Actually, I'd be happy if we just had a Specs in Dallas. Specs is this gigantic beer, wine and spirits store. They also have wonderful fresh deli, gourmet foods and awesome snacks. There's a really great one in Houston just outside of downtown. And I went there today.
I must confess, I went on a spree. I hit the mother lode right off the bat. Three, count 'em, three, bottles of Allagash 4. Can I get an AMEN! Next, I found Left Hand Oktoberfest (which I had just sampled at the Houston Flying Saucer)...yippee! Then there was the Breckenridge Autumn...can't wait to try that. And I couldn't resist the Flyin' Dog Gonzo (Hunter S. Thompson) Imperial Stout, or the Des Chutes Obsidian Porter. I'm gonna need a bigger beer fridge.
Of course I struck up a conversation with the beer guy, and we exchanged recommendations. We talked about our mutual love of seasonal beers: Oktoberfests, pumpkin ales, autumn browns. He asked me if I wanted a job there.
Oh, hell, yes!!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
It's Pumpkin Season
I'm a big BIG fan of pumpkin pie (well, Fall foods, in general). And I love it (I don't know how they do it), but I love it when those flavors show up in one of my other favorite things - beer.
Hear me out! Spices: nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice. Flavors: vanilla, pumpkin, buttery crust. IN A BEER.
Try 'em. But hurry...they won't be around long.
Dogfish Head Pun'kin Ale
Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale
Brooklyn Post Road Pumpkin Ale
Blue Moon Harvest Moon
Sam Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale
Magic Hat Hex (not really pumpkin-y, but a damn fine seasonal beer)
Close your eyes. Take a good sniff and picture a slice of pie, complete with whipped cream and brown flaky crust. Then sip. Roll it around in your mouth. Yum!
Hey, Sammy, I'm talking to you. Give it a shot. You can spit it out if you want, but if you don't at least try it, then I'll feel like a bigger beer snob than I already am. ;-)
Hear me out! Spices: nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice. Flavors: vanilla, pumpkin, buttery crust. IN A BEER.
Try 'em. But hurry...they won't be around long.
Dogfish Head Pun'kin Ale
Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale
Brooklyn Post Road Pumpkin Ale
Blue Moon Harvest Moon
Sam Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale
Magic Hat Hex (not really pumpkin-y, but a damn fine seasonal beer)
Close your eyes. Take a good sniff and picture a slice of pie, complete with whipped cream and brown flaky crust. Then sip. Roll it around in your mouth. Yum!
Hey, Sammy, I'm talking to you. Give it a shot. You can spit it out if you want, but if you don't at least try it, then I'll feel like a bigger beer snob than I already am. ;-)
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Like Taking Body Shots Off of Aunt Jemima
If you read seewhatwedidtodayblog.com, my apologies for the re-write...
At the Saucer today, we tried a new brew from Tommyknockers brewery in Idaho Springs in Colorado. After reading the description of this beer, I was so excited to try it: delicate maple syrup, nuttiness, caramel and chocolate all wrapped up in a brown ale. Wow! Let's get to drinkin'.
Emily, our beer goddess, poured it up for us, and I noticed that it didn't "glug" out of the bottle, like so many of my favorite dark beers do...it just sort of fell out. The pour was dark with very little head, but, hey, I think dark beers are always a bit surprising. Hand that over here.
I took one whiff and damn near went ass over teakettle. Good god! WTF? The maple was sooo overpowering, I thought surely there was a short stack heading my way. I set it down and drank some water to get back to an even keel.
When I regained consciousness after the insulin coma, I finally took a swig. Now to be fair, Joe loved this beer. I likened drinking it to french kissing Mrs. Butterworth. It was sooooo maple-y. I could just as easily been snuggling up next to a sugar maple and sucking on the spout. OMFG!! The inside of my mouth felt sticky...and not in a good way. The beer itself was thin, but the after-effect was all sugar, pulling at the enamel of my teeth and coating the roof of my mouth. Ick.
I thought Joe was ready to move into the Log Cabin, lock, stock and barrel. He slurped and suckled at Aunt Jemima's teat until with was dry. And, for a moment, he considered ordering a second one...I gave him the last half of mine. Yes. I made it halfway through. I kept hoping that it would grow on me; that maybe at any moment the urge to go to the Waffle House would pass. It still hasn't.
I was so thankful to move on to the next beer: An Ugly Pug from Fort Worth brewery, Rahr and Sons. I guess I should also be thankful that when I got up to go to the ladies room that I didn't stick to the chair.
At the Saucer today, we tried a new brew from Tommyknockers brewery in Idaho Springs in Colorado. After reading the description of this beer, I was so excited to try it: delicate maple syrup, nuttiness, caramel and chocolate all wrapped up in a brown ale. Wow! Let's get to drinkin'.
Emily, our beer goddess, poured it up for us, and I noticed that it didn't "glug" out of the bottle, like so many of my favorite dark beers do...it just sort of fell out. The pour was dark with very little head, but, hey, I think dark beers are always a bit surprising. Hand that over here.
I took one whiff and damn near went ass over teakettle. Good god! WTF? The maple was sooo overpowering, I thought surely there was a short stack heading my way. I set it down and drank some water to get back to an even keel.
When I regained consciousness after the insulin coma, I finally took a swig. Now to be fair, Joe loved this beer. I likened drinking it to french kissing Mrs. Butterworth. It was sooooo maple-y. I could just as easily been snuggling up next to a sugar maple and sucking on the spout. OMFG!! The inside of my mouth felt sticky...and not in a good way. The beer itself was thin, but the after-effect was all sugar, pulling at the enamel of my teeth and coating the roof of my mouth. Ick.
I thought Joe was ready to move into the Log Cabin, lock, stock and barrel. He slurped and suckled at Aunt Jemima's teat until with was dry. And, for a moment, he considered ordering a second one...I gave him the last half of mine. Yes. I made it halfway through. I kept hoping that it would grow on me; that maybe at any moment the urge to go to the Waffle House would pass. It still hasn't.
I was so thankful to move on to the next beer: An Ugly Pug from Fort Worth brewery, Rahr and Sons. I guess I should also be thankful that when I got up to go to the ladies room that I didn't stick to the chair.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
De-Lish!
I just got home from a long business trip and was too tired to be concerned with dinner, so we ordered from Chili's.
They have a new rib sauce: honey chipotle. Oh my goodness. Those are some good ribs, boy. And while I expect a honey beer (like Sierra Nevada Kellerweiss) would be really, really good with them, I had a Brooklyn Oktoberfest. And THAT was a mitey good choice.
The sauce is smokey and spicy, sweet and sticky. It has some good heat and tons of flavor. I know. I licked plenty of it off my lips and fingers. It's really good, and I totally recommend it. But get it "to go" as I seriously doubt Chili's will have much other than Bud Light and Miller Lite (maybe a Shiner) to offer to go with. I much prefer the choices in MY beer fridge.
Mmmmm. Baby back ribs and honey chipotle. De-Lish!
They have a new rib sauce: honey chipotle. Oh my goodness. Those are some good ribs, boy. And while I expect a honey beer (like Sierra Nevada Kellerweiss) would be really, really good with them, I had a Brooklyn Oktoberfest. And THAT was a mitey good choice.
The sauce is smokey and spicy, sweet and sticky. It has some good heat and tons of flavor. I know. I licked plenty of it off my lips and fingers. It's really good, and I totally recommend it. But get it "to go" as I seriously doubt Chili's will have much other than Bud Light and Miller Lite (maybe a Shiner) to offer to go with. I much prefer the choices in MY beer fridge.
Mmmmm. Baby back ribs and honey chipotle. De-Lish!
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