Overrated! or, Beers I wouldn't buy

How to say "Douchey Beer" in Dutch?

Here at HH, we've devoted an inordinate amount of time to beer that we think you should try. Past favorites at the OS Brewery to see cybertime on HH include the Anderson Valley Summer Solstice; Erdinger's Weizen; Boulevard's Brettanomyces IPA; Founders' Double IPA; and more. Yes, we're lucky in this world: there is no shortage of beer worth drinking. Problem is, too many beers NOT worth drinking have found their way into the collective consciousness. Head to any "hip" club on a Friday night and, chances are, you'll find the clientele swilling Heineken's tasteless lager. Hit the beach with the fam or friends and you'll stumble across countless coolers filled with Corona's trademark watery pale pils. Join co-workers for a happy hour after closing the Big Deal, and Mike from Accounting will, with an entirely unearned air of wisdom, ask his barkeep for a Blue Moon.

Give Corona, BM and Heineken some credit: they've been able to brand themselves in a way few other beers have done. We're to the point where Heineken really is synonymous with the club; where Corona is the beach; where BM is the corporate gathering. It's a damn shame that people with enough disposible income are throwing away their money on beer with roughly the same amount of "taste" as a big-box American-style pilsner, but it's also a testament to the ad campaigns waged on behalf of these beers. The beauty of a Heineken (for Heineken) is that it's practically the same beer as a Budweiser; yet, people at the club will, without batting an eye, spend three extra dollars for it.

But, wise readers may ask, won't people RECOGNIZE that Heineken has about the same effect on the palate as a Miller Lite? And, once this happens, won't they laugh at the notion of paying $8 for a bottle of it at Love or Felix or 18th Street Lounge? Well, this hasn't happened; Heineken is as popular as ever. It astounds me to think that, for the price a bro will pay for a single Heine, he could have an Allagash White AND a Brooklyn Choc Stout at my bar. Yes, part of the (absurd) cost of the Heineken is a reflection of the fact that you're also paying for the "privilege" of being in one of those clubs; it's still, IMHO, a huge rip-off, no matter which way you look at it. (Esp. considering you've already paid a cover AND possibly paid to have them look after your jacket or coat AND probably paid for the drinks of other eligible singles in the hopes of taking them home, so that by the time you get around to buying yourself a Heineken, you're $40 shorter and exponentially more frustrated with that bouncer who kept you in line so the three ladies behind you could get in. These are just a few of the reasons your faithful blogger doesn't go to clubs.)

It's unreasonable to think that someone who goes to Love or Felix or the Lounge would want to order an Allagash White; AW deserves a lovely tulip glass, a warm summer evening, and a relaxing conversation with a friend. Still, there are plenty of beers you could theoretically order for less than a Heineken, all of which are considerably tastier. Here are a few possibilities:

Brooklyn Lager. If you're craving that smooth, lager flavor, why not spring for a BKL? More complex than Heineken, bottles tend to sell for around $4. (Or, if not available, consider a Scrimshaw Pils or a Lagunitas Pils.)

What drinking a BKL says about you: You have at least a passing familiarity with good beer; you're probably an urbanite with a decent job; you appreciate a good lager. All good signals to the opposite sex.

GET SOME!

Bells Oberon. Bells has great name recognition for a microbrewery; Oberon, besides the Two-Hearted Pale, has the best track record of their beers for its distribution size. Lemony and sweet, and about $5 a bottle, it looks great on a patio or poolside.

What drinking an Oberon says about you: You're a summery person; you like the outdoors, or at least the idea of it; and you appreciate a GOOD wheat beer (NOT BLUE MOON). Again, all positive things. See where I'm going with this?

Sierra Nevada Pale. Sierra is pretty played out by this point, but at least it's not a Heineken.

What drinking a SNP says about you: You understand, at a minimum, that there are beers besides Heineken and Bud. This may or may not reflect a curiosity and/or worldliness that people tend to find intriguing and, if you're lucky, arousing.

Guinness. People rag on Guinness for being so popular, but really, it's deserved: Guinness is a dry, smooth, elegant beer with great roasted caramel and coal notes. A great breakfast beer, too. (For you college kids out there.)

What drinking a Guinness says about you: You appreciate a good, long pour, which may or may not reflect a patient character.

New Brew-Ku:

Saw some bro drinking
A Blue Moon. Hope he knows how
Lame he looks right now.

Till tomorrow, y'all.

HH

TRIVIA TONIGHT @ THE REEF

COME TO TRIVIA TONIGHT AT THE REEF $4 BEERS $100 TO THE WINNING TEAM DO IT NOW.

Digital Frottage

How can you not love this guy?

HH is pleased to announce new digital frotting with RakeBlog and WogeLife. JakeRake and web auteur Willie bring you their finest, including:

-snarky humor!
-short film presentations!
-DC food reviews!
-baseball-related observations!

...and more!

Faithful fans of HH can find these two scalliwags at Cherry Tree in Park Slope, and at the pirate bar in Silver Spring, respectively.

Coming up this week on HH:

Reviews of the Boulevard Saison; A review of Max's Rare Beer event; A review of Otter Creek's new IPA.

What the OS Brewers are listening to:

-New Mos Def
-New Dirty Projectors
-New Dinosaur Jr.

Namistay,

HH

Max's Taphouse Rare and Obscure Beer Event

This coming Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, Max's in Baltimore will be pouring a whole slew of strange brews. Here's the current list:

• Allagash Black
• Allagash Confluence
• Allagash Four
• Allagash Hugh Malone
• Allagash Interlude
• Allash Mussette
• Allagash Victor
• Allagash Victoria
• Avery 13
• BFM Abbaye De Saint Bon Chien 2008
• BFM Abbaye De Saint Bon Chien 2009
• BFM La Cuvree
• BFM La Mandragore
• BFM La Meule (Cask)
• BFM La Torpille
• Birra Del Borgo Duchessic
• Birra Del Borgo My Antonia
• Birra Del Borgo 25 dodici
• Birra Del Borgo Rubus /Lamboni
• Brouwerij Contreras Valeir Extra
• Brouwerij Contreras Valeir Blonde
• Brouwerij Contreras Valeir Divers
• Brouwerij De Dochter Van de Korenaar Embrasse
• Brouwerij De Dochter Van de Korenaar Noblesse
• Cantillon Gueuze
• Cantillon Iris
• Cantillon Rose De Grambrinus
• Cassissona
• Christoffel Nobel
• Christoffel Bier
• Christoffel Bok
• De Proef Les Duex Brasseurs
• De Ranke Noir Dottingnies
• De Ranke XX Bitter
• Ellezelloise Hercule Stout
• Ellezelloise Quintine Blonde
• Geants Gouyasse
• Geants Urchon
• Geants Goliath
• Geants Saison Voisin
• Grado Palto Kukumerla
• Hitachino Classic
• Hitachino Espresso Stout
• Hitachino Ginger
• Hitachino Red Rice
• Hitachino XH
• Hopfenstark Blanche de l'Emitage
• Hopfenstark Ostalgia Blonde
• Hopfenstark Postcolonial IPA
• Hofsteffen Kuebelbier
• Hofsteffen Honigs Bock
• Huisbrouwerij Sint Canarus Potteloereke
• Huisbrouwerij Sint Canarus Triple
• JW Lees Harvest Ale 2008
• Leifmans Oud Bruin
• Nogne O Imperial Stout
• Nogne O IPA
• Harveistoun Ola Duhba 30 Year (Cask)
• Harviestoun Old Duhba 40 Year (Cask)
• Mahrs Der Weisse Bock
• Piccolo Chiostro
• Piccolo Nau Amore
• Slaapmustke Triple Night Cap
• Slaapmustke Dry Hopped Lager
• Stone Russian Imperial Stout 2007
• Weissenhoe Bonator
• Wintercoat Oatmeal Stout

Should be a good time.

Bolting to NY for Beers/Los Janquis

Your adventurous blogger has nothing to do for the next four hours, because he's headed to the Big Apple for a Yankees-Nats game (two teams he could care less about, but hey, it's beisbol) and (hopefully) a trip to the BK Brewery. All this before Fri morning, when he hightails it back to D.C. on account of more pressing responsibilities. Should be a nice little 2-day trip.

The original plan was to live-blog the next four hours, not because any of our readership particularly cares to hear my innermost thoughts, but because I need something to do to stave off the boredom. But then I realized having to go back and re-edit each post to gain the live-blog effect would get pretty wearisome after about half an hour. Therefore, I will be writing one single post for the duration of the trip. When I arrive in NY, up goes the post.

And so, without further ado...

9:49. Why do some breweries persist with twist-off tops? I understand why Bud/Miller etc do it, but Mad River? Peak Organic? Stone? Really? C'mon guys. Your beers are better than that. I know the screw-top is more user-friendly and all, but it's almost like a winery using plastic corks. Heck, even the OS Brewers employ regular tops on their bottles. Get with the times, man.

9:53 I can't get in contact with my contact. I lost his number somewhere back in a gchat conversation gone horribly awry. However will I navigate my way through the urban midtown canyons without a sherpa?

9:55 What's the most recent beer I had? Oh yeah. Dogfish 90. Meh. I need to get on my game.

9:59 Contact has been reached. The game is afoot.

10:00 On the BW Pkwy, about 1/3 of the way between DC and Bodymore, Murdaland. I have to say, even though it's about six months too late to be gushing over it, Merriweather Post Pavillion is such a good album, it's not even slightly amusing. And of course, my one chance to see them in concert...and I had to finish a seminar paper. Fml.

10:08 Last night's sleep was far too short. Worked until midnight, closed the place down with Larsonist and Crasher, tidied things up later, and moseyed on home round about three o'clock. Then: print bus tix, pack, shower, and wouldn't ya know it, it's after 4 by the time I hit the sack. Up again at 8:30 to catch the bus. So...4.5 hours of mediocre sleep. Here's hoping Kivett provides a couch to nap for a few hours this aft.

10:11 I've been informed by someone in the know that tonight's pre-game festivities will included dumplings, in honor of Chien-Ming Wang and his new son, JJ. JJ Wang dumplings! And bud light.

10:13 Let's go on a bud light tangent. I can't say I dislike bud light, even though I never drink it. It's one of those things where you're not really opposed to something, but for some inexplicable reason, you won't let yourself do it. I felt much the same way about Chipotle for a long time. I used to sate my Mexican urges with Qdoba, and would go out of my way to patronize that place, even if there was a Chipotle right around the corner. Why? I don't really know. Qdoba has much better queso and taco salads, but other than that, Chipotle is clearly the superior chain. Today, I go to Chipotle all the time. Will the same happen with bud light? Probably not. For one thing, I do drink bud, and bud is so close to bud light in taste, I already know what I'm missing even though I don't miss it at all. For another reason, I only drink bud at parties and sporting events. I so rarely attend either these days that the chance of an aberrational event (like me just spontaneously decided to go for it and move to bud light) is pretty low. So there you have it. Chipotle = delicious. Bud light = ignored.

10:18 There are, by some estimates, over fifteen thousand (!) established commecial microbreweries in the United States. That's gotta be some sort of record. Anyway, it makes me wonder: how many of those breweries are relevant to my life? What breweries are people "cumming" over these days, and which ones are only important to the few thousand people who live in that area? Are there "secret gems" hidden all around the country waiting to be discovered? People from SE Wisconsin to California know all about New Glarus, but nobody east of Chicago can drink it. Three Floyds is the jam in Indiana, but most Ohioans have never heard of it. What breweries are most relevant to you? Which breweries do you think of most when somebody asks you, "Hey beer snob, who makes good beer these days?"

10:25: Bear Republic. Stone. Avery. Oskar Blues. All kind of important, in their own way. All good names to see on a label.

10:26 Brooklyn Brewery. Troegs. Victory. Peak. Same--good beers you'd consider if you saw them on tap or in bottle.

10:27 Mad River.

10:28 Abita? Nah. Abita is pretty overrated. Who likes Turbodog? Not me. How about that purple haze? I'd rather have an Oxford Raspberry, thank you. Still, they're from Louisiana. That's gotta count for something?

"I got purp in the dutch; I got purp in the cup"
-Weezy F

10:29 Rochefort 6, 8, or 10? Everyone raves (and by everyone, I am including myself) about the 10; has anyone bothered to try the 6 or the 8? Prepare to be pleasantly surprised.

10:32 An hour into the trip, and the coffee is kicking in. Finished AnCo and started on Crystal Castles. Wishing I was curled up by the fire with a nice brew. Not really; wishing I was curled up in bed getting my solid 8 hours.

10:33 Shot out to Dreddy for his beer encouragement. If he ever wants to guest-post, we'll be right here.

10:41 Just thinking about the South Park episode "Go God Go" when Cartman freezes himself to get a Nintendo Wii. Played Wii last night after work. Bowling, then Mario III, then more Mario III, then Contra. Pretty much don't think I could survive without a wee bit o' Wii every once in awhile. I'll see if I can ferret one out in NY

10:43 Really dig Crystal Castles, but I guess Alice Glass is supposed to be a huge b***h at her shows? People with more social capital than me have attested to this online, but I have nothing to go on except hearsay. Even if this is true, I can forgive her--the music speaks for itself. Question: How would you pair beer and music? Larsonist might do a guest post on this topic in the near future, but for now, think about it. Would you pair a nice summery wheat with some Steely Dan? Would you mix a robust imperial porter with some Dethklok?

"Just think about it"
-Fred Durst

10:49 First beer I drink tonight: Brooklyn Local 2. I promise. A great beer, even for the hefty price (will probably be over 20$ in NY...what a preposterously expensive city.)

10:51 Wonder what Sampson is doing in Honduras. Climbing over Mayan ruins? Enjoying Asylum II? Scuba diving through the reefs? Probably all of the above. Wonder what Reid-O is doing. Sitting at his desk? Yes. Wonder what the OG is doing. Probably selling beer to people like you.

10:58 Tried to stream some good old Arrested over Hulu, but the bandwith wouldnt widen for me. How dare it!

11:00 Albums I won't be listening to this summer:

1. Green Day's new album
2. Eminem's new album
3. Rob Thomas's new album

11:02 Apparently there's actually a "best of" Vanilla Ice album. Hwhat, besides "Ice, Ice, Baby," could possibly be on it? Ninja Rap? That one awful slow jam that makes Dru Hill sound like The Coup? Anyone? Bueller?

11:06 One time, I went out for beer and ordered a bottle-conditioned dubbel, and the server poured the beer perfectly. I mean, just up until the very last second before the yeast would have spilled out. I drank the beer. Twas delicious. Then, sensing I had finished quaffing my brew, the
server returned...and poured the yeast into my glass. Don't get me wrong: I've had a yeast shot before (at De Koninck's Antwerp brewery, where it's actually CUSTOMARY to down a brettanomyces shot along with their smooth, sessionable brown brew). But if I hadn't had the yeast by that point, what makes you think I'd want it once you'd poured it out into my glass?

11:16 Oh good! We appear to be just minutes away from New Jersey. After we cross the bridge, it's only 90 short minutes until we arrive. Making great time on the roads. No traffic, no construction (fingers crossed.) Only things that would make this trip more pleasant? Arrested Development and 3 hours more sleep last night.

11:27 This is getting boring.

11:44 Stopped at a rest stop in Jersey. Wishing we'd just get into NY already.

12:12 Listening to Patton Oswalt..

12:22 Only an hour to go...

12:43 Olivia Judson is hot.

1:02 Into the homestretch. Exit 11 on the Turnpike is coming into focus.

1:10 We need to conserve cake and paper.

1:11 What kind of 'wich will I get? Pastrami/Rye? Sesame bagel/lox/cream cheese?

1:25: About to enter the Holland tunnel.

Signing off.

-HH

Ogden Street Brewers Gallimaufry/Brew-Kus

Do you see what I see? Cause this is what I see.

Looking out my front door, beautiful Ogden lies before me. All sorts of characters here, hoo boy! Tall Reggie with the limp; That bald guy and his shifty hands; Old Lady who Always Asks for Change. Yup, the gang's all here. But wouldn't you know it? Things have quieted down around the neighborhood; your intrepid blogger remembers several years ago, when he first moved in...man, was the block hot in those days! The OS Brewers had to batten down the hatches back then. Bottling a cool new brew? Someone better post up at the window (gotta make sure the coast is clear.) Now? Hops and mulberries in the backyard, and a lot more peace and quiet out front. They say CoHi is changing. They're right. Soon, when the OS Community Brewpub opens for business, the Brewers will look back on those days and shake their heads. Think how bad it once was, We'll say. Think how far CoHi has come.

What we're working on:

1. Belgian-style Grand Cru. Needs to be bottled. We started this sucker with a dream, a promise, and the skeleton of a recipe from Papazian's HB v. III. Along the way, things got a little out of hand. OS Brewer Reid-O brought his coffee grinder down for kicks, and we had ourselves a little coriander party. Reid-O's grandfather donated a jug of organic honey (this s**t was the bees knees, son!) and we added an ounce at the beginning of the boiling for dryness, and again after the hopping for some sweetness. Yes, honey can be used for either purpose. You read that right. Also: some serious hopping went down. Fuggles, Challenger and Golden all entered the fray, in that order. This sweet-citrus-floral blonde brew is ready for bottles. First tasting when Sampson returns from his archaeological ambulating in Honduras.

WRONG CRU, Y'ALLS

2. Mulberry Ale. Needs to be brewed. We have about a pound of fresh organic mulberries from our backyard waiting to be pressed and added to the kettle. One potential snag brewers Sampson and Reid-O and advisor/guru/mentor Peter have touched on: at what point in the process do we add the fresh mulb juice? Could be added as early as with the malt; could be added along with the yeast...and anywhere in between. Reid-O and your humble brew-blogger seem to be of like mind: that our berries should be added right after the hops, as the wort cools and awaits its yeasty transformation (sounds kinda nasty, doesn't it?) If any wise fellow brewers out there have an opinion, we'd love to hear it.

3. Hops. Damn, these little guys are growing! We'll have full pics for you in the next couple of days, but suffice it say, they've come a looooooooong way since we planted them all of 10 weeks ago. From one little rhizome grow emperors and kings. Will they flower? Will they cone? A learned former brewmaster from Flying Dog enlightened us: The plants, he explained, produce a thin wax each night. As the wax burns off in the daytime heat, the plants know to grow up and out. And when the days begin to shorten and the wax no longer burns off, the plant takes this as a signal to grow buds. However, he cautioned, not every first-year hop plant produces cones. (Hops grow to maturity in 3 years; the first year, one can expect a 50% yield, if anything at all. The second year, this jumps to 75%. In the third year, a hop will produce, all else equal, as many cones as it ever will.) The consortium of OS Brewmeisters believes their hops will offer fragrant Cascade cones come September. (Insert generic "Audacity of our Hops" joke here).

4. Twitter. Follow us on Twitter. HeightsHops is what we're called, and there's a link in the sidebar. We'll be twittering all day and all night, bringing you up-to-the-minute info on DC brew news. Or, I guess you could just wait another 3 weeks for Greg Kitsock to put out yet another self-indulgent issue of Mid-Atlantic Brewing News. I mean, it's up to you. Heights Hops: Tweeting you into the Great Beery Beyond.

5. PA Brew-venture. A few OS Brewers are tentatively planning a pilgrammage to DE/PA. Among the holy sites on the itinerary: Dogfish Head; Troegs, Victory; Flying Fish; and Legacy. Interested? Done something similar and have some advice? Don't be afraid to twitter or comment on the blog. We want your help.

6. Finally, the OS Brewers want to advertise on your behalf. If you need a shot out on the blog for something local you've done, or want to do; or if you work for a bar or restaurant that needs to be heard; let us know. If the product is good, we'll rep you enthusiastically.

Another Brew-Ku

Going to a Nats
Game today; going to need
A stiff drink after.

What the OS Brewers are up to:
The OG is getting all marital and s**t
Reid-O is getting all operatic and s**t
Sampson is getting all anthropological and s**t
Bob is getting all national pastime and s**t


Till Friday, suckas.

HH

Barleywines: The Spiny Echidna of the Beer World

Credit: Natalie Angiers, NYTimes

This spiny fella is an echidna, a reclusive animal that calls Papua New Guinea home. Here are some things you may not know about echidnas (I read this on the internet--DON'T dispute me):

1. Echidnas are monotremes--they poop, copulate, and birth with a single, all-purpose hole. Only three mammalian monotremes remain: both the long-snout (seen above) and short-snout echidna, and everyone's favorite evolutionary clusterf**k, the duck-billed platypus.

2. Echidnas are among the most reclusive animals on earth. They emerge only at night, and are too intelligent to fall for primitive human traps.

3. Echidnas are highly fecund: one echidna mentioned in the NYTimes article was giving birth at age forty-five. In human years, that's over one hundred and twenty years old!*

Many more echidna facts are out there, waiting to be discovered by you. Your blogger suggests hitting up the local libes**, or perhaps you'll want to stay at home and check out the wiki. In any case, it is comforting to be reminded that there are indeed things out there much uglier than me.

*I made this up
**This is what obnoxious girls in college used to call the library. Sometimes I, too, would call it the "libes," but as sardonically as possible.





A DIFFERENT KIND OF ECHIDNA; THE LONG SNOUT REMAINETH

But back to beer. There is a perfectly good reason for our venture into echidna country today: the reclusive, misunderstood barleywine is the beer world's echidna. (I think this is basically the title of the post but I wanted to reiterate.) Granted, barleywine=echidna is an odd analogy. Hopefully by the end of this post, you will agree. Or, at the least, you'll have been entertained. And if you're at the office today, bored out of your skull, that's something you can be thankful for.

Let's do an FAQ for Barleywines!

Q: WHAT IS A BARLEYWINE?
A: a barleywine is a style of beer originating near the end of the 19th century in Britain, and now more popular in the United States. In the U.S., the appellation is sometimes used interchangeably with imperial ambers, Old Ales, and Strong Ales, although there are small differences between the styles. (e.g. Bell's Third Coast is technically an Old Ale, but often marketed as a barleywine.) Barleywines are broadly characterized by [beer geek alert] an original gravity of at least 1.090, an abv of at least 8%, coloring units above 20 and, in the American style, a relatively high IBU count. In layman's, a barleywine is a relatively high-alcohol beer with noticeable hop and a color anywhere between ocher and black.

Q: IS A BARLEYWINE A WINE?
A: No. Barleywines are not wines. They are brewed with malted barley, just like any other beer. Barleywines probably got their name because their abv (alcohol by volume) is as high as that of your ordinary table wine.

Q: WHO INVENTED THE BARLEYWINE?
A: Nobody really "knows" who invented the style; like most beer styles, it probably evolved over time, in more than one place, until a brewer with enough clout finally decided to brew one and officially labeled it. Bass Brewing was the first high-profile brewery to sell a barleywine. They coined the term in 1900 with their "No. 1 Barley Wine." Most likely, they added extra malt and yeast to some existing variation of an amber ale, copper ale, brown ale or porter to achieve "barleywine" status.

Q: IS THE BARLEYWINE THE STRONGEST STYLE OF BEER?
A: By abv, no. Some Belgian and American-style quadruples, imperials, and strong ales have broken the 20% mark. To the palate, the barleywine tends to be assertive, even aggressive, with serious fruit and maltiness and, in the American version, some decent hop.

Q: WHAT ARE SOME BARLEYWINES OF NOTE?
A: In Britain, the Harvey&Son "Elizabethan" barleywine has come highly recommended by a number of OS groupies/brewers. For those willing to splurge a little, sample the Thos. Hardy barleywine, aged at least 20 years in bottle (British barleywines, with their low alpha content and high abv, are perfect for aging.) If it's a big, hoppy domestic barleywine you want, check out the Bell's beer mentioned above; the Rogue Old Crustacean; the Lagunities Gnarlywine; the Green Flash Barleywine; the Harpoon Barleywine; the Sierra Bigfoot (IMO the best American example of the style); or the Dogfish Olde School. Anchor, out of San Fran, makes the original "American-style" barleywine, the Old Foghorn; in your humble blogger's opinion, it may have been the first to the market, but isn't anything special.

Q: I LIVE IN DC. WHERE CAN I FIND A BARLEYWINE?
A: If you're out on the town, Paradiso in Georgetown has a great selection of barleywines. Shopping? Check out Rodmans on Wisc. Ave in Tenleytown, or Chevy Chase Liquors on Conn. Ave. just south of CC Circle. Willing to go a little farther afield? Well's in Baltimore has a great selection.

Q: WHEN SHOULD I DRINK A BARLEYWINE?
A: Barleywines tend to be very sweet, boozy, fruity, malty, and occasionally hoppy creatures; because of this, they do not easily pair with food. Try drinking a barleywine as an apertif, or as a bedtime beer, curled up in bed with a good book. Seasonally speaking, the high abv and malty tones make the barleywine a great cold-weather brew. (Some American barleywines, with their high hop resin content, can work in summer.)

Q: SO WHY, AGAIN, IS AN ECHIDNA LIKE A BARLEYWINE?
A: Barleywines are misunderstood, hard to find. They are a combination of so many competing influences; a barleywine can be mild or hoppy, light or thick, as bright as a big pale or as dark as a stout. Barleywines and echidnas are solitary things, rarely paired--an echidna craves privacy, and a barleywine should be enjoyed on its own, like a brandy. People know the word "echidna," but have no mental picture of what one really looks like; the same goes for a barleywine. (After this post, you should have an idea of what both look like.)

Hopefully I've managed to dispel all those pernicious rumors circulating about ye olde barleywine. You know--those rumors.

HH: Dropping b-wine knowledge all day, son.

Local Brew News
-The Reef (18th & Columbia NW) is starting Wednesday Trivia on the 24th. First prize? $100(!) in free drinks. Runners-up get $50. Plus drink specials, free shirts and glassware, etc. for certain lucky participants. Stop by and play trivia while enjoying a delicious beer on tap.

-Red Derby (14th & Spring NW) to open their rooftop bar later this summer. (Not new news, maybe, but you should get yourself on up there ASAP anyway. Great all-can selection, plus Patrick and Vicki are great bartenders.)

-New place opening at 14th and Newton NW next to the Allegro will apparently be some crazy high-concept restaurant where your waiters are "guides" who sherpa you (yes, Adi, I verbed 'sherpa,') between eating stations. Weird. But the OS Brewers, who live only feet away, will be sure to check it out.

-I think I speak for all of us salivating over the opening of ChurchKey (soon to be @14th & RI Ave, NW): JUST HAPPEN, ALREADY.

"Don't mind me/I wrote this rhyme lightly/Off 'a two or three Heinies/And boy, was they fine, G"
-Doom (an Olde School rhyme for an Olde School beer.)

-HH