Once I surpassed the notion that beer is a purely utilitarian device, I’ve attempted to develop what I would hope is an evolving palette and a greater appreciation for a good brew. While the craft-brewing movement is no doubt becoming quickly fashionable these days, I can’t say I entirely mind one bit at all.
There was most definitely a time in my life when I thought, by and large, beer was beer. Primarily a means to an end, it required a good amount of chug-a-lugging in order to obtain sufficient intoxication. However, the first time I tried a good IPA I realized that there was far more to beer than previously realized.
While I still love a good IPA, these days I’ve really been enjoying stouts and porters — a style of beer that, admittedly, I had to force down my throat the first time I ever sampled it. Ink-black and requiring the careful sipping of a fine wine, stouts can be complex, oaky, strong, and bitter at times.
Anyway, I digress — I LOVE Great Lakes Brewing Company. I stumbled upon Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald porter in part due to their employment of fantastic illustrations and package design, but also because once I had a chance to research the brewery, I quickly saw that their beer was among the most consistently praised and highly regarded on the market. Lucky for me, the company’s regional distribution now covers Washington, DC.
While I haven’t had the opportunity to sit down with the entire line, I can say that so far there hasn’t been a dud in the group. The whole experience is spot-on, and by the looks of it, their Brewpub in Cleveland, Ohio puts the finishing touches on an expertly well thought-out and curated “family of beers” (housed inside Victorian-era structures, the Brewpub’s taproom is rumored to bear the scars of bullets from the gun of Eliot Ness). I would probably take a trip to Cleveland just to go there.
I’ve been able to find Great Lakes beer in DC at Cowgirl Creamery and Yes! Organic Market, although I’m sure it’s available all over the city if you do a bit of sleuthing.
If you’re looking to find out more information on craft brewing, and/or beer in general, both BeerAdvocate and Ratebeer are truly great resources for both beginners (like me) and the well-versed.
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I wonder if either of them is friends with Gaye Males?
BLAQSTARR “OH MY DARLIN’” from FRESH KILL on Vimeo.
Homie for life Hilton Carter recently linked up with fellow L.A.-by-way-of-Baltimore transplant Blaqstarr to shoot the wonderful “Oh My Darlin’” video.
From a musical perspective, and as a citizen of The City That Reads for the last five years or so, it’s interesting to see the mutation of Baltimore club music after it’s renaissance within the electronic music community. In many ways, most forms of popular music tend to be quite constricting when it comes to genre rules, in particular forms of electronic music. So, in a sense, it’s exciting to look at what a regional staple has given birth to across a broader spectrum.
Carter has been on his grizzly bear for quite some time now. His current work can be seen at the Fresh Kill web site, and you can even catch his debut short “Moth” next week at the Milan International Film Festival.
Thanks to SAMK Eventos I was given the opportunity to travel from the States, alongside the legendary Little Louie Vega of Masters at Work and Neil Armstrong, Jay-Z’s tour DJ, representing the USA for the second annual Rave Dos Dj’s. This was the first time American DJ’s ever performed in Angola, and we threw down with help from countless local Angolan DJ’s and the invaluable support of Portugal’s Johnny Def and Mario Roque. More pics chronicling our trip to come soon…but needless to say, it was an unforgettable experience.
Last week Mr. Carter’s disc jockey (and one of my favorite people ever) DJ Neil Armstrong dropped the incredible “DNA of the Blueprint” mix, which chronicles the illustrious career of the one and only Hova in fine 5th Platoon fashion. If you’ve ever heard Neil’s mixes before, this one is exceptionally good, and if you are new to Mr. Armstrong, be prepared to be blown away. You can download the mix for free on Neil’s site, and stay tuned for an all-new DjNeilArmstrong.com coming very soon…
Plus, be on the lookout for some big things coming up with Neil in the coming weeks…more info on the way shortly….