I started my weekend by going to a beer tasting with Anne at the Short Stop Market in downtown Sarasota. Owner Ali Molavi not only has a excellent selection of beer & wine, but has tastings of both on a regular basis. This past Friday was a tasting featuring Gordon Biersch. There was a nice [...]
Anne & I went to Chutney’s the other night. Owned by husband-and-wife team Ash Shukla and Denise May, it’s the best Indian restaurant in Sarasota and has an excellent beer selection as well. I ordered an Affligem Dubbel (Brouwerij Affligem; Opwijk, Belgium; Dubbel; ABV: 7.0). It’s a full-bodied Belgium ale that’s as smooth as silk. [...]
Here is a list of my Favorite Beers. I have listed them in alphabetical order, along with the brewery, location, style, ABV content, and some comments for your reference. A – J Anchor Steam Beer; Anchor Brewing Co.; San Francisco, CA; Steam Beer; ABV: 4.9. An absolute classic. Crisp & dry with a light hoppy [...]
My friend Steve & I went to the Mellow Mushroom the other day to check out the latest brews. I started with a Maharaja from Avery Brewing Co., while Steve started with a Sierra Nevada Bigfoot. The Maharaja is an absolute hop monster, with a bold grapefruit taste amid the cascade hops. I had a [...]
As many in the Baltimore area know, the Wharf Rat was sold to new owners, and both locations (Pratt St. in Fells Point & S. Ann St. near Camden Yards) were reopened recently as the Pratt Street Ale House. The new owners thankfully decided to keep the old beer recipes for the Oliver Ales served [...]
As we’re hours before tipoff for the Final Four in Motown, my thoughts are on what should be a great night of basketball, as well as suggested brews for the many faithful cheering their teams on. I’ve recommended a beer from each state, or region in the case of UConn, where the respective school is [...]
We stopped by BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse in Pinellas Park on Sunday for dinner, and noticed that they had an abbey ale as the special on draft. Beer Advocate had it listed as retired, but BJ’s is brewing it again. I can definitely attest, after a couple of pints, that everything’s back to Normal! BJ’s [...]
It’s an annual right of passage at the beginning of February that two world renowned Imperial IPAs make their mark upon the craft beer world. The first, Russian River Pliny The Younger (Russian River Brewing Co.; Santa Rosa, CA; Imperial India Pale Ale; ABV: 11.0), has become the Holy Grail for many beer enthusiasts. While [...]
With the explosion of the craft beer industry, it seems like ales and lagers are giving wine a run for its money as the drink of choice. In fact, many breweries have started to age their ales in oak barrels which give them a distinct wine like character. This “crossover” is producing beers that appeal [...]