Summer Lovin'

It's been a summer of fun...and beer

USMNT game vs. Guatemala  with an attendance of 44,000+ this soccer game breaks a new TN attendance record.  I was at the last one too which ticked in at 29,000+.  It was a convincing 4-0 win in a friendly game and warm-up for the upcoming Gold Cup.

Had a Hennepin Farmhouse Saison with dinner at Suzy Wong's House of Yum

Had a Dead Horse porter from Calfkiller at The Pour House and then a Celebrator dopplebock from Brauerei Aying in Germany.

Had a Nashweizen white IPA from Tennessee Brew Works here in Nashville at the cool chicken restaurant, Party Fowl

Had a Secret Stache Stout from Finch's Brewing (Chicago) with dinner at The Slider House after getting a book signed by former President Jimmy Carter!

Had a Candy Bar Pinstripe stout from Blue Pants Brewing (Madison AL) with some great gumbo for dinner at TENN16 Restaurant in East Nashville.

Had a Summer Wheat from Good People Brewing (Birmingham, AL) with dinner at Puckett's Grocery before seeing Dolly Parton at The Ryman!

Before  seeing Ant-Man on IMAX (which was great) Ashlee and I ate dinner at The Hop Stop where they were having a Stone Brewing (CA) celebration which happens to be my favorite brewery of them all!!  Here's what I had:

the RuinTen IPA, the Ruination 2.0 with American Oak, and Drew and Steve's Imperial Mutt Brown Ale

We continued a week later with more Stone Brewing love at The Hop Stop (before Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation in IMAX.  I give it a B-) with the Ruination Double IPA 2.0 and the Delicious IPA

Had another variety six-pack with another water slide rental to close out the summer

Pumpkinhead Ale (bottle) - Shipyard Brewing (Portland, ME)
Handy's Gold Ale (can) - Singin' River Brewing (Florence, AL)
Sand Island Lighthouse kolsch (can) - Straight to Ale Brewing (Huntsville, AL)
Waterkeeper hefeweizen (bottle) - Sweetwater Brewing (Atlanta)
Nomad de Weisse Evil Twin Brew
Pub Ale from Tallgrass Brewing

With my sister-in-law, Paige, who is not a beer drinker but does love root beer we found Not Your Father's Root Beer - Small Town Brewing (Wauconda, IL)

Stopped by the new Tailgate Brewing in Nashville with Ashlee and I had their PB and J stout and their chili-infused HOT IPA which was great.  These guys are coming on strong since my last visit!

Had this tasty and hoppy 8-Bit Pale Ale from Tallgrass Brewing (KS) from a Mt. Juliet Brewing variety pack while at an empty-house party for our friends, Chris and Tarryn, who have moved back north.    I followed that with Trooper English Bitter from Robinsons Brewing out of Manchester, England that was OK.  It's can was cooler since it had an Iron Maiden moniker on it.  Next was an Icelandic Pale Ale from the great Icelandic brewery, Einstok Olgerd.  I finished with the 16-bit Double Pale Ale from Tallgrass which was dreamy, hoppy stuff as well.

I had a Sixty-One IPA from Dogfish Head (Delaware) while at lunch at Tony's Pasta in Chattanooga.

At dinner at Pomodoro East in East Nashville I had a # 21 Moe's Backroom Pale Ale out of Winery Exchange (huh?) in California.  The flavor wasn't as long as the lame name.

I took a trip to West TN to see my best friend, Craig, who lives in  Paris and to check out his town's newest craft brewery, Perrylodgic.  While at the tasting room I had their Screaming Eagle IPA and their Poseidon's Steed golden ale.  Both were excellent.  This place has some real potential!  Congrats, Craig, on having such a great craft brewery so close to home!

I headed on over to Tunica after my visit with Craig and got in the Saturday poker tournament at The Horseshoe and made the final table with a 7th place finish!!  I traveled back Sunday via the beautiful Natchez Trace Parkway from Tupelo, MS all the way back to Nashville.  This was my favorite mile-marker since it's my favorite poker hand.

This was my sweet rental ride for my trip to Tunica and back.  Really enjoyed it and couldn't definitely see a convertible version in my future!

I will finish up the this report by logging in that during a fantasy football draft I had a Hipster Repellent IPA from Falls City Brewing in Louisville, KY. It was in a bottle unfortunately and not a "draft".  I am so funny... Loved the beer name and really liked the beer.