Gol!

Sorry about the dry spell. Fill up on the 2008 World Beer Cup Winners until I can post something meaningful (or at least something new).

We're number 14!

Thanks to the wonderful folks at Wikipedia (That's you!), here is a list of countries of the world, ranked by per capita beer consumption.

I've always kind assumed it, but I never realized to the extent of the matter: I drink a lot more beer than the average American.

[Thanks, also, to Deadspin and Dave Barry]

Review: Hallertau Imperial Pilsner

Style: American Double / Imperial Pilsner
Brewer: Boston Beer Company
Location: Boston, MA
Web
Alcohol: 8.8%

First, a little back story. My wife and I were driving all over McAllen looking for a place to eat; a quick place that we hadn't eaten at, or at least in a while. As typically happens, we were at that point where hunger overcomes the rational ability to make a decision. We narrowed it down to two places: Fresco's and Mama Mia's. The former was packed to the brim so we headed down Tenth Street towards Mama's. And then without more warning than a billboard I happened to spy, we noticed, on the corner of Tenth and Business 83, the new Feldman's Market Center. We stopped in for a quick look-see before dinner.

There are a number of Feldman's in the RGV each with your typical frat-house liquor selection. The beer selection varies from store to store, as does the quality of the wine. Some stores carry cigars. Market Center, however, strives to be one of those high end imbibers that you tend to only find in more forward-thinking cities, like Austin, New York or San Fransisco. With that in mind, Market Center is exactly what you'd expect a Valley interpretation of that sort of store to be. Very good, but still with flaws.

The wine selection is impressive, as is the cigar room. The beer selection is already the best in the RGV, and the short deli menu offers a wonderful selection of cheeses, meats and expensive appetizers. We had a couple of the sandwiches (sorry, Mama's), "the Man" (a stacked, high end chicken, ham and cheese) and a tuna sandwich made with (gasp!) fresh tuna meat (or, at least, not canned). There is also a quaint foodstuffs section (to cover the "Market" part, I suppose). And oh yeah, the liquor selection is ridiculous. Not for variety, but for volume; it seems like most of the store. Of course, all this adds up to many potential return trips for yours truly, and many new possibilities for the Beer Journal.

The first pack I pulled out of the cooler, the first time I'd ever seen this beer in person in fact, was Samuel Adams Hallertau Imperial Pilsner. The label also read, "An Intense Hop Experience", which regular readers of this site know all but sealed the deal. This Imperial Pilsner is listed under Sam Adams's "extreme beers" classification. The name Hallertau refers to the type of hops used, Hallertau Mittletruck from Bavaria, Germany.

True to it's label, the copper-colored HIP is absolutely loaded with hops. I expected this to mean a sharp, biting bitterness, but that is not the case. Instead, that beer and bouquet alike have a flowing taste, taking some off of the top but remaining pungent and (let's face it, repulsive) to those not accustomed to hoppy beers. This all combines to make HIP a vary drinkable beer, even for more than one per sitting. (The 8.8 would have different ideas, though.)

The Stats:

Feldman's
Food: 8.4
Beer: 9.1
Atmosphere: 7.6

HIP
Rating: 8.9

Other Reviews:
The Monitor (store)
Boston Geek (beer)

I did Dallas

Long over due, for sure. I'll catch you up as best I can.

A little over a month ago David, a coworker/drinking buddy of mine, took a weekend trip to Dallas to catch a Mavericks game and enjoy some fine food and drink. While there, we met up with another good friend and Fort Worth resident, Siraham, who served as our de facto concierge. Over the course of three days, we were lucky enough to visit three not-too-different fine eateries. Well, four if you count the HEB Central Market on Lover's Lane, which I do, so let's start there.

Unlike the generic, poor people HEB's that we've got in the RGV, Central Market puts its emphasis on better, higher quality foods and drinks. Organic foods, specialty meats, fresh breads, exotic fruits and rare cheeses surround extensive wine and beer selections. Sure, the whole swath is certainly more expensive than your typical grocer, but that's to be expected. You get quality for the extra cost. The coup de grace of the Market is their deli counter, replete with specialty dishes ranging from pan seared tuna to cranberry couscous. For under $10 you can get a delicious and filling meal; so long as you don't mind eating in a supermarket.

Next on the list is the Flying Saucer Draught Emporium in nearby Addison. The Saucer is a German styled beer garden with an extensive drink selection. Almost as impressive was the meat and cheese platter; I chose the pairing of Black Pepper Salami and Comte Gruyere. The tray was decorated with olives, grapes and almonds, all to help create a variety of flavor combinations. My only problem with the Saucer is that it's certainly more "bar" than pub, and by ten o'clock it was over-flowing with a meat-market type crowd.

Providing a similar selection (right down to the meat and cheese plate), was the Idle Rich Pub, and Irish pub McKinney Ave. For those unfamiliar with Dallas, McKinney is the yuppie corner of the city. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of wonderful places to eat and see in that part of town, but make no mistake, money does all the talking. The scenery inside the bar, however, was much better. Idle's appetizers were delicious and the knowledgeable staff helped us maneuver our way around the very impressive menu. Something about staring at a
list twelve pages long really takes the ambition out of even the most condescending of pallets. Remember: it's always ok to ask for help.

With a taste for Ireland on our minds, we jaunted over to Trinity Hall Irish Pub, where we ordered pint after pint of the Isle's favorite son, Guinness. As luck would have it, or not surprisingly at all depending on how you look at it, the gentleman lofting the traditional Irish folk songs hailed from Taunton, Massachusetts, nearby the original hometown of the Beer Journal. Further, another of the pub's patron's had just moved down from Quincy (MA), and was more than willing to sling the stouts with the singer, your's truly and my traveling party. To be honest, I was a little past the point of objectivity by the time I got there. Still, it's hard to screw it up when you start with the perfect formula.

The bad news? Dallas is some eight and a half hours from the Rio Grande Valley. The good news? the next trip to Dallas comes in June.

The stats:
HEB Central Market
Food: 9.8
Beer: 9.0
Atmosphere: 7.0

The Flying Saucer
Food: 8.1
Beer: 9.2
Atmosphere: 7.5

Idle Rich
Food: 7.4
Beer: 9.6
Atmosphere: 8.7

Trinity Hall
Food: N/A
Beer: 9.0
Atmosphere: 9.9

Favorite Holiday Beers

When I say "holiday", I primarily mean Christmas, but these beers can and should be enjoyed whatever your winter celebration. Most holiday beers vary their recipe, or at least their batch, from year to year. As a result, there is a welcome inconsistency with each new calendar. While I always prefer my beers served the American way, that is, cold, each of the brews on this list have a bit of spice or an extra push of alcohol: both suitably will warm you up this season. Here are ten suggestions for your Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, New Year's or whichever festive occasion you've got on the docket for these cold, winter months. Why six? These are the only ones I know!

10. K-9 Cruiser Winter Ale by Flying Dog Brewery (Denver, CO)
Style: Dark and malty ale
Alcohol: 6.4%
The beers of Flying Dog are at their best when kicking you in the teeth with excessive hops. This is not one of those cases, but hey, it's got a dog on the label! And it's snowboarding!
9. Winter Wheat by Middle Ages Brewing Company (Syracuse, NY)
Style: Wheat beer
Alcohol: 6.3%
You don't usually find light wheat beers on the December shelf. This drink warrants mentioning simply for that.
8. Winter Welcome Ale by Samuel Smith Brewery (Tadcaster, Yorkshire, England)
Style: Winter warmer
Alcohol: 6%
Very similar in look and flavor to other brown English ales. Nothing specifically holiday about it, other than the packaging.
7. Noche Buena by Moctezuma (Monterrey, NL, Mexico)
Style: Munich dark lager/bock
Alcohol: 4.8
Traditionally, this beer is meant to be had on Christmas Eve. It is made by the same Mexican brewery that does Sol and Bohemia, this dark lager bears the traits of the same German settlers of northern Mexico, south and central Texas.
6. Winter Waissal by Saranac (Utica, NY)
Style: Spiced Ale
Alcohol: 5.9
I've waxed poetic before about Saranac's more than solid run of beers. Here is another one for the list.
5. Christmas Ale by Saint Arnold Brewing Company (Houston, TX)
Style: Spicy ale
Alcohol: 7%
The Saint Arnold beers are rather under-appreciated in the world of microbrews. Doesn't help that they stem from a state that positively loves its mass-marketed pilsners. Worth your dollar, though.
4. Samuel Adams Cranberry Lambic by Boston Beer Company (Boston, MA)
Style: Fruit beer
Alcohol: 5.9%
The first one is damn tasty, the second a bit sweet, the third very sweet and every successive pint too much.
3. Old Fezziwig Ale by Boston Beer Company (Boston, MA
Style: Spicy dessert beer
Alcohol: 5.6%
Not a beer you would have with dinner, but a fine accompaniment to a thick holiday dessert.
2. Anchor Christmas Ale by Anchor Brewing Company (San Fransisco, CA)
Style: Spiced beer
Alcohol: 5.5%
The poster child for a seasonal beer. Every year, the recipe changes so that no two vintages are the same. To coincide with the flavor, Anchor alters the label each time - not too much, though. It's still recognizable as an Anchor in flavor and on the shelf.
1. Celebration Ale by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company (Chico, CA).
Style: Winter Ale
Alcohol: 6.8%
Not just my favorite holiday beer, but one of my more beloved brews altogether.

So what'd I miss?

Review: Full Moon

Style: Abby Ale
Brewer: Blue Moon from Coors Brewing Company (MolsonCoors)
Location: Denver, CO
Web
Alcohol: 5.6%

There is a wonderful copper color at it's base but the snowy white head that unfortunately runs off rather quickly in a pint of Full Moon. It carries the moniker of "Winter Ale" and, true to its name, is available only during and late fall and winter months.

Despite its seasonal name, it actually tastes a lot like a dunkel, a beer I more closely associate with the fall and Oktoberfest (pretty much the only time I drink the stuff). There is a certain sharpness to Full Moon, not a pale ale bite; this one probably comes from the alcohol. There is also a slight taste - I kid you not - of anchovies.

This isn't to say that Full Moon is then bad, it's just that I was expecting a different flavor for a winter drink. Season beers work best when their flavors conjure up images and senses that one would associate with the certain occasion. Pete's Wicked Strawberry Blonde does this. Samuel Adams Summer Ale used to. Full Moon, however, brings to mind very little of the winter interval. Unless, of course, you count the bottle, which has a nice, snow capped log cabin, shaded - of course - in the company's light blue.

It seems that most microbrew aficionados take particular pride in badmouthing the larger, American brewers, and for sure, I've dolled out my fair share of criticism, both in person and print. However, there's got to be something positive to say when these giant corporations use their resources and reach to distribute smaller, tastier and more interesting beers that normally would never have a national audience. Even when the specialty brew gets the large tank, mass appeal treatment, I can still certainly appreciate the provided variety.

My Rating: 6.2

Other Ratings:
ratebeer
Beeradvocate

Review: Samuel Adams Cream Stout

Style: Cream Stout
Brewer: Boston Beer Company
Location: Boston, MA
Web
Alcohol: 4.69%

The Samuel Adams Brewmaster's Collection is an interesting bunch. One of the five classifications of the Boston Beer Company's beers (along with Light, Seasonals, Extremes and the flagship Lager), the Brewmaster's Collection of beers seems to exist as an excuse to make the variety's of beer that the company normally wouldn't. More to the point, it allows the BBC to experiment with styles that aren't traditionally American, such as Scotch Ale, Hefeweizen, Porter, and this one, a slightly chocolaty brew that is too sweet and too bitter to play roles traditionally assigned to stouts.

Normally, I would order a pint of stout to accompany shellfish, particularly shellfish that is fried and served in a cardboard box. Or, instead of a coffee, I will order a stout along side my chocolate dessert. However, Sam Adams's version of the Irish staple is too sugary-sweet to work well alongside fish 'n chips, but it's also too bitter at the finish to really work well with a slice of chocolate cake. What's left is a drink that calls for an unconventional pairing. The Sam Adams website recommends a soft cheese, like a brie, which would probably play well off of the texture of the Cream Stout, a feel that mirrors the drink's name. Along with the traditional stout pairings, the site also recommends apple pie. I would suggest a light meat with a heavy spice, such as seasoned pork chops.

Rating: 6.8