Beer Review May 2013: BQ Birra Artigianale di Qualità

You may be wondering why there is a beer review on a blog dedicated to fitness, diet, and health. I've loved beer and trying new brews for a long time and if I'm going to expend some of my precious daily calories on beer I want to make sure that it is worth it. I've nobly decided to share my experiences with you so you can make an informed decision about your precious calories. I don't have a refined set of beer tasting skills so, I won't be going on about bouquet and mouth feel. I may make a formal rating system at some point but for now I'll just go with my gut. Just because I like to exercise doesn't mean I have to stop liking beer!

This is a special beer review because I will be reviewing a beer bar instead of just beer! I'm hoping to add more  reviews of establishments that I visit for future beer review posts. I was in Milan last month with my wife and one night after a long day of sightseeing I wanted to check out a local beer bar and BQ Birra Artigianale di Qualita seemed like a great choice. There are five different locations in Milan, Italy and I decided to go to the one at Via Losanna 36 because it was closest to my hotel and with 24 taps and 200 different bottles it had the largest selection.

We got there early by Italian standards at a bit after 7p.m. and no one was in the bar besides two people working there. Neither of them were able to speak English and since neither of us could speak Italian our communication was limited but the waitress was extremely accommodating in translating and explaining beer and food to us using her smartphone. Most of their draft beers were 5 euro for 40cl which I felt was reasonably priced. I ordered a blue cheese burger with mushrooms and onions on it for 9 euro and my wife ordered a plate of fries for 3.50. There weren't many vegetarian options on the menu for her. We ordered a couple of draft beers to enjoy while we waited for the food. The beer was delicious and the room was filled with rock and pop hits of the last several decades.

I was slightly intimidated by the size of my burger when it arrived! I was a little hesitant to even order a burger in the first place because I often feel burgers are something that most restaurants outside of the U.S. don't really know how to do. I couldn't have been more wrong in this case. The beef was fresh and it combined overwhelmingly well with the messy wonder of blue cheese, mushrooms, and onions. It was hard to bite it because it was so big but it was definitely worth the struggle! I tried a couple of my wife's fries and they were also really good.

We ordered another 40cl beer and a tasting tray. The tasting tray was 4 euro for 3 glasses of 10cl beer but all of the beers we received had way more than 10cl possibly because they were served in 25cl glasses. We talked and savored our drinks. One aspect of the bar which was interesting was that some of their beers were named after famous people from history such as Genghis Khan, Tutankhamon, Cleopatra, and Attila. There were some other interesting names such as Gasoline Super and Mahogany. The bottle selection was fairly impressive with beers from Italy, Germany, Belgium, the U.K., and  the U.S. I think there is something here to interest any beer lover.

During the course of our time there a few people showed up and left but overall it was pretty empty the whole time. It isn't a very large bar and I'm not sure if it could hold much more than 50 people. I had a great time and I would definitely recommend stopping by one of the BQ bars if you are ever in Milan!

Overall: 9/10

I apologize that I didn't take notes about the specific beers I tried but I can tell you I liked everyone of the BQ drafts I tried - Mahogany, Zingibeer, Valchiria (which was my favorite), Cleopatra, Gasoline Super, and Genghis Khan.

Bottle Selection 

Drinking is Bad and I've Found Proof!

Beer Review April 2013 St. Pauli Edition: Astra Urtyp and Elbperle Pilsner

You may be wondering why there is a beer review on a blog dedicated to fitness, diet, and health. I've loved beer and trying new brews for a long time and if I'm going to expend some of my precious daily calories on beer I want to make sure that it is worth it. I've nobly decided to share my experiences with you so you can make an informed decision about your precious calories. I don't have a refined set of beer tasting skills so, I won't be going on about bouquet and mouth feel. I may make a formal rating system at some point but for now I'll just go with my gut. Just because I like to exercise doesn't mean I have to stop liking beer!

It's a very special month here in beer review land because, we are giving you two reviews for the price of one. I had so much fun at the Luftgitarrenwettbewerb (Air Guitar Competition) in St. Pauli (the red light district here in Hamburg) that I decided to attempt to share some of that great time with you.

First up we have the Astra Urtyp which is an extremely popular beer here in Hamburg. If you are a fan of the local St. Pauli football team (by which I mean soccer) then you proudly and obnoxiously drink and swear by this brew. This is proof to me that many locals have taken one to many soccer balls to the head because this beer although passable is nothing to be proud of. It pours with that classic light golden beer color and a decent head. The flavor seems to consist of a little bit of malt and a little bit of hops and a whole mouthful of meh. This beer isn't bad it is just boring overall. People will always exclaim about how it must be amazing for a beer lover such as myself to be in Germany (and at times it is) but I often have to dourly explain that a large portion of German beer is cheaply made and boring and most of the good and especially the rare brews are difficult to find (especially here in the north). If you find yourself terrorizing the red light district sometime in Hamburg then by all means grab one of these because you may not have any other choice!

Coming in at 4.9% alcohol with 147 calories for a 12 oz serving isn't to bad. I'm guessing this combined with all the walking is how most Germans keep their beer guts manageable.

Overall: 4/10

This beer is so boring that my camera lost interest focusing!

Up next we have the Elbperle from Colbitzer Heidebrauerei. I'd never heard of the beer or the brewery but, I was feeling very local and native so I wanted to be adventurous and give it a try despite my sinking feeling that it was a bad idea. 

There is a pretty decent 24 hour kiosk/store on the Reeperbahn a couple shops down from the Burger King and Davidstraße which has a decent selection of single cold bottles (which aren't for sale 24 hours a day I believe). The bottles are more expensive than they would be in a grocery store but you can get a cold beer cheaper than a takeaway/imbiss or a bar and drink it on the street. I really enjoy being able to drink beer on the street here and walk around. But anyways we were going to walk around for a bit so I decided to grab a road beer and the Elbperle caught my eye mainly because I'd never seen or heard of it and I wanted to try something new. 

This wasn't a total mistake because I'd rather know then not know but this beer was pretty vile. The flavor was kind of bitter and grassy and generally kind of gross. It had all the aspects I don't like about a Pilsner. It actually tasted like it could be a little off as there was something not quite right and artificial in the flavor. I drank this straight from the bottle and finished it and I won't be going back. 

I could include the calorie information but quite frankly you should never drink this beer so I don't think it is necessary!

Overall: 2/10 

Beer Review for March 2013: Samuel Adams Alpine Spring

You may be wondering why there is a beer review on a blog dedicated to fitness, diet, and health. I've loved beer and trying new brews for a long time and if I'm going to expend some of my precious daily calories on beer I want to make sure that it is worth it. I've nobly decided to share my experiences with you so you can make an informed decision about your precious calories. I don't have a refined set of beer tasting skills so, I won't be going on about bouquet and mouth feel. I may make a formal rating system at some point but for now I'll just go with my gut. Just because I like to exercise doesn't mean I have to stop liking beer!

I was tired after having just flown from Germany to Newark Liberty International and I had a four hour layover. I could have gone to my gate and done some push ups or maybe dropped down into a few warrior poses but, I was lacking energy and motivation. I also had the sinking feeling that I would probably be detained or tasered if I did anything more then just sit there. I began walking around checking out the shops near my gate when I came upon the Samuel Adams Brew Club. I knew the choice to enter would be pricey but with 4 hours to kill on a Monday afternoon what better to do then grab a beer or two?

I sat down and scanned the small collection of taps and was unimpressed by the selection. I had already tried every beer on tap multiple times before except for one so I easily decided to have the Samuel Adams Alpine Spring. With the upcoming change of the season and my never ending thirst to try new beer I was drawn into this beers hazy web of taste.

I was actually surprised when it was poured because I was expecting something clearer but was greeted by 22 ounces of unfiltered orange haze with a thin white head. It looked good so I dove in mouth first. After having had mainly German beer for a whole year I was interested in seeing an American twist on German beer. I was promised aspects of a Helles, spring bock, and Kellerbier by the description and was intrigued that they somehow managed to cram all of that into one glass. I'm often impressed with German beers consistency (this also has it draw backs in lack of diversity) and American beers willingness to push boundaries (although sometimes I think this just means trying to overload every beer with hops) and it was interesting to see these two worlds come together. The beer tasted crisp and refreshing with a nice balance of smooth malt and light citrus hops. I can see where this brew pulls inspiration from German beer but this beer tastes in no way German. This was a great beer to have after an eight hour flight and I enjoyed it enough to order a second one!

This beer is tasty and would work well on a cold or warm spring day. Despite its delicious taste and reasonable 5.5% alcohol content the 191 calories per 12 oz serving is hefty enough that it might be better suited to pack on a few pounds for winter hibernation then help chisel out that six pack for the summer beach season.

Overall: 8/10 

Beer Review for February 2013: Franziskaner Weissbier

You may be wondering why there is a beer review on a blog dedicated to fitness, diet, and health. I've loved beer and trying new brews for a long time and if I'm going to expend some of my precious daily calories on beer I want to make sure that it is worth it. I've nobly decided to share my experiences with you so you can make an informed decision about your precious calories. I don't have a refined set of beer tasting skills so, I won't be going on about bouquet and mouth feel. I may make a formal rating system at some point but for now I'll just go with my gut. Just because I like to exercise doesn't mean I have to stop liking beer!

Here is a murky delicious hefeweizen. Living in Germany, as I do currently, you would think that there would be endless amounts and selection of great beer available. Although there are endless amounts it is difficult to find much in the way of selection without spending some time and going out of your way for it. That has helped to make this widely available beer one of my favorite German beers and in my top three favorite hefeweizens that I've tried.

This beer is hazy with a great orange color. The head is prominent, white, and lasting. The taste has some banana with an enjoyable spiciness. There is also some maltiness which helps to round it out. I definitely like this beer and if it wasn't for one small issue I would drink much more often.

I'm not sure if you have had many unfiltered beers before but that means that the yeast is still in there. Although this doesn't happen to everyone, some of us (ahem) have lingering after effects from drinking unfiltered beer. To put it more bluntly I've been amazed and horrified at the pungency and amount of horseradishy/ wasabi-ishy/spicy gas that can be produced. If you want to do some further reading on the subject you can look here and here.

Despite some of the interesting side affects, I do find this beer delicious and I highly recommend it (unless you are looking for romance).

9/10

This guy definitely likes it too!

Beer Review for January 2013: St. George Lager

You may be wondering why there is a beer review on a blog dedicated to fitness, diet, and health. I've loved beer and trying new brews for a long time and if I'm going to expend some of my precious daily calories on beer I want to make sure that it is worth it. I've nobly decided to share my experiences with you so you can make an informed decision about your precious calories. I don't have a refined set of beer tasting skills so, I won't be going on about bouquet and mouth feel. I may make a formal rating system at some point but for now I'll just go with my gut. Just because I like to exercise doesn't mean I have to stop liking beer!

Well I have to say this is a rarity for me! How often do you get to try a beer from Ethiopia? When I ordered this beer at a restaurant in Berlin (Ethiopian of course). I had read a review of the restaurant where someone mentioned they had a really good stout while there. I asked the waiter while he was taking our drink order if they had any dark beer on the menu like a stout or a dunkel. He replied by saying, "No, all the beers we have are like German beers ... tastes like piss". I was surprised but ordered a beer anyways. After the waiter left I asked what my wife what he said which was actually, "tastes like pils" ... a very amusing moment for me!

Anyways on to the beer! The bottle was pretty interesting with, as one might expect, St. George slaying a dragon on the front. The beer was a golden color and the head on it didn't last for long. The beer tasted grainy and a bit malty as well. There was a very small amount of flavor from hops. Overall a decent taste but not memorable.

The beer was 4.5% alcohol which is pretty low. From what I found online there are 135 calories for a 12 oz serving so definitely safe for your diet. Although it tasted decent, I wouldn't recommend this beer unless you are trying to drink beers from around the world and want to get Ethiopia marked off your list.

5/10