Gary vs. Facebook (It Might Get Ugly)

Beer #451 La Nove / Birrificio L'Olmaia, Siena, Italy
Previously from this brewery: First one!

Dearest Facebook,
I hope this message finds you well.  I would sincerely like to punch you in the throat; repeatedly and violently if at all possible.  Please unfuck your current nonsense at your earliest convenience, because it's negatively impacting my satisfaction right now.
Faithfully yours,
This Guy

I freely admit I like Facebook.  It lets me do one stop shopping to catch up on the happenings of my family and friends, see some pictures, get links to interesting articles, play Words With Friends, and just stay connected to life in general.  Look, I'm just not the guy who has the time or desire to call up all of my friends and see what they're doing.  Too much work.  A quick glance at the internet here and there and I'm good.

We all have the same complaints about Facebook, so I'm really not breaking any new ground here if I gripe about the nonsense you have to wade through to enjoy the site.  I mean, we all have those friends who over share.  I don't mind them over sharing somewhat unimportant things, but I do mind when they completely over share absolutely useless nonsense.  If you're that person, allow me to break some news to you:
1. Just because I didn't "like" the picture of a cancer survior I don't know doesn't mean I support cancer.  It just means that me hitting the 'like' button isn't going to cure cancer.  Is there still someone out in the world there who doesn't know how much cancer sucks?
2. I don't care what you have for breakfast every morning, but here you are updating your status AGAIN to let everyone in on what you eat for every meal.  Can you just summarize at week end?
3. I don't fucking care how many squares you see (or don't see) in the picture.
4. I'm not an imbecile, so yes, yes I can in fact think of a town in Pennsylvania without the letter 'E' in its name.  Really not that hard at all.
4. No, your link to whatever left/right wing group with proof that Obama is a terrorist/Romney kills poor old people will actually NEVER get me to subscribe to your political ideology.

This doesn't mean I don't like you and don't want to see some of what's happening in your world.  Therefore, I take full and complete advantage of the "hide" feature, where I can choose to subscribe to some of your posts, some of your updates, all of your posts, or (don't hate me) NONE of your nonsense.  It has made Facebook much, much more enjoyable.  Look, if you don't want to see my links to beer reviews, but you think I post awesome pictures from the 90's thanks to my scanner, you can fix this to your liking!  You won't hurt my feelings, trust me.

Except.

Except that today, for some unknown reason, Facebook has decided to reset ALL of my carefully curated selections on what I see and from whom and when.  My Facebook today was an explosion of crap; an electronic Mt. Vesuvius covering my screen in nonsense and killing all the things I do want to see in its path of wanton destruction.  Every time I try to reset my preferred settings, Facebook ignores it like a six year old ignoring their mom when it's time to put the bike away and do homework.  "Just five more minutes, Mom, and then I'll come inside," said Facebook, as it pedaled a tiny bicycle away, laughing as it thinks it got away with some big scam.

Is this happening to anyone else?  Did I do something to piss off Mark Zuckerberg I'm not aware of?  If someone knows how to fix this so that my choices stay fixed, I will award you some fabulous prize and be forever in your (Facebook) debt.  I'm serious.  I know how to change the settings, but they won't stay changed.  And clearly I need help.

Perhaps a beer will help get my blood pressure back down to a more non-life threatening number.  Tonight I'm going with a beer I had last night with dinner.  I don't usually venture into the city on a school night, but a trip to Alla Spina makes it worthwhile.  My beer for the night was La Nove from Birrificio L'Olmaia in Italy.  In the glass, this beer had a dark amber hue, with a lingering white head.  The aroma was light, but had notes of citrus.  The taste had a nice mix of bitterness balanced with some caramel malt.  Not overly hoppy, despite being described as a hoppy Belgian ale.  Definitely enjoyable and refreshing, although next time I'm there I may not order a beer that costs as much as my entree.

Told you I was at Alla Spina

This brewery can be found about two hours north of Rome, in case you happen to be in the neighborhood.  And the name of the beer means The Nine in English, if you want something to talk about when you get there.

Thing to Think About Today:
Clearly we're thinking about friends here, and clearly Facebook has selected "No" on the note I sent in class today asking if it will be my friend.  In the spirit of this unfortunate development, I present to you the Dandy Warhols singing We Used to Be Friends.  I'm out of here....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bm1g5Yg0hUw

"Come on now honey / Bring it on, bring it on, yeah"

Day 450: Iron Hill Bourbon Stout and a Food Report

If there's anything that rivals my love of craft beer, it's finding a great new restaurant. And we've been on a good run lately.

Our latest adventure is taking us to Alla Spina in Philadelphia for dinner tonight. I've heard great things about both the food and the beer list and I can't wait to check it out.

Last week we were reunited with a long lost Mexican restaurant Binni & Flynn's. Binni & Flynn's was a staple of our post-college life in King of Prussia (Pennsylvania)--relatively inexpensive Tex-Mex and giant margaritas. What's not to love? They went out of business and for years I lamented the fact that there was a serious lack of Tex-Mex in my neighborhood. Lo and behold the daughter of the original owners has reincarnated the restaurant and it's already satisfying my need for margaritas, beans and cheese!

A couple of weeks ago, we found another Mexican restaurant in Phoenixville called Hacienda La Michoacana.  It's a spin-off from the people who run Taqueria La Michoacana in Norristown, which I've tended to avoid because it's Norristown and you know, I don't need to get mugged. I find Phoenixville to be much more endearing and find myself there more and more often. Somehow after a giant and satisfying dinner at Hacienda La Michoacana, me, Mr. Blog Named Brew and good friends found ourselves across the street at the Iron Hill Brewery. And that's where I found inspiration for tonight's post...

The photo doesn't do it justice. This was
one of the most beautiful beers I've seen .

It's Iron Hill Brewery's bourbon porter.  It poured a dense, dark brown color with a thick, creamy tan head. They were serving it on nitro and I think that made it even more delectable. It has all the hallmarks of a great porter with the added bonus of being aged in bourbon barrels. Roasted, slightly burnt malts. Balanced hop bitterness. Easy to drink. This one has loads of creamy chocolate, some rich vanilla and light bourbon notes. It smells and tastes like dessert and went down all too easily!

Beer stats

Style: Porter

ABV: 5.3%

IBUs: Unknown

Rating: Excellent

Previously reviewed from Iron Hill

Gary thinks he's Iron Man (Ironbound Ale)

My musings on Phoenixville's renaissance and a Belgian tripel

Brides, Beer, and Fear

Day #449 HertenHeer Blond & Bitter / Hobbybrouwerij Het Nest, Turnhout, Belgium
Previously from this brewery: First one!

Are you all having an enjoyable Sunday?  I hope so, dear readers.  Sundays are made to be enjoyed.  After a busy morning of yoga and a few quick errands, I'm now relaxing and enjoying some quiet time.

Included in that quiet time is a beer review, and today I give you HertenHeer, a Belgian strong pale ale from Het Nest, a Belgian brewer.  This one was on draft yesterday at Teresa's Next Door, where I was able to go get a beer as a reward for good behavior.  Good behavior you say?  I had spent the earlier portion of my afternoon yesterday in David's Bridal, where the Mrs. wanted to go to find  a dress for an upcoming black tie event.  I'm not sure what percentage of people reading this website are males, but allow me to just go ahead and say something very important to those of you who are: males should NEVER set foot in David's Bridal on a Saturday.  EVER.  The store was packed to the rafters with brides, bridesmaids, mothers of the bride, and all sorts of other eager and frightening women who were fawning over dresses, making tremendous amounts of squealing noises, and generally making me feel very, very, very, very, very, very, very, VERY out of place for having a penis.  When a bride finds the dress of her dreams, she rings a bell and the store explodes in applause; when it first happened, I thought it was a store employee sounding the klaxon to warn the troops that a man has intruded on their sacred space.  I kept looking to see if they were going to set loose a pack of wolves to finish me for looking in on their secret and intimidating rituals.  Thankfully, I made it out alive.  But heed my warning, gentlemen - you may not be as lucky as I was.

Where was I?  Oh yes, my beer.  In the glass, it had a bright gold color, with plenty of effervescence and a puffy white head.  There's a sweet aroma of fruit, and when you take a sip you get some biscuit and grass, with a malt and a good hop bitterness, all of which culminate in nice, dry finish.  You can taste fruit in there as well, although I can't quite put my finger on it.  Maybe plum, or figs?  I still may have been shell shocked from my afternoon ordeal, with my senses not quite back to a relaxed state.

Wish this glass was more macho

According to Google translate, HertenHeer means, "deer Lord."  Not "dear", but "deer."  Not sure what to make of that fact.  Het Nest, as all you Dutch speakers well know, means "the nest."  As best I can figure, this brewery is made up of home brewers who create beers, but still have full time jobs elsewhere.  They started as a beer tasting club, but I get the sense they'll be quitting those full time jobs in the near future.

Thing to Think About Today:
While I was focusing on making myself invisible in the store yesterday (didn't work, I'm tall), the song that kept popping up in my head was none other than White Wedding by Billy Idol.  I should have walked in with a scarf wrapped around my head and no shirt on like Idol does in this video.  That would have let the bridesmaids know I meant business....

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

Day 448: Dark Horse Too Cream Stout

I don't have much to write. I've been running errands all day and friends are on the way over. And readership tends to be down on the weekends, so there.

Today's beer is fresh from the taps at Teresa's Next Door. It's the Dark Horse Too Cream stout.

It poured black as night with a deep, dark cocoa color head. The head was the darkest cocoa color that I think I've ever encountered on this beer adventure. The aroma was light roasted malt. The flavor is nutty. Lots of roast coffee. Bitter chocolate. It has a light creaminess but overall drank with a thin mouthfeel.

Beer stats
Style: Milk stout
ABV: 7.5%
IBUs: Unknown
Rating: Excellent

Previously reviewed from Dark Horse
Another very coffee-centric beer called Perkulator Doppelbock and a reminder that I need to do more music related posts
Gary's review of Double Crooked Tree, a double IPA

DEFCON 3

Day #447 New Dogtown / Lagunitas Brewing Company, Petaluma, CA
Previously from this brewery: the IPA (and a friendly reminder to not visit Lagunitas on Mondays or Tuesdays) and Daytime IPA

Last night was my second night of furious scanning and posting of old photos.  Taking a break tonight... don't want to use up all the good stuff too soon!  I have received numerous threats and bribes from friends who realize that these pictures were taken before the days of camera phones.  Back then, we could act like idiots, because the only people who would know about it were the people there with us in the moment (and they were likely also acting like a fool) and whoever was shown the developed photo.  Not easy to share that developed photo broadly.  Now with the internet, it's sooooo easy to share those drunken spring formal pictures.  I'm no dummy.  I know there are friends out there currently purchasing their own scanners (looking at you, Jay), getting ready in case they need to launch a counter strike.  I feel confident this will end up like nuclear warfare: courtesy of mutually assured destruction, no one will be posting the truly absurd or embarrassing photos, for fear that we'll all wipe each other off the face of the earth.  The mere threat of the truly ridiculous photos is enough to keep everyone in check.

To celebrate my break from scanning (and my ability to work the theory of mutually assured destruction into a beer review), tonight's beer review is the New Dogtown, an American Pale Ale from Lagunitas.  This beer shows off a gold hue, with a lingering white puffy head.  The aroma is of citrus and malt, and the taste is dry, with an earthy characteristic.  Plenty of malt to go along with a nice balance of pine and lemon.  I knew this wouldn't be as hoppy as an IPA, but I did expect a bit stronger citrus flavor.  If I had to pick between two recent beers, I think I'd take the Heavy Seas Loose Cannon over this one in a fight.

Who's the man now, dog (town)?

This brewery has been up and running since 1994, but seriously: check their schedule before you show up at their door, only to find them closed for the day.

Thing to Think About Today:
If we're talking about nuclear war, let's at least have some fun with it.  This of course means the 1983 film WarGames!  Starring a young Matthew Broderick, this film tells the tale of a teenage computer hacker who accesses the U.S. nuclear missile system, which was awesomely named, 'WOPR'. When the computer challenges him to a game of Global Thermonuclear War, the military thinks a nuclear strike is happening, and prepares to counterattack the Soviets.  Can Broderick and Ally Sheedy get the military to understand it's only a game before warheads start raining from the sky?  And was the internet even invented in 1983?  To quote WOPR, "Shall we play a game...?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OyoNR4kiJ0

"Wouldn't you prefer a nice game of chess?"

Day 446: AleSmith Anvil Ale

My thought process for today's post:

Insanely busy at work...cartoon Marci running furiously and not getting anywhere...Wile E. Coyote's ACME Co. anvil falls on my head...Alesmith Anvil ale.

Impressed, aren't you?

Suspect photo courtesy of
Mr. Blog Named Brew

Lucky for me, this Anvil much more tasty than headache inducing.  It's brewed by AleSmith Brewing Company and is an extra special bitter. Extra special bitter is quickly becoming one of my top beer styles. Anvil is AleSmith's flagship beer. It was the first one they brewed!

This one poured a lovely chestnut brown without any haziness. It had a full tan head and a sweet malt aroma. The flavor is a mildly bitter hop with roasty malts and hints of orange tea.

Beer stats
Style: Extra special bitter
ABV: 5.5%
IBUs: Unknown
Rating: Great

Previously reviewed from AleSmith
His and hers reviews of Horny Devil (Belgian strong pale ale). Mr. Blog Named Brew wins with the inclusion of one of my favorite songs, Circles by Soul Coughing. Nerts!

Cannonball... Cannonball Coming!

Day #445 Loose Cannon / Clipper City Brewing Company, Baltimore, MD
Previously from this brewery: Barleywine and Barlewyine + The Wire

Tonight I'm getting right down to business - I officially caught up with the times and bought a scanner, so I've been furiously working to take some classic old pictures and get them to the internet.  For example, me at age four or five?

I AM A SEXY MAN

Enough tomfoolery (for the moment), let's get down to a beer review.  Tonight I'm going with a beer I had at TJ's a while back, Loose Cannon from Heavy Seas.  This beer has a clear, light copper color, with a fluffy white head.  There's a nice citrus aroma, and when you take a sip you find pine and lemon, with an earthy dryness, and just the right amount of bitterness.  A really nice beer I could drink all night, if given the chance. Great for a night when you're looking to pick a fight with the hoppiest beer in the bar.

Yar, matey.

Unless I'm missing something, you won't find the name Clipper City anywhere on their website. However, I still believe Clipper City is the name of the brewery, and they in turn brew Heavy Seas beer.  I think I know this because that's what it says on Wikipedia, and the internet never lies.

Thing To Think About Today:
Allow me to point out the obvious connection for tonight: Loose Cannon, meet Cannonball, by The Breeders.  Enough said and rather appropriate on a night where I'm pouring over pictures from the 90's.  Love this song!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGXE7AF_sK4

"I'll be your whatever you want...."

Day 444: Victory Brewing 100 Horse Ale

Today is simultaneously the best and worst day of the year. As an event planner, once a year I get to participate in a menu tasting for our gala fundraiser. Spending hours sampling hors d'oeuvres, salads, entrees, side dishes and desserts with--of course--appropriately paired wines sounds like a dream come true. And it is. Trust me, today was a delicious, delicious day. But it's the aftermath, what I've affectionately called the hors d'oeuvres sweats, that I've learned to dread.

There is no way to pace yourself. I thought I'd be safe by not sampling the entrees, which are predominantly steak. Nope. It's those bite size morsels--crab, tuna, shrimp and taro root, mini goat cheese sandwiches on raisin bread, endive, porcini, truffles--that do the most damage. Tempting, devilish little hors d'oeuvres! Then there are the salads. Healthy, right? Sure, but then pile on all the sweet delicacies for dessert afterwards and it's all over. 

And who had the brilliant idea to do a gourmet popcorn bar for dessert this year? Oh yeah, that was me. 

Now if I only had Thanksgiving pants like Joey...

Video is here

...I'd have room for beer. Instead I'll pull a review out of my stash and tell you about Victory Brewing's Hundred Horse Ale. It's a collaboration among Victory, Philadelphia restaurant Alla Spina and The Publican in Chicago. It's a dry, rich ale made with German Kolsch yeast and Oregon chestnuts. I selected it from among Victory's many offerings based on the description that it's nutty. I like a nutty beer.

(picture will go here if I haven't lost it)

It poured an amber color with a thick, off-white head. It smells of bread with a touch of hops. It drinks with a medium mouthfeel.  It's very mild. Malty with the lightest hoppiness. The chestnuts weren't apparent at first, but started to reveal themselves as the beer warmed up a bit. It was easy to drink and given the ABV, I'd call it a great session beer.

Beer stats 

Style: Red ale

ABV: 5.5%

IBUs: Unknown

Rating: Good

Previously reviewed from Victory

Gary's review of Hundred Horses, NATO IPA, and V-12

Here I attempt to drink ALL THE BEERS!

Red in the Morning

Day #443 La Roja / Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, Dexter, MI
Previously from this brewery: Ready? We've drank La Roja, Luciernaga, ES Bam, Bam Biere, and Madrugada Obscura.  Think we like Jolly Pumpkin around these parts?  We do.

I'll keep this quick and somewhat to the point, as I have yoga class tonight.  Not sure I'm much better at yoga than when I started back in 2012, but I keep trying.  I do enjoy the sense of relaxation I get from a class - my beginner classes are less aerobic and more, well, peaceful.

I often find that same sense of peace during my morning runs.   It's been a long time since I've trained for any ultra marathons (three years, yikes!) but I still try to get out most mornings and get two or three miles before work.  Truthfully, I really like being out in the world before the sun comes up.  I get a sense that I'm the only one out and about, a feeling that no one will be bothering me as I churn through the neighborhood.  It's just me alone with my thoughts, and I love that.  Of course, every now and then, my peace is interrupted by an explosion. Thankfully, the Mother Nature kind:

Glorious

Click on that image for a larger version.  I saw that majestic view last Friday morning, so in honor of a sky filled with oranges, purples, and reds, tonight's beer is the La Roja (roja is Spanish for red, for those who aren't bilingual, like I am) from Jolly Pumpkin.  In the glass, this Flanders ale is a bright mahogany color with a wispy white head.  The aroma is a wonderful blend of tart, vinegar, and fruit.  When I took a sip, the first thing I jotted down was, "This is an outstanding beer."  It's dry, with some spice on the finish.  Throughout, it's tart and sour, with citrus and cherries, all blending together with some caramel malt to create something beautiful - just like the brilliant colors of a morning sunrise.  If you like sours or Flanders red ales, you need to get this one, and FAST.  It's world class.

Cat with a sword?  Bad ass.

Bonus points?  The label has a sort of Puss N'Boots vibe, with a swashbuckling cat staring back at you.

Thing to Think About Today:
In the spirit of red and the sunrise, I really couldn't present anything else in this space but Red Dawn.  This film tells the story of a United States that has been invaded by the Russians and their allies.  A scary thought from back in the day when the Cold War was still happening.  Starring Patrick Swayze, Lea Thompson, Charlie Sheen, and Jennifer Gray (nobody puts Baby in the corner!), Red Dawn is about high school students in Colorado who decide to fight back against the odds and the foreign invaders.  This movie was remade recently, but there's no shot in Hell that I'll be watching that version, as the original still kicks ass!  Do you like guns, the 80's, the can-do American spirit, and Patrick Swayze, but hate Communism?  Then this is the movie for you.  Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_I4WgBfETc

Another Beer Creation

Day #442 Hoppy Trails / Appalachian Brewing Company, Collegeville, PA
Previously from this brewery: Marci's take on the Jolly Scot

Is everyone all geeked up for the Oscars?  I suppose I'll watch some of the red carpet, just to mock those who made poor fashion choices, and I'll cobble together a list of movies I'll eventually get around to seeing through Netflix.  Not the most thrilling night of television, unfortunately.  But, some mindless tv will be a nice way to ease into the evening, after a busy yet productive weekend.  Did a ninja mission to State College yesterday, and meandered about Chester County doing some shopping after yoga class today.  Seeing how another five day work week is coming up, I think I'll be in bed long before the last Oscar is awarded tonight.

After drinking beers from around the globe (literally around the globe: check the ridiculous list of breweries we've had a beer from here on this page), I realized there's a brewery approximately 20 minutes from my house that wasn't sampled during the 366 challenge.  Whoops.  Sorry about that!  We fixed that a few weeks back when we stopped by Appalachian Brewing Company's Collegeville, PA location.  Hard to find from the street, the brewpub is massive inside, and well worth the time to visit.  As the picture below suggests, I shared a sampler with Marci, but then later ordered my own glass of their IPA, Hoppy Trails.  It poured with a clear, light copper hue, with a thin, persistent head.  The aroma is as expected: grapefruit and pine, the hallmarks of an IPA.  The taste is dry with a strong dose of pine, and bitter throughout.  You find the grapefruit citrus taste along with a malt backbone, and this beer is easy drinking and tasty.  Not as much oompfh as some West Coast or Colorado IPAs, but definitely something you can enjoy.

Tiny goodness

Appalachian started as a brewpub in Harrisburg, and  now has five locations throughout the state.  The closest to me, their Collegeville outpost, opened in May of 2011.

Thing to Think About Today:
Appalachian Brewing Company frequently goes by the acronym 'ABC', which makes tremendous sense in an alphabetical sort of way.  You know who else goes by the acronym 'ABC'?  The early 90's phenomenon Another Bad Creation!!! Look me in the eye and tell me Iesha doesn't bring a huge smile to your face when you hear it.  You can't, because it's an awesome song performed by nine year old kids headed full steam towards puberty.  Have a good night, dear friends!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDPIK7Fz_g4

"Passed her a lollipop and a letter / told her, let's keep this a secret"