Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid.

[gerisullivan]

Banana Bread Beer.

Yes, you read that right. Wells Banana Bread Beer. "Beer brewed with bananas." Heck, they're even "fairtrade bananas." (Of course they are.)

Brewed in Bedford, UK. So it'll be one of the bheers of the London bid if they come on board. I hope this doesn't scare them off.

"Tempting banoffee aromas & flavours are balanced by the silky richness of a masterful malt blend & the peppery spice of the freshest, ripest hops."

And...

"Long ago, ale was known as "Liquid Bread." We've used our long history of creating the finest malt blends & added fairtrade bananas to awaken the senses with a seriously fruity, rich, yet surprisingly versatile banana bread beer."

Huh. The Beer Advocate reviews give it an overall B-, Worthy rating. That's based on 440 reviews.

Just to reassure everyone that the All Worldcons, All the Time Bheer Tasting at SFContario will have more than just Banana Bread Beer (and so I have the information readily available to use for the menu poster, below the cut is the preliminary list based on my impulse stop in Monson after I dropped of dry cleaning today.

-- Wells Banana Bread Beer -- Wells & Young's Ltd. -- Bedford, UK -- Fruit/Vegetable Beer
-- Coffeehouse Porter -- Berkshire Brewing Co -- South Deerfield, MA USA -- American Porter
-- Black Shack Porter -- Wachusett Brewing Company, Inc. -- Westminster, MA USA -- American Porter
-- Samuel Adams Honey Porter -- Boston Beer Company -- Boston, MA & Cincinnati, OH USA -- American Porter
-- "Shabadoo" Black & Tan Ale -- Berkshire Brewing Co -- South Deerfield, MA USA -- Black & Tan
-- Steel Rail Extra Pale Ale -- Berkshire Brewing Co -- South Deerfield, MA USA -- American Pale Ale (growler)
-- Guinness 250 Anniversary Stout -- Guinness Ltd. -- Dublin, Ireland -- Irish Dry Stout
-- Fisherman's Imperial Pumpkin Stout -- Cape Ann Brewing Company -- Gloucester, MA USA -- Pumpkin Ale (Stout)
-- Frog's Hollow Double Pumpkin Ale -- Hoppin' Frog Brewing Company -- Akron, OH USA -- Pumpkin Ale
-- Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale -- Smuttynose Brewing Co. -- Utica, NY USA -- Pumpkin Ale
-- Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale -- Smuttynose Brewing Co. -- Portsmouth, NH USA -- English Brown Ale
-- Jubilation Ale -- Baird Brewing -- Numazu, Japan -- Winter Warmer -- Japanese Ale (with figs & cinnamon) and imported by Shelton Brothers of Belchertown, MA (those who remember my house search will recall my fondness for Belchertown)
-- Fantôme Saison D'Erezée - Hiver -- Brasserie Fantôme -- Soy, Belgium -- Saison/Farmhouse Ale
-- Opa-Opa Porter (seasonal)-- Opa-Opa Brewing Company, Southampton & Williamsburg, MA USA -- American Porter (growler) -- Probably most like Opa-Opa Southampton Porter
-- Sierra Nevada Pale Ale -- Sierra Nevada Brewing Company -- Chico, CA USA -- American Pale Ale
-- Alexander Keith's India Pale Ale -- Keith's Brewery, Halifax, NS, Canada -- IPA

And, for auction:

-- Schlitz "The Beer that made Milwaukee Famous" --© 1975 Jos. Schlitz Brewing Co -- Milwaukee, Wis., Tampa, Fla., Longview, Tex., Los Angeles, Cal., Winston-Salem, N.C., Memphis, Tenn. USA -- Autographed by Bob Tucker -- American Adjunct Lager

Rest assured: the final menu will be considerably longer.

I was distinctly leery of the BeerAdvocate ratings when I saw the A- for Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, but the reviewers redeemed themselves with a C- Not Worthy for the Alexander Keith's IPA. I only had a bottle on hand because I have very fond memories of the first time I heard Sandy Andina sing about the first time she had it. Way Too Much of it. "I hate you, Alexander Keith's...."

Comments

[don-fitch.livejournal.com]

it would be difficult to make a beer with the Prime virtue of fruitcake -- one that looks like a stained-glass window when you hold it up to the light.

In a probably-OT vein: I've discovered a little Asian chain -- 8 shops in the LArea -- called "Vua Kho Bo" (WWW.VUAKHOBO.US) that sells a vast array of preserved fruits. I'm currently working my way through six different kinds (& colors) of Kumquats, and expect to return for other things soon. It's a strange combination of old-fashioned Candy Store (the walls and windows are lined with glass containers of bulk fruit & nuts) and Very UpScaleness (with prices corresponding). Next trip I may try 8 or so different kinds of olives (& will see if they'll package a few of each separately, so I can keep track of which is which).