What to Choose?

So in less than a month there will be a new Good Beer Country Girl added to the family. No, not a writer, at least not till 2032 at least, but my daughter. That leads to a critical question: What should I celebrate with?

I don't care for champagne, and always slide that over to the wife at weddings. And wine, I don't really drink that either; although some is on hand (minus the bottle another Good Beer Country Boy who won't be named put in the freezer without telling anyone because he thought it would be a good idea after a lot of beer drinking only to forget and leave it to be found exploded some time the next day).

So fittingly, I need a good beer to celebrate with and am open to suggestions. What would you pick?

The Hop Season

I found some Bell's Hopslam this week at the Lexington Liquor Barn, and I saw on Facebook that The Beer Trappe had Sierra Nevada Hoptimum in stock.

Just for a general poll, do you fall for these super hoppy beers, or do you see them as just a fad? I think the hop movement has really changed the face of beer, and we won't ever be the same again.

Or am I just wishing?

How to Bring an Alcoholic Beverage to Market

How to Bring an Alcoholic Beverage to Market

I think the subtitle says it all. Except, whoever wrote this article didn't really figure it out either past finding a distributor.

Two New Beers

Well, new to me. So that means a real beer post tonight and not just filler. You know when you are out and about visiting breweries and beer stores and you buy a good beer, put it in the fridge and it ends up being hidden behind some old leftovers from dinner in the back? Well, the feeling when you find that beer is pretty sweet.

The beer I had forgotten about was a Thornbridge Kipling. It's easy to make a bad IPA, and they are so particular to people's individual tastes. It's probably due to preferences of bitterness. Kipling, besides being an excellent author (read Kim), is a fine beer. It has a fruit like flavor and is a Pacific style pale ale. In all honesty, I'm not 100% sure what clearly defines a Pacific style other than the origin of the hops. These are Nelson Sauvin hops from New Zealand and are known for a fruitiness, similar to wine. What I really liked was this beer didn't leave a bad finish, a problem I have with a lot of IPAs. I'm a fan of this beer and look forward to trying some other stuff from Thornbridge. If you are a brewer (which admittedly I am not) and are interested in the hop, I believe this is it: http://www.nzhops.co.nz/varieties/nelson_sauvin.html. The brewery has what looks like an extensive web site. I haven't had a chance to check it out in depth, but visit here: http://www.thornbridgebrewery.co.uk/index.php.

The other beer I tried for the first time I actually had been putting off. DH and I made a trade of a few brews a few months ago and he slipped in a Founders Backwoods Bastard. This may sound like beer blasphemy, but I've not really found many Founders that I actually like, until now. The Backwoods Bastard was fantastic. Throwing some beer in a bourbon barrel doesn't automatically make it a well crafted beer. This was done right. As pretentious and wine snob like as it sounds, smell is one of the first things I always notice about a new beer. And bourbon is one of the best smelling things ever. They nailed that part of it. The other tricky thing about bourbon and beer is for it to really work it has to be smooth without being flat. The bitters and carbonation can really mess it up. This was the first bourbon barrel that I've really felt combined beer and the bourbon flavor very well. Loved it.

Anybody tried these and have thoughts?

The World's Most Epic Beer Run

It may be cool, but brother, that ain't craft brewin.



The World's Most Epic Beer Run

Life.

It's 9:47PM on a Tuesday. I'm drinking a Bell's Hopslam, Michi leaves for Japan in the AM and UK is losing. Yes, It's going to be that kind of night.

Stone Skips Across the Pond

Enjoy this video (if you haven't already seen it) of Greg Stone having a small adventure across the pond. Remember, the best reason to brew and drink beer is to have fun with your friends and have some new adventures.

Stone Skips Across the Pond | Full version from stonebrew on Vimeo.

Beer Run

We've all had to make one.

Louisville Beer Store Calendar

Although we will write more on the Beer Store later, I wanted to go ahead and link to their event list because there are a number of good tastings coming up. They also are good about bringing guys from the breweries to the tastings as well. So if you are in the Louisville area, check these out.

http://louisvillebeerstore.com/calendar

2011 Release: Dark Sky Imperial Stout; Bashamichi Taproom Opening January 15

(From DH: It's an exciting time for Baird. They are opening up their FOURTH taproom and releasing some great beers. Dark Sky is an amazing beer and one of my top five made in Japan. I am lucky, as the wife is headed there next week and can bring me back a few!!!)

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

Do you need help taking the bite out of the winter chill? We have just the beer antidote for you: Dark Sky Imperial Stout.

New Seasonal Beer Release:

*Dark Sky Imperial Stout 2011 (ABV 8%):

This foreboding stout is a beer lover’s winter dream come true. It is pitch-black in color, unctuous in body, elusively complex in flavor, warming in alcohol and piquantly hoppy. This 2011 version marks a return to our house Scottish ale yeast (from last year’s experiment with a British ale yeast). We also have increased the hop IBUs from previous (65 to 75) and added, for the first time, ample quantities of roasted wheat, which increases body but also lends a nice sprite and tangy character to the flavor.

Fortunately, we remembered to keg a good quantity of this year’s batch so draught Dark Sky Imerial Stout is back. Our Taproom pubs and other Baird Beer retailing pubs/restaurants will begin pouring draught Dark Sky on Friday, January 14. It also will be released in bottles (633 ml) on that same day. Individual consumers can purchase bottles direct from the brewery via our online E-Shop.

Other News:

*Bashamichi Taproom Opens its Doors Saturday, January 15 at Noon:

Yes, the wait is almost over. Our newest Taproom, the Bashamichi Taproom in Yokohama, opens for business at noon on Saturday, January 15. The Bashamichi Taproom is our first pub to focus on authentic American BBQ (i.e. meat smoked and cooked low and slow over a wood fire). This match between barbecue and Baird Beer is, in a word, profound! Stop in and see for yourself.

In addition to serving fresh cuts of Pit Master Chuck’s glorious BBQ (brisekt, ribs, pulled pork …), we will be pouring a tremendous lineup of Baird Beer including some new offerings such as Bashamichi Ale (peat-smoked brown ale), Port City Pils and Bashamichi Celebration Ale (rye-accented IPA).

We look forward to welcoming you to the Bashamichi Taproom on Saturday. Bashamichi Taproom operating hours will be as follows:

-Weekdays (5:00 pm -Midnight), Weekends & National Holidays (Noon – Midnight)

Cheers!

Bryan Baird