Brandon Van Meter

It’s great to be back.

Spring Break ’08 has come and gone. Many of you took trips and saw the world. Don’t worry, poor saps like myself held down the fort in Brookings in your absence.

For a while, I was used to the laid back attitude of Downtown Brookings, being able to find ample parking and plenty of seats at the bar.

Although, it was a good respite, especially since seeing the mob downtown after an entire day of partying during Pub Crawl was astounding. I got down to Skinner’s around midnight, and it was still packed. Anyway, I’ll be sure to have more to say online. Here are this week’s reviews:

Samuel Adams’ White Ale – Grab It

Belgian white ales are in vogue for the college student seeking fruity refreshment without sacrificing taste. Molson Coors’ Blue Moon line has grown incredibly over the years, mostly for highlighting the style’s smooth, fruity flavor.

However, the makers of Samuel Adams products, Boston Beer Company, are answering back to the bludgeoning market. Its seminal spring seasonal, White Ale, was released over Spring Break, much to the joy of this reviewer.

Sometimes the sweetness of Blue Moon and its offshoots can be overpowering. I’m usually worried about cirrhosis when I drink my beer, but diabetes? Plus, the fear of “gut rot” is always a valid concern.

The taste of this seasonal is very similar to its more popular cousin but features a much sharper, more defined flavor. The fruitiness of other White Ales takes shotgun to other flavors. Overall, there’s more carbonization and less beating around the bush with this beer.

Sam Adams’ White Ale is a good balance of the sweet ease of other Belgium White Ales-all with a little bite and a lot less baggage. For someone that literally shoves beer down his throat (i.e. Me), it makes for a great night.

Available at Hy-Vee.

Coors Brewing Company,

Golden, Colo.

312 Urban Wheat – Skip It

Previously, I referred to pale ales as “liquid death.” Normally metallic in taste and horrifically disgusting in execution, pale ales are my kryptonite.

Americans have embraced this questionable style of beer and created another strain of this stuff-American Pale Wheat Ale.

Reputable brewers like Boston Beer Company and Widmer have made their own stylizations on this style of beer. I’ve tasted both and was fairly impressed. Goose Island, in contrast, has laid an egg with this limp-wristed attempt.

It has everything that make this relatively new type of beer its sugar self. I wish I had a little more in my glass. Although I won’t spend my money on it, those looking for a lighter fare should give it a sip.

Available at Cubby’s Sports Bar and Grill.

Goose Island,

Chicago, Ill.

#1.882572:767707818.jpg:IMG_0359web.jpg:The Big Ol’ B, College Connoisseur: