the down-low on tj beer, aguas de março, or planning your reception (news feed)

what's your reception style? 
a) fun 
b) vintage 
c) whimsical
d) trader joe's? 

if you answered d), this list is a must-read. next time you reach for that six pack of "simpler times,"  consider this list compiled by josh noel of the chicago tribune who not only  gracious tried all the tj-brand beers, but rated them for us too! for the record, there's nothing wrong with "ick" beer, and some of the simplest times can be the funnest times. still, thank you, josh; and thank you, tj's for the good times. thanks to this one guy's dad for sharing the video. here's the crucial list:

The good ♥♥♥♥

Stockyard Oatmeal Stout: Crisp backbone melds with smoke and chocolate in this winner

Black Toad Dark Ale: Pleasantly roasty; one taster's favorite

Mission St. Hefeweizen: I'd drink this at home

Trader Jose Dark: Surprisingly good; would pair well with Mexican food

Bohemian Lager: A crisp, easy drinker

Mountain Creek Classic Lager: The only canned beer to rank high; perfect for fishing

The OK♥♥♥

Mission St. Pale Ale: Solid, but spend a few more bucks for a great pale

Mission St. India Pale Ale: Ditto

Trader Jose Light: A clean, summer party-worthy beer

Mission St. Brown Ale: Enough coffee and mocha save it

Mission St. Blonde Ale: Boring, but drinkable

The Less OK♥♥

Frugal Joe's Ordinary Beer: Uninteresting and inoffensive

Dunkelweizen: The epitome of "meh"

Bavarian Style Hefeweizen: Far inferior to the Mission St. hefe

Vienna Style Lager: Might be OK served very, very cold

Trader Jose: More flavor than Jose Light; not a compliment

The ick

Hofbrau Bock: Syrupy, sweet and unpleasant

Simpler Times Pilsner: Like the three below it, it's canned

Simpler Times Lager: Too malty

Name Tag Lager: Terrible

La Playa: Even worse

♥

click here to read josh noel's full article! 

bonus: if you love the song--aguas de março--like i do, check out elis regina and tom jobim's version from 1974 here.
so. beautiful.

Cooking with Lambic: Shepherd's Pie, 'Grandma' style

Shepherd's pie is one of those wonderful foods, like miso soup, where everyone has their own recipe, so they're all 'authentic,' and more importantly, it's delicious! And what a perfect meal for this suddenly chilly autumnal day in Tokyo.

Some tasty friends ready to go into the cozy baked dish

The Belle-Vue Kriek made the perfect accompaniment to the making and baking of One Woman's shepherd's pie. Whiffs of morello cherry, mulled boysenberry, dried apricot, and late summer forest make this kriek an extremely mellowed-out member of the lambic family. It has a dusty raspberry color with a frothy strawberry-mousse colored head. Tasting like it looks, there's a muted sweetness alongside a welcome little nip of bitterness. I think it would make a perfect beer for a victorian-themed afternoon party featuring homemade wild-berry scones paired with kriek. Maybe even bring out the crochet needles.

However, for this particular evening, the kriek was the secret ingredient to One Woman's shepherd's pie. Actually, it's adapted from the website, Cooking for Engineers (adapted from the Joy of Cooking, plus awesome pics by Michael Chu) check it out if you love to cook following charts like this, or just be inspired by the amazing organized brains behind the site:

For One Woman's version, the crucial thing is to add lambic during the beef-broth step. Can you taste it? Not really... Does the beer make a difference? Not sure...

But will it you happy? You bet! Ha.

Musical accompaniment: Grieg, Op. 43-1 "Sommerfugl," aka, butterfly. Sommerfüegli?! What a funky and lovely way to depict a butterfly--kind of like grandma's ash-pink lace creation: full of wisdom, inspiration and wit that you'd never notice unless you looked really closely. In this sweet little youtube version, you can hear the finger-traces of Grieg himself, forever etched into a piano roll. Somehow the thought of movement and gesture preserved in the form a physical piano roll for posterity is much more visceral and freaky than hearing an old record of someone who is no longer alive...

minipost: strange brew -- tactical nuclear penguin

this one has something for beer and penguin fanatics.

Ebisu Beer and Enchantment in a Can

Encased in a golden can, with the ever jolly Ebisu-sama grinning at you; snap the lid slightly, and out comes a little whisp of sweet, bubbly, gently aged malt. I can hardly contain my excitement as I pour its contents out into a chilled glass, the amber tinted gold frothing softly at the top. For a lager, it has boldly toasted malt, and tangy hops. The malty flavor is so subtle, but at the same time, it's a celebration of the golden grain. The best part is that you get all this joy for a mere 20 more yen (about 23 cents) then your generic Sapporo. If there ever was an embodiment of commodity-induced enchantment, Ebisu beer is it. 

"when twilight dims the skies above..."

And so, for all the budget-conscious souls out there, Ebisu offers the promise of bliss, the little luxury that won't break the bank. In short, it's "perfect." And if there ever was any hint of cynicism in One Woman, Ebisu still is a delicious beer. So there you have it. Commodity enchantment becomes the authentic experience of delight. 

Musical pairing: Frank Sinatra singing "Brazil." Originally a tune by Ary Barroso (1939), the song appeared in many different manifestations in Terry Gilliam's 1985 film, Brazil.  Can you eject yourself from the ministry of [miss]information? Listen and believe. Or, like the folks at another beverage company say... Thirst asks nothing more. It's the real thing. Things go better with coke. Look for the real thing.* 


*[Coca-Cola slogans from 1938, 1970, 1965, and 1984]

minipost: america is no. 1

...in worst mass produced crap beer, according to a survey by Doug Lansky in his Titanic Awards. his accompanying image: 

minipost: tori-b

beer, chicken, and 1980s pop. this small building in sangenjaya has it all.

note the awesome beer-colored paper lanterns--close up: