Category Archives: Dear Diary

Coachella 2007

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Down in Coachella for the weekend. Stuck with seven dollar Heinekens. Bleh.

Well, I came for the music, not the beer. Thank god for a cooler full of Tecate. Getting pumped for some great bands today; Kings of Leon, New Pornographers, Ozomatli, !!!, The Good the Bad & the Queen, Chili Peppers. We’ll see what else catches my fancy.

Last night we got there just in time to miss Amy Winehouse, but caught the tail end of the Arctic Monkeys and Stephen & Damien Marley. Then we checked out the Italian DJ Benny Benassi and the Brazilian Girls before laying out on the grass and taking in some Bjork. So many bands, you really have to pace yourself.

I do have to say, I’m a little sad to miss this years Hollywood Beer Pong Tournament at El Guapo.

Who am I kidding? I don’t miss it at all. El Guap is a terrible place to play Beirut. Who wants to pay 12 bucks for a pitcher of Miller Lite? Keep Beirut where it belongs: in the backyard.

Redhook Long Hammer IPA

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Redhook Long Hammer IPAGrabbed a pint at Sonny McLean’s. They also have the ESB and the Blonde on tap, althought the last couple of times I’ve been there, they’ve been out of the Blonde and it hasn’t been replaced. Maybe they are making way for another Anderson Valley beer?

Interesting to know that Red Hook was just ranked #12 of this year’s top 50 breweries

The tap itself is shaped like (gasp) a long sledgehammer. The pint poured a light yellow with no head. Spicy aroma, I guess that’s the yeast. Very pungent smell, a lot of character to it, almost citrusy. Alright texture, hardly any bubbles. Taste is flat, but earthy, and a bit metallic. OK for an IPA, but I would rather have a pint of the Blonde, or their Copperhook.

It’s funny, I used to know a kid in elementary school whose name was CJ Longhammer. If Longhammer was my last name, I would probably have a much higher opinion of this beer. Like my aunt and uncle, Bridget & Mike Miller. They love them some Miller.

I guess by this reasoning, I should be a big fan of Sticke Alt, but unfortunately, it’s a style I have yet to try. Maybe next time I’m in Deutschlandia.

  • Appearance: 1/3
  • Aroma: 10.5/12
  • Palate: 3.5/5
  • Flavor: 12/20
  • Overall: 6.5/10

Rating: 3.45

Alabama, You Got the Weight on Your Shoulders

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SLC PunkAnyone see the movie SLC Punk, with Matthew Lillard and the amazing Christopher McDonald? It’s a very amusing day-in-the-life look at anarchic punks living in Utah in the mid-80s. The movie is narrated Ferris Bueller-style, with Stevo breaking the 4th wall whenever he pleases. One of my favorite anecdotes from the movie comes from one of his asides about the state of beer in Utah.

“Beer in supermarkets in Utah is weak, 3 points instead of the normal 6 points of alcohol. It’s the religious influence, and a pain in the ass. Now to me, it makes no sense. If you’ve got alcohol, you’ve got alcohol. So why 3 instead of 6? You know a drunk’s just going to drink twice as many beers to get drunk, so you not only have a drunk on your hands, you have a drunk who’s fat and gross. There’s nothing worse.”

In order to get decent quaff for their upcoming party, Stevo and friends go on a beer pilgrimage to Wyoming. You gotta admire that type of dedication; roadtripping across state lines to buy beer. But I guess that’s what I would do if I was living in Utah, where the liquor laws are so effed up.

Believe it or not, things are even worse in Alabama. Currently, it is illegal to buy or sell beer that is

  1. Over 6% alcohol
  2. In a container larger than 16 oz.

This is pure insanity. Luckily I live in California, far enough removed from the midwest that I don’t have to care, but if I lived in Alabama, I would be outraged. OUTRAGED.

The most maddening part? Wine and liquor face none of the same restrictions. Is this some sort of conspiracy between the Top Three breweries to keep Alabama drinking watery, fizzy yellow beer? I don’t understand, and I’m not sure I want to. But if you want answers, take a look at this history of beer in Alabama.

If this subject really fires you up, Jay at Brookston Beer Bulletin wrote an excellent article about the Free The Hops movement, and current legislation trying to fix things.

Bruno was right, Alabama is the gayest part of America!

Bruno Goes to Alabama

The Great Outdoors

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Haven’t been camping in a long while, but I am going up to Sycamore Canyon for a couple days. I can’t remember how long it’s been since I’ve gone a day without a computer. I’m ready for some biking, surfing, and of course beer drinking.

Beers that are going with me:

  • Quilmes
  • Shiner Bock
  • Rogue Dead Guy (thanks to Andrew, Trace, and Bob for the rec)
  • Firestone Double Barrel
  • Hacker-Schorr Hefeweizen
  • and I might pick up some Tecate on the way

Wooooo, spring break 2007! Haha. Be back on Thursday.

Cheers.

Fischer Amber

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Fischer AmberAlright, I’ve been filling up my notebook faster than I’ve been writing posts, so it’s time for me to 23 skidoo you some reviews. Hate to do it, but yeah, I’ve got to zippity-do-da you some reviews.

Next week I think I’m going to get into mainstream beers. I just realized, I’ve sorta been alienating a lot of potential readers with a bevy of beers they’ve never heard of. So next week I think I’ll do some of the solid, go-to beers like Newcastle, Red Stripe, perhaps even Corona? I’m talking about stuff you can buy at your local gas station. ON TO THE BEER.

Fischer Amber is solid. I’ve had it a few times, way before I even came up with the idea for this site. It comes in a Grolsch-like bottle (except brown instead of green) and I have been saving the empties up to use for bottling once I finally start brewing my own beer.

Fischer pours a cloudy brown. Medium bubbles, OK head. Good malty smell, and fragrant hops, but I can’t quite put my finger on the smell. Not the greatest body, a bit too much carbonation on the tip of my tongue and lips. It seems a bit thin or watery, but what it lacks in texture it makes up with flavor.

A tad sweet at first, the middle is almost sour, with a lightly bitter finish. At $3.99 for a 22 oz. bottle, it’s a bit expensive for what it is, but definitely worth a try.

  • Appearance: 1.5/3
  • Aroma: 9/12
  • Palate: 2/5
  • Flavor: 16/20
  • Overall: 7/10

Rating: 3.55

Czechvar aka Budweiser Budvar

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Czechvar aka Budweiser BudvarWay back in August of 2005, I went to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with a group of 12 Northwestern students. They were bringing their play out for 30 performances, one each day at 3:30. Riding on my actress girlfriend’s coattails, I lived with them in a five bedroom apartment right across the street from the west end of the Meadows. I offered up my services as a stagehand, and they provided me a place to sleep. It was a fun month.

About a week into the run, I discovered a quaint little pub around the corner from the venue called Proctor’s, a great place to drop in for a wee dram. Continue reading →

Firestone Double Barrel

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Firestone Double BarrelFirestone Double Barrel Ale is made up north in Paso Robles, California, just outside of San Luis Obispo. So for us kids at UCSB, it always had the street cred of being our local brew. Just like the kids from Chico who can never have a conversation about beer without claiming Sierra Nevada as their own, us UCSB’ers love us some Double Barrel.

It was on tap all over the place, you could get it at Woodstock’s with a Garlic Bird pizza, MMMmmmm. But in LA I am just as content to drink it out of the bottle.  Fortuately, it’s starting to show up more and more around here, in grocery stores and on tap.  I found one at Ralph’s the other day. Such a pleasant and soothing taste that always puts a smile on my face.

Small & diminishing head, clear (and quite loverly) light brown color. The hops give an earthy, flowery smell. It has a complex, full body with medium carbonation. Sharp and crisp at first, yielding to a medium bitter, short lasting finish.

  • Appearance: 2.5/3
  • Aroma: 10/12
  • Palate: 4/5
  • Flavor: 17/20
  • Overall: 8.5/10

Rating: 4.2