I-P-A RIVER: December 2018 - Put Some Beer in My Stocking, Please!

12/1 - Very proud of my tiny high school alma mater, the Whitwell Tigers, for winning their first-ever state championship in 5A football today. I almost went to the game since it was in nearby Cookeville, but the weather was sketchy and I settled for watching it on the couch.

12/3 - I had to be in Chattanooga for family business early tomorrow, so I decided to drive down tonight and spend the night at my momma-in-law's house so I didn't have to get up before dawn. I rewarded myself after a successful drive down on the hated I-24 with a quick stop at Brewhaus in Chattanooga just down the road from her house I settled on a tasty and aptly named Hop Cocoa porter from Wicked Weed Brewing (Asheville, NC). At $8 a pint, I am not sure how much more I will be coming back here although it was one of the few places open late on a Monday night, so beer-beggars can't be choosers I guess.

12/4 - After taking care of the family biz early on, I basically had the rest of the day off and made the most of it as best I could with cold weather and limited resources. There are a couple new breweries in Chattanooga that have opened recently, and one, Naked River Brewing, opened at 11 AM for lunch. To kill a little time until it opened, I decided to run back up to Signal Mountain and check out Falling Water Falls again. After driving through a snow squall to get there the weather was cold, but reasonable and clear enough to make the short hike to the brink. She was booming in flow thanks to recent rain -(and snow)-fall and I had the place to myself.

Although most of the fall colors have succumb to winter's chill, I stumbled upon this little beauty on the way back to the car. It pays to look down sometime!

Oh, the fun you can have when your brewery has the word NAKED in it! This place is still under construction somewhat, but I am impressed with the Naked River Brewing Company digs (they have transformed an old foundry building built circa 1875 into a beautiful brewpub) and the beer I had was impressively good also. Pictured above was first selection: the Big Hundy double IPA that was hoppy excellence at its best. I finished up with their outstanding MoonPie Stout that was chocolate heaven in a glass. I WILL BE BACK!

Peace, love and beer for everybody's holidays! I was happy to throw one back for HOPPY Hanukkah today at Monkey Town Brewing up in Dayton, Tennessee, as I took the long way back home from Chattanooga. With my tasty lunch I had their superb Evolution IPA: Batch # 27 IPA.

Since I was visiting old waterfall friends today, I stopped by Ozone Falls again as well. She was booming like Falling Water Falls was and I noticed how very similar these two cataracts are although Ozone has a much bigger pool at the base that I really would like to swim in someday.

Near Ozone Falls on Highway 70 in Westel (?) Tennessee I found this cool old train tunnel to explore a little. My train-loving friend, Charly, says the T C above the entrance is for the Tennessee Central line (1893 - 1968).

I even found craft beer in Crossville, TN today! Like Lebanon, the town of Crossville is a large enough town to support a craft brewery, but still doesn't have one. That could be changing soon if the Social Brewing Company comes to be. My barkeep at The Social Brew pub didn't seem to think it would happen real soon, but there's always hope. In the meantime, these guys do have an impressive list of craft beers to choose from at very reasonable prices (hear that, BrewHaus!). I had two selections from the nearby (and new to me) Clinch River Brewing up in Norris, TN. I had their Bourbon Barrel Brown 2018 ale and their Tall, Dark and Belgian strong dark ale, and, unfortunately, was fairly unimpressed with either. The bourbon taste was a bit too "subtle" in my opinion on the brown, and the Belgian was lackluster in its punch as a "strong" ale. Still loved the place though and I will be back when I get the chance.

On the bathroom wall at The Socal Brew was one of the great beauties of all time. Man, how this poster did it for me way back then...and still now. So let me get this right...this amazing beauty is gone because of cancer, but Trump's ugly ass is still around? Yeah...that's fair....RIP, my lovely lady.

I finished the day back in Lebanon for a late afternoon movie with my pal, Casey, at our local Roxy Movie Theaters (recliners!). We saw the re-dux version of Robin Hood that wasn't awful, but I still like the Ridley Scott/Russell Crowe version from a few years back that no one else seems to like. And, of course, the late, great Alan Rickman was the best/snottiest Sheriff of Nottingham there will ever be. RIP, good sir.

12/5 - It was Lebanon Poker night for me again as we head down the stretch with 5 games to play and Derek and I sitting in second place in points. I bought a variety 3-pack down in Chattanooga yesterday at Whole Foods to take with me. First up was the Idlewild pale ale from Mile Wide Brewing (KY) that was very good. Next up it was The Promenade IPA from Hutton and Smith Brewing down in Chattanooga. It was my favorite of the night. I finished up with another Hutton and Smith product called Tremont's Tectonic Session IPA. I got second place and a few knockouts to more than double my entry fee and, more importantly, pull our team back within one point of the season lead.

12/8 - The 2018 Christmas Beer Tree was skinnier this year, but had several new additions from new and far-flung breweries such as Frog Beer (Paris), Destin Brewery, Happy Trails Brewing (Sparta, TN), Mad Tree Brewing (Cincinnati), Hix Farm Brewing (Cookeville), Naked River (Chattanooga) and Appalachian Mountain Brewing (Boone, NC). The tree was up in time for our almost-annual Christmas party tonight also. I got a variety four-pack from Whole Foods down in Chattanooga to get me through the night, plus, a pre-party starter beer that my friend, Quintin, gave me the other night at the poker game. It was a really tasty saison from Blackberry Farm Brewery (Walland, TN) called Boundary Tree.

My first variety-pack beer was a terrific Infusion A: Peanut Butter Chocolate Coffee Porter from Hoppin' Frog Brewery (Akron, OH). It also earned my 6th Anniversary Badge from UNTAPPD. It's been a fun 6/10 of a decade! I actually traded my next variety-pack beer to my friend, Nate, who came to the party with some Krampus Nacht bock from The Black Abbey Brewing Company here in Nashville. It was a solid beer and very timely since Nate came as Krampus to our costumes-encouraged party.

Speaking of timely, during the party I was also watched my beloved Atlanta United soccer team take down their first-ever MLS Cup by defeating the Portland Timbers in Atlanta by the score of 2-0! Congrats, ATL UTD!! It was timely that during the game I had a rather tart, but decent, saison from Orpheus Brewing (Atlanta, GA) called Atalanta. Seems appropriate. I finished the evening with a decent pint can of Woven Stone Vienna Lager from Oddstory Brewing (Chattanooga, TN).

12/9 - We had dinner with our friends, Wendy and Charly, tonight at the always-delicious Cherokee Steakhouse up on the lake here in Lebanon. They let you bring your own wine in, but on the door it clearly states, NO BEER, but that didn't stop Charly from bringing in a bomber bottle of Willettized Coffee Stout (that sorta looked like a wine bottle and dark red wine in the glass) to share. Willett Distillery is Charly's favorite as a bourbon lover and this stout was impressive. UNTAPPD even issued its own badge. Thanks again, Charly!

MOVIE WEEK
I caught up on some movie watching (and brew sipping) this week

12/10 - I went down to Murfreesboro tonight to the AMC Classic 16 Theaters to catch a showing of Can You Ever Forgive Me before it was gone from the big screens. It was fantastic and I now have Melissa McCarthy ahead of Lady Gaga in my "Best Actress" category for the Oscars this year. Before the show I stopped by Stones River Total Beverages and bought a 3-pack variety of canned craft beers, one of which I snuck into the movie. I had a pint can of 420 Strain G13 IPA from Sweetwater Brewing (Atlanta, GA) that was really good. A funny/sad note: I got a charged a "senior" rate at the move without even being asked my age...oh well, this old man loves a good discount!

12/11 - I headed back down to Murfreesboro again tonight to catch The Front Runner at the AMC Classic 16 Theaters. I was able to bring in my second craft beer that I bought last night. This time it was the very tasty Albino Squid Assassin rye IPA from BrewDog Brewing (Scotland and Ohio). The movie was solid and the story is fascinating. I didn't really see an Oscar-worthy performance in it, but Hugh Jackman could squeeze in a nomination for Best Actor, but I don't think he'd win.

12/12 - Tonight I eased up on the driving distance and saw Boy Erased at the Providence 14 Theaters in Mt. Juliet. I was able to sneak in my third beer that I bought on Monday night, the Burma Blonde Lager from Flying Tiger Brewing (LA) was OK, but it reminded me of a Budweiser a little too much. The movie was solid, but I don't see any gold statues coming from it despite the big-name cast. Well directed and covering a very important subject.

12/13 - I took the day off today to conclude my bachelor-movie-watching-week and started with a noon viewing in Hendersonville at my favorite Streets of Indian Lake Theaters (recliners and IMAX) of Schindler's List - 25th Anniversary. I own a copy and love this film (although it is hard to watch), but had never seen it on the big screen that I recall. It was as moving and as engrossing as ever, if not more. The three-hour run just seemed to fly by.

I had some time to kill in Hendersonville between movies, so I decided to check out a new-to-me craft beer place that I looked for once before without success. This time I found it and it was worth the hunt! The Blossom & Cellar Door Craft Cavern is the first-ever Thai restaurant/craft beer bar I have ever encountered. I can't believe there are a lot of this combination anywhere. I sat at their cool bar and their beer list was very impressive. I started with a pint can of Noodles pale lager from Birds Fly South Ale Project ( a new-to-me brewery in Greenville, SC). It was terrific and paired well (not only by name) with the beef pad thai I ordered. The food is cheap and delicious! I will definitely be back here! I finished with a 5 oz. draft pour (cuz I had to drive back to the theaters) of the outstanding Kentucky Rickhouse Series: Kentucky Mule strong ale from Alltech Lexington (KY) Brewing.

I eased back over to the Streets of Indian Lake shopping complex and killed another hour or so at my usual haunt while in Hendersonville: Growler USA. I started with a draft pint of Den of Sin - Pumpkin ale from Rahr and Sons Brewing (Ft. Worth, TX). I started out liking it, but grew weary of its overly-spiced aftertaste. I soothed my unhappy taste buds with a draft pour of the Neapolitan Milk Stout from Saugatuck Brewing (MI). It was tasty, but not as great as the Neapolitan I had from Untitled Art in Florida a few weeks back. I finished with a 5 oz. draft pour of the Stone Enjoy By 01.01.19 Brut IPA. This light effervescent IPA designed for Happy New Year's toasting was pretty good as expected by my favorite brewery if them all. The funniest thing with checking this beer in on UNTAPPD is that it had been previously tagged with a flavor profile of "zippy." Huh? Never heard that one before, and it made me laugh since it's the name of my favorite boy pet cat who I never thought would make another mention in this blog, but now he has. Take a bow, Zippy, or just take a snooze...

"Hi, I'm Zippy. I am as effervescent as a nice Brut IPA!"

I finished the fun day with a viewing on opening night of Mortal Engines in IMAX. I absolutely loved this well-made sci-fi thriller produced by one of my favorite dudes in movies today, Peter Jackson, of Lord of the Rings fame.

Funniest Christmas meme I've seen in a long, long time

12/15 - I just couldn't sit in the house and watch any more lame Hallmark Christmas movies with Ashlee and her mom while losing at online poker, so I decided to go see the Predators play tonight after scoring a pretty decently priced ticket despite it being the holidays and a Saturday night game. I slipped into Nashville early and did a little brewery crawling before meeting my pal, Wayne, for dinner before the game. My first stop was Tennessee Brew Works where I started with a solid Sinsear| Guinness Brewing and George Dickel collaboration. This triple threat was one of the more interesting beers I have had in a while. I finished with their so-so Hank's Harvest saison. The weather was so mild and sunny that I was able to enjoy both brews outside on one of their decks.

The cool Keg Tree at Tennessee Brew Works as seen from above.

While at Tennessee Brew Works I parked a block or so away in front of some new murals I have not seen before. While not a big fan, I thought this Leon Russell one was cool since I haven't seen one dedicated to him before here in Nashville, and the fact that I actually went to his home in Mt. Juliet for work a few years ago.before he passed away.

I call this one "Cloudy Beers and Chandeliers." I moved on to Bearded Iris Brewing next and had their Chief of Chiefs DDH double IPA that was as bold as its name and juicy AF.

I met Wayne over near his apartment at the new M.L. Rose Burgers and Beer location called "Capitol View" on 11th Avenue. I had a great meal and a couple more brews: the smooth and tasty 205 Pale Ale from TrimTab Brewing (Birmingham, AL) and the Christmas Ale, a seasonal Scotch Ale from Bell's Brewery (MI). I now had a pretty good buzz going and thought seriously about stealing this sign hanging above our booth since Sixpoint is my favorite canned beer breweries. But I played it cool instead, and we took an Uber on over to the game of which I don't remember riding in....

I was very happy with my seat # 8 on the front "A" row in Section 307. The friendly couple sitting next to me who are Philly/New Jersey transplants who now live in Mt. Juliet, told me this seat is always open, so I will definitely keep it in mind for future reference this season. The Preds, despite being rife with injuries to four major players, eked out a tough victory over the New Jersey Devils in an overtime shoot-out. During the game I had a solid draft pour of Wicked Weed Smashville Brewing Pale Ale. How these guys from Asheville, NC, jumped ahead of all the Nashville microbreweries to get in with this white-hot hockey team was quite the coup.

12/16 - While not a big money score, this second place on a Global Poker tournament tonight was significant for two reasons. First, it was my first solid final-table finish in the new-to-me game of Crazy Pineapple vs. 43 other players, and secondly, it ended a horrific slide of bad beats and early exits from online tournaments recently.

12/18 - Once more, one better. I won this Crazy Pineapple tournament on Global Poker tonight vs. 45 other players. The best thing about this, besides the dough, was that I came back from being all-in with a very small stack as the bubble boy to winning the whole thing. Take that, bad beats!!

12/20 - I attended the Aquaman opening night in IMAX at Hendersonville's Streets of Indian Lake theaters tonight with my pal, Wayne. The movie was pretty good, especially for a DC Comics film.

Before the show, I stopped by Growler USA and had a couple libations including an outstanding Bourbon Barrel Aged Drewcifer imperial Russian stout from Tailgate Brewing here in Nashville. It's the one in the photo above with my ugly Star Wars Christmas sweater in the background. I had forgot that Growler USA was having an ugly Christmas sweater party tonight, so I fit right in by accident! Since the stout was pretty expensive, I went cost-cutting next with an about-gone low-price pint of the very smooth Mill Creek Brewpub Octoberfest. I thought this beer was from Mill Creek Brewing in nearby Nolensville, but this was actually a small brewer out of Walla Walla, Washington.

12/21 - We hit a couple of cool Christmas-themed locales tonight including heated igloos on the top of the fancy Bobby Hotel in downtown Nashville. Before that reservation, however, we slipped down the street to the also-fancy Noelle Hotel to check out their secret Christmas pop-up bar in their basement (photo above). They had a small, but impressive, craft beer list and I had a pint can of the tasty Ransack the Universe IPA from Collective Arts Brewing in Ontario, Canada while enjoying the Christmas decorations.

12/22 - I was happy to eat some Nashville Hot Crow today after my proclamation that the Titans' season was over a few weeks ago. The boys are very much alive in the playoff hunt if they can keep winning and get a little help climbing over Baltimore or Pittsburgh who are ahead of them for the last available AFC Wildcard spot. Thanks to my pal, Wayne, for the ticket for today's important game against the Washington Redskins who are also in playoff contention.

I parked at the Nashville Farmers Market for free and Ubered over to the game. Before that, however, I had a couple beers and a delicious Chicago-style hot dog for lunch at The Picnic Tap. I started with a seasonal and very flavorful Chaiwalker from Nashville's own Jackalope Brewing. This is a Chai-tea-spiced version of their Bearwalker Maple Brown Ale. I finished with Picnic Tap's own Honey Biscuit Blonde ale that was pretty good. The barkeep told me it was the owner's concoction, but was brewed at Honky Tonk Brewing's facility nearby.

The game was a nail-biter until the end when our defense made a couple plays and pulled it out 25-16. It was a bittersweet win with our QB, Marcus Mariota, being knocked out of the game, but our back-up, Blaine Gabbert, subbing nicely. and the loss for the season of one of our defensive stars, Jurrell Casey. It was an honor to see the great, Adrian Peterson, run the ball (very successfully I might add) against the Titans in what might his last season before retiring.
After the game, I stopped by the Homegrown Taproom for a couple victory brews. The place was packed since it was Saturday night, but I managed to find a seat at the bar and started with a tremendous Whisper Creek Cream Stout from Honky Tonk Brewing here in Nashville. I finished on an even higher note with an outstanding double IPA called Straight Outta Newport...Oregon from Rogue Ales.

(Editor's Note: We got the help we needed on Sunday when the Steelers lost in New Orleans paving the way for the Titans to win and be in the playoffs next week against the Indianapolis Colts with the mighty Andrew Luck at QB who they have never beaten. Mariota is still iffy and our defense is banged up, but at least it's at home and outside against a dome team who are only a 3-point favorite according to Vegas. Fingers crossed!!)

12/23 - Well, Christmas finally made it here and I kicked the long (very long to me) holiday weekend off with a tall can of Goin' Coastal IPA from Sweetwater Brewing (Atlanta) that I bought at a grocery store in Chattanooga along with a couple more new-to-me brews. Let's just get through this!! Cheers!!

12/24 - Ashlee did allow me one nice reprieve from the non-stop "family fun" when we stopped for a tasty lunch at Chattanooga Brewing and I had their I Got Your Juice IPA which was outstanding. It was so good that it got me to singing in my head, "Have yourself a LACY little Christmas..."

Back at my brother and sister-in-law's place, I cracked open a pint can of Chattanooga Brewing Wayne White Ale that we picked up while we were at lunch. I got the four-pack to check it in on UNTAPPD, of course, but also, to give one can to my good pal, Wayne, who will get a kick out of the name even if he isn't a big beer drinker. Turned out to be a pretty decent beer as well. I followed that up with a really tasty Blind Pirate Blood Orange IPA from Monday Night Brewing (Atlanta). This was another of the grocery store pick-ups from the night before. My brother-in-law, Andy, who I have converted to a craft beer drinker also surprised me with a variety six-pack for Christmas that he picked out. I started with a can of Tanilla porter from Knee Deep Brewing (CA) that was pretty good.

My coolest gift of the night was from Andy and my-sister-in-law, Paige (who really gets the credit since she found it). The beautiful stein pictured above is made from a real horn (humanely gathered). I christened it with a can of Belay On blonde ale from Chattanooga's own Hutton and Smith Brewing (another grocery store purchase). The beer was OK, but the stein made it even better. Very cool gift! Thanks, guys!! Next up in the horn stein was another Andy variety-pack choice, a fruit beer called Barbe Ruby from the Verhaeghe microbrewery in Belgium. I couldn't really get into it since sour cherries aren't my thing, but I appreciate the effort and the check-in.

My only beer on Christmas Day this year was another Andy variety-pack choice and it was the best one so far.: the pint can of Space Cake IPA from Clown Shoes Brewing (Boston) was very good. I left the other three Andy chose in his fridge for later consumption. It was a good Christmas, but, as usual, I am glad it's over.