Southern Tier – Live

5.5% ABV

Of all the things that go hand in hand with drinking beer, watching live music tops my list. And it is no secret that a beer (or more … Read More

Stone Brewing | Dayman Coffee IPA

It’s not often I feel compelled to write about a beer upon first sip, but that was the case after de-capping Stone Brewing Dayman Coffee IPA.

Dayman was the winning … Read More

Mt. Carmel Brewing Company – Summer Wheat Ale

ABV: 4.8%

IBUs: 34

Tonight I went grocery shopping for the first time in, oh, about six weeks. Yeah, I was living on pasta and eggs. Better than ramen I guess. Anyway, I saw a beer on the shelf I hadn’t ever noticed before, Mt. Carmel‘s Summer Wheat Ale. With it being the heart of the summer, I decided to pick it up. Read More

Sprecher Brewing – Hard Root Beer

ABV: 5.0%

Root beer with a kick, “boot beer,” but more particularly, Sprecher Brewing Co.’s Hard Root Beer. That is quite a mouthful. A delicious mouthful! This five percent alcohol adult version of the classic American soda was brewed with added flavors to give it a sweet-bourbon-like profile. The brewery has only done two releases, one small test footprint and now a bigger footprint in more markets after the first release went over so well. Still, if you are lucky enough to find a four pack of these 12 oz. sarsaparilla booze-pops, make sure to snag some.

I recently shared some of these oak-sodas with friends at our annual Fourth of July celebration and shortly after, everyone was jonesing for some of that sweet cola nectar.

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Smallwares Saison: Breakside Brewery Portland/Milwaukie, OR

6.0% ABV, 23 IBU

  Breakside Brewery has only been in operation for just over 3 years, and it already has become a staple among the Portland craft breweries.  In May of 2010, Scott Lawrence opened Breakside in North Portland’s Woodlawn neighborhood, an area actually lacking a brewery at the time. In September of that year, Lawrence had the good fortune of meeting and hiring Siebel-trained brewmaster Ben Edmunds, and the rest (as they say) is history. The neighborhood fully embraced the new addition and Breakside has since become the neighborhood meeting place.

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Deschutes – Fresh Squeezed IPA

Nearly every weekend I enjoy hitting the local shops in search of the latest brews from around the country. An unabashed IPA fanatic and admittedly obnoxious beer freshness advocate, I’m … Read More

New Glarus Totally Naked

ABV: 4.25%

I recently had the good fortune to visit Wisconsin and have a tasting of many delightful craft beers including the New Glarus Totally Naked Extra Pale. I know, I know, I said “New Glarus” and that makes all craft-beeries get excited like a kid at Christmas but just settle down for a minute. . . Naw, I’m just kidding; get excited my babies! It’s New Glarus! Besides being ripe for innuendo, the Totally Naked is also an excellent brew. Let’s shed a couple layers and dive right in, shall we? Read More

Surly Brewing Company – CynicAle

Surly Brewing Company – CynicAle

ABV: 6.6%

IBUs: 33

There is nothing better than finding a hidden gem among a myriad of unknowns. That one album you picked up based … Read More

Fort George Brewery – Sunrise Oatmeal Pale Ale

ABV: 5.2%
IBU: 49

Ninety-seven miles Northwest of Portland, where the Columbia river meets the Pacific Ocean, is the gritty fishing town of Astoria, Oregon. This former center of thriving fishing and canning industries is a recognizable locale to anyone who has seen The Goonies (1985), Short Circuit (1986) or Kindergarten Cop (1990), all of which were filmed in this hilly, oceanside town. Coastal tourists, Oregonians and Washingtonians alike flock to Astoria for the charming downtown area, Columbia River Maritime Museum, Sunday market, playful harbor seals, Goonies house and, especially since 2007, the beer.

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Dogfish Head Burton Baton

Dogfish Head – Burton Baton 10.0% ABV, 70 IBU

For almost a week, I  tirelessly opened my refrigerator door to see a bottle peering at me from the bottom shelf, imploring … Read More

Flying Fish Brewing Co. – Exit 16 Wild Rice Double IPA

ABV: 8.2%

IBU: 62

When it comes to choosing beers, I am generally a stylistic creature of habit. Hoppy? Sold. But on occasion, I am drawn to a brew because … Read More

Dragoon Brewing Company – The DOS

Dragoon Brewing Company – The DOS Russian Imperial Stout

ABV: 10.4%

While sampling the offerings at Dragoon Brewing Company in Tucson Arizona, I was absolutely blown away by the DOS … Read More

Southern Tier Brewing Company – 2X Stout

With the summer heat looming, it probably doesn’t make the most sense that I should be reviewing a milk stout. Chalk it up to being strange, or the fact that Cliff Lee surrendered four solo home runs in consecutive innings. Instead of picking up his 11th win of the season, it was just one of those nights … and we have had a lot of those nights. Dark and foreboding is what I saw behind this 12 oz bottle and I knew that I had picked correctly (especially after enjoying a couple Stone IPAs with dinner, thinking things would go otherwise).

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Sixpoint Brewery – Resin IPA

I’m going to start this review with a short story that actually happened a couple months back. As I sat down on an empty bar stool at the newest bar in Oxford, OH, O’Pub, the bartender asked me what I wanted to drink. “Well, what’s your best beer?” I asked. Read More

Goose Island – Madame Rose

Colored in crimson, aged in red-wine barrels and soaked in sour cherry deliciousness—what more could you ask for? A seductive member of Goose Island’s now famed ‘Three Sisters’ group, Madame Rose is one of the brewery’s elusive bottled wild ales that tantalizes and plays with our taste buds from start to finish.

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Dillon Dam Brewery – Extra Pale Ale

In the middle of nowhere in Colorado, there’s a town called Dillon. Unfortunately, this is not Dillon, Texas, home of the Panthers and Friday Night Lights. Dillon bumps right into Silverthorne, another small town, both nestled in the mountains on the edge of the Dillon Dam. Which is where Dillon Dam Brewery comes in. Read More

Lawson’s Finest Liquids – Spring Fever Session IPA

My journey to acquire Lawson’s Finest Liquids put all of my beer-hunting skills to the test. Rural roads, quaint stores, and rare beers combined to make my search for Lawson’s … Read More

New Belgium Rolle Bolle

New Belgium’s Rolle Bolle (Seasonal) 5.2% ABV, 30 IBU

In the midst of nearly killing ourselves riding our bikes through the Rocky Mountains a few weeks back, my friend Brennan and … Read More

Saint Somewhere/Prairie Artisan Ales – Plus Tot L’etat Farmhouse Ale

Saint Somewhere/Prairie Artisan Ales – Plus Tot L’etat Farmhouse Ale

ABV:  6.5%

IBU: 25

A farmhouse style ale that is brewed with persimmon and elderflowers.

This Saison pours a hazy … Read More

Finch’s Beer Co.: threadless India Pale Ale

ABV: 6%

IBU: 90

On Friday afternoon, I popped into my neighborhood Whole Foods to pick up something new to drink for the weekend. DC summers are a swampy mess … Read More