Holy crap, a week passes quickly these days

Wow!  It has been over a week since I blogged!  No excuses this time.  There's been plenty of exciting things going on in my beery life.  For anyone curious, the brunch went very nicely.  I made tasty beer-inis with cherry and/or pear lambic and prosecco that was on sale at Whole Foods, Auntie Suzie's egg bake did not disappoint, everyone had a lovely time, at least as far as I could tell.  Last Wednesday, I had a Sally-cleaned-the-beer-out-from-under-her-car-seats beer tasting at Lush on Roscoe, and last Thursday I co-hosted a lovely beer dinner at Flo restaurant on Chicago Ave.  And FRIDAY night -- I had the distinct pleasure of meeting author Lucy Saunders and Julie Johnson, editor-in-chief of All About Beer magazine.  Delilah's hosted a book release party for BEER HUNTER, WHISKEY CHASER, a compilation of essays about the late great Michael Jackson.  I also, FINALLY, was able to taste Pop Skull.  Darn good.  

Then on Saturday, we attended a lovely birthday party.  We were able to sample this year's RABID RABBIT -- the spring saison beer from Three Floyds.  You know, the palate is a strange organ.  Just about a year ago, I probably wouldn't really have cared for this beer -- but now, oh, now I LOVE IT!!  It is spicy and effervescent with chamomile and hints of coriander and caraway seed.  It came out last week, you should go buy a bottle or two before it's gone.  Also, don't forget about DARK LORD DAY, coming up on April 25th.  Even if you didn't get a golden ticket online to buy the beer, you can still come to the brewery, listen to music, drink vanilla-bean aged Dark Lord and TONS of other fantastic guest beers from all over the country!  Johnny and I will be there, we'll be helping sell beer.  

Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 31st, I will be at the Whiskey Fest Pre-game kick-off party at Twisted Spoke.  We'll be tapping the keg of Founder's Kentucky Breakfast Stout, we'll have a sixtel of Pop Skull, and many other beers you can't taste anywhere else in the city.  

Farewell Old Friend, My Seigneuriale, my old friend

It's sad when a brewery decides they will no longer brew a delicious beer.  I love Unibroue, it is by far one of my favorite breweries and they make awesome beers.  It is situated just outside Montreal in a city called Chambly.  They were the first brewery in North American to brew beer with Belgian yeast, using traditions developed by the Trappist monks.  They continue to brew flavorful, bottle-conditioned beers which change and develop over time.  Anyway, most of their portfolio will continue on -- the lovely La Fin Du Monde, the mighty Maudite, the delicious Don de Dieu, the list goes on and on -- but we have recently received word that production will cease on the sensational Seigneuriale, one of my personal favorites.  Seigneuriale is a strong amber ale, it has more hop presence than their other beers, but still not too hoppy.  It is 7.5% ABV, and is lovely, yeasty, floral, spicy and hoppy all at once.  It is a beautiful beer and I will miss it.  It's only available in 750 ml bottles, and here I am drinking one of my stash . . . I'll have to pick a couple more up while they are still available.  I am enjoying my Seigneuriale as a reward of sorts for getting the house clean and getting some other stuff done of my list of stuff to get done on the weekend.  Tomorrow morning, we are having a brunch for our friend Kelly Ryan who is moving to South Carolina - God knows why. Not why are we having a brunch, why she's moving to South Carolina.  For the brunch, I'll be making some beerinis -- drinks made with Champagne and Lambic beer.  We'll be serving the family favorite Auntie Suzie's Egg Bake.  Fancy people call it a Strata or a Frittata, but it's Auntie Suzie's Egg Bake as far as we're concerned.  Au revoir Seigneuriale, Au revoir Kelly!!

Why no blogging, little Sally?

I've got a nose for BEER NEWS, people!  It's been a couple of days since I've done any blogging.  I am a blogging slacker.  But really, it's due to my not drinking quite so often due to the Wii fit demanding that I lose weight.  And, unfortunately, much of the fun of blogging about beer is drinking beer while blogging.  But, what's new?  Founder's Kentucky Breakfast Stout was released last Monday.  It is EXTREMELY limited -- we only got 120 cases for the entire Chicagoland area.  We salesfolk didn't make any decisions about where it went.  We offered suggestions and our managers made the designations.  So, I can tell you you can buy it at LUSH WINE AND SPIRITS, at either 1257 South Halsted or 2232 West Roscoe.  You can get a pint of it at TWISTED SPOKE at 515 North Ogden or at JERRY'S SANDWICHES at 1938 West Division.   I don't have any samples of it so don't look at me.  TWISTED SPOKE is also getting an EVEN MORE LIMITED if you can believe it beer called POP SKULL.  This is the collaboration brew between 3 Floyds and Dogfish Head.  Yes, the one I wanted to taste on cask last Friday at In Fine Spirits, but it was out.  

I didn't take a picture of it, but I did a side-by-side taste test of the new Oak-Aged Unearthly IPA from Southern Tier Brewing and Oak-Aged Arrogant Bastard from Stone Brewing.  I am not sure exactly why ALL BEER, it seems, must be aged in oak barrels these days -- I personally am a fan of the dark, rich beers getting some oak-aging, but am not sure about this aged IPA thing.  For one thing, aging really changes the hop character, and in my small and insignificant opinion, not in a good way.  I will say, though, that the Oak-Aged Arrogant Bastard managed to have both a charred, burnt marshmallow oakiness and a clean hop finish.  Not bad at all.  

I AM SO EXCITED --- TOMORROW at LUSH WINE AND SPIRITS ON ROSCOE - WEIRD BEER CLASS!  AT 7:00!!  STARRING MR. UNITED HIMSELF, DAVID FROST!! (not Frost/Nixon David Frost, that's a different David Frost, this one's hair is completely different)  AND ME!!  AND ALL MY PALS AT LUSH!!  You should go! Call them now!  

No Dogfish/Three Floyds collaboration beer for you, sister, at least not today!

So yeah, I had a really good beery day.  I had lunch with my good friend Karl Braun from Unibroue, then I had most of a Merchant Du Vin training meeting at the warehouse with Brian Van Zanderpants, but I had to leave early because I had to do a tasting at Galleria Liquors at Wells Street just south of North Avenue.  The tasting went great, we tasted out Unibroue's La Fin Du Monde and Ephemere White ale with apple.  I love both these beers!  I think Ephemere is such a great beer with food.  It is a white ale, it actually is their Blanche De Chambly ale with grannysmith apple added.  So it is light, but not too light, and very refreshing.  All Unibroue beers are made with Belgian yeasts.  Back in the early 1990's, Andre Dion decided he wanted to brew Belgian style beers at the brewery he had just purchased in Chambly, a city of about 20,000 just outside Montreal.  He went to Belgium and brought back not only the techniques used by Belgian brewers, but also several strains of Belgian yeast, and a real Belgian brewer, Paul Arnott, who had brewed for Chimay.  Unibroue beers are frequent go-to beers for me.  

After the tasting, Shelley and Johnny and I were hungry so we all went to Charlie's Ale House down the street.  We wanted some protein.  AND -- they were having a Sam Adams promotion!  $3.00 pints!  And with every pint you get a chance to win a TV!  And you can shoot baskets and win prizes!  So I won a Sam Adams T-shirt, which I gave to Johnny.  

We then walked down to In Fine Spirits, which is a place we love to go.  The beer list is excellent, they have real ale from firkins (usually Three Floyds), the drinks are good and strong and the food is excellent.  Earlier tonight, they had had a kick off party there for the Dogfish Head/Three Floyds collaboration beer, POP SKULL.  Anyway, long story short (too late), the celebration started at about 4:00 pm, and the staff said, they ran out of beer by about 5:30.   Ah well.  We had some Brian Boru on cask, absolutely delicious, I have never enjoyed Brian Boru (which is Three Floyds Irish Red ale) as much, it was great.  

It was a lovely day.  I shared some beers with some of my favorite people, I had a tasting where I introduced many people to some of the best beer in the world which they may not have had a chance to taste otherwise, and I had lots of really satisfying food.  My favorite kind of day!!

It's late -- I better go to bed before I start buying stuff off infomercials.  Good night everybody!  

The first Bock of spring

Ah, the first Bock of spring!!!!  Spring is not quite here yet, but it is on its way.  Even though the March winds doth blow and we shall have snow, and lots of rain, it is time to begin enjoying the hearty, strong beers brewed to celebrate the arrival of spring.  Bock, or Mai Bock (May Bock), or Heller Bock (heller means pale) is a style that originated in Einbeck, Germany.  Some say that the name Bock came from a drunken malapropism of Ein-BECK.  Others say that the word bock comes from a German word for goat. Still others say that it's simply bock, like buck, as in male goat.  The male goat is a symbol of fertility and sexuality (you can go to Walgreen's and buy Horny Goat Weed!  It supposedly helps with erections).  So, the goat is all part of the rites of spring, which also include such symbols of new life and fertility as bunnies, eggs and baby chicks.  There are also dopplebocks, but I'll blog about that when I'm drinking one sometime soon.  

Anchor Bock was first available two years ago.  Like most beers of this style, it is rich, malty, dark brown (bocks range from light coppery to dark), and it is lighter on the palate than you would expect from looking at it.  Some dark bitter chocolate, some coffee grounds, not a lot of hop.  As clean and style-appropriate as one would expect from the most classic and arguably the classiest microbrewery in the USA.  

Now I must watch Dancing with the Stars.  Oh, if anybody has TIVO'ed The Bonnie Hunt Show today, it is worth watching.  Bonnie asks Jason and Molly the tough questions.  

Beware the strong beer on the busy day

So, we had kind of a busy Sunday.  We had homework to do, I was puttering around my library (Did I blog about my library?  I have one!  And it rocks!  I need a smoking jacket!), and we made slow cooker food.  Slow cookers are amazing.  You just put stuff in it with some water and it comes out delicious.  And, I was trying to do a food pairing type thing with the pot roast and vegetables we were having, and I thought Dogfish Head Raison D'Extra would be good! It is an intense brown ale made with raisins.  Well, I drank about three quarters of it with dinner and was feeling a little loopy, so I had to stop drinking it!  I had stuff to do.  

HOWEVER -- like most strong Dogfish Head beers such as 120 minute, Fort, Red and White, and other delicious Dogfish offerings that are over 12% ABV -- they are great for when you have time to drink them, enjoy them and deal comfortably, happily and safely with the effects!  There's a reason for those bright green "danger" caps on those bottles!  

Hmmmm . . . I think there's some schmutz on the label.  oops.  

Not so classy, Jason

Wow.  Seriously?  Seriously.  As a friend of mine just stated, not the best idea to break up with someone on national television WITH THE INTENTION of starting a new relationship with somebody else that night.  Not nice. Not a lot of emotional maturity. Not really a nice guy.  Got some growing up to do.  But, it is reality television.  

I am eschewing beer tonight in favor of chick-solidarity food -- diet coke, pretzel sticks and Dean's half the fat slow churned Moose Tracks ice cream.  

A productive weekend deserves a delicious beer

Had a good weekend!  Did some grocery shopping, ran some errands, cleaned the house, paid some bills, and perhaps MOST importantly -- I am now about 99% finished with my library!  It has been a dream of mine for many years to have a library in my home -- a place to keep all my books and magazines and printed stuff!!  I have long had boxes of books in storage - I love my books, I know it's 2009 and there's kindle and all kinds of things where you don't need actual books -- BUT I LOVE THEM!!  For about a year, we have had the extra bedroom designated as what-would-be-the-library -- and at last, I was able to spend most of Saturday night playing in my books, arranging them, deciding what shelf they should go on -- loads of fun for me.  Yet further proof that I am a huge, middle-aged, geek.  Oh well.  

Tonight I am enjoying a Kasteel Rouge.  I love this beer, I know some people have mixed feelings about it.  Kasteel Rouge is brewed by the Brewery Van Hounsebrouck.  It is dark red (hence the name), it smells like a dark, dangerous and delicious cherry NyQuil, and it tastes like a chocolate covered cherry brandy.  As well it should!   What the brewers of this tasty beer do is, they have a delicious, dark beer called Kasteel Donker (hee hee).  Have you ever had a chocolate covered Montcheri cherry?  Sure you have.  Maybe you had one as a child and remembered it tasted weird (because it tastes like brandy) and haven't had one lately.  Before the Montcheri cherries are covered in chocolate, they are soaked in a brandy-alcohol solution.  The brewery buys this liquid after the cherries are removed and add this to their Kasteel Donker.  The result is a dark, fruity, 9-ish percent ABV, fairly heavy in body, perfect nightcap kind of beer.  Don't get me wrong.  You can't drink five of these and then go party.  I probably wouldn't even drink two at a sitting.  But, like a good brandy or port, after a particularly satisfying meal or after a particularly productive weekend, it certainly is a good finish.  You can't tell, but I took the picture of the Kasteel Rouge in my library.