The Human Condition : Fire And Flame

Serving to nearest makes no difference 2000 customers a weak, any humble shop keep such as myself can eventually become a observer of the human condition.

It's fights, flights, foibles and mannerisms. To the very point, most people, and I'm not talking about beer people (well maybe now considering you all buy only Imp. Stout and IPA), on a 75% - 80% strike ratio, as soon as they enter the door, I can tell what product the person is going to buy, their taste in music, wine, where they like to go out, social status and their political allegiance.

I'm not always right, and that makes me happy, I like to be surprised. However, it's a shame that sometimes I deem many people and their lives merely as formulaic.

So, when we received some beer from the HandBryggeriet brewery last week ( no blog post, no biggie, just a few beers that's all) I was totally curious when the IPA that they made with De Molen brewery Fyr Og Flamme wasn't selling.


It was strange, I was sure it would sell, it has the now infamous three letter acronym that makes certain beer folk go weak at the knees.


Then late last week it clicked. The bloddy thing doesn't have the three letter acronym, it simply says Fyr Og Flamme.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.







(NOTE : To the left, ordinary Fyr Og Flamme and to the right, adjusted for the beer geek IPA crazed public)





So, in the most HandBryggeriet (that means "Hand Brewed" for those who Dannish is not their strong language point) I decided to hand write IPA on each bottle atop the label picture and under the labels name.


The result?


Yep, you guessed it's a J A I P A, and now selling steadily.

I love the fact the three sheer letters make the difference between a beer selling and gathering dust.

What a strange marvelous world we live in.

J A I P A

So, I've decided to start an advocacy group. JAIPA, which stands for

Just
Another
India
Pale
Ale

We will hunt down brewers who unashamedly lack imagination, name and shame them.
Simply making an IPA (or Hop Bombs) for making it's sake.
You know who you are...

Now if you have frequented one of our stores, and I (Adam - the ugly one, usually playing all the good music) will give you this look when everything your putting on the counter has the IPA acronym upon it.

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu


I'm not done yet

uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggfgggggggggggggggggg
ggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg"

I then try and persuade you to try something a little different. And that beer is so diverse and beautiful that a kaleidoscope of flavors await.

Then I'll give you my;

"I love hoppy beers, I really do. However my parents are Italian and a IPA or any other hop laden bomb doesn't go with Italian food at all" then I'll follow that by my "every saturday night Guzmen y Gomez extravaganza where by I pig out on pork, Tabasco, coriander, black beans and chili with the hoppiest SOB going around."

However, drinking the same style of beer every time, every time, every time, every time, every time, every time, every time, every time, every time, every time, every time etc....
Can be a little trying to say the very least.

Now.
Brewers.
Numerous offenders there are, however some stand above the clouds more than others.

Our inaugural inductee of the JAIPA Hall of fame is......


Epic Brewing Company. New Zealand.




















Me and a few other passionate customers that obviously think a little differently, propose that it's time for Luke to make something genuinely interesting (Not some Discovery Channel side show, Not a Foreign/Strong/Imperial Stout. Not the type of cliche beer that any good brewer can look at the top list of ratebeer.com & beeradvocate.com and create) we are talking about a beer with his view, his story, his style, his purpose, something with conviction.



Luke makes super mega premium yum beers. However sometimes it's all a little one trick pony.

To put in terms that every single red blooded person would understand. It's like having the same sexual position every time, every night. And no one should be happy with that.

So, how's about it Luke and congratulations for being our inaugural inductee of the JAIPA Hall of fame.

P.S : There should be no shame in being a inductee into the JAIPA Hall Of Fame. Some would view it as a badge of honor. And it can be argued having seen all the upcoming inductees, that they are all brilliant brewers.

Also some people only have one sexual position, sometimes they don't know any better.

Ommegang

The famous Ommegang is celebrated every July in Brussels, Belgium. It commemorates the "Joyous Entry" of emperor Charles V in Brussels in 1549.


So it's July and we have received a whole lot of great Belgian Beer (and Dutch if were honest), and we're not talking about Stella Artois.


The following tasty beverages are now available ;


Christoffel Nobel
Christoffel Blonde
Jopen Koyt
Jopen Gerstebier
Jopen Extra Stout
Rochefort 6
Rochefort 8'
Rochefort 10'
Achel Blonde
Achel Brune
Westmalle Dubbel 750ml
Westmalle Tripel 750ml
Rodenbach
Rodenbach Grand Cru
Rodenbach Vintage
DE Dolle Oerbier
De Dolle Arabier
Bush Prestige
Kasteel Rouge
Egmont Tripel
Delirium Nocturnum
De Ranke Guldenberg
De Ranke XX Bitter
De Ranke Krieke de Ranke
Gouden Hopsinjoor
Cuvee V/D Keizer Blauw
Cuvee Van De Keizer Rood
Gouden Carolus Easter Ale
Boon Gueuze
Boon Gueuze Marr.Parf
Boon Kriek
Boon Oude Kriek
Boon Kriek
Boon Framboos
Leifmans Friut (wild berry)
Brugse Zot
Belzebuth 13%.

After that, I need a beer. Preferably sour.

Happy Ommegang!