From the November issue of All About Beer magazine: 

A recent Gallup poll revealed that of the 64 percent of Americans who consumed alcohol, beer continues to be their beverage of choice, with 40 percent choosing it over wine and spirits. Beer came out on top in the last two similar Gallup polls, following one dismaying year where wine took top place. Beer was also found to represent the largest segment in the alcohol beverage category in both volume and dollar sales, accounting for 56 percent of all alcohol beverage servings.

There are age and gender differences: younger drinkers and men prefer beer, while older drinkers and women prefer wine.

For two years, Anheuser-Busch has led a campaign to elevate the image of beer called “Here’s to Beer.” Bob Lachky, executive vice president, Global Industry Development at Anheuser-Busch, said: “We’re encouraged by the consumer data such as today’s Gallup poll and this year’s ACNielsen global trend report that reinforced beer’s supremacy as a driver of food and beverage growth worldwide.” The “Here’s To Beer” campaign’s next initiative is “The Beer Connoisseur” website, an online beer university in which adults can enroll to learn about beer’s ingredients, brewing process, styles and the fundamentals of food-pairing: www.herestobeer.com.

I don’t know of any other big cities that offer Bare Knuckle Stout other than Saint Louis, but here’s a beer mix that Anheuser Busch is toting.  It’s called Black Pumpkin.  It’s Bare Knuckle Stout layered over Jack’s Pumpkin Spice Ale.  The two apparenly go together quite well, making a “distinguished, eye-catching and enjoyable fall blend”.

The combination of the roasted, dark malty notes of Bare Knuckle and the all-malt, spicy-pumpkin flavor of Jack’s creates a great-tasting, festive mix.

The “Black Pumpkin” is part of Bare Knuckle Stout’s Mix-It-Up program, which features a different beer each month from the Anheuser-Busch portfolio, mixed with Bare Knuckle Stout.

I recently got to try two more of the Unibroue beers.  I posted earlier about the Ephemere beer, which was outstanding.  These two actually tasted very similar to each other, but nothing like that one.

These both tasted very…  Belgian.  Almost like a heavier, fuller and much more alcoholic version of Fat Tire.  The Chambly was more smooth and less bitter than the Maudite, but it was the Maudite (translated to “Damned”) that really took the crown.  It’s a got a nice 8.5% alcohol kick to it :-)  These are 24 ouncers too, so it doesn’t take much to tie one on here.  Trying both of them one after the other really does the trick :-o  Dang, maybe that’s why they tasted so similar.  I was already drunk when I got done with the Maudite!

Well, probably not, my constitution is pretty strong at this point when it comes to beer.  Anyway, I suggest you give these a try.  Actually, so far, all of the Unibroue beers have been impressive.

Enjoy, and um, drink responsibly.

Ahhhhhh.  Soooooo gooooood.  I’m definitely a beer aficionado, so I thought I’d let everyone in an an excellent beer, and better yet, a great beer brand.  I work for a pretty popular brewery me-self, so I like to think that I can pick a good beer out.

Unibroue is the brand I’m talking about.  It’s a Canuck beer, but I like it anyway ;-)  In the past, I’ve had, and loved the Chambly, La Fin Du Monde, and the Trois Pistoles, but those are the only ones I knew existed.  The former two, being a nice 9% alcohol content too :-) 

However, I just noticed today at Dierbergs, of all places, they had a Unibroue display.  They had 3 that I had never seen before, and damn me, but I can’t think of two of them right now, but I’ll be up there tomorrow.  They had the Trois Pistoles and this new one that I tried called Ephemere, which apparently means Apple.  I don’t normally drink apple ales, but I can definitely appreciate a good one, and this one was GOOD. 

It came in a huge pint bottle and I poured it into a frosty mug straight from the freezer.  There was hardly any head to it, but I didn’t expect one, for an apple ale.  It smelled really fresh, and it tasted absolutely wonderful!  Here’s the description from the website:

ÉPHÉMÈRE (apple)
(eff-eh-mehr)
White ale brewed with apple must

Redolent of ripe Granny Smith apples, this
unique white ale pleases the palate with a
delicate balance of fruit and spice notes and
just a hint of sweetness.
 
Éphémère apple satisfies with each sip and
refreshes in all seasons, especially when
paired with an artisan cheddar cheese, pork
tenderloin served with apple chutney or Vidalia
onion soup.

We developed the Éphémère (Ephemeral)
series to feature a seasonal fruit in a
refreshing, lightly spiced white ale.
 
The label depicts a fairy, an ephemeral spirit
associated with fruits picked at the peak of
ripeness during each harvest season.
Éphémère apple flavor is brewed with apple
must, which consists of the freshly-pressed
juice from apples.

Enjoy this beer ‘alfresco’ while dining in the
afternoon sun, relaxing at a family gathering or
at a picnic in the back yard.

Winner of 3 Gold Medals from the Beverage
Testing Institute since 2002

It sounds fruity, and it is, but dang that was a good, refreshing beer.

Cheers!