PATIENCE WITH A HOME BREW IS A VIRTUE
By Colin Burch
For Weekly Surge
As I write this, I'm sipping on a glass of my home-brewed Scottish Ale. I poured it from a bottle that had sat un-refrigerated a couple of weeks longer than the bottles I previously sampled. It's not yet 5 p.m., but I'm on Bermuda time. Or London time.
I'm making a new taste-test after receiving a note on my official MySpace page from Edward Waldorf of Beach HomeBrew, located in The Galleria shopping center at the corner of Lake Arrowhead Road and U.S. 17. I bought the home-brew kit and ingredients there.
"How's the beer you made now that it has aged a little? A few weeks usually makes a big difference in the taste," Waldorf wrote.
Just prior to bottling ale, the home-brewer adds priming sugar, which causes carbonation to build up inside the bottles. The instructions I had recommended waiting 21 days after bottling, and that's what I did.
But Waldorf, a seasoned home-brewer, was right about the extra wait. The taste matured, with the malt coming out more, and the body seeming maybe not quite as thin.
You can find Beach HomeBrew on MySpace at www.myspace.com/beach_homebrew [underscore between "beach" and "homebrew"].
EARLY V-DAY DATE
BonFire @ La Bell Amie could be an early Valentine's date, even if it is not designed that way. Running noon-5 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 9), this event at La Belle Amie Vineyard in North Myrtle Beach is described as an "informal get-together of friendly folks," but it will include live music from noon-4:30 p.m., as well as a vineyard tour and food and drinks for purchase. For information, call 399-9463 or visit the Web site at www.labelleamie.com.
VALENTINE'S WINES
Buying wine for your Valentine's Day beloved always drops a hint about your intentions, and these days, the wine labels often say a bit more. Here are some examples with accompanying wines you can find in area grocers and wine shops, and maybe restaurant wine lists.
Be Direct: 7 Deadly Zins, a 2006 Zinfadel, makes it clear that the evening is all about gluttony and lust. And maybe envy, if the dates at the other tables look hotter. Retails around $16-$17.
Get Serious: Nothing says commitment like diamonds, so break out the Red Diamond 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon or the Red Diamond 2003 Merlot. Around $11.
Behave Yourself: Want this evening to remain chaste? Put a bottle of Blue Nun between you and your date. This 2005 Qualitatswein from Germany retails around $9.
Express Disappointment: Ladies, if you're not happy with how your boyfriend has handled the evening, hand him a bottle of
Dog House Charlie's Chard2005 chardonnay. With a twist-off top, he won't need a cork screw to drink with the pooch. Around $11.
WHAT NOT TO GIVE UP FOR LENT
The joy of Mardi Gras is now barely a headache. Lent is upon us, 40 days during which some Christians choose to give up something until Easter, or technically, Good Friday.
Should you give up an adult beverage this year, please note that in Western Christianity, the six Sundays during Lent are not counted among the 40 days, because each Sunday throughout the year represents a kind of Easter celebration.
During a previous Lent I gave up scotch, and on another I gave up vodka.
All the time, I never knew it was cool to imbibe after church each week.
Now all I have to say is: praise the Lord.
- Contact Colin Burch - the Beerman - at beerpour@yahoo.com.