In what order are these bottles arranged?
From left to right, they are:
Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar
Anderson Valley Brother David Triple
Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout
Bear Republic Big Bear Black Stout
Firestone Walker Reserve Porter
Angel City Dunkel
Stone Imperial Russian Stout Spring 2007 Release
(And no, it’s not in order of how cool the labels are)
What a pleasant coincidence that on the very day I decide to launch my site, the New York Times chooses to run a story about Todd and Jason Alström, the founders of Beer Advocate. It’s a great article, and it really goes toward supporting my claim that we are living in times of a Beer Renaissance.
The Web site is just one of the gathering spots for beer lovers — not the guys sitting in front of the tube with a six-pack of mass-market brew, but a rapidly growing body of connoisseurs who are as devoted to their chosen beverage as wine lovers are to theirs.
Hear that? We are a rapidly growing body of connoisseurs. Awesome. The article goes on to identify a problem that beer culture faces – backlash from macro-brewery advertising, and the negative image that can sometimes be associated with “people who love beer”. Continue reading
Welcome to HAIR OF THE DOG DAVE, a beer blog serving the Los Angeles area. For the time being, this site is focused on the beers, bars, and liquor stores of Los Angeles, with a focus on the changing landscape of beer, and the growing availability of high quality brews.
You might not realize it, but we are living in the midst of a Beer Renaissance, where incredible beer from all over the planet is available at our fingertips. The huddled masses, who yearn to breathe free, are no longer stuck drinking swill like Bud or Coors. The advent of sites like Beer Advocate has made it possible to pull up information on virtually any beer in the world with just a few clicks of the mouse.
With all these choices, beer can become a bit daunting. Even when you’re standing in the cooler section at Ralphs, you have a good 40 different types of beer staring you down. “Pick me! Pick me!” they cry. I swear, sometimes I feel like Angelina walking through an orphanage. I wish I could choose them all, and give all of them a good home, but c’mon David, let’s stay on track here. You came to the store to grab a 12-pack, and that’s it. Stay focused.
It’s times like these where it just seems easiest to grab a box of Pacifico and be done with it. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But sometimes you need to push your boundaries a little bit, and try something new. And that’s where rating comes in.
If you want to expand your horizons, you’re going to have to try a lot of new beer. And how are you going to remember all those sweet pours, malty aromas, crisp sips and bitter finishes without breaking out the ol’ pen and paper? It’s worth the time it takes to sit down and identify all the unique characteristics, and figure out what it is about beer that you really enjoy.
It would be a shame for all the notes in my Moleskine to go unread, so I have decided to publish them here for all to see.
Beer is my passion. I don’t yet consider myself to be a true connoisseur, but hell, I’m 23 years old, I’ve got many beers ahead of me. I expect my tastes and preferences to change over time, and hopefully that evolution can be chronicled through my posts.
Welcome to my site.
Cheers,
Dave
This site looks way better with Firefox. Seriously. Download it now, you can thank me later.
