Friday, June 17, 2005
One bourbon, one scotch, and one beer....
I’m kicking myself for discovering this almost too late, but there’s a grocery store near my place that has a great selection of craft beers. Don’t worry, I’m planning to make up for lost time.
As mentioned in an earlier post, craft beers are brewed by micro-breweries which typically specialize in a few types of beers. For those of you who didn’t know there were different types of beers, here’s something to get you educated.
My first introduction to solid beer (ie not yellow, fizzy lagers) was Kilkenny’s, an Irish ale that is mandatory in any self-respecting Irish pub, alongside Guiness. It was a revelation, a discovery that not all beer had to be gassy and empty-tasting. I was introduced to the world of creamy texture, of malty flavours, of smooth mouthfeel and satisfying bitterness. Beer would never be the same again.
Later on I discovered Brewerkz, a micro-brewery cum restaurant located at Riverside Point along Boat Quay. That really opened up my eyes (or taste buds rather) to the different types of ales. It helped a lot that they had fantastic Happy Hour prices. At $3 a pint from 12-3pm on weekdays, there’s a lot to be happy about. That was my first experience with micro-brew beers.
And California has lots of those. I went to Whole Foods Market, a supermarket chain with a branch about 15 mins drive away. They hid their beer selection right in the corner of the store, and it was just one refrigerated shelf, but that was probably the most appealing shelf of all to me. The feeling was the same as that I get in a great guitar shop, like a kid in a candy store. So many selections to choose from and only one mouth to drink them with. Dang.
My personal preference is for strong malt and hoppy tastes, which is a typical characteristic of most IPAs. Some of them may be a little on the sweet side, while others are unabashedly bitter and proud of it. Not all of you might find it appealing, but that’s the way (uh huh uh huh) I like it. These micro-breweries don’t do much slick advertising, but those who know their beers know who makes the good stuff. I’m still rather new to this, so I stood there perusing the rows of bottles, not knowing where to start since all of them had names I’d never heard of before.
Fortunately, one of the sales guys Tony, whose favourite food is Kung Pao Chicken (It was on his name tag. I almost though that was his name.), came along and offered his assistance. After describing my drinking preferences to him, he gave me a few suggestions, describing each choice in detail and sharing his tasting notes. That helped greatly, and I walked away from the supermarket carrying a 6-pack of Stone India Pale Ale and a bottle each of Anderson Valley Oatmeal Stout and Blanche de Chambly. The check-out cashier must have though I was a really smiley person, and it was the first time I actually felt excited while walking out of a supermarket.
Cheers.
*Disclaimer : The author would like to encourage you to explore the world of beers but also believes in responsible drinking, and so should you.*
As mentioned in an earlier post, craft beers are brewed by micro-breweries which typically specialize in a few types of beers. For those of you who didn’t know there were different types of beers, here’s something to get you educated.
My first introduction to solid beer (ie not yellow, fizzy lagers) was Kilkenny’s, an Irish ale that is mandatory in any self-respecting Irish pub, alongside Guiness. It was a revelation, a discovery that not all beer had to be gassy and empty-tasting. I was introduced to the world of creamy texture, of malty flavours, of smooth mouthfeel and satisfying bitterness. Beer would never be the same again.
Later on I discovered Brewerkz, a micro-brewery cum restaurant located at Riverside Point along Boat Quay. That really opened up my eyes (or taste buds rather) to the different types of ales. It helped a lot that they had fantastic Happy Hour prices. At $3 a pint from 12-3pm on weekdays, there’s a lot to be happy about. That was my first experience with micro-brew beers.
And California has lots of those. I went to Whole Foods Market, a supermarket chain with a branch about 15 mins drive away. They hid their beer selection right in the corner of the store, and it was just one refrigerated shelf, but that was probably the most appealing shelf of all to me. The feeling was the same as that I get in a great guitar shop, like a kid in a candy store. So many selections to choose from and only one mouth to drink them with. Dang.
My personal preference is for strong malt and hoppy tastes, which is a typical characteristic of most IPAs. Some of them may be a little on the sweet side, while others are unabashedly bitter and proud of it. Not all of you might find it appealing, but that’s the way (uh huh uh huh) I like it. These micro-breweries don’t do much slick advertising, but those who know their beers know who makes the good stuff. I’m still rather new to this, so I stood there perusing the rows of bottles, not knowing where to start since all of them had names I’d never heard of before.
Fortunately, one of the sales guys Tony, whose favourite food is Kung Pao Chicken (It was on his name tag. I almost though that was his name.), came along and offered his assistance. After describing my drinking preferences to him, he gave me a few suggestions, describing each choice in detail and sharing his tasting notes. That helped greatly, and I walked away from the supermarket carrying a 6-pack of Stone India Pale Ale and a bottle each of Anderson Valley Oatmeal Stout and Blanche de Chambly. The check-out cashier must have though I was a really smiley person, and it was the first time I actually felt excited while walking out of a supermarket.
Cheers.
*Disclaimer : The author would like to encourage you to explore the world of beers but also believes in responsible drinking, and so should you.*
# posted by BloozeGit @ 11:32 am 
Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home
<< Home
