First we will pay the cat tax. My full time house cat, Reginald, demands regular attention and only the finest kibble. His needs come before mine. Even if that means not getting to write about beer.
I've also been studying hard, in and out of the glass, which after a grueling 5 hour test has lead to the distinguished title of Certified Cicerone®. I'd like to take a moment to thank all the beers that helped me get here today. I wouldn't have been able to do it without you.
The largest time constraint has been moving to Philadelphia, PA. At first glance one would probably notice the endless garbage strewn everywhere, but if you look closer you will discover that the city and surrounding area is overflowing with great beer. Some of my favorites which are still lesser known are Sterling Pig, Stickman, Levante, Vault and ARS. Package is limited or nonexistent for some of these beers, so finding them can take some effort, but it is totally worth it. When you look west to Pittsburgh, you can find Draai Laag, who are making some of the best sour beers I've ever savored. I expect their brand, which they tout as "Wild by Design", to reach total hype status soon.
Speaking of total hype status of beer available but not brewed in Philadelphia area, that seems to be partnered with Half Acre and Singlecut currently. They definitely make good beer, but the next brewer up which may push them to the side is Une Année / Hubbard's Cave from Chicago. The same head brewer has separate breweries produce different specialties. Une Année focuses on Belgian/French brewing tradition, their sours are amazing, while Hubbard's Cave specializes in American Ales. The Fresh series from Hubbard's Cave is putting all hoppy challengers to shame, and their stouts are also delicious. In a few months all the cool kids will stop drinking them and be on to the next hard to get barley commodity.
I could make some promises like the glass that sits in front of me (if you could see it you would be dismayed at how close the beer in it is to the bottom), but instead I will let you know that life is becoming routine again. Will that lead to more posts? Who knows, but I can promise that my cat tax will be payed in full. I'd be scared to find out what would happen to us all otherwise.
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