Topa Topa Brewing Dos Topas Lager Beer Review

If you have seen my review of El Sully from 21st Amendment, Dos Topas Lager from Topa Topa Brewing is a similar “Mexican style” lager but much better. Topa Topa Brewing is a Southern California craft brewer with headquarters in Ventura and taprooms in Ventura, Ojai, Camarillo and Santa Barbara. I have been to the taproom in Santa Barbara, which is located right around the corner from the Figueroa Mountain taproom in the Funk Zone.

Dos Topas Lager has a low 4.5 ABV and 12 IBU but a "Very Good" 86 rating on Beer Advocate. In comparison, El Sully was rated 79 or “Okay.” Dos Topas describes the beer much like 21st Amendment described El Sully, with an emphasis on summer and the beach:

“The summer sun dips low. You brush the salt from your skin after a long day of ocean swims and sandy beach towel naps. Now, your reward: you sink into your hammock with a Dos Topas in hand and let the cool, crisp taste wash over you. So tomorrow, when those warm sunshiny rays crest the mountain peaks, you'll be ready for round dos.”

Dos Topas lists tasting notes as Cracker, Maize & Crisp.

Despite the similarity to El Sully, I much preferred Dos Topas Lager, which was both very drinkable and more robust in taste.

Visit Topa Topa Brewing

21st Amendment El Sully Beer Review

El Sully is a “Mexican-style” lager from 21st Amendment Brewery, which is a highly regarded craft brewery with a brew pub in San Francisco and a taproom in nearby San Leandro, CA. It has a relatively low 4.8 and 19 IBU. 21st Amendment describes El Sully as “A crisp Mexican-style lager with light notes of spice from Northern Brewer hops.”

I tried El Sully because I generally like Mexican lagers and consider 21st Amendment to be a good brewery. But the beer was disappointing. It was fine as a drinkable lager but nothing special. I’ll drink what I bought but would not buy it again.

21st Amendment promotes the beer as “Who is El Sully? Grab a can of this Mexican-style lager, head to the nearest beach, even if it’s imagined, and perhaps he’ll come to you.”

Sounds like you’re paying craft beer prices for a Corona.

El Sully Ingredients

Malts‍
Pilsner Malt, Flaked Maize, Vienna Malt, Flaked Barley, Acidulated Malt

Hops
Magnum, US Golding

Wellbeing Hellraiser Dark Amber Non-Alcoholic Beer Review

Wellbeing Hellraiser Dark Amber proves that you can’t judge a book by its cover. I was looking at the non-alcoholic beer section at Total Wine and More and this beer caught my eye because of the “Dark Amber” name. If you have seen my Figueroa Mountain Danish Red Lager review, then you know I like red ales and lagers.

I had never heard of this brewery or this beer so I quickly looked it up and found some decent reviews. Despite the fact that it came in a plain aluminum can with a wrap around label that in some cases wasn’t even affixed straight and had creases, I picked up a 4-pack.

I was not disappointed. This may be my new favorite non-alcoholic beer. It has a more robust taste than most I have tried and a surprisingly low 33 calories. It is also listed at 0.3 ABV, the one time I have seen an actual ABV on a non-alcoholic beer rather than “less than 0.5%.”

Wellbeing is based in St. Louis and describes Hellraiser as “This hop-forward amber has the perfect balance of floral aroma and spicy hops to delight the palate of craft beer enthusiasts everywhere.”

Wellbeing Hellraiser is a great choice when you consider the taste, low calories and minimal alcohol.

Guinness 0 Non-Alcoholic Beer Review

Guinness 0 is a non-alcoholic version of Guinness. It has the same nitro widget to create a soft foamy texture, a low IBU of 28, and about 70 calories in a 14.9 oz. can. But don’t be fooled by the 0 in the name. Beers have to have less than 0.5% alcohol to qualify as non-alcoholic, and the Guinness 0 can even says “less than 0.5% alcohol.” So despite the 0 in the name, it may have a small amount of alcohol, like all non-alcoholic beer.

The bottom line is if you like Guinness, you will probably like Guinness 0 as a non-alcoholic alternative. If you don’t like Guinness, it is not likely that you will like Guinness 0.


Guinness 0 Non-Alcoholic Beer

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The Funniest Comedy Show I Have Seen

I have never laughed as hard as I did recently at Orny Adams' Stand-Up show at Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club in Las Vegas. What made this show so great? I estimate that 75% of the show was ad-libbed, with Orny interacting with and making observations about the crowd, including their clothes and the food they were eating.

I also recommend Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club which was a comfortable place to see a show, not too large, reasonable prices for Las Vegas and not pushy on the alcohol.

Orny Adams has a significant presence on most social media platforms with full length shows and highlight clips. I recommend that you check them out even if you can’t make it to one of his shows.

Visit OrnyAdams.com

Modelo Especial Beer Review

I have no interest in politics and none of my videos have any political bent. On my previous video about Figueroa Mountain Danish Red Lager, one viewer commented about Bud Light being a better beer and then viewers commented about Bud Light being for liberals and Sam Adams for right wingers. This is all nonsense to me. All I care about is what a beer tastes like. I don’t drink Bud Light, I do drink Sam Adams and normally I wouldn’t drink Modelo Especial despite it now being the best selling beer in the country. However, one day we bought a six pack of cans to make beer can chicken. This is where you shove a half full beer can up the chicken’s backside and grill it. It’s pretty tasty and I’m sure you can find recipes from others. One night I was low on beer and decided to try a Modelo. It wasn’t terrible. It’s light and refreshing and better than most inexpensive mass market beers. I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy it again but it served its purpose. So that’s it. Focus on the beer you like and forget the politics.

Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. Davy Brown Ale Beer Review

Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. has four tasting rooms in Southern California. I have been to the one in Santa Barbara, which is located in the “Funk Zone” downtown and is a great place to try their beers. It has an outdoor covered area and live bands and is adjacent to Lucky Penny, which has great pizzas. You can order from Lucky Penny right there and they will deliver it to you.

Davy Brown Ale is one of my favorites. The beer is described as rustic, mocha-colored ale with notes of caramel, chocolate, and coffee. I find it goes great with burritos and a lot of other food but is not that good by itself as an afternoon refresher. It has a 6.7% ABV so it packs some punch but a relatively low 35 IBU. It has won a lot of medals at beer festivals over the years.



Visit Figueroa Mountain Brewing