Beery Eyed in Puerto Rico
As anyone who has spent time in the Caribbean knows, island life often feels several decades behind our ever-changing, ever-obsessive American culture. This is not necessarily a bad thing. You quickly learn that 900 cable channels, a BlackBerry, and an iPod filled with three months of music and NPR programming have nothing on a day snorkeling among the coral and neon blue fish.
If you can't tell, my wife, Carrie, and I just returned from a trip to the Caribbean, Puerto Rico specifically. (Thanks Uncle Hobs and Aunt Joyce for the use of your condo!) While I genuinely realized how little I need to feel at peace---now if I could only stop checking e-mail on vacation, I'd be golden---I did miss one recent trend of American life: the modern microbrews.
If you walk into any bar in Puerto Rico and ask what beers are available, the bartender will rattle off---and I'm not exaggerating---almost the exact same list: Coors Light, Budweiser, Miller Lite, Medalla Light (the Puerto Rican lager that has a stranglehold on the market), and the Dutch stowaway, Heineken. Occasionally the list will expand to include a Corona or Presidente, the Dominican Republic pilsner. While all of these beers make for easy summer drinking (i.e., you can pound that shit down on a hot beach), I really missed my Dogfish Head IPAs, my Rogue Dead Guy Ale, and my Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale.
I also realized how much my beer drinking has changed over the years. Back in a day, it wasn't unusual for me and friends to stock a cooler full of American lagers and spend a summer day knocking back one can after another, barely feeling anything more than an urge to pee every hour or so. These days, I can't finish two Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPAs without feeling like somebody's hit me upside the head with a 2-by-4.
I love the taste of these highly alcoholic microbrews, but, you know, I sometimes miss the hot-afternoon social camaraderie that went with drinking watery beer.
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9:26 am
Hey Tim,
Did you go by my house when you were in Puerto Rico? Yeah, I am off of American Miranda, across the street from Centro Medico in Rio Piedras.
You have to admit Tim, Puerto Ricans are not as stressed out like Washingtonians and having a beer in public with the fear of a $50 ticket is a blessing.
As for the beer; Well, I think you will find upwards of 50 brands to chose from unless you hit one of those sleazy Dominican dive bars.
11:14 am
You don't have to leave the continental US to find crap beer selection. There are many, many places here at "home" with the exact list you mention.
K.
12:54 pm
Dude, I have the perfect beer for you: Aging Rogue's Head Dog Breath Doo-Doo Nut Brown Fish Ass Stinky Finger Ale. It's awesome.
Me? When it's this hot, I'm partial to Troeg's Sunshine Pils or Victory's Prima Pils. You get the beachy drinkability without the cheap taste.
3:16 pm
I've had that one, JW. I found it a bit nutty.
4:35 pm
Really? I think the dog-breath taste pleasantly overrides the nuttiness.
5:28 pm
JW: If you like Victory Prima Pils try our relatively local version (which actually has been around longer than the similar Victory pils): Tupper's Hop Pocket Pils. Awesome.
7:06 pm
Just so's you know, word on the street is ODBC is 86ing Tuppers (and New River Pale Ale, Hard Times Lager). Hard Times is moving to Clipper City, Tuppers is TBA. New River? Who knows.
The Doo-Doo Nut Brown is best from a cask run through fresh trout.
11:46 am
Tim, if the 90 Minute is doing your head in why not ramp down the abv% but keep the flavor:
Yards Philadelphia Pale Ale 4.3% *
Dominion Ale 4.7%
Brewer's Art Pale Ale 4.6%
Brewer's Art Proletary 5.0%
Oliver's Best Bitter 4.8%
Fordham Helles Lager 5.1%
Fordham Copperhead Ale 4.7%
Gordon Biersch (DC) Schwarzbier 4.3% (sure it's dark but they serve it very, very cold)
Capital City Kölsch 4.2% *
Gaffel Kölsch 4.8% *
Paulaner Helles 4.9%
Brooklyn Pilsner 4.9% *
Brooklyn Blanch de Brooklyn 4.5% *
Lindeman's Kriek/Gueze/Framboise 4.0%
Allagash White 5.0% *
De Koninck 5.0%
Anchor Steam 4.9%
Sierra Nevada Summerfest 5.0% *
Dogfish Head Shelter Pale Ale 5.0% (you knew they had to have one under 11%)
And if you really want to rock in the summer fashion take a wee trip up to Philly to lay hands on Sly Fox Pikeland Pils, damned tasty, very refreshing, moderate alcohol (4.9%) and served in cans. Oh, yeah.
12:30 pm
Scrumptious, scrumptious. Thank you, Kelly.
Tim,
what's the beer popsicle situation out there?
1:11 pm
Kelly;
Excellent suggestions. I owe you a beer.
-Tim
12:36 pm
hi
good luck
you will need a distrubution system.
drink beer and get fat .