Fraoch Heather Ale

This is a terrible photo stolen from flickr, and I like it because the glass is exactly wrong kind of glass for this kind of beer. Anyway, this is one of those beers that you mindlessly put into your basket only to discover it is damn expensive at the checkout (at least in Whole Check Foods, where things are even more expensive than usual). Either way, the beer is quite good, it has a distinctly British character and it is a nice refreshment from the hoppy madness of local American beers. I got an unexpected proustian flashback of my times in England. A very mellow, somewhat sweet taste, balanced to the level you don't really notice anything in particular, a slighly bitter taste and a then an easy Sunday afternoon tipsiness.

Michael Pollan: Omnivore's Dilemma

Reason for reading this book was a very Berkeley one. My colleague was supposed to be organising a series of diners/discussions on food politics and we were all supposed to read Pollan's book. It is quite infamous in Berkeley circles.

I have several reservations about this book. The biggest problem is that it reads as a really long in-flight magazine article. The dude is a journalist and it shows. There is no scholarly rigour, it is mostly a readable entertaining prose, more like a travel documentary rather than a serious book about food. If you like a genre like this, then you might like the book, but it is not very intellectual. Having stated this, the book is still worth reading because of the factual information it provides; it gives several convincing arguments against industrial production of food and puts my dislike of Whole Foods / recent fad on organic food on a firmer basis. Finally, some of the Salatin's methods described in the book are just genius and this book has convinced me that this might be the way to go, after all.

Ommegang: Ommegeddon

You don't see a beer with an atomic explosion on its bottle every day! It's a beautiful beer from Ommegang Brewery which, according to the label, is "3,264 miles from Brussels, but its heart is right in Belgium". It is also part of Duvel empire (see dude's comment under my Duvel post). It is also very expensive at $11 per bottle. Decently strong at 8%. In some respects it is close to spontaneously fermented beers, mostly in its acidity and fruity after taste (I think it is the Brett yeast that does it). However, much more civilised and drinkable. My drinking partner claims it is "maybe a bit too sweet?". Maybe, I wouldn't have noticed it.

The bottle explains the bomb picture: "And remember: 'Don't wait for the Last Judgement. It happens every day.' (Camus)". Oh, yeah!

Russian River: Beatification

This is possibly the most expensive beer that I have ever bought. $13 for a bottle of 375ml, i.e equivalent of a $26 per a wine bottle, but taking into account the poshness premium on wine, it is more like a $100 wine bottle. Anyway, it is a mixture of two spontaneously fermented beers, which are in turn fermented again in the bottle. Spontaneous fermentation is my favourite, it is a true art of Belgians that make beer rot and acquire random bugs from the air in a semi controlled manner - this makes each batch unique (my was batch #2). It is extremely sour, like a lemonade and quite fizzy due to secondary fermentation. Not complex, but with a beuatifuly simple vision instead. A truly acquired taste that I wish I could afford to sample more often.

Green Flash: Trippel

"Rich pale malt flavors provide a solid base for zesty Styrian Golding and Czech Saaz hopping. Trappist ale yeast contributes the fruity, spicy profile of classic, monk-brewed, Belgian ales. Our Trippel is luscious, fiery, golden brew and a contemporary rendition of traditional Belgian Trippel." I am drinking this beer for the second day in a row. Yesterday it was my pick and today's it was Maya's. Her claim is that it is "definitelly too sweet". Off record she would also say that it is "too dense". I concur.
Note however, that it uses famous Slovenian Styrian Golding hops - that was my main motivation for buying it in the first place. Plus, green flash is an astronomical event...

Sierra Nevada: Harvest

I am suspicious of Sierra Nevada. I have yet to drink a good Sierra Nevada beer. But this time, they convinced me with claim of fusion of "fresh New Zeland hops with the finest North American malts". Fusion my arse, the beer, while expectedly very hoppy, misses a clear vision or balance and ends up just about drinkable, without excess in any one direction... Another disappointment by Sierra...

Best American Short Stories of 2007

I am, in general, not too keen on short stories - to me it always seems to be a cockout for a writer to write a bunch of short stories rather than one proper novel. However, this book is different, because it is a compilation of short stories and even more than that, it is a selection of the best short stories. I am intrigued by the selection of Stephen King as the editor, as I have and still think of him as a pulp fiction writer. Nevertheless, the stories inside are, while not annoyingly arty-farty, still a good read (as opposed to most SK stuff). It takes one or two days to read each of them and there is a lot of variety, styles... basically one gets a taster for each writer.The overwhelming theme is plain, sad, everyday life, not even life slotted into the grand scheme of larger forces influencing us as was the case with the realism at the end of 19th century, but the real depressing stuff of pointlessness of our life. My favourite ones were Toga party by J Barth, My brother Eli by J Epstein, Where will you go when your skin cannot contain you by W Gay, Wake by B Jensen, Horseman by R Russo and maybe Sans Farine by J Shepard.