Hoppy Easter Time

I've been busy over on Examiner.com and feel really awful about neglecting my lonely little beer blog. So since my last post was just a few days after Christmas - Wow! Where'd the time go? - I thought I'd get a jump on Easter and pay tribute to "Hoppy Easter" beers. Thanks to Anne (a recent hop convert) for suggesting the theme, though I think she was likely hoping for an actual beer tasting and not a blog post.

Those of you who know even a little bit about my beer preferences know that I am an avid hophead. I love the crisp bite of a big, bold India Pale Ale - IPA - and particularly enjoy a style known as American Double IPA (DIPA). For a great description of the style, check out what the Bros Alstrom over at BeerAdvocate.com (BA) have to say.

Hoppy beers have been described as funky, skunky, piney, citrusy, woodsy and any number of adjectives that capture the sharp, almost peppery bite of a good DIPA. The hop flower, pictured above right, is what gives these beers their kick. I usually ask people who are curious about the style if they like grapefruit juice: if they scrunch their noses and make a face, then I don't recommend the style. Still curious but a bit put off by the potential bitterness? Starting with a gateway beer like a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is a great way to prep your palate for hoppier fare.

But if you're ready to take a deeper dive into the hoppier realm, then check out the list that follows, with links to reviews on BeerAdvocate.com. I've been fortunate enough to enjoy several of the top rated beers listed on BA as representative of the style including the following random dozen or so:

Dogfish Head's 90-minute IPA
Russian River Brewing's Pliny the Elder
Victory Hop Wallop
Avery Maharaja
Lagunitas Hop Stoopid
Lagunitas Maximus
Double Dog Double Pale Ale
AleSmith YuleSmith (Summer - with the blue and red label)
Moylan's Hopsickle Imperial India Pale Ale
Port Brewing Co's Hop 15
Hair of the Dog's Blue Dot - Double India Pale Ale
Alpine Pure Hoppiness

You can score most of these beers at your local Whole Foods Market or at better beer and wine stores.

And then there is the style known as American Strong Ale, best represented IMHO by Stone's Arrogant Bastard. I recently lost my mind and waxed poetic about it in an Examiner.com review - a tribute really - titled One Glorious Bastard.

What can I say? I love this stuff!

Have a Hoppy Easter!

(Hop flower photo by Dušan Gavenda on stock.xchng)

Want More? Find me on Examiner.com

Considering I've spent the better part of the last two decades making a living as a writer and developing a keen interest in beer, you'd think I would have started a blog long ago.

These days I'm not writing nearly as much for my livelihood, but I am involved with the Internet more than ever before. So I decided to dive into blogging and writing about beer, both here and on Examiner.com as the Pasadena Craft Beer Examiner.

From time to time you may see the same or similar content on both the blog and the site, but for the most part, I want to mix it up and make it interesting to the audiences I hope to attract.

Ultimately both endeavors are for the love of good beer. Which ever you frequent - and I hope you will regularly visit and subscribe to both - I hope to inform and entertain you as we share adventures in good beer hunting.

Beer Wars: Choose or be Chosen For

I have just finished watching Beer Wars for the first time, and even with what some have called my considerable knowledge of beer and the brewing industry, I have to admit I have been floored, if not downright humbled by the insights shared and stories told.

Before I share my thoughts about the film, a caveat: I am not a movie reviewer. But just like the beer I drink, I know what I like, and I really like this film.

That said, by providing a revealing look at everything from packaged goods shelf strategy to politics, I believe filmmaker Anat Baron has done a fine job of providing a behind-the scenes look at the business of beer.

Beer Wars tells the stories of craft beer evangelists like Sam Calagione, president and founder of Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales (DFH), and Sam Adams co-founder Rhonda Kallman, whose new beer venture Moonshot is struggling to - pardon the pun - take off as the first craft beer brewed with caffeine as a major ingredient.

Baron aptly chronicles the plight of the craft brewer trying to take on macro brewers like Budwiser, Coors and Miller, while ultimately reinforcing the importance - and power - of voting with your wallet, even in something as seemingly innocuous and non-political as buying beer.

So what does all of this have to do with beer? It is my belief that if you're going to enjoy beer - really savor, appreciate and "Respect Beer" as the Alstrom Brothers of BeerAdvocate.com urge us to do - then you need to know that some of what's being sold as "artisanal," "hand crafted," and even "100% organic" under names like "Stone Mill" and "Green Valley," are actually a guise from bigger brewers like Michelob - and all of which are actually included the Anheuser Busch house of brands.

That's right - the big beer guys have gone so far as to create brewery "alter egos" in an attempt to counter the really good stuff like Stone Pale Ale or Dogfish Head 90-Minute IPA.

In other words, as you hunt down truly good beer in an effort to learn what you like, you also need to be mindful about whose really brewing what you drink.

Dogfish Head's Calagione puts it best as he's talking about the big brewer's take on specialty and seasonal beers like DFH's Punkin' Ale. I'm paraphrasing here but the gist of what he says is when the average consumer goes to their local beer and wine store with the intent of trying something different, and the big players have a prominently-displayed pumpkin flavored offering for say $4.99 for a six-pack, and his Punkin' Ale sells for $7.99 for a four-pack, the well-intended but cost-minded consumer is more likely to risk five bucks before parting with eight.

And ultimately if that five buck beer leaves that consumer with a bad taste in his or her mouth, they are much less likely to go back and spend more on the DFH offering after having had a bad experience with the cheaper beer.

Sure the big beer brewer had to spend time and money developing the seasonal offering, though much of the work has been done by guys like Calagione, and all the big brewers need to do is go to the store and buy a few bottles of the real craft brewed beer in order to make a reasonable knock off.

But in the end, the profits of their huge flagship brands will likely absorb any losses associated with making the pumpkin stuff - and they will have succeeded in taking market share from the real artisans - the folks who are making the real beer that you really want to drink.

By doing this - and it is evident in the film that they do - the big brewers are making beer choices for you. And believe me - those choices are not what the craft beer movement is all about.

In the end, if you are serious about good beer hunting, then you should see this film. Then be sure to go out and support your local or regional craft brewer. Theirs is the stuff that true beer lore is made of.

Beer Wars - The Movie - is HERE!

I'd intended to go to a screening of Anat Baron's "Beer Wars - Brewed in America" when it first came out, but never got the chance to. And it took a while, but I finally ordered a copy of my own - just two days ago - and it has arrived.

I haven't cracked open the package just yet. The movie is intended as a family gift and won't be opened or viewed until Christmas, but I'm really looking forward to it.

The film takes a behind the scenes look at the business of beer, and features some of the most notable brewmasters in the industry. I think it's important to understand the business of beer. After all it affects everything from product availability to price.

I promise to write a review of the film once I'e had a chance to see it. In the meantime, check out some of these clips from the official web site, offered here for your viewing - and brewing - pleasure.

More Beer Lore

Following is just a sampling of information that you can expect to find on Adventures in Good Beer:

The "Reputation" of Beer - there's more to beer than the big macro-brewers. Beer has come a long, long way from the stuff of kegs at frat parties and smashing cans on foreheads. There's an entire industry devoted to the creation of craft brews. If you're going to join the adventure, take a moment to familiarize yourself with the history - and credibility - of the craft brew industry.
Beer Types and Styles - I hope to share everything I know about beer types and styles, from pilsners to porters and stouts, plus hybrid beers like LaChouffe Houblon, a Belgian Blond-IPA blend with a champagne-like effervescence and mouthfeel. For the novice craft brew drinker to the more experienced palate, visiting the basics of styles and types important to understanding the variety and complexity of craft brewing.


Beer and Serving-ware - Did you know that some beers are best enjoyed in a brandy snifter, while others are served in tulips, boots or sleeves? Choosing the right glassware for craft beer is an important step to savoring craft brews as they are meant to be enjoyed.


The Best of What's Around - Getting to the brew near you. There are many sources for sampling craft beer. From small-town micro brews to beer bars and brew pubs, I will provide a guide to what's new and local in the world of craft brewing.

Welcome to Adventures in Good Beer!

If you've happened upon this blog, chances are you've visited at least one brewpub or beer bar in your adult lifetime and you're curious about beer.

Establishments like BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse and Yard House have popped up in many major metros across the US, while smaller town craft brewers have found a home in places like Fort Collins, CO, home of the New Belgium Brewing Company, makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale. It's no wonder that the brewing industry - especially craft and micro brews - have piqued the curiosity of many novice beer hunters.

So what if your foray into these establishments has turned you into a craft brew enthusiast? How do you turn a mere curiosity into a fun - and educational - experience that for many has become as noteworthy and respected a past time as wine tasting?

That's what "Adventures in Good Beer" is all about. I love great beer and I love to share my knowledge with my friends and family. What better way to do it than to establish a blog?

The path to good beer hunting can be a bit daunting, but armed with the basics you’ll soon be on your way into the wonderful world of craft brews.