FRESH HOPS! Breweries all over the state are still rolling out beers made with only the freshest most smelliest hops. Bridgeport put their share of the bounty in Hop Harvest Pilsner. A light colored, lightly scented beer. It’s a pils with some extra green flavors, limes and grass. The malt is decent, but there is an awkward bitterness. I don’t know what it is, but I don’t like Bridgeport. Something about their beers is just not right. I think it might be a bitterness from their house yeast. It’s sort of like quinine or olives. 

High-res More drinks with Sarah’s friends in this dark, dark hotel bar, the Driftwood Room. It was great, but terrible for pictures. I had the daily pint, Project X from Cascade Lakes Brewing. It was Kolsch-like, a little bit bitter, a little bit lemon, and a little bit crackery. Crisp and summery, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn it was secretly a lager. I followed that up with an Upright #4. I couldn’t enjoy it because my mouth was on fire from a Thai chili pepper hidden in my Thai chili fries. I was a little bit disappointed to find a lemon wedge in my glass but that’s the way it is some times. #4 is a wit beer, but all I could taste was lemon juice. I finished the night with a Lagunitas Pils which was delicious. It’s the fruitiest pilsner I have ever tasted, crisp apples and maybe an orange. Overall a good night in a new bar.

More drinks with Sarah’s friends in this dark, dark hotel bar, the Driftwood Room. It was great, but terrible for pictures. I had the daily pint, Project X from Cascade Lakes Brewing. It was Kolsch-like, a little bit bitter, a little bit lemon, and a little bit crackery. Crisp and summery, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn it was secretly a lager. I followed that up with an Upright #4. I couldn’t enjoy it because my mouth was on fire from a Thai chili pepper hidden in my Thai chili fries. I was a little bit disappointed to find a lemon wedge in my glass but that’s the way it is some times. #4 is a wit beer, but all I could taste was lemon juice. I finished the night with a Lagunitas Pils which was delicious. It’s the fruitiest pilsner I have ever tasted, crisp apples and maybe an orange. Overall a good night in a new bar.

Tonight I went to the Bye & Bye with Sarah and a few of her colleagues. We love the food; it’s all vegan. I love the beer; the taps are an interesting mix of local and imports. The clientele skews tattooed and tiny shorted. The music is a little loud and an eclectic mix of classic metal and classic hip hop.

I’ve been in the mood for something a little lighter lately, so I ordered a Trumer Pils. It was crisp and refreshing, like a Coors Light but better. Unlike the mass produced American lagers that have destroyed the Pilsner name, Trumer makes a real Pils. Well, mostly real. It’s brewed by an Austrian company in the Bay area, but they use real ingredients. It’s got a bubbly body, a sweet bread flavor, and a decent bitter aftertaste.

I also had a big Kulmbacher Hefeweizen. The Bye & Bye always has a real German hefeweizen on tap. I haven’t had Kulmbacher, but it’s good. There is a strong, sweet banana scent and a clove like spice, but not too spicy. There is a bit of a banana flavored cough syrup flavor that sticks in the back of my mouth, but not so much that it’s off putting.

Back at the Bye & Bye

Tonight, I took my brother out for birthday beers a month after the fact.

I tried to explain to him the delicious possibilities in malts and hops and yeasts and water. I had a little glass of Mikkeller Beer Geek Stout and Nate had a Franziskaner Hefeweizen. The Mikkeller was super chocolaty, and the Franziskaner was super banana-y, and both were delicious. When the food came I got an Epic Spiral Jetty IPA which paired well with the spicy salsa. Nate had a Lagunitas pilsner which was super crisp and refreshing. 

Nate liked all the beers I suggested, so I win.

High-res We went to the new pizza place, Oven and Shaker, for dinner. I tried a few new brews, too. I had Boneyard Brewery’s Diablo Rojo and Upright Brewing’s Pilsner. Neither beer really appealed to me. The Rojo tasted like Coke, it’s all bubbles up front with a beer after taste. The Pilsner was tasty, but with a strong bitter after taste that wasn’t very pleasant. Maybe I just don’t like these styles.

We went to the new pizza place, Oven and Shaker, for dinner. I tried a few new brews, too. I had Boneyard Brewery’s Diablo Rojo and Upright Brewing’s Pilsner. Neither beer really appealed to me. The Rojo tasted like Coke, it’s all bubbles up front with a beer after taste. The Pilsner was tasty, but with a strong bitter after taste that wasn’t very pleasant. Maybe I just don’t like these styles.