Hoppin Frog Brewery – Hop Heathen Black

ABV: 8.8%

IBU: 70

Hoppin Frog is a brewery that is new to me. Until B.O.R.I.S the Crusher was put on tap at the pub I work at I had no idea that it existed. Generally that doesn’t surprise me but being located in Akron, Ohio, a town I pass through each time I visit my family I thought I would have heard of it by now. Akron is devoid of any attractions besides the childhood homes of The Black Keys and a quality brewery should generate a lot more interest.
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Oktoberfest – Left Hand Brewing Company

ABV: 6.6%

IBU: 24

In my preparation for my stein raising trip to Munich for Oktoberfest, I wanted to have at least one local Märzen lager to compare with the brews offered in Germany. Since my favorite beer is Sam Adams version of Oktoberfest, I’ll try not to be biased. That being said, I am setting my sights on Left Hand Brewing’s Oktoberfest.
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Blue Point Brewing Company Pumpkin Ale

ABV: 6.0%

IBU: 26

Availability: Mid-August-December

The dog days of August have ended; cooler weather has prevailed. And with the changing weather comes a slew of seasonal beer offerings—a surefire sign winter is fast-approaching. Oktoberfests, pumpkin beers, winter ales—as the heat subsides, they all brave Indian summers to wet our palettes and whet our appetites for blazing fires and snowball fights. Read More

Deschutes Brewery – Chainbreaker White IPA

One of the most important factors to consider when searching for a new home, or at least somewhere new to live, is the availability of a quality neighborhood bar. Seriously, forget the school district and don’t pull your hair out over the distance to the nearest grocery store. It’s all about whether your neighborhood bar has:

1. A solid beer collection
2. A great staff/great service
3. Reasonable prices
4. Great atmosphere
5. Solid food
6. Is close by
7. Non-douchey clientele. Read More

Ellie’s Brown Ale- Avery Brewing Co.

ABV: 5.5%

Mmmm… Brown Ale. You had me at hello.

Brown Ale may or may not be the key to my heart. I do love most beers – yes- but I will never turn down something specifically classified as a “Brown Ale”. Read More

Breckenridge Brewery – Agave Wheat

ABV:  4.2%

IBU: 9

I originally wanted to write this review about Maumee Bay Brewing Company’s Agave Chili Ale. I took a sip of it at Ohio Brew Week this June and was blown away by just that small taste. Alas, my emails to the brewmaster and sales manager to get my hands on some were to no avail. I searched high and low for something similar, but it was no use. The closest thing I could find was Breckenridge Brewery’s Agave Wheat. Read More

One Minute Review – Anchor Summer Beer

ABV: 4.5%

Availability: April-October

It’s official: summer is winding down. People are starting to head back to school, pools will close soon, and retailers are putting their summer styles on clearance. It’s time to soak up the last you can of summer—including seasonal beers!

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Agave Wheat – Breckenridge Brewery

ABV: 4.2%

IBU: 9

While attending the first annual Big Denver Barbecue Block Party, I had the pleasure of eating some great ribs and sides, listen to some fantastic live music, both with some awesome friends. At the event, they had a variety of a brew from Breckenridge Brewery. Of the ones available, I decided to choose Agave Wheat. I think the choice was good. Life is good when you sit on the grass in the sun, eat some BBQ, listen to live music, and have a beer to tie everything together.

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Hoppin’ Frog’s BORIS the Crusher, Russian Imperial Stout.

ABV: 9.4%

BORIS the Crusher, or Bodacious Oatmeal Russian Imperial Stout in long form is a multiple award winning brew from Hoppinfrog Brewery out of Akron, Ohio. It also happens to be extremely rare to find on tap, it just recently has been put into kegs and is crazy expensive in keg form. Nearly double the typical price of any normal craft beer pour.
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Edmund Fitzgerald- Great Lakes Brewing Company

ABV: 5.8%

So, here I am, at the gas station, trying to pick out a new kind of beer that I haven’t previously sampled. It’s slim pickins at the local UDF tonight and now I’m kicking myself for procrastinating on this beer review (something that I put myself through daily, obviously). I’m realllly wishing I would have made it to the liquor store so I could have found something exotic, but right before I gave up, a stormy blue six-pack catches my eye. Edmund Fitzgerald? What a lovely, handsome name for a beer! Sold.

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Brouwerij Westvleteren – Westvleteren 12

When I began planning my short, twenty-four hour trip to Belgium, I immediately began looking for the greatest and best beers to try. Having been to the New Belgium Brewery, my eyes had been recently opened to the glories of Belgian beers. So, I asked Google for a list of the greatest and best beers made by the Belgians and Google not only told me that many Belgian beers are absolutely fantastic, but the “best beer in the world” (as rated by Beer Advocate and about everyone else) could be found in Belgium and only Belgium.
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Uinta Brewing – BABA Black Lager

ABV: 4%

IBU: 32

After a tiring day of work, I picked up a 6er of Uinta’s BABA Black Lager at Argonaut. In one sense, my purchase was motivated by getting a beer that would allow me to stagnate on the couch and watch House Hunters International and the Colbert Report. I figured a strong black ale would probably do the job. I also have been meaning to get my hands on other Uinta Brewing products. I am big fan of its Monkshine and wanted to give some of its other offerings a go.
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Avery Brewing – White Rascal

ABV: 5.6%

IBU: 10

Beer has been described as many things, a new acquaintance, an old friend, and some mornings a cruel nemesis. I’ve encountered several anthropomorphized versions of beer but none more useful than White Rascal, my go to beer wing man.
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Blue Dawg Brewing – Premium Blueberry Lager

Premium Blueberry Lager – Blue Dawg Brewing, Baldwinsville, New York

ABV:  8%

Senior year of college. That’s when I first drank Wild Blue Premium Blueberry Lager out of Blue Dawg … Read More

Timmerman’s – Oude Gueuze Lambicus

Oude Gueuze Lambicus, Brouwerij Timmermans, Belgium

Limited Edition, 750 ml bottle

ABV: 5.5%

Bottle Refermented.

One of the main perks of my job at Avery Brewing Co. is that I’m … Read More

Lakefront Brewery – Pumpkin Lager

Pumpkin Lager – Lakefront Brewery, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

ABV: 6%

It’s that time of year. The sun is setting earlier and earlier. Camp fires are blazing at night. And Lakefront Brewery’s … Read More

The Joys of Summit Drinking

“How long did it take you to acclimate to the thin air?” Coloradans hear this from visitors, from bands we catch at Red Rocks, and from people who have lived … Read More

Left Hand – Wake Up Dead

Wake Up Dead Russian Imperial Stout – Left Hand Brewing, Longmont, CO

ABV: 10.2%

IBUs: 50

With it starting to get cooler (relatively) and breweries starting to release the bigger, … Read More

New Belgium’s Red Hoptober Release Party

Red Hoptober – New Belgium Brewery, Fort Collins, CO

ABV: 6%

IBU: 60

Let this be said: if you haven’t seen The Patti Fiasco, please make sure you do … Read More

Munich Dunkel Lager – Hofbräuhaus Newport

Munich Dunkel Lager – Hofbräuhaus Newport, Newport, NY

ABV: 5.5%

Staying in touch with my German roots, the Hofbräuhaus of Newport, Kentucky is one of my favorite places in my hometown—nothing … Read More