The Beer Tap

A few news nuggets

Good news on the beer hunting front.  I have found a solid supply of both craft and import beers just down the road from my house.  Finally!  After searching all of the grocery and liquor stores for miles, I think I finally have a place to source beers for my tastings.  Unfortunately they only sell multi-packs and they sell them at a hefty price.  Hmmmm.  To buy or not to buy?  That is the question.  My first visit I settled on buying.  If I find another place then I can change that decision in the future.  I have a couple other places to try based on recommendations from locals and Rate Beer.  Over all, I would say that Florida appears to be under developed as a craft market by about 4 years by my estimate.  Yes, I can find Sam Adams Boston Lager and a few other fuller flavored beers in a grocery, but the depth and choice is lower than what I have become accustomed to in Houston, LA and Milwaukee.  Luckily Bell's and Flying Dog have recently entered the market so I think things will begin to improve some.  Still a lot that I would like to see added though!  Here is what I picked up this past week and will taste as I have time: Dogfish World Wide Stout, Brooklyn Local 1, and Sam Adams Imperial Pilsner.  The Imperial Pilsner intrigued me because it is a single hop (Hallertau) beer which is always a great study on the bitterness, flavor, and aromas that can be coaxed from that particular variety.  The Pilsner also is a relatively mild base compared to a single hop IPA so the hops should be the star of the show.

Speaking of Sam Adams...anyone read about their cease and desist letter for the guy running for Mayor in Oregon?  Talk about bad PR!  I think this certainly qualifies as "Ready, Fire, Aim!"  Good luck to the lawyer who has to explain to Jim Koch why people are boycotting his beer.

In totally unrelated news, Ian Lendler of Mental Floss compiled a couple of alcohol related stories that I found humorous.  The story was picked up by CNN.  If you are in need of a distraction or a laugh, be sure to check it out.  Drinking Stories That Put Yours to Shame

Change is a brewin'

Everything over time evolves and changes.  I've been blogging here for a year now for a variety of reasons and find myself at a fork in the road.  Over the last few days in my new job, I've come to realize that I am going to be much busier than in the past.  In fact I even thought at one point I would have to discontinue The Beer Tap.  As I was pondering how I should proceed, I had a bit of an epiphany.  Right now I am waiting for all of my stuff to arrive on Friday so I am currently living in an apartment with nothing but a couple of suitcases and an inflatable mattress.  During the evenings, I have been entertaining myself via the internet thanks to a gracious neighbor who is "sharing" their wireless.  I have also decided that a good activity would be to try and determine where the best beer stores and beer bars are in the Tampa area.  Hey...I need to know if I am going to have to make trips to fully stock up or can I swing past a local place when the mood strikes.  A fridge without a selection of beers is sad and quite frankly unacceptable in my house.  Tonight as I drove around from store to store, I realized that I am going to put the effort into finding new beers, visiting breweries, going on tours, and occasionally brewing even if I was going to stop blogging.  There really is no reason why I can't put together some posts on those adventures.  Time to step up and live the full beer life!  For the most part, the blog has evolved into a recording of my adventures in beer anyways.  Every so often I throw in some education or opinion pieces, but those are the minority.

So dry those eyes and stop your crying...The Beer Tap will live on!  In fact...I picked up a 4 pack of beers for my first local micro-brew tasting.  Headed to open one right now. 

The first beer in my new apartment is Pipers Pale Ale from Dunedin Brewery.  I had heard of the brewery before and the guy at the store recommended it.  Seemed a good enough reason to purchase a 4 pack.  First lesson in Tampa...don't listen to the people at that store!  The beer opened with a very loud hiss and release foreshadowing the trouble that would follow.  Pouring the beer slowly into a glass at an angle led to an eruption of foam and over flow.  I think I lost a good portion of the 16 oz bottle trying to get something drinkable into the cup.  The aroma was spicy with hints of roasted grain, but the flavors were not as pleasant with a metallic taste/sensation burying everything else.  My first thought was that this bottle had an infection or had been bottle carbonated and over primed.  When I checked out other tasting notes on Rate Beer, I found that others had similar experiences with this brew.  I think I understand what they were trying to accomplish with the beer, yet the execution in my opinion came up short by a good bit.  A disappointing start for the new place, but I am sure I will be able to find better this weekend!   

Michigan Roadtrip...Beer Stops!

Just realized that this did not post like I thought....should have been up on Thursday of last week.  Darn technology!

Tomorrow I am departing Milwaukee for a wedding this weekend in Traverse City, Michigan.  I am driving because money still has yet to grow on my money tree and my winning Powerball ticket only resulted in a $4 jackpot instead of the full $300 million.  I also figured I would take some time while I was driving through Michigan to hit up a few breweries and brew pubs along the way.  Woo hoo!  So I went over to beermapping.com to see  what my choices were.  Looks like I can hit Bells, Founders, The Livery, North Peak Brewing Co. and Traverse Brewing Co during my weekend.  There are a few others that were of interest, but unfortunately I do have to drive.  I'll try and post a review or two over the weekend during down time.  Heck...if any of the places have wireless maybe I can do my first on the spot post.  Have a great holiday weekend!

"The Device"

This is a classic example of having too much time and money on your hands.  Or maybe just being a gadget kind of person.  John Carnett, a staff photographer at PopSci, has built an all-in-one beer making and serving device.  It allows you to brew, ferment, store and serve all on one easy mounted skid.  Not exactly how I would go about spending money on brewing equipment, though.  I would compare this to a bread making machine...functional but lacking in the fun department.  Too much automation and its hard to claim "hand crafted" any more.  (Note: I am hardly one to talk about spending money on brewing equipment, so I won't knock them too much in that department.  I just think it would be more beneficial to buy something like a kegerator.  The beer keeps much longer when stored cold and not in room temperature kegs!)  Total bill for the project?  $4,315.  Yep...that's a decent chunk of change.  But as MasterCard would say...somethings are "priceless".

There is also a You Tube video out there, but I did not want to embed a link.  The details on the brewing process are presented in a manner that I think could lead to confusion.  Watch it at your own risk!  I found the story over at gizmodo.com through a Google search.  Thanks to Matthew Sparkes for posting the story.

Win a Kegerator!

Christian over at Kegerator.net sent me a heads up that they are giving away a kegerator this summer.  All you have to do is tell them why you deserve to win.  While I already have a kegerator, I certainly could use an upgrade!  Check out the link below if you are interested in entering.  Beer drinking at home gets even better when you have your favorite cold and on tap!  http://www.kegerators.net/kegerator-giveaway.php

The Beer Tap Mission

Welcome to The Beer Tap!  For years I have been making beer recommendations to my friends and family.  During a recent night out on the town, some friends suggested that I start a blog about beer.  So here it is....my blog dedicated to helping people discover the world of beer. 

My goal is to provide readers with:

• Recommendations on beers to try
• Information on great brewpubs and breweries
• Stories about my visits with brewers
• Beer and food pairings
• Background on the brewing industry
• Answers to your questions

As I get acquainted with TypePad, I hope to add some of my favorite beer links and a list of great beer stores across the US.

Thanks for joining me on this journey through beer!  I hope to post a couple times each week.  If you have any suggestions or questions please let me know.