“Sometimes when I reflect back on all the beer I drink I feel ashamed. Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the brewery and all of their hopes and dreams. If I didn’t drink this beer, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. Then I say to myself, ‘It is better that I drink this beer and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver.’” –Jack Handy
And with this post we commemorate yet another beer-soaked birthday. As this time, Kunoichi Erica was the one too intoxicated to comment on her booze, we have once more invited HopDevil along for the ride. Kunoichi will be reviewing a completely separate beer she had the fortune of tasting at a time when she was more lucid.
Because apparently when you’re drunk, it’s far easier to write the lyrics to a trippy Beatles song than to say anything remotely intelligent about beer.
Also, be sure to stop by our Bar Hopping page to see reviews of the hippest hangouts, and warnings on which bars are better left alone. Or swing by the Yellow Beer Road to view the interactive map of our beer adventures.
Bell’s Two-Hearted Ale
7.00% ABV/India Pale Ale/Only available in 13 states.
Bell’s Brewery, formerly known by the funky name of Kalamazoo Brewing Company, is an Eighties Child much like ourselves, with a healthy taste for the eccentric.
Imbibe more here: Bells Beer
Rachel Riot: It’s one of those beers with that familiar taste you just can’t put your finger on. A bolder IPA with a non-overbearing amount of hops and a slight floral aroma. That being said, I should tell you that I hate most IPAs (and flowers). “Hi everyone, My name is Rachel and I hate IPAs”. Anyway, this just isn’t the beer for me. It’s not a bad beer…it’s actually one of the better IPAs I’ve been given the chance to taste. But, if you DO like IPAs I suggest you try this one. You can get a bottle of it at most well stocked bars. I was able to pick some up at Sidecar Bar.
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Hopdevil: Ah, one of those unique beers that make you say- What the &%$! is that flavor? It’s something you’ve tasted and smelled before, but just can’t place. Ever. No matter how many you drink. Other than that distinct unnamable taste, it’s a semi-hoppy beer. For all of you readers scrunching your nose thinking “Ugh, hops”- I think you may be pleasantly surprised by the smoothness coupled with the hoppiness.
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Unibroue Trois Pistoles
9% ABV/ Strong Dark Ale (refermented in the bottle)
Tankard Tidbit!: Trois Pistoles is named after a small village founded over 300 years ago in the region of Les Basques in Québec.
Located in Chambly, Quebec, the Unibroue Brewery was founded in 1993, ay.
Imbibe more here: Unibroue
Kunoichi Erica: After the very first sip of this crimson-colored brew, you’ll be forced to utter a resounding “arrrgh!” Best described as “fun on the tongue,” I wouldn’t be surprised to discover this flavorful mix in Bluebeard’s private stash. With a taste as distinct as a cold glass of V8 and an exciting salty undertone, this beer is best savored slowly. While its portwine style may seem common at first, keep in mind that first impressions aren’t always the best. It’s rather like The Ventures’ “Wipeout”: it may just be surfer-music, but it’s got that great drum-solo. So keep listening…er…drinking, that is.
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Now that you are full of beer wisdom, go and check that Bar Hopping page to soak up information on one of Philly’s finest bars and, we promise, no old western bar fights like the one seen here (unless you buy us a Coors light…then we’ll have to call fisticuffs!)
Philadelphia ExBEERiment! 