I’m not really a “beer” person. Don’t get me wrong, I like beer. I like it a lot. However when I imagine someone being a “beer” person I make certain assumptions. They’re someone who can drink an entire pint glass of Guinness. They know when a beer is “hoppy”. Overall, they just understand beer. Me, I just tend to know what I like. Mostly I like pilsners, lagers, beers described as “blonde” or “golden”, generally to help folks out I say I like “piss” beers. Although in defense of the beers I drink, they are NOT “piss” beers. (I wouldn’t recommend telling someone from the Dominican Republic that Presidente is a “piss” beer. It’s a good way to get punched.) I just thought I should let you know where I’m coming from before I introduce you to a beer I stumbled across that I thought many of my witchy and not so witchy readers might want to check out.
Whenever I have to haul my butt to Rochester, NY to see one of my specialists my husband and I always make sure to stop in at Beers of the World to do some shopping. I’ve gotten to try so many beers I liked, and didn’t, from all over America and the world! This last time while wandering up and down the aisles a beautiful bottle in the English section caught my eye. It was a brown pint sized bottle from Wychwood Brewery for Wychcraft Blonde Beer. It had an interesting label, a hard to pass up name, and it was a blonde, so we picked up a bottle to try.
It turned out to be a tasty, tasty treat. A touch sweet, not too bitter. A bit more interesting than my usual pilsners. The head brewer, Jeremy Moss, is quoted on the back of the bottle as saying, “A pale golden potion with delicate red hues, Wychcraft has a heady burst of fresh citrus aroma derived from three infusions of Styrian golding hops. A sprig of gentle warming malty flavour finishes with a dry biscuit note & a counterpoise of bitterness.”
When I went to the Wychwood Brewery website I discovered they are best known for Hobgoblin, which I have seen around a lot. I tried it years and years ago and didn’t care for it, but I find myself wondering how I’d feel about it now. Better still it turns out that Wychwood Brewery also sells branded clothing and gifts! I can’t tell you how delightful I find the idea of a Wychcraft t-shirt or pint glass that reads “Wychwood Brewery”. Of course for now I’ll settle for figuring out how to purchase another bottle before making another trip to Rochester!
I love their beers! I discovered them when I lived in Scotland some years back, and also found a couple of the varieties at a shop in Salem, MA. Their T-shirts are awesome!
This depresses me because I haven’t had a drop of alcohol since the beginning of my pregnancy (and I’m breastfeeding the baby, so alcohol is a no-no). Nevertheless, I’ll put this on my list of things to try once I start drinking again. And I will.
Damn you, Elson! Now I want to try that one. I *am* a beer person. And I don’t tend to like the er…piss beers…but this one sounds like something I love.
I’ll keep my eyes open, but sadly, there is only one small store here that carries specialty beers, and I’m not sure how likely it is they have it or can order it.
Here are two recommendations for your next Rochester trip:
My favorite beer, a French-style Canadian beer called La Fin du Monde (and yes, that does translate to “the end of the world”–I’m not sure if it refers to how amazing the beer tastes, or the amount of alcohol in it…). I like to say that Fin du Monde is the champagne of beers. See what you think.
Another favorite is by the Magic Hat brewery (well, duh) and is called Blind Faith.
Sadly, that one’s not available here either.
Thanks for sharing!