Friday, September 30, 2011

Beer Fridge Fridays: September 30, 2011

Thanks to Jamie Duncan for his beer fridge pics!

I posted this from The Beer Buddha phone so I hope this works. It's like the Batphone only not as cool.






EDIT: Was upside down. Stupid phone. Fixed now.

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Beer Fridge Friday: September 23, 2011

This weeks beer fridge comes from Ted! Enjoy!





We wanna see your beer fridge! Send your pics to thebeerbuddha@gmail.com!

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Beer Review: Wasatch Brewpub Pumpkin Ale


I heart pumpkin beers. You already know this if you are a regular reader of this blog. I've had a lot of pumpkin beers over the years and there are some fantastic pumpkin beers out there: Southern Tier Pumking, Dogfish Head Punkin and Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin just to name a few. And there are MANY more I want to try so if you're a reader outside Louisiana send me some of your pumpkin beers!!! I want them!

When I'm drinking a pumpkin beer I expect it to taste exactly like pumpkin pie. Not sure what you would expect from a pumpkin beer but that's what I expect. I want it to remind me of Thanksgiving with my family. I want to remember the smell of my moms pumpkin pie wafting through the house while we watched football waiting impatiently with our pants undone to make room for pie while the dead turkey fights one last fight with sleep inducing chemical weapons.

We recently had a new brewery enter into Louisiana called Wasatch Brewpub who are part of the Utah Brewers Cooperative. Their beers are fantastic and I saw that Cork & Bottle brought in some of their pumpkin beer this year. While at the store I sampled a bottle and DAMN if it didn't taste like the Wasatch brewmaster baked a bunch of pumpkin pies and threw them right into the mash!! I don't usually do it but I picked up a 6 pack. I'll probably go back for more to last me through Thanksgiving.

I can honestly say that I have yet to have a pumpkin beer taste so much like a pumpkin pie. I'm sure some people may be turned off by it because it really is full of pumpkin pie flavor but I loved it!! Let me quit gabbing about it and get to the review!

Brewery: Wasatch Brewpub

Beer: Pumpkin Ale

Style: Pumpkin Ale

ABV: 4%

Louisiana Availability: Yes

Price Range: $2.00/bottle

Appearance: The beer pours a cloudy pumpkin colored orange with a nice off white head which quickly disappears. Just a little lacing present and doesn't cling to the glass well.

Smell: a nice beginning to a pumpkin beer. Smells like a freshly baked pumpkin pie.

Taste: WOW! Tastes exactly like a pumpkin pie! All the pumpkin pie spices showed up to the party! Pumpkin, cinnamon, clove, ginger, and even nutmeg. Tastes like fall in my mouth!

Mouthfeel: Thin body with medium carbonation.

Overall: Dare I say one of the best pumpkin beers I have ever had? I want my pumpkin beers to taste like pumpkin pie and this beer totally does.

Score: 4 out of 5 Buddhas Photobucket

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Beer Review: Abita 25th Anniversary Vanilla Doubledog


I have a love/hate relationship with Abita. In my opinion, they've become to big for their britches and have lost focus of what is truly important: the flavor of the beer. They seem to be complacent with mediocrity.

I believe that their are some at the brewery that want to break this trend and we have seen moments of brilliance(Black IPA)but overall they seem to be content with the status quo. And why shouldn't they be? Their sales speak for themselves. They had a volume increase this past year to 109,000 barrels and they are the 30th largest commercial brewer in the nation and the 17th largest craft brewer.



I love Abita as a company and want them to succeed. They are the "grandfather" of craft beer not only in Louisiana but the entire Southeast. Perhaps that's the issue here. They are so well established that they have no interest in being an innovator and would rather sit back with a "wait and see" attitude.

Abita could have easily realized that cans was the way to go especially here in Louisiana(Mardi Gras anyone??)but instead they announce they were going to start canning as soon as they heard Tin Roof and NOLA Brewing were canning. Now to be fair Abita could have been planning on canning WAY before both of these breweries but it doesn't look that way. How long did it take to make an IPA? Bottle in 22oz bottles? Exactly.

This post wasn't meant to bash Abita and unfortunately is seems to have taken that path. That is not my purpose here. Abita is like that overpaid star athlete that has so much damn potential but has lost their love for the game so I push and criticize them harder than the other players in hopes that they can remember why they started playing in the first place. I expect more. And I expected more with their 25th Anniversary beer. I feel they've lost their love of the game. They need to do some serious soul searching in my opinion. Here is my review:

Brewery: Abita Brewing

Beer: 25th Anniversary Vanilla Doubledog

Style: Brown Ale

ABV: 7%

Louisiana Availability: Yes

Price Range: $4.50

Appearance: The beer pours a nice coffee color with a thin off white head which dissipates quite quickly. Lacing present throughout.

Smell: Slight hints of toast, vanilla and chocolate.

Taste: Very malty brew. Hints of vanilla, toffee and baking chocolate. The bitter chocolate flavor lingers on the back of the tongue for a bit. The vanilla is barely present.

Mouthfeel: Surprisingly thin and watery with medium carbonation.

Overall: Not that impressive. Tastes like an above average brown ale from any other craft brewer in the country. I am a bit disappointed actually. I expected more from Abita with this being their 25th Anniversary beer and all. Then again I always expect more out of Abita.

Score: 3 out of 5 BuddhasPhotobucket

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

Saturday, September 17, 2011

POTUS Brewing Co: A Beer Request or How The Beer Buddha Got Arrested By The Feds and Was Never Seen Again


I see three possible scenarios playing out here. Either POTUS Brewing Company will send me a bottle of their beer, I will get no response at all or the Secret Service will be kicking down my door and I will be arrested, waterboarded(with beer please) and never heard from again.


Who the hell is POTUS Brewing you are asking yourself? It's what I am calling our Commander-in-chief's home brew. If you haven't heard already President Obama brews his own beer(a honey ale) at the White House and on occasion busts it out for parties(Superbowl anyone?), dignitary visits or other special occasions. Recently he busted it out when former Marine Corps SGT Dakota Meyer, who was awarded the Medal of Honor, stopped by for a visit.




I saw this story and thought how awesome it would be to try this beer. I'm sure a lot of beer bloggers thought the same thing. But how many of them were dumb(smart?)enough to actually email the White House and request a bottle? Yup, this guy right here.

Despite your politics or your feelings for any President you have to admit it's pretty awesome to have the leader of your country brewing beer. Obviously we know that George Washington and Thomas Jefferson brewed beer but we haven't heard of any recent Presidents doing so. I love it. It brings positive attention to beer. And right now with the serious growth of the craft beer industry this just adds more positive publicity.

I really hope I get some sort of response. It would truly be fun to actually try this beer and hopefully it would create some more dialogue about the importance of the beer industry in the US.

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

PS Mr. President, You should seriously think about the beer excise tax being lowered. More jobs!

Friday, September 16, 2011

Beer Fridge Fridays: September 16, 2011

You get a double shot because apparently I missed last week!!! Today's beer fridge comes from a buddy of mine from back in my middle school days in Stafford, VA!! Thanks Joey!


Want your beer fridge featured here? Send us your pics! Send all pics to thebeerbuddha@gmail.com.

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

Beer Fridge Fridays: September 9, 2011

today's fridge comes from boy Riki Fink!!!



Want your beer fridge featured here? Send us your pics! Send all pics to thebeerbuddha@gmail.com.

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

Monday, September 12, 2011

New Orleans on Tap: October 1st, 2011


The Bulldog presents the second annual “New Orleans on Tap” Beer Festival to benefit the Louisiana SPCA at New Orleans City Park by the Big Lake Boathouse, from 2:00pm-7:00pm.

Come sample over 200 beers, groove to live music by Rotary Downs and Flow Tribe, see the LA/SPCA Adoptables, grab some food and win great raffle prizes! Free admission and samples start at $1. Public transportation to the event is encouraged, and there will be free cab rides home courtesy of Southern Eagle. Bring your chairs and blankets! Discounted advance tickets available the week of the event at The Bulldog New Orleans locations and Lager’s International Ale House.

For more info go to NewOrleansOnTap.org. We are still in need of about 50 volunteers to help serve beer, food and help in any way you can. You can sign up at NewOrleansOnTap.org.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

The Beer Buddha's Drunk Pumpkin Bread Recipe

Pic stolen from somewhere on the internet

Recently here in New Orleans we've been experiencing a nice little fall weather preview with the temperatures in the low 80s during the day and mid 60s at night. This beautiful weather has awakened the fall loving beast inside me and had me yearning for pumpkin. Pumpkin in any form. Pie, cookie, beer, bread. Whatever. I just wanted some goddamn pumpkin something. I needed it.

Yesterday I took a trip to Steins Deli to pick up some of the recently released Brooklyn Post Road(which is their pumpkin beer)in the hopes of satiating my pumpkin craving. I grabbed two just in case. Today I started thinking. Yes, that can be dangerous. I started thinking about baking. Even more dangerous. Baking. Pumpkin. Beer. It only made sense to combine the three. Every year around this time I like to make pumpkin bread anyway and I haven't made it before using pumpkin beer so it seemed a no brainer. Double up on that pumpkin ya heard!

I basically took a pumpkin bread recipe I found on the internet a couple years ago and have been using and added my own twist to it. Beer. I also screwed with some of the other ingredients as well as I'm sure most of you do after a while. To suit your own taste right? Well here is the recipe if you want to try it! Enjoy!


The Beer Buddha's Drunk Pumpkin Bread
(This will make 2 9”x5” loaf pans)

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter or 2 sticks
3 large eggs
1 16 oz can of pure pumpkin
1 cup of pumpkin ale of your choice

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350˚F and spray loaf pans with a nonstick cooking spray or get freak nasty and butter 'em down.

2. Get a medium size bowl and mix the flour, spices, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and set it aside.

3. Grab another medium size bowl(or the bowl for your fancy stand up mixer) and put in the sugar. Melt butter for about 30 seconds in microwave until soft. Add to the bowl along with the sugar. Add the eggs. Mix these three together on medium speed until fluffy(about 2 minutes). Add the pumpkin and the beer and combine well. Drink rest of beer.

4. Add the dry ingredients slowly and mix gently until you reach a batter like consistency.

5. Pour batter into the loaf pans. Bake both for about one hour. Use the toothpick or knife test. If you don't know what these are you shouldn't be baking.

6. Pair with your favorite pumpkin beer and enjoy!





Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

Monday, September 5, 2011

NOLA Brewing Coozie Contest: The Beer Buddha Entry Update


You can vote for me here:

NOLA Brewing Coozie Contest Entries

My design


You have to "Like" NOLA Brewing and click like on the picture. There is a lot at stake! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

Friday, September 2, 2011

Beer Fridge Fridays: September 2, 2011

Today's fridge comes to us from Jacob Straus!!


We wanna see your beer! Send pictures of your beer fridge to thebeerbuddha@gmail.com!

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha