Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club, Author at Craft Beer Blog from The Beer of the Month Club

Support Your Vacation Location Breweries!

May 19, 2014 by Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club

On a recent trip to Lake Havasu, I was fortunate enough to find The Desert Magic IPA from the good people at Mudshark Brewery based out of Lake Havasu City, AZ. Being an IPA lover, I was not disappointed. The brew has a lemon scent with hints of grapefruit and a nice balance of hops and a light malt give it a great flavor without too much of a hoppy bite. Quite the treat after a long day on the lake.

Mudshark Brewery also has a restaurant/brewpub located in the heart of Lake Havasu City, just a half mile walk from the world famous London Bridge. Haven’t been there myself just yet, but will definitely check it out on my next trip.

As I am sure a lot of you already do, be sure to find those craft breweries in your favorite vacation spots and support them the best you can. We need to make sure that these fine establishments remain in business as long as possible so we can drink great beer on vacation!

Cheers!
Ryan

Got Swagger?

April 23, 2014 by Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club

If not, you need to checkout Beer, because they definitely have enough to go around. So much that they named their hoppy red lager “Swagger”. I usually do not go out of my way for a lager, but I love hops, love reds, and everything else I have ever sampled from this fine craft brew establishment has been nothing less than amazing, so I couldn’t pass it up. And, of course, the Clown Shoes delivered! It starts off with the hoppy goodness of red IPA, and finishes with the crispiness of a lager. Being an ale lover, I have a very exclusive list of lagers and pilsners I enjoy and this one is at the top.

If you are lucky enough to have Clown Shoes Beer distributed in your local area, take the time to sample some of these incredible creations. And with beers with such names as “Swagger”, “Vampire Slayer”, “Chocolate Sombrero”, and even “Muffin Top” (my personal favorite) they’re kinda hard to miss.

Cheers!
Ryan

Goats, Spring, and Bock Beer

March 20, 2014 by Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club

Today is special my friends. One of significance, with deep historical roots, and one that will bring some sense of relief to many I’m sure. Today is National Bock Day, and it also happens to be the 1st day of spring. Bocks come in many different styles and variations, but they were typically brewed to welcome in the spring season and bid adieu to winter.

This past winter was pretty brutal to many due to some extreme weather sweeping across most of the nation. There were even some uncommon appearances of the season in some of the southern states. Remember all those people in Atlanta caught off guard by the winter storm and forced to succumb to its fury, abandoning their cars on the freeway just to get back home? Well it’s time to put that all behind us now and welcome in this magical time of year. Flowers bloom, picnics are be planned, the birds start to sing again, bears awake from their hibernation, and Bocks are in their prime.

Bock, what a funny word. But it’s more than just a funny sounding noun, it actually has some meaning. To be exact, it’s German for “Billy Goat”. Thank goodness that has nothing to do with the listed ingredients, but more to do with old world influence. During medieval times, old German monasteries would brew a strong bock as a source of nutrition during their Lenten fasts. Others believe it was made with more of a pagan connotation, only being brewed during the sign of the Capricorn goat, hence the name “Bock”.

So whatever your cause, there’s surely a reason to be found to enjoy a nice Bock this spring. What’s yours?

Cheers!
Shelton

Super Bowl Foods & Craft Beer

January 30, 2014 by Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club

When preparing for Super Bowl Sunday, it’s important to make sure you don’t forget the craft beer! If your house is anything like most of ours, there’s going to be plenty of food around – so what craft beers make the best pairings?

When choosing a craft beer to accompany a certain dish, it’s often best to aim for a complementary flavor, but a contrasting one can work too. For instance, hot & spicy foods usually go great with IPAs, whose big, spicy hops match the heat and intensity of the food. But, a sweeter, maltier craft beer like a bock can help tame the heat while refreshing the palate.

Just like with food and wine pairings, you want to make sure you don’t have one member of your pairing dominating the other, so try to match the intensity levels of the craft beer and the food. For example, a barleywine will stomp all over a celery stick, and a bowl of 5 alarm chili will kick the butt of a pale lager – so keep the character of each of the components in mind.

Here’s a little guide we made with some of our suggestions for popular game day foods:

Oh decisions, decisions…

August 22, 2013 by Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club

As the World of Craft Beer becomes more and more accessible to the average beer lover, it seems to be harder to actually make a choice on what to drink when faced with the many options that today’s brewpubs and craft beer stores have to offer. Many bars are now featuring rotating taps which allows their patrons to try something different every time the walk through the doors. And with as many microbreweries that are in existence, there are so many different versions of every style of beer to taste. Even if you only like a certain style of brew, you can stick with that and sample many different concoctions, all skillfully crafted for your drinking pleasure.

All that being said, most of the microbrew enthusiasts that I know still have that one “go to” beer that they can always count on. You know what I’m talking about. That beer that you can find in the exact same spot in the cooler of your local beer shop, or on tap at the local watering hole, that you can enjoy on any occasion during any season. Really, the beer that you go to when simply nothing else will do…

We wanna know what your “go to” beer is. Please leave a comment with the name of your special brew!

Cheers!
Ryan

July Member of the Month – Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club

July 25, 2013 by Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club

“Hi, I joined your ongoing monthly beer club as a gift to myself. I’ve had to make a lot of sacrifices, but your beer club is something I can’t live without. Your beer club gives me access to beer I normally wouldn’t be able to get and introduces me to beer and breweries I didn’t even know existed. At the beginning of every month I check to see the featured selections online and then anxiously await their arrival later in the month. I love tasting all the different beer and supporting craft breweries. Sharing the beer with my wife and other family members makes every month more memorable than the last. Thank you for the great club and the great beer! You have a member for life!”

Todd

Hi Todd! We love the beer set up (and the shirt), it’s looks perfect for sharing with family and friends! We also love to hear about our members supporting craft breweries, the more support they have, the more choices we can bring to you! To keep those memories coming, you have been selected as our Member of the Month! Congratulations! A free shipment is coming your way!

Remember, Members of the Month receive a free shipment of beer! SUBMIT YOURSELF OR YOUR GROUP PHOTO FOR CONSIDERATION! If your submission is selected, we’ll extend your membership by one more month! Get your photo & letter in now and e-mail your submissions to [email protected]

Ryan’s new brewery find in Santa Cruz, CA

June 28, 2013 by Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club

On a recent trip to Santa Cruz, CA to watch my baby sis graduate from UCSC (go Banana Slugs!), I just so happen to find a small brewery located in the neighboring city of Capitola, Sante Adairius Rustic Ales (the locals refer to them as SARA). Tucked back in an industrial complex, we began to think we were lost until we saw about a dozen people sitting out in front of a building around wine barrels sipping from tulips filled with bright orange beer. This must be the place.

Despite only having three beers to sample, 831 IPA, Little Quibble Farmhouse Ale, and West Ashley Sour Saison (pictured from left to right), the experience was awesome. A general jovial mood in the tasting room set the stage for tasting three delectable and unforgettable brews. The staff was very knowledgeable and super friendly, taking the time to ask all questions and make all patrons, regulars and newcomers, feel very welcome.

Whether you are a beer connoisseur or just a wanna-be beer geek (like me!), it does not to take long to figure out that SARA has something special going on. All three beers we tasted were excellent and very unique creations of their respective styles. Out of all three, it was difficult to choose my favorite, but I have to go with the West Ashley Sour Saison. Aged in French Oak Pinot Noir barrels with apricots, the flavor is very tart with lemon sourness while the apricot, the oak from the barrel, and some mild funk round out the glass. Just the right beer for a sunny spring day!

If you are a lover of craft beer and are headed to the Santa Cruz area, Sante Adairius is definitely a stop that you must make. If you already are in the area and have not experienced what SARA has to offer, you have been missing out! I suggest that you head over there ASAP to support these creators of excellent artisanal brews. I guarantee that you will be back again & again…

Check ‘em out: https://www.facebook.com/santeadairius

Ryan