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Stay tuned because me and my fellow brewheads are gonna continue our conversation about all things malty and frothy. Again, raising my pint to our dear departed John Norton who loved his beer to the moon and back. Stay thirsty, my friend, wherever you are.

Four of us are spending the holiday weekend up at our house in Vermont. I just got back from the local grocery store to pick up provisions. While there I scored a 12 pack sampler of Magic Hat. It contains three each of four styles, those being Blind Faith - an IPA, Elder Berry - a weissbier, HICU - a cucumber hibiscus ale and #9 - a "not quite pale ale". Looking forward to quaffing those babies.

Hey, Jimmy. So glad you're here. And glad there's a beer thread.

I scored some of this yesterday. Looking forward to it but after drinking for like 7 hours not sure it would be such a good idea for today.

Hi, Lenny. Good to see you. I'm hoping groover will eventually show up on this thread as well, bottle in hand, of course.

A beer that's gaining traction is from a brewery that at first sounds like a joke: Bronx Brewery. (As in, if there's a Brooklyn Brewery, why not a Bronx Brewery, Ha Ha)

Meanwhile, Bronx Pale Ale is delicious. It has the hoppiest bite of any pale ale that I've experienced, and I'm seeing it on tap all over the NY Metro area.

I love beer. Or the memory of beer, anyway. (Before the vegetarian thing put an end to that.)

I brewed back in the 70s. It felt like real craftsmanship. Smelled like it too. Even to this day, I'll "tour" microbreweries, if they're willing to chat about the art. Yeah, I miss it.

I had a few beers during my travels around Poland recently. I was really looking forward to tasting some awesome beers while there, but alas, the few beers I tasted were just okay, imo. It seems like the bartenders steer you towards the big national brands as opposed to local brews. Same thing with the vodkas, btw. Anyway, the four most ubiquitous were Zywiec, Tyskie, Warka and Piast (blonde and dark).

Scott Dolan wrote:I didn't realize being a vegetarian meant you couldn't drink beer.

Only for the "strict" vegetarian. It's a pretty second-rate, f*cked life for what you give up. You gotta buy into the philosophy. I do. But I don't really recommend it. And I don't preach.

Call me nuts, but I think not eating meat (or giving up any of life's experiences) makes me a worse jazz musician/improvisor.

So, Bebop, are you a vegan? If so, what's in beer that a vegan can't have, yeast? Btw, last time my doctor gave me a lecture on proper eating I told him there are three food groups that I need and, at my age I'm not about to give any of them up, salt, fat and alcohol.

i'm vegetarian for the last 6 years,no problem with health so far,not a faintest memory in my mind from the carnivore period ,but i haven't stop enjoying beer-it certainly fits perfect with some meat-containing food,but it's also great by itself or with chili chips,nuts etc.

Great day today. Tommy (bro-in-law) and I are hanging at our Vermont digs this week. The wimmins headed home yesterday and left us to fend for ourselves for the week.

We happen to have our Harleys up here so we took a ride into New Hampshire and then headed north. On a whim we made a hard left which brought us back into Vermont. When we hit the quaint town of Chester, Vt. we spied a pub by the name of MacLaomainn's Scottish Pub.

Tommy had a couple of Switchback Ales and I went with a Belhaven Scottish Lager which was on draft. I also got a bottle of Red MacGregor Ruby Ale from the Orkney Brewery in Quoyloo, Scotland. Only 4% abv but hoppy and creamy with a nice thick head. Nice lace as well. The brews hit the spot after a hundred mile ride in the rolling hills of Vermont and New Hampshire. Life is good.

Jimmy Cantiello wrote:I had a few beers during my travels around Poland recently.

Almost forgot about your trip to Poland. How about a thread on the subject? Places, food, whatnot.

Scott Dolan wrote:I didn't realize being a vegetarian meant you couldn't drink beer.

It's not the beer, or anything in any kind alcohol...it's the production/filtering process some companies will use animal products of some sort. Keep in mind....even honey is a not allowed for the really strict. The vast majority of beer for example is okay for a vegan.

The Hindu side of my wife's family like most are ovo-lacto. The use this site. Easy way to just search name, or maker. There are even apps made by other vegans.

http://www.barnivore.com/

Blue Train wrote:

Jimmy Cantiello wrote:I had a few beers during my travels around Poland recently.

Almost forgot about your trip to Poland. How about a thread on the subject? Places, food, whatnot.

No need for a new thread. I'm blabbing about food and eating during my travels in Poland on the "Food For Thought" thread. And I'm not done by a long shot.

Blue Train, thanks for the knowledgeable post and helpful link!

Another motorcycle ride today from Newfane, Vermont to Hoosick Falls, N.Y. In Hoosick Falls we happened upon a joint called Man Of Kent Pub. It was a perfect place to hoist a few before we resumed our ride. The place was filled with friendly locals and the people behind the bar were very accommodating. I started out with a 20oz. draught of Charles Wells Bombardier, a slightly spicey, malty, medium dark ale imported from England. My second go round was from a local brewery called Brown's Brewery out of Troy, N.Y. I had another 20 ouncer of their Whiskey Porter, an ale aged in bourbon whiskey barrels for two months. Tommy got an Abbot Ale, yet another dark ale. We could have spent hours there but, alas, we had to move on.

Added to the refrigerator today, a Kolsch-Style Ale from Alaskan Brewing Co.

I wasn't in the mood for wine with my steak the other night so I opted for a bottle of Czechvar lager. Worked for me. Clean, faintly sweet and just a hint of bitterness. This particular brewery has been in business for about 700 years. I think they've been able to fine tune a good brew by now, no?

Beautiful day to take a bike ride through the rolling hills of Connecticut. Joanne hopped on the back and we were off. Stopped at a biker friendly joint called The Painted Pony in Bethlehem, Ct. It's a comfortable down to earth place. I got a glass of ice water, a tini and finished off with a Marauder IPA from Calvary Brewing Company out of Oxford, Ct. Joanne went with a Sam Adams Summer Ale. Right now I'm safely home working on a Sam Adams limited release called Porch Rocker. It's a citrusy lager supposedly fashioned after a Bavarian Radler style.

Does anybody else find there's a distinctive element of Sam Adams flavor in many of their varieties?

Accidental single post.

Finally partaked of Stone 10th Anniversary Ruination!


Oh, hell yeah!

Blue Train wrote:Finally partaked of Stone 10th Anniversary Ruination!


Oh, hell yeah!

Yeah, just had it 2 nights ago for the second time. To ramp up the geekiness, I was wearing my Ruination IPA t-shirt at the time.

As a beer snob I know I'm supposed to dislike Corona Extra. I just checked out the ratings on beer advocate and it's widely despised. Nonetheless I've had some recent occasions for beach and or hot weather picnicking beer drinking and I think it's fine in that context. Maybe it's the positive associations from years of pre-beer-snob happy occasion beer drinking. (although back in those days, I thought Miller High Life or Miller Genuine Draft with a lime was pretty much interchangeable with Corona.)

Had a nice beer with dinner tonight. It went well with my shrimp and grits and beef brisket. Ithaca Flower Power is brewed by the Ithaca Beer Co. It's an American IPA weighing in at 7.5% abv. Loved it. I couldn't help but notice the sturdy head and nice lace. And...the bitterness was there but not overwhelming.