So I can't really explain my MIA-ness. I think the best guess is all the graduations I attended, plus I just finished doing some moving. Before this update, I was behind by almost 25 beers and Colleen had a lead that was closing on 10%. Yikes.
Despite this, I did manage to escape my moving duties last weekend and go out with some sailing buddies from college. We went to The Whiskey in Annapolis, no new beer to be had there. However, I did get to catch up with some people and listen to some local music. I'd say the music drowned out catching up more than anything else. Nonetheless, good times were had.
After we had our fill there, we went to downtown Annapolis to Harry Browne's, which is on State House circle. The upstairs bar was the kind of place most appropriate for a cigar and a sniffer full of brandy, but I did manage to try a new beer. As pretentious as it sounded, unlike the last place, you could definitely have a conversation there. So perhaps that means I had a good mix of bar experiences.
Dominion Hop Mountain Pale Ale: I thought this tasted a little funny. I think it was most likely the hop variety, since it can have a large affect on pale ales and IPA. Considering the varying kinds of hops, that's my best guess on one try - assuming the keg was fresh. It did seem to get better as I broke up the taste with some bar pretzels. At times, I think beer can be aided by food. Yet, it can also mask the taste. Being that this isn't a sophisticated beer review guide, I'll stop here and reiterate my review again. Dominion generally makes decent beer, but I'd avoid this one.
In a desperate attempt to begin to catch up, I went to Total Wine and made a custom six pack. For the most part, I avoided porters and stouts, being that it's the time of year for lighter ales and lagers, but I did manage to sneak in an oatmeal stout. Also, at Laura's suggestion, I will be adorning the mantle in my living room with empty beer bottles from my recent reviews.
Bavaria Holland Blonde: Admittedly, if you put this and Heineken next to each other, I might not tell the difference. That statement makes this review interesting, since technically Heineken has not be officially listed on my count. The beer was light in color and taste, and the slight floral/fruit aroma reminded me of Heineken.
Harpoon Celtic Ale: As with the last beer, this reminded me of another common brew. I thought the taste was very similar to Killian's Irish Red. Harpoon, like Dominion, generally does a pretty good job. Being that I like Killian's, I thought this was a very good beer.
Left Hand Jackman'ss Pale Ale: As far as pale ales are concerned, this was rather middle of the road. I thought it wasn't too hoppy, but had enough kick to certainly distinguish itself as a pale ale. The beer went down fairly clean and smooth. Thus far, I'd say Left Hand brewing makes a quality micro-brew.
Lost Coast Alleycat Amber Ale: I tend to like amber ales, especially in the summer. I was somewhat disappointed by this beer. I thought it tasted pretty smooth, but was not what I think an iconic amber ale should taste like. No comment on the brewer, since this is my first by them.
Southampton Double White Ale: White ales tend to remind me of a wheat beer or Blue Moon. Fortunately, this was much better than Blue Moon. The beer was very cloudy, as I believe it was unfiltered. When tasting unfiltered beers from the bottle, it is best to avoid the very last drops as they mostly contain yeast. In short, this was a nice summer beer to have on a hot day.
New Holland The Poet: I thought this was a great oatmeal stout. While it was heavy for the summer, I thought this beer was well done for its style and overall. Laura made Salisbury Steak for dinner that night, and it complemented the food really well. I wish I had better descriptors for you, but I'm at a loss of words. I hope to locate another one of these, because I really enjoyed it - and so I can update this review a little more.
This begins my long march to slowly catch up to Colleen over the summer. I hope to pass her sometime in late July, just in time to build a lead before she begins her march to demolish me once again. That said, I hope to meet with my beer friend sooner rather than later for a beer. Speaking of my beer friend, I wish her best of luck on her Thoreau style thesis writing.
The scorecard:
Colleen: 253
Paul: 236
Cheers,
Paul
Sunday, May 30, 2010
various notes
I've tried an assortment of new beers in the past few weeks, in addition to the aforementioned summer brews-- those were just the only ones I could remember the last time I was in front of the computer. Now I have in front of me the notebook which I've been writing beers down in, I can fill you in on these:
Widmer Hefeweizen: This hefeweizen is legit, but no Love or Sam Adams. But good.
Trader Joe's Hofbrau Bock: I expected this to be kind of thick and sweet like a lot of bock beers I've had. Thankfully that was not the case. Not too sweet, not too hoppy, plenty drinkable. I approve. I've been told that I'd love Trader Joe's on the whole. I've still never been to one. I need to remedy this. This was provided by my lovely roommate, Lauren, who also provided Trader Joe's pumpernickel pretzels, which are also suggestive that I would love that place.
River Horse Summer Blonde: Good summery beer, kind of light and crisp tasting.
Flying Dog's Raging Bitch Belgian-Style IPA: Perhaps this entry should be carrying a rating of PG-13 for some language. Actually, should probably be rated R since it's all about things that only concern people of legal age. ANYWAY. For not being into IPAs really much at all ever, I survived this. In fact, I enjoyed it more with each sip. It came across as a Belgian witbier--a little sweet, very smooth, light and crisp-- with that sharp IPA after taste, but it faded pretty quickly which is probably why I survived to recommend this beer.
Flying Dog's Snake Dog IPA: Didn't really survive this one. It's probably a good IPA, but that style of beer just hasn't grown on me yet.
Otter Creek Solstice Session Ale: This was a pretty good pale ale. Very straightforward, nothing offensive about drinking this. I'd say it's leaning toward summer solstice, however, being pretty light and refreshing. This would be good on a hot summer day. Someone else will have to test that theory for me.
Dogfish Head Festina Peche: What the heck! This does not in any way resemble a beer. Lauren gave it to me because she didn't like it. It was ok, but not as a beer. It reminded me more of a really really fizzy cider, but peach instead of apple. The label says "malt beverage brewed with peach concentrate" but is considered a "Berliner Weissbier". I would deny its identity as a beer but I try to be open and accepting of differences in this world... plus, this puts me another one ahead of Paul.
The cool thing about living with and catching up with my old camp friends is that in addition to being neat people who like stuff like hiking and trees and cooking over campfires, they also like good beer. I have another good friend who likes good beer who we haven't heard much from in a while...
Paul: 229
Colleen: 253
Widmer Hefeweizen: This hefeweizen is legit, but no Love or Sam Adams. But good.
Trader Joe's Hofbrau Bock: I expected this to be kind of thick and sweet like a lot of bock beers I've had. Thankfully that was not the case. Not too sweet, not too hoppy, plenty drinkable. I approve. I've been told that I'd love Trader Joe's on the whole. I've still never been to one. I need to remedy this. This was provided by my lovely roommate, Lauren, who also provided Trader Joe's pumpernickel pretzels, which are also suggestive that I would love that place.
River Horse Summer Blonde: Good summery beer, kind of light and crisp tasting.
Flying Dog's Raging Bitch Belgian-Style IPA: Perhaps this entry should be carrying a rating of PG-13 for some language. Actually, should probably be rated R since it's all about things that only concern people of legal age. ANYWAY. For not being into IPAs really much at all ever, I survived this. In fact, I enjoyed it more with each sip. It came across as a Belgian witbier--a little sweet, very smooth, light and crisp-- with that sharp IPA after taste, but it faded pretty quickly which is probably why I survived to recommend this beer.
Flying Dog's Snake Dog IPA: Didn't really survive this one. It's probably a good IPA, but that style of beer just hasn't grown on me yet.
Otter Creek Solstice Session Ale: This was a pretty good pale ale. Very straightforward, nothing offensive about drinking this. I'd say it's leaning toward summer solstice, however, being pretty light and refreshing. This would be good on a hot summer day. Someone else will have to test that theory for me.
Dogfish Head Festina Peche: What the heck! This does not in any way resemble a beer. Lauren gave it to me because she didn't like it. It was ok, but not as a beer. It reminded me more of a really really fizzy cider, but peach instead of apple. The label says "malt beverage brewed with peach concentrate" but is considered a "Berliner Weissbier". I would deny its identity as a beer but I try to be open and accepting of differences in this world... plus, this puts me another one ahead of Paul.
The cool thing about living with and catching up with my old camp friends is that in addition to being neat people who like stuff like hiking and trees and cooking over campfires, they also like good beer. I have another good friend who likes good beer who we haven't heard much from in a while...
Paul: 229
Colleen: 253
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Summer is here!
My summer break officially started a few weeks ago, but now that I'm settled in working preseason at camp (the contract begins at the end of June, so don't worry, these beers are still legit!) it's really feeling like summer. It's rather warm and humid out, and the preseason crew has been working hard to prepare Johnsonburg for the summer. I've tried two new ones that fit the theme:
Brooklyn Summer Ale: I went to see Josh Ritter play in Brooklyn with two fabulous ladies this past weekend (AMAZING show!). We thought it would be appropriate to stop by the Brooklyn Brewery, but we ended up stopping for dinner at a little deli in Manhattan that had miscellaneous Brooklyn brews in their case for sale by the bottle. So the three of us enjoyed this beer with our sushi and salads. It's a pale ale, but a pretty straightforward one-- not particularly strong, nothing very specifically memorable about it, but a good and refreshing drink, as well it should be if it has "summer" in the name.
on our way to the Music Hall of Williamsburg
The other summer beer I've tried this week is Magic Hat's Wacko Summer Seasonal. I bought this because I've enjoyed almost all other Magic Hat beers I've tried, and hey, it's summer! It was not until later that I realized that it's made with beet juice... here's the thing about beets. We keep them on our salad bar here at camp, so it's something I regularly interact with only in that I carry the bowl of sliced beets to the salad bar, and back into the kitchen after the meal. I do not enjoy beets. Beets would be the first thing I would vote off the island that is our salad bar, but that's not my call. I like to think someday I'll like them, and a friend of mine at Rutgers once gave me a piece of beet-chocolate cake which wasn't too bad, but in general, not my thing.
Anyway. As far as beets in beer goes, Wacko was kind of weird, but interesting and drinkable. The beer was actually pinkish, as was the head. It was very smooth though. I think I'd like it more if it was really cold-- it was cool at best when I had it. I don't regret buying it, but wouldn't be in an absolute hurry to get it again soon, unless it was for my friend who made the chocolate cake.
Summer has definitely begun, though the official start of summer camp and thus, my contract, is still 29 days away. This gap is getting comfortable, though I'm sure Paul will have a good time catching up and overtaking me this summer. I don't mind-- I'm looking forward to spending my summer going all Henry David Thoreau on my thesis in my cabin by the lake between working meals in the kitchen. Working at camp is definitely a good way to spend the summer.
Paul: 229
Colleen: 247
Brooklyn Summer Ale: I went to see Josh Ritter play in Brooklyn with two fabulous ladies this past weekend (AMAZING show!). We thought it would be appropriate to stop by the Brooklyn Brewery, but we ended up stopping for dinner at a little deli in Manhattan that had miscellaneous Brooklyn brews in their case for sale by the bottle. So the three of us enjoyed this beer with our sushi and salads. It's a pale ale, but a pretty straightforward one-- not particularly strong, nothing very specifically memorable about it, but a good and refreshing drink, as well it should be if it has "summer" in the name.
on our way to the Music Hall of Williamsburg
The other summer beer I've tried this week is Magic Hat's Wacko Summer Seasonal. I bought this because I've enjoyed almost all other Magic Hat beers I've tried, and hey, it's summer! It was not until later that I realized that it's made with beet juice... here's the thing about beets. We keep them on our salad bar here at camp, so it's something I regularly interact with only in that I carry the bowl of sliced beets to the salad bar, and back into the kitchen after the meal. I do not enjoy beets. Beets would be the first thing I would vote off the island that is our salad bar, but that's not my call. I like to think someday I'll like them, and a friend of mine at Rutgers once gave me a piece of beet-chocolate cake which wasn't too bad, but in general, not my thing.
Anyway. As far as beets in beer goes, Wacko was kind of weird, but interesting and drinkable. The beer was actually pinkish, as was the head. It was very smooth though. I think I'd like it more if it was really cold-- it was cool at best when I had it. I don't regret buying it, but wouldn't be in an absolute hurry to get it again soon, unless it was for my friend who made the chocolate cake.
Summer has definitely begun, though the official start of summer camp and thus, my contract, is still 29 days away. This gap is getting comfortable, though I'm sure Paul will have a good time catching up and overtaking me this summer. I don't mind-- I'm looking forward to spending my summer going all Henry David Thoreau on my thesis in my cabin by the lake between working meals in the kitchen. Working at camp is definitely a good way to spend the summer.
Paul: 229
Colleen: 247
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
not so fast, Paul!
This past weekend, I went on a somewhat ridiculous roadtrip. Ok, forget somewhat. I drove over 800 miles in under 72 hours. But, it involved catching up with good friends, which of course involved trying a couple of new beers.
First, I went to Richmond to see my friends Jeremy and Brendan, who were both in town from Mali and Montana, respectively. I figured, their flights were longer than my drive, so I could handle that. It turned into a pretty excellent adventure. Brendan had brought Ommegang's Hennepin, which I've had before but hadn't recorded. My association with this beer: the first weekend of our senior year of college, we ended up on the roof of Brendan's apartment building enjoying a bottle of this very fine beer. This is a Saison, which meant very little to me-- what's most important here is that it is very, very good and very, very refreshing. Just a light, wonderful taste that goes down easy, but is totally worth savoring. It was great to have this beer again, but more importantly, it was really awesome to see both Bren and Jeremy, among other excellent company!
From Richmond I drove to camp to work an awesome retreat (go Cheryl!). On Saturday evening, Cheryl and I sat down to have a drink together before catching some zzz's. I tried Magic Hat's Blind Faith IPA, which for being an IPA, which I typically hate, was pretty darn good. It wasn't as harsh a flavor as I find most India Pale Ales to be. Still stronger on the hops than I generally prefer, but not nearly as sharp going down. If I ever need to provide IPA for someone but want to get something that I'll actually have, this will probably be it.
There's a few weeks left till my summer contract starts and my current beer-tasting-quest comes to a pause. I'm moving to camp tomorrow morning bright and early. It's just far enough from home that I expect to run into a few brews that aren't typically available down here at the Jersey shore. Also, Long Valley Brewery is pretty close by, which I'm looking forward to checking out. I'm not planning on making this easy for you, Paul; you'll have more than two months to catch up!
Paul: 229
Colleen: 245
First, I went to Richmond to see my friends Jeremy and Brendan, who were both in town from Mali and Montana, respectively. I figured, their flights were longer than my drive, so I could handle that. It turned into a pretty excellent adventure. Brendan had brought Ommegang's Hennepin, which I've had before but hadn't recorded. My association with this beer: the first weekend of our senior year of college, we ended up on the roof of Brendan's apartment building enjoying a bottle of this very fine beer. This is a Saison, which meant very little to me-- what's most important here is that it is very, very good and very, very refreshing. Just a light, wonderful taste that goes down easy, but is totally worth savoring. It was great to have this beer again, but more importantly, it was really awesome to see both Bren and Jeremy, among other excellent company!
From Richmond I drove to camp to work an awesome retreat (go Cheryl!). On Saturday evening, Cheryl and I sat down to have a drink together before catching some zzz's. I tried Magic Hat's Blind Faith IPA, which for being an IPA, which I typically hate, was pretty darn good. It wasn't as harsh a flavor as I find most India Pale Ales to be. Still stronger on the hops than I generally prefer, but not nearly as sharp going down. If I ever need to provide IPA for someone but want to get something that I'll actually have, this will probably be it.
There's a few weeks left till my summer contract starts and my current beer-tasting-quest comes to a pause. I'm moving to camp tomorrow morning bright and early. It's just far enough from home that I expect to run into a few brews that aren't typically available down here at the Jersey shore. Also, Long Valley Brewery is pretty close by, which I'm looking forward to checking out. I'm not planning on making this easy for you, Paul; you'll have more than two months to catch up!
Paul: 229
Colleen: 245
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
woo...antibiotics
So for the last month (really?!), I've been busy traveling for family stuff and have been taking an antibiotic. While drinking wasn't forbidden due to the medication, I did significantly slow down my beer intake (new or otherwise).
I have taken notes, and unfortunately even lost the review for one beer. There's a reason you shouldn't write them on the back of a receipt. In any event, since my last post Colleen visited. She outlined her travels pretty well. It was nice to catch up while she was down here. I may be at a disadvantage if she lives in Virginia permanently, since so many of the beers that I've tried are found in this area exclusively.
I did get a chance to visit Williamsburg AleWerks, however the samples there were under our minimum ounce limit for a beer to count. Nonetheless, the tour and tasting were nice on a hot May day. I'd recommend any of there beers, they don't make anything that is below mediocre.
Flying Dog Snake Dog IPA: Have you ever tried a really dry red wine? Where your mouth just feels arid after? Yea, this was the beer version of that. The extent of the hops literally gave the beer a very dry taste. Colleen thought this was much milder than I did, apparently.
Rogue dead Guy Ale: Most people were surprised when I told them I hadn't head this up until a few weeks ago. This one was a freebie due to Colleen's Geography nerd party. However, I won't make fun of them anymore, since they did get me a free beer. For whatever reason, this gave me a really weird mix.
St. George Pilsner: I'm not that crazy about Pilsners. They ere on the light side for me, and there generally isn't much to them. This beer pretty much meets that description. It was fine, but just nothing special.
Carolina Blonde: Laura and I met with some college friends of mine a few weeks ago for drinks. It was quite nice to catch up with Amanda, since she is leaving the state for work soon. On the beer front, this was a rather disappointing. I'm not crazy about Gold Ales, and this didn't really change my mind. As far as the time of year goes, lighter beers are nice in the summer - but they generally disappoint me. They aren't that complex. As I've said a lot, I prefer porters.
Rogue American Amber: A caveat to my previous comment is that I do enjoy amber ales quite a bit, even if this is a summer beer. Despite my not-so-great feelings about Dead Guy Ale, I know Rogue has a pretty good reputation. For me, this beer definitely saved that. It's really one of the better Amber Ales I've tried.
Highland Big Butte Smoked Porter: I had this at the Green Leafe. I thought it was a bit on the smoky side, but I wasn't aware of the full name until I wrote this review - sometimes restaurants neglect long names on their menus. That said, it wasn't that bad of a porter, being that they should be somewhat roasty/smoky. I just prefer more of a roasted malt flavor than a smoky one. I've had one other beer of theirs when I was in OBX last summer, and I thought that was pretty good.
Bells Oberon Ale: After some searching on ratebeer for the name. I found the name to match the review in my head. I had this at the Brickskeller to celebrate my friend Matt's birthday. It was a rather hot day in DC, and as far as wheat ales go, this was a very tasty beer. I'd love to say the Brickskeller has nothing but knock out beers, but unfortunately it can be a mixed bag there. This one was quite good though. I can't even recall the brewer of the other beer, but that's how it goes.
Laura and I are meeting with a college friend of mine this week for a beer or two. The place has quite a few micro-brews, so perhaps I can close the lead. So, in conclusion, I am not dead...just really, really far behind!
The scorecard:
Colleen: 242
Paul: 229
I have taken notes, and unfortunately even lost the review for one beer. There's a reason you shouldn't write them on the back of a receipt. In any event, since my last post Colleen visited. She outlined her travels pretty well. It was nice to catch up while she was down here. I may be at a disadvantage if she lives in Virginia permanently, since so many of the beers that I've tried are found in this area exclusively.
I did get a chance to visit Williamsburg AleWerks, however the samples there were under our minimum ounce limit for a beer to count. Nonetheless, the tour and tasting were nice on a hot May day. I'd recommend any of there beers, they don't make anything that is below mediocre.
Flying Dog Snake Dog IPA: Have you ever tried a really dry red wine? Where your mouth just feels arid after? Yea, this was the beer version of that. The extent of the hops literally gave the beer a very dry taste. Colleen thought this was much milder than I did, apparently.
Rogue dead Guy Ale: Most people were surprised when I told them I hadn't head this up until a few weeks ago. This one was a freebie due to Colleen's Geography nerd party. However, I won't make fun of them anymore, since they did get me a free beer. For whatever reason, this gave me a really weird mix.
St. George Pilsner: I'm not that crazy about Pilsners. They ere on the light side for me, and there generally isn't much to them. This beer pretty much meets that description. It was fine, but just nothing special.
Carolina Blonde: Laura and I met with some college friends of mine a few weeks ago for drinks. It was quite nice to catch up with Amanda, since she is leaving the state for work soon. On the beer front, this was a rather disappointing. I'm not crazy about Gold Ales, and this didn't really change my mind. As far as the time of year goes, lighter beers are nice in the summer - but they generally disappoint me. They aren't that complex. As I've said a lot, I prefer porters.
Rogue American Amber: A caveat to my previous comment is that I do enjoy amber ales quite a bit, even if this is a summer beer. Despite my not-so-great feelings about Dead Guy Ale, I know Rogue has a pretty good reputation. For me, this beer definitely saved that. It's really one of the better Amber Ales I've tried.
Highland Big Butte Smoked Porter: I had this at the Green Leafe. I thought it was a bit on the smoky side, but I wasn't aware of the full name until I wrote this review - sometimes restaurants neglect long names on their menus. That said, it wasn't that bad of a porter, being that they should be somewhat roasty/smoky. I just prefer more of a roasted malt flavor than a smoky one. I've had one other beer of theirs when I was in OBX last summer, and I thought that was pretty good.
Bells Oberon Ale: After some searching on ratebeer for the name. I found the name to match the review in my head. I had this at the Brickskeller to celebrate my friend Matt's birthday. It was a rather hot day in DC, and as far as wheat ales go, this was a very tasty beer. I'd love to say the Brickskeller has nothing but knock out beers, but unfortunately it can be a mixed bag there. This one was quite good though. I can't even recall the brewer of the other beer, but that's how it goes.
Laura and I are meeting with a college friend of mine this week for a beer or two. The place has quite a few micro-brews, so perhaps I can close the lead. So, in conclusion, I am not dead...just really, really far behind!
The scorecard:
Colleen: 242
Paul: 229
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
...Paul?
I hope Paul's still alive. I got a little buried in the end of the semester fun and haven't talked to him in a while, but also, he hasn't posted here recently. Weird. Paul, where are you? Are you not trying new beers? Are you saving up 21 beers and going to post them all at once, surging ahead of me (because that's how many you need to get ahead...)? Are you just letting me win until I stop drinking beer for the summer (and all alcoholic beverages, as per my contract with camp)? This is confusing.
In the meantime, I have a few new ones to report, and yet another update on my now infamous chicken beer marinade:
Pork Slap Pale Ale: As someone who is not crazy about pale ales, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. It's very straightforward. This is also from Butternuts Brewing, who made Moo Thunder Stout that I really liked. Good beers with hilarious names in funny looking cans. Awesome!
Honey Moon Summer Ale: I quite liked this! But then again, we know I like wheat beers. You can taste the honey in this, but it's not too sweet. Refreshing and nice, just like it should be for summer.
Ithaca Apricot Wheat: I quite liked this too! My friend Gurzo got it because it's Ithaca, which is where he went to college, but it was a nice fruit beer. The apricot is obvious but not overwhelming or too sweet, over a smooth wheat beer. Paul and I often joke about fruit beers being suitable for breakfast, but I enjoyed it as a sort of evening treat while hanging out with my friend Cheryl and the aforementioned Gurzo.
Beer Marinade Update: I made the marinade with Rogue's Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout on Mothers' Day because I knew I'd enjoy the leftover beer. We baked the chicken, and apparently the marinade doesn't carry when you bake the chicken. Good to know. It smelled pretty nice though!
Paul: 222
Colleen: 242
In the meantime, I have a few new ones to report, and yet another update on my now infamous chicken beer marinade:
Pork Slap Pale Ale: As someone who is not crazy about pale ales, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. It's very straightforward. This is also from Butternuts Brewing, who made Moo Thunder Stout that I really liked. Good beers with hilarious names in funny looking cans. Awesome!
Honey Moon Summer Ale: I quite liked this! But then again, we know I like wheat beers. You can taste the honey in this, but it's not too sweet. Refreshing and nice, just like it should be for summer.
Ithaca Apricot Wheat: I quite liked this too! My friend Gurzo got it because it's Ithaca, which is where he went to college, but it was a nice fruit beer. The apricot is obvious but not overwhelming or too sweet, over a smooth wheat beer. Paul and I often joke about fruit beers being suitable for breakfast, but I enjoyed it as a sort of evening treat while hanging out with my friend Cheryl and the aforementioned Gurzo.
Beer Marinade Update: I made the marinade with Rogue's Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout on Mothers' Day because I knew I'd enjoy the leftover beer. We baked the chicken, and apparently the marinade doesn't carry when you bake the chicken. Good to know. It smelled pretty nice though!
Paul: 222
Colleen: 242
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
having beer with another buddy...
Don't worry Paul, you have not been replaced. You are my beer buddy, tried and true.
I'm talking about my Muddy Buddy!
This past weekend, I traveled to the Richmond region to visit with my friend Brian and his family and to take part in the Muddy Buddy, a partner 10k in which you kind of leapfrog each other, switching off biking and running, and concluding the race by crawling through a huge mud pit together. This is the second year I've done the event with Brian, and while not by any means a gifted athlete, I had such a blast both times.
muddy legs and feet that are happy to be liberated from wet, muddy socks and shoes
I unfortunately hadn't seen Brian and his wife and two super awesome children since last year's Muddy Buddy. We caught up over dinner at Capitol Alehouse, where I tried Starr Hill's Love Weiss, a really excellent Hefeweizen. It was just light feeling and super tasty and has a nice banana and clove hint about it. Because it's brewed with that stuff. I would do this again, very gladly! This might be a new favorite hefeweizen for me (sorry Sam).
The actual event was really fun. Last year I ran it after several months of recovering from a stress fracture and later, a car accident, and my first semester teaching. I've already admitted I'm not the most gifted athlete; I am grateful that Brian is not the least bit competitive, and only wants to finish the race. This year I was in slightly better shape and actually kept a more decent pace. Our time was still abysmal but we already have plans for next year, when I will be free of grad school and possibly able to keep a more regular exercise schedule? (Though Brian made a good point-- as a parent, how on earth does he do that himself?)
the mudpit and the finish line!
After the race, there was a beer garden sponsored by Red Hook. They gave out their ESB, which is not one of my favorite styles of beer-- come on, the "B" stands for "bitter". Regardless, it was nice to have a cold beer after an intense workout along the trails of Pocahontas State Park (and a swim through a stream with the bike on my shoulder!). Definitely more bitter than I'd prefer, but if you're into that, it might be tolerable. I get the sense that there's a decent something or other hiding under all the bitter. I won't go out of my way for this again any time soon, but I definitely appreciated the free beer at the end of a race. (To those who think that sounds crazy, two things: 1. I had plenty of water first and 2. See here, here and here.)
Many thanks to Brian and family for being amazing hosts and excellent friends!
Colleen: 239
Paul: 222
I'm talking about my Muddy Buddy!
This past weekend, I traveled to the Richmond region to visit with my friend Brian and his family and to take part in the Muddy Buddy, a partner 10k in which you kind of leapfrog each other, switching off biking and running, and concluding the race by crawling through a huge mud pit together. This is the second year I've done the event with Brian, and while not by any means a gifted athlete, I had such a blast both times.
muddy legs and feet that are happy to be liberated from wet, muddy socks and shoes
I unfortunately hadn't seen Brian and his wife and two super awesome children since last year's Muddy Buddy. We caught up over dinner at Capitol Alehouse, where I tried Starr Hill's Love Weiss, a really excellent Hefeweizen. It was just light feeling and super tasty and has a nice banana and clove hint about it. Because it's brewed with that stuff. I would do this again, very gladly! This might be a new favorite hefeweizen for me (sorry Sam).
The actual event was really fun. Last year I ran it after several months of recovering from a stress fracture and later, a car accident, and my first semester teaching. I've already admitted I'm not the most gifted athlete; I am grateful that Brian is not the least bit competitive, and only wants to finish the race. This year I was in slightly better shape and actually kept a more decent pace. Our time was still abysmal but we already have plans for next year, when I will be free of grad school and possibly able to keep a more regular exercise schedule? (Though Brian made a good point-- as a parent, how on earth does he do that himself?)
the mudpit and the finish line!
After the race, there was a beer garden sponsored by Red Hook. They gave out their ESB, which is not one of my favorite styles of beer-- come on, the "B" stands for "bitter". Regardless, it was nice to have a cold beer after an intense workout along the trails of Pocahontas State Park (and a swim through a stream with the bike on my shoulder!). Definitely more bitter than I'd prefer, but if you're into that, it might be tolerable. I get the sense that there's a decent something or other hiding under all the bitter. I won't go out of my way for this again any time soon, but I definitely appreciated the free beer at the end of a race. (To those who think that sounds crazy, two things: 1. I had plenty of water first and 2. See here, here and here.)
Many thanks to Brian and family for being amazing hosts and excellent friends!
Colleen: 239
Paul: 222
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