Walking into Sunswick this past Thursday night I found myself surrounded by what felt like every beer rep. and every thirsty beer geek in Astoria (ok so it was a bar full of beer geeks, I mean when you get right down to it the reps are just geeks with access to breweries and license to sell). It was loud, rowdy, and about to get extremely raucous—Sunswick was hosting the kickoff of the East Coast Vs West Coast Brewery throw down and if you missed the party my friends, I am truly sorry for you.
My motley crew and I commandeered the front couch and went about the all-important process of deciding which flight of beer to get first—all west coast? All one brewery? Light or dark perhaps? Juan hadn’t come around with the beer lists yet so, inspired by my buddy Pat from Smuttynose’s description of their new brews I opted for one whole flight from New Hampshire. Yay East Coast! Mike Long Hair went for an assortment of East Coast beer and Josh had me pick him out a pint, he wanted some hops and nothing dark, when I brought him the Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ from Lagunitas he was thrilled.
Let’s break down the highlights from the East Coast, shall we? My favorite Smuttynose offering was hands down their Baltic Porter. Rich espresso flavor, slight dark fruit finish, smooth mouthfeel, and a robust 9%abv. Wouldn’t have minded a whole pint of the stuff, but I had three more mini-beers on my flight already. Also of note from the boys in New Hampshire is their Wheat Wine Ale—dude I shit you not it is 12%abv. This ale is actually a new breed of beer, they were unable to release it sooner due to legal issues with the name. Turns out the Tax and Trade Bureau thought that the use of the word “wine” on the label would lead consumers to think the beer was wine—sigh, do they really think the general public is that dumb? This is the first wheat ale brewed in the barleywine style and it tastes complex, slightly hoppy, mildly fruity with a boozy kick. These two beers alone were enough to get me feeling a little happy and it’s no wonder, their abv’s are right on up there with Belgian beers!
Also keeping it real for the East Coast, Pennsylvania’s Victory brought several badass brews to the table (not to mention a hilarious rep, I wish I remembered our witty repartee, but at least I got an awesome t-shirt). Of note from Victory: the Storm King Stout and Yakima Glory Black IPA. Both beers are strong in character and appearance, dark, malty, roasty, and hoppy and both right around 9%abv. A hoppy stout, you say? Why yes it sure was! Not as hoppy as the Yakima Glory, but still quite a floral, yet weighty stout.
Jumping across the country, my next flight showcased some yummy stuff from our friends at Lagunitas. You all know my love for the Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ wheat ale, with it’s herbal, piney aroma and slight juniper taste— I’m getting thirsty thinking about the stuff—but I found a new love in their Cappuccino Stout (9.2%). No surprise here, it’s made with tons of coffee and roasted barley and man does it taste like espresso. Even looking at the beer in the glass is reminiscent of a perfect espresso shot, dark brown with a creamy white crema, and it is delicious. Oh West Coast you are making a good argument for yourself!
Seriously the noise level was deafening between the patrons, battling East Coast/ West Coast music, and rowdy beer reps defending their chosen brews, but it all seemed to silence the moment I tried my favorite offering of the evening: Ballast Point Victory at Sea Imperial Porter (10%). Oh. My. God. One little sip and I was hooked, it slid down my throat, coating it like the best truffle in all of creation. Smooth, rich, bold vanilla, coffee, and dark chocolate flavors exploded in my mouth enveloped my senses—this my friends is a damn good beer. One by one my friends reacted in a similar manor—one sip resulted in closed eyes and sighs of “oh yeah, that’s amazing.” Ballast Point also offered up their Barmy Ale (10.7%). Barmy tastes like fruity Riesling and it’s made with lots of fruit and caramelized honey. Girlfriend doesn’t like beer? Give her one of these, she’ll love it. Give her two and you may have to carry her home, but that’s another story.
Have you perhaps been paying attention to the numbers I’ve been laying out for you? A typical beer is somewhere around 5%abv guys, now go back and check out the ones I just listed before I finish my beer tale. Good. Right about now is where I will apologize for getting drunkenly inspired to go on a pub-crawl instead of waiting for the foamy verdict. In my high-octane brew fuelled haze it seemed more fun to trek out in the snow than stay squished like a sardine at Sunswick, plus I had already tried everything on tap at Sunswick and the Mad Donkey was only a few blocks away. Sure I called Sunswick on Friday to find out who won but the brunch bartender immediately asked if I had left my credit card when I said I had a question about Thursday night and then laughed and told me, sorry he had no idea who won. Hey, I may have left part of my memory and a bit of my liver, but at least I didn’t leave my credit card ☺.
Want to check out the East West Brewery Battle for yourself? It may have left Astoria but Pony Bar on 44th and 10th is hosting it this Wednesday! Check out beermenus.com/events for the complete tour listing
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