In 1994, Chicagoans were treated to an extraordinary beer created to celebrate the 1,000th batch brewed at the Goose Island brewpub: Bourbon County Stout, an intense, black stout that brewer Greg Hall had aged in oak barrels fresh from the Jim Beam bourbon distillery.
Brewery Ommegang Cave Hennepin (2000) Pale orange-gold, big frothy head with lace, yeasty bouquet with dried apricot aroma and trace of corkiness , complex dry spicy, delicate champagne-like flavor. Medium-full body with alcohol notes, fine dry fruity finish. A wonderful beer. Brewery Ommegang Hennepin (non-cave aged) 2001 Similar color, head is not as full or... View Article
You might call them craft beer’s nuclear club. We’re talking about breweries that have pushed the alcohol content of beer past 20 percent by volume, through the process of fermentation alone.
Fat Tire Amber Ale New Belgium Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO There are subtle but noticeable differences between the bottled and canned versions of this much-sought after brand. The bottled Fat Tire pours a brilliantly clear copper color. The canned version, which contains a small amount of live yeast, has a slight haze. Bottled Fat... View Article
Limited edition releases are nothing new to the rock world. Seattle label Sub Pop Records launched its limited edition, monthly Singles Club in 1988 by releasing 1,000 copies of Nirvana’s debut seven-inch “Love Buzz” to club subscribers. Today that rarity sells on eBay for more than $1,000.
There’s a bite to the breeze coming off Lake Michigan on this unseasonably cool spring evening in Northern Indiana. The people queued outside the large, industrial-looking building—some are Chicagoland locals, while others have traveled a great distance to get here—don’t seem to notice. They’re dressed warmly enough and there is plenty of beer being passed... View Article
The sale of limited edition beer on online auction sites like eBay is a prickly topic among craft brewers. Though there are obvious questions regarding the legality of individuals selling alcohol without following the same regulations that retailers and breweries are subject to, these are skirted by the below eBay-approved disclaimers that rationalize the sale... View Article
“For [beer] possesses the essential quality of gulpability. Beer is more gulpable than any other beverage and consequently it ministers to the desire to drink deeply. When one is really thirsty the nibbling, quibbling, sniffing, squinting technique of the wine connoisseur becomes merely idiotic. Then is the moment of the pint tankard of bitter.”–Anonymous, 1934... View Article
The Session Beer Project was something I started on my blog about two years ago. It’s my contention that big beers get the press and the glory because they’re flashy, but seriously, how many can you drink? I started the Project to get more attention for session beers, and I’m happy to say it’s been... View Article
