You would think with all the things that I am into with this blog right now that I could nary afford to not drink on a weekend, but that is exactly what I did this weekend. I have four whiskey posts that I am trying to get to, including the Great Bourbon Challenge of 2012, I have a growler full of Ninkasi Porter that has been in my fridge for 8 days now (hoping it can make it another day or two). Not to mention cases of beer that I haven’t gotten to yet!
So with all this backlog why in the hell am I not drinking? Well, mostly because I don’t want to. See this weekend was a bit of an anomaly. My 17 year old had a basketball game Saturday night, so no drinking prior to it. Then my oldest wanted to watch a Rush documentary (the band) that we wanted to watch together when we got home. Now most people would think that a Rush Documentary would be a perfect opportunity to throw back a few pints, but it goes back to how my son and I view this band. We LOVE Rush! We were both perfectly focused and 100% engaged by this 2.5 hour documentary. I know, were geeks!
Then Sunday had its own issues. I typically don’t drink during the day, unless I go to Brewforia or out to lunch somewhere. I just usually tea total during the day. So night came around and the football games were over, Dinner was done, and it was time to dive into the challenge! Then I get a call from our mother who is doing poorly with a bad hip and needs help. So the remainder of the evening was spent figuring out who and how to get people to her to help her move. She needs a hip replacement and has extremely limited mobility and to complicate things she is in the middle of moving from her home in Milwaukee to a new home in Royal Oak Michigan only 2 blocks away from my sister. The intent of the move was good, but the timing of it sucks.
So that threw things into a tizzy for the remainder of the evening. No drinky drinky for Don! We’ll see about tonight during the NCAA National Championship. Hopefully I can begin the challenge, or at least drink my growler!
How about you? Was your luck better than mine? Did you get to drink anything you had been anticipating or pining for? Let us know in the comments.
-Don
Beer & Whiskey Brothers 
I took it easy this weekend, as all I want are session beers right now, or at least stuff that won’t make me loopy. I had a couple of beers, but everything was in the 6% ABV range, which is low for a big-flavor lover such as myself. The star of the weekend was 21st Amendment’s Back in Black – lots of character without a huge boozy punch. Perfect!
That is a great beer Jim. Now that I can no longer get Oskar Blues, I love the malty piney character of that beer. It is loaded with flavor but is also light and refreshing. Great stuff Bro.
There is no NCAA National Championship for D1 college football.
?? 😦
D1 football is the only sport the NCAA doesn’t award a championship to. The BCS is not a true NCAA championship and just adds to the joke that is college football.
What about the voice of Geddy Lee? How did it get so high? I wonder if he speaks like an ordinary guy?
Royal Oak?!? My wife has family in that area.
We’ve had this conversation before Zac. Geddy Lee has a pretty normal voice. A little high, but not extraordinary. Royal Oak. It’s not the armpit of the state, but you can see it from there… 😦
To budget my money I take the first week of every month off and I don’t drink 2 day out of the rest of the weeks.
I also work the swing shift and sometimes im too tired to enjoy a beer. Its not worth drinking a good beer so tired.
Happy Drinking Don!
That shows good temperance Matt. Not only good for the wallet, but the liver is happy too!
I’m thinkin you drink da Growler it’ll be a challenge to get out of bed in da morning…
It’s a cutie growler, and the beer inside is only 5%. Should be ok.
Drank a Unibroue Terrible 22oz on Saturday while outside de-christmasing the house. Then
had a couple Avery White Rascal cans on Sunday during the Giants game. It was good to try something new in the Unibroue, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to try it again. Love the White Rascal though from Avery, always at least a 6 pack of it in the beer fridge. Quietly becoming a staple in there.
I’ve3 never tried the White Rascal. Seen it plenty of times, but something about the creepy label has kept me from grabbing one. If I do what am I in for?
Its a good one Don, its a great unfiltered Belgian White, a little bitter bite at the end, but I love it. Pick up one if you get the chance. Its a great beer inside with dinner or outside doing yardwork!
Um I had a Green Flash Le Freak and then a Pretty Things Jack D’or. Mine was relatively low key, thankfully. Heading down to Texas this weekend, do they drink there?
Texas, bar none has the weirdest drinking laws in the US. You can be on one block and it is dry, walk down the block or across the street and it is wet. I guess you need to know where you are in Texas if you want to drink!
I didn’t know so many people plan their drinking…If I want a beer I just grab one, if Im drinking and find out I have to do something I just don’t drink another. Seems like a b ball game and Rock doc are perfect times to have brew.
Sounds like a Bachelor…Amirite?
I was going to go with Hipster.
Bachelor…Hipster.
Tronto, will you accept this rose?
Run Tronto Run! 😉
No! Im sending all the ladies home cuz none of them showed up with a decent beer…
Proudly!
I had a fairly mellow weekend beerwise, but I did get a chance to try Wild Wild Brett Green, the latest in a series from Crooked Stave, which blew me away. It’s a 100% Brettanomyces fermented ale hopped with Australian Galaxy hops. Incredible aroma and a very subdued funky tartness in the taste.
Crooked Stave is in its infancy, a one-man operation using part of Funkwerks’ brewing facility in Fort Collins, but plans are in place for a new brewery in Denver this year. I predict great things from them (him?) in the coming months.
Sounds like a mellow weekend, but a memorable beer. Better than mine, a crazy weekend with no beer!… no beer 😦
This weekend, I tried Leinenkugel’s Big Eddy Russian Imperial Stout. I wasn’t crazy about it. It was a bit heavy on the licorice flavor for my taste. I also had a bottle of Great Divide’s Oak-Aged Yeti, along with a regular Yeti, for the sake of comparison. I enjoyed both of those quite a lot. There was also a bottle of Hoppin’ Frog’s Barrel-Aged B.O.R.I.S. Oatmeal Imperial Stout. Pretty good, though I prefer the Yeti. Last, but certainly not least, was North Coast’s Bourbon Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin XIV, along with a regular Rasputin. Awesome beer. Mighty spendy though.
Sorry you didn’t like the Big Eddy Jeff, I really enjoy it.
It wasn’t terrible, and in any case, taste is a highly subjective thing, but it just didn’t hold up to some of my other favorites.
Jeff, I consider the Yeti’s the gold standard for a reasonably priced very solid stout. You can never go wrong with a yeti! At least that is what my Scherpa said
Good call, Don. I put it right up there with Old Rasputin and Storm King among my favorites.
Which did you prefer: Oak Aged Yeti or regular Yeti? I’m kind of partial to the regular.
Not that you asked me, but my favorite is the Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti. I love that little bit of Chipotle kick that builds up as you drink it! Great stuff!
That sounds awesome. I guess they just got some Espresso Oak-Aged Yeti out there. I can’t wait to be able to try them all.
The Espresso Yeti is the only one I haven’t ever had, but I’ve heard it is great too. enjoy!
I loved them both, but the oak-aged version had some additional layers of complexity, which put it over the top for me. The standard Yeti will be a go-to for me once I move out to Chicagoland for sure.
Easy there, big fellas, Mad Queen is from Houston. Just carry your St. Arnold’s brew across the street and enjoy it on that side. Toast the Southern Baptists with whatever you pick up at that mecca of all things alcohol, Spec’s downtown location.
I learned how to make Manhattan’s this weekend using a recipe from the December 25th edition of the New York Times. Awesome, freakin’ AWESOME. Next time I’m going to have the cinnamon sticks on hand to set on fire in the glass like the recipe specifies. Maybe I can burn down the house and go home to Houston. Yippee!! (Don’t tell my husband I said that.)
I’ll actually be in Houston…any suggestions beer wise?
Manhattans…Hmmm. I’m thinking I just like Bourbon.
On the beer scene, I’m still workin’ on the Xmas case–nothin’ to write home about of the ones I tried this weekend.
As for a dry week-end, that’s good–if you start needing to drink then you NEED to quit.
Never NEED a drink, except of water. Just want one, and feeling deprived!
I drink every single weekend…probably gonna take like 6 weeks off now though…gotta pay for the beer I just bought on eBay lol. One bottle of 2011 Surly Darkness, and six bottles of De Struise Brouwers Black Albert Belgian Royal Stout.
Johnking82, take the brewery tour at St. Arnold’s. Info at their website, http://www.starnold.com. The location is an oddity to get to but worth it, owner Brock Wagner is a beer god. Plus you get 3-4 beers (8 oz glasses) with price of admission. Go to Spec’s downtown and just inhale. We were registered there for our wedding (TMI, I know). Awesomely helpful staff. Drink your way up and down Washington Avenue. The Gingerman Pub is on Morningside. Say hi to everybody for me. Thanks man. Looking forward to your report. (And you know Texans drive everywhere, even across the street. No walking allowed.)
I’m intown for the Trials and the Marathon…so I can only drink Sunday and Monday. We rented a vehicle so I’m sure we will hit up St. Arnolds. I checked Specs stuff, I can get most of their stuff except TX and some CA stuff. Thanks for the heads up though!
I was in Walgreens the other day and saw the $3 Big Flats 6 pack….couldn’t resist. I tried one and it wasn’t nasty…hardly any taste at all really. The remaining 5 will be used for boiling bratwurst.
I feel very sorry for those unloved brats… 😉