David and Walker are drinking a different beer each day* for an entire year, 365 beers in all, starting August 5th, 2010. We're writing about our daily regime to share the experiences and delicious discoveries with our friends and mild acquaintances to inspire YOU to bring previously unknown beers to your lips. (*limit one new beer per day consumed before midnight, no catch up days allowed)
After funghi pizza dinner at Jones in Weho with an old friend JBo, I get a call from David who wants to have our beers out of the apartment tonight. Luckily I'm moments away from beer haven Surly Goat and I drag Jen there with me to catch the Lakers triple overtime game.
It's a Warhead on steroids; a supernova of exploding sourness. It's incredibly tart and mildly refreshing. Guess what? I really, really don't like tart beers. I like trying new things, however, there has been only one sour ale which I consumed exactly halfway through the year (Lips of Faith Erics Ale) that has ever successfully wooed me. I will keep drinking American Wild Ales for the experience, but not the pleasure. THE ISLAND rating.
With Nick, Matt and David at the Daily Pint but I'm way more focused on the sweet, sweet Buffalo Chicken Cheese Steak sandwich from the food truck outside right now. I haven't seen Nick since before Christmas and Matt since November, which is a felony.
So the owner of the Daily Pint is a fairly infamous Brit who looks like he worked down on the wharves. He either wins you over with his dry sarcasm or you get in a pissing match with him and he throws you out of the bar. I'm in the former but I have seen the later. He's open to but doesn't advertise tasting but I know better so I ask for tasters for two Lips of Faith, Dark Heather Saison (too fruity) and Eric's Ale, which I know nothing about. One sip later my mouth twists and turns on itself. I must be a Wild Ale, my least favorite beer style for the following reason. "Damn that's sour!" I exclaim. The owner responds, "I like it. Try it again."
Haha um, okay, I don't shine to taking orders regarding liquor but this one is apparently non-negotiable. I taste again and suddenly my mouth isn't exploding. Rather, the shock of the first sour punch wore off and the second sip allows my tongue to get a little more acquainted with this wild man sour. With each subsequent sip I grew in appreciation.
Also, let the record show this might be the only time I will ever pair a Sour Wild Ale with a spicy buffalo chicken sandwich. Raaaaandom.
It's been a long time since I took a big gamble on a beer and chose an out-of-the box style, and even rarer that I was talked into drinking. Looking back, I realize I was in bit of a beer rut by only trying styles that I was familiar with. I'm glad this hard ass owner doesn't take no guff. He threw my naivety back at me. Life isn't always IPA's and Belgian's, it's also a little sour. That's really cheesy and I hate myself right now.
Eric's Ale pours color of dark golden hue. It's a smooth sour ale with mild fruity notes (especially peach) and a hint of sweetness. This beer grew on me and pairing it with Buffalo Chicken wasn't the best, but it worked out. On the night before our halfway point, thank you Daily Pint Owner for broadening my perspective and reminding me why I started this experience. THE ROCK rating.
As I mentioned, tomorrow is our halfway point for the year. Matt provided a quote tonight his Father passed down which resonated with me and the beer every day experience; "Half of life is just showing up." We've been doing this legit, by the rules, for 6 months. As Matt pointed out, how often do people announce they will do something and never follow through? I will start and finish an experience that I will look back proudly at and with an untold number of experiences that would never have happened without this.
On a lighter note, the next major milestone will be in two months, as my daily relationship with beer ironically surpasses any female relationship I've had (current record for a relationship is 8 months - I'm more of a sprinter than a long distance). When I started this, I quickly realized that when I finished this, my longest relationship wouldn't be with a girlfriend but with beer. HA
So yeah, beer has been and will hopefully continue to do good things for me.
Consecration is what's known as an American Wild Ale, which are a family of beers that are introduced to "wild" yeast or bacteria, This introduction may occur from oak barrels that have been previously inoculated, pitched into the beer, or gained from various "sour mash" techniques. This isn't a normal beer family, it's more like The Addams Family.
As part of LA Beer Week, this fellow debuted on tap tonight at the Library Alehouse. I'd never heard of it but it received glowing reviews so I dragged David here with high hopes, only to re-confirm how much I dislike sour beers. It's actually well rounded but malty and so sour. Not enjoyable. PEARL HARBOR rating.
*However, Sara P loves this beer and will drink it up like a milkshake, so to each their own. If the wasn't here I'd be really skeptical of the beer advocate A rating.
