This was a GREAT day, a great gathering! I was travelling to a Microbrew Beer Party that was being thrown by a friend and his friend. The host place was the home(apartment) of my friend's friend and I arrived as the food they had was being set-up. The invite I received said it was going to be a microbrew beer tasting party with a buffet-style food table and approx about 20-25 people, for the cost of $35.00. Sign me up!

So, upon arrival there was just that; a food table with snacks; chips, pretzels, dip, veggies and also pasta, roast beef, and salad. Of course their was house beer, soda, water, and juice, and a pamphlet of the evenings events and/or beer tastes. Their were 17 samples to be tried and each sample was about 4 ounces. Sounds easy, huh?

Well, for those that do not know microbrewery beer is usually stronger than your average liquor store beer(Coors, Bud, Miller, etc) in liquor content and total that is about 68 ounces of beer, in 2 hours or so. IT WAS FUN! Not only was the event a great time for gathering, talking, socializing, but it offered an experience for everyone there. For the two who hosted it and knew so much about microbrews, took the time to gather these samples, and then share the drink and information about the choices, they educated everyone. They also got to learn, I'm sure, that not everyone understands the difference between microbrews and average beer. The ingredients, the time, the quality of the product is so much different, so much better, and a unique experience each time. To taste vanilla, coffee, chocolate, in a beer and enjoy it TOO MUCH, is a GREAT feeling, Thank you guys!

For those who attended, we learned so much about beer; the taste, the essence, the time it takes to build a GREAT product. The knowledge received most probably will change our beer drinking habits for life and that is a great thing. For education and/or the knowledge of somethings' existence is a GREAT gift. So, salute, cheers, bottoms up, and ENJOY with GOOD HEALTH! Check the beer list, review, and information below of ALL 17 MICROBREWS !!!!!!!!!!

Here are ALL 17 microbrew beers from the party that we tried. It was a real FUN event, a GREAT gathering that left me dizzy for a day! Thanks and Cheers! Enjoy the list!

1. STOUDTS BAVARIAN HEIFER in WHEAT - Style: Hefeweizen - This is a south German style of wheat beer (weissbier) made witha typical ratio of 50:50, or even higher, wheat. The yeast in this produces a unique flavor of banana and cloves with an dry and tart edge, some spiciness, bubblegum or notes of apple. This has little hop bitterness and a moderate level of alcohol. The "Hefe" prefix means "with yeast", hence the beers unfiltered and somewhat cloudy appearance. This is often served with a lemon wedge(popularized by Americans) and poured into a traditional Weizen glass. The average alcohol by volume ranges from 4.0-7.0% and this is commercially known as a Bavarian Style Wheat Beer.

2. 1809 BERLINER WEISSE (GERMANY) - Style: Berliner Weisse - "1809" is a very traditional interpretation of the "Berliner Style" Weisse with an intense blend of tartness and complex fruitiness. It is bottle-conditioned with lactobacillus delbrueckii, unfiltered and unpasteurized. "1809" will age beautifully in a dark and cool location. "1809" is fermented in traditional open fermenters and horizontal lager tanks. "1809" has a alcohol volume of about 5% and was the beer identified by Napoleon and his troops as "The Champagne of the North." Although, Napoleon requested that the beer be served with syrup to cut its extreme level of acidity.

3. SOUTHAMPTON PUBLIK HOUSE DOUBLE WHITE (NEW YORK STATE) - Style: Witbier - This is a "double" version of the classic Belgian style white ale. It has what's great about white ales but witha little more of everything. It is made with unmaltedwheat, extra pale barley malt, and flaked oats. Spiced withcoriander and orange peel, they also add Nugget and Mt. Hood hops. This comes in at about 6.7% in alcohol by volume and this can go great with flavorful cheeses, summer salads, sushi, and other seafood.

4. JAN DE LICHTE DUBBEL WIT (BELGIUM) - Style: Witbier - Jan De Lichte was an infamous robbers' chief at the end of the 18th Century. The beer was developed only very recently (May 2005). As it is brand new it does not even have a label as of yet and it was first introduced to the public during a two-day beer Festival in early June 2005. Jan De Lichte is a wit beer but following ancient tradition they use four grains in their beer: barley, wheat, oats, and buckwheat. Jan De Lichte is the only Glazen Toren beer to which spices are added, following the Belgium tradition of wheat beer brewing. The use of coriander and curacoa makes this to be extremely fresh and citrus-like in taste. The rather higher alcohol percentage of 7.5% indicates that this is just more than a thirst quencher!

5. BALADIN SUPER SOUR 2005 (ITALY) - Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale - With an alcohol volume of 8% and pale in color, you can either expect a hidden or spicy alcohol experience. A complex, yet powerful ale and delicate with big rounded flavors and a great tartness.

6. BROOKLYN LOCAL 2 (NEW YORK CITY) - Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale - The alcohol can be deceivingly hidden or can be very bold and in your face due to the 8.20% alcohol by volume. You will taste lots of complexity in this beer with a delicate palate. This can be spicy and full of alcohol. Enjoy!

7. FOUNDERS DIRTY BASTARD (MICHIGAN) - Style: Scotch Ale - This is Founders flagship beer and Dirty Bastard is an absolute beautiful beer to behold. It is dark ruby in color and brewed with ten varieties of imported malts. This beer continuously lives up to its reputation as a bold and powerful ale. Dirty Bastard is complex in the finish with hints of smoke and peat paired with a malty richness, finalized with a good bit of attitude. This beer is not for the little guys, it is 8.5% in alcohol volume.

8. VICTORY PRIMA PILS (PENNSYLVANIA) - Style: German Pilsner - This pale lager has heaps of hops giving it a bracing, herbal bite over layers of soft and smooth malt flavor. This refreshing combination of tastes makes Prima a classy quencher in the tradition of the great pilsners of Europe. This is dry and delightful and an elegant beer that should be poured in a great glass. With a 5.3% alcohol volume it will go sown smooth! Cheers!

9. GREEN FLASH Le FREAK (CALIFORNIA) - Style: Belgian IPA - This Belgian Style IPA is an "out of the box" convergence of beer styles where American Imperial IPA meets Belgian Tripel. The end result is a zesty brew with enticing American hop and Belgian yeast aromatics that lead you to delicious malts and a complex layering of hop flavors that quench and refresh your palate. With a 9.2% percent alcohol by volume I would be careful on how much you quench with!

10. LONG TRAIL IPA (VERMONT) - Style: English IPA - This is a "REAL" IPA as it was first brewed in the days of the British Empire. The first IPA's were unfiltered and featured extra hops and higher strength as a preservative for the long trip from England to the colony of India. This traditional IPA is naturally carbonated, dry-hopped, and unfiltered like the old days. A nice 5.9% alcohol volume makes this easy to drink!

11. SCULLERS IPA (WASHINGTON STATE) - Style: American IPA - With an alcohol volume of 5.5-7.5% this IPA is moderate to medium bodied with a balancing malt backbone. It is full of Northwest hops with a rich and fruity backbone. Salute!

12. SOUTHERN TIER GEMINI (NEW YORK STATE) - Style: American Double/Imperial IPA - High in the winter sky, two parallel stick figures are visible & known as "The Twins," or the constellation Gemini. The astronauts of the 1960's flew as teams of two in a program named after the celestial pairing. At Southern Tier, they have their own fraternal twins, Hoppe & Unearthly. Blending together & placed in this vessel, the mission of Gemini is to travel high & take passengers on a journey far into the heavens. With a alcohol volume of 10.5% you can easily reach a star or two! This is robust, malty, alcoholic, and has a great hop profile. Drink with GOOD health!

13. BROOKLYN MONSTER ALE 2007 (NEW YORK CITY) - Style: English Barleywine - Despite the name, a Barleywine (or Barley Wine) is very much a beer, although a very strong and often intense beer! In fact, it is one of the STRONGEST of the beer styles. With a 10.8% percent alcohol by volume(ABV) it has a magnificent burnished copper color, an aroma similar of sherry, citrusy hops and fruit flavors, a soft, warming complex palate, and a spirituous finish. Brooklyn Monster Ale is a classic barley wine, a style of ale originally brewed by the butlers of English and American aristocracy. It is a vivacious beer when young, but it will age gracefully for many years to become a more complex beer over time. This pairs great with food such as: cheeses, ice cream, flour-less cakes, creme brulee, and good cigars! Be safe but Enjoy!

14. WEYERBACHER 12 (PENNSYLVANIA) - Style: American Barleywine - This 12th anniversary brew is a Rye Barleywine that has 10.2% alcohol by volume. It is made from 50% Rye Malt and 50% Barley Malt making this strong ale extremely viscous. The rye adds a tantalizing note of flavor on the palate with a hint of tartness you've come to expect from Rye. This is slightly warm when it is young, but the beer will age very well, perhaps 5 years or more. The guess of its' peak range is 1-2 years old with 3 and 4 years old not far behind. Be sure to save some in your collection!

15. STONE SMOKED PORTER (CALIFORNIA) - Style: Smoked Porter - Stone Smoked Porter is a dark, rich, and complicated beer. A porter is substantially darker than a pale ale, but not as quite as black or opaque as a stout. The Stone Smoked Porter has a deep mahogany color, complimented by a silky dark tan head. This is rich, full bodied, and robust. This beer has smooth chocolate and coffee like flavors that are balanced by the subtle "smoky" character of just the right amount of peat-smoked specialty malt. This is terrific with meats and desserts, has a alcohol volume of 5.9%, uses Columbus and Mt. Hood Hops, and was first released in December of 1996. Tasty!

16. FOUNDERS BREAKFAST STOUT (MICHIGAN) - Style: American Double Imperial Stout - The American Double Stout gets some inspiration from the Russian Imperial Stout and they are very full-bodied beers with rich roasted flavors far surpassing normal stouts. The Founders Breakfast Stout is truly a coffee lovers dream. This phenomenal brew is brewed with an abundance of flaked oats, bitter and sweetened imported chocolates, and Sumatra and Kona coffee. Breakfast Stout has an intense fresh roasted coffee nose topped with a cinnamon colored frothy head that seems to never fade and makes you wish breakfast could last forever. Very TASTY!

17. SOUTHERN TIER CREME BRULEE (NEW YORK STATE) - Style: American Double Imperial Stout -This beer is a dessert in a bottle. With dark caramel malt, vanilla bean, lactose sugar, Columbus kettle hops, and Horizon aroma hops, this is as close as you can get to Creme Brulee in alcoholic drink form. This beer has a alcohol volume of 10% and you will really like this dessert in a bottle. This beer is dark black with a great size tan head and tastes like it smells. It is very complex, very sweet, and has caramel, vanilla toffee, burnt sugar, roasted malts, chocolate, butter cream/butterscotch and coffee flavors. WOW! It has moderate carbonation and a little syrup flavor. If you like sweet dark chocolate caramel sugar beers, this is IT! It is totally as advertised, "Creme Brulee". Bottoms Up!

--Thank YOU, Be Safe, Enjoy, Cheers, Salute, and GOOD HEALTH!

--Always, Respect, Peace, and One Love; Christopher Amsterdam