Triple White Sage

So, I was talking to Mark Jilg, the Brewmaster and Owner of Craftsman Brewery- aka my favorite brewery in Los Angeles - And he tells me that TRIPLE WHITE SAGE IS COMING!

Its brewed and fermenting as I type this! It will only be mere weeks before we have the delicious, viscous, vinous, herbaceous, 9.0% abv Summer Seasonal treat that we've waited all winter for!

I'll let you know as soon as it hits the first local taps!

Hey....I Found a Beer in My Hair: Alternative Uses for the Bad Beer You Won't Drink Now That You Read This Blog

My original intention in this beer blog was to have it all be for women, but now that I have so many male readers, I feel almost guilty gearing some of these beer articles towards women. But like Voltaire said, "Every man is guilty of all the good he didn't do." I don't really know what that means, but anyway....

I was browsing the web for beer information and ran across this article for Homemade Beer Shampoo at the Brookston Beer Bulletin. Now you can use those cans of mass produced, industrialized beer that have been mitigated to the back of the fridge now that your beer world has expanded beyond them.

Here's what J wrote:

"I've always heard that beer is good for your hair and can be used as a shampoo, but I've never actually tested that theory. But I recently stumbled across this fairly easy-to-make recipe for making your own beer shampoo a health food blog, the Natural Holistic Health Blog. Dr. Dee claims that the beer "coats the hair," helping to repair damaged hair and give it "wonderful body." The doc also claims there are proteins in both malt and hops which are good for your hair.

Here's the recipe in its entirety:

Take a 3/4 cup of beer - any cheap brand will do - plus one cup of inexpensive
shampoo. Boil the beer until it reduces to 1/4 cup. Cool the beer and add it to
the 1 cup of inexpensive shampoo.

That's it. Lather up, Rinse, Repeat."

If you don't feel like making your own beer shampoo, Dogfish Head Brewery (a great craft brewery in Milton, Delaware) makes a great one in bar form.

Click here if you want to buy it.

Easter Beer!

Look what I found behind a shrubbery this morning during my family's annual Easter Beer Hunt!

Gouden Carolus Easter Beer

This is Belgian Strong Ale brewed by Brouwerij Het Anker from Mechelen, Belgium. Corked and caged and a lovely 10% abv, this bottled "dark special ale" remains on the lees until it pours a deep ruby red.

This beer is not for the weak at heart or the lager drinker, but if you like licorice, this is your long lost friend. Very malty, with a viscous, creamy mouthfeel, this beer has flowery bready aromas, and a HUGE spicy herbal (sage?) anise back. I wouldn't say that its smooth (although I hate that word as a descriptor), but this beer definitely has some heat.

I'm happy to drink it on this cloudy rainy Los Angeles Easter.

Thank you Easter Bunny!

Celebrate the Repeal with The American Brew on A&E

Just got this email from the from Jason & Todd Alstrom (The Alstrom Bros) who are the Founders & Chief Executive Advocates at one of my favorite websites called BeerAdvocate.com.

On April 7, 1933 prohibition was finally repealed and BEER was the
first legal alcoholic beverage to start flowing again in the US; well
at least 3.2 beer was flowing. Anyway ... today is the 74th
anniversary of the initial repeal! Let's celebrate with some American
Beer!

If you don't have plans to hit your local brewpub or beer bar tonight,
consider grabbing a sixer of your favorite brew and celebrating at home by watching "The American Brew" on A&E tonight
(Sat, Apr 7 @ 10pm EDT and Sun, Apr 8 @ 2am EDT) or set your timers, make plans to head out, watch it later, and celebrate by hoisting some brews!

Cheers to American Brewers and the Beer they brew!

Respect Beer

Click here for more information on "The American Brew."

I'll be Tivo-ing this, you had better believe it!

Extra Extra

Hey guys....I'm in the LA Times! Its an article about new careers in the Food and Beverage Industry. I'm in the Food Section (achieving a dream of mine) in an article called "Wanted: Cave Manager" by Regina Schrambling.

Click here to check it out. I'm almost Famous!

CHEERS
Christina

Say You're Stranded on a Desert Island...

Inevitably, when I'm teaching a beer class, giving a seminar, or consulting, I will be asked, "What's your favorite beer?" It seems simple enough, a fair question. It is, however, a very difficult one for me to answer. One that I always try to dodge, because I have tasted so many good beers and beer styles vary so much that trying to compare them is like trying to compare apples and barrel-aged oranges fermented with coriander.

Through my protests, there is always a persistant smarty-pants who asks the irresistible question we've all heard a million times. "Christina...if you were stranded on a desert island and could only take five beers with you, what would they be?"

So, after amendments allowing me to have electricity enough to supply a five-handled keg-o-rator, a magical lifetime supply of my five beer choices, and the proper glassware on this island, I begrudgingly answer: prefacing, of course, with what I will say to you now.

This list is by no means binding. It could change at any time (although I doubt Craftsman could ever be off the list.) If, at any time, I am faced with a real-life-desert-island-beer-picking scenario, I reserve the right to change or modify this list in any way I see fit.

Here we go. If I were stranded on a desert island, and I could only take any FIVE beers with me... today they would be:

Craftsman Smoked Black Lager
Bear Republic Racer 5 India Pale Ale
Westmalle Trappist Tripel
Cantillon Gueuze
Scaldis Noel
Craftsman Cabernale
Alesmith ESB
Rochefort Trappists 10
Lost Coast Great White
Unibroue 10
Craftsman Weizenbock
Ommegang Biere de Mars
Saison DuPont
Three Floyds Alpha King Pale Ale
Deschutes Black Butte Porter

(*The mixing possibilities of these beers are endless - but that's a controversial topic for another blog.)


The Second Question:
The follow-up question always is, "Where do we get these beers?" I'll give you the short list for Los Angeles. This is BY NO MEANS all inclusive, but I frequent these places to get the good stuff:

Bars/Restaurants:
Father's Office - Where it all began for me. The staff are experts.
The Otheroom - Where it continued. HUGE list.
Bottle Rock - Great wine bar beer list. All bottles so far.
The Library Bar - Tucked away downtown. Awesome and chill. Draughts and Bottles.
Lucky Baldwins - Don't miss one of their Belgian Ale Fesivals.
3rd Stop - I even respect their Pabst Blue Ribbon tap.
Violet - Chef Jared Simons rocks.

Stores:
Wine Expo - The best place to buy beer on the west side. The staff is very knowledgeable.
Wine House - Who knew?
Wally's Wine & Spirits - Zagat's #1 Wine Shop in Los Angeles
Whole Foods (my neighborhood store has a great beer selection)