onto a more fun post for your lovely friday afternoon. i've decided to start a short series on this blog called the beer virgin! i'm not much of an alcohol drinker -- wine makes me queasy and liquor makes me pass out cold (as in, black out completely, as in, once I collapsed in a bar after one midori sour).
but beer is fun! beer makes me hilariously weird and happy! I think that's called being drunk, yes?
I don't know much about beer though so I decided I'd try different kinds and sort of rate them according to my perception of taste. Also, recently chris and I were at trader joe's and we saw this big brown paper bag of beer that was stapled shut. it was a mystery bag of beer! I bought the bag and will be blogging about some of those mysetery beers as well (though one was a heineken and one was a heineken light. LAME!)
so the first beer i tried from the mystery bag was a liberty ale, which i drank while devouring a chipotle burrito bowl and watching something on hulu (can't remember what)
the beer was pretty tasty during the first few swigs, but suddenly started to turn really thick and creamy feeling and I was quickly turned off by it. It may have been the kind of food I was eating with the beer, but i had to stop drinking it after a while because it felt like a thick mocha latte in my mouth.
it has good reviews on the beer advocate, so I'm guessing this is a good quality beer, but i think i have just really bad, cheapo taste or something :) that's ok, this is a learning process, or a quest to find jeannie's perfect beer so i'm open to trial and error. does anyone out there like this beer?
I learned that the liberty ale was first brewed on the 200th anniversary of paul revere's ride and is considered one of the first american craft beers. pretty interesting. I think i'd try it again if i was just snacking at a happy hour or eating something simple (fries, maybe?). in any case, i'm glad i tried it, but it wasn't right at the time.
stay tuned for more adventures of the beer virgin!
but beer is fun! beer makes me hilariously weird and happy! I think that's called being drunk, yes?
I don't know much about beer though so I decided I'd try different kinds and sort of rate them according to my perception of taste. Also, recently chris and I were at trader joe's and we saw this big brown paper bag of beer that was stapled shut. it was a mystery bag of beer! I bought the bag and will be blogging about some of those mysetery beers as well (though one was a heineken and one was a heineken light. LAME!)
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| me super excited about the magical mystery beer bag! |
the beer was pretty tasty during the first few swigs, but suddenly started to turn really thick and creamy feeling and I was quickly turned off by it. It may have been the kind of food I was eating with the beer, but i had to stop drinking it after a while because it felt like a thick mocha latte in my mouth.
it has good reviews on the beer advocate, so I'm guessing this is a good quality beer, but i think i have just really bad, cheapo taste or something :) that's ok, this is a learning process, or a quest to find jeannie's perfect beer so i'm open to trial and error. does anyone out there like this beer?
I learned that the liberty ale was first brewed on the 200th anniversary of paul revere's ride and is considered one of the first american craft beers. pretty interesting. I think i'd try it again if i was just snacking at a happy hour or eating something simple (fries, maybe?). in any case, i'm glad i tried it, but it wasn't right at the time.
stay tuned for more adventures of the beer virgin!
Jeannie, what was in the burrito bowl that you ate while drinking this beer? My guess is that the bowl had a lot of casein in it--animal protein from either cheese or meat. The Liberty Ale is a pretty aggressively hopped American Pale Ale and hops react to casein--literally, a chemical reaction--in interesting ways that may have resulted in the "thick and creamy" mouthfeel. This beer is not decidedly thick or creamy so my guess is that something in the food you paired with it engendered this reaction. Try pairing this beer with foods that have no casein or any residual bitterness (i.e. no dark green vegetables). Or, try drinking it by itself. You could also try this beer with spicy foods, the Cascade hops and the carbonation contrast nicely with spice and act as a natural palate cleanser. Just a thought. Loved the post! Keep it coming!
ReplyDeleteAaron, thanks so much! Indeed, the burrito bowl had both cheese and chicken in it, so I am guessing this is exactly what happened! Wow, I'm so impressed with your diagnosis :)
DeleteLet's have a conversation about beer soon -- would love to learn more from you!
the beer whisperer.
ReplyDeleteJeannie- I have waited so long to see a post like this. Proud of you and your beer enveavors! I am a firm believer that everyone can find a beer that they enjoy and I've converted many a skeptic to my side. Love it- find your fave and we'll drink it when I'm in DC in May!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Allison! I have to say, you were definitely the original inspiration for my foray into the world of beer. Oh you Minnesota girls :)
Deletecan't wait to sip a beer with you soon!!!!