I Don't Want Lunch, I Want Breakfast

Day #709 Worthington's White Shield / William Worthington's Brewery, Burton Upon Trent, England
Previously from this brewery: Red Shield and Red Shield

Raise your hand if you came here tonight to hear me complain.


I can't see you, because you're reading this on the internet, but I'll just assume that you have your hand raised.

Today was an unmitigated disaster on many fronts - and it's not over yet.  The one bit of news that I'll share is that I've learned my car needs a new transmission, and this will run me much more than I care to spend. As I've already replaced the problematic transmission part before, I'm currently in negotiations (read: getting ready to scream) with General Motors to have them pay for the repairs.  And the cost of my bitchin' Hyundai rental car. I'll keep you posted.  Or, just open your window... you might be able to hear my cursing and yelling from your house.  Dammit.

Tonight's beer is another old one from the beer collection, a bottle of Worthington's White Shield.  I have no idea where this bottle came from or when it was acquired, but the label suggests that it is bottle conditioned, and can be aged for up to three years.  Good, as it was in the fridge for a while.  In the glass, this beer has a bright, clear copper hue with a lingering creamy white top.  Very good looking beer.  There are aromas of biscuits and bread and sweet malt, and there's a nice flavor mix of caramel, toffee, and bread, with a touch of hop bitterness on the finish.  This is a British made India Pale Ale, so there's not the hop overkill that you find in American made IPAs.  A rather tasty beer, I'd say, almost more like an ESB than an India Pale Ale.

I'm not entirely sure who brews this one; I've seen references to William Worthington's Brewery, Museum Brewing, and White Shield Brewery.  Ultimately, no matter what you call this brewery, it's owned by corporate giant MolsonCoors, purveyor of crappy beers and big profits.

Thing to Think About Today:
Whenever customer service doesn't live up to their end of the bargain, I reflect back on an old scene from the movie Falling Down, where Michael Douglas' character goes off the deep end a tiny bit when he finds out that he missed breakfast at his favorite fast food location.  He just wants some breakfast.

I can appreciate that.  I just want a car that works, General Motors.  That's all.  The customer is always right.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdOD_C7bKo0

"I don't want to be your buddy, Rick.  I just want a little breakfast."

Brazilian, Breaking, and Bohemian

Day #686 Bohemia / Companhia Brasileira De Bebidas, Sao Paolo, Brazil
Previously from this brewery: this beer is the first out the limo

Been working since 8am, so I'm getting right down to business.  Okay, so "work" means volunteering, but I was still up and out of bed early, so it was like work.  Today's beer is a gift from a friend who ventured to Brazil for spring break this year.  Let's just say that I went NOWHERE near as interesting as Brazil when I was in college, and I'm more than jealous of the guys who managed to pull off this trip.

Anyway, the beer is a bottle of Bohemia, a lager that pours a clear straw color with a wispy white head.  It has aromas of grain and grass, flavors of the same, and is an easy drinking lighter beer.  I wrote "El Bud Light", but then I realized the language of Brazil is Portuguese, not Spanish, so I guess that makes it "A Leve Bud."  Or not, I really don't speak Portugese and have no clue if that's right.  I've had this one in the fridge since the spring, but only recently found it hiding in there.

Brazilian

This beer traces it's roots back to 1853, and is now owned by beer colossus InBev.  So, there's that.

Thing to Think About Today:
I've been on a Queen kick lately, so Bohemian Rhapsody would be a good fit here.  However, I'm not a huge fan of the song - the movie Wayne's World ruined it a small bit for me.  Instead, on a fall Saturday better suited to a fall festival or Halloween party than reading about beer, I give you the Dandy Warhols and Bohemian Like You.  Good luck today, friends!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CU3mc0yvRNk

"It's you that I want, so please...."

What The Fox?

Day #641 Grand Cru Ambrée / Brasserie de Luxembourg Mousel-Diekirch, Diekirch, Luxembourg
Previously from this brewery: n/a, this beer is the first out the limo!!!

Today has been hectic, and it's getting late, so you get some quick & dirty (shut yo mouth!) today.  While I'm not done with the Belgians, I'm taking a slight detour and writing about one of the last beers on the trip, a bottle of Diekirch.  Did I know the brewery was a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev at the time I ordered it?  No, but it was the only beer from Luxembourg (Luxembourgian?) on the menu at the cafe.  While not excited (in retrospect) to try a macro brew owned by InBev, this truly might have been the only chance I had in my life to try a beer made in Luxembourg, so I went for it.

So, the beer.  In the glass, it pours a dark amber color.  There's a nice malt sweetness, with just enough hops to make you pay attention.  Some floral notes, maybe some honey, but in all fairly mellow.  That being said, it was refreshing after walking around the very hilly yet beautiful Luxembourg City.  Will I ever get to drink another one?  Probably not, which is what makes this beer very interesting in my book.

Had this in a cafe where they only spoke French.
And I made it work!  I am an international wonder.

Luxembourg is a relatively small country, but there are a number of cities.  I only visited Luxembourg City, the capital and largest town, but there are others, such as Diekirch, where this beer is from.  From what I gather, the brewery originally dates back to 1871, and is a merger of two local breweries that came together in 2000. The corporate overlords took over in 2002, and there you have it.  Progress.

Thing to Think About Today:
Luxembourg is a small country nestled between Germany, Belgium, and France.  It's really not anywhere near Norway, where the random guys who sing this wonderfully odd and awesome song, The Fox, are from.  I present Ylvis, just because I can.  I'm European like that.  Come find out what the fox says....

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

"Ducks say quack, and fish go blub"

Sittin' Here on Capitol Hill

 Beer #361 Skull Splitter / Orkney Brewery, Quoyloo, Scotland
Beers to go: 5

Oh, hello everyone.  Thanks for stopping by!  I had assumed that instead of being on the internet tonight, you'd be out enjoying the anniversary of the Twenty First Amendment to the Constitution being ratified, which repealed the Eighteenth Amendment - you know, the one that banned alcohol.  Yes, at one point in time this country decided it would be a GREAT idea to outlaw the consumption of alcohol.  Thankfully, cooler heads eventually prevailed, and here we are today.  From reading up on breweries over the past year, it's clear that Prohibition did nothing except create a vibrant and sometimes comical black market for booze.  I mean, doctors were writing prescriptions for bourbon, for crying out loud.   Wait... that's actually a brilliant idea, because if I can get a prescription for bourbon, I could pay for it pre-tax with my FSA card.  Yes, let's bring this back, people!

Before your parties celebrating the repeal kick too far into high gear, let's review the beer for the evening, the awesomely named Skull Splitter from the Orkney Brewery in Scotland.  This beer has a dark amber color, with a thin white head.  There are aromas of malt and citrus, and the taste gives you a really nice mix of tea, sweet malts, caramel, and dark fruits (maybe plum?).  With a name like Skull Splitter, I was expecting this beer to completely knock me senseless  - I mean, I've drank some big, potent beers this year, and none of them had the audacity to name themselves after the act of splitting my skull.  And despite a relatively high 8.5% ABV, this beer is not as skull-splitting as the name suggests.  It's actually quite enjoyable.  If you find a bottle near you, go ahead and order one.

Badass Viking?  Check.

This beer takes its name from Torfinn Hausakljuv, who was nicknamed "Skullsplitter". Hausakluif was the 7th Viking Earl of Orkney sometime around 950 AD, and will go down in history as having one of the most badass nicknames in the history of time.  In case you were wondering (and you were), the Orkney Islands are due north of the Scottish mainland.  This brewery was founded in 1988, and later merged with the Atlas Brewery in 2004, and was taken over by Sinclair Breweries in 2006.

Thing to Think About Today:
In honor of the Constitution, let's spend some time in civics class tonight, and learn a great lesson on how how a bill becomes a law.  Yes people, Schoolhouse Rock! is here with I'm Just a Bill.  Get your learn on, and have a very good evening.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TI8xqLl_-w

The Dog, The Devil, The Stones

Beer #356 Duvel / Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat, Breendonk, Belgium
Beers to go: 10

Great day today, and not just because it was Friday.  Today, we went shopping for toys, clothes, books, and other fun presents for the three kids my co-workers and I "adopted" through the Sponsor a Child holiday gift program at work.  If you're ever having a bad day, do something nice for someone else.  You'll feel better immediately.  Trust me on this one, please.  Despite having an otherwise great day, I did have a strange moment this afternoon.  Went to the grocery store and on the way in, I felt someone staring at me.  Not unusual, I'm incredibly handsome, so people are always looking at me to see what's up.  But this time, it felt.... different.

I'M LOOKING AT YOU....

Right, that explains things.  There was a giant black dog hanging out the sunroof of a Volvo, giving me the eyeball.  When you're as good looking as I am, everyone wants some, I guess.

Enough silliness, as tonight's review is Duvel, a fantastic Belgian Golden Ale from Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat. This beer shows off a pale straw color, with a white dissipating head.  The aroma is a great mix of yeast, spice, bread, and citrus, and the flavor is a wonderful concoction of green apple, spice, biscuit, yeast, and fruit.  Great dry, spicy finish.  One of the better beers I've run across this year, and quite frankly, I've run across quite a few.  Fun fact: this beer was originally known as 'Victory Ale' to commemorate the end of World War I, but was renamed 'Duvel' after a loyal drinker called the beer "a real devil", possibly due to the sneaky high 8.5% ABV.  Tastes so good, you don't even notice the high alcohol.  Marci's take on this beer can be found here, and I'm going ahead and putting this beer on the coveted Top 25 list.

Devilishly good

This brewery traces its roots back to 1871, and was family owned and operated until 1999, at which time it went public (note to self: buy some shares).  At the start of the 20th century, this brewery was one of about 4,000 in Belgium.  That may not mean much to you, until you learn that Belgium is roughly the size of the state of Maryland.  MARYLAND.  Damn, that's a lot of breweries!  Did you know that Duvel Moortgat was an original investor in Brewery Ommegang, and has since taken complete control of that operation?  Look, I usually complain about mergers and takeovers in the craft beer space, as I think it dilutes the product and takes away some of the regional significance of certain beers.  However, if mergers crank out beers such as this one and the great things Ommegang produces?  Merge and acquire away, my friends.  Merge and acquire away.

Thing to Think About Today:
Tonight we have a beer name that translates to Devil in English, so you're expecting something Hell, Satan, or underworld related to wrap this post up today.  I am nothing if not a slave to your wishes, as I'm wrapping up with Sympathy for the Devil.  And if we're doing it, we're doing it right and going back to a 1969 Hyde Park show.  And while we're on the subject - a very happy 50th Anniversary to Mick and Keith and the boys!  Yeah, the sound quality of this video isn't exactly up to modern standards, but just sit back and soak in the World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band" at the zenith of their power.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iogu_WIMUA8

"Pleased to meet you!"

Good Old New England

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

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

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

Sold on Merit

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

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

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

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

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

Cider, Mergers, Wolves, Politicians

Beer #330 Fox Barrel Blackberry Pear / Crispin Cider Company, Minneapolis, MN
Today will be spent making brunch, enjoying a mimosa, watching old movies, and generally not doing any of the things on my to-do list that desperately need to get done.  Sorry, responsibilities - I'll check back with you on Monday morning.

Have no fear, the reviews keep rolling, and today I'm updating you on Fox Barrel Blackberry Pear cider, which I had recently on draft at TJ's.  Fox Barrel started as an independent company in Colfax, CA, but was purchased in 2010 by Crispin Cider Company, so I'm giving the credit to the guys paying the bills..... sort of.  You see, Crispin has since been acquired by MillerCoors.  All hail our corporate overlords!!!  From what I gather, Crispin (MillerCoors?) shifted production to Fox Barrel's original site in California rather than a MillerCoors site, so we'll allow this one on the books for our craft beer adventure.  Fun times.

Anyway, after all that nonsense, let's talk about the actual cider!  In the glass, you see a clear reddish amber color, and the aroma is of fruit and berries.  The taste has sweetness, but nothing artificial and nothing overpowering.  The finish is crisp and dry, and if you're in the market for a cider, this is a good option to check out.

Cider.  Drink it.

I've already ran down the details on this brewery, so instead I can share that Colfax, CA is named for Schuyler Colfax, who served as Vice President under Ulysses S. Grant.  Colfax had visited the town (previously known as Alder Grove and Illinoistown) in 1865 while he was Speaker of the House, and apparently it was a big enough event that they renamed the town for him.  Three last odd facts: Colfax is one of only two people to ever serve as both Speaker of the House and Vice President, there are towns named after Colfax in seven U.S. states, and he was initiated as a member of Beta Theta Pi despite having never attended college.  More proof that Betas are weirdos that are desperate for friends, I guess.

Thing to Think About Today:
Wasn't all that Schuyler Colfax info wasn't enough to think about?  No, there's more!  Here we go:  if today's brew is a Fox Barrel, then we're thinking of Michael J. Fox, and because Halloween was just last week and I love basketball, we're wrapping up one of the stranger posts of the past year with Teen Wolf!

Seriously, check my math.  I just went cider + actor + holiday (involving werewolves) + basketball = TEEN WOLF!  I mean, who doesn't love a movie that features a mild-mannered student who magically morphs into the bastard love child of "Pistol" Pete Maravich and Sasquatch, becoming the most popular kid in school in the process?  I know you love it just as much as I do.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMyuv3wkTJs

Smoov

Beer #306 Extra Smooth Ale / John Smith's Brewery, Tadcaster, England

Today's beer means that we're rapidly approaching the 85% completed mark in this 365 day challenge.  The heat is definitely getting turned up now that we're in the fourth quarter.  I'm ready for it if you are.

I'll keep the drive alive and review the rather delightful Extra Smooth Ale from John Smith's Brewery in England.  Courtesy of the widget in the can, it pours with a creamy cascade of dark copper and a thick white head.  Your nose picks up the a sweet aroma of toffee and malt, and the taste is silky smooth, with delicious toffee and malt with some welcome and mild bitterness.  At 3.8%, this is a beer that you could - and should - drink all day.  I do love ales from England, and this fits in with the best of them.  Well done.

I have to admit, that looks extra smooth.

Another brewery with ties to big business.  John Smith's dates back to 1778 (as in, during the Revolutionary War), when it was first known as the Backhouse and Hartley Brewery.  John Smith took over in 1847, and things went just fine right up to 1970, when hotel/bar conglomerate Courage stepped in and bought the brewery, only to have themselves later bought by Scottish and Newcastle, who later sold a stake to Heineken.  Got all of that?  While owned by their corporate overlords, this beer is still brewed at John Smith's brewery in Tadcaster, and therefore I'm giving them the credit.

Thing to Think About Today:
In the English speaking world, John is the most common first name, and Smith is the most common last name.  Put them both together, and you're looking at the most generic name ever.  I'm certain this causes much confusion for those who share a name, as well as those trying to find info on someone named John Smith (hint: helps if you own a brewery!).  I guess I consider myself fortunate in the sense there's only one person in America, and as best I can figure the world, who has my name.  Never have to worry about people confusing me with someone else, which I guess is a positive, although I can't act like stupid things I do belong to some other dude with my full name.

So, with first and last names on the mind, let's check in with the extra smooth (just like today's beer) Snoop Dogg for one of his first songs, Who Am I (What's My Name)?  In addition to being an awesome song from back in the day, this video gave us the incredibly legendary if wildly non-romantic phrase, "You don't love me, you just love my doggy style."  Thanks, Snoop.  We owe you one.

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

No More Love on the Run

Beer #304 Piton Lager / Windward & Leeward Brewing Company, Vieux Fort, St. Lucia

Old man basketball happening at 8:30 tonight, which means I'm getting ahead of some posting before I head out to thunder dunk on some fools miss some jump shots.

Tonight's beer is a rare and rather welcome selection - Piton Lager, from Windward and Leeward Brewing Company in sunny and warm St. Lucia.  This one came to me from a very generous and incredibly kind co-worker who brought some back after her recent honeymoon.  This is important, because unless you're sitting in a bar on a Caribbean island, you aren't ever going to be drinking one of these beers as they don't ship stateside.  Score one for the world famous beer bloggers!

This lager pours with a clear gold color, and a thin wispy white head.  When you inhale, you get an aroma of grain, and the taste is crisp and clean, with grain notes and very mild hints of citrus.  Hits just the right spot at 5% ABV.  But is it any good?

The word "terroir" exists in wine circles, and it's a French word that roughly means "sense of place."  There's no exact translation to English, but the phrase accounts for all of the surrounding things that influence a bottle of wine - the soil, the climate, the air, the whatever goes into the grapes.  It's how the same grapes grown in two different places give you rather different wines.  I bring this up not because you care about wine (maybe you do), but because on merit alone, Piton isn't a terribly great beer.  It's very plain and simple, with zero happening in the complexity department.  Yes, it's better than Budweiser, but seriously that isn't too hard to do.  That being said, I believe "terroir" applies to beer as well, as you need to consider where this beer is made and what goes into and who their audience might be before you judge this brew.  In fact, this beer is downright fantastic when consumed in the right place at the right time.  Such as, while lounging a swim up bar as part of an all-inclusive package (thanks, Sandals Resorts!).  Or while on a clean, quiet, warm, sandy beach, staring at the crystal clear water you just went snorkeling in.  If you think about the sense of place for this beer, it all makes perfect sense and becomes quite delightful.  Would love to have a few more bottles of Piton, but I guess that's going to require me to fly to the islands - which sounds like a perfectly good idea right about now, quite frankly.

Close your eyes, and listen to the waves

This brewery was opened in 1992, and is majority owned by Heineken.  The beer itself was named for two mountains (Gros Piton and Petit Piton) that rise up majestically on the western coast of the island.  In addition to being shown on the beer label, the Pitons are depicted on the national flag as well:

Flag of St. Lucia

Piton was originally only sold on St. Lucia, but capacity increases at the brewery now allow the beer to be sold in other delightful places such as Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, and Trinidad and Tobago, to name a few.  On vacation in the southern Caribbean?  Drink a Piton.  Trust me.

Thing to Think About Today:
There could only be one possible thing to think about when drinking a beer from the Caribbean.   Exactly one thing, exclusively one thing, and you know it and I know it, so let's just get on with some Caribbean Queen from Billy Ocean!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCeQwpr2BR0

"She said I was the tiger she wanted to tame...."

P.S. - what's with the woman in the red flannel sitting in front of Billy.  What's that all about?

It Does Not Work Every Time

Beer #301 Haywards 5000 / Shaw Wallace & Co, Mumbai, India

Tailgate day in State College, as the Lions are taking on the #24 ranked Northwestern Wildcats.  Hopefully the rain holds off, hopefully we see our fourth victory in a row.  Let's do this!

What better beer to review today than..... the best selling malt liquor of India?  We picked up Haywards 5000, and my initial reaction was, "This looks like a bottle of malt liquor."

It does NOT work every time

Maybe I was having flashbacks to Olde English 800, a malt liquor I'd find myself drinking once in a blue moon back in college?

Also does not work every time

Anyway, Hayward's pours with a pale, super crystal clear yellow color.  The aroma is... nothing.  Maybe the aroma of failure?  The taste has notes of grain, sadness, and regret.  This shit was really, really awful.  Per the internet, it's allegedly 8% ABV, which is decently strong, considering it doesn't have any flavor to speak of.

Looks like Shaw Wallace, the brewer of this swill, is ultimately owned by SAB Miller, which puts it out of the craft beer category and into the 'random macro brew from a far away land that you don't see often around here' category we occasionally stick our toe in.  Can't win 'em all.

Thing to Think About Today:
If we're bringing malt liquor into the conversation, can we stop and talk about not only the best malt liquor out there (not a real big accomplishment), but also the greatest beer ad campaigns of all time?  We're talking about Colt 45 and Billy Dee Williams!

This? THIS works every time.

Williams was (is?) the epitome of cool, and somehow made drinking the otherwise awful Colt 45 seem like an incredibly wonderful idea.  Plus, that campaign gave us the incredibly brilliant tag line, "It works every time," which of course implied that absurdly hot ladies would be lining up to have wild and likely unprotected sex with you if you drank this stuff.  I defy you to watch this and not want to sleep with Billy Dee:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pK5HmuCMBM

Not turned on yet?  Need another commercial to make the magic happen?  You got it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHtT0x6_MDM

Worth It.

Beer #289 Worthington's Red Shield / William Worthington's Brewery, Burton Upon Trent, England

Wrapping up some writing, then heading to TJ's to cross a few more beers (and maybe ciders) off the list.  Need to make hay while the sun shines!  Today's beer is Worthington's Red Shield, a blonde ale from Worthington's Brewery (more on that later).  This one was drank out of a purple plastic cup, so not much on the color.  The aroma was of grain and barley, and there's a good, easy flavor of grain, yeast, and hop bitterness.  Fairly mellow beer all around.

I almost didn't have a photo to share, as it was trapped in my old phone.  Did I mention I had good news on that front?  My photos, which mysteriously disappeared from my dying phone, returned back to the phone the next day in an equally mysterious manner.  Spooky, and it's not even Halloween.  The good news is the nice people at Verizon can copy the pictures over to the new SIM card, so I think I'll be fine, and I emailed a few photos of beer and Flash over before I switched to a new phone.  I apologize for all of my cursing last Friday.  As a professional beer blogger, I need to hold myself to a higher standard of writing excellence.  One that doesn't rely on any goddamn curses to tell my tale.

Shields up!

History class may be a bit fuzzy today.  This brewery traces its roots back to 1761, when William Worthington opened the doors.  It merged with rival Bass in 1927, and then was later spun off and purchased by Molson Coors in 2000.  The brewery is more famous for their White Shield brew, an IPA that ranks as the third most popular ale in England in terms of sales.  It's been brewed at a succession of other breweries after the original brewery closed in 1965, although it appears they've re-opened a new brewery in the same town as the original, Burton Upon Trent.  In the header, I've attributed this beer to William Worthington's, although I've also seen references to Museum Brewing Company and White Shield Brewery.  If you have the full story, please let me know, as I clearly don't, and neither does the internet.

Thing to Think About Today:
I need to get my hustle on and get some dinner, so let's go ahead and take an obvious cue; Red Shield beer (apparently) gets you thinking about Red Red Wine by UB40.  1980's, go ahead and sing us to sleep tonight.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXt56MB-3vc

Political Correctness!

Beer #261 Grimbergen Blonde / Brouwerij Alken-Maes, Alken, Belgium

Today, it began in earnest: tailgate planning!  During the week of a PSU home game, it's a Monday tradition to kick around some emails with our core tailgate squad to discuss menu, weather, signature drinks, beer needs, and whatever else needs to be planned out.  We leave nothing to chance out there - redundancies abound as we double down on key items to make sure the tailgate doesn't come to a screeching halt.  It's my favorite part of game week, with the exception of actually rolling into State College to get the party started.  Good Monday, indeed, and the week should continue getting better.

To celebrate, tonight's beer is the Grimbergen from Brouwerij Alken-Maes.  In the glass, you get a hazy gold color with a thin, lingering head.  The aroma is light and sweet, with some notes of grain.  The taste is really quite good, with flavors of candi sugar, malt, honey, a bit of spice, and grain.  It's easy drinking, but flavorful. Nice find, and I'd certainly order another one.

Got through half the beer before I remembered to snap a pic

Alken-Maes came about from the merger of two Belgian breweries in 1988, although the brand Grimbergen actually seems to come from another brewery, Union, that Maes purchased along the way.  The entire conglomerate is now owned by a joint partnership of Heineken and Carslburg.  Welcome, corporate overlords!

Thing to Think About Today:

From yesterday's classic look at college in the 80's, we'll switch gears and take a look at college in the 90's, courtesy of a little film called PCU.  In this epic tale, a high school senior comes to a campus where political correctness has run amok, and he finds himself spending his time with the residents of The Pit, a former fraternity house now occupied by a band of misfits, led by the always awesome Jeremy Piven.

Along the way, said bright eyed high school kid manages to irritate nearly every student group on campus, which causes some small problems and threatens his safety.  Along the way, Piven, a young Jon Favreau, and rest of the stoners, drunks, and geeks at The Pit stand to lose their house to a group of snobbish elitists (read: Beta brothers) who used to call the house their home.... unless Piven and his crew can throw a legendary party to bring the campus together again.  For people who didn't go to college in the 90's, yes - this is how people used to dress.  Boots, flannel, ripped things, thermal shirts.  It was a sad time for fashion. But, don't let that stop you from realizing this is a great movie about college!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2Fp61jJcIs

"Hey hey, ho ho, this penis party has got to GO!"

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?

You Say It's Your Birthday? It's My Birthday Too...

Beer #143 Affligem Blond / Brouwerij Affligem, Opwijk, Belgium

Very important day today - huge, important of things have happened on May 1 throughout history.  I'll stick with the main ones, in no particular order:
1. The fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta was founded in 1848, although it took until 1888 until a chapter showed up at Penn State, where it remains the oldest (and best, but I'm biased) fraternity on campus.
2. A little mutual fund company named Vanguard was born in 1975.  I heard they're a pretty cool bunch of people, even if they're not so little any more.
3. I was born.

Yes, the earth has completed another revolution around the sun, and here we are again.  My birthday.  I've definitely hit the age where birthdays become less of a big deal.  I mean, compared to the huge milestones at 16, 18, and 21, birthdays recently completely pale in comparative excitement.  I remember counting down the days to my birthday when I was a kid, and now it's more of a "oh, it's my birthday next week.  Where did April go?" sort of reaction.  However, I did get some ice cream cake at work and plenty of well-wishes along the way, so it was definitely a good day.  Hopefully I get many, many more birthdays after this one!

In the past year, I lost a number of people who meant a lot to me, in wildly different ways.  My mother-in-law Louise, Joe Paterno, and most recently, my dog Flash.  Next year won't be nearly as good without them all around, but I'll always carry fond memories of each forever.  As long as I'm being sappy, I would be remiss if I didn't take a moment and list a few things I'm thankful for:

1. A wonderful group of friends, some who I've known since back when birthdays were exciting, some I've only met recently.  You're all very special to me, and my only complaint is that I don't get to spend enough time with all of you.  So call me, let's do something.
2. A great family filled with kind, loving, people. You guys are the best!
3. A great group of colleagues at work.  I really enjoy my job, and working with people you like really helps make liking your job much easier.
4. My health.  Relatively speaking, I'm doing okay for someone of my incredibly advanced age.  After taking too much time off, I am hereby going on record that I will once again run a 24 hour ultra-marathon in 2013.  Book it.
5. People who read this blog.  I get it isn't the most interesting corner of the internet, but it's our corner of the internet and we appreciate you stopping by!
5. My wife and co-blogger, Marci.  She's the smartest, funniest, most beautiful and wonderful person I know, and I can't imagine what she sees in a spaz like me.

Tonight's brew is the Affligem Blond, a strong pale ale which came on draft at TJ's.  It poured a pale gold in the glass with a thin head, and gave off aromas of yeast, malt, and spice.  It's a very tasty beer, with notes of caramel, biscuit, a little spice, and light citrus.  Checks in at a respectable 6.7% ABV, and is definitely worth your time.

In operation since 1935, this brewery was originally Brouwerij de Smedt, until Beer Giant Heineken purchased it in 1996 and renamed it Brouwerij Affligem.  They still produce on site, so it still counts as craft beer in my book, despite their corporate overlords.

Thing to Think About Today:
In the spirit of birthdays, let's stop and think about the greatest movie ever made about birthdays, Sixteen Candles.  Another legendary John Hughes film from the 80's, this film tells the story of a girl who's family forgot her birthday - and hilarity (in the form of the Donger) ensues.  This one is both touching and hysterical.  Two Anthony Michael Hall movie references in less than a week?  Oh, INDEED.  It's my birthday, and my gift to you are these two clips.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fjh3TxOHCxE

Dong, Grandpa is talking to you!!  AUTO MOBILE?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWvAYNw8r9o

A happy birthday to all, and to all a good night.

Beer & Lemonade. And the Kool-Aid Man.

Beer #118 Summer Shandy / Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin

On the heels of a good day yesterday, today brought more of the same.  Had the day off so I ran some errands and we took the dogs to the park.  However, I was trapped inside the house for a fair part of the afternoon, as Generose Manor is in the midst of a construction project to build a new 22,000 sq ft addition, erect an 10 car garage, dig a moat, and refurbish the helicopter landing pad to re-do the siding.  These guys are coming up on a 12 hour work day right now.  Definitely makes me feel bad, as I'm sitting inside drinking a beer, while they're still hammering away out there.  At times, the racket from their hammering/sawing gets so loud it feels like the Kool-Aid Man is about to smash through the wall and shout, "OH YEAH!"

OH YEAH!!  Wait, what the......?

Anyway, I mentioned I was drinking a beer - it's the Summer Shandy from Leinenkugel.  Apparently, we've skipped right past all of the spring beers, and we're officially ready for summer with this one.  For those not in the know, a shandy is a mixture of beer and a non-alcoholic drink, such as soda or juice.  Or, in this beer, lemonade.  I don't know about you, but that sounds delicious and refreshing to me!  In the glass, this beer has a hazy, pale yellow appearance with a fluffy head that lingers.  The aroma, to no one's surprise, is of lemons.  The taste is a refreshing mix of lemon and wheat.  Not a very complex beer, but definitely one to consider as the weather keeps getting warmer.  Keep this in mind for a tailgate before a concert or baseball game.

OH YEAH!!!!

The brewery dates back to 1867, so they've been at this game for quite some time.  For better or for worse, Miller Brewing (now SABMiller) purchased this company back in 1988.  The family still manages the brewery, and I can drink this beer in Pennsylvania, so I guess the marriage is working.

Thing to Think About Today:
All of you who are home owners out there know and deeply appreciate the joys of home ownership.  And by joys, I mean the constant need to fix something, upgrade something, or... do something.  We've been on a tear lately, as it was a new roof last month and new siding this month.  Wonder what May will bring?

When I think of owning a home, I think of this hilarious movie - The Money Pit.  Starring Tom Hanks and Shelley Long (and Commissioner Burrell from The Wire as one of the construction workers), this movie definitely makes me feel much, much better about our home improvement projects!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmDX0tgONFs

I Like the Pick and Roll/I Like the Give and Go

Beer #97 Honkers Ale / Goose Island Beer Company, Chicago, IL

Great way to spend a Friday: blowing off work for the afternoon, hanging out with friends, drinking beer, and watching basketball.  The first day and a half of the tournament hasn't produced as much madness as I'd like, but that might be changing.  Norfolk State already took down Missouri, a #2 seed, and Lehigh (LEHIGH!) was battling Duke (DUKE!) on even terms through half the game.  As my alma mater isn't much of a basketball powerhouse, I typically go into this time of year praying for chaos.  I love a good Cinderella story and always root for the underdog, even if that means my bracket gets laid to waste.

And what goes better with basketball than beer?  Unlike the River Spirit Casino, you can find some decent craft beers at O'Hare Airport.  In my case, the Honkers Ale from Goose Island.  Another beer from the bottle, so not much to report on appearance or aroma, but the taste has good malt notes, with citrus, caramel, and hops.  It all combines nicely to make a good and flavorful yet still easy drinking English bitter.

I'm a bigger fan of Goose Island's Green Line Pale Ale, but you take what you can get in the airport, I suppose.  It's also important to note that beer giant InBev, owner of Anheuser Busch, bought up Goose Island last spring.  So far, that seems like a way for InBev to collect the profits from craft beer and reduce their own distribution costs in the state of Illinois, more so than a plot to drive Goose Island to use cheap ingredients and make crappy beer.  We'll continue to watch that one.

Thing to Think About Today:
I was thinking of suggesting we all think about some of the great NCAA basketball tourney upsets, but there are too many amazing finishes to try and pick just one.  It's a Friday and the beers are flowing, so let's think about basketball, but mix in some awesome 80's music:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_shxzlTRK44&ob=av2e 

'cause it's basketball with Mr. Kurtis Blow!

And to Drink... PERU.....!

Beer#19 Cusqueña/ Backus and Johnston, Lima, Peru
The title of this post comes from a scene from the absolutely classic film Better Off Dead, where the dingbat mom runs down the dinner menu for their French exchange student using her best/worst accent, "..Fronch fries and Fronch dressing and Fronch bread...and to drink.. Peru!" 

So let's have some Peru to drink, shall we?  We're heading straight to the Southern Hemisphere for today's beer, amigos.

When I sample the beer for the day, I like to jot down a few notes which I can expand on later.  Simple shorthand to get some of the key points down before I start blogging in earnest or writing about my day or what music I'm listening to.  I then head to the web to learn more about the beer/brewery.  Here are my first notes on Cusqueña:  "Basic, clean flavor, not very complex.  The Miller Genuine Draft of Peru?  Fun 11.2oz bottle."

When I went to the web to learn more, it turns out Cusqueña sort of is the MGD of Peru, as this brewery is owned by SABMiller, the British company that owns/produces... Miller beer.  Hey, more M&A in the beer world!  I guess this is a good thing, as without that global reach, would I really be drinking a beer from Peru?  The beer itself dates back to the turn of the 20th century, when it was originally produced by the Cervecerìa Cusqueña in the town of Cusco.  That brewery was bought by Backus and Johnston years back - their completely non-Peruvian brewery name comes from two German settlers who started a brewery in Peru in 1879.  A rich and interesting history, but I wish the beer had a bit more to offer than 'fun 11.2oz bottle'.

Thing to Think About Today:
Have been spending a lot of time lately on a project for a client in Chicago, and will be spending every waking hour over the next two weeks focused on wrapping it up.  There are a million great things about the Windy City, but the next time you're in town and looking for brunch, be sure to hit Wishbone for an amazing meal.  Two locations, fantastic food, great atmosphere.  Don't get there too early though: they can't start serving Bloody Marys until after 11am on Sunday.  Stupid rules. 

Bonus and totally related thing to think about when in Chicago: Marci believes one of the best Bloody Mary she's ever had came from the outdoor Park Cafe restaurant in Grant Park.  Keep this in mind, as she takes her Bloody Marys seriously.

Canada: Land of Mind Control Hockey and Flying Canoes

Beer #16 Maudite/ Unibroue, Chambly, Quebec, Canada
Last day of the "official" Christmas holiday, before it's back to work tomorrow for a busy year-end.  From our holiday weekend, allow me to recommend 30 Minutes or Less and Crazy Stupid Love.  Both great films, definitely worth the effort.  In all, its been a great past few days.  Hopefully these good vibes carry through New Year's and kicks off 2012 with some positive momentum.

Today's beer is our first Canadian offering, Maudite.  A Belgian Strong Ale with a nice amber color in the glass, and an excellent combination of sweet and malt flavors.  Citrus notes with spice, and a clean, crisp taste.  Excellent choice, and really interesting bottle art of some dudes riding a canoe through an eerie orange sky while a demon glares in the foreground.  My vision of a fun night, to be sure.  "Maudite" means "Damned", and the ancient legend behind the beer stems from lumberjacks in remote Canada who made a pact with the Devil to fly them back home at the holidays to visit their families.  As you can imagine, the flying canoe thing didn't end too well.  Should have probably went for Southwest airlines, where bags fly free.

Interesting note: yet another big beer M&A story, as Unibroue was bought by someone called Sleeman Brewery in '04, and then Sleeman was bought in '06 by Sapporo, a Japanese brewery.

Thing to Think About Today:
If we're thinking about Canada, we're thinking about the best movie ever made about Canada: Strange Brew.  What better movie to tie into a blog about a beer adventure, right?   I won't spoil the ending, but this film is the epic tale of the McKenzie brothers, two inept idiots who unwittingly uncover a mind-control scheme.... and hilarity ensues and a lot of beer is consumed along the way.  This scene won't make sense if you haven't already seen the movie, but watch it anwyay:

Take off, you hosers.  No use steering now.   Beauty.