Stone Brewing

Greetings everyone. I am really sorry for not posting for the last two months but things have really been tough lately however, I found a new favorite beer. Stone's Emperial IPA. Its there 14th anniversary brew and it is simply the greatest tasting IPA i've tasted thus far. Sorry Second to Peak Organic IPA, but Stones IPA is right there neck and neck with Peak Organic. I found it at Ron's Steakhouse. They have an AWESOME selection of rare hard to find brews. I really hope to visit Stone's brewery someday when i can afford to take a trip up there but till then i will just sit back and enjoy there beer. I highly suggest going to Ron's and picking up a bottle or two. Its not to expensive either. Only about 11 bucks for a big bottle and it is worth the price. Also i think i've found the perfect Summertime beer. Troegs Sunshine Pils is well balanced with malt and hops. Not to bitter, not to sweet, with just the right amount of flavor for those hot summer days. of course summers just about over but its still good for those times when you don't want to heavy of a beer. It goes well with a lot of different foods. I like it with wings and burgers but like i said it goes with a bunch of different foods. Sam Adams Oktoberfest is now available for celebratory consumption. I had my first one of the season just the other day and remembered why i wait all year for this beer. Not to sweet "since it is a lager" like a lot of lagers can be. Its simply a good beer. And i don't like Lagers! Flying Fish has there version of this brew and i think its to sweet. Not as flavorful and not really impressive. now i'm sure there will be a wide array of Oktoberfest beers coming out and all i can say is try them to see which ones you like. I will try to write about the ones i find but when it comes down to it its all a matter of what each one of us likes. My recommendations are just that. If people don't like the beers i suggest that's ok. We all like what we like. And that is the great thing about humanity. We don't all have to like the same thing. we all have different tastes and preferences. Ok i gotta run for now, i will try to get on a more regular posting schedule but ya'll gotta bear with me. i will continue to bring you my opinions on beer and i will definitely try to get out to a brewery and write a story on the breweries that bring us there awesome brews. So until next time, Drink responsibly and Cheers.

greetings everyone. Sorry i haven't written in a while but things have been a little hectic lately. But enough with that> Lets talk about BEER!!!!! A lot of people have been coming into the Epicurean to talk to me about beer as of late. That is soooo cool. People come to me to ask about beer. They come in and ask me to put together a six pack of beers that i recommend. I first ask them what they are in the mood for, what they like as far as hops or malt, whether they instead to enjoy it with food or just hangin out on the deck trying to stay cool. whatever they tell me i put together a nice little package to enjoy for whatever reason. Remember beer isn't just a beverage to drink cause it will make you drunk, beer has sooo much more importance then that. for example; did you know that out of all the brews out there Budwieser is the best beer to use when making beer batter? Its true. for some reason Bud makes a beer batter unlike no other. To drink it is like drinking, ohhh i don't know, Pond scum!! Sorry just my opinion. really though Bud makes the best beer batter. I've tried others and Guiness is ok, Yuengling is ok too but Bud is good for one thing and one thing only. Making batter for fish, onion rings, veggies, tempura, etc. Try it the next time you make a beer batter. ok onward to some summer brews i've tried. Sam Adams has there summer ale out now. its ok. nothing spectacular but good none the less. if its offered at a get together don't refuse it. It goes down pretty smooth and doesn't sit with you to long. Another is Peak Organics Summer Session Ale. As with all the other brews i've tried of there's it's pretty darn good. Nice and smooth, lite, pleasant summer flavor that's not to heavy but not to light either. It still has the distinctive characteristics of what Peak does best. Make good tasting beer. Naturally!!! I say stay away from Brooklyn Brewing. So far everything they put out I just cant get a taste for. There beer isn't all that good. It's just average tasting beer. Now for a unique find. Dogfish Head, Victory, and Stone Brewing have collaborated on a beer that pretty much blew me away. Its called Saison du Buff. It's brewed with (get this) Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme. Yes it looks like the old Simon and Garfunkel song has made its way into the Beer world. believe it or not it's a pretty good beer. It's got a lot of flavor though so it make the beer a one or two beers at the most. You can't drink a lot of it cause the flavor is just two much for drinking any more then two but don't let that discourage you, after you enjoy that one simply go on to something a little lighter. like say Dogfish Head 60 min IPA or Stone's Sublimely Self Righteous Ale or even a lite pilsner like Jever Pilsner. either way you go the flavors blends well with these when going from one brew to the next. keep in mind though the alcohol content. Most of the beers i try and recommend have a higher alcohol content. so please be careful and responsible. As i always say. i would rather have people try the beers i recommend week after week after week. if you get popped for dui or wreck your car you really cant enjoy the beer now can you? sorry that was meant to be a little humorous but seriously people be careful. It's also hotter then its been they last few summers and that makes it even more important to be careful when drinking. Ok enough about being responsible. Heres a list of beers to try when it's really hot outside.
1. Jever Pilsner
2. Dogfish Head Aprihop - Apricot IPA
3. Ithaca Apricot Wheat. (it's pretty good. nice and lite with a lot of flavor)
4. Flying Fish Farmhouse Ale ( one of my summer fav's)
5. Ithaca Ground Break
6. Boddington's Pub Ale
7. And the most important beverage in the summer......... WATER!!!!
 
if your gonna drink in the summer drink sum water in between your beers. Alcohol dehydrates you so you need to replenish your water. I know that beer is made of water but seriously beer dehydrates you especially the higher alcohol leveled brews. So don't forget the water this summer. ok that's all for now next post will hopefully be about my visit to Spring House Brewing. I hope to get out there and interview the people that brew the beer but we will have to see how my schedule goes at work. After all a chef in a restaurant doesn't have a, what you would call a "normal schedule". So till next time, Cheers.

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Springhouse Brewing Company

Greetings everyone. this week i found a new favorite beer. Springhouse Brewing Company has what they call "Atomic Raygun" its a red ale with A LOT OF FLAVOR. This brew is so good it boasts an 8.3% alcohol level and you wouldn't even know it. It goes down smooth and hits every taste bud. You cant even tell it's 8.3%. The flavors come together very well. It starts off nice and cool almost subtle like then the flavor erupts and your left enjoying one of the best brews i've tasted yet this year. its not very bitter but at the end it is just a little dry however the flavor and the smoothness of it balances out the dryness. Its only available by Growler or Keg from the Brewing company however it is available at The Epicurean. We have it on tap right now so go check it out. Check your local restaurants and Bars to see if they have it on tap and sit back and enjoy. Now mind you with this brew you gotta be careful. Its easy to put 3 or 4 of these down before you realize that you still gotta drive home so be EXTRA careful enjoying this one. As always please enjoy my recommendations responsibly. after all if you get caught you might not be able to enjoy much of anything now would ya. Ok no more lecturing on drinking and driving lets get back to the brew.
        Ok heres a list of recommended brews to try out.
1. Peak Brewing Company - Ipa, Esspresso Amber Ale, Pale Ale
2. Wells and Young Brewing - Youngs Double Chocolate Stout, Banana Bread Beer
3. Jever - Pilsner
4. Springhouse Brewing Company - Atomic Raygun
5. Anderson Brewing Company - Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout
6. Dogfishead - 60 min Ipa 
7. Stone Brewing - Sublimly Self-Righteous Ale
8. Wychwood Brewing - The Hobgoblin
9. Boddingtons Pub Ale
10. Abita Brewing - Jockamo
 
there it folks. sorry its so short this week but i have been feeling a bit under the weather. Oh i almost forgot, i was gonna tell you about some not so good brews this week.  i tell ya what next week i will bring you a list of brew to stay away from. i didn't get the time to compile the list last week but i will do so this week. And remember if your ever in the Phoenixville area stop in at The Epicurean and let me put together a six pack for you to enjoy. also check out what we have on tap. Until next time Cheers! 

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Stone Brewing

      Hello beer lovers. If you can find it look for Sublimely Self Righteous Ale. Its made by Stone Brewing. I forget where there from but the point is this beer is SOOOOOOOOO GOOD!!! Its a darker ale with a little espresso undertone. I was sitting at the table going over some life insurance with a friend of mine when i opened this bottle and got just a little whiff of what was inside. I knew right away this was a good beer. I poured it into the glass and even that was a sight to see. i let it sit for just a few seconds cause I really wanted to try this beer and when i did my taste buds just jumped out of my mouth and did somersaults. if you can find it get yourself a few bottles cause your gonna want to have this one on hand for that moment when you really want it. Now its not your everyday beer. its one of those that comes out every now and then. its got a lot of flavor and goes down really well. We only had it at the Epicurean for a little over a week. It went fast. if I were the type to give stars to rate beer, (how can you rate beer? there's so many.) 5 stars being the highest it would get a 5 instantly. Its 8% alcohol but doesn't taste like it. so be careful when you drink it cause you could easily put away two or three before you realize you cant see straight so again drink responsibly. the more alcohol in a beer the faster your blood alcohol content goes up so if you like the beers with more alcohol keep that in mind. I recommended if your gonna enjoy some of the higher alcohol brews do it at home or have someone else drive.
     Ok enough preaching its time to tell you about "Proper beer drinking etiquette"  meaning just that. I will give you some more tips on how to enjoy all the different brews in future articles but for now you should know that ALL BEER SHOULD BE DRANK FROM A GLASS. Don't drink from the bottle cause the beer needs to breathe. Just like fine wine, beer needs to breathe. it takes on new characteristics that just happen when you drink it from the bottle (or can).  Now there are different types of glasses for different types of beer. Forgive me for not knowing the names of the different types of glasses right now but the most important ones are as follows: Stouts should be poured into a glass that is shorter at the top then the bottom. also certain Belgian Ales in the same glass as well. Straight up Ales should be poured into well a beer glass. Well one that is bigger at the top and gradually get smaller at the bottom. Lagers should be poured into a glass that is the same in diameter at the top and at the bottom. And always leave yourself a little room at the top for the head to form. the head will overflow and you will lose some flavor. Seriously you will. Ya know when you pour a glass of beer and half of it is head? and it goes over the glass. I've done it so many times only to learn to pour the beer with a subtle touch. No glug glug just a nice easy fluid pour. not to much but not like molasses either. as soon as i figure out how to i will post some picture of what glasses go with what beers. ok that's it for now keep checking back here every 3 - 4 days cause i'm gonna try to catch up on some of our old stand by brews. You know the beer that you get in bulk just to have around so there is always beer. You know what i'm talking about. we are gonna touch on Yeungling and Rolling Rock and some of those " Domestic Beers" that i would never consider "craft Brews". also i'm gonna give a few beers to maybe stay away from. After all if i don't tell you about the beers that don't taste good you'd go and try them and be very disappointed. this way you don't have to go through the "bad beer taste" moment. As always enjoy my recommendations responsibly and have a pleasant day. Cheers!

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The Draught Report

hi folks. sorry i missed last week. However this week i'm gonna tell you about Dogfish Head. Right now they have an Apricot IPA. i gotta say this is a very good beer. its still the good ole 60 min IPA but with just a little apricot sweetness. Don't let that turn you away though. Its not a fruity beer, its an IPA with a little extra flavor. If you like IPA's your gonna love this one. its not necessarily a dessert beer as it goes with A LOT of different foods. i like it with fish or even steak. it goes well with light tasting food as well as bold tasting foods. it has a uniqueness about it that lends good refreshing flavor but not overpowering the flavors of what your eating. its good by itself as well. if you can find it at your local quick six get it. you can even get a case for only 30 - 40 dollars. well worth it though as it will keep for a while. try and find a place that has it on tap and you will drink a very nice tasting beer. Dogfish Head has put out a good variety of brews in the past. The collaborate with Sierra Nevada and Stone Brewing for some really good brews. Stop at your local bar and grill and pick up a copy of "Mid-Atlantic Brewing News". you can find some very useful information on Brewing and different kinds of beer. They also list different Brew fest's going on around the region, so you can find out a lot about the world of beer in that circular. Speaking of Sierra Nevada, they will be putting out 4 different brews this year the last of which will be there 30th anniversary brew containing 4 different beer recipes. it'll be a stout from what i understand since there very first brew was a stout. there calling it "30th Anniversary". coming out around October. I cant wait either. I like a good stout now and then. Wolavers makes a good Oatmeal Stout. But try and find it on tap. Very good stout. Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout is also very good but harder to find. Very creamy and not to bitter. Anyway there's my recommendations for this week. Next week i plan to tell you about some "not-so-good" brews that i have tried lately. Should prove to be interesting. And as always if you do try any of my recommended brews PLEASE!!!! enjoy them responsibly. Take care :)  

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The Draught Report

     Greetings to all. this week i'd like to tell you about Left Hand brewing out of Colorado. They make a wide range of beers directed to certain tastes. They have a beer called Fade to Black. Another called Good Juju. And they also have the 400 pound monkey  Good Juju resembles a good spiked Ginger Ale. Its brewed with ginger and has a remarkable smoothness that is unmistakable. It goes down really smooth and is not bitter at all. If you like Ginger ale or Ginger beer your going to like this beer. Its not to strong. This beer really impressed me. I didn't think i was going to like it at first, but the more i tasted it the more i started to like it. By the time i got to the end of my glass i was left wanting more. Just like Dogfishead's 60 min IPA. all though they are two completely different brews they both left me wanting more. Now that's both good and bad. If you have good will power you can limit yourself to only two or three and that seemed enough to me. I got to the end of my third glass and knew that i had had enough. The ginger is very subtle and delicate. however there is a little bite to it. like a good spiced Ginger Ale. left Hand Brewing also has an IPA called The Warrior. I haven't tried it yet but i've heard good things about it. Now i forget which indian the Brewery is named after but the name is taken from an old Indian chief. Once i do a little more research i will write about it or if you like just Google Left Hand brewing and you can read it. The 400 hundred pound monkey was a little to malty for my taste. But i drank it down anyway. Its kind of sweet and doesn't have to much of an after taste. Still it has its good qualities. Fade to Black is a dark ale that resembles a stout but it is an AWESOME beer. I think its seasonal but if you can find it i highly recommend it. Stop in at the Epicurean and pick up a six pack and i promise you wont be disappointed. That's it for now so until next time CHEERS.

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Welcome to The Draught Report

This week in the Draught Report was kinda difficult in deciding which beer to start off with. However I have decided to bring you two beers instead of one. Youngs Double Chocolate Stout is the first beer I would like to tell you about. Believe it or not this beer isn't even a stout. Its an ale brewed with natural chocolate malts and has a little added chocolate flavor to bring you a truly amazing beer. Youngs Double Chocolate Stout is best as an after dinner beer.

This is a beer to pour into a pint glass, let it sit a minute and watch the beer start to separate. When finished you have a smooth beer with a thick creamy head. You would think that a beer made with chocolate wouldn't be that good but this beer really is one to put on your list. Its a little expensive. About 60 dollars a case or 5 to 10 dollars a can depending on where you go to get it.

You can get it where I work at the Epicurean. I've seen it at the Flying Pig and someone told they seen it at Wegmans? Wherever you find it be prepared to drink an outstanding beer. And of course enjoy it responsibly.

My second beer this week is Peak brewing company. They make an organic line of beer that is truly awesome to the taste buds. I don't know to much about them only that they are in Portland Maine. There IPA is 7.1 % alcohol so be careful when you drink it. Its so smooth to drink that you don't even realize its 7 percent alcohol.

They have an Espresso Amber Ale that is amazing. Subtle coffee tones to compliment a very nice ale. I recommend finding a restaurant that has Peak on tap. It will be well worth the search. We just had it on tap at the Epicurean but so many people liked it that it ran out in less then a week. Not many organic beers actually taste good but Peak definitely has a good thing going. Peaks IPA goes well with a light tasting fish or seafood dish as well as a good burger or Filet Mignon.

A lot of the beers I will be writing about you can get at the Epicurean where I work as a chef or Wegman's has a nice selection as well. Pretty much any beer distributor can get these beers if they don't have it in stock. At the Epicurean you can mix and match your own 6 pack so you can try a wider range of different beers. Stop in one night and ask me to put together a 6 pack for you. Well that's it for now.

Next week I plan to bring you two more beers that will appeal to your taste buds. And as always when trying the beers I recommend, enjoy them responsibly. Cheers.