Hall of Beers

Friends, just a quick note today. The Eagle Rock Brewery is opening in, um, well in Eagle Rock. Eagle Rock is, oh, the next town over from mine. A 5 minute drive. So… good luck, brave micro brewers! (I met the son of the father-son founding team at a tasting at the superlative Red Carpet Liquors a while back as he tried out some IPA on the beer lovers assembled.) Here’s a link, wish ‘em luck, and let’s all stop by for some beer(s) once they open wide.

Eagle Rock Brewery

So it’s about time the Sarge came back with a good ole stout…in time for summer, no less.

Folks, let’s have a quick word about stouts. We know they’re ales made from roasted barleys, some good noble hops and yeast, but as I’ve indicated before, most microbreweries have compromised their craft to appease a wider audience’s palate. The folk at at Harviestoun come from good stock, hold themselves to a higher standard, and yes, they really do get it: stouts ain’t always sweet.

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So the other night I went to an O.A.R concert with Action Jackson. I knew nothing of O.A.R. other than that “crazy game of poker” song, which is just fantastic… which always makes me thinking of a someone starting a fist fight and flipping up the poker table for some reason. Anyway, since I didn’t know the music, we decided to visit the bar. After flirting with a saucy bartender named Jennifer i quickly chose to try a Foster’s oilcan beer mostly due to its incredible size (the can itself is quite girthy).

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Friends, The Captain admits he’s been up on deck a bit less than usual recently. I’ve been busy but dammit, no excuses… I need to be there more often for you beautiful beervolk or my name is asshat. I do hope my recent absence hasn’t left a bad taste in your mouth:

* But, well, part of it that is… look what number post this is for good ‘ol Captain Beer! I am at the penultimate step before reaching the historic century post mark! DAMN!

I have sampled and slammed many a-delicious beer all in service to the Fleet and to the Greater Beervolk and it’s been a pleasure. It’s all for you, beer readers. And even more than for you, it’s for me. Oh how I love beer! I may well make my historic one-hundredth post a humble yet proud affair… perhaps just a fine young review of a fine young beer. I guess… you’ll see. PROST!

* nice beard, Cap’n! (Is what you’re probably saying…)

Readers:

Yes, it’s cheap. Yes, it’s from Mexico. Yes, it’s summer in the DC area, and when dining on Tex-Mex, nothing tastes better than a decent Mexican lager like Dos Equis. While my last review was perhaps one of the most full-flavored ales available year-round, it’s time to head back to basics for the wonderfully drinkable beer–if anything else, it is perfectly paired with chips. Read the rest »

OK… I forgot to take pictures. Sue me.* So here is a doctored picture of Sgt. Stout and myself (we love our Brigadier Bock, but he was absent from yesterdays brewing**) and uh… so here’s us. To set the mood.

So it was (or we hope it will turn out to have been) an interesting brew session… Read the rest »

Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA has been heralded by Esquire magazine as “perhaps the best I.P.A. in
America.” Without a doubt, it could very well be. While other IPAs are great all-around drinkable–Redhook Longhammer, Lagunitas, and Sierra Nevada come to mind–this is entirely different as it is indeed an Imperial IPA. Genius Sam Calagione devised a method of continuous hop addition, which produces a unique flavor experience. Read the rest »

Friends, it was a lovely time. A tasty time! A Belgian Beer tasting time! Sergeant Stout, Admiral Ale and Brigadier Bock gathered around with ‘ol Captain Beer and we strode over to the superlative Red Carpet Liquors—one of Mrs. Beer’s and my favorite haunts!—and reveled in good beer, wisdom and revelry! Yes we… we reveled in revelry. Well, see here, smartass! We did:

What tales have I to tell! I mean… what tales have I to tell? Why don’t you read on!?!? Read the rest »

Mornin, beervolk. Last night, for my first shot at this beer, I had a healthy 22 ounce dose. And 22 ounces is the way to roll with Moylan Celts Golden Ale. It is indeed, as it proclaims right on its label, in fact, a “session beer.” Now I know, I know… you may be saying: “Captain! ALL beers are session beers, no!?” Well, yes. Ish. I wouldn’t sit down to a “session” with a Flemish sour ale or a Belgian Kasteel, but yes, when it comes to members of the Fleet, most beers are session beers. So instead think of the brau* like this: I went for a bike ride, and when I got home, within 2 minutes I was slurping this ale from a frosty mug and, goodness, I was refreshed. But also not robbed of taste! Read the rest »

Gather round children, for I come bearing words of encouragement, rather than disgrace (reference my Apocalypse post of two months ago). As we speak (or rather, as you read the words I previously typed… previous, that is, to right now! Right… NOW!), my freshly-brewed Dunkelweizen is busily bubbling away in the coat closet. I wanted to pass on two tidbits for you fellow homebrewers out there:

The first is a pile-on to the General’s comments of a few weeks ago. He remarked about how freezing a jug of (distilled) water and then dropping the ice directly in your wort to rapidly cool it worked well, but urged caution when cutting the plastic jug off the frozen water. Read the rest »