Oktoberfest 2009 was a good year, 2010 will be better

I love to buy beer almost as much as I enjoy drinking it. The thing I hate about beer is that once it's gone, it's gone. To help ease the withdrawals of missing my favorite beer, I try to buy additional bottles (or cases) before they go into hibernation. Nothing hits that spot like a nice Oktoberfest Marzen in June.

Oktoberfest style beers are my favorite. They represent everything I love about beer. It's so special, they only serve it during the greatest festival in the entire world, Oktoberfest. Every fall, American breweries help celebrate the great festival by rolling out their version of an Oktoberfest Marzen. Most are enjoyable, but one stands above the rest, Flying Dog Dogtoberfest.

I've said it time and time again, I love these guys. They brew with a certain machismo, a kind of "Bad Ass" mentality. I think that's why I relate to them so well. The masses might be scared away by the art work on their labels, or the names of their brews. That's why there are other beers out there. Beer for people like that. Flying Dog is for the rest of us. For people like me, who like to drink good beer, be different, and do their own thing. They make "good beer, no shit".

This evening, I felt the overpowering need to open one of my few, precious, remaining bottles of Dogtoberfest from 2009. These are the infamous "Total Wine Incident" bottles. At one point, I think I had roughly 32 bottle on hand. Most of them were enjoyed during the Oktoberfest season. I did manage to hide a few in the back of the fridge in the kitchen and four others in my beer fridge.

I spent this weekend dreaming and planning my trip to Europe. One of the countries I will be visiting will be Germany. As luck would have it, I will be there during the 2010 Oktoberfest. However, I will not be in Munich, my favorite place in all the world. No, instead I will be to the north, in Berlin. It's not quite Bavaria, but I'm sure I will be able to partake in quite a few liters of Marzen.

AS I read about the the history and interesting places to visit while I'm there, I couldn't help but think about the beer of Germany. And that I was going to be there during Oktoberfest, but not able to attend. Then I remembered those 2 bottles of Flying Dog I had stashed in the fridge. I couldn't help it. I had to have one.

It's Wednesday, and I have been thinking about my trip and that beer since Saturday. As I sit here, and write out this post, I am finishing off my final, and last Flying Dog Dogtoberfest. It's a little bitter sweet. I'm enjoying it more than I did on Saturday, and possibly a little more than I did last October. But I know it will soon be over. Once I finish it, that's it. There is no more. All the bottles I had, visible and hidden are gone. And it isn't even July yet.

In a few months, September will be in sight. The cactus will start to turn brown, and I'll be getting my suitcase out of the closet. All the while, Flying Dog Brewery will be making beer. A few of those barrels will be filled with Oktoberfest, which will eventually be transferred to kegs and bottles and be on their way to Arizona. Once they get here, I will take a little time off from packing and brushing up on my German so I can make a trip to the BevMo and Total Wine.

There are a few beers out there that really move me. Flying Dog Dogtoberfest is one such beer. As I finish my last sip, I can't help but feel a little sad. But I know that we will be together again soon.

I'm going to miss you old friend. But I can't wait to meet your younger sister.

-Cheers

BevMo 5 Cent Beer Sale

Doesn't that sound nice, 5 Cents. I think it does. There isn't many things one can buy for only 5 cents. How about for a bottle of alcohol? To the many wine lovers around the world, getting a bottle for just 5 pennies is in fact, a real deal. At BevMo, when you buy one bottle of wine, you get the second one for just 5 cents. If I enjoyed wine, I would take full advantage of this deal. But I don't. I like beer.

So, what about beer? I would love to purchase a second bottle of beer for 5 cents. But I can't. I want that same deal. I deserve that same deal. Why can't I buy a bottle of beer, at regular price, and get the second one for 5 cents? I want the same deal the wine people get. I don't think this is fair. In fact, I think this is discrimination.

Aren't beer drinkers considered a minority in the country? We are usually treated like it. I never see a Beer Cellar in an upscale apartment in New York City. The Wall Street guys aren't taking a vacation to Munich for Oktoberfest, or Denver. Instead they head to France, or the Napa Valley to sip and spit out their wine. That's doesn't sound like a good time to me. Belgium is right next to France people. And there, you don't have to spit out the beer.

I'm getting off topic here. I'm starting to rant and rave a little.

Lets crunch some numbers. At BevMO, a bottle of '08 McManis Chardonnay California sells for $11.99. One more bottle of this will cost you only $.05. So that makes 2 bottles for $12.04. Not bad, if you like wine.

Now lets compare the wine above with a beer we all love, Stone Double Bastard. BevMo sells a 22 oz bottle of this award winning ale for $6.99. The second bottle is going to cost you, $6.99. That makes the grand total $13.98 for two bottles of Double Bastard. Still worth it to me, but not a good deal compared to the wine.

Lets look at this another way. What if that second bottle of Stone was priced accordingly, at just $.05. That would take the price for two bottles of Stone from $13.98 to only $7.04. Now this is a SWEET DEAL! Even the wine snobs would have to agree.

However, that isn't the deal. It's not a deal at all because I can't buy the second bottle for 5 cents. I have to pay full price. I have to pay $6.99. That's $6.94 cents more for a bottle of beer than the bottle of wine. What does that say?

It says that beer is better than wine if you ask me. It also means that people are paying too much money for it. Damn, I'm happy I don't drink the stuff. But if I did, I would buy in bulk.

So what's a man to do? This man is going to "man up" and pay $6.99 every time.

-Cheers.

I'm Back!

What's up? It's been a while, hasn't it. I had some stuff to do. I'm a very busy and important man. But I'm back despite all that other stuff. I'm sure you missed me, and I have missed you too.

So lets get you all caught up.

Previously, on Lost....I mean Good Burp. "Brandon gives up beer in an attempt to loose weight after he made a stupid bet with his friend Schlampe." (It sounds a lot more cool if you imagine it in that deep, ominous voice like the Lost dude. Or if it was Waylen Jennings telling you as I attempted to jump a creek in the General Lee).

Back to the story.

I gave up beer, for a short time. I went days without a beer and even started working out. That didn't last long. After some encouraging words of advice from my beer buddies, Michael and the Beer Buddah, I started up again.

At first it was just one. Guinness was my gateway beer. Hell, it's nearly diet beer. And that bit about the monks drinkings beer, and liquid bread, why wouldn't I keep drinking it? It's almost as if God himself wanted me to keep drinking beer.

Eventually, I graduated to the better and stronger beers. Before I knew it I was right back at it. But what about that $100? Through the grapevine (Mrs. Schlampe), I found out that Mr. Schlampe wasn't doing so well. In fact, he had gained a pound. At that time, I was down nearly 7 pounds, and doing awesome. But that bit of news did me in. I started to slack off. First the beer came knocking. Then i divorced the exercise bike. The poor thing just sat there, collecting dust. Before I knew it, I was back in line at BevMo every Friday night. Thank God they extended their hours. Coincidence, I think not!

(Swirling music, and a "Flash Forward"...Just like on Lost)

What if I kept hitting the gym, and kept buying and trying and enjoying the beers? What would happen? The Hulk is what happens! OK, not quite, more like Iron Man, with hopes of becoming Wolverine in the not so distant future.

For the past 2 months, I have been hitting the gym 2 or 3 times a week. I try to watch what I eat, but drink just about whatever I want. And it's working. I have managed to maintain my weight, but add nearly 2" in each arm and my chest. In addition, I've lost an inch in my waist. Who wouldn't be excited about that? I might not win that $100, but at least I'm not going to have to pay it out!

To celebrate this glorious day, I'm busting out a very special beer which I've been saving in my very crowded beer fridge. It's a Dogfish Head - Midas Touch. Yes I know, it's so good! Sam is amazing. I'm enjoying it very much. More than that cheap ass Dahrma Beer that Sawyer drinks in his little cabin on his weird, time traveling island. I don't care how thirsty I was, or what you offered me. I would refuse to give up beer here in the world we live, to go to freakin island. What the hell were Jack, Kate, Hurley, and Sayid thinking? They knew there wasn't good beer there, yet they all went back. Idiots!

Back in the real world, I'm moving forward with my plans. It seems that building websites and designing logos takes up much more time than writing blog posts. Luckily, I am really good at one of those tasks, so it's done. The other (websites) has taken much longer than I expected. I have logos, but why is it so difficult to create a website? Actually, it's not that hard. Acquiring the program to create such websites has been a struggle, and the time to sit and design exactly what I want has been very, very time consuming. But I'm working on it.

Everything else is still in the works. The brewery is in it's infancy. I have the domain, and most of the logo. The website still needs work, but I have a plan. I'm working on raising the capital to get it going. That street looks good. I'll know more in the coming months. So stay tuned for that.

I think we are all caught up. But there is a new episode tomorrow. Who knows what is going to happen? A beer review? Some pictures from Beerfest? More about my addition to Netflix? Who knows. But I'll tell you this, It sure feels good to be back!

-Cheers!

My empty promises

I feel that I cant keep up with myself. There is so much I want to do, and so much I want to say, but I can't seem to find the time to do it. Is this an excuse? Probably.

When I sit down to write out my next new amazing blog post, I want it to be right. That's the way I am with most things in my life. I don't half ass anything. Because I do that, it prevents me from doing a lot of things that I want to do. Example, writing a blog post every other day.

I have plenty to write about. My life has been quite hectic as of late, which has really lit a fire under my ass to change things. Therefore my usual time of writing a blog post has been used instead on research, and reading, and education, and figuring out how I'm going to do everything I am setting out to do.

I have a list of 40 beer to write about. I have 3 pages of notes about last weeks Great Arizona Beerfest to share. I have some rough templates of websites I would love to get feedback on before I go live. I even found a welder who has agreed to build my Brutus 10 brewing system for me. I just don't want to write about any of these things until I have completed at least one of them to my satisfaction.

But I'll throw these gems out there. I registered my brewery name last week. That's good news huh. I finished off the Firestone keg in my kegerator, so I need to replace it. BevMo extended their hours so I can pick up my beer even later now. I'm going to play in the Dogfish Head Bocce Ball tournament next month, as long as I can find another couple to play.

Things are changing. Things are definitely changing for the better. Sometimes life gets in the way of fun. But I'm working on that issue as well.

-Cheers.

I'll be your Tourguide

Disclaimer: Some of the information in this post may have been stated in earlier posts. Read it anyway and enjoy the ride.

In August of 2008, I started this blog "Good Burp" as a way to speak my mind. A God given gift that I have honed and crafted over the years. Sometime I use my gift for good, and other times, well, you know.

Over time, I began to write less about everything else, while writing more and more about my love of beer. I slowly realized that I really enjoyed writing, and that beer was a subject that I could drink and enjoy and express to everyone around the world.

Before I knew it, people from all over the country were reading my thoughts about beer. Then more people stopped by for a read, and eventually most of the world was reading what I had to say. The amazing thing is that they kept coming back, and wanting more.

Before I knew it, I was attending beerfests, going to breweries, and making what seems like daily visits to BevMo, Total Wine, and just about any other place I could find the next new beer. It became a passion. And it was all in the interest of writing my opinions about my new discoveries.

Things were moving along at a steady pace. I became friends with other beer bloggers and carved out my little piece in the beer world. We all wrote and shared ideas and opinions. It's been great fun. Eventually, my readership was growing at a pace I never thought it would. Each month, more stopped by than the month before.

Then it happened. I showed up on the radar. Before I knew it, I began to be contacted. As hard as I tried to stay anonymous, people were still able to track me down. Albeit, a difficult task, but nonetheless, they did it. Still today, I am dumbfounded by the results from such contacts.

The next I know, fellow bloggers, breweries, brew masters, distributors, brewery owners, and even CEO's were sending me messages and other "goodies". This was shocking to say the least. I honestly didn't know how to react to it.

After some soul searching, and a lot of deliberating with the special few who knew who I was, I decided it was time to go mainstream. It was time to go PUBLIC!

So without further adieu, here we go.

My name is Brandon. I live in Phoenix Arizona, and I like beer.

All together now, "Hello Brandon"

My love affair with beer started in 2007 after spending time in Europe. I fell in love with the English Ales being served in the Pubs of London. It was such a drastically different style of beer. Nothing like the typical American style lagers I was used to. It was better! I wrote about it in my second post. Go ahead and read it. It's a good post.

When I arrived home, I had a new found love of beer. But not just any beer, good beer. I wanted to try as many beers as I could. And you know what, I have tried many great beers. Even today, I am drinking a new, great beer from Bootlegger's Brewery in Fullerton California.

So what does all this mean for Good Burp? I don't know exactly, but I do hope it is positive. I will continue to attend beerfests and report my findings. And I will still attempt to try as many new and different beers as possible and write about my adventures with beer.

But in my attempt to take Good Burp to the next level, I plan on posting interviews with some of todays newest and brightest breweries, playing in Sam Calagione's Bocce Ball tournement, and hitting as many breweries as I can. In addition, I'm planning a 5 city, 3 country tour of northern Europe (yes Belgium is on that list) this fall. And before I go, I will have a list of breweries, beer, and pubs to try along the way. What I am willing to do for all of you, my fans.

In the meantime, I want to thank all of you who have stopped by, read my posts, commented, and become friends. Without all of you, Good Burp would have amounted to one of the millions of failed blogs sitting out there in cyberspace.

-Cheers.

Total Wine doesn't care.

After my encounter at Total Wine last week, absolutely nothing happened. Nothing at all.

Honestly, I'm a little surprised. Total Wine has come by Good Burp and read some of the posts before. They have even left a comment from time to time. And recently, they started following me on Twitter. So after the issue I had with them last week, I thought they might post a comment attempting to explain their side of the story. But it didn't happen.

Honestly, I didn't write the post to get their attention. I wrote the post because I write about my adventures with beer. I'm sure fellow beer fans in my area frequent Total Wine. So I wanted to share my experience.

I'm left with the opinion that Total Wine doesn't care. They don't care how their employees treat the customers. They don't care what their customers think. In fact, it seems like Total Wine just doesn't care about their customers at all.

Then there is BevMo. BevMo goes out of their way to show their customers that they are important. In fact, they go above and beyond. Can anyone out there tell me that a CEO of a major company contacted them over an issue in a store? Anyone? Anyone?

I can. Alan Johnson, CEO of BevMo contacted me. But he wasn't the only one. The store manager and the District manager both called to apologize and attempt to make things right. Believe me when I tell you, they did.

There really is a difference between BevMo and Total Wine.

-Cheers!

Unlike the people at BevMo.

A new keg for Christmas

I ordered my keg from BevMo today. It was a long and strenuous process. But I feel I mad the right decision. The masses will thank me next weekend for having such a beer available. So what is this new tap going to be pouring?

Firestone Walker - DBA. The Double Barrel Ale is exactly what I was looking for. An English style ale is what my kegerator has been missing. Next to a Marzen, a good English Ale is nest on the list.

It should be ready to pick up and tap come Thursday. Lets all cross our fingers it works out according to plan.

-Cheers!

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

The other night I picked up Sierra Nevada's new Celebration Ale for 2009 from the BevMo. I look forward to it every year. And this year, they didn't disappoint.

Each year the good people at Sierra Nevada brew up a new batch of their Celebration Ale for all of us to enjoy. Some years are better than others. I recall last year being a bit heavy on the hops side of the spectrum. For 2009 however, it is a much better balanced ale. It might even lean a little to the malt side, which I have made my camp. No wonder I'm a fan.

It rings in at a jolly 6.8% abv, but I didn't notice to tell you the truth. It had a slight bitter finish, but I would say it was from the hops and not the alcohol. It was a little on the thin side for a winter beer, but I'm not holding it against them.

I like the smell. It has a bit of a fruity and hops aroma, with a hint of Christmas Tree. Honestly, I wish the pine smell was a little more dominant. Then it would qualify as the perfect Holiday beer. However, it does a good job of getting you into that "Christmas Spirit!"

Grade: 3 1/2 Burps.

Black Friday at BevMo

This is going to be a short post. I have to go to bed early because tomorrow is Black Friday. I have to get up really early so I make it to the BevMo first thing in the morning. I'm so excited. I wonder what kind of deals I'm going to find.

I have been looking through the catalog all day. I have an item picked out for each and everyone on my list. I hope there are some great "door buster" deals. I plan on picking up a few special things for myself as well. Not to mention a new keg for the kegerator.

Time to go. I have to make sure I'm first in line.

-Cheers!

BevMo vs. Total Wine

On Sunday night, I stopped by Total Wine on my way home. I'm in need of a new keg, and I wanted to see what they had before I stopped at the BevMo. I planned to be in and out in a few minutes. I would have been because there wasn't much to choose from. However, on my way to the checkout line, I happened upon a treasure box. A treasure box filled with Oktoberfest.

There were 6 packs of Left Hand Oktoberfest, Shipyard Pumkin Ale, Weihenstephaner Festbier, Gordon Biersch FestBier, Paulaner Oktoberfest, and a few others.

I instantly grabbed a 6 pack of Flying Dog's Dogtoberfest for $7.99 and put it in a cart. Then I noticed another 6 pack of Dogtoberfest with a pink tag which read, $1.00 off. So I grabbed that one too. At the next register, there were a bunch of single bottles available. I picked a few other beers, then noticed that there were 3 single bottles of Dogtoberfest, priced at $1.09 each.

Lets do some math here. 6 bottles at $1.09 is $6.54. But the 6 pack is going to cost me $6.99. Shouldn't it be the other way around? I think it should. So I wanted to find out.

I loaded up my cart and wheeled it over to the Managers station where Marlene was standing. I stood there being ignored for a good few minutes until I finally said, "excuse me."

Marlene finally looked at me and said, "yes", in a dismissive tone.

Me: "Are all the Oktoberfest beers on sale?"
Marlene: "The ones with stickers."
Me: "Some have stickers, and some don't."
Marlene: "Only the ones with stickers are $1 off."
Me: "But they are the same thing. So only certain ones are $1 off?"
Marlene: "Only the ones with the $1 sticker are on sale. They are from last season and we're trying to get rid of them."
Me: "Ok."

I was still confused. There must have been 8 or 10 six packs of the Dogtoberfest there, but only 2 of them had the pink $1 off stickers. I couldn't imagine that they were the only two 6 packs on sale. Then there were the other beers. Some Paulaners had tags and others didn't. Same for the Left Hand and the Breckenridge Fall Ales. Some were tagged and others were not.

I wanted to ask her a few more questions, but I could tell she didn't want to help me. She was getting very short, and very snippy with me at this point. But I asked a few more questions anyway.

Me: "There are some single bottles priced at $1.09. That is cheaper than buying a 6 pack."

Marlene: "Ok."

Me: "Can I buy single bottles from the 6 pack then or get them at at $1.09 price as well?"
Marlene: "No!"

I was a little shocked by her demeanor. This isn't the help nor attitude I would expect from a manager helping a customer trying to purchase MORE beer.

Me: "Do you have any more single bottles then?"
Marlene: "That's all we have."
Me: "I just want to make sure, because it ends up being cheaper to buy single bottles instead of 6 at a time."
Marlene: "Then buy them that way!"

Wow, I was amazed by her complete lack of profesionalism. She obviously didn't want to help me, and made it known by her rude replies. If I wasn't such a big fan of the beers, I would have walked out buying nothing.

So I spend the next 5 minutes searching each check out line for the single bottles priced at the $1.09. At one point a young lady asked if I was ready to check out, and that she could help me if I was. I told her I was just about ready, but I was searching for single bottles because they were cheaper that buying 6 at a time. She said no problem, and for me to let her know when I was ready.

Some Flying Dog and Four bottles of Dogfish Head Punkin Ale later, I got in line.

The young lady started to scan each individual bottle. The first one scanned in at $1.49. I said that it's supposed to be $1.09, not $1.49. She stopped, looked at the bottle, and said she would have here manager fix it. She walked over to her as I stood there waiting.

The young lady came back and told me that her manager would fix it in a minute. She then proceeded to scan the rest of the bottles. Again, each one scanned it at $1.49. Then she asked if I wanted the 6 packs scanned in 1 at a time since it would be cheaper that way. I said "sure, that would be great." So she grabbed the first one, and it scanned in at $10.99.

I was starting to get a little adgitated at this point. I told her that was the wrong price, and it was even the wrong beer. The scanner said it was Flying Dog K9 istead of the Dogtpberfest. The poor young lady looked puzzled and again asked me to wait why she went to talk to her manager.

Another few minutes later, they both returned to the checkout line. The manager, Marlene, asked what the problem was. I told her that the bottles were scanning in at $1.49 instead of the $1.09 as advertised, and that the 6 pack was scanning in at $10.99 instead of the $6.99 on the side of the carton. Then she got mean.

Marlene: "Where does it say that price?"
Me: "Right here, on the tag stuck to the shelf.....Flying Dog Dogtoberfest Marzen $1.09."
Marlene: "Then what's wrong with this one?"
Me: "It says Flying Dog K9 for $10.99, when it's Dogtoberfest for $6.99."

Marlene then walks over to the shelf, and rips the tag off. Then she shuts the register off, and tells the young lady that she needs to start all over again. That poor girl had to start scanning each bottle of Dogtoberfest again.

She picks up the first bottle, scanns it at $1.49, then the next, and then another. Then she picks one of the bottles from the 6 pack carton and scans it in.

Marlene stops her, and says, "I already talked to him before. I told him he couldn't do that." She then turns to me, and starts pointing at me. "I told you before you can't do that!"

This is when I got mad. What is wrong with this woman? She is getting loud, and pointing, and accusing me of something I didn't do. I'm the customer. Did she forget that?

I told her that the young lady offered to scan them 1 at a time because it would be cheaper, and I said that would be great. Marlene's face was turning red, and I felt like I was being disciplined for cheating on a test or something.

I told Marlene that I didn't ask for the bottles to be scanned 1 at a time. "Your employee offered to do it." I told her to stop pointing at me and accusing me of something.

At this point, I was done. I put my wallet back in my pocket and was ready to walk out. I was mad and shocked that this Total Wine store manager was talking to me like this. I was a customer, and she was treating me like this. Customers were staring, employees were watching. It was a complete scene!

Then something popped into my head. I thought of BevMo, and Alan Johnson. I knew Mr. Johnson would never stand for this. At that point, I felt guilt. I felt guilty for being there, for buying beer there, and for allowing this to escalate to that level. Then I realized that this would be a great story for BevMo and Alan Johnson to hear about. So I pulled my wallet out again, and stood there quietly while the scared young lady rescanned all the beer, correctly this time.

The other customers behind me quitely backed their cart out of line, and moved to another register.

As I paid and loaded up my cart, the manager told the young lady, "When you are done here, I need to talk to you." I felt so bad for her. This girl was just trying to do her job, and do it well. She was even offering to take out the trash before I got into her check out line. She asked twice while I was searching for the single bottles. The manager, Marlene never even responded to her. It was sad.

I left the store in shock, and still a little upset about what just happened. To make myself feel better, I stopped off at the BevMo and picked up a 6 pack of Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale. Tomorrow, I'm going back to order my kegs.

-Cheers!

God was looking out for me last night

I had to go to a wedding Saturday night. Honestly, I'm not a wedding kind of guy. So the first thing I do is look for the bar. It's usually the basic brews. Bud, Bud Light, Miller Lite, Coors, Corona, and Heineken. If it's a step above a saloon, you might be able to score a Dos Equis, Michelob Amber Bock, or a Sam Adams. Thank God for Mr. Adams. Without him, I would go thirsty.

$5 later, I was in my happy place, drinking with Sam (not Calagione) Adams. $5 for a bottle of beer takes me back to the cruise ship. This was going to be an expensive night. About the time I finished number 1, my cousin walked by with a bottle of blood, I mean Bud. I asked him how much it cost him. He laughed as he blurted out "$3.50"!

What? How did I just pay $5 for a Sam Adams, and he paid $3.50 for a Bud. I can justify the difference due to quality and taste, but come on, I got ripped off. What I didn't know was that there was a bar set up to the side of the reception hall for us wedding patrons.

Now was the prefect time to grab another. I was in the mood after my $5 mistake. I sulked over to the bartender and asked what he had to make me feel better. He rattles off the saloon favorites, and a few other mass produced variations like Bud Light Golden Wheat. Then he turns around, and pulls a bottle from the ice. He says, "I have a few bottles of this".

I heard Angels sing as he pulled a Holy Grail from that sea of beer and ice. A bottle of 2008 Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout. I tried to subdue my excitement. I recall saying something like, "hell yeah, give me that"!

I asked him how much, expecting the $5.00 price tag or more. God must have been looking down on me, because he said those magic words, "$3.50". Can you believe that? I was just at BevMo tonight and it was selling for $19.99 a 4 pack.

He said it was an old case given to them, and they were just trying to get rid of it. As luck would have it, I showed up. Coincidence, I think not!

I spent the rest of the night drinking with my new friend on Bourbon Street. It turned out to be a great night!

Grade: 4 Burps!

-Cheers

Look at me, I'm almost famous

My relationship with the BevMo has been chronicled here, almost on a weekly basis. Yes, I am a fan. Sure, there have been issues, but they were taken care of. In the process, I found a new level of respect for the company and it's CEO, Alan Johnson.

Imagine my surprise when I found this story in the Contra Costa Times about BevMo, Mr. Johnson, and me!

I know, I'm famous!

I will soon be posting my shopping schedule at the BevMo just in case you might want to stop by and chat about beer. I will be more than willing to give you my opinions and recommendations.

Sorry, no autographs.

-Cheers!

Time to go to BevMo. I need a new keg

The time has come again. It's time to order a new Keg for my kegerator.

It's a bittersweet decision. I get to choose a new beer, but I can't pick them all. It's hard making a decision like this. No matter which keg I ultimately choose, there is that voice in the back of my head saying, "you should have gone with the Flying Dog instead, or the Stone".

Honestly, I would love to go with something from Lost Abbey, Port, Rogue, Firestone, or Breckenridge this time. I'm all about variety and trying a new beer. Besides, it's time for another "Epic" party and I have a beer rep to protect.

I have until Monday to make up my mind. But it seems like every time I finally do, that keg isn't available. But I don't have time to mess around. The party is in 2 weeks!

I'm going to stop by The BevMo tomorrow grab the updated keg list. I'll post my top 5. Look them over, and let me know what you think. I'm open for suggestions.

-Cheers!

My BevMo Christmas List

Guess what I got in the mail today. The BevMo Holiday catalog!

AKA, my 2009 Christmas list.

Lets see what I want this year.

Page 3: New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale Keg. $119.99 for a 15.5 gallon keg. This is a big keg. I might want to make a note, and ask for a 5 gallon instead.

Page 4: Anchor Steam Christmas Ale. $10.99 for a 6 pack.
I love this beer. I buy it every year, and give it away as Christmas presents to my friends. But I want some some for myself this year.

Page 12: Mendoncino Red Tail Ale. On sale for $6.49 a 6 pack. I've never had this before. It's on sale, so someone on a budget can pick this up for a bargain!

Page 13: Duvel Belgian Ale. Only $2.99 each, for a 11.2 oz bottle. I like to have a beer like this on stock for those times a friend is looking for a different beer. Can't beat it at this price.

Page 14: Stone Brewing Double Bastard. $6.99 for a 22 oz bottle. 2 bottles please.

Page 14: Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale. $3.99 for a 24 oz bottle. I still have one of these in the beer fridge from last year. I love to age a bottle of this every year.

Page 14: Moylan's Tipperary Pale Ale. $3.99 for a 22 oz bottle. I am excited about this one. I've never tried it. I think I'm going to pick up a bottle of this early.

Page 15: Stone Brewing IPA. $9.99 for a 6 pack. This is a good deal. I like having a Stone in the fridge at all times.

Page 15: Flying Dog Snake Dog IPA. $8.99 for a 6 pack. You know I gotta get some Flying Dog for Christmas. Nothing says Holiday Spirit like a beer from Flying Dog. Some of their 20th Anniversary "Raging Bitch" would be even better!

Page 15: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. $149.99 for a 15.5 Gallon Keg. This is a must for any beer loving American with a kegerator in their house.

Page 18: North Coast Old Rasputin. $6.99 for a 4 pack. On sale from it's regular price of $7.99. I am crossing my fingers for this.

Page 24. Anchor Steam Christmas Ale. $14.99 for a 1.5 Litre bottle. "This Special Ale is the thirty-fifth annual ale from the brewers at Anchor." Who doesn't want a bottle of this?

Well there is my Christmas list for 2009.

I want to thank BevMo! Thanks to their Holiday catalog, they will make my Christmas just a little brighter.

-Cheers!

No more Dogtoberfest

I tried. I mean I really tried. But any way I look at it, the search is over. I will tell you that I have a void inside. A void that can only be filled by the sweet, brewed nectar from Flying Dog Brewery called, Dogtoberfest.

I love Oktoberfest style beers. They are by far my favorite. At the top of my list is an amazing beer called "Dogtoberfest" made by that kick ass brewery in Colorado, Flying Dog. It isn't their fault. They did their job. They brewed a great batch this season. It kept me going for the last month. But now I feel like a junkie looking to his dealer for his next fix.

I looked to a few of the other dealers, but they were no help. They were either trying to sell me something else to get my fix, or some cheap knockoff of the real thing. But I can tell the difference. I'm not stupid. I'm a seasoned user of Dogtoberfest. And that is all that I will settle for.

I will admit it, I strayed. There are some others out there that I really enjoy. However, Dogtoberfest is just a well balanced and extremely flavorful marzen. Not only is it a great Oktoberfest, it is a great beer!

I held out hope all week that I would be able to score some more. But no luck. I even went so far as to go around my normal dealer, and went straight to the source. I talked to a "friend" who is connected to Flying Dog. He told me "I'm not sure there's lots of Dogtoberfest 2009 left in the world, actually". Those words crushed me.

The only place I was able to score any this season was at Total Wine and More. I stopped by on several occasions and stocked up. I went through plenty of them myself. But I am a nice guy, and I like to share. So my stash went fast. I think about it now, and realize that was a bad thing to do.

For weeks now, I tried to track some down from BevMo, but they were not able to get any. I started asking about it the first week of September. I figured that was early enough to get some. But I was wrong. The list from BevMo included a Flying Dog "seasonal". But for some reason, they were unable to get it for me.

I tried to get it in bulk (keg) from Total Wine as well. Same thing. No go. But I was able to pick it up in 6 packs, which I did. I had to cheat on my normal dealer, BevMo because they were never able to get any. I tried at 3 different BevMo locations. All of them told me that they were expecting to get some, but it never showed up. My father in law (my latest beer conversion student) tried at another BevMo. He even left his name and number, but never got the call.

So I sit here, shaking from withdrawals, trying to type out my story. But all I can think of is that I have to wait another 10 months before I can get my next fix. It is going to be a long, cold, and lonely winter.

-auf Wiedersehen

My problem with BevMo

Since "the incident" this summer, things have been great at BevMo. Everyone knows my name, I get treated with the utmost courtesy, and I leave happy every time. After my dealings with Alan Johnson, I found a new respect for his company. However, that respect has been wavering lately.

When it comes to beer drinking season, what comes to mind? Cinco De Mayo? St. Patrick's Day? Sure, but nothing says beer like Oktoberfest! So you would think that BevMo would be busting at the seems with seasonal beers from all the breweries to celebrate. However, that isn't the case.

Starting in September, I have been stopping by the local BevMo to see what kind of Oktoberfest Marzen style beers they had available. I look forward to this every year. But all I have been able to find in Samuel Adams Oktoberfest. Yes, they do carry Paulaner Oktoberfest all year around, and it keeps me satisfied throughout the rest of the year.

But what about the rest of the breweries? What about Flying Dog Dogtoberfest, Erdinger Oktoberfest Weizen, Leinenkugel's Oktoberfest, or Left Hand Brewing Company's Oktoberfest? I was able to buy them last week. But no at BevMo. No, I bought them at Total Wine and More. None of these seasonal Oktoberfest beers were available at BevMo.

As I mentioned, the one Oktoberfest beer I am able to get in a keg from BevMo is the Samuel Adams Oktoberfest. Because I am a loyal customer, and I like the way they have treated me, I ordered one. That was over 3 weeks ago.

Take a wild guess who took my order? Yes, the same fella I had the run in with this summer. Before I go on, let me tell you that he did apologize to me a while back. It was sincere, and I accepted. So I figured when I went in to order my keg, he would make sure to take care of if for me. Well, that didn't happen. I have been waiting for the phone call. It never came. I figured they were just waiting on me to stop by since.

I have been wondering about my keg, so I stopped by tonight. None of the regular guys were working tonight. So I asked the guy atop the ordering desk if my keg was ready. I told him that I had orderd a keg about 3 weeks ago, and it should be there for me. But guess what, it wasn't. I was shocked. How could this have happened? Things had been great since the "incident". So how could they let me down like this?

I went ahead and ordered the keg, again. It should be there Thursday. If not, I think that will be the perfect time to head over to Total Wine, and buy 2 kegs, and a bunch of Oktoberfest!

-Cheers

Oktoberfest, Score!

You I know I love Oktoberfest. To bad it is so far away in Munchen, and I am out of vacation time for the rest of the year. Thank God that I can get some great Oktoberfest beer here!

Every September, I start to linger around the BevMo and the Total Wine like a fat guy at the buffet. Then it happens, the Oktoberfest beers hit the shelf! Lucky for me, I was there just in time.

Yes, I scored this year. After dropping $145, this is what I brought home.

1. Flying Dog - Dogtoberfest Marzen. I have to say (and I did last year) that this is my favorite of the Oktoberfest beers. Marzen is my favorite style to begin with. So to label one as my favorite, you know it has to be good! I talk, and gush, and pander to Flying Dog. But you know what, they just kick ass!
Grade: 4 burps

2. Leinenkugel's - Oktoberfest German style Marzen. This is the first year I have tried their Oktoberfest offering. I have had a few of the Leinenkugel's brews a long time ago. They seem to brew some good beers. So I knew that I was going to like this one. It is a nice Marzen beer. I do like it. Although it doesn't do anything to set it aside from the masses. Either way, I'm sure you will enjoy it.
Grade: 3 burps

3. Paulaner - Oktoberfest Marzen. Ahh, a true German Oktoberfest beer. And I love it! This is what makes me proud to be German. You just can't go wrong with it. I have tried and tried to get a keg of this for my kegerator, but it just isn't happening. So I hate to stick with the bottles. A $1,000,000 in $100 bills is the same at $1,000,000 in $20's. It just takes up more space.
Grade: 3 1/2 Burps

4. Boston Brewery - Oktoberfest. I'll tell you a secret. I buy an extra case of this every year and store it in my auxiliary beer fridge. Because you never know when you are going to get that itch to celebrate Oktoberfest in February. So I am sure to have some on hand for such a regular occurrence. But this year, I splurged. I bought a keg of it. I added this beautiful Oktoberfest offering as the 4th keg in my kegerator. I hope it lasts until Halloween. I doubt it, but at least I have that stash in the garage fridge.
Grade: 3 1/2 Burps

5. Erdinger - Weissbrau Oktoberfest Weizen. This is new. An Oktoberfest Weizen. Honestly, it doesn't do it for me. When I think of Oktoberfest, I really don't want something sweet that reminds me of a Belgium Ale. I get it though. Some people really enjoy Heffes. I don't. I guess Erdinger figured that there was the need to make a other than traditional Oktoberfest beer for them. Overall, the beer isn't bad. It's just not an Oktoberfest, and I'm not a fan.
Grade: 2 1/2 burps.


6. Left Hand Brewing Co. - Oktoberfest. I applaud them. They pulled off a really nice tasting Oktoberfest. This is the first time I have had their Marzen. It is a differnet representation of an Oktoberfest Marzen however. But you know what, I like it. It's not my favorite, but it isn't bad.
Grade: 3 burps

I have a few other "seasonals" to try. They stopped short of calling them an "Oktoberfest". But I know what they were trying to acheive. I'll give them a shot this weekend, and let youknow what I think.

So until then, drink up, and celebrate along with the rest of the world. Happy Oktoberfest!

-Prosit!

"This beer doesn't taste right"

I wish I could claim this story, but I doubt it would ever happen to me. Instead, it happened to a good friend of mine (Fireman). As with 99.5% of my friends, he doesn't know about my blog, so I doubt he will ever read this. Thus, he can't be embarrassed.

Fireman decided to have some friends over last weekend for a good ole' fashion Beer and BBQ party. Fireman is a beer guy, and one of my Beer Students. As guys do, he wanted to show off a little bit and have some cool beers available.

He gave me a call and asked what he should pick up for his friends to drink. He wanted something imported, and on he lighter side. I told him to go with something from Germany. Who doesn't love a beer from Germany? Well, as long as it isn't Becks or St. Paulie Girl. I told him that he couldn't go wrong with something from Paulaner, one of my favorites.

By the time his friends arrived, he had all the Paulaner chilling in the cooler, and ready to go. It doesn't take long for a guy to drink a free beer. And it didn't take long for the guys to go through nearly 2 cases of it.

A few hours, and many beers later, Fireman still felt pretty good. He figured his training at my house with some serious beers was finally paying off. He really enjoyed the Paulaner Oktoberfest at my house. However, he wasn't sold on the taste of this one.

Eventually, he came to the realization that, "this beer doesn't taste right". He thought he just picked out a beer that was a little too light. After 3 hours of drinking his special German brew, he was puzzled why he didn't have his usual buzz.

This is where it finally hit him. No, not the o-so enjoyable buzz, but the word on the side of the Paulaner -Thomasbrau box. There it was, in not so big, bold letters......."Non Alcoholic Beer".

Rookies.

-Prosit!

New Beer for my Birthday

I became another year wiser this week. It's cool that I stay the same age though. Age doesn't mean anything to me unless it is printed on a bottle, and aged in my fridge. Thank God my fridge is full.

So it was time to make a trip to the BevMo to pick up something special to drink for my birthday. I never know what I am going to buy. I start thinking early in the day about what beers I am going to find, or what new ones might be available. However, I hardly ever leave with what I originally thought I would. And this tip turned out to be better than I expected.

What did I buy? Something new, and something again.

Flying Dog - Old Scratch Amber Lager.
This is why I went to the BevMo. I have been jonesin' for some Flying Dog. I went through the last batch of Pale Ale so fast, it left a void inside my beer heart. A void that only another batch of Flying Dog could fill. And I will tell you what, it did. Old Scratch has become my session beer. It has replaced Tennent's and Fuller's on the top shelf. Sorry guys.

The next beer I found was something I have tried many times at Beer Fests. But I have been unable to find it anywhere. I remembered that I liked the beers that they brew. So much in fact that I bought a T-shirts from them. So what is this new brew? Grand Teton Brewing Co.

Up first was the Au Natural Organic Blonde Ale. I love the logo, and I really enjoy the beer. It has a light, yet flavorful taste. It weighs in at a moderate 4.9% ABV and 24 IBUs. It says so right there on the bottle. It leans to the malt side of the spectrum, which I prefer. This is an ale you can enjoy all night.
Grade: 3 1/2 Burps

Next up was the Bitch Creek ESB Ale. Again, I love the name, and I love the beer. It is a more flavorful beer than the Blonde. The hops are there without overkill. They blend nicely with the malt and create a perfect balance of flavor. It just has a little something extra that notches it up a level. This really is a good beer. And I plan on buying it again.
Grade: 4 Burps

So I spent my birthday weekend going through these 3 great beers. It really made my birthday special. But the weekend is nearly over. It might be time to head back over to the BevMo and pickup another batch of brew from

Flying Dog Brewery, after my own heart

Today, I sit here with a plan to write a post about another beer "happening" in my life. I usually do so with a beer by my side. As luck would have it, it is another great beer from the people at Flying Dog Brewery. My plan was to tell you about my run in at the BevMo last night with the "culprit" from a few months ago. However, that is going to have to wait until tomorrow. In the mean time, I'm going to tell you about the beer in my hand.

As planned, I stopped by the BevMo last night to stock up on a few new beers for the weekend. It was a long day, and I was just able to make it into the store before it closed. I didn't have the time to spend the usual hour searching through all the beers for something new or exciting.

"Attention BevMo Shoppers, it is now 8:55. We will be closing in 5 minutes". So I grabbed something I knew I would enjoy, Flying Dog Classic Pale Ale.

There are a few breweries that are dear to my heart. More and more, I find myself drinking something from Flying Dog. Last week it was the Barley Wine, and the week before that it was the Old Scratch Amber Lager. And the weeks before that it was the Road Dog Porter, and the Snake God IPA. My favorite style of beer is a Marzen, a.k.a. "Oktoberfest". With no disrespect to my German brothers, Flying Dog Dogtoberfest is my favorite. So it comes as no surprise that I love their Classic Pale Ale, Doggie Style.

I find myself gushing about Flying Dog every time I drink one. Who am I kidding, I never drink just one. So how can I sit here and drink their amazing beers, and not talk about them to you, my beer loving friends. Isn't that the whole idea of the beer blog? Drink, review, and talk about the breweries that are different, and make drinking beer an enjoyable adventure each and every day. What else can I say about Flying Dog that I haven't said before? I love them. They are just different enough without being an outcast. Then again, would that be so bad?

My birthday is next month. Guess what I asked for, a Flying Dog t-shirt. It's the least I can do to support one of my favorite breweries. Keep up the great work guys. I can't wait for the next one.

-Prost!