Category: East Coast Beer

Christmas Eve at a NYC Hotel Room - Evil Twin Brewery (imperial stout)

12/29/2014

Kudos to Evil Twin Brewing for coming up with what could be the longest beer name in the biz. Yes, “Christmas Eve at a New York City Hotel Room” is the full name of the beer. I tried researching the name origination but with no such luck. All I know is that this is a “holiday” ale that I actually like. No offense to the “Christmas” ales out there, but I’m not really one for throwing spices (or pumpkins for that matter) into my beer. Call me a beer purist, but I only like extra ingredients such as coffee beans, cacao nibs, and marshmallows, added to my favorite beer batches. You know, the simple stuff.

Based out of Brooklyn, NY and founded by Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø in 2010, Evil Twin is one of the more famous gypsy brewers on the market. Gypsy meaning that they don’t actually have their own brewery, rather they contract with other breweries to produce their beers. The most famous originator of gypsy brewing is probably Mikkeller, a brewery based out of Copenhagen, Denmark and also the brain child of Jeppe’s twin brother Mikkel Borg Bjergsø. Mikkeller started commercially brewing back in 2006, followed by Evil Twin a few years later. Jeppe and Mikkel are sort of known in the industry as having a feuding/competitive relationship, hence the name Evil Twin. Both brothers save on overhead by not having a brewery of their own. Plus, their beers are more accessible because they are brewed around the world. I find Evil Twin’s labels to be a bit cheesy, yet kind of amazing, especially because they back up the cheesiness with really great beer. It’s like if Urban Outfitters and CB2 birthed a beer, they’d have Evil Twin Brewing. Particularly with beers on their roster such as Hipster Ale, Wet Dream, and of course, Ryan and the Gosling. The overall branding of the brewery is distinct, which is all you can ask for in this saturated market.

Although not a traditional “holiday” ale, Christmas Eve at a NYC Hotel Room is a great beer for the holidays. A wonderfully thick imperial stout full of chocolate and coffee notes, this 10% ABV beer perfectly encompasses the holiday season. After a full day of shopping, sometimes you just need a beer that you can pour and let sit for a bit while you queue up Elf and slowly sip throughout the movie.

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An Oldie but a Goodie - Dogfish Head’s 90 Minute IPA (imperial IPA)

12/8/2014

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Some days, particularly when it’s cold and rainy, I just want to keep it simple and go with what I know. When the weather outside is frightful, I tend to reach for my favorite Lagunitas hoodie, my Sonoma State sweatpants, and a beer that I already know I like such as Dogfish Head’s 90 Minute IPA. That, coupled with some NCAA hoops on the tube, made for a delightful evening the other night after a long day at the office.

I quickly became a fan of Delaware’s first brewery after reading Sam Calagione’s, Dogfish Head founder, book “Brewing Up A Business.” This is a great read for anyone looking to start up a brewery or any small business for that matter. Dogfish Head became one of the nation’s 20 largest breweries based on the mantra that they make “off-centered beer for off-centered people.” Prior to reading the book, I had only tried a handful of their beers and had avoided the 90 Minute IPA. Why? Well, Dogfish Head is expensive. Many of their signature beers are sold in four packs and go for about $12 a pop. Considering you can get a lot of great six-packs, especially IPAs, for less than $10, I have stayed away merely because of price. But, after reading the book, I quickly became obsessed with Sam and the Dogfish Head story. I have since tried a number of their beers and have been wowed by most, particularly the 90 Minute IPA and the Midas Touch.

The 90 Minute IPA has been deemed by Esquire as the best IPA in the country. Well, it’s hard to say what’s the “best,” but it would certainly make my top five IPA list. Living in California, I am used to the extra hoppy west coast IPA, but the 90 Minute IPA is much more malty than hoppy. I’d recommend this beer to anyone who likes a strong beer (9% ABV), but thinks IPAs are too bitter. Yes, there are plenty of hops as noted by the 90 Minute IPA moniker referring to the 90-minute constant hop addition. But, this beer is more malty and sweet than what a Californian IPA drinker might expect. If it’s a representation of its coast, I’m certainly down to check out other east coast IPAs.

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The Good Clown - Clown Shoes, Galactica (IPA)

8/23/2014

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A little over two years ago, I took a work trip to Philly where my company is based. I had just started with the firm, and they had flown me across country to meet my boss as well as some other ice breaker shenanigans. I landed on a Thursday, which was coincidentally the first official start day of the 2012 NFL season. I ventured out into the streets of Philadelphia to find a good beer bar, watch “the game,” and fill up on some grub. I know what you’re thinking but no, I did not see Bruce Springsteen or Tom Hanks for that matter. Instead, I came across Perch Pub where I was first introduced to Clown Shoes Beer, a brewery based out of Ipswich, Massachusetts.

At this time in my life, I was obsessed with brown ales. I mean, I’ve always had a thing for liquid sweetness (hello, Rogue’s Hazelnut Brown!), but that was kind of all I drank back then. I asked the bartender for a recommendation and he pointed me to the Clown Shoes’ Pimp. First, Clown Shoes? Second, Pimp? YES! One maybe two sips in, and I was hooked. The thought of pimps and brown ale just really made sense to me and all of my taste buds.

When I returned to the Bay, I was on the hunt for Clown Shoes only to learn that there was no distribution to the state. Boy, was I disappointed. All I could talk about was Clown Shoes this and Clown Shoes that. Did you I tell you about that Pimp ale? My friends understood that I was #obsessed. Well, lucky for me, Clown Shoes started distributing out in my hood about a year later. Unfortunately, Pimp had been put behind bars forever, or retired as the website states, and I was never able to try it again. But regardless, Clown Shoes had a friend in me. BevMo carried it for a hot second (and maybe they still do) but only in very limited styles. Some of the label designs and names of the beer are a little too risqué for corporate entities. Funny, I don't recall ever seeing Clown Shoes' labels like Tramp Stamp, Vampire Slayer (now Undead Party Crasher), and Pimp in a BevMo.

Fast forward to August 2014 when I walked into The Good Hop, Oakland’s newest bottle shop, for the first time and spotted not one but FIVE different types of Clown Shoes. Ding, ding, ding - We have a winner!!! I picked up the Galactica to drink onsite and the Undead Party Crasher to drink at home.

Galactica tastes like your standard east coast IPA – great day-time, warm weather kind of beer but don’t expect a lot of hops.

Side note: Be on the lookout for Clown Shoes’ Pecan Porter. If you want to celebrate the fall and you’re not into pumpkin ales, this is EXACTLY the beer for you. I discovered it last November on tap at Beer Rev. It tastes just as it sounds.

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Christmas Eve at a NYC Hotel Room - Evil Twin Brewery (imperial stout)

An Oldie but a Goodie - Dogfish Head’s 90 Minute IPA (imperial IPA)

The Good Clown - Clown Shoes, Galactica (IPA)

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