Um, obviously we're going to have a special YFD in honor of Maurice Hurst Jr.'s commitment to Michigan. Obviously.
It's been a while, and I really just needed an excuse to write about beer. But first, before we get to the beer, I'm really psyched about the Wolverines' new stud three-tech DT, and I'd like to suggest something excellent because I've also wanted an excuse to share these with you.
Michigan Faithful, I present to you: BeerMo. They come in several different colors, and look good on blondes (no, not Leffe, the kind that might actually love you back)
Well, Maurice, I'm going to call you Mo if that's okay with you, because it's awesome, and clearly the BeerMo is exactly right for you because your name is now also Mo. If I ever see you around town, which is likely because you're a massive human being, I will present to you one of these BeerMos. This is not a recruiting violation. I have no basis for the previous statement. Perhaps this is how Nevin Shapiro got started. Hey 7th Floor, did he ever write for y'all?
Whatever. Let's get to the good stuff - you have your excellent and meaningless bits of plastic, now go grab some beers to put them on. Here's what you should grab this weekend.
In honor of Mo, who hails from Westwood, MA, I've gone out and tried two beers brewed in the Boston area - both by Harpoon Brewing, because I've only ever had one Sam Adams I've liked enough to review. First up is the UFO Raspberry Hefeweizen, a great take on their fantastic regular hefeweizen that's perfect for where I'm currently sitting - on a deck by a grill. It's fruity and has hints of raspberry without being too cloying or sweet (unlike the Long Coast Raspberry I tried recently) and balances the fact that it's a raspberry wheat beer well with a nice bit of tang. I'd also recommend Schafly's version of this - it's also quite good.
If you're not in the mood for something fruity, I get it - I rarely enjoy fruit beers, tolerating Abita's glorified seltzer water only when it's super hot outside. Check out Harpoon's summer beer - it's pretty widely available, and is a bit less bitter than an IPA - again, good for being outside and drinking, something this summer will see a lot of me doing. This beer is really solid. Not Harpoon's best beer, but it's definitely the right beer for the season. I guess it's technically a lager, but it really doesn't taste like it. It's hoppier than that. As I don't particularly like IPAs, this is definitely my kind of hoppy beer. Just the right balance of sweet and bitter. Super crisp. Also: though I almost always prefer tap to bottles to cans, in that order, this beer is really good in a can. Who knows why, but if you can find cans, do it.
Welcome, Mo, and until next time - cheers, Michigan Faithful!