Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
Have you ever had one of those nights where everything was just way too fun? That’s what happened to me last night.
Around 8:30, I finished up dinner and walked back up to the kitchen to put the dishes in the dishwasher. I did a little tidying up and poured myself a nice glass of Brandy. Then, I took a small sip and walked up to my office for a little work. That is basically where the problems started.
I had a few more small sips of my drink and started getting into my usual 8:30 – 11:00 routine. A little work here and a little work there. I wasn’t doing anything all too serious, so I decided to turn some music on. Of course, I started listening to my new favorite band, “Days Of The New.” Seriously good music. Well, the next thing I knew, I had the music playing way too loudly and my drink was gone. The worst part about the whole thing is that I was halfway through a blog post. Let me just tell you this – it was magical.
I always worry about those types of posts. Good thing I never actually publish them because I mostly tell you what I really feel. Well, this time was a bit different. I finally started working on my story. Remember the one I told you about? It’s the one that’s going to knock your socks off. Yeah, I am trying to make this one worthy…worthy enough to be a chapter in my most unique book that my sister Lauren is going to put together for you.
I saved the post as a draft last night and just took a quick look at it. It’s not long; probably a few hundred words. I was quite surprised to see that it was better than I had hoped for. I would really like to post it, but I’m a little nervous about what people will think. It’s pretty odd at times. I’ll think about it. It isn’t that big of a deal because it’s just a prelude anyway. Maybe I’ll have my mother edit it before I do anything with it.
——
So Rob came over to the house tonight. I told him to remind me to get a picture of the two us us together so I could write about the visit, but he forgot. So, unfortunately all you ladies out there won’t get to see a picture of the two most handsome guys on the east coast. Maybe next time I’ll put the camera on the desk or something to remind me.
I think we had a really good visit. I gave Rob the house tour and then we talked business for a while. That was fun because I like seeing the fire in Rob’s eyes. He is a born entrepreneur…maybe even more than me. Let me remind you that it was Rob who was doing this stuff before me. He’s one of the people who came up with crazy ideas that actually made money long before I ever did anything. All I need to do this time is keep him on the straight and narrow and things should be fine.
After we talked business, we headed out to pick up some pizza and salads. That was cool, because I got to show him the new car and how it drove around these winter roads. I asked him if he saw the “driving in the snow” videos and he told me he hadn’t. So, I am linking to it right here. Michele, please pull him to the computer and have him click this link. Thank you.
The pizza was pretty good. The salads were pretty good. Typical stuff, but Rob liked the thin crust.
After we were done eating, I thought it would be a good idea to load up a big bag with about 42 empty beer bottles. I am giving them to Rob, so he can use them for his beer making. I am also letting him borrow the capper and some caps. I gave him 6 of my prize-winning beers too. We cracked one of the chocolate ones open and I have to tell you that they are tasting much better these days. Very full of body.
As Laura and I were saying good-bye to our dear friend, we made a vow that we wouldn’t let another year go by without seeing each other again. We have way too good of a time together to let these years pass by so fast like this. After all, we are only an hour and a half away.
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Thursday, December 25th, 2008
I think that’s what it’s called. I burned the box last night after we put the beer in the refrigerator, so I’m not quite sure. What I do know is that there are 12 beers total, two of each winter classic.
This isn’t my Christmas post. Unfortunately, that will have to wait for tomorrow, since we just got back a few minutes ago. I wanted to quickly get on so I could write about two tasty new beers we tried last night on Christmas eve.
Okay, so we went food shopping last night. We thought that would be a good idea, because no one else on earth couldn’t possibly be out on Christmas eve. Wrong. It seems that everyone else was out. They were all at Whole Foods in Glastonbury. For the first time, we drove in the parking lot and had to actually drive back out and circle around to find a parking spot. We ended up parking at the bank next door. It was pouring rain, so we got a little wet walking over to the store. Yes, I know, this is just a continuation of yesterday’s post. I’ll get to the point.
Laura sent me over to get one of those boxes of clementines that seemingly are only available at Christmas. I thought that was a neat idea, so I agreed to the order. I was in the produce department already, which made hunting for these boxes all the easier. I walked to the back of the department, found some stacked 12-packs of Sam Adams Winter Classic beer, grabbed one and walked back to Laura. I didn’t even look at her. I just rested the box of beer on the edge of the cart and said that I couldn’t find the clementines. She really didn’t seem to mind because I think she had beer on the brain.
I asked a fine gentleman who was working in the produce area where the clementines were and he pointed over to the front of the store. We walked over, but since this post has absolutely nothing to do with clementines, I will move on.
When we got back to the house, Laura was kind enough to chill and open two bottles of beer. The first one was Samuel Adams Cranberry Lambic and the second was Samuel Adams Holiday Porter. She poured half of each beer in two glasses and the other half in two more glasses. That way, we could both enjoy both types of beer.
I must say, I really enjoyed tasting two different types of beer at the same time. It was like another mini tasting. I dug it.
Both beers were very good, but the Cranberry Lambic was a hint too fruity. If it just had a bit less sweetness to it, it would have been perfect. The Holday Porter was awesome…right up my alley. That’s my kind of beer. Neither of these beers were all too heavy, but they really hit the spot.
The beer, the sushi, Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer and Frosty The Snowman made for a wonderful evening.
Merry Christmas and be sure to stop back tomorrow. I am going to post all my pics of tonight dinner at the Mayflower Inn.
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Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008
Hey, guess what guys and gals? Yes, I found another beer. Before I begin, please let me know if I ever repeat any of my beer posts. That would be a little embarrassing.
Ok, I was up in Whole Foods this evening doing a little food shopping. I have this great vegetarian cookbook that has the most excellent recipes. Tonight, I made herb pizza. It knocked my socks off, just like my socks were knocked off in my previous post. Tomorrow night, I am making kidney bean and mushroom burgers.
You know, I have often considered writing blog posts describing the things I cook. I am just starting to get good at it, but I would tell you if what I made was bad. I’m honest like that. I will have to think about that one. The problem with taking pictures of the stuff I make is that the pictures would come out terrible. It takes a very long time to set up those real pictures for cookbooks and stuff, and I fear that my singular reputation as a master chef would be tarnished and I wouldn’t view myself as one any more. I would still cook, but it wouldn’t be as much fun as it is now.
Anyway, back to my story. I was food shopping when I passed the beer area, again. I know, I know, it’s my weakness. Don’t worry mom, I don’t drink too much. This beer area was near the bakery. for some reason, they keep the seasonal beers over in this area, while the regular beer is kept over in the beer aisle. I browsed through the bakery beer area for a while looking for something good. There were mainly ales and lagers, which don’t do it for me. I decided it wasn’t my night for beer and I moved over to the cheese area.
I did most of my shopping when I wandered over to the real beer aisle. I chatted it up with some lady who was trying to surprise her husband with a new beer that he hasn’t tried yet. She mentioned that he liked the Sam Adams Oktoberfest. I told her that I just saw some Oktoberfest in the other area, but by a different brewery. Maybe he would like that. She thanked me and hurried off. That was my good deed for the day and made me think to myself that I was an angel. Remember the last time I thought I was an angel?
As I was now looking over the entire selection all by myself (just the way I like it, hehe), I noticed a six pack glaring at me. It said “Chocolate Stout” right on the side. “Hmmm,” I thought, as I was picking it up and putting it in my cart. That’s a much as I thought…just “Hmmm.”
Fort Collins Brewery Chocolate Stout
Check ‘er out.
I finished up and left. When I got back to the house, I unpacked all the food and started up my process. The first thing I always do is crack open a beer before I start cooking. It makes things glide. I took a few sips and decided that this “Fort Collins Brewery Chocolate Stout” is exactly what my next batch is going to taste like.
Did I mention that I am making chocolate stout next? I have all the ingredients. I was thinking about adding coffee to it, but I think I better not. I like to drink my beer at night and I fear the coffee will make me lie in bed staring at the ceiling. That’s not good for my tennis game.
Speaking of tennis, today was a fantastic clinic. I truly think I am getting better. My buddy and I hit for about a half hour after the clinic and we came to the conclusion that we have both improved considerably. This dude is like a wall at the net, so I don’t mess with him there, but as for ground strokes, we are lovin’ it. Believe it or not, we are signed up for cardio-tennis on Monday mornings now. We’ll see how that goes. I think I’m more into smacking tennis balls than running around, but I’ll get back to you with the verdict.
That’s all. Good night.
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Monday, October 6th, 2008
I am neither an optimist nor a pessimist, my glass is clearly empty.
I have been drinking my Irish Stout at a healthy pace. I don’t think I have been having too much of it, although at times, I have thought I haven’t had enough. It seems to get better tasting over time. Every so often, I go to the store to grab a few six-packs of some neat little micro-brew that I haven’t tried yet. Those are usually awesome, but I still would love having 65 of those awesome beers in the cabinet…made by me.
Empty beer mug
Since I am now running low on my home made beer, I decided to give a call to my friends over at Makebeer.net. I read a recipe on their blog on how to make “Chocolate Vanilla Stout.” This recipe intrigued me because it wasn’t your typical fairy beer, like most beers in the world. I am sure you know my taste in beer by now. Let’s see…ok, if you can throw a beer at a wall and the wall breaks, I like the beer.
I talked to the fella at the other end of the line for a while, who was pretty eager to help out. I was most appreciative for that. He seemed to understand my issue (all their beers are too light). We talked about the Chocolate Vanilla Stout. He said he didn’t care for the vanilla part of the recipe. I told him that I like coffee chocolate stout. He looked up a recipe and gave me some information on how to make that.
Basically, I need to make the Irish Stout beer that I have made before. Before I pitch the yeast, I need to mix in 100 grams cocoa powder and a quarter pound of ground coffee. The coffee has to be in some sort of a sack. I have to think about what that sack will be.
I ordered the Irish Stout beer kit and am working on the other ingredients. Remember, this is the first beer that I will be making that isn’t strictly from a kit. Sure, it’s not too involved, but I still think I’m special.
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Thursday, September 18th, 2008
I think I may be the first person on the planet to return a six-pack of beer. Oh well, they had it coming to them.
Today, I ran over to the local beer place and handed them the bad six-pack of Gritty McDuff’s Black Fly Stout and replaced it with a four-pack of Celebrator Doppelbock by Ayinger Brewery. I must say, this is a rather well tasting beer with great reviews over at the Beer Advocate. It’s pretty rich with a nice smooth finish. They even gave me little plastic rams on each beer.
Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock
It’s a pretty good beer that I would consider buying again.
I am still searching for another black, slow dripping, syrupy beer that sticks to my ribs. So far, the only two that have come close were the Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout and the Samuel Adams Double Bock. These were truly fabulous beers. I know, I know, they aren’t for everyone, but as long as you give them a good try, you’ll make me happy. It’s like telling your kid to eat his peas, just try the beer.
For my next brew, I am going custom. I am going to get on the horn with the people over at MakeBeer.net and talk recipe. I want it thick. I want it rich. No excuses and no more lazy thin beer. I will throw a few Hersey bars and coffee beans in there if I have to. By the way, MakeBeer.net has a new blog where they do talk recipe, so if you are interested, stop on by.
Cheers.
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Tuesday, September 16th, 2008
I think I went to a bad store because I am very disappointed.
This evening, I ran out to the local market to get some food for dinner. While I was walking in, I noticed a beer and wine store right next to the food store. I did what I had to do in the food store and then made a quick visit into the alcohol store. I bought Gritty McDuff’s Black Fly Stout and Samuel Adams Cream Stout.
Gritty McDuff's Black Fly Stout and Samuel Adams Cream Stout
The reason I think I went to a bad store was because both beers were horrid. I opened the Gritty’s Black Fly Stout and began to pour it into the glass. The instant the beer hit the air, it turned to foam. I must have poured about a half inch of beer when the entire glass was full of suds. I waited for a while and then tried to pour more. It just kept turning into suds once the beer hit the air. I tasted the beer out of the bottle and it wasn’t any better. I poured that one down the drain and tried another. The same thing happened. Either it was a bad brew or someone left that beer out in the sun or something.
Since I still wanted a beer, I opened up a Sam Adams Cream Stout. I poured the beer and everything looked good. I am not sure if tasting the previous beer altered my taste buds or what, but this beer tasted watery. I was hoping that the “Cream” in Cream Stout would make the beer taste creamy. I guess not. It got slightly better throughout dinner, but I still wasn’t a happy camper.
I am going to bring the one six-pack of Gritty’s back to the store tomorrow. That’s BS.
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Monday, August 6th, 2007
I had to write this post. Along with my three reasons for living (fiber, vinegar and mulch), I love beer. I am not a huge beer drinker, but I do love a nice, rich, creamy beer. The darker and richer, the better. With that said…
…I had the best beer of my life yesterday. After Laura and I went hiking up at Sam’s Point, we drove up to Emmanual’s in Stone Ridge. We did some shopping for our Harry Potter date later in the evening. We haven’t seen any of the Harry Potter movies and thought it would be cool to jump on the band wagon, or off the wagon, whatever. While we were shopping for very expensive food (everything is expensive in that store), I decided to refill my beer stash in the fridge. I ran out last week and have been feeling the loss. I decided to pick up some Sam Adams Double Bock along with some Honey Brown.
I was so excited to get home to open the bottle of Double Bock. I have never tried it. I got home and popped the top off. I took my first sip and said, “WOW.” I handed the bottle to Laura and had her try it. I have to say, it is the richest, creamiest beer I have ever had. I like creamy beers and this topped the cake. I just had to write about it because I was kind of excited. Give it a try.
I am going to have a bottle of Honey Brown tonight so I don’t spoil a good thing, but tommorow, I will be back to the Sam Adams.
This is a little addition to the original post – What the heck is it with these stupid age verifications on these beer websites? Heaven forbid someone under the age of eighteen read about beer. Yes, that’s it, let’s keep them so sheltered that the minute they turn twenty one, they get totally blitzed. Like they aren’t going to put in a fake date anyway.
I remember one time, back when I was seventeen, I read about a beer in a magazine. I was so inspired that I went out and bought a keg. Yeah right.
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