Lucky Cat in a Magic Hat

A couple of new decent brews to report on.

Amazingly, the Kroger in Mt. Juliet has a better beer selection than the Publix that I have bragged about on this blog before (that's right, still no decent beer store in Wilson County Proper). My wife and I were in there the other night looking for RC Cola for inspiration for a Halloween costume...we're going as an RC Cola and a Moon Pie...don't ask if you don't know...it's a "Southern thang." I spied the beer aisle on the way out and thought I would take a look and I was quite surprised at the selection. I give my wife credit for finding the Magic Hat Lucky Cat IPA among the many selections available. I love Magic Hat products and have sampled their Circus Boy (hefeweizen) and #9 (their not quite pale ale) in draughts in Virginia last year and at Bonnaroo this year, but this was my first time trying their IPA as well as anything bottled. I may have had my expectations too high because I was little disappointed in the aftertaste and weak hop flavor. Wouldn't mind trying this on tap for sure just to give it a true taste test and final decision. Magic Hat is brewed in Vermont and seems to be slowly creeping it's way south over the last few years. Welcome, carpetbagger, welcome!

Yesterday, the wife and I had Jack's Pumpkin-Spice Ale on draught and enjoyed it pretty well. It's an Anheuser-Busch seasonal product and went well with our bar food and had a nice light pumpkin taste.

ROB-toberfest

Saturday, October 11, 2008 - Germantown neighborhood of Nashville

My wife and I met up with a small portion of the Nashville Wine Enthusiasts Group this weekend at the annual Germantown Street Festival (it's in "German"town and it's held in "October" but they don't call it an "Octoberfest" -- must be copyright thing, or maybe an individuality thing). We bee-lined for the beer tent once we got there (our enthusiasm - especially mine - also leans toward beer if the setting is right!) and I got a mug of Boulevard Lunar Ale which went down great in the above-normal heat and humidity of an otherwise beautiful afternoon near downtown Nashville. Boulevard is brewed in Kansas City, Missouri, and can be bought locally on tap and in bottles.

The Germantown neighborhood consists of about 18 city blocks of historic homes in various stages of restoration. There are also local businesses sprinkled throughout giving it a very small-town feel despite the skyscrapers of downtown Nashville looming to the south. This was our first time at the free festival and we were very impressed. Tons of food, beverages (beer) and entertainment stages filled the streets of this family-friendly festival. Our second beer stop was for some authentic German brew, Paulaner Octoberfest, served up in collectable glass mugs. As we sat in the shade enjoying our beer and the company, my wife Ashlee and another member of the group went off into the crowd to find the source of a reuben sandwich they saw someone eating. It took a while, but they returned triumphantly with delicious reubens served on marble rye bread and German chocolate cake for dessert. The wonderful German-themed afternoon concluded with a visit to the iconic downtown Nashville restaurant, The Gerst House, for...you guessed it - more beer (I had a dark German draught and failed to write the name down - my bad) and more German food (just appetizers for us - those reubens were filling!!).

A Nod to Nodding Head

Sunday, October 6, 2008 - Philadelphia, PA

Since I had to fly back to Nashville from Philly in the early evening, I left Atlantic City this morning and headed downtown to a beer pub I had researched called "The Pour House" - clever name, huh? Their website claimed that they ran Flying Fish beer specials on Sundays and had NFL Sunday Ticket with which I was hoping to watch the Titans go 5-0. The place turned out to be a tiny hole in the wall with just a few small TVs showing other games besides the Eagles. I decided to move on in search of a better venue. After the Titans game I was planning on stopping by the Nodding Head Microbrewery in downtown Philly before heading to the airport. But since The Pour House was so...well...poor, and I didn't have another sports bar option researched nearby I decided to "head" on over to the Nodding and hope that a decent sports bar was in the same general area maybe. I didn't spot anything on my way to Nodding Head but it was right downtown in a busy area of bars and restaurants, so I went ahead and stopped by and thought I would just ask if a sports bar was nearby after having a couple of their draughts.

THE BEER - Wow! That's all in can say...wow! These guys are doing it right in downtown Philly. My first, and best, choice was the Chinook Double Pale Ale. This pint absolutely REEKED of hops. Truly a taste sensation and honestly one of the best beers I have had...ever...that is not an exaggeration. It easily moves into the # 1 spot on my list. I lowered myself to try their BPA ( Bill Payer Ale) and it was pleasant, but I should have had it first because it "paled" in comparison to the Chinook.

FUNNY THINGS HAPPEN WHEN YOU DRINK BEER----

It was almost game time and I was just finishing my BPA and getting ready to ask Pete the barkeep if there was a nearby sports bar when two young nice-looking ladies strolled in to the quiet little bar area and plopped down beside me...no this is not a letter to Penthouse...just bear with me. To say these two ladies were "chipper" would be saying that the Chinook had a "hint" of hoppiness to it. The one with the Eagles shirt on immediately wanted to know why the football game wasn't on. The one TV in the place had the Phillies playoff game on. Pete promised that they would turn back and forth between the two, but that was of little satisfaction to "Eagles shirt" who replied, "well, we came here to watch football and I would say this guy would agree with us" pointing to me in my Peyton Manning jersey. I did agree verbally and a bond of kindred spirits began. "Eagles shirt" and her friend - let's call her "funny little brunette" - then started hemming and hawing over the beer selections. "Eagles shirt" named several of the beers on tap that she had consumed here in the past, but didn't know what to recommend to "funny little brunette" because as Pete the barkeep assumed with a smirky beer-snob tone "let me guess...you two don't like microbrews" and suggested a light wheat selection because it was "close to the taste of Michelob Ultra."

"Oh, no!" they said in unison. "We love the taste of beer. We want something that we will remember."

Oh, really.

"Get the Chinook," I said matter-of-factly. Pete muffled a laugh. I added, "You may not like it, but you won't forget it." Two Chinooks pints it was. I ordered my third pint...another Chinook, of course. I don't endorse a product that I don't use myself. "Eagles shirt" and "funny little brunette" were troopers and drank most of their pints...slowly...between gabbing, going to the bathroom, going outside (thank God) to smoke, etc....but I am pretty sure they hated the Chinook. Oh well, at 8% alcohol it's a thin line between love and hate. The 1 PM (EST) games were well into the first quarter and I was ready to find a TV, so I asked "Eagles shirt" if there was not a decent sports bar nearby to watch the games. "Oh, sure! The Fox & the Hound is around the corner and it's great." I was a little hesitant and asked, "Will I get beat up wearing this?" indicating the Manning jersey.
"Nah," she said. "It's a huge place and their are usually all types of jerseys in there."
"Funny little brunette" piped in, "I usually wear my Buffalo jersey in there and never have a problem."
"Uh-huh," I thought, "That's probably got more to do with you being the 'funny little brunette' in the Bills jersey."
They gave me directions. Each one had a "best way" to get there and both went in different directions. I asked for the most simple.
"Just come with us. We are going there now." said "Eagles shirt" not knowing me from Adam. I guess my wedding band, the fact they they engaged me in conversation and not vice-versa and the buzz of an 8% Chinook was a combination that deemed the invitation pretty harmless. Which it was. Sorry, still no Penthouse letter. I love my wife. Always will.
"Eagles shirt" turned out to Lindsey, a born-and-raised Jersey girl who worked as a graphic designer in Philly. Unmarried but in a month-old relationship with a young Irish guy "fresh off the boat" as she put it who was into soccer more than football and was a few blocks away watching "footie" at a pub. "Funny little brunette" turned out to be Kat. A married mother of an 18-month old whose Scottish father (damn foreigners stealing our women...oops, I was born in Germany wasn't I? And stole me a Georgia peach....oh well, never mind. Well done, fellas.) was watching him at home while also watching soccer. The girls knew each other from working together at a restaurant some years back.

Although they never said it, I am pretty sure they were using me as a shield to keep the guy-heavy contingent at the Fox & Hound off of them while they drank...gulp...Miller Lite, chatted and watched the games. I don't mind being used when I get what I want as well...i.e. local guidance to a great sports bar (they were right - the place was packed with people in all knds of jerseys and the Titans/Ravens were on one of the bigger screen TVs. 5 and 0, baby!! Wooohooo!!), pleasant company in a strange town (They couldn't have been nicer to me and wouldn't even let me buy them a second bucket of beer. I had to stop at my share of one bucket since I had to drive to the airport in a few hours, plus it was...gulp...Miller Lite) and a chance to show off a little Southern gentleman charm...hey, what can I say...one's married to an Scot...one's dating a Mick and I have a pretty heavy Southern drawl....chicks dig the accents.

"Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic City"

Saturday, October 4, 2008 from Atlantic City, NJ

While my wife, her sister and our friend, Joy, who I work with went on a short cruise to the Bahamas, I decided to use some Southwest Airlines credit and fly up to Atlantic City (via Philadelphia) for the weekend to see what the poker was like. For the record, poker is bustling there and I will definitely give it as much if not more consideration than Vegas or even Tunica from now on since with flight (one hour non-stop) and drive from Philly (one hour via the A/C Expressway), it actually takes less time to get there than driving to Mississippi. For the record-record, I played three tournaments, one at The Taj, one at Caeasar's and one at The Tropicana with a final table at the last one to basically break me even for the trip.

BUT ON TO THE BEER!!!

Of course I went looking for good beer as well while in Atlantic City and man, did I find some...yet another reason to return to the Jersey Shore. There are some nice Irish pubs in The Tropicana and Caesar's and while I did not try anything new (Black & Tans please), I was impressed with them. My first new beer to try was at Atlantic City's only microbrewery that I could find, The Tun Tavern, over by the convention center. From my understanding, this is a new location (and building) based on a historical New Jersey tavern with ties to the U.S. Marine Corp. They have several brews on tap and my first choice was Bullie's Brown Ale. Not too shabby although I wasn't keen on the aftertaste. I asked for their American IPA next and they were out. Shocker. These places always seem to not brew enough IPA per the demand. I tried the Devil Dog Ale instead per the recommendation of the waitress who said it was good..."just not as hoppy." Hello! Hops are why I ordered the IPA, sistah!! The Devil Dog was decent. Nothing I would order again. I didn't have time (or willingness to stumble around drunk) to try the stout, but will give it a go next time with hopefully a shot at the IPA as well.

While I researched The Tun Tavern on the internet (I will give credit where credit is due. The Tun's website is where I snagged the Ben Franklin quote that I have at the top of this blog. Well said, Benny.) the next place I kind of stumbled upon and I am quite happy that I did. It's called Firewater Ales and Martini Bar in the bottom of The Tropicana. They have 51 rotating beers on tap! Impressive. My first and favorite of the day was the Stone IPA.

An absolutely perfect IPA. Stone IPA is brewed in California and is a microbrewing legend. They produce world class beer with memorable names including the always funny, Arrogant Bastard Ale. Their distribution is far and wide. I have seen their wares at home and around (I even have a t-shirt of theirs that I bought online cheap because of the look of it - did I mention they have a cool logo - see above), but this is my first encounter with it on tap and I was completely impressed. Despite wanting another Stone IPA badly, I decided for the sake of research (yeah i know, kind of goofy isn't it) I would try another draught (hell, they had 50 more to choose from!). I wanted to try a pale ale from Hawaii but they were out and the barkeep said they had a bunch of Octoberfest brews just in if I was interested. Sure thing! I settled on the Flying Fish Octoberfest which was light, smooth and crisp and quite enjoyable. Probably, a good choice since I was off to play in a poker tournament next and another Stone IPA might have made it hard to focus on the cards! Flying Fish is brewed here in Jersey and although the brewery is closed tomorrow I do hope to check it out next time I am up this way. I have a couple of stops planned on my way back to the airport as well that may involve some more Flying Fish brews.