Beer #2514-2813 / Day #294-324: The End Is Near!

THE END IS NEAR!

It conjures images of the local nutjob standing on the corner of a busy intersection with a massive painted sign, emphatically yelling gibberish, jabbing his finger in the air in the direction of all passersby. 

After 11 months of this self-imposed unique beer quest, I’m not too far off from falling into the category of Local Nutjob myself. 

Am I the crazy one, pushing forward aggressively to end the year with a bang?  Or is Chris Wilder even more of an unadulterated loon… my last remaining competitor, aware he’s roughly 450 behind me but still refusing to yield, constantly rising like Michael Myers in “Halloween”, the antagonistic spectre who insists on taking me down despite the odds?

Regardless of lunacy levels, real or perceived, I can’t wait for this year to be over.  Not because I’m sick of beer.  Quite the opposite.  I actually love beer more than ever.  Most of all, I simply miss choice itself.  That mindset that I’m going to pick whatever I want to drink and just stick with it all day.  Or all week.  Or all year.   Hell, maybe in 2015 I’ll only drink growlers of Eagle Rock Populist. 

Next year I’m positively drinking way less.  First, for obvious health reasons.  My diet is better than ever this year, and I’m averaging 10 lbs lighter than last year.  If I stop drinking for a while, or at least cutting back, I’ll easily drop another 5-10.  Plus, 2015 is going to be a financial challenge overall, so after exhausting my 2014 beer nest egg, I’m focusing on drinking less in general.  Even though good beer can still be had at a cheap price, the continuum of consumption adds up. 

I find myself pouring more lousy single bottles down the drain these days.  My tolerance for substandard beers has lessened.  I’m way less likely to nurse a weak lager these days, in comparison to 11 months ago.  If it’s genuinely bad, and shows no promise of improving (like a dark beer that may be tastier when it’s closer to room temp), then I’m not forcing myself to consume the whole thing.  I’d rather save the calories for a genuinely great, or at least decent beer.  And I’d prefer not to subject my taste buds to unwarranted punishment.

Finding unique beers when I’m over 2,800 deep requires more creativity and research.  It’s comical for me to walk into an establishment with 30, 50, or 100 taps and only find 3-4 distinct brews to try, but it happens, and it happens frequently these days.  But in this home stretch, I’m finally hitting some “obvious” destinations I’ve been putting off all year.  Stone Company Store in Pasadena.  Golden Road.  So many of the old standbys that I can’t believe I’ve avoided for 11 months straight.  And despite the challenge, I’m even more surprised in searching exclusively for new beers to try that options do keep popping up.  If someone concentrated only on the U.S. and ignored Belgium & the rest of the world entirely, they still wouldn’t be able to sample every beer available in America.  With over 3,100 breweries, each averaging 10 different available brews at any given moment, and most of them rotating through new beers and seasonal brews all year, it’s incomprehensible how much is out there.

As I finally wind down, there are no more huge beer fests on the horizon for me.  Just sustained, affordable sampling over the next month before I hit that checkered flag.  Thankfully, in the wake of GABF, the Beering Gods have smiled favorably, continuing to bestow some incredible tasting experiences upon me:

*Shelton Brothers The Festival 2014:  I found out about this on Groupon of all places.  Most beer events listed on Groupon are lame, and tend to look like an attempt at a quick money grab for some local entrepreneur looking to cash in on the “craft beer craze”.  This was simply listed as The Festival 2014 and was based in San Pedro, an oceanside community not known for much aside from endless shipping docks, The Minutemen, and Ambrosia (the band, not the dessert).  The logo looked cheezy like something from the ‘80s, and I expected a list of breweries like Sam Adams and Shock Top.  After a bit of digging, I couldn’t have been more wrong.  It was set up by Shelton Brothers distribution who are known for importing some of the best braus from across the planet.  Entry was only $30 through Groupon, plus drink tickets.  As fate would have it, while walking to the entrance, some fella from the previous day’s session drove up and just handed us his leftover drink tickets for free.  There were at least 50.  We were meant to drink here.  Held in an enormous warehouse near the docks, the room was spacious, airy, not overly crowded, with a relaxed vibe, and scattered with tables pouring the greatest brews in the world… no hyperbole intended nor necessary.  CANTILLON, DE MOLEN, TO OL, HILL FARMSTEAD, DE STRUISE… flabbergasting to say the least.  

To top it off, brewers and representatives from each brewery were flown in for the event.  I even had the brewer from BRASSERIE DE BLAUGIES explaining the meaning behind “La Vermontoise” to me in broken English.  Of course, I’ve forgotten most of the context, but it still left a lasting impression on me how the beer world is an extended family.  Even if we don’t speak the same language, we still possess that same shared passion & appreciation, the same unadulterated love of beer which unites us.  8 WIRED, 3 FONTEINEN, NOGNE O, THE BRUERY, JOLLY PUMPKIN, ANCHORAGE.  By stumbling upon this fest, I had stumbled upon greatness.  And 52 deep, all high octane, mind you, there was a considerable amount of additional stumbling.  Thankfully, my BFF Melissa Gearhart had volunteered to drive.  She and my other BFF Ayn Dunn proved to be the perfect companions for brew exploration.  I enjoyed their enjoyment, witnessing the introduction of new favorite styles to their palates.  I spotted a few San Fernando Valley hardcore beer nerd regulars here, and speaking to them again after the fact, they all flagged this is the finest beer event of the year, even rivaling or surpassing the Firestone Walker Invitational.  Not bad for a random discount Groupon ticket...

Someone's gotta cut this kid off....

*Highway 395:  I started the year with a trip to Reno, so it seemed fitting to end the year with another one.  We hit the Biggest Little City to visit my wife’s family for Halloween, and give our son a chance to trick or treat with his cousins.  And give me a chance to hit some unexplored breweries.

This extended weekend was a buffet of new brews, the majority of which were impressive.  The drive up 395 one of my favorite stretches of scenic two lane blacktop anywhere in the country, through high desert, past the highest peaked mountains in either state.  On the way, I strong armed my wife & son into stopping at MAMMOTH BREWING in… well… Mammoth.  I was obnoxious enough to arrive right when they opened, and sampled everything they had to offer.  Strangely enough, Mammoth beers cannot be found in SoCal, so I needed to take advantage of this rare experience.  Highlights were the BOURBON BARREL AGED EISBOCK and the OWENS VALLEY WET HARVEST BLACK IPA.  

That night in Sparks, a huge (there were 11 of us) family outing to GREAT BASIN BREWING hit the spot and settled my cravings, albeit temporarily.  After trying 9 new ones, as well as several repeats, I found a Great Basin bottle at a local liquor store with a brew that wasn’t on the menu at the pub.  The MAYAN MAYBE NOT Old Ale was the best thing I’ve tasted from this brewery, with heavy malt, chocolate, caramel, and slight heat from habaneros. 

The next morning, I toted my wife & brother-in-law Rick out to Truckee to hit my one “must see” brewery:  FIFTY FIFTY.  Their stouts are the stouts of legend.  Guess what wasn’t on tap when we arrived.  Their stout and porter were tapped out so we sampled everything else available, comprised of the various ales you’d expect, but the saving grace was the OLD CONUNDRUM BARLEY WINE and the ANNULARITY BLONDE BARLEY WINE ON WOOD.  Nectar of Heaven.  

On the way out of town, we nearly drove past MELLOW FELLOW without stopping.  I would have kicked myself had we kept driving.  Now that I've been there, this has become one of my favorite beer bars in the country.  The tap list was impeccable, and occupied by numerous regional breweries I’d never heard of.  OL’ REPUBLIC, FLAT TAIL, LASSEN ALE WORKS, PALO ALTO BREWING, THE BREWING LAIR.  MELLOW FELLOW is a must.  We headed back to Reno, and surprisingly my wife had a “must see” location on the beer tour:  The SIERRA TAP HOUSE, run by SIERRA NEVADA BREWING, right on the edge of the river in downtown Reno.  Today was Halloween and we lucked upon a NARWHAL STOUT tap event labeled as “Narwhalloween”.  Couldn’t have capped of the day better… NARWHAL 2014, 2013, 2012, BOURBON BARREL AGED, and CASK CONDITIONED.  I spent most of the evening of Halloween desperately trying to prop my eyelids open, although I wasn’t very successful, nor was I very good company to the rest of the fam.

Halloween evening into Saturday we were inundated with a big storm that plunged the temperatures & dusted the surrounding mountains in snow.  Perfect beering weather.  Before taking the kids on a Virginia City mine tour, it was time to cozy up to a Nevada staple:  BATTLE BORN BEER, apparently a lager that Nevadans are proud of, much like Texans and their LONE STAR BEER, except Battle Born is infinitely better.  Pho noodles downtown Reno.  Afternoon naps.  A trip to Total Wine & More to stock up on single bottles I can’t find in LA.  Then we hit the town, brewery bound with my wife’s sister Sarah, her hubby Rick, and other sis Amy.  

First stop, PIGEON HEAD BREWERY, very much a hipster brewery, in an industrial part of town, hidden beneath an overpass.  Raw but “cool” tasting room, nice staff, great T-shirt designs, solid beers across the board.  Next stop was SILVER PEAK BREWERY, a spot that has clearly been around for a while, long before the recent wave of “craft” outlets.  This place has been pouring since the early days when folks were still calling them microbreweries, and it has that same dated aura to it.  I tried all 12 house taps, and as expected, pretty good but not memorable.  Definitely a taphouse for fans of BJ’s or Gordon Biersch.  

The polar opposite is BRASSERIE ST. JAMES, likely the hippest brewery in the basin.  This joint was packed to the rafters, with our only seating option being outside.  Schmancy food and schmancy brews at San Francisco prices.  Pricey but high quality. We loved it, but we also wanted to avoid being broke, so we all shared 12 samplers and some appetizers & moved along.  Next we hit DEATH AND TAXES, a dark and deliberate mix of Prohibition era style meets Haunted Mansion.  Comfy, with great cocktails and a few impressive taps. The stay was short, the altitude and bone dry, cold air was dehydrating me and making the alcohol hit me quicker.  

Thanks to the sober Sarah, we made it to our final destination, THE BREWER’S CABINET.  Tons of proprietary beers, but I only could only make my way through another one, with a few tasters for good measure.  Most impressive was the HABANERO APPARITION IPA.  Least impressive was how much the room was spinning.  We capped off the evening with a salty French dip at Mel’s Diner and called it a night.  Sunday was the long, but beautiful drive home which included a stop in June Lake to visit the newly opened JUNE LAKE BREWING.  I tried everything on tap, and enjoyed their brews across the board, in particular the HUTTE DOUBLE IPA and 8140 BLACK IPA.  A nice, secluded, down to earth spot worthy of seeking out.  Dinner at HOLY SMOKE BBQ in Bishop capped off a great trip. This place is super clean. Spotless.  The smoked meats were second only to homemade, but damn close to perfection. Best part was ghost pepper BBQ sauce, which I devoured without regret. The music piped into this restaurant was Christian Rock.  Then I made the connection to the name HOLY Smoke.  Those wacky Christians!  Thanks to the deity of your choice, the Eastern Sierras treated me quite well, as always, on this trip.

The beering continues….

The face of new beer.

Tues 10/21 - Home

2514 - SPATEN FRANZISKANER LOWENBRAU GRUPPE FRANZISKANER WEISSBIER DUNKEL

2515 - OAKSHIRE BREWING WATERSHED IPA

Wed 10/22 - Home

2516 - KENYA BREWERIES TUSKER FINEST QUALITY LAGER

2517 - SPEAKEASY UNTOUCHABLE IPA

2518 - NEW BELGIUM HOP THE POND (HOP KITCHEN #7) DOUBLE IPA

Thurs 10/23 – Tasters at Tony’s Darts Away, New release tasting at Vendome, and a couple at home

2519 - KINETIC BREWING TORQUE

2520 - GOLDEN ROAD PINATA BERLINER WEISSE AGED IN TEQUILA BARRELS

2521 - BALLAST POINT SOUR WENCH BLACKBERRY SOUR ALE

2522 - INLAND EMPIRE BREWING COMPANY HEAD SPLITTER BLONDE SOUR

2523 - OFF COLOR BREWING TROUBLESOME GOSE

2524 - EVIL TWIN BREWING JUSTIN BLABAER

2525 - GREAT DIVIDE BREWING FRESH HOP ALE

2526 - STONE BREWING SMOKED PORTER WITH CHOCOLATE AND ORANGE PEEL

2527 - BISON BREWING ORGANIC RED REUBEN 

2528 - SMUTTYNOSE BREWING TRIPEL

2529 - EEL RIVER BREWING TRIPLE EXULTATION

2530 – PRIMATOR DOUBLE BOCK

Fri 10/24 – Downtown LA tastings

2531 - ABSOLUTION BREWING PURGATORY

2532 - SURF BREWERY MONDO'S CREAM ALE

2533 - KING HARBOR BREWING THE SWIRLY

2534 - KINETIC BREWING CITRAFUGE

2535 - PROGRESS BREWING ALAMO CREAM ALE

2536 - CRAFTSMAN BREWING OKTOBERFEST

2537 - BRAUEREI AYING AYINGER CELEBRATOR

Sat 10/25 – Pumpkin ale tasting at Vendome, a few tasters at Boneyard Bistro, and a couple at Kim Lawrence’s Halloween party

2538 - ROGUE ALES ROGUE FARMS PUMPKIN PATCH ALE

2539 - SMUTTYNOSE BREWING PUMPKIN ALE

2540 - ALPINE BEER COMPANY ICHABOD ALE

2541 - SHIPYARD BREWING BOURBON BARREL AGED SMASHED PUMPKIN

2542 - UINTA BREWING OAK JACKED IMPERIAL PUMPKIN ALE

2543 - AVERY BREWING PUMP(KY)N

2544 - LOGSDON FARMHOUSE ALES STRAFFE DRIELING

This dog's face scares the crap out of me

2545 - DOUBLE MOUNTAIN KILLER GREEN

2546 - EL SEGUNDO BREWING WALLET DROPPER

2547 – GUINNESS BLONDE AMERICAN LAGER

2548 - BIRRA PERONI

Sun 10/26 – A couple lousy ones at Auntie Joey’s, some lousy ones at home, but a big finale

2549 - SHOCK TOP PUMPKIN WHEAT

2550 - SHOCK TOP HONEYCRISP APPLE WHEAT

2551 - SIMPLER TIMES LAGER

2552 – JOSEPHSBRAU NAME TAG CLASSIC LAGER

2553 - JOSEPH JAMES BREWING WEIZE GUY HEFEWEIZEN

2554 - DOUBLE MOUNTAIN CARRIE LADD STEAMSHIP PORTER

2555 - BROUWERIJ DE MOLEN CEASE & DESIST RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT

Mon 10/27 - Home

2556 - STEINHAUS BREWING MISSION ST. INDIA PALE ALE

2557 - PRETTY THINGS SAINT BOTOLPH'S TOWN

2558 – JOSEPHSBRAU BLACK TOAD DARK ALE    

2559 - SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CELEBRATION ALE IPA

Tues 10/28 - Home

2560 - CORONADO BREWING 18TH ANNIVERSARY ALE

2561 - BLACK MARKET BREWING  SUPERSTITION PUMPKIN ALE

2562 - BOATSWAIN H.L.V. ALE   

Wed 10/29 - Home

2563 - TUCHER DUNKLES HEFE WEIZEN

2564 – PRIMATOR MAIBOCK

Thurs 10/30 – Up the 395, destination Reno

2565 - JUNE LAKE BREWING ROCK N' DIRT MILK STOUT

2566 - JUNE LAKE BREWING ALPER'S TROUT PALE ALE

2567 - MAMMOTH BREWING KUNG FU APPLE ALE

2568 - MAMMOTH BREWING JAPANESE RED RICE ALE

2569 - MAMMOTH BREWING WILD SIERRA MOUNTAIN FARMHOUSE ALE

2570 - MAMMOTH BREWING ELDERBERRY SOUR

2571 - MAMMOTH BREWING OWENS VALLEY WET HARVEST BLACK IPA

2572 - MAMMOTH BREWING FIRE & EISBOCK    

2573 - MAMMOTH BREWING BOURBON BARREL AGED EISBOCK

2574 - MAMMOTH BREWING GOLDEN TROUT PILSNER

2575 - MAMMOTH BREWING PARANOIDS PALE ALE

2576 - MAMMOTH BREWING IPA 395    

2577 - MAMMOTH BREWING EPIC IPA

2578 - GREAT BASIN BREWING KEEP TRUCKEE MEADOWS BEAUTIFUL WAAPUI ALE

2579 - GREAT BASIN BREWING BASIN BACON BREW

2580 - GREAT BASIN BREWING BLACK EYE P. A. 

2581 - GREAT BASIN BREWING GINGER CILANTRO SAISON

2582 - GREAT BASIN BREWING HOP-A-SAUR

2583 - GREAT BASIN BREWING JACKPOT PORTER

2584 - GREAT BASIN BREWING TECTONIC EVENT DOUBLE IPA

2585 - GREAT BASIN BREWING TRIQSTER

2586 - GREAT BASIN BREWING OKTOBERFEST    

2587 - GREAT BASIN BREWING MAYAN MAYBE NOT

2588 - BROOKLYN BREWERY DRY IRISH STOUT

2589 - HOP CITY BREWING BARKING SQUIRREL LAGER

Fri 10/31 – Day trip to Truckee for serious sampling, wrapping up in Reno

2590 - FIFTY FIFTY ANNULARITY BLONDE BARLEYWINE ON WOOD            

2591 - FIFTY FIFTY BLONDE #5 (TRUCKEE BLONDE RESERVE)

2592 - FIFTY FIFTY BASE CAMP GOLDEN ALE

2593 - FIFTY FIFTY MANIFESTO PALE ALE

2594 - FIFTY FIFTY C.A.P.A.

2595 - FIFTY FIFTY LEG LIFTER ALE             

2596 - FIFTY FIFTY ROCKSLIDE IPA            

2597 - FIFTY FIFTY CHARLES B. BROWN ALE

2598 - FIFTY FIFTY OLD CONUNDRUM BARLEY WINE

2599 - KNEE DEEP BREWING MOCHA CREAM STOUT       

2600 - BREWING LAIR STAKE OUT, COFFEE BLACK IPA     

2601 - PALO ALTO BREWING OYSTER STOUT       

2602 - LASSEN ALE WORKS  OFF-THE-SCALE BARLEY WINE

Don't ask.

2603 – LAGUNITAS BORN YESTERDAY PALE ALE

2604 - 21ST AMENDMENT BREWERY BLAH BLAH BLAH IPA

2605 - OL' REPUBLIC BREWERY CHOCOLYPTO STOUT

2606 - OL' REPUBLIC BREWERY DUNKEL BOCK

2607 - FLAT TAIL BREWING TAILGATER KOLSCH

2608 - SIERRA NEVADA BREWING NARWHAL IMPERIAL STOUT (2014)

2609 - SIERRA NEVADA BREWING NARWHAL IMPERIAL STOUT (2012)

2610 - SIERRA NEVADA BREWING NARWHAL BOURBON BARREL AGED

2611 - SIERRA NEVADA BREWING NARWHAL CASK CONDITIONED            

2612 - BROUWERIJ STRUBBE IPA

Sat 11/1 – Making the rounds at Reno’s brewpubs & breweries

2613 - BATTLE BORN BEER

Even Sydney is aware how drunk our mine tour guide is.

2614 - BGI TIEN GIANG  "33" EXPORT

2615 - MAMMOTH BREWING YOSEMITE PALE ALE

2616 - PIGEON HEAD BREWERY IPL

2617 - PIGEON HEAD BREWERY SUPER HOP CHICK

2618 - PIGEON HEAD BREWERY PILSNER

2619 - PIGEON HEAD BREWERY RED RYE LAGER 

2620 - PIGEON HEAD BREWERY BLACK LAGER

2621 - SILVER PEAK BREWERY XXX BLONDE

2622 - SILVER PEAK BREWERY BAILEY WHEAT

2623 - SILVER PEAK BREWERY SIERRA AMBER ALE

2624 - SILVER PEAK BREWERY SILVER PEAK IPA

2625 - SILVER PEAK BREWERY RED ROADSTER     

2626 - SILVER PEAK BREWERY PEAVINE PORTER

2627 - SILVER PEAK BREWERY SCHNELL PILSNER

2628 - SILVER PEAK BREWERY CRIMSON WHEAT

2629 - SILVER PEAK BREWERY MCHINEY'S WEE HEAVY SCOTCH ALE

2630 - SILVER PEAK BREWERY SLIDE SIDE LAGER

2631 - SILVER PEAK BREWERY SWEET MAMA PUMPKIN ALE

2632 - SILVER PEAK BREWERY JUBILEE CELEBRATION BOCK

2633 - BRASSERIE ST. JAMES THE WIT ALBUM

2634 - BRASSERIE ST. JAMES THE THIRD MAN

2635 - BRASSERIE ST. JAMES PACIFIC PASSAGE TO INDIA

2636 - BRASSERIE ST. JAMES THE WHITE DOWNS

2637 - BRASSERIE ST. JAMES SOUR WITTE

2638 - BRASSERIE ST. JAMES CALIFORNIA STEAMIN'        

2639 - BRASSERIE ST. JAMES OKTOBERFEST

2640 - BRASSERIE ST. JAMES GERMAN RAUCHBIER          

2641 - NEW BELGIUM LA FOLIE (2014) LIPS OF FAITH       

2642 - THE BREWER'S CABINET HABANERO APPARITION

2643 - THE BREWER'S CABINET DIRTY WOOKIE

2644 - THE BREWER'S CABINET JAVA PUNK

2645 - THE BREWER'S CABINET DRAGON PUNCH

Sun 11/2 – Headed home with a detour in June Lake, followed by a few at home

2646 - JUNE LAKE BREWING DEER BEER BROWN ALE       

2647 - JUNE LAKE BREWING ESBZAR       

2648 - JUNE LAKE BREWING SMOKIN PORTER

2649 - JUNE LAKE BREWING HUTTE DOUBLE IPA

2650 - JUNE LAKE BREWING SILVER LAKE SAISON             

2651 - JUNE LAKE BREWING ARCHIMEDES RED ALE

2652 - JUNE LAKE BREWING 8140 BLACK IPA

2653 - MAMMOTH BREWING DOS OSOS (2014)

2654 - FISH BREWING FISH TALE ORGANIC IPA

Mon 11/3 – Home, dipping into the stash of singles purchased in Reno

2655 - LASSEN ALE WORKS EAGLE LAKE IPA

2656 - NINKASI BREWING IMPERIALE IMPERIAL STOUT

Tues 11/4 - Home

2657 - RUBICON BREWING IPA

2658 - CERVECERIA MEXICANA DEATH BECOMES YOU AMBER ALE

2659 - BROOKLYN BREWERY MONSTER ALE BARLEYWINE (2012)

Wed 11/5 - Home

2660 - RUBICON BREWING CAPRICORN BLACK ALE

2661 - HOPPY BREWING COMPANY STONY FACE RED ALE

2662 - TOMMYKNOCKER BREWERY COCOA PORTER

2663 - PAYETTE BREWING MUTTON BUSTER BROWN ALE

 

Thurs 11/6 – New release tasting at Vendome, then home

2664 - FREIGEIST BIERKULTUR GEISTERZUG RHUBARB GOSE

2665 - AMAGER BRYGHUS / THREE FLOYDS COLLABORATION ARCTIC SUNSTONE

2666 - FREIGEIST BIERKULTUR SALZSPEICHER RASPBERRY SOUR PORTER

2667 - ANCHORAGE BREWING THE TIDE AND IT'S TAKERS TRIPLE W/ BRETT

2668 - GRAND TETON BREWING COMING HOME HOLIDAY ALE 2014

2669 – PREARIS QUADROCINNO ALE WITH COFFEE BEANS

2670 – INDIAN WELLS BREWING DEATH VALLEY PALE ALE

2671 – SANTA FE BREWING BLACK IPA

2672 – ALASKAN BREWING OATMEAL STOUT

Fri 11/7 - Home

2673 – TENAYA CREEK BREWERY MONSOON IPA

2674 – LEAVENWORTH WHISTLING PIG HEFEWEIZEN

2675 – FISH BREWING FISH TALE ORGANIC WILD SALMON PALE ALE

2676 – STILLWATER BRONTIDE

2677 – SANTA FE BREWING IMPERIAL JAVA STOUT

Sat 11/8 – West Valley brewery tastings and a few at home

2678 – ENEGREN BREWING CZECH PILSNER WITH RIWAKA HOPS

2679 – ENEGREN BREWING PROTECTOR IPA

2680 – ENEGREN BREWING COURTRAI SAISON 

2681 – LAB BREWING HOP SOLUTION

2682 – LAB BREWING TAKE HER HOME TRIPEL

2683 – LAB BREWING BELGIAN BREAKFAST BROWN

2684 – LAB BREWING AFTER MIDNIGHT MOO

2685 – LAB BREWING IMPERIAL STOUT 

2686 – ENEGREN BREWING CAPTAIN'S SUMMER SESSION KOLSCH

2687 – AVERY BREWING DUGANA IMPERIAL IPA

2688 – GREAT BASIN BREWING WHITE EYE P.A. 

2689 – MAMMOTH BREWING BLONDIBOCK AGED IN BOURBON BARRELS

Sun 11/9 – Shelton Brothers The Festival 2014 in San Pedro, one of the best beer tasting events of the year

2690 – HET NEST DEAD MAN'S HAND RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT

2691 – BROUWERIJ 3 FONTEINEN OUDE GEUZE 

2692 – BROUWERIJ 3 FONTEINEN HOMMAGE

2693 – THE BRUERY WINEIFICATION II   

2694 – THE BRUERY MASH & COCONUT

2695 – 8 WIRED BARREL AGED SMOKED IMPERIAL PORTER (2011)

2696 – ANCHORAGE / JOLLY PUMPKIN COLLABORATION CALABAZA BOREAL (ANCHORAGE VERSION)

2697 – ANCHORAGE BREWING TIME WAITS FOR NO ONE IMPERIAL STOUT

2698 – BRASSERIE CANTILLON FOU' FOUNE

2699 – BRASSERIE CANTILLON CLASSIC GUEUZE

2700 – HILL FARMSTEAD BREWERY BROTHER SOIGNE

2701 – BRASSERIE DE BLAUGIES DARBYSTE

2702 – OXBOW BREWING ABROREAL

2703 – BROUWERIJ DE MOLEN MOORD & BRAND BOURBON BARREL AGED

2704 – SANTE ADAIRIUS SAISON BERNICE

2705 – CERVESA DEL MONTSENY NEGRA

2706 – CERVESA DEL MONTSENY MALTA CUVEE

2707 – NOGNE O VIC SECRET

2708 – TO OL LIQUID CONFIDENTIAL

2709 – WEIRD BEARD BREW CO.  BEARDED NURSE ARDBEG BARREL AGED

2710 – BREW BY NUMBERS 08/01 EXPORT STRENGTH STOUT

2711 – BLUEJACKET BOURBON BARREL AGED FIGURE 8 

2712 – BRASSERIE AU BARON CUVEE DES JONQUILLES

2713 – JESTER KING BIERE DE MIEL

2714 – JESTER KING LE PETIT PRINCE

2715 – JESTER KING SNORKEL

2716 – HILL FARMSTEAD BREWERY ANNA SAISON

2717 – BAIRD BREWING WABI-SABI JAPAN PALE ALE

2718 – BAIRD BREWING RISING SUN PALE ALE

2719 – HAIR OF THE DOG PANNEPOOCH RESERVA

2720 – SHIGA KOGEN MIYAMA BLONDE

2721 – MINOH STOUT   

2722 – MIKKELLER BEER GEEK DESSERT  

2723 – BREWFIST HEIMDALL GALAXIE SAISON

2724 – BREWFIST SPAGHETTI WESTERN

2725 – DE STRUISE BROUWERS CUVEE DELPHINE

2726 – PRAIRIE ARTISAN ALES BOMB!

2727 – HANSON BROTHERS MMMHOPS PALE ALE

2728 – SIDE PROJECT SAISON DU BLE

2729 – THE BRUERY BOTTLEWORKS XII

2730 – JOLLY PUMPKIN FUEGO DEL OTONO

2731 – SIREN CRAFT BREW ODYSSEY 001

2732 – MAGIC ROCK BREWING THE GREAT ALPHONSO

2733 – RENAISSANCE BREWING MPA

2734 – 8 WIRED CHARDONNAY BARREL AGED SAESON (2012)

2735 – JOLLY PUMPKIN PERSIMMONS SHIP

2736 – JOLLY PUMPKIN LA PARCELA

2737 – BROUWERIJ DE RANKE GULDENBERG

2738 – BROUWERIJ DE RANKE SAISON DE DOTTIGNIES  

2739 – BUXTON BREWERY BOMBA GENERATION 4

2740 – BUXTON BREWERY RED RASPBERRY ALE 

2741 – BUXTON BREWERY THE LIVING END

Mon 11/10 - Home

2742 – FISH BREWING FISH TALE ORGANIC AMBER ALE

2743 – DESCHUTES BREWERY HOP TRIP

2744 – INDIAN WELLS BREWING MOJAVE RED

2745 – FISH BREWING HODGSON'S BITTER END IPA

2746 – EVIL TWIN BREWING CHRISTMAS EVE IN A NEW YORK CITY HOTEL ROOM

Tues 11/11 - Home

2747 – CERVECERIA MEXICANA PAY THE FERRYMAN PORTER

2748 – FLYING FISH BREWING EXTRA PALE ALE

2749 – RUBY MOUNTAIN BREWING BRISTLECONE BROWN PORTER

2750 – LAUGHING DOG BREWING SNEAKY PETE IMPERIAL IPA

Wed 11/12 – Samplers at Tony’s and a few at home

2751 – KING HARBOR BREWING POST SEASON IMPERIAL IPA

2752 – KNEE DEEP BREWING AVIATOR IPA

2753 – GOLDEN ROAD MIGHT AS WELL IPL

2754 – ALESMITH BREWING WINTER YULESMITH

2755 – CERVECERIA MEXICANA CHILI DEVIL

2756 – SANTA FE BREWING HAPPY CAMPER IPA

2757 – TOMMYKNOCKER BREWERY IMPERIAL NUT BROWN ALE

Thurs 11/13 – New release tasting at Vendome, then home

2758 – GREEN FLASH BREWING CEDAR PLANK PALE ALE

2759 – BEAR REPUBLIC BREWING RACER X DOUBLE IPA 

2760 – STONE BREWING SOUTHERN CHARRED 2014        

2761 – BRASSERIE DIEU DU CIEL PECHE MORTEL

2762 – SLEEPY DOG BREWING WET SNOUT MILK STOUT

2763 – NEW BELGIUM SAISON HARVEST ALE

2764 – HOP CITY BREWING  HOPBOT IPA

2765 – BROOKLYN BREWERY OKTOBERFEST

2766 – MENDOCINO BREWING OATMEAL STOUT

Friday 11/14 – Gathering of co-workers at Golden Road, hard to believe it’s my first visit all year

2767 – GOLDEN ROAD I'LL HAVE ANOTHER STOUT

2768 – GOLDEN ROAD SURFLINER DOUBLE IPA

2769 – GOLDEN ROAD BATCH 1000 BLACK LAGER

Sat 11/15 - Home

2770 – RIO GRANDE  OUTLAW LAGER

2771 – DESCHUTES BREWERY CINDER CONE RED

2772 – INDIAN WELLS BREWING BLACKOUT STOUT

2773 – JOSEPH JAMES BREWING CITRA RYE PALE ALE

2774 – BROOKLYN BREWERY EAST INDIA PALE ALE

2775 – PAYETTE BREWING OUTLAW IPA

But you already knew I was going to post this...

Sun 11/16 – Much sampling at Stone Pasadena, Slater’s 50/50, Stout Hollywood, wrapping up at Loaded Hollywood checking out the incredible CUTTHROATS 9 live

2776 – STONE BREWING MATTZEN

2777 – STONE BREWING RUINATION IPA WITH HABANERO PEPPERS

2778 – BOOTLEGGER'S BREWERY PUMPKIN ALE

2779 – ROUGH DRAFT BREWING BELGIAN VANILLA STOUT

2780 – HESS BREWING GRAZIAS CREAM ALE

2781 – PORT BREWING BOARD MEETING BROWN ALE

2782 – OHANA BREWING #HASHTAG HOPS        

2783 – ROGUE ALES HAZELNUT BROWN NECTAR

2784 – THREE WEAVERS DEEP ROOTS ESB

2785 – SANTA FE BREWING OKTOBERFEST

2786 – CISMONTANE BREWING COULTER IPA

2787 – SIX RIVERS BREWERY SASQUATCH DOUBLE IPA

2788 – CISMONTANE BREWING DEAD SANTA (2014)

2789 – KNEE DEEP BREWING THINK TWICE TRIPLE IPA

2790 – CRAFTSMAN BREWING EDGAR'S ALE

2791 – RED STRIPE JAMAICAN LAGER     

CUTTHROATS 9:  What sucks is you don't realize how amazing these guys are.

Mon 11/17 – Home

2792 - DEVIL'S CANYON BREWING DEADICATED AMBER ALE

2793 - SIX RIVERS BREWERY IPA

2794 - ALASKAN BREWING WINTER ALE

2795 - 21ST AMENDMENT BREWERY FIRESIDE CHAT WINTER SPICED ALE

Tues 11/18 – Home

2796 - NEW BELGIUM ACCUMULATION WHITE IPA

2797 - BEER VALLEY BREWING LEAFER MADNESS IMPERIAL PALE ALE

2798 - HOPPY BREWING COMPANY TOTAL ECLIPSE BLACK ALE

Wed 11/19 – Tasters at Tony’s and a couple at home

2799 - MONKISH BREWING ST. CITRA

2800 - IRONFIRE BREWING 51/50 IPA

2801 - STONE BREWING LUKCY BASARTD ALE

2802 - STONE BREWING SUBLIMELY SELF-RIGHTEOUS BLACK IPA

2803 - IRONFIRE BREWING BOOT HILL KILLER STOUT

2804 - FISH BREWING VICIOUS CIRCLE AMBER ALE

2805 - ANDERSON VALLEY BREWING BLOOD ORANGE GOSE

Thurs 11/20 – Belgian holiday ale tap takeover at Story Tavern, wrapping up at home

2806 - BROUWERIJ VAN HONSEBROUCK KASTEEL CUVEE DU CHATEAU QUADRUPEL

2807 - BROUWERIJ VAN HONSEBROUCK KASTEEL WINTER

2808 - BROUWERIJ VAN STEENBERGE BIERE DU BOUCANIER CHRISTMAS ALE

2809 - BRASSERIE DE SILENRIEUX NOEL DE SILENRIEUX     

2810 - BROUWERIJ DE MUSKETIERS TROUBADOR MAGMA TRIPEL YEAST (BRETT)

2811 - PABST BREWING LONE STAR BEER

2812 - INDIAN WELLS BREWING  AMNESIA IPA

2813 - RIO GRANDE IPA

This would be SO NASTY if I had any idea what it meant...

Beer #2132-2513 / Day #274-293: Giving An Eff at GABF

No birder can hope to win a Big Year without a visit to Attu, the ridiculously remote Westernmost point of the United States in the Aleutian Island chain off the coast of Alaska. It’s a birders paradise in May as the landing point for countless migratory birds who never set foot in the continental United States.  Attu in May is the pinnacle of any die-hard birders hoping to cull an unbeatable list of sightings, and mandatory if one has any chance of winning a Big Year.

Gate A2 for Attu

Denver in October is my Attu in May.  More specifically, the Great American Beer Festival.  Over 700 breweries.  Over 3,500 beers. 

During my half-hearted, 2013 lone pursuit of a Big Year In Beer, I was disappointed not to attend GABF, but life had other plans for me.  Instead I went to the USC Norris Cancer Hospital and had surgery for prostate cancer.  Nothing screws up a good year of beering like stupid ol’ cancer.  A year later, my PSA levels are nil, I’m healthier than ever, and determined not to let anything stand in my way.

Since January 1st, 2014 I have remained focused on GABF as my ultimate destination for racking up my beer count.  I’ve always jokingly referred to it as “Attu”. Depending on how the rest of 2014 went, this would be my ace-in-the-hole, my dead ringer for assured victory if I was already in the lead, or if I was way behind other competitive beerers, this would be the secret weapon that could get be back into the running.  Randy Carncross and Chris Wilder obscured me in the beer count for nearly the first half of this year, which crushed my spirits on the one hand, but on the other, made me more intently focused than I ever imagined possible.  Determined.  Driven.  Relentless.

By mid-summer Carncross, an American expatriate in Japan, had finally exhausted the supply of unique beers on his small island and threw in the towel.  By late summer, thanks to multiple beer fests, I was steadily extending my lead past Wilder, despite his highly competitive demeanor and financial superiority.  After investing three quarters of a calendar year absorbed on the solitary goal of being the world’s greatest beerer, with no intention of ever attempting to repeat this feat again, it’s now or never.  When we were last in contact, I was 300 beers ahead of Wilder.  It would be easy to throttle back, and not grind for the extra beers.  It would be even more devastating to rest on my laurels and allow my lead to slip.  Time to drop the hammer.  Time for GABF.

No need to worry about bloodstains, right?

As with my previous GABF adventure in 2012, I was meeting up with beer guru Dave Witte in Denver.  And we both had press passes to the fest thanks to Albert Mudrian the Editor-In-Chief at extreme music magazine “Decibel”, the same mag in which Adem Tepedelen wrote a four page feature about beering adventures with Witte and I at GABF 2012.  Serendipitous to say the least.  

I got lucky with a direct Burbank-to-Denver flight, and thus enjoyed a rare opportunity to avoid the unmitigated disaster that is LAX.  The flight was quick and soon enough I was checked into Fleabag Central a.k.a. the Ramada Midtown.  Should I be worried about the blatant shabbiness of my room, or what appear to be blood stains on the walkway outside?  Neither safety nor cleanliness was my primary focus.  They had nothing to do with beer.  It was Thursday at Noon, and the first GABF session started around 5:30pm.  I was two miles from the Convention Center, it was a picture perfect afternoon, and a gauntlet of breweries and brewpubs stood between me and tonight’s gathering.  I took to Denver on foot, accepting the challenge.

The weather was perfect… clear, clean, crisp, fresh air, not the valley smog I’m used to.  My lungs didn’t know what to do.  I spent the afternoon zigzagging through Lower Downtown, or “LoDo” as the locals have dubbed it, with each stop equaling or surpassing the previous one.  Thanks to the Untappd app “Nearby Breweries” function, in 15 minutes I located the ALEHOUSE AT AMATO’S , where I posted up to the bar & ordered a bison burger with goat cheese and pomegranate (weird, yet it worked), truly feeling like a kid in a candy store drooling over their taplist.  So many unique Colorado brews I never see back home.  Determined to stay on the go, I hit DENVER BEER CO. which touted $1 tasters from an impressive board of top notch proprietary brews; open atmosphere, friendly service, lots of beards and beers… if I lived here, I’d be a regular.  While I was conscious of not overdoing it too early in the day, I also had a difficult time containing my excitement.  With my obsessive picture snapping and note taking, I may as well have “Beer Nerd” tattooed across my knuckles.

Next stop LUCKY PIE pizzeria which drew me in with their advertisements of a mid-day LEFT HAND BREWING rare cask event, a Firkin Fest.  3pm on a Thursday and this joint was packed to the rafters with pre-GABF revelers.  I found the lone vacant barstool in the room, sipped an otherworldly LEFT HAND MILK STOUT WITH TOASTED HAZELNUTS ON CASK, chatting with the outgoing Manager Brendan and the busy bartenders.  I wanted to try all four casks, but didn’t want to taint my GABF onslaught, so I drifted further through LoDo, realizing that Denver is like Beer Disneyland, with so many fabulous discoveries around every turn, so numerous that this town warrants countless return visits.  Like the Magic Kingdom, you can’t experience it all in just one trip.  I’m betting this town rivals even Portland in variety and availability of brew.  I’m also willing to bet one could do a Big Year In Beer without even leaving Denver.

Sure, give me 4 days in Denver.

I ran across WORLD OF BEER which was a highlight of my recent Cleveland trip, so stopped in to peruse the taplist.  Enticing, but yet again I decided to save myself.  On my way out the door I caught a glimpse of a chalkboard which challenged patrons to try 250 different beers.  The board was blank, devoid of even a single name.  Ha!  Fucking amateurs.

At last I was at the Convention Center, fittingly located at the end of Stout St.  Two hours in advance of doors opening on a Thursday afternoon, and the throngs of eager beer fanatics were already swelling.  Each one of them was clad in beer geek finery, showcasing each patron’s passion and knowledge of finer brews.  Pliny The Elder T-shirts were trumped only by the occasional Pliny The Younger T-shirt.  I wore no brewery gear, thinking it might help me stand out.  No such luck in this unwashed mass of predominantly white, bearded, beer bellied men.

Like an elitist brat I cruised past the morass, up to the second story Brewer’s and Press entrance.  After walking two miles across downtown, I was winded just walking up this flight of stairs.  Whoa.  Take it easy, fella.  You’re not in Burbank anymore.  You’re walking a mile above sea level.

I collected my breath as well as my press pass, and eventually found Witte.  He was giddy like me as we cruised the aisles of this airplane hangar, prior to doors opening.  The calm before this stormy celebration of sick Bacchanalian excess.  Before the impending flurry, I had time to meet Witte’s contingent of Richmond, VA peeps who would comprise our greater drinking posse for the next 72 hours:  Greg “The Growler King” Self, STRANGEWAYS BREWING head brewer Mike Hiller and brand ambassador Lars “Das Vein” Zachariasse.

Like an approaching thunderstorm, the walla of thousands of entering enthusiasts quickly rolled across the length of the room, and as a band of bagpipers wheezed the equivalent of the opening bell, GABF 2014 was under way.   I had four sessions to look forward to, and my starting plan was to focus mainly on anything East of the Mississippi this first night.  Considering I wouldn’t be traveling any more for the rest of the year, I wanted to take advantage of what may be my last chance to enjoy some unattainable Midwest, Southern, and East Coast brews.
I meandered with Witte, Greg, and Lars, hitting a treasure trove of old classics and new discoveries… New Jersey’s KANE BREWING, Iowa’s TOPPLING GOLIATH, Virginia’s unfortunately named but excellently brewed LICKINGHOLE CREEK, Northern Indiana’s kings of all things THREE FLOYDS, Floridian favorites CIGAR CITY, barrel aged gems from GOOSE ISLAND, then KUHNHENN, MARTIN HOUSE, NEBRASKA BREWING, PRAIRIE… hell, I was just barely scratching the surface.  Locals say you get drunk quicker due to the altitude, and despite countering my tasters with gallons of water, I was quickly inebriated.  The session wasn’t over, but I was already feeling as if I had reached my limit.  Witte was antsy to leave so we could catch bands playing over at The Summit, and after a few more quick tasters, I followed the advice of Lars: “Let’s make like a fetus, and head out.” 

Keepin' it Primitive

As much as this trip was beer-centric, I was equally looking forward to checking out Colorado’s own PRIMITIVE MAN in a live setting.  The power trio took the stage, delivering downtuned, sludgy Cro-Magnon tunes like a 16 megaton weight.  After being on my feet for 14 hours, and spending 10 of those with a beer in my hand, I didn’t feel like beering any longer.  My legs ached, my back was sore, I was bloated, sleepy, all the while being crushed by the girth of this monolithic band. Headliners EYEHATEGOD sealed my fate with one of the fiercest sets I’ve heard from them, which is saying a lot considering I’ve been listening to these guys for 20+ years.  I figured I’d be out partying til the wee hours, but it was not meant to be.  I cabbed it back to the Shithole Inn, crawled into the lumpy, misshapen King size bed and lapsed into a well-deserved coma.

Yacht Rock ambassadors

Friday I had agreed to participate in some official “Press” activities coordinated by the fest.  I wasn’t in the mood, but I didn’t want to flake and end up on the GABF Naughty List, so I sucked it up and headed downtown with Witte.  We hit THE CORNER OFFICE, a restaurant in the lobby of The Curtis hotel where half of the breakfast menu was sold out, but what remained was still culinary perfection despite the long wait.  While waiting impatiently for food, the first commercial on the bar TV advertised LIVER-AID, a dietary supplement which “supports liver function”.  An ironic harbinger of things to come.  The bartender accurately described the first night of GABF as “A giant cloud of craft beer farts.”  You got that right, Sister. At 11:30am our breakfast arrived, and we wolfed it down in part because we were ravenous, and in part because we needed to be at a press luncheon at Noon. 

Not a postcard.

Half an hour later we were 38 stories up, on the top floor of the Hyatt, looking out at a panoramic view of the city and surrounding snowcapped peaks.  The lunch had started already and we were stuffed from having just consumed breakfast.  The only vacant table out of roughly 250 attendees was in the far corner of the room, so we sat awkwardly out of the way like the retarded cousins at the prom queen’s wedding.  The table was cluttered with wine glasses meant for individual tastings of a roster of beers to be paired with the impending five-course meal.  Witte and I looked at each other, sweating, the last thing on our minds being more food.  While panels of top beer industry insiders rambled on, aided by the prompting of a PR “emcee”, the conveyor belt of decadence continued to roll, the only respite being self-serve beer samples.

OK, maybe press junkets aren't all that bad.

A few interesting stats came up… there are 3,100 breweries in the country, with 1.5 opening every day. The industry thankfully doesn’t seem to be worried about over-saturation since there are 7,000 wineries in comparison nationwide.  “Craft beer” (I hate that catch phrase) sales continue to trend up, with the “Millennials” (I’ve never heard that term until now) coming to an age where they have more buying power than the Baby Boomers.  Do I sound like a canned press stooge yet, regurgitating pre-chewed factoids?  That’s the whole idea of any press gathering.

The PR hostess continued to rattle off facts and figures about GABF and the beer industry in general,

A prize to anyone who guesses what this is.

and actually made statements like “Don’t run downstairs and file your stories yet.”  What am I, friggin’ Scoop McGillicuddy from the Daily Star?  What the hell am I doing here?  Witte and I didn’t belong.  This place was too nice, and we weren’t “these people”.  In spite of my passion for beer and geeky interest in the industry, this lunch was a cure for insomnia, not to mention we were surrounded by annoying laminate-danglers, the types who don’t take them off when they’re away from the convention so everyone around town can take notice how important they are. 

As much as I respected the brewers on the panel, I was antsy to be on the move. Witte bailed to meet some friends, and I shuffled downstairs for a complimentary press junket bus tour of some local breweries.  I got the last available seat on this stuffy tin can, sitting patiently, listening to other writers loudly networking, bragging about who they know and where they’ve been.

Laminate-danglers.

First stop was TRVE BREWING, the most unabashedly Satanic brewery in the country.  Needless to say, I felt like a clown walking into one of the coolest brewers in the nation with a cavalcade of dorky journalists, not one of whom would understand the SUNN reference in the same of TRVE’s STOUT O))).   Black walls, burning candles, goat heads, a plethora of pentagrams, and excellent beer, TRVE has got it all.  The ironically named Nick Nunns did his best to field questions and pour samplers for our group of 50 in a short span of fifteen minutes, without an ounce of pretention or annoyance at the non-metal , squaresville crowd.  I could have spent the whole day here, but against my better judgment I got back on the bus.
Next we hit FORMER FUTURE, which touts a science geek theme.  They combine historical brewing techniques with modern beer styles.  Good concept, but nothing really made a lasting impression other than the generosity and attentiveness of the brewer & staff.  I’d like to come back in a year or so when they’ve got the combo dialed in a bit tighter.  Last stop was LOWDOWN, a brewpub which appears to have a toothsome menu, inviting atmosphere, and high quality proprietary taps. Their Selfish Pale Ale & Ua Pou Saison were solid.  Another spot worthy of hanging, but I kept watching the clock, overly aware that GABF Session #2 was a mere hour away. 

Same as the night before, Friday’s session started at the STRANGEWAYS table with me, Witte, and Lars loitering, waiting for the officials to give us the “all clear” to drink. When the OK was given for pouring to commence, Lars handed me an old school hand-crank siren that I wound-up like I was at the helm of a turn of the century fire truck.  Sans dalmatian, we were off.  And I was indeed on fire, blazing through an unreal number of top quality offerings, including one of my favorites of the whole fest, both in brew and in name, MEXICAN STANDOFF, a spicy porter from DUE SOUTH BREWING.

Quick, help this man digest!

Tonight offered some of the most unique brews of the whole fest, like South Carolina’s PALMETTO BREWING A.M. WOOD ALE, a hoppy pale ale aged on Spanish cedar; North Carolina’s NODA BREWING HOT PISTOL, a chocolate raspberry habanero stout; NorCal’s EL TORO BREWING GHOST CHILI GOLDEN ALE, brewed with ghost peppers, and while it’s the hottest beer I’ve ever tasted, the lingering back-of-the-throat burn didn’t ruin my palate.
Most innovative of all were the tastings from Michigan’s RIGHT BRAIN BREWING which included the THAI PEANUT ALE which was both spicy and delicious, the SCHRUTE FARMS BEET SAISON which only had a hint of that earthy, dirt taste you’d expect from beets & was pleasantly well-balanced, and the surprisingly drinkable SPEAR BEER which is their asparagus ale… sounded like a horrible idea, but was amazingly quaffable.  

Witte had been eating non-stop all afternoon and hit a wall early.  Short of actually holding his hand, I coached him through the pain like a Lamaze instructor, and with ample water and restroom time, he was back in action.  Onward!  The roster of punishingly excellent beers was staggering.  THREE FLOYDS, NEW GLARUS, CIGAR CITY, WILLIAMSBURG ALEWERKS, DC BRAU, FUNKY BUDDHA, ADROIT THEORY.  By the end of the session, I stared into space, bleary-eyed, deafened by 15,000 beer swilling belchers and farters, convinced there was no possible way I could subject myself to two back-to-back GABF sessions the following day.
Witte and the gang left early to see Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats perform at the Marquis Theater.  It was only 9pm on Friday night and I was embarrassed to admit I was already primed to hang it up for the evening.  I was five sheets to the wind, and once again after an active day my knees, calves, and feet were barely keeping me vertical.  Shouting over live music to talk to my friends in a packed club sounded tedious and unappealing.  And after actively texting and taking photos for 12 hours, my phone was completely dead.  I couldn’t get a hold of Witte if I wanted to.  Even if I borrowed a phone, I don’t know his number off the top of my head.  I can thank cell phone culture for my inability to retain any information anymore.

I left the convention center as part of the greater mass exodus of endless thousands of staggering, stumbling, loud, confused, inebriated individuals.  It was reminiscent of a George A. Romero classic.  Hordes of living dead invade the city and spread every direction like the plague.  I did my best to keep my own zombie-like demeanor under control as I shuffled through the dark chill of LoDo.  Despite my exhaustion, I figured fresh air and walking would help me sober up enough so I would not hate myself when I went to bed.
I ambled past bustling bars, clubs, restaurants, the train station, through the park, over the river, on the pedestrian bridge over the freeway, halting just short of my crappy accommodations at the warm glow of THE TRUFFLE TABLE. This schmancy cheese and charcuterie shop was still serving, and I desperately needed food.  Feeling unabashedly metrosexual, I savored a selection of house favorites accompanied by figs and whole grain mustards and odd pickled items, conversing with the owner about obscure non-pasteurized delectables.  My wife would have been in heaven.  Too bad all of this exquisiteness was wasted on me, although I felt my estrogen levels noticeably rising. The only thing missing was a TV showing a Julia Roberts chick flick. 

I don’t remember going to bed, but Saturday I awoke ready for continued self-abuse.  Witte, Greg, and I hit downtown on foot once again.  After a quick breakfast, and a two mile trek, it was already Noon, and time to commence with the most serious beering of the weekend.  There were two sessions today.  Would I end up as the poster boy for Liver-Aid?  One way to find out.

Face it!

Thursday & Friday I had concentrated mostly on the Eastern side of the country.  Today I was branching out closer to home to see what my favorite West Coast breweries were offering, just so I wouldn’t miss out on something special.  Despite slightly easier accessibility back home, I had no regrets indulging in the wares of incredible Cali breweries like TRIPLE ROCK, RARE BARREL, KERN RIVER, DUST BOWL, CELLARMAKER.  I found it criminal there wasn’t a line out the door for FIFTY FIFTY.  Hah, suckers!  More for me!  Thirty minutes into this afternoon session, folks were already getting mouthy, loud, and rowdy.  

Witte summed it up perfectly: “It’s already amateur hour here.”

I drifted to the Pacific Northwest, feeling like I was visiting old friends and making new ones… I’m speaking of the beer, of course, not the people.  ELYSIAN, BEND BREWING, BASE CAMP, 10 BARREL, SOUND BREWERY, STOUP, GIGANTIC.  ELLIOT BAY was my favorite new Northwestern discovery with their phenomenal VIETNAMESE COFFEE STOUT and 2012 FAUNTLEROY IMPERIAL STOUT. 

I don’t cellar many beers at home, but two that I have been holding onto are DESCHUTES THE ABYSS imperial stout, one from 2011 and one from 2013.  This afternoon DESCHUTES had THE ABYSS 2012 on tap.  You know I’m a nerd when I get excited about such things.  And this was one beer worth getting excited over.  In the words of Stu Priessler, “Yes, I’m ready to face The Abyss.”

Loudness, crowdedness, and flatulence continued.  We cackled like 10 year olds making endless jokes about hipster beer farts.  Crop dusting of craft beer farts became “Craftdusting”.  Artisan beer farts became “Fartisan”.  All the while, sampling this country’s beer supremacy continued, lead by local kings AVERY BREWING whole palate-boggling UNCLE JACOB’S STOUT, LILIKOI KEPOLO, RUMPKIN, and OBSCURO & NIMBOSUS negated any reason to try any other brewery.  

Nobody is reading this.

And just as I was adjusting to my beer legs, the session was over, and all 15,000 of us were 86’ed onto the streets of downtown. My team shuffled over to The Corner Office for much needed food & hydration, and ended up sharing a community table with staff from NEW BELGIUM. Extremely cool individuals who validated my belief that the beer scene is akin to the hardcore punk music underground; it’s a giant family where everyone knows each other or at least knows about each other, and are die-hard supporters and fans of each other’s efforts.  The New Belgium team also enlightened me to another great catch phrase for the beering dictionary: “Carpet walkers” – An insult referencing the people who work in the office, and not on the production floor.

An hour later I was walking the carpet up to the convention center for the fourth and final time.  This was my last hurrah and I needed to make every second count.  I had already hit all of the legendary and cult breweries.  Now I was focusing on the other guys, the breweries who were not from popular states or greater metropolitan areas.  West Virginia’s MORGANTOWN, Rhode Island’s REVIVAL, North Dakota’s LAUGHING SUN, Arkansas’ CORE, Alabama’s BACK FORTY, Iowa’s NEW AMERICAN.  By 6:30pm I had already tasted over 100 beers.  I wasn’t finished in that I kept pushing myself for a few more tasters, but in the figurative sense I was already “finished”.  Bloated like a beached whale, uncomfortable, not capable of lucid conversation.  I didn’t want to admit it, but I had hit the wall.  My body was telling me if I pushed myself further, I would deeply regret stepping over the line.  GABF had me in a submission hold.  I tapped out.  Like that, GABF was over with a whimper, not a bang.

Witte and the whole STRANGEWAYS gang were heading over to TRVE so we all crammed into an Uber.  The good part was I finally got to talk to TRVE head honcho Nick Nunns a bit, nursing a few perfect brews the whole time.  I thought I was maintaining, but Nick kept asking me unprompted, “Are you OK?  Are you gonna make it?”  I was an obvious mess.  I was harboring a same-day hangover.  I started so early in the day, and hit the sessions so hard, I didn’t even have the luxury of sleeping it off.  I was still awake with a piercing headache and an uneasiness and discomfort that could not be pinpointed to one specific thing other than generally “feeling shitty”.  I sipped baby sips from the rounds generously handed to me, met some cool locals, and soaked in the brilliantly evil atmosphere of this ghoulish venue.  I forced myself to make the most of my last evening in Denver, but my primary focus was getting to my pillow sooner than later. 

Lars & Mike from Strangeways were headed to SAM’S NO. 3 for late night eats. I wasn’t hungry but food was a good idea, so I tagged along.  This place was featured on one of those douchey Guy Fieri shows.  It was packed, and every single patron was drunk, but the staff dealt with it all with a smile.  The inside of the diner was torn apart like a ten dollar whore.  Spills, wrappers, and trash everywhere.  A loud, inebriated morass resembling an outtake from “Caligula”. As we were seated amongst the mayhem, Mike told me hilarious tales of his days as an actor, and being rudely disregarded by Anthony Hopkins.  Lars talked about eating everything in sight and lived up to his word, like a machine, consuming the better part of all three of our orders.  When Mike asked me about my day job I felt the spins coming on and limited myself to single sentence answers, focusing less on conversation & more on keeping nausea at bay.  I would have enjoyed the company of these gents much more if I hadn’t abused myself so thoroughly, but it was not meant to be.  A misshapen mattress was calling my name, and I happily answered its call.

I'd like the most smashed one, please.

Sunday morning wasn’t nearly as rough as it could have been.  I dealt with the brunt of my hangover while I was still awake yesterday, so I was feeling good this morning.  I stared at myself before going to bed Saturday night, horrified at how bloated and fat I was.  I had taken the shape of a human funhouse mirror.  I was worried I had gained ten pounds in one day after 108 beers, starchy foods and red meat.  This morning I looked normal again.  A Sunday miracle.  Jesus does love me.  

My flight wasn’t until this evening, and I had a day all to myself. I stashed my bag at the front desk of the motel, praying a random crackhead wouldn’t walk off with it. You couldn’t turn any direction in this town without seeing a bright orange jersey.  The town was wild with unbridled Broncos fever, especially since there was a home game today at nearby Mile High Stadium.  I started my last day as I did my first day, at the Ale House At Amato’s.  During brunch, I researched nearby breweries on my Untappd app and sipped a couple of local ales, the ELEVATION 7437 DIPA and the BRECKENRIDGE LUCKY U IPA on nitro.  And after a couple of ales I realized I didn’t particularly want a couple more ales.  I was shot.  Needed my mojo back.  I needed a break from gluttony and liver abuse.

"Art."

Instead of cramming in as many last minute brewery visits as possible, I meandered by the picturesque riverside that skirted LoDo, slowly basking in the fresh air and sunshine and sounds of rushing water, relishing in a rare non-rushed moment, a moment oddly not spent seeking out beer.  I hit the Denver Museum Of Contemporary Art where I was one of the only patrons. It was dead, which was a good thing considering how most of the exhibits are minimalist in nature.  I needed minimalism right now to get my brain grounded and prepared for re-entry back into the real world.  I loitered at the rooftop coffee house, feeling part “Portlandia” hipster, part “Sprockets” neu art elitist, enjoying the zen of simplicity after three days of stimulation.  The quiet contemplation worked and my beering mojo returned mid-afternoon. 

Dieter was supposed to meet me here.

A few hours before trekking to the airport I hit DENVER BEER CO. again to finish the selection of remaining samplers.  No sampler shall go unsampled.  Not on my watch.  Down the road was the highly touted PROST BREWING.  I ordered a flight and took in the Broncos game, posing as a local. The room was roomy, meaning there was hardly anyone there.  Not promising for game day.  Clearly this wasn’t the cool spot to be.  Again, I enjoyed the simplicity of a lack of a crowd, and made my way through the hit-and-miss tasters, uncharacteristically leaning more in favor of their lighter beers, especially the cloudy, citrusy, tart, highly drinkable Kolsch.  

Things get weird after 263 beers.

I reflected on the blur of GABF.  The standouts for me overall were the chile beers and oddball beers.  In the past I’ve viewed these as “novelty” beers and pooh-poohed them, but the high quality of brewing across the board at random tastings was undeniable.  This weekend was a true success, and a deal-sealer.  By the time I left the airport tonight, I would have 263 unique beers under my belt.  If this doesn’t solidify my 2014 Big Year In Beer victory, there is nothing else on this earth that will.

The GABF honeymoon was over.  Attu was history.  I fondly bid farewell to Beer Disneyland, proudly donning my Denver Beer Co. baseball cap in place of mouse ears.  Westward bound, the only bottle I needed now was a bottle of Liver-Aid.

The beering continues…

Thursday 10/2 – Wandering LoDo, kicking off GABF Session #1, finishing at The Summit; 55 in one day:

2132 – WYNKOOP PATTY'S CHILE BEER
2133 - BRECKENRIDGE BREWERY THUNDERSTOUT ON NITRO

2134 - DENVER BEER CO. MIDNIGHT DUNKEL
2135 - DENVER BEER CO. GALACTIC HIGHWAY
2136 - DENVER BEER CO. GRAHAM CRACKER PORTER
2137 - DENVER BEER CO. PUEBLO CHILE BEER

2138 - LEFT HAND BREWING MILK STOUT WITH TOASTED HAZELNUTS ON CASK 

2139 – STRANGEWAYS SOLEDAD RUM BARREL AGED
2140 – STRANGEWAYS UBERLIN
2141 – JAILBREAK BIG PUNISHER
2142 – JAILBREAK VAN DAMMIT
2143 – JAILBREAK MADE WITH BASIL
2144 – JAILBREAK DUSK TILL DAWN WITH COFFEE            
2145 - KANE BREWING NIGHT TO END ALL DAWNS
2146 - KANE BREWING MORNING BELL
2147 - KANE BREWING HEAD HIGH
2148 - KANE BREWING RIPPLE
2149 - TOPPLING GOLIATH INTERGALACTIC WARRIOR
2150 - TOPPLING GOLIATH PSEUDOSUE
2151 - TOPPLING GOLIATH ASSASSIN IMPERIAL STOUT
2152 - TOPPLING GOLIATH GOLDEN NUGGET

2153 - REAL ALE 18TH ANNIVERSARY GOSE

2154 - REAL ALE BENEDICTUM: MYSTERIUM VERUM SOUR BROWN
2155 - LICKINGHOLE CREEK THREE CHOPT TRIPEL BOURBON BARREL
2156 - LICKINGHOLE CREEK BATCHELOR'S DELIGHT
2157 - LICKINGHOLE CREEK ENLIGHTENED DESPOT
2158 - HARDYWOOD PARK BOHEMIAN PILS
2159 - THREE FLOYDS BLOT OUT THE SUN
2160 – KUHNHENN DRIPA           
2161 - DARK HORSE PLEAD THE 5TH BOURBON BARREL
2162 - GOOSE ISLAND BEER CO. BACKYARD RYE BOURBON COFFEE STOUT

2163 - GOOSE ISLAND BEER CO. BOURBON COUNTY COFFEE STOUT

2164 - CIGAR CITY MADURO
2165 - MARTIN HOUSE BREWING THE IMPERIAL TEXAN
2166 - MOTHER ROAD WOODEN SPOKE NO. 3 BARREL AGED BLACK IPA
2167 - SICK N TWISTED HOT MAMA
2168 - SICK N TWISTED JUST THE TIP
2169 - PRAIRIE ARTISAN ALES BEER WASTELAND RUM BARREL

2170 - NEBRASKA BREWING MELANGE A TROIS

2171 – KUHNHENN PENETRATION PORTER          
2172 - JOLLY PUMPKIN VIVOS Y MUERTOS
2173 - SINGLECUT BEERSMITHS JOHN MICHAEL DARK LYRIC LAGRRR!
2174 - SINGLECUT BEERSMITHS HALF STACK IPA
2175 – PARKWAY BARREL AGED DUBBEL
2176 - O'CONNOR GREAT DISMAL BLACK IPA
2177 - DUE SOUTH ROGGENBIER

2178 - CINDER BLOCK BLACK SQUIRREL RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT

2179 - CROW PEAK PAGAN SNAKE STOUT
2180 - CROWN VALLEY BARREL AGED IMPERIAL OATMEAL STOUT
2181 - CROWN VALLEY IMPERIAL PUMPKIN STOUT
2182 - CROWN VALLEY SERRANO SIDEKICK AMERICAN PALE ALE
2183 – WYNKOOP ROCKY MOUNTAIN OYSTER STOUT BARREL AGED
2184 - RED ROCK BREWING 20TH ANNIVERSARY IMPERIAL RED ALE         
2185 - RARE BARREL EGREGIOUS
2186 - SURLY BREWING COFFEE BENDER

Friday 10/3 – GABF press junket tasting by day and GABF Session #2 by night; 87 samples in one day: 
2187 - WICKED WEED SERENITY

2188 - BREWER'S ASSOCIATION TEAM HOMEBREW NAPOLEON COMPLEX BERLINER WEISSE
2189 - PINEY RIVER OLD TOM PORTER

2190 - BLACK TOOTH BLACK EAGLE BALTIC PORTER          

2191 - UNION CRAFT BREWING BALT ALTBIER
2192 - PELICAN PUB & BREWERY TSUNAMI STOUT
2193 - ANTHEM GOLDEN ALE
2194 - PINEY RIVER SWEET POTATO ALE
2195 - PELICAN PUB & BREWERY SILVERSPOT IPA
2196 – TRVE EASTERN CANDLE
2197 – TRVE STOUT O)))
2198 - FORMER FUTURE GOLDEN FEATHER
2199 - FORMER FUTURE PRIM & PORTER SALTED CARAMEL
2200 – LOWDOWN SELFISH PALE ALE
2201 – LOWDOWN UA POU SAISON
2202 – STRANGEWAYS MARTIAN SPRING
2203 - THREE NOTCH'D GRAY GHOST AMERICAN PALE ALE
2204 - THREE NOTCH'D OATS MCGOATS

2205 - STEWART'S WIND BLOWN BLONDE

2206 - STEWART'S IMPERIAL STOUT DESTROYER
2207 - STEWART'S STUMBLIN' MONK
2208 - STEWART'S OYSTER STOUT
2209 - STOUDT BREWING PILS   
2210 - UNION CRAFT BREWING BLACKWING LAGER
2211 - UPSTATE COMMON SENSE KENTUCKY COMMON ALE
2212 - UPSTATE INDIA PALE WHEAT
2213 – WEYERBACHER RISERVA
2214 - FROTHY BEARD ANDALE JALAPENO CILANTRO
2215 - FUNKY BUDDHA BARREL AGED NIKOLAI VORLAUF IMPERIAL STOUT
2216 - FUNKY BUDDHA LAST SNOW PORTER
2217 - GRAYTON BEER GOURDGEOUS PUMPKIN ALE
2218 - FOOTHILL BREWING SEXUAL CHOCOLATE
2219 - FOOTHILL BREWING JADE IPA
2220 - DEEP RIVER 4042 CHOCOLATE STOUT
2221 - DARWIN BREWING CHARAPA SPICED PORTER

2222 - DARWIN BREWING SUMMADAZE FLORIDA WEST COAST IPA
2223 - DEEP RIVER BACK COUNTRY BLACK IPA
2224 - DUE SOUTH MEXICAN STANDOFF SPICY PORTER
2225 - DUE SOUTH CATEGORY 5 DIPA
2226 - MOTHER EARTH BREWING (NC) DARK CLOUD

2227 - NANTAHALA BREWING PATTON'S RUN PORTER

2228 - NODA BREWING HOP DROP & ROLL IPA
2229 - NODA BREWING HOT PISTOL CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY HABANERO STOUT
2230 - OYSTER HOUSE BREWING MOONSTONE OYSTER STOUT
2231 - OYSTER HOUSE BREWING SUPERMOON IMPERIAL OYSTER STOUT
2232 - PALMETTO BREWING A.M. WOOD ALE
2233 - PALMETTO BREWING SMOKE ON THE HARBOR STOUT
2234 - RIVER RAT BREWERY FALL SEASONAL
2235 - SWAMP HEAD SMOKE SIGNAL SMOKED PORTER 
2236 - SWAMP HEAD DARKWATER
2237 – TERRAPIN MIDNIGHT MONK
2238 - THOMAS CREEK CONDUPLICO IMMUNDUS MONACHUS 
2239 - WEST SIXTH LEMONGRASS AMERICAN WHEAT

2240 - CIGAR CITY BIG SOUND SCOTCH ALE

2241 - LEXINGTON BREWING KENTUCKY PUMPKIN BARREL ALE
2242 - ADROIT THEORY LEGION
2243 - ADROIT THEORY B/A/Y/S
2244 - ADROIT THEORY FEAR IS YOUR ONLY GOD
2245 - ADROIT THEORY LOVE OF THE DAMNED  
2246 - WILLIAMSBURG ALEWERKS BOURBON BARREL PORTER

2247 - WILLIAMSBURG ALEWERKS CAFÉ ROYALE

2248 - DC BRAU EL HEFE SPEAKS
2249 - DC BRAU ON THE WINGS OF ARMAGEDDON
2250 - DC BRAU THE TRADITION
2251 - THREE FLOYDS CHEVALIER              
2252 - THREE FLOYDS ZOMBIE DUST        
2253 - THREE FLOYDS EVIL POWER
2254 - NEW GLARUS SCREAM DIPA         
2255 - NEW GLARUS BROWN PEACH      
2256 – REVOLUTION RED SKULL IMPERIAL RED  
2257 - RIGHT BRAIN THAI PEANUT           
2258 - RIGHT BRAIN SCHRUTE FARMS BEET SAISON         
2259 - RIGHT BRAIN SPEAR BEER ASPARAGUS ALE           
2260 - RIGHT BRAIN LOOPING OWL WHISKEY AGED ALE
2261 - SCARLET LANE DORIAN STOUT     
2262 - SUN KING SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL       

2263 - EVANS BREWING STOUT AT THE DEVIL

2264 - THREE WEAVERS EXPATRIATE      
2265 – FATE MOIRAI COFFEE IPA              
2266 - WILLOUGHBY BREWING PEANUT BUTTER CUP COFFEE PORTER    
2267 - PIG MINDS JOE DADDY
2268 - YAK & YETI BREWPUB BARREL AGED YAK'S RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT       
2269 - BLACK SKY PERSEPHONE POMEGRANATE WHEAT               
2270 - BLACK SKY PETAL TO THE METAL
2271 - DOGFISH HEAD BEER THOUSAND
2272 – CELLARMAKER COFFEE & CIGARETTES     
2273 - EL TORO BREWING GHOST CHILI GOLDEN ALE

Saturday 10/4 – GABF Sessions #3 & #4, finishing up at TRVE; A personal record of 108 samples in a day, and boy, was I feeling it:

2274 - TRIPLE ROCK SMALL TALK
2275 - TRIPLE ROCK RYE SMILE

2276 - TRIPLE ROCK BELL RINGER

2277 - TRIPLE ROCK IPAX
2278 - TRIPLE ROCK RED ROCK
2279 - RARE BARREL SOURTOOTH TIGER
2280 - RARE BARREL MAP OF THE SUN
2281 - RARE BARREL FORCES UNSEEN
2282 - RARE BARREL COSMIC DUST         
2283 - ANCHOR BREWING COMPANY OBA (OUR BARREL ALE)   
2284 - ANCHOR BREWING COMPANY POTRERO HILL SOUR MASH IPA    
2285 - KERN RIVER BLACK ROCK IPA
2286 - KERN RIVER GRAVITY CHECK
2287 - KERN RIVER PUMPKIN ALE            
2288 - KERN RIVER SHUTTLE BUNNY
2289 – IRONFIRE VICIOUS DISPOSITION IMPERIAL PORTER
2290 - FIFTY FIFTY ECLIPSE BARREL AGED IMPERIAL STOUT

2291 - FIFTY FIFTY TOTALITY IMPERIAL STOUT

2292 - FIFTY FIFTY MISO HOPPY
2293 - FIFTY FIFTY SPRING FEVER             
2294 - EL TORO BREWING EL TORO NEGRO IMPERIAL STOUT
2295 - DUST BOWL BREWING CHERRY PICKER     
2296 - DUST BOWL BREWING HOBO PILSNER      
2297 – CELLARMAKER PERMANENT DAYLIGHT
2298 – CELLARMAKER TIM'S BROWN      
2299 – ELYSIAN FIFTY SHADES OF GREEN
2300 - ELLIOTT BAY VIETNAMESE COFFEE STOUT
2301 - ELLIOTT BAY FAUNTLEROY IMPERIAL STOUT 2012
2302 – ELYSIAN THE DREAD
2303 - THE COMMONS MYRTLE

Finally, the demand for asparagus beer is met.

2304 – COALITION BRING OUT THE IMP

2305 - BEND BREWING WICKED MEDICINE BELGIAN STRONG ALE
2306 - BEND BREWING LOVELY CHERRY BALTIC PORTER
2307 - BASE CAMP RIPSTOP RYE PILS
2308 - BASE CAMP THE INCREDIBLE BALTOR
2309 - 10 BARREL CUCUMBER CRUSH
2310 - 10 BARREL P2P
2311 - GIGANTIC TOO MUCH COFFEE MAN
2312 - GIGANTIC PIPEWRENCH GIN BARREL AGED IPA
2313 - SOUND BREWERY MONK'S INDISCRETION              
2314 - SOUND BREWERY DUBBEL ENTENDRE
2315 - SOUND BREWERY TRIPEL ENTENDRE
2316 – STOUP NW RED
2317 – STOUP BAVARIAN HEFEWEIZEN
2318 – STOUP ROBUST PORTER
2319 - DESCHUTES BREWERY THE ABYSS 2012
2320 - DESCHUTES BREWERY PLANETE ROUGE
2321 - ODELL BREWING GRAMPS OATMEAL STOUT

2322 - ODELL BREWING FRIEK

2323 - AVERY BREWING LILIKOI KEPOLO
2324 - AVERY BREWING OBSCURO & NIMBOSUS
2325 - AVERY BREWING RUMPKIN
2326 - AVERY BREWING UNCLE JACOBS STOUT  
2327 - THIRSTY DOG BOURBON BARREL WULVER WEE HEAVY
2328 - THIRSTY DOG SIBERIAN NIGHT BOURBON BARREL AGED
2329 - SOLEMN OATH HEAVYWEIGHT TICKLEFIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD WOOD BARREL AGED STRONG ALE
2330 - SOLEMN OATH SNAGGLETOOTH BANDANA IPA
2331 - SCRATCH BREWING BURDOCK SAHTI
2332 - ROCHESTER MILLS MILKSHAKE STOUT
2333 - BROKEN COMPASS CHILI PEPPER PALE ALE            
2334 - BROKEN PLOW SIGNATURE CHILI WHEAT
2335 - SAINT ARNOLD BISHOP'S BARREL NO. 4   
2336 - SAINT ARNOLD BISHOP'S BARREL NO. 2 BRETT
2337 – TELLURIDE WET HOPPED AMERICAN SUMMER
2338 - TRINITY LE CAPITAINE PETITE BOUDDHA

2339 - TWISTED PINE BILLY'S CHILIES       

2340 - TWISTED PINE BIG SHOT ESPRESSO STOUT
2341 – VERBOTEN MOUNTAIN MAN BOURBON BARREL IMPERIAL RYE ALE
2342 – VERBOTEN IN LOVE WITH SUMMER STRAWBERRY RHUBARB ALE
2343 - B2B BISTRONOMY CHERRY STOUT              
2344 - BIG BEND MARFA LIGHT RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT
2345 – ARMADILLO BRUNCH MONEY IMPERIAL GOLDEN STOUT
2346 – ARMADILLO QUAKERTOWN STOUT          
2347 – LIQUAMENTUM DOUBLE DOWN DAVY BROWN  
2348 – LIQUAMENTUM HELL'S HALF ACRE
2349 - MAD RIVER BREWING CELLAR RESERVE 2013         
2350 - AVERY BREWING THE KAISER
2351 - LEFT HAND BREWING 400 LB MONKEY
2352 - LEFT HAND BREWING SMOKEJUMPER SMOKED IMPERIAL PORTER
2353 - DESCHUTES BREWERY ZARABANDA

2354 - 5 RABBIT CERVECERIA YODO CON LECHE

2355 - 5 RABBIT CERVECERIA 5 VULTURE OAXACAN STYLE DARK ALE        
2356 – BRENNER BACON BOMB
2357 – BRICKSTONE WITCHING HOUR
2358 - CHRISTIAN MOERLEIN HELLTOWN RYE-OT
2359 - DADS & DUDES RUM, FORREST! RUM!     
2360 - FORBIDDEN ROOT SUBLIME GINGER
2361 - REVIVAL  DOUBLE BLACK IPA
2362 - FULL PINT BREWING GUS IPA
2363 - FREEWILL / FULL PINT COLLABORATION SAFEWORD MANGO HABANERO IMPERIAL IPA   
2364 – MORGANTOWN JESCO'S WHITE IPA
2365 - BUR OAK DEVINE IPA
2366 – BORGATA OATMEAL CREAM STOUT

2367 - BLUE SKYE 00 BUCKSHOT

2368 – BRICKTOWN BLUESBERRY
2369 - SQUATTER'S HELL'S KEEP
2370 – WASATCH JALAPENO CREAM ALE
2371 - NEW AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE ALE
2372 - LAUGHING SUN 19TH AMENDMENT CHOCOLATE CHERRY STOUT
2373 - BACK FORTY FENCE POST SESSION ALE
2374 - BAYOU TECHE COCODRIE
2375 - BEAR WATERS SUNBURST BLOOD ORANGE SAISON
2376 - BLACK ABBEY THE CHAPTER HOUSE
2377 – CORE ESB
2378 – CUMBERLAND WHATCHU GINGER SAISON
2379 – TRVE HAIL SAISON WORSHIP DOOM
2380 – TRVE N.P.O.N. EQUINOX PALE ALE
2381 – TRVE MMXIV-I   

Sunday 10/5 – Last wanderings through LoDo, finishing at Rootdown, Denver Int’l Airport: 
2382 - ELEVATION BEER COMPANY 7437

2383 - BRECKENRIDGE BREWERY LUCKY U DOUBLE IPA ON NITRO
2384 - DENVER BEER CO. OLD WORLD IPA
2385 - DENVER BEER CO. INCREDIBLE PEDAL IPA               
2386 - DENVER BEER CO. KING OF JACKS IMPERIAL PUMPKIN
2387 - PROST BREWING PILS
2388 - PROST BREWING KELLER PILS
2389 - PROST BREWING DUNKEL
2390 - PROST BREWING KOLSCH
2391 - PROST BREWING WEISSBIER
2392 - PROST BREWING OKTOBERFEST MARZEN
2393 - GREAT DIVIDE BREWING HADES  

TRVE love

2394 - AVERY BREWING THE REVEREND 

Monday 10/6 – Home at last

2395 - AVERY BREWING THE BEAST GRAND CRU

Tuesday 10/7 - Home 
2396 - EAGLE ROCK BREWERY UNITY LOS ANGELES PALE ALE

2397 - STONE BREWING ENJOY BY 10.31.14 IPA

Wednesday 10/8 – Sunset Beer Co. run & a couple at home 
2398 - TAHOE MOUNTAIN BREWING PARTY BOY BELGIAN IPA

2399 - COSMIC ALES HELLHOUND BROWN
2400 - MONKISH / SUNSET BEER CO. COLLABORATION SUNSET BEER WIT
2401 - NORTH PEAK BREWING DUBIOUS BLACK CHOCOLATE STOUT

True Love.

2402 - CENTRAL CITY BREWERS RED BETTY WHITE ALE WHEAT BEER

Thursday 10/9 – New release tastings at Vendome & Eagle Rock Brewery, then finishing at home 
2403 - MODERN TIMES AURORA RED RYE IPA

2404 - BREWERY OMMEGANG GAME OF THRONES: VALAR MORGHULIS
2405 - BEAR REPUBLIC BREWING CAFÉ RACER 15              
2406 - THE BRUERY IGNIS FATUUS

2407 - MIDNIGHT SUN BREWING BERSERKER IMPERIAL STOUT

2408 - SIERRA NEVADA BREWING BIGFOOT BARLEYWINE STYLE ALE 2004
2409 - EAGLE ROCK BREWERY MEL'S BELLS PINK SAISON WITH WET HOPPED MOSAIC
2410 – ALLAGASH NANCY RED SOUR WITH CHERRIES
2411 - EAGLE ROCK BREWERY NORM II SMOKED PORTER
2412 - EAGLE ROCK BREWERY / MALTOSE FALCONS COLLABORATION LONGEVITY BALTIC PORTER
2413 - CRAZY MOUNTAIN BREWING MOUNTAIN LIVIN' PALE ALE

Friday 10/10 – Oceanside with my boy 
2414 - BAGBY BEER COMPANY BACK GARDEN PALE ALE

2415 - BAGBY BEER COMPANY CONTINENTAL CREAM ALE
2416 - BAGBY BEER COMPANY ASPHALT JUNGLE IRISH STYLE DRY STOUT
2417 - BAGBY BEER COMPANY 3 BEAGLES BROWN ALE  

2418 - BAGBY BEER COMPANY HOP CROP RED ALE
2419 - BAGBY BEER COMPANY HOP WHOMPUS
2420 - BELCHING BEAVER BLUSHING BEAVER RED ALE
2421 - BREAKWATER BREWING MAVERICK'S DOUBLE IPA
2422 - BREAKWATER BREWING ALPHA BRAVO
2423 - BREAKWATER BREWING TEAHUPO'O
2424 - BREAKWATER BREWING DMJ IPA
2425 - BREAKWATER BREWING OLD BLUE EYES
2426 - BREAKWATER BREWING WALKABOUT STOUT
2427 - BREAKWATER BREWING KALI KUSH
2428 - BREAKWATER BREWING BIERE DU JOUR 
2429 - BREAKWATER BREWING BARREL 5
2430 - BREAKWATER BREWING RAILSLIDE RED
2431 - BREAKWATER BREWING PERFECT DAY
2432 - BREAKWATER BREWING TIS WIT IT TIS

2433 – MANZANITA RUSTIC HORIZON

2434 - BRECKENRIDGE BREWERY OPHELIA HOPPY WHEAT ALE

Saturday 10/11 – Oceanside Day 2 
2435 - MISSION BREWERY PLUNDER IPA

2436 - ACOUSTIC ALES BREWING INSTANT TRIPEL KARMA
2437 - BEER BREWING COMPANY LIMA-BIER
2438 - BEER BREWING COMPANY BELGIAN GOLD             
2439 - BEER BREWING COMPANY BROWN
2440 - BEER BREWING COMPANY UFO IPA
2441 - BEER BREWING COMPANY XXX THREAT HOP FILTERED IPA
2442 - ACOUSTIC ALES BREWING MOSH PIT
2443 - ACOUSTIC ALES BREWING TUSH DOUBLE DRY HOPPED SESSION IPA

Sunday 10/12 – Chillin at home with the Wife & the NFL 
2444 - STRIKE BREWING DOUBLE IPA

2445 - GIGANTIC VOLTA SAISON
2446 - MIDNIGHT SUN BREWING SNOWSHOE WHITE
2447 - KENNEBUNKPORT BREWING CO. PORTER
2448 - EVIL TWIN BREWING LIL' B

Monday 10/13 – Home, half of these went down the drain 
2449 - KENNEBUNKPORT BREWING CO. IPA

2450 - OL' BURRO BREWERY TAP 79 IPA
2451 - RHINELANDER BREWING BOATSWAIN CHOCOLATE STOUT
2452 – JOSEPHSBRAU STOCKYARD OATMEAL STOUT
2453 - CRAZY MOUNTAIN BREWING AMBER ALE

Tuesday 10/14 – Samplers at 38 Degrees, and a few at home 
2454 - BEACHWOOD / DRAKE'S COLLABORATION VULCANIZER IPA

2455 - FACTION BREWING BORN DAY DOUBLE IPA
2456 - THREE WEAVERS MIDNIGHT FLIGHT IMPERIAL STOUT
2457 - BERRYESSA BREWING DOUBLE TAP IPA
2458 - STONE / DOGFISH HEAD / VICTORY COLLABORATION SAISON DU BUFF
2459 - KARL STRAUSS PEANUT BUTTER CUP PORTER
2460 - PEAK ORGANIC BREWING IPA
2461 - GRAND TETON BREWING TROUT HOP BLACK IPA

Wednesday 10/15 – Home, more than half of this went down the drain 
2462 - BOULDER BEER COMPANY BUFFALO GOLD

2463 - CLOWN SHOESPECAN PIE PORTER
2464 - FULL SAIL BREWING AMBER ALE
2465 - GREENE KING THE KING'S ENGLISH IPA
2466 - RHINELANDER BREWING BOATSWAIN AMERICAN IPA
2467 - FULL SAIL BREWING IPA

Thursday 10/16 – New release tasting at Vendome, and a couple cheap ones at home 
2468 - BOULEVARD BREWING TWO JOKERS DOUBLE-WIT

2469 - SMUTTYNOSE / STONE COLLABORATION CUSTER'S LAST STAND IPA
2470 - SKA BREWING AUTUMNAL MOLE STOUT
2471 - MIDNIGHT SUN BREWING T.R.E.A.T. IMPERIAL CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN PORTER

2472 - ADELBERT'S BREWERY BARREL AGED 2013 VINTAGE MONKS

2473 - BOULEVARD / SIERRA NEVADA COLLABORATION TERRA INCOGNITA (2014)
2474 – JOSEPHSBRAU BAVARIAN STYLE HEFEWEIZEN
2475 - FULL SAIL BREWING WASSAIL WINTER ALE
2476 - CRAZY MOUNTAIN BREWING LAVA LAKE WIT       

Friday 10/17 – Flight at Tony’s Darts Away and a couple at home 
2477 - CISMONTANE BREWING HOLY JIM FALLS XPA

2478 - TELEGRAPH BREWING RESERVE WHEAT ALE
2479 - ANDERSON VALLEY BREWING MENDO MELLO ESTATE WET HOP ALE
2480 - LATITUDE 33 BREWING CAMEL CORPS IPA
2481 - GIGANTIC FIREBIRD SMOKED HEFEWEIZEN
2482 - EINSTOK OLGERD ICELANDIC ARCTIC BERRY ALE
2483 - NORTH COAST BREWING PUCK, THE BEER PETITE SAISON

Saturday 10/18 – Burbank OktoBURfest by day, and late night Long Beach beering by night 
2484 - AVERY BREWING GORED SESSION PUMPKIN ALE

2485 - MACLEOD ALE BREWING OLD TOASTY DARK MILD
2486 - FIGUEROA MOUNTAIN BREWING MAGPIE BALTIC PORTER
2487 - GOLDEN ROAD OKTOBERFEST

2488 - OHANA BREWING SAISON NOIR

2489 - BALLAST POINT DEAD RINGER OKTOBERFEST
2490 - EPIC BREWING DOUBLE SKULL DOPPELBOCK LAGER
2491 - EPIC BREWING FEST DEVIOUS
2492 - ENEGREN BREWING VALKYRIE ALTBIER
2493 - NEW BELGIUM PUMPKICK
2494 - BAYREUTHER HELL
2495 - ENEGREN BREWING FOLIAGE PALE ALE
2496 - GORDON BIERSCH FESTBIER
2497 – SPATEN OKTOBERFESTBIER
2498 - BEACHWOOD BREWING ALPHA NEO
2499 - BEACHWOOD BREWING LAUREL IPA
2500 - BEACHWOOD BREWING HOP VADER
2501 - BEACHWOOD BREWING ANNIHILATOR

"Wait, you drank how many??"

2502 - BEACHWOOD BREWING UDDER LOVE

2503 - BEACHWOOD BREWING EL VERANO
2504 - CISCO BREWERS ISLAND RESERVE: RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT
2505 - MONKEY PAW BREWING TAMARIN IPA
2506 - BOOTLEGGER'S BREWERY OLD WORLD HEFEWEIZEN
2507 - GOLDEN ROAD 100 & 2 BELGIAN STRONG
2508 - SAN PEDRO BREWING PORT TOWN PILSNER

Sunday 10/19 - Home

2509 - NORTH COAST / ROGUE / DESCHUTES COLLABORATION CLASS OF '88 BARLEYWINE STYLE ALE

2510 - PITTSBURGH BREWING IRON CITY BEER   

Monday 10/20 - Home

2511 - PORT BREWING MIDNIGHT EXPRESSION LAGER  

2512 - UINTA BREWING CAHOOTS SAISON
2513 - OCEANSIDE ALE WORKS SAN LUIS REY RED