In The Nick Of Time

Hi, My name is Nick, and I like beer. Now that that's out of the way, I guess I should tell you a little about myself.  I'm the only contributor of this blog that is still an undergrad, and will only be one for 6 more months. So I guess in a way I hope this will help me prepare for post-college life somewhat. I am also one of the few contributors that brews my own beer as well.

Before I get to that though, I feel I should give my history of beer fascination. My father has always been a big fan of good beers especially Sam Adams as that was the most common craft beer 10-15 years ago. As such, I have always hated the crappy college basement party beers like Natty, Keystone, and Coors just to name a few. Anyone writing on this blog can attest to that statement that, only when we started trying unique, craft beers that cost more than 30 cents a can did I start showing an affinity for liquid bread. After turning 21, my dad and I both delved deeper into the craft brewery world. In doing so I found my favorite brewery, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery.

We decided to venture down to Milton, Delaware to visit the Dogfish Head Brewery itself and then headed over to Rehoboth Beach, DE to finish up the full tour and visit the Alehouse to try some special brews. After finding out first-hand the process in which to make beer, I went out and found a local home-brew store where I go to school in Philadelphia. I found the absolutely amazing Home Sweet Homebrew down on 2008 Sansom Street - they provide you with all the necessities to brew for a beginner as well as loose ingredients for the more advanced and experienced brewers. With their help, I have brewed a Brown Ale and a Brown Porter and plan to brew some type of fruit-infused Ale next. Since entering the craft beer world, I have tried to drink as many different craft brews as possible, from as many different breweries as possible.

I like to think I fit in very well with the Dogfish Head motto of "off-centered ales for off-centered people". I also strongly believe that the statement made by one of our founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin, sums up this wonderful world of craft and micro breweries, "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy". I think I've rambled on enough at this point - I hope you all enjoy this.

Mike T's Favorite Places to Grab a Cold One

Instead of the typical introductory "Hi, I like Beer" post I figured it would be fun to name a few places that I like to drink at, and why I like them so much as sort of an introduction to myself. But in case that doesn't work... Hi my name's Mike and I like beer.

One of my favorite places to get a brew in the area will most likely have its own separate write up at some point since it is so close to all of us, and is so delicious. Harvest Moon in New Brunswick, New Jersey has more of an "adult" feel from the typical New Brunswick bar scene. If you're lucky enough to get in on a crowded night you will enjoy their craft beers brewed in-house. Walking through the door you can see the equipment that these fine beverages are conceived and created in, and you can smell the hoppy aroma at all times. The tap selection is always changing, but I have never had a beer I didn't like there. The beers range from IPA's, to a "Firehouse Red" to commemorate a local hero, to seasonal pumpkin or winter ales. They have a sampler option where you can try out a couple of their brews, but if you go there on a slow night the bartenders are usually willing to shell out a sample of each. You can also buy growlers of their beers to take home at a very fair price. This bar has a full restaurant upstairs that is very tasty and very reasonably priced. This is not meant to be a full review, so go check this place out. I could be writing here for hours about it.

Next on the list is The Grove in Miltown, New Jersey. This townie/dive/sports bar mixture works so well on so many levels. They have a very friendly wait staff, a bunch of tv's to catch a game, live music on the weekends, and an awesome tap selection. On tap they have the usual domestics - Blue Moon as well as the Blue Moon seasonal (currently the Winter Abbey Ale), Guinness, the Long Trail Brewing Company Seasonal (Hibernator, currently - review to follow since I love that beer), Brooklyn Lager, Victory Hop Devil, Stella, Guinness, Saranac seasonals, and for the hipsters (and Jon) they have PBR. All of their tap beers are phenomenal.

Moving onto the corporate side of things, to get a good beer, Buffalo Wild Wings is always a great choice. Awesome wing specials mixed in with sports and a great tap selection make this one of the best chain places. I've had a couple Saranac seasonals there that I haven't seen anywhere else, and they always have some of my go-to favorites like Hoegaarden, Smithwicks, and Newcastle on tap.

Another corporate joint to get a good brew is Tilted Kilt in East Brunswick. The atmosphere in the restaurant is a little risque, but outside of the uniforms, the decor of the place is really neat. Two huge projection screens, accompanied by a bunch of tv's means you'll never miss a game or fight. Moving on to the beer... they have the typical domestics with Bud Light as a special, as well as some of my go-to's. I got a Shipyard Pumpkin Ale that had a cinnamon sugar rim one night that was amazing. They also have a house Tilted Kilt Lager which I have not had the chance to try since I normally go with the special or something a bit darker, but I will certainly get around to trying it and I will let you know when I do.

I know this is an "After-College Guide" to drinking, but I drank awesome beer in college. Going to school in Oneonta, New York, I was within driving distance to three or four breweries, the biggest one being Ommegang. The Black Oak in Oneonta, NY had three delicious Ommegang beers; Rare Vos being my favorite along with Hennepin and Witte. Spending the extra cash on a Rare Vos as a broke college student was no problem for myself and most of the people frequenting the bar. The Oak has live music almost every night of the week (drawing local and regionally touring bands), pool tables in the back with free pool on Sundays, and a great crowd of down-to-earth people. I miss this bar so much since I relate a lot of my college experience to it.

I hope this has given you some insight into my beer drinking habits and gives you a little taste of what's to come from my point of view. Comment and let me know where you like to get a good beer so I can check them out!

There's ANOTHER girl on this blog?

My name is Maggie, and I'm here to provide some more female insight to the world of craft beverages. I typically enjoy reds and ambers, but can also go for fruit and dessert beers, including yummy chocolatey stouts. Be prepared for some cider collaborations from Marissa and I. :)

There's not much else to tell about me, except for the fact that I enjoy refreshing beverages with good friends and good food. I plan to use this blog as a way to share what I know, but also to learn and explore the relationships between what we eat and what we drink.

I look forward to this alcoholic adventure, and hope you guys enjoy the ride with all of us!

-Maggie

Hi, I'm Ian.

These things are always hard. 

Sorry, that was a terrible joke. But seriously, I never know what to say in these things. I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to visit this page. There is a lot of really important stuff on the internet that you could be looking at instead. I suppose I should start by introducing myself. 

Hi, I'm Ian. 

If you read any of my posts, you'll notice that I am a well blended mix of sarcasm, condescension, and endearment. I will attempt to lead you on the path of beer righteousness. My friends (and fellow contributors) know, and you will learn fairly quickly that there is a two step process to loving me: 

1. Never take me seriously
2. Recognize that I am always right

Now that I've officially turned you off from me completely, I would like to thank you once again for visiting. Like I always tell girls after a first date, "I'm really not as bad as you think."

Lager Bloggin'

While I did write the introductory post, I really failed in introducing myself. My name is Patrick and I love beer. No really, I love it. Ever since I was 21, I knew the normal party beers weren't for me. While my friends were chugging Coors Light and pounding Lionsheads, I was looking at the beers kept in the coolers in the dark corner of the bar. I didn't care about getting drunk on less than ten bucks. I just wanted to see what the world had to offer. I've never been a regular guy. Some people dance to the beat of their own drums; I want to know why the drum makes noise. To say that the same applies to my love for beer is an understatement. I'm just glad I found the opportunity to create this blog with a great group of friends who love beer too. With that out of they way...

Happy National Lager Day, everybody! If you're in the US (or elsewhere - we won't judge), go ahead and grab your favorite lager. Be it a Pilsner, Bock, Dunkel, Helles, Marzen, or American it's a great day to relax with a beer as storied as a lager.

In the spirit of the holiday, I ventured out to the beer store to restock my supply. Besides finding a beer I've been looking for for a few years now (Dogfish Head's Bitches Brew) and picking up a pack of what is arguably one of the best beers I've ever had (Founder's Breakfast Stout), I also purchased a bottle of Smuttynose Brewing Company's S'Muttonator Doppelbock and a six pack of Brooklyn Brewery's Brooklyn Lager. While I've been waiting for the S'Muttonator to cool down in the fridge, I went ahead and tore into the Brooklyn Lager.

 Having taken a tour of Brooklyn Brewery only a few short months ago, I've already had the pleasure of enjoying their Lager. While it's not my favorite beer they've ever produced (that distinction belongs to their Mary's Maple Porter), it's a solid brew nonetheless.

I went ahead and poured this into a snifter-like glass I had laying around. If you take their brewery tour, they give you a really nice laser-engraved tulip glass to take home with you; I couldn't find mine, but I digress. After the pour, you're left with a short head (less than one centimeter) that dissipates in a rather short period of time. Swirling the beer around leaves a little bit of lacing that just faded almost immediately. I don't know if this is because my glasses aren't as clean as they can be or because of the beer itself, but it's no big deal for me. As far as appearances go, Brooklyn Lager is nothing special. It has a nice golden amber color, but as far beer goes, it's a run-of-the-mill look. If Brooklyn Lager was a t-shirt, it would be a white v-neck T-shirt - not quite as dull as a crew neck, but not wild enough to truly set itself apart from others.

On the olfactory front, I found the aroma of this beer to be quite pleasing. It had a fruity smell with definite floral tones and surprisingly, it persisted. Many beers have the tendency to smell strong on the first sniff and then that's it, but I was pleased to find that the Brooklyn Lager's aroma had some real sticking power. Subsequently, the taste exhibited the same characteristic. Brooklyn describes their Lager as having a "floral hop character" and they were dead on with that. Much like the aroma, there is a fruity and floral mix that's immediately evident, but what I found especially pleasing was a slight bitterness provided by the hops. I'm a hopaholic, so any bitterness is greatly welcomed. While nowhere near IPA or other similar Pale Ale levels, the bitterness in the Brooklyn Lager was strong enough to properly complement the floral tones in the beer.

On the whole, Brooklyn Lager is a solid beer. It's not the greatest beer I've ever had, but it's certainly far from the worst. The guys and gals at the Brooklyn Brewery are a dedicated bunch with a real knack for brewing and their Brooklyn Lager is testament to that. On National Lager Day, I say go out and try the Brooklyn Lager if you can. It's affordable, local (well, a short ride away for me), and best of all, it's an all-around good beer.

Welcome!

We all know that feeling. It's three in the afternoon, the sun is shining, and you're stuck in a stuffy lecture hall listening to some poorly dressed, more-hungover-than-you-are professor try to relate advanced fluid dynamics to pouring a beer in a last ditch effort to earn his tenure with one more passing D. You don't care though; you're just thinking about making it out alive.

Compared to adult life, college life is a breeze. The bills get bigger and the same tired conversations with the same tired coworkers barely make the days passable, but there's one constant that you've had since college that has yet to let you down. Among all the crappy relationships, long hours partying, late hours studying, and the times you just need to have a drink, beer's been by your side. That most excellent of brewed beverages has been the source of many stories from colleges everywhere, but you're in the real world now. You've got a real job and real responsibility. There's no reason to drink like you're in college.

That's where we come in. We're a group of friends who've been drinking beer for as long as I can remember and we'd like to help you. Although we practically all grew up together, we have unique experiences, opinions, and tastes that make for a dynamic beer experience. Some of us try every single beer we can get our hands on and some of us stick with our regular favorites. A few of us have even forayed in the beer-making process. Whether we're drinking it, brewing it, or talking about it, beer has played a bigger part of our adult lives than any of us truly realize. We're adults now, and we're going to drink like it. Why don't you?