Two from Southern Tier . . .

One of the cool things about drinking a variety of beer is finding breweries to add to your list of "I will try anything they make.

Southern Tier Brewing Co., in Lakewood, NY, has rapidly reached that level. It's not just the brewery's usual offerings that do it, but their Black Water big-taste series in 22-ounce bombers produced one of my favorite beers of last year.

I tried the following two as part of writing an article on pumpkin beers and another on chocolate beers. I hate to say this, but the pumpkin beer is not available right now, but I would expect it to be back in the Fall.

Perhaps the most fascinating of all the pumpkins I tasted last Fall -- and it was 10 at least -- was Imperial Pumking, “ale brewed with pumpkins,” from Southern Tier. "This is the real thing; as one intrepid taster said. “It tastes like pumpkin, and it tastes like beer.” That’s it in this one, all pumpkin, no spices, and it’s the better for it. A caramel brown, this beer fills your mouth, without much of a metallic taste at all, and for a beer that is 9 percent alcohol, it doesn’t taste nearly as strong as the Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale. It is an excellent beer for a frosty autumn night.

Later, into the Winter, there was Southern Tier Imperial Choklat Stout, described as "a stout brewed with chocolate."

I have to admit, I had very high hopes here, because their Pumpking, also from the Black Water series, was the best of the many pumpkins I had – so good in fact that my wife, who does not like beer, asked me to get more so we could drink and cellar.

Well, it’s not quite as exceptional as the pumpkin, but still the best of the chocolates so far. Very dark, as you would expect, with a thin head. Drinks easily for an “Imperial Stout.” Not as heavy as many others. Chocolate taste is smooth and clear right from the top. Kind of a milk chocolate, although it’s made with bittersweet Belgian Chocolate.

This is high-end stuff, 11 percent alcohol by volume, but it does not taste too much of alcohol. There is a touch of bitterness in the aftertaste, but it goes away as you continue to drink it.

I have had just about everything they produce, and I would drink anything new they come out with.

Why are all the hops gone?

It looks as though the initial reports were right, and the hops shortage is going to be with us for a while, and is going to affect what we’re drinking. The combination of bad growing weather and brewers' shifts toward using more -- and specific -- hops have combined to cause the problem. Brwers who are locked into contracts are OK, but those who don't have contracts will either pay more or be unable to find what they need. This means fewer styles and more expensive pours.

I have run into it myself at the closest brew pub to my outpost here in New York’s North Country – Davidson Brothers in Glens Falls. The Scotch Ale has been out for a while, and the Stout was also out, along with one other beer. There was no “Brewer’s Special” for a bit, until they put up a nine-year-old Strong Ale, which the hardy patrons sucked down in about 10 days. Word is everything will be back up soon except, of course the Strong, which was a one-shot deal.

Many local newspapers here and elsewhere have reported on how the hops shortage is affecting local brewers. The Rutland (Vt.) Herald had an excellent report on the rising prices – and the changing beer choices – of local brewers.

For instance, Otter Creek will release a Kolsch-style beer – fewer hops – this Spring, instead of its usual Extra Special Bitter. Ray McNeill at McNeill’s in Brattleboro, Vt., was quoted as saying his Imperial Stout and Imperial India Pale Ale will not be available in bottles until next year.

As you most likely know, beer is generally made from four ingredients – water, barley, hops and yeast. There’s been a real reduction in the hops crop, and many brewers have either not made specific style or have changed recipes. The trouble for me is that high-end IPAs are one of my favorites as are Scotch Ales, both of which are affected. The light middle-of-the-road beers, such as lagers, pilseners and some ales – not my favorites – are not as affected.