I have been suffering in silence for the past month and a half. SUFFERING, I TELL YOU! Suffering the sheer excitement of the fact that my dear friend, my beer friend, Paul, was going to propose to his girlfriend Laura. Well, now that she is officially his fiancee, I can finally offer a very happy and public congratulations to them both!
Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!
(Ask Paul. I totally made a scene at The Office Lounge when he told me he bought the ring but would be waiting a few weeks to give it to her. But I kept it a secret anyway!)
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY!
And, just to keep with the theme of the blog--
Erie Brewing Co's Fallenbock: I am not usually a fan of the bock beers but my notes for this one read, "kinda fruity but not offensive, definitely tasted chocolate". It was pretty lightweight and I didn't mind it terribly. I didn't dislike it, but I'm just not a huge fan of the style.
Leinenkugel Creamy Dark: Wasn't sure how this would go over. Paul didn't like what he tried by this brewer, but this particular beer wasn't bad. It tasted kind of toasty (I don't know how else to describe the flavor, maybe like toasted nuts or something? I dunno.) but was very creamy indeed. This was an ok beer. It was pleasant enough.
HaandBryggeriet Dark Force: This was a little sweet but very interesting and pretty good. The infamous Jill at Stuff Yer Face said, "Wheat stout?" and I was sold. It was very, very dark but not very heavy. Lots of typically stouty flavors happening. Also, the name was flippin' cool. It's not cheap though. It was pretty good but I don't need to repeat it.
So, here's to Paul and Laura! I promise I will toast you both in person... with a beer that's already on my list. Congratulations again, friends!
PS: I bought a 12 quart pot to boil wort and there's snow on the ground with which to cool it. Homebrewing, here I come! (Tomorrow, probably.)
Showing posts with label blog info. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog info. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Monday, December 6, 2010
Anniversary Post... a week late.
Thank goodness the amazing Cheryl made an anniversary update for us, because Paul and I have both been busy lately, in case you couldn't tell by the lack of posts. I'm sure he's got a zillion beer update coming, and Cheryl shared my most recent beers for you (Flying Fish's Grand Cru Winter Reserve-- excellent; HaandBryggeriet's Norse Porter-- would be excellent except way too fizzy). So for now that leaves us at Colleen: 333, Paul: 306.
Wait, what? She's already shared scores. That was too quick! This post can't be over!
Don't worry, it's not. I haven't tried any new beers since then (though I bought an awesome looking one today to share with Cheryl and Gurzo next time I visit-- a preemptive thank you of sorts), but for no real reason I went through the saved text messages in my phone last night, and thought it would be fun to celebrate our beer friend anniversary (a week late) by sharing a few texts from Paul during the past year:
"pint night?" --I actually had three of these saved
"Mom used Sam Winter Lager to cook the roast with. I tried to stop her, but she said it was the cheapest beer we had. Sad part is she's right. Merry Christmas." 12/25/2009
"I don't know this for a fact, but I'm pretty sure that a 6 dollar pint of Guinness makes baby Jesus cry. Thoughts?" 03/06/2010
"Drinking Guinness at 9am. Be jealous." 06/23/2010-- actually sent at 8:25AM
"You are actually up by 1." 08/07/2010-- sent moments after I posted this.
Cheers, beer friend. Here's to many more responsible, delicious beverages!
Wait, what? She's already shared scores. That was too quick! This post can't be over!
Don't worry, it's not. I haven't tried any new beers since then (though I bought an awesome looking one today to share with Cheryl and Gurzo next time I visit-- a preemptive thank you of sorts), but for no real reason I went through the saved text messages in my phone last night, and thought it would be fun to celebrate our beer friend anniversary (a week late) by sharing a few texts from Paul during the past year:
"pint night?" --I actually had three of these saved
"Mom used Sam Winter Lager to cook the roast with. I tried to stop her, but she said it was the cheapest beer we had. Sad part is she's right. Merry Christmas." 12/25/2009
"I don't know this for a fact, but I'm pretty sure that a 6 dollar pint of Guinness makes baby Jesus cry. Thoughts?" 03/06/2010
"Drinking Guinness at 9am. Be jealous." 06/23/2010-- actually sent at 8:25AM
"You are actually up by 1." 08/07/2010-- sent moments after I posted this.
Cheers, beer friend. Here's to many more responsible, delicious beverages!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Official Unofficial Rules
About a month and a half into Dear Beer Friend, Paul and I agreed on some rules, which I just realized we never posted. I'm going to share them now for posterity. I went to an amazing brew pub last night (will post about later) and tried their six beer sampler (2 ounces each), and by our rules, they do not count for the official beer list. While I know everyone would like to really see me surge ahead Paul before my beer hiatus this summer, I know that such a rule will protect me from a retaliation, too.
Official Unofficial Rules
1. This is all on our honor...
2. There is a limit of 1.5 beers/hour, with a total hard cap of six beers for a day/night/party.
3. Take notes when having multiple brewskis.
4. Only beers available to the general public count (no home-brews).
4a. Good home-brews deserve shout outs nonetheless, and should be observed as educational experiences.
5. Minimum taste-test: four ounces.
That's all I have saved in an old email. Am I missing anything, Paul? Any suggestions, anyone else?
Official Unofficial Rules
1. This is all on our honor...
2. There is a limit of 1.5 beers/hour, with a total hard cap of six beers for a day/night/party.
3. Take notes when having multiple brewskis.
4. Only beers available to the general public count (no home-brews).
4a. Good home-brews deserve shout outs nonetheless, and should be observed as educational experiences.
5. Minimum taste-test: four ounces.
That's all I have saved in an old email. Am I missing anything, Paul? Any suggestions, anyone else?
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Happy...
When you're having your green beer or Guinness today, please raise your glass to my dear beer friend Paul, who celebrates his birthday today, on St. Patrick's Day!
Happy Birthday Paul!
Happy St. Patrick's Day, planet earth!
Happy Birthday Paul!
Happy St. Patrick's Day, planet earth!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Updates
So I changed the layout. It might change again. Basically, Colleen and I would like to update this place and customize it somewhat. We just need to get a chance to have a few pictures taken. When that happens, you should see some more changes. If you have any ideas, let us know.
Cheers,
Paul
Cheers,
Paul
Monday, January 25, 2010
DBF update
Dear Beer Friends,
Please pardon the temporary disappearance of the labels and any other mishaps that occur. Paul and I have discussed some ways to get this thing more organized and are in the process of implementing them, but we have things like a full time job and full time grad school to keep us from taking care of it all at once. We may experiment a little bit this week. Feedback is welcome-- we'd love to know who our audience is so we can share our thoughts with you in the most fun and useful ways possible!
Sincerely,
Colleen (and Paul)
Please pardon the temporary disappearance of the labels and any other mishaps that occur. Paul and I have discussed some ways to get this thing more organized and are in the process of implementing them, but we have things like a full time job and full time grad school to keep us from taking care of it all at once. We may experiment a little bit this week. Feedback is welcome-- we'd love to know who our audience is so we can share our thoughts with you in the most fun and useful ways possible!
Sincerely,
Colleen (and Paul)
Sunday, November 29, 2009
oh hey I'm Colleen!
Paul did a good job summing up how we know each other and what our deal with beer is, so I'll just briefly introduce myself.
I'm currently in my second year of grad school, working on a Master of Science in Geography. That's right, Geography. It's real. I specialize in biogeography and human- environment interactions. Basically, I hug trees and play in the dirt. My thesis is about invasive plants and slash and burn agriculture in Mexico, where I spent part of my summer doing research, and where their beer is all the same (not very exciting).
My top five beers at the moment:
1. Sam Adams Hefeweizen
2. Guinness (though this is what I have most often)
3. Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout
4. Victory Storm King
5. Flying Fish Oktoberfish
Also, the score is actually currently 153- 142, as I just tried Bud Light Golden Wheat. Don't ask me why, since I generally avoid stuff with "light" in the name, but it was surprisingly not crappy. I like wheat beer, what can I say.
Other stuff I like: old family photos, traveling, the beach, hugging trees, making and/or listening to music, the state of New Jersey
Also, if Brendan the cousin gets credit for encouraging us to blog about our beer adventures, and Paul gets credit for actually signing us up for the address and starting the blog, I totally get credit for the name. Paul is a dear friend, and my beer friend. I'm so clever sometimes.
I'm currently in my second year of grad school, working on a Master of Science in Geography. That's right, Geography. It's real. I specialize in biogeography and human- environment interactions. Basically, I hug trees and play in the dirt. My thesis is about invasive plants and slash and burn agriculture in Mexico, where I spent part of my summer doing research, and where their beer is all the same (not very exciting).
My top five beers at the moment:
1. Sam Adams Hefeweizen
2. Guinness (though this is what I have most often)
3. Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout
4. Victory Storm King
5. Flying Fish Oktoberfish
Also, the score is actually currently 153- 142, as I just tried Bud Light Golden Wheat. Don't ask me why, since I generally avoid stuff with "light" in the name, but it was surprisingly not crappy. I like wheat beer, what can I say.
Other stuff I like: old family photos, traveling, the beach, hugging trees, making and/or listening to music, the state of New Jersey
Also, if Brendan the cousin gets credit for encouraging us to blog about our beer adventures, and Paul gets credit for actually signing us up for the address and starting the blog, I totally get credit for the name. Paul is a dear friend, and my beer friend. I'm so clever sometimes.
Welcome - Paul
When we discussed creating this blog, Colleen said we should each make a post introducing ourselves. This makes sense, since we will have four types of readers (which amounts to quite the Venn Diagram): those who know her, those who know me, those who know both of us, and those who know neither of us. In order to give credit where credit is due, the idea for this blog originally came from my cousin, Brendan.
I suppose an adequate place to start would be to give some background. Colleen and I were in the same play group growing up, and in our college years became good friends again. It was during this time we both realized that a) beer was good and b) that a bar near our home towns has an excellent pint night on Wednesdays and Fridays. In addition, we both went to college in Virginia, so we carpooled to and fro on several occasions during senior year.
It was during my senior year at Virginia Tech that I took the greatest course in the long and stored history of crazy college courses: Brewing Science. If you are a student at VT, please take it. The class was half learn about brewing (the theory) and appreciation of beer (the practical). Class was on Fridays from 2:30-5:30, which was a nice segue into Happy Hour. The first 90 minutes was theory, and the next 90 minutes was tasting. After tasting, I collected a bottle for each beer that I had tasted, and thus my "beer wall" was born. College students tend to put bottles above their cabinets, and I was no different. Between my "practical" homework and the class, I amassed many beers there.
Upon my graduation, I collected all the bottles into bags and took them with me. When I moved down to Virginia permanently, I realized my beloved collection could not come with me. And thus, the beer list was born. From that day forward, I kept a spreadsheet of all the beers I had tried and notes on each. It was during this time, Colleen wanted to join in on the fun. She created a list of her own, and the race to be the better beer snob was born. Lists were exchanged periodically, and if it weren't for that, my list would have been gone due to a computer failure (thanks, friend).
Currently, this lists stand as follows:
Paul - 142
Colleen - 152
At this point, we feel that we have very divergent lists. This blog is to track our exploits, entertain you, and to educate you and each other on different beers we've had. There will definitely be some East Coast bias in the beginning, but I hope to branch out - especially if I am going to overtake Colleen again.
My Top 5 Beers:
Victory Storm King (Imperial Russian Stout)
Anchor Porter
Hoegaarden
Starr Hill Amber Ale
Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale
We haven't decided on an exact format of our posts (musings) yet, but I am sure they will evolve over time. With that, I'll turn it over to Colleen to put her own spin on all of this.
Personal Note: As I said before, I live in Virginia and work for the Federal Government. In my spare time I enjoy trying new beers (duh), being outside, reading, and spending time with the girlfriend (insert "awww" here).
Cheers,
Paul
I suppose an adequate place to start would be to give some background. Colleen and I were in the same play group growing up, and in our college years became good friends again. It was during this time we both realized that a) beer was good and b) that a bar near our home towns has an excellent pint night on Wednesdays and Fridays. In addition, we both went to college in Virginia, so we carpooled to and fro on several occasions during senior year.
It was during my senior year at Virginia Tech that I took the greatest course in the long and stored history of crazy college courses: Brewing Science. If you are a student at VT, please take it. The class was half learn about brewing (the theory) and appreciation of beer (the practical). Class was on Fridays from 2:30-5:30, which was a nice segue into Happy Hour. The first 90 minutes was theory, and the next 90 minutes was tasting. After tasting, I collected a bottle for each beer that I had tasted, and thus my "beer wall" was born. College students tend to put bottles above their cabinets, and I was no different. Between my "practical" homework and the class, I amassed many beers there.
Upon my graduation, I collected all the bottles into bags and took them with me. When I moved down to Virginia permanently, I realized my beloved collection could not come with me. And thus, the beer list was born. From that day forward, I kept a spreadsheet of all the beers I had tried and notes on each. It was during this time, Colleen wanted to join in on the fun. She created a list of her own, and the race to be the better beer snob was born. Lists were exchanged periodically, and if it weren't for that, my list would have been gone due to a computer failure (thanks, friend).
Currently, this lists stand as follows:
Paul - 142
Colleen - 152
At this point, we feel that we have very divergent lists. This blog is to track our exploits, entertain you, and to educate you and each other on different beers we've had. There will definitely be some East Coast bias in the beginning, but I hope to branch out - especially if I am going to overtake Colleen again.
My Top 5 Beers:
Victory Storm King (Imperial Russian Stout)
Anchor Porter
Hoegaarden
Starr Hill Amber Ale
Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale
We haven't decided on an exact format of our posts (musings) yet, but I am sure they will evolve over time. With that, I'll turn it over to Colleen to put her own spin on all of this.
Personal Note: As I said before, I live in Virginia and work for the Federal Government. In my spare time I enjoy trying new beers (duh), being outside, reading, and spending time with the girlfriend (insert "awww" here).
Cheers,
Paul
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