Paul Blart South Side Works Cop

As seen at the South Side Works in Pittsburgh.

Hofbrauhaus Pittsburgh

As part of pre-wedding celebrations, I got into Pittsburgh last night and a group of us went to Hofbrauhaus for dinner and drinks. The restaurant is situated into three sections: A quiet room, outdoor seating, and the large dining hall. We chose to eat in the dining hall to be a part of the singing and drinking festivities.

The beer I drank all night was the Hofbrau Dunkel. The color is a dark amber. The aroma hints at the barley used with a sweet undertone. It has a malty taste with hints of caramel. The after taste is toasted. The alcohol content is 5.5% ABV. I enjoyed this beer so much that I ordered two liters of it for our dinner. The picture above it the beer in the signature 1-liter glass.

For dinner we started with the soft pretzels with bier cheese and sauerkraut balls. Both were excellent. I ordered Wurstlteller, which is a sampler of mettwurst, bierwurst, and bratwurst. On the side was German potato salad and sauerkraut. The food was absolutely fantastic and extremely filling.

I enjoyed my first visit to Hofbrauhaus in Pittsburgh. I highly recommend that you make a visit to stand on the benches and sing along to the German polka band that plays every night. It really is quite the fun atmosphere and experience.

Appalachian Brewing Company- July 2009

Drawn by the rumor of the Blackberry Wheat, I dropped into Appalachian Brewing Company tonight to check out some new beers.

The first beer I ordered was the Blackberry Wheat. The beer came out a deep red color, almost purple. There was a light aroma to the beer with a slight fruit accent. The beer tastes sweet at first, but finishes a little tart. The blackberries are prevalent in the beer. The Blackberry Wheat finishes a bit dry, but is still very tasty. The alcohol content, according to the bartender, is 5.25%-ish, as he was not sure if it was brewed with the blackberries or infused, so he assumed infused. Overall, the beer was decent and I think it would get better with age. It is still a beer worth checking out.

The second beer I ordered was the Dom Blonde. I have always been a fan of the Dom Blonde, even though it may be light and pale in color it packs a lot of flavor. The beer I received came with no head and the Dom Blonde does not have much of an aroma. However, the taste is sweet and smooth, with a light hop after taste. The alcohol content is 5.0% ABV. I like this beer as it is very drinkable, but also packed with flavor.

The final [new] beer I had this evening [it was my fourth actually] was the Anniversary Maibock. I have been craving the Maibock for a while and tonight I finally was able to drink it. The beer comes with a beautiful amber color and a light head. The beer has a sweet aroma with a hint of alcohol. The taste is smooth, malty, and hints at a caramel undertone. The alcohol content is 7.64& ABV. I thoroughly enjoyed the Maibock, especially as a night cap. The alcohol content is enough to give you a little boost, but the taste dances on your tongue. I recommend getting a glass of the Maibock before it is gone until next year.

Rock Art Infusco

My boy Matt also picked up a bottle of Rock Art Infusco. The beer has a very dark color and a thick head. The aroma smells of chocolate with a hint of the alcohol. The beer tastes of dark chocolate, which is slightly bitter in taste. The alcohol content is 8% ABV. Overall, I thought this was a decent beer, but it was not what I was expecting. Most chocolate beers are a little sweeter, but I thought the bitter dark chocolate adds another dimension to this beer.

Brasserie d'Achouffe La Chouffee

My boy Matt picked up a bottle of Brasserie d'Achouffe La Chouffe on his way over to my house today. The beer has a bright golden color with a fruity and peppery aroma. The beer has a slightly spicy taste and a minor bitter after taste. The alcohol content is 8.0% ABV. Overall, I thought this is an excellent beer. Despite being brewed with spices, it has a very smooth taste that is also warming.

Selin's Grove Brewing Company

From Kupko's Mind. Bottled.

On Friday, three friends and I decided to return to Selin's Grove Brewing Company. You may have read my previous post from my first visit to the brewery. On this trip, I decided to try some new beers.

The first beer I ordered was the Kriek. This beer has won several awards and has been compared to a lambic, but it is not a lambic. The beer is almost a purple color with a fruity aroma. Upon tasting the Kriek, you mouth is taken over by an intense fruit flavor. There was a sweet bite in the after taste, due to the high alcohol content. The alcohol content was listed in the beer menu as "we'd be guessing?", so I will assume it is in the double digits. I am a big fan of this beer and plan to go back and try it again. The brewery is worth the trip alone for this beer.

The second beer I ordered was the Steamer Triple. The beer is a dark gold color, which is very enticing. The aroma was very faint but had a light spice accent to it. The flavor was fully rounded with spices, yet surprisingly smooth. At the end of the taste, the bite from the alcohol hits you in the throat. The brewery limits each customer to three of these, as the alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. I enjoyed the Triple thoroughly and thought it went really well with the soft pretzels that we ordered (which are excellent!).

My final beer, which was ordered in part for dessert, was the Organic Baltic Porter. As expected, the porter comes dark brown with a roasted aroma. The head on the porter was frothy, but not too thick. The taste includes chocolate and toffee flavors, making this beer an excellent meal ender. However, the warmer the beer got, the better the beer taste. As the temperature increased, the chocolate and toffee flavors became more present and changed the complexion of the beer. By the end of the glass, the sweetness of the porter was completely satisfying. The alcohol content is 7.9% ABV.

After my second review of Selin's Grove Brewing Company, I really hope you give it a try. And definitely order the food there as it might be the best brew-pub food I have ever had.

Victory Whirlwind Witbier

Prior to heading into the Harrisburg City Islanders vs. Crystal Palace FC (London) match, we stopped by the Brickyard in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The place has a decent beer selection and the food was pretty tasty as well. The Brickyard had Victory Whirlwind Witbier on tap, so I grabbed a couple of glasses of it. The beer is white in color, with a sweet aroma that has a slight citrus hint. As for the taste, it is very clean with a minor spice undertone. The after taste consists of a lemon flavor. The alcohol content is 5.0% ABV. I was pleasantly surprised with the Whirlwind Witbier and would jump at the opportunity to have more of it. It was a refreshing beer that is good to drink while eating, as it is light in body.

20 Percent Oof Vergina

This photo comes to us courtesy of Greg. The sign in the window say "20-50% OOF." So, if yhou notice the name of the place, the caption today is "20% oof vergina."

Michael Jackson's Hair Burning

It may be sad to say, but I thoroughly enjoyed this video. The fire extinguisher bit is priceless.

WMD

So for dinner tonight, my buds and I whipped up our recently named Weapon of Meatball Destruction (WMD)(Patent Pending). To make this sandwich monster, you start with a nice piece of Italian bread. The end is preferred as it does not allow any items to fall out. You lay our three to four Friday's mozzarella stick. Next, you lay down some McDonald's french fries over top of the cheese sticks. Finally, cover the fries and sticks with meatballs and marinara sauce. The result is amazing. Feel free to thank me when you try it.

Tastier Balls

Today we have our first reader submitted photo. This photo comes from Jack and has led to me adding an email me link on the right side of the page if you wish to submit funny photos. Also, you can caption if you want. Today's photo is entitled "Tastier Balls." Thanks Jack!

Stoudt's Heifer-in-Wheat

I recently read in All About Beer magazine about Stoudt's Heifer-in-Wheat and was very intrigued. The beer consists of 50% malted barley and 50% malted wheat, making a hybrid heiferweizen and wheat beer. The beer pours an opaque orange, hinting at both types of beer included in this brew. It has a fresh and slightly citrus-like aroma, making it very enticing. The taste is extremely smooth, with hints of citrus, and a very clean and refreshing finish. The alcohol content is 5.0% ABV. This beer is very enjoyable and I highly recommend picking up a case. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect with the beer, but the Heifer-in-Wheat came out totally satisfying. I think this is a beer that can be enjoyed by people of all types, even those light beer drinkers.

Civil Disobedience

In a new segment that I am going to try, I am going to upload random funny photos that I have. These updates will only occur when I find a funny situation. I have a backlog of a few, so that shold get things started.

For the first entry, I will title this picture "Civil Disobedience."

After Midnight Project- Take Me Home

I have been listening to the two EPs from After Midnight Project for about a month now, and I feel it's time you are aware of them. I totally dig these guys and they will be on the Warped Tour this summer. Their first full-length LP titled Let's Build Something to Break will hit stores on August 11, 2009 and I am highly anticipating it. Let me know what you think.

Dogfish Head Alehouse, Gaithersburg, MD

While on the way to see the Harrisburg City Islanders take on DC United at the Maryland Soccer Plex, my boy Matt and I dropped by the Dogfish Head Alehouse in Gaithersburg, MD. I've been to the Alehouse in Rehoboth, but not to the one in Gaithersburg. I tried two new beers from Dogfish Head that I had not previously tried.

The first new beer I tried is the Sah'tea. I hadn't heard much about the beer, but the description intrigued me since the beer has ginger, black tea, and cinnamon. It pours a gold color with a spicy aroma. The taste is sweet and caramel-like at first, with a spicy finish. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. I thought this was an excellent beer and reminds me of winter brews with ginger, but of a much lighter body. I highly recommend trying the Sah'tea, and I plan on getting some more.

The second beer I tried was the Aprihop. I have been intrigued by the beer, but did not want to buy a whole case without trying it first. The beer pours a dark amber. There was not much of an aroma, but a slight sweetness was detectable. The Aprihop has a sweet taste with a slightly tart and dry after taste. There is a minimal hop undertone, which is very enjoyable. The alcohol content is 7.0% ABV. I didn't have high expectations for the Aprihop, and it by far succeeded.