Sunday Night Suds - Jailbreak Brewing SLF Hazy IPA

 

This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Jailbreak Brewing's Special Lady Friend Hazy IPA.

On a recent trip to Maryland I stopped off at a Total Wine & Liquor to pick up some brews from the good folks at Jailbreak Brewing in Laurel, Maryland. I had a chance to visit the brewery and its tap room and came away very impressed (see post here for my thoughts on my visit back in 2015 - https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2015/01/sunday-night-suds-jailbreak-brewing-big.html).

If you read the LOC on the Star-K website you will see that there are many interesting varieties of Jailbreak beers, including some that are Star-D such as the Carrot Cake Conspiracy and Chocolate Coconut Porter. Unfortunately, most of the interesting brews are only available on site or by specialty keg order and even their mainstream canned brews cannot be found outside of the Beltway area.

The Special Lady Friend is bursting with juice and is reminiscent of pomelo. The beer gets its flavor from the Mosaic hops, but also has interesting spice notes which come from the "experimentation with various yeasts." (I don't get to see much of the Jailbreak in NY, so I don't know much about the experimental beers that the Jailbreak website is referring to). Still the 7% abv is not very present and there is not an overwhelming alcohol flavor. Although I had this beer after dinner tonight, I suspect that it would go well with spicy meat and poultry dishes.

Jailbreak Brewing Special Lady Friend IPA is certified kosher by the Star-K. To see the LOC for Jailbreak - click here https://api.star-k.org/api/Loc/LoadLoc/SEEDVZ8M (this will open in a new tab). For the experts take on this beer, please click here beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/34426/383975/.

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).

Finally, if you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Chaye Sarah

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

Rabbi Frand began the vort by quoting Bereishis 24:5 wherein the Torah states that Eliezer asked Avraham -  אוּלַי֙ לֹֽא־תֹאבֶ֣ה הָֽאִשָּׁ֔ה לָלֶ֥כֶת אַֽחֲרַ֖י אֶל־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֑את - maybe she won't go with me? However the Torah spells the word אוּלַי֙ without the Vuv. Rashi comments that it is spelled that way because Eliezer had a daughter and he had hoped that Yitzchak would marry her. Avraham put those dreams to rest, telling Eliezer in no uncertain terms that since Eliezer came from Canaan he was cursed and his daughter could not wed Yitzchak who was blessed.

However, despite this gut punch, Eliezer quickly went about his way to find a bride for Yitzchak. 

R' Frand quoted the sefer Arugas HaBosem which ties this story into a Gemara in Chullin which states that each creature was asked whether it accepted its form before it was created. The elephant was asked - would you like to be an elephant and he accepted it. So did the cockroach (for reasons I can't fathom).

Much in the same way, the earth and the heavens accepted their roles when Hashem created them. This can be seen in the word for earth being Eretz - it has the word Ratz (run) as the earth ran to do what Hashem asked it to do.

The Arugas HaBosem writes that Eliezer learned from the earth and quickly ran to perform his assigned task. This tie in can be seen numerous times in the parsha. By example when Eliezer is sworn by Avraham in Bereishis 24:3, wherein it states וְאַשְׁבִּ֣יעֲךָ֔ בַּֽיהֹוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וֵֽאלֹהֵ֖י הָאָ֑רֶץ. Later in the parsha where it states that Eliezer came to the well, Rashi teaches that the Eretz jumped for him.

R' Frand also quoted a pasuk from Tehillim which states that Hashem's eyes are on the Ne'emanei HaAretz. It does not call them the Tzadikim, but those of the land who will honestly do Hashem's work. 

R' Frand remarked that many times a person has a belief of what their tafkid should be - a law student may want to be a Supreme Court Judge, but winds up hearing disability appeals. A student in Beis Medrash may want to be a Rosh Yeshiva, but instead is a 6th grade Rebbi. The message is that Hashem places us where we belong and we need to run to do our mission, even if it is not glamorous, or what we dreamed our job would be.

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

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Vayera

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

In Bereishis 18:12 the Torah states וַתִּצְחַ֥ק שָׂרָ֖ה בְּקִרְבָּ֣הּ לֵאמֹ֑ר אַֽחֲרֵ֤י בְלֹתִי֙ הָֽיְתָה־לִּ֣י עֶדְנָ֔ה וַֽאדֹנִ֖י זָקֵֽן - Sarah laughed inside upon hearing that she would have a child. One of the classic questions about this incident is why did Sarah laugh?

The Seforno explains that Sarah did not know that she was hearing an angel speak. Instead, she thought that she was hearing the blessing of a Navi and she did not think that the blessing of a Navi was enough for her to become pregnant at the age of 90 as such a miracle was akin to Techiyas HaMeisim. Sarah then said to herself - the only way that a person of my age could become pregnant is through prayer - my own prayers. 

(R' Frand then said as an aside that if you were ask the average person, or even if you were to ask him which prayer was more powerful - the prayer or a Navi or the prayer of the person asking, he would say - the prayer of the Navi).

R' Frand then contrasted this with the prayers of Hagar and Yishmael later in the parsha. The Torah states in Bereishis 21:17 וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע אֱלֹהִים֘ אֶת־ק֣וֹל הַנַּ֒עַר֒ וַיִּקְרָא֩ מַלְאַ֨ךְ אֱלֹהִ֤ים | אֶל־הָגָר֙ מִן־הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַיֹּ֥אמֶר לָ֖הּ מַה־לָּ֣ךְ הָגָ֑ר אַל־תִּ֣ירְאִ֔י כִּֽי־שָׁמַ֧ע אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶל־ק֥וֹל הַנַּ֖עַר בַּֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר הוּא־שָֽׁם . In this incident, Hashem listened to the prayer of Yishmael and not Hagar and at this time, Hagar was righteous and Yishmael was already a Rasha. Rashi explains that the power of tefillah by a sick person about himself is more powerful than the power of an outsider.

It was for this reason that Sarah laughed - she knew that her own prayers would be more powerful than the blessing of the Navi (of course not knowing that the speaker was an angel relaying Hashem's word and not simply a Navi giving a beracha).

R' Frand then tied this into the minhag that a person should do "Atifas Yishmaelim" when he puts on a Tallis and makes a beracha - this constitutes wrapping the Tallis around the head with only the eyes showing.

But did you ever wonder why its called Atifas Yishmaelim? Why do we mention him of all people?

R' Frand answered by quoting R' Meilech Beiderman who explains that if a person believes that Hashem will not listen to his prayer because he is not a tzaddik, he can draw strength from the fact that Hashem heard Yishmael's prayers ... and he was a Rasha. 

R' Frand next quoted a Gemara in the end of Bava Basra which states that there were not Yamim Tovim for the Jews as festive as Yom Kippur and the 15th of Av. It us understood why Yom Kippur, since the Jews receive forgiveness on that date, but why the 15th of Av? It is because the Jews stopped dying in the desert on the 15th of Av in year 40. 

The Gemara relates that every year on the eve of Tisha B'Av those who were over 20 at the time of the Sin of the Meraglim would dig their own graves and lie in them. Every year, 15,000 people would not get up the next day and the graves would be filled in. But in year 40, they all woke up the next day...but they thought they must have miscalculated the date. So on the night of the 10th they went back into their graves and then again, they woke up the next morning. This continued every night until the 15th when they saw the full moon and realized that they were not going to die in the desert.

R' Frand quoted R' Chatzkel Levenstein who explains that every year before the people entered their graves, they prayed that they would get up the next morning, but the prayers were no 100% sincere. This is because each year they could look at someone else and say - he is more deserving to die than me. But in year 40, only 15,000 remained. They knew that they were the last of the people who had cried at the sin of the Meraglim and so they davened with 100% sincerity. This tefillah of the people for themselves was worthy of being answered.

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

Sunday Night Suds - New Belgium V2K IPA

This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at New Belgium V2K IPA.

Devotees of the fine craft brews originating from New Belgium are aware that they keep pumping out new varieties in the Voodoo Ranger series. This brew was included in a six pack can box which $11.99 in the better priced stores, but I was able to purchase a single. By my count, this is the thirteenth Voodoo Ranger that New Belgium has released. Previously reviewed Voodoo Ranger brews include:

Captain Dynamite IPA (reviewed at https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2021/04/sunday-night-suds-new-belgium-voodoo.html);

Higher Plane IPA (reviewed at https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2020/12/sunday-night-suds-new-belgium-voodoo.html);

1985 IPA (reviewed at https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2020/11/sunday-night-suds-new-belgium-voodoo.html);

Xperimental IPA (reviewed at https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2020/08/sunday-night-suds-new-belgium-voodoo.html); 

Starship IPA (reviewed at https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2020/05/sunday-night-suds-new-belgium-voodoo.html); 

American Haze IPA (reviewed at https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2020/03/sunday-night-suds-new-belgium-voodoo.html); 

Hop Avenger IPA (reviewed at https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2019/12/sunday-night-suds-new-belgium-voodoo.html); 

Juicifer IPA (reviewed at https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2019/11/sunday-night-suds-new-belgium-juicifer.html); 

Juicy Haze IPA (reviewed at https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2018/02/sunday-night-suds-new-belgium-voodoo.html); 

Imperial IPA (reviewed at https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2017/10/sunday-nigh-suds-new-belgium-voodoo.html); 

Atomic Pumpkin IPA (reviewed at https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2017/10/sunday-night-suds-new-belgium-voodoo.html); and 

the first - the Voodoo Ranger IPA (reviewed at https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2017/02/sunday-night-suds-new-belgium-voodoo.html).

The newest addition to the Voodoo Ranger series is a hop forward, major juicy IPA. The hop bite comes from Cascade, Centennial, Citra and Simcoe. The malts are interesting because in addition to the Pale and Caramel malts, there are also White Wheat and Malted Oats. 

The juiciness of the IPA is a cross between grapefruit and some other citrus that I can't put my finger on. The alcohol content is only 6.8% abv which is low on the Voodoo Ranger scale, but there is a decent alcohol flavor which I presumed that if I had more than one of, I would not be in driving condition.

This beer went well with stir fry, but the flavor profile would be even better with charred steak.

The New Belgium Voodoo Ranger V2K IPA is under kosher supervision by the Scroll-K/Va'ad of Denver, and their symbol is on the bottom of the mix twelve pack can box. However, not every brew produced by New Belgium is under kosher supervision, so look for the Scroll K on the six pack holder or box when considering purchasing any NBB product. Many of the "sours" such as the Peach Kick which was released over the summer cannot be certified kosher.

To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about New Belgium Voodoo Ranger V2K IPA, click here https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/192/547062.

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, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Lech Lecha

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

In Bereishis 12:8 the Torah states וַיַּעְתֵּ֨ק מִשָּׁ֜ם הָהָ֗רָה מִקֶּ֛דֶם לְבֵֽית־אֵ֖ל וַיֵּ֣ט אָֽהֳלֹ֑ה. Rashi explains the Kri-Kesiv (as אָֽהֳלֹ֑ה is actually pronounced as if it ended with a Vuv) by stating that Avraham first pitched his wife tent (which would end in a Heh) before pitching his own tent.

R' Frand quipped that when he travels in the car he has a similar minhag. He always puts his wife suit bag on top of his own, because if his suit gets wrinkled no one will notice, but if his wife's dress gets wrinkled she is going to need an iron.

R' Frand quoted R' Eliyahu Mizrachi who explains that this Rashi is unique in that in no other place does Rashi put the Kri before the Kesiv. He explains that Rashi derived this from the Gemara in Kesuvos which teaches that a man is obligated to put his wife's honor ahead of his own. 

R' Frand noted that there is an additional Gemara in Kesuvos which teaches that if a man wants to beome rich, he should honor his wife. R' Frand tied this into the story of Avraham leaving Egypt laden with livestock, silver and gold as discussed in Bereishis 13:1-3. Rashi comments on the words וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ֙ לְמַסָּעָ֔יו in Bereishis 13:3 that when Avraham went down to Egypt he was so poor that he had to borrow money to get there, but on the way back he stopped off at each inn to repay them. Why? Because since he honored his wife, he became wealthy and could now pay them back.

R' Frand said a second vort on the dialogue between Lot and Avraham. The Torah writes in Bereishis 13:7 that there was a  רִ֗יב between Avraham's shepherds and Lot's. But in the following pasuk, Avraham tells Lot אַל־נָ֨א תְהִ֤י מְרִיבָה֙ בֵּינִ֣י וּבֵינֶ֔ךָ וּבֵ֥ין רֹעַ֖י וּבֵ֣ין רֹעֶ֑יךָ. Why did he use a different form of the word?

R' Frand quoted the Shelah who explains that a fight can be just a small quarrel, but if left alone, it can fester and grow to become an all out war. Avraham did not want the quarrelling between his shepherds and Lot's to grow into a war between them, so he offered to go in whatever direction was the opposite that Lot went. In so doing, he even offered to go to the north if Lot wanted to go to South, although this would have meant that he would not have been able to go to Har Habayis.

R' Frand remarked that we see from this that sometimes its better to give up divrei kedusha vs getting into a fight. He invoked the classic scenario where people argue over getting the Amud (or Maftir) when multiple people have yahrtzeit. Better to give up the kibud and honor the niftar, than to cause pain and strife.

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

Early Friday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Noach

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha last evening. [Due to the beautiful wedding of the young talmudical scholar's sister last evening and construction on the Throggs Neck Bridge and the Southern State Parkway, we only got home on the wrong side of midnight]. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

In Bereishis 8:11, the Torah states וַתָּבֹ֨א אֵלָ֤יו הַיּוֹנָה֙ לְעֵ֣ת עֶ֔רֶב וְהִנֵּ֥ה עֲלֵה־זַ֖יִת טָרָ֣ף בְּפִ֑יהָ - when the dove returned there was an olive leaf in its mouth. R' Frand quoted the Medrash Tanchuma in Tezaveh which states - just as the dove brought light to the world, so should the Jews bring light to the world by lighting the Menorah with olive oil.

But why does the Medrash describe what the dove did as "bringing light to the world?" It might have been hope, or a sign of life, but why light? 

R' Frand answered by quoting the Maharal Diskin who cites a Gemara in Menachos which writes that the olive leaf has a special quality - it is extraordinarily strong - its leaves don't fall off in wind or rain. Additionally, olive leaves don't sink - they float on the water and don't disintegrate. The Maharal Diskin explains that when the dove brought the leaf back, he was teaching a lesson - Hashem created the olive leaves this way so that when Noach sent the dove out after the flood there would be something for the dove to eat. The leaf was created this way in Bereishis so that the dove would have food. This is the light - Hashem created the olive leaf this way so that the dove could teach Noach that Hashem prepared the world so that it could give every living creature what it needs.

R' Frand quoted R' Melech Biderman who recounted a story about a boy in Williamsburg on a fire escape who was building a sukkah when the ladder started to shake and he grabbed a pole from the fire escape, but it cracked and he fell six stories to the ground. The boy's mother immediately called Hatzalah, but when they came to the yard, the boy got up and walked on his own. It turned out that the building's committee had hired someone to trim the shrubs and trees earlier. They had been adamant that the worker clean up the debris and that they would not pay him until he finished the job.

He never cleared away the debris...and that was what the boy fell on. Hashem prepares what we need, even before we know it!

R' Frand then said another vort based on the word טָרָ֣ף which Rashi translates as the dove grabbed it. R' Frand quoted the Modjitzer Rebbi who asks - why not translate it as food, as טָרָ֣ף also means this? He answers this that although the dove taught Noach a lesson that Hashem prepares in advance, the dove did not get it. Why did she grab bitter olive leaves, instead of looking for something good to eat? She looked around for something to eat and grabbed this, but she could have just eaten something better! 

R' Frand quoted the Kotzsker Rebbi who cites a gemara in Bava Metzia about two people who find an object - one jumps and falls on it and the other picks it up afterwards. We learn that halachically it belongs to the other. The Kotzsker explains the reason why in a drush - if you find something, you should believe that Hashem gave it to you for a purpose and take the time to pick it up. By falling on it, you show that you are worried that you are not going to get it, therefore the person who does pick it up in the normal fashion becomes the owner. 

R' Frand tied this into a set of pesukim in the end of Bereishis wherein it states that Noach lived 500 years before he had children. All the others who came before him had children when they were "young", but Noach who was a tzaddik did not have children for many years. Why? Because if they were born many years before, Noach would not have been able to protect them from becoming like all the other people who died in the flood. Because they were born when Noach was already 500, he was able to prevent that from taking place.

R' Frand closed by saying that Hashem prepares everything for people in advance and even if it may seem bitter at the time, it is what we need.

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

Sunday Night Suds - Samuel Adams Festbier Lager

This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Samuel Adams Festbier Lager.

The Festbier Lager is the kid on the block included in the Samuel Adams "Sweater Weather" fall mixed box. The pack includes three bottles of each style, including the Boston Lager (reviewed here https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2013/04/sunday-night-suds-samuel-adams-boston.html); Octoberfest (reviewed here https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2018/10/sunday-night-suds-samuel-adams.html) and the Jack-O Pumpkin Ale.

Much to my chagrin, the Young Rabbinical Scholar has become partial towards the unflavored beers, but at least he appreciates the finer beers beyond macrolagers. As such it was not a surprise that he liked the Festbier when we served at multiple Shabbos meals. Although the beer is a lager, there are strong malt notes with a bit of spice. There also is a not unwelcomed alcohol flavor, possibly from the 5.8% abv. But even with the higher alcohol content, this beer has the typical lager color and works well with cholent. If you pick up, feel free to post your pairings in the comments below.

The Festbier Lager is under the Kosher Supervision of the Star-K and has a Star-K certification mark on the label. To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about this brew, please follow this link - https://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/35/562205.

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).

Lastly, if you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!