The Ship Inn

My old friends and I have an annual tradition. Once a year we get together to celebrate the opening of trout season. What started out as a mind bending day trip has gradually morphed into a four day holiday. When we were in High School (over 25 years ago), we used to load into my '72 International Scout and my friends '78 Bronco, hitting the road at 3am to make it for the opening "drop the line" 7am whistle. We would travel 2-3 hours just to fish. Actually, I think we drank more beer than we fished. We would crack our first can of beer at 6am, drinking in the cold morning air waiting for 7am to come. We'd fish for a few hours and then hit the beers, eventually heading home. Always with a designated driver and our parents were never the wiser.

Over the years we got older and the routine changed. We'd still head to our spot in the wee hours of the morning getting there two hours before fishing time, start drinking and then fish and then drink some more. But now because we were older we needed after fishing entertainment. That's when the "shaker joints" came into play. After a morning of fishing and drinking we would head for the Adult Entertainment venues. Nothing worse than a bunch of drunk college students in a strip bar. I am glad we grew out of that phase of our fishing trips or should I say lived through it.

A few more years down the line we became more established in life and decided that getting up at 3am to drive three hours to our fishing spot was ridiculous. That is when one of us came up with the idea of camping. Now, the one day trip has turned into a 3-4 day Trout Fishing Holiday. Oddly enough, we still only fish about four hours on this trip. The days have increased but the fishing time stayed the same. What could we be doing with all of our other time on this trip? Drinking naturally. Well, we call it bonding with our friends, getting in touch with nature, stress reduction therapy etc. But no matter how you look at it or what you call it, we were still there for the same reason we were there for 25 years ago, the beer.

Here is one of my favorite highlights of our annual trip. This is the part I start getting excited about two months before April, the beginning of trout season. After we fish in our fishing hole and then move down the stream to fish the Damn, it is usually about noon when we are finished. Just around the bend from the Damn, in Historic Milford New Jersey is the Ship Inn. The Ship Inn is what gets my salivary glands in a tither. New Jersey's first brew pub, the Ship Inn owned by the Hall family, brews English style ales. And they are quite good at it.

Much to the chagrin of the locals in attendance, around noon, 5 or 6 scruffy, waterlogged, some drunk, dirty fisherman parade into the Ships Inn and immediately take over the bar. Are we loud and obnoxious? Obviously. But for the most part we are personable, funny and usually form some sort of bond with the bartender, who is typically an attractive young lady. On our most recent trip there, the bartender was a young lass named Stephanie. I use the word lass because it rhymes with sass, and Stephanie can give as good as she gets. We have been going to the Ship Inn on an annual basis since 1994 and every time I walk in the door, I eye up the Old Style, English Hand Pump Beer Engine and ask, "What do you have in the casks today?"

Never to be disappointed, I always have the Best Bitter Ale. Served at a cellar temperature, Brewmaster Tim Hall's Best Bitter is so smooth it is silky. Just as good as any bitters I have had in England. I look forward to a few pints of Best Bitter each fishing trip. The Chocolate Stout is another winner. Dark, smooth and creamy, hints of chocolate all over it, the stout lovers in our group ate this style up. In our gathering of merry, sometimes grouchy fisherman, we have a few domestic swill drinkers. Sadly, for them there is not a domestic swill in the house. The Hall family only serves their own handcrafted ales and select imported ales on tap. They also have a fine bottle collection. Not to worry though. If you bring a few hardcore swill drinkers in with you, I settled them on Tim's ESB Ale. I love an ESB and this one proved to be extremely drinkable and even satisfied our "Light" beer guys.

The food in the Ships Inn is very good. We have our staples. Each time we go there we order a Shepard's Pie, a Scotch Egg and Buffalo wings. The Wings at the Ship Inn are extraordinary, as is the Shepard's Pie. But what gets the guys going is the Scotch Egg. The boys call it an Egg Meatball. What it is, is an egg shaped meatloaf filled with sausage, ground meat and a hardboiled egg in the middle. It is served with Picalilly Sauce, which is a dipping sauce made from cauliflower, carrots and mustard. It is very good.

My one exception with the Ship Inn is that on our latest trip, the bartender Stephanie refused to take down and fill the decorative yard glass hanging over the back of the bar. I wanted to fill it with some ESB and prove my manhood to the bar patrons. Stephanie refused to take the yard glass down. At one point I even offered her double her 20% gratuity, which was a lot considering we had 8 guys there drinking and eating that afternoon. In hindsight, it was probably best. As I mentioned previously, we were scruffy, drunk, waterlogged fisherman. Tim Hall should know that no matter how hard we tried, Stephanie would not break the "No Yard Glass Drinking Rule."

The Ship Inn is New Jersey's first Brew Pub and is located in Milford, NJ about 100 yards from the Delaware River and is worth a trip. As a matter of fact it is worth about 15 trips and still counting.


Beers In Review:

Allagash Tripel Reserve: This Belgian style ale had a nice, sweet refreshing smell. Almost fruity, very enticing. As I poured this beer, I couldn't help to notice the color. The beer had a orange, goldish hue with a formidable head that, as expected, thinned rapidly. The first sip had a well balanced fruity taste that was enjoyably refreshing. The second taste revealed all of the spices that were meticulously used in the boil. This ale even had a bit of a spicy kick to it. As the beer went down, you noticed the warming sensation from the 9% whollop this Tripel was packing. The best part of drinking Allagash's Tripel Reserve was the way the initial fruit taste morphed into a blend of spices and herbs then finishing dry and refreshing. Nothing reserved about this beer. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Avery Brewing Hogheaven Barleywine Style Ale: I really enjoy Avery beers. Particularly their IPA and extreme IPA styles. They take hops to the next level while never losing the balance between hops and malt. That being said, as far as their Barleywine goes, I just don't see it. It is a terrific beer, but I would never guess it was a barleywine. I like the traditional sweet malty taste of a barleywine. This one was all about the hops, which I am sure will please the guys who lean towards the high hop end. It was very good as an extreme IPA, give it a try and decide for yourself. 9.2 %

Stone Vertical Epic 07: The guys at Stone Brewing bred a Belgian Saison with a Belgian Tripel and came up with a helluva an ale for an offspring. She poured a light, orange color with a sweet, ginger aroma. Once in the mouth you felt a very dry taste which then left you with a bitter, hoppy aftertaste. Very good use of ginger and orange peel as those spices are right there on your tongue. This was an easy drinking, mellow, relaxing ale. The stamp of California was all over this brew This was one of the best, and I hate to use these words, entry level Belgian Beers one could drink. No offense meant by my use of the words entry level, but this ale is so easy drinking it could easily open up the world of Belgian beer to the non-Belgian beer drinker.

Hop Crisis

It seems we are in the midst of a hop crisis. Weather conditions have wreaked havoc on the hop crop in Europe. Demand for Bio Fuels have farmers in the US trading in hop space for corn and other potential biofuels. The crisis will not effect the big brewers as much as the craft brewers. Watery beer doesn't use as much hops to come up with its distinct tastelessness. The average beer drinking American probably won't even notice that we are in the middle of a crisis. As for the rest of us, the hop crisis is as serious as the gasoline shortage of the 1970's and the price increases on barrels of crude oil today. Take away my SUV, charge me over $4.00 a gallon for gasoline, but never, ever mess with my Imperial Brews and my IPA's.

As craft beer consumers, we can expect a beer price increase due to the hop shortage as well as an increase in the cost of harvesting barley. Add transportation fuel costs to the mix and good beer is going to be more expensive. The price increase won't be an issue for me. I will keep the cost relationship for good beer in perspective. An average four glass bottle of wine costs $12.00. A six pack of beer or a couple of bombers or even a champagne corked bottle of Belgian Ale is still a bargain compared to wine.

The problem is what to do with the lack of hops situation. Hops are the distinct ingredient in all of our beers. We get our tastes, flavors and aromas from a variety of hops. Craft brewers will probably use their creativity and use more spices and less hops, ala the Belgians to make up for the shortage. But I have come up with an alternative. Start growing your own hops. It doesn't take much space. I planted two hop rhizomes last season in the spring and then filled up a bucket full of hops in the late summer. These two rhizomes literally took a couple of inches in ground space and about six feet in height. I didn't even string them out the way they were supposed to be planted. I had them grow on a trellis. I am assuming most craft breweries must have some yard space. Let's get the Rhizomes planted. It's time to grow hops. Maybe our fellow American Beer Drinkers can take part. Backyard hop gardens. Let's not take this crisis lying down, we can start a hop revolution. Our slogan: Save Your Beer, Grow a Hop!


The Beers

Aktien-Brauerei Kaufbeuren St. Martin Dunkle Dopplebock: That was a mouthful to pronounce. It was also a mouthful to drink. A deep, dark black malty beer. Thin head with a roasty, smokey toffee taste. Smooth mouthfeel. Classic German Dark Beer! Cold, Strong and Refreshing. Given to me by my good Friend from Michigan, I can imagine drinking this one in Frankenmuth with my lederhosen on and a polka in the background.

Undercover Investigation Shut Down Ale, Lagunita's Brewing Co.: This bitter ale was thick and malty looking with an extreme warming taste sensation. This baby had no balance between malt and hops as it leaned way towards the hoppy side. A huge bitter aftertaste! Delicious. 9.28 alcohol per volume, so it's a strong one.

Butte Creek Brewing Co, 10th Anniversary Imperial IPA: What a beer! Cloudy reddish, copper color, no head to speak of, mild hop smell, moderate malty aroma. This beer went down with a malty start, warmed up with a dry, hop bitter finish. I consider this beer a close second to Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, a compliment to be sure.

Belzebuth: France's answer to Barleywine. This ale clocks in at 13% and pours a cloudy, rusty color. This devil has a sweet malty aroma to entice you with temptation. Once you tasted it, you would dance with the devil's sister. Very warm and tingles all the way down. This is one helluva a beer. The ultimate fireplace brew!!

Belgian Rule?

Why is it that Belgium brewed beers do so much damage (Think Hangover) and are the cause of many a holiday of havoc? As an experienced beer drinker, I am aware of the higher alcohol content as well as the much bigger sized bottle. This awareness leads me to drink with caution. A couple of small goblets before dinner as an aperitif, another goblet or two with dinner and a glass with desert. That's it. A total of 36 ounces of finely crafted beer. While the beer is being imbibed, my spirits are uplifted, my gabbing increases, wittiness runs rampant. I am the life of the Holiday. I say things I wouldn't say to my in-laws, even after a dozen pints of Guinness. I make jokes you wouldn't make after a half dozen glasses of DogFish Head 60 Minute IPA. My mark is left. Another Belgium inspired holiday.

So what is it? Why the headache the next morning? Why the brain fog? Yes, the alcohol content is high, but I am aware of that. I drink within reason. On any other given day, I could have a dozen pints of Guinness (153 ounces of beer, trumping the 36 ounces of Belgium Ale) with no negative effect at all. The same with my ESB or lager, no problem there. So, what is it? It must be the secret ingredients.

I have learned that after quietly existing as a peace loving member of the European Union, Belgium has secretly, over the past few hundreds of years, been trying to takeover the world.
It is a very subtle attack, they brew high alcohol beers with secret ingredients. They place candies and fruits in their beers. They add spices like cloves and mix them with their own home grown hops. The Belgians have concocted brews that slowly chip away at human thought, brainwashing the drinkers to become Belgians. This is how they will take over the world. Before long, attracted to the unique tastes and aromas of exotic Belgium Beers, the entire world will be making Brussels their home. The Belgians will take over the world. You have been warned.


The Beers in Review:

Trappistes Rochefort 10, This Trappist Belgium Ale, pours a dark, blood red with a thick, copious head. The ale gives off a sweet, malty aroma with a touch of fruit. As typical, a mixture of many flavorful spices. # 10 finishes off dry and warm. The monks that brewed this ale, packed a whollup in there, with a whopping 11.3% alcohol per volume.

Trappistes Rochefort 8, The number 8 shares many of the 10's characteristics as far as color, aroma, taste and finish, yet 8 comes off tastier and more of a drinkable treat then its Trappist brother. The less alcohol, not by much, makes this ale drinkable, yet still dangerous. My favorite of the two.

V Twelve Ale, Victory Brewing: This Belgian inspired ale, of a whopping 12% alcohol by volume, was a rare treat. The 12% alcohol was so subtle in taste, that I wasn't really aware of the ale's potency as I was drinking it. A good sign I am sure. A sign that allows you to want even more of this beverage once you have finished the bottle. Victory V Twelve Ale was very smooth with a very enjoyable light sweetness to it. The most remarkable thing about the beer, besides the taste, was the color. Poured in a wide mouth goblet, the color of the ale was the deepest red I have ever seen. I actually found myself staring at this glass of beer numerous times as I was drinking it. V 12 is an incredibly well done beer and tastes fantastic.

Butte Creek Brewing Co. Organic Revolution 10th Anniversary Imperial IPA, you gotta love the word Imperial. Once you see that, you know that you are getting an amped up beer. I'm a little weird in my taste of IPA's. I prefer a "normal" IPA, one that has a bitterness to it, but more importantly a drinkable quality. I am not fond of the hopped up IPA. On the other hand (here is my weirdness), Once the hopped up IPA goes out of hop control, beyond the hopped-upness, I like it. There seems to be three categories of IPA. 1. True to Style. 2. Extreme IPA 3. Beyond Extreme, as in Imperial. I like number 3. Once the IPA becomes hysterical, it gains a true balance. The hop is cut down, by the malt, the alcohol mellows the bitter aftertaste with a true warming finish. I like that. Butte Creek does a great job of brewing well balanced Imperial IPA. Moderate malty aroma, deep copper color, dry, warm and bitter all at the same time. A terrific beer that is comparable to Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, but without losing it's own individual differences. Well done.

My Rugby Team Has A Drinking Problem

Rugby is an interesting game. Besides being the number two spectator sport in the world, in the USA, rugby is looked at the same way some would look at a traffic accident; with curiosity, awe and disgust. The curiosity is first. Curiosity will hit a person like a ton of bricks and make that person wonder, "What the heck is going on here?" The awe shortly follows as the wide open mouths, with expressions of amazement, take in the pure athleticism mixed with elegant, controlled violence. The disgust usually takes place after the match as the ruggers partake in traditional rituals such as drinking beer from a dirty rugby boot, or singing ribald songs whilst running naked through a pub.

While soccer is known as a gentleman's sport played by ruffians, rugby has the opposite reputation and is known as a ruffian's sport played by gentleman. In rugby, you will never see the fan riots and maulings that you do in soccer. Rugby is a sport ruled by social etiquette and protocol. Ruggers are a polite group of lads or even ladies as the case may be.

Once a grueling 80 minute rugby match has been played, tradition has it that the opposing teams will gather and share food and drink together. The third half as it is known. This social gathering allows the players to brag about their wounds and game time heroics over copious amounts of beer. As the beer flows like the Falls in Niagra and inebriation takes place, the ruggers sing songs, play drinking games and celebrate their victories with naked Zulu Warrior marches throughout the pub. Rugby can be quite fun.

But alas, my rugby team has a drinking problem. Not the drinking problem that can land you in A.A, but the kind that dictates their horrible taste in beer. The beers that are light in color and taste. The beers that need to be served ice cold, so that you cannot tell that the beer has no taste. That kind of drinking problem. But then again, I guess when you are drinking beer out of a dirty rugby shoe, the beer shouldn't be a ten dollar Belgium Ale. Or if someone is constantly dropping a golf ball in your beer cup and you have to guzzle what you have in the cup, a Russian Imperial Stout would be out of the question. And I suppose it would be a waste of money to fill a funnel up with cask conditioned ale for the short journey through the tube and into the stomach.

Maybe my rugby team doesn't have a drinking problem after all. As a matter of fact, maybe they are just wise beer consumers and I have an observational problem. On the other hand, our team bar, The Muskett Tavern, home of the Jersey Shore Sharks Rugby Club may have contributed to the problem by having a serving problem. With Bud Light being the only beer on tap, the Muskett is also known for its $2.50 bottles of Bud, Miller and Lite. The big attraction at the Musket is the always on special of $3.25 bottles of 22 oz Coors Light and thankfully the East Coast's own precious mass brewed gem, Yeungling Lager (A rose amongst the thorns of domestic swill). It's difficult to shame your rugby team when there are precious little choices.

So now, it seems, the rugby team does not have a drinking problem. It seems they are acting in their own best economic interest. Why waste good beer, when you can chug and spill all the swill available to you at little or no cost?

What of the tavern and their serving problem? A few of the older statesman rugby stalwarts (Think, Me!), formed a nice relationship with the bar manager. One night the manager says, "So, what kind of beer do you guys like to drink? I'll try and get it for you." So, in addition to large 220z bombers of domestic beer, we now have in the Muskett's fridge, bottles of Victory Hop Devil and Golden Monkey, Magic Hat Blind Faith and #9 and a few different Sam Adams selections as well as bottled Guinness.

Once again, it appears my rugby team may now have a drinking problem. But at least we will be going down in good taste!



The Beers:

Monkey Wrench Dark Ale, cask conditioned winter dark ale from Daleside Brewery in England. This dark brown beer poured a thin head with a nice roasted malt aroma. Full bodied and well balanced at 5.3 %, this ale was extremely drinkable and the perfect session beer for watching an NFL game in the winter time.

Tripel Belgian Style Ale, from Southern Tier Brewing in Lakewood, NY, USA. This beer poured into a pint glass was light red with almost no head to speak of. The aroma was sweet and malty. This beer leaned towards the malt side with a good balance of cloves and spices to give it the Belgian seal of approval. This style of ale had a sweet and dry finish. You wouldn't know this was a New York brew.

Belhaven Wee Heavy, This Wee Heavy from the Belhaven Scottish Brewery was a terrific beer for a cold winter night. At 6.5% Wee Heavy had a crisp, dry, warming finish. Many tastes were found in this beer. Vanilla, smokey, roasted and malty to name a few. This was a very good beer.

Bluebird Bitter, This English Ale from Coniston Brewery was the ultimate session beer. You could drink this one all day and enjoy every sip. At 4.2%, this bitter had a very full taste with a complexity of many different hops apparent in every swallow. I classify this beer in the incredible category for its style.

Sunrise Weissbeer, an unfiltered wheat beer from Victory Brewing in Downingtown, PA, USA. A Cloudy, yellow beer with a very thick and frothy head. The beautiful smell of citrus and cloves immediately catches your attention. Light bodied and refreshing, this beer leans towards the sweeter side. A very dry finish with citrus overtones, Sunrise Weissbeer was tangy, refreshing treat. Perfect summer beer and a worthy effort once again by Victory Brewing.

Beers Around The World

" I'm French Mr. Eckland. My parents started me on wine mixed with water when I was six... The truth is, I don't believe in excessive drinking.... We had martini's before dinner, white wine with the fish, red wine with the main course, champagne with desert, cognac with the coffee and port after dinner." ---- Father Goose, 1965 , a Cary Grant movie.


The above quote from Father Goose really makes you want to get invited to that house for dinner. The French can drink and I am quite sure they would not consider the above list as excessive drinking. The French are known for their able drinking ability and also their preference for wine. Other countries also have interesting labels attached to them concerning the type of drink that they drink.

Right next door, is Belgium. A country smaller than most states in America, but a country with over 400 different locally brewed beers. Beer in Belgium is given the same respect as wine in other countries. Lambics, ales, sour beers, pilsners, Trappist Ales, white beer. Belgium has it all and they are not afraid to up the ante when in comes to alcohol content.

The Czech Republic is responsible for the style of beer mostly consumed in the United States. Let me rephrase that. The Czech Republic is responsible for the style of beer that we in America, loosely base our most popular beer recipes on. The Pilsner was invented in Pilsen, Czech Republic. Up until the time of Pilsner, beers were dark and cloudy. In Pilsen, they cleared the beer up and came up with a lighter crisper style. A few towns over in Budweis, their style of pilsner was so good, it inspired Adolphus Busch in and around 1875 to come up with his own Budweiser brew. The Budweis beer made in the Czech Republic can be bought in the United States under the name Czechvar. Only the names are similar as the actual taste of the two beers is worlds apart.

Germany is another country that tends to brew crisp, clean, refreshing beers. The land of the oversized beer mug is known for their lagers, but are second to none when it comes to serving up a large, frothy glass of wheat beer. Also called, Weissbier or Weizen or Hefeweizen. These beers are becoming hugely popular in America due to their refreshing qualities and perfect paring with the summer season. Nothing beats a Weissbeer on a hot summer day.

The land of Ale, England, brews some of the oldest and tastiest beers ever concocted. Britain is responsible for the extreme hop movement in the United States. When the Brits discovered additional hops added to the brew pot preserved the beer for the long boat trip to India, the India Pale Ale was born. On a more subtler note, the cask conditioned Bitters and all the other ale styles served at cellar temperature in pubs across Britain, are luscious examples of how a good beer should taste. And please, on a cold winter evening, never forget the king of all ales, the mouthwatering, stomach warming, tastiest of treats, the Barleywine.

When listing countries known for their unique drinking habits, one of the most unique would be the Republic of Ireland. Forget the green shamrocks, give me the black stuff. Stout sort of had the same origins as the British IPA. During the 1820's, Arthur Guinness was brewing porter beer in Dublin, Ireland. Arthur was exporting his beer to the Caribbean. To survive the trip, he made the beer stronger and renamed it Extra Stout Porter. Eventually the Porter was dropped from the name and the beer survived as Guinness Extra Stout. Overtime, the beer morphed into what we consume today, Guinness Draught. Guinness Extra Stout and Foreign Extra Stout are also available, but not as popular with the masses. If given the chance, try a bottle of Extra Stout, it will stand up to almost any American version of bottled stout. Truly a classic.

What of the Good Ol' USA? The roots of this country as a people represent one big melting pot of nationalities . The same could be said of our beer and our breweries. We have learned from other countries and brew beers of all styles. We have even taken the old traditional styles and Americanized them into bigger, bolder, brasher beers. While mostly known for our light and extra light lagers, American Microbreweries are foraging ahead with styles and tastes of beer that could not be found in any other country. The beauty of American beer is the same as the beauty of America, variety.


This Month's Beers

Arcadia Scotch Ale: Brewed in Battle Creek Michigan, this Scotch style ale is perfect for the style. It is very close to my bench mark beer, McEwan's Ale. Not as strong in alcohol as McEwan's but just a flavorful in taste. Sweet, malty taste with a warming finish.

Victory Brewing, Hop Wallup: This beer started with a strong hoppy aroma, almost like the trimming of a fresh hedge. A light bodied beer that has an extreme tilt towards hop bitterness at the finish. Despite the delicious hop wallop and the 8.5% alcohol, this beer is not only extreme, but extremely drinkable. To date, Victory Brewing has never disappointed me with any of their offerings.

Alaskan Brewing (Amber, Winter & Stout): The Alaskan Brewing Company brews a fine trio of beers in their Amber, Winter Ale and Stout. My good friend sent me these beers as a gift and they did not disappoint. The Winter Ale did not have any funky Christmas tree tastes, just a mild, drinkable ale with a hint of spruce. The Amber was also very drinkable and made a great session beer for me, as I drank all 6 in a row. The Amber is actually a German Alt beer and is a very good representative of the style. The stout was the big surprise, as I am a huge stout fan, I tend to be picky in my selections. This one was an oatmeal stout and smelled like a cup of hot coffee with a chocolate bar melted in. Delicious to boot. If this beer was on nitro it would remind me of the hand crafted Stouts at the Porterhouse Pub in Dublin, Ireland.

Pranqster: I tried this beer partly because of the name. I was known as the pranqster in college due to my playing of the pranks. This Pranqster, brewed in California is a Belgian Style Ale, light in color with a nice clovey aroma. Lot's of different herbs and spices in the taste. A very refreshing beer that due to the 7.5% alcohol content sneaks up on you. Very drinkable. A good summer beer.

It Has Never Been a Better Time to be a Beer Lover

Wine is but a bowl of broth, ale is meat, drink and cloth. - 16th Century English Proverb

The whole "real" beer movement is starting to become very complicated to me. In 1991, it wasn't a problem. Now, at times, it can be a headache. In 1991, you opened the fridge and there was one brand of beer in it. Once you popped the top, that was it, you were committed. Granted, unless you had a large head start on me as far as quality beer goes, the beer that you just popped open was not much to write home about. More than likely, it was something very cold and something somewhat tasteless.

When I went out in public to a restaurant or bar in the early 1990's, my draught selection was usually the same beer that I had in my fridge. There was no adventure or experimentation, just blind loyalty to the beer with the least amount of calories. Less filling, who knew about taste? Didn't all beer taste virtually the same? Cold, carbonated, thin and not much else?

Zoom ahead 10 or so years. The beer revolution had taken it's foothold. Beer didn't have to taste like water. Beer didn't even have to taste like each other. There were now styles and strengths. Beer became something to be enjoyed and anticipated like a fine, no, I won't say it. How about anticipated like the next summer blockbuster you just saw the trailer for at the movie theater. Extreme, but truthful. Fast forward another five years and you are now in the midst of a beer explosion. The guys who make the watered down, tasteless beer are now jumping into the "craft" beer industry and they are trying their hand at making beer with taste. Succeeding too, I might add.

Look around. It has never been a better time to be a beer lover. The local beer store has so much selection and stock, one could spend an hour trying to find the right beer. Trust me, I know. Every day, beer distributors are bringing in fine new imports by the dozens. Beers from breweries that are so small you couldn't even find them with a map are now on our shelves. Take a peak at the tap selection of your local pub. Two or three handles? I don't think so. Six or seven would be more like it. And what about the super taverns with over a hundred different beers to chose from? They used to be hard to find, now they are popping up everywhere. Brewpubs? You bet. Books about beer. Beer magazines, beer newspapers, websites, beer blogs. Beer is every where. Beer dinners and tastings. Cooking with beer. Beer is better with cheese than wine. You name it, beer has exploded.

Never in a million years would I want to go back to the day when I popped a can of my favorite "beer" from the fridge, but as I mentioned earlier, the beer movement has made beer much more complicated. Now I have to make decisions. What beer would go best with the meal I am having? Which beer suits the weather and or the season? Do I want to have a glass of a sipping beer or would two or three pints of a session beer be better? Do I have the appropriate glass to serve it in? Is the temperature right? Wait a minute. Wawawawawa. I sound like a wimp. I sound like one of those wine guys. What am I talking about? Beer is for heroes and champions, the nectar of the Gods. The drink of the human race. It doesn't need to be picked apart by my new found sense of knowledge, it just needs to be drank and enjoyed.

Who am I kidding? I like my beer knowledge, I like my beer selections and I like the fact that it takes me more than a couple of minutes to decide what kind of beer I am going to drink. It has never been a better time to be a beer lover. Viva La Complication!

The Beer

Hobgoblin Ale: I found the UK based Wychwood Brewery Beers when I used to live In Ireland. I am glad that they made it across the sea. These are very hearty ales that are well crafted with many different tastes that come through. A very ruby red in color, this beer has a perfect balance of malt flavor and moderate bitterness. If you try, you can even taste a hint of toffee and chocolate flavor.

Rescue India Pale Ale: Brewed by the Barley Creek Brewery in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, this beer has the distinct taste of a homebrewed beer. Most beer when bottled by the pros loses that homebrew personal touch. It is a certain taste that lingers in a beer made at home. A good taste. Rescue IPA has it. Slightly sweet malty smell with a bitter hop after taste.

The Bad Elf Beers: Very Bad Elf: This was the best beer of the holiday season, as far as I am concerned. Maybe I drank too many and that is why I remember it fondly. That is probably the problem. This beer is so drinkable it is dangerous. Goes down like a "Mild", but has the taste and the alcohol content of a much bigger beer. Very Smooth. Dangerous at 7.5%.
Criminally Bad Elf: The Ridgeway Brewery in the UK who crafts the Bad Elf series seems to keep to a theme. Beers that that taste like lighter ales, but pack a whollup. Criminally Bad Elf is a Barleywine style ale, but tastes much like a lighter ale, yet kicks in at 10.5%. Be careful when you host a flagon of this barleywine.

Here is my Ode to the Big Brewer:

Jimmy Buffet's Landshark Lager, Stone Mill Organic Pale Ale and Winter's Bourbon Cask Ale: The Landshark Lager and Stone Mill Pale Ale fooled me. Listed as Margarita Brewing Co. in Jacksonville, FL. and Green Valley Brewing, NH. I thought I was trying out a couple of new breweries. After some research, I found out that the new companies were Budweiser Breweries trying to be stealth. The Winter's Ale was no secret as they give themselves credit on the label. All the beers were very drinkable with plenty of taste to go around. I enjoyed everyone. The Winter's Ale, one at a time is plenty. Very vanilla tasting. I liked it, sort like you like a cream soda. Enjoyable, but one is plenty with desert. The surprise of the A&B Beers was LandShark Lager. Even not knowing this was from Bud, thinking it was Jimmy Buffet lending his name to a thin type, mass made beer, I was shocked. More Stella Artois and Budvar than Miller or Coors, this beer had hints of a Cech pilsner recipe. Enjoyable and very refreshing. It should make some Parrot Heads happy.

Du Chesse De Bourgogne: This Belgian Ale was a blend of 8 month and 18 month old beers than aged in oak casks. Sounds good? It was. Sweet smell, carbonated like champagne with a slight raspberry taste to it. Reddish Brown color, clocks in a t 6.2%. Very good and refreshing. It has the taste of a lambic, but the alcohol of a sturdier beer.

The Fridge Full of Beer

"Beer that is not drunk has missed it's vocation."--Meyer Breslau, 1880

I have a drinking problem. Alright, it is not so much a drinking problem as it is a collection problem. I am addicted to buying beer. I cannot go into a beer store without leaving with a variety of beer. Sadly, the beer doesn't even have to be new to me or my taste buds, I can walk out with just as many "old friends" as new ones. That is my problem.

What is even worse is that I do not even get to drink these beers. They are becoming stockpiled in my spare fridge. This is the fridge that cannot fit food due to the beer bottles lined up throughout. The very same fridge I talked my wife into purchasing because it would be great to have extra food space, especially around the holidays.

My problem was not really a problem until a year or two ago. I used to go to the beer store, find the beer I wanted and then bring it home and drink it. No problem. My problem started to surface when my home pub was built and three beers were placed on tap (Guinness, a home brew and a micro-seasonal). Now, I lean towards drinking beer from my taps. Prior to installing the pub, I had told my wife we would save money once the kegs were set-up because we would not have to purchase "bottles" of beer anymore. That is when I realized I was addicted to buying beer. I rationalized in my mind purchasing bottles of beer for the times when my wife and I would go out to eat. I figured we would only go to BYOB places, this way I was guaranteed good beer. I also knew that I needed a constant variety of beers to review and critique for my "Beer Hobby." Well, it turns out, since we had our baby girl, we don't actually get out a lot. We are home so much, the other day, my 2 year old daughter asked me if I wanted to have a beer with our dinner. Sad, but true.

The other part of my problem is that when I see a beer I like, I just don't buy one bottle, I buy two. So, even if I drink one, the other is becoming part of the stockpile. At this point and time I have a veritable smorgasbored of beer, not only in my spare fridge, but also in the area of my house I use as a "celler" to age my high alcohol beers. What can I do?

Each year I have a beer party at my house where all the guests are required to bring a different style of beer. We then taste all the different styles and drink our favorites. This year, I am telling the guests not to bring beer. We are going to have an intervention. We will drink all of my beer. I will not be guilty of contributing to the beer that has missed it's vocation.


The Beers

90 Minute IPA: Dogfish head outdid itself and thanks to Wayne at my Beer store, I have a keg of it in my home pub. This is an incredible beer. Buy it in the bottle, have it on tap. Just drink it. Doc's Place in Somers Point, NJ has it coming out of the faucet. This is a sipping beer. To be enjoyed and relished.

Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A: He'Brew the Chosen Beer, from New York. The label is enough to make you purchase this beer. Hilarious. A double IPA that clocks in at 10% alcohol. A hop lovers delight. Great beer.

Below Decks: Heavy Sea's Beer from Clipper City Brewery in Baltimore produced a fine Barleywine Style ale. This is a drinkable barleywine. A session barleywine if there could be such a thing. Great taste and moderate alcohol content allows you to enjoy more than a few of these beers.

15th Anniversary India Pale Ale from Otter Creek: Talk about a beer that you can enjoy more than one of. It is a shame this is an anniverary beer. Stock up now, so that you will have a few to last until their 20th anniversary. Sweet, malty smell let's you know that alcohol is an ingrediant. Nice hop bite, even better hop kickback. A delicious beer worthy of celebrating anyone's anniversary.