Day 676: He Said,He Said

Scene: Me and some friends enjoying beers out on the town in State College for Penn State's homecoming. I'm sitting at the bar right in front of a set of taps. Bartender is switching out one of the tap handles and I launch into full Chatty Cathy let's-talk-beer-mode. 

They just tapped a collaboration brew from 21st Amendment and Elysian. The tap handle states (or at least it was close to this as I didn't have the mind to take a photo): 

     Baltic porter

     Lager brewed with pumpkin 

I've had some strange collaborations before, but a porter-lager...with pumpkin? To the Googles! Here's what I learned from the 21st Amendment He Said site:

He Said let’s brew a dark beer with pumpkin and spices and put it in a light colored can. He Said let’s brew a light beer with pumpkin and spices and put it in a dark colored can. So they did both and produced a pumpkin beer collaboration like no other: two black pumpkin beers and two white pumpkin beers, together in one box.

Who are the hes in question? Dick Cantwell, the pumpkin king at Elysian Brewing and Shaun O'Sullivan, the 21st Amendment brewmaster who brought me one of my favorite beers Hell or High Watermelon Wheat.

Evidently the tap handle covers both beers and is a great conversation starter! I lucked out with the light version of He Said. It's a Belgian-style tripel and it poured a hazy medium gold color with an off-white head. It was full of Belgian candid sugar aroma and some malt. The flavor is tons of caramel and pie spice. Not overtly pumpkin-y, but delicious nonetheless.

Beer stats
Style: Tripel
ABV: 8.2%
IBUs: Unknown
Rating: Excellent

Previously reviewed from 21st Amendment
Hell or High Watermelon, Bitter American, more Hell or High Watermelon, Fireside Chat

Previously reviewed from Elysian
Split Shot (espresso milk stout) and I rap Sir-Mix-Alot lyrics, drop a Faygo reference and sing the praises of TJ's Bar
Prometheus (IPA)

Beer 364: Elysian and I Like Big Beers

I like big beers and I cannot lie
You other brothers can't deny
That when a beer gets tapped with a double digit...

Oh never mind. I am no Sir Mix-A-Lot. But I do like big beers and I'll be hanging at TJ's in Paoli (Pennsylvania) all day tomorrow helping them celebrate their 9th anniversary. I wonder if they found any chocolate Faygo yet...

Today's beer is a perfectly appropriate beer to write about this early in the morning. It's the Split Shot espresso milk stout from Elysian Brewing Company in Seattle (5.6% ABV).


It has a minimal head with just a light tan ring around the glass. There is a strong, rich coffee and chocolate milk blend for the aroma. The color is deep dark brown.

The taste is predominantly rich, roasted coffee. There is also some vanilla and cola in there. It winds up with a hop bitterness that blossoms into a full finish. The mouthfeel isn't as creamy as I'd expect. It feels like it lands somewhere between a stout and milk stout. That being said, the flavor is excellent. Cheers!

Numbers and Songs

Beer # 359 Prometheus / Elysian Brewing Company, Seattle, WA
Beers to go: 7

Watched a movie last night, and now I have a song stuck in my head.  Ordinarily not a problem, because between Google, iTunes, and a hundred shady websites that post, um, "borrowed" mp3 files, one should be able to listen to identify, download, and then play said song on repeat until something else gets stuck.  Easy, right?

Yeah, except for the fact the soundtrack for this movie doesn't exist, and 30 minutes of furious searching turned up very little other than people posting, "Gee, I wish they'd release this song so I could download it" on movie and music websites.  So, on the off chance that any of you have crazy connections to the record industry and can lay your hands on a production copy of this song, I'm looking for Closing Time by Feist, which is a cover of a Leonard Cohen song.

It was playing during a scene in the film Take This Waltz, which stars Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, and Sarah Silverman and explores marriage, decisions, happiness, and other emotional things.  Pro?  Michelle Williams completely naked (and didn't I just write about how Michelle Williams was no slouch in the looks department?  Why yes I did!) on numerous occasions.  Con?  It's actually not a very good movie, unless you really love Seth Rogen trying (failing) to be a serious dramatic actor or you enjoy overly emotional drama.

So, I still have this very interesting cover of a cool old song stuck in my head, but I'm left with this very poor quality mp3 (same as this video, with some movie dialogue they couldn't strip away) for my listening pleasure.  Crud.  Check it out, at least you get a sense of what this is supposed to be....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-pyTRKTrE8

Best to wash away this failure of my song searching with some beer, and tonight I'm going with a big bottle of Prometheus, an IPA from Elysian Brewing in Seattle.  It pours with a clear copper color with a lingering white head.  Fantastic aroma of pine and citrus.  You get the taste of hops immediately, with plenty of grapefruit and pine.  There is a good amount of caramel malt in there to balance things out, and you get a wonderful, dry, bitter finish.  This beer is part of their Manic IPA series, which allows them to, "indulge in our hop obsession."  Works for me!  All IPA fans should search this one out.

This chick is on FIRE

Elysian opened for business in 1995, and they now have a number of locations throughout the Seattle area.  They also do frequent collaborations with New Belgium Brewing, another favorite of mine.

Thing to Think About Today:

While I continue to search away for a quality copy of the song running through my head, let's give credit to Leslie Feist and let her close things out.  And because I'm just an overstuffed child, let's finish up with a unique take on her soulful 1,2,3,4.... performed with the Sesame Street crew.  What?  Yeah, I went there.  Teach your children to appreciate good music, people.  Do it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZ9WiuJPnNA

Gone Fishing

Beer #323 Fish Tale Organic Blonde Ale / Fish Brewing Company, Olympia, WA

Well, things didn't quite go according to plan on Saturday, now did they?  Despite some awesome tailgating work put in, our efforts didn't translate to a win.  However, a day spent with great friends is one to cherish, so I'll choose to ignore the turd in the punch bowl that was the actual game.

To celebrate beer #323, allow me to reminisce for a bit.  You see, my first car was a gently used 1988 Mazda 323, which was a lovingly handed down to me by my Mom when she got a new car.  It had everything a sixteen year old kid needed - enough room to haul around some friends and a tape deck.  It was dependable (until the period of time when I had to jump start it every day to get it going) and fun to drive, and more importantly it gave me independence to go places and do things without having to rely on anyone else.  In essence, the road to adulthood started with the 323.  I have very fond memories of my old car, which got me around until junior year of college at which time Mom handed down a gently used red 1992 Mazda Protege.

I doubt I have any photos of it from back in the day, so here's a picture of a similar 323 I found courtesy of Google image search.  I seem to recall mine being a darker silver, but I really didn't feel like searching all day for the exact version.  Use your imagination.  It appears this car is for sale in Wichita, Kansas if you're in the market for a 24 year old import sedan.  Maybe I need a second car these days.....

Luxury (at least to a 16 year old) Automobile

Okay, enough time spent day dreaming, let's get down to business.  Today's beer is the Fish Tales Organic Blonde Ale from the Fish Brewing Company.  This beer has a hazy gold hue, and you're greeted with a floral aroma.  The taste is light (this beer is 4% ABV), with a tiny bit of sweetness, and hints of grain and apricot.  Nice beer for a warm summer day, say for example when you're washing your Mazda 323.  This beer is another example that people can order rather than a watered down macrobrew when they don't want something incredibly complex or boozy.

Fish food.

Fish has been brewing since 1993, and they produce multiple brands under their roof: the Fish Tale line, the Reel Ale line, Leavenworth Biers, and Spire Mountain Ciders.

Thing to Think About Today:
If we're thinking about Fish beers, let's go ahead and think about Phish, the jam band that formed all the way back in 1983, found national prominence in the 1990's, and has been touring seemingly ever since.  I never got too far into their work, as something about fourteen minute songs tends to make me stop paying attention.  That, and I didn't smoke six pounds of weed a day like most of the Phish fans I knew.  However, on a Sunday when we're starting to batten down the hatches in preparation for Hurricane Sandy, a little soothing jam might be just what the doctor ordered to relax.  Well, that and a beer.....

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

"For when my hand was holding hers / She whispered words and I awoke....."

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!

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, Grunge, and Beer.

Beer #259 Kilt Lifter / Pike Brewing Company, Seattle, WA

Busy but good Saturday in the books.  Got out on the bike for another long ( and this time faster) ride down the Schuykill River Trail, ran some errands, and had a small, small group of friends over to drink some of the plethora of beer accumulated in our fridge.  You see, sometimes we find single bottles of beer we want/need,  but sometimes we buy six-packs or receive beer gifts from friends.  All of which have been accumulating in the fridge for some time, so we figured we were due to liquidate some inventory.  Plus, with tailgate season just around the corner, we're now overstocked with good beer for game day.  We used to bring up what we called the "VIP cooler," which contained craft beer we weren't willing to share with the masses.  This year?  It might all be VIP.  Have I mentioned that football is now just six days away?  Not that I'm counting.

Speaking of beer, tonight's beer is the Kilt Lifter from Pike Brewing out of Seattle.  During our vacation to the West Coast, we actually walked right past Pike's outpost downtown, but couldn't stop as we were on our way to a dinner reservation elsewhere.  Thankfully, they distribute to the East Coast, thus solving that problem.  In the glass, the beer is a hazy auburn color, with  fluffy white head.  There are aromas of sweet malt and citrus, and you pick up flavors of malt, toffee, tea, and lemon.  Nice beer if you're in the mood for something with a good malt backbone.

No kilts were harmed in the making of this photo

Great brewery history here - Pike was founded by Charles Finkel, who was exposed to European beer and found himself in the wine distribution business through the 1960's.  He started contracting other breweries (there were only 40 in America at the time) to produce beer to his standards in the 1970's.  After being one of the first people to import Belgian beers into the U.S., Finkel and his wife ultimately started the Pike Brewery in 1989, just around the corner from the famous Pike Place Market.

Famous Pike Place Market sign

Thing to Think About Today:
Like it or not, a fair amount of my time in college was spent during the Grunge era.  The music was great, the fashion.... well I'm sure lots of people still wear thermal shirts, flannel, and baseball hats everywhere they go.  Of course, they might be homeless people.  However, one bright spot in all of those layers of ripped jeans and thermals was this incredibly happy song from the Flaming Lips.  I defy you to listen to She Don't Use Jelly and not sing along with a smile, regardless of whether or not you went to college in the 90's.

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

Did you know the Flaming Lips once appeared on Beverly Hills 90210?  I do.  Because I did in fact go to college in the 90's.

Sweat em' like Sweathogs.

Beer #248 ESB / Redhook Ale Brewery, Woodinville, WA

At some point today, I had an interesting thing to write about.  And as I sit here now with my fingers on the keyboard, I have no idea what it was.  Politics?  Sports?  Witty observations on the odd things that happened today?  Gone.

The beer for this forgetful day is the ESB from Redhook.  It has a crystal clear, light amber color in the glass, with a wispy white head.  The aroma is straight up caramel malt, and the taste brings you flavors of malt and bread, with some light citrus and a bit of a bitterness in the finish.  Maybe not as malty or as flavorful as some ESB's from across the pond, but a nice beer to relax with and eat with my pizza dinner.

Redhook was a leader in the trend of multi-site brewing operations among craft brewers.  Originally from Seattle, they now also have a brewery in Portsmouth, MA (where I'm sure my beer came from) to allow for a greater distribution footprint.  And, if distribution was a problem before, it's not currently as Redhook merged with Widmer in 2008 to form something called the Craft Brewers Alliance (which later bought out Kona).  You want more business deals?  Beer Colossus InBev now owns a hefty yet minority share with 32% of the conglomerate.  For those keeping score at home, Redhook, Widmer, and Kona are all being treated separately for the purposes of this blog, as they maintained their own production and identity in the M&A process.

Thing to Think About Today:
For a while in the early days of this blog, I felt every other day I was commenting on a legend who had passed away, often too soon.  Today unfortunately brings us back to that topic, as Ron Palillo, better known to the world as Horshack on Welcome Back, Kotter, passed away today at the age of 63.  Many frequent readers will understand that I love sitcoms (and comedies) from the 70's and 80's, and Kotter held a special place near the top of that list.  However, unlike many of the celebrity deaths, I had a somewhat personal connection to Palillo.  A story, if you'll allow me:

There was a restaurant in a neighboring town when I was growing up that attracted people from miles around for great chicken wings.  Particularly enjoyable was their frequent 10 or 25 cent wing night, and the fact that they routinely served my friends and me beer underage.  One night on our way to a 100 wing and multiple pitchers of beer order, we saw there was going to be entertainment that evening in the form of the comedic genius of Ron Palillo.  I don't think anyone else in the restaurant knew or cared that there was entertainment, but we were amazed by our good luck.  Or so we thought... right up until Palillo bombed.  It was awful.  His scripted material left the audience with completely blank stares, and eventually enough frustration that the mob started shouting, "DO HORSHACK! DO HORSHACK!"  Palillo eventually gave in and immediately with the first, "Ooh, ooh, Mr. Kotter" absolutely brought the house down.  From there on, the laughs flowed freely, as did the beer to underage drinkers.  God, I miss the Chicken Coop.

Never being ones to miss an opportunity, we decided to, um, "borrow" the glossy head shot photo of Palillo hanging in the lobby.  This would come in handy later on during our senior year when we decided to run off a few thousand copies and proceed to tape them up all over the walls of our school.  Think of it as an guerrilla art installation, just WAY ahead of its time.  Needless to say, our Principal wasn't quite as enthused by our new found art appreciation, although somehow he never managed to catch on that we were the ones behind the prank.  A particularly fun day was when Governor Bob Casey came to our school for a "State Capital for a Day" sort of deal.  On the bulletin board with red, white, and blue bunting were glossy photos of Governor Casey and his Lieutenant Governor.  Lieutenant Governor Ron Palillo, that is, as we snuck a copy of our head shot photo into the official materials.  Considering the questionable intelligence of the kids we went to school with, it wasn't a big surprise that no one picked up on the fact Horshack's picture was up there, although I would have hoped at least one teacher, civics or history perhaps, would have noticed.  Anyway, a long and not entirely funny story unless you were there, but one that immediately came to mind when I saw that  one of my favorite actors had passed away.  I still have that glossy head shot squirreled away in a folder somewhere, which I suppose I now need to find and put in a place of honor.  I like saving things like that, which sometimes (read: always) drives Marci crazy.

Rest in peace, Arnold Horshack. The Sweathogs will never be the same without you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-VgXd0Bmpw

There's a complete lack of good Welcome Back, Kotter clips on Youtube.  Isn't that why the internet was invented?  Can someone get on this already?

Beer 248: Red Hook ESB

Tonight I'm drinking the ESB from It's an amber color ale in the extra special bitter style. It has a general beer smell. The flavor has a nice malty fullness with just a bit of hop bite. It's a nice, easy to drink beer but there are other ESBs out there that are much tastier. But in a pinch, it'll do.

I wish other Redhook beers would make it to the east coast. There are definitely a few that I would love to try....the Wit, the Nut Brown.

Cheers!

Beer 209: Mac & Jack's African Amber Ale

I'm not going to lie...I'm pretty pleased that the African Amber Ale from  Mac & Jack's Brewery is only available in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.  Not only that, it's only available on draft - no bottles or cans. 

Mac & Jack's is brewed in Redmond (Washington) and I had it on draft at the W Hotel in Seattle.  It poured a slightly hazy reddish brown with very little head.  It smelled nutty and malty. The taste was heavy on the malt and kind of buttery with hops underlying throughout.  I wasn't at all sure what an "African amber ale" was when I ordered it and there wasn't a description on the menu.  Turns out that the first pub the beer was sold at was next to a zoo and all their beers have African or animal related names.  Now you know, too!  Overall the beer was very smooth and easy drinking. 

Cheers!

Beer 208: Scuttlebutt Amber Ale

I was going to begin this post by writing about my love of the word scuttlebutt, but decided nothing I could write would compare to this definition from the Scuttlebutt Brewing Company's website.  I'm also not feeling very motivated today.  Work is work and I would much rather be retired right now.  So there's that...

Anyway I found the Scuttlebutt Amber Ale at The Brooklyn Oyster House in Seattle.  It accompanied a few dozen oysters quite well. 

It was a lovely and deep shade of amber with a thin head.  It smelled of caramel malts and the taste was full and round.  The caramel rings through and there is just a hint of earthy hop at the finish. 

Cheers!

Beer 203: Pyramid Hefeweizen and Sea Creatures

Sorry for the completely spastic report out on the beer-cation. Today I'm rewinding to San Francisco and our stop at The Eagle Cafe on Pier 39.  Pier 39 is a total tourist trap, but they have seafood restaurants and sea lions.  So that's good.  

Sidebar: I cannot for the life of me tell the difference between sea lions and harbor seals.  Those gelatinous, slightly furry creatures to the right are sea lions.  

The Eagle Cafe made one of the best fish sandwiches I have had in my life.  It looked like any other fish sandwich, but tasted far superior.  They also had cold, refreshing beer and I opted for Pyramid Brewing Company's hefeweizen.

It poured a hazy apricot color with a thick white head.  It was very lemony in the nose and  had general beer aroma.  The flavor is lots of wheat, light spice and a nice lemony tartness.  My one complaint is that despite the typical hefeweizen flavors, it felt watery as I drank it.  If it had more body, I would rate it better than average.  But it didn't so average it is.

Cheers!

Not pictured here: two dozen oysters
that didn't stand a chance against us!

Time to Get All Patriotic

Beer #203 Manny's Pale Ale / Georgetown Brewing Company, Seattle, WA

Welcome to the weekend, friends.  Hopefully we're all feeling sufficiently patriotic heading into the Fourth of July weekend......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-LYH2Gg8yM

OK, maybe not as patriotic as Charlie here, but patriotic none the less.  We're kicking off a five day weekend, which is much needed after a long five day work week.  Getting back into the groove at work after a two week vacation is taxing on the body, mind, and soul.  I don't recommend it.  Um, going back to work, that is.  I highly recommend vacations.

Today's beer is the Manny's Pale Ale from Georgetown Brewing in Seattle.  In the glass, you see a rich amber color, with a thin white head.  There's an excellent malt and bitter balance, with hints of orange and a light sweetness in there as well.  Caramel, maybe?  Very good choice for someone who wants a bit of hops, but doesn't want to be strangled by them.  Well done, guys.

From the bar at the W in Seattle

This brewery was started by two friends in Seattle who had a passion for beer.  There's not much info on the back story for this brewery, but they do quote Caddyshack, so I'm sure they're doing something right.

Thing to Think About Today:
We'll be getting patriotic in this space over the next few days.  Let's kick it off with the Godfather of Soul:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzDDJm27vmc

I Just Want To Fly

Beer #202 Afterburner IPA / Flyers Restaurant and Brewery, Oak Harbor, WA

It's Friday, and we're getting into a long holiday weekend courtesy of a few more vacation days and the Fourth of July.  Off to visit with some friends tonight, so it's straight business this evening.  Tonight's beer came on draft in Seattle - the Afterburner IPA from Flyers.  It pours a copper color with a thin head, and you immediately get a good amount of hop bitterness up front.  It also has flavors of malt, with a bit of citrus thrown in, and a good dry finish.

The picture I took of this beer is downright nonsense.  Dark bar + phone = awful photos.  So, here's a picture of the Wright Brothers doing the damn thing.

Gonna fly now......

The brewery (and restaurant) website doesn't have much info on who they are, but when you click on a link to learn more about the beer, you get a cool propeller noise.  So, you have that going for you, which is nice.  They seem to be big fans of airplanes, if you're into that sort of thing.

Thing to Think About Today:
Seeing how I put Top Gun in this space during our visit to San Diego, I needed to think of another way to incorporate the theme into my final thought.  So, today is Friday, and that means it's happy hour somewhere.  Let's stop and think back to possibly the most popular G-Man happy hour song from my college days.  Sugar Ray, it's time to Fly!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uP5JWlsxJpk

What do you think Super Cat is doing these days?  Telemarketing?  I might need him for a concert I'm planning in my backyard, so if anyone has contact info, please let me know.

200 Beers Down!

Beer #200 Best Bitter / Dick's Brewing Company, Centralia, WA

Big milestone up today - the 200th beer on our adventure.  Definitely feels like just yesterday we blew past 100 beers, definitely feels like 165 more beers is a long, long, long way off.  Thanks for hanging in there, thanks for sharing this blog with your friends.  If you aren't sharing this with your friends or other beer geeks, you really need to start keeping up your end of the bargain.  I'm busting my ass here, people.

Marking this occasion will be a beer I had on draft in Seattle, while enjoying a dozen oysters.  "While enjoying a dozen oysters" is a phrase that can be said about many, many of the beers I had on vacation.  I'm definitely at a high risk for mercury poisoning from all of the seafood I put down.  Anyway, back to tonight's beer, which is Dick's Best Bitter, an English bitter from Dick's Brewing Company.  In the glass, it shows off a nice amber color with a white head.  When you drink it, you get a lot of caramel, bread, and citrus, with a dry bitter finish.  At 4.8% ABV, this was an easy drinking, very nice choice.

 Bad picture in a dark bar?  Check.

This brewery traces its roots back to 1984, when Dick Young spent time brewing homemade beer while also making homemade sausages for his deli.  The beer became very popular with his customers, and they have since moved into a much larger production facility - although the original deli is still open.  Sadly, Mr. Young passed away in 2009, and his daughter is now running the brewery.

Thing to Think About Today:
As much as I'd like to make some dick jokes in honor of Dick's Brewery, this blog is way too classy of a place for that sort of childish thing.  Instead, I'll leave you with some classic Chuck Berry!  An R&B legend, Berry was an influential force on The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, and hundreds of other bands.  He's played at the White House, and everyone is familiar with his Johnny B. Goode.  And yet oddly enough this novelty song was his only #1 single on the Billboard charts.  Take it away, Chuck....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaEC-lWSlmI

Loyal Citizens of Zamunda!

Beer #199 African Amber / Mac & Jack's Brewery, Redmond, WA

Hitting up the Phillies game tonight, so it's all business here on the blog. Today's beer is the African Amber from Mac & Jack's Brewery, and it was officially the last beer I sampled on vacation, although it's far from the last one you'll be hearing about in these pages. It poured an cloudy amber color, and had a toasted malt flavor with a bit of bitterness on the finish. There are lemony citrus notes in there as well. In all, not a bad choice.

So you're probably wondering what this beer has to do with Africa, and the answer is not a whole lot. It was originally brewed for a pub near a zoo in Redmond, and was given the name to tie into the zoo theme. Other beers from this brewery are similarly named (Serengeti Wheat, for example).

Another hotel, another beer

Thing to Think About Today:
If we're thinking about Africa, then we're thinking about the fictitious country of Zamunda. I'll let Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall take it home today with their legendary movie, Coming to America, which told the tale of an African prince who made his way to America to find his queen, with much hilarity along the way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPE4OCeKt2k