In conclusion, we drank a whole lotta booze. I know it’s not proper form to start a post with a closing sentence, but one look at the graph will lead many to skip the following prose. We’ve been doing these “What are you drinking tonight?” segments for the past couple of months, trying to get one up every Friday night. As I’m sure you’ve come to realize, “Every” Friday night in an Alehead’s mind seems to be more like an every other Friday thing (As long as “Every Other” lets us skip an extra week in between when we feel like it). In the past 12 weeks, I think we’ve conquered about 6 of these “Weekly” posts. I’m sure I could go back and check just how many we’ve written but that would be so out of character for a guy that can’t even remember to write the same thing every week. So like I said, in conclusion, we drank a whole lotta booze. Do you want to know what we drank though? You do? Fine, I’ll get the old tick sheet out and see just what you folks have been rambling on about week after week when I asked that simple question, “What are you drinking tonight?”… Read the rest of this entry »
WHAT DO ALEHEADS DRINK – 2012 QUARTERLY REPORT – Q1
March 30, 2012
22 Comments | 
What are you drinking tonight? | Tagged: Aleheads, beer categories, Beer Styles, quarterly report, What are you drinking tonight? | 
Permalink
Posted by Ripped Van Drinkale
3/9/2012: WHAT ARE YOU DRINKING TONIGHT?
March 9, 2012
I don’t know how the weather is out by you, but it’s getting downright Springy around the Boston area. Does this mean it’s time to put away the Porters and Stouts and move onto the Saisons and Marzens? Not so fast. Yes it’s early March and the temps are slowly rising, but we still have that beautiful shoulder season where we’re crossed between two beer worlds. It’s not Winter, that’s for damn sure, but it’s not quite Spring yet either (Assuming you live in a part of the world that actually has Seasons). This is the time of year where I might shelve The Old Rasputin but still reach for something like a Tröegs Java Head. Nothing wrong with switching up a Russian Imperial for an everyday coffee Stout when the frost has lifted. Sure, you’d have to pry a double IPA from my cold dead hands no matter what the season, but I might give up some of the Belgian Quads and Triples that I’ve been drinking for the past few months. It’s just time for a (slight)change in my beer selection.
Speaking of Tröegs, this is the perfect time of year to dive into the mixed 12 packs. If you don’t know what you want, it’s nice to have 4 different beers to choose from in a handy little carrying case. There’s no better place to start than Tröegs (I think they call their mixed 12 the “Anthology 3″ this time of year). Tell me this isn’t the perfect mix – 3 Pale Ales, 3 Hopback Ambers, 3 Java Head Stouts, and 3 Tröegenator Double Bocks. I love it. When I get home tonight, I’m slamming down a Tröegenator to ignite the fires, then I’m killing a Pale Ale while I’m making dinner, 2 Hopbacks during dinner, and a Java Head to wash everything down. That’s how you start a weekend.
One caveat to mixed 12 packs that I’ll repeat over and over till’ I’m blue in the face. Do not, for any damn reason, grab the 12 pack by one handle. You will rip the handle and crush at least 2 to 3 beers as your poor little 12 pack drops precipitously to the ground. Sad day all around. Two hands folks. Or better yet, get two and stack them on top of each other. That way you’ll avoid the temptation to grab one by the side but you’ll still be able to push through the exit and reach your car. You’ve been warned.
Now that you know what I’ll be drinking…
What are you drinking tonight?
28 Comments | What are you drinking tonight? | Tagged: 3/9/12, What are you drinking tonight? | Permalink
Posted by Ripped Van Drinkale
2/10/2012: WHAT ARE YOU DRINKING TONIGHT?
February 10, 2012Picture this scenario. It’s 3PM on a Friday. You’re still at work, suffering through yet another day of digging ditches or crunching numbers or doing whatever it is you do that keeps your pockets full of pennies and the man off your back. Maybe you’re thinking you’re in the home stretch, just a couple more hours till’ you spread your wings and fly the coop (For the love of God I hope you’re in the home stretch at 3PM. Sincere apologies if you’re not). In this little scenario, you’re probably wondering what you’ll do when you get home. Perhaps you have to swing by daycare to pick up the kids, possibly grab something for dinner, or maybe just rush off to meet some friends. Whatever the case may be chances are you’ve got the whole weekend ahead of you to do something, anything, that’s more pleasurable than work. In my little world, when the clock strikes 3 on Friday afternoon, there’s one singular thought that pops into my head. What am I drinking tonight? Read the rest of this entry »
17 Comments | What are you drinking tonight? | Tagged: 2/10/12, What are you drinking tonight? | Permalink
Posted by Ripped Van Drinkale
2/3/12 – SPECIAL EDITION – WHAT ARE YOU DRINKING THIS SUPER BOWL WEEKEND?
February 3, 2012
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Always sublimely self-righteous, the folks at Stone sum up the weekend perfectly with that prophetic tweet. Yes, I do hope that you’ll be laughing along with the commercials this Super Bowl weekend and I do hope that you choose your suds wisely for this most splendid of drinking occasions. Read the rest of this entry »
9 Comments | What are you drinking tonight? | Tagged: 2/3/12, Miller Lite, Super Bowl, super bowl weekend, What are you drinking tonight? | Permalink
Posted by Ripped Van Drinkale
1/20/2012: WHAT ARE YOU DRINKING TONIGHT?
January 20, 2012For the first time in a long, long time, I am all out of beer. Well, I’ve still got plenty of vintage stuff and special goodies in the basement that I’m holding onto, but for everyday beer the fridge is completely empty. To be honest, It’s a refreshing feeling. No more one-offs from six packs that were less than stellar. No more bombers of seasonal ales that I know I should have knocked back a few months ago. Now I’ve got la tabula rasa, a fresh sheet of ice, an empty vessel that’s yearning to be filled with glorious suds from this land and the next. As I head off to the package store it’s nice to know that I’m not just adding to a stockpile that I know I can’t get through in the weekend. New day, new weekend, new beer. Of course, I have no idea what I’ll be drinking tonight until I get to the store. I know I need some IPA’s, need a porter to get through the snow, need some local New England brews so I feel good about supporting the little guy. I’m thinking maybe a Geuze for a late nightcap. Any suggestions? What have you guys been enjoying lately? And, most importantly…
What are you drinking tonight?
24 Comments | What are you drinking tonight? | Tagged: 1/20/12, What are you drinking tonight? | Permalink
Posted by Ripped Van Drinkale
1/6/2011: WHAT ARE YOU DRINKING TONIGHT?
January 6, 2012Sweet merciful crap, those were some long holidays we just suffered through. If you were lucky you got out of work early the day before the Christmas weekend, then you got that following Monday off, then you got the Monday after that off. That’s 3 shortened work weeks in a row - Unprecedented in my world. Judging by the comments we’ve been receiving, there has been a whole lot of drinking going on during this relaxed time period. While some of us are probably slowing down, I’m sure a few pops will make their way around tonight.
So…
What are you drinking tonight?
24 Comments | WTF | Tagged: 1/6/12, What are you drinking tonight? | Permalink
Posted by Ripped Van Drinkale
12/30/2011: WHAT ARE YOU DRINKING TONIGHT?
December 30, 2011
So, who else feels fat and bloated after a debaucherous Christmas weekend? Of course, the only debauchery I participated in was glutnous food intake mixed with far too many ales and nogged beverages, but I feel disgusting nonetheless. Which brings us to today – 12/30/11. Another weekend, another holiday, another extra day off from work to recover. Sounds like drinking weather to me.
As you’ll see in the inlaid photo, I’ve been blessed with a fresh delivery of the Alchemist’s Heady-Topper. 64oz of oily, citrussy, hoppy goodness that will surely disappear before the morrow comes. Other than this 4-pack though, I haven’t a clue what beers I’ll be consuming this weekend. I’m probably in the minority as having several beers left over from the last holiday weekend as I tend to mix wine and spirits with my brewed beverages on Christmas. That doesn’t mean I won’t be stopping off to resupply the beer fridge for another few sessions though. I’m thinking something bubbly and airy for New Year’s Eve, like a bottle-conditioned Saison or just something cool from The Bruery. For the Winter Classic and full NFL slate I’ll try to find something local and fresh, whatever that may be. Decisions, decisions – Just so much beer to pick through and an overabundance of time to drink up. Not a bad problem to have.
I’m sure plenty of Aleheads will be drinking some exclusive specialties this weekend. How about you?
What are you drinking tonight?
11 Comments | Holidays, WTF | Tagged: 12/30/11, heady topper, New Years Eve, The Alchemist, What are you drinking tonight? | Permalink
Posted by Ripped Van Drinkale
12/23/2011: WHAT ARE YOU DRINKING TONIGHT?
December 23, 2011Well, I suppose we should get our drinking shoes on. Get ready for the start of a hellacious bender that goes from today, 12/23, straight through the New Year. While the title of this post is “What Are You Drinking Tonight?”, just like it is every Friday, think of it as “What Are You Drinking This Weekend?”. Don’t kid yourself - You’ll be drinking just as much tonight as you will tomorrow, the next day, and most likely the day after that. This is such a great time of year for the beer drinker. Not that you ever needed an excuse to drink, but the holidays seem to be the time when you break your own rules a little. Maybe you splurge a little at your local package store. Maybe you finally purchase that special bottling you’ve been eyeing for weeks. If you’ve got vintage ale collection in your basement, maybe you crack into it a little this week (I know I will).
This weekend we’ll all be drinking some special beers that maybe we wouldn’t break out on an average week. Yesterday I was feeling festive so I picked up this year’s Fantôme de Noel, a bottle of Gouden Carolus Noël, and several back vintages of Sierra Nevada Celebration that were just screaming to be purchased. I’ll be cracking into some of that purchase tonight. Tomorrow I’ll kick off the football day with a growler of Cambridge Brewing Company’s Big Man IPA, their semi-Winter seasonal (Thank you as always to my lovely wife for picking up some fresh brew on her way home from work). Good beer will be had throughout the weekend and I know I’m not alone in that. So tell us, festive souls…
What are you drinking tonight?
26 Comments | Holidays, WTF | Tagged: 12/23/11, Christmas Beers, What are you drinking tonight? | Permalink
Posted by Ripped Van Drinkale
I HATE BOURBON BARREL AGED BEER
December 20, 2011
The illustrious KBS barrel-aging program. Yawn...
Here we go. Please wait until you reach the end of the post to spew your vitriol in my general direction. Yes, I’m sure some of the hatred is warranted. After all, I’m going after something that so many Aleheads hold so dear. Everyone loves Bourbon Barrel Aged beers, right? Right? Well, not me dammit! I like my Bourbon warm and neat. I like my beer cold and, well, I guess neat as well. Is it so wrong of me to want my glass of Bourbon to sit next to my glass of beer? Doesn’t the song call for One Bourbon, One Scotch, One beer? Nowhere in that bluesy tune do I hear one Bourbon, served as a shot, right in the middle of my fucking beer! Get your damn Bourbon out of my beer! Read the rest of this entry »
20 Comments | Aleheads Take On, WTF | Tagged: Barrel Aging, Bourbon, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Dark Lord, Founders Brewing, KBS, Prestige Beers | Permalink
Posted by Ripped Van Drinkale
12/16/2011: WHAT ARE YOU DRINKING TONIGHT?
December 16, 2011And here we are again. While every Friday night is a drinking night, tonight kicks off an interesting couple of weeks. First off, we’re officially into the most gluttonous football period of the year with live NFL games being broadcast up to 4 days per week and the college bowl period just ramping up. Next weekend you get a special treat with a full slate of NFL games coming at you on Saturday since Jesus prefers the old b’ball on His day (Jesus, huge hoops fan). If you like football, and why the hell wouldn’t you, you should be very happy little children. Aside from football you’ve also got Christmas, Hanukkah New Years, slow work weeks, in-laws, screaming kids, laughing kids, more screaming kids – Needless to say there will be plenty of reasons to crack open a few brews before the year is out.
Last Friday we had a slew of folks commenting on what they were drinking for the evening. Everything from Lagunitas to El Segundo to Russian River to Great Lakes to Founders to Bell’s to Sierra. Lots of good beer was had by all. Well, now we’re on to a new week. First up for me tonight will be an early Christmas present from Trader Joes – Their 2011 Vintage Ale that’s clearly contracted from Unibroue. Looks good, should be interesting at the very least. After that I’ll be on to one of the best IPA’s the land has ever known – The Sculpin IPA from Ballast Point. Tonight can’t come soon enough. But enough about me, what we really want to know is…
What are you drinking tonight?
17 Comments | WTF | Tagged: 12/16/11, What are you drinking tonight? | Permalink
Posted by Ripped Van Drinkale
12/9/2011: WHAT ARE YOU DRINKING TONIGHT?
December 9, 2011Welcome to the first in a weekly series of “What are you drinking tonight?” posts that will go on from here to eternity (Or until I get bored with it in about a month). We’ll be throwing this thing up every Friday night, roughly the time when everyone on the East Coast is getting out of work. Figure this is a good spot to list out any goodies that you picked up on the way home, maybe a growler that you just filled, maybe just the homebrew you’re trying out for the first time. Whatever you’re drinking, if you’re drinking, let us know. Besides, no one wants to drink alone and now you don’t have to (At least that’s what I’ll be telling myself tonight, while I’m drinking alone).
To be very honest, every one of us Aleheads wants to hear what you’re drinking. Call it curiosity, call it a sickness – I don’t know what it is but we’re desperate to know every damn beer that’s being consumed on a Friday night. Listen, I live in the Boston area and I can get a whole lot of beer both locally and from around the world. That’s a great thing. Still, whatever you’re drinking tonight that I can’t get my hands, I want it and I want it now. If you can fill up a growler right at your local bottle shop, I’m jealous. If you get to drink Deschutes tonight, I’m jealous. If you’re drinking Russian River, Cigar City, Ninkasi, Surly – Well then F’ you. Sorry, I mean I’m jealous since these are all things I can’t do in my home state, now please send me some of those delicious suds.
Enough rambling, just make sure you come back every week to tell us…
What are you drinking tonight?
28 Comments | WTF | Tagged: 12/9/2011, Tonight We Drink, What are you drinking tonight? | Permalink
Posted by Ripped Van Drinkale
WE DRINK TONIGHT
December 3, 2011Tonight is a drinking night. As the Aleheads send around a few internal emails the resounding theme is that we’re all tossing back a few this evening. This of course is nothing new – I for one enjoy a beer from time to time – But this eve we’re collectively drinking together, albeit scattered throughout the country. We’re reminded tonight of a departed friend, a fellow Alehead. We don’t drink to drown our sorrows, to quell our own fears of mortality, but to celebrate the life of a fellow beer enthusiast. With that, we’re drinking some pretty damn good beer.
Amongst the Aleheads we’ve consumed several Founders varietals including the Red Rye, Backwoods Bastard, and KBS. We’ve got Troegs Mad Elf, Long Trail Imperial Red, Lagunitas Sucks, Sixpoint Righteous – Well, you get the point. The suds are a flowin’ tonight, as is the Bourbon and Scotch.
So fellow drinkers, wherever you are – What are you drinking tonight?
21 Comments | WTF | Permalink
Posted by Ripped Van Drinkale
NOW, HOW EXACTLY DOES ONE TASTE GREATNESS?
November 29, 2011
Greatness. Define it however you damn well please, but tell me, can it be sensed? I’m not talking philosophically or attempting to expand your mind to accept the unacceptable. I’m talking about plain old senses. Can you touch it? Can you see it? Does it have mass, substance, volume? I’m talking about a word here, a descriptor. Greatness. A word, nothing more than a word that’s used in conjunction with other words. So tell me, can you taste a word? Can you taste a descriptor like greatness? No dammit! NO YOU CAN NOT TASTE GREATNESS!. So why then, while I’m sitting on my couch trying to enjoy the “Greatness” that is American Football, am I bombarded with Miller Lite commercials telling me to TASTE GREATNESS? God dammit Miller, you’ve done it again! Read the rest of this entry »
6 Comments | Ale Factories, Beer Marketing | Tagged: Adjunct Lager, Choose Taste, Make the Right Choice, Miller, Miller Lite, Taste Greatness, Triple Hops Brewed | Permalink
Posted by Ripped Van Drinkale
25 REASONS TO HAVE A BEER TONIGHT
November 18, 2011
I won’t sugar coat this. What we have here is a list of 25 reasons to have a beer on this fine Friday – November 18th, 2011. The truth is, no one needs a reason to have a beer. Drinking a beer is about a single occurrence that’s independent of anything else that’s going on at that moment. The reason to have a beer is because you want it, not because you need it. You don’t need beer and you sure as hell don’t need a singular reason to have a beer. There are however a few times when you may have to justify having a beer. If you’re pouring a Maibock over your cornflakes at 6AM, chugging an IPA while staring down into a casket, or even sipping on a Barleywine while performing laparoscopic surgery – Chances are you need to have some justification. Maybe justification isn’t he right word, maybe excuse is. You surly don’t need to justify to your wife why you’re slamming down beers while gripping the hand of her late uncle Pete, but it couldn’t hurt to have an excuse. ”Listen baby, it’s Arbor Day, I’m honoring Uncle Pete’s service to this country”. See, the excuses don’t even have to make sense. Best to be well armed though. Read the rest of this entry »
11 Comments | WTF | Tagged: 25 beers, 25 reasons to have a beer, friday night, November 18th, reason to drink, reason to drink beer | Permalink
Posted by Ripped Van Drinkale
CAMBRIDGE BREWING COMPANY GREAT PUMPKIN ALE
October 12, 2011
Pumpkin Ales. You either love em’ or you hate em’. Several weeks ago we Aleheads attempted to concoct a Top 10 list of Pumpkin beers but after a few tired email exchanges we came to the conclusion that no one was overly excited about posting the results. For every hoozah! for the Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin or Southern Tier Pumking there was a collective “Meh” for everything else that was presented. There’s only so much fun you can have in ranking mediocrity so the whole idea was scrapped. So here we are, almost midway through October, with nary a post solely related to the king of Fall seasonal brews. I feel it’s my duty as a born and bred New Englander to end this vicious cycle. With that, I give you Cambridge Brewing Company’s Great Pumpkin Ale! Read the rest of this entry »
15 Comments | Ale Factories, Alehouses, Tasting Notes | Tagged: Brewpub, Cambridge, Cambridge Brewing Company, Great Pumpkin Ale, Pumpkin Ale | Permalink
Posted by Ripped Van Drinkale
LIFE AND LIMB
September 27, 2011
Man am I addicted to these collaboration brews. Whether they’re a mix of styles, mix of cultures, or just a friendly meeting of brewers to create something special, anytime I see a collaboration beer on the shelves it’s going right into my basket. I recently reviewed a beer from De Proef and Port Brewing that took all the great flavors of a West Coast IPA and mixed them in with a distinctly Belgian flare. Beerford and Slouch recently reviewed a White IPA collaboration from domestic brewers Deschutes and Boulevard that more or less created a style out of thin air, combining the contrasting flavors of a Witbier and an IPA. Sometimes odd, sometimes complementary, collaborations are a fantastic exercise in brewing that isn’t going away anytime soon. So, now that I’ve bored even myself with that introduction it’s time to check out another collaboration brew, this time around from Sierra Nevada and Dogfish Head. Yes, I realize the only collaboration I’ve seen recently from Dogfish is mixing disappointment with regret, but I figure the good folks at Sierra can smack some sense into them. Time to dig into the Life and Limb Read the rest of this entry »
7 Comments | Tasting Notes | Tagged: 3 hop, American Strong Ale, Collaboration Brew, Dogfish Head, Life and Limb, Sierra Nevada | Permalink
Posted by Ripped Van Drinkale
5 (ANNOYING) BEER TALES
September 19, 2011
This is the face I make when they're out of a beer I want
We all have our little idiosyncrasies that some might find annoying and others find charming. Okay, I guess everyone finds them annoying. Point is, there’s a million things that each and every one of us does on a regular basis that probably drive those around us completely nuts. Apparently being an Alehead makes you one of the most annoying people that any of your non-Alehead friends will encounter during the course of a day. Did you know that no one cares that you scored a sweet trade and got to try the #3 rated Russian Imperial Stout? I was shocked too, but seriously, no one cares. Although we’re an incredibly annoying bunch, our most annoying trait probably lies in the fact that we find those around us even more annoying than we are. Look no further than when you order a beer and everything doesn’t go exactly as you planned. Have you ever been questioned on your choice? Served the wrong glassware? Maybe you asked a simple question about the hopiness of a Pale Ale and were told “It’s not real hoppy like Heineken, yuck”. As a discerning Alehead, you know your beer and expect those serving you to have at least a working knowledge of what their stubby little fingers are setting in front of you. We know this isn’t always the case. Read the rest of this entry »
24 Comments | Beer Culture | Tagged: Annoying Beer, Awful Bartender, Stupid Waitress | Permalink
Posted by Ripped Van Drinkale
ALRIGHT STOP, COLLABORATE AND LISTEN
August 24, 2011
I like beer, you like beer, we all like beer. No, seriously, I know we all like beer. With roughly 439 trillion websites dedicated solely to the world of pornography, there has to be some compelling reason that you keep reading this lowly little blog instead of wandering off. Not to say you don’t like porn – You just like beer too. You know who else likes beer? Brewers! They love the stuff. Brewers love beer so much that, get this, they like to brew beer with other brewers! Nothing says you love your craft more than giving up some personal control of your product and sharing ideas with a direct competitor. That’s collaboration my friend, and it’s taking the beer-world by storm. Read the rest of this entry »
5 Comments | Beer Culture, Tasting Notes | Tagged: Collaboration, Collaboration Brews, De Proef, Fritz Maytag, Ken Grossman, Port Brewing, Signature Ale with Tomme Arthur | Permalink
Posted by Ripped Van Drinkale
LAGUNITAS BREWERY IS THE BEST. PERIOD.
August 18, 2011
I’ll be brief. Well, I’ll at least be as brief as any of us Aleheads can be. Lord knows we love to ramble on endlessly about the most useless of subjects. Some say that’s a strong suit, the ability to profess wildly opinionated views on topics that we feel passionate about. Others may say we just like to talk to ourselves, which is completely true in my case. Since we’re speaking of me, my favorite topic, there’s one more thing that I like to do when it comes to beer and opinions. I like to make absurdly outlandish statements with no backing about what I consider to be the best this, the best that, the top 10 of whatever the hell I feel like talking about. Subjectivity is the key here. Who doesn’t like to throw out statements that receive immediate argument? I know I do. So, with that in mind, let me drop this one on you. Lagunitas Brewery is the best brewery in the country. Want to argue? Read on. Read the rest of this entry »
14 Comments | Best/Worst, WTF | Tagged: Beer, Lagunitas, Opinion, San Diego, West Coast IPA | Permalink
Posted by Ripped Van Drinkale
DUVEL TRIPLE HOP
August 9, 2011
My how those three words go beautifully together. Duvel – The classic Belgian Strong Pale. Triple – No matter how you slice it, it’s three times that of a single. I’ll just assume that’s good. Hop – Better than a skip and far superior to a jump, but in our world, it’s what gets us out of bed in the morning. Come to think of it, hops are probably the reason we’re still in bed this morning (And the grain, yeast, and water that helped to wash those hop oils down I suppose). Even though those three small words may not seem like much to most folks, they sure as hell roped me into a pricey purchase at the local purveyor of suds. This shit better be good. Read the rest of this entry »
10 Comments | Tasting Notes | Tagged: Belgian IPA, Belgium, Duvel, Duvel Triple Hop | Permalink
Posted by Ripped Van Drinkale
