Suggestaholic! » Beer http://suggestaholic.com An aging hipster's guide to aging hiply. Fri, 30 Jan 2009 05:08:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Beer Snobbery and Curious Foods http://suggestaholic.com/beer-snobbery-and-curious-foods/ http://suggestaholic.com/beer-snobbery-and-curious-foods/#comments Mon, 26 Jan 2009 08:12:43 +0000 Jeff Kay http://suggestaholic.com/?p=172 beer_snobWe took our beer snobbery to new heights over the weekend, and attended (if you can believe it) a “Winter Entertaining Beer and Food Pairing” event.  And here’s what we sampled:

Victory Lager paired with buffalo wing cheese spread and multigrain baguette

Sly Fox Brewing Pikeland Pils with red lentil chili and tortilla chips

Troegs Pale Ale with Asian BBQ boneless ribs and Thai shrimp cocktail

Sam Adams Winter Lager with Landjager and Grand Cru Gruyere with a slice of artisan rye and whole grain mustard

Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot with mini gorgonzola with fig in Phyllo

Lancaster Milk Stout with cranberry Linzer bars

Whew!  My left pinkie was practically twitching in the air while typing all that poofterana.  Phyllo?  What in the wash ‘n’ wear heck?!

Yeah, when it came to much of the food, I just nodded knowingly and prayed my gag reflex wouldn’t kick-in halfway up someone’s back.  The beer, however, was why I was there…

And the standouts were Troegs Pale Ale (my favorite of the day) and the Pikeland Pils.  Both featured the hops I so enjoy, but neither was overpowering.  I especially liked the Troegs, and bought a six-pack to take home.  And they lasted roughly two hours in our presence.

Blithering Idiot is a barleywine, and I didn’t really care for it.  It tasted more like liquor than beer, and the alcohol content was something along the lines of MD 20/20.  Not really what I’m looking for in an adult beverage…

I’d had the Sam Adams on several previous occasions, and don’t think it’s nearly as good as it was last year.  Do they change the recipe every winter, or is it supposed to be the same?  I don’t know, but I remember LOVING it last time around, and not so much this season.

Similarly, I’ve had and raved about several of the offerings from Victory Brewing.  But the lager I tasted on Saturday was unremarkable.  I was prepared for greatness, and instead got a mouthful of so-so.  And nothing pisses me off more than a mouthful of so-so.

I’m sure the Milk Stout would appeal to porter and stout fans, but that ain’t me.  Not really.  I thought it had an interesting complexity of flavors, but it’s just not my thing.  So, make of that what you will.

As far as the food went… the red lentil chili was excellent, as were the ribs.  I also enjoyed the Landjager and Grand Cru Gruyere.  I’m not 100% sure I know what it was, but thought it was mighty tasty anyway.  If it’s balls, please don’t tell me.

So, that was our brief foray into yuppieville this weekend.  Except for the pretentious little shitpouch we kept bumping into, who smacked his lips, blinked his eyes, and took a big dramatic reading of each beer, it was a good time.

Pass the Phyllio, or whatever.

]]> http://suggestaholic.com/beer-snobbery-and-curious-foods/feed/ 7 Our Trip to England Told Only in Beer http://suggestaholic.com/british-beer-vacation/ http://suggestaholic.com/british-beer-vacation/#comments Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:20:49 +0000 Jeff Kay http://suggestaholic.com/british-beer-vacation/ landlord.jpg Following is our recent trip to London, boiled down to the important part only: the beer. Quantities have been omitted, to protect the guilty, and because I can’t really remember the details. But it should give you a general idea of our travels, and our major accomplishments, within (and without) the UK…
.
Samuel Adams Boston Ale (at Samuel Adams Brew House restaurant, Newark Airport)
.
Carlsberg (while flying, “free” on British Airways)
.
Bass Ale (in the hotel room, purchased at a small grocery store around the corner)
.
Boddington’s (with dinner at the hotel restaurant)
.
Stella Artois (in the hotel room, purchased at a large grocery store around another corner)
.
John Smith’s Bitter (at Oddfellows Arms pub, Stratford-upon-Avon)
.
Boddington’s (at the hotel bar, before turning in for the evening)
.
Fuller’s London Pride (at Red Lion pub, near Westminster)
.
Timothy Taylor Landlord (at The Courtfield pub, outside Earls Court tube station)
.
John Smith’s Bitter (in the hotel room, purchased at the large grocery store)
.
Adnams the Bitter (at The Duke of Marlborough pub, Woodstock)
.
Greene King IPA (at The Phoenix pub, Burford)
.
Bass Ale (in the hotel room, purchased at the small grocery store)
.
Boddington’s (at the hotel bar again)
.
Young’s Bitter (at The Lamb and Flag pub, near Covent Garden, London)
.
Fuller’s London Pride (at The George pub, near Fleet Street, London)
.
Smiles Best (also at The George)
.
Timothy Taylor Landlord (at The Courtfield again)
.
Yuengling Lager (in our family room, upon returning home from the airport)
.
And that’s our trip to England, told only in beer.
.
The ones that really stand out? Stella Artois, because it wasn’t any good. Carlsberg, because it was skunky and kinda yuck. Timothy Taylor Landlord, because it was my favorite beer of the trip. And Fuller’s London Pride, because it was especially tasty, as well.
.
The rest run together in my mind. That’s not to say they were bad, because they weren’t. In fact, they were all really good. They just comprise the big mushy middle we beer-drinkers know a thing or two about.
.
Read the full travelogue.

]]> http://suggestaholic.com/british-beer-vacation/feed/ 0