WS #39: Beer Party

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.