Dapper Scout – A lifestyle web magazine for men

When we’re taking down a six pack of beer, the last thing we’re contemplating is its nutritional value.  But leave it to the Abita Brewing Company, located just north of New Orleans, to brew a beer that happens to incorporate a key ingredient packed with antioxidants.  Abita Purple Haze (available at Internet Wines & Spirits starting from $10) is a crisp wheat beer that adds raspberry puree after the filtration process, resulting in a singular lager with the coloration, bouquet and taste that was made for summer imbibing.  With just the ideal hint of raspberry (without being overly sweet), Purple Haze perfectly pairs with after-dinner desserts and fruits, as well as being just as refreshing on its own no matter the meal, time of day, or season for that matter.

Beer, Eat & Drink

Hobbies centered around the home come in various forms (most of which don’t interest us in the least) and often involve some type of DIY construction or plumbing (things that require quite a bit of effort, with mixed results to show for it).  The Brooklyn Brew Shop DIY Kit (available at Brooklyn Brew Shop starting from $40) changes everything.  Founded by Stephen Valand and Erica Shea, the Brooklyn Brew Shop provides aspiring or experienced homebrewers with the means to begin or further develop the one DIY hobby we can get behind without any reservations.  Their kits (available in both one and five gallon capacities) include a glass jug, all the necessary accessories to brew, including a stopper, thermometer, tubing, etc, and your choice of mix, ranging from Chocolate Maple Porter to Holiday IPA to our favorite: the Black & Tan (which appropriately includes a pouring spoon).  And taking into consideration the limited amount of space most urban dwellers have (especially those of us in New York), the Brooklyn Brew Shop DIY Kit takes up less than one square foot of space, making it the ideal home hobby to take up, requiring minimal space and effort, but in return providing maximum pleasure.  Mmm.  Beer.

Beer, Eat & Drink, Loft

When we hear the words “cast iron,” we usually think about cooking.  We don’t think of beer or Buddhist temples.  Crafted in Takaoka, Japan (where 17th century metal workers once produced religious items for Buddhist temples), the Cast Iron Wrench Bottle Opener (available at Design Within Reach for $30) exemplifies how the most unlikely of historical origins can perfectly translate to present day design.  The tradition of craftsmanship lives on in the Cast Iron Wrench Bottle Opener, providing you with a little bit of heft and a lot of brio for the next time you’ve got to open up a bottle of beer.

Beer, Eat & Drink, Kitchen, Loft

With the recent Star Trek reboot helmed by J.J. Abrams, even non-Trekkies found something to love about exploring strange new worlds and seeking out new life forms and new civilizations (and casting Zoe Saldana as Uhura certainly didn’t hurt either).  With a chrome finish and the registry numbers NCC-1701 printed on the hull, the Star Trek Enterprise Bottle Opener (available at ThinkGeek for $20) will facilitate your own ongoing mission to boldly seek out (and imbibe) bottled beers from all over the world—a worthy endeavor for fanboys (as well as the fangirl in your life).

Beer, Eat & Drink, Goin' Retro, Kitchen, Loft

As of late, we’ve been drinking beer.  And lots of it.  But not in terms of quantity as much as how frequently it’s become our beverage of choice, regardless of food pairing, location or occasion.  More than ever, we can appreciate and savor the complexity of flavors, whether bold or nuanced, present in the beers we’re drinking today.  And there’s one beer we’re exceptionally looking forward to experiencing (its superlative title alone warrants our curiosity).  With a 25% alcohol content by volume, the Samuel Adams Utopias Beer (available at Internet Wines & Spirits for $600) is officially the world’s strongest beer ever brewed.  Using smoked malts, several yeasts (including the same one used for champagne), and four types of Noble hops, the Samuel Adams Utopias is aged in Scotch, Cognac and Port barrels, imparting some highly unusual tasting notes for a beer, with deeply rich flavors and subtle undertones of fruit.  This limited edition ale is exclusively brewed, blended and aged in the Boston Brewery and comes in a collectible copper-finished brew kettle (absolutely fitting for such a singular beer).

Update: we stand corrected.  Though there may be stronger beers out there, it doesn’t in any way diminish our intrigue over the Utopias.

Beer, Eat & Drink

Brewed by the Kiuchi Brewery in Japan, Hitachino Nest White Ale (available at Grand Vin for $4 for a 12 oz bottle) is simply one of our favorite beers.  Light golden in color with nuanced flavors of orange peel and coriander, Hitachino Nest White Ale is a refreshing, Belgian-styled wheat beer that’s perfect for the warm summer months, but also great year round. If you’re lucky enough to find a bar that serves it, you should do everything you can to snag one of the elusive “beehive” Hitachino pint glasses we’ve been trying to get our hands on (legally, of course).

Beer, Eat & Drink