Monthly Archives: March 2021

Can we please have Spring before Summer

Beer, Beer Articles, Beer Festivals, , , , , , , , , , , ,

I just received an email from a brewery, I shall not name, that Summer Beers are out and We’re ready for Summer. It’s March 19! The jump on seasonal beers seems to be in strict competition with stores decorating for Christmas in September. I want to enjoy my Spring beer styles first, like Starkbiers, before the marketing of summer beer begins. After all Starkbiers have such a wonderful history and shouldn’t be over looked.

Sal

Monks originally started brewing Starkbier to help them through Lent since the monks couldn’t consume any food but could drink. So they brewed a beer that was packed with nutrients and calories. Starkbier translated is strong beer and known as Doppelbock. I would love to see more breweries brewing this style. In 1629 Paulaner monks brewed the first batch – Salvator. Just so happens one of this Gal’s #beercats is named after Paulaner Salvator.

The citizens of Munich heard of this amazing beer but because of laws could not partake. These laws were changed so the monks could share the beer with the people of Munich and thus this was the start of drinking Starkbier during Lent. Germany being Germany created a whole festival around this beer and Starbier Fest was born. Of course, in modern times they now eat during Lent but the tradition of brewing & celebrating Starkbier lives on.

This Gal had the pleasure of traveling to Germany during Starkbier Fest many moons ago. It was an amazing trip which one day I’ll write about. I was drinking Starkbier all over Munich and to this day it’s one of my fav beers and truly my favorite beer season. So I don’t want to see it glossed over. I mean who doesn’t love a German Beer Hall packed to the rafters with folks swinging their liters of beer while singing Joan Jett’s I Love Rock N’ Roll?! If you can picture that then you have a good idea how much fun Starkbier Fest is.

I really didn’t plan on writing about Starkbier or the Fest and I feel enjoy what you want when you want. You want a pumpkin beer in July go for it. I just don’t want to hear how the Fall pumpkin season is here when it’s July 10 or how it’s Summer Beer Season on March 19.

Cheers,
G.B.G.

Wait, what? I’m enjoying beer inside…

Beer Reviews, Brewery Reviews, , , , , , , , ,

For the first time in a year I was inside a brewery. It was surreal and yet normal all at the same time. Being in the high risk group for Covid I have limited my time out in the public and only visited 3 breweries last year (all outside) and for the most part enjoy beer at home or at my local beer joint down the street that has a year round outdoor patio. Fortunately, their tap list is always top notch. However, it was nice to try out a new place and drink some different beers.

Newton Brewing Company had been on my list of places to visit last year but we all know what happened to our lists of things to do and places to visit in 2020. I’m determined to get through my list this year. Granted I showed up 5 minutes before they opened so I could get there first thing, limited myself to a taster round and promised my partner we would be out before it got people-ly. I had just wrapped up the taster round when others arrived so we had the place to ourselves pretty much our entire visit.


ATMOSPHERE – Like many other breweries it is in an industrial type complex but the minute you walk through the door you forget that. The owners did a top notch job making the brewery feel warm and inviting. I absolutely love all the wood and the overall decor of the place. I also really like that there are a choice of table styles to choose from – high tops, barrels, and regular 4 top tables. (Bar sitting doesn’t exist right now because of the pandemic ) Another bonus sound buffers on the walls and ceilings. The brewery is BYOF and often has food trucks, check out their schedule, and being its PA during Covid hot dogs are available for purchase to cover the required table food law.

THE BEER – The tap list is nice with truly something for everyone. Personally, I was thrilled to see a Dunkel on the list and that was my fav of the day. Their Imperial IPA also ranked high. They also serve wine from a local winery, soft drinks, hard cider and seltzer as well. This place has me excited to visit breweries again and I look forward to my 2021 Beer Tasting Adventures.

Please note me and my partner’s comfort level and precautions with the pandemic are our decision and I will not debate them.

DROP ME A LINE
geekybeergal@icloud.com

KEEP IN TOUCH

Making Lemonade

Beer, Beer Merch, Beer News, , , , , , , , , ,

Looking to make 2020 a bit brighter for those that follow me on Facebook I started posting contests for folks to win small beer related prizes. I just really wanted to try and brighten things up for folks. After I awhile I started using my graphic design background to design some fun stickers and magnets as prizes. Fast forward to December of 2020 when the universe handed me a big bag of lemons. I took a long look at those lemons and I decided to brew a batch of some kick a$$ lemonade. That lemonade landed me on Etsy with the Geeky Beer Gal Store! I decided to turn the fun I was having designing the prizes into a business with a line of Beer, Dog and Cat themed merch.

Let’s face it with 3 #beercats, 2 dogs and a love for craft beer it was inevitable that I would find a way to combine these three passions into one. Beer journals*, t-shirts, beanies, hoodies, stickers, magnets, earrings and more with fun beer sayings and cute dog and cat related images.

Cat Peeps:
I Love Kitties And Beer
Love, beer & cats
All I need is beer and my cat
I just want to drink beer and pet my cat
Cat Mom Beer Lover

Dog Peeps:
I Love Dogs And Beer
Love, beer & dogs
All I need is beer and my dog
I just want to drink beer and pet my dog
Dog Mom Beer Lover

Two Easy Ways To Help A Small Business: Like & Share!
This Gal would greatly appreciate you giving the shop a look, fav the shop (click heart in upper left corner) and share, share, share! It’s great way to show a #smallbusiness support without spending a dime! (although, if you wanted to spend a dime…)

Oh and there will still be FB contest with plenty of opportunities to win beer related prizes and G.B.G. merch but you have to follow and play to win!

DROP ME A LINE
geekybeergal@icloud.com

Geeky Beer Gal is based out of New Jersey and lives with 3 cats named after beer/breweries (Avery, Salvator and Celis) and mother and son rescue dogs (Mama T. and Sullivan). Sullivan thinks he’s a cat and we just let him live that dream out.

Let’s hang out

*Beer Journals are available on both the Etsy shop and Amazon.
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