The Best Craft Beer

Posted by Heather Erickson on Apr 11, 2012

National Beer Day on the Bend Ale Trail

April 7: National Beer Day A celebration worthy national holiday, second to my birthday (of course). This year I found myself in Bend, Oregon, about to embark on the Bend Ale Trail. Rumor had it that this trek would take me all weekend. I was bound and determined to make it an all day affair. My first stop was the Bend Visitor’s Center at 12pm. I needed to get a map to collect my stamps...

Posted by Craig on Feb 18, 2012

Meet Pat Ringe of Diamond Knot Brewery

Chief Fermentation Officer of Diamond Knot Brewery (love the title!) I had a chance to talk with Chief Fermentation Officer of Diamond Knot Brewery, Pat Ringe on a wide range of topics. I love getting inside the head of the brewers and founders of my local breweries! It is very inspiring, and the local craft beer scene here in the greater Seattle area is amazing. Diamond Knot makes some of my favorite...

Posted by Craig on Jan 25, 2012

Meet DUO Brewing of Puyallup, WA

DUO Brewing To add to my never ending interview segments of local (and national) craft brewers both big and small, I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Dan O’ Leary of DUO Brewing in Puyallup,WA (where I currently live) to talk about his recent breakthrough into the craft beer scene in Washington. Little did I know the long history of he and his wife’s dream to get where they are...

Posted by Craig on Jan 22, 2012

Southern Tier Brewing Choklat Imperial Stout

Southern Tier Choklat is from their Blackwater Series of Imperial Stouts. This is a November Winter Release from Southern Tier, and one I wait to have (and stash up on!) It is an out-of-this-world chocolate stout. There’s a lot of chocolate stouts out there these days. Most are roasty and bitter and taste more like coffee grounds than chocolate. This one is different. It looks like any other stout,...

Posted by Craig on Jan 16, 2012

Sam Adam’s The Vixen Chocolate Chili Bock

Sam Adam’s The Vixen This beer from Sam Adams is a part of their small batch release series. A bigger bolder version of the classic Sam Adams Chocolate Bock brewed with a variety of chiles and with a bit more alcohol. Brewed with chilies from Mexico, cocoa nibs from Ecuador, and cinnamon from southeast Asia.22 oz bomber 8.5% ABV Dark brown, nearly black beer with a thin tan head....

Posted by Craig on Jan 15, 2012

Walking Man Homo Erectus IIPA

The Homo Erectus is Walking Man’s (Stevenson, WA) flagship Imperial IPA which has an assertive bitter hop flavor and the smooth malt that tries to catch up but can’t quite make it. Hops win. I really like beers that try and have a balance war in your mouth. This is a solid IPA, and am more than happy I got the chance to try it as it was on for growler fills at my local bottle shop, 99 Bottles....

Posted by Craig on Jan 12, 2012

More Brown Than Black IPA – Stone, Ninkasi, and The Alchemist Collaboration

More Brown Than Black IPA I have been putting off drinking this beer for sometime. But man, every time I open up my beer fridge, there it is, staring me in the face, begging for me to pop the top of it and enjoy it’s contents. I gave in. I did it. After a long workout with P90X2, I thought I deserved it. What the heck. This beer comes to you from a collaboration (craft beer trend anyone?) from Stone,...

Posted by Craig on Jan 2, 2012

New Year’s Eve 2012 – Sam Adams & Weihenstephan’s Infinium

It was time to usher in the New Year. We had an amazing 3 course dinner, great friends and family gathering hanging out together, and the drinks were flowing. I spent some time trying to figure out which beer I was going to christen 2012 with. I went back and forth with whether or not I would even HAVE beer on this night. What? Crazy, I know. I decided to go with Sam Adam’s Infinium which I thought...