"Harpoon" news and stories

Until recently, if you wanted to slurp some of Triangle Brewing's spiced, thirst-quenching White Ale, you had to belly up to a bar and order a pint of the draft-only beer. But now, the Durham, North Carolina, brewery has taken a bold step by packaging its brews in cans, not bottles. Are the owners bonkers?

"There's a huge misperception that bottles are better than cans," cofounder Andy Miller told The News & Observer. For good reason. Cans have long been the domain of Budweiser, Miller and other big name brews that many beer connoisseurs consider dishwater drinks, leaving bottles to flavorful craft beer. It's a classier looking package, but as we've learned time and again: looks aren't everything. Aluminum cans offer numerous advantages over bottles. For starters, cans are better at warding off beer's biggest killers: light and oxygen, which make brews taste and smell like road-kill skunk. And that metallic tang that once plagued canned suds? Gone, thanks to flavor-saving linings.

Some brews, such as Guinness, shine in colder weather while others are more suited to the beachy crowd (ever seen a Corona commercial?). As per American craft beers, plenty of breweries have a summer seasonal in their arsenals, but these eight feature a whole slew of suds to keep you refreshed despite the heat waves (we listed our faves alphabetically).

8. Abita - Maybe it's the local swelter in which they were created, but Louisiana's Abita brews seem well-suited to any hot day, especially Purple Haze, Restoration and Strawberry Harvest -- as fruity as it sounds.

7. Bell's - Some say that spring isn't actually here until Bell's Oberon is released (a notion we far prefer to a neurotic groundhog) and their Two-Hearted Ale may be the best summer IPA in the biz.

6. Brooklyn - Sure, they offer a Summer Ale, but with year-rounds including a nice Weisse, a baseball-adorned Pennant Ale and a refreshing Pilsner, summer in Brooklyn is secure.

5. Harpoon - Harpoon has an aptly named Summer Beer made in the Kölsch style, but their UFO Hefeweizen garnished with a touch of citrus is one of the most drinkable American wheats on the market. The light, crisp Harpoon IPA is only mildly hoppy and is another winner.

The final four after the jump!

I'd like to think that in some small way beer geeks like my friends and I are to blame for this year's uptick in craft beer sales.

But I know that's a lie, since we usually stick to a few brands, Dogfish Head, Stone Brewing Co., Rogue, Harpoon, Heavyweight, etc. Aw heck, basically we drink any U.S. craft beer that's good, and available, on the East Coast. Of course, we've also been known to sample some fine non-U.S. brews, including Belgian Trappist ales.

Regardless of my crew's drinking habits the numbers speak for themselves. U.S. sales of craft beer grew 11 percent in the first half of this year compared with 2005, according to the Brewers Association.

Paul Gatza, a director of the group's professional division, says consumption "appears to be accelerating." Rest assured my friends and I will continue to do our parts to help aid this noble cause.

Source

As is often the case, I found myself perusing the shelves of a specialty beer store the other day when I spied a bottle of Harpoon Brewery's Kellerbier. No, the brew doesn't take its name from Chef Thomas Keller, but I'm pretty sure the man behind The French Laundry would appreciate it.

Kellerbier, as it turns out literally translates to cellar beer in English. The unfiltered, unpasteurized lager was first brewed by Germans in the Middle Ages. Harpoon's version is the 13th entry in the New England brewery's 100 Barrel Series. I couldn't wait to try it since the beers in this line are all made in batches limited to 100 barrels. Small-batch bourbon, sure. But small-batch beer, I could hardly contain my glee as I walked home with the bottle.

I'd never had a kellerbier before, but Harpoon's was fine as kind as they say in New England. The cloudy brew has few bubbles coursing through it, almost like a bitter. It pours with a delicate head, which in spite of its lightness leaves trails of Belgian lace on the glass. Aside from being quite refreshing and packing a nice little kick at 5.5 alcohol by volume it's delicious. There's not much pronounced malt flavor, but whatever hops they used gave it some mighty complex notes. I was reminded of sweet tea and orange. Further investigation is in order.