Beer: Schlafly American Brown Ale

SCHLAFLY AMERICAN BROWN ALE (St.  Louis, MO) - 3.75 (good)

St. Louis is a known as one of America's brewing centers (historically speaking, at least). Sure, the big player resides there, but there's also a pretty substantial craft beer scene in St. Louis. Spearheading that scene, and indeed pioneering it, is Schlafly Brewing. We here at Goatsden have enjoyed plenty of Schlafly's fine ales through the years, so we know to trust them.

Recently, the company added a canning line, and we're seeing some solid session ales come out of that. This American Brown Ale pours a caramel-amber, with a huge, oversized head of foam, and some thick, ornate, and detailed lace.

Nose is caramel and nuts. Very malty, and pretty well spot-on for a brown ale.

Taste is toasty and malty, with a hint of roasted nuts. I get a snappy hops presence at the finish. Overall, solid, but not world class. 

Schlafly site

"The Audacity Of Hops" by Tom Acitelli

"The Audacity Of Hops: The History Of America's Craft Beer Revolution" by Tom Acitelli (2013 Chicago Review Press, softcover, 6" x 9", 400 pages)

This is the (so far) definitive book detailing the burgeoning craft beer movement in the United States. Tracing roots back to England and Germany, but more specifically San Francisco, and Fritz Maytag's venerable Anchor Brewing, writer Acitelli covers every major element in the craft brewing industry up to today. Along the way, he succeeds in presenting interviews and viewpoints from all of brewing's major players -- Jim Koch, Sam Calagione, Charlie Papazian, Greg Koch, Kim Jordan, Ken Grossman, and plenty of others. If these names mean nothing to you, you simply aren't tuned into the craft beer scene, period.

Acitelli's writing is succinct, yet descriptive, and this story follows so many branches that any craft beer fan will find plenty of fascinating information on the formation of their favorite brewery. Not only touching on the "big guys", there are historical looks at New Albion, Boulder, F.X. Matt/Saranac, Buffalo Bill's, Pete's Wicked Ales, Alaskan, Weeping Radish, Brooklyn, New Glarus, Redhook, Odell, Magic Hat, Flying Dog, Lagunitas, Catamount, Harpoon, Mendocino, and tons more.

In short, "The Audacity Of Hops" is a top-shelf book that should be in every beer lover's library. As comprehensive as it gets, this is a truly enlightening read, and a joy to behold. Bravo!

Chicago Review Press

Distorted Memory - "The Eternal Return" CD

Dark Canadian electro

The third LP from Winnipeg-based artist Jeremy Pillipow, "The Eternal Return" is a pretty standard dark-electro-industrial release, complete with distorted vocals, sinister melodies, and plenty of sizzling sequencers. Compared to similar artists like early Leather Strip, Wumpscut, Suicide Commando, or Front Line Assembly, Distorted Memory hold their (his) own quite nicely.

"Throwing Stones" is as close to an anthem as this band get, combining smooth club sequences with cold, evil vocals. "Back Away" is retro-industrial that's smoothed over with clubby disco sounds. "Becoming Winter" is another standout, with throbbing mid-tempo analogue beats alongside Pillipow's cut-glass vocals. 

A solid work, if ultimately derivative of Europe's finer sequencer/electro acts.

Disciples Of The Watch

Forgiven - Alcohol Recovery Shot

Hangover cure?

So, given that I have been writing about alcoholic products (namely, craft beer) for years now, it's a given that I would sometimes be offered unusual and related products for my evaluation (and promotion). This is something different, entirely.

Advertised as an "alcohol recovery shot", and "alcohol metabolizer", Forgiven is a vitamin-rich, fruit-flavored shot to assist in what most of us term as "hangovers". Sure, there have been numerous claims in the past, usually from "snake oil"-type salesmen, to remedy the awful next-day sickness often associated with excessive consumption of alcholic beverages. Truth is, there isn't any true "cure", aside from not drinking so much in the first place!

So, that said, I did approach Forgiven with plenty of trepidation. And, to be truthful, Forgiven doesn't CURE hangovers. It's basically a super-rich (and sweet) shot packed with tons of vitamins B1 (10,000%!), B3, B5, and B6 (2000%!), plus a generous dose of Zinc. In effect, this mix does assist the body in the quicker metabolization of the alcohol, thus getting it out of the system quicker. So it may not all be "snake oil".

So, the question everybody REALLY wants to know. Does it work? Using myself as a guinea pig, I tried the several varieties of Forgiven in liquid shot form. First, I tried the "Tropical Punch" flavor, with an aroma like weird herbal "fruit". Poured a dark brown, like Jagermeister. Tasted alright, though it was very syrupy-sweet. I didn't take notes as to how much I had to drink beforehand, but the effects were minimal. Maybe I was more conscious of my condition, but nothing really happened. Strike one.

A different night, and after several good beers, I popped the "Orange Dream" -- tasting like a super-sweet orange sherbet. Not bad, but, again, a very weird taste. I did, this time, immediately feel a slight alleviation of my previously-existing headache. I'm still a skeptic, and aware that the mere power of suggestion is quite powerful, too, but this time maybe the Forgiven helped?

Finally, I tried the Grape version, this time after a night of several IPAs and some whiskey shots. I can't say I felt too bad the next morning, anyway, but I did pop the shot in the morning, and had nothing but a slight, dull, distant headache lingering, and absolutely no nausea or loss of appetite. 

My final conclusion? Forgiven isn't a miracle cure, by any means. It does, however, help a bit with the ill after-effects of alcohol consumption. I wouldn't, personally, trust in the stuff too much, and I definitely wouldn't do it often, but as a quick "pick-me-up", it's worth a try, at least.

Forgiven website

Cat Rapes Dog - "Life Was Sweet" CD

Swedish trash-electro

Sweden's kings of sleazy biker-rock-tinged electro have returned after a hiatus of 14 years. The 9 new songs here clock in at only 35 minutes, and I get a much more clubby, disco sound that I've heard in the past. Nonetheless, the same tongue-in-cheek humor and offensiveness are intact, as evidenced by the opening single, the solid EBM-groovy "God Hates Christians".

"Through A Glass Darkly" pumps up the dance vibes, with female vocals from Annelie Bertilsson (aka "Dannie Dudemeister"). The new-wavey "River Of Pain" is a fun diversion, while "Head Around" harkens back the the band's earlier, harsher  EBM-electro days. "A Thousand Years" closes out the album, unfortunately, on a pretty forgettable note. Overall, it's good to see CRD return, and "Life Was Sweet" fairly sums up their career, from harder electro to more synth-poppy disco cuts. Long-time fans will not be disappointed, and those looking for retro-electro with teeth will also be satiated.

ArtOfFact Records

Cat Rapes Dog site

AC/DC - "The Bon Scott Years" DVD/CD

Shallow and shameful cash-in

Ah, this is a really shady unlicensed set to be certain. The DVD features a few brief old Aussie TV interviews with the band and original front-man Bon Scott. There's very little insight or history here, at all. According to serious AC/DC fans, these clips have been available online for some time, rendering this one pretty well unnecessary. And the entire DVD runs for about 15 minutes. Shameful.

The attached CD isn't AC/DC at all, but early work from Bon Scott's pre-AC/DC days. Sure, serious fans may be curious to hear these 11 tunes, but as they are classic sixties-style pop (rather than bluesy hard rock), this may come as a big shock to fans expecting balls-out Bon Scott "rawk". 

All-in-all, don't be duped by this dubious set of "rare" AC/DC material.

Laser Media

AC/DC site

"Bruce Lee - A Warrior's Journey / In Pursuit Of The Dragon" DVD (director: John Little)

Well-done and respectful documentary set

This set of 2 Lee retrospectives/documentaries is deceptively packaged as if it were a pair of long-lost Bruce Lee movies. But, looking beyond marketing gimmicks, these really are interesting and worthy viewing for any fan of the martial arts master.

The first documentary is "A Warrior's Journey", and it showcases Lee's life story -- all centered around 33 minutes of unreleased footage from Lee's unfinished (and final) film, "Game Of Death". Director Little paints a vivid and loving portrait of Lee and his career through interviews, film clips, and photos, even getting as close as an extensive interview with Lee's widow (and mother of his children).

The second film here, "In Pursuit Of The Dragon", proves to be less interesting. Re-visiting the scenes from famous Bruce Lee movies, Little compares and contrasts the locales now, versus the some-40 years since Lee's passing. I'm afraid this is something only die-hard Lee fans will find of interest.

So, a solid set of Bruce Lee documentaries here, and a great gift for serious Lee devotees.

MVD Visual

Bruce Lee site