I didn't like Third Shift Amber Lager, but I didn't mind drinking it

An excerpt from this past Thursday's Beerman column:

At the BiLo on 38th Avenue North in Myrtle Beach, I spent $6.79 on a six-pack of Third Shift Amber Lager.

I saw the same display – and the same six-packs of 12-ounce bottles – at the Rite Aid at Kings Highway and 29th Avenue North in Myrtle Beach. The sign there said $11.99 for a six-pack.

These two radically different pricings render the underlying confusion about Third Shift Amber Lager. It’s supposed to be a working-man’s microbrew, but behind Band of Brewers Co. of Fort Worth, Texas, and Trenton, Ohio, is just the Coors Brewing Co.

And Third Shift Amber Lager is just not that good. The advertised “sweet maltiness” and “lightly toasted character” and “subtle hops” are like three cats with their tails tied together chasing three different mice. This beer doesn’t know what it wants to be.

Read more here: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2013/02/18/3336800/beerman-for-feb-21-2013.html#storylink=cpy

Get Lily the Great Imperial Stout today at The Pig

Until Feb. 18, New South Brewing's foray into high-gravity beer will only be available at the growler station at Piggly Wiggly in The Market Common, Myrtle Beach.

Read about it in the latest Beerman column.

See other beer-related news on Technorati: beer

Don't forget the House of Blues Brews-a-Palooza this Saturday!

Don't miss the Brews-a-Palooza at House of Blues, North Myrtle Beach, S.C.

It's a beer fest running 5-11:30 p.m. Saturday, July 21, with a free buffet from 5-6 p.m.

Admission is $5, which includes a sampling glass for any of the 50-plus beers that will be available. Individual samples will vary in price. Buy tickets at $1 each to purchase samples.

Two New South sixers at Pawleys Wine & Spirits

Last Saturday, I noticed Myrtle Beach’s very own New South Brewing Co.’s six packs on the shelves. Both Nut Brown Ale, which recently became available in six packs, and White Ale were available for $7.99 each. Of course, you can find both ales at grocers and package stores along the Grand Strand.

Beer Review Roundup: Pyramid Curve Ball Blonde

Pyramind Curve Ball Blonde Ale is almost the perfect summer beer. I'd like a tad more hopping, but to be fair, this beer is hopped like a blonde ought to be.

But what do the reviewers think?

Here's --

BeerAdvocate.com's review

RateBeer.com's review

Manland's review

cheers,
Colin
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Great Avion tequila ad -- enjoy!

Big news: Upcoming Brews-a-Palooza at House of Blues in North Myrtle Beach!

Mike Shank has done it again: the guy behind the annual Myrtle Beach Beer Fest has planned another beer festival for our near future. This time, the beer fest will be called Brews-a-Palooza, playing off the famous Lollapalooza music festival. ●When? 5-11:30 p.m. on July 20 ●Where? On The Deck at House of Blues in Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach. ●Beers? More than 50 craft brews ●Food? A free buffet 5-6 p.m. to prep your stomach for some drinkin’ ●Live music? Long Reef, a band from Australia ●Cost? $5 includes admission and a free tasting glass; tickets for beers will be $1 each, with different beers costing different numbers of tickets Among those 50-plus craft beers will be some highly coveted libations: Founders Devil Dancer, Founders Frangelic Mountain Brown, New Belgium La Folie, Terrapin Easy Rider, He’Brew Funky Jewbilation, and Jolly Pumpkin La Roja. From this week's Beerman column. Read the rest here: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2012/06/26/2907500/brews-a-palooza.html#storylink=cpy

Big announcement in my next Beerman column -- a summer beer fest in Myrtle Beach

That's right, folks. You'll hear it first on the Weekly Surge's Beerman page. It's not the Atlanta-brewed beer story, so if you see that, the new column hasn't been posted yet.

Reviews of SweetWater 420 Extra Pale Ale

Would you like SweetWater 420 Extra Pale Ale? Here's your index of reviews:

Here's BeerAdvocate.com's review.

Here's RateBeer.com's review.

Here's The Beer Snob's review.

Here's The Perfectly Happy Man's review.

And here's my review for the Weekly Surge.

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Beer related gifts for Fathers Day

My three girls will be at camp on Father's Day -- or is it Fathers Day -- but they know me well enough that they probably would get me a beer related gift.

Proper beer related Father's Day gifts come in three categories:

1. Good craft beer or imported beer gifts: For Fathers Day, a gift beer should be one of those that comes a big, champagne-style bottle, or in a "growler" (64-ounce jug) from a microbrewery or brewpub. If your dad likes beer, he'll get a big smile on his face with this one on Fathers Day.

2. Beer merchandise gifts: You know, the neon sign with a beer logo. Or old signage. Or maybe one of those 3D-style displays we used to see at bars (a friend of mine has an old Pabst Blue Ribbon sign that lights up, and a beer delivery car slowly bounces up and down like its heading down the road). Maybe a t-shirt from a good brewery or brewpub. Click here for some other fun and funny ideas.

3. Beer for foodies: These Fathers Day gifts could be guide books or cook books related to beer. These could be books like The Naked Pint, Extreme Brewing, Great Beer Guide, and, if he's ready for a new hobby, The Complete Joy of Homebrewing (click the link for quick access to those books). This is the ideal Fathers Day gift for those dads who love cooking, or love learning more about the brewing process, or love beer and food pairings, or love the history of the brewing art form.

To all the dads out there, Happy Fathers Day!

Today's Foote Daily

Favorite Beer Labels, 7

Favorite Beer Labels, 6

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Favorite Beer Labels, 5

Is your favorite imported beer cheating?

From Todd Haefer, writing for The (Appleton, Wis.) Post-Crescent:

A dirty secret of Germany and the neighboring countries that follow its lead is that, despite current laws based on the traditional Reinheitsgebot that state only water, barley, hops and yeast can be used in a beer (some exceptions, such as for wheat), it usually only applies to beer sold in the country it's made in.

Beers made for export can contain any number of adjuncts, such as corn, which many of the breweries take full advantage of in an attempt to fool the American public into thinking they are drinking something more sophisticated than Miller or Bud when they order a foreign beer.

Read the full article -- which is mostly a positive review of Gaffel Kolsch -- HERE.

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