The Best Beers for the Season Part 1

Winter is meant for beer.

by Joseph Elia

Welcome to the best beer drinking season of the year. Oh sure I enjoy  cracking a few at the beach or poolside. There’s nothing like some suds, sand, and sun on a warm summer day. I also like sitting on the hood of an F150 on a starry summer night kicking back with some domestic lagers and relaxing with good friends.

While those are certainly two drinking highlights of my warmer months, they don't really compare to cold weather sessioning. First off winter beers are bigger, more flavorful, and warming. For the first half of the season we are looser, more festive, and more socially engaged than other seasons. All great mindsets for the fraternity that is beer. During the last half of the season we are a little more despondent, isolated, and tired of the drudgery of winter. All great mindsets for the comfort of beer. Finally, winter beers pair well with the celebratory meals of our gatherings and with the comfort foods of our solitude.

An Ode to Celebration

by Joseph Elia

One of my favorite things about beer is how it becomes part of our lives. It is a favorite lifelong friend at the end of our days, on our weekends, at our gatherings, in our moments of solitude or in our moments of pride and accomplishment. Somehow beer seems to imbue these times with sparkle and a sense of festivity, connection, and mirth.

Now I have drank a lot of beer some are part of my own personal lore.  There are the cans of Genny Cream I stole from a family picnic, the cases of Coors I purchased in high school because it was the big deal beer of the time, the countless cases of Meister Brau I drank in college, the pitchers of Red Dog I drank on the first date with my wife, and the pitcher of Bass I bought with literally my last $12 (and I mean I had $.39 left to my name). But the beer I hold with fondness is Celebration, Sierra Nevada’s winter offering and in my estimation the finest beer for this time of year.

Finback Hoppy Rice Pils Review

By: Jack Horzempa
(Originally posted on Beer Advocate)
Today’s beer is a gift beer: Finback Brewery How Soon is Meow hoppy rice pils.

This is my first beer I ever had from Finback. On the can in very tiny font it lists: “a collaboration brewed with our buddies, Kings County Brewing Collective, pils brewed with flaked rice and dry hopped with blanc.” The font is so small I am uncertain whether they truly want you to read this short description.

I am assuming that the hops used to dry hop this beer is Hallertau Blanc which is a ‘new wave’ German hop.

I would tell you a story about Finback Brewing but frankly all that I know is that is a relatively new brewery (opened 2011) and is located in Queens. My mother in law was born and raised in Queens. The only other person I ‘know’ from Queens is Archie Bunker.

So, how does a “hoppy rice pils” taste?

2 x 4 Spruce Beer Review

Fresh spruce tips that Jack picked

By: Jack Horzempa
(Originally Posted on Beer Advocate)

The brewers of Colonial America did not have a steady supply of beer ingredients (e.g., barley malt, hops,…) so they would be inventive and utilize other ingredients that were more readily available to them. As substitutes and/or augmentation for barley malt they would ingredients like pumpkin, parsnip, molasses,… As substitutes and/or augmentation for hops they would use other botanicals like yarrow, sweet gale, mug wort, spruce tips,…

So, today we are going to explore what fresh growth spruce tips provide to beer. Today’s tasting will be a 2 X 4 tasting: two beers in four glasses and my wife will be helping me.

One beer is a commercial beer: Blue Point Colonial Ale brewed with Golden Molasses & Spruce Tips.

On the bottle it lists: American Brown Ale 3.8% ABV. So in the Colonial times this would be referred to as a Small Beer since it is lower in alcohol.

There is an interesting story on the beer label:

“After being elected President, George Washington toured Long Island and stopped by hart’s Tavern in our brewery’s hometown of Patchogue for some oysters and a beer. In honor of the monumental meal, we brewed an American brown ale inspired by the era and George Washington’s own recipe. It proudly features two-row barley malted in NY and colonial ingredients like corn, oats, wheat, molasses and spruce tips which colonial brewers used to supplement hops. American history never tastes so good.”

The second beer we will be exploring today is my home-brewed Spruce Ale which was brewed using fresh growth spruce tips from my next door neighbor’s Blue Spruce tree. My beer is basically an APA where I used four ounces of freshly picked spruce tips (I picked them while the wort was boiling) as the end of boil addition. I have never brewed with spruce tips before so this is quite an exciting ‘experiment’.

Re-Freshed Sixpoint Bengali Review

By: Jack Horzempa
(Originally posted on Beer Advocate)

What is better than fresh? Re-fresh!?!

Last month Sixpoint Brewing implemented a re-fresh of their core lineup of beers which are: Crisp, Sweet Action, Resin and Bengali.

This re-fresh was a combination of efforts:

· A change of packaging including a change to the dates they place on the bottom of their cans. They now indicate both a canning date as well as a best by date.

· They reformulated their recipes. This is not so much of a new thing for Sixpoint since in the past they have continually ‘tweaked’ their recipes but for this go-around they seemed to have made bigger changes.

· They have made new efforts in sourcing their ingredients – hops

· They have eliminated filtering – these new beers are unfiltered.

There was a thread started which includes a press release for this update: https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/sixpoint-new-formulations-packaging.511559/

For today’s beer I have Bengali which is their IPA. Below is a short description of how this beer has been re-freshed:

“With BENGALI, we tweaked the hop character, and incorporated some new hop strains we’ve just recently acquired, to seriously dial in that citrusy-tropical aroma. Then we smoothed out the texture with oats, and dried out the malt body to let the hops take full control. This thing is all about huge tropical character up front, and a clean, dry finish.”

Sly Fox Hop Project Review

By: Jack Horzempa
(Originally Posted on Beer Advocate)

Who doesn’t like a beer project!?

A brewery local to me, Sly Fox, decided it is time for a Hop Project. The beer I am discussing today is the second iteration of this project and is branded as Hop Project #002. I had the pleasure of drinking the first iteration of #001 and that beer was absolutely AWESOME!! How will #002 be?

At this point you may be asking: what the heck is a Hop Project?

Well, the folks of Sly Fox have an answer for you:

“Our brewers are excited to continuously explore the universe of hop-forward beers. Each project is a chance to step out of our comfort zone and flex our creative brewing muscles by utilizing new hop varieties and utilizing innovative hopping methods. The Hop Project™ possibilities are endless.

Hop Project™ beers are available in 16oz. cans and on draft, but quantities are very limited. Be sure to keep an eye on our social media pages for the latest release announcements, because just like the beer itself, no two releases will cover quite the same ground.”:

http://slyfoxbeer.com/hop-project

On their website they describe #002:

“No. 002

India Pale Ale

OG:15 IBUs: 70 ABV: 6.8

For iteration No. 002 in our ongoing liquid experimentation project, we combined copious additions of Centennial, Simcoe, and Denali hops to create this fragrant IPA bursting with tropical fruit aromas. Do the results of this liquid experimentation lineup with our hypothesis of deliciousness? - See more at: http://slyfoxbeer.com/beer/hop-project-no-002#sthash.NLsfHA8Z.dpuf

Release Date 05.13.17”

I am familiar with both Centennial and Simcoe hops from my homebrewing; in a couple weeks I will be brewing another batch of Simcoe IPA. But I am unfamiliar with Denali hops. Below is some information about this hop variety from one of my homebrew suppliers:

“Denali™ Hop Pellets

Denali (formerly known as Hopsteiner 06277) is a dual purpose hop, originated from a cross between Nugget, Zeus and USDA 19058 male.

Denali has a big aroma that imparts pineapple with notes of citrus and pine. This hop is popular with brewers who are looking for a distinct, impactful flavor in their beers. Denali has an unusually high total essential oil content, averaging more than 4 grams oil/100 grams of raw hops.

Denali hops are often used in pale ales and IPAs.”

Well, it sure reads like an intriguing hop.

Let’s see how Denali plays with Centennial/Simcoe!

Can a distributing brewer produce a so called ‘NE’ style IPA?

By: Jack Horzempa
(Originally posted on Beer Advocate)
 
A few weeks ago I had a series of reviews that I entitled “Spring of the so called ‘NE’ style IPA”. This week I have a beer that was produced by a distributing brewery: Thomas Hooker Brewery which is located in Bloomfield, CT.

Thomas Hooker sends their beers to 7 states (Northeastern/Mid-Atlantic states).

This beer has a long and interesting label: #NO FILTER New England India Pale Ale.

On the can’s label it states:

“CHARACTER:

Tropical Fruit

Juice Aroma

Abundant quantities of Mosaic and Citra hops make this unfiltered IPA explode with a tropical fruit juice aroma. Heavy on the aromatics but light on bitterness, this brew is a true New England IPA.

15-Month Cellared Goose Island Sofie Review

By: Jack Horzempa
(Originally Posted on Beer Advocate)
 
I have had today’s beer of Goose Island Sofie many times before but Michael suggested that I should buy some of these beers and cellar them and last year that is what I did. This beer was bottled on 08FEB16 which means it is around 15 months old right now.

This beer is bottled with some Brett so the idea is that with age the Brett derived flavors should be evident by now.

Some folks are fans of the funky flavors that Brett can produce and others aren’t. A few months ago I home-brewed a Belgian Pale Ale which I co-pitched with both a Belgian Trappist Ale yeast strain (the strain that is used to ferment Orval) and Brett. Because both of these yeast strains were used for the primary fermentation the Brett funky flavors are evident right away. I enjoy the ‘barnyard’ type flavors of this beer but my wife is BIG non-fan of this beer; she calls this beer "Horse Piss."

So, what does a year-plus of cellaring do for Sofie?

What the Helles Going on? Sly Fox Helles vs. Red Oak Hummin' Bird

By: Jack Horzempa
(Originally posted on Beer Advocate)

Well, let me tell you what is going on. It has been a while since I discussed a side-by-side tasting in NBS so today is the day to do this.

I was fortunate that I was gifted a bottle of Red Oak Hummin’ Bird Helles beer. The bottle has a very appealing, colorful label as you
 will see in the photograph below.

I had a can of Sly Fox Helles Golden Lager in my fridge so this beer will be the ‘challenger’. The cool aspect of this can of beer is that it has a 360° top so you can pull it off and the can becomes a ‘glass’ of sort. As you will see in the photograph I will be using a glass for this tasting but I think this is a nice feature that Sly Fox provides.

Below are descriptions for these beers:

Red Oak Hummin’ Bird Helles BA description:

“From the brewery: Hummin' Bird is a Light Lager or Hell (Helles) similar to those found throughout Bavaria. We use carefully selected Pilsner Malt...then it is delicately hopped with imported Tettnang Noble Hops. Then we add a proprietary lager yeast strain which is not filtered out providing ones daily supply of vitamin B. Hummin' Bird is slow-cold aged for over one month resulting in a lush mouth feel.”

Sly Fox Helles Golden Lager from the brewery’s website:

11.5 OG 18 IBUs 4.9% ABV

A German-style golden lager brewed with imported German pils malt and Saaz and Hallertau hops. This light-bodied beer offers a gentle, dry finish. A perennial favorite in the Sly Fox pubs and our brewer's go-to session beer.

AWARDS: Bronze Medal GABF 2002

Spring of the "New England Style" IPA: Tired Hands Strawberry Milkshake

By: Jack Horzempa
(Originally posted on Beer Advocate) 

The past few weeks I have been ‘visiting’ New England (Massachusetts – Tree House, Trillium and Night Shift and Maine – Bissel Brothers).

This week I will be coming ‘home’ to drink a Tired Hands beer – Strawberry Milkshake.

The Tired Hands Milkshake series of beers are kinda interesting. These beers were first brewed in collaboration with Omnipollo Brewing (a Swedish Brewery):

“If there’s a Thomas Edison when it comes to this new style, it would be Jean Broillet IV, owner and brewmaster at Tired Hands Brewing Company. In March of 2015, Broillet teamed with the inventive Swedish brewery Omnipollo to produce something they called Milkshake IPA. (Omnipollo had produced a “Smoothie” IPA the previous year.) The seven percent ABV beer was brewed with oats and lactose sugar to create an initial heft. Then, wheat flour and 50 pounds of pectin-rich green apple puree were added. (Pectin causes an intense, almost gel-like thickening within beer—an effect most brewers try to avoid lest they accidentally make a can of jam.)”

http://punchdrink.com/articles/meet-the-milkshake-ipa-tired-hands/

Below is a description of Strawberry Milkshake via Tired Hands:

Spring of the ‘NE’ style IPA: Night Shift One Hop This Time (Citra)

By: Jack Horzempa
(Originally posted on Beer Advocate)

A few weeks ago I was ‘in’ Massachusetts ‘visiting’ the beers of Tree House and Trillium. Last week I ‘traveled’ to Maine for Bissel Brothers Brewing and today I am back ‘in’ Massachusetts for Night Shift Brewing. I knew nothing about Nigh Shift Brewing until I did a bit of web research:

Night Shift is a relatively new brewery with commercial operations starting in 2012. Things went well for them so in May 2014 they moved to a larger space where they still brew. They are located in Everett, MA which is very close to Boston; only a 17 minute drive according to Google Maps.

I am sensing a real theme here with respect to Tree House, Trillium, Bissel Brothers and Night Shift: they are all relatively new breweries which became very popular very quickly. The theme is start, make some money and then expand (either into multiple locations or just moving to another large location).

Today’s new beer is Night Shift One Hop This Time - Citra. This is my first beer from Night Shift Brewing.

Spring of the ‘NE’ style IPA: Bissel Brothers Swish

By: Jack Horzempa 

(Originally published on Beer Advocate)

In the past couple of weeks I discussed to two BIG BOYS of Trillium and Tree House (both located in Massachusetts). Today I will be ‘traveling’ to the nearby state of Maine to ‘visit’ Bissel Brothers Brewing which is located in Portland, ME.

I have fond personal memories of Maine since my grandmother used to live in Winthrop, ME (just south of the capital of Augusta) and we would visit every summer for our summer vacation. On the Maine license plates they have the motto of “Vacationland” and it certainly was for me in the past.

Bissel Brothers brewing is a relatively new brewery (just as is Trillium and Tree House) with an opening year of 2013. Over the past few years they relocated to a larger facility so business must be good.

The beer I will be drinking today is Bissell Brothers Swish. This is my first beer from Bissell Brothers Brewing.

Spring of the "New England" Style IPA: Trillium Fort Point

 By: Jack Horzempa
(Originally posted on Beer Advocate)

In my continuing series of so called ‘NE” style IPAs I have Trillium Fort Point Pale Ale. This is my first beer from Trillium Brewing.

I have not been to Trillium Brewing, but I did a bit of reading to learn more. Trillium is a relatively new brewery (opened in 2013) and they now have two locations: the original location in the Fort Point neighborhood of Boston and the new production brewery in Canton, MA (about ½ hour drive south of Boston). So, Trillium Brewing is more of an urban/metropolitan brewing company as opposed to Tree House (which I discussed last week) which is more out in the country.

Trillium also gets a lot of love by the BA crowd with 7 beers in the top 100 of the Top 250 list.

How does the ‘city boy’ brewing company’s beer compare to the ‘country boy’ brewing company’s beer? Let’s find out!

Spring of the "New England" style IPA: Tree House Eureka

By Jack Horzempa: 
(Originally Posted on Beer Advocate)

Firstly, happy spring time everybody!

I have been extremely fortunate to have been gifted some new beers of the so called ‘NE’ style IPA. Since these beers seem to go with warm spring weather (hell, these beers are good in any sort of weather!) I will be reviewing them over the next few months.

First up is Tree House Eureka.

This is my first ever Tree House beer. Tree House beer gets crazy love on BA! In the top 10 of their top 250 beer list, there are four Tree House beers.

I have never visited Tree House but by all reports it is an ‘interesting’ visit. They are presently located in Monson, MA which is about a two hour drive west of Boston (which I am sure is time of day/traffic dependent). I have read some blogs and it sounds like it is a pretty location. They sell cans at their location and from my readings you line up to purchase what is available that day (a few cans per visit?).

The good news is that Tree House is opening a second, larger location in Charlton, MA (also west of Boston) and hopefully with this second and importantly larger brewery Tree House beers will be more readily available) You can read about this expansion here: http://www.bostonmagazine.com/restaurants/blog/2016/03/08/tree-house-brewing-charlton-expansion/

So what does a revered Tree House beer taste like?

Side by Side: Veltins Grevensteiner & home-brewed Kellerbier

By: Jack Horzempa
(Originally posted on Beer Advocate)

Firstly, let me give a ‘shout out’ to Maria (@utopiajane) for ‘reminding’ me that it has been a while since I conducted a side-by-side tasting.

Permit me to start off the discussion with a story.

Winter of Pilsners Continued: Switchback Citra-Pils Kellerbier

By: Jack Horzempa 
(Originally posted on Beer Advocate)

Today I have another installment for my series of Winter Pilsners: Switchback Citra-Pils Kellerbier.

I purchased this beer as I was leaving Lake Placid, NY a couple of weeks ago (ski vacation). I have limited experience with Switchback Brewery. I have had the Switchback Ale a few times on draft over the past few years in Lake Placid and I enjoyed those beers so hopefully I will like this brand as well.

For those of you unfamiliar with Switchback Brewery (which includes me), they are located in Burlington, VT and they “specialize in handcrafted unfiltered ales and lagers”.

I am a BIG fan of unfiltered beer since it seems to me that the filtering process strips some flavors from the beer in as a side effect of this clarification aspect. I would prefer for the beer to be less than brilliantly clear but fully flavorful.

Below is how Switchback describes Citra-Pils on their website:

Mix Six: Six Beers to Help Weather the Winter Storm

By: Ryan Gerstel 

As you're probably aware, most of Pennsylvania is expected to be hit with this season's biggest winter storm, which could include about a foot of snow and 30 MPH winds, between tonight and tomorrow.

And if you haven't heard, well, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

But alas, we must expect the worst and stock up on toilet paper, bread, milk, eggs, and of course, beer!

Cold weather is prime time for dark, high alcohol styles like Stouts, Porters, Doppelbocks, Scotch Ales and Barleywines. All the styles above pack the right amount of sweetness, roast and alcohol to help you stay comfortable during any snow storm. 

Now that we can sell mix n' match bottles, your options for snow storm beers are as vast as ever. Below. I have six suggestions for a mix six pack that will ensure you enjoy your time indoors the and, just maybe, wish it would never end.

Let's begin!

Winter of Pilsners Continued: Ocelot Sunnyside Dweller Pils

By: Jack Horzempa
Originally posted on Beer Advocate

Today I have another installment for my series of Winter Pilsners: Ocelot Sunnyside Dweller Pilsner.

I was gifted this beer by a generous benefactor. I have never heard of Ocelot Brewery so I am very excited to try this beer.

I did some research on this brewery and I thought others might be interested in knowing about it too:

Your Guide to Pairing Girl Scout Cookies and Beer

 
By: Matt DeMarco

It’s that time of year where it is okay to eat as many cookies as you want. It’s Girl Scout cookie season. The magical time when eating an entire sleeve of Thin Mints is okay because it is for charity.  What better way to take a Girl Scout cookie binge to the next level than to pair them with a good beer.

Like I always say, there is no wrong way to pair a beer with food. Everyone’s tastes are different so my suggestions are just that. The most important thing to remember is pairing food with beer is supposed to be fun. So here are my suggestions for how to take your cookie game to the next level.

Winter of Pilsners Continued: Double Nickel Pilsner

By: Jack Horzempa
Originally posted on Beer Advocate

Today I have another installment for my series of Winter Pilsners which is a locally brewed beer: Double Nickel Pilsner.

Why is this brewery called Double Nickel? An interesting question you ask:

“The name was the brainstorm of the 86-year-old father of the group's primary investor, who recounted an old story about the area.

The Tacony-Palmyra drawbridge (as well as the Burlington-Bristol Bridge upstream) once had a nickel toll. Truckers, especially, liked the bridge because its toll was cheaper than that of the Betsy Ross Bridge and other expanses. When the bridge commission hiked the toll to 10 cents, the truckers reminded each other by calling the bridge Double Nickel over their radios.”

Double Nickel Brewery is located in Pennsauken, NJ which is across from Philadelphia joined by the Tacony-Palmyra bridge.

So, now that the geography lesson is over let’s talk about beer.

Winter of Pilsners Continued: Lynnwood Czech Yourself

By: Jack Horzempa
Originally posted on Beer Advocate

Today I have another installment for my series of Winter Pilsners: Lynnwood Czech Yourself Pilsner.

I did some research on this brewery and I thought others might be interested in knowing about it too:

“Our History & Local Community Involvement

Established in 2004, Lynnwood Grill expanded in 2006, moved to a new building in 2011 and added Lynnwood Brewing Concern in 2013. This progression could not have happened without the support of our local community and loyal customers, which is why we strongly believe in giving back to the people of the Northwest Raleigh area through sponsorship of local teams, fundraisers, tournaments and more.”

So, these folks seem to part of the community - drink local movement which I think is cool!
I was gifted this beer by a good friend over the holiday season. I have never heard of Lynnwood Brewery so I am very excited to try this beer.

8 Beers for Valentine's Day Dinner and Dessert

By: Ryan Gerstel

Long considered the liquid of choice for all romantic occassions, wine has overshadowed beer on Valentine's Day. But beer can and does deserve an equally honored place at the Valentine's Day table whether you're cooking at home, going to a BYOB, or enjoying a sipper in front of the fire.

This year we have plenty of options for a romantic evening thanks to the changes in the law that allow us to sell beer in ANY size format! Not sure whether a beer will go well with a particular dish? You can buy just one bottle or can to experiment.

Below is a list of eight beers that I believe will make your dinner and dessert even better, and satisfy not only beer lovers, but wine and dessert lovers alike!

Let’s ‘Slam a Can! Bell's Hop Slam Review

by Jack Horzempa
originally posted on Beer Advocate

It’s that time of the year again: Bell’s Hopslam was recently released.

First let me provide a BIG thank you to a good friend who gifted me with this can.

I have had this beer a few times before on draft but this is a first for me in several ways:

• My first time drinking this beer from a can
  
  
• My first time drinking this beer so fresh

I suspect that the second bullet is likely a more important aspect. All of my previous drinking experiences were at least one month after the release timeframe and in all probability a couple of months. For hoppy beers, time is not an ally for peak of beer drinking flavor.

Winter of Pilsners Continues...Sly Fox Tettnang Keller Pils Review

Tettnang noble hops

by Jack Horzempa
originally posted on Beer Advocate

Today I have another installment for my series of Winter Pilsners: Sly Fox Tettnang Keller Pils.

For the uninitiated a Keller Pilsner is an unfiltered Pilsner. For those of you who do not speak German the word “Keller” literally translates to Cellar. In addition to being unfiltered these beers are unpasteurized as well. In my opinion, the less processing that a beer goes through the better.

Beer Review: Barrel-Aged Lagunitas High-Westified

by Jack Horzempa
originally posted on Beer Advocate

Beer and barrels have had a long relationship. You could view it as simply a relationship of convenience: beer has to be stored in some sort of vessel and for a long time barrels where the vessel of choice for bulk storage. Depending on what type of wood was used there were nuances to how the barrels were finished for beer storage.

You carpenters out there are probably interested in knowing that the wood of choice for beer storage was mostly oak. I am not a carpenter but I know just a little bit about oak:

· It is a hard wood – likely durable for long term use I would assume

· There are lots of different types of oak

In IPA: Brewing Techniques, Recipes and the Evolution of India Pale Ale author Mitch Steele (former brewmaster at Stone Brewing) wrote several pages on barrels and how they were using in the British brewing industry of the 16th and 17th centuries. One extract:

“The wood used for cask themselves was slow-growth oak from Northern Europe. It was specifically selected because of its tight grain pattern, which meant that it would contribute little, if any, flavor or tannic astringency to the beer that was aged (stored) in it. Although brewers tested American and French oak, the overwhelming choice for brewers casks was slow-growth oak from the Baltic and Poland.”

Winter of Pilsners: Highland Pilsner Review

by Jack Horzempa 
originally posted on Beer Advocate

Today I have another installment for my series of Winter Pilsners: Highland Pilsner*.

I was gifted this beer by a good friend over the holiday season. I have never heard of Highland Brewery so I am very excited to try this beer.

I did some research on this brewery and I thought others might be interested in knowing about it too:

“Highland Brewing Company has crafted the highest quality beer with North Carolina mountain water since 1994. Family-owned and Asheville’s first legal brewery since Prohibition, it is a favorite destination for beer fans, music fans, and families. From the balanced, food-pairing favorite Gaelic Ale, to the tad aggressive, fruit and pine hop-burst of Highland IPA, the portfolio always showcases quality. Highland’s name honors the Scots Irish who settled in the Appalachian Mountains in the 18th and 19th centuries. Come see us! Get a beer at Asheville's first legal brewery and learn what we believe in.”

I don’t know about you but the fact that the word “legal” was used twice in that paragraph sure got me thinking. I am aware that in the past (and even today) that making moonshine was popular in the Appalachian Mountain regions but maybe bootlegging beer was popular too? Hmm?

A review of...Stroh's?

by Jack Horzempa originally posted on Beer Advocate

Editor's Note:  Jack is a longtime friend of the store. An extremely knowledgeable home brewer, brewing some of the best beer I have ever tasted. Jack's palate is well seasoned and he has been a valuable source of beer expertise to the store. He has graciously allowed us to repost his review/posts from Beer Advocate where he has achieved Poo-bah status. Since joining Beer Advocate 12 yrs ago, Jack has posted more than 20,000 times and earned over 25,000 likes. 

In this first repost Jack reviewed a beer some of us remember from our younger days. But this isn't the Stroh's some of us shotgunned in college...

The first time that I had a Stroh’s beer in my hand was a loooong time ago. I was just a couple of years out of college and I was invited to a Fourth of July picnic/party. One of the beers available there was Stroh’s and since this was the first time I have actually seen this beer I figured I would give it a try. The only thing I really knew about Stroh’s was their advertising slogan of “Fire-brewed” and since at that time I knew nothing of the brewing process I was uncertain what meaning this had. As I was drinking my first can of Stroh’s (and yes I did drink it from the can) I heard some guy at the party loudly exclaim: “Who brought Stroh’s? I hate that beer, it gives me gas!!” I will admit that this statement gave me a bit of pause but I thought to myself: who is this loud mouthed Bozo and what does he know? I am glad to report that I did not suffer any gas issues, well no more than usual.