365 different beers from 365 different breweries in 365 days with random musings on beer, food, music, sports, dogs and anything else interesting along the way
Secret to my success today? Awesome music and the thought of good beer. A sampling of what I was rocking out to today while trying to get prepared for my biggest event of the year included:
The good beer is up next and will hopefully involve a stop at TJ's in Paoli. I've pre-reviewed their tap list and have four options from among the 26 available. Sometimes A Blog Named Brew makes drinking beer a bit challenging.
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While I have a moment, I'm cranking out today's beer review, which comes courtesy of Paramour. For a hotel bar, I am impressed with the beer selection here. The tap list changes very regularly and they have a fantastic porch off the bar that is perfect for beer drinking and people watching.
Monk's Wit made it to Wayne (PA) all the way from the Monastery of Christ in the Desert's Abbey Beverage Company in Abiquiu, New Mexico. Go check out the Monastery's website for more information here -- it is quite an interesting little operation.
It poured a slightly hazy straw color with very little head. It was very carbonated, which lent a refreshing characteristic to the Monk's Wit. The scent was strong on oranges. The flavor started off with lots of citrus, orange, and then the hops took over leading to a more lemon dominant flavor. My notes also indicate "very bove" -- seriously I need to start sharing my chicken scratch notes with you. Translating them is half the fun of writing posts!
Started the day with a long walk in Valley Forge Park, spent the
mid-day shopping (Marci will fill you in on that), and spent the late afternoon
enjoying some beers on the front porch at Paramour, watching people meander down
the sidewalk of Lancaster Avenue in Wayne. I highly recommend Paramour - the
beer list is great, the food is very good, and most importantly every beer they
pour comes in a funky imperial pint glass sort of shaped like a nuclear reactor
cooling tower. This is a good thing; the 20oz pour is a huge bargain for the
price, particularly when you're drinking some serious beers, such as Our Side from Stillwater/Mikkeller.
While we did enjoy a tall pour of Our Side, what led us to Paramour
was the chance to drink a beer I've never heard of before. Hooray for having up
to date beer lists on-line! Today's beer is the Monks' Wit, a Belgian Wheat
from Abbey Beverage Company, the brewery operated by Benedictine monks from the
Monastery of Christ in the Desert. Um, who? Sure, the name doesn't roll off the tongue, and while you may be familiar with the Trappist Monks of Belgium, I'm going to
guess the Abbey of Christ in the Desert probably doesn't ring a bell. Well,
consider yourself informed: this beer is really good.
In the glass, this
Wit beer is an effervescent gold, with a thin wispy white head. You get aromas
of of light citrus, orange and lemon, with a subtle spice. When you drink this
one, you get flavors of lemon, yeast, and light malt with a dry finish. Very
even and balanced. It might be hard to find, but if you see it in your local
bar/bottle shop, definitely give it a try.
Thing to Think About
Today:
I'll admit it - what I know about New Mexico could fit in a thimble. You've got... Georgia O'Keefe, Native Americans, Los Alamos.... and sadly I can't help you any more. I've never been, and likely won't get there any time soon (despite our goal to hit all 50 states).
However, I am learning more about New Mexico courtesy of one of the most interesting shows on television, the Emmy winning Breaking Bad. Set in Albuquerque, this show stars Bryan Cranston (the dad from Malcolm in the Middle) as Walter White, a down on his luck high school chemistry teacher. Down on his luck? His son has cerebral palsy, his wife is pregnant, and oh yeah - he was just diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Walter decides that in order to provide for his family, he needs to leave them with enough money for after he's gone. And so, he embarks on an ambitious new career... cooking crystal meth.
Yes, the mild mannered chemistry nerd finds out he has an aptitude for making the best methamphetamine in all of Albuquerque, and sheer insanity ensues.
Is it as good as The Wire? No, because The Wire is the greatest show in the history of television - but it's pretty damn close. Great writing, great characters, and interesting plot turns in every episode. Do yourself a favor and check this out as soon as possible. You won't regret it. And have a beer from New Mexico while you do it!
