The Day the Vampires Took Over

Day #523 Twilight Summer Ale / Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR

Previously from this brewery: Marci's take on Sour Raz, and my take on Saison de Poivre 

I'm typing this in between throwing back a beer and shoveling forkfuls of a delicious dinner into my face (I'm home alone, so therefore no need for manners).  I sauteed some shrimp & garlic, and served over pasta, baby spinach, olives, and capers and topped with a splash of a California olive oil and a craaaaazy delicious 20 year old balsamic vinegar.  Life is good, friends.  And if you truly are my friend, you may want to consider following BlogNamedBrew on Instagram, and (new this week) BlogNamedBrew on Twitter.  Do it.  Don't make me sad.

On this beautiful almost-summer evening, I'm drinking a Twilight Summer Ale from Deschutes.  This is important for one main reason: this means Deschutes is finally shipping their delicious beers east of the Mississippi!  This beer has a bright copper color with a thin wispy white head.  There's a really nice aroma of lemon and pine, and the taste is full of lemony goodness.  There's a touch of malt sweetness to keep the hops in balance, although you get a touch of bitterness on the end.  It's light, but very flavorful, and at a manageable 5% ABV, this one definitely deserves a place of honor at family gatherings, BBQs, or tailgates this summer.

Much better than a movie about Vampires

While I didn't visit Deschutes in their Bend home, I did get to sample some beers at their Portland outpost.  Great place to spend an afternoon.

Thing to Think About Today:
Somebody follow me:  This beer is named Twilight.  A recent cultural phenomenon was tween reading turned hit movie Twilight.  This series featured uber pale actors who were vampires or werewolves or undead or something, and there were love triangles or teen angst or other things.  Why this was popular with people older than 14 I have no idea, but it was.  And whatever it was, it definitely had vampires.  Oh, vampires, you say?

Vampire Weekend is one of my all time favorite bands, and just this week they released their new album, Modern Vampires of the City.  To no one's great surprise, it's been on repeat since the moment it hit my iPod.... and it's fantastic.  A more introspective record than their first two offerings, this new offering will still serve as my soundtrack for the next few months.  Have I already graced you with the presence of two songs from Modern Vampires of the City?  Yes I did.  In fact, I did it twice!

So, your thing to think about for the remainder of the evening will be a third offering, Everlasting Arms, from a very cool performance they did in conjunction with a concert film Steve Buscemi (distant relative of one of the band members) directed.  Enjoy your summer evening!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ps6TjI7ws0

Beer and Luck

Day #507 Kolsch / Lancaster Brewing Company, Lancaster, PA
Previously from this brewery: Rumspringa, Hop Hog, Winter Warmer, and Milk Stout

Hustle day today, as taking time off work the past two weeks has me a bit behind in the office, which means everything else in life is a bit behind as well.  And, your life is probably busy these days as well, as today is last shopping day for you to get me a birthday gift.  Hustle, people!

Tonight I'm washing down dinner with a can of Kolsch from Lancaster Brewing.  In the glass, this beer has a clear, pale golden hue, with a thin but persistent white head.  Your nose finds the aroma of bread and light floral notes, and when you drink it down you get a beer that brings bread, grass, and some tart lemon, with a nice, mild hop bitterness on the finish.  Crisp and refreshing, this is a perfect beer for summertime.  Plus, it comes in cans, so you can take these with you to a tailgate, on the boat, or while driving your lawnmower.

I like it in the can.

For those who don't know, kolsch is a style of beer originally brewed in Cologne, Germany.

Thing to Think About Today:
You faithful readers know that most days, I tie something to do with the brewery or the beer into our thing to think about.  Today is not one of those days.  Instead, you get one of the songs stuck in my head currently: the new Daft Punk and Pharrell collaboration, Get Lucky.  If this doesn't go into your summer sex mix, you're doing something wrong.  (note: video is only a snippet of the actual song; just do yourself a favor and go download this asap)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13my2Ovv7fc

"She's up all night for good fun / I'm up all night to get lucky"

Day 487: Full Sail Session

"Hi, hon, I'm running late. I'm rescuing ducks." And that's how my day concluded. I wish it were a more exciting story, but it's mostly me sounding like an insane person calling 911 and declaring that I don't have an emergency, I just need help.

Yes, indeed. I need help.

After a day like today, I really appreciate a good, easy-going beer. And Full Sail Brewing's Session lager delivers just that.

The Session lager poured a crisp golden color with a white head with average retention. It smells like sweet corn. The flavor has a vegetable sweetness to it. Neither the hops nor the malt were overly-apparent until the finish. Then you got a nice hop profile that made it interesting. It honestly reminded me of buttery, slightly hoppy corn cakes. That's strange, isn't it?

Beer stats
Style: American pale lager
ABV: 5.1%
IBUs: 18
Rating: Great

Previously reviewed from Full Sail
Dropping knowledge about Baader-Meinhof and the Black lager
Even more references to yacht rock and Gary's review of Premium lager

Boat Drinks!

Day #457 Session Lager / Full Sail Brewery, Hood River, OR 
Previously from this brewery: First out the limo!

I'm getting right down to business.  I'm a businessman.  Tonight's beer is a bottle of Session Lager from Full Sail in Oregon.  This beer is among the greatest beers ever.  Why?  Because it was a gift from a friend.  Give your friends beer, and they'll love you forever.  Poured out of a stubby 11oz bottle, this beer is a clear, bright gold color with virtually no head.  You get an slight aroma of sweet malt and grain, and when you take a sip you find a flavorful, yet easy drinking beer that has notes of malt and hops, grains, and something close to popcorn.  As the name suggests, this is a session beer and has a low ABV (5.1%), good flavor, and isn't overly complex, which means you can drink a number of these in the course of a day.  This beer will definitely make a tailgate appearance this summer.

This picture was taken outside. SPRING TIME, YO!

During my trip to Oregon last summer, I made it up to Cascade Locks, which is only about 20 miles away from this brewery.  Should have taken a longer road trip, but even without visiting Hood River, I can assure you this part of the country is as beautiful as anything you'll find in America.  Stop by if you're ever near Portland.

Thing to Think About Today:
Somebody follow me: Full Sail makes me think of boats.  Boats makes me think of the boat life.  The boat life makes me think of yacht rock.  Yacht rock!  I'll pause here: for those of you who don't have a yacht, yacht rock can be categorized as the easy listening music popular from the late 70's to mid 80's.  You know, that smooth, chill vibe you'd expect to want to listen to while cruising the bay on your yacht.  If you close your eyes and picture the 80's, I'm pretty sure you see yacht rock videos in your head.

Well, it just so happens my neighbors were in the mood for some yacht rock this weekend, as evidenced by their blaring of Yah Mo B There by James Ingram and the yacht rock God, Michael McDonald.  Now, I get that it was a bright, sunny spring Sunday.  I'm just not sure what was happening in their yard/house/driveway that made them want to fire up this song.  However, it brought a smile to my face, so I guess I'm not really complaining.  If anyone has a yacht and wants me to bring the Session Lager.... call me.  I'll "mo b there."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBo2Kn8iBxA

Super Bowl Edition: San Fran; Who wins?

Day #420 Bitter American / 21st Amendment Brewery, San Francisco, CA
Previously from this brewery: Watermelon Wheat (in my Top 25) and Marci's review of Fireside Chat

Representing San Francisco in my Super Bowl beer battle is a can of Bitter American, a pale ale from 21st Amendment Brewery.  Out of the can, this beer has a honeyed amber color, with a quickly dissipating head.  There are citrus aromas, and the taste is a mellow collection of pine, lemon, caramel, and sweet malt, with some good bitterness at the finish.  This session beer is a mild 4.4% ABV, which means you this very tasty beer will go well with day drinking or tailgating.  Well done, 21st Amendment.  Very well done.

More great can art from 21st Amendment

21st Amendment advertises this beer as a tribute to "unsung, unwitting heroes everywhere," which I guess includes the chimps that get sent into space (like the furry guy on the can).

Okay, so the winner of my Super Bowl beer challenge?  Too close to call - both Bitter American and Green Peppercorn Tripel were delicious, so we're calling it a tie!!!!  Let's go to overtime and compare each city more closely:

Television shows:
- Baltimore: The Wire, Homicide: Life on the Street
- San Francisco: Full House, Too Close for Comfort
Two incredibly hard hitting dramas versus two awful comedies?  Even the inclusion of Ted Knight can't save S.F. here.  Huge edge: Baltimore

Cuisine:
- Baltimore: hard shell crabs, Old Bay Seasoning, crab cakes
- San Francisco: Rice-a-Roni, Ghirardelli chocolate, sourdough bread
Sorry Uncle Ben, you lose.  Edge: Baltimore

Breweries:
- Baltimore: The Brewer's Art, Stillwater, Clipper City/Heavy Seas
- San Francisco: 21st Amendment, Anchor, Speakeasy
San Fran's might have more name recognition across the country, but don't sleep on the quality in B-more. Edge: Even

Make sure to visit:
- Baltimore: National Aquarium, American Visionary Art Museum
- San Francisco: Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf, Haight & Ashbury
While the Visionary Arts Museum is outstanding, it's hard to top San Fran in the tourism department.  Plus, being close to wine country doesn't hurt. Edge: San Francisco

The winner?  By a score of 2-1, we give the nod to Baltimore in this Super Bowl fight!!!  Congratulations on this esteemed honor.  Now, what this Baltimore victory will mean on the gridiron tomorrow, I have no idea.  I just want to eat buffalo chicken dip and drink beer, really.  But good luck to whatever team you're rooting for.

Thing to Think About Today:
In the spirit of all things Super, I present you with Soul Coughing's Super Bon Bon.  Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRqP52c0OLU

Wins

Day #399 NATO IPA / Victory Brewing Company, Downingtown, PA
Previously from this brewery: my review of V-12 (beer #2!), and Marci's take on their sampler

Allow me to say this: I'm fortunate to get a plethora of vacation days from my employer.  I took advantage of that policy at year end to enjoy some days off.  Therefore, the first five day work week of 2013 felt like a stomach punch from a heavyweight boxer.  It doesn't knock you out, but it damn well doesn't feel very good.

Therefore, it felt great to welcome in a Saturday morning today.  Spent some time with the dogs, went to yoga, and then did lunch at Victory Brewing Company with friends.  While there, I had a NATO IPA on draft with my sandwich.  It pours a clear copper color with a fluffy white head.  The aroma has pine resin and some malt, and the taste is quite good: dry and earthy, with pine and citrus and a bit of malt mixed in as well.  Definitely worth a try should you see this one available near you.

Tasty

If you're wondering, it appears this beer is in fact named for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization; just as NATO brought countries together, this beer brings together ingredients from America, England, and Germany.

And now for my one (and only) complaint with Victory.  When you show up at their brewery, they list all of the beers on draft.  Great!  They also have a helpful book with pages on each beer, so you can make an informed decision on what beer(s) you want to drink.  Great!  However, the book doesn't have pages on over half the beers they have on draft, and has pages on things that aren't on draft.  Pain in the ass!  Please consider losing the useless books and printing a page each day with what's on draft.  Won't take much time, and will certainly give fans an easier way to figure out what to order.  Thanks!

Thing to Think About Today:
In the spirit of Victory, I present you with a song that was in heavy rotation for the tailgate last season - particularly the post game dance party.  All I Do is Win.  Ludacris throws a verse in, so you know it has to be good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGXzlRoNtHU

"My hands go up and down / just like strippers' booties go"

Beer 352: Church Brew Works and Itching on a Photograph

I have a great post rattling around in my head and I cannot get it out to save my life. I've started three different intros. I attempted to jump in the middle and sneak up on it. I sat here and flipped through a bunch of photos from this football season. Ok that last one wasn't even supposed to help, but I mean, come on! Who doesn't want to look at Michael Mauti?



Instead I'm just going to sit here with this song rolling through my brain...courtesy of KFOG radio...



So in lieu of a long rambling, nostalgic and perhaps a bit maudlin post, I'll tell you about a beer from The Church Brew Works. It's their Pipe Organ pale ale -- an American pale ale made in Pittsburgh. Thanks to our friends Casey and Mike for getting this one for us!




It pours a clear golden color with very little to no head. It has a soapy hop aroma. For a beer with an ABV of only 4.3%, the alcohol is very noticeable. The flavor has lots of cracker and bitter, earthy, piney hops. Thinking back on some of the other American pale ales I've had this year, I can only rate this one average.

Cheers!

Beer 351: Fat Head's Head Hunter IPA

Holy hangover, batman. Yesterday was the final tailgate of the season and we went big. So much so that I'll be paying for the celebration for the next two days. Funny thing about getting older...I can still party like I'm in my college years but I recover like I'm in my retirement years.

But the blog goes on and here is today's beer review for Fat Head's Brewery and Saloon's Head Hunter india pale ale.

I started out drinking out of the bottle and that's when I took this photo.


Then I decided that a glass was necessary but never retook the photo. Oh well. It poured an golden orange color with a thick white head. It had an amazing and strong grapefruit aroma. It tasted of sweet grapefruit, lots of hops, and a tiny bit of malt. There was a great deal of general fruity hops, some of which leant a nice pineapple flavor. I think this is a great example of a big, bold IPA. Cheers.

Beer 344: Things Peculiar and Peculier

Peculiar: adj.

1. Unusual or eccentric; odd.
2. Distinct from all others. See Synonyms at strange.
3. Belonging distinctively or primarily to one person, group, or kind; special or unique: rights peculiar to the rich; a species peculiar to this area.

i.e. Yesterday's tailgate.

It lasted 13 hours only to be interrupted for a few hours by a football game. And what a game it was! Penn State destroyed Indiana to the tune of 45-22 and left a number of PSU football records in tatters. But from that high came a very, very low. It looks like senior Michael Mauti is out for the season with a knee injury. This wasn't the way his season was supposed to end. Not for one of the most passionate leaders of this team, who managed to keep it mostly intact as the world tried to tear it apart.

The team rallied around their fallen leader and played some inspired football yesterday afternoon. What did we do? We rallied and tailgated like it was our last days on earth.

We were among the first in the lot at 7:23 a.m. and we were definitely among the last as we put a fork in it as the clock neared 9:00 p.m. We ate taco dip like it was our last meal. We plotted a gangnam style flash mob. We worked out our MC Hammer dance. There was a dance off with a neighboring tailgater -- the poor thing had no idea what hit her! I finally figured out how to do the running man, which by the way has given me Mike-Mauti-sympathy-knee-pain.

There were six tailgaters at the start and six eggs. There were six tailgaters at the end and no eggs. That's dance cooking style.




Now for the Peculier...the Old Peculier from T&R Theakston Ltd. . Theakston is one of Britain's few remaining family brewing companies and Old Peculier is the beer for which they are renowned.

It pours a deep, dark brown with a light tan head. It smells like molasses and rich malts. It tastes like a mash-up of tea, malt, fruit, molasses and bits of raisin with a bracing hop finish. I couldn't quite place the fruit until I read the official description. It's black cherry. The ABV is 5.6% and it's quite drinkable. This is a great beer.

Cheers!

Good Old New England

Beer #341 Narragansett Lager / Narragansett Brewing Company, Providence, RI
Beers to go: 25

I had an immensely productive day today, which is an awesome way to close out a Thursday and open up a three day weekend.  It's Friday, so I won't bore you with any more details, it's time for happy hour to begin and the party to start.

Tonight's beer is the Narragansett Lager from Narragansett Brewing company.  This pounder can pours out a clear, effervescent gold color with a quickly dissipating head.  The aroma is a light mix of grain and sweetness, and the taste is clean, with plenty of grain, bread, and barley.  Not a terribly complex beer, but if you're looking for something simple and easy drinking (and a FAR more flavorful alternative to macro light beers), you've got it.  Maybe it's because I grew up on Yuengling Lager, but I was originally expecting more malt flavor in this one.  However, once I got that out of my head, it was easy to see that this would be a great tailgate beer.  Plus, beer in pounder cans is always better, that's just a fact.

Sold on Merit

Interesting history behind this brewery, as it originally opened in 1890 in the town of Cranston.  It produced one of the most popular beers in the New England region, and was eventually sold to Falstaff Brewing Company for $19 million back in 1965.  The original brewery in Cranston closed in 1981, and once giant St. Louis based brewer Falstaff eventually went of of business, Narragansett was off the market.  The original brand name was sold to a group of investors in 2005, who have relaunched the famous brew.  Their website has a nice recap of the history, and a photo gallery of 'Gansett Girls, if you're into that pretty girl sort of thing.

Thing to Think About Today:
The weekend is officially underway, and I might as well keep with the weekend theme and drop in some Vampire Weekend.  I saw them headline the Roots Picnic in Philly two summers ago, and they absolutely killed that night.  They have a pop/world sound that always brings me back to the best of Paul Simon.  They're not everyone's cup of tea; they can come off as a bit too preppy/Ivy League/trust fund/Frat Bro/too smart for their own good at times, but for me they're fantastic.  Hard to believe I waited 341 days to get us thinking about them, actually.  Shall we ride along into the weekend?  We shall, and we'll start with A-Punk:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5jBgLZnyQw

And I'll go ahead and close out today with a slowed down, acoustic (with string trio!) version of the song Vampire Weekend used to close out the Roots Picnic, Walcott.  A song that just happens to be about life in New England - where this brewery is from.  Hooray music for smart people!

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

Beer 335: Narragansett Lager and Friday Night Randomness

Some random thoughts to keep you cozy on a dark November night...

1. Friday night traffic in the Philadelphia suburbs may ultimately be the death of me. It's as if I took out my invisible car for the commute home.

2. My physical aversion to onions seems to be encompassing garlic now. I will be ignoring this fact and making myself ill for the next several months with the hope that it just stops.

3. I have A LOT of bourbon. If you consider the overall category of whiskey, then it appears I may be opening a liquor store.

4. This was an incredibly productive week. First one in awhile where I didn't come home on Friday hell bent on drowning my sorrows in beer.

That being said I am having a beer -- a nice, light, easy drinking lager from the Narragansett Brewing Company.


It pours a bright golden color with a thick white head. It smells exactly like what I would want a scratch 'n sniff beer sticker to smell like. It tastes sweet, bready and grainy. Very even balance of malt and hop with just a bit of a kick at the very end of the sip. It's a little still for my tastes, but it is easy to drink. At 5% ABV, it is also quite sessionable. Why is this adjunct America lager good in my book when so many others made me want to barf? I can't begin to guess. There's just something appealing about this one.

Cheers!

Beachfront Property?

Beer #325 Point Nude Beach / Stevens Point Brewery, Stevens Point, WI

Hurricane Sandy is moving out, and leaving behind a wide trail of destruction.  Thankfully, we were spared any significant issues - lost power for about ten minutes, and we have some branches down in the yard.  Nothing to write home about, which is great, as last night all you heard in our neighborhood was the wind howling and police/fire/ambulance sirens going off around the clock.  Obviously everyone wasn't so lucky, including a neighbor six houses down who is currently extracting a tree from their roof.  Best wishes to all of the blog readers out there for a safe and speedy recovery from the storm.

As I'm fairly sick and tired of rain, wind, and dreary weather, today I'm going to pretend it's summer again and sample a Point Nude Beach, a summer wheat beer from Stevens Point Brewery.  This one is a hazy, pale yellow color with a big white head.  You pick up the aroma of yeast, grain, and spice, and when you take a sip you find light citrus and a slight peppery spice, along with wheat and a hint of sweetness.  Great beer for summer - I could easily picture a case of this on ice for a baseball game or concert tailgate, or even a day at the beach.  And, if we see more hurricanes like the one that just blew through, I just might own some beachfront property here soon (sorry, New Jersey - you had your turn)!  To honor this beer, I hereby decree any beaches outside my door will be Nude Beach only.

Sexy time at the nude beach

Very cool history to this brewery, as they first made beer all the way back in 1857.  However, it wasn't until 1990 that their product was sold outside of Wisconsin - thankfully, they now distribute to Pennsylvania, along with much of the Midwest and East coast.

Thing to Think About Today:
Howling winds are gone, but it's still raining a good bit here.  Which begs the question, Why Does it Always Rain on Me?  Travis, the floor is yours.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vIHsKKv_CI

"Why does it always rain on me?  Even when the sun is shining, I can't avoid the lightning..."

Beer 322: High Noon Saloon and Brewery

Game day, bitches! By the time you all read this, I'll be two hours into the best tailgate ever! Don't worry about me...I have deep fried peanut butter and jelly.

Today's beer of choice? The High Noon Saloon and Brewery Oregon Trail raspberry wheat ale. It's brewed in Leavenworth, Kansas, which is the start of the Oregon trail.


It poured a hazy golden color with a thin white head. It smells strongly of fresh raspberries. The ABV is 5.5%. It has lots of very nice raspberry flavor but is generally watery. It's as if someone left a bunch of ice in my glass and it melted and left this behind. It has potential but didn't quite make it. I'll call it average at best. Cheers.

Beer 320: Hop City Brewing and a Squirrel Tale

I have Penn State on the brain so I'll share a college tale with you. It's no secret that I'm not a morning person. So one Wednesday morning in college, I'm heading to a late morning class with my to-go breakfast in hand -- a Nature Valley granola bar. I'm snacking away as I hike across campus and as I get to the HUB (student union building for those of you not in the know), I notice a faint chirping/barking behind me.

I glance over my should and there's a good sized squirrel following me. As I pass through a thicket of students, this squirrel starts running circles around me as I attempt to walk as nonchalantly as possible to class. This goes on for two entire blocks. Me dodging students and bikes in an effort to shake my stalker. That squirrel barking at me in hot pursuit. He was persistent.

I throw a piece of granola bar -- my breakfast, mind you -- a few feet behind me and pick up the pace. That damn squirrel grabs the meager offering and let's me know exactly what he thinks of it. At this point I am mortified. People are stopping and pointing at me. Pointing! The horror!

Nature Valley puts two granola bars in each pack so I looked down at my remaining granola bar and made a decision. The squirrel gets his prize. I hurled that delicious breakfast treat right at his head and hustled away. The little bastard grabbed it, ran ahead of me and plopped himself on a trash can lid and nibbled away. I swear he smiled at me when I walked past.

He looked oddly like the squirrel on the Hop City Brewing can.


Look at him! All cocky. Eyeing his prize.

Hop City Brewing Company is based in Brampton, Ontario and the Barking Squirrel is their (5% ABV) lager. It poured an amber color with a fluffy off white head. It smelled of grain and reminds me of Yuengling lager.

The flavor had a slightly fruity hop but was mostly malt. It's nice and mild and quite sessionable. I think it would be great for tailgates. This is a good beer.

Cheers!

Beer 280: Diamond Knot Brewing Company

Today's beer was enjoyed with a good friend...Tailgate Cheetah. Who is Tailgate Cheetah, you ask. He is an adventurer...
 










He has a need for speed...










Sometimes he flirts with danger!

He likes to dj our tailgate. He has pretty good taste in music although sometimes it's a bit too cat-centric for me...Cat Stevens, Cat Power, Faster Pussycat, Pussy Riot.














He is a feline for all seasons!

He likes to woo the ladies...with romantic boat rides!

He loves to tailgate, but loves PSU football even more. He doesn't sit in the stands. He sits on the sideline.

He has excellent taste in beer.

Lucky for me he shares...


The Brown Ale from Diamond Knot Brewery poured a hazy brown with a thick tan head. Safety first at the tailgate so no glasses and no good photos of the beer. It was nutty and nice and malty. Very easy to drink with a 6% ABV. There was a bit of chocolate in the flavor as it warmed up a bit. I also noted some toasted bread and caramel. Overall a good beer.

Cheers!

Patriots vs. Texans

Beer #275 Caesar Rodney Golden Ale / Twin Lakes Brewing Company, Greenville, DE

Today is a hustle day, so I'm diving right into the beer.  For your reading pleasure, may I present the Caesar Rodney Golden Ale from Twin Lakes Brewing Company.  This beer was on draft at Whole Foods, so I brought home a growler.  In the glass you see a dark gold color with a fluffy white head.  The aroma is light, with grain and grass.  The taste is an earthy mix of grain and malt, with notes of bread and some light citrus and a dry finish.  This beer is easy drinking, with an agreeable 5.5% ABV.  I'm thinking this might be a good call at an early season tailgate.

Hail, Caesar!

Unless you live in Delaware, and possibly even if you do live in Delaware, you may not be aware of who this beer is named for.  I can help.  Caesar Rodney was a lawyer, politician, and military officer in the late 1700's.  He served as President of Delaware (sort of like Governor), and was a signer of the Declaration of Independence.  The state quarter for Delaware has a man on a horse on the back - that's Caesar Rodney.  Now you know.

Thing to Think About Today:
To continue with the theme I started yesterday, let's take a moment to think about another great football movie, Varsity Blues.  This movie tells the story of high school football in Texas, where the game is more of a religion than a sport.  A win-at-all-costs coach is forced to turn to his backup quarterback Jonathan Moxon, played by James Van Der Beek, after his star QB gets injured - because he made the kid play hurt.  Mox must now deal with his new found fame, his utter lack of respect for the coach, and Ali Larter wearing nothing but whipped cream in order to still come out ahead in the end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSnkWiacUW4

"I DON'T WANT YOUR LIFE!"

Good to Be Back!

Beer #267 Brown Ale / Diamond Knot Brewing Company, Mukilteo, WA

The first Penn State game is in the books, and while the result on the field wasn't very encouraging, it was tremendous to be back in State College for a football game.  Maybe now we can go back to debating the merits of the back-up quarterback or blitzing linebackers or kicking game woes, or whatever else it is people talk about at tailgates besides Jerry Sandusky.  While the game was lost, we easily continued our streak of being undefeated in the parking lot.  It was great to see everyone again all in one place, and we ended up having a sizable contingent of friends stop by to spend the day with us.  One of the highlights of any tailgate is welcoming back old friends I haven't seen in a while.  We'll do it again in two weeks, and try once more to get a win on the field to match our effort at the tailgate.

A few items for consideration:
1. Yes, we were among the first to arrive and set up shop.  I'll be worried on the day we pull in and see hundreds of other cars around us.

2.. After the game, kids from Penn State's marching band, The Blue Band, roam our parking lot, playing some songs for the crowd in exchange for donations to help support their whatever it is they do with our donation (hopefully buy beer).  When they stopped by our tailgate, I was able to get the rhythm section to recreate snippets of the final battle scene from the movie Drumline, complete with the whole 'play other guy's drums / drop sticks vibe'.  More on this later.

3. Managed to get a blog beer going at the tailgate, too!  While there were plenty of macro brew light beers consumed by the crowd (including a few by me), there were definitely some good beer options as well.  SweetWater was one of the more notable good beer choices I saw in our flotilla of coolers.  Word on the street is New Glarus will be making an appearance next time.... love it.

My beer review for the day comes from Diamond Knot Brewing Company's Brown Ale.  In my blue plastic cup (always blue - never red), it seemed to be a dark brown color with a fluffy white head.  Your nose is greeted with a malty aroma, and the taste gives you caramel, malt, bread, dark fruit, and some sweetness  Nice and balanced at 6.0% ABV.  Not the beer I might have gone with on a sunny, 90 degree day, but I definitely enjoyed it, and will try some of the other Diamond Knot beers when I see them in the future.

This beer is approved by Tailgate Cheetah, our official tailgate mascot

Diamond Knot was named for a shipping vessel which sunk while sailing to Seattle in 1947.  In the cargo hold was up to 10% of the canned salmon harvest from Alaska that year, so a huge effort was made to recover the tin cans from the wreckage.  Not quite as lyrical as the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, but topical for the town where this beer is brewed.  Now you know.

Thing to Think About Today:
So, the Blue Band's recreation of this scene wasn't exactly perfect, but I give them credit for at least having some fun at the tailgate.  Consider the film Drumline your bonus College Week material in this space - while this movie wasn't terribly representative of my college experience, it's a pretty decent flick, and certainly provides more marching band excitement than your average Penn State game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIn-xXYpS-k

Beer 266: Shadow's Wild Black and Then Stiegl

For whatever reason, as I sit down to write something profound about the first Penn State game under Coach O'Brien, I managed to get The Second Week of Deer Camp stuck in my head. So there's that.

What are my hopes for today's game? Honestly to make the haters stop hating, but I realize the lofty nature of that wish. I want everyone wishing for the old days to stop it. Those days are over. Over. We have got to move on as an alumni group, as a student body, as human beings. This should have, could have, would have is not healthy.

It's a new day in Happy Valley. Let's all enjoy it and celebrate it. Let's have a real good time.

You know what's also a real good time? This crazy ass premium blackberry lager from Blue Dog Brewing called Shadow's Wild Black. The problem is that it's made by Anheuser Busch InBev. Oops. So I guess it's a 2 for 1 today.

The Wild Black is made with natural flavor and color from juice and has an ABV of 8%. Somehow InBev claims this one is brewed in Baldwinsville, New York. Honestly I did not have high hopes for a fruit lager. The color is a clear ruby with a thin ring of white head.


The smell is all blackberry - nothing else. It has a very strong aroma of fruit. The flavor is very boozy. There's a noticeable alcohol burn and it's almost schnapps like. But all that fruit flavor tastes natural...nothing artificial about it, which is great. The fruit and carbonation overpowers any hints of malt or hops. I will admit this one is unusual and I probably couldn't drink two in a row. That being said I did enjoy it. I shall rate it good.

Ugh. InBev. You kill me.

Now I'll tell you about the real beer for opening day. The Stiegl Pils is brewed in Austria. It pours a golden color with an off white head. I think it was leaving lacing but I couldn't really tell in the goofy plastic cup I was drinking out of. It smells rich and of grains. The taste reminds me slightly of melon with some hop bite. This is a nice beer. I'll rate it good.


Now I'm off to cheer on the white and blue because I've never stopped believing. Cheers!

Beer 262: Geary's Pale Ale

So we have a new roof and new siding. We finally replaced the old, beat up bathroom window. And yet every time I come home, I want to barf on my front door. Partly because it couldn't look any worse than it does now but mostly because it looks like hell compared to all the shiny and new stuff. Where are those goddamn house fairies? This front door isn't going to paint itself! And now it's football season and I really need those fairies to come take care of things because my schedule is about to get hectic. Word to the wise...condo association!

Although if I were to get my act together and paint that door myself, I would definitely want a D.L. Geary's pale ale while I'm doing it. This is another one of those beers for that other Portland...Portland, Maine.


It poured amber with a light tan head of medium consistency that left significant lacing behind. The smell was sweet and floral with some caramel. It has a slight piney and floral hop flavor. There's also just a little wheat.

The pale ale would make a great summertime or picnic beer. Or even outside project beer! Perhaps it's just their marketing but I could totally taste this going well with lobster. I could picture it now...a little seafood shack on the coast of Maine...perfect bread, buttery delicious fresh lobster and a Geary's pale ale.

Cheers!

Already Looking Ahead...

Beer # 255 Helles Lager / Fordham Brewing Company, Dover, DE

We're just shy of 70% of the way through our beer adventure, and still trucking along.  I'm already gearing up for next week, as it's going to be a banner week - if you don't follow along every day (and you should, but whatever), make sure to check back in starting on Sunday.  Why?  Because I'm firing up "back to school" week here in my corner of BlogNamedBrew.  No, I won't be drinking any beers which are/were popular with the beer pong set, although more power to anyone who can knock back a case or two of Golden Anniversary or Mil's Best Ice and still function the next day.  Instead, you loyal readers will get plenty of other excitement, culminating with the home football opener for Penn State next Saturday.

For those who don't know me in real life, I live for football season.  I've been going to PSU games since I was about seven years old, and tailgating is embedded deeply into the fiber of my DNA.  While it's been an absurdly challenging off-season for Nittany Lion fans around the world, I feel that getting back out in our parking spot, firing up the grill, and enjoying a few (read: many) beers with friends will bring back a world of normalcy.  Looking forward to it, if you couldn't figure that one out.

Enough looking ahead, let's stop and focus on today.  After a busy day, it's nice to come home and relax with a beer.  Today's offering is the Helles Lager from Fordham Brewing from our neighbor to the south (and home to Total Wine!), Delaware.  In the glass you see a crystal clear golden color, with plenty of bubbles.  There are aromas of grain and malt, and flavors of grain, crackers, and a touch of hops.  There are some hints of sweetness in there, too.  Very easy drinking with a clean finish, and at 5.4% ABV this beer should definitely be on your list for tailgates or picnics.

There was originally a Fordham brewery in Annapolis back in the early 1700's, although there's no direct tie to the current edition, which opened in 1995 in Annapolis and later moved to Dover.  Their logo seems to be a peacock, although no word on the website if there's any significant level of significance attached.  Hey, who doesn't love a peacock, am I right?

Thing to Think About Today:
This song was going to be the thing to think about yesterday, in the spirit of my car needing a state inspection.  However, the iPod and fate intervened for some Afternoon Delight, and instead you get the thing to think about yesterday to think about today.  But there's still a connection.  Ford(ham)... Ford cars... cars.... My Hooptie.  See what I did there?  Yeah, or not.  Sir Mix A Lot, go get 'em.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_F76ySzk48