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Vanished Valley Brewing Company: Watershed IPA

Vanished Valley Brewing Company: Watershed IPA

ABV: 6.7%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Rotating

@untappd says: 4.14/5

Today’s Windowsill brew was so good, it vanished almost immediately!

Vanished Valley Brewing Company opened its taps in Ludlow, MA in 2017, and the tiny brewery slowly been getting a very big reputation. The name comes from an interesting story—four towns that disappeared from the face of the earth in the 1930s. Dana, Enfield, Greenwich and Prescott, Massachusetts were disincorporated and flooded in 1938 in order to create the Quabbin Reservoir, the largest inland body of water in the state. Along with the Wachusett Resevoir, it’s the primary supply for Boston. Sad those towns had to go, but water is important, and so is the great beer Vanished Valley brews.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find out much about the Watershed IPA. I don’t know what hops are in it, or the malts, but I can say this: it’s very hazy, very hoppy and extremely good. Bright and hop-forward citrus (like tangerine and grapefruit) flavors and aromas, low bitterness and super pleasant. It’s also dry-hopped, which is always a great addition to an IPA. The Watershed is definitely worthy of the high rating from untappd!

Also, check out Instagram some photos from my visit to Vanished Valley!

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Cellarmaker Brewing Co.: Alien Lifeform

Cellarmaker Brewing Company: Alien Lifeform

Hops: Galaxy, Mosaic, Simcoe, Centennial

ABV: 6.8%

IBU: 62

Availability: Rotating

@untappd says: 4.05/5

We’re getting out of this world on the Windowsill today, thanks to my good friend @beer_shark!

Let’s give a shoutout to the head brewer, and part owner, at Cellarmaker Brewing Company, Tim Sciascia. Sciascia graduating from, of all places, the New England Music Conservatory with a major in classical saxophone. All the while, he was developing his love for home brewing, and quickly got a job giving tours at Sam Adams. He soon moved out West, spending five years working his way up the ranks (and brew tanks) at Larkspur, CA’s Marin Brewing Company. Today, he’s responsible for some of the most buzzed about craft beer in the country.

The Alien Lifeform is an IPA brewed with tons of Galaxy hops, and a “cosmic dusting” of Simcoe, Mosaic and Centennial. It’s very hop forward, has a lovely tropical aroma and really does taste good enough to be made by Aliens. Anybody out there remember ALF? If you read the official description for this brew, you’ll know that the folks at Cellarmaker do. “This exploration in flavor reminds us of a day trip to Melmac. A different world with a green sky, blue grass and a purple sun.” If you know your ALF, and you have the Alien Lifeform in your fridge, you’re already running to make sure your cat is OK. Really awesome beer!

Head over to Instagram for this beer, and all of my other awesome Windowsill brews!

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The Alchemist: Crusher

The Alchemist: Crusher

ABV: 8.0%

IBU: 110

Availability: Rotating

@untappd says: 4.38/5

Crushing beers, and cans, on the Windowsill today!

Ever wonder why the symbol for The Alchemist is an R? No, it doesn’t stand for “Really awesome beer.” It’s actually not an R at all. It’s a stylistical re-imagining of the ancient alchemist symbol for fermentation. The name of the brewery was inspired by a friend of owner John Kimmich, who owned the Vermont Pub and Brewery. Kimmich has said: “In the Vermont Pub and Brewery’s old logo, there was a tiny symbol. [John’s friend] told me that it was the alchemical symbol for fermentation.” John and his wife loved that so much, they named their entire brewery after it, always trying to “turn matter into gold.”

As for the Crusher, wow. It’s a double IPA that Alchemist has been brewing since its old days as a brewpub. According to the can, hopheads were always asking for more and more hops. John gave them the Crusher. It’s super hop forward, with a really dry finish. Hazy, herbal, hoppy and delicious. I was unable to find out what hops are used, but some seem to think it’s Simcoe because of the oniony, herbal flavor and aroma. Really delicious DIPA.

Check out this brew, and all of my other awesome craft beer on instagram, now!

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The Alchemist: Skadoosh 23

The Alchemist: Skadoosh 23

Hops: Citra and Simcoe cryo hops

ABV: 7.0%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Rotating (with different recipes)

@untappd says: 4.26/5

Is someone performing the Wuxi Finger Hold on the Windowsill today?

This past weekend, I fulfilled one of the dreams I’ve had ever since I got into the craft beer game: I visited The Alchemist. I got to Stowe, Vermont around 5:30 or so, and the lads and I immediately popped over to The Alchemist’s beautiful, state-of-the-art taproom—it opened officially in June of 2016—for a visit before closing. I was bowled over by the beauty of the building, the decorated tanks and artwork inside, and just how pristinely clean everything was. We quickly hustled over to the tasting bar, where they were pouring two-ounce samples of Heady Topper, Focal Banger and Holy Cow… for free! After we drank our samples, we all bought as much beer as we could carry and headed off to dinner. It was a brief visit, but at least I can say I’ve been. Bucket List Brewery visit…achieved!

Among the many cans of beer I purchased at Alchemist, was the Skadoosh. I did not know this before I drank it, but it turns out the Skadoosh is a rotating series of IPAs that Alchemist makes with different recipes every time. There have been 23 varieties up to this point, and I got variety 23—fresh from the canning line! This variety is interesting, in that it’s the first variety of Skadoosh to be 100% chyo-hopped. That means that only the concentrated lupulin of whole-leaf hops is used. You get all the intense hop flavor and aroma, without all the other stuff. The Skadoosh 23 uses Simcoe and Citra cryo hops. I really loved it. It’s super up front with the hops, but still very citrusy and tasty. Get down to Stowe and give it a try!

Head over to Instagram to like and follow my stuff, and check out all my other awesome Windowsill beer!

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Fifth Hammer Brewing Company: Llama Drama

Fifth Hammer Brewing Company: Llama Drama

Hops: Mosaic, Palisade

ABV: 7.2%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Rotating

@untappd says: 4.05/5

Save the drama for yo’ llama… and my Windowsill!

I love trying out new local breweries. This week, I had the honor of tasting my first brew from Long Island City’s (that’s in Queens) Fifth Hammer Brewing Company. When they opened their taps in October of last year, owners Chris Cuzme and David Scharfstein ended a two-year search for the perfect brewery location. My favorite part of this brewery is its name. There’s an old story about the famous mathematician, Pythagoras (you’ve heard of his theorem, I’m sure). It seems Pythagoras was doing some digging into the mathematical relationship between musical notes. He walked into a blacksmith shop and heard five hammers clanging on metal. The first four were in harmony, but that fifth hammer clashed with the rest. Here’s to the discordant ones!

I’m glad the Llama Drama was my first foray into this brewery. Although it seemed a little too carbonated when i first opened it, once I let it settle in, it was really good. Very nice notes of tropical fruit, honeysuckle and peach on the nose, and lots of hoppy and tropical goodness on the palate. The Llama Drama is dry-hopped with Mosaic and Palisade hops. Super tasty, but surprisingly drama—and llama—free.

Check out this, and all the other drama, on my Instagram right now!

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Lock City Brewing Company: Figure Four +1

Lock City Brewing Company: Figure Four +1

Hops: Chinook, Amarillo, Mosaic, Citra, Galaxy

ABV: 7.2%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Rotating

@untappd says: 4.18/5

Are you ready to ride Space Mountain on the Windowsill today?

Let’s talk about wrasslin’, shall we? I’m not ashamed to say that I have been a fan of professional wrestling since I was a kid. Ric Flair is not my favorite person, but I can’t deny his impact on the industry. Over the last five decades, he’s become one of the most recognizable wrestlers in the history of the business. He’s a 16-time world champ—I know wrestling predetermined, but they put the championship on the very best performers, who put the most asses in the seats—a two-time WWE Hall-of-Famer and he’s wrestled all over the world in just about every legitimate company. As he says more loudly than anyone else, he’s the man. Perfect to be immortalized on a beer can label, if you ask me.

When I found out the Figure Four+1 was being released in cans, I had to get my hands on some. Thanks to my good buddy @drinkcraftscookwithcast for stopping by Lock City Brewing Company while I was stuck working my day job in the city. This beer is named after the Figure Four, Ric Flair’s infamous finishing move (was it ever not reversed by the good guy, though?). My brother put me in that hold once. It hurts. This beer, however, does not. The original Figure Four was an American IPA brewed with Chinook, Amarillo, Mosaic, Citra. For the +1 version, Lock City added a second dry hop of all Galaxy hops. Five hops! It’s a lovely juicy color, with great tropical aromas and flavor. Solid hoppiness on the finish, too. This beer is definitely a stylin’, profilin’, limousine ridin’, jeft flyin’, kiss-stealin’, wheelin’ dealin’ son of a gun, as Flair would say. Made me say “Wooooooooooooo!” when I took the first sip.

Take a jet, or a limo, over to my Instagram page. Follow Beers on Windowsills for more great craft beer stories like this!

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Alewife Brewing Company: Death to Ego

Alewife Brewing Company: Death to Ego on the Windowsill

Hops: Azacca, Centennial, El Dorado

ABV: 6.1%

IBU: 54

Availability: Year-round

@untappd says: 3.9/5

Let’s set our egos aside in favor of good beer on the Windowsill today!

Yesterday, my good pals Mike and Christine introduced me to Alewife Brewing Company—a great brewpub in Long Island City, Queens. I’m really grateful that they did. Not only did Alewife have a Windowsill for me to put a beer on (although it was a tad dark), they also brew their own solid beers, and carry over two dozen craft beers from New York, and all over the country, too. I tried some delicious in-house beers, as well as other craft brew on tap from LIC Beer Project, SingleCut Beersmiths and Clown Shoes Beer. One nice detail you can see in the photos in the Instagram post below… at 8:29 PM, they printed out a new tap list. It replaced the 3:38 PM tap list. These guys are on top of their stuff. Oh, did I mention they also have delicious food? I devoured my burger so quickly, I didn’t even take a picture of it. If you’re in Long Island City, check them out!

It doesn’t matter how many craft beers a brewpub has, I have to judge them on the beer they brew in in their own barrels and tanks. Thankfully, the Death to Ego was tasty! It’s an American IPA, and the official description says it all. CITRUS. FRUIT. LOVE. If you ask me, those are some pretty key ingredients for brewing a good IPA. Thankfully, they also used actual ingredients—namely, Azacca, Centennial and El Dorado hops. Great combo! I wish I’d tried more of Alewife’s in-house brews to see how they stacked up to the Death to Ego, but I was too busy oogling the rest of the craft brew list. Oh well. Next time!

Head over to our Instagram to see more photos of Alewife Brewing Company, now!

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SingleCut Beersmiths: Double Dry-Hopped Workers Are Going Home

SingleCut Beersmiths: Double Dry-Hopped Workers Are Going Home

ABV: 8.0%

IBU: 123

Availability: Rotating

@untappd says: 4.26/5

My name ain’t Jonas, but I have a killer beer on the Windowsill for you today!

In case you haven’t figured it out, today’s SingleCut Beersmiths brew is named after a repeated line in “My Name is Jonas,” a hit song by from one of my favorite rock bands, Weezer. The song is off their self titled 1994 debut album (also known as The Blue Album), and was inspired by a situation lead singer Rivers Cuomo’s brother was having with insurance after a car crash. In the song, it seems like more of a construction problem—the song basically describes a construction crew deciding not to work, and going home—but whatever. Great tune! On the original version of this beer, the little man on the label is wearing a construction outfit, complete with a hard hat and orange vest. For the upgraded DDH version, we get the guy in the business suit. You fancy, huh?

Like just about everything else I’ve had from SingleCut, the Workers Are Going Home was pretty amazing. Although I don’t know the exact varieties, the double IPA uses hops from Australian, Pacific Northwest and new-age European hops. The dry-hopping is done with the mysterious Australian and European varieties. Lots of hops. Lots of juice. Solid ABV. The Workers Are Going Home is delicious. If I see it at my local shop again, I might use a dozer to clear a path to it. Go home and drink one for yourself!

Check it out on Instagram. Make sure to like it, and follow Beers on Windowsills!

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Stone Brewing: Stone I’m Peach Double IPA

Stone Brewing: Stone I'm Peach Double IPA

Hops: Loral™, Mosaic

Special Ingredients: Peaches

ABV: 8.8%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Special release

@untappd says: 3.82/5

Let’s get a little political on the Windowsill today, shall we?

Warning: this post isn’t going to be for everybody. I love Stone Brewing Company for putting this beer out, and for the message you can see on the back of this can. And no, it’s not just the tongue-in-cheek message about how to resolve our current political landscape; It’s the message of unity they preach, too. “Unite hops, peaches and each other?” I think that’s the only way to move forward. Like Stone, I want to shout “I’m Peach” from the rooftops. Instead, I’ll shout it from my Windowsill. I’m Peach today!

As supportive as I am of the message on this can, it would be a shame if the beer itself wasn’t good, wouldn’t it? The I’m Peach is a double IPA brewed with Loral™ (not Yanny) and Mosaic hops. The added peach combines wonderfully with the hops to give this beer a bright citrus and floral aroma and flavor. I wouldn’t say it’s over-the-top peachy, but it’s peachy enough for me. Even if you don’t agree with the political message of this brew, you should give it a shot. You might find our opinions to be the same on at least this one thing.

Head over to our Instagram for more great beer stories. Make sure to like and follow us!

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Stubborn Beauty Brewing Company: Happy Treez

Stubborn Beauty Brewing Company: Happy Treez

ABV: 6.2%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Year-round

@untappd says: 4.03/5

Let’s get some happy little treez on the Windowsill today!

Although I haven’t yet visited Middletown, CT’s Stubborn Beauty Brewing Company, I have had the pleasure of tasting a couple of their brews now, and I’ve been very impressed. I’m glad they make great beer, because I really like their branding. The logo is a lovely rose (the color changes depending on the can color), which many consider to be a stubborn beauty because, although it’s aesthetically and aromatically pleasing, it sure will stab the crap out of you if you aren’t careful. The name, logo and the early 20th century photos that adorn their website (old time drinkers, boxers, etc), this brewery has a very old timey feel to it. I can’t wait to visit!

The great painter Bob Ross once said, “There’s nothing wrong with having a tree as a friend.” I always say, “There’s nothing wrong with having a beer as a friend.” The Happy Treez melds these two philosophies perfectly. I wasn’t able to find out what hops are in the recipe, but this American IPA is definitely loaded with dank citrus flavors. It’s fruity and smooth, with some solid bitter touch at the end. I’d take Happy Treez over a regular tree any day—and over many of my friends. Cheers!

Head over to my Instagram page now. Like this photo and follow Beers on Windowsills for more great craft beer!