What is the best First Communion Beer?

What is the best First Communion Beer? That's the question I posed to myself while exploring Norm's Beer & Wine for beer for Matthew's First Communion after party. Since Lebanese food was dominating the menu, the obvious choice was Almaza Pilsner Beer - Lebanan's best selling beer. Assisted by brewers in Pilsen, the brewery created a Czech styled recipe with a local twist - incorporating maize that gives the beer a smooth and sweet profile. This creates an appealing beer when several types of beer drinkers are present - and a much better option than the mass produced junk.

For the more serious beer drinkers I turned to the Saints, St. George Brewing Company from Hampton Virginia and the esteemed Belgium brewery St. Bernardus. Norm's had just received a shipment of the Abt 12, the top tier in the St. Bernardus brand, high in alcohol 10.5% and full bodied - but extremely smooth. Tons of fruit flavor exude from the nose through the tail. I chose the St. George English IPA knowing I would have a few hop heads in attendance - although at 50 IBU it was mild for many.  The profile is sweet with a balanced somewhat hoppy finish. I was ready to leave, but then noticed the Highland Brewing Company St. Theresa Pale Ale. being very fond of the Asheville, NC - I plucked a six-pack without thinking. For a pale ale, this has the aroma of an IPA, plenty of citrus that transitions to sweet male, and then finishes again with a citrus profile. A very nice ale.

So that was our day - plenty of good beer for a First Communion theme. Cheers.

American Craft Beer Week: OnTap Kickoff Party

With the start of American Craft Beer Week, On Tap Magazine hosted a kickoff party at the Arlington Rooftop Bar. Since the day job is located right across the street and that several big name craft brewers were in attendance, this was a no brainer. The best part of functions like this was not only drinking great craft beer, but interacting with representatives of each brewery. Before last night I didn't know that Saranac Brewery (Utica NY) is the second oldest family owned brewery in the United States - easy guess which is the oldest. And the brewery offers a concert series with major national acts: Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Michael Franti and Spearhead,Umphrey's McGee, & Robert Randolph and the Family Band. Wow, these are big name musicians. And during the summer, Saranac hosts local artists on Thursday nights.

Speaking of music, Highland Brewing Company (Asheville, NC) just opened a music venue where they will be hosting live music on Friday and Saturday nights. Gaelic Ale and live music; that's a nice pairing. Our friends from Flying Dog Brewery (Frederick, MD) were also in the house and we learned of several new seasonals and partnerships as well as their 25th Anniversary parties planned for this summer. That's parties in that they will be traveling though out the DC Metro area hosting events to celebrate the occasion. We hope to have these events posted on Wine-Compass in early summer.

And finally, we spent some time with Alex from Brewery Ommegang (Cooperstown, NY). Over an Ommegang BPA - Belgium Pale Ale - we discussed their live music ventures as well as the specialty release: Gnomegang. This is a blonde ale created by a partnership between Brewery Ommegang and Brasserie d’Achouffe. It is made with five malts, two noble hops, and both of the distinctive Chouffe and Ommegang yeasts. I'll be out this weekend looking for this one.