BetterBeerBlog

With so many Christmas beers out on the shelves today, it’s difficult to say which one is worth your time, let alone calling one “the best”. Yet, Joey Redner from the St. Petersburg Times has put out a list of his “10 Best Christmas Beers”. You can view the article here but I’ve put down the list below.

10. Delirium Noel

9. Penn St. Nicholas Bock

8. Scaldis Noel

7. Lump of Coal

6. Santa’s Butt Porter

5. De Dolle Stille Nacht

4. Samichlaus

3. Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

2. Avery Old Jubilation

1. Anchor Our Special Ale

Out of all the beers on his list, I have only tried Scaldis Noel and Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale (from last year, not this year’s brew). I personally would’ve rated Scaldis Noel much higher but hey, it’s not my list. Joey goes on to give brief descriptions and costs on his original article so I’d recommend you check that out to make sure the flavor is what you’re looking for before purchasing.

I’ve long since given up on rating a beer because my taste buds are much different than all of yours. If anything, I’d love it if what I wrote inspired you to purchase the beer for yourself to drink and come to your own conclusions, then we can have a more meaningful discussion. In any event, what are your favorite Christmas beers? Leave me a comment or shoot me an email at betterbeerblog at gmail dot com.

Beer has played a more important role in the development of human history than most people even realize. Some would argue that learning to brew beer from cultivated barley transformed our ancestors from wandering hunters and gatherers into settling down and becoming farmers and raising animals. After all, you can’t grow barley and brew beer if you’re constantly on the move. Who knows how the course of American history would have run had the Puritans, who sailed to the New World escaping religious persecution, had not run out of beer at Plymouth rock.

It’s no surprise to me then to have heard about a beer brewed from barley and corn grown on the International Space Station. Aptly named Space Barley, this new brew is the result from the collaboration between the Russian Academy of Sciences, a Japanese University and the Japanese brewery Sapporo. Barley now joins wheat, lettuce and peas as the few plants to have been successfully grown in space.

Unfortunately this beer is not for sale. Brewed in very limited quantities, this beer will be available for tasting by a select few. Unfortunately, I have no idea how to get on this list. I’m sure it’ll taste marginally better than Sapporo’s flagship “black can” lager but it’s interesting nonetheless.

I’m sure the idea to brew a beer from space grown grains was a lark that someone, someplace, in an influential position took seriously. But I think it speaks to the understated power of beer as the beverage of choice for explorers. This is the new Tang, my friends. Beer will probably be the first alcoholic beverage we offer any extraterrestrials as a sign of peace.

In any event, here is the link to the video I found. Drink long and prosper.

Came across and article on Digg.com today from Men’s Fitness titled “Pub Crawl: America’s five best bars for beer lovers”. You can peek at the article here but I’ll have you the time and publish their list:

• Freakin’ Frog, Las Vegas
• The Map Room, Chicago
• Kennedy School’s Courtyard Restaurant, Portland, Ore.
• Spuyten Duyvil, Brooklyn, N.Y
• Brickskeller, Washington, D.C.

I will readily admit that I haven’t been to any of these places. For all I know, they could be “all that and a bag of chips”. I’m just curious as to why these places are the best. What are the author’s criteria for choosing these places?

But what makes a bar a “best” when it comes to beer? Should it have a great selection of beers on tap as well as on bottle? Should the people who work there be knowledgeable about beers? What about the atmosphere? How about all of the above?

I guess I’m just a little surprised with the omission of some very notable California beer bars. Just in the San Francisco Bay area alone I can name three places worth your time and a drive: Toronado, The Trappist and The Bistro. The Toronado is one of the veterans in the Bay Area craft beer scene. They were serving craft beers before it was fashionable to serve craft beers. The Trappist, while relatively young, has a well-earned reputation of being faithful to the Belgian beer bar experience. If you’re a hophead, there are few places better than The Bistro.

While I believe that San Diego has it’s fair share of excellent bars such as O’Briens, Churchills and the San Diego version of Toronado, I’ve only been to each of those places once and can’t really say anything about some of the other aspects that should make a beer bar great. I will go so far as to say I did have a good time at each of those places.

I would love to hear from any of you about your favorite places to grab a beer. The selection has to be great, the people have to know what they’re talking about and the atmosphere appropriate for a bar. No sleek, boozhee (Bourgeois), Euro crap need not apply. This is beer we are talking about.

First of all, what is The Session? In a nutshell, The Session is a collection of articles written by a multitude of contributors based upon a central theme or question. For the glorious history of The Session, check out Brookston Beer Bulletin for the complete story.

This month, Matt C. of A World of Brews will be hosting The Session. He asks a singular, yet potentially loaded question: What is your favorite beer?

My answer: I don’t have a favorite beer. Haven’t had one in years. It’s always awkward when I get asked that question as well, What’s your favorite beer? It depends. It depends on my mood. On what I’m eating. On what the weather is like. On how much cash I have in my wallet. I don’t have a favorite beer anymore not because there aren’t any good beers but because there are too many beers to choose from.

I don’t particularly care that I don’t have a favorite. I find the very idea of having a favorite to be very limiting. As a BJCP judge, I have had the opportunity to be exposed to a wide variety of beers, both commercial and homebrew. If anything, being a BJCP judge has served nothing more than to help kill the idea of a favorite beer. I just can’t bring myself to choose just one. Can’t do it, won’t do it.

I will admit that I do have favorites, yes, plurals. I’ve learned that there are some styles of beer that I enjoy drinking much more than others and I do show a preferential bias (redundantly repetitive, anyone?) towards. I am a big fan of American Pale Ales, Stouts, Belgian Strong Ales and Sour Ales. I have found a new appreciation for lighter beers such as the kölsch, cream ale and pilsner. I have also just started to appreciate German lagers. Yet for me to point to anyone beer and say, “That’s it, that’s the one. My favorite, above all others” is too limiting, too caging.

Yet, within each style of beer I’ve tasted, there are beers that I believe are exemplary of that style. Firestone Walker’s Pale 31 is an awesome example of a Pale Ale. I think Left Hand Brewing’s Milk Stout is devine for a Sweet Stout while AleSmith’s Wee Heavy is almost beyond reproach as a Scottish Strong Ale. I would order these beers above most others I’ve already tried in their particular styles. But should I be presented with the having to choose between a pint of a pale ale I’ve never tried before and Pale 31, I’d choose the unknown simply because I’ve never had it before.

Still, I’ll give it a shot. I’ll accept the challenge and I’ll name a favorite beer. I’ll hold my very own “Best of Show”.

In essence, what I’ll do is gather the highest scoring/first place beers in each category that I’ve drank in the past and have a “taste-off”. The beers in the BOS round are the cream of the crop for a particular style and now they get to go head-to-head with the winner being at the whim of the judge’s discretion or mood. Usually only the most seasoned judges work this round. Since I am the only guy here doing any writing for this blog, my committee of 1 will be narrowing down the beers until I’ve reached my so-called favorite.

With that in mind, here are the contenders (keep in mind that I’ve actually drank all of these beers. I would come off as retarded if I hadn’t. I may still come off as retarded but for other reasons.):

• Category 2 - Pilsners: Trumer Pils
• Category 3 - European Amber Lager: Gordon Biersch Märzen
• Category 4 - Dark Lagers: Linden Street Black Lager
• Category 6 - Light Hybrid Beer: Reissdorf kölsch
• Category 8 - English Pale Ale: Black Sheep Ale
• Category 9 - Scottish and Irish Ale: AleSmith’s Wee Heavy
• Category 10 - American Ale: Firestone Walker Pale 31, Stone Pale Ale, Anderson Valley Poleeko Gold, Left Hand Brewing Jackman’s Pale Ale
• Category 12 - Porter: Deschutes’ Black Butte Porter, Rogue Mocha Porter
• Catgory 13 - Stout: Left Hand Brewing Milk Stout, Deschutes The Abyss
• Category 14 - IPA: Russian River Pliny the Elder, Stone Ruination IPA, Moylan’s Hopsickle IIPA (Imperial IPA/Double IPA)
• Category 17 - Sour Ale: Rodenbach Grand Cru, Duchess de Bourgogne, New Belgium La Folie, Petrus Oud Bruin, Monk’s Cafe Flanders Red Ale
• Category 18 - Belgian Strong Ale: Chimay Premiere (Red), St. Bernardus Abt 12, Chimay Grande Reserve (blue)
• Category 22 - Smoke-flavored and Wood-aged beer: Lost Abbey Angel’s Share, Petrus Aged Pale, Firestone Walker Double Barrel Ale

Wow. That’s a lot of beer. Let’s sift through this even more. While good beers, I’ve eliminated the styles I am less fond of. It’s not like I don’t like those styles, I just love these more:

• Category 8 - English Pale Ale: Black Sheep Ale
• Category 9 - Scottish and Irish Ale: AleSmith’s Wee Heavy
• Category 10 - American Ale: Firestone Walker Pale 31, Stone Pale Ale, Anderson Valley Poleeko Gold, Left Hand Brewing Jackman’s Pale Ale
• Catgory 13 - Stout: Left Hand Brewing Milk Stout, Deschutes The Abyss
• Category 17 - Sour Ale: Rodenbach Grand Cru, Duchess de Bourgogne, New Belgium La Folie, Petrus Oud Bruin, Monk’s Cafe Flanders Red Ale
• Category 18 - Belgian Strong Ale: Chimay Premiere (Red), St. Bernardus Abt 12, Chimay Grande Reserve (blue)
• Category 22 - Smoke-flavored and Wood-aged beer: Lost Abbey Angel’s Share, Petrus Aged Pale, Firestone Walker Double Barrel Ale

The field gets even narrower. I’ve eliminated some very noteworthy beers with my only criteria being how much I remember enjoying those beers:

• Category 10 - American Ale: Firestone Walker Pale 31, Left Hand Brewing Jackman’s Pale Ale
• Catgory 13 - Stout: Left Hand Brewing Milk Stout, Deschutes The Abyss
• Category 17 - Sour Ale: Petrus Oud Bruin, Monk’s Cafe Flanders Red Ale
• Category 18 - Belgian Strong Ale: St. Bernardus Abt 12, Chimay Grande Reserve (blue)

It was difficult to come to this singular point. I’ve spent the better part of this post arguing why I don’t have a favorite beer but here I am narrowing down the field just so I can say, “Okay, I guess this beer is my favorite”. And the “winner” of the BetterBeerBlog “Best of Show” is… *drumroll*… Firestone Walker’s Pale 31.

The first time I tried Firestone Walker was for a beer and food pairing event I was hosting. I had a small sample during my BJCP class but it was only a few ounces. To fully experience this beer, you’ll need a full pint. This beer had the most wonderful hop aroma, bursting with citrus and floral American hop character. The flavor is balanced for the style, which is to say it’s hoppy but not harsh or overly bitter. In fact, the bitterness is quite smooth and refreshing. It is just the right level for the style. The malt backbone of this beer is sturdy and surprisingly European with Maris Otter, Munich and Crystal malts lending a complex yet clean malt flavor profile. Weighing in at a mere 4.7% ABV, this beer is session-level strength. Great news for those of us who drink beer for flavor instead of to get drunk as we can drink just a little bit more of this beer because it’s lighter in gravity. Since the day I tried it, I almost always compare any pale ale I drink to Pale 31. This is my standard bearer for Pale Ales, my personal benchmark.

Left Hand Brewing’s Jackman’s Pale Ale was a very fine example of a pale ale as well. Out of all the pale ales I tried in Colorado, Jackman’s was the closest that came to the “West Coast” version of the style. I eliminated Milk Stout simply because I enjoy the pale ales too much while The Abyss I felt was too complex for an everyday beer; it’s more of a special occasion beer. I have a great love for sour ales but the fact remains is that even with my favorites, they can be hit or miss. St. Bernardus Abt. 12 is an exceptional and full-flavored, complex beer with a high level of alcohol. Great for sipping. The Chimay Grande Reserve on the other hand will always have a special place in my heart as it was my very first Belgian beer.

I still stand by my guns that I don’t have a favorite beer. I will continue to order what I happen to be in the mood for or what I feel will go well with what I am having for breakfast/brunch/lunch/dinner. Even with Pale 31 available to me, I will always try what I haven’t tried first before ordering a pint of Pale 31. That’s just who I am. Still, I can’t help but glance longingly at Pale 31 every time I pass by it at BevMo.

Whenever I tell people that I homebrew, I often get a look of surprise. Apparently brewing beer at home still carries a lot of mystique. Inevitabliy, I will always get asked if homebrewing is difficult. This is a very loaded question to ask a homebrewer and beer lover. In the past, I would spend the next 20 minutes or so talking the ear off of whoever was brave enough to ask me. Now, I try to keep my answers down to about 5 minutes or less.

Well, the time has come for me to put up or shut up. This Saturday marks the first Saturday of November. While nothing out of the ordinary, the American Homebrewers Association has designated the first Saturday of November to be Teach a Friend to Homebrew Day. It’s kind of like how I celebrated Mead Day a few months ago. Teach a Friend to Homebrew Day is meant to introduce non-brewing friends to the homebrewing hobby as well as to support the local homebrew supply stores. This year marks the 10th year of this event. It’s a great reason to have friends over to hang out. I missed it last year but not this year. It’s been inked in.

This Saturday I plan on brewing two batches of beer. The first beer has some personal significance. My sister-in-law gave birth to a beautiful baby girl about a week ago and her husband has requested a special batch of beer to be brewed. So, to honor baby the little baby girl, I am brewing a raspberry wheat ale in time for the baby shower.

The second beer I am brewing is my attempt at an award-winning beer. Left Hand Brewing Company out of Longmont, Colorado won two awards at GABF this year; a Bronze for their Sawtooth Ale (Bitter or Pale Mild Ale category) and Silver for their Milk Stout (Sweet Stout category). The beer I will be trying to replicate is their Milk Stout. With winter on the way, it’s the season to be brewing heartier ales and sweet stout is just what the doctor ordered.

Here is a list of other sponsored Teach a Friend to Homebrew Day events.

If you live in the South Bay Area (San Jose in particular) and have always wanted to know what it’s like to homebrew, then shoot me an email, I’m at betterbeerblog(at)gmail(dot)com. I’m sure you can figure that out. I’ll be brewing all day, starting at around 12pm until I’m done. If there’s enough people, we’ll get a little potluck BBQ going and maybe throw back a few beers in the process. Hopefully I won’t be too hung over from a Halloween party I’ll be attending the night before.

Lately I’ve been thinking about commuting to work on a bicycle. My wife is skeptical but after taking my co-worker’s bike for a spin around the parking lot yesterday, I am even more pressed to at least try. I figure that if I can get my metabolism up, I can drink more beer because I’ll be burning it off. Unfortunately, you can get a DUI for cycling while drunk. So what’s a beer lover to do?

Enter the PedalPub. It’s 50% bar, 50% bike, 100% WTF?!

It would seem that Amstel Light is sponsoring the PedalPub to be ridden aroud San Francisco. Check their website for more information tomorrow (mouse over to Dam Good Times, then Events). Al Boyce, BJCP North Regional Rep has been tapped by Amstel Light to pilot this behemoth. Some people have all the luck.