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Rough Draught: The wonderful, beer-filled world of Greek cowboys and traveling Gypsies

Christopher Bedford Former Editor in Chief, The Daily Caller News Foundation
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BOSTON — This Friday, The Daily Caller is on a road trip. And since everyone but our mothers think it’s okay to take road trips in search of beer, that’s what we’re doing. But while that be exhausting, it’s all in a day’s work. So this week, we have a special damn treat: Two Massachusetts cult classics that are both worth the trip — Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project’s Jack D’Or Saison and Opa-Opa Brewing Company’s IPA.

Basically, we’re looking for a recreation of TheDC’s college summers, when the beer flowed like wine, the grill was always smoking and the small critters of our backyard lived in mortal fear. So if that kind of Saturday sounds awesome — and it does — check these brews out:

Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project’s Jack D’Or Saison

Saisons are an old summer tradition, dating back to when Belgian farmers would brew it to take into the fields to keep them from getting too parched while they worked.

Fact.

And we use that fact when nosy people tell us to stop drinking while using power tools. And when they point out that those farmers didn’t have power tools unless all that alien History Channel bullshit is true, we just point out that they didn’t have skin grafts either. Unless that History Channel bullshit is true.

But now that we have set the historical precedence for why this beer is both awesome and necessary, let’s get to the drinking:

This bottle is made by a bunch of hippies out in Westport on Massachusetts’ southern shore. But really, it could be made anywhere, because like their likely-gypsy ancestors, they don’t have a brick-and-mortar brewery yet, and instead travel around crashing on couches, stealing babies and generally brewing where they can. Still, the folks at Buzzards Bay Brewing Company in Westport are particularly kind, so that’s kind of home.

The Jack D’Or has a frothy white head with a slow fade over a pale gold, cloudy body not unlike a wheat beer, but heavier in carbonation than you might normally see. Light, with airy clouds of color, it really is a beautiful sight.

On the nose, the traveling gang at TheDC picked up on that sweet, tangerine citrus smell long associated with the most common versions of this style.

On the palate, the gang from the Pretty Things Beer Project have whipped up something wonderful: Hoppy and floral, the taste is sweet, sharp and refreshing, with an herbal background and a slight taste of honey.

This is for drinking before the cookout. Like, when the elite crew is there early. We would pair it with cigarettes, a BB gun and a thirst for fluffy carnage. Also, some sharp cheddar cheese.

At 6.4 percent ABV, the Jack D’Or has a higher alcohol content than the classic saisons of yore, and that’s a good thing. Available on tap and in 22 oz. bottles, keep your eyes open for this one. We picked up our 22 oz. for $6.50. And though it’s all kind of a blur after the ’70s, but we seem to remember finding pints for $5 cash.

Oh, and a good story: A few years ago at the American Craft Beer Festival, we took a halftime break — after the first three straight hours of beer — to get some fried clams. Well, a bunch of hippies looked a little annoyed at how sloppy we were on the porch of that old clam hut in the early afternoon. “Whatever,” we thought — those guys probably suck. Turns out that they were the folks behind Pretty Things beer and turns out they don’t suck at all. Oh well. We don’t regret a minute of that clam feast.

Opa-Opa Brewing Company’s IPA

The story of Opa-Opa is definitely known by some people, but we’ve spent the last decade or so operating off legend, and in true story-telling form, we’re going to pass that legend on to you: The guys are Greek cowboys who run a cowboy steal house in Southampton out in western Massachusetts.

And according to their website, this beer is brewed by a crew who “left their far away home and headed to the New World seeking fame, fortune and adventure. After days of travel, they arrived in the Pioneer Valley. Taken with its beauty and friendly natives, the fellows decided to settle down. Southampton was their new home.”

While we usually require more proof than simply non-contradictory statements, this is a good rumor and, in the Irish tradition, we’re not going to let the facts get in the way of a good drink.

With a medium-fading thick, white head over a light caramel body, the Opa-Opa IPA has a lovely light caramel body that bubbles slowly and without rush.

The nose is molasses-sweet and has strong notes of bread, but when you taste this pint is when our Stetson-rocking Greek buddies really come to bat.

Unlike so many IPAs, Opa-Opa’s creation carries a strong malt backbone, backed up the entire time by a spicy malt and hitting the palate hard. This beer really coats the tongue, leaving a lingering sweet, cereal malt flavor taste. And it’s 6 percent ABV.

Though it’s available on tap and in 6-packs, nothing beats a growler of this bad boy. What the heck is a growler? Well, it’s basically a hillbilly jug full of beer. Delicious hillbilly beer. A 6-pack goes for $9 — a growler for $8.

This is good cookout beer. For game time. Crush it with some burgers, sausages and heavy cigars.

Delicious beer news from TheDC

To celebrate the tenth anniversary of Stone Ruination Double IPA, Stone Brewing Company is releasing Stone Ruination Tenth Anniversary IPA which, as you may have guessed, loads even more hops and booze into this ridiculous bad ass. At 10.8 percent ABV and 5 pounds of hops per barrel, this looks like an adventure.

Brooklyn Brewery released the newest edition of their draft-only Brewmaster’s Reserve series: Brooklyn Gold Standard Export Kellerbier. In making “this robust, unfiltered pilsner,” the gang from New York made use of a “special yeast strain from our friends at New Glarus Brewing in Wisconsin.”

Harpoon Brewery released their latest in a lineup of limited-release beers: Harpoon Bohemian Pilsner, available in 6-packs and in their summer 12-pack mix.

On June 15 – 17, St. Louis is celebrating its 6th annual St. Louis Brewers Heritage Festival, including more than 20 breweries and over 80 different styles.

On June 24, Avery Brewing Company in Boulder, Colo. will release its 12th in the Barrel-Aged Series — the Oud Floris Barrel-Aged Sour Brown Ale. They’ll be selling a max of six bottles a person (at $8 a bottle) from the brewery starting at 4 p.m.

 

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