Too bad this is just fantasy brewed up by the dudes at SloshSpot. But with every other Monopoly edition imaginable (like Simpsons, Elvis & Chicago Bears), why not beer?
Avenues include local staples like Anchor Steam and Pliny The Elder. Park Place went to yummy St. Bernardus Abt 12. For Boardwalk they went with the luscious imperial stout The Abyss. Delicious, but for sheer high-price Boardwalk status (and high ABV) I’d go with Tactical Nuclear Penguin ($56+).
The only other switch I’d make is replacing Fat Tire. Am I the only one who’s tired of it? New Belgium has plenty of other, better offerings. Better yet, replace that space with something from Petaluma’s finest. Hmm, I smell a California Beer Edition Monopoly coming… (Thanks, Mike!)
75 years ago today, beer was first put into a can by Krueger Brewing of Newark (followed by the first major brewery to do so, Pabst).
To celebrate I’ll be poppin’ some serious cannage all week. Woo-hoo! Sadly, the Duff can above is only an energy drink. However, a nice Sharpied umlaut would instantly convert it to imported energy drink, Düff. Price change!
Funny how the can is coming back in popularity, thanks to brewers like Oskar Blues who started canning in 2003 and even SF’s 21st Amendment in 2008. Now it’s pretty easy to find craft beer in a can. It’s just expensive. A four pack of Maui Brewing Company Coconut Porter will set you back almost ten bones. Y’ouch. But so damn tasty.
Averyjust announced they’ll start canning their beers this April.
Starting with the aroma, my sister Pam described it best, “… like it’s been sitting out in an old pizzeria and sucked up all the smells.” But in a good way.
The taste is where it gets all Wonka-y. Remember the three-course-dinner gum that turned Violet into a giant blueberry? This is like the pizza-breadsticks-and-a-beer version. First, your tongue is smacked with the unmistakable tang of tomato. Then the spicyness of basil and oregano. Followed by chewy garlicky breadsticks. Finished with a borderline-flat beer finish. Crazy. I’m still waiting to morph into a giant tomato.
Mamma Mia Pizza Beer is brewed by Sprecher Brewing (maker of my favorite craft root beer) from the “Original Seefurth Family Recipe”. More info here.
Ahh, beer jingles. Burned into my brain well before I was legal. Hamm’s From the land of sky-blue waters, Löwenbräu’s Here’s to good friends, and Miller’s If you’ve got the time, we’ve got the beer. Good stuff. But NY brewer Utica Club tried to take it further. From the jingle to the single. It was the 60s, man. Time to think far out.
After I heard this on the now defunct 365 Days Project I tracked down the original 7″ on eBay. Been holding onto it since 2003. Expect more randomness from the Ümlaut archives in 2010. (*cue sinister laughter)
Not sure who the seriously swingin’ copywriter is who wrote the back cover. But the songwriter is Sasha Burland, who wrote a Clio-winning Alka Seltzer spot jingle among other things.
Haven’t tasted Brown Shugga‘ yet? Or Olde GnarlyWine? Slap yourself. Then take a virtual taste with Lagunitas Brewmaster Jeremy Marshal. There’s now short lil’ videos for almost all their beers on Lagunitas.com.
After you whet your virtual whistle (get your mind out of the gutter) go down and have some actual tastings at their TapRoom & Beer Sanctuary. Every week they tap a different firkin of some crazy brew you won’t find on shelves anywhere, like Yumberry Pale, Drunken Russian Imperial Ruben, and Mocha Stout. Plus, they just added a whole bunch of sandwiches to their menu.
Goose Island Matilda
Popped into the Wrigleyville Goose Island Brewpub while in Chicago and got to finally taste their belgian brew that’s been getting so much buzz, Matilda. Deserved of the attention, this Belgian Pale Ale is sweet, spicy, and boozier tasting than the already-healthy ABV suggests at 7%. Look for this in bombers, too.
Goose Island Bourbon County Stout 2009 Does this really need to be in a 22 oz bomber? At 14% ABV, really? The answer is: Abso-freakin-lutely. Sure, you’d be more than done for the evening. But this black nectar is so damn tasty it’s worth it.
The best description of this beer I ever read was on Twitter. It was so spot-on that I bookmarked the damn thing:
That captures it. It’s thick yet smooth. Sweet but not cloying. With dark chocolate, molasses, licorice, and coffee flavors abound on every sip. Just like liquid chocolate unicorn dreams. This 2009 bottling tastes a little harsher than the 2008, but am sure it’ll smooth out in time. The bombers make shelving ‘n aging even more rewarding.
Conan O’Brien Pale Ale When Conan stopped in here during his weeklong Chicago stint, he helped Brewmaster Greg Hall make a batch of what was originally called Conan The Red but the host insisted on Pale.
Deep Fried Pickle with Chipotle Ranch at Goose Island If you’re ever near a Goose Island Brewpub in Chicago get a basket of these bad boys. Kinda like Deep Fried Zucchini, only pickled. And better.
The original Samichlaus (black label) has been a Christmas tradition with me for the last decade. Usually drank amongst a few close friends. Always followed by festive exclamations like, “Jesus, this is strong.”
At 14% ABV, Samichlaus was in Guinness’ Book of World Records for being the world’s strongest beer. Now, with the 32% ABV likes of Tactical Nuclear Penguin, it’s been relegated to simply a really strong-ass beer. Fine by me.
Where can you find an unopened can of vintage Billy Beer? My Mom’s fridge in Chicago. Been in there since ’77. Chillin. ‘Cuz a cold crappy beer is worth more than warm crappy beer, right?
While the can states Billy Carter was “one of America’s all-time great beer drinkers“, his brother President Jimmy Carter‘s favorite beer was actually PBR (via Wiki).
Did you know you can help buy the Pabst Blue Ribbon Brewery via a crowdsourcing project called Buy A Brewery? Check it out. (Thanks, Mike)
What could make a 32% beer even better? Scottish accents and penguin costumes. Watch the lads from Scottish brewery BrewDog show how they create the world’s strongest beer, Tactical Nuclear Penguin. (Hint: It involves freezing their mega-mature stout and brief, simulated penguin sex.)
Unfortunately, only 500 bottles of the beer will be produced with one 330ml bottle set to cost £30. Or, 50 American bones.
Had a Dude’s Day with my boys this weekend. Wrestling (no, not on TV). Video games (yes, on tv). Playing at the park. Then wrapped it up with some baconized dogs and football at Petaluma’s new craft beer bar, Taps. Highly recommended (all of the above).
Anchor Humming Ale
How rad is Taps? They’re the first bar I’ve seen to get a hold of this draught-only special release, Humming Ale. Brewed to commemorate Anchor Brewing’s move to their present facilities in 1979, a former coffee roastery on Potrero Hill, where they’ve been “humming” ever since.
It’s a crisp Pale Ale that tastes a lot like a toned-down Anchor Steam. The smoothness comes from the addition of a rare hop variety, Nelson Sauvin. More on Humming Ale here.
Deep-Fried Bacon Dog
On the menu at Taps is a BLT Dog: Deep-fried bacon wrapped dog with lettuce, tomato, and mayo. But for me, the lettuce and tomatoes just get in the way. So I got it smothered in pepper jack cheese instead. Yes.
(Cross section of bacon-wrapped, cheese-smothered amazingness.)
3” Mini Kiddie Dogs
Nice that they have menu options for the little guys. These dogs were the perfect size for my 3 and 6 yr olds.
Hit up Taps soon, not sure how long the Humming will last!
It was 76° today in the Bay Area. What the hell? It’s November.
No matter. Perfect weather to crack open a can of 21A‘s Hell Or High Watermelon Wheat Beer. Probably my favorite Summer beer. Even in the faux Summer. It’s a creamy, refreshing, and damn satisfying can ‘o nectar. Not nearly as sweet as other fruity beers you may’ve tried (Apricot, perhaps?). Their distribution’s getting better, so find sixers of it at Whole Foods and most of your fav liquor stores.
My friend Shawn Spreng, who’s house had the vintage beer cans lodged in the wall, and coincidentally had already been growing his own hop vines, spotted these wild vines in Walker, CA. Here’s the story:
“I went motorcycle camping in the eastern Sierras. On my way up the mountain above Walker, CA I found this crazy big hops vine growing out of an old miner’s cabin. The last two photos are on Sunday on my way down the mountain after a snow storm. I managed to dig up a root of this plant and brought it home with me. Soon i’ll have a piece of this old vine growing in Oaktown.”
New Belgium is adding a whole new brew to their year-round lineup: Ranger IPA (7% ABV). And they’re taking the opportunity to roll out new label designs, too. Abbey, Trippel, and Mothership Wit will get the new treatment.
I like the new look. A lot. Just not for New Belgium. Sure, it’s graphic, bold, and will no doubt pop off the shelves. But their old labels were more painterly and hand-crafted, befitting of their artisan approach. Their media guy said they’ll be keeping the old design for “beers like” Fat Tire. We’ll see how well the two play together on the shelves.
The new Abbey Ale label hits bottles in Q1 of 2010.
Helped a good friend move out of what used to be my wife’s old apartment. Back behind the victorian moldings of their built-in bookcase were dozens of vintage beer cans—as if the former occupants would toss ’em up and over after they’d knock ’em back. A nice little time capsule of pull-top Lucky Lager, Miller High Life, Hamm’s, Rainier, and Olympia vintage beer cans.
