Love a double chocolate

This is the first double chocolate stout that I ever tried and, I
think, the standard for chocolate stouts. Smooth and chocolatey, but
not too malty. Yummy.

Michigan preview!

I've been so good about not drinking the Michigan beer. No more. My
friend, fbr, came over to preview some of the Michigan ales because
she cannot make the special beer tasting. We tried the Dark Horse
Cream stout and oatmeal stout, the Dragonmead Under the Kilt wee
heavy, Shorts Bellair Brown and the Atwater Voodoo Vator. All were
good. The One had a full taste and was surprisingly a little smoky.
The Too had a sweet oatmeal smell, but not a lot of oatmeal taste. The
Kilt was good. The Voodoo had an interesting tang to it, but I liked
it. Overall, I think it was a success.

All that Oregon has to offer

A few years ago, I visited Portland, Oregon in December. It rained for three days straight and I still loved it. And there are a lot of great breweries, too. I was asked to share this information about all that Oregon, specifically the Mt. Hood Territory, has to offer. So, I figured, what the heck? Good beer, good people, check it out.

When you visit a new destination, do you ever wish for the inside scoop on locals’ favorite locations? After checking out your blog, we thought that you and your readers might be interested in the latest promotion from Oregon’s Mt. Hood Territory, “Secret Sweet Spots,” which does just that. Read on to find out how to find the information, enter to win a trip for two, and more.

We've identified ten ”Secret Sweet Spots” - unusual dining, shopping and attractions - in Oregon's Mt. Hood Territory and want to spread the word to travelers. To do that, we've created short videos highlighting each of these hidden gems and posted them on our website, www.mthoodterritory.com/sweetspots. Those who visit the site and answer a quick video-related question will be entered to win a trip for two to explore the “Secret Sweet Spots” for themselves. See the contest details below for more information.

Oregon’s Mt. Hood Territory reaches out from Greater Portland, south to the Willamette Valley and east to majestic Mt. Hood. Our list of "Secret Sweet Spots" highlights some of the distinctive and unassuming local businesses that help define the region’s character and unique appeal. In addition, it will help travelers discover more about the area than can be found in traditional guidebooks.

Fun times in Michigan

This is a picture of the tap list at Dark Horse Brewing. We stopped
there on our way back to Chicago. I tried a few very small samples -
the smoked stout, the imperial stout and the coffee ale. I enjoyed the
smoked stout, although I would have enjoyed a little more smokey
roasting of the malt.

Kid Rock makes beer?

This is a Badass Beer, which I understand is brewed by an
establishment owned by Kid Rock. I think it's great that he is
supporting the Detroit economy. I, however, will not.

A good beer is its own reward

After a long day walking around a new city, I kicked back with a
Brooklyn-schneider Hopfen-Weisse. This is a collaboration between
Brooklyn and GH Schneider. It poured a nice amber color with a thick
creamy head. It has a strong hoppy taste which I am learning to
appreciate.

Don't forget the motor city

Detroit Brewing Works - a cute little place in the artsy area of
Detroit. The crowd was eclectic, the pizza smelled great, the
bartenders were friendly and the beer was solid. We had a sampler:
pale ale, lager, ghetto blaster English mild, strong ale and honey
porter. I liked the honey porter - smooth and not too malty or too
sweet - but it was not available in bottles. I also liked the
ghettoblaster and the strong - both of which are heading back to
Chicago with me. I'm going to need another cooler!

Smokey German Ale

This is the Bishop Bob's Holy Smoke. Although I enjoyed it, I would have appreciated a little more smoke.

Warren, MI

We stopped at Dragonmead for a sampler on our way into Detroit. From left to right: Willy's Oompa Loompa Stout, Jugggernaut Double Red, Breath of the Dragon, Reverand Fred's Oatmeal Stout, and Sin Eater. The Sin Eater was my favorite of the group - it was a complex Belgian dubbel, strong, but not overpowering.

Mt. Pleasant

A pale ale and a coal stokers blackberry. The pale ale is sort of mild
and pretty easy to drink. I grew up with blackberries, so I really
enjoyed this blackberry ale.

Shorts Brewing Sampler - 2

Unfortunately, I was the driver for this visit, so I was only able to taste the smallest amount of these samples, many of which I liked and, happily, two of which were available in bottles. I enjoyed the IPA and the brown, but my favorite was a unique ale called Holistic Healing (4th from the left). This ale is full of flavors - molasses, vanilla bean, clove, juniper berry, elderberry and others. As I said, I only had a small sip (which I enjoyed very much), so I don't know whether a pint of this would be overwhelming. Here is a list of this sampler (from left to right): Huma-Lupa-Licious IPA, Bellaire Brown, The Curl, Holistic Healing and The Soft Parade.

Shorts Brewing Company - sampler 1

The beer was good - and served in a ski! True to my word, I tried some more IPAs, or at least tried to stay away from my typical choices. Of this group, I liked the Pandemonium Pale Ale the best (first from right); the name is great and it has a nice hoppy taste that did not overwhelm me. Here are the names of the samples in the picture (from right to left): Pandemonium Pale Ale, Chocolate Wheat, The Magician, Snow Wheat, and Bananas n'Blow.

Mackinaw Brewing Sampler

Easily my favorite of this group was the Red 8 Ale, an Irish red ale. It was smooth with a crisp finish. I also liked The Bridge Nut Brown Ale. But let's be honest, by this point in the evening, I may not have been the best judge.

North Peak Sampler

After Right Brain, we headed to North Peak for dinner and another sampler. We had a barbeque chicken pizza with pineapple, which I enjoyed. I also had a sampler, which I enjoyed. First, the little mugs were very cute. Second, the beer was pretty good. My favorite was the Shirley's Irish Stout. As you can see in the picture, it has a nice creamy head and a smooth almost red malty taste.

Right Brain Mini Sampler

After the first sampler, I wanted to try more of the Right Brain ales, so I selected these three: Will Power Ale, the Dom Thomas Belgian Dubbel and the Big Boned Belgian Amber. I was not disappointed. If you get a chance to make it up to Traverse City, I highly recommend stopping at the Right Brain Brewery.

Right Brain Sampler

The first sampler at Right Brain, from left to right: Fresh Corduroy Winter Wheat (a slightly darker wheat with a lot of flavor and a clean finish); Chocolate Orange Cream Stout (a hint of orange aroma); Chocolate Espresso Oatmeal Stout (a smooth stout with a nice espresso taste); Theodor Belgian Tripel (a nice tripel); Smokey Mountain Porter (my favorite - a nice smokey aroma and taste); Brown Donkey Smasher (imperial brown ale - very smooth and tasty); and Mondo Mando double dry hopped IPA (on the hand cask - very smooth and not as bitter as I expected, overall, very enjoyable).

Mostly Michigan Sampler

This is the second sampler at Hop Cat and four of the five are from Michigan: Acadia's Coco Loco (nice coffee taste), Kuhnhenn's Olde Bruine Sour Cherry (sour ale), Kuhnhenn's Winter Wonder (Eisbock), Round Barn's Mutha Pucker (sour brown), and Brooklyn's Cookie Jar Porter (sweet porter). I enjoyed all of these, although I am not sure that I could do more than a pint of any of them in one sitting. I am not a coffee drinker, but I really enjoyed the Coco Loco and I hope to pick some up when I hit Acadia on the way home. I also liked the contrast between the red sour ale and the brown sour. I think this is my first brown sour ale, but will not be my last. Finally, the Cookie Jar Porter was a smooth porter with a sweet finish.

Hopcat sampler

At the suggestion of our new friends, we visited a bar called the Hop Cat in Grand Rapids where we shared two small samplers. I sort of feel like I am cheating when I order a sample (especially when I share it), but it is a good way to try a number of drinks in a short period of time.

This sampler was five of Hop Cat's own creations: Hippopotamus, Big DIPA, Midnight Magic, Step Child Red and Charlie's Brown. I liked them all. Again, I'm nurturing my affinity for the hoppy ales . . .

Out of spite

Checked in at Founders after an AHL game for a Solid Gold lager and a
Spite Pepper Pale. The solid gold is a solid lager, crisp and clean.
The spite pepper is brewed with jabanero peppers. It is spicy strong!
Wow! I like it, with the gold for a chaser.

A great afternoon

Stopped at the New Holland pub after a tour of the brewery. Our
entire tour went for a drink after the fantastic tour. This is a
picture of the Night Tripper from the cask; it was incredibly smooth
with a nice malty taste. I picked up a few bottles for the beer
tasting.

As part of the tour, we also sampled the Mad Hatter (IPA), The Poet (oatmeal stout) and the Sundog (wheat). I liked the Mad Hatter much more than I expected; perhaps my taste buds are maturing.

Onward!

Another sampler - that looks like the UP!

This is a sampler from Bell's In Kalamazoo. I don't remember what we
chose for our sampler, but I remember enjoying it. They had ales on
tap at the Eccentric Cafe that I have not seen in the stores in
Chicago. Good beer, good friends (CH and SD), good time!

I love a tour and a sampler

I toured Yards Brewery in January. This is a picture of the sampler,
which was very enjoyable. I understand that they may be working on a
new Ale of the Revolution and I can't wait!

Chutney!

I had this a few weeks back and enjoyed it immensely. This is a
Belgian kriek, but it's not too strong in the cherry department. I was
checking the New Belgium web site for info on the beer and they had a
recipe for chutney using this beer. I can't wait to try it, assuming
that I can find another bottle of this limited batch ale.

A well-deserved quadrupel

I like this beer, so much that I bought the glass. It is rich and
complex, not too malty, a little fruity (raisins?), smooth and strong,
but not overpowering. If you get a chance, try one.

I overestimated

There you have it, 385 ales and lagers, so far. I overestimated by a bit, but I have also left out most of the drafts I have tried and those bottle selections that did not give up their labels or that have painted labels. I have also created an Excel spreadsheet listing all of these so that I can try not to duplicate anything unless, of course, I really like it.

I am going to continue to blog about my taste test, especially during my trip across Michigan next week. After that, I am on a quest to try the top ten Belgian style ales as reported in a recent article in the NYT. I went to my local distributor and only found four of the ten. I can pick up one more next week in Michigan, but then I will have to be resourceful to find the other five. Don't count me out, I am persistent. For now, I think I'll kick back with a Rochefort 10 - I like the beer and I need the label.

Last of the Labels . . . for now

I cheated. Sort of. I ordered a set of all of the Troegs labels, but I only included those ales/lagers that I have actually tried. I first had the Troegenator at a favorite local eatery in Philadelphia (The Aspen) and I really liked it. After that, I tried the Rugged Trail, Lager and Dreamweaver -- all good. Then, one night before a hockey game, I went out for a drink with my friend Randy and he suggested the Mad Elf. To say I liked it is an understatement. On my last trip back to Philadelphia, I tried to find a magnum to bring back to Chicago, but could not. It is a carnival of flavors - spices and cherries. Try one if you can find it.

Another geographically diverse selection

I like BORIS; he's cute and just may be my favorite imperial stout (because he is not too strong or malty). I also liked the Wailing Wench, as un-PC as the name may be. I picked this up for the first beer tasting because it is brewed in Syracuse, NY. The label says that it is "screaming with hops," but I did not find it too hoppy. Either I am learning to appreciate the hops or it was just raising its voice with hops.

East vs. West

MA . . . NH . . . NY . . . OR . . . CA -- east vs. west. And a WI for good measure. I don't think it made my list of favorites, but I really like the Black Butte Porter. I first had this in Portland from a bottle as part of our friend Scott's selection. I could not get it back in Philadelphia, so I was left dreaming about my next Black Butte Porter. I had my next one on draft in, of all places, Las Vegas, and it was as good as I remembered. The Sea Dog blueberry was not our first blueberry beer, but it was enjoyable for what it is. I don't think I could have more than one or two at a sitting because it gets too sweet. The Redhook is my "go to" ESB. They used to have it on draft at the United Center in Philadelphia, not bad.

Strawberry = Yummy

Of this group, I liked the Lancaster Strawberry Wheat the best. I got only three bottles in one of my beer of the month shipments. Joy and I split one and both really liked the subtle strawberry flavor, not overpowering and not too sugary sweet. There was a mad scramble for the other two bottles and I'm not really sure what happened to them. The Casco and Kennebec were also from a beer of the month shipment and all four were ok, but I liked the Riptide the best of these four. Inde likes the label for the Lazy Mutt the best!

Beer from Utah?

A friend, NDH, went snowboarding in Utah and brought back two ales in his luggage. Hats off! We sampled the ales with some with some banana pancakes. Maybe the food pairing was not the best, but we still liked both of the ales. The White Label is a Belgian style White Ale; it could have used a little more spice, but it was good nonetheless. The Devastator, however, was thoroughly enjoyed by all. I have another one in the fridge and I am saving it for a special occasion. The rest of these are from assorted trips or even from our own Chicago. Of the rest, I liked the Capital Brewery Autumnal Fire and the Horny Goat Brewing Co. Belgian Style White Beer (and, let's face it, who doesn't like the label?). I am not usually a Sierra fan, but I purchased the Torpedo for a friend who likes IPAs (JP) and thought it was pretty good - for an IPA. A friend brought the Celebration Ale to a party and Joy liked it. So there you have it.

Finally, Oregon Represents

Many of these labels are from a trip we took to Oregon for the Davis Cup finals a few years ago. One of our friends lived in Oregon and he hand selected a few bottles of west coast beer for us to try. Only two of the labels actually are from Oregon (and one from Washington), but we had a lot of good beer there. We were in Portland for three days and it rained the entire time. In fact, I think three storms collided and stalled off the coast for a few days. We flew out in the morning, which is a good thing because they closed the airport later in the day. Anyway, back to the beer. We dragged my mother to Bridgeport Brewing on the bus in a torrential rain storm. She loved it and mentions it every once in a while. The brewery was very cool and the food was good. I know we sampled all of their offerings that day, but I only have a label from the ESB, which was my favorite. We did not get to an of the other breweries because we were there for a short time, but we both liked it and are looking forward to getting back to the Pacific northwest for another visit.

As for the rest, I liked the Alaskan Amber and the Sand Creek Cranberry Special Ale. I like beer with fruit, as long as it does not taste like a wine cooler. We took a chance on this cranberry ale and were pleasantly surprised. I think I have one more in the auxiliary fridge, maybe I should promote it to the real fridge. The Pizza Beer was, well, interesting. After the success with the Banana Bread beer, we decided to try the pizza beer. It sat in the fridge for a few weeks before I opened it -- and it exploded all over the kitchen. Over half of the beer spilled out of the bottle before I managed to pour the rest into a glass. Yes, it tasted like pizza. That's about all I have to say.

Make that three breweries

A new brew pub (Revolution Brewing) opened in February and I think it is just about a mile away. If not, it's close. I went there with some out of town guests for lunch. They were out of two of their ales, but we sampled the four they had on tap: Cross of Gold, Workingman Mild, Iron Fist Pale Ale and the Willie. After the sampler, two of us ordered a pint of the Workingman Mild. I'm looking forward to the Bottom up Belgian Wit.

Two breweries within a mile of the house

Funny story about Goose Island. When we were looking for a house to buy in Chicago, we also looked for breweries or brew pubs to visit for a tour or lunch. At the time, there were two in the city - Goose Island and Piece. We tried both on the same rainy cold weekend in April 2008. We had a good lunch at Goose Island and sampled eight of the ales. "312," one of the area codes for Chicago, is a wheat beer that is on tap in a lot of bars. The Matilda is one of the higher end, and higher abv, ales. I find it to be a sort of sweet Belgian-style ale, but it often is the best offering on tap. The Demolition is probably my favorite of those pictured. There is a good back story to the ale and I think it has a little more malt and finishes a little crisper than the Matilda. Not pictured are the Juliet, which I found to be very similar to the Sofie, and the Feur, my favorite Goose Island ale. I had this on tap one night and, sadly, I have not seen it since.

That same weekend, we tried Piece, a New Haven-style pizzeria in what would turn out to be our neighborhood. Piece also brews beer. I have tried a bunch, but my favorite seems to be the Worryin' Ale, it is described as a brown ale, but I think of it more as a mild session ale, not very brown. I think the beer is only available at the restaurant (eat in or a growler to go), but it is worth a trip. While you are there, I recommend a red pizza with extra cheese and extra sauce. If I'm around, I'll come meet you.

More good beer and fun labels

I toured the old brewery in Denver and loved it. I have tried a number of the Flying Dog ales and, generally, liked them. I started with the In Heat Wheat (label inexplicably MIA), which I think was one of the first wheats that I tried. I generally like the In Heat Wheat, but it led me to the Woody Creek White, which quickly became one of my favorite Belgian witbiers. The Wild Dog was very interesting. I don't know if they still do this, but the Collaborator Doppelbock was an "open source" project -- a number of home-brewers made suggestions and the result was the Wild Dog. If you wanted to brew this beer at home, the recipe was available to the public. I thought it was a great idea and a good beer. And, like the recently-released Belgian-style IPA, the labels are entertaining.

Still more from Colorado and across the pond

I think each of these was selected for the label. First the Left-Hand Brewing Co. -- I'm left handed and cannot resist supporting other lefties. I like the milk stout and remember it being smooth like chocolate milk. Second, the Daleside - it's tough to walk by the Monkey Wrench and not think it would make a fun label if you were planning some project. I don't remember much about the taste, but the label sure is fun!

It's hard to resist the war stories

I tried to convince a friend at my old job that Heineken was a macro brewery and that he should try some small craft brews. After leaving a few samples on his desk, he returned the favor with a Whale's Tale Pale Ale that he brought back for me from Nantucket. I enjoyed the pale ale. Then, about three years later, I received the lager and the pale ale as my beer of the month selection. Nice.

Here's where the war story temptation rears its ugly head. New Belgium runs this cool scavenger hunt type of ride in cities across the country. The event is very cool and very early in the morning. We entered the race, rode our bikes three miles to the start, rode approximately twenty-six miles during the event, and I rode 2.9 miles home. If we meet some time, I will tell you about the last .1 mile. Back to the beer. My favorite New Belgium is the Mothership Wit, which now has a new label. I like the old label. I generally like witbiers and this is no exception. I wish that it finished just a little more crisply, but overall, I enjoy it. I find the Skinny Dip and Fat Tire a little too sweet. I have also tried the 1554 Dark stout (too malty for me), but was not able to salvage the label, and the Lips of Faith La Folie sour ale (I like the sour), which comes in a printed bottle (so no label).

Scandinavian Beer?

True confession - I picked two of these solely for the labels: the Nogne Brown Ale and the WinterCoat Yule Ol. I don't have any specific recollection of the Yule Ol, but I remember enjoying the Brown Ale quite a bit. I have not tried any of their other ales, but I would be interested in hearing about them if anyone has tried them. Of the Southern Tier selections, I like the hop sun as a nice summer wheat. Throw some spiedies (a southern tier specialty) on the grill and kick back with a cooler of hop sun. It's a good way to spend a summer day. I thought the 422 was too hoppy for a wheat ale, even a pale wheat ale, although some in the group liked it.

Recent tastings, missing labels and more beer of the month

I had one large envelope of random domestic microbrews, which resulted in a number of photos that appear to have no organizational theme. Sorry, I never promised you an organized rose garden. The Alpha King is from Three Floyds, but was still on the bottle when I did the previous post about that brewery. This is on tap many places in Chicago and is an easy-drinking pale ale. I enjoyed the New Holland "The Poet" much more than I expected. A friend brought over a six-pack for a dinner and we all enjoyed it. I have not been much of a New Holland fan. They brew a lot of imperial stouts, a style that tends to overpower me with a strong burnt malty flavor. The Poet, however, is a nice smooth oatmeal stout. I liked it so much that I added New Holland to my upcoming Michigan trip! Thanks, NDH!

Pete's Wicked and Dixie Blackened Voodoo Lager were among my first microbrews. In fact, the Blackened Voodoo Lager was the first beer I drank (legally) in a bar. I recently bought a six-pack of the lager and was pleased with its crisp clean taste. As its name suggests, Dixie is from the south, specifically New Orleans. The brewery was destroyed by hurricane Katrina and the beer currently is brewed under contract in Wisconsin. I will continue to have the occasional Blackened Voodoo Lager because I enjoy it and I feel like I'm supporting the brewery.

The Weyerbacher Merry Monks' Belgian Style Golden Ale was the favorite of one of our guests at the Pennsylvania beer tasting. I find it to be a bit sweet and strong for a golden ale, perhaps closer to a tripel, but enjoyable nonetheless. A few of these will make you quite merry, indeed! ANG, if you are interested, there are a few in the auxiliary fridge, which will be closing soon if it keeps warming up!

The Ipswich Nut Brown and Black Hawk Stout came from the beer of the month club. I was pleasantly surprised by both.

More from Colorado

Which begs the question, why do I not live in Colorado? After this trip through Michigan, perhaps we should schedule another trip to Colorado. I think the first Avery that I tried was the Collaboration not Litigation. This is a collaboration between Avery and Russian River Brewing. According to the label, both breweries made a beer they called "Salvation." Rather than litigate over the rights to the name, they decided to combine their efforts and make a new beer. Now, for those of you who do not know me, I am a lawyer. You might think I would encourage litigation. Well, you would be wrong, especially when the byproduct is a good new beer. Joy bought me this beer because of the name and we enjoyed sharing it. This ale turned me on to Avery and I have enjoyed a number of their offerings.

Every time I go to visit my mother, she buys a six-pack of Ellie's Brown Ale for her fridge. She picked it because of the label, I guess it runs in the family. Fortunately, I like this brown ale. I find it to have a nice subtle chocolate malty flavor. I also like the White Rascal, which I think is somewhere between a wheat and a witbier. I can taste the orange peel and coriander, but it still has a strong wheat overtone. I've already written about my love for (and personal lack of good) Karma. I like the labels for the Mephistopheles' Stout and Samael's Oak-aged ale, but if they scare you, they should. Both are over 15% abv and kicked my wimpy taste buds. Finally, the pale ales. Honestly, the IPA did not leave an impression, but I enjoyed the Ale to the Chief! How can you not like a beer that is brewed in honor of President Obama taking the oath of office and all that promise of a better future? The ale did not disappoint, but the verdict is still out on the new administration.

Ahoy, MD mateys!

My friend Chris is a big fan of Clipper City, which is from his home state of Maryland. I first tried (and liked) the Winter Storm before I met Chris, but I developed my appreciation of their beer under his tutelage. I also enjoy the Holy Sheet, but I think my favorite is the Marzhon. And, of course, I like labels with pirates.

Good beer in upstate New York

I toured Ommegang in the fall of 2009. The brewery is constructed like a traditional Belgian brewery and it is beautiful from the outside. I first tried their beer right after they opened and was not impressed. Since then, however, they have gotten it right. The Hennepin is one of my top 5 and I enjoy the Rare Vos as a nice Belgian-style amber. They had an ale they brewed for Obama, something like Obamagang, but I missed it. The first time I tried the Ommegeddon, I was overwhelmed, but I gradually warmed to it. The tour was fun and, overall, I enjoy the beer. If you go, make sure you also go to Cooperstown Brewing, it is only about 15 minutes away. Oh, yeah, and the baseball hall of fame in "downtown" Cooperstown.

Good beer in Pennsylvania

On a recent trip to Pennsylvania, I picked up a sampler from SlyFox along with one Christmas Ale. I enjoyed the Saison vos; I found it to be a nice farmhouse, subtle, yet full of flavor and not too sweet. I also enjoyed the Raspberry Reserve, which I found to have a nice berry taste, but not as fruity as a lambic.

Half Way?

I think I am about half way through the labels that I have collected. So far, I have blogged / logged about 240 ales and lagers. Once I finish the stack in front of me that I have collected, sorted and organized, I will be up to date and ready for my vacation in Michigan. I am hoping to visit a number of craft breweries in Michigan and bring back some selected ales and lagers to share with my friends. If you are near Chicago and want to join us, let me know!

Apropos

Finishing my efforts tonight with a group of Dogfish Head labels seems very apropos to me. Many of these interesting ales have kicked my butt over the years. Again, I am trying to stay away from the war stories, but it is so tempting when it comes to Dogfish Head. First, I do not understand why I do not have a label from the 120 Minute IPA. I tried this once and learned my lesson. At the time, I think it was the strongest beer available in the states. Wow. Where to start? The Popskull is a collaboration with Three Floyds and actually makes my list of top five current favorites; it is very smooth and not too strong (10% abv). The palo santo wood aging is excellent, which is a nice segue into the Palo Santo Marron. I found this to be a little strong, both in alcohol (12%) and flavor. The Punkin Ale is one of my favorite pumpkin ales, although I do not think I could drink more than one in a sitting.

Ok, now for the war story about the Fort. I picked one up because it is brewed with raspberries, and I like raspberries. The fort comes in a 1 pint 9.6 oz. bottle. I shared it with Joy over a nice home-cooked meal. I was loaded. Although it is not on the label, the Fort is something like 18% abv. I'm not really sure what happened, but I remember thinking the next day, "wow, that beer really kicked my butt." I also remember thinking as I drank it, this is a nice smooth beer, I wish I had another bottle.

My favourite colour IS blue

Again, sometimes I buy a beer for its label. I think that is the case with these two. I do not remember trying either of them, but I think it was over three years ago, so I'm not sure I can be expected to remember. The labels are fun . . .

Merry Christmas

People have told me that they are not sure what beer to bring to my house or buy me at a bar; they are intimidated that whatever they choose will fall short of my standards. They are wrong. A few years ago, my sister bought me these three ales for Christmas, based entirely on the funny labels. I loved them. And the labels. Thanks, Lisa! Now, when are you coming to visit me in Chicago?

A good new witbier

I saw this for the first time today. I usually like witbiers and Two
Brothers, so I thought I'd give it a try. I was not disappointed. It
starts with a nice taste of a wheat beer with coriander and orange
peel, but finishes more crisply than most witbiers. I shared it with
Joy and we both enjoyed it.

Did you know France and Italy make beer?

I do not have specific memories of the taste of the Fort Collins Big Shot, but I do remember it being my favorite seasonal a few years ago. The brewers in Colorado just keep putting out good beer. The Panil, however, was a great surprise. This was a gift and I had not heard anything about it. Before this ale, I had only had one Italian beer (and I think it was at Epcot Disney for a friend's 40th birthday party). It does not matter. This beer was very good; it is a sour ale that is aged in oak - two of my favorites. I shared this with three friends and we all enjoyed it, despite our diverse tastes. It is expensive, but worth a try.

MIA

I cannot understand why the one Two Brothers beer that I have enjoyed the most is also the one for which I do not have a label. The Two Brothers Domaine DuPage is one of my "go to" ales and one of my current favorites. I think this is even the beer that turned me on to farmhouse ales. All of that is lost, however, because I do not have a label! Unacceptable. As for the labels that are pictured, I thoroughly enjoy the Moaten. When I toured the brewery, they proudly displayed the new oak casks in which the Moaten (and others) are aged. If you have a chance, try the Moaten. And the Domaine DuPage.

Milwaukee is fun

I took a fun trip to Milwaukee for a Brewers / Phillies game. The stadium had some of the local favorites on tap, including the Lakefront Riverwest Stein Beer. I tried it; I liked it. I found this to be a crisp refreshing lager. So, we decided to go back and take a tour of the brewery. The Riverwest Stein remains my favorite, but I also like the White beer and the Organic ESB. I have used the Wheat Monkey in my beer bread and it was very good. The tour was fun, too. Our tour guide confessed to being hopped up on painkillers (from surgery) and a beer, and it got better from there. At the end, we all joined in a rousing rendition of the theme song from the television show Laverne & Shirley. A good time was had by all.

Not sure how I feel about the label

My blogging efforts this evening were sidetracked by a surprise phone
call from a couple of friends back east. Turns out they have found a
great beer bar in Baltimore that reminds them of some of our favorite
pplaces in Chicago. We reminisced for a while about out past beer
drinking exploits and plotted our overthrow of enlightend (= beer
drinking) world. My goal was to try to finish blogging about all of
the labels I have collected to date. I have revised my goal, which I
can do because I am my own boss of my unemployment. Here is the new
goal: try another new beer, blog about it, and get as far as I can
tonight on the rest, but finish tomorrow.

I chose an old beer with a new label. For some reason, New Belgium has
changed or is changing their labels. I enjoy witbiers and this is no
exception. I enjoy the orange and coriander, and I find it not quite
as sweet as a Fat Tire. The beer is good. The label is interesting.
Back to my project. If I'm awake long enough, I'll try the Two
Brothers witbier, which will be new to me - label and beer!

Ah, Colorado

I visited Colorado a few years ago and was surprised by all the great breweries in the state. We started at Wynkoop Brewery in downtown Denver. I had a sampler and, surprisingly, liked the chipotle ale the best. From there, I went to Coors. It was large. I actually liked the sample that I tried during the tour - the freshest Coors I will ever have. Not bad. Then I went to Flying Dog. Awesome. I did not get to either of these breweries, but I hope to go back some day. I hiked around Red Rocks and saw a pile of Ska Brewing caps on the ground. Such a high density of caps must mean that at least someone likes the beer. I like the blonde and the red ale, but I cannot remember trying the true blonde dubbel. The label is fun, though. I like the Sweaty Betty, and even like using it in my beer bread recipe.

Let's go a few rounds

I like all of the ales in this picture. First, the Cooperstown Brewing ales. Back in September, I took a tour of this brewery, which is just outside Cooperstown, NY. I did not know what to expect. I found a very nice owner, brewer and dog! I had a personal tour of the entire facility and then sampled each of the ales brewed by Cooperstown; I liked all of them, even the pale ales. I love the labels, especially the Striker. I met the dog who is pictured on the label and he was super cute. Second, the Yards ales. I toured the new green facility in January of this year. The place is cool and set for expansion. The Brawler is a great session ale, for "when you want to go a few rounds," but the Thomas Jefferson Tavern Ale is one of my current favorites. In fact, I have one hidden in the auxiliary fridge for a special occasion. If you are near either of these breweries, I suggest a trip, you will not be disappointed.