Instead of talking about news in the brewing industry every week, I thought it would be a bit more entertaining to do a weekly post where I talk about what I've got a problem with in the brewing industry, and follow it up with something more positive. Anyways, time to start it off:
Rant: Miller Lite and their ever-evolving ways of tricking the average consumer into purchasing their shitty beer. First, they came up with the fraudulent "triple-hopped" logo, failing to mention that all beers are essentially hopped at least three times throughout the brewing process. Unfortunately, the corn and rice they add as filler into their beer doesn't help the taste. Now, they've come out with their new "vortex" bottle, which is simply a bottle that twirls the beer as it pours out. Does it add anything to the taste? No. Does it release more aroma? No. So, what exactly does it do? Well, it gives the bottle a new design, which I suppose looks sort of cool, if you're into that sort of thing. The only way I want my Miller Lite is ice cold, so I don't have to endure its urine-like flavor.
Rave: Now, switching over to something more positive--Belgian IPAs. Stone and Victory started this trend about a year (maybe a bit more) ago with their Belgique IPA and Wild Devil, respectively...it's essentially an IPA with added Belgian yeast. Hooray, experimentation! The style has truly taken off, and for those of us who are true hopheads, it's a welcome-addition to the IPA family. Wild Devil is one of my favorites, but Ale Asylum's Bedlam has skyrocketed to the top of my list as well. The beer has a really nice, fresh hoppy flavor to it, along with a backbone of yeasty-goodness. Here are five Belgian IPAs I consider must-haves:
- Stone Cali-Belgique
- Victory Hop Devil
- Ale Asylum Bedlam
- Green Flash Le Freak
- Flying Dog Raging Bitch (hey, I didn't come up with the name)
