I understand the call for people to buy American products. I understand it'll create jobs or keep money in the American economy. But I don't understand our want to deprive very poor countries of money for products they work just as hard to make. I don't understand why our people are more needy than their people. I know we're American and these American workers need jobs and our spending creates those jobs. In order to support American workers we also have to stop buying from foreign countries, abandoning the workers living in poverty far beyond what some of our poorest Americans will ever experience. I don't know why Americans are more deserving of this money that circulates around the World when we have a government that pumps out money it doesn't have to help support them while families in the rest of the World survive on thirty cents a day. I know some of our fellow country folks are living lives tougher than I can fathom, but I also know that there are people in this World that rely on Americans buying things that they make to scrape together the absolute bare-minimum needed to live.

I like the idea of buying American a lot, buy I like the idea of buying from a hard-working human even more.

Beers From Lancaster, PA

I'm snowed in so I decided that it is time to get back on the beer blog horse and write about some of the beers I've been fortunate enough to try in the past couple months. This fall I was fortunate enough to have a good friend transport me some very delicious beer from Lancaster, PA. Lancaster county has a rich history of brewing. Apparently in 1810 Lancaster accounted for 7% of beer brewed in the US. To quote deceased Baltimore Sun columnist, "Lancaster occupies the same place in America that Munich does in Germany."* A bold statement, sir. Fast forward to now and just based off the two that I got to taste, Lancaster Brewing is bringing back the fire. In my care package I received the Strawberry Wheat and the Milk Stout. Two very different but equally pleasing brews.

The strawberry wheat was your typical session/summery wheat beer and the strawberry was used very well. It added just enough sweetness to keep me from feeling like a beer lover's girlfriend who wants in on the fun but is frightened by dark beer. It uses light hops and would be great to drink large but still responsible quantities of at a barbecue, bocce ball tournament, or to make a summer arts festival tolerable. I'm hoping I'll be able to get some next summer.

On the cover of the milk stout is either a very concerned or smug looking cow staring right at you, sort of like a Bovine Lisa. But once you get past the guilt or awkwardness of her gaze you get to a wonderfully thick and lip-smacking dark beer. Non-fermentable lactose sugar gives it the 'milk' title and also adds a creamy sweetness to the beer (both facts are news to me). Dark roasted malts give it a great chocolate and coffee taste that in my opinion is great anytime but some consolidate to cold weather seasons (like now) but what do they know. I don't want to let this beer be my favorite milk stout because theres no telling when I'll get to have more, but it really is one of the best around.

Bottom line is Lancaster Brewing makes great beer. If you're in the area visiting your Amish cousins or looking for the next bowling prodigy, check them out.

*All quotes and photos taken from Lancaster Brewing Company's Website.