Flavor from Bud Light

Tampa bay Devil Ray Jonny Gomes inadvertently discovered a way to actually taste the beer-like substance known as Bud Light by drinking it through teamate Dioner Navarro's protective cup. That's right, the same cup that Navarro wore while squating in the Florida heat for 3+ hours. It seems like an extreme measure to drum up flavor from the Bud Light but it may be a new trend. We'll watch in '09.

An Experiment

In reviewing my beer consumption over the past year I find that I've spent a fair amount of money on beer. The economy is tight, there's a need to cutback. Before panicking and switching to PBR, however, I thought I'd have a go at brewing my own. A challenge is that I have no confidence in my brewing skills. I'm not very meticulous or scientific. I appealled to my friend Chris, the bastard crow, who is. And we brewed up a batch. We cooled our wort in the snow, and it's fermenting nicely. Note the photographic evidence.

over the next few weeks we'll bottle and sample. I'll let you know how it goes.

The Food/Beer Delimma

Is the quality of food in Maine watering holes indirectly proportional to the quality of the beer?

I strayed off the peninsula yesterday. This is generally a mistake but I was in search of underwear. I swap out my panties once a year. So, I was in Freeport, and after a grueling half hour at the Jockey store I was mighty hungry and thirsty.

The Gritty's in Freeport features draught 21 IPA and Cask 21 IPA and both are terrific! I am a huge fan of this beer and I hope they continue to offer it. The cask beer poured perfectly and even though I love rough edges and lack of balance (in favor of hops) the smoother cask gets my vote, ever so slightly, as the better of the two beers.

But I was hungry. I ordered the special: a burrito fajita or a fajita burrito; ignoring the fact that Gritty's is a brew pub, not a Tex-Mex place and the fact that these items (burrito and fajita) are two different things. The combination might've worked, actually, had there been any discernible flavor in the food at all. And had the meat (steak, purportedly) not been reminiscent of LL Bean boot factory seconds. And had the wrap (tortilla? pita? wonder bread?) been fresh this week.

But the beer is great, and worth the trip.

I got to thinking though, at Ebenezer's I had a wonderful beer experience and a lunch (the house special burger which features cooler than room temperature coagulated tomato paste) that I still have the occasional nightmare about. At the GLB, enjoy the beer and be very, very careful when ordering the food. At Novare Res, the food is fine but how many olive plates does it take to make a meal?

Does great beer have to mean bad food?

A Visit to Novare Res

I'm looking forward to a
Novare Res stop this evening, for a few beers with some old friends. I noticed that they have Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA--now certified as locavore compliant--on tap. I know what my first beer will be.

Also pictured, some troubling non-beer related news from the far north. I hope that this doesn't dampen the Christmas spirit in any way. I also suspect I'll hear from a few of the loyal readers who object to the occasional political content of this blog

Yellow Snow

So I almost made it. I had a couple of fresh rolls, some nice greens, a tomato, and some red sauce in my hands. I didn't need, or even want, anything else. I was secure in my knowledge that I had HSA waiting at home. I set my goods down on the checkout counter at the Rosemont Hilltop market and glanced just slightly to my left. And there it was: yellow snow.

Was this fair? They have candy-free checkout counters in the grocery store. Why was this bottle of beer--the latest IPA from a marvelous, world class wrong Portland based brewer--placed right in front of me, as if it were a temptation from the gods. I thought long and hard, difficult thoughts about inner strength and self discipline. A full nano-second after this lengthy and thoughtful meditation I moved the bottle from its tempting display to my pile of goods. And I bought it. And I have now drunk it.

Occasionally, I haved stretched the concept of local in my 2008 locavorian purity. In fact, I have suffered a suspension order as a result of a regrettable spring transgression. Here I offer no rationale other than this: it was there, and I drank it.

And it is terrific: a beautiful beer, cloudy yet crisp, with hints of fruitiness all captured in an overwhelming bitterness--wonderful bitterness--that screams American IPA. It's fabulous.

In a few short weeks I will transition from 2008's pure beer locavore to a locavore-friendly 2009 beer consumer. I consider this a step towards that transition and acknowledge that I have jumped the gun a bit. I await the ruling from the governing bodies

Pure Locavore Heaven

I indulged in the perfect locavore meal: Gritty's marvelous 21 IPA as a warming up beer. It's great, wonderful hoppy flavor, crisp and clean yet sophisicated enough at the finish to leave me with a bit of a headscratching "what is that flavor?" question. A question that demands another to solve the riddle. But because I have tremendous will power I moved on and poured myself a glass of Geary's Wee Heavy. A very different beer. Full-bodied, full flavored, an adult beer made to stand up to the main course: lobster!

With locally grown salad fixins and freshly baked rolls from the Hilltop Rosemont market, my free-range feast was almost complete. Another Wee Heavy washed down the last little bit of tomalley smeared roll. The switch back to the 21 IPA as a palate cleanser was perhaps unnecessary but I drank it anyway. And enjoyed every bit of it.

A Sunday Blessing

My friend Jason, Beerblogger extraordinaire , has already mentioned the terrific New Yorker piece on craft brewing. I'll re-iterate here: it's a brilliant article, very well written and thoroughly researched. I learned quite a bit from reading it.

Here's the most important thing I learned: Dogfish Head brewing's founder, resident genius, and god to whom beer geeks genuflect, Sam Calagione, named his company for the piece of land off Southport Island (near Boothbay--surely you knew, SLM!) where he summered as a kid. Yes, it's true, Dogfish Head is locavore compliant. Some of the ingredients are trucked in, as is the case with any beer, but the name is strictly local.

During 2008 I have suffered mightily: the horrible 3 beer limit; the 10 day suspension order; the wretched trips to beer-starved Florida and Virginia; the gut-wrenching free-versus-local dilemma. I have endured it all. But the cruelest indignation, the most horrific challenge has been to deprive myself of the single best beer in the world: the Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA. I now know that my agony was unnecessary. So it is with pure joy mixed with a twinge of regret that I lift my glass and sing Hallelujah.

Quick Update

It is with a heavy heart that I report that the GLB was out of the Wee Heavy. They didn't even have a wee bit.

So I drank a Big Twitch, and I loved it. It is a great beer. I was in hops heaven. But, sadly, after a couple of sips I noticed my glass was empty.

So I switched from the Twitch to the Fedelta. I found this beer (Fedelta) to be an interesting experience. My first reaction was a bit unfavorable--the beer didn't quite seem done. As in, it'd be better next week or next month. I don't know enough about the brewing process of this particular beer to know if that's true, I only know that my initial reaction was that it needed more work. But then I drank more. The beer is very complex--smooth and a bit sweet, with hints of fruit intertwined amongst the hops and malts. I drank more and tried to figure it all out. I warmed to the beer and the task. I decided I quite liked it. I lifted my glass again and noted with great sadness that my glass was empty.

I was driving. Two of those beers is my limit. I got in the man bug and went home. My heart was a wee bit heavy but my sadness was bouyed by the knowledge that the weekend is only beginning, and I could Twitch again, and try to sort through the complexities of the Fedelta again. And maybe the Wee Heavy would be back, and the heavy would surely lighten my spirits.

The Weekend Beer Plan

I'm jonesin' for the following beers, and will chase them down this weekend:

Geary's Seasonal "Wee Heavy", pictured here. Not likely to provide the hops flavor I'm looking for, but likely to be delicious.

The Big Twitch. One of my all time favorites. Evidently GLB has it on tap.

Allagash Fedelta. Brewed by Allagash in conjunction with 5 brewers from Belgium.

Pugsley Signature series Imperial Stout.

Two Terrific Beers and Some Terrific News!

Allen Pugsley's Signature Series Barleywine is terrific: an earthy malt bomb that's also fully infused with hops and is, in short, delicious. I recommend it strongly. Barleywine, by the way, is a kind of strong ale--it's brewed with grain and is a beer, not a wine.

Also fabulous is the Peak Organic Espresso Amber Ale. I was only moderately looking forward to trying this because it just didn't sound good to me. But it is! The espresso flavor is strong and vibrant and works really well with the already full-bodied ale. It's unique (at least in my experience) and original and tastes really good Interesting throughout, but crisp enough to be refreshing.

Finally (and this is a brief foray into the weight/size thing so skip this if you already worn out on that topic) I received some great news from my bathroom scale this morning. I'm actually a full pound heavier than when I began the tortuous three beer limit diet imposed by Dietitian Rached . While this may seem on the surface to be bad news it does prove inconclusively that the three beer rule complete and utter folly. I've suffered mightily with the harsh restrictions, am still recovering from a vicious man cold, had the economic setback resulting from the expensive but absolutely necessary purchase of 32 ounce beer steins, and yet actually gained weight. The three beer rule is now officially dead.

Small Beers

Even Condoleezza Rice and at least one other member of the (thank the gods) lameduck Bush administration seem to be really angry about the trend towards less than full size beers. It may be the only thing they've been right on in the past eight years.

Speaking of the gods, fate took me up the coast over the weekend and I was once again able to sample the marvelous Big Twitch and Cant Dog Ales from Marshall Wharf Brewing. Fate, and the barkeep at Three Tides (the magnificent bar adjacent to MW) allowed me (after an exchange of currency) to depart with a growler each of the stuff as well.

Quick Hits

The marvelous Allagash Curieux, pictured here, is available at Hanafords for under $10 per 750 ML bottle. This is a great price for a great beer!

At the opposite end of the great beer spectrum I have confirmed the PBR is not locavore compliant. The PBR we (not me) drink here in Maine is brewed in North Carolina, according to the folks at PBR. I had hoped that it might be my local beer of last resort.


Boston Beer Company, makers of Sam Adams, posted losses in the third quarter. The downturn was attributed to rising costs. I feel an obligation to help them by drinking some of their product. The beer is good, and squeeks in locavore range. In addition, the folks at Sam stepped up to help small brewers suffering from the hops shortage.

Size and Nutrition, again

Size

One of the challenging aspect of the 3 beer a day rule is the concept of size. Clearly, a dixie cup or thimble of beer is hardly a beer. By the same token, a full liter of beer, it could be argued, is more than one, even if it is served in a single glass.

Many beers come in 12 ounce, or 330-350 ML bottles. Since a minimum standard is a pint, these 3/4 beers are confusing. Also, since I always pour the bottle into a glass, and the inevitable evaporation occurs, commonly accepted rounding principles would mandate that it takes two of these 3/4 beers to equate to one beer, as prescribed by dietitian Rached. The formula for this is simple: 2 x (3/4) - evaporation = 1.49 beer; rounded to one. However, using a conservative approach, I would consider 5, rather than 6, of these beers to equate to my limit of three.

But our local genius brewer Pugsley takes all the guess work out of this: his signature series comes only in 22 ounce bottles. No need to round, or multiply fractions or anything else. A beer is a beer. I plan to sample my allotted three today. I'll report back after the taste test.



Nutrition

Dr. Denke believes that beer is a more beneficial alcoholic drink than spirits because beer contains many more nutrients per serving, such as protein and B-vitamins and minerals such as magnesium, cadmium and iron.

More details on this important topic can be found in the comprehensive and authoritative medical periodical, All About Beer.

Needless to say, the sharp drop-off in these critical minerals was the contributing factor to my current severe illness. On a positive note, the authorities now think I'm going to pull through.

Warning!

It's Halloween and although I have a brilliant costume (pictured here), inspired by my Scottish and Aroostock County ancestry, I won't be going to any party this year. Why? I'm down with a horrible man cold.

The source of the dreaded man cold? The severe and inhumane dietary restrictions put in place by my dietitian.

Specifically, with my body depleted of the essential vitamins and minerals found in ale I became susceptible to airborne illness. To make matters worse, I faced a horrific medical procedure. Sure enough, by the time my tooth cleaning and polishing was finished (thank the gods it wasn't an X-ray year!), I had a full on man cold, and I've been down with it ever since.

Be careful out there!

Size Matters

So I went to Binga's Winga's, which features big beers and tiny burgers. I had three (my limit, of course) of the big beers: an HSA; a Harpoon IPA; and back to the HSA. The barmaid claimed they were 22 ounce beers, I'm sure that she was exaggerating. In any event, I'm not going to get into fractions. Three beer is three beer, it seems to me. I didn't have the tiny burgers, rather, I sampled other items on the menu. Maybe that's why my weigh-in result was reverse stock market like: losses early in the week gave way to gains.

The three beer brutality is particularly harsh on the weekends. It's now lunch time and I can't even think about that nice Saturday lunchtime ritual of a sandwich, a couple of beers, sports on TV, and a nap. I need to save my allocation for the evening.

I also face a new dilemma. I've been invited to a party where, presumably, beer will be served. Isn't it incredibly rude to stop at three? Isn't that an insult to the host? In this case, not only is the limit a form of physical, psychic, and emotional torture, it puts me in the awkward position of being disrespectful.

I Did It!

Although no one has been so bold as to put it in print, there has been a whisper campaign that is nasty in tone. Specifically, some of the pundits have implied that the severe restrictions levied by my dietician (pictured here) are not actually all that difficult or stringent. So let me elaborate:

1. If I have a glass of wine, or a warm-up martini, or even a post-meal sphincter of brandy it counts towards my three beer limit. Said another way, if I start my day with a friggin' Mimosa (sometimes known as a Bucks Fizz), I'm only allowed two beers for the whole rest of the day!

2. With no specific timeframe agreed upon, these cruel limitations are ongoing and indefinite, like the way Dubwa looks at wars with countries we invade. In addition, I live under the constant threat of random audit.

In the face of this evidence, I think you will all agree that these restraints are repressive in nature.

It was with this knowledge that I waded timidly into the belly of the beast after work yesterday. That's right, Novare' Res, and their $3 draft special (ends tonight). And I did it! I drank 3 of the glorious Smuttynose IPA pints , left the bar 25 minutes after I'd entered (I'd nursed the beer to prolong the enjoyment), went home, pulled the sheets up over my head, and cried myself to sleep.

Joe Three-Pack

In 2004 I weighed 210 pounds. By saying that I weighed 210 pounds I mean that I weighed myself every morning (technically 341 times, I missed a few days because of travel) and averaged 209.9 pounds for the year. I currently weigh 245 pounds. In addition to this statistical evidence of weight gain, note the photographic evidence between the running photo (2004) and the park bench photo (current). I have had a series of injuries that now keep me from running. My weight has become a significant challenge, and a bit of a health issue.

So, I consulted a dietician (this is a free service provided through my job). I told her that I had gained 35 pounds and offered a theory for the weight gain: over time, I have taken in more calories than I have burned. She indicated there might be some merit to this theory. She asked me about my daily diet, and there seemed to be no problem through breakfast and lunch. The issue seems to arise in the evening, when I drink 5-6 beers and eat way too much.

With the problem diagnosed, we agreed upon a plan:

1. Exercise 4-5 times per week. This is easy, and I will be deeply ashamed if I cannot achieve this consistently over time.

2. 3 beers per day. As in, no more than 3 beers in any one day! This is barbaric and I have notified the authorities and suggested investigating this as a possible human rights violation but I did agree to try to achieve this monumental goal.

3. Eat more vegetables, as a percent of my total food intake. I should be able to do this, I really like vegetables.

I started this plan yesterday and ran into an immediate problem. I went to a function that included free beer (my favorite kind of beer). And it was good beer, the Gritty Halloween Ale, one of the better local seasonals. But here's the issue: it was served in a cup! Probably an 8 ounce cup. Maybe a 10 ounce cup. Almost certainly not a 12 ounce cup. And sometimes the cups weren't even full. There's no way I should have to call one of those beers one of my quota of 3. So I had to estimate, and I limited myself to 4. Or maybe it was 5. It might've been 6. I'm fairly certain that it wasn't 7.

Not a bad start!

Official Endorsement

In a stunning move that surprised loyal readers and physically sickened one of the candidates (pictured here), the editorial board of Beerlocavore has agreed--by consensus--to endorse Barack Obama in his bid to become the next president of the US of A.

Beerlocavore has never endorsed a candidate before--hence the surprise of the readership--but was moved to act for the following reasons:

• There's a huge difference between the two candidates. And it's important to weigh in on the difference. We are a very different country now than we were in 2000 and the difference is 8 years of a Dubya presidency, not 19 whack job terrorist assholes. We can't afford to fall further as a nation, and there’s a risk that we would with John McCain.

What are the key differences between the two candidates? I’ll explain briefly here:


1. John McCain is an unrepentant neoconservative who drummed up support for the Iraq invasion by spewing lies (the 9/11 tie in; the WMD; and an Anthrax lie he seems to have made up on his own) on national television. In addition, he repeated the Dick Cheney promise that the war would be over quickly and we’d be greeted as liberators. Okay, he was wrong, and guilty of poor judgment (more on that). The bad judgment is a concern but the big issue is that he continues to claim he was right. Does he think we’re idiots?


2. John McCain, by his own admission, doesn’t know much about the economy. So who does he rely on for economic guidance? Phil Gramm. That’s right, the guy most responsible for the deregulation of the Finance industry. Yeah, the deregulation that has led to our financial collapse and subsequent taxpayer (you and me) bailout. Oh, and he’ll check in with campaign manager Rick Davis, the Freddie and Fannie lobbyist (as in he pocketed $2mm from those outfits so that they could avoid regulation). Look, cutting taxes for the richest Americans doesn’t create jobs (except for Dom Perignon importers). It’s been tried (most recently for the past 8 years) and it has failed, repeatedly. There is no trickle down.

3. John McCain’s judgment sucks. Enter Sarah Palin. He thinks she’s qualified. She clearly is not. Her flimsy resume’ doesn’t necessarily disqualify her. It’s her lack of knowledge and her inability to respond to even the most softball of questions regarding foreign policy, Supreme Court decisions, and economic concerns. And here’s the judgment issue: he picked her.

That’s it. Back to beer. Vote for Obama. Buy local.

Lost on the Allagash

The Sox are still playing and I have 'frige full of Allagash. Let us count our blessings! Lobster is cheap! Life is good!

Actually, the Four is gone. I drank it, and enjoyed every bit of it: it's a classic Big Beer--full bodied, balanced, beautifully colored, malty and bitter, with a touch of fruit. In short, it's wonderful.

Damn! The four-pack of Grand Cru is gone, too. It would've been the perfect lobster pairing. Allagash's winter seasonal is a malt maverick that stands up nicely to a spicy seafood red sauce.

At least I've got the other malt monster, the Dubbel. Shit! That's gone too. Oh yeah, it stood up well to my salami-and-cheese sandwich lunch. A fantastic pairing.

Oh, well. It's happy hour. I'm going to tuck into the Tripel while I cogitate which of my remaining beauties (the magnificent Curiuex and the sinful Black) goes best with lobster.

Catching Up

I have a lot of catching up to do, sorry. I've been to New York City, Saco, and an even more exotic location, Western Maine. In the time since I've last blogged, John McCain has gone from feeling a little cocky to feeling desperate, and the campaign has gotten quite nasty. We've had an economic melt down--it's good to know that the barter system is still out there (guns for Peak Organic beer!). You'd need to sell 3 shares of AIG stock to buy one six-pack of quality beer, and Joe Six-pack has moved to national prominance. I wonder who he is?

New York: I took the Fung Wa bus from Boston and arrived in the late afternoon, with an empty stomach and a raging thirst. I walked out of Chinatown because although it's a great place to eat, it's a shitty place to drink, and beer takes precedent. I spotted Kenn's Broome Street Pub, found a stool, and ordered two beers: A Dogfish Head Pumpkin and a Brooklyn Lager. I use a new rule in applying the 100 mile limit, by the way: as the crow flies. Also, in an attempt to be a little less uptight, I don't feel a need to beer-map the measurements. Delaware seems close enough to NYC, for example. Anyway, the Pumpkin is skippable, as is all pumpkin beers. The Brooklyn Lager is brewed in Utica. I don't know where that is and I don't care. NYC is underserved in quality beer in many ways, the Brooklyn is my fallback beer.

Saco: Run of the Mill pub in Saco is a beautiful drinking establishment with above average food and high quality brewed-on-premise beer. It's a big space in an old tannery. All the beers are very good. My one complaint is that none of them are particularly extreme. I'm still looking for that locally brewed hop monster! But they've got a pale, a red, an ipa, and a brown. I found their lager quite good.

Western Maine: It's good to go check out the fall foliage. And there's no place better to do that than Ebeneezer's Pub, in Lovell, the foothills of the western Maine mountains. I don't know why it's there (and I wish it were a short walk from my house) but it's a Belgian Beer bar with an unbelievable (as in fabulous!) beer list in a building that feels a bit like a snowmobile club. Using another locavore rule variation (when in a Belgian beer bar, all Belgian beer is considered local) I sampled the wares a bit. I could've stayed there all day and into the night. I ordered food and had a burger that I'd like to forget. The beer is memorable, though, and worth the trip.

The Seasonals: Geary's Autumn is great! I really like the Gritty's offering (Halloween ale?) also. I'm not big on the pumpkin (sorry, Shipyard). I have yet to try the Peak Organic/Coffee by Design hybrid but I'm looking forward to it. It's seems that combining two of my three daily drinks (water would be the third) is effecient, if nothing else). In general, though, I'm a big fan of the switch from the summer beers to the autumn brews.

Getting The Beer Right

Beer is important. So why do so many otherwise fine restaurants get the beer list wrong? It doesn't have to be an extensive list to provide the needed variety. An example of a local venue which gets it right is Blue, the live house on Congress Street between High and State. It's a small place, with limited taps, but the beer menu is thoughtful and demonstrates knowledge of beer and beer drinkers (confession; I have to be careful there because the taps include Dogfish Head 90 minute IPA, non-locavore compliant and one of the world's great beers).

Barry, who runs Blue, includes an English style pale (Geary's), a White (Allagash), a flavorful lager (Brooklyn), a shite lager (PBR), a pretentious shite lager (Stella), the mandatory Guiness (which Barry tells me is his best seller), and two IPAs, the best-of-local Frye's Leap, and the aforementioned 90 minute. Maybe a brown or a red could be added to the mix, and a seasonal (which he may have, I forgot), but that's nit-picky. This is a fabulous beer short-list, with something for everyone. I also appreciate his apparent unwillingness to stock anything with "light" in the name (water or Chardonnay works for light "drinkers".)

Twitch Itched

A very good beer. A little bit of a sweet nose but with a nice full flavor and crisp, bitter, flavorful hoppy notes throughout. I need to sample more.

Big News!!

Big Twitch is at the Bear! I'm I've got a Big Twitch to get there and sample it. I'll satisfy that twitch later today and report back.

Streak Over

The Red Sox had been undefeated (6-0) over a period of 3 years when I'd been able to have a beer at Bukowski's on Dalton Street before the game. That streak came to an end on Sunday. I drank an Opa Opa Ipa (brewed in Western Massachusetts), then tried the Opa Opa Amber, which was on tap. I drank that one because it was only $2 if ordered with the BBQ Chicken Sandwich special. I had the Chicken sandwich because it came with the beer. Neither of those were very good, creating the bad karma that led to the Sox defeat (4-2, to the Chicago White Sox). The IPA was pretty good, though, as was the Leatherlip IPA (Haverhill, Ma brewed) I had after the game. A little too malty and balanced for my taste was the Ipswich IPA, also after the game.

Not Sure How It Works

I think the best beer brewed in the state of Maine (best as defined by my taste buds) may be brewed at Marshall Wharf Brewing, in Belfast. I want to drink the Big Twitch and the Cant Dog. Here's the problem, it's available only in the bar next to the brewery (3 Tides), and that bar is a 2 hour drive from Portland. I'd do the drive up, but how would I get home?

On the flip side, the new brew pub in Saco is promising because there's a train there (and back). It's run by the folks who own the Liberal Cup in Hallowell. But it's not brewing beer yet. I hold out hope!

Missed It By That Much

I went to the RSVP in search of Barleywine. I didn't find any (although it was not an exhaustive search). I did, however, come away with a locally brewed super IPA. Could Stonecoast's 1260 be the beer I've been looking for?

There were two immediate challenges with the 1260 as my everyday beer of choice: 1)Stonecoast is rumored to be phasing out of the bottled beer business. The brew pub at Sunday River will continue but not their brewing and distribution operations, as I understand it; and, 2) the beer weighs in at a hefty $12.99 per 750ml bottle. Ouch!

The final challenge is the taste--it's just not the beer I'm looking for. It's incredibly flavorful and full-bodied but it's malty and earthy as much as it is hoppy. It tastes a bit like a Geary's HSA on steroids, and the HSA doesn't need performance enhancers.

I have one more bottle to sample. I'll write more if I feel a need to re-assess after drinking a second bottle with different expectations.

Beer Writing, Brewery Touring, and Beer Drinking

I'm now a member of the prestigious Maine Beer Writers' Guild. In my first official act as a member, I toured Fedral Jack's brewery and pub with other beer writers. I filed away the technical specifications of the various malts, specific gravities, ferkins, pumps and valves in the old steel trap. Please send me an email if you'd like these details. For purposes of this blog, I'll stick to a high level overview.

The tour was conducted by Mike Haley, a highly professional and knowledgeable young man who is clearly passionate about his chosen field. He's a Pugsley-trained brewer who started working in a brewery as a summer job. That was 14 years ago, he's never left brewing.

To be successful as a brew pub, location and consistency are crucial. Federal Jack's delivers on both (setting aside for a moment its distance from Portland). There are spectacular water views, and the beers are balanced and full of quality ingredients. Careful processing delivers the desired consistently delicious beer. I tried the cask conditioned 'Taint Town, the Old Thumper (one of my favorites), and the Fuggles IPA. All were pretty fugging good. I also drank a Barleywine. I'd never had one before, I guess because of the name, which implies wine (I like wine, but not wine-beer combos, although I'll make some Belgian exceptions to those rules). Anyway, it was good and left me longing for more. A trip to RSVP for a sample is in my future.

Anyway, I normally stray off the pennisula only as far as the GLB but a trip to Federal Jack's is worth it. You just need to choose straws for the designated driver.

In an unrelated note, brewer and beer blogger Ben has brewed a RyePA for Gritty's. I didn't catch when it would be available for consumption (maybe I missed it). It sounds great.

What Would Ghandi Do?

I've continued my non-violent protest. I stood in front of the beer cooler at the former Fat Baxter, now a branch of the Rosemont grocery, for a long time. Then I reached out. I could've bought a smutty, or a white, or a pale, or a summer. All local. But I wanted a hopped up IPA, and they had one. It's brewed in Baltimore, though. But until the locals react to me, and the thousands of other drinkers like me, who demand a flavorful IPAS, I'll continue my protest. I have a dream that one day I'll be able to walk across the street or down the hill and drink the beer of my choice. Until then, I'll continue my protest. I'll walk to Baltimore or Delaware if necessary. I'll walk across this great land, to the mighty Pacific Northwest, if necessary. But I will not give in to fascists and the bigots who refuse to brew the beer we want. The beer we deserve, dammit. I will protest peacefully and effectively by drinking my beer of choice.

The beer I drank--Clipper City Brewing's Loose Cannon Hop3 Ale--is very good. It meets the hops test, and has a nice base line balance that rounds out the flavor. It's a bit sweeter than is ideal but the initial hops bitterness rules the day. Despite the sweet finish it remains crisp and clean.

The packaging is a bit confusing. It seems to have 3 names but I guess the "Heavy Seas" thing is a bit of a tag line. The art and labelling is somewhat childlike but don't be fooled, this is a sophisticated, adult beer.

Big Beers

The Smuttynose Big Beer series is a locavore's delight. I'm enjoying the saison, Farmhouse Ale, as I write this. I've previously enjoyed several other of Smutty's big beers, most notably the Big A IPA. I've also enjoyed several lesser beers tonight, so I fear that I'm not writing much of anything. I'll fix it (whatever it is that I'm writing) in the morning.

In short, the Farmhouse is good. I'm going to close out and savor it, the Red Sox win, and my Beach to Beacon run. Later.

That's What I'm Talking About

I'm on a business trip again. New Jersey this time. I met some old friends for a beer(s) and a burger. It was great catching up with my friends and re-telling old stories and laughing at them as if they were new stories. The evening was enhanced by several Victory HopDevil beers. This is the kind of beer that I feel is missing from the Portland beer scene: exquisitely hoppy but coupled with a strong enough malt back beat so that the result is a wonderfully flavorful offering. This is a great beer, and an example of why I've launched my protest (last post). Brewed in Pennsylvania and drunk in New Jersey, I was locavore compliant.

One Man Protest

With all the brewing talent in Portland, and, indeed, within the locavore confines, why don't we have an extra hoppy, assertive American or Imperial IPA option? We are too balanced! I want the big, bold, bitter flavor of a 90 minute Dogfish Head IPA--or the equivalent. Until we get one, I'm going to launch a protest: if the 90 minute IPA is available, and the other option(s) are limited to a more traditional English IPA, I'm going to drink the 90 minute, locavore be damned!

This is a bold move but the time has come. What the fuggles, bring on the intense hops IPA!

Today's Challenge

I'm going to get through the day drinking only three different drinks: black coffee (0 calories); water (0 calories); and beer (rumored to contain claories). I have 2 Geary's Summer Ales, 1 HSA, and one Allagash White (750 ml bottle) at home in the 'fridge. From a quantity standpoint, that should do it. I might want more assertive taste, however, so may need to stop and add to the mix.

Three different drinks in a given day is the bare minimum, I believe. Without coffee, the day would not exist. Without water, I would be improperly hydrated and therefore unhealthy. And life without beer? Perish the thought.

The Locavore's Delimma

I'm now in the second half of my year as a beer locavore. I've come across three significant hurdles to living the beer locavore lifestyle. These challenges have, at times, literally brought me to my knees. At other times, I have found myself in tears. The choices have been gut-wrenching. Sometimes, I have failed. As a result, I now view my strict locavore pledge as more a statement of high level principles. My strict locavore rules I now consider to be mere guidelines. Things change, we must adapt and move on.

Here's the three big challenges for a Portland, Maine-base beer locavore:

1. It's expensive being locavore. The other day, I found myself circling the Hanaford, a $10 18-pack of PBR (PBR has no breweries, extensive internets research neither proves nor dis-proves its locavore status) tucked under my arm. I tried to talk myself into buying it. On the third lap of the store, I started crying. I put it back, and bought an on sale 12 pack of Geary's HSA for $13. I dried my tears and moved on.

2. Things change. When I made the infamous pledge (now high-level principles), there was no Novare Res. There was no Prost! Now we have international beer bars. It's important to evolve as the situation evolves. Hence, guidelines, not rules.

3. The whole travel thing. Travel remains a huge challenge. There are many parts of this great nation which remain a beer blight on the horizon, suffering mightily at the hands of the beer fascists from A-B, Coors, and Miller. I refuse to be hamstrung by the evil-doer's tactics, and, when traveling, will opt for quality over shite.

What Makes it a Review?

There are brilliant beer, food, and restaurant reviews out there on our internets. For example, check here and here.

I have an issue, though. As a reader, I tend to read the first couple of sentences and then jump to the punchline. As a writer, I'm the same way, and I'm unlikely to change. Here's what you'll get at this blog: a two-three sentence description, and then a suggestion (go there/don't go there). That prevents my eyes from glazing over and your head from itching. If you want excessive details, though, they can be found. But you may have to switch internets.

So these reviews are quick, but should not be construed as a slight in any way:

1. Prost! International Tap Room: beautiful beer selection; lovely space with a fantastic bar; a somewhat confusing second room with an almost disco feel; I ate the sausages--they were great; the folks are still working out the kinks but they will; a great addition to the Portland scene.

2. The Grill Room: what a fantastic space!; love the silver bull hanging outside; can't wait to "really" eat there (I had a delicious steak salad lunch); the 12 beers on tap are a little disappointing in that they are fairly pedestrian; Chef Harding Smith is a big flavor advocate--the philosophy doesn't extend to the beer list.

3. Vignola: ignore the snooty barmaid and belly up to the beautiful bar and order a bottle of Curieux, comparatively under priced at $18 (psst--it's $17 at the Hanaford's); if you are hungry, order a margarita pizza; this is bargain dining in a lovely restaurant.

Meanwhile, Back to Beer

When one is a committed locavore, temptations abound: The sophisticated Europeans, the sexy Scandinavians, the festive Mexicans, the cultured cluster of Canadians, the cheap Chinese, and, of course, the free-spirited left coasters. The granola crunching Vermonters are off limits. Even the real stuff from Bar Harbor is out of local. I paced the bar and ogled the stock. Three times. And then I sat down and ordered a 420 IPA. I sipped it, deeply. I ordered again. An Allagesh Dubbel this time. Again the sipping. Twice this time--I'd slowed down--before setting my empty glass down. A calmness returned. My third and final beer, another Dubbel, went down smooth and easy. I'd gone in to the belly of the beast, Portland's newest beer bar, Prost! International Tap Room, and survived with local morals and ethics intact.

Traveling Violations

I was on the road again last week, and I fell out of locavore. I will report and await my punishment. First, a triumph of sorts, however. The highly regarded and award-winning Beer Haiku Daily selected my passing of the beer season lament as the May 28 daily haiku. You can read it here.

I was in Clark, New Jersey and opted for Brooklyn lager to wash down my pizza. Unfortunately, Brooklyn seems to be brewed in Utica, if one trusts the fine print.

On the weekend, I searched for ramen, and found two decent shops: Minca, in the East Village; and Ippudo, near Astor Place. I drank Japanese beer at both spots. In the West Village, I went to a nice little izakaya called Rockmeisha. There I drank Japanese beer but could not resist the temptation of their strange non-Japanese offering, Frank Zappa Lumpy Gravy, a malty Brown Ale from Lagunitas.

Quick Updates

This brilliant post captures the current draft options at Novare Res. It also helps explain why Beer, Maine & Me is higher rated than Beer Locavore.

I stopped in Happy Teriyaki for a quasi-Japanese meal the other day. I was thirsty and held my breath as the waitress recited the beer list. After she'd gone through the A-B product offerings, she mentioned Shipyard Export. I latched on to it. Under the circumstances I was grateful. It was good, as was the food, although it was not particularly authentic. I'll go back.

Speaking of Japanese food, Benkay has some wonderful lunch options, including a rotating bento box lunch that contains almost more food than I can eat, for eight bucks. Benkay is flawed by the lack of a local beer choice, however. I am forced to drink sake'.

My New Favorite Local Bar

Novare Res, the revolutionary new bar located in the plaza behind the Pavilion, is a great addition to Portland's already robust bar scene. Check their webpage here.

It was with great relief that I discovered they had multiple locavore options among their magnificent beer offerings. I sampled two, both drafts: Allagash Odyssey and the Smuttynose IPA.

After the relief I felt when I determined that they were locavore compliant, my emotion shifted to chagrin--if that's an emotion--then pure anger. Anger at myself. With marvelous beer offerings from all over the world my choices were limited to the local stock--because of my own stupid rules.

I looked around: the bar is beautiful and clearly a labor of love; people were laughing and enjoying one another; the space will include a wonderful beer garden; the specialty beers and matching glasses are unlike anything in Portland. Yes, as reader Jabroni indicates, there were beautiful people there. There were also young people, older folks (people my age), people in suits, carpenters, fishermen, lawyers, bankers, and, most importantly, beer lovers. The owner gave us a bit of a background on the place and then offered everyone a free beer. I yearned for the Belgium, the German, the French, the West Coast, and the Canadian. I panicked. I left. I will return.

The Suspense is Building

Will Novare Res, the new Belgium Beer bar that opens in Portland tonight, include a local offering among its purported 25 draft beers? I will find out, and report back.

The Local IPAs

Since I lamented the lack of an assertive IPA in my most recent post, I thought I'd scientifically explore the local IPA options. I should acknowledge that my reviews are fairly simlistic--I like the beer or I don't, or, maybe, I'll say it's okay. If you want to know the specific gravity, check another blog. I picked up a few bottles at the Whole Foods, and interspersed tasting samples (a typical sample is 12 ounces)with palate cleansers. Some palate cleansers include: tortilla chips and salsa; garlic infused kalamata olives; and salted cashews. As an aside, I wonder why I don't lose weight?

Shipyard: mediocre, barely disernable hops. What the Fuggles?
Frye's Leap: I like it. Nice hoppy nose and taste. Clean, crisp finish.
420 IPA: Kind of funky. There's a flavor there (and I like flavor) that is almost more malty than hoppy. It's a nice beer, but a little untrue to the genre.
Smuttynose IPA: Tasting notes (okay, that sounds a little more sophisticated than I'm comfortable with) similar to the Frye's Leap. It's a nice IPA, but I'll give the nod to Maine over New Hampshire every day of the week.
820 IIPA: This bottle is 22 ounces and for whatever reason, my taste buds are slightly less discerning than when I started this tasting session. Also, the Sox have won, and the Celtics are in a tussle. Okay, that's out of the way. I'd repeat my 420 tasting notes--on steroids (the beer, not me). This is a flavorful, full-bodied, balanced, malty,hoppy, big beer blend that I like. But, it's not what I'm looking for when I reach for an IPA.

The Beers of Summer

Maine's freeze is over
I have a new source of SADS
Good-by winter brews

The long Maine winter has come to an end. I should be happy, and generally, I am. But I pause here for a minor rant:

Why must we drink bad beer just because the weather is nice?

Dogfish Cafe' replaced the wonderful, hearty, malty Allagash Dubbel with the cliched Allagash White. Compounding the issue, there are no other potable local beers in the place. I drank the White. Margaritas is now devoid of any drinkable beer. Stumped, I ordered a margarita to wash down my mediocre Mexican meal. Chef Et Al, which should be the thursday night hangout of choice, has succumbed to the trend as well: gone is the Copperhook, replaced by a Shipyard Summer. Click on the ad for the summer posted here: they actually position it as a beer which is virtually devoid of flavor. Astonishing!

Here's my suggestion to all bar owners and tenders:

1. Keep the Allagash White, it's popular, refreshing and true to the genre.
2. If you must swap out beers with the season, backfill the Dubbel with the Tripel in the summer.
3. HSA is now brewed year round. Some are offended by this. I'm not, it's good. Offer it year round.
4. Have two IPA on offer: we don't have an aggressive IPA brewed locally so you'd need to offer something like the Dogfish Head 90 minute IPA. The second tap should be local--make it the Frye's Leap.
5. One tap should be a stout, one of the local options works fine.
6. The Shipyard Export tap would appeal to drinkers (using the term loosely) who enjoy flavorless brew.
7. Never pour anything labelled "light". Keep water handy for patrons who request a light beer.

Quick Hits

1. Granny Burrito has added Allagash Dubbel on tap!
2. GLB has cask conditioned Allagash Four!
3. I stayed local--despite a tempting array of out-of-local beers--at Local 188 and had a fabulous meal, the House Paella (staying on theme, I drank Rioja).

A River Runs Through Them

Shameless Pandering

It is with disappointment that I report that Beer Locavore is the single lowest rated beer blog in Portland (for details click here). We have an opportunity to do something about that. I ask that you review the other blogs, and, if you feel as I do, that Beer Locavore is at least middle-of-the-pack, send the rating agencies an email at: anestes@portlandfoodmap.com

Don't bash the other blogs, and be sure to compliment Portland Food Map (which is a wonderful resource). But a quick note that includes something like:

"While Locavore occasionally gets bogged down bashing Dubya or the Yankees, his quick hitting beer reviews and recommendations are always spot on".

Or, "Give Lovavore the respect he deserves. The man bleeds Mead and sweats Dubbel. When he's forced to drink a bad beer (Shipyard Summer, for example) those are real tears he's crying".

"His pasty pallor is hard earned as he explores the bad taverns so we don't have to."

You get the picture. Let's make sure Portland Food Map does too.