I-P-A RIVER: BEERvember

Friday, December 1, 2017

BEERvember

11/11 - Ashlee and I were in Chattanooga this weekend and checked out the brand new Heaven and Ale Brewing in North Chatt (thanks to my gal for finding out about this place for me). It's a large, beautiful facility and the beers I had were outstanding. I started with a 9 oz. pour of their Pineapple Kush IPA which was a juicy delight. I had a sip of their Meditation saison that Ashlee ordered and it was solid. Next up was the Love Supreme Stout which is the first beer in a long time I have given 5 stars to on UNTAPPD. It is amazing...sweet, smooth and busting with taste. Ashlee loved it too, so I traded my half that was left for her over-the-top hoppy Meditation on Mosaic saison since she's not a big fan of the hops. The cheese plate we ordered was great too. We will definitely start to include this place in our regular rotation to visit when we are in Chatt-town.

And that path is widest at the spectacular Wild Heaven Brewing in North Chattanooga. These guys have had an excellent beer bar here for several years, so it's no wonder they would be great when they got in the beer brewing business themselves.

11/19 - I had a bachelor weekend and took a break from online poker (won another small 30 person tourney) and house chores to catch a late afternoon movie over in Nashville. I decided to go to The Belcourt Theater to put a little more art in my film watching and had a few minutes to kill before the show started,, so I grabbed a beer at the new Austin, Texas-based-chain Hopdoddy Burger Bar around the corner on 21st Avenue. These is where the Bosco's (RIP, you Nashville craft beer pioneer) used to be and I can't say it's much of an improvement. They did have a decent selection of local craft beers and the food looked pretty good (I didn't eat), but the overall smell was a little greasy I thought. I chose the solid Homestyle IPA from Nashville's own Bearded Iris Brewing. I did like the frosted goblet it was served in.

I saw the haunting period film, Mudbound, with a stellar cast and directed by Nashville's own Dee Rees at The Belcourt Theater (thanks, MoviePass!). I sipped on a Scrimshaw Pilsner during the show (thanks, Belcourt!). After the show I slipped across the street to Belcourt Taps and had a rather good pint of Cran Apple Sour from Honky Tonk Brewing here in Nashville. It was close to a cider in my opinion and more tart than sour which made it tolerable in my book.

11/20 - I had this Monday off to complete my long bachelor weekend and capped it off by getting tickets to see my beloved Preds take on a hot Winnipeg Jets team. My friends, Bill and Doug, joined me and we hung out between periods (and beforehand at Czann's Brewing, of course) with my pal, Wayne. It was a 5-3 butt-kicking by the Preds. During the game I grabbed a decent pint can of Americana Pale Ale from Steel Barrel Brewing which is supposed to be coming to the Murfreesboro area soon.

We spent the long Thanksgiving weekend down in Destin, Florida, with family again this year and I was able to have a few new brews while soaking up some late November sun:

11/23 - I flew into Panama City from Nashville and Ashlee picked me up for the 40-minute ride back to the house she had rented for the week in Destin. On the way we stopped at a gas station and I grabbed a six-pack of Pale Ale from Grayton Beer Company in nearby Santa Rosa Beach for Turkey Day and the UNTAPPD badge acquirement.

11/24 - We had tremendous weather for late November and I grabbed a 4-pack of variety canned beers for the beach from the awesome selection at Beach Liquors here in Destin. I started with the tasty Happy Hermit International Pale Ale from Green Bench Brewing over in St. Peterburg, FL. I followed that with an outstanding Stone Ripper pale ale from my still-favorite brewery, Stone Brewing (CA).

11/25 - The weather clouded up a bit today and I took a can of solid London Homesick Ale from the new-to-me Oasis Texas Brewing Company (Austin) down to the beach, but finished my last of the variety four-pack back at the house (and in the shower.) That's the tasty Luchesa Lager also from Oasis Texas Brewing pictured above. As Charlie Sheen would say, "Having a beer in the shower...winning!!"

While the ladies were watching some Hallmark Channel chick-flick at the house tonight, I slipped up the road to the AMC Theaters and caught the impressive Denzel-driven flick, Roman J. Israel, Esq. Thanks, MoviePass!

11/28 - Another online poker tournament win! 131 players in a $3 buy-in MTT with one rebuy for a $151.44 first place prize.

11/30 - We had a tasty dinner and a wonderful acoustic show with Marc Roberge of O/A/R tonight at City Winery in downtown Nashville. I continue to be impressed with the beer list at this wine-centric locale. I had a good pint can of Radeberger Pilsner (Germany) and a really good can of Fearless Youth dark lager from Grimm Brothers Brewing (CO).