Wooly Booger

I love small towns in Colorado.  I think I love them more than the average person.  I could spend an entire day in a small mountain town taking pictures of the people, the buildings, the landscapes, going for a hike and sampling the beer.  Today I'm talking about Grand Lake, Colorado. Grand Lake is conveniently located on the north end of Grand Lake and at the west entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park.  Highway 34, also known as Trail Ridge Road, happens to be the highest continuous road in the United States.  The maximum elevation of the roadway is 12,183 feet above sea level and more than 8 miles of roadway are above 11,000 feet.  It is also probably one of my favorite road trips.

What's even more impressive?  The road was opened to traffic in 1932. Talk about modern marvels.  Eeek.

My mom and me at Milner Pass.  June 2002.

Grand Lake's town slogan is "Just one season, yours."  Seriously?!?  I love it.  With a population of 433 (estimated in 2008), they're bound to need some good suds to help keep themselves entertained and warm during the long winter.

I'm in luck.

While I was in Breckenridge for girls weekend at the end of February, I picked up a 6-pack of beer at the very overpriced Breckenridge Liquor Store.  I had never seen this kind before.  It was a variety pack of beers from the Grand Lake Brewing Company, a family owned and operated brewery/pub, located in Grand Lake, Colorado.  I've been to Grand Lake a few times and it is absolutely beautiful, so I figured the beer was at least worth a try...

We cracked into the Wooly Booger Nut Brown Ale (5% ABV) from Grand Lake Brewing Company in Grand Lake, Colorado.  Nut brown ales are not always my favorite in that I think they all taste very much the same, but this one was good.  I found myself liking it a little more as there was less and less and then wanting to like it more and more when it was gone.

Cheers to you Grand Lake.  Please keep brewing.

Rating:  it was a good beer, but it was certainly not fantastic.  I'd buy it again but mainly because I want to see breweries like Grand Lake succeed.

Temporary absence only makes me more thirsty

So I'll be the first to admit that I suck.  I've been slacking lately.  Like, really slacking.

Since my last real-time post (Kneehigh powder...), I started a new job that is completely different than anything I've ever done before in my life and something I thought would never be possible.  Sure, it is only a part time gig, but it has consumed a lot of my energy...in a good way. 

Lean. Tilt. Turn. Ryde.

I got certified and started teaching indoor cycling classes (legally, I am not allowed to call my classes spin classes because apparently spin and spinning are registered trademarks and using them to describe our bikes could get me in trouble with Big Bro.) at a wonderful little studio, In The RA Fitness, located no where near my house (i.e. in Central Phoenix).  The studio happens to be the first and ONLY studio in Arizona to feature RealRyder bikes, which are like traditional stationary spin bikes but they tilt and turn.  If you ask me, they're pretty awesome and very different from a traditional bike.

Anyway, as a result of working out more often and the anxiety associated with getting in shape and preparing to teach my first few classes, I wasn't too interested and didn't have the energy beer for a while (whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?).  But now I've got a weekly routine under my belt and am ready to rock and roll again. 

BRING ON THE BEER.


Tonight we tore into the Special Double Cream Stout (6.1% ABV) from Bell's Brewery in Kalamazoo, Michigan, sent to us by our beer exchange partners in Texas.  It has been in our fridge calling my name for a few months but now that it's warming up here, we're running out of good excuses for a dark beer.  Tonight seemed like one.  As with most of Bell's brews, this beer is outstanding.  It is creamy, smooth and light.  Coffee and chocolate flavors are obvious.  The Husband remarked that he could easily drink more than 2 and promptly asked if we had more.  Lucky for him, I spotted this brew at the store the other day (I love you Total Wine) ... so someday soon I'll be sure to pick up some more.

You may be gone now,  but I will find more of you soon...

Rating:  5 out of 5.  A simple and delicious creamy dark beer.