On a recent trip to the grocery store looking for some summer beers to buy for a BBQ, I found this Samuel Adams 12 pack. I’m not a usual Samuel Adams beer drinker. I rarely drink the brand but was curious to give it a try because of the variety.
The Samuel Adams Summer Styles has two of each six summer beer flavors: Boston Lager, Blackberry Witbier, Hefeweizen, Light, Pale Ale, and Summer Ale. The 12 pack was $16.99 at the Vons I picked it up at which is reasonable considering you’re getting six different beers.
I’ve reviewed each beer in the Samuel Adams Summer Styles box and have broken it down to three posts. I’m hoping my reviews will give you an idea of each of the beer types and help you decide if you should purchase the 12 pack or buy one of the beer flavors individually.
Samuel Adams Blackberry Witbier “Only a specific blackberry could bring the subtle flavor that we wanted for this brew. These Marion blackberries from Oregon give a hint of blackberry in the aroma and taste and perfectly complement the refreshing and crisp flavors of the witbier. Cheers!”
The Samuel Adams Blackberry Witbier is a hazy/cloudy golden color with an orange hue and lots of head. It has a very sweet and fruity aroma. You can definitely smell the blackberries. The beer didn’t taste as sweet as it smelled. The flavor was more like your typical wheat beer with hints of blackberry and spices. The blackberry and spice flavors are more prominent in the aftertaste. The beer had a light to medium body and good carbonation. Overall I would recommend the Samuel Adams Blackberry Witbier. I enjoyed drinking the beer and liked that the beer didn’t have an overpowering sweet taste but was well balanced with hints of blackberry. Rating: B+
Samuel Adams Pale Ale “This distinctive and refreshing American ale is brewed in the classic style with the finest English ale hops, and lightly roasted specialty malts. Hand-selected Fuggles and East Kent Goldings hops impart a crisp, dry finish to this flavorful authentic ale. Cheers!”
The Samuel Adams Pale Ale is a golden copper color with a small to medium thin layer of head. It smelled sweet and citrus. The aroma of the beer had hints of nutty hops and malty sweetness. The beer tasted almost identical to how it smelled. It was sweet and smooth with citrus flavors and finished off dry with nutty hops and was slightly bitter. The beer was light bodied and well carbonated and very crisp. Overall the Samuel Adams Pale Ale was above average. I did not feel like there was really anything special about it and although it wasn’t terrible, I don’t think I will be drinking this beer again. This beer may be perfect for those who enjoy the bitter nutty hops and dry aftertaste but there are lots of other good choices out there when it comes to pale ale. Rating: C+
Since the weather has really heated up these past few weeks, I’ve been thinking of good beers to drink in the summertime. There’s just nothing quite like drinking a cold beer on a hot summer day. Fortunately this season also brings special summertime brews giving beer lovers an even greater selection to choose from.
The addition of seasonal summer beers brings up the question: What makes a good summer beer?
A good summer beer is light, both in color and the body. Summer brews are thirst quenching and full of flavor and aroma. Typically summer beers are pale ales, Pilsner, and Weissbier.
Pale ales are amber to copper colored and brewed mostly with pale malts. Pale ales have a malty profile that is balanced with hops.
Pilsners are very fragrant, complex and have a light sweetness to their flavor. The Pilsner is a well-hopped beer, but does not have the bitterness that other beers tend to have.
Weissbier is a German word that refers to variety of wheat beers. Three main Weissbiers are Berliner Weisse, the Witbier from Belgium, and American Wheat Beers (Hefeweizen). Weissbiers are unfiltered and are actually ales since they are brewed with top-fermenting yeast. They have a pale color and “weisse” actually means “white” which is why they are sometimes referred to as “white beers.”
The Berliner Weisse has low alcohol content and is brewed exclusively in the Berlin, Germany area. It has a sour flavor so it is served with sweet syrup to help balance the tanginess.
The Belgian Witbier is a brew from Belgium. Witbiers have a crisp taste that is accented with orange zest and coriander and different spices or herbs.
American Wheat Beers include Hefeweizens. Hefe refers to yeast and Weizen refers to wheat. Hefeweizens are brewed with a majority of malted wheat and some malted barley. They are pale colored and have a refreshingly crisp flavor. Hefeweizens have high carbonation which is meant to balance the malt sweetness.
To find a good summer beer, it’s a great idea to taste a variety of beers including the seasonal summer brews. You can read more about summer beers on NewsMiner and MSNBC.
Every year someone publishes a piece debunking St. Patrick’s Day myths and shedding light on the real reason for the season. Every year, like many I suspect, I neglect to read these pieces I know are written, preferring instead to indulge in what it is that I already ready know, what many already know: St. Patrick’s Day is about drinking beer, drinking Irish beer–drinking Green Irish beer.
Why is this? What is it about? Well, Ireland has something to do with green, being so green and all and having green as one of the three featured colors on its flag (the others are orange and white–here I go forcing you to actually learn something about Ireland). In the United States, at least, Ireland is green, St. Patrick’s Day is green, Ireland is St. Patrick’s Day and, no matter the reason, they’re all inextricably linked together. So on this St. Patrick’s Day, the day of green, of Ireland, of pinching and, most importantly, of beer (and let’s not forget the Irish are equal opportunity drinkers; Irish whiskey is a fine spirit and intoxication fortifier for this most special of days), it only makes sense (I guess) to drink green Irish beer.
And the reason for this? Well sometimes an acceptable reason to do something is to flip the question on its head and ask “Why not?” So, I put it to you: Why not drink green beer on St. Patrick’s Day? See you at the pub.
It’s winter, you’re over it. What to do? Drink. What to drink? Ale. What ale to drink? Brown ale. Brown ale? Yeah, brown ale.
Popularized by brands like Newcastle Brown Ale, the sometimes pale and sometimes deep brown color, not surprisingly characteristic of brown ales, screams winter. Their body, ranging from pretty light to pretty full (but rarely super light or crazy full) is perfect for winter–you want a beer with some substance that can stand up to the cold outside, but as you’re probably pairing it with sausages, short ribs, a bout of depression or other classic winter fare, anything too heavy will just weigh you down and make you feel, well, bad.
Ranging from sweet to hoppy to nutty, these brown ales are generally approachable without being boring. In the middle of a sometimes seemingly never-ending winter season, you want more from a beer than mere alcohol content: You want a balanced serious beer with notes of pleasant warm things, like honey, nuts and hoppy sweetness.
So next time winter leaves you wondering what to do with yourself and all those extra hours of literal darkness, grab some friends and head to the local pub and throw back a pitcher (or two) of local microbrew brown ale, or pick up a six pack after work and find someone to drink it with, or have a couple while watching a game or playing Scattergories. In any case (pun only quasi-unintended), with brown ales in ample supply nationwide, you’ve no excuse to feel down or have nothing to do this winter.
Beer used to be considered an alcoholic beverage for the working class. It was inexpensive and plentiful. You certainly never had to worry about a bar not having beer available.
At one time, the only beer that was available was domestic beer. People drank what was brewed locally and were satisfied with that. Now that foreign beers are available in bars and stores, it seems as if drinking a local product isn’t, well, cool anymore. Have we become a bunch of beer snobs? Since when should we be influenced by what type of beer is “cool” to drink?
There is nothing wrong with trying a different brand to see if you like it, but don’t be influenced by what anyone else tells you that you “should” be drinking. The brand of beer you should drink is the brand that you happen to enjoy the most. Instead of trying to impress other people with how cool we are because of our choice of ale, why don’t we just drink what we like instead? Does it matter what anyone else thinks about our choices in beer or anything else we decide we want to consume? I think not.
Jodee Redmond
April 9th, 2009 by Beverage Blogger | Posted in General | Comments (0)
Have you ever thought about making your own beer? Anyone who enjoys drinking this beverage has probably thought that having a private stock would be a great idea. Making your own brew can be very satisfying, as well as much less expensive than buying beer from a retailer.
If you are a beginner, then you will probably want to go one of the many brew-it-yourself locations. These stores provide you with the equipment and all the ingredients you need to make a batch of beer. If you are new to the beer-making game, you will also benefit from the guidance you will be given as you go through the process. You will be able to choose what type of beer you would like to brew.
Start by buying a beer making kit that has all the ingredients that will need. The kit will contain a package of yeast and a container of hopped malt concentrate. You will also need to buy some ingredients that will add some flavor to your home brew. The beer making kit will tell you whether you should be buying brewer’s sugar, rice syrup, dry malt extract or liquid malt extract.
Making your own beer makes sense from a financial point of view as well, since making your own brew costs less than paying retail prices!
This Valentines Day, serve up something special by pairing the award-winning taste of O’Haras Irish Stout with Frli, the Belgian fruit beer. A new drink recipe for combining the two acclaimed beers gives beer lovers a fun way to celebrate the holiday and indulge in a delicious duo.
According to Jeff Coleman, president of Distinguished Brands International, the distinct dark chocolate hints of OHaras Irish Stout pair perfectly with the fresh strawberry taste of Frli to create a decadent drink that tastes like everyone’s favorite Valentine treat of chocolate-covered strawberries.
For a new twist on a Valentines favorite check-out the recipe that the folks at Frli have suggested!
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Drink Mix
3 Parts Oharas Irish Stout
1 Part Frli Strawberry Beer
Garnish with a fresh strawberry
O’Haras Irish Stout was named the Worlds Number One Stout above 74 competing products at the worlds most prestigious beer competition, the Millennium Brewing Industrys International Awards.
Frli was a gold medal winner at the International Beer Competition 2004 and its made with Belgian white beer and natural strawberry juice.
The Guinness Book of World Records will need to be altered on March 18th, 2009 after SaintPattys.com hosts the world’s largest pub crawl spanning March 14th, 15th and Saint Patrick’s Day.
Over 100 bars will participate over 3 days. Last year 4,000 people joined in the Luck of the Irish Pub Crawl and this year, which marks the 11th year for this crawl, they’re expecting even more. A sampling of the participating bars can be found here — http://www.saintpattys.com/pubs.php.
There will be a variety of suggested routes that can be taken so everyone will be able to make their way into each bar without spending the entire adventure on lines.
Among all the participating bars Village Pourhouse (64 Third Avenue at 11 St), SideBAR (118 East 15th Street at Irving Pl), Vintage Irving (120 E 15th St), and McFadden’s (800 Second Ave at 42 St), stand-out as the ones with the best selection and atmosphere (Vintage Irving also has a particularly knowledgeable staff).
Samuel Adams Blackberry Witbier
Every year someone publishes a piece debunking 
It’s winter, you’re over it. What to do? Drink. What to drink? Ale. What ale to drink? Brown ale. Brown ale? Yeah, brown ale.
Have you ever thought about making your own beer? Anyone who enjoys drinking this beverage has probably thought that having a private stock would be a great idea. Making your own brew can be very satisfying, as well as much less expensive than buying beer from a retailer.
This Valentines Day, serve up something special by pairing the award-winning taste of O’Haras Irish Stout with 
The Guinness Book of World Records will need to be altered on March 18th, 2009 after
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