It’s spring time! Time to shed the winter clothes and hearty ales. With the warming weather come the crisper, lighter ales, bocks and lagers that are perfect for basking in the sunshine.  I’m kicking off my springtime with a Popfuji Pilsner at BROUWERIJ WEST in San Pedro, California. This is such a perfect beer to enjoy on a sunny day.... Read more →

When I saw Backwoods Bastard on the shelves of my local liquor store, the first thing that came to mind was the movie Deliverance and the “dueling banjos” scene. This beer, however, doesn’t originate from the backwoods of Georgia, it comes from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Many may not know that Grand Rapids has had the title of “Beer... Read more →

I discovered BARLEY FORGE BREWING CO. quite by accident. I had some time to kill while waiting for dinner reservations and decided a beer would be the perfect appetizer. And what a great discovery it was! I don’t usually drink stouts because many of the new breed of stouts are usually very hearty, high octane and take some time to enjoy... Read more →

Wow. That’s the first thought that hit me when I took my first sip of this monster brew. After my taste buds settled down a bit, I took a second and wow . . . Stone prides itself on making big delicious, over-the-top, hopped-up, malted, flavorful beasts. It’s no accident that its logo features a menacing-looking gargoyle. Stone’s... Read more →

My first introduction to a real pilsner came (where else?) while living in Prague, Czech Republic one summer. Sure, I’ve had pilsner/ lagers in other parts of Eastern Europe but most of those were swill compared to their Czech counterparts. Why am I reminiscing about Prague? You can probably see where this is going. Since the beginning of... Read more →