This Week in Beer (TWIB) is a feature where I’ll highlight some craft beers I had during this past week mixed with some related (and unrelated) thoughts. Yes, it’s a play on the name of the show This Week in Baseball which I grew up on and loved.
Port City Downtown Pilsner
With the warm weather here to stay, I decided to pick up something refreshing. I found a six-pack of Port City’s limited release Downtown Pilsner at the Wine’ing Butcher and scooped it up. After a long week and a great dinner I realized I had downed four of them in succession. It has a crisp flavor made from 100% Pilsner malt and 100% Saaz hops and is highly sessionable at 4.8% ABV. Pick this beer up while it lasts.
Hardywood Chocolate Heat
Hardywood is a newer brewery in Richmond, Virginia. My wonderful wife grabbed their Chocolate Heat and Bourbon Sidamo for me when she there recently. Chocolate Heat is a Double Chocolate Milk Stout that is brewed with local chile peppers (including habanero peppers!!).
I’ve had a few “peppered” beers before and would rank this one pretty high on the list. The heat was apparent but didn’t completely overtake the chocolatey-maltiness. I can’t wait to open the Bourbon Sidamo…
Beer Fiction
I’ve been listening to the Self Publishing Podcast recently and am toying with the idea of writing an ebook. Needless-to-say I do not have the beer knowledge to write about anything highly factual or education in regard to beer. So what about beer fiction?
Premise – A homebrewer brews the “perfect beer” one drunken night. With no recollection of how he made the beer, he wins a contest and is solicited for the recipe by a Macrobrewery. Something is terribly wrong when he comes home and all his beer and beloved dog are gone and all that’s left is a ransom note saying that if he wants to see his pooch again he needs to cough up the recipe.
Alright my loyal blog readers, is there a snowball’s chance in hell that you’d read this?
Last week’s question:
Which brewery has the best logo?
Some excellent responses were Bolero Snort Brewery and Firestone Walker Brewing Company.
This week’s question:
What beer book are you reading/have you read recently?
Final Thoughts
On my reading list for this week is Bryan’s at This Is Why I’m Drunk blog three-part series on Tapping into New-Age Beer Marketing: Beer and Social Media.
Once those are read maybe I’ll get to that light I’m supposed to hang…
Short On Beer 
I’m currently reading Lew Bryson’s “Pennsylvania Breweries.” It’s a good introduction to (obviously) PA breweries and acts as a guide book, offering suggestions of where to stay in the area, and other fun things to do near the breweries. However, it is the 2005 edition, so much of the info is already outdated!
I like your TWIB column, by the way. Always a fun read!
Thanks, Ryan! I’m looking for my next book to read. I’m leaning towards The Audacity of Hops but a local book is a good idea. I wonder if there are any Virginia specific beer books…
Audacity of Hops is on my list too. I semi-recently finished Mitch Steele’s book on IPAs. It was a good read and very informative, if you’re interested in beer history.
Definitely am. I’ll add it to my list.
I write beer short stories weekly. They’re actually more “beer inspired” than “about beer” but…it works! I find that the beer’s name, taste, smell, and labeling can be a great inspiration.
Here’s one I did this week: http://literatureandlibation.com/2013/06/17/st422/
I say go for it! If you need an editor, let me know.
Wow, your story was incredible. I’ll consider myself lucky if I write something 1/100 as good as that.
Don’t be surprised if I take you up on that editor offer.
Thanks man! I have a lot of fun with them.
Just shoot me an email if you want me to take a look at what you’ve got!
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