Widmer – have a glass, hold the lemon.

I remember my first Widmer… it may have actually been my first wheat beer ever, and it came with a lemon.  I soon had a love of wheat beers, but  I found that lemons were for losers!  LOL.  Okay, not losers, but they really weren’t for me, or for beer drinkers that really wanted to taste their beers.  When I lost the lemon and embraced the amazing flavors, I loved that bread in a glass.

While I’ve since moved on from wheat beers, I can still appreciate that thick beautiful blonde glass of carbs – I really enjoy more malt these days.  So here’s to you Widmer… you still have a special place in my heart!

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A nice day at Legend Brewing

I’m posting a picture of me on the deck instead of a cap today.  Here in Richmond, when it’s nice out… we hit the deck at Legend Brewing.  I’m drinking a Brown Ale… shocked right?  It’s so delicious!  Malty,  slightly nutty and refreshing!  I know I can order a Legend Brown and always be happy.

Right now Legend has some great seasonals on tap:  Maibock, ESB and a Chocolate Stout.  The food here used to suck… but they have a new chef and I’ve been surprised at how much tastier everything is (and the menu is so much better).

If you’re in VA, check out Legend – and if it’s nice, sit on the deck for a view of the city.  It rocks!

Cottonwood – mediocre?

Well… Cottonwood Ales… I found this cap in our collection, and I do remember having their “Low Down Brown” – but honestly it wasn’t that memorable.  I don’t remember it being bad or anything… but I think I only purchased it once, which means it wasn’t stellar.  My husband does enjoy their Endo IPA though, and I think he has actually purchased it more than once (which is a positive spin for this brewery).

On their website, it states that their Pumpkin Ale has won awards… being a Pumpkin Beer lover, I must try this and post my own opinion!!  So, you will be seeing another post for Cottonwood Ales in the Fall.  Until then.. I may pickup one of those “Low Down Browns” again and give it a second taste.

 

Drink it, Stoopid’!

 

Lagunitas Brewing has some pretty good beers with equally cool names.  I love it when a brewery takes the time (and has the sense of humor) to name their beers something fun!

I’m mostly a Brown Ale girl, so one of my favorites from this brewery is “Brown Shugga'”.   Guess what its not so secret ingredient is?  You’re a genius… brown sugar!  It’s delicious, rich and malty, but I remember feeling a little loopy after just one – 9.9% can do that to you!

Another beer by Lagunitas that I’ve tried is the “Hop Stoopid”.  I LOVE the name, although the beer is just a little too hoppy for my taste.  My husband will put dry hops on anything , so it’s right up his alley – and he does enjoy it!

I wonder if they’d let me name one of their beers…. how about “Season’s Brew” for their Winter Ale?  Eh… I’m not good at the naming, but I do enjoy the tasting!  Cheers!

Beer Quote…

So, I’m a slacker and didn’t get a beer cap picture today, but here’s a great beer quote to keep you happy until tomorrow:

"Keep your libraries, your penal institutions, your 
insane asylums... give me beer.
You think man needs rule, he needs beer. 
The world does not need morals, it
needs beer... The souls of men have been fed with 
indigestibles, but the soul could
make use of beer."

-Henry Miller

Sierra – Yes Again!! I love this beer!

Okay, I know I’ve posted a Sierra cap before, but humor me if you will.  Tonight I was looking through my caps and came upon another Sierra Cap (the one here).  I was thinking, we drink A LOT of Sierra, and for one main reason – it’s a good brew!  I’ve had lots of different pale ales in my day, but Sierra is certainly our “staple” pale ale.  It’s refreshing, hoppy, good on a warm day, and is a wonderful beer that is always consistent.   To sum it all up, I posted yet another cap for Sierra Nevada Pale Ale because it’s my “go to” beer.  It’s like a good friend, it never lets you down!

L is for Left Hand

I know I’ve had some tasty brews from Left Hand, but I honestly don’t remember them by name at the moment.  My husband says that the “400 Pound Monkey” is a delicious English Style IPA, and to quote him “All of their beers are really solid!”… so I guess that’s good.  I really love their logo, and remember wanting to keep this cap, with the brightly colored hand on it, before I ever tasted one of their beers.

I checked the Left Hand Brewing website and evidently they have an awesome collaboration beer, named Oxymoron, that they brewed along with Terrapin Brewery:

“Oxymoron is the third in a series of one-time releases between our two breweries. A combination of contradictions embodied in liquid form, Oxymoron is an American-style IPA brewed with three German malts, six German hop varities, and a lager yeast strain. Obnoxious yet reserved, elevated yet modest, it’s the embodiment of blending two brewing philosophies together in order to achieve singularity. Consider it an expression of cruel kindness.”

Sounds like something we should check out; if I see one on a menu near me anytime soon, I’m totally ordering one!  Cheers!

Dos Equis Por Favor!

 

If there’s one beer I must have when I eat Mexican food, it’s a Dos Equis!  I don’t care for their lighter lager, but I love the Amber; it’s smooth, malty, and tastes darn good with a burrito!

There’s a local Mexican place by us which serves up awesome food, and we always get a pitcher of Dos Equis to go with it!   If you normally have a Corona with your rice & beans, make the switch to this cerveza – it just plain tastes better!

Share a Saranac – So Many to Choose From!

The first Saranac beer that I tried was their Black & Tan –  I was on a “real” black & tan kick so I thought I’d give it a try… pretty impressive.  It’s awesome that a brewery has a bunch of different styles of beers that are all pretty good.  From their Pale Ale to the Black Forest and Brown Ale – I can’t complain about any of them… and their seasonals, like the Belgian Ale and Vanilla Porter are stellar!   Just recently I learned that they even make non-alcoholic sodas:  Root Beer, Black Cherry and even Orange Cream – yum!

If you haven’t tried a Saranac, pick up their mixed pack – there’s something for every taste bud!

A Flying Fish… What the What?

Yes, it’s true, there is such a thing as a “Flying Fish” and it makes good brew!

 

Flying Fish Brewery is proud to call New Jersey “home”, even boasting a new “Exit Series” of beers – naming each beer in the series after an exit number off of the New Jersey Turnpike.  Each beer in this series by Flying Fish is a different style – and you don’t know what style it’s going to be until it’s released – Brilliant!

The “Exit 9” is a bottle conditioned “Hoppy Scarlet Ale”.  Bottle conditioned means that the yeast fermented inside the bottle.  This bottle fermentation leaves a settling of yeast and stuff at the bottom of the bottle, so you should leave the last bit of beer in the bottle – unless, of course, you like a glass full of yeast.

I have a friend who has made it his mission in life to have each one of these beers, and to keep the bottles as proof.  He was kind enough to share his “Exit 9” beer with us, his friends, a couple of weekends ago.  This ale was malty with a slight bitterness and a hoppy finish.  All in all, I’d totally drink another one! If the rest of the series is as good as the “Exit 9”, I’m sure New Jersey is proud to be the home of Flying Fish Brewery!