Update Time!

It's been a while since I posted any beer-related happenings,
so here's a quick run-down of the past few months:

Saturday, December 1, 2012:  I had a draught of Chattanooga Brewing's Winter Warmer Iphoto above) at Good Dog in Chattanooga. I also had a Magnum PA (IPA) at Terminal Brewing in Chattanooga later that same evening.

I had a Monkeynaut IPA in a can at Taco Mac in Chattanooga.  It's made by Straight to Ale Brewing out of Huntsville, Alabama, and I was very impressed.  Along with the excellent Blue Pants Brewing,  Alabama has stepped up mightily in the craft beer race.  It's about time, Bama!

I had a Left Hand Brewing (Colorado) Fade to Black Ale draught and a Blue Pants Brewing (Madison, AL, just outside Huntsville) Coffee Stout draught at Brewhaus in Chattanooga.  This place has greatly improved since it opened a couple years ago.  They have much stronger beer list now including a great rotating set of taps, and excellent food.  Thank to my beer-loving friend, Nate, for re-introducing me to the place.

I have since returned to the Brewhaus and on my second visit I had Stone Brewing's (California, and my favorite U.S. brewery) Vertical Epic on draught as well as a Cold Mountain Winter Ale from Highland Brewing over in Asheville, NC.  Both were great.

I had a Sweetwater (Atlanta, and my favorite regional brewery) Slowryeder IPA draft at Urban Stack (great burgers) in Chattanooga.  Thumbs up!

I bought a four-pack of Green Flash (California) Friendship Brew in bottles that I got at Green Life Grocery in Chattanooga as a Christmas present to myself.  A great Belgian-style (not my favorite kind of beer brewing) farmhouse ale with tons of flavor.

I won a free growler of beer from the Mt. Juliet Beer Company as their Facebook friend of the week.  I chose the Black Betty Black IPA from another new local brewery set up in East Nashville's known as Fat Bottom Brewery.  It was delicious!

On a recent road trip south to see my beloved Duke Blue Devils take the hardwood against Florida State in Tallahassee, we stopped in the military-base town of Columbus, Georgia at the Cannon Brewpub located on the city's quaint square.  The beer was OK.  Nothing to get too excited about.  I had the seasonal Dinglewood Double Chocolate Banana Split Stout.  Despite the long and flavor-promising name, it wasn't really very special and a bit of a letdown honestly.  My wife and my friend, Mike, had their sampler paddle of beers.  none of which excited me, including a sip of the Special 'Ops IPA,  which, again, didn't do much for me.

Proof Brewing near the FSU campus in Tallahassee is a very cool beer bar with a strong, rotating draught and bottle beer list including a few of their own concoctions.  The bar is attached to a liquor store.  Talk about one stop shopping!  I had their "house" Guru IPA and it was excellent.

One other stop on the Duke road trip south worth mentioning was in Atlanta at The Vortex Grill,  We came for the food (which was awesome - great burgers), but I was also impressed with their beer list.  They are associated with Atlanta's Laughing Skull Brewing and I had one of their draught concoctions recommended on the menu called a Black Skull:  Half Left Hand (Colorado) Milk Stout and half Laughing Skull Amber Ale.  Yummy to the last drop!  I have got to come back to this place and try more of their nine different combos...and more of those burgers!!

When I picked up my free growler of beer at the Mt. Juliet Beer Company, I also bought a variety 4-pack of beers I had not had before.  I took three of  them to a local poker tournament and the winning continued as I chopped first place in it.  The three I had were:

Finch's Threadless IPA from Chicago - served in a pint can.  Loved it.
Lily Flagg Milk Stout - Straight to Ale Brewing - served in a 12 oz. can.  Another Alabama success!
Flying Dog Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout - served in a bottle and brewed with oysters.  Definitely different and not bad at all despite my lack of love for oysters.

2/12/13 - In my first attended game of the shortened NHL season this year, I saw a thrilling overtime win of 1-0 for my beloved Nashville Predators over the San Jose Sharks.  I had a Yazoo Dos Perros and a Yazoo Pale Ale at the game to keep it local and Nashville-loving.