That looks suspiciously like my side table.

Lord, I need me a drink something fierce. The last couple weeks have been crazy pants, with me writing words as fast as I can think them up—for better or, largely, worse. Anyway, this week’s booze explosion is the De Proef–Allagash mash-up Les Deux Brasseurs. It’s funky and bracing, with a big ol’ champagne poof on top and a super-smooth drinkability. It brings the happy to this hardened liver. Interested? Drink it up!

Last night, Tria hosted Allagash brewer, Rob Tod, and had several of their beers on tap.  I mainly trekked to Center City (before heading back to Fairmount for the Reindeer Romp) because they were serving Allagash Curieux (abv 10%-12%), a golden ale aged in Jim Beam barrels.  I first had this beer at Belgian Cafe during Philly Beer Week.  Rob Tod was also there and we met briefly.  (At the time, I had another blog about my life with big gloves; there was a humorous interaction, which I chickened out / probably wisely refrained from bringing up this time.)

I imagine Rob Tod’s job to be pretty [expletive] awesome.  He gets to drink good beer and talk to people about good beer.  While I personally wouldn’t like the sales-y side of this chatter, I would enjoy hobnobbing with serious beer drinkers.

I just beat the rush last night and managed to score a seat at the bar.  While I had plans to just have the Curieux, I read the description of their Quadrupel (abv 10%).  Though it was only sold in “tasting portions,” the bartendress was kind enough to let me sample it first.  It did not taste like a 10% beer; I liked how the malt lingered on my tongue after a sip.

The bar filled up as I enjoyed the 5 oz. serving portion if the Quad; people stood in the aisle and I was again thankful for my seat.  Rob Tod started making the rounds as I was noshing on the Preferes des Montagnes (purchased solely to curb the impact of a second 10% beer).  It’s a buttery cheese and delightfully spreadable.  The caramelized apples with which it was served were actually more cinnamon ridden than I expected – a pleasant surprise.

I was working on a Curieux (not as strong with the whiskey flavors as I remember, but definitely boozy) when Rob said hello.  We talked beer and beer week – he lauded Philly as a great host because it’s walkable and the surrounding community actually notices the events.  I wanted to hear more about his trip to Belgium, as I lived there for a year, but time is time and he needed to head to the Tria class he was leading / make the rounds.  Indeed, I think my next tattoo should incorporate yellow, red and black, the colors of the Belgian flag.

Sometimes it’s an easy call to give the gift of beer over the holidays. For instance, my beer nerd buddy Frank knows with certainty that I’ll lay a couple of nice bottles on him, and I’m pretty sure I’ll receive the same in return.

But outside of our little world, you must be careful about giving beer, because it can be a clunker of a gift for someone with no interest in craft brews.  Kinda like the time I bought a video game for my mom when I was 12.  I was very enthusiastic about it, her not so much. Fast forward to this year, and I find myself taking a chance with gifting again.

I work for a very nice woman who is a foodie and loves wine.  I was racking my brain to come up with a gift for her, when the idea of giving beer popped into my head.  She’s not a beer fan per se, but she’s open minded, seems respectful of beer when I go on about it, and her brothers drink Otter Creek exclusively, for whatever that’s worth.  So I’ve decided to go for it and give her three carefully selected beers…

Here’s what’s in the box above:

• Allagash Victor Ale: This big corked beauty is brewed with grapes and has a super clean, white wine-like finish.  I think it’s a great bridge into the world of premium beers.
• Duchesse de Bourgogne: This Flanders red is the ultimate chick beer (sorry if that offends) and I’ve seen it send a room full of women into “wine mode” where they sip, gossip and rave about the silky sweet and fruity flavor.
• The Bruery’s Tradewinds Tripel: I am giving beer after all, and this is a wonderfully crafted example of how refined and slightly exotic beer can be.

So how’d I do?  Would you have given beer in this situation, and if so, what selections would you have put in the box? Have you been down this road before?  Please let us know below.

The Kitchen [Upstairs] has an annual Gold Medal Beer Dinner where some 5 breweries are featured with a five course meal at a fixed price.  I usually work  the event but this year I convinced Hugo to hire me as a photographer instead of a server.

These are some of my favorite photos that I have yet to post anywhere, mostly because I think I may be the only one who likes them.  These are images that could be included in an extensive photo essay about the beer dinner; the behind the scenes.  But as far as promotional use for the event I don’t think anyone would care too much.

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The kitchen line.  How we keep things in order.

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Prosciutto. I can’t decide if this looks appetizing or not.  I like the lines and light and texture of this image.

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You can’t tell but Geoff is posing really awkwardly with his legs.  Little did he know he would look like a model.

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Pre service meeting.

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I just like this one.

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This is The Kitchen I know all too well.  Although I knew no one would use this photo I couldn’t resist the light, I had to take it anyway. Probably my favorite photo out of all of them.

]]> http://beerblotter.wordpress.com/2009/12/04/another-successful-year-big-wood-fest-2009/ Sat, 05 Dec 2009 05:58:13 +0000 beerblotter http://beerblotter.wordpress.com/2009/12/04/another-successful-year-big-wood-fest-2009/ http://maineflycastings.com/2009/11/27/gone-hunting-for/ Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:16:33 +0000 Benjamin Rioux http://maineflycastings.com/2009/11/27/gone-hunting-for/ http://maineflycastings.com/2009/11/24/confrontation-on-the-river/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:45:23 +0000 Benjamin Rioux http://maineflycastings.com/2009/11/24/confrontation-on-the-river/ http://maineflycastings.com/2009/11/21/its-coming/ Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:58:57 +0000 Benjamin Rioux http://maineflycastings.com/2009/11/21/its-coming/ http://lettersfromaway.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/uncle-clayton-hauling-pulp-near-st-francis/ Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:27:37 +0000 Keith Michaud http://lettersfromaway.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/uncle-clayton-hauling-pulp-near-st-francis/

Phillip Thibodeau (left) and Clayton Jandreau standing near a truck hauling pulp.

I knew this day would come – a correction. Mickey Thibodeau took the photo of my Uncle Clayton Jandreau next to his new truck, a 1960 model, in the winter of 1960-61 in the street in front of his family’s home not too far from where my Uncle Clayton, my Mom and their siblings grew up in St. Francis, Maine. Mr. Thibodeau’s father, Phillip, is standing with my uncle. Mr. Thibodeau did not receive the photo from my cousin.

[Posted November 12, 2009 (See correction above): I wanted to get this photo up. I will post more later on it. The photo was e-mailed to me from another Mainer "from away," Mickey Thibodeau, who now lives in Lake County, California. Actually, the photo comes from Mr. Thibodeau who received it from my cousin Cindy Jandreau. (Yep, the moose hunter.) The photo, taken in St. Francis toward Allagash, shows Mr. Thibodeau's father, Phillip, and Clayton Jandreau (nearest truck), an uncle to Cindy and me. I am not sure when the photo was taken, but I am guess it had to be in the 1950s or '60s.]

As I recall from family tales, one of the things my Grandfather and uncles did to get by was cut pulp to be used in mills. They used horses to haul the pulp from the woods to sidings or the nearest road where it was loaded – I am assuming usually loaded by hand – onto a truck to be taken to the mills. Of course, pulp is used for paper and other products.

I seem to recall a story my mother told me once that one of the horses they used to haul the pulp broke loose and was racing toward my Mom, who was pretty young at the time. If I recall the story correctly, one of her brothers threw her behind a fallen tree and the horse leaped over them and the fallen tree. It must have been a pretty exciting time for a little kid.

Mr. Thibodeau also mentioned an old parish hall in St. Francis my Uncle Warren – Clayton and my Mom’s brother and Cindy the Moose Hunter’s father – own and subsequently tore down. He later built a home there for himself, his wife Monica and their children.

I seem to recall that for a time – perhaps between when the building was used as a parish hall and when my Uncle Warren tore it down – that he ran a couple of businesses, including a barbershop and a pool hall/pinball parlor. I recall seeing photos of my first haircut and I am pretty sure Uncle Warren handled the shears that day. If the photos are any indication, I was not particularly pleased to get my hair trimmed.

For those who are unfamiliar with where St. Francis is located, it is on the border with Canada near where the St. Francis and St. John rivers meet. If you look at a map of the state, St. Francis is in the large notch at the northern border. Allagash, where the Allagash Wilderness Waterway ends to the north, is east of St. Francis. Fort Kent, Maine, to the east is where I was born.

Interview: Kyp Malone

Topics: Man Chins, Pangaea Beer, Smokey and The Bandit, Shuttered Businesses, Haggling, Car Buying Tips, Scary Movie Trivia, Russ Gets Trapped in a Cave!

Playlist: The Lawrence Arms, The Swimmers, TV on the Radio, Rain Machine and Alkaline Trio.

Play Now: http://www.usedwigs.com/pod/podcast68.mp3

iTunes: Download, Listen and Subscribe

Related Links:

• Innis & Gunn
• Allagash
• Pangaea Beer
• Smokey and The Bandit
• PRIMER
• ThunderCats
• Langhorne Slim
• Morphine “At Your Service”
• Tegan and Sara
• Until The Light Takes Us
• uStream.tv

Great Divide at Rattle ‘N’ Hum
Tuesday – 11/10/09

I’m starting to figure out that I might be an Anti-Coloradoist. For some reason, I refuse to acknowledge how good the beer is that comes out of that state. Yet, every beer I’ve had that gets shipped out of that box shaped state is impressive. Whether you’re a pro or anti Coloradoist, the event at Rattle ‘N’ Hum with Great Divide will be a good place to explore where you stand.

Victory at The Pony
Tuesday – 11/10/09

This Pennsylvania brewery has a modest showing in New York, but usually has at least one line at most of the proper beer bars. The Pony is going to one up that and put 20 lines and 2 casks out of Victory’s brews. Which makes me wonder why bars don’t do smaller tasting sizes or flights for events like this or why they don’t just go Kamakazi on us and make one beer that has a little bit of each one? Come on people, we can make these brewery showcases much better / worse.

Ale Street News Beer Dinner at Cloverleaf in NJ
Tuesday – 11/10/09

There are two beers that I got excited to see featured at Cloverleaf. The first is Founder’s Breakfast Stout. It’s a fantastic beer and is the first I’ve had where I said, “You know, breakfast beer might actually work.” The Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin is also amazing and the one pumpkin beer I couldn’t find for this year’s pumpkin tasting. This event originally had my vote for Event of the Week until I realized it was in New Jersey. I’m not saying I hate everything about New Jersey…I’m just not going to continue talking right now.

Allagash Bash at the Stags Head
Wednesday – 11/11/09

I was going to complain that they were only going to have 6 of Allagash’s beers on tap, but then I realized that trying 6 beers in one night is pretty amazing. We’ve become quite greedy, we have.

English Beer Night at Manchester
Wednesday – 11/11/09

No idea what type of beers are going to be available, but if I know the Manchester Pub as well as I think I do, they’ll probably offer Old Speckled Hen and a punch in the face for $4.

Meet the Brewer Gulden Draak and Piratt – Swift Hibernian Lounge
Thursday – 11/12/09

Coolest logo around right now.

Speakeasy at Standings
Thursday – 11/12/09

Speakeasy is catching my eye everywhere. So is Dick’s brewery and The Breuery, but that’s another story. Speakeasy, from San Fran, just seems to be making a push in NYC and I say we let em (that’s right, I get to decide these types of thing). Standings is as good of a sports bar as you’re going to find in NYC so if you’re making plans to watch Thursday Night Football, might as well do it at Standings. Oh and they have free pizza. That’s right. FRRREEEEEEEEEE PIZZAA!

Stone Kicks Off Strong Ale Fest at David Copperfields
Thursday – 11/12/09

If you’re feeling like heading north of 59th street, this event shouldn’t be missed. David Copperfields is kicking off their Strong Ale Fest with Stone Brewery. Not a bad way to kick off an event if you ask me. Here’s the list of what they’ll have that night:

Imperial Russian Stout ’09
India Pale Ale
Old Guardian ‘07
Smoked Porter
Vertical Epic ’08
Vertical Epic ’09

Collaboration Series:
BrewDog Stone Bashah
BrewDog Cambridge Stone Juxtaposition
Ken Schmidt Maui Stone Kona Coffee Macadamia Coconut Porter

I’m really excited to try the Maui Stone Kona Coffee Macadamia Coconut Porter, which wins this year’s award for hardest beer to order at a loud bar.

I recently smuggled two beers out of Southern California. One was the Allagash Curieux. This CoCoNut Porter was the other. A fertile trip indeed! We’d planned to visit an amusement park (or something), but the GPS led us straight to Bevmo. Then, strangely enough, our electro-guide switched to Mormon mode—as we entered the parking lot, li’l Miss Disembodied-Robot-Voice demanded that we flip a U-turn and exit immediately. We nearly broke her Off button.

On the can you’ll find a POV illustration of some desperate soul attempting one last gulp from his coconut mug before succumbing to a beer-tsunami (I refuse to create the word “brewnami” … crap). Very Hawaiian! Well, the colors and stuff seem tropical at least. And aluminum cans are becoming popular with craft breweries right now, but I’ll leave that discussion for another article.

The porter exits its armor like a shadow edged in bronze and burgundy. Its mocha head lets loose a bouquet of dark chocolate and roasted malt—but only hints of coconuts, which seems odd for a beer named after coconuts. Moving on.

My first sip almost lives up to the smell. Later, as it warms, bolder flavors develop: bushels of bitter chocolate; sharp, sweet toffee and burnt sugar; a sudden surplus of the namesake nut. Pair these smooth flavors with a creamy body, moderate carbonation, and a barely noticeable 5.7% ABV, and you have an extremely drinkable non-traditional dessert beer. I prefer my porters a bit more potent, but I wouldn’t decline another can if it showed up on Arizona shelves.

Author’s Note: If you’re looking for another good Hawaiian porter, I recommend Kona’s Pipeline Porter. It’s a slightly better value for the money.

For Monday: Cans vs. Bottles!

Ahhhh…The Cubs! They choke every year. But I sure as hell love them anyway. Wrigley Field may also just be one of my favorite places on earth. And it’s the only place I’ll truly be happy to drink and Old Style. When you’re in Chicago there are easily a million things to do and see, and one of them for me is to hit up all the fancy liquor stores and beer bars. Ever heard of The Map Room? How about The Hopleaf? GO! One liquor store in particular is Binny’s in the South Loop. This place is so large, you could spend an afternoon in this booze hound geek land. That’s exactly what I did on my last visit, and let me tell you it wasn’t cheap. But the experience from the beer will last a lifetime. In this case, it’s the Allagash White — a very nice Belgian Witbier replete with some fine Belgian-style yeasts, coriander, and orange peel. Not one of Allagash’s more sought after beers, it is still quite a wonderful beer. Next time you get back from mowing your yard and want a nice refreshing beer to drink in your pleated slacks, you’ll know exactly where to turn.

For a larger HD experience click here.
This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Bonnie “Prince” Billy

Brewery: Allagash
Beer: White
Style: Belgian Witbier
Location: Portland, Maine
ABV: 5.5%
Rating: 89/100

You can’t find Allagash beers in Arizona. I get it, Allagash. It’s hot here. The state’s deodorant gave out some time during the Paleozoic era. So whenever I get a chance to jump state lines, I try to land near a retailer for this outstanding Maine brewery. On my most recent trip, I spotted the Allagash Curieux. Its snazzy corked bottle (which says it was “aged in oak bourbon barrels”) and relatively low $8.99 price tag drew me in like a moth to the bug zapper. The zap occurred when it rang up for $16.49 instead. When I pointed out the error, a Bevmanager got involved—and honored the sticker price. My face smiled politely and expressed thanks. My brain shrieked “SCORE!”

At home, I tear my trophy from its brown paper coat. The cork pops, and mist burbles out. Definitely a Belgian-style tripel; it paints my goblet amber and gold and coats the rim with creamy foam. The head exhales vanilla (a result of oak aging) along with hints of bright fruit and white wine. One sip reveals a hefty alcohol presence—understandable at 11% ABV—but spicy fruit, caramel, and the omnipresent vanilla balance things out. On the palate the brew feels full and creamy, even a bit buttery, like drinking carbonated silk. As it warms, the vanilla makes way for smoky bourbon, an unusual transition that sets my buds ablaze. This one’s a sipper.

OK, I drink Belgian ales like nobody’s beeswax, but the Curieux surprised me. It pummeled my tongue with sugar and smoke, and with it Allagash has given me a new favorite among tripels. Did paying half the price make the beer seem twice as tasty? No idea. But I savored every sip, because at $16.49 a bottle, my next taste might have to wait until flying pigs make the cows come home.

]]> http://maineflycastings.com/2009/10/20/moose-hunt-recap-part-1-a-dance-with-giants/ Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:20:26 +0000 Benjamin Rioux http://maineflycastings.com/2009/10/20/moose-hunt-recap-part-1-a-dance-with-giants/ http://maineflycastings.com/2009/10/19/dont-have-a-cow/ Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:55:44 +0000 Benjamin Rioux http://maineflycastings.com/2009/10/19/dont-have-a-cow/ http://maineflycastings.com/2009/10/17/soft-hackle-bonanza/ Sat, 17 Oct 2009 20:03:54 +0000 Benjamin Rioux http://maineflycastings.com/2009/10/17/soft-hackle-bonanza/ http://thehopshoney.wordpress.com/2009/10/16/another-wednesday-another-trip-to-the-bt/ Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:27:32 +0000 thehopshoney http://thehopshoney.wordpress.com/2009/10/16/another-wednesday-another-trip-to-the-bt/

A few weeks ago Rebecca & I headed down to the Blind Tiger after work to have some beers before we each had to go our separate ways to other plans (me to Hoboken with Amanda to listen to her high school friend play at a bar… and Rebecca to meet up with some friends for dinner!).

So it was a Wednesday, and  luckily, even though there wasn’t a formal event, they still had cheese!  Hooray!!!  So, here’s what I had!

I started with two Smuttynose offerings – their IPA and their Farmhouse.  The IPA was fine enough, but the Farmhouse was a bit more interesting, only because I got to compare it to another farmhouse beer… The Smuttynose Farmhouse was definitely the tarter one of the two (tarter, as in more tart… not as in the sauce in which to dip your stick of fish!)

The other farmhouse beer was the Allagash Fluxes.  This was a bit sweeter and lighter than the Smuttynose, and I kinda liked it better.

I haven’t written about this (and likely won’t), but I had a really bad taste experience with a Rye beer a few months back and since then have just steered miles away from any mention of a Rye beer.  BUT, since I trust Oz to not steer me wrong, I let him pour me a sample of Manhattan Project, which is Brooklyn’s Rye Ale.

Once again, Oz did not disappoint!  A while back I tried a Shiraz for the first time and, upon not liking it, decided that must mean that I didn’t like Shiraz in general.  Imagine my surprise when I tried one at a friend’s urging & found that I liked it!  Lesson learned?  You can’t judge an entire style based on one sample!

This beer totally gave me a lilac taste!  I had Rebecca taste it to ‘confirm’ and while she didn’t taste lilac specifically, she definitely did get a floral tone from it.  I guess overall it’s kinda like a chocolate lilac mix?  Weird sounding, but totally delicious!

Next I sampled some of Rebecca’s Troegs Hop Back which was a nice amber ale with a nice hoppy balance – I t hink that I’m realizing that I like Troegs’ offerings!

Last licks = Rockies Hazed & Infused.  Now, I’m pretty sure I’ve had this before, but this time it tasted a bit… squashy!  To be fair, I had spaghetti squash the night before, so maybe it was just an earthy connection between the squash and the taste of freshly harvested hops?  Either way, it was an interesting beer!

Bonus from this night?  I finished the first row on my new BT card! yippee!