link love

a master cicerone’s view of the state of the craft
and are we losing sight of the craft in craft beer?

lagunitas chicago opens

5 tips for better ipas

14 ways to make craft beer part of your wedding
(obviously a list for the slightly less beer obsessed people out there – craft beer is automatically part of everything i do…)

more annoying reporting about women in beer
calling them babes and broads and making it seem newsworthy that women brew beer
don’t get me wrong, i’m thrilled women like beer
i’m thrilled women brew beer
and i support any woman who wants to be in a women’s beer club so she doesn’t get mansplained to or hit on
but c’mon people, can’t we just get past gendering beer?

fuggles & warlock’s newest gypsy brew

happy hour arrives in bc
but is it really cause for celebration?

legacy liquor store

lots of delicious new beers at legacy liquor store while i was away:

Freigeist Bierkultur Geisterzug Spruced Traditional Gose – $6.95

From the far-off continent of Europe, in the great land that is Germany—Köln specifically—comes a simply delicious brew. Amber in colour with a hint of grapefruit pink, its nose of German yeast, faint lemon peel and a touch of spruce pairs perfectly with a palate of gentle acidity, more yeast, zippy salt and once again a touch of spruce in the finish. A session-able and refreshing beer all the way through.

Joel Wilson | Beer Team | Legacy Liquor Store

Elysian Brewing Co. Split Shot Espresso Milk Stout – $8.15

The ultimate collaboration of two of the best things Seattle has to offer: beer and coffee. Rich and dark in the glass with a big robust nose of espresso and just a hint of dark chocolate, followed by more coffee and chocolate in perfect harmony on the palate. Robust and creamy, this brew was made for the lover of all things Seattle.

Evan Doan | Beer Team | Legacy Liquor Store

Parallel 49 Brewing Co. Robo Ruby Imperial Red IPA – $7.55

Cranking the dial on Gypsy Tears is exactly what Parallel 49 did here. Opaque burgundy in colour once it hits the glass with a huge nose of resinous hops and caramel malt, the palate itself shows plenty of stone fruit as well as the resinous hops and caramel malt found in the nose. Bold, balanced and just plain delicious, this IPA hits the mark. Also, who doesn’t love a little Binary Code with their beer 0100001100001010001001.

Chris Bonnallie | Beer Supervisor | Legacy Liquor Store

Ninkasi Brewing Co. Dawn of the Red – $7.65

A robust red ale from Ninkasi Brewing Co. in Eugene, Oregon. Amber in colour with a balanced nose of malt, toffee, tropical fruits and floral hops that follows through onto the palate showing more tropical fruits like mango and tangerine rounded off by hoppy bitterness similar to lime pith. The perfect brew to be enjoyed with any George A. Romero flick or while you’re throwing up the horns.

Joel Wilson | Beer Team | Legacy Liquor Store

Steamworks Brewing Co. Imperial Red – $7.10

A beer that’s packed with intense flavours and that hop bitterness we love so much. A rich dark copper colour in the glass with dominant aromas of pine, fruit and floral hop neatly packaged with a palate of toffee, caramel and an almost aggressive yet well balanced hop presence. Hopped with Cascade, Centennial and Simcoe and finished off with a suitable dry-hopping, this limited release from Steamworks should definitely not be missed.

Evan Doan | Beer Team | Legacy Liquor Store

Cigar City Brewing x New Belgium Brewing Lips of Faith Series – $11.85

Lips of Faith series presents us with another unique collaborative beer from Cigar City Brewing and New Belgium. This particular brew is orange and slightly hazy in colour with aromas of citrusy hops, spice and yeast. On the palate more citrus and even some tropical fruit make an appearance before a mouth warming sensation takes the helm, thanks to chili peppers. One of the more unique beers available on the market, and definitely worthwhile.

Chris Bonnallie | Beer Supervisor | Legacy Liquor Store

New Belgium Brewing Co. Spring Blonde (Six-Pack) – $18.15

Hopefully heralding the return of longer days and warmer weather, New Belgium Brewing’s seasonal Spring Blonde is here. Exactly the colour you would expect it to be—blonde—with a fresh nose of spice, Belgian yeast and floral hops, aromas that follow through on the palate and deliver more Belgian yeast, barley malts and hops. A simply refreshing beer perfect for the weather to come.

Joel Wilson | Beer Team | Legacy Liquor Store

Dead Frog Brewing Co. Uber Nutter Imperial Nut Brown Ale – $8.85

An ode to Dead Frog’s classic nut-brown ale is what you’ll find here, albeit with a bit more pep in its step. Utilizing their classic recipe, and popping in a few more malts to add complexity, this dark rich beer has notes of espresso, chocolate and toffee bursting from the glass and continuing to roll through on the palate. This brew will warm you up during the February chill.

Evan Doan | Beer Team | Legacy Liquor Store

Lagunitas Brewing Co. Cappuccino Stout – $7.10

Lagunitas Brewing is known for their seasonal brews, and their Cappuccino Stout doesn’t stray from their trending excellence. Nearly pitch black in colour with a nose that’s all espresso, coffee, blackberry and blood orange, aromas that come through on the palate in addition to lovely appearances of chocolate, creamy vanilla and more espresso beans. A dangerously quaffable beer given its ABV, but delicious to the last drop.

Chris Bonnallie | Beer Supervisor | Legacy Liquor Store

legacy liquor

fabulous beers now available at legacy liquor store in vancouver:

Stillwater Artisinal – Beer Table Table Beer – $12.95An East Coast American Craft Beer you can really quaff. Brewed to meet all the imbibing desires of brewer Brian Strumke, this Belgian pale ale has a little bit of everything. Light and golden in colour with spice, pineapple, citrus and brett owning the bouquet, with malts and a touch of citrus rounding out the palate. A beer worth checking out.

Tasted by Chris Bonnallie – Beer Supervisor at Legacy Liquor Store

Parallel 49 – Hopnotist – $8.25
Happy Birthday, Parallel 49! Their gift to us is their Hopnotist single hop (Mosaic to be specific) Imperial IPA, appearing hazy amber in the glass with notes of tropical fruit and grapefruit to envelop the senses. On the palate more tropical fruits and citrus can be found, balanced with sweetness. The bottle is also 3D, which is amazing.

Tasted by Evan Doan – Beer Team

Phillips – Electric Unicorn – $7.45
You can thank the folks at Phillips for this perfect sunny day brew, a white IPA pouring hazy pale yellow with a bouquet of coriander, spice and orange zest. On the palate more coriander and orange are found, accompanied by floral hops and wheat, making for a quaffable and delicious beer.

Tasted by Conor Marshall – Beer Team

Parallel 49 – Humphrey Biere de Garde – $6.95This style of beer calls the Nord-Pas-De-Calais region of Northern France its home. Rosewater is used in the actual brew itself, a crystal clear amber that smells of flowers, cereal and biscuit, while in the mouth more floral presence and biscuit notes are found. A unique and tasty brew from East Vancouver.

Tasted by Evan Doan – Beer Team at Legacy Liquor Store

Stiegl Radler – $3.50
A tasty Austrian beer that is enjoyed by cyclists to refresh and replenish necessary electrolytes (believe it), it’s 50% beer, 50% grapefruit juice and 100% awesome. Hazy straw in colour with intense notes of grapefruit on the nose and more grapefruit pulling through on the palate paired with a light crisp finish. Yum!

Tasted by Aaron Morten – Office Liaison at Legacy Liquor Store

Lagunitas – Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale (6-Pack) – $20.25
This California brewery swings for the fences with all its beers and they connect every time. Hazy amber in colour with hard floral notes, sugar and spice on the nose followed by abundant malt, citrus (grapefruit in particular) and hop on the palate to ensure a thirst-quenching finish.

Tasted by Conor Marshall – Beer Team at Legacy Liquor Store

monday night football

the beers consumed at this week’s monday night football fest:

the rogue was from last year and was pretty sedimenty
thank goodness the bc relaunch of rogue is next week and i can get some more recent juniper pale ale
it was a hit with everyone, even with the sediment
hope they still like it when it tastes like it should!

both the lone wolf and the lucky 13 went over well
so far I haven’t taken anything to mnf that people hated
i love having non-beer-obsessed friends willing to try whatever i bring along for them!

recipe

all i can say is “you’re welcome”!
beer cupcake recipe:  dark beer chocolate cupcakes with salted caramel frosting
(this recipe has been reprinted on several blogs and beer websites, but i think the link above is to the original recipe… if not, i apologize profusely)

Cake:
1 cup flavorful dark beer– I used Rogue Mocha Porter but Lagunitas Cappucino Stout and Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout (hometown love!) are also faves. Ask your favorite beer geek for a recommendation.
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
3/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Combine the beer and butter in a large sauce pan and heat to melt.
Remove from heat; whisk in the cocoa, sugar, and espresso.
In a bowl, whisk the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla, then whisk into the beer mixture.
Sift together the flour and baking soda, and fold into the batter.
Pour into cupcake pan (you can go a little more than ¾ full on these) and bake for 25 minutes. Cool completely on a rack.

Salted Caramel:
4 tablespoons water
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt, kosher or sea
Combine the water, sugar, and the corn syrup in a deep saucepan and cook over medium heat—stir with a wooden spoon to combine
Cover the saucepan and let it cook over medium/medium-low heat for 3 minutes.
After 3 minutes, remove the lid, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil.
(Do not stir from this point on, but once it starts to turn brown at the edge you should carefully shake/swirl the pan so that one area of the caramel doesn’t burn.)
Continue to cook until the caramel turns an even amber color then remove from the heat and let stand for about 30 seconds.
Pour the heavy cream into the mixture. Be careful. The mixture will bubble up!
Stir the mixture. Add the butter, lemon juice, and salt. Stir until combined.
Pour into a Pyrex measuring cup.
Stirring occasionally, allow to cool until thick and warm, about 20 minutes.

Frosting:
1.5 sticks butter at room temperature
6 ounces cream cheese
4-5 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup salted caramel
Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy.
Sift 2 cups of powdered sugar into the cream cheese mixture and beat to combine.
Add 3/4 cup of the salted caramel and beat to combine.
Sift rest of powder sugar, in 1 cup increments and beating between each, until you arrive at the thickness and sweetness you desire.

To Assemble: Frost the cakes, drizzle leftover caramel on top, and sprinkle a few grains of salt on each one. Top with a chocolate covered espresso bean if you’re feeling fancy. Pair with the rest of your beer! Makes 22-24 cupcakes.

beernesday

i began beernesday last night with two martinis
i love the holiday season!

anyway, after my after-work-schmoozey-do i dutifully headed off to st. augustine’s to imbibe in craft beer
i love craft beer!

lagunitas sucks holiday ale – 7.9%  a “cereal medley” of barley, rye, wheat and oats.  full of complexishness from the 4 grains, and weighing in at 7.85% abv, then joyously dry-hopped for that big aroma and resinous hop flavor
i love when they joyously dry-hop my beer!
and i am in love with this beer – so much hoppy goodness, so many grains – i may have found my new breakfast of champions…
seriously, loved it so much i had to have a whole pint after my taster

tree spiced reserve ale – 7.5%  brewed using a special blend of brewer’s spices
special indeed!
no vanilla in sight, just subtle spices all blending nicely on the tongue
this is the tree winter ale i will choose to drink from now on
(no vertical vanilla for me!)

rogue yellow snow ipa – 6.2%  pale golden in color with a hoppy fruity aroma.  big hop flavor up front complemented by medium body and hoppyness mid-pallet (sic).  finishes with a characteristic lingering bitterness
maybe it was the companionship of fuller-bodied maltier ales, but i found the yellow snow less satisfying than in years past
will have to try this one again!

hopworks organic abominable winter ale – 7.3%  made with cascade, centennial and simcoe hops and six organic malts. has complex floral, spicy and citrus hoppiness backed up by just the right amount of malt sweetness.
i really love this winter ale
so hoppy, so malty, so perfect!
if only i could pronounce it after having one…

seasonal changes

and no, i’m not actually talking about the weather!

sierra nevada kills one seasonal in favour of a new one

lagunitas runs out of room to brew their winter seasonal and comes up with a replacement

buh-bye old favourites and hello fabulous newness?
not sure we’ll get the new seasonal brews up here, but i do hope so

red truck

i hit up a birthday celebration at st. augustine’s on wednesday evening
and got to try the red truck limited release ipa!
(as featured in scout magazine)

when i first got to st. a’s the staff were not aware of the ipa being on the premises
after i told them it had been tweeted about they searched around and asked enough boss-type people until the keg was unearthed and hooked up
yay!

during that time i consoled myself with a deschutes inversion
defintely my go-to ipa
and a staunch member of my revolving evolving top ten beers list

i am very happy that the red truck ipa was found!
the juxtaposition of malts and hops, sweetness and bitterness
was like a perfect tango on my tongue
i really hope there is some left in the keg on sunday when i next get to stop by st. a’s

couldn’t remember if i’d had the lagunita’s lucky 13 before
so i ordered me one
“plenty of light roasted malt to keep it rich and mega-dosed with loads of hoppy – sweet and spicy amarillo goodness to keep it on the edge”
the nose on this one is amazing
i want to bottle that smell, err, well, you know, as an air freshener not a beer
anyway… very floral tasting
hello amarillo!
not gonna crack my top ten
but i would definitely have it again

i wanted to try the brooklyn brewery’s brewmaster’s reserve “the concoction” next
but alas, they ran out just then
(“based off a delightful scotch-based cocktail called the penicillin and combining peat smoked malt, minced ginger, lemon juice and wildflower honey”)
bummer, man

instead i went for the moylan’s nitro e.s.b.
“an english-syel pale ale.  we chose to deliver this beer with a blended nitrogen and co2 gas mixture.  this delivery method provides a smooth and silky texture to the mouth without compromising a balanced hop profile”
definitely english style, very smooth
almost too creamy
interesting end to a much hoppier beginning
but paired much better with the ice cream birthday cake than any of the earlier beers would have!
might have one again some time

cask night

made it to cask night at the railway club on tuesday
it was a dry-hopped with tomahawk pale ale by russell brewing

i honestly have no idea how i feel about this cask

definitely drinkable

some haze, nice head, amazing nose

tastes like a pale ale that has been dry-hopped

you know, hoppy and malty

but there’s just something about it that i can’t make up my mind about

do i love it? do i hate it?  am i indifferent to it?

i have no idea

how’s that for a review?

that’s what i’m here for folks – clarity and articulation

yup, umm hmm

but all was not lost

i kept drinking

i thought that was the best way to deal with my weird taste buds

had a phillips hop circle at the railway

then lagunitas ipa and acme ipa at malones

followed by central city red racer at rogue

(sounds a bit like the pub crawl for ipa day doesn’t it?

but nope, just any old tuesday night in vancouver…)

my palate recalibrated itself and all was right in my world

thank dog!



gestalt

the fourth stop on my little san francisco pub crawl
and the last stop where i took any notes or photos
was gestalt, a bike courier bar a couple of doors up 16th from monk’s kettle

totally down to earth food and decor
i want to know how they came up with a vegan tuna melt…
the vegan brats are amazing – i don’t think any meat-eater could find fault with them
(my very cocky notes read:  “i challenge any meat eater to NOT be satisfied by the vegan brats here.  challenge.  it’s open.  name your price.  but be willing to LOSE!” – i think it is a very good thing this was the last of the notes i managed to take!)

unfortunately they were out of my first two choices (wipeout ipa and tricerahops) so i went with one i’ve had before in a bottle, lagunitas hop stoopid
delicious and oh so hoppy
also quite a high alcohol percentage (which seemed to be the theme of my night – ouch!)

stacey had the pilsner, alison had a weihenstephan (dark wheat) and alex went with the anchor steam

we did continue to drink there, but my notes ended
and my memories are quite dim
but i really liked the place, especially after we got a table and there was no fear of me falling over!
i’d go there again

3159 16th Street
San Francisco, CA 94110, United States
(415) 655-9935