Great ‘Merican Beer

Beer Review – Moylan’s Chelsea Moylan’s Porter
Style – American Porter
ABV – 5%
MSRP: $4 per 22oz Bomber
Drink if you like – Coffee, chocolate, Guinness, good friends , buying American

This is a tasty American beer. GULP ASAP.

This week we are reviewing a great brewery located in Novato, California, USA.  I mention the location, because a large majority of the craft beers you see are all American-owned and American-made.  You can’t say that about many things anymore!  Sometimes I rib my drinking buddies when they are enjoying a seemingly American beer – Bud Light or Miller Lite.  While brewed in America (that counts for something ) the companies that make the beer – and keep the profits -  are foreign.  AB-Inbev owns Budweiser and is based in Belgium.  SAB Miller owns Miller (SAB stand for South African Brewing) and has recently moved it operations to the United Kingdom.   ArkansasBeerBlog is asking you to give us hard working American’s a chance – and buy a local beer.  Chelsea Moylan’s Porter is a perfect choice – it’s extremely approachable, very tasty, and 100% American.   It is the perfect replacement for a popular foreign beer: Guinness .

Let’s dive in and take a sip!

In case you are wondering - yes, we do beer photo shoots, complete with runway. FAAABULOUS!

Chelsea Moylan’s Porter pours an intriguing dark ruby brown color – seemingly black when not held up to the light.  A decent coca-cola colored heads sits on top of the beer proudly.   Bring the beer close to your nose to take a slow whiff and enjoy the espresso roast, toffee and dark chocolate.   If done just right, your mouth will be watering.  In our experience, the best way to take your first sip of this beer is to repeat your initial sniff then take a big, long, slow gulp.  You’ll find a delicious dry roast front and center with this gulper.  Dark chocolate balances the coffee note, giving it a lip smacking finish.   As it warms you will pick out some earthy hops playing as referee in the beer.

Help us embrace our American Craft Beer history. When purchasing these American-made creations, you’re also supporting over 100,000 American jobs and 1,700 American breweries. Let’s toast to our hardworking brothers and sisters in this industry for reducing our dependence on imported products and for contributing to balanced trade.

A bald eagle just landed on my shoulder.

You can find this beer at TWO locations in Arkansas:
Liquor World – Fayetteville
Premier Wine & Spirits – Fayetteville

….. Which is a SHAME!  At $4 bucks per bomber – this is a great American deal!  Please – ask your local beer store for Chelsea Moylan’s Porter!

We gave this beer 3.5 Diamonds.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Beer + Love = Awesome

The origin of Valentine’s Day is shrouded in mystery. In principal, this is an annual occasion to give thanks to the ones we love. The common misconception is that this day is set aside to shower our lady-friends with candy and gifts. On the contrary, it is estimated that women purchase 85% of all Valentine’s in the United States. Why is this? The simple and most-accepted answer is that women are more thoughtful, as well as more organized.  All true statements, but this statistic only reflects purchased gifts directly related to Valentine’s Day and does not include homemade gift supplies. Notebook paper, markers, cardboard, glitter, white-out, highlighters, and super glue are mysteriously omitted from this measurement.

The point is, ladies, while your man-friend is scrambling around to make you a heartfelt Valentine’s Day gift out of things found around the house, use your thoughtfulness and organization to do something nice for him as well. Buy him a great Craft beer this Valentine’s Day. Trust me, he doesn’t care what kind.  He will greatly appreciate this unselfish and kindhearted gesture. You will never see him brag more to his friends about what he got from his special lady.  Just remember: the super glue might not come off of the kitchen table, and the kids may be bouncing off the walls from a metric ton of chocolate, but this will be a lasting memory of Valentine’s Day 2012.

A Great Beer – Pure and Simple

Beer Review: Sudwerk Münchener Helles Lager
Style: Munich Helles Lager
ABV: 4.90%
MSRP: $8.54 per six pack

Drink if you like: Great light beer, football, your German ancestors, sticking it to “the man”.

While this beer looks unassuming, trust us - it's the good stuff.

What’s in your beer? With all of the mass-produced concoctions in our big-business culture, this answer might be more elaborate than you would think. In addition to the standard of water, barley, and hops, Macrobrewers commonly use adjuncts including rice and corn in their beers as a cost-cutting method. These supplements ferment readily with alcohol, but do very little in the way of taste. They “Americanize” our beer with diluted flavors; favoring quantity over quality.  With these cost savings, BudMillerCoors is able to spend millions on Super Bowl ads containing giant horses and funny dogs in an attempt to infiltrate our brains and have us believe their beers are “premium.” Admittedly, these commercials are occasionally witty, but did we learn nothing from Animal Farm?

In stark contrast, there are a small number of brewers out there that still adhere to the German Beer Purity Law called “Reinheitsgebot” (hastily pronounced with a scowl). This law, enacted in 1487, was introduced, primarily, to prevent price competition with bakers for wheat and rye.

Over the teeth, past the gums, look out stomach, here it comes....

Reinheitsgebot stated that the only ingredients that could be used in the production of beer were water, barley, and hops. Wheat was later adopted as the fourth acceptable ingredient. The law stayed in effect for some 500 years before being lifted in 1988, but breweries such as Sudwerk in Davis, California, preserve this German heritage by creating wonderful beers with these limited ingredients.

Purity and Simplicity…at its finest.

Sudwerk Münchener Helles Lager  is a Munich-style Lager, which was the German answer to the then popular lagers of Plzen – a beer that drinks very crisp,  is a thirst quencher and  contains delicious pale malts ad spicy hops.  Sudwerk Lager pours a bright, golden-yellow, medium body with a sturdy, thick, two-finger head. This beer has the appearance of many run-of-the-mill Macro lagers, but the similarities end here. The smell of pale malt and a hint of toasted grain and apples are overtly evident. The taste fully embodies that of a very well-balanced beer. A perfect expanse of light bready malts balanced with grassy and slight citrus hop bitterness. This beer is an embodiment of a proper Helles; very crisp and highly drinkable.  It’s ideal for long tailgate parties and hot afternoons. A great light beer that doesn’t rely on quadrapedal pitch men to generate appeal. Sudwerk Lager is what Macrobrews want to be when they grow up.

It may be worth noting we had a special guest at out last tasting – let’s call him “Dr. Beer.”  He’s a real doctor, and according to him, he can make up his own nicknames.  This particular beer came out as one of the top beers for that tasting, so it gets the coveted “Dr. Beer Recommends!”

You can find this beer at the following locations:

Colonial Wine & Spirits – Little Rock
Tri Lake Spirits – Hot Springs
Liquor Mart and Wine Shoppe – Fayetteville
Lake Liquors –  Maumelle
Judicious Spirits – Mountain Home
Shamrock Liquor Warehouse – Fort Smith

We gave this beer 4.5 Diamonds

To age, or not to age. Part II

On the previous post we discussed some general rules for aging beers. Did you try to age a beer? I did – but it only lasted for one day. It was still delicious! It’s important to know: much like wine, the majority of beer is made to be consumed fresh. Only a particular beer will benefit from aging. So let’s discuss some of the most common types of beers for aging. Judging by type of beer, ABV, and known yeast behavior, the following types of beer are a few suggestions for starting a cellar:

• Russian Imperial Stout – these thick, high ABV beer’s malts can benefit greatly from aging.
• Belgian Strong Ale – a stereotypically higher ABV dubbel or tripel-like beer; these beers can turn into some amazing creations.
• Wild Yeast Beers– this is a broad stroke that may cover many different beers from a saison to a flanders red ale to a lambic or gueuze- where certain types of yeast (such as brettanomyces) can continue to develop complex flavors for years or even decades.

Here is a random sample of a beer cellar. Not all of these beers are available in Arkansas, sadly.

Now that you have the beer – where should you place it? Ideally, it will be someplace dark that has a consistent temperature.  We’ve probably all heard of “cellar temperature;” which is suggested for aging wine and beers: ranging from roughly 45° – 55° fahrenheit.  Whether or not this suggested temperature truly affects the outcome of aged beer is still being hotly debated. The agreed-upon rule for temperature is no swings; no extreme heat and extreme cold from day to day or month to month.  The more stable, the better.  Not crazy and bipolar, like your old girlfriend.

Here is a good beer cellar location - underground,dark, and stable. Plus you have darts and embarrassing photos of your family to make fun of.

Wait – my beer has a cork! Should I age it on the side, like wine? Most corked beers actually use condensed champaign corks that are capped and caged; so the answer is no. Wine corks may dry out after many years, but nearly all beer with corks will be just fine sitting straight up.

I have all this beer – now what? Once you get a good cellar going, you can enjoy one of the most fun aspects of aging beer: vertical tastings. Let’s say you buy the same beer each year for 5 years – for instance Scaldis Noel (amazing beer!). On the 5th year, you can throw a party with your beer-geek brethren and open one beer from each year. Taste how the beer has changed – how it has mellowed, grown more subtle and multifaceted, yet it is the same beer. Comparing and contrasting the age, and deciding which year is best, is great beer-geek fun.

Some beers that age well - even though it seems so wrong.

I just saw some VERY hoppy beers in that beer cellar – you are busted!  Like all rules – they are fun to break.  Some quality beers contain an insane amount of ingredients - which could include hops.  These beers are wonderful fresh…. but some beer geeks have found out that they age beautifully.  The fresh tropical and pine hop flavors decline, but other flavors, originally lost in the pungent hop flavors, will start to evolve and shine through. This is a dangerous game though – some beers will be better fresh than aged.  But sometimes it pays off big time.  Take Dogfish Head Burton Baton: pictured right center.  This is a blended beer (remember this article?) – an old ale and a imperial IPA – that is very hoppy and enjoyable fresh.  Yet after one year of aging, it takes a huge flavor step forward.  It’s still bitter and hoppy, but the malts are deeper, and the oak and vanilla are more pronounced.  I personally prefer this beer aged, rather than fresh.

Now get out there and buy some great beers!  Try a Moylan’s Barley Wine or a St. Bernardus Abt. 12!  Then age them for a few years and reap the flavor rewards.

To age, or not to age. Part I

Craft beer ain't yo' papa's old beer nah!

Drinking a three-year-old beer seems strange at first; just as eating a three-year-old anything seems strange. Americans are conditioned to check the “best by” date on nearly every food we buy. Buy now and buy fresh! Yet we all know that some specific wines get better with age, some bourbon is better the older it is, the best cheese is always aged and fruitcake lasts forever. So the question of the week is: Drink beer now, or later?

This person has been struck with a bad case of beericus cellaratis.

As with most of life’s conundrums, the answer depends. With the amazingly diverse beer now available in Arkansas, we feel it’s appropriate to set the record straight, and lay out some generally agreed-upon ground rules. Aging beer is one of the most fun, rewarding, and biggest tests of temptations for a beer geek. Let’s keep it short and simple. No rule is absolute. Consider the following rules and generally agreed-upon directions for aging beer:

Rule #1 – The hoppy stuff is not for aging. IPAs and Double/Imperial IPAs are like white wines – they are meant to be imbibed as fresh as possible and as soon as possible. The longer a hop-centric beer lies around, the more hop flavors disappear. In contrast, some malts can greatly change and attain more flavor depth with age.

Rule #2 – Light is bad. Light causes a chemical reaction when it shines on hop compounds in beer (remember nearly all beer includes hops). If enough light strikes a beer, these compounds change the delicious spicy, fruity, and/or herbaceous nose of a beer into one that resembles a skunk. Take any green or clear beer bottle, (these bottles/colors do not shield the light waves that cause this reaction) pour a beer, and take a whiff. You’ll smell some skunk in there. This is generally not wanted in craft beer.

Rule #3 – High ABV. It is generally agreed that beers that benefit from aging normally have higher ABVs, such as 6% or higher. This may be because higher-alcohol beers normally stand up better to age as the alcohol mellows out over time, allowing a more complex flavor to shine through. It should be noted that some (mostly Belgian beers) can be very low ABV, and age amazingly.

Rule #4 – Yeast, man. You may be confused after the last sentence stating some low ABV beers age great, even though we said aim for 6% + ABV. That’s because of yeast. Try to make sure your beer is “bottled conditioned” – meaning it contains live yeast. These yeast will continue to develop flavors as the beer changes over time. Some yeast – which may be propertiary or even wild – can develop a beer for decades. This is very common in particular Belgian beers like Gueuze. Yeast is truly the soul of a beer.

It's even worse than I thought...

Don’t consider these absolutes, rather, general rules. One of the most important things in beer culture is HAVE FUN! Experiment, wait (if you can!), and enjoy! With aged beer comes more nuance, flavor, and enjoyment. Normally well aged beers won’t be punching your flavor palate, but rather weaving a intricate and interesting story.

Next up on part two: temperature, corks, types of beer to age, and vertical tasting.

Blending the Rules

A traditional Gueuze - which is a blend of young and old lambics.

The craft beer movement provides us with many joys. At the heart of this lies the sheer variety of styles, flavors, and nuances that these talented brewers bestow upon us. With ingenuity and creativity, they strive to provide our palates with pleasure and harmony and our minds with excitement and curiosity. But why do the brewers get to have all the fun? Not to say drinking these wonderful beers isn’t a joyful experience in itself, but there’s no creativity in opening a bottle. What if I want the sugary malt characteristics of one beer and the hoppy bitterness of another…in the same glass? Welcome to the polarizing world of beer blending.

The blending of beers (think beer mixology) has been around as long as beer itself. For centuries, blending has been used for wine, champagne and scotch, just to name a few. It is said that Britain’s porter style grew out of blends put together in pubs out of various beers; the most famous being a blend called ”three-threads.” Most times these blends contained some fresh beer and some old beer (that had been lying around for some time). Blending beer on a large scale is standard with macrobreweries. Beers such as BudMillerCoors are all blended with various batches of the same beer to ensure standards in quality and flavor. Some of the most popular beers in the world are blended, especially if barrel aged. Take, for example, Deschutes The Abyss; a blend of beers aged in a combination of Oak Bourbon barrels, Oak barrels, and Oak Wine barrels. Another prime example is Firestone Walker’s anniversary ale; wine experts collaborate in blending Firestone Walker barrel aged beers.  Yet another is gueuze, which by definition is a blend of young and old lambics into a new beer, which is bottled for a second fermentation. In fact, there are still some old “blending houses” in Belgium that specialize in blending various lambics into gueuze – not brewing any beer themselves but rather blending purchased beer.

The Firestone Walker guys have a big blending party and spill all kinds of beer together - whoops - and make a new super awesome beer.

With all the blending going on in the world, why is this a seemingly taboo practice? This answer lies in the trust and appreciation that we put in our craft beer brewers to gratify us with their creations and the common notion that any alteration in said recipe is a bastardization of the trade. When we buy a craft beer, it’s a conversation with that brewer; the beer (if stored, distributed, and served correctly) will be exactly what the brewer wants you to drink, taste and experience. This is why blending is widely considered an art, rather than a craft. This is a fitting analogy. Blending beers takes an amazing palate that understands flavor synergy – very few people are known professionals in how to blend certain beers together. This is why nearly all blending is done by the experts in the professional world. Blending at the “end user” level is expensive as well – if you make a bad batch, you can’t un-blend your beer!

So – to blend or not to blend? Without straying from the line, we choose not to argue either side. Rather, we would simply like to point out that no one knows your taste sensors better than you. Blending or mixing beer can be a fun and creative way to bring out the most desired qualities of your favorite beers into one glass. Some of our blending experiments have revealed some surprising and astonishing results. Reluctance quickly gave way to an enthusiastic journey to self-righteousness.

Below are three creations we concocted in our blending lab along with their new blended aliases:

Glorious Abomination
¾ Russian River Pliny the Elder & ¼ Surly Furious: Combines the smoothness and complexity of Pliny with the hop showcase of Furious.

Mystic Healing Tree :
¼ North Coast Old Rasputin XIV Anniversary & ¾ Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron: Highlights the coconut and vanilla notes of Old Rasputin with the woody charred chocolate of the Palo Santo.

Meh – 20 ounces Bud Light & 21 Ounces Coors Light: Pairs subtle hints of water in Bud Light with the subtle hints of water in Coors Light.

Commercial Example (don’t try this at home):

Firestone Walker 15:
18% Helldorado (11.7% ABV) Blonde Barley Wine.
17% Sticky Monkey (12.5% ABV) English Barley Wine.
17% Bravo (13.5% ABV) Imperial Brown Ale.
13% Double Double Barrel Ale (11.5% ABV) Double Strength English Pale Ale.
11% Good Foot (14.3 ABV) American Barley Wine.
10% Velvet Merkin (8.6% ABV) Traditional Oatmeal Stout.
9% Parabola (13% ABV) Russian Imperial Oatmeal Stout.
5% Double Jack (9.5% ABV) Double India Pale Ale.

Don’t be afraid to be creative and mix up your beer intake. The cool kids are doing it.

The Prior’s Beer

Beer Review: St. Bernardus Prior 8
Style: Dubbel
ABV: 8%
Drink if you like: Cinnamon raisin bread, fig newtons, fresh homemade sourdough bread, dark jams and heads of religious orders.

This beer demands respect

Definition of Prior: The head of a religious order; in an abbey the prior is next below the abbot.

This beer is named after a big shot for a reason; it’s smart, complex, entertaining, and wonderful. It’s consonantly in the top 5 beers of its style in the world, beating out countless other religious men’s beer and world renowned breweries. So what makes this dubbel so darn doubly delicious? Magic! Well, not abracadabra magic, but rather, the kind of magic you get out of hard work and experience. The folks at St. Bernardus know how to make a darn fine crafted beer. You can also consider the ingredients some of the best in the world, such as the Alexis and Prisma malts, which have been cultivated in the surrounding Belgian regions for hundreds of years. It’s that old school hard work magic you get with Prior 8 – something that makes you sit back and appreciate the effort put into a quality beer, as opposed to chugging another mass produced Biff Light.

Time to indulge in this beer:

Holy Head of the Abbey Batman! It's a Belgian!

Prior 8 walks into the room and folks pay attention, and you can see this in the initial pour. The Belgians are known for their amazing heads, and this beer is a classic example. The nose greets you with wonderful complexity: ripe orchard and dark fruits, spicy yeast, cinnamon, figs, almonds and something that reminds you of sweet wines. The taste is even more complex and refined; nothing dominates and everything works together in a subtle way. You will pick up some toasted rye bread, clove, cinnamon, earthy tobacco, pears, brown sugar, vanilla, and something that reminded us of fig newtons – yum! The lively carbonation keeps the malts from becoming cloying or heavy, and is extremely well suited for this beer.

You can find this beer at the following religiously beer loving establishments:
Colonial Wines & Spirits – Little Rock
The Bottle – Fayetteville
Springhill Wine & Spirits – North Little Rock
The Bottle – Fayetteville (mix pack)
Springhill Wine & Spirits – North Little Rock (mix pack)
Liquor Mart – Fort Smith (mix pack)
Shamrock Liquor Warehouse – Fort Smith (mix pack)
In Good Spirits – Fort Smith (mix pack)
County Line Liquor – Springdale (mix pack)

We gave this beer 4.5 Diamonds

Arkansas’ Superbier

Beer Review: St. Bernardus Tripel
Style: Tripel
ABV: 8.00%
Drink if you like: Orchard fruit, doughy bread, cider, global harmony, Marvel comics, meat-adorned serving vessels, and Arithmetic.

Yes, that just happened.

According to brewing historian Michael Jackson, the first golden strong pale ale associated with the term “Tripel” was brewed by Hendrik Verlinden of the Three Lindens brewery in the early 1930s. This occurred at a time when ale brewers were struggling to compete with ever-popular pale lagers from Plzeň, Czech Republic. Verlinden, the only secular brewer allowed to carry the Trappist Beer designation assisted the famous Trappist brewery, Westmalle, in creating this golden strong pale ale. This beer was originally released under the name Superbier. In 1956, the head brewer of Westmalle, Brother Thomas, added more hops to the recipe and renamed it Tripel. The term is now applied by a large range of secular brewers to strong pale ales in the style of Westmalle Tripel.

The St. Bernardus version of the Tripel is arguably the most well-known secular beer of this style. Its beautiful qualities and flavor profiles converge into a single harmonious, yet complex Superbier.

What a great beer. I shall drink one, then another. (then another) and then another.

St. Bernardus Tripel pours smoky orange/pale yellow as small particles of yeast suspend before settling to the bottom of the vessel. A dense plume of whipped foam sticks around long enough to appreciate as it recedes into a net film. The aroma of apple cider, bananas, and alcohol esters are overthrown by a thick Belgian yeast resilience. Hints of cracker and biscuit-like malts also make unpretentious appearances in the nose. The flavor is doughy at the forefront. Unripened orchard fruit and earthy hops stabilize the Belgian yeast temperament and add to the complexity. The mouthfeel is light and very drinkable for such a strong beer. The alcohol feel is just enough to gently warm the palate with each drink.

St. Bernardus Tripel combines a mild fruity and tartness, steady malt foundation, and delicate bitterness to make it one of Arkansas’ true Superbiers.

You can find this Superbier at the following beer-loving places:
Colonial Wines & Spirits – Little Rock
Springhill Wine and Spirits – North Little Rock
The Bottle – Fayetteville (mix pack)
Springhill Wine & Spirits – North Little Rock (mix pack)
Liquor Mart – Fort Smith (mix pack)
Shamrock Liquor Warehouse – Fort Smith (mix pack)
In Good Spirits – Fort Smith (mix pack)
County Line Liquor – Springdale (mix pack)

We gave this beer 4 diamonds

The New Year’s Eve Beer

Beer Review: Dupont Avec les bons Vœux
Style: Saison / Farmhouse Ale
Alcohol by Volume: 9.5%
Characteristics:  Dupont’s beer for celebrations has everything you’d want while giving cheers – expect fruity complexity, classic Belgian yeast phenols, and a subtle saison funk all rolled into an enticing mouth feel.

Our good friend Ryan Feero wrote this review with collective input from Aaron Mastropaolo on behalf of Fort Smith Hops for Arkansas Beer Blog. Cheers!

In 1970, as a special treat for the loyal beer lovers of Tourpes, Belgium, the historic La Brasserie Dupont farm-based brewery crafted a marvelous saison style beer. Prophetically inscribed upon the bottle a French phase, “Avec les bons Vœux de la brasserie Dupont” greets its recipients with warming best wishes for the New Year. This friendly warmth is carried on through the winter brewing months in order to bring beneficiaries into a bright new summer or harvest. Bons Vœux falls delicately into the reemerging saison/farmhouse ale category with an exceptional 94 score from Beeradvocate. As 2011 comes to an end there is no better way to bring in the new year than with a perfectly poured Bons Vœux. A votre santé!

Let's start the party!

The pour is a cloudy gold and orange blend that yielded a popping 1 and ½ finger head. The fluffy white crown subsided somewhat quickly like the anticipated ball drop at Times square. Beautiful lacing remained, and the initial effervescent nature of the pour slowly diminishes to medium carbonation.

This beautiful beer keeps your brain cranking with complexity... But we all know soon enough your brain will go crazy during New Year's Eve.

The nose brought forth an immediate burst of lemon zest, vanilla, ginger, some wet hay funk and is then followed by a delicate apple pie nuance. At the onset of the pour, the presences of floral and earthy hops were spotted until the head receded. Another whiff brings a beautifully balanced malt medley dancing to an ode to orange! All of these aromas work together in symphony – reminding you of the ever-so-exciting saison style.

A hearty mouthful of Bons Vœux overtakes the senses and seeks to confuse with complex subtleties of citrus fruit, balanced light bready malts, delicate earthy hops, and a peppery finish. The 9.5% alcohol content is a misnomer as you notice how perfectly smooth this beer washes the palate without burning. A lingering apple tart flavor and fruity esters seem to compliment the very restrained herbal phenols in masking any unwanted alcohol harshness.  You will also find more of what you had in the nose as it warms; some wonderful “Dupontish” funk welcomes you with musky hay.  The mouthfeel emerges as light to medium bodied with superb drinkability.  It’s the perfect beer for New Years Eve cheers!

Drinking Dupont’s saison style Bons Vœux is guaranteed to bring best wishes to you and all you share it with.  Available in a 750ML bottle, there is plenty to pour in a few glasses; however, you will be tempted to keep it all to yourself. Hell, there’s always next year for sharing!

Pop ze cap, pour ze beer!

You can find this wonderful beer just in time for New Year’s Eve here:

Colonial Wine & Spirits – Little Rock
Crush Wine Bar – Little Rock
Macaddodle’s – Springdale
The Wine Rack & Spirits Shoppe –  Hot Springs
Hillcrest Liquor and Fine Wines – Little Rock
Lake Liquor – Maumelle
O’Looney’s –  Little Rock
The Bottle – Fayetteville
Flying Saucer – Little Rock

We gave this beer 4.5 Diamonds

Merry Christmas Arkansas Beer Geeks!

Merry Christmas all you Arkansas Beer Lovers!  It’s a wonderful time to for Arkansas beer geeks – there is now more world class beer being distributed in Arkansas than ever.  If you think Glidewell has done a terrific job in bringing in these beers such as St. Bernardus and more, just wait until next year!

Remember – beer is the world’s best social lubricant.  Pick up some craft beer this season for your family gathering, and be the highlight of the party.  We’ve got the prefect gift list here.