Dave Van de Walle

Jun 21 2014

Temperance Gatecrasher IPA

Editor’s Note: Friend of Metasip John Kayaian weighs in with a quick review of one of the new entrants to Chicagoland beer: Temperance, and, specifically, its Gatecrasher IPA. We add a few notes here and there, so it makes more sense to do this in quasi-interview format. Here goes.

Dave: What are you drinking today?

John: Gatecrasher, from Temperance Beer Co. in Evanston, Illinois, USA. It’s an English IPA. I’ve had this beer many many times, as it’s one of my top three IPAs in the whole dang universe.

Dave: Wait a minute, if you drink IPAs, and you drink them a lot, this one must be pretty darn good if it’s in the top three. So, what’s it like?

John: For starters, it pours a slightly hazy golden orange with a crisp snow white head, just like a good IPA should. True to the English origins of this style the malt is quite present, but kept in check by a well-balanced hop bitterness.

Dave: The website says that this beer “gets into the sold-out show without a ticket.” How does it do that?

John: Balance. The Midwestern American execution of this particular IPA is evident in the sweet, tropical, citrus aroma. Grapefruit, apricot, a little mango. Overall, its a damn good beer. One of the most well-balanced IPAs I’ve ever had.

Dave: Back to the top three. What are the other two in your Troika of IPA Awesomeness*?

John: So the other two – in no particular order – are Revolution Anti-Hero and Temperance’s limited-availability Threeway.

[Editor’s Note: you can only get Threeway in Evanston venues – Union and Space, the pizzeria and concert-hall combo, and Temperance’s own tap room.]

Dave: What rating would you give it, then?

John: 4.5 stars out of 5.

Dave: Can I have your Temperance hat?

John: No.

Metasip Grade: A-

Expect to pay $7.99 for a six-pack in stores in and around Chicago.

*We haven’t trademarked the term “Troika of IPA Awesomeness.” Yet.

Jun 19 2014

Kingfisher Lager

What, you expect me to order something other than Kingfisher Lager with Indian food?

Come to think of it, for a Wednesday night, it was pretty busy at the Indian restaurant. The food was really good – it’s a place we order from all the time, and, since we got the youngest hooked on Indian, and since her sibs were away at camp, it’s a good idea, no?

But this isn’t an Indian food review, this is a review of beer that you would have with Indian food.

Now, before the review, a word to the wise.

If you’re looking for a snobby beer review site that tells you that all domestic lagers are crap, go elsewhere. We don’t judge here: if you want to drink a domestic lager, drink a domestic lager. Oh, and especially if you’re having something that’s powerful and spicy. Like Indian food.

Let’s get to the review.

Kingfisher Lager Review

Oh, about that “domestic lager” thing? Look at the photo: “Brewed and Bottled by Kingfisher Brewing Co., Saratoga Springs, NY.” So, just like any of the other imports that are actually brewed here, it’s the same idea: original recipe, original process, managed by the original company. Just done here so it’s not an import.

Taste

See above about “lager to have with Indian food.” Or, a variation on a great quote: “A bad beer is a choice.” In other words, my expectations were as follows:

This will be a lager. It will not overpower. It will have a clean finish and very little aftertaste. It will complement my Indian food.

Check, check, check/check. Check.

(I had the Lamb Masala.)

Profile

Beer Advocate tells us it’s an American Pale Lager, with an ABV of 4.8%.

Value

I paid $5 for a bottle at the restaurant. Expect to pay $7.99 for a sixer at your local store.

Metasip Grade: B+

I’m gonna say this is kinda like the smart bored kid in high school algebra. Sure, he probably knows his stuff, but he’s also probably not a math whiz and didn’t really apply himself. But he’s smart and bored and shows up and scores okay on the test.

Enough about me, this is a good, solid, better-than-average lager. And it works well with Indian food.

Drink up!

Jun 04 2014

5 Secrets to Buying Alcohol at Costco

Kirkland Bourbon — Behold, alcohol at Costco!

We really should have named this…

“5 Secrets to Buying Alcohol at Costco That THEY Don’t Want You to Know About…“

but that would have sounded way too much like an infomercial. And, of course, for maximum clickbait exposure, we should have said something like “#3 will blow your mind!”

But what we really want to do is make this as informative as gosh darn possible. So that’s what we’re going to do, darnit.

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Now, before we dive in, a little background. I spent many a Saturday and Sunday at Costco stores in suburban Chicago, peddling wine (for a brand that we’ll get to in point number 3 below). I learned quite a bit – not just about people’s wine-buying habits, but about how they buy beer, spirits, and everything else.

Yes, the Costco experience is something to behold – if you don’t have one near you, I feel bad for ya. And if you do have one near you but you live in a state with odd rules about buying alcohol, then this post isn’t for you. Unless you’re moving. Or you have a friend that can ship you stuff. Or you work out some other arrangement.

Without further adieu, here’s the post:

5 Secrets to Buying Alcohol at Costco

*One Editor’s Note as we get rolling: if you have a different sort of warehouse club by you, these rules MAY apply. But they possibly will not: part of my gig included the occasional trip to Sam’s Club. Comparing Costco to Sam’s Club is like comparing…actually, I just took a five-minute break, racking my brain trying to figure out if there is any real comparison. There isn’t. If you’re like us, the only reason you had a Sam’s Club membership is because it’s 12 miles closer than Costco and sometimes you absolutely need cheap gas. In fact, we didn’t really need the membership, because…segue…

Kim Crawford 2013 Sauvignon Blanc — You can maybe buy this at Costco.

1. You May Not Need a Membership to Buy Alcohol

We told you above that reason #3 might blow your mind, but, honestly, this one is the one that leaves people saying…WHAT?

This is not true in every state in the Union, and you’ll need to check your state and your individual club. But we know this for a fact in Illinois: at warehouse clubs such as Costco and Sam’s, a membership card is NOT needed to buy alcohol.

When you get to the front door and they ask for your membership card, say “I’m buying alcohol.” They’ll let you in, provided that’s the rule in your state.

When doing those promotional events I mentioned above, there were times when the person behind the counter when I was checking out didn’t even know the rule. Sometimes they’d just say “99” and ring me up. But other times, they’re calling a manager and asking around.

Keep this in mind – if you’re in one of these states where you don’t need a membership, you can’t buy anything else. Just alcohol (and maybe cigarettes, cigars, etc.).

Kirkland Signature Champagne — Since it’s “Champagne,” well, it’s French.

2. If It Says “Kirkland” on the Label…

This should really be in two parts: part one is that it’s been fully vetted, and part two – which might be a no-brainer to some, but is worth mentioning anyway – is that Costco didn’t make it themselves.

Really: if you see a Bordeaux wine and it says “Kirkland,” do you think Costco has its own winery in Bordeaux?

No. They don’t. They’re sourcing products of all kinds from throughout the world. Coffee from Rwanda is produced by Rwandan coffee growers, then Costco gets it to you through the magic of their distribution network. Alcohol has more hoops to jump through, but, since they’re America’s largest seller of wine, they’re on the case.

Kirkland Signature Vodka — NOT Grey Goose.

3. Some Kirkland Products Are Actually…

This is a good one: they won’t tell you what they actually are, because they can’t. But here’s where the fun starts.

An unconfirmed rumor is that Kirkland’s Vodka, the one made in France, is actually Grey Goose. Or at least made at the same place AS Grey Goose.

Mind. Blown.

Now, whether or not that’s true, we’ll never know. But, unless you are a brand-loyal vodka drinker, you can take a chance on a vodka, or a whiskey, or a gin, save some serious cash – $15-20 savings per bottle – and have a rock-solid libation in your liquor cabinet. This brings us to another mystery, and allows us to tell you a little more about who we were working for when we were at Costco:

Cameron Hughes Lot 416 2012 Pinot Noir — Cam knows his stuff.

4. Cameron Hughes Wine Figured This Out

Full disclosure: these are the folks I worked for, doing wine demos in Costco off and on for five years. There actually IS a Cameron Hughes and he’s the guy behind Cameron Hughes Wine.

What he’ll tell you about his approach is the same thing I would tell you if you bumped into me at Costco and I had the salesman badge on: some wineries will sell their “remainder” and he bottles that and sells it to you at a markedly lower price. After people gasp, I’d explain the economics behind the business model…

Take Winery X. They’re ready to sell their California Cabernet for $50 a bottle. They’ve got 10,000 cases ready to go and they learn that Winery Y is also ready to sell their premium Cab at $50 a bottle. And then Winery Z wants to do the same…pretty soon, you’ve got a glut – too much premium stuff.

Winery X, being smart and knowing about supply and demand, thinks they can fare better by cutting their own supply in half. They also know that the actual value of the wine itself is much lower than $50 a bottle – so they call up Mr. Hughes and cut a deal.

Next thing you know, 3,000 to 5,000 cases of a California Cabernet from Cameron Hughes Wine make it to Costco. But it’s a limited quantity (each wine gets a lot number) AND it’s priced to sell – their wheelhouse is $12-$16 a bottle.

You get a wine that drinks much more expensively than what you paid for it.

Sofia 2013 Rose — Francis’ Daughter, which you of course knew.

5. Costco’s 14% Rule

This is another secret – not well-kept but no one will give you the exact number. We’ve heard 13% and 15% – doesn’t matter, the bottom-line here is that they’ll mark the product up only to the limit, and not more.

Where this benefits you, the buyer of all things alcoholic, is mostly with the big names. Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio will be cheaper at Costco than anywhere else you’ll find it, and the same goes for any of the big-name spirits – and even some of the smaller names (we thought Tito’s Handmade Vodka was cheap at our local Walmart, but Costco won that battle, too).

You can also have quite a bit of luck with those things that keep us humming along here at Metasip: the sub-$10 wines, and the craft beers. (A nifty combo of rule #2 and rule #5 is at play with the Kirkland Beer Sampler.)

Next time you’re at Costco, remember these tips. And happy drinking!

Jun 03 2014

Hebrew The Chosen Beer Rye IPA

We don’t hand out A gradess very often. You’ve got to be rock-solid, stand the test of time, and really REALLY knock our socks off.

Hebrew The Chosen Beer Rye IPA did just that – knocked our socks off.

Part of the reason? The alcohol level: a whopping TEN PERCENT.

But, still, if you’re into that sort of thing, here you go. Time for the review of this stellar Rye IPA.

Taste

Like…drinking pure (alcohol-laden) gold. With rye and malt and hoppy goodness. And did we mention the alcohol? That, too. We sipped this like a whiskey, and that was plenty.

Technically, the name of this beer is “Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A.” The folks at Shmaltz have gotten quite a few accolades, too.

Profile

TEN PERCENT ALCOHOL BY VOLUME. Also, take a look at all the Malt and Hops info on the website, as that will spell out more than you need to know.

Value

Here’s where this stands out – since we got it in a “Mixed-Six” at the local store, it only cost us $1.66 per bottle. We just got one, but this is more on par with the Matilda type of brew. So you’re making out in the long run.

Metasip Grade: A

A solid A. Were it not for the alcohol content, we’d drink this every day, but it would put us on the floor. So we can’t do that – but, for a every once in awhile treat, you’ll be hard pressed to do better.

Jun 02 2014

Bell’s Oberon Ale

: Bell’s Oberon Ale

There’s a reason Bell’s Oberon Ale is sometimes banned in Illinois.

That’s harsh. “Banned” is a strong word; let’s just say that a disagreement on taxes or something meant that we couldn’t get the stuff a couple summers back.

But they ironed that out – probably had our governor call their governor or something – and all was right with the world.

Because, Midwesterners, it wouldn’t be summer without Bell’s Oberon Ale.

To the review!

Bell’s Oberon Ale Review

Taste

The website – you can link to it here – talks about “mouthfeel.” Which, since this is a beer blog, we should probably start working into our posts.

Come to think of it, though, maybe that isn’t a bad idea – since I’m not typically a big fan of “wheat” beer (or, more accurately, they’re not a big fan of me and I end up with a headache after just one), I don’t actually think of this when I think of wheat beer. It’s probably the mouthfeel.

Profile

5.8% ABV. They don’t tell you the IBUs on the Bell’s website – but it’s not as bitter as your IPA or even some of the hoppier Pale Ales (like Sierra Nevada).

Value

We don’t care. $8.99, $9.99 – we’ll pay it. And it’s worth every penny.

Metasip Grade: A

You would expect anything less from us? I mean, you’re starting to figure us out, sure…but this is one of those Midwestern staples that has earned a spot in our fridge.