Enjoy watching a Belgian bike race with a bottle from Hops & Barley

We’re in the heart of the 2015 Belgian cycling season, where hard men hammer up steep cobbled climbs to the cheers of hardy fans who, like the riders, are often at the mercy of harsh elements.

It’s a blend of performance, panache and pain that’s without parallel.

Fortunately, for us cycling fans, several of the upcoming races will be shown on the NBC Sports Channel. Paris Roubaix, which takes place on Sunday, will air at 7 p.m. on Monday, 13 April, and Fleche Wallonne and Liege Bastogne Liege will be slotted into the schedule later this month.

It would be nice if they were aired live, but, the later times will allow the consumption of some topflight Belgian beer during the broadcasts.

You can, of course, take the easy route and put down a few Stellas or Hoegaardens, but why not roll with a little more style. Hops & Barley, a recently opened beer retail store at 412 MLK Jr. Blvd., has a stellar selection of Belgian Beers.

Based on a couple of visits, here’s three recommendations: White Gold Belgian Ale from Hof ten Dormaal, Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel, and Saison d’Erpe-Mere from Brouwerij De Glazen Toren.

The IPA and the Saison have rock-star rankings from beeradvocate.com, but I was tantalized by the White Gold Belgian Ale, a complex and lusty combination of styles and flavors. It’s neither an ale, nor a Saison, but it melds components of both, with notes of herbs and fruit, along with bites of pepper, and the toasty taste of chicory, not surprising since one of the ingredients is chicory root. It also has an element of champagne: Don’t look down on the cork when you’re pulling it out.

In addition to the wide selection from Belgian, British and other foreign breweries, Hops & Barley also has a wide and imaginative range of domestic beers. If proprietor David Barker still has any on the shelf, check out Clown Shoes’ Chocolate Sombrero.

For more information, go to www.hopsandbarleysav.com.

Stone makes the decision on buying a mixed 12-pack easy and the drinking delightful

We’ve all been there, standing in the aisle, looking at a mixed 12-pack, and wondering why that one beer, the one that you don’t like or don’t want any more of, is included. Well, Stone Brewing Co.’s new mixed-12, introduced in January of this year, eliminates any hemming and hawing. It contains three established stars from Stone’s stable – Cali-Belgique IPA, Ruination IPA, and Arrogant Bastard Ale –  and a dynamic newcomer, Delicious IPA.  Stone, which produces the best-written, most-informative bottle labels in the business, succinctly summarizes the pack’s bona fides by listing ratebeer scores on the top of the box:  98 for Cali-Belgique, 100 for Ruination, and 99 for Arrogant Bastard. The Delicious IPA, also introduced in January, is labeled as new.  For a concise description, let’s look at the bottle which calls it a “pleasantly bitter, deliciously citrusy, hop-driven IPA.” If you like a cold, crisp lemonade, or even Lemonhead candy, you’ll enjoy this beer’s citrus-centric flavor. It’s also important to note that Delicious can stand on its own as a damn-fine IPA, one with 80 IBUs, an exotic mix of hops, and the brewing expertise that comes with Stone’s honored heritage. 

North Carolina brewer invites you to raise a glass to a Savannah hero

Gen. Nathanael Greene, the Rhode Island native whose wily tactics and adroit leadership played an instrumental role in the American victory at Yorktown, is a big name in Savannah. There’s the massive obelisk to his memory in the middle of Johnson Square, along with Greene Square and Greene Ward. Mulberry Grove, his plantation along the Savannah River, is world famous as the site of the invention of the cotton gin. Yet, you can’t buy any products here from Natty Greene’s Brewing Co., a history-conscious craft-beer business in Greensboro (named for guess who!), N.C.  On a recent trip to Charlotte, I came across a 12-pack of Natty’s, stylishly labeled as a Battalion. Inside were four longneck bottles each of Buckshot Amber Ale, Southern Pale Ale and Wildflower Witbier. There’s also a nifty quote from Natty himself on the side of the carton: “Without spirits the men cannot support the fatigues of a long campaign.” As for the beers inside the carton, each was a solid representative of its respective style. I was particularly impressed by the pale ale, which I found to be medium bodied, with fine tones of pine and fruit, accented by an easy malt finish. Other Natty offerings include Freedom American IPA, Flintlock Double IPA and the soon-to-be-released Hessian Hefe-Weizen. For more information on Natty’s, go to www.nattygreenes.com.

I’m thankful that, even after 44 years, Buddha still rides with me

The sight last week of a Lucky Buddha Enlightened Beer bottle sitting on the shelf at Habersham Beverage brought an immediate smile to my face. There were a couple of reasons for that. One, its unique red-and-white cap would be a welcome addition to my collection, and two, I’ve got what can be described as a long-running relationship with Buddha dating back to 1969-1970 when I was stationed at Nakhon Phanom, a remote Air Force installation in northeast Thailand. About midway through that tour of duty, a couple of other airmen and I flew out of NKP to Bangkok. We were headed for a week of R&R at Pattaya Beach, an idyllic resort on the Gulf of Siam, 90 miles or so from Bangkok. We had a choice on how to cover that distance: Take a slow, but safe Air Force bus, or hire out a Thai taxi, a little risky, but likely to get us there first and into an ocean-view room. The taxi, which operated under the auspices of the Armed Forces exchange system, looked safe from the outside. But, instead for safety belts, it had only short pieces of straps, neatly cut off near the seat. When I asked the driver about that, he smiled and said, in words that have stuck with me ever since, that we didn’t need seat belts because “Buddha rides with me.” Well, that may have been so, but at some point on the ride, almost all of which was spent speeding past other vehicles on a two-lane road, I’m quite sure that Buddha wished he could have buckled up. We arrived at Pattaya Beach, in a time that has also stuck with me, in 79 minutes.  I laughed, I screamed, I sweated so much that my khaki uniform looked like I’d put it on while in the shower. It remains one of my life’s indelible experiences. Thanks, Lucky Buddha, for the memories.

Look to the Prairie for saisons to serve at Thanksgiving dinner

For years, my favorite beer for Thanksgiving dinner, with all its flavors, textures and pleasures, has been the saison. This history-tested European ale can stand up to and stylishly complement such traditional Southern favorites as turkey, dressing, gravy, green beans and sweet potatoes.
Saison Dupont, a traditional Belgian choice, and Ommegang Hennepin, a strong New York-state saison, usually grace our table during this meal. But, in 2014, we’ll be passing around bottles from a rather unlikely source, the state of Oklahoma. Birra, a farmhouse ale, and Prairie Ale, a Belgian-style saison, are two of the products of Prairie Artisan Ales of Tulsa, Okla.
A relative newcomer to the Savannah market, Prairie lists some 29 beers on its website, including the wonderfully named Bible Belt, an imperial stout aged on coffee, Cacao nibs, vanilla beans and chili peppers.
Neither Birra nor Prairie Ale is quite that exotic, but they’ll star throughout the Thanksgiving meal. Birra, the lighter of the two at 4.2 percent ABV, is a perfect, slightly peppery accompaniment to pre-dinner conversation. Prairie Ale, at 8.2 percent ABV, has the usual spicy saison notes of citrus and pepper, accentuated by a generous addition of Saaz hops and enlivened by the addition of flaked wheat and cane sugar.
This rare level of complexity and flavor has brought it a rating of 91 percent at beeradvocate.com. For more information on Prairie Ales, check out its website, prairieales.com.

Wide range of Georgia craft beer is now on the menu at Johnny Harris

It wasn’t history that finally lured me into Johnny Harris Restaurant, though the Victory Drive landmark has plenty of that; nor was it the delicious barbecue dishes and sauces, though they have delighted generations of customers over the past nine decades. No, all it took to get me there, after living in Savannah for more than 30 years, was an invitation earlier this month from my friend Tim Rutherford to sample the restaurant’s craft beers. The Maple Room Tavern, located at the rear of the restaurant, has 16 taps devoted to Georgia craft beers. The locations of the breweries cover the state like the dew. From up in the mountains, there’s Burnt Hickory and Grumpy Old Men: from metro Atlanta, there’s Sweetwater, Monday Night and Red Hare: and, from Savannah and the Coastal Empire, there’s Service, Eagle Creek, Moon River and Coastal Empire. Other breweries on the October menu include Jekyll, Three Taverns, Creature Comforts, Wrecking Bar and Orpheus. Over two separate visits, and enabled by 5-ounce sample pours (which can be ordered as a flight), I enjoyed eight of the beers on the menu. Of those, my favorites were Eagle Creek’s River Street Praline Brown (a sweet, malty treat), Three Taverns’ Quasimodo (smooth, delicious and dangerous with an ABV of 10 percent) and Orpheus’ Lyric Ale (a stylish, hop-centric saison). In addition to its rock-star regular beer menu, the Maple Room is also hosting special events. Red Brick Brewing of Atlanta will host a special dinner there, featuring a keg of its 2013 Buffalo Trace Bourbon Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout, on Nov. 6. For more information, on this and other events and activities, check out The Maple Room Tavern at Johnny Harris Restaurant Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/themapleroomtavern.

A salute to Savannah's Service Brewing

Everything was inspection ready when Service Brewing Co. opened its tasting room last Saturday. The floors and equipment were shined, the gift shop was stocked, and, best of all, the menu board was stacked with choices. The story of Service Brewing has been well chronicled. Army veterans Kevin Ryan, Dan Sartin and Jeff Hyatt have painstakingly converted a cavernous century-old warehouse just off Savannah’s riverfront into a state-of-the-art craft brewery. It’s a saga of patriotism and persistence. But, the success of Service Brewing will hinge on factors far less idealistic. For that to happen, its beers have to appeal to an increasingly educated and sophisticated beer audience. Happily, based on my tasting room experiences, along with earlier opportunities to try their beers, I’m convinced that Service Brewery has the requisite arms to make that happen. Ground Pounder Pale Ale, Rally Point Pilsner and Compass Rose IPA are solid examples of those styles. Two other selections, Peach Apricot Pale Ale and a Cask Biere de Garde, are particularly distinctive and delicious. Go by and give them a try. The brewery is located at 574 Indian St. The tasting room will be open from 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, and from 2 p.m.-4 p.m. on Saturdays. Tours will also be conducted during those hours. For more information, go to servicebrewing.com.

Bike, Beer, Bike: A balanced plan for the long Labor Day Weekend

Labor Day weekend used to present me with two opportunities: Enjoy the Savannah Craft Brew Fest on Saturday, and then endure the Savannah Century bicycle ride on Sunday. To be honest, the past couple of years I’ve skipped the festival, preferring to rest up for the ride instead. This year, however, I came up with a different strategy: Ride 50 miles on Saturday morning, go to the beer festival on Saturday afternoon, and then put in 50 more miles on Sunday morning. Both bike treks – 49 miles on Saturday, 51 miles on Sunday – were done on the windy, quiet roads of Hunter Army Airfield. Matt Linebarger, Bill Brown, Ed Kenreich, Dr. Spencer Wheeler, Chris Klein and Danny Nagelberg also turned out for the rides and the camaraderie. Good cycling companions are hard to find, and I’m very fortunate to be part of a group that has coalesced over many years and countless miles. Companionship, in the person of Tim Rutherford, was also the key to survival, or at least maintaining some semblance of sobriety, at the Savannah Craft Brew Fest on Hutchinson Island. We got there in time to stand in line and sweat and swear, but all that was quickly put aside once the gate opened at 1 p.m. Keeping my choices to selections that I had not tried before, and please keep in mind that these are 1- or 2-ounce pours, I made my way around the Trade and Convention Center, sampling a dozen or beers, including Creature Comforts’ Tropicalia (an American IPA), Highland Anniversary Saison, Kentucky Ale Bourbon Barrel Pumpkin, O’Dempsey’s Inukshuk IPA, Cisco Grey Lady Ale (a wheat ale), Red Hare National Companion (a California common), Sierra Nevada Flipside Red Pale Ale, Burnt Hickory 9353 (a tart Belgian IPA brewed with peaches) and Goose Island’s 312 Urban Pale Ale. That was all done in the space of about an hour, and I then headed home to rest and refuel for the next day’s ride. This looks like a good blueprint for next year.

It's a real thicket out there in the beer-aisle pumpkin patch. Check out these recommendations before you buy.

As summer’s cauldron continues to bubble the mercury in Savannah’s thermometers, many brewers are already coming to market with the distinctive flavors found only in the fall seasonal offerings of pumpkin ales.

For nearly three centuries, brewers – especially those in America – have sought out alternative sources of fermentable ingredients. Barley is the preferred choice, but soon corn and rice found places on the grain bill. Assorted fruits were an easy choice. Pumpkin and its inherent starchiness was a natural – especially as a fall beer that more or less mirrors our fondness of pumpkin pie.

Pumpkin ales are often an acquired taste – and not necessarily a beer that you’ll drink in volume. Picking one from the shelves can leave a bad taste in your mouth – pun intended. Some drinkers prefer the bold, sweet and spicy pumpkin pie flavors; others want a more subtle, crafted beer with hints of the orange gourd.

Sitting among ales like Linus in the “Peanuts” pumpkin patch won’t help you choose. But beer drinking pals Chuck Mobley and Tim Rutherford tag-teamed this feature and took the bullet for you. Read their reviews, and then grab a pumpkin ale that fits your expectations. 

Tim’s Pumpkin Ales

Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale – 6 ABV
buffalobillsbrewery.com 
America’s Original Pumpkin Ale was first brewed in 1985 at this Hayward, CA, brewpub and brewery. Made with real pumpkin, it has a golden amber color, and the sweet aroma of pumpkin pie.
Yes Chuck, it is, like the label warns, pumpkin pie in a bottle – if you like your pie watery and a tad sour. I didn’t find much to like about this beer – although I suspect its inherent sweetness and holiday spice will appeal to some. Cloudy roasted pumpkin-orange color; the head – oops, it’s gone – leaving me with a pint glass of something I’d rather swap for a poke in the eye.

Shipyard Brewery Pumpkinhead – 4.5 ABV
shipyard.com
There are some great beers coming out of Maine, and this pumpkin entry from Shipyard Brewing Co. in Portland is no exception.
This golden-colored wheat ale has among its malt bill a dose of malted wheat – which shines through the complexity like the North Star pointing the way toward Maine. Yeah, there’s spice and sweetness but the wheat platform seems to be the best foundation upon which to craft pumpkin ale. Pumpkinhead has aromatics that are pleasing, not sickeningly overbearing. Its tolerably low ABV makes it an easy drinker – the beer’s complexity makes it interesting without being such a spiced up seasonal nod to fall. Solid, cream-colored head sustains for a bit and then lingers in a ring around the glass.
Chuck, I know that we both think the wheat style is often overworked. However, the team at Shipyard proves that you can make an appealing beer with weizen at the root.

UFO Pumpkin – 5.9 ABV
harpoonbrewery.com
If it’s a UFO from Harpoon – then it’s a rich and flavorful unfiltered beer. The brewery’s hazy, amber-colored pumpkin beer is brewed with a mélange of Yankee pumpkins, sweet barley and the delicious variety of Northwestern hops that gives it pleasing bitterness on the finish. Kudos to Harpoon brewers for NOT spicing this beer to the point of cloying sweetness. Still I detected a nostalgic hint of clove – like the Clove Gum of my childhood – that subsided as the ale took hold of my palate. This is genuinely pleasing pumpkin ale – well played!

Cisco Pumple Drumkin – 6 ABV
ciscobrewers.com/brewery
This Nantucket-based brewery doesn’t get much shelf space in Savannah – or much attention from craft beer drinkers. And, Chuck, I know you weren’t enamored with this pumpkin ale finalist – but I found the earthy, raw pumpkin aroma unusually appealing. Not overly spiced or sweetened. The beer drinks very clean with some hops bite. If you're looking for the hint of fall with a clean finish, this may be the pumpkin ale for you! 

Chuck’s Pumpkin Ales

Southern Tier Pumking – 8.6 ABV
stbcbeer.com
Pumpkin beers go back to the earliest days of America. A circa-1643 New England folk song includes this ditty: “For we can make liquor, to sweeten our lips, of pumpkins and parsnips and walnut-tree chips.” Now, 271 years later, Pumking – an audacious seasonal from Southern Tier – is a sweet, spicy reminder that fall is approaching, even if it will take its time getting to Savannah. In addition to what you’d expect, pumpkin, of course, along with cinnamon and nutmeg, Southern Tier has added a dainty dollop of vanilla. No parsnips here, Tim, just a creamy pumpkin pie that will make you consider adding a chaser of Cool Whip.

Southern Tier Warlock – 8.6 ABV
stbcbeer.com
Warlock, which Southern Tier describes as an “Imperial Stout Brewed with Pumpkins,” reminded me of my first marriage, Tim. I kept taking sips, trying to talk myself into continuing, even when I knew the relationship was going down in flames. There’s no grace, no style here – just dark, dominating malts with faint hues of pumpkin crying out for attention. Warlock is much like a temptress, purring “hey, you loved Pumking, put down a few buck and give this a try.” There will be no second serving of it at the Mobley house.

Shipyard Brewery Smashed Pumpkin – 9 ABV
shipyard.com
Tim, I’m going to echo the high praise you gave Shipyard Brewery. Its attention to detail is impressively evident on the back label of Smashed Pumpkin, which lists the inclusion of pale ale, wheat and light Munich malts, along with Willamette and Hallertau hops. The result is refined and refreshing. Light in color, it’s a tad sweeter and less spicy than most of its pumpkin counterparts. Its 9-percent ABV gives it pronounced, pleasing warmth and encourages you to slowly sip it. For me, Tim, this would be the perfect fall dessert beer, a grand companion to a pumpkin or pecan pie.

At top, a flight of beers from Blue Mountain Brewery at a restaurant in Williamsburg. Below, the beer aisle at Total Wine, and there were additional stacks of beer throughout the store.

Enjoying beers, earning badges in the shadow 

of national monuments and museums

The beer aisle at Total Wine. The beer list at Bungalow Alehouse. The primo lunch at We, The Pizza.

Those are some of the highlights of a recent trip to Washington, D.C., and Williamsburg, Va., a week-long excursion my wife Shelly and I set up to celebrate our 30^th wedding anniversary. We toured several of the Smithsonian museums, marveled at the collections in the Newseum on Pennsylvania Avenue and walked the first settlement at Jamestown and the battle lines at Yorktown.

Through it all, I also sought out also high-quality beers, particularly ones that are not available in Savannah. On our first evening in suburban D.C., we dined at the Bungalow Alehouse in Woodbridge. I started with a Big Daddy IPA, and followed that up with a Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA. As I was enjoying them, I was also texting with good friend Tim Rutherford (do your palate a favor and follow him at www.savannahfoodie.com), and he advised me to shoot for as many Untapped badges as possible during the trip. In all, I accumulated three: “Pale as the Moon, Level 5” “I Believe in IPA, Level 10” and, my favorite, “Drinking Your Paycheck.”

Later in the week, at Total Wine in Springfield, Va., I spend just as much time shopping as my wife did in the Talbot’s Outlet next door. I bought far too many bottles to list here: The receipt is close to 18-inches long. Included in that number are two that merited places on the Craft Beer Bucket List recently put together by www.seriouseats.com - Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter and Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA. I also purchased bottles of Duclaw Sweet Baby Jesus, a chocolate peanut butter porter, and Adriaen Brouwer Dark Gold Ale, a beer that I enjoyed several times during my 2012 excursion to Belgium.

Look for more on those selections, and an afternoon at Alewerks Craft Brewery in Williamsburg, Va., in my next post.

A multi-beer salute to this year’s Tour de France

  As the start of the 2014 Tour de France approached over the past several weeks, I launched numerous internet searches to gather information, intensive investigations that included Velo News, Cycling News, Peloton Magazine, Bicycling Magazine, and, of course, www.beeradvocate.com.
  This year’s route, the 101st running of the Tour, started in England, pranced back to France and then wheeled into Belgium, a procession that brought together three of my longtime loves – bicycling, beer and history. The first two English stages sent the peloton through the scenic moors of Yorkshire, rolling countryside that was frequently covered by rollicking spectators. According to the BBC, some 2.5 million people lined the streets during those two days to cheer the cyclists.
  Hopefully, some of them chose to partake of the eclectic beers crafted by the Ilkley Brewing Co. of Yorkshire. Ilkley’s lineup includes the Marie Jaune, a Yorkshire French blonde bierre, and Holy Cow, a cranberry milk stout. I was bedazzled by The Mayan, a chocolate chipotle stout that is sweet and spicy. The stout is a venerable English style, and The Mayan’s rich, chocolate start, and savory, smoky finish add bold, imaginative, new layers to it.
  I wish I could be equally enthusiastic about a French beer, but that would certainly not reflect my experience with Aubeloun, a Belgian IPA produced by Brasserie De La Pleine Lune. Though the bottle states that Aubeloun has 50 IBUs, I could discern virtually no hop aroma or taste. Its qualities actually are much closer to those of an amber ale than to an IPA. It’s included in this blog segment because of two irrefutable facts: It is French, and it is beer.
  The dilemma with recommending a Belgian beer is quite the opposite. From the light, lemony tones of a Hoegaarden to the complex, warming qualities of a Westvleteren 12, Belgium cultivates an astonishing range of beers.
  I enjoyed as many of them as possible during a bike-riding, beer-swelling, sight-seeing jaunt through Belgium in 2012, and my hands-down favorite from that country is Saison Dupont, a storied saison/farmhouse ale with a heritage that dates back to 1844. Graded at 93 by beeradvocate.com, based on some 3,000 reviews, Saison Dupont is crisp and bubbly, with a long, dry finish. It displays great complexity, with balanced fruity and spicy flavors that are enhanced by yeast additions.
  Saison Dupont would be a fitting choice to pour into a glass and raise to salute the riders of this year’s Tour de France, who face daunting challenges over the three-week-long event, and the organizers of the race, who paid tribute to the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I by beginning stage five in Ypres, Belgium.
  Known as Ieper to the Belgians, this small town in Flanders was a British stronghold and the scene of horrific fighting for four years. Even today, Belgian farmers pull tons of still-live German and British explosives out of their fields and leave them by the side of the road for EOD technicians.

Bed Head a great brew for beer and coffee lovers

It all started with a sample at Crystal Beer Parlor and has blossomed into a full-blown affair. For a bald guy, I must confess to spending a lot of quality drinking time lately with Bed Head, the hair-raising, coffee-infused, hop-loaded Double/Imperial India Pale Ale produced by Monday Night Brewing Co. in Atlanta. Bed Head simply beguiles you with its balance, a rare trait in the DIPA category. The coffee comes from Batdorf & Bronson, a gourmet company that has outlets in Washington state and Georgia, and it tastefully, elegantly mellows Bed Head’s 75 IBUs. The hops are evident, particularly at first, but the finish is cool and fruity, a unique fusion of hops and coffee beans that’s reminiscent of a tall glass of iced coffee. Still, with an ABV of 8.4 percent, a little caution is necessary here. It’s called Bed Head for a reason.

In the summer, in the city

It was steamy and sandy underneath the tent early this afternoon at Coach’s Corner on Victory Drive, perfect conditions for the Summer Suds Craft Brew Festival. Tim Rutherford, whose carefully-crafted blog www.savannahfoodie.com should be required reading for local residents, and I were there before the start, talking with organizer Laura Simpson and several of the beer distributor representatives. When the curtain went up at 1 p.m., Tim and I slowly worked our way through the 70-some beers, most of them from major American craft breweries, that were offered. My primary objective was to find selections that I hadn't yet tried, an often frustrating exercise when you've been drinking beer for some 49 years. But, Elderberry Weiss from Magic Hat, Kinda Blue Blueberry Wheat Beer from Boulder Beer, and Summer Weizen from Smutty Nose were each newcomers to my palate, and were each flavorful and light, just what you need on the first day of summer. The best beer that I tried, however, wasn't from anyone with a national, or even a regional, profile. It was, hands down, Da Bomb, an Irish-style Dry Stout that came all the way from Moon River Brewing Co. on Bay Street. Da Bomb is an absolute show-stopper. Earlier this year, the World Beer Cup bestowed a gold medal on Moon River brewmaster John Pinkerton for it. Da Bomb has got the look of a Guinness, but also the layers, boldness and flavor on an IPA, all with an ABV of just 3.8 percent. It’s a beer for all seasons.

Stoopid is as Stoopid does

Let’s start with the numbers – 102 IBUs; a 94 rating at beeradvocate.com based on 5,463 reviews; and a price tag of $4.29 at Habersham Beverage for a 22-ounce bomber. You’d have to be, well, pretty damn stoopid to not at least try this. Produced by the irreverent folks at Lagunitas Brewing Co. in Petaluma, Calif., Hop Stoopid is, in industry parlance, an American Double/Imperial India Pale Ale with an ABV of 8 percent. As for its actual character, it can accurately be described as a straight-up, dry-hopped, gold-hued flavor bomb. It smacks you immediately with strident hop notes of citrus and pine, a bitterness that smooths out as it slowly rolls along to a lengthy, dry, clean finish. Its alcohol content is not apparent. There are many DIPAs out there with much larger profiles, and much higher price tags, but, Hop Stoopid is a smart choice.

Pulling on pieces of cycling history

When my good friend Dr. Paul Kulbersh recently showed me a box of vintage cycling jerseys that an acquaintance of his had collected during a long riding career, I’d hoped to pull out a couple that were worth purchasing. It quickly became obvious, however, that the problem was going to be exactly the opposite, limiting myself to a reasonable number. In all, there were some 25 or 30 European-racing-style jerseys to choose from, including one from Motorola, the first pro team of Lance Armstrong, and a couple that were connected to Nestor Gurney, a Savannah cycling legend. Finally, after considering and trying on perhaps a dozen of them, I settled on four. The easiest choice, because of its dramatic black-yellow-red color scheme, was from Domo-Farm Frites, a star-studded Belgian team that was a potent professional force in 2001-2002. The artfully-hued Tulip Computer jersey was likewise worn by a Belgian team, this one in the early 1990s. The Quality Bike Shop jersey was also too good to pass up. Over the past 10 years I’ve bought road, mountain and hybrid bikes from the staff at QBS, and I’ve come to appreciate their advice and value their friendship. The jersey that really made my heart beat faster, however, was from 7-Eleven, the iconic and iconoclastic American team that exploded into the European peloton in the early 1980s. With a roster than included Eric Heiden, Davis Phinney, Chris Carmichael and Bob Roll, 7-Eleven won stages in the Tour de France and forever buried the supposition that Americans could not compete with on the highest professional level. Who knows, maybe I’ll even be a little faster with some cycling history on my shoulders.

We’re back in the saddle – riding a cold beerafrator through the steamy, sweaty streets of Savannah to sample beers and bring you our results. This inaugural reboot tackles a mixed 12-pack that we think will be perfect for summer. Here’s our logic – or BS – on our picks.

Chuck Mobley: As the temperature and humidity rise, I tend to back off the hops and reach for American wheat or Belgian wit beers, styles that are light and smooth, yet flavorful and refreshing. To complete the six-pack, I put in a farmhouse ale, one with American rather than European tones, an amber ale that packs a ton of flavor into just 4.4% ABV, and a San Francisco favorite that was at the very forefront of the craft-beer movement.

Tim Rutherford: I went IPA heavy – the style’s sheer refreshment, bright citrus notes and biting hops hit the spot on a blistering summer day in Savannah. I had to include my East Coast style IPA benchmark – Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA – and well as a pair of Rye IPAs that add a layer of tangy black pepper characteristics. Rounding out my six is a session IPA that delivered huge flavor, a Georgia-made Belgian Style ale and a hard cider – the beverage that is taking the industry by storm.

Chuck’s Summer Six-Pack
Maggie's Peach Farmhouse Ale
Terrapin Brewing Co., Athens, GA
Saison/Farmhouse Ale. ABV – 6%
$8.49 four-pack at Habersham Beverage
Soft, with a slight and stylish note of peach sweetness, Maggie’s brings a calm, peaceful conclusion to a summer evening. It’s certainly not a traditional Saison, and anyone looking for distinctive, pronounced Belgian yeast tones will be disappointed. But, Maggie’s has a certain Southern ambiance, one that takes into consideration our climate and character. If you have a porch, and a rocking chair, this should be in your refrigerator.

Sierra Nevada Kellerweis
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., California and North Carolina
Hefeweizen. ABV – 4.8%
$8.99 six-pack at Habersham Beverage
A true German hefeweizen, Kellerweis is head and shoulders above the typical American wheat beer. It’s full of flavors, particularly the traditional hefeweizen banana and clove elements, and there’s also a light, lemony twist of citrus that leads to a clean, bright, refreshing finish. To get the best experience from each bottle, be sure to read the directions and swirl the final one-third left inside before pouring it into the glass.

Westbrook White Thai
Westbrook Brewing Co., Mount Pleasant, S.C.
Witbier. ABV – 5%
$11.49 six-pack at Habersham Beverage
Bright and refreshing, White Thai features traditional witbier notes – citrus and spice – but from far different sources than its Belgian predecessor. Westbrook pairs lemongrass and ginger root with Sorachi Ace hops, a Japanese strain known for its strong lemon characteristics. The result is a witbier with a racy, fashionable edge to it. Bold, imaginative beers such as this have brought Westbrook, which opened just four years ago, considerable acclaim.

Allagash White
Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, Maine
Witbier. ABV – 5%
$8.79 six-pack at Habersham Beverage
How do you merit a rating of 100 from the Alstrom Brothers of beeradovcate.com fame – as Allagash White has done? Simple, you produce what is arguably the best American witbier, a clean, light, effervescent beer that’s a perfect partner for a summer day. Allagash White’s Coriander and Curacao orange peel elements are assertive, but not overpowering, and its steady wheat component lends it strength and balance.

Stone Levitation Ale
Stone Brewing Co., Escondido, Calif.
American Amber. ABV – 4.4%
$11.49 six-pack at Habersham Beverage
A gorgeous amber color in the glass, Levitation has the lowest ABV of any beer on this list. But, don’t let that fool you: It’s a sleek, sinewy ale that also delivers enough taste and complexity to have won a gold ribbon at the Great American Beer Festival. Its strength is in its balance, the strong hop notes you expect from Stone, leavened by toasty, herbal malt tones. It would be a mistake to only drink Levitation Ale during the summer.

Anchor Steam
Anchor Brewing Co., San Francisco, Calif.
Common/Steam. ABV – 4.9%
$9.79 six-pack at Habersham Beverage
One of the first American craft beers, Anchor Steam has been a steady presence on store shelves and inside refrigerators for decades. Its dominant caramel-like malt tone is sweetly reminiscent of a German Marzen, but its crisp, clean finish is pleasant and distinctive. With those characteristics, Anchor Steam is a great choice for whatever you’ve got on the grill. 

Tim’s Summer Six-Pack
Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, DE
India Pale Ale. ABV – 6%
$9.99 six-pack at Kroger, Mall Boulevard
Dogfish Head brewer and founder Sam Caligione’s company slogan is “Off-centered ales for off-centered people.” That may well be the case with some of his over-the-top special formulas, but his 60 Minute IPA is my benchmark for East Coast style IPA. The continuously hopped beer drinks with beautiful balance and perfectly crafted IPA characteristics of citrus, grassiness and, of course, palate-refreshing hoppiness. This crew of Yankees is welcome to cross the Mason-Dixon Line – as long as they have a truckload of 60 Minute IPA!

Terrapin Rye Pale Ale
Terrapin Brewing Co., Athens, GA
American Pale Ale. ABV – 5.5%
$9.99 six-pack at Kroger, Mall Boulevard
Terrapin Rye Pale Ale took a gold medal at the 2002 Great American Beer Festival. That was about the time I spied the cheery banjo-playing turtle on the label – and it’s been a regular guest in my fridge ever since. But there’s much more to this uniquely Southern Pale Ale than its whimsical label. I count on Terrapin Rye Pale Ale to deliver the refreshment I expect from Pale Ale with the unique spiciness that comes from the rye in its grain bill. Five hops and five malts marry amicably in this beer that’s perfect with a burger from the grill – or for sippin’ ‘round the cement pond.

Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, CA and Asheville, NC
India Pale Ale. ABV – 6.6%
$8.99 six-pack at Kroger, Mall Boulevard
Sierra Nevada founder and brewer Ken Grossman started out as a home-brew shop owner in Chico, Calif. From the beginning, he was a hops head, ultimately driving to Yakima, Wash., to buy better quality hops directly from the farmers. This pioneering craft beer figure produces a great number of excellent beers – Ruthless Rye joins the family as a biting IPA It has all the balance of a great IPA with the black pepper tones that come from its rye grain bill. Rye is a tough grain with a survivor’s instinct. This little bottle of beer is bigger than its package – with a mouthful of fruity citrus and herbal hop character. Ruthless loves to join roasted chicken and salty cheeses, like Asiago, on the table.

Founders All Day IPA
Founders Brewing, Grand Rapids, MI
India Pale Ale. ABV – 4.7%
$10.29 six-pack at Kroger, Mall Boulevard
This stout-looking bottle delivered the biggest flavor of all the IPAs and Pale Ales I tasted for this story. It’s an explosive, palate-blasting mouthful of citrus, hops and resinous tanginess. In 2010, All Day IPA brought home a silver medal from the Great American Beer Festival – a well-deserved honor for the former home brewers who launched Founders Brewing. Bold, supremely refreshing, and, at 4.7 ABV, a true session beer with big ol’ hops. When you’ve gotta smoke that big ol’ Boston Butt for 8 hours, stock up the cooler with All Day IPA.

Three Taverns Single Intent
Three Taverns Craft Brewery, Atlanta, GA
Belgian-style Single. ABV – 5%
$8.49 four-pack at Kroger, Mall Boulevard
I love the first taste of a freshly opened Belgian beer – or a Belgian-style beer handcrafted right here in Georgia. Single Intent pays homage to the Trappist beer style made for in-house consumption, the so-called “patersbier” (Father’s beer). French Strisselspalt hops give it Old World integrity, and the talent of these Georgia brewers gives the beer the complexity, character and enjoyable character that I expect from its Belgian counterpart. Easy drinking, clean finish, palate pleasing complexity.

Angry Orchard Crisp Apple Cider
Boston Beer Co., Cincinnati, OH
Hard Apple Cider. ABV – 5%
$9.99 six-pack at Kroger, Mall Boulevard
The fastest growing category at your beer retailer is – hard cider. The popularity of these generally gluten-free, low ABV beverages has propelled several players into the cider industry, including Boston Beer Co. – the same folks who bring us Samuel Adams beers. This Crisp Apple Cider is the easiest drinking of the Angry Orchard line. It’s juicy like a cold, fresh apple, and mildly sweet. Drink it alone or pair with backyard BBQ fare or spicy foods like Thai or Mexican chow. Careful – hard ciders go down WAAAAY easy!

Hopping on the bike with Dogfish Head

With a tax return from The Great and Powerful IRS burning a hole in my bib shorts, I went shopping online for a beer-themed bike jersey recently, hoping to purchase one that was fashionable, reasonably priced and representative of an edgy, progressive brewer. Happily, after an oft-frustrating search, I reeled in the perfect match from Dogfish Head. Made by Capo, a California company that’s a primo producer of cycling wear, the jersey cost $80, a fair price considering that Sierra Nevada sells its Capo jerseys for $100. Black, with white lettering and green accents, it’s a little more understated than I expected from Dogfish Head, which has a well-deserved reputation for pushing the boundaries of brewing. It comes with the standard three pockets in the back, suitable for carrying a cell phone, gels, and assorted junk while cycling. The pockets will also allow you, while partying, to carry three bottles of Dogfish Head. I’m off to the races here, so to speak, with ApriHop, 60-Minute IPA and Sixty-One.

Beer lovers can fill up in Statesboro

Last weekend, shortly before my wife Shelly and I drove to Statesboro to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of her Aunt Faye and Uncle Leon, I Googled the restaurant’s address and found its location on U.S. Hwy. 301. I’ve got an iPhone, but I prefer to get to most destinations by Google and/or road maps, partly because of habit, but also because it represents a still-tangible connection to my parents who each summer drove us on long journeys that were mapped out by AAA. Thanks to that little quirk, we took the second Statesboro exit off I-16, and came in on 301 North, a fortuitous choice because it led us to the Beer Filling Station at 514 S. Main St. Operated by Southern Growlers, the Filling Station has 20 taps, and emphasizes beers brewed in Georgia. After enjoying a couple of samples, I went home with 32-ounce growlers of Let There Be Light, a pale ale from Wild Heaven in Decatur and Strawn Amber, a flavorful new find from Strawn Brewing Company in Fairburn, a small town in Fulton County. Let There Be Light is a saintly addition to a rapidly growing congregation, session beers. At 4.7 percent ABV, it’s still got strong characteristics, including a pleasing balance between malt and hops and a tangy twist of orange peel. The folks at Beer Advocate have given it a grade of 85. The Strawn Amber stands out in that oft-bland style because its brewers, Will Strawn and Doug Evans, have hopped it up with 44 IBUs. That near-IPA level of bitterness and citrus gives it a pleasing, smartly tangible bite that accents the usual amber tones of malt and biscuit. It’s also been well received at Beer Advocate, earning an 83 from its reviewers. For more information on Southern Growlers, go to www.southerngrowlers.com.

The shandy offers cyclists a refreshing choice for post-ride conviviality

A low-alcohol, high-taste blend of beer, lemonade and honey, the shandy has been around for 80-some years. Its origin dates back to 1922 when a Bavarian innkeeper, faced with an onslaught of several thousand thirsty cyclists on a summer afternoon, stretched out his beer supply, and satisfied the cyclists in the process, by mixing it with lemon soda. Known as a radler in Germany, and as a shandy in England, this concoction has a much shorter history in the U.S. It burst onto the beer scene in the United States just last year with the introduction of Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy, an unlikely but immense success story for this old-line Chippewa Falls, Wisc. brewery, which is owned by MillerCoors. The Traveler Beer Company has also jumped into the shandy market, and its Curious Traveler, which blends in lemon and lime, is also widely obtainable. Of the two, I prefer the Curious Traveler. The presence of lime gives it a little more bite than the Leinenkugel version. But, if you want to broaden the choices, you can always make your own style of shandy. Earlier this week, I blended Coastal Empire Beer Company’s Tybee Island Blonde, a crisp, light Kolsch, with Savannah’s Heavenly Honey from Asbury Methodist Church, the juice of a half-dozen lemons and water to produce a shandy that was a big hit at our book-club gathering. Kolsch is a popular choice for a shandy mix, but wheat beers, ales and lagers are also options, as is even India Pale Ale. For a complete look at the shandy’s history, and the possible ways to make it, go to the wonderfully named site BeerDorks.com.

Drayton Tower Beer Growler has Georgia on its mind

Chris Haborak, director of sales for the Coastal Empire Beer Co., took the time Wednesday evening to operate the taps and praise his company’s products as part of the Drayton Tower Beer Growler’s Pour Some Local Love extravaganza. Three of the company’s beers – Savannah Brown Ale, Barrel Aged Savannah Brown Ale and Tybee Island Blonde – were among the 43 choices on the Beer Growler’s blackboard. The Brown Ale is a hoppier-than-usual version of that style. It has 55 IBUs, putting it in the range of an India Pale Ale, yet it retains the expected malt characteristics of a Brown Ale, said Chris. The folks at beeradvocate.com agree: They have given the Brown Ale a very respectable rating of 83. The Barrel Aged Savannah Brown Ale has also garnered beer industry attention: It won a bronze medal at the 2013 U.S. Open Beer Championship. As for the Tybee Island Blonde, it’s a refreshing, crisp Kolsch, a 4.7-ABV session beer that goes well with warm summer afternoons. The company, which opened in 2011, is building a new facility, and will soon quadruple its production, said Chris. Coastal Empire Beer Co. was the second of three Georgia breweries to be spotlighted at the Beer Growler during Pour Some Local Love. Southbound had its wares on display on Tuesday, and representatives of Eagle Creek will be on hand tonight. In all, 38 Georgia beers from 14 Georgia breweries will be on tap. For more information on the Coastal Empire Beer Co., go to www.CoastalEmpireBeer.com. For more information on the Drayton Tower Beer Growler, and what it’s pouring on any particular day, go to www.thebeergrowler.net/savannah.