Category: Monthly Features

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A Book & A Beer – Time Lord Victorious / All Flesh is Grass

During the downtime between Doctor Who seasons, there has been a whole Time Lord Victorious series encompassing books, audio, video games and even escape rooms. I recently read my second book from this saga, All Flesh is Grass and will try to review it as a standalone book as well as part of a larger story.

I really like the villain of the piece, the Kotturuh. Partially because they are not typical. Not to the level of, say, The Silence or The Weeping Angels but certainly more layered and actually dangerous than many one show creatures.

I did also like the interplay between Doctors 8 and 9 and I wish the book had been just them so that more depth and detail between that pair could be explored. I am a big Tennant fan but I feel his arc is a familiar one. Played out effectively already in The Waters of Mars. His function in the narrative could have been played by a sub big bad on my opinion.

I do like this story and maybe parts of it will come up with the current Doctor.

Now I could pair this with some Tardis blue slushie smoothie beer but instead I suggest getting all three colors of Chimay beer to accompany this book to match the three Doctors.

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Needed or Not? – The Shoezie

I can just picture this pitch meeting. Some marketing and swag VP cracks a joke about shoes being the first iteration of can coozy. A higher up laughs and then barks for a lackey to call his counterpart over at New Balance and thus….

A) It looks like something you would put on a horse for a Disney kids movie

B) I know Lite MUST be drunk cold so that you can freeze your taste buds but do I want the aroma of shoe leather?

Verdict – So not needed

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A Podcast & A Beer – My Dad Wrote a Porno

For those who have not heard My Dad Wrote a Porno. Well, you have five seasons to catch up on because book six just dropped. And the trio behind the podcast teamed up with Alphabet Brewing Company on a trio of beers befitting the most porny podcast out there .

Now, the UK brewery isn’t shipping to America but you can substitute by finding a beer in your area made with chardonnay grapes, pomegranates or aged in gin barrels to drink along with the sexy adventures.

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In the Tap Lines for June 2021

header_attractionsTwo shots down and the world is opening up.  Took more time to get here than I thought last year but plans for trips are already being made and they will probably include some beer.  Now let’s take a trip into what is coming up on the blog.

~ e-visits to (3) breweries NBA Playoff cities.
~ special featured reviews of beers from Eureka Brewing
~Heads-Up on Los Angeles Beer Events (not as far in the future now, events)
~ Three suggested beers to buy this month. One light, one medium and one dark
~ A Book & A Beer reads Time Lord Victorious – All Flesh is Grass
~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to My Dad Wrote a Porno
~ Great Beer names and Best Beers of the Month
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.

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A Podcast & A Beer – God Awful Movies

The May podcast suggestion comes from a recommendation from my sister…

Christian movies are ripe to be made fun of. Usually because story takes a back seat to a sermon. Most of the time the acting is below par, the money spent is noticeably less and rarely do the films garner more than a niche audience.

They mention Shiner Bock and Lonestar beer in the Bells of Innocence podcast.

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A Book & A Beer – The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel

This is my second novel from Emily St. John Mandel that I have read preceded by Station Eleven which was an interesting read but I was a little off-put by the voice and style of the author. I liked the backdrop for this book which is a Ponzi scheme that characters become enmeshed in.

And for the most part I liked the book. Oddly, the architect of the investment theft has his moment in the book and his story is the most affecting and filled with ghosts of memory. In fact, the people inside the scheme and that section of the book was by far the most gripping. The lead character though is a bit slack and not a story mover which may explain the flashbacks and forwards and the long character list. I also got the feeling that the books are of the same universe but because Station Eleven was set in post pandemic world that the timelines were muddy.

Because of the grift element, I would recommend either finding a ‘whale’ beer in your fridge or purchase a beer that is all hype. Not because I think that hyped beers are bad but because, this book makes you think of how people can be swindled and if you are in the mindset, you can judge the beer more by the contents than the cover.

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The Firkin for May 2021

I ever so wrongly predicted that hard seltzers would be a “Here today, gone tomorrow” fad. They are now part of the beverage landscape and being added to brewery tap lists practically daily.

But I am going to double down – die on this hill proclaim that I do not think FMB’s (flavored malt beverages) are long for this world.

Oh, they will still be around but you won’t see the land rush from every brewery to make them. And when they lose interest or too much market share, then the pullback will begin. The major problem will be that the little breweries will be fighting over a pie that the big players can easily add themselves into and dominate.

Right now, your SABInBev’s, your Coors and Miller do not want to spend money on ingredients and time to make beer that competes with craft breweries. They steadfastly refuse entry into the world of IPAs, dopplebocks and Saisons, so craft has the run of that playground. Not so with hard seltzer where they can brand extend and create hundreds of flavors that are not far off from artisanal products.

I have tried many hard seltzers. Sone way too candy like for me and others that are subtle but none yet have struck me as un-replicable.

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Best Beers of April 2021 + IPA Standings

My April Top Two have European roots. But with modern twists. Los Angeles Ale Works came out with their Lemon Grab Belgian Wit which went all in on lemon instead of the orange peel and it worked really well. Bright without the lemonade acidity. Second beer is Loafer from Eagle Rock Brewery. A rustic saison made with upcycled bread from an L.A. bakery. I bought it for the conservation angle and new collaboration idea and ended up enjoying just the beer itself.

After a month of no change on the IPA leaderboard, there is a new number 3. Idaho 7 IPA from Crooked Stave is full and pillowy with a pine Christmas flavor along with a touch of grapefruit pith. Both sticky and soft this Colorado IPA even finishes with a touch of Concord grape.

3. Crooked Stave Idaho 7 IPA

2. Indie Brewing Quintette

1. Offshoot Beer Co. DDH Visions