The Pacific Northwest - How To Beat The Heat

This has been a really long and hot summer for most folks so I decided to post not about beer recipes or brewing techniques this time. Instead I will share with you some of the highlights of my summer vacation to the Pacific Northwest. The trip was really cool both literally and figuratively in that the weather there was on average 50F lower than it was where I live in New Jersey on the east coast of the United States. Of course any trip requires a tasting of the local beers and this one was no exception. I was fortunate enough to be traveling with a best friend who has years of traveling and beer drinking experience, in short we had a blast!

View From Atop The 510 Foot High Space Needle

Our first stop was in Seattle Washington where we planned to stay for 2 days prior to heading out for the rest of our trip. As it happens we lucked out and picked 2 of the most perfect weather days they've had in recent memory both days were sunny and warm with temperatures in the upper 80s.

Everyone Loves A Walk On A Sunny Day

We loved Seattle! The very first stop we made after checking into the Westin Hotel was to head on out to Pike's Brewery were we meet up fellow brewer and forum member Kenny Lee to sample some of Pike's best beers and grab a bite to eat. We ordered pitchers of Pike's regular IPA which we all really enjoyed followed by their Double IPA then their Dry Wit and their Kiltlifter Scotch ale before ordering and up some Scuttlebutt Amber (from Everett, WA.) from their guest tap. We ate and talked about beer, brewing and travel while drinking these amazing beers and downing some great bar food. Pike's is a must see when you're in town. We planed on sampling each of their beers and as it turned out we ordered full pitchers of each of them instead, what can I say we like beer!

Words Simply Cannot Describe The Wonders

Within days we would be viewing one of Earth's most impressive and beautiful places from the warmth and comfort of our cruise ship. The slow, peaceful and meandering visit to Alaska's Glacier Bay Park will forever be one of the coolest things I've ever been lucky enough to have experienced in my life. The table I sat at was located 140 feet above the waterline and only 50 feet from the nearest bar where they served up ice cold Alaskan Brewery Summer Ale and Amber Ale. Although I really liked their Pale Ale it was only available in the towns we stopped in, for some strange reason the ship's bars didn't stock it.

If Beer Is Proof That God Loves Us Then What Is This?

We spent the entire day and much of the early evening in our front row seats looking out at the grand vistas that appeared around every bend of the bay. Whenever something spectacular came into site we rushed outside to the deck rail to snap our pictures. Much of the time we found ourselves moving from one side of the ship to the other in order to get pictures of the scenery as we passed by. It was hard to believe that this 1000 foot deep bay our enormous ship was navigating through was solid glacier ice 250 years ago. All the glaciers that feed into Glacier Bay are in retreat except for one, which scientists say is actually growing 12 feet a year. Maybe someday that glacier will influence all the others to do the same and restore the bay to it's former glacier self.

Did Someone Say There's A Heat Wave?

At the height of our trip the time change was 4 hours earlier than east coast time and the sunset at 10:30 pm local time. Some of our shore excursions started at 6:00 pm and we had to be back on board the ship by midnight. In between all the beer sampling, time changes and the extended daylight hours we lost all concept of time somehow not knowing or caring about anything but what we were going to do next. In all honesty we found ourselves adrift in time, left alone by the rest of the world's problems of the day, to experience some of the most spectacular sites on earth. This my friends and fellow brewers was as close to Nirvana as anyone can ever come to expect and in so many ways one of the best vacations I've ever had.

Beer Brands - Alcohol By Volume

Brewery/Brand

Beer

ABV%

Calories

Carbs

Amstel Light	Amstel Light	3.5	95	5
Alaskan Brewing	Alaskan Amber	5.0
Alaskan Brewing	Alaskan Pale Ale	4.6
Alaskan Brewing	Alaskan Stout	5.7
Alaskan Brewing	Alaskan ESB	5.0
Alaskan Brewing	Alaskan Smoked Porter	6.1
Alaskan Brewing	Alaskan Winter Ale	6.2
Anchor	Anchor Steam	4.9	152
Anchor	Liberty Ale	6.0	188
Anchor	Anchor Porter	5.6	205
Anchor	Old Foghorn	8-10
Anchor	Anchor Small	3.3
Anderson Valley	Boont Amber	5.8
Anderson Valley	Hop Ottin'	7.0
Anderson Valley	Poleeko Gold	5.5
Anderson Valley	Belk's ESB	6.8
Anderson Valley	Barney Flats Oatmeal	5.7
Anderson Valley	Winter Solstice	6.9
Anderson Valley	High Rollers Wheat	5.3
Anderson Valley	Deep Enders Porter	5.5
Beamish	Beamish Stout	3.8	131
Beck's	Beck's	5.0	143
Bell's/Kalamazoo	Two Hearted Ale	7.0
Bell's/Kalamazoo	Amber Ale	5.5
Bell's/Kalamazoo	Pale Ale	5.0
Bell's/Kalamazoo	Kalamazoo Stout	6.5
Bell's/Kalamazoo	Oberon	6.0
Bell's/Kalamazoo	Double Cream Stout	7.5
Bell's/Kalamazoo	Third Coast Old Ale	10.2
Bell's/Kalamazoo	Expedition Stout	10.0
Bell's/Kalamazoo	Best Brown Ale	5.8
Bell's/Kalamazoo	Cherry Stout	8.0
Blue Moon	Blue Moon White	5.4	171	12.9
Breckenridge	Avalanche Amber	5.4
Breckenridge	Autumn Ale	6.7
Breckenridge	Pale Ale	5.7
Breckenridge	Christmas Ale	7.4
Breckenridge	Oatmeal Stout	5.0
Breckenridge	Pandora's Bock	5.8
BridgePort	IPA	5.5
BridgePort	Porter	5.5
BridgePort	ESB	6.1
BridgePort	Black Strap Stout	6.0
BridgePort	Blue Heron	4.9
BridgePort	Pintail Ale	5.2
BridgePort	Ebenezer Ale	6.4
BridgePort	Old Knucklehead	8.9
Budweiser (U.S)	Budweiser	5.0	143	10.6
Budweiser	Bud Light	4.2	95	6.6
Budweiser	Bud Ice	5.5	148	8.9
Budweiser	Bud Ice Light	4.1	110	6.5
Budweiser Budvar	Budvar	5.0
Busch	Busch	4.6	133	10.2
Busch Light	Busch Light	4.2	110	6.7
Busch Ice	Busch Ice	5.9	173	13
Clausthaler	Clausthaler	0.4	96	5.8
Colt 45	Colt 45 Malt Liquor	6.0	172
Coors	Coors Original	5.0	148	11.3
Coors	Coors Light	4.2	102	5.0
Coors	Coors Extra Gold	5.0	147	10.7
Coors	Coors NA	<0.5	73	14.2
Corona	Corona Light	4.5	109	5
Corona	Corona Extra	4.6	148
Czechvar	Czechvar	5.0
Deschutes	Cascade Ale	4.5	140
Deschutes	Mirror Pond Pale	5.3	175
Deschutes	Bachelor ESB	5.0	180
Deschutes	Black Butte Porter	5.2	185
Deschutes	Quail Springs IPA	5.8	200
Deschutes	Obsidian Stout	6.7	220
Deschutes	Jubelale	6.7
Deschutes	Broken Top Bock	7.0	233
Deschutes	Pine Mountain Pils	5.1	154
Deschutes	Cinder Cone Red	5.8	180
Dos Equis	Dos Equis XX	4.8	145
Dragon Stout	Dragon Stout	6.8	220
Edison Light	Edison Light	4.0	109	6.5
Foster's	Foster's Lager	5.1	156
Fuller's	Fuller's ESB	5.9
Fuller's	Fuller's London Pride	4.7	156
Genesee/High Falls	Genesee 12 Horse	4.8	152	14
Genesee/High Falls	Genny Light	3.6	96	5.5
Genesee/High Falls	Kipling Light Lager	3.4	99	8.0
Grolsch	Grolsch	5.0	156
Gordon Biersch	Märzen	5.7
Gordon Biersch	Blonde Bock	7.0
Gordon Biersch	Pilsner	5.3
Guinness	Guinness Draught	4.0	125	10
Guinness	Foreign Extra Stout	7.5	176	14
Hamm's	Hamm's	4.7	144	12.1
Hamm's	Hamm's Light	4.1	110	7.3
Heineken	Heineken	5.4	166	9.8
Heineken	Heineken Light	3.5	99	6.8
Henry Weinhard's	Weinhard's Amber Ale	5.3	169	14
Henry Weinhard's	Weinhard's Dark	4.8	150	13.1
Henry Weinhard's	Weinhard's Hefeweizen	4.9	128	9.2
Henry Weinhard's	Private Reserve	4.5	128	9.2
Hoegaarden	Hoegaarden	5.0
I.C. Light	I.C. Light	4.2	95	2.8
Icehouse	Icehouse 5.0	5.0	132	8.7
Icehouse	Icehouse 5.5	5.5	149	9.8
J.W. Dundee	Honey Brown	4.5	150	13.5
Keystone	Keystone Light	4.2	100	5.0
Kilarney's	Kilarney's Red Lager	5.0	197	22.8
Killian's	Killian's	4.9	163	13.8
Labatt	Labatt Blue	5.0	153
Lowenbräu	Lowenbräu	5.2	160

Marin Brewing	Mt. Tam Pale Ale	5.0
Marin Brewing	Bluebeery Ale	5.0
Marin Brewing	Albion Amber	5.0
Marin Brewing	Marin Weiss	5.0
Marin Brewing	Point Reyes Porter	6.0
Marin Brewing	Breakout Stout	6.0
Marin Brewing	Old Dipsea Barleywine	9.0
Marin Brewing	India Pale Ale	6.0
McMenamins	Hammerhead	5.8
McMenamins	Terminator	6.4
McMenamins	Ruby	4.1
McMenamins	Black Rabbit Porter	5.5
McMenamins	Dry Irish Stout	4.6
Michelob	Michelob	5.0	155	13.3
Michelob	Michelob Light	4.3	113	6.7
Michelob	Michelob Amber Bock	5.2	166	15.0
Michelob	Michelob Hefeweizen	5.0	152	11.8
Michelob	Michelob Honey Lager	4.9	175	17.4
Michelob	Michelob Black & Tan	5.0	168	15.8
Michelob	Michelob Ultra	4.2	95	2.6
Mickey's	Mickey's	5.6	157	11.2
Mickey's	Mickey's Ice	5.9	165	11.8
Miller	Miller Genuine Draft	5	143	13.1
Miller	Miller Genuine Draft Lite	4.2	110	7
Miller	Miller High Life	5.5	156	11
Miller	Miller Lite	4.2	96	3.2
Moosehead	Moosehead	5.0	153
Murphy's	Murphy's Irish Red	5.0	171
Murphy's	Murphy's Stout	4.0	150
O'Douls	O'Douls	0.4	70	13.3
O'Douls	O'Douls Amber	0.4	90	18
Odell's	90 Shilling	5.3
Odell's	Easy Street Wheat	4.7
Odell's	Cutthroat Porter	4.5
Odell's	Cutthroat Pale Ale	5.1
Odell's	Levity	5.0
Odell's	Isolation	6.0
Odell's	Bobby	4.6
Olde English 800	Olde English 800	5.9	160	10.5
Olde English 800	Olde English 800 Ice	7.9	216	14.3
Old Milwaukee	Old Milwaukee	5.0	156
Pabst	Pabst	5.0	152
Paulaner	Paulaner Original Munich	5.5
Paulaner	Salvator	7.5	251
Paulaner	Paulaner Hefe-Weizen	5.5
Pete's Brewing	Pete's Wicked Ale	5.3	174	17.7
Pete's Brewing	Pete's Oktoberfest	5.8	189	16.9
Pete's Brewing	Pete's Summer Brew	4.7	163	15.6
Pete's Brewing	Pete's Winter Brew	5.2	170	15.2
Pete's Brewing	Pete's Helles Lager	5.0	163	14.6
Pete's Brewing	Pete's Red Rush	5.3	170	14.8
Pete's Brewing	Pete's Strawberry Blonde	5.0	160	13.6
Pilsner Urquell	Pilsner Uruqell	4.3	160
Pittsburgh Brewing	I.C. Light	4.1	95	2.8
Pittsburgh Brewing	Iron City Lager	4.5	140	10
Pyramid	Hefeweizen	5.2
Pyramid	Coastline Pilsner	5.0
Pyramid	Apricot Ale	5.1
Pyramid	India Pale Ale	6.7
Pyramid	Pale Ale	5.1
Pyramid	Curve Ball Kölsch	4.8
Pyramid	Broken Rake	6.4
Pyramid	Tilted Kilt	6.3
Pyramid	Snow Cap Ale	7.0
Red Dog	Red Dog	5.0	147	14.1
Redhook	Redhook ESB	5.8	179	14.2
Redhook	Redhook IPA	6.5	188	12.7
Redhook	Redhook Blonde Ale	5.4	166	13.1
Redhook	Redhook Hefe-weizen	5.2	155	10.9
Redhook	Redhook Nut Brown	5.6	181	16
Rhinebecker	Rhinebecker	5	106	2.5
St. Pauli Girl	St. Pauli Girl	4.9	148
St. Pauli Girl	St. Pauli Girl Dark	4.8	150
St. Pauli Girl	St. Pauli Girl N.A.	<0.5	96	23
Sam Adams	Light	4.05	124	9.7
Sam Adams	Boston Lager	4.8	160
Sam Adams	Golden Pilsner	4.6	145
Sam Adams	Cream Stout	4.7	195
Sam Adams	Boston Ale	4.9	160
Sam Adams	Cherry Wheat	5.2	166
Sam Adams	Spring Ale	5.2	170
Sam Adams	Summer Ale	5.4	175
Sam Adams	Pale Ale	5.3	145
Sam Adams	Octoberfest	5.7	165
Sam Adams	IPA	5.9	175
Sam Adams	Winter Lager	5.8	190
Sam Adams	Double Bock	8.5	240
Sam Adams	Triple Bock	17.5	340
Sapporo	Sapporo Reserve	5.2
Shiner	Shiner Bock	4.4	143	12.5
Shiner	Shiner Light	3.9	120	9
Sierra Nevada	Pale Ale	5.7	171	14.1
Sierra Nevada	Porter	5.7	194	18.4
Sierra Nevada	Stout	6.4	225	22.3
Sierra Nevada	Wheat	4.7	153	13.1
Sierra Nevada	Summerfest	4.9	158	13.7
Sierra Nevada	Celebration	6.6	214	19.4
Sierra Nevada	Bigfoot	9.9	330	30.3
Stone Brewing	Arrogant Bastard Ale	7.2
Stone Brewing	Stone Pale Ale	5.4
Stone Brewing	Stone Smoked Porter	5.9
Stone Brewing	Stone IPA	6.9
Stone Brewing	Ruination IPA	7.7
Stone Brewing	Double Bastard Ale	10
Stone Brewing	Stone Old Guardian	9.9
Tsingtao	Tsingtao	4.7	152
Widmer	Widmer Hefeweizen	4.7	159
Widmer	Widmer Pale Ale	5.0
Widmer	Widmer Blonde Ale	4.3
Widmer	Widmer Widberry	4.6
Widmer	Widmer Sommerbrä	4.8
Widmer	Widmer Oktoberfest	5.0
Widmer	Widmer Winternacht	7.0
Widmer	Spring Run IPA	6.0
Widmer	Drop Top Amber Ale	4.9
Yuengling	Premium	4.4	135-140	12
Yuengling	Light	3.8	98	6.6
Yuengling	Ale	5.0	145-150	10
Yuengling	Porter	4.5	150-155	14
Yuengling	Lager	4.4	135-140	12
Yuengling	Black & Tan	4.5	150-155	14
Yuengling	Light Lager	3.6	96	8.5