed one more to hit my first level of drunk. Their prices surprised me. $3 Yard's IPA and $4 Victory Golden Monkey. I'll def be going there again. I hear they have late night happy hours, so maybe thats what that was. Anyway, we approached the main event of my friend's birthday party at the Raven Lounge. 2nd floor. The special was a PBR pounder and a shot of Jim Beam for $5. I know I'm going to beer hell for this, but I ordered it multiple times. Which now I know was a bad idea. I even stole shots off the bar that nobody was taking. Forgive me, but whiskey makes me a different man. I cutt some Rugg then left. I don't remember much more, but I paid for it on Sunday.  If you don't mind taking the chance of seeing three guys come out or in (gross) a single person bathroom all together, then Raven lounge is an alright spot.

Friday Lunch

Every Friday I go out for lunch (I have such an exciting life, I know). Normally I go to the Foodery and grab a beer there as well as something from their deli. Recently, for my Friday lunch, I stopped into the Foodery with the intention of grabbing an iced tea before going to Rustica for some pizza. Somehow I ended up getting a beer instead, imagine that. I took it to Rustica because you can bring your own and I paired it with their BBQ chicken slice. In my opinion I believe that Rustica has the best BBQ chicken slice of pizza in the city. The beer I chose, Heavy Seas Black Cannon, is a black IPA.  I tend to favor black IPAs over any other style of IPA. Black Cannon is a perfect example of a well engineered black IPA and is very tasty. IPAs go EXTREMELY well with BBQ of any kind. Needless to say, the combination of the two made a banger lunch. I got the itis from it which earns the meal my seal of approval. I suggest a cup of bleu cheese on the side for dipping (lard style). 

Beer Review: Lagunitas Maximus Ale

Lagunitas Brewing Co: Maximus Ale
Petaluma, California
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 8.2%
Beeradvocate Rating: B+
Serving type: 6 pack of bottles
Purchased at: Total Wine & More (NJ)

Look: Bronze

Smell: Piney

Taste: Floral

Feel: Full bodied

Drinkability: Medium

Pretty much every other payday I make a trip to NJ for beer and gas. They are staples in my life and both are much cheaper just over the bridge in Jerz. Total Wine & More is what I think the place is called that I go to. All I know is that it’s in Cherry Hill and that it has mad craft beeyas. You can’t buy em by the case there, but you can choose as many different six packs as you desire. Really, there’s no limit to how much you can buy. That definitely makes up for the shitty roads in NJ, really? No left turns?  Anyway, I’m not a huge fan of the Cali IPAs because they are usually too piney. But at 9.99 for a sixer of an imperial IPA I couldn’t resist. Shout outs to Sugarhouse Casino for the glass I'm drinking this beer from, I stole it on my birthday.

With the pour of this beer there is a very creamy head. The carbonation is continually shooting to the top through the bronze battlefield of booze. You can definitely smell the piney hops right away; the signature of any California IPA. You also can sense the presence of juniper in this beer. It carries a thick floral taste and packs a zesty pine punch. Then it transitions to sweet with a syrupy sap backbone. There’s really a well rounded flavor with every sip. It is a bit on the full-bodied side, so you wouldn’t want to drink this beer all night.

My Rating: B+. Only because I approve of the ABV.

The Craft Beer Biz

Here's a little recap of an article i came across at work while i was bored and doing nothing (typical). You know I'm bouts my paper so yous know I reads my Business Weeks and stocks and stuff.

As you know, craft beer is one of the best things life has to offer. Unfortunately most people drink shit beer. Domestics, light beers, coors light, it kills me to type those words. On the bright side, the most recent sales figures for craft beer are showing a change. The overall sales volume for the U.S. beer industry dropped 2.7% in 2010 while the sales volume of craft beer increased by 9%. For all you remedial people out there: THIS IS A GOOD THING. It means craft beer is catching on and as craft beer becomes more popular it will  result in more widespread availability, lower prices, and new breweries. People have begun to develop a taste for quality beer and we have seen the emergence of a craft beer culture in the US (hence this blog). All of this has taken place during the "toughest US beer market in decades", according to the CEO of Molson Coors. Boston Beer, maker of Sam Adams (considered a craft beer), reported a 39.5% year-to-date increase in stock price. For a shitty brewed beer those numbers are very promising. Imagine what a good craft brewery could do with all those resources at hand. We could see craft beer going from 7% of the market (current %) to 15% or maybe even 20% over time. So go get drunk for the cause or just because its Tuesday. Whatever you do just make sure you are drinking something craftayyy

Click here for the original article

Beer Review: Brew Works Hop'solutely

Allentown Brew Works: Hop’solutely
Allentown, PA
Style: Triple IPA
ABV: 11.5%
Beeradvocate Rating: B
Serving type: Four-pack bottles
Purchased at: Wegmans

Look: Copper

Smell: Herbal, Wood

Taste: Strong, Sweet

Feel: Warm, Low carbonation

Drinkability: Moderate

I’ve been wondering about this IPA for a while now, ever since I ended up with some beer coasters advertising it. A strong point on this beer for me was the triple IPA status as well as the 11.5% ABV. The higher the ABV, the happier the beer makes me. Also, I think I’ve only tried one triple IPA before. I got Hop’solutely in a four pack of 12oz bottles for like $8 or $9, which isn’t a bad deal considering it will get you feelin correct as shit.

The beer pours a copper earth-like tone with a thin appearance. You can smell the sweetness of the hops up front and they are backed by floral and earthy notes. There’s a little citrus closing out the deal. With the first taste you get hit with a pretty decent boozy blow, but are then quickly swept over by pears, apricots, and herbal hops. The beer gives off a warming taste and finishes dry and woody (no homo). I was very surprised by this beer because I expected a very thick and syrupy IPA. That was all but the case. The beer drinks and tastes like a beer carrying an ABV of about 7.5%. Its punch of booze up front will turn off rookz, thus making the drinkability to be moderate. Personally, I love the beer. It got me drunk as shit. I can easily drink it and it doesn’t give me GUTT ROTT. And believe me, you do NOT want GUTT ROTT…

My Rating: A. Best Triple IPA I’ve had. 

Beer Review: Southern Tier Gemini

Southern Tier Brewing Company: Gemini
Lakewood, New York
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 10.5%
Beeradvocate Rating: A-, #37 on top 50 Imperial IPA List
Serving type: 22oz bottle
Purchased at: Wegman’s

Look: Orange, Frothy

Smell: Hoppy, Citrus

Taste: Sweet, Malty, Spicy

Feel: Medium-Full

Drinkability: Moderate

2-row pale malt
Malted white wheat
Cara-pils malt
Red wheat
Kettle hops: Columbus, Chinook & cascade
Aroma hops: Amarillo
Hop back: styrian golding
Dry hops: Amarillo, cascade, centennial, Chinook & Columbus

I’ve always known Southern Tier to put out some of the best IPAs around so I knew choosing this beer would be the right choice. I’ve had Southern Tier’s IPA, 2XIPA, and Unearthly IPA. The seasonal Gemini is very unique in the fact that it is actually a blended double (imperial) IPA. It is a mixture of 50% of their Hoppe Unfiltered and 50% of their Unearthly IPA. I don’t know how many blended ales I’ve had in the past, if any at all, but this was no disappointment.

It pours a deep amber color with a bit of haze and cloudiness. A nice frothy head hangs around from the start until the finish. It smells right off the bat like sugary malts and then the hops follow. There are citrus and pine hops present, with a focus on acidic grapefruit. The taste is excellently balanced. The unfiltered Hoppe ale pairs perfectly with the Unearthly IPA. It starts off malty and bready and then transitions to floral hops. For the finish I get an orangey, spicy pine flavor. The alcohol is pretty well masked by this blend. Although it is a thick IPA, it falls just shy of the syrupy flavor that you get from some of the doubles I’ve had.  It is much easier to drink than the Unearthly IPA and with an ABV of 10.5% to back it up, you’ll be well on your way to making drunken mistakes.

My Rating: A. The 2^nd best Imperial IPA I’ve had, behind Weyerbacher’s Double Simcoe IPA.  Grab Two!

Victory Anniversary Party at Kraftwork

OH MY GOD, IT IS A GLORIOUS SIGHT

This past Thursday was Victory Brewing's 15th anniversary party at Kraftwork in Fishtown. Above is the lineup of all the different Victory beers they had on tap. Its sheer beauty brings a tear to my eye. There is a beer menu from the night, but its too big to post on the blog. Check out the full tap list HERE. I was kind of overwhelmed when I got there and I needed to gather myself and get down to business. I ordered a hopdevil on cask and planned my assault on the taps. Like I had said before, you can order 4 beers at a time if you want to try out more than a few brews. I ended up ordering 2 seperate flights of 4.

I think thats my second flight?

I tried 8 different beers I've never had before from Victory. I have had all of their IPAs (all of them are superb) and some of their other beers, so I tried out new ones for the sake of the blog. The launch of Victory's new beer named Headwaters Pale Ale made its mark at this anniversay celebration. For a pale ale it was probably the best brew out of the 8 or so I tried. The Smokin Oats tasted like BBQ/bacon and I really enjoyed it because I am fat/was hungry. It would go great with some bbq for sure, maybe even use it as a marinade. There is one beer that I suggest you steer clear of: Braumeister Pils. I don't know what the hell that word even is, but it taste like dirt. 

This is a pic taken at the bar. Some may consider it creepin. Regardless,  I dedicate this picture to Roni. I know you miss your girl. To make the celebration complete, they brought out a cake for Victory Brewing. 

Candles, singing, you know the deal. White people shit. I'm pretty sure we were the first people at the bar to get a piece of cake, probably cuz I'm fat/was hungry. All in all, it was a very enjoyable night at Kraftwork. The only thing that let me down was the lack of 90s music. From the Facebook description, 90s music was to be played. After all the alchohol was consumed, food was in order. Went to PYT and it was the best move ever made.. Nothing beats the grease when ya drunk.