In order to keep my sanity I dusted off my pass port and headed of to LAX where I to caught an Air Pacific flt to Nadi, Fiji for six nights and seven days of relaxation in the Yasawa Islands.
Showing posts with label 0/3rds Full Pint Glass. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 0/3rds Full Pint Glass. Show all posts
Seattle is a great city but...
it's shit in the winter. I wish I could sugar coat it and talk about all the "good" things about winter in the emerald city but don't like lying. It's cold enough to be miserable but not quite cold enough to snow. So it rains. It rains all the time and when it's not raining it's overcast and grey.
In order to keep my sanity I dusted off my pass port and headed of to LAX where I to caught an Air Pacific flt to Nadi, Fiji for six nights and seven days of relaxation in the Yasawa Islands.
In order to keep my sanity I dusted off my pass port and headed of to LAX where I to caught an Air Pacific flt to Nadi, Fiji for six nights and seven days of relaxation in the Yasawa Islands.
Skál
Brew Dork Times field agent (and fellow beer-lover) Andrew just returned from a trek around the world.
During his travels he encountered a wide variety of different beers. Some of the most unique beers (if not the highest of quality) came from Iceland. Check um out!
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| (B.D.T. World-Traveling Field Agent Andrew) |
Only a few more!
Okay, only a few more crappy lagers before I get into the good stuff--I swear!
Saturday was Ohio State football day so I cracked open a few coldies, and enjoyed the game streaming online. I didn't take any tasting notes on these beers (I had had a few already by the time I cracked them) but I don't think I would have had too much to say anyway!
Now, time to crack into the English Ales!
Prost!
-Dan
Saturday was Ohio State football day so I cracked open a few coldies, and enjoyed the game streaming online. I didn't take any tasting notes on these beers (I had had a few already by the time I cracked them) but I don't think I would have had too much to say anyway!
Now, time to crack into the English Ales!
Prost!
-Dan
Another cheep Polish beer!
Tried another of the cheep Polish beers I picked up at the corner store arriving. This one was every bit as good as the first--which is to say not very!
In anycase, it was beer, so I drank it!
-Prost!
D.Lux
In anycase, it was beer, so I drank it!
-Prost!
D.Lux
London Town!
Yes, yes,
I said it once, and I'll say it again, I'm going to London-town!
London is home to so many great things. Here you can find world-class theatre, top-notch shopping, history, culture, fantastic dining options, and of course, and abundance of pubs.
When I first arrived two days ago I was jet-lagged and exhausted but forced myself to do a four-corner lap of my periphery. I found on the four-corners of my block, a pub, another pub, a brewery, and yet one more pub... I'm going to get along just fine here I thought... and then proceded to sleep soundly for 13 hours.
I said it once, and I'll say it again, I'm going to London-town!
London is home to so many great things. Here you can find world-class theatre, top-notch shopping, history, culture, fantastic dining options, and of course, and abundance of pubs.
When I first arrived two days ago I was jet-lagged and exhausted but forced myself to do a four-corner lap of my periphery. I found on the four-corners of my block, a pub, another pub, a brewery, and yet one more pub... I'm going to get along just fine here I thought... and then proceded to sleep soundly for 13 hours.
Canada eh!?
As I said in a previous post, I'm London-bound!
What I didn't know when I posted that I'd be living in the UK for a month was that I'd be spending a night in Toronto on the way. My trip to 'the most culturally diverse metropolitan area in North America' was SHORT (less than 24 hours from Pearson Int'l-to-Pearson Int'l) but you better believe I found time to sample a local beer!
Actually, as I arrived late, and to be at work early the next morning I had just 'a' local beer (I know, I know, how un-committed of me :-/ ).
What I didn't know when I posted that I'd be living in the UK for a month was that I'd be spending a night in Toronto on the way. My trip to 'the most culturally diverse metropolitan area in North America' was SHORT (less than 24 hours from Pearson Int'l-to-Pearson Int'l) but you better believe I found time to sample a local beer!
Actually, as I arrived late, and to be at work early the next morning I had just 'a' local beer (I know, I know, how un-committed of me :-/ ).
Regardless, the one local beer I tried was Rickard's Red. It's Canada's number one selling 'red' ale, it's been brewed for 25 years, and it's thoroughly unimpressive :-( :-(
Liquor Den - FAIL
I stopped by the Liquor Den on University today. After browsing their beer selection for less than five minutes I was asked to exit the premises... Here's how it went down.
I was greeted upon entering by a voice from behind the island-counter in the center of the store. I declined assistance, letting the woman know that I'd prefer just to look around a bit.
When I started my counter clockwise lap the first thing that struck me was how empty the shelves were. There were a lot of unused spaces, and in places where brands were stocked, most were only stocked one bottle deep. I was also surprised to notice that most of the liquors they had in stock were rare items that I'd never heard of (this was not a good thing). There were cheap bottles of discontinued schnapps, failed wine-spirit blends, and plastic encased American-made, Polish-labeled vodkas. The wine department was equally shabby, primarily consisting of bargain-bin closeouts and a few varietals each of the standard uber-popular brands (i.e. Yellow Tail, Berringer). The items in the wine and spirits sections that I did recognize were priced high (no doubt in an attempt to compensate for lower sales volume). Finally I reached the beer section. Unfortunately, it was just as bad as the rest of the store. The vast majority of the beers in stock were kept in the refrigerator. Miller, Bud, and a few of the other giants took up the majority of the real estate. There were a few odds and ends six-packs from quasi micro-breweries in the Southwest but little more.
One thing the Liquor Den did not have a shortage of was neon beer signs (although I was booted before getting an exact count, I'm fairly certain that they have more neon beer signs than types of beer).
For what it's worth, they also had a few mildly interesting for-show bottles (an over-priced 'super-premium' tequila in a bottle shaped like a Tommy Gun, a bottle of French vodka in the shape of the Eiffel Tower, et cetera).
View Larger Map
As my lap neared completion I had all but given up on the store when I noticed on a shelf connected to the center island, a Leffe Belgian Ale case. I instantly perked up. What's this!? I though, good beer? I eagerly slid the box to the side to verify the find, and noticed, to my surprise, that the box was completely empty. Weird, I thought.
By this point my behavior had stolen the attention of the cashier away from the stand-up being shown on a flat-screen on the wall. Apparently she had been monitoring my activity on the four-screen security display system behind the cash box for a while and did not approve of my actions:
Her: Wadda ya doin'? Checkin' boxes.......... WADDA YA DOIN?!
Me: (Blank stare) [confused; not sure if she's being serious]
Her: I'd like you to leave the store.
Me: (Blank stare continues) [now utterly baffled]
Her: Bye. [sternly]
Me: Okay... [exit stage right]
And so concluded my review.
For the purposes of rating beer stores I'm going to stick to the standard school grading system (A+, A, A-, and on and so on all the way down to a failing F). This system is self explanatory and make a lot more sense than judging a store on it's balance and complexity :)
The Liquor Den, earns my first, big, fat 'F'
The Liquor Den was devoid of any redeeming qualities. The selection was poor, and the service was downright abrasive (at best). I don't recommend anyone visit unless to see how not to run a liquor store.
-Prost!
D.Lux
I was greeted upon entering by a voice from behind the island-counter in the center of the store. I declined assistance, letting the woman know that I'd prefer just to look around a bit.
When I started my counter clockwise lap the first thing that struck me was how empty the shelves were. There were a lot of unused spaces, and in places where brands were stocked, most were only stocked one bottle deep. I was also surprised to notice that most of the liquors they had in stock were rare items that I'd never heard of (this was not a good thing). There were cheap bottles of discontinued schnapps, failed wine-spirit blends, and plastic encased American-made, Polish-labeled vodkas. The wine department was equally shabby, primarily consisting of bargain-bin closeouts and a few varietals each of the standard uber-popular brands (i.e. Yellow Tail, Berringer). The items in the wine and spirits sections that I did recognize were priced high (no doubt in an attempt to compensate for lower sales volume). Finally I reached the beer section. Unfortunately, it was just as bad as the rest of the store. The vast majority of the beers in stock were kept in the refrigerator. Miller, Bud, and a few of the other giants took up the majority of the real estate. There were a few odds and ends six-packs from quasi micro-breweries in the Southwest but little more.One thing the Liquor Den did not have a shortage of was neon beer signs (although I was booted before getting an exact count, I'm fairly certain that they have more neon beer signs than types of beer).
For what it's worth, they also had a few mildly interesting for-show bottles (an over-priced 'super-premium' tequila in a bottle shaped like a Tommy Gun, a bottle of French vodka in the shape of the Eiffel Tower, et cetera).
View Larger Map
As my lap neared completion I had all but given up on the store when I noticed on a shelf connected to the center island, a Leffe Belgian Ale case. I instantly perked up. What's this!? I though, good beer? I eagerly slid the box to the side to verify the find, and noticed, to my surprise, that the box was completely empty. Weird, I thought.
By this point my behavior had stolen the attention of the cashier away from the stand-up being shown on a flat-screen on the wall. Apparently she had been monitoring my activity on the four-screen security display system behind the cash box for a while and did not approve of my actions:
Her: Wadda ya doin'? Checkin' boxes.......... WADDA YA DOIN?!
Me: (Blank stare) [confused; not sure if she's being serious]
Her: I'd like you to leave the store.
Me: (Blank stare continues) [now utterly baffled]
Her: Bye. [sternly]
Me: Okay... [exit stage right]
And so concluded my review.
For the purposes of rating beer stores I'm going to stick to the standard school grading system (A+, A, A-, and on and so on all the way down to a failing F). This system is self explanatory and make a lot more sense than judging a store on it's balance and complexity :)
The Liquor Den, earns my first, big, fat 'F'
The Liquor Den was devoid of any redeeming qualities. The selection was poor, and the service was downright abrasive (at best). I don't recommend anyone visit unless to see how not to run a liquor store.
-Prost!
D.Lux
BREW REVIEW - Trader Joe's Parallel Tasting!
Let me start by saying, I'm a big fan of Trader Joe's. I don't very often (partially because there are about 15 grocery stores closer to my house) but every time I do go, I'm glad I'm made the trip. Their wide variety of healthy, fresh, wholesome food, priced reasonably, and presented thoughtfully, creates in an atmosphere that makes grocery shopping a real pleasure.
For booze hounds like myself, the icing on the grocery store cake is their large and diverse selection of beer and wine. In keeping with their 'affordable quality' theme they stock a huge selection of moderate to low priced wines, and downright inexpensive beers. In addition to beers from around the world they also pedal a few 'home brew's'. Yesterday I set out to take their brews for a go-around. Here's what I tried:
- Bohemian Lager
- Bavarian Style Hefeweizen
- Vienna Style Lager
- Hofbrau Bock
I started with the lightest beer in the bunch, the Bohemian Lager. It tasted as if they took a 12 ounce beer bottle and filled it with 4 ounces of Budweizer, 4 ounces of a cheap Hefeweizen, and 4 ounces of Tempe's finest tap water. It showed a 'little' bit of barley, a 'little' bit of malt, and a 'very little' bit of wheat. The only flavor that came through with any umph was a dry, hefe-like, lemon zest.
From the Bohemian Lager I moved quickly on to the Bavarian style Hefeweizen. This beer was ahead of the lager by leaps and bounds. It was zesty, robust, and true to style. It was NOT, however, terribly impressive.
After the Hefeweizen I moved quickly on to the Vienna Style Lager. This beer was another fairly complete disappointment. It tasted watered down, slightly stale, and left an all around unmemorable impression on me.The last beer I tried was their Hofbrau Bock. Now this beer had something... The color was a nice rich amber, the flavors were more pronounced than with the other beers. There were clear notes of caramel and malt. The yeast came through and there was balance between the sweetness of the sugars and the and bitterness of the hops. It even had aftertaste!
In retrospect I'm a little afraid that the only reason I was such a fan of the Bock is that I had it immediately after having three disappointing beers. I trust my initial analysis though and feel I can confidently recommend that next time your doing some shopping at TJs you pick yourself up a sixer-just don't go for the mixed pack.
By the numbers?
- Bohemian Lager 2/10 [Flavor 2/10, Balance 3/10, Complexity 1/10]
- Bavarian Style Hefeweizen 3/10 [Flavor 4/10, Balance 3/10, Complexity 2/10]
- Vienna Style Lager 2/10 [Flavor 1/10, Balance 3/10, Complexity 2/10]
- Hofbrau Bock 5/10 [Flavor 5/10, Balance 6/10, Complexity 4/10]
D.Lux
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