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Thomas Hooker Brewery: Super Duper Double Citra

Thomas Hooker Brewery: Super Duper Double Citra

Hops: Citra

ABV: 8.0%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Limited

@untappd says: 4.21/5

Are those rubber chickens in your hula hoop pants, or are you just happy to see today’s Windowsill beer?

In case you haven’t noticed, the label on this beer from Bloomfield, Connecticut’s Thomas Hooker Brewery is inspired by one of my favorite childhood gameshows—Double Dare. You remember the show, right? Host Marc Summers would ask one of the teams a question. They could dare the other team to answer it. The other team could double dare them back. The final option? Physical challenge, y’all!

Today’s physical challenge was drinking this incredibly delicious brew. You don’t have to dig through a nose full of slime to figure out where this beer gets its name. It’s a double IPA brewed exclusively with Citra hops. Despite the heavy ABV, it’s a silky smooth brew that goes down nice and easy. Let it warm up a bit to get those tropical flavors of grapefruit, melon, passion fruit and lychee from the Citra hops. Super tropical, super delicious, not overly bitter. So good, you’ll want to sit in a giant bowl of spaghetti and catch oversized, sauced up meatballs with my teeth just to drink a Super Duper Double Citra!

Make sure to like this amazing brew on Instagram, and follow us!

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Left Hand Brewing Company: Saison Au Miel

Left Hand Brewing Company: Saison Au Miel

ABV: 6.8%

IBU: 10

Availability: Spring seasonal

@untappd says: 3.61/5

The Windowsill is feeling sweet like honey today!

Left Hand Brewing Company is the brainchild of Dick Doore and Eric Wallace, two friends who met in college, at the Air Force Academy. They incorporated in 1993, and started rolling out the beers. Why Left Hand? The company is named in honor of Chief Niwot, an Arapaho chief who wintered his tribe in the Boulder Valley area of Colorado. Niwot, whose name meant Left Hand, was killed during the Sand Creek Massacre, betrayed by the U.S. soldiers he thought were his friends.

I love a good saison (aka farmhouse ale). The Saison Au Miel was my first of the style from Left Hand, and I really enjoyed it. It was dry, crisp and mildly tart, and the Colorado wildflower honey really came through in the middle to soften my palate. Makes me sad that I only picked up one!

Head over to Instagram to like this one, and follow us for more great beer!

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Yonkers Brewing Company: Bakesale Oatmeal Nitro Stout

Yonkers Brewing Company: Bakesale Oatmeal Nitro Stout

ABV: 5.0%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Very limited in cans

@untappd says: 3.65

Having a delicious bake sale on the Windowsill today! What treats do we have in store?

Yonkers natives John Rubbo and Nick Califano grew up helping their grandfathers make homemade wine. They’re endlessly proud of those years spent crushing grapes and learning about booze, but they’re even prouder of their home city. When they decided to open their taps in 2015 only one name stood out: Yonkers. Appropriately enough, their brewery is located in the heart of downtown Yonkers. John and Nick wouldn’t have it any other way.

I love a good Nitro anything, and the Bakesale Oatmeal Nitro Stout is not an exception, at least when it comes to flavor and mouthfeel. This brew had what I love in any stout, with great flavors of chocolate and oatmeal, as well as the nice, creamy, thick mouthfeel that laced the inside of my mouth. The one thing I didn’t like is the ABV. If you know me, you know I love a good imperial-level stout. The Bakesale falls short there, so I guess I just have to drink two!

Check this one out on Instagram. Like and follow us for more delicious treats!

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Half Full Brewery: Albert (Without Rhyme or Reason Release #5.5)

Half Full Brewery: Albert (Without Rhyme or Reason Release #5.5)

Hops: Simcoe (dry-hop)

Grains: Canadian 2-Row, Wheat (raw and malted), Flaked Oats

Yeast: Hefeweizen

ABV: 7.0%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Extremely limited

@untappd says: Not enough ratings as of press time

Feel the reason! Feel the rhyme! Get on up, it’s Windowsill time!

Half Full Brewery is back on the Windowsill! Today, let’s talk about “Together We Can,” the brewery’s “Volunteer—Drink Beer” initiative. Once a month, they organize volunteer days where anybody can come together to volunteer at a local community organization. Afterwards, they take it back to the brewery to celebrate. Every beer that sells that day results in a $1 donation to the organization, and a portion of all sales for the whole month get donated as well. If you’re looking to support a business that gives back, Half Full’s a good place to start.

Now, the beer! If you’ve followed my Instagram, you’re familiar with the Without Rhyme or Reason series Half Full has been releasing over the last 5 months or so. The series is known for the special can releases, but the brewery also releases even more exclusive WROR beers that don’t even make it to cans. The Albert—named after Albert Einstein—is one of those. That’s why it’s the “5.5,” and not the 6. I wish they had canned this beer, because it was amazing. It’s a hazy and full-bodied IPA brewed with hefeweizen yeast and double dry-hopped with Simcoe. The Albert has some great notes of peach and banana, goes down super smooth and tastes great!

Make sure you follow us on Instagram, and give Half Full a follow, too!

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Great Lakes Brewing Company: Edmund Fitzgerald Porter

Great Lakes Brewing Company: Edmund Fitzgerald Porter

ABV: 6.0%

IBU: 37

Availability: Year-round

@untappd says: 3.8/5

Today we honor the fallen crew of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald on the Windowsill.

Did you know there have been over 6,000 shipwrecks in the Great Lakes? A lot of them happen because of the turbulent weather in the region, which is what caused the most famous shipwreck in the area in November of 1975. The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was carrying 26,116 long tons of taconite pellets made of processed iron ore when it sank in Lake Superior, killing 29 men on board. It remains the largest ship to go down in the Great Lakes.

Cleveland, Ohio’s Great Lakes Brewing Company chose to honor the wreck of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald with their award-winning porter. It’s complex and roasty with a bittersweet, chocolaty coffee flavor and a “bold hop presence.” The Edmund Fitzgerald Porter has won 12 medals at the World Beer Championships, and is a great way to pay tribute to the freighter’s fallen crew.

Check this one out on Instagram now. Make sure to like and follow!

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Noble Rey Brewing Company: Tactical Combat Firefighter

Noble Rey Brewing Company: Tactical Combat Firefighter

Hops:Citra, Galaxy, Amarillo

ABV: 6.2%

IBU: 70

Availability: Year-round

@untappd says: 3.61/5

The Windowsill’s on fire tonight, we’re gonna need to call the fire department!

Noble Rey Brewing Company has the distinction of being the first brewery from Dallas to grace our Windowsill. It was founded in 2012 by Chris and Kendra Rigoulout. Head brewer Tommy Miller is in charge of the recipes. In some exciting news, they recently struck a deal with Neodif, a french beverage distributor, to bring their cans overseas. The first cans were scheduled to hit the shelves at the end of February. Vive la France!

The Tactical Combat Firefighter is our first brew from Noble Rey, and it came courtesy of my good friend @dawnthegourmand. It’s brewed with three kinds of hops—Citra, Amarillo and Galaxy—and it was overall pretty good. Some good tropical upfront flavor and aroma is followed by a good bitter finish, and there’s not much more you can ask for from an IPA. Very drinkable!

Shout out to Magnificent Beard for the can art. If you’re wondering why there’s only a head, the fireman’s body is on the other side. The cans are meant to be stacked. Cool!

Our Instagram’s on fire today, so go check it out!

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Black Hog Brewing Company: Easy Rye’Da

Black Hog Brewing Company: Easy Rye'Da

Hops: Bravo, Summit, 07270, Denali, Eureka

Malts: 2-Row Pale, Aromatic, British Pale, CaraHell, Rye Malt

ABV: 5.5%

IBU: 20

Availability: Year-round

@untappd says: 3.56/5

The Windowsill is revving up for a long hog ride today!

Black Hog Brewing Company was  opened in August 2014 by brothers Jason and Tom Sobocinski. The brothers grew up in a Polish/Italian family, so they grew up with a love of food and drink—specifically a nice, juicy, roasted pig. The pig of choice for all celebrations was the Berkshire Pig, which is known for its black color. See where I’m going with this? They hooked up with their old friend, brewer Tyler Jones, and Black Hog Brewing Company was born.

The Easy Rye’Da has a name name and can art inspired by the classic 1969 motorcycle movie Easy Rider. It’s a rye IPA brewed with Bravo, Summit, 07270, Denali and Eureka hops and yes, rye malt (along with other varieties, too). As they say on the official description, this is a session beer, so you can cruise on it all day long. This one was OK for me. The Easy Rye’Da didn’t quite get my motor runnin’, but it didn’t flood my engine either. Decent!

Get it in gear and head over to our Instagram, right now! Like and follow us for more great beers!

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Hanging Hills Brewing Company: Irregular Hartbeat

Hops: Galaxy

ABV: 8.4%

IBU: N/A

Availability: “Almost never”

@untappd says: 3.87/5

Is that a murmur in my chest, or am I just happy to have this beer on my Windowsill?

I love a brewery with a clear cut mission statement. Hanging Hills Brewing Company upholds the following values in order to make the best beer possible: purest ingredients, traditional techniques, attention to detail, creativity, community, commitment to environment, and gratitude. How do they make great beer? With “ingenuity and a dogged pursuit of quality. Like what you hear? Head up to Hartford today!

I’ve been looking for another good Hanging Hills brew for my Windowsill for a couple of weeks now, and man did I make a good choice! The Irregular Hartbeat (Hanging Hills is always showing the love for Hartford, CT) is a Galaxied up version of their other brew, named Hartbeat. While the Hartbeat is made with Mosaic and Citra, the Irregular Hartbeat is all Galaxy, all the time. It’s bright, juicy and hoppy. Made my heart skip a beat!

Check this one out on Instagram. Don’t forget to like and follow!

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Captain Lawrence Brewing Company: Barrel Select Green

Captain Lawrence Brewing Company: Barrel Select Green

Hops: Columbus, Crystal

Dry Hops: El Dorado, Super Galena

Malts: 2-Row, Wheat

ABV: 6.5%

IBU: 15

Availability: Limited

@untappd says: 3.66/5

Let’s get GREEN for St. Patrick’s Day on the Windowsill today! HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!

Why do we celebrate St. Patrick? No, he wasn’t a drunken Irishman. He was a legitimate saint! He actually wasn’t even Irish. St. Paddy was born in Britain to wealthy parents somewhere around the end of the 4th century. At 16, he was captured by Irish Pirates, who took him to Ireland by force. During his six years in captivity, he became a devout Christian. He left Ireland, came back, spread the gospel and may or may not have (probably not) have driven all the snakes off the island. He died on March 17, 461, and that’s why we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day today… with lots and lots of alcohol!

We’re celebrating today with a really special beer from New York’s Captain Lawrence Brewing Company. It’s their Barrel Select Green, a dry-hopped sour ale aged in Italian Oak Tanks. It’s part of their barrel select series (Green, Gold, Black and Red). The Green is the only dry-hopped variety—the process is executed with El Dorado and Super Galena hops—and that extra hoppyness goes a long way to making this a very flavorful beer. It’s crisp, light, super carbonated, sour and “assertive.” A solid wild ale from a great Brewery.

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on our Instagram, now! Don’t forget to like and follow!

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Cortland Farm Distillery and Brewery: Red Dragon Ale

ABV: 7.0%

IBU: 48

Availability: Year-round

@untappd says: 3.42/5

Lost Photo Friday is back on the Windowsill!

Cortland Beer Company aka Cortland Farm Distillery and Brewery was founded in historic Downtown Cortland, New York in 2010. Before 2012, they only sold their beer to-go, but that year, they committed to becoming a farm brewery. As we found out in my Gun Hill post yesterday, that means they use local ingredients to make their products, and can now serve draughts, flights, kegs, growlers and cans to go. Good stuff.

Although I drank the Red Dragon Ale a while ago, I remember it pretty well (OK, fine. I took notes). It’s sweet and malty with just a little bit of hop character. It was a nice beer, but I would definitely hold it at “nice.” Love the can art, though!

Check this one, and other Lost Photo Friday posts, on Instagram, now!