Jude - Reformation Brewery

"Hey Jude, don't let me down"

It was Friday evening-- Payday, and as I sat my beer down on the counter a voice came to me,

“Hey that’s a really nice Saison you have there” 

--Said the liquor store stranger wearing a carhartt jacket and a toboggan in the heat of a Georgia spring that hadn’t even had a winter. “Do you like Belgians?”


“Yeah I like Belgians”, I replied with curious optimism. How many changes in life can you chalk up to a conversation with a stranger? In my line of work, it’s a fair amount.


“Have you tried reformation yet?” the stranger inquired with a gleeful anticipation. Liquor store proselytization holds a special place in my heart, and it seemed like kismet with me having just resumed blogging about beer again. Could he sense it in the air? Did it hang over me like the stink of desperation of a single man in a bar on friday night after last call? With all the grace of a high cultured Maitre’d he ushered me back to the cooler. Fluorescents blinking as they teetered on the verge of life and death. The stranger tapped the glass like a child inspecting the lobster tank at a grocery store. And with the smile of someone with a secret they couldn’t keep to themselves he spoke-

“There she is. Northwest Georgia’s newest brewery. It pours lighter then a Blue Moon but clocks in at 9%. This is the real deal. I redid their roof last september”

  And with that he he scooped up a sixer and thrusted it into my trembling hands. I was sold. How much of your life boils down to a chance encounter with a stranger?

#SetBeerFree

Reformation sprung for a love of great european beer. There moto is “Set beer free”, and the beer walks the walk the brewers talk. Located in the sleepy suburb of Woodstock, only a half hour outside of Atlanta proper, Reformation has set up shop in the heart of what Georgians refer to as OTP, or Outside the perimeter. If you’re a country mouse who wants to pretend they’re a city mouse you live OTP. It’s in this way that reformation has got out to ensure their own brand of craft beer Jihad; of holy war not waged with improvised explosives wielded by zealots, but instead of passion and vision of beers as delicate and balances as a Michelin star entree. The Georgian juggernauts of Sweetwater, Terrapin, and Red brick are certainly no slouches in the craft game, but to quote Action Bronson, “They ain’t rappin’ like this anymore”.

"Remember, to let her into your heart"

My first experience with reformation was Jude, a delightful Belgian Trippel. The stranger from before was right, it poured lighter than even the lightest hefeweizen, but there was a beautiful and strange haze to it. It was cloudy like the urine of a man on a 8 day Mt Dew bender. Beautiful out of the minimalist almost art deco style can into my glass. Pours good with maybe a finger or two of eggshell white head. I can’t get over how well it matches the design of the can. Clearly a lot of thought went into this. I held the glass to the georgia sun and marveled. It was a phosphorescent beauty of copper fading to straw. The head fades to nothing but the beer does not look as if it lacks for it. Jude is a 9.2% beer but it takes you by surprise, like someone who slips in through the side window with it’s shoes off and clubs you in the back of the head with a blackjack. It’s very refreshing, true to it’s style with a crisp citrus flavor, tart apple, fading to caramel with a touch of butter. It drinks so light but very full, very balanced. This would be a great beer to have with a picnic, or a stroll through a park, or going to the zoo to throw peanuts at monkeys.

In final summation, if you can find Jude in your neck of the woods, and appreciate the finer things in life like a delicious Tripel, then you would be doing yourself a disgrace disservice to pass over Jude

"Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude"

Fat Tire - New Belgium

       Dear eight pound, six ounce newborn baby jesus do I love spring. I love everything about it: The sunshine, the warmth, the promise of a summer, fresh cut grass, driving across the state-line to go to the drive-in, thoughts of going swimming, road trips with the windows down, longer days, warmer nights. I enjoy the other four seasons as much as Northwest Georgia can provide four seasons, I mean we just didn’t have a winter this year, what the hell is up with that? But there is something great about the promise of spring. And with spring comes one of my favorite adult pastimes-- sitting outside in the sun and drinking beer.

Now a good beer is a good beer and anytime is a good time to drink good beer, but when it comes to enjoying all that spring has to offer, there is one beer that towers over others and that is the Amber ale. Amber ales are as at home on a baseball bleacher as they are sitting on a blanket at a music festival. They’re great with hot wings on a patio or sitting at a crowded bar surrounded by friends. Amber ale’s are the golden retrievers of beer, always eager to please whenever possible. Simple put, amber ales are to spring what IPA’s are to summer.

Amber Ale is a bit of a catchall term for any beer lighter then a Dark Ale. While still a malty affair, Ambers excel in the warming days of spring because they balance the biscuity-coffee goodness of Malt with some lovely fruit and spice flavors. It’s a style that doesn’t feel the need to overwhelm you with a palate punch of hops, but lets the smoothness. It’s a great transition from a darker beer like a porter or a stout to a lighter more summery affair like an Session IPA.

The all-time heavyweight champion of ambers in my eyes will always be Fat Tire. It’s crisp, refreshing, has a subtle hint of tart apple with a subtle fizzy effervescent with just a touch of coffee that really balances it out. You can also get fat tire almost anywhere these days, which earns a fair amount of points when you don’t have to struggle to find it when sitting down at a dinner (I’m looking at you, cigar city)..

All great beer should be enjoyed in a glass, this is undisputable fact. There’s some back and forth on whether certain beers are better in certain glasses, but the fact that it opens it up and lets you actually smell the beer while you drink it makes a huge impact. And boy howdy does Fat tire look beautiful in a glass. Its light gold, with a hint of tan is so alluring. I love the way it hangs on the side of glass. You drink something with your eyes before your mouth, right? Anyways, I digress. It’s a spring day and the bees are buzzing around me and it’s all a work of art.

Beer snobs of all shapes may turn their noses up at the lovable little slugger of Fat Tire, and you too may find yourself rolling your eyes at my enthusiasm for it. It’s so plebian, just a step above Bud Light or a PBR. What does it say about me as a person if I drink the craft beer equivalent of Wilco?  But i urge you, give Fat Tire another look with a fresh pair of eyes. It may surprise you with it’s earest ways.  It may not be the best amber out there, but it has so much to offer. Fat Tire has so much love to give, it only needs you to open the twist top to your heart and pour 12 ounces of pure Craft love inside.

On Absences (An Apology)

"We'll meet again,
    don't know where,
         don't know when.
But I know we'll meet again some sunny day."
-Vera Lynn

Hello friends, I've missed you all.

How have you been since the last time we talked? I hope you're doing well. A lot has changed in the interim, but I haven't forgotten about you. I'm sorry I left without saying goodbye but a lot has changed for me. I lost two people who were very important to me in very different ways in the past year, and each one changed my desire to continue on with this.

In 2016, the year of endless loss, my mother succumbed to her terminal illness. It hurt so badly with all the space and time in the world, I'll never be able to put it to words. It crippled me emotionally and spiritually, not only losing my mother but having to let her pass with things being so complicated between us. I became a shell, and I'm still a shell in a lot of ways. Alcoholism runs in my family and my mother was never comfortable with me drinking as a result. So when I moved back to Georgia to take care of her, I gave up beer. and with giving up beer, I gave up writing about beer. I gave up writing all together. I tried a few times, but nothing of substance came out, just generic drivel fit only for a buzzfeed listicle.

In 2017 I lost one of the most inspirational people to have come into my life. Josh Fonner, creator of Macabre productions, host of Untitled Nonsense, and a creative juggernaut, passed after struggling to breathe. The only reason I'm not dead or in jail is the kindness and understanding of my friends, and while we had our dustups, I respected Josh in a way that was unparalleled. The man could stand no bullshit, made no excuses for executing his dreams. This blog, this whole endeavor wouldn't exist if he hadn't invited me on his podcast. Josh showed me what was possible when you don't let anyone take a piece of your dream, what's possible when you take all the bullshit life can lay on you and throw it right back.

As I was standing in a church in Florida in a room full of strangers eulogizing a man i only knew through the internet, I had a low level panic attack. After patching things up, Josh and I had made plans to resume co-hosting UN together. All I had to do was find time to do it, but I kept putting it off.  Why was I letting life bury me in its bullshit? Why had I let the day to day keep me from speaking my peace?

The words of my friend hung in my head stayed in my head, why had I quit?. Was I going to keep just sleepwalking through life, or was I going to say enough was enough and start punching back?

Well I can't promise I'll give you something worthwhile, but for what it's worth I'm back if you'll have me. Like a father who stepped out for smokes and then never returned, I realize I've hurt your trust. I wouldn't begrudge any of you if you never returned or read anything I wrote again.

But I'm here, and I'm ready to make up for lost time.

Founders - Porter

Dark, rich resplendent, able bodied. Founders porter is as well crafted as any of their other beers., but there porter holds a special place in my heart. I call it the Porter corner. This portion of my heart is occupied by delicious dark beers, and tiny little squares of Dark chocolate.  Can I share a bit of this part of my heart, dear reader?

For those of you who are not familiar with Founders, they are one of the premier breweries in the country. Based out of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Founders was started by Mike Stevens and Dave Engbers in 1997. Since then, they’ve gone on to make some of the best rated beers in the Nation; Founders motto is “Brewed for us”, and they mean it.

All porters are dark, but this one is exceedingly so. Mysterious and dangerous, the beer pours a beautiful inky color out of the bottle and into the glass, with a little bit of tan head that’s gone before you even notice it.  But that’s not what we’re here for. What we’re here for is that delicious dark richness, waiting inside the glass.

The smell is seductive and secret. A standard nice little thing, layered with fruit followed by chocolate, coffee, and other dark things. It’s got a nice bit of sweetness to it, but it’s not cloying like a Saison is. It’s subtle, balanced, and very smooth, which can be rare in a porter-- a style like IPA’s that are known for their excesses in style.

But the taste, the taste is exquisite. Smoky dark flavors, wafting with chocolate, and

coffee. Almost slightly burnt with a hint of red wine to it. But it’s not a tannic drink at all, actually it drinks quite clean and light. My only regret is not having a thick, grilled blackened cheeseburger sitting in front of me. Maybe I’ll have to pick some ground beef up on the way home from work. Until then, I think I’ll just sit in this high back chair, eating chocolates and drinking this delicious porter like an New England aristocrat.

PM Porter - BJ's Brewhouse

A few weeks ago my town got a BJ's Brewhouse, a restaurant chain who's big draw is their line of craft beers, burgers, and BBQ. Having an evening out to myself I decided to give them a shot, after all either it would be a great success, or a resounding failure. I'm of the opinion that variety is the spice of life, and living in suburban central florida, my choices are often pretty narrow for decent craft beer.

I miss you baby

So with modest expectations, I ventured out of the parking lot and into the dining room of BJ's. It was littered with your usual crowd of people loitering around on a saturday night: Couples on dates, college kids looking for a night on the town,  single guys trying to catch the game. But even though buisness was brisk they whisked me away to a table quickly. After peruising the menu for a moment, I settled on a Porter and a Black and Bleu burger, a safe combination or so I thought. After some fussing about my out-of-state ID, my beer (and burger) were brought quickly to my table.

The porter seemed to be your standard affair. A dark black fellow with little head and jet black color served in a pint glass. My burger came on a nice thick bun, with blue cheese dripping down the side. Not super impressed with either of them, but the meal was cheap, and quick, and the server seemed nice, if not very knowlegable about beer (The porter? Yeah it's a dark beer).

The porter had a nice fruity smell, with a hint of rich roasted malt. So after taking a bite of my burger (Greasy) I decided to dive into the Porter. Wow, so first off this is not what I think of when I think porter. It's incredibly sweet, with lots of caramel, and I quickly realized it was on a nitro tap. Thick, creamy and rich, it dripped off the tongue. Definantly more of a milkstout taste then a porter.

So what's the verdict? The PM Porter is pretty good, and worth a try. But keep in mind that it's a sweet drink, not the rich, smokey taste you get with most porters. All in all I'd give BJ's a shot. The foods not much better then applebees, but the beer is top notch. 

Brewer: BJ's Brewhouse 

Style: Porter 

6.4% ABV 

Price: $3.00 a pint

Rating: 7 out of 10

Rum Aged - Innis & Gunn

Innis and gunn are a scottish brewery out of Edinburgh that have been around since 2003. They typically divide craft-beer fans who claim they are Faux-craft, due to their clear bottles and their outsourcing their brewing to another company. But the only question that matters to me is does the drink hold up on it's own?

Innis and Gunn's entire line centers around Wood-aged beers, and today I'm going to focus on Rum Aged. Rum aged is a Scotch ale that was originally a limited selection, but is now part of their regular lineup. Aged over oak heartwood and infused with Rum spices, it's pedigree talks a good game. And it looks the part, pouring a nice amber red that any true Scotsman would feel proud of, with a nice beige head that fades to almost nothing. No lacing to speak of, but it looks pretty tasty all the same.


And whoa, what an incredibly robust smelling Ale; lots of Caramel and rum with a nice bit of malt to it. Most excitingly, there's also a lot of Spiced rum smell to it. It reminds me a lot of christmas, which is a nice thought as it's hot enough to melt asphalt in central Florida in the summer.


But there's only one thing that truly matters at the end of the day and that's the taste. Hope you like sweetness, because this little Scotch Ale has it in droves. All that Caramel and and Spiced rum just floods over the palate, and mixes with strong Vanilla, and Toffenut. I'm looking over my notes I use when I taste something for the first (or third) time and the only thing I have written in notes column is "SO GOOD!"


So is this beer a winner? I'd say yes. It's incredibly sweet, and can be a little bit heavy to have more then one at a time, but it's so dammed good you're doing yourself a disservice by not trying it. Remember, beer drinking like every other worthy endeavor is a matter of taste, so ultimately don't be persuaded by anyone but yourself. Try it and make up your own mind!

• Brewer: Innis & Gunn 
• Style: IPA 
• 6.8% ABV 
• Price: $6.00\4 
• Rating: 9 out of 10

Best songs about drinking

So many songs have been written about heartache, and even more about being addicted to the bottle, and even a handful where one led to the other. So I thought I'd offer a change of material and share some of my favorites this week.

Roadhouse Blues - The Doors

There's two eras of The Doors- The lizard King, which was pure 60's avant garde freak out, and Bearded Bard, which is 70's blues wrapped in cheap beer. And the beer doesn't get much cheaper (or blues encrusted) then Roadhouse Blues. Morrisons voice strains like he had just drank every Milwaukee's best in a 100 mile radius and you feel it in every bone in your body.

Brass Monkey- Beastie Boys

#RIPMCA

Let's get real though, no list about drinking is complete without some vintage Beastie boys. From those fat sax and bass hits, this song is like opening a window into underage drinking. Who doesn't remember the first Brass monkey they drank?

One Bourbon One Scotch One Beer - George Thorogood

This song is actually a little two for one action. The first half of it is a blues standard called "House-rent blues", a tale of woe about a guy who loses his job and pisses off his old lady. Of course the next logical progression is to end up at the bar. Interesting trivia about Thorogood, he's actually a Teetotaler who doesn't like to drink.

 Family Tradition - Hank Williams Jr.

Oh Junior, you are such a card. Yeah, you've kinda unveiled yourself to be an unrepentant piece of shit, but so is Ted Nugent and Stranglehold is still a good jam. I digress, I had to pick this because aside from being a true tale of the legend of the Williams family boozing (We're talking about the son of the guy who got so drunk they kicked him out of the grand ol opry), it's also deeply sentimental. My mom would often pplay this song in an attempt to explain our long standing history of dysfunction. So I guess in my own way, I too am just following those family traditions.

Where everyone knows your name - Gary Portnoy

Listen to those first few notes and tell me you don't feel your heartstrings being pulled. You know deep down inside we all just want to walk down to someplace where everyone knows your name, even if that place only exists in our hearts...

Plus it has young Woody Harrelson in it. 

NORM!

Theme from Cheers - Titus Andronicus

But let's get real, Cheers is just a show, and this alt-country alcoholism-fueled ballad probably a more accurate portrait of someone who's known by name at a bar. Only a concept album about the civil war could really paint the real pain of someone who has to drink just to get through the day.

"And the walk home is going to be a real shit show--
I'll be picking up half-smoked cigarette butts all up and down Rock Road
and then throw up in the warm glow of the traffic light.
But I'm gonna put the devil inside me to sleep if it takes all night."

Bartender (Nashville Version) - Rehab

Now I'm not one for Radio-edits, but c'mon, this is so good. A tale of white-trash woe, a regular trailer-park opera, fueled by a drunken outburst. It's like "What made Milwaukee famous" without any regrets.  Plus anyone has ever been at dive bar in the southeast, you've heard this song at least two dozen times. Might as well cop to the fact that we all love it.

Too drunk to Dream - Magnetic Fields

Many a beautiful song has been written about needing the bottle, and many a beautiful song has been penned about a broken heart, but nothing speaks more universally then mending a broken heart with the bottle.

"I gotta get too drunk to dream

'Cause dreaming only makes me blue

I gotta get too drunk to dream

Because I only dream of you"

And finally, saving the best for last, I give you...

Tik Tok - Ke$ha

Ok so i'm not  a proponent of Ke$ha, but this song does make me want to drink, so there is that. Plus this video pretty much always makes me happy. I have a weakness for drunk Shatner.