Spruce Pilsner and Pure Pale - Hopcat

If there's one thing that becomes immediately apparent upon entering HopCat, it's that HopCat is for cool people.  The whole place was just swarming with patrons wearing trendy, yet classy clothes. The servers engaged in easygoing conversation with each other and customers while being obviously busy. On the walls you'll find modern oil paintings of what appears to be 50's soul singers and rock'n'roll pioneers, and as I rolled my eyes upwards I saw they were mounted on the ceiling as well.  The jazz music in the background wasn't intrusive, and at times even lent itself to table conversation. I was beginning to think that I might be out of my league and should have done a bit more research, but the large James Gandolfini cardboard cutout wearing the server's "inspiration through fermentation" T-shirt told me this place didn't take itself too seriously. My guest for the week is good friend and HopCat regular - Faber!

He also owns a Doctor Who novelty shirt.  We are kindred spirits.

And joining us on the other end of the table would be the lovely ladies Hope and Kristen!

Note to self: turn off Galaxy SIII flash when taking pictures of people.

Faber, you see, doesn't believe himself to be the expert needed for the week. I disagree however since every beer I've seen him drink since the time I've known him has at least 6 syllables and a superhero-esque origin story.  He's also the guy that brought me a bottle of Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout before I realized what a big deal that was. I judge him worthy of... expertness? Expertship? Expertitude? Yeah.

Choice is a funny concept.  If presented with two things, the act of choosing between one thing or the other should be somewhat easy, provided your name isn't Sophie.  It's when you're presented with way more choices than necessary that choosing becomes difficult. Check out the beer list at HopCat.

After careful deliberation, I went with Spruce Pilsner from Short's Brewing Company in Bellaire, MI.

7.2% ABV,  85 IBUs

I got the Spruce Pilsner because it was listed near the lager section, lumped in with beers that looked like they might be something I recognized as beer.  But I was there to get something new, so I deferred off the lagers and went for it. To me, Spruce Pilsner kind of tastes like how I remember camping felt in my childhood.  In less poetic terms, it kind of tasted like Pine Sol.  That being said, I could also tell that it was a beer. The color was something I was familiar with.  It foamed just right when perturbed.  I don't know how to write this next part without sounding like a caveman, but it gulped good. Like, real good.  When I drank more at a time as opposed to sipping it, I could pull apart more of the good beer flavors and less of the forest floor.  I didn't let this beer get warm out of principle - the principle that I don't want to know what warm tree tastes like.

Faber, on the other hand, quite enjoyed my choice. To quote him directly "The Spruce Pilsner has a light, but bitter taste on the front. A smooth beer overall, with a lingering taste of pine and hops."  He mentioned that the Spruce is more bitter comparatively to other pilsners, but not yet quite to the extremes of IPA's.  I was not yet ready for this beer, but he did compliment the fact that I was able to pull some very positive things out.

The next choice was Faber's. He also knew that this round of drinks was going to arrive at the same time as our food, so I believe that was a primary motivating factor in his choice - Pure Pale from Perrin Brewing Company in Comstock Park, MI.

5.2% ABV,  10 IBUs

 The Pure Pale was mild, and kind of dull, but not in a bad way.  This beer was exactly what it claimed to be - nothing more, nothing less. The smell and the taste were identical.  The beer glass was different than the pilsner, similar to a traditional beer glass with love handles.  Apparently there's a whole bunch of history and science that goes into beer glass shapes. I thought the beer was okay, enjoyable even, but when the food came that's when this beer really began to shine.  The sandwich that both Faber and I got was called the Grand Royale, the decription of which on the menu was "House made sloppy Joseph, jalapenos, a full order of Crack Fries, beer cheese sauce on a brioche bun, and more beer cheese sauce on top!"  The food was ridiculous, and the Pure Pale had all the right moves when combined with the sandwich.  It was the most clear moment I have ever had on understanding why craft and microbrews are so popular.  

Faber explained that the Pure Pale was a very mild pale ale. It was certainly less hoppy and bitter than one would expect from a pale ale, and had a very limited finish/aftertaste.  He said it's actually one of his least favorite from Perrin, but was a good place to start a newbie before graduating to the more complex and bold pale ales.




Next week's blog will be from Brooklyn Brewery in New York City! I'm crazy excited for that, so if you have any suggestions for the blog while I'm out in New York next week then let me know!

Rubaeus and Porter - Founders Brewery

As we approached Founders Brewery in Grand Rapids, Michigan, I realized it was probably the nicest evening this summer had yet to offer.  The weather was cool, the humidity low, and the sunlight was turning off its heat to just become background color on the buildings downtown. When we sat down at our table, I took a minute to look around to take in the atmosphere.  The front wall to Founders was retractable, so the whole brewery was open to the summer night.  The conversation was loud. Whole tables were talking and laughing loudly together, much like my table was.  The music in the background was a mix of popular Indie artists, like Imagine Dragons and Macklemore.

This is me and my girlfriend Hope.

Notice the wrinkled Chrono Trigger/Doctor Who shirt. Sorry, ladies. Taken.

She has tremendously good taste in beer, while I never strayed far from American Lagers like Budweiser, Miller, etc.  She is more cultured than me, and so I reached out to the members of /r/beer to teach me how to appreciate micro brews and craft beers like the rest of the cultured elites so we could have something to do together.  What started out as just looking for advice turned into a weekly blog idea where a newbie like me could document what these craft beers actually taste like to beginners.  I would also take along a more distinguished person who could tell me what they are experiencing in the brew, which brings me to our guests for the evening - Mitch and Kelli!

Guess which is which. Hint: Kelli knew I was taking a picture.

Mitch has a deep appreciation for brewing. In fact, for Christmas last year his wife Kelli bought him a brewing kit, complete with monogrammed cups that say "Mitchell's Neighborhood Pub."  Mitch is a registered nurse, and Kelli is a talented artist. Her work can be found here.


The first beer was my choice, and I selected Founder's Rubaeus.

5.7% ABV,  15 IBUS

At first glance it looked like a dirty wine.  The proud raspberry color was not at all misleading, but the smell didn't let that on. It didn't have a very strong smell at all, which surprised me.  The beer was unable to foam, and only little white bubbles pockmarked the surface.  It tasted crisp, like an apple right out of the fridge.  It was delicious, and not overpowering in the least. Its coldness combined with its smooth and uniform fruity flavor lent this beer to be enjoyed rather quickly. It was perfect for the summer night we were enjoying together.

Mitch said that this a fruit beer that is perfect for fruit beer lovers and non-fruit beer lovers alike.  You see, Mitch prefers dark beers, but said the Rubeaus was his favorite fruit beer, beginning with the light raspberry flavor and the smooth wheat on the way down.  He drew parallels to Leinenkugels Berry Weiss, but said that while the Leinenkugels felt like it was a beer first and then berries added, the Rubeaus was more like a single entity, with neither flavor overpowering the other or dominating the aftertaste.


The next choice was Mitch's, and he chose Founder's Porter

6.5% ABV,  45 IBU

The smell was the first thing I noticed. It smelled like if you put a hot chocolate in the microwave too long.  It wasn't repulsive, but it was obvious.  It was thick, and took its time going around the glass when I swished it around a bit. The Porter itself tasted burnt, with flavors coming from a cocoa or coffee bean, maybe both. I couldn't tell exactly how much of either was in there, but I knew it was there. It was much more complex than the Rubeaus we just had.  I knew that I wasn't getting the full picture that the beer was trying to convey and that Mitch was clearly enjoying. The way I explained it was the beer was trying to hand me money, but my tongue couldn't make change.

Mitch laughed as I tried to explain the Porter. He explained that during the brewing process, the most dominant flavors are the ingredients that are added last, and that the chocolate was definitely last in this Porter.  "This porter exemplifies the genre. Thick, nice, and dark with a smooth burnt taste to top it off."  He also mentioned that the flavors balance differently depending on the temperature of the beer, and that ice cold isn't always the way to go - something I had never considered as a Bud drinker.



When we paid our bills and parted ways, I started to think about what was yet to come. I didn't know what to expect for the first time, but it was more than just fun that I was having, it was a sense of adventure.  The micro brew scene in Grand Rapids is pretty awesome, and starting out made me feel  like a part of my community. 

Next week - Hopcat
Have a suggestion, or a beer you want me try? Let me know! My choice of beer next time will be the most popular suggestion from Hopcat's Beer List!