This day, last year.

I don't know which venue to post this on. I've stopped writing my beer blog due to the amount of time I need to spend on work, school, and school work. But I don't want to start a new blog or revive an old one either, since I'll probably only write something like this once a year. Nevertheless, here goes.

March 25th, 2012.

This time last year, I was home. Not because of some vacation, wedding, or anniversary. I was home because laid up in a hospital bed in Cardinal Santos Medical Center fighting his final battle was the greatest man I have ever known, my mother's loving husband and friend, the father to her children, my father. He commended his spirit to our Heavenly Father that day, on the Feast of the Annunciation. He had such great devotion to our Holy Mother, no one could have picked a better day for him to return Home. But after the dust settled, after the doctors and nurses came in to pronounce my father dead, I couldn't help but think that though I had assured my father that we would all be fine, I wasn't ready for him to leave. I don't think any of us really were. He was in pain, his senses were failing, and there was very little any of us could have done to prolong his life, but all I could wish for was for him to wake up, stand up, and take my hand like one would a child's. I wanted to be a newborn in his arms, a toddler at his feet, a child by his side once more. Despite all the time I was able to spend with him before his final breath and all the talks we had about what to except and what to do upon his departure, I was still unequivocally unprepared for him leaving.

At the beginning, with my mother, my siblings and the rest of my family, we mourned the loss of my father. Sure, we celebrated his life, his time with us, and all the good lessons he imparted on us. But that too, is mourning. Then when I left home and came back to the United States, I felt so alone. I didn't have my mother to console me, or for me to console her. I didn't have my brothers and sisters to share drinks with over stories of my father. So it seemed that I kept myself busy, as to push the sadness away. It seemed to have kept me from thinking of my father and breaking down constantly. It seemed like a good idea at first. But eventually, I lost myself. I've looked back in to the year that has passed and I realized that I have not been the best version of myself. My father was not in my daily life. To add insult to injury, it was by my own doing. I thought of him once in a while, and made sure he was in my prayers at night, but he wasn't in everything I did. And because of that, I wasn't the best I could have been. I realized recently that, though it hurts for me to think of my father constantly, and the fact that I can't hug him, kiss him, or playfully rub his rotund belly, if I want to be the best version of myself at all times, I have to keep him constantly in all that I do. Much like how St. Josemaria Escriva encourages us to find the sanctity in daily life, I believe that I must find my father in all that I do. If I do that, though I wasn't prepared when my father left, at least I'll follow through and will finally be fine about him going Home.

HOFBRAU MUNCHEN!

They're selling pumpkin pies everywhere! Autumn must be around the corner! I see Halloween costumes in my periphery. Yep, commercially, it's fall. And as I return to Bergen Community College this fall, I am faced with the ever so pressing but all the while very unimportant problem of how and what to feel at this point of my quarter-life. I've boiled it down to two pop-culture references. Should I expect to feel like an idiot (though lovable, ask Veronica Vaughn) and play out Billy Madison's return to school? Or should I just replay scenes from Community over and over in my head, half-expecting one of the characters to show up as I walk through BCC's dreary halls?

Solid choices, right?

Anyhow, I mentioned earlier that fall is around the corner. Now, if you don't believe in pumpkin pies and Halloween costumes in stores as indication of fall's impending arrival, then perhaps you should believe in Oktoberfest beers arriving in your local liquor stores as a sign. Earlier this week, I picked this beauty up from Costco...

Isn't it beautiful?

Hofbrau Okotberfest. If you've been reading this blog (God bless you, kind soul), you will remember me mentioning Oktoberfest, a little bit of its history and importance, and the wonderful beers brewed for this occasion. This is one of them. (duh!) These beers can only be brewed in Munich to be considered as Oktoberfest beer. It also has to abide by the Bavarian Beer Purity Law. Brewed by Hofbrauhaus Munchen (also Hofbrau Munchen), this particular Oktoberfest beer is a mainstay in said occasion. Founded by the Duke of Bavaria, Wilhelm V, in 1589 to serve as the brewery to the Royal Residences. The beer they brewed became so popular that an invading monarch once asked for some hostages and 600,000 barrels of Hofbrauhaus beer in exchange for not ransacking the city of Munich and ensuring its safety. Now, who said beer can't solve anything? Enough history.

The Hofbrau Oktoberfest has to be one of my favorite mass-produced beer of all time. Ok, so slight exaggeration. But it is up there. I get all excited when I see the yellow box in Costco and not see Corona printed on it. When the 5 liter mini-keg variety pops up, I snatch 2 or 3 of them for good measure. It pours a clear, crisp, golden hue that is instantaneously inviting as you look at your glass. Unlike some of the beers I've already talked about, there is no cloudiness in this one. It's pretty transparent as beers go. As you take a sip, it'll give you a slight creamy taste, while the hops and barley come up afterwards. It's not very bitter, nor is it heavy like some American variations of "Oktoberfest" beers.  This beer is meant for mass consumption. It's not meant to make you full or have you overdose on bitterness. In fact, as I'm writing this, I've enjoyed four bottles of this golden nectar and I feel fantastic. It will make you want more. It'll make you want to be in Munich, in the Hofbrauhaus tent, and sing songs German songs that sound angry and happy at the same time. It'll make you want to kiss the beautiful and busty German beer-server-girl as she brings you more steins (mugs) of Hofbrau Oktobeferst (wait, I want to do that regardless of how many beers I've had). As far as I'm concerned (my opinion, as you know, does not matter much) enjoying this wonderful brew is as close to being in Munich during Oktoberfest. But then again, I've never been. Who wants to come with?

Mhmmm...beer

Flat Tires and Elephants

You're looking at the title and you're thinking..."what?"

Let me explain.

Me+My Subaru+Newark, NJ=Disaster.

Let me explain further. 

I was in Newark, NJ for something sort of a party. Flo and Efrin had us over for a get-together with awesome food and some select Puerto Rican rum. I had noticed earlier that Flo had had nothing to drink except for water. Didn't think anything of it. Then, she proposed a toast. Then she said she was pregnant. We were elated. Well, most of us were, there were two who were utterly shocked. Then toasts followed. Then the party slowly ended and we all bid our adieus. I get into my car, start it, drive it for about two minutes, then realize that I have a flat tire. In Newark, NJ. At about 11:30pm. In Newark. Crap crap crap. Crap. So I change the flat tire, sweating through my shirt, thinking of how much it would cost me to get a new tire. And hoping that I get out of there without incident. I'm a big guy but a dark Newark street is not on the top of my list of favorite spots. I found myself swearing never to come to Newark again. Then I realized I had be at my Aunts house in the morning. The house is in Newark. Ugh. So, I get home, I open the fridge and I see some salvation for the night...

ELEPHANTS!

Now, if you're gonna ask me why I chose Carlsberg Elephant, you're gonna be disappointed. I was on my way home from work late one night and realized that I had nothing in the fridge. And by nothing I mean, I had no beer. Being that all liquor stores in the area are closed after a certain time, I had to pass by a bar and pick up a six pack. Only certain bars carry "packaged goods". By that they mean they sell beer "to go". I walk into this one called the Tilted Kilt and picked up the first thing I see other than Coors, Miller, and Budweiser. Just so happened to be this guy.

I have had Carlsberg beer before, a serviceable pale lager. However, I have not tasted this particular variety. I didn't quite know what to expect. Before I get into the the beer, lets talk about the brewery. The Carlsberg Group is a Danish brewing company founded in 1847. As it turns out, this brewing company is the 4th largest in the world. They hold several brands all over Europe and even has a 40% market share in Russia. That last bit might not be too impressive to you given that Russians love their Vodka. Think about it this way,  the Russian Beer market grew to $20 Billion in 2010. Bored yet? Ok, fine. Here:

The Elephant is what the "experts" call Imperial Pilsner. Now, I'm not really sure what that means. Does it have an empire? Is it going to take over the world? Who knows? What I do know is this: when a beer is prefixed by the word "imperial", it tends to be a stronger variation of the original. Like an Imperial Pale Ale (or IPA) is much stronger than a regular Pale Ale. So I check the beer's ABV (alcohol by volume). The 7.2% on the label confirms my theory. Its a pretty strong beer. Color does not indicate how strong a beer is and neither does its smell. In fact, I really couldn't smell much from the glass. That's why I was pleasantly shocked when I took a sip and was greeted with a very malty beginning and a sweet finish. However, the sweet finish does remind me a little bit of barleywine and that threw me off a little. Now, if you look this beer up, you'll find that  most people who rate beers will give this something between 4 and 6 out of 10. I feel as if 4 is harsh. Its a serviceable beer, like its parent variety. It wont be something I'll look for but still feel like I came out a winner  when I left the Tilted Kilt with something other than Coors, Miller, or Budweiser. 

And, dude, for goodness' sake! ELEPHANT! Its got an ELEPHANT on the bottle. AN ELEPHANT!

In the words of the most interesting man alive, stay thirsty my friends. 

Sorry for my Absence.

Hi!

Hello!

Still there?

I should probably start by saying I'm sorry. My absence and consequent silence from you was undoubtedly unwarranted. If you will, I will render an explanation that is as true as possible and from which you will judge me. Its been a busy couple of weeks. My cousin Ramon contacted me several weeks prior if I was interested in taking his Senior Portraits. Naturally, I said I was. Being that I as in much need of a new photographic project, I was only happy to have one fall on my lap. I was also helping my cousin out, win-win. One of the locations needed to have the New York City skyline in the background so I, along with my cousin, subsequently spent an early, almost perfect, dawn Tuesday on a Hoboken pier as the sun tried to break free from the skyscrapers of New York City. The next location was the Jersey shore but not the Jersey shore. If you get my drift. None of the crazy boardwalk shenanigans. Just the beach, the Atlantic ocean, and some fun. So we spent the weekend at Toms River and managed to find some not so crazy part of Seaside to take the portraits. It only really took one day so the rest of the weekend was spent celebrating the day of my birth, which was on Sunday. Needless to say I drank much more than a normal human being can absorb, more of that later. Meanwhile, here are some photos. 

Well, that was last week. This past week's silence was due to to my crazy work schedule. Needing to replace the hours I lost galavanting around Toms River (to be read as "drinking at my uncle's house") to supplant my miserable earnings, I agreed to pick up extra hours. So I've been working from 6pm-2am the last three days. I know, ick.

So now we're here. I haven't a single beer mention in this post yet. Here it is.

Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier
That's on a plastic table on the deck in Toms River at around 8pm-ish.

Palm Amber Ale
This was also present in Toms River, just didn't get around taking a photo of it.
Both photos were taken with my Galaxy SIII and not my dlsr.
And yes, that's Community Season 3 on the background.

There we go. Two beers, from two countries that make some of the best beers in the world. That was a little bit of a birthday gift for myself. The first image you see is of the first Wiessbier I've ever tasted, way back when I was just a wee itty-bitty beer drinker (legally, that should be 4 years ago, but we all know that it's been longer than that). Weihenstephaner Hefe Wiessbier can be found in any self-respecting liquor store, at least if your town isn't the middle of nowhere. In which case, any store carrying beer is a self-respecting liquor store. However, this beer is a little harder to find on tap. I've only ever seen it served in that variety in German biergartens in the city. Now, if you were wondering, Wiessbier literally mean "white beer". They are called such because of its pale and hazy appearance, and is in no way discriminating towards anyone. Trust me. The pale appearance is due to wheat they use to brew the beer along with a specific strain of yeast. And if you're not used to having yeast in your beer, you might incur some stomach problems. It has a refreshingly sweet and "bready" flavor perfect for the summer. Weihenstephan Brewery claims to be the worlds oldest continuously operated brewery in the world. If that says anything, it's "We know what we're doing".

Obviously not my photo.

Ah, Palm. In all honesty, it is not the best beer from Belgium. People seem to call it mediocre without trying to be rude about it (except for that one guy who said he'd prefer Coors Banquet Beer over Palm... I'm not talking to that guy). And it probably is just barely a contender, at least in the league of heavyweights like Duvel and Chimay. But to me, its a lot like San Miguel Pale Pilsen. It isn't the perfect beer, but its the perfect one when your drinking it. Palm Amber Ale is by far one of my favorites precisely for that fact. There never seems to be the wrong occasion for it. It's subtle "maltyness" and slightly spicy undertones make it a pretty nice alternative to the same old thing without being too out there for the less adventurous. There was a time when I entered a particular bar (one that has my name on the wall), the bartender would instantaneously bring me a glass of Palm, and suddenly, without rhyme or reason, it becomes a good day.

Again, not my photo. 

I leave you here, and I promise I will not leave you in silence for that long of a period without prior notice. Stay thirsty my friends.

ps. my very good friend, Joelo Delgado, has also started a blog and its worth a read. Enjoy.
http://takbotabatakbo.wordpress.com/

For My People...

This is something of a double post, two for one, a twofer if you will. The first half of this post is dedicated to My People, the Filipinos, and their plight during an unfortunate series of events that have left my motherland in a very dire situation. A combination of incessant rains, terrifying storms, and a dilapidated infrastructure has flooded most of the Philippine National Capital Region. In some cases, the water has reached chin-high or even higher. Images of the disaster are gut-wrenching, with landmarks familiar to yours truly either flooded or peppered with debris. Despite this calamity the spirit of my people marches forward. Rich and poor, the have and have-not, both restoring my faith in my countrymen as they lead relief efforts big and small.

Not really sure where this is but yeah, it was that bad. (Reuters) 

I have done my part (though it seems as if its not enough) from overseas by donating monetarily and so can you. Check out the Philippine Red Cross website for instructions. Every bit helps, it does not matter how much you donate, just know that you will be helping out people who, despite their tragic situation, can still make light of the matter.

Not my ideal wedding but it'll do if she's game.

To those who are back home, doing everything they can to help their family, their friends, and strangers, I salute you. And if we ever cross paths in this manic world we live in, I will gladly buy you a round of this...

Now on to the beer of the week.

Ah, Duvel Belgian Golden Ale. My first Belgian beer in this endeavor. If there is one time that I would mention the devil and have it bring good thoughts, nay great thoughts, this would be it. Duvel is Barbantian (or Ghentish?) for devil. Now, "what is Barbantian" you ask? Well, without getting too much into it, Barbantian is a Dutch dialect spoken by those who consider themselves Flemish (ie. poeple who are from Flanders, a historical geographical region that is located within parts of the Netherlands, France, and Belgium). To explain further, if you wanted to divide Belgium into two parts, it would be one part Flemish (who more or less speak Barbantian or Dutch) and one part Walloon (a French-speaking community with historical and anthropological ties with France). I feel like there was more text in brackets than not. Ugh. As the story goes, the Flemish brewery, Mootgart Brewery decided to produce this marvelous ale to commemorate the end of the first world war and wanted to call it Victory Ale. However, as one of the brewers tasted the fruit of his labor, he yelled "That's a devil of a beer!" They started to call the brew Duvel and it became so popular that the brewery incorporated it to their name and is still known today as the Duvel Moortgart Brewery. 

Yes, that's a bottle cork. And no, I don't  have the official glass.

Duvel, I believe, is bottled in two different sizes. This particular one is a 750ml corked-topped bottle (about 25.5 oz or around a pint and a half). A smaller bottle which comes in at under 12 ounces is also available. Both are bottle conditioned which makes for a beer that can be stored for an extended period of time and still come out fantastic. Of course all of that depends on how you store it. It has a wonderful Pilsner feel but with the depth of flavor you come to expect from an ale. They use Bohemian hops and a unique yeast strain for fermentation that creates a simply unique flavor that you really cant find anywhere else. That's the beauty of most Belgian beers, its usually the only one that tastes like it, at least in its region. Now, the wonderful flavor of this blonde beauty (blonde is what some use to describe a pale colored beer), is not the only thing that connects me to this beer. My late father spent many weeks abroad when I was younger working for Jansen Pharmaceuticals. Many of his stories involved Belgium and the nights he spent with his trench-mates carousing the beer halls with my god-father Rudi Cranshoff. And if there was one time that my father would mention the devil and remind him of good times, it would be about Belgium, and about Duvel. 

Long time no see...

Due to unforeseen circumstances, I am back here once again within a week of the last edition to bother you. Unforeseen circumstances you ask? Why, one of my benevolent bosses (of which I have two), gave me the Sunday morning off. This created a little something they call "free-time" between tonight and tomorrow night when I resume my work. So, how did I decide to spend my Saturday evening? A night out with friends? Pshah! I'm too uncool for that. If you must know (though I'm sure you don't have to know and I'm just forcing the issue), apart from thinking of my father on the day of his birth (may he rest in peace), I spent the night at home watching season 2 of Community, with pints of Boddingtons Pub Ale in our newly "redecorated" living room.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus (I usually take all photos with  my Nikon dslr)

Questions? I'm sure there are none. Who is even reading this? You? Uh, I love you. In any case, I wish to explain. That's our common TV. My awesome landlord saved it from being thrown out and made it appear in our living room out of thin air earlier this year. I've only gotten around to hooking it up to anything. And by anything I mean this DVD Stereo combo thing my father bought when I was in college. Its been in a box for about 2 years now and still works like a charm. Thanks, Dad. The washed out image on the TV is no one's fault other than my Samsung Galaxy tablet's camera. But if you wish to trust me, its the dvd menu for Community. Its one of the funniest shows, ever. And the irony that I am now attending a community college is definitely not lost on me. If you know anything about the show, I desperately want an Annie. Don't judge me.

That one on the far right. That's her. I love. Her. 

Okay, enough. On to the beer.

Honestly, this was supposed to be for next week's edition but like I said, I had this "free-time" thing. Friday, (my day off) I went to my liquor store in Ridgefield Park and decided that the first thing that catches my eye in the beer case will be the brew for next week. Somehow, someway, the giant yellow 4 pack these pint cans came in caught my eye. The cans themselves are pretty eye catching too. Now, I haven't had Boddingtons Pub Ale in a long time. I've had it on tap once in a bar in Montclair and I enjoyed it. So I picked it up and went home. Now, when you do the same at your local liquor store, don't be alarmed by that strange feeling that there's something in your cans. There is something in those cans. Its called a widget. What it does is manage the beer's head (please, no phallus jokes), assuring a nice creamy, frothy foam on top when your pour as evidenced by the photo below. It has a pretty malty sweetness that lasts in your mouth for a while. It's not overly bitter, in fact, I didn't notice it much till the very end when I wanted some more. It has a very nice mouthfeel that makes you want to savor it. But its sweetness and lack of bitterness makes you want to do the opposite and down that sucker like water when you're thirsty.

Overall Pub Ale is OK. It'll do if you're craving for a British import. It tends to be one of the inexpensive ones in the offering in liquor stores. If you've never had it before, by all means, give it a shot. It won't hurt. You never know, you might be missing half of your life. Or not. 

So I'm going to end with this. Did I mention I want an Annie?

Expired? Meh, Just pour it!

Its August. Yes, the eight month of 2012, already. Its 3/4ths through the year. WHERE DID IT GO? If there's any long term project anyone wants to start before the year is out, this month would probably be latest you could start it. Soon enough, you'll start hearing Christmas songs on the radio and you'll find yourself regretting procrastinating the year away. Now, I won't pretend that I'm the best person to be preaching the last statement as I am just as guilty of such procrastination as the next guy. But somebody has to say it, right? Is admitting you have a problem the first step into rehabilitation? Right? Right!

Anyhow, on to the beer. 

Yes, that's an Oktoberfest Wiesn. It's a little late to be drinking it (or too early). But it's what I've got. I did not have time to go the liquor store the last few days due to a pretty eventful week and I did not want to miss my deadline, again. I was relegated to searching my refrigerator for anything resembling beer. Lo and behold, I found this "box" set. Now, if you think that's too large for something to be lost in a refrigerator, clearly you've not lived with three guys in an apartment. Nevertheless, this was sitting in the back of my refrigerator and it was a small victory that I'd gladly accept. 

This Oktoberfest Wiesn from Paulaner is one of the better ones the come out during "oktoberfest season". Seems like every other craft brewery (specially American ones) come out with their own version but I tend to only trust German offerings of the said variety. Paulaner is one of them. Oktoberfest is a long-beloved tradition in Bavarian culture. As the name suggests, its a party that happens in October. To be precise, its a 16 day festival that begins in late September and ends around the first weekend of October. That's a pretty good party. It first started in 1810 when Crown Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese of Bavaria all of Munich was invited to celebrate (now if any German readers are offended by my oversimplification of this part of Bavarian history, let me know and I'll kindly oblige). Paulaner is one of a handful of breweries that are allowed to produce Okbtoberfest Beer under the strict criteria set by the Reinheitsgebot, or German Beer Purity Law. The beer must also be produced within the city limits of Munich to be considered Oktoberfest Beer.

As I mentioned earlier, this baby has been lost in my refrigerator for a while. I purchased this "box-set" from Costco in early October (Ok so I bought 3 of them). I planned to enjoy them on Thanksgiving, perhaps sharing them to a cousin or two. But my plans went awry when the then girlfriend informed me where I was spending Thanksgiving. So I enjoyed one of them on a day like today (I'll explain a little later), I enjoyed another one at my Aunt's house, and I subsequently forgot about the third one. Now, despite being past its "Enjoy by Date," this German brew was still serviceable. I poured the liter can into the liter mug it came with and found no sediments, or foul odor. My only guess is that it was stored well enough to be "safe" to drink six months after its intended lifetime. To not sell this brew short, I can profess that when I first had this particular offering from Paulaner, I was very very satisfied. It has a full-bodied hop flavor that a seasoned beer drinker will enjoy but it's mellow enough for anyone to appreciate. It goes down smooth, quenching your thirst, without feeling cheap and filled with fillers like some beers (if you can call it beer at all) out there. 

Now, I've some explaining to do. If last week was tough. This was even worse. Work is always work and its always tough. Its usually the extracurricular events that make it worse than it should. What is it this week you ask? Well it was this.

If you haven't noticed, my beloved Subaru Forester was broken into. Yes, a week after my alternator gave out. So in two weeks, I've had a new alternator installed (a rebuilt one) and my car was broken into. Awesome! If I was a lesser man, I would have just drank myself silly tonight (no, a liter is not enough for me to get drunk, I'm BIG guy).

But I guess I shouldn't complain, since this week was also the first time I enjoyed a ballgame in the new Yankees Stadium. I saw the Bronx Bombers wallop Baltimore 12-3. To top it off, I got to see a Robinson Cano grandslam. To the uninitiated, that's not something you see everyday. Needless to say, it was a pretty crazy week for me, hence settling for an "expired", out of season brew. Its a shame to be wasteful my friends. Shame shame shame. 

All my cousin and I kept thinking before the game started was the YES network theme  song for anything Yankee related.

That's a cup of Stella Artois in my hand and my cousin has a Bud Light. Can anyone guess how much they cost together? $21.50!!!
(Photo courtesy of my cousin Ronneal)