Koko Brown Toasted Coconut Ale

Kona Brewing Co.

“A nut brown worth cracking… Is there anything more iconic of the lush tropics than the coconut? The delicious heart of this island treasure has a nutty, toffee flavor and aroma that sends you straight to the beaches of Paradise. Kick back with a Koko Brown, brewed with real toasted coconut, and savor the mahogany color and smooth, roasty malt taste.”

Available from March – April

BITTERNESS: 28 IBU
ALCOHOL BY VOLUME: 5.5%
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 13.3 P
MALTS: Premium 2-Row, Victory, Carapils, Munich, Chocolate
HOPS: Cascade, Willamette, Warrior, Millennium

Blue Moon in a can

Does it get any better than this? Blue Moon in a can? I thought Blue Moon in a bottle was good… shoot, Blue Moon draft is spectacular. I’ve got to say though… Blue Moon in a can is better than the others as far as my taste buds are concerned.

And you thought delicious beer couldn’t come in a can… ha!

Blue Moon in a can is now available at Safeway.

Alaskan White

I give it a 10 out of 10!

Delicious is the word that comes to mind with this newly discovered brew from the last frontier. This Belgian-style beer has a nice smooth start a nice hoppy middle for a wheat and a wonderful smooth finish. I completely agree with their website that this beer is a “complex and delicate beer ” You can easily detect the wonderful citrus notes throughout. 10 out of 10. One of the best wheat beers I have had thus far. I would love to have this brew from a tap. The Alaskan White is found in our local area at Fred Meyer in the larger 22oz bottles or in a six pack. Of course I prefer this small craft brewery over the big three and this brew is far better than Blue Moon.

Laurelwood – Mother Lode Golden Ale

So I’m hanging out in the Gate E wing of PDX or Portland, OR airport for non-natives and I find out there is a Laurelwood Public House & Brewery on this section of the airport.

Suck it Dan.

I’m a huge fan… to say the least. And it’s still inexpensive prices compared to airport prices.

Over the last hour or so I’ve enjoyed a few Mother Lode Golden Ales. Not gonna lie. Delicious. You need to run out and get one of these delicious bastards.

Old Crustacean – Rogue Ales Brewery

Brewed by:
Rogue Ales Brewery / Brewer’s on the Bay
Oregon, United States

Style | ABV
American Barleywine |  11.50% ABV

Old Crustacean - Rogue Ales Brewery

Presentation: 2008 vintage in 750ml ceramic. Straight out of the ceramic.

Appearance: Reddish tone. No head (since I drank right out of the ceramic).

Aroma: Very hoppy. Citrus flavors with a bittersweet maltiness.

Taste: Unfiltered , intense with a bittersweet kick at the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied… almost on the edge of full body, but is a refreshing sipper.

Drinkability: Very drinkable, despite it’s high ABV.

Conclusion: Even after two years, well-hopped barleywine that has held its flavors.

Serving type: Draft, 750ml Ceramic

Food Pairing: Pork, Desserts

Notes from the maker’s website:
8 Ingredients:

Malts:
Great Western Harrington, Klages, Munich and Hugh Baird Carastan.
Hops:
Centennial and Chinook.
Yeast & Water:
Rogue’s Pacman Yeast & Free Range Coastal Water.

Bell’s Two Hearted Ale

For those reading from the midwest, you probably know. Bell’s Brewery from Comstock, MI has had an interesting history, to say the least. For everyone else, here’s a primer on their distribution efforts from a notable Michigan news source.

Sometimes in pop culture, “forks in the wall” are meant to stand for something larger. That’s how we learn. But, for Larry Bell, standing up to giants became his mantra. Better yet, he just makes giant beer.

Happy Hops enjoys the Two Hearted Ale, a 7.0% ABV IPA with bold flavors that is not of the overdone sweet hop character that eventually defines IPA’s of too strong a hop density. If you’re ever in the Midwest, or get a chance to visit the brewery, we think you’ll definitely enjoy. Now that baseball is again upon us, this is a very quaffable declaration for a baseball beer relatively available in the area.

They distribute to Florida, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and of course, Wisconsin. So how did a Chicago dude get his hands on some? Well, luckily, a new distributor was found that would go to Chicago. So there.

And, as for standing up for what you believe in, I think we can learn something from this story.

CHEERS.

Noon is the New 5 O’Clock T-Shirt

At HappyHops.net, we pride ourselves on bringing you the best info on the best brews. Or at least we try as we don’t really take ourselves very serious. In fact, to show our non-sophisticated / non-serious self… we’re introducing our first beer t-shirt… take a look below at this majestic shirt…. oooh, awwww…

Size Options

beer tshirt, beer tees

I invented this tee whilst drinking (I mean reviewing a nice micro brew) at... you guessed it... Noon O'Clock!

Organic Free Range Red

The Organic Free Range Red from Laurelwood Brewing Co.

I recently stopped in at Beaches Restaurant & Bar in Vancouver, WA for happy hour. Not only was it feeling like spring, the restaurant is on the Columbia River, which made for a nice relaxing spot with great views. To add to the already great day, they always have a great selection of brews from around the area and some very tasty appetizers that are usually half off from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

I tried out their new lamb shank with some sort of delicious sauce (very, very good), which paired will with the Organic Free Range Red Crystal (my server) suggested I taste.

The brew was very fresh and had a sweetness to it as well making for a nice/smooth finish. Definitely made it easy to order another… especially since it was the happy hour special.

Beer: Organic Free Range Red
Brewer: Laurelwood Brewing Co.
Rating: Yes, I would order another one.