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Finally, a vegetarian beer dinner in Richmond! Don’t know how I managed to miss this one, but local veggie restaurant/hipster haunt Ipanema is hosting a self-titled “Beer Feast” featuring some quality brews and a lineup of delectable dishes. The fun begins January 13th at 6:30pm at 917 West Grace Street.
My only hope is that none of the beers featured are on tap. Nearly every time I’ve visited Ipanema, any draft beer they serve is off… and we’re not talking about managing cask ale here. I’m talking more-bitter-than-normal Brooklyn Brown, or sweeter-than-usual Dogfish Head 60 Minute. So if any of the beers featured are served on tap at this dinner, I would implore the place to clean their lines a little better. 
Although I’m no stranger to this establishment, I’ve only recently discovered how good their food is. Even die-hard carnivores kindly compliment their smoked gouda sandwich. When I go out on the town, a good portion of my money goes toward drinking better beer rather than eating anything in a restaurant, so I guess you have to pick your battles. Richmond has its fair share of foodies, and though I do enjoy a good meal, the beer comes first. I guess I should listen to them whenever I get hungry. Nevertheless, I’m tempted to attend this shindig despite the $45 entry fee. I know they’ve got costs to cover, and I’ve yet to see an all-veggie lineup for a beer dinner in the area, so I feel obligated to go on both accounts.
It’s good to see beer getting some notariety, especially here in Richmond, but I can’t help but thinking that I can be of service. If there’s a beer-related event happening in the River City, or you run/know of an establishment in town that serves better beer, feel free to drop me a line and I’ll help get the word out. If you’ve got a web presence, I’ll add it to the Beer in Virginia page. I hate missing the boat on such sudsy soirees, as sometimes these things fly under the radar. I’d love to assist any local restaurant in preparing an event of this nature, or just be a beer consultant on the side. Do I have any professional credentials in the beverage industry? No. But I spend enough money on beer to get a little something in return, and maybe offer some good advice along the way.
Hire me.
I’m sure by now most of you are sick of reading year-end top-ten lists that have little to no impact on your lives. And while I’d love to buck this fine tradition, who am I to go against the grain (bill)?
Just as I did around this time last year, I’ve decided to make a list of five beers I got a kick out of this year. Not necessarily anything brand new or out of the ordinary, and definitely not a hierarchical list, just beers that I found myself returning to or desperately longing to taste once again. With the new year fast approaching, it’s time to get down to my favorites in 2008. Let’s get this party started right.
1. Pilsner Urquell: Call me what you will, but just know that to mock the great Stefan Urkelle would be utter foolishness. Okay, so green bottles aren’t the most ideal packaging for beer due to potential light damage. And alright, maybe this is one of those “too corporate to be cool” beers. But you know what? It’s widely available, reasonably priced, and delicious when you buy it in covered 12-packs that prevent skunkiness. Plus, it’s great to give to guests who aren’t all about nerding out on their beer, such as myself. Pilsner Urquell was my go-to beer in 2008, plain and simple.
2. Ayinger Oktober Fest-Märzen: As soon as this beer hit the shelves in Richmond, I picked up a bottle. But as the month wore on, I found myself grabbing another, and another, one at a time here and there. Why I didn’t go in on a case of this with my homey Steve is beyond me. Toasty bread and a touch of caramel sweetness with very subtle, fruity esters; what more could you want out of an Oktoberfestbier? It’s liquid bread, and I loves me some bread. Once it got close to Thanksgiving, I asked myself in a Paula Cole voice, “Where have all the Märzens gone?” Then I realized why I was talking to myself…
3. Hoppy Otter: I really can’t say enough good things about this beer. Complex but straightforward and pleasingly juicy, it features American hops with a solid Maris Otter malt base, making for an incredibly smooth-drinking IPA. Not only that, but it has what many in the India Pale Ale category seem to lack – balance. By showcasing its goods in such a manner, you’re allowed to see the interplay between its American hops and British malt. At various points during 2007, I’d stumble upon this beer in a store or beer bar and couldn’t turn it down, which made the decision-making process a breeze. And with a label like that, how could you? It’s tough to argue with a beer you could drink all year ’round.
4. Long Trail Double Bag: A deliciously drinkable Alt-style beer, Double Bag masks its 7.2%abv with plenty of toffee malt notes and a nutty backing. The nose is a tempting bouquet, and its light body makes it sippable for most any month on the calendar. Long Trail is part of the diverse and thriving beer culture coming out of the tiny state of Vermont, showing that it’s more than just Magic Hat, so it was great to get a peek at what’s going on in parts of New England that often get overlooked. Though a friend had gifted me a six pack earlier in the year after a trip up north, I found myself pining for this tasty nectar by July.
5. Flying Dog Gonzo Barrel-Aged Imperial Porter 2005: One of the most complex beers I tried all year, and the fact that it was approximately three years old didn’t hurt it a bit. Injected with Brettanomyces, the barrel-aged Gonzo was not your average oaky dark beer. With hints of bourbon, funk, and mocha, this was a true treat. While I wish I had several bottles in my cupboard awaiting consumption, I realize that its limited release is what makes it special; thatt’s part of the experience of enjoying better beer.
Sometimes you can stock up and sip the good stuff all year long. Other times, you’ve got to savor the moment because it may be the only one you’ll have with a particular beer. Sounds a lot like life, doesn’t it?
Although there were several other beers worth a mention, many of them were already featured on this blog. If you’ve got a beer you really enjoyed the heck out of this year, be it widely available or rare as hen’s teeth, feel free to rant about it in the comments section. I do actually read that stuff, partly because it makes my life easier when poring over a 15-page beer menu or standing at the Wall o’ Beer in some store. Anyway, have a safe and happy holiday season. Zivjeli!
As you may or may not be aware, I’ve already voiced my opinion on malted beverages with strange additives that happen to be manufactured by breweries but seem to defy definition. Alcopops. Malternatives. Whatever.
Well, it’s been announced that MillerCoors is reformulating their Sparks brand - by taking out the caffeine, taurine, ginseng, and guarana; you know, the stuff they put in it that gave you a splitting headache before you’d get a hangover. Now you’ll just have to rely solely on its alcohol content and refreshing taste.
After being harangued by certain states’ attorneys general and sued by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, MillerCoors has agreed to remove all the pep from their popular beverage with a bonus buzz, and Anheuser-Busch already agreed to do the same back in June with its Tilt and Bud Extra brands. For all intents and purposes, it appears both megabrewers will no longer add stimulants to any of their products.
Now don’t get me wrong – I’m no nanny-state ninny here, and I don’t want to hop in a time machine and return to 1920. But I’d rather see the brewing conglomerates focus their energies on better beer, and if it means you gotta crack a few eggs to make an omelette, then so be it. Do I think MillerCoors and ABInBev are marketing to kids? Not necessarily five year-olds, but I’m sure they realize their products are popular among the college-age crowd, a great many of whom are under 21, but also many who are of legal drinking age. There’s that fine line.
And not to get too tangential, but doesn’t this raise some questions about the bigger issue here? What if marketing strategies for alcoholic beverages were more responsible, in conjunction with parents educating their kids about responsible drinking by treating them like young adults? It’s tough to swindle someone that is already a savvy consumer, so the question of marketing to these “kids” could become irrelevant, and could also lead to better beer for more refined palates. Beer-fare for the common man, if you will.
The thing is, we’re already seeing these breweries take a different tack with their products, such as with Budweiser American Ale, which in my opinion isn’t bad and is a major step up for Anheuser-Busch. It shows you the kind of beer they’re capable of brewing in those state-of-the-art facilities of theirs, but also the method to their marketing. Michelob “crafts a better beer“. Budweiser gets bolder. Craft beer is on the rise, while alcopops could be waning, or at best standing on unsteady ground, considering this development.
Back in February, I hoped these beverages would be purged from the market. Instead, I got the next best thing: a crippling blow delivered by settling out of court and an agreement to refomulate the recipes. So maybe the malternative lives on, but not without life support. And in that case, this drinks category could be going the way of the Zima.
There’s more than a little irony in the fact that in the birthplace of beer, the fermented beverage itself is predominantly prohibited. Granted, the original homebrew may have been more happenstance than applied science, but in many Islamic countries, the production and consumption of alcohol is banned outright.
States that institute Sharia, which is Islamic law, forbid alcohol for obvious religious reasons. This isn’t a judgment call here on any religion, and is not meant to be a sermon in its own right, but the opening of a brewery in southern Sudan is a surprising turn of events, to say the least. It was only in 2005 that a peace accord had been reached between the warring factions of the Muslim north and mostly Christian south, and that agreement granted the south more autonomy in regional government, leading to a secular political environment there. The brewery opening could have a dramatic impact on relations between the two parts of the country, as well as its economic prosperity.
SABMiller, among other larger brewing firms, has recently been discussing ways to become more “green” in its approach. Personally, I see this as a way to save on transportation costs moreso than being down with Mother Earth on some posi vibes, but if it produces the same result then by all means, proceed. Nevertheless, residents could be seeing a locally produced beer with agricultural ingredients from the area. While it may be mere speculation at this point, local farmers could stand to benefit from selling their crops to the brewery, and a sorghum beer (which is a popular homebrew in the region) may not be far off.
The reintroduction of a brewery in Sudan will bring in an estimated 250 jobs according to Reuters, and bring an end to importing beer from Uganda at a princely sum. As a semi-autonomous portion of the country, the south is now asserting itself in the alcohol trade, which could provide a much-needed economic spark in the near future if things remain calm politically.
But Samson Kwaje, the agricultural minister in southern Sudan, made a seemingly benign yet ominous comment about this decision when he stated: “We will not only be consuming but producing alcohol. It’s a serious political message of one country, two systems.”
Don’t expect too much from me in the coming weeks. If I had my druthers, I’d be reclined on a fluffy couch somewhere surrounded by cases of Nøgne Ø with the heat off and video games on the tube. Sadly (or perhaps the opposite), this is not the case. The holidays bring out the best in people, and they really just bring out the people period, so the merriment will be keeping me away from the computer periodically.
But while I’ve got your attention, I’ll briefly mention an upcoming event at Capital Ale House Downtown, which is conveniently located seconds away from my apartment. It’s called Black Moonday, and it’s going down January 26, 2009 to coincide with the first solar eclipse and dark moon of the year. According to their update, they’re featuring the “heaviest, darkest, rarest stouts,” along with some superfluous commentary about how heavy and dark these beers are. ‘Twill officially be going down at 5pm, so bring your kids.
I’ve recently mentioned my craving for the malty stuff around this time of year, and right now I haven’t gotten my fix. It’s too bad this event is a month out, but I’m sure I can find a way to waste my money on imperial stouts until then.
Not sure if this is a prototype or the real deal, but it appears that Cafe Gutenberg has a new website. It just so happens to feature a review by yours truly; so my plan for turning a limited blogosphere presence into kickbacks and favors is going swimmingly…
In the interest of becoming a more useful resource rather than just a tool (get it?), I’ve decided to put up a page dedicated to Virginia beer. I’ve gotten questions in the past regarding where the best places in the Commonwealth for good beer are, but it all depends on what kind of beery experience you’re looking for. Well, look no further, my friend. Or, maybe not too much further… okay, just don’t avert your gaze altogether.
I give you Beer in Virginia. Clicking that tab up at the top will get you there, too. Look at all these link options for that one page; see how useful I’m becoming? I know it’s not that snazzy of a name, so if you’ve got something better in mind, feel free to tell me. Also, let me know of any beer-worthy spots around the state or in Richmond that you think should be added to the list. I was hoping to shed some light on the Virginia beer landscape, with part of the focus staying on the River City, so we’ll see how this thing progresses.
The inspiration for this page came from the newly-formed Chesapeake Region Alliance of Beer Bloggers, as it’s made me think about providing residents, readers, and potential visitors to our lovely Commonwealth with information they might need on finding good beer. I’d call it more of a loose confederation than an alliance, at least at this point, but it could develop into something bigger. If anything, it’s a way for beer bloggers in Virginia, Maryland, and DC to strengthen our affiliations and spread the good beer news in/about our area. Plus, it could foster meetings and events in the future, and that can’t be a bad thing. You can find out more about the group by clicking the C.R.A.B.B. links to the right. Go on over and check out these awesome area beer blogs.
So keep me in the loop with suggestions or ideas for improvement. If there’s something else you’d like to see or have a question about, drop me a line about that as well.
Zivjeli!
Whilst out and about this Sunday, I realized that I had not yet been to the fabled and fairly new Whole Foods Market here in the Richmond area. But I couldn’t settle for just one; I decided to hit two markets, as a matter of fact. World Market is right across the street, and I needed to pick up gifts for people seeing as how it’s the holiday season. I’d be a pariah if I didn’t start getting into the spirit soon, but shopping isn’t exactly my favorite pastime 
in the world. Okay, maybe beer shopping is, but that’s a completely different animal.
I was already feeling the late-afternoon sleepies when we arrived at World Market at the suggestion of a friend. Come to think of it, I’d never been to this market either. What have I been doing with my life? Well, at first I was slightly overwhelmed with the array of niche home decor products in the store, but began to warm up to the place, particularly when I saw they had a beer section. Small though it may have been, they had selections from Bell’s, Fuller’s, Westmalle, even the Ridgeway holiday series imported by the Shelton Brothers, amongst other things. Pretty damned impressive if you ask me. So impressive that I picked up a Lump of Coal Stout and a sixer of Fuller’s ESB. Bring on the winter chill, my friend. [Note: that's winter chill, not Miller chill...]
As you may have already guessed, I walked out of there with more gifts for myself than for friends and family. That’s not my fault though, you know I like beer. I have no idea what you’re into, so don’t expect a miracle when it comes to your gift.
Then it was off to Whole Foods. First of all, the entrance to this place is somewhat odd. It doesn’t face the road, and there’s a strange atrium you walk through initially. That and the high prices bother me. And the sheer size of the place. You want to talk about overwhelming… I was definitely not prepared when I set foot in there. The goal was to get the necessary 
foodstuffs to make dinner that night, but I just found myself glassy-eyed and confused, walking amongst the aisles of plenty in a daze.
Until I found the beer section. I felt bad about not helping pick out the items we needed to make our meal, but at the same time, a kind of paralysis came over me when I gazed upon the shelves of beer, lit by a heavenly white light overhead. They had Schneider gift packs, with weizen glass, in a nearby row. There were bombers of Legend and Richbrau as a nod to the locals. There were what looked like Belgians that I’d never even heard of. There were Rogue special release bottles, Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence, Brooklyn Local 1, Allagash Curieux, even offerings from De Dolle. Many of these beers actually had a reasonable price tag on par with local beer shops, but especially compared to the rest of the things in the store.
There were so many six-packs and bottles of quality stuff on that aisle, it was hard to keep focused. And they didn’t even sell Budweiser. Not that I want people to go Bud-less, which happened to some hapless old-timer after repeatedly asking a guy who worked there, “Where’s your Budweiser?” It’s just that it saves me time looking past all the Natural Ice and Busch Light and Old Milwaukee. It shows me that this place is all class when it stocks mostly good stuff.
I ended up playing it fiscally responsible and just bought a six-pack of Pipeline Porter from Kona Brewing. That’s a little something I like to call restraint, my friend. Trust me, I didn’t think I had it in me either.
Being roughly twenty minutes away from the city (where yours truly lays his head) and having prices that would likely deter me for most items any grocery store has to offer, I don’t know that I’ll be coming back all that often for food. People swear by this place, but those people have a lot more disposable income than I do. And beer can be expensive in its own right, especially if you like to nerd out on it like I do at times. Believe me, I’m working on correcting this.
When it comes down to it, there’s a smaller market that has enough costly organic produce and just as many pretentious shoppers with prices to match not ten minutes away from me, so what would I need to go all the way out to Whole Foods for? All the specialty cheese, some quality beer, and a hot-food bar of their own are at my fingertips if I can stomach the clientele for that long. These are places for specialty items, not where I’d do all my shopping.
But don’t take my criticisms the wrong way. I commend both of these stores for bringing items that aren’t the norm or complete garbage to the public, and definitely give them kudos for stocking such fine beer. Based solely on that criteria, they are part of the solution, and that could help continue the push for better beer in the mainstream. I have a feeling that with this kind of nonchalant publicity, people will get the message and be willing to go out on a limb once in a while for beer, even when times are tight. But I have a feeling the folks in that part of town can still afford it.
Remind me later and I’ll tell you about another unexpected beer haven that’s much closer to me. It’s an oft-overlooked corner market that doesn’t even sell produce, but if you’re hungry, I’m sure they’ve got some Andy Capp’s Hot Fries. [Note: not to be confused with Andy Crouch's Beer Scribe.]
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