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by snebbu

Top Ten Beers to End Your Summer

Summer is coming to an end. Teachers and students must return to the dreaded school year, people start to give up on visiting the beach/lake/river, and discussions center around when the pool will close. Sad face. With all this doom and gloom, the only way to try to squeak out the last few bits of summer are of course through alcohol. We took a look at the ten best beers to remind of the summer. Enjoy.

10. Victory Summer Love

Summer love lends a refreshing, crisp taste to a beer without losing the actual flavor of beer. For me, shandies may tend to be too sweet. The ABV is low enough to day drink without compromising taste.

9. Coppertail Unholy

Based out of Tampa, Coppertail brewed an American Trippel that sticks to the traditional style of a trippel with tasty hops throughout. This is a drink to have on the porch in the evening as the day cools down and you realize the summer is ending. The high ABV makes this a great summer night cap.

8. Dogfish Head Namaste

Namaste is one of my go-to summer beers. It’s a low ABV plus a very refreshing beer with strong taste of summer (orange, lemongrass). PLUS, it can be mixed with another beer on our list. Delish.

7. Ballast Point Pineapple Sculpin

Ballast Point Sculpin has been a tradition in our summer beer exchange for a few years now. But once they starting coming out with additional flavors of the Sculpin, we couldn’t help but try out the others. Pineapple is my favorite, and it sticks to the theme of summer. Pineapple juice flavor is strong, yet you still think you’re drinking beer.

6. Founders All Day IPA

by snebbu

A Very Dogfish Vacay: The Brewery

Where beer is made. Brewery tours vary in size, location, and even in stories (and in free samples). I’ve noticed that some breweries just tell you how beer is made and dump you off at the pub for you to buy any of the beers. Others give more personalized tours and offer plenty of free samples. Dogfish Head was the best brewery tour to date. Of course, that may be because we got a private tour from an off-centered employee (thanks Senovia!) But before we get started, just imagine what you think the brewery looks like. Now, imagine that times ten. The brewery is part of a large amount of land that is practically becoming the dogfish campus. This includes an insulated pipe line that runs the beer from the brew house to bottling. Oh yeah, and an industrial-aged tree house where they hold their administrative meetings.

by snebbu

Endless Beers: Happy IPA Day!

You may not know it, but it’s National IPA Day! Donut day, coffee day, ice cream day…why not have a day for those of us who take pride in the name “hophead”? Well today’s that day. Many consider the IPA (India Pale Ale) to be the brew that really made a name for craft beer. The IPA is a bold, typically strong in alcohol content, and bitter (in a good way) brew that includes strong notes of citrus. Regardless, today is a day to try an IPA for the first time, try out a crazy new IPA flavor, or crack open your favorite IPA. In the spirit of this wonderful holiday, we worked with some of the best breweries in the nation to bring your our “National IPA Day Roundup.”

Sierra Nevada 2014 Hop Harvest: 6.5 % ABV

Sierra Nevada brings out this annual 5-bottle series that features a single hop, wet hop, fresh hop, and wild hop brews. I had the Equinox Single Hop IPA. Single hop meaning they used only one kind of hop to highlight the aromas and the bitterness. The brew is an easy drink that will put you in the mood for fall. The IPA has typical hop flavors you would expect and then the taste of fresh peppers and spices from the garden comes through.

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by snebbu

Endless Beers: Our Top 10 IPAs

Summertime. Hot days, no more school, and yes, our fourth round of the beer exchange. This was one of my favorites—IPAs. I’m trying to savor these…but at the same time, you can’t let them sit too long, or they’ll go bad! While reviewing the exchange beers, and thinking about my favorite IPAs, I’ve done you the great pleasure of creating our “top ten IPAs” list. Here they are in no particualar order. You’re welcome.

10. Founder’s All Day IPA (ABV 4.7%)

IPAs don’t have to be high in alcohol content. Enjoy this bitter delight ALL Day…and more than once. Packs a punch of hops and malts without the dangers of having three on a hot day and feeling groggy for the rest of the day.

PHOTO: Founder’s

9. Weyerbacher Double Simcoe IPA (9%)

Hop. Garden. There really isn’t much more to say here. If you like the aroma and flavor of hops…this is the one for you.

PHOTO: Weyerbacher

8. Sierra Nevada Snow Wit White IPA (ABV 5.7%)

For those drinkers who are looking for something light and sweet…but still packing a hop-forward punch. The Snow Wit is surprisingly tasty with a refreshing sweet taste of summer.

PHOTO: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

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by snebbu

Endless Beers: What Difference Does a Glass Make?

Hopefully most of our readers have finally bought in to the #drinkcraftbeer movement. Really, it’s not even a movement, but common sense. Why would anyone pay to drink something that tastes like (a) nothing, (b) pee, or (c) crap? You wouldn’t. So the next step in becoming an all-out beer snob is to drink beer from a GLASS, not the bottle or can. I originally thought the whole experience of picking glassware depending on the kind of beer was a gimmick. However, after testing various Spiegelau glasses out, I’ve changed my tune.

First of all, the main reason behind drinking your suds from a glass rather than the bottle or can is to get the aroma of the beer and to allow it to properly carbonate. The aroma will indeed change the taste of the beer – typically heightening your senses as you indulge in a cold one. Typically, I’ll just pour it into a pint glass no matter what kind of beer, and enjoy. But there are different and innovative ways to drink our beer now. Here are two taste tests (I know…my work is difficult) of the latest innovative beer glass collaborations.

The Glasses:

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by snebbu

100 Ways to Use Beer in Food: #15 Dogfish Head Chowda

It’s been a while since I’ve revisited my trek to greatness: the 100 ways to use beer in food and drink. But then I found this. Dogfish Head found a way to combine their delicious beer with some great ingredients. What came out of the beer-food think tank? Dogfish Head Hard-Tack Chowda. The real kind of chowda – not that gross Manhattan stuff.

Dogfish Head touts this chowda as one of which Ishmael would be proud. Teaming up with Sea Watch International, the chowda’s “made of small juicy clams, scarcely bigger than hazelnuts, mixed with pounded ship biscuit, and salted pork cut up into little flakes; the whole enriched with butter, and plentifully seasoned with pepper and salt.” OH, and did I mention infused with the Dogfish Head 60 minute IPA?

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by snebbu

Some Herbs in Your Beer? The Saison du Buff

Typically, we don’t dedicate full posts to reviewing just one beer, but this one is a unique craft beer that everyone should try.

What makes this beer so cool? Well, first, it includes herbs like thyme, rosemary, parsley and sage as ingredients. Second, three of the country’s best craft breweries joined up to collaborate on one beer. Dogfish Head, Stone, and Victory created a brew that I believe will satisfy all, and can be paired to just about anything. In fact, I challenge you to find a meal that this delicious beer does not sit well with.

Often times I have trouble describing a beer as “delicious” because most people associate that word with food. You call beers “strong” or “hoppy” or “full,” but not delicious. However, after drinking this brew, I’m hoping most will change their minds (especially those people who think it’s civilized to drink beer the color of piss).

in Drinks 2 comments