IPAllapalooza -- IX

Only one tonight (so far): Green Flash Hop Head Red, which isn't really technically an IPA. Okay, whatever, but it's brilliant. I wasn't that impressed with the Green Flash West Coast IPA in bottles (loved it on draft), thought it kind of blaring and harsh, but this was great. Fresh piney fruit, deliciously lively and just this side of sweet in the mouth, bitter but not astringent finish. Yum. Don't care if it's 'not an IPA,' it's one of the better entries in the IPAllapalooza.

All this talk of taxes

There are a lot of proposals for beer tax increases in the air right now -- federal, state, and local; here in the U.S. and in Europe. The worldwide recession has not just affected people and private industries, it's -- gasp! -- cut government tax revenues. Luckily, governments are the one enterprise that can increase their revenues by simply taking more money from other people. Yay!

One of the ways they do that are by excise taxes, taxes imposed on particular products or services that the government picks, seemingly at random: tanning booth sessions, for instance, or tires. There is a sub-class of excise taxes, commonly referred to as "sin taxes," that purport to try to help people not partake in behavior or consumption that is thought to be bad for them, or, worse, immoral. These include, of course -- of course! -- beer taxes.

The current argument for increasing beer taxes goes like this:

• We need increased tax revenues to pay for all the wonderful government programs.
• Beer taxes haven't been raised in X years (admittedly, quite a while...and can you give me a good reason why they should have been?)
• We should raise beer taxes because that would serve the twin purposes of 1)raising revenue needed for wonderful government programs that benefit everyone; and 2)encourage people to drink less, because higher taxes mean people drink less.

Allow me to shoot some holes in this.

First, it's damned near immoral to raise taxes in a deep recession. At some point, especially with excise taxes, you're taking money away from people who don't have enough to give it to people who don't have enough (while stripping away enough to continue paying the wages of the government employees who administer the programs).

Second, if the government programs truly are wonderful and benefit everyone...grow (or borrow) a pair and tax everyone fairly (and progressively). Don't put it on the back of moderate drinkers like me whose only 'sin' is to enjoy a beer.

Finally... I'm already buying beer that costs more than 90% of the beer sold in this country. The beer I buy costs almost twice as much a case as the popular beers do. What purpose will increasing the cost of every beer sold serve when the people who buy the more expensive beers are already paying that much and more? Simple: it's about raising revenues, not moderating behavior. And at that point, sweetie, you should be talking income or sales tax, or I should be voting your thieving, lying ass out of office.

An increase in the beer tax will fall most heavily on more expensive beers. Craft beers. Imported beers. Specialty beers. The beers you probably drink, if you're reading this blog.

So why aren't you doing anything about it? E-mailing your representatives is easy as hell these days: go to Congress.org, put in your ZIP code, and you can hit your Senators, Congresscritter, and state reps with one easy shot. Do it. Tell them you do not want to see an increase in the beer tax. Tell them that you would rather see cuts in spending or fair, across-the-board tax increases before you'd want to see any kind of sin taxes or excise taxes. Tell them you don't mind paying your FAIR share of taxes, but that voting for unfair taxes will cost them your support.

Hell, start a petition at your local bar or beer store. Get freakin' militant. It's your money they're after. And don’t be one of those sniveling warts who join in their own punishment: “Oh, sure, I guess I can pay a nickel a six-pack more. I probably shouldn’t drink so much anyway.”

You pay enough already for the sin of working at your annoying job. You do NOT have to pay more to have a beer when that 8-hour shift in hell is over. Be a man, defend your beer from the pasty-faced safety Nazis and morality police who want to tax it right out of your hands. The price of beer freedom is eternal vigilance.

IPAllapolooza -- VIII

Couple more -- three, actually -- IPAs...of sorts.

First up, Boulder Mojo Rising DIPA. A very hefty, solid DIPA, big-bodied, aromatic, robustly bitter. Maybe too hefty; there was almost too much body here, although it never went sweet-flabby on me. Cathy really liked this one.

Next: Thomas Hooker Hop Meadow IPA. Now, this one I really liked. Fresh, clean, hoppy yet not overbearing, and a great brisk finish that begged for another sip. I'd go for more of this, a lot more.

Finally, later, after an old friend stopped by and we wound up on the deck, drinking beers and listening to the neighbor kids underage-drinking back on the ballfield (okay, I didn't know for sure they were drinking, but I have faith that they were), we opened a bottle of Green Flash Le Freak, one of those so-called Cali-Belgique beers (that are really an excuse to overhop just one more kind of beer, mom...please?), a tripel/IPA fusion. It's arresting: big nose of hops and weird phenolic fruit, a lava-like heavy body spiked with a bitterness that doesn't seem to meld with the malt, and a muddled finish. I did not like this one much. Kind of like putting Plochman's Chicago Fire Tabasco Mustard on sushi. Two good things do not always make a third good thing when combined.

For the Love of Lager

Only two tickets left for my next Tria Fermentation School event: For the Love of Lager, set for June 10th. I'll have lots of great lagers for you, plus appearances by some great local lager brewers (Bill Covaleski of Victory and John Trogner from Tröegs will be there to harrass me and entertain you) and the usual tasty snack-bites.

Whoops, sold out. Thanks!

Sympathy for the Devil

It looks like no one's commented on anything on Uncle Jack's blog for five days. Come on, folks: he's a good guy, it's an entertaining blog (though now that his dog has taken over, it's gotten a lot more serious and content-oriented). Go read Jack's blog. More important? Say something! It's the only decent thing to do.

IPAllapolooza -- VII

I did get to stop at Mahar's in Albany today, but only briefly -- sorry, Bill, I didn't get a chance at any WiFi to let you know, we should have done cell #s -- and grabbed a Harpoon IPA. Actually, I had a few sips of Cathy's: I had a Chiswick Bitter (okay; should have waited for cask at Memphis) and a Guinness 250th Anniversary (nice: full, a bit chocolatey, much better body). The 'Poon IPA is indeed more like a pale ale, but it's good: drinkable, fresh, good hop character (not massive, but well-defined). Think of it as a winning jockey next to DIPA's NFL linebacker.

Then I had some Wolaver's IPA, another organic. This was more like an ESB: malty, not a lot of hop character. Okay beer, but I wouldn't think "Oh, an IPA," if someone handed it to me blind.

Philly Suburb Bars -- Round 2

I appreciate the help on Philly bars...now let's move into the suburbs. Here's what I've got, and this time, I want additions/suggestions, AND I'd like to know if you don't think some of these are going to make the cut. No brewpubs/breweries, please: I've got all of them already. Be polite, no rabid slamming, but do give me reasons if you've got 'em.

Thanks for your time and effort on this!

AJ's Sports Bar & Café -- Levittown
Alison Two -- Fort Washington
America Bar & Grill -- Chester Springs
Austrian Village Restaurant / Bar -- Rockledge
Blue Comet -- Glenside
Blue Dog Pub -- Lansdale
Blue Dog Tavern -- Chalfont
Blue Pear Bistro -- West Chester
Brother Paul's -- Eagleville
Candlewyck Lounge -- Buckingham
Capone's Restaurant -- Norristown
Craft Ale House -- Limerick
Drafting Room- Spring House -- Spring House
Epicurean Restaurant And Bar -- Phoenixville
Fatty's -- Wyndmoor
Firewaters -- Glen Mills
Flanigan's Boathouse -- Malvern
Flanigan's Boathouse Of Conshohocken -- Conshohocken
Flying Pig Saloon -- Malvern
Four Dogs Tavern -- West Chester
Gullifty's Restaurant -- Rosemont
Half Moon Restaurant & Saloon -- Kennett Square
Hulmeville Inn -- Hulmeville
Iron Abbey Gastro Pub -- Horsham
Isaac Newton's -- Newtown
Just Sports Bar & Grill -- Bristol
Kildare's Pub -- West Chester
Lucky Dog Saloon And Grille -- Lafayette Hill
Mermaid Inn -- Chestnut Hill
Mesquito Grill -- Doylestown
Newportville Inn -- Newportville
Otto's Brauhaus -- Horsham
Pickering Creek Inn -- Phoenixville
Quotations -- Media
Ron's Original Bar & Grille -- Exton
Spence Café -- West Chester
Spinnerstown Hotel -- Spinnerstown
Stephanie’s Lounge -- Doylestown
T.G.I. Friday's -- Exton
Teresa's Next Door -- Wayne
The Drafting Room -- Exton
The Note -- West Chester
The Whip -- Coatesville
TJ's Everyday -- Paoli
Union Jack's -- Glenside
Uno Chicago Grill -- Langhorne
Uno's Chicago Grill -- Bensalem

IPAllapolooza -- VI

Sorry, no WiFi in Dover Plains: we traveled to Cathy's mom's yesterday, and stopped at Triumph New Hope on the way to pick up a growler. What to have... Hey, Simcoe IPA! I've been wanting more of this since the Manayunk Fest. We not only got a growler, we got two glasses right there to slake our pre-travel thirst.

Good idea! The Simcoe is killer good: light but not wimpy, authoritatively hoppy without being brassy or harsh, and fresh as balls. We never did get into the growler, but that bad boy's going down tonight.

(By the way...we're in Albany, and just found a beer garden joint (Wolff's) next to the Miss Albany diner...Hmmm...)

IPAllapolooza -- V

Only one tonight: Peak Organic IPA, but it's a good one. Cathy and I agreed: very fresh-tasting, and without the heaviness some of the previous ones had. Not sure I liked every little bit of the hop character, but the perfect balance and truly fresh aspect carried the day. I'd definitely get more of this one.

IPAllapolooza -- IV

Last night's IPA was New Holland Mad Hatter. I like New Holland beers...sometimes. But Mad Hatter has just never done much for me. I find it blaring, without subtlety, and shouty. So it was last night when I tried it once again. I was ready to like it: we're getting pretty darned fresh New Holland these days, so maybe that would help. Didn't. Bring me more Poet, I'll drink that all night, but the Mad Hatter just yells "BITTER!" in my mouth, and stomps around like a loonie. I like an authoritative beer, but this one's more like a blowhard.