Before we get going I would like to remind everyone that this blog and all the writing contained is of the craft brewing and craft beer world as seen through my eyes and my taste buds. Everything I state is my own opinion and should be taken as such. I may not always like everything I taste and experience but hey that's just me. We are all the same in that regard, but the fact that I am willing to not only try but embrace the sampling should stand for something. I will try to be constructive and provide some fun facts along the way for the sake of the blog. Any of my reviews, commentary and stories are up for discussion and I hope that you will engage me in such. I'd like to thank all craft brewers everywhere for opening my eyes, and tastebuds alike, to the world of craft beer and all that good beer should be.
With all that said, it's a beautiful August 1, 2012, the beginning of my journey for the 30 IN 30, so let's begin............
I could have easily opened with a beer I have already tasted, but I am not lazy, and where would the excitement be in that. I have chosen for this portion of the 30 IN 30 to stick mostly to lagers and pilsners. I figured it was a good starting point. Stick to what you know and build from there is what I have always done in my life and it's worked out good for me so far so why go different now. I will get more adventurous as I go on. My goal is to try every beer out there at least once but for the sake of the next month I'll stick to a random 30.
With all that said Let's get down and Dirty with my first selection. Drum roll please..............
Beer # 1 in the 30 IN 30 is Amsterdam Brewery's Natural Blonde Lager
Are you excited. I sure am. I picked it up at the LCBO earlier today and it has been waiting for me in my fridge for quite awhile. Upon first sip I didn't think much, but by the time I put the glass down (yes, it is frosted for those who wondered) the malt, barley, hoppy heaven that just poured into my mouth was erupting in my tastebuds causing quite a stir all of the way down. As I sit here writing this I am still sipping away. The one thing that gets me, and makes this suddenly a beer of choice for life is the lack of bitterness to the beer. I find a lot of mainstream beer very bitter (which I do not enjoy at all), yet the lack of in this beer makes me enjoy it that much more. I am finding, as it not the case with most beer that I have had that as I write and the beer sits there, it gets better tasting as it warms up. This is excellent for a guy like me who enjoys relaxing with a nice beer and enjoying the drink. Some of you may call it nursing a beer but hey, know your venue is what I like to say.
So I thought while I am sitting here enjoying my drink I'd hop onto the Amsterdam website ( www.amsterdambeer.com ) and check out some facts on the beer of choice for the day. Let's have a look see.......
Amsterdam Brewery states that the suggested serving temperature for the Natural Blonde Lager is 2 degrees celcius. Maybe this explains the taste getting better as it warms, I don't know. They also suggest using Tulip Glass as glassware, not too sure what that is but hopefully I am using it lol. They also state that this beer is "All Natural" I thought to myself what does this mean so I looked it up and here's what they say. "Here at the Amsterdam Brewing Company, we're committed to delivering the highest quality craft lagers and ales in Toronto. We believe that freshness and purity are what makes good beer great, which is why we brew our beers in the traditional European brewing process to give each one a distinctive premium body and flavour. Our beers are made with four all natural ingredients - malt, hops, yeast, and water - all GMO-free, without preservatives, and we never heat pasteurize. (We're not sure what planet you're from, but...) In our world, fresh, pure, all natural beer is just better beer." That explains it.
Anyway, with all this said I would like to get back to my beer. If everyday and sampling is like today's pick then this is shaping up to be a great month.
Thanks for reading, and I promise the writing will grow and get better as my tastebuds grow. Thank you for your support and be sure to check in tomorrow to see what's on tap for day 2. Please feel free to comment or tell your story. Thank you again, and feel free to follow me at The Spotted Tap (www.thespottedtap.com) and on Twitter @30in30Beck
Andrew Beckerson
The Craftsmen
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