Ales for ALS has been chugging along with special beers across the U.S. and now a RV will ply the highways and byways to spread the word even further and visit participating breweries along the way.
You can read more HERE.
Road Trip
Do It Soon – 2 of 3
The mini Lucky Baldwins empire annually pours Christmas beers at is pubs and you still have time to hit up one and see what winter warmer leftovers you can find.
A Book & A Beer – Going Infinite by Michael Lewis
It seems a bad idea to have an author who can dissect complex issues and have them made into movies follow you around. The Big Short laid bare the housing fiasco, Moneyball traced the Oakland A’s baseball club who have tried but not gained full success and will try again in Las Vegas. But Sam Bankman-Fried allowed Michael Lewis access and the reader reaps the reward as long as they didn’t buy bitcoin.
I am no financial guru but even I could smell the stink of Bitcoin from a mile off. And this book along with Easy Money by Ben McKenzie paints a damning portrait of Scam Bankrupt-Fraud as a weird and damaged human with basically a half-formed idea and no moral compass.
The Lewis book starts trepidatiously, too much so for my taste but as the evidence builds, you just start shaking your head at the fact that people threw scads of money at this guy when we have actual, real problems to solve. He basically drug both effective altruism and digital coins into the trash and doesn’t seem super fazed by it.
Now I don’t want to be too mean but I see a beer correlation in the few breweries and gypsy brewers who make super limited quantity barrel-aged, high adjunct beers that normal beer fans will never see because they do not make it to a shelf. So if you have a $20.00 + bottle stashed away or a $30.00 + bottle, then crack that open while you read.
Merry Christmas
Hop Art
Maybe you were not as good as you could have been this year and if you feel like Santa is going to miss out on smartly decorating your beer drinking area because you are on the naughty list then maybe you will need to fix the situation yourself with some super snazzy hop art prints for your wall, click HERE to check them out.
I would have posted an image but I could not decide which I liked the most.
Holiday Season 2023 – Day 30 – Jubelale from Deschutes
One of the great little surprises of the holiday season is the unveiling of the label art for Deschutes Brewery’s Jubelale. Granted, it comes way too early for my taste but that hardly dents the long running tradition.
“Cozy up fireside with this festive winter ale full of spice notes and a robust malt character of toffee and dusted cocoa.”
Holiday Season 2023 – Day 29 – Layered Up from Victory Brewing
Almost to the advent finish line but the days are getting colder and you may need to be layered or at least Layered Up in a Winter Stout from Victory Brewing.
“Get cozy this Winter with the complex layers of our newest release, Layered Up. This smooth-bodied stout starts with a roasty richness and a hint of dark, unsweetened chocolate followed by notes of biscuit. This curious blend will have you ready to embrace the cold this season.”
Review – Anchor Christmas Ale 2017 & 2018
The last two bottles of Anchor Christmas Ale. A bit melancholic this is. Sad to have Sapporo be such a Grinch.
But time waits for no one or no brewery so before these go too far, time to crack them open and taste….
2017 – I got an aged barrel, slightly sour smell when popping the cap. A bit of cherry aroma as well. Pretty foamy latte head of foam. Super dark brown color tinged with red. Initial taste is a bit smoky but also bubbly. Mouthfeel is light and what I am left with is a cola note.
2018 – this year pours a bit more red in color and the foam is a shade whiter. Much less aroma upon opening. Initial taste is much hoppier even after 5+ years. Tastes much less lighter than the previous year despite only being .02 higher in ABV. Like a red ale this.
The 2018 is more straightforward while the 2017 is more complex in flavor but I like that streamlined red ale a touch more.
Holiday Season 2023 – Day 28 – Smoke Wagon Christmas Limited Edition Bourbon
I needed to add a bourbon to the season and have headed for the popular Smoke Wagon and their special Christmas edition….
“Embrace the holiday spirit with the Smoke Wagon Bourbon Christmas Limited Edition 2023, a special release that captures the essence of the festive season. This limited edition from the renowned distillery is a holiday delight for bourbon enthusiasts, offering a unique blend of grains and botanicals that result in a smooth, full-bodied flavor profile.”
Another Capistrano Christmas – Beer
Last year, my wife and I spent Christmas at the wonderful Inn at the Mission in San Juan Capistrano. This year, I went back for a beer and cocktail trip just before the big holiday with my beer buddy Richard to see a different side and visit new places.
Starting in Oceanside where within a ten minute drive you can find SouthO, Heritage, and two or three others that I didn’t note but my stop was Bagby Beer Co. which was great on two counts.
First, the beer list is long and super diverse and as would be expected from multiple medal wins, supremely solid across the board. (plus they had a cool list of holiday cocktails and slushies). I had Apres Surf, a super low ABV coastal ale that had fragrant pear notes, Brugges Cruise an OK wintry Belgian Strong, Worker Bee a reliable honey ale and my winner, WEYEsbeer a hefe collaboration with Bierstadt Lagerhaus.
The second count is that there is only an alleyway separating you from the Oceanside Bottlecraft location with cans and bottles to go and an impressive beer list. If there was a hotel next door, it would be a trifecta.
Despite a pair of false starts due to out of date, straight up false hours of operation info, we also hit up Delahunt Brewing in Dana Point and another D brewery, Docent Brewing in south San Juan Capistrano.
I am partial to the latter because of their grilled cheese and tomato soup combo and excellent barrel-aged beers but the two half pours of IPAs that I got at Delahunt were quite good.
Praise the traffic gods who cleared the path and thanks to Pizza Port – San Clemente for being an excellent Plan B of pizza goodness.