Summ(BE)er Time

6/9 - I saw Warcraft  tonight in IMAX 3D with my pal, Wayne.  Not the best, not the worst.

6/11 - I went to Tunica for a poker tournament and didn't have much luck with the cards, but the beer luck was much better.  I went back to Wiseacre Brewing in Memphis tonight  and toasted the full moon with a Tarasque farmhouse ale

6/12 - With some time to kill before any beer was served on this Sunday in the South, I decided to drive an hour or so south to Oxford, MS, and check out the campus of Ole Miss which I had heard a lot about, but had never seen in person.  Nice campus overall.  The Grove was a little underwhelming IMO, but worth a look I guess.

 I made my first visit to Made In Memphis Brewing on the way home and had a RockBone IPA and a Greenswarden IPA, both of which were very solid.

6/13 - Had some great Thai food up on the square here in Lebanon at Bangkok Pad Thai and had a Chang Beer lager in a bottle from Thailand that wasn't too bad.

6/23 - Stopped by my favorite Nashville beer bar, The Homegrown Taproom, on the way to see Independence Day - Resurgence on the IMAX screen (it was OK) and had a Crack Rabbit Belgian-style pale ale from Calfkiller Brewing (Sparta, TN), a Daddy-O Pilsner from Yazoo Brewing here in Nashville and a Bitter Serenity session IPA from New Heights Brewing, yet another new microbrewery here in Nashville.  

I had a Viven Smoked Porter from Van Viven Brewery (Belgium) at Bob's Steak and Chop House in downtown Nashville along with an excellent dinner.  Later that evening I checked in a Sly Rye Porter from Yazoo Brewing at the newish Bakersfield Taco Bar which I had definitely had before but before I started using the UNTAPPD app.

7/1 - Poker night at The Barn (location undisclosed) and while I lasted a long time, but with no result$$$  I did have a few new brews including a pint can of Alloy American Pale Ale (photo above) from Tin Man Brewing (IN) and a pretty nasty (IMO) Half Pipe Tart Pale Ale from Tallgrass Brewing (KS).  I just can't get into these sour beers.  

We had a long July 4 weekend at the new pool so I grabbed a couple of variety six-packs from the Mt. Juliet Beer Company that included:

Poolside Ale (how appropriate!) - a pale wheat ale from Bell's Brewery (MI)
Trail Angel Weiss heff from Devil's Backbone Brewing (VA)
Jammer gose from the slim-canners, Six Point Brewing (NY)
The Crisp pilsner also from Six Point
Cardinal Pale Ale from Nebraska Brewing
White Blackbird saison farmhouse ale from Wild Heaven Craft Beers (GA)
 SPF50/50 radler (also appropriate and photo above) from Red Hare Brewing (Atlanta)
Brunette Nut Brown Ale also from Nebraska Brewing
Wayfarer IPA from Green Man Brewing (Asheville, NC)
Summer gose from Yazoo Brewing in Nashville
and the awesomely named Beerito Mexican/Vienna Lager from Oskar Blues Brewery (CO)

Here, hold my beer...

Beer - Pool - Beer - Pool - Beer...you get the idea...

We have a pool!  Finally!!!

I christened our new pool with an excellent Early's Hoppy Wheat Ale from Highland Brewing in Asheville, NC (another Whole Foods birthday gift-card grab from Chattanooga).

Since the most sacred rule at the new pool is NO GLASS which I wholly accept due to my known clumsiness, my favorite birthday present this year was from my awesome wife, Ashlee.  This cool bottle protector and insulator takes care of me in all way necessary!!

5/14 - At a Nashville Sounds game/win tonight I had a Low Life  (clever pun there) pilsner from Evil Twin Brewing (NY).  I also had a Rogue Farms Roguenbier Rye Ale at Butchertown Hall before the game with our "internet/fantasy football" friend, Jared and his fiancee, Jen. 

5/19 - Ashlee and I went back to Blueridge (GA) Brewery during an anniversary trip and had dinner there and I had the Mango Pineapple Heff (photo above) and their Toccoa Brown Ale

5/20 - We rode the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway today and during the layover/turnaround in Coppertown, TN, at the brand new Copper Ale Station I had a Blue Ridge Lager from Fannin Brewing Company in Blue Ridge, GA, and an Imperial Pilsner from Chattanooga Brewing

Later that day back in Blue Ridge, we had "free" beer in a (stupid law loophole) $15 glass (plastic for us for pool use, of course) at the fairly new Grumpy Old Men Brewing where I had their excellent Grasshoppa Imperial IPA, their tasty Bergey Brown ale and their solid Aska Pale Ale

At dinner I had a White Hops Belgian-style ale from Three Taverns Craft Brewery (Decatur, GA) at Harvest on Main.

5/21 - Back in Chattanooga  I finally got to stop in at Heaven and Ale beer bar where I had the Kalamazoo Stout from Bell's Brewery (MI) and a Oatsmobile Ale also from Bell's.

Across the street at Embargo '62 Rum Bar and Restaurant I had a Sweet Action cream ale from Sixpoint Brewing  (NY) from one of their distinct slim cans.  The most fun thing was asking the pretty, young waitress for some "sweet action" in front of my wife!  I also checked in a Sol cerveza since I was in a Latin kinda mood here.  Then I finished the evening with a Monkeynaut IPA from Straight to Ale (Huntsville, AL).

I got a variety six-pack from the Mt. Juliet Beer Company for our first official pool party over the Memorial Day Weekend and had the following:

- Hash Session IPA from Sweetwater Brewing (Atlanta, GA)

- 6 Alberts India Session Ale (can) from Straight to Ale (Huntsville, AL)

-Sho Nuff Belgian-style blonde ale from Against the Grain Brewing (Louisville, KY)

- Rum Finish/Rum Cask/Rum Aged Scottish Ale from Innis and Gunn (Scotland) - my friend, Sean, brought this over and shared it.  Thanks, bud!

Blackhorse Brewery IPA in a can (Knoxville) - my favorite of the bunch!

American Ale in a can from Brooklyn Brewing

Woodshed India Session Ale from Mill Creek Brewing in a can (Nolensville, TN)

Songbird Saison from Tallgrass Brewing (Manhattan, KS) in a pint can

Beer-HIO!!!  Man, I make this look good!