Half a Day of Beer

Last week Saturday I had to work in the morning (I rarely work Saturdays), so after work was done I and a co-worker went to the Old German Beer Hall (at this point, I think I can safely say it has become a favorite spot of mine) for their smoked porkchop meal and a beer.

Right after I gave my order to the bartender I heard someone tell one of the other patrons that they currently have 2 seasonal beers - their summer beer and a maibock. I don't know what their summer beer is, but I ordered it. I have to say it's the first time I've had a beer there that I didn't care for. It wasn't bad, but it was... well, bland, I suppose is how I would describe it. It lacked character, so I can't think of how to describe it better.

Later in the afternoon, Amanda and I went to the "first annual" Milwaukee Brewfest. I had a fantastic time. We got there before they opened, and we brought non-perishable items to get the discount on the tickets. As part of the event we each got a free pint glass. It wasn't just a souvenir, but it was pivotal to the event. There were 2 beer tents and a few of the beer vendors had separate stands around the perimeter. All you did was walk up to a vendor and let them know what you wanted that they offered, then they'd give you a free sample (about a quarter of the glass). So all you did was walk around sampling different beers (or ciders in a couple of cases). They had live music and food vendors.

Now, being a first year event, it had it's short comings - beer ran out earlier than expected, and they ran out of the Milwaukee Brewfest glasses (although they brought in more glasses with logos from breweries instead of the Milwaukee Brewfest logo). They also didn't have enough bathrooms. But first year problems aside, it was absolutely worth the money we paid to go. I'm really looking forward to next year.

After our first few beers, I started wishing I had a palate cleanser so the tastes wouldn't all run together. They had rinsing stations for rinse your glass, but I didn't know what to do to clear the taste of my latest beer from my mouth - which is when I noticed people walking around with pretzel necklaces. It was like childrens' candy necklaces, except better. It was a simple string run through pretzels, and we bought them from one of the food vendors - Problem solved!

I kind of wish I'd had a pen on me so I could keep track of the different beers I had, but I didn't and I had so many that I can't say I remember what most of them were. I remember I had 3 kinds of Crispin cider, Stone Brewing Co., St. Francis, Ale Asylum, Horny Goat, Buffalo Water, and Rogue. Were there more? yes. Do I remember who they were? No. Did I have any beers I didn't like? No. Were some more my style than others? Of course. Absolutely worth it.

After the event ended, Amanda mentioned that she wanted a Strongbow cider on tap. I'm pretty sure she was thinking of going to Paddy's Pub, which we both really like (although we haven't been there in a while). But I really wanted to get back to the Old German Beer Hall to try their Hoffbrau maibock. So I suggested we go to the Harp - which serves Strongbow on tap AND is just a couple blocks away from where I was hoping to go.

So we had an appetizer at the Harp while Amanda had her Strongbow and I drank a Guinness. Then we walked across the street to Trinity Three Irish Pubs for a desert, and I had a Carlsberg. This was the first time I had a Carlsberg, and although it isn't quite my normal choice in beer I liked it. I'll have to try one again when I haven't had an afternoon of drinking leading up to it. After Trinity, we walked over to the Old German Beer Hall and I had a half liter of that maibock I wanted to try. It was great. Definately my kind of beer. We finished off the day by walking over to Molly Cools for an actual dinner. I had their Crabby Patty and it was delicious.

All in all it was a great afternoon and evening.

Summer cookout - Summer beer

The last couple of weeks have been pretty busy, but I've tried some new beers and had some great beer moments. So I figure I'll back it up to Sunday, July 25th. Amanda had invited a friend of ours over to start planning a State Fair party, and while he was over he asked if we had any summer beers.

Unfortunately, I didn't.

And it got me thinking - maybe I should take more advantage of the seasonal aspects of beer. That evening, we decided to have a cook out with John, John and Gregg. I ran to the store to get some brats (I just grabbed a Johnsonville party pack) and some summer beers. John had mentioned Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy, so I picked up a six pack, and since I don't care for Summer Shandy I also picked up a six pack of Sam Adams Summer Ale, which was a new one to me.

Now one thing I like about cookouts is beer brats. My love of beer brats is two-fold. The first is definately the easiest - I love eating them. But the second is important in maintaining a properly stocked refrigerator - Making beer brats gives me a chance to use beer in my fridge that I'm not drinking before it gets old and skunky.

Why would I have beer in my fridge that isn't getting drunk? Because although I'm willing to try any beer, I'm not willing to keep drinking some of them. Since everyone has different preferences in beer, it stands to reason that there isn't any bad beer, there is just better beer. But that doesn't mean I'm going to drink a beer I don't care for if there's something else available.

This time I used MGD and Harp. I don't really drink MGD, but we always try to keep some on hand for guests. Plenty of people drink Miller and I'd rather have MGD in the house than Miller Lite. I've gotten to the point where it has become my preferred beer for making beer brats and beer dip. But this time I only had one bottle left in the fridge so I broke into the next oldest beer in the fridge - Harp.

Unlike MGD, I do drink Harp, but since I prefer darker beers, I only drink it regularly. I had originally bought it to make black and tans (or more acurately half and halfs, since Harp is a pale lager instead of a pale ale) - but after a couple I got tired of them and the Harp wasn't going anywhere - So it was time to start cooking with it.

Anyhow, the cookout was a good time - relaxed and enjoyable. A perfect way to end a relaxing weekend. The Summer Shandy's went over well and I got to try my first Samuel Adams Summer Lager. It was a success. It was light, with a pleasant tartness and a little bitterness that went down quite nicely over dinner. I had thought of having a second as we sat out in the back yard around the firepit and chatted, but I find that beer makes me thirsty and I didn't want to end up dehydrating myself before work. That's fine, it's still there waiting for me.

One New Bar Three New Beers

On Friday I decided to have lunch out. My original intention was to eat at the Red Accordion on Old World Third Street, but when I and a co-worker started walking that way, it looked like there was a great deal of steam coming up from the street right along that block. I assume it had something to do with the heavy rains the night before, but neither one of us wanted to walk through it to grab lunch. So I suggested we head one block east and try The Harp on East Juneau. It's been there since 1965 and although I went out drinking right in that area along Water Street in my early 20s and I have been working right in that area for the last 7 years, I've never stopped in.

Well I count it as a success. It's a nice little place with a spot out back right on the Milwaukee river, which is where we decided to sit. First off, that was a good choice because the day hadn't gotten too hot, and the clouds were just beginning to burn off. And secondly, we got to enjoy the view of the river (and the random tree that floated past while we were eating). But I was also pleased to discover that in addition to a nice selection of beer, they also had Strongbow on tap and Magners in bottles.

I'm a fan of hard cider, but I've found my tastes have settled some. Woodchuck is nice, but I find that it's usually a bit too sweet for me. Magners and Strongbow aren't quite as sweet to my taste, and I like them both. I was rather excited to find both Strongbow and Magners at the same establishment since I haven't seen that very often. Usually if I'm looking for a cider while I'm out I only see one available. Two - and two of my favorites - was a nice change of pace.

I'd heard of Magners before I went to Ireland a couple years ago, but I don't think I ever tried it until I was there. My wife, Amanda, isn't much of a beer drinker (aside from Leinenkugel's Berry Weiss) So while I had Guiness or Smithwick's for nearly every lunch or dinner while on vacation there, she started drinking Bulmer's Original Vintage Cider (which is sold outside of Ireland as Magners Original Irish Cider). Strongbow is one of the first ciders I ever had and is a nice dry English cider with a crisp finish. The fact that it was on tap made my decision for me, so that's what I decided to have with my lunch. It was a lovely choice for the day, but I think it was still a bit too sweet for the rest of my meal. I had the tenderloin sandwich which was superb, but in hindsight I probably would have been happier with my drink if I'd paired my meal with a Smithwick's instead of a cider.

When I got home from work, I decided to start my evening off with another beer from my Lakefront Brewery sample pack and tried their Organic E.S.B. It has a nice flavor, light with just a little bitter and a slightly sour finish. Not a bad sour, but kind of like the sour you get off a nice tart lemondade. I loved it, and would definately recommend it. With dinner, I decided to have a second beer and I tried the Lakefront Brewery's Wheat Monkey Ale. After having enjoyed the E.S.B. so much I was extremely disappointed with the Wheat Money Ale. I found it bland with a light bitterness that I didn't find pleasing. Now don't get me wrong, I don't think I would qualify it as a "bad" beer - but it just wasn't flavorful enough for my liking, and I probably won't buy it again. (Unless I forget that I didn't like it and pick it up because I like the name. I've done that before, and I'll probably do it again.)

This morning I was at it again. I woke up late and started working on some of the household projects that needed to get finished. I hadn't thought about food, but by about 10:30 Amanda made me some eggs. Since it is a beautiful summer day out I was in the mood for a beer, and since it was late morning I decided to go for it. I grabbed the Lakefront Brewery Fuel Cafe which they label as A stout brewed with coffee especially for Fuel Cafe. It helps that I like stouts to begin with, and I've grown to like coffee every now and then too. I could definately taste both flavors very clearly, and I have to admit it's a nice combination. Because of the coffee flavor, I probably wont't drink this often, but since I enjoyed it I don't doubt that I'll drink it again. Lakefront Brewery's website suggests the Fuel Cafe stout be drunk with dessert. I can definately see that and wouldn't mind trying it sometime.