Alex’s World Beer Tour: Holiday Spirits
Happy Thursday! I haven’t posted about beer in awhile – and I have a LOT to catch up on! I tried a slew of new beers, plus pulled out an old favorite this year.
Hold on to your seats! This is gonna be a long one, folks.
Shiner Blonde This was tasty! Nothing too fancy but got the job done. From the website: Blonde made its debut as the original recipe Kosmos Spoetzl brought to the “Little Brewery.” A golden lager that pays sincere tribute to its Bohemian roots, Shiner Blonde carries a distinctive flavor followed by a satisfying, smooth finish. Although our Blonde owes its heritage to the German homeland, it represents the best of a true American lager. That’s our Shiner Blonde – red, white |
Shiner Hefeweizen I liked this more than the Blonde – definitely a contender. Good stuff! From the website: Hefeweizen (Hef-ay-vite-zen) recalls the classic beers of Bavaria as a true unfiltered wheat brew. This beer captures old-world Munich Malt, wheat grist used in a scant 1% of all brews worldwide, orange and lemon zest in a frothy classic example of bottle-conditioned beer. Adding clover honey and yeast just before it’s bottled touches off a unique, secondary fermentation process inside every keg and bottle before its final release from the brewery. |
Tommyknocker Pick Axe IPA At my grandma’s Christmas, we couldn’t find my favorite (Cocoa Porter) so my dad picked up some of this stuff. As usual, Tommyknocker did not disappoint, and I thought this was a well-done IPA. From the website: A classic American India Pale Ale dominated by pleasant hop bitterness and aroma. Dry hops impart unique aromas and flavors that add to the complexity of this ale. Our PICK AXE uses a blend of American hops which melds into an award winning flavor. |
Shiner Prickly Pear I bought a sampler pack, okay? But this was probably my favorite new try. Um, awesome! Never would have thought a pear-flavored beer would be so good. This isn’t on their website right now, so I’ve got nothing. Must be seasonal! |
Burnett’s Candy Cane Vodka Not a beer, but I picked this up post-Christmas on clearance, and it’s delicious! We put it with one of those flavored Mountain Dews, and tried it with Coke. Both were good, but I also think it might be good in coffee, hot chocolate, or a sparkling water. |
Tommyknocker Cocoa Porter And finally, we found it. An old favorite, the Cocoa Porter. It took me a while this year to get my hands on, but I was so happy that I did! Full review here. |
Did you try any fun new spirits (or wine, or beer) over the holidays?
Jan 10, 2013 @ 10:14:00
Shiner is a good brew. I have been keeping track of the beers I drink since mid last year using Springpad and so far I still am a big fan of New Castle. I had their Winter Ale this month and really enjoyed it.
Jan 10, 2013 @ 19:13:00
Nice! What’s Springpad? Should I know of this?
Jan 10, 2013 @ 20:45:52
It’s a web tool similar to Evernote, I just find it a little more user friendly for my needs since it offers a few additional features for things I can keep organized on the web. Check it out, http://www.springpad.com.
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Jan 10, 2013 @ 21:06:38
That’s pretty cool. Might have to give it a shot! That’s why I love this blog, it’s an easy way to keep track of what I’ve tried. Springpad might work better for getting every one of them tracked, though.
And to respond to your first comment, I think I tried the Winter Ale at a beer/wine festival…it was good! I haven’t drank a lot of New Castle in the past, myself. Trying this Shiner was new for me, too.
Jan 10, 2013 @ 15:31:00
Excited to try the Prickly Pear. I like pear ciders but never tried pear-flavored beer.
Jan 10, 2013 @ 19:13:00
I don’t think I ever would have tried it if it wasn on my variety pack. But so good!