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Please note that this is a podcast for adults so don’t be surprised by some adult language being thrown about…

It’s not like I really tried to ignore the authentic German Pilsener produced in Saxony and sold exclusively* by Aldi Stores here in West Virginia; it’s really that I just haven’t made it to Aldi in a long while until today. If you have never been to an Aldi store, they too are an authentic German company with the U.S. HQ based in sleepy Batavia, Illinois. Known for discounted privately branded foodstuff and various sundries, Aldi also sells wine and beer, particularly Wernesgrüner, which is an actual name brand. This Pils beer is packaged in brown glass bottles (which used to be so heavy as to qualify as a bludgeoning tool) and now sells for $6.99 per six-pack (up from $4.99 when I last purchased it). I went Aldi today specifically to reacquaint myself with this very nice beer and came out with $54.00 worth of groceries!

Among the grocery haul today was some nice skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs which were to become Friday dinner. After applying some sea salt and some Penzey’s “Mural of Flavor” herbs to the thighs, I pan seared and let those puppies fry in their own juices. The Wernesgrüner paired with them nicely…

Wernesgrüner pours a medium yellow to gold color with a nice white frothy head. It gives off aromas of green grass and some hay, the hops are in the background at this point but make themselves known upon first sip. The hops in this beer are there for refreshing bitterness; nope there are no citrusy or tea-like flavors-Just bitterness. The bitterness is assertive when compared to the relative body of the beer but somehow you can see yourself pounding one of these in the hot sun; it just works…

Go and get some! (and ignore the mixed reviews… If you know and like German Pils, you’ll like this beer)

See my Previous Article where I mention this beer… Here

* there is no such thing as “exclusivity” in WV based on the Beer laws governing distribution. I guess the wholesaler doesn’t offer it to any other outlets. I wish another retailer or bar would ask for it!

I will once again be presenting the “Art & Science of Beer” a four hour adult workshop at the Clay Center on March 17th and yes we will have a few stouts on hand to celebrate the day. I have not chosen all of the beers and the beer/food pairings as of yet but I will post it when I do.

Here is the link and sign-up info: Click Here

Don’t ask us what came over us… We just felt the need and we had enough material to do a second January 2012 Podcast. Don’t expect this every month…

I am particularly happy with the music I stole from the new album from the London based band “The Red Inspectors”.

Enjoy!

Click This to Listen

The latest issue of Beeradvocate magazine posted solid reviews for both Bridge Brew Works “Tripel” and “Dubbel” beers. The Triple was given an 88 along with a new nickname of “Chaos in a Bottle” while the Dubbel scored a very impressive 91 and begged the reviewers to question if they had awakened in Belgium again.

It’s great to see some West Virginia craft brews not only getting some “palate-time” at Beeradvocate but also scoring very respectably!

BBW packages the Tripel and Dubble exclusively in 750ml bottles. Both are available at The Liquor Company, The Wine Shop and for consumption at Pies and Pints and Bridge Road Bistro.

BBW has posted a link with a picture of the article for those who do not get the Beeradvocate magazine – Here –  http://ow.ly/i/pykL

Congratulations to Ken and Nathan at Bridge Brew!

BTY’s 100-IBU team member Rob Absten and I stumbled upon an interesting and very visible memento of the dark years of Prohibition. We were on a walk around the city over the weekend and heading to Moxxee Coffee on Lee and Morris Streets (get there if you haven’t been).  We took a shortcut through the parking lot of the Baptist Temple and there she was – in all her understated glory, a fountain humbly sitting ironically dry as a bone and emblazoned with the plaque you see below. This font was apparently crafted and dedicated while the failed social experiment of Prohibition was in full swing (though waning).

Just imagine if you will, while the letters of this plaque were being formed and cast, Charleston’s own syndicate of organized criminals were making the trek back from the moonshine stills with their loads of liquid gold to sell, probably to some of the hypocrites that would be attending the fountain’s dedication. Make no mistake, I don’t gives a Rat’s behind if you don’t want to imbibe, just leave me the hell alone and we will be fine…

Prohibition was a failed experiment and was not solely wrought upon us from the religious folk, it was an unholy alliance of the religious and the social progressives of the era. I am not religion bashing here, though the Baptist Temple should by-now realize that Prohibition failed miserably and to have such a shrine still standing is like (well, I won’t go there…). Now if I could only tunnel under that thing and make it spurt beer during the next Sunday morning service; that would be awesome! (I would have to make sure to buy the beer on Saturday though…)

Can you believe it? No, not that it’s 2012 but can you believe The BTY Team has produced yet another Podcast within a month of our last episode? Well don’t get used to it…

The BTY Team discussed our own choices for WV Beer of The Year and we also air some grievances…

The Beers to You Readers Choice is tallied and revealed as well. Click below to listen!

I thought this year I would try something a bit different. Usually, the BTY team gets together and we decide on a WV Beer of the Year. For 2011, I thought it would be fun and interesting to get reader’s comments/votes.

Criteria: Remember, this is “WV Beer of the Year”… That doesn’t mean it has to be brewed in WV but it must be available in WV. Seasonal Entries are fine (we will feature the best seasonal as well). The seasonal can also be “WV Beer of the Year”.

Readers should submit their three top beers. You can choose to put them in order of 1st to 3rd but we will pick from the plurality of all of the entries. Please submit your favorite seasonal as well (it can be one of your three entries).

Let’s have some fun and see if we can enough entries before New Years Day!

 http://traffic.libsyn.com/beerstoyou/pca…

Ahhh…The sound of those Salvation Army bells ringing out and the hustle and bustle traffic around the mall make Charleston seem like a big city if only for a few selected hours of the day and only for a few weeks around the holidays. Despite its population decline, CRW is still growing in a cultural and yes even cosmopolitan sort of way. It’s a city preparing itself for a rebound. Just attend any 3^rd Thursday Artwalk and yes you will see many of the same folks being seen, but you are also being presented with edgy new art from young up and coming artists. And hey there Cleetis, those rainbow colored flags on the 700 block of Lee Street ain’t there just for decoration; Charleston has its very own row of gay-owned and operated businesses including a damn good late night pizzeria! Next thing you know we will have one those high-brow, hoity-toity coffee shops that sell world-class coffee made right… Oh wait that would be Moxiee on the East End. The next time you are down at the Capitol Market shopping for WV farm grown vegetables, stick your head out of the West-side entry door and see if you can catch the wonderful aromas of Libby’s artisan breads baking at The Charleston Bread Company just across Smith Street a half a block away. Last but not least as a cyclist, I can’t forget the artsy bike racks that have commissioned and placed around town.

Charleston has also undergone a transformation, albeit incomplete in the Craft Beer arena. Most bars in CRW will offer some form of craft beer either via tap or bottle. I am particularly excited about the number of great seasonal beers we are being offered on tap. About a month ago we started seeing tap handles wearing a the candy-striped toboggan hats pouring a delicious Widmer Winter ale called Brrrrr. Pies and Pints has since had two festive tapping ceremonies. The first one featuring Sierra-Nevada’s Celebration ale; a beer we have tasted locally many times via bottle but rarely if ever on tap. This past Wednesday night PnP’s Beer-Czar Ryan Jumped up on the bar right on schedule at 6pm and announced the tapping of Great Lakes Christmas, a malty nectar of good cheer and subdued spiciness that put a smile on this beer geek’s face.

Many of us, especially those of us who travel extensively have a tendency to get a little down on our town. Every now and then it’s good to take a real inventory of the good things and how far this little town that couldn’t, did… It’s easier to appreciate it all whilst sipping a nice, malty Christmas Ale!

Merry Christmas and Happy Festivus to you all!