Category: Front Page

Iranian lawmakers are seeing red after a German beer maker printed the Islamic Republic’s flag on special bottles of beer commemorating the World Cup.

Brewer Gaffel Kolsch created a beer bottle that included the Islamic Republic’s flag with the words “God is great” repeated across two stripes on the labels and caps. The beer is part of special edition bottles showcasing Iran and 31 other nations participating in the World Cup.

Alcohol is forbidden under Islamic law. Member of Parliament Hamid Rasaie told Fars news agency politicians that the use of Iran’s flag is insulting and that he was angry at FIFA for “allowing” the flag to be “disrespected.” It’s unclear FIFA’s involvement in approving the bottle.

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What pairs well with a Lagunitas Imperial Stout? How about a sword swallower in a blue suit?

A Daytime IPA? That goes well with a contorting burlesque dancer wearing a clown nose, according to Lagunitas Brewing Co. event director Jimmy Jacobs.

For the sixth year, the Petaluma brewery hosted its Beer Circus on Sunday, a celebration of steampunk weirdness, Vaudeville spectacle and, of course, all things beer.

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Profiled by Maria Devan for PGA

If I ever have a next life my first words are going to be “Pils bitte”

Pours clear and sweet yellow with a faint head that fell immediately to a few big bubbles and a film on top. Nice lace.

Delicious pilsner nose. First a little yeasty bite with a hint of sour, then lemon and grass. Earthy and herbal. Bready, cracker malt brings it home.

Taste is so well done. Thin malt sweetness and juicy lemon with light lemon peel wash over the palate effortlessly. Earthy, round and floral. The malt has perfect balance alongside the delicate hops. The pale grain takes over on the back palate for a thirst quenching dryness and the hops come up for a shy bitter that lingers just until your next sip. Fantastic and floral as it fills up your senses in the aftertaste. Ample carbonation and a thin body.

Troegs never fails to delight. This is a substantial summer beer that made the most of the minimal and simple aspects of a pils and came up with a beer that was feather light on the palate. It has plenty of character and is delicate yet firm. Simple and easy to drink. Before you know it you will have had 2 or 3 of these.

4.

Welcome to the PGA beer rating system: one beer “Don’t bother.” Two: Eh, if someone gives it to you, drink. Three: very good, go ahead and seek it out, but be aware there is at least one problem. Four: seek it out. Five: pretty much “perfecto.”

_____________________________________Beer HERE

Maria Devan lives in Ithaca, NY and is frequent reviewer of beer and a beer lover deluxe.

Profiled by Maria Devan for PGA

It’s friday and it’s in full swing. I admit I have had my eyes peeled for the better part of 12 months for Anchors Humming Ale but the other day I found this! Good enough!

This pours a brilliant orange. Clear and calm like a pane of glass with brick color red hues and a fat head of khaki foam tinged with a bit of orange. The head is loathe to fall. It’s creamy and falls off rocky leaving a thick layer on top and some gorgeous lacing. Nose is subtle but it’s a grapefruit and some very forward malt. Caramel. A bit of herbal in there to give it depth and an earthy pine. I cannot be sure how old the beer is but I think the hops have faded somewhat. The grapefruit is in the backseat but the malt is a spectacular and luscious caramel that is not heavy. The tartness and the pith of the fruit comes through and the pine stays light and in the background. The herbal adds dimension to the drink. This finishes dry and with a lovely and pretty strong bitter that carries itself off extremely well. Leaves with a sweet aftertaste from the malt and the fruit on the side.

I like it. It’s like an English style IPA.

3.8

Welcome to the PGA beer rating system: one beer “Don’t bother.” Two: Eh, if someone gives it to you, drink. Three: very good, go ahead and seek it out, but be aware there is at least one problem. Four: seek it out. Five: pretty much “perfecto.”

______________________ __Beer HERE

Maria Devan lives in Ithaca, NY and is frequent reviewer of beer and a beer lover deluxe.

“If you’re a big fan of Abita Purple Haze, you’ve probably exposed yourself at Mardi Gras, but you own it. Good for you. You’re a raspberry and cheese lover… you know a lot about beer and cheeses. You believe that fruits and beer should be a thing that everyone loves.”

“Nobody picks Amstel Light by choice. It’s always the last thing sitting depressingly alone at the bottom of the ice bucket. You’re the ultimate guy/girl next door.”

“Blue Moon is craft beer for people who have never had a craft beer.”
“You’re a proud member of the citrus-in-beer club and your friends are forced to make an extra trip on your behalf, regularly. You are a free spirit and probably think Burning Man is the coolest festival out there. These people believe, mistakenly, that they have refined tastes.”

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Standing in the Place d’Armes, NOLA Beer Tours (www.nolabeertours.com) guide Eric Stockwell recited New Orleans’ Regal Brewery’s catchphrase from its heyday in the mid-1900s: “Red beans and rice, and Regal on ice.”

  He paused, then said, “That stuff sold like crack, you guys.”

  NOLA Beer Tours was founded in 2013 and aims to combine the history of beer in New Orleans with a tour of the French Quarter and highlighting local beers at a variety of bars. Stockwell says that for the most part, the tours are made up of people with a genuine interest in craft beer. My tour group had a diverse mix of folks from Slidell, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Texas and Oklahoma.

  The tour I went on earlier this month met at Tujague’s for the first stop. Although I was initially skeptical of the location, the restaurant’s historic significance combined with two iconic Louisiana beers on tap — NOLA Blonde and Abita Amber — and a snack of its house specialty brisket changed my mind.

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  I can’t say much about Green Flash, but Tom Becham has mentioned them here at PGA. I do have a Terrapin story…
  In the 90s I was gone a lot. From Louisiana to Florida to Maine I was doing dhows for the young and using multitrack tech to create projects with slightly older children. I was in Georgia, west side of Atlanta staying on this huge lake and heard nearby Athens had turned into a new beer capital.
  Of course I stayed in my little trailer and worked on my programs and… Continue reading “A Beer-y Good Story: Tangerine Dreamsickle”