On a recent weekend trip over to Spokane, WA, we took a quick exit off I-90 to stop and have a look at Enoteca, a wine and beer store in Post Falls, ID. It sits in a small strip mall on busy Seltice Way. When I stopped in, I was fresh off a visit to…
Black IPAs are all the rage. Though I don’t know quite what to call them. As this blogger notes, it is a bit odd to call something both black and pale at the same time. The Brewers Association’s style guidelines recognized this contradiction and decided to call the style “American-Style India Black Ale.” This name…
Over Memorial Day weekend, we took a drive down to Stevensville to check out two of Blacksmith Brewing Co.‘s latest releases: Black Iron IPA and Vienna Lager. Black Iron IPA is back by overwhelming popular demand. Give it a try and you’ll understand why. As I wrote when it first came out, it is a…
Over the past few months, I noticed six packs of Stone Brewing’s beer showing up in stores around Missoula. This is a good thing. Stone makes some great beers, but they’d previously only been available in 22 oz. bottles. Sometimes that’s more than you want, though they’re very conducive to sharing. I picked up a…
I am not new to craft beer. I’ve spent the last 15 years or so trying far more styles, varieties, interpretations, classics, experiments and breweries than I can remember. Though I have my favorite styles, I’ve never let that confine my exploration. I’ve brewed homebrew following the advice of legend Charlie Papazian and his reassuring…
Paring beer and food may sound a bit snooty, but it really is quite the taste experience when the flavors of a fine craft beer blend perfectly with great food. And by great food, I’m not just talking about “fine dining.” I’ve enjoyed a few great wine and beer pairing dinners with multiple courses and…
Next up in my Full Sail Brewmaster Reserve Round Up is Full Sail’s Imperial Stout. Right out of the 22 oz. bottle this an attractive beer. Jet black with a thick tan head. It has a strong, sweet aroma with a slight hint of alcohol. The mouthfeel is full with a bit of creaminess. Classic…
My Growler Fills inbox had a sudden flurry of activity in the past week with the arrival of two press releases for a couple of new summer brews. (Hey, when you run an upstart beer blog, two emails in one week is definitely considered a “flurry of activity.”) Redhook Ale Brewery and Widmer Brothers Brewing,…
Pairing coffee and a porter or stout is as natural a pairing as cookies and cream or peanut butter and chocolate. The roasted malts in the beer provide similar flavor profiles to the roasted coffee beans. Roasted malts are barely or other grains, some malted, some not, typically roasted at high temperatures in a drum…
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company is celebrating its 30th Anniversary in style. And that is great news for the rest of us. They’ve brewed four unique beers as a collaboration between the founders of the American craft brewing industry. You can read about the project here. I encourage you to spend a little time checking it…