NT3's Favorite St. Patrick's Day Beers

 There are a lot of holidays that might be considered "beer drinking holidays" (not to mention quite a few more if you listen to us at this blog.) However St. Patrick's Day has to be at the top of the list for just about everyone. It's the one time of year when everyone dons green, eats ham & cabbage, and orders a Guinness, whether they like it or not.

In lieu of suggesting you drink Guinness, which I would never do, I offer a list of some great St. Patrick's Day alternatives.

1. Killian's Irish Red
Killian's is the perfect "St. Patty's Day" beer. It's darker and a bit fuller in flavor than your average American beer, perfect for drinking in the cold March air at a parade or "parade day" party. But it's also not too heavy to be drank all day at one either. Plus it's got that great Irish name.

2. Smithwicks
Brewed by Guinness, this is an excellent (and authentically Irish) beer for all your St. Patrick's Day festivities. Just as easy to drink as Killian's but with the added pedigree of being direct from Ireland (even though it's probably brewed in Canada or New Jersey or something.)

3. Harpoon Celtic Ale
Alternative: Samuel Adams Irish Red
This is such a great sub-style of beer that you really can't go wrong. This is a session beer for a little bit more advanced beer drinker. There's definitely hops and you're going to find it gratingly bitter after a few if you don't like that sort of thing. But it has the dark warming qualities of the first two, mixed in with a nice alcohol punch that will keep you seeing shamrocks all day long.

So there you go. If you love Guinness, then by all means drink up this St. Patrick's Day. But if it's not your thing (and it's not a lot of peoples' thing) then don't feel left out, drinking boring green colored Coors Light all parade. Try one of these 3 and I guarantee your Irish (even if just for the day) eyes will be smiling.

Beers Around The World: Mexico

Welcome to a new series here on the blog. Over the next 11 weeks of "Beers Around the World," I'll be reviewing a different beer from a different country in Epcot's World Showcase. It's a joint promotion between The Beer Drinker's Guide to the Galaxy and my other blog, Walt Disney World Traveler. And while we're on the subject of Walt Disney World beers, you should definitely make it a point to check out Beers and Ears, a blog devoted entirely to the subject of drinking at Disney World. It's chock full of posts just like this one, including some written by my friend Brian. Check it out.

Now join me in my weekly training session for my April visit to Walt Disney World when I'll be attempting to "drink around the world" at Epcot. Each week a new country; a new beer.

Dos Equis XX

What It Is: There are a few different versions of Dos Equis out there but the most common version is the lager (the one in the green bottle) and it's readily available at Epcot in the Mexico pavilion, as well as around Disney World (notably and appropriately at Coronado Springs) and around the country. It's pretty common in bottles, especially in areas with larger hispanic populations, but I actually prefer it on draft with a lime wedge. It's my go-to drink order at our local Mexican restaurant and it will be my go-to beer when drinking around the world in Mexico.

Why You Should Drink It: It's a great alternative to Corona. It's light and refreshing but has a bit more flavor (without any of that light struck "skunked" taste.) Plus if you love your Mexican beer with a lime in it, you can still do that with this! 

Trivia: Interestingly, Corona is not available in Epcot's Mexico. I'm not certain of why but I'm sure it's a sponsorship thing since Corona is made by Dos Equis competitor Modelo.

My Grade: B+

From Beers and Ears:

Review

Where to Find It at WDW

Make sure to check out more content like this from me at Walt Disney World Traveler and from our friends at Beers and Ears.

Sam Adams Harvest Collection Variety Pack

I finally had a chance to pick up the Samuel Adams "Harvest Collection" variety case yesterday. It's their autumn sampler with four bottles of six different beers. Every single one of them sounded great to me so I knew I had to pick this up the first time I saw it in the distributor. I was not disappointed...but I must say I was not overwhelmed either.

The pack contains the regular Boston Lager. Boring, of course, but actually fitting for the Thanksgiving season. Not surprisingly it has the ubiquitous Octoberfest and we all know and love that one too. The four unusual ones were Harvest Pumpkin, Black Lager, Irish Red, and Bonfire Rauchbier.

The Harvest Pumpkin was tasty and flavorful; more savory than sweet like a lot of pumpkin beers. It's not the best pumpkin beer out there but it's nice to see Sam produce a quality version of a popular style anyway.

The Black Lager was almost a lighter and more drinkable version of a stout. I didn't love it but it was also easy drinking and worthy of a spot in the pack.

Irish Red is an odd choice for this case, as it's also the appropriate choice for the spring seasonal. That having been said, I love it so I was thrilled to see it in there. A great version of an unappreciated style.

Finally we come to the most bizarre of the beers, Bonfire Rauchbier. This one is smoked (yes, actually brewed with some type of smoking process involved) and literally tastes like a regular Sam Adams that you left out by your bonfire for awhile. Unusual but still easy drinking and tasty. I wouldn't want a whole pack of them but having a few to try is a nice treat.

That basically sums up my thoughts on the whole variety pack. Nothing was too strong, everything was easily drinkable. This is the perfect thing to have on hand for a party with some people who want to try different beers but won't go for anything too outside the box. There's something for everyone to love.

Once you get into sampling things from breweries like Dogfish Head, something like this pack could seem pedestrian, but there are some excellent beers here from a cross section of styles, all of which go perfectly with football, Halloween parties, and chilly fall nights. Nothing here is going to completely knock your socks off but I give this a strong recommendation.

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The Battle Begins Tonight...

R.I.P. Jack's Pumpkin Spice

Very sad news for me this weekend as my search for a case of Michelob's Jack's Pumpkin Spice Ale, my favorite beer of the fall, proved fruitless as I learned that Busch has ceased production on it and the rest of Michelob's craft line (save Beach Bum Summer Blonde.)

I'll always be an apologist for you, Anheuser-Busch, but today you made me cry a little.

Backyard Ale House Fall Fest

http://www.backyardalehouse.com/whats-happening

The schedule is out for the 3rd annual Fall Fest at the Backyard Ale House in Downtown Scranton.

I think I'll be on hand Friday night and possibly at some point Saturday as well. Check it out!

Eight Beers Americans No Longer Drink

http://247wallst.com/2011/09/09/the-eight-beers-americans-no-longer-drink/2/

Budweiser's spot on that list, of course, saddens me deeply...but I have to think the "Grab Some Buds" campaign is going to improve their sales. That's some of the best beer marketing I've ever seen.

And while Michelob and Michelob Light (a damn good beer, actually) deserve their spot on the list where they are, I'd have to think Michelob Ultra is somewhat to blame for the other two brands' decline. I mean does ABInBev even market these two anymore? Ultra gets huge TV and print campaigns quite regularly while the two originals get no love at all. Same for Bud Select. I never see that advertised while the horrid Bud Select 55 still gets ad dollars to work for them.

And MGD is delicious. I have no idea where Miller Lite comes from in a brewery that could make something as good as this beer. It's a damn shame High Life gets recognizable ads and Miller Lite is ubiquitious but MGD can only land on a "beer we don't drink" list with the connotation that "it was cool in the 70's."

A Bar in the Ohio State House?

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g8-C6jTNtxqCw3gvb8Cj2kslpg0g?docId=774b4b26df494eb7bcfdde8bb033b2de

Finally something to get excited about in Ohio! A proposal is on the table to open a bar in the basement of the capitol building!

In reality, the proposal is to build a physical bar in a hall already used for private functions like banquets, weddings, and receptions. But this fact isn't getting in the way of nutjobs trying to degrade the idea as somehow immoral and harmful for society. According to the story "opponents say it would be inappropriate to open a bar in a government building frequented by schoolchildren." Hopefully these same opponents have similar qualms with every bus load of kids who take a field trip to Jacobs Field or Great American Ballpark.

The often times baffling article is linked above.

The Friday Beer Buzz - Liefman's Cuvee Brut

Happy Independence Day

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July!