Avery Brewing – Nutty but Sentimental

This cap comes to us from Avery Brewing – an Ellie’s Brown Ale, to be exact.  Reading the brewery’s website, this beer was named after the owner’s late Chocolate Lab, Ellie, as she had lots of character.  Ellie’s Brown Ale has lots of character as well – with hints of chocolate and a bold nuttiness – without being overly spiced or too sweet, it totally meets my approval of what a good brown ale should be!

I have to say, I really love a brewery that has meaning behind the names they give their beers.  Good brewers with sentimentality – sounds like the perfect recipe for a successful brewery!  Cheers Avery!

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Deer in the Headlights

My husband says this cap probably came from an Old Dominion Millennium Barley Wine, which he says is delicious…. but I’d like to imagine that I saved it from 5 years ago when I was pregnant with my daughter.  Obviously at the time, I wasn’t drinking “regular” beer (although I did crave it), so I became a root beer addict.  If you weren’t aware, Old Dominion Brewing makes some superior root beer and ginger ale – and this pregnant woman probably kept their root beer line a flowing!  A really like that it comes in a glass bottle, and it has a “bite” that most root beers lacks, not to mention that it’s oh so refreshing.  This dreamy drink is also free of caffeine and high-fructose corn syrup!

If you haven’t tried one of these, you really haven’t had a true root beer… so what are you waiting for??

Trader Jose – cheaper alternative to Negra?

I stumbled across “Trader Jose” when I was shopping at Trader Joe’s one day (get it… Trader Jose, because it’s their Mexican style beer?? Ha, ha!).  It was too cheap not to try, so I bought a sixer.  To my pleasant surprise, this cleverly named supermarket generic tasted similar to Negra Modelo.  I love Negra Modelo; it’s malty goodness just warms my heart!  I don’t go shop at Trader Joe’s just for the beer, but when I’m there, I certainly pick up a six-pack, since I know it’s enjoyable (and again, did I mention cheap??).

While “Trader Jose” can’t replace Negra (in my heart at least), it does have a nice comparable flavor with a slightly cheaper price tag.

Twisted is right!

 

I had a great night out with my friend V., drinking at the Midlothian Capital Ale House!  A shout out to our bartenders who were wonderful!  I normally drink the beers on tap, but opted for a bottle, since I wanted a cap for my blog tonight.  I had the “Twisted Kilt” Scottish from Thirsty Dog.  I have to say, the beer was all wrong.  I’m not sure if it was oxidized, but I’m pretty sure a Scottish style ale shouldn’t taste like lemons.  I’m willing to give Thirsty Dog another try, because my husband swears they are an awesome brewery.  I’ll chalk it up to an old oxidized bottle… which can happen to anyone!  I’m looking forward to a good Scottish, Thirsty Dog.  Not to mention, it took a lot from my sweet dog, Chewy, to pose for this picture!

Victory!!

 

After VCU’s win tonight, which secures a place for them in the final four (woo hoo), I thought it was appropriate to use a Victory Brewing cap!

 

Victory has lots of tasty brews, but there is one that I enjoy oh so much – The Golden Monkey!  This Belgian Style Tripel is very crisp, clean and so yummy.  Don’t let it’s crisp, light mouth feel fool you though – this tasty brew packs a wallop at 9.5% ABV.  Make sure if you have one of these awesome Golden Monkeys, that you get it served in the correct glass, as it certainly deserves to be treated like the fancy beer it is.

Cheers – and congratulations to VCU in Richmond, VA for their win this evening!

No Sleep ‘Till…. Brooklyn!

Brooklyn Brewery makes one of my favorite brown ales (only second to Legend Brewing from Richmond, Va – of course).  The Brooklyn Brown is a little chocolaty without being overly sweet.  It’s a good staple to have in your beer fridge, especially if you’re a fellow brown ale lover!  This particular brewery does make some other beers I like; they have a great Oktoberfest and a yummy Black Chocolate Stout.

I have to say, even though I love Pale Ales, theirs isn’t my favorite.  I think it may be their use of Willamette Hops, which are a little too “grapefruitty” for my taste.

Give Brooklyn Brewery a try though, they have a great variety!

Light, but not watered down!

 

I must admit, I started my beer journey with Miller Lite – shocker, I know!  My next step in “beervolution” was Amstel Light.  While I can no longer drink Miller Lite, I still enjoy an Amstel from time to time and it’s actually a pretty tasty beer.  Most light beers leave out flavor and give you a watered down version of “beer”, you won’t find that with Amstel – AND it has less calories than your average beer – for you those of you watching your “girlish figure”!  So, wear your bikinis and still drink well!

Generic Beer not so Generic

 

If you don’t know by now, Costco has it’s own beer!  That’s right, Kirkland brand beer, and it’s really quite good.  We purchased a mixed pack to try it out as it was inexpensive, but we didn’t really have high hopes for this store-brand brew.  Surprisingly, it was delicious and each style was true to form.  Upon further investigation, we found that Gordon Bierch Brewery actually makes this beer for Costco.  If you haven’t tried Gordon Bierch, they make high quality stuff!

 

When you take your next trip to Costco, pick up a mixed pack of Kirkland Beer – one of my favorites out of the pack is their German Lager – yum!

Chocolate Lovers… A Beer for You!

When I first saw the description of the Choklat Stout by Southern Tier Brewery, on a local beer menu, my first thought was “I have got to try this!”.  Brewed with real bittersweet Belgium Chocolate, this Imperial Stout is a chocolate lovers dream in a glass.  As I sipped on my large glass of bliss, I didn’t even need dessert – although, at 11%, I could only allow myself one- darn!  Southern Tier Brewery makes lots of great other beers, but if the Choklat is on the menu, that’s the one I’ll choose every time!

A Beer for the Cul-de-sac

 

As the days get warmer, I find myself chillin’ in the cul-de-sac with one of my favorite brews – Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.  It’s perfect for a warm day – crisp, hoppy and not overly complicated.  Sierra Nevada makes lots of wonderful beers, but this one is available year round.  This pale ale can always be found in our fridge, so if you’re ever near our cul-de-sac, stop by for one!