Day 155, June 4 / Brooklyn Summer Ale

Day 155  /  June 4, 2011

Brooklyn Summer Ale

The Brooklyn Brewery /  Brooklyn (and Utica), NY

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 Last night, I knew my evening plans included a trip to the Demolition Derby in Southern Maryland.  While the derby provides hours of entertainment, both on and off the track, I knew they wouldn’t have an extensive beer selection.  So I decided to have my Summer Beer of the day in the afternoon, before I left for the derby.

Sure enough, I was right.  Bud, Bud Light, Coors Light and Bud Light Lime.  $2.75 for a 10 oz. can, or $13 for six cans in a bag with ice, what a deal.

There’s actually several craft breweries releasing beers in cans these days.  But some are just releasing one or two of their lighter beers in cans during the summer months only, perfect for boating, tailgating, and other activities.  Magic Hat #9 and Brooklyn Summer Ale are both out in cans this year.  

Brooklyn Summer is a “pre-prohibition style luncheon” ale, a lighter alcohol beer than could be enjoyed with lunch.  It’s actually got a unique, floral, hoppy taste that makes it a little unique.  I could definitely have a few of these!

In a tip of the trucker cap to the demolition derby, I’m giving you a song about a car that could make an appearance at the derby.

 

Day 154, June 3 / Rockfish Wheat Summer Weiss Beer

Day 154  /  June 3, 2011

Rockfish Wheat Summer Weiss Beer

Blue Mountain Brewery / Afton, Virginia

I have a good day every now and then…

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And today was one of them. Last evening I met up with some friends at the Herndon Festival, an area street festival with rides, vendors, food and a beer garden.  The choices at the beer garden were limited to Bud Light, Shocktop and Dominion Ale.  Actually, the Dominion tasted a little sour, so I switched over to Shocktop.  But no Summer Beers on tap, so I’d have to wait until I got home for that.  I did enjoy a good bowl of jambalaya from Jimmy’s Old Town Tavern’s stand.

The featured entertainer of the night was Paul Thorn, a blues / rock / Americana musician hailing from Tupelo, Mississippi.  He has a down home delivery of his between-song banter, his lyrics are funny and often touching, and his band is tight!  He has a song or two that could be a good candidate for a nice Summer Song (hint hint).

So when I got home, I hit the Summer beer stash and pulled out a Rockfish Wheat Summer Weiss Beer from Blue Mountain Brewing Company in Afton, VA.  Blue Mountain is on the Brew Ridge Trail, a group of (unrelated) small breweries in and around Charlottesville, VA.  I have actually driven by the brewery a couple times on the way to Wintergreen Resort, but never have had a chance to stop in.

Rockfish Wheat is actually a Kristalweizen style beer. What?  Kristalweizen is a filtered Hefeweizen (most Hefe’s are unfiltered).  So this poured an unexpected clear deep golden color into the glass.  It’s definitely not as chewy as a Hefeweizen, but it does have a similar taste, and had the banana overtones of a wheat beer.  Pretty good.

Hope you have a good day every now and then!

Day 153, June 2 / Summerfest Summer Lager

Day 153  /  June 2, 2011

Summerfest Summer Lager

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co / Chico CA

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So my buddy Jeff from Syracuse texts me tonight and tells me he’s having a beer (for me) at the Harpoon Brewery in Boston.

I text him a picture of tonight’s Sierra Summerfest.

He says Harpoon Summer is better.

I tell him it’s in the lineup for the month – we’ll see.

Sierra Nevada Summerfest is a pilsner style lager, obviously much lighter than most Sierra ales.  It’s got a smooth, crisp taste, a good session beer, but nothing really remarkable about it.

He might be right – Harpoon Summer might be better.

And here’s a summertime hit from 1970 from Mungo Jerry (that’s the name of the group, not the guy).  Dig those crazy sideburns, man!

Day 152, June 1 / Newcastle Summer Ale

Day 152  /  June 1, 2011

Newcastle Summer Ale

Caledonian Brewing Co. Ltd.  /  Edinburgh, UK

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We’re hopping across the pond for our first Beer of Summer, Newcastle Summer Ale.  When you hear Newcastle, you might think of a dark beer in a clear bottle.  Wel, this is a light beer in a brown bottle.  Go figure.

Newcastle Summer Ale pours a nice golden color with a foamy white head.  It’s got a nice crisp taste, with a slight bite of hops.  A decent beer to start off the Beer Run.  Hey, my father-in-law even liked it. Over ice.  Go figure.

Don’t forget to check out today’s Song of Summer by clicking on the image below.