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.

Beer Trade

For the past year, I have been reading a blog about a guy in Philly who seems to drink some kick ass beer while constantly making me jealous. I don't know how he does it, but he seems to get a hold of the rare, limited, special, and mysterious beers that I can never seem to find out here in the desert. Honestly, it pisses me off some time. My jealously doesn't stem from anger, but pure envy. The man lives a charmed beer life.

I'm sure you have read his blog as well, I am Beer Wise. You know, Brian in P-Town (Philadelphia). In a way, Brian and I are a lot alike. We both like beer (Dogfish Head) and we both like baseball. What else matters? Not much in my book.

Anyways, we have talked from time to time about doing a beer trade. I have done it before and I loved it. I mean, how cool is it when the mailman brings you beer. It is so much better than junk mail or bills. So a few weeks ago, we decided to do it. We decided to trade some beer.

O, the pressure. As much fun it is to go beer shopping, this time I felt pressure. This was big time. This wasn't a usual trade. This was a trade with a real beer guy. A man who knows his beer. My reputation was on the line. I needed to do it right.

Over the next few weeks, I made 3 trips to Total Wine, and 4 trips to BevMo. I must have spent a good 10 hours researching and trying to decide which beers to send him. It was almost nerve racking as it was fun. I mean we both love beer, but we sit on the opposite sides of the fence in our preference for hops and malt.

I received my bottles last week. They have been chilling out in the beer fridge since they arrived. I've been waiting for a weekend where I can sit, and enjoy, and review each and every one of them. You know what, I think this weekend will be that weekend.

I'll let you guys know how it goes. Before I do, I wanted to thank my friend Brian for taking a few moments of his awesome beer life to send me some. I encourage you to stop by and read what the man has to say. I'm sure you will enjoy it.

-Cheers.

Beer Wars and Beer School

Last night I watched Beer Wars, again. It was the first time I've watched it since the night of it's debut on April 16th of 2009. I wonder why I waited so long to watch it a second time. It really moved my the first time I saw it. This time, it inspired me.

For those who might not know what I'm talking about, Beer Wars is the documentry by Anat Baron, formerly of Mike's Hard Lemmonade fame. The film takes the viewers behind the scenes of the world of beer, and the fight between microbreweries and the big guys. Even if your not into beer, the film is still a great piece of film making exposing the battle the small businesses face every day in the fight against corporate america.

When I first saw the movie, I was able to relate because for years, I was that little guy going up against big business. Eventually it came to the point where we just couldn't compete any longer. Special pricing, perks, discounts, rewards, whatever you want to call it, it's easy for a big company to bury the "neighborhood" competition with the help of deep pockets, and/or the legal system. Those with the most money, even if they are in the wrong, usually win.

In the beer world, things seem to be changing. The American consumer is telling those deep pockets in St. Loius and Golden Colorado that they don't want a free t-shirt just to drink their beer. Instead, they want taste and flavor. I too, am in that demographic.

I have talked many times of my love of beer and how it started. Over the past few years, my love and passion for beer has increased to a level I never thought it would. I'm past the point of just talking and blogging about it. I want to live it.

I decided a back in January that I wanted to start my own brewery. I sat down and figured out a time table of how I was going to do it. I realixed over the next few months that it wasn't going to be as easy as I wanted. I didn't have the balls to quit my job and go for it. I'm not that kind of guy. I need to study and plan something before I do it.

Last week, I decided to sign up for beer school. I sent off an email to The American Brewery Guild about signing up for their Craft Brewers program. That's when I found out that all the classes were full until January of 2012. The next shock was price of tuition. That was a bitter pill to swallow. At least I have time to save up the money.

I'm excited about the future. I'm excited about making beer and really living it on a daily basis. No matter what the cost may be, I'm doing it.

-Cheers!

Class of 2012, here I come

January of 2012. What is that, a year and a half? 17 months, give or take? Whatever it is, that is when I start Beer School. In the mean time, I think I'll get brewing.

I really didn't think it would take so long to get into Beer School. But I think it is perfect timing. It would have been great to jump right in and start the learning process. Instead, it's like waiting for Chistmas, or your the Christmas after that.

So what to do with all this spare time? I think I'll brew some beer. I think I will brew lots of beer. With all the free time I'm going to have, I should be able to really fine tune some of my own recepies. I can work on my brewing methods and try to become a seasoned home brewer. By the time school starts, I will be ready.

However I look at it, I'm doing it. I'm really doing it. I am taking that dreaded first step. Today really is that first step towards my brewery future. Wish me luck.

-Cheers!

Beer School, it's about time

I've reached a turning point in my life. I'm at that age where it's too late to go back to college, and too early to retire. So I need to find something new to do with my life. I think it's time for Beer School.

I knew I wanted to start my own brewery a long time (3 years) ago. I have had my own business before, and I really miss it. I have kicked around the idea of getting an internship or volunteering at a brewery. The problem with that is the fact that Arizona lacks any brewery where I could. In the end, I figure that fact will help my dream come true.

I have been a novice homebrewer for about 2 years now. It's something that started out as a fun way to make lots of good beer, cheap. But it has tunred into a passion. I absolutely love beer. Beer is good. Beer is my friend. And I would love to go into business with my friend beer.

I have been reading books about breweing and breweries for the past year or so. First up was "Brewing Up a Business" by my hero, Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head. By the time I was finished reading that, I had my mind made up. I wanted to be the next Sam. Then I read "Beer School, Bottling Success at the Brookly Brewery" by the owners Steve Hindy and Tom Potter. A truely fascinating and educational book for the beer and business alike. Now I'm on to "The Complete Joy of Home Brewing" by Charlie Papazian. I love it. I just can't get enough.

I made up my mind at the beginning of 2010 that I was going to open my own brewery. However, things have been slow. I would have loved to be at that stage of creating my own brews, and looking for locations. But I'm not there yet. In fact, I am still far away from that place. Instead I am reading books, designing logos, and creating websites. Not that any of that is bad, it's just not good enough for me anymore.

It didn't help reading Burr Street Brew Blog. Here is a guy that quit his job to persue his dreams of "working in the craft brew industry." He has inspired me more than any of the books I have read. He is doing it. He is living the dream. He is living all our dreams. He is chasing his dream, and he has been documenting his journey on his blog. He has gone from insurance, to the Siebel Institute. I read with envy, and admiration every time.

So, I'm going to do it. I'm taking that next step, or leap Whatever you want to call it. I am going to do it. I am right there, looking over the edge, deciding if I should go sit down, or jump. I need to make up my mind once and forall. This weekend, I did.

I'm going to jump!

In the next few weeks, I will sign up for my first official beer class. I want to learn as much as I can, as fast as I can. Homebrewing has been all the education some people have ever needed. But that's not me. I want more. I want to know it all. I'm sure that will never happen, but I can try can't I?

There it is. It's put there now. I can't look back. I've jumped off the edge, and I'm falling fast. Now all I have to do is decide if I'm going to fall on my face, in the dirt, or fall into a wonderful pool of beer. I pray for the latter.

-Cheers!

Total Wine delivers

On a (planned) whim, I stopped by my local Total Wine last Saturday. I've been meaning to get in there for weeks. I love their single bottle section, and I was hoping to find a batch of new seasonals to try. What a good idea that was.

I picked up a bottle of 400 Pound Monkey from Left Hand Brewery. I'm not a big fan of primates, but they make a good beer. It's an English style IPA that likes to play around on the malt side of the tree. I think that's why I enjoyed it more than a typical IPA. The orange and bread like aroma was nice. The mixture of hops and caramel was the surprise. It has a nice mouthfeel, and a clean finish. While it might not be for everyone, and really doesn't fit into one particular catagory, it is an enjoyable beer. Grade: 3 Burps

I've been a fan of Odell Brewing Company from hello. I've been lucky enough to experience most of their beers over the years via Beerfests. To have it available on the shelf is a wonderful thing. Their Cutthroat Porter is one of my favorites.

I love me a nice, dark, and malty porter, and that is what you find in a pint of Cutthroat. I have enjoyed it before, and I will enjoy it again. I felt that I needed to give it the props it deserves. Now this isn't a seasonal, but to some a porter wouldn't qualify as a Spring beer. I beg to differ.

I'm a huge fan of dark and malty London ales, so I could be biased in my opinion. However, even the Queen enjoyed it. She seems to prefer the hops side of the spectrum (Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA), but she said it was good. How can you go against the Queen? I know I can't. Grade: 4 Burps

There was 1 bottle of North Coast Brewing Scrimshaw left. Lucky me. It's a pilsner style beer which surprised me. I'm not a guy who usually drinks a beer like this, but I was willing to give it a try. I'm happy I did.

It has a light and clean aroma, with an unusual medium body. Much more than I would have expected from a Pilsner. I wasn't expecting the dry, wheat overtones. I think that's what pleased me. It's a very drinkable beer. Grade: 3 Burps

But my favorite of them all was Garde Dog Biere De Garde from the guys at Flying Dog Brewery. I've said it time and time again, they just get it. I love these guys, and Garde Dog is another example why. Their interpretation of the French style "Beir DeGarde" is better than I expected. The temperatures are hitting the high 80's out here in desert lately, so this it perfect session beer on a Saturday night. Who am I kidding, it's a 5.5 abv from Flying Dog. You can have one any day of the week.

It's a nice, clean beer that's very easy to drink. A crisp floral aroma is what you notice first. The taste is lighter with a slight hint of hops, spice, citrus, and malt. I wouldn't call it a medium feel, but it's almost there.

This would be a great "cross over" beer for someone looking to experiment a little. To take that next step past Deschutes and New Belgium. This isn't a Kronenbourg 1664, it's a Flying Dog! Grade: 4 Burps

There you have it. 4 new beer reviews. Take my advise and give them all a try. I'm sure you will find one in there that you might add to your beer fridge on a regular basis.

-Cheers