Beer - There's An App For That

Have you ever had a craving for on specific beer but don't know where that it is being served?  Or have you ever been at a restaraunt, not recognized the odd beers on the menu and wanted to know more about what you are getting yourself into?  Or are you looking for something new - a beer that you haven't tried before?  With all the huge flavors being created by craft breweries these days, the world of beer drinking can often be a frightening and intimidating place.  Fear no more, there are mobile apps and websites galore that can help you navigate through the vast and tasty ocean of incredible, and sometimes horrible ales, lagers, bitters, and brews.

Tap Hunter - "Helping you find awesome beer at local bars, bottle shops and tasting rooms"

Tap Hunter allows you to search your city by bar, or by beer. So if I'm looking for a place that is serving Pliny the Elder, I can search all my local bars. Or, if I'm in an unfamiliar city, I can bring up a list of bars that will have a solid choice of beers on tap. Created a few years ago by my neighbor, Flash Gordon (not kidding), Tap Hunter has expanded its coverage from San Diego to Austin, Chicago, Denver, LA, Orange County, Portland Oregon, Philly, San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver.  I travel a ton, and Tap Hunter covers all the major cities that I go to.  They will also give you a heads up on any events coming to town, like the "Great American Beer Festival" happening in Denver next week.  If it isn't in your town yet, bug your local beer bars to reach out to Tap Hunter.  To my friends in Leesburg, VA, sorry to add to the bad news after the Nats took a dump last night, but I don't think Tap Hunter is coming to your town anytime soon. It's FREE too.

Beeradvocate - "Respect Beer"

These guys have done their homework and pretty much put my critiques to shame.  If you're looking for something new to try, or sitting at a bar considering going off book, take a quick look at these reviews. They are pretty spot on.  While a good review from Beeradvocate certainly won't gaurantee that you will like a beer, it's better than shooting from the hip.  For example, Dogfish Head My Antonia was a beer presented to me at my beer swap group, The League of Extraordinary Beers.  It's rated really high, and I am sure it's a quality beer.  Dogfish Head has some of my favorites, but My Antonia is not my cup o' tea.

Today's Beer

Think daily pinup, but with beer instead of ladies. I'm still trying to figure out the practical use of this app, but the presentation is wonderful.  Each day, there is a different beer that you can ogle in a bottle, or as a draft.  The 3D tool alows you to rotate around the image and see it from all sides - hubba hubba.  BONUS, you can also look at yesterday's beer!  It's a fun app, and if you have trouble setting goals for yourself, you can use this app to decide what beer you are going to drink today.

I hope you feel a little less overwhelmed after reading this and if you have other apps or websites you want to suggest, let me know.

Stone 16th Anniversary Celebration Sample-A-Thon

3 Years ago, the Stone 13th AnniversaryCelebration was a big exclamation point at the end of the best two and half weeks of my life. Those two and half weeks started with me getting married, included a 10 day honeymoon to Tahiti, and finished at Cal State San Marcos rushing to use both my own and my wife’s drink tabs as fast as possible (She doesn’t drink beer, but she does enjoy a Lambic, Pear Cider, or a Lost Abbey Angel’s Share from time to time).  Back then I probably recognized 5 or 6 of the 50 plus brewers in attendance, and that’s if you include Stone.  Unfortunately I was unable to attend the 14^th and 15^th anniversary celebrations because of grad school classes on most weekends (yawn).  This year though, I realized how much I’ve grown, and that all that beer drinking since 2009 has really paid off. I recognized over half of the brewers there, including Green Flash, Pizza Port, Societe, Lagunitas, Monkey Paw, Mission Brewery, Ballast Point, Victory, Avery and so many more.  Back in 2009, I made the mistake of sticking to what I knew, this year I tried as many new beers as I could, some rare, some not so rare.  I recorded my reactions to each throughout the day -- they began fairly benign and uninteresting (my comments, not the beer), but as the day went on, and with some chiming in from my friends, the comments got more interesting. 

Black Market Brewing, 80’s Scottish Export. 5% alc, 24 ibu (not too bitter when compared to other West Coast favorites)

My Comment: “It’s Good.”

Victory Pale, yes, I’ve never had this one from Victory. 5.1% 

My Comment: “It’s Good.”

Haven, upRYEsing, one of the first ones, one of my favorites of the day, a rye IPA. It’s a gastropub in Orange and Pasadena.  I didn’t realize it while I was there, but my boss took me there in Orange a few months ago, good eats too.  It has hops and flavor close to a traditional IPA, but I thought it had less of a kick to it.

My Comment: “It’s Good, hey, look at that guy over there, he is so tan he’s maroon.”

Artisanal Imports out of Austin Texas– I don’t remember what I had, but I liked it so much I took a picture…try them all, if one of them is good, that’s the one I had. Let me know when you find out.

Stone, Oaked Russian stout. I like the original a lot and I like this one even more.  I really like oakiness and/or smokiness in my alcoholic beverage. I feel like it smoothes out the flavor and lowers acidic qualities.  I don’t think this is going to be a regular offering from Stone, sorry everyone.

My Comment: “You can taste the oak, you can taste the stout, and you can even taste the Russian a bit.  Yummy.”

Stone, Levitation Habanera -- good to try, not overpowering but definitely has a back of the palate habanera taste. I’ve had a Mission shipwrecked habanera that was really powerful with the habanera taste.  Levitation is one of my top 5 from stone, and I’ll probably stick to the non habanera one, but I’m glad I had a chance to taste this one.

Stone, Highway 78 stone scotch ale, a collaboration between Stone, Green Flash, and Pizza Port.  I really like Scotch Ales and this one was so good.  Not as carbonated as some Scotch Ales, but excellent flavor.

My friend Shaun says “SO GOOD!” I say it’s excellent. Plus, I got to skip the line on this one.

21^st Amendment, Back in Black triad ipa, 6.8% alc, 65 ibu’s (now we are talking), and in cans, this was a tastey beer.

My Comment:  “Drinking beer out of cans takes me back to elementary school, tastes good and nostalgic”.

 

Manzanitas, second anniversary, not to be confused with its first anniversary, good flavor.

My Comment: “Is that a double rainbow?  What does it mean?”  (At this point the heat and the alcohol started taking their effect.  I was very happy to have a sober driver with me, thanks sweetheart!).

Monkey Paw, Pale Ale, couldn’t taste at the end of the day, If you frequent downtown and like low dousche, bars with high beer quality, check this place out, it’s outside of the Gaslamp, in a sketchier part of town, but right across from the police station.  If you are a good guy that should make you feel good, if you are a bad guy, stick to Star Bar.  Just kidding, I love you Star Bar.

Yun’s Comments: “It’s hoppy, and it’s got flavor.”

I think we grabbed another beer at this point, and Shaun enlisted two young ladies to grab us a few more.  I neglected to take notice or notes regarding any of the beers, and by this point my palate was toast.

If you missed it this year, too bad, you have to wait another year. But the good news is there are a lot more beer festivals coming up including the 18^th San Diego Beer Festival coming up in September.  It’s not about getting drunk, it’s not about big stupid hats, it’s about the beer.  See you there!

Beer to Order - Craft Beer Connect

Where do you go when you want to drink a good beer?  Answer: a bar.  Where do you go when you want to drink a crappy beer? Answer: a bar.  Craftbeerconnect.com has given us a different option, and made sure that we avoid the crappy beers.  They have taken the "X" of the month club and
introduced craft beer to the concept.  My only complaint about it, is that living in so cal, I already have access to most of the beers available in their various packages.  So rather than wait each month for a shipment, I can walk up the street to super junior and buy the beers Im craving
or find a new beer to taste .  However, if you live in the frozen tundra|boiling arid hell of the midwest, the east coast, or cincinati, this is a great way to find good, innaccessable beer made from happy folk living in the warm sunshine of southern california and parts nearby.

http://CraftBeerConnect.com
Startup hopes to be Netflix of craft beer

By ANDREW KEATTS, The Daily Transcript
Wednesday, July 18, 2012


Another company is looking to capitalize on San Diego’s growing craft beer industry.

The newest endeavor, CraftBeerConnect.com, is looking to bring the award-winning beer from the county’s many microbreweries to the rest of the country.

It’s combining the long-established concepts of beer-and wine-of-the-month clubs with Netflix to create a beer-on-demand distribution system for Southern California beer.

It’s the product of three local craft beer fans who wanted to enter the craft beer arena, but figured they could do so more cheaply this way than by starting another brewery.

“There’s also a bit of saturation in the market; we were looking for an alternate angle and this looks to fit us better anyway,” said partner Ted Kelly, who’s also a full-time equity trader at First Allied Securities downtown.

The company joins other peripheral local craft beer companies including a craft-beer finder mobile app, brewery bus tour providers, a monthly publication, beer-pairing dinner planners and companies that make beer bones for dogs and cupcakes with local beer.

“Craft beer is such a regional thing, and obviously small companies don’t have a lot of reach,” Kelly said. “I and two others from the East Coast knew it was hard to get beers from small places and how popular San Diego beers are, but how hard it is in other parts of the country to get them.”

Beer and the Wheel 'O' Cheese!

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.

Taste of Tops - Tempe, AZ

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/

BEER Cheat Sheet

Do you know the difference between a Weissbier and a Witbier?  Do you prefer Dubbel, Doppelbock or Single Bock? Do you know what a Kolsch or Gueze is?  Well, you do now. Who knew beer could be so diverse.

                                                                                                         Me and Yun on number...10 I think.
                                                                                               San Diego County Fair Beer festival 2011
                                                                                                      (Picture thrown in for no reason)

ABBEY - Strong, fruity, spicy, aromatic, complex.
ALTBIER - Bronze colored, snappy bitterness, full of malt flavor.
AMBER - Color signals caramelized flavors in amber ales and lagers
BARLEY WINE - Very strong, dark, bittersweet, malty, complex - a sipping beer. (Whatever!)

                                                                                                               Stone Old Gaurian Barley Wine

BIERE DE GARDE - Full-bodied, herbal, flavors of anise and earth
BITTER - Fruity and racy, subtle, low carbonation, robust hopping.
BOCK -  Dark (usually), strong, malty, toffeeish, full bodied, restrained bitterness.
BROWN ALE -  Dark, caramelized, fruity, light chocolate and coffee.
DOPPELBOCK - Very strong, dark, toffeeish, with some sweetness.
DORTMUNDER EXPORT - Golden, dry, bready, moderate bitterness.
DUBBELL - Dark, fruity, complex, raisiny, spicy.
DUNKEL/DUNKLES - Dark, malty, juicy, bready, moderate bitterness.
ESB - "Extra Special Bitter", amber, fruity, slightly strong, hoppy.
FRAMBOISE/FRAMBOZEN - Beer made with raspberries; can be sween or dry.
GUEUZE - Pale, dry, funky, wildly complex, quite tarte.
HEFEWEIZEN - Wheat beer with yeast, light bodied, spritzy, clovey, banana like.
HELLES - Golden, light bodied, malty, bready, restrained bitterness.
IMPERIAL STOUT - Very strong, dark, roasty, coffeeish, chocolaty, robust.
IPA - "India Pale Ale", amber, strong, dry, robust hop bitterness and aroma
KOLSCH - Very pale gold, bready, lightly fruity, restrained bitterness.
KRIEK-Beer made with cherries, can be sweet or dry.
LAMBIC - Fermented by wild yeasts (like your mamma!), tart base for gueuze and fruit beers, funky
MARZENBIER - Amber, bready, round, malty, caramelized, juicy, medium bodied.
MILD - Dark, lightly hopped, caramelized, raisiny, light bodied.
OKTOBERFEST - Should be the same as marzenbier, but sometimes paler.
OLD ALE - Somewhat strong, dark, caramelized, fruity, balanced bitterness.
OUD BRUIN - "Old Brown", dark, sweet and sour, fruity, juicy, raisiny, complex.
PALE ALE - Amber, snappy, dry, fruity, hoppy, with some caramel flavors.
PILSNER - If genuine, golden dry, sharply bitter, flowery, bready, snappy.
PORTER - Very dark, chcolaty, coffeeish, caramelized, hoppy.
RAUCHBIER - "Smoked beer", smoky flavors and aromatics, juicy, caramelized.
SAISON - Dry, sharp, spicy, complex, refreshing, hoppy, slightly strong.
SCHWARZBIER - "Black beer", dark, bitter chocolate, dry, caramelized, bready.
SCOTCH ALE - Dark, sometimes strong, malty, full bodied, restrained bitterness.

                                                                                Harvestoun Ola Dubh Scotch Ale - 12 year - YUM!

STOUT - Black, coffeesh, chocolaty, can bbe dry or sweet, strohng or modest.
TRAPPIST - Made by monks, stong, fruity, spicy, complex.
TRIPEL - Pale, strong, dry, fruity, complex, spicy, rummy, spirituous.
VIENNA-STYLE - Bronze, sweetish (not swedish), malty, bready, caramelized, light bitterness.
WEISSE/WEISSBIER - Wheat beer, usually with yeast (like your mamma!) See hefewizen.
WITBIER - Belgian wheat beer, hazy yellow, light bodied, citric, spritzy, slightly tangy.
BUDWIESER -  Slight taste of duck urine, watery, worthless.

*The above list was pulled directly from  "The Brewmaster's Table", Garret Oliver, Harper Colins 2005

U.S Breweries Map

One of the best things about starting this blog is all the additional information my friends are sending me on the beer industry in San Diego and across the US. My brother in law sent me a great article on the SD beer obsession a few weeks ago, which I passed on to viewers of this blog in a previous post. My friend Adrian sent me the below link to a map of the breweries across the US.

  http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0068/6272/files/PCL_BreweriesoftheUnitedStatesREVISED.png?102908

Please continue to share the knowledge, I will definitely give credit where it is due. Also, if any one wants to finance a cross country brewery tour, I'll chip in for gass. (Use the link rather than look at the below pic, there is a good zoom feature)