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Russ returned last night from another trip up north to include shopping for beer. This time he focused on stouts, in addition to IPAs, which are hard to find down here. I love stouts for breakfast, especially oatmeal stouts. So along with three brands of scrapple, he got five kinds of oatmeal stouts. Two we had with breakfast. Anderson Valley's Barney Flats is one of our long time favorites, and the Wolaver's (from Otter Creek) was new to us. Barney Flats tastes so creamy, and goes especially well with scrapple. Its creaminess is a great match to the scrapple when it's cooked crispy on the outside and creamy soft on the inside. Hey, you could almost make a case that an oatmeal stout could sometimes be described as creamy on the inside and crispy on the outside! The Wolaver's was quite crisp through and through. It might even quench your thirst! Less creamy (except for the head), but still hearty and rich, it goes down way too easily. We long finished eating, but we're still sampling these oatmeal stouts. By the way, breakfast was Rapa Brand scrapple, eggs baked on creamed spinach, sliced tomatoes, and cut mango. If you haven't taken the opportunity to taste some oatmeal stouts, please do, and let us know about it. If you have, I hope you'll post about some that you have enjoyed the most.

This was new to me. It's interesting, so I hope anybody familiar with HOLY GRAIL ALE will post impressions of it. (Anybody from UK know the brewery?) This beer was part of my much-talked-about husband's recent beer shopping (the recent beer shopping much talked about, not the husband). We drank a bottle of this last night. I thought it had a nice pleasant taste -- more on the mild, clean side than most of the hoppy beers I adore. It's dry without a lot of bitterness in my opinion, refreshing. Apparently its ABV is 4.7. One could drink a few of these! I would love to taste it from tap in a pub. Here's the website. I am sorry to say I am ignorant about what is where, even after traveling to London in December. Where is Masham? BTW, Russ found this in Atlantic Liquors in Rehoboth (DE), and after tasting it, bought more from either Weaver's or State Line in Maryland.

I'll go first. Yesterday I drank Corona during happy hours, and later a Rogue Shakespeare Stout. The former: Always good and thirst-quenching in the Florida heat. Let the sun shine.... The latter: Mmmm...

I saw this article online and thought some here might be interested: Wall Street Journal Online: Why are aged brews fetching $100? edit: for spelling

Last summer, I was travelling through the 1500 block of Mifflin Street, and I was surprised to find a large, green neon Yards sign hanging in a window. The name outside advertised the place as The South Philadelphia Tap Room. After driving by since on numerous occasions, curiosity finally got the better of me. So, last night I decided to stop in check out the place. The South Philadelphia Tap Room is located at 1509 Mifflin St., about a block from St. Agnes Medical Center near the intersections of Broad, Snyder, and Passyunk Ave. Upon entering, the first item of notice was that the special for the evening was jumbo ravioli. The next items I noticed were the 10 tap handles sitting behind the bar. One group of seven taps consisted of Miller Lite and Yuengling Lager, a PBR tap. Handles also for Guinness, Yards Philadelphia Pale Ale, Smythwick's Irish Ale, and Magic Hat #9. At the end of the bar were three taps for Leffe Brown, Hoegaarden, and Stella Artois. The bottle selection was even more impressive with selections including Brooklyn Lager and Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, Victory Hop Devil and Golden Monkey, and Dogfish Head. Wednesday night is Lady's night. The advertised drink specials were $2.50 Coronas and Amstel Light bottles and $3 cosmopolitans. Behind the bar sat a nice selction of vodkas and whiskeys. I sat down and ordered a Yard's and asked to look at a food menu. While the typical bar fare of cheesesteak, fries, and even a bacon cheeseburger were noted. Other items included pierogies, gulf shrimp, a honey grilled and a smothered grilled chicken sandwich, a jumbo lump crab cake sandwich and platter and a NY Strip steak. Talking to the bartender, I found out the place has been open for about a year and a half. And, whoever runs it is a big Temple fan judging by all the Temple memorabalia. I ordered the provolone steak and an order of pierogies. The cheesesteak was an ordinary steak on a soft roll with the ends cut, not greasy. Good taste, but nothing special. The pierogies with red onion were unfortunately sauteed in vegetable oil and not the preferred butter and served with a side of sour cream. The overall atmosphere reminded me of McMenimen's in Mt. Airy. I intend to go back and try the bigger menu items to see how they fare and report back. Until then, it's nice to discover good beer just got closer to me.

I just wanted to post about a new place that I checked out on my last trip to Vegas. We were in the local liquor store, Lee's, and started to talk to a local about IPAs. He mentioned that there's a great bar for rare beers....The Freakin' Frog. We got directions (it's off of Maryland near the university) and we on our way. It's truly a hole in the wall and very plain. I thought that the local was pulling our leg, until I looked at the beer list. HOLY #$%! I thought that we hit the jackpot! They have plenty of beers from all over, and the menu consists of an excel spreadsheet (about 7 pages long) that's updated weekly. They had Stone's Vertical Epic, from '02, '03 and '04. If you're willing to drop some cash, you can really get some rare finds! It was too bad that I was driving, maybe next time I'll have to get someone else to drive. Has anyone else checked this place out?

This year this gift is selling like hotcakes in beer loving Belgium and Luxembourg. My husband got it for Christmas and he and our friends enjoy draft beer at home. Any other opinions???

OK - Do I'm at the Beer and Wine MAkers' Warehous on Murphy Road in Hartford, CT today. The SO knows I wanna make some lambic, and I'm girding my loins for a brewing battle. You know, finding the right yeasts, buying (or planning to buy) a gazillion pounds of raspberries or cherries, etc... And she finds a kit named Framboos. Has anybody tried this yet? It looks like hopped malt syrup and raspberry juice.....is it a shortcut to something approaching lambic? Thanks in advance - Rob

Friday, June 18 was the last day for Bill Madden as head brewer of Capital City - Arlington, VA. Bill was won multiple medals at the GABF and Chicago Real Ale Festival. The former exec chef for the original Capital City brewpub in DC, and a good friend of Bill, recently bought the Founder's brewpub in Alexandria, VA, and promised Bill a stake in the ownership if he came on as head brewer.

On Friday a Ukrainian friend named Ludmilla mixed me a drink using Ukrainian stout beer and sour cream. Tasted a little chocolaty. . . but ultimately to me was kind of undrinkable. She claims this concoction has cleansing properties or something. Anybody heard of this?

From an unsolicited email I received today Minimum purchase is a container load - 33,000 bottles thirsty yet?

Has anyone tried this stuff?

#1 Mendocino brewing White Hawk IPA #2 Big Sky Crystal ale. Big sky brewing Missoula Montana #3 Rouge Morimoto Hazelnut Signature Ale #4 Rouge Sea Otter Amber Ale I think im going to try the hazelnut when i get home from work tonight. If anybody has had any of these beers i would like to know your opinions of them.

Just picked up a case of Yuengling Light Lager, which despite the "light" in its name, used to be a pretty good beer. This stuff that I brought home yesterday would have trouble standing up to seltzer water. The beer used to have both a good hop profile and a bit of malt character. Both are missing in this case... as is some of the carbonation I'd remembered... this is like a two-day-open seltzer bottle. Am I imagining things (like it was ever good), or did this beer really slide over the past year?

Imagine my surprise while flipping through my mother's copy this afternoon when I caught this article: Classy Beer It certainly wasn't a magazine I expected to see such an article in. My only problem with it is the editor's (no doubt) attempt to dumb it down with a slightly condescending headline.

You have to register to read the full text but registration is free. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/16/dining/16BEER.html Mr. Oliver's book won the award in Wine, Beer or Spirits category in the 2004 International Association of Culinary Professional's cookbook competition. IACP website EXCERPT When the Right Wine Is a Beer By MARK BITTMAN Published: June 16, 2004 IT'S not that Garrett Oliver doesn't like wine. In fact, he knows more about it than most people, enjoys it often with food, even sings its praises. It's just that he thinks there are times when beer does a better job. "To me," said Mr. Oliver, the brewmaster of Brooklyn Brewery, "beer and wine are both beverages meant to be served with food. And good beer, real beer, often offers things that most wine does not, like carbonation and caramelized and roasted flavors — aspects that sometimes make beer the preferable choice. "And the most wonderful thing about beer is that it has that ability to `reset' your palate. Take cassoulet, for example: Rustic southern French reds are good, but French beer is a much better choice. Cassoulet can be like cement, but beer busts it up and makes it seem so much lighter." CONTINUED....

He surely was a visionary, a true beer enthusiast, a proud bearer of his family name, and a rascal, but he is also gone too soon. Poor Henry's, his brewpub, was a stop, and dramatic dinner location, for several of my beer tours a few years back. Seems like yesterday. http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/news/o...ggnlnjhg|Rich|Y

I just spent a week about halfway between Redhat and Kenora, Ontario. One of the major decisions among my happy band of Southerners was the decisions that we had to make at the incredibly efficient Beer Store in Kenora (I love the way that you hand over your money and the beer comes flying out on the roller table! Kind of like a giant, magic, human operated beer machine). The stuffs not cheap, but what the hell, you guys get health insurance with the proceeds. These choices were not taken lightly,as we only had one shot at making the right choices! A 200 mile round trip on a float plane would have been needed to rectify poor choices. I was stunned by the number of Canadian Brands available and the interesting package sizes available (I really liked those manly liter cans-conveniently designed to cure the thirst of even someone as large as Husky the Muskie). My gang decided on a wide selection, with Molson Canadian as the base brand. They also enjoyed a fair amount of Keith's India Pale, a brand that none of use were familiar with prior to the trip. Rickard's Honey Brown met with a bit less enthusiasm, but was consumed nonetheless (hell, they would have sucked down anything by the end of the week and liked it ). Trying to save weight on the trip back, seemed to be the general excuse. What are your favorite brands? Are there beers that are available only regionally? How do you Canadian's feel about Nationally regulated beer sales (I have an opinion on this, but will hold it until for a while to keep from influencing the discussion). Canadian Beer. You guys drink enough of the stuff! What do you think about it?

Be sure and celebrate the diversity of American beers. Check out American Beer Month for more information.

I'm not sure where to post this, but since beer is the primary product, here goes: A friend of my husband just bought a local bar/grill. Casual, to say the least. In fact, a number of bikers and working class people are the clientele. I am looking at an opportunity to become a bartender there. Most drinks and drafts I can handle. What I'm not sure of is what is the general protocol of working with other bartenders and table wait staff? Share tips or not? Any other general bartender duties besides drinks, washing glasses, taking inventory, etc? Any tips, suggestions and sage wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

The article from MSNBC so yet another major EU concern .. and we are still focussed on national security?? not GM foods?

We're right in the damn middle of summer now, and the good beer is flowing . So what's been tantalizing your taste buds this summer? Give us your reviews. For me, this summer has meant savoring each of the 9 different hop varietal IPAs from Philadelphia area micro Sly Fox, to celebrate their 9th anniversary. So far, they've issued: Centennial IPA, Target IPA, Cascade IPA, Styrian IPA, East Kent Golding IPA, and 4 others are yet to be issued (Amarillo, Fuggles, Simcoe) including their Imperial IPA in December. All delicious, puckery wonders. The most recent, Target IPA, is wonderfully tart, yet has a very nice malt counterpart that really surprises, and gives the beer amazing balance. So let the tasting notes begin!

Hey Gulleteers- I've once seen this topic just briefly mentioned... but I was out at Target yesterday and ran across a "deluxe" Mr. Beer brewing kit at deep, deep discount. As I am fascinated with homebrew ( as well as the distrotion of traditional foodstuffs for commercial purposes) I shelled out the $7.48 for the kit thinking what a hoot. You are supposed to be able to brew real beer in a plastic/wood keg then bottle the stuff in plastic pop bottles. The kit comes with a can of hopped malt. Has anyone tried it? What was your experience? Do things like this make people more interested in brewing beer for real, or after a Mr. Beer experience do people feel creating real food is just too mysterious, and the process is better left for the professionals at Budweiser?

http://www.lemis.com/grog/brewing/temperature-control.html Got an old computer lying around that isn't useful for anything? Well, download a copy of FreeBSD or Linux (Free, Open Source operating systems similar to UNIX) follow this guy's instructions and buy the kit components, and you too can be home brewing like a complete geek. The software was developed by a British chemical engineer. He's also got some cool recipes for homebrews: http://www.lemis.com/grog/brewing/index.html

I'm in charge of beer for a friend's NYE party, so I'm going to get a keg. I always have a hard time picking kegs out, so I thought I'd ask the eG beer experts what they suggest. Here are the requirements: • Easy drinking - Lots of people will be drinking this, so nothing too distinctive, or bitter. • Something with a kick - I've been to enough parties where they have watered down black label beer. The designated driver could drink 6 and still be good to shuttle everyone home. Thinking of something in the 5%-7% range. • Reasonably inexpensive - I'd love to spend ~$80-$100 or so.