Musician’s Widow

Tonight, after doing lawn work, my husband and I did what we are slowly turning into a tradition: grilled out. Steaks, potato salad, beans, corn on the cob and a mix-your-own six pack.

One of my beer choices was Redd’s Apple Ale.

After I popped the bottle open and took a drink, my exact quote was, “Oh my hell that’s good.” I didn’t care that it is 5% ABV, I practically chugged it down it was so yummy. (I had to stop myself to take the above photo.)

Described on their Facebook page as, “Crisp like an apple, but brewed like an ale, Redd’s® Apple Ale is an apple flavored golden ale with low malt and bitterness cues. With a crisp clean finish that allows the natural apple flavor to come through, this ale is for those times when you are looking to branch out and try something different.”

Frankly, it drinks like really good apple cider. Red delicious apple, to be honest. There’s no bitterness to it whatsoever. No tart taste of many of the popular ciders today. It’s just… smooth. Sweet. Yummy goodness.  Absolutely perfect after a day of lawn work. I was sad I only had one to drink! But it was probably for the best… I’d have easily downed a six pack. So. Very. Yum.

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In keeping with the CMA Fest theme this week, I thought I’d feature a brew straight from Music City.

Nashville has several local breweries, but the best known one is probably Yazoo Brewery. They make a wide range of beers, many of which have as many fans as many of the country artists that fans are here to see this week.

I just the other day discovered a new favorite Yazoo brew:

Last week, my husband and I ended up at the Flying Saucer, where they had certain beers available that they were donating all sales to Oklahoma tornado relief. Yazoo Rye Saison was one of those beers.

I had never tried it, so I ordered one both out of curiosity as well as for a good cause. I knew nothing of what a “rye saison” was… but I discovered a beer I REALLY liked. (Enough to buy some a few days later when we grilled out at our house!)

The Yazoo Rye Saison is their spring seasonal, which features “Belgian saison yeast, to be pitched into a sweet concoction of pale, vienna, wheat, and rye malts. There, it will ferment at unbelieveably high temperatures (95 F instead of our usual 68 F) until the beer is infused with peppery aromas and a wonderful juicy-fruit tartness.” source

It has SO much going on as you drink it, and yet its definitely a beer for days that are getting warmer. Fruity, peppery, smooth… I thoroughly enjoyed it for our backyard barbecue. Yummy goodness indeed.

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Tonight, my husband and I grabbed dinner at our favorite Irish Pub. Our waiter/bartender told us they were trying a new Irish Stout and wondered if we’d like to try it. Sure! We’re adventurous!

My husband is the dark-beer drinker, but I occasionally love a stout for something different.

It poured a rich, dark chocolate color — you couldn’t see through it. There wasn’t the strong hop smell I am used to with beer, so I wasn’t exactly prepared for what I’d taste.

What hit me was a smooth coffee flavor, ending with a slight chocolate finish. I really liked it! My husband said it matched perfectly with his bangers and mash, but to me it would be a great dessert beer. Either way, we were definitely fans!

Next time you order a Killian’s, see if they have the Irish Stout. I think you’ll be surprised by how good it is.

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Growing up, we had a peach tree outside of our house. As a result, I love fresh picked peaches. I’m not talking peaches from the store, I mean picked off the tree, rubbed against your jeans leg “to clean it off” and bit into right there. I suppose I am a bit picky about my peaches…

But I have to say, what Georgia Peaches I’ve had have all be aaaaamazing. So when I saw 360 Georgia Peach Vodka, I had to try it. At the bar, we deal with a lot of flavored vodkas, but I’d not tried peach yet.

Everyone I’ve told about this vodka has gone, “OOoh!”  And, yes, its most definitely “OOh!” worthy. I think I have a new favorite flavored vodka.

Open the lid and you’re hit with the smell of peaches. I’ve tried it with water, Sprite and orange juice… with orange juice as my favorite mixer. It’s the ultimate Fuzzy Navel!!

This is just one of 360 Vodka‘s many flavors. I reviewed their Buttered Popcorn flavor back in November. (By the way, we did finally finish the bottle of it about a week ago.) For as quirky as that flavor is, that’s how smooth and fresh Georgia Peach is. I’d highly recommend grabbing a bottle for some fun summer-time drinks.

And if the flavor doesn’t pull you in, the fun bottles and the fact that 360 Vodka is eco-friendly might do the trick. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

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Last week, I needed a few items from the grocery store. I decided to go check out the new Publix in my neighborhood. (If you’ve never shopped at a Publix, you’re missing out. I know my Texans are going to gasp when I say I like them better than H-E-B but… the customer service at Publix is, hands down, the best ever. I never leave a Publix without a smile on my face. So many businesses could learn a lot from them.)

I was determined NOT to go down the beer aisle. I didn’t want to be tempted! Unfortunately(?), an item on my list forced me to go down it. And I noticed that the new Publix has “build your own 6-pack” option that is ALWAYS so much fun. As I skimmed the options to build your own mix, I saw it. A beer that… well… just might be my absolute favorite beer.

“Well. Crap,” I said to myself. I walked a little further and there it was… a six pack of the beer goodness. On sale, at that.

“CRAP!” I said a little louder, as it went into my basket. I did NOT plan to buy beer, but I couldn’t leave it behind!

Abita Strawberry Harvest. I’ll be honest, I don’t remember where I had it first. I just remembered that I loved it. A lot. And every time I’ve found it since, I’ve HAD to get a six-pack. It’s a beer that even beer-haters tend to like. It’s got that sweet summer strawberry flavor that just makes the palate HAPPY.

Abita Strawberry Harvest is a lager brewed with pilsner and wheat malts and Vanguard hops. Real Louisiana strawberry juice is added after filtration resulting in a crisp lager with a sweet strawberry flavor, aroma and haze. — From Abita’s Site

I love it straight out of the bottle, but pour it in a glass for an even more happy experience.

This is a perfect summer beer. It’s light, fruity and just makes you feel… well… like summer! I’ve turned friends onto it, and I have yet to hear anyone say a bad thing about it. I HIGHLY recommend checking this one out!

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It’s been awhile since I did a #DrinkUpLinkUp… Today, I feature something I tried a couple weeks ago already: Sea Dog Wild Blueberry.

I love wheat beer. It’s my go-to beer. I especially love fruit wheat beers. So, when I saw Sea Dog Wild Blueberry on a menu, I got excited that it would be delicious.

I wasn’t a big fan. I did have two bottles in hopes I’d like it better the second time. I didn’t.

And I hate that! Its an award winning beer! (2008, Gold Fruit Beer San Diego County Fair; 2007, 2008, 2009 Bronze Fruit Beer Australian Brewers Festival; 2007, 1st Place Fruit Beer California Brewers Festival; 2007, Silver Fruit Beer World Beer Championships) Reading other review sites, its a much-loved beer with beer lovers. Maybe I just had TOO high of an expectation. However, it isn’t one I’m going to seek out again in the future.

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