A little change of pace this week. My wife and I live near a great little cheese place in downtown San Diego, Venissimo, and up until a few months ago, like good yuppies, we would have some wine with the cheese we bought from Venissimo. I recently discovered the benefits of having the right beer with the right cheese. So far it's hit and miss, and I have no idea what goes with what, but recently at Counterpoint, a little place that prides itself on food and beer, I got lucky and had a crisp belgian beer that really brought the flavor out of a mild blue cheese.
So...without further ado...for your education and my own...I present...
THE WHEEL 'O' CHEESE (Sold to me by the fine folk at Venissomo)
So I encourage you to dump out that wine and pick up a beer and start matching. Why not go grab a Kraft Single and cram it down with a bottle of ...crap...I don't see american cheese on the wheel. Oh well, good thing beer goes down perfectly well on its own.
I travel to the Phoenix area about once a
month, and I swing by Taste of Tops every time. Tops is a liquor store that opened up a bar right next
door. It’s small, pretty quiet, and the
bartenders are friendly and knowledgeable. Tops is definitely a place for people
who like beer. They usually have 20 or
less beers on tap and it’s a different list every time I go. FYI, the picture at the top of my blog with
the chalk board and the taps is from Tops.
On my most recent visit a rep from New Belgium was there giving out free samples in 12oz cans. I figure that drinking from cans is the new
thing…and I guess drinking beer out of 12oz cans reminds me of my childhood…
I had already ordered a Sah'tea
from Dogfish Head before the rep from New Belgium showed up. The bar tender had a funny look on his face
when he handed it to me. “What?” I
asked. He kind of shrugged and walked
away. I took a sip and have to say it’s
not my favorite. Up until this point, I’ve
enjoyed every one of Dogfish’s beers, but this one has a different flavor that
some may find exciting…I don’t. The
bartender admitted it wasn’t his favorite either. On the other hand, I love really hoppy bears
like the 60/90/120 Minute IPA from Dogfish and many people are turned off by
hops. The Sah'tea on the other hand was very light-bodied, spiced, and had a unique aftertaste.
Along with my Sah’tea, I ordered some pork
pad thai from the restaurant next door, and yes, they do deliver to Tops. After finishing the Sah’tea, I moved to a
Port Mongo Double IPA which has to be one of my favorite IPA’s right now. Everyone is brewing IPA’s, it’s getting a bit
ridiculous, but the Port Mongo stood apart. Not MEGA hoppy, but big hoppy, a bit refreshing
with the classic IPA taste.
If a brewer is reading this, please stop
making new IPA’s, we have enough, we need more good Barley Wines.
The last beer I ordered was Mikkeller/3Floyds Boogoop. It’s a full bodied, IPA (ish), hoppy, malty beer. Really good
stuff. Every time I’ve gone to Tops, I’ve
had a good conversation with either the bartenders or with the locals who
frequent the bar. I recommend waiting
until after summer to visit Tempe, it’s too damn hot right now. But when you do,
whether if it’s for a business meeting or for some Tempe sightseeing…stop in
and grab a beer.
FYI, new favorite name for a blog. If you can watch the whole webisode, god bless
you…I hope they are drunk.
http://www.twobeerqueers.com/2012/05/12/mikkeller-three-floyds-boogoop/
