Right Up My Alley

I found this somewhat enlightening article while surfin' around the inter-tubes this morning.  A couple o' screen caps from the piece:

I don't have anything against polytheism so mebbe I'll build me a small altar in honor of Tenenit.  The old gods and goddesses are sometimes the best o' the breed, doncha know.  I smirked when I read the second screen cap, given the fact one of my used-t'-be favorite wimmen was quite the beer drinker in her youth.  The woman's morphed into a wino now that she's well and truly over 50 and I don't view that as a good thing.  And, yeah, beer is MY favorite alcoholic beverage, by far.

Weekend Update

The weekend wasn't the best o' times here at  El Casa Inmóvil De Pennington, but it was far from the worst.  Saturday was almost a complete bust, what with the Wings getting blown out in Toronto, the Irish losing yet another game they prolly should have won (and that makes four losses out of the last five games), and Florida State winning yet again in a squeaker against a scrappy Boston College team.  (I won't link the FSU game coz I hate actively dislike those prats.)  Saturday's only saving grace was near 70 degree temps, which enabled us to take an early Happy Hour on the verandah before the UCR all-day football orgy.

Sunday?  We hit our high o' 52 degrees before noon.  A miserable cold front blew in right after that and just before Happy Hour, dropping the temps into the 40s with a wind chill in the 30s.  That meant we took Happy Hour indoors, what with us being of sound mind and lacking a sufficient insulating layer o' fat to brave the verandah in that sort o' weather.  We used that time to finish off the book we were currently reading, took a short nap, and fixed dinner... consisting of leftover spaghetti and a salad... after which we watched at least four episodes of "Eat: The Story of Food" on the NatGeo channel.  The absolute BEST parts o' that show were the frequent appearances of Nigella Lawson.  Ooooh... what a hottie she is!  The second best part was the segment on beer, which you can see here (Blogger doesn't like NatGeo's embed code).  Ah, yes.  Beer is life, innit?

And then there's this...

Occasional Reader and Constant Correspondent Rob sent that along this weekend.  I suppose you have to be of a certain age to get that.  And I AM.

Onward and upward...

Dumb Stuff We Hear On NPR

There's a LOT that might could fall in that category; this is just the latest:

And what that means is that 1 in 3 adults drinks excessively.

What counts as excessive? Less than you might think.

Women who consume eight or more drinks per week are considered excessive drinkers. And for men, excess is defined as 15 or more drinks a week. (The researchers defined a drink as just 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer or 1.5 ounces of spirits.)

Well, now.  It appears that I drink excessively, what with two beers every afternoon and a couple o' single malts or bourbons... on rare occasions more than two... after dinner.  This adds up to a grand total of about 28 drinks a week on average, nearly twice what the quoted study defines as excessive.  I'm not gonna worry my semi-pretty lil head about this, however.  According to my doctor I'm as healthy as the proverbial horse... aside from the fact I can't breathe, which has nothing to do with alcohol.  I trust my doctor one whole helluva lot more than I trust these so-called studies.

MY Kinda Place!

I can see myself in that picture, but... alas.  I was in Prague about 14 years too early.

It's Looking Like Another Shoebox Kinda Day...

We've read the overnight mail and nothing struck our fancy, blog-wise.  So now we're making the rounds of our daily reads and find Mia put up something that's right up our alley.

I'd kinda-sorta buy that, if one eliminates all beer with "light" or equivalent wording in their names.

Cleanin' Out the Fridge, a la Buck

All this went into the dumpster about 15 minutes ago:

It really pained me to toss out perfectly good beer, if one defines "good" as beer that's serviceable, of good quality, and from reputable sources.  All of the foregoing are true but there's just ONE fly in this ointment: I don't like these beers.  We'd reached the point where a dozen loose bottles were taking up space that could be occupied by beer I LIKE.  So, out it all went.

I used to be able to give away my beer cast-offs and rejects to the kids from ENMU that lived two doors down but those guys moved out.  More's the pity and what a waste.

Update, 1330 hrs:  Two things.  First, I lied used poetic license in the narrative above.  I hadn't actually thrown the beer out when I wrote the post and there's this, too.  My new(ish) neighbors pulled into their driveway as I was walking to the dumpster with all that beer in hand.  So I walked over, introduced myself and offered them the beer, which they gladly accepted.  It turns out the beer wasn't wasted, after all.  The Deity At Hand moves in strange ways, doesn't she?

So, after a bit o' small talk I jumped into The Tart and motored on over to my local likker locker to... surprise, surprise... buy some beer.  Where I saw this:

Well, now.  The glare blots out most of the top line which sez: "No Alcohol Sales."  Bummer!  It's a great good thing that I NEVER let the available beer supply fall below the one six-pack mark now, innit?

Broadening Our Horizons LXXXIV

It's either a late lunch or an early Happy Hour today and here's what's on the menu:

This is a mePhone pic, believe it or don't.

That would be a Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale; I'm about halfway through this glass as we type and so far, so good.  We'll drink this stuff carefully as the alcohol content is a staggering (for beer) 8.19%.  That said, the brew is tasty, indeed.  The Bros like it and I'll quote from their house publication:

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine Issue #51 (April 2011):

The pale amber color and sufficient lacing does not tell much of a story, even though it’s a great-looking beer. At first sniff, the nose is filled with barrel juice from the freshly used bourbon barrels—fusel with sweet vanilla and oak. Has the body of a well-attenuated ale, though there’s warmth from the aggressive alcohol. Hopping is modest at best; the dryness and high level of alcohol seem to balance this beer out. Boozy with fresh bourbon flavors from start to finish. Any sweetness seems to come from the feigned direction of the bourbon as it throws down that vanilla flavor. Some graininess within to remind us that this is a beer. Drinking this one slow. Definitely sets itself apart from all other bourbon barrel aged beers, which makes it a must-try.

Well, OK.  We've tried it but this beer won't go into our normal rotation, mainly because it's pretty damned expensive.  You'll note the beer is sold in four-packs, not six, and it's still pretty damned pricey (14 Yankee Dollars for a four-pack, on the 'net).  An interesting beer, to be sure, but there are better beers out there for less money.

And now it's out to the verandah to finish this puppy off before it gets too damned hot to be outdoors.

I Want My Maypo!

Heh.  Does the title of the post confuse you, Grasshopper?

A Question That Answers Itself

This:

"Peak PBR" happened back around 1955 if one wants to get really technical about it.  It's been all downhill since, aside from the hipster market.  The entire article is here and there are STUDIES involved, too!

Broadening Our Horizons LXXXIII

We're thinkin' global and actin' local when it comes to our beer today.  Which means we're drinkin' a Wit Bier, albeit one brewed just up the road in Albuquerque.  Like this:

There are precious few reviews of this beer at the Go-To Guys' place (the Bros are completely absent) and no narrative at all on the first page of reviews I scanned.  So, I found this by goin' further afield.  A quote:

Summer time and a well made wheat beer seem to be nearly a perfect fit for one another as the hot sun creates the desire for something easy to drink that is packed full of refreshing flavors. To create an even brighter feel when drinking their well crafted wheat beer Marble Brewery from Albuquerque New Mexico uses the addition of wildflower honey. Wildflower Wheat uses this special addition along with an ABV of 5.2% to quickly draw drinkers into stages of high anticipation to pour and enjoy every drop as soon as possible.

I'm not quite sure what wildflower honey has over your... wait for it... garden-variety honey, but Hey! Marketing.  Further along these lines... I must not have a very discerning palate, mainly coz I can't taste the honey.  All THAT said, the beer is quite pleasant.  This is my second bottle and it's just perfect for a rather warmish day out on the verandah.  I think I'll put this brew into the regular rotation.

Speakin' about warmish days...

Note the forecast for the next few days.  We might could be driven indoors for Happy Hour on Sunday and Monday.  OTOH, our al fresco After Dinner Whiskey Hour could see a MAJOR extension on those days.

Sometimes I Think They Do It Just For ME

Yes!

Broadening Our Horizons LXXXII

Another offering from Left Hand Brewing...

We like Left Hand's Milk Stout so very much we figgered most all of their brews would be worthy, so we picked up a sixer of their Sawtooth All-American Ale.  Our go-to guys like this beer a LOT, giving it a "94" rating.  An excerpt from their review:

Taste: A malty brew with caramel, light chocolate, toasted and some biscuit malt flavours. Very firm mouthfeel, medium-bodied. Pleasant fruit flavours follow and mingle oh so nicely with the even malt sweetness and complexities. Hop bitterness is mild, but balances the malt with light citrus and raw hop flavours that linger through to the end. Mineral-like flavours can also be detected. Finishes a bit dry with light grain tannins and faint background chocolate malt.
Notes: A freagin' spot on ESB, and a very impressive ale. I thoroughly enjoyed tasting this beer, and only wish I had more. 

I'm drinkin' my second Sawtooth this afternoon and I have to say that familiarity breeds sumthin' other than contempt.  My first Sawtooth encounter, i.e., yesterday, left me thinkin' the brew was too hoppy for my taste but I don't find that to be true today.  It remains to be seen if this beer will earn a spot in our rotation, but the sticks seem to be lining up that way.

And now it's back out to the verandah to enjoy our moderate temps and interesting Spring skies.

Broadening, Yadda, Yadda... Episode LXXXI

Here we are, almost at the end of heavy heavier beer season here at El Casa Inmóvil De Pennington and wouldn't ya know it?  A new favorite in the Porter category arrives on the scene.  That would be this:

Impressive.  And I'm not the only one who thinks so.  Here's what my go-to guys have to say about Cutthroat:

Taste: Impressively smooth mouth feel with a medium to full body. Rich roasted flavour going borderline astringent. Hops tingle all throughout the mouth with a vague bitterness that gets clouded by more everlasting lingering roasted malt with caramel undertones though still leaves a trail of earthy minty flavour to the finish. Roasted flavours are not over bearing but at a perfect level of balance with hints of light charcoal and over caramelized sugar.

Notes: Profound in character, Odell’s was aiming for the middle ground between Porters and Stouts … good stab at it. A more than decent Porter it is, I’m quite fond of this palatable brew.

That's part of a 99-rated review, the rating being as high a score as I've ever seen at BA even though the language might be a little bit flowery and over-the-top.  Odell is quickly becoming my favorite beer out of Fort Collins; I've yet to meet a beer of theirs I haven't liked.  Them's some strong words, given that New Belgium and I have been sweethearts since the mid-90s.  But yanno what?  Competition is a good thing!  All that said, a sixer o' Cutthroat will prolly remain resident in the fridge long after our daytime temps stay in the 90s, mainly coz it's a very easy-drinking sorta brew.  Mebbe even TOO easy.

And now it's time to head out to the verandah... in a sweater.

I said heavier beer season was almost over, didn't I?

Broadening Our Horizons LXXX

I thought I posted about this beer before but a search of the EIP archives brought no joy.  So let's correct this oversight...

That would be a Widmer Hefeweizen, a delicious and oh-so-summery sort o' brew that's just perfect for this oh-so-summery kinda day.  I tend to drink a lot o' wheat beers during the summer months and, as I said, today is damned near a perfect summer's day.  My go-to hefeweizen is normally Franziskaner, but the local likker locker was fresh out when I made my beer run earlier today.  So... it's Widmer, which is not a bad second choice.

I mentioned today is damned near perfect.  How perfect?  Like this:

All the windows and the door have been flung wide open... so now it's out to the verandah to enjoy that cigar, a couple o' these hefeweizens, and my very own music.  Life's pretty good.

News You Can Use

A brief article in Esquire explains something of use for the drinking man.  Excerpt:

"You wanna know my secret? How I can drink beer all night long and never get drunk?"

In fact, I had always wondered that. Though this was the first time I’d ever formally met Koch, I’d “met” him in the past at a few beer festivals. Those sorts of events are always kind of Bacchanalian shit shows, with people imbibing dozens of beer samples in a short period and soon stumbling around large convention halls drunk of their asses. Brewers included. But not Koch, who I’d long noticed was always lucid, always able to hold court, and hold his own with those much younger than him. This billionaire brewing raconteur was doing likewise with me at 4 PM on a Thursday afternoon despite the fact we were both now several beers deep. So what was the secret?

Read the link to find out... even though the graphic gives the secret away.  Who knew?

H/t: Digg.

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack

Rodney Crowell...

Tired ol' story, sad but true
We mama's boys have got it in for you
Our faults are many, our virtues nil
We never loved you and we never will
Ah, come on now girl, it's time we both come clean
This mean old world runs on sex and gasoline

The lyrics to this tune made me laugh, but I suppose they WOULD.  I like the way Rodney skewers a number o' subjects here and his words ring TRUE, in that tongue-in-cheek sorta way.  The tune itself is pretty bouncy and catchy, as well.  That doesn't hurt.

In other news...  We went out on a beer run to our Local Likker Locker (no, there's no broadening to be had here... it was all new favorites, like 90 Shilling Ale and Snapshot) but the first thing we did before making the beer run was to affix the playoff flag to The Tart, like this:

That's last year's pic but ya get the ideer, right?  Yes, we're a day early since the Beloved Wings don't play until tomorrow evening.  OTOH, we're right on time coz one can't ever be TOO early, yanno?

LGRW!

Broadening Our Horizons LXXIX

We've been saving that New Belgium/Cigar City collaboration brew for an auspicious day... which is to say a warm and gentle sort of day... for to enjoy it.  That day arrived today, whereupon it was (a) warm and (b) without Force Six or better breezes on the Beaufort Scale.  So, just for starters...

That's just before we poured Round Two.  And how was the beer?  Very good, thank ya.  I was prepared to not like this beer after reading several reviews at the Go-To guys' site for all things barley, hops and water.  Here's one such review:

Light amber color. Nice see through. Rich, creamy head with exceptional stick and smooth foamy lacing.

Aroma is clean with hints of malt and spices.

Biscuity malt flavor with hints of butter and diacetyl. Herbal leafy hop, descent balance. Touch of spices without a hint of heat. Yeast is not prominent as expected.

Sturdy medium bodied. Smooth, creamy texture. Slight warmth from the alcohol. Well carbonated.

Descent (sic) brew overall just weak for a pepper beer. Lacks the spice level and heat I was hoping for. Just a little dull in my opinion.

I would respectfully disagree.  If Buddy wanted "spice," then perhaps he should have sprinkled three or four drops of Tabasco Habanero Sauce into a Miller Genuine Draft, and Walla!  Mission Accomplished.  There's more to chile than fire, however, and I was impressed with the way the NB/Cigar City guys managed to capture the taste... as opposed to the fire... of chiles in this beer.  I won't go into any lengthy digression about chile but suffice it to say there's a HUGE flavor element in the wide varieties of chile one finds in this world.  In its own very subtle way, this ale managed to capture the spice and lingering flavor of the two varieties of chile... Anaheim and Marash... used in the brew.  This is a very well-done beer, both as concept (delivered!), and drink-ability.  The first round went down fairly quickly and we're halfway through Round II, as we speak.

That said, would we buy a sixer of this every week were it available 12 months out of the year?  No, we wouldn't.  But the brew was insanely delightful as a one-off... and sometimes that's exactly what you want.

We Still Have a Long Way To Go

A couple of graphics from an article about the state of America's beer industry in The Atlantic...

Sigh.  Bud Light sold about five times as much beer (in dollar value) as the entire craft beer segment in these United States.  The good news is craft beer sales are growing and the majors are losing market share... but there's still an incredibly long way to go.  Still and even, 1.882 BILLION dollars in craft beer sales is pretty damned impressive.  America's beer industry is rather healthy, methinks.  As for us?  We'll keep doin' our part.

There's a lot more at the link, including the top imported beers in the USA.

Updated, somewhat later.  This subject hit the Twitterverse, too.  One such:

I like that "low information drinkers" thing.

Opportunities

We're just in from a beer and commissary run out to Cannon Airplane Patch and we saw this while we were perusing the beer selection:

New Belgium has gone batshit-crazy with their Lips o' Faith series of occasional brews and you can see there's a LOT of opportunity to broaden our horizons on the shelf!  That said, I bought just one bomber... the "Cigar City Brewing" one... which is ale brewed with two different kinds of chiles.  As for the rest of 'em?  I think NB may be tryin' too hard.  I'm not gonna buy a beer where I have to google the contents to find out what's in it... like Yuzu and Pluot juice... not to mention dandelion greens.  Say what?

OTOH, I give big props to the Class VI store's management for stocking lots and lots of good beers.  The Class VI has the best beer selection in both Clovis and P-Ville.

Now if you'll excuse me... I hear the verandah calling.

Broadening Our Horizons LXXVIII

Well, yes.  And here's why we rolled out of bed this afternoon morning...

That's a Sammy Adams Porch Rocker, freshly removed from a "Beers of Summer" 12-pack and one small sip down in content.  My Go-To guys aren't at all impressed with this beer but I like it, on first blush.  The brew is MOST definitely "summery," with lots of citrus both in the nose and on the tongue.  I wouldn't drink these all afternoon on a hot summer's day but one to start with would not be objectionable at all.

Did I say "hot summer's day?"  I believe I did...

Close enough for a former gub'mint worker.  And now it's back outdoors to continue as we've begun.