Merry Christmas everyone! In the air you can feel the holiday cheer and in my fridge you'll find some holiday beer. For this Five Beers on Friday I have put together a list of five Christmas style or winter style ales that I have enjoyed recently. Having five of these darker full flavored brews will make it much easier to get through the day with family. ONE
Boreal Winter - Lakes & Legends
I'm starting off with a beer from the brewery that I work at, Lakes & Legends, because why wouldn't I. This is one of two seasonal beers that we have on tap and it is going fast. It is a winter warmer ale that is packed full of flavor with strong roasty and dark chocolate notes. A friend of mine had a blind taste test of ten different stouts with a group of nine other people and this beer took the prize as crowd favorite. If you need to drown out your younger cousins quickly this one will help with an ABV of 10.1%.
I am loving all of the breweries that are experimenting with adding nitrogen to their canned and bottled beers. It creates a smoother and creamier head that you would only think to find straight from the tap. Left Hand Brewing Company out in Longmont, CO was the first American brewery to bottle a nitro beer with their milk stout back in 2011. This beer is so amazing! It is so smooth and refreshing. I won't say much more than to tell you to just go out and buy it right now.
I have a great fondness for my hometown brewery, Leinenkugel's. Even though I am slightly biased, I believe their Snowdrift Vanilla Porter is a top notch beer that can stand up against any other winter beer. It has a strong vanilla flavor that is complemented with chocolate and coffee notes. I have this every year and I've never been able to limit myself to just one. FOUR
Winter Ale - Summit
Summit's Winter Ale is a nice introduction to the winter warmer category. It is approachable with a medium body, a slight hoppy spice, and some sweet caramel flavors. A nice easy drinker that I compare more to a brown/amber ale than a stout/porter.
FIVE
Canneberge - Lakes & Legends (cranberry saison)
While this technically isn't a winter or Christmas style ale, the Canneberge is a cranberry saison that is the second of our two seasonals at Lakes & Legends. The cranberries were actually harvested from Minnesota's only commercial cranberry bog making it a true farmhouse style ale with a farm-to-glass approach. This has been a huge hit and it may actually be gone already (there were only two kegs left on Tuesday). It has a slight tartness from the cranberries and a little saison spice to complement. This beer is a perfect pair with a traditional Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
I wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year. A pocket full of money and a cellar full of beer!
My wife has been linking up with some other lady bloggers who do a "Five Things on Friday" post each week. For a lifestyle blog, it's a nice and simple way to share the things that have currently peaked your interest. I've decided to take my own spin on this idea and start a Five Beers on Friday post where I can share some of the great beers that I've recently enjoyed.
As a note, I'm not into the intense beer reviews that some other beer enthusiasts do (appearance, aroma, taste, overall score). There's nothing wrong with doing that, but I don't find a whole lot of value in them as everybody's tastes are different. One person's opinion and interpretation on a beer will be completely different than another's. I would rather bring your attention to some beers that I have sampled and explain what may make them attractive to others.
For my first post, I think it would only make sense to highlight five of my favorite beers from the brewery that I have the pleasure of working at; Lakes & Legends Brewing Company.
This is by far my favorite beer that is on tap right now. It is a raspberry flavored braggot, which is a beer style that I had never heard of before. It is like a mead, but whereas a mead is made entirely from honey, a braggot is made from honey and malt. It is very sweet with nearly zero hop flavor (4 IBUs). It is heavily carbonated giving it a fizzy mouthfeel that plays on your tongue. I compare it to a wine-cooler and always recommend it to customers that are not overly fond of beer. Be careful though, its sweet and refreshing flavor masks the high alcohol content of 7.2% ABV.
If I could only choose one beer to have on tap at the brewery, the Silky Stout would be it. I love the raspberry braggot, but one is generally enough for me. The stout is such an easy drinker that I could have several growlers full. It has a coffee ground and dark chocolate bitterness, but the addition of milk sugars and the Belgian yeast give it a sweet smoothness. Adding a splash of our cold brew coffee creates an extra special treat on a frigid Minnesota wintry night.
This is a great beer to introduce people to Belgian style ales. I offer this one to anyone looking for a lighter body beer. It is quite sessionable at 5.6% ABV (the lowest of all of our beers) and is comparable to other major market witbiers. It has a orange zest and coriander aroma that is complemented by clove notes of the Belgian yeast.
Focusing on sweeter Belgian and farmhouse style ales runs counter to the hop crazy trend that currently dominates the American craft beer scene. To appease the hop heads, there is this Belgian style IPA. It isn't overly hoppy (71 IBU), which I appreciate. The Belgian yeast cuts the hop bitterness creating a nicely balanced beer to be consumed all year round.
FIVE
Preservation - Belgian rauchbier (smoked beer)
Smoked beer isn't for everyone, I'm not always a huge fan either, but this one is very approachable and won't overwhelm. The aroma is reminiscent of a smoked ham and I imagine it being the perfect beer back for a bloody mary. You can still get a small hint of banana flavor from the Belgian yeast which contrasts the smokiness.
These are only five of the nine beers available at Lakes & Legends. A tenth brew will be unveiled in the next few weeks and eventually there will be a full sixteen on tap! I'm super excited to be working for such a great brewery and the amazing beer makes it even better. Come stop in and allow me to pour you a glass!
As I have been preparing for my Cicerone certification, I've read plenty of tips from people who have already taken the exam. One piece of advice that everyone seems to give is that you must have serving experience. Which makes sense. The primary reason for the cicerone program's existence is to promote proper beer handling and presentation. So, in order to be a good cicerone, you should know what it takes to go behind the bar and pour that perfect pint. I followed through on this and just recently obtained my very first serving job at a new brewery called Lakes & Legends Brewing Company.
I read about Lakes & Legends in our local craft beer magazine, The Growler. This led me to check out their Facebook page where I learned that they were looking for beertenders. I applied, interviewed, and surprisingly was offered a job despite having zero serving experience. The owners, two brother-in-laws, are focused on creating a team that will help build the brand that they are after. Their goal is to create an educational experience where patrons can learn about the ingredients in their beer and the process by which they are created. I believe my pursuit of a cicerone certification helped set me a part and I am so thankful for the opportunity. The brewery opened up last week and I am thoroughly enjoying my new position behind the bar.
Lakes and Legends is located in the Loring Park neighborhood of Minneapolis on the ground floor of a swanky new highrise. They focus on Belgian and farmhouse ales, which are some of my favorite beers. Opening night featured four beers; a saison, a wit, a golden strong ale, and a Belgian stout. This week, a raspberry braggot will be added to the line-up which is like a mead, but instead of being made of all honey, a braggot is part honey and part malt. I had an unfiltered sample straight from the fermenter and was blown away. Eventually, there will be a rotating list of twelve beers on tap!
Not only are the beers delectable, but the taproom is absolutely gorgeous. They definitely nailed the farmhouse kitchen look. Sturdy wooden tables with benches fill the room and there is an indoor patio area with Adirondack chairs and astro-turf. Above the taps there are canisters full of malt which can be sampled upon request. Live entertainment is also in the future for the brewery as there will be a stage on one end of the taproom.
I'm super excited for this awesome opportunity. To be a part of a brewery as it first opens its doors presents some great moments of learning. Additionally, I recently learned that one of the other servers is also studying to become a certified cicerone, so we have agreed to study together through tastings and discussions. If you are ever in the Twin Cities area, be sure to stop by and order a flight at Lakes & Legends.
Each season or event has its own cocktail of choice. Summer is the perfect time for a margarita, the Kentucky Derby has the mint julep, and the deep of winter can be warmed up with a hot toddy. For me, fall is a great time to enjoy some sweeter dessert cocktails after a hearty meal. Three of my favorite dessert cocktails can be made with only five ingredients. They are super simple to make, are very pleasing to the eye, and are even more enjoyable to taste. INGREDIENTS
-Creme de cacao
-Cream/ice cream
-Creme de noyeaux/Creme de almond
-Brandy
-Creme de menthe (make sure to get the green kind)
The Pink Squirrel
Use equal parts (1.5 ounces) creme de noyeaux, creme de cacao, and cream. Shake with ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
The pink squirrel is the invention of Milwaukee's oldest cocktail bar, Bryant Cocktail Lounge. This bar is an absolute gem. My wife and I visited Bryant's nightly when we were in Milwaukee for a short weekend trip. They have over 450 different cocktails, but all of the recipes are a mystery and none of the ingredients are in display of the customer. The server simply asks you a series of questions to get an understanding of your tastes and mixes a drink customized to you.
The pink squirrel is one of those 450 recipes that has made its way into almost every cocktail lounge around the country. The unique ingredient for this one is the bright red creme de noyeaux. This bottle was difficult to find. I visited three different liquor stores and each had no idea what I was talking about. I finally found a knock off brand called creme de almond. However, don't try to substitute amaretto as the flavor is just a little bit off, plus you will be missing out on the awesome pink color that give the cocktail its namesake.
Note: For each of these three recipes you can use ice cream or heavy cream. I prefer heavy cream as I find it difficult to get the ideal consistency with ice cream.
Brandy Alexander
Use equal parts (1.5 ounces) brandy, creme de cacao, and cream. Shake with ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a dash of nutmeg.
The nutmeg garnish really adds to the holiday spirit of this drink. There are flavors of egg nog, ginger bread, and mulled wine present. This is a classic cocktail that should be in every bartender's recipe book.
Grasshopper
Use equal parts (1.5 ounces) creme de menthe, creme de cacao, and cream. Shake with ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with chocolate shavings.
I remember the first time I had this drink was at Chanhassen Dinner Theatre. After the first act, they brought around a dessert menu which had an entire section devoted to after dinner drinks. I ordered the grasshopper and absolutely loved it. I brought my wife there on our second date and made sure to ask for it again. It tastes very similar to a thin mint girl scout cookie and it is a great drink to comfort your stomach after a large turkey dinner.
Earlier this month, I took the first step to becoming a Certified Cicerone by passing the certified beer server exam. It was a 30 minute online exam composed of 60 multiple choice questions. A final score of 75% was required to pass, but I studied quite a bit and obtained a score of 92%. I probably should have studied the specifics of each beer style more thoroughly because I got a couple of those questions wrong. For example, they gave four different beer styles and asked you to identify the one with the highest ABV. Another question that I got wrong had you identify what was the proper way to lock a coupler on a keg. If I was doing it in real life I could do it no problem, but without it in front of me I don't know if you are supposed to turn it clockwise or counter-clockwise.
Overall, it was a pretty straight forward test. I may have been able to pass it without studying, but it would have been tough. They do ask some pretty specific questions about beer styles. There was also several questions about draft system maintenance, perceivable flavors, and beer history that I wouldn't have known before hand. I stressed quite a bit about this test, because I really wanted to nail it. In hindsight a pre-test beer would have really helped to calm the nerves.
In preparation for the exam, I read Randy Mosher's book, "Tasting Beer." I recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about beer. His book explains the different flavors that the human tongue can perceive as well as certain environmental factors which may influence how you taste a beer. Like, if a woman were to wear lipstick while tasting beer, the oils will kill the head of the beer. Also, if you just got done washing your hands, a lemon scented soap may introduce citrus flavors that aren't actually present in the beer. After reading this book, I have a deeper respect for retailers and servers who take the time to properly serve a beer to customers. When you are served a beer with an off flavor (most likely acquired after it leaves the brewery), it is natural to blame that on the brewer. This is why the Cicerone certification program is so important in establishing an industry wide respect for proper beer handling and presentation.
The next step is the Certified Cicerone exam. There is an exam scheduled in May for Minneapolis, but I don't think I'll be ready yet. I want to really take my time so that I only have to take it once. There is a lot of reading accompanied by an equal amount of tasting in my future. I would really like to find a group of people that are interested in becoming certified or have already attempted the exam so that I can pick their brain about what to expect. It will also be helpful to discuss flavor notes while tasting with others as some may experience something different from a beer that I wouldn't have noticed on my own.
I'm still just as dedicated to becoming a Certified Cicerone. In fact, I'm more focused on the end goal, because the more I learn, the more my thirst for additional knowledge grows. Beer is a wonderful beverage with so much depth to explore and it is better experienced when shared with others.
I stumbled upon a questionnaire that was sent out for Ypsilanti, Michigan's beer week and decided to go through it and share my experiences with craft beer. You can find the questionnaire here if you would like to check it out for yourself. 1. Which beer style is your "go-to" beer style and why?
When I am presented with a beer list, my eye is automatically drawn to the word Belgian. You can't beat the strong aroma, fruity taste, and rich history of a quad or tripel. These beers are fun to drink and share with friends. It is also a great beer to use when introducing wine drinkers to craft beer because of the similarities in presentation and alcohol content.
However, these probably aren't what you would refer to as a "go-to" style due to the high alcohol content and the price, but they are some of my favorites. My true go-to, as in I will ask for it more than 50% of the time, would probably be an Irish dry stout, a.k.a. Guinness. The super creamy head and light body make this a great beer to have all night long while stomping along to the beat of an Irish folk band. 2. What's your favorite beer label and why?
This is a tough question for me to answer, because I have a habit of peeling off my beer labels. One of the best that I've seen though would have to be "Kill All the Golfers" from B. Nektar Meadery. It features the Caddyshack gopher dressed up as Bill Murray's character driving around in a golf cart. The name of the beer is great too, featuring one of the best lines from the movie.
3. What's your favorite brewery?
I am biased to my hometown brewery, Leinenkugel's. Growing up, all I knew was Miller and Leinie's. There is a ton of history there and they are so connected to the town of Chippewa Falls. They don't have the greatest beer in the world, but they have been doing some pretty interesting things there the past couple years, especially with the Big Eddy series.
If I were to put my hometown biases aside, my favorite brewery would probably be Dangerous Man. They consistently brew top notch beers. Their peanut butter porter is always a crowd favorite. They also tip the supply and demand scales in their favor by refusing to distribute. You can only get their beer at their tap room or by purchasing a growler (which they have had to place daily limits on, so they don't sell out). 4. Do you remember your first craft beer? Tell us about that experience.
I can't remember for certain, but I believe my first craft beer was at Summit Brewery in Saint Paul. I was there for a political event. After President Obama had his beer summit in DC in response to a racial profiling case, one of the Minnesota representatives decided to host her own beer summit at Summit Brewery (get it). I remember being wary of the tap list, but I did try all of them including a red ale, an EPA, an oatmeal stout, and a few others. I don't think I was won over right away, but a year or two after that, the craft beer scene in the Twin Cities took off and after a few tours/samplings I was hooked. 5. If you could create a job for yourself centered on craft beer, what would you do?
I would love to go around the country and lobby on behalf of craft beer. There are so many stupid laws leftover from prohibition that need to be discarded and there is a lot that can be done legislatively to improve the business climate of the craft beer industry.
One of my favorite things about the craft beer culture is introducing it to people who have only been exposed to macro-beers or they say that they don't like beer in general. I would love to travel around and open people up to the huge world of craft beer. Maybe something like what the Brew Dogs do:
So is there a craft brew representative/lobbying position open anywhere? 6. What is the farthest you have traveled for craft beer? What was the beer? Who did you share it with?
My wife and I took a car load of friends down to New Ulm, MN to tour the August Schell's brewery. This was a two hour drive that ended up being much longer with stops at a couple bars on the way there and back. It was a great way to spend the day. The brewery is set back in the woods with some beautiful gardens and the whole place makes you feel like you've stepped back in time. 7. Is there a style of craft beer that you don't like at all?
No. I may not be partial to chili spiced beers or the American adjunct lagers, I can appreciate them for what they are and have a 10 oz sample. 8. Do you homebrew? If yes, share your success story. If no, have you tried? Tell us about that.
No, but I really want to start. My wife and I are moving into a new place which has a basement, so I'll have the space and temperature for it. I would like to construct a kegerator beforehand though so I don't have to deal with the bottling portion. I'm also really interested in growing some hops next spring to do some wet hopping. 9. If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only take ONE IPA and ONE STOUT, which would they be?
For my IPA, I would choose Surly's OverRated. It's a dry West coast style IPA that is full of flavor and not just hop flavor.
For my stout, nothing else even compares with Guinness. The addition of their widget will ensure that I have a healthy dose of nitrogen in my stout whenever I decide to crack the tab.
10. If you were to take Minnesota craft beer to another country as a rep of our Great Beer State, where would you choose?
I'd love to travel to Ireland and plan to do so next year. Ireland is dominated by Guinness and they could really use some help in breaking those big brewery chains that are restricting the craft beer market. 11. If you were to open a craft brewery, what would you call it?
Holliday's Brewing Co. You don't have to get too creative when you have a cool last name like mine. 12. How many kinds of beer glasses do you own? Seven that I can think of: a 2 liter das boot, two smaller 16 oz boots, an assortment of shaker pint glasses borrowed from various bars, a large supply of Guinness branded imperial pint glasses, two oktoberfest mugs, a couple flare pilsner glasses, and a Leinenkugel's version of the Samuel Adams Perfect Pint glass. 13. If you were a craft beer, what would you be and why?
An English brown ale, because I'm not here to impress anyone. If you like me, great! Let's sit down for several hours and get to know each other. If not, fine. I'm not going to be bitter about it (see what I did there). 14. What is your favorite craft beer memory?
I went to visit Lucid Brewing down in Minnetonka, MN and received one of the most informative tours of my life. We spent the better part of an hour walking around the kettles and fermenting tanks and were able to look in to see exactly what was going on throughout the entire brewing process. We were allowed to sample the malted grains, smell the hops, and taste each beer as the guide was describing it. Our tour guide answered every question thoroughly and then gave more background knowledge to further answer the question that you wouldn't have thought to ask. This created a huge thirst for knowledge in me and probably developed my desire to become a cicerone. 15. Finish this sentence: When Chuck Norris drinks beer, _______!
...he chews a mouthful of barley and hops,then washes it down with a glass of water.
It's Friday night and you get a text saying that your group of friends are going out for drinks. Perfect! You throw on a coat, walk out the door, and build up your expectations for the great night that you all are about to have. You get to the bar and hear the jukebox pumping. Your best friend has already ordered the first round (what a good guy) so you meet him and the rest of the group at a high top near the back. But a gentle white glow illuminates the faces of everyone at the table and this is when it hits you that tonight isn't about having a good time with friends. No, tonight is about everyone sitting on their phones and fabricating the great time their having on Instagram.
I may be sounding like an old man demonizing today's youth for not appreciating the way things used to be, but it really is a shame how bar culture has transformed. Things such as the bar room debate have completely faded from existence. Ten years ago a guy would assert that Tahoe is West of LA and a spirited debate would ensue with each side defending their opinion with instinct and anecdotes. Now, somebody just pulls out their phone and case closed. What a buzz kill. I know there are some who share my sentiments. There is a bar in Chicago, Harry's Velvet Room, that gained national press for their decision to ban the use of phones. "You're there to be social with your friends, date or whoever. You need to pay attention to them a little bit more than what's on your phone or what you're posting," said owner Dion Antic.
It's not just phones that are taking attention away from those that you are with, but also an overabundance of televisions at bars. Not every bar needs to have a TV just to have one. Sports bars are a great place to watch a big game that you may not get at home, but why do you need to have CSI playing at a wine bar? I've seen several pubs and breweries start to adopt this mentality by cutting off the wi-fi, removing the TVs, and bringing the focus back to socializing with those around you. So next time you're out with your friends, consider shutting down your device and giving your undivided attention to the memories being made (that you may not remember in the morning).
This blog serves as a space for me to talk about the things that my wife and friends have absolutely zero interest in discussing. One of those subjects of disinterest involves my passion for video games.
E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo), the biggest video game trade fair in the country, is going on this week and there is a ton to be excited about as a gamer. Monday night, all of the major players held press conferences to unveil their latest projects providing a sneak peak of what is in store for us over the next year. There has already been a lot of discussion about who will come out as the unofficial winner of the conference. While there are some clear favorites among the perennial big title games, I believe that there were some real gems that are deserving of greater attention.
Horizon: Zero Dawn. This is a new game that went unannounced prior to the press conference, yet it held my attention and has left me scouring the internet for more information about this upcoming game. The six minute trailer showed a post-post-apocalyptic world (similar concept to the movie Waterworld) where there are only myths of an ancient technologically advanced human civilization. There are ruins of skyscrapers that now serve as root beds for expansive forests. Machines rule the land, but with no human memory of a world without them, they are seen as part of the ecology. There are grazing, deer-like robots as well as giant predatory machines, yet the human tribes seem to have a cautious respect for them (think of Avatar meets Terminator). Outside of what was shown in the trailer, little else is known about the game, but this is what we do know:
It is set to release sometime in 2016
It is an open-world, RPG, single player
Guerrilla Games has been working on it for 5 years
Exploration is key to this game
It is an action/adventure game with a heavy combat element
You will play as a female protagonist, called Aloy
Both humans and machines pose a threat
Your character will be equipped with an expansive arsenal that will require skill and tactical expertise.
There is still a lot of mystery with this new game and there is a lot of room for great marketing. As an additional note, Sisqo was in attendance at the conference and he named this as one of his favorite game reveals.
Star Wars: Battlefront. This game brings me back to the N64 glory days of Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, taking down an AT-AT with a snow speeder. The creators of Battlefield (EA DICE) have put so much work into this game and it is very apparent in the gameplay trailer that they unveiled. They have used a considerable amount of photogrammetry, which involves taking pictures of an object at every possible camera angle, then using computer software to transform those pictures into a computer generated model. The game team had the awesome opportunity to go to the sacred Lucas Ranch and interact with the all of the Star Wars relics in order to recreate them in a way that would please fans. This element is incredibly important for a Star Wars game as there are so many cosplayers that know this universe inside and out and they will scrutinize every detail of the game's authenticity. I'm really excited for this game as it will allow fans to live in the universe that they have grown up with and they can play the characters that they idolize. One of the game modes that they showcased during the conference was called survivor and it was interesting because it reminded me of Call of Duty's Nazi Zombies. Check it out.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 - I'm so sick of this franchise. Treyarch left a bad taste in my mouth with the original Black Ops, but then the new advanced warfare crap really pushed me over the edge. Won't be buying.
Assassin's Creed: Syndicate. How is it that Ubisoft always pick the best songs for their Assassin's Creed trailers?! I know there are many out there that are very sick of this franchise, but I am still a loyal disciple of the creed. Every new game in this franchise provides a new detailed world for me to explore. I love being able to walk down a bustling city street and feel like I am really there. When my wife and I went on our honeymoon in Florence and Rome, at certain points I would get the sense of deja vu as I remembered being there as Ezio Auditore. While nothing new was really revealed at E3, I am still excited about every new trailer and I continue to count down the days until October 23rd. In that trailer, did any of you beer lovers notice the line giving a tip of the hat to the introduction of English bitter ale? Seriously, the attention to historical detail in these games is insane!
Nintendo's press conference was one big yawn fest. I grew up on Nintendo and all of the familiar characters. I even had a Mario Bros. cake for my fifth birthday. Nintendo fills a niche as the perfect console for a younger gamer with easily understandable game mechanics as well as family friendly games. For an adult gamer though, there really isn't anything to keep you coming back. All I really want from Nintendo is a good Legend of Zelda game (which probably won't be coming for another two years) as no game will ever compare to Ocarina of Time. Nintendo needs to accept their fate, bow down to Microsoft and Sony, and give up their console endeavors. They could really take a note from Sega and become a developer of really good franchise games. However, their cash reserve is so deep that they could fund mistakes for decades to come. UPDATE: I just got done watching a discussion with the guys from Kinda Funny who have a stage at E3 this year. The subject of discussion was the future of Nintendo. During the discussion (14:39 mark), they propose the idea that I just suggested, Nintendo bowing out and becoming a game developer. They gave some really good points and provided some other possible directions that the company could take. Watch the discussion here.
For Honor. Like Horizon, this was another new game that left me wanting to know more. In this game, you command one of three armies; the samurai, the vikings, or the knights. As a resident of Minnesota, I will definitely be choosing the fierce viking warriors. From the world premiere trailer and the gameplay trailer, it looks like a medieval Halo game where you can play against your friends in an effort to control the battlefield. Not a lot of information yet, but I did sign up to be selected for the beta, so hopefully I'm lucky and get to be one of the first to play.
South Park: The Fractured but Whole. Ha! Get it? I never played Stick of Truth, but I do remember how much I loved playing South Park on N64. Once again, you play as the new kid in town, but instead of playing as the Lord of the Rings characters in Stick of Truth, you now play as one of the super hero members of Coon and Friends. While I don't anticipate a game that will introduce some huge development in the world of game play, I do anticipate a hilarious new story from the comedic geniuses, Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
No Man's Sky. The enormity of this game is astonishing. From what I have seen thus far, this game looks similar to Spore. It is an exploratory game that allows you to discover a universe full of procedure generated planets with unique alien species. You could play this game for the rest of your life and you would still never see everything that this game has to offer. The concept is mind blowing, but without an official release date and the size of the game, I am worried that it may not actually hit the shelves for quite some time.
There were many other great games announced this week including fan favorites like the new Mass Effect, a Final Fantasy 7 remake, and of course Fallout 4. There were also some interesting developments announced such as backwards compatibility for the Xbox One, an a-la-cart TV service through PS Vue, and the jaw dropping demonstration of the augmented reality hardware, Hololens.
I have been glued to my computer this entire week watching and reading all of the gaming news. There are so many games that I am anxiously waiting to play. My Christmas list is going to be quite full this year.
On May 1st of this year, Governor Mark Dayton signed a bill into law granting craft breweries an additional day of growler sales. This is an exciting step, though the tiniest of steps, to a full repeal of Minnesota's outdated Sunday liquor sale prohibition (I wrote about the absurdity of this law here). After being signed by the governor, it was up to Minnesota cities to approve it in their local jurisdictions. Some municipalities were quick to take advantage of this law change for their local breweries. The city of Montgomery was the first to make the necessary changes and because of this swift action Montgomery Brewing sold the first Sunday growler three weeks after enactment. Minneapolis was a little slower, but yesterday I was able to go to a couple breweries and purchase some great craft beer to take home.
My first stop was to Day Block Brewery located in Downtown Minneapolis two blocks from the construction site of the new Vikings stadium. It was my first visit so I got a flight with all six of their tap beers. They had a berliner weiss which was perfect for one of the few sunny Minnesota summer days which I got to enjoy on their patio. The berliner weiss was served in the traditional German style with your choice of a flavor shot. I chose the rhubarb syrup which gave it a mellow sweetness. For home consumption I settled on buying a growler of their wit beer which I plan on consuming before my kickball game tonight.
The second stop was to another Minnesota sports stadium neighbor, Fulton Brewery, located two blocks from Target Field. Sticking with the summer patio style I got their summer saison ale, Randonneur, which I highly recommend. One thing that I found frustrating about my search for a Sunday growler, was the inconsistent rules that breweries have for filling growlers from other brewers. Prior to this weekend I only had one growler which I purchased at Lucid Brewing. After purchasing that growler I only had it filled once more at 612 Brew with no problems. The folks at 612 sanitized it, filled it, and sealed it with a sticker on the cap noting what was in it. Perfect! However, at Day Block they would not fill that growler and required me to buy one of their own, which I did, because I figured I could use a second. I encountered the same thing at Fulton, but I couldn't justify buying a third. I then called ahead to Northgate Brewing where they took my Lucid growler and gave me one of their pre-filled growlers in exchange.
Last year, the Minnesota legislature passed a law that would allow breweries to fill a growler from a different brewery as long as it displayed what was in it on the cap. The law change did not require them to fill growlers that were not their own, which I think is the right policy and I wouldn't want to see this change. However, it is a little inconvenient as a consumer when there are so many breweries in the Twin Cities and my wife and I have very limited cupboard space. When I asked why they wouldn't fill my growler, I was told that they wouldn't want me to share my beer with someone and have them think that it was from a different brewery. Though I would always tell my friends what they are drinking, the law also requires the product to be displayed on the cap. But whatever, I get it, it's about marketing. Any change in this policy is going to have to come from customer pressure. Today, I contacted both breweries about my concerns on Twitter. Day Block hasn't responded yet, but I was encouraged by Fulton's response.
I'm super excited about this law change and it is my hope that it will provide momentum to a full repeal of Minnesota's Sunday liquor sale prohibition.
There are currently a lot of fun and informative shows about drinking on the air; Brew Dogs, Booze Traveler, Moonshiners, and others. However, one man really led the charge and set the standard for these types of shows; Zane Lamprey. Zane has described himself as the Drinking Ambassador to the World and he has every right to that claim. For almost ten years Zane has been traveling the world and sampling the drinking cultures at each stop. Since you can't actually taste what he is drinking on the show, he spends more time talking about the city, the brewery and, most importantly, the people that make up the drinking culture of the area. Despite changes in networks, Zane has created a brand that is worth exploring.
Zane's first show, "Three Sheets," originally aired in 2006 on the MOJO HD network and ran for four seasons. In this show, he travels from the Champagne region of France to drinking bee brew with the Masai tribe in Tanzania. You learn a lot about various cultures that you wouldn't learn by reading the standard Lonely Plan travel book. Unfortunately, the network that was carrying the show tanked and Three Sheets ended with it. But if you are looking for a show to binge watch, you can watch all fifty episodes of Three Sheets for free on Hulu.
After Three Sheets wrapped up, Zane quickly moved on to the U.S. based drinking show called "Drinking Made Easy" airing on AXS TV (they still play late-night reruns of the show). Essentially this was a domestic version of Three Sheets. Why fix something that isn't broken? There are some great characters on this show and it also features some great locations which have heavily influenced my travel itineraries when visiting a new city. You can visit the show's website at drinkingmadeeasy.com where you can purchase for download all of the seasons. It also has all of the places that they visited with cocktail recipes that you can try making at home.
AXS decided they wanted to take their station in a different direction and to the dismay of fans Drinking Made Easy did not fall into that. The fan base was so loyal though that a Kickstarter campaign was launched to fund a new show called "Chug." This was a revamped version of Three Sheets where Zane traveled from the outback of Australia to drinking in the shade of the Pantheon in Rome. Thankfully, the National Geographic Channel picked this show up so that anyone who missed the Kickstarter campaign could be exposed to its greatness. No news yet on a second season.
I'll admit it that I'm a bit of a fan boy. I want Zane Lamprey's life and who wouldn't?! The guy gets paid to travel to exotic locations and drink with his friends. Where can I apply? The thing that really makes this guy's shows so great though has to do with his ability to take spirits and cultures that may seem foreign and wrap them in a package that draws you to them. He even made Croatia look like a travel destination! I didn't drink until after college and when I did start I had a very immature palate. Watching Drinking Made Easy broadened my horizons and pushed me try different cocktails and appreciate the ingredients/process that goes into what I'm drinking.
Speaking of appreciating quality ingredients, Zane's most recent endeavor has been the production of his new rum, Monkey Rum. I haven't been able to try it yet, as distribution is limited to just a few coastal states, but you can purchase both the coconut and spiced versions online. Craft spirits are the next step following the craft beer movement and Zane has jumped on board. These rums are infused with toasted coconut and tropical spices and the bottles are branded with Zane's simian travel companion, Pleepleus. I will assume that after the amount of traveling and sampling Zane has done, he is fully qualified to make an excellent craft spirit. I can't wait to sip on a Monkey Rum and Coke while watching the Fiji episode of Chug.
On several occasions, my friends and family have referred to me as a beer snob. I am always quick to correct this, because I believe this term has some bad connotations with which I do not care to be associated. A beer snob is the one-upper of the beer scene. They brag about the one-off cask beer they had or they talk about how they prefer the 2011 batch over the 2012. Gag me. I consider myself a lover of beer who appreciates every pint for what it is. Plus, if I were a beer snob, I wouldn't have a case of Miller High Life in my fridge right now.
I love beer for so many reasons. Nothing beats going out and reconnecting with an old friend while sitting on a patio, beer in hand. Each pint brings you deeper into conversation and closer together. I love the complexity of beer. The possibilities for experimentation in brewing are practically limitless. Even in Germany, with the regulation of the Reinheitsgebot there are still so many beer variations with just water, hops, malt, and yeast.
The main thing I love about beer is how accessible it is as compared to wine or spirits. If you were looking to get a fine wine or vodka, you had better be ready to open up your wallet and dig deep. However, if you were to get a high quality beer, you will most likely only have to pay a couple dollars more than the average beer. Even the drinking cultures surrounding beer and wine are completely different. Wine is seen as a refined and sophisticated beverage whereas beer is not limited to a certain setting or atmosphere. Feel free to raise a pint at a football game or at your sister's wedding. Beer also varies from wine in its accessibility to the masses by how simple it is to identify a good beer from a bad beer. Set a glass of 1960 Cabernet Reserve next to a glass of two buck chuck and three times out of ten I might pick the Charles Shaw. In contrast, I hope no one would ever rank a Miller Lite over a Paulaner Premium Pilsner (not that I don't enjoy a Miller Lite on occasion).
My appreciation for beer has prompted me to pursue a major undertaking. I am studying to become a Certified Cicerone®. Quite simply, a cicerone is a beer expert, similar to a wine sommelier. The certification process was established in 2007 by Chicago brewer and author, Ray Daniels. Daniels was frustrated with seeing beer being improperly handled and served. Brewers put everything they have into their beer and yet once it exits their doors they no longer have any control over it. Any off flavors experienced by the consumer that may develop due to improper handling or service are not attributed to the distributor, retailer, or server, but are associated with the brewer. Therefore the cicerone certification program was established in order to train industry professionals on beer flavors, styles, and service. A cicerone is also meant to guide the consumer in their beer selection process by educating them on the flavors present in a beer and how it may complement their food pairings. Cicerones are really beer gurus.
There are three steps in the cicerone certification program. The first level is a Certified Beer Server. This involves taking a 60 question multiple-choice exam testing your basic understanding of beer flavors and styles as well as proper handling and service of beer. The second level is a Certified Cicerone®. This requires a grueling process which takes months, if not years, of studying. There is a several hour long short answer exam testing your thorough understanding of beer flavors and styles. This is then followed by a tasting component which will challenge you to identify beer styles, off-flavors, and food pairings based solely on appearance, aroma, and taste. The final stage is the Master Cicerone®. Only nine people currently hold this prestigious level and they are walking dictionaries of beer knowledge.
Most people pursue certification because of their occupation in the craft beer industry. I have no serious interest in making beer my vocation, though if that opportunity presented itself I would definitely consider it. My real motivating factor is the challenge and to gain a higher appreciation of the beverage that I love. From what I have read, this lack of industry experience will be a serious hurdle for me, but I'm not going to let that stop me. I am currently working through the study guide for the Certified Beer Server exam and am reading the suggested book, "Tasting Beer" by Randy Mosher. I am a slow reader so this may take quite a while, but I hope to take the exam later this year. I have already learned a lot about the history of beer making and the basic flavor profiles which is all really interesting. I can't wait to learn more and I am excited for the challenge.
Halfway through my senior year of high school, I celebrated my eighteenth birthday. I remember having to go to the Chippewa Falls post office to register for the selective service. From this point on I could be drafted by the U.S. military and asked to sacrifice my life for my country. Additionally at this point in my life, I had been driving for two years, I was permitted to vote in elections, I could purchase tobacco, buy a gun, enter into any legally binding contract including marriage, and if I really wanted to I could enter the pornography business. I was granted all of the permissions of being an adult, yet I was not granted the trust of being allowed to consume an alcoholic beverage. What?!
During the Vietnam War, protesters argued against the unfair nature of young men being sent to war, but being unable to vote. The 26th Amendment to the United States Constitution was quickly ratified in 1971, thus lowering the voting age from twenty-one to eighteen. Prior to this, most states had a minimum drinking age of twenty-one. Following ratification though, several states lowered the minimum drinking age to eighteen to be consistent with the new voting age. Seems logical. However, studies were done after these changes were made showing an increase in motor vehicle fatalities linked to alcohol consumption. With a heavy hand, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) pressured Congress to pass the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 which penalized states who did not raise their drinking age to twenty-one by cutting 10% of their federal highway aid. States feared the loss of these federal dollars and therefore all 50 states complied.
Recently, actions by the Supreme Court may have countered the constitutionality of this policy. In 2012, the Supreme Court struck down a provision in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) which would withhold Medicaid dollars from states that did not comply with the ACA. The argument was that withholding these dollars would have a profound impact on state budgets and was too coercive. This decision is contrary to the case against the withholding of federal highway dollars in the National Minimum Drinking Age Act. However, legal experts say that the federal highway aid does not greatly affect state budgets as a whole, accounting for less than 1% of state budgets. While this is true, it is still a glimmer of hope which states could use to challenge the federal government and reduce their drinking age back down to eighteen.
Even if this wouldn't hold up in court, what do states really have to lose? As mentioned before, these federal dollars only account for less than 1% of the state budget. A 10% cut in federal transportation funds to Minnesota would account for a reduction of approximately $50 million per year. In terms of state spending this is a very small figure. This money could be easily offset by the reduction in enforcement costs and by the increased tax revenue from alcohol sales.
As a country, the United States has a terrible record of trying to control alcohol consumption. The diversity of cultures and religions presents varying views on imbibing. Some view it as social lubricant or as an expression of their family heritage. Others view it as a home-wrecker. In Wisconsin, a state that has embraced their drinking heritage, minors are allowed to be served under the supervision of their parents. Some parents would see a teenager drinking in a bar as terrible parenting, but what business is it of theirs? Responsible drinking is best taught in the family unit not by an arbitrary federal mandate.
When you think of drinking in Italy, your mind naturally goes to wine. Rightfully so. The Tuscan Region is famous for their classic Chianti wines and Venice is home to the sparkling wine, prosecco. But hidden away in the alleyways of Rome there is a developing taste for craft beer.
For our honeymoon, my wife and I booked a two week trip to Italy. We began and ended our journey in Rome with stops in Florence, Venice, and Naples/Sorrento. In preparation for the trip, we researched the culture with an emphasis placed on food and drink. We went to some authentic Italian restaurants around the Twin Cities and sampled pasta dishes and wine by the quartino, but I felt pretty limited on the variety of Italian beer. You can readily find the watery Peroni at an Olive Garden and it is really disappointing that this is what has become the model of what Italian beer is. The reality is that there are a few really great breweries making some quality beer and introducing the country to the world of craft beer.
Two of the front-runners in the Italian craft beer movement are Birra del Borgo and Birra Baladin. The two have been brewing since the 1990's and in 2009 they collaborated to open a brewpub in the center of Rome called Open Baladin. I first heard about this place while watching the travel show "Chug with Zane Lamprey" and I immediately marked it down on our honeymoon itinerary. This is a must stop oasis for any craft beer lover in the wine soaked country of Italy. They have 40 beers on tap from all over Europe, including a few cask beers. Most of them are produced by the two founding breweries, but they also feature some smaller breweries like the stout from Free Lions which I sampled. I am disappointed that I didn't get to try their barley wine, Xyauyù, which has won several awards, so somebody bring back a bottle if you go. The back wall is a treasure trove of bottled beer which you can purchase to take back to your hotel. For you home brewers, Birra Baladin has a line of open source beers with recipes posted on their website for you to try on your own. If you're in need of some grub, they also have an excellent menu highlighted by some gourmet burgers.
Switching gears to the craft cocktail scene, across the river from Open Baladin was a trendy bar called Freni e Frizioni, meaning "brake and clutch," paying homage to the auto shop that previously occupied the space. It is a hot bed of hipsters, but the cocktails that they mix are worth a visit. One of the great things about the drinking culture in Italy is the aperitivo. At most bars, with the purchase of a drink you are given free access to their buffet of snacks. I wouldn't recommend filling your plate to the brim three or four times and thus attracting judgmental stares, but definitely help yourself to some cheese and salad. Freni e Frizioni also has a great patio for you to sip your drink and soak up the Roman evening atmosphere. The signature drink is the negroni, which is a spritzer with a aperol base. They also have two house beers, a blonde and a red ale, called Piston.
Some things are certain in life; death, taxes, and the proliferation of the Irish pub. Every single city that we visited, we easily spotted the orange, white, and green flags waving above the door of another Irish pub. In Rome it was Trinity College, Florence was Goose Pub, Venice was Devil's Forest Pub, and in Sorrento it was Chaplin's Bar. My wife and I met, had our first date, and got engaged in Irish pubs, so it was nice to have a familiar night spot to go get a pint of the black stuff.
Live folk music at the Goose Pub in Florence
Don't be confused, I definitely had my fair share and probably a few other people's fair share of wine. We went on a wine tour while in Florence, so I was able to visit two Tuscan vineyards. We generally ordered a bottle of wine with every meal and would bar hop at night having a glass of wine with aperitivo at each stop. While some were certainly better than others, I never had a bad glass of wine. However, wine is not all Italy has to offer. It makes sense that in a climate so suitable for growing grapes that they wouldn't feel the need to expand their palate, but the American craft beer movement is spreading and globally people are waking up to the hops revolution.
An aperitivo bar in Venice called Osteria I Rusteghi
In 1794, our young country faced an armed rebellion in several states. Threats were made on the lives of government officials, violence broke out, and the insurrection even resulted in a few casualties. The rebellion escalated to the point of President Washington calling for action from the state militias. What caused all of this? Taxes. Specifically, a tax levied on alcohol through the Distilled Spirits Tax Act of 1791, more commonly known as the Whiskey Act. This was a first for a country that just won a revolutionary war against taxation. Today, alcohol remains one of the highest taxed products. While the rebellion was relatively ineffective, people should still question the implementation of these taxes.
A tax collector is tarred and feathered by anti-tax rebels. Source.
There was an economic analysis done of the tax burden on the U.S. beer industry which concluded that federal, state, and local taxes accounted for 40.8% of the total retail price of beer. A major contributor to this tax burden is due to excise taxes specifically targeted at beer. States implement their own excise taxes which vary greatly from $0.02 to $1.29 per gallon. Minnesota falls just outside the top ten with a rate of $0.47 per gallon.
Prohibitionists and social conservatives argue that these taxes are aimed at curbing alcohol abuse, drunk driving, and teen drinking. However, the majority of studies show little to no direct correlation between higher taxes and reduced abuses. While these taxes may influence purchasing patterns of responsible drinkers, the excessive drinkers just find other ways to continue their addiction.
People can't be taxed into responsible behavior. Abusive drinkers are the very last people who will reduce their consumption when the price of alcohol goes up. In response to higher prices, abusers have many ways to maintain their high levels of alcohol intake - they can switch to cheaper brands, switch from on-premise to off-premise consumption, or purchase less expensive forms of alcohol including non-taxed illegally produced beverages. (Source)
These taxes are ineffective at achieving their intended goals. To combat alcohol abuse, policies should be developed that directly target those individuals, not by casting a large net at the general population. Tax policy should not be the vehicle we use to influence behavior.
Efforts have been made to reduce these excise taxes at the federal level through the Small BREW Act and the Fair BEER Act. There is a debate as to which proposal is better for the beer industry, but both aim to reduce the federal excise tax. The current federal rate of taxation is $7 per barrel for the first 60,000 barrels and $18 per barrel there after. The Small Brewer Reinvestment and Expanding Workforce Act (Small BREW Act), which was introduced by Minnesota Congressman Erik Paulsen, is supported by the Brewers Association as it only applies to breweries that produce less than 6 million barrels per year. It would reduce the rate of taxation to:
$3.50 per barrel for the first 60,000
$16 per barrel for 60,001 to 2 million
$18 per barrel above 2 million
The Fair Brewers Excise and Economic Relief Act (Fair BEER Act) is supported by the Beer Institute and the National Beer Wholesalers Association who represent the macro-breweries, importers, and suppliers. This proposal applies equally to all brewers and importers regardless of production amounts. It would reduce the rate of taxation to:
No tax on the first 7,143 barrels
$3.50 per barrel for 7,144 to 60,000
$16 per barrel for 60,001 to 2 million
$18 per barrel above 2 million
The debate about which is better hinges on the impact these tax cuts would have on the deficit, the fact that the macro-breweries are owned by overseas corporations, and the sentiment that the macro-breweries don't need the tax cuts. My preference would be to focus on helping out the small craft brewers, but the principle remains that we shouldn't have these taxes at all so any cut to them is a good thing. I applaud Congressman Paulsen and the other cosponsors and I hope to see this at least get a hearing in the House Ways and Means Committee.
