Famous Dave’s Wild Hog House Brew, Pyramid Breweries
House brews are an interesting creature: sometimes a major brew with a different name on it, or something a little craftier but similarly rebranded, or something brewed just for the establishment. Half the fun is trying to figure out what the beer is. Then when you ask, sometimes they'll tell you, sometimes they won't. While visiting my brother down in Phoenix, we swung into Famous Dave's for some brew and 'cue. I'd had all the other beers on the menu, and when I asked about the Wild Hog, the server just said, "It's kind of dark." (Info about this beer is pretty elusive on the interwebs. I found one site that called it "Hog Wild," but I had checked the word order three times on our … [Read More...]
Pass Me a Coronaweiser Light, Por Favor
The insatiable beer monster known as Anheuser-Busch InBev may soon get even larger. According to the New York Times' DealBook, the company may soon attempt to complete its purchase of Mexican beer conglomerate Grupo Modelo, whose brands include Corona, Modelo, and Pacifico. Anheuser-Busch InBev currently owns half of the Mexican company. Grupo Modelo is valued at approximately $23 billion, so the sale would probably be nearly $12 billion. The sale is not a certain thing at the moment. In the past, the two companies have had a strained relationship. The companies must also get anti-trust clearances. Anheuser-Busch InBev is currently the world's largest beer company. The deal, if it … [Read More...]
The Only Joke I Know, I Learned While Drinking Beer
This was at the Big-I in Fairbanks, Alaska, to be exact. Middle of the winter. The Big-I is a place that straddles an interesting line up in Fairbanks: it's close to downtown, which is where the Alaskan Natives drink (as opposed to the Native Alaskans...err, the white people) - but it's not quite downtown, and it's a fun change-of-pace for the college kids (who drink mostly at the on-campus pub). All this to say, the Big-I is as good a spot as any in Fairbanks to get smashed, get in a fight, fall in love, see some people you've never seen before, and end up passed out in the bathroom. It's smoky and dark, but they'll serve you a free dinner; it's got a nice big wooden bar that's full of … [Read More...]
Origins of the Delicious Word
The etymology of the word "beer" is somewhat ambiguous, but there are several possible sources. The Old English "beor" means "strong drink, beer, mead," and is an obvious precursor to the modern "beer." But "beor" is a word of much-disputed and ambiguous origin. (Relatedly, the Old English "breowan" means "brew.") The word is probably a result of a West Germanic monastic borrowing of the Latin infinitive "bibere," which means "to drink," and which also gave the root to the word "imbibe." Other scholars believe that "beer" traces back to the Proto-Germanic "beuwoz," meaning "barley." (Similarly, the Spanish "cerveza" is thought to link back to the same origins as the word … [Read More...]
Water, Water Everywhere and Not a Beer To Drink?
We've finally done it as a society: someone has created just-add-water beer. A company called Pat’s Backcountry Beverages, based in lovely Talkeetna, Alaska, (seriously, visit there sometime; they say it was one of the inspirations for Northern Exposure) has developed a line of concentrated beverages, including beer, which are paired with a portable carbonator bottle. Apparently, the stuff is not dehydrated beer, but beer made through a patent-pending process that makes it strong and nearly waterless. My initial thought about this stuff — perfect for camping! — doesn't really make sense; water weighs as much as beer, so it doesn't help you save weight in your backpack. … [Read More...]
On Tap
Turbodog, Abita Brewing Company
Turbodog is one of those beers I've been aware of for ages, but have never tried. The one trip I've made to New Orleans was during one of the soberer stages of my life, and the few drinks I did have were of a more weather-themed variety (i.e. Hurricanes). The only Abita brew I've tried is Purple Haze, which is a fine brew, if you're in favor of fruit in your … [Read More...]
Stumbling Toward Heaven
The Only Joke I Know, I Learned While Drinking Beer
This was at the Big-I in Fairbanks, Alaska, to be exact. Middle of the winter. The Big-I is a place that straddles an interesting line up … [Read More...]
Diving Into the Bar World
I’ll admit it, I like dive bars. Places that are just slightly above that level of seediness where you would actually feel unsafe or … [Read More...]
Reading a Homebrew Recipe
If you're new to homebrewing, the recipes can be a little difficult to decipher, and not just because you're drunk while trying to read it, … [Read More...]
Water, Water Everywhere and Not a Beer To Drink?
We've finally done it as a society: someone has created just-add-water beer. A company called Pat’s Backcountry Beverages, based in … [Read More...]
Bears and Beer! Beer and Bears! Oh, My!
Oh, those wacky Norwegians. Even their bears like to drink. In northern Norway, a bear and three cubs appear to have ripped the wall … [Read More...]
Beer Talk
[...] I grabbed the bottle of Boatswain HLV because, though it might lack some alt-coolness in its name, it was ...
[...] very smoothly. Turbodog reminded me quite a bit of Firestone Walker’s Reserve Porter, which I reviewed two months ago, ...
Heh. I've got a couple bottels of Long Hammer in my fridge right now. It's a good, accessible ...
This was right in my backyard, had frenids and relatives that inbev told could leave at anytime from the brewery ...
haha just might have to pull that one out at 3am