All Hail NA

So it's January and you've made New Years Resolutions...

And every day, it seems like there's some fresh new circle of Hell being discovered. Whether this is old white men who can't tell the difference between Iceland and Greenland (it's nice to see Erik The Red's old trick still works), Cosplay-triots using five year old children as live bait to unlawfully arrest their parents, and...I'm sure something else will inevitably come up that makes a dry January seem like denying a dying man of a water skin.

Yet somehow choosing to switch from my Miller Lite (blasphemous, I know) to non-alcoholic brews hasn't felt like an exercise in futility. I sleep better, I'm less swamp hag in the morning, and I actually find I have more energy in general than I did drinking 1-2 cheap beers a day. Of course, I keep emergency single malt scotch on hand for those days when, well, everything is horribly fucked. But, as this is California, and we go through hot and cold spells, lately the weather hasn't been cooperating with my desire to sample the delights of the homeland.

So, in lieu of craft beer, allow me to expand your consciousness in the non-alcoholic scene.

Lately, I've been partial to Guinness. Yes, they make the beloved classic in a non-leaded version that honestly tastes exactly the same. I had forgotten that not all stout needs to be some tar hued, bourbon vanilla infused, three course meal shake. The faux beverage still has that velvety smoothness and creamy texture as its heartier brother, the difference is, if you forget about it and let it warm up, there's no tangy alcoholic aftertaste. They recommend pouring it in a glass, but I am lazy as all get out and the can doesn't seem to make any difference except if you prefer a little head to your beer drinking pleasures. 

But Guinness already made one of the better tasting non-alcoholic beers, even back in the day, called Kaliber. At a time when your options were fucking O'Douls or Old Milwaukee, Kaliber was the godsend you found hanging out in the back of the Bevmo store on the tiniest rack known to man with markdowns and pitiful NA offerings. So it should come as no shock to anyone that they managed to pull off the hardest hat trick by making their own beloved beverage in its unleaded form taste exactly like it should.

Of course, for variety sake I picked up a twelve pack of Heineken's 0.0, which while not my favorite, is a decently light and drinkable beer. Frankly, despite my horrid experience with Sam Adams Hazy NIPA, which tastes like someone took a shandy and mixed it with a beer and said "behold, Hazy IPA", there are companies like Athletic that managed to get it right.

I get it, a Hazy IPA can be citrusy or fruity too, depending on your preferred freshly mowed lawn tasting experience. Maybe you want a beer that tastes like you're riding a mower through a mango field in Tahiti. Or maybe you want more of a Manmosa vibe by throwing hops into orange juice. My point is, Athletic brewing got their Hazy NIPA right. Kind of like how Lagunitas managed to get their own 'Lil Sumthin' in it's NA form to be just as drinkable and palatable as the real deal. I ended up buying a twelve pack and distributing it at one of our apartment complex parties as I rarely crave the grassy taste of hops, and a lot of my neighbors enjoyed it. It's definitely the sort of thing you could unleash in a high school party, watch people pretend to get wasted, and laugh about later. And since we're having another complex party tonight, you already know I have a twelve pack on standby in the fridge. 

You go into any Total Wine or Bevmo today and you no longer find just a single sad and lonesome rack shoved in some dark broody corner of the store. No, you have a whole goddamn aisle of options from Delirium Tremens (It's $24 a four pack, while eventually I have to try it and compare it to the real McCoy, I do have a dog that demands a metric FUCKTON of beef pizzle chews or he eats my socks) to Corona, to Lagunitas, and shit, even goddamn La Chouffe has their NA Belgian.

Truly I think the craft beer scene could revive itself if smaller independents decided to craft at least one house NA offering. I'm not talking seltzer water with a bit of hibiscus syrup splash, but actual fucking beer that's been muzzled. Granted, I know jack fucking shit about brewing beer or how to do so and effectively remove the alcohol. But still, in a perfect world, NA beer would be on draft. It's the only sensible evolution in my opinion. 

Not all who Wander are Lost

Time flies when you're having fun, doesn't it?

Is it right to reanimate this blog from ye olde days of yore? Though, given the loss of breweries like 21st Amendment and now, more recently, Rogue Ales, maybe a little necromancy is in order.

I'm older, not much wiser, and, well a lot has changed since 2012...

I did eventually get that Victory at Sea, hell, I managed to get cases of it back when I was working for "evil grocery corporation" and now Pliny the Elder is so popular, you can find it practically anywhere. Shit, they've got it on tap at the bar across the street from where I work now, and it's always Happy Hour. No, seriously, this bar has like a six hour long "happy hour", wherein beers are $6. You can't fucking beat craft beer at that price. 

Hell, even "near beer" got better in the decade I've been slacking off from the blog. No shit, I like Heineken 0.0 over actual leaded Heineken. La Chouffe even has a near beer! And...it's actually good. Yes, non-alcoholic beer is becoming tastier and more accessible.

Truthfully, I quit writing for a long time until around January of 2024 when I sat down in a fit of mania and ended up not only completing but publishing a fantasy novel under a pen name. My dad, the best drinking buddy and staunchest supporter I had, used to ask me from time to time why I didn't continue "the beer blog". Truth is, I don't have an answer. Once I started working full time I just sort of put any designs I had of being a full time writer on hold. I forgot about it. But, maybe only recently have I been reminded that you can still be an adult with responsibilities and continue pursuing shit that makes you happy. Hell, you have to. The world is...well, did any of us ever wake up and expect the last five years to end up the way they did?

I lost my dad in 2016, and ended up moving to Monterey in pursuit of happiness some time later. While I didn't find what I was looking for in the end, I did end up drinking a lot of great micro beer and read a lot of Steinbeck. Actually, the craft brewery next to my first apartment just announced they're closing their doors too. Now that all will remain of English Ales is a sweatshirt I bought out of necessity and a personalized stein because I wanted to be one of the cool kids. And that's a fucking shame, honestly. As these were proper fucking English style ales and not some reimagined version of the kind of pint you'd find in the Isles. I was fortunate, in hindsight, I lived close enough to Dust Bowl Brewing that you'd undoubtedly find me chilling out on the patio, enjoying the one week of sunshine we were afforded, drinking the grassiest India Pale Ale. I lived stumbling distance from English Ales at one juncture. And later I haunted places like Alvarado Street, which had a monopoly on local craft beer, or California Seltzer Company in Pacific Grove. But to be fair, while I will never be a seltzer gal, they did have oysters as big as my fucking face on happy hour and I was happy to gobble them up. 

Maybe I should've revived the blog during my adventures in Bulgaria. Where, surprise surprise, they have a craft beer scene that puts our sours and pastry stouts to fucking shame. You haven't lived until you've had tomato beer. That's right, fucking tomato beer. Not a Michi, a fucking ale brewed with tomatoes that tastes like a damn V8 but goes down like redneck water on a humid summer after wandering around Sofia for hours. I certainly thought about it, sitting at High 5 night after night, for a couple weeks and shooting the shit with the Russian ex-pats who run the place.

Craft beer is what ended up bringing my dad and I together, sort of. See, after his longterm partner died, we tried to find *something* to bond over. Cue Thanksgivings up in Oregon, wherein, despite being underage, I got to drink with the guy because we ran on European rules. He took me to numerous craft bars when I turned legal age, indulged me in stopping at random holes in the wall on adventures, and brought home weird foreign beer for me to try on a regular basis.

Perhaps with the loss of independent breweries coinciding with the ten year anniversary of my dad's death, I'm back in mourning. It certainly feels like it. While this was never an insanely popular blog, it was my way of spending time with my dad. It was something I looked forward to.

Maybe its return is part memory lane and part act of rebellion. Like I have written at the top, "Beer is proof God loves us and wants us to be happy". While I can't save every microbrewery from here to Timbuktu, as I'm certainly not a wealthy woman, I can write about them.

And I'm rather fond of writing these days.       

The Crest Homebrew Awesomeness

I've been a working girl lately and haven't really had much luxury time to update the blog like I keep promising I will. I have been keeping up with my Untapp'd account, so you can see all my cool beers there. Or follow me on Twitter, @38rakia

In regards to the last blog, I'll fill ya'll in on what happened when the product finished. SO, puffed millet is not a good substitute for the actual thing. I let it ferment for 2 weeks in my garage and maybe it was the cooler weather that didn't help it out but either way, what I ended up with made me violently ill and I had to unfortunately dump the entire thing.

However, I will be trying to co-brew a mead soon. Provided I can find 6lbs of honey, and honey--ain't cheap.

For those of you in the know, Blue Palms Brewhouse is open once again. Great selection, they have bottles like 38 Degrees--but not nearly as many. Their sausages are fantastic. As my buddy who decided to throw his birthday there said, "anything with Foie Gras is always the right choice". Seriously, the duck foie gras sausage will tempt you into never leaving. They had quite a selection of beers on tap and they had really seriously reasonable prices. The space is small, but frankly, so is Tony's Darts Away. Welcome back Blue Palms!

Speaking of beginnings, you may notice the title of this blog is extremely different. I know, you're thinking "What in the 7 hells is The Crest?". So, in the little town of La Crescenta where I grew up there was once a bar called Whisperz, where you constantly felt like you were going to get stabbed. First and last time I had been to the location, the bartenders and regulars were wearing white, except my friends and I. Needless to say, everyone was thickly tattooed and sort of had that look like they were Hard Core. So we abandoned ship after Kamakaize shots to go to The Fat Dog (hipster infested). But there's a new sheriff in town.

Now the owner has had the place for about a year, and while the outside screams dive bar, simply a neon sign that says "Cocktails"--they have great live bands. Sure, it could use a little decor love. And the peeling paint in the ladies loo reminded me that I was in former Whisperz. It's pretty barren decor wise, but it's clean and that's the important part. That--and not feeling like you're going to get shived. They serve TRUE PINTS. This is SUPER IMPORTANT. Seasoned Beero's know the beveled glass that the Irish and so on consider "True Pints". But for those of you who don't, you're being cheated when you're handed a straight "pint" glass. In a true pint there's a little muffin top in the glass near the rim, this makes it not only eaiser to not drop the glass when you're nice and fubar, but makes it a true legitimate "pint". Beer Honesty, it's important.

Upon first glance, the bar is pretty dead. I mean, there were maybe at most 40 people including us last night between the 2 homebrews I enjoyed. This place deserves a fighting chance, before it becomes lost to time like so many other bars have. My hometown can now brag that we have a legit craft beer bar that hasn't been invaded or overcrowded yet, with TRUE PINTS. Normally the draft selection is extremely impressive, I mean, I was hearing of beers that I know are extremely difficult to get a hold of. And the fact that they stock these is incredible. Now, a bottle selection would be doubly impressive, but, just the fact that they can get their hands on great hard to come by beer is insane.

The bar staff is extremely friendly, I mean when you want a beer it's instant that you are served. They're well educated in their product. They carry cocktails too, hard booze, and some great scotch (hint hint). I mean they really hit pay dirt with what they stock. Now, the Griffin on Los Feliz stocks my favorite vodka Russian Standard, and they carry some seriously insane hard alcohol--The Crest blows them out of the water on having great top shelf stuff.

There's live music, and not crappy music either. Whoever lines up the bands is really good at diversity, and I thank you, even if I can't hear right out of one of my ears currently (my fault, I picked the worst possible seat acoustically). Every last Friday of the month is Home Brew night, and the guys who bring their wonderful tasty children in for the masses deserve medals. There was a chili beer last night being served that is seriously hands down the very best. Stone did one, 6 Rivers has one that allegedly wins medals--lies. I don't know what this guy's secret was but it wasn't undertoned like Stone's Anaheim Chili beer or overdone like 6 Rivers abomination called "chili flavored beer"--it's like drinking liquefied peppers with carbonation, it's foul truly. I never got the man's name but he's ranked about as high as my brewmaster cousin. And no one out does my cousin. Ever.

They had 4 IPA's available and as you know, I'm not a fan of IPA anymore, but these were greatly done. I would've had a pint of every one but I hadn't eaten that day and drunkness does not become me. At 8+%, I'm not about to risk it. There was a Caramel IPA that was velvety, smooth, finished off really nicely.

If you want to dive headfirst into Home Brew, you need to go to The Crest every last Friday of the month. Hell, just go to the Crest either way. I know I am, don't get me wrong, I love TDA and stuff but The Crest is closer to home and I'm interested in seeing how it develops. After a year, it should be popping by now, this bar has a TON of potential.

Thank you gentlemen for the wonderful evening, you'll see me again real soon.

You can find out more about The Crest by going to www.lacrestbar.com

They were raffling off an infused bottle of tequila made by the owner, sadly, I did not win.

Anyways, I'm off to drink an Xingu (which is so good, go buy some, support the rainforest). Hopefully soon I can get back into doing my notes and bringing you better posts.

Home Brew Attempt: Boza, or something like it...

Okay, so I decided last week I was going to try my hand at home brewing beer.

Well while what I'm attempting to make isn't exactly "beer", it's alcoholic and made with grain--so for me, it counts. Kind of.

Boza is a drink from Bulgaria/Turkey (The Turks make it with Bulgur, the Bulgarians with Millet, Corn, etc, but millet seems to be "the best")that's basically fermented flour, wild yeast, and a lot of sugar. I don't know how big a "teacupful" is, but I just used a standard measuring cup (more sugar = more alcohol). Now, I balked at the notion of wild yeast because that can be downright dangerous, so I bought a packet of dry ale yeast (Nottingham) from Eagle Rock Home Brew Supply. One of the nice things about using Millet, is that it's a Gluten Free grain/seed/whatever, so those of you with Celiac or on Gluten Free diets should try making this. Nottingham's ale yeast is also Gluten Free. There's a few beers out there that are "Gluten Free", Colorado has a milling/malt company that sells Malted Millet--however, I am destitute and cheap and I'm not about to shell out 150 USD for a 50LB bag of malted millet. However, I would love to split a bag with several people sometime and try making Boza that way.

The recipe is pretty simple, and you can find it HERE. Basically, the woman who collaborated with other Bulgarian Housewives to see how to make "the best". Now, Boza touted something else too, other than a breakfast beverage served with banitsa--apparently it claims to increase your woman's breast size. I guess it's a damn good reason to go vacation in Bulgaria! BTW, I know I'm super late but--happy martenitsa, ya'll. Interesting side note, they think the word "Booze" comes from the word "Boza" (which I guess is said like "boo-za").

I know that beer does increase your bust size--but also the rest of you. Boobs are basically fat, so getting heavier will make them bigger. So, yeah I guess if you drink enough Boza (like every time you drink) then sure, your breasts or your significant others breast size will probably increase in size. When Bulgaria joined the EU, the tagline "Increase Her Boobs!" was so wildly popular, countries were snatching it off the shelves. Frankly, I guess I'll find out if my not-so-boza will do the same for me. Here's a few articles in regards to the boob increasing claim: Here and Here

So while I'm not making "typical" Housewife Boza, (I didn't find millet flour, but I did find millet eventually) and while I'm not letting it ferment for 2-3 days (a week), I followed the recipe online. I roasted the millet in my oven at 350 for about an hour, but I would really watch it--otherwise it could burn. I ground about 2 1/2 cups of millet in a pepper mill and started boiling my water. I boiled millet and sugar (2 1/2-3 cups) for about an hour at 150 degrees. I only used a gallon of purified water from our filtered system. ALWAYS use spring water or purified water, it makes all the difference. When the mixture got down to about 80 degrees, I put it in my fermenting jug and added my dry yeast. In order to cool it quickly from 150 to 80 degrees, I filled my sink with ice water and kept changing the water when it got tepid. You can watch the temp jump 10 degrees every time you do this. It's quicker than waiting around. Yeast cannot survive in boiling water, DO NOT add the yeast when you boil.

If you decide to make this too, make sure you leave room in the fermenting container so that if the yeast decides to really take off it doesn't come foaming out the top. If you think it may foam, put your fermenting container in a bucket, easier to clean. Make sure you sterilize your equipment, I cannot stress that enough. You're messing with biology and while you may think "my dishwasher cleans everything!" trust me--go buy BFT (an iodine cleaner you do not need to rinse out, but personally, I would) or else use bleach and rinse everything really really well.

Now instead of letting it sit for 2-3 days, I'm gonna let it go for a week and see what happens. I think with all that sugar though, this may not be the best tasting boza--but it's going to have a decent amount of alcohol. Whether this increases my breast size, only time will tell. I'll be doing a review on this concoction when it's done (Tuesday, which I'm gonna strain and bottle it). I'm going to assume my tweaking, is probably going to make this taste awful. For those of you in Southern California, millet--hulled or flour--is HARD to find. I managed to find it at Sprouts in Burbank. But they only sell the hulled variety.

This broke girl just found herself a job as well, which means more beers, more blogs. More reviews, more home brews. SO. I will see you all when my Wannabe Boza is completed. Thirsty Thursday to you all.

Winterfest; an occupational hazard, and a network!

I meant to post this all last night but I got sort of sidetracked.

Winterfest was a large venue at the Belasco, which of course had long lines and beers being changed every time I turned around. There were a lot of people running around with taster glasses who ended up bitching that "why did I pay 38 bucks for this bs, when you have a beer stein that they fill half way!". Yeah they do fill the stein up--and that would be fine if we were Vikings or at a friend's house. When you have 8 beers, most of them being 10% or higher--you want that dinky glass, you do not want to be me. Walkin around--not all there.

I started off with Ta Henket, which I could've and would've drank all day. A nice Dogfish brew with a little sweet honey after taste, considering it was part of my breakfast. Not very alcoholic and they filled my glass up all the way. Now, seriously, I cannot stress enough. Buy the tasters and the steins. See, with the tasters, you can get a little bit of the heavy stuff and if you're like me and you don't really like it--at least you only have an itty bitty glass. Something like Ta Henket--don't bother with the taster. Throw it in a stein.

I ended up grabbing a Golden Road Heffe after some Eagle Rock Deuce (which is Solidarity doubled)and tastes an awful like vanilla extract. Aside from that, I went around to just about every booth. Half the beers I had Untappd didn't have and I forgot at one point to start keeping track. Truth is, I never did find Victory at Sea or Pliny the Younger before my journey came to an end.

Now that taster/stein thing is a wee ridiculous and here's why.

If you get a 5 oz taster and you want to drink more, buy a stein to go with it. Or else have a friend give you one. If you already know what you like, don't buy a taster glass. It's the same cost per token to fill my stein as it is to fill your taster. Yeah, stein versus taster. The tasters for the more seasoned drinkers are a rip off, and one woman told me "They didn't accurately describe what we were getting from the 5 oz taster". A LOT of people I encountered with tasters were livid. They felt seriously ripped off.

SO, if you like to drink and you want more bang for your buck. Buy the stein, don't buy that taster glass. Or trade with a friend for a stein. But if you want to try a variety of beer, buy the tasters. If not, buy the stein. But you've been warned. It costs the same token to fill the stein as it does to fill the taster.

The guy in line slipped up and said tokens were 5 bucks each or 4 for 20. My dad being the more brainy of us two went, "well then give me 5 for 20, neither of those are a deal" and then he corrected himself to 6$ a piece. I really hope they use the same tokens at the next event because I still have like 4 of them.

Now the glasses are 15 bucks each, for the stein. And seriously, go to Tony's or Mohawk Bend to pick them up, do not buy them online. It's far easier to get in with the glass in hand line than it is for the online section. If you'd prefer the taster glass, which in a package is either 28$ or 38$ depending on if you want 5 or 10 taster tokens (you get a fancy blue wrist band!)--which I will probably opt for next time and when I'm less broke. Tokens come in packages too, 4 for 20 is not a bad deal, however I think it's a deal for the $38 dollar package for more taste friendly people like me. My opinion on the tasters though...If you opt for them, you should get a free taste of it before committing 6 dollars to filling your cup. I know, it's about $ but seriously. I don't think 5oz equates to $6. I might be saying that because I am currently underemployed and I am cheap, but I'm also saying that because people were really angry. In the event anyone with a say in ColLAboration reads this, $6 for a 5oz taster is highway robbery. $3 dollars for a taster or free (fill it less than half way, like they do at Tony's when you ask for a sample)--would be a much happier experience for people.

Now Beer fests like these are an opportunity for you social mushrooms to meet other people. We ran into another guy who wore the same fez as my buddy. Blogger hates when I try to upload photos, but I will attempt to post them at the bottom of this page.

Also, speaking of social opportunities, my god there were so many women there. I didn't realize just how many chicks are into craft beer, I was actually really amazed because I didn't think we were a majority. For single people like me, you get thrown into a situation where you get to mingle with other singles in your area, who love beer about as much as you do. I got a few people telling me I should learn how to brew my own beer or asking me if I brew my own beer. Honestly, I am not a very patient person and as much as I love the idea of doing that--again--I am really very broke. And brewkits cost quite a bit of money. Plus, I'd probably actually screw up more than be successful. Brewfests are all about a common interest, and although it was hipster dominated--you meet a lot of people. Especially if like me, you're a smoker and you run out.

Now, admittedly, I got pretty loaded--I tied on one two many beers and the Belsasco was just doing what they needed to do. So once I left to go find food--I was not allowed back in. Although to be fair, I wasn't going to drink anymore BELIEVE ME. I came home and took a power nap until this morning. I saw familiar faces, met a few new ones, and generally had a pretty good time other than being drunk towards the end there. But hey, it's an occupational hazard. And a lesson for the next time I go to ColLAboration, pacing and food is key. I am not a big drinker usually, so I don't quite know my own limits as far as "too much". My body tends to ninja me into this false sense of "I'm still okay" and then 10 minutes later "OH, I am not okay". Seriously, I think I'd be happier with tasters. And seriously, it's probably worth it in the long run--but not for 6 dollars a token for that. PLEASE change that with the tasters.

Thank you Ryan Sweeney (Verdugo/Surly Goat), Brian Lenzo (Blue Palms Brewhouse), Clay Harding (38 degrees), and Tony Yanow (Tony's, Mohawk, Golden Road) for this event. Without the four of you and your staff, we wouldn't have this event. People forget that we have to thank you guys for putting this on, and I would write you all a personal thank you note (as is dictated in Southern Tradition). Without you guys, without the planning and the detail--we wouldn't have a brewfest in LA. So thank you guys, for putting on one of the best beer events I've been to. Ever.

Oh and I never did find Pliny the Younger or Victory at Sea (but to be fair, the lines were so long that I'm sure they were released and instantly poof!). But I did find a lot of really unique beer that I had never heard of and that weren't on Untappd. ColLAboration was a great little event and frankly, they should do it more often. This was better than Portland Beerfest (Yes, I really said that). And someday I will find Pliny the Younger and there will be another Victory at Sea, but there's always next year. Or next brewfest. Whichever comes first.

Here's some pictures for ya'll. Until next time!

Winterfest...is coming

I know I said I wouldn't post UNTIL after Winterfest this weekend, but I'm excited and I want to share the love with ya'll. ColLAboration is a huge event, it's basically--38 Degrees, Tony's Darts Away, Mohawk Bend, Verdugo Bar, Blue Palms, and Surly Goat coming together to create an event for all of us beer lovers. Now ColLAboration has been hinting at what beers are going to be available during Winterfest--and admittedly my mouth dropped open when I found out yesterday they were going to be pouring...

It reminds you of Pirates of the Caribbean doesn't it? Anyways I spent 2 years looking for this beer before I found it one evening at Tony's Darts Away, believe me, between this beer and the newly released Pliny the Younger--I'm going to be all over the place. Now if you want to go, which you really should--you can buy glasses at Mohawk Bend or Tony's Darts Away. That glass is your ticket. And you get a cool beer stein to keep forever and ever. I might be wrong, and I will check at Winterfest but if you previously have a glass from another event--it still works as a ticket? Think I read that somewhere. There's taster tokens for purchasing your beer, which some of you might go "But I just spent 15 bucks on the glass!" SHHHHH. No. It's worth buying the tokens at the door so you can obtain said delicious beer. I'm not sure what the tokens go for, I thought they were 5 bucks a piece but I think that's probably wrong (math was never my best subject). Anyways there's all kinds of fun packages online Here for you to choose from. Now Pliny the Younger was debuted at Verdugo Bar last night and within 90 minutes 15 GALLONS were gone. Yeah, 15 gallons in about an hour and a half. So I suggest if you really want a taste of it, don't get there at noon--get there at 11:30. So you can be "one of those" people like me. Competition for that and Victory at Sea is going to be fierce. There are other CoLAboration venues during the year, but I'm not entirely sure when. Now if you're so broke you can't afford 15 bucks for a glass--there's all kinds of raffles going on via Twitter. ColLAboration themselves tweet about them, as does Tony's and Mohawk Bend. Hell, I just won 2 taster tokens--that's 2 free beers. I squealed like a school girl when I got the message about it today. You tweet? Cool, @ColLAborationLA is the twitter page. I'll be at Winterfest with my dad, aka "The Dude". He's good fun, I promise. So if you see me roaming around and you want to come up and say hello, by all means. Winterfest is being held at The Belasco on the 26th, from noon to 5pm. But seriously, you want Pliny the Younger--you should be there at 11:30. Otherwise, it'll be gone in 90 minutes or less. Also, a friend of mine who's tech savvy and knows more about this than I do (Oh sure, I could probably DIM, but I'm inherently lazy and I haven't used HTML in like...7 years) is going to be giving this blog a bit of a facelift. But this will be after the Winterfest blog--so you might want to read that one quickly before he starts making tweaks (Thank you Chris). See you at Winterfest.

Verdugo Bar, My Bloody Valentine, and 6.66% abv

So last night to celebrate some friends of mine and I went to Verdugo Bar. A friend knew where to go but the rest of us in the car were going, "This is a residential street, isn't it? Where's the bar?". You expect to find a craft beer bar standing out amongst houses and convenience stores, truth is, it's not in the greatest part of town. Nestled in a completely random spot you'll find it, the only real way of knowing you're there is the food truck (which is amazing and super cheap) parked outside a shady looking place that says "cocktails". Even on a Wednesday, this place was packed. It was either stand around or else sit outside in the freezing cold on the patio. Now, the fact that they have this room behind the actual bar (as you make your way to the patio) that sells/houses (not sure what the story is truthfully) boxes of records--like old timey vinyl records. The DJ playing last night kept us entertained for the duration of our stay, which sadly, wasn't very long. The beer menu is short, but semi informative. When I asked the bartender what she recommended she gave me a look and said, "All the beers that are in black are the ones we have currently." Frankly, neither of the girls tending bar last night were very friendly and/or helpful. They just sort of poured your beer and gave you a total. I had Delirium Tremens, which normally out of a bottle I know is magical--but either something was off with the keg or it was near the end--either way--it didn't taste right to me. Even when the girl poured me my beer she seemed to show little interest "how is it?". My buddy got a Shakespeare stout which while poured rapidly, turned out fine. They had a few other beers on the menu--but we all just sort of stuck with what we knew. On a Wednesday it was packed and more people were showing up after 10pm, like flocks of them. The bartenders didn't seem like happy friendly people, that's for sure. So after round one we all looked at each other and said, "do we really want to stay here standing around waiting for a table to open up?" No. We ended up grabbing my buddy's girlfriend (to right a horrible wrong) and firmly decided we were going to Tony's (since Burbank is closer and since it's a bar I love). No offense to Verdugo Bar but, it's not my kind of place. Especially the neighborhood, it's one of those parts of town you try to avoid at night or at least, it appears so. If you like music and you enjoy being around hipsters, by all means, Verdugo Bar is the place to be. Me, personally, I'm sticking to Tony's and 38 degrees and Champs (not a craft beer bar, but it is one of my favorite bars). Which once we got to Tony's, situations were amended and we were well taken care of. We found a seat and played some board games until 1am. Now, getting to the actual beer. Delirium Tremens, while I'm sure if I had gone to Verdugo sooner--it would've been awesome on tap but what I got was a semi-flat stale tasting beer. No bueno. At Tony's I debated between a Rye IPA and the Bloody Valentine. For a moment I thought it had said "Bullet for My Valentine" but I think that the band just comes to mind whenever someone says "My" and "Valentine". Now, My Bloody Valentine is a red ale and it packs--wait for it...6.66% ABV. However, aside from the number of the Devil popping up on this beer (I've seen it in Phone numbers too, a friend and I nicknamed a former suitor 'The Prince Of Darkness" because he had a 666 in his phone number), it's actually really good. The girlfriend of my buddy preferred it over the Solidarity. The Bartender at Tony's, Sandra also gave the girlfriend a taste of the Manifesto, but the girlfriend still preferred the Valentine. Mind you she's not a big beer drinker. So girls, if you're looking for a light beer with easy drink ability and you like the color red--then yes. To me, it had a sort of cheesey aroma and the aftertaste was a bit like an IPA toned down. I prefer warmer homey feeling bars, compared to trendy darkly lit bars. Look for me at ColLAboration, Sunday the 26th at the Belasco Theater. Pliny the Younger is being premiered there--I suggest you buy your tickets in advance. Until then... Hope you spend your thirsty Thursday well. As always if there is a place you'd like to recommend, let me know. Same goes with beers.

38 Degrees; A lot to cover in 1 night

So, as promised I said I would write another blog on Saturday about 38 Degrees in Alhambra.

I went with a group of friends, one of which frequented 38 degrees and was shocked to find that I had never set foot in it. Finding parking on a Friday night is a nightmare, but we managed and we were sat immediately even though the place was packed to the gills

Now we spent some time viewing the food menu and immediately setting it aside for the giant drink menu (of course). Upon first glance I saw the list of beers on tap and was completely shocked to see what they had, when I turned the next page, that shock turned to awe. They had things like Deschutes Abyss, which I know came out around Thanksgiving when I went and had practically sold out when my family descended upon the brewpub in Portland and also Jubelale which comes out around the same time in December. I meant to take an official count of both taps available and their bottle selection, but I would guess there's 20-25 tap selections and at least 50 or more bottles available.

While the guys started off with what was called "Clay's Flight", which consisted of: Dogfish Head's Paolo Santo, Big Sky's Space Goat, and Fathom (and I believe Fireworks by Craftsman). I immediately asked the server, "Can I make my own flight?"
"Of course". Granted, there was a bit of a mix up as far as my first four choices but hey, I know how difficult it is to be a server, we don't always get it right. But the server was very good about everything, from grabbing us water to the next round.

I started off with...
1. Drakes Pink Boots Saison
2. Old Stock (by Northcoast Brewing which is one of my all time favorite breweries)
3. Fireworks, by Craftsman (another Saison)
4. Stone Vertical Epic

Another friend went with the SF Beer Week Flight.

In all, we had a second and third round of testers (you would have to spend a week there with at least 6 people to go through everything once, including bottles)...and I'll get to the tasting notes in a moment.

I told 38 Degrees via Twitter that I was coming in, and I didn't really expect much other than "Hey 38rakia!" and that would've been cool. What really seriously made my night and was probably one of the greatest moments in my life was that the owner himself--Clay (of the Clay's Flight) actually came *back in* after leaving and came and found me at our table. We shook hands and talked a bit. That in itself made the night really special, my friends all went, "That was really cool." I'd really like to thank Clay for taking the time to meet me, it really made my night.

The atmosphere of the bar is homey feeling, we spent time looking at the art on the walls and commenting on a few pieces. All in all we had a really good time, and we are going back repeatedly.

Now, I'm just going to list all the tasters we had--along with my notes and even some notes a friend texted me later. I'm not a beer connoisseur, I've only been in the craft bar scene for 2 years and my tastes are not refined enough to be considered "expert opinion". Even though one of my friends would like to think I am (thanks Chris).

-Pink Boots By Drakes, a Saison
Now my ideal Saison is a light, sweet, spicy smelling beer. But Drakes was a little different. It was a dark amber color and a little heavier than what I like, but it was really good (I drank a little IPA so I couldn't really get a good taste on it) and I would totally drink it again.

-Marin's Witty Monk, I'm guessing a witbeer...
It had a really pleasant wheat smell, it was a pale straw color and it was creamy and very light. It went down really well and at the end had a few floral notes (to me and another friend, the boys--not so much). Definitely a great summer beer, easy drink-ability.

-Old Stock, Northcoast
I'm guessing this beer is a seasonal release, because it wasn't one I had ever seen before and I've been to the Northcoast brewery. It's barrel aged, well it tastes Bourbon Barrel aged. I recognize the pineapple taste from when my cousin Chip barrel aged some of his beer, I mean it tasted exactly like Chip's only less heavy. It smells a little pineappley too, if you can, snap this one up quick. Because it's so good.

-Fireworks, Craftsman, a Saison
For a Saison it smelled piney, had a dark reddish amber color. It didn't impress me much, I think because I'm used to a saison being sweeter whereas this was a little sour. I suppose it could've grown on me, but I wasn't that thrilled with it.

-Stone's Vertical Epic, Seasonal Release
This had cinnamon and Anaheim chillies in it. Now, I've had a chili beer before, from 6 Rivers in McKinnleyville (which I cannot stand that chili beer of theirs because of how badly it burns your mouth. Beer + Spicy Peppers? No...) but unlike the chili beer I've had before--this was pretty good. It tastes like an IPA, it's got mild hoppy notes (piney ones rather than grassy ones). You can smell and taste the chilies, but no cinnamon anywhere. It's pretty good, but it's not up my alley.

-Paolo Santo, Dogfish Head, STOUT
It smells of alcohol on first sniff. It's a dark black, which denotes it being a stout. Second sniff, you'll get dark chocolate and coffee (my guy friends got "Vodka" and that was really it). Upon first taste, it's definitely alcohol laden tasting. To the point where you feel like you're drinking hard booze and not a beer. But if you let it warm up a bit, and go in for a second try--you'll just find dark chocolate and coffee with a sort of peaty finish. Looks and first tastes are deceiving...

-Space Goat, Big Sky Brewing, IPA (with Galaxy Hops)
It's definitely an IPA, you'll smell piney notes--the only way I describe it is by saying "This reminds me of Christmas". And actually the taste itself was piney and "christmasy"--I know, not very descriptive. A friend who had Clay's sampler asked me if the pine notes in IPA were because they barrel aged it in pine barrels--which led to a discussion on what IPA stands for and the different notes I've found. I'm not a big IPA person, but Space Goat appeals to me because it's not super in your face with the hops. Excellent choice Chris, Andre, and Clay.

-Fathom, Ballast Point
It smells like sweaty gym socks, which if I can find my beer bible I could tell you what and why that is, maybe the next blog. I gotta do homework. Anyways, Fathom's initial smell might put you off but it's light and not over hoppy. Again, another beer I would gladly consume regularly. It's good. Especially out of a tap.

-Damnation, Russian River Brewing, Belgian Strong Ale
It's got a sweet smell that I couldn't really place in my brain, like Marin's Monk, it's a light straw color. It's sweet and smooth. This Belgian Strong Ale is now a personal favorite. Unlike Gulden Draak it wasn't a sneaky ass kicker. Amazing.

-Scarface, Speakeasy Brewing, Imperial Stout
This reminds me a bit of Old Rasputin. At first it tasted rather tar like and I was put off by it. However the second go around on it, it smells like a mocha. It's black and retains a nice head. Strong notes of dark chocolate and coffee put in a way that makes you feel like you want a piece of cake to go with it. Great dessert beer. A thousand times yes. It's one of the few beers I've found that tastes the way it smells.

-Red Rye, Golden Road Brewing, (LOCAL!)
Golden Road is a brewery owned by Tony Yanow, who may sound familiar because he is. Tony owns Tony's Darts Away and Mohawk Bend and just recently opened Golden Road in Atwater. This is the first Golden Road beer I've had, and I have to say, I am seriously impressed with the imagination on this Rye Beer. I've seen a few reviews that aren't impressed with this beer--and how wrong they are. It reminded me of a Rye IPA I tried recently, it kind of smells like cheese upon first sniff. It's red amber color and the rye is not off putting. It goes down smooth and leaves you feeling like you need a pint of it.

-Hanger 24 Chocolate Porter
There was some confusion at our table with this beer, since it was ordered with Serpent Stout. I ended up pointing out that the stout had to be the darker one and the lighter hued one smelled more like chocolate than the darker one. It's a light brown color, it smells of chocolate and vanilla. It's more like eating a cocoa puffs than drinking a beer. Again, this would be a great dessert beer--put it in some vanilla ice cream. You got yourself a great dessert (Heffeweizen and Vanilla don't mix btw, I've done that).

-Serpent Stout, Lost Abbey
This one is a potent brew, on first sniff it smells like tar. But don't let that daunt you. It presents a very nice mixture of coffee and dark chocolate. Not nearly as chocolately as Hanger 24's porter, but a close second.

-Rhinoceros, Telegraph Brewing Co
This one also tastes like a cask aged beer, it's pineappley with a creamy texture as you drink. It's a nice light amber color. There's notes of banana when it warms up. Definitely have to get this one again.

-Jubilee, Eagle Rock Brewing (LOCAL!)
Eagle Rock is just a stone's throw from Glendale, CA. I've had a lot of their beers before and always been impressed. Jubilee is not different. This one reminds me of Deschutes "The Dissident" which is one of my all time favorite beers (part of me died when my cousin told me it only comes out every 4 years). It's red ale looking, smells a little smokey and tasted like cherries at the end. Which is probably why it reminds me so much of my favorite beer. In the beginning it's sort of reminiscent of red wine. This is now my Dissident replacement, I just hope Eagle Rock doesn't release this every four years.

-Thrill, Beachwood BBQ (Long Beach, LOCAL)
Again, a close to home brewery. Have to make a special trip down there sometime. It's got a light gold color and kept it's head for at least 10 minutes after pour. It's piney tasting and what I call a "Christmasy" beer.

-Oaked Cismotane Aged Double Coulter IPA
Umami, or what I call "Meaty". It's like a marinade when you smell it. A little meaty, a little vinegary. Pineapple notes, spicy herbal taste. Extremely, Extremely GOOD. You have to have a taste of this to really appreciate barrel aged beer.

-Solidarity, Eagle Rock
I've had this before at Tony's Darts Away but I didn't take notes, their Manifesto is super amazing too. Solidarity is a vanilla heavy beer, but again it's a perfect dessert beer. The smell, taste, and the aftertaste are all lightly vanilla. It's a creamy beer. Reminds one of a vanilla latte. Girls will love this beer, especially if you love vanilla.


This blog is a huge one and I apologize for it's length. 38 Degrees brought some great new beers to the table and I'm really impressed with the food as well. Granted I stole a friend's fries, but that Garlic Aioli they use is to die for. I'm a ranch person myself, but when all the fries were gone, we had half of mind to lick the little bowl of aioli clean. Now, by the time we went to order food the kitchen had closed but that meant a trip to Inn N Out.

38 degrees is the place to go if you really want to try different beers or find rarities. A special thanks to Clay for making a special trip to come find me, we all had a wonderful time and I look forward to going to Alhambra more often. If you live in LA and you have time and you want to expand your tastes, look no further. Also, take your time with the 4 page beer menu. If you prefer taps, stick to the first two pages. If you want bottles, believe me, you will find them. 38 degrees was like dying and going to Beervana.

Now next weekend, I think I may go to Verdugo Bar with a friend of mine. They have Delirium Tremens on tap, as well as Saison De Lente (a personal favorite of mine).

If you would like to recommend a place, by all means, send me a PM on Twitter or post a comment. If you have a beer you'd like to recommend, I'd love to try it.

Have a good weekend Ya'll. Look for the next blog soon.

Long over due post

It's been nearly a year since I updated this blog.

For Christmas my Pops got me in the holiday spirit by purchasing a significant gift card from Bevmo which was used almost immediately.He also gave me a rather large book called "Tasting Beer" by Randy Mosher. Which I've been flipping through from time to time. I call it my "beer drinking bible". If you really want to get into craft beer, buy this book. It's about 20.00 USD but seriously a great read.

I purchased Saison De Lente (which was organic), Kwak (recommended by a friend), Gulden Draak (itty bitty bottle but it packs some serious taste and alcohol content), and more recently a beer by the name of "Terrible".

Now unfortunately I took no tasting notes when drinking these, so I'm going off memory. As always I'll allow you, the reader to decide for yourself.

The Organic Saison I bought was limited edition at Bevmo. Not sure where else one could find it. For a saison it was sweet, for me a saison is perfect because it reminds me of Champange. At Tony's Darts Away they have 2 Saison's on tap. Red Barn, which embodied what a Saison should be. Light colored, sweet, spicy. Excellent. And High Five, which while not a particular favorite of mine, is worth a try. The Saison De Lente Organic reminded me very much of Red Barn. Sweet, with herbal and spice notes. I even had my roommate (a strict Jack Daniel's man) try it, he said "This is American Beer?"

Yes, in America we can actually make amazing beer.

Kwak was an excellent beer. Oh it's pricey at Bevmo, and comes in a rather large bottle with a cork. It's a meaty tasting beer. What I mean by "meaty" is that when you drink it, you immediately want a steak to go with it. It's not heavy like a stout but it does have a weight to it. It's a little salty but totally worth the buy.

Gulden Draak is a Belgian Strong Dark Ale. True to it's name this beer was also a little Meaty in the mouth but I found after drinking it that I was getting a buzz! I don't recall the percentage but it was much higher than Kwak's 8 percent. It came in a tiny bottle but don't let that fool you. This beer is STRONG. Which isn't bad for it's taste, which was a rich and bold powerful that lasted more than a few moments on the tongue. Be sure you eat something before this beer. It's also VERY expensive for how itty bitty the bottle is. I got it for about 15 dollars. I saw a gift pack with 2 bottles and 2 glasses for 60.00. Oh. My. God.

Now Terrible was something I spotted last night. It's got a pretty plain brown bottle with silver writing. You can find this one at the La Crescenta Ralphs. It calls itself a "Dark Ale on Lees". I have no idea what On Lees means, but it's something good based off how this beer was. Brewed by Unibroue and out of Chambly, Quebec, Canada. It touts a 10.5% ABV. This isn't a heavy hitter like Gulden Draak but it is a thicker more robust beer. It's meaty, and I began to crave a steak (medium rare) to go with it. It's a little salty too, but it goes so well with all the flavor in this beer that you'll wonder why it's called "Terrible" when it should be labeled "Not Terrible". It's a stronger beer and I'm a Saison, Witbeer, and Rye IPA kind of girl--it's actuallly a lot like Chimay Red Label. For 10.99 (Ralphs discount = 8.99) this is one of those more "expensive" beers worth drinking. Eat a steak while you drink it, you'll feel like royalty.

Now, I've been frequenting craft beer bars (and even applying for jobs at them) and I have to say if you live in the L.A area or plan to visit...

Wurstkuche is a real "hipster" (trendy people who are only trendy because they liked a place, band, whatever first and now it's "overrated". They carry big cameras and photograph everything.) Location in the heart of Little Toyko. Now I applied and unfortunately didn't get the position, but hey, with great beer comes great responsibility. They have a variety of beer and sausages (and soda for you non drinkers). I enjoyed a Rattlesnake and Alligator sausage with roasted red peppers with a beer I can't recall. It's bench seating, huge. If you don't want to sit on benches, you can sit in a booth. It's beer selection is most of it's menu, and the menu is huge. It's cafeteria style, so you order at the counter and take a number. They will grab your drink order in line though, and it's ALWAYS packed. They have mostly European Beers, for you ladies they have a Raspberry Lambic. It's pricey but worth a visit.

Tony's Darts Away...I love this little bar. They have a patio in the front now and a brunch special. Vegan and non Vegan food. Did I mention they had ON TAP the legendary "Victory At Sea" by Ballast Point. I've been looking for that beer for 2 years. I've been in almost every night and the beer selection always rotates. The owner also opened Mohawk Bend in Echo Park (Which recently made a list of the Top 10 Beer Bars) and Golden Road Brewing in Atwater Village. Currently Tony's offers a Witbeer from Eagle Rock Brewing that is astounding. You can always taste test a beer you see as well, so you don't order something you don't like the taste of. They always have a large selection of beers. Now, some beers come in what my cousin called "true pints" and others in goblets, snifters, etc. They are not trying to cheat you by doing this. There are certain glasses for certain beers. Now a "true pint" of something like North Coast's Rasputin will be harder to enjoy because of 1. It's crazy alcohol content and 2.It's a Stout, it takes forever to pour. So don't feel like just because some beers come in Pints and others don't. Truth is, if you really love the beer, you can always go to it's brewery and buy a growler of it.

This Friday I'll be heading to 38 Degrees in Alhambra (they follow me on Twitter and it makes me happy inside) to check out the place. There will be a full review. Tasting notes and all!

If you live in California or elsewhere and you have a beer you want reviewed, leave a comment. You can also follow me on Twitter if you so desire for links to this blog and retweets from some local breweries. Or if you have a good local brew pub or whatever you would like a review on, leave a comment or hit me up on Twitter.

Yes, the blog is back, and I'll try to be good about posting every time I get a new beer or a review.

Follow me on Twitter:
@38rakia

Hoppy Hump Day

Fearless, Family, and Beer Waffles

Well, as some of you might know, I went on a trip to Oregon to visit the family briefly while my grandmother still has a bit of life left in her. Now in Oregon, I got a little carried away with my beer drinking. No, there was no overconsumption and consequently vomiting as a result—however I did spend a lot of money on beer. Normally, I’m consuming a pint of different home brews—but I wasn’t quite as spoiled this time around. Which made me rely on what the grocery store had to offer as opposed to excellent home made beer, and I won’t lie and say that I don’t like homebrewed beer better than everything else. My cousin’s husband’s beer sets the bar as far as my tastes are concerned, there’s nothing that could quite beat it…except for maybe the Dissident.

Haggen’s, the local “Ralphs” or “Vons” of Clackmas Oregon, has an enormous selection of beers for honestly, super ridiculous prices. I bought a Moonshine looking jug of Dead Guy Ale (consequently for a friend of mine who had a birthday while I was gone and enjoys being a part of “Rogue Nation”) for cheaper than a six pack of the same stuff. I bought 6 different beers so I could get a 10% discount, much like the wine/hard alcohol discounts they give out at Ralphs and such anyway. Plus Skull Splitter was supposed to be a 5 dollar beer, because it wouldn’t ring right, I got it for 2 bucks or so—and that’s TAX FREE I might add. All in all my trip to Haggan to buy 1 giant thing of Rogue, Naz Dravei, Pale horse, Boss Beer, Skull Splitter, and Celebrator only cost me about…20 bucks or so. No sales tax, which makes Oregon a wonderful state. The other great thing about Oregon is the "Northwest Brewery News" paper that they put out every couple months. In September there's going to be a "Biketobeerfest" in Portland, which touts itself as the World's Largest Bike in Beerfestival. Oh yeah, I will be there. In July, there's the Oregon Brewers Fest, in Tom MacCall waterfront park. I expect to make it to that too, but who knows.

Now I did also manage to visit a brewery while I was out there called “Fearless” brewing where my cousin’s husband had entered a contest and was consequently judging the affair as well. I’ve learned that I’m not quite into IPA anymore, although perhaps it was just their particular IPA that I didn’t fancy. However, their Scottish Ale is to die for. If you go, don’t even drink a sampler; don’t even look at the menu. Order the Beer Battered Onion Rings and a Pint of the Scottish Ale. Now my cousin-in-law did not win anything, well unless you count the raffle, which was basically won by the guys who bought half the roll of tickets. He walked away with some malt, hops, glasses, ah yes---and a giant Miller Lite poster. Yes, I shit you not, they were raffling off that at a Homebrew competition. I have photographic evidence.

Now my cousin-in-law’s beer was placed into a category that it probably shouldn’t have been in, since it received no awards or special mention. My father advised him to put more beer in more categories and to enter more contests. Which, let me tell you something about this homebrewer who’s married to my lovely cousin. He brews the greatest and finest beer, I think, than half the big “microbreweries” I’ve tried. When I went on my road trip, our standards of what beer should be were set by what this man had given to myself and my cousin from Ireland. We think his beer is great, we like it a lot, and I think he should keg it for me so I have a personal stash (hint hint wink wink).

The beer I bought at Haggen was pretty decent, I’ll give you some notes on what I selected and I recommend you try them.


Celebrator: Came with a cute little charm on it, import beer, Bavarian it tastes salty sweet--my aunt mentioned it had an aftertaste of Umami, I thought it was soy saucey. Ayinger Brewery double boch. It smelled sort of salty and was a dark nutty brown. 6.7% ABV. I'd drink it again. From Germany.

Pale Horse Export Stout:
SUPER BLACK. Thick, syrupy, smokey, comparable to Old Rasputin Stout. Salty scent. Salty on the tongue, good head retention, not strong or bitter like other stouts. Probably better a little bit warmer. From Oregon.

Naz Dravei: Czech style Pilsner with a golden color and a wheaty smell. Pilsner taste comes through strong but leaves a mild aftertaste. Makes a great summer thirst quenching beer! From Oregon.

Boss Beer: Wheaty tasting, bitter aftertaste. Crisp. Golden yellow. Tastes similar to Baltika no. 9 (see Baltika's review) but without the "shitty aftertaste". From Poland. Also a Pilsner.

Skull Splitter: Amber color. Figgy smelling, spicy, warm, with a strong thick taste that's rough--similar to a peaty scotch. Taste goes into velvet smooth finish and lingers on the tongue. From Orkney Islands.

Now after I returned home from my adventures in Oregon, I bought some very fancy beer. Le Merle is a Saison put out by Northcoast brewing, which while not being one of my favorites--when mixed with waffle batter, honey, and vanilla...makes damn good waffles. I also bought something I'd never seen or heard before, but apparently is damn hard to obtain (oops) called Cuvee Van De Keizer Blauw...which consequently...I didn't drink but added to waffles...

Cuvee De Keizer is an import, while also extremely expensive (12 bucks a bottle anyone?) and having a whooping 11% ABV. I have no idea what it tasted like, just that it made damn good waffles too.

Basically, take ready made waffle mix, sub beer (use about 12 ounces of beer or 1 bottle) for milk/water. Add 2 tablespoons honey and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Pam up your waffle maker and make those bitches. I stole the recipe off the internet from some cooking thing, although they recommended using self rising flour and such. It's a 5 star rated deal, so I figured I'd print it out. The link to it is at the bottom of this page.

Now I don't know when I'll find time to write again, considering I have a new potential business starting up soon, and no it has nothing to do with beer. Again people, if you recommend a product to me via email or comment. I will buy it and I will try it.

Have fun makin those beer Waffles...

Beer Batter Waffle!

If you're reading this, you've survived the Apocalpyse.

Okay!

So I'm finally done working this big crazy catering gig that's had me not writing for ya'll in about a month.

What kind of beer have I been drinking? Oh, I've sunk pretty low. I know I've said I despise Bud light with every fiber of my being (and I do) but that's all that some of my coworkers drink. Yeah. Rather than being an ungracious guest, I reluctantly decided that Bud light with lime on Cinco De Mayo was probably a decent choice. Might as well, they were out of Dos XX's (bastards) and Corona was $$$ for Corona.

Sure, I've revisited old favorites--like Longboarder and Pyramid. I even got to try a Doghead! Not that I can remember what it tastes like.

Today, I finally visited a great landmark. The Original Barney's Beanary. If you want to be blown the hell away, you need to go to it. Probably at least over 50 different beers.

I had a Delirium to start off (because it's amazing) and then--I finished off a bowl of Texas style chili with a "Monty Python's Holy Grail Ale". Which, holy crap, where can I buy Holy Grail Ale?

Crisp, light, aley...burned using condemned witches...How could you possibly go wrong?!

Seriously though, The Original Barney's has quite the selection on tap. Like The Snug in Noho, they have Chimay on tap. Which yes, Chimay is god damn expensive and yes, it's good. Strongbow, Mythos (a greek beer, yay!), Monty, Racer 5, etc etc.

What are you sitting behind your screen for? Get up, and go drive to the Original Barneys! Or better yet, buy a plane ticket and come visit America.

Speaking of visiting, I'll be visiting Oregon soon. Which means homemade beer, great craft beer, and potentially the Oregon Beer Fest. Oh yeah. You know I'm comin back from that vacation a little chubbier. Liver's gotta earn it's place!

Now I bought this stuff called...Kotayk. Which is Armenian. Now, I have 0 idea whether this tastes like crap or not, but we're about to find out. Why? Because I'm writing this live--because I love you that much.

Which the perfect snacky food to go with this beer (which smells like Miller Highlife for whatever reason)...try this...

Russian/Moscow style ham
Bulgarian Feta

Wrap those two together....oh man...I love you Russia and Bulgaria.

Anyways the beer!

It tastes like...

Nothing...

It's not very hoppy or pilsner like. It psyches you out. It starts off wanting to be a nice bodied Pilsner and you think, how nice--I could get used to this...and then the taste just--poof, away. Maybe if you're a girly beer drinker this might be for you. I mean, it tastes like beer...smells like beer...

But is it REALLY beer?

I'm sorry but no.

I'd categorize this as "Budweiser" worthy, i.e...it's pretty crappy and not very fit for human consumption. I would give this beer another chance but...after half a glass...I'm still not impressed. The aftertaste is kind of like...the smell of wet clothing only in taste form.

Kotayk...sorry but you could be so much better.

Anyways, all of you Californians need to go to Barney's Beanary. You don't know what you're missing.

Anyways Comrades...

I'm glad we're all still here. We'll get judged another day.

Next week...

Suggest something.

Otherwise it'll be whatever I decide to buy.

Pyramid Brewing Company

Salutations everyone!

Been working a catering job this week, I have to say, very amazing work those people do. Standing on their feet all the time and providing service with a smile, even if it tends to get insanely crazy. So that's again why this blog is so late. I'm working 7 DAYS, 55 hours (they keep increasing them, not that I mind, I enjoy money quite a bit, more money = more beer!) so--forgive me if I'm not "on top of it".

However, I did pick up a pack of Pyramid Brewing Co's selection. 4 bottles, 3 of each. We got a Heffe, an Apricot ale, an Imperial IPA, and another IPA. Right now my after-work beer of choice is a Sam Adam's Irish Red (left over from last week). Now, the Heffe is good--but not nearly as Heffe-y as it should be. Yes the color is right and yes it tastes like a Heffe but--it's not quite there. It's not as full bodied as I'd prefer, frankly, Spaten makes a much better Heffe and personally my favorite is the Old World Heffe. But, the Pyramid heffe is really not that amazing to be honest.

The Imperial IPA is super crazy hoppy. I'd say it would be a big hit for all of you TrIPA lovers. It's a lot like S.N's Torpedo. To the point where, you could pretty much relabel it and call it Torpedo. Not my favorite IPA but not half bad. Admittedly, it could be a little more unique like Pliny The Elder, which is an IPA I absolutely love.

The regular IPA, eh. Pretty much the same thing as a regular S.N. Only different label. Really nothing special, to be perfectly frank.

Now the Apricot beer is actually really really REALLY GOOD. It's a little cloudy, sort of like a Heffe should be. But it's not overly sweet or "Apricot-y". Admittedly, I have NO idea what Apricot should taste like--because I'm a carnivore and I don't mess around with that "vegetable" and "fruit" business unless it's in a smoothie or some shit. Admittedly, probably not the best diet, but whatever. It smells kinda peachy at first and yes, there's the dreaded "debris" at the bottom of the bottle. So if you're all freaked out over a little debris, then stay away from the beer. Personally, the fruity tasting beers that I like the best would have to be the Sam Adam's Cherry Wheat. I would totally buy a six pack of that over the Apricot whatever the hell I'm drinking.


Now, I randomly decided to get a Twitter Account, if you feel like following me--look for 38rakia. I may update about beer or some random goings on with my sad existence in catering. Tony's Darts Away has a twitter, Stone, etc etc. And we like beer. We like it a lot.

Next week I have 0 idea what I'm going to surprise you with, BUT, if YOU have a suggestion...Twitter my ass or comment.

If I'm not dead by Sunday, I'll see you all next week.

Why Sports bars are sometimes better than beer tastings/events...

So, I meant to go to Tony's big colLAboration but...apparently...the line was 1, too big and 2, the chick running the "get in booth" really didn't give me a good reason to wait around in line anyway. Something about not having enough glasses and too many people inside. When buckets of people were streaming out. Note to self--buy the glass before you go, it'll save you time and it's the same price anyway. If Tony's does something like this again next year, or soon, I'll have to buy the glass before hand. Being impatient the way I am, I decided standing in line wasn't for me, especially when it was going like Noah's Ark. In 2's, and extremely slow.

So, I ended up going to Champs, my "Uncle's" bar instead. First pint was a Sam Adam's Noble Pils, which from the last blog you can tell I'm already a huge fan of Sam's stuff. It's a light crisp easy to drink beer with an amazing aftertaste. Now, the bar was crowded, and full of "older people" but hey, you meet some pretty awesome people at Sport's Bars like Champs. Sure there's the obvious...Sports, element to the whole thing but if you can get past not being a huge sports fan (if you are, then this "seedy lookin" joint is right up your ally) and just want to enjoy a pint or shoot some pool, then go. Now it's not nearly as crowded as Tony's was this weekend, bright side, they've just got a liquor license that allows them to sell harder stuff, so if you're into White Russians while watching Hockey--it's again, for your benefit. Now, the second and third beers, pints--were basically free. However one has to remember I've known the owners since I was just two gametes, and we're more or less family, even if a drunken cyclist or two would dispute that. Now, on tap they have a pretty good selection of stuff. I had the Noble Pils (which I added green dye to on St. Patricks Day), a Bass Ale, and a Widemer bro's Heffe. They got the usual suspects too; Budwiser, Coors, Stella, New Castle, Guinness, Blue Moon, and so on and so forth. And beer's are generally inexpensive at Champs.

Bright side about the whole day, running into the guys who were ahead of us in line for the ColLAb at Champs just as we came wandering out of the bar. Who called to me from their car, "remember us?", and eventually names were exchanged and I even showed off my fancy "Champs" t-shirt. Gotta sport my loyalty, no pun intended. Nice thing about Champs is now they're bringing back "Trivia Night", which I believe is Sports related (that would be a definitive "duh" but don't quote me on it). So, if you're super crazy into Sports or you plan on watching Comedy Central's Norm MacDonald Sports--erm...whatever or you're just an average joe who knows a bit, go on Wednesday night next week.

So the only new beer I tried this week was Bass Ale, which has a bit of a spicy finish, but I have to say--I do like it, a lot. It's different. And the Heffe, which you all should know by now, I would never turn down a good Heffe. And with it heating up, I urge you all to stock a Heffeweizen or two, it's a great little summer beer.

Until next week beer fans!

Sam Adams; I promise you it's good

I've been lagging it lately and I have to apologize, normally I'm pretty good about posting every week but this last week was a little ridiculous. I got really lazy this week and even broke down and bought...I know, Sam Adams.

You'd think a mass produced beer that touts itself as "keeping to quality standards" would basically lie and give you the same mass produced water flavored beer as the rest of the massive American companies, right? Surprisingly, this bigger beer company has actually managed to put out very good beer in a very big way. You see the big boxes of the variety pack or the Boston Lager, and I've been bought the Cherry Wheat (seriously good), and you think, "Giant box = probably not good". But you'd be incredibly wrong.

I got my hands on a variety pack, which cost about the same as your regular box pack, except with a nice selection. It came with White Ale, Scotch ale, Irish Red, Boston Lager, Rye Beer, and the Noble Pils. Like I said in the previous blog, I really don't like Scotch Ale's but the rest of their selection is fantastic. The White Ale is crafted in the similar and familiar style of Belgian White Ale, think Blue Moon only with a spicier finish. Easy to go down, a perfect warm weather beer, and exceeding expectations as far as mass produced beers go. I'd drink Sam's White Ale over a Blue Moon. The Lager is incredible, I know they are very proud of it themselves but it is absolutely marvelous. Best Lager any big corporation produces in the US currently. I can't find any faults among their other beers either.

For a large scale American Beer company, it's certainly won my respect and admiration. In the event you go to a bar, they usually have Boston Lager on tap, or the Noble Pils. Which, if you're sick and tired of drinking the same old Miller or same old Bud, you need to switch, you'll thank me. As a matter of fact, you'll thank Sam Adams. Now, under the cap they put that they won an award in 2006 for best taste. I can say, unlike Baltika no. 9's bullshit "International Taste Award" that Sam Adams earned the right to put that on their bottle. Seriously, do yourself a favor and go pick one up. Your mind will be blown!

Now I can't say for sure what next weeks beers will be, it'll have to be a hunt and peck type of situation. I did see a bottle of "Fosters Special Ale" at Albertsons the other day that looked decent, and it is from Australia. Anyways folks, next week will have to be a surprise!

BEFORE I FORGET!

Next week! If you live in Southern California or will be visiting, Tony's Darts Away and friends is having a big beer garden shindig at the park. Your ticket is your glass, which is 10 bucks and you get to keep it to remember all the amazing beer you had.

ALL OF THE INFO, including directions is here...
Pop Up Beer Garden for Tony's

I will be attending! I can almost guarantee you it's going to be amazing. See you all next week.

Saison Dupont & Scotch Ale

Last week I promised both a bottle of Saison Dupont and the collaboration between Stone, Green Flash, and another brewery (the name escapes me at the moment). I am a huge fan of Saison, a style of Belgian Ale, which is almost champagne-like in the sense that it’s very bubbly and semi-sweet with a yeasty taste. Saison is also called “Farm house ale”, which one website informed me it was called that because they originated on farms by French speaking Wallonia in Belgian. Saison being French for "season", they were brewed on the farm to refresh the workers, being low on alcohol so that no one would pass out/vomit/be drunk while on the job.

The Saison Dupont is sweet, very light and has a spicy punch at the end that wakes up your tongue. It’s highly carbonated and comes in a green champagne looking bottle, including the cork. For around three bucks, it’s a great choice for someone just starting out in the beer world, girls mostly, who thinks all beer is just “liquid bread”. Saison brings a classy elegance to beer, like Audrey Hepburn did for the LBD (little black dress for you non-females/fashion minded people) in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. On Beer Advocate they rated this one an A, a very worthy grade for such a cheap and sophisticated brew. Saison is fantastic for a romantic get together when champagne is not on sale or you’re too broke to afford it. Like most Belgian Ales, it’s got a bit of a fruity taste (Blue Moon is the only thing I can think of that would be a worthy comparison) but it’s toned down and comes off as more refined than anything else. Saison Dupont is certainly a very refined and classy little brew, and I’d buy up as many cases as possible should I ever win the lottery. Another Belgian that’s extraordinary is one that a friend of mine introduced me to a couple weeks back called “Delirium”, I’m not certain if it’s actually an Ale or a Saison, either way, it’s ridiculously good. Girly beer drinkers, Saison and Belgians are for you. Delirium also comes in “Nocturne” or something of that nature, I don’t quite remember, what the difference is, I wouldn’t know—I’ve never had it.



Now the Scotch Ale that Stone collaborated with on, really very shocking. Most of the time I try to avoid the beer that my Scottish ancestors probably found amazing. It’s extremely strong 90% of the time, to the point where I’d rather be drinking Scotch than a beer with the same country involved. Scotch Ales are just not my cup of tea, reason being is that most will tear my tongue off and submit it to what lies beneath its kilt. But the Scotch Ale made by these guys really opened my eyes to what it could potentially be. Yes it’s on the dark side, but the dark side has cookies to tempt you with. It’s a rich body, but very straightforward with it’s distinctive taste. Yet, rather than being so rich that you feel like you’re drinking beer mixed with scotch, it’s very creamy. I didn’t know that a Scotch ale could be so smooth and creamy without compromising the strong nature of it. Granted, it was warm, but still, I think even cold the creamy consistency would have remained with it. As far as Scotch Ales go, I have no idea what the process was in order to perfect it, but Stone and Green Flash managed to do so without making it so strong that someone like me couldn’t tolerate it. And for around three dollars, I’d totally buy this again.

St. Patrick’s Day is coming up, well, it’s tomorrow. I’ll be wearing green of course, even if I’m nothing more than Ireland’s “skirt wearing” neighbor. Hey, they assault you on St. Patrick’s day for not wearing green, I don’t feel like getting shalalied either (if you have no clue what that is, look it up) for not supporting Ireland. But alas, I will be at a local pub during the day, wearing my green and drinking Guinness. What pub you ask? Why either at Joe's Bar and Grill, or his other place, Champs. So if you're out and about in Burbank, come find me.

Not that exciting I know.

In Honor of St. Patrick's day I'll be doing a review on Sam Adam's Irish Red next week as well as another surprise beer. I won't say yet, because I'm not entirely sure what it's going to be myself.

However, if YOU have suggestions on what kind of beer or your favorite that should be reviewed...just leave me a little comment. If I can find it, it will be drank (drunk?) and reviewed.

See ya'll next week!

Baltika 6 & 7

Going a little Russian this week on the blog. My mom bought me a four pack last week, which included a spiffy glass for 8 dollars and something cents at Sunland produce (best place to buy food, seriously). I didn't realize it at the time but on the side of the #7 bottle there was a little date saying, "born" and "good until". Apparently the Baltika was close to it's "death", which is probably why this review is a little biased.

Baltika no 6 is a stout and when it's cold, it's a nice deep brown that's nearly black, with a mild scent of coffee and chocolate. Now, me being absent minded had left it sitting around and although warm beer is good sometimes...warm Baltika is disgusting. Cold, the beer has a tinge of coffee flavor and goes down fairly easy, although it had a salty taste too. The warmer it becomes, the more salty it becomes. By the time I went back to my glass (about an hour later), the carbonation was gone and it went from tasting pretty good to tasting like I was drinking soy sauce. So, if your going to by the 6, which you can at either Sunland Produce or Bevmo for under 3 bucks--make sure you keep it super cold. Otherwise, you'll end up with black sea water instead.

Up above is the no. 7 which is called a "export special", but it's a lager and it's really not that special. It's got a girly pop top like you'd find on cheap Italian food in a can. Beer needs an actual top, not a little sticky ridiculous excuse for a top. It pours nice in it's glass but look at the head on that thing. Even after it was supposed to go down and melt into the beer, the head lingered, and didn't help Baltika's case. Yeah it's a nice little beer, I'll give it that, if I wanted to drink something a little more flavorful than Coors. I don't know why they'd export this because it's nothing worth writing home about. Of the Russian beers I have had, Zhiguliovskoye (sometimes it's spelled "Zhiguleovskoye" and no, I have no idea on how to pronounce it, I just call it "Zzzzblahowhateverbeer") is way better than Baltika. The 7 tastes like a watered down version of the 9 (the nine being the "extra lager").

Now I've gotten a book and I've been given more beer lately than I can possibly drink by myself, let alone take serious notes on. Oddly in the book one of the top 10 beers in the world is a brew made by Sam Adams (which I agree because of all the major breweries in the US, Sam Adams actually has standards). So if there's something you want a review on or you think I'll enjoy it, feel free to mention it.

And on that note, it's onto next weeks awesomeness...which includes one of my favorites as well as something--completely different. And they're super cheap at Bevmo right now (hint hint).

Saison is my favorite style, which is basically Belgian "Farmhouse style" ale. It's a little sweeter than most, but it's more like a champagne than an ale. Either way it's delicious and I urge you to try a Saison once. Le Merle (North Coast Brewery) is a really good one too.

But you've got, Saison Dupont (which on Beeradvocate is rated an A-) and a collaboration between Stone brewing (those of you who are unfamiliar, Stone makes Arrogant Bastard, it's got a gargoyle devil thing on it), Green Flash, and Port Brewing. And it's a Scotch Ale, which means it's going to be dark and thick and awesome.

See ya all next week.

Martenitsa! Oh yeah and beer.

Hello kids and welcome to the Martenitsa special! I told you all I'd be givin you a culture lesson for the last couple weeks, because Bulgaria has somehow managed to find this blog and they keep coming back. So I thought I'd appreciate them since, well Baba Marta is happening like now. March 1st until, well the end.

Now the first time I heard about this, I was led on by a friend of mine who tried to tell me "Well the red is symbolic of the blood of our women when they're on the rag and white is for the purity of our virgins". No, he was not serious, he was totally messing with me. Because I was culturally retarded and his mother had just given him his Martenitsa and I had no idea what it was remotely about. So that's why I went to a reliable source (more so than he is anyway), I went to Wikipedia.

Correct me if I'm wrong but Baba Marta is the holiday and the мартеница (Martenitsa, in Bulgarian, copy and paste....allllriiiight) are these little white and red things. I've seen them once, on an actual person, and they looked like miniature voodoo dolls. According to Wikipedia (oh yes, the source of information on the interwebs...not remotely misleading in any way) the tassels (or creepy voodoo doll things) are called ""Пижо и Пенда" or in English but still extremely difficult to pronounce "Pizho & Penda". Anyways, the point of this whole deal is to bring spring faster, good luck, and mercy from Baba Marta. Who according to the Wikipedia thing, might as well be a very crotchety old lady with a billion cats who gets pissed at the slightest deal. By wearing this little red and white do-dads, you ask for her mercy and if she's appeased, then good luck and Spring and she's ready to retire for the year. Your supposed to wear this until either you see a Stork or a blooming tree because that will mean that Spring is for sure here, otherwise you keep it on for the entire month. Another tradition is to place the Martenitsa under a rock and the bug you find next to it the next day determines how lucky or unlucky you'll be next year. I'm not Bulgarian, I'm Scottish and a bunch of other things--I'm just into cultures.

Either way, it's an old tradition, Wikipedia touts it as one of the oldest pagan traditions in Eastern Europe. There's a couple other legends about the whole thing, one of which involves a silver stag? Which being a descendant of the Picts and Celts, the silver stag showing up is like God himself being all "yo, what up". Guess we're not so different culturally after all. But our beer....Omg...whole other story.

OMG Astika. Which, seriously, no offense is owned by Anhauser. It's a Pilsner and it looks all golden yellow and pristine and then you drink it. I was sad for this beer, it honestly has a ton of potential! It's just incredibly watered down and tastes like practically every beer ever made in America. Like Keystone with a less pissy taste and more water. I was told a long time ago that this was not a good idea to drink because apparently even some Bulgarians hate it. Shocking I know, like Americans who hate mass produced American beer (oh wait...) right? Blasphemy!

I'm joking of course, but seriously. Astika has some potential to be less shitty. If Anhauser can let go of it and maybe make something that tastes original. See a good Pilsner is light, crisp, and refreshing (in my opinion) but this...this was too light, meh on crispy, and not all that refreshing. I was sad that I actually dumped most of it out. It was bitter and sad, like a jilted lover. Bulgaria can do so much better than this mass produced swill. They make Boza for heaven sakes! Or is it Bosha? Anyway, purportedly made for breastfeeding women (funny, I just talked about this last night) because it's low alcohol content made it ideal...one of the supposed side affects was breast enlargement. Now I found a recipe for it, and I will attempt to make it someday and see if my wimpy B's can become C's in some crazy epic fashion by drinking it. If the Bulgarians have made something that grows boobs...it's gonna be the next Viagra (apparently everyone and their husband bought this when it hit the European market, but that was a few years ago I think, possibly more).

Enough History and Geography and Boob growing booze...Crazy Bulgarians...

Ya'll saw the bottle of Mississippi Mud last week, so I won't bother repeating it. It was a porter and a pilsner mixed together in supposed awesomeness. Long story short, it gave me heartburn. I didn't even know what heartburn was, because I can eat anything and pretty much stay the way I am, so I'd never had any acid issues or stomach problems until this entered my system. Oh holy blue balls...I've never taken so many tums in my life. And honestly, the taste is bleh. It's just sort of whatever, it tastes like a Pilsner only brown. But if you want a cool bottle, then for 2 bucks, it's worth it. Otherwise, save yourself 20 Tums in one night and drink something a little classier, like Miller or something. I know why this stuff stays on the market, it's because it's cheap.

I dunno, I was expecting more flavor, more "woo!" inside of this bottle but all I got was "WOO! I HAVE HEARTBURN!". I was very depressed by this experience and I even have some left in the bottle but I sure as heck ain't touchin it. I'd rather drink bi-polar Baltika No. 9 than this ever again. Hell, ASTIKA is loads better and doesn't burn my insides like my stomach is where hell is at. And if you recall from above, Astika could be improved easily, if they cared more on taste and less about mass production and cash. Seriously, it looks appealing, but I assure you the crocodile on the label looks like it's smiling because it knows your gonna be in some serious pain tonight boi.


Now if I failed on explaining Martenitsa well, I apologize. You should look it up when you get a chance.

Next blog will be in a week, this time, remember that Baltika my mom bought me...


Oh yeah, a review on that.

AND DON'T FORGET, St. Patrick's day is in March...so get your livers in shape. Cuz, it's gonna be rainin booze.

Until next week.

Cheers.

Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale & Bitch Creek ESB & a Special Bonus beer!

I've had a seriously late post, I know, but you guys got the last post early last week. Plus it's been pretty hectic lately, all I know is it's FRIDAY! As far as the video blog goes, my camera took a dump on me and decided that it wasn't going to cooperate. So once I figure out what's wrong with it, or obtain a new one then we'll have to do a video blog.

In beer news, I don't know how many of you are familiar with the site, Beer Advocate but if you want to learn about beer styles, where breweries or pubs are in your local area, beer in general, and even trade for something you really want (for you hard core brew junkies)--you need to check it out. I have an account under the name 38rakia, pretty much the same name on this blog, so if you find me on BA, drop me a friend request or whatever. They publish a magazine which you can subscribe to, or you can just explore the vast reviews on beer given by people like you and me, and that beer fanatic. I'm currently trying to trade for some Irish stout stuff with a guy in Delaware but I'm having a hard time finding Pliny the Elder down here, so if someone knows where I can get it, Bevmo does not carry it, I asked. Apparently Russian River doesn't wanna do business with them, so whatever. But anyway, if your looking for THE LAST BOTTLE OF DISSIDENT 2010! Or something along those lines, you can probably make a sweet trade for it. Reviews are helpful too.

Also, remember the Review on Baltika Number 9 last week? My mommy bought me this...

It's a pack of 3 Baltika's, Numbers 5-7, with a swanky glass! And it was like 8 bucks at Sunland Produce. So if you want to try Baltika and you need glasses for your new house/apartment or you collect glasses, then go buy it! Now, I had 5 and 6, but this isn't a review about them. Sorry.


Bevmo was where I went to get the Kona and Bitch creek, although they've got a five cent wine sale going on and it was pretty packed last night. However that didn't dissuade my dad (who wanted to stock up on wine) and I from going there. Bevmo had a sale on Bitch Creek and a few other things, including Kona.

Moving onto tastes...

Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale is a reddish color when it pours, hardly any head, it's a grassy hoppy smell. It's got this cool smooth finish at the end that makes it perfect for people who loathe the overload of hops in pale ale. It's got a mild hoppy flavor that's just right for what it is. I've noticed I'm more a Saison person, preferring Belgian Farmhouse style over anything else. But for a Pale ale, I'd drink this more. The brew is from Hawaii, which the island chain also hosts Maui Brewing too (which makes fine brews such as Coconut Porter and Beach Blonde) and I gotta say, the Hawaiians know what they're doin. Kona Fire Rock is a perfect summer beer, especially if your gonna be hanging out on the beach or having a bon fire or something. I had some Buttoni with this, which Pasta and Pale ale don't always work, but the Chicken and Prosciutto tortellini go great with this beer. Oddly enough. The company also makes Long Boarder and Pipeline (which is supposedly a limited release but it's still at Bevmo in huge amounts) which I gave out as a Christmas present this year after I got home from my brewtour. I like this beer, for the price, like 8.99/7.99 for a six pack, and you can find it at Ralphs of all places. Seriously. In La Crescenta, go to Ralphs, go to the beer section. Top shelf, next to Sam Adam's and Stone. Why it's over there I don't know, but it's there.

Bitch Creek ESB, the last part standing for "Extra Special Brown". It's from Idaho and it's brewed by Grand Teton, why it's called Bitch Creek, I have no idea and I suppose I could look it up but I'm feeling rather rushed considering it's supposed to SNOW here and my office is cold. It smells sweet and hoppy, now there's a fine layer of sediment that needs to settle after you pour it. At first I thought maybe I had gotten a bad batch of Bitch Creek but for whatever reason I remembered if wine has sediment, then beer could potentially have the same thing. I overlooked it and I'm glad I did, because it's basically just sediment, you'll live. Now the name, Extra Special is true. This beer is extra special and should be treated as such. It's a brown ale with a brown sugary taste which combines with IPA somehow, it's seriously the best of both worlds (a brown ale and an IPA) in a bottle. Which that beer is bottle treated, so you know it has to be perfect. Yeah if your sketchy about the residue because your a hypochondriac or you like jumping at shadows when it comes to food, then stay away from it because it'll just scare you. But you're seriously missing out. I have no idea what "bottle conditioned" means but I like it. I like it a lot. And I will save this six pack for special occasions. Seriously impressive. To me.


Now, my dad picked up a four pack of Coconut Porter from Maui brewing, because well, I wanted to try it. HOLY SH*T. So you're gettin a bonus review!

Yeah I'm drinking out of a Russian Standard Glass, so sue me. I buy Russian Standard from time to time and one time, they gave me some glasses. Yes, it's not a proper beer glass, but I wanted to see the color of the Coconut porter and you can't exactly see thru an aluminum can. For 8.99 a 4 pack, you may think that's pretty steep, and yeah, your probably right. BUT! You haven't had a porter until you've had this porter. Now, you'd think a coconut beer would be disgusting, sweet and creamy and just bleh. Not at all. It smells like a coffee coconut explosion inside a glass, it's a dark brown/black color. It tastes coffee-esque with just a hint of coconut. Not overpowering and not sickly sweet, it's a great form of Yin and Yang. Put this baby in the freezer and wait 10 minutes, you'll have a cold epic beer. It seriously exceeds expectations with it's quality and robust taste. It's like drinking a toasted coconut cream pie. It is pretty creamy, but not gross, it's just right. Like I said earlier, yeah the price is WOAH but it's totally worth the money. Especially if your going to the beach and you want to impress someone who loves coconut and beer, it gets cold fast and it's insanely good. This is more of a chick's beer though, which I don't think I've ever said that of any Porter. But this Porter is perfect for bitches who like they're little fruity cocktails, hand some socialite with no appreciation for beer a can of this. Teach them.


NEXT week Grasshoppa's...

Mississippi Mud! Porter & Pilsner! So I guess it's a Porner or a Pilster? Anyway, it was on sale at Bevmo in this ridiculous 1 quart container that looks like a moonshine bottle. Oh yeah, bringing out the Southern Roots!

And for the BG's, I'm going to attempt to find something. Since it's Martenitsa next week and such. Oh yeah, and those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, crash course in culture. Only involving beer. WOO!

See ya'll next week. Preferably Wednesday or something.