Beer of the Week

The beer: Just Like Himmel

The brewery: New Ridge Brewing Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Description: No description for this one, but it's a Vienna lager. Annoying, but seeing as the brewery burned down at the end of January and they're currently rebuilding, I think we can forgive them this time around.

Would I buy it again? I went through quite the range of emotions when I first found New Ridge Brewing Co. on Google Maps. 

"Oh nice, a brewery that's like a mile away. That's a nice easy walk. Let's see what they've got on tap ... oh, they're closed. They had a big fire."

So, when my girlfriend and I went to a free concert at a nearby park and saw that New Ridge were serving beer, I had to buy some. Clearly from the image I was not prepared for beer reviewing. But the beer was great, which is fitting, because Just Like Himmel won gold in the Vienna lager category at the Beer World Cup. It was malty and had a lot of heft, but was still perfectly pleasant to drink outside on a warm evening. I would happily buy this again.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Catoctin Heritage Vienna Lager

Brewed by: Milkhouse Brewery, Mt. Airy, Maryland

Description (from the website): "One good lager deserves another, so we decided to see how Monocacy played with a grist heavy on Bear Branch's Vienna Malt.  The two go together wonderfully, with a smooth and toasty maltiness complimenting the floral earthiness of Monocacy."

Would I buy it again? Maybe it's not a huge surprise that this is a lot better than the American Lager. That's probably kind of the point of last week's beer, to be a cheap, simple beer for the masses. This beer has a lot more taste to it, and the hops are really doing a good job. It's still pleasant and easy to drink, but it's not watery. I'd probably buy it again, provided it doesn't cost too much.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Vienna Lager

Brewed by: Devil's Backbone Brewing Company, Lexington, Virginia

Description (from the website): "This is our Ol’ Faithful. No, it’s not a geothermal phenomenon. It’s the beer everybody, including professional beer judges, just seems to dig. Maybe they like how it’s smooth, medium-bodied, and semi-sweet, while not too heavy or bitter. Maybe it’s the amber color, or the blend of four imported malts balanced by two Germanic hops, or the fact that it takes five weeks to get right. Or maybe it’s all the above."

Would I buy it again?: Yes, but I'm going to offer a caveat. This isn't the first time I've bought this particular beer, and it probably won't be the last. However, this beer does have an issue. It's basically a Yuengling but it costs almost twice as much. Now, I won't deny it's better than a Yuengling, but is it twice as good? No. It's a standard lager, it's good but I don't think a regular lager can be particularly earth-shattering. So if value is important, stick with Yuengling. If it isn't or you can only drink beer from a real microbrewery, then this is a good alternative lager. I'll usually go for the Yuengling myself, but I'm not opposed to this.