Can, Can: Can I Get a Can?

It was by no means planned but last night’s drinking ended up consisting entirely of canned beer.

The first one was an unusual choice for me as well as for the beautiful, sunny, warm afternoon that was yesterday. The can of Monk’s Blood from 21^st Amendment caught my eye while I was at Saraveza purchasing my Illegal Beer Bus ticket. It’s an unusual choice in that I pretty much feel the same way about 21^st Amendment as I do about New Belgium. Hell or High Watermelon receives the same hype and adoration as does Fat Tire. Granted, this comes from people who find it important to be drinking “cool” beer. Nevertheless it tends to turn me off from their products in general.

It’s been a while since I had my last Monk’s Blood and after giving it another try, I will have to try to ignore the fact that 21^st Amendment makes it. Instead I need to remember that it’s a solid beer, albeit probably more suited to a cool day, and like New Belgium, 21^st Amendment can make a good beer.

The next one, Flyin’ HI.P.Hay from Maui Brewing, was also a bit of a second chance selection. I wasn’t thrilled with this beer the last (and first) time I had it. Part of it was that when I cracked it open I was in the mood for a nice, hoppy IPA and this beer is not that. This time around I knew I was getting an IPA with some characteristics of a red. With the resetting of my expectations I quite enjoyed this beer. As a bonus it went nicely with my cigar.

To end out the can session I went for a beer I knew, and knew would hit my hop spot – Caldera IPA. It’s a solid, straightforward IPA. Weighing in at 94 IBUs this is a sure winner for me any day.

I love that so many breweries are using the can as their method of getting their beer into my house. But being the equal opportunity drinker I am, put it in a can, put it in a bottle, just make a good beer and I’ll put it in my fridge.

Simpler Times

There were simpler times, times when all the beer you knew was this color.

Times when the beer was cheap…say $3.99 for a 6-pk.

Times when you drank it because, well, it was beer.

These days you drink beer that is usually NOT this color, is more likely to be $13.99 for a 6-pk, and you drink it because it’s GOOD beer.

Then again, when you find a decently made pilsner, without any skunky or nasty aftertaste, that IS $3.99 for a 6-pk, is refreshing on a hot day and isn’t just 3.2% (5.5% actually), well, Simpler Times can still be yours.

Cool Can Answer

Deano has tried it and liked it; here's my take on the beer in the cool can.
Out of the can, the amber brew poured fairly carbonated so I let it sit a couple minutes.While I got the can shot posted the head had a chance to recede a bit and it was time for the sniff test. The result was a slight hop aroma...promising.

Now the taste test.Well, first swig says…have more! They didn’t hire a graphic artist first and a brewer as an after thought. This is actually a tasty beer. The gamble paid off.

I won’t say this is the best ever IPA, and I might even lean a little more toward pale ale than IPA (but that might be because there’s rarely a “too hoppy” beer for me). But it’s a solid beer that you could have a few of without burning out your palate.

So in the end, cool can, good beer, and well, it's in a can, which is a big plus if you're going to be somewhere with a "no glass" policy or you don't feel like doing the heavy lifting of carrying around bottled beer.

Cool Can

The question is, did they blow their wad making a cool can and forget that what’s IN the can is ultimately more important?

Let me know if you think:

1)Cool can but the beer is swill

OR

2)Cool can and the beer is actually worth drinking, too