After having the Raven’s Eye Imperial Stout from Eel River Brewing, I was holding out hope that their beers would just as great. I grabbed the Earth Thirst Double IPA, and shared it with some friends over a great Saturday afternoon meal. While it is good, it does not approach the class...

International Stout Day has come to the grateful beer-loving masses, and what a fake holiday it is. But what stout to choose? I stared to the selection of fine beers at Worden’s Market in Missoula, MT. My hand eventually reached out and snatched a bottle of inky goodness in the form of...

I love the sounds of Stout Chorals coming from the street corners. The stout pint decorations in the windows of shops and homes. “Merry Stout Day” being cheerfully said by every passerby on the sidewalk. Well, a guy can dream can’t he? I know that International Stout Day is...

Now that’s what I call fermentation!

Last night I brewed up my first attempt at a Belgian IPA. I was looking for something that floral with a little funk. The recipe I devised contains tons of Chinook and Citra hops with honey. The alcohol should end up somewhere north of 9%. I call it the Thanks Honey Belgian IPA. Choose the...

Death such a strange concept. Does the party end in blackness or is the party just beginning? It is so easy to slip into a morass of self-pity and doubt. Today is Día de los Muertos – the Day of the Dead. It is not some dreary day to mourn and weep, but rather an opportunity to...

Oh, it is a night for ghosts, goblins, and…demons. I choose my personal demon to be the Arrogant Bastard Ale from Stone Brewing Company from California (I won’t hold it against them), and what a perfect choice it is. This definitely more treat than trick. Arrogant Bastard...

I have seen Eel River Brewing Company’s beers on the cooler shelf for quite some time, but never once did I pick one up. No real reason why, and man was I mistaken. I picked up the Raven’s Eye Imperial Stout at the Good Food Store in Missoula for the unbelievable price of $2.99....

Bubblegum…goddamn bubblegum! That is what I smell, and I love it. A Little Sumpin’ Wild Ale by Lagunitas Brewing Company has a delicious bubblegum aroma along with some citrus. I know that bubblegum in beer seems like an odd combination, but it works perfectly. This particular...

Okay, let us be honest. Missoula is an extremely weed-friendly kind of town. It is not all together unusual to get whiffs of dank from the someone walking down the sidewalk or beside you in the bar. Kettlehouse Brewing Company even puts hemp (free of THC) into their beers, and Olde Bongwater...

My second beer at 4th Anniversary Potluck for Blacksmith Brewing Companyin Stevensville, Montana was the Custer’s Pumpkin Ale. I know that it so cliche to say that it resembles pumpkin pie, but, damnit, it does…it is a pumpkin pie in a glass. The spices and the spiciness of the dry...

Just got back from the 4th Anniversary Potluck at the Blacksmith Brewing Company in Stevensville, Montana, and we had a great time with some wonderful folks. The folks at Blacksmith graciously provided some delicious bbq’ed pork, and the rest of the community brought in a bunch of...