Case of writer's block and thirsty new recruits

Welcome back, me!  I took some time off from the blog because, quite frankly, I was suffering from a case of writers block.  But don't worry -- I still drank plenty of beer during my break.

During my severe case of writers block, I was able to recruit some thirsty writers to help me cover the states I am fond of, or have a special connection to: Colorado and Virginia.  So, the more they drink ... the more you'll see posts about beers and breweries from those two states.

A column on the left side of the blog will also detail breweries in each of those states.  I'm still working on doing a little re-organization to help divide the main blog page into states, but I am not there yet.

So for now,  you may have to read about beers you cannot have.  Which sucks, I know.  But at least that way if you ever find yourself in Virginia or Colorado (and someday I hope to have a Nebraska writer too), you'll know what is worth seeking out and worth skipping over.

Cheers!

Brainless takeover

If you've been reading this for a while, you may know that I am a complete sucker for Epic's Brainless on <insert yummy fruit here> brews.  

If you've never had one of them, you should

And lucky for you, tomorrow is your chance to try them all on tap. Head on over to Flanny's (on southeast corner of Elliot and McClintock in Tempe) for their Epic Tap Takeover.  See info below.  Check it out on Facebook for details if you're curious.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Flannys-Bar-and-Grill/158758444157426

Sadly, I have a sick kid so I will not be attending.  But YOU, my elusive reader, should go ... and you should have one for me.  

Then check back here and let me know what you think.

Cheers!

Birthday Suit haiku

Open the bottle --

note the cherry aromas.

Clothing? Optional.

19th Birthday Suit Sour Cherry Ale (5.7% ABV)
Uinta Brewing
Salt Lake City, Utah

After 18 long months of research, the first bottle of 19th Birthday Suit Sour Cherry Ale hit the shelves in March 2012.  I scored this one shortly after it hit the shelves and recently found it hiding in the back of our beer closet (I mean who needs a coat closet in Arizona anyway?).  After a few days in the fridge we popped this open and were happy we did.  I should add here that I really love a good sour beer.  I used to hate them but over the past few years have learned to appreciate them and savor them.  This is bubbly and sour, somewhat like a bad champagne, but the cherry flavor compliments the sour and helps the beer finish clean in your mouth.

Happy Belated Birthday, Unita!  Well done.

Playing catchup

Summertime means time at home with the kids, afternoons in the pool and occasional vacations.  While all these things are awesome, they have sucked my time and energy to write about beer.  So I'm slowly but surely sorting through all my photos and notes and working on catching up on all the delicious beers I've enjoyed this summer.

Bear with me...

Chalk street sign outside a small pub in Fruita, Colorado

Pre-monsoonal Saison Diego

After working hard in the backyard for the past 7 years, we are done.  DONE!  All our drainage issues have finally been re-engineered thanks to our brains, muscles and sweat and hopefully solved -- which is great but means that sorry neighbors, it is not going to rain a drop in our neighborhood this summer.  And yes, I did say drainage issues when discussing my backyard in Arizona.  Thanks to a bad combination of a lazy home builder and a pool-building company who didn't care about anything other than building a pool left us with a back porch that flooded frequently during rainstorms and required us to wade through water ankle deep and sweep water (uphill) during a monsoon rather than sit outside and sip a beer while enjoying the storm.

But now I can confidently say .... bring on the monsoonal beers!!!

Saison Diego (4.2% ABV)
Green Flash Brewing Company
San Diego, California

The beer pours up beautifully but upon tasting, is very thin.  Almost watery.  The flavors are good but there is nothing there.  It's like drinking water.  One glass left me disappointed but feeling hydrated.  I wouldn't buy this one again - there are so many good saisons out there but sadly, this is not one of them.

Oh, and also, I never want to dig a trench or swing a pick ax in June or July in Arizona ever again.

Beer induced dude bonding

I just discovered this photo on the memory card of our pool camera.  Turns out The Husband took this photo for me while he and our dog were spending some quality dude time together...

Cropduster Mid-American IPA (6.5% ABV)
Thunderhead Brewing Company
Kearney, Nebraska