Author: Two Pints, Please!

In Our Fridge: Tröegs Nimble Giant

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Cue the sounds of angels singing — it’s time to talk about Tröegs Nimble Giant. We were thrilled to be able to get our hands on the few remaining cases of this elusive once-per-year small-batch scratch beer at our local beer shop. Tröegs is one of our favorite breweries, and we are lucky to live only an hour and a half away from their brewery in Hershey, PA.

Nimble Giant is a double IPA doused with a fabulous blend of Azacca, Mosaic, and Simcoe hops. The flavor is impressive – well-balanced (or nimble, if you will), rich, and incredibly drinkable. The hops are definitely there, but they lack that punch-in-the-mouth bitterness that many double IPAs have. Rather, the heavy dose of hops packs in 69 IBUs with a smooth, malty backbone for ultimate drinkability.

Mike tends to be a bit more favorable with double IPAs, while I tend to go more for regular IPAs and pale ales. However, we found a shared lust for the Nimble Giant that was enjoyable for us both. The Giant comes in large cans with a jazzy design that go down faster than you even realize. Two beers in and I was already calling it “Giant Nipple.”

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Caution: Beer on Board!

We hope you can track down a case of your own and enjoy with us one of the best double IPAs we’ve ever had.

Cheers!

Bethany and Mike

How many goats? Two Goats!

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RedX, Hefeweizen, and the best view on Seneca Lake

If there is a finer place in the world to enjoy a pint than Two Goats Brewing in Hector, NY, we have not yet found it. If you take a trip to the Finger Lakes region and don’t sit on their deck overlooking Seneca Lake with a pint of Goatgasm on a sunny Saturday afternoon, I seriously question your judgement.

Bethany and I have been to Two Goats on several occasions and it has always been a calm, quiet scene. The deck has never been crowded and the view is so captivating that Bethany and I would often just sit in silence for long periods of time (normally I’m the only silent one when we’re together), perfectly relaxed and watching the sun set over the lake.

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Two Goats is solar-powered!

If you go, try the Goatgasm , which is a blend of their XIPA and their Ultra Pale Ale. It is a refreshing blend with just enough bite to remind you that there is a pretty strong IPA in there but drinkable enough that it won’t disturb your zen-like state of peace.  Other winners include their Heffeweizen, which is wheaty and refreshing without being too light-bodied, and the Goat Master Pale Ale, which packs a nice hop punch with citrus tones.

If you come hungry be prepared to drive a little drunk somewhere else because all the food they serve is roast beef sandwiches that are actually quite good and free fresh-popped popcorn. (Just kidding about driving drunk–don’t be a jerk. Just get the roast beef sandwich.)

On our trip this past weekend to the Finger Lakes we were so excited to get to Two Goats to enjoy a quiet, relaxing sunset and a few delicious pints.  However, when we turned into the driveway we saw that the deck and parking lot were packed with rowdy people. I was suddenly flooded with painful and unexpected emotions. It felt like I had just pulled up to my girlfriend’s house who I hadn’t seen in a very long time and there was another man’s car in the driveway — but instead of it being another man, it was a party bus full of frat boys peeing in the yard and bachelorette partiers screaming “wooo” at just about anything. We were both devastated, but what did we expect? It was Saturday afternoon on the Seneca Lake beer and wine trail on a 4th of July weekend.

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Best seats in the house

After a brief survey of the scene we decided to turn around with hopes of returning the next day, Sunday, when it wouldn’t be so crowded to catch our sunset. After 24 hours of cognitive dissonance, we returned the next afternoon. It was packed again, and there was a band playing. However, this time we forged on, recognizing that a place this special couldn’t be kept secret for long. We grabbed our pints and joined the masses on the deck, strategically positioning ourselves to snatch our favorite place to sit – a corner cocktail table with commanding views of the lake – as soon as the opportunity arose. When we saw the couple sitting there beginning to get up we bolted over to the table like bratty, entitled children trying to beat out the other kids for the first eggs in an Easter egg hunt. I was a little embarrassed by our behavior but after we got to reclaim our favorite table and watch the sun go down over the lake I quickly forgot about my shame. Of course, the four pints of their RedX (red ale mixed with XIPA) that I drank also helped with that.

 

Check out Two Goats for yourself: http://www.twogoatsbrewing.com/

Cheers!

Mike and Bethany

In Our Fridge: Fat Tire & Friends Collabeeration Pack

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I was excited to see this new collaboration pack at our local beer store. This pack features the classic Fat Tire as well as collaborations between New Belgium and five other breweries.

We have been long-time fans of Allagash, Firestone Walker, and Avery, and we were excited to try Hopworks and Rhinegeist, which were new to us. The packaging and beer labels are bright, fun, and clever with the different bicycle variations on each bottle. Here’s the breakdown:
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  • Avery: Fat Wild Ale
    • One of the stand-outs of the bunch! Hoppy yet sippable with some fruity/sweet elements that don’t overpower. Nice summer beer!
  • Allagash: Fat Funk Ale
    • An extra scoop of yeast is what gives this beer its Funk. Taste is somewhat earthy with notes of banana and caramel. Not bad.
  • Firestone Walker: Fat Hoppy Ale
    • The winner of the group! We are big Firestone Walker fans, so we were especially excited for this one. Really unique blend of hops provides a good bite that is still immensely drinkable. Has some citrus and sweet notes, but incredibly refreshing. This one just begs for a hammock on a summer day.
  • Hopworks: Fat Sour Apple Ale
    • Blegh. We are really trying to get on the sour beer bandwagon, but it just hasn’t worked. You definitely get the sour hit with an apple/grape taste. It felt like drinking beer mixed with white grape juice. This was our least favorite of the bunch.
  • Rhinegeist: Fat Pale Ale
    • This beer felt like it was missing something. We are big fans of pale ales, but this felt a bit too light-bodied and not quite hoppy enough for our ideal pale ale profile. However, if you are new to hoppy beers, this one would be a good transitional beer due to the light hoppiness.
  • New Belgium: Fat Tire
    • Fat Tire has a cult following and recently arrived in Pennsylvania from the west coast. Mike has gotten to taste it out west on tap, which he claims is far better than the bottled variety we get here. It is smooth and easy-drinking and a step above your basic lagers, though it isn’t much to write home about.

All in all, this was a fun sampler pack! I’d recommend grabbing one to try them out yourself. The Fat Hoppy Ale was a big favorite out of the pack – would be great to see more of that in the future!

Cheers!

Bethany and Mike

 

Lansdale Beer Tasting Festival 2016

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Greetings! We had an amazing weekend due to the Lansdale Beer Tasting Festival in Lansdale, PA, this past Saturday afternoon. We went with a good friend of ours, Karen, who is also a beer aficionado. The afternoon began with a brief scare when I (Bethany), IMG_6507who am generally the one who is always organized (read: anal retentive), couldn’t locate my electronic ticket on my phone. Thankfully, I was ushered to a side table reserved for those in disarray to search for the ticket record on a staff member’s iPad. The crisis was averted and my ticket was located, though I was hot with disgrace until I had enough beer samples that I forgot about the whole thing.

This event is positively massive with over 150 breweries and close to 300 beers to sample. We attended this festival back in 2012 and had an awesome – but broiling hot – time. They stepped it up this year with a giant tent for more shade from the sun.

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The beer selection was very impressive with a range of breweries and beers. Some heavy hitting highlights included Ballast Point (Sculpin for the win), Boulevard, Deschutes (Hop Slice, anyone? Were wishing for some Chainbreaker, though!), Evil Twin, Otter Creek (Mmmm Fresh Slice!), Firestone Walker (though we are still waiting for Wookie Jack to show up at a festival), New Belgium,Victory, and Ommegang (love me some Gnomegang!). There were also some notably good smaller breweries, some local to the area, including Conshohocken, Wiseacre, Brick by Brick, and 2SP.

The crowd was a fun mix of young and old, often bedecked with pretzel necklaces and beer-themed hats and shirts. We even found Waldo, chatted with numerous beer-fueled strangers, and deftly avoided making eye contact with a gentleman in polyester Halloween costume-esque lederhosen. There were frequent “woos” and an upbeat, party-like atmosphere with live music and flowing activity.FullSizeRender (4)

The tent was crowded but lines held rarely more than 1-2 people ahead of you. Porta-potties were clean (enough) and plentiful. No one seemed to overdo their drinking that we noticed, keeping the festival classy and comfortable.

What wasn’t so great? We immediately noticed a seemingly large number of dark beers. And not black IPAs or lagers. We’re talking heavy imperial stouts, chocolate porters, and other beers that seemed discordant with the brilliantly sunny, 90 degree June weather. We couldn’t bring ourselves to sample those more heavy offerings, opting instead for hoppy and thirst-quenching varieties. And really, we get it – what better way to get rid of your last remaining kegs of winter porter than a beer festival? But a 10% Russian Imperial Stout just doesn’t scream summer beer fest for us.

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All in all? A great festival with an impressive beer selection, fun crowd, and lively atmosphere. We are already excited to see what Lansdale has in store for next year!

Cheers!

Bethany and Mike

Hello, World

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Hey, there! Welcome to our blog, Two Pints, Please! We are thrilled to have an online forum to share our adventures in the world of beer. Our musings will offer a hoppy twist on your typical travel blog, including brewery and brewpub reviews, the lowdown on beer festivals, beer samplings and recommendations, and adventures in eating and drinking right at home. Thanks for stopping by for a visit. Cheers!

Bethany and Mike