So How was your weekend? Mine was…well, a mixed bag. Yeah that is an adequate description. As far as sports are concerned, my fantasy football team rocked! I scored 157 points, and my kicker still plays tonight. I now have the dubious distinction of having scored the most points in the league, but my record is 2-3. My Packers won! Not much of a game really the Lions are about as good as a 5A high school team. They could have run up the score, I’m sure (didn’t see the game) but I assume that the second stringers got some time here. That is the difference between a proud team from the Midwest and the Patriots. Jim’s team didn’t fare nearly as well, loosing in overtime to the Buffalo Bills. Mark Sanchez is now a man alone. He has to learn from this and grow.
So as far a drinking goes, after all this is a blog about Beer and Whiskey it was a mixed bag as well. I had great plans to have some Rye I had purchased the previous week, (that didn’t happen) and a Beer from the Laughing Dog Brewery in Sandpoint, Idaho. I was ready for it last night during the bears game, I had been waiting for the right time to open the 22 oz big beer and the time had finally arrived! I went to the fridge and it was GONE! I was wondering where it went to so I came back in from the garage, and low and behold my Son had flung open the door to the fridge so hard that my 22oz Dogfather Imperial Stout was flung out of the door, and hit the cement floor in the garage and blew up into a million pieces! 😦
So the thick, inky black pour I had anticipated all weekend was gone! I pulled out the Trappist Rochefort 10 and had that instead. A very good pour in its own right, but not what I had wanted or anticipated all weekend!
So how about you? Did the weekend go how you wanted? Did you drink all you had anticipated? Let us know your stories! Were here for you no matter how your weekend went. Feel free to vent or celebrate. We want to hear it all.
-Don and Jim
Beer & Whiskey Brothers 
My weekend was a mixed bag as well. Saw “Where the Wild Things Are.” Which was awesome. Saturday I hung out at a friend’s bachelor party where I had the Southern Tier: Unearthly Imperial IPA (which is stellar) as well as Founder’s: Double Trouble Imperial IPA (also incredible), as well as a Pabst Blue Ribbon (gotta stay humble). Sunday, my dog had a seizure at 4 am. I then ran the Detroit Free Press Half-Marathon in 1:43:14, which I’m quite pleased about. I got home, showered, went to lunch and tried the Southern Tier: Pumking, which is about as close to pumpkin pie as beer could ever venture and it was quite good. I then concluded lunch with a Dogfish Head: 90 minute IPA, which is definitely the benchmark by which all IPAs should be measured. Got home, and my dog had had another seizure in the family’s absence… He then had another one at 6pm, so he got to spend the night at the veterinary hospital.
So, there were, as you say, “triumphs and trials.” Just keep running.
Great job Brian. I read with interest on twitter that you beat the one guy with that thing. Good Job! Sounds like it is IPA time! I have a Dogzilla Dark IPA in the fridge (much better secured than the Dogfather)! I’m interested in this trend of dark IPAs. I’ve never had one before, so I think I will enjoy this one. I’m kind of a hop head anyway. Hope your dog is ok. I will spare you my story of a seizing dog. Didn’t have a happy ending. He was 16 years old though. I also stayed humble with a Kokanee and a Amstel Light.
The Dark IPA trend is fantastic in my opinion. I believe Stone did it a couple years ago with one of their anniversary ales and it blew me away. I’m always impressed by people who can do it well, without it coming off as burnt. I’ll have to get my hands on the Dogzilla, I haven’t had an opportunity to try it yet. Thanks for the good wishes and support.
-brian
Sorry to hear about your dog, Brian. It’s terrible when something is wrong and they can’t tell you what it is.
Sounds like a good beer weekend though. I had the good fortune of trying Bell’s Two Hearted IPA this weekend, which was awesome. Best part was that it was given to me by a beer store owner whose friend brought it from out of state (it’s not distributed in NJ). A rare and special treat for sure. They’re in the Kalamazoo area, so should be available by you. If you haven’t tried one yet, I highly recommend you do so.
Alas, as is evident by the common proverbway: “Shit Happens.” The Two Hearted is one of the best beers Bell’s makes. It’s been consistently good for years, which is better than I can say for their biggest seller (Oberon…). If you ever find yourself in Michigan in November, you should head over to the Bell’s Brewery for Eccentric Day. The only day of the year that Eccentric Ale is available and they generally serve some amazing limited releases too. If you get an opportunity, the Bell’s beers worth trying are Two Hearted, Hopslam, Expedition Stout, and Consecrator Doppelbock. The rest are pretty standard… They’ve usually got something interesting on tap though.
Hell, if you’re ever in Michigan, let us fellers at Beer and Comics know and we could introduce you to some of the finer ales our great state has to offer.
Will do Brian. Actually our sister lives in Michigan, Oakland I think. I can’t keep track, I’ve never been to her place since I live in Idaho, the trip is pretty long just for a visit, we usually do that at Mom and Dads. Sounds like some good Michigan Brews. I’m going to drink the Dogzilla this week. I’ll let you know what its like.
-Don
Our sister lives in Royal Oak, which is about a million times cooler (or was in the 90’s) than Oakland, Don. Thanks Brian for the primer of Bell’s, the Two Hearted IPA was special – it would be in regular rotation if they sold in NJ. If I ever go on a buying spree in PA, I’ll be sure to go wider on Bell’s and see what else they can do.
And I’ll definitely drop you a line if I’m in the area.
The beer breaking is always a heart wrenching story. I say the cover of beer advocate magazine and a bunch of Unbroue beers were lying there broken into pieces…sad, indeed. I can’t complain. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a special beer bust or the Colts lose. I’m not expecting a lose or a broken bottle this weekend, either (we are playing the Rams, after all).
P.S. If you can find Bell’s Rye Stout get it. I love that beer.
Haven’t been in Michigan lately! Maybe our sister could send us some!