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Foam Brewers: Dance Yrself Clean

Foam Brewers: Dance Yrself Clean

ABV: 7.0%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Rotating

@untappd says: 4.24/5

It’s time to dance on the Windowsill today!

This past weekend, I took a trip to Vermont for the bachelor party of my good pal @drinkcraftscookwithcast. When my beer pal, @zacporter, found out I was going to Burlington, he told me I had to hit up Foam Brewers because it was one of the best breweries in the state. He wasn’t lying. Check out a few photos from my trip!

The Vermont craft scene is one of the oldest in the country. While Foam Brewers has only been around since 2016, the people behind it—Todd Haire, Robert Grim, Sam Keane, Jon Farmer, and Dani Casey—are some of the best brewery professionals in the state’s recent history. They have experience at places like Magic Hat, Switchback, and several others around the North East. We’re talking decades of experience. The group focuses its brew strategy on small batches, which means they’re always experimenting with great recipes.

We didn’t have much time to spend at the brewery, so I went bold with my order. Foam is known for its incredible New England IPAs, but I went with a little brew named Dance Yrself Clean. It’s a fruited sour brewed with lactose, but there’s much more to it. It’s then conditioned on pineapple, coconut and lime zest. Foam describes it as a mix between a mojito and a piña colada, and I gotta say that’s pretty accurate. The sour base was tasty, but the fruit, coconut and lactose added some really good sweetness to balance it out. Really delicious, and super interesting. Next time I go, I’ll make sure to grab some food, and try out some of their really good IPAs… and maybe have another Dance Yrself Clean!

Check this one out on Instagram, now!

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Thomas Hooker Brewery: Watermelon Ale

Thomas Hooker Brewery: Watermelon Ale

Hops: Saaz, Cascade

Malts: Canadian 2-Row, Carapilis, Wheat Malt

ABV: 4.8%

IBU: 11

Availability: Seasonal from April to August

@untappd says: 3.16/5

Every couple of months, you know I have to have a Hooker on the Windowsill!

You ever wonder where watermelons come from? I did, so I looked it up. Turns out the big green fruit originated in sub-Saharan Africa, and we’ve been enjoying it thousands of years. Evidence of the cultivation of watermelons in the Nile Valley exists from at least 4,000 years ago. From there, it spread to India and China in the 7th and 10th centuries respectively, and was being grown in Europe around the same time. Colonization soon took the fruit all over the world, and European colonists and their slaves eventually brought it to the New World, aka the Americas (North and South). In 1939, Japanese scientists figured out a way to grow seedless watermelons, which I can’t really get behind, but 85% of watermelons sold in America are seedless today…so I guess I have to. Now you know about watermelons!

Why did I just go through all that? First of all, I’m running out of cool stuff to say about Thomas Hooker Brewing Company. Secondly, because today’s featured brew is the Bloomfield, CT brewery’s Watermelon Ale. It’s a light, crisp ale made with a hint of watermelon essence. Was this the greatest watermelon beer I’ve ever tasted? No. But it’s light and refreshing on a hot day, that’s for sure. I might turn to a different watermelon brew next time, but that won’t stop me from enjoying the six pack I bought of this one.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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!

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Evil Twin Brewing and Lervig Aktiebryggeri: Big Ass Money Stout 3

Evil Twin Brewing and Lervig Aktiebryggeri: Big Ass Money Stout 3

ABV: 17.2%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Limited

@untappd says: 4.05/5

We’re all getting rich and wordy on the Windowsill today… Where’s the pizza?

Leave it to Evil Twin Brewing to concoct what is easily the craziest beer I’ve ever had on the Windowsill. The soon-to-be-Brooklyn bound brewery teamed up with Norway’s Lervig Aktiebryggeri to brew the Big Ass Money Stout 3, which features three essential bits of insanity. First, it has a 17.2% ABV. That’s knock-you-on-your-ass strong. Second, it’s made with a super popular Norwegian snack: a ham and peppers pizza named Grandiosa. Third—and I’ve saved the best for last—it’s made with Norwegian money. Yes. Money. Filthy, dirty, disgusting money. The currency is added after fermentation, essentially like a dry hop. Money! I had to try it.

Why would they do this? Well, for his third collaboration with Lervig, Evil Twin’s head nut, Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø wanted to make a truly Norwegian brew. He asked Mike Murphy—an American currently living in Norway and brewing for Lervig—to suggest ingredients that would make this beer uniquely Norwegian. Well, Norway’s roughly 5 million people consume 40 million of those pizzas, making it the country’s de facto national dish, so Mike suggested that. Jeppe wanted something to put the brew over the top, and Mike mentioned that Norway is one of the richest countries in the world. Money became the obvious choice. Has Evil Twin finally gone too far?

Oddly, no. I actually really liked the Big Ass Money Stout 3. If you’re into stouts, this is a good one to try. I think the beefy alcohol level—Jeppe and Mike set out to make the strongest beer in Norway’s history—covered up any residual money and pizza flavors (although, to be fair, I was eating pizza when I drank it). This just tasted like a really sweet and delicious stout. It was also really smooth, which I didn’t expect from such a high-alcohol brew. Evil Twin… you’ve done it again! I just hope Jeppe never brews in Iceland, which is known for a delicacy involving rotten shark meat.

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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.

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BAD SONS Beer Company: Bourbon Barrel Aged Roper

BAD SONS Beer Co.: Bourbon Barrel Aged Roper

ABV: 9.0%

IBU: 33

Availability: Limited

@untappd says: 3.73/5

Come and knock on our door…

There’s not a whole lot left for me to say about Derby, CT’s BAD SONS Beer Company. I’ve been to the tap room a few times, so instead of going on about how cool it is there, and how great their beer is, I’ve decided to include never-before-seen photos from my trip last year in this post. Enjoy in the embedded Instagram post below!

If you’re a child of the 80s and 90s, then you know exactly who the hop-headed, robed gentleman on the bottle is. Mr. Roper, the original landlord on the hit sitcom “Three’s Company,” played by the legendary Normal Fell. Mr. Roper was always there playing straight man landlord to the hijinx of Jack, Janet and Chrissy (later Cindy, and then Terri). Although Mrs. Roper was never satisfied with him on the series, I was super satisfied by this brew. The Roper is a Scotch Ale, also known as a Wee Heavy, aged in bourbon barrels for 4 months. I picked up two bottles several months ago, but just decided to have a crack at one this weekend. Really good Scotch Ale, with the added bourbon kick. I certainly wouldn’t evict this beer from my fridge!

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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!

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