CS Booze Club.

[Cat]

Oh, that reminds me...I need to get a case of Mike's for this long weekend

[Jester]

( I have tried Woodchuck's Pear, and Ace's Apple, and the general consensus is that Ace should stick to Pear, and Woodchuck should stick w/ apples...

I can't comment on the Ace, as I have only ever had their regular cider (and been not hugely impressed with that, though not repulsed, either), but to me the best thing that Woodchuck does IS their pear cider.

Of course, my bar has it on draft, and that may make a huge difference.

I will look for Ace. I have seen it, though not really all that much in Key West. I remember seeing it a lot more back when I lived in Phoenix, though.

...it's bitch beer...

Nothing wrong with a bitch drink, especially if it cools you off. I will occasionally have a Smirnoff Ice when I need a beer break, when I am overly bloated with beer and just can't have another one right then, but still want something to drink. And it works for me. And for anyone who gives me shit about my "bitch drink," I simply remind them that back home in Phoenix my nickname is Schlager, a nickname I earned from my propensity for drinking Goldschlager like water, and oh by the way, would you like to do a shot of Goldschlager with me? Yeah, that tends to shut them the fuck up about my bitch drink.

Also, anyone who's looking for a good summertime mixed drink: Sweet Tea Vodka and Lemonade.

This is called a John Daly. Why? Well, iced tea and lemonade mixed together is called an Arnold Palmer, either because the legendary golfer invented it or he is just the most famous person that drinks it. Not sure, actually. But when sweet tea vodka came along and people started mixing it with lemonade, it was a natural idea to name the alcoholic version of the Arnold Palmer after golf's bad boy drunk himself, John Daly. Of course, Daly has been making attempts at suing bars that use his name on this drink, but good luck with that, John.

I am often amused when people ask me what I think of sweet tea vodka, as I can't stand either tea or vodka. I will tell you this....the stuff really does taste just like tea. So if you like that sort of thing, you'd love this stuff. Me, not so much, but that's due to my personal prejudices against those flavors.

...Bells Double Cream Stout on a 90+ degree day...

Ouch. Bad idea. Really bad idea.

I might see if I can find a good supply of Peroni, now that I've got the lighter is better suggestion.

Peroni? Really? To borrow a phrase from Treasure, it's always been my opinion that the Italians (as well as the French) should stick to making wine. They make great wine. Their beer...not so much. But if you like it, knock yourself out.

[Mishi]

I like to have a bottle or two of apple cider when I've been working outside on a hot day, as a refreshing break from all the water since I'm not a beer fan. 5 Seeds is the most common one that I drink, even though I prefer Mercury Draught, because its much easier to find.

[Jester]

Went to the store to pick up a 12 of Corona. Saw the variety pack of Shipyard and picked that up instead. So today I will be reviewing four different offerings from Shipyard Brewery out of Maine: their Export Ale, Chamberlain's Pale Ale, Brewer's Brown Ale, and their seasonal Summer Ale. While I have had the Export in both bottle and draft form, and think I've had the Summer on draft, I haven't reviewed any of them in here, and as Shipyard is not one a lot of you may be familiar with, I thought this would be appropriate.

First up: the Summer Ale. Very light golden in color, like a typical American swill beer (BudMillerCoors). Lightly sweet nose. Almost flowery, or dare I say...summery? FIRST SIP: Nice light beer with a hint of sweet honey. Very drinkable beer, would be great on a hot sweaty day, but other than that, in the end, not all that memorably. Score out of 10: 6, though higher on a hot sweltery day outside.

Chamberlain Pale Ale: Golden amber in color, clearly darker than the Summer, but translucent, not opaque. Hmmm.....I used a different glass, but somehow the Chamberlain seems to have a very similar nose to the Summer. A hint of perhaps a slightly darker honey than the Summer. Admittedly, it's the same brewer, but still, this surprises me. Then again, the nose of a beer is not usually my strong suit. FIRST SIP: Mmmm....nice. Not as much bite as you might expect from a true pale ale, but very tasty. An honest, drinkable ale with some depth of flavor. The kind of beer that would go well with most any meal, from fish to steak. It won't set the world on fire, but it's definitely a nice drink. Score: 6.5.

Export Ale: I could be wrong, but I do believe that this is, if not the, one of Shipyard's flagship beers. I have had it before, but I'll go through the whole review process for your benefit. Golden amber in color, like the Chamberlain, but a little more opaque, with a hint more of red. Okay, Shipyard must make all their beers smell the same, cause yet again I have a fresh glass, and yet again I am getting the sweet smell of honey. It's been subtly different each time, but it's definitely been there. Heh. FIRST SIP: Ahhhh.... THIS...this is BEER. Nothing fancy, nothing earth-shaking, but tasty, a bit sweet but not cloying, a hint of honey, but unmistakably an honest, medium-bodied, flavorful BEER. One you could drink all day without feeling either ripped off or overly indulgent. This is the kind of beer that could be your every day beer, the kind you drink a few of when you get home from a hard day of work. It's just nice. Score: 7.5.

Brewer's Brown Ale: The color is far darker than what I am used to with a brown, being for all intents and purposes a dark black. This is unusual. This could spell either genius or disaster. The nose, however, is unmistakeably that of a brown, with hints of brown sugar and perhaps a hint of molasses. Subtly sweet and refreshing, but as with the other three, not cloying or obnoxious. FIRST SIP: Hunh. A little crisper than most browns, not as sweet as I was expecting. Not sure if I would even call this a brown. Let me investigate (i.e., drink) further. [pause] The nose and the look had me hoping for a revelation, and the taste....let me down. It's a tasty enough brownish type ale, but it won't be confused for the best of the browns. It's worth drinking, for sure, but it seems confused as to what kind of beer it is. A nice beginner's dark beer, but for a lover of browns, blacks, porters, stouts, and the like, not overly impressive. If beers were swords, this would be a solid implement, but by no means Excalibur. Score: 6.5.

[thansal]

I'll chime in on the light beers for hot days.

One of my favorite things for a hot day is (and this is coming from a dark beer nut) is ice cold Sapporo and yakitori. Sapporo goes down like water as far as I care, and yakitori is great beer food.

This weekend I really didn't have anything overly interesting.

Another bottle of Summer Snow sake (It really is great).

The first bloody marry I actually liked (hey, it tastes good when you don't use a mix!)

I tried some sweet tea vodka. It tastes like sweet tea (a bit to sugary actually). I like sweet tea. But I tend to shy away from things like this as it feels like "Well, why am I drinking this? I could just have some sweet tea, the alcohol has added nothing".

[Jester]

The the sweet tea vodka with lemonade. Now, I am a guy that doesn't like either tea or vodka, but as a bartender I sell a shitload of those cocktails, and lemonade seems to be the perfect mixer for the sweet tea vodka, as far as the drinking public is concerned.

[AdminAssistant]

For me, it's because it tastes really good, it's perfect for a hot day, and it's not overly alcoholic (meaning I can drink several and still stand upright). I've never had the sweet tea vodka alone, but I don't think it's overly sweet. But then, I'm used to my sister's sweet tea, which you can almost chew.

[Jester]

Tonight’s selection: Scottish Midnight Sun Dark Porter Ale, from Williams Brothers Brewing Company in Scotland. The last dark Scottish beer I had (Old Engine Oil) was awesome, so I have high hopes for this one.

It pours dark and rich, as one would think a dark porter should. The nose is rich and malty, but subtle, with just a hint of coffee. Now for the real test…the taste.

FIRST SIP: I want to move to Scotland. They make good beer!

Is this a perfect beer? No. But it is damn impressive. Rich, yet somewhat light. Malty, yet not overpoweringly so. This beer does not hit you over the head with its flavors. But it is nice, and it would be a great beer on a cold winter day. Of course, this being Key West in July, it is hardly that, but it is still a lovely beer. It’s tasty, to be sure. Would I drink it again? Absolutely. Would I buy it again? If I saw it, and there wasn’t anything better, probably. Would I seek it out? Honestly—no. It’s very, very good. It’s just not great. I give it a solid 7. Worth your time, to be sure. And as far as dark beers go, one of the mellower ones. It is not a dark beer to be scared of; merely one to be enjoyed. It would go very well with a good roast, with poultry, with shepherd’s pie, or any really hearty dish or comfort food. I don’t really see it going too well with Asian or Mexican food, but there are still many cuisines it would be great with.

This beer was far more impressive in its first sip than it proved to be after continued drinking of it. Yeah, I got it right. A solid 7.

[Jester]

Next beer review: Zywiec Original Beer from Poland. I want to explain how to pronounce it, as it took me a while to learn myself, but it is one of those things that is almost impossible to type out so that others can make sense of it. It should be heard to be fully understood. That being said, I'll give it a go. ZSIV-ee-itz, with the Zs sounding just like it does in Zsa Zsa Gabor's name.

In appearance, Zywiec is a light golden amber, not too dissimilar from your average American beer, but perhaps a touch darker. The nose is just a light beery smell. The first sip (hardly my first sip ever of this beer, or even tonight) is like a lighter American beer (not light beer), but with a sweeter tone, smoother. Sort of like a better version of Bud.

Okay, I'm lying. It's a MUCH better version of Bud. Still the same category, don't get me wrong, but a far superior beer within that same style. Great for a hot day or a spicy meal, or just for the hell of it. (I've been sipping on a couple of Zywiec's while I was doing some chili prep in the kitchen.) I often use the phrase "just a good honest beer," but Zywiec epitomizes that. It's cold, it's wet, it's tasty, it's flavorful. It's what the King of Beers aspires and pretends to be, but in the end, simply isn't. Zywiec....is.

Score: 7.5. I could literally drink this beer every single day, in every single situation. It is only the style of beer that keeps the score from being higher.

[thansal]

So, the only thing I have to report on as of late wasn't even my drink.

My friend decided to order a Cel-Ray Shandy.

Cel-Ray (for those not familiar, like my self) is Dr. Brown's Celery soda. It tastes massively of celery seed, it's very unusual (apparently NYC is just about the onyl place that drinks it due to our large Jewish population, though why they are drinking it, I don't know).

I actually like Shandys, they are light and refreshing and cold and sweet. They just aren't beer, so meh :P

This was interesting.

It was light and sweet and refreshing, even more refreshing than a normal shandy as it had no tang. I could totally see my self making these with good cheap light bears (honestly, I think they use tecate), and I now kinda want to find a couple bottles of Cel-Ray, jsut to try it straight.

I'm also contemplating trying to make a fizzy Bloody Mary via the stuff (the celery salt is one of my favorite bits of a Bloody Mary)

[Jester]

I'm also contemplating trying to make a fizzy Bloody Mary via the stuff (the celery salt is one of my favorite bits of a Bloody Mary)

Good luck with that. Personally, I think you'd be better off just using celery salt, as if you use Cel-Ray soda, you are going to make the mix much thinner, which is not necessarily a good thing, and I don't think the flavor of the celery salt in the bloody will be as intense from the soda as it would be from the actual celery salt.

Also...a fizzy bloody? I'm having trouble with that concept, to be honest.

But either way, definitely report back on how that experiment works out. Meanwhile, I'll be drinking my Bloody Pigs in anticipation.

[Greenday]

Maybe it's the booze talking, but I want you to know I love booze.

Sigh, here comes another long time without it.

[Jester]

Why is that?

[Jester]

Today, I take on Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dark. Basically a dark hefeweizen. As many of you know, hefeweizen is one of my favorite styles of beer, so I am not only inclined to like them in general, I am also hyper critical of them when they don’t meet my standards. Weihenstephaner is the oldest brewery in the world, and also brews the Korbinian, a beer I have described as being “proof that the Germans perfected beer.” Also the only beer I've ever given a score of 10 out of 10 to. So I look forward to this with high hopes….and high expectations.

Appearance: Light brown and cloudy. Which is what I would expect from a dark hefe. It’s not black, like a stout or a porter. It’s brown, like a dunkel should be. And the cloudiness is the unfiltered nature of the hefe. This is the way this beer should look.

The nose is floral, as hefes often are. Not overly floral, just slightly floral, with the promise of something wonderful.

FIRST SIP: Correction, first gulp. It’s hard to put this beer down, either physically or verbally. It is the epitome of what a dark hefeweizen, or a hefedunkel, should taste like. Sweet like a hefe, but balanced with the richness of a darker beer. Once again, Weihenstephaner does not disappoint.

This is the kind of beer you could drink on a hot summer day or a cold winter night, and either way, you’d be happy about it.

Score: 8.5. Truly a wonderful beer. One you should go find. Now.

No, seriously. NOW.



Get moving!

[BeenThereDoneThat]

Hmm...wonder if any of our local stores would carry it. Hubby should try something new.