California dreaming
9:31 PM Wed, Jul 27, 2005 | Permalink |
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July 2005 ArchivesJuly 27
A visit last Friday to Liberty Warehouse Liquors in Buzzards Bay, Mass., became a spontaneous pilgrimage, as I encountered Sierra Nevada Summerfest. Upon spying it in the cooler, I practically heard angels sing and envisioned a heavenly glow around the six pack. Come to find out later that the brew is less new than I thought. According to the Sierra Nevada site, it won a gold medal at the California State Fair in 1999. But for me, it was a first date. The beer has a pure, golden color, akin to that of ginger ale or apple juice. It's got a hint of citrus, but it's more grapefruit than lemon, keeping it in line with the hearty flavor of the brewery's more widely known pale ale. It's lightly carbonated, so pours with a thin head. If you're not a fan of the wide array of lighter, fruitier summer brews, this is an ideal alternative. Thirst-quenching for sure, but it tastes more like a beer than a cocktail. Confession: Truth be told, I my blinding joy Friday was initially caused by mistaken identity. I believed I had encountered an Anchor Steam summer brew while in the midst of my ongoing search for a purveyor of their porter. While I am extremely happy with what I actually discovered, the quest continues. Now I'm seeking both Anchor Steams, however, after learning from their Web site that they do, in fact, have a summer beer. 
July 21
Our sample was small, but we aimed for pseudoscience: Heinken, Heineken Light and Miller Lite. Two Heineken loyalists, a Miller Lite drinker and, as a wildcard, one Tangueray and tonic drinker went at it. First, appearance: The Heinken Light bottle is taller and slimmer (get it?) than regular Heinie. One wag dubbed it "The Heineken Girl." In the glass, both Heinekens have color; the Miller merely has hue, like yellow snow. Taste: Both Heinekens have taste -- hops taste. Miller Lite tastes watery, subtle, like sugar-free beer soda. Quenches a thirst, though, almost as well as water. Old Heineken tastes thicker, heavier than "Light." To the Heineken fan who does not like Miller Lite at all, it's the best of the light beers, but... "It tastes like Heineken with club soda. It's more carbonated." To the regular Lite drinker, the taste was disturbingly bitter at first, recalling what she remembers of the days when she drank real beer and didn't gain an ounce, but she got used to it. Quickly. We asked Ken Khoury, co-owner of City Liquors in Providence, what he thought of the new Light. "Tastes like Heineken to me," he said. We thought we had a bona fide beer expert's opinion there until he told us his favorite beer was Michelob Ultra Light, which is so watery it makes Miller Lite seem robust. The Tangueray-and-tonic fellow thought the Light was "not bad," and would drink either Heineken on a hot day, wouldn't matter which. "Tastes like Heineken," he said of the Light. There's the market, since the Miller Lite person was put off by the price of the new brew: $12.99 and $7.29 for a 12-pack and six-pack, respectively; the Miller Lite was $9.58 for 12 and $5.37 for six. (Your shelf price may vary, of course.) The carbs and calories (the allure of light beer, after all):
The barstool bottom line: The confirmed Heineken drinkers will stick with the heartier brew. The T&T drinker wouldn't turn down the Heinie Light. The Miller Lite drinker might buy Heineken Light again, since the slight increase in carbs seems insignificant, and the taste "made me feel like I'm drinking real beer." If you live in Tampa, Dallas or Phoenix, you too can have this much fun on a hot summer night.
July 11
This weekend's find was a Bavarian beer from Ayinger Brewery. It was on the shelf with the big 17oz bottles of beer. The one bottle cost 4 dollars, which is a lot, but I wanted to try something out of the ordinary. (Research for the blog).
A friend brought the Brooklyn Brewery East India Pale Ale along for the limo ride as we headed to our wives' 20th high school reunion Saturday.
July 8
I've been tiptoeing into podcasts this week, and in so doing came across beercasting.com. File this under "Nice idea, poor execution."
July 7
A more recent list is also lacking R.I. entries. In April BeerAdvocate renewed its list of the Top 50 Beer Bars in America. Shows what I know. I've not been to any of them. A pilgrimage is in order....
Was cycling through some of my beer-related bookmarks (beermarks?), and came across a June 2004 list of "Brilliant Beer Bars." Horror of horrors! No Rhode Island beer bars! No Trinity. No Union Station Brewery. Nothing. It begs the question, Rhode Island. What are your favorite local beer bars?
July 6
Tried out Wachusett Brewing Company's Summer Breeze over the weekend. It was an impulsive selection while drooling at the local beer cooler Sunday, but just the name alone made it a good pairing with the burgers I was about to slather with grilled, chipotle-spiced onions and mushrooms. Should have stuck with an old standby, though.
Two beer stories: One about how to appreciate beer and what to expect a good beer to taste like; the other is about Samuel Adams seasonal offerings.
July 1
I'm on a mission now. I must find Berkshire Brewing Co.'s Steel Rail Extra Pale Ale, as recommended by masslive.com's Beer Nut.
I picked up Otter Creek's 'Otter Summer at the packie store last week and like it just fine. The taste is a bit hoppy, but cool and crisp. My wife, Catherine, liked it as well, but my sister Lisa didn't think it was very special. Otter Creek Brewing started in 1991 and is based in Middlebury, Vermont. Support local beer.
Ah, summer. Cookouts, fireworks, baseball, the beach. And a chance to sample some summer brews.
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