Pre-Hardcore Hardcore

I could really get into this kind of stuff.

Someone hook it up.

Zakary Thaks - Bad Girl

Kiss the Bottle...

As much as I love beer, I'm also fairly interested in the design aspect of the packaging. Whether it be the label design or bottle shape, product design is very important in the craft beer industry. Having to compete with multi-billion dollar breweries who spill more on their bottling line everyday than most brewers produce in a year, and have advertising costs upwards of $800,000,000, craft brewers usually focus their efforts on letting their product sell itself. However, I believe a well designed label or bottle can just as easily sway a drinker from one beer to another as a witty commercial aired during the Superbowl can. Not to mention, with how ignorant most of America is towards craft beer, breweries have to compete with each other to catch the eye of someone looking for something other than corn water. Here are a couple of my favorite bottles that I think have just as much taste as the beer they contain.

Deschutes from Bend, OR

Aside from making world class beers, Deschutes labels are always top notch. From their yearly offerings to their limited releases, I think each label depicts the beer extremely well. What is not great, however, is the fact that I can not purchase these beers in Philadelphia.

The Abyss

Luckily enough, I've had a chance to try The Abyss thanks to a couple drunk nights on ebay. The deep black crack spanning the length of the bottle and the black wax-dipped cap are indicative of the beer inside.

Red Chair IPA

Honestly, no label has ever made me want to try a beer more than Red Chair IPA. Like a great painting, I'm sucked into the scene depicted on the label and if the beer tastes anything like the feeling I get looking at the label, I think I'd be spending the night on that chair until someone wakes me up the next morning.

Mirror Pond Pale Ale

Like the label for Red Chair IPA above, the scene on the label is just great. I've always been attracted to the Pacific Northwest for some reason or another, and I imagine drinking Mirror Pond on one of those nights that's not quite Summer but not quite Fall would be a treat. Also, as one of Deschutes' flagship beers, the label is not too intimidating as to scare off some typically BMC beer drinkers.

The Dissident

This is my favorite label in the world. I'm a pretty big Alfred Hitchcock fan and, for obvious reasons, this reminds me of him. Defined as something that dissents from established conventions, this beer is a far cry from the typical American light lager. The burgundy colored wax-dipped cap just seals (LOL!!!) it for me.

Surly Brewing's Darkness (Brooklyn Center, MN)

Each year Surly does a different label for their extremely popular, extremely limited Russian Imperial Stout. 2009's was my favorite they've done so far.

Orval (Belgium)

Orval is my favorite beer in the world. Living in Philadelphia, I'm lucky enough to have Orval anywhere at anytime. The label is perfect. Elegant and modest, with a lot behind it (love the story/legend of the fish with the ring in its mouth), just like the beer.

Oskar Blues Ten Fidy (Lyons, CO)

Who says beer tastes better from a bottle? With the recent 75th Birthday of the beer can, it's great to see many craft breweries giving the can some love (sexual innuendo not intended). Ten Fidy definitely has my favorite label art for a can. It's also great seeing thick, black motor oil coming from a beer can after being conditioned for so many years seeing "fizzy yellow" water.

Russian River Brewing Company's Growlers (Santa Rosa, CA)

Growlers are regaining a lot of popularity recently. The NYTimes recently published an article on the craze. Most are fairly simple, some add a flip top and metal handle, but Russian River has a growler unlike any other I've seen. I love the bulbous shape of the bottom and the finger-hole glass handle. Wish I could get my hand on one of these (filled with Pliny the Younger, of course).

Lastly, and I'm not joking with this...

Miller High Life (All over the country, USA)

As shitty as the beer may be, High Life has its place and time. Unless you are a serious baller, anyone can, or should, enjoy a night out with a bunch of friends at the dive bar in your neighborhood drinking $1 High Lifes. As unclassy as the beer may be, I think the label is classy as shit. It works really well with the clear bottle. Too bad Miller probably spent more money designing the label than they did brewing the beer!

There are so many more that I think are worthy of some sort of praise, but these are just a few off the top of my head that I really enjoy. This link that I found on my twitter feed (thanks @beersage) has a list of 50 really well designed bottles/labels. Most I've never even heard of, but it's a nice list regardless. I really like the Cable Car Brewing (not related to Lost Abbey), Hallertau, Bierbank, and Nelson Brewing packaging a lot. The student designed, reimagining of Westmalle's bottle/4-pack carrier is gorgeous. It's a shame that it just wouldn't work.

50 Beautiful and Stunning Beer Bottle and Can Designs

P.S. Thank you to all the websites from who I stole these images. I'll buy you a round at the bar.

Currently Into:

USA Men's Hockey

LOST

The Tempest

Getting back into some sort of respectable shape

Pretty much one of my favorite songs of all time.

Really feeling it tonight, especially.

New Order - Temptation

The Omega Point

Big ups to Mr. Mikey Bornmann for providing me with the link to this pretty awesome blog dedicated to theories on what is really going on in LOST.

I'd really like to give a summary on this theory that he has for the overall plot of the show, but I'll spare you and just give you the direct link.

THE OMEGA POINT

(p.s. Note, in the picture, the skulls underneath Sayid and Hurley!!!)

I'll see you next year...

Two Thousand and Nine.

My favorites of '09

(in no order whatsoever)

- The top of Mont Royal with Brian and Mishik

- Blacklisted - No One Deserves To Be Here More than Me

- Barrel Aged Stouts (Old Rasputin XII, Black OPS, Abyss, B.O.R.I.S., Podge)

- Ellsworth St./ Devil's Den/ El Jarocho/ Chickie's

- Dylan

- Get Real and Underdog in Asbury Park

- Peche Mortel on draft at the Dieu de Ciel brewpub in Montreal

- Woody Allen films

- All of my new friends, All my old friends

- My Mom, Dad, and Sister

LIFE IN SHAMBLES

First thing on my mind is the show Todd and I went to this past (yes, Superbowl) Sunday at the Barbary. Cold World, Internal Affairs, Braindead, Cruel Hand, Alpha&Omega, Mother of Mercy all played this matinee and every band ignited an energy in me that I haven't felt in a long time.

First off, Todd and I are pricks for getting to the show a little late because we missed over half of MoM's set. Featuring members of the notoriously straight edge LetDown, Mother of Mercy has put out two 7"s (No Eden and Passing Through the Fire) and have an energy in their live show that I haven't seen since the first few Blacklisted shows that I saw. MOTHER OF MERCY.

Alpha&Omega played next. From LA, CA they were probably the band I was most curious to see. I had only heard their record maybe 2 weeks ago and DUG it so I was a fresh fan all giddy to see this new band for the first time. They were really tight, the singer looked pissed the whole time and dove into the crowd once and broke some lighting shit, but who gives a fuck. I think they would have sounded heavier and harder with a second guitarist but that ain't gonna stop me from seeing them again. Their record rules. ALPHA&OMEGA.

Next up was Cruel Hand from Portland, ME. First, let me say that I've been wanting to visit Portland, Maine for a long time. Cruel Hand made that city seem a hell of a lot cooler. It was actually my first time hearing them, but I was hooked right after the first song which was 'Life in Shambles' off of their LP 'Prying Eyes'. I bought a hoodie from them, and I never buy band hoodies. Also, the singer's stage presence kinda reminded me of Greg Mental for some reason. CRUEL HAND.

Braindead was next.... I like them more with Steve singing but they were still good. BRAINDEAD.

Internal Affairs.... I was never a big fan of them, but they actually sounded a lot better than the other 2 or 3 times I've seen them and people went off which I really dug. The singer also said some funny and also honest things that I was into, plus I really liked the shirt he was wearing haha. They seem like, although a band I wasn't really into, one that a lot of people really felt a connection to whether musically or lyrically. So, I bid a fond farewell to these LA straight edge dudes. INTERNAL AFFAIRS.

FINALLY....Cold World. I can't help but remember the first time CW's drummer Nick Woj posted Cold World's mp3s on the internet back in, what?, '03? People on the Rev board were bashing the shit outta them for being Rap-Rock or sounding too much like Linkin Park (wtf??) Not to sound totally OG or sumshit but I was a big fan from day1. Regardless, Cold World put out a 7" on now defunct Walk All Night, then another record on Lockin Out, then a split 7" with War Hungry on Six Feet Under, a compiling CD on 1917, and finally their magnum opus (IMO) 'Dedicated to Babies Who Came Feet First' on Deathwish, Inc. I haven't seen CW since the new record officially was released (the last time i saw them, the record had leaked but hadn't been released yet) but out of the 10+ times I've seen this band, Sunday afternoon was definitely the best I've seen them. They were unbelievably tight, all in rhythm, and everyone (especially the crowd) seemed all in high spirits. Maybe they were all hyped up on the Steelers playing in the Super Bowl a couple hours from them, but every aspect of their show was all amped up to volume eleven. Also, highlights from the set include George from Blacklisted singing his part from the track 'Dedicated to Babies Who Came Feet First" and the amount of songs they played from their first two 7"s. COLD WORLD.

Between CW and Cruel Hand, this show sparked a newfound interest in both newer hardcore bands and the ones I thought I had seen all of.

I'll see you 2/15 in Doylestown FEATURING ColdWorld LetDown WarHungry BadSeed SwampThing
Also, maybe this Saturday in Hoboken for the Don Giovanni Showcase (LAST FOR SCIENCE SHOW)

Since I loved them so much, here's Cruel Hand's record "Prying Eyes"
Come with me to see them next time they come around, though.

Listening to:
Cruel Hand - Prying Eyes (OBVIOUSLY)

Vetri Birthday Dinner

My birthday is tomorrow, so my Mom and sister took me out to dinner tonight at Vetri located on Spruce between 13th and Broad. I had been hearing a lot of buzz since I started trying to get into good food recently (thanks mostly to Evan) so I made sure to make a reservation about a month in advance. "In GQ this month (the one with Jennifer Aniston on the cover), food writer and Philly native Alan Richman not only calls Italian the New French, but says Vetri is the best Italian restaurant in America." (citation)

The one dish I had heard a ton about was the spinach gnocchi with shaved ricotta and brown butter (pictured above), so I ordered a half portion as my appetizer. I can see why so many people were talking about it because it was heavenly. Very rich and warm. For my entree, I ordered the chestnut fettuccine with wild boar ragu which was very good as well. I had never eaten boar before so I was a little unsure, but there was nothing too strange in either the texture or taste.

The service was great and I even saw Marc Vetri walking around talking to customers. Can't wait to go back again sometime but I'll need to time to save some money haha.


Listening to:
Deerhunter - Weird Era Cont.
Fever Ray - Fever Ray

New York's Alright If You Like Meat and Whiskey

So my roommates Todd and Tony, our friend Lou, and I traveled up to NYC this past Sunday to visit our friend Nick who lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn. My mom also rents an apartment in Midtown Manhattan so we had a couple places to stay without having to shell out $$$$$$$$$ for a hotel room.

When we got there, the Eagles v. Giants game had already started so, en route to Brooklyn from my Mom's, we stopped in an Irish Pub called the Hairy Monk to catch the last quarter of the game. The bar had a pretty standard atmosphere with the typical American macrobrews on tap but, to my surprise, they also had the Goose Island IPA which I hadnt had before so I was pretty stoked.

After the Eagles won, we marched what must've been like 5mi to the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn to eat at this BBQ joint Nick recommended. What we arrived at was NOTHING like what I expected. The name of the place was Fette Sau (which I believe translates to Fat Pig) and good lord was it awesome. Everything from the decor, to the meat, to the bbq sauce, to the carver's beard was great. Todd and I shared a pound and a half of meat: half pound boneless pork rib, half pound brisket, and half pound of pulled pork. The meat was tender and flavorful, but my favorite part was actually the BBQ sauce they provided on the table. They had a very interesting list of beers on tap as well, including, if I remember correctly, three different beers brewed for them specifically by High&Mighty, Blue Point, annnnnnd _________. Oh yeah, and they had the largest selection of whiskey I've ever seen. Meat, Beer, Whiskey: What else could you want?

After Fette Sau, we played fooseball and pool at this bar called Matchless. We weren't there very long but highlights included everyone realizing Nick is way better at fooseball than anyone else and the dog in there that looked exactly like my dog, Dylan (it was scary).

We ended the night at this awesome dive-ish bar called The Levee. First off, they served endless free cheeseballs to us. Great first impression. Then I realized the bar was run by pretty much all older hardcore dudes wearing Cro-Mags and Eyehategod shirts so I checked out the jukebox and played some Bad Brains, Black Flag, and Torche. THEN, I realized they had some pretty awesome bottled beers including a couple I hadn't had yet, including the Abbaye De Rocs Tripel. I ended up getting pretty drunk and talking to some Brazzilian guy on the subway ride back to my mom's place and offered him the tootsie-roll pop straight out of my mouth.

I don't feel like writing about the rest of the trip, so go over to Todd's blog to read about what else we did.

Canadian Beer

No, this is not about Labbat Blue or Molson. On our last night in Montreal this past weekend, me, Brian, and Mishik spent about 2 hours at the Dieu Du Ciel Brewpub and drank a few beers.

We first ordered Rigor Mortis, classified by the brewery as their Belgian Quad. Wow, was it good. Pretty sure it was around 9.5%abv, which was pretty well hidden. Pretty typical of a standard Belgian quad. We really enjoyed it, although I don't think it touches the Bernardus ABT 12 or Rochefort 10.

Next, I drank Peche Mortel, which is probably my favorite stout in the world. It's brewed with coffee and the flavor is pretty strong. You can really smell the roasted coffee and a hint of chocolate. I had only had it out of a bottle before, but on tap holy jesus it was decadent. There's nothing else to really say about it. It may have been the best beer I've had on tap ever. It was a lot less bitter than out of the bottle, and obviously a lot fresher.

Mishik drank the Solstice D'Hiver which is their barleywine. Barleywine's don't really do it for me, but for what it is, I'd say it's pretty awesome.

I wasn't sure what to order next so I tasted their beer that they brew to taste like absinthe. I thought it was terrible haha but I respect the attempt.

Finally, we each drank a beer called La Clef de Champs. I looked it up on BeerAdvocate and it was listed as a Scottish Gruit but it was incredibly fruity. Not in a lambic way or anything, but I could taste something like Guava or Passion Fruit. I could be totally wrong, as my palette is not as defined as others, but regardless it was delicious and incredibly drinkable.

The bar itself was pretty great. Service was friendly, DJ was superb, and the clientele brought the atmosphere to a very upbeat and happy level. Hopefully I'll have a chance to go back, and possibly tour the actual brewery.

Music

This record is in my top 3 of the year for 2008
It's really nothing special or groundbreaking or anything, but its straight up good Scottish indie-rock( I guess?)
Download it, let me know what you think.

Glasvegas - Glasvegas (2008)

Worlds Collide

I was in a pretty terrible automobile accident the other day. Jan 1st to be exact and I found everyone trying their best to settle my conscience, trying to grant me some sort of salvation. I ran a red light and smashed another car, with my two best friends in the car with me. Luckily no one was hurt but I still feel incredibly terrible about the whole thing.

It's a fierce heavy feeling when you realize you are actually handling lives, and I still don't think I'm ready to accept that. With that said, I'll probably have a hard time starting to drive again.

After we organized the situation, it took the Philadelphia Police TWO HOURS (2 hours) to arrive at the scene of the accident. We (Brian, Mishik, and I) gave our statements and gathered our things and made way to another car so that we could press on to Montreal. Brian said, before we left, that life was full of setbacks and that the point of them was so we can persevere in lieu of them.