I’ve just had my second Christmas brew, a Southern Tier Krampus imperial helles lager. It was a very robust beer that got creamier as it warmed, with sweet malts balancing out piney hops. And while apricot flavors danced in the background, there was no trace of sugarplums, fruitcake or eggnog. It was also a very […]

It’s the weekend (well almost) and we want to know what everyone’s going to be having.  For myself, I have to find the perfect complement to salty tears and the bitter taste of defeat.  You see, my Jets are playing the Patriots on Sunday, and I think they’re going to get mauled.  Sure they beat […]

It might be a little early for a Christmas beer review, but the seasonal brews have hit the store shelves and I decided to get the reviews up while you can still actually buy these puppies. This is the first time I’ve had St. Bernardus Christmas Ale, and I didn’t know what to expect. But […]

It’s been a rough one for me, but I finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. I’ve been sick as a dog (or perhaps a pig) all week and work has been crazier than usual to boot. But the weekend is here and I’m starting to feel like myself again. I’m looking […]

A libation revelation is a simple but magnificent event, when you have the perfect drink under the perfect circumstances. When this occurs, you taste the beverage in a new and wonderful way, and your newfound appreciation carries forward to every time you have that drink. I’ve had a handful of these moments over the past […]

It occurred to me this weekend how lucky I am to have a wife who loves great beer just as much as I do.  She never complains about what I spend on beer.  She never turns up her nose at something new.  She’ll finish stuff that I don’t really like.   She does tastings with me […]

I’ve always traveled a lot for my work.  Since I have been a professional planner I have been going places either to conferences, training sessions, or in my later years as a consultant for project work.  Earlier this week I was fortunate enough to travel to Portland, Oregon for a transportation summit put on by […]

The first oak aged ale I can remember having is Innis and Gunn’s English Pale Ale.  It’s a well-mannered beer, a gentleman’s brew with a malty flavor and smoky scotch finish.  It’s a perfect companion for many situations and generally enjoyed by many folks, even mother-in laws who don’t normally drink beer. If Innis and […]

Every time we’re at an average restaurant and I order a beer, I give my wife the first sip. And every time she takes that sip, she wrinkles up her nose and says, “you’ve spoiled me!” You see, we only drink really great beer at home and I’ve turned her into a bit of a […]

It had been a while since I stopped by my local beer shop, so I decided to pop in the other day. I used to be a regular at this place until I got a new job and my routine changed a bit. The new gig put a big beer store with a great selection […]

With a purposeful grimace and a terrible sound he pulls the spinning high tension wires down!! I remember as a kid watching the Godzilla movies and just loving the carnage and destruction.  I would watch all the hokey monster movies with Mothra, King Kong, thatflying turtle thing! They were awesome, they’d fight each other, and then Godzilla turned […]

It’s been said that a stupid question deserves a stupid answer. But in this case, the question is so fundamentally flawed that it might actually deserve an intellectually informed, well-reasoned answer. At least that’s my hope.So here goes: Can you microwave beer? Now many of you are probably thinking the same thing, and that’s “WTF?!” […]

Well its that time of year again.  time for all the ghouls and goblins to come to the door and collect their prizes, just to turn around and run back into the night.  I am just about done with my kids going out to trick or treat.  My youngest is ten, and he will be going as […]

The beer community has been all abuzz about Rock Art brewery and their fight with Monster Energy Drinks.  In a nutshell, the maker of Monster Energy Drinks, Hansen Beverage Co., has threatened Rock Art with legal action unless they stop producing and marketing one of their most popular beers, The Vermonster. Monster Energy Drinks says […]

This weekend I had the pleasure of sampling Autumn Maple ale from The Bruery.  Instead of using pumpkin like many of the other seasonal ales, the Bruery decided to go with yams.  Yes, sweet, sweet yams. Are they nuts?  I wasn’t sure either and eagerly anticipated tasting this very unusual seasonal brew…