drink 43 different beers

...this one is now done! Here’s the complete list – and I can recommend almost all of these:

1. Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale, Sierra Nevada, U.S. (Calif.)
2. Old Peculier, Theakston, U.K. (N. Yorks.)
3. Newcastle Brown Ale, Newcastle Breweries, U.K. (Tyne & Wear)
4. Bass, Bass (Marston’s), U.K. (Staff.)
5. Guinness Extra Stout, Guinness St. James’s Gate Breweries, Ireland
6. Stella Artois, Beck’s, Belgium
7. Shiner Kolsch, Spoetzl Brewery, U.S. (Texas)
8. O’Hara’s Irish Stout, Carlow Brewing, Ireland
9. Phin & Matt’s Extrordinary Ale, Southern Tier Brewing, U.S. (N.Y.)
10. Sam Adams Boston Lager, Boston Beer Co., U.S. (Mass.)
11. Saranac Oktoberfest Lager, Matt Brewing Co., U.S. (N.Y.)
12. Southampton Secret Ale, Southampton Publick House, U.S. (N.Y.)
13. Rogue Dead Guy Ale, Rogue Ales Brewery, U.S. (Ore.)
14. Dogtoberfest, Flying Dog Breweries, U.S. (Colo.)
15. Peroni, Peroni, Italy
16. Kronenbourg 1664, Brasseries Kronenbourg, France
17. Elephant Malt Liquor, Carlsberg Breweries, Denmark
18. Samuel Smith’s Organic Ale, Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery, U.K. (N. Yorks.)
19. Baltika Porter (#6), Baltika Breweries, Russia
20. Duvel, Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat, Belgium
21. Sierra Nevada Harvest Ale, Sierra Nevada, U.S. (Calif.)
22. Fuller’s Extra Special Bitter, Griffin Breweries (Fuller, Smith, & Turner plc), U.K. (London)
23. Mad Anthony’s American Pale Ale, Erie Brewing Co., U.S. (Penn.)
24. Railbender Ale, Erie Brewing Co., U.S. (Penn.)
25. Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted, Harviestoun (Caledonian), U.K. (Scotland)
26. Hacker-Pschorr Weisse, Hacker-Pschorr Brewery, Germany
27. Peche Lambic, Brasserie Lindemans, Belgium
28. Snow Goose Winter Ale, Wild Goose Brewery, U.S. (Maryland)
29. Backfin Ale, Clay Pipe Brewing Co., U.S. (Maryland)
30. Stone IPA, Stone Brewing Co., U.S. (Calif.)
31. Stone Pale Ale, Stone Brewing Co., U.S. (Calif.)
32. Arrogant Bastard Ale, Stone Brewing Co., U.S. (Calif.)
33. Sam Adams White Ale, Boston Beer Co., U.S. (Mass.)
34. Brooklyn Pennant Ale ‘55, Brooklyn Brewery, U.S. (N.Y.)
35. Allagash Dubbel Ale, Allagash Brewing Co., U.S. (Maine)
36. Hitachino Nest Real Ginger Brew, Kiuchi Brewery Inc., Japan
37. Chimay Ale (Chimay Red), Bieres de Chimay, Belgium
38. Moinette, Brasseries Dupont, Belgium
39. La Fin du Monde, Unibroue, Canada (Quebec)
40. Harviestoun Old Engine Oil, Harviestoun (Caledonian), U.K. (Scotland)
41. Lancaster Hop Hog IPA, Lancaster Brewing Co., U.S. (Penn.)
42. Lagunitas Censored Rich Copper Ale, Lagunitas Brewing Co., U.S. (Calif.)
43. Garde Dog Biere de Garde, Flying Dog Breweries, U.S. (Colo.)

Had a few of the bheers from the store I mentioned previously. The first was Hitachino Nest’s Real Ginger Brew, from Japan. The Japanese tend to go for “dry” beers – very light in their makeup – but this doesn’t qualify. It was copper and robust and malty, and the ginger taste was somewhat subtle if you went sip by sip. Hitachino Nest has a full line of bheers and now I need to taste them all.

The second was an old flame: Chimay Ale. The red one. I still recall my first Chimay, back at the Brickskeller in DC when I was in college. Oh, it’s smooth…what a decadent way to spend an evening, particularly when you’re back in college and the best you’d ordinarily have, owing to your budget, might be Budweiser. It does make an impression on a young lad, and still does, now that “young lad” no longer applies. I would recommend this brew to anyone who is in need of some pampering for their soul…or perhaps to anyone who was supposed to have gotten laid this week and didn’t. (That doesn’t apply to me, mind…but it really is that good.)

The third was Moinette, a Belgian ale. I was shocked at the straw-like color when I poured it, but the taste is spicy and pure Belgian bliss. It’s from the same brewery, I discovered, that makes Saison, so it’s gonna be good stuff, and it is. Almost a banana-clove flavor, subtle enough to blend with the natural malt flavor, and lightly hopped (as opposed to Saison, which is this with more hops). When I hit the lottery, I’ll have a keg of this on hand. Oh, and it’s 8.5%, so I’m suitably…shall we say “mellow” at this time.

Thanks to the opening of an amazing shop near my house with about 950 or so varieties of bheer for sale. In addition to the Sam Adams White Ale which I had tonight in DC (it was pretty good), I just finished a Dubbel Ale from Allagash, and I continue to be mightily impressed by that brewery. Earlier I had a Pennant Ale ‘55 from Brooklyn, which defined “a pint of bitter”; I thought it would go well with a baseball game.

Haven’t written here in a bit…I’ve almost certainly gone through 43 by now, but I haven’t recorded them. It’s just a bit weird to stop for a pint and then have to write it all down.

I will say that I’ve had Stone’s IPA and Pale, and both are very, very good; the Pale was last night’s beverage of choice. I was going to work my way through the list at the pub and just kept ordering the Pale, as did my friend and my sister (the latter of whom just kept drinking mine, the mooch).

Before that, on Tuesday, I stopped at a new place nearby which opened in place of a Bennigan’s. This new place is much more upscale, a very nice thing indeed, and I had Stone’s Arrogant Bastard while nibbling on a sort of cheese plate/ploughman’s lunch type of thing they sold. Bit pricey, but a fine way to spend an evening, and the ale is saucey and a bit on the decadent side. I wanted to have a piano going in the background and meet with some spies from the resistance while I sipped it – it was that kind of taste and atmosphere.

Reminder to myself to list Midas Touch from Dogfish Head here as well – that will bring the list to 30, IINM…

...was a chance to crack open the Lindemann’s Pêche Lambic, which I enjoyed with a stir-fry dish at dinner. Very perfumey, and more reminiscent of wine than beer. Women who aren’t into beer like this a whole lot, and it’s easy to see why. Very, very sweet, with a strong peach flavor, of course. Try also the Kriek (cherry) and Framboise (raspberry).

Currently chasing that with a very underrated local brew, Snow Goose Winter Ale from Wild Goose Breweries – yet another good brewery in Frederick! I’m beginning to think it’s impossible for that town to brew a bad beer! (Earlier, I’d had a Backfin Ale from Clay Pipe Brewing Co. in the same area. Good and saucy, with a hint of butterscotch, of all things. Very good indeed, but I think I’m partial to the Wild Goose. Blue Ridge Breweries are in that area, too, and they make good stuff.)

Harviestoun’s Bitter and Twisted is fast becoming a favorite of mine, right up there with the Fuller’s ESB, which I don’t know if I’ve mentioned here…two excellent brews from Britain. And I had the chance to once again enjoy a Hacker-Pschorr Weiss the day before yesterday; lovely and lemony, but a bit jarring to have out of season like that! (Weissbiers always say “summer” to me when I have them…I was hearing Beach Boys in my head, and my mind was planning trips to the beach while drinking.)

I picked up a mixed six-pack of brews from the Erie Brewing Company of Erie, Pennsylvania, recently. Their Mad Anthony’s APA didn’t impress me too much, though it certainly was not actively bad. Their Railbender Ale is much better: a dark and smoky-tasting ale with a somewhat nutty but clean finish. Very drinkable for something that’s 6.8% abv. Next up is their pilsner.

Had the Sierra Nevada Harvest Ale tonight, which was, well, almost too much. The regular Pale from SN has almost as much pure hoppy goodness as any IPA…this went a step further. I discussed it with the owner of the pub, and he agreed with me that it tasted as if it was hopped again during the second fermentation, like Tupper’s Hop Pocket Ale. It was very sharp, and (he fancied) almost had a brown sugar taste to it. Very good ale if you’re a hophead.

I followed that with a Fuller’s ESB, and boy howdy, that was so nice and savory. I’ll be heading back to that pub on Tuesday, and I foresee several more of those being ordered.

Peroni: A malty, bready lager, as all Italian beers seem to be. (Have some Moretti for an even more pronounced example.) It also has a sharp, acidic note as well – but again, that could be the lagering.

Kronenbourg 1664: Holy cow, is this smooth! It could possibly take honors as my most coveted lager. Much like the dry beers of Japan, but with a lovely smooth taste of barley…not too bitter, not too astringent, and no unpleasant harsh aftertaste.

Elephant Malt Liquor: Yep, a malt liquor, and a very good one from the Carlsberg Breweries. I do miss the hops, yes, but it’s smooth without being sweet and doesn’t have an immediate kick that one gets from the extra alcohol.

Also, Samuel Smith’s Organic Ale, Baltika Porter (their #6 variety), and Duvel, a fine Belgian. All were very, very good…soon, I’ll be including the contestants at a blind beer tasting I attended last week.

Rogue’s Dead Guy Ale is one of those rare bheers: it’s got a serious “chewiness” to it, but I could – and did – sit there and pound them back all night long. I also tried another seasonal: a Märzen from Flying Dog Breweries in Colorado (with another here in Maryland!) called Dogtoberfest. That brewery does produce some excellent brews, actually, and this was no exception…a good example of the Märzen style; smooth with a balanced hoppiness.

I also had a few Guinness and Bass the other night, and shouldn’t really need to describe them to anyone. Good for the classic fallbacks.