Five Favorite Fall Beers

Tis the season....for BEER! (Although in my opinion, it is always the season for beer.)

 

In all seriousness, though--autumn weather combined with pastimes like tailgating, football, pumpkin picking, and bonfires work harmoniously with a bold autumn brew.

 

I've come up with 5 of my favorite fall seasonal beers, although I could easily name 100.

 

The first 4 can be found almost anywhere in the United States (although in some areas more heavily than others), and the last is a Baltimore home brew that I just had to add because I love it all year round.

1. Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale (8% ABV)

http://weyerbacher.com/blog/2010/02/imperial-pumpkin-ale/

 

Weyerbacher Pumkin is what first got me on the pumpkin beer bandwagon about a year ago. It was on draft at a local bar, and on a whim, I ordered it, not sure what to expect. As soon as I took a sip of this hearty, spicy, bold amber ale, I was a believer. Just don't drink it too fast--it's a strong one, guys. At 8% ABV, this ale is much stronger than a typical light beer's 3 to 5%.

 

2. Dogfish Head Punkin (7% ABV)

http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/seasonal-brews/punkin-ale.htm

 

A pretty little 4-pack of this brew was waiting for me on Friday when I got home from work (brownie points for the boyfriend!), and it is already gone. This beer is made with organic brown sugar & spices, and is the perfect compliment to a brisk fall day.

 

3. Southern Tier Pumking (8.6%)

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/3818/38394

http://www.stbcbeer.com/stbc/seasonals/seasonal-imperial/pumking-beer-page/

 

Out of all the beers on this list, Southern Tier's Pumking definitely packs the biggest punch at 8.6% ABV. With hints of pecan, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg, you can't go wrong. This stuff is like crack.

 

4. Fat Tire Amber Ale (5.2% ABV)

http://www.newbelgium.com/beer/detail.aspx?id=7c5b394b-d7b7-486a-ac9a-316256a7b0ee

 

Fat Tire has many seasonal blends, but I am a big fan of their Amber Ale, which consists of "toasty, biscuit-like malt flavors coasting in equilibrium with hoppy freshness." This brew is popping up on taps all over Baltimore, and I couldn't be happier. Plus, I will gladly endorse any company with the belief that "we're not only passionate about great beer, it's also important to us to try to be a role model of sustainable business practices." (check it out here).

Oh, and there's a snazzy red bicycle on the label. 'Nuff said.

 

5. Brewer's Art Ozzy (7.25% ABV)

http://www.thebrewersart.com/housebeer.html

 

This is a Baltimore exclusive. Located in the Mt. Vernon neighborhood, The Brewer's Art is a restaurant with amazing food, unique atmosphere, and of course, home-brewed beers. My favorite is Ozzy, a Belgian-style that is "Both rich and dry...this beer is
all too easy to consume in large quantities".

 

What are some of your favorite beers for the autumn season?

I am always up for trying new-to-me brews.

Review: Infuse Your Mood Tea

Hello, hello!

Hope your Wednesday is going swimmingly.

Today, I have a review for you all.

In case you didn't know, in my household, we love tea. Love, love, looove it.

Sean and I have two teapots (one of which is shaped like a giraffe), plus a special teapot for loose tea.

We also have an alarming variety of teas in the pantry--sleepy time tea, tea for energy, flavored teas, etc.

So, when the lovely people from a company called Sun Chlorella offered to send me a box of their Infuse Your Mood 100% Natural Eleuthero Tea to review for you all, I was more than willing to partake.
Yesterday when I got home from work, this was waiting on my doorstep:

Imagine my delight! Inside the box was this pretty little box of tea:

Which boasts some pretty impressive nutritional information and ingredient list:

Literally ONE ingredient?! Awesome. Also enclosed was a list of some of of the benefits of eleuthero:

Inner calm? Physical endurance? Peace and tranquility?? Count me in!

I do admit that I was a bit skeptical on how it would actually taste. But, the boyfriend and I both brewed a cup (in my giraffe teakettle, obviously) to test. I forgot to snag a photo of the tea once it is actually brewed, but it was a light green color.

The verdict? It was surprisingly tastier than I had expected. Especially with a teaspoon of honey. It wasn't strong, which is good for someone like me. I'm the girl who dunks her teabag in the water 3 times and then declares it "ready to drink". Sean, on the other hand, was less impressed. He likes his teat to have a strong, distinct taste, and this just didn't do it for him.

As for the health benefits? I've only had this tea a couple of times since last week, so it's hard to tell. But I do know I felt healthier just drinking it, which is fine by me!

If you are interested in Sun Chlorella's products, please visit their webiste at http://www.sunchlorellausa.com/.

(Disclaimer: Although I received this product for free from the Sun Chlorella Company, all opinions and reviews are 100% honest and 100% my own.)