Nimbus sampler

Duuuuuukes!

Ahhhhh, college football season.  Finally.

We took the little munchkin out to have a sleepover with Grandma and Grandpa and arrived at the Nimbus Bistro in Scottsdale just in time to watch the James Madison University (JMU) vs. West Virginia University (WVU) football game.  Turns out it wasn't on television -- probably due to JMU being not in the same Division as WVU and the expectation for a massive blowout -- which is probably a good thing for JMU because we did indeed lose by approximately 40 points.  Oh well, at least the weather is finally getting nicer outside.

I had purchased a deal online for the new Nimbus location in Scottsdale and so we showed up armed with our deal and prepared to order 2 samplers and 2 appetizers (for a whopping $15, whaaaaaaaat?).  After I presented the coupon and we selected our appetizers, the super friendly bartender whisked away and she returned with this amazing sight:

Yes, that's 8 delicious Nimbus beers sitting in front of me.  Each are 4 ounces.  The Husband has an identical spread in front of him.  I'm going to need a chair.  And an appetizer or two.

The spread included a sample of each of their standard beers: Dirty Guera Blonde Ale, Pale Ale, Red Ale, Brown Ale, Old Monkeyshine (8.2%) and Oatmeal Stout plus two of their seasonal beers, one of which I recall was a wild hop beer somewhere on the right.  I don't recall what the 8th beer offered to us was (shocking).  As always, all of their beers were delicious with the exception of the Red Ale, but that's only because I generally do not like Red beers.

Recommendations: go to the Bistro and order the sampler.  I'm not sure what the full price is, but it's worth it.  Be sure to order an appetizer too.  You'll thank me later.

Score: 5 out of 5 pint glasses on the unofficial Suburban Suds pint glass rating system

Cheers to a Rockstar

I have to admit, I had never heard of Rockstar Ronan until the Taylor Swift thing. So, like 2.5 million other people apparently did, I googled it and found the Rockstar Ronan website blog that tells the hearbreaking story of an amazingly beautiful and courageous little boy named Ronan and his family.  The blog is written by Ronan's mother, Maya, as a way to not only communicate with her son (they are generally bedtime posts) but raise awareness for childhood cancer.

Newcastle Brown Ale (4.7% ABV)

I'm not going to lie ... this blog somewhat destroyed me for a few days.  It consumed my thoughts and I found myself constantly on the verge of tears.  I cried a little bit everytime I put Natalie to bed at night, I cried when I heard the Phoenix Children's Hospital Radio-thon on KTAR and I cried anytime I thought about this little dude.  I found myself trying to imagine the pain and hurt that the family must be feeling.  I couldn't stop reading post after post after post.  I started with the post about Taylor Swift's performance.  Then I found a few of the posts from when he was sick but possibly getting better.  Then I found a few posts from after he passed away.  And then I found the one that destroyed me: the one entitled "Where is Ronan?" where Maya describes Ronan's last day battling cancer.  I was not just crying while I read this ... I was sobbing uncontrollably.

I shut the lid on my computer, as if that would make it stop. I texted my neighbor, who I know was also reading the blog, and said something about how I couldn't stop reading post after post after post but how I was a complete wreck.  She texted back quickly and admitted the same.  So we scheduled a play date with our kids for later in the week.

My heart breaks for this family and this little boy.  And just when I think I've come out of my funk, I feel the same wave of emotions again.  I wish there was something I could do to ease her pain.  I want to go run a marathon (bad idea) for this little guy.  I just wanted to do something, anything to feel like I was helping somehow.  And then selfishly, I wish with every bone in my body that I never have to know how she feels because I don't think I could deal with it like she has.  She has taken an awful situation and turned it into something beautiful and positive. She is an amazingly strong woman who has earned my eternal respect.

Maya posted a short list of 20 ways to live life like a Rockstar (in summary - the full version is here):

1.  Be thankful.
2.  Be happy.
3.  Volunteer.
4.  Donate blood or platlets.
5.  Spread the word about childhood cancer.
6.  Tell Ronan's story to educate others.
7.  Be a rebel and break the rules (not the law).
8.  Question things and follow your instinct.
9.  Be selfless.
10.  Enjoy music.  Loudly.
11.  Be inspired ... and inspire others.
12.  Exercise.
13.  Allow yourself to be angry - but turn your anger into something positive.
14.  Chase your dreams.
15.  Talk about Ronan.
16.  "Love your family and friends. Cut the drama out of your life if anybody brings it to you. Stop apologizing, but apologize when necessary. Be true to yourself, your beliefs, your life."
17.  Never settle.
18.  "LOVE with your whole heart, soul, mind and body. Make sure the people in your life, are worth it. If they are, give them everything you have."
19.  Let your kids be kids.
20.  "Teach your Children. Educate them on how lucky they are. Teach them to be kind to others. Don’t lie to them. Let them make mistakes. Guide them, push them, pull them, engage with them. Be present. Life is hard. Let them know this, without having to teach them the way that Liam and Quinn have had to learn."

Because of her blog, I have kissed my kids 300 or more times a day.  I make sure to tell them I love them as many chances as I get.  I don't waste time doing the dishes when I could be playing with Natalie.  I do more things with them instead of trying to pacify them so I can get something (like dishes, laundry, vacuuming, etc.) done. And it seems cheesy but I've found myself trying to look at the world a little differently.  I've stopped myself from bitching about things that don't matter.  I'm trying to eliminate the toxic attitude I feel when I have to deal with certain people.

Instead, I'm making an effort to focus every day on appreciating every single little thing that I have in life, like: my health, my hilarious husband who loves me even when I'm an emotional train wreck, that I have the opportunity every other week to love a beautiful, smart, kind and healthy child that is not mine biologically as if she were mine, that my own beautiful, funny and smart daughter is healthy and happy, that my kids have had a chance to meet and get to know 2 of their great-grandmothers, that my 2 parents are both still alive and healthy, that my 2 in-laws live close by and are both still alive and healthy, that my amazingly awesome best-friend and sister now lives closer to me (this kicks so much ass), that my brothers-in-law are both truly amazing men who are working hard and raising amazing children, that my beautiful sisters-in-law are both amazing women doing amazing things (balancing work and motherhood) and raising smart and kind children, that our house is safe and cozy (although it could use some paint and a few new energy efficient windows), that our cars work and get us where we need to go (not you Mr. Bronco), that our neighborhood is safe and friendly, that we are surrounded by awesome neighbors (well, some of them), that we both have good jobs that we enjoy doing most of the time, etc.  The list goes on and on and on.

When you make an effort to stop being negative, all of a sudden you're surrounding by a lot more positive than you think.  And to that I say ... cheers. 

But specifically, cheers to you Ronan!  If the story of your life has the kind of impact on others that you had on me, you WILL change the world.

Labor Day Beercation 2012, in summary

For the past 14 years, the Husband has played in the annual Motherlode Classic Volleyball tournament in Aspen, Colorado.  Now don't let this fool you, he is by no means a professional volleyball player. He goes with a group of friends and it's mostly just a big party...with a side of volleyball.

The past few years we've tried to use this tradition as an excuse to leave the kids with Grandparents and take a road trip together.  On that note, I present to you a photo re-cap of Beercation 2012 (click here).

Not including beers purchased at bars or restaurants, the breweries we visited and sampled included:

• Ouray Brewery.  Ouray, Colorado (Husband went before he climbed Mt. Sneffels - before I arrived)
• Carvers Brewery.  Durango, Colorado (Husband went before I arrived in Durango)
• Main Street Brewery.  Cortez, New Mexico (purchased bottles to take home)
• Ska Brewery.  Durango, Colorado
• Durango Brewing Company.  Durango, Colorado
• Mr. Grumpy Pants Brewing Company.  Ouray, Colorado
• Gunnison Brewing Company.  Gunnison, Colorado
• Eldo Brewery.  Crested Butte, Colorado
• Aspen Brewing Company.  Aspen, Colorado
• Castle Creek Winery.  Moab, Utah
• Moab Brewery.  Moab, Utah

Hoppy Anniversary Clown Shoes

The older I get, the more I like drinking beer on my couch with friends rather than in a bar.  Don't get me wrong -- I still enjoy getting out of the house and leaving my kids with a sitter, but it's also nice to have friends who are willing to bring their kids over (or have us over with our kids in tow) and just sit around and enjoy a few beers while the kids play.

Cheers to Husbands who think they're so cool they need to wear their sunglasses to such events...

Hoppy Feet 1.5 - Double Black IPA (10% ABV)
Clown Shoes Beer
Ipswich, Massachusetts

Won't you be my neighbor?

Monje Azul (Blue Monk) - ABV Unknown
Sleepy Dog Brewery
Tempe, Arizo

Last week we hosted a beer tasting for our neighbors after the baby was in bed.  Between the 7.5 of us (there was one Bud Lighter in the group that was brave enough to taste 2-3 beers), we managed to sample 11 pretty delicious, and very different, brews. 

Here are the beers, in order of consumption:

Monje Azul:  We kicked things off with a bit of local flavor here.  Sleepy Dog is a brewery located in Tempe just down the road from Four Peaks, the original Arizona brewery.  Four Peaks seemed to have a stranglehold on the craft brewing market in Arizona up until just recently.  So I applaud Sleepy Dog for having the guts to start up right down the street.  This is one of Sleepy Dog's newer bottled brews that to my knowledge, is available only in select locations (Total Wine, Whole Foods, etc.).

Monje Azul is a Belgian style blonde ale brewed with Belgian yeast and 100% Blue Agave Nectar.  It was very light and refreshing and goes down very easy ... but had a slightly odd odor.  Very good summer brew.

Brainless on Cherries Release #7
Epic Brewing Company
Salt Lake City, Utah

Brainless on Cherries:  I have to admit, when my sister picked this one off the shelf at Whole Foods, I was very skeptical.  For starters, at $14.99 a bottle, it disobeyed my price rule (more than $10 bombers are only for gifting), secondly it is cherry flavored and I pretty much hate everything cherry (I was sick a lot as a kid and associate all things cheery-flavored with Robitussin -- barf) and lastly, it is from Salt Lake City.  Now I know that there are several good breweries in Utah, but I'm always skeptical of them at first because let's be honest...Utah is a Mormon state and Mormon's don't believe in strong beverages of any kind.

Release #7 was brewed in August 2011 and nearly 1,800 bottles were packaged in September 2011.  I managed to get my hands on one of them!  Epic started with their Brainless® Belgian (double gold medal winning), added cherry puree and then aged it in Red Wine Oak casks. This beer poured up slightly pink and offered up a light smell of cherries.  Nothing overwhelming.  The beer was clean and slightly sour/tart.  I was surprised at myself when I found myself somewhat in love with this beer.  Damn you cherries!  After doing a little research, Epic also makes Brainless on Peaches which I am going to have to keep my eyes peeled for in the store.  I also plan to squirrel away another bottle of this cherry deliciousness if I can find one.

St. Lupulin Extra Pale Ale (6.5% ABV)
Odell Brewing Company
Fort Collins, Colorado

St. Lupulin: Now that my sister is a Coloradoian (is that right?), she was able to offer some insight on the Colorado beer market.  When she saw this at Total Wine, she immediately put two in the cart.

Odell Brewing Company is one of those breweries that seems to do every beer nearly perfectly.  They released St. Lupulin, the brewery’s beloved summer seasonal, in April 2012. According to the brewery's website, "St. Lupulin (loop-you-lin) Extra Pale Ale pays tribute to a mystical character who passionately tended to rows and rows of hops caring for the coveted yellow resin within the hop cones known as Lupulin."  Well, I guess that answers that question.

This was another good summer beer (hmmmm, it's almost like I was trying to pick good summer beers for the occasion) as it was very light and crisp with no heavy aftertaste.  If this was available in more locations, I'd drink more of it for sure.  Will I make a special trip to find it though?  Probably not.  Sorry, St. Lupulin you cute little mythical booger...maybe next time.

La Folie Sour Brown Ale (6% ABV)
New Belgium Brewing
Fort Collins, Colorado

La Folie Sour Brown Ale:  Ahhhhh, New Belgium.  Switching gears here we jumped in and tried the Sour Brown Ale known as La Folie.  La Folie Wood-Aged Biere, is the original wood-conditioned beer of New Belgium Brewing.  The brown ale sits in French Oak barrels for one to three years before it is bottled as La Folie. 

I'm not sure how they make this beer so sour, but it is very sour.  It almost makes your mouth sweat but somehow they also made it so that you want more.  I guess in that respect it's kind of like the perfect Granny Smith apple.  It's got bite but is also thirst quenching and crisp.  Someone at the tasting equated this to a SweetTart candy (and actually wrote it down on my note pad --- thank you!!!!) ... and I agree with their assessment.  Sourness aside, the beer underneath all the sour is a very good brown ale.  And that's I think why La Folie works so well.  It's a sour beer based on a solid brown.

Don't get me wrong, I would never want to drink the entire bomber by myself, but 1-2 glasses of this is very refreshing, especially when paired with a sweet snack...like kettle corn. 

Spine Tingler (8.5% ABV)
MacTarnahan's Brewing Company
Portland, Oregon

Spine Tingler Golden Belgian-Style Triple:  I'll admit, I bought this one because it was $4.99.  I feel like bombers for under $5 are always worth a try because there's not a lot of love lost if they're terrible.  Have I discovered terrible beers under $5?  Yes.  Have I discovered terrible beers under $10?  Yes.

So now that the origin of this beer is out in the open, I'll say that it was not a disappointment.  It was a very thin and otherwise unremarkable beer.

Photo borrowed
from ratebeer.com

Strawberry Wit:  If you've been reading Suburban Suds and Beertography (or any of the previous names) long enough, you'll know that I am one of those people who picks a book by its cover and buys beer by the label.  This one caught my eye immediately because, well, the brewery is called Ass Kisser Ales.  But also, I love wit beers.

The Belgian-Style Strawberry Wit (5.8% ABV) had a good and easily identifiable strawberry smell but very little strawberry flavor in it.  But maybe I was expecting it to have as much strawberry flavor as the previous cherry beer had cherry flavor.  This beer was a good wit with a slight tart finish.  The brewery name is clever, the bottle is clever (I love the little strawberry made out of words that says "Berry nice ass" hanging from the donkey's mouth) and the beer idea is good.  However, the execution was not great.  I hope the brewery tinkers around with this brew and maybe reinvents it.

On a side note: as I was researching this beer to write this, I learned that Ass Kisser Ales is a small family owned brand that is being made in San Jose, California. Ass Kisser Ales has joined Hermitage Brewery --- HOLD IT.  Hermitage Brewery seems to be gobbling up a bunch of the smaller brands and brewing them....and I have had a bad experience with Hermitage Brewery so now I am slightly disappointed.



Tricerahops Double IPA:  not a crowd favorite.   Scott and I had this previously one night at home alone (http://hayesyearofbeer.blogspot.com/2011/11/tricerahops-fire-extinguisher.html) and I recall that we both enjoyed it quite a bit.  Maybe it was just because it was a random IPA in the middle of strange fruity and/or light summery beers.  I'll give you another try sometime.

Photo borrowed from
mountainbikeriders.com

Origin Pomegranate Ale:  I was once again lured in by the bottle on this one because it said He'Brew, the chosen beer.  The Schmaltz Brewing Company was born and based in San Francisco but this beer was brewed and bottled in New York.  The Origin Pomegranate Ale (8% ABV) is described as an imperial amber ale brewed with pomegranate juice.  Apparently it is one of the only strong ales in the country that is also brewed with pomegranate.

Apparently the pomegranate is rich in history:  in Jewish tradition, pomegranates symbolize righteousness, with seeds said to number 613, the total commandments in the Torah.  Newlywed Greeks eager for a family crush a pomegranate under-heel for fertility.  Buddha cured a child demon of her evil by instructing her to eat a pomegranate.  In the Bible, pomegranates, barley and wheat prove the Bounty of the land of Milk and Honey.  One mythical Persian hero consumed a pomegranate and became invincible.

The pomegranate flavor was light in this beer but definitely identifiable.  The beer was refreshing and good.  I plan to keep my eyes peeled for another one of these to keep in the stash for a rainy day.

Sneaky Pete Imperial IPA (10% ABV)
Laughing Dog Brewing Company
Ponderay, Idaho

Sneaky Pete Imperial IPA:  There's a definite reason this beer is named Sneaky Pete.  Plain and simple: this beer is exceptionally delicious but contains 10% alcohol by volume.  10%!  If you let your taste buds dictate your guzzling rate, I'm pretty sure you'll be wasted in no time.  Shame on you Sneaky Pete.

This beer is a blend of 5 different types of hops, 3 different malts and topped off with wild clover honey.  Taste has the initial IPA bite which typically turns me off but unlike most IPAs, this one seems to have a sweet flavor at the end.  I couldn't put my finger on what the flavor was except that it was not the traditional IPA aftertaste that makes me want to brush my teeth and gargle with mouthwash ... or eat a box of Cheez-Its (Side note: why on earth are Cheez-It's so damn good?!?!?! They're so small and yet so deliciously amazing. I consider them to be a drug.)

This is one of those beers where it's not really clear who's brewing what for whom.  But, thanks to the interwebs and The Barley Blog, I think I got the story straight.  Apparently Sneaky Pete is contract brewed by the Laughing Dog Brewing Company in Ponderay, Idaho for the Kysela Pere et Fils Company which is a beer and wine distributor/importer in Winchester, Virginia. (HOLLA!)  Interesting.  I don't understand the politics and/or logistics of beer.

Old Monkeyshine English Style Ale (8.2% ABV)
Nimbus Brewing Company
Tucson, Arizona

Old Monkeyshine English Style Ale:  I threw this in the mix because this is one of my favorite Arizona beers all around.  The Nimbus Brewing Company is the largest brewery based in the State of Arizona.  Whenever The Husband and I are in Tucson we do our best to stop by the brewery which is located in a crappy industrial part of town (as are most good breweries) near the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.  It's tucked way off the road and is kind of hard to find ... but if/when you do find it, you've generally got the place mostly to yourself.  And I seem to remember that they have amazing burgers.

Nimbus only brews ales because the groundwater in Tucson is very hard which makes it difficult to brew lagers and other styles but the natural minerals and salts apparently make for a perfect ale.

Enough dorky science and back to Old Monkeyshine...it's just a good solid beer.  Buy it when you see it but drink it slowly.

IPA
Tallgrass Brewing Company
Manhattan, Kansas

Tallgrass IPA:  When I was in Nebraska visiting my family for a while in July, I picked up a bunch of random beers at the neighborhood Hy-Vee (Side note: why do midwestern grocery stores have the stupidest names ever? Pigglie-Wigglie?  Hy-Vee?)  And thanks to the founder of the brewery who just so happens to be a "recovering environmental geologist", you're looking at the first midwestern-brewed, IPA in a can on the market! 

I can't give this beer an accurate review because by this time of the night, beer tasted like beer.  So I split this one with our dog, Gus.  Happy 1st Birthday lil dude.  Keep on being the world's laziest yellow lab puppy who doesn't swim or like to get wet at all.

Oh, and kudos to you too Tallgrass!  Kudos to the former geologist turned brewer.  Maybe someday (after The Husband cleans out the garage) I'll actually start brewing.  And maybe someday we will be able to dispense our beer in our bike shop in the mountains while I grow strawberries and Gus keeps watch (for intruding cheeseburgers) at the door.

Obligatory photo before throwing all the bottles away.
Well played, neighbors.  Well played.

Summertime Shenanigans

Summertime in Arizona is one of those things that simultaneously rocks and sucks.  The saying is somewhat lame and very overused, but it's a dry heat.  Having grown up on the east coast, I never realized how truly terrible and miserable this little thing called humidity is during the summer.  When I encounter humidity these days, I turn into a giant whiny baby and do my very best to stay inside at all times.

The problem with the dry heat?  It lasts forever.  And I mean FOREVER.  Summertime starts in late March and usually lasts until mid-October.  And by that I mean the temperatures are over 100 nearly the entire time.  Night time relief?  Nope. Cools down to 80-85 degrees.  Hell, my garage stays at a steady 100 degrees.  Just yesterday I backed out of the garage to go get my butt kicked at boot camp at 6:10am and the thermometer in my car (which had been parked in my garage all night) read 101.  Whaaaaaaaat?  No wonder our electric bill is nearing the cost of our mortgage payment.

All that aside, my beer-loving sister is in town for the weekend ... yes, she came to visit Phoenix in August.  From Colorado.  Who does that?!?!?   I pretty much love when she comes to visit because 1) she rocks 2) we typically spend most of our time in the pool and 3) she loves beer nearly as much as me so there will be lots new beers to try.

Tonight?  We played in the pool until dinner time and then enjoyed some delicious steak (thanks mom and dad for the shipment of Omaha Steaks), potatoes and a bottle of Shenanigans Oak Aged Crimson Ale.

Shenanigans (9.1% ABV)
Odell Brewing Company
Fort Collins, Colorado

This beer poured up with about 6 fingers - which allowed my husband to make fun of me for the rest of the evening.  It wasn't me though, it was the beer.  Despite being a heavy-hitting beer at 9.1%, it didn't taste like a heavy-hitter.  The booze factor was disguised very well.