$2 Burger Night

While spending a few days on business travel, I missed Taco Tuesday and I'm feeling the need to resume my pace. A larger group of us met up after work for some happy hour beers and $2 burgers, which are an everyday item at Bukowski's, but unlisted on the menu. 

Beer: Victory Hop Devil IPA
ABV: 6.70%
Home: Downingtown, Pennsylvania, USA
Slogan: "Bold, Spicy, and Menacingly Delicious"

After missing the whole week, I wanted to be ambitious and hit some tough ones. I figured I'd steer toward the IPAs, which are definitely a challenge for me. I was able to get through the Hop Devil without too much trouble, but found it uninteresting since I wasn't able to distinguish any subtle flavors beneath the dominating bitter hops.

Beer: Oskar Blues G'Knight Imperial Red/Double IPA
ABV: 8.70%
Home: Lyons, Colorado, USA
Slogan: "If you knew the man behind this tribute, this ale needs no explanation. If you didn't, we're sorry."

When my G'Knight showed up in a tall-boy can, my fellow mug clubber laughed saying that she got hers in a regular-sized can last week. Figures! Fortunately for me, this beer wasn't bad at all. The G'Knight is somewhat sweet (both smell and taste) with noticeable hops and alcohol. As with the Oskar Blues Old Chub, there was no metallic taste from the can. Decent (for an IPA, that is!)

Since everyone asked specifically for the $2 burgers, it was annoying to see that we'd all been charged for regular-priced burgers (the $10-$12 versions). Not fun being held hostage during the 30 minutes it took for the staff to correct their mistake... After the last couple of disappointing experiences, I'm certain now that sitting at the bar is the best option!

Memorial Day

Memorial Day turned out to be a gorgeous day in Boston, so we decided to meet up in the late afternoon for a couple...

Beer: Weihenstephaner Kristallweissbier
ABV: 5.40%
Home: Freising, Germany
Slogan: "The world's oldest brewery"

I figured I'd get a light, drinkable beer from the world's oldest brewery on this summer-like day. It took the server about a minute to pour this one, which seemed a little excessive, but it poured clear and golden with a big foamy head that probably wouldn't have been possible otherwise. A smooth beer with very subtle hops. Not really a standout, but very refreshing.

In the middle of this round, I realized that it's Memorial Day and I'm drinking a German beer. And my boyfriend chose a Japanese beer! Unbelievable oversight. We must make amends.

Beer: 21st Amendment Back in Black
ABV: 6.80%
Home: San Francisco, California, USA
Slogan: "Refuse to go quietly"

If there's a beer that can make up for my previous choice, it should be one named after a constitutional amendment, right? The table ordered this beer together - a rarity. The can is pretty cool, with Paul Revere holding a lantern on a motorcycle. The taste of this beer matches its look - Dark, dry, with bitter hops. About 2/3 of the way through, I knocked my glass over while moving over in the booth and it broke, getting black IPA all over my pants. Fantastic. I guess I was due for a mishap. Our server helped clean the beer and glass, but didn't offer any extra napkins or even take another order. Lesson learned - just sit at the bar from now on.

SPECIAL GUEST BLOG: The 40 Club (#1)

My good friend has graciously documented her first experience with a 40 since our notorious trip to AC two years ago (and probably college before that)! Just awesome.

Beer: Miller High Life (40 oz)
ABV: 4.60%
Home: Milwaukee, WI
Birth: 1903, making it Miller Brewing's oldest brand
Slogan: "The Champagne of Beers"

Despite my unwillingness to personally commit to the Mug Club Challenge, I am an avid supporter of my friends' Mug Club Challenge quest and will be frequenting Bukowski's as much as I can to cheer them on.  Being the fierce competitor that I am, however, I have set out on a challenge of my own; The Hobo Special Club.  This consists of 4 of Bukowski's finest 40oz-ers, which includes a hot dog with each purchase.  A classy touch from management if you ask me.  While this pales in comparison to the quantity of brews the mug club needs to consume, I think my path certainly has some hurdles of its own.

First up, Miller High Life.  Thinking back, I believe the last time I had Miller High Life was in college, and at the time I equated it to dirty keg water (or what I assumed such a liquid would taste like). Upon 1st sip, it wasn't quite as bad as I remembered.  It was still bad, just not as awful as I expected.  Solid start.  Upon 2nd sip, I scouted out the bottle's expiration date to make sure this hadn't in fact been sitting around since my college days.  It hadn't, which confirmed that the questionable flavor was intentional.  Upon 3rd sip, my hot dog arrived and I forged through.  The rest is history.

Hobo Special

We were planning on having a dry night in. We got a call from our good friend whose brother had just arrived in town for the holiday weekend. When she informed me she'd be drinking the 40 she promised a couple weeks ago, the mug clubbers gathered quickly at the bar for support (and to knock a few more off the list while we're at it). They have a "Hobo Special" which is a hot dog and a 40 (of your choice!) for $8. Still seems a little steep, but whatever.

Beer: BrewDog Punk IPA
ABV: 5.60%
Home: Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK
Slogan: "An inherently contradictory take on a classic style"

Damn, I'm super impressed. As I've said before, I'm generally not a fan of IPAs, but I'll make an exception for this one. The floral hops made their presence known, but they weren't overpowering. The same could be said about the taste. I never expected to find an IPA that was easy to drink. With this beer, I'm able to appreciate the slight bitterness from the hops that accent the flavors before they fade away in a fast finish. Awesome.

Beer: Full Sail Amber Ale
ABV: 5.50%
Home: Hood River, Oregon, USA
Slogan: "Oregon's original amber"

Quite delicious and well balanced - I really enjoyed this one. The pour yielded a nice frothy head with a floral aroma. This brew is lightly hopped with a healthy dose of earthiness and a little spice at the finish.

At this point, our friend decided to do her 40. On the menu are Olde English, Colt 45, Steel Reserve, and Miller High Life. She chose the High Life (the only non-malt liquor), with a hot dog that was reported to be pretty good.

Beer: Miller High Life
ABV: 4.60%
Home: Milwaukee, WI, USA 
Slogan: "The Champagne of Beers"

In solidarity, I ordered a regular-sized High Life. How small and precious it seems in comparison! Although this beer is bottled, it still has a slightly metallic taste. I don't need to pour this one into a glass to say that the beer is a pale gold. While discussing this feature at the bar, I learned a disturbing fact: The High Life is brewed with hops extract (as opposed to actual hops), which allows the beer to be stored in clear bottles without worrying about it skunking from light exposure. Great. Happy to say that this is my last Miller on the list!

**UPDATE: See the next special guest blog post for a review of the 40 oz High Life!

Slumming the list

We decided to stop in for a quick one after picking up our race bibs for the Cambridge 5K on Memorial Day weekend (yes, I'm serious about the running - otherwise this will never work!) Since I was the first of my friends to the bar, I figured I'd just get a warm-up and do the real one afterward. Grabbed the $4 "bottle special" just as the hockey game was starting. When my fellow mug clubber showed up a few minutes later, she gave me a look asking "So... that's your one-and-done?" Obviously not.

Beer: Miller Genuine Draft
ABV: 4.66%
Home: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Slogan: "The fresh taste of draft beer in a bottle"

Drank this one straight out of the can. I wouldn't know it from last night, but from past experience, the color is a pale gold. There's no unique character to this one. It's a worse-than-average cheap beer. Unbelievably, though, it was not the worst beer I had that night.

Beer: Green Flash West Coast IPA
ABV: 7.30%
Home: San Diego, California, USA
Slogan: "Flash of Genius"

My first IPA of the challenge. I'm really not a fan of bitter beers, a common trait of IPAs. While I know beers like this one have a following, the Green Flash embodies all I dislike about hoppy IPAs. I could smell the strong hops from a foot away. Harsh and ultra bitter - just not for me.

Beer: Carling Black Label
ABV: 5.00%
Home: Ontario, Canada
Slogan: "I bet he drinks Carling Black Label!"

Claims to be from Canada, but confusingly says "Product of USA" at the bottom of the can. Since it's brewed at Molson Coors, it looks like both the US and Canada had a hand in this atrocity. We can do better. Worst beer on the list so far.

So without planning to do it, I had three beers in a row that I didn't enjoy. On our next outing, only good beers are coming my way!

Happy Hours

Second Taco Tuesday: With the Bruins in the NHL playoffs and Game 3 being shown on the TVs, happy hour gets extended.

Beer: Orval Trappist Ale
ABV: 6.20%
Home: Villers-devant-Orval, Belgium

I could drink this beer every day. The freshly poured Orval is a work of art, with its deep amber color and sea-foam head. This is a dry beer with light spices and a finish that doesn't linger. The unexpected light body had me drinking this beer in swigs. I'm just bummed that it's now off my list!

At this point, we learned that the guy sitting at the bar next to us had gone through the whole bottle list TWICE. Damn! Now here's a dude who really loves beer. He pointed out the rotating bottle specials that make up a piece of this challenge. If you drink any three, you can consider them done. The prices of these rotating bottles are all over the map and some can be expensive so it's important to pay attention. One of last night's specials was MGD in a can for $4, which my friend jumped on immediately. After the Orval, though, I couldn't go there just yet.

Beer: Julius Echter Hefe-Weissbier Dunkel
ABV: 4.90%
Home: Wurzburg, Germany

This beer has a rich brown color with a thick head that took a minute to settle down. Very pretty! Again, I was surprised by this beer's lightness given the color and its super smooth texture. This creamy smoothness makes the beer highly drinkable, but the flavors were muted and I was left wanting more.

On a normal weekday I'd stop here and go home, but Game 3 of the Bruins-Rangers series was starting and we had to catch at least some of the game. Now for some more appropriate beverages as Bruins fans were starting to trickle in...

Beer: Miller Lite
ABV: 4.17%
Home: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Slogan: "It's Miller Time!"

I figured I'd close out the night with this one. When you're looking to drink during a sporting event like we were, Miller Lite is a solid choice, as it's light and refreshing, but won't distract from the game! Also note the "vortex" bottleneck for maximum drinkability.

Beer: Amstel Light
ABV: 3.50%
Home: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Slogan: "The beer drinker's light beer"

So it was that kind of night - here's the "just one more" beer that my friend and I did in solidarity before finally calling it. Very mellow, refreshing, but not memorable. 

Here's a fun fact: Amstel Light has a lower ABV than Miller Lite (and Bud Light - I checked)! So if you're looking for a watery party beer, Amstel is one of the best choices. I'd still choose a BL, though.  

Brunch and Porchfest

On Saturday morning, following a three-beer Friday night, we decided to grab a beer and brunch before spending a gorgeous day outside. One of the best things about this place is the garage doors forming the front wall that can easily open up on nice days. We sat on one of the high-top tables at the edge, which is basically patio seating. Our same waiter from the night before vaguely recollected us and then quickly put his sunglasses down on his face, commenting on how it was too bright. This guy is regularly baked at work and he fits this place like a glove. With my breakfast burrito, I chose a nice, easy Hefeweizen:

Beer: Julius Echter Hefe-Weissbier
ABV: 4.90%
Home: Wurzburg, Germany

I'm generally not the biggest fan of wheat beers, but I think this is one of the best. Thin, hazy, very drinkable beer that was perfect for brunchtime. Especially given the heavier beers we were drinking the night before. We originally intended for this to be a one-and-done day, but guess what happened next...

Our good friend who was planning to meet us for brunch locked herself out of her house and showed up on the sidewalk by our table with her bike after having ridden (in her slippers) for 2 miles. Hilarious. Another round of beers was necessary.

Beer: Oskar Blues Old Chub Scotch Ale
ABV: 8.00%
Home: Lyons, Colorado, USA
Slogan: "It's like Sputnik - A virtual planetoid"

The Old Chub is probably the best canned beer I've ever had. Another very pleasant surprise! I poured a little into a glass to check out its amber color and then worked my way through this beer pretty quickly. I actually liked drinking it straight out of the can. Just a little bit sweet and spicy with the subtle flavors lingering in your mouth for a nice long finish.

Beer: Sam Smith Organic Strawberry Ale
ABV: 5.20%
Home: Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England, UK

Since we all decided to order one more, I figured that getting a fruity beer would be a good idea. Something easy to drink, right? Wrong. Our waiter failed to mention just how difficult this one would be for someone who just put down a breakfast burrito and two beers before 2pm. He also said it had a pretty low alcohol content - compared to what? The Old Chub? I didn't quite know what to say when this big bottle was put in front of me. I would describe it as somewhere between a sugary strawberry juice and a strawberry Crush soda. I might have a small glass after dinner in place of dessert (I think it would be quite good in that context), but I wouldn't recommend the whole bottle. Ah, the downside of Mug Club.

After brunch, we burned off some beer calories by riding our bikes around Somerville for the bands of the annual Porchfest. Pretty awesome day.

Uncharted Territory

After leaving work on Friday, I went for a quick 3 mile run before meeting the Mug Club crew for dinner and drinks at our new home away from home. Trying to complement the drinking with running as best I can! To kick off the weekend, I ventured into some new territory, trying out a Unibroue from Quebec as well as a vintage Swedish porter.

Beer: La Fin du Monde
ABV: 9.00%
Home: Chambly, Quebec, Canada

In the style of a Belgian golden, this beer is a very robust, citrusy, slow-drinking beer. I'll bet it's even better when paired with food!

Beer: Pripps Carnegie Porter
ABV: 5.50%
Home: Bromma, Sweden

Unexpectedly awesome. According to online resources, this vintage beer was first introduced in 1836, but disappeared with the ban of strong ales in Sweden. The beer was resurrected 30 years ago and has evolved since then into this delicious concoction. The funny thing is that I wouldn't describe this beer as a "strong ale" at all. The primary tastes are earth and chocolate, but the experience is surprisingly gentle with a fast finish that leaves only the essence of the flavors behind. Magic.

Beer: Whale's Tale Pale Ale
ABV: 5.60%
Home: Nantucket, Massachusetts, USA

I've had this beer on draft several times at Za in Kendall Square and liked it well enough, but the canned version of Whale's Tale just seems harsher than I remember. Quite hoppy and not easy for me to drink.

Taco Tuesday

In order to complete this challenge, we decided to pick a dedicated weekday for drinking. On a short-notice trip last Tuesday, we learned that Tuesdays are $2 taco nights. After seeing that Bukowski's also serves four varieties of 40 oz beers (which, happily, are NOT a part of the challenge), our insane friend agreed to try each of them and report back. We'll see.

Beer: Radeberger Pilsner
ABV: 4.80%
Home: Radeberg, Germany
Slogan: "The culture of taste"

Clean, crisp beer with just a hint of hops. Great warm-weather beer and also a solid choice if you can't figure out what you want (often a problem of mine).

Beer: Duvel
ABV: 8.00%
Home: Breendonk-Puurs, Belgium
Slogan: "Seriously Belgian beer"

As a former resident of central NY, I've been a fan of Ommegang for some time (owned by Duvel). On a road trip back to Boston from Ithaca, we stopped for a tasting and learned about some really great beers. My favorite of that bunch was their Rare Vos, which I frequently order at local craft beer stores and bars. I'm not sure why I was so surprised, but Duvel tastes very similar to this beer. It has a slight bitterness that seems to be a staple of Belgian Goldens and is very floral on the nose. Delicious after-work beer when looking to just relax. The glass is also quite entertaining.

Beer: Anchor Porter
ABV: 5.6%
Home: San Francisco, CA, USA
Slogan: "Intimidating color. Unexpected Taste. Welcome to American Porter."

Rich, earthy, dark beer with very low hops. Complex undertones that I don't have the beer know-how to describe. I might revisit this one later when I have a better beer vocabulary. What I do know: This is my kind of beer.

Bombers

Beer: Middle Ages Wailing Wench
ABV: 8.00%
Home: Syracuse, New York, USA

After an awesome day downtown at the ICA with friends, we thought we'd just stop in for a quick one. Seemed like a good time to knock down a bomber. Not a fan of this one, though. It was dark, hoppy as hell, and tough to get down. There are a handful of 22 oz bottles in this challenge and it might be best to apply this one-and-done plan to most of them. I also want to point out that the label looks like it should be in a Museum of Bad Art - a redheaded woman with bedroom eyes, open mouth, and boobs falling out of her bodice. Makes the beer so much more appealing, right? I'm just happy this one's off the list.

Inaugural beers

For the last year or so, my friends and I have been flirting with the idea of trying to complete the Mug Club Challenge at Bukowski's Tavern in Inman Square. The deal goes: Drink all 135 of their bottled beers in six months from your start date and you get your own 25 oz mug that you can fill with any draft beer at the cost of a pint. For us, the mug is less important than the journey. We're thinking of it as a course in beer education. I probably wouldn't even give most of these beers a chance otherwise. The challenge is free, but you pay for the beer - not a trivial amount of money! I'm also putting myself on a running regimen so I don't blow up like a tick. Here we go with the first round:

Beer: Schlitz

ABV: 5.0%

Home: Milwaukee, WI, USA

Slogan: "The beer that made Milwaukee famous"

Our inaugural beer for the mug club challenge, we figured we'd just knock this one off the list right away. I learned that this beer is best enjoyed when it’s cold. I dislike tall boys because of the urgency similar to eating ice cream outside on a hot day. The beer tastes light and cheap with its place being in dive bars and sporting events.

Beer: Sam Smith's Brown Ale
ABV: 5.00%
Home: Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England, UK

A dry and very nutty beer brewed with water that, according to its label, comes from the original well dug in the late 1700s. I also learned that brown ales are a specialty of northern England - never knew that before. Delicious brew, but one is plenty!

Beer: Ballantine Ale
ABV: 4.85%
Home: Newark, NJ, USA

Two tall-boys in one night. We can do it because we know the rule - drink fast before it gets warm. Not a whole lot more to say, though. This is just your average light, canned lager, but nothing too memorable.