Marylynn and I went down to Swanzy to meet Bridget for her birthday. We stopped in this place for beer and a birthday snack. Good beer very eclectic. Some are quite high in alcohol content.
Good Beer 2!
Beer
Good Beer!
Bridget gave me this cool coupon book for Christmas. I have finnelly had a chance to start using it.
I met Bridget here for lunch and a few beers. We own several prints by Sarah Fenerty the artist that does the can label art.
Beer Time
As the weather changes and things get a little chillier, it is time to try a bunch of beers. But I seem to return to an old favorite “Flannel Friday”. This is a great seasonal beer by Harpoon Brewery. When the weather chills and when you first break out your flannels it is time for this flavorful beer. It is a little bit more hoppy than most amber ales. Not too much hops, just enough to be a little different. We paired it with a baked haddock and wild rice dinner. It worked great not too hoppy to drowned that the suttle flavors of the fish and rice meal.
It took me a little longer to find it this year because of a label change from the old orange, yellow, and red to the new blue and green. I’m just glad it is still the same great beer inside.
This is the proper time for pumpkin beer.
I love pumpkin beer. Not all pumpkin beer but a good bit of what’s on the market today. However, I have a strong opinion about when it should be enjoyed. That time is when there is a little bite in the air. That means the end of September and October. When you need to put a flannel on when you sit on the pouch watching the sun go down. I hate that the distributors push sales earlier and earlier in the year in their constant fight for shelf space.
So after a little leaf peeping here is a toast the the proper time.
Game Changer
At the Monday Night “Bugs and Brews” at Ledge Brewery here in Intervale, we learn to tie a fly pattern based on the “Game Changer” Justin Laffin a local guide in southern New Hampshire, walked us through his version of the pattern. It is a complicated fly only because there are so many sections and steps. However, the steps are just repeated so once you know the routine it’s not that difficult. I don’t know whether I’ll tie this fly on a regular basis but it certainly was fun to learn to tie it.
The original “Game Changer” was first tied by Blane Chocklett. It is an articulating streamer pattern. Basically, when you tie this pattern it’s four separate flies hooked together with shank sections. Two hooks and two shank sections. It has become more of a style of fly rather than a single pattern. My example here is a bit rough but I got the idea. In a mini version in olive and brown should match the small bait fish in my local mountain streams.
Another great Brewery
As I have said before I’m not sure whether I picked my new home for the beautiful outdoor environment or the great beer that is made here. My boss, who lives in the next town over the Maine border, gave me a growler of a local brew. “Nighttime Frozen Parking Lot” is a really nice milk stout from Saco River Brewing in Fryeburg Maine. It is a really good beer with just the right amount of coffee and chocolate notes. With an 8% ABV, it is a perfect pour to enjoy in front of the woodstove while warming up after a day of snow removal. Thanks, Doug.
My feelings about IPA
I pride myself on being a beer snob. I pretty much like all beer, but I have a problem with what the industry has done with the label IPA. Don’t get me wrong I like IPAs. The original style is quite good. A bitter, piney, resiny taste. An old style from the days of the British Empire. A pale ale with added hops for its preservative properties was shipped around the Empire, namely India. That history is how the name came about “India Pale Ale”. Early in the craft movement IPAs were measured in IBU, International Bitters Units. The more hops the higher the IBU measurement. Normally a pale ale over 65 IPUs was labeled IPAs.
As time went on this style of beer was Americanized. The style became very popular. People would go into a pub and ask what IPAs do you have on tap, instead of what beers do you have on tap. The industry must have thought the more the better. Double and triple IPAs became popular. The terms dry hopped, wet-hopped, double hopped, and triple hopped became label standard catchphrases. IBUs went off the charts and hop hybrids began to replace the standard old-world hops. The taste change from bitter and earthy to a Citrusy fruity taste. How do you measure that in IBUs? I believe that the industry realizes that if you call a beer an IPA people would buy it. One of my favorite beers Lake Front Breweries’ “Fixed Grear Red ale” was relabeled as “Fixed Gear red IPA” and suddenly it was everyone’s favorite IPA. Guess what it is not an IPA. The company changed the name to sell more beer.
Then came new IPAs. West Coast IPA, New England IPA, Hazey IPA, etc. Just remember to add IPA. These are all good beers. Most are citrus flavored. Unfiltered, dank, and cloudy. Some of them feel thick enough to filter with your teeth. They are nothing like a true IPA. Why not west Coast Citus and New England Haze. Let us get creative with the new style names. Oh, that’s right as per the industry if it’s not labeled IPA it will not sell. I had a young friend say to me “Tim I hear you’re into IPAs” I said I’m into craft beer. His reply was “Yea IPAs.”
What happened to the choices we have at our local beer store. I like to pair my beer with the food I am eating. I went to my local store to buy a blonde ale that I like to pair with a light fish dish that Marylynn and I were making for dinner. They carried three or four IPAs from the same company, but not the blonde ale. An IPA would overpower the flavor of the fish. As I looked around I took noticed that most of the craft beer on the selves were IPAs. No amber ale, blonde ale, cream ale, or brown ale. Maybe a porter or a stout but just maybe.
I am now done with my rant. My message to all is to try something else. Don’t let the industry experts tell you what to drink. If you think that you don’t like IPAs try a different one. It is probably not an IPA.
Can’t fish! Chores were the order of the day.
Marylynn and I took advantage of a warm November day and got the Christmas lights up. Certainly better than other years when we could not feel our fingers. Cleaned the garage so that we could fit a car in. Then took a run to the dump before the rain. Then spent the afternoon and evening sorting and cataloging fly-tying material. Of course, I enjoyed a local beer. All in all, not a bad day, but I would rather be fishing.
Tap 'n' Trout 