What did I expect before I went to the states? Part of me imagined that everyone would be drinking Bud or Coors and there wouldn't be a decent drink in sight, the other half of me somewhat suspected the truth but wouldn't let me get my hopes up too far for fear of them being dashed quite spectacularly. What was the reality? Well, as much as people do love their Bud in the states, it was clear to me that there was an onus on quality as well as the obvious onus on quantity (hey, stereotypes exist for a reason,) the first liquor store I visited (they have stores just for booze, you can't just get it from a supermarket like you can here... This fact baffled me for several days,) had a range so deep and jam packed with quality beer that I ran around like an excited child/tourist, taking pictures and screeching.
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| This is just the tip of the ice berg, people! |
There was a plethora of high end beers from Germany, Belgium and England which included the likes of Piraat, Gulden Draak, Ayinger, Schneider Weiss, Aecht Schlenkerla, Samuel Smith, Meantime, Duvel, La Chouffe, Innis & Gunn, Hofbrau, Affligem and Chimay. On top of this they had a whole aisle dedicated to American craft beer! They had a wall of Sam Adams surrounded by Dogfish Head and Magic Hat, Sierra Nevada and Ommegang, all of it was relatively local (we're talking about America here, nothing is ever THAT local) unless it was too good or too big a craft brewer to ignore. "These American microbrews can't all be that good..." I pondered to myself, making an almost completely random selection that run me up into the vicinity of $80 (yeah, that's where most of my money went, though I did attempt to purchase my weight in silver and bronze age Marvel comics.)
BOOM! That's when Dogfish head 90 Minute IPA happened! A 9% hammerhead of a beer that doesn't so much sneak up on you than it does directly assault your taste buds and nasal areas with its SHEER DOMINANT WILL! A heavy mouth feel and punchy hops that make Mike Tyson look like he throws like a baby seal seal the victory for this horrifically uncompromising brew. Did I mention it comes in packs of 4 and that they average at $2.50 each? Now that's some strange economical voodoo that I want to master and then, in the future, bend to my will in a potentially flawed attempt at world domination.
"What else was there Drew?" I hear you crying, jabbing at your computer screen like a demented puppy at a set of glass, sliding, doors. Whoa! Hold your horses will you? I was getting to that!
Boom! Sam Adams, Little White Rye... Hahahahahahahahaha, what a play on words, hahahahaha. STOP IT! A deliciously fruity number with light hoppy tones that reminded me of a much more complex version of shandy. Sam Adams love using coriander and various peels in their sweet, sweet, alco-booze and this is no exception! The peel is prominent but not intrusive and all the other spice in there only adds to the refreshing, zesty, qualities of the beer. This may well have been the best of the lot but I didn't get to try all of them, I would've needed another 10 days in Boston if I'd wanted to do that. On top of that they have a selection of SUPER FANCY beers that come in bottles that look like lamps as well as a couple that they barrel age in Buffalo Trace casks and one that is Barrel aged for 18 months, hits the high 20's for abv and costs around 250 buckaroos! What I learnt about Sam Adams, however, is that they are a very impressive brewery with a dedicated team and a history for innovation and quality, 2 things that I had no idea they possessed before visiting Boston and, indeed, their brewery.
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| Fancy places like this. |
There were a great deal of beers on display and I found that when I travelled, the restaurants and bars would all be supporting their local microbrewery with many completely obscure brews on tap in restaurants fancy enough to have un-laminated wine lists. This, however, all seemed normal to the people of Boston and Cape Cod who often gave me a look that would suggest that they questioned my general sanity when I enthused about local or interesting beer. It makes me think that beer, contrary to popular belief (in this country at least,) is one of the things America has been doing right all along.
There was a plethora of high end beers from Germany, Belgium and England which included the likes of Piraat, Gulden Draak, Ayinger, Schneider Weiss, Aecht Schlenkerla, Samuel Smith, Meantime, Duvel, La Chouffe, Innis & Gunn, Hofbrau, Affligem and Chimay. On top of this they had a whole aisle dedicated to American craft beer! They had a wall of Sam Adams surrounded by Dogfish Head and Magic Hat, Sierra Nevada and Ommegang, all of it was relatively local (we're talking about America here, nothing is ever THAT local) unless it was too good or too big a craft brewer to ignore. "These American microbrews can't all be that good..." I pondered to myself, making an almost completely random selection that run me up into the vicinity of $80 (yeah, that's where most of my money went, though I did attempt to purchase my weight in silver and bronze age Marvel comics.)
BOOM! That's when Dogfish head 90 Minute IPA happened! A 9% hammerhead of a beer that doesn't so much sneak up on you than it does directly assault your taste buds and nasal areas with its SHEER DOMINANT WILL! A heavy mouth feel and punchy hops that make Mike Tyson look like he throws like a baby seal seal the victory for this horrifically uncompromising brew. Did I mention it comes in packs of 4 and that they average at $2.50 each? Now that's some strange economical voodoo that I want to master and then, in the future, bend to my will in a potentially flawed attempt at world domination.
Boom! Sam Adams, Little White Rye... Hahahahahahahahaha, what a play on words, hahahahaha. STOP IT! A deliciously fruity number with light hoppy tones that reminded me of a much more complex version of shandy. Sam Adams love using coriander and various peels in their sweet, sweet, alco-booze and this is no exception! The peel is prominent but not intrusive and all the other spice in there only adds to the refreshing, zesty, qualities of the beer. This may well have been the best of the lot but I didn't get to try all of them, I would've needed another 10 days in Boston if I'd wanted to do that. On top of that they have a selection of SUPER FANCY beers that come in bottles that look like lamps as well as a couple that they barrel age in Buffalo Trace casks and one that is Barrel aged for 18 months, hits the high 20's for abv and costs around 250 buckaroos! What I learnt about Sam Adams, however, is that they are a very impressive brewery with a dedicated team and a history for innovation and quality, 2 things that I had no idea they possessed before visiting Boston and, indeed, their brewery.
There were a great deal of beers on display and I found that when I travelled, the restaurants and bars would all be supporting their local microbrewery with many completely obscure brews on tap in restaurants fancy enough to have un-laminated wine lists. This, however, all seemed normal to the people of Boston and Cape Cod who often gave me a look that would suggest that they questioned my general sanity when I enthused about local or interesting beer. It makes me think that beer, contrary to popular belief (in this country at least,) is one of the things America has been doing right all along.
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