Tiger Beer

Tiger Beer
Asia Pacific Breweries, Singapore
Pale Lager Lager
5% ABV

You're getting pumped up for a Friday night, rocking out to "Eye of the Tiger". Your body's bouncing, and you're belting the words out at the top of your lungs. But this singing has made your throat dry and you REALLY need a beer. Why not pair this song with a Tiger Beer? Tiger Beer from Asia Pacific Breweries is Singapore's number one beer, and as far as macro-brewed Asian Lagers go, it's definitely one of the better ones that I've tried. Light yellow in color with fine bubbles, the beer is crisp, clean, and goes down smooth. The style is similar to that of a macro American Lager (think Budweiser) but it's got a fuller, more rounded taste. Tiger is dry hopped with a nominal amount of hops that add a little to the flavor.  The most noticeable distinction is a lingering sweetness towards the end. I happened to enjoy this sweet taste as it lets Tiger stand out from the pack and makes it more refreshing.

Would I take this over a Budweiser? I'd say yes, but at $8-9 dollars a six-pack I just don't think the taste justifies the price. Next time you're at an Asian restaurant, by all means order a Tiger. You'll enjoy it and it's likely better than the other options available. Plus, it's totally sessionable. But, if you're going to spend 8+ dollars on a six-pack, skip the macro-brewed lagers altogether.

- Kyle

Tiger Beer Testimonials:

"It grabs you and doesn't let go!" - Claude Balls

"Strong and decidedly untamed flavor!" - Roy Horn (of Siegfried and Roy)

"Chicks love it!" -Tiger Woods

[speechless] - Ethan Alive

Rowayton Pizza

Norwalk, CT
http://www.rowaytonpizza.com/

Rowayton, Connecticut is like a pre-op transsexual. It was born a part of Norwalk, but it’s never really felt like it belongs there. It belongs in Darien. You see, growing up, Rowayton always knew it was different. While the other neighborhoods in Norwalk allowed used cars, strip malls, and non-whites, Rowayton decided to call itself by a different name, devote itself to boating, and dress its residents in pink shorts with lobster decals.

In its heart, Rowayton has always been a part of Darien, and it breaks my heart to watch it struggle with its identity. It’s a sect of Norwalk badly in need of a “sects change” operation. So, now that I’ve pissed off transsexuals, people from Rowayton, people from Darien, and people who hate bad puns, let’s talk pizza!

At 7 o’clock on a Saturday night, FPB grabbed a handful of beers and headed down to the only BYOB pizza place in Fairfield County (at least to my knowledge), Rowayton Pizza. My razzing on Rowayton, of course, is all in fun; it’s actually a beautiful area with a very “small-town New England” feel to it. The downside, of course, is that parking sucks, so it took us 10 minutes to find a spot down some side street in front of someone’s house.

When we got to the restaurant, the parking situation was explained a little more clearly to us, as the line to get in was spilling into the parking lot. It would be over an hour before we were seated, despite the menu’s front cover assuring us, “There’s No Waitin’ at Rowayton!” It may be a cute rhyme, but it ain’t true.

Once we were seated, though, things began to run much more smoothly. After putting our now-warm beers on ice, we started with an order of fried calamari. It was lightly fried, crispy, cut into nice big rings and served with a side of tangy marinara. And with 5 of us eating it, it lasted about 3.8 seconds. Calamari, we hardly knew ye.

From there, I moved on to the Amalfi Drive pizza, a clam, bacon and garlic pizza with red sauce. It was well balanced; tangy, cheesy, salty, with plenty of clam flavor in every bite. The crust was a satisfying combination of crunchy and chewy…an excellent pie.

Another highlight of the evening was the price. The 16” large Amalfi Drive was just $15.75…I’ve seen seafood pizzas cost $20+ on multiple occasions. Add to that the fact that we were drinking our own beer from home, and that Rowayton doesn’t charge a stupid corking fee, and you begin to see that it’s one of the biggest pizza bargains in the area.

Our advice – either go early, or go late. If you get there at say, 5 pm, and beat the rush, or 8 pm, once it’s died down a bit, you can avoid that pesky one-hour wait and enjoy great, affordable pizza with whatever beer your heart desires. But if you choose to go at 7 like we did, well, that “No Waitin’ at Rowayton” slogan on the menu just may begin to sound like sarcasm.

Cheers,

Ryan

This burger could save the world.

You may have heard about the grilled cheese sandwich with the Virgin Mary's face on it, but what's so impressive about that? She's everywhere! Appearing in strange places is kind of her deal...

But this, my friends, is rare!  Ryan has been known to appear in McDonald's at least once a week, but never before has He been seen on the burger!  This is truly a message from God that Ryan must eat MORE cheeseburgers.  We all should!  

Obviously we're selling this burger on eBay.  That's clearly what you should do with any religious figure that appears in your food, right?  The Virgin Mary Cheese Sandwich fetched $28,000.  I think the McRyan deserves at least double that... there's both cheese and two "beef" patties in there! Just listen to what this burger can do:

• It can make any sized space smell like McDonald's for days.
• It will never go bad.
• It has the power to make hearts stop.
• It saved the world from the rapture a month ago.
• It can save the world again...

Please send all bids to Kyle. Serious offers only - no low-balling!

Guinness Foreign Extra Stout

Extra Stout
7.5% ABV
$9.49 for a 4-pack

Despite accounting for 45% of Guinness sales word wide, Guinness Foreign Extra Stout (FES) only made it to the United States within the last year.  This was good news for American beer drinkers as FES is a damn tasty brew.  At 7.5% ABV with loads more hops than the rest of the Guinness line-up, this beer was crafted to survive long journeys and harsh climates, hence the 'Foreign' part.  It pours black as the night with toffee colored mountains of foam on top.  But this is not that fine bubbled, pillowy foam you might expect from a typical Guinness.  FES is carbonated (like most normal beers), not nitrogenated like the standard Guinness Milk Stout.  There's no widget at the bottom of this bottle.

Put your nose over the beer and deliciously strong smells of coffee, caramel, and roasted barley rise up.  In your mouth the beer is full-bodied and rich with the tastes of everything you've just breathed in.  After the roasted malts comes a deep hop bitterness that lingers long after you stop sipping.  This lingering taste, the 7.5% ABV, and the ability to drink this beer at warmer temperatures allow you to take your time with this one.  FES is like a classic Guinness on steroids.

In a word you could call the overall flavor 'bittersweet'.