Your Next Pint

Kill the Summer Heat with a Great White Witbier

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Great White Witbier from Lost Coast Brewery is as smooth and refreshing as a Duffy boat cruise on a hot summer day. Definitely pack a 6-pack or two on-board, along with some spicy Pepper Jack Cheese and Peaches to bring out the Citrus and Coriander.

The Washdown:

- lemon pine nose, coriander orange flavor, yellow-white colored Great White Witbier (Lost Coast Brewery, Eureka, CA) 4.8% ABV

Great White is an unfiltered beer, which usually means it's cloudy in color from this beer's two-row malted barly, unmalted wheat, and ale yeast. But Great White is so shiny golden yellowish-white in color that the minimal cloudiness kinda sneaks up on you. (Du nuh, du nuh, dunuh dunuh dunuh dunuh....)

The sharp nose is prominently Zesty Lemon. The bite is Coriander and a secret blend of Humboldt herbs – perhaps a touch of Cardamom, Ginger, and Honey. The head pours super thick, but quickly disintegrates, and the carbonation is fresh, yet mellow.

To taste all the great flavors in this crispy, citrusy beer, pair it with a Fried Fish Sandwich with Spicy Aioli, and a summer Spinach Peach Salad with some Pepper Jack Cheese.

You'll definitely wanna open your jaws wide for this one.

Trader Joe's Vienna Style Lager is almost Amber

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Next time you shop at Trader Joe's, pick up a 6-pack of their own craft-brewed Vienna Style Lager. It pours like a champ, has a bubbly personality, and skews Amber.

The Washdown:

- light lemon peachy nose, clean malt flavor, amber colored Trader Joe's Vienna Style Lager (Trader Joe's Brewing Co., CA) 5.7% ABV

I attended a recent party for one of my best friend's anniversaries, where buckets were overflowing with all types of beers from Trader Joe's Brewing Company – which, oddly, I'd never tried before.

I picked up a bottle of Vienna Style Lager, in which the label read "Smooth Amber Lager". Since Ambers are one of my favorite styles of beer, I couldn't resist.

The nose has faint citrus like lemon and peach, and it has a slight bready, tangy, caramel malt taste. By no means are these flavors big and bursting, but rather very subtle. While it did not live up to my Amber hopes – except in color – it steps up the flavor profile of a Lager, maintains some bite with nice carbonation, and has an insanely thick and creamy head (see pictured).

The Vienna Style Lager will probably remind you of Sam Adams Boston Lager. Try it and see for yourself.

Hoppy Drinking!

Drake's Hopocalypse Ale is a revelation in flavor not bitterness

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While its name touts otherwise, Drake's Hopocalypse Ale is a lot fruitier 'n spicier than most hoppy bitter beers – and has a whopping 9.3% ABV to back it up.

The Washdown:

- creamy orange 50/50, spicy nutmeg, caramel malt, cloudy rusty color Drake's Hopocalypse (Drake's Brewing Company, San Leandro CA) 9.3% ABV

I liked Drake's Hopocalypse so much, I had to blog about it again (see review on The Golden State Cafe at YourNextBite.com), but this time in more detail.

This Seasonal Fall Ale has such a complex flavor profile, it should be celebrated year round. Described on the brewing company's website as an "orange monster," Hopocalypse is made from a wide variety of hops – equal parts American two row & English pale, 2 types Munich malt, Chinook, Cascade & Amarillo.

The nose is full of grapefruit and pine. But the tongue has something much sweeter, creamier and spicier going on – like an old-fashioned Orange 50/50 bar with chunks of sour grapefruit inside, then sprinkled with Nutmeg.

Each sip brings a new flavor to the table, making you wonder and question what else could be inside. "Is that apricot? Nah, I think it's more tropical like Pineapple. Wait a second, that is totally caramel!" And round and round you go.

Hopocalypse went smashingly well with my Burger, Curry Ketchup & Jalapeno Slaw at the Golden State Cafe. But I also recommend enjoying it with a nice bowl of Curry, Sweet Potato Fries, or perhaps in a Beer Float with Horchata (vanilla cinnamon sugar) ice cream.

Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA is exploding with Pine

Perhaps one of their biggest, boldest, and hoppiest beers, Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA comes on strong with a fizzy finish.

The Washdown:

- bold pine flavor, malt aroma, caramel orange color Torpedo Extra IPA (Chico, CA) 7.2% ABV

Hoppy Trails to you because this beer is all about the Pine. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. uses a unique technique of dry-hopping – get your mind out of the gutter – called "Hop Torpedo," hence the name. Then they mix it with a special blend of "precious oils and resins" to give this Extra IPA an herbal flavor that's full bodied and stings with the first sip.

Bring the brew up to your nose and hints of Natural Pine are masked by Barley Malt. Bring it to your lips and the Grassy, Pine flavors smack you like a tree. The finish is well carbonated and delicately reaquaintants you with that sweet barley nose. And the head is thinner than a pine needle.

Chops to the Hops!