It's been how many weeks?

Twelve.  It's been a dozen weeks since my last post. Three months is quite a long hiatus considering my goal was once a week. Maybe I should consider writing once a quarter.

So what have I been doing during this time? Obviously nothing too exciting to write about. I'll give you the quick rundown with a few photos, of course.

I'll skip February. It was cold. Enough said.

March 8:   I ran a beer mile! This was a fun event. Four laps, one beer per lap, try not to fall down or puke. Check, check aaaand.... CHECK! I did not fall down or puke! In fact I had a victory beer after the race. My race time was terrible, but that wasn't the point! I would totally do this again.

March 25:  We went to Branson for part of Spring Break! We received season tickets to Silver Dollar City as a Christmas gift (really great idea), so we decided to take a long weekend. However, the weather was kind of crappy. It rained really hard on our way down. It was sunny the next day but really windy and chilly. We went to SDC anyway, and it was super crowded. We waited in line for over an hour for our favorite rides. It rained the next day, so we found other things to do like Ripley's Believe It and hiked along Table Rock Lake. And on the way home, we stopped at the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and Bass Pro. All together, it was nice to get away for a few days as a family.

April 18:  Missouri Beer Fest! Always a fun time. Breweries from across the state meet in Columbia to share their craft. We had special shirts printed up for Broadway Brewery which I was geeking out over! Don't you just love them?

Welcome to the Craft Side!

So that should catch you up to the present day. I promise I won't be as much of a stranger on here.

More posts to come!!!

You only get so many...

I love summer. The days are longer, weather is warmer, and the schedule is a little less hectic. No school schedules to contend with and work is even a little slower... for a while. June is my favorite month of summer. The kids are finally out of school. They're not bored (yet). And I can take vacation time!

Bear Bottom Resort

We decided to spend our family vacation time at the lake. It was wonderful to get away and not have a schedule. We did whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted. That meant spending a lot of time kicked back lying in the sun. It was pure bliss. We kicked a few drinks back too.

At the bottom of the water slides was a bar!

I told myself I wasn't going to check my email this week. Well, I made it until Thursday. Not bad, huh?!? I'm seriously addicted to technology, so I think this is REALLY good for me. While logged in I just cleaned out the list serve junk, the out of office updates, and the other stuff I didn't have to answer. I must point out that I didn't answer any of my email. In fact, I really didn't read most of them, so I still count that as meeting my goal. I have to tell you... I highly recommend it. Just log out and forget about what's waiting on the other side of vacation. It will definitely be there when you get back. Vacations are rare. Work is not.

On a boat with beer and good friends.

My favorite thing to do at the lake is watch one sunrise and one sunset from start to finish. I'm not really a morning person, but nothing beats watching the sunrise with a cup of coffee in hand on the dock. It's soooo peaceful. The boats aren't out yet, so the only sounds are the sounds of nature - fish flipping out of the water, birds flying, frogs croaking....you get the idea. But in case you don't, I made a couple of videos from the photos I took. They're posted below. Check them out, and you'll see what I mean.

We're headed back to the lake for the 4th of July annual celebration, so more posts are coming! Hope you are enjoying every moment of your summer. Your sunrises and sunsets are numbered, you know. Log off, get out there, and get lost in the moment. You won't regret it.

Say It Ain't Snow

Alarm goes off like any other Monday morning, and I roll out of bed. I wake up my son for school, and we grudgingly go about our morning routine. Then the phone rings. The phone never rings at 6:00 a.m. unless it's terrible news. Who in the heck is calling us this early? It's Columbia Public Schools. No school! Really? We had received some ice over the weekend, but I thought the roads were somewhat passable. Nevertheless, no school today. So I let my son know and he promptly returns to bed. I walk into my daughter's room; she's still asleep. I whisper the news in her ear. Her eyes flutter awake and she smiles while rolling over to go back to sleep. Sounds like a good idea. I also head back to bed. I emailed work later that morning to let them know I'd be checking email at home. I had some things to get done because a huge snowstorm was on it's way. An extended weekend was sounding pretty good.

That evening we received texts and emails that just about everything in town would be closed on Tuesday. MU even closed the campus at 8:00 pm Monday night before a single snowflake fell. That's never happened. I thought to myself, "What if they're jumping the gun? What if this monster snow storm never reaches us?" Doesn't matter because I don't have to go to work the next day! So my husband and I open up a bottle of Westmalle Trappist Ale. Good stuff.

Well.... the snow storm reaches us.... in full force! It snowed for almost 24 hours. I set out my famous "snow gauge" to measure the snow. I bought some Mirror Pond Ale for the Super Bowl, so that was the snow gauge of choice. After a few hours of watching it blow and drift, I decided to increase the size of the snow gauge (the larger 750 ml bottle is the empty Westmalle from the night before). I'm glad I did because you couldn't even see the smaller bottle on Wednesday morning.

Needless to say, everything was closed on Wednesday too. I personally was happy to have an extra day to get the driveway clear. I wouldn't have been able to make it to work anyway. They closed school on Thursday as well because of the road conditions and extreme cold. The enthusiasm for my kids is now starting to wane. My daughter was calling it the longest weekend ever (indeed). Thursday night we started wondering if they would have school on Friday. Part of me thought what's the use of sending them to school for just one day? Let's just start fresh on Monday. 

Our suspicions were confirmed later Thursday night. No school again! After my kids heard the news they responded back with "No! Will we have to go to school in July?!?" Not quite. But I know we'll all be complaining about keeping the school schedule after Memorial Day. June 5th is the last day of school as it stands now. And winter isn't over yet, folks.

So please, Mr. Weatherman, I'm begging you. The next time you report the forecast...say it ain't snow!

Calling All Beer Lovers

Oh lovers of beer of the world, we all need another excuse to drink beer, right? Well no not really, but this is a good one. It's the first Friday in August.... It's International Beer Day! A day to raise your frosty pint in a toast to all the brewers and bartenders of the world. A day to show your appreciation while participating in one of the greatest activities of all time... drinking beer!

I have a line up of new beers to try tonight to celebrate. I bought a mix-six and had a couple for IPA Day last night: Stone IPA by Stone Brewing and Titan IPA by Great Divide - both awesome. Did you celebrate last night? So many cool beer days in a row! I'm really thankful that this particular celebration day is on a Friday. I guess that makes Saturday International Hangover day? Maybe.... remember to drink your water.

Here's what I have on deck for tonight...

Blue Moon Agave Nectar Ale by Coors Brewing Company
Fire Rock Pale Ale by Kona Brewing Company
West Coast IPA by Green Flash Brewing Co.
Torpedo Extra IPA by Sierra Nevada

Need a celebratory playlist? I've got you covered. 45 tracks of my favorite beer drinking tunes.



So here's to you Mr. Brewer of Craft Beer Extraordinaire (remember the Real Men of Genius ads?). I raise my pint of ale in a toast. You are the beast of the yeast and the top of the hops. In the pursuit of hoppiness... you so totally rock.

Cheers!

03.14.13 Tasty

Here's is how I celebrated Pi Day... with a TASTY brew.  Well... the glass is round...

A Boulevard 80 Acre is very tasty, but it's even better on my deck with warm sunshine. It's finally deck sitting weather! So beautiful outside.

02.19.13 I am...

...a beer enthusiast, lover of food, and a sports fanatic!

So... I am drinking a beer, eating some spicy chili, and getting ready to watch some Mizzou Tiger basketball! Beat the Gators!!!

MIZ!

Mole Stout by Ska Brewing

It looks intriguing right from the start. I mean, just look at the artwork on the can? Ska never disappoints here. And they don't disappoint with this beer either. This is my first time trying this beer though it has been out for a while. Not sure what took me so long!

This ale is brewed with peppers, cocoa and spices. If it sounds like it brings a lot of flavor, you would be correct. The term "mole" refers to a mix of different chile peppers that are made into a sauce in Mexican cuisine. These 3 chile peppers consist of: mulato, ancho and hatch green chiles. All of these peppers are considered mild - and probably a good thing, you wouldn't want too much heat dominating over the cocoa nibs and dark roasted malts in this beer.

This beer has a lot of flavor and is very complex. The spices and chocolate flavors really work well together. It would pair well with a dessert or any Mexican food dish (and I love Mexican food).

Don't wait as long I did to try this one. Cheers!

02.09.13 Guilty Pleasure

First of all, I'd like to state that I don't necessarily feel "guilty" about any of my pleasures.

Ahem....

Having said that... I will occasionally feel guilty if I indulge in a dessert. Yes, I will admit it. I have a sweet tooth. I have a weakness for all things chocolate. Especially chocolate covered fruit. So when I saw this beer on the shelf, I HAD to try it.

SO GOOD! Just the right amount of chocolate and cherry flavors. Sometimes the fruit beers will come off way too sweet. Not this one. O'Fallon did a really nice job.

So if you like cherries? And you like chocolate? And you like beer? Then you will LOVE this Cherry Chocolate Beer. I highly recommend it.

02.08.13. Something Orange

Silky dark chocolate enhanced with the flavor of orange, accompanied by the delicate crunch of almond slivers. Oh my, yes please! Now consider this... pairing it with a wonderful dark beer.

Oh, now we are talking! I know you have heard of pairing chocolate with wine, but I'm a beer gal. I prefer a tasty brew over a glass of wine any day. So I tried pairing this tasty chocolate with Left Hand Brewery's Fade to Black.

Winner! It worked really, really well together. The roasted malts and coffee notes really brought out the orange flavor in the chocolate. However, the orange doesn't need a whole lot of help because when they say intense, they really mean intense! The smokey flavor in this beer is a good contrast to the sweetness of the chocolate. The lingering hops also pair well with the taste of citrus. 

Dark ales or stouts typically pair well with desserts, so this was not a huge surprise that they went well together. I think I may have another.

Mirror Pond Pale Ale

Yesterday was what I consider to be the best football day for the NFL. Championship Sunday - the best teams in the country fighting for a spot in the Super Bowl. That, my dear friends, is cause for a beer. But if I'm being totally honest, what occasion doesn't call for a beer?

I headed to the beer fridge to make my selection. Tough decision.....

It's been a while since I've reviewed a beer here, so I'm thinking now would be a good day to do so again. Let's talk about Deschutes Mirror Pond Ale. Deschutes is located in Bend, Oregon and just came to Missouri this past year. They are expanding further east which should make any beer drinker very happy. I had heard a lot of good things about them and was eager to try their flagship beer, Mirror Pond. When you consider the different types of beer, I am a big fan of the "Ales," especially the American Pale Ales. They usually have medium maltiness, higher hop bitterness, and a medium flavor/aroma from the hops.

Mirror Pond is brewed with Cascade hops, which is popular for that region. It has a piney citrus aroma. The malts make it sweet but not overly so. It's nicely balanced like a good APA should be. You get a little hop bite at first sip, and then there is a malt backbone that lingers. It's hop forward and drinks almost like an IPA. I have had this beer several times, and it never disappoints.

The pale ales from the Northwest have a distinct flavor, in my opinion, based on the hops and malts from that region. If you like Boulevard Pale Ale, Green Flash West Coast IPA, or Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, then you'll love Mirror Pond Pale Ale.

Cheers!

A Sound You Heard

On Thanksgiving night, we gathered around the table, ate some wonderful food, and drank a few beers. My brother in law, Sean, put the empty beer bottles to good use.

Disclaimer: Sean did not drink any of the beer. That was accomplished by my husband, his brother, and me. And they were good. 

Here he is "tuning" the bottles...

And here he is playing Joy To The World.

Pretty creative, don't you think?

Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock

So this review is going to be short and sweet....

Do you like chocolate?

Do you like beer?

If you answered yes to both of those questions, then you owe it to yourself to try Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock. It has the best chocolate flavor I have ever tasted in a beer. The beer is brewed with a blend of cocoa nibs which is the primary ingredient in chocolate. It has a great malty flavor with the sweetness of chocolate. It's very light, smooth and doesn't weigh you down.

Now here's the bad news... it's a seasonal beer. And you can only find this beer in the Winter Classics pack. They include two beers of six varieties in this pack. This year the pack includes Old Fezziwig Ale, Winter Lager, White Christmas, and Holiday Porter. Oh, and they throw in a couple of Boston Lagers too. I must ask why they do this? I can get Boston Lager ANY TIME I WANT? That's my only complaint.

Still, Chocolate Bock is definitely worth buying the whole pack. Let me know if you don't agree.

Cheers!

Drink

I may not be ready for Christmas yet... not even close... but Christmas Ale?

Fill 'er up!

Tonight I'm trying Deschutes Jubelale. Sweet malts with Christmas spices of cinnamon and nutmeg. I taste toffee and caramel too. Would be an excellent beer snuggled in a blanket next to a fire on a cold night.

Almost gets me in the holiday spirit.  

International Stout Day

Got Milk?

Milk Stout, that is. And not just any Milk Stout... Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro! When a beer, typically a stout, is dispensed with nitrogen, it pours creamy and contains less carbonation. Most draught beer is dispensed with either pure carbon dioxide or a blend that contains nitrogen. Some canned beer, like Guinness, are packaged with nitrogen and a ball like widget floating in the can that creates the creamy head. Left Hand's special bottle creates this creamy head without the widget... as long as you pour it hard.

So, poured it hard I did!

The beer cascades into the glass starting tan and gradually turning black in about 30 seconds. When it is through cascading, a tan head settles on top - milky and lumpy. Chocolate and coffee overtones come through on the aroma and taste. It has a wonderful milky mouthfeel. It really is an outstanding beer.

I have had the pleasure of enjoying this beer both as draught and bottle. I really couldn't tell much difference. So it's the FIRST beer I thought of for International Stout Day. Stout beers are my ultimate favorite - one of the few perks of cold weather (there aren't many). If you love stout beer, I highly recommend you give this one a try.

Cheers to the dark side!

5 O'Clock

Time for a beer!

I went to the 39th floor of my hotel to the lounge aptly named The View. It had spectacular views of San Francisco! Gorgeous sunset. I was not able to capture the scene adequately with my phone camera, so you get a picture of what I was DOING at 5 o'clock...

After my beer, I had a wonderful seafood dinner of mussels and shrimp. Since I live in land-locked Missouri, I MUST eat seafood when I travel to the coast. Nothing better than fresh seafood. 

After that... bowling! I found out that I still suck at bowling, but the beer was good and my team won. So that was cool. Late night, but it was totally worth it. Incredible fun.

Bob's 47 Oktoberfest

The chill in the air has me craving some tasty fall beer. One of my favorites is Boulevards' fall seasonal, Bob's 47. You really can't go wrong with Boulevard. They have quality beers that never disappoint. This one is no exception.

This Munich-style lager salutes Bob Werkowitch, Master Brewer and graduate of the U. S. Brewer's Academy, 1947. It's a medium-bodied, dark amber brew with a malty flavor and well-balanced hop character. It's close to a brown ale - without the dark malts and with crisp lager characteristics.

It's a very mild and drinkable beer. Pairs well with pork or ham and beans. Oh, fall yummy comfort food, I love you. Gather around the fire pit and tip one back.

Cheers!

day 17. In Your Fridge

Today's photo a day prompt is "in your fridge." As I said a couple of days ago, my favorite time of year is fall. I love everything about fall... nature's color show, the warm days and cool nights, football and of course... Pumpkin Ale!

And as it turns out, I have some in my fridge...

If you like pumpkin pie and beer, then Schlafly Pumpkin Ale is one to try. You can really taste the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in every sip without it being overdone. The sweetness and maltiness of this beer is balanced very well. I have noticed there are quite a few pumpkin ales on the market today, and I haven't tried them all, but Schlafly Pumpkin Ale is my favorite of those I have tried. A friend of mine suggested a pumpkin ale tasting party. I'm really liking that idea more and more. I'll let you know if it happens.

I received a tip from one of my followers on Untappd when I "checked-in" to this beer. Untappd is a very cool app that allows you to socially share the beers you are enjoying, as well as where you are enjoying them, with your friends. The tip was to rim the glass with cinnamon and sugar. Fabulous tip! I highly recommend you give it a try. It offers a little extra sweetness. And download Untappd! Great app for discovering new beers to enjoy... and helpful tips.

Oh, and one final tip from me, pumpkin ales are better enjoyed at room temperature. Cold is the enemy of sweetness in a beer. The spices really blossom as a beer like this warms.

Cheers, everyone! Here's to fall and pumpkin ale in my glass!

day 12. Together

There are three things in this life in which I love to indulge...

1. Chocolate
2. Coffee
3. Beer

So when I find it all rolled into one? You know... together? My friends, that's cause for celebration! Behold, Founder's Breakfast Stout!

First, I must say you have to love coffee to love this beer.... and if you've been reading for a while, you know that I do! You can smell the aroma immediately upon opening the bottle. It's brewed with Sumatra and Kona coffee and imported bitter chocolate. The addition of oatmeal gives it a smooth and velvety mouthfeel. It is simply exceptional. But do NOT drink it right out of the fridge. For maximum enjoyment, let it warm up to cellar temperature. Just trust me on this one.

So to sum it all up... coffee up front and on the finish, just the right amount of bitter, and velvety smooth.

If we ever have an early football game this year and it's a breakfast-style tailgate, I am totally bringing this beer!

day 9. Something You Do Most Weekends

I have LOADS of fun on the weekends...

I 

But like I say to my kids: word hard, play hard. I also like to kick a few back on the weekends after the work is done. I try to "eat the frog first" and then get on with my day. 

Eat the frog first. Ever heard that phrase before? I hadn't until I read the blog post by Fat Mum Slim. It's a list of 7 tips on finding balance in your life. I highly recommend you read her post even if you think you are the most balanced person on the planet. It's really great advice.

Speaking of balance... I believe I've earned some play time.

Cheers!

day 27. tap

Yes, that's a beer tap in the wall. My wall. It's in my basement.

We installed this tap in our basement when we first moved into the house. On the other side of the wall the line connects to a kegerator (a modified refrigerator that dispenses beer). Once upon a time Boulevard Wheat would flow freely through this line. It was definitely cheaper by the glass to buy keg beer and way more convenient. No bottles to throw away. No cans to recycle. Fewer trips to the store for more beer.

But it could be a pain too. Purchasing the right sized keg (slim keg) was at times a challenge. Cleaning the line was a big chore. Keeping everything in working order so our beer tasted the way it should was a big job. 

So now the kegerator is simply a beer fridge stocked with a wide variety of craft beers.

Variety is good, but I do miss pouring myself and our guests a beer from the tap in our wall. I mean, it's just cool to hear "pour me a beer from the tap in your wall!" I'm betting that the kegerator will live again one day. Until that time, I'll reach for a cold beer on the other side of the wall.

Cheers.