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.