Sunday, December 27, 2009

Sunday Night Suds - Trader Joe's Bohemian Lager



This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Trader Joe's Bohemian Lager.

In late October I learned that a number of beer line would soon be coming under the Va'ad of Detroit, including the Kirkland (Costco) beers which are brewed at the Saranac plant in Utica and the east coast lines for many of the Gordon Biersch brewed beers including Joseph's Brau and Trader Joe's beers.

I started to look for the Trader Joe's beers but was largely unsuccessful. I soon learned that TJ's did not sell beer in Nassau County (the county I live in). The helpful bell ringing store clerks told me that they sold beer in the borough locations, but rather than chase rainbows, I emailed TJ's corporate and found out that the Trader Joe's on Court Street in downtown Brooklyn carried beer.

It took me quite a few weeks, but I finally made it to the Trader Joe's. Having visited the store I can offer three observations. First - parking in the area is very tough. Second - they really do have a great selection of beer at great prices and you can mix your own six packs or even buy a single bottle at the same price as if it was part of a six pack. Third - you need to go with a list of the kosher supervised TJ's beers, as there were quite a few that are not under supervision (to see a complete list, please click here - http://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2009/09/kosher-beers-semi-annual-kosher-beers.html.

One of the beers I picked up was the Trader Joe's Bohemian Lager. The beer pours a golden yellow and is more akin to a pilsner than a lager. I'm not sure what makes it Bohemian, but I have long since learned that the names that brewers give their brews can have little connection to their actual styles.

I found that the lager went well with Friday night's roasted chicken and spicy rice. The beer has some crispness and a decent level of alcohol (5% abv) and would be a good first step for someone looking to move from macros to craft beer.

Trader Joe's Bohemian Lager is under the Kosher Supervision of the Va'ad of Detroit, as are many other beers produced under the TJ brand. To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about Trader Joe's Bohemian Lager, please follow this link http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10707/21614.

As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.

If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).

If you have seen this post being carried on another site such as JBlog, please feel free to click here to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter up!

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