Session #31 wrapped up, #32 announced

The SessionBetterBeerBlog has the roundup for Session #31: “Best Summer Beer” and Girl Like Beer announced the topic of No. 32 (Oct. 2): Eastern Beers.

I would like you to pick your favorite beer made east form your hometown but east enough that it is already in a different country. It can be from the closest country or from the furthest. Explain why do you like this beer. What is the coolest stereotype associated with the country the beer comes from (of course according to you)? And one more thing. If you do a video or picture of the beer (not obligatory of course) try to include the flag of the country.

Given that all the world’s traditional brewing nations, as well as the Republic of Texas, lie east of New Mexico no way can I pick a single favorite but finding a good beer should be easy.

 

Stone Vertical Epic Ale 09.09.09

Stone Vertical Epic Ale 09.09.09

I’m writing about Stone Vertical Epic Ale 09.09.09 because the brewery sent me a bottle. That doesn’t mean I’ll blog about the next beer that shows up at my doorstep, or even that we’ll drink it. (At 8.9% abv and in a 22-ounce bottle this is definitely a “we” beer.)

If it were just kind of OK I might write about it eventually and I might not. If I disliked it as much at 04.04.04 I’d be telling you it sucked. As is my habit I bought two bottles of 04.04.04 in April of 2004. We opened one not long after and cared for it so little we dumped it. Waited several months and tried again. Dumped again. Obviously we should have never opened the second one and instead sold it on eBay (current bid $40).

This is one to go out and buy (I already did, in fact — my local store had three cases early this afternoon). Since 12.12.12. isn’t that far off you might even want to consider saving a bottle for some sort of grand event (sans 04.04.04). It’s got the heft to age. I don’t expect that any of the three bottles I bought ($5.99 apiece) will be around.

That’s pretty much all I have to say. Mitch Steele’s excellent tasting notes don’t need adding to, but were I scoring this beer (fat chance) I would give it six out of a possible five for mouthfeel.

 

After the (Miller) Chill is gone

There’s talk on the street, it’s there to
Remind you, it doesn’t really matter
which side you’re on.
You’re walking away and they’re talking behind you
They will never forget you ’til somebody new comes along
Where you been lately? There’s a new kid in town
Everybody loves him, don’t they?
Now he’s holding her, and you’re still around
Oh, my, my
There’s a new kid in town
– The Eagles

Remember when Miller Chill was the hot new flavor du jour?

Meet Bud Light Lime, which in the first half of the year outsold Miller Chill by about seven to one. In fact, Bud Light Lime was the second best-selling “super premium” beer according to Information Resources Inc., behind only Michelob Ultra Light and ahead of Blue Moon White. Bud Light sells ten times better, but it’s the best selling beer in the land.

Miller Chill ranks 10th among “super premium” beers, just behind Landshark Lager.

Why do monks brew? To turn a profit

A fine job in the Philadelphia City Paper of explaining why bars raised the price of Chimay White.

Blame the weak dollar, among other things.

Although the story is very well done, it contains one line that gets repeated too often: “the Trappist monks who oversee Chimay do not produce and sell beer for profit.” Yes, they do. But they don’t spend the profits on wine, women and song. These figures are from Brew Like a Monk so aren’t totally up to date, but you’ll get the point:

Including the brewery, bottling plant, and marketing, eighty-two people work for Bières de Chimay. Chimay began producing cheese in 1876, bathing the rind of one in beer, and now sells Chimay cheeses in many countries. Overall, Chimay employs more than one hundred and fifty people, making it one of the biggest employers in one of Belgium’s poorest regions. A part of the profits from brewing and cheese production go to help or build other Cistercian monasteries, with the rest dedicated to various projects in the area of Chimay.

If the monks weren’t turning a profit then there wouldn’t be much point in brewing.

 

The Session #31: Summer beers

The SessionWhere did the summer go?

Another Session tomorrow (Friday) and the theme is “summer beers.” Peter Estanial, of the Better Beer Blog, plays host and has the details.

With the summer coming to a close, what was your favorite beer of the summer? It doesn’t even have to be from this summer. Is it a lager or maybe a light bodied wheat ale? Maybe you’re drinking anti-seasonally and are having a barleywine or Russian Imperial Stout. Why is this beer your favorite? Is there a particular memory associated with this beer? How about a city? Maybe there was a particular dish that made this beer memorable? Spare no detail.

This should be a popular one — I see readers already posting names of beers in Peter’s comments — although given my devotion to meeting deadlines I don’t know if I’ll be participating. I guarantee you that with the weather here in New Mexico still ticking well into the 80s (mid-20 C) I will be wishing I was drinking wheat beers as well as writing about them.