What we're drinking: New and old

Recently I decided it was time to make my family's special cornmeal crust deep dish pizza. I was thinking about what beer to pair with the beast of a dinner. The thing is at least two inches tall, packed with bacon, fennel sausage, cheeses, peppers, and more. It's heavy stuff. Like divine providence, a package containing Breckenridge Ophelia Hoppy Wheat showed up at my doorstep (Thanks Breck!). I decided to give it a shot and I'm glad I did. The beer has an immediate classic feel to it. It's super easy drinking, it has some lemony and tropical fruit in the background, finishes super crisp to cut through the grease in the pizza, and the Mosaic (a top 3 hop for me) and Palisade hops are amped up enough, but also subdued enough to be super fun. The beer provided a very nice balance to the meal, and I finished it much sooner than I realized. I imagine this will be a popular beer for many, including the beer geeks due to it's subtle complexity. At 5%, it'll be easy to have a few pints. ~ Eric

While Eric was enjoying some new Breckenridge treats, I've been exploring some old favorites from my time in Durango. The latest brew to hit my glass, True Blonde Dubbel, has been one of my favorites of the "big" beers that Ska produces. The bright yellow wax job sets this one apart, and harkens me back to days sitting by the Animas river at "the beach"watching tubers float by. While in years past, I would have hogged the whole bottle, I've been introducing my younger sister to different beers in the hope that she'll convert to the beer side of things. She's a self-proclaimed non-beer drinker, but thoroughly enjoyed the Dubbel Blonde, so I'm one beer closer to converting her! We enjoyed this while we prepared some homemade stroganoff, and to no one's surprise the slightly spicy belgian notes and honey really melded well with the creamy sauces! ~ RyanWhat's been your favorite lately? Anything we should check out?- - -Stay updated with our email updates and like us on Facebook. We're also on Twitter and Instagram at @focusonthebeer.