Delirium Tremens

First off, I need to make it known that while I am the daughter of a nurse, I'm not privvy to a myriad of medical conditions and symptoms. So I googled Delirium Tremens to make sure I was spelling it correctly, and this is the first result. Imagine my surprise when I found out that delirium tremins is a severe form of alcohol withdrawl.

Spoiler Alert: considering this beer's 8.5% ABV, I wasn't.

 I don't know if there's any better way to celebrate alcohol addiction than to name one of the most famous Belgian Strong Ales after an extreme symptom of withdrawl. There's a Meredith-From-The-Office joke there somewhere.

But seriously though, from a marketting point of view, how wonderful is their packaging and branding?

Do it. Now.

Look at this thing. It's got a bottle whose glass is covered by a ceramic-esque material so it doesn't even really look like a beer bottle. Without any labels or context, the eye might glaze over this bottle as a decorative vase that's between flowers.


Also signature symbol of Delirium is pink elephants. Sound familiar, vintage Disney fans? Dumbo champagne scene ringing any bells? Silly hammered elephant babies that fly when smashed. See that physics-defying fat drunk? That could be you!


The name, the symbol, the packaging, it's sending quite a clear and very, very clever subliminal message: You there! Yes, you. You. Are. A. Drunk. Don't fight it, don't question it. Enjoy it. Embrace it. And, whatever you do, KEEP DRINKING. If he could, Mufasa would appear in the clouds with his own Delirium bottle, holding his head up as high as he can after a few of these and pontificating, "Remember... who you are (hic)."


Now that I've blown their little scheme, will their clever plan cease to work? Probably not, because this beer is delicious. It's brewed with three separate strains of yeast, and the result is slightly on the sour mash side. When I first tried this, I noticed an aftertaste not unlike that of after partaking in some sour milk, or just before you puke. Now that my palate is more versed in Belgian flavors, I've come to like its wilder flavors. The bitterness here is well balanced, and the malt flavors are warming and filling rather than sweetening and there's no burn to the 8.5% at all. It's fizzy, flavorful, and quite drinkable. I find it takes a bit of warming up to before you can tolerate it. But it is quite lovely.

So you there? The drunk. Yes, you. Go try it. The pink elephants command you.

Happy drinking!

Chouffe Houblon Dobbelen IPA Tripel

Happy Hangover Day! Hope everyone enjoyed their St. Patrick's Day, complete with parades, beer and inhumane amounts of green.

And here is where a picture of me at of the parade

 would go if I didn't have to work yeserday. Phooey. 

I did manage to have a good night though, thanks to some good friends, a little seat it my favorite bar, and this little number.

Chouffe Houblon Dobbelen IPA Tripel is a 9% ABV Belgian enigma, mysterious in terms of taste, texture, and however the hell you would actually pronounce all that. This one was full bodied, but with the delightful fizz on the tongue of sparking champagne. I found that the flavor resembled a bourbon-aged, with bready malty notes and vanilla. Many other reviewers found this to be a hoppy beer, but I found that the bitterness was more of a facit than a feature of this one. I tasted a lot more of the yeast flavor here. 

Of course, this is probably because I drank the yeast (oops). This one is unfiltered, and has quite a bit of sediment. So if that sort of thing nasties you out, just do what I do: get a glass and do a smooth, uninterrupted pour and leave about half of an inch to an inch at the bottom so the sediment can't go anywhere. Easy peasy!

And yeasty.

Either way, this was delicious, and I would definitely have it again. Happy drinking, everyone!

Left Hand Brewing Co. Fade To Black Vol. 3

Goddamn it, Left Hand Brewing Company, why would you do this to us? Why would you create a masterpiece of spicy dark beers and make it a one-time-only seasonal? Why?!  

One taste. One glorious 2 ounce pour of this delicious brew and I was just hooked. 

And now, I'm pretty sure it's gone forever. Dammit. 

For the winter, Left Hand Brewing Co. comes out with a version (read, "Volume") of their seasonal porter, "Fade to Black." I missed both volume 1 and 2, but 3 I managed to snag at the American Craft Beer Festival.

To be concise: it tasted like chili chocolate.

To be verbose: It tasted like a medium bodied porter that had a pretty even chocolate taste; no overly roasted coffee notes or alcoholic burn dragging it down. The pepper was present on the tongue but it burned the throat more, which I thought was a nice touch. It was an excellent clean beer, and tasted like it would be a meal in and of itself. That's the only issue with this brew: it's very full-flavored, and wouldn't lend itself well to food pairings. 

THAT BEING SAID. This was just gorgeous and I wish they'd bring it back. But even if they don't, I can't wait to see what they do for Volume 4. Happy drinking!

Hangovers: And How to Avoid Them

We've all had that morning. I had it *this* morning.

But there are ways of avoiding it. And I promise you, even though you've heard them a million times before, they are tried and true tricks. Take it from me, the person that just admitted they were hung over.

Trick 1: WATER BEFORE YOU SLEEP

I think this is an obvious one. Water. Drink it. Drink lots of it. Especially before you go to bed.

Though beer and most cocktails seem to be mostly water, do not fall into that false sense of security. Beer is an alcohol, which dehydrates, and it's a carb. So, water.

Cocktails, for those of you that drink them, are mostly sugar. Trust me, those munchies you get when you're drinking? Half of that is thirst, whether you believe it or not. Don't believe me? Wake up in the morning with your tongue stuck to the roof of your mouth and see how long it takes you to dive for the faucet for some of that sweet, sweet H20. Toldja.

Trick 2: PREEMPTIVE FOOD

Preemptive being the operative word here. Eating while or after drunk will NOT sober you up. Trust me, I have tried.

Me drunk. 

The fact is, your system needs a buffer against alcohol, not something to mix with it. That just makes it absorb slightly slower, which kind of makes it worse because that means that stuff will never really make it out of your system any time soon. Eat food, and filling food (no snacks, you bird eaters) before you go drinking. Give it time to digest.

Trick 3: IF IT TASTES BAD, IT WILL END BAD


This one doesn't have an exact science behind it, but in my experience, it is quite true. My worst hangovers have been with rum and bourbon, and I hate the taste of both of them. Consequently, from the beginning of my *serious* drinking endeavors I've always loved beer and tequila, and neither one leaves me completely in the shit, so to speak. I am a firm believer that your body knows what is good for you, but the free-thinking forebrain or the peer pressure power doesn't want to listen. So listen to yourself. If you don't like it, nor will your body.

Ok, quick post? Ok. Happy drinking!

Abita Pecan Harvest

Abita Pecan Harvest is one of those lovelies that are substantial enough on the tongue to have big flavor, but not quite heavy enough to drown out whatever you're eating. It's one of my personal favorites, and I have a six pack of it in my fridge right now. Mmmmm.

Apparently it pairs wonderfully with Cambells Chunky Chicken Sausage Gumbo. Dinner of champions, yo. 

Abita Pecan Harvest is a smooth, malty ale with a very pure caramel and nutty flavor. This is actually made with real pecans, so the nuts really are a part of the beer, rather than an aside. This is a wonderful beer to nurse too, because it warms wonderfully- won't matter if you're chugging or nursing, it will stay good to your tongue no matter what. Pick it up next time you've got the chance- it's excellent both on draft and bottled. :)

Happy drinking!

Allagash Curieux

 Curieux (Pronounced Cure-ee-oh; don't make my mistake, I thought it was French and have been pronouncing it scher-oh for ages) is the Allagash Tripel aged in Jim Bean Bourbon barrels for eight weeks, and it is very highly present on the palate. The result is wonderful. Like I was saying before, this beer cannot be described in a small blurb. But it is truly an amazing beer, and something that should be tried by everyone.

Official picture from the website, hoooooo

Look at how pretty that is. Thing of beauty, that.

I was lucky enough to have it twice, once on draft and once from the bottle poured into a cup. On draft, the sweetness of the bourbon was present on the tongue, but not as heavy and saturated as it is in the bottle. In the bottle, it's very boozy and tastes more like bourbon than beer. On draft, there as a hint more bitterness, and the swallow had a burn that to me resembled smooth vodka. The bottle Curieux, on the other hand had the smokey vanilla down pat, and left your mouth with a slightly cloying bourbon taste. I guess the tap really aerated the beer, because even though I enjoyed the bottle, the tap really had a more balanced flavor that left me wanting more. The bottle was a slight bit overwhelming.

Also, warning: It is ELEVEN PERCENT ABV. 11%. Most beers are 4-8% so watch out- that stuff sneaks up on you quick.

Now, on draft, it just might run you anywhere from $6-$10, when you can find it. The bottles, however, can run you $25-$40 (*faint*) but even though I paint it in a negative light here, it is definitely a culinary treat to be split amongst friends like a fine wine. Drink it in a goblet- I promise you it makes a difference.

Happy drinking!

Wednesday Night Idle Hands Bar Tasting: Diandra's Conversion Therapy

Hello, two or three people who read this blog! Bienvenidos!

Yesterday was Wednesday, which means Idle Hands Bar was having their $10 tasting. I made damn sure I was there, because I feel like that's just the only way to get through the middle of the week. It just is, isn't it?

Well, that's the only way I get through it.

However, there was an ulterior motive tonight. I had my darling dear Diandra with me, who was willing to convert to the barley side of the force. Diandra, say hello.

Hiiiiiiiii

I figured a cheap but good tasting was the best way to go on that front. Usually, the weekly Idle Hands tastings involve a particular brewery being featured with representatives on site to enthuse about the beers and tell you their success story, which is my favorite part, personally. The whole package involves two full eight ounce pours of the featured beers on tap (!!), three tasting flights of the bottles, cans, or growlers that the reps have, a jigger of bourbon that may or may not come with a rep from the distillery to talk about its background there AND...

Tots from Billy Hurricane's upstairs with spiked sauce.

Seriously. Tater tots. YUM.

Unfortunately, this week didn't have a featured brewery, much to my disappointment. So the executive decision from the lovely Rob behind the bar was that we just got three (!!!) full eight ounces of whatever they had on tap. So I felt just a sliiiiight bit less disappointed, but what the hey.

Each one of these beers will get their own post later on, but for now I'm just going to give you a general overview of how they tasted for me and for Diandra. The more extensive reviews will go up soon, I promise!

Their taps for the evening: Bolded if tasted and in descending order of tasting.

Uinta Hop Notch Anniversary Seasonal: (our third pour)

Something I actually could not find on their website; may have been an error on the bar's part or just not listed yet. The Hop Notch I could find is an IPA. Now, I found this light-bodied one to be a bit confused on the tongue: like a malty beer that was overhopped as an aside. The citrusy, grassy flavor felt out of place here. 

Diandra agreed with me, finding it too strange for her and I ended up downing the rest of hers. Which was basically all of it.

Lagunitas Lil' Sumptin' Ale (our second pour)

This one I found airy and light with a high drinkability. Or at least high in compared to Self-Righteous. This was grassy and crisp, but a bit one-dimensional. 

Diandra liked the Stone one better, and actually found that one easier to drink. so down my gullet half of this one went. 

Stone Sublimely Self Righteous Ale (our first pour)

Diandre's favorite from the tasting last night, and a pretty decent one for it. This one had a much heavier body than the others, with a bitter baste that lingers  on the tongue but doesn't overpower the consumer with harsh bitteness. There is a deep roasted maltiness that balances it out and smooths out the whole experience. So all in all, pretty good.

They also had Stone IPA and Breckenridge 72 Imperial Chocolate Cream Stout. I regret not trying the latter (Diandra was unwilling to try Stouts just yet) but I guess all the more reason to go back before they switch out the taps!  

While I somewhat enjoyed what was on tap, I found the variety of flavors a bit lacking that night. So I decided it was time to broaden her horizons as to what beer could be. So I ordered an Allagash White so I could show her a Belgian and the difference in taste between yeastier and hoppier beers. Unfortunately someone didn't restock the fridge (shame shame) so Rob recommended this little number. And I'm glad he did. 

That's Harpoon UFO Belgian White if you can't read through the DAMN PHONES FLASH ASDFGH

Harpoon UFO is an unfiltered (meaning yeast in the bottle, so watch it) Belgian white that had a very creamy, fruity ester taste. Diandra loved this one and this is one of my favorites as well. It was crisp, but a medium mouthfeel, very filling. 

But that's not all for the night, oh no. See, they recently started stocking Allagash Curieux and that was one I had ages ago on draft at Mudville No 9. This one was a favorite of mine, which I remember being a rich, balanced beer with a vodka-ish harsh alcohol burn that I actually liked. I asked offhand when they started stocking it, and Rob said that it was a recent addition to the menu, though it hasn't been selling well. 

So, he decided to just open a bottle and sample it out. 

This beer cannot be summed up in a little blurb, so I'll just say this- Curieux not selling is a damn shame. TRY IT. DIANDRA COMMANDS YOU. 

Happy drinking!

Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout

So it’s 10pm I just got off work three hours ago and I have work at 8:30 am tomorrow, so I’m gonna need a hell of a buzz to prepare myself for another 8 hours of hell. So I thought I’d try this little number.

First sight of this one was the poor bastard being spat up by Gordon Ramsey while finding the perfect beer to pair with his veal. Now, Gordon is not a beer gourmet, which to me is neither here nor there. But, this is absolutely not a beer to pair with veal. Veal requires something delicate, and this is decidedly not. 

In the bottle it has a wet, boozy scent with some faint hint of chocolate. On the tongue, it has a smokey, bitter taste, that kind of reminds me of overroasted coffee. The chocolate is an accent, more than it is a feature. There is an aftertaste, and I think that’s where the chocolate comes through, but I’m going  to be honest- this was not a gourmet experience for me. Young’s is still winning. 

Though now that I think about it, this could be because technically Young’s has an added chocolate flavoring, it’s not just chocolate roasted malts and other black malts. So Brooklyn doesn’t use any additions to enhance the flavors. Perhaps it’s for purity reasons, but whether that helps or hinders it’s credibility as a chocolate stout is up to you. I just want some damn chocolate taste, yo. 

That being said, I’m painting this in an unfairly negative light here. This was actually very good. The longer you have it the more chocolaty it is, and the beer warms up excellently, which cannot be said for most stouts. It’s also great for if you love stouts like guiness (thought it has much more body than that particular tried and true favorite) but you kind of need a bigger buzz than one or two of those will leave you with. Definitely worth an evening of your time. 

If anyone cares about the cold, hard facts, this is a 10% abv imperial stout from Brooklyn Brewery. It’s seasonal, so indulge while you can this winter. I mean, this will be back next winter, but who would wait a year for good beer?

Also, watch Ramsey fail at beer here

Ayinger Celebrator Dopplebock

Ayinger Celebretor Dopplebock. What can I say about this one?

I've not had this one for a while, so bear with me. I very much remember this having a nice smoothness and a very light aftertaste. It does smell a bit uninteresting out of the bottle, but it tastes like dark chocolate with a lingering bitterness of subdued hops. I remember wanting to try this one again soon.

Also, it made me look up what  a dopplebock is. Apparently they're just extra strong German lagers. Tasty.

I recommend this one for two reasons. First, it was dark and malty and left little to no aftertaste on the tongue. 

Secondly, it comes with a keychain. 

I... think it's a goat. 

NYC American Craft Beer Festival: My Impressions

Aaaaah, craft beer festivals. A lovely collection of beer enthusiasts, beer brewers, volunteers who don't know anything, and pretty much every different kind of beer your alcoholic dreams could ever even think of. 

Unfortunately, the night of the festival, I only managed to update my tumblr, not my blogspot, so that's why this lovely piece of beer'mericana was missing from my blog. But no more!

Behold, the NYC American Craft Beer Festival, held on March 3rd in the Lexington Ave Armory.

No, Hunter students, the OTHER one. 

Yes, there is apparently another one. Didn't know that 'til the last minute.

...If by "every different kind", I meant IPAs, Belgians, IPAs, porters, IPAs, blond ales...

Did I mention IPAs?

Seriously though, somehow, out of the extensive list of brewers and cider houses, you'd be hard-pressed to find a stand that didn't have a yellow to golden brown brew that was dressed to the nines in sharp citrus-y hops. However, seeing as this seems to be par for the course with craft beer, I didn't think anything of it. 

I went by myself, so I passed the time by talking to a lot of people there, and while there, I learned quite a lot. I learned that all of Weyerbacher's blends contain some amount of Simcoe hops. I learned that Farum Hill's Extra Dry Cider uses all english apples and specifically avoids Granny Smiths and the like. I learned that singles, dubbles, triples and quadrupels were originally a marketing ploy from belgium so they could created a varied market in the 20s and 30s, and they are characterized by their strength (which usually increase with each level) and darkness, which runs with singles being light, dubbles being dark, triples being light and quads being dark. I learned that I actually remember the difference between a hopback and dry hopping. 

I also met some quite nice people, none of which I got a picture with because I'm a complete idiot. I met Beer Chick of NYC, I met Chris Cuzme (again) and Alex Hall from Wandering Star Breweries, who also is affiliated with (last I checked) the NYC Homebrewers Guild and the New York City Degustation Advisory Team. I talked to Joshua Bernstein, who has a very extensive knowledge of the history of craft beer and occasional Home Brew Tours, and his current partner in crime Rich Buceta of the up-and-coming Singlecut Beersmiths. Stay tuned. 

"But Andrea", you say, "WHAT ABOUT THE BEER? I WANT TO KNOW YOUR PICKS ALREADY, NOT YOUR UNNECESSARILY EXPENSIVE CARNY EXPERIENCE."

I know you don't. 

After the water ran out and the blood alcohol content ran high, some of the many blends started to mesh together on the tongue. But here are some of my picks, and what I feel like made the giant crowd, inhumanly long women's restroom line, and hop-induced tastebud incineration all worth it. Drumroll please.

Also, thank god for the website's list of breweries because after a while I kinda-sorta forgot to write the names of the breweries and beers. Ooops. 

I tried many more, but these really stood out. 

Left Hand Brewing Company Fade to Black- Volume 3 pepper porter

Chili chocolate in a beer. I am not even joking. 

This lil' number was my absolute favorite of the whole night. This was a porter with jalapenos added to the boil. The porter itself tasted of roasted malts and indulgent chocolate, and the spice itself was not unnoticed on the swallow at all. It lingered in the back of the throat wonderfully, but not overpoweringly. Absolutely divine. 

Wandering Star Mild at Heart

It's deep, rich coffee in beer form. Beautiful mild dark ale. Very soft bitterness but the malts are really the star of the show here. Medium bodied and quite lovely. Excellent session beer.

Wandering Star Zingari Wit.

Ok, I'm cheating a little bit, seeing as I've tasted these before, and each of these will get a feature of their own at some point. However, I mention them now because they were both the features for this brewery and they are absolutely both worth persuing. 

OH! Another thing I learned. These are supposedly always at Taproom No. 307. Fun fact.

Anywho, Zingari Wit is an old favorite, and really what got me into Belgian style and yeasty beers in the first place. It has the spiced cider taste of red apples and aromatic hops and sweet, light malts. Also, the lemongrass. Chris is quite fold of the lemongrass in this brew, but it is quite subtle. It adds balance more than a specific flavor. Still, well worth trying. 

Founder's Dirty Bastard

This is a pretty common one to find, but there's a good reason for that. This was a delicious, full bodied malty brew with smokey notes. It's definitely a decent session beer. 

Goose Island Matilda

The lovely boys from the brewery told me that this is made with a 100% isolated yeast strain, and this really and truly stands out with this one. The citrusy hops peek through, but the yeast is the star of the show with this Belgian style. 

Goose Island Mildwater 

This was a spiced rye number. The malts push through with a bit of a yeasty aftertaste. I quite liked this one. 

Jonas Bronck's Beer Co. Kingsbridge Kolsch

So a kolsch is apparently a german pilsner lager. The hops really got you on the swallow, this was a clean tasting light malt beer. It was a master of subtlety.

Green Port Spring Saison. 

So a saison is apparently a french/german style beer. I do love learning new things. This one was light and fruity. Citrus-y aftertaste. 

Narrangansett Bock

Like caramel in a cup. This was malty and sweet, but it was well balanced and stopped just short of being cloying. 

Butternuts Heinnieweisse

This had a signature breadiness that is characteristic of wheat beers. But this had a sharpness to it from a heady hop presence. This is definitely worth a try. 

Long Ireland Celtic Ale

This was smooth and malty. The hoppiness was subtle and barely there. It added more character than bittering. I do taste caramel in this one, and I would love a full tap of this one day on a warm fall day. 

So there you have it. My picks for that particular evening. Let me tell you, coming out of there that day, I was exhausted! But I hope this helps on your beer escapades. Happy drinking!

Franziskaner Hefe-Weissbier

Wikimediaaaaaaaaa

First off, Franziskaner is my favorite word now. Franziskaner. Rolls off the tongue.

Second off, this is one of the most interesting beer's I've ever tasted.

The texture of this German hefeweizen is thick but light, and thanks to the wheat blend it's like having a cup of bread; which tastes a lot better than it sounds, I promise you. And it works, especially with the fruity yeast flavors. It's not the most balanced of beers as it is on the sweeter side, but the hops do come through when you need them.

The best part about this gem is that leaves your palate clean, and the heavy carbonation makes for a delightful fizzy experience that makes it perfect for the summer. Not that there's anything wrong with this, but summer is a time of special seasonal brews and honey blends, so it's just nice to find one that is a perfect summer beer straight out of the brewery, but also is nice for winter when I tried it. Though this is NYC's warmest winter, so it's sort of the best of both worlds tastingwise. I guess. Ahem.

Now, down to brass tacks. This is from the Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu brewery in Germany, has a 5% ABV, and, yes, is just as cloudy as the pictures, which has no impact on the quality of the beer; that's just how it is. So if you ever see this brew in your local pub or beer store, go for it, you will not be sorry. 

Also, Franziskaner. 

North Coast Scrimshaw Pilsner

One particularly important thing for any beer drinker to know is that there are only four required ingredients to your masterpiece brew: barley malts, hops, yeast, and water. Any variations or additions thereof, though making for a wonderful and flavorful variety of brews to choose from that I personally fully endorse, is technically superfluous. However, there are some times when you just want it simple, crisp, and just tasting like... beer.

Thank you Google for your lovely images

Enter Scrimshaw Pilsner. This lovely number is a simple, wonderful 4.4% ABV pils that, according to their website, is made from Munich Malts, Hallertauer and Tettnang hops, and an undisclosed yeast strain; which is absolutely fine because the yeast is not the star of this particular brew anywho. A warning, however, this is one of those with the yeast in the bottle. Common? Absolutely. Annoying, kinda. However, the taste makes up for any inconvenience. Besides, it's not like you can drink just one anyway. I mean, it comes in a six pack, who can't have at least three at a time?

No?

 Just me? 

Ahem. Onto the taste.

This lovely pils has a light body, and though I did say that the yeast is not the star, it was definitely present here amongst the sweet, subtle malts and citrusy hops. It definitely has a sharpness to it, but the crispness makes it worth it, with a barely there aftertaste as it slides down your throat quite easily. What is truely great about this beer, though, is how refreshing it is, and honestly refreshing, not just "as refreshing as beer gets." It's thirst quenching. It made me want to watch those Corona commercials where they're on the beach, burst in like the Kool-Aid man, and put these in their hands instead- this is a perfect summer ale and, if I do say so myself, a perfect gateway into the world of craft beer.

 I mean, I started with Young's, but still. You know what I mean. Knock it back and enjoy. Happy beering!

Young's Double Chocolate Stout

Apparently there is a rivalry going on about whether Rogue or Young's double chocolate stout is the best. I haven't had Rogue's yet, but I do know for a fact that Young's is pretty damn delicious.

Gotta love Google images. Couldn't have asked for a better shot. One of these days, I will remember to take pictures of my beer. Apparently this was taken by The Perfectly Happy Man. Just covering my bases.

Young's Double Chocolate Stout is a 5.20% Alcohol By Volume sweet stout with a thick body and a genuine chocolate taste that doesn't give you the suspicion that someone just added store-bought chocolate syrup to their wort and called it a day. The beer is not syrupy at all, and the alcoholic burn provides a much needed contrast to the bittersweet cocoa and the deeply roasted malts. However, this beer is rich- it's indulgent without being cloying, but expect a surprising sweetness as the beer smooths over the tongue to the throat. There isn't a particularly strong hop presence here, but there doesn't need to be. Overall, this is a well balanced, enjoyable session beer, and one of my absolute favorites. There;s a bit of a bitter aftertaste, but it doesn't linger for too long. you're definitely tasting the beer when you give this one a swallow, not the chocolate.

I know this picture has it in a glass, but this beer is one of those that I have straight from the bottle, simply because it's one of those luxuries I simply cannot wait to indulge, even to pour it in a glass. It's like trying to eat only one Reese's Cup. Who does that?

Bienvenidos! Welcome to Andrea's Picks!

Welcome to Andrea's Picks! this is my tiny little corner of the internet where I, Andrea, review, endorse, and discourage different craft, international and domestic beers. Simply put, I'm a beer fanatic, an absolute fanatic, and I believe that you should respect and enjoy beer as you would any other handcrafted alcoholic treat. Here, I will judge beers on the smell, the mouthfeel, the taste, and, some would say most important, the aftertaste. The aftertaste is a specific part of my tasting experience because if I hear one more line about how they can't take the "seltzery" taste of beer, I just might pop like a shaken brew. True facts. 

I encourage beering (yes, to me it is a verb) responsibly: for every Anchor Steam and Abita Purple Haze, there is an Allagash Curieux or a Southern Tier Caramel Brulee. Don't ever think that beer doesn't have the capacity to mess with your head like a shot of  1800® tequila. Safe booze is happy booze, and who doesn't want to be happy?

As of now, I'm making no profit off this blog. Will ads pop up at some point? Probably. But the point still stands that as of right now, I'm not making any money here. I mean no copyright infringement and I have no intention of stealing any registered trademarks. If I ever forget a disclaimer, or misuse a brand name, please, by all means let me know.   

Anyway, actual recommendations start right now. Happy beering!