Autumnal Equi-not

And my next post was supposed to be about summer beers. By now, you've probably seen Oktoberfest Märzen lagers and pumpkin ales filling half of our seasonal section. Magic Hat, the earliest of the early birds, snatched their worm on July 21st with the arrival of Hex - a full two weeks earlier than last year's winner (Sierra Nevada Tumbler; August 2nd, 2010).

But, hey, there's a reason the bird-and-worm proverb exists. The moment Hex was on the shelves it was moving faster than some summer beers we still have. I poured sand on the tiles, arrived to work in a bathing suit, and paced back and forth in front of the cooler to protest. However the delivery drivers simply pushed me out of the way, carting their damn Shipyard Pumpkinhead, Harpoon Octoberfest (and UFO Pumpkin), followed by Newport Storm, Sam Adams, and Warßteiner Oktoberfests. I got dressed, swept up most of the sand, left my protest sign on top of our fall beer display and got back to work.

If you don't find the leaves' colors changed enough, days short enough, or weather chilly enough, there's still hope! Plenty of summer beers remain, as well as summer days to enjoy them on. We've still got Southern Tier Hop Sun, Ithaca Partly Sunny, Long Trail Belgian White, summers from Dundee, Harpoon, Sam Adams, Smuttynose, and Saranac, and Blue Moon variety packs.
My recommendations: If you like hops, Hop Sun. If not, Partly Sunny. For something different, Smuttynose - it's brewed with chamomile for a light, floral accent to the familiar summer wheat style.

Coming soon: Bear Republic Brewing. Both a restaurant and brewery in Healdsburg, California, Bear Republic is a family-owned business with a solid A- rating from beeradvocate.com and more than a handful of awards earned by its many beers. Take a peek at their selection here; we'll be picking up Racer 5 IPA, Red Rocket Ale, Hop Rod Rye, and Big Bear Black Stout.

Aug 18, 2011 at 12:33 PM

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Heating Up!

Happy late 4th! The last wisps of pungent smoke have dissipated into the air, charred bits of colorful cardboard and plastic probably have been swept from the street, and we've all returned to work. But the good news for you is so have I! I've got a couple updates, reviews, and as always some bitchin' deals!

Heavy Seas Dubbel Cannon - only three six-packs left!!
Heineken, Heineken Light, Corona, Corona Light, Harpoon: 24-bottle loose cases all $24.99 - try getting a bottle of any of those for a dollar at a bar!

*NEW SPECIAL - LIMITED TIME!*
Newport Storm Hurricane Amber Ale 12-pack cans only $9.99! This is only a two-week special so hurry in!
But wait, there's more! Newport Storm's most recent seasonal and Cyclone Series selections are in too: Summer Ale is an IPA and easily my favorite Newport Storm offering. Quinn, our current Cyclone, is a barrel-aged porter stored in Thomas Tew Rum barrels. It's certainly interesting. The light rum aftertaste patiently waits its turn, allowing the smooth porter flavor a first go. After a sip and a breath, your mouth is left with a touch of rum flavor with none of the harsh alcohol burn. Another sip and the process repeats. It's unique, and I'd definitely recommend trying it.

Nice Cans! Going to the beach this summer? The boat yard? A walk down the road? If you can't bring glass wherever your next occasion may be, take your beer in the can! A few bottle-based breweries tried canning last summer and their success inspired canns to be the next trend in beer. We now have Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy, regular and Summer Blue Moon, regular and Summer Harpoon, and Magic Hat #9 in 12-packs of cans; all are about $13-$15. Newcastle Brown Ale and Wittekerke Belgian White Ale are in 6-packs for $7.99 and $9.99, respectively. Even Stella Artois has thrown its proverbial hat into the ring, offering 4- and 10-packs of 14.9oz cans (think Guinness-sized) for $7.99 and $13.99. Somewhere, Adolphus Busch and Eberhard Anheuser are high-fiving in front of Sebastianus Artois.

Nicer Cans! *NEW BEER ALERT!* We recently picked up three varieties of craft beers from Sixpoint Craft Ales (www.sixpoint.com) of Brooklyn, New York. Here at Gan we have The Crisp, Sweet Action, and Bengali Tiger.

The Crisp is a refreshing and very crisp lager with all the "drinkability" of Bud Light but without the water!
Sweet Action is a wonderfully balanced Cream Ale, with a dynamic balance of malt and hops that Sixpoint rightfully boasts on each can. The sweet malt flavor passes slowly over your tongue while the hops liven up the rest of your mouth, until they surprise your tastebuds with a polite bitterness to chase the maltiness and goad you into another sip.
Bengali Tiger is perhaps the most balanced IPA that I have ever had. As a bit of a hophead, I'd always be happy to have the little green plant outweigh the amount of maltose in my beer any day..but, what's this? A lively, sweet malt character that adds to the flavor?! YES! I can hang up my pint glass and retire early! I can't say enough about how the malted barley supports the 62 robust IBUs - which completely satisfy my picky hop palate on their own as well.
Each offering from Sixpoint is well worth the price of $9.49 for a 4-pack of 16oz cans, and has a flavor profile for every palate. Stop in soon before I take the rest home!

Stay tuned for next week's Summer Beer Showdown!

Jul 7, 2011 at 10:30 AM

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Cheers!

Hello and welcome to I.M. Gan's beer blog! My name is Adam, and when you've got a beer question chances are you'll be referred my way. I am usually found milling about the beer area or hiding from the heat in the cooler, but have been known to venture over the entire floor every now and then.

This blog will be your one-stop reference for everything involving beer here at Gan. I'll post news of tastings, sales, new arrivals and any other useful information. We invite all your questions, requests, and comments!

Ongoing sales:
Ballast Point Black Marlin Porter 22oz $2.99 (reg. $5.99)
Saint Somewhere Belgian Ale 750mL $7.99 (reg. $10.99)
Chiostro Saison Ale one bottle left!! 750mL $10.99 (reg. $21.99)
Nova Schin 6-packs $3.99 (reg. $6.99)
Newport Storm Spring Ale 6-packs $4.99 (reg. $8.89)
Blue Moon Spring Blonde Ale only two 12-packs left!! $9.99 (reg. $14.49)
Leinenkugel's 1888 Bock one 12-pack left!! $9.99 (reg. $14.69)
JOOSE (with caffeine - yes it's still here!) $1.99

Summer Specialties:
Heavy Seas Dubbel Cannon: After the success of making Black Cannon, their Loose Cannon IPA in a black style, Heavy Seas is back with another twist on their classic. Dubble Cannon is fermented with Belgian Dubble yeast to create a smooth-drinking Belgian mouthfeel before the hops steal the show. We've got a handful of cases left, and when everyone else in town has run out we'll have plenty to go around! as of today (7/7) we're down to THREE six-packs, hurry!

Sam Adams Lattitude 48 IPA Deconstructed: Lattitude 48 wowed taste buds everywhere when it appeared in Sam's Summer variety 12-pack last year, earning a spot in Sam's lineup of 6-packs. This year the Boston Beer Company takes it a step further, creating five new IPAs from each of the five hops used in Lattitude 48. Those hop varieties are Hallertau Mittelfrueh (Germany), East Kent Goldings (England), Ahtanum, Simcoe, and Zeus (each from Washington's Yakima Valley). As other stores run out of this sought-after limited release, we've got enough to last the summer! Perhaps...

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp: This year, Sierra Nevada bottled and is selling four styles made at their yearly Beer Camp. This variety 12-pack has three each of a Double IPA, Weizenbock, Juniper Black Ale, and a California Common or "steam beer" style. I bought one myself the day it came in, and will be buying another very soon. Each style is magnificent, and the whole package is as close as one can possibly come to finding a 12-pack worth $19.99!

Jun 16, 2011 at 10:41 AM

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New Website

Let us know what you think about our new website!!!

May 19, 2011 at 10:29 AM

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