I was at my local Kroger a couple weeks ago when I spotted a vague sign for something called Summerfest. Without thinking much of it, I wondered if it was some summer concert series with a mismatched amalgamation of bands. Ani DiFranco, Slipknot and Death Cab for Cutie on stage all together! Turns out it was a beer display, which brought much joy to my heart.
According to Kroger, summer beer begins with Bud Select, Miller Lite Chill, Bud Light and Labatt Blue. But located on the bottom of the pile was something I had never laid eyes on before. It read: Sierra Nevada Summerfest Lager. I was very excited, “Look Evie, Summerfest Beer from Sierra Nevada!,” I exclaimed to my one year old daughter. Ignoring the looks from the super judgey Moms around me, I grabbed a 12 pack and added it to my cart.
Sierra Nevada Summerfest Lager
Summerfest advertises itself as a “pilsner style lager” which prepared me for something new from my old buddies from Chico, CA. This wasn’t going to be the hoppy blast of their amazing pale ale or their rich smoky stout. I prepared my taste buds with some homemade Mexicali Dip and popped open my first bottle.
The first drink went down very crisp, with a lemony flavor. I could tell this was going to be a very light drinking experience, the kind of beer that demands you have more than one. But what hit me the most was the pleasant floral finish, something akin to what you get from Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale, but very subtle. It made what was going to be a good beer, very good, bordering on great. All in all a very solid effort, easily in the same league as Sam Adams Summer Ale and Bell’s Oberon to name two.
If you expect a pleasurable drinking experience from Sierra Nevada Summerfest, you will not be disappointed. Overall, I recommend that the beer loving EP readership give Summerfest a shot. It will not disappoint, and provides a new and welcome addition to the summer beer selection.
Too often in this world we don’t get a chance to tell those we care about how we feel until it is too late. Well, I’m not going to let that happen to me! Trader Joe’s, you are awesome and I love you. From your delicious trail mixes, specialty beer, three buck Chuck, pre-cooked chicken sausage (amazing), sauces and desserts, to the way you rip off my iPod every time I shop there. The last two times I went there TJ’s was piping in Radiohead and Bob Marley. When was the last time you heard Radiohead at a grocery store?
TJ's never leaves me High and Dry.
As for delicious food, I would specifically like to speak about several different TJ’s specialties that have won my heart. For an appetizer, start with Trader Joe’s Horseradish Hummus and Trader Joe’s Pita Chips. Combine these two and life is grand. I had never found a horseradish hummus before I first spotted it at TJ’s and have seen it nowhere else since. Too bad? Not really, because no one could do it as well as TJ anyway.
Trader Joe's Horseradish Hummus
What better way to wash down horseradish hummus than beer? TJ’s has a wonderful beer selection, but I usually get Trader Joe’s Bavarian Hefeweizen.
TJ's Hefeweizen
Delicious and refreshing, I have yet to wear this out and move on to another of TJ’s beer offerings, but no doubt I eventually will. And that one will be great as well.
Finally, I have to say a word about the greatest sandwich cookie known to man or beast. The Joe-Joe. Joe-Joe’s would be best described as similar to an Oreo, but some of the greatest minds in cookie engineering have made a better cookie.
Joe-Joe's. Eat and squawk loudly.
The tops of the cookies easily peel away if, like my son, you enjoy removing the top of the cookie and eating the crème filling. Oreo has not mastered this trick and it is still possible to break your Oreo (especially if you are six) when you try to unscrew the lid. Unforgivable. Joe-Joe’s also have about as much crème as a Double Stuff Oreo, so they are more robust on top of their superior engineering. TJ’s offers them in three flavors: vanilla cookie with vanilla crème filling, chocolate cookie with vanilla crème filling, and my favorite, chocolate cookie with chocolate crème filling. They used to offer a chocolate cookie with a peanut butter filling that was incredible but it has been discontinued. I never received a satisfactory answer as to why they did this, but years ago I sent a dead fish wrapped in newspaper to TJ’s Corporate HQ and feel better about the whole thing now. Ain’t no time to hate. Amazing how the sending of a dead fish washes away the anger…
I plan to have a segment in the future called “Jeremy and Trader Joe’s Semi-Homemade is better than Sandra Lee’s.” In that feature I will show how you can make a healthy and delicious dinner for a family in 20 minutes (suck on it Rachael Ray) using products purchased at TJ’s (except for shallots, which I use a lot and TJ’s does not carry.) I often say that we here at Epic Portions have the most intelligent readership on the web, and most of you have brains and know how to combine pre-made ingredients. I don’t think I’m some kind of genius, but since cooking duties are mine every night I appreciate a simple, healthy meal that tastes good, the kids like, and saves me a little time and effort. Contrary to popular belief, making dinner every night with a six year old and a one year old roaming loose in the house is not the easiest thing in the world. If my time savers can help anyone with similar duties and keep them from watching Sandra Lee than I have done something positive. And I promise, no tablescape bullshit.
So there it is, TJ’s. It doesn’t matter if you feel the same about me, or that your cashier made my daughter cry, I still love you. Maybe next time I’m there you can dim the lights and play some Barry White. I can’t get enough of your horseradish hummus, babe.
One of man’s great pleasures might be a pint of beer at the local – but an expert has claimed it would never have existed without the entrepreneurial skills of women. Jane Peyton, 48, an author, said women created beer and for thousands of years it was only they who were allowed to operate breweries and drink beer.
