Ms. Saison

This past weekend I cooked some Indian Food for a bunch of friends and needed a beer that could stand up to some of the spice of the food we would be eating. A couple different beers came to mind, but I eventually decided on a Saison Style. Saisons are sturdy farmhouse ales that are traditionally brewed in the winter, to be consumed throughout the summer months. I decided on one of my favorites, Hennepin. The beer comes to us from Ommegang Brewery in Cooperstown, NY. Although they are located in New York, Ommegang produces some of the best Belgian ales this side of the Atlantic. Pours a golden color with an off white head that fades but leaves nice lacing. The smell is complex, some nice sweet fruit notes, some malt and spice notes as well. The taste starts somewhat sweet with the spice and fruit upfront, followed by a somewhat tart taste finishing with a malty taste. The mouthfeel is very smooth, some alcohol content detected in the aftertaste, but overall a silky beer with nice balance. This is a great drinker, not overpowering flavor, but lots of flavor is packed into this beer. I believe that Hennepin is a great beer for non beer drinkers to start off with. It gives a lot of flavor, but isn't going to scare you away. Wegmans in Downingtown carries Hennepin for about 9 bucks a bottle. Check it out next you are eating spicy food!

MACHINE PISS

I figured that my first post in the blogging world should be dedicated to the downfall of american beer. Walk into any popular bar on a friday night and you will most likely notice more then a few douche bags with a Miller Lite grasped between the pointer and the thumb. Coors light, Miller light, Michelob, Bud light. What's the difference? Aside from some decent commercials, these beers aren't worth the 2 bucks they cost at the local watering hole. Typically a high amount of cereal adjuncts like rice or corn are used to help lighten the beer as much as possible. Rice and Corn??? Whether it's the Triple Hops Brewed or the Vent Can, these companies know there market and they go after it hard. I still can't understand why people drink these beers, but just like my good friend Don King said "Only in America!!!!"