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I’m on a journey to drink them all. And on this journey, I’ve drank a lot of them. Heady. Pliny. (The Elder, not the Younger. Yet.) Double Sunshine. Hill Farmstead Abner. Zombie Dust. 90 Minute. 60 Minute. Smutty. Lunch. On this path to IPA enlightenment, I’ve tasted greatness. So strap in tight and hold on …
Continue reading “Watch out, Heady Topper, Maine Beer Company Shows Us It’s Time For Dinner”
No world class beer comes without a storied journey. Whether it’s a Pliny the Elder being smuggled to the east coast in a suitcase, a trip to the heart of Vermont’s North East Kingdom for a taste of Hill Farmstead Abner, or a well-packaged six-pack of Zombie Dust arriving in the mail, getting your mitts …
Continue reading “Lawson’s Double Sunshine IPA Completes the Holy Trinity of Vermont Beers”
I spot it in the cooler next to the other Lagunitas beers. I’ve heard of this seasonal brew from the California beer company, but I’ve never tossed one down my grocery hole. I place a six pack on the counter, pay, and race home to try the legendary Lagunitas Sucks. I pry open the lid, …
Tim told me it was happening. I was hesitant to believe him. How could it be possible? How could another 18 beer companies be opening up in Maine in 2014? You all know I’m a believer in these lush times of beer opulence, but 18? 18! Tim said, “I had one. It’s great.” “Great? Like …
Continue reading “Drink Bissell Brothers The Substance (Now!)”
Can we make a pact right now? If any one of us in the US of A catches another beer drinker complaining that he can’t find a good IPA in his local beer store that we slap some sense into said beer drinker. Literally. If said beer drinker persists, can we please stare at him …
Continue reading “Wolf Among Weeds IPA Keeps the Great Hopocolypse Rolling”
‘Tis the season for family feasts, yuletide gatherings, and Christmas mayhem. What better way to celebrate the season than by imbibing in locally brewed beers from around New England? Instead of showing up with a bottle of Cabernet to this year’s Festivus party, grab a 22 oz. bomber or a growler of the brilliant beers …
Continue reading “Seven Local Beers for the Christmas Season”
We live in a world with a glut of hoppy beers. Let’s get something straight: I’m not complaining. When I die, I’d like to be entombed in citra hops. In this heavily-hopped world we live in, however, we’ve begun to hit a wall. Though we have access to a myriad of piney and uber-citrusy West …
Continue reading “Rising Tide’s Zephyr Pushes our IPA Boundaries”
Then an old man, a keeper of a bar, said, Speak to us of Beer. And he said: Would that you could live simply on the fruits of the earth and be sustained by wine. But since you were born to drink delicious craft beer made locally by brewmasters who harness the powers of grains …
Continue reading “Lost Beer Passage from Kahlil Gibran’s ‘The Prophet’”
For a long time, I’ve wanted to write about Rising Tide Brewing Company’s Zephyr. It’s an autonomous IPA, a true original in our beer-scape of citrusy West Coast knockoffs. It tastes more of pears than grapefruit or pine. It hits the pallet with something unique. But I have something more pressing on my mind. Something …
Continue reading “Rising Tide Brewing Company Teaches Us How to Truly Drink Responsibly”
You find yourself in Burlington, Vermont, and you don’t know why. You’re not frightened. You’re where you’re supposed to be. It’s night. You walk down Church Street and get a Bombay Grab IPA at Vermont Pub and Brewery. This is delicious, you think. After tipping the angelic woman behind the bar, you walk up St. …
Continue reading “Hill Farmstead Brewery is a Microbrew Dream”
DAVE PATTERSON 