Running of the Beers

Beer #209 Mission Blonde / Mission Brewing Company, San Diego, CA

Big day today, and not just because it's Friday.  I'm moving to a new job next week (same company), so today was my last day in a job that I've really enjoyed doing over the past six years.  I've been fortunate to work with some great people and I've had the opportunity to lead some, shall we say, interesting projects.  I'll miss working with external clients, but I've been given a great new opportunity which I'm very excited about.  More on that later when I figure out exactly what I'll be doing in this new job.  The gang threw a little going away breakfast party this morning, and I was given a very appropriate going away present: beer! Specifically, four six packs of craft beer, which I'll certainly put to good use in relative short order.  Thanks to everyone who helped make the past six or so years an awesome adventure, you guys are the best!!!

Still working through our vacation beers for reviews, so today's beer is the Blonde from Mission Brewing Company.  I drank this one while sitting on the outdoor patio at the Loews, enjoying a warm evening and view of the San Diego Bay.  I drank it from the bottle, so I have no idea about color or aroma, but the taste had earthy, grassy, malt notes with a hint of a metallic finish.  This one lives somewhere between a kolsch and a lager, and was the perfect way to wind down a day in sunny San Diego.

No, the beer isn't on fire. That's a fire pit in the background.

There was a Mission Brewery in San Diego back before the days of Prohibition, and this brewery resurrected the name four years ago.  

Thing to Think About Today:
Today is July 6, which is traditionally the start of the San Fermín Festival in Pamplona, Spain - famously known for the running of the bulls through the city streets.  This doesn't have much of anything to do with me changing jobs or beer from San Diego, but one of my all time favorite books by an all time favorite writer uses this festival as a central plot theme.  Therefore, The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway is our thing to think about today.

Published in 1926 and set in Spain, this book explores the life of a World War I veteran and the woman he loves, who also happens to find herself in a relationship with the main character's friend as well as a local matador, while also being engaged to be married to a fourth gentleman.  The book bases characters on real people and experiences Hemingway had, and brilliantly explores the intertwined relationships and the themes of love, sexual freedom, death, honor, morality, hard work, nature, and bravery.  Pretty much standard Hemingway fare, although when you're one of the greatest writers of the past 100 years, even "standard fare" is a spectacular work of art.

If you've never read this book, hit your local library and borrow a copy.  There's a heat wave sweeping the country, so this weekend you should find some air conditioning or a swimming pool and enjoy a great story.