News From the Edge

Big Changes

Things are happening around the store, lately, kids. Big things. In case you haven't heard, Mandy, our very own tattoo-clad pirate princess has accepted a position at another Lawrence business as manager. This means that her unbelievable 10 years of slinging booze and 3 years of managing at Harper Corner are coming to an end. It is not without some sadness that I wish Mandy only the best of luck as she continues her way towards her personal and professional goals. Thank you, Mandy, for being a great boss, an efficient coworker, and a good friend.

New Products!!

IRON CITY BEER

Pittsburgh, PA

If you've been hanging around the Lawrence bar scene for as long as I have, you'll remember this beer that flourished in the downtown district around 5 years ago. Served originally in 16-oz. aluminum bottles, this lager is Pittsburgh's answer to PBR. This is a working man's beer, crafted for the Pittsburgh nation: a people raised on girders, grinders, and grog. While the aluminum bottles have given way to old fashioned glass, the six pack still sells at an affordable $4.99 for a limited time. Get some before Marc drinks it all!

Boulevard Smokestack

IMPERIAL PILSNER

Kansas City, MO

If you know what a Trappist beer is, then you know the Orval Trappist brewers of Belgium. For those who don't already know, let me break it down:

About a month ago, I had a customer (that's right, Matt, I'm talking about you) come in and discuss a beer that he tried this holiday season from a brewery called Chimay. I asked my O'Malley's rep about it, and was given a brief history/geography lesson concerning a series of 6 to 8 breweries that have a class, quite literally, of their own. For centuries, he explained, Cistercian Trappist monks have been brewing the same remarkably well-built beers with their own ingredients in the oldest traditions of their monastic lifestyle. Chimay and Orval are both Trappist breweries, along with maybe 5 others. Click here to learn more.

**** I have recently received word that this philosophy used by the Trappists extends beyond a simple dedication to beer, bread, and God. See, the way they saw things, God gave us grains to use to their ultimate end. Grains, only growing in the warmer months, could be converted into bread which would sustain them throughout the spring and summer. During this same time, the Trappists would brew and cask their beers, which would then age throughout the fall and winter, creating, "bread in a bottle." This combination of bread and bread in a bottle comprised the entirety of the Trappist monk's diet. ****

Jean-Marie Rock, a brewer from Orval brewery in Belgium, crafted a beer 30 years ago that signified his arrival in the beer-building world. He crafted a beer so complex, so contradictory, and so delicate that it was decided that it could only be released for very special occasions. This was 30 years ago. Let's flash-forward to today, more precisely, mid-January, at the Oread Hotel, the new monster resort/restaurant/high society hob nobbing hub on the hill. Boulevard makes their announcement and officially releases their newest collaborative effort: Jean-Marie Rock's Imperial Pilsner. At the Oread, you can purchase a bottle for $18.00. We've got 'em for $11.49. If you can at all afford it, please taste this piece of world brewing history.

TEMPRA TANTRUM

Spanish Wines

If you've been paying attention to our wines, you may have noticed that there has been a rather obvious trend of Spanish wines starting to build a larger canon in our collection. While it may be true that Spanish wines are trendy, there are a number of them that have made important statements with regards to complementing a meal. The Tempra Tantrum brand has a unique approach to building their wines, as they have taken their classic tempranillo and blended it with four different tasty reds that each satisfy different flavor palettes. For the dry red fans, they have tempranillo merlot and tempranillo cabernet (both perfect with steak or roast). For the sweeter red sippers, the tempranillo garnacha or tempranillo shiraz goes well with dark chocolate or rasperry dessert dishes. Keep in mind, you don't always have to pair your wine with food. One thing I like to pair Spanish wine with: tequila... WHAT??!! Yeah... That's right...

Stay thirsty, kids.

Welcome to the Future

It's 2010

...and I'd say that Stanley Kubrick was full of crap, dude. No Space Odyssey here, man! WTF?

Awesome Deals, Yo

So, you didn't hear it here, but I heard on the street that there's awesome deals down at Harper Corner. Seriously, didn't you hear? They've got, like, 18 packs of Coors Light 16-oz beers on sale, for like, $14.99! I'm not lying, man. Listen to this. I heard that tomorrow, like January 8th, right? Well, they're supposed to be getting some of that Lost Coast Winterbraun that has been cellared for a year at the warehouse, but they're selling it for cheap... Seriously, like... Really... Cheap... Also, they've got wicked sales on Buttershots, Jagermeister, Weller's Special Reserve, and a brand new cordial from right here in the states that calls itself a Nordic Libation. Let me put it this way, if Goldschlager and Rumple Minze were to have a baby, the lovechild would called ULLR (you-ler) and woul sell for around $2.29 for a 50 mL bottle. It's delicious. Let me tell you something, here, friends. If you mix all of these things together in equal protions, you may have the perfect way to forget that it's 6 frickin' degrees outside.

Tonight

I'm drinking the Leinenkugel's 1888 Bock, and let me tell you, I dig it. Leinenkugel's Brewery in Chippewa Falls, WI, reminds me of Goose Island: a good fan base, a wizened heritage, and a fine product line. The 1888 bock pours as a brown filtered beer, similar to Newcastle, maybe just a tint lighter. The mouth-feel of this simply-crafted beer is caramely, light, and slightly sweet; very distinct. This beer seems to be a hybrid beer,like a beer from the future, moreso than one from the past. If you've been drinking Budweiser and Busch for mostof your life, then this may be the beer that starts your journey off the beaten path. For my girlfriend, Joni, I bought a Lawrence favorite, Relax Riesling. This is a light, crisp, apple-y wine that screams for a cheese plate loaded with brie and gouda. Tonight, I've paired the Riesling with Yummy's Sun Dried Tomato Lebaneh and a Wheatfield's baguette sliced into wafer-thin crustini. Schmitt-Sohnne winery has a number of wines, such as Superstition, Kuhl (and also the "Way" Kuhl), and their hottest creation, Anything Goes (which, allegedly, goes with -- you guessed it -- anything), but the Relax series certainly has earned its place in the Book of Most Enjoyable Wines, if such a book exists.

Keep On Keepin' On

It's cold out there, friends. Really cold. In fact, I heard a customer tell me that it was going to be cold tomorrow, and I asked him how he would know what really cold was, you know what he said? He said, "I live in Alaska." I didn't really have anything to say after that. The man knows what cold is. I guess what I'm really trying to tell you is stay warm, out there, friends. And, of course...

Stay thirsty, my friends.