I woke up early, and couldn't get back to sleep this morning, so I did what any other sane person would do at 5:30am - laced up the Sauconys and went out for a long run. It felt like a fall morning out there; crisp, cool, with a little breeze and (once the sun came up) beautiful blue skies. I did stop staring at the sunrise long enough to notice a cat chasing me. Not a stray dog, not a paperboy out on his route, a cat. Eventually, I stopped to see what was going on, because I've never been chased by a cat before and I wasn't sure what to do. The whole episode struck me as unusual. Once he caught up (it didn't take long, I don't run very fast) he casually did that thing cats do where they figure eight around your legs, rub themselves on your shins, and purr a lot. We sat for a few minutes on the curb, with me scratching his head, as though everyone who came by had to pay a toll before moving on. Eventually, he found something else to distract him in another yard and moved on to his next morning activity. But for a moment, we were the only living creatures out in the world, enjoying a beautiful morning and welcoming the sunrise together. Felt kind of nice. Wish I brought my phone to snap some pics.
Saturday was a huge success, as we managed to cross a good number of beers and breweries off the list courtesy of the amazing beer lists at Devil's Den and The Farmers' Cabinet. Even if you're not a ridiculous beer geek, if you're in the city of Brotherly Love and want some fantastic beer options, either place is guaranteed to have something you like.
When we reviewed the list of beers from our West Coast vacation, I conscientiously saved the best ones for last. For yesterday's adventure, I'm reversing that and starting with one the best beers I had all day, the Cantillon Gueuze. This beer is referred to as "the champagne of Belgium," not so much because the taste resembles champagne, but more so for the status of champagne being a superior beverage. In the glass, this gueuze has a clear, effervescent color and a thin white head. Your nose is greeted with a tart, funky aroma, and when you take a sip you instantly get tart and sour. There are flavors of lemon, grass, and green apple, with a very dry finish. Just amazing. Definitely one of the best beers I've had all year, and it is definitely moving to my Top 25.
 |
| That's nice.... |
Cantillon was started in 1900 by Paul Cantillon, and the operation has continued relatively unchanged since then, with the exception of switching to organic ingredients in 1999. The next time you hear a macro-brewery cite "fresher beer tastes better" in their ad campaign, you can go ahead and laugh out loud at them - a bottle of Cantillon can be aged for over 20 years. Shitty beer tastes better fresh, perhaps.
Thing to Think About Today:
In the spirit of my new friend, Sunrise Cat, I hereby close out today's post with Morning Sky by Dan Fogelberg. Can't even begin to pretend I'm a big Fogelberg fan, but this song was always in the rotation when John Cunningham would play his acoustic sets in various bars around State College. I am, as is everyone who graduated from Penn State from 1990 - 2002 or so, a huge John Cunningham fan, and because I can't find any JC videos on Youtube, you get the original:
No comments:
Post a Comment