Zipline Brewing Co.- Copper Alt.

Nothing is better than supporting local businesses.  Zip Line Brewing Company is located in Lincoln, Nebraska, and if you have time, stop by and hit up the Zip Line taproom where you can try out all of the different beers that they brew. They have three beers that change based on the season, and they are known for their four year-round brews.

Sitting at Gate 25 in the Lincoln Rail-yard, I looked at the different beers they offered; the first one that stuck out to me was the Zip Line Copper Alt brew. Alt, in the beer world, is short for altbier, which is a German beer. It is a happy medium between an ale and a lager. These beers have become very popular due to the fact that they are a very drinkable beer. Knowing that altbier usually has a nutty flavor mixed with chocolate, I thought this would be a great beer to have during the winter months. Boy, was I right!

The Copper Alt has two very distinct tastes: first you are hit with hazelnut, followed by a subtle chocolate, and finally leading into a hoppy aftertaste. I have experimented with many different brewery's altbiers, and this is clearly the best I have had. The mixture of the flavors and the hoppy aftertaste complement each other in an amazing way that has you wanting another sip. This is a great beer to drink casually or to pair with different foods.

In short, with the holiday season spiraling down, this is a must beer for your New Year's parties or just sitting by a nice cozy fire. This beer is clearly a five out of five. Those of you who have not had any beers from the Zip Line Brewery, need to try one! It is a privilege to have such a great brewery in Lincoln, and I would not be surprised if this beer eventually makes its way across the country. Until next week, happy drinking.

Pair with these foods:

-Hot beef sandwich

-Cheeseburger

-Hot apple pie

Beer info:

Style of Beer: Altbier (hybrid of a pilsner and ale)

ABV (Alcohol by Volume): 5.2%

Color: Copper

Where to buy in the 402:

-N Street Liquor

-Most liquor or grocery stores in the Metro and Lincoln areas

-Jack and Junes and Gate 25 restaurants (Located in the Lincoln Rail-Yard)

Empyrean Brewing Company- Winter Axis FestivAle

As I watched TV over Thanksgiving break, I noticed a lot of different ads for “Small Business Saturday.” These ads were aiming to persuade people to shop locally on Saturday the 30^th of November. In the spirit of this idea, my wife and I decided to go to Lazlo’s, which is a local restaurant in Lincoln's Haymarket area. Keeping with this theme, I decided to drink a local beer brewed at the Empyrean Brewing Company.  I have had many different kinds of beer from this company, so I decided to go with the never failing, seasonal option. Starting in November and lasting most of the winter months is the great tasting Winter Axis FestivAle.

This is a perfect beer for the cold winter months due to the mixture of ripe fruit and an amazing crisp and clean finish. All of these attributes make this one of the top beers for the winter months. The first taste of this brew hits you with many different flavors of fruit as well as the warm herbs that are used in this beer. The great thing about the FestivAle is that the brewers change the maltiness and hops from year to year making for a different flavor every winter, yet maintaining its overall amazing taste. I paired this beer with Lazlo's famous  spicy Voodoo Chicken. This entree really went well with the fruit and herbs used in the FestivAle.

I am lucky enough to live in the great city of Lincoln, the home of Empyrean Brewing Company. Those of you who have not had any beers from this brewery need to try it! Those of you who are regulars, make sure you give this great seasonal beer a try. This is the best winter ale I have had yet, making this easily a five out of five stars. Until next week, happy drinking!!

Pair with these foods:

-        Roasted/Grilled Chicken

-        Steak

-        Hot Beef Sandwich

Beer Info:

Style of Beer: Winter Ale, slightly hoppy

ABV: 6.0%

Color: Gold

Where to buy in the 402:

-N Street Liquor

-HyVee Liquor

-Most downtown/Haymarket restaurants will have on tap

Batch 19- Coors Brewing Company

As the sounds of John Mayer filled the Pinnacle Bank Arena, I thought I would spice up the moment with a good brew. I walked into the VIP bar area assuming that they would only have the good old regulars when it comes to beer: Budweiser, Bud Light, Miller Light, Coors Light, but, to my delight, they had a few others. I decided to try Batch 19. This is a Coors Brewery beer the majority of which is brewed at their Golden, Colorado site. The full name of this great beer is Batch 19 Pre-Prohibition Style Beer.

This great brew uses Hersbrucker hops, which were used a lot during the early 1900’s. This is a very strong beer with a dark golden color. The great mixture of hops and caramel maltiness really work well with one another to make this an amazingly bold and great tasting brew. Compared to other hoppy and bold beers, Batch 19 has a crisp and clean after taste. The non-hoppy aftertaste makes this a great bold beer. If you're wanting to try this brew at a family dinner or a night out, I suggest you pair it with: steak, sausage, baked chicken, or a good bowl of mac and cheese.

As the concert continued, I found myself going back to the bar a few more times, each time grabbing a Batch 19. For all of you beer lovers out there, this is a must try. Batch 19  is one of my top bold beers of the year. Bold beers are usually not my favorite, but this one exceeded my expectations and is a clear four out of five stars. I suggest all of you beer lovers make sure and give this brew a try! Until next week, happy drinking!

Beer info:

Style of Beer: Bold, Pre-Prohibition

ABV (Alcohol by Volume): 5.5%

Color: Golden

Where to buy in the 402:

-N Street Liquor, Lincoln, NE

-Most HyVee liquor stores

-Pinnacle Bank Arena (Non-UNL events)

Anchor Brewing- Humming Ale

As I sat in the Mellow Mushroom in Lincoln's Rail Yard district, I stared into their mini beer book trying to choose a new brew. It brought me back to a Thursday night two weeks ago when I was sitting in my Lazy-Boy, searching the channels, trying to find something to watch. I ran across a documentary on Anchor Brewing, out of San Francisco, CA. I had heard of this Brewery before but had never had one of their beers. What intrigued me the most is they way that they brew their beer. It is the only brewery in the United States that uses steam to brew beer. I won't go into depth about how this is done, but, in short, they use the open fermentation method, which employs shallow and wide-open fermentation pans. Most brewers use vertical tanks that are not directly open to air. The other big difference between Anchor Brewery and any other brewery in the US is the use of steam. Instead of injecting artificial gasses into the beer, they inject it with steam, making their beer have more champagne-like bubbles; bubbles you do not see in any other beer.

As "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix flowed into my ears, I realized I was not in my Lazy-Boy but still sitting at the Mellow Mushroom. I was now on a mission to find any beer by Anchor Brewery. On the menu I saw it: Anchor Brewery Rotator. At the time, the rotating beer was the Anchor Humming Ale. After the first sip, I knew it would not be my last. With hints of citrus and the great hop taste, this is a great tasting beer. The hops in this beer are like nothing I have ever tasted before. The special hops, brought in from New Zealand, give this beer a strong taste with a lot of character.  Some beer drinkers are not a fan of the hoppy aftertaste, those of you who fall in this category are in luck because the special hops and steam brewing has this beer leaving your mouth with a sweet and clean taste rather than a hop-filled taste.

Being at one of the best pizza joints around, I knew I would have to pair this with a pizza, picking from the twenty plus pizzas was the hard part. My friends and I decided on a meat lovers pizza, covered in pepperoni, sausage, Canadian bacon, bacon, and ham. The mixture of the meats, cheese, and the sweet red sauce made this a great pairing with the Humming Ale. If you’re looking for a good end of the summer brew, or if you're not a fan of the dark fall beers, this is a winner.

Overall, I really loved this beer, and it clearly deserves a five out of five.  You will have to act fast, as this beer is usually on tap and on the shelves from early August until the end of November. I really suggest going out and giving this beer a try. Why not head over to the Mellow Mushroom, grab a slice and Humming Ale, and your night will be set! Until next week, happy drinking!

Pair with these foods:

-Pizza

-Hoagie

Beer info:

Style of Beer: Late Summer/Fall Ale

ABV (Alcohol by Volume): 5.9%

Color: Light Gold

 Where to buy in the 402:

-N Street Liquor, Lincoln, NE

-Mellow Mushroom, Rail Yard, Lincoln, NE

This image was taken from the Anchor Brewing website, http://www.anchorbrewing.com/beer/humming_ale

Shock Top- Pumpkin Wheat

With the fall season wrapping up, your fall beer drinking will not be complete until you try a pumpkin beer. Over the years, I have sampled many different pumpkin beers, so I wanted to find one that I had not yet tried. As I walked through N-Street Liquor in Lincoln, I came across one of my favorite beers, Shock-Top. Next to the Shock-Top display was their fall pumpkin brew, the Shock-Top Pumpkin Wheat.

The Pumpkin Wheat beer is a great tasting beer, especially for all of the pumpkin lovers out there. The first taste that hits your palate is pumpkin and cinnamon. For the non-beer drinkers, this is one for you as well. Just like the initial taste, the aftertaste does not leave you thinking you are drinking a beer. The combination of the pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves makes this one of the better beers of not only the fall season, but of the year.

The best way to drink this beer is pouring most of the beer into any glass and leaving about half an inch left in the bottom of the bottle. Swirl this remaining beer around to make it into foam, and then add this to the top of the beer in the glass. This foam really releases the aroma and taste of the spices used in this amazing beer. This beer does an wonderful job of capturing all of the fall spices to make an extremely smooth and great tasting beer. When I drank this beer I paired it with a few different meals, but the best combination was cinnamon rolls and chili. Overall, this beer captures all of the things I am looking for in the fall season. I give this beer a 4 out of 5 stars. It is a must try before it's gone from the shelves until next autumn. Until next week, happy drinking!

Pair with these foods:

-Chili

-Cinnamon roll

-Turkey breast

Beer info:

Style of Beer: Pumpkin Ale

ABV (Alcohol by Volume): 5.20%

Color: Light Orange

Where to buy in the 402:

-This beer is available in almost all of the local grocery and liquor stores.