Author Archive
Coors Light
Posted by: | CommentsMy, how times have changed.
I used to drink Coors Light at a friend’s house while eating pizza and playing PlayStation in college.
Tonight, I drank Coors Light at home while eating rigatoni pasta with steak and portabella mushrooms. And I would break out the Wii, but I can’t stay up late because I have work in the morning.
The Silver Bullet hasn’t changed, though. I know you don’t want to hear about how there’s almost no foam on the pour from the can, or how the sickly pale yellow of the beer looked less like actual beer and more like the third cup from an over-used tea bag.
You don’t care, and you shouldn’t care.
This beer is an old stand-by. When you’ve spent the day clearing brush from the yard, chopping wood for the fireplace, or driving your four ton 4×4 through the Rocky Mountains to fix some problem up on “the Rig” (or whatever they do in those commercials) — then if you’re like me, the last thing you want to do is to spend time appreciating your beer.
Sometimes I just want to drink my beer, not buy it flowers or invite it upstairs for heavy petting.
Coors hasn’t messed around with the formula for Rocky Mountain Refreshment, but they’ve sure been a leader in package innovation. Converting the beer case into a travel cooler is pretty nifty in my book. And I don’t know if the “vented” wide mouth can with its Frost Brew® Liner and temperature indicator really make the beer taste any different, but those features sure give Coors something to advertise.
If you don’t believe me, just try building an ad campaign around Nana’s used Lipton bag.
Blue Point Brewing Toasted Lager
Posted by: | CommentsThis weekend I’ll be heading to NYC to celebrate my birthday with friends, so I thought I’d turn to The Blue Point Brewing Company of Long Island to get a little New York flavor this week.
Fortunately, Toasted Lager by Blue Point Brewing tastes much better than I image New York does. In fact, the Toasted Lager won the 2006 Gold Award for American Style Amber Lager at the World Beer Cup Awards.
The beer is beautiful in the glass, a rich amber. Good foam head that dissipated quickly.
After having such strong-flavored beers over the last few days, the Toasted Lager tastes even better. The malt is very well-balanced; not too sweet, held up by just a light bitterness. There’s a little bit of spice I recognize from one of my Winter Lagers, but I can’t place it. There’s just enough to make it very well-rounded for taste, but not enough to dominate the taste.
I really enjoy this beer, and I genuinely would like another. The beer is relaxing and refreshing but doesn’t cop out — there’s real flavor here in the Toasted Lager. Maybe this is a good omen for my trip to New York?
If you’d like to try Blue Point brews, they have distribution throughout New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.
Inventory List Added
Posted by: | CommentsHi Everyone — I’ve added a listing of all the beer I’ve stockpiled. You can see the full inventory under “The Fridge” in the header menu.
User Registration
Posted by: | CommentsMy thanks to everyone who has been reading and commenting. You’re making this a lot of fun for me, and I hope you will stick around to help build this site into a resource for beer enthusiasts.
As of this morning, I have enabled user registration.
Registration enables you to post comments without having to re-enter your information each time, and you will also have a simple interface to upload an avatar (user picture). I may also restrict comments only to registered users in the future, to cut down on spam or other junk messages.
Let me know what you think. And if you have trouble getting registered, let me know — either via the comments, or via the Contact page.
The “register” link should be available in the “meta” section in the bottom right-hand section of the main page.
Duvel
Posted by: | CommentsDuvel will forever be associated with my wedding.
I discovered Duvel while seeking a wedding reception venue with my wife and her parents. The event sales person plied me and my father-in-law with champagne and then bought us dinner.
Luring me with premium food and drink can be a very effective strategy, and our sales person must have seen me coming a mile away.
“Order what you want,” she said. “It’s on the house, and we’ll talk about your decision afterward…”
My father-in-law is a Coors Light man, but during the dinner our waiter suggested Duvel. After goggling at the per-bottle price on the menu, we remembered that somebody else was paying and ordered a round.
In the end, I think there were at least 3 or 4 rounds, but it’s hard to keep track of any 8.5% ABV beer. They tend to make you forget how many you’ve had, especially one that is so incredibly drinkable. Duvel goes down smoothly, and the only hint of its high alcohol content is that warm feeling washing over you toward the end of the first glass.
We weren’t in much shape for negotiating after that meal, but we still managed to book the venue with one important condition — that Duvel be available throughout the reception for the me and the Father of the Bride.
Ever since discovering Duvel, my father-in-law and I usually have a few glasses of Duvel when we get together. Tonight was no exception. He and I have birthdays coming up, so we had a birthday toast with Duvel tonight.
With a sly smile, and knowing the rules of this challenge expressly forbid drinking a second beer, he offered me another. “You sure? It’s really good! Guess I’ll have to drink it for you…” I’m on Day 3 now, but already it’s becoming apparent how difficult this regimen will be.
The bottle describes Duvel as an…
“…intense, aromatic, and beguiling ale. This Belgian favorite is best enjoyed chilled with discerning friends or good-looking strangers.”
I describe Duvel as “somewhat like a strong wheat beer”. But that’s really not doing it justice. You’re just going to have to try this Belgian Golden Ale yourself. And if you can, make sure you are at a Belgian-style pub eating a bowl of steamed mussels. Duvel goes with many foods, but nothing pairs with Duvel quite like steamed mussels.
Pouring Duvel is an art in itself. Take care not to upset the bottle — if you disturb the beer, it’s apt to get angry and explode all over the room. Learn from my mistakes — you don’t want to pour a $9 bottle of beer on the kitchen floor, do you? Follow the instructions on the bottle’s label and “Pour Unhurriedly”.
To learn more about the Duvel tulip glass, and for a step by step tutorial on the proper method for pouring Duvel, visit DuvelUSA.com.
