Birra Moretti

Marrying an Italian woman has had its consequences, such as our unlimited supply of pasta and the annual Christmas card from Roberto Benigni. While I enjoy being “Italian by marriage”, it also means we don’t exactly get to eat at many German restaurants.

Which is why tonight, my wife and I ate at a place called “Trattoria Al Forno” and not “The Edelweiss Pub”.

Moretti has been my go-to beer for Italian restaurants. It’s a light, slightly bitter Italian Pilsner. Not a bad beer; but really, not very exciting either.

Moretti is pretty good with pizza or pasta, and it’s always better with friends. And if your friends include the rambunctious Roberto Benigni, whatever you do, never never never let him drink it after midnight.

Flying Dog Kerberos Tripel

No name could be better for a Belgian-style tripel when it comes from the likes of Flying Dog. Kerberos, the three-headed beast that guards the entrance to the underworld, is the only name that could live up to the standards of this Gonzo brewery. The thought of pouring a Flying Dog “Tripel Stooges” — just for example — makes me want to give up drinking.

Part of the Canis Major series, Kerberos is a sweet beast with a big bite – 8.5% ABV. The caramel sweetness on the front gives way to a raisin fruitiness and crisp, lightly bitter finish.

A good pick for tonight, and a unique treat of a beer. I enjoyed the Gonzo Imperial Porter earlier this month, and I’m looking forward to trying the other two Canis Major brews.

For those who want to try the all four bottles in the series without getting knocked flat, Flying Dog has released a mini-pack of 7 ounce bottles.

Clearly, those mini-bottles are designed for someone who can drink more than one a day.

Buzzards Bay Black Lager

Drinking a black lager makes me think of the movie Spaceballs. Don’t you remember Mel Brooks’ Yogurt talking about black lager?

Of course you do! He said: “May the Schwarz-bier with you!”

I’ve had Sam Adams Black Lager before, and Sarnac Black Forest is waiting patiently in the Fridge. Both, like Buzzards Bay Black Lager, are a style of Schwarzbier — similar to a porter or a stout, but tamer and not as strongly flavored.

(Don’t feel bad if you didn’t know what Schwarzbier was until just this moment. I had to look it up on Wikipedia.)

Buzzards Bay Black Lager is a fine, tasty black beer. Mine poured a three-fingered mocha head that rested in my pint glass, the very embodiment of thick and lazy. There was a lightly toasty aroma like a porter, but I had to strain my nose to pull it out.

The color? You guessed it.

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Leatherlips IPA

With the warm Mexican sun behind me and another winter storm ahead of me, I’ve decided to indulge — by welcoming myself home on this chilly IPA Monday with a brew from my adopted hometown of Haverhill, MA.

When I moved from Boston to Cambridge, the final selling point for my apartment was its proximity (less than 2 blocks) from Bukowski’s Tavern and its great beer and eclectic food menus. Similarly, my move a year later from Cambridge up north to Haverhill was eased by the discovery of The Tap and Leather Lips IPA from the Tap’s “Haverhill Brewery”.

The bottle warns the drinker to hold onto his or her hat . . . (more…)

Mexican Hospitality

On the way to Cabo Wabo last night, I stopped and grabbed the ear of a resort manager.

My reputation as a strange beer hunter is making the rounds. Our conversation went like this:

“Hi, I’m trying to find some unique Mexican beer. . .”

“Ah, you are Mr. Murphy? Miguel told me about you.”

He called a store that has some hard to find Mexican beer, but they had already closed for the evening.

“Don’t worry Mr. Murphy, I will buy you some beer and deliver it to your room tomorrow. How many bottles?”

I officially love Mexico.

Last Consumed:

My wife and I usually select a Christmas Tree during the weekend after Thanksgiving, and we were thrilled to discover the farm down the road from us is selling trees this year. She and I stopped by the farm while walking our Boston Terrier, Caesar, who helped us sniff out a good one. After my wife and I dithered over the best tree for several minutes, Caesar weighed in with his selection by lifting his leg on a plump Fraser Fir.

I hope that means he liked it.

The tree went up on my shoulder, I carried it home (drawing chuckles from several people driving by), and our Christmas season officially began. We’ve been listening to Christmas music, drinking hot chocolate, and generally sickening all humbugs spying through our windows.

So it should come as no surprise that I’ve selected the “Hoppy Christmas Ale” from Belgium’s Brewery De Ranke. The beer — Père Noël (imported by Shelton Brothers) — intimates the reason for Father Christmas’ jolly cheeks and rosy nose; the label depicts Santa embracing the frothy, 7% ABV Strong Pale Ale.

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