Pryes Glamorama West Coast IPA

 Pryes Glamorama West Coast IPA.

6.5% ABV, 55 IBU, Pryes Brewing, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

Clear, bright golden hue, large ivory head. 

In the nose: big time citrus and pine. Popping with grapefruit and tangerine. Lively aromatics. 

In the mouth: starts out bitter and sharp, then in comes the juicy. Dry on the palate, like any good WCIPA should be. Not as fully dry brittle and bitter as I want, nay demand, but, eh, close enough. I’ll take it. 

Go on and be bold. Shine big. Step out. Sparkle? Hell yes. While you're at it, welcome in the citrusy blast and the bit of mighty hops that pop like paparazzi. This is Glamorama.

Bent Paddle Munchin’’ Pretzels Märzen Party Lager

 Bent Paddle Munchin’ Pretzels Märzen Party Lager.

5.6 % ABV, 18 IBU, Bent Paddle Brewing, Duluth, Minnesota. 

To the best of my knowledge, this is the first year that Bent Paddle has packaged this Oktoberfest beer, although they don’t call it that on the label. They call it a Märzen Party Lager. They’re not the only one, Fair State also calls their Festbier “party lager”. What does this mean? Don’t all parties have lagers? (I said parties, not bottle shares.) I’ve noticed more and more beers will be labeled Märzen or Festbier (even when they are Märzens), and not Oktoberfest at all. This is probably a smart move for a style of beer being released in July.

Also, what kind of name is Munchin’ pretzels? Is it because munchin’ sounds like the German word for Munich? Why don’t we call it that? If we can say “munchin’”, we can say Munchen. And you know what they call Bavaria? Bayern. Sounds like something my mom would say. Don’t leave the Bayern door open.

I wish I had some pretzels, but I don’t. I almost bought some today, but there was a man standing in front of them in the grocery aisle and he was taking too long. so I didn’t buy any. So here I am having a party lager at home taking notes with no pretzels to munch. Maybe if I put on some polka music, it’ll be okay. 

For 60 Minutes, I’m Andy Rooney.

Clear, Amber/copper colored, slim white head.

In the nose: sweet and malty, nobly hopped, bready…pretzel-y?

In the mouth: more sweetness on the palate, but well balanced. Smooth and maltalicious. (That’s a real word I made up just now.) A lager for communal enjoyment, for schnitzels and spaetzels, and yeah, the twisty bead stick. This one goes down nice and easy, chock-ful of Märzen-y goodness.

Münchin' Pretzels is a classic Märzenbier that boasts a rich amber color and a medium-bodied mouthfeel. Brewed with traditional German malts and hops, this beer offers a perfect balance of sweetness and bitterness. The aroma is characterized by notes of toasted bread, caramel, and a subtle hint of hops. The flavor profile is dominated by a delicious bready malt character with hints of caramel, making it an excellent choice to pair with traditional German cuisine, especially soft pretzels and sausages. Prost!

Malty | Bavarian | Festy

Fat Head Green Grunge IPA

 Fat Head’s Green Grunge IPA. 

6.5% ABV, 65 IBU, Fat Head’s Brewery, Middleburg Heights, Ohio.

Clearish, bright golden hue , hearty white head on top,

In the nose: super dank, pine and citrus, right on the money. 

In the mouth: vibrancy hop flavors explode in the mouth, powerful bitterness on display on the palate, nice and dry. Beautifully drinkable, if you’re a hophead in need of their fix. And I often am. Fierce hop delivery in this one, thoroughly enjoyed. Thanks, Ed!

This heavy hitting IPA goes against the grain to give you a raucous hop experience. It’s loaded with Chinook and Citra hops lending grungy notes of grapefruit, berry, and citrus rind with a smooth piney, spicy bitterness that invokes classic American “C” hop character.