see craft beer consumed...here

Idiots.  White Claws are Black Death

I had a few days of bachelorhood to end September and start October as Ashlee and her sister were down at Disney enjoying themselves.  Might as well enjoy myself here as well!  Cheers! 

9/28 - After dropping Ashlee at the airport, I headed to Hendersonville to catch a showing of Angel Has Fallen at Streets of Indian Lake Theaters (recliners!).  It was actually a pretty good flick and Nick Nolte was excellent (as usual) in his supporting role.

I stopped at Half Batch Brewing beforehand in Hendersonville and  had a few pints.  The place was quiet when I came in which I was surprised at since it was a Saturday, but it picked up nicely by the time I left.  I started with their very good Sangre Foot cream ale.  Next up was the hazy and delicious Shindig Session IPA (photo above).  It's an awesome collaboration with their neighboring brewery, BriarScratch Brewing, over in Gallatin.  I finished with a smaller 10 oz. pour of their solid Wayo Red ale.  

9/29 - I stayed at home all day today since I had a lot of football to watch (soccer and American) and some important online poker to play.  Now that is my kind of Sunday!  I started the day on a down note as my adopted Premier League soccer team, Newcastle United, really took it on the chin with a 5-0 drubbing by Leicester City.  They were already underdogs and then got a red card early on and had to play a man down the whole game on the road.  Sheez!  At least my beer during the game was tasty.  I had an outstanding bottle of Pecan Harvest Ale from Abita Brewing (LA) that I got in a four-beer variety pack at Lebanon n Wine and Spirits yesterday.  Seems appropriate to have a brown ale while watching Newcastle, but man does their team stink.  I wish they would trade my favorite player, Miguel Almiron, so I could follow a better team.  

Next up were my Tennessee Titans who got up off a two-game losing street to whip the Falcons down in Atlanta.  I saluted the Jekyll and Hyde team with a solid can of Inner Sanctum IPA from Mayday Brewing down in Murfreesboro.  This was # 2 from my variety pack.  Let's see some consistency this season, boys!

It was back to soccer next as I switched pulling against Atlanta when my favorite MLS team, Atlanta United, took the field up in Montreal against the Impact.  ATLUTD has already secured a playoff spot, but a win in this next to last game of the regular season could have sewn up a 2nd seed slot.  It ended in a 1-1 tie which did move them into second place, but the last game of the regular season next week against New England would now mean something to hold on to that second position.  I enjoyed an interesting and tasty bottle of Honeysuckle Saison from Abita Brewing (LA) during the match.

I ended the day and moved deep into the night playing in the most expensive tournament I have ever played on Global Poker.  My original plan for today had been to travel up to the other side of Louisville and play in a $200 WSOP Circuit tournament, but when I found this tournament  for the same cost on Global with a decent structure, and the fact that I could save 6 hours of driving and a possible hotel stay, it seemed like a no-brainer.  And it paid off!!  I wouldn't normally post a pic of a 15th place cash in a tournament, but when the cash is $400+ of profit, it's worth a shout out!  

New blog addition - I send 10% of my significant poker wins to charity, so the Stephen Stiller Tunnel to Towers Foundation  got $40 today! Thanks to my poker friend, Zack, for the information on this fine charitable organization set up after 9/11 in memory of NYFD firefighter, Stephen Stiller.

A few more details on the tournament were that there were 244 other players which gave it a mouth-watering $1K overlay.  The blinds did get unreasonable pretty fast late in the game and it turned into a shove-fest (typical of online tourneys), but I will definitely have to try this one again when possible.  I toasted my success with my last beer of the variety pack, a dandy little can of marzen from Braxton Brewing (KY) called Oktober Fuel.

9/30 - I had a relaxing double-feature day off from work starting with Downton Abbey (finally!) at the Streets of Indian Lake Theaters (recliners!) up in Hendersonville.  It's one of my favorite TV shows of the last decade, and this follow-up movie was absolutely perfect.  I bought my ticket in advance and had a great seat in the middle of a center row.  The funny thing was when I got there, my seat was the only empty one in the row that was filled with older ladies.   What a hoot!  I can definitely see some potential for a follow-up sequel.  I hope it happens. I had lunch beforehand at the always awesome Blossom Thai Restaurant and Cellar Door Cavern.  My curry fried-rice was spot-on and my session IPA from Wicked Weed Brewing over in Asheville, NC, called Appalachia was very good.  

Next up was the small, independent film, The Peanut Butter Falcon, which started off great and I loved that it was set in the beautiful Outer Banks of North Carolina.  The story fell apart a little at the end I thought, but still an enjoyable escape from the record-breaking heat outside this afternoon.  

10/1 - I was excited to find out that one of my favorite action/sci-fi movies of all time, The Matrix, was being re-released in 4DX at the Regal Theaters at Opry Mills,  The shake, rattle and roll of the 4DX experience combined with the ground-breaking F/X made this a really fun time. The 20-year-old movie still holds up really well. Beforehand, I stopped by Catch 22 Gastropub in Mt. Juliet for dinner and a couple of libations.  I had a terrific Cuban sandwich, and started with a very good Espresso Marshmallow Stout from Untitled Art Brewing (WI), moved on to a terrific New England IPA called Turbid 7 from Green Bench Brewing (FL), and finished with a decent half-pint of Wedge Cut, a wheat beer from Cigar City Brewing (FL).  

10/2 - I went to see the Roger Waters US+Them concert film back at Opry Mills Theaters tonight.  This two-night only event had a good crowd in attendance which was nice to see.   It was an excellent film that gave me a nice re-visit of the former Pink Floyd front-man's US+Them Tour that I attended back in 2017 here in Nashville ...only with much closer views and behind the scenes access!  Before the show, I stopped by the Homegrown Taproom for a libation or two and some bacon-popcorn for dinner (so healthy).  'Tis the season, so despite the hot temps outside, I started with the tasty Oktoberfest marzen from Mill Creek Brewing over in Nolensville.  Next up was the Oktober Surprise marzen from Calfkiller Brewing over in Sparta.  These boys always do things a little different, and a little better in my opinion.  This was one of the best Oktoberfest-style beers I have ever had.  

My friend, Nate, stopped by and joined me at the bar as I was getting ready to leave, so I had an unplanned 3rd beer, an 8 oz. pour of the Karate Chimp (2019) sour beer from Prairie Artisan Ales (OK).  It was more tart than sour which is the way I like them, if I am going to like them at all.  I was surprised that I earned this badge after checking 45 sour beers because they just aren't my thing usually.

10/3 - With Ashlee still out of town until late tonight, I attended the Nashville Film Festival Opening Night at Hollywood 27 Theaters on my own.  I saw the world premiere of the documentary film,  Born into the Gig.  It was a fascinating look at 5 struggling musicians whose parents just happen to be very famous musicians.  There was a Q and A after the film with the director, two producers and two of the stars:  Kori Withers, the daughter of soul crooner, Bill Withers; and Chris Stills, the son of 60's rock icon, Stephen Stills. 

Music memory:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3A4QJfn4pw

 Afterwards, since I had some time to kill before picking up Ashlee at the airport, I  headed over to Von Elrod's Beer Hall and Kitchen  to watch some of the Preds season opener vs. the Minnesota Wild which our boys won handily 5-2. I had some tasty fried cheese curds and a couple of great beers from their impressive number of taps.  I started with the smooth and 10+% ABV Golden Draak Classic from the Van Steenberge Brewery  (Belgium) strong ale (photo above) and followed that up with a refreshingly light, but large, mug of Von Elrod's Neighborhood Pilsner made for them by Jackalope Brewing here in Nashville.  The brunch menu here looks amazing.  Gotta definitely put that on the to-do list! 

There was also Thursday Night Football going on, so I headed to East Nashville next to catch the end of the Rams/Seahawks game at Noble's Kitchen and Beer Hall.  I was delighted to find out this is the home of the Tennesseahawks fan club and they were hootin' and hollerin' up on the second floor as the Seahawks dodged defeat thanks to a shanked gimme field goal by LA.  I sent the above pic to my longtime pal, Craig, since we were the original Tennesseahawks fans back in the late 80's and even had sweatshirts made that said so as we traveled to Seattle to catch a game with their then-huge rival, Denver Broncos, in the now-gone Kingdome (RIP).  I had a can of pretty good Silkscreen IPA from Monday Night Brewing (Atlanta) while there.  

Noble's was supposed to be open til midnight, but they were saying "last call" right after the football game ended, so I still had another hour to kill before picking Ashlee up from here red-eye flight from Orlando, so I headed deeper into East Nashville and stopped in Vinyl Tap for one final libation tonight.  I wasn't overly impressed with the beer list or the atmosphere here the first time I visited back in 2017 when they were kinda new, but tonight was enjoyable, with a solid tap list and cool tunes playing on the turntable.  I will definitely keep this place in my "rotation" of places to drink good craft beer in Nashville now.  I had a delicious pint of the dark and malty Ugly Pug schwarzbier (photo above) from Rahr and Sons Brewing (Fort Worth, TX).  I really love RSB and can't wait to visit them over New Year's hopefully.

10/5 - Ashlee and I took a quick little overnight trip to Monteagle Mountain to catch an evening concert by Blue October at The Caverns.  Since the show would let out late, I decided to rent us a cabin nearby which promised a 50' waterfall on site.  Well, with all the dry weather we've had, Miller's Falls was more like a 50' cliff, but I could definitely see the potential and will have to come back during wetter times.

The concert was great, the cabin was fine, but my favorite activity of the stay on Monteagle Mountain was visiting my old wood-carving friend, Jess Betchart.  We passed by his place and on a whim I called him up and although now 83-years-young and the shop closed most of the time, he lit up when he heard my name and invited us over.  I was impressed and a little moved that he still had the article I did about him in the Tennessee Magazine way back in 1991 up on his wall.  
After our visit we had a wonderful pizza dinner at the quirky and cool Mountain Goat Market where I also had two new-to-me beers.  I had a bottle of the pretty good Samuel Adams Octoberfest (2019) by the Boston Beer Company, and a can of the refreshing Mural Agua Fresca fruit beer from New Belgium Brewing (CO).  Nice to see craft beer available in this area.

10/6 - My good and long-time friend, Chris, met Ashlee and I today at the newest craft brewery in Chattanooga called Five Wits Brewing.  I have actually had a couple of their wares last month at the Moon River Festival here in town and knew they were opening soon.  The facility is super-nice and part of a unique eating-and-drinking concept called Market South, kind of a high-end food court. I started with their sensational Higher Brown English ale.  Next up was the solid Sunblaze IPA.  Ashlee and I ate some Asian fare afterwards in Market South and I had the very good Five Wits saison called Alpine Highway.

10/7 - I know hands-free driving in Tennessee is the law now, but how am I supposed to pass up on a shot like this!  Wow!

I finally got to see the highly-anticipated film, Joker,  in IMAX at the Streets of Indian Lake Theaters in Hendersonville tonight with my pal, Wayne.  The movie was disturbing and amazing all at the same time.  Phoenix kills it as my favorite villain of them all.  No super-powers, just effing crazy!  Direction was spot on, the cinematography was exquisite, and the score was hauntingly beautiful.  No way this one doesn't garner several Oscar nominations and some wins as well.  
Some sad news to report is that the great beer bar, Growler USA, there in the same complex as the theaters seems to have closed (indefinitely?).  It's been shuttered for a while now with a make-shift sign saying they will be back, but who knows.  I did have time to swing by Blossom and Cellar Door Cavern a few miles away for one quick libation before the show.  I had the excellent El Dorado High double IPA from MadTree Brewing up in Cincinnati.  

I scored a first-place win tonight in the second game of a WSOP on-line-tournament series I am involved with locally via Pokerstars.  Points-wise, this win shot me way into first place since my fill-in player last week got me a very respectable 2nd place.  I also chopped a $20 last-longer pot with another player for $37 in profit.  Best 10 scores of the 12 count and a $2,500 WSOP package is on the line, so let's hope I can keep up the early momentum over the next few months!   

10/11 - I had a nice Friday day-off today and headed to Franklin to get our Subaru's oil changed.  Since I was in the neighborhood, I dropped by the KroBar set up in the middle of the Kroger in Brentwood (photo above) that I had been hearing about.  Looks great, but unfortunately, it did not open at noon as I was hoping, so I had to settle for a nice variety six-pack to take home (photo below).  I did crack one open to sip on the drive back (shhhh! don't tell).  I had the Mango IPA from (new to me) Unveiled Brewing (CA) and it was very good.

A good craft beer selection, a nice carrier carton, and an excellent price ($10 for six) made the Brentwood Kroger shopping experience a nice one! 

1 headed up to the Blossom and Cellar Door Cavern in Hendersonville this evening and had a great dinner (drunken chicken fried rice!) and a couple brews before going to see the new Will Smith vs. Will Smith flick, Gemini Man, in IMAX.  The movie was OK, but I was expecting more.  The beers I had with dinner were the solid Scorned Hooker red IPA from Calfkiller Brewing over in Sparta, TN which I swear I have had before, but evidently never checked in to UNTAPPD.  I finished with a rather disappointing Downpatrick Irish Red ale from Half Batch Brewing here in Hendersonville.  Maybe it was combining it with the spicy Thai food, but I just wasn't a fan of it.  

Gemini Man was the first movie I got to use my new Regal Unlimited Plan on.  After Movie Pass tanked and Sinemia was a rip-off, I hesitated getting on this train, but at $20 a month, I should easily break even or better month in and month out.  I already saved $13 on this first ticket. 

10/12- We had a Saturday-Funday with Ashlee's cousin and her college-age daughter today in Nashville.  We had lunch at the Frothy Monkey in West Nashville and I had a pretty good Paradise Now (Raspberry Berliner Weisse) sour beer from TrimTab Brewing (AL) with my sandwich.  As we traveled to our next destination, I broke out another can from my Kroger variety pack.  It was another product from Unveiled Brewing (CA) called the Strawberry Bock and it was really tasty.  I like their cool can art too.

Our next stop was per my request at Mill Creek Brewing in Nolensville.  I have had several of their products in the past, but never had a chance to visit the brewery itself.  It's a great set-up and they were full-swing into Oktoberfest.  I had their excellent Shirt Tucker pale ale (photo above) and probably would have had another, but we got harassed by this drunk English asshole and his friends and just had to move on.
(Editor's note:  Almost exactly a month later, Mill Creek Brewing shockingly announced they were officially closed for business and filing for bankruptcy protection.  RIP, beer-brothers.)

We closed out the day with some weenie roasting and s'mores out in the back yard for our first fire of the fall.  I cracked open another Kroger variety pack brew.  The Mango Cart fruit beer from Golden Road Brewing (CA)  might have been a little too summer for this setting, but it sure did go down good and smooth.

10/13 - We had a great late brunch today at the new Party Fowl in Donelson and I had a terrific Punkin Ale (barely in the photo above) from Dogfish Head Brewing (DE).  I enjoyed watching the Seahawks come back and win in Cleveland on the giant screen also.  I finished with the so-so Pie Town Session Porter from Tennessee Brew Works here in Nashville.  It was OK, but needed a bit more smoke IMO for that classic porter taste.
A few scant hours later, we ate good again at our local Cherokee Steak House which is BYOB and my pal, Charly, was kind enough to bring and share a large bomber bottle of Big Bad Baptista imperial stout from Epic Brewing (UT) that was outstanding, especially with my big sirloin steak!!  

10/14 - I got off the snide on Global Poker tonight with a solid 2nd place finish in a fixed-limit tournament that only had 25 participants, but I was able to generate $64 in profit which I needed to replenish the ol' bankroll.

I headed over to the Hollywood 27 Theaters (recliners!) in Nashville tonight to catch a showing of Alien 40th Anniversary.  This is one of my favorite sci-fi/horror films.  Man, it really holds up despite its age and is 3 times better than some of the "cutting-edge" drivel coming out now.  Yeah, I'm looking at you, Gemini Man..  

Before the show I stopped by The Black Abbey Brewing around the corner from the theaters and had a couple of excellent pours.  I enjoyed the sunset and mild temps outside while downing their Spiny Norman Dunkelweizen.  I also ordered some tasty house-made pimento cheese for dinner and had their Belgian tripel called Hidden Cornerstone with it. 

10/18 - I cracked open # 4 in my Kroger variety 6-pack tonight after some Friday-afternoon yard work.  It was another product from Unveiled Brewing (CA), their tasty Double IPA.  There was more cool can art too, and this one is my favorite since it reminds me of my favorite book, "Watership Down."  Cheers, Hazel-rah!

10/19 - Here's a screen grab of the only goal by ATL UTD in the opening playoffs round win over New England.  The cool thing with this grab is that I watched it live while we were driving to Chattanooga.  I know streaming TV on your phone isn't a new thing, but it is to this old fart.  Very cool. And go Five Stripes!!

After a lot of work at Ashlee's mom's house in Chattanooga cleaning out junk,  I rewarded myself with a quick stop at Heaven and Ale Brewing which is just down the street.  I started with their New England IPA called Hazeus.  It was definitely hazy and definitely delicious.  I finished with a surprisingly enjoyable saison called Mountainside Vine.  I wasn't sure about this one since wine/grape-influenced beer hasn't always been my favorite in the past.  But this concoction made with Ontario grapes from nearby Wheeler's Orchard Ontario over in Dunlap was quite "deee-vine."  

10/20 - It was another weekend day of work in Chattanooga that I didn't want to be doing, but whatcha gonna do?  I figured I deserved another reward so I stopped by Hutton and Smith Brewing while going for lunch, and tried their 2019 World Beer Cup Gold Medal Winner, the Bivouac black IPA.  It was outstanding and I can see why it won the hardware.  So smooth, roasty and easy to quaff.  I  finished with their seasonal Roctoberfest marzen that was also really outstanding.  These guys are small in size, but they are one of the big-daddies here in Chatt-vegas when it comes to craft beer.

10/22 - I went to see the new comedy/horror flick Zombieland: Double Tap tonight at the Providence Theaters in Mt. Juliet.  It was a silly and fun romp. Thanks Regal Unlimited! I snuck in my first "pocket-beer" of the year into the movie also.  It was # 5 in my Kroger variety six-pack: a can of the  light and refreshing Passion Fruit Kolsch from New Belgium Brewing (CO).

10/23 - I went to see Western Stars - a new Bruce Springsteen concert film at Opry Mills Theaters tonight before picking up Ashlee from a late work flight at the airport.  Thanks Regal Unlimited!  The film was fantastic.  The Boss is not going to tour with his new album, "Western Stars" so he decided to film an intimate set in a 100+-year-old barn featuring every song on the album, plus an amazing cover of "Rhinestone Cowboy" by the late Glen Campbell.  The new songs are outstanding and I swear the 70-year-old's voice is better than ever.  I immediately bought the movie soundtrack off I-tunes and it will be in a constant rotation from now on.  In between songs on the film, they filmed some beautiful Arizona landscapes and Bruce talked about the upcoming song, it's inspiration and meaning to him. Such a great story-teller through song.  He's an American icon and always will be.  Thanks, Bruuuuuce!

After the movie, I stopped by the Homegrown Taproom to kill a little time before picking up Ashlee.  I had the excellent Lundi IPA from Monday Night Brewing (Atlanta) and the decent  Hookiebobb IPA from Crazy Mountain Brewing (CO).  Cheers to UNTAPPD and their ninth birthday!  That's got to be a pretty long life for an app I wound think and its still going strong!

10/24 - I had a fun night sitting on my ass tonight (after some yard work, of course) watching ATL UTD in their second-round win of the MLS Playoffs over Philly, some of the Preds impressive beat-down of Minnesota, 4-0 and grabbing a 4th-place finish in my weekly online poker WSOP-qualifier.  I toasted all this success with my final beer from the Kroger variety six-pack, a solid and tasty Fathom IPA from Ballast Point Brewing (CA).

10/25 - I took the afternoon off from work today and headed up to Hendersonville to the Streets of Indian Lake Theaters to catch a matinee showing of the new historic film, The Current War, with two of my favorite actors, Benedict Cumberbatch, as Thomas Edison, and Michael Shannon as George Westinghouse, battling to bring electric current to the United States.  It was a pretty good flick albeit a little slow at times, but still a fascinating look at the world I work in every day.    Thanks again, Regal Unlimited! 

After the movie, I stopped by the Cellar Door Craft Cavern Bar at the Blossom Restaurant there in Hendersonville and had a couple new-to-me brews.  I started with a very good Scottish ale from 3 Floyds Brewing (IN) called Robert the Bruce.   Next up was a surprisingly good rice-based lager called Koji Gold (photo above: look at the lacing!) from Proper Sake Company in Nashville.  I will have to check this place out since they are brewing good beer as well as saki down in East Nasty!  

10/28 - Hey, sometimes you see zebras when you are out working in Wilson County...Tennessee!!  

Well, I do get emotional about craft breweries...

I like craft beer....yeah, no shit....cuz 2,500 is a big number!

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.

And I can spell cerveza, lager, pilsner and I know the history of why it's called an India pale ale...