Amber Waves of Beer

Mike Paulus |

With the release of its first year-round brew since 2006’s love-or-hate Sunset Wheat, the Leinenkugel PR department is really hitting the GO LOCAL button by offering it “exclusively in the Chippewa Valley” a month before it flows to the rest of Wisconsin (and nationally) in March. So on February 2 at exactly 2:15pm, Jake Leinenkugel his-own-damn-self will tap the first keg of “Leinenkugel’s Classic Amber” at a yet to be announced pub. And then from 7-9pm at the Bridgewater Pub in the Avalon Hotel, Mr. Jake will be whooping it up at a kind of launch party (the public is invited to both events).

Classic Amber, huh? Sounds a bit familiar, to me. Unfortunately, I’ve always thought Ambers to be the “light” version of a Red, both in color and taste. (I know Ambers and Reds are traditionally different kinds of beer, but both of Leinie's versions are lagers). And Leinie’s even had an “Amber Light” a few years back that I thought was pretty tasteless. All that junk said, I know I’ll give it a shot.

While I really like most of Jacob's year-rounds, my wife brought me home a 6-pack of the current seasonal – 1888 Bock – a few weeks ago, and I was disappointed. Anyone else been drinking it? (Besides him?)

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