2 - 0 - 2 - 2 = Brew-Oh-Brew-Brew

1/1/22 - Happy New Year! (hopefully).  I woke up in South Carolina this morning, traveled through Georgia and wound up back at home in time to pop open a Stick's Pale Ale from Bootstrap Brewing (CO) to toast the new year.  It was a tasty hold-out from my last Beer Drop order.   

I started the year off right tonight with a 6-handed tournament win on Global Poker vs. 113 other players.  I had nine knockout bounties and cleared $270 in profit! 

1/2 - I dropped by The Cedar Tap on the Lebanon Square for my first few beers as a new Mug Club member.  I got my punch card, but the mugs are a little delayed in shipping.  No worries.  The friendly barkeep, Kevin, gave me my five extra ounces per beer in a separate small glass instead.  I started with the decent Spruce Willis Yippee Ki-Yay Mother#^#@&! from DuClaw Brewing (MD).  This DIPA came off a little soapy IMO and the spruce taste was fairly mild.  I was expecting better, and I got it on the next choice, the excellent Crumb Cake imperial red ale from Rhinegeist Brewing (Cincy).  It's in the photo above along with The Cedar Tap's new wall mural. 

I was also celebrating the Titans' back-to-back AFC South banner won today by dismantling the Miami Dolphins at home.  The also got pushed back up to the # 1 AFC Seed for the upcoming playoffs if they can win next week against the woeful Houston Texans.  I toasted their success with my last beer at The Cedar Tap tonight, the nice and light Reynard French-style pilsner from Living Waters Brewing over in Nashville.  Cheers and #TITANUP@!

1/7 - My Beer Drop order for December arrived today - a week late per my request since we were out of town the last week of the month, and then another day late due to the wintery weather.  It's another good mix this time including a couple of American IPAs; a light and a dark lager; and a whopper of an imperial stout.   This is my first picture on this blog with my new IPhone 13 and its three lenses.  Looks like a magazine ad, doesn't it! 

1/8 - Well, I was supposed to be back at the good old Poker Barn tonight playing live poker, but the tournament got cancelled, so I decided to have a replacement poker night online instead.  Since I was planning on taking some of my fresh Beer Drop brews with me, I decided to go ahead and have a couple at home instead.  I started out with the aptly named and tasty Money Tree$ IPA from Storm Peak Brewing (CO) since it's all about the Benjamins here!  
Next up was the very good Standing Room Only IPA from Resolute Brewing (CO).  It has a cool can wrap of Red Rocks Amphitheater out in Colorado, but the cool rotating can trick with the panoramic setting on my new IPhone has been "improved" now and won't do it.  Boo!!! 

Kinda got it working...and then I closed out the night with a decent 303 Lager from Station 26 Brewing (CO).  Not much poker success to speak of.  Live to grind another day...

1/9 - Not bad for a "new" state to pro sports!  I toasted our success today - while watching the Titans almost blow it, but then take care of Houston to lock down the # 1 seed in the AFC and a bye next week - with a bomber bottle of Old Ale Paso from New Heights Brewing in Nashville.  This was one of the 3-bottle release from NHBC for their 5-year anniversary recently.  It's an old ale aged 42 months in Knob Creek Bourbon Barrels along with red wine.  It was boozy and delicious. #TITANUP #GOPREDS #GRINDHOUSE

1/11 - I finished out the workday remotely this afternoon at the new home for Southern Grist Brewing in East Nashville.  Man, what a great new place! The kitchen was not open but should be soon seven days a week I was told.  I started with their very good Slab Series: Double Nut Banana Brown ale.  I finished with their even better Coffee Macaroon Copra Kai milk stout.  I will definitely return! 

Afterwards I stopped by the Opry Mills Theaters to catch a matinee of the new Kurt Warner story, American Underdog.  His true story is a good one, but I hate that the crescendo was beating my Titans in the Super Bowl.   Overall, a great movie with good acting and if we had to lose by a yard to anyone, I am glad it was him.  

I finally found a worthy cause to donate my most recent 10% of a nice recent online poker win to thanks to a story on the Atlas Obscura podcast I heard today. 

1/12 - My Lebanon poker partner, Chip, goofed up his schedule and was out of town today, so I had to play again this month in our WSOP league.  I took a few Beer Drop brews with me as I eked out a respectable 4th place finish.  (" You shoulda played those kings, Mike!"  - Worm).  I started with the decent Lilly Hammer No Coast IPA from Locavore Beer Works (CO).  Next up was the very good Winter Breeze Coconut Dark Lager from Lumpy Ridge Brewing (CO).  I finished out the night with the impressive Black Cauldron imperial stout from Grand Teton Brewing (ID).  

1/13 - I drove down to Murfreesboro after work today to check out the brand-new Cedar Glade Brews.  This nano-brewery is the third one now within the city limits, so the beer scene is growing nicely here.   The place was busy which was good to see, and I started with a 10 oz. pour of their flagship Cedar Glade Maniac IPA which I thought had a pretty weak hops signature with it being a West Coast style IPA.  The second choice was an improvement.  Their pecan porter called Nuttin' But Fun was pretty good.  I and they finished strong with their oatmeal-based Stones River Stout.  Not bad for their early days.  I shall return whenever the opportunity arises.  

Afterwards. I went to over to the AMC Theaters in Murfreesboro to catch a showing of The King's Man.  Despite some tepid reviews, I thought it was a pretty decent origin story for a franchise that hasn't really been my favorite so far.  

1/14 - Well, The Cedar Tap Mug (less) Club continues as there is another delay in our mugs getting here until the end of the month evidently.   I still enjoyed the benefits with extra big pours of the following tonight:  the Romker gose (photo above) was light and tart from Living Waters over in Nashville; the Tanganero IPA from Flytes Brewhouse up in Pleasant View, TN, was OK, but needs a bit more fire I thought; I finished with the (just on tap) new Sterling double IPA also from Living Waters that was great.  I had a great conversation at the bar with a local firefighter (who might be the smartest Republican I've ever met) and a nice Yankee from Michigan who's moved here recently. 

1/15 - Bachelor Week for me begins!  After dropping Ashlee off with some girlfriends at the airport this morning for a week-long cruise, I headed over to Catch 22 in Mt. Juliet for brunch and a few libations.  The beers I chose were good, but the "chef's choice" omelet (photo above) that I chose to eat was the best pick of the day!  Man, it was so good and the Fritos on top were a surprise and were very tasty! Thanks to my friend, Diana, down in Austin via Facebook telling me this breakfast meal is known in the Tex-Mex world as migas.   As for the beer, I started with a draft pint of the nice and malty Maltings Irish Ale (Red Ale) from Sullivan's Brewing (Ireland).  I finished on a nice regional note with a draft pint of Moon Biscuits, an amber lager from WISEACRE Brewing over in Memphis. 

1/16 - It was a stay-home Sunday unfortunately due to a wintery weather forecast.  I did enjoy checking out the stunning new black and white film from Joel Coen, The Tragedy of Macbeth on Apple TV+.  Denzel was awesome.  "King Kong don't hath shite on me!!!"  

The snowy day did finally show up this afternoon, and it and the film mentioned above inspired this cool black and white shot out our den window. 

1/17 -   I finished my workday this afternoon over at Craft Brewed in Nashville.  I went here specifically to try their Craft Brewed 9th Anniversary IPA from Smith and Lentz Brewing here in Nashville.  It was great!  Cheers and happy anniversary to one of my favorite beer bars in Nashville.  May you have many more years ahead of you (and for me to visit)!   Next up I had the kellerbeir called Panga Drops from the Nicaragua Beer Company.  It wasn't that great and a bit soapy, but it is the first beer I've had from that country.  I finished on a higher note with the tasty brown ale called Chocolate Caramels from Edmund's Oast Brewing (SC).   Afterward since I was in the area, I went by the Regal Hollywood 24 Theaters and caught a late afternoon showing of Nightmare Alley, the new Guillermo del Toro remake.  It was a pretty good noir flick with a great cast.  I also stopped by The Black Abbey Brewing Company to kill a little more time before the movie and had their solidly good Czech Condition pilsner.  

1/18 - I wanted to give Bar League Poker a try tonight at The Casual Pint in Smyrna, but they only had one table fill up and never opened a second one like I was hoping.  So much for that.  I still had a couple of pretty good brews at least and a nice conversation with a regular at the bar while I was there.  I started with the excellent Electron Brown imperial brown ale (on nitro) from Old Nation Brewing (MI).  I finished with a very good Avalanche Amber Ale from Breckenridge (CO) Brewing.   

1/19 - I figured I would go see what all the buzz was about with the new coming-of-age film, Licorice Pizza, from Paul Thomas Anderson tonight over at the Opry Mills Theater which was about the only place showing it in Nashville.  I thought it was kind of dumb to be honest.  It just kind of wondered all over the place in a weird world 70's world where kids could be store owners and I guess statutory rape is OK??  Incredible production design and two awesome cameos by Sean Penn and Bradley Cooper, but that's about it. And the title means pretty much nothing.   
Beforehand, I stopped by the Homegrown Taproom in Donelson for a few brews and dinner.  Thanks to their half-pint option, I was able to notch four more unique beers to my UNTAPPD list.  I started with the very good Winter Warmer from Rahr and Sons Brewing (TX).  Next up was the solid Space Camper Cosmic IPA from Boulevard Brewing (Kansas City).  The milkshake IPA from Scofflaw Brewing (Atlanta) called Goat's Milk was the best of the night.  I concluded with the light and decent Tidewater Gold Japanese-style rice lager from Barrique Brewing here in Nashville. 

A severe cold front pretty much screwed up my plans for the rest of the bachelor week.   I hunkered down at home for the most part.  

1/21 - One place I did have to go today during this cold streak was Gallatin to get our Subaru's oil changed.  So, while up there I went to lunch at Prince Street Pizza and Pub which I haven't been too in a while.  That needs to change. What a great place for Tennessee-only craft beer and tasty pizza pies!  With my 10" pizza I had a pint of their own namesake Prince Street pale ale from Half Batch Brewing in nearby Hendersonville.  It was hoppy and so tasty!  I finished with a Nitro Gerst, one of my favorite brews from Yazoo Brewing over in Madison, but much softer and creamier in the nitro version. 

1/22 - I stayed at home watching the Titans playoff game today against Cincinnati.  I had a nice pint can of Fest Bier marzen lager from 4 Hands Brewing (St. Louis) in the first half.  The second half had me popping another pint can as we played from behind.  This was Fat Bob's Porter from Hop River Brewing (IN), a gift from my pal, Chris, a while back.   It was very tasty.  The game was crazy with a great rally by the Titans only to give it away at the end.  So frustrating...

1/23 - I celebrated the first of hopefully many $1 pint pours day for Mug Club members at The Cedar Tap this afternoon.  I started with the very good Belgian strong dark ale (photo above) called Wintervakantie from Marrowbone Brewing over in Ashland City.   I reluctantly (cuz I had to drive home) finished with the excellent German-style pilsner called Square Cut from Barrique Brewing in Nashville.  Can't wait for the next $1 Day - maybe I can walk if the weather cooperates!

1/27 - My January Beer Drop Order arrived today.  Another great variety-pack.  It has no IPAs in it - oh, the horror!!  But it still looks great with a tropical Saison, a blackberry Belgian wit, a dark lager, an amber ale and a Scottish ale.  Everything a growing boy/stomach needs!! 

Ashlee and I attended our first-ever Beer Dinner at Catch 22 in Mt. Juliet tonight hosted by The Black Abbey Brewing Company from Nashville.  It's so nice to have something like this actually happening in our county!  It was a 3-course delight, food-wise and beer-wise.  We started with a pint can of their flagship Belgian blonde, The Rose.  First course (fried lobster tail) was accompanied by their fairly new Czech Condition pilsner.  The main course (photo above) of a succulent veal chop was accompanied by the only new Black Abbey beer for me to check in, the lightly tart River Running Hibiscus Gose.  Dessert was an awesome Twix cheesecake with Lorna Doon crust and accompanied by their delightful Belgian quad called Ancient Ways. 

1/29 - I headed west today with the goal of staying overnight in Memphis and playing in a poker tournament in Tunica on Sunday.  My long-time best friend, Craig, met me at Stillhouse Hollow Falls near Mt. Pleasant for a morning hike.  Craig and I have been to over 50 waterfalls together, but this is the first one we've visited together where the temps were below freezing.  It was a crisp 24 degrees when we started our 7/10 of a mile hike down to this incredible beauty that I can't believe we've never been to before.  The icicles made it all the more magical and with no wind, the cold temps weren't really a factor.  We were also surprised that the little parking area of the state-owned natural area was almost full this chilly morning. 

We thought it was a good idea to go to Bad Idea Brewing in nearby Columbia for a brew after our fun hike.  I've actually never been inside here since my first visit was during the early Covid days and they were only doing to-go orders.  It's a small place, but with outdoor seating, it looks like a fun place in nicer weather.  I started with a half-pint pour (gotta drive) of their very good New Year New Haze NEIPA.  I closed with their even better 9" Diameter Peanut-butter Cup milk stout.  

We got another hike in as the temps outside warmed up, and we decided to walk about a mile to Asgard Brewing over on the river in downtown Columbia next.  We both did flights here and my rundown went as follows:  their good English pale ale called Goat and Compass; their amazingly good NEIPA called Austri East Coast IPA; their very good doppelbock called Caganator; and finally, their really good oatmeal stout called Ship in a Bottle. 

After our walk back, I parted ways with Craig and his son, Ryan, who had joined us in Columbia, and continued westward.  I stopped in Hurricane Mills where I had this very nice Amish sandwich lady at Overholts Farm Market make me a Dutchman's lunch sandwich.  It was huge and fantastic!  A perfect late lunch/early dinner.  And what a cool place too!  

I got to Memphis and checked into my really nice Homewood Suites hotel room in the Germantown area that I got for a great price on Hotwire.com.  After a short rest, I drove a few miles to Meddlesome Brewing where I had their tasty nitro pale ale called Bitter American.  I wanted to have another here, but it was just too busy and there was nowhere to sit, so I went back to my spacious (and quiet) room instead.  

1/30 - I was supposed to go to Tunica today for the second Seniors Event of the WSOP Circuit Series at the Horseshoe Casino there, but I have been running so bad this month that I just wasn't feeling it, so I decide to just do some touring of West Tennessee and Kentucky instead.  My first stop was  Shelby Forest General Store just outside Memphis.  This iconic place has been around since 1934 and their food is pretty famous.   I had another very nice lady make me their Philly omelet and it was fantastic!  I was even able to eat it outside at a picnic table there since the weather was much, much milder than yesterday morning!  A great first stop! 

My main destination today was the amazing earthquake formed Reelfoot Lake in the NW corner of our great state.  I was getting a bit skeptical as I drove the good distance toward it from Memphis wondering if I had made the right call over poker because, hey, it's just a lake in the winter.  My doubts faded away when I got there, however.  This place is special.  It's simply amazing with all the cypress trees sitting in the lapping water.  And the incredible ice formations on many of the bases of the cypress trees made this winter visit all that more beautiful.  So glad I came to see it!   I had forgotten that this area recently got hammered by tornadic activity back in December also.  The devastation was scary and depressing.  Here's hoping they recover quickly.  

I took a quick one-way detour to Kentucky Bend next.  This weird geographic anomaly just doesn't make sense.  Why would Kentucky want to claim this knob in the river that can't even be accessed without going through Tennessee?  So historic, so weird.  

I started looping back northeast next with my next stop being Mayfield, Kentucky, to this incredible and rare statuary in Maplewood Cemetery there.  Only Colonel Henry Woolridge was buried here in 1899, but he commissioned statues of everyone and everything that was special to him (18 in all) during his life to be cast in stone monuments there with him.  Thanks to the always-interesting Atlas Obscura website for letting me know about this. I even offered the photo above and some more information to them about this site.   I also feel fortunate to have seen this on this trip because Mayfield was also devastated by tornadic damage back in December as well including several fatalities.  Many streets downtown are still closed due to damage, but I was able to slip in and see this amazing tribute to one man's life.  It gave me an eerie feeling to think about these cold stone eyes watching in unmoving gaze as the powerful storms roared down on and near them.  

Continuing back east, my next stop was the relatively new nano-brewery in Benton, KY, known as The Dam Brewhouse.  The place was packed inside the little house (yes, it's actually a house), so I set outside in the backyard beer garden since the weather was fairly mild.  I started with their Haus Hazy (photo above) IPA which I thought was very good.  I finished with their fantastic pilsner called The Old Grey Mare.  What a cool little place! 

As I dropped south back into Tennessee headed for home, I made one last stop at the new location for Gladiator Brewing in Clarkesville.  These guys had to shut down in their original location, so I missed visiting them on a trip up here to Clarksville a while back.   But they are back now, and their beer is worth the stop!  I started with their Irish dry stout called Gladius that I thought was excellent.  I was only going to have one, but I got caught up watching those damn Cincy Bengals underdogs win again at Kansas City for a berth into the Super Bowl.  Wow!   So, I had their solid pale ale called Thraeces while watching the end of the game (and dreaming that this could have been the Titans, sad-face). 
A fun little trip from start to finish.