Weekend Brews

Happy Monday, all -- hope you enjoyed the beautiful weather this weekend with friends and your favorite brew. My weekend was spent in Sommerset, Wisconsin enjoying the sunshine with some friends by floating down Apple River.

(source)

The Apple River camping experience has been a tradition for my group of college friends for four years now. This year I was blessed to reunite with my favorite undergrad cronies and enjoy one last weekend of summer shenanigans before the school year begins.

My "river beer" of choice has been the same for the past four years:

Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy

While Leinie's Lemon Berry Shandy tastes a little soapy to me and the Orange Shandy hones a bit too much of an artificial orange taste, I'll never turn down a good ol' Summer Shandy. It's a beer I look forward to every summer. I'm not sure if it's the drinkability, the lemon flavor, the fact that's refreshing served ice-cold, or the pure nostalgia of times enjoyed whilst drinking it -- probably a combination. It's my go-to beer to pull out of any "Beer Cave" within a five mile radius and throw into a cooler. Doesn't get much easier than that.

Another thing my college friends and I share is a love for PBR. This is my go-to, year-round choice when I've got an evening of card-playing and general shenanigans in store.

But really...does it get more all-American than this?

Now, I know what you're thinking. "C'mon, Rach. We didn't come here to read about PBR and admire pictures of you in patriotic garb celebrating the land of the free." Well, fear not, my faithful readers -- I have saved the best for last: 

(source)

Behold, Spotted Cow by New Glarus Brewing Co. This is an American Cream Ale with an ABV of 5.1%. It's smooth, clean, and has a touch of fruitiness. The New Glarus Brewing Co. has described the flavor as "fun," and I couldn't agree more. The beer is naturally cloudy due to the yeast that New Glarus has allowed to remain in the bottle. Let the flavor to linger on your palate long enough and you may even be able to pick up on a subtle hint of corn flavor.

When I found this beer tucked away in the (tiny) craft section of a local Somerset liquor store, I literally set down my cases of Shandy and PBR and did a little happy dance (I'm not afraid to admit it). When it comes to a smooth, delicious, satisfying cream ale, it doesn't get much better than this. Add that to the fact that it comes from a small local brewery and it's got a name and logo that's just plain fun and I'm in love. If you're ever in Wisconsin, you've gotta pick up at least a six-pack. I savored these babies and brought a couple home to enjoy and maybe (if I find some lucky friends/volunteers) share.

So, there you have it, a quick run-down of my weekend brews. If you follow my Twitter (@BigPalateBrews) or my UnTappd, you'll also notice that I stopped by the beloved Wooden Legs for a quick pint of Three5Three Stout. While I was there I had a lovely chat with owner Seth Koch and of course checked up on the Pumpkin Porter and Double Nut Brown, both of which will be finished oh so soon. You'll bet I'll be up there for a growler of each when they're ready. 

Stay tuned for future blogs about sharing my new hobby with my friends as well as a blog about my current read, Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher. 

Cheers! 

Rach

p.s. If you've got the chance, hop on over to the Wooden Legs Blog and check out the first installment of their Barside Stories, which I helped edit!