The beer for today is Cisk Extra Lager (review here).
On September 5, 1800 Malta was conquered by Great Britain. It had been under the French for a couple of years. Napoleon captured Malta in 1798 when he was on his way to Egypt. He asked for a place to resupply his ships, and when it was granted, he turned his guns on the city and took it. France occupied Malta for two years, but was very unpopular. Great Britain sent ammunition and aid to people fighting the French. In 1800, Britain sent the navy to blockade the island. The French forces surrendered and the island became a British Dominion. It would be under British rule until 1964.
Malta is located half-way between Gibraltar and the Suez Canal and was used as a shipping station and fleet headquarters for the Brits.
In Malta, there is one brewery, Simonds Farsons Cisk. It was founded in 1928, when the Maltese were still under British rule. The name Cisk comes from Giuseppe Scicluna's (a banker who took over operations of the Malta Export Brewery) nickname "Iċ-Ċisk" or "the Cheque". He apparently wrote a lot of checks.
I had this beer on July 1.
So in remembrance of the Brits driving out the French, have a Cisk Extra.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Teach a Friend to Homebrew Day
November 1, this year is Teach a Friend to Homebrew Day. If anyone wants to learn how to make beer, we can brew up a batch of delicious (hopefully) barley pop.
I can't guarantee that you'll have a good time; I can guarantee you won't be thirsty.
I like to make darker stoutier beers, but we can do a brown if there's interest in that. I know Josh really likes the tart beers, but I'm not sure if we can make a beer with bretts. (hehe).
So if you are interested (Josh, Linds, Ty... anyone else in CU) let me know.
We can try our hand at a more complex beer, or we can brew one simply from a kit. It all depends on who wants to do it.
The more people, the less you'll have to clean.
I can't guarantee that you'll have a good time; I can guarantee you won't be thirsty.
I like to make darker stoutier beers, but we can do a brown if there's interest in that. I know Josh really likes the tart beers, but I'm not sure if we can make a beer with bretts. (hehe).
So if you are interested (Josh, Linds, Ty... anyone else in CU) let me know.
We can try our hand at a more complex beer, or we can brew one simply from a kit. It all depends on who wants to do it.
The more people, the less you'll have to clean.
Days of the Beer, September 4
The beer for today is Westmalle Dubbel.
Tonight at 8:05 EDT, in baseball, Milwaukee plays at San Diego.
Brewers at Padres, it's the Trappist Series!
Tonight's pitchers are scheduled to be Shawn Estes (1-1) and Jeff Suppan (10-7). Milwaukee (80-59) is currently in second place in the NL Central behind the extremely outstanding Chicago Cubs. San Diego (53-86) has the worst record in baseball.
As of this morning, the Cubs have a "magic number" of 19; a combination of 19 wins by the Cubs, or 19 losses by the Brewers will ensure the Cubs win the NL Central. The Brewers are in first place for the wild card, also with a "magic number" of 19.
As to the beer:
Even though this is the "dubbel" it is the darker of the dubbel or tripel.
It is a Trappist beer which means it is brewed inside an abbey by the monks or with them supervising; the brewery must be controlled by the monastery; the money goes to upkeep the abbey, provide for the monks, and the leftover money goes to charitable purposes. There are only seven trappist abbeys, Achel, Chimay, La Trappe, Orval, Rochefort, Westvleteren, and Westmalle. Their beers carry the "Authentic Trappist Product" logo.
So, for the Brewers vs. the Padres go get yourself a padre brewed beer.
Tonight at 8:05 EDT, in baseball, Milwaukee plays at San Diego.
Brewers at Padres, it's the Trappist Series!
Tonight's pitchers are scheduled to be Shawn Estes (1-1) and Jeff Suppan (10-7). Milwaukee (80-59) is currently in second place in the NL Central behind the extremely outstanding Chicago Cubs. San Diego (53-86) has the worst record in baseball.
As of this morning, the Cubs have a "magic number" of 19; a combination of 19 wins by the Cubs, or 19 losses by the Brewers will ensure the Cubs win the NL Central. The Brewers are in first place for the wild card, also with a "magic number" of 19.
As to the beer:
Westmalle Dubbel is a dark, reddish-brown Trappist beer with a secondary fermentation in the bottle. The creamy head has the fragrance of special malt and leaves an attractive lace pattern in the glass. The flavour is rich and complex, herby and fruity with a fresh-bitter finish. It is a balanced quality beer with a soft feel in the mouth and a long, dry aftertaste. The Dubbel contains 7% alcohol.
Since 1856 the monks have also been brewing a dark Trappist beer along with their table beer. Since the recipe was modified in 1926, they have been brewing slightly heavier beer. This is the foundation of today’s Dubbel.
In C-U this beer is available in many bars, Seven Saints, Crane Alley, and Jupiters at the Crossing all carry this one.
Even though this is the "dubbel" it is the darker of the dubbel or tripel.
It is a Trappist beer which means it is brewed inside an abbey by the monks or with them supervising; the brewery must be controlled by the monastery; the money goes to upkeep the abbey, provide for the monks, and the leftover money goes to charitable purposes. There are only seven trappist abbeys, Achel, Chimay, La Trappe, Orval, Rochefort, Westvleteren, and Westmalle. Their beers carry the "Authentic Trappist Product" logo.
So, for the Brewers vs. the Padres go get yourself a padre brewed beer.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Beer Review, Boon Kriek
After winning both games of a double header at softball last night, and watching most of the Cubs game at Hooters afterwards, headed home and listened to the rest of the game on my phone (no cable or satellite). While hoping they'd finish the game in a timely manner and being disappointed, I decided I'd have a beer. I surprisingly don't have many new-to-me beers in the fridge, at least not in non-bombers, so I pulled out the Kriek Boon. I served it up in a wine glass, as I don't have a flute. (Hmmm, next addition to the glass collection?)
The one was red. Almost koolaid looking. It had beautiful pink foam. It smelled of cherry, but not cough syruppy, which was really nice. It felt thin and fizzy, and even had a sugary feel.
It tasted sweet and cherry. It wasn't tart at all, which is a pleasant change from Cantillon Kriek. It's hard to believe both of them are Kriek. This one's an intro to beer drink, as opposed to the tart-rip your face off and you'd better like it of Cantillon. As sweet as it was, I almost expected it to feel like cherry nyquil, but it wasn't that at all.
Overall, it was really good. I wish I'd have used this one at the last beer sampling, or have had both and been able to show the differences in the two.
The one was red. Almost koolaid looking. It had beautiful pink foam. It smelled of cherry, but not cough syruppy, which was really nice. It felt thin and fizzy, and even had a sugary feel.
It tasted sweet and cherry. It wasn't tart at all, which is a pleasant change from Cantillon Kriek. It's hard to believe both of them are Kriek. This one's an intro to beer drink, as opposed to the tart-rip your face off and you'd better like it of Cantillon. As sweet as it was, I almost expected it to feel like cherry nyquil, but it wasn't that at all.
Overall, it was really good. I wish I'd have used this one at the last beer sampling, or have had both and been able to show the differences in the two.
Days of the Beer, September 3
The beer for today is Amarcord La Puténa.
On September 3, 301, Marinus of Rab fled religious persecution of the Roman Emperor Diocletian and founded the Most Serene Republic of San Marino. San Marino is a country in the Apennine Mountains, completely surrounded by Italy. San Marino is the oldest constitutional republic in the world, it's constitution dates to 1600 and is the world's oldest written constitution still in effect.
San Marino has an area of 23.5 square miles, and has about 29,000 people.
In it's history, Napoleon refused to conquer the country when asked why, stating "Why? It's a model republic!" They made Abraham Lincoln an honorary citizen. It was the world's smallest republic from 301 to 1968 until Nauru gained independence. It became a member of the United Nations in 1992.
The brewery is named after Federico Fellini's film Amarcord, which won an Oscar in 1973 for foreign language film (Fellini may or may have not been born in San Marino). They produce beers named for women in the movie. La Puténa is the whore. La Puténa is a red double malt beer. Some places list it as a Vienna Lager, others have it as a Belgian Ale.
So, for the worlds oldest Republic, have the whore.
On September 3, 301, Marinus of Rab fled religious persecution of the Roman Emperor Diocletian and founded the Most Serene Republic of San Marino. San Marino is a country in the Apennine Mountains, completely surrounded by Italy. San Marino is the oldest constitutional republic in the world, it's constitution dates to 1600 and is the world's oldest written constitution still in effect.
San Marino has an area of 23.5 square miles, and has about 29,000 people.
In it's history, Napoleon refused to conquer the country when asked why, stating "Why? It's a model republic!" They made Abraham Lincoln an honorary citizen. It was the world's smallest republic from 301 to 1968 until Nauru gained independence. It became a member of the United Nations in 1992.
The brewery is named after Federico Fellini's film Amarcord, which won an Oscar in 1973 for foreign language film (Fellini may or may have not been born in San Marino). They produce beers named for women in the movie. La Puténa is the whore. La Puténa is a red double malt beer. Some places list it as a Vienna Lager, others have it as a Belgian Ale.
So, for the worlds oldest Republic, have the whore.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Days of the Beer, September 2
The Beer for today is Kentucky's Finest Horse Piss Beer.
On September 2, 1935, Darrell Wayne Lukas was born. D. Wayne Lukas is one of the most successful horse trainers and is a member of the U.S. Racing hall of Fame. Lukas is the first trainer to earn more than $100 million in purse money. He has had horses that won the Kentucky Derby four times, the Preakness Stakes five times, and the Belmont Stakes four times.
His horses include:
Grindstone, Kentucky Derby, 1996
Charismatic, Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, 1999
Thunder Gulch, Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, 1995
As for the beer:
I picked up this beer at the Liquor Barn in Lexington, Kentucky... it's ... um... well named.
On September 2, 1935, Darrell Wayne Lukas was born. D. Wayne Lukas is one of the most successful horse trainers and is a member of the U.S. Racing hall of Fame. Lukas is the first trainer to earn more than $100 million in purse money. He has had horses that won the Kentucky Derby four times, the Preakness Stakes five times, and the Belmont Stakes four times.
His horses include:
Grindstone, Kentucky Derby, 1996
Charismatic, Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, 1999
Thunder Gulch, Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, 1995
As for the beer:
Horse Piss Beer is dedicated to helping others. A percentage of the sales of the beer and merchandise will be donated to help disabled jockeys and thoroughbred adoption programs.Kentucky's Finest Horse Piss Beer was brewed by Bluegrass Brewing Company, in Louisville Kentucky. You can get one of their shirts... if you really want.
I picked up this beer at the Liquor Barn in Lexington, Kentucky... it's ... um... well named.
Beer Trippin; Wrigleyville
After moving my brother up to Iron Mountain Michigan on Saturday and Sunday, went back to my sister's place in Lockport, as Kriddy and I were going to be going to a Cubs game on Monday.
The plan was to get to Wrigley area around noon, do some beer shopping, then some beer drinking, then go watch the game.
The beer shopping was done at West Lakeview Liquors. I had previously seen on their website that they had some of the BrewDog Paradox line in, so I really wanted to get up there before it was all sold out. Thankfully, they had the three I was looking for. Here's the rundown of what we got.
BrewDog Paradox Islay Batch 1 (Caol Ila)
BrewDog Paradox Speyside Batch 10
BrewDog Paradox Macallan Batch 11
Port/deProef Signature
Nils Oscar IPA
Nils Oscar Kalasol
de Dolle Bos Keun Paasbier
Nørrebro Bryghus Little Korkny (barleywine)
Nørrebro Bryghus Old Odense
Nørrebro Bryghus Skargaards Porter
Allagash Victor
Allagash Victoria
Allagash Fluxus
Southern Tier Tripel
Southern Tier Back Burner (barleywine)
Bear Republic XP extra pale
Nøgne Ø Bryggeri Ø #100 Barley Wine Style Ale
Wrasslers XXXX Stout
Mikkeller Black
Malheur 12
Fantome Brise BonBons!
Baladin Xyauyù
Additionally, J was helping Jim move, and he brought me some New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red; New Glarus Unplugged Smoke on the Porter; and Sudwerk Lager.
So that was my nice shopping trip.
After we finished there, we found a place to park and then walked up to Wrigley, went to the will call ticket window and got our tix. Then we walked down Clark (I think) to Goose Island Wrigleyville. This was our first trip to the Wrigleyville Goose Island; Kriddy wasn't even sure of where it was, and she's been to Wrigley a bagillion times. So we walked in (no cover) sat at the bar, and ordered beers. I started with a draft of Pere Jacques.
It was awesome. Kriddy went with the Honkers Ale. (Yes, I know the rundown is over to the left in the twitter, but it won't always be there) After I finished that, I had the Cubby BlueBerry Ale. This was a decent blueberry, not overpowering, but the blueberry definitely was there. They put a new beer on tap as we were sitting there, so I had to have it, BeerHunter Brown Porter. About this time, Kriddy ordered a Bourbon County Stout.
We (i) also ordered the pretzels, they were outstanding. they have 2 styles, Classic Bavarian or Cheddar Jalapeno. Both were great (Kriddy didn't like the cheddar jalapeno) I believe the cheddar Jalapeno is filled with cheese. They are served with a spicy mustard, a cheese spread, and (according to the web) marinara sauce (although I thought it to be salsa).
We then headed to the game. I had 2 Old Styles, and an Old Style light; a couple of hot dogs; and that was about it. Cubs lost. :( but we had a good time.
We then headed back down to Bloomington to get Kriddy's truck that I left in front of Jim's old place. And then back to Urbana (the champaign of cities). While at Jim's packing up, they had cases of Bud Clamato, and Bud Light Clamato. These were interesting. The cans were the size of the small V8 cans, so it would take a bunch of them to get you tipsy. Fortunately, I have 6 cases of the stuff, so ... well, I'm giving them to scott, because he seems to really like it.
That's pretty much it. Jim's new place is really cool, it's got the rustic wood beams that run through the living room/kitchen and dining room. It's very nice. Should the basement ever get finished, that place will be very very nice. It's got several apple trees outside... cider anyone?
The plan was to get to Wrigley area around noon, do some beer shopping, then some beer drinking, then go watch the game.
The beer shopping was done at West Lakeview Liquors. I had previously seen on their website that they had some of the BrewDog Paradox line in, so I really wanted to get up there before it was all sold out. Thankfully, they had the three I was looking for. Here's the rundown of what we got.
BrewDog Paradox Islay Batch 1 (Caol Ila)
BrewDog Paradox Speyside Batch 10
BrewDog Paradox Macallan Batch 11
Port/deProef Signature
Nils Oscar IPA
Nils Oscar Kalasol
de Dolle Bos Keun Paasbier
Nørrebro Bryghus Little Korkny (barleywine)
Nørrebro Bryghus Old Odense
Nørrebro Bryghus Skargaards Porter
Allagash Victor
Allagash Victoria
Allagash Fluxus
Southern Tier Tripel
Southern Tier Back Burner (barleywine)
Bear Republic XP extra pale
Nøgne Ø Bryggeri Ø #100 Barley Wine Style Ale
Wrasslers XXXX Stout
Mikkeller Black
Malheur 12
Fantome Brise BonBons!
Baladin Xyauyù
Additionally, J was helping Jim move, and he brought me some New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red; New Glarus Unplugged Smoke on the Porter; and Sudwerk Lager.
So that was my nice shopping trip.
After we finished there, we found a place to park and then walked up to Wrigley, went to the will call ticket window and got our tix. Then we walked down Clark (I think) to Goose Island Wrigleyville. This was our first trip to the Wrigleyville Goose Island; Kriddy wasn't even sure of where it was, and she's been to Wrigley a bagillion times. So we walked in (no cover) sat at the bar, and ordered beers. I started with a draft of Pere Jacques.
It was awesome. Kriddy went with the Honkers Ale. (Yes, I know the rundown is over to the left in the twitter, but it won't always be there) After I finished that, I had the Cubby BlueBerry Ale. This was a decent blueberry, not overpowering, but the blueberry definitely was there. They put a new beer on tap as we were sitting there, so I had to have it, BeerHunter Brown Porter. About this time, Kriddy ordered a Bourbon County Stout.
We (i) also ordered the pretzels, they were outstanding. they have 2 styles, Classic Bavarian or Cheddar Jalapeno. Both were great (Kriddy didn't like the cheddar jalapeno) I believe the cheddar Jalapeno is filled with cheese. They are served with a spicy mustard, a cheese spread, and (according to the web) marinara sauce (although I thought it to be salsa).
We then headed to the game. I had 2 Old Styles, and an Old Style light; a couple of hot dogs; and that was about it. Cubs lost. :( but we had a good time.
We then headed back down to Bloomington to get Kriddy's truck that I left in front of Jim's old place. And then back to Urbana (the champaign of cities). While at Jim's packing up, they had cases of Bud Clamato, and Bud Light Clamato. These were interesting. The cans were the size of the small V8 cans, so it would take a bunch of them to get you tipsy. Fortunately, I have 6 cases of the stuff, so ... well, I'm giving them to scott, because he seems to really like it.
That's pretty much it. Jim's new place is really cool, it's got the rustic wood beams that run through the living room/kitchen and dining room. It's very nice. Should the basement ever get finished, that place will be very very nice. It's got several apple trees outside... cider anyone?
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