Friends, those last few sips in the bespectacled, goatee-d and uh, pastel hatted Captain's glass are Trader Joe's Dunkelweizen. I was initially critical (this is years back, I'm talkin') of Trader Joe's beers. But then I started drinking them. By in large, they score. It still seems odd to me that a grocery store craft brews, but they do, and they do it pretty well. Sergeant Stout came by yesterday and we sampled this 'lil weizen (along with various fine homebrews, of course) and it's fine indeed.

Read the rest of this post »

Ah, yes. Readers, there is a season we east-coasters have called Winter (except for you sissies in Florida whom I hope can remember how to read a voter ballot this election year). It's about 18 degrees now, and I am not even factoring in windchill. It's days like this why strong beer was invented--an efficient means of keeping buzzed until warmer climes return. Enter Trader Joe's markets and their latest Winterfest Lager.

Read the rest of this post »