KegWorks Blog

I was lucky enough to spend the past week hanging out with 8 of my closest friends on one of the cleanest spring-fed lakes in Northern Maine. This was my first time vacationing in the state known for moose, lobster, wild blueberries, whale watching and Poland Spring water (thanks to clever advertising) and I absolutely fell in love. The rustic little towns, great hiking trails, lack of cell phone service and Internet access and cheap and delicious seafood were just what I needed to unwind and have an incredible time – and the beer was everything I hoped for too.

We sampled several local favorites and it is safe to say that I enjoyed them all much more than the endless supply of Coors Light that we managed to replenish time and time again.

The first beer we tried was Geary’s Summer Ale, from D.L. Geary Brewing Company in Portland, Maine. The rich golden color just looked crisp and clear and its taste was full bodied with a spicy hop tang. Although the taste was perfectly refreshing, I think that my favorite part was the lobster label.

We also had the Summer Ale from Kennebec River Brewery (which was conveniently located right down the road from us in The Forks, Maine). The folks at the brewery ensured us that the fine ale we bought is crafted with the finest North American malted barley and a generous dose of premier hops. As doubting New Yorkers, we had to find out for ourselves. This was by far the most refreshing brew we had and my favorite vacation beer by far.

Another beer we loved hailed from nearby Vermont. We came across Long Trail Ale at the local supermarket and we just had to try the full-bodied amber ale. I’m glad we did! Little did I know, Long Trail has been around since 1989 and it’s Vermont’s largest selling craft brew, as well as the winner of several medals from the Great American Beer Festival. The complex, clean flavor went perfectly with our grilled pork.

And I thought people in Maine only drank spring water.

TAGS [ BEER REVIEWS | GEARY'S SUMMER ALE | KENNEBEC SUMMER ALE | LONG TRAIL ALE | SUMMER BEERS | SUMMER ALES ]

After a beer festival in London, all the brewery presidents decided to go out for a beer.

Corona’s president sits down and says, "Señor, I would like the world’s best beer, a Corona." The bartender takes a bottle from the shelf and gives it to him.

Then Budweiser’s president says, "I’d like the best beer in the world, give me ‘The King Of Beers’, a Budweiser." The bartender gives him one.

Coors’ president says, "I’d like the best beer in the world, the only one made with Rocky Mountain spring water, give me a Coors." He gets it.

Then the guy from Guinness sits down and says, "Give me a Coke." The other brewery presidents look over at him and ask, "Why aren’t you drinking a Guinness?" and the Guinness president replies, "Well, if you guys aren’t drinking beer, neither will I."

TAGS [ BEER | BEER JOKE | GUINNESS | COORS | BUDWEISER | CORONA ]

Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of catching up with a very dear, old friend who had moved off to Vegas, years ago. We started our evening with a trip on the Maid of the Mist in Niagara Falls - a boat that offers passengers an up-close-and-personal view of our majestic natural wonder. Although both of us grew up in the area, it’s not often we do "touristy" things at the falls, making it an experience I will never forget.

Once we’d been completely soaked to the bone, we headed to Hard Rock Café for some burgers and Irish stouts. Seems my old pal doesn’t get out to try too many brews, so I felt that it was my job to enlighten him a bit. After we threw back a few Guinness pints each, and stuffed ourselves full of 10-ounce burger, we headed back into Buffalo to continue catching up… but first, I had to snatch another bit of Irish brew for him to taste.

After scanning the coolers at a near-by convenience mart, I settled on Flying Bison Aviator Red. I wanted to introduce Paul to something brewed right here in Buffalo, and hadn’t myself imbibed in a Red Ale in some time, so I figured it was the perfect choice.

Upon opening the bottles once home, we were inundated with a deep caramel nose, mixed with just a bit of chocolate. Malt hops are the culprit here, for sure. After clinking bottles we each took a swig - smooth caramel flavor with some bitter hops through the finish - a lovely balance, if I may say so myself! The golden brown and scarlet colored brew has a creamy, smooth, well-bodied mouthfeel - a beer you know you’re drinking, but not quite as heavy as a stout.

Paul enjoyed my choice as much as I, which is great because I always get a kick out of turning people on to new things. Hopefully he’ll be more adventurous in the future too - maybe we’ll even get some reviews of Vegas brews!

TAGS [ BEER REVIEWS | RED ALE | FLYING BISON | AVIATOR RED | NIAGARA FALLS | BEER REVIEWS ]

I wouldn’t be surprised if the phrase "Float me a brew" has never passed through your lips. It hadn’t slipped through mine until just recently, upon being presented with my favorite new pool toy, the Floating Beer Cooler.

Perfect for your pool or whatever you’re swimming in, this cooler holds up to 18 cans of your favorite brews. Plus, it provides 6 numbered cup holders, helping to alleviate the never-ending quest of which beer is whose. Keep your beer iced and accessible without ever having to leave the pool - unless, of course, you need to refill with another 18-pack. When you’re finished for the day, it easily folds up into a handy carrying case.

Although summer is flying by quickly, there’s still plenty of time to enjoy the sun. Maximize your time poolside - the Floating Cooler is well worth it!

TAGS [ FLOATING COOLER | BEER COOLER | POOL COOLER | FLOATING BEER COOLER ]

Back in March, our very own draft beer guru, Pete, blogged about the hops shortage. As expected, supply is not quite meeting demand, resulting in a nearly 1000% increase in the price of hops ($4/lb to $40/lb). Yikes!

The root of this issue, as Pete and many others have observed, is the decreasing availability of hops – the key ingredient of beer. It is, after all, what gives us that nice buzzed feeling we get when we drink and sometimes turns others into 10 foot tall, bulletproof monsters – among other things. Hops also provide an excellent counterbalance to an otherwise extremely sweet beverage, so there’s a big flavor benefit to using it also.

The trouble with growing hops is that it doesn’t produce buds right away. It can often take 2 seasons before hops farmers see yield. Many farmers have removed hops from their crop rotation in favor of other profitable, multipurpose crops like corn (used for food and bio fuel), so what hops supply is currently available, is in high demand and can be sold for a hefty price to brewers. This means higher beer prices, as Pete pointed out in his original post. This is especially true of really "hoppy" beers, like Smuttynose’s Big A IPA, which utilize twice as much hops as the unleaded stuff. (Still worth it at any price, in my opinion.)

A distant relation to cannabis, hops flourishes in temperate conditions usually found at varying altitudes between the 30th and 50th Parallels. Hops are dioecious (males and females are separate plants) and they spread via rhizomes. Vines grow up to 25 feet high in a single growing season. It is the female hops plant that produces the flowers and buds used in brewing beer. The males are used only to pollinate females when producing a new variety of hops.

Thanks to science and some very innovative people, an answer to this hops crisis may be on the horizon. I’m talking about hydroponically-grown hops. The benefit of hydro-grown hops is that they are grown in water and a nutrient solution – which means heartier, healthier crops. Because crops are grown indoors, that means fewer pests and a significantly longer growing season. An added benefit to growing crops in this way is that it doesn’t take two seasons to get results. Flowering buds appear the first time around.

I’ll drink to that!

TAGS [ HOPS | HOPS SHORTAGE | HYDROPONIC HOPS | BEER | CRAFT BEER ]

…does it take to feel the effects from an Absinthe Lollipop? One lick? Two licks? Three? (Crunch!) Well, the world may never know, but you can start your very own study on the subject at home. That’s right - Absinthe Lollipops are here, and they’re not your regular, run-of-the-mill tootsie roll pops, either. Nope, these suckers are the real deal, made with legendary (and now completely legal) absinthe, sure to give you a good dose of the Green Fairy.

Not quite ready to jump on the absinthe wagon? Prefer a breakfast lollipop to a liquor one? Ok, ok, you probably never really ever thought about eating a lollipop for breakfast, at least not since you were a kid… but on the off chance that you have, or if the idea intrigues you at all, Maple Bacon Lollipops are for you. Yep. I said it. Maple Bacon Lollipops. These suckers offer salty chunks of organic cured bacon, suspended in a subtle, sweet, Vermont maple syrup base. Mmmmmm.

Move over corn dogs - this is the new way to enjoy meat on a stick.

Heard of any other bizarre but wonderful sucker creations? I’m always ready to try something new (hint, hint).

TAGS [ ABSINTHE | ABSINTHE LOLLIPOPS | MAPLE BACON LOLLIPOPS | GOURMET SUCKERS ]

I lived in Portland, Maine for a couple of years. While I was there, I began to truly develop my love for beer - all sorts of beer. In fact, it was in Portland that I had my first taste of anything Magic Hat, a brewery out of Vermont. It started with Magic Hat #9, a “not quite pale ale,” with the essence of apricot. For those out there who hate anything to do with fruit in beer, I would like to point out that #9 is not over-flavored in any way. So, if you’re looking for a good brew with slight fruit infusion, instead of a fruit slap in the face, Magic Hat #9 is a great way to go.

I find IPAs great for most times of the year, although not quite as refreshing as some other brews might be during the hot summer days and nights. Enter wheat, a perfect choice for almost any muggy day. Magic Hat Hocus Pocus is an English wheat ale with a light, crisp, refreshing flavor. Even the boys over at thebrewclub.com agree. Try it this week with a slice of orange.

Many of you, I’m sure, drink Blue Moon with a slice of orange. In fact, you may be thinking, "Why switch from what I already know?" Well, if you weren’t privy to this already, Blue Moon is a bit of a wolf in sheep’s clothing - it looks and acts like a craft brew, but I assure you, it’s made by Coors. So, if you’d rather support the little guys out there, instead of one of the beer monsters, give Magic Hat a try.

Now, if you’re one who just loves fruit-infused beer more than anything, may I suggest Sea Bog Blue Paw? It’s a nutty, thirst-quenching wheat ale infused with the flavor of fresh, wild blueberries from Maine. You can even smell the blueberry upon opening the bottle. Sipping it is like experiencing summer itself. Luckily for me, the Sea Dog brewery was practically in my backyard while in Portland. With so many great craft brews around, it’s no wonder I developed such a taste for beer!

TAGS [ MAGIC HAT | SEA DOG | BLUE MOON | CRAFT BREWS | MICROBREWS | CRAFT BEER | SUMMER BEER | WHEAT ALES ]