Category Archives: The Judge (Education/Mentoring)

The fundamental purpose for this blog — to offer a mentorship and educational opportunities for people interested in beer, beer brewing, beer travel, and other topics centered around … you guessed it … beer.

#56: Copacabana Beach (85)

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I took the opportunity to travel to Brazil in January — you always need a break from the cold, right?  Soooooo … since I’m working through The Growler List, I figured I might as well add another to my list … #56 for me  … drink a beer on Copacabana Beach.

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I gotta tell ya, I wouldn’t put this place on the Growler List for “best places to drink a beer in your life.”  I would put it on there for “best places to drink a Caldo de Coco or a Caipirinha.”  IMG_2570

Definitely put it on your Bucket List.  Let’s be honest, Brazil is not really know for great beers … however, they do sport a wide array of Lagers/Pilsners due to a large German population the South.  As a matter of fact, the Blumenau Oktoberfest is one of the largest in the world.  Brazil is experiencing a small renaissance of microbreweries — we will see if they take hold.  I visited one in Curitiba and will have another post about it.  But back to Copacabana.  Wow.  What a great location and a great beach.  Whatever you choose to drink here, it will be memorable!  Highly recommend,

Beer Mentor.

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#51: John Barleycorn (115)

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First, I have to apologize to my legions of fans for slacking on my posting for the last month … I have no excuse.  Just accept it and let’s get on with it.  LOL.  Secondly, sorry to disappoint you, but I put the hiatus on my 365 beers in 365 days.  I couldn’t stand the pressure … plus, sometimes I like drinking the same beer.  Oh well.  So life goes.  But let’s get back to the task at hand!  The Growler List.   This last weekend I had to be in Chicago.  Sweet!  Why is this sweet you say?  Well … there are 5 places on the Growler list in Chicago … yes. I knocked out all 5.  Today’s post is the first one I visited … #115 on the list — John Barleycorn.

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There are four versions of this place in Chicago.  Although not the original, this one was outstanding.  I showed up a few minutes before they were supposed to open and they welcomed me right in!  The manager, Mr. Brett Mizera, was very knowledgeable and really set the tone.  He handed me over to Miko and she was also well informed.

They had a great selection of local brews, so I had the sampler (with a couple of subsitutions … thanks Miko).

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I chased down my beers with the Patty Melt on Texas Toast. Of Course!  haha.  Definitely deserves to be on the list.  Worth a visit if you are in the city.

Enjoy!  Beer Mentor

 

Beer 53: A Horizontal Tasting!

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My friend Mike and I had ourselves a little vertical tasting … we decided to sample several different (very good) Stouts.  There were four in this tasting:

1) Mike’s Chocolate Imperial Stout (beer 53).

2) Boulevard’s Dark Truth

3) Founder’s Breakfast Stout

4) Bell’s Expedition Stout

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Whoa … all four of these were exceptional beers!  I liked Mike’s homebrew the best … my next favorite was probably the Founder’s, but it was hard to compare.  Although they were all Stouts, they all had different characteristics that made them unique.  Well worth a purchase and a sample (if you can get them in your area!)

Beer Mentor

Beer 52: Perennial Artisan / 4Hands Marathon

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Today Mike and I hit two local breweries making excellent beers!

First on the list was Perennial Artisan Ales.  This place (as I’ve mentioned before) is awesome!  You never know what will show up on tap!  So, we ordered a sample of all 8 (two samplers actually).  The beers on tap this night were: 1) Coffee Abraxas, 2) Abraxas (Mexican Chocolate Stout), 3) Seventeen (Mint Chocolate Stout), 4) Fantastic Voyage (Coconut Milk Stout) [Beer 52], 5) Fete de Noel (Belgian Strong w/ Rosemary, Orange Peel, and Raisins), 6) Hereafter (Witbier (I think) with Sage and Pear), 7 Aria (Belgian Pale Ale with Brett Yeast), and 7) the Saison de Lis.   Wow!  These beers were awesome and they kicked our butts!  Oh, one of the owners/brewers was there and gave us a quick tour.  Score!  The beer was so good we forgot to pay our tab.  lol.  Gave me an excuse to go back and drink some more …

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WP_20131127_023 Here was a look at their current stock and beers.  Small volume through the brewery but they are expanding.  They have good demand.

WP_20131127_022 This set of barrels are from the Side Project work … you gotta get your hands on some of these beers.  Most Excellent.

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From Perennial we went to 4Hands for their twice monthly (on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays) “Beer Swap meet.”

I really enjoy everything about 4 Hands.  Of course, we got the complete sampler here too … The folks are awesome, beers are good, and you can sample so many different beers … all so good!  Come on over and enjoy with them.

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Beer Mentor

Beer 49: Yin AND Yang (Not Together)

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Shared today’s beer with my friend Mike.  He’s probably more of a beer geek than me if you can picture that!  We reached deep into my beer fridge (well … the one on the right … haha) and pulled out an Evil Twin set of beers:  the Yin and the Yang.

The Yin is an Imperial Stout.  The Yang is a Double IPA.

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Both of these beers are very good.  Apparently, they are intended to be mixed like a black and tan.  You can buy the mixed version at the store.  We, on the other hand, decided to drink them separately.  Yummy.  They were quite good.  I drank the stout first and then the IPA.  Definitely worth picking up at your local specialty beer outlet!

Beer Mentor

 

Beer 46: 5 Lizard (Latin-style Witbier)

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I went over to some beer geek friend’s house today (yes, you Tom and Greg!).  lol.  We were drinking what was left in their keg, but they also brought out the two bottles shown in this picture:

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These are latin-style beers brewed by 5 Rabbit Cerveceria.  I thought they were very good.  My beer for tonight is the 5 Lizard … a witbier brewed with Passion Fruit.  I will continue to look for these Illinois beers … and am glad I’ve got new beer geek friends to share with!

Enjoy! Beer Mentor

Beer 45: En el Bosque

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I went to Randalls and picked out a bunch of new beers for me.  I thought, since I’m trying 365, I ought to have completely new ones.  I already had one of these Nomada beers (the Royal Porter a couple of days ago).  This one is called: En el Bosque. 

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This was an excellent beer–I believe it is an Amber Ale.  En el Bosque means “In the Forest.”  This was a collaboration beer between Nomada (Spanish Gypsy Brewers) and Omnipollo (Swedish Gypsy Brewers).

I’m enjoying the different gypsy beers I’ve sampled.  Gotta keep ’em coming!

Beer Mentor

Beer 43: emelisse Double IPA

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Another in my Randall’s series … haha.  I’ve never heard of Brouwerij Emelisse from Kamperland.  However, I saw their beers and decided to give them a try.  As I try their DIPA … the jury is still out.  I like it, but it has that slightly sweet taste you get when there are just way too many hops/residual sugars in a beer.  Kind of like the Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA … it is just too much for me!  This was a close second to that.  That didn’t stop me from drinking it!  haha.

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The label is simple but effective.  I bought it didn’t I??   Give it a go!

Beer Mentor

p.s. – as I peruse their webpage I am putting their brewery/restaurant on my list of places to visit on my next European beer trip …

 

Beer 42: Royal Porter a la Taza

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On Sunday I stopped by Randall’s to pick up a series of beers to have at the house for my 365 challenge.  I challenged myself by picking 14 beers I hadn’t had before.  The first in this series was a Porter out of a Spanish Brewery: Nomada Brewing Co.

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The Royal Porter a la Taza.  I’m going to admit it … this is a good beer!  I know nothing about this brewery, nor do I understand what the name means.  It translates as “Royal Porter Cup.”  I poured mine in a glass.  This is a classic Baltic Porter.  The flavor was spot on … great aroma.   The artwork is really cool … if you are looking for something new and a little different, pick one of these up if available.  (Did I mention that Randall’s has a great selection!)

Enjoy! Beer Mentor