Will Samuelson
Author of the poetry collections Growing Up in Sacramento and Romantically Pessimistic. Available for freelance writing and editing requests. Click on the email icon below for inquiries. Click “books” above for my author page on Amazon. Click “blog” to read some of my writing.
@willsamuelsonauthor
Book Talk
All discussions are spoiler free
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The biggest snub from the New York Time’s best books list
The New York Times recently released a list of the best books of the 21st century(so far).
Some of the choices were great. Some of them I can’t understand why they’re so highly rated.
I will say it’s clear what the biggest snub from the list is: Tommy Orange’s 2018 novel There There.
I read that book several times in college. I went to hear Tommy Orange speak at the public library in San Francisco.
I cannot believe There There didn’t make the list. The character work, the story, the prose, it’s all incredible. And it’s an important story.
Not to mention, it was popular. Popular enough that it should’ve been mentioned by the New York Times.
What it’s like to get copies of your new book in the mail
I recently got my first copies of my second poetry collection, Growing Up in Sacramento And Other Poems. I’ll say this: the thrill of getting your book never really goes away.
I’m particularly proud of the cover design on this one. I did the cover illustration and design.
I also like that I was much more focused in this book than my last. Romantically Pessimistic was largely a collection of random thoughts about random topics. Growing Up in Sacramento is focused mostly on a single topic, and it’s a personal topic for me.
I wanted to portray Sacramento in a way that I haven’t seen done before. In the rare event of storytelling based in Sacramento, it’s usually portrayed as a quirky place, a place that’s not so good, but worth it because there’s a lot worse.
That’s not the way I see Sacramento. Sacramento is actually pretty great, and not just by comparison. Hopefully I’ve managed to portray that sentiment.
My in-progress novel is also based in Sacramento, by the way.
I hope everyone enjoys this little poetry collection as much as I do.
Who is the greatest living American writer?
Me, of course.
Just kidding.
I get asked for my favorite writers quite a lot. And though we should never forget about the classics and their staying power, there is something so wonderful about engaging with writers who are still alive.
There are so many talented writers today? But who’s the best? Let’s make a case for a few different ones.
Colson Whitehead
The only living writer, and one of only four in history, to have won two pullitzer prizes for fiction. The first Pullitzer was for The Underground Railroad in 2016. The Underground Railroad is undeniably an excellent novel, taking the structure of Gulliver’s Travels to create a mediation on systemic racism.
Whitehead’s second Pullitzer was for The Nickel Boys in 2019, one of my favorite novels. It is a fictional story based on a real and horrifyingly abusive reform school in Jim Crow era Florida. Whitehead’s prose is as close to perfect as it gets in this novel, and the story is heartbreaking and powerful.
I’m also a big fan of Whitehead’s Harlem crime books, Harlem Shuffle and Crook Manifesto. And I’m very excited for the last book in the trilogy.
Anthony Doerr
Anthony Doerr won a Pullitzer for All the Light We Cannot See in 2014. I remember reading All the Light We Cannot See my first year in high school. Though I was too young to fully appreciate Doerr’s mastery of his craft, years later I would read his 2021 novel Cloud Cuckoo Land, which made me realize the extent of his mastery.
A master of historical fiction and of interwoven plot lines, Anthony Doerr is an amazing novelist.
Stephen King
I’ve read more of Stephen King than of any other author, period.
It, The Stand, The Dark Tower, Misery, Pet Sematary, The Shinning, Salem’s Lot, Under the Dome, and oh so very many more.
The power of King’s storytelling is unmatched. The more you read by him, the more you appreciate it. I’d also argue that some of his more recent books are very underappreciated, like The Outsider, Doctor Sleep, and Billy Summers.
Thank you Sai King. Long days and pleasant nights.
Lucy Foley
I’ll admit, this is a more controversial choice. I’ll also admit that I’m only on my second of her novels.
But she is winning me over, very quickly.
Literary snobs and academics like to sneer down at mystery and thriller writers. Like, a lot. I think the point of these books is not to challenge prose standards, but to tell a story. In terms of storytelling, it may be the purest genre out there. And Lucy Foley is a master storyteller.
I’m reading The Paris Appartment right now, and it is such a killer(no pun intended) book.
The Verdict
In reality, there are so many great writers today, that choosing the best among them is impossible. These are only a few of my favorites.
The Big Four
By Agatha Christie
Published in 1927
other Christie books I’ve read: And Then There Were None, Death on the Nile, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, The Moving Finger, Murder on the Orient Express, The Murder on the Links
It’s not always easy to read Agatha Christie.
Although she was fairly progressive for her time, it should not be ignored that she still sometimes employed racist, xenophobic, and antisemitic language.
There is racist language in The Big Four toward asian people. Publishers today have decided to walk the line between updating some of Christie’s language for modern audiences and maintaining historical accuracy.
Although some people will deride this as Orwellian(George Orwell, by the way, is probably the most misunderstood and misrepresented writer in the world today), I think this is a good thing.
The Big Four is a bit of an odd story. Rather than a contained murder mystery, here Poiroit and Hastings are going up against a global crime organization called the Big Four. The stakes are much higher than the typical Christie story. It’s an exciting story, even if it is not a typical Christie one.
The strengths of The Big Four include the return of Hastings, the pacing, and the shaking up of the typical Christie format.
Author Discussion: Khaled Hosseini
Khaled Hosseini is one of my favorite authors of all time.
Best known for The Kite Runner, Hosseini has written three full length novels and one illustrated poem. His books deal with topics including war, gender discrimination, and the Taliban. He’s also a humanitarian: his charity The Khaled Hosseini Foundation does a lot of work for refugees and for the people of Afghanistan.
I remember very clearly when I first stumbled upon The Kite Runner. I was in a thrift store in Petaluma, California. I was twenty-one years old. I saw a copy of The Kite Runner, bought it, forgot about it, and finally read it about six months later, after I had turned twenty-two.
And it changed my life and my writing.
Here are my thoughts on all of Hosseini’s books.
The Kite Runner(2003)
The Kite Runner is one of the greatest debut novels ever. It rightly launched Hosseini to literary fame. It is a sprawling epic taking place in decades of Afghanistan’s history. Hosseini’s character work is amazing, his prose is rich, and the story is both devastating and haunting.
At its core, this is a redemption story. It is also an important book which helped Western audiences emphasize with the people of Afghanistan during the War on Terror.
A Thousand Splendid Suns(2007)
A Thousand Splendid Suns is the greatest novel I’ve ever read. Nothing else has even come close. It takes place within the same span of history as The Kite Runner, telling the story of two women living in Afghanistan. It deals with topics including war, spousal abuse, and mysogyny.
If The Kite Runner is a very sad book, A Thousand Splendid Suns just devastates you. There are sentences and scenes that are forever etched in my mind.
It is often risky for a man to write a story about women and gender issues. But Hosseini does it perfectly.
And The Mountains Echoed(2013)
And The Mountains Echoed is different from Hosseini’s first two books in format. It switches point of view and has a much larger cast of characters. It also takes place around the world.
The story begins with the horrible separation of a brother and sister. The book follows the echos of the separation across decades, across the world, and across generations.
And The Mountains Echoed is further proof of Hosseini’s talent as a writer and storyteller.
Sea Prayer(2018)
Sea Prayer is a short, illustrated poem. Hosseini wrote it in response to the photograph of Alan Kurdi, a three year old Syrian refugee who drowned in 2015 trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. Hosseini donates all of the author proceeds from this book to the UNHCR and The Khaled Hosseini Foundation.
The book is written from the perspective of a father talking to his child as they wait for a boat to take them across the Mediterranean. The father reminisces about Syria before the war, laments that his son has grown up in conflict, and affirms his devotion to his son.
Dan Williams also provided beautiful illustrations for this book.
The Murder on the Links
By Agatha Christie
Published in 1923
other Christie books I’ve read: And Then There Were None, Death on the Nile, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, The Moving Finger, Murder on the Orient Express
I’ve always loved a good mystery.
I’ve read some Arthur Conan Doyle, as well as some modern mystery writers. I like Doyle, and I think that there are a lot of talented writers publishing in the genre today.
But Agatha Christie just hits different.
I read my first Agatha Christie when I was thirteen years old. It was And Then There Were None. It was one of the first real “adult books” I read. For a seventh grader who loved to read, this was exciting. And nine years later, as a twenty-two year old who still loved to read, I was delighted to rediscover Christie.
As you can see from the list above, most of the Christie novels I’ve read(with the exception of The Moving Finger) have been the more famous ones. I’ve recently decided to dive into some of the lesser known ones. This is my way of telling you to expect more posts on Christie to come fairly soon.
The Murder on the Links is a very entertaining read. Despite its title, it has very little to do with golf. Instead it takes on a classic Agatha Christie scene, at a manor house in France whose rich owners happen to be building a golf course on the property. Like most Christie novels, it mostly takes place within this one setting.
There are a couple elements that stand out, like Monsieur Giraud, a rival detective to Hercule Poiroit. Giving Poiroit someone to compete with humanizes him and makes him feel much more rounded. It’s a genius move, given that Poiroit, like Sherlock, is not always the most likable character. What also stands out is that Hastings gets a love interest, making him the human anchor of the story.
Of course, there are the typical plot twists and red herrings that make Christie so fun to read. This may not be the greatest book she wrote, but it is very entertaining and definitely worth reading.
Did Deadpool and Wolverine give the MCU New Life? Or does this signal the end?
I will be entirely honest with you: Deadpool and Wolverine was the first MCU film I’ve seen in theaters in years. I’ve kept up with some of the movies and TV shows since Endgame, but not all.
Me losing interest in the MCU is partially due to its increasingly mixed quality, but it’s mostly because of how toxic the internet trolls have become. They ruined Star Wars, do they have to ruin Marvel too? Because at the end of the day, I’ll still watch a superhero movie even if it’s not great(and let’s be honest: they’re popcorn movies most of the time). But I don’t have the time or energy to put up with these people online.
From the way many of these “fans” talk, it’s pretty obvious that they are at least partially motivated by hatred against women and people of color, who are rightfully being featured much more in these projects. The same people who mention the supposed “lack of originality” in Marvel also whine about how they want more movies about white men, the kind that we’ve seen a thousand times.
I don’t do spoilers in these reviews, but I will say that the best joke in the whole movie targeted the internet itself. It’s pretty hilarious, and definitely accurate.
I don’t think the MCU is dying. To answer the question I posed in the title, this is the start of a new life for Marvel, and I’m very excited to catch up and see what they do in the future.
Has House of the Dragon officially surpassed Game of Thrones?
I managed to get all caught up on House of the Dragon after a couple weeks out of town without internet. I’ll say this: season 2 has been incredible so far. I’ll mention just for context that I’ve read the five main books of A Song of Ice and Fire, but I haven’t read any of the prequels.
One thing that the tv version of Game of Thrones never quite captured was George RR Martin’s emphasis on morally grey characters. There aren’t really “heroes” in the main book series. Jon Snow, for example, is a much more nuanced, not always great person in the books.
The original television show really did fall into a “good side vs bad side” format by the end. And as we’ve been reminded with last week’s episode of House of the Dragon, there aren’t really a whole lot of good people in Westeros.
House of the Dragon is also doing a much better job with world building. We’re getting a much better sense of the culture of Westeros, particularly in regard to the Targaryens and their dragons.
Hopefully they’ll keep a consistent quality through the end of this one.
Goodfellas
Released: 1990
Director: Martin Scorsese
Oscars: Best actor in a supporting role(Joe Pesci)
Plot: A crime epic based on a true story.
Review
When I was in high school, I went through a big phase of mob movies.
But until today I never watched Goodfellas. I couldn’t tell you why, but I can tell you that I wish I would’ve watched it sooner.
There’s nothing I can say about Goodfellas that hasn’t been said a million times. It deserves all of its praise and then some.
I will leave you with some quotes, because this is an incredibly quotable film.
“We were goodfellas, wise guys.”
“What the f*** is so funny about me?”
“To me, being a gangster was better than being President of the United States.”
“For us to live any other way was nuts.”
God, what an amazing movie.
Society of the Snow
Released: 2023
Director:J.A. Bayona
Oscars: Best international feature film, Best makeup and hairstyling
Plot: Based on the true story of a plane that crashed in the Andes in 1972, and the passengers’ attempts to survive.
Review
Last year was a great year for movies, wasn’t it?
Killers of the Flower Moon, American Fiction, Oppenheimer, and Barbie are all outstanding. Society of the Snow deserves to be mentioned with them.
This is a very well-made film. What stands out, besides the makeup and hairstyling which won an Oscar, are the cinematography and sound design.
The shots of the Andes are equally beautiful and haunting. A few standouts include the sun rising over the mountains and the stars visible in all their majesty over the snowy peaks. After all, the Andes are the film’s brutal and unforgiven villain. And the cinematography plays a huge role in conveying this.
In regard to sound, the film excels in silence. On several occasions, loud scenes of panic are instantly followed by eery silences. The contrast is as unsettling as it is captivating. And the frequent pauses in the middle of the dialogue highlight the power of the writing and the actors’ delivery.
The film is equal parts disturbing, inspiring, and unbelievable. Society of the Snow almost perfectly presents this mix, without falling into clichés. It is a must watch.
Grateful Dead/Jerry Garcia
Click here for live stuff
Jerry Garcia Week
July 29-August 2, 2024
This Thursday, August 1 is Jerry Garcia’s birthday.
In honor of the greatest guitarist who ever lived, I’ll be spending a fair amount of time this week talking about Dead albums and a few good Dead bands in Northern California. The music and spirit live on.
In the Dark(1987)
In the Dark was the twelfth studio album by the Grateful Dead, their first studio in six years. The most famous track here is “Touch of Grey,” though my personal favorite is “Throwing Stones.” Outside of “Touch of Grey,” there’s a lot of great deep tracks on this one.
In many ways, In the Dark feels like the anti-Dead Dead album. For a band usually associated with tie-die shirts and hippies, this album is pretty aggressive and pessimistic. Just check the lyrics.
Musically, the band is great here, though it sounds a lot different from other Dead studios. Take Jerry’s playing on “Hell in a Bucket.” For a guitarist known for being reserved, here he is much less so. There is an urgency here that matches the record thematically.
I’ve said for a long time that the percussion section of the Dead were always underrated. Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzman both played a huge role in propelling the Dead’s music. The drums in “When Push Comes to Shove”(and on the whole album) have an amazing rhythm. They’re groovy and unique, and they’re the standouts on In the Dark.
In the Dark showed that the Dead were capable of pushing boundaries, even decades after their formation as a group.
American Beauty(1970)
Hell, I’ll do another one. I’m having fun.
American Beauty was the fifth studio album released by the Dead.
A lot of well-known tracks on this one: “Box of Rain,” “Friend of the Devil,” “Sugar Magnolia,” “Ripple,” and “Truckin” are all famous amongst dead heads.
There’s something overwhelmingly reassuring about American Beauty. Maybe that’s just the nostalgic thinking of someone who was raised by two dead heads. But I do think that, personal feelings aside, there is a beauty and niceness to these tracks. Even in “Friend of the Devil” which is far from a positive subject, there is still a gentleness.
If In the Dark is the great anti-dead album, then American Beauty is arguably one of the greatest “classic” dead records. Everything you’d want from a Dead studio album is here. And nothing beats driving down an empty highway with “Truckin” on the stereo.
Anthem of the Sun(1968)
I’ll keep going, why not?
Anthem of the Sun was the second album by the Grateful Dead.
And it is so very 60s. Which is to say weird, but in a good way.
There are only five tracks on this record, and none of them could be described as well-known. Most of them are long: the longest one lasts eleven minutes.
Musically, Anthem of the Sun is very experimental. It exemplifies the importance of the “vibe” when listening to the Dead.
Anthem of the Sun is not a polished album. In fact, parts of it sound pretty messy. But that’s part of the appeal. The Dead was never about perfection: it was about letting the music guide itself, about the spontaneity of it all. And there may not be another Dead album that shows this like Anthem of the Sun.
Stella Blue(1985)
The Grateful Dead released 13 studio albums.
And they officially released 167 live albums.
However, the official live releases don’t include bootleg albums by dead heads. The dead let fans tape live shows since most of them would just trade the records rather than sell them. These days, Dead and Company often films their owns shows for their Youtube channel.
This is a recording from a show at Spectrum Arena, in Philadelphia on April 8, 1985. It was sort of difficult to figure that out, since there are no dates anyway on the actual album or sleeve. Took a little digging, but I was able to find that out.
In case you want to try to find it, here’s the track list:
Side One
Revolution
Hell in a Bucket
A Touch of Grey
Side Two
Estimated Prophet
Eyes of the World
Drum Solo
Side Three
Space
Going Down the Road
Side Four
Stella Blue
Around and Around
Lovelight
Like most bootleg dead records, it doesn’t have the greatest sound. But that’s kind of half the fun.
I love the Beatles cover that opens the album. And Going Down the Road and Stella Blue are two of my favorite dead songs. They also really hit a groove overall that night.
I should mention that I don’t endorse filming shows without other bands’ permission. But taping Dead shows was a huge part of the culture of the live shows, and it is fun to listen to these.
Gotta Hear it Live, Man
Where do people go to hear Dead bands in Sacramento?
I’m so glad you asked.
There’s some places that regularly have Dead bands. I’ll ignore Bay Area venues for now, given how difficult it is to get them, but of course there are so many over there. The Dead came out of San Francisco, after all. Here’s a couple places I like to see Dead bands closer to Sacramento.
Sac Yard Community Tap House
This place is great. In the past few years, it’s come to fill a great need for live bar music in Sacramento. And the bands they get are really great. Currently they don’t charge a cover for their live music, though the place sometimes fills up. They also have an excellent selection of beers on tap, and they now have regular food.
There’s a guy named Todd Gardener that plays Dead music here pretty regularly. He’s fantastic-check him out if you live in the area.
Rushtaller Farm
This place isn’t in Sacramento proper: it’s in Dixon. But it’s well worth the drive. It’s really not that long anyway. The space is quite lovely, and feels nice and removed. They make their own beer, and they’ve got food trucks. I usually bring a lawn chair/blanket, since the place is popular and tends to fill up when there’s music. They usually don’t charge a cover for the music.
Two excellent musicians, father and daughter Joe and Hattie Craven play here a lot, and they both play a lot of Dead music. I like the various bands they play with.
There’s lots of other great music venues in the area, but these are the two where I find it’s generally easiest to hear the Dead.
David Bowie
Album Talk
Hunky Dory
1971
Track List:
Side One
1. Changes 2. Oh! You Pretty Things 3. Eight Line Poem
4. Life on Mars? 5. Kooks 6. Quicksand
Side Two
1. Fill your Heart 2. Andy Warhol 3. Song for Bob Dylan
4. Queen Bitch 5. The Bewlay Brothers
Hunky Dory was the fourth album released by Bowie. It’s part of an amazing creative output, released between The Man Who Sold the World in 1970 and The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars in 1972.
What makes this album magical is Bowie’s lyrics, his unique singing style, and the band. Bowie was a master at pushing artistic boundaries, and nothing reflects this inclination more than his lyrics. And his singing style was very unique. Find me anybody else who sings like that. And the other musicians here are quite good. Mick Ronson was Bowie’s best guitarist(see “Queen Bitch”), and Trevor Bolder’s trumpet playing stands out.
There are plenty of opportunities here to dance. “Changes,” “Oh! You Pretty Things,” “Kooks,” and “Queen Bitch” are fast-paced. With the slower songs, the pacing on the album is very good.
My favorite songs on this record are “Oh! You Pretty Things,” “Life on Mars,” “Kooks,” “Andy Warhol,” and “Song for Bob Dylan.” And of course, “Changes” is amongst the most popular songs of Bowie’s entire career.
Hunky Dory is a great and often overlooked Bowie Record.
Queen
Album Talk
Sheer Heart Attack
1974
Track List:
1. Brighton Rock 2. Killer Queen 3. Tenement Funster
4. Flick of the Wrist 5. Lily of the Valley 6. Now I’m Here
7. In the Lap of the Gods 8. Stone Cold Crazy 9. Dear Friends
10. Misfire 11. Bring Back that Leroy Brown
12. She Makes Me(stormtrooper in stilettoes) 13. In the Lap of the Gods(revisited)
I’ve always loved this one.
It’s starts playful with “Brighton Rock.” Before any instruments, there are carnival sounds. The circus feeling comes back in “Bring Back that Leroy Brown.” The childlike sense is reflected in the lyrics as well, like when Freddie Mercury joyfully sings “playful as a pussycat” in Killer Queen.
Freddie is one of the greatest singers of all time, and he sounds as great on this album as any.
Brian May also really shines on this record. His solos on Brighton Rock and Stone Cold Crazy are some of his best.
Of course, all the dramatic flare you expect from Queen is here. I’m not sure any other band could record “In the Lap of the Gods” without sounding egotistical. But with Queen, it’s just part of the appeal.
“In the Lap of the Gods” appears twice on the album. The second time feels different. It seems that the aloof child in “Brighton Rock” has become a regretful adult. The first time, “In the Lap of the Gods” sounds like a young adult reveling in life. Since the song starts the record’s B side, we might consider this half of the album to be about adulthood, whereas the A side is about childhood. When revisited at the end of the album, the song sounds melancholic. Perhaps this change signifies life’s end.
Catchy, smart, and emotional: this is a very underrated album from one of the greatest bands ever.
Why I still love Motown in 2024
I spent a few summers in college in Northern Michigan. I once got the opportunity to visit Detroit.
Detroit of course, is the birthplace of Motown.
My obsession with the music of Motown started a long time before then. The first time I ever saw a real musical was a play about the history of Motown. And I was instantly in love. For some time, it was the only music I wanted to listen to.
It’s shocking that so many Americans don’t recognize the greatest record label in our history. They’ll recognize the names, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, the Jackson 5, the Supremes, and others.
But they’ll blink in confusion when you say “Motown.”
Much has been said before about the history and context of Motown. A black owned record label in the 1960s, as white record labels either left black artists out or let them in for the sake of exploiting them. Motown was incredibly important for our culture.
Musically, What’s Going On is one of the greatest albums ever created. Marvin Gaye is one of the few singers that ever achieved complete perfection in his technique. And Stevie Wonder is one of the greatest writers and performers in the world. And despite the controversey around Michael now, there is no denying the cultural significance of the Jackson 5.
And there are so many others, too many to even discuss.
I hope we’ll give Motown the respect it deserves.
Beer
Some Favorite Sacramento Breweries
Fair Oaks Brew Pub
Nestled in Fair Oaks village near Sunrise Blvd and Fair Oaks Blvd, this is a gem of a local brewery. They don’t have a huge selection of taps, but the taps they do have are excellent. They also have really good pizza, and their prices are reasonable. It usually packs a crowd, and has nice indoor and outdoor seating with a pleasant ambiance.
Favorite Beer: Hammer IPA
Mattie Groves
This is one of the most fun breweries to check out in Sacramento. It’s pretty new, having opened within the past year. They make great beer, they have games to play, really cool tables, and music nights. Plus you can order food from Old Soul coffee company next door.
Favorite Beer: Hound of Culann
Urban Roots
I love their beer and I love their food. Urban roots is both a brewery and a smokehouse, so if you like barbecue, this is the place to go in Sacramento. Plus, it’s in a really fun space with good vibes.
Favorite Beer: Like Riding A Bike
Device
They have a couple of locations. I’ve only been to the one on R street, at ice blocks. They make really good beer. They don’t have regular food, but they typically let you bring food in, and it’s R street so there’s plenty to get nearby.
Favorite Beer: What the Haze?
Fort Rock
This might be cheating ever so slightly, as Fort Rock is in Rancho Cordova, not Sacramento proper. But I have to include this one because they make wonderful beers. And Rancho Cordova is not that far away.
Favorite Beer: Patagonia Pale Ale
Porchlight
This is an East Sac brewery, not far from Sac State. One of the things I appreciate about Porchlight is that they switch up their draft list fairly frequently. They don’t have regular food, but there are often food trucks, or they usually let you bring food in. So grab some tacos from Chandos down the street and go have a pint.
Favorite Beer: Hard to say, it’s always changing!
Beer Review
Beer: Hanalei
Style: Island IPA
4.5%, 40 IBU
Made By: Kona Brewing Company
From: Kona, Hawaii
Here’s one of the most unique tasting IPAs I think I’ve ever had. Typically, when we think of “fruity” IPAs, we think of citrus. Hanalei is brewed with passionfruit, orange, and guava. It makes for a very interesting flavor combination. And by IPA standards, this is not too strong at all. Very delicious, and one of my favorite Kona beers.
Beer Review
Beer: Golf Cliff
Style: IPA
7.2%, 50 IBU
Made By: Kona Brewing Company
From: Kona, Hawaii
If you like balanced IPAs, this one’s for you.
I tend to like an IPA somewhere between balanced and bitter. Sweet ones aren’t really my thing.
I love this one. It has a very straightforward flavor. The pineapple is very obvious, but doesn’t overwhelm.
Kona makes great beers. I’ve been a fan for years.
Beer Review
Beer: Hoptimum
Style: Triple IPA
11%, 75 IBU
Made By: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
From: Chico, California
First, let me say that I am thinking of all the people in and around Chico right now. The news is very difficult to watch. Everything with this fire breaks my heart. Chico is a great town. Like all Californians, I’m extremely grateful for all of our firefighters.
I’ve been lucky to visit Sierra Nevada before. I hope to go back again once this fire is over.
Sierra Nevada is rare in the sense that it is one of the largest craft breweries in the Country, and yet it doesn’t feel commercialized. I’ve lost track of how many of their beers I’ve tried, and each one has been a joy to drink. The brewery itself also has really good food.
Hoptimum is a very strong beer. And it’s very, very hoppy. It tastes very fine, and very good.
Beer Review
Beer: Original Premium
Style: Lager(Bavaricum)
5.1%, 14 IBU
Made By: Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan
From: Freising, Bavaria, Germany
Prost!
I love German beer.
It’s difficult to explain to people who may not drink a lot of different beers, but sampling beers from different countries is extremely fun. And, as I’ve said before, you never really know a culture unless you’ve tasted its food and beer.
This is a very light beer. It is a no nonsense lager, which tastes refreshing in the summer without being too sweet. It goes down very smooth and is easy to drink.
They also claim to be the oldest brewery still operating in the world.
Beer Review
Beer: Made in Sac
Style: West Coast IPA
6.2%, 30 IBU
Made By: Device Brewing Company
From: Sacramento, California
Device Brewing is one of my favorite breweries in Sacramento. They have a few locations in town. I’ve been to the one at Ice Blocks. Ice Blocks is a section of shops, restaurants, and bars that opened in 2016 on R Street, which has become popular with young people.
Device is a very fun brewery with great beer. This IPA is easy to drink, but it also packs a little bit of a punch. There’s hints of fruit, but they’re not excessive. It’s smooth, tasty, and an enjoyable drink.
Beer Review
Beer: Key Lime Gose
Style: Sour Ale
4.7%
Made By: New Glory Craft Brewery
From: Sacramento, California
I have a complicated relationship with sour beers. They’re not typically my go to style. But I will drink them occasionally. And this one is good. It has a very light taste, very drinkable and refreshing. You mostly just taste the lime. It’s like a sour version of a Corona. Here’s a beer that goes down smooth and leaves a nice aftertaste.
I’ve never visited the New Glory taproom, but I’ve had several of their beers on tap and also in cans. They make very good beer, and I like that they are also experimental with what they brew. It’s beer that is worth checking out.
Beer Review
Beer: Hazy Hop Goblin
Style: Hazy IPA(Northeast)
7.0%, 33 IBU
Made By: Fort Rock Brewing Company
From: Rancho Cordova, California
Anyone who knows me personally knows that craft beer is one of my passions in life. And this is an excellent beer from an excellent brewery. It is a somewhat, but not excessively sweet beer, with the perfect thick texture you should expect from a hazy. It also has a slightly dry, pleasant aftertaste. And it is also a very high quality beer that tastes fresh.
