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
Day #684 Fresh Hop Pale Ale/ Great Divide Brewing Company, Denver, CO
Previously from this brewery: My look at Titan IPAand a Colette
The best part thing about TJ's in Paoli, PA? Sure, the beer list is outstanding and the food is great, but most importantly: I can convince my co-workers to go there and complain about work. Win-win for everyone. People get to vent, I get delicious beer on my way home from work. Can't argue with that.
The beer for today is a Fresh Hop Pale Ale from Great Divide in Colorado. It pours with a bright copper color, and a light aroma of pine and citrus, with some bready malt as well. The taste is a mellow mixture of resinous pine, lemon peel, and biscuits with a dash of tea in there as well. Good bit of bitterness on the finish to close things out. Really nice beer, particularly for when you want some hops but don't want to be beaten over the head by them.
Death from above
This is a seasonal release, so if you see it, drink one.
Thing to Think About Today:
Something quiet for the evening shift. AC Newman and the slow and serious Come Crash.
Beer #679 Omission Pale Ale / Widmer Brewing Company, Portland, OR
Previously from this brewery: It's all right there.
There's a tool on the blogger.com website that lets you see what search words people used to find your blog. This week, someone clicked on our website by searching for "German hookers in Munich". I'm guessing that's because of Thomas Hooker Breweryand their German style beers, and I'm also guessing that person was disappointed when they read my beer review and didn't find any prostitutes.
Today's beer is another one that was left in my cooler, a bottle of Omission Pale Ale from Widmer. A clear, pale shade of copper in the glass, this beer gives you a sweet aroma of barley. When you take a sip, there's a mixture of malt, bread, and light citrus, with just a hint of bitterness as well. This is another beer made for those who can't tolerate gluten, but the fact of the matter this is a pretty tasty choice on it's own even for those who (like me) can't get enough gluten. Would I go out of my way to order it? Probably not, as I do prefer beers that are a bit more complex (read: gluten-y), but this is definitely something I'd drink again out of a cooler.
OMIT.
And extra special thanks to a loyal reader for correcting a mistake I made when reviewing the Omission Lager; these beers are not technically gluten free, as it uses barley but there's an enzyme added that removes the gluten from the beer. If you're hyper-sensitive, sorry; you're probably still out of luck.
Thing to Think About Today:
With a pale ale in hand, you get the band Pale Young Gentlemen covering MIA's Paper Planes. The video today is just a link, seeing how the Youtubes don't seem to want to let me embed the video, but this is a fantastic cover. Click here and enjoy a great song.
Day #586 Headwaters Pale Ale / Victory Brewing Company, Downingtown, PA
Previously from this brewery: So much easier to just click this link rather than have me list them all
Thursday... I think that means it's time for a beer review. I had a bottle of this in my fridge from a Friday night Phillies game tailgate a few weeks back. Ah, tailgates with good friends... always fun. ALWAYS.
You know what else is fun? Beer reviews, such as this one for a bottle of Headwaters from Victory. You see a clear dark gold hue with a thin, lingering white head. Your nose picks up aromas of citrus and light caramel, and when you drink it down you get a mellow bitterness throughout, with a nice mix of pine and lemon, with bready notes from the malt. At a rather manageable 5.1% ABV, this pale ale is a very good, easy drinking beer - but you shouldn't expect anything less than great beers from Victory!
Get your head right.
Thing to Think About Today:
This song doesn't have much to do with anything I wrote today, but I've realized that it's been ages since I dropped some Sublime into this space. With their mellow vibe, Sublime is always appropriate for a summer day, don't you agree? Coming straight out of the summer of '97, let's all relax with some Santeria.
Is it weird that my first instinct when seeing a beautiful flight of beers like this is to paint a room a new color? OK, I lie. My first instinct is nomz, nomz, nomz! Then I think about how pretty they are.
Honestly. Look at the one in the middle. Gorgeous!
Troegs Beer Week continues with a Pale Ale review. It poured a very crisp golden color with a minimal white head. It has a peppery hop aroma. The flavor is spicy and smooth. There's a full mouthfeel. After it sat for a bit, I picked up some grapefruit in the nose and noted it had a nice buttery feel.
A note on Troegs facility in Hershey (Pennsylvania). It is a fantastic place to hang out and imbibe. If you've ever been to Green Flashin San Diego, it's a lot like that. Just a chill vibe and a ton of great beer. Don't let Troegs claim to just have a "snack bar" deter you either. There's a great variety of food and it's quite good. The beer flights include six 4.5oz pours so you get a really solid sense of their beer.
Beer stats
Style: American pale ale
ABV: 5.4%
IBUs: 45
Rating: Good
Previously reviewed from TroegsPreviously reviewed from Troegs
His review of Scratch 95 * (kolsch), pale ale, Nugget Nectarand Scratch 57(weizenbock)
My review of Sunshine Pils. Also check out posts from this week on a number of Troegs beers. Why? Because it's Troegs Beer Week on Blog Named Brew!
Day #534 Troegs Pale Ale / Troegs Brewing Company, Hershey, PA
Previously from this brewery: the delightful Nugget Nectar, Sunshine Pils, and Scratch 57 (starring Darryl Dawkins!)
Happy Memorial Day to you all! Hopefully you have fun plans for the day, or at least get to spend it with loved ones. And I do hope you'll pause in some way to honor those who died while defending our country (friendly reminder: Memorial Day honors the deceased, while Veteran's Day celebrates the service of all veterans).
I'll be spending a portion of this holiday in the yard, trying to tame the jungle that seems to have sprung up recently. Long time readers of this blog may recall that I would sooner cut off a limb than work in the yard, so you know this is a task I'm dreading. My allergies started to flare up this weekend, and when you combine that with the approximately 100 bug bites I'll receive while I'm out there, you get a recipe for me being really miserable today. Sorry to go all Debbie Downer on you there. Just saying. And I still didn't receive that invite for a BBQ, by the way..... must have gotten lost in the mail.
Part of Sunday afternoon was spent meandering through Central Pennsylvania, which included a stop at Troegs to get a beer fix. Found a seat at the bar in their large tasting room, and ordered up a Troegs Pale Ale, which arrived sporting a bright copper color and persistent white head. This might sound strange to non-craft beer believers, but then again maybe not: this is a very attractive beer, with a bright, clear quality (pic below doesn't do it justice, sadly). You find a mild aroma of citrus and malt on the nose, and flavors of pine, lemon and orange, and caramel malts. There's a dryness to this beer, and a very manageable 5.4% ABV. Not the most complex or unusual beer Troegs produces, but definitely an enjoyable pour to sip on a sunny afternoon.
Trust me, prettier in real life.
Troegs' new brewery location is located right on Hersheypark Drive, around the corner from Hershey's famous amusement park. I envision tons of dads dropping their kids off at the park to ride the rides, then jetting over to Troegs to relax and enjoy some beers. Regardless, a trip to Hershey definitely shouldn't be considered complete without a stop at Troegs and their great tasting room. Thing to Think About Today:
Troegs is located in a town affectionately known as "The Sweetest Place on Earth" thanks to the world famous headquarters of Hershey. So let's get real relevant and let the Carolina Chocolate Drops (chocolate!) close out the weekend with Your Baby Ain't Sweet Like Mine (sweet!). See what I did there? Anyway, I hope this fun song helps you kick off a sunny Memorial Day. See you all soon...
As I mentioned earlier, I've been working to buy some fashion sunglasses for the first time in my life. Long a subscriber to the "who cares if I sit on them, they cost $4" theory of sunglasses, I'm now the proud owner of a pair that costs more than $4 but less than the cost of a fully loaded compact car. I apologize in advance for how incredibly sexy I look in them, as I know it's not fair to everyone else who doesn't look this sexy no matter what sunglasses they put on. My bad.
Today's beer is a pint of ParTea, an American Pale ale from nearby Prism Brewing Company. You get a hazy golden amber color with virtually no head. There's a citrus hop aroma, and when you drink it down you find plenty of lemon and tea, with a nice bit of bitterness on the finish. I love tea and hate coffee, so the addition of tea to beer is always welcome in my book. Definitely worth a sample if you see it on tap near you.
Pretty.
For those who have never visited Prism in person, be advised that you can walk there from the SEPTA if you take the R5 through to the wrong side of Philly. Awesome, right? Also be advised that this brewery has won my coveted 'Best Brewery to Dump a Dead Body Near' award due to the industrial location, nearness to the rails, and proximity to the woods. Just saying.
Thing to Think About Today:
To celebrate the arrival of my new sunglasses, what else could I possibly leave you with but the incredibly 80s song Sunglasses at Night by Corey Hart. Well, I guess I could have dropped Cheap Sunglasses by ZZ Top in here, but I didn't. Sue me.
Last Friday I checked off another bucket list item--participate in a topping out ceremony. What's that, you ask?
The other tree on the beam is a Franklinia tree; originally discovered by John Bartram in the southern U.S. and named for Benjamin Franklin, it is now extinct in the wild and is only available as a cultivated ornamental tree.
It's a ceremony held to commemorate the placement of the last beam or bedding of the last block of masonry or brick in a building construction project. It usually involves placing an evergreen tree upon the structure to symbolize growth and bring luck. In instances where it is a final beam being placed into the structure, the beam is signed by the construction crew, various dignitaries and other important people involved in the project.
My signature, while huge, is not visible from this vantage point.
While I don't necessarily have a direct role in building the new Nicholas and Athena Karabots Pavilion at The Franklin Institute, I did manage to sign that beam in bright yellow paint-pen large enough for the king of England to see. (Thank you, John Hancock.) I'm not going to lie. There is something really cool about knowing that my signature is going to sit atop our new building addition for many, many years to come. And one day long into the future when perhaps the building is being renovated, someone is going to look at it and wonder, "Who the hell is Marci G. and why does she dot her i's like a crazy person?"
And there it is, the final piece of this phase of construction. If you're like me and have been involved from the start of fundraising way back in 2006, this moment was a long time in the making. There were moments of great celebration. There were moments of darkness. There were many highs and lows along the way with some leaving us questioning whether we were mad.
There's a quote I enjoy about how there's a fine line between genius and crazy. It resonates with me...probably because I work with people who aren't afraid to dream big and make an impact.
Some other folks dedicated to dreaming big and perhaps even walking that fine line are the good folks at Port Brewing in San Diego. Since 2006, they've been brewing under the guise of Port Brewing. I inadvertently ruled them out in Year 1 of the Blog Named Brew adventure, when I reviewed Avant Garde ale from The Lost Abbey, the Belgian-inspired side of the operation. Since it's not the easiest beer to find in Pennsylvania, I'm very slowly making up for lost time.
The Summer pale ale is an American pale ale. It's brewed without any crystal malt, which is probably why it doesn't get a great rating from me. I like an American pale ale because you get that nice malt undertone hiding out with all the big bold hop flavor.
It pours a golden straw color with a bubbly, off-white head. It has lots of citrus aroma. The first thing I wrote in my tasting notes is "tastes like an IPA". There are serious hops in this beer. They impart grapefruit flavor, and a fresh greenness. I also wrote grapefruit in my notes four different times. So there's that. While this isn't a beer I would normally drink, I can appreciate how good it is.
Beer stats
Style: American pale ale
ABV: 5.2%
IBUs: Unknown
Rating: Good
Previously reviewed from Port Brewing
(Here is where you imagine me singing Feels Like the First Time by Foreigner)
A couple of Sundays back, we headed to Prism Brewing Company with some friends and their dog. (Dog friendly status will always make me a loyal visitor.) While I had a great fondness for the blonde ale, I did start the day with a different beer.
That would be the ParTea pale ale. It's brewed with 2-row, honey and light crystal malts and summit and cascade hops. There's also whole leaf black (orange pekoe from what I read during my visit) tea leaves. The end result is delicious, and in the glass it has a hazy oak color with a medium white head. The best word I could come up with to describe it is smooth. It has a mild malty aroma. The flavor is pretty balanced--the malts and hops are getting along well in this one.
Day #519 CuzCuz / Tired Hands Brewing Company, Ardmore, PA
Previously from this brewery: I'm lazy today, so just click this link and it will take you to all 332 beers sampled from Tired Hands. Seriously.
Good afternoon and Happy Mother's Day to all! Hopefully you're having a nice, stress free, relaxing day with your moms or kids or both. We actually celebrated yesterday, and did a combo surprise birthday party for my aunt/Mother's Day gathering. Good time, but a long day. Today was spent celebrating with Mother Nature, as I got on the bike for the first time in a solid two months to go for a ride along the Schuykill River. Good way to spend a sunny and breezy day, which included the added benefit of making sure my awesome calves stay toned and sexy. Need to make sure I keep looking good for you faithful blog readers, after all.
Need to run out and get some groceries, so I'm jumping right into the review portion of today's post. You get a glass of CuzCuz from local favorite Tired Hands. This American IPA is brewed with hops from New Zealand, and shows up in your glass a cloudy dark yellow color, with a fluffy white head. Or, as I'm fond of saying, the same color as every beer they make (this isn't exactly true, but true enough that I make this joke anyway). There's a welcoming aroma of grapefruit and pine, and when you drink it, you find this to have a subtle bitterness, with mango joining the pine and citrus party. I'm sure this beer has already kicked and might never appear at Tired Hands ever again, but on the odd chance it hasn't or it does, this beer makes for a great summer choice.
Wow! For once, I didn't take a shitty picture!!!
Thing to Think About Today:
Last year for Mother's Day, I dropped some Mother and Child Reunion from Paul Simon in this space, and that's about the best Mother's Day song I can think of. So, I head in a different direction this year, and give you the wonderfully under-appreciated comic genius of Michael Keaton with Mr. Mom, the story of a stay-at-home dad finding his way - hilariously. Thank you to all the moms out there for everything you do to keep the households running at optimal performance!!
Day #509 Sidekick / Two Brothers Brewing Company, Warrenville, Illinois
Previously from this brewery: Diversey & Lill(e), a collaboration, and Cain & Ebel
For those who were not aware, yesterday was my birthday! Perhaps your town had a parade in my honor, or people just celebrated in the streets on their own without any formal ceremony. Either way, thank you for joining in the celebration (I kid). Had a busy but very productive day, and I'm very thankful to be here to see another year kick off. Last year on May 1, I put it in writing that I'd run another 24 hour ultra marathon in 2013. Yes, there are still seven months of the year left, but it's clear that one isn't happening. What can I say, sometimes you set big goals and don't always hit them. No special goals this year, other than to be happy. That seems like a good enough goal, right?
Part of my birthday was spent drinking beer; specifically. a pint of Sidekick, an American Pale Ale from Two Brothers Brewing. You see a dull gold color with a thin head, and a mellow aroma of pine and lemon. The taste is a good mix of pine and citrus (mostly lemon), with a bit of malt sweetness in there as well. Maybe a touch too sweet, but this is a solid beer, and very drinkable. Not a bad choice for a picnic or a night spent drinking beers outside.
Beer was better than this picture suggests
Thing to Think About Today:
I'll take things in a slightly different direction than usual to wrap up today. Yes, another birthday means I'm feeling a bit older and contemplating where exactly did the past 37 years go (hint: I have NO idea). So, I'll let The Wailin' Jennys send us off into my 38th year with their cover of Neil Young's Old Man. Great song for when you're feeling a bit old.
Day #500 Robot Surf Factory / Spring House Brewing Company, Conestoga, PA
Previously from this brewery: Cosmic Monster and Seven Gates
Milestone day here at Blog Named Brew, as this is the 500th day of posting! I enjoy sharing my thoughts, opinions, frustrations, and observations with the world, so let me say "thank you" for reading. There are many pages on the internet, and I do appreciate you taking the time to look at this one. I'll also use this occasion to remind everyone that we're also sharing #BeerPorn at the BlogNamedBrew Instagram page. Click and follow to see even more pictures of beer than you see here - if you're into that sort of thing.
Today's review comes from a beer stop during a recent trip to Lancaster - the oddly named Robot Surf Factory IPA from Spring House Brewing. This one caught my eye, as I haven't run across many pineapple pale ales before. Yes, pineapple. In the glass, this beer has a clear, very bright gold color with a think white head. There is a strong aroma of fresh pineapple (duh), and when you take a sip you find a nice tropical fruit sweetness, with plenty of pineapple to balance out a dry finish. There's a decent bit of bitterness throughout, in fact,. While hops traditionally impart a citrus flavor (grapefruit or lemon, most notably) to beer, pineapple isn't a flavor I usually find. This being said, Robot Surf Factory isn't a bad choice for the summertime.... if the summer ever gets around to arriving.
pretty... just like me
Their website artwork and beer names all have a unusual vibe to them; a mix of surf culture and horror film. It works, trust me.
Thing to Think About Today:
In the spirit of Robot Surf, I'll close with some Nada Surf and their 90s hit, Popular. A song that curiously uses 1964 teen advice book, Penny's Guide to Teen-Age Charm and Popularity, for the lyrics. Hey, whatever works, right? Have a good night, all. Even you unpopular kids.
Birradamare 'na Biretta Kuasapa is an American Pale Ale. I can't lie. The bottle caught my eye on the shelf and I couldn't resist it.
It poured a hazy chestnut color with a small head. It smells of pine hops with a hint of caramel. It drinks with a thinness but is very flavorful. Lots of hops. Honey. A bit of soap.
Beer #488 Kuasapa / Birradmare, Fiumicino, Italy
Previously from this brewery: two looks at Rossa(1) andRossa(2), a bock beer
Keeping things short today; another basketball game tonight, and really don't feel like writing this post-game. I will however, pause to announce that Blog Named Brew has found a home on Instagram. If you like beer porn, please feel free to follow BlogNamedBrew. Please follow - you know I have low self esteem. Thanks!!
Today's beer is an Italian selection, a bottle of Kuasapa from Birradamare that's been sitting in the fridge for longer than necessary. In the glass, you see an amber color with a thin head, and your nose finds a very pleasant, fresh lemon aroma with plenty of malt. When you take a sip, you get an earthy, dry mix of pine and citrus, with ample grassy notes. Rather well done beer, and definitely not what I expected. If you see this oddly shaped bottle out there, give it a try. I think you'll like it.
Fun bottle, good beer
Per their website, this beer is a blend of American and European hops. Works for me!
Thing to Think About Today:
I have no cute connection between the brewery, beer, or anything else. I'm tired, and my brain is fried. Therefore, I'll stick with my same theme from Tuesday and drop some more Vampire Weekend, my always ready to go summer music. This one is Step, an as-of-yet unreleased single off their new album (coming May 13!). Enjoy, peoples.
There is some significantly glorious weather happening right now in the Philadelphia region. Good, because who doesn't get a spring in their step and a smile on their face when the weather is beautiful? Bad, because I spent the entire day inside, working. Good, because I'm now home and unwinding. Bad, because seriously, no one is going to read this - you're all going to be outside, going for walks, enjoying the day. But eventually you have to come home, so maybe you'll get around to seeing this. Maybe. I hope.
Without further delay, I present today's beer, a pint of Pale 31, an American Pale Ale from Firestone Walker. Had this one during a brief visit to Teresa's Next Door last Saturday. In the glass, you see a bright copper color with a thin white head. Your nose finds aromas of hops, with a hint of malt sweetness. The taste is really well done; a balance of earthy pine and lemony citrus balanced with a biscuit, bread flavor from the malts. Well done, and would love to have another.
Looks like beer
This beer pays homage to the state of California, the 31st state added to our country. Now you know.
Thing to Think About Today:
I will also pay homage to the state of California, although instead of brewing a delicious beer, I'll just drop in some music that pairs exceptionally well with sunny, warm weather. We close things out with music built for the summer (and the Ivy League), Vampire Weekend playing California English. I'm off to go work on my tan. Time to get bronze.
Hustle day today; exceptionally busy day in the office followed by a spring league basketball game tonight. Therefore, you get just the facts. But they're facts about beer, so I think everyone should be just fine.
After running some errands on a recent weekend, we stopped into Tired Hands in Ardmore to catch a beer and unwind. First up was a glass of Fauna, a pale ale brewed with Brettanyomces from their Darwin Solera series of beers. In the glass you see a bright but hazy orange hue, with a fluffy persistent white head. The aroma is tart and funky, with a good bit of lemony citrus. The taste is dry and earthy, with a very measured bitterness, and good flavors of grass and citrus, most notably lemon. An interesting take on a pale ale courtesy of the Brett addition, but but quite good! A rather drinkable beer at 6.4% ABV, for those who like to keep score.
Hello there, sexy.
As always, if you visit and don't order the candied bacon, you're wasting your time.
Thing to Think About Today:
Beyond the name of this beer, the word fauna refers to animal life of all types, and comes from name of the Roman goddess of fertility and earth. To honor Faunus and the fauna all around us, let's revisit the Animal House, the greatest movie of all time, and let Otis Day and the Knights bring it home with their legendary fraternity party version of Shout. This scene is what college is all about, people!
Today is Tuesday, but I'm going right past today and start thinking about Wednesday, because on that day I'm meeting a few friends for delicious beers and robust discussion. You see, we're starting a club for guys who want to take weekend trips without spouses and do guy things like drink bourbon and build a fire and grill steaks and chop down trees and play the bongos and go fishing. Absolutely a stellar idea by the way; as we get older, we drift apart from our friends, and sometimes only exist as "couples friends" who only get to catch up infrequently, at best. What about our guy (or for you female readers, girl) friends? What about the people we don't get to see often? How do we keep that connection alive and flourishing? Our idea: with a weekend on a mountain..... involving chicks and guns and fire trucks and hookers and drugs and booze!!!!!! You know, all the things that make life worth living!
Eh, I suppose we'll mostly just make fun of each other for being whipped and then spend our time declaring vociferously that we should totally go on a guys only vacation one of these days. But I do hope we go one of these days. One of these days, indeed, before we start running out of days.
While all of this is happening (I think we're also electing officers for our club and creating a coat of arms), you can read a beer review! Tonight's offering is the Paleooza, an American Pale Ale from New Holland. Had this one on draft a few weeks back at TJ's - in the glass, it's a bright, clear copper color. There isn't an overwhelming aroma, but I do get a bit of toffee, which is nice. The taste is a good balance of faintly toasted malt and hop bitterness, with earthy, grassy notes. This isn't an overpowering beer, but instead rather mellow. Worth a try for one of those days where you aren't looking to get beat up by your beer.
I'm pretty sure I accidentally deleted the picture of my beer, so instead please enjoy this picture of how I like to spend my guy trip weekends: rocking a blazer and driving a speed boat where I combine a heady mix of reckless abandon with a wanton disregard for the safety of others. ¡Vamanos, muchachos!
where's the guns and bourbon?
For the record, my commentary in the first paragraph regarding unsavory activities including controlled substances and prostitution (in case you didn't click the link) was not an accurate portrayal of the events or activities that belong on a guys weekend. It was in fact a quote from the movie Bachelor Party, back when Tom Hanks was seriously funny. In no way do I condone having fire trucks at our weekend (zing).
Thing to Think About Today:
Okay, so we reminisced about getting together with old friends, so why don't we let The White Stripes finish up our day with their lovely We're Going to Be Friends. A rather unexpected song from one of the guys keeping rock & roll alive. Hope you get to spend time with your friends again very soon!
The beer of the day is Greenville Pale Ale from Twin Lakes Brewing Company in Greenville, Delaware. I had it onsite at the brewery during a day of tomfoolery and beer in Delaware back in January. The brewery tour given by Ken--and I would be remiss if I didn't mention his enthusiastic and incredibly helpful wife Kathy--was one of the best tours I've ever been on. The brewery is a tiny operation on a historic property in Delaware, but the tour last about two hours and I wasn't bored for a moment on it.
Honestly if it lasted any longer, I'm pretty sure Mr. Blog Named Brew would have scrubbed in and started operating the canning line!
And you have to love a tour that include an ever flowing supply of beer samples.
The Greenville Pale Ale poured a light shade of copper with a wispy off white head that quickly disappeared.
The smell is nice and light with some mildly fruity hops. It drinks with a nice, full mouthfeel. It's brewed with whole flower Cascade hops and American two-row barley malt. It has a good balance between the malts and hops and the finish leaves you with a great pine hoppiness. This is an incredibly easy to drink beer. If you ever encounter it, I recommend you try it.
Beer stats
Style: American pale ale
ABV: 5.5%
IBUs: 52
Rating: Good
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...?"
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!
Day #431 Greenville Pale Ale / Twin Lakes Brewing Company, Greenville, DE
Previously from this brewery: My take on Ceasar Rodney Golden Ale
Happy day before Valentine's Day! Or, the day most guys finally realize, "Shit, I better start to think about getting my wife/girlfriend something for tomorrow." Look, I agree with people who say that Valentine's Day is a made-up holiday to sell cards and chocolate and horrendously over priced flowers. It is, and there's no denying that fact. However, the sentiment IS important, and in fact so important that you shouldn't wait for one day per year to show your appreciation. If you care about someone, you should tell them this more often than you probably do, and make sure to do nice things for each other more frequently than you might otherwise consider. Hopefully you're spending your tomorrow with someone very special to you. I certainly will be!
So, to set the stage for tomorrow, I recommend relaxing tonight with a beer. Today's review is the Greenville Pale Ale from Twin Lakes in Delaware. This beer is a clear, golden amber color with a persistent white head. The aroma is a fragrant mix of citrus and hops, and when you take a sip, there's a good bit of bitterness right up front, with light pine and a lemony citrus. You also get a nice, dry, even finish. This isn't an overpowering beer, because there's enough malt to balance things out. Easy drinking, and best drank FOR FREE on their tour.
Gary is INDEED my nizzle
What's this? FREE? Yes, Twin Lakes has an awesome tour on the weekends, where you get to snack on cheese and honey, taste some free samples, and learn about the brewery and their process. Truly the highlight of the tour was when our guide called up the tasting room to have more pitchers brought down so we can fill up mid-tour.... multiple times. Now that's some awesome customer service you don't find on your average brewery tour! Much like my trip to Real Ale Brewing, this is a tour you experience from the heart of the brewery, not some observation area removed from the equipment. You're stepping over hoses, ducking under pipes, and meandering through tanks for the entire trip. However, well worth it - and not just because of the free flowing beer (although that certainly doesn't hurt).
I'm pretty much in the equipment at this point on the tour
They've ramped up their canning efforts, so readers in the greater Philly area should be seeing more of this beer on shelves in 2013. If Ken and Kathy are working the tasting room/tour, you'll be in good hands!
Thing to Think About Today:
Last Valentine's Day, I dropped maybe the greatest sex mix song of all time, Let's Get It On by the legendary Marvin Gaye. Hard to follow that one, but in the spirit of Valentine's Day and everyone's romantic plans, allow me to present Sexual Healing, perhaps the second greatest sex mix song of all time. Happy pre-Valentine's Day, my lovelies.
