tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78942363721731052752024-02-19T15:58:23.333-08:00Hop To No GoodCraft Beer Paired With LifeJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223453240166922813noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7894236372173105275.post-35338850271995779502016-11-26T16:18:00.002-08:002016-11-26T16:18:32.331-08:0020ish games inI'm starting with the beer this time.<div>
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Dry Dock Tenth Anniversary Quad. Malty, plummy, molassesy. And it's 10 percent. Which is why I chose it for this post. I needed the alcohol. </div>
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Colorado, what are you doing?<br /><div>
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I'll start simple, and on a positive note. Check this out:<div>
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That's a big fancy stat chart for this season. And if you don't know what it means, don't worry. It's not terribly important. All you need to see is that Difference column up there on the right. Do you see where Colorado is? 2nd. We'll come back to that but keep that in your head. I also want you to remember PDO 98.3. Got it? Good, let's continue.</div>
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So 20ish games in and things are....not great. I predicted this season would be rough,and so far I am exactly right. Below .500, our goalie getting lit up, teams making us look like amateur beer leagues. So let's muck on through the bad.</div>
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Colbourne hilariously vanished from game one. I knew his initial hat trick was a fluke, but holy cow, does he even play? My stats websites say yes, every game, <i>but I haven't noticed him once. </i>Is he playing with the wrong teammates? I don't know. He's great at getting in front of the goalie for the screen or garbage goals, but holy cow. I haven't seem him do anything.</div>
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Varlamov...just....what is happening? He used to be one of the fastest goalies in the game, and now he lets in soft goal after soft goal. </div>
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Iginla, bro, you are a future hall of famer. But you don't belong anywhere near the top six. Sorry man. Your one-timer slapshot from the slot is lethal, but that's like all you have now. Every play dies as soon as the puck hits your stick. </div>
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Passing. What does this mean? I know a pass should be tape to tape, professional players know it should be tape to tape. Why is almost every pass at someone's feet. Unacceptable. </div>
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Goals. Yikes. </div>
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Tyutin, Gelinas, fellas, I"m sorry but you are bandaids. I'm not sure why Sakic signed you, but ouch. You cannot possibly be part of the future plans. </div>
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Grigorenko. Your experiment is over buddy. You have the tools, but nobody to use them. </div>
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Okay, now that I got those out, let's move onto the good. </div>
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AJ Greer is the future of the team. He's fast, he hits, he crashes the net. He looks for the garbage goals. He gets under the other team's skin without doing much of anything. I mean let's look at the tape:</div>
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So my footage of Greer comes from the Boston game, which was awful. But <i>check this out.</i>Greer slides behind the net with the puck while fighting off a defender, gets the puck to Bourque in front of the goalie and then crashes in for the rebound. And then notice 47 from Boston shoving Greer. Do you see that? Do you know what that means? Greer is getting under their skin. He has thrown no punches, has done nothing cheap or dirty. He's not even looking at the player. And he's getting the other team pissed off. </div>
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<i>That is no small feat. </i></div>
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Let's take a look at another clip:</div>
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Again Greer slips behind the net (are you noticing a trend?) on the power play and miraculously, rather than continue the notorious Colorado Power Play Shuffle, elects to just throw it on net. It was a bad shot, <i>but he at least went for it. </i>He immediately crashes down to get the rebound, and again is crosschecked by a Boston player. Again, without throwing a punch or making a dirty play or even looking at the Boston defender. He's pissing them off without even trying. This is huuuuuuge. </div>
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This is something Colorado is lacking right now. A feisty little bastard to get to the dirty areas. </div>
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Moving on.</div>
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Mikko.</div>
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Rantanen. </div>
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What a stud. Let's look at his first goal:</div>
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I'm calling him Dr. Rantanen, because this kid has patience. Look at his power play. He gets completely open, which is a rarity for Colorado, cradles the pass, looks at literally every option he has, and then then roofs it over a defender. The patience, the poise, the skill. He very well could have panic-shot it and ended the attack, but he went over every angle, every calculation and put it exactly where he wanted it. Beautiful. </div>
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This kid is also the future. </div>
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And now the final piece. Zone entry. </div>
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When the pieces come together, it's beautiful. Here Landeskog battles off an opposing player to protect the puck. He flicks it up to Barrie who streaks into the zone. Barrie zips past the Jets defense and feeds it to Bourque, who has managed to plant in the opening behind the goalie who taps it in for a simple goal. </div>
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This play is beautiful because the puck is constantly in motion, constantly attacking and constantly changing directions. It goes out, across, forward and across. Winnipeg never had a chance to set up, never had a chance to disrupt. It was perfectly executed. </div>
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So why the cherry picking. Two reasons. One: I can only make gifs by what I find on Youtube, and a lot of highlights get taken down. Two, I chose these to show that the underlying system is there. </div>
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Do you remember those numbers up above? 3.89 improved Corsi. Corsi is a very simple advanced stat, which sounds weird but bear with me. If you are on the ice and your team takes a shot from anywhere, even if it doesn't hit the goalie, it counts for your Corsi. If the other team takes a shot, it counts against your Corsi. All it boils down to is how well you control the puck. It doesn't necessarily mean much in terms of wins, but Chicago and LA have consistently been the best Corsi teams, and just look at the results. </div>
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That 3.89 improved Corsi means Colorado is the 2nd most improved Corsi team from last year. Now, we are currently ranked dead flippin' last in Corsi, but the improvement is there. </div>
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Now for the PDO. That is a silly advanced stat that basically puts a number based on how lucky or unlucky a team is. It takes into account shots and goals and assumes that every team will, over the course of an average season, fall to 100. We are currently ranked 26th in PDO, meaning we are one of the most unlucky teams in the league based on shots taken and goals, or lack thereof, scored. For reference, Columbus is sitting in 6th place with their multiple 10ish goal games. That is an anomaly, and they will come crashing down. </div>
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So what does this all mean? Bednar's system is working. The underlying Matrix numbers are there. It's the players. The players aren't getting it done. Three coaches with this core and its been the same mediocrity. </div>
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But this year is different. Our possession numbers have skyrocketed. Bednar knows what he's doing. The players just keep falling into old habits. </div>
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So what do we do? I have two options as far as I can see. First, the simplest, get rid of the bandaids. Keep Duchene, Landeskog, MacKinnon, Rantanen, maaaaaybe Soderberg, Varly, Pickard, Johnson and Barrie. Maybe Bourque. I know he is lighting it up this year, but he is notorious for being a badass when his contract is on the line and then coasting when he's offered a multiple year deal. </div>
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Get rid of the dead weight. We have no secondary scoring, and our secondary defense is laughable. Beauchemin, sorry man you are past your prime. Gelinas, Tyutin, Grigorenko, Mitchell, Martinsen, Soderberg, Iginla, Colbourne, you guys are donezo. Bring up the young guns and let them learn the system. </div>
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Option two: blow the damn thing up. </div>
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Keep Rantanen, Zadorov, Landeskog (2 way forwards like him don't come along very often), MacKinnon and Pickard and sell off literally everybody else.</div>
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Varly? Donezo.</div>
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Barrie? Donezo.</div>
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Johnson? You better believe he's donezo. </div>
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Duchene? Yeah he's our leading scorer, but how many draft picks and prospects would he fetch? He's donezo.</div>
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Start from scratch. Bring up the young guns. Bring up Bigras and Greer and Meloche and Geertsen and Compher. Hell, bring up Siemens.Tank a few seasons. Gather every draft pick you can get. Build up a prospect pool. Start over with the youngin's with Bednar's system and watch the future bloom. </div>
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Burn it. Just like a forest needs fire to keep healthy, so too does our team. </div>
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But that's just my opinion. </div>
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Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223453240166922813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7894236372173105275.post-1394723968803924412016-11-26T15:22:00.002-08:002016-11-26T15:22:36.913-08:00Estes Park? More like Bestes Park<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Belgian Porter</b></div>
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<b>or</b></div>
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<b>That scene in Wayne's World where they had backstage passes and are showing it to everyone</b></div>
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6 pounds 2 Row</div>
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.5 pounds black malt</div>
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.5 pounds chocolate malt</div>
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1 pound caramel 40</div>
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Belgian dark candi sugar @10 minutes</div>
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1 ounce Northern Brewer @60 minutes</div>
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1 ounce Northern Brewer @10 minutes</div>
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Belgian Ale Yeast WLP 550</div>
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The club (all two of us) were invited to the Fall Back Brewfest up in Estes Park. It was a small event but man, look at that view:</div>
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We were set up on the side in the homebrewer's section along with the Fort Collins based <a href="http://liquidpoets.com/" target="_blank">Liquid Poets Society. </a> And oh man, what a day. (What a lovely day!) We were there to answer questions and drink, and brew and drink, and help folks get into the hobby. And drink. Do you know how much they overpour you if you're wearing a brewer's badge? It got to a point where we missed the one ounce pours at other brewfests. </div>
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By the way, how long have I waited for one of these?</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Refer back to the Wayne's World gif.</td></tr>
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That's a Brewer's badge baby. I was feared and respected, adored and congratulated. I had festival volunteers say, "Can I get you anything?" Rather than, "Sir, you're making a scene."</div>
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I'm a teacher by nature and profession, so getting folks excited and educated about the hobby was just about my dream day. Plus beer and brewing? Lovely. </div>
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It was small. It was cozy. There were good food trucks aplenty. And there was a sweet folk country bluegrass band playing the entire time. </div>
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I deviated a bit from my tried and true porter recipe because I wanted more of the Belgian candi sugar to come through with plum and molasses flavors. And it did, but the beer is way lighter than I expected. It has a hint of roast with a backbone of plum and molasses. But it's good, and it's easy to drink. And I'll be happy to drink it. I think next time I'll stick with my tested porter recipe and just add the candi sugar and Belgian yeast, but that's for another time. </div>
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Until then, enjoy this picture of the brewclub:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, Ryan Marks, Joey Lechuga</td></tr>
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Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223453240166922813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7894236372173105275.post-32317027706760285392016-10-29T13:42:00.000-07:002016-10-29T14:09:02.583-07:00Avalanche Early Season Paired With Captain Bucky O'Hare Carrot Cake Brown Ale<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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9.5 pounds 2 Row<br />
1 pound Belgian Pils<br />
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1 pound Lactose @10 minutes<br />
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1 oz. Willamette<br />
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American Ale Wyeast 1272<br />
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1 tbl nutmeg<br />
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At Flameout<br />
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1 Vanilla Bean<br />
8 oz. Chopped Almonds<br />
Soaked in rum (because I'm a pirate) and added in secondary<br />
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What a crazy early season, eh? I began the start of hockey season by watching my favorite sports movie of all time, Goon.<br />
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Ignore the terrible trailer. This movie is excellent. I liked it so much I ordered and proudly wear a Ross "The Boss" Rhea jersey from a shady online store who turned out to be a super friendly Filipino man who told me my purchase would help provide his family with clean drinking water. Sooooo I'm pretty much saving the world here guys.<br />
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But I digress.</div>
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The boys in burgundy opened with the offensive juggernaut Dallas Stars who were the highest scoring team last year. I came ready to get rowdy and left surprisingly positive. </div>
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It was an absolute artillery slugfest. If Dallas had a decent goalie I would put money on them winning the Cup. Fortunately for us, they have Niemi and Lehtonen. Who are both <i>decent</i> goalies, but decent goalies don't win championships (unless you are Chicago or Detroit, who won multiple cups <i>in spite of</i> their goaltenders.) </div>
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The good guys finished an absolutely brutal road trip by swinging through Pittsburgh, Washington, Tampa Bay and Florida, who are all basically guaranteed to make the playoffs this year. And you know what? It actually wasn't bad. Washington made us look like a 10 and under team, but they are my Stanley Cup favorites this year and are playing pissed off at an early exit from last season. That score could have been much worse. </div>
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The bottom line is the optimism is there. There are flashes of Bednar's new system in every game; pucks are skated out of the defensive zone almost immediately with a short nouthbound pass or a quick bounce off the boards to get it to the neutral zone. No more absurd two-zone rockets that get intercepted. </div>
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And even though we lost by a goal to Winnipeg, I again saw flashes of potential. The 1st period looked like the good ol' boys, lost in their own zone chasing the puck down and getting pushed out of the attacking zone after a single shot. But in the 3rd period Colorado shot 20 times (!), which is more than the good ol' boys used to shoot in the entire game. And as soon as I figure out how to make gifs out of videos, I'll throw up some highlights and go in greater detail.</div>
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So, let's recap with some Good Things and Bad Things:</div>
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<b>Good Things</b></div>
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-More shots</div>
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-MacKinnon and Landeskog are playing like manimals</div>
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-Rantanen is back in the lineup, and playing in the top 6</div>
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-Zadorov is looking great</div>
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-Martinsen is hitting everything in sight and is great on the forecheck</div>
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-The Power Play is approximately a billion times better than last year</div>
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-Bednar's new defensive system is starting to show, which is good for Varly. Varly is a reactive goalie and likes to see the shots so he can react (and he can flash the pad in like a quarter second.) He's not like a say....Belfour or Brodeur who are able to set up perfectly angled without seeing the puck</div>
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-The defense is also more aggressive with the puck attack and getting their sticks in the passing lanes</div>
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<b>Bad Things</b></div>
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-Duchene is playing his game only every so often. He needs to play his elite game every time. He's capable of taking over the game single-handedly when he's on</div>
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-Defense is falling back on old habits and collapsing in the defensive zone</div>
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-5 on 5 Colorado is still having trouble maintaining the zone and are falling back to being one and done</div>
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-Iginla, man, I love ya but you don't belong anywhere near the top 6. The play dies every time you touch the puck. I'd like to see him on the 3rd line and power play duty</div>
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So hey, it's early. I said before that it will be a long season. A deep strategic system like Bednar's takes time to implement, especially after about a decade of a nothingburger system with an extra side of nothingsauce. </div>
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But the potential is there, and you can see a change in the wind. Or feel. Feel a change in the wind. Whatever, I'm expecting at least a <i style="font-weight: bold;">better</i> and more structured season.</div>
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/BeY1u7u.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/BeY1u7u.gif" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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Now let's talk beer.</div>
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/F4iO1v4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/F4iO1v4.jpg" /></a></div>
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This is my carrot cake brown ale. Back when I first started brewing, the pumpkin beer craze was in full swing and has only gotten worse (or better, depending on how much you like pumpkin beer.) Personally I like fall for the pumpkin beers if only because it is so saturated it forces breweries to try new things. </div>
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Anyway</div>
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In an effort to be a unique snowflake I chose to brew my own take on the fall spice craze and threw together a carrot cake recipe. The first 4 years were....not great. They ranged from offensively malty to hilariously overspiced to just plain mediocre and forgettable, which I think is one of the greatest insults to a beer. </div>
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So try number 5 turned out.....</div>
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AWESOME</div>
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/FI4XJm5.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/FI4XJm5.gif" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's malty with a hint of spice and sweetness. The lactose gives it a creamy, foamy finish. The spice isn't overpowering or too subtle. It's nice and balanced if I do say so myself. And I do. I do say so myself. </div>
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It's fall, it's window opening and patio drinkin' weather, hockey is back. What a great time of year. I'll pair it with a great spiced beer. </div>
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Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223453240166922813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7894236372173105275.post-24141137832127365532016-10-24T17:36:00.000-07:002016-10-24T17:59:58.760-07:00GABF 2016Let's start with how I felt for GABF 2016:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/hHrbG2H.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/hHrbG2H.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yep.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Just like last year, there were far too many beers for me to keep track of, so I'll give a rundown on what drunk J managed to snap a picture of.<br />
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Sidebar.<br />
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I have a major fascination with the design of beer labels. In another life I'm a successful beer graphic designer, probably living in one of those tiny houses or vans converted into an apartment that seem to be all the rage nowadays.<br />
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So that being said, I did my best to capture some of the cooler labels and designs. Let's start local with <a href="http://www.mockerybrewing.com/" target="_blank">Mockery Brewing</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/NONs2SJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/NONs2SJ.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></div>
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I'm a sucker for flintlock pistols, what with my pirate obsession and all. And you add hops and barley in the mix? I'm yours. I tried their Redcoat Session IPA, because it was 5% and I needed to pace myself. I love me a good session IPA, and this was no different.<br />
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Next up was <a href="http://www.lakefrontbrewery.com/" target="_blank">Lakefront</a>, with their Brandy Barrel Imperial Pumpkin.<br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/AfFUhzt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/AfFUhzt.jpg" height="320" width="234" /></a></div>
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Now, I know pumpkin is played out, but bear with me. Every year in September, breweries big and small start rolling out their pumpkin selection (too early!) with great fanfare. And then there's Lakefront. They just sort of appear on the shelves one day with no huge marquis or sign. And I'm telling you it's the best pumpkin beer on the market. It's spicy and malty and just....well it's just the best. And the Imperial version is the<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-otOHMKEGqVI/UNIL-6gkRyI/AAAAAAAAD4k/VohBXr0vsXo/s1600/beeknee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-otOHMKEGqVI/UNIL-6gkRyI/AAAAAAAAD4k/VohBXr0vsXo/s1600/beeknee.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh yes I did.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.tinmanbrewing.com/#" target="_blank">Tin Man Brewing</a> from Indiana, you're up next.<br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/ZBZpFyG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/ZBZpFyG.jpg" height="320" width="237" /></a></div>
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So anybody that knows me knows that I am terrified of the impending AI revolution, and subsequent robot wars. But I love me some robots in media. I loved watching giant robots punch giant aliens in Pacific Rim, I love shooting giant robots in MechWarrior Online, and I love watching Achilles fight Russia for the Alaska Territory in Robot Jox. As a result, I'm loving this label. It's simple, it's industrial, and it tells me their story. Seriously check out their website. I want a full poster of their <a href="http://www.tinmanbrewing.com/ourbeers/overlord" target="_blank">Overlord</a>.<br />
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I wanted to include MacLeod Brewing from California<br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/kzscbgw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/kzscbgw.jpg" height="320" width="237" /></a></div>
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because of one of my favorite Avs players, Cody McLeod.<br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/9VwTmXf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/9VwTmXf.jpg" height="216" width="320" /></a></div>
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Plus I told the rep I liked the name and he said I was the first person all day to pronounce it correctly. Sooooo we're pretty much best friends now.<br />
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I had to include my favorite hometown heroes, <a href="http://greatdivide.com/" target="_blank">Great Divide</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/YQjkgB3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/YQjkgB3.jpg" height="320" width="237" /></a></div>
<a href="http://i.imgur.com/Lx5Qu4V.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/Lx5Qu4V.jpg" height="320" width="236" /></a><br />
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With Yeti picture. I'm pretty sure we cut in line for that photo because some ladies yelled at us. Sorry ladies! I genuinely didn't know there was a line.<br />
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I tried their new Velvet Yeti, which is my favorite beer, Yeti, on nitro. And oh man. Just, oh man. Perfect.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flixbrewhouse.com/" target="_blank">Flix Brewhouse</a> has these awesome movie-themed posters and beers:<br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/SFScBc4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/SFScBc4.jpg" height="320" width="241" /></a></div>
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I'm digging the logo for Illinois brewery <a href="http://www.metalmonkeybrewing.com/home" target="_blank">Metal Monkey</a>:<br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/XXjYNUh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/XXjYNUh.jpg" height="320" width="237" /></a></div>
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Florida-based <a href="http://barrelofmonks.com/" target="_blank">Barrel of Monks</a> was kind enough to pose for a wicked pic:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/Y9i6djN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/Y9i6djN.jpg" height="320" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh, wait. I get it. Barrel of Monks. Like monkeys. But monks.</td></tr>
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And I absolutely love <a href="http://coppertailbrewing.com/" target="_blank">Coppertail Brewing</a>'s logo here:<br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/DPCxEjI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/DPCxEjI.jpg" height="320" width="237" /></a><a href="http://i.imgur.com/KPg28eF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/KPg28eF.jpg" height="320" width="236" /></a></div>
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Seriously click the link. The whole thing is like that music video for Tonight by Smashing Pumpkins. </div>
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Had to get a picture with the Modus Mandarina can naturally:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/1EREmh5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/1EREmh5.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I see you Steve.</td></tr>
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To wrap up, I ask a question. Do you remember the 90's pop band Hanson? Yeah, those guys. I know you know it.<br />
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Anyway, THEY BREW BEER NOW. Behold! <a href="http://www.hansonbrothersbeer.com/" target="_blank">Hanson Brothers Beer</a>!<br />
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Seriously, check this out:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/2hFQVxJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/2hFQVxJ.jpg" height="320" width="233" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hahahahahahahahaha</td></tr>
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Wait, get out of the way, Marks.<br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/maWIH4C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/maWIH4C.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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Can you guess the name of their beer? I bet you can. Go on, take a guess. Did you guess this?<br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/HjKKuRI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/HjKKuRI.jpg" height="320" width="237" /></a></div>
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Blurry picture aside, it's called Mmmhops can you even believe it? Amazing.<br />
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So I saved these two for last, because they were far and away the best beers I tried. Where do I even beg...wait, no. I'm just so excited. Okay, deep breath.<br />
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Let's start with <a href="http://www.mantrabrewing.com/home" target="_blank">Mantra</a> from Tennessee.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/GKtJ8uK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/GKtJ8uK.jpg" height="320" width="241" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah, TN. I know, right?</td></tr>
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<br />
You see that beer listed as Goo Goo Gish? It's apparently based on a cookie, and I can't even describe how it tastes, but I'll try. It tastes like a chocolate cookie with caramel and toffee crumbles. That's it, that's the beer. I don't know how they do it. But there it is. If it ever emerges in the Denver market, I'm not joking when I say I'm going to buy up every bottle I see, if only to share it with the world.<br />
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I'm getting jealous just writing about it, so let's continue on to<a href="http://www.insightbrewing.com/" target="_blank"> Insight Brewing</a> from Minneapolis.<br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/VwmmzJQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/VwmmzJQ.jpg" height="320" width="233" /></a></div>
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The Wild hockey club has made left me predisposed to hate everything from Minnesota, but I girded my loins and tried these guys because their setup was wicked:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/OZDyrDy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/OZDyrDy.jpg" height="320" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah, just some weird beat-up chest.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And oh my goodness, look at these <a href="http://www.insightbrewing.com/beers/seasonal/" target="_blank">labels</a>:<br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/Ie5lYn7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/Ie5lYn7.jpg" height="320" width="237" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/6jwfStH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/6jwfStH.jpg" height="137" width="320" /></a></div>
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Their whole website is this crazy troll/pirate/viking/mythology theme. It's just perfect, and the beer was a crazy surprise because I'd never heard of them before. Absolutely delicious.<br />
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Until next time GABF, it's been weird.Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223453240166922813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7894236372173105275.post-39429729424436256742016-09-04T11:13:00.000-07:002016-09-05T09:19:05.995-07:00Hockey Countdown with Homebrew Citrus IPA<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Patrick Roy Abandons Ship</b></div>
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<b>or</b></div>
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<b><br></b></div>
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<b>Stop Me If You've Heard This Before</b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br></span></b>
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Lafitte Citrus IPA</div>
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8 pounds American 2 Row</div>
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4 pounds Maris Otter</div>
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1 pound Crystal 75</div>
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5 ounces Citra Hops</div>
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1 ounce Warrior Hops</div>
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San Diego Super Yeast</div>
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<br></div>
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Jean Lafitte was a successful pirate and smuggler operating out of New Orleans. The Governor Claiborne, at one point, covered the port in posters offering 500 dollars for the capture or death of Lafitte.</div>
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Lafitte, in return, covered the port in posters offering 1000 dollars for the capture of Governor Claiborne.</div>
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Let's start with the beer today. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/6U0zNfc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/6U0zNfc.jpg" height="320" width="237"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">No place like foam</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">Yikes, that's a lot of foam. </span></span><br>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">So here's the deal on this one. It tastes amazing. The warrior hops come through right away with a ferocious bitterness, followed by a smoothing pineappley and tropical peach flavor. As you can hopefully see the color is a beautiful gold, and the foam, though angry, is light and airy and lacey. </span></span><br>
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;"><br></span></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">But man, what happened with that foam? I tried super charging it at 40 psi for 24 hours, then dropped it down to 10 psi for serving. And this is what happened. Believe it or not, this is way better than it was. At first pour it was 90% foam and a tiny sliver of delicious beer. </span></span><br>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">I lowered the pressure, popped the cap and let it dissipate, angled the beer line and coiled it so it flows only up and there are still bubbles in my lines. Everything I've read says the co2 is escaping from the beer, and I've tried every solution. Soap and water have revealed no leaks.</span></span><br>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">So I'm at a loss. But you know what, there's a delicious beer in all that delicious foam. The base is there, I just need to tweak it. I'm good at that. Changing things on the fly. Adapting and using what I'm good at and just steering it in a different direction. </span></span><br>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">Moving on. (This will be pretty gif-heavy, so if you are on dial-up, I apologize. Also, how is the year 1996? That Independence Day movie looks pretty neat.)</span></span><br>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">What in the world happened, Patty? </span></span><br>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">Reminiscent of when St. Patrick got lit up in Montreal and vowed to never play for Montreal again, Roy once again took a hike when the going got tough. Here's the thing; the man is a legend, arguably the greatest goalie of all time. His ego and fiery temper and cockiness and unreal talent made him a champion four times over. And when he first arrived back in Colorado to helm the team, those qualities took him to the Jack Adams trophy. </span></span><br>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">He was fiery. He was passionate. He was aggressive. The players, on multiple occasions, said they loved playing for him. He came in with a decade of minor league coaching, so it wasn't like they just called him up on the couch. He came in with a plan. </span></span><br>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">And then Minnesota figured out how to stop the speedy underdog juggernaut that was the Avalanche. Colorado won the Western Conference that year with an obscenely aggressive forecheck and was backed by an outrageous performance by Varlamov in net. But the Wild figured out that the slightest bit of pressure on our defensemen would collapse the entire thing. The rest of the league took notice, and the rest was ugly history. Colorado's defensive weaknesses were exposed, and the team was never the same. </span></span><br>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">I mean, just look at this:</span></span><br>
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/sbavlsN.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/sbavlsN.gif" height="342" width="640"></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Here we have Holden beating Vancouver to the puck behind the net and yet still losing the puck. Barrie covers literally nobody in front of the net, and the rest of the team collapses in the slot allowing Hansen to slide right in behind Barrie to receive the pass <i>from behind the net surrounded by five Colorado players</i> and score. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This was essentially a 5 on 2 short handed goal. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;">Exactly.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;">Let's try another:</span></div>
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/ja0mMzR.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/ja0mMzR.gif" height="347" width="640"></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Comeau forechecks two Minny players on their breakout, which is fine in itself except he completely removes himself from the play. For some bizarre reason, there is nobody covering the Wild player on our own blue line, allowing a huge and completely ridiculous stretch pass <i>across the entire ice. </i>For some reason, all four of the remaining Avs converge on that one player, suddenly I guess realizing the puck is in their zone, allowing number 10 to slip by <i>completely untouched </i>for a babysoft goal. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;">Looks about right.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">One more? One more.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/ELePefM.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/ELePefM.gif" height="324" width="640"></a></div>
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Washington starts with two entering the zone followed by a pretty decent drop pass and shot. Nothing terrible there. The rebound goes into the corner and back to the top where there are exactly zero Colorado sweaters. Everybody wearing burgundy and blue inexplicably chase the puck and <i>crash their own net</i>, leaving two Washington players all by their lonesome on our point. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I felt the same way.</span></td></tr>
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I could keep going all day. But I won't because I'm making myself furious.<br>
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Enter Jared Bednar. Former coach of the AHL Cleveland Monsters and brand new coach for the Colorado Avalanche. </div>
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"Who is Bednar?" you inquire, handing me a beer.</div>
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"I'm glad you asked", I reply. I probably refuse the beer at first out of politeness, but we both know I'll take it after one round of "Oh, you don't need to buy me a beer for my amateur hockey analysis."</div>
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Bednar took a fairly decent but ultimately nothing special and huge underdog Monsters team and led them to a 15-2 postseason to win the Calder Cup. He is strict, aggressive, and analytical. He preaches structured breakouts followed by an aggressive and creative attack with speed. </div>
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Hmm, so literally exactly what our core of players is capable of. After two years of watching Roy's Avalanche I still don't know his coaching plan. In one press conference and exactly one youtube video, I know exactly what Bednar plans to do. I mean, here:</div>
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/qjBZhHK.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/qjBZhHK.gif" height="313" width="640"></a></div>
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Break it down. Cleveland starts their breakout by streaking behind the net and drawing the defender towards the puck. A Monster teammate circles around, giving the puck carrier an extra out, but he doesn't need it because he immediately sends the puck up ice to the center. But instead of just dumping it in the zone, thereby giving up possession (coughHoldencoughGuenin), the original defender speeds through and takes another short pass to gain the zone. 12 enters the zone, giving another open option followed by 16. 8 is speeding through, though, forcing the defense back on their heels. 16 and 12 are still open, giving two options if needed, but 8 jams it in.</div>
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Here they give up possession, which I would normally dislike, but instead of peeling off and retreating to the blue line he attacks and breaks through to retrieve the puck. And since he draws the entire other team to him, 16 and 12 are still open to receive the puck. </div>
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The other team had no time to set up, no time to react. They were on their heels the entire time. And it wasn't accomplished by chipping it up the boards or dumping it in. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;">I couldn't find a gif of Bednar, so please accept Jean Claude Van Damme in the classic film, Sudden Death.</span></td></tr>
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"But aren't you just cherrypicking those breakouts?" you ask as I finish my beer. </div>
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"Of course I am," I reply. "I'm just a guy who loves hockey. Next round's on me, Julia Stiles."</div>
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I have a feeling that this will be a rough first year under a new coach. Adapting to a completely new system (or just suddenly going from no system to....a system) is not easy, especially at this point in the offseason. But man, we have some good players with speed and talent. Imagine them with the right structure. </div>
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So let's take a lesson from beer. My IPA came out...interesting. The base, or core if you will, was there. I am confident in my skills to adapt and change, so I will try the recipe again but just tweak it a bit. I'm not so set in my ways that I'll just do the <i>exact same thing.</i> I like what I see and taste, but it's not perfect. So I'm going to adapt. And change for the better. And not just slam my glass to the ground and take my keg and go home. </div>
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Metaphor.<br>
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Also I don't know why the font changes halfway through and I can't seem to fix it. So, there it is.<br>
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Update: I have fixed the font problem.<br>
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Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223453240166922813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7894236372173105275.post-12018725280851502782016-08-29T16:49:00.002-07:002016-08-29T17:01:09.271-07:00Part Six of the Salty Dog Trilogy: Flogging Molly<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Flogging Molly</b></div>
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<b>or</b></div>
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<b>We find ourselves in the same old mess, singing drunken lullabies</b></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/PcO3AnEofFk/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PcO3AnEofFk?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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Let's just get that song out of the way, because if you know me at all, you know that is my jam. </div>
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So Flogging Molly, the big show, the finale, the captains on the deck. I, of course, pair them with.....</div>
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Guinness. </div>
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Yup. </div>
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That Guinness. </div>
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Before you leave in a huff, just look at this:</div>
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Tell me that doesn't look delicious. Aside from the fact that Guinness literally flowed like water on the ship, I have always had a soft spot for the stuff. I love the way it looks, I love the way it tastes. I love the brewery tour in Dublin. It was my first nitro. Fact of the matter is, no matter how mainstream or huge or popular or unpopular or whatever Guinness is or becomes, I will always enjoy it. It's an old faithful. </div>
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Kind of like Flogging Molly. </div>
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I first saw them at the Ogden theater, which if you have ever been there, you know is a small venue for a seven piece celtic punk band. And now they play Red Rocks and headline cruise ships and play on late night talk shows. It doesn't matter how mainstream or big they get. I'll never forget the first song I heard from them:</div>
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I was hooked after the banjo intro. I saw them on my honeymoon in a small little pub venue in Dublin. It's kind of <i>our thing. </i><br />
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The show was incredible. Shows, I mean. They played on the deck one night and on the beach the other. A pirate celtic punk band on the beach. Guinness in hand. It was surreal, I'm not sure I can even describe it. It's energetic, it's emotional, it's fun, it makes you dance. Yeah, even you. You just can't help it. It's like a pub just decided to get up and start jamming all at once. </div>
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I'm not even going to bother really going into Guinness. You either love it or you hate it. Personally I think it's creamy and roasty and delicious and smooth. Can smooth be a flavor? Sure, why not? </div>
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And if you haven't had a Guinness, let me know. The first round's on me. </div>
Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223453240166922813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7894236372173105275.post-73674974925965752782016-08-21T16:27:00.002-07:002016-08-21T16:39:47.213-07:00Part Five of the Salty Dog Trilogy: Pirate Republic Brewing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i.imgur.com/Vxp0pcE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/Vxp0pcE.jpg" height="240" width="320"></a></div>
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Now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates. </div>
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- Mark Twain</div>
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Let's go back in time. J, age ten. I rent a game from Blockbuster (which, by the way, I miss terribly. Digital and modern gaming is awesome, but there was nothing like headed to Blockbuster after school and picking out a game to play over the weekend.) It randomly happens to be this:</div>
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/NGYEa7v.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/NGYEa7v.jpg" height="174" width="320"></a></div>
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That's Sid Meiers' Pirates! Gold for the Sega Genesis. It's the greatest game I've ever played. You can capture ships. You can seize ports and towns. You can trade. You can woo governors' daughters. You can clash swords with enemy captains. It is amazing. I start reading every book I can about pirates. Every essay I write in school is about buccaneers and scallywags. I play every waking hour, terrorizing the seven seas. And to this day I've never beaten the game. I think you had to find your lost father? I have no idea. I was too busy buckling swashes and hunting for buried treasure. And thus a life-long love of pirates, both the educational and bleak reality and the romanticized movie and video game version. </div>
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Pirates are kind of my <i>thing.</i> </div>
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Even the real versions were amazing. </div>
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Benjamin Hornigold, mentor and captain to Edward Teach aka Blackbeard, once captured a ship, rounded up the captive crew, stole all their hats and sailed away without harming a single person because they had all gotten drunk the night before and threw their own hats overboard.</div>
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Jean Lafitte ran a pirate and smuggling operation out of New Orleans. The governor, tired of his shenanigans, put up a bounty of 500 dollars (aka all the money in existence back then) for his capture. Lafitte, in return, put up a bounty of 1000 dollars for the capture of the governor. </div>
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Stephen Decatur led a raid, disguised as Maltese sailors to recover a stolen ship. Once he seized the stolen vessel deep in an enemy harbor, he just lit the damned thing on fire as a huge middle finger so that nobody could use it. </div>
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Ching Shih was a female pirate in China and pretty much ruled the ocean commanding over 300 ships and 40,000 sailors. Any disobedience was met with a swift beheading. So what did Ching Shih do? Anything she wanted because she commanded 40,000 sailors. Nobody could stop her, so China offered her amnesty, which she took. She kept her earnings (pretty much all the money in the world) and opened a gambling house. LIKE A BOSS.</div>
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I can go on, and will happily go on over a pint when prompted. </div>
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So anyway, we were in Nassau, which was I was already excited about as Nassau was once a pirate haven. I was walking the streets that Hornigold, Stede, Rackham and Teach walked. Most of the bars and restaurants were tacky tourist stops, which was expected since Nassau depended on tourism. We hit a few museums and touristy photo locations and headed back to mainstreet where we passed a pub with a pirate flag hanging over the front door. Which wasn't out of the ordinary; there were tacky pirate souvenirs everywhere (which I loved.) I imagined they served margaritas or something, which was okay because I like margaritas. </div>
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We walked in, because again, pirates, and there it was. A microbrewery. A pirate microbrewery. With a full brewhouse and everything. </div>
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<a href="http://www.piraterepublicbahamas.com/" target="_blank"><br></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.piraterepublicbahamas.com/" target="_blank">Pirate Republic Brewing</a>. </div>
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<br></div>
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Even their beers were named after pirates;</div>
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/2xTYX6A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/2xTYX6A.jpg" height="320" width="240"></a></div>
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<br></div>
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And they were delicious. We had four. And after four beers, I get in a spendy mood. I spied with my little eye a sweet Pirate Republic metal growler. </div>
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/hagc1kp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/hagc1kp.jpg" height="320" width="240"></a></div>
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I had to have it. Sixty two dollars. A fine purchase, I said. "I wish you'd told me you wanted that before your beers," said the bartender. Following my confusion, she pointed to a sign that said GROWLER COMES WITH FIVE BEERS.</div>
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<br></div>
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Yes, let's do this I said. She brought out five more beers. "Would you like them to go?" she asked. Again, reading my confusion, she followed with "There are no open container laws in Nassau." I don't think she realized what I could do with five beers. In the heat. At sea level. That's like the equivalent of one and a half Colorado beers at altitude. But still.</div>
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I was home. </div>
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All in all, Pirate Republic gets five Skull and Crossbones out of five. See you next Salty Dog, Pirate Republic. </div>
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<br></div>
Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223453240166922813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7894236372173105275.post-69932373577820814192016-08-03T11:41:00.000-07:002016-08-04T13:08:01.879-07:00Part Four of the Salty Dog Trilogy: Skinny Lister<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Skinny Lister</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>or </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Now we're all philosophers drinking down the pub again</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You will like if:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Your idea of a pub is a place to meet friends, rather than get hammered</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You know that cask ale doesn't mean warm, flat beer</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Sometimes you just want a proper pint</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You will not like if:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Your idea of a Friday night is loud pop music and a dark bar so you can't see how gross the floor is</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The idea of cellar temperature doesn't work for you</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You can't handle a naturally carbonated beer</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So here is my new favorite band:</div>
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<br></div>
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/RG-8wIMHHDE/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RG-8wIMHHDE?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
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<br></div>
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We first saw them open for Frank Turner and were absolutely blown away. Just listen and tell me that doesn't feel like a pub song. Wait, here, have another:</div>
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/0lxwi_vjeH8/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0lxwi_vjeH8?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
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<br></div>
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Yeah! Let's go grab a pint! Wait, finish reading first. </div>
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There was something absolutely spectacular seeing Skinny Lister, self proclaimed Shanty Punk with their trademark jug, on the open deck with the ocean around us. And playing with Frank Turner no less.</div>
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/74fjTMg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/74fjTMg.jpg" height="320" width="239"></a></div>
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And then there was the show on the last night in the smallest venue. It was cramped, it was dark and hot. We were all exhausted. Maybe two dozen of us, which was pretty thin. Their singer got a few beers from the bar and lamented how few people there were in attendance.</div>
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<br></div>
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"Don't worry," said the drunk girl next to us. "Everybody's just drunk and they'll show up eventually." They came out like this:</div>
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/JYpSTMR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/JYpSTMR.jpg" height="320" width="240"></a></div>
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Hahahaha look at that. It's one of those old timey one piece bathing suits you saw in old cartoons. And sure enough, the place swarmed with fans. It was the last show of the cruise, the band was jumping into the crowd and, at one point, started swinging from the rafters. It was rowdy, it was a singalong. It was an intimate experience. The band wiped tears from their eyes. It was just perfect.</div>
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It was one of the most memorable shows I've ever seen, and I'll forever look back warmly on the experience. </div>
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I could think of no better beer to pair with these hooligans than Hogshead. Not any particular beer, just Hogshead in general. I've written about them before, so I won't go into the big thing again. It's a cozy English cask ale bar, serving traditional English pints with friends. Sometimes that's what I want.</div>
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/2qB43ck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/2qB43ck.jpg" height="320" width="239"></a></div>
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So here's what I recommend. Head to the pub (invite me!), order a proper pint, and have this in your head:</div>
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/BCgv6ruGCB4/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BCgv6ruGCB4?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
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<br></div>
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That's just about a perfect evening.</div>
Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223453240166922813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7894236372173105275.post-25334239024674754692016-08-01T11:36:00.000-07:002016-09-04T18:32:34.051-07:00Part Three of the Salty Dog Trilogy: The Tossers<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>The Tossers</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>or</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>No loot, no booze, no fun</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>featuring</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Angry Banjo by Verboten</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You will like if:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You like dry finishes</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You understand 'cream ale' doesn't mean sweet</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You are pleasantly surprised by unexpected beers; for example, I'd never had a dark cream ale before</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You will not like if:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You aren't a fan of drinking water after every pint</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You think cream ale should only be corn yellow in color</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Seriously, this is a dry finish</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Q_DUur1WyTw/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q_DUur1WyTw?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
There are only two things I like out of Chicago; the hotdogs and the music. The Tossers, though lacking in hot dogs on the cruise, brought the sound. Billed as the 'world's loudest folk band' from the Irish neighborhoods of the Windy City, I had been listening to them for years and jumped at the chance to finally see them live. And oh yes, it was folkin' wonderful.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/YSmx4eV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/YSmx4eV.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I regret nothing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We had wristbands for the evening shows, which meant a solid day of beers. So we get to the venue, they come out to tune their instruments, and...still tuning. Wait, he's grabbing a beer, and still tuning. After probably fifteen minutes of their frontman tuning his mandolin, the band started looking at each other shrugging. Which led to even more confusion in the audience. After probably at least seven more minutes of fiddling with his mandolin, he throws it on the ground with a loud, "Fuckit!" and picks up his banjo and starts plucking away for the first song. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Already off to a good start. It was a great performance, and about as Irish folk punk as you could get. He had a cigarette in his mouth and most of the lyrics were a mushy slur. We couldn't tell if he was drunk already (most bands were) or if years of whiskey had left him with permanent mush-mouth in the great tradition of Shane MacGowan. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Either way, they killed it. Song after song of Irish rebellion and traditional celtic tunes put to modern punk beats. </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9SR_kZYV0BQ/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9SR_kZYV0BQ?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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I choose my beer pairings based on a few things, and they change on a case to case basis. Does the flavor match with an experience? Was I doing something awesome while drinking it? Or does the label and label art and beer name simply match up with my topic. In this case, it was the latter. Let's welcome Angry Banjo by Verboten:</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/3I1bwaA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/3I1bwaA.jpg" height="320" width="237" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
A dark cream ale. Which is something I'd never had before. I'm no stranger to cream ales. Traditionally brewed with corn and finished with milk sugar for that dry, creamy coating that lingers in your mouth and usually with a bright yellow color, this was an interesting take on the style. Still creamy, still dry, and most importantly, still delicious. But with an added roastiness like lightly toasted bread and maybe just a tiny hint of coffee. None of the reviews online say much about coffee, so maybe I imagined that, but I never said I was a pro. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Long story short, it was a fantastic take on the classic style. And I could think of no better-named beer than Angry Banjo to <i>toast</i> The Tossers with. </div>
Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223453240166922813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7894236372173105275.post-84516153829080989962016-06-22T17:25:00.001-07:002016-06-22T17:25:08.570-07:00Dammit, Frank Turner style.I found a video of Frank Turner performing Dammit.<br />
<br />
So, I mean, if you're my age, enjoy being taken back to middle school. Plus bonus Ballad of Me and my Friends.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/SqOjMUVVgNA/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SqOjMUVVgNA?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223453240166922813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7894236372173105275.post-62412031283487182972016-06-15T14:09:00.002-07:002016-06-15T18:07:00.995-07:00Part Two of the Salty Dog Trilogy: Frank Turner<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Frank Turner</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>or</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Come on folks and try this at home</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>featuring </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Fuck Art Let's Dance by To ØL</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You will like if:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You enjoy dry finishes</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You aren't scared of a bit of acidic tartness</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You remember the four simple words</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You will not like if:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
There seems to be a recurring theme lately, but you don't enjoy funky beer</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Gooseberries just sounds absurd to you</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You think music is clearly defined and totally structured and that is final</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I grew up listening to punk rock and heavy metal. Pennywise, Bad Religion, NOFX, Face to Face, Hatebreed, Unearth, Grimlock. I thought music, for many years, was meant to lead revolution. To rebel and to be angry, to fight for what you believed in. To bond through blood and sweat and rage. Yeah I was that guy. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I still enjoy these things. Don't let the collars on my work shirts fool you, I'm still very much punk. It defined younger me into the person I am today. My workout playlist is nothing but rage-filled metalcore. But no band or artist or musician had actually made me <i>feel</i> until I discovered Frank Turner. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This will sound silly, but I remember the night his music changed my outlook on music. It was November, and I was driving home from downtown after meeting some friends at a bar. I was listening to the radio and, after I think eleven o'clock back then, they switched to a request punk rock station. You know where listeners from all over call in to leave a recorded request message. Anyway, I heard "Frank Turner, Photosynthesis." </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
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That's weird, I thought. I had never heard that name. A light acoustic guitar started strumming. I very nearly turned the channel. </div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
And this came on:</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mQMVHhxTtLc/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mQMVHhxTtLc?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
A rush, warm and electric, just arced through me. What was this? I mused to myself. I later discovered it was musical-induced <i>feelings. </i> When I got home I scoured youtube and listened to everything on there, watched every video. I downloaded every song I could find. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I called to my wife; "I found our new favorite musician."</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
He opens nearly every show with this:</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/SVx2RuANAyk/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SVx2RuANAyk?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>
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And he gets the entire venue singing with this:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mKkIysX2Bow/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mKkIysX2Bow?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<br /></div>
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I could go on, but I won't. Part of the fun is discovery. Every song was mix of lyrical mastery and anger and sorrow and camaraderie. Every show is about singing and dancing with friends, celebrating life. All pretentiousness about music is stripped away, reinforced when he gets up and plays looking like this:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i.imgur.com/PMPhtuT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/PMPhtuT.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
That's just him and a guitar and a Hawaiian shirt. <i>And he owned the place.</i> About midway through his set he said something very profound that I will never forget. We were on a ship in the middle of the ocean, and it felt like we were drinking with "our good friend Frank." Surrounded by some of the best celtic punk bands in the world. I, along with very surely every person in that venue, was a veteran of hundreds of punk shows and years of carefully accumulating my music library. And I will be the first to admit that I have, in the past, shaken my head at so-called radio punk. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Anyway, he told the crowd that he was considered, among critics, to be a gateway musician. That is to say, a musician to start your punk journey with. And that's kind of true. I'd consider him folk punk, but he's very mild in that regard compared to more "traditional" punk rock bands. And he said he was fine with that, because you know what?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Who fuckin' cares? </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Whatever bands or music that got you into the scene or music, raise a glass to them. On that ship we were all friends. No seriously. Literally everywhere we went, we made friends. We danced, we sang, we drank with strangers, but for those nights, we were friends. Old guys with long gray beards, young couples, groups of friends from other countries. It didn't matter, for those three days and nights, we were friends. And that meant something. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So he shared his own gateway band experience: Blink 182, a band that more or less defined my 8th grade year. We all kind of laughed, because I mean it was Blink 182. Everybody liked Blink, but everybody kind of moved on long ago.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
And Frank went on to play an acoustic, slowed-down version of Dammit. And I'm telling you right now, with a mixture of beer and new friends and the setting and nostalgia of my middle school music awakening and just the entire experience, it was one of the best live performances I've ever seen. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>And I've seen GWAR live.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Which brings us to the beer. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Inspired by this song:</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/IU22lKGevhI/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IU22lKGevhI?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
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I could think of no better beer than this:</div>
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Fuck Art Let's Dance. A good deal of Frank Turner's performances and music deal with the bullshit of music, how it's often held in such high regard, by both fans and musicians themselves, that it becomes ridiculous. It's just people with instruments, nothing more. Nothing to be worshiped. It's just music. And so that's why I chose this beer. </div>
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It starts off tart and acidic, the kind that hits you under your tongue. Fruity, like maybe apples and pears? But then it hits you with a slow fruit funk. I'm not sure what gooseberries are, but I imagine that's the flavor. And then it hits you with a dry finish. </div>
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I mean I love funky and sour beers. The funkier the better. So naturally I loved it. But I did some research on the brewery. To ØL Brewing, based out of Copenhagen Denmark. They call themselves a gypsy brewery, and I was delighted to discover they had no brewery at all. They brew everything on contract, traveling from brewery to brewery to craft their brews. Like traveling nomads and gypsies. </div>
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And I thought that was just perfect. </div>
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Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223453240166922813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7894236372173105275.post-16035791846334543642016-06-14T16:09:00.001-07:002016-06-14T16:09:43.135-07:00Salty Dog 2016: Part one of the Salty Dog Trilogy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i.imgur.com/xCuOlCy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/xCuOlCy.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Sail away where no ball and chain</b></div>
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<b>Can keep us from the roarin' waves</b></div>
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<b>Together undivided but forever we'll be free</b></div>
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<b>So sail away aboard our rig</b></div>
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<b>The moon is full and so are we</b></div>
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<b>Seven drunken pirates we're the seven deadly sins</b></div>
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Hoo boy, settle in and get ready for the </div>
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<b>Salty Dog Adventure</b></div>
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<b>or</b></div>
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<b>The best damn three days ever</b></div>
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Where to even begin? Just check out this lineup:</div>
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I don't even know how to start. Three days of celtic punk, on a ship. With unlimited food and booze. In what used to be pirate-infested waters. Pirates! Beer! Punk! The only thing that could have made it any better was Sid Meier's Pirates Gold.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This game really buckled my swashes. I'm also going to use this joke at least three more times.</td></tr>
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Okay, deep breath. </div>
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I'll start small. Let's meet Beans on Toast:</div>
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Few musicians or bands can get me to smile the instant I put them on. Beans on Toast happens to be one. Just give it a listen. Check out a few of them. It's just him in a ratty hat and sandals with a guitar, singing catchy folk tunes of happiness and love with a hint of revolution and a healthy dose of "pull your heads out of your asses." If I had to sum him up in a single image, it would be: </div>
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Seriously, just listen:</div>
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We saw him after visiting Nassau (more on that later) which has an extensive history in piracy, and now includes a pirate tour museum. So he gets on stage with the following story (just picture like a heavy blue collar English accent)</div>
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"Did you know that pirates never made anybody walk the plank? Some bloke just made that up. And they also didn't bury any treasure. Which means I spent all fuckin' morning digging up the beach for nuffin'"</div>
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I was about six beers in so I thought it was the funniest thing in the world. </div>
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I actually had to search a bit to pair a beer with Beans on Toast. I was leaning to a full English style, one you'd drink in a pub over a good conversation. But I decided to go with Crustless from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/UrsulaBrewery/" target="_blank">Ursula</a>:</div>
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A peanut butter and jelly porter. I've been kind of half-heartedly researching a peanut butter and jelly recipe off and on for about a year now, and renewed my research after my somewhat successful peanut butter porter. But the jelly and bread, one might say integral parts of the sandwich, always threw me off. Would I go for a roasty, bready porter? A malty ESB base? And what about the jelly? Fruit is hard to balance without overpowering the other flavors. </div>
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Ursula pulled it off. It poured with no head or lacing whatsoever, which worried me at first. But then I smelled it, and it smelled like a damned sandwich. </div>
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Can you guess what it tasted like? A peanut butter and jelly sandwich. There's no other way to describe it. It had creamy peanut butter, a swirl of (grape?) jelly flavor all washed down with a roasty, crusty bready porter backbone. </div>
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It was simple, based on a simple sandwich. But it worked. And so I can think of nothing I'd like to pair better with Beans on Toast than the Crustless Porter. I mean, watch this:</div>
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And tell me that's not a peanut butter jelly sandwich in music form. No way that man doesn't enjoy a good pbj. </div>
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Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223453240166922813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7894236372173105275.post-40265226559363777152016-06-14T14:20:00.001-07:002016-06-14T14:20:04.659-07:00South Denver Beer Fest<div style="text-align: left;">
First off, it was raining and freezing cold. And here was the line to get into the park:</div>
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I was on assignment for <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BrewTable-329634160430641/" target="_blank">Brew Table</a> as a special agent. At least that's what I told myself. In reality my beer buddy wanted someone to get him some pictures and beer reviews. And that I did. Let's begin.<div>
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I'm going to be focusing on the standouts. So we'll start with Juicy Bits from <a href="http://www.weldwerksbrewing.com/" target="_blank">Weldwerks</a> in Greeley. At first I was going to try it based solely on the fact that the name made me giggle. </div>
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A fairly standard IPA, but with a solid malty backbone. </div>
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Agamemnon British IPA caught my attention next, I suppose because I was in a hoppy mood. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mostly I wanted to show off my beard.<br /><br /></td></tr>
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Another solid IPA with a malty backbone. I pondered the direction my tastes were taking me on that day and moved on to <a href="http://www.copperkettledenver.com/" target="_blank">Copper Kettle</a>, a brewery I was very familiar with. I tried to stay off the beaten path and try new things, but their Mexican Stout is just too good to stay away. During one brewfest (who can remember which one) one of the brewers told me they were more than just the Mexican Stout brewery. <div>
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"That's nice," I replied. "Go ahead and pour me a Mexican Stout."</div>
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Absolutely delicious, as usual. Rich, roasty, chocolate and cinnamon with a slow burning heat that bites you right in the back of the mouth. Thanks Mexican Stout brewery. To even it out, I also tried their Berliner Weisse.</div>
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Which was, unsurprisingly, fantastic. I mean, if you can make a Mexican Stout like that, you can do just about anything. </div>
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The runner-up for my best showing of the day had to be <a href="http://www.lovelandaleworks.com/" target="_blank">Loveland Aleworks</a>. This is gonna be a big one, so strap in. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was so good I almost forgot to take a picture.</td></tr>
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Let's start with the Chocolate Coconut Porter called Darkest Day. Which I felt was appropriate for the weather. Oh man, this was a solid showing. Smooth chocolate with a hint of creamy coconut and a stronger coconut nose. This was a rainy-day drinker. I wanted to just post up here and let it ride, but the wife wanted to try the next few, and I'm glad I did. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Her: "Change up your pictures. Your hand is boring."<br />Me: "You got it."</td></tr>
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I have a weakness for anything Belgian-style, and then you add in "aged in red wine barrels?" Sold, good sir. The Belgian yeast flavor wasn't as strong as I'd have liked, but the wine barrel gave it that chewy wood feel that I so love with a fruity backbone. </div>
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"Ooo," I heard my wife mutter. I stopped enjoying my Belgian Tripel to look behind me and saw this:</div>
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Pecan pie beer, whaaaat? I had to give it a go. I love experimental beers, so I was sure I would like this one. And sure enough, I was right. I don't know how else to describe it other than it tasted like pecan pie. Well done, <a href="http://www.bluesprucebrewing.com/" target="_blank">Blue Spruce Brewing</a>. </div>
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Now, chili beers are tricky. Most folks instantly turn away from them, but I absolutely adore chili beers. I make one myself, a serrano wheat in fact. So I gasped when I saw:</div>
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And it was fantastic. In fact, I can honestly say it tasted almost identical to mine. Is that braggy? It sounds braggy. I'm keeping it though. </div>
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Last up is <a href="http://www.destihl.com/" target="_blank">Destihl</a>. And even though it was physically last on our rotation, it was fortuitous that they had the three best beers in the festival. </div>
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They all sounded delightful, so I camped out there for a bit to work down the line. And first up was Here GOSE Nothin', a Leipzig style gose. </div>
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I don't know the difference between a Leipzig gose or otherwise, but what I do know is that this was one of the tartest, saltiest gose's I've ever had. It was almost like seawater. Which sounds weird to describe a beer like that, but just go with me on this. I try gose every time I see one on tap, and this is probably the most unique one I've ever had. </div>
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I smacked my lips and eagerly awaited my pour of their Flanders Red. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's the surprised look of "Holy cow this is sour."</td></tr>
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I could smell the tartness before I even brought it to my nose. Nothing could have prepared me. Well, one thing. It tasted like one of those sour warhead candies. Like tastebud melting sour. The most sour beer I've ever had was from Crooked Stave, and this might have topped it. </div>
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You don't often ask to wash your mouth out with a citrus IPA, but there we were:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm pretty sure the fill-line was about where my thumb was.</td></tr>
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Yep, just look at it. You can tell it's a citrus flavorbomb just by the golden haze. Fruity, but not overpoweringly so. Most of the fruit came from the nose, which was full of citrus. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So there you have it. My personal recommendations, backed by the Hop To No Good guarantee, which is I know you'll like it, but if you don't I'll be happy to drink it for you. </div>
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Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223453240166922813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7894236372173105275.post-32918562227450170432016-05-08T17:58:00.002-07:002016-06-14T15:35:22.179-07:00How can I pair a beer with a kid-friendly pop group?<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Ska Eleventh Kiwi Saison</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>or </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Unicorns are real! Because because I believe it!</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You will like if:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You go in for a mixer pack, see a bright green bottle and go, "Hmm, why not?"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You think fruit should be drunk</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You like awesome rainbows!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You will not like if:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You aren't into fruity, light, effervescent, delightful, silly, tart, (you get the point)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You like fruit beers, but only if its wheat</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You hear some of those songs down below there and immediately close your browser</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This was a tough one. First the beer. Ska Eleventh Kiwi Saison:<br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/50BTOt0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/50BTOt0.jpg" height="320" width="237" /></a></div>
<br />
Let's get this out of the way. I had a heck of a time pairing a beer with Koo Koo Kangaroo. But then I went with imagery:<br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/5pm8yZv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/5pm8yZv.jpg" height="320" width="237" /></a></div>
Kiwi tank top. And just listen to a few songs below, tell me it doesn't sound like the musical representation of a kiwi fruit. Right?!<br />
<br />
So this kiwi saison. Just a hint of foam and lacing, with a hazy hay green pour. It tasted of spring and trademark saison spice with citrus. The kiwi comes at the very end and kind of bounces over everything. </div>
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<br /></div>
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And there you have it, boom! Paired with Koo Koo Kangaroo. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Who?</div>
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<br /></div>
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Koo Koo Kangaroo. I can't tell if they started writing songs in elementary gym class together, but it sure sounds like it. Are they punk? Well, hear for yourself:</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tbPGvZDNoY0/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tbPGvZDNoY0?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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Not really, eh? But they play at the Warped Tour, and opened for Skinny Lister and Frank Turner. Are they kids songs? Kind of. They play in elementary schools fairly frequently. Family friendly? Deffo. Weird? Zany? I mean, just look at that video. Fun?</div>
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You better believe it. </div>
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Oddly enough, seeing them live in the tiny Marquis Theater was one of the most fun shows I've ever been to. I danced the Dinosaur song. I took the Unicorn Pledge. I laughed, I sang. I can't describe it, because I know you will see that video, click on a few more and go, "I don't get it."</div>
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<br /></div>
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You don't need to. It's funky, tart and delightful. I don't get it myself. It's just fun. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Oh, they also end their shows with a parachute. You know, those big colored parachutes you had in gym class. Delightful.<br />
<br />
To end, as a thanks for reading, I say:<br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/SpDjM2NVBI0/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SpDjM2NVBI0?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223453240166922813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7894236372173105275.post-8843822602456436002016-05-08T17:26:00.001-07:002016-09-12T20:47:47.072-07:00Stammtisch!<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Hogshead Brewery</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>or </b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>Order a proper fuckin' pint</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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You will like if:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You like cask-conditioned ales</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You like the maltiness of traditional English beer</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You enjoy meeting at a pub where there's a beer waiting for you when you walk in</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You will not like if:</div>
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You think beer needs to be served at 32 degrees</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You only drink wild or fruity beers</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You expect a sample flight</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/2qB43ck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/2qB43ck.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just look at it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So we decided we needed a neighborhood pub to meet at after work. Someplace near us, preferably small and somewhat cozy. Hogshead, we decided, fit the bill. Built out of an old gas station, Hogshead brews cask ales and traditional English beers. Cask ale is allowed to naturally condition and carbonate and filter itself with the yeast, which is then served with a hand pumped beer engine. Cask beer is served a bit warmer and with less carbonation than keg beer, which gives it a delightfully smooth body.</div>
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We called it our Stammtisch, which Google tells me is a German word that means "regulars table," was our Friday night thing. I know the discomfort of using a German word and tradition with an English brewhouse, but bear with me. A Stammtisch is not, I've been told, when you call up your buddies and plan to meet up for a pint. Rather, it's when you can go to a place without calling anybody and know that your crew will be there. No plans, no confirmations, just there it is. And while we can't make it every Friday, we make enough. There's usually a beer waiting for us when we arrive. </div>
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Which is a great feeling.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/FcmbfPD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/FcmbfPD.jpg" height="143" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cozy.</td></tr>
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That picture up top there is a cask-conditioned Chin Wag, their ESB. Malty, creamy, slightly bready like toasted bread pudding and easy enough to drink in any weather. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/dAsnD2x.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/dAsnD2x.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now look at this. That's right, you can't see it but I drink from Mug number one.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
While they brew a good stable of regular beers and have a few rotators of differing styles, this beer is like home. The Gilpin porter. I think any English style brewery worth its salt needs a solid porter, and Hogshead does not disappoint. This is my starting and ending beer. Roasty, bitter and creamy out of the cask or tap. Again, easy enough to drink in any weather. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Here's the thing with Hogshead. They like cask ale. They like traditional beer. You can see their brewery equipment so why would you need a tour? They don't do flights, they don't do crazy funky or fruity beers, and Odin help you if you think a brewery needs loud pop music, handlebar mustaches and pastel short shorts. The biggest complaint on Yelp, if you like that sort of thing, is that the bartenders and brewers seem disinterested in talking beer and focus on their regulars. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Which, eh, I'm not sure is true. If you want to know about what makes cask ale different, they'll love to show you. They like their regulars, which I guess includes me, because we appreciate what they do. It's not that they don't like new customers, it's just cask ale needs the proper care and attention to pour. </div>
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Just don't overthink it. Walk in, choose a size (I recommend the 20 ounce British pint) and enjoy your proper fuckin' pint. </div>
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<br /></div>
Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223453240166922813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7894236372173105275.post-18455115115591777822016-02-29T14:39:00.000-08:002016-04-02T18:37:03.773-07:002016 Trade Deadline<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Stone Enjoy After 12-26-15</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>or</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Out with the old. Goodbye Tanguay, we will miss you.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You will like if:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the word "brettanomyces" gives you a warm fuzzy</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The descriptors "musty" and "farm barrel cobweb" sound delicious</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You like keeping things from your past, but also like setting them free</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You will not like if:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Hops taste like soap to you (what is wrong with you why are you even reading this?)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Barrel mildew sounds like a disgusting way to describe beer</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You can't wait for your beer, it must be enjoyed right now</div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i.imgur.com/6WtaDhU.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/6WtaDhU.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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So last year, at the trade deadline, I cracked open a Stone Enjoy After and saved a second bottle to see how it had aged. Which is weird for me, as beer usually doesn't last long in my house. But I keep my "cellar" in the cabinet above my fridge, which is exceedingly difficult to get to without effort. So I tucked it away. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Last year, the team traded for Caron from the Bruins. I was optimistic, because he seemed like a player who enjoyed getting the garbage goals from the dirty areas in front of the net. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Ha! Boy was I wrong. He literally lasted like a dozen games and I have no idea where he is now. I won't even google it. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Fast forward to today, a new season and a new beer. Let's see what I wrote a year ago: <i>The beer itself is fairly tame. The hops aren't overpowering, and it has a mellow finish with a slight spice.</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Interesting.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The aged beer has exploded in a festival of bitter hops and funkiness. I was admiring the cork, what with the Stone gargoyle imprinted on the top, as I opened it. But I'm glad I wasn't inspecting too intently, as the cork shot off the bottle with such force I very nearly lost an eye. Which would've meant I'd have to wear an eyepatch, which is awesome and piratey, but would ruin any chance of me becoming a master marksman archer.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I poured the beer. Or tried to, at least. As you can hopefully see from the picture, it was ferocious. I had to let it sit for about twenty minutes before I could even pour enough to try. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
And oh my goodness what a year has done for this beer. A year ago I described it as a fairly tame, weak IPA with a hint of funk. Now the bitter is nearly overwhelming, and it smells like it has been sitting in a cobwebbed barrel in the back of a barn directly beneath a leaky roof in the rain.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/XV8gqFl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/XV8gqFl.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Radical Funktastic</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Let's get back to hockey. It actually wasn't bad. Gelinas in. Look, I know he's not great defensively. Which is weird to say about a defenseman. But we have Beauchemin, Johnson. Zadorov and Bigras in a year or two to hang back and play defense. We got brought in Gelinas because of this:</div>
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<br /></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ytdsaFwyJ8s/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ytdsaFwyJ8s?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The kid has an absolute rocket laser from the point. Barrie can pass and has a wicked wrister, but dang. Look at that shot. I'm okay with that. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Trade two saw us give up Bleakley (hurts, but he was only ever going to play 3rd line, which we have in spades), Wood (a solid prospect, huge but still raw with lots of potential) and sadly Tanguay. In return we got Boedker.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fqsKgW1zI8I/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fqsKgW1zI8I?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Look, it hurts losing Tanguay. Bleakley and Wood, yeah losing prospects always hurts and is a gamble. But Tangs, man, that man is a Colorado legend. Still, he was playing like a shell of his former self. Boedker is young, he's fast, and he likes to shoot. Three things Tangs was not. Boedker will fit in nicely with both Duchene and Mackinnon, and will actually be able to keep up with them. I'm actually ecstatic about this trade, and I hope we can re-sign him in the offseason. </div>
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<br /></div>
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So there it is. New beer, old beer changing, new players, old players changing. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This season has been a disaster for Colorado, and I firmly believe we will never be legit contenders with Roy leading the bench. I hope I'm wrong, but that's what I see. But the roster looks fantastic in a few years. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Rantanen - Duchene - Boedker</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Landeskog - Mackinnon - Grigorenko</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Matthias - Soderberg - Iginla</div>
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McLeod - Mitchell - Skille</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Johnson - Beauchemin</div>
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Barrie - Bigras</div>
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Gelinas - Zadorov</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Not bad. Paper rosters don't mean much, but I mean, that's a solid lineup. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We'll see. Good luck Tanguay. </div>
Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223453240166922813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7894236372173105275.post-35760494318449600142016-01-01T15:10:00.000-08:002016-04-02T18:38:23.856-07:00Best of the Best<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Modus Mandarina</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>or </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>These are a few of my favorite things</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You will like if:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You like IPA's</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You like IPA's with a hint of citrus</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You like IPA's with a hint of citrus that happens to be orange flavored</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You will not like if:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I guess if you don't like IPA's</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Or citrus</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Or citrus IPA's</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This is an easy one, plain and simple.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Orange in color, hoppy and citrusy in flavor.<br />
<br />
Modus Mandarina takes Ska's flagship Modus Hoperandi and adds a bit of flavor. It's light, it's refreshing, and it's delicious.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i.imgur.com/xlKwCor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/xlKwCor.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
Bam.<br />
<br />
(Mic Drop)<br />
<br />
<br />
Jason's Year End Best of the Best List:</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Best movie and new reigning champion for best movie in the history of movies - Mad Max Fury Road<br />
Best brewery I visited for the first time - Big Choice<br />
Favorite pub to grab a pint on a Friday - Hogshead, 3 years running<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><br />Best bar to get your fancy pants on and enjoy an overpriced drink - Arvada Tavern<br />Best vacation spot - Lake Granby<br />Best beer - Modus Mandarina by Ska<br />Best show - Jessica Jones<br />Best show that isn't new that I started watching - Peaky Blinders<br />Best concert - Koo Koo Kangaroo<br />Best band I discovered - Skinny Lister<br />Favorite hockey player - Max Domi<br />Favorite video game - This is a tough one, but Assassin's Creed Syndicate<br />Video game runners up - Fallout 4 and Tales from the Borderlands<br />Best co-op game - Payday 2<br />Winner of his tenth straight Stanley Cup on NHL 14 for the xbox360 - Me<br />Celebrity death that hit me the hardest - Terry Pratchett<br />Best book I read this year - Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch<br />Best single movie moment - This is from Star Wars and is a huge spoiler, so scroll down if you want to see it. If you haven't seen the movie, stop now and have a happy new year!<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />-<br />- When Kylo is trying to Force grab the lightsaber out of the snow, and it flies past him right to Rey and she lights it up and the music just swells. Man, gave me chills.</span></div>
Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223453240166922813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7894236372173105275.post-35628744334299277152015-10-10T19:35:00.002-07:002015-10-10T21:23:22.854-07:00Avs Opening Night. I could totally coach an NHL team. <div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Avalanche Opening Night</b></div>
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<b>or </b></div>
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<b>Coming out with a bang, ending with a whimper</b></div>
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Hoo boy, where do I even begin. Let's start with this:</div>
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Honestly, that might have been the worst third period meltdown I've personally seen. I'm sure there were worse, but this was the one I'll always remember. </div>
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New season, new coaching staff, new draft pick, new free agents, new outlook, new philosophy. This was supposed to be an optimistic year. Rantanen somehow inexplicably dropped to our 10th pick to the delight of Colorado hockey fans everywhere, and several offseason pickups were expected to make immediate impacts. </div>
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I'm a realist, and a student of the game. Well, I say I am. But I know how good the team is. I'm predicting a first round playoff exit. Probably getting lit up in the series. We're on the cusp of greatness. A solid core, a building defense, and a growing pool of prospects waiting in the wings. </div>
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But let's start with the good:</div>
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-We came out guns blazing, holy cow. That's the attack I know my boys can mount up.<br />
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-The power play looks about a thousand percent better than last year. I don't know what they did, but well done.<br />
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-Lando seems to be harnessing Viking Mode more effectively this year. He was an absolute monster out there.<br />
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-MacKinnon is playing more aggressively.<br />
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-Comeau looks amazing. I was nervous putting what I thought was a 3rd liner on Duchene's wing. But he was easily the better player between Duchene and Iggy.<br />
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-Beauchemin was an absolutely stellar signing. His passes were great, his shot was booming, his defense was solid.<br />
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-Zadorov, what little I saw of him, had flashes of brilliance. He's still very young, but I see greatness already. I hope he sticks with it and becomes a staple in our defense.<br />
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-Rantanen needs to be either bumped up with better linemates or something, because though his line looked awful, I think it was because his linemates couldn't keep up with him. He was flying.<br />
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-The 4th line of McLeod, Mitchell and Skill is a huuuuuge upgrade from last year. Cody Mac and John McDangleSnipes Mitchell were on the 3rd last year and were expected to score. This year they seem to be just out there to wreak some havoc, and they absolutely took it to Minnesota. And it got them a goal. Well done.<br />
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-Iginla still has one of the best high-slot one-timers in the game.<br />
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-The Pepsi Center's media has been given a huge makeover. Which sounds like such a small thing, but seriously. The speakers shook the arena, the 3D projector over the ice was spectacular, we played the Mario mushroom powerup sound when one of our guys got out of the box, and our goal song is no longer written by a convicted child molestor. Also, the intro was Brother in Arms from MAD MAX FURY ROAD.</div>
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I'm never going to miss an opportunity to post more Fury Road.</div>
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Now the bad, and hoo boy here we go. </div>
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-Holden and Guenin. I have no description, just those two.<br />
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-Soderberg looked lost out there. I liked the signing as a 3rd line depth signing, but man, at 5 mill? Yikes.<br />
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-Holden and Guenin. Okay I lied, but why in the world are these two still wearing the burgundy and blue? You're telling me Stuart, who was scratched after signing an extension last season, couldn't defend better than either of these two? And Gormley, ranked one of the better prospects in Arizona last season, who is fast as can be with a laser pass and rifling shot, couldn't crack the lineup ahead of these guys? My goodness, as I'm typing this, watching the Colorado/Dallas game, the Stars just scored again. Who were the defenders? GUENIN AND HOLDEN.<br />
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-After we were up 4 to 1, a pretty commandable lead with 17 minutes left in the third, the boys just started passing the puck back and forth. No attack, no hussle, no urgency, no killer instinct. And of course Parise scores his hat trick. Because our guys just sat back and what? I guess they thought the Wild were going to just hang their heads and go home? Just absolutely inexcusable.<br />
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-Barrie and Duchene looked lost out there.<br />
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-Rendulic...eh I like the guy. On the 4th line. He should not be playing with Rantanen on the 3rd.<br />
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-Mitchell is on the Power Play. Why?<br />
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-McLeod is our extra attacker. Why?<br />
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-HOLDEN AND GUENIN.</div>
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Please, for the love of everything icy, free Gormley and Stuart. And Grigorenko, while we're at it. Throw him up there with Rantanen and see what they can do. Can't be any worse than our current 3rd line setup.<br />
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Here is my ideal lineup:<br />
Landeskog - MacKinnon - Tanguay<br />
Comeau - Duchene - Rantanen<br />
Grigorenko - Soderberg - Iginla<br />
McLeod - Mitchell - Skille<br />
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Beauchemin - Johnson<br />
Gormley - Barrie<br />
Zadorov - Stuart<br />
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Iggy gets sent down to work with Grigorenko and the Yeti, forming a crash and bang/ shutdown/ scoring third line that he can keep up with. I, sadly, think the Iginla/Duchene experiment is over, as much as I'd like to see it work. Iggy just can't keep up with Duchene, where I think Rantanen's energy can really explode there. Line one gets left as is, because that line is absolutely firing on all cylinders right now. Ideally, Guenin and Holden will be anchoring the San Antonio Rampage, our AHL farm team. And I put Zadorov next to Stuart so the youngin' can learn from the feisty vet and have a solid anchor to rely upon should he decide to pinch up.<br />
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You can trust me, I've taken my Xbox NHL Avalanche team to 16 consecutive Stanley Cups.</div>
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I don't even have a beer pairing for this I was so taken aback by the meltdown against Minny. Well done Wild. Seriously. I loathe you with the fury of a thousand suns, but you hung in there and took the punch and got back up. Cheers to you. </div>
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Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223453240166922813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7894236372173105275.post-41056191407361172842015-10-10T19:06:00.000-07:002016-04-02T18:44:58.990-07:00GABF 2015<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>GABF 2015</b></div>
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<b>or</b></div>
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<b>It's the most wonderful time </b></div>
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<b>Of the year</b></div>
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Where do I even begin? If you are one of the fortunate(!) souls to be reading this, you probably are already very familiar with the Great American Beer Fest. </div>
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BUT</div>
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Maybe you don't. Maybe you read this for my photo-taking abilities, and uncanny skill in analyzing what the Avalanche <i>should be doing because of course I can coach from my couch.</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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Great American Beer Fest is the greatest day of the year for beer lovers. It is one of the biggest sudsy celebrations in the world, cheersing over 3,500 beers over the course of 3 days. </div>
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You want medals? How about 242 of them. </div>
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You want stickers? Well too bad, stickers aren't allowed. But if you ask nicely, most brewers will still give you some.</div>
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You want pretzel necklaces? How about pretzels, cheese, funyuns and beef jerky.<br />
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You like porters? Stouts? Wheats? Marzens? Sours? Gose? Fruit? Ales? Lagers? Chili beer? Stein beer? Browns? Belgians? Smoked? Bacon? Chocolate? Peanut butter? Well I've got great news for you. I literally couldn't list all of the beer types here. Mostly because I enjoyed a lot of them, and I don't remember.<br />
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So I'm not even going to try to explain it. We poured beers, we met brewers, we talked up our suds, we made drunk friends who we are totally soulmates now but will never see each other ever again. So I'm going to go over some of my favorites and stand outs. There are your usual all stars: Great Divide, O'Dell, Dogfish Head, Oskar Blues, you know, the booths that have lines a hundred yards long. I can get these beers, usually, anywhere. So I tried to stay off the beaten path and go for some of the smaller breweries. There are some hidden liquid gems hiding amongst the lesser-traveled booths, and the lines are much smaller anyway. Double win.<br />
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Let's start with <a href="http://brasseriesaintjames.com/" target="_blank">Brasserie St. James. </a> Hailing from Reno, Nevada, BSJ (are we comfortable enough to abbreviate? I'm going to say yes.) won the Best Mid-Size Brewpub in 2014, and I can tell you right now they live up to the accolade. I'd never heard of them until I saw them offering Grand Cru. If you don't know what that is, don't worry, nobody does. Grand Cru doesn't really mean anything, but is <i>usually </i>used to describe strong or rare released beers. BSJ offered two things that caught my eye, but the lambic Grand Cru drew me in first. It was heavy, it was rich, it was delicious. I'm no expert, I don't like using words like "mouthfeel" or "tasting and smelling notes." So forgive me when I describe this beer as a tart liquid meal. Grand Cru's remind me often of plum belgian beer, and this was no different. Nothing overpowered the other, and it made me instantly warm and happy.</div>
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I pretended to look around and casually snuck back into the line. They also offered a plum lambic. Plum?! I'd never had a plum beer, and I had to have it. </div>
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I plum loved it. Subtle, slightly tart, not overpowering and easy to drink. A bit barrelly and creamy. It tasted like breakfast on the porch of a french farm. </div>
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<a href="http://www.lickingholecreek.com/beers-past-present-and-future" target="_blank">Lickinghole Creek Brewing</a> was up next. An absolutely gorgeous farm brewery in Virginia, with a somewhat creepy farm picture on their website. At any rate, the brewers themselves poured the beer, and they were exceedingly friendly and willing to discuss their product. Their labels, by the way, are absolutely gorgeous. Quick tangent, have I talked about my far-off dream of being a beer label designer? I have no intention of going to school for such an endeavor, but how much fun would that be? Anyway, I went with Batchelor's Delight because it had a pirate ship label. This was their barrel-aged Belgian Quadrupel. </div>
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This might have been my favorite of the night. Heavy, dark, barrelly, raisiny, vanilla-y. It tasted like rum raisin ice cream. It was trouble, but it didn't scare me off because I went back for another. Probably not wise at 12 percent, but I was already like twelve beers deep anyway so I didn't even notice.</div>
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Lastly, let's talk about <a href="http://www.unclebillysaustin.com/" target="_blank">Uncle Billy's Brewery</a> and Smokehouse from my home away from home, Austin, Texas. Aside from a sweet website with brilliant wordplay, Uncle Billy's makes amazing beer. I had the smoked gose (what?!) Two things I'd never in a million years would have thought to combine, but there it was. It poured like pale gold with subtle lacing, and tasted out of this world. I guess a barbecue smokehouse would naturally have a stable of smoked grains, so I don't know why it surprised me so. But there it is. I don't even know how to describe it because of how unique it was. The smoke was subtle and didn't overpower the tartness of the gose, which was an odd sensation going down because smoked beers are usually dark and heavy and overpowering. Well done Uncle Billy, I will definitely check you out next time I head down that way. </div>
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I was at GABF for two days, so of course I had many, many more good beers. But those were the ones that impressed me enough to write about. I hope someday to visit each one someday to show my appreciation in person. </div>
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Until next time GABF.</div>
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Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223453240166922813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7894236372173105275.post-46587582497256514972015-08-11T20:36:00.002-07:002016-09-12T20:52:13.274-07:00Beer Pickles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For the brine (per 2 jars):</div>
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1 IPA of your choice. O'Dell IPA is delightful</div>
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3/4 Cup Distilled Vinegar</div>
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3/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar</div>
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3 Tbsp Kosher Salt</div>
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Boil that up, get ready for your entire house to smell like vinegar, and remove from heat to cool a bit.</div>
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In the jars:</div>
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This is where it gets all silly nilly. About one cucumber will fill a large mason jar. So will a zucchini combined with a yellow squash mixed with onion and red bell peppers. So let's just say this - </div>
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3 Cucumbers</div>
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2 Zucchinis</div>
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2 Yellow Squash</div>
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1/2 White onion</div>
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1 Bell Pepper, color of your choice</div>
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1 Garlic Bulb</div>
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Whole Peppercorns</div>
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Dill Seed</div>
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Crushed Red Pepper</div>
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1. Cut one cucumber into spears, and another into slices. Fill up ye mason jar. Add some diced garlic, about a teaspoon of peppercorns, 2 teaspoons of dill seed and a teaspoon of crushed red pepper. Boom, there are your basic pickles.</div>
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2. Open an IPA for yourself. You've earned it.</div>
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3. Slice the zucchinis and squash, chop up the onion (I liked bigger chunks), slice up that bell pepper and distribute them in the remaining jars. The jars should be fairly full. Now mix and match. You'll notice I decided to put tomato slices in one. </div>
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Whatever, you do you.</div>
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4. Add a teaspoon of dill to each jar along with 2 teaspoons of black peppercorns. </div>
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5. Here's where you get to flex your creative muscles. Do you want spicier pickles? Throw a chopped habanero into one. The finished pickles aren't as hot as you think, but they will sneak up on you. I love garlic, so I added some to almost all of mine. Red pepper flakes, peppercorns, garlic, just throw some of that stuff in. Put 3 teaspoons of black peppercorns in one, see what happens. </div>
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6. When the brine has cooled slightly (but still should be hot), ladel it evenly into the jars. If you packed them in, the brine should last for six jars. I think I got my jars too large because I had to quickly whip up another like quarter batch. It happens. The brine should cover the future pickles. </div>
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7. Seal the jars and let them sit to cool. I threw on Max Payne and got to Rico Muerte in about an hour and the jars were cool. Soooo, about an hour. </div>
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8. Refrigerate for a week. And I do mean a week. I tried some on day six, and they were pretty tasty, but day seven was exponentially better.</div>
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Bam, pickles. </div>
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Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223453240166922813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7894236372173105275.post-85241302562284349632015-08-11T19:31:00.001-07:002016-09-25T17:18:48.892-07:00Payday<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Infamous Hijack</b></div>
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<b><br></b></div>
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<b>or</b></div>
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<b>Let's get rich</b></div>
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<b>You will like if:</b></div>
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<b>You know what utepils means.</b></div>
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<b>You don't know what utepils means, but still like enjoying a beer in the sun.</b></div>
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<b>You enjoy a refreshing beer after lifting millions in cold, hard cash with nobody the wiser.</b></div>
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<b><br></b></div>
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<b>You will not like if:</b></div>
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<b>You don't particularly enjoy the dry coat that cream ales leave in your mouth.</b></div>
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<b>You need a beer that overpowers your meal.</b></div>
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<b>You're a Waingro.</b></div>
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<b><br></b></div>
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So there's this game.</div>
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Payday 2. It looks violent because it is. </div>
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Wait, let me back up. </div>
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My biggest fantasy is to pull of a daring heist. Jewels or gold or cash or rogue nation technology. Doesn't matter. I mean, it might be a close tie with my other fantasy(Julia Stiles, if you ever read this...) And I don't even care that this is a Dane Cook bit. But have you ever seen that movie Strange Days?</div>
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Yeah, that was a weird movie. But bear with me. The premise is you "jack in" to your brain and experience someone else's recorded, well, experiences. At one point you go into the head of a bank robber. <i>I want that. </i>I don't want to shoot up anything, but if I could pull off a wacky hi-jinks-filled caper a la Ocean's 11....I wouldn't work in a school anymore I'll tell you that.</div>
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Anyway.</div>
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Payday 2 is about pulling off a score. You can go Waingro loud, guns blazing. Or you can go in quiet, gentleman-like. Going quit isn't traditionally stealthy. It's more like this:</div>
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It's controlling hostages and managing alarms. And if you don't know what Waingro is, well here:<br>
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Loose cannon, wild card baby!<br>
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Going loud isn't traditional either. It's not so much Call of Duty, but rather covering your team and positioning yourself with cover. It looks like this:<br>
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Which I've heard that military and police swat teams use this scene as an example of moving with cover and suppressing fire.<br>
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It's about teamwork and is all about the co-op. Using your team, bringing different skillsets to the table.<br>
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There's something old-school about that I think, like playing the greatest arcade game ever made, six player X-Men. Or the second greatest arcade game ever made, TMNT Arcade. But not like the third best arcade game ever made, Primal Rage.<br>
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Which, now that I think about it, why hasn't that game been remade yet? Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, even <i>Killer Instinct</i> got a remake. I'm starting a #resurrectprimalrage movement. You could tie it into reviving dinosaurs from DNA and ride that Jurassic Park wave.<br>
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What was I talking about?<br>
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Right. So this Hijack, from Texas-based Infamous Brewing.<br>
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Starting off, it pours corn yellow, slightly cloudy as most cream ales do. Light aroma, mild citrusy and grassy flavor, rather inoffensive. But man, maybe it was because I drank it in the Texan heat while jamming smoked barbecue into my mouth, but Hijack is <i>refreshing. </i>The light lemon and refreshing corny flavor washed down my many, many ribs, and the dry coat that comes with cream ales didn't overpower my pulled pork. </div>
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I couldn't tie the beer to the game in any meaningful way, but the names matched up.</div>
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So there it is.</div>
Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223453240166922813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7894236372173105275.post-17236144827890459872015-07-18T12:46:00.002-07:002015-07-18T12:46:15.533-07:00McD is in the hizzouse!Good day ladies and gents!<br />
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After talking with J at length about our love for beer, video games, and general tomfoolery I am excited to contribute to the HopToNoGood blog as a freelance observer of all things serious and silly in my journey through life. I will mostly be posting about the aforementioned musings I encounter, but I will also post fictional and non-fictional pieces as well as I explore my own craft of writing. Some things you should know about me: 1. I love all things beer. Except sours. Fuck sours. 2. I love music. 3. I am passionate about my family, my sports teams (Colts, Liverpool, Avalanche), and my video games.<br />
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I will keep this posting short, but I cannot wait to contribute more as I continue my journey. I am currently in the middle of one of (I would say favorite, but that wouldn't be completely true) my favorite fantasy series <i>The Dark Tower </i>(second read through)<i> </i>so I may write some related things on here. Thankee-sai, (related)<br />
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-McDUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7894236372173105275.post-6244524767673523872015-07-04T13:53:00.000-07:002015-10-11T11:40:28.875-07:00Face to Face<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Big Choice Brewing</b></div>
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<b>or</b></div>
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<b>Iiii waaaant to know, do these words, mean anythiiiiing?</b></div>
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<b>You will like if:</b></div>
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<b>You like solid, simple beers.</b></div>
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<b>You enjoy your beer listening to punk and 90's rock.</b></div>
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<b>You can find their taproom because holy cow it's in the middle of a bunch of warehouses.</b></div>
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<b>You will not like if: </b></div>
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<b>You think craft beer is an indie party.</b></div>
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<b>You think punk rock started in 2000.</b></div>
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<b>You expect fruit/sour/funky/craziness in all of your beers.</b></div>
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I'm....I'm just so sorry. Pennywise, you may be replaced for my all time favorite live punk show. Don't get me wrong, Full Circle by Pennywise literally changed the way I think about music, and will forever hold the top spot in my music catalog. But after this show, Face to Face just absolutely crushed any and all of my expectations of how a live punk show should be.</div>
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Let's rewind.</div>
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So in May, Face to Face came to town for three straight nights.</div>
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They played their first three albums, in their entirety, plus an encore, three times in a row. And I don't know exactly how to describe it. Whereas most of my 90's punk is all about revolution and fighting the power and uniting for the greater good, Face to Face just instantly puts me in a good mood. </div>
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Just writing about it makes me happier. And you know how you can tell when a band is having fun on stage? Like you can just feel when a band doesn't want to be there (In Flames and Trivium, I'm looking at you). There was a warmth and overall happy wave that just washed through the music hall, all mixed in a tornado of a pit. </div>
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The band has broken up, played a farewell tour, reunited, swapped members, and quit music "for good, no really this time." But they always come back with their optimistically furious brand of punk. I have vivid memories of playing Face to Face CDs that I burned from my buddy while crushing it at skateboarding. And by skateboarding I mean Tony Hawk's Pro Skater.</div>
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Just listen to a few of these tracks and tell me you don't instantly feel better about yourself. And while they were here, they teamed up with the local <a href="http://www.bigchoicebrewing.com/taproom.html#nil" target="_blank">Big Choice Brewery</a>. As far as I know, the brewery has no official affiliation with the band. But it's clear they are big fans just based off the fact that Big Choice is Face to Face's second album title. At any rate, the brewery offered a bus ride down from their taproom to the show, riding with members of the band plus beer. And I regret not purchasing that offer. How often will that chance come up in my lifetime? That was probably my one shot to drink with some of my childhood (and current) music heroes.</div>
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Also they brew the Disconnected Red, an homage to the band's most prolific (and one of my favorites of all time) songs. </div>
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Malty, hoppy, and red. Big Choice doesn't go crazy with their recipes. But all of them were solid. Next to my red, you'll see the 10,000 Summers Saison. Again, a somewhat basic farmhouse saison but it suddenly stands out with mild peppery and honey flavors. Nothing crazy, just solid beers that we enjoyed in the summer heat.<br />
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The speakers were pumping out Face to Face, Rage Against the Machine, and an assortment of other punk and ska bands. Which instantly added bonus points to my experience. The taproom was small but efficient, and was comfortable. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Also their logo is awesome.</td></tr>
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Add a friendly bartender and local regulars that were eager to talk up the place, and it amounted to a great experience.<br />
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Great music, great atmosphere, great beer.</div>
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Big Choice pairs nicely with Face to Face.</div>
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(It wouldn't be Face to Face without ending with Disconnected.)<br />
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Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223453240166922813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7894236372173105275.post-60365366510003175552015-06-15T15:55:00.000-07:002016-09-12T21:06:04.597-07:00Austin? Austin, Massachusetts?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://youtu.be/69NqNe_H5L4" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/69NqNe_H5L4</a></div>
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<b>Austin Beerventure!</b></div>
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<b>or</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>And then I learned there was an exploding beer scene in Austin</b></div>
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You will like Austin beer if:</div>
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You like being on the forefront of a beer movement.</div>
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You can handle drinking in a warehouse surrounded by brewing equipment and no AC.</div>
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You enjoy creative, innovative and hard-working beer scenes.</div>
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You will not like Austin beer if:</div>
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You can't handle the heat.</div>
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Like, wow, it is hot.</div>
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Seriously, heads up if you go there in the summer, hardly any taprooms have AC.</div>
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This last-minute adventure took me to see one of my best friends in Austin. We wanted to catch the X-Games, which was headlined by Metallica (forty bucks for the X-Games plus Metallica whaaaat), and I was also thrilled to return to two of my favorite Texan breweries, <a href="http://jesterkingbrewery.com/" target="_blank">Jester King</a> and<a href="http://www.hopsandgrain.com/" target="_blank"> Hops and Grain. </a></div>
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We tried to last all day at the X-Games, but the heat did us in by 2:30. But we were able to catch the rally car race, which was AWESOME.<br />
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Look at this car. 600 horsepower jumping through the air?! You can't see it, but FLAMES shoot out of the exhaust when they floor it. I'm not even really a racing fan, but this was one of the many highlights of the trip. </div>
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Along the way to the breweries to escape the heat, we passed a flaming truck:</div>
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I checked, there were no injuries. </div>
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I'd sampled the beer scene in Austin before, but this time I really tried to experiment with the local brews. We stocked up for the weekend and I made it a point to only buy local beer. My choices were Revolver Sidewinder, Revolver Blood and Honey (which I enjoyed at the legendary Alamo Draft House to see Mad Max: Fury Road for the fourth time), Infamous Hijack and El Super Bee by Four Corners Brewing. </div>
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First up, <a href="http://revolverbrewing.com/pages/beers" target="_blank">Revolver has one of the cooler logos I'd ever seen</a>. Sidewinder is a pale ale, brewed with agave and Citra hops. It is light, sweet and citrusy, which was perfect in the heat. </div>
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We had lunch at The Salt Lick. If you ever find yourself in Austin, just go there. Don't ask questions, just put on your stretchy pants and order the all-you-can-eat meat platter. It was a herculean task to put away three plates of meat, so I drank El Super Bee De Saison from Four Corners (thank you byob laws, Texas.) </div>
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Every time I got full, I looked at El Super Bee and he gave me the extra push I needed. Plus it had a pop top lid, which served no beneficial purpose that I could tell. Sweet.</div>
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Next up was Strange Land Brewery. Which....I, uh, will link to their <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/strange-land-brewery-west-lake-hills" target="_blank">Yelp</a> page, which inexplicably has high marks across the board. I did not like a single beer here. One smelled and tasted like floor cleaner. Their firkin of saison (I love firkins of saisons!) poured muddy brown and did not taste like any saison I've ever had. Moving on....</div>
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....to <a href="http://austinbeerworks.com/" target="_blank">Austin Beerworks</a>. Now here was some Austin beer. If a fraternity of indie hipsters made a brewery, it would be Austin Beerworks. Beards, stretched earlobes, skinny jeans, thick-rimmed glasses and armsleeve tattoos as far as the eye could see. Christmas lights dangled across the ceiling rafter beams. Austin Beerworks is home to the unbelievable....ly awesome 99 Pack. Yep. So bring a friend and probably a truck if you want to bring home 1,118 ounces of delicious beer. </div>
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Overall this place was solid. I tried five or six (I was already five or six deep by then) and enjoyed them all. Also, I'm not sure if we were allowed to take our pint glasses, but we totally took our pint glasses.<br />
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<a href="http://www.zilkerbeer.com/" target="_blank">Next up was Zilker Brewing Company. </a> Just about the only brewery there that had AC, so Zilker gets extra points from me. </div>
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But in addition to the HVAC Bonus, their beer was solid. I wanted to try a good saison after that mud firkin, and Zilker delivered with the Honey Saison:</div>
Our beerventure ended at <a href="http://www.hopsandgrain.com/" target="_blank">Hops and Grain</a>. Probably my second favorite Austin brewery.<br />
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Texas beer laws are still crazy strict, and breweries are forced to battle around archaic distribution laws. No brewery can sell their own beer within their taproom if their property boundary is a certain distance from residential areas. This is why you will find many breweries in the middle of fields or warehouse districts down there. Hops and Grain's boundaries just barely crosses that line, so they can't sell their own beer. </div>
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However, they <i>can</i> sell you a pint glass for ten dollars, and then give you three free beer samples. Every beer there is delightful. Ranging from the dark and rich Porter Culture to the citrusy and hoppy Greenhouse IPA to the malty, floral and slightly toasty Zoe Pale Lager. We didn't have a bad pour. Love you, Hops and Grain!</div>
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One of the interesting trends in the Austin beer scene is that most taprooms are right in the heart of the brewery itself. In most taprooms down there, you enjoy your pints surrounded by copper kettles and steam pipes and stacked barrels and kegs. Which is a stark contrast to most Colorado taprooms, where the breweries and bars are kept completely separated. Neither are a bad idea, just an interesting fun fact. </div>
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Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223453240166922813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7894236372173105275.post-68909861795775086402015-06-02T14:49:00.003-07:002015-06-02T14:50:17.863-07:00WITNESS<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Green Flash Road Warrior</b></div>
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<b>or</b></div>
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<b>Drinking eternal on the Fury Road to Valhalla</b><br />
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You will like if:<br />
You like being able to chew your beer.<br />
You judge IBUs based on how far away you can smell hops.<br />
You think Imperial IPAs are perfect. Perfect in every way.<br />
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You will not like if:<br />
You think hopsplosions are MEDIOCRE.<br />
You prefer your beer so clear you can see through it.<br />
You can't handle driving a War Rig.<br />
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Pack if up friends. Mad Max: Fury Road is the greatest movie ever made. Sorry, that's it. It's all downhill from here. But wait! you say. I really prefer the nuanced performance of-</div>
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No, you are wrong. Nothing will convince me that there exists a movie better than Fury Road. Even the trailer is amazing:</div>
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Bam! I got furious goosebumps just watching that trailer again. If you don't think that's the most insane trailer you've ever seen, get out of my face.</div>
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Practical effects and actual explosions?</div>
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Check.</div>
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A badass female protagonist with a robot arm?</div>
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You better believe that's a check.</div>
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Maybe like fifty total lines of dialogue?</div>
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Check that. </div>
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2,000 horsepower of nitro-boosted War Rig?</div>
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Double check. </div>
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Every scene is perfectly crafted. No wasted space, no wasted time. There are details in every shot that you won't catch the first or even second time viewing. Why? Because you'll be giggling like a small child at the awesome spectacle on the screen. </div>
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I literally stood up and cheered at the conclusion. I've never done that before. </div>
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Things that were awesome beyond comprehension:</div>
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-Charlize Theron plays a character named Imperator Furiosa</div>
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-They actually built all of the cars and machines, got them working, and then blew them up</div>
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-The movie crafted a believable setting without telling you anything. Everything is explained with hardly a word</div>
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-EXPLOSIONS</div>
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-Again her name is <i>Imperator Furiosa</i></div>
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I'm going to stop talking about the movie, because I'm getting all worked up again just thinking about it. I can tell you I have renamed my 68 Chevelle "Furiosa" and have been driving it aggressively over the past few days with the Fury Road Extended Soundtrack blasting at full volume.</div>
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I actually spent a good, long while at the beer store trying to find a suitable beer to fully capture the essence of the movie. Should I go with a punch-full of hops? A furious alcohol content? An explosion of sour flavor? A blast of nose-wrinkling smoke? </div>
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And then there it was. It was so simple, so obvious.</div>
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The Road Warrior, by Green Flash. An Imperial Rye IPA, clocking in at a hearty 80 IBUs and a respectable 9% abv. The label is basic, uncluttered. Clean like a shiny and chrome V8. </div>
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I now realize I should have taken the picture on my Chevelle to really keep with the muscle-car vibe. But let's move past that.</div>
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Look at that color. Beautiful red, hazy, thick. It hit me in the nose first. Sweet, with a sudden kick of spicy hops. I could smell the bitterness. </div>
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Despite being a higher alcohol beer, there was no alcohol burn. Which was dangerous, because I love Imperial IPAs, and this was no exception. </div>
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Chewy malt, citrus peel, pine resin, toasted bread.</div>
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You could pretty much eat it. I'd imagine it would satisfy a lone road warrior, out hunting for guzzoline. Green Flash hit the spot again, and I can heartily recommend this one. </div>
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I leave you listening to Brothers in Arms:</div>
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And may you drink forever on the Fury Road, shiny and chrome. </div>
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Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223453240166922813noreply@blogger.com