Sudwerk Lager

Just found a favorite lager! A first, for me, since I usually can't stand the stuff. But this is delicious! Malty and sweet, with a honeyed apricot aftertaste. With about a 5% ABV, this is a fantastic session beer.

Sadly, this bullshit is not a joke.



"This lovely beer is a light lager, with low carbs and just 97 calories. The taste leans toward the smoothness of malt over the dry bitterness of hops It’s the taste that women prefer. You’re going to love it."

what. the. fuck.

No, I am NOT going to "love it." I'm going to ridicule and hate everything about it, from its sexist and demeaning packaging (a more extreme lady hourglass figure than I've seen on most macrobrewery labels), to its bullshit recipe, to its totally offensive declaration on what "women prefer" (newsflash - some of us LIKE hops, dumbass).

I can't tell if the fact that this is made by a woman makes it better or worse. I just hope the Pink Boots Society gives her a lesson or two on what Women in the Beer Industry are actually up to. Jesus.

Did you know Drake's Brewing has a Barrel Aged Tap House? Tasters, half-pints, 6-packs, growlers...this place is awesome. Particularly today, with such amazing weather & a $5 rib/pizza/salad lunch thanks to Bay Area Beer Socials! Drake's is already one of my favorite local breweries, and today I found a new reason why: Alpha Session, a Nor-Cal bitter that's only 3.8%! And SO delicious. Light and sweet with some pleasant hops, with a slightly butterscotch aftertaste. Absolutely amazing - we're getting a growler for tomorrow's croquet party!

Spitfire says Flying Dog Imperial Porter is "the vegemite of beers."

Lanesplitter

Post-softball with Spitfire (why yes, of course we won). Ordered pitchers of Racer 5 and Death & Taxes...then blended. SO GOOD. The Racer adds a nice mild hoppiness to the dark, solid D&T. Spitfire would like to say "I think the Racer 5 adds a fruity flavor, and cuts the bitter aftertaste." I trained her well.

Holy Shit, Triple Rock!

Since my old faithful ipod met a timely demise (it was about 5 years old, which is almost 90 in human years) when I attempted to smuggle two large, full coffees into the movies via my purse (spoiler alert: it was not a success), I was forced to purchase a new (old) one off craigslist. A kind UC Berkeley teenager sold me one cheap, so we went to eat at Triple Rock.

Hot damn.

I had two of their seasonal brews, and they are outstanding.

Hopfensuppe - an imperial IPA at 8.5%. So delicious. Fruity, light, similar to Avery's Maharaja. Perfect for a summery day. Just the right amount of hops to have a little kick, but they're the sweet citrusy hops that I love. LOVE this beer.

Black N Blue - a stout, but light at only 5.1%. It's a nice roasty beer that's a little more porter-like, but very sweet and warming. Also: blueberries! It's not an obvious fruit flavour, it's just a slight full sweetness that is surprisingly perfect.

Oh, Triple Rock. You are awesome.

Triple Rock Firkin Fest

Summer weather = beer festivals! Today we're in Berkeley drinking hand pumped beer. So far my favourite is Tcho Mama from Marin Brewing. Chocolate and cherries! So tasty. And surprisingly sweet - usually cherry makes beer sour, so this is a nice change.