This isn't the first time I've had this beer. Last weekend a friend of mine came to visit. I took him on a trip to my favorite local beer store to buy enough brews to get us through the weekend. He saw this on a shelf and read that it's inspired by Spanish popsicles and had to try it. I figured "why not?"

Neither of us knew what a guayaba was but, judging solely by the color of the beer, we thought it might by watermelon-esque. If not that we assumed it'd be sweet and refreshing, at least. Boy, were we wrong. While my buddy disliked it heartily, I found it intriguing but unappealing.

Thanks for bearing with us through the destruction and recreation of the blog. Please enjoy the new layout.

If you find something a glitch in our new look, and would like us to fix it, email us at the address listed on the Contact page. Happy reading!

Eagle eye readers of my Facebook page may remember I briefly had a post last week saying that I'd do my second porter write-up that day. However, upon realizing that I would not get around to following through with the claim, I quickly deleted the post.

But today's the day! With a new layout and logo there's no better time to write about Upland Brewing Company's Bad Elmer's Porter. And what a porter it is.

Please excuse our mess. My top designer is currently making the blog look presentable. We'll be back with your irregularly scheduled posts shortly.

My apartmentmate was in Athens, Ohio last weekend visiting a friend. When I found out she was going I asked her to pick up some Jackie O's for me. Upon arriving at her friend's, she texted me to find out what I wanted (specifically asking if I wanted a six pack or a growler). I responded with something along the lines of "Just get me Chomo. Whatever is cheapest and works best for you is fine by me."

She bought a six pack out of the sheer goodness of her heart. I've saved that final can of that pack for today's post. Wanna know what I think about it?

Today we have the second pilsner that I've discussed on this blog. I've linked my previous pilsner post here but, in case you don't want to read it, I'll quickly summarize my feelings about the style of brew for you now: I like it. In my eyes it's the most accessible kind of beer thanks in large part to its light flavor and easy drinkability.

As much as I like pilsners I do find one flaw in the style: no pilsner I've ever had has really stood out from the rest. I can tell when a pils is run-of-the-mill (i.e. Rolling Rock) or when it's been skillfully crafted (see Atwater's Purple Gang, linked above). The overall steadiness of the pilsner style means that I know exactly what to expect (more or less) each time I open one. There's really now real "wow" factor involved in them.


That wow factor would be nice, though. Today I'm getting into Left Hand's Polestar Pilsner. Will it redefine the style for me (which is, admittedly, an incredible task)? Will it fit nicely into what I've come to anticipate from a pilsner and impress me with its craftsmanship? Or will it be a one-off brew for me?

Back in January I referred to myself as a porter man. Since making that statement I haven't put my money where my mouth is. You'd think I'd've discussed at least one porter, right? Nope. I've completely dropped the ball and am unspeakably ashamed.

But soon I won't be! You see I have not one but two porter posts coming at you soon (well, I guess there's only one after this one but you still get my point).


Today's porter post is about none other than Smuttynose's Robust Porter. I knew nothing about this brew before sitting down to write this post. But, upon researching the brew by going directly to Smuttynose's website, I found that Andy Crouch, of Great American Craft Beer fame (it's a book about domestic craft brews), called it "...the quintessential Porter...". That's a glowing review. Do I agree with it?

This is, hands down, the most inexpensive beer I have ever bought. The six pack ran me a grand total of four bucks. That's cheap. So cheap, in fact, that I thought it may be bad. No offense to Saranac, but the only one of their brews I've had is their Pumpkin Ale and, while it's not the worst pumpkin beer I've had (Blue Moon holds that distinction), it's not my thing.

My dad hates Saranac's Pumpkin. I mean, as a rule he doesn't like pumpkin ales. But Saranac's was the first one he had and it poisoned him against the stuff.

I love pumpkin ales, though, but even I had my doubts when I saw the $4 price tag on Saranac's Goat Rodeo Pale Bock Lager. Surely good beer isn't so cheap. The price tempted me into buying it. If it turned out to be terrible I could pitch it without feeling bad, right?

Woodchuck Hard Cider will always and forever hold a special place in my heart. I am yet to have a single offering from the cidery that I dislike. Sure, I like some of their brews more than others (Fall Harvest, for example, is my absolute favorite adult beverage whereas I think Woodchuck's Amber is only okay).

Because I haven't had a bad experience with Woodchuck I'm always excited when I stumble upon one of their styles that I've never tried. The last time this happened was with Cheeky Cherry in February, which was part of the Out On A Limb series. Out On A Limb has put out a new cider since then but I haven't been able to find it.

What I have found is one of Woodchuck's Cellar Series ciders. I've only had one of this series' offerings before and that was the Mint last summer. That seemed like an odd combination at first (mint and apple? Who would think that'd be good?) but the cider masterminds in Vermont found a way to pull it off in flying colors.

Nearly a week ago I bought their Ginger at Jungle Jim's (a Cincinnati area-based grocery store chain with giant animatronics). The 22-ounce bottle was somewhere in the neighborhood of two to five dollars. A price well worth the beverage.