Tax the rich, not my beer.

There's one thing that does not help small businesses, and that's more taxes. With the economy taking a dive, the state of Oregon is trying to make up for some of their past mistakes by taxing brewers on their beer. I vote for keeping the taxes where they are, and cutting the salaries of politicians. Who's with me?

I think we can all get behind a cut in pay for lawmakers in every state, as well as the federal government. They certainly haven't earned their pay thus far.

My friend Eric forwarded me this report from CNN. Check it out and let me know your thoughts. Cheers.

Weekend Brews - Week 59 - Bell's Two Hearted Ale

Another Friday is upon us, and even though it's pouring here in the Bay Area, there's still plenty of beer to be celebrated! This week I'd like to spotlight a special treat my friend Adrian brought me from the east coast. Well, the beer isn't from the east coast, it's from Michigan. That beer is the Two Hearted Ale from Bell's Brewery. Huzzah!

It's an American India Pale Ale and I'm damn glad to have it in front of me right now.

The beer pours a luscious orange into the glass and features a head thicker than that of our fair governor here in California. A dip of the nose into the glass and aromas of orange, cream and sugar. Holy crap! This beer smells like a Creamsicle! Must drink now!

Oh yeah! The Two Hearted Ale is bursting with flavors of citrus, caramel and a hint of pine. This Bell's beer is super smooth with a perfect little bite in the end. I could definitely drink a bunch of these ... and so should you!

It's Friday man, go out and get your drink on. If you have beers from Bell's Brewery in your neighborhood, go grab some! Go!

Prost!


Overall Score of the Bell's Brewery Two Hearted Ale: 4.75 out 5.0

Weekend Brews - Week 58 - SF Beer Week at 21st Amendment Brewery

It's Friday and it's SF Beer Week! Holy crap! How can my weekend get any better than that?

To kick off my SF Beer Week, I met up with my friends over at the 21st Amendment Brewery ... just a few feet from where I spend most of my week working. The 21st Amendment Brewery is celebrating strong beer month as they brew and put on tap various high-alcohol brews. Wow. So who wants to try some of those?!! I do!

I met up with my friends Dave, Erin and Adrian (a special visitor all the way from the FLA) and dove right in.

First up was the Double Tripel. It's the 21A's double IPA brewed with a Belgian yeast strain. Hooray! It came to the table in a beautiful glass and featured a fruity aroma with some spicy undertones. Upon first sip, you could taste the strong alcohol, but it was smooth and well-balanced by a hefty malt sweetness and hoppy bitterness. A fantastic offering for sure.


Beer number two was the Lost Sailor Imperial Pilsner. An imperial pilsner? What?!! That's right, a pilsner chock full of malt to add a strong kick in the ass! The color was a light copper and the nose was filled with crisp hop character and a a healthy dose of fruity esthers . The beer was clean and finished dry, and somewhere in there I actually tasted a touch of dark cherry. Weird! This beer gets points for creativity alone. This is the first imperial pilsner I have ever tasted. Well done sirs!

My last beer of the evening ... well, at least at the 21A, was the the Ripple Imperial Chocolate Porter. Oh ... my ... gad! This beer came in another fantastic glass and filled the table with aromas of deep, rich, dark chocolate. Wow. Holy crap this beer smells good! A giant gulp and ...
this beer rules! Rich chocolate flavor, malt sweetness and a nice touch of bitterness to round it out. It leaves a little aftertaste like a well-brewed espresso. Fan-fucking-tastic!

Look, the fact is, SF Beer Week is filled with amazing events for everyone. There are tastings, dinners, festivals, etc. However, if you want a treat to remember, get yourself to the 21st Amendment Brewery on 2nd street in San Francisco, and get a hold of their strong beers during the month of February.

I promise, you will not be disappointed.

Hurrah!

Prost!