I try to have adventures in homebrewing.  I’ve never done a recipe clone and rarely brew the same thing twice…at least in close proximity.  I vacillate between brewing a good classic style, a classic with a tweak, and something big, crazy, and experimental.  At any rate, wondered to myself about the use of carrots in [...]

This Sip with us Saturday was inspired by a sour that I made.  Scott from Manland flew down and brought me some Life & Limb.  When he brought some beer, I gave him some of my homebrew.  One of those homebrews was a sour rye.  Nice and puckery with a lovely spice.  At any rate, [...]

For the longest time, I thought that I was going to conquer the beer world.  Maybe you are like this, too.  I have to try this, that, that, that, that…to infinity.  It used to be a matter of trying every beer I could.  But I’ve now learned to be more selective and instinctual about my [...]

In the American craft beer scene, Pilsners/Lagers are kind of like everybody’s weird uncle, they are ignored, perhaps only recognized at family gatherings, and we begrudgingly admit association.  Perhaps this attitude is a bit wrong…for the uncle and the beer.  More on this in an upcoming post…this is beer review, after all. Pilsner Urquell is [...]

We recently got Consecration from Russian River at the Whole Foods on Arroyo Parkway in Pasadena. It was another one of those beers you hear about and is hyped to extreme levels. I always give beers like this a try to see if their worth the level of fame attached to them. I suppose I [...]

Unsolicited advice or criticism  is far from palatable.  I am quite sure you have been on the receiving end of unrequested commentary, and did not relish the moment, regardless of the truth of the critique.  However, when one sets their product afloat in the market place, criticism is inevitable.  In that sense, any brewer who [...]

We just got it put on…on tap, that is.  Velvet Merkin is made by Firestone and we have it on tap at the Whole Foods on Arroyo.  Doing my duty, I made sure to taste this beer, although I would never taste an actual velvet merkin.  After all, I have to be able to talk [...]

For all the problems associated with modern industrialization (i.e., carbon emissions, pollution, and a plethora of other issues), there are some serious bright spots for the world of beer.  Like our planes, trains, and automobiles, we take these beer technological advances for granted, not taking the slightest second to appreciate some aspects of drinking a [...]

This is our third attempt to do the uncouth: intentionally stereotype, our first attempt was a tad fun. You see, in a past post we discussed stereotypes a bit in a nonjudgmental and humorous attitude. It occurred to those who participated in the discussion that it might be fun to take to higher, beer level, [...]

This coming Saturday we are going to be tasting Pilsner Urquell.  I’m sure more than a few may roll your eyes at the choice (a pilsner lager???) but to be honest, lager and pilsners do not get the respect they deserve in the United States.  Due to the paltry products of many of the big [...]