Beer Blog
What season is it?
Timothy_Bush — Wed, 08/18/2010 - 9:46am
I think everyone has heard me gripe about the beer industry and its rush to change the seasons so I’ll keep it short this time. If you haven’t seen the new seasonal packages yet you will. Pumpkin beers and Oktoberfest beers are pouring in. When is Oktoberfest? September 18th – October 3rd. When is the first day of fall?
Session Time...
Timothy_Bush — Mon, 05/24/2010 - 4:20pm
Nothing quite inspires a good session like a hot day. Whether it’s post lawn mowing or just enjoying the afternoon the thirst provoked by the hot sun needs to be satisfied and beer can really hit the spot. With beer shelves packed, top to bottom, with tasty libations how do you really choose what to treat your taste buds with when thirst and volume are diving the urge?
What are Hops and why are they so delicious?
Timothy_Bush — Wed, 03/24/2010 - 2:21pm
Hops are the female flower clusters of a hop species, and are used primarily as a flavoring and stability agent in beer, to which they impart a bitter, tangy flavor. Hops are also used for various purposes in other beverages and herbal medicine.
Happy New Beer!
Timothy_Bush — Sun, 01/24/2010 - 1:32pm
Okay, so it is a bit late to still be toasting 2010 and I am well aware that the play on words is lame at best, but the New Year has brought with it some delectable new beers which I will remain excited about for some time. There has been a slight rearrangement in the beer aisle – shifting the countries around a bit.
Holiday Libations
Timothy_Bush — Sun, 12/06/2009 - 3:45pm
It has turned into the holiday season quite suddenly, as usual. As if there is a time of year or season during which I do not think about beer the holidays have got me thinking about beer and how enjoyable sharing a glass of something new, or a special aged bottle from the cellar with friends and family can be. It is a great time of year to drink something special. Amazing Chr
Beer for the New England Fall
Timothy_Bush — Tue, 10/20/2009 - 4:26pm
The cold has approached quite abruptly and with this seasonal change the right beer is needed to provide both warmth and refreshment. I would love to go on to claim that a well crafted Oktoberfest Lager would fit the season perfectly, but since the wonderful world of beer seems to wish it was like fashionable clothing O-fest brews are already in short supply and winter beers are not long
The Octoberfest Ales and
Anonymous — Mon, 11/23/2009 - 10:58pmThe Octoberfest Ales and Lagers are my favorite style of beer. I agree 100% that it feels like clothing fashions in that they come in quickly and last about 6-8 weeks in the store before the Winter brews hit the shelf. It seems that the Harvest and O-fest beers are arriving in mid-August now, when it is still hot weather. In the past few years, I found myself stockpiling cases of O-fest so as to continue to enjoy them through Fall and into Winter. Otter Creek, Ipswich, Long Trail and Harpoon were excellent this year.
I would like to start off by
Anonymous — Wed, 11/18/2009 - 1:41pmI would like to start off by saying, you have a great web site and an excellent beer expert. I work for a Colonial Spirits in Southbridge Ma. A great store of great size, selection, and appreciation of all things distilled, malted, or hopped. Anyways hats off to you guys for a job well done on the web site and for giving me a few ideas.... cheers
The way I see it, the fall
Anonymous — Thu, 10/29/2009 - 1:09pmThe way I see it, the fall ushers in "The Whiskey Season".
Your store has a very impressive selection of fine whiskeys.
Colonial Spirits is a HUGE favorite of the Barrel and Mash Society (http://www.whiskeyrescue.com)
Keg or Bottle?
Timothy_Bush — Wed, 10/07/2009 - 9:44am
Home draught systems are generally sought after by most beer drinkers. In-home pouring (or in garage / basement pouring for most of us homesteaders) is more and more popular and many advantages are apparent; one empty instead of 164 empties, adjustable serving size, less $ per beer, being cooler than your friends and having lots of beer where you used to never have enough.
More on O-fest, and a tasting on the 26th
Timothy_Bush — Wed, 09/02/2009 - 2:46pm
The flood gates are open and O-fest and Pumpkin brews are pouring in. Clearly I was not quite ready for this a few weeks ago, but after a week off to enjoy the heat and sun of the last week of August I return eager to embrace my favorite beer season. Really all weather produces a fine environment for beer drinking and I will surely explain why every season. With the sun still
Suppliers say summer is over...
Timothy_Bush — Fri, 08/07/2009 - 10:37am
It is about the time of year when I start to hear the frustration and sometimes disgust from many customers about the curtailing of the summer beer season. Oktoberfest brews are available as of now. Although I resist ordering them at first (as I am doing now) I am soon forced into it so that I can have the variety that is available before they sell out. Crazy, right?
Don't forget about Pilsner...
Timothy_Bush — Tue, 07/28/2009 - 1:15pm
I’d like to point out how great a quality Pilsner can be. I will use the term Pilsner loosely here to describe a style. Pilsner, properly defined, is a pale lager created in the 1800’s in Pilsen, Bohemia. This beer uses bottom fermenting yeast and is cold fermented, as it would have been in caves long ago. So, Pilsners as I talk about them, mimic this style b
I completely agree- Pilsners
Anonymous — Tue, 09/08/2009 - 1:49pmI completely agree- Pilsners are often overlooked and I thoroughly enjoy Victory's Prima Pils. Sam Adams' annual Beer Lover's Choice competition (http://www.samueladams.com/Promotions/Beerloverschoice2009/home.html) has come down to a Pilsner and an Ale this year— I'm defiunitely rooting for Pils!
-Jim
If it was up to me, fall and
Anonymous — Wed, 08/18/2010 - 2:01pmIf it was up to me, fall and winter beers would never leave the shelves...