Ummmm....hello?

For the four or so people likely to ever stumble across this anymore, welcome, and happy 2014! I want to make this year a year in which I actually contribute something to the internet, rather than just loafing around looking at pictures of cats and looking down on the commenatariat of various websites. To that end, here's an introduction to my new favorite beer of 2014.

It started like any new beer could relationship start, I was hanging out at a surprisingly deserted Lord Hobo with my friends Tall Aaron and Midwest Tim after a leisurely Sunday afternoon of bike repair. Love, or infatuation in a sneaky guise, had lately dealt me a crappy hand and I was looking for something new and novel to take my mind off of things. New beers are considerably easier to meet than new romances, so I opened the beer list to see what I discover.

After winding past the usual, tasty offerings from Jack's Abby, Stone, Mystic, Port, Blatant and other great US brewers, I came across something so intriguing that I had to try it. Those who know me, know that I am one of "those" beer people that critics of beer culture love to write about. I am an unabashed supporter of trying new or funky flavor combinations and I truly enjoy the taste of beers that are little more than alcoholic hop tea. This one checked all sorts of boxes on my completely subjective requirements list: German, sour, smoked and several unnecessary X's in its name. Based on the description alone, it seemed to have a binary potential, either tasting like the dregs of a brewing experiment gone awry, or the unlikely marriage of two clashing styles into a very new idea. Lucky for me (and hopefully, you), it was the latter. Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce to you, Freigeist Abraxxxas.

It is, technically, a smoked Lichtenhainer Weisse, a tart wheat beer style that long ago fell out of fashion in Germany. Practically, it is pure liquid awesome in a glass. This is a beer that, on paper, simply should not work. However, it is a thing of beauty. The nose lets you know that this is a smoked beer, though it does not present as wildly campfire-esque as offerings from Schlenkerla. Rather, it has a nose somewhat similar to Laphroaig 10 year scotch, a peaty and sweet smell with a light funkiness. Given that at least some portion the malt in this is peat-smoked, this is not a coincidence.

Smelling is all well and good, but if we stopped there, we'd just be that creepy guy on the bus sniffing womens' (or mens') hair as they exit. We are, instead, going to be that creepy guy who...ummm....tastes...people?...on the train?.....before abandoning ill-considered metaphors. No, this beer tastes fantastic. The initial taste is light with a straw-like flavor reminiscent of a more sour Saison Dupont. What happens next is the true genius of this beer. Before the sourness completely fades, a pronounced smokiness enters and lingers before finishing off with a lightly smoked, wheaty, roundness that seems impossible given the sour dryness of the initial taste.

I have no idea how this transition occurs, but I can chalk it up to a) expert brewing techniques, b) black magic, c) German engineering, or d) all of the above. Joking aside, though I do suspect black magic,  I have never experienced a beer whose flavor transitions so drastically, but successfully, over the course of one mouthful. People claim to taste all sorts of flavor development in the average beer, which I often think is pure bullshit. Freigeist, on the other hand, have created a truly unique beer that packs many wonderful flavors into a single pour.

Though I left the bar only slightly less frustrated with my life than I went in, I am glad I took the initiative to spend time with my friends and discover this amazing new-to-me beer. I sincerely hope that you will give it a try, should you cross its path.

(Availability notes: this is distributed by Shelton Bros Imports who do Slaapmutske, De Ranke, Cambridge Brewing Co., Mikkeller, and Haandbryggeriet, so most good beer stores should be able to order this for you if you ask nicely)

COMING ATTRACTIONS. The combination of a month off from work, and a rather large birthday party has led me to acquire a rather sizable backlog of beer to try. Stay tuned for (hopefully) reviews of the following:

Image 1 From L-R: Boulevard Imperial Stout, Stone Enjoy By 02-14-2014 IPA, Victory Red Thunder, New Glarus Uff-Da, New Glarus Moon Man. 

Image 2 from L-R: New Glarus Fat Squirrel, Night Shift Taza Chocolate Stout, Night Shift Viva Habenera,  Hill Farmstead/ The Blaugies la Vermontoise. Yes, I really did get bottles of Hill Farmstead all the way down in Boston. Yes, that really is as exciting as you think it is.

21st Century Beer?

This tiny little town has a grocery store pushing for a license to sell beer.  Why this is even a fight in the first place still baffles me, but I'm excited by the fact that the store feels that this is a positive step.

I'm not, however, excited by the total power held by the borough.

"The borough has the power to deny the transfer simply because it does not want it to occur.

"They don't have to establish any type of adverse effect," said Stacy Kriedeman, state Liquor Control Board spokeswoman.

The licensee cannot appeal that decision, she said.

So...that's not exactly encouraging, in regard to this matter or their overall level of authority.  One thing is certain, though: I'll be at that hearing.  Possibly even with...gasp...notecards.

Article

Drinkin' across the country!

I'm baaaaaaaack!

It's been a busy few weeks since last I've visited.  Where to start?

St. Paul: The Happy Gnome!  Very, very cool restaurant with an outstanding taplist.  We sat outside on the deck, which basically looked and felt like you were sitting on your friend's back deck.  Benches built into the outer fence, a giant ash tree growing up straight through the floor, and low volume 90's-era WBER music playing in the background.  Extremely impressive tap list!  Should've started the night off right with a flight, but didn't think about it until it was too late!  Ended up with Surly Furious (delicious IPA) and Surly Coffee Bender (Surly Bender Brown Ale with coffee added to the brew).  Verdict: Surly makes mighty fine beer, and should distribute to wherever I live.

Next city: I don't even remember where we were after that.  San Jose?  I think so.  Wait, no, I know so.  Sharks!  Bought a six pack of Gordon Biersch Marzen from a nearby convenience store, and enjoyed the first two bottles with a massive $5 veggie burrito and the Bills/Browns game.  Drank the rest as post-show beers throughout the week.  Not an out-of-this-world beer (being four months old probably didn't help), but I've had much worse.

Los Angeles: Sadly, I found too late the beer store near the hotel with a great selection.  Speedway Stout.  Sculpin.  Numerous Lost Abbey offerings.  And plenty more that I can't remember.  Ended up with a much more manageable purchase, made entirely on the advice of this very site: Anderson Valley Hop Ottin'.  Good choice, even though it ultimately meant missing the chance to hang out with John C. Riley on the roof of our hotel.  I kid you not.  But the beer was really good, and I probably would have made an absolute dingus out of myself had I tried to introduce myself to Dr. Steve Brule himself, so it may be for the best that I stayed in.

Las Vegas (again): still somewhat angry at the guys at The Firkin for their false advertising (2-for-1 does NOT mean buy two, get the third free) and also trying to watch my intake of relatively unnecessary calories, I drank very little out here.  I did, however, get a bomber of Coronado Islander IPA from the store across the street, and it paired very well with unwinding on the luxurious L-shaped couch and Harry Potter on the big screen TV.  Normally not a fan of bombers, but $4.50 for that was better than $10 for a sixer of Torpedo, as I didn't want to drink that much during the week this time around.  Cheaper than a pint of anything nearby, too.

Oklahoma City: local!  Found a bar near (okay, 1.2 miles away from) the hotel, and left slightly disappointed after one of the two beers I really wanted to try (Witch Hunt) had just kicked.  Wet hop with mild spices added?  I know some people aren't big fans of that, but it sounded like autumn in a glass to me, and I was super excited to see how it tasted.  No such luck.  However, I did try another Oklahoma brew: Coop F5 IPA.  Super tasty!  Thick one finger head, substantial mouthfeel, perfectly carbonated, and a taste that has me contemplating a return walk if I actually get time off in this city.  Citrusy with just a tease of that west coast piney flavor.  Wonderful stuff!  Wish it was a little lower in ABV though (7%), as two pints while just sitting at the bar without doing anything is enough to make me throw in the towel.  Lightweight, I know.

Up next: Rio Rancho, NM!  I really hope I can find a place that sells bottles of Marble Brewing's stuff, as their Oatmeal Stout was one of my surprise favorite beers from my time there in 2010, and it's only sold in New Mexico.  Hotel is in the middle of nowhere though, so it could be tricky.  From there it's off to Colorado (split week = absolutely no time off, at all, period).  But then, it's a week off in Michigan...home of the most gorgeous woman on the face of the earth, and some of the best craft beer as well!  WOOOOOOOO!!!!

F5 IPA with chicken caesar wrap and sweet potato fries!

Woooo!

Last night, we arrived in Anaheim.

At a hotel within walking distance of exactly one bar.

Whose most "premium" beer is Heineken.

Except for the unlisted "we just added an IPA...it's uh...Green Flash... or something?".

Hey beer...it was good to see you last night.  I hope you're this tasty in St. Paul.

Wait, is St. Paul even the next city?

Boooo!

Tonight, we arrive in Anaheim.

At a hotel within walking distance of exactly one bar.

Whose most "premium" beer is Heineken.

No stores in walking distance.

Sorry, beer...see you in St. Paul, I guess.

Wait, is St. Paul even the next city?

Uh-oh, Pt II

Pub across the street?  2-for-1 pints all day every Tuesday.

If that includes Firestone Walker's stuff, Wednesdays could be tough.  

For the rest of the week, there's some Little Sumpin' Sumpin' in the fridge.  Couple that with the NFL Game Rewind pass that I just bought, and I can now lounge in my living room (you read that right) and watch a different Bills game on my big ol' flat screen EVERY NIGHT THAT I'M HERE.

Jealous much?

Uh-oh.

Vegas!
Directly across the parking lot: Hofbrauhaus Vegas.  But am I in danger of going?  No!

Because directly across the street: an English pub (loosely described) with a tap list that includes Arrogant Bastard, one of the DFH IPAs (didn't look closely), Deschutes Black Butte Porter, and...oh, right.  Union and Double Jack.

I'm in trouble.