I typically shun beer in green bottles. Why? Because, from my experience, they tend to be skunky tasting.
When hubby asked my to pick up a sixer of Pilsner Urquell, I was happy to do it.
When I got to the beer store there was a Heineken promotion. So the lovely blonde beer girl was passing out samples of icy cold Heiny and when she offered me a tastes I was like, "No thanks, I don't drink beer that comes in green bottles."
Little did I know that Pilsner Urquell comes in evil green bottles. I couldn't tell at the store because the bottles were packed up in boxes. I got a cold pack at the store and when I busted into them at home I was like, "Ugh, green bottles."
Since this was the designated beer for the evening I sucked it up and went for it.
I popped open a bottle; the smell was exactly what I anticipated and it didn't bode well. Skunk.
Let me put my commentary on hold for a moment and tell you a little bit about Pilsner Urquell. It is the very first pilsner every made. It was first brewed in 1842 in Plzen, Czechoslovakia; which is where it gets it's name. All other beers of this style take their name from Plzeňský Prazdroj . . . or Pilsner Urquell. However, Pilsner Urquell is hoppier than most pilsners . . . which gives it bonus points in my book.
Now, back to the beer. Once I got past the smell, I was pleasantly surprised at the taste and I quickly sucked back three of them. Don't get your knickers in a twist, Pilsner Urquell comes in at a very sessionable 4.4% ABV . . . so it's a nice light drinkable beer. And it won't knock you on your butt. It does have a little tiny bit of that green bottle taste but the overall flavor is a good tasty pilsner with a bitter edge. I surprised myself by liking it.
Happy 170th Birthday Pilsner Urquell. Cheers to the first Pilsner ever! Good job with that!
Oh, and the topper on the cake? I got a special badge from Untappd for knocking back three of these bad boy!
Visit the Pilsner Urquell website or check them out on Facebook.
Plan B, a local restaurant that specializes in burgers, beer and bourbon, is celebrating their one year anniversary. And they're going hog wild! Literally! They are celebrating with bacon . . . it's Bacon Week! On special this week is “The Divine Swine” aka “Drop Dead Burger,” (100% ground bacon burger topped w/ thick sliced bacon, bacon aioli, bourbon bacon red onion jam, and a fried egg all sandwiched in between a grilled cheese) to Bacon Candy Bars, Bacon Cotton Candy, and Bacon infused Bourbon cocktails . . . and more.
I like bacon . . . who doesn't? So, a visit to Plan B to celebrate their anniversary was a must. I didn't try everything . . . that would be completely gluttonous and I might have fallen into a bacon induced coma. I did, however, sample a few baconny items. AND a few of their ever rotating taps . . . alas, no bacon beer.
I started out with a finger of Woodford Reserve bacon infused bourbon. The bourbon itself is nice, smooth and warming. The infusion definitely added a subtle baconness that wasn't the least bit detracting. It was a little smoky with a nice hint of bacon. All in all . . . quite good.
I ordered the Divine Swine burger for my meal with a side of green fries (flash fried green beans). Was this burger over the top? Completely! But I guess that's kind of the point. Every bite of this burger screams BACON! If you love bacon, as I do, this is something you'll want to try once in your life. It was good but would I order it again? Mmm . . . probably not . . . I think I gained five pounds just thinking about it!
The beer at Plan B is always good . . . they are constantly rotating their taps so there's always something new to try. This week's list was impressive and it was tough to choose what I wanted to try. I sampled thee different beers and I wasn't disappointed with any of them.
I started out with a Raging Bitch from Flying Dog. Basically, because I can pretty much relate to the name. Well, that and because it's an IPA. Raging Bitch is a strong Belgian style IPA (8.3% ABV). Amber in color with a loose, bubbly head that laces the glass with every sip. This is a very tasty beer with an expected amount of hoppy citrus, a surprising hint of caramel and a nice crisp finish. Despite the alcohol level I didn't taste any booziness . . . just a delicious beer that I would definitely go for again!
With that crazy bacon burger, I had a Coney Island Mermaid Pilser from Shmaltz Brewing Company. Wow! Very nice! This pilser is a light (5% ABV) and exceptionally drinkable beer. It tasted of malty caramel, fruit, a hint of hops and . . . rye. None of these elements overpowered another . . . it is a nice balanced beer that goes down easy and simply tastes great. Go for it!
At our server's suggestion we ordered a bottle of Stoudt's Fat Dog Imperial Oatmeal Stout. He said it was of the best stouts he has ever drank . . . who can argue with a recommendation like that? The beer was as
black and dark as beer gets. There were clear coffee, chocolate and malt flavors . . . as I expect from an imperial stout. This is a big beer . . . it is strong (9% ABV) and dark . . . but it is also fairly smooth tasting and very flavorful. You can taste the alcohol but it doesn't take away from the overall taste or experience of the beer. I would say this is a great beer for anyone who appreciates a good, strong stout.
Hubby and I recently attended Final Friday at New England Brewing. Final Friday is their monthly open house where you get to sample their beer, mingle with other beer lovers and enjoy a live band . . . all of this at the brewery with the beer making staff. Basically, a beer drinkin' rockin' good time!
$5 at the door gets you three tickets good for three 10 ounce beer samples.
We arrived just at the start of the soiree . . . 6 PM . . . and the there were already quite a few people there. Comfortably crowded I would say; room to mingle, check things out and get a beer.
Hubby and I took our cups, dropped a ticket in the bowl and got our beer samples. Being the IPA lover that I am, I started out with the Sea Hag IPA. We made our way over to the stacks of pallets loaded with empty cans and sampled our . . . well . . . sample.
Yummy! Sea Hag . . . my first time drinking this beer. It is an American style India Pale Ale. I liked it . . . I liked it a lot. It's hoppy and bitter without being overpoweringly so. The hops are citrusy with plenty of the lemon and grapefruit that I love. The malt gives the beer a caramel flavor that lends a slight sweetness that blends quite nicely with the bitter hops. Over all . . . a very good IPA . . . I loved it. (6.2% ABV)
As we were finishing our first beer we noticed the crowd was noticeably thicker and the temperature was rising in the relatively small space. And . . . a line was begining to form to get the beer. So, we hopped in line for our second sample. Just as we were getting our cups filled the band started and the place was a'rockin'.
My second choice was an Elm City Lager. This is a German style pilsner. Again . . . I really liked this beer. Light, tasty and exceedingly drinkable. This is what a lager should taste like . . . mildly sweet, slightly bitter, clean and smooth. A sesionable beer to be sure at 5% ABV. Really quite nice. An all around good beer!
While sipping my beer I skulked around a bit checking out the equipment . . . tanks, canner, etc. I happened to look up and spied a red monster dude hanging out on a beam and Elvis perched on top of tank.
There were kegs and KEGS waiting to be filled.
But, the pallets of cans and the tanks themselves filled most of the space . . . which was surprisingly small.
By the time we finished our second beer the place was packed . . . and we were sweating like crazy. A very hot, humid day and a room filled with beer swizzling people makes a very sultry environment. And the line to get beer . . . looooooooong.
We eased our way into the line to get our final sample. I decided to go with the Sea Hag . . . as it was that or the Elm City. We squeezed our way over to the open overhead door to get some fresh air . . . it was brutally hot.
Mmm . . . out of beer? Sometimes life is crap. :)
As we finished up we were ready to get gone. As crowded and hot as it was we still left happy . . . sweaty but happy. I'm looking forward to heading back to New England Brewery for another Final Friday.
For more information check out NEBC's website or visit their Facebook page.
I typically shun beer in green bottles. Why? Because, from my experience, they tend to be skunky tasting.
