Type: Beer – Rice Lager
Name: Kirin Ichiban
Price: $3.29
Made: California?
Alc/Vol: 5%
“With his gold label and Special Premium Reserve appellation, Ichiban outclasses and outperforms.

In 1990, Ichiban’s debut made a splash in the world of super premium beers. The luxurious single wort (or first press) process yields a unique, complex flavor. With his gold label and “Special Premium Reserve” appellation, Ichiban outclasses and outperforms. But don’t be fooled by a snooty attitude — this is a great beer that goes with anything.

What makes Ichiban great

Prominent wort. Finest barley malt, premium hops, smooth finish, no bitter aftertaste.”

Type: Beer – Pilsner
Name:  Pilsner Urquell
Price: $1.59
Made: Czech Republic
Alc/Vol: 4.4%

After drinking Staropramen I was a little hesitant about drinking another beer from the Czech Republic, but then again this is ‘The’ pilsner beer, litterally. Any beer that claims pils, pilsner or pilsener however you want to fling it stem from this beer. Being the very first, and still going strong today as a popular style of beer with various versions of you know that they had to do something right.

Type: Beer – Double IPA
Name: Victory Brewing Company – Hop Wallop
Price: $2.09
Made: Downington, Pennsylvania
Alc/Vol: 8.5%

The Legend of ‘Hop’ Wallop

“So Horace ‘Hop’ Wallop headed west a broken man. For in the city of Blues a Miss LuLu Bell Lager had left him thirty for more. Drawn by wild tales of riches to be had in the gold mines, Hop pressed on westward. His last nickle spent on a prospecting pan Hop’s hunger got the best of him. Two fist fulls of barely and three of some wild and Wayward hops tossed in a pan with some clear water was to be his meal but sleep overcame him and he later awoke to a bubbling cacophonous concoction overjoyed with the beautiful ale he had made, Hop realized the secret of the green gold he had discovered in those fresh hops. Celebrated far and wide Hop Wallop lives on this vivid ale with his words, ‘Hoppyness is Happiness’. Enjoy!”

Type: Beer
Name: Mythos Hellenic Lager Beer
Price: $1.99
Made: Sindos, Greece
Alc/Vol: 5%

To this beer I say drink up, it is my way of supporting Greece in their time of financial crisis, for there is no better gulp of beer than one that helps another. This lovely beer was enjoyed on a hot day as I try to pawn off my belonging in a garage sale in preparation for my move. (Read why here) I used a screw driver to pop the cap off and gulped down my first sip as I sat in front of my former riches, giving me a King Kong complex of sorts. So what did I think of this self proclaimed, ‘ first authentic Greek beer’?

New Brew Tuesday: Anchor Steam Beer

Type: Beer
Name: Anchor Brewing’s Steam Beer
Price: $1.89
Made: San Francisco, California
Alc/Vol: 4.9%

This beer was forgettable, I kind of wish I wrote down all the fine points as I was drinking it but truth be told even with my notes there wasn’t much there. I didn’t think that this was nesecarily a bad beer, but it had such a light taste with a dry finish that it left little to talk about. It was one of those beers that if someone had asked me what I thought of it after I drank it I would of given a, “Meh” response and that would have been pretty acurate.