Moustache

You Lucky People, You, or How to Turn Pineapple Ice Cream into a Beer Even a Hazebro Would Love!

About a year ago, when Benedict Beer Blog was just in its infancy (little one year old Benedict Beer Blog, so CUTE 😊!), our friend Matt Spitz, a former coworker and now Co-owner of Moustache Brewing Co. (with his amazing wife, Lauri) called me up to talk about doing a collaboration beer.

As we discussed what would be a good fit for both brands, we landed on the flavor profile of Dole Whip, a pineapple ice cream one can only find in a few places around the world, including Adventureland in Disney Parks, the Dole Plantation in Hawaii, and, in fact, a Poke restaurant across from Grand Central Terminal (which I didn’t find out until very recently!)

For us here at Benedict Beer Blog, Holly Kay and I went on our first vacation together at Walt Disney World, and about a year and a half later, got engaged at WDW, at Narcoossee’s Restaurant in the Grand Floridian Hotel.

Two cutiez in Diznee Whirled

Lauri once told us a story about her experience in Walt Disney World. Typically, you walk around the parks in 90+ degree heat and Disney employees (called Cast Members) shout “HAVE A MAGICAL DAY” after you, with the intonation of Snow White on cocaine. Lauri, after just arriving to run her first half marathon in the snow (in Florida? WTF?), was greeted by a Cast Member who muttered, think like Eeyore on cat tranquilizers “Have a Magical daaaaay.” Lauri said she could relate to her lack of enthusiasm.

Here’s a cute lil’ picture of Matt and Lauri from 2014. Babies!

Initially, we were talking about brewing a Kolsch with pineapple and vanilla, but life, as it does, just gets in the way, and the idea fell by the wayside until about 2 months ago, when Matt contacted us saying that he had a batch of Idaho 7 hops that were bursting with the essence of pineapple, and Rob Raffa, Head Brewer at Moustache Brewing Co. had been wanting to do a Milkshake IPA for a while, so why not bring up the Dole Whip idea again and get Benedict Beer Blog involved!

The name You Lucky People, You was picked by the wonderful Holly Kay Benedict (My Ex-Girlfriend Who I Married), as it’s the second line of the theme song to The Tiki Room, the popular singing birds attraction in Adventureland in the Disney Parks. “Welcome to my tropical hideaway / You Lucky People, You!” It was unanimous, when she said that name, we all loved it.

Schedules worked out perfectly this time, so I headed out to the brewery in Riverhead with Brad Gesaman (@itsbradco on Instagram, go check out his adventures!) homebrewer and friend of the Blog. You know Brad? He’s great!

As the traffic getting out of NYC is about as fun as being swallowed whole by a 23 Foot Long Reticulated Python 🐍 and being shat out the other end, we ended up in Riverhead a bit later than we wanted, so we missed Mash In (when they put all the grains into the mash tun with water and steep them to extract all the sugary goodness from them).

Brad and I got to spend time with Matt, Lauri, and Rob during the lautering process, where the mash is separated into the liquid wort and leftover grain. This is when I got to have fun and add the 55lb bag of lactose, which gives Milkshake IPAs their signature creamy mouthfeel. Haha, mouthfeel.

Speaking of Mouthfeel…

After a lovely lunch of fried chicken and sides (brain food) and after the beer was brought to a boil, it was time to add the aforementioned Idaho 7 hops. I’ve said it before on the blog, but I’d live in a house made of hops. They smell like tropical fruit (dominantly pineapple, but also a bit of grapefruit and tangerine) and a bit grassy and earthy. Yum.

Hops on Hops on Hops. Also, a patchy beard.

Now for the real work, we began mashing out. That’s where you take all the leftover grain, also called spent grain, and remove it from the tank so you can clean it and have it ready for your next batch of beer. Moustache sends their spent grain to local farms to use as feed…

This is what the inside of a mash tun looks like after nearly finishing mashing out. Also Spitzy’s head and face are looking sexy AF…

It’s necessary to spit shine the Mash Tun once all the grain has been removed.

#beerneighborsmakethebestneighbors

I’ll say it once and I’ll say it again. Having a brewery is good for the neighborhood! They’re also surrounded by farmland out in Riverhead, so the farms are happy to have the grains! You know the old phrase, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rdrink Rcraft Rbeer.

The beer is then transferred from the boil kettle to the fermenter, where the yeast, vanilla Beans and 210lbs of pineapple purée are added, and allowed to sit for as long as is needed for all the sugar to be fermented out (the yeast eats the sugar, converts it into alcohol and farts out carbon dioxide, basically). The beer is also dry hopped with EVEN MORE Idaho 7 and Mosaic hops.

Collab friendz!

SMASH CUT TO ONE MONTH LATER!

Is that how a smash cut works? Also, these can labels are fire emoji and were designed by the unlimitedly talented Lauri Spitz.

Release day was great. I brought my dear friend Ryan Keogh (you can read about him in one of my first ever blog posts HERE), we met my Mom for lunch after our drive out to Riverhead from NYC (this time with less traffic!). Moustache opened at 3pm, and they had a decent sized crowd by about 3:15. I thought about asking for selfies with the first two dudes who came in and bought 4 packs, but figured they wouldn’t want to be accosted by some redhead wearing a pineapple hat.

I got my first taste of the beer, and it exceeded my expectations. Loads of pineapple on the nose, but the beer is so damn balanced, and dangerously drinkable. It’s sweet without being cloying (go watch that video of me adding the lactose again 🤗), creamy, with notes of pineapple and citrus, and right as you swallow, the vanilla hits, and it’s just like that sweet Dole Whip treat we all know and love. I couldn’t have been happier.

It also definitely helped that Lauri created a Tiki Music playlist to blast through the Taproom for the evening!

I met some great people throughout the evening, thanks to Sofia from Beer Fit Club and Katarina from Lineup Brewing for stopping by, and got to see some old friends from the Long Island Beer and Malt Enthusiasts, Andrew and Kathy.

The blurb on the back of the can! Oh man this would be so meta if this can brought you here and now you’re reading the can again OH MY GOD.

Matt and Lauri dressed the part for the release party!

A sweaty mess and Ryan

Mattitaco brought their food truck to the party as well, and even created a Chorizo and potato taco to pair with You Lucky People, You! So I had to!

The crew after a successful release!

Thanks to all who came out to taste the beer, there are still cans left at the brewery, at beer stores around Long Island, and at Covenhoven in Brooklyn, and The Baroness Bar in Long Island City.

Make sure to go follow @moustachebrewing and @benedictbeerblog over on Instagram to stay tuned to our latest antics and Moustache can and bottle releases.

Until next time…

Cheers!

I’m Still Here, I’m Just Over There… Or, “Hey Everyone, Come and See How Good I Look!”

As Aaron Lewis from Staind once said, “It’s been awhile…”

You don’t even know how many hours and how many cigarettes it took this dude to come up with the title of this song…

Fret not, dear reader! I’m still here, I’m just… over there?

“But where is there?” You ask yourself.

Over there?

“Where is anywhere?” I respond to your question with another question. It gets really existential. We both stare into each other’s eyes. We cry, we both cry, we all cry, there is nothing but tears… And laughter. All is fun and happiness. And sadness. Life is beautiful!

Confused yet? Me too! Hello!

Anyway, I’ve been busy! If you’re not yet, head over to my Instagram Page for daily doses of Craft Beer fun!

Like this! HK Benny with a collab between The Bruery and NOLA Brewing!

Last month, I was a guest star with my friends over at Black & Tan TV, so if you wanna see my pretty lil’ face, you can see my episodes HERE and HERE!

You’ll get to see tender moments like this…

Also, I’ve written a few articles over at Tigerlyfe Times, you can check those out HERE, HERE, and HERE!

You can view my archive of articles on TigerLyfe Times HERE! (I love that they refer to me as AUTHOR! Hey Mom, I’m an author!!

I was also featured as a guest blogger for Beer Today, Beer Tomorrow, you can check out my blog post for them right over HERE! Please also be on the lookout for an interview I did with them, coming soon!

I’ve got some cool beer-related stuff coming soon! Keep an eye on Instagram next week for more info! I’m very excited!

See you soon! Very soon!

Until next time…

Cheers!

Hey Y’all, Check Out These Pictures, Or, Please Don’t Try to Drink This Blog Post…

It’s picture time! I realize I haven’t put up a picture-heavy blog post in a bit, so here’s one coming at’cha!

ALSO: I wrote an article for TigerLyfe Times about Sand City Brewing’s recent Oops! I _____ed My Pants! triple can release! Check that article out over HERE! Thanks for reading!

Radical One from the aforementioned Sand City Brewing. The hop hits keep coming and coming with these guys outta Northport!

#LGM! LIC Beer Project Dutch Kills Kölsch at Citifield! This is my kind of baseball beer! Crisp, malty, fruity and super refreshing!

From Salt House Bar in Galway Ireland! Brouwerij Boon Geuze Mariage Parfait, all the way from Belgium! This beer brought the house down. Tart, funky, dry, and delicious. Absolutely nothing wrong here!

Greenpoint Beer & Ale Co. Particle Pilsner. One of the more hoppy pils’ I’ve had. Bright, crisp citrus is balanced by sweet, cracker like malt. Love it!

A “candid” photograph at Samson’s Birthday party at Greenpoint! Cheers!

Greenpoint Beer & Ale Tremendous. Paired with an, *ahem*, appropriate movie (on VHS, no less!)

My favorite beer of summer, 2017. Carton Brewing Beach, a session Ale with (I believe) Citra hops and orange zest. Bright, beautiful grapefruit and bitter orange, a bit of dankness, but still clean and dry enough and low enough ABV to keep on drinkin’. So, keep on drinkin’!

Also, I’m getting a foot massage whilst I took this photo. So, your opinion is invalid.

Finback x Jacks Abby Spill The Tea IPL. The green tea is a cool addition to the citrus hops and citrus peel, adding a clean, grassy note that’s intriguing. And no need to boil water and risk burning your precious, precious skin. ?

Singlecut Beersmiths strikes again! Some Cat From Japan Session IPA, and Charlie’s Good Tonight IPA. Both phenomenal beers, and I’m hoping they’ll release them again in the future.

I know, I know, this isn’t beer. But when Holly Kay and I found the Dingle Whiskey Bar tucked away inside Fraunces Tavern down in the Financial District of NYC, we had to stop in and have some Irish Whiskey (at triple the price we paid for it on the Emerald Isle, of course). And it was worth every penny.

Bradco brought this beer back from Michigan. Old Nation Brewing Co. M-43 New England Style IPA. These cats from Williamston, MI have nailed this style, which surprised me. Watch out, New England, Michigan’s coming for you. HARD.

Enjoyed this collaboration by Other Half Brewing and Cloudwater Brewing, Tremendous Ideas. The simple can design also lends this can to take beautiful pictures even when an amateur photographer (me) is behind the camera (iPhone). Also my bed looks super comfy and as I’m writing this, I’m minutes away from hopping into it and drifting into a blissful slumber so, that’s also cool.

This was at Paulie Gee’s in Greenpoint. The Hellboy pizza with soppressata picante and Mike’s Hot Honey (yo, MIKE’S HOT HONEY. Who’s this Mike guy? I want to raid his house and take all of his hot honey for my own.). This hot-ass pizza was paired with a Greenpoint Beer & Ale Milk & Honey, a sweet, creamy ale that paired perfectly with the spicy ‘zza, bro.

Threes Brewing SFY (the artist formerly known as SuperF*ckingYawn) IPA, as we prepared for the magical wonder that is the Binky Griptite Orchestra at Threes Greenpoint Location. Binky plays guitar with the Dap Kings, and brought his musician friends to play some amazing 1940s Jazz and R&B and it was absolutely incredible. It was the opposite of SuperF*ckingYawn, but so was this beer, so…

Sometimes, it’s nice to go back to basics. Allagash White, my first Belgian white beer I fell in love with. Simple, refreshing, with notes of orange peel, clove, banana. Sometimes simple is beautiful.

Again, let the hate flow through you. I will combat that hate with Polar Seltzer’s Unicorn Kisses Seltzer. Is it Strawberry Kiwi? We’ll never know. Polar’s been keeping these flavors as mysterious as the mythical beasts on the cans. Damn you, Polar.

Fan favorites Moustache Brewing Co. made this delightful Saison brewed with Lavender, Honey, and Lemon Verbena. They knocked it out of the park, with floral, sweet, banana, and citrus dancing mischievously around the palate, this beer is simply a delight. Love you, Moustache Gang!

Thanks to my dear friend Will Russell, for asking me to be a part of his wedding party. As part of our Groomsmen’s gift, he got us these HEAVY DUTY USS Enterprise Bottle Openers. This is insanely dope and I will use it always. Make it so.

Treehouse Brewing Company, if you don’t know, now you know. Christopher Benedict, if you don’t know, now you know. Get with the times, y’all.

Interboro Spirits & Ales x Pipeworks Brewing Mad Fat! Unicorn. Thanks Bradco for sharing!! Mad Fat! Fluid plus Ninja Vs. Unicorn equals an amazing liquid combo. New York x Chicago, taking over the world.

If you’re not salivating by now, you need to let me know, and I’ll take you out and buy you a beer. So, if you’ve made it this far, and it’s had no effect on you, let me know. The next one’s on me.

Until next time!

Cheers!

Beer Plus Music Vol. III, Or, How You Should Spend Your Next Four Nights…

I was chatting with my dear friend Pete (a funny, talented writer and human being, and his website is HERE!) yesterday about Sturgill Simpson. If you haven’t yet, please check out his SNL Performances right HERE. I had watched these earlier in the day and was so blown away, I downloaded the newest Sturgill Simpson album, A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, on Apple Music, and listened to it twice through before the end of the day. It’s country, folk, funk, Joe Cocker, and David Bowie, all combined. I played it for Holly Kay, and she was shocked. She’d been a DJ at the Country Music station out on Long Island when we were living there (see her previous post HERE), and she was completely surprised by the genre-bending this multi talented musician pulls off with ease.

Listening to that album got me so excited, and I realize that, not too often anymore do I get excited about new music. (Everybody’s also been doing this “Post 10 albums that shaped you as a Teenager” thing on Facebook, and that inspired me as well)

So this week, I decided to go through and pick out some new music that I DID get excited about this past year, and place each album with a different beer that I think pairs perfectly. Maybe you’ll be inspired, and post some of your favorite beer and music pairing in the comments below! Let me know what you all think!

Alright, let’s start!

Sturgill Simpson – A Sailor’s Guide to Earth (April 15, 2016)

I’m sad that it took me this long to discover this album. It’s an ethereal (reminded me of a lot of David Bowie), beautiful, heartfelt alt-country-funk-classic rock album that clocks in at only 9 songs, and 39 minutes (which reads more like a punk rock album than a country album). Pete told me that he themed the album as a letter to his son, (see Keep it Between The Lines), and he even fits a song in for his wife (Oh Sarah). I’m loving it more with each listen, especially his mellowed-out cover of Nirvana’s In Bloom.

Oh right, this is a blog about beer…

Ok, my pairing!

I decided to pair this bad boy with another genre-bending (read: booze-bending) beer from Queens finest brewery Singlecut Beersmiths, their Rum-Barrel Aged Heavy Boots of Lead, aged for one year in oak barrels, and infused with whiskey-marinated maple syrup.

A heavy hitter, clocking in at around 12% ABV, this stout hits hard, but sneaks up on you, and is mellowed out with notes of sweet cocoa, coffee, and vanilla. While Simpson blends funk with country and ages it in Bowie barrels, this combination of rum barrels and whiskey marinated maple syrup (Simpson is from Kentucky, so I had to pick something that had some kind of whisky involved, right?) is enough to make anyone’s head spin, but for some reason, it all comes together in boozy perfection, and when one finishes the album (or the beer), one wants to go back for more, y’all.

Childish Gambino – Awaken, My Love (December 2nd, 2016)

I’ve only heard a few random songs from Donald Glover’s Childish Gambino, but my friend AJ (subscribe to Jorel Blu on YouTube for Movie Reviews, Music, and much more!) was playing Redbone (if you click that link, you WILL see Donald Glover shirtless), from his newest R&B-throwback-yet-still-fresh-sounding Awaken, My Love, and I was immediately hooked. AJ (JOREL BLU) encouraged me to listen to the album from start to finish, and while it hearkens back to Jimi Hendrix, and Otis Redding, it fits in quite well as an album released in 2016. Glover is multi-talented, as an actor, rapper, and singer, but his guttural screams on Me And Your Mama (“You know that I love you / So let me in to your heart”) with a full gospel choir singing behind him hooked me immediately. I thought about Hendrix, but also the song Hard Times/Our Times by Portugal, The Man. Glover seems, just like Sturgill Simpson, to blend genres together to create something new, yet, so familiar.

Which led me to pick my beer…

And how could I write an article without mentioning Matt and Lauri from Moustache Brewing Co.? I can’t. So I picked their undeniably un-milkshake IPA, Awkward Conversations.

I picked this beer because, they’ve created something brand new, like Glover, that hearkens back to the pre-milkshake IPA days. Now, if you read this blog, you know I LOVE unfiltered, orange juice looking, milkshake lookin’, pulpy-ass IPAs! But this beer. This beer is crystal clear, amber in color, super well balanced, sweet melon paired with bitter citrus. It’s perfect. This beer blew my mind (not surprisingly) and sits up there with my favorite New England style IPAs, as Childish Gambino sits at the top of my new music list. Also, if someone walks in on you listening to Childish Gambino’s California, you might end up having an awkward conversation.

Here’s me, drinking an Awkward Conversations, and my brother Chris, drinking an Anderson Valley Blood Orange Gose, having what is more than likely an awkward conversation. Smash that M’F’in like button on his Instagram page, @suckball. Hello.

A Tribe Called Quest – We Got it From Here, Thank You 4 Your Service (November 11th, 2016)

I got into A Tribe Called Quest in college, starting with Midnight Marauders, and they were my first real foray into hip-hop (thanks to college friends Mike and Evan). Their newest album, which showcases Q-Tip, Jarobi white, and the late Phife Dawg, with features from Busta Rhymes, André 3000, Kendrick Lamar, Talib Kweli, Elton John, Jack White, and a TON more, this whole album is a giant middle finger to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, (see We The People, and the final album track The Donald). Q-Tip has spoken about how he had to take breaks while mastering the record, hearing Phife Dawg, and his emotion comes through in both his verses and his production of this album. It’s a beautiful statement, but doesn’t take itself too seriously.

I paired this album with an old classic. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

With a lack of craft selection, one can always find Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Case in point, a hotel in Palm Coast, FL, June 20th, 2014.

Simply put, Sierra Nevada was one of my first introductions to craft beer. Many of the world’s greatest brewers have attributed Sierra Nevada Pale Ale as an inspiration to start their own breweries, just as Tribe has influenced so many in hip hop. (Sierra Nevada began in 1979, Tribe in 1985) Sierra Nevada is still looked up to as one of the world’s best breweries, even after 37 years. Each time I take a sip of Pale Ale, I taste a super balanced sweetness from the malt, and juicy orange, and orange peel bitterness (insert DJT orange joke here.).

The Dear Hunter – Act V: Hymns With The Devil In Confessional (September 16th, 2016)

I’ve been listening to Casey Crescenzo’s insane, progressive rock, orchestral wonderland since 2006, when Act I: The Lake South, The River North was released. Casey is a self-taught musical mastermind, and I finally had the chance to see The Dear Hunter live with Holly Kay back in October, and it was everything I could have hoped for. This album, and Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise, were both recorded at the same time with the Awesöme Orchestra in San Francisco. There’s a story arc throughout the Acts, and will culminate in some form or another with Act VI (Casey has said that Act V is the last “Rock Album” and Act VI will take on a different form altogether), but to have followed this story for 11 years, I’m anticipating whatever concept he comes up with. Stand out tracks from this album include Gloria and The Revival. It’s a lot darker than the rest of the Acts, but has moments of peace, beauty, followed by chaos.

Final beer pairing…

Peak Organic – The Juice

The first time I tried this beer was right after the album was released (can’t you see my nice pumpkin?)

Why pick such a lightly colored, low ABV, hoppy, pale ale, to pair with such a dark album? Well, The Juice snuck up on me. You take a sip, and it’s clean, bright, refreshing, and then, WHAM! You’re smacked in the face with dank, citrus, and pine. Can this really only be 5% ABV? You keep sipping, and keep getting surprised with the flavor. WHAP! BAM! BLAM! POW! With every musical surprise on Act V, you get another wave of flavor from The Juice. In fact, I just finished a can of this while writing this article, it was canned on October 24th, nearly 3 months ago, and it’s got every ounce of hop bitterness, citrus, and pine as the first time I drank it. And I’m listening to Act V as I write this, and it’s just as intense as when I first heard it in September. The beer, like the album, is something I can return to when I can’t think of anything else to drink/listen to. Unbelievably crafted, super thought out, and nearly perfect. This combo makes more sense each time I think about it. In fact, it makes me giggle.

That’s all I’ve got! Again, write in the comments below if you’ve got any beer/music pairings for me, and I’ll check them out and maybe even feature them in another blog post!

Until next time,

Cheers!

::GASP:: A Guest Blog Post! Or, The (Other) Benedict Beer Blog!

We’ve got a special treat this week!
I was texting with the lovely and vivacious Holly Kay (Benedict!!) on Sunday afternoon, and she gave me the most incredible description of the beer she was enjoying (because that’s what you DO on Sunday afternoons!).

What a cutie!!

So, without any further ado, I leave you in the hands of my smart, adventurous, beautiful wife!

2012: How the Beer Journey Began

By Holly Kay Benedict

It was 2012. Patrick and I had been married for a year. We were living on Long Island. I was working a dead end job DJing at a country radio station for pennies. The work itself, I loved. The listeners and the performance aspect of the position were amazing. The misogynists I worked for made the job a living hell for me and the other women working as talent there.

Me and the truck!

That first year was one of the very hardest. We lived with family. We had obnoxious amounts of credit card debt which we were paying down slowly, but surely. We had few friends, but we were able to make some lifelong friends in Moustache brewing’s Lauri and Matt Spitz. At the time, Matt was a coworker of Patrick’s at Fruit Stand.

Matt, and a pint glass I won at Long Ireland Brewing!

Lauri, his wife is one of the absolute coolest people I know. She is a take charge, no nonsense, “Put you big girl panties on and deal with it” kind of woman. I have the utmost respect for her, and have learned from her determination. It was she who invited me to the first LIBME meeting.

Lauri and I, being classy.

LIBME is the Long Island Beer and Malt Enthusiasts. Patrick and I had recently graduated from drinking PBR and Bud Light to drinking real beer. We had discovered local breweries like Blue Point, and that was the location of my first LIBME meeting. BBQ chicken was served with free pours at the meeting. We discussed the upcoming home brewers competition, and I was hooked.
Granted, I was not the real beer drinker. That was Patrick, of course, but I wanted to further the depth of our friendship with Matt and Lauri, meet new people who were like-beer minded and who could open our palates to something more. Honestly, I went to the LIBME meeting for Patrick. His interest in beer inspired me to want to invest time and energy in something other than endless conversations about Fruit Stand customers and bald, Woman-hating bosses (Bless their hearts).

I joined the club for both Patrick and I on the spot.

We were privy to some exclusive beer tastings. There was a bottle share where a rumor went around that I only enjoy high alcohol beers. That’s how the 65% Armageddon by Brewmeister ended up in my hands. Delicious, but dear GOD!

Bottle share, January 19, 2013.

Lauri posing with Brewmeister Armageddon, the strongest beer in the world.

This same night I had pork with Ghost pepper because another rumor about me circulated which labeled me as a fellow pepper head. (All these rumors are true BTW). It was a pivotal night in our beer journey. We met amazing people like Phil, who works for New Belgium Brewing and previously worked for Great South Bay Brewery, and his wife Katie. I also encouraged Kelsey and Pete Shelly to join us for beer club, and I’ll never forget the meeting where we had Mead, and Kelsey was this close to buying a bee hive.

Kelsey, Pete and I at Moustache Brewing’s Friends and Family preview! April 13, 2014.

The most exciting part of our Beer journey was seeing Matt and Lauri leave their jobs and pursue their home brewing full time. Matt and Lauri own and brew at Moustache Brewing Co. in Riverhead. They have now begun distributing to New York City and can be found at Alewife in Long Island City, which is one of my fav beer bars.

April 13th, 2014. Moustache Brewing Friends and Family preview!

Bradco and I enjoying Moustache Brewing Co. Everyman’s Porter at Alewife NYC! October, 2016.

I like all the tasting rooms I’ve been to, but for me I will always love the beer bars like Alewife, the Jeffery, Barcade, and C’est Cheese. Dedicated to craft beer, of course, but also dedicated to the foods that enhance and define why craft beer should be paired with amazing food.

Speaking of C’est Cheese. About a year ago, they began their Beer Club program. I encouraged Patrick to join, of course, but said I would wait for the next time, thinking I could join the next week. Sadly, I missed the opportunity since they limited the club to 200 people.

A new year is upon us, and I am happy to announce that I am finally a member of the C’est Beer club. The beer journey continues, and I love being a part of it with my amazing writer, beer connoisseur husband.

No New Blog Post This Week, Or, Actually, There Might Be Several!

Hello, faithful Readers! Usually I put out a new post every Monday or Tuesday.

WELL, NOT THIS WEEK! OK, BYE!

…

……

Are you still there?

Cool. There will be posts coming up, probably multiple posts, because PATRICK AND HOLLY KAY ARE TAKING A WING-ED TRAIN, HURTLING THROUGH THE SKY AT SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES AN HOUR, TO THE LAND OF THE EMERALD ISLE, JOLLY OL’ IRELAND!!

So I’ll be posting from time to time as Holly Kay and I discover some new (to us) Irish Craft Beer along our adventures!

I look forward to sharing with you all!

Until next time!

Cheers!

Oh, but this is a blog about Beer. Last night, on All Hallows’ Eve (said in a spooky voice) Holly and I opened our bottle of Moustache Brewing Co. Seasonal Creep!

This is a pumpkin ale that Matt and Lauri released in July (as big distributors are doing with pumpkin ales now) that is designed to be aged 3 months (or more) so the flavors develop and it still tastes amazing even if you open it (as we did) in October or November!

I picked flavors of caramel, cinnamon, clove, cinnamon, and (of course) pumpkin! This beer is super boozy at 10.3% ABV, so it’s a sipper. We enjoyed it while we packed for our trip, which made a usually daunting task, less daunting.

Grim Grinning Ghosts and Seasonal Creep!

See you all very soon!

This Post Sucks! Or, Does It?

Do you have a beer that constantly surprises you?

Do you have a beer that, with each taste, a smile creeps across that sweet mug of yours, and you chuckle to yourself about how damn good that last sip was?

Do you have a beer that inspires you?

I took a sip of beer a few nights ago and stopped in my tracks. I was overwhelmed with thoughts of my (in retrospect, very short) craft beer journey.

This was the first IPA that blew me away. Holly Kay and I were at Tap and Barrel in Smithtown to see our dear friend Matthew Spitz (from the absolutely unbelievable Moustache Brewing Co.) and his band Royal City Riot, whose sole mission was to groove our mind, body and spirit with their reggae/ska/dancehall jamz, and groove our mind, body and spirit they did. My goodness. (Please refer to my Love Letter to Moustache Brewing Co. to learn more about Matt and Lauri Spitz, their baby, Moustache, and how amazing they are.).

I saw they had Lagunitas Sucks IPA on tap, and I was drawn to it, of course, because of the name. I was still naive about IPAs at that point (please refer to This Blog Post in which I have my brother Chris, who’s new to beer, try 3 >100 IBU IPAs, and the results are as expected!), and wanted to try something new.

I took one sip, and thought “THIS is the reason I got into craft beer.” I was overwhelmed with brown sugar (which is interesting when you hear the story about this beer), plum sweetness, and toasted caramel from the malts, balanced with a blast of lemon and orange zest citrus from the hops. One of the most flavorful, balanced IPAs I had ever drank.

Lagunitas Sucks! Also, my foot!

We could talk about how Heinekin purchased a 50% stake in Lagunitas, which would lead us down the wormhole to AB InBev and their acquisition of multiple Craft Breweries in an attempt to conquer the Craft Beer market.

But we’re not here to talk about that.

I want to talk about the time I didn’t get that promotion I had been working so hard for, and Holly came and picked me up from work (because she’s amazing) and surprised me with a 32oz bottle of Lagunitas Sucks (because she’s incredible. Also, beautiful. She has unbelievable brown eyes. Have you seen those eyes? My goodness.). She handed it to me, gave me a big old bear hug, and said “Honey, that sucks.” I drew myself a hot bath, popped open that bad boy, enjoyed the sweet, citrusy blend of magic, went to work the next day as cheery and chipper as ever, and got the promotion a week later. Boom.

Ok, so, the beer name. Here’s the story. Lagunitas has a beer called Brown Shugga. Due to their capacity issues in 2010, that particular beer, a strong ale with tons and tons of, you guessed it, brown sugar, took a long time to make. They were trying to expand, but the giant lauter tun (the vessel used to separate the liquid wort from the grain) they were going to used got damaged, so they couldn’t brew Brown Shugga. They called the IPA they brewed instead Lagunitas Sucks, as a consolation to all the Brown Shugga fans, and a comical, self-deprecating nod to staying humble in the face of success, even when something goes wrong. It used to be brewed only around Christmastime, but it’s become a year round brew for them, and for good reason.

Every time I come back to this beer, I’m blown away. Periods of time will go by, and it will disappear from my grocery store, and will show up again months later, and remind me again why I love craft beer so much. It reminds me of Spitzy, and Holly Kay, and all the adventures we’ve been on since I started getting into craft beer over 5 years ago.

My Dad’s go-to, Founders Breakfast Stout, and mineD Lagunitas Sucks.

It’s all about love, friendship, and great beer. And this is a great beer.

Until next time!

Cheers!

P.S. Huge shout out to my dude Brandon (@itsb_ran on the Instagramz) for helping me come up with the second half of my title this week! Thanks, buddy!

Surprise, Surprise, or, Patrick Uses the Same Hulk Hogan Picture Twice in One Blog…

I’m starting off a Benedict Beer Blog post talking about beer.

I know. I’m surprised too, brother!

I drank a few good beers today.

I was at C’est Cheese in Port Jefferson this afternoon. I ordered a glass of Grimm Artisinal Ales Rainbow Dome.

Just look at it. Rainbow Dome is a hazy, golden, juicy, gorgeous looking beer. This is a dry-hopped, oak aged wild/sour beer, brewed with apricots. I can’t stop looking at this picture. It’s unbelievably CRUSHABLE at 5%ABV.

One sniff and you’re smacked in the face by fruit and citrus (this is dry-hopped with El Dorado, Cascade, and Columbus). Taste is tart, lemon zest, mango, peach, apricot. It’s not too acidic and the mouthfeel is creamy. If it wasn’t too hard to come by, I would make this my summer go-to brew. Throw me poolside, on a shaded recliner (is that a thing? I think I could be a millionaire), with a glass of this. Heaven.

I sat down at C’est Cheese to write today, but that went out the window. A minute or two after I ordered, Bryan, a fellow C’est Beer member (it’s $20 for the membership and you get discounts on draft beer, and special bottles and cans), who we had met a few weeks back, sat down, and we chatted about our mutual Long Island beer friends, Matt and Lauri from Moustache Brewing Company (go back and read my love letter to these two cuties, if you haven’t!).

What’s amazing is that everyone who meet Matt and Lauri talk about how passionate they are, and what amazing beer they’re making. What’s interesting is, in every conversation I have about them, their passion is always mentioned first. I think that’s why Holly and I gravitated towards them when we lived out here, because they are hard working people who laid it all on the line to do what they’re passionate about, and that is so admirable. Ok, I’m gushing again.

Bryan and I also discussed my trip to Boston with Holly, and the amazing, juicy IPAs coming out of the Northeast. He often travels to Tree House Brewing Company to pick up their insanely out of control juice bomb IPAs (as well as their top of the heap stouts). This dude is all about beer, and all about community, so I’m so glad we got to spend an hour or so chatting.

I also ordered a Jack’s Abby Hoponius Union, an India Pale Lager from this Lager-only brewery in Framingham, Massachusetts. This is a lager brewed with “classic American hops” (it doesn’t list which ones, but I’m sure the C hops, like Cascade and Columbus, are in there). What I love about India Pale Lagers, or IPLs, is that the malt balances out the hops, so it finishes with a smooth malty sweetness that you find in a great lager. I’m sad Holly and I didn’t make it to this brewery, because I don’t believe I give lagers enough credit (Brooklyn Brewery and Sam Adams Brewery are really the only two lagers I will see on a regular basis), and from reviews I’ve read and hearing them talk on podcasts, these guys have perfected the style and are taking it to the next level. Cheers to them!

Last weekend, for Fathers Day, we bought my Dad a few beers, one was Central Waters Brewing Company Rye Barrel Aged Chocolate Porter, and the other, a Great Divide Brewing Company Chocolate Oak-Aged Yeti Imperial Stout. Dad had a little left over of the Yeti (he has yet to open the Porter), so I poured an ounce or two into a wine glass to try it.

It poured out viscous and jet-black. Smells like you’ve just walked into a chocolate shop, like sweet oak and bakers chocolate. Taste is similar, it envelops your mouth and evokes flavors of bitter chocolate, dark roasted coffee, with a little heat on the back end from the addition of cayenne pepper. What a fantastic beer. Be careful, all you out there in Internetland, this baby clocks in at 9.5%, so, as rapper Iced Cube would say, “prior to wrecking yourself, please check yourself.” (I’m 99% sure that’s right.)

Later in the evening, we went to my Grandparents’ house in Port Jeff Station, and I drank… A Bud Light. Yup.

“One of these things is not like the other, one of these things just doesn’t belong…”

Choicest hops (sure…), Best Barley Malt (you know it ain’t the best because they’re telling you it’s the best) and RICE?

I’m just as surprised as you, brother.
Why rice? I’m still not really sure. What I’ve heard forever is that it’s cheaper, and you don’t become a multi-billion dollar company by using expensive ingredients, I guess. But, Anheuser-Busch’s website says it’s more expensive, and helps give the beer a lighter, crisper taste. So who knows.

So yeah, I drank one of these tonight. I drank one of these because, when your 87 year old Grandpa, who’s dealing with a particularly nasty bout of skin cancer, says “Beer man! Have a beer with your Grandpa!”, you pop open that ice cold brew and drink it with a couple of slices of pizza. I could say that this was the best beer of the day (it wasn’t), but pizza, a cold beer, and conversation with family always makes for an amazing experience. Also, it was like 72 degrees outside, so that didn’t hurt, either.

Poolside dinner with a… Beer?

Yeah I threw cold cheese on that slice because TREAT YO’SELF!
My Aunt Mary said to me at dinner, “Patrick, you’re going to be so mad at me. All I drink is Coors Light.” I prepared in my head some pilsners she could drink instead (Victory Brewing Prima Pils and Sixpoint The Crisp stick out), and I said “I can give you a few alternatives.” And she responded “But I don’t want any!” And I said “That’s ok. That’s the whole point of my blog, is you should drink what you like. Beer should be fun.”

I don’t like that Anheuser-Busch, Miller-Coors, etc. are trying to run smaller breweries, like our dear ones at Moustache, out of town, and are buying up Craft Breweries like crazy, but I’m not going to pontificate or force my Aunt to change her beer choice at an awesome dinner with family. I might pick up a six pack of Prima Pils at the next party, and have her try it, but I’m certainly not going to spoil anyone else’s experience if they’re not interested. I drink Goose Island. I drink Lagunitas (who are in partnership with Heinekin), and I drink Ballast Point (who are in partnership with Constellation Beer, who produce Corona). I don’t think, if you’re having fun with it, you should have to apologize for what you like to drink. If you can change someone’s mind with an experience, it’s much better than telling them what NOT to drink.

Anheuser-Busch needs to apologize if they change their name to America, though. That’s for sure. Because that’s absolute nonsense.

Till next week! Cheers!