I'm Still Here

Four years!!  What the (insert expletive of your choice here)?  Yes, it has been almost four years since I last posted to this accidentally dormant blog.  So, I've been busy....err......right.  Ok, probably no busier than the average person.  But a few things have changed, including adding a future beer lover to the family and a cross country move!

My love of beer has not faltered (I know, you were worried), quite the opposite really.  My goals are still to add explore new (to me) breweries and attempt to home brew.  I'm looking forward to sharing some of my adventures (past and future) with you!


My first assignment?  Silicon Valley Beer Week.  Starts tonight, better get going...

Cheers!

Darkness Takes Over the IPA

In the world of craft beer the west coast is known for one thing...hops.  Lots of them.  In some cases the beer unabashedly tastes more like a hop contest than an actual beer.  You know the what beers I am talking about, don't pretend you don't.  You develop bitter beer face and it has nothing to do with a domestic light lager. 

I can appreciate a good hoppy beer, but with the caveat that it must be in balance with the malt to truly be an exceptional brew.  So imagine my delight when I visited the Deschutes pub in Portland in January and had my very first Intergalactic Black IPA (cue the Beastie Boys now).   Now this is a beer to behold.  Warm roasted malts coupled with a bright citrus finish that left my taste buds confused but delighted. 

Fast forward to tonight and I pull their Hop in the Dark out of my fridge for a little hoptopia and the beer has evolved into one of their Bond Street Seasonals.  They prefer the name Cascadian Dark Ale as opposed to a Black IPA because well, this is the west coast and the authority on hopped up styles and pay homage to the native Cascade hops.  Now I must admit I liked the version in Portland a little better, (no doubt because I was in Portland) but Hop in the Dark transported me back to that fabulous beer city.  This is an exciting new frontier for the IPA beer style as the craft brewers once again are pushing boundaries. 

Paying it Forward with Beer

The craft beer movement is about so much more than beer.  Yes, beer is the reason for the movement but I contend that it is the culture of the people that takes a person from liking beer to falling in love with a brewery.  There are many attributes of the folks involved but one of  my favorites is the giving nature of the craft brewers. 

First example, Stone Brewing Company.  Their annual Anniversary Festivals are a celebration of great, great, beer.  But did you know that the festival is also a huge fundraiser for four amazing charities?  The Boys & Girls Clubs of San Marcos, Palomar family YMCA, Surfrider Foundation and Fight ALD all walk away with thousands of dollars to go forth and do their good work.  Talk about paying it forward.

Next, New Belgium Brewing and their bike-centric, costume circus, vaudeville meets beer fest, Tour de Fat.  This 13 city tour of sustainable folly will funnel funds directly back to biking advocacy groups, a mission that has long been at the forefront for NBB.  Did I mention that they do all of this in the most sustainable way possible?  Trucks run on bio-diesel, stages are powered by solar, vendors must be earth friendly and the beer cups are composted.  Take it a step further and one lucky person per city trades their gas guzzling automobile for a commuter bike and promises to live petrol free for the next year. 

Last, enter Deschutes Brewing.  They are what I call the masters of spreading their love.  They give away beer, cash, swag and goodwill to dozens of different charities.  They host golf tournaments and other events that bring the community together and benefit many different organizations.  Call it brewery karma as their following grows with every charity they help.

Cheers to the breweries that give back and pay it forward.  That makes me love you even more. 

Stone Brew 14th Anniversary Beer Fest Video!

Here is a little peek into my time at the Stone 14th Anniversary Beer Fest.  Excuse my amateur foray into video....

How Many of the Top 50 Have You Tried?

Golf has the PGA, doctors have the AMA and craft brewers have the Brewers Association (BA) to turn to for information on the industry.  A few months back, the BA published their list of the top 50 craft brewers (according to volume).  Now remember, the BA qualifies this with their definition of a craft brewery as small, independent and traditional.


The end result is one heck of a list for enthusiasts to start working through.  This enthusiast has sampled myway through 37 of the 50 at one point or another.  Now, I am a tad disappointed by my number, but rest assured steps are being taken to improve my stats for next year!  Here is the list, how many have you tried?

1.	Boston Beer Co.	Boston	MA
2.	Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.	Chico	CA
3.	New Belgium Brewing Co.	Fort Collins	CO
4.	Spoetzl Brewery	Shiner	TX
5.	Pyramid Breweries Inc.	Seattle	WA
6.	Deschutes Brewery	Bend	OR
7.	Matt Brewing Co.	Utica	NY
8.	Magic Hat Brewing Co.	Burlington	VT
9.	Boulevard Brewing Co.	Kansas City	MO
10.	Harpoon Brewery	Boston	MA
11.	Alaskan Brewing Co.	Juneau	AK
12.	Bell’s Brewery, Inc.	Galesburg	MI
13.	Kona Brewing Co.	Kailua-Kona	HI
14.	Full Sail Brewing Co.	Hood River	OR
15.	Stone Brewing Co.	Escondido	CA
16.	Dogfish Head Craft Brewery	Milton	DE
17.	The Brooklyn Brewery	Brooklyn	NY
18.	Abita Brewing Co.	Abita Springs	LA
19.	Summit Brewing Co.	Saint Paul	MN
20.	Anchor Brewing Co.	San Francisco	CA
21.	Shipyard Brewery	Portland	ME
22.	New Glarus Brewing Co.	New Glarus	WI
23.	Great Lakes Brewing Co.	Cleveland	OH
24.	Rogue Ales/Oregon Brewing Co.	Newport	OR
25.	Long Trail Brewing Co.	Bridgewater Corners	VT
26.	The Lagunitas Brewing Co.	Petaluma	CA
27.	Gordon Biersch Brewing Co.	San Jose	CA
28.	SweetWater Brewing Co.	Atlanta	GA
29.	Firestone Walker Brewing Co.	Paso Robles	CA
30.	Victory Brewing Co.	Downingtown	PA
31.	Flying Dog Brewing Co.	Frederick	MD
32.	BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery	Huntington Beach	CA
33.	Odell Brewing Co.	Fort Collins	CO
34.	Rock Bottom Brewery Restaurants	Louisville	CO
35.	BridgePort Brewing Co.	Portland	OR
36.	Lost Coast Brewery and Cafe	Eureka	CA
37.	Big Sky Brewing Co.	Missoula	MT
38.	Stevens Point Brewing Co.	Stevens Point	WI
39.	Mac and Jack’s Brewery	Redmond	WA
40.	Karl Strauss Brewing Co.	San Diego	CA
41.	The Saint Louis Brewery, Inc.	St. Louis	MO
42.	Blue Point Brewing Co.	Patchogue	NY
43.	Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurants	Chattanooga	TN
44.	Oskar Blues Brewery	Longmont	CO
45.	North Coast Brewing Co.	Fort Bragg	CA
46.	Breckenridge Brewery	Denver	CO
47.	Utah Brewers Cooperative	Salt Lake City	UT
48.	Saint Arnold Brewing Co.	Houston	TX
49.	Boulder Beer Co.	Boulder	CO
50.	Bear Republic Brewing Co.	Cloverdale	CA

40 Down, Thousands to Go

After a long day at the office, I joined my husband in a toast to a new beer we were trying (Laughing Dog CSB) and we started that age old discussion of what we would do if we didn't have to work.  My answer is always the same, I would travel the world visiting breweries.  I never tire of trying new beer, hearing the history of the brewery and meeting new friends. 

I love the teeny tiny breweries who create tasting rooms with folding tables after they roll up the garage door (Flat Earth in MN) or sleek modern breweries that are constantly expanding their facilities to keep up with the demand for their beer and tasting areas bursting at the seams (New Belgium).   I even, on rare occasion, get a kick out of seeing the "big" guys and marvel at the robotic nature of their facilities.  It makes me appreciate the craft brewers that much more.  

Lucky for me my friends and family are great partners in crime as I taste my way across the world.  Thanks to them I have tasted my way through 40 breweries but have thousands to go. 

Beer Court becomes Craft Beer Girl

Ever dream about your blog? Nope, me neither but I was thinking about it in the shower this week. My "real" job involves me masquerading as a marketing professional and it occurred to me the many ways "Beer Court" could be misconstrued. For example it could mean that I am literally taking beers to court of law, a basketball court or perhaps a gathering area in a mall. None of which would be true... It could mean that I am holding court with the many beers in my life deciding who would be the winner. That too would be impossible, as picking a favorite beer is much like picking a favorite child (so I hear).

Alas, I have decided it is time for a new name. Craft Beer Girl is short, simple and to the point. Alternative meanings seem to ring true. I can be crafty, I like craft beer and am most definitely a girl (of age, of course). I also aspire to craft my own beer by the end of the year, which should provide plenty of material for this page.

I'll be working on an update to the Facebook page in the coming days so keep an eye out. In the meantime, grab a cold, delectable craft brew. Cheers!

Is Leine's a Craft Beer?

I recently found myself in central Wisconsin for a wedding and when given the choice to go scout out cheese or beer, I naturally went for beer Enter the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewery in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. I will never pass up a chance to go on a brewery tour regardless of the quality of beer. Call me romantic, or sick if you prefer, but I swoon when I see the gleam of copper, shine of stainless steel and the sweet aroma of the wort. The Leinenkugel brewery was no exception.

We entered the Leine Lodge and signed up for a tour approximately ten minutes later, just enough time to take a lap around the gift shop area and check out the tasting bar. The Miller Coors influence was palpable. It might have been the overabundance of items for sale, the cheesy uniforms or perhaps the "Disney-like" quality of the staff. It felt like you were there to be entertained and they were there to provide the show. Not to say that the staff didn't know their stuff, just that the whole experience was a little too slick.

The tour began with our friendly guide welcoming us to what is clearly a historic brewing site. It was very cool to see a brewery that existed before prohibition still in operation. However I had to bite my tongue as our guide informed the group that they were the 4th largest craft brewery in the U.S. Say what?? I looked to my husband to make sure I heard that right and sure enough I did. Now it is this blogger's opinion that a couple key factors knock you out of "craft beer" status. Number one, they are a wholly owned subsidiary of Miller Coors. Second, they use an adjunct, corn, in the brewing process. Combine these two factors and you have the beer equivalent to false advertising.

Here comes the rant, hold on to your pints! One of the reasons I am so passionate about craft beer is that is comprised of a community of independent brewers that have the freedom to experiment, perfect and bring their unique product to market. Now I am aware that we live in a capitalistic society and that as the popularity of craft beer continues to soar so will the involvement of the larger mass producing breweries. But, what I cannot stand is when the large domestic beer makers masquerade their smaller brands as "craft" breweries. Just be honest about your product! In this instance the only reason that visitors to Leinenkugel's knew that they were owned by MillerCoors was because someone asked the question.

Now that I have said my peace and emptied my glass I know that this will never happen. It is up to us, the craft beer lovers, to be well educated on the source of the beer that is being marketed. I implore you to avoid the craft beer posers, pull out your wallet and invest in the true craft breweries out there.

Behold the Tour de Fat Schedule is Here

Tour de Fat, New Belgium's Ballyhoo of Bikes & Beer is just around the corner....I can't wait! Only 173 days to go until it comes to my town. What makes this festival so special you ask? Well frankly, everything!

First, the disclaimer...I was once an NBB employee and helped the amazing event team put a couple of these bad boys on, so I am without a doubt biased about this event. These guys and gals work hard, even the carnies.

This is not your average beer festival, it is a psychedelic combination of a beer fest, bike parade, vaudeville show, costume contest, fundraiser pulled off in a sustainable fashion. The whole shebang kicks off with a cruiser bike ride through the streets of your town. Costumes are more than welcomed, they are encouraged. The ride eventually leads back to the main event where ID's are checked, wrists are banded and a line-up of New Belgium beers are poured. The MC will take the stage and the festivities officially kick off. You can expect to be entertained by the bands, acts and fellow beer drinkers.

The bike theme carries through the whole fest with proceeds being donated back to biking charities in the community the festival was held in. Activites inside the main gates include the slow ride, whoever crosses the finish line last (without spilling their beer or touching the ground) and try out one of the many "art" bikes! Each city also searches out an individual that will trade their car for a commuter biker for a year, NBB provides the bike and donates the car! That in and of itself would be a good enough reason to go, now get this - the event is about as green as a festival can get. Trucks run on bio-diesel, the stage on solar and the crew to set-up on bikes. In years past they have seen over 90% of the trash diverted from the landfill.

So get this on your calendar now, tune up your bike and start working on your costume. If you are headed to the one in Tempe, I'll see you there!

Tour de Fat Schedule

Tour de Fat Facebook Page

NBB Ranger IPA

I just returned from The Compound in Scottsdale and a preview party for Ranger IPA, the latest offering from New Belgium Brewing. The history behind the beer goes a little something like this...

Once upon a time there was a brewery named New Belgium and that brewery needed a sales force to go out into the world and spread good beer far and wide. But NBB didn't just need sales folks, they needed Rangers to protect, pour and partake. And so the initial offering of an IPA is named in their honor - those that spend countless days ensuring that we the people get fresh, great beer and demonstrate the joy of drinking it.

The liquid itself is delightful! By far the closest thing to a hop heads delight to come out of New Belgium. Ranger is still beautifully balanced, quite the feat when you consider it clocks in at 70 IBUs and over 6% ABV. Typical of NBB's hops line-up it features Chinook, Cascade and a relative newcomer (to NBB not IPAs), Simcoe in this lively brew. Then they do it all over again by dry hopping with Cascade. What you get is a citrus, fruity, crisp finish that keeps you from refusing a second round. Cheers to the NBB Rangers, congrats on getting your beer!

Holiday Beer Round Up

Alright folks, despite my best intentions the hustle and bustle of the holiday season kept me from blogging about all of the holiday beers that I procured over a month ago. I have finally had the chance to try all of them and thought I would give you a sampling of what I thought was good and unique this year!

Best New-to-Me Winter Seasonal
Drum roll please.....this award goes to Anderson Valley's Winter Solstice! This delicious brew gives you a bright maltiness not to mention warms you up at 6.9% ABV. The finish on the beer is the big surprise, an extraordinarily smooth cream soda finish. Cream soda taste in a beer? Delicious! I drank it while chowing down on my favorite holiday treats but could have also done a few really fantastic cheese parings!


Most Unusual Seasonal
This has to go to the Spoetzl Brewery with their Shiner Cheer. This was like drinking a peachy fruit cake! Part of you wants to like it and part of you wonders why on earth anyone ever decided to make a fruitcake a holiday tradition. It's claim to fame is the combination of peach and pecan flavor. Well it certainly has the peach part down, the aroma of this beer is like cracking open a can of cling peaches and breathing in the overly sweet nectar. You have to think pretty hard about the nutty flavor but it is there hiding in the distance. There was something appealing about the brew, however. I found my glass empty quicker than most holiday tastings this year as I enjoyed this sweet substance.

Yearly Must Haves
All of this being said, I do have a few bottles that I must pick up each year. As you have read before New Belgium's Frambozen is still firmly at the top of my list and 2 Below gets an honorable mention. I also always have to try Anchor Christmas Ale. After touring Anchor Brewing in San Francisco and being in the presence of Fritz Maytag's creation I have a fondness for that brewery and have yet to find a beer there that isn't worthy of being enjoyed with friends.

Finally, I hope that if you are reading this you have had a chance to enjoy a beer with those you love. After all, the friends we keep, the family we treasure and the ability to celebrate the season in each others company is really what the holidays are about!

Warming up to Ebenezer

May the seasonal beer tasting continue with Bridgeport's Ebenezer Ale! I found this beer to be aptly named, with it having much in common with Dicken's famous character Ebenezer Scrooge. At first sip, I was taken aback - offended almost by strong malty flavor that was a tad harsh. But just like the story's Scrooge I warmed up to it as time passed.

This is a very malty beer with a distinct caramel flavor and just enough hops to keep it from getting too sweet. I tried it for the first time in a pint glass, but would recommend a goblet or something similar that is easy to hold on to and warm up the beer. It will stand up to most traditional holiday family meals which gets a thumbs up from me. While not my favorite, not a bad beer either and if available, is definitely drinkable.

First Up, Frambozen

Do you ever have a beer that you look forward to all year? That when you see it in your local store you stand there dumbfounded with a big goofy grin like you found your long lost friend? My old friend in holiday beers is New Belgium's Frambozen.

This raspberry brown ale pours a deep ruby color and provides the lucky drinker with a delicious experience. The flavor of the raspberries balances perfectly with the rich malty brown ale. The beer is not over-the-top sweet or sour like some raspberry beers (especially lambics), but rather provides a highly addictive full flavor that allows you to enjoy more than one in a session. The other great part is that they use real raspberries from the northwest, not a manufactured syrup or artificial flavor.

As many of you know I also have a fine appreciation for all baked goods. That is probably why I love this beer so much, it is a perfect partner for a good ole fashioned chocolate brownie but also pairs well with flan and fresh berries.

Cheers to the season of new Beers!

I will be the first to admit this is a tad over the top. I stopped by my favorite Total Wine & More tonight and went a little crazy picking up holiday and winter seasonal beers. What can I say, some indulge in chocolate, cookies and other items each holiday season and even though I do enjoy my chocolate and cookies, beer is really my favorite indulgence each holiday season. The anticipation of trying a limited edition set of beers is awesome....knowing that some will rock my world and others will be hard to choke down. So, I must officially mark the beginning of the holiday season with this shopping trip and what is sure to be a lot of blogging as I work my way through the collection I amassed tonight.

Belgian fun with St Bernardus

Who knew that my day was going to take a fabulous turn when I poured a bottle of St. Bernardus Abt 12? I knew it was going to be good, I had no idea it was going to blow me away! This is hands down one of the best beers that I have had the pleasure of consuming to date. The brewery has past connections with the Trappists and sits in Watou, West Flanders in Belgium. No, I didn't know that off the top of my head but pulled it from one of my new favorite books, Michael Jackson's Great Beers of Belgium 6th Edition.

Ok, so what makes this so good is that the beer is huge but disguises how strong it is amazingly! 10% ABV in a 11.2 fl oz bottle. You don't really notice the alcohol until you hit the warm finish of the beer, as you have a virtual cornucopia of flavors you experience first. So far I have picked up raisin, vanilla, dark fruit, brown sugar in a syrupy way, a little phenolic and am sure I will get something different and more complex with each sip. For a beer of this style that is this big it drinks impossibly light bodied while remaining it's complexity with many different flavors that play shockingly well together.

The Lost Abbey's version of the 10 Commandments

Ok, so I have a bit of a weakness for Belgian beers - I do believe I found a brewery that shares the same affliction. The Lost Abbey a sister line to Port Brewing is all about the Belgians. My first bottle of 10 Commandments, a seasonal from Lost Abbey was awesome. A BIG beer in both flavor and ABV (10%), it did not disappoint.

Brewed with honey, raisins and rosemary it took the Belgian Abbey to a new place with a fruity sweetness and an herbal finish. But the fun didn't stop there, on the bottle is their version of the Lost Abbey 10 Commandments, couldn't have put it better myself!

- The most imaginative beers are our crusade
- We believe we are all in this together
- We strive for honesty and integrity in our lives like you
- Fresh beer is great. Aged beer is better
- Now that you have found us help us spread the message
- There is good and evil in the world. Our beers are good
- Passion isn't something you can buy at the corner store
- We believe an inspired life is worth living
- Life is about choices. The Lost Abbey is a good choice
- We are not perfect, but no one is

It's still 100 degrees in AZ = I am still ok drinking summer beers!

I know it is starting to snow across the country but here in sunny Arizona we broke a record when temperatures climbed to 102 yesterday. So, instead of diving into one of the fall beers in my fridge I decided to try out Dogfish Head's summer seasonal Festina Peche (pronounced peshy, in case you were wondering).

I always get a little excited and a little scared when I pick up a Dogfish Head beer. Excited for what is sure to be a trip to a new place in beerland and scared for what is almost without fail an incredibly strong beer. Festina Peche proved to appeal to the excitement but delivered it in a rarely seen low ABV of 4.5%.

This is a Berliner Weisse style of beer - what is that you ask? I had to look it up to be sure. It is a beer whose grain is half wheat, half barley and is characterized by a distinct tartness. A style that is not widely used in the US and is given a unique twist in this beer by adding peach juice during fermentation. What you get is a beer that would appeal to a cider lover, Belgian sour lover or anyone that enjoys mowing through a king size bag of sweet tarts. While tart, it does have a pleasant fruit quality from the peaches that makes it refreshing instead of pulling your mouth into a permanent pucker.

Finally a note on Dogfish Head - these guys are pioneers in the craft beer world. Spend 30 seconds on their website and you will know what I mean. Often a little more expensive than the other crafts beers out there but most definitely worth the price of admission!

Twilight in Arizona

So I must say there are benefits to living in Arizona, you know 70 degrees in February, plentiful supply of cacti, over 300 days of sunshine. But there are a few downsides, 115 degree days and what always seems to be a too short summer beer season. Honestly folks, even though it is mid-September it is still 100+ degrees here. So you can imagine my delight at trying Deschutes Twilight Ale and finding it to be a truly awesome brew! Then to figure out it is a summer brew and will require a search party to find left over stock in the stores - quite sad.

Ok, about the beer. It was balanced, refreshing, amazing, well hopped and I wanted more. It had a sweet malty flavor that lulled you into your comfort zone before an explosion of floral hops. This might be the perfect summer beer. I know, my enthusiasm is a tad over the top I was just in a moment of beer bliss with this session brew. So, run, don't walk to your store to see if you can pick up Twilight in it's twilight.

Hoptober at the Hub

Our trip to Colorado ended in the best way possible: a trip to the New Belgium Hub. We made the trek across the airport and down the long hall of Terminal B just to enjoy a tasty brew. Our efforts were rewarded when we found out that the new fall seasonal, Hoptober was on tap!

Mmmmmm, Hoptober was delicious in a way that I couldn't quite put my finger on. I could taste the Cascade Hops like in Skinny Dip but also the Sterling like in 2 Below. Add to that an unusually creamy mouth feel for this style I must say I was stumped. So I turned to my friendly bartender, Jake and asked to see the sell sheet. Well Jake went above and beyond and clearly knew his beer (so proud) and told me about the FIVE different hops in the brew, including both named above plus Willamette, Centennial and Glacier. Add on to that FOUR grains: Pale and Wheat malts with rye and oats for fun explained the creamy mouth feel.

After learning all of this, the flavors became a little clearer and made each sip an adventure to see what I could pick up next. This should hit stores any day now and will most certainly be served at Tour de Fat.

I must apologize for the photo, our priority was the beer and we closed the place down, as you can see...

Ahhh, Colorado land of good beer

I am happy to say I just returned from my home state and mecca for good beer, Colorado! Mick and I headed up for the long weekend to enjoy some quality family time and a few good beers too. Our adventures started with a hometown favorite, Colorado mountain pies (pizza) at Beau Jo's. This place takes it's pizza seriously, you order by the pound and eat the extra thick crust with a drizzle of honey....perfection!

Now it would be just fine with just great pizza but when you add great beer it is turns into the perfect experience. Your brew comes in a mason jar, just adds to the ambiance of a place that serves it's salad bar from old bathtubs. We had two great beers ther - Mick got a New Belgium Blue Paddle and I ordered a Tommy Knocker Pick Axe Pale.

Fair warning, I worked for New Belgium and therefore am a tad biased as I love this brewery!! When you pick up a bottle of Blue Paddle you see a lovely canoe scene on a lake. Little do you know that Blue is named for the paddle that an NBB coworker got smacked on the behind with for stealing sips of beer. The beer itself is a good Czech style pilsner. Very drinkable and a good fit for those that dig a traditional pilsners like Pilsner Urquell or other imports like Stella Artois.

So being a former NBBer I had to get my hands on something new (don't worry I indulged in plenty of the NBB goods while up there). Tommy Knocker brewery was located just a few doors down from Beau Jo's in Idaho Springs. I have heard about Tommy Knocker but since they don't distribute to Arizona haven't had a chance to try it...until now. The Pick Axe Pale was delicious, it had a bright hoppy flavor to it that reminded me of Anchor Liberty Ale. It was smooth and well balanced and paired perfectly with the pizza.