Beer #242-261 / Day #44-49: Blog With A Dog

A new layer of complexity has been added to my Big Year In Beer...

It's not some brand new frou-frou, metrosexual adjectives to use as "tasting notes".
It's not a newly discovered pre-Mesopotamian yeast strain that Dogfish Head has unearthed through obscure molecular biology for a new line of Ancient Ales.
It's not a ridiculously crushing metal ale from Three Floyds, bottled with actual jagged shards of metal in each bottle.

It's a dog.

Donnie:  Dog With A Beer Blog.

His name is Donnie.  The Donster.  The Donmeister.  Donareeno.  Donnie Of The Dead.
We have no idea what breed he is.  He's a mysterious mix of random breeds we can only venture to guess.  Longhair Dachshund meets Cavalier King Charles Spaniel meets Papillon.  Whatever he is, he's ours.  And he's awesome. 
And now that we have another "boy" we're responsible for, we need to drink responsibly.  And by that, I mean we need to rewire our brains for how we approach beer bars.  And by rethinking, I mean aggressively locating all of the dog-friendly drinking establishments.
Previously, I didn't give much thought to which beer locales had outdoor seating, because The Wife and I are generally "bar people", meaning we drink at the bar, not at a table.  But now I find myself quickly scrambling to recall which thirst parlors are potentially pooch-accommodating.

Donnie has only been with us for a few days, but we gave the canine/beer combo a trial run last Monday with a trip to Link N Hops in Atwater Village, and aside from some obvious oversights ("Um... where do we put the leash while we're eating?"), it was decidedly a success.

Link N Hops N Mutts

So, here's to Donnie...  Our new mascot and brew companion for 2014!
He makes our outings more challenging, and our drinking at home infinitely more entertaining.
And if you're feeling philanthropic, please feel free to forward any suggestions for mutt-receptive brew venues in SoCal.
CHEERS!

The tally continues....

Valentine's Day 2/14:

*LOST ABBEY RED POPPY ALE - Beer #242, been sittin' on this one a while. Tasty with mild cherry flavors and a hint of sourness, but not enough to truly qualify as A Sour.  Nice one.  Took some effort to get the cork out.

*ALESMITH MY BLOODY VALENTINE ALE - Beer #243, a slightly morbid celebration of V-Day, but a truly toothsome red ale.  Alesmith does no wrong.

Saturday grillin' at home with The Beckers 2/15:

*STONE BREWING / KOOCHENVAGNER'S BREWING COLLABORATION - STOCHASICITY PROJECT: GRAPEFRUIT SLAM IPA - Beer #244, been reading a lot of hype about this collab.  Good, but not amazing. I'm not a grapefruit fan, but thankfully that part of it was subtle. Maybe I'll try a different bottle to figure out why my mind wasn't blown on this first outing.

*CALDERA BREWING RAUCH UR BOCK - Beer #245, very tasty Oregon smoked lager, pairing very well with my smoked whole-trout.

Sunday at home, adapting to dog ownership 2/16:

*BROOKLYN LAGER - Beer #246, decent, solid, lagers are not known for greatness, but I'd drink this any day.

*LA TRAPPE JUBILARIS - Beer #247, good one, but the La Trappe Quad is the one worth selling your kidney for.

*RIO GRANDE PANCHO VERDE CHILE CERVEZA - Beer #248, I picked this up in Reno, and I was expecting a chili beer with some kick. Instead it's a mild green chile flavor. Hence, "verde chile" in the name. El Duh!

*FIRESTONE WALKER PALE 31 - Beer #249, extremely common in LA, but don't let that fool you. This can be picked up in any grocery store in our fine state, but it's still better than 90% of the pale ales on the market.

*RUBY MOUNTAIN BREWING BUCKAROO BREW PALE ALE - Beer #250, Eastern Nevada represent! Holy shit... they're OUT THERE.  Out by Elko, NV.  If you've ever been to Eastern NV you understand.  If you haven't, go to The Boonies, and then keep going!  Not a life-changing beer, but decent.  Bet it's tasty on a frosty morning after corralling them "doggies".

President's Day holiday, celebrating at Link N Hops... because it sounds like "Lincoln" Hops.  But not really.  Then popping a few caps at home.  2/17:

*EPIC BREWING CO. HOPULENT IPA (on Nitro) - Beer #251, smooth, creamy, tasty.  IPAs on nitro are always interesting.

*CORONADO BLUE BRIDGE STOUT - Beer #252, good one, prominent with the coffee.  I love Coronado, and their Stupid Stout is my favorite.

*CISMONTANE BREWING DOS CONE ES - Beer #253, welcome back Old Friend, after an absence of what, two years?  Beautiful rye infused strong ale. New labels, same spectacular taste.

*PRETTY THINGS BABAYAGA SYLVAN STOUT - Beer #254, Boston area brewing, superior stout. Crazy layers of complexity goin' on. Above the bar, in a league with heavy hitters.

*CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE BREWING MAIN ST. VIRGINIA ALE - Beer #255, pleasantly well-rounded everyday ale in a can from VA, thanks to Mr.Witte.

INFEST practice nite.  Tinhorn Flats, Burbank.  Ogling slutty bartenders who look 21 and under, and enjoying beers $5 and under.  2/18:

*THE DUDES' BREWING COMPANY GRANDMA'S PECAN BROWN ALE - Beer #256, local brewers, like a brown/porter hybrid.

*BALLAST POINT SCULPIN IPA - Beer #257, The Legend.  Say no more.

*FIRESTONE WALKER 805 BLONDE ALE - Beer #258, honey ale, good for sessioning, surprised I found it on tap outside of the Central Cali area code.

Wed nite chillin' with The Wife and The Dog after a long day.  2/19:

*DC BRAU BREWING THE CORRUPTION INDIA PALE - Beer #259, thank you again Mr. Witte, I love this one.  IPA, but freakin' delish.  I'll be in DC mid-April, and damned if I'm not tracking down this brewer in person.

*BROOKLYN BREWERY LOCAL 2  - Beer #260, like a Belgian dubbel with more spice.  Really damn flavorful, when it mellows from fridge-temp to room-temp.  Picked it up in Reno because I can't find it in LA, but of course, brewed in NYC. I love all output from this brewer.

*FOUNDERS BREWING ALL DAY IPA SESSION ALE - Beer #261, another classic, consumed on the West Coast, thanks only to the deft shipping skills of Mr. Witte. Low alcohol means mass consumption if you're lucky enough to hold more than a solitary bottle (which is my situation out here).

Beer #130-153 / Day #24-27: The Biggest Little Beers In The World

My sister-in-law Sarah was celebrating her 40th birthday, and spur of the moment, my wife Camille asked if we could surprise her Sis and show up for her big B-Day bash over the weekend.  The problem is they live 450 miles north of us in Reno, NV.  Then again, Reno has a quickly burgeoning fancy beer scene.  And casinos with $49 rooms.  Oh, and my sis-and-bro-in-law are two of my favorite people in the world, as well.  OK, not much arm-twisting necessary.

Shitty casino with good beer. Who knew?

Friday night we braved a long ass drive, thru 20 degree temps,  near pitch black conditions, and white-knuckled driving, praying not to plow into a stray deer or elk, but we arrived safely in Reno just after midnite, pooped out and ready for booze.  It's a casino town so the libations would be free-flowing & easily accessible at any hour, right?  Especially on a Friday nite!  Um, no.  The first three bars we went to in the casino were closed.  At 12:30am.  WTF?  We finally found the Jade Bar in Harrah's, and I christened my first tap of the weekend with the UINTA BREWING HOP NOTCH IPA - Beer #130, an old favorite, made even more favorable by the fact that it was the first available beer in this shabby casino.  Frankly, I was surprised and impressed that this random bar in a bastion of old school Reno was catering to the craft beer community by offering this brew.  Hmm, maybe this would be promising after all. We headed across the street to the even shabbier Cal-Neva and grabbed an ANCHOR BREWING CALIFORNIA LAGER - Beer #131, a basic but very solid beer, that should raise the bar & represent the new "average" for beers, if there was any justice (or taste) in this world.  We also shared the staple of NorCal hoppiness, the LAGUNITAS BREWING IPA - Beer #132.  In spite of these finds outside of the usual Coors & Bud realm, downtown Reno was freakin' dead!  It's Friday night, yet the only thing missing from this part of town was a cattle skull on the sidewalk, and a stray tumbleweed ambling slowly down the middle of Virginia St. 

Rad beer is a stone's throw from the river

Sarah's party was at 6pm, so we spent the first half of our Saturday exploring downtown Reno on foot.  I'd researched some local breweries in advance, but rather than drive to all of the outlying industrial parks, we opted to hoof it and checkout what Reno hipsters were doing to revitalize this depressed and depressing part of town.  We stumbled upon a fantastic establishment called the Old Granite Street Eatery, with an impressive tap list, and excellent food.  The perfect brunch spot and a great way to kick off our day.  It was 10:30am.  Too early?  Oh hell no.  I started with a sampler of the GREAT BASIN BREWING ICKY IPA - Beer #133, and followed with a full pint of the superb TAHOE MOUNTAIN BREWING LOCAL LAGER - Beer #134, which represents excellence in keeping beer simple.  It's a lager, but there's so much going on in this glass, I spent my time rambling about how tasty it was, rather than chuggin' it for a quick buzz and immediately forgetting it, like 96.8% of lagers on the market.

Breakfast of champions

We walked back towards the river and settled down at the bar of the Wild River Grille.  The bartender was friendly, and willing to accommodate my request to try a few different taps.  I had a sip of Camille's UNDER THE ROSE SAISONBEER - Beer #135, and then went for samples of the RUBY MOUNTAIN BREWING ANGEL CREEK AMBER ALE - Beer #136, BRASSERIE ST. JAMES RED HEADED STRANGER - Beer #137, and the GREAT BASIN BREWING OUTLAW MILK STOUT - Beer #138.  All were great, and the stout was my favorite, but since it wasn't even 12pm, I didn't want anything too heavy to bog me down for the afternoon, so I went for a full pint of the St. James Red... bitter, wheaty, farmy, a real corker... I heart this beer. 

The newest convert.

Next, we crossed the river to check out the Sierra Tap House, a spot run by Sierra Nevada Brewing.  Aside from the picturesque location, I was excited by the kegs available here, several of which are not available in bottles.  There were eight taps, and flights were four glasses, so we got two flights and tried every beer on tap.  Their PALE ALE - Beer #139 has always been so-so in bottles, but I think due to such large production many of their bottles sit in distribution warehouses much longer than they should. When you have a freshly tapped Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, it's like night & day.  This is what it's supposed to taste like.  The TORPEDO EXTRA IPA - Beer #140 was also a winner when freshly tapped.  Their BLONDE ALE - Beer #141 was good, but non-descript; my least favorite of the eight.  We're not huge hefeweizen fans overall, but we both loved the KELLERWEIS - Beer #142, a cloudy, complex, and tasty Hef.  When it warmed up closer to room temperature, their FRENCH STYLE SAISON - Beer #143 was a simple but delicious farmhouse ale.  Our favorite of all eight was the NARWHAL STOUT, which I couldn't count in my Big Year because I already claimed it a few nights prior as Beer #129.  Still this inky, lush stout is the crown jewel in not only their seasonal brews, but all of their brews.  Next was an old favorite I haven't enjoyed for a good year or two, the RUTHLESS RYE - Beer #144, a fantastic rye IPA, and as noted in an earlier posting, I'm a freak for anything rye-related. Last on the tasting docket was the KNIGHTRO STOUT - Beer #145, an Irish style stout with a hint of coffee, on nitro.  The bartender accurately described this creamy, malty offering as "Guinness with flavor".  The Wife has never been the biggest fan of Sierra Nevada, but the opportunity to sample the gamut of brews fresh, and not from 6 month old bottles, made an enormous difference, and converted her into a believer.

In the house of pies and pints

We were 15 beers into our day, and it was only 3pm.  Time for some food.  We grabbed some coffee, and then happened upon Z-Pie, a gourmet pot pie shop with its own offering of local taps. Camille went for a pint of the great Great Basin Icky IPA.  I tried a taster of the BRASSERIE ST. JAMES DAILY WAGES SAISON- Beer #146, which is a good 'un, especially when it warms up, but not nearly as good as the pint I settled on:  The BRASSERIE ST. JAMES JAMISON'S STATION PORTER- Beer #147.  Wow, St. James is for sure on my wish list of beer destinations next time I come to town.  These mother effers know what they're doing.

The Birthday Girl and my Birthday Twin

So, the party's comin' up at 6pm, we'd already spent a good 6-7 hours drinking, and Sarah still didn't know we were coming.  Time to nap, make a pathetic attempt to sober up, and head over to see the Sis.  Needless to say, they were surprised to see us, and I was happy to be with this beautiful family once again.  I got to spend quality time with my other Sis-in-law Amy, numerous cousins, and many newfound friends. My drinking mojo had been fully saturated, and I wanted to remain in a condition to drive since we were going out to see a band, so my only drinking for the next few hours consisted of H2O, and a quick sip of my bro-in-law Rick's ROGUE DEAD GUY ALE - Beer #148.  I seriously don't like to be a hater, but effin' Rogue has yet to make a beer that I truly love.
We spent the rest of the evening at the Peppermill casino seeing an awesome, soulful 11-piece band called The Inciters.  I nursed a few neat rye snifters, eventually danced like the mildly toasted 40-something I am, and had the best evening with my family-in-law.  I love these people. The 16 hours on the road there and back were 1000% worth it, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Bostick!

After a long drive home, The Mrs and I shared a perfect bottle of the STONE / 10 BARREL / BLUEJACKET COLLABORATION SUEDE IMPERIAL PORTER - Beer #150, enhanced only by our zillionth viewing of "The Big Year". 

This was my favorite weekend in recent memory, and my only way to continue the good Reno vibes was to bring back 30 or so bottles of brews from their local Total Wine & More store.  They carry a considerable number of beers I can't find in SoCal.  I wrapped up this evening with some seriously excellent brews:  JOSEPH JAMES BREWING HOP BOX - Beer #151, a truly superior Imperial IPA from this brewer outside of Las Vegas, the GREAT BASIN BREWING WILD HORSE ALE - Beer #152, a well crafted amber ale from one of my new favorite breweries in Reno, and finally the SANTA FE BREWING STATE PEN PORTER - Beer #153, one of the best porters I've had in recent memory (aside from Beer #150), from a Southwestern brewery I haven't visited since 2006... all proof that the Old West can hold its own with the newest of hipsters.  That's it, I'm trading in my flannel for a cowboy hat.

Proof that the Old West is the Best