From Oct 8, 2009; Channel 3; Dangerous Roads
In this interview, Jacob Daugherty from Radio Maria complains about the city of Champaign's plans to tow cars parked on the streets overnight.
Jacob believes that forcing people to get their cars off the streets will cause more people who have drank too much to get behind the wheel.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Champaign bars in the news
Champaign taking on bar owners over underage drinking
Some highlights...
The article then goes to talk about how bars get penalized for underaged drinking.
This seems to be an example of how most of the townies hate students. The article is clearly aimed at making bars look bad. (It also is trying to demonize underage drinking). If the city has a problem with all the underage drinking, then they should put that fine money to use and create a place where underage people would want to go. Until there is a viable alternative to the campus bars, then people underage will go to the campus bars. Unless it's strictly enforced that no one under 21 can enter a bar, there will be underage drinking at bars.
When there's greater enforcement at the bars, people who want to drink will then go to other less supervised places (parties). I'd assume binge drinking at bars is less of a problem than at kegger parties; I know it is from my experience.
Also, underage clubs have a stigma attached to them. That stigma will have to be removed before it will be an acceptable place for people under 21 to go.
I find it also interesting, that most of the bars that are the problem, are in Campus. Do I know what bars are in campus? No. Why don't I know what bars are in campus? Because I don't go to campus. Why don't I go to campus? Because I don't want to be the creepy old man at the campus bar. Am I the only person who feels that way? Probably not.
So what does that mean? That means that, most likely, no other townies (over college age) go to the campus bars. The people complaining about underage drinking at campus bars, are only the politicians. Locals aren't going to Kam's on Friday nights and being offended by all those 19 year old's drinking. It's the mayor of Champaign who doesn't like it. Does he go to Kam's on Friday night to have a beer, and to enjoy himself? Or if he does go there, is it to see how many underage drinkers there are?
My solution? Do I have one?
Until Champaign provides a viable alternative to campus bars, (that doesn't have the stigma attached to it of under 21 clubs) there will be an issue of underage drinking.
The options are either:
Lowering the drinking age.
Creating a place for 18-20 year olds to go.
Or, stopping the punishment of people for breaking a bad law.
Until any of those happen, there will still be a problem of underage drinking in Champaign.
Why was Stage 2 in Peoria successful? Because people under 21 couldn't get into bars.
Some highlights...
Champaign plans to issue city citations to bars where minors are frequently found in possession of alcohol.So, if you are a bar where minors go, you can expect to possibly get fined.
Mayor Jerry Schweighart, who is also the city's liquor commissioner, said the city is working to establish a format in which liquor-license holders, after a certain number of minors have been ticketed, will also face city penalties.The article doesn't say how many tickets will cause the bar to receive a fine.
Penalties could be up to a 30-day suspension, fines or a combination, Schweighart said. City attorneys are working on the details, and no date to begin the new procedures has yet been determined, he said.The article then goes on to talk about a "Fall Barscramble". Almost promoting it, as opposed to talking about the actual story. It spends 7 paragraphs talking about the barscramble.
The article then goes to talk about how bars get penalized for underaged drinking.
This seems to be an example of how most of the townies hate students. The article is clearly aimed at making bars look bad. (It also is trying to demonize underage drinking). If the city has a problem with all the underage drinking, then they should put that fine money to use and create a place where underage people would want to go. Until there is a viable alternative to the campus bars, then people underage will go to the campus bars. Unless it's strictly enforced that no one under 21 can enter a bar, there will be underage drinking at bars.
When there's greater enforcement at the bars, people who want to drink will then go to other less supervised places (parties). I'd assume binge drinking at bars is less of a problem than at kegger parties; I know it is from my experience.
Also, underage clubs have a stigma attached to them. That stigma will have to be removed before it will be an acceptable place for people under 21 to go.
I find it also interesting, that most of the bars that are the problem, are in Campus. Do I know what bars are in campus? No. Why don't I know what bars are in campus? Because I don't go to campus. Why don't I go to campus? Because I don't want to be the creepy old man at the campus bar. Am I the only person who feels that way? Probably not.
So what does that mean? That means that, most likely, no other townies (over college age) go to the campus bars. The people complaining about underage drinking at campus bars, are only the politicians. Locals aren't going to Kam's on Friday nights and being offended by all those 19 year old's drinking. It's the mayor of Champaign who doesn't like it. Does he go to Kam's on Friday night to have a beer, and to enjoy himself? Or if he does go there, is it to see how many underage drinkers there are?
My solution? Do I have one?
Until Champaign provides a viable alternative to campus bars, (that doesn't have the stigma attached to it of under 21 clubs) there will be an issue of underage drinking.
The options are either:
Lowering the drinking age.
Creating a place for 18-20 year olds to go.
Or, stopping the punishment of people for breaking a bad law.
Until any of those happen, there will still be a problem of underage drinking in Champaign.
Why was Stage 2 in Peoria successful? Because people under 21 couldn't get into bars.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
How multiple modern religions disprove time travel
WHAAAA?
Well, as I was driving home last night, I thought, if I had a time machine, I'd go back in time and kill all the people who started "religions". (Then I wondered if Abraham actually existed... and Moses...) So my plan for having a time machine was to go back and kill Abraham (who started Judaism) if that didn't work, then kill Moses (since he was the guy who wrote down all the stuff). Then kill Mohammad (am I now going to be a target of a fatwah?). Of course killing Abraham should end all the Abrahamic religions like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. But just to be safe, work backwards...
I thought how many issues today would be solved by a lack of religion? There wouldn't be Islamic terrorists. There wouldn't be the religious right who likes to concern themselves with the worlds bedrooms. There wouldn't be zionists who want to rebuild the temple. Maybe the earth would be better?
Most religions have one thing in common. It can be summed up in Christianity by the Great Commission.
One of the greatest aspects of multiple religions, is in knowing that you are right, and everyone else is going to burn in hell.
So, how do multiple religions disprove time travel? By the fact that they are still here. No zealot in the future has commandeered a time machine and gone back to "fix" a historical mistake (other wrong religions).
How many Christians today would get in a time machine and go back and witness the birth of Jesus? How many would go and watch the resurrection? How many would watch the crucifixion? If that were possible, the heavenly host that sang to the shepherds would actually be time travelers and not angels. (If time travel were possible, I'd hope that some time traveler would go back and actually make some historical evidence for all that happened; can't you bury a scroll or maybe have some record, perhaps have some non-debunked stuff in Josephus account...)
How many muslims would go back in time to spend time with Muhammad?
How many Jews would go back to be with David, Moses... the prophets?
Just going to these events is one thing that most followers would want to do if there was a time machine.
BUT, a zealot/fanatic/terrorist would take it one step further. Some christian would get in a time machine and kill Judas. Someone would kill Pilate. Someone would do something to prevent Jesus from being crucified.
Someone would do something to ensure that Islam is the only religion being practiced. Someone would do the same to ensure that Judaism is the only one. If time travel were possible, this would happen. Heck people think if there were time machines they would kill Hitler.
But we are where we are, because there are no time machines.
The flaws of modern religion prove that time travel won't ever happen.
I think the seeds of this were put in my head on Sunday when I was watching a thing on Stonehenge, and they were saying that they thought Stonehenge was for religious rites to communicate with the dead. At the end of the show, they said something like the only way to know for sure would be to get into a time machine and go watch.
Which made me think, that if there were time travel, then Stonehenge wasn't there to talk to the dead, but it's actually there to talk to the future.
Enough rambling.
Well, as I was driving home last night, I thought, if I had a time machine, I'd go back in time and kill all the people who started "religions". (Then I wondered if Abraham actually existed... and Moses...) So my plan for having a time machine was to go back and kill Abraham (who started Judaism) if that didn't work, then kill Moses (since he was the guy who wrote down all the stuff). Then kill Mohammad (am I now going to be a target of a fatwah?). Of course killing Abraham should end all the Abrahamic religions like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. But just to be safe, work backwards...
I thought how many issues today would be solved by a lack of religion? There wouldn't be Islamic terrorists. There wouldn't be the religious right who likes to concern themselves with the worlds bedrooms. There wouldn't be zionists who want to rebuild the temple. Maybe the earth would be better?
Most religions have one thing in common. It can be summed up in Christianity by the Great Commission.
Matthew 28:19-20Islam probably has something similar, where the people are commanded to go out and convert the rest of the world. The reason bad things happen is because people aren't fulfilling the commission and god is angry.Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
One of the greatest aspects of multiple religions, is in knowing that you are right, and everyone else is going to burn in hell.
So, how do multiple religions disprove time travel? By the fact that they are still here. No zealot in the future has commandeered a time machine and gone back to "fix" a historical mistake (other wrong religions).
How many Christians today would get in a time machine and go back and witness the birth of Jesus? How many would go and watch the resurrection? How many would watch the crucifixion? If that were possible, the heavenly host that sang to the shepherds would actually be time travelers and not angels. (If time travel were possible, I'd hope that some time traveler would go back and actually make some historical evidence for all that happened; can't you bury a scroll or maybe have some record, perhaps have some non-debunked stuff in Josephus account...)
How many muslims would go back in time to spend time with Muhammad?
How many Jews would go back to be with David, Moses... the prophets?
Just going to these events is one thing that most followers would want to do if there was a time machine.
BUT, a zealot/fanatic/terrorist would take it one step further. Some christian would get in a time machine and kill Judas. Someone would kill Pilate. Someone would do something to prevent Jesus from being crucified.
Someone would do something to ensure that Islam is the only religion being practiced. Someone would do the same to ensure that Judaism is the only one. If time travel were possible, this would happen. Heck people think if there were time machines they would kill Hitler.
But we are where we are, because there are no time machines.
The flaws of modern religion prove that time travel won't ever happen.
I think the seeds of this were put in my head on Sunday when I was watching a thing on Stonehenge, and they were saying that they thought Stonehenge was for religious rites to communicate with the dead. At the end of the show, they said something like the only way to know for sure would be to get into a time machine and go watch.
Which made me think, that if there were time travel, then Stonehenge wasn't there to talk to the dead, but it's actually there to talk to the future.
Enough rambling.
Friday, December 11, 2009
CU Beer Weekend Dec. 11
This week is going to be a pretty good one for beer. Champaign Urbana, prepare to get your drink on. If you follow my twitter feed (or facebook) you already know that Founders Backwoods Bastard has arrived in town (along with Founders Imperial Stout). Yesterday I went to Sunsinger and picked up a four pack, I believe it cost $12.99. I didn't see the imperial stout. The BB was in the cooler, and not on the shelf. Also, Capital Eisphyre is available there, and is on the shelf. All those beers should be stocked at Friar Tucks and Picadilly by the time you read this. Backwoods Bastard won't last long at the stores.
Hopefully, by next Friday, I'll have a list of the December 25 openings.
7 Saints
The two rotating taps are currently:
Southern Tier Oat
Southern Tier Old Man Winter (it's actually the one with the Bells Winter handle)
7S has (I believe) a case of both Backwoods Bastard and Imperial Stout. It hasn't been priced yet (as of Thursday night) but it should be for this weekend.
Wednesday: Whiskey Wednesday, this week, Bourbon + Rye
Thursday: Beer Class, 9:30 $10; holiday/ winter beers.
Radio Maria
Jacob is out of town driving through the United States, so the beer list hasn't been updated online since 11/29. Also there isn't an email about the specials, so I don't know what tonight's happy hour special is. We'll assume the rest of the weekly schedule stays the same.
Friday: Happy Hour 4:30 - 5:30. DJ at 10, $3 Smirnoff drinks
Saturday: $3 Bacardi and $6 Bacardi Mojitos, Salsa Night at 10.
Sunday: $2 wells, $1.25 beer (no PBR this week)
Monday: 25% off bottles of wine
Tuesday: 1/2 price wine by the glass
Wednesday: $1 off all beers on draft.
Thursday: $1 off house specialty cocktails
Jan 17, North Coast Brewing Company beer dinner, with brewery rep Brad Fuller.
Blind Pig
Left Hand Warrior IPA; Longmont, Colorado, India Pale Ale, 6.8% abv
Left Hand Fade To Black; Longmont, Colorado, Foreign Stout, 8% abv
Rouge Hazelnut Brown Nectar; Newport, Oregon, Brown Ale, 6.22% abv
Avery The Czar; Boulder, Colorado, Imperial Stout, 10.77% abv
Schlafly Kölsch; Maplewood, Missouri, Kölsch, 4.8% abv
Unibroue La Terrible; Canada, Belgian Strong Ale, 10.5%
Green Flash West Coast IPA; Vista, California, India Pale Ale, 7.3% abv
Mahrs Bräu Christmas Bock; Germany, Heller Bock, 6% abv
Fullers London Pride; England, Premium Bitter, 4.7% abv
Delirium Noël; Belgium, Belgian Strong Ale, 10% abv
Blue Moon; Golden, Colorado, Belgian White, 5.4% abv
Krusovice Imperial 12°; Bohemian Pilsener, Czech Republic, 5% abv
Stella Artois; Belgium, Pale Lager, 5.2% abv
Pabst Blue Ribbon; San Antonio, Texas, Pale Lager, 5% abv
Ridgeway Bad Elf; England, English Strong Ale, 6%
Two Brothers Red Eye Porter; Warrenville, Illinois, Imperial Porter, 9.2% abv
Summit Horizon Red Ale; St. Paul, Minnesota, Amber Ale, 5.7%
Lagunitas IPA; Petaluma, California, India Pale Ale, 5.7% abv
Gouden Carolus Noël; Belgium, Belgian Strong Ale, 10.5% abv
Tucher Helles Hefe Weizen; Germany, German Hefeweizen, 5.3% abv
Lindemans Framboise; Belgium, Lambic, 2.5% abv
De Ranke Père Noël; Belgium, Belgian Ale, 7% abv
Young’s Double Chocolate Stout; England, Stout, 5.2%
Guinness; Dublin, Ireland, Dry Stout, 4.1% abv
Arcadia Angler's Ale is on cask.
You could easily do a holiday beer sampler at the Pig with Mahrs Brau, Delirium Noel, Ridgeway Bad Elf, Gouden Carolus, De Ranke Pere Noel.
The Brewery (the Piglet)
Blind Pig Oatmeal Stout
Blind Pig Grisette
Goose Island Honkers Ale Chicago, Illinois, English Pale Ale, 5% abv
Veltins Pilsener Germany, Classic German Pilsener, 4.8% abv
Wild Goose Snow Goose Frederick, Maryland, English Strong Ale, 5.9% abv
Slaapmutske Christmas Belgium, Belgian Strong Ale, 7.4% abv
Victory Storm King Downington, Pennsylvania, Imperial Stout, 9.1% abv
Ayinger Bräu-Weiss Germany, German Hefeweizen, 5.1% abv
Heilemans Old Style Woodridge, Illinois, Pale Lager, 5% abv
Avery duganA Boulder, Colorado, Imperial IPA, 8.5% abv
Dark Horse Scotty Karate Marshall, Michigan, Scotch Ale, 9.75% abv
Guinness Ireland, Dry Stout, 4.1% abv
There isn't a list of the coming soon house beers. The Grisette should be a saison style / french farmhouse beer, if my guess is correct.
Sunday: 7-9 Trivia
Crane Alley
North Coast Scrimshaw Pilsener 4.4%
Big Sky Moose Drool Brown Ale 5.3%
Belhaven Wee Heavy Scottish Ale 6.5%
Lost Abbey Ten Commandments 9.0%
Three Floyds Robert The Bruce 7.0%
He'brew Origin Pomegranate Ale 8.0%
Avery The Czar Imperial Stout 11.7%
Schneider Weiss 5.6%
Guinness 4.2%
Rogue Double Dead Guy Ale 9.5%
Chimay Trappist Tripel 8.0%
Founder's Porter 6.5%
Pabst Blue Ribbon 4.7%
Left Hand Fade To Black Export Stout 8.5%
Flying Dog Raging Bitch Belgian IPA 8.2%
Great Divide Fresh Hop 6.1%
Coming Soon
Old Speckled Hen
Three Floyds Pride & Joy 5.0%
Founders Imperial Stout
Port Brewing Santa's Little Helper Imperial Stout
Mendocino Red Tail Ale
Green Flash IPA 7.0%
Dark Horse Crooked Tree IPA
Erdinger Octoberfest Weizen 5.6%
Gulden Draak 10.5%
Great Divide Hibernation
Anchor Christmas Ale
Moylans Christmas Ale
Ridgeway Santa's Butt Porter
Ridgeway Bad Elf Winter Ale 6.0%
Three Floyds Gumballhead Wheat Ale 5.0%
This weekend's food specials:
CHIMAY CHEESE PLATE - Chimay Classic, Chimay A La Bier, and Chimay Vieux served with apples, grapes, and baguette
CHUTNEY BURGER - Housemade 8oz burger with apple-jalapeno chutney, applewood smoked bacon, and fontina cheese
ROTINI PASTA - Rotini pasta with chicken, bacon, mushrooms, spinach, and maranara
Cowboy Monkey
Friday: Love Me Nots, $5 10pm
Saturday: Vanattica, $5, 9:30 (Withnail 10pm, Steeleater 11pm, Vanattica at midnight)
Tuesday: Open Mic, 10pm, $2.50 Magic Hat; $2.50 Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat; $2.50 Bacardi drinks
Wednesday: Salsa, 10pm
Thursday: Live Karaoke Band, $5 10pm
Friday: Delta Kings, $5 9pm
Highdive
Friday: DJ Delayney $5, 10pm
Saturday: DJ $5, 10pm; $5 Long Island, $5 Vegas Bombs, $4 Captain Morgan drinks, $4 Jose Cuervo drinks
Monday: 80's night 10pm Free
Tuesday: Open Mic Session, 10pm $5
Wednesday: DJ A-Ron, $5, 10pm
Canopy Club
Friday: Fall Semester Showdown, $7, 8pm
Saturday: Desafinado, 6:30pm; Fall Semester Showdown, $7
Sunday: Pizza + Pitcher and Movie, 6 pm The Darjeeling Limited; 8 pm Rushmore; 10 pm The Hangover
Monday: Jobu, no cover, $1 beers and well
Tuesday: Trivia Diner: Live Game Show/The Piano Man
Wednesday: Physical Challenge: A Dance Party Getdown
Thursday: Bob and Pricilla and friends, $7
Friday: Metal Xmas Bash 2009, $7
Hooters
On tap:
Michelob Winter's Bourbon Cask Ale
Sam Adams Winter Lager
Other events:
Champaign Urbana Beer Club
Wednesday; Dec 16, at Crane Alley, 6:30 pm. December theme is Anniversary or Holiday Beers.
My schedule for this week is rather full.
Friday: Radio Maria Happy Hour, possibly Blind Pig Brewery for the Grisette, Hooters for Calendar Signing.
Saturday: Hooters for Big Brad's Birthday and UFC 107, Penn vs Sanchez
Sunday: Hooters for football
Monday: free
Tuesday: free
Wednesday: pool, as we got wildcard and won last week, followed by Beer Club at Crane
Thursday: 7 Saints beer class. (it's not a cover, it's tuition and fees)
Hopefully, by next Friday, I'll have a list of the December 25 openings.
7 Saints
The two rotating taps are currently:
Southern Tier Oat
Southern Tier Old Man Winter (it's actually the one with the Bells Winter handle)
7S has (I believe) a case of both Backwoods Bastard and Imperial Stout. It hasn't been priced yet (as of Thursday night) but it should be for this weekend.
Wednesday: Whiskey Wednesday, this week, Bourbon + Rye
Thursday: Beer Class, 9:30 $10; holiday/ winter beers.
Radio Maria
Jacob is out of town driving through the United States, so the beer list hasn't been updated online since 11/29. Also there isn't an email about the specials, so I don't know what tonight's happy hour special is. We'll assume the rest of the weekly schedule stays the same.
Friday: Happy Hour 4:30 - 5:30. DJ at 10, $3 Smirnoff drinks
Saturday: $3 Bacardi and $6 Bacardi Mojitos, Salsa Night at 10.
Sunday: $2 wells, $1.25 beer (no PBR this week)
Monday: 25% off bottles of wine
Tuesday: 1/2 price wine by the glass
Wednesday: $1 off all beers on draft.
Thursday: $1 off house specialty cocktails
Jan 17, North Coast Brewing Company beer dinner, with brewery rep Brad Fuller.
Blind Pig
Left Hand Warrior IPA; Longmont, Colorado, India Pale Ale, 6.8% abv
Left Hand Fade To Black; Longmont, Colorado, Foreign Stout, 8% abv
Rouge Hazelnut Brown Nectar; Newport, Oregon, Brown Ale, 6.22% abv
Avery The Czar; Boulder, Colorado, Imperial Stout, 10.77% abv
Schlafly Kölsch; Maplewood, Missouri, Kölsch, 4.8% abv
Unibroue La Terrible; Canada, Belgian Strong Ale, 10.5%
Green Flash West Coast IPA; Vista, California, India Pale Ale, 7.3% abv
Mahrs Bräu Christmas Bock; Germany, Heller Bock, 6% abv
Fullers London Pride; England, Premium Bitter, 4.7% abv
Delirium Noël; Belgium, Belgian Strong Ale, 10% abv
Blue Moon; Golden, Colorado, Belgian White, 5.4% abv
Krusovice Imperial 12°; Bohemian Pilsener, Czech Republic, 5% abv
Stella Artois; Belgium, Pale Lager, 5.2% abv
Pabst Blue Ribbon; San Antonio, Texas, Pale Lager, 5% abv
Ridgeway Bad Elf; England, English Strong Ale, 6%
Two Brothers Red Eye Porter; Warrenville, Illinois, Imperial Porter, 9.2% abv
Summit Horizon Red Ale; St. Paul, Minnesota, Amber Ale, 5.7%
Lagunitas IPA; Petaluma, California, India Pale Ale, 5.7% abv
Gouden Carolus Noël; Belgium, Belgian Strong Ale, 10.5% abv
Tucher Helles Hefe Weizen; Germany, German Hefeweizen, 5.3% abv
Lindemans Framboise; Belgium, Lambic, 2.5% abv
De Ranke Père Noël; Belgium, Belgian Ale, 7% abv
Young’s Double Chocolate Stout; England, Stout, 5.2%
Guinness; Dublin, Ireland, Dry Stout, 4.1% abv
Arcadia Angler's Ale is on cask.
You could easily do a holiday beer sampler at the Pig with Mahrs Brau, Delirium Noel, Ridgeway Bad Elf, Gouden Carolus, De Ranke Pere Noel.
The Brewery (the Piglet)
Blind Pig Oatmeal Stout
Blind Pig Grisette
Goose Island Honkers Ale Chicago, Illinois, English Pale Ale, 5% abv
Veltins Pilsener Germany, Classic German Pilsener, 4.8% abv
Wild Goose Snow Goose Frederick, Maryland, English Strong Ale, 5.9% abv
Slaapmutske Christmas Belgium, Belgian Strong Ale, 7.4% abv
Victory Storm King Downington, Pennsylvania, Imperial Stout, 9.1% abv
Ayinger Bräu-Weiss Germany, German Hefeweizen, 5.1% abv
Heilemans Old Style Woodridge, Illinois, Pale Lager, 5% abv
Avery duganA Boulder, Colorado, Imperial IPA, 8.5% abv
Dark Horse Scotty Karate Marshall, Michigan, Scotch Ale, 9.75% abv
Guinness Ireland, Dry Stout, 4.1% abv
There isn't a list of the coming soon house beers. The Grisette should be a saison style / french farmhouse beer, if my guess is correct.
Sunday: 7-9 Trivia
Crane Alley
North Coast Scrimshaw Pilsener 4.4%
Big Sky Moose Drool Brown Ale 5.3%
Belhaven Wee Heavy Scottish Ale 6.5%
Lost Abbey Ten Commandments 9.0%
Three Floyds Robert The Bruce 7.0%
He'brew Origin Pomegranate Ale 8.0%
Avery The Czar Imperial Stout 11.7%
Schneider Weiss 5.6%
Guinness 4.2%
Rogue Double Dead Guy Ale 9.5%
Chimay Trappist Tripel 8.0%
Founder's Porter 6.5%
Pabst Blue Ribbon 4.7%
Left Hand Fade To Black Export Stout 8.5%
Flying Dog Raging Bitch Belgian IPA 8.2%
Great Divide Fresh Hop 6.1%
Coming Soon
Old Speckled Hen
Three Floyds Pride & Joy 5.0%
Founders Imperial Stout
Port Brewing Santa's Little Helper Imperial Stout
Mendocino Red Tail Ale
Green Flash IPA 7.0%
Dark Horse Crooked Tree IPA
Erdinger Octoberfest Weizen 5.6%
Gulden Draak 10.5%
Great Divide Hibernation
Anchor Christmas Ale
Moylans Christmas Ale
Ridgeway Santa's Butt Porter
Ridgeway Bad Elf Winter Ale 6.0%
Three Floyds Gumballhead Wheat Ale 5.0%
This weekend's food specials:
CHIMAY CHEESE PLATE - Chimay Classic, Chimay A La Bier, and Chimay Vieux served with apples, grapes, and baguette
CHUTNEY BURGER - Housemade 8oz burger with apple-jalapeno chutney, applewood smoked bacon, and fontina cheese
ROTINI PASTA - Rotini pasta with chicken, bacon, mushrooms, spinach, and maranara
Cowboy Monkey
Friday: Love Me Nots, $5 10pm
Saturday: Vanattica, $5, 9:30 (Withnail 10pm, Steeleater 11pm, Vanattica at midnight)
Tuesday: Open Mic, 10pm, $2.50 Magic Hat; $2.50 Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat; $2.50 Bacardi drinks
Wednesday: Salsa, 10pm
Thursday: Live Karaoke Band, $5 10pm
Friday: Delta Kings, $5 9pm
Highdive
Friday: DJ Delayney $5, 10pm
Saturday: DJ $5, 10pm; $5 Long Island, $5 Vegas Bombs, $4 Captain Morgan drinks, $4 Jose Cuervo drinks
Monday: 80's night 10pm Free
Tuesday: Open Mic Session, 10pm $5
Wednesday: DJ A-Ron, $5, 10pm
Canopy Club
Friday: Fall Semester Showdown, $7, 8pm
Saturday: Desafinado, 6:30pm; Fall Semester Showdown, $7
Sunday: Pizza + Pitcher and Movie, 6 pm The Darjeeling Limited; 8 pm Rushmore; 10 pm The Hangover
Monday: Jobu, no cover, $1 beers and well
Tuesday: Trivia Diner: Live Game Show/The Piano Man
Wednesday: Physical Challenge: A Dance Party Getdown
Thursday: Bob and Pricilla and friends, $7
Friday: Metal Xmas Bash 2009, $7
Hooters
On tap:
Michelob Winter's Bourbon Cask Ale
Sam Adams Winter Lager
Other events:
Champaign Urbana Beer Club
Wednesday; Dec 16, at Crane Alley, 6:30 pm. December theme is Anniversary or Holiday Beers.
My schedule for this week is rather full.
Friday: Radio Maria Happy Hour, possibly Blind Pig Brewery for the Grisette, Hooters for Calendar Signing.
Saturday: Hooters for Big Brad's Birthday and UFC 107, Penn vs Sanchez
Sunday: Hooters for football
Monday: free
Tuesday: free
Wednesday: pool, as we got wildcard and won last week, followed by Beer Club at Crane
Thursday: 7 Saints beer class. (it's not a cover, it's tuition and fees)
Monday, December 7, 2009
I'm a winner
No seriously, I'm a winner.
2009, has pretty much been the year of winning. For Realz.
Last Thursday, I received an email from Mountain Dew Green Label Gear. This email said:
But that's not the only email I got from them this year...
BUT THAT'S NOT ALL, TELL HIM WHAT ELSE HE'S WON JOHNNY!
At the draw for the APA (pool) tournament at the beginning of the summer, I won a pool cue, valued at around $200. I guess it's a decent cue, and the case is nice.
But, it's not just me who is a winner, my luck (or win-i-osity) seems to rub off on those around me; and that benefits me as well.
At Hooters they had a raffle/drawing for the Budweiser Hoop Ball game thingy. Kinda like skeeball. It's quite fun to play when drinking. Well, Big Brad won that. He then gave it to Kridz and me, and it's in my garage. From what I remember from my research on it, it's a $450 value.
This winning doesn't have anything to do with skill. My fall softball team lost all our games. Our summer teams didn't do much better. I can't seem to make a ball at pool anymore, in either 8 or 9.
I'm sure that' I've won more things based on luck and not entirely skill. Phil won tickets to an Illinois basketball game where he had to answer a question, but being the correct caller is luck. Darci won football tickets. I went to those games with them.
Kridz won a spa thing to Rod Sickler from the radio.
I should probably play the lottery before the end of the year. At the rate I'm getting lucky, I'm due for a million or 2.
The year started off bad, when I didn't win the big tv from Hooters during the superbowl, but it's changed ever since then.
Have I won anything else? (Some people say that I was the Dark Lord Day winner)
Other free things have been some shirts, a hat, some beer, I think that's about it.
If you won something, and it benefited me this past year, and I forgot; let me know.
*Edit* December 11, I was notified by Josh from Hooters that my name was drawn for winning the "Football Fanatic Display". Not sure what it's worth, or what it is, but it's mine now. *re-edit* It's the grooler, and the bud light tent. (grooler value $125).
*Edit #2* December 13, at Kridz Home Depot christmas party, her name was drawn for the XBox 360. ($199 at Best Buy)
2009, has pretty much been the year of winning. For Realz.
Last Thursday, I received an email from Mountain Dew Green Label Gear. This email said:
CONGRATULATIONS!Huzzah.
You have been selected as a Burton Snowboard prize winner in the Green Label Gear Promotion sponsored by Mountain Dew and the Pepsi-Cola Company. Please allow 8-10 weeks for delivery of your prize via mail to the address you supplied when you registered for the promotion.
On behalf of Mountain Dew thanks for participating in the promotion and enjoy your prize!
But that's not the only email I got from them this year...
CONGRATULATIONS!I won these prizes because I drink a shit ton of Diet Mountain Dew. I mean, a lot of that stuff. It's probably an unhealthy amount. (On a side note, I believe the incredible amount of caffeine that I consume on a daily basis is what prevents me from getting headaches). If I remember correctly, the headphones have a value of $89. The snowboard has a value (according to them) of about $450.
You have been selected as a WeSC Headphones prize winner in the Green Label Gear Promotion sponsored by Mountain Dew and the Pepsi-Cola Company. Please allow 8-10 weeks for delivery of your prize via mail to the address you supplied when you registered for the promotion.
On behalf of Mountain Dew thanks for participating in the promotion and enjoy your prize!
BUT THAT'S NOT ALL, TELL HIM WHAT ELSE HE'S WON JOHNNY!
At the draw for the APA (pool) tournament at the beginning of the summer, I won a pool cue, valued at around $200. I guess it's a decent cue, and the case is nice.
But, it's not just me who is a winner, my luck (or win-i-osity) seems to rub off on those around me; and that benefits me as well.
At Hooters they had a raffle/drawing for the Budweiser Hoop Ball game thingy. Kinda like skeeball. It's quite fun to play when drinking. Well, Big Brad won that. He then gave it to Kridz and me, and it's in my garage. From what I remember from my research on it, it's a $450 value.
This winning doesn't have anything to do with skill. My fall softball team lost all our games. Our summer teams didn't do much better. I can't seem to make a ball at pool anymore, in either 8 or 9.
I'm sure that' I've won more things based on luck and not entirely skill. Phil won tickets to an Illinois basketball game where he had to answer a question, but being the correct caller is luck. Darci won football tickets. I went to those games with them.
Kridz won a spa thing to Rod Sickler from the radio.
I should probably play the lottery before the end of the year. At the rate I'm getting lucky, I'm due for a million or 2.
The year started off bad, when I didn't win the big tv from Hooters during the superbowl, but it's changed ever since then.
Have I won anything else? (Some people say that I was the Dark Lord Day winner)
Other free things have been some shirts, a hat, some beer, I think that's about it.
If you won something, and it benefited me this past year, and I forgot; let me know.
*Edit* December 11, I was notified by Josh from Hooters that my name was drawn for winning the "Football Fanatic Display". Not sure what it's worth, or what it is, but it's mine now. *re-edit* It's the grooler, and the bud light tent. (grooler value $125).
*Edit #2* December 13, at Kridz Home Depot christmas party, her name was drawn for the XBox 360. ($199 at Best Buy)
Friday, December 4, 2009
CU Beer Weekend Dec. 4
Winter seems close, today is cold. The 10 day outlook on Weather.com doesn't have highs above 39, with some lows in the teens. So, it's going to be cold. That calls for beer. It calls for a winter warmer, or something thick, and with a relatively high ABV so that at least you feel warm.
7 Saints
Rotating taps:
Southern Tier Old Man Winter
Rogue Yellow Snow
Wednesday: Whiskey Wednesday, this week, Irish
Thursday: Beer Class, 9pm (or 9:30) $10
Radio Maria
1. Ename Belgian Trippel $6
2. Allagash White $4
3. Two Brothers Red Eye Coffee Porter $5
4. Two Brothers Heavy Handed IPA $4
5. Dark Horse Scotty Karate $4
6. Ballast Pointe Sculpin IPA $6
7. Avery The Czar Imperial Stout $4
8. Left Hand Polestar Pilsner $4.5
9. Scaldis Bush Ambree $5
10.Kulmbacher Eisbock $5
11.Green Flash Imperial IPA $5
12.Green Flash Hop Head Red $5
13.Unibroue La Terrible $6.5
14.DogfishHead 90 MIn IPA $4
15.Three Floyd's Pride N' Joy $4
16.Guinness $4
17.North Coast Old Rasputin $5.5
18.Goose Island Bourbon County Stout $7
19.Petrus Blonde $6.5
20.Schlafly's ESB $4
21.Capital Autumnal Fire $4
22.Capital Wild Rice $3
23.Arcadia Jaw Jacker $4
24.Dark Horse Perkulator Dopplebock $5
25.Coney Island Albino Python $6
26.Kapuziner Weissbier $5
27.New Holland Golden Cap $2.25
You'll note Goose Island Bourbon County Stout '09 is on tap. I had a glass of it on Tuesday, and it's awesome.
Friday: Happy Hour 4:30 - 5:30. Arcadia Jaw Jacker $3. DJ at 10, $3 Smirnoff drinks
Saturday: $3 Bacardi and $6 Bacardi Mojitos, Salsa Night at 10.
Sunday: $2 wells, $1.25 beer (no PBR this week)
Monday: 25% off bottles of wine
Tuesday: 1/2 price wine by the glass
Wednesday: $1 off all beers on draft.
Thursday: $1 off house specialty cocktails
Jan 17, North Coast Brewing Company beer dinner, with brewery rep Brad Fuller.
Blind Pig
Left Hand Warrior IPA; Longmont, Colorado, India Pale Ale, 6.8% abv
Left Hand Fade To Black; Longmont, Colorado, Foreign Stout, 8% abv
Rouge XS Imperial Porter; Newport, OR, Imperial Porter, 8.2% abv
Avery The Czar; Boulder, Colorado, Imperial Stout, 10.77% abv
North Coast Brother Thelonious; Fort Bragg, California, Belgian Strong Ale, 9% abv
Unibroue La Terrible; Canada, Belgian Strong Ale, 10.5%
Port Brewing High Tide IPA; San Marcos, California, India Pale Ale, 6.5% abv
Flying Dog Raging Bitch; Frederick, Maryland, India Pale Ale, 8% abv
Fullers London Pride; England, Premium Bitter, 4.7% abv
Delirium Noël; Belgium, Belgian Strong Ale, 10% abv
Blue Moon; Golden, Colorado, Belgian White, 5.4% abv
Krusovice Imperial 12°; Bohemian Pilsener, Czech Republic, 5% abv
Stella Artois; Belgium, Pale Lager, 5.2% abv
Pabst Blue Ribbon; San Antonio, Texas, Pale Lager, 5% abv
Dark Horse Boffo Brown; Marshall, Michigan, Brown Ale, 5.5%
Two Brothers Red Eye Porter; Warrenville, Illinois, Imperial Porter, 9.2% abv
Summit Horizon Red Ale; St. Paul, Minnesota, Amber Ale, 5.7%
Lagunitas IPA; Petaluma, California, India Pale Ale, 5.7% abv
Duchesse De Bourgogne; Belgium, Sour Ale, 6.2% abv
Tucher Helles Hefe Weizen; Germany, German Hefeweizen, 5.3% abv
Lindemans Framboise; Belgium, Lambic, 2.5% abv
Piraat; Belgium, Belgian Strong Ale, 10.5% abv
Left Hand Milk Stout (Nitro); Longmont, Colorado, Sweet Stout, 5.3%
Guinness; Dublin, Ireland, Dry Stout, 4.1% abv
The Brewery (the Piglet)
Blind Pig Oatmeal Stout
Blind Pig Belgian Pale Ale
Goose Island Honkers Ale; Chicago, Illinois, English Pale Ale, 5% abv
Veltins Pilsener; Germany, Classic German Pilsener, 4.8% abv
Wild Goose Snow Goose; Frederick, Maryland, English Strong Ale, 5.9% abv
Two Brothers Northwind; Warrenville, Illinois, Imperial Stout, 8.5% abv
Two Brothers Heavy Handed; Warrenville, Illinois, India Pale Ale, 6.7% abv
Dark Horse Scotty Karate; Marshall, Michigan, Scotch Ale, 9.75% abv
Heileman's Old Style; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Pale Lager, 5% abv
Victory Golden Monkey; Downington, Pennsylvania, Abbey Tripel, 9.5% abv
König Ludwig Weiss; Germany, German Hefeweizen, 5.5% abv
Guinness; Ireland, Dry Stout, 4.1% abv
Get there early, last week the house beer was gone by Friday night. I've been told the Oatmeal Stout is pretty good.
Sunday: 7-9 Trivia
Crane Alley
North Coast Scrimshaw Pilsener 4.4%
Big Sky Moose Drool Brown Ale 5.3%
Belhaven Wee Heavy Scottish Ale 6.5%
Lost Abbey Red Barn Saison 6.7%
Three Floyds Robert The Bruce 7.0%
Lindemans Pomme 4.0%
Southern Tier Imperial Oatmeal Stout 11.0%
Hoegaarden Belgian Wit 5.4%
Guinness 4.2%
Rogue Cap'n Sig's India Red Ale 6.2%
Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour Ale 5.5%
Two Brothers Red Eye Coffee Porter 9.2%
Pabst Blue Ribbon 4.7%
Left Hand Fade To Black Export Stout 8.5%
Great Divide Fresh Hop 6.1%
Avery DuganA IPA 8.5%
Coming Soon:
Schneider Weiss 5.4%
Founders Porter 6.5%
Old Speckled Hen
Chimay Tripel 8.0%
Erdinger Octoberfest Weizen 5.6%
Gulden Draak 10.5%
Great Divide Hibernation
Ridgeway Santa's Butt Porter
Ridgeway Bad Elf Winter Ale 6.0%
Three Floyds Gumballhead Wheat Ale 5.0%
Hebrew Origin Pomegranate Ale 8.0%
Monday: Chimay Beer Dinner, 7:30, tickets at Crane alley or contact Aaron@crane-alley.com
This weeks food specials:
Pork Loin-grilled pork loin over cherry risotto toasted almonds and whiskey maple syrup demi-glace
Tapenade Burger- housemade tapenade, applewood smoked bacon and feta cheese, served with fries
Creole Meatloaf- ground beef and andouille sausage with creole spiced meatloaf over spicy mashed potatoes and topped with a holy trinity sauce
Cowboy Monkey
Friday: Beat Kitchen $5, 10pm
Saturday: Snowsera, $5, 10pm
Tuesday: Open Mic, 10pm, $2.50 Magic Hat; $2.50 Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat; $2.50 Bacardi drinks
Wednesday: Salsa, 10pm
Thursday: Bluesjam, Free, 9pm
Highdive
Friday: DJ Delayney $5, 10pm
Saturday: DJ $5, 10pm; $5 Long Island, $5 Vegas Bombs, $4 Captain Morgan drinks, $4 Jose Cuervo drinks
Monday: 80's night 10pm Free
Wednesday: DJ A-Ron, $5, 10pm
Canopy Club
Friday: Laughing Prairie Dog Festival, $10 in advance, 8pm
Saturday: EOTO, $12 in Advance, 10pm
Sunday: Pizza + Pitcher and Movie, 6 pm Adventureland; 8 pm Jingle All the Way; 10 pm High Fidelity; ALSO Elmwood, $7 in advance, 7pm
Monday: Mayday Parade, $13 in advance, 6:30pm; Jobu, no cover, $1 beers and well
Tuesday: Trivia Diner: Live Game Show/The Piano Man
Wednesday: Physical Challenge: A Dance Party Getdown
Thursday: Fishing with Dynamite, $5, early; Fall Semester Showdown, $7, 10pm
other events:
Champaign Urbana Beer Club
next meeting is Wednesday Dec. 16 at Crane Alley 6:30pm. December theme is Anniversary or Holiday Beers.
My schedule is rather empty for this week.
Friday: Radio Maria Happy Hour, and probably try to get to Blind Pig Brewery for house beers
Saturday: free
Sunday: Hooters for football
Monday: free (don't think I can make the Crane Alley dinner)
Tuesday: free
Wednesday: free (unless pool team got wildcard for playoffs; then Jupiters 2)
Thursday: 7 Saints beer class
7 Saints
Rotating taps:
Southern Tier Old Man Winter
Rogue Yellow Snow
Wednesday: Whiskey Wednesday, this week, Irish
Thursday: Beer Class, 9pm (or 9:30) $10
Radio Maria
1. Ename Belgian Trippel $6
2. Allagash White $4
3. Two Brothers Red Eye Coffee Porter $5
4. Two Brothers Heavy Handed IPA $4
5. Dark Horse Scotty Karate $4
6. Ballast Pointe Sculpin IPA $6
7. Avery The Czar Imperial Stout $4
8. Left Hand Polestar Pilsner $4.5
9. Scaldis Bush Ambree $5
10.Kulmbacher Eisbock $5
11.Green Flash Imperial IPA $5
12.Green Flash Hop Head Red $5
13.Unibroue La Terrible $6.5
14.DogfishHead 90 MIn IPA $4
15.Three Floyd's Pride N' Joy $4
16.Guinness $4
17.North Coast Old Rasputin $5.5
18.Goose Island Bourbon County Stout $7
19.Petrus Blonde $6.5
20.Schlafly's ESB $4
21.Capital Autumnal Fire $4
22.Capital Wild Rice $3
23.Arcadia Jaw Jacker $4
24.Dark Horse Perkulator Dopplebock $5
25.Coney Island Albino Python $6
26.Kapuziner Weissbier $5
27.New Holland Golden Cap $2.25
You'll note Goose Island Bourbon County Stout '09 is on tap. I had a glass of it on Tuesday, and it's awesome.
Friday: Happy Hour 4:30 - 5:30. Arcadia Jaw Jacker $3. DJ at 10, $3 Smirnoff drinks
Saturday: $3 Bacardi and $6 Bacardi Mojitos, Salsa Night at 10.
Sunday: $2 wells, $1.25 beer (no PBR this week)
Monday: 25% off bottles of wine
Tuesday: 1/2 price wine by the glass
Wednesday: $1 off all beers on draft.
Thursday: $1 off house specialty cocktails
Jan 17, North Coast Brewing Company beer dinner, with brewery rep Brad Fuller.
Blind Pig
Left Hand Warrior IPA; Longmont, Colorado, India Pale Ale, 6.8% abv
Left Hand Fade To Black; Longmont, Colorado, Foreign Stout, 8% abv
Rouge XS Imperial Porter; Newport, OR, Imperial Porter, 8.2% abv
Avery The Czar; Boulder, Colorado, Imperial Stout, 10.77% abv
North Coast Brother Thelonious; Fort Bragg, California, Belgian Strong Ale, 9% abv
Unibroue La Terrible; Canada, Belgian Strong Ale, 10.5%
Port Brewing High Tide IPA; San Marcos, California, India Pale Ale, 6.5% abv
Flying Dog Raging Bitch; Frederick, Maryland, India Pale Ale, 8% abv
Fullers London Pride; England, Premium Bitter, 4.7% abv
Delirium Noël; Belgium, Belgian Strong Ale, 10% abv
Blue Moon; Golden, Colorado, Belgian White, 5.4% abv
Krusovice Imperial 12°; Bohemian Pilsener, Czech Republic, 5% abv
Stella Artois; Belgium, Pale Lager, 5.2% abv
Pabst Blue Ribbon; San Antonio, Texas, Pale Lager, 5% abv
Dark Horse Boffo Brown; Marshall, Michigan, Brown Ale, 5.5%
Two Brothers Red Eye Porter; Warrenville, Illinois, Imperial Porter, 9.2% abv
Summit Horizon Red Ale; St. Paul, Minnesota, Amber Ale, 5.7%
Lagunitas IPA; Petaluma, California, India Pale Ale, 5.7% abv
Duchesse De Bourgogne; Belgium, Sour Ale, 6.2% abv
Tucher Helles Hefe Weizen; Germany, German Hefeweizen, 5.3% abv
Lindemans Framboise; Belgium, Lambic, 2.5% abv
Piraat; Belgium, Belgian Strong Ale, 10.5% abv
Left Hand Milk Stout (Nitro); Longmont, Colorado, Sweet Stout, 5.3%
Guinness; Dublin, Ireland, Dry Stout, 4.1% abv
The Brewery (the Piglet)
Blind Pig Oatmeal Stout
Blind Pig Belgian Pale Ale
Goose Island Honkers Ale; Chicago, Illinois, English Pale Ale, 5% abv
Veltins Pilsener; Germany, Classic German Pilsener, 4.8% abv
Wild Goose Snow Goose; Frederick, Maryland, English Strong Ale, 5.9% abv
Two Brothers Northwind; Warrenville, Illinois, Imperial Stout, 8.5% abv
Two Brothers Heavy Handed; Warrenville, Illinois, India Pale Ale, 6.7% abv
Dark Horse Scotty Karate; Marshall, Michigan, Scotch Ale, 9.75% abv
Heileman's Old Style; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Pale Lager, 5% abv
Victory Golden Monkey; Downington, Pennsylvania, Abbey Tripel, 9.5% abv
König Ludwig Weiss; Germany, German Hefeweizen, 5.5% abv
Guinness; Ireland, Dry Stout, 4.1% abv
Get there early, last week the house beer was gone by Friday night. I've been told the Oatmeal Stout is pretty good.
Sunday: 7-9 Trivia
Crane Alley
North Coast Scrimshaw Pilsener 4.4%
Big Sky Moose Drool Brown Ale 5.3%
Belhaven Wee Heavy Scottish Ale 6.5%
Lost Abbey Red Barn Saison 6.7%
Three Floyds Robert The Bruce 7.0%
Lindemans Pomme 4.0%
Southern Tier Imperial Oatmeal Stout 11.0%
Hoegaarden Belgian Wit 5.4%
Guinness 4.2%
Rogue Cap'n Sig's India Red Ale 6.2%
Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour Ale 5.5%
Two Brothers Red Eye Coffee Porter 9.2%
Pabst Blue Ribbon 4.7%
Left Hand Fade To Black Export Stout 8.5%
Great Divide Fresh Hop 6.1%
Avery DuganA IPA 8.5%
Coming Soon:
Schneider Weiss 5.4%
Founders Porter 6.5%
Old Speckled Hen
Chimay Tripel 8.0%
Erdinger Octoberfest Weizen 5.6%
Gulden Draak 10.5%
Great Divide Hibernation
Ridgeway Santa's Butt Porter
Ridgeway Bad Elf Winter Ale 6.0%
Three Floyds Gumballhead Wheat Ale 5.0%
Hebrew Origin Pomegranate Ale 8.0%
Monday: Chimay Beer Dinner, 7:30, tickets at Crane alley or contact Aaron@crane-alley.com
This weeks food specials:
Pork Loin-grilled pork loin over cherry risotto toasted almonds and whiskey maple syrup demi-glace
Tapenade Burger- housemade tapenade, applewood smoked bacon and feta cheese, served with fries
Creole Meatloaf- ground beef and andouille sausage with creole spiced meatloaf over spicy mashed potatoes and topped with a holy trinity sauce
Cowboy Monkey
Friday: Beat Kitchen $5, 10pm
Saturday: Snowsera, $5, 10pm
Tuesday: Open Mic, 10pm, $2.50 Magic Hat; $2.50 Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat; $2.50 Bacardi drinks
Wednesday: Salsa, 10pm
Thursday: Bluesjam, Free, 9pm
Highdive
Friday: DJ Delayney $5, 10pm
Saturday: DJ $5, 10pm; $5 Long Island, $5 Vegas Bombs, $4 Captain Morgan drinks, $4 Jose Cuervo drinks
Monday: 80's night 10pm Free
Wednesday: DJ A-Ron, $5, 10pm
Canopy Club
Friday: Laughing Prairie Dog Festival, $10 in advance, 8pm
Saturday: EOTO, $12 in Advance, 10pm
Sunday: Pizza + Pitcher and Movie, 6 pm Adventureland; 8 pm Jingle All the Way; 10 pm High Fidelity; ALSO Elmwood, $7 in advance, 7pm
Monday: Mayday Parade, $13 in advance, 6:30pm; Jobu, no cover, $1 beers and well
Tuesday: Trivia Diner: Live Game Show/The Piano Man
Wednesday: Physical Challenge: A Dance Party Getdown
Thursday: Fishing with Dynamite, $5, early; Fall Semester Showdown, $7, 10pm
other events:
Champaign Urbana Beer Club
next meeting is Wednesday Dec. 16 at Crane Alley 6:30pm. December theme is Anniversary or Holiday Beers.
My schedule is rather empty for this week.
Friday: Radio Maria Happy Hour, and probably try to get to Blind Pig Brewery for house beers
Saturday: free
Sunday: Hooters for football
Monday: free (don't think I can make the Crane Alley dinner)
Tuesday: free
Wednesday: free (unless pool team got wildcard for playoffs; then Jupiters 2)
Thursday: 7 Saints beer class
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Beer Review, Bud Light Golden Wheat
So, last night I was at Jupiters and the Crossing, for pool, and I am perusing through the beer selection, and I notice Bud Light Golden Wheat. I haven't had this beer before, so I ask for one. Chris, the bartender, initially says no.
He will not give me one. He felt it almost like blasphemy to give me the beer. I explained to him that I haven't had it yet, and that it's all for just saying I've had it, and to see how it is.
He relents and gives me the beer.
If you were watching my twitter, or my facebook last night, you probably saw my review in 140 characters or less (there were 7 updates). Here's the flushed out version of that.
I poured it into a glass. This beer is probably not designed to be poured into a glass. It poured out yellow. There was initially a white head, but that went away really quickly. The picture is right after being poured, before any sips. As you can see, it went away fast. It did look like flat orange juice.
It had very little smell, even when it warmed up. There might have been some orange, but it was faint. It felt flat and thin. There was some acidic tingling to it, that I initially confused with carbonation, but it wasn't bubbles, it was acidic. The taste was orange-y. There was no hops evident, no wheat, no malt, no... nothing. It was just meh, bad orangeish. Overall, I hated drinking this. It was bad. It made absolutely no sense from a drinking perspective. There's no reason anyone should ever drink this beer, other than to say they had it. (Kind of like Bud American Ale).
What style of wheat is this even supposed to be. I can think of 3 main styles of wheat beers. 1 German Style, aka hefeweizens. This isn't a hefe. 2. Belgian Style wit. This isn't a wit, it says it's brewed with orange peel and coriander, so it might be trying to be a wit, but a Belgian wit it's not. 3. American style wheat. Those typically have a pronounced hop character (Three Floyds, Hoppin Frog). This had no hops. About the closest would be Belgian style. I guess since it's from AB, that means its an Belgian style, Belgian Wheat beer brewed in America. (Since budweiser itself is an American Style, Belgian light lager)
As I was sitting there drinking this horrible concoction, I got a text message from Smart@ss, saying that when he had it, it made him vomitously sick. This kind of scared me as Bud Select 55 gave me the shits. (oh look if you google Bud select 55 review, I'm #10, so people who search for a review of bud select 55 will see that it gave me the shits, huzzah) If crappy faux-beer products from Anheuser Busch make me and everyone I know ill, then our money won't be going to them.
Ok, one of my messages sent on twitter last night was this, as I was pondering why this beer was made...
People who drink Bud Light, love them some Bud Light. They believe it is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Well, the best thing since sliced WHITE BREAD. (Give them a real loaf of bread and see how they react.) They put their faith and trust into Budweiser to give them a product that they love. They believe that bud light won't let them down. (same with wonder bread). They wouldn't expect bud light to put out a product that is nothing like what a wheat beer should be.
It will go something like this. They are out drinking with a friend at a bar, they order a bud light, their friend orders a Tucher.
Bud Light Guy: Man, how can you drink that stuff?
Tucher Guy: It's awesome, how can you drink that stuff?
Bud Light: I had a wheat beer once and it was horrible, that stuff is just plain old nasty.
Tucher Guy: Well wheat beers are susceptible to light and heat damage, but I don't think I've ever had one that was just nasty. What was it?
BL: Bud Light Golden Wheat.
Tucher: Well, do you want to try this?
BL: No thank you, I don't like those kinds of beers.
Tucher: Come on, just take a sip.
BL: Shut up homo.
(Ok, so I made a generalization there that bud light drinkers are homophobic, and anyone who doesn't agree with them is obviously a homosexual; I was going to use the f-word, but decided against it).
Let's read Anheuser-Busch's press release on BL GW.
This horrible beverage will drive people who think that they might want to try a "craft" beer, right back into the warm fat bosom of Bud Light. She'll probably have a sammich made with white bread there too.
Why this beer was needed, is totally beyond my comprehension. AB already produces a "wheat" beer, in Michelob Shock Top. Is AB attempting to corner the market on orange-y wheat beers?
Budweiser should just stick to making Bud, and Bud Light. If they want to make better beers, they should point their drinkers to their Michelob lineup. Some of that stuff isn't too bad (I'm fond of Winter's Bourbon Cask Ale). Sadly, they've ruined their own image of Michelob by portraying it as a poor mans version of Budweiser, even though most of their stuff is superior to Buds.
I wonder, is this Shock Top light?
Save your money, don't buy or drink this beer. If you want a wheat, drink one. Don't drink this. And if you do get a hefe, don't put fruit in it.
He will not give me one. He felt it almost like blasphemy to give me the beer. I explained to him that I haven't had it yet, and that it's all for just saying I've had it, and to see how it is.
He relents and gives me the beer.
If you were watching my twitter, or my facebook last night, you probably saw my review in 140 characters or less (there were 7 updates). Here's the flushed out version of that.
I poured it into a glass. This beer is probably not designed to be poured into a glass. It poured out yellow. There was initially a white head, but that went away really quickly. The picture is right after being poured, before any sips. As you can see, it went away fast. It did look like flat orange juice.
It had very little smell, even when it warmed up. There might have been some orange, but it was faint. It felt flat and thin. There was some acidic tingling to it, that I initially confused with carbonation, but it wasn't bubbles, it was acidic. The taste was orange-y. There was no hops evident, no wheat, no malt, no... nothing. It was just meh, bad orangeish. Overall, I hated drinking this. It was bad. It made absolutely no sense from a drinking perspective. There's no reason anyone should ever drink this beer, other than to say they had it. (Kind of like Bud American Ale).
What style of wheat is this even supposed to be. I can think of 3 main styles of wheat beers. 1 German Style, aka hefeweizens. This isn't a hefe. 2. Belgian Style wit. This isn't a wit, it says it's brewed with orange peel and coriander, so it might be trying to be a wit, but a Belgian wit it's not. 3. American style wheat. Those typically have a pronounced hop character (Three Floyds, Hoppin Frog). This had no hops. About the closest would be Belgian style. I guess since it's from AB, that means its an Belgian style, Belgian Wheat beer brewed in America. (Since budweiser itself is an American Style, Belgian light lager)
As I was sitting there drinking this horrible concoction, I got a text message from Smart@ss, saying that when he had it, it made him vomitously sick. This kind of scared me as Bud Select 55 gave me the shits. (oh look if you google Bud select 55 review, I'm #10, so people who search for a review of bud select 55 will see that it gave me the shits, huzzah) If crappy faux-beer products from Anheuser Busch make me and everyone I know ill, then our money won't be going to them.
Ok, one of my messages sent on twitter last night was this, as I was pondering why this beer was made...
I understand why now. this "craft" beer is so bad it will scare bud light drinkers from even trying craft beer. genius!This beer is not designed for me. It's not designed for anyone who follows this blog. It's not designed for anyone who drinks "craft" beer. This beer is solely designed for Bud Light drinkers. It's for a small minority of Bud Light drinkers. It's for the ones who are actually thinking they might like to leave Bud Light behind and try to drink craft beer. This beer is horrible. It's GENIUS!!! They made a "craft" beer that is so bad, that people who think about switching will try this and say "No thanks, I'll stick with Bud Light!" This beer will scare people away from ever getting to something good. The worst part of it is, the deception is done by a company that they love and trust.
People who drink Bud Light, love them some Bud Light. They believe it is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Well, the best thing since sliced WHITE BREAD. (Give them a real loaf of bread and see how they react.) They put their faith and trust into Budweiser to give them a product that they love. They believe that bud light won't let them down. (same with wonder bread). They wouldn't expect bud light to put out a product that is nothing like what a wheat beer should be.
It will go something like this. They are out drinking with a friend at a bar, they order a bud light, their friend orders a Tucher.
Bud Light Guy: Man, how can you drink that stuff?
Tucher Guy: It's awesome, how can you drink that stuff?
Bud Light: I had a wheat beer once and it was horrible, that stuff is just plain old nasty.
Tucher Guy: Well wheat beers are susceptible to light and heat damage, but I don't think I've ever had one that was just nasty. What was it?
BL: Bud Light Golden Wheat.
Tucher: Well, do you want to try this?
BL: No thank you, I don't like those kinds of beers.
Tucher: Come on, just take a sip.
BL: Shut up homo.
(Ok, so I made a generalization there that bud light drinkers are homophobic, and anyone who doesn't agree with them is obviously a homosexual; I was going to use the f-word, but decided against it).
Let's read Anheuser-Busch's press release on BL GW.
“Bud Light has the unique ability to introduce wheat beers to a broader audience of beer drinkers,” said Mike Sundet, senior director of Bud Light brands. “With the personality of Bud Light, Bud Light Golden Wheat appeals to light beer drinkers who seek a variety of flavor options from their beer.”See, Bud Light Golden Wheat isn't for me or you; it's designed to INTRODUCE wheat beers to beer drinkers. You never get a second chance to make a first impression; this shit is the first impression that most people will get.
This horrible beverage will drive people who think that they might want to try a "craft" beer, right back into the warm fat bosom of Bud Light. She'll probably have a sammich made with white bread there too.
“Bud Light Golden Wheat is not a craft beer, but captures the refreshment of the wheat beer style while remaining consistent with Bud Light’s product attributes that beer drinkers enjoy,” Sundet said. “Our Innovations and brewing teams have worked for almost two years developing Bud Light Golden Wheat from consumer insight and perfecting it to Bud Light standards.”Wow, they don't even claim to be a craft beer. So, since it doesn't claim to be craft, this beer is just trying to keep bud light drinkers from straying from the budweiser market share.
Brewed at Anheuser-Busch’s Baldwinsville, Cartersville and Fort Collins breweries,Why would anyone need a 22 ounce bomber of this?
Bud Light Golden Wheat contains 118 calories, 4.1 percent alcohol by volume (also available in 3.2 percent ABW) and is available in 12-ounce glass bottles, 22-ounce single-serve bottles and draught.
Based in St. Louis, Anheuser‑Busch is the leading American brewer, holding a 49.2 percent share of U.S. beer sales.This beer is designed to keep that 49.2% market share, by saying, "Hey bud light drinkers, you see your friends drinking craft beers, well, here, try one." (Don't try one of theirs)
Why this beer was needed, is totally beyond my comprehension. AB already produces a "wheat" beer, in Michelob Shock Top. Is AB attempting to corner the market on orange-y wheat beers?
Budweiser should just stick to making Bud, and Bud Light. If they want to make better beers, they should point their drinkers to their Michelob lineup. Some of that stuff isn't too bad (I'm fond of Winter's Bourbon Cask Ale). Sadly, they've ruined their own image of Michelob by portraying it as a poor mans version of Budweiser, even though most of their stuff is superior to Buds.
I wonder, is this Shock Top light?
Save your money, don't buy or drink this beer. If you want a wheat, drink one. Don't drink this. And if you do get a hefe, don't put fruit in it.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Thanksgiving South Easterly Trip
Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone. For it, Kridz and I went south east. Our initial plans were to go down to Marietta Georgia and spend the week with my uncle helga, and do Thanksgiving day (proper) with the mother.
Then we thought a whole week in Georgia might be too much, so we thought about going to Asheville on Friday (or Saturday) and spending some time with Frank and Dana. Then we changed our minds again, and went to Asheville first, and headed to Atlanta area on Thanksgiving itself.
On the Sunday before we left, I stopped at Friar Tucks to pick up some things to trade with Julie from BruisinAles. She had asked for some of this years Goose Island Bourbon County Stout, Three Floyds Behemoth, and Three Floyds Alpha Klaus. GIBCS and Behemoth were available at Tucks so I picked up some of that for her.
We left on Monday morning around 8:30 or so. We got to 465 in Indy around 10:45 (with the time change; maybe). Then had to get gas, so we stoped at Crown Liquors. Crown Liq is at exit 2B on 465. Take that for about 3 miles south and it's on the left. It doesn't have a huge selection, but the selection it has is outstanding. (If you go down 31 further south, you'll come to E Stop 11 road, turn left there and go down another 2 miles and on the right is Parti-pak Liquors, that store doesn't look like much, but has an OUTSTANDING beer selection, and everything is available in singles; we didn't go there this time) We weren't really shopping to get much, just hoping to pick up some more GIBCS (tucks only had the bombers) and hopefully some Alpha Klaus. The store had Alpha Klaus, horray. It also had bombers and 4 packs of GIBCS, horray. It also had Behemoth, horray. It didn't just have Behemoth, it had '09 Behemoth, sitting next to '08 Behemoth, sitting next to '07 Behemoth. All were the same price, exactly how that was possible, I have no idea. So, I got one of each of those (for Julie). I also picked up a 4pack of Bells Hell Hath No Fury, because that's awesome. I think that's about all we got there. The guy working was nice enough to give us 15% off our purchase, it was supposed to be just for bombers, but he did it for the whole thing. I'm sure we got more, I just don't remember what all else we got there.
We continued traveling to Asheville. Interstate 40 is closed just inside the North Carolina border, so we hadda take a detour. This was through some of the windy-est up and down backwoods parts of North Carolina. In Illinois, we are pampered. Seriously. The ground is flat, and pretty much all the roads go north and south, or east and west. There are a few curves, but it's pretty straight. Even the non-interstate roads are pretty straight. You can take route 150 from Danville to the Quad Cities, and you'll be stopping a lot, but it's pretty straight. This backroad route that we had to take in North Carolina, I swear we stayed on the same road, but intersected the road we were on. There's a lot of turning. There's a lot of ups and downs. There's mountains. There's valleys. There's OMG YOU ARE GOING TO FAST FOR THIS CORNER!!!! ARRRRGGGGHHH.
We made it to Asheville, without much incident (although my car is making a weird rattling noise). Got to Frank and Dana's and ate and had a beer or 2, not exactly sure what all we drank that night, the week got kind of fuzzy...
Woke up on Tuesday and ate breakfast. Killed some time, then headed to downtown to the Mellow Mushroom to eat lunch. I had a Sweetwater Motorboat, Kridz had a Wedge Pale, Frank had a Highland Cold Mountain. I had a second beer, that was the French Broad Rye Hopper. We left there and headed to Pisgah Brewery. There we met Julie and J from BruisinAles. We all got beer and went and sat at the tables and chatted about beer. Based on my twitter messages, I know that the first beer I had was their Belgian Amber. Kridz had their porter and Frank had the Nitro Stout. Because we were there with Julie and J, we got to go back and check out the works of the brewery (I'm sure they would have let us back their without them; but it didn't hurt that we were there with one of the top beer store people in the world). We talked to one of the brewers and learned some of their stuff. We finished up and headed to the next brewery.
Our next stop was Wedge Brewing Co. Wedge is pretty. Wedge is possibly how I'd like my brewery to look. While there, I had their belgian abbey ale, which was awesome. Frank and Kridz both got their DIPA. We got to go back and talk with Carl, the brewer, about some of the things he was doing, and to look at their setup. I'm pretty sure that I had another beer there, but who really knows. We packed up there and headed to the next brewery.
Our next stop was Dirty Jacks. While there, we got to talk with the brewer, John. I was drinking the DIPA, and Kridz got the ESB. Their ESB was one of the first non-bud light beers that Kridz had. From our first trip to Asheville, when we helped move Frank and Dana down. It's a good gateway beer. Back then, it was probably a lot more flavor than she was used to, now it's probably kind of tame. John was working on something special for something special (not exactly sure what it was) but he brought out some samples of a stout for us, and that was pretty darn good. We packed up there and headed to our next stop.
Next stop, the Thirsty Monk. The monk is pretty much 2 pubs, downstairs is all Belgian and belgian style, upstairs is pretty much... beer, any and all beer. When we were there, we got to sit in on a tasting of Hanssens Lambics in the basement, which I enjoyed, but Frank and Kridz didn't seem to like. At one point I said, "you have to want to like these beers" if you don't you'll never get around to appreciating them. If you don't want it, you'll hate them and just be stuck with the vinegar flavor. Then we went upstairs and got to drink some cask Ola Dubh 12 year. That was awesome too. I'm pretty sure I had a beer from downstairs, but I have no clue what it was. While we were finishing up the Ola Dubh glasses, Dana called and said she was about ready to be picked up from work. That call ended a LONG day of drinking. A LONG great day of drinking. Although I think we may have had another one or two when we got back to Frank and Dana's.
Woke up Wed, and felt a little small, not horribly hungover, but not the greatest. Dana managed to get the day off, so we ate breakfast and headed out to go do some beer exchanging with BruisinAles. We got there before they opened, so we had to figure out something else to do. We wound up going to The Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa for the National Gingerbread House Display. That was... interesting. The place smelled like gingerbread, which I guess is to be expected. Some of them were nice, others were... meh. We finished up there and went to BruisinAles again. (the final haul list will be at the bottom of this post).
We left there, went back to Frank and Dana's ate dinner had a couple beers (including a Troegs Nugget Nectar from Julie and J's private stash) and watched Pelham 123. Woke up Thursday and headed towards Atlanta. Made the 200 wind-y drive in about 4 hours. Got to mom's a little bit into the packer game. Had to call mother for directions to her house from the road we exited the interstate from. She apparently doesn't know the road's name to turn on from the road we were on, which I believe is the road she works on.
Watched football, ate, played scategories, left and went to Uncle Helga's. Wanted a beer during dinner, but not so much after. Relaxed the rest of the night at Harolds. Friday went back to go work on their laptops that both had issues. Frank's display was turning off, and they needed the data from it on the other lappy. Mom's lappy wasn't printing. I managed to transfer the data without having much visibility on the monitor, and managed to get her printer working (Windows 7 security features have a tendency to lock down machines to a point where they don't work). Ate, then headed to Highland Beverage in Hiram.
Highland doesn't have the biggest selection, but they do have a decent one. This whole trip my plan was to only get beers from the south east, I pretty much succeeded, but did get a couple of Stone's and some other things.
Left there and went to Taco Mac Marietta. Other than pizza, Taco Mac is the beer place that Old Chicago wishes it was. Old Chicago has like 20 taps, Taco Mac Marietta has 50. Old Chicago claims 110 brews. Taco Mac has 402 bottles. I don't know any place locally with that number, (other than the houses of people in the beer club). While there, met my cousin, his wife and 2 daughters. That was nice. I added 4 beers (between kridz and I) to my passport club thing.
Saturday, packed up and headed back to Illinois.
That's pretty much the trip. Here's the haul...
4 pack Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout
4 pack Atlanta Brewing Company Double Chocolate Oatmeal Porter
4 pack Terrapin Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout (and another for Puffer)(commonly known as Wake and Bake)
2 Dogfish Head/Sierra Nevada Life and Limb
3 Terrapin Gamma Ray
2 Stone Sublimely Self Righteous
2 Duck Rabbit Wee Heavy Scotch
2 Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot
Sweetwater Festive '09 #1655 (must check to see what number my '06 is)
Bruery 2 Turgle Doves
Stone Old Guardian Early '09 Release
Smuttynose Baltic Porter
Smuttynose Imperial Stout
Smuttynose Wheat Wine Ale
Weyerbacher Insanity
Hanssens Oude Kriek (from Thirsty Monk tasting)
Highland Tasgall
Sweetwater Wet Dream (dank tank)
Terrapin Side Project #6 90 Shelling
Terrapin Side Project #7 Maggies' Farmhouse Ale
Weyerbacher XIII
Weyerbacher 12
Deschutes Jubelale '08 (from Julie and J)
Highland Imperial Black Mocha
Sweetwater Big Ol' Belgian Blue Balls (dank tank)
Troegs Mad Elf (from Julie and J)
Terrapin Imperial Red Ale Big Hoppy Monster
Brewdog Paradox Smokehead #15
Brewdog Paradox Isle of Arran #16
Weyerbacher 14
Weyerbacher Quad
(the Paradox gives me numbers 1,3,5,8,10,11, 13, 15, and 16)
Then we thought a whole week in Georgia might be too much, so we thought about going to Asheville on Friday (or Saturday) and spending some time with Frank and Dana. Then we changed our minds again, and went to Asheville first, and headed to Atlanta area on Thanksgiving itself.
On the Sunday before we left, I stopped at Friar Tucks to pick up some things to trade with Julie from BruisinAles. She had asked for some of this years Goose Island Bourbon County Stout, Three Floyds Behemoth, and Three Floyds Alpha Klaus. GIBCS and Behemoth were available at Tucks so I picked up some of that for her.
We left on Monday morning around 8:30 or so. We got to 465 in Indy around 10:45 (with the time change; maybe). Then had to get gas, so we stoped at Crown Liquors. Crown Liq is at exit 2B on 465. Take that for about 3 miles south and it's on the left. It doesn't have a huge selection, but the selection it has is outstanding. (If you go down 31 further south, you'll come to E Stop 11 road, turn left there and go down another 2 miles and on the right is Parti-pak Liquors, that store doesn't look like much, but has an OUTSTANDING beer selection, and everything is available in singles; we didn't go there this time) We weren't really shopping to get much, just hoping to pick up some more GIBCS (tucks only had the bombers) and hopefully some Alpha Klaus. The store had Alpha Klaus, horray. It also had bombers and 4 packs of GIBCS, horray. It also had Behemoth, horray. It didn't just have Behemoth, it had '09 Behemoth, sitting next to '08 Behemoth, sitting next to '07 Behemoth. All were the same price, exactly how that was possible, I have no idea. So, I got one of each of those (for Julie). I also picked up a 4pack of Bells Hell Hath No Fury, because that's awesome. I think that's about all we got there. The guy working was nice enough to give us 15% off our purchase, it was supposed to be just for bombers, but he did it for the whole thing. I'm sure we got more, I just don't remember what all else we got there.
We continued traveling to Asheville. Interstate 40 is closed just inside the North Carolina border, so we hadda take a detour. This was through some of the windy-est up and down backwoods parts of North Carolina. In Illinois, we are pampered. Seriously. The ground is flat, and pretty much all the roads go north and south, or east and west. There are a few curves, but it's pretty straight. Even the non-interstate roads are pretty straight. You can take route 150 from Danville to the Quad Cities, and you'll be stopping a lot, but it's pretty straight. This backroad route that we had to take in North Carolina, I swear we stayed on the same road, but intersected the road we were on. There's a lot of turning. There's a lot of ups and downs. There's mountains. There's valleys. There's OMG YOU ARE GOING TO FAST FOR THIS CORNER!!!! ARRRRGGGGHHH.
We made it to Asheville, without much incident (although my car is making a weird rattling noise). Got to Frank and Dana's and ate and had a beer or 2, not exactly sure what all we drank that night, the week got kind of fuzzy...
Woke up on Tuesday and ate breakfast. Killed some time, then headed to downtown to the Mellow Mushroom to eat lunch. I had a Sweetwater Motorboat, Kridz had a Wedge Pale, Frank had a Highland Cold Mountain. I had a second beer, that was the French Broad Rye Hopper. We left there and headed to Pisgah Brewery. There we met Julie and J from BruisinAles. We all got beer and went and sat at the tables and chatted about beer. Based on my twitter messages, I know that the first beer I had was their Belgian Amber. Kridz had their porter and Frank had the Nitro Stout. Because we were there with Julie and J, we got to go back and check out the works of the brewery (I'm sure they would have let us back their without them; but it didn't hurt that we were there with one of the top beer store people in the world). We talked to one of the brewers and learned some of their stuff. We finished up and headed to the next brewery.
Our next stop was Wedge Brewing Co. Wedge is pretty. Wedge is possibly how I'd like my brewery to look. While there, I had their belgian abbey ale, which was awesome. Frank and Kridz both got their DIPA. We got to go back and talk with Carl, the brewer, about some of the things he was doing, and to look at their setup. I'm pretty sure that I had another beer there, but who really knows. We packed up there and headed to the next brewery.
Our next stop was Dirty Jacks. While there, we got to talk with the brewer, John. I was drinking the DIPA, and Kridz got the ESB. Their ESB was one of the first non-bud light beers that Kridz had. From our first trip to Asheville, when we helped move Frank and Dana down. It's a good gateway beer. Back then, it was probably a lot more flavor than she was used to, now it's probably kind of tame. John was working on something special for something special (not exactly sure what it was) but he brought out some samples of a stout for us, and that was pretty darn good. We packed up there and headed to our next stop.
Next stop, the Thirsty Monk. The monk is pretty much 2 pubs, downstairs is all Belgian and belgian style, upstairs is pretty much... beer, any and all beer. When we were there, we got to sit in on a tasting of Hanssens Lambics in the basement, which I enjoyed, but Frank and Kridz didn't seem to like. At one point I said, "you have to want to like these beers" if you don't you'll never get around to appreciating them. If you don't want it, you'll hate them and just be stuck with the vinegar flavor. Then we went upstairs and got to drink some cask Ola Dubh 12 year. That was awesome too. I'm pretty sure I had a beer from downstairs, but I have no clue what it was. While we were finishing up the Ola Dubh glasses, Dana called and said she was about ready to be picked up from work. That call ended a LONG day of drinking. A LONG great day of drinking. Although I think we may have had another one or two when we got back to Frank and Dana's.
Woke up Wed, and felt a little small, not horribly hungover, but not the greatest. Dana managed to get the day off, so we ate breakfast and headed out to go do some beer exchanging with BruisinAles. We got there before they opened, so we had to figure out something else to do. We wound up going to The Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa for the National Gingerbread House Display. That was... interesting. The place smelled like gingerbread, which I guess is to be expected. Some of them were nice, others were... meh. We finished up there and went to BruisinAles again. (the final haul list will be at the bottom of this post).
We left there, went back to Frank and Dana's ate dinner had a couple beers (including a Troegs Nugget Nectar from Julie and J's private stash) and watched Pelham 123. Woke up Thursday and headed towards Atlanta. Made the 200 wind-y drive in about 4 hours. Got to mom's a little bit into the packer game. Had to call mother for directions to her house from the road we exited the interstate from. She apparently doesn't know the road's name to turn on from the road we were on, which I believe is the road she works on.
Watched football, ate, played scategories, left and went to Uncle Helga's. Wanted a beer during dinner, but not so much after. Relaxed the rest of the night at Harolds. Friday went back to go work on their laptops that both had issues. Frank's display was turning off, and they needed the data from it on the other lappy. Mom's lappy wasn't printing. I managed to transfer the data without having much visibility on the monitor, and managed to get her printer working (Windows 7 security features have a tendency to lock down machines to a point where they don't work). Ate, then headed to Highland Beverage in Hiram.
Highland doesn't have the biggest selection, but they do have a decent one. This whole trip my plan was to only get beers from the south east, I pretty much succeeded, but did get a couple of Stone's and some other things.
Left there and went to Taco Mac Marietta. Other than pizza, Taco Mac is the beer place that Old Chicago wishes it was. Old Chicago has like 20 taps, Taco Mac Marietta has 50. Old Chicago claims 110 brews. Taco Mac has 402 bottles. I don't know any place locally with that number, (other than the houses of people in the beer club). While there, met my cousin, his wife and 2 daughters. That was nice. I added 4 beers (between kridz and I) to my passport club thing.
Saturday, packed up and headed back to Illinois.
That's pretty much the trip. Here's the haul...
4 pack Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout
4 pack Atlanta Brewing Company Double Chocolate Oatmeal Porter
4 pack Terrapin Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout (and another for Puffer)(commonly known as Wake and Bake)
2 Dogfish Head/Sierra Nevada Life and Limb
3 Terrapin Gamma Ray
2 Stone Sublimely Self Righteous
2 Duck Rabbit Wee Heavy Scotch
2 Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot
Sweetwater Festive '09 #1655 (must check to see what number my '06 is)
Bruery 2 Turgle Doves
Stone Old Guardian Early '09 Release
Smuttynose Baltic Porter
Smuttynose Imperial Stout
Smuttynose Wheat Wine Ale
Weyerbacher Insanity
Hanssens Oude Kriek (from Thirsty Monk tasting)
Highland Tasgall
Sweetwater Wet Dream (dank tank)
Terrapin Side Project #6 90 Shelling
Terrapin Side Project #7 Maggies' Farmhouse Ale
Weyerbacher XIII
Weyerbacher 12
Deschutes Jubelale '08 (from Julie and J)
Highland Imperial Black Mocha
Sweetwater Big Ol' Belgian Blue Balls (dank tank)
Troegs Mad Elf (from Julie and J)
Terrapin Imperial Red Ale Big Hoppy Monster
Brewdog Paradox Smokehead #15
Brewdog Paradox Isle of Arran #16
Weyerbacher 14
Weyerbacher Quad
(the Paradox gives me numbers 1,3,5,8,10,11, 13, 15, and 16)
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Dear Ricky Gervais
Dear Ricky,
The Landover Baptist Church Forums would like to thank you for mentioning Prune Danish's post in "The Ricky Gervais Guide To... LAW and ORDER".
The post you mentioned, by Prune, can be found here.
The new issue of your guide is available on iTunes, by clicking here, (I think).
It's too bad you didn't mention the forum's actual location on the web, but there are people who are finding them, thanks to your mention.
You Da MAN
V
The Landover Baptist Church Forums would like to thank you for mentioning Prune Danish's post in "The Ricky Gervais Guide To... LAW and ORDER".
The post you mentioned, by Prune, can be found here.
The new issue of your guide is available on iTunes, by clicking here, (I think).
It's too bad you didn't mention the forum's actual location on the web, but there are people who are finding them, thanks to your mention.
You Da MAN
V
You may say I'm a dreamer
I've been dreaming a lot recently. I'm not exactly sure why, I do know that I dream more when I'm hot, and I have a tendency to sweat a lot when I sleep, so I am hot. (You can have hallucinations when you have a fever, and dreams are pretty much hallucinations).
Recently, my dreams have been pretty much two things.
1, I can fly.
Well, it's not really flying, it's more like hovering, I just don't put my feet down. I'll be walking and then just sort of stop walking and not come down. I recently dreamed that I won a gold medal in the olympics in the long jump due to my hovering ability. Is that cheating? In my dream I pondered the ethics of my flying/hovering/floating ability and participating in an athletic endeavor like the long jump. Is hovering cheating?
2. I've opened/am opening/ am running a brewery.
This is actually something I'd love to do. (OK, I'd love to fly too) This is actually kind of possible too. OK, so I have no experience running a business; and I have no experience being a brewer for a real live actual brewery. But it's still something I want to do.
Last night, I dreamed that I opened a brewery in my home town of Chenoa, Illinois, population 1,800; 25 miles north of Bloomington on I-55, we used to have a Dairy Queen. I graduated from highschool with 35 of my closest friends (that's my spiel when people ask where I'm from).
I was in town for the birthday of Kim Spoolstra, (she's on facebook, and Kridz and I ran into her at the House of Blues for the Revolting Cocks show recently). The birthday party thing (cookout kinda) seemed to be held at the church over by the funeral home (the road that the Ciulla's and Hetman's lived on, I think). Although it might have been on the back side (toward the park) of the first baptist church; the old two story building, not the new prefab one. I was sitting there, and my old buddy Fernando Carranza comes up and sits by me. We start talking, and I look over and notice he's wearing a necklace made out of a hops bine; and it has fresh hops on it, and they are huge flowers too. I pluck one off to suck on it as there was no beer at the party. And wind up eating it. Apparently, they were growing in town, and being used at a brewery, in town. But the brewery was going under because the brewmaster left; and they needed someone to take it over.
How did I not know there was a brewery in town?
Well, the brewery was located in uptown, in the building that used to be the pizza place (when Sam Ryan worked there) currently behind the gazebo. It took up the entirety of the building. There were more windows put in, and the old cooking area was where the brewhouse was. The fermentation and bright tanks were on the second floor... kinda, they were actually positioned above the bar, but not quite on the second floor, or they were on a glass floor. There were several (a dozen maybe) positioned around the outside edge of the bar. It was a clean setup, more like Wedge Brewing Company, than any other.
So, who wants to open a brewery in Chenoa with me?
Some things about this dream...
1. Fernando's brother Javier (Harvey) (and another brother) own the Brown Jug, a bar in town.
2. The nearest brewery is 25 miles away in Bloomington.
3. Chenoa Fourth of July would make an excellent beer release day. Additionally, there are some other significant days in the town, all the street dances, as well as some other things.
4. I had also thought that the train station might make a good place for a brewery, however, it's in horrible condition (probably not even salvageable); and next to the water treatment plant, and that area stinks... real bad (it used to be on my paper route; I'd go from smelling the tar of Union Roofing to the processed water for the town; and it was a stinky morning).
5. I also thought it'd be nice to have a good restaurant behind the brewery/pub (not necessarily part of it)... if only I knew a chef in Chenoa...
Yeah, that'd be cool to fix up, but I want to start a brewery, not completely renovate the town. Also, it's not that convenient for the town to get to. Everyone is in main uptown for events, and the train station is a whole 2 block walk away. Now if a groomed walkway could be made from uptown to it, that'd be ok.
In other dream news. I recently spoke with Evan about a dream where we were going to be moving in together. We were going to be renting a farmhouse from an old lady (or something) and the place we were renting just so happened to have all the brewing equipment that we would need.
Evan called me last night to inform me that he was offered a farmhouse with a huge machine-shed barn, that he thought would be good for converting into a brewery. It's located in/near Mahomet, off a creek of the Sangamon (I believe). It would be on well water, which to me, is a great selling point. Most breweries now are in towns and use tap water. Old breweries were located at a place where they could get water; modern breweries aren't limited by that, but they have huge water bills. Reducing or even removing the cost for the water would lower the overall costs for a brewery. Granted treating the water and ensuring it's safe for consumption might be more expensive than just being connected to the towns tap. Anyway... the place is on 75 acres, and Evan said he'd open a bakery, and I'd open the brewery.
I guess I'm looking for business partners to start a brewery. If it's in Champaign/Urbana, then the demand is there. Blind Pig Brewery runs out of beer in 2 days. I'm not sure their capacity, but just on that alone, you can tell there's a demand. *ninja* (I also didn't think their first batches of beer were that great, and it still sold out). /*ninja*
I would need to research more on Illinois brewing laws, and probably need to get ahold of a business lawyer; and I should probably read Brewing up a Business by Sam. But I think this is something I want to do. Heck, I've had more dreams about opening a brewery, than pretty much any other thing in my life.
So, lets get this thing rolling.
V
Recently, my dreams have been pretty much two things.
1, I can fly.
Well, it's not really flying, it's more like hovering, I just don't put my feet down. I'll be walking and then just sort of stop walking and not come down. I recently dreamed that I won a gold medal in the olympics in the long jump due to my hovering ability. Is that cheating? In my dream I pondered the ethics of my flying/hovering/floating ability and participating in an athletic endeavor like the long jump. Is hovering cheating?
2. I've opened/am opening/ am running a brewery.
This is actually something I'd love to do. (OK, I'd love to fly too) This is actually kind of possible too. OK, so I have no experience running a business; and I have no experience being a brewer for a real live actual brewery. But it's still something I want to do.
Last night, I dreamed that I opened a brewery in my home town of Chenoa, Illinois, population 1,800; 25 miles north of Bloomington on I-55, we used to have a Dairy Queen. I graduated from highschool with 35 of my closest friends (that's my spiel when people ask where I'm from).
I was in town for the birthday of Kim Spoolstra, (she's on facebook, and Kridz and I ran into her at the House of Blues for the Revolting Cocks show recently). The birthday party thing (cookout kinda) seemed to be held at the church over by the funeral home (the road that the Ciulla's and Hetman's lived on, I think). Although it might have been on the back side (toward the park) of the first baptist church; the old two story building, not the new prefab one. I was sitting there, and my old buddy Fernando Carranza comes up and sits by me. We start talking, and I look over and notice he's wearing a necklace made out of a hops bine; and it has fresh hops on it, and they are huge flowers too. I pluck one off to suck on it as there was no beer at the party. And wind up eating it. Apparently, they were growing in town, and being used at a brewery, in town. But the brewery was going under because the brewmaster left; and they needed someone to take it over.
How did I not know there was a brewery in town?
Well, the brewery was located in uptown, in the building that used to be the pizza place (when Sam Ryan worked there) currently behind the gazebo. It took up the entirety of the building. There were more windows put in, and the old cooking area was where the brewhouse was. The fermentation and bright tanks were on the second floor... kinda, they were actually positioned above the bar, but not quite on the second floor, or they were on a glass floor. There were several (a dozen maybe) positioned around the outside edge of the bar. It was a clean setup, more like Wedge Brewing Company, than any other.
So, who wants to open a brewery in Chenoa with me?
Some things about this dream...
1. Fernando's brother Javier (Harvey) (and another brother) own the Brown Jug, a bar in town.
2. The nearest brewery is 25 miles away in Bloomington.
3. Chenoa Fourth of July would make an excellent beer release day. Additionally, there are some other significant days in the town, all the street dances, as well as some other things.
4. I had also thought that the train station might make a good place for a brewery, however, it's in horrible condition (probably not even salvageable); and next to the water treatment plant, and that area stinks... real bad (it used to be on my paper route; I'd go from smelling the tar of Union Roofing to the processed water for the town; and it was a stinky morning).
5. I also thought it'd be nice to have a good restaurant behind the brewery/pub (not necessarily part of it)... if only I knew a chef in Chenoa...
Yeah, that'd be cool to fix up, but I want to start a brewery, not completely renovate the town. Also, it's not that convenient for the town to get to. Everyone is in main uptown for events, and the train station is a whole 2 block walk away. Now if a groomed walkway could be made from uptown to it, that'd be ok.In other dream news. I recently spoke with Evan about a dream where we were going to be moving in together. We were going to be renting a farmhouse from an old lady (or something) and the place we were renting just so happened to have all the brewing equipment that we would need.
Evan called me last night to inform me that he was offered a farmhouse with a huge machine-shed barn, that he thought would be good for converting into a brewery. It's located in/near Mahomet, off a creek of the Sangamon (I believe). It would be on well water, which to me, is a great selling point. Most breweries now are in towns and use tap water. Old breweries were located at a place where they could get water; modern breweries aren't limited by that, but they have huge water bills. Reducing or even removing the cost for the water would lower the overall costs for a brewery. Granted treating the water and ensuring it's safe for consumption might be more expensive than just being connected to the towns tap. Anyway... the place is on 75 acres, and Evan said he'd open a bakery, and I'd open the brewery.
I guess I'm looking for business partners to start a brewery. If it's in Champaign/Urbana, then the demand is there. Blind Pig Brewery runs out of beer in 2 days. I'm not sure their capacity, but just on that alone, you can tell there's a demand. *ninja* (I also didn't think their first batches of beer were that great, and it still sold out). /*ninja*
I would need to research more on Illinois brewing laws, and probably need to get ahold of a business lawyer; and I should probably read Brewing up a Business by Sam. But I think this is something I want to do. Heck, I've had more dreams about opening a brewery, than pretty much any other thing in my life.
So, lets get this thing rolling.
V
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