Patti F. Smith

As unlikely as this sounds, I have hobbies besides enjoying beer. Specifically, I really like reading. So it was like Liberty Street Brewing Company read my mind when they hooked up with the Plymouth District Library to host Books On Tap. The event takes place every other third Thursday of the month. This past month, the book was called “The Stupidest Angel” and it was written by Christopher Moore. (Note please that I am stealing the following synopsis from my fellow book clubbers; I never made it past the third chapter. Didn’t like the book. At all.) The book was about a child who witnesses the murder of a man dressed as Santa. An angel is sent to earth to grant a child a wish and our angel decides upon this boy. But, because the angel is stupid (get it?) he somehow ends up flooding the town with zombies. Yeah whatever.

 

But what about the beer? Well, luckily for me, Punkin’ Pie Ale was still on tap! If you did not get to enjoy this delicious ale, run down there and see if it’s still available. If not, I’m afraid you will have to wait until next fall. This amber ale tastes like pumpkin pie. Not lying. It tastes like pumpkin pie. It’s ABV is a healthy 5.3% so you can drink more than one, but maybe not more than four.

 

Don’t be sad if you missed this month’s event, as it will happen again on February 23.  The book is “Honored Guest,” by Joy Williams. The Punkin’ Pie Ale will surely be gone by then, but one thing is sure—there will be books—and beer—on tap!

I attended a very fun birthday party this past weekend. Because the host and hostess are awesome, they had two kegs of beer on tap: Dark Horse’s Crooked Tree IPA and Saugatuck’s Neapolitan Stout. Both beers are fantastic; I have had Crooked Tree a bunch of times, but the stout was new to me. Might have drank a few of those.

At some point, my friends and I started consuming rather large quantities of bleu cheese. As my friend pointed out–“Bleu cheese takes like blue” and in fact, it do! (It rhymes; sue me). So the question became, “Which beer pairs best with this cheese?”

The IPA definitely had an edge. The sharp, bitter hoppiness complimented the “blue” tangy taste of bleu cheese. Crooked Tree is crisp and has, to me anyway, a nice dry finish. This finish seemed to go well with the moist texture of the “blue” tasting cheese.

My friends kind of dismissed the stout out of hand, but I think there is something to be said for it. As the name implies, it has chocolate, vanilla beans and strawberries like its namesake ice cream. Because it is a milk stout, it is creamier than many other stouts, and not as dry. I found this creaminess to be a nice compliment to the bleu cheese. It might have been a touch too much dairy for some, but I liked the sharp cheese and smooth beer combination.

Have you tried these beers with cheese? Am I off my rocker? What are some other good beers to pair with bleu cheese?

(Note: this story will appear on Imabeerhound.com !! With pictures!! I am so excited!!)

Back in the day, people gathered in pubs to discuss the issues of the day–politics, fads, local news, gossip…. In fact, I have heard them say that our founding fathers met in brewpubs to discuss the problems with the British rulers. Yes, it all seemed to happen in a brewpub back then. Those were the DAYS, amigos. The DAYS.

Last night, Michigan Radio sponsored an event at the Wolverine State Brewpub that recreated those magical days (albeit without the funny wigs). The event was part of a series called Issues & Ales (temporarily renamed Issues & Lagers, in honor of the featured style of this pub) which gathers folks together to discuss a variety of different issues. Last night’s topic, titled How Michigan Learns, was on the state of public education in Michigan.

After an introduction by the E.T. Crowe (a.k.a. The Beer Wench), the panel discussion got underway. The panelists were Tom Watkins, who was Michigan’s state superintendent of public instruction in the early 00s; John Bebow, executive director of the Center for Michigan, a nonpartisian “think and do tank”; and Michelle Herbon, an education policy consultant with the Public Sector Consultants. Jack Lessenberry from the Metro Times (and elsewhere) moderated the event (and didn’t call on me to ask my question, so I have a bone to pick with that man. Just kidding.).

The conversation kicked off with a deceptively simple sounding question: what is wrong with education in Michigan? Watkins and Bebow opined that it has to be quality education (regardless of if it is public or not) and that there “isn’t enough of it”, respectively. Personally, I liked Herbon’s answer the best–that the education system has looked the same for too long and, as the economy has changed, so too must the school system. While I would like to hear how she thinks it should be changed, I appreciated that she was willing to give a somewhat concrete answer.

It wasn’t long before the panel started talking about money. Several panelists pointed out several times that we spend between $11,000,000,000 and $19,000,000,000 on education (both of those numbers were bandied about and I’m not sure they ever said exactly which one it is; regardless, it is in the BILLIONS). The question was asked–how would YOU spend that much money? Me, I’d give it all to one particular teacher of the blind in the Detroit Public School system. Time did not allow for suggestions, sadly.

Another hot topic–the MEAP and “high stakes testing”–popped up early on. As Herbon said, if she was still a teacher and someone said to her that her pay would go up or down depending on how well her kids did on the MEAP, well, she would teach to the test, too. There is an incentive to “teach to the test” now, and we should be more thoughtful about what incentives we offer to teachers.

As one might expect, the subject of charter schools came up early and often. The most interesting part of this conversation, to me, was when the moderator asked the panelists what a parent is to do when deciding where to put his or her child. That is, the panelists all are educated, all have time to devote to researching schools, but what about parents of less education, with less time? (I would have added: with disabilities, with English as a Second Language, without a car). Watkins said that one had to “make” time as there is no more important decision and that parents should take the time to visit schools and talk to parents and teachers. Bebow said that when he and his wife enrolled their children in Ann Arbor’s school of choice program, they looked at every data point, at how diverse the school was, and so on. Herbon said that one should focus on how well a school is performing.

One of the last questions asked by the moderator was a call for a concrete suggestion to fix schools. The panelists gave suggestions such as focusing on more mentoring of teachers, offering more support for teachers, better teacher preparation programs and early childhood education.

The audience then took polls on how satisfied (or not) we were with the educational system. Not surprisingly, we seemed to not love the statewide system, but thought our local system was doing pretty well. The panel concluded with questions from the audience. The whole format worked very well, even if I wasn’t able to ask my question.

Did we solve the problem of the educational system in Michigan in an hour and a half? Of course not. But we began a conversation that could lead to another conversation that could lead to someone coming up with an idea that could lead to a law that could lead to something awesome happening in the world of education in Michigan.

And it all happened in a brewpub.

Ah yes! As we say in the school, it’s been a hot minute since I was here. There were some changes in my life this past summer/fall–mostly for the better–but that have kept me busy and not feeling the blog love. Sorry.

But never fear–like a those whack-a-moles, I just keep popping back up and on my feet.  And I’ve been making resolutions for 2012, to wit:

1) More beer writing and perhaps finally do something about my BEER CABLE ACCESS SHOW!!!!! How many years has that been on my list?!?! ARGH!

2) Get back involved with local foods and local stuff in general (i.e. city, community, etc.)

3)  Read more blogs. Comment on them. Oh yes.

 

So how about some ideas about local groups or blogs I should know about? How about beer events?

Surely, if I ever walked into a church, the very foundation would crumble. Brewery Vivant certainly looked like an old church, yet the foundation…she remained standing. Come to find out, it is actually an old funeral home and the brewery is in the stable where the horses used to be kept (how cool is THAT?!). Okay, that makes more sense! The world can keep turning.

As it turns, you should consider a trip out to Grand Rapids and check out this very unique brewpub. Focusing on Belgian beers and sustainably, the brewpub features some amazing beer and food. Jeff & I were lucky enough to visit Brewery Vivant twice in about two weeks. On the second trip, we had snacks which included something absolutely amazing…deep fried avocado. Again, I ask: how cool is THAT?! We also had pomme frites which I think are just kind of like French fries but full of AWESOME! They also have deviled eggs and bacon peanut brittle (which I did not eat because I do not eat pork but again…AWESOME).

Oh, and the beer is pretty darn good too! Here are my stand outs:

Farmhand Ale: They made this beer with raw, unmalted grains like old farmhouse ales. A quick aside–back in the Day, farms used to brew their own beer to keep their farmhands happy. Also, recall, water was pretty crappy (Ha ha!) and beer was often much safer to drink. But you didn’t want Farmhand Fred getting wasted and, um, fertilizing the crops (if you know what I mean), so you kept the farmhouse ale pretty low in alcohol. This lighter beer was to style and would have kept Farmhand TeacherPatti really happy.

Solitude Belgian Amber Ale: this was a very malty beer, almost bock like, with hints of caramel and raisin. (Not lying, I could really taste those things!)

Triomphe IPA: Nice Belgian yeast gives this beer a slightly sweet flavor, but then it hits you with American (i.e. citrusy hops). I wouldn’t have thought these two tastes would go together, but they did. Kind of like Reeses Peanut Butter Cups! (Hey, you got your Belgian yeast in my American hops! You got your American hops in my Belgian yeast! And on it goes).

Big Red Coq: Why yes, you do pronounce that third word the way your dirty little mind thinks! And yes, I did belly up to the bar and order it like that, but I was kind enough to comment that I’m sure they’ve heard that about a million times and I’m sure people have said “I’m sure you’ve heard that a million times” a million times! Me, I am quite savvy. That’s how I roll. A hoppy red beer, it provides lots of citrusy tastes (I got pineapple) without losing its essential Belgianness (is that a word? It is now)

Brewery Vivant is one of the many brewpubs that is now canning. Ain’t gonna lie–canning beer still does not thrill me. I can’t drink pop out of a can because of the “can” taste, and I haven’t loved the canned beers I’ve had. I am, however, very anxious to try their stuff because it is SO good that I have to think it will overcome the “can” taste.

This is a beautiful place in a lovely area of Grand Rapids. It also uses something quite cool…something called conpoto.com. You see, this allows you to buy your friend a drink, and it will be waiting for them when they show up. Brewery Vivant, in fact, has a board that lists names of people who are receiving their free drink. I don’t mean to be bossy–as I know I can sometimes be–but I’d really love to see some local establishments partake of this and I’d REALLY love to see my name on that board at said local establishments! Come on! I took a huge pay cut at my job and teachers need to drink, too! Just sayin!

In our brewpub travels, Jeff and I have long since learned to trust our brewer friends on where to go. So, when we were about to head to the western side of the state, we solicited advice on that great magic board known as the Facebook. Sure enough, one of our pals suggested skipping XYZ (I’ll never tell) brewpub in favor of Odd Side Ales, located in Grand Haven. It was a touch out of our way, but we made it work.

It took us a minute, even with my Smart Phone—you should SEE what MY phone can do!!!!—to find the place. For future reference, it is in a cute little shopping center (think: Kerrytownish) in the downtown area of Grand Haven. The brewpub is charming, with lots of dark wood with cool grains under glass accents. (Seriously, there are grain patterns under glass…really neat). There were board games to play, but sadly no Roll a Role (my all time favorite bar game, and one that Jeff refused to play. I would have to take people to the Corner and then coerce them into playing. And then one day, the game disappeared. And it was sad) and plenty of good beer to drink. Here are my favorites:

Derelict: This was a pineapple IPA which is one of those things that, in my opinion, could have gone horribly, horribly wrong. I like those little cans of pineapple juice that my mom used to put in my lunch, but I’m not a huge fan. Happily, this beer came out nice…good balance between citrusy hops and the pineapple.

Hoppy Peppercorn pale ale: The nose was all pepper and heavenly. Nicely balanced between hops and peppercorn. This might be a good beer to try if you are interested in pepper beers but haven’t had many (or any) previously. Your gateway pepper, if you will.

Cherry Baby: This Belgian wheat was brewed with Michigan cherries. Definitely more cherries than wheat and would make a lovely dessert beer.

Peanut Butter Cup Stout: This was far and away my favorite beer of the day (next to the peppercorn pale ale). Again, this is a beer that could have been done very poorly but came out very well. There was more peanut butter than chocolate which was great for me because I like peanut butter more than chocolate. Not too heavy, even for a hot August day, with a nice peanut finish.

I should also mention that our bartender was awesome (and of course I forget to write down her name). She had attended U of M, so she was familiar with Ann Arbor and AnnArbor.com. So, yay!

The brewpub is about 16 months old and seems to be willing to experiment, which I find very admirable. A quick peek at the website shows that some of the beers currently on tap differ from the ones we had less than a month ago. This willingness to experiment and try different flavors has served many a brewpub well and I trust it will do the same for Odd Side. So next time you’re traveling, take a clue from your brewer friends and consider making a “side” trip that might seem “odd” but will end up being awesome. (See what I did there? Masterful.)

I like to think of myself as a brave person. I will investigate that strange noise I hear, get up in people’s grills when they need it and generally try to school people when it becomes necessary to do so. However, I’ve got nothing on Phil Wilcox, owner and brewer at The Local Pub & Brewery in Jackson.

You see, when Phil was laid off from his job he didn’t do what I do would do, which is to curl up into a tiny ball under my covers and weep. Well, maybe he did that but he ultimately went for his dream–to own and operate a brewpub. That puts my creeping around the house thinking I’m Omar from The Wire to shame.

The best news in all of this is that the brewpub is awesome! Jeff & I embarked on a 48 hour, 7 brewpub trip a couple of weeks ago. Our first stop was Phil’s place, which is visible from the I-94 in Jackson. The building used to house brewpubs and once was a Schuler’s restaurant. The space is open and airy, with a nice view of the brewing equipment. The bartenders took care of us and Phil came out to eat lunch with us. The pub will focus on session beers (beers with an alcohol by volume [ABV] of less than 5%). Here is what our sampler looked like:

Lightning Kolsch: Nice, crisp lager made with German pils & wheat malts. Smooth finish at 4.46 ABV.

Lucky Penny Alt: Big Munich malts dominated this beer, but it was very well balanced with a smooth hoppy taste. Fun fact that I learned from Phil’s website is that the term “alt” means “old” (Sorry, I took French in high school and college) and derives from the fact that the conservative Rhineland forbid use of the new lager yeast that was going around in the 19th century. Cities like Koln and Dusseldorf had to use the same old yeast strain…get it? Old yeast strain and old = alt. Oy those cwazy Germans!

E.H. Pilsner: This beer is a Classic American Pilsner (CAP), which is a pre-Prohibition beer made with American cluster and Noble Czech hops, giving it a lovely hop presence. The recipe, according to our man Phil, comes from the 1901 American Handy Book of Brewing. This was my favorite beer of the day and, not coincidentally, one of my favorite styles of beer. Prohibition did much damage to our nice little nation but personally, I will never forgive it for stamping out so many great beer recipes and breweries (but that’s another post!)

JaXon IPA: this is an Imperial pale ale, which I’ve heard described as an India Pale Ale on ‘roids. Thus, this was definitely the biggest beer of the day (indeed, this is definitely not a session beer!). Well balanced with a hint of biscuity malts and lots of Amarillo hops. We were delighted to find that this recipe comes from our pal, and fellow Ann Arbor Brewers Guild member, Bob Barrett.

Cork County Irish Stout: Nice, full bodied stout without being heavy. Definitely drinkable in the heat of summer.

Yellow Dog Bit Her: I had this beer at the Summer Beer Fest this past July. I’m afraid that I didn’t pay as much attention to it as I should have, merely because some friends of mine were trying to get away with calling me a particular nickname that only one person on this earth gets to call me; I didn’t see his ass back behind the bar and so I was gently correcting their usage of the phrase. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed and no one went into the Huron River when he didn’t want to. Doubly fortunate was that I got to truly enjoy this beer whilst at the pub with Jeff. True to its name, it is bitter but has a nice malty balance to it (gack! I feel like I keep saying that over and over but what can I say? The man’s beer is well balanced!).

Mulligan Wheat: On the rare occasions that I play golf, I love the word Mulligan. I also like it when I’m living life in general as I can often use a “do over”. And–ta da!–this is a beer that I could do over again and again 🙂 Ah, the wit! Seriously, this is a good wheat with some notes of citrus and floral hops. It wasn’t too harsh, as I often find wheats to be.

That’s cool, isn’t it? I have a feeling that everyone will take a picture of that on their way into the bar, much like everyone has that picture of the rock arch up in Mackinac.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the food at the pub is terrific. They have unique appetizer selections, such as pecan smoked sausages and white fish pate but also traditional favorites like brie, cheese & sausage plates and pretzels with a variety of dipping sauces. They serve pasties (stop your dirty minds…you know what I mean), cheddar soup, salads, sandwiches and three kinds of coleslaw (Jeff was delighted with this as he is a huge fan). They also have homemade root beer & lemonade (the latter of which I can’t drink because of an issue with citric acid).

I can’t encourage folks enough to get on out there. One of the many things I don’t abide are Ann Arbor people being all OMFG I CAN’T LEAVE THE BUBBLE NOOOOOOO I CAN’T DRIVE OMG NOOOOOOOOO JACKSON IS TOO FARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. No, no it isn’t. And for God’s sake get the fuck out of this town once in awhile. If you think Ann Arbor is the do all end all, gack! No. Get out of town, literally. Meet the bartenders, drink the beer, eat the pasties and maybe even meet Phil the Brave yourself. You’ll never feel cool and brave in quite the same way.

I’ve had some great days in my life. Our wedding day–wherein I made an honest man of the long-suffering Jeff–is up there. So is the day I passed the Bar, the day I graduated from college, the day I realized I was born to be a teacher…and heck, the day I was born was pretty cool, even if I don’t quite remember it. (Although I hear that I was all set to pop out and then, at some point, decided to chillax in my mom’s birth canal for 1/2 a day. This set off a lifelong habit of mine to just sort of stop in the middle of things and not finish them.)

I must confess though, that two weeks ago I received an email that made my DAY. Made my WEEK. You see, those of us who blog do so with the hope that people read the stuff. I just type in the words, hit “save” and hope that the gerbils that run the internet get it out there. You never know who, if anyone, will read. So it was delightful to get an email from the Operations Manager/Marketing god from Short’s Brewery, asking me to write about their newly branded beer and saying he reads my stuff. !!!!! That anyone from Short’s even knew that I breathed oxygen was awesome and getting to write about the unveiling of their new beer was just like the hop on top of the mug.

Now I’m not bragging on myself here, but there’s more to the story. Matt Drake, aforementioned guru/ops manager/god of marketing, told me that he actually quoted me in the presence of Joe Short himself and Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head. What, was Moses there too?!?! Holy Toledo, dude!

(Although, I’m a little sad that Sam didn’t immediately drop what he was doing, jet off to Ann Arbor and set me up with a TV show about beer, but you know, these things take time. Just in case he’s reading, I’d suggest the tile: Beer Wench & the Beer Mensch for my friend ET Crowe and me, respectively. Or perhaps Teacher & the Wench? At any rate, she is way more photogenic than me so she’d have to be the “face” of it)

Oh, wait, I was here to write about the beer, right? Sorry about that! We girls get a little ga ga over Sam. Anyway, the beer was the beer formerly known as Hangin’ Frank (t.b.f.k.a.h.f. for those in the know), now rebranded as ControversiALE. This is a kick butt name because, as you might recall, there were some controversies about the original label and name of this beer. I don’t want to revisit those controversies here, except to again say that I disagree. I’m just glad that the beer is still being produced and is still as nummy as always.

Between an American Pale Ale and an IPA, the ControversiALE weighs in at 6.55%ABV. It still has the strong, citrusy hop presence in the aroma and taste. The hops do not overwhelm the beer, as there is still a nice, toasty grain taste. The finish is hoppy and lingering. In other words, same great taste, brand new name!

I forgot to ask Matt when this beer will be bottled, but I have a feeling we won’t have to wait long. Meantime, keep your fingers crossed for a TLC beer show! (I mean, come on, they have 87 shows about repossessing cars and pawn shops…I think a little ET & Patti would be a welcome respite :))

As an aside, I’d like to thank everyone who thoughtfully commented on my last article about sexism & beer. Like most things, it is a complex issue and one that I hope to explore at some future time.

Between raging bitches and possibly sexist/racist artwork, beer is becoming quite the controversy! Of course I am talking about Flying Dog and Clown Shoes, respectively.

I do not know how to react to this and so I am putting this out there to solicit respectful comments and thoughts.

My one brain says it’s no big deal and that we women have bigger fish to fry.
But my other brain says what if girls see that and think that we are only valued for our bodies and looks.
And yet my third brain says, but aren’t we? I mean, if I had a hook nose, a hump on my back and 4 eyes, would I have the life that I do?

My one brain says that craft brewers are only doing what the macros do (remember the “twins” commercial? It couldn’t have been more obvious if it had been called, “Juggs”)
But my other brain says but maybe the macros shouldn’t rely on sex to sell their beer. Maybe they could start respecting women.
And yet my third brain points out that our society permits sex to sell things and while I am magical, I can’t fix that.

My one brain asks what does it hurt if someone uses boobs or the word bitch to sell beer?
And then my other brain reminds me of all of the times I’ve been called a bitch (or worse) for daring to express an opinion stronger than “boy it’s hot out here today, isn’t it?” and I wonder if casual use of the word doesn’t lend to that sort of name calling.
And yet my third brain pipes up and reminds me that I call other people bitches all the time and certainly have worn a low cut shirt a time or 11.

My one brain tells me to chill out and have a sense of humor—it’s just beer. No one is going to decide to rape someone because they see the word bitch on a bottle of beer. And besides, a female dog is a bitch, right?
And then my other brain wonders if it is a slippery slope and does violence against women start with objectification of women in society?
And yet my third brain knowingly says that the slippery slope argument is not a good one to make because it can be dangerous. See: http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/slippery-slope.html

My one brain says that women are equal in so many ways now and we should just chill and drink the damned beer.
And then my other brain says right on—we don’t need that sort of protection and besides, if we really want to “protect” women, let’s maybe start with other issues that we face, such as risk of violence/rape, less pay for equal work, sexual harassment, and access to reproductive freedom.
My third brain isn’t quite sure what to say to this, as it agrees with us both. It is now flummoxed and must find a quiet place to relax.

My one brain wonders how this issue would be treated if it were naked men on the beer bottles. Or if the stereotypes were offensive to a specific ethnic group (like if they put me on the bottle, made my nose bigger and had me picking a quarter up off the ground with a big, lecherous grin on my face)?
My other brain has a feeling that the issue would be treated somewhat differently, and probably no one would be accused of “not having a sense of humor” when he/she dared to question the marketing practices.
My third brain is still off recovering from the last question and has no comment.

So I still don’t know. Are hypersexualized images of women damaging? Do they cause long term negative effects on men and women? Or does advertising just reflect a society where there are strip clubs every few feet near my school, where “pole dancer” has someone become a legitimate “career choice” (in some circles) for girls and where there is a market for the female degrading “donkey punch” porn (look it up). So where does disrespect for women start and where does it end? Does it really start with a beer bottle?!

Should I even be worrying about this or should I, in the words of a wise man, just relax, stop worrying and have a homebrew?

Why yes, that IS a reference to the lovely Nair commercial of the 70s. (Yeah I know that’s not spot on…’tis the best I can do).

Most craft beer enthusiasts are very familiar with Short’s Brewing Company, up in Bellaire. When Jeff & I went up there a few years ago, several locals told us that the brewpub was responsible for increasing tourism. For example, people will drive from several states away for a Short’s beer release. This of course translates into money for hotel rooms, money for other restaurants and so on. That is one way to revive this economy and I wish it would happen in every city.

For those of us who can’t get up north, we thankfully have a pub like Ashley’s that frequently features beer releases. This past Thursday found a special release of Short’s beers. Some of the beers were old favorites of ours, like Bellaire Brown, Key Lime Pie & Huma-Lupa-Licious (available in six packs) and Joyous Almondo (which I had the Winter Beer Fest). The new beers that we sampled were:

Kolsch 45: Like any good Kolsch, this beer was light bodied and the color of straw. The nose was bready & yeasty. The beer itself was crisp and refreshing…perfect for a warm summer day.

Prolonged Enjoyment: I had no idea what to expect of this beer when I read the name of it. I am happy to say that it was excellent and indeed, I did enjoy it for a prolonged period of time! (See what I did there? Masterful). The pale ale is made with American hops, so there is an immediate hit of citrus in both the nose and taste. The finish is dry with a nice hit of pine (not air freshener pine, which is certainly a taste I have detected in lesser beers). Delicious!

Crunchy Grooves: Again, I had no idea what to expect just from the name of this beer. Again, I was not disappointed. The “crunchy” name comes from (I presume) the fact that it is made with all organic ingredients. Organic or not, this pilsner is all liquid bread and outstanding. The nose is yeasty and bready with a satisfying finish.

Rye Not: I am a huge fan of RyePAs (IPAs that include rye in them) and this was definitely up there with my all time favorite, Founders’ Red’s Rye. Crisp, bitter, hoppy and delicious.

Richard in the Dirt Belgian Trippel: This was my surprise of the evening. Normally, trippels are a bit too much for a sensitive girl like me; however, this one was smooth and not too sweet. Lots of orange in the nose and taste, zesty, like liquid beer candy!

Other beers that were available and might still be on tap were Adia’s Ale (ale with strawberries and kiwi…I don’t like kiwi so I didn’t try it), Agave Peach Wheat and Bananarama (banana rum inspired beer). Run to Ashley’s like your pants on fire and you might be able to catch some of these delicious beers before the taps are SHORT! Get it??? (licks finger, touches self, waits for sizzle).

Cheers!