Why did I do that?

Leading up to the unique beer sale at Wise Guys (yes, I renamed it) I was trolling around craigslist and eBay looking at how much some of these beers were going for.  And I revisited an old favorite: Dark Lord by Three Floyd's.

There it was, in my hometown nonetheless.  It seemed like a reasonable price at the time and besides, I already convinced Brett to go in on half.  The only thing I had to give up was the bottle.  I had no problem with that as I am not in the habit of keeping the bottles.  I was only interested in the prize within.  So I arranged a meet with the buyer and ponied up $60 for the 2011 brew.  Why did I do that?

Finally the day of the sale came and we lined up outside the store with a dedicated crowd more than likely chasing after the same beer: Founders CBS.  We were ushered into the narrow first aisle of the store and told about the quantities available.  They were selling 8 bottles of CBS that morning and there were roughly 60 or 70 people in line.  Very interesting.  I don't remember the specific counts of the other beers but we had six names in six beer drawings and the outlook seemed promising.

"You know," Melanie started, "we should have gotten back in line and come up with aliases to increase our odds."  This was a brilliant idea!  Unfortunately one that was shared after the name collecting stopped.  If ever I find myself in that situation again, you better believe I'll remember that piece of advice.

First up was the CBS.  They were selling it for approximately $18 a bottle.  These bottles were fetching as much as $60 on eBay so the investment alone was worth the wait.  Alas, we struck out.  And the next round was lambic beers from Upland brewery in the form of raspberry, peach, or hell, I can't remember.  We lost out on those too.  Spirits were fading.

I was already holding a bottle of Hoppin' Frog's Frog's Hollow Double Pumpkin Ale which was a 2010 Great American Beer Festival Gold Medal winner.  I was happy with that.  I just wish that I could get some of these other beers.  And then it happened.  The total take away was at least doubling up on the last four beers sold:

4 bottles of Hoppin' Frog Naked Evil @ $25 each - $100 (Why did I do that?  I sold one bottle right on the spot because I couldn't imagine what I would do with four, so we'll scale it back to $75)

2 bottles of Stone Vertical Epic, years 2006 and 2008 @ $42 each - $84 (Why did I do that?  Turns out Stone has been brewing Vertical Epic since 2002 and they release the beers on the following dates: 2/2/02; 3/3/03; 4/4/04; etc. and they will stop on 12/12/12.)

2 bottles of Hoppin' Frog DORIS @ $13 each - $26 (Why did I do that?  I had a bottle at Beer Geeks the week before and it was good and remember BORIS got this whole thing started)

2 bottles of Victory Otto @ $10 each - $20 (Why did I do that?  To be honest with you, I have no frickin' idea.  It was just a limited release)

$205 on 9 bottles of beer averaging $23 bottle which translates to about $1 an ounce.  Ok, that softens the blow a little bit.  Plus I walked away with the Pumpkin Ale which I think was $17 and a bottle of Abita's 25th Anniversary Double Dog for $6.  All told Wise Guys got $228 from me that Saturday morning.

Here's the problem I have: It was a total scam!  Ok, the beer is real and I have it, but my friend Brett calls me half an hour later and says, "So I was at Nick's Liquors and they have Hoppin' Frog DORIS and Naked Evil on the shelf."

"Son of a bitch."

Ok Wise Guys, great marketing scheme.  You bring in foot traffic and hype up beer only to ensure it's sold in one day.  However, good luck getting any more of my money.  Apparently Nick's Liquors doesn't need bells and whistles to sell their beer.  Might be better priced too.

Post Script: This spawned a nasty habit.  I went on eBay and spent $20 on Vertical Epic year 2007 and $10 on Vertical Epic year 2010.  $42 at Wise Guys for beer I could have got on eBay at half the cost.  Granted, year 2002 is going for about $600+.  And I spent $75 on CBS because I didn't think I'd actually win that auction.  Why did I do that?  I can't even drink it now and feel good about it.

Rare beer attack - Sneaky bastards

So I follow a couple dozen people/breweries/beer bloggers on twitter.  Sometimes they provide useful information, other times I gloss over it like a kid being begged by his mother to make the bed.  However, one tweet rose above the others, even though it was so plain:

"Limited release beer sale coming soon....stay tuned for details!!!"

Thanks @wiseguysliquors, that made my day.  What could it be?  The intended effect worked and I was captivated.  Ok, I'll admit, I really didn't care.  Honestly, rare beers are all hype right?  The value of the beer is related to the scarcity moreso than the actual taste.  Or not.  Dark Lord seems to be popular, but with a rabid fan base and loyalists touting it as the best beer ever could just be pulling my chain.  I might think it tastes like crap!  I stayed tune for the next tweet which came about 10 days after the first:

"Our limited release beer sale will be on Saturday 10/29 @ 9:15 a.m. at our Merrillville location."

Well no shit.  You just opened your new store only two months earlier so picking your flagship location was not a stretch.  Still not telling me anything useful.

"We will be using a lottery system to determine who will get the opportunity to purchase these special items to be as fair as possible"

That's good.  The last thing you want is dedicated beer drinkers to start lining up outside your store before a beer release.  You would end up with a tent city of people drinking the night away before you opened.  That helps a lot.  But is it worth my time?

"the beers involved will be announced on Monday 10/24!!! thanks for your patience!"

Damnit.  Really?  Three more days to find out what the hell you'll be selling?  Does that mean the deal with the distributor fell through on some stuff?  Does that mean your distributor won't tell you?  Alright, until Monday...

"Saturday's limited release beer sale will include the following beers:"

140 characters, saves on advertising dollars I suppose

"victory otto, hoppin' frog DORIS, hoppin' frog naked evil, upland lambics, vintage stone vertical epics and founders CBS!"

And there it was.  The hook that the sneaky bastards were using to drive foot traffic.  It could be argued that only one of those beers was rare or highly sought after.  Then again a trip through craigslist or eBay just tells you what the secondary market is offering for these brews.  Craft beer has almost become an investment.  The Founder's Canadian Breakfast Stout alone was a myth!  You could triple your money!

I rounded up my team.  Thanks to Adrian, Brett, Melanie, Michael, and of course Michelle for accompanying me to Wise Guys Liquors that morning.

The conclusion tomorrow...

Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat Ale - Addendum

Those bastards!

If you didn't think the craft beer movement was in jeopardy, look no further than Shock Top Brewing Company.  This is what I got for posting too damn quickly.  Getting content out there is no good if you don't do research.

My apologies to my fellow craft beer brethren out there.  I led you astray by not divulging fully the following:

Shock Top Brewing is wholly owned by Anheuser-Busch.

It doesn't alter the taste of the beer by any stretch of the imagination, but no wonder the value is there.  $6 for a six pack is because of the big machine behind it.  I support smaller, local brewers.  Had I not been duped by the packaging I never would have paid for this beer.

Valpo Brewfest - Delicious Irony

"It's like rain on your wedding day,
it's a free ride when you've already paid,
it's the good advice that you just didn't take,
Who would've thought? It figures."

-Alanis Morissette, "Ironic"

Wilk: You know, there is an effort to redefine craft beer into "gourmet" beer.
Rob: It's funny, you say redefine, I say ruin.  Beer is for the common man.  People complain about the billion dollar breweries, but you know what, they make a billion dollars because people keep buying them.  It's like wine tasting.  Wine tasting is on the tail end of the bell curve.  It's no longer this bourgeois thing that relates to the upper crust, it's for the common man.  Now craft beer is coming up the bell curve and it's starting to be reserved for...
Wilk: The damn hipsters.

Aside: I only discovered later that when I looked up the word bourgeois to spell it correctly that it is a term to describe a member of the middle class, of which I believe Rob would include himself.  Unless common usage has turned the definition of bourgeois into snobbery the word was used incorrectly in the context (sorry Rob).  In any case, I understood his point perfectly when he was making it.

Rob: Exactly.
Wilk: Well, the hipsters drink PBR.
Adrian: Yeah, but they do that to be ironic.  We drink PBR because we have no problem with how it tastes.  They drink it because they feel they're being cool based on the irony.  "Look, we're drinking crappy beer."

As this dialogue continued into ranging topics, a group of twenty-somethings rambled in.  The most obvious offense was the gentleman wearing a tweed blazer over his t-shirt while a fedora rested on his head.  His black rimmed spectacles and unshaven face complemented his whole look perfectly.  He certainly tried to give the appearance of someone who didn't care how he looked, but the meticulous nature of his clothing selection was very apparent.

Wilk: If anyone ever needed a definition of the word "hipster," there he is.

Rob, Adrian, and Brett nod approvingly and laugh.

Rob: Who wants to go back to the VIP tent and grab one of the specialty beers?  There is one in there that paired beautifully with the smoked gouda.  Oh! and did you try that peppered salami?

Social Media

To supplement the blog I've also been more active on Twitter.  The handle is rather obvious: @BeerMeWilk.  I'll be working on my own Facebook page (independent of my own Facebook page (confused yet?)) and showcase some of the craft brewers that I've had the pleasure of meeting, through their products only.  Also, 2012 looks to be the year that the adventure of brewing beer may commence.  Brett has been chomping at the bit ever since the Illiana Mayfest and I might actually dive head first with him into the foray.  Stay tuned for those details.  In the mean time, spread the love and the word and bring people into the craft beer fold.  While you're at it, click on an ad or two, just so our beer brewing venture can be supplemented by ad income!  FYI, I've made $10 since May.  Exciting, isn't it?

Milestone in Local Craft Beer Movement

A hearty congratulations goes out to Beer Geeks for their one year anniversary.  From one fledgling business venture to another!

The craft beer movement seems to be alive and well in northwest Indiana thanks to the efforts of not only Three Floyd's, Figure 8, etc. but also of Beer Geeks for showcasing the finest the nation has to offer in the way of specialty brews.  Beer Geeks offers the perfect alternative to your run-of-the-mill saloon giving the patron not only variety, but classic bar ambiance: dim lighting, real darts (not that cheap, plastic shit), knowledgeable bar staff, and really great live music.  The venue may be small, but the intimacy makes the experience that much better.

You can find Beer Geeks on Facebook and join their over 2,800 friends www.facebook.com/beergeekspub and you can also follow them on Twitter @beergeekspub.

Renewed vigor

For those of you who have supported this fledgling endeavor from the beginning, you will be quick to remember that the impetus behind it all was the misfortune of being handed an involuntary vacation from what was otherwise a very nice full time employment position.  As the quest for craft beer continued, the means to procuring some of the finest brews available for sale in Northwest Indiana diminished significantly.  No longer was Michelle willing to part with cash towards an unhealthy habit (in reality it was my fiscal responsibility getting in the way of my taste buds).  As summer progressed and activities continued, I found myself with more and more Miller Lites and less Left Hand Brewing Company Milk Stouts.

I have, I am happy to report, finagled my way into the position of someone contributing to society rather than solely depending on it.  As such, the funds necessary to pick up where I left off have materialized in the bank account.  So with that, Beer Me Wilk has come back with renewed vigor.

However, as proud as I am to report that the blog will return, it is not returning to its former glory.  I will only be providing weekly reviews of beer, relegating my exploration to Saturday and Sunday.  My commute is rather long and by the time I get home I would rather simply enjoy a cold one and not wrap my head around trying to categorize it in the relative spectrum of good or bad.  Saturday and Sunday afford me the opportunity to truly sit back, relax, and take in all a beer has to offer.  It doesn't hurt that football is back on TV.

So to those who have been reading from the beginning, thank you.  I write not only for my own amusement but for the smile I can put on your face.  For those stumbling upon this by mistake, I hope the writing has convinced you to stay.

The Persistence of Memory

In a discussion with my brother I discovered a friend of ours had a disagreement with a critique of a beer.  I took offense immediately!  How dare someone question my almighty judgment?  Realistically, we are all beer judges in our own right so no offense was really taken.  It has probably been stated several times over these posts that your own individual taste will dictate which direction you will steer your beer buying mechanism.

The reason this particular incident is being shared is because the beer in question is a porter.  When it comes to a beer style I really enjoy and take my time admiring I have to wonder why a difference of opinion really exists.  I made the claim that the brew was average and our friend really believes it is a damn fine beer.  I cannot deny that, but I am wondering why I cannot recall the taste of the beer without referring to my own notes.

This is where my title comes in.  I have to agree with myself (shocking I know!) that it is an average beer simply because I cannot recall how it tastes.  The sense of smell has the strongest memory of our five and with its close association to taste I have to believe taste to be second in command when it comes to recall.  I can review Miller Lite, Bud Light, Coors Light, Corona, Summer Shandy, Michelob Golden Draft, etc. without ever having to have a bottle or can in front of me because I've consumed it so many times that the smell, taste, and even look are programmed into my brain.  Some beers that I've tried only once still tickle my taste buds by invoking their name because they were that damn good.

The title of Dali's painting really has nothing to do with the subject matter, his or mine.  However, it is my favorite piece of art and by name alone I can picture the painter's subject matter and every detail behind it.  The same should go with beer.  Of course, when you name your beer "Porter" you almost are asking for it to be average.

Fourth of July

Amidst the cacophony of booms, pops, whistles, and explosions I was being lulled to sleep by the gentle hum of my Off! Clip-On.  Occasionally I would hear the jazz music escaping from my aging cell phone or the untimely death of an insect on my neighbor's bug zapper.  I was sitting on my deck enjoying the best the people of Crown Point had to offer in terms of fireworks purchases.  Watching thousands of dollars explode against the blackening night sky drowning out the stars I slowly sipped away at my Michelob Golden Draft.

This weekend, most of you probably threw and/or attended a wonderful summer cookout honoring the birth of our country.  And I'm assuming that most of these events included this blog's favorite beverage of choice.  I encountered a wide array during my weekend travels and found myself drinking the old standby more than anything else.  As it is more readily available to quench the thirst of the masses it was hardly a surprise.

Along the way I got to sit down and enjoy Hoppin' Frog's Fresh Hop IPA.  It was fantastic.  The color, just a little south of orange, and the aroma of fresh citrus fruit made it inviting on the 93 degree day.  The ale was smooth with only a slight hint of bitterness.  I probably liked it so much because the hop flavor was very muted.

I ended the weekend with the aforementioned Michelob Golden Draft.  My love affair with this beer cannot really be explained, mostly because I don't remember how it started.  This brew is not available in my area and has almost become seasonal in nature.  A very good friend of mine goes to Minnesota every June and picks me up a case every time.  I know it is available in the western suburbs of Chicago, but it isn't exactly a beer worth traveling for.  It is reminiscent of MGD or Budweiser but somehow just a little better.  In the past the best part about this beer was the can.  It was ribbed for his and her pleasure.  Maybe that's where the love affair began.

I hope everyone had a great weekend and was safe and sound.  If so inclined, please share your beer experience so I can be on the lookout for new brews to try.

"Beer is Proof God Loves Us"

Over 200 years of Chinese telephone has left many a historian crediting so-called famous words to some famous people.  If you are like me, you love pulling this gem from Benjamin Franklin out at your local watering hole to describe your love of beer and the approval of your love of beer by the Almighty.  If you are like me you will be disappointed to find out that Ben never said those words.  The quote in its entirety from a letter to the French economist Andre Morellet:

"Behold the rain which descends from heaven upon our vineyards, there it enters the roots of the vines, to be changed into wine, a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy."

The usage of the quote here is the title of a book by Charles Bamforth with a subtitle of "Reaching for the Soul of Beer and Brewing."  Bamforth is a professor of beer.  I am not kidding.  He actually teaches classes related to beer brewing at UC Davis.  For years he worked for Bass and Anheuser Busch as a brewer.  The book is semi-autobiographical and also talks about the science of brewing.

I was excited when I first found this book because I was expecting a mutual desire for beer.  He loves beer, but not in the way you might think.  Bamforth contends that big brewers such as Busch and Miller are the excellence in beer brewing.  To be consistent in the quality of the beer outweighs the actual beer itself.  That's not to say Busch and Miller beers are bad, but they are distinctly mass produced.  Bamforth finds fault in the nuances of beer whereas I find it endearing.

Bamforth compares the American craft beer movement to his days visiting English pubs and relishing in the variety offered in England prior to the destruction of the beer industry at the hands of Margaret Thatcher.  He praises the likes of Charlie Papazian, father of the home brew movement, and especially lauds Ken Grossman and his creation of Sierra Nevada.  Ken Grossman for his obsession with quality control and environmental soundness and Charlie Papazian for the love of beer.  But he continues to relish in American lagers and the continuity of the big brew beers.

The book is a little disappointing.  Bamforth sets out to find the soul of beer and brewing and in the end admits that he would prefer to drink whiskey over beer.  His prowess at brewing beer and determining proper taste is simply a means to an end that he's built his career on.  There are only two takeaways from this book that I will remember forever: 1.) Cascade hops create the grapefruit scent in the IPAs; 2.) Foam in a beer is created from the pour of the beer and nothing else.  It is a byproduct only of consumption and does not occur naturally in beer; therefore why do we obsess over it?

Instead of trying to read someone else's search for the soul of beer, let's continue our journey together.

American Craft Beer Counter Culture?

While enjoying tasters of beer at Great Divide Brewing Company, I leaned in to my companion and said, "Hey Dave, is it just me or are we surrounded by a bunch of hipsters?"  Dave laughed cordially and seemed to nod his head in agreement, but I wasn't entirely sure.  For a moment I had to take a step back and then analyze the two of us.  Were we also hipsters, denying this label because we in no way felt like we belonged to this class of citizen?
The problem with reviewing a question like this is that the definition of hipster cannot be pinned down.  It's been tried and there seems to be conflict wherever you look for a definitive answer.  For my sake, the term hipster reflects anyone trying incredibly too hard to show that marketing has no effect on his or her purchase decision.  It's a little broad I know, considering that someone with little or no money is essentially forced to shop either at Goodwill or Wal-mart (I don't equate the two).

I'll try to paint the picture of the scene: Unkempt hair, corduroy, big-rimmed glasses, cigarettes, thrift store shoes, loud colors that don't match anything, organic food, and of course craft beer.

It felt like there was an air of pretension surrounding me and I wanted to crawl out of my skin and slap my own face.  I will allow Mark Greif to explain a little:

One hipster subgroup’s strategy is to disparage others as “liberal arts college grads with too much time on their hands”; the attack is leveled at the children of the upper middle class who move to cities after college with hopes of working in the “creative professions.” These hipsters are instantly declassed, reservoired in abject internships and ignored in the urban hierarchy — but able to use college-taught skills of classification, collection and appreciation to generate a superior body of cultural “cool.”

They, in turn, may malign the “trust fund hipsters.” This challenges the philistine wealthy who, possessed of money but not the nose for culture, convert real capital into “cultural capital” (Bourdieu’s most famous coinage), acquiring subculture as if it were ready-to-wear. (Think of Paris Hilton in her trucker hat.)

Both groups, meanwhile, look down on the couch-­surfing, old-clothes-wearing hipsters who seem most authentic but are also often the most socially precarious — the lower-middle-class young, moving up through style, but with no backstop of parental culture or family capital. They are the bartenders and boutique clerks who wait on their well-to-do peers and wealthy tourists. Only on the basis of their cool clothes can they be “superior”: hipster knowledge compensates for economic immobility.        

I don't fall into any of these categories!!  What the hell was I doing there? 

It took a conversation with my father to really open my eyes to the whole matter.  When I thought about it, I've been spending most of my adult life in the pursuit of coin.  I'm an accountant, working in the professional world but toiling away in a disappearing American middle class.  I wasn't afforded the opportunity to get a liberal arts degree, don't have a trust fund, and don't have to tend bar to make a living.  I never cared about fashion but I cared about appearance.  To participate in "hipster" culture it seems to me you have to have money because "damning the man" is not cheap.

What does this have to do with beer?  Quite a bit if you think about it.  Just by embarking on this blog I open the door to the "hipster" label.  Why can't I just stick with the Miller Lites I love and leave it at that?  Home brewers decided they could build a better beer.  And through my eyes, Jim Koch and Samuel Adams put the "microbrewery" on the map.  He did it to get rich.  As much as home brewers want to savor and share their beer with those who'll enjoy it, I bet they all want to get rich.  I have no problem with that dream (why do you think I put ads on this blog?).  But I refuse to be labeled a hipster because I drank a beer I really liked and decided to try other beers to see if I can find one better.

To defend myself, I'm in it to enjoy the beer and not to damn the man.  As for the rest of the craft beer crowd, I'll let you know.

Beer, so much more than drinking

As I progress down the path of beer enlightenment, I find myself inching steadily closer to the imaginary line where I cross over into beer snobbery.  My seemingly innocuous attempt at introducing my little world to some pretty awesome brews apparently spits in the face of the new craft beer movement.  Maybe.

Unbeknownst to me, my take on the beer I consume tends to factor in the the five critiques that most beer tasters will comment on when pouring a new beer: look, smell, taste, mouthfeel, and overall.  Amazing that anyone would want to capture every human sense that goes into drinking a beer!  My description also tend to walk the same line as others, but I'd like to think that my added dash of humor is what keeps my reading public so entertained.

There is a subculture out there that threatens this simplicity.  One that, for a fee, allows you to get certified to be a beer god!!!  Hyperbole aside, there are multiple sites out there threatening the joyful existence of a simple beer drinker like myself.  Cicerone.org, BJCP.org, and others don't necessarily offer to train you, but will gladly administer a test that will make you become either a certified beer server or a certified beer judge.

So I ask my readers, and respond by comment if you would please, should I take the leap into beer snobbery and become a certified beer know-it-all?  Or should I just keep doing what I'm doing and not ruin our future nights out by commenting on every beer I drink?

Points west

Denver has more microbreweries than you can imagine visiting in one night there.  This presents a problem for a man looking to critique beers.  As I bid a fond farewell to Denver, I knew it is probably possible to find a microbrew wherever you may go.  We ventured west along I-70 and found ourselves looking lunchtime right in the eye.  Amid the Glenwood Canyon we land at Glenwood Springs and sit down at the Glenwood Canyon Brewery for what my father has dubbed, "The best damn beer cheese soup I've ever had in my life."

With about six hours of driving still ahead of us, Dave and I agreed that a lunchtime beer was not an option.  We both ordered the beer cheese soup in a spectacular bread bowl.  Now, I'm not entirely sure I ever had beer cheese soup before, but I can say confidently that the Glenwood Canyon Brewery has a damn fine concoction on their hands.  This satisfied my beer requirement at the pub, even though it didn't come from the tap.

Without even bothering to taste any of their beers, we opted for a growler of No Name Nut Brown Ale.  We now had our second growler of the trip on our way to Newport Beach, California. 

West of Denver is the beautiful Rocky Mountains and west of that is Utah.  Unfortunately we did not get to find the one microbrewery in Utah we could find on the Internet.  We continued southwest until we stopped for the night at St. George, UT.  After talking with the hotel front desk we discovered that there's really only one bar and it's called "The One and Only."

Don't go to "The One and Only."  I had to settle with a Michelob Amber Bock.  At least we made it to Newport.

Nutritional Information

When the major brewers decided it was time to battle for the love of the health conscious American, I scoffed at the idea.  Michelob Ultra and the introduction of light beer as a diet concept was something that was laughable moreso than laudable.  My first encounter with Michelob Ultra ironically occurred at about the same time I started on a rigorous workout regimen.  The joke of course, was that my gym had a bar right above it and on Tuesdays it was $1 taco night and my friend and I would wash down our meal with some good old Michelob Ultra since we were dieting after all.

Diet friendly beers could have been big beers way to market the drink to ladies always concerned with figure.  However, the lot of commercials that played on a loop were geared toward the men in the crowd.  Ever fearful that spirits, like always diet friendly vodka, were starting to chip aware at market share, big beer needed to reel in the key demographic.  So we get our favorite beers manipulated into MGD 64, Budweiser Select 55, etc.

I always joked, "Hey, if you are worried about how many calories are in your beer, you probably shouldn't be drinking beer."  But how could I argue with the calorie minded folks who enjoy an ice cold lager or ale?  With the major brands, it actually is easy to find calorie and carb content.  As I've ventured into the world of craft beer brought out by microbrews, it's harder to track that information down.  Mostly this is because the small brewers probably do not take the time to measure the information, even if they knew how.

Here are some quick tips to keep in mind when consuming beer:

• Generally, the higher the alcohol content, the higher the calories.  This is why Mich Ultra, Select 55, and MGD 64 taste an awful lot like water left to bake in the sun and then rechilled.

• Darker beers have higher calories (alcohol content) and more carbs.  This is based in part by the malts used to produce the beer.  That chocolatey undertone comes with chocolatey carbs.

• If your beer has an alcohol content between 4-5% you can probably expect anywhere from 100 - 150 calories depending on the style.  For example, a pale ale with that alcohol content might be on the low end of that spectrum whereas a stout with the same alcohol content would be on the high end.

• If your beer has an alcohol content between 8-10% you can probably expect anywhere from 250-400 calories depending once again on style.

As with any food or drink you enjoy while dieting it is best in moderation.  96 calorie Miller Lite adds up quickly when the company and conversation goes on for hours and you drink a steak's worth of beer.  Don't let that get you down though.  If you want to go for another brew just remember 3 miles on the treadmill and it will easily melt away.

American Craft Beer Week

I find it to be serendipitous that I started a beer blog in such close proximity to American Craft Beer Week.  To think, this has been taking place for five years now and I am only becoming aware of the world of craft beer.  For more about the event and to find events in your area celebrating this wonder please visit http://www.craftbeer.com/.

My schedule of events is as follows:

Monday - Hoppin' Frog's Silk Porter
Tuesday - The Beers of Three Floyd's with Brett
Wednesday - Bluegrass Brewing Company's Russian Imperial Porter
Thursday - Boulder Beer Company's Obovoid
Friday - Craft Beer Sampling at Wise Guy's.  For more info http://www.wiseguysliquors.com/
Saturday - Illiana Mayfest at the Lake County Fairgrounds
Sunday - Recovery and preparation for my trip west

Super Cold

Legally, I should not be downloading pictures from the Internet and using them here to promote my own self interest.  I believe that's copyright infringement.  I haven't consulted with my lawyers yet, but I'm playing it safe.  Although, I am sure the reading public out there can satisfactorily picture a bottle or can of Coors Light.

The new brain child from MillerCoors introduced last week is the concept of "Super Cold."  Now most of the press releases that have been posted on various websites fail to mention what temperature will allow the "Super Cold" bar to be activated.  After about 2 minutes on Google it appears to be around 29 degrees.

Now, as an American style light lager, we know that Coors Light yeast ferments at the nifty temperature of 34 degrees.  The mountains turn blue at this temperature.  This is actually a myth.  My refrigerator is set at 38 degrees and the mountains turn blue every time.  The bottle is lying to me!  It's telling me I'm enjoying the beer at the peak of freshness!  BUT WAIT!  If I put it in the freezer I can achieve the "Super Cold" status of 29 degrees!

In the press release, MillerCoors tells us that 70 percent of young beer drinkers put their beer in the freezer to enjoy it.  What they fail to mention is that most young beer drinkers buy their beer warm because it is cheaper and then throw it in the freezer so that it gets colder faster.  What about the beers we've forgotten in the freezer and they decide to get slushy?

Beware the marketing gimmick.  Of course, I'm sure we're all smart enough to do that.

How well do you know your beer?

If you're like me, you enjoy a cold beer on a hot day.  Whether on the golf course, at a ball game, or after you spent eight hours toiling away at your landscaping you want to open the fridge, grab a bottle and hear that familiar "pfft" after cracking the cap and taking in that refreshment.

Beer consumption really is that simple.  I know that I defy this blog's very existence by returning to the fact that all most people want to do is enjoy a beverage.  When I dove into this I really had no idea how vast the world of beer is, and if you humor me, we can explore this world together and hopefully enjoy these brews even moreso than before.

Having said all that, there are only two kinds of beer in the world: Ale and Lager.  Basically you can compare the fermentation of yeast to sex, some like to be on top while others like to be on bottom.  This applies to the position of the yeast in the vessel and the temperature at which the fermentation usually takes place.

Ales like to be on top.  The yeast ferments near the top of the vessel and at high temperatures, anywhere from 60 - 75 degrees Fahrenheit.  Lagers like to be on bottom.  This results in fermentation occurring near the 35 degree mark.

Now, when you hear the commercial mention frost-brewed, you can believe it.  Coors Light, Bud Light, and Miller Lite are all American style light lagers.  With fermentation occurring at such a low temperature they can all lay claim to the frost-brewed fact.  And the next time you hear people drinking Guinness warm, don't be in shock.  As an Irish Dry Stout Ale, the fermentation occurred at a higher temperature and the beer is probably at its happiest closer to room temperature than you may think.

For Starters...

For a little over two months now I have experienced unemployment.  Not entirely bad.  I get to sleep as long as the dogs will let me, keep the house in a perpetual state of cleanliness, and get to experiment with cooking dinner for my wife Michelle.  The drawbacks include dogs that constantly require my attention because they've been spoiled by it, an unhealthy obsession with video card games, and boredom.

So I've embarked on an endeavor that millions have taken before me, I've started a blog.  Not just any blog mind you, a blog that explores the world of water, yeast, hops, and grain.  Yes, as you have surmised from the title of this blog, I will be talking about beer.

My brother Adrian introduced me to Beer Geeks not so long ago.  If you live in Northwest Indiana and have not gone I suggest you try it.  The atmosphere is great and the exposure to new beers is phenomenal.  You can sample any of the rotating 20 beers on tap and decide where you want the night to take you.

On my most recent visit to Beer Geeks I had the pleasure of ordering a bottle of Hoppin' Frog's B.O.R.I.S., an oatmeal stout that is aged in oak whiskey barrels.  It was by far the best beer I ever had in my life.  It took me an hour and a half to drink a 22 oz. bottle and I had to lean on my brother to finish 10 oz. of it.  This beer is what led me to the idea of this blog.  If this is the best beer I ever had, what else have I been missing!

I am fortunate to live close to a liquor store that can accommodate the task of beer exploration.  Wise Guys has the old standbys as well as the craft brews that have been slowly chipping away at the beer market share.  The popularity of micro brews has created a new brand of beer drinkers in the 21st century and those with discerning palates are shelling out their hard earned cash to enjoy brands not called Miller or Busch.  Of course, the old standbys still go great with wings, pizza, and brats.  Craft brews will quickly spoil you though, so proceed with caution.

Do not come to my blog looking for the most thorough analysis of beer that it is no longer enjoyable to simply imbibe a pint.  I am a rookie at this and simply offering my own views of some beers that may not be easy to find or even known to you.  Just for kicks, I'll visit some of the beers that I've enjoyed over the years that are available at your favorite grocery store, convenience store, or gas station.

Feel free to offer suggestions on beer, stories of beer consumption, and your favorite pint!