Life On Tap

Grimm Ales always puts out interesting brews and Better Than Nothing is no different – a 0.9% “Tiny Lager” that really hits the spot a la NA.

STYLE: Non-Alcoholic – Vienna Lager AKA “Tiny Lager”
ABV: 0.9%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz. cans (Limited)

Stats above taken from the brewery’s can and website.

Golden in color with a huge, effervescent, white, and fluffy head.

Reminiscent of a Helles, with some bready and graininess and hint of earthy and floral hop notes.

A little more hop-forward, with earthy/spicy notes leading, followed by a delicate breadiness and flour, closing with a pleasant minerality.

A surprising amount of body for a near beer, with the carbonation accentuating the flavor and mouthfeel.

A great alternative to a traditional lager short of a full non-alcoholic one. Pairing-wise, go lighter fare or recipes with not as much of a spice or flavor punch.

Cheers and remember:

Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry.

All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.
Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking Fools
Outtro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

The post Episode # 407: Better Than Nothing appeared first on Life On Tap.

When Dan sees a porter, he orders it…so he had this one on tap at his local Craft + Carry, and definitely needed to bring it home after.

STYLE: Northern English-style porter
ABV: 4.8%
IBU: 30
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz. cans, draft (Limited)
COLLABORATION: Craft + Carry

Stats above taken from the brewery’s can and website.

Deep, dark brown with a tan head.

Roast from a pour-over coffee, cacao nib, a hint of burnt sugar, and a pleasant nuttiness.

Roasted coffee element persists, followed by dark chocolate with toasted walnuts.

A solid body with soft carbonation provides a pillowy mouthfeel even with the lower ABV.

I would absolutely LOVE to see this on cask, as I think it would be a truly winning experience. Pairing-wise, a good old tavern burger or shepherd’s pie were obvious choices, but a dessert of cheesecake or a fun attempt at a beer float with French Vanilla or Rum Raisin could also work.

Cheers and remember:

Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry.

All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.
Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking Fools
Outtro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

The post Episode # 406: Free Verse appeared first on Life On Tap.

If Dan sees Tmavé, he tends to buy it (and enjoy it)…this one, from Wayward Lane Brewing, is Tmavé Pekař, and it delivers.

STYLE: Tmavé (13°P Czech Dark Lager)
ABV: 5.0%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz. cans, draft (Rotating)

Stats above taken from the brewery’s can and website.

Super dark brown with some hints of ruby through the light with a tan head.

Roast, with a hint of fruitiness0.

Hint of pour-over/French Press roast coffee note mixed with toasted bread and sweet malt.

Full body and coats the tongue on the mouthfeel.

I feel this approachable for a dark lager. Burgers to steaks all work, though this could also bring flavor if it was used in the cooking process as well.

Cheers and remember:

Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry.

All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.
Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking Fools
Outtro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

The post Episode # 405: Tmavé Pekař appeared first on Life On Tap.

Dan pops another brew from a haul: Miles, The Prince Tig, a table beer weighing in at 3.3% ABV, from an unfortunately closed brewpub.

STYLE: Table Beer
ABV: 3.3%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz. cans (While they last?)
SPECIAL NOTE: Brewpub officially closed 11/30/2024

Stats above taken from the brewery’s can.

Clear, yellow/gold, with a white, fluffy head.

Graininess, floral and spice notes and a hint of fruitiness.

Grain note continues into a breadstick accompanied by the fruity/floral estery note and delightful minerality on the finish.

Soft carbonation with a medium body even with the low ABV, resulting in a pleasant mouthfeel.

Super crisp and approachable. The breadstick note made me immediately think of bruschetta and flatbreads to pair, though pita chips and hummus would probably work as well.

Cheers and remember:

Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry.

All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.
Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking Fools
Outtro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

The post Episode # 404: Tig appeared first on Life On Tap.

After tasting it from a recent haul, Dan wishes he had more of The Seed: A Living Beer Project’s Time Given, a kolsch style brew.

STYLE: Kölsch
INGREDIENTS: German Pilsner malt and NJ-grown pale barley
ABV: 5.0%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz. cans, draft (Rotating)

Stats above taken from the brewery’s can and website.

Yellow, appears to be somewhat unfiltered, with a white, fluffy head and some light lacing.

Bready notes from the malt mix with the earthy and floral hop notes.

Clean and dry, continuing off the nose with a blend of bread and flour before the earthy hops kick back in with a gentle spice note on the finish.

Crisp, with a nice body and pillowy mouthfeel from the carbonation.

Bring on the Stanges and normalize kolsch service…I would drink plenty of these. Table-side appetizers a la tapas would be fun as well as typical beer hall food and perhaps, oysters might al so be a fun play.

Cheers and remember:

Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry.

All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.
Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking Fools
Outtro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

The post Episode # 403: Time Given appeared first on Life On Tap.

From a recent haul, Dan enjoys The Greats of Craft collaboration with Rockaway Brewing Company: All Day Night, a coffee stout.

STYLE: Coffee Stout
INGREDIENTS: The Greats of Craft house blend coffee, orange peel, and ginger
ABV: 6.0%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz. cans, draft (Limited)
COLLABORATION: The Greats of Craft

Stats above taken from the brewery’s can and website.

Super dark brown, with a tan, large-bubbled, fluffy head.

Coffee blend brings cacao nib, earthy/smoky elements, and roast in addition to a kiss of orange peel and ginger.

Well-balanced with the coffee, fruity orange peel, and zing from the ginger all working in harmony, ending with an espresso aftertaste.

Smooth, supple, and silky mouthfeel with a lovely weight and soft carbonation.

This coffee stout has FINESSE. Brunch beer is an obvious play with some waffles, though you could have it with a spiced cheese a la Barely Buzzed. An interesting savory play would be spice-rubbed meat dishes.

Cheers and remember:

Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry.

All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.
Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking Fools
Outtro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

The post Episode # 402: All Day Night appeared first on Life On Tap.

Dan gets his hands and taste buds on the Guinness/Brooklyn Brewery collaboration: Fonio Stout, made with the resilient African grain.

STYLE: Stout (Other)
INGREDIENTS: Fonio
ABV: 6.2%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz. cans (Limited)
COLLABORATION: Brooklyn Brewery

Stats above taken from the brewery’s can and website.

Deep, dark brown and similar to the iconic Irish dry stout, with a tan, fluffy head.

Fruity notes like dates/raisins/prunes hit first before the more familiar roast notes of a stout.

Super complex, with similar qualities from the nose, starting off with the dark fruitiness with a brief tropical note before easing back out to the roast elements.

Super-velvety and soft mouthfeel, with the carbonation presenting more like foam.

This was my first Fonio beer, and it was pretty eye-opening. Given the resilience of this grain and the need for little water, I am hoping to hear more places planting it. More so for helping hungry people around the world and but I wouldn’t mind some more beer styles with the grain. I think I enjoyed having it on its own, but pairing-wise, I would like to see poultry/fowl or light game with fruit-based sauces for sure. I think the structure and flavor components would do well there, though I wouldn’t rule out a British pudding of sorts for dessert either.

Cheers and remember:

Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry.

All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.
Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking Fools
Outtro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

The post Episode # 401: Fonio Stout appeared first on Life On Tap.

Dan shares his thoughts on Torch and Crown’s King Elizabeth, a “Transatlantic Barleywine”, blending both American and English variants.

STYLE: Transatlantic Barleywine (my nomenclature to denote the blend of the American and English variants)
INGREDIENTS: English malts; American hops
ABV: 13.0%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz. cans (Limited)

Stats above taken from the brewery’s can and website.

Super deep/dark amber with a small tan head and some incredible lacing on the glass.

Malt-forward, with fruitcake, brown sugar, dates, and other dark/dried fruit and a hint of booziness.

Dark fruit continues, with dried dates and plums at the forefront, providing some notes also similar to a quad. This is followed by brown sugar and dark molasses, though the hops that were used must be balancing that sweetness.

Medium weight/body with a super-smooth mouthfeel, coating the tongue.

I LOVE that this is named after the brewery cat…the label is truly adorable. If you can get your hands on this, I recommend drinking it over the course of a night or share with others. Pairing-wise, a lot of different ways are possible, but dessert-wise I was feeling a lush carrot cake. Savory-wise, I want something super-rich in flavor like a spicy tagine dish, thick cut of steak, or braised beef with strong flavors. This would also pair with a medium-bodied or slightly stronger cigar as well.

Cheers and remember:

Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry.

All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.
Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking Fools
Outtro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

The post Episode # 400: King Elizabeth appeared first on Life On Tap.

Dan is delighted to open another rarity: an ordinary bitter in Suarez Family Brewery Amenable, made with UK-based ingredients.

STYLE: English Ordinary Bitter
INGREDIENTS: English malt, lightly-cooked invert sugar; Challenger and Goldings hops; UK-derived yeasts
ABV: 4.2%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz. cans/Draft/Cask (Rotating)

Stats above taken from the brewery’s can and website.

Lightly-tinted orange on gold with a white, frothy head.

Graininess with a malt, almost maple-level sweetness.

Grain note continues and morphs into sweet biscuit element.

Super-soft and supple on the mouthfeel.

I love seeing bitters out in the ether, so this was a drinkable delight. I could definitely see myself watching some footy over many of these, perhaps with some typical pub fare.

Cheers and remember:

Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry.

All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.
Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking Fools
Outtro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

The post Episode # 399: Amenable Bitter appeared first on Life On Tap.

Dan cracks an uncommon style from a recent haul: Kentucky Common, in the form of Strangebird Spiderland hopped with Palisade.

STYLE: Kentucky Common
INGREDIENTS: Pilsner, Crystal 65, and Chocolate malt, flaked corn, rye; Palisade hops
ABV: 6.0%
IBU: 15
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz. cans/Draft (Rotating)

Stats above taken from the brewery’s can and website.

Deep, dark amber with a mahogany-tinted, very fluffy head.

Hints of chocolate mixed with spices, likely from the rye’s presence in the malt bill.

Tremendous malt profile with chocolate and spice notes continuing along with bread crust, and finishes with a pleasant minerality.

Medium body/mouthfeel with soft carbonation.

I don’t get to have Kentucky Commons that often, so I am thankful for this one. Food-wise, I was in the sandwich zone, with either a hearty chicken or roast beef. Dessert-wise, I would want something gingerbread-flavored for sure.

Cheers and remember:

Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry.

All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.
Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking Fools
Outtro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

The post Episode # 398: Spiderland appeared first on Life On Tap.