My last entry, about my trip to the Russian River Brewing Company, was such an inspiration that I'm going to revisit the topic of beer today. As you may have figured out, I love beer. If it were up to me, beer would join the 5 food groups (can it displace 'legumes,' please?). There are, of course, terrible beers out there. These beers taste at best like river water and at worst like a dog's rear end. I shall not speak further of this swill outside of the context of drinking games, for these beers are generally without value unless distributed and consumed in a competitive environment.
That brings us to excellent beers, of which there are many available in the Valley. Just check your local Bevmo or Whole Foods, and you can find a smorgasbord of outstanding microbrews (also referred to as 'craft beers' here). But where should you start if you're clueless about beers that actually taste good? Here are five great introductory beers for Silicon Valley beer drinkers looking to move from 'crappy' to 'good but accessible' beers (this list is certainly not exhaustive):
1) Lagunitas IPA- An excellent IPA for drinkers becoming acquainted with the joys of bitter beers. One of the most accessible IPAs I've ever had. Props to my friend NI for introducing me to this beer and writing about it on his blog (mamacoke.blogspot.com, and search for entries tagged 'beer'). It's a local Bay Area beer as well, so buy a 6-pack and support an outstanding local brewer.
2) Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout- A British stout, the Sam Smith's Oatmeal Stout is one of my all-time favorite beers, and it is certainly my favorite specialty stout. I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I like the Sam Smith so much around my beer snob friends, largely because its flavor is so accessible to novice beer drinkers. If you get to sample the Sam Smith's Oatmeal Stout and other commonly available oatmeal stouts (like Young's or Anderson Valley's Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout), you'll notice that the Sam Smith's oatmeal flavor is particularly pronounced compared to the other options, giving it a richer flavor and more pleasing aftertaste (at least, in my opinion). And, of course, if you don't like the Sam Smith's because it's too oatmealy, just downgrade the oatmeal flavor intensity by turning to Young's or Anderson Valley's instead, which are both great too.
3) Rogue Dead Guy Ale- You can't go wrong with most Rogue brews, and the Dead Guy Ale is one of Rogue's classic beers. The Dead Guy Ale is a lighter, honey-colored ale with moderate bitterness that will intrigue newer beer drinkers. More advanced hop-heads will likely prefer other Rogue offerings, like the Shakespeare Stout, Imperial IPA, Brutal Bitter, Chocolate Stout, or Santa's Private Reserve, but the Dead Guy Ale is a West Coast signature beer (from Oregon) that can't be missed.
4) Moylan's Brewery Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale- A strong beer at 8% ABV, the Kilt Lifter is a copper-colored, sweet brew from the Bay Area. The Kilt Lifter's sweetness and thinness makes it more palatable for newer drinkers who may have trouble with bitter, dry, highly hoppy, or thick beers. It's really only a slightly-above-average scotch ale when compared to the many scotch ale offerings one can find across the country, but it's the best one I've had in the Valley. If anybody knows any better scotch ales available in the Valley, I'm all ears.
5) Deschutes Black Butte Porter: Sweet, rich, and malty, the Deschutes Black Butte Porter is a chocolatey beer that's so good you can't put it down until it's done. A popular favorite with A-level ratings on beer review sites like Beer Advocate, nearly everyone who likes dark beer will like Deschutes Black Butte Porter. Even if you think you don't like dark beer, you will probably like it. Even if you don't like beer at all, you will probably like it. Honestly, if you don't like Deschutes Black Butte Porter, there may be something seriously wrong with you. If you don't like it, you may or may not be able to find love in this lifetime. Just kidding. Maybe. Anyway, just drink the Deschutes porter, try anything else by Deschutes afterward, and be angry that Bend, Oregon (the home of Deschutes Brewery) is so far from Silicon Valley.
Although serious hop-heads may look at this list and say, "What about more complex beers? No Dogfish Head 90 or 120 Minute IPA? No trappist beers like Westmalle or even Chimay? No sour beers like Rodenbach Sour Ale? Boo. Boo on you, Valley Jester. You are a bad man, and I don't like you," it's still worth discussing beers that can bring joy to your life even if you aren't a dedicated beer nut. So, to readers who have not yet joined the beer fanatic ranks, I recommend that you save that Bud, Coors, or Keystone for 'college night'-style nostalgic drinking games with your friends. For non-competitive drinking, you'll be much better served by the options above and their alcoholic brethren. You can also see the beer experts at Beer Advocate, mamacoke.blogspot.com, or at your local Bevmo for more personalized help. And, of course, if you want my opinions on any particular beers, want any other recommendations, or want to point me in the direction of a great beer you've had and I haven't mentioned, feel free to leave me a note in the comments section. For now, though, I'm signing off.
I'm gonna blog you softly/I'm gonna blog you gently/I'm gonna blog you sweetly/I'm gonna blog you discreetly . . . And then, I'm gonna blog you hard/Hard/Hard,
Valley J
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