Beer 276: The Gubna and September 11 Ramblings

I'm of the mind that if you're going to claim patriotism on one day, you really need to follow through the other 364 days. I'll also admit that I'm not the most patriotic person in the country. I've freely stated on more than one occasion that my fellow citizens embarrass me. Or so I thought.

Today started quite normal except for the fact that me and the Army of Dachshunds were on our own for wake up call, breakfast and the rest of the morning routine. Without someone else to trip over in the morning, I'm pretty efficient and found that me and the guys had time for breakfast outside. If you weren't out at 7am today, treat yourself to it tomorrow morning. It is GLORIOUS this week. I even remarked to Sal how beautiful and perfect it was. He agreed if that's what dropping a deuce in my flower bed means.

I headed off to work and that's when it hit me. It's September 11 and the day looked eerily similar to the one eleven years ago. Only I noticed how clear and so very blue the sky was much earlier...something I didn't notice eleven years ago until I was trying to figure out how to get from Philadelphia to my home. My mind wandered the way one's mind wanders when thinking about such a terrible event and I flipped on the radio for distraction. And that's when I turned into a patriotic blubbering mess.

God rest her soul...that Whitney Houston could sing the national anthem.

There was so much encouragement on the radio and online to spend time today doing something for someone else. Isn't that the way you should always conduct yourself? If you don't look out for others, do something kind for others, then doesn't that mean you're only looking out for yourself? And if you're only looking out for yourself, you're probably being a dick. And that goes against my philosophy of life: Don't be a dick.

So on this 11th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, don't be a dick and carry that with you from September 12 to September 10. You'll thank me for it.

My other advice for today...drink a Gubna from Oskar Blues Brewery. Gubna is an imperial IPA (10% ABV) brewed in Longmont, Colorado. The name of their tasting room is The Tasty Weasel. I've been there and it is awesome. Plus they do a great tour...very thorough.


The Gubna poured a deep, hazy orangey brown with a white head. It left lots of lacing inside the glass as I happily made my way to the bottom. The smell was a little off putting...kind of skunk-like. The taste is resinous and woody. It had some floral hop to it and a fantastic brown spiciness. I can't put my finger on the best word to describe the spice. Maybe something that goes into chili to give it a earthiness but not heat? Does that make sense to anyone? Hello?

Having been to Oskar Blues in person and having sampled many of their beers, I was surprised at how much I liked this one over all the others. I'll give the Gubna a very good.

Cheers!

I Like it in the Can

Beer #54 Dale's Pale Ale / Oskar Blues Brewery, Longmont, CO
Here's how my day went: I left the office, got outside, and realized I forgot my car keys on my desk.  Back inside, back to my desk..  Left the office again, realized I forgot my phone.  Back inside, back to my desk.  Stopped caring what else I forgot, went home.

Thankfully, beer fixes everything, and today I'm making things ALL BETTER by drinking one of my favorite beers ever, Dale's Pale Ale from Oskar Blues.  It pours a gorgeous copper color with a foamy head and a welcoming floral and hoppy aroma.  The taste is heavenly - an aggressive hop flavor balanced by some malt and pine notes and an earthy finish.  Crisp and dry and awesome.  Dale's brings a hearty 6.5% ABV and 65 IBUs to the party.

With matching pint glass.  We're getting serious here people.

This pale ale has been a favorite of mine for a few years, and I was lucky enough to visit the brewery with some friends last summer.  Oskar Blues led the charge to can craft brews, a trend that has grown as people realize the benefits of beer in a can, instead of a bottle.  For the uninitiated, cans protect beer from oxygen and sunlight, two things that make delicious beer turn and taste awful.  They still have their original canning equipment displayed, which sealed cans one at a time.  By hand.

Pro tip: if you visit the brewery and grab some beers at Tasty Weasel, the brewery's in-house pub, make sure to sign up for the free tour.  You'll learn something about beer, and walk away with a free pint glass (or $5 credit for other merchandise) for your effort.  Plus, they have pinball.  Great beer, great people, and pinball?  You're welcome.

And now, some pics to enjoy:

In the middle of the action at Tasty Weasel.  Free peanuts!

All of the empty cans I drank.   I'm kidding no I'm not.

Really, what good is being in the wilderness if you can't chill your beer in a glacier-fed stream?

Thing to Think About Today:
Sure, it's Groundhog Day, and we've all probably been hearing references to the awesome movie of the same name.  Too easy.  Instead, today it's time to say goodbye to one of the all time greats, Mr. Don Cornelius.  Heaven now has a host for its dance party.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm3ya5bNHfU

I wish I had a voice like that.  And his fashion sense.  Bonus points if your recognize the guy at the 1:07  mark in this video.  RIP, Don.