unibroue was a very influential player during my transformation into a beer geek.

• back in my U of I days, where one king ruled the land, I thought I was innovative as hell when I would buy a sixer of dos equis lager or red stripe.
• however, my mind was mildly blown one night out at some bar (boltini’s, perhaps?) when a friend ordered up a couple bottles of la fin du monde.
• admittedly impressed by the bottle art and high abv, I gave it a shot, and was wholly unprepared for the flavor, carbonation, and aroma that followed.
• unibroue thus became my “favorite” brewery, and remained my favorite for many years.  I kept coming back to those big belgian bottles when my student budget allowed.
• one of my favorites in their lineup was (and still is) terrible, an abbey style strong dark ale.  bottles of terrible were popped on many a special occasion in years past.
• as with all brews from these guys, terrible shows vigorous carbonation, and my pour has a great initial head that dies down after a bit.
• the aroma is boozy with some fruitiness, and the body is spicy and roasty.  this beer is definitely a good idea as an after dinner/dessert drink, as recommended by the brewers.
• FYI, The French expression ce n’est pas terrible is a weird one, because the word terrible is a semi-false cognate par excellence, as it can mean either “terrible” or “terrific.” (cite)
• check back for more unibroue reviews in the future, including a 2+ year/fresh fin du monde bottle comparison.

happy friday! here are some miscellaneous pics taken over the last few months that didn’t make it into posts.  check out their descriptions for more info.

• session lagers from full sail and hot coppa with egg at giordano bros- one of the best combos in existence:

• alpha (alfa?) and some bones in lindos for PP and DP’s wedding (it’s a rough life):

• lagunitas IPA, spaten oktoberfest, and a view in bodega bay:

• proof that I’m not a complete beer snob:

a little over a year ago AP and I headed out on our european honeymoon.  this is the first of a series of sporadic posts describing some of the better brew places we encountered during our trip.

after hours of hoofing it around prague, czech republic under a hot sun, AP and I were ready for a break. I had read reviews about u medvídků‘s good food, beers, and local atmosphere, so we dropped in to see what was up.

• the downstairs beer house has an elaborate (and amazing) draft setup, flowing with varieties of budvar (aka “real” budweiser, a great czech lager).  some cold beers accompanied by some pheasant goulash set us straight.
• the place is very local, but has a very friendly atmosphere as well.  the bartenders/waiters were very accommodating.
• after soaking in the atmosphere downstairs, we went upstairs in the back to their “mini-brewery,” which is claimed to be the smallest czech restaurant brewery.
• in the darker, even more mellow upstairs space, amongst their brew equipment, they had a single tap pouring their house beer, oldgott, a tasty dark lager.
• on our way out I managed top pick up some glassware and a bottle of X-33, a strong lager they brew occasionally on the premises.  as it is 12.6% abv, I have it tucked away for a special occasion.
• a couple notes: they have an interesting beer garden and even a hotel on premises.  this place is definitely worth checking out for those in the area.
• it also appears that the brewery is now putting out 1466, a pale lager.