June 2, 2008

WS #39: Beer Party


The Brew

Two WS entries in a row with nothing in between, ayayay I'm slacking again. I need to get cracking on my backlog of posts.

But for now, here's my entry for Weekend Snapshot #39, a photo of the brew we ordered for a beer-tasting party. It wasn't one of those formal beer-tasting events with the survey forms etc., just a group of fellow beer-loving friends sampling different varieties of imported beer. The beers come from select breweries in the US such as Ballast Point, Rogue Ales & Spirits and Gordon Biersch and include pilsners, abbey ales and wheat beers. I love beer and I miss the wide selection from the grocery shelves and from the bar taps while living in London, so I was thrilled about all this new beer suddenly available in the market.

So I sent out the tasting notes to friends from which they made their selections, called up the guy who brings it in (cousin of a good friend) to place our orders and picked it up the next day. Prepared some pica-pica that I thought would pair well with the beers (cheeses, chips with various dips, truffled popcorn, homemade trail mix, salchichon and salami, buffalo wings, spicy sausages, olives/pickle/sweet onion mix etc. plus more snacks brought by others), set-up my iTunes and proceeded to have a really great time. The party lasted 9 hours (from 5pm to 2am) and it reminded me of how often I used to entertain in the past and how much I enjoyed it and missed it.

So what were my favorite beers from my selection? They were the:

GB Hefeweizen - described as "Interesting flavor of creamy vanilla, banana, and zesty citrus balance, the sweetness of its earthy malts. A hint of whipped cream is thrown in for good measure. Mouth feel is smooth, creamy, medium-bodied thickness. "

Rogue's Hazelnut Brown Nectar - "A nutty twist to a traditional European Brown Ale. Dark brown in color with a hazelnut aroma, a rich nutty flavor and a smooth malty finish. "

Rogue Mocha Porter - "Ruddy brown in color, a bittersweet balance of malt and hops with a light cream finish. "

Rogue Dead Guy Ale - "Deep reddish amber hue. Generous toasty malt aromas and earthy hops follow through on a moderately full-bodied palate with fruity accents and a long spicy hop finish. A delicious hybrid style with bock-like maltiness but ale-like hopping "

and the Rogues American Amber Ale - "Tawny in color, with a coffee aroma, tight head, and a delicate roasted malt accent. Generous use of hops and a smooth finish. "

For more info on the beers, check out the Global Beer Exchange website.

BTW, you can sample these beers at all the branches of Old Swiss Inn, Basilio's at the Fort, Myron's (both at the Power Plant and G5) , Elbert's Steakroom, and Good to Go Deli at Net One in the Fort.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

that's a lot to drink! :) have a good week!

Anonymous said...

Wow, that's a lot of pica-pica! And...truffled popcorn??? Oooohhh!

I love parties that last that long. I had a "Sex and the City" Girls' Night Out with friends last Saturday that lasted till sunrise!

The Beertender said...

Hi Nena,

Thanks for your order and for this very interesting blog. Glad you enjoyed the beers. Precisely why i started bringing them in, I too needed selection/variety. The Belgian, German & English styles are all well represented here, so the USA which is another of the 4 great brewing nations and my fave, should be as well. I love beer!

Cheers,

Jim A.
The Beertender

Oh by the way, the beers are available at Mamou now as well.

Unknown said...

Great party Nens. I saw the photos on the other site. How do you make truffled popcorn? Thanks for the greeting.

christine said...

Thanks, Christine, you too!

Katrina, a SATC night out that lasted until sunrise?! Wow, you have to tell us about it when we get together for dinner next week. :)

Hi Jim! So glad you've taken it upon yourself to bring them in finally. :) I'll be getting in touch wiht you for another order soon for sure. Thanks again, cheers! :)

Hi Mieke! It's just regular popcorn, drizzled with truffle oil as soon as it comes out of the microwave. It really elevates it to a whole new level. :)

Anonymous said...

A 9-hour beer party?!! Now that's my kind of party;)

How very cool that you have such a great selection of beers! Rogue is one of my favorite breweries, and Dead Guy Ale one of my favorite beers.

ChichaJo said...

It was a fantastic evening! :) I super enjoyed getting together with everyone!

I like the mocha porter :)

More, more!

ScroochChronicles said...

I haven't had a beer in like 2 years!! But if you invite me...hehehe :)

Cookie
http://scroochchronicles.blogspot.com/

Con-Con San said...

good to know that there are more beer choices here in manila. would surely try them out soon. more power to you!

wysgal said...

Great idea for the summer! I checked the website though and saw the prices ... I'm assuming it's Php150-180 PER BOTTLE? That's quite expensive!

christine said...

Hey Marvin, looks like we have the same taste in beer! (and parties!) :)

It was so nice to have you and C there, Jo. Wouldn't have been the same without you! :)

Hi Cookie! You're invited anytime! Consider this your personal invitation. :)

Thanks, Oliver! I think you'd like these beers too. :)

Hey Wysgal! Yes, a little steep compared to the local brew of course, but really a small price to pay for the pleasure. :) And the way I figure it, if I have 5 bottles at say 1000, that's probably what I'd spend for 2 cocktails in a trendy bar!

Jen Tan said...

sounds like an awesome party christine!!! I have recently learned to appreciate international beers..or beer in general...it actually started when I had some at Mickey's deli...now Rouge's beer...never encountered that brand

Anonymous said...

I'm not a beer drinker. I was just surprised to find your descriptions of those beers...as if you were describing wines. Very interesting.

Oh well, I grew up knowing only San Miguel Pale Pilsen.

:D

christine said...

Jen, if you like beer, then I'm pretty sure you'll like these ones. Give them a try! :)

Hi Mj Ces, I got those descriptions from the tasting notes given to me. :) It was a pleasant surprise to read through it, and observe how it's described the way wines are. Complete with pairings. And why not? :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Christine,

I’m from Ate Media, a media company specializing in F&B, travel and lifestyle. I have some exciting information that might interest you.

I couldn’t find any email address on your site. Perhaps you could reply me at cheryl@atemedia.com and I can follow up with you via email?

Thanks and have a great day!

Warmest regards,
Cheryl
Editorial Consultant
Ate Media Pte Ltd.

princess_dyanie said...

Hi Christine! Where are you na? miss you and your posts! :)

Gemma Wiseman said...

I must admit, I don't like beer. My first casual work when I was a teenager was in an office. I had to start at 8am each day. But to get there, I had to walk past a brewery. At that time of the morning, the smell of hops was terrible. As a result, I can't face beer. But your post makes beer drinking quite an exotic experience. (I don't know any of those beers you mention!)

Great post!

Gemma

Anonymous said...

One month today since the last post, where are you? im getting withdrawals!

christine said...

Hi Dyanie, I'm here!! And you found me on FB, so I'm there too, haha! Thanks for checking up on me. :)

Hi greyscale territory. I can understand your aversion to beer, I think I would have the same reaction if I had to smell the hops first thing in the morning everyday too!

Hey Ben, so sorry! I promise to be better at this. :)

Rajasthan Holidays said...

You're very welcome! In fact, thank YOU for ordering.I love parties that last that long.
Tips are more enjoyable place.If You are planning to go a long holiday.Than go to traveling tourist places. In this article all type of travel information.
North India Tours Packages

ana training leaders said...

What a great idea for a get together with friends, i'm gonna do this! Thank you for posting.

wow said...

Yeah that's a lot to drink.. Enjoy the week.. me i will enjoy my week..