Beer Wisdom From John Ciardi
"There's nothing wrong with sobriety in moderation."
-John Ciardi
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Beer Wisdom From Dave Barry
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza."
-Dave Barry
11 Cheeky Beer Memes
We love the internet and we love beer, so we made some memes.
Please enjoy them with caution.
Buzz and Woody: "Beer, Beer Everywhere"
Rent is Too Damn High Guy: "The Taste Of Hops Is Too Damn Bitter!"
Success Kid: "Went To Random Bar With Friends - Good Beer On Tap"
Most Interesting Man in the World: "I Don't Always Use Soap In My Bathing Regimen, But When I Do, I Prefer Beer Soap"
Bad Luck Brian: "Checks His Watch - Miller Time"
Scumbag Steve: "Brings A Six Pack To Your Party, Drinks A Case"
Boromir: "One Does Not Simply Combine Great Taste With Less Filling"
Condescending Wonka: "You Like Blue Moon, Huh? You Should Start A Craft Brewery"
10 Guy: "Less Great - Tastes Filling"
Angry Walter: "Am I The Only One Around Here Who Doesn't Want His Beer As Cold As The Rockies?"
Skeptical Fry: "Not Sure If Dog Had An Accident - Or Miller Lite"
Welcome to the Light Side: 7 Summer-Worthy Craft Beer Styles
Summertime activities don't always merit cracking open an 11% ABV Barleywine or a 13% ABV Russian Imperial Stout. So we have compiled a list of lighter, more easily quaffable craft beers that still offer tons of flavor and will allow you to retain your beer geek status.
Saison
A refreshing, medium to strong fruity/spicy ale with a distinctive yellow-orange color, highly carbonated, well hopped, and dry with a quenching acidity. ABV: 5-7%
Saison
Commercial examples: Ommegang Hennepin, Saison Dupont, Goose Island Sofie, Boulevard Tank 7, Brooklyn Sorachi Ace, Bruery Saison Rue, Stone Saison Du Buff
American Wheat
American WheatA medium-light to medium bodied style that typically focuses more on hop character and less on yeast flavor than its German cousin, the Weissbier. ABV: 4-5.5%
Commercial examples: Bell's Oberon, Three Floyds Gumballhead, Pyramid Hefe-Weizen, Widmer Hefeweizen, Sierra Nevada Wheat, Anchor Summer Beer
Blonde Ale
Blonde AleAn easy-drinking, approachable, malt-oriented American craft beer. ABV: 3.8-5.5%
Commercial examples: Victory Summer Love, New Belgium Somersault, Deschutes Twilight, Shipyard Export, Redhook Blonde, Widmer Brothers Blonde, Bell's Third Coast
English Bitter
English BitterLow gravity, low alcohol levels and low carbonation make this an easy-drinking beer. Drinkability is a critical component of the style. ABV: 3.2-4.6%
Commercial examples: Fuller's London Pride, Goose Island Honker's Ale, Young's Special, Surly Bitter Brewer, Anchor Small Beer, Rogue Younger's Special Bitter, Newcastle Summer Ale
Belgian Witbier
Belgian WitbierA refreshing, elegant, tasty, moderate-strength wheat-based ale that often utilizes additional spices like coriander and orange peel. ABV: 4.5-5.5%
Commercial examples: Hoegaarden Original White Ale, Allagash White, Unibroue Blanche De Chambly, Avery White Rascal, Ommegang Witte, Harpoon UFO White
Berliner Weisse
Berliner WeisseA very pale, sour, refreshing, low-alcohol wheat ale that was referred to as the "champagne of the North" by Napoleon's troops in 1809. ABV: 2.8-3.8%
Commercial examples: Bell's Oarsman, New Glarus Thumbprint Berliner Weiss, Dogfish Head Festina Pêche, Bruery Hottenroth, Bear Republic Tartare, Grand Teton Snarling Badger
Fruit Beer
Fruit BeerA harmonious marriage of fruit and beer, some styles are brewed with actual fruit, while others utilize extracts and syrups to maximize fruit profile.
Commercial examples: Magic Hat #9 (Apricot), Abita Purple Haze (Raspberry) New Glarus Serendipity (Apples, Cranberries, Cherries), Dogfish Head Aprihop (Apricot), Unibroue Éphémère (Apple), 21st Amendment Hell Or High Watermelon
Compiled using lots of good style information from our friends at the Beer Judge Certification Program.
Beer Brewed with Doo-Doo
Real, drinkable beer brewed with elephant poo? Yes. More specifically, a stout from Japan's Sankt Gallen Brewery called Un, Kono Kuro, brewed with coffee beans fed to elephants and then "recovered" from their excrement (at which point they are referred to as "black ivory"). Seems like a bit of a stretch, but according to one reviewer, "This is some good s***!"
Seems as though one might be compelled to wash their mouths out with a bit of beer soap after drinking this one...
Would you try it?
How Stupid You Look With Beer Beer Goggles
An excellent rip on craft beer geeks, presented by CollegeHumor:
Some highlights:
"Look what he's got his lips all over!"
"How did this happen? You started this night out with that nice little Hefeweizen."
"That beer is a 2, and everyone is watching you drink it!"
"Now I feel like you're hop-blocking me!"
"Just wanna get my mouth wet!"
"Dude, I've been with literally hundreds of beer like that."
"I don't like blondes, they give me headaches!"
5 Reasons to Drink Craft Beer During the Big Game!
Good beer goes better with the Super Bowl, and that's the plain truth. Here's why:
1) Taste | Higher quality ingredients and more complex recipes lead to better tasting beer.
2) Alcohol Content | Most craft beers range from 6% ABV to 9% ABV, while the typical macro-brewed beer is around 5%.
3) Fewer Trips to the Loo | With more flavor and alcohol per serving, you'll be drinking a lot less water.
4) Food Companionship | Those wings, veggies, chips, and cheese pair much better with flavorful beer!
5) Small Business | You're already supporting "the man" enough by watching the game and all of those ads. Why not show the little guys some love?
The 20 Most Influential Beers of All Time
There are some high quality picks on this list compiled by First We Feast, many of them classic examples of the style. How many have you had?
Here's what we've been fortunate enough to have imbibed in the past:
Allagash White (one of our favorites)
New Belgium Brewing: Now 100% Employee-Owned
New Belgium Brewing's Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP) has bought out the remainder of the company shares, making it 100% employee-owned. These guys make some of our favorite beers (La Folie, Ranger IPA, and Le Terroir) and have some pretty awesome themes to their organization - bikes, sustainable energy, and umm... beer. Congrats, guys!
Craft Beers of the United States (One Beer Per State!)
First We Feast recently published an article on the best craft beer in each of the 50 United States. Yes, that's right, one beer per state! A daunting task if you ask us.
The authors acknowledge the list is colored by their personal taste, but it sounds like many simply do not feel represented by the beers that were chosen to represent their state (at least that is the sentiment on Reddit). They'd like to see some consideration of "the people's opinion".
Although there are some great choices, it seems a bit unfair to narrow a state's preferences down to one brewery and one style. Sure, hop heads are going to like Russian River's tastebud-scorchingly bitter Pliny the Elder (brewed in California), but what if some Californians are partial to the refreshing crispness of a lager or the meaty depth of an imperial stout?
Okay so we're happy they took the time to write the piece, because it gives us beer geeks something to talk about - whether positive or negative!
And here's a comprehensive map of the breweries in the US that we sell, followed by a map of the US comprised of popular breweries in each state.
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