Lorraine, I'm Your Density

Back when I first turned 21-years-old I wasn't fully aware of what was available in terms of beer. At that point in time, great beer was Yuengling Traditional Lager, Guinness etc. I also remember walking into very generic bars and pubs to find mixed beers on special. These "mixed beers" included the likes of what I recall to be a Dark Side of the Moon (a combination of Guinness and Blue Moon) and Black Velvet (a combination of Guinness and hard cider). Still, I can't figure out whether or not Guinness is actually sought after anymore here in the states.

I've noticed this trend has taken a slight foothold in the craft world (Hoegaarden and Lindeman's Frambois), but that depends on whether or not you consider Hoegaarden craft. I've moved away from Guinness slightly, but I'm not in complete dismay if I have to have one. That and Yuengling are still considered to be among those first beer's I've had that ran the thought of amazing beer through my head for the first few times in my life. I'm forever thankful.

With the previous beer mixes I've mentioned, another popular one is shandy. I've had the Leinenkugel Summer Shandy. It's alright, but I'm kind of over it nowadays. That and the fact that a lot of people tend to shun it due to corporate aspects. I had a bottle of it recently (honestly was the best choice of the lot at the time) and had to force it down.

I've read in the past that mixing cider and beer is one of the tastier ways to go. Granted, I'd rather have a straight beer most of the time, but broadening one's horizons never hurt anyone. I'm interested in discovering which ciders go well with some craft beers. Why the hell not? I remember discussing that very subject a few months ago with my friend, Beer Snob Sr. I get the feeling that shandies contrived out of sheer experimentation are simply better than the commercially sold ones. To get back on the subject of Lenenkugel, wasn't its Lemon Berry concoction some form of a shandy? It tasted eerily similar to Robitussin.

Just watch this video from it's YouTube channel. Doesn't the story about the Summer Shandy just turn you off from it? it just doesn't feel that traditional to me. Someone wanted to conserve beer. So, he cut it with lemonade? For the second time this week, maybe I'm just nuts.

Maitre'D, This Stout is Too Dry

There are plenty of differences when it comes to British beer and American beer. I'm not here to knock one beer scene or the other. I enjoy what we have here in the States. I dream of one day noshing on some fish and chips and some awesome ales in England one day. While I'm at it, I'd like to do the same in Germany at some point. Except maybe with a giant pretzel.

I've joined in many discussions concerning Guinness over at Boak and Bailey's Beer Blog. The subject was brought up once again in a recent post. To shed some light on the issue, I should tell you that it's pretty evident in England that Guinness is viewed as we view Coors Light, Miller Lite etc over here (at least from my observations). Still, I've taken notice to a presence of Guinness over here in some of our best pubs. It's always been on tap at Blue Dust and Pipers Pub on Carson Street.

Then it occurred to me. The reason why it still might be even a semi-popular drink might be because our craft brewers here in America still haven't hit the big time int he Dry Irish Stout category. Think about it, Are there really that many? I can only come up with Brooklyn's Irish Stout. Not that I'm an expert on the Irish Stouts we have here, but that's about it.

Or maybe I'm just still tired.

The Guinness Conundrum

I had a Twitter conversation a good while back about the status of Guinness both here in the states and across the pond with Boak & Bailey's Beer Blog. I was surprised to find out there was such disdain for Guinness in England. An other post by that blog explained the subject a bit more yesterday.

As time has gone on, I've discovered that there are a good number of foreign import beers that are pretty much sold here in the states simply because they're kind of shunned in England beer circles.

I never thought such disdain for Guinness was possible since it comes off, to me at least, somewhat popular in this country. I see it in pretty much every pub I frequent around Pittsburgh. Even in places that refuse to put the likes of AB-InBev/Miller-Coors on tap. I've heard about Guinness toast parties being put together everywhere.

My companion, Beer Snob Sr. even spoke of his affinity for Guinness while being in England during a portion of the 1990's. An affinity he holds to this day. He has a Guinness pint glass he stole from an English pub and clings to. Maybe he just ran into one of the crappier pubs while he was over there?

I'm just curious as to what others around this area feel towards Guinness. I've never claimed to be some beer expert and this is yet another instance of such. If Guinness is frowned up in this country as it apparently is over in England, have I been missing out? Is this just a case of Guinness Ireland including America in its market simply because a good number of us still consume a ton of bad beer, even with the craft boom going on? I'd love your input. This is a fascinating subject.

I know one thing for sure. If I ever get to England, I'll bet the farm that I won't find Miller Lite on draft.

Beer Review: Sea Dog Apricot Wheat

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: 4.6 percent

Appearance: Sea Dog Apricot Wheat pours a dark copper, somewhat reminiscent of a glass of apple juice upon the initial gaze. There is a minuscule white head that is there for just a few seconds before it disappears. There isn't much visible carbonation. The beer looks sort of flat, weak and you can see almost anything through it. Take a look and you can read "Guinness" on the other side of the pint glass.

Smell: Fruits come to the forefront in this beer's aroma. Apricot is the heaviest scent, followed by a slight peachiness. There's also a decent backbone of wheat and maltiness that gives you some the hint of a crusty/fruity dessert.

Taste: Both the apricot and the wheat I found in the smell come through big time in the taste. Very sweet and fruity on the front, yet very pale and malty on the back. Reminded me of something such as a peach/apricot cobbler. My only complaint is that the apricot might have been too sweet.

Overall Rating: 

Didn't start off to well with this beer, but the smell and taste made up for something in the scoring department. If you follow a decent amount of my beer reviews then you know about my "Pie Theory" when it comes to fruity beers. If I can feel like I'm taking a juicy bite into a slice or section of a thick fruit pastry then a beer always scores some bonus points in my book.

Monday Rant: Thank You, Breckenridge Brewery

I'm a little late to the game on this one (mostly because I'm nowhere near the Colorado market), but I just came across it. Breckenridge Brewery had a genius advertising campaign at some point in 2011 which featured a brilliant tag line that was even more brilliant than when Guinness used the word.

The commercial that I found pokes fun at all of the Coors Light commercials we've had forced down our throats as we watched our favorite television shows and features Breckenridge's "If you touch it and it's cold, then it's cold."



If you're still confused at the joke then I'll refresh you on it. The ad is to poke fun at all of those old Coors commercials that brag about how you can "taste cold" or "taste the Rockies." Not sure about you, but I have no idea what or how cold actually tastes. I do know that all of us can feel some cold, though.

I'm sure plenty of you have had the experience of seeing someone fire some Coors light into their fridge and foam at the mouth like a rabid dog when the cold-activation part of the can turns blue, which means it's cold enough to drink.

As a craft beer fan, I sure as hell don't need a can or bottle with some fancy color-changing apparatus to enhance my drinking experience of said beer. It's sad that some beer drinkers (if we can even call them that) out there drink their beer so cold, that they miss out on some of the flavors of their brews. Apologies, most of the people that do that don't drink what some of us refer to as beer. In fact what some of them drink is a slap to the face of some of us.

Now, you still might drink well-crafted beer and like it really close to the freezing mark. I can live with that. It's just my opinion that you're probably missing out on a portion of the experience that some beers provide.

Monday Rant: Love/Hate Relationship With Dark Beers

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Superior never gives up her dead.

Just like in the movies, sometimes your closest friends start out as your enemies. I wouldn't say that I'm exactly enthralled by darker beers, but I still know when one should be appreciated. Keep in mind that I've only been searching for exotic and different beers for about the last four years, since I've turned 21-years-old.

My most memorable battle with dark beers began exactly three years from yesterday on the very same porch I sat on for yet another Easter Sunday. That day an Edmund Fitzgerald Porter by Great Lakes Brewing was set in front of me.

Being one whose taste buds weren't yet attuned to the strong tastes of porters, trying to drink that beer was a massive struggle for me. It just tasted burnt and looked like a dark, muddy abyss. My tongue would rather have been on the actual ship the night it sunk rather than take another swig of that beer. I couldn't finish it.

Another incident was with Guinness. It tasted like burnt coffee. I couldn't stand it. One could understand why I didn't prefer darker beers. I really couldn't understand what was so good about them.

That was until a trip to Piper's Pub on Pittsburgh's South Side and had a friend buy me a Guinness on draft. That's when I learned that the beer was meant to be served off of draft, and not from the bottle like I had during my first time with it.

It was also the beginning of my theory that some beers are a totally different experience from bottle to the tap and vice versa. It's very frustrating when you are stuck in a situation where you are forced to have one or the other type of beer serving, but that's just the way it is.

Today, my outlook has completely changed on the darker beers. I've discovered a few ways to drink the different types as well as trying them on draft or through a cask system. The Edmund Fitzgerald has even become one of my favorite beer names due to my love of the story and the song by Gordon Lightfoot. Research has even shown that some of the darker beers are even a healthier choice than the lighter counterparts. Don't be afraid like I once was. It's alright to travel over to the dark side once in a while.

Dark Side of the Glass

Image via Wikipedia

Come to the dark side.

Wednesday evening I came across a piece on CraftBeer.com debunking the myth that dark beers have higher alcohol content and more calories than lighter-colored beers.

It was a fine tune to my ears as I've been a slight proponent of that issue for the last few months. A while back I had two posts that featured a few links to studies saying that not only was beer healthy to consume daily in moderation, but in most cases the darker the beer is the better it is for you.

The article makes a few good points on how some lighter-colored beers have plenty more alcohol in them, along with having a lot more calories. I've noticed that some of the darker beers I've tried have an oddly low number of calories. I never thought of checking into the numbers of some of the lighter ones until I read the article last night.

Since I've embarked on this quest to try as many good beers as possible I've made numerous trips to the gym. It's common sense to figure that since you're drinking a bit more beer than your body's used to, that you might put on a few extra and unnecessary pounds.

Add that to my love of pairing a well-crafted beer with an awesome meal most evenings out of the week. Let's just say that I, a person infested with paranoia, was in a rush to pay for my gym membership at the turn of the new year.

Let's fast forward a month and a half. According to my Foursquare account, I've been to my gym 25 times as of yesterday. On average I burn around 500-600 calories per trip. So, if my math is correct I've burnt at least 12,500 calories so far in 2012 (500*25) and that's just the minimum!

I've weighed myself twice since I started hitting the gym. Once in January and once in February. The last time I bothered to weigh myself was last summer when I weighed around 182 lbs. This January I was suddenly 170 lbs. In February I was down to 162.

Now, I'm not one of those that takes a notebook with them for a workout to record reps, times etc. I'm sure the exercising I've done has played a huge role in what I've lost. I also don't have a complete breakfast every day as I substitute some blueberries and blackberries with a glass of orange juice before heading out. I've almost completely cut out pop/soda from my diet. I'm no dietician, but it's of my opinion that some of the beer I drank also played a role in a bit of this.

Let's take a look at some of the darker beers with lower calorie counts.

• Guinness Draught: Estimated calorie amount is 123. This is among the lowest calorie amounts I've come across in any beer. This beer is also one of the darkest and stronger tasting ones out there. Eating three or four cookies puts more calories into your body than this beer does.
• Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout: Estimated calorie amount is 150. Also a very dark beer as well as supplying you with that chocolaty and coffee thickness.
• Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald: Estimated calorie amount is 174. Haven't had this in a few years, but I remember it being thick, strong and black.

Keep in mind that if you plan to remain at your current weight or even wish to lose a few pounds, I'm not saying that drinking beer will help the pounds just fall off, but some beers are a healthier alternative in some cases as opposed to soft drinks which can hold calorie counts that are almost double.

You also can't slug down beers like some college kids do most nights either. I've obviously added a few other tricks such as exercise and fruit to my repertoire to help stay at a certain weight and it turns out that I've actually lost some.

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Review: Young's Double Chocolate Stout

I've always told my fellow beer snobs that I wasn't ever a stout kind of guy. Nor did I ever plan on being so. After a visit to my favorite establishment that serves adult beverages I found my world turned upside down. For you beginning beer drinkers, I urge you to take heed on this advice.

Try as many beers as you can.