Rare Vos

Just a quick shout out! Rare Vos!!! I am at a local coffee house and decided to buy a beer... Yes, at 1:45pm I opted for a beer. I couldn't resist!

The beer is called "Rare Vos" and means "sly fox" in Flemish. The name has an even deeper meaning for some as it is named for a famous cafe in Brussels. This beer is not brewed in Belgium. In fact, "Brewery Ommegang is 3,264 miles from Brussels, but its heart is right in Belgium," accoriding to its label.

For the past two weeks at school, I have been teaching the kiddos about "la Francophonie," and it just so happens that Belgium speaks not only Flemish, but also French. As students researched, they were sure to point out that Belgium is known for its grain production and thus its beer. (In my head, I was like, obvi! I know!)

Moreover, the brewery, Ommegang, is a new favorite of mine. I haven't been on the tour yet, but you best be sure that the next time that I am in Cooperstown, NY, I will visit not only the baseball Hall of Fame, but also Brewery Ommegang.

So what about the beer, you ask...

It is a beautiful, cloudy amber. Its smell is citrus fruity, but not really sweet. Having high expectations for this beer (since I really enjoy its sister, Hennepin), I am in danger of being disappointed. The initial taste is crisp, but not light. There is a slight yeasty odor and taste as you sip. It finishes well without dragging the taste out. It leaves you wanting more. There is a tickle of spice, but not enough to conflict with the crispness. In fact, throughout the entire sipping process, the beer holds up extraordinarily well. There is really nothing I can find wrong with this beer! It is quite refreshing, whether in the chill of an automn evening or under the heat of the summer sun!

Other info on the bottle:

- Cellared at the brewery

- 6.5% ABV

- it is to be poured slowly to not disturb the yeast sediment

- part of the Duvel family

- created out of devotion to a country where brewing is and art and partaking is a passion

Info on the website:

- 2008 Great American Beer Fest Award Winner

- Orange Blossom Aroma

- caramel malt

- hoppy finish

I really enjoyed this beer! I highly recommend it.

Mr. Beer

I suck at blogging these days. There are a few reasons why. Number one: I took from January 1st to February 1st off of drinking... just a personal thing. I usually do this "fast" once a year. Number two: I guess two jobs and graduate school are large time commitment... Number three: After completing an average of 4 writing assignments a week (three of which are online), the last thing I want to do is hop online again to write yet ANOTHER thing.

Sorry!

Oh well, at least there is still beer to be drunk!

My big day back in the drinking thing, February 1st, was also special because it was my birthday! Hooray for being 26! This year I got a re-gifted gift... lame? NO! AWESOME!!!

For Christmas, my father's employees got him something they were sure he would love... he is, after all, a beer lover. Their big mistake: He only loves MGD light. Indeed, he drinks beer nearly everyday, but he is as loyal as they come to his brew of choice. That said, I am the proud owner of my very own Mr. Beer Home Brewing Kit!
Now I know what you are thinking... those cheapo beer kits are heaps of crap. And they probably are. However, as a first-time, just-getting-into-it home brewer, I am very grateful for the simplicity of this thing. As the box says "We've taken the science out of brewing a great tasting beer at home." In case you didn't know, I'm a linguist... not a scientist. I hope that this may be my gateway to bigger and better home brewing technologies...

Anyway, I am excited, (about as excited as the dude in the picture on the box above!) I haven't started my first batch yet... I hope to begin a week from Friday when I have a day off of work (which never happens.) I'll be sure to keep y'all posted on the results!

Wisconsin's Best Breweries and Brewpubs

As you know, I love to find new and exciting beers. Wisconsin's rich beer culture sets the foundation for this interest perfectly. I've recently been reading and referencing a great book that helps me do just that: Wisconsin's Best Breweries and Brewpubs: Searching For the Perfect Pint by Robin Shepard. This book was written by a beer enthusiast Wisconsinite. It includes ratings on over 600 Wisconsin beers from over 60 breweries and brewpubs.

This book has been particularly helpful to me for finding small microbreweries that are off the beaten path. Unfortunately this book is a bit dated and there have been some changes in the local beer scene. However, most of the information is fantastic! Basically, I want to research and write this book.

If you don't mind used copies you can scoop them up for $3 on Amazon. Cheers!

Brewery Tour: Schlafly Bottleworks

The last time I was in St. Louis, I was sure to swing by Anheuser-Busch for a tour and tasting. Huge breweries like this have many interesting aspects, but I typically like smaller microbreweries because I think their beer is better. This last weekend, I took a side step and checked out one of the area's micro-breweries: Schlafly Bottleworks.

To begin my visit, I had lunch in Schlafly's dining area with my hosts!

At lunch I tried their APA, which was awesome... This got me very excited for the tour which was soon to come!

My beer was not poured from a keg. Oh no, no, no! Instead, it comes directly from one of these big guys! Schlafly is all about freshness! ROCK!

Schlafly is the first St. Louis bottling brewery to open since prohibition. It is fairly small and only distributes to a few neighboring states. Unfortunately, Wisconsin is not one of them... However, I do not blame them for wanting to maintain their integrity and commitment to good products by staying small!

Schlafly's claim to fame is their Pale Ale. I sampled this one at the end of the tour. It was a simple, amber-colored ale. It didn't have as much flavor as I had hoped for, but it was still a nice beer. It is quite light, so you can hit this one over and over again in one night. Plus, as you can read below, it pairs nicely with just about any sort of food.

My favorites were:

The No 15 This is a dunkel weisen, but doesn't look very dark. It is unfiltered and is a rich amber color.

The Dry-Hopped APA Popping with hops, this is a fun APA with a slightly spicy finish. It is a little bitter, but not too much. It is sure to please any IPA/APA lover.

The Winter ESB This was my surprise! I wasn't sure what to expect. I hadn't ever tasted an "Extra Special Bitter." It was extra and special! It wasn't bitter in the bitter sense, but more bitter in the Old English bitters sense - kind of malty and hoppy, too. Our guide failed to tell us, but apparently this is made with a small amount of Rye as well! In any case, this was an excellent beer!

The Pumpkin Ale Often times I am not a big fan of pumpkin spice beers. Not sure why, but perhaps they are a bit too sweet. Schlafly's Pumpkin Ale was very balanced. It uses real pumpkin and butternut squash for its sugar in the fermentation process, but since pumpkin itself it not sugary sweet, this beer keeps its edge. It also contains the typical pumpkin spices which make it taste like you are really eating a smooth, creamy piece of Granny's pumpkin pie!

The tour itself was nothing spectacular. I have been on many a tour, so perhaps it is tough to impress me anymore. You'll be happy to know, at least, that Schlafly holds the safety of their employees and guests as a top priority.

Our guide knew a decent amount about the brewing process, but very little about the Schlafly Bottleworks Company itself. The good news about the tour: it was free! Not to mention that at the end, each participant got three beer samples (again for free!) Since I was with two other of age people, we were able to sample each of the 8 brews available on draught that day.

As a tourist, I decided to hit up the gift shop afterward. I got myself a nifty t-shirt that says, auf Deutsch "Beer is not just for breakfast anymore." I love it!

If you are in town and looking for a way to spend a lovely hour or two, definitely swing by Schlafly Bottleworks or the Schlafly Tap Room.

Brewery Tour: New Glarus Brewery

When I have free time, I love to explore Wisconsin and all of its splendour! Recently I have done this through the lens of brewery touring. Great idea, right? Back in September I visited the new (and improved) New Glarus Brewing Company. In November, I made it to Capital Brewing Company and Tyranena Brewing Company. More info to come on the Capital and Tyranena tours in the near future! Stay tuned!

In today's edition, I will give you the abridged version of the New Glarus Brewery, its claim to fame, products worth checking out and myexperience on the tour!

Come with me!

New Glarus Brewing Company

This place is just 15 miles north of my home town Monroe, nestled in New Glarus' hilly landscape. For those of you who have not made it to New Glarus, it is known for its very traditional Swiss architecture and design.

Moreover, it is known for its Swiss-German influenced brewing expertise. The New Glarus Brewery recently built a new brewery which is fondly called the Hilltop Brewery as it is found... well... on a hill! I visited the old New Glarus Brewery several years ago. The new brewery is considerably larger. This makes sense, since this brewery's popularity has taken off and continues to grow to meet the needs of its customers!

New Glarus Brewery's claim to fame is Spotted Cow. Although Spotted Cow is, by far, one of my least favorite New Glarus brews, I hold it a special place in my heart. After all, this was the first NG beer I ever tasted. Furthermore, this beer probably is why I like beer and have become the beer snob that I am! I consider it to be a gateway beer for people who drink cheap, crappy beer (or who do not drink beer at all.) This is unfiltered and yeasty, so it is full of flavor, but is light and has a wheat-like fruity quality. If you haven't tasted it, you must! I am serious. It is really easy to drink!

My current favorites from the NGBCo include:

Hop Hearty Ale - a slightly bitter Wisconsin IPA
Stone Soup Ale - an all around fantastic Abbey style ale
Staghorn Octoberfest - an amber slow lager only available in the autumn

My brewery tour was with two Japanese families who were in the area for a wedding. It was exciting for me to share some of Wisconsin's beer culture with them. This is a self-guided tour. It is nice because you can take things at your own pace. However, I wish there had been more staff/us interaction. I like feeling like I am hearing something "personalized." When I went on the tour at the old brewery, it was literally a circle. There were handheld devices which led you through the brewing process, but for the ever-restless youth (like me) it is not fun to just listen. The brewery itself is beautiful! Brand new... shiny... great! The best part of any tour is, of course, the tasting. The weather was lovely on this day, so we grabbed some picnic tables and sampled all of the brews they had available while gazing at the farm spotted hills. Three 3oz samples sell for $3.50, and you get to keep the little glass.

If you want to tour the brewery, you can Monday-Sunday, 10am-4pm. For that extra-special treat, they offer hard hat tours every Friday at 1pm. You have to sign up for this one in advance, and it costs you $18.50 plus tax. I haven't made it on the hard hat tour just yet... but it is in the making. I will hopefully report back soon!

Cheers!

Weyerbacher: Slam Dunkel

On a cold Monday night in Wisconsin, I need a little beer to warm the spirits! At Barriques, a local wine store/cafe/snack shop, I decided to grab a bite to eat and a good (hopefully) beer.

Tonight I opted for Weyerbacher's Slam Dunkel. While I have heard of Weyerbacher (in Easton, PA), I was unfamiliar with the Slam Dunkel... a "Double Dunkelweizen Ale." It just so happens that one of my favorite beers of all time is the Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse Dunkel, so I figured I'd give it a shot!

How does it measure up?

When pouring it, I wasn't sure if I should expect an ultra-foamy and cloudy brew (like the unfiltered Franziskaner) or if it would be entirely different. It pours with little-to-no head and, despite being a maple brown color, is quite transparent. (Let's pause for a moment to acknowledge my concern... eep!) It has a nice smell which is almost reminiscent of a nut brown... ever so slightly sweet, but robust and quite evidently dark.

The initial flavor is very good and quite closely matches its bouquet. It is incredibly smooth in your mouth and finishes nicely, sweetly, and with courage, but with no "yeasty" flavor (or nose tickle). I mentioned my concern before, upon seeing something with such little indication of sediment. At this point I am relieved because the beer is quite flavorful! Perhaps, even, a slam dunk!

According to the bottle:

-7% ABV

According to the Weyerbacher website:

-Initially a small batch release (but was popular enough to make the seasonal rotation)

-It is unfiltered (which was surprising to me)

-Over 50% Wheat Malt

-addition of pale, Munich and chocolate (for flavor and color)

-its bitterness is subdued to allow the Weihenstephen yeast to shine through with its hints of clove and banana

-available in March (although I bought it on December 7th, 2009)

I cannot say that this beer surpasses my adoration for the Franziskaner, but it is a really nice dark wheat which I would recommend to any wheat or dark beer lover!

Oktoberfest Results... belated.

Oktoberfest was an astounding success! Thanks to all who participated! We ended up with 31 brews from all over the world. Read on to see how my specially trained taste testers rated each of the beers regarding flavor, bouquet and finish!

Abita Fall Fest
Average: Flavor = 5.86 Bouquet = 4.86 Finish = 6.43
My score: Flavor = 3 Bouquet = 5 Finish = 5

Aucht Ochlenterla Rauchbier
Average: Flavor = 8.56 Bouquet = 9.13 Finish = 8.81
My score: Flavor = 9.5 Bouquet = 10 Finish = 9.5
There was one comment for this beer. "Tastes like smoke."

August Schell's Octoberfest
Average: Flavor = 6.18 Bouquet = 4.4 Finish = 5.9
My score: Flavor = 4 Bouquet = 6 Finish = 6

Ayinger Oktoberfest
Average: Flavor = 7 Bouquet = 6.64 Finish = 6.86
My score: Flavor = 7 Bouquet = 6.5 Finish = 4
There was one comment for this beer in each category. "Flavor :) Bouquet :) Finish :)"

Beck's Oktoberfest
Average: Flavor = 4.38 Bouquet = 5.25 Finish = 4.38
My score: Flavor = 4 Bouquet = 7 Finish = 4
There was one comment for the bouquet of this beer. "Skunk."

Bell's Oktoberfest
Average: Flavor = 5.38 Bouquet = 5.5 Finish = 5.63
My score: Flavor = 4 Bouquet =7 Finish = 6


MORE TO COME ASAP!!! Check back tomorrow for the remaining Oktoberfest tasting results!!!

THE EVENT OF THE CENTURY

OK, so maybe just the event of the season or the month... but anyway, I AM EXCITED!


This Friday, I am hosting the first annual Oktober-Not-Sober-fest! It is a tasting party for Oktoberfest... Prost!


This year's guest list includes:


Abita Fall Fest
August Schell's Oktoberfest
Ayinger Oktoberfest
Beck's Oktoberfest
Bell's Octoberfest
Berghoff Oktoberfest
Capital Brewery Oktoberfest
Central Waters Oktoberfest
Erdinger Oktoberfest
Flying Dog Dogtoberfest
Great Lakes Oktoberfest
Hacker Pschorr Oktoberfest
Joseph Brau Oktoberfest
Lakefront Brewery
Left Hand Brewing Company Oktoberfest
Leinenkugel's Oktoberfest
Mendoncino
Millstream Brewing Company Oktoberfest
New Belgium Brewing Company Hoptoberfest
Paulaner Oktoberfest
Point Oktoberfest
Sam Adams Oktoberfest
Spaten Oktoberfest
Sprecher Oktoberfest
Staghorn (New Glaurus Brewing Company)
Three Floyd Munsterfest


Other seasonals to be offered:


Blue Moon Harvest Moon (Pumpkin Ale)
Lakefront Pumpkin
Michelob Brewing Co. Jack's Pumpkin Spice Ale
Red Hook Late Harvest Autumn Ale
Tyrenena Brewing Co. Painted Ladies (Pumpkin Spice Ale)


Our wish list: (If you know anywhere in the Madison area where any of these can be purchased, please let me know ASAP!!!)


Avery The Kaiser Imperial Oktoberfest
Boulevard Bob's 47 Oktoberfest
Brooklyn Oktoberfest
Hooker Oktoberfest
Penn Oktoberfest
Pete's Oktoberfest
Saranac Oktoberfest
Stoudt's Oktoberfest
Warsteiner Oktoberfest
Wachusetts Oktoberfest


If you are interested in attending, please contact me soon! I can give you more information at that time! It's the most wonderful time of the year!!!

KIRIN: The Premium Muroka

While living in Japan, I had the pleasure of sampling many of Japan's fine brews. Being from Wisconsin, and raised with such an amazing variety of super great beers, I was initially disappointed by Japan's beer selection. However, upon further exploration, Japan has a quite good beer culture, if you do not mind doing a little work. Right before leaving Japan, I went on a weekend getaway with some friends. We bought an interesting variety of beers each night to try. I had sort of found a beer that I liked, but with my return home, quickly forgot about it. It was nothing special, but was just a good, solid beer.

This beer was called The Premium Muroka by Kirin.

Recently a couple of my friends visited from Japan. For omiyage, they brought me two bottles of this very beer! What luck!

The Premium Muroka has a nice amber color. Since it is unfiltered, it's a bit cloudy. It has a nice burst of flavor at the beginning and melts away to something very simple and refreshing at the end. For a Japanese beer, it has a rich flavor, but is a little plain. It is easily drinkable and has a unique, pungent smell. I consider this to be a light (bodied), medium beer.

What can we learn from the bottle?

- It has "deep and rich taste from non-filtered process"

- It is 5.5% ABV

Hmmm... that's it! I tried to find out more about it on the Internet, but since it is mostly in Japanese, I did not have much luck.

As I mentioned before, this beer had decent character compared to many (somewhat boring) Japanese beers. If you make it to the land of the rising sun and need a good beer, The Premium Muroka may be it!

Purple Haze

For any of you who actually know me, you probably know that I LOVE PURPLE. (I did, in fact, where something purple every day for over two years when I was in high school.) Walking through the grocery store the other day, I couldn't help but notice a beer that I had never seen: Purple Haze by Abita Beer. My initial thought was "What?! Something purple?!" My second thought was "What a cheesy name for a beer." My third thought was "I am the queen of cheesiness." My fourth thought was "I have to buy this beer."I also think it has a cheesy label... but that is beside the point.

It took me until today to finally get around to sampling this gem. This beer claims to be a "raspberry wheat brew." Considering that it contains raspberry purée, its odor is not especially fruity. In fact, its smell is quite yeasty and sort of makes my nose hairs tickle. The color is a hazy orange (thus Purple HAZE, I would guess...) and pours without a great deal of head. I have to admit, I am a little sad that the beer itself is not purple. Although, I suppose that short of artificial coloring, purple is a difficult color to achieve.

It flavor is crisp and not too sweet! Of course, there is a certain amount of sweetness, considering it is a raspberry wheat, but I was very pleased that it did not seem syrupy, sugary or anything like that. The hint of raspberry does not hit you until the after taste and is really quite tart. The flavor is not overpowering, but is not watered down. I am a former wheat lover gone hoppy, so I did not expect too much from this beer. However, it is actually not bad! I would recommend a beer like this for a hot summer day (because it is light and refreshing.) I also think that most people who like wheat beers would also like this, unless they are expecting a heavier, more dense beer like some of the unfiltered wheats. Perhaps this would be a good transition beer for people who cannot wrap their taste buds around some of the heartier brews.

According to the bottle:

- Abita fresh raspberry purée is added after filtration

- fresh artesian waters from Abita Springs, Louisiana go into the beer

According to Abita:

- you may see raspberry pulp in the beer (I did not.)

- the berries provide a subtle purple color (I did not remark.)

- the beer is best served with salads, fruit desserts, soufflé, chiffon, chocolate and brie

- they recommend drinking this beer in place of a dessert (I like the idea of beer for dessert!)

- ABV 4.2%, IBU 13, color 8

Anyway, this beer is not likely to top my list for anything, but it is a nice, light wheat. I also would consider it to be a bit of a girly beer... not bad, just girly.

Belly up to the bar and to a good book!

Have you ever been Feng Shuied? Well I have... a time or two.

Paul Dickson recently compiled a list of euphemisms for the word drunk. I heard about this book on NPR, and it sounds right up my alley. Not only do I love drinking (beer,) but I also love the glorious English language and dictionaries! The book is called Drunk: The Definitive Drinker's Dictionary.

I haven't yet checked it out, but it is definitely on my "to buy" list. If you want to learn more about it, check out the story that I heard on NPR, From "Blotto' to 'Betty Booped,' A Dictionary of Drink.

If you want to buy it immediately, you can find it for sale here!

Warning - Do not drink this beer!

OK, so maybe the title is a bit exaggerated (not that I ever exaggerate anything...) I am not going to do a full analysis today, but I recently had a beer that I thought was really bad. I just thought I would share with/warn you.


Abbreviated version: I do not recommend the Sam Adams' Summer Ale.

(For those of you with time to kill, keep reading.)


I was recently at Detroit's international airport, and I had some free stuff thanks to Delta Air. A $20 gift certificate to anywhere in the airport. Nice! My layover gave me enough time for a beer! I stopped into this pub that was near my boarding place. The place had quite a few beers, but most of them were boring domestics that you can get anywhere... The only one that intrigued me was the Sam Adams' Summer Ale. I like ales, and I know that Sam Adams tries to come up with a variety of better than average beers. Why not?

I did not like the Sam Adams' Summer Ale... at all. It looks nice, but has very little head. Its odor is OK, but kind of flat and slightly bitter. It does not taste good. The very first sip was boring and earthy. The flavor peaks in the middle of the sip, but it is not intense. It got a little bit better over time, but not much. It also left a dull/bad aftertaste. This is definitely not a "thirsty" beer. It did not satisfy that certain something that keeps one wanting more...

I am happy that it was not my money that I felt was wasted, but rather Delta's. I could not finish the beer. That almost never happens to me. I cannot go into detail about why I disliked it so much, because the specifics are somewhat gone from my memory... but I do know that I DO NOT recommend this beer.

Has anyone tried it? Does anyone feel the same?? Differently??? I am open to other opinions, but not likely to agree with them in this case.

Here is what Sam Adams has to say about this beer.

Smuttynose "Finestkind" IPA

I have been an awful blogger lately... I have to admit. I have been "researching," but a lot of scribbles on napkins and receipt backs have been lost in the shuffle of an international move and a few few-too-many-nights. This, unfortunately, has left me without decent writing material. Now that my life has settled down and I have settled in a bit more, I anticipate being able to keep up more with this blog stuff!

Now that I am back in Wisconsin, a land that loves good beer, I have a great selection of beer and a lot of cool places to drink it! Tonight, I feature Smuttynose IPA brewed by Smuttynose Brewing Co. I should have gone for a Wisconsin local, but the cute label lured me in...

I got home from Miller's Liquor on Old University (my favorite because they allow you to build your own 6 pack) excited to try one of my six new beers! Upon seeing that Smuttynose was an IPA, my first thoughts were, this better not disappoint me! I just so happen to love most IPAs, but with that, comes a decent amount of scrutiny.

I microwaved some leftovers and poured myself a glass. It was a cloudy amber color with a moderate amount of head. Neither the head nor the cloudiness lasted long, but the head did leave a decent lace as it receded.

As I put the glass to my mouth, a very hoppy, citrus aroma predominated... this is not uncommon. However, I sensed a slight kick potentially lurking that is not present in all IPAs.

The first sip was quite flavorful, but it got better after that! The peak of this flavor arrives about 3/4 of the way through the sip. It literally floods your mouth and really does not die off until well after you have swallowed. It goes without saying that this flavor must be quite hoppy... it is an IPA, and like I sensed from that first sniff there is a bit of a kick that some IPAs lack. There is a slightly bitter finish, but there is not an unpleasant aftertaste. Moreover, the overwhelming deliciousness that exists when it is in your mouth makes up for everything else. Personally, I kind of like the final bitterness, because it leaves you wanting another sip.

Along that same vein, I would consider this beer to be both sipable and gulpable. As I was enjoying my reheated Jambalaya*, I found myself wanting to drink this in really large gulps. I had to stop myself, because I really wanted to experience it and be able to describe it. The hardest part was that I kept aching for that awesome flavor burst that so entirely fills your mouth! The best sip of the night was the last. This is a dry-hopped, unfiltered beer which means it has a lot of sediment (lees). (This, of course, may not be popular among the crisp, clean, light beer drinking folk.)

Smuttynose IPA is one of the best IPAs... no wait, BEERS that I have tried in a long time! If you like IPAs, you are sure to enjoy this one! If you like beer, I, at least, recommend that you try this one. I can really find nothing wrong with it!

Let's see what Smuttynose has to say about itself and its IPA.

- brewed in the historic seaport city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire
- "Finestkind" IPA is one of 10 beers, including four seasonals
- won the best American beer 2004 Great British Beer Festival
- a tribute to the American hop grower (and lover)
- the grapefruit hop flavor comes from Simcoe and Santiams
- the bitterness comes from Amarillo hops
- light bodied and crisp
- slightly hazy golden color
- 65 IBUs
- 6.8% ABV

Apparently this has become popular enough that the brewery has even received some fanmail poetry! Check this out! (Scroll down about half way.)

* I am not an expert when it comes to pairing cuisine with beer. Jambalaya = good! Smuttynose IPA = great! The combination = fine by me, but try at your own risk!

Crawl to the Crew - Take Two (C2TCT2) Sloppy Seconds

A quick message from one of our sponsors, By the Light of the Moon, Inc.

Last weekend, By the Light of the Moon, Inc. hosted the second annual Crawl to the Crew. This year's event included 45 participants who travelled by ______ Bus from Madison, WI to Milwaukee, WI to attend a Brewer game at Miller Park.

The hour and 30 minute long bus trip included all you can drink canned beer (from a variety of distributors) and all you can eat junk food (namely chips and cookies.) Upon arrival to Miller Park, grills were fired up and flabongos were busted out! (Perhaps I should say, remained out...?) The event included two draft Wisconsin draft beers, Miller Lite and Spotted Cow. Participants also played flip cup. Perhaps next year the event will be expanded to include beer pong or bag toss.

Not only was this event exciting and fun for all, but it also marked the unveiling of the "pan handler," a 40oz can coozie modeled after a brown paper bag (to look like that of a bum.) This was well received by the public. However, its creators are already hard at work creating a new and improved version of this novelty item! The other main novelty item of the day were (personalizeable) commemorative t-shirts!

Check out more pics!

If you or anyone else has any novelty item or event planning needs, please contact By the Light of the Moon, Inc. at bythelightofthemooninc@gmail.com.

By the Light of the Moon, Inc.

Madison, WI - Milwaukee, WI

- Party planning and realization

- Mobile and stationary events

- Athletic events to cultural excursions

- Bachelorette parties to baby showers

- Invitation and novelty item creation and consultation

We'll toast to that!

Sorry!

Wow! Long time no update... no worries though folks. I have been traveling around Japan and doing some research... there will be new news soon!

Kampai!

Duvel

I decided to do a little research yesterday before going to an amazing cheese fondue dinner party. My subject this time: Duvel

Upon ordering this beer, I had no idea what to expect. I had not heard of it except for seeing it at the bar. The bottle was a little dark, so it was not easy to guess what may be contained within!

While I watched the pouring process, I was surprised by the amount of head. It seemed to be nearly half the glass! It looked really nice with its thick chunk of golden beery goodness topped with a thick white layer, but the former penny-pinching college student in me screamed "WE WANT MORE... BEER!" All I needed was a minute to refocus my attention on the beer and not on my football game nostalgia...

Although many Americans see head as a bad thing, the rest of the world tends to appreciate it for its aroma, appearance and even flavor. I guess I'll have to agree with the rest of the world on this one.

Before drinking, I decided to examine the label. Here is what I learned:
- Duvel is a top fermented golden ale
- It's from Belgium
- It is bottle conditioned
- It is 8.5% alcohol by volume
- The brewery was founded in 1871

Then I tasted it.

My first reaction was "Wow! What a nose full!" The scent of this beer is very strong and very nice. I think it SMELLS Belgian, if that makes sense. I actually sort of forgot what I thought of the flavor at first since the odor was so overwhelming.

I had to drink a bit more. The more I thought about it, the more I was surprised. I thought it was light, but at the same time this beer had some flavor! I wanted to think fruity (because of the yeasty smell), but it was not really sweet. Then I wanted to think crisp. However, the flavor, while peaking at the beginning of the sip, does not entirely die off at the end. Maybe sharp is a better adjective. As you complete the sip, the flavor becomes a little sour.

While I was enjoying my beer, I needed to keep my eye on the time. (I definitely did not want to show up late for cheese fondue!) I steadily sipped my beer over the course of about 30 minutes. I must admit, I was a little more affected by this beer than I anticipated. Of course, being 8.5% alcohol, it offers a kick that most beers do not. As time went on, I did tire of the beer a little bit. The interesting initial flavor burst was not as exciting 20 or 30 minutes in. In order to catch my train, I attempted to finish off the last of it in one big chug. Ugh! I think temperature played a big role in why it became more difficult to enjoy at the end.

While Duvel is a light beer, it is not a typical light beer lover's beer. I think the flavor is much more complex and strong that most light been lovers can handle. I tend to prefer medium to dark beer and/or really hoppy beer. Duvel was neither. That is not necessarily a bad thing. As I mentioned before, the smell and complexity of this beer were a pleasant surprise. I have a feeling that this is not going to become one of my favorite beers, but I do recommend it for people who like a little something more from their light beer.

Let's check out what the makers of Duvel have to say about it!

- Duvel is triple fermented. (the last time being in the bottle)
- Because of this process, it has a long shelf life. (up to three years)
- This fermentation is also what causes the higher alcohol percentage.
- With age, this beer is supposed to become better and more complex.
- The name of the beer means "devil" in Flemish.
- It can be pronounced du-VEL or DU-vl.
- The head on the beer is entirely intentional. In fact, it clings to the glass the entire time, producing "Belgian lace" which is a sign of a high quality beer.
- Duvel was created to "have the complexity and dept of an ale, with the ease and refreshing nature of a pilsner."
- The brewing process for Duvel takes about 3 months.

Fountain Hill (ファウンテンヒル)

It has been over 24 hours since I last had a beer... a pity, I know. Unfortunately my favorite bar is holding a private event, and I was uninvited. Booo!

Do not take this the wrong way. I love this place, and they have never in any way wronged me! In fact, all they have ever done was to give me exceptional customer service and to serve great beer!

Please allow me to introduce "Fountain Hill." (ファウンテン-ヒル)
Fountain Hill is not just any bar... it is an effective Western-style (American) bar among the many Japanese izakaya out there. What makes this bar so much better than other Japanese bars? Just you wait... I'm gonna tell you.

1.) Amazing staff! This bar is family owned and has three employees: a father (Nagaizumi-san), his son (Wataru, a.k.a. Master) and his son's wife (Izumi). Many Japanese izakaya and other pubs are very unwelcoming to foreign guests. It is entirely the opposite here. From the first time I set foot in this pub until I walked out of there yesterday after a Guinness, I have been treated with the highest respect and with such hospitality! Both Master and Izumi speak English, and the father may or may not... I am not sure. Either way, he has always made an effort to understand my broken Japanese and to give me whatever I please. Throughout my struggles as a foreigner living in Japan, these guys have helped me on countless occasions (including when I lost my wallet, keys, cell phone and camera)!

"On the house, baby!"

This is the kind of service you can expect at Fountain Hill.
(OK, so maybe every bar gives you water "on the house," but this is a small inside joke for us!)

2.) Great beer selection! In a world of too many or too few choices, this bar achieves a great balance in offering a wide-selection (by Japanese standards) without making your head spin. On tap they offer Guinness, Bass and Lowenbrau. In bottles, they offer Orval, Duvel, Grolsch, Corona, Hoegaarden, Weltenburger Kloster Barock Dunkel, Weltenburger Pilz, Weltenburger Hefe Weissbier, Coors, Sol, Leffe, etc. As you may notice, there are no Japanese beers! WHAT?! It makes sense if you ask me... considering you can walk out of your house and buy a Japanese beer from a vending machine. I must not fail to mention that Fountain Hill has a great liquor selection too. They have an impressive selection of scotch and whiskey. They also have rum and tequila that I had never seen. Lastly, they have all the basics (flavored vodka and rum) to make frou-frou girly drinks if you are into that sort of thing... I, however, recommend that you have a beer!

3.) Inviting atmosphere! Like I said, this place is a American-style bar. The first time I went to Fountain Hill, I felt like I was back in Wisconsin. There are neon lights, 80s and 90s glam rock/hair metal posters, scenes from the movie Tombstone and other Westerns, and even a gun hanging on the wall... (Which I have no idea how they pulled that off in Japan!) So maybe it sounds a little tacky... and I DO LOVE TACKY! But I do not feel that Fountain Hill is tacky in the least. The decorations are not overwhelming, the bar itself is made of wood and is really beautiful, the tappers are shiny and elegant and the liquor bottles are spotless, neatly arranged and illuminated behind the bar. The capacity of this bar is about 30 (maybe 50, if you consider standing room.) It is a bit small, but that adds to the personal touch! Lastly, for those of you who are closet "otaku," there is a secret stash of Japanese manga on shelves beneath the bar...

4.) Rockin' music! Perhaps this goes along with the atmosphere, but I feel that in Fountain Hill's case, the music is a big enough deal that it gets a category of its own. Master is a huge rock, classic rock and metal fan! He has just about any mainstream American rock you could want and a surprising amount of more obscure names too. The first several times I went to Fountain Hill, we almost exclusively talked about music. Since I am not such a metal fan, but am more of an alternative/punk person, before long, Master was playing some of my music too! (YES!!!) Do not worry if you are not into rock. Master also plays rap, hip hop, R&B, pop, country, big band, blues, disco, electronica, or pretty much anything else you could want.

5.) Delicious food! This is not "bar food." Yeah, yeah, you can get a burger or pizza... but it is so much more than that. Fountain Hill's menu includes the best of Japanese and Western foods. Most of the recipes have been developed (or at least tweaked) by the staff. My favorite dish is the huge salad. It is designed for 2 or 3 Japanese people to share before a meal, but I take it down by myself. I also highly recommend the spicy chicken, the curry rice and all of the pastas! Aside from just meals, they are really great about giving their customers something to snack on while they sip their drinks. Often it is popcorn or a sweet bread. It is always homemade and tasty!

As you may have noticed, I love this bar! It is the bar to which I always will compare others in the future. Perhaps I am biased because I go there all the time, but it was my first impression on that first visit that made me come back. Since then, it is all that I have described above that has kept me coming back.

Izumi, me and Master

If you happen to be in the Tokyo area, I recommend that you hop on the next train and take the 30-40 minute ride to Yabashira or Shin-Yahashira Station to experience Fountain Hill. I guarantee that you will not regret it!

FOUNTAIN-HILL（ファウンテン-ヒル） Address 　： 　千葉県松戸市日暮１－３－５ Phone 　： 　047(388)5657 E-mail 　： 　fountainhill_555@msn.com Time 　： 　8:00am - 2:00am Day-off 　： 　Monday

Welcome to Beer Breath!!!

Hello everyone!

I have been meaning to start a blog for sometime... however, I have been busy/lazy and haven't gotten around to doing it. Today, I had the divine inspiration to begin my blog! Hooray!

Since I love to travel, many people have encouraged me to write about my experiences... I have given it some thought... and a bit more thought... and a bit more... and seeing as I "haven't gotten around to" writing about that yet, I have decided that it is not my calling. Moreover, there are so damn many blogs about travel. In keeping with the spirit of travel and exploration, I came up with a brilliant idea! After all, I wanted something different... something cool... something refreshing... When I think about cool and refreshing, only one thing comes to mind...

As you may guess by the name of this blog, I'm talking about beer. YES... BEER! I love it. (BTW, if you aren't 21... please stop reading now.)

Although I am not exactly sure how this blog will look in the end, I foresee that I will write about beer in a variety of ways. Of course, I plan to research and try a lot of different kinds of beers... then, I'll tell you what I think about them. I also may talk about drinking establishments... likes, dislikes, specials, etc. As I mentioned before, I love to travel, and have therefore partaken of beer in several countries. That might be another branch of this blog. Reviewing brewery tours is another approach that I may try. Lastly, I have had some rather crazy beer related experiences over the years, so perhaps, I'll share some of those too.

I must make a brief disclaimer: I am in no way an expert on beer. I just love the stuff! I fully realize that by writing about it, I am opening myself up to a great deal of criticism. Beer is a controversial subject (along the same lines as religion or politics.) Everyone has their opinion and personal taste.

My goal in writing this blog is to share my passion for beer with other folks. I also hope to learn a lot, not only through research and tasting, but also through feedback from others who have tried a particular beer or who recommend a particular pub. Please share your thoughts at any time!

That said, I think I am ready to take a big gulp and get this baby started! Without further ado...

"Beer Breath"



Cheers!