Rowe Ramble

My original ideas for this post were spawned by this article two weeks ago by Peter Rowe, the San Diego Union's beer reporter.  I could not (and still don't) understand why he would waste his time writing on some beer called Dutch Republic 1581, available only at Fresh & Easy Markets.  This is a beer no one from beer geek to beer know-nothing would want to drink.  Why not before the Super Bowl, one of the biggest excuse-to-drink-beer days of the year, give the spotlight to a local beer or beers rather than some awful import.  (I have not tried Dutch Republic 1581, and don't plan to try it.  I will grab a Heineken if I ever get the urge to drink a fizzy yellow Dutch beer.)

Rowe, among other writing duties at the Union, writes a periodic (usually every other week) column called the Pint-Sized Pour where he reviews a particular beer and lists any San Diego beer news.  Rowe regained some beer geek cred today with a review of last year's Deschutes' The Abyss.  But The Abyss is released once a year and does not stay on shelves long, so good luck finding the late-2008 release Rowe reviewed.  He has now spent two columns reviewing a beer no one wants and one no one can buy.

San Diego is one of the best beer cities in the nation, and it is good that the Union has a reporter dedicated to beer.  Rowe's columns should focus more on local beers and the Southern California craft beer scene, and less on the crap beers that seem to find their way into his columns.  Rowe's review of beers that are less than pedestrian or obscure, unfortunately, are not uncommon.   He should start a blog for these reviews because his column reads like a blog post or a BeerAdvocate review. 

Rowe's review of Dutch Republic 1581 made me mad.  More reviews like it are going to make Rowe's column and opinions irrelevant.   This is too bad, because the best part of his reviews are that he does not seem to take himself or beer too serious.  Rowe has a unique pulpit to promote San Diego's wonderful beers, and I like'd to see him exploit it.