[Via Hot Knives]
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Beer Beer Beer
So yesterday, I was thinking about how much I love Eggs Benedict, and wondering why I have never tried to enjoy it in the comfort of my own home. Then it hit me: I have no idea how to poach an egg. I consulted Google and the first thing that caught my eye was the eggs-cellent How to Poach an Egg guide by Rob Manuel. (Side note: I am indebted to Rob for his research and eggs-periments. I too value results over choices. 2 minute boil in saran wrap takes the prize. Thanks Rob!)
After screwing around on his site for a good 30 minutes, I found this little gem he made last year. It’s a great song and an even more impressive stop-motion video starring a whole family of anthropomorphised pint glasses. You’ll be singing along by the end of the video!
Also, head over to William Brand’s Beer Newsletter for a great video of a bar in Belgium made entirely out of beer crates.
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The Session: Introducing the Thirsty Hopster
When I first met Jessica, I had no idea that I had just met every beer geek’s dream girl. Smart, beautiful, and a virtual walking beer encyclopedia.
It was July 17th, 2007, and I was on the tail end of my Great Northwest Beer Adventure. After a month of busing, thumbing, and train-ing all the way up to Vancouver, I was on the last leg of my trip, staying in San Francisco’s Presidio with my buddy Spencer.
That afternoon, we had visited Magnolia where we thoroughly enjoyed the Blue Boy Bitter, the Lazy Boy IPA, the Prescription Pale, and their cask wheat beer (well, maybe we didn’t enjoy the cask wheat beer that much). It was still pretty early in the afternoon, and we had several more bars to hit, so we hopped on the bus and made our way down to the Toronado, a world renowned beer bar I had not yet visited.
It goes without saying that Toronado was everything I expected and more. The lovely Jennifer (aka Princess) recommended the Brother David’s Double, followed by some Old Foghorn on draft. As you can imagine, by this point we were on our way to getting absolutely snockered.
(By the way, thanks to Stonch for hosting this month’s Session!).
It was time to journey on, so we left Toronado to find our next bar. We made it all of about 10 feet before we decided we needed to take a hot dog break at the sausage shop next door, and it was there while waiting for my weiner I met Jessica.
“Did you guys just come from Toronado? I love that place. Proximity to Toronado was an important factor when I was looking for an apartment.”
Love at first sight?
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Name That Beer Store: Round One
[New and Improved Blog Feature: The First Edition of NAME THAT BEER STORE.]
City: Los Angeles, CA
Neighborhood: ??
Photos taken: 3/27/2008
This store just got a bunch of new stuff in. Do you recognize the shelves? There’s a ton of hints I could give, but I think this one is pretty easy.
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Steel Reserve 211: The Pinnacle of Human Achievement in Beer
Cracked the cap on the 750ml can and poured into my favorite frosted mug, it was a hot afternoon so I was glad I remembered to throw it in the freezer the night before. The beer poured out of the can a hazy straw color with minimal head and low carbonation. Before I lifted the glass to my lips to take that first blissful sip, the ding of the microwave reminded me my Jimmy Dean Chocolate Chip Pancakes & Sausage on a Stick was ready for consumption (well, maybe not quite ready. I always throw away the box before reading the “Let stand for 2 minutes before consuming. Product will be hot.”) 
I set the glass down and walk back into the kitchen to retrieve my stick lunch. Failing to allow this culinary masterpiece a chance to cool down, my tongue is subjected to 2nd degree burns. As the skin cells burn off and slide down my throat, all I can think is, “Oh, this is what Wildbell’s post-Beer Ride cries of, ‘Painfully delicious!’ were all about.”
I return to my beverage to dowse the flames, and at a serving temperature of 33 degrees, Steel Reserve doesn’t disappoint. I am immediately greeted by malty cereal notes, with hints of battery acid and cat urine. Most traces of carbonation are gone, imparting a cask-like quality to the beer. The battery acid and cat urine undertones open up to a sharply metallic finish, presumably the Steel taste that gives this beer it’s name.
At $1.19 per can, Steel Reserve 211 is an uncommonly great deal. Intrigued by it’s mystique, I researched it’s MySpace page to find out more info. It was there I learned a lot about what Steel Reserve 211 is all about:
Making people have a good, making people have long lasting friendships, and short relationships. 211 is proud to make people lean to the left and has been lowering standards for many years now.
Steel Reserve is slow brewed in limited batches, using only the finest maleted barley & selected hops. We believe this to be among the very best beers in the world. Slow brewed in Fort Worth, TX for exceptionally smooth flavor.
An exceptional beer from an acceptable brewery. Available on college campuses nationwide and wherever Fine Beers are sold.
- Appearance: 2/3
- Aroma: 9/12
- Palate: 4/5
- Flavor: 18/20
- Overall: 8/10
Rating: 4.1
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Now On Tap: Stone Imperial Russian Stout 2008
It’s that time of the year again. Last week Stone released one of their most beloved seasonal beers, 2008’s Russian Imperial Stout. Buy a couple bottles if you’re lucky enough to find it, this is one of those beers that vanishes off the shelves pretty quickly. Part of the reason for this is because it is great for cellaring, so people tend to buy these beers as an investment in their collection, to be enjoyed years from now.
If you haven’t started a beer cellar yet, this is an excellent choice to get the ball rolling. But if you prefer instant gratification from your beer, there are 4 places here in LA that have this fabulous beer on tap: Library Alehouse, The Daily Pint, Lucky Devil’s, and BottleRock.
This is a beer that makes you glad to live in Southern California, since we get first dibs on it. It has a huge following all over the country, and is probably more appreciated in the Northwest than it is here. If you happen to be walking down the street in Portland, it’s not unlikely to see some guy watering his lawn while sporting his prized Stone Imperial Russian Stout T-shirt.
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Avery Salvation
With their 9% Belgian-style strong ale, Avery once again proves they can do no wrong.
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