The BLager
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Wondering What To Get for V Day?
Fear not, beer is DEFINITELY the answer. I mean, no doubt most of us ladies love chocolate. But beer with chocolate notes? That’s a win. Especially appropriate for a holiday that falls mid winter, and well let’s admit - a holiday many of us might spend by ourselves at a bar. If this is your scenario, you are certainly allowed to gift yourself a beer on this occasion.
Which brings me to a round of suggestions for stouts & porters, which are great winter warmers. And if you are planning on having oysters as part of your romantic-night meal, you are in luck - the creamy mouth feel of a stout pairs fantastically with those delicious bivalves. Here are some of my favorites that I have tried, as well as a few I have yet to try but are certainly on my list of things-to-drink-before-the-snow-melts-2013.
The Grid lays out a few good selections. Amsterdam’s Tempest Imperial Stout has definitely been on my list for some time now, however I can’t say i’m a fan of recommending serving beer “warm” (what does that even mean, you microwave before serving? Gross). Additionally, if you are looking to start experimenting with cellaring/vintaging beers, this would be an excellent place to start. I would also like to add a couple other of their selections to my want-to-try list - Lion Brewery’s Sinha Stout, and Great Lakes 25th Anniversary Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout is a definite must. Frankly, I like everything they make - try their Harry Porter as well if you haven’t. Last pick of mine on this lit is Granville Island’s Lion Winter Ale. Not a stout or a Porter, but a very interesting, chocolatey ale. And it pairs fabulously with an aged hard cheese. Try it with a Dutch Beemster.
Still others I would love to try, and would make a handsome gift would include Muskoka Brewery’s Winter Beard - Double Chocolate Cranberry Stout. Though the price tag might make you shiver, your recipient will truly appreciate this bottle. Howe Sound Brewing’s Pothole Filler Imperial Stout is another pricey choice - but with a 96% on RateBeer you can feel confident those hard earned looneys (loonies? IDK, new to this bird coinage) will be well spent. An last, the much harder to find (only on tap, only this winter, and likely only around Ottawa) and probably also the most adventurous pour would be HogsBack Brewing Co’s Aporkalypse Now. That would be a bacon-oatmeal stout. Yep, you read that right. And can you please just look at the adorable farmer couple posing with their prize pig? That little pork chop it’s just the sweetest thing, and I would be delighted to taste his bottled demise.
So that rounds up the want-to-try’s, and I will leave you with two other options that I HAVE had - and are delightfully fantastic. The first would be Grand River’s Russian Gun Imperial Stout. Made in southern Ontario and encapsulating a historical reference, this beer will warm any beer geek’s (or geek-geek’s) heart. And it comes with an irresistible price tag. Might as well buy 6. Also fantastic is Saw Dust City’s Skinny Dipping Stout- a perfectIy suggestive name for the occasion. I definitely taste some cinnamon in there, and I definitely like it.
On a closing note - major props (yes, I really did just use that phrase) to all the Breweries on this list for resisting the urge to give rhyming names to their stouts (Although Lights Out Stout is fantastic to hear in a Canadian accent).
New Breweries of 2012
Element Brewing Company of Miller’s Falls, Massachusetts has just released several new beers. Good news for beer geeks and chemistry dorks alike. I’m hoping to try some Winter Ion before the March thaw. This chocolatey brew is spiced with coriander and aged with cocoa nibs….sounds like a good Valentines Day gift to me.
And, new to New York starting Summer 2012 is Single Cut Beersmiths. Coming out strong with a small cult following thanks to Brewer Rich Buceta’s incessant homebrewing and establishing his apt. as a staple on Josh Bernstein’s homebrew tour circuit, many NYC beer drinkers are already in the know of this up and coming brewery. And although the brewery won’t be opening its doors at it’s yet-to-be-announced-locale, you CAN taste some of this magic March 3rd during the NYC Craft Beer Festival.
Ok, so there was a bit of regional bias here. Any new breweries in your part of the states?
What To Get The Beer Lover Who Has It All
Cause there’s just no way they already have a brew hauler.
Also guys, it’s cold out which means it’s time for me to start brewing beer again. I’ve really fallen off the wagon. But don’t worry, I plan on getting my act together. Seriously! It’s one of my 2012 resolutions.
So, what beer toys are on your Christmas wish list?
Eye Candy meets Liver Candy
Chocolatey beer nom noms and hop droppings on your tongue. Picture it (not sure if that is the correct demand for a mouth-taste-imagination-demonstrative, but we’ll go with it).
A potentially good gift for those hard to shop for dads. Can’t picture my father ever wanting to eat any of these things, but maybe yours would?? Or, maybe you just want some, you know, for you.
click photo for story
Every drinking buddy needs a drinking bunny. Here’s the perfect Easter gift.
Weird video for your wasting-time-at-work-pleasure. The stupid glass costs nearly $15, they probably could have shaved 30 seconds of the video, and put the saved $ from advertising towards lowering the price of the glass. Then someone might be interested in buying it. Maybe.
I like so many things about this article, and can’t agree more that a chocolate stout is a perfect V day gift. I also love the idea of drinking a framboise lambic out of a flute.
Coincidentally, my husband proposed to me over Harpoon IPAs. We stole the glasses as memorabilia (sorry bar that will remain unnamed).
What beer related item are you hoping for this V day?
Turn V day into B day.
I hate to promote sub par beer, but here we are.
If you can’t make the trip to Germany, this will help you with a little beer bath of your own.
Definitely buying him New Castle beer soap!
My boyfran is gonna be so happy. Best birthday ever :)))))))))))))))
