Mexico has some work to do on its DUI laws
After spending nearly three weeks in San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico, there are a few things I’ve gleaned from shores of the Sea of Cortez. One: it is difficult to find a good beer. Two: you have to be near death to receive a DUI. That last part is courtesy of the Gringo Gazette, the colorful English-language tabloid that is available around the southern tip of Baja California.
In Mexico, for one to receive a DUI a person has to have a blood-alcohol content of 0.4. That, according to the Gringo Gazette, is not a typo. That’s five times over the legal limit in Montana (0.08) and nearly 0.1 over the point at which most people pass out (0.3).
There is some hope that change is coming. Officers in Cabo San Lucas and San Jose Del Cabo now have a few portable breathalyzers that they are using to try and stop the most egregious offenders, but there clearly is still work to do.
- Matt Pritchard
How much would you pay for ‘world’s best beer’?
Touted as the “world’s best beer,” the famed Westvleteren 12 brewed by Trappist monks at St. Sixtus Abbey in Belgium is now on sale in the U.S., although you’d be hard pressed to find any on store shelves. The beer is only available at select retailers, which means that if you’re in Montana you’d have to drive to Portland, Ore., or Denver. The beer is priced at around $85 for a six pack at some stores and the limited supply is going fast.
The monks are looking to raise money to pay for a new roof, which is why they decided to export some of the famed beer to the states.
Any beer that receives the label of the “world’s best” definitely piques my interest. It comes in at about 12 percent ABV and tastes like “dates, raisins and cocoa,” according to Rate Beer.
If you’re lucky enough find some, enjoy!
- Matt Pritchard
Roundup: Lists of best beers of 2012
I’m a sucker for end of the year lists, especially when it comes to music. LargeheartedBoy.com has an exhaustive tally going of links to music lists by blogs, newspapers and other sites that’s worth checking out if you have some time to kill. For what it’s worth, my favorite album this year is, without question, Fear Fun by Father John Misty (click here to hear the whole album). They also put on my favorite show this year, along with Youth Lagoon.
Anyway, getting back to beer, I decided to try and compile links to lists of the best beers of 2012. If anyone wants to contribute, be it your own picks or picks from any other sites, email GrizGrowler@gmail.com. I personally don’t have a full list, but the best beer I had this year was Zombie Dust by Three Floyds Brewing Co. out of Munster, Ind. It lived up to its billing as a “gushing undead pale ale.” My sister’s boyfriend brought it back from Chicago over the Fourth of July and it definitely sticks out in my mind.
Here’s the list with links. The No. 1 beer from the site and the brewery are listed to the side:
- Rate Beer (top 50) Westvleteren 12 by Westvleteren Abdij St. Sixtus
- Homebrewers Association (top 50) Pliny the Elder by Russian River Brewing
- Beer Advocate (top 100) Pliny the Younger by Russian River Brewing
- First We Feast (best beer in each state) Montana: Ivan the Terrible by Big Sky Brewing
- Draft Magazine (best 25)
- Draft Magazine (100 best beer bars)
- Esquire (best 24)
- Wine Enthusiast (top 25) Saison Rue by The Bruery
- Beer Advocate community thread (best 5 new beers)
- Willamette Week (president of beers) Beaverbear Barleywine by Tom Roan and Nancy Bowser
- World Beer Awards Red Chair NWPA by Deschutes Brewery
- Great American Beer Awards
- World Beer Cup
- North American Brewers Association
- Montana Brewers Festival Red Ale by Lewis and Clark Brewing
- Matt Pritchard
Montana Brewing Co., Red Lodge Ales win medals at GABF
Two Montana breweries took home medals at last weekend’s Great American Beer Festival in Denver, with one claiming gold.
Montana Brewing Co. in Billings was awarded a gold medal for its MBC Wheat Ale in the American-Style Wheat Beer With Yeast category. Silver in that category went to Wrangler Wheat by Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. in Buellton, Calif., and bronze went to Tumblewheat by Altitude Chophouse and Brewery in Laramie, Wyo.
Red Lodge Ales received a bronze for Resurrection Doppelbock in the German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock category. Gold went to Uber Bock by Great Dane Pub & Brewing Co. in Madison, Wis., and silver went to Double Bock by Samuel Adams Cincinnati Brewery in Ohio.
In total, 4,338 beers were entered from 666 breweries (not making that up) hailing from 48 states, D.C. and Guam. Medals were awarded to 254 beers in 84 categories.
Tap It Brewing IPA from Tap It Brewing in San Louis Obisbo, Calif., won gold in the most entered category, American-Style India Pale Ale. In the second most entered category, Imperial India Pale Ale, Thai Me Up Brewery in Jackson Hole, Wyo., took gold for its 2X4. Thai Me Up Brewery won three medals, including two golds. Overall, Wyoming breweries received eight medals.
Last year, three Montana breweries received medals: Carter’s Brewing a silver for Blackened CDA, Montana Brewing Co. a silver for White Eagle Baltic Porter and Kettlehouse Brewing Co. a bronze for Seeley Axe White.
To see a full list of winners, click here.
- Matt Pritchard
Caffe Dolce beer dinner features Deschutes Brewery
Deschutes Brewery is in town this week for its Base Camp tour of Missoula and is hosting events around town all the rest of the week (check out a schedule here.) Among them is a beer dinner at Caffe Dolce on Thursday night. Cost is $45/person or $80/couple. There are two seating sections each with 24 spaces, with the first from 5:30-7 p.m. and the second from 7:30-9 p.m. Seating is limited, so make sure to call (406) 830-3055 beforehand to make reservations. (more…)
White House releases two beer recipes, in case you missed it
You know craft beer has fully hit the mainstream when the Leader of the Free World has two beers brewing at the White House.
Last week, the White House released the recipes for a Honey Ale and a Honey Porter, both brewed with honey from the White House. Supposedly it is “the first beer brewed on White House grounds.”
Inspired by home brewers from across the country, last year President Obama bought a home brewing kit for the kitchen. After the few first drafts we landed on some great recipes that came from a local brew shop. We received some tips from a couple of home brewers who work in the White House who helped us amend it and make it our own. To be honest, we were surprised that the beer turned out so well since none of us had brewed beer before.
Here’s a video about the beers from the White House:
I’m sure Obama was probably looking for a pint or two of these after his DNC speech, I know I would be.
- Matt Pritchard
Check out Willamette Week’s awesome President of Beers
Willamette Week, an alternative weekly in the Portland area that covers news and culture, has a great series going on right now on its website entitled the President of Beers. WW managed to acquire “flagship” beers from each state, meaning the signature beer from a given state’s biggest brewery, not necessarily the best, as it points out. And as writer Martin Cizmar says, probably broke some laws in the process. After laboring to get all those beers from all those states, the weekly rounded up 12 tasters to blindly try all the beers and rank them on a scale of 1-100.
The countdown began on Aug. 24 and the first 5 (meaning the worst 5) are as follows:
50. Pennsylvania: Yuengling Lager
49. Maine: Shipyard Export Ale
48. Louisiana: Abita Purple Haze
47. Texas: Shiner Bock
46. West Virginia: Bridge Brew Works Belgian-Style Tripel
The countdown goes until Oct. 3, when the top 10 and the winner will be revealed. I encourage you to go and check it out, it’s definitely a cool way to rank beers.
As for Montana, I can only guess that Moose Drool gets picked. It’s the signature beer from Big Sky Brewing Co., after all.
Update:: Montana comes in at No. 16 with Big Sky Brewing’s Moose Drool.
- Matt Pritchard
As baseball phenom Mike Trout turns 21, some beer suggestions
Ben Margot/Associated Press
Mike Trout may well be the best player in baseball. He leads the league in runs (86) and stolen bases (36), he’s third in batting average (.348), sixth in on-base percentage (.411), and he has 19 home runs as of Tuesday evening. Oh, and he just turned 21.
With Trout now being able to drink legally as of Tuesday, Kevin Kaduk over at Yahoo! Sports has some suggestions for the phenom, with the first two including beers made right in Missoula: Big Sky Brewing’s Trout Slayer and Bayern Brewing’s Dancing Trout. Other recommendations include Mogollon Brewery’s Apache Trout Stout, Mammoth Brewing’s Golden Trout Ale, Trout River Brewing’s Trout River Rainbow Red Ale and Denver Beer Co.’s Clown Question, Bro Canadian Lager (named after another crazy good rookie Bryce Harper’s quote).
If Mike Trout’s out there and has a hankering for some Missoula beers with his name on them, I’d be happy to send him some. I’m sure we could work something out.
- Matt Pritchard
New Belgium’s Clips of Faith film, beer tour heads to Missoula on Aug. 17
Missoula is again one of the 18 lucky cities to host New Belgium’s Clips of Faith tour. The annual film and beer celebration comes to Caras Park on Friday, Aug. 17, beginning at 8 p.m. and lasting until 11. The event, which pairs New Belgium’s beers with user-submitted short films, will be a fundraiser for Bike/Walk Alliance for Missoula. Last year’s Missoula stop raised more than $2,200 for the nonprofit.
Beers slated to be in attendance include Cocoa Mole Ale, Biere de Mars, Tart Lychee, Somersault, La Folie, Fat Tire, Ranger, 1554, Trippel, Abbey, Blue Paddle, Belgo IPA, Shift and possibly more. Food will also be available from one of my favorite spots, Blue Bison, and Empanadas.
Here’s the full spiel from New Belgium:
“We took our love for beer and fans and put them together in this one-of-a-New-Belgium-kind event. You’ll get to try our most esoteric beer offerings – up to 16 varieties on tap! – and pair them with inspiring short films created by fans. The best part is that 100% of the proceeds from beer sales benefit a local non-profit who are working to improve your community.
“Fans of our Lips of Faith beers know these unique brews are not always easy to find. There will also be your favorite New Belgium classics and you can try them in 3oz samples, or a 12oz pour. Served up by our local beneficiary volunteers, there’s plenty of beer fun to be had with our other traveling tricks and contests. Plus, local vendors will be serving food. When the darkness engulfs us, the films start rolling and you get to cozy up on your blanket or chairs and enjoy the show.
“So, find the city nearest you and support your community by coming out and drinking beer!”
- Matt Pritchard
Rhino hosts aged-beer tasting on July 25
The Rhino in Missoula is hosting what sounds like an amazing beer tasting on Wednesday night. The tasting focuses on aged beer and takes place from 5 to 9 p.m. It’s only $10, which is a steal. There’s going to be at least one beer that’s around 20 years old, to get an idea.
So if you’re looking to have some delicious vintage beer, you might want to set a reminder for Wednesday night!
- Matt Pritchard