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.

The Land of Midnight Moon

2005-08-02T00:26:00.000-04:00

EZRyder, the Mrs. and I checked out Satsko last weekend for some sake. The three of us polished off a bottle of Meibo Yowanotsuki or "Midnight Moon" and munched on some edamame in courtesy of Satsko (The sake we paid for). One word, Chardonnay. This ginjo is on the rich side. I have never tasted a buttery sake like Midnight Moon. It is more like the Midnight Oil. By the way, what ever happened to that 80's Aussie band??? Yes, I will pair Meibo Yowanotsuki with that 80's band. By the way, Satsko is one charming lady!!!

Nama Is My Summer Fling

2005-08-02T00:11:00.000-04:00

So, I have a new summer fling besides that redhead in my dream. Well, I picked up a bottle of Ohyama Nama Sake on Saturday night with the Mrs. The refreshingness of the unpasteurized sake starts off with a light scent of melon and a finishing taste of dry cider. I know I have been drinking a lot of sake these days. But beer is still my No. 1 passion. Since, I am training for the marathon and my big day, it would be wise for me to ease up the beer from now to November. Kaz Yamazaki of Prestige informed me that sake actually helps burn fat....What kind of crap is that??? Don't alcohol convert to sugar once downed the hatch??

Kuro Isanishiki Imo Shochu

2005-07-29T11:45:00.000-04:00

I checked out Landmark Wine & Liquor and picked up a bottle of Kuro Isanishiki Imo Shochu. Imo is a variation of Japanese yam and the key ingredient for producing kickass imo shochu. I am not a connoisseur in this area. However, I always prefer Japanese shochu over Korean soju. I think Korean soju is quite harsh comparing to the Japanese selections. Actually, I will take that back...Korean soju are great for mixing cocktail and Japanese are better for sipping. Well, Kuro Isanishiki Imo has the simple aroma of raisin and yam. I mixed it will iced water and had it on the rocks on the second round. The weather is too hot for warm shochu.

Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle

2005-07-29T10:49:00.000-04:00

My Bensonhurst guido co-worker highly recommended this movie. He said, "Laubowski, you gotta see this movie. It is 2 for $20 at Best Buy!" I got the movie yesterday and it sucks!! Alright, I did laughed at several scenes. But it's nothing like Old School. John Cho the MILF guy from American Pie played an analyst at an investment banking firm and Kal Penn assigned the role of a med school applicant/stoner. Movie is basically about two straight lads driving around the NJ Turnpike looking for White Castle and some unfortunated incidents. Well, think this flick is so bad that I have no desire to review it. Just take my advice...Don't buy it!

Southampton Double White Ale

2005-07-24T21:56:00.000-04:00

I fired up the grill tonight with the Mrs. and Cousin Rogg. The ribs are Koreans style and so are the kebobs. Marinated with Korean red chili paste, cracked black peppers, light soy, sugar, marin and some hondashi. And on a breezy July summer night, I paired the carnivore feast (By the way, the Mrs. prepared a great serving of watercress salad with mixed greens.) with no other than the Southampton Double White Ale. It was so awesome that I doubled the bottles and Rogg claimed it's the best beer he ever consumed. I had this particular brew at last year's Beer on the Pier. The event was horrible but Southampton left an incredible remark with this tasty Belgian style ale. Here's the my tasting note...

Publick House Beer

Appearance: A nice pale yellow brew producing only a decent thin 1/8 inch thick head of rapidly dissipating bubbles and left the glass with a film of froth.

Smell: Ultimately fresh and accompanied with the aroma of spicy coriander and Curacao orange.

Taste: Taste is exactly the way Witbier should taste like. It has an aftertaste of Saison. It is really a great beer for the summer. Simply superb.

Mouthfeel: Easy drinking with a medium-light body. Quite refreshing and great to drink it along or with friends.

Drinkability: Are you kidding me??? I am totally speechless with this outstanding brew from Southampton. This is one true gem that puts NY in the map for beer.

Simply irresistable!!!!

Brooklyner Weisse

2005-07-22T23:04:00.000-04:00

I paid my second visit to Lounge 47 in Queens. The place serves the best tuna fish salad sandwich and always rotate their taps with different beers. On top of that, the redhead waitress is smokin'!!! Looking forward to go there in the near future. Anyway, tonight I started off with a refreshing serving of Gazpacho and ordered grilled beef salad. The watercress greens accompanied well with the shaved parmigiano cheese and pine nuts or pignoli.

The Un-Weisse Beer from Brooklyn

Unfortunately, I paired the salad with a wrong beer which is the Weisse from Brooklyn Brewery and here's the review...

Appearance - It has a decent cloudy dark-golden color with a nice amount of carbonation.

Smell - A weak aroma of banana and clove with a tartness touch of sulfur.

Taste - Tart with a drop of spicy taste to it. A hybrid of Bavarian style Weisse and Berliner style.

Mouthfeel - Wonderful settled with a smooth feel. The carbonation help maintain the smoothness. This had a full body.

Drinkability - This is perhaps one of the most disappointing beer from Brooklyn Brewery. Nice try but it is a confused product. Will not buy again.

A Lesson From Lance Armstrong

2005-07-22T13:55:00.000-04:00

I don't know much about the Tour du France or anything related to cycling. However, I must say that Lance Armstrong is one tough son of a gun. The guy won the battle against testicular cancer and went on to show the world that American can ride bicycle for the 6th times (seventh is on the way). Established the Live Strong Foundation and successfully marketed his Yellow Band with Nike. And let's not forget his is sleeping with Cheryl Crow. So what's the lesson to be learned??? His exit strategy; knowing when to quit. The 2005 Tour du France race will be his last. He is retiring from cycling perhaps forever. Who knows??? He might be itching to come out of retirement by the next Tour du France. But that's not the point. The point is that he is able to let this go in the peak of his career.

Live Strong and Date Female Rock Vocalist

On the other hand, the all banged up Jerry Rice is playing for the Broncos this season. He should have retired after playing for the Oakland Raiders and not signed with the Seattle Seahawks. Pretty much he doesn't have to prove that he is the all time best receiver. We saw his glorious past playing with 2 great quarterbacks-Joe Montana and Steve Young. This guy can catch passes from any corners. Unfortunately, age is the key factor in many professional sports. I hate to sat this Jerry but you are over the hill. Save yourself the embarassment and retire already. Save a little dignity for yourself and save your health for yourself and your family.

Training for the Marathon

2005-07-21T09:40:00.000-04:00

I should probably drink less this summer and focus more on training. Starting tomorrow!!!! On a lighter note, I am still looking for a place to host my marathon party. Looks like Hop Devil is the top contender if Bill is willing to accomodate my guests at a reasonable rate.

I missed the NYCHG meeting a couple of nights ago. Part of it is a protest for having the meeting at Burp Castle. The place is total depressing and tacky. I have no desire to drink in an establishment with the mural of Jesus and listening to the Trappist monks chant. We are not in a monestary for crying out loud. The beer selections suck and the bartender is another clueless yokel. Folks, forgive me for being shallow. I think if you are going to be a bartender and clueless you better be blonde, brunette or redhead with measurement of 34c-24-34.

Bronx Half Marathon

2005-07-11T12:29:00.000-04:00

I ran the Bronx Half Marathon yesterday and it was hell! It is one of the toughest and the lousiest race ever! The roads are unpleasantly hilly and rough. My knees are killing me on mile 6! I have never experience such a sharp pain that area. Apparently, the knee brace is not working. I can barely walk after the race. My finishing time....2:37:23. Yes, very unimpressive!!! I must have walked at least a mile. Icing and lot of painkiller for the time being. I have just scheduled an appointment to see Dr. Paul. I hope I will be on the road again in no time and train for the marathon.

London's Pride

2005-07-11T12:16:00.000-04:00

While I was blogging my BBQ, London went through a series of bombing. Blair called the act "barbaric" and vowed to fight to the end! London is a strong city just like NYC. Whether it's the Great Fire of London in 1666, the Blitz during the WWII or the 07/07 bombings, London always rebuilt and stand proud with pride. Cheers to London with my Fuller's London Pride.

Buta Ribs Japanese Style

2005-07-07T23:00:00.000-04:00

My ribs are pretty much the best seller whenever I have my BBQ. The secret is in the sauce which I will not share with you and it is bone sucking good!! However, my Japonphile mother marinated and steamed her rib tips with ume-boshi, a Japanese pickled plum. Well, real man don't steam but grill. I tweaked the ingredients and came up with a Japanese Grilled Ribs. This is not the sauce that they used in Yakitori.

Here's the recipe:

Marinate:
1 tsp Ginger
2 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Sake
1 tspLight Miso Paste
1 tsp Rice Vinegar

Ume-Boshi BBQ Sauce:
1 tsp Ginger
3 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1/2 cup Sake
3 tbsp Light Miso Paste
1 tbsp finely chopped Shiso Leaves
1/2 cup Sugar
3 tbsp Marin
1/2 tsp Sesame Oil
5 tbspUme-boshi Puree (remove pits and puree it in a food processor)

2 Racks of Baby Back Ribs

Steps:
Mix the marinate ingridients and rub it on the ribs
Marinte the ribs overnight
Combine the BBQ sauce ingredients in a food process and puree.

Smoke the ribs for 2 hours and brush the Ume-Boshi BBQ sauce when grilling.

Pair these ribs with a nice West Coast flavored Pale Ale and you are on your way to Nirvana.

Fourth of July

2005-07-01T16:26:00.000-04:00

This is the time of the year to show your Red, White and Blue. I am only sticking with American this weekend. No, foreign imported beer is going down the hatch! Sam Adams Summer Ale and Sleezy's Peanut Butter'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Peanut Butter'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;" href="http://www.serverlogic3.com/lm/rtl3.asp?si=9&k=peanut%20butter">Peanut Butter Porter will be the new patriotic guideline of Independence Day'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Independence Day'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;" href="http://www.serverlogic3.com/lm/rtl3.asp?si=9&k=independence%20day">Independence Day!!!

Oh Beautiful, For Spacious Skies... ...

Drink responsibly and enjoy the fireworks!

The New York City Sake Enthusiasts Group

2005-06-29T22:10:00.000-04:00

The New York City Sake Enthusiast Group meetup went quite well last night. Thirteen enthusiasts (actually, twelve cause one dude is not a drinker) shown up for the event. It was an awesome crowd!!! Sleezy and Big O made their special charitalbe appearance. Christina whom I spammed in Friendster made it out and Nathan the museum dude bought the group a bottle of Tamanohikari, a full bodied Daiginjo.

We started off with Yukiwatari, a thick Nigori from the Iwate perfecture, then the Ama no To, the cleanest tasting Junmai! My favorite came last which is the Wakatake Onikoroshi, a Junmai Ginjo from the Shizuoka perferture.

I am really looking forward to the next event which is the BYOS-Bring Your Own Sake. I am wondering are them any less than $20 hidden gems in the world of sake?

Brewer's Reserved

2005-06-23T10:20:00.000-04:00

Ask Bruce Lee what's his style and he will tell you "No Style". Ask Shane Welch and Andrew Bronstein the same question and you will get jabbed with Sixpoint's Sweet Action and Bengali Tiger. Their philosophy through the interpretation of AzianBrewer, pretty sum up "Style" is the roadblock to freedom. It really takes imagination and experimentation to brew the good stuffs. The traditional stuffs such as Fuller, Pilsner Urquell or Tetley's will be there for next millenium but for the time being I am questing for more "No Style".

Where's my Sixpoint Craft Ale??

What about the Brewer's Reserved?? It is just the beer version of Vinter's Reserved. A small batch of the brewmaster finest just for the VIP or loyal customers!!!

Sleezy Sherm's Peanut Butter Porter v0.1

2005-06-23T10:03:00.000-04:00

This is just another crazy brew from Sleezy Sherm. Cider, Sake or I Please America (IPA), you name it, Sherm touched them all. His latest and the sleeziest brew, Peanut Butter Porter. This is not as bad as it sounds!! In fact, the peanut butter really creeps in toward the aftertaste. Or I should say, it has a friendly finishing note of quality peanut butter.

Sleezy Sherm's

This is an all grain batch and we can taste the sleezy love! I can really see pairing up with a nice piece of Pu-Tang's (What...Pu-Tang is a famous pies maker) Pecan Pie with Sleezy Sherm's Peanut Butter Porter v0.1.

Told You Shochu is Good

2005-06-16T09:29:00.000-04:00

So what's the drinking trend for the last five years in Japan??? No, it is not Suntory time and sadly the sales of sake are declining. Shochu!!! This is a drink of Oyaji or "Old man". It is relatively cheap and spikes with higher percentage of alcohol. These days Shochu or Soju (Korean version) are ultra hip to drink.

How does it taste??? Well...better than vodka and moonshine I would say. Basically, shochu can be made from rice, although it is more commonly made from barley, potato or sugar cane. Most shochu is around 25% alcohol, although some varieties (particularly Okinawan awamori) can go as high as 43%. It is perfect for making martini!!!

iichiko

Shochu should not be confused with sake, a brewed (not distilled) rice wine. However, in Southern Kyushu sake actually means potato shochu, imo-jochu; while in Okinawa it means the local brew awamori (泡盛, lit. "bubble top") and kūsū (aged awamori, lit. "old liquor"). Awamori, while also a distilled rice wine, differs from normal shochu as it is made from long-grained Indica rice, not the short-grained Japonica usually eaten in Japan.

Anyway, Big O and I slammed several rounds of Iichiko at Yoko-Cho last night. This is the first time that I have ever tasted this buckwheat shochu....The nose is always high in alcohol but leaves a sweet note in taste. Not a bad one comparing to the Korean's Jinro (Jinro is crap recently bought out by Hite Brewery; another crap beer). Had it on the rocks so no nasty headache this morning. Soul-Chu rules!!!

Team Homebrewers

2005-06-05T02:21:00.000-04:00

Ladies, please feel confident to bring home these 2 young studs to ma.

Now Pouring... ...

Dirty Old Man Behaving Peachy

2005-06-05T02:05:00.000-04:00

I just can't leave a wine shop with one sake...so I picked up the runner up or the sympathy screw; Chiyomusubi, Tokubetsu Junmai. It has the mild note of papaya and finishing of apricot. Some older gentleman said he tasted peach in that that sake. I think he is out of his mind and using that "peachy" comment to pick up the Desparate Housewives there in the tasting event. Dirty old bastard!!!

The Dirty Old Brewmaster at Chiyomusubi (check out his pinky)

Pride of the Village

2005-06-05T01:49:00.000-04:00

Headed out to a sake tasting at Union Square Wines & Spirit with my bud Seb. I must had 17 flights of sake within 2 hours!!! Lot of hot chicks showed up and several smokin' Desparate Housewives! Anyway.....go back to sake here. One Junmai Ginjo really stood up at the tasting would be Sato No Homare (Pride of the Village). It is semi-dry with a nose of chocolate and a finishing notes of melon. Odd combo but it works!! I must had 3 shots of that at the place.

Mmmm...Melons!

Revenge of the Sith

2005-05-23T23:39:00.000-04:00

Star Wars Episode III was AWESOME!!!! This is perhaps the best Star Wars of all!!! Young Skywalker finally transform to Darth Vadar!! This is the moment I have been waiting for since the early 80's. Screw Ewok and Jar-Jar Binks...Chewbacca kick ass man!! Jedi sucks and Sith rules! Sith is the path to freedom and truth. Jedi is pretty much living the life of a monk. These arrogant samurai wannabe bastard! What normal human being should deprive himself or herself from lust...I am not talking about lust for sex alone but lust for power and knowledge. Lust gives us the strength to advance ourselves. Further, it helps us to plan our lives and detemine our goals.

I am your father... ...

Queens Half Marathon

2005-05-19T16:29:00.000-04:00

I ran the Queens Half Marathon in memory of my childhood buddy Thomas who passed away in Spring 94. Thomas and I went to elementry school together. We also lived in the same building on 35th Ave. I am the bully from the first floor and he is the perv on fourth.

My finishing time is approximately 02:12:15. Not a great finishing. I was loaded up with Red Bulls and Gu. My knees were giving out toward the last mile. I can still run another 5 miles in weren't for the knees.

Boro of Queenz

Next up is the Bronx. And I am dedicating this run to Benny Hill!!!!!

Van Ella Stout

2005-05-19T14:13:00.000-04:00

After 3 months of speculation, I finally pour myself a pint of that Imperial Van Ella Stout. Well, it did not really churned out the way I expected to.

Not enough vanilla- I can barely taste any hint of vanilla.
Not enough Chocolate B Malt- Not malty at all. In fact, it lacks the density and complexity of a Stout. The stout turned out to be a Porter.
Not enough yeast!!!!!
Not enough time in boiling the wort.
In all this is a very lame ass brew.

"Van" Ella Fitzgerald

I am looking forward to make Lemongrass Ale before the coming of Summer and its heat waves. Just hope that turned out to be okay.

Mead Fest

2005-05-18T10:23:00.000-04:00

The New York City Homebrewers Guild held their 5th or 6th annual Mead Fest last night. A great turn out. Even pregnant a woman drank with us(You must serve them if they asked!!! It is against the law if you don't....). Long Island Meadery along donated 8 bottles of mead to the guild and plus we drank some homebrewed meads. Frankly, I am not a big fan of mead mainly because it too sweet for me. But great meads are supposed to be sweet and dry mead are very similar to a rieseling. The alcohol content of mead are quite high 13%-16% abv. Serveral serving of those harmless looking things and I am slurring my words for the rest of the night or day.

What is mead??? Mead is basically honey wine. No, it is not white wine with honey added. It is actually made with raw honey, water, yeast and other stuffs such as fruit or vegetable. Folks during the Middle Age actually pounded on these wicked inventions.

Here's the site to Got Mead?

http://www.gotmead.com/

AzianBrewer the Distributor??

2005-05-11T09:38:00.000-04:00

I am not sure how far this will go...Had lunch with SleazySherm (Big Sleaze) yesterday talked about contract our beer and market it ourselves. Like I said, it is all talks no action. I am not sure how serious is this going to be for the SleazySherm Bros. I think we have unique recipes and we would like to target at trendy/exotic establishment.

AzianBrewer the Writer?

2005-05-10T09:15:00.000-04:00

I am thinking of writing a book about Flushing. Sort of a history slash guide book based on my research and my twisted perspective. Like who found the town back in the days when men wore white wigs and where are all the brothels today, I mean the happy ending back rub studios. The research is gonna burn me out but thanks to the internet, I am looking forward to find some sauce there.

Iron Chef Beer

2005-05-01T21:58:00.000-04:00

I popped open a bottle of that Rogue Morimoto Black Obi Soba Ale tonight to pair with my classic Sunday night dinner; spaghetti meatball. The pasta is great but my brew is not what I expected!!! On a 10 points scale, I am gave it a 6. My nose is pretty congested from allegy and I can still smell the cascade hop!! I am really turn-off by cascade these days.

Iron Chef's Cascade Booty

Appearance - Nice head with a clean onyx colored pour. It is almost like porter stout.

Aroma - Cascade hops with a note of roasted barley.

Taste - Mild with a sweet roasty finishing. West Coast tasting all the way.

Mouthfeel - for the taste, it is surprisingly light-bodied. Carbonation is similar to cask ale type.

Drinkability - I think I can do better with my "Honey Soba".

Hop Devil

2005-04-25T21:06:00.000-04:00

Guys, check out Hop Devil...It is one fine establishment for good beers and reasonable food. Might be a be expensive for the Lower East Side neighborhood but you get what you paid for. One thing I don't understand is that...why are they charging $6 for some local stuff like Brooklyn Lager?? I am sure Garrett Oliver will be very happy to see someone selling and some redneck like Big O' paying that kind of money for his beer. Like I said their grubs are not the best but quality is definitely good. Also, they just need to hire bartender that understands beer! They can't afford to use bus boy and waitstaffs with no restaurant experience!! The bus boy even looks dumb. They are working on expanding the premise and turn the other part of the establishment into a Belgium bar named Hop Duvel and they are also building a deck in the backyard as a beer garden or biergarten if you are German.

Hop Devil and Hop Duvel is located at:

129 St. Marks Place
New York, New York, 10009
United States
phone: (212) 533-4467

Fuel it Up with the Diesel

2005-04-25T20:57:00.000-04:00

Ouuuuuu....That Diesel Porter from Sixpoint is sure a K.O.!!! I was too buzzed at the time that I was talking to Shane, the master brewer from Sixpoint. It is no wimpy stuff like those homebrewed or commercial lactose stouts. I am no fan of using milk sugar for my beer. For creamy finishing, I like to use pure vanilla. I am no vegetarian but I like to keep my beer lactose free and vegan. Back to Sixpoint...other than the Diesel Porter, Action and Tiger ale are my two top choices. The Tiger is bit of hoppy. Big O' called it a weed beer.

Sixpoint Craft Ales

Brewtopia vs. Tap NY

2005-04-25T20:44:00.000-04:00

So far, I have visited 2 beerfests this year. By comparison, I think I had more fun at Brewtopia. Live band performances and more selections of good beer. The bestis that we don't need to travel far since it took place in Manhattan. And plus, the New York City Homebrewers Guild set up a table and served homebrews to the public. Phil's Belgium Dark was the fastest keg that got emptied. Cuzme name his Belgium Witte after a chick that he's currently seeing. Don't get me wrong, Tap NY is great too. They just kept bringing the food out...The stuffs that they served were no gourmet but excellent pairing with fine brews. They just simple American food. Pulled pork, brisket, pizza, brat, Italian sausage, Gumbo, Chili, hor'deuves and lotsa other goodies. I was so stuffed that I can barely walk bad to the bus.

Brewtopia Rocks

On more thing...Phil is brewing a wheat beer with the catnip that I got him...Crazy white dude. He is gonna make us sexual frustrated with the "herb"!!!

Poochi Poochi

2005-04-18T10:24:00.000-04:00

Poochi Poochi is the new sparkling alcholic beverage. This "sakeling" tastes like the carbonate version of Mu. I am not exactly sure what gives the light peary dry aftertaste of this brew. Is it the special yeast strain that they used? All my friends seem to enjoy this sparkling refreshment; especially with the ladies. Yes, this is a chick "friendly" sake. I find this sparkling sake concept a gift from sake god or gods. Why???? Coz Champagne gives me a nasty headache. Maybe, I am allergic to those grapes from the Champagne region....

Wimpy Label

Not Brown Ale????

2005-04-12T23:09:00.000-04:00

I ordered a pint of that Nut Brown Ale from Redhook at Hop Devil Grill. This is an unusual brew. It is very different from the New Castle Brown...True no 2 beers should taste the same. However, Redhook is definitely off the code with their "Not Brown Ale". I am saying it is bad, in fact it is pretty decent. It is just not the Nut Brown Ale that I am familiar with. Here's how I would analyze this brew.

Red Hook Me Up

Appearance – Nice mahogany color with a nice float of head.

Smell – The toasty malts are spiked with a hint of almondy aromas.

Taste – The malts are very creamy but not taste of nut. More like AzianBrewer's own Jazmin Ale.

Mouthfeel – The mouthfeel left behind a clean after taste. A bit weak of carbonation.

Drinkability – The name is a false advertisement....the taste is exceptional.

Harvest Wheat Beer

2005-04-05T10:00:00.000-04:00

Kelly, what's with this lame a*s brew?? This beer definitely lacks the characteristic of an American Hefe. I am not an expert on Hefeweizen but the Harvest Wheat Beer tasted just like Miller's minus the skunkiness of bottled cheap beer. Where is the cloudy appearance and the light refreshing flavor of fruits? Back in the last century. Heartland used to kick out with awesome brews!! I just hope your Farmer Jon's Oatmeal Stout still the same. For 6 bucks, I rather take my business to Henry Street Bar by DUMBO, Brooklyn. They are not a tourist trap brewpub with out of town kooks pretending to be New Yawkers. But I do have a positive testismony of Heartland 'cause I am no hater......

Heartland's Coors

Heartland has awesome stockings of rum (rhum if you are from Jamaica, whisky (Scotch, Bourbon and others) and other great small batch top shelf.

A Bottle of "Dancing with Flowers"...Please!

2005-03-28T23:53:00.001-05:00

Hana No Mai or Dancing with Flowers....Dude, the name of this sake sounds so sissy!This is what great sake should taste like....The taste is bold and clean! Hana no mai is indeed the water of life from the Shizuoka perfecture of Japan. Where the heck is Shizuoka perfecture??? Just think of Mt. Fuji. That area is known for fine green tea and clean tasting sake. The Onigoroshi-"Demon Killer" is also from this area. By the way, Bozu charged me $8 for a box of this good to the last drop Dancing with Flowers!!!!

The Water of Life

This brew is absolutely flawless.

Kaori and Oden Station

2005-03-28T09:37:00.000-05:00

The flu bug finally left the building just in time for some sake "tasting". Decibel has became my usual place for sake. My friend "E" who is on his path reaching sake enlightenment, visited that place 2 nights in a row. The kawaii (cute) Japanese waitress finally sat me down without telling me the usual "$8 mininum per person" greeting. All of the sudden, the place got so much friendlier once they found out that you are a long term customer. They even sat us at the oden station and threw us a few extra edamame. By the way, it is a ultimate privilege to be seated by the oden station. It symbolizes the honor and recognition!

Kaori is definitely not my favorite. It is a junmai-ginjo of a medium dry sake with a hint of calcium...I think. I cannot assure if that's gonna make your bone strong but it is not the most pleasant taste infused with sake. My only reasonable doubt is the bottle has gone bad or that is the way it should be.

Coughing

2005-03-23T12:56:00.000-05:00

Man, I am coughing part of my lung out! This really sucks. Can't review beer for now!!!

Shirakawago Sasanigori

2005-03-21T00:30:00.000-05:00

I don't know much about nigori(unfilterd) sake. Normally, don't like any sake that has a consistency of yogurt. The Shirakawago Sananigori Ginjo Sake proved that there is one last nigori sake that is worth for a try. The body is medium dry with fluffy light finishing; great to be served chilled. This is far better than the cheap stuff from Ozeki.

Got Nigori?

Brooklyn Half Marathon

2005-03-21T00:09:00.000-05:00

That's it...what have I done to myself??? I finally ran the Brooklyn Half Marathon and now I am totally hooked. Thanks Owen for being such a great running buddy. You are a real trooper for keeping up with me for the first 6 miles. Thanks Rocco for being there in the finishing line!!! Finally, thanks Grandpa for giving me the strength and will to run. Queens Half Marathon??? Bring it on!!!!

The F Line to Prospect

The Award Winning Jazmine Ale

2005-03-15T13:41:00.000-05:00

Jazmine Ale??? This is definitely a chick's beer!!! I am not sure why am I brewing this type of beer. Maybe I was out of maple syrup from Vermont. Anyway the beer turned out pretty tasty and has a mild sweet note with a floral finish...Sounds gay huh???? Make no mistake, this beer is brewed by 100% heterosexual alpha male-Howwwwwl!!! I was kinda shocked that the 2 beer judges at the Hudson Valley Homebrewer's Competition awarded this beer a second place in the specialty beer section. I guess they were having Kung-Pao Chicken while sampling the Jazz Ale.

First 2nd Place

H2O-5 gallons
DME
Liquid Malt Extract (Munton's)
Ale Yeast
Jasmine Tea

---What's the measurement of the above ingredients???? Dream on...you are not getting it. I am gonna patent this in 52 countries!---

Combine the above ingredients and ferment for 6 weeks (2 weeks for primary and 4 weeks of secondary)

Prime and bottle.
Condition for another 2 weeks.
Invite some lady friends for tasting!!!!

One Flew Over the Hitachino's Nest

2005-03-15T00:15:00.000-05:00

I got 15 minutes to do this review before catching my ZZZZ. I have tried couple of end products from Hitachino Nest; the Red Rice Ale and the Sweet Stout. The Red Rice Ale is okay but the Sweet Stout is like drinking horse milk with heavy doses of lactose. My fighting spirit hangs on and pushed me to try another beer from this brewery before throwing in the towel. Wow....the Hitachino Nest White Ale (Witbier) is the ichiban nihon biiru (No. 1 Japanese Beer)!!!! Who said J folks can't brew good beer?? kick those stereotypes and their a*ses to the curb and don't let anyone tell you that Sapporo is the best J beer. This fine microbrewed White Ale is quite different from their Belgian counterpart. The Hitachino Brewery actually used orange juice on top of the orange peels. The OJ gives the beer a great twist of fresh squeezed citrus essense.

Hoo...Hoo

Appearance- Nice cloudy golden pour with a thick white head that decreases to about 1/4 inch and stays. A clean minor lacing along the edges.

Smell- No aroma of OJ but a heavy fragrance of corriander and orange peel extract.

Taste- Ha...the OJ finally kicked in..a bit acidic with all the fresh juice going on there. The corriander tamed down quite a bit.

Mouthfeel- Well carbonated as expected, but finishing in thick note. It definitely has a lemonade aftertaste.

Drinkability- The only Witbier I had from Japan. I will definitely pour myself another serving!!!

Socrates, Aristotle and Plato

2005-03-14T23:22:00.000-05:00

I met up with my stepbro in the City of Brotherly Love around the holidays season. Philadelphia is one interesting place; it is so much different from the Big Apple and Boston. So we began our little pubcrawling there and pretty much drank throughout the day (By the way, we left our car keys home!). One of the places that we marked our trail is Monk's Cafe. There is where I first sampled the infamous Three Philosophers from Ommegang Brewery in Cooperstown, NY. This 9.8% alcohol big beer is truly a knock-out. All day long my stepbro is drinking Quadrupels and other Trippels... The guy is one hardcore son of a gun. Without further interuption, here is my modest review of this brown beauty.

Nice!

Appearance - It has a wonderful cloudy amber colored pour forming a medium tan head. There was a decent amount of carbonation. Nice lacing was seen throughout.

Smell - A very solid aroma consisting of malt, yeast and kriek (cherry) notes. But immediately by a strong kick alcohol.

Taste - Well balanced of sweet and malty flavor that turned towards a chocolatey finished. The taste lingers a bit but is welcome. The alcohol is present but blends in pretty well.

Mouthfeel - Wonderful settled with a smooth feel. The carbonation help maintain the smoothness. This had a medium-full body.

Drinkability - This is one of the best I had so far. I have heard people complaining about this brewery but so far I am happy customer.

Lazy

2005-03-14T13:43:00.000-05:00

I have been lazy lately... Trois Philisophers, Hitachino White Ale, Hana No Mai, Kaori and my award winning Jaz Ale are next on my list. I will make up the assignments and willing to take points off!

Rogue Dead Guy Ale

2005-03-08T21:01:00.000-05:00

AzianBrew knows what's good for body!!! Rogue Dead Guy Ale is one of the finest American Ale (Yes, the type that used sh*t loads of cascade hops). I am currently trying to step away from this cascade arena however my patriotism keeps yanking me back to this All-American canabis!

Weihenstephan Hefeweissbier

2005-03-06T21:43:00.000-05:00

Ahhhhh....This is a heck of an ass kicking weiss bier! I really got a good ass kicked when it came in a half liter mug along with an order of grilled red snapper sandwich at Waterfront Ale House. The beer also goes great with popcorn....yes the fake buttery type.

Hold the lemon, please!!!!

Appearance- A cloudy golden pour with a 3/4 inch large bubbled head with a great lacing.

Smell- A nice scent of Hefe. A good amount a clove action with a hint of banana aroma and maybe a light touch of vanilla.

Taste- Fresh and satisfying brew. Again a good amount of clove taste and creamy banana background.

Mouthfeel- Gave my mouth pretty dry aftertaste but smooth finishing. Moderate carbonation level on this one.

Drinkability- One satisfied customer on a Saturday evening. For $6 a half liter mug, I need a fatter wallet.

Kronenbourg 1664

2005-03-04T21:49:00.000-05:00

Took a trip to LIC and check out this French bistro with a pal. The menu looks quite simple; nothing fancy or pretentious. Just straight forward bistro items such as Steak Frites and Escargot kinda stuffs. As always, I normally judge the restaurant by it's restroom (washroom, if you're Canadian..eh)and the beverage list. Now, this is a small neighborhood bistro and not a four stars restaurant with a sommelier. The wine list and soda list look very impressive but the beer list is beyond pathetic! The fact is, there no listing beer!! The skeptical expression of my face has drawn the attention of our pregnant hostess. She carefullly walked toward my direction and I asked her the "beer list" s'il vous plaît. She mumbled en francais and I sort of picked up the word "Saison". Yes, Saison is what I am in the mood for (By the way, the Saison she mentioned is the only selection of beer they have). When she came back with the beer, the green bottle just told me that is no Saison. I didn't want to send it back and jeopardize the extra flavor of our orders. So, I sucked it in and prayed that the food is what we came for. The food is really mediocre...but I don't have a reason to complain considering the price that we are paying. Okay, back to the beer review...

Three words "Budddd...Weiz...Er..." The Kronenbourg 1664 that I mistakenly ordered is drinkable but I won't pay for it....again.

Kronenbourg 1664

Appearance – Light piss yellow in color with a decent looking head that showed some good retention and left some awesome average lager lacing on the inside of my glass.

Smell – I am not sure whether it is water in France or this bottle has been vintaged. There’s some light hopping that tries to mask its tracks but there’s no hiding this mild skunky odor.

Taste – It tastes a bit better than it smells but it still tastes like "Buddd..Weiz...Er.

Mouthfeel – This lager is actually quite smooth in the mouth and pushing to be drying at the finish.

Drinkability – The only reason I didn’t send this beer back is because I worried the quality of our orders.

Enuff sez....

Buckwheat Ale Project

2005-03-04T10:12:00.000-05:00

I totally screwed up right from the start. How can I over soaked the buckwheat groats??? Not only the groats didn't sprout, it turned sour and f*cking stinked up my whole kitchen. I was supposed to soak it for 6 hrs, rinse then let dry for 3 hrs and repeat the process 3x's. It should have 27 hours process! My attempt is not to brew a gluten-free beer and save all those poor souls who cannot digest gluten but to experiment buckwheat as an adjunct.

FYI, I plagurized the following info from a Celiac Disease Support Group website to broaden your horizon:

Celiac disease, also known as gluten intolerance, is a genetic disorder that affects 1 in 1331 Americans. Symptoms of celiac disease can range from the classic features, such as diarrhea, weight loss, and malnutrition, to latent symptoms such as isolated nutrient deficiencies but no gastrointestinal symptoms.

Buckwheat

The 2 commercial buckwheat brews that I have heard of are both from Rogue Ales-Morimoto Black Obi Soba and Morimoto Soba. Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto took part of the project and the gave name Soba(Buckwheat Noodle), go figure.

Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout

2005-03-02T12:41:00.000-05:00

I am not a great fan of beers from the Brooklyn Brewery. I have friends who praised their Monster Ale (Barleywine Style) and Post Road Pumpkin Ale. That all changed when I took my first dive at the Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout last night at this place in LIC. This stuff is pure EVIL!!!! It started off with nice note of dark semi-sweet chocolate and ended with a sweet finishing; pair it with a slice of New York Style Cheesecake for that happy ending experience! Ahhhhh....let me drool over my bartender, Kelly who served me the second pint.

Brooklyn Half Marathon

2005-03-01T12:54:00.000-05:00

That's it....I am running this for my buddy at work Rocco who recent got sucker punch in San Juan, PR. A**hole broke his jaw and sent him to the hospital for 2 surgeries. I hope this f*cker got his ass jammed in the pent.

Best of Brooklyn 2005 Homebrew Competition

2005-02-28T11:50:00.000-05:00

American Lager won the best of show!!!!! The is an extremely tough beer to brew. This dude really got the balls to submit this style of beer in the first place. Is he smoking hops again??

How to Serve Sake

2005-02-25T15:56:00.000-05:00

How to serve sake??? Two words, "Chill Out"!

Good sake is always served chilled, mediocre sake can be served warm and bad sake should be boiled or stay away! Economy sake may be served warm and this has its place on a cold winter night with that special someone (forget foreplay, this is a prelude to an excellent boom-boom). The ceremony of serving sake warm, where you don't pour for yourself, but pour for others, sends a sign of respect (Ahhh...that honor vs. disgrace bs).

Chilled premium sakes were first introduced in the late sixties. Sake-making technology, particularly in rice milling or polished, had improved dramatically that it enabled sakemakers to make sakes so delicate they are can damaged by heat.

Some people enjoy using the traditional square masu boxes to sip sake. This was a traditional rice-measuring device, typically made from aromatic cedar, which infuse aromas to the sake. Other people enjoy their sake served a tumbler. My way to serve sake is chilled in a wine glass, which enhances the enjoyment of the subtle aromas and flavors of premium sake. When serving it chilled, I recommend serving it at 7 degrees C (45 degrees F for all y'all folks outside of the US of A); this yields wonderfully refreshing first taste. By serving the sake in a wine glass, its temperature gradually increases, which changes the aroma and flavors!!!

These "Water of Life" from the East should be stored in a cool place and stay away from strong light. Also, it's not gonna age like wine, and is best when fresh. So, if some dude from a liquor store tried weaseling you a "vintage" clear or Nigori (unfilterd) sake, tell him to go eat sh*t. There is only one type of aged sake and it is Koshu. Koshu or old sake is basically sake that has been aged for a year or more before bottling. Koshu is classified by brewery year (BY). "3BY" means it was brewed in Heisei 3 (1991). "Shinshu" (new sake) is the opposite of koshu. A good Koshu has all the characters of Xiao Xhing (Shao-Shing) wine from the Xiao-Xhing region of China. Also, if the same f*cker misformed you that to serve sake on the rocks, then you must jab him in the face for such ignorance! One more thing, once opened, sake will stay fresh for about a week in the fridge.

Kanpai!!!

Playboy March Issue II

2005-02-24T14:44:00.000-05:00

Miss March, awesome!
Debbie Gibson, sucks!

Mu Sake

2005-02-23T23:27:00.000-05:00

Well, this is gonna be my first Sake review on this blog. My friend Jamie and I ordered a bottle of well balanced Mu at the infamous East Village's Decibel last Saturday nite. This place is well recognized for it's $8 minimum per person policy. It is quite impossible to walk out alive at any well established sake joint without shedding $30 per person. Hey, the heck with that when the atmosphere is right and the glass of sake goes down smooth. Going back to my review, this Junmai-ginjo beauty is a fine product from the Hyoko Perfecture of Japan. Like it's name Yaegaki, "Mu" Junmai-ginjo-shu "Mu," or "nothingness," is a wonderfully settled and calm sake. Without saying much it is a dry sake with a hint of anjou pear. This is by far one of the greatest Junmai available today. I am so convinced that it is a Daiginjo. It presents a fairly low acidity, which allows the flavor to maintain its concentrated richness.

Second to none.....

I am no expert at this sake business but I am definitely not gonna jump back to the Miller High Life tasting Ozeki.

Dad's Going Away

2005-02-18T14:06:00.000-05:00

I am not a kid's person nor do I want any for the time being. However, I do have nieces and cousin who are under 10. Alex is 8, Emily is 4, Jeff is 8 and Dolly is also 9; they are the most adorable little rascals that any parents would love to have. I just cannot picture a day of their lives once the beer drinking pops are gone and missed out their childhood. To some reader, this post can be quite disturbing. Take a good look at this picture. What the f*ck is going on? Will she ever again see her dad after this day? Pick one....Afganistan or Iraq?

Daddy will be gone for a long time.

I don't watch C-SPAN and definitely no politic will be discussed among friends. My political agenda is not on the liberal's corner nor am I standing on the conservative's platform. And as for my foreign policies, I would like to enjoy their cuisine, sample their local brews and chat with the local hotties ranging from age 18-25. I am no expert in military defense or countries branded with the name "Axel of Evil" but I am gonna mouth-off the following thoughts:

Besides OIL, what the hell are we doing in the Iraq and Afganistan(yes, one of them is not an OPEC nation but certainly got some oil pipes there). Okay...do we really give a sh*t about liberating these people from their evil dictator or fundamentalistic mullah? I don't think so....these people are just fine without our present there. Do they really hate their previous government....that much? I think we need to restore their previous leaders and let them live their lives. Since when did their citizens asked us to lend them a hand and search for WMD?? I really don't give a damn how other people run their countries to the ground. Kids here in the States (yes, home sweet home) should be our focus. They are under-educated both academically and culturally; a 14 years old 6 grader???? And wassup with high school senior who thinks Canada is the 51st state and that the only natural resource there is maple syrup. How wonderful that we are living in such a tragic world. Skies are not always blue and clouds are not always white...you trumpet playing sweaty f*ck.

The 2nd Annual Brewtopia

2005-02-17T11:54:00.000-05:00

This is one of the Superbowls for all beer geeks in the city and the boros.

The 2nd Annual Brewtopia
The Metropolitan Pavilion at 125 West 18th Street

Special Guest Speakers To be Announced
Meet the Brewers who develop the nectar
Support your local brewers and local beer culture
Learn more about beer, the history of beer and how its made
International Food Court
Live Entertainment
The largest assembly of brewers under one roof ever to meet in New York City

Please check out the website for more info.

Playboy March Issue

2005-02-16T10:49:00.000-05:00

No way dude...This cannot be real. Debbie Gibson is posing nude on Playboy! I was being cheap trying to google for some free pics last night but no luck. I guess that $5.99 is gonna come out from my softcore porn fund. My middle school classmate, Joey Padula is gonna sh*t his pants once flipping thru those pages. This Cavaricci wearing guido used to be the sickest gino in the class who kept talking how much he wanna see her naked. Well, his 3rd wish finally came alive!! His first two wishes were to own a Cadillac Eldorado and live with his mother until he is 30.

Take this...Britney!

So what type of beer should I pair with the tasty Miss March? I am a sophisticated drinker with an unusual taste. Therefore, a Sierra Nevada's Big Foot Ale with do the justice. Ahhhhhh.....no more Han Solo!

Unmasking AzianBrewer

2005-02-10T01:49:00.000-05:00

Sh*t, my cover is unveiled!!! That's all me over there running a 5k race last year in Central Park. Look at my struggle toward the finishing line. I must had couple of pints of that cheap Seranac Pale Ales the night before the run.

Beer geek

The Year of the Cock (Rooster)

2005-02-09T09:55:00.000-05:00

Yo, Gung Xi Far Chai (Mandarin), Gung Hay Fot Choy (Cantonese), Say Hay Boke-Mahn He Pah Du Say Oh (Korean), Chuc Mun Nam Moi (Vietnamese) and Akemashite Omedeto Gozaimasu - Kotoshi Mo Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu (Japanese-A belated one at least). Keeping it simple and real, we are celebrating a family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving. Why can't we do it like the Cinco De Mayo or St. Patty's Day?? Getting all soaked up with Soju, Sho-Chu and Taiwanese Moonshine. How many days do we need to honor the Heaven and Earth?? Why not just do that in two days and then feast our a*sses off. AzianBrewer got a head start and slammed couple of brewskies last night at David Copperfield to kick off this spectacular 15 days of celebration. In complying to the Chinese tradition, I decided to order any beer associates with the word "Red". Red symbolized luck and good karma (Is that why you see so many Chinese folks carrying red grocery bags and doing the third world squat?).

Happy New Year

RedHook WinterHook and Harpon Winter Ale are the two highlights on the happy hours beer list. For $3 a pint, you really can't say anything harsh about these 2 winter style ales. However, I will still bash both of them with humbleness. The mohagany red Winterhook is too cascade hopped right of the start with a nice kick of that 6.11% abv. The mouthfeel is kinda thin comparing to some other winter lagers or ales. I didn't expected it to be a hardcore winter brew but this is weak stuff. Just lack of the pounding taste of Sierra Nevada's Celebration Ale. Moving on to the next beer is Harpoon Winter Warmer-decent and harmless petite brew but lack of the big taste of winter style. The moral of the story, the word "Winter" is getting to be used as gimmick brew from the months of December to March.

Cheers!

Happy 60th Birthday Robert Nesta Marley

2005-02-08T16:43:00.000-05:00

I am smoking lotsa "ganja" to celebrate the Legend. Enuff said!!!

The Legend

Emancipate yourself from mental slavery!!!

Dude, where is my real beer??

2005-02-08T01:32:00.000-05:00

What's up with bars that do not have Yuengling on tap??? What... Bud, Miller and Coors are far superior than Yuengling?? Yes, Yuengling is another worthless beer to mention here, however it is the best cheap beer around. It is lager with a cheap ale taste! Dive bar owners, it is time to make the switch. Yuengling, is just as "blue collared" and American as your adjunct craps that came in bottles. What, pigs don't like quality cheap beer? Bet ya, pigs won't know the difference if you make the switch and tell them you are boycotting those garbages to prevent another "po-lise" brutality!! Sure they all have families to go home to after their shifts but they are still pigs with 60 college credits (this is actually required by NYPD). Hahahaha....

Cheers

Super Bowl XXXIX

2005-02-07T09:36:00.000-05:00

Whadda disappointed game. I thought there's gonna be a shoot out. T.O. is definetly one cocky a**hole. Talking big and didn't delivered. Well, the guy pretty much got double quite often. McNabb is great but he is not a champion...yet.

The two brewskies that I drank yesterday were Smithwick's and Blue Point Toast Lager. Smithwick's is pretty tasteless. The bartender told me that it is a lighter version of Guinness. Well, I must apologize that it taste nothing like a light version of Guinness or Bottington....It's brewed by Guinness Ltd and not to be confused with Irish Ale Breweries Ltd/Smithwick Brewery. Other characters of this weak brew are toffee and cheap malt. Don't let anyone misinformed you that it taste like Bass or a light version of Guinness.

The Blue Point Toasted Lager is another it's aite (alright) beer nothing special about it. Simple and decent comparing with pizza. I am not saying it's a bad beer but I have had something better from Blue Point. The ESB (Extra Special Bitter) is actually the flagship product of Blue Point. Basically, what the Toasted Lager lacked of is the hard impact toastiness. No other major complaint but a simple beer to drink with a cleaning finish.

Friday night Feb 4th was the last day of Restaurant Week NYC. Check out this 2 1/2 stars restaurant by Chelsea and ordered a Rouge Dead Guy Ale. Wow!!!! It will wake up any deads!!! This burnt orange colored beauty has a nice hint of molasses and a finish of toasty but no trace of grapefruit as our waiter promised. No worries, I am not a big fan of Ruby Red brew anyway. The best of all, I paid happy hours price for it!!!!

For the time being, a lot of chicks digged my homebrew Jazmin Ale!!!! I don't wanna be stucked with the guy that only brews with Jasmine. My VIS (Vanilla Imperial Stout) is in the secondary carboy and I am working on a Soba Ale under the strict supervision of my mentor Phil Clarke. I am also looking at infusing my ale with Earl Grey tea. Not sure what's that gonna taste like but won't hurt to try.

Cheers!!

Canadian...eeh.

2005-02-04T15:45:00.000-05:00

On my recent trip to Vancouver BC, I had the opportunities to sample couple of beers from the Great White North other than the usual Molson’s or Labbat’s. The first one is a national brand and the other one is a local brew from the Gransville Island, BC. I know Canada is our NAFTA partner and next door neighbor but there are actually folks here in the US who think Canada is the 51st state with a maple leaf state flag.

The Ontario based Sleeman is the third largest brewery in Canada. There are sixteen flavours of beer from the Sleeman beer factory. I am sure if it is my taste bud after enlightened by some BC Buds, my bottle of Sleeman’s Honey Brown Lager tasted like Yuengling. The copper colored lager lacks the hint of honey as it promised but the maltiness provided a smooth finished. The after taste seems weak but yet acceptable since it is a light-hopped lager. Last words, I won’t drink it’s Cream Ale, Honey Brown, Silver Creek, Clear (Michelob’s One), Original Dark, Premium Light (Coors Light), Steam (No comparison to Anchor’s), and Amber again unless it is free. Pardon me, I preferred Sleezy Sherm’s Oktoberfest anytime to Canadian’s generic beer….eeh.

I vouched not to leave Vancouver before checking out its local brew. While waiting for my flight back to the Big Apple, I spotted the Granville Island’s English Bay Pale Ale on the tap at the airport bar. Bad news first, I will pick Dog Fish Pale Ale not because of its “East Coastness” but the brew simply lacked of that big bad West Coast flavor, hop. I actually expected the aroma to be more hoppy than it is or I am just being naïve to compare this to Sierra Nevada. On the bright side, what more to ask when this caramel colored pale ale flavoured with nice sweetness of malt with a hint of dried fig. Plus, my pint only cost me five loonies and change along with the 7% GPS which totaled exactly 6.00 CND. The bartender slammed me another one while I was watching the dud next to me ready to order his next round of adjunct lager, Molson Canadian.

Cheers!

Launch Party for My First Blog

2005-02-04T13:14:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the AzianBrewer Blog Launch Party. I am actually sitting in my cubicle at work sipping a cup of vintage Columbia's finest brew with skim milk. Kanpai!!! Speaking of kanpai, I got pretty hammered on Rob Roy last night at this martini place on W3rd and LaGuardia. I was kinda disappointed with the place at first spotting the tower without the handle and some crap beer bottles (2 imported lagers and 1 domestic adjunct lager) displayed behind the bar. My disappointment disappeared as the cute Japanese bartender greeted me with a smile and asked me if I am willing to try out the "new" beer they brought in last week. She reach over to the fridge and open a bottle of Fuller's London Porter without a word. My buddha!!! She must sensed that I am sophisticated gentleman with a distinct taste for women and malted beverages. The London Porter is slammin'!!!! And here's my humble review of this bad boy:

Bold, smooth and rich. A great blend of chocolate, crystal and brown malts with a nice balance of Fuggles hops. By the way, I am totally over with cascade hops. It also has a great finishing note of caramel. The best of all the cute bartender charged me $4 (happy hours pricing) with a smile. I would like to take her home to ma but it is against my religion to date bartenders.

Later on that night, I hooked up with a group of Martini drinkers and learned that it is a front for divorce support group. Couple of these les femmes divorcee are quite tasty and perhaps vulnerable especially the MILF (Hey MILF does body good). I definitely don't mind lending her my support!!!!!

Cheers!!