Celebrating with a Loser

Back in the early to mid 9os on any given day you would of found me dressed in a pair of torn jeans, a t-shirt and flannel (the standard grunge for dumbies kit) listening to Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Screaming Trees, Nirvana and Mudhoney. Yes, I fell hard for the whole grunge scene; music, clothes, attitude and scraggly facial hair (that still remains). Recently all those second hand Seattle memories came rushing back when I was lucky enough to score two tickets to the upcoming Pearl Jam concert at the Wachovia Spectrum in October. What makes the concert opportunity even better is that, the tix were free (Joe rules!). A true cause for celebration. A bottle of Elysian Brewing's Loser Pale Ale seemed like the best way to toast an evening of meaningful, hard driven, passionate tunes.

Loser is a tribute to 20 years of Sub Pop music. The Seattle based record company founded by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman was a big part of developing the "Seattle sound".

The beer is a golden orange with a light hop and fruit aroma. The look suggests a rich hoppy treat, maybe leaning to the IPA side, but the taste is all Pale Ale. There's a nice bitter grapefruit sting, breadiness and a touch of sweetness. This beer isn't going to abuse you, which is a good thing. Not every beer needs to smack you over the head. This is simply a good, easy drinking Pale. So mess up your hair, put on your best flannel, open a bomber and get in touch with your inner loser.

The following Mudhoney (band on the label) video should help with the mood.