AoM: Beer et al.: September 2015

Friday, September 11, 2015

Baileys Irish Cream and Almond Breeze

20150911:
Instead of mixing Baileys with milk, because I had none at the time, I decided to mix it with Almond Breeze vanilla almond milk (which apparently doesn't have much almond, but I like the taste).

While the Almond Breeze can taste a bit watery by itself, it gains a nice thick and creamy texture when mixed with the Baileys.

Baileys Irish Cream and Almond Breeze

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Bird Dog Whiskey

20150906:
After finishing our Irish Car Bombs, my friend and I each ordered a glass of whiskey; I got the Bird Dog Peach and Josh got the Bird Dog Apple, both on the rocks.

First trying my glass of Bird Dog Peach, I mostly tasted a peach flavor and detected a bit of a whiskey taste as well.

Having a taste of the Bird Dog Apple, I detected much more of a whiskey taste and only slightly tasted an apple flavor. 11:07PM PT

Bird Dog Whiskey
: Bird Dog Peach
: Bird Dog Apple

Relevant Links:
Bird Dog Whiskey Website

Website Description:

Peach
Bird Dog Peach immerses juicy, savory, fragrant peaches to create a smooth, easy-to-drink whiskey.

Apple
Bird Dog Apple flourishes with lush, succulent apple flavors and finishes with a sweet, warm cinnamon zest.

Irish Car Bomb

The Irish Car Bomb is a bomb shot where a shot glass filled with equal parts (Jameson) Irish whiskey and (Baileys) Irish cream is dropped into a pint glass filled with half a pint of (Guinness) stout and drunk quickly.

Both fun and tasty, I specifically recall having an Irish Car Bomb on three occasions (20090710=1st, unknown date, 20131231), and it's highly likely I've had one on one or two other occasions as well.

(20150906)

On the second of the three occasions, there were only so many bottles of Guinness and so a friend (D.P.) and I were planning to share. After dropping the shot glass down, I would drink some, then she would drink some, and so on - or at least something to that effect. However, I recall she lacked beer guzzling abilities, and at some point, I ended up drinking what remained. Next thing I knew, she looked at me and asked me where the cup went. Er, how 'bout them Baltimore Ravens?

New Years Eve (20131231)

[20151003]

20100630:
Irish Car Bomb at Dave and Buster's.

[20180704][Part of Mixed Drinks at Dave & Buster's]

(20100630)

20150906:
After finishing our Moscow mules, Josh and I headed back upstairs to the bar and ordered ourselves some Irish Car Bombs. However, like the Patron, the experience went by so quickly that I could only note having enjoyed the creaminess and that the drink overall was good.

Actually, another thought that crossed my mind after completing the drink was whether or not Kahlua was an ingredient. After looking through various articles online, it would seem that the short answer is no. However, the long answer is that it may have originally included Kahlua and there are bomb shots being made that include Kahlua. The contents of the shot glass would resemble the following: 1/2 oz. Baileys, 1/4 oz. Kahlua, 1/4 oz. Irish whiskey.

My first Irish Car Bomb (20090710)

While on the topic of ingredients, I saw suggestions regarding Carolans Irish cream as a stronger substitute for Baileys and Murphy's Irish Stout as a lighter substitute for Guinness (and supposedly the original stout of choice for the drink).

In any case, similar to following the shots of Patrón with the Moscow mules, we followed the Irish Car Bomb with some Bird Dog Whiskey.

Irish Car Bomb

(20150906)

Relevant Links:
Irish Car Bomb (Wikipedia.org)

Moscow Mule

20150906:
If my memory serves me correctly (with my blog to back it up), then I had yet to try a Moscow mule until today. I did, however, have some Vodka and Ginger Ale several months ago.

In any case, after having a shot of Patrón, my friends and I followed up with a round of Moscow mules.

The Moscow mule was good, but the ice melting in it was not. 10:03PM PT

With that being said, the ginger was crisp, sweet, and sometimes bitter.

I liked the overall alcoholic flavor. 10:15PM PT

When we eventually finished our Moscow mules, we sped up the pace with some Irish Car Bombs.

Moscow Mule

Relevant Links:
Moscow mule (Wikipedia.org)

Patrón Silver

20150906:
The first drink of the evening was a shot of Patrón Silver. Garnished with a lime, my friends and I took the shot and chased the shot with the lime.

However, immediately after biting into the lime, I considered the missed opportunity of simply enjoying the tequila on its own. In particular, I remember thinking the shot of tequila was good and that I might not have needed the lime - or at least not have needed to bite into the lime as quickly as I did.

As such, I don't have a sense of how the Patrón tasted. At best, I gathered the tequila was smooth.

After drinking the Patrón, we ordered a round of Moscow mules.

Patrón Silver

Relevant Links:
Patrón (Wikipedia.org)
Patrón Silver (Patrón Website)

Website Information:

Patrón Silver
The perfect white spirit made from the finest Weber Blue Agave.

A FINE BALANCE
Color: Crystal clear
Aroma: Fruits & citrus
Taste: Smooth & sweet
Finish: Light pepper

MADE LIKE IT SHOULD BE
From the finest 100% Weber Blue Agave
Handmade in small batches
Presented in hand-numbered glass bottles

40% Alcohol by Volume
Available in 1.75L, 750ml, 375ml, 200ml, 50ml

Mexican Coffee

20150906:
Today I had Mexican Coffee for the first time, so named because of the tequila and Kahlua that go into the coffee.

Menu Description:
Tequila, Kahlua, Coffee and Whipped Cream

While I had considered getting a Bill's Famous Mimosa - probably a good choice while eating at Bill's Cafe - I instead initially wanted an Irish Coffee, and then changed my mind when my friend Josh ordered a Mexican Coffee for himself.

Oddly enough, it kind of tasted like it was made with whiskey instead of tequila. My friend Kevin, who took a sip of Josh's Mexican Coffee, agreed, but only at first, and that he eventually tasted the tequilla flavor.

In any case, it was good. 1:37PM PT

[20151001]

Mexican Coffee

Saturday, September 5, 2015

Snakebite (Old Rasputin and Julian Hard Cider Harvest Apple)

20150905:
A couple of hours ago I combined Old Rasputin and Julian Hard Cider Cherry Bomb. It was tasty and so after having some Harvest Apple by itself, I combined Old Rasputin and the Harvest Apple as a final drink of the night.

Overall, I thought the cider on its own was a bit sour (at least compared to the Cherry Bomb) and that the Old Rasputin was able to balance that flavor and create a great tasting drink.

As a minor detail, I was unable to successfully layer the stout and the cider - not even coming close to the layering achieved earlier today with the Old Rasputin and Cherry Bomb.

Snakebite (Old Rasputin and Julian Hard Cider Harvest Apple)

Relevant Links:
My Drink North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout post
My Julian Hard Cider Harvest Apple post

Friday, September 4, 2015

Coronado Señor Saison

Coronado Señor Saison

Relevant Links:
Señor Saison (Coronado Brewing)
Señor Saison | Coronado Brewing Company (BeerAdvocate.com)
Coronado Señor Saison (RateBeer.com)

20150904: [20150927]
The Señor Saison definitely had a spicy jalapeno taste, but I wasn't sure how much I enjoyed it.

It had a light smell and slowly grew on me, but I still didn't know how much I enjoyed it. 11:07PM PT

Website Information:

Señor Saison
Crown Series

Just south of our brewery, Baja California's burgeoning spirit of craft brewing reminds us a lot of our own with Mexican brewers looking to make a name for their region. We've enjoyed keeping an eye on the exciting new beers coming out of Tijuana, Mexicali, Ensenada and Valle de Guadalupe, and celebrate the rise of craft beer south of the border with this reimagined farmhouse ale. Brewed with agave nectar and jalapeño peppers, it combines a touch of spice with fruity esters derived from Belgian yeast. Like the brews of our cross-border amigos, this cerveza takes craft to new and interesting places.

Beer Profile:
Malt: Pilsner, Cara Munich, Munich
Additional Ingredients: Jalapeños & Piloncillo
Hops: Hallertau
Yeast Profile: Saison
IBU: 25
ABV: 6.5

Availability: Seasonal; 22oz, Draft

Snakebite (Old Rasputin and Julian Hard Cider Cherry Bomb)

20150904:
While I was at BevMo I was asked to buy some Mississippi Mud. However, instead of buying multiple bottles I bought one bottle of Mississippi Mud and various beers which I thought would make great combinations (through a mixture of experience and research).

Among the choices, I decided to first combine Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout and Julian Hard Cider Cherry Bomb.

While it would have been nice if the combination layered, the two mixed quite easily. While there's a lot of science involved in choosing beers which will layer well, I just haphazardly poured the stout onto a spoon which was placed over the glass filled halfway with the cider.

One likely issue was that I just used a regular spoon (as opposed to bending a spoon so that it was inside the cup and parallel to the surface). If it were my own home/spoon I would have bent it, but I was at my friends place, so I just hoped for the best.

Apparently using a curved glass instead of a pint glass would have also helped.

One of the glasses showed some amount of separation.

In any case, the combination mostly smelled like the cider and tasted cherry. I didn't really know what the Old Rasputin flavor contributed. 7:49PM PT

First Note: I once had a Snakebite in 2011: Guinness and HardCore Cider.

Second Note: Some articles say a snakebite is equal parts lager and cider, and some say the lager may be replaced by a stout. A stout and cider combination can also be called a Poor Man's Black Velvet, because a Black Velvet is Guinness and champagne. Whatever the drink is named, it's a tasty mix.

Snakebite (Old Rasputin and Julian Hard Cider Cherry Bomb)

Relevant Links:
My Drink North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout post
My Julian Hard Cider Cherry Bomb post

Tejava

20150904:
This tea was not bad.

[Part of Beer and Wine Tasting at Bevmo]

Tejava

Heretic Evil Cousin

20150904:
This beer had a hoppy smell, but it also had a sweet, lovely flowery smell. There was, however, a slightly bitter taste and it left a bitter aftertaste.

[Part of Beer and Wine Tasting at Bevmo]

Heretic Evil Cousin

Relevant Links:
Beers (Heretic Brewing Website)
Evil Cousin | Heretic Brewing Company (BeerAdvocate.com)
Heretic Evil Cousin (RateBeer.com)

Website Information:

Evil Cousin
abv: 8%; ibu: 100; srm: 4
Evil Cousin is Heretic's take on a West coast imperial IPA. This beer is a bold, in-your-face hop monster. It has a light, easy drinking malt character that allows the hops to stand out. The hop character in this beer is intentionally on the dank side; big, sticky, and aggressive. This beer is for those of you who can't get enough hops. Join us on the dank side.

Firestone Walker 805

20150904:
The beer had an apple smell and a banana taste. It was a nice light taste.

[Part of Beer and Wine Tasting at Bevmo]

20180525:
I wasn't sure if I had this beer before or not, but I decided to give it a try anyways.

"First Sip. Second Sip: It's drinkable. It's not bad. It's enjoyable. Third Sip. Fourth Sip. It's very drinkable. There's some flavor there.

The receipt says 'IPA' but this beer was most definitely not an IPA." 8:36 PM PT

After this beer, I drank a San Miguel, but I noted that I liked this one more. 9:16 PM PT

Firestone Walker 805

Relevant Links:
Firestone Walker 805 Website
805 Blonde Ale | Firestone Walker Brewing Co. (BeerAdvocate.com)
Firestone Walker 805 (RateBeer.com)

Website Description: (on 20180608)

A light, refreshing blonde ale created for the laid back California lifestyle. Subtle malt sweetness is balanced by a touch of hops
creating a versatile beer with a clean finish. 4.7% ABV and available wherever beer is sold if they don't have it, demand it.

Lamarca Prosecco Sparkling Wine

20150904:
This drink smelled like a white wine and looked like a white wine. It had carbonation and tasted good. It would be a reasonable substitute for champagne.