We Hate Organic, but Love this Brew

What we really despise about this whole "green" movement is that it's pretentious and wrought with guilt. Latte liberals driving around in their Toyota Prius and looking down their nose at our H3 - making us feel like our very existence is killing the the polar bears. We're born and raised Catholic so we don't need help feeling guilt.

So, frankly we did our best to avoid the Peak Organic Brewing Company. Sitting on the top shelf, looking down on the other brews with their preservatives and non-organic labels. Sure, it's not the same as being green but it's in the same family. Let's be honest - brewing beer is really quite organic. It's malt, yeast, water, and hops mashed together until it turns into beer. Maybe there are some preservatives, maybe not but it's only a step or two away from being a naturally organic process - regardless of who is brewing.

We do love coffee. Obviously we love beer. Peak's Espresso Amber Ale just called out to us - every damn time we walked through a beer aisle. So, we picked up a 4-pack. And we like it, we really begrudgingly like it. Like Sarah Palin, you want to hate it but you can't. It pours too beautifully to hate. In fact, it's not a clear brew (probably because it's so natural) at all. It has a copper color with a strong fogged look. This is probably what causes a much lighter red-brown head that's full but breaks down in short order. If you can't smell the coffee you bit off your nose to spite your face. The flavor is full and the coffee is present through out. It's definitely an ale and even a bit sweet with a roasty, chocolate undertone.

If you're truly interested in the fair trade, and righteousness, you can check out the Peak Organic Web site. If you want a good beer, skip the Interweb and go straight to your local brew store and pick up this fine brew. Have it in the evening after dinner or have it for breakfast. What the hell, it has coffee in it.

Cheery-o, I Kissed the Bloke

For the most part we here at Dumbarton's Beer could care less about British Royalty. Let's face it, we fought a war and intentionally created a new country devoid of royalty to express our displeasure with the crown. That said, when the Prince is kissing boys for beer we take notice.

Rocky Bennett found the Prince in a night club and offered to buy Harry a pint of his favourite ale in exchange for a kiss.


Quoting Mr. Bennett: "I went up to him and told him I would love to buy him a drink if he gave me a kiss. Harry just burst out laughing, threw his arms around me and kissed me on the left cheek. I’m not going to wash my face for a month now. It was the best moment of my life. I just burst into tears, he’s so down to earth."

Chelsey Davy was not available for comment.

DB's San Diego Beer Week Continues

So, on Thursday we finished off a long day with some brews in the Gaslamp Quarter (again) when we stumble upon the Lost Coast Downtown Brown. We found it at one of the local Irish pubs and we might add that Irish pubs are becoming a theme on this trip.

Downtown Brown is described as a "smooth, full bodied nut brown ale" and that's pretty much accurate. There's something about this brown ale that is unremarkable yet once you get a taste for it you just can't move on to other brews. That really is the sign of a great nut brown - it is full bodied and brings you back for more yet isn't filling like a stout. At the bottom of each glass you really only have one option - get yourself a refill.

Today, after pulling the work equivalent of a college all nighter, we ate with friends at the Yard House. This place is not for the elder statesmen. It's loud, roucus, and focuses on the younger crowd. That said, they have something like 250 brews on tap. There is no age restriction for that kind of aesthetic draw. We settled on Bear Republic's Racer 5 IPA - based on input from the knowledgeable wait staff. If you land on the left coast you need to find this beer. While not as hoppy as many IPAs, it's full bodied and has a very nice clean finish. The aroma is what gets you. Take a quick sniff before you drink and it will remind you of your first grade crush. We have one more night here and if Racer 5 is on the menu it will be hard to find a reason to experiment.

San Diego Beer Week, Almost

When we heard it was Beer Week in San Diego we hopped on the first flight we could find to the left coast to partake in the festivities. Upon arriving, we learned of other priorities (like work) that would make us miss much of the Official Beer Week activities. So, we bring you Dumbarton's Beer Week in San Diego. If by some chance we stumble upon an offical activity we'll be sure to let you know but don't hold your breath.

We first hit the Rock Bottom Brewery located in the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter. Sure, it's a chain but it's the only brewpub in the Quarter and they do make beer on site. We hit up the Liquid Sunshine and the Mary Jane IPA. Liquid Sunshine is a good pilsner - full malt flavor with a nice bitter hops finish (as opposed to a flowery hop finish). By far the better of the two brews we sampled. We finished the afternoon with Mary Jane IPA for obvious reasons. It's a fine if forgettable IPA.

After drinking from the Wells at Mr. A's, we hit The Field, an Irish Pub, for a nightcap. This stop was more about atmosphere than the brews. Like any good Irish pub, the Field features low lighting, dark wood, and live Irish music. We settled down for a few Boddington's and soaked in the evening. The Field may be a regular night cap stop for the remainder of the week.

Mary Jane IPA - cool name. good but not great beer.

@ Rock Bottom in Gaslamp Quarter drinking Liquid Sunshine.

Super Heros

Carrying on with the post-Halloween news.