This is a tale of transformation

And should be read with exclamation

For all those who love a beer with hops

This is the tale of how skunk beer flopped

And from its ashes rose a tasty ale

that now from bar to bar regales

So back to the 1700’s we travel

Where British soldiers were about to unravel

All the Brits wanted was some beer in their life

while causing the Indians hardship and strife

As they manned their posts in Calcutta & Bombay

The delicious beer was spoiled on its 10,000 mile way

For in those hard days of pre-refrigeration

Brewers set to work to solve the situation

George Hodgson of London was up to the task

he invented a solution to ensure the bad taste was masked

His weapons of choice where alcohol and hops

Both added as astringents to make the funkiness stop

The glorious result was a bitter, alocholic sip

And alas! the brew was drinkable at the end of its long trip

Eventually, breweries opened up in the East

and modern refrigeration saved all the yeast

India Pale Ales are now something to savor

packed full of hops and hops for flavor

From New York to Moscow , the East to the West

IPAs are simply the best

Part II in a weekly series

Pabst Blue Ribbon – Even though this low priced fixture is now furiously linked to the “hipster” movement, that is soon to have run its course. Yes, not too far in the not distant future, the hipsters will find PBR decidedly un-ironic and will see its ubiquity makes not them a beautiful or unique snowflake but rather part of yet another marketing group like anything else. Then finally the Blue Ribbon will be returned to the masses that have a need for a six pack but only have a five spot in their pocket. Of course, now it’s hard to find a sixer of PBR for under $5 in many places as its new found popularity has driven the price up throughout the country. Still, it can be found.

The iconic blue ribbon is for the beer’s 1893 victory at the Chicago World’s Fair, and its patriotic red, white and blue colors and (in many places) its red “Union Made” stamp give away its blue collar, Midwestern roots. It’s design is largely unchanged for decades, and is easily one of the most recognizable brands in the country.

PBR doesn’t have that strong of a taste, but of what it does have is a sweet and grain-like flavor with a malt finish. It it’s fairly light, meaning these are (sometimes a little too) easy to pound down one after the other, which is largely how we’ve seen them consumed.

So long as the price doesn’t continue to sky rocket, PBR still remains a good deal, especially with the larger cans. Even so, the recent price hikes knock this down a bit in the rankings, putting it at a #2 of 2. As it stands:

1. 1. Miller High Life

2. 2. Pabst Blue Ribbon

For the next month we will look at cheap beers that we consider to be a good buy weekly.

Miller High Life – The Champagne of Beers. The Moon Maiden. Your ticket to the High Life. Whatever you want to call it, the $3.50-$5 six pack pack price range has made sure you’ll always have beer at a poker game no matter how long a cold streak you endure.

The bottle is a throwback to what you’d imagine Johnny Cash drinking in “Sunday Morning Coming Down” or what you’d find in your uncle’s garage fridge next to the Bel Air he’s fixing up. The can’s the plain sister except during the fall, when it comes in a blaze orange for hunting season.

Taste wise there’s a hint of bitterness, but it doesn’t have that rice-y taste you find in most big time domestics. It goes down fairly smooth, and you can easily polish a couple of these off without much unwanted aftertaste. Certainly you could ask for more out of a beer, but your beer would ask for more out of your wallet.

For the price, this is hard to beat. Also being an American standard for over 100 years doesn’t hurt either. As this is the first beer reviewed it will automatically take first place…for the moment.

Your comments are welcome.

Last Wednesday, I was lucky enough to get to enjoy the Brewers Dinner at North by Northwest (NXNW). The Brewers Dinner is comprised of five courses, each paired with its own beer brewed at NXNW that enhances and complements the meal. It is only held about once every six months and reservations fill up quickly. Unfortunately, I waited almost a week to write this review, so my descriptions will not be as accurate.

The dinner is held in a small, private room that holds around 30 people. The tables are set up together, so you are sitting with other parties. My friend and I ended up seated next to a father and daughter. The father was a 70-year-old Irish man who claimed he wasn’t a big drinker, but he was the only person at our table of 11 who finished every plate and every beer (I know I’m ashamed of myself, too).

Enough of an introduction, on to the food and beer. Please excuse the dark, low quality pictures; they were taken with my phone.

First Course

Brie Stuffed Risotto Cake with White Truffle Vinaigrette

Bohemian Pilsner

This pilsner was my favorite beer of the night. It was a crisp, hoppy Czech-style lager according to the brewers and was one of two beers that I finished entirely. It paired well with the rich brie risotto cake which had a very strong flavor that the beer did not overpower.

Second Course

English Pea Leek Fava Bean Soup
(I took the picture a little late on this one)

Anniversary Double IPA

This was a surprising course. The soup did not sound very appetizing, but I promise you, it was delicious. Possibly my favorite meal at the dinner because of how surprised I was that it tasted so good.

Now, I’m not a fan Indian Pale Ales, and hearing that this was a double IPA scared me. The brewers said it was brewed with 10 hop additions and was 8% alcohol. I was expecting a bitter taste that would completely overwhelm my palate and I was wrong. There was a slight bitter aftertaste, but overall the beer was delicious and I managed to finish it. The only bad thing about this course was that the beer and the soup did not go well together; something the chef admitted before serving it.

Third Course

Baby Spinach Leaf Salad with Feta Vinaigrette Pickled Red Onions and Candied Pecans

Barton Kriek

I tried to color correct this picture as best I could so you can see how red the beer was. The father in the party next to us asked if it was actually wine. The Barton Kriek is a Belgian-style lambic ale with tart cherries, and was my least favorite beer of the night only because it was very fruity and I’m not a big cherry fan. However, the beer paired very well with the salad and complemented the candied pecans. I sipped at the beer with each bite of salad, but this is the first beer I did not finish.

Fourth Course
(I am already full by this point & finally realize I can photograph beer and food together)

Veal Shanks with Polenta
Okanogan Black Ale

This was my least favorite course. Everyone was shocked to see we were being served two bone-in veal shanks on top of a mound of polenta, and before the first bite was even taken, waiters were bringing in to-go boxes. I only managed a couple of bites of the veal and polenta, and I wasn’t a fan of either. The veal had a very distinct roast beef taste and the polenta wasn’t tasty by itself. The beer was a rich, smooth dark ale, but it wasn’t very memorable (perhaps because I was feeling slightly tipsy by this point).

Fifth Course

Chocolate Blancmage in Puff Pastry with Bourbon Caramel Sauce

Barrel Aged Blackjack Ale

I am not normally a fan of chocolate, but this dessert was delicious (and not too chocolate-y). I finished my plate and stole a few bites from my friend’s. Guess I wasn’t as full after skipping the fourth course. Some of the people around us described the beer as tasting like chocolate, but I didn’t agree. It paired well with the bourbon caramel sauce thanks to it being aged in Jack Daniels whiskey barrels, and it was definitely a dessert beer. I chose not to finish it though so I could walk out of the restaurant straight.

After dinner, we were allowed to view the brewery room, which wasn’t very large, but was tall. My camera wasn’t able to get very detailed pictures in there, but I tried.

I would highly recommend the Brewers Dinner to anyone who loves beer and food. It isn’t for everybody, but I enjoyed it. There aren’t nearly as many beer snobs there as you would think. Mostly just couples and friends who enjoy a good meal and drink.

Here’s a new YouTube video review showing the popular EdgeStar KC2000 kegerator from Kegerator.com:

The Drowning Pool soundtrack choice is strangely fitting.

And while the track doesn’t make the cut in the AskMen.com: Top 10 Drinking Songs list, the chorus, “Let the bodies hit the floor!” definitely reminds us of kick ass keg parties.

For what it’s worth the AC/DC jam, “Have a Drink On Me”, nabbed the top spot in AskMen’s top 10:

Know of any other good beer-drinking jams? Let us know!

(“Chumbawumba” need not apply)

Recently, I noticed the new advertising campaign from Bud Light. In a market crowded with domestic light beers, they are working a new angle: “The Difference is Drinkability.”

The campaign is mildly amusing, with spots featuring either the freeze-frame monologues on drinkability, or the play-by-play commentary by the “cool guy” who draws diagrams for his friends in mid air.

The Freeze-Frame Monologue:

However, the thing I find most interesting is that this new marketing approach is such a significant detour from the usual fare I’ve come to expect from Anheuser Busch—all those mindless ads that induce laughs but do little to differentiate their product in the mind of the consumer.

My all time favorite? A seasonal piece from the “Real Men Of Genius” series that salutes the inventor of Egg Nog:

Come to think of it, Egg Nog and Bud Light have a lot in common regarding drinkability—I enjoy them both ice cold and only in very limited doses.