It might be a little early for a Christmas beer review, but the seasonal brews have hit the store shelves and I decided to get the reviews up while you can still actually buy these puppies. This is the first time I’ve had St. Bernardus Christmas Ale, and I didn’t know what to expect. But […]

It’s been a rough one for me, but I finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. I’ve been sick as a dog (or perhaps a pig) all week and work has been crazier than usual to boot. But the weekend is here and I’m starting to feel like myself again. I’m looking […]

There are just some words in the English language that evoke a negative feeling.  For example the word “terminal”.  If you are in a doctor’s office that is not the word you want to hear.  It is typically used there to mean the end of life, and lets face it, when it comes right down to it […]

A libation revelation is a simple but magnificent event, when you have the perfect drink under the perfect circumstances. When this occurs, you taste the beverage in a new and wonderful way, and your newfound appreciation carries forward to every time you have that drink. I’ve had a handful of these moments over the past […]

The Lompoc Brewery in Portland, Oregon has been an on again off again affair.  In the 50’s and 60’s the Old Lompoc House was a well known tavern on 1st and Arthur in SW Portland.  The New Old Lompoc opened on May 6, 2000. But the Old Lompoc Brewery (as it was formerly known) has […]

It occurred to me this weekend how lucky I am to have a wife who loves great beer just as much as I do.  She never complains about what I spend on beer.  She never turns up her nose at something new.  She’ll finish stuff that I don’t really like.   She does tastings with me […]

I’ve always traveled a lot for my work.  Since I have been a professional planner I have been going places either to conferences, training sessions, or in my later years as a consultant for project work.  Earlier this week I was fortunate enough to travel to Portland, Oregon for a transportation summit put on by […]

The first oak aged ale I can remember having is Innis and Gunn’s English Pale Ale.  It’s a well-mannered beer, a gentleman’s brew with a malty flavor and smoky scotch finish.  It’s a perfect companion for many situations and generally enjoyed by many folks, even mother-in laws who don’t normally drink beer. If Innis and […]

Every time we’re at an average restaurant and I order a beer, I give my wife the first sip. And every time she takes that sip, she wrinkles up her nose and says, “you’ve spoiled me!” You see, we only drink really great beer at home and I’ve turned her into a bit of a […]

What do you get when you combine an insane amount of hops in a beer that uses plenty of two row malt and Munich malt, and age it in the bottle before releasing it?  Leafer Madness from Beer Valley Brewing in Ontario, Oregon.  Their web site states that in addition to the two malts there […]

It’s been a gnarly week and I’m glad it’s over! I’ve got a few treats (and probably a couple of tricks) in the fridge for this weekend and can’t wait to get started. I’m gonna begin with the basics; a couple of devilish Stone selections and then maybe a Dogfish Head Pangea. What about you?  Are […]

It had been a while since I stopped by my local beer shop, so I decided to pop in the other day. I used to be a regular at this place until I got a new job and my routine changed a bit. The new gig put a big beer store with a great selection […]

With a purposeful grimace and a terrible sound he pulls the spinning high tension wires down!! I remember as a kid watching the Godzilla movies and just loving the carnage and destruction.  I would watch all the hokey monster movies with Mothra, King Kong, thatflying turtle thing! They were awesome, they’d fight each other, and then Godzilla turned […]

One thing Steinbeck taught us is that our plans often do not come to fruition.  This weekend was a mixed bag for me, on the one hand I had a couple of great drinks, and on the other hand the sports stuff really didn’t go my way.  The Vikings finally lost their first game.  Two […]

It’s been said that a stupid question deserves a stupid answer. But in this case, the question is so fundamentally flawed that it might actually deserve an intellectually informed, well-reasoned answer. At least that’s my hope.So here goes: Can you microwave beer? Now many of you are probably thinking the same thing, and that’s “WTF?!” […]