Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Moritz Restaurant and Brewery, Barcelona, Spain










Thirsting For: La Binchoise OX


Brasserie La Binchoise 

is slowly becoming one of my, "all around go for it, if nothing else looks exciting," selections. Each beer I pull from their collections is true to it's genre and pushes the pace just enough to make me giggle. Done well each time and served at a variety of locations around France.

French people aren't beer whores like us. The only information I could pull up on the brewery, past the orphaned wiki link, was this snubbed, rather out dated chunk of gossip:
Binchoise Brewery - The 14th century town of Binche is known to connoisseurs for its pre-Lent carnival with its own traditional masks for the occasion, and a museum that explores these themes. It is situated on the plains between Mons and Charleroi. Opposite the medieval ramparts a maltings and brewery operated for two or three century.The brewery closed in the 1920s, but the maltings continued until the World War II. In the late 1980s the buildings were given the new life by Andre Graux and his wife Francoise Jauson.Their portfolio consists of three stock ales: Binchoise Blonde 6.5% abv, Binchoise Brune 8.2% abv, Binchoise Reserve 9% abv All beers are presented in  750ml champagne bottles with cork and metal cage and 330ml. All styles are bottle conditioned (second fermentation with yeast in the bottle), unfiltered and unpasteurized.
-http://www.beermerchants.com/

All that being well and nice, fact or fiction, they have this interesting number hiding in the back whom I'm looking forward to disrobing:
Binchoise OX
Story goes that early 2008, brewer Andrew Graux was looking to add another dimension to his craft brewing love, as we brewers often do, with our continued dedication to self development. During a trip to Italy in May 2008 Graux realized that brewing is as noble an art form as wine making, that in fact, the two were babies born of the same mother and were looking to make a reconnection. Luckily Graux had a friend who was a four generation independent producer of brandy and was able to snatch up barrels of Armagnac.
"During the history of the brewery, we have always focused on beer rather than its envelope or advertising." He states as the foundation of the company and pours the majority of the finical plans into the liquid and not the outside of the bottle.
What does it taste like?
Surprising since the attack, XO quickly tame your taste buds. Are we still in the beer world? The strength, complex flavor combining beer and fruit flavors are specific to Armagnac forget habits tasting beer. This is at room temperature it best expresses aromas. Then the angel's share intoxicates you just nose. You fell in love. We will make an appetizer or a dessert beer. It is served in a glass with alcohol or wine glass. It is frankly without tilting the glass. Its foam is more or less abundant according to the shape of the glass but still compact. Its shelf life is promising, but it takes a lot of courage to resist the temptation to drink. Are we still in the beer world? ...
Oh silly French translations!
The Brussel's Tourist office pumps out some information on guided tours and hours of operation, while the Restaurant web site is a sweet morsel of flashing pictures and menu items. 

I'll let you know when I get my lips on the bottle and my hands on the beer. Wait. Scratch that, reverse it.

Thirsting For: La Binchoise OX


Brasserie La Binchoise 

is slowly becoming one of my, "all around go for it, if nothing else looks exciting," selections. Each beer I pull from their collections is true to it's genre and pushes the pace just enough to make me giggle. Done well each time and served at a variety of locations around France.

French people aren't beer whores like us. The only information I could pull up on the brewery, past the orphaned wiki link, was this snubbed, rather out dated chunk of gossip:
Binchoise Brewery - The 14th century town of Binche is known to connoisseurs for its pre-Lent carnival with its own traditional masks for the occasion, and a museum that explores these themes. It is situated on the plains between Mons and Charleroi. Opposite the medieval ramparts a maltings and brewery operated for two or three century.The brewery closed in the 1920s, but the maltings continued until the World War II. In the late 1980s the buildings were given the new life by Andre Graux and his wife Francoise Jauson.Their portfolio consists of three stock ales: Binchoise Blonde 6.5% abv, Binchoise Brune 8.2% abv, Binchoise Reserve 9% abv All beers are presented in  750ml champagne bottles with cork and metal cage and 330ml. All styles are bottle conditioned (second fermentation with yeast in the bottle), unfiltered and unpasteurized.
-http://www.beermerchants.com/

All that being well and nice, fact or fiction, they have this interesting number hiding in the back whom I'm looking forward to disrobing:
Binchoise OX
Story goes that early 2008, brewer Andrew Graux was looking to add another dimension to his craft brewing love, as we brewers often do, with our continued dedication to self development. During a trip to Italy in May 2008 Graux realized that brewing is as noble an art form as wine making, that in fact, the two were babies born of the same mother and were looking to make a reconnection. Luckily Graux had a friend who was a four generation independent producer of brandy and was able to snatch up barrels of Armagnac.
"During the history of the brewery, we have always focused on beer rather than its envelope or advertising." He states as the foundation of the company and pours the majority of the finical plans into the liquid and not the outside of the bottle.
What does it taste like?
Surprising since the attack, XO quickly tame your taste buds. Are we still in the beer world? The strength, complex flavor combining beer and fruit flavors are specific to Armagnac forget habits tasting beer. This is at room temperature it best expresses aromas. Then the angel's share intoxicates you just nose. You fell in love. We will make an appetizer or a dessert beer. It is served in a glass with alcohol or wine glass. It is frankly without tilting the glass. Its foam is more or less abundant according to the shape of the glass but still compact. Its shelf life is promising, but it takes a lot of courage to resist the temptation to drink. Are we still in the beer world? ...
Oh silly French translations!
The Brussel's Tourist office pumps out some information on guided tours and hours of operation, while the Restaurant web site is a sweet morsel of flashing pictures and menu items. 

I'll let you know when I get my lips on the bottle and my hands on the beer. Wait. Scratch that, reverse it.

Monday, January 14, 2013

Tasting Location: Frog Pubs- Paris, France

[caption id="attachment_1268" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]franceandspain20131106_zps3d01dd3c Frog Pubs Bercy Location- big, shiny and packed full of the regular type of people[/caption]

Frog Pubs, Paris have seven locations and each one is a mockery of the craft brew pub.


'FrogPubs began life as an MBA project researching the potential for an English pub & micro-brewery in central Paris. The project was a success & since 1993 FrogPubs has been brewing, serving & selling beer. We started out by creating pubs for all the British expats in Paris to meet up in. Today FrogPubs attracts a much wider variety of people and pretty much anyone who wants to have a good time will be well looked after.'

[caption id="attachment_1267" align="alignleft" width="346"]franceandspain20131101_zps23d117dc Pretty tap handles[/caption]

What we have here is a case of copy cat research gone viral.

I found that Tale of Ale had been to the Frog Pubs January 2012, giving almost exactly a year separation in opinion: Frog Pubs are all marketing and no soul. Although Tale of Ale had more time to visit more Frog locations and more guts to continue drinking, we were mostly there to feed my visiting American friend, 'chicken wings 'n things'. She was fed up with delicate french portions and I was (as always) seeking a craft beer. Internet told us that our happy ground would be the Frog Pubs.

Alas, you see tourists and locals downing massive pints of multi colored brews with little regard as to the flavor or quality. Better then nothing but with nothing you still have your imagination. The Frog Pub was cram packed busy and served us up fried dishes that my American visitor was more then happy to consume while noting the lack of ranch dressing- disappointing.

I was focused on the beer. Well, I was focused on the beer after I finished half the pint, thus way my excitement in having a beer other then macro lager. I didn't' take tasting notes- no need, beers were blah.

[caption id="attachment_1266" align="alignright" width="300"]franceandspain20131100_zps454101e7 Color coded for less confusion in ordering[/caption]

As usual I ordered the darkest thing possible:

Frog Pub Dark de Triomphe 5.0% abv


'Our very own 'pint of the black stuff'. A dry, full-bodied stout, served cold with a thick and creamy head. 'Dark' has slightly more bitterness than some other dark beers you may know, due to our roasted barley, chocolate malts, and English Challenger hops. Goes great with one of our juicy Frog Cheeseburgers!"

 

Ya know what else goes great with juicy Frog Cheeseburgers- a discount. Places like this give 'microbrewery' a bad name. 


 

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Thirsting for: Taedonggang Beer

Taedonggang

North Korean Beer



As we know it can be rather difficult to get oneself into the restricted Northern Korea country. Rumors of a lovely lager beer are floating around but like the elusive Hispaniolan Solenodon, sightings are rare.

"Control the beer and you control the people," as they say.

Here we have a bloke from Ireland who gets his hands on some Blueberry North Korean wine, but doesn't manage to find the beer, though the DMZ was top to bottom. 


Taedonggang Beer Commercial


Kim Jong Il looks at beer. 
For more things he looked at 
and things his son is looking at: enter
No idea what they are saying, but the commercial feels nice.

Makes me want to giggle, "Communism can't stop the beer flow!"

Going to the DMZ simply to sample a beer is a perfect reason to go!

Thirsting for: Taedonggang Beer

Taedonggang

North Korean Beer



As we know it can be rather difficult to get oneself into the restricted Northern Korea country. Rumors of a lovely lager beer are floating around but like the elusive Hispaniolan Solenodon, sightings are rare.

"Control the beer and you control the people," as they say.

Here we have a bloke from Ireland who gets his hands on some Blueberry North Korean wine, but doesn't manage to find the beer, though the DMZ was top to bottom. 


Taedonggang Beer Commercial


Kim Jong Il looks at beer. 
For more things he looked at 
and things his son is looking at: enter
No idea what they are saying, but the commercial feels nice.

Makes me want to giggle, "Communism can't stop the beer flow!"

Going to the DMZ simply to sample a beer is a perfect reason to go!