SPEED TASTING REPORT Lions and and Beers!

Oh My!by Emily Coleman / photos by Leigh Castelli OUR VERY FIRST BLIND BEER SPEED ith breweries, bottle shops, home brewing stores and beer bars around just about every corner, it doesn’t take long to realize that you have entered TASTING AT TAPATINI Wbeer country while driving through the laid-back streets of San Diego. TAPAS & MARTINI BAR Since it has a strong affection for liquid bread, we could think of no better backdrop than the Beer & Spirits EPPS in late August at Tapatini Tapas & Martini Bar, located IN SAN DIEGO in the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina. After an independent blind tasting of nine beers, ciders and malt beverages, we heard from the brands themselves about what each of their expressions brings to the glass.

Our very first Blind BeerSpeed Tasting panel: Back row, left to right: Joshua Nees, Category Specialist for Beer, Walgreens, Chicago; Emily Coleman, Associate Editor, THE TASTING PANEL Magazine; Scott Shumate, Beverage Specialist, Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina; Steve McGinty, Category Manager for Beer and Liquor, Giant Eagle, Cleveland; and Scot Blair, owner, Hamilton’s Tavern, San Diego. Front row, left to right: Vicki Venables, Buyer for Wine and Beer, Army and Air Force Exchange Service, Dallas; and Marcus Zimmerman, Category Manager for Beer, Walgreens, Chicago.

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EVERYTHING’S COLDER IN TEXAS Frio Light Hailing from Memphis, TN but made with the Texas market in mind, this pilsner—sold in 30 packs—is a newcomer to the beer scene in the Lone Star State and has made great strides since its launch last year. From the Experts: “A definite session Chris Quintanilla, beer—wonderfully easy to drink with an aroma General Sales of slight grain. On the palate, there is some WHEN LIFE GIVES Manager, Mexcor maltiness, but it leaves you with a nice, clean, YOU LEMONS International crisp finish.” —Marcus Zimmerman, Category Wine & Spirits. Manager for Beer, Walgreens, Chicago (OR BLACK CHERRIES) MEXCOR INTERNATIONAL WINE & SPIRITS Mike’s Hard Lemonade The malt base to this beverage begins its life with the same brewing process as beer, but then evolves into the flagship product that has been ACE IN THE HOLE an industry mainstay for the last 15 years. Ace Perry From the Experts: “Sweetness offset by nice Made with both apples and pears levels of lemon and citrus. No overwhelming and fermented using Champagne flavor elements, balanced and refreshing. yeast, Ace Perry Cider—the first Great beverage to carry to the pool!” —Steve Perry (aka pear-based cider) to be McGinty, Category Manager for Beer and made in California—launched in Liquor, Giant Eagle, Cleveland 1996, and today, it stands atop the pear cider category in the U.S. Mike’s Hard Black From the Experts: “This cider has Cherry Lemonade a very nice, dry finish with very little A more recent carbonation. It remains quite smooth addition to its line and throughout, balanced with lovely geared towards men, pear undertones. Ciders are doing this member of the very well in the military.” —Vicki Venables, Buyer for Wine and Beer, Mike’s Hard family asks Army and Air Force Exchange Service, Dallas drinkers to follow it to “the dark side.” Along Ace Pineapple Cider with being enjoyed Perfect straight up or mixed into a cocktail straight from the bottle, during a hot afternoon, this cider has pine- the panel decided that Doug Rittenberg, apple juices added to the fermented-apple it could work well in Sr. National Key base. It was inspired by trips to the Hawaiian craft cocktails when Accounts Manager– Islands and may very well be the first of its swapped for liqueurs. On Premise, Mark kind in the world. From the Experts: Anthony Brands. From the Experts: “On the nose, it opens “Strong, but smooth up with nice tropical and floral notes. Bits of black cherry notes that do a wonderful job of apple and butterscotch shine through leaving the palate clean with an effervescent the pineapple, leading to a tart finish.” Mark Anderson, carbonated finish. It doesn’t hurt that black —Joshua Nees, Category Specialist for Beer, National Chain cherry is one of the hottest flavors in flavored Walgreens, Chicago Manager, California malt beverages.” —Marcus Zimmerman, THE CALIFORNIA CIDER COMPANY Cider Company. Category Manager for Beer, Walgreens, Chicago MIKE’S HARD LEMONADE CO.

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Angry Orchard Importing bittersweet and culinary apples from Europe, Angry Orchard has become America’s top-selling cider in just a few short years. This cider balances the sweetness from the apples with a dry crispness, leaving the palate clean and begging for more. From the Experts: “Concentrated flavors and aromas of apples—this is what bottled cider should taste like. With a long, lingering finish, it would be a great choice for fall.” —Scott Shumate, Beverage Specialist, Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina

Rebel IPA A West Coast–style IPA, pine, citrus and slightly fruity notes shine through, and while one might expect the to over- power, the brewers at Samuel Adams decided to go a different route and add balance with a malt profile of Caramel 60 and their own two-row pale malt blend. From the Experts: “Nice golden color with big West Coast hops up front Brandon Kelmar, Regional Manager and all the way through. That being said, it's not overpowered with IBUs. This National Accounts, The Boston Beer IPA has all the characteristics one would demand, but does not overwhelm. Company. Nice job!” —Steve McGinty, Category Manager for Beer and Liquor, Giant Eagle, Cleveland BOSTON BEER COMPANY

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

Omission Lager Brewed with Sterling, Mount Hood and Hallertau hops, this lager—crafted to remove the gluten—has won a Gold Medal in the gluten-free beer category and a Silver Medal in the helles lager category at the 2012 and 2013 Great International Beer and Cider Competition, respectively. From the Experts: “With a light mouthfeel, this very sessionable lager would pair perfectly with a sunny day at the beach or a backyard barbecue. Its high carbonation and slight bite of hops produce a crisp finish—a clean beer, but by no mean tasteless.” —Emily Coleman, Associate Editor, THE TASTING PANEL Magazine Amy Jeuck, Omission Brand Ambassador, Omission Omission Beer Co. This beer fits neatly into the classical definition of an , while still remaining gluten-free through a special process that removes the gluten after fermentation. Coming in at around 33 IBUs, this pale ale’s Cascade hop profile is contrasted beautifully with the caramel malt. From the Experts: “Malt with a touch of hops on the nose. A low-to-medium mouthfeel and clean bitterness create a well-balanced beer; great for those just getting into craft beer or looking for a gluten-free alternative.” —Scot Blair, owner, Hamilton’s Tavern, San Diego OMISSION BREWING CO.

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