Don’t let the secret out

March 9th, 2006 by Kevork When I was at my favorite beer friendly pizza shop, I spied Southampton Secret Ale with its large keyhole on the label. It is a yeasty ale that tastes like a pilsner. The label says this is a, “dusseldorf style altbier.” Well, ok. Hinkty hurdy furdy gerdy then. Apparently it […]

The Red Tail Prevails

March 10th, 2006 by Andy The Mendocino Brewing Company is a favorite among beer snobs. They have a knack for consistently producing high quality beers. Without a surprise, they’ve prevailed, once again, with their outstanding Red Tail Ale. This amber ale poured with a beautiful thick white, head that slooowly dissipated to one of those […]

Do you do the Grand Cru?

March 12th, 2006 by Andy Belgian beers offer a cornucopia of flavors that are distinctly different than their American counterparts. After becoming accustomed to the pleasantly hoppy taste of Pale Ales, one can find themselves imbibing a traditional Belgian beer wondering if it is even a beer at all. So it was for me as […]

Cuvee Diabolweak

March 14th, 2006 by Kevork Cuvee Diabolique is brewed by De Proef Brouwerij Lochristi-Hijfte, Oost Vlaanderen, Belgium. I bought it in a cork topped 750ml bottle. A fragrant nose of apple and pear greeted me as I poured this Belgian Ale into a sculpted glass. A thick, tall, white head appeared. My first sip tarnished […]

Keeping Quebec in check

March 18th, 2006 by Andy Unfortunately, on the whole, Canada’s beer selection has never really impressed me. Beer from the province of Quebec, with its French influences, however, is a totally different story. Take, for example, the McAuslan Brewing Company, who brews the amazingly smooth St. Ambroise Pale Ale. This fine amber colored ale pours […]

Pious in Pittsburgh

March 21st, 2006 by Andy Recently, I found myself having a spiritual experience sitting in a downtown Pittsburgh church. This wasn’t any normal church, however. It was once a church, but now a brewery. Pittsburgh’s Church Brewery is a holy pilgrimage everyone should experience when visiting this fine city. Not only is the brewery’s ambiance […]

The Summit is beautiful

March 24th, 2006 by Andy During a cold weekend stay in Minneapolis recently, I had the pleasure of imbibing a hometown favorite: The Summit Brewing Company’s Extra Pale Ale. Minneapolis was indeed a cold place (there was roughly ten feet of snow on the ground); however, this beer was definitely the warm spot of the […]

On tap was Old Smokey

April 24th, 2006 by Kevork In a dirty poolhall, seemingly left for abandon, I spied a gem on tap. Through the smog of poolchalk dust and cigarette smoke, my eyes locked on to Stone Smoked Porter. This is a delicious porter with an unceasing caramel head. It is not too sweet, a problem I find […]

A heavy hitter bitter

April 29th, 2006 by Andy I haven’t had many English style Bitters, however, after drinking this mildly bitter ale, I feel a tinge of regret that I haven’t had the pleasure of enjoying more of these fine beers. The Ridgeway Bitter from the Ridgeway Brewery is an incredibly good beer that bursts with a floral […]

Gaspar the friendly porter

May 1st, 2006 by Andy Ybor Gold’s Gaspar’s Porter poured a dark brownish color with a small white head that clung to the sides of the glass over time. The smell was the pleasant sweetness of malts with hints of espresso. Gaspar’s taste was surprisingly light with a date-like sweet flavor, which was complemented by […]