Photo Property of Paper Moon Vinyards via Facebook

Type: Wine – Lake Erie Cayuga White
Name: Paper Moon – Cayuga White
Price: Free for me, but for you?
Made: Vermillion, OH
Alc/Vol: 11%

I must seem to luck out on local wines because like Matus Winery – American Concord review I did, this lovely bottle came free of charge as well. How did I manage free wine you ask, well just get really upset when someone disposes of the wine  you had. A few weeks back I helped work at a local festival in my hometown of Lorain. After cleanup there were a few bottles of wine left over, I was ready to enjoy these delicious wines when I left them at the festival site. (I know, cardinal sin-esque) I rushed back the next morning only to find they had been pitched, to prevent the high school clean up crew from having at the bottle. I still fail to see why the bottle was punished for this. this left me devastated, truly, alcohol abuse in it’s worse offense. My mother shared my despair at a similar festival with the vineyards, thus the thought of a cute and cuddly little monkey without his wine tore into their hearts. They left a bottle for me, who needs puppy eyes when you have monkey everything?

Pisco Sour By caseywest, May 20, 2010 via Flickr Creative Commons

After watching one of the greatest shows ever, Three Sheets, I became sad to see that the host Zane Lamprey never got around to show casing the Peruvian side of this liquor. Instead we only saw the Chilean side, which seems to be more regulated in its creation of Pisco. The side by side taste test will have to wait till I’m able to locate some pisco from Chile, until then these pompous pisco producers will have to deal with a full Pisco breakdown where both sides get a full review.

Some of you may not be too familiar with pisco, but may be more familiar with its Italian cousin grappa. Grappa is made from wine discards while pisco is made from fresh grapes and in Peru it includes the typical discards. Both drinks were once considered a poor man’s drink but nowadays both can be seen in high class cocktails for man and monkey alike.

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 – Belgian Dark Ale
Name: Rinkuškiai Werewolf
Price: $1.99
Made: Birzai Region Lithuania
Alc/Vol: 8.2%

This big bottle o’ beer knew how to get a drunken monkey’s attention – a big red tag that says, ‘Hey look at me I’m full of alcohol, good and strong not like that sissy crap that might as well be a Zima.’  OK so it actually just says 8.2% alc/vol however on the bottle it does say, “You must be sure you want to taste it.” Which I like because if the she-wolf wasn’t sassy enough that statement makes sure it is.  Truth be told the only thing out of Lithuania that I can name, other than this beer now, is Žydrūnas Ilgauskas who plays for the great Cleveland Cavaliers and I can’t even say his name I just say ‘Z’. Although,this could explain the giant bottle because if the average Lithuanian is 7′ 3″ tall then this wouldn’t seem like that big of a bottle.  So did this beer have me howling at the moon….