The next day, I hopped on my red dyno-glide beach cruiser and pedaled back to the store to try some for myself.
When I first saw a stack of Not Your Father's Root Beer boxes in the beer aisle I thought, "That's clever... marketing craft root beer to craft beer lovers." Then I got a phone call from a friend in Indianapolis. "I just came back from Boston. They were selling this alcoholic root beer, and you HAVE to try it!" He was raving about Not Your Father's Root Beer, and said this is the first beer in a long time that he liked so much that he had trouble sharing it with his friends (when you run into this problem, the solution is simple: buy another six pack).
The next day, I hopped on my red dyno-glide beach cruiser and pedaled back to the store to try some for myself. As if anyone needed proof that I'm not a beer and wine snob, when I first bought the New Belgium Portage Porter (try saying that ten times fast), I had forgotten what a porter was. I was expecting something more like a lager, or a pale ale. On taking my first sip, I was shocked by a caramelly darkness that swirled and lingered on my tongue for several minutes. As I began to recover my senses, the aftertaste was similar to what you might expect after finishing a thick chocolate and peanut butter shake. [[A porter is a nicely-hopped brown malt, developed in London in the 18th century.]] New Belgium is one of my favorite breweries, and they've never let me down. You may recognize the name from their go to beer, Flat Tire. I'm also a fan of their Ranger IPA and Accumulation White IPA, and Snapshot Wheat Beer. Surprisingly, this Colorado company is the third largest craft brewery in the U.S. The brewery was started in 1989 when the founder, Jeff Lebesch, took a bike trip across Belgium and came back with a suitcase full of recipes and a head full of ideas. Belgian beers are my favorite, and New Belgium makes Belgians with a crisp American twist that is irresistible. It all goes to show that you don't need to know what you are talking about to know what you like. (If you're looking for a job, apply here. Seriously. New Belgium is 100% employee owned, and the benefits are intended to keep you happy. How does 18 vacation days sound? And an all expense paid trip to Belgium on your 5 year work anniversary?) New Belgium Portage Porter: Aroma: Nutty, Caramel Taste: Chocolate, fresh roasted coffee. Price: $7.99 Fun Facts: 6% ABV, 187 calories, 38 IBU. Available: January 2015 Recommendation: Buy it before it's too late, and enjoy it ice cold. I don't drink New Belgiums every day, but they are never far from my refrigerator. If you still need convincing about how cool New Belgium is, watch this employee video: |
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