Thirsty Thursday!

Hello, folks!  You all know what day it is...Thirsty Thursday!  And since I know everyone is as thirsty as I am, I'll dive right into today's selection.  I figure since fall is finally here, I'll go with the obvious choice and review one of the many Octoberfest beers available all season long.  This one comes from the vats of Samuel Adams, an American brewery based in Boston, Massachusetts.

This particular brew is lovingly crafted, per it's website, from "five roasts of malt to create a delicious harmony of sweet flavors including caramel and toffee."  I couldn't have said it better myself.  The first sip of this concoction sends a delightful medley of flavors splashing across the palate.  Ah, but I get ahead of myself.  The aroma reveals the malt blend, predominantly caramel, and reminiscent of other, headier spices.  The head quickly subsides and leaves little lacing on the glass. 

The taste of this Octoberfest is bready and strong, though not overwhelming, and slightly bitter, slightly creamy.  The one complaint I have is the aftertaste this beer leaves, a bit sour and somehow metallic (in contrast to the initial drinkability).  This is a completely accessible autumn beverage for novices (like me) and seasoned beer drinkers alike.  As an aside, I can't think of a better beer to sip while watching Major League Baseball playoffs: October-perfect. 

Overall Grade: B+

Statistics

Style: Märzen
Alcohol by Volume: 5.3%
International Bitterness Units: 15

Color: Deep Red Amber

Glass Used: Pint
Food Pairings: Kielbasa Burro Verde/Chimichangas from Taxco (this pairing was BRILLIANT, with the spices of the food working to complement and enhance the spices of the beer)
Cellaring Notes: Enjoyed 69 Days Before Best By Date
Reading Material: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Thirsty Thursday!

Good evening, folks!  You know what day it is, right?  That thirstiest of weekdays, Thirsty Thursday!

On-tap today (or in the bottle, actually) is Leinenkugel's Berry Weiss.  True, this selection is perhaps more befitting of summer than the newly-come autumn, but I'm maybe not quite ready to let go of those humid nights in mid-July when crickets compete with the crack of ball bats for the dominate evening sound.  In any case, I'm slipping in one final taste of summer before fully embracing fall.

What to say about Berry Weiss?  I've always enjoyed Leinie's beer, from the Original to its line of seasonal brews.  Berry Weiss falls in that special niche of fruit beer.  It's aroma is instantly recognizable as a pungent blend of berries.  The taste is full-on berry.  All berries, all the time.  It's not over-sweet, but it comes close.  In short, it's good for one or two bottles but I wouldn't sit down with a six-pack.  If a quick lick of summer on a cool autumn night is your cup o' brew, then I recommend Leinie's Berry Weiss.  If you're a beer purist, steer clear.  This is more of a soda-pop sipper; the last bastion of summer.

Statistics

Style: Fruit beer
Alcohol by Volume: 4.8%
International Bitterness Units: 13.5
Calories: 207
Carb. Grams: 28.0
Fat Grams: 0.0
Malts: Pale and Wheat
Hops: Cluster
Serving temperature: 45°
Color: Orange/Pink

Glass Used: Pint
Food Pairings: Chicken Cordon Bleu
Cellaring Notes: Enjoyed 82 Days Before Best By Date
Reading Material: Chicago Tribune Sports (specifically about the departure of White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen following a disappointing season, which prompted two more bottles of Leinie's.)

Thirsty Thursday!

Good evening, folks, and welcome to another edition of Thirsty Thursday, named for the ever-popular pre-weekend day enjoyed by beerophiles everywhere.  Tonight, I decided on a quick review of an old favorite: Blue Moon Beer.  This particular brew is technically called Blue Moon Belgian White, though the name comes off a bit deceitful since the beverage itself bears a cloudy deep citrus color and tastes of oranges and lemon rind.  In fact, a Blue Moon isn't a Blue Moon unless garnished with an orange slice.  I like to let the orange steep a couple minutes in the beer; doing so, I've found, brings out the natural fruitiness of the drink.  The beauty of Blue Moon is that it can be enjoyed easily with or without a meal; I prefer mine while watching ESPN or browsing the 'Net on my laptop.  The aftertaste is practically nil.

Blue Moon is available in bottles, kegs, and now cans and comes in several varieties including the aforementioned Belgian White, Spring Blonde Wheat Ale, Summer Honey Wheat, Harvest Pumpkin Ale, and Winter Abbey Ale.  No season is left unturned, and I look forward to sampling each in the appropriate timeframe. 

StatisticsStyle: Belgian White (witbier)
Alcohol by Volume: 5.4%
Potent Ingredients: Malted barley, white wheat, oats, orange peel, coriander
Color: Orange-amber

Glass Used: Pint
Food Pairings: Shelled Peanuts
Reading Material: Yahoo News

Thirsty Thursday!

Hello, folks! Yes, yes, yes it is that wonderful prelude to the weekend again: Thirsty Thursday!  Tonight we depart from the local microbrew scene for the northern climes of Minneapolis, Minnesota, from whence this week's featured brew comes: Crispin Natural Hard Apple Cider!  And with the coming change from summer to fall, what better time to break out the cider?

Statistics

Style: Hard Apple Cider
Alcohol by Volume: 5%
Calories: 170
Naturally Fermented: Yes

Glass Used: Pint
Food Pairings: Turkey and Swiss on Italian bread with lettuce, mayo, and applewood smoked bacon with tomato bisque soup
Cellaring Notes: Enjoyed 89 days before Best By date
Reading Material: George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones

The thing I like about reviewing a hard cider is there's no discussing hops or color or aroma.  You know what you're going to get from the jump.  Apples.  Crushed in a press and fermented into alcohol.  I knew going in that Crispin was going to have tough competition.  See, I don't always drink hard cider but when I do, I prefer Woodchuck Hard Cider.  Woodchuck's had my loyalty for years.  You know something?  It still does.  While Crispin offered a light, refreshing, season-appropriate appley tang, it just didn't have the same full flavor that belongs to its superior counterpart.  Nonetheless, it poured nicely over ice, possessed a crisp bite, and served to acceptably cleanse the palate.  I wouldn't sit down and drink a six-pack of it, but it was a pleasant complement to a meal.

Grade: B

For more information, visit www.crispincider.com

Thirsty Thursday!

Hello, folks!  It's that wonderful day of the week again, Thirsty Thursday!  Last week, I launched my first beer review with Chicago's Goose Island India Pale Ale.  I decided I like the local microbrew scene enough to stick with it this week, but this time it's even closer to home.  This week's selection is Two Brothers Domaine DuPage. 

Statistics

Style: French Style Country Ale
Alcohol by Volume: 5.9%
International Bitterness Units: 24
Color: Deep Amber

Glass Used: Pint
Food Pairings: Chicken Kiev
Cellaring Notes: Enjoyed 67 Days Before Best By Date
Reading Material: Chicago Tribune Sports

Let me preface this review by saying that this little number was part of a microbrew variety pack given as a gift a few weeks back.  I love when this happens.  Not just with beer, but with anything: hidden gems in a pile of coal.  I once gleefully discovered a signed edition of Farenheit 451 in a bag of books I bought for $2 at the second-hand shop. 

And Two Brothers' Domaine DuPage is a gem.  The fact this beer is brewed in Warrenville, IL, just up I-88 from my homestead, is an added source of awesomeness.  When poured, the color is auburn without the barest hint of cloudiness.  Little head, white in color.  Caramel undertones to roasted malt aroma is a scrumptious prelude to the main event, which is slightly bready but reminiscent also of dried fruit.  Slightly bitter without being acidic, this brew paired wonderfully with the spice of the Kiev, replicating nearly perfectly the color of the buttery interior of the entree.  As its website correctly boasts, this beer is a premier palate cleanser: I immediately wanted another before dessert. 

Grade: A-

Thirsty Thursday!

Welcome, folks, to Cold Brood's Thirsty Thursday!  On tap today: beer.  Yes, the carbonated beverage made of hops, barley, and water.  One of the oldest known beverages, beer has thousands of variations and derivations.  It has embedded itself in the global consciousness (and unconsciousness, depending on how much you drink).  It's here to stay.  

In honor of football season (of which beer is a mainstay), this space will be dedicated to reviewing a new beer each week.  Today, I want to spotlight a few I've tried before launching the review post next Thursday.  I will also be taking suggestions as to what to sample.

Now I don't always drink beer, but when I do, I prefer...well, just about anything.  I'm not picky.  Sometimes I'm in the mood for a dark stout like Guinness.  Per its website, this Irish concoction may appear black but is actually a very dark shade of ruby.  It sports a sharp, robust tang and is available in several varieties including Bitter, Extra Smooth, and Extra Stout.  Some studies argue Guinness may be beneficial to the heart due to "antioxidant compounds" that slow cholesterol deposits on the artery walls.^[1]  What's not to love?  I'm sold. 

If a dark stout is too harsh for your palate, consider a Black and Tan.  This is a blend of a stout and a pale ale and serves to take some of the tang out of the dark beer while presenting a completely separate flavor.  Two beers in one glass?  Awesome.  Beware, though.  There is a very specific way to pour such a mixture, which involves a spoon, to ensure the beverages properly separate.  Seldom do I attempt such an operation; I leave that to the professionals.  Remember though: pale on bottom, stout on top.  Enjoy.

Sticking with imports, I also favor beers from south of the border.  Dos Equis takes top prize here, and not just because this guy drinks it.  Corona with a wedge of lime is a close second.  Jamaica's Red Stripe's soft taste makes it easily drinkable.  And I would be remiss not to mention the only domestically produced beer in my birth country of Belize: Beliken! 

 

Then there are the endless number of specialty beers provided by micro-breweries.  Where to begin?  Samuel Adams offers several seasonal and specialty beverages alongside its traditional Boston Lager.  The company even designed its own glass that is said to optimize the drinking of their product. 

Chicago's own Goose Island offers over twenty varieties of beer ranging from Oatmeal stout to Demolition, its Belgian strong ale.  On the occasions I indulge in such a luxury, I select GI's 312 Urban Wheat Ale from a tall glass with fish and a salad.  For you teetotalers, Goose Island also bottles an excellent (if pricey) soda pop line. 

Usually, though, I settle for a simple domestic Pilsner from the likes of Miller Brewing Company or Anheuser-Busch.  People are often viciously loyal to their brand, so it is with caution I will say my basement bar has been stocked most recently with Busch Light.  Cheap and with fewer calories than its peers, I find a decent balance here.  Is it zen?  No.  But it does the trick.   

So what's your favorite beer?  Let me know!

Whatever your beverage, let's raise a glass tonight.  Cheers, folks.  Let Thirsty Thursday commence!

^[1] Guinness could really be good for you (BBC News). 13 November 2003.

Thirsty Thursday

How fortunate that I began Cold Brood on a Thursday. Or Thor's Day, if you have a handle on Norse mythology. Being of Norse origin, I tend to fancy myself a distant relative of the thunder god.  Of course, my lineage is probably not so grand as that. A Viking pillager is more likely. Or perhaps a weapons master, fashioning the finest oaken clubs in the land of ice and snow. Or (likeliest of all) my ancestors were lowly fishmongers. In any case, one thing is certain when it comes to persons of Norse origin whether you're a god, a pillager, a man-at-arms, or a fisherman: we like to drink.

It's in our blood.

From the pithiest mead to the bubbliest champagne, imbibing is part of our culture. Now please don't scramble up your soapbox and pontificate on the dangers of alcoholism. How American of you. Everything in moderation, right?  I no more excessively indulge in drink than I do ritual Satanic mutilation. But there's nothing quite like pouring a cold pilsner at the end of the day. Or two. 

But my thirst does not end at alcoholic beverages. Oh no. I also appreciate the crisp refreshment of a good cola.  Pepsi preferred - it's lighter, sweeter and less acidic than its big brother Coke. I took the Pepsi Challenge and never looked back. I will admit that Coke makes an acceptable substitute in a pinch (or out of desperation for a quick caffeine infusion). 

A variety of juices are also pleasing to the palate. Orange, apple, grape, cranberry. In that order. Nothing quite cuts through the morning mouth-film than a tall tumbler of Minute Maid High Pulp. Like sunshine in a glass, it is. 

And I would be remiss if I left out water. Clear, simple, life-giving water. Nothing, and I mean nothing, beats ice-cold water on a hot day or after strenuous exercise.  Out of a bottle or straight from the tap.  Let it flow, let it flow, let it flow. Delicious. Refreshing. And hopefully well-filtered from the nearest treatment facility.

So, on Thirsty Thursday, I raise my glass to your health.  Salud.

(Note: You may notice no mention of coffee as a beverage of choice in this blog. I do occasionally partake of the hot stuff, but find myself more suited to cold drinks. Must be that whole land of the ice and snow thing.)