I-P-A RIVER: September 2019

WEATHER I have a craft beer or not is irrelevant...

We took a fun trip to New York, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard over Labor Day Weekend and I was able to find some good beer along the way...I know, what a shocker...

8/31 - One of our first stops in Queens, NY, was a hotel, but not one we were staying in. My trip research found that the swanky new Boro Hotel has a roof-top bar with a great views of the Manhattan skyline and a decent craft beer list. Too bad when we got there on a sunny Saturday afternoon that we found out it doesn't open til 5 PM. Huh?? What a waste. The fact about a good craft beer list was true and at least the downstairs restaurant bar was open and we had a few libations out on the patio. I had a great Otherside IPA from Greenport Harbor Brewing (Greenport, NY) and a solid Imposter Pilsner from Barrier Brewing over on Long Island, NY, in the hamlet of Oceanside. I got this cool badge on UNTAPPED. It's nice to see more and more hotels like this one with cool bars and restaurants in them serving up good local craft beer.

I somehow got our group of four to agree to stop by a nearby craft brewer in the Long Island City neighborhood called Big Alice Brewing The place was small, packed and the beer was outstanding! We shared a 5-beer taster flight (it was a sixer, but one was a repeat) that went like this in rank of my faves:
1. Jalapeno Rye - great pepper kick after a smooth entry
2. Lemongrass Kolsch - man, this would be great with some Thai food!
3. Sweet Potato Farmhouse Ale - this was our double-order and it was very good
4. Oatmeal Stout - solid as the day is long
5. BQX: Brooklyn-Queens Connector double IPA - hard to believe an IPA came in last in the ranking, but it was fantastic too.

How the hell am I at only level 2 of tasting badges on UNTAPPD? Oh yeah, because I just realized recently you could check beers in as tasters and I am wayyyyy behind in selecting that option.

Not a great beer, but a very cool experience. We had dinner at Arepa Lady, a Colombian-based eatery in the ethnically diverse neighborhood of Jackson Heights so I had to have something "local" with my dinner.. This is an Aguila lager, a so-so mass-produced cerveza from Cerveceria Bavaria (Bogota, Columbia). Serving it up in a Ball Mason jar was a nice touch.

9/1 - Ah, the U.S. Open! The majesty, the athletic prowess, the excitement...the downright AWFUL BEER SELECTIONS!! Come on, man! You can't have some local New York craft beer at least somewhere in this giant complex? Nope. This is a lame old formaldehyde-laced (hey, that's what I read) Heineken lager from Holland. Whoopdee-doo. At least the tennis was outstanding.

You kddin' me? Heineken 0.0? Why would I want the dreck taste of Heineken without at least the mild punch of alcohol? Good thing this was a free sample I do like the look of my new North Coast Brewing (CA) patch I had put on a Tommy Bahama shirt. Only took me two years to get around to it!

Nothing to do with beer. I just thought this was a cool shot of rows of subway cars next to the new Citi Field Stadium, home of the New York Mets.

We had a classic sketchy bodega around the corner from our AirBnB apartment, and I was sure they would have some new-to-me beers to purchase. Nope. I had to settle for a few cans of Narragansett Lagers from Rhode Island which went down pretty good after a long day in the borough watching fuzzy yellow balls go back and forth. Hey, it sure beat Heineken.

9/3 - Well, what craft beer I didn't find at the bodega was made up for nicely today over at the nearby Laguardia Airport as we waited for our flight to Nantucket.
There once was a man going to Nantucket...
They had a surprisingly good beer list and a new easy table-top ordering system at the bar in Terminal A. I started with a nice Nut Brown Lager from KelSo Beer Company (Brooklyn, NY) and finished with a tasty White witbier from Allagash Brewing (ME) which earned me a cool badge and milestone on UNTAPPD.

What a cool, quirky little town and island Nantucket, Massachusetts, is. By the way, if you are looking for 399 Wharf Street, it's to the left. It's definitely got a Key West/Outer Banks feel to it despite being covered in old New England money. We had dinner soon after we landed and Ubered to our hotel at a place called the Company of Thieves Pub that had a good (albeit pricey) craft beer list. I had a very good Pompeii IPA from Toppling Goliath Brewing (IA) and a Gripah Grapefruit IPA that was equally good from Cisco Brewing which is right here on the island.

I trusted my pal, Chris, to pick us up some beer at a local liquor store that we could enjoy back at the hotel on their back patio and, man, did he deliver! He found some tasty and new-to-me pint cans of regional craft beer.
Welcome to CANtucket!!
Tonight I had The 87 double IPA from Night Shift Brewing over in Everett, MA, that was sensational, and a really good Epiphany double IPA from Foundation Brewing (ME), and finally, a nice Berner IPA from Otter Creek Brewing (VT). Here's an old pre-blog story about Otter Creek Brewing: I was on a solo photography trip up into New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine, several years ago and remember calling Ashlee (from a payphone, it was that long ago) from the Manchester, NH, airport saying with a slurred voice that "oooo-only two more Otter Creek pints and I ge-ge-get a free glass." This was very early in my craft beer career, and, yes, I got the glass.

9/4 - We took a day trip over to Martha's Vineyard Island and cruised around the beautiful place in a rental car. Our group allowed me to make a stop in small and quaint Edgartown at Bad Martha Brewing where I had their incredibly good Half Shell Oyster Stout. Bad Martha doesn't seem all that bad to me?
Before leaving the island we had a quick meal and a brew at Fishbones Cafe. I had a very good IPA called The Lazy Frog from the Offshore Beer Company right here in Oak Bluffs. On the HY-Line Fast Ferry back to Nantucket I had a so-so Cape Cod IPA from Cape Cod Beer in nearby Hyannis, MA, over on the mainland.

9/5 - I finally made it out to the only brewery on Nantucket Island, Cisco Brewers, on our last day on the island (we thought, a later flight cancellation would change that fact). It was a great and lively place and they even had a free shuttle to and from town to their farm-set brewery about 3 miles out. While visiting, I had a sip of Ashlee's nice witbier called The Grey Lady, a really good pint of their Fogged In IPA, and finished with a unique and tasty Crantucket brut IPA made with local cranberries which are abundant here on the island and currently in season.

So, yeah, we spent another unplanned night on the island when the last United flight tonight was cancelled kind of last minute. Uggghh!! I did drown my sorrows a bit back over at the Brotherhood of Thieves Pub with a tasty Slate ale from Idle Hands Craft Ales in Malden, MA.

9/7 - It was time for the Moon River Music Festival down in Chattanooga again this weekend, but man was it hot outside. Ashlee and I dropped into The Brewhaus before enduring the outside inferno and had a cold one at a lesser price than what we would find at the festival. I had the tasty Black Lager from Chattanooga's own Odd Story Brewing.and a taste of Ashlee's decent Moon Chute Wheat from another local microbrewery, Wanderlinger.

The founder of the Moon River Music Festival is musician and Nashville native, Drew Holcomb. I stole this picture from the Facebook page of another brand new Chattanooga craft brewery coming soon called Five Wits Brewing. Evidently, Drew, "helped out" with their brewing one day recently and has invited them to sling some of the wares at the festival this weekend. I can't wait to try them and "Prost! Drew!"

Man, Chattanooga is becoming quite the little craft beer town! Five Wits will be coming soon to the Southside. I love their logo.

I enjoyed a pint can of Kolsch by Yee Haw Brewing (Johnson City, TN) while watching Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds tear up the Iris Stage down in Coolidge Park with some rock and soul as our first show of the 2019 Moon River Music Festival.

The beers were pricey. Hey, it's a music festival. But at least they were plentiful, unique and home-state made. I tried both offerings by the fledgling Five Wits Brewing coming soon to here in Chattanooga. Their American Wheat was great in the sweltering heat. And in hindsight, the best beer I had at the festival came next and it was their Golden Ale (with Peaches and Tropical Fruit). So good!

I dove into the heat later in the afternoon to get closer to the main Poplar Stage while Ashlee stayed in the shade farther back to catch most of the set by Nashville's own, Moon Taxi. I really enjoyed their show and have become an instant fan. And lead singer and guitarist, Trevor Terndrup and his hair were braving the hot temps fabulously.

9/8 - Day 2 of The Moon River Music Fest was briefer for us since the heat was still ever-present, the line-up wasn't as stellar and we had to get back home at a decent hour. But the Tennessee craft beer was still flowing and I had a nice duo of brews including a solid kolsch from Blackberry Farm Brewery (Maryville, TN) called Goat Hill, and the Oktoberfest marzen from Yee-Haw Brewing over in Johnson City, TN.

My best bargain of the day, and, hey, probably the best beer of the day, came while we were walking out of the festival and stopped by Harry's Shell Gas Station who claim to have a "big craft beer selection"...and they do! I got a king-size Kit-Kat bar and a pint can of Bell's Official Hazy IPA (2019) for less than half of what one 12 oz. beer cost at the festival 100 yards away. "Changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes" as Mr. Buffet always says!

Damn right, it's been a while since I posted one of these! I have been playing steadily online at Global Poker and not losing money, but also not making any more with some small cashes than what is needed to pad the ol' bankroll, but tonight was a bit of breakthrough even if only a small one. I got second place in my beloved Crazy Pineapple MTT with 40 other players and turned my $5.50 investment into just over $40 in profit. Maybe this will be the start of a good roll.

9/10 - Now we are cooking! Another second place finish, but this time in a much larger field of 118 other players with rebuys. I turned a $7 investment into over $140 in profit! Time to win one of the suckers again as my next step upward!
9/13 - New blog addition - I send 10% of my significant poker wins to charity so the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society got $15 today! Go get them assholes!!

9/14 - Thanks to some crazy hot September weather, we had a full in-the-pool weekend and that, of course, included libations. Today I had a terrific can of Traffic IPA from Crosstown Brewing (Memphis) that I got in a variety pack over at Lebanon Wine and Spirits. I also had a great bottle of Oakspire Bourbon Barrel Ale (2019) from New Belgium Brewing (CO) that my friend, Charly, gave me a while back. Thanks, bud!

9/15 - Day two of the September Pool Weekend started with a can of Hoppin' Bubbly, a Brut IPA collaboration between Terrapin Beer Company (GA) and mass-produced Miller Brewing (WI). If you are going to a do bubbly IPA, you might as well work with the "Champagne of Beers." It was pretty terrific and perfect for a blazing hot day.

I love the lack of animosity between most craft brewers. Collaborations, guest taps, borrowing equipment, recommending each other to visitors. The way it should be. Cheers!

We invited some friends over to the pool today also and one of them was my pal, Charly, who brought this bomber to share of Bourbon County Brand Stout (2018) 14.7%. from Goose Island Beer Company (Chicago) This imperial stout was my first 5-star rating on UNTAPPD in a very long time. Incredible taste! Not too shabby for what is now considered a macro-brewery.

Yeah, it's hot as blazes and only early September, but fall is out there and on it's way. Thank goodness for cooler temps and good beer!

I had to share in turn with Charly, so we cracked open this delicious Trip in the Woods: Rum Barrel-Aged Quad from Sierra Nevade Brewing (CA) that almost as good as the previous bomber. I got this one on our trip to Bryson City, NC, early last month.
I finished the day with a can of Siren blonde ale from Crosstown Brewing (Memphis) from my variety pack. It was decent, but couldn't compare to the monsters that came before it.

9/16 - A big milestone today on UNTAPPD and I have the beer belly to prove it!! It's been a fun ride, let's roll toward 5K!!

I couldn't think of a better beer to check-in for my 2,500th than the classic Stone IPA. One of my favorite beers of all time that somehow I never checked in on UNTAPPD and my favorite craft brewer of them all. And what a better night to check it in than at Lebanon Poker Night where I got second place, chopped $800 and kept my partner, Chip, and I in first place points-wise!
In addition throughout the night I also had an excellent Pumpkin Ale from Schlafly Brewing (St. Louis) and a nice Orange Wheat from Tailgate Brewing here in Nashville.

9/20 - I had a day off today and started off with lunch at one of my favorite spots, Blossom Thai Restaurant and Cellar Door Craft Cavern, up in Hendersonville. I had their awesome chicken-fried rice and a tasty So Euro international IPA from nearby Half Batch Brewing.

I was in Hendersonville to catch an IMAX screening of the new space film, Ad Astra, at the Street of Indian Lake Theaters. It was pretty good, but not near as memorable as Christopher Nolan's Interstellar from a few years ago which it seemed to be trying to emulate.

I took a gamble on my next film in my double-feature day-off, and checked out Brittany Runs a Marathon down in Mt. Juliet at the Providence Theaters. Yep, I enjoyed it even more than the first film and even teared up at the end. Great, great film. These are my least favorite local theaters since they don't have recliners, but it made the most sense to see it here since I was going to play poker at the Poker Barn nearby this evening.

I hadn't visited the Poker Barn in a while and it might be the one of the last times since my friend and host, Zack, is saying this will be the last "season" of poker here and this particular tournament is the next to last one.. He says there will still be occasional special tournaments, but not a regular schedule as before. Too bad. Even though I can't attend a lot, and have never fared really well here (a recent 2nd place being my best finish ever), it's still one of my favorite places to play, and I have learned a lot of the game here since it's a very tough room with a lot of good, aggressive players.
I stopped by Providence Wine and Spirits and got a variety three-pack for the night. First up was an excellent pint can of Vermont Maple DIPA from Decadent Ales (NY). Next in line was another great pint can, the Azacca IPA, from Founders Brewing (MI). I concluded the night with a ho-hum 12th place finish (out of 27) and another pint can. This one was the Low and Slow Pilsner from Westbrook Brewing (SC) which was much better than my poker playing.

9/22 - While my luck at The Poker Barn stayed the same as usual, my game saw the biggest win of the year for me online today with an afternoon win of a fairly large $10 tournament. I bested 89 other folks with one re-buy and an add-on available. I did neither. so my $11 investment turned into a $435 profit!!

The strong day of online tournament poker ended with another second place finish tonight in my usual nightly Crazy Pineapple entry of $5 besting 58 other player for another $54 of profit.

New blog addition - I send 10% of my significant poker wins to charity so the Save the Redwoods League got $50 today! Save those beautiful giants!!

9/23 - I headed into Nashville tonight on my own since Ashlee double-booked herself to catch Friends 25th: The One With the Anniversary on the big screen at Hollywood 27 Theaters (recliners!). They showed four classic episodes including the pilot and one of my favorites where Chandler is caught in a blackout inside an ATM vestibule with the luscious Jill Goodacre, but I was disappointed there weren't interviews and other bonus features that I was expecting, and thought I read would be included.
I stopped by Various Artists Brewing on the way and hit the jackpot (sort of) when I ordered a pint of their IPA called Pedal Tavern 'Mishap' and kicked the keg. They happened to be running a promotion that if you kicked one of their kegs with your order then you got a free pint and a T-shirt!! They replaced it with a new double IPA called An Even Better Time which was solid. It was so new, in fact, that I got to enter it into UNTAPPD as a new brew. I finished with a four-ounce pour of their German pilsner hilariously named A Kiss From Dick. It was light and refreshing as I assume a kiss from Dick would be?

9/24 - I was back over at the Hollywood 27 Theaters tonight to catch The Shawshank Redemption 25th Anniversary. I still think it should have won Best Picture back in 1994. I was a little disappointed in this showing that the film wasn't restored, and that there was no intro before the film started. Oh, well. I stopped by Black Abbey Brewing on my way and a couple of really good pints. First up was their porter, the Forty Four With Chickory (Cask Conditioned) that was super smooth and easy drinking. I finished with their Belgian strong dark ale, Hope and Faith.