Penicillin, iPod… Beer bike.
Aug 9th
Today was just like an other day. Went to my favorite coffee shop, worked on anatomy and MCAT. Then on my commute home I see the oddest thing. So odd even it was slowing traffic to a halt. People did not know what to make of it. I thought to myself ‘wish I had my camera, people are going to want to see this.’ Came home and decided I had to write about it. Beer bike. This bike was pretty clever. So simple in its makeup yet so genius. This bike was heading towards Equinox Brewery here in Fort Collins. This tricycle had a keg mounted to it. I am not sure if they served straight from the bike or what, but this was a one function vehicle. Then I get to my apartment and my neighbor started telling me about this article about in Fort Collins coming soon there will be keg tricycle tours which are equipped with a tap, bar, and stool which you can rent for the day as you go to and from the multitude of breweries and bars in Fort Collins. Beer town U.S.A. I tell you. “My Handlebar” Dutch inspired beer tricycle company is going to operate as a limousine service which legally allows alcohol consumption while in commute. Not sure how safe this is having dozens of drinking bikers on the road. But an interesting idea non-the less and I am sure will be an instant hit.
Ellie’s Brown Ale
Aug 9th
“Lab Tested”
As the can says this beer is from Avery Brewing Company, located out of Boulder Colorado, and is a malty brown ale named after the brewers beloved chocolate lab. To be honest I have never much gone out of my way to drink Avery beer. However last weekend I needed to select beer for my can only, must use a coozie, bbq and knowing Lloyd would be in attendance and his fondness of brown ales I bought the six pack. Now most of the time when selecting a new beer to try I love going by the company’s graphics and uniqueness in names. So a brown ale about a dog caught my attention and I had to indulge.
Upon opening, this beer did a nice little foam up and you could see the brown. At initial smells you could tell they were going for a chocolate flavor. At first drink you can taste a malt flavored, crisp brown ale. As the beer lingers on your tongue you definitely begin to taste the cocoa flavor and the aftertaste leaves the same impression. It is a very smooth beer with a smooth taste. The chocolate flavor does not overpower but if you are not a chocolate fan, like me, then this beer is just a little too much. Any chocolate lovers out there however, and this is your next beer to buy.
International Beer Day
Aug 6th
Yesterday marked the end of my summer semester with a cumulative final one day after our last exam for anatomy. I came home afterwords, did my daily routine; made lunch, cleaned a little and got on facebook. Little did I know that yesterday was International Beer Day. Abita brewing, one of my many friends on facebook, notified me that celebrations and festivities were to be had August 5th. I decided instead of contemplating my next move school wise I’d call Dave, another writer on the site, and head to the breweries and really enjoy this holiday. What I can gather from their site is that a couple friends put together this site and breweries, pubs, and restaurants started going along with having parties for the day and it became a world wide phenomena. Their mission statement was a good enough reason to go out and celebrate.
The purpose of IBD is threefold:
1) To gather with friends and enjoy the deliciousness that is beer.
2) To celebrate the dedicated men and women who brew and serve our beer.
3) To bring the world together under the united banner of beer, by celebrating the beers of all nations and cultures together on this one remarkable day.
278 Celebrations, 138 Cities, 23 Countries, 1 Event: International Beer Day. They even list ways to find festivities and ways to get involved. Colorado, if we needed another excuse, get the ball rolling for next year.
http://www.internationalbeerday.com/
My Welcome / Bio
Jul 12th
The beer blog is my first attempt at public writing. I am not a writer nor am I a real aficionado of beer. I decided to start this blog as a way to relax and to turn my brain onto something other than the thousands of scientific terms I am currently memorizing and jotting in my brain for my pursuit of a medical career. This like my dream of becoming a doctor is an experiment.
Like I do with most of my crazy ideas I went to my friend Zach when I first thought of starting a blog about beer. It seemed fitting for me to ask him to create the site since he was my right hand man at Loyola when we ran our rugby team together and also we started drinking beer and learning about it together.
It all started my sophomore year when I was living on campus and met Zach through a friend of a friend. We started hanging out and tasting imported beers together.
My exploration in finding uniqueness in beer had been one of many conquests to explore unknown cultures. I have always had a fascination with learning and trying new cultural artifacts. It was actually my R.A. who started discussing, trying, and teaching Zach and I about beer..
Well’s Banana Bread Beer
Jul 10th
Ive seen Well’s Banana Bread beer nearly every time I’ve gone to the store to buy a six pack. Ive always passed it over because I tend to like “normal” beer. The only time I ever stray away are for two beers I hold very special to my heart; Abita and Covington Strawberry. I was born and raised in the New Orleans area so I find those two brews particularly delightful. With fond memories in my heart I decided to pick up a sixer of the Well’s.
When you pop the top and pour the beer into a pint you are met with a rich amber color and the distinct scent of bananas. I’d say it smells less of banana bread and more of the fruit and the scent is almost overpowering as you bring the pint up for a taste. The first taste definitely compliments the smell but once you let the beer sit on the tongue you will quickly experience a skunk beer taste. There isnt much to say past that, if you love bananas then try it our but if you love beer then steer clear.
Rating:
Rogue’s Dead Guy Ale
Jun 29th
Let me start by saying that I am a huge fan of everything that Rogue Ales does. My first Rogue was the Uber Pilsner (no longer in production) and since that first delicious brew I have been steadily moving through their catalog. Since this is the first review on Hopping Around let me preface it by saying that this is the format you can expect from my reviews. I want to keep it simple and concise so that everyone can get a good picture of the beers we review.
Rogue Ales mission is: “To brew the finest varietal ales in the world with an uncompromising devotion to Quality and the Art of Brewing.” To put it simply, they make good stuff and the Dead Guy Ale is fair proof of that. It is a nice smooth drinking beer that leaves just a little bite after each sip. The amber color, sweet caramely taste, and slightly hoppy finish make it a perfect pairing with spicy foods or a nice slab of pork. Personally, this is one of my favorite beers on the market. I love to drink it on its own and truly enjoy the flavor vs drinking it with food.
Rating:
Welcome to Hopping Around
Jun 27th
Welcome to the beer soaked lovechild of Lloyd Greenfield and Zach Saale!
We started this blog to take the everyman beer lover to the beer enthusiast. There is no doubt that we are beer lovers but we are not experts on the topic and this blog was created to make that happen. This is a blog that will not confuse you with difficult beer terms and pretentious reviews but one that will give you simple and concise information on what beer is, how it’s made, and which beers we think are best.
You will notice that on the left of the site there are four categories that the site is broken into. The first is Drinking and it is dedicated to the consumption of delicious beer. There you will find our reviews, recommendations, and food pairings.
Brewing is next and it is focused on the creation of beer. This will chronicle the team as we learn how exactly beer is made and how we can make it ourselves. The goal is to keep the process as simple and easy to follow as possible so that anyone may follow our footsteps.
The final two are Visiting and Socializing and they are dedicated to the local pubs, breweries and festivals that we attend. Socializing will focus primarily on the pub crawls and meetups that we organize in our cities.
So, pour yourself a cold one and keep an eye on this space for some delicious beer knowledge.
