Hey y’all! Thanks for stopping by! I’m here to tell you all about The Benedicts experience at Ballast Point‘s Sculpin Sessions at Beer Authority here in beautiful New York City!

8th Avenue outside of Port Authority is not one of the most beautiful areas of the city. In fact, it’s one of my least favorite areas of this glistening town. Although, having a multi-level Beer bar to escape the rotten smells wafting from the Subways underneath 8th Ave is always a welcome respite.

We were directed upstairs at Beer Authority when we said we were there for the Sculpin Sessions, and then we were directed upstairs again… And then again… to the rooftop bar. Now, it was covered, and there were heaters, but it was still a rooftop in the middle of winter in NYC. So, we were cold. But guess what? They have beer! Beer that’ll warm ya right to your bones!

As soon as we walked through the door to the rooftop, I noticed a familiar face. I had never met Peter from Beer Today Beer Tomorrow (a Queens Beer Collective with a huge following on Twitter and Instagram) but we’d been chatting for over a year about getting together to do a podcast, or just to hang out. So it was really nice to finally get to meet Pete and have Holly Kay meet him as well, and we ended up having an awesome evening together.

Ballast Point has been doing Sculpin Sessions in bars around NYC the past two weeks, so we were told by the bartender that our host would be there to set up in about 15-20 minutes, as he was on his way from another session, and you all know how difficult getting from Point A to Point B in NYC can be. We were fine, though (albeit a little cold), I ordered a Sierra Nevada Stout, whose roasty, cocoa and chocolate notes went way above and beyond it’s relatively low ABV. Holly Kay ordered an Anchor Brewing Coffee Porter.

The tables were adorned with various Sculpin IPA paraphernalia, including coasters, tasting glasses, and stickers.

SWAG. Stuff We All Get.

We chatted with Pete while we waited for our host, Dan, who came about 10 minutes later with his cohorts Jaye and CJ. Dan was animated, lively, and passionate. He thanked us for waiting and set up the equipment for his presentation.

As Dan took us through the presentation, we learned about Ballast Point as a company (they have 7 breweries across the US), and how they quality control their beer as it’s brewed in each facility (they have a 300 touch point system to make sure the beer tastes the same no matter where it’s brewed). We couldn’t use that system because we weren’t in any of Ballast Point’s breweries, so we used our 5 touch point system, THE FIIIIVE SEEEENSES! Isn’t science magic??

Dan the Man!

Also, I finally learned what SRM means! It stands for Standard Reference Method, which is the color system brewers use to specify finished beer and malt color. Basically, it’s a Beer color scale.

We got to smell some of the hops that go into Sculpin IPA (the two they presented us were Simcoe and Amarillo, Simcoe has characteristics of dank pine and grapefruit citrus, and Amarillo has brighter citrus notes and herbaceous black tea). Dan also talked about the bitter bite on the finish of each sip, a characteristic of bittering hops. We also got to smell dried apricots, mangoes and pineapples, some of the fruits that the hops evoke, and compare them to the nose on the beer.

Simcoe and Amarillo Hops!

We also got to try the Unfiltered Sculpin, which nearly eliminated the bitter bite at the end of the OG Sculpin, and our consensus was that we liked the original better. I appreciate Ballast Point going for the no-perceived-bitterness-Unfiltered-IPA craze of the past few years, but Sculpin ain’t broke, so it doesn’t need to be fixed or improved upon.

The Benedicts and Dan!

I commend Dan for his command skills and composure, as he had to deal with a lot of noise coming from the back of the rooftop, where people were playing Cornhole. He projected very nicely over the screaming, but to be honest, it took away from the experience a bit (again, no fault of Dan’s).

After the event, Holly Kay, Pete and I introduced ourselves to Dan, Jaye and CJ and took some photos. They were all very friendly and so happy we were there. We then shared a delicious pizza from the kitchen at Beer Authority, took some photos in the photo booth downstairs, and headed home.

Benedict Beer Blog, Beer Today Beer Tomorrow, and Ballast Point!

All in all, it was a great night. Thanks to Ballast Point for inviting us, and thanks to Dan, CJ, and Jaye for being incredible hosts.

Until next time,

Cheers!

#sponsored #ad #ballastpoint #benedictbeerblog

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Hey all!  More Ireland blogs are coming shortly!  Tonight, Holly Kay had her dentist appointment right around the corner, so obviously, we stopped into Il Bambino on 8th St. in NYC for Happy Hour.  And it’s bustling!

Bustling!

Manager Ryan Keogh is always 100% about hospitality, even when multitasking and doing the job of 1,000.  I’ve called him King Keogh since we worked alongside each other in 2010, and I maintain that he’s the kindest, most hardest working person in the industry.  Just, pure gold.  It’s ok, Holly Kay knows my love for Ryan.

Il Bambino now has Greenport Harbor Brewing  Co. Black Duck Porter on tap.  And it’s only $5 for Happy Hour.  It’s roasty, with notes of coffee and chocolate, and tons of body for a 4.7%ABV porter.  This is an absolutely killer beer.

Holly Kay and I shared a Smoked Tomato Bisque Soup (Shoop) and a Fontina Panini with truffle oil, and I enjoyed a Bells Two Hearted Ale…

We finished our meal with a crostini with goat cheese and fig spread, and I’m so sorry, I annihilated it before I could take a picture…  But, here ya go…

I devouered this tasty morsel…
Go here.  Now.  If you get here soon, you might see us.

I love you all!

www.ilbambinonyc.com

Get here!

I’m back in New York!  We’ve taken a hard jump right into summer, it seems we’ve skipped right over spring, but I’m wearing shorts, and that’s ok by me.  My pale, white body is craving some Vitamin D that I don’t receive in the form of gummies that Holly and I bought at Target.  (Although I will still keep taking them because they’re basically candy.)

We’re going to go back in time to just about 5 years ago.

Holly and I had just gotten married, and had moved out to Long Island.  At this point, my knowledge of craft beer was still pretty limited.  I knew how to describe the flavor, and how it made me feel, but if I had the selection of beer available now (again, to my still semi-limited knowledge), five years ago, I think I might have been completely overwhelmed.  So, I think Holly and I met Matthew and Lauri Spitz at just the right time.

Look at these two friendlies!  And check out that SHAG tattoo!

I worked with Matt at “Fruitz R Us” (that’s not the actual name), and we became fast friends because A. He’s awesome.  B. I’m ok too, I guess.  C. We both love beer.  D. Shoeberry Jam.  E. Check out that sweet moustache. At this point, Matt had been homebrewing for a long time, and knew waaaaaaaaay (look at all those A’s!) more about Craft Beer than I did.  We started hanging out outside of work, and that’s how Holly and I got to meet Matt’s wife, Lauri.

We quickly became friends, and they were the reason Holly and I signed up for LIBME, or, The Long Island Beer and Malt Enthusiasts.  LIBME is a group that meets monthly at different restaurants and breweries on Long Island to socialize and talk about beer.  They are also a member of the American Homebrewers Association, and participate in homebrewing competitions throughout Long Island. We joined as Charter Members, which gave us discounts at local bottle shops and restaurants, and we attended multiple meetings and met some amazing people.

A LIBME meeting at Long Ireland Brewing Company where Holly won a pint glass and Matt creeped on her like a big, moustachioed, handsome creep!

Along with Matt and Lauri, and among many great folks, (Tim Sal and Joshua Hawkins, I’m talking about you!) we met Phil Ebel, fellow Disney Nerd, formerly of Great South Bay Brewery, and now Beer Ranger at New Belgium Brewing (which just began distributing to New York!  Go grab some!), and his lovely wife Katie.  We also found out at the first meeting we attended that my family friends Lee Ann and Ed Hahne were also members!  Ed passed away, tragically, nearly two years ago.  Some of my fondest memories of him were, when I was younger, when he used to bring six packs of his homebrewed beer to my parents’ house for parties (he was a music teacher with my Mom), and also, being able to spend time with him and Lee Ann at our LIBME gatherings to talk about beer, and music.  If we hadn’t joined LIBME, we may not have reconnected with him, but I’m so glad we did, and so thankful for those memories.  I miss that dude, a lot!  (Matt and Lauri made an amazing beer in his memory, which you’ll see later in this post)

LIBME was like a giant, extended family, that reached all over Long Island.  The beer community on Long Island is so strong, and everyone is supportive of one another.  As I mentioned earlier, Matt and Lauri had been homebrewing for several years, and were able to start their amazing brewery, Moustache Brewing Co., in part because of a Kickstarter they ran, called “We’re Growing a Moustache!” that raised just over $31,000 to help them realize a dream they’d been…  Well, dreaming, for so many beers…  I mean, years (since 2005, when they brewed their very first beer!).

Before the brewery opened, we would spend time with Matt and Lauri, both at LIBME meetings and elsewhere.  One of my favorite evenings was a bottle share that we had at Andrew and Katherine’s (two more amazing LIBME members) house.  It was epic.  That night, I got to try Sam Adams Utopias for the first time.

Some delicious selections at this particular bottle share…  Including Sam Adams Utopias (27% ABV) and Brewmeister Armageddon (65% ABV).

Lauri modeling one of the highest ABV beers ever made.

Lauri’s Instagram Post from January, 2013 of Holly chugging a bottle of The Bruery Rugbrod and me making a normal face…

Hanging out with Matt and Lauri offered Holly and I so many amazing opportunities to taste some of Moustache’s many delicious libations in their early stages.  I had the opportunity to spend the day with Matt in his father’s backyard while he brewed Moustache Everyman’s Porter, a 4.5%, black as night, Porter, with intense coffee and chocolate, both on the nose and palate, something you can drink in the dead of winter by the fire, or in the intense, Long Island, summer heat.  Go to Riverhead, drink this beer.  It’s unreal.

A crushable Everyman’s Porter, straight from the source.

I believe it was around this time that they were also brewing their Mojito Pale Ale, which tastes just as insanely delicious as it sounds.  Brewed with fresh lime zest (HAND ZESTED!!) and mint (HAND…  MINTED?), it’s a lime citrus forward Pale Ale with refreshing mint, that will also ward off Scurvy.  I promise.  Give this to all of your pirate friends.  They’ll thank ya later.  (Also, if you have pirate friends, send them my way.  I want pirate friends.)

In April of 2014, we were able to attend the Kickstarter Backers preview at the new Moustache Brewing Company in Riverhead.  It was so special to see the outpouring of love from Matt and Lauri’s friends and family as they poured their beers, sort of officially, for the first time.  These two had been working their butts off for as long as I’d known them to get their business, their love, their baby, up and running.

Cheers!

Kickstarter Backers Board at Moustache Brewing Company in Riverhead, NY!

A few days later, we were at their official Grand Opening, where Matt shaved off his bushy winter beard, AKA his Rally Beard (after which they have named a once-a-year Rally Beard IIPA) revealing the eponymous Moustache, and beginning a tradition that has been replicated at both their first and second anniversary parties!

Authentic barber’s chair for the shaving of the Rally Beard at the Grand Opening of Moustache Brewing Company, April 2014.

Revealing that glorious, glorious Moustache that everyone knows and loves.  And Matty’s sweet cheeks!

Since they’ve opened two years ago, people have been asking for their amazing brews across Long Island, in New York City, and even stretching into Upstate New York.  They’ve already gotten larger fermenters so they can make more beer for your face.  They’ve released some special, barrel aged beers, like Snügg, an Old Ale aged in French Oak Bordeaux barrels, that is inspired by Glögg, a spiced, mulled wine, and most recently, a Bourbon Barrel-aged Blueberry and Ginger Tripel, that will be released next Saturday, June 4th.  (I’ve had the non-barrel-aged version of this beer, and it tastes like a Blueberry scone, it’s unbelievable.)

Look at these gorgeous barrels…

“But I was just looking for the bung hole!” -Is something I probably said about 100 times.

They’ve also made beer for charity.  Buffalo Theory, a Double IPA, was made in memory of our friend Ed Hahne, was brewed with hops from his garden, and all proceeds from the beer were donated to the charity in his name at Stony Brook University.  They also participated in the Craft Cares IPA, with breweries from all over Long Island, which was given out in exchange for two non-perishable cans of food, for Long Island Craft Beer Week.

They took a blank canvas inside of a warehouse and designed an amazing tasting room.

Gorgeous bar at Moustache Brewing Company.
Decorated for the Holidays!

Holly and our dear friends Pete and Kelsey Shelly on Opening Day, 2014!

I wanted to write a post about Matt and Lauri, because they have worked so hard, and are so passionate, they have helped shape me into the sort-of knowledgable beer geek I am today.  It wasn’t an easy road for them (you can ask them), but they’re doing amazing things for the community.  Their dedication to their art is inspiring, and people are chomping at the bit for their beer to be in restaurants and bars all over New York.  So look out for these guys, because they’re going to be all over the place before you know it.

For now, head over to their gorgeous brewery and tasting room in Riverhead, and follow them on Facebook here to see what’s on tap!  (I suggest the Franco ‘Murica, a pale ale brewed with French Saison yeast!)

Until next time, Cheers!

This is a blog about beer.

But first…  Love.

I’ll start off by saying, I really miss my wife, Holly.  I’m in California for three weeks for work, and I’ve met some cool people, I also have had the opportunity to travel here with some awesome Coworkers, and all around good sons, Alex and Daniel.  I am their Dad.  Not even their Work Dad.  I am their actual Father.  You can ask them.

But, being away from the one person you love most in this world is really hard.  Yes, she’s coming to visit next weekend (which I’m over the moon about!!), but we haven’t been apart this long in… Ever.  The most we’ve been apart is about a week, and even that was difficult. (Although, last time we were apart she was in Mexico, and she got to hang glide off of a boat and also they have Tequila in Mexico so…  She won that round.). The time difference also doesn’t help.  I’ve been waking up at 7am PST, and she’s already at work.  When I get out at 6pm, it’s 9pm on the East Coast.  So, it’s not ideal, but it definitely makes me appreciate all the time we’ve been able to spend together over the last 7 years.  (I love you, Holl!!)

My Gorgeous Lady.

This is a blog about beer.

But first, food.

I’ve finally gotten used to the time difference, aka I’m not exhausted and trying to keep my eyes open at 10pm.  I’ve had some amazing food since we’ve gotten here.  I ate Korean BBQ at a restaurant called Gooyi Gooyi, (which you’ll now find yourself shouting out loud to yourself, ya weirdo), and had beef tongue for the first time, as well as all the other meat you could possibly imagine.  

GOOYI GOOYICooking up some of that beef tongue, baby!

Kimchi Fried Rice and Pork Belly

My suitemate, Ali, is from Iran.  He took us to a Persian restaurant called Arya, and he lit up like a Christmas tree when he saw the menu.  He looked at the waitress, smiled, and said “This reminds me of my childhood.”  It’s amazing how food and drink can transport someone to another time and place.  We all decided what we wanted, and he insisted he order for us.  He was so thrilled, because where he lives now (Charlotte, North Carolina), he’s unable to get good Persian Food.  And Cupertino, I’ve learned, has one of the largest Persian populations in America.  He even bought fresh Persian sour fruit (he can’t ever find it fresh in North Carolina) and mailed it to his wife and 2-year-old son in Charlotte.

From L to R, Myself, Alex, Ali, and Daniel.

But yeah, this is a blog about beer!

I haven’t gone on any beer adventures yet (I’m hoping to get to Lagunitas, in Petaluma, and Russian River, in Santa Rosa.  I owe Justin “Panda” Mendes a Pliny the Elder.  I’d also love to hit up 21st Amendment in San Francisco.

Let’s talk about what I HAVE had.

Because, I don’t know if you’ve heard…  This is a blog about beer.

This. Is a sexy beer.  Green Flash West Coast IPA.  Because, when one is on the West Coast, even if one has had this beer before, and one can find a bottle that is fresh to death (as the kids say), one does not pass up this opportunity.  

This beer is 8.1% ABV, Made with Simcoe, Columbus, Cascade, Centennial, and Citra Hops, and a British Crystal Malt. Comes in at a whopping 95 IBU (emphasis on the WHOP)!!

I’m immediately smacked in the face by grapefruit, lemon zest, tropical citrus, sweet mango, pine, and floral notes.  Grapefruit and pine dominate the palate, with lingering caramel sweetness from the malt.
This beer grabs you, picks you up from wherever your lazy, near-lifeless body sits (warning: this beer gives ya the Jelly Legs), and drops you in a hammock in paradise with a good book and a tropical breeze.  Drink this beer.
My first time with this beer.  Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA.  Comes in at 6.5% ABV, so I was able to enjoy it and still cook a damn amazing burger.  I’ve heard a lot of great things, so my expectations were high.

Made with Citra and Mosaic (there she is again!  See earlier blog posts for my love letter to Mosaic).  Smell is Pineapple, grapefruit, orange.  Taste follows, but the malts balance the bitter citrus with a delicious, caramel sweetness.  I’m sad they don’t distribute to NY.

Stone Enjoy By 5.30.16 Tangerine IPA.  9.5%ABV.  90 IBU.  Ok.  Listen to these hops.  They just sing. Nugget.  Super Galena (COME ON HOW AM I NOT A HOP NAMER?).  Simcoe.  Delta (fly me to the moon).  Target (also mine and Holly’s favorite Department Store).  Amarillo.  Cascade (a waterfall of flavor).  Galaxy.  Citra.  Nelson Sauvin (The “Rico Suave” of hops).  Motueka.  Helga.

Helga.

Stone has been putting out this Enjoy By IPA for a few years.  As with all IPAs, as soon as it’s bottled, the hops begin to fade.  Stone’s goal was to brew a beer designed to be drank…  Real quick.  Within 37 days.  This batch was brewed with puréed tangerines, as if the citrus from the hops wasn’t enough.  I shared this beer with a bunch of people at the cookout, and my classmate Doug threatened to walk away with my glass.  Thankfully, he’s a classy gentleman and would never walk away with another man’s beer.  This is the best variant from this series that I’ve tasted.  Speaking of classy, this beer is just that.  I wowed multiple people with a taste of this bad boy, beer lovers and non-beer lovers alike.  These dudes at Stone know what’s up.

Tonight, Daniel and I met up with some former Coworkers, Chrissy and Steve.  We met up at BJ’s Brewhouse, which is a chain restaurant that brews their own beer.

From L to R, Daniel, Steve, Myself, Ram (hiding) and Chrissy

The beer was ordinary.  The company was amazing.  California has gained some amazing people over the past year, and I was so glad to be able to spend a bit of time with them.  

So, to recap, I miss my gorgeous wife, I’ve met some wonderful people, spent time with old friends, and had both ordinary and extraordinary brews.  

I look forward to the rest of my time here in California, and, as it’s nearly 2am PST, will fall asleep, counting my blessings.

I made it! I’m here in Cupertino for a work trip, and today was my travel day. I was on a six hour flight from New York, in which a young boy (read: Monster) was running up and down the aisles (all the while being lazily watched by his seemingly uncaring mother), and he was hitting everyone in an aisle seat, including myself. Remember the movie Clifford? With Martin Short? Think of that.

Definitely an image of the boy who kept smacking me and all of the other people on the aisle with his bacteria laden stickyfingers, and definitely not a picture of Martin Short as Clifford in the movie Clifford.

It’s 9:15pm PST, which means it’s 12:15am EST. I’ve been traveling since 9am EST, and I ate a Country Fried Steak and my buddy Alexander’s extra Oreo Shake at Denny’s. So, basically I’m ready to hibernate, like a full bellied, exhausted bear. But, at the end of a long travel day, comes a sweet, sweet, luxurious California reward! 

Sierra Nevada Five Hop Experimental IPA

5.8%ABV, made with “Experimental Hops”. Sierra Nevada’s website does not say what hops they use. Comes in at 60 IBUs. (IBU = International Bitterness Units)
This was bottled on 02/02/2016. I love my IPAs super fresh, as the older they get, the more the hops fade. When I opened this one, it smelled like fresh grapefruit, orange, and even some coconut and vanilla. It had a two finger, bright white, fluffy head, that stuck around for days, seemingly. Sierra Nevada makes such amazing quality beers, the age didn’t do much, although you can tell the hops faded a bit, especially on the nose. Taste is candied orange (less grapefruit than the nose), and dry. Another great beer from these dudes. I rated it a 3.75/5 on Untappd, only because it’s not super fresh. I bet I would bump it up if it were fresher.  
I wanted to post a quick beer review for my first beer in California! Stay tuned for more stories, I’ll be here for the next three weeks! Cheers!