Breweries "Visited"

Friday, May 18, 2012

Seashells and Balloons

Beer #160 Viven Ale / Brouwerij Van Viven, Sijsele, Belgium

Today was a good day, but I'd be remiss if I didn't let everyone know last night was a great night.  Marci spotted a beer we wanted to try at TJ's in Paoli, so we headed there for an evening out on the town.  Little did we know, it was Quizzo night.  At first, we weren't going to play, as I assumed we were in for one beer and then headed out.  I mean, I'm an old man and I need my beauty sleep.  But Marci wanted to stay, and we ended up playing, and (to no one's surprise) we ended up mopping the floor with the competition.  Oh, that's right: FIRST PLACE for Blog Named Brew.  Started out slow, we absolutely poured it on in the middle rounds, and courtesy of some strategy we took the lead into the last round, and then cut down the nets when it was all said and done.  Former Marquette basketball coach and announcer Al McGuire had a phrase for the euphoria of victory and enjoyment of the little things in life; he called it "seashells and balloons."  A random moment of joy that occasionally sneaks up on you and brings a huge smile to your face.  After walking away with the first place prize (a generous gift certificate for TJ's) on a night I didn't expect to leave the house, I completely understand seashells and balloons.

The beer of champions you ask?  Why not try the Imperial IPA from Brouwerij Van Viven.  This beer has an amber hue, and gives off light citrus and hop aromas.  The taste is lemon and orange, with a nice hop bitterness, a little malt, and an almost creamy texture.  Really nice combination of flavors without anything overpowering.  Definitely worth a sample if you find it.


Thing to Think About Today:
Thought about dropping some We Are the Champions on you, but let's instead celebrate a sunny, fantastic Friday the right way.  Everyone who challenged us last night found out that This is How We Do It, and quite frankly it's a great song to kick start your weekend:


"This is how we do it/South Cental (Berwyn) does it like nobody does...."

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