AzianBrewer

Happy Anniversary

2006-02-04T23:06:00.000-05:00

Yes.....Feb 4th 2006 is the one year anniversary of this blog. A year ago, I started this blog and thought that I would give in within 3 month. Well, this blog is still going strong after a year. So, what's new for this year??? More quality beers, sakes, shochu, running and surfing!!! I haven't surf for over a year!!!! Itching for some tasty waves....

Jimmy's Revisited

2006-02-02T11:55:00.000-05:00

We checked Jimmy's again couple of days ago. The food didn't meet the standard this time. I ordered a beef stew dinner and the waitress brought me 2 pathetic chunks of beef swimming in "ale soup" with couple of carrots and potatoes. However, Jimmy the man bought us 2 bottles of prized Barleywine. Big Foot from Sierra Nevada and the Old Crustacean from Rogue. I am not a big fan of Rogue but the Old Crustacean is one fine Barleywine not to be missed!

Berkshire Day

2006-01-15T15:10:00.000-05:00

I checked out Momofuku last Friday evening and trying to find out what is the buzz about the place. The New York magazine rated this restaurant one of the best in NYC and this is where all the chefs in town go. They are infamously known for using Berkshire pork and sighting of wannabe celebrities. For crying out loud, the Berkshire pork buns run for $8 for two. It is nothing but a rip-off of the Cantonese version of Peking Duck. 2 strips or Berkshire pork belly meat top of with Hoisin sauce, Japanese cucumber and scallion. The ramen that I ordered didn't came out the way I thought it should be. Let's start with the noodle, it is not the yellow ramen but white soba and the soup was really bland. The soup, where's the "umami" flavor of sea kelp or hon-dashi? Momofuku's stock is nothing but dilluted shoyu based water. My order of "Bershire" pork ramen taste nothing like the really deal. It looks like pernil in soy sauce water with noodle and serveral strips of bamboo shoots. The use or abuse of "Berkshire" is unnecessary. I have had ramen that are 10 times better than this place used only the regular domestic pink pig. No need to sell gimmicks such as Berkshire, Allan Benton's Smoky Mountain Country Hams and ingredients from Doug Metzger Farm in Seneca, KS. I mean, do you know and care where is Allan Benton's and how to get to Doug Metzger Farm?? I know I don't. The secret is all in the soup. You still should be able to make a mega nice bowl of ramen with less expensive pork and great stock.

Happy 2006

2006-01-03T12:05:00.000-05:00

Yes, 2006 is finally here! The Mrs. and I sent off 2005 with 60 other friends at a decently hip place called Lantern in Brooklyn Heights. Yes, there are couple of chicas!! The food is really so-so and so is the beer list. But for 3 Andrew Jacksons per head, no complaint. That night I was stuck with Sapporo (The other selections are Singha, Amstel, Heinny, Bud, Coors Light, Kirin and Corona.) and no sighting of the Big Man on Campus, Sam Adams.

Here's my review on:

Sapporo

Appearance: A gooden color of an average German Lager

Small: There is apparently a very light hint of fruitiness. Not a lot of aroma but at least it taste pretty fresh.

Taste: Just another thirst quenching beer. Great on a hot summer day at the beach.

Mouthfeel: Higher in carbonation comparing to it's American cousin "Bud".

Drinkability: It is always drinkable and cheap in Japan.

Definitely not my top choice of beer.

Lantern
101 MontagueStreet
Brooklyn, NY
718 237 2595

Fuller Pound and Pence

2005-12-30T10:00:00.000-05:00

Rocco and I checked out Pound & Pence, a English style pub in downtown formerly occupied by Devine, an overpriced/stuck-up wine bar. The bar has a great selection of Brit brews on taps. The crowd...Wall Street yuppies. I think our group is the only "non-suits". Suit or Non-Suit. The place definitely served up some great tasting or perhaps the freshest line-ups from Fuller. Other than that, the beverage menu looks alright with the exception for listing craps like Coors and Rheingolds in bottle for $4.

Well, without advertisement for this place here my reviews for Fuller's ESB, Fuller's London Pride, Fuller's Porter and my Fuller Crap.

Fuller's ESB

Appearance: A copperish rusty color with decent amount of head that quickly faded after the first sip.

Smell: A rich buttery aroma and yet with a nice hint of caramel apple.

Taste: Truly well balanced with a great Golding hop note. A toffeeish aftertaste; rich but not filling.

Mouthfeel: Moderate body and mild carbonation which is true characteristic of ESB.

Drinkability: I can drink this all day without food.

This is the best beer I have since the Goose Island experience.

Fuller's London Pride

Appearance: An orangy amber color as I point it toward the light

Smell: Not a lot of aroma as the ESB but it does have a light yeasty sweetness to it.

Taste: ahhh...very grainy and not overpowered of maltiness. A very modest beer with great taste.

Mouthfeel: A pretty light body beer with the weight of dark pilners.

Drinkability: Again all beers from Fuller's are extremely drinkable.

This is the flagship beer of Fuller's! Back to the basic, sophistically simple.

Fuller's Porter

Appearance: Nice dark color topped with a light tanned foam.

Smell: Roasty and malty. Big...just the way that a true porter should behave.

Taste: It has great note of Arabica coffee with a light hint of tabacco smoke and a rich finish.

Mouthfeel: Mild carbonation and full body collided with impact that I will never forget.

Drinkability: This is a king of all classic porters. No other porters can top this one.

I finally found a real deal porter and truly understand the concept behind "classic original".

Fuller Crap

This is not a beer but a public advisory. I am here wishing everyone a prosperous year 2006. Drink more beer, sake, whiskey, wine and other libations of choice in the mission to appreciate. Please drink responsibly and drive safe!

Pound & Pence
Liberty StNew York, NY 10005
(212) 233-245155

Cheers.
AzianBrewer

Born Into Brothels

2005-12-28T10:36:00.000-05:00

Born Into Brothels is perhaps the best documentary film since Roger & Me. I have always want to check out this film in the theater but the Mrs. Netflixed it 2 months ago. For those who are in the sh*tty mood, this movie is definitely a no go. You will be more p*ssed than ever and eventually depressed. However, it is a great movie for inviting that redhead hoochie you just picked up from a bar and show her your sensitive side after all that wine and dine session at your pad!

The story takes place in modern days Calcutta's red light district where a group of kids each given a 35mm camera to capture the world they see and interpret. The director/producer Zana Briski, a British/American photojournalist who originally planned to shoot the photos of these sex workers has gradually bonded and earned the respect of their kids. "Zana Auntie" became the teacher/mentor or these misfortunated children age range 10-14....alright, I am not going to give the entire movie away. Just Netflix it you cheapo!

One thing I find disturbing in the movie is when a country is embracing a tech boom and new economy, Calcutta or Kolcotta is still a backward slump! The "Ration" office is piled with paper and seemingly chaotc. I also find it disturbing when some folks actually knocked this movie and called the director imperialist. Some critics even go further and drew a comparative conclusion that Zana is a Mother Teresa wannabe. Well, to these nay sayers, y'all can take all the negetivities and shove it where the moon don't shine. The woman is helping these kids achieving the lives they can only dream of. Just put yourself in the shoes of these kids. They are pretty much spending their innocence witnessing their old men pimping the mothers and wondering when will be their turn. What is the future of these kids? Hashheads, pimps, criminals and ho's? What??? Prostitution has been a socio-tradition of Calcutta even before the arrival of the British so why is it a concern of foreign photographer to help these kids? Calcutta not ready to and should not be Westernized?? Bull.

Jimmy's

2005-12-20T12:30:00.000-05:00

Last week the steering committee of the New York City Homebrewers Guild took place at Jimmy's. I have been to a beer bar formerly known as Brewsky's for 3 years and never check out their partially renovated basement. That because the damn landlord "J" owns the building and so darn lazy or cheap to finish the renovation. Anyway, the place is very impressive. Totally, my kind of place. There are 6 beers on taps and at least couple of dozens in bottles listed on the menu. The menu are designed to pair with beers. The food are rustic Italian; more from the Tuscany or the surrounding region and is quite different from the Italian-American's meatball parms or the Sunday sauce kind of style. Sleazy ordered a muschroom risotto with pancetta, Phil had a bowl of steamed mussels that looks pretty weak and I am in love with the worker's special. The worker's special perhaps varies every week and it is a combo of 1 cold plate. 1 hot plate and 2 pints of beer from either IPA or Pilsner for $20!!!! What a deal for Victory IPA, Sixpoint IPA, a cold antipasto plate with olives, string beans with slices of Italian cold cut and a hot serving portion of lamb stew.

Drop by and high 5 Jimmy for the great job he is doing. Maybe he will buy you a pint of fine brew. He is the short Italian dude in the kitchen.

Jimmy's
43 East 7th Street
(basement)
New York, NY

NYC Transit Strike

2005-12-16T09:08:00.000-05:00

Get back to work and quit cryin' is what I have to say these lazy transit workers. The workers want 8 percent annual raises over three years and contend they should get a share of the MTA's $1 billion surplus. And after the transit bombings in Madrid and London, they also want more terrorism training. Pensions and health care have also been sticking points. What a bunch of greedy mofos. Go ahead, go on your pathetic strike. Once the stipend fund dried out you guys still have to haul a*ses and go back to work minus the days wage. There goe$ the holiday$

The Sleeziest DefrOktoberfest

2005-11-21T09:39:00.000-05:00

The Mrs. and I dropped by Sleezy Sherm's Brewery last Saturday for the annual DefrOktoberfest. Serving on taps are the DefrOktoberfest a Sleezy interpretation of Oktoberfest and his infamous Blind Cider. Of course, how can I be a honorable guest if I didn't help myself with his highly acclaimed Peanut Butter Porter. Overall, Sleezy is a man of style, a variety types of cheese are served to pair with his fine brews.

By the way, some goofy looking dude came around with his bottle of Jim Beam trying to get everyone drunk. I told him to man up with the "Bai Ju". The guy danced like a robot after 10 the potent distill kicked in.

My next batch is going to be a cider based on Sleezy's Blind Cider and perhaps with a tweak of blueberry. Hopefully, it will be ready for the holidays!

Brewtopia 3

2005-11-18T11:04:00.000-05:00

On November 12th, 2005 the NYC Homebrewers Guild stormed Brewtopia 3 which took place in Chelsea Pier with innovative brews. We worked non-stop at our table pouring some of the funkiest homebrews. Sleezy Sherm's Peanut Butter Porter was a hit. We had groupies coming from CT to just sample his infamous brew. RePhil brought his wintery spruce ale. Cuzme had a wit that named after this goombma and Mr. Post invited us to pour his cask-conditioned APA (American Pale Ale). And AzianBrewer shamelessly promoted his Lemongrass Amber.

Overall, the event was not as good as the one held in April. The organizers failed to efficiently utilize the facility. Pretty much all the tables are set up on one side of the venue and leaving the other side empty. Out of the 300 beers that were serving, I have perhaps tried 150 before the event. The most impressive brew I sample that day is actually Goose Island Honker!

The Best NYC Marathon

2005-11-08T15:06:00.000-05:00

Running is very addictive...especially after the 5 boros 26.2 run. There is nothing in this world quite like the NYC Marathon. My finished time is 5:30:26. The guy in the squirrel costume and the rhinos beat me!!! The Blue Brothers and Wonder Woman also ran but the most amazing scene is when you see people with physical disability actually ran and finished the race. Well, it will definitely take legs to run the first 22 miles and the heart for the last 4.2 miles.

Afterward, I had my post race party at People in Lower Eastside. The manager really hooked us up with the drinks!!! Special thanks to:

-Dr. Ivy for prepping my body for this event. I am ready for another 26.2 miles next week!
-Pizzle and Wendy for coming down from Toronto.
-Eric, Janice, Jenn and Mitch for drinking with me at People.
-Patrick, Jenny and Fion for taking my victory chocolate.
-Paul R (Rocco) for providing me all the hot tips.
-Dan & Arlene for not flaking out at the post race party.
-"Jackson" and "Colooch" for busting my balls at work!! The mozz and puschoot are awesome. The cannoli is definitely a "Happy Ending"!!
-Phil, Sleezy Sherm, Dave, and the 2 Chris' of the New York City Homebrewers Guild for not tempting me with beer during my training days.
-Seb from the NYC Sake Enthusiasts for running a great club with me!
-Bill from the Hop Devil Grills for the greasiest frieds in NYC.
-Andre, Aileen, Arlene 2, Cindy, Fay, Lanna, Andy, Ann and Vivian for showing up.
-Thao and John for helping us out in Playa del Carmen.
-Julie for missing the Simpsons and learn to drink with us.
-Go "Hung" for hooking us up at People.
-Big "O" for being a great friend and a training buddy..."Don't let your body tells you what to do".
-And of course, my Amanda for being there with me all through the race and the mental support!!!

This race is dedicated to my grandpa. You gave me the strength and ran with me for the whole 26.2 miles through all 5 boros. RIP!!!

Sunday

2005-11-04T09:44:00.000-05:00

The Sunday is Marathon day. Folks, stop asking me if I am ready. I am just glad that I am part of it and I will finish the run and that's it! After that I just chill at bar and looking forward to see my friends and all.

The Night of Sake Madness

2005-10-30T21:15:00.000-05:00

Six flights of premium sake and appetizers for $20???? Dude, you can only find deal like that at Satsko. The NYC Sake Enthusiasts Group revisited Satsko and had a blast. Almost thirty-six enthusiasts showed up and plus crashers. Some even think six flights and appetizers are not enough. People are getting too greedy at one point and asked for a 2nd round of free grubs. And when it comes to tipping my friend Warren the bartender got beans!!! That is it...I am laying down the pipes. PAYPAL time, y'all!!!

Playa del Carmen Part III

2005-10-29T10:47:00.000-04:00

Sucks!!!!!

Oct. 12, 2005

Cancun - The Mexican resort town of Playa del Carmen, popular with European and North American tourists, was "destroyed" by powerful Hurricane Wilma, civil defence officials said on Saturday.
The small town, south of high-rise-laden Cancun, had at least 1 000 homes seriously damaged, said Moises Ramirez, the town's civil defence chief, as Wilma's eye was just inland on the Yucatan peninsula, almost stationary, between mainland Caribbean Cancun and the island Cozumel.

Locals said it was the worst storm they could remember, as its effects dragged on over 36 hours.
"Playa is destroyed. We have water everywhere, all of the power lines are down, we are flooded all over. Playa is just not like this," the distraught official said by phone as he toured his town.
He said there were no reports of new injuries other than the seven people injured on Friday when a gas tank fell.

Although it weakened in the early hours and was downgraded to a category-three storm, Wilma packed enough punch to fell trees and tear off roofs, as tens of thousands of tourists and residents cowered in emergency shelters in Cancun.
"The water is already reaching the third floor of some hotels," said Humberto Hernandez Uzon, a spokesperson for the national weather service. "And the bad weather will continue for another 12 hours."

Quintana Roo state Governor Felix Gonzalez Canto said the storm had affected the region's infrastructure but noted with satisfaction that so far his administration was not aware of any fatalities.

The eye of the 12th hurricane of the Atlantic season was expected to remain over the peninsula on Saturday before heading slowly toward the Florida coast in the southeastern United States.

NYC Marathon

2005-10-28T10:57:00.000-04:00

Am I ready for the marathon??? Ask me that question again after the marathon. I ran 2 nights in a row with Big O. The two nights we ran one loop of counter-clockwise and one loop of clockwise in Central Park. My knees and ankles are screaming for help this morning. I think I am in deep crap!!!

The remaining training route?? Willis Bridge from Manhattan to Bronx that back down to Central Park, Pulaski Bridge to Greenpoint and Williamsburgh Bridge to Williamsburgh...It is all in the head...don't let your body tell you what to do.

Playa del Carmen Part II

2005-10-27T11:23:00.000-04:00

Did I have Corona with lime? Hell no, I pretty much covered every beer from Mexico except the Corona's piss water. Sol with lime, Pacifico with lime, Monteja with lime, XX with lime, Superior with lime and Modelo Especial with lime. Bohemia and Negra Modelo with lime???? Hell no....Bohemia is a cerveza mas fina from Mexico. No lime is needed to garnish this wonderful beer. The taste...hmmm Sam Adams with mucho characters.

Food in Playa del Carmen is awesome. The town is splitted into 2 types of people. The tourists and the locals. Most of the tourists are either from North America or Europe. The majority of the locals are the real Mexican with Mayan heritage and the minorities are composed of European and North American. Okay going back to food....PDC has the best pizza outside of NYC. They are quite creative with their pies. Because of heavy concentration of European Italian. Pizza and Italian restaurants are doing pretty well down there. Crepe is always a must after dinner. My favorite is still Nutella and Cajeta-caramelized goat milk is quite good too. Other than these "foreign" influenced grubs. The local stuffs are superb! La Parilla makes the best mixed grill in the area, pescados and camarones taco from the sausage party taco shop...La Loncheria are delish! The real deal tacos are from the street...taco al pastor 7 pesos each. I even had the grilled hot dog from the street. They wrapped each pig with a blanket of bacon and served it in a hot dog roll with mayo, ketchup and mustard. The tamale is really hot but the hoochies who sell them off the cart are definitely not.

No iguanas or armadillo this time....You lucky bastards!!!

Playa del Carmen Part I

2005-10-25T11:00:00.000-04:00

What a trip down to the South of Border! The Mrs. and I got there for our big day on the 12th. We were staying at The Royal Palms Condo in Playa del Carmen which is 40 miles south of Cancun. The area we stayed is quite European with a blend of Mexico and North America. Yes, there are a lot of Canadians..eh and quite a number of Italian hoochies. Outside of La Quinta vicinity (5th Ave) are slumps. This is where majority of locals live. The street roads are pretty much covered with dried yellow dirts and did I say sink holes? Strayed dogs roam the street and iguanas are the kings of the suburbs. Speaking of iguanas, my guy Ermin and I went to a cell phone store one day and the store proprietor told us armadillos and iguanas are good eats! Salsa Verde o' Mole? He told us to a shithole and we ordered Chuleta con Salsa Verde. I think a hot bowl of turkey soup comes with the meal but no self respected Gringo eat soup when it is 90 degree out there. These Mexican are locos!!!!

The official wedding crasher Guy shot a nice footage of the ceremony. I can see him shooting adult videos in the near future!

Awamori, the Next Big Thing

2005-10-11T13:50:00.000-04:00

Before heading out to Playa del Carmen, I just want to mention my recent new found love-Awamori 泡盛. What the heck is Awamori? Awamori is an alcoholic beverage indigenous to and unique to Okinawa, Japan. It is distilled from rice, not brewed. It is similar to shochu (a distilled alcoholic beverage from mainland Japan), but made from Indica instead of Japonica rice. Indica is a type of rice from Thailand and other parts of Southeast Asia. When it is age for more than 3 years it is then called Kusu or old liquor.

So, which Awamori's are worthy to destroy your liver??? In my humble opinion, I am now a fan of Zuisen. Ryukyu Ocho is not so bad either and Mizuho is pretty drinkable. Each has their own uniqueness Ryukyu tastes a bit earthy and Zuisen is the smoother one. And as for Mizuho, I smelled Cream of Wheats (must be nice to have something like this in the winter).

Joy of Sake

2005-09-30T15:27:00.000-04:00

My friend Seb sold me his Joy of Sake ticket since he is having his wine tasting dinner with the NYC Wine Club. As the representive of the greater NYC Sake Enthusiasts Group, I check out this spectacular event at the Puck Building with a mission to sample some fine sakes. The minute I walked in to the main floor I knew immediately that I am in Sake Heaven!!!! I was politelty greeted by someone in a brewer robe handing me the calibration sake to start off my engine. The calibration sake is probably a cheap domestic sake....Ozeki. Then the waiter swung by with a hor d'euver that looks like Jello shot. It's actually foie gras shot made with sake!!! Nasty!!!! I went on a tour tasting other nibbles. Some are okay and while others totally waste of time to eat. The most savoring one is the cheese tray. Parmigiano-Reggiano wedge (hey, this ain't that cheap Kraft's parmesan cheese that comes in a green container) accompanied with a tidbit of quince paste. And the taste??? A match made in Joy of Sake!!! It washed down well with my cup of Okunomatsu Adatara Ginjo. After half hour of wolfing down the foods, some serious sake tasting! My first round is mainly the Junmais. The Yaegaki "Ki no Mu" is the best in this catagory. Moving on to Ginjo, I am now a fan of Okunomatsu Adatara Ginjo (Didn't I mentioned this before in the post?). The Kanto "Yuki no Bijin" or "Snow Beauty took home the medal for it's clean tasting and freshness.

Honestly, I was pretty buzzed by the 10th glass. After that everything else tasted the same. I blamed that the unavailability of spit bucket and water to rinse my glass. By the way, John Gauntner is really cool and easy going. I caught with him and drank together toward the end of the night.

Busting Out My Ammo After My Sip of KanNoko

2005-09-22T10:34:00.000-04:00

Let's face it, I have no future in the Hip-Hop industry with rhyme like that. Wine fiend Seb and I checked out EN Brasserie last night and talked biz with the event director. The place is definitely an upscale izakaya. I have heard good and bad reviews of the establishment. Frank Bruni of the NY Times gave this place one star. Now I have second thought of taking ma there and get her hammered. Anyway, the shochu I ordered there was KanNoko from the Kagoshima perfecture, the land of fine shochus and loose women (Alright, how about just friendly women?). This tasty libation is made from barley and aged three years. The taste???? Very smooth with ripe banana and a luxurious wash of vanilla. The color??? A light "piss-yellow".

By the way, I am still staying with J & P. The bathroom is 85% done and kitchen should be done by end of the week.

My 3 Weeks of Being a NYC Homeless

2005-09-07T21:21:00.000-04:00

My pad is going through a make over so I am a homeless for 2 weeks. No bath and no kitchen. Any lovely ladies out there desparate for a strong man to keep her company??? Call me. I am waiting but not for long! Can you believe the cost for installing a toilet set is $250 in NYC??? What a rip! I think I am in the wrong profession.

As I am taking my days off from my lousy desk job. I have been checking in and out my local gym on a daily basis. I have noticed that between the 11 am to 2 pm the gym are packed by MILF!!! Of course my gym also caters to senior citizens!!!! And no I don't go for GILF you sicko!

Thank You, Corina Zappia

2005-08-23T23:57:00.000-04:00

The NYC Homebrewersguild would like to extend our appreciation for your candid reporting of our humble guild. Thank you and we love ya!!

Guild's VP
AzianBrewer

Sleazy Sherm's Twisted Labels

Here's what she wrote about us:

Liquid City
Hopped Up
Hardcore brewing dudes make peanut butter beer in an NYC tenement apartment

by Corina Zappia
August 18th, 2005 1:35 PM

Bottles of "Sleazy Sherm's" homebrew
photo: Corina Zappia

Think of beer devotion like an onion: The top layers are disinterested Bud drinkers; the mid-level, microbrew devotees; and beyond that, exists the beer-fest goers. Peel back each level and the group gets smaller, till at the core you have only the most dedicated, the most steadfast, and the most zealous. These are the homebrewers.

This is not about that stud in your freshman dorm who rocked out with his $29.99 Mr. Beer kit. True homebrewers may start with beer-in-a-bag, but have since ascended to a much higher plane of expertise. They join clubs around the country, some with alarmingly cute names like "Barley Literates," "Dead Yeast Society," "Urban Knaves of Grain," "Foam on the Range," and "BURP" (Brewers United for Real Potables). They participate in nationwide contests, and some, like Brooklyn Brewery's Garrett Oliver, move onto full-time commercial careers. And they are not just a product of the suburbs, where there is the luxury of space.

Founded in 1987, the simply-named New York City Homebrewers Guild meets at Burp Castle every month to share their homemade creations, discuss recipes, and listen to guest speakers from nearby breweries talk about the craft. Of all the members, 45 to 50 regularly attend meetings and brew from home even if home is an L.E.S studio, or a one-bedroom on the Upper East Side.

Dave Witzel, the current President of NYCHG, is one of those guys. "I am able to do it in my tiny six-by-seven kitchen, where there's not really room for two people at once. For most of us, the kitchen is our heat source. And it's really a five-gallon bucket sitting in your living room at hopefully a constant temperature, as constant as you can get it. My wife doesn't want to be around when I do it, cause it takes up three hours and the whole place smells like wort."

Witzel admits it's a hobby that instantly ferrets out the casual beer lover (or those mildly curious about that homebrewing trend from a few years ago). "There's some equipment you have to buy, which is going to take up some room, especially in New York City. You gotta babysit the beer, be very clean, and sanitary and it still might not come out all that good."

To an outsider, listening in on a Q&A with a visiting speaker last Tuesday, a representative from the Chelsea Brewing Company as a bit like sitting through chemistry class, or eavesdropping on a lecture about aging prize Gouda (i.e., hearing statements like "Because with some yeast, if you drop the temperature 5 degrees . . . ," "What can I do to maximize the yeast potential?," or "The strain you're dealing with is made for high gravity.")

Part of the challenge is experimenting with new tastes. A business systems analyst during the day, Paul Lau socks away time to create beers he flavors with lemongrass, kaffir limes, or jasmine tea leaves. Phil Clarke, a freelance writer for the Ale Street News, wants to try a spruce beer, made from real pine needles. If this were a foreign car club, Phil would be the rock star with the million-dollar Maserati. He has the beer-club equivalent: A spacious Bronx apartment with a designated brewing room and a wife who's as much a fan as he is. Phil produces 80 gallons of beer a year, although he informs me the legal limit is 200.

To the outside observer, the members produce what appears to be a baffling variety of beer. Jeff, a software developer, brews everything from ale to hard lemonade to even sake out of a two-room tenement apartment in the East Village. He has no bathroom sink, but his greater problem is rodents. "You have to store your grains in metal tins. The mice in my apartment are super mice." His website details his experiments with spiced ciders, English beers and a peanut butter porter, made with real organic peanut butter he let sit out for a month, diligently scraping away the oil that rises to the top every three days. "Not very oily, like the others you've had, right?" he hopefully says at the meeting, proudly offering up his porter to the other members. Not very oily at all. And it tastes . . . like peanut butter.

Some admit they don't whip out the good stuff for people they don't know, or even less-interested relatives. They are almost sweetly bashful about it, sharing their creations only with those who would appreciate or understand. Says Paul: "I'll offer them Bud, Bud Light, and Heineken instead." Their motives for brewing have little to do with price or lack of variety, in a city that offers every kind of beer imaginable. "The reason why everyone brews is just so you can make the beer exactly how you want it. That's like asking a baker why they want to bake their own bread," bellows Phil. "You can buy a jar of Prego," pipes in Paul, to offer up his reasoning, "but it'll never be the way Mom makes it."

Sake Night at SOY

2005-08-22T23:30:00.000-04:00

The NYC Sake Enthusiasts group invaded a tiny Japanese eatery, SOY in LES. It is a BYOS (*Bring Your Own Sake) night. So everyone came prepared with a bottle of sake and shared it with the group. We told Etsko the propriate of the lovely SOY that we are only going to be there for couple of hours but we stayed until 10:30 pm. Etsko is master of tofu cuisine; stuffed, stir-fried with chives or chilled. Other than vegetarian plates, SOY's Cod with Ginger Sauce is quite a catch of the evening. The buttery flavor of the cod fillet blends well with my earthy Sato No Homare, a junmai ginjo. Everyone were pretty much buzzed by the end of the event. We were introduced to umeboshi (Japanese pickled plum) with shochu. I have tasted quite a few brands of Japanese shochu but never mixed it with umeboshi. When it comes to use shochu/soju as a mixer, I always prefer the Korean soju. It is cheap and harsh. Perfect for Sojutini, Sojudrivers and Soju-Mary.

The Invasion of Sake Enthusiasts

That night the group also tasted Sawanoi, a junmai ginjo from Tokyo and Fukunishiki, a junmai from Hyogo-Ken.

Training Day

2005-08-15T11:25:00.000-04:00

Had my first training with Big O yesterday. We started at 8 am from his apartment in Turtle Bay and ran crosstown to the Westside Highway. Running in the heat and humidity is no fun. And on top of that I am struggling with a pain in the neck stiffness. I threw in the white towel about a quarter mile from his place. We ran about 5 miles in all. The mercury surged up to 99 degree. I love summer in NYC. Hot and muggy.

King Kong Ain't Got Nuthin' On Me

True Hall of Famers

2005-08-08T12:43:00.000-04:00

I am a 49ers fan since 1984. Without a doubt Joe Montana is perhaps the greatest quarterback in the business. His style and techniques are studied by coaches, linebackers and prospective NFL & NCAA quarterbacks across North America. His departure of the Bay Area led to a new beginning of a very talented quarterback who created his own legacy in the NFL history. Steve Young is the name of the game. I think til these days he is one of the most underrated Superbowl MVP. He doesn't have a passing stronge arm like John Elway, the explosive accuracy of Dan Marino or run like Michael Vick. What earned him the Superbowl ring is his quick thinking and scrambling skill. So who is the next Steve Young??? Alex Smith??? I don't think so! I going to leave the rest of the writing to sport writer Charles Robinson. Here is his commentary of the Hall of Fame induction of Dan Marino and Steve Young....

CANTON, Ohio – Someone send the footage of Sunday's Pro Football Hall of Fame induction to Terrell Owens. That thought kept going through my head as I sat and watched the proceedings in Fawcett Stadium.

How long has it been since we've applauded star players who love pro football more than they expect pro football to love them back? If you had to think hard about that question, then maybe you should have been in Canton, too.

For one day, the annual enshrinement ceremony encouraged us to remember the NFL at its best and not worry about the league at its worst. So we mothballed Owens, Ricky Williams and Sean Taylor. We forgot the image of Adam "Pacman" Jones singing the praises of his bling on an NFL Network broadcast and Jake Plummer giving the middle finger to fans. We even disregarded the eight first-round draft picks engaged in training camp holdouts, including two – Chicago's Cedric Benson and Miami's Ronnie Brown – who were supposed to debut in Monday's Hall of Fame game.

Instead, we took the equivalent of offseason aspirin and spent a minute to remember that sometimes star players can give more than they receive.

So we celebrated Dan Marino, who managed to rewrite nearly every NFL passing record while spending his entire 17-year career with one team, the Miami Dolphins. We paid tribute to Steve Young, who rose from the role of perpetual second fiddle on the San Francisco 49ers to win the affection of the Bay Area.

We got to know Fritz Pollard, one of the game's African-American pioneers, whose hardships should make it a felony to complain about million-dollar contracts. And we paid homage to Benny Friedman, who went against league trends and planted the seed of today's scoreboard-happy passing games.

Sitting in the stadium Sunday and seeing former teammates embracing and Hall of Fame inductees mingling in bunches, it was easy to suspect that emotion would carry the day. But there was an underlying message, and it was slightly similar to last week's Baseball Hall of Fame inductions when Ryne Sandberg and Wade Boggs were critical of individual players becoming bigger than their sport. If anything, Sunday's ceremonies in Canton should have pounded home salient points: Nobody transcends the game, nobody deserves exclusive rights to a spotlight and every current player should wake up feeling blessed.

It was a message that gave me pause. I watched the glowing terms used to describe these men, and I wonder what we'll say about Owens, should he be enshrined one day. More appropriately, I wonder what Owens would say about everyone else.

It's a shame T.O. wasn't there when former Dolphins coach Don Shula walked onto the stage and got arguably the loudest standing ovation of the day. Or when Steve Young's wife began to weep when her husband said it was most important to be considered a Hall of Fame dad and husband. And surely Owens would have liked to have heard Pollard's grandson Stephen Towns remind the audience of the tragic and embarrassing moratorium NFL owners placed on black players in the 1930s and '40s.

Obviously, training camp precluded Owens from attending. But I hope he caught the ceremony on television. Maybe he saw that for all the talk of statistics and greatness in football – for all the money being made – the truly impactful statements were about history, family and journey.

Nobody stood at the podium and said: "Thank God I was the highest-paid player at my position" or "I could have won a Super Bowl if it wasn't for my quarterback." Instead, it was a merry-go-round of tributes to former teammates, coaches, family and fans. And a remembrance that players don't become beacons in the NFL simply by standing on their wallets.

They get there by having appreciation for both history and their peers. They get there on the shoulders of teammates – even the flawed and less talented ones. They get there by having a special kind of reverence. That's what we saw from Marino and Young on Sunday.

Marino talked about his pride of being part of a great Western Pennsylvania tradition of quarterbacks, including Joe Namath, Johnny Unitas, Joe Montana and Jim Kelly. He looped his speech back to Shula several times and gave special thanks to Mark Clayton and Mark Duper, who caught so many of his touchdown passes. Then, in what will be a memorable twist among Hall of Fame speeches, one of his sons tossed Marino a football, and he weaved Clayton into the spotlight.

"Go deep, Mark," Marino said, imploring Clayton to stand and catch one last pass.

It wasn't the grandstanding kind of gesture, either. Truthfully, both Marino and Young showed a remarkable amount of humility for the accomplishments of Friedman and Pollard, who passed away years before being recognized for their pivotal accomplishments. Surely, not all Hall of Famers are this deferential to their family or coaches or forefathers. But they should be. Surely some are gleeful at being fawned over for their talents for one last moment. But that's not what Sunday was about. And that's precisely what made it such a feel-good day for the league.

"I've accomplished many things," Marino said, "but what I cherish more than any record I hold, fourth-quarter comeback, or any wins I was involved in is the relationships."

Like Young, I'm guessing Marino wasn't just talking about football.

"For me, it will never again be third and 10, late in the fourth quarter and down by four in Candlestick Park," Young said. "Nothing in life can be like those great moments. But with those experiences, and all the other good things that happened, life today is even better. With my wife Barb and my two sons, Braedon and Jackson, I have found the secret to life: It's loving others more than yourself."

That's a significant point. Too bad there are some people in today's NFL who still don't get it.