Beer in the new era

oh shit, totally brain farted on black and tans, yikes.

Why I feel these could be interesting, I would worry too much about how I'm going to log it on untappd.

^^^shows you the last time I ordered one.

yea i haven't had a black and tan in years

apart from bottled ones like this: http://www.berkshirebrewingcompany.com/graphics/beer_labels_lg/shabadooNEW.jpg which is really good imo

I did mix that 120 min ipa and world wide stout that time.

whoa what was that like, even drinkable?

i've heard about that combo before. i've got a bottle of each aging and waiting to be mixed together

Don't know where else to mention this, but I saw the new Joe Swanberg movie Drinking Buddies last night (on Amazon Instant, though it'll be in theaters next month). It's a mostly improvised relationship drama about two couples (Olivia Wilde and Ron Livingston; Anna Kendrick and Jake Johnson), with lots of inter-couple sexual tension. Pretty good, I thought, though I'm generally keen on that kind of thing. (And I haven't seen any of Swanberg's previous work.)

Anyway, mentioning here because Wilde and Johnson's characters work at Chicago's Revolution Brewing (she plans events, he brews the beer), and it's filmed on location at the actual facility. They drink plenty throughout the movie; I spotted bottles of Founders and Half Acre in various scenes, and Jason Sudeikis (who plays another brewery employee) mentions Three Floyds at one point. As someone who gets excited when Walter White drinks Fat Tire rather than Budweiser or fake TV beer, I was interested to see how this backdrop was handled, and it seemed pretty well-informed. I guess Swanberg is friends with some local brewers, who consulted on the film.

Do you guys ever experiment with blends?

One of many things I miss about living in the Pacific NW is the McMenamin's chain, where I often ordered a Rubinator: half Terminator Stout, half Ruby raspberry pale ale. These are delicious.

Amazing how different the vibes are between the two moeder lambics.

I don't know if I have enough liver left for drinking in London.

Just kidding, drink with me in London.

had a Dark Horse Double Crooked Tree and omg. warning, at 12%, not a good session beer (altho it tastes dangerously unboozy).

kicked it at the russian river brewpub this afternoon. fun place, v. chill

Jeff! When d'you get toLondon?

I found a Goose Island Bourbon County in a pub in Camberwell today. It was delicious and grievously expensive (that was ok because it was Stet's round and I thought of it as ILx buying me a beer...)

I get in Wednesday evening.

How much did you pay for the BCBS?

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/07/28/new-beer-lawsuit-could-spell-trouble-for-keystone-xl-pipeline/

get 'em, Larry

now that I think about it this might explain some of their expansion to the U.P.

interesting post about sour beer: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2013/07/sour-beer-cantillon-a-brief-history.html

including a visit to jeff's recent stomping grounds.

cool! thx, i would've missed that. i love reading about beer

Started packaging up all my beer this morning to drag to London. Everything I know about carefully packaging beer I learned from Call All Destroyer. My beer's fate is in his hands.

The guy who gave the tour at Cantillon was funny. He kept going on and on about how everyone's palate has been destroyed by sugar. He said that's why people hate his beer and it will never be popular.

has anyone had the Sculpin Habanero IPA? local bar i like just posted on FB that they have it. kinda wanna go over for a taste.

My problem with Cantillon is the ridiculous price tag in the USA when you can easily find similar to better beers at a fraction of the cost.

I havent been to Philly in a long time, but I always go to Monks when i do.

Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Scotch Ale is as good as you'd think it would be.

godspeed, jeff. how much did you end up buying in belgium?

Six Cantillon bottles and three Westy's. Could have gotten so much more but my bag is pretty much full.

If I had room I would have gotten some Drie Fonteinen and De Cam.

With all the Belgians I've been drinking, my palate kind of misses something like a Zombie Dust or a Daisy Cutter.

you can be heartened by the fact that all my russian river bottles made it safely, most using the newly created "wrap in laundy, put in gallon ziploc bag, then wrap in more laundry" method.

(xpost) I have this problem too - that's when Belgian IPAs come in super handy!

the Sierra Nevada dudes so are cool

Jeff- if you fancy a beer I can be in the City for a swift one or two tomorrow (Thursday) night after about 7.30; alternatively* I'll be at my usual haunt at The Lexington on Pentonville Road from 2 until 7ish on Sunday. I'll be DJing some of the time (NB old people music fit for chatting), feel free to drop by. The above goes for any of the rest of you of course. You're right, LG, it's been far too long.

*or additionally

"if you fancy a beer", heh

oh wow this would be pretty rad to go to

http://www.hillfarmstead.com/fofa/

i'll tell you all about it :)

we want to take a trip up to vermont in maybe october to do like a weekend b+b and visit hill farmstead etc. any ideas in terms of good places to stay, other places to visit in the area, etc?

my pals who have done the weekend trip (i've only gone up for the day) love the old stagecoach inn in waterbury. walking distance to three good bars, 10 mins from the alchemist/heady topper, 20 mins from stowe, about an hour from hf. i can get you hiking tips if that's interesting to you at all.

no hiking tips plz (we'll have an infant w/ us) but any other recommendations of things to do in the area/travel tips would be super appreciated

i'm more familiar with southern VT, so on your drive up there (assuming you're coming from somewhere south of VT), brattleboro is a wonderful hippie town, it's right off 91.

also, you can do hiking with an infant! well, at least light to moderate hiking. just get one of those cool backpacks, or even an ergo carrier

nice CAD! are you camping out?

yeah, we'll be driving up from philly xp!

yes i am camping, and i am categorically *not* a camper, but they've got this cool service where ppl come and set up tents and campsites in advance for you for like 75 bucks so i'm pumped.

off-topic, i have some friends coming up to philly from charlottesville va in a couple weekends and they want to bring some local brews that we don't get up here - but they don't really know what to bring. any ideas?

I think tomorrow is good. I've got to do a run after work, but should be done by 8. Just tell me a place to be. Everyone is welcome.

shit i've gotta go out for dinner tomorrow in west london - i'll see if i can make it wherever you all decide. otherwise maybe something at the weekend or hangover lounge on sunday.

On second thought, tonight may not be good. I have to see how this hangover treats me today. Uggggh

Hahaha - feel free to decide later on! Commiserations. Go anywhere nice?