Mikkeller - I Beat yoU

Yes, that's what it's called and it does what it says. For those unfamiliar with Mikkeller, he's a Danish "gypsy" brewer, moving from brewery to brewery, forgetting the rules and creating some of the most unique beers around. He's like that friend we all have that is just good at anything...you know, he can wax the floor with you at your best game, and had never even played the game before. In this case, the aforementioned Dane has brewed an american imperial IPA, at Brewdog in Scotland, and then gave it the name "I Beat yoU"!!  ...bold, very bold, sir.

Pours creamy, gold with a hearty, ivory head that lasts and lasts. Buttery up front and pine in the back, the flavor is strong, but gentle on the tongue. I like very much. It reminds me of Avery's Maharaja...which is in my top 10 list.

Touche, Mr. Mikkel Bjergso. You have won this round. The brew name speaks for itself. Your fine ale beats most of the imperial IPAs i've had enjoyed to date from some of the best craft brewers in the states. I will continue to seek out your creations for further analysis.

Imbibilicious, out.

Serving Type: bottle, 11.2 oz, $6

Glassware: Tulip

Color (hue and head): creamy, gold, cloudy. Thick, ivory head.

Taste: Buttery pine, maybe some honeysuckle

Grade: 95/100 (A)

Musical pairing: Land of Talk - Hamburg, Noon

Surroundings: Wrapping presents, enjoying beverage(s).

Schloss Eggenberg Samichlaus Bier

In these trying times of economic hardship, housing market woes, political standoffs and general American mess, the little things can pull us through. These are simple victories we all need to note today and recall to memory tomorrow, next week or maybe next year to give ourselves some perspective that the sky isn't actually falling. There's just so much more to live for other than the daily market numbers, oil prices, or the current tax rate. Some perfect examples may be your hometown NFL team pulling off a suprising Monday Night Football upset, or you found a penny on the sidewalk, or maybe you are even caught in a freak lightning hail storm at 11,000 ft, somehow make it back to town alive and the local bar opens it's doors to accomodate your need for a pick me up.

.

. 

That last part was exactly what happened to me on a recent trip to Steamboat Springs with my wife and parents. We suffered down the mountain, to the nearest town and made our way into the only bar we could find: Antlers Cafe in Yampa, CO. That all sounds pretty normal for family trips, but the thing to note here was the selection in this tiny cafe in a town of only 400 people. To be honest, the selection was minimal (only 3 brews on tap), but one of them was Samichlaus Bier...ON TAP!!

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Samichlaus Bier is a truly amazing Belgian brew that I've only seen in a few spots in KC. I've enjoyed this spicy ale a few times, but only from a bottle and only from limited venues. At 14% ABV, the situation couldn't have been more perfect. When ordering my second, I didn't even consider the day's drama, the symptoms of mild hypothermia, and the fact that someone had to drive us home.

.

.

Serving Type: Tap

Glassware: Tulip

Color (hue and head): Deep copper. Minimal head, dissipates quickly

Clarity: Translucent cloudiness

Aroma: Spices, smokey brown sugar

Taste: Spice, brandy, raisins, burnt sugar

Grade: 93/100 (A-)

Musical pairing: Beach House - Norway

Surroundings: Wet and freezing clothers. Warm an toasty brew to warm our bellies.

Can I Buy You A Drink?

Ladies, listen up. That guy at the end of the bar is doing the frat boy, head nod flirting thing, motioning for you to come over for a drink. Good looking or not, make sure you check what he's tipping back before you take up his invite. Yep, it's just as expected...a rum and coke. That guy doesn't really care about you or your health. He's only interested in...um...your 401k? While assets are important to most men, your health should be priority #1. Women's Health agrees, citing a really smart guy's research into the heart disease fighting abilities of the brew. 

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/good-health?cat=21146&tip=21150

You really should be looking for the semi-cute micro brew drinker hanging out with other "healthy" types and not being so blatantly obvious about checking out your 401k. Wink. He cares what he puts into his body and will probably get you a fresh brew too. Gatorade got nothing on a good pale ale. Here's to your health!

R.I.P. One80 in KC

One of our favorite places in KC (outstanding cocktails) is being revamped to build a true triumvirate of beer awesomeness (go look that up). According to KC Beer Blog, One80 is being revamped to create The Beer Kitchen, which looks to focus on a rotating menu with some rare, yet affordable beers...uhhh, AWESOME!

http://kcbeerblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/done80.html

More importantly, the change allows me to refer to this new gastropub as Zombie One80, bringing me back in line with the teachings of the Bill Simmons school of journalism.

Side note: As you can see from the comments in the post, The Riot Room continues to build an impressively solid list of beers on tap. 40 taps with these kinds of choices? GTFU! Definitely worth checking out what might be KC's best kept drinking secret. When you get there, tell Dallas that you want to try the Avery White Rascal or Affligem Blond.

Flying Saucer Fall Beer Festival - Brewfest Done Right

The Flying Saucer has announced its first annual beer festival and I'm going to go ahead and say what we're all thinking: Will it actually have enough beer? Yes, the KC Beerfest was a complete failure in that they ran out of beer an hour into the festival. The difference: that was benefitting a charity and this is benefiting private business...more over, this is perfect marketting opportunity. A poorly executed festival will bruise the checkbook a bit and that's motivation enough to do things right. I conclude that the beer will be flowing and put a much needed smile (or a buzzed smile) on all KC beer lovers faces. Anyway, I rant, I rant. Immediately open your outlook calendar, talk to your wife, or grab whatever typically reminds you of important events and get Sept. 11th blocked out for the day. See you there.

Yippy - a Hopsicle

For the last time people - Lime does NOT have to be infused into every beer. There's a reason why beer is infused with fruit during the brewing process and it has nothing to do with trying to make it Bud Light Lime's latest shitty cousin.

http://www.urbandaddy.com/nyc/food/10989/The_Hopsickle_Experience_Introducing_the_Beer_Popsicle_New_York_City_NYC_East_Village_Restaurant

Interesting idea but FAIL otherwise. This is a beersicle like I'm the Queen of England. And so I ask this - why not start with a better beer? If you're really so geeked about getting and calling it a hopsicle, then it should be about the taste of the beer (aka the hops, for example)...not lime, syrup, and tequilla blasphemy.

Im sure this will sell like hotcakes, I'm sure it'll be "refreshing", I'm sure people will get jacked up, but I doubt this will be a hit among true beer drinkers. Yippy, another half-assed "beer" product that lends a bad name to the world's most popular alcoholic beverage.

"Enjoy"

Grinders Beer Tasting - IPA + BBQ

"Get the door, it's ZZA-minos!" Grinders West knows two things very well - zza + craft beers. Add something else to the list - taste testing and bad-ass food pairings. Below is a great event tonight: IPA's + BBQ. Here are some of the highlights:

• Freestate Copperhead + sausage, cheddar jalapeno smoked bologna, deviled eggs
• Avery IPA + field greens w/ homemade salami
• New Belgium Belgo IPA + cedar plank Salmon
• Shlafly American IPA + grilled pork loin
• Titan IPA + mini rum cake

Bottom line - delicious AND financially responsible...tickets are $17.50 a piece. Buy some tickets, stuff yourself, and let us know how it goes.
http://blogs.pitch.com/fatcity/2010/08/grinders_west_beer_tasting_tom.php

Jimmy Carter - Our Best President

Read the title of this post. Then read it again...no, this is not a typo. To date, Carter's and his presidency has often been described in the past using such positive words as "disaster", "inept", "country bumpkin", and my personal favorite, "a better man than he was President". But this is not a political blog and I digress from the important topic of this post - BEER.

Because of BEER, it is time that the man should be lauded, even worshiped freely! As is often the case, the full effects and ramifications of a presidency cannot be felt until many years after - in Jimmy's case, it only took 30+ years for us to find something that he did well (I kid, I kid). And what a doozie it is:

http://tnr.com/blog/jonathan-chait/76819/how-jimmy-carter-saved-beer

Human rights are great, peace is what we all strive for, but beer, not cotton, is the fabric of our lives. We should all bow down to Emperor Carter, for without his divine intervention, we could all be sipping MGD 64 or Michelob Ultra at this exact moment.

For he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow...

The Greatest Beers in the World! (according to Beer Advocate)

http://beeradvocate.com/lists/top

A comprehensive, updated list is now available from the know-it-alls at BeerAdvocate.com. We doubt there is a larger, more diverse and yet scientifically calculated list, anywhere else on the Internets right now as it covers all different styles of beers and doesn't discriminate. Some quick highlights:

• Russian River is the Miami Heat, the Yankees, and Manchester United all rolled into one; some truly outstanding beers - The Pliny's checked in at #2 and #3 respectively and we agree
• Very strong showing from the Michigan breweries - Eight beers in the Top 100 between Bell's and Founders
• No Boulevard Beers, which we DO NOT agree with - No Rye-on-Rye or BBQ? Homie Please!
• You need to immediately find beers from Three Floyd's or Stone Brewing and then consume them

The moral of the story is that with a list as diverse as this, there will always be losers and beers you don't agree with. For the most part we agree with this list but at the same time it's hard to have a comprehensive, accurate list when the formula contains "number of reviews" as a variable. Maybe that explains why Oro de Calabaza doesn't make the list yet anything from Great Lakes Brewing does (in the immortal words of Dave Chapelle - "hate, hate, hate, hate").

In the end, if you can find these brews at your local beer store, they're worth the dollas required to secure them. Some you'll have to cross the Rockies for (Russian River), others you'll have to stand in line for on a specific day at the brewery (Three Floyd's Dark Lord), and others you can find in most corner store (Bell's Two-Hearted Ale).

Consume, rate them yourself, then let us know what you think.

Brew...errr...Burger Review?

The Red Devils of Manchester United came into town and I wasn't about to miss the show. No, I wasn't one of the 48,000 fans wearing red and calling it "futbol" (Hey. Guy in the Christiano Ronaldo jersey, spray tan and faux hawk. You live in America. Talk like it.)... I was one of the 4200 wearing blue and cheering the Wizards to victory; something that hasn't happened very often this year. Either way, the Wizards are best in the world, at least for a short while. Ah, but these great things were second on the day's bucket list. Blanc Burger + Bottle has opened an Arrowhead spot to serve a few of their burger/fry options to willing fans. 


By some sort of divine intervention, my tickets happened to be in the same section as their new burger spot. It was meant to be. I had heard they were opening a spot and immediately assumed Arrowhead had expanded their contracted brew options. What was I thinking? Strict stadium rules severly limit the brew options to Miller Lite only. Really? Not even Boulevard products? Well, I guess brew will have to go by the wayside for this posting...although a Blanc burger does considerably raise the grade of any watered down BS the macro conglomerate wants to pass of as brew. 

The lines were crazy and I think I noticed a little smoke coming from manager Brian Wilson's shoes. My wife and I ordered a classic with sweet potato fries, a soda and a beer for around $20. A Blanc burger raises the grade of any watered down beverage, so I won't rant any more about the only option. While not the same "made to order" flavor as the regular Blanc Burger + Bottle experience ((or cute mini shopping carts to hold your fries), the meal definitely superior to any stadium fare I've enjoyed to date. All in all, I was more than happy. My only regret was not smuggling in a Tank 7 to match the meal. I definitely think with a few more games under their belt, people are going to be skimping on their tailgate grilling in favor of a burger on the inside.


Location: The Burger Spot, section 122
Surroundings: 10 lines, 10 people deep, all hungry.
Music: The Heavy - How You Like Me Now?

Chicago's Alleys Beckon....and I Hear Their Call

The day has come for someone to return to Chicago (for his day job) and continue the noble job of finding, rating, raving about, and awkwardly throwing down pop culture references about beer. Yum, Beer! has officially moved into the relatively beer-friendly (and artsy/misunderstood) Bucktown neighborhood and is already planning his own, sad pub crawl for one. Where are the next steps?

1. Map Room (300 beers + beer school +/- futbol = Yes Please)


2. Quenchers (dive bar + ridiculous beer selection + steps from my door - pretentiousness) = Dive Bar 2.0!)


3. Floyd's (my wife likes this place = I'm not in trouble!)

There will soon be reviews of these places, food (if I need it to soak up the 8 %'ers), and reviews on the copious amount of beers that are tried. Stay tuned and we'll head out on this Chicago beer journey together!

Prost!

Brew Review – Pliny the Elder

It has been over a month since my last submission. Sounds a bit like confession, but, hey, I went to Catholic school for 13 years and that guilt thing seemed to have seeped in a bit. Anyway, vacations were taken, friends were married, kickball championships were siezed, and time was managed poorly in between... oh, but the sweet beverage was flowing all the while, thanks to Yum! Beer for stocking Tank 7 at his wedding reception. Props to you, sir!

Speaking of good brew and festivities, I'd like to shed light on a beverage that quickly hopped into my top 10 list of brews during my brief blogging sabbatical. It celebrates the Roman scholar responsible for creating the botanical name for hops: "Lupus salictarius", meaning wolf among scrubs. Pliny the Elder is a double IPA, tasting of fresh pine, with an extremely clean and crisp finish. It's brewed by Russian River in Santa Rosa, CA, making it impossible to find in KC. Unless you know a guy out west who's willing to transport booze across multiple state lines (thanks again John K), I recommend a quick 8 hour trip to Argonaut Liqours in Denver. Your tastebuds will thank you for it.

Serving Type: 500 mL bottle

Glassware: Tulip

Color (hue and head): Deep, golden copper. Minimal head, dissipates quickly.

Clarity: Translucent cloudiness

Aroma: The northwest in the fall. Piney trees, pine cones, fallen pine needles in the snow...and hops.

Taste: Identical to the aroma. Wanted to immediately grab a flannel shirt, a map, and a backpack and head into the wild.

Grade: 97/100 (A+)

Musical pairing: Frightened Rabbit - The Lonliness and the Scream

Surroundings: Barbequing ribs with Yum! Beer and enjoying a Saturday of freedom (from the wives)

Come one, come all - World's First Beer Bloggers Conference

Fellow beer bloggers, Jom112 stumbled upon this the other day and alerted us to its presence:

http://beernews.org/2010/06/world%E2%80%99s-first-beer-bloggers-conference-announced-are-you-going/

It's sponsored by Draft magazine and the Colorado Brewers Guild, is in Colorado (which gives us access to not only local breweries but many "left" coast beers that you can't get in KC or Chicago), and is held in the Boulder Marriott. Yay for Marriott points.

The potential for this event's awesomeness is through the roof - $95 for a weekend and the chance to rub elbows with anywhere from lil ol citizen bloggers like ourselves to industry blogging big wigs to brewery reps? Yes please.

Head West young men (and women)!!

Brew Review - Caldera IPA

Brew Reviews are back (we'd like to say they're better than ever, buuuutttt...yeah)! We thought it appropriate to start off with a summery brew that we've been drinking a bit of lately in the Caldera IPA. CANNED Caldera IPA.

We don't know much, but we do know that we were told long ago, "Canned beer = evil". And outside of our occasional 10-12-18 hr drinking binges, we don't really disagree...until now. To be clear, this isn't your father's $2.99 six pack, but instead a $14 six pack that puts a healthy dent in your wallet. Are there more affordable/possibly better brews on the market? Sure, but we feel that the can is part of the novelty. Plus, in that outdoorsy Oregon way, the can's descriptions of eXtreme/non-couch based activities makes you feel bad that you aren't rafting some category 5's at that moment.

Simply put, we liked the beer. The beer poured a nice, light golden/amber color with less than an inch of off white foam. The smell is what got us - heavy, floral hops and super super "clean". A boner quotient of 4 if you will (you'll hear us use that lingo every now and then...we don't even know what it means). Unfortunately, the taste was a slight let down compared to how great the smell was. Caldera has a good piney, grassy, flowery after-taste that has some maltiness and only a little bit of hop. Being huge DIPA fans and all around bad asses, we wanted the hops to be a bit bolder and more inline with the smell. Still, overall enjoyable and worth purchasing when my Christmas bonus shows up.

Music-wise, this beer screams Blitzen Trapper - Black River Killer. Laid back, the twang of the guitar in the background, dangerous undertones (listen to the lyrics, it is about a killer after all), it's all there. When we listen to this song we visualize ourselves drinking a Caldera IPA straight outta the can with our currently unpurchased cowboy boots up on the rail of our currently unpurchased Craftsman house.

Serving Type: CAN (!!!!!)
Glassware: Nonic pint glass (and some straight out of the can)
Color (hue and head): Light amber with an off-white head
Clarity: Settles clear

Aroma: Intense floral notes, citrus hops, grassy, clean

Taste: Hoppy, a bit of a malt aftertaste, piney Grade: 87 (B+)

Musical Pairing: Blitzen Trapper - Black River Killer

Surroundings: At home, eating a Chicken Fajita Burrito from Jalapenos

White Collared, Non-Beer Industry Workers Unite!

For WE can exact change!

What is that change, you ask? We demand two things - 1) the ability to drink beers on the job and 2) the ability to become outraged when our morning and afternoon snack beer drinking privileges are restricted.

We've been doing a number of news and non-brew review articles lately, but we felt we had to post and discuss what is quite possibly the largest global news story of the last two months:

http://www.cnbc.com/id/36314745

Just when we think we're the greatest nation in the world, we are forced to gaze to the East to a little beer producing nation named Denmark in order to be rudely awakened. How many jobs in the States can we drink during the work day? "Entrepreneur", artist, un-employed? There is but one professional job named "brewer" which employs roughly .1% of our workforce. Now, how many jobs do you know where you can both drink AND operate heavy machinery? Exactly.

As a nation we've come a long way in our 230 year existence. From democracy to alternating current (thanks Crispin Glover) to legal at home brewing, we've been a nation of invention and progress. Sadly, this article shows us just how much more progress needs to be made.

Imagine a society where we can pound beers from dawn to dusk while being paid for our professional skills. A society where we are left to our own "responsibilities" in order to limit our drinking on the job. A society where drunken markering, sexting, and liquid courage would be just as likely to occur at 10 am as it would at 10 in the evening.

Our demands are simple...our demands are absolute. Unite workers, unite!

Bud Light Lime: Evidence that God Hates Us

My colleagues have invested considerable time and energy into sharing the gems of the craft beer world. I trust you've found their work both enjoyable and highly educational. Sadly, I do not hold similar beer street creds, nor can I express myself in the beer connoisseur vernacular. For example, some of the common words I use to describe my favorite beers include: "really good," "f'n good," "dude, it's rad" and "more."

My intent here is not necessarily to educate, but to occasionally warn the public that all is not magical and delicious in the world of alcoholic beverages. The truth is that some beers significantly decrease your quality of life. As such, let's take a moment to highlight one of these unpleasant beverages, before it ruins your relationships with co-workers, friends and family. And if you have no idea what I'm talking about, well you sir, you have never tried Bud Light Lime.

Let's break it down:

Commercial promise: "Bud Light Lime: The Summer State of Mind"

Glassware: Bottle, can, red cup, vase, novelty plastic coconut, etc. It's 95 degrees out and you're half in the bag already, so anything goes.

Color: Like Bud Light's slightly gay cousin. It appears to glow, but hey it's 2010, you can expand your horizons a bit.

Aroma: Like a lime candle.

Taste: Panic, sheer terror ensues. Quick, you've either just drank a melted, lime candle or have been subjected to a very unfunny practical joke. Chase immediately with Mike's Hard Lemonade or kerosene... whichever is closer.

Grade: 45/100 (F-) . Points awarded solely for its ability to enable practical jokes.

Musical Pairings: Is there a specific audio frequency that induces nausea? Well, until scientists can help you out there, Nickelback or Chipmunks remixes on YouTube will have to do.

Surroundings: May invade the cooler of your upcoming BBQ. The guy in the visor brought it. Also, it's the only possible beer on tap in Dante's Inferno.

Blind Squirrel, Great Success!

Throw in some malt, some hop, a few gallons of water and a touch of faith and you get some damn good brew. Six weeks ago, Yum! Beer, Investor #1, and I spent a nice little Saturday whipping together a concoction of ingenious design (instructions included). Finally, after two weeks of fermentation and four weeks of bottle aging, the Blind Squirrel Nut Brown was ready for unveiling. A good balance of malt and hop, not to heavy and not too light, hint of spice and everything nice...not to toot our own horns, but it rocks! We are pleasantly surprised with our first brew batch and eager to start a second. Have you tasted the Blind Squirrel?

Serving Type: 22 oz Bottle

Glassware: Pint

Color (hue and head): Amber, translucent caramel. Half inch head, sticks around in a lacy fashion.

Clarity: Slightly cloudy.

Aroma: Malts, nuts.

Taste: Malty, nutty, hints of brown sugar and spice. Maybe a bit of vanilla. Simple and exact.

Grade: 86/100 (B)

Musical pairing: The Decemberists - I Was Meant for the Stage

Surroundings: Enjoying a nice spring afternoon with the Yum! Beer and Investor #1

I like Beer + I like Food

No kidding, a serious post. Shocking, I know...

One of our main goals when creating this blog was to provide an easy way for people to relate to and enjoy beer, as well as let them know basic things about beer - including what types of beer to pair with what types of food.

SPOILER ALERT:

Pairing food and beer is not an exact science...it's Picasso, it's Warhol, it's Dali, it's Georgia O'Keefe (she gets props just for painting women's hoo has as flowers) - in a word, it's ART. For us personally, we feel that what makes beer superior to wine is that you can actually sometimes go the complete opposite of what is suggested with a certain type of food and still come out with a masterpiece - recent case in point? Boulevard Dark Truth Stout with Jalapeno's Chicken Fajita Burrito.

For me personally, I've used three good websites to validate my pairings and to determine if I can stretch my love of certain styles of beers to foods that don't traditionally pair well. Check them all out, you won't be disappointed:

http://stoutburgersandbeers.com/

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style_pairings/25 (obvi)

http://www.beertown.org/education/pairing.html

Cheers + Yum!

Wade Boggs - Swinging his way to a beer store near you

OMG, the title doesn't even do this justice.

http://64millerlites.blogspot.com/2008/02/test.html

I've determined that Wade Boggs is not only better at hitting than you but he's also a better person. We've determined that he's willing to grab your shirt, pull you close, and promptly slam 50 brews right in your face...in a row (or at least in a 12 hr period). He'll knock you out of the park; you'll be stranded on first while he's rounding the bases; he'll Usain Bolt you during the Sausage Race at Miller Park. Chuck Norris, you've been Wade Boggs-ed.

We don't usually endorse this level of consumption, especially of macro brews. However, after reading what we now take as gospel, we should all take this opportunity to salute Wade Anthony Boggs as a true American hero.

For Wade Boggs, it's Miller Time all the time

Beer Circus - Uhhh, Awesome

Question - is there anything better than the circus + beer?

Answer - Very doubtful, unless that beer is Lagunitas + that "circus" is a mish mash of burlesque shows, mimes, contortionists, all for a good cause (music festival).

If you're in Petaluma, CA on May 16th, get there...if not for anything but the 10 tokens worth of buzzed deliciousness. If you're not sure if you're in Petaluma, CA, grab a map and look to see if you're kitty corner from Napa and San Fran.

"It's the Lagunitas Beer Circus …Sample beers from 10 local breweries and food from 8 local restaurants!Sunday, May 16 1 – 6 pm Tickets $35Fundraiser for the Petaluma Music Festival (keeping music in our schools) Call for tickets: 707-769-4495 or go to the Lagunitas TapRoom Wed – Sunday "

It's Official - Beers for all!

Well not really, but we're pretty proud of ourselves and our wittiness...May 22nd marks a hallowed day in our beer world, for it is the day that we pop open a few of our OWN beers and promptly name them the greatest beers ever...in the world...of all time!

A triumvirate was able to finally get together, pool our own "angel funding", and come up with a name that we don't totally hate - Sixth Day Brewing Company. The little ditty below pretty much sums up the entire operation:

"On the sixth day, God created man. Man created beer. On the seventh day, He drank a brew, and rested."

I'm sure you've never heard that before, but in case you have, it came from our own pious minds. The beer we're brewing? A very basic nut brown ale called "Blind Squirrel Nut Brown Ale". It has all the makings of awesomeness (based solely on following the directions), but we'll be sure to provide a non-biased review and a glimpse into how the unveiling goes.

Now go forth to thy local beer shoppe and reward thyself with a delicious beer!

Cheers!

Brew Review - El Mole Ocho

Man law = no fruit in beer, but it doesn’t refer to vegetables in any way.  New Holland noticed this loophole in legislation, taking a stab at a brew with flavors of a traditional mole sauce (dried chilies and Mexican chocolate). At first sip, the chili pepper flavor with a malty backbone is interesting and a welcomed deviation from the norm. From smell to mouth feel to aftertaste, chili pepper is the captivating thought. I found myself frantically searching the kitchen for a bag of Lil' Guy's tortilla chips. All that and a bag of chips? Unfortunately not. Halfway through the bomber of brew, the chili flavor wavered from interesting to borderline annoying. Where’s the cocoa? I couldn't locate the mole flavor in the beer at all...only chili peppers and minimal coffee. Like a Michael Scott diversity day seminar, the brew grade quickly headed south in snowball fashion. While I welcome the creativity, I’m left with 22 oz of missed opportunity. That’s what she said! Muahahaha! I'm not going to put the kibosh on vegetables in beer just yet. We’ll just say the jury is still out on the subject, needing more evidence to make a final ruling. I’m hoping for a stronger execution down the road. Meanwhile, I picked up some Lil' Guy's, salsa, and a fine 6 pack of IPA from my favorite brewery in Fort Collins. I’ll take my vegetables beside my beer for now.

Serving Type: Bottle (22 oz)

Glassware: Tulip

Color (hue and head): Pours caramel brown, with minimal to no head. Looks like a beer that should change your life.

Aroma: Chili peppers, smoky, spicy.

Taste: Chili peppers, minimal coffee, chili peppers, maybe a molecule of cocoa, and chili peppers…missed the mark on mole. Spicy finish with chili breath for the rest of the evening.

Grade: 77/100 (C+)

Musical pairing: The Mars Volta – Viscera Eyes (English mixed with Spanish, but rocks your socks off…contrary to review)

Surroundings: Porching it with some ale drinking amigos. Enjoying spring in KC.

Twisted Pine Brewery - Homer Simpson eats a Guatemalan Insanity Pepper

Actually, we're really talking about the the invention of a "Ghost Chili" beer called "Ghost Face Killah" by Twisted Pine Brewing Company, based in Boulder, Colorado. We know absolutely zero about this brewery, but we have to applaud its "balls" in making a beer that seems considerably less friendly than Casper ever was, plus we love the shout out to our favorite of the Wu Tang Clan. "Surprisingly", they have timed the release of this beer to coincide with Cinco de Mayo, the annual rite of passage for American's to celebrate our friendly neighbor to the south. It seems to be available in only Colorado, Texas, and Louisiana, so please let us know if you can get your hands on it and give us a good review:

"Colorado Brewery Brews Hottest Beer on Earth

Twisted Pine releases a Ghost Chili Beer

Boulder, Colorado – April 26th 2010 – Why brew a beer so hot that it melts taste buds and brings tears to drinkers’ eyes? To do something different. In a world full of pilsners, pale ales and porters trying to think a little more outside of the box keeps things exciting. Twisted Pine takes pride in making unique craft beers many of which combine flavors that have never been conceived before. “Ghost Face Killah” ghost chili beer packs the heat of 6 chilies including anaheim, fresno, jalapeño, serrano, habenero and the infamous ghost chili. The beer will be released May 5th at the Twisted Pine Cinco de Mayo party and again at the Snowmass Chili and Beer Festival. While pouring Billy’s Chilies Chili Beer at the Chili and Beer Festival last year, the crowd’s reaction was, “don’t you have anything hotter?” Be careful what you ask for. A little less than a year later brewers stumbled across a chili called Bhut Jolokia, better known as the ghost chili (the hottest chili on earth). The ghost chili is one of those foods you must earn the right to eat. In fact, the bag it arrived in came with a very stern warning label touting one million scoville units, which is five times hotter than a habenero. Needless to say, a little bit of this chili goes a long way. However, “once you get over the initial heat of the chili, you are left with a very flavorful smokiness,” says brewer Jeff Brumley. Chili beer is not a new concept at Twisted Pine who is known for brewing the ever so popular Billy’s Chilies. Billy’s Chilies Beer is a light wheat beer infused with 5 fresh peppers and was initially brewed as somewhat of a novelty. Five years later, sales of the chili beer are soaring. With brewers allowed much freedom in the brewery it was only a matter of time until “Ghost Face Killah” ghost chili beer came to fruition. One of a kind beers are something Twisted Pine is known for with past releases including Poison Fish, a ginger wasabi beer, “The Truffle,” a chocolate raspberry beer infused with coffee, and “Holy Mole,” a chocolate chili beer. While the Guinness Book of World Records is still pending, one taste should be enough to assure you; this is something truly unique."

Salud!

Blanc Burger + Bottles - King of kings

Hey fella, how do you feel about gourmet burgers? Young, respectful lady, do you enjoy many micro brews featured prominently? If you answered coherently, your answers were most likely “I feel good, I tend to like them better than room temperature UV + Pink Lemonade drank at my local house party”. In that case, we are recommending a gathering spot for you – Blanc Burgers + Bottles.

This is the very first of our reviews featuring local watering holes and rightfully so since Blanc has been anointed King over the Burger and Bottle fiefdom (if you don’t believe us, fine…just check the articles below). Sometimes we tend to be a bit biased, but even our non-beer friends love the food, atmosphere, and beers we’ve introduced them to at this glorious place. Here are some highlights:

• 110 beers in bottle (if you can find Hitachino beers you know you’ve hit the sweet spot) featuring such personal favorite breweries as Avery, Lagunitas, Bells, Boulevard, Left Hand, Dogfish Head
• Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout – nothing more needs to be said
• Burgers that include Au Poivre, $100 (think deliciousness + awesomeness), mahi mahi, kobe, bison, kangaroo (had it once, sans boxing gloves and bad attitude)
• A giant black board that details the daily specials
• A fry selection that includes truffle fries, sweet potato fries, and onions rings the size of your best friend’s bulbous head, all in mini shopping carts
• Local ingredients and businesses used for mustard, cheese, etc (extra points for repping their “hood”)
• Manager named Brian, an overall high quality dude who isn’t afraid to kiss babies and dole out free apps to get you to come back, and who mysteriously ends up with cases of awesome beers incorrectly
• Bar Manager named Ryan who is lead singer in a pretty sweet band named “Heroes + Villians”, who indirectly got us not sober with Dallas at the Riot Room

In all seriousness, we’ve drank at some pretty sweet establishments in both KC and Chicago and most lack the rare quadfecta of overall quality, selection, atmosphere, and humility (don’t fret Map Room, Villians Bar and Grill, or Riot Room – we’ve got reviews coming soon and you all graduated at the top of your class). If you enjoy a great bottle beer selection, some very knowledgeable folks in terms of beer and food pairings, manners, and hot skanks (I made up the last part), then please check out Blanc – I’ll bet the deed to Imbibilicious's place that you aren’t disappointed.

Don’t believe me? Why don’t you take a look at some of the hot publicity heaped on this place as of late:

http://tags.draftmag.com/?s=blanc+burger (Draft magazine – also named one of “the best beer and burger spots” in the May/June issue of the mag)

http://www.kctv5.com/video/23068181/index.html

http://www.burgerbusiness.com/?p=4147 (the Duke University of the 2010 Burger Bracket)

Our advice – grab your sack o nickels and order a $100 burger + a Rogue Hazelnut Brown. Wolf it down and then tell Brian and Ryan that we should get free beers for being “right”.

Blanc Burger can be found at two locations, but our favorite is the Country Club Plaza location at:

4710 Jefferson St.
Kansas City, MO 64112
816.931.6200

Overall grade: A

Brewfest - KC Beerfest

May 22nd is coming fast. The KC Beerfest only 4 weeks away and scheduled perfectly on the heels of the Parkville Microbrewfest. I feel as if I was warming up my taste buds for the next round. With a national/international lineup of Laquanitas, Bear Republic, Ommegang, Great Divide, Dieu du Ciel (Montreal), Karmeliet (Belgium), Mikkeller (Denmark), and of course Boulevard and Free State, I'll be in brew heaven...well, after I bribe St. Peter with a $25 fee to let me through the gates.

Of course, with brewers from all over the nation, we can only assume the distributors and reps of many labels will be running the tasting tents. Yes, I understand this is a "beerfest" and not a "microbrewfest," but I believe in having a reputable resource of knowledge providing the tasting of the brews. I'm not saying that all beer reps are lacking in the knowledge department, but there's something to show when a brewery has actually employees explaining the fruits of their labor. I'm not referring to the "John.Q. I know everything there is to know about this beer" rep, but the one who is more concerned with how the brew gets you drunk vs how it tastes, how it's made, how it's different.

I can hear my pal, Yum,Beer!, explaining to me, "Imbibiliciousness, you're being so negative." Well, I don't mean to be so negative, but as I peruse the list of expected tasting tent tenants and run across the likes of Ed Hardy Beer and Heineken USA, I can't deny the picture of a 23 yr old kid in the latest Affliction outfit trying to explain the subtle nuances of the latest bud water 55 commercial. When his counterpart female states, ''that's so hot right now," I give the stink- eye and move on.

All in all, the festivities will be great, the people will be friendly, and the brew will flow steadily. I look forward to posting some of the more personable/intimate tasting notes to the blog and to seeing all of you there...except when I give you the stink eye. Cheers!