Sleepy Dog/Four Peaks Sunday Soiree

One of my favorite local breweries has to be the Sleepy Dog Brewery in Tempe, Arizona.  They run a small casual operation out of a warehouse in Tempe, just a stone's throw away from Four Peaks.  One may ask if this is cause for bad blood between the breweries, but as it turns out, Four Peaks seems un-intimidated (is that even a real word?!?) by their delicious brews, cute dog bone tap handles, modern decor, self-serve popcorn machine and television scrolling through photos of customer-submitted dog photos.

As proof that these breweries seem to be able to co-exist: the Sleepy Dog/Four Peaks Sunday Soiree.

Four Peaks Bourbon Barrel Aged Kiltlifter (specialty brew)

FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!!!!! 

This event was on the top of my list for days.  I was super excited about attending.  Grandpa, Grandma, baby and I pack into the car.  We will be meeting The Husband there after his bike ride.  The event started at 1pm and we arrived around 1:40 only to discover there were lots of yummy smelling food trucks in the parking lot and a long line out the door.  So my dad and I hopped in line while my mom took the baby off for a stroller's eye tour of the event.

Now this was no ordinary line.  Not only did it stretch out the door but it moved about a milli-inch every 15 minutes.  My dad comments on how slow the line is.  I shrug off his comment because my dad is a firm hater of all things related to waiting in line.  After 10 minutes in line though, I realize he is very correct.  He holds our spot in line while I go to see what the hell is going on.  Oh.  Two bartenders?!?  Yup, that will do it.

I head back to the line with a list of their beers.  Again, no one has bothered to write down the "specialty" beers that will be unveiled today.  Why?!?  Why is it so hard to write these things down people?  Don't you know I have a blog to write and one or 2 readers who read this?!?!  Come on.  Finally someone walks by and yells the special beers out to the people in line.  I hear about 20% of it.  And then I remember about 5% of that. Is this what happens when you get old?!?!

Finally, we get to the bar. We order 5 beers (one for each of us and then a backup because we don't want to wait in this stupid line ever again) that I have carefully picked out to suit and delight everyone's varying taste buds in our little family outing.  We ended up with the following brews: Sleepy Dog Wet Snout Milk Stout for my mom, a Sleepy Dog Red Rover for my dad, a Sleepy Dog Strong Brown (official name unknown) for The Husband, a Four Peaks Bourbon Barrel Aged Kiltlifter for myself and a Sleepy Dog Imperial Stout (official name unknown) to share.

Sleepy Dog Imperial Stout and the best/only beer rest

Lucky for me, everyone is very pleased with their beers and we head outside to the party in the parking lot.  Turns out, it's not actually much of a party unless you conisder small groups of people standing around in a parking lot surrounded by a few food trucks (which were delicious) to be a party.  There were no tables, no chairs, and no where to set your beer down to scratch your head or anything.  Eating street tacos with one hand is also quite difficult, especially if you are unwilling to set the beer you waited in line 20 minutes for down on the ground for someone to accidentally knock over.  No way.  Not me.

I did not get feedback on any of these beers from anyone.  All I can say is this: everyone finished their beers, my mom and dad ordered another one of their beers, The Husband's second beer was a Red Rover and my mom did not like the Sleepy Dog Leg Humper Hefe.  Mainly, though, I think she didn't like the name.

All in all, a good event and I will be back next year with a clever way to hold/set down my beer and keep my hands-free for eating street tacos and fresh-popped popcorn from your cute popcorn machine.

Don't worry -- there's just water in her bottle