| The microbrew boom of the 1990's sparked a deep | | | | lagers are sinewy. Where ales are street, lagers are |
| appreciation for hand crafted premium beers. After the | | | | 'haute couture'. Where an ale might hit you over the |
| hundreds of fist fights over whether a light beer tasted | | | | head and take your wallet, lagers donate to charity |
| great or was less filling we have grown to appreciate | | | | and adopt stray cats. While an ale might steal your car |
| beer in its various forms and flavors. 2008 promises to | | | | or try to date your daughter and keep her out all night |
| be another year marked by brews that define the | | | | for who-knows-what purpose, a well bred lager would |
| seasons. Here is your guide the top beers of 2008 and | | | | offer to clean your house while you're on vacation and |
| the seasons in which they are best enjoyed. Cheers! | | | | leave fresh scones and coffee for you when you |
| Month: January | | | | return. Now, don't get us wrong, ales can be a lot of |
| Beer: Alaskan Smoked Porter | | | | fun to hang out with when you're in the right mood, and |
| Brewery: Alaska Brewing Company | | | | if you have bail money on you. But what's wrong with |
| The dark, robust body and pronounced smoky flavor | | | | livin' uptown from time to time, on a nice street, where |
| of this limited edition beer make it an adventuresome | | | | the doormen all wear those little uniforms, the air smells |
| taste experience. Alaskan Smoked porter is produced | | | | of flowers, and lagers rule the Earth. Cheers! |
| in limited "vintages" each year and unlike most beers, | | | | Month: April |
| may be aged in the bottle much like fine wine. | | | | Beer: Firestone Walker Double Barrel Ale |
| Month: February | | | | Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Company |
| Beer: Rochefort 8 | | | | Unparalleled in character and uniquely fermented in our |
| Brewery: Brasserie de Rochefort (Abbaye de | | | | patented Firestone Union oak barrel brewing system, |
| Notre-Dame de Saint-Remy) | | | | our flagship Double Barrel Ale boasts a distinctive |
| Despite its 9.2 Alcohol Per Volume, this beer is as | | | | complexity and richness. English and Slovenian hops |
| smooth and flavorful as any Belgian beer. With little | | | | contribute a clean, balanced texture and a fragrant, |
| carbonation and a hint of fig and honey this is a | | | | spicy bouquet. |
| perfect beer to warm you up on a winter night. | | | | Month: May |
| Month: March | | | | Beer: Gumballhead |
| Beer: Lagunitas Pils | | | | Brewery: Three Floyds Brewing Company |
| Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company | | | | Three Floyds delicious summer seasonal is brewed |
| Straight from their website: In The beginning, there | | | | with Amarillo hops and is an American wheat beer |
| were ales. As far as anyone knows, the first beers | | | | with a crisp citrus finish. Perfect for kicking off the |
| made were 'top-fermented', which is longhand for 'Ale'. | | | | summer! |
| Sometime long before the 1860's, beers became | | | | Month: June |
| popular that were made in Northern Europe with a | | | | Beer: Saison Dupont |
| bottom fermenting yeast strain that liked the colder | | | | Brewery: Brasserie Dupont |
| temperatures. Because they had to spend weeks | | | | Coppery blond, the finest aromas and a strong |
| aging before they tasted their best, they were known | | | | bitterness transform this beer into a thirst-quencher |
| as 'Lager' beer. Lager is the German word for | | | | with no equal. Since June has no major holidays to |
| 'storage'. Since they had to sit a while, they took up | | | | celebrate, make this month a 30 day holiday dedicated |
| more time and space and as such were harder and | | | | to gorging yourself with this masterpiece. |
| more expensive to make. Where ales are meaty, | | | | To read Part 2, click here. |