I hate you Blue Moon.

Belgian????

I've noticed how the Belgian beer market has skyrocketed recently. I must admit I enjoy Belgian beers moreso than other international beers excluding English/Scott/Irish styles.

I love the Back Abbey in Claremont,and Lucky Baldwin's in Pasadena.

I appreciate flemish styles mostly, and Belgian strong ales are some of the best brewed beers- period.


But I must say, I see this craze as very "trendy."


I hear dudes walk around and say foolish things like, "Dude, Delirium Tremens is the best beer- ever." and "Chimay Blue is the only beer I drink."

NO!!!!


Please, NO>>>

There is a world of beer out there and I have to say, there are tons of similar Belgian Styles being brewed home-side.

Never, ever, ever cling to such cliches and narrow your beer vision. It's alright to fancy a particular style or even brewer, but drink everything with the hopes of finding the perfect pint somewhere along the way.


While only a few real Belgian beers appear localy, and even less so, trappist beers, a few craft options are available.

These beers are delicious and even better than their Belgian counterparts


Ommegang Abbey Ale- a dubbel abbey ale (think Belgian style brown)

Ommegang Three Philosophers- (strong ale flavored with cherry juice)

North Coast Thelonius Monk- (abbey ale)

North Coast Le Merle- (Saison; which is a French Style farmhouse ale)

Lagunitas Sonoma Series Hop Stoopid (Saison/Belgian IPA hybrid)

Lagunitas Sonoma Farmhouse Style Saison (Saison)

Greenflash LeFreak (Belgian Style IPA)

New Belgium La Folie (Flanders' style Red)

BEHOLD!!!!!!

Come by this Sunday. Let's make up for time lost with a little beer history and merriment!!!!!

Clarification

There's a movement to keep big breweries dominant in industry categories by attempting to fool the public into thinking some of their products are comparable to microbrew/craft beer.


Somebody out there even tried to chop heads with me on the subject by calling my belief in microbrew over big brew "ignorant."



WOWEEEEEE!!!!!!


Really, big breweries are the victims here? Does that guy really think so?


For the sake of humanity as animals with some kind of ability to discern- I hope not.


I've been reading about the history of beer in America- note my previous post...

And I can tell you, despite the pre-industrial revolution roots in beer being produced in America- what we have left from those founding breweries rarely resembles the beer that overflows the shelves in the market.


"How did this happen Tibbi?"


Well, it's not so much "how," but "why?"


Prohibition didn't just kill the market, but it created back pressure. Pressure that was alleviated when the 21 Amendment was passed.

Brewers were back in business, but in order to profit and regain, they had to churn out large, large quantities of beer. And they started cutting corners. No longer were these beers the nutritional wholesome lagers and bock brewed by German immigrant hands- these were industrialized poor excuses for use of water, that would continue to be handed to the masses who would've drank horse piss if it came in a bottle.

Prohibition had starved the thirsty and these same desperate people became vulnerable to whatever marketing and products produced thereafter...almost as a way of staving off any reappearance of prohibition ever again....



Many microbrewers have sought out old recipes and now produce beers that were reminiscent of beers brewed prior to prohibition.


One of these beers was Session Lager from Full Sail brewing in Oregon. It is a pilsner/lager and it tastes as early American beer once did....



So, now that it's clear the big breweries have been up to this fleecing for some time, why continue to back them up?

especially when breweries like Budweiser belongs to InBev...

the profits generated from the sale of their beers don't stay stateside like they used to anymore, now the Great American Lager works for Europe...

ah....Patriotism....


Anyhow, support your local breweries and keep the money going to people who work here and hard for it. You're going to get better beer out of it anyway...


Cheers!!!!

Aladdin Jr. II

Aladdin Jr. II will be opening its doors Tuesday March 10. Go by and see them, and sample the delicious offerings.

I will be meeting up with the folks over there to consult possiblities for beer offerings.


Cheers!!!

Suggested Reading

This is what I started reading today- the missus went to the bookstore and didin't forget about me while out and about.

Emphasis on food pairing-

What are your all time favorite beer/food pairings?


When I was younger, I wasn't able to drink beer as I ate food. (Of course, the beer was sub par then)

Now, I can't imagine food without a nice complementing beverage.


What do you guys say?


I think my favorite beer pairing is Spicy Lamb Korma and a nice Old Monk 10,000 Indian Lager.

Spring is coming

Be sure to watch out for spring seasonals to be released by various breweries.

Witbiers are especially popular around this time, as are bocks, lagers, and even pale ales.

As the weather starts warming up a bit, be sure to look for new labels and beer selections


Be sure to stay away from Rising Moon (Coors' Blue Moon Spring Seasonal), and Hop Hound (A-B fake spring beer),

Is anyone else out there tired of fake craft beer from the big breweries?


Here's a list of beers that fit such category and should be abstained from.


Wild Blue (A-B fake Blueberry Ale)
Shock Top (A-B fake Belgian White Ale)
Hop Hound (A-B fake Mystery Beer)
Sun Dog (A-B fake Summer Lager)
Anything with "Moon" on the label (Variety of Coors fake Belgian Inspired Beers)

4,079 Hits

How's them apples?

UPDATE

One 22oz. Bottle of 2nd Anniversary IPA (Port Brewing)

One 22oz. Bottle of Hop-15 (Port Brewing)

One 22oz. Bottle of IPA (Marin Brewing)

One 12oz Bottle of Yuengling Black & Tan



All three Back to Future Movies



=


I am going out of my mind- stay tuned.

Word of the Night- DISAPPOINTMENT

Okay, well today seemed like it was off to a good start. The missus and I had lunch with a couple of friends at Lucille's BBQ. I am not one for chain restaurants, but this is a jewel- (Sweet Tea, Tri-Tip, and Hot Links, fuckin' delicious)

Anyhow, after falling ill to the "Itis," we left for Hollywood. The missus got tickets to see RENT, which she had to see for one of her classes at school. I wasn't keen on it from the beginning and made several attempts to pawn this duty off on her mother, but to no avail. Well, what's a great boyfriend like me to do?

I slept in the car most of the way, and when I awoke, I found myself quite thirsty. I had been looking at watering holes around the area in preparation, and i had my eye on Bowery.

I have to research watering holes because I don't trust LA/Hollywood to have enough sense to get the beer I like to drink (with a few exceptions).

In fact, I think Martinis are still popular there anyhow. (spits)

Well, Bowery is listed as a Gastropub with a New York theme. (Hence its name)

And gastropubs are supposed to be venues with good food and good drink, which normally entails craft beer.

Here was Bowery's Beer list

Stone IPA
Ommegang Three Philosophers
Lost Abbey (which was out)
Chimay Red
Pabst Blue Ribbon


- DISAPPOINTMENT


I had a couple of Stone IPAs and wondered how a business can claim to be a gastropub when it fails to have a core element. And if that wasn't enough, the place had a full bar, yet no draft system. Their selections were all bottled. Something is wrong here and I don't understand why I don't have a job ensuring these things don't happen.

(sighs) The life of a blogger.

We left Bowery to its shabby wannabe elite. We went to the Pantages, parked the car, then found our seats. We were in the upper Mezzanine (great, right?).

Well, fuck that place.


I am a fat guy. You know what fat guys hate?

Stairs. People filled rows with narrow passage, and worst of all- small old narrow theater seats.


And the show hadn't started yet.

Well, maybe I already had a preconceived notion about this Rock Opera, but nonetheless, it was confirmed.

It sucked. I have to be honest. I couldn't connect with the characters, the plot got a bit unbelievable, and I found it to be a little "dated". None of the intended humor was all the relevant or accessible.

I think this thing was hyped up by its creator's death before release.


Now, I know what you guys are thinking. "Tibbi, you're just insensitive to the gay/artistic/AIDS cause(s)."

To you I say, "I am a straight writer who used to be constantly mistaken for a sensitive homosexual. I have a gay brother. And my best friend in high school was gay, even though I didn't find out until post graduation, which made all of the previous sleepovers kinda awkward in retrospect."

In other words, "I get it."

It was missing some things. I wanted Mimi to die. I didn't understand why she didn't.

Isn't this supposed to be a modern version of La Boheme?

I wanted something less preoccupied with Angel's flamboyancy in favor of character development in his essence. Angel's character and message were fine, but toward the end, the constant references to Angel show how little writing was done to keep the audience in tune with him so that they themselves would mentally reference Angel instead of the cast.


-DISAPPOINTING



When I came home I flipped on the boob tube to finally not be disappointed- Rush's concert in Rio was playing on VH-1. (yes, I watch VH-1, I am old- and MTV is stupid.)


Temples of Syrinx!!!! YES!!!!!