Beer #1656-1753 / Day #219-230: We Are Not Alone

One day last week I went home on my lunch break, and my family was just starting to watch the Spielberg classic “Close Encounters Of The Third Kind.”  I remember the iconic movie poster from my childhood, with the lonely road leading to an ominous glow on the horizon, emblazoned with the classic tagline “We Are Not Alone”.  Something familiar, yet still eerily unknown is just beyond our reach.

As fate would have it, a half hour later I was randomly cruising the internet, using the search terms “Big Year” and “Beer”.  I was checking if anyone had mentioned my blog out there in cyberspace.  Many folks who read something shocking will claim they spit coffee all over their screen, or fell out of their chair.  I did neither of these.  But I was indeed stunned to stumble across the site www.everydaydrinking.com, a seemingly abandoned blog (I say “abandoned” because the last entry is from February 2014) where the author briefly described his pursuit of a beer-themed Big Year.  Sounds familiar.  Apparently this guy is participating with a large group of friends.  Their rules are brief, but very similar to mine.  And also like my beer quest, his guidelines are adapted from the annual Big Year birding competition. 

Serendipity?

Coincidence?  

Well-intentioned adaptation?

Good ol’ fashioned piracy? 

The blog’s author was a fella named Tyler.  Judging by the beers noted on this site, I gathered they’re from the East Coast.  I reached out to Tyler to see if he & his pals were still chasing their beer year, or if they gave up when the blog entries stopped six months ago.  He wrote back & confirmed they are indeed still active with their respective Big Years.  He asked how I heard about them, so I introduced myself and sent a link to my blog. 

It’s been radio silence ever since.  

With what little info I got out of him, he claimed their leading beer tasters were up to around 1,600 beers for the year.  I’m past 1,700.  While I’m supportive of all my fellow beer enthusiasts, I must admit for a fleeting second… OK, it was a good hour or two…. I felt a little cocky knowing at this moment in time I might possibly be the top beerer in the world.  The Kenny Bostick of brau. 

But just who are these mysterious beings lurking just beyond the horizon?  Do I need to send out a five-note musical signal to establish contact?

After repeated efforts to reconnect, I have not heard a peep from this mystifying menagerie of malt mavens.  I’m guessing one of the following is true:

1.  He’s pissed because he thinks I stole his idea.

2.  He’s pissed because he adapted my idea, and I finally found out about it.

3.  He’s not pissed at all, and just doesn’t check his email very often.

Mostly I’m flat-out astonished there’s an entire group of people pursuing the exact same goal, and I had no idea they were out there until eight months into my own Big Year.  It’s like bumping into your twin who you never knew was born.   Until now, I was only aware of Chris Wilder and Steve Enders in Northern California and Randy Carncross in Japan as being the only folks in the world on board with this tumultuous journey.  Now there’s an entirely new (well, new to me) Big Year beering faction on the East Coast.  

Disturbing.

Unnerving.

Eerie.  

We Are Not Alone.

"We came to Earth to do two things: Probe Asses and Drink Beer.   Looks like we're almost out of beer..."

The beering continues…

Thurs 8/7 – New release tasting at Vendome on National IPA Day

1656 - BROUWERIJ HUYGHE DELIRIUM DELIRIA – Almost like a sparkling wine.  A blond ale with a bitter, acidic finish, some mild cherry. Can’t say I love it.

1657 - WOLF CREEK BREWERY DESPERADO IPA – Good mix of hops and decent malt… they made a beer I actually like.

1658 - BLACK MARKET BREWING 5TH ANNIVERSARY KENTUCKY COMMON ALE – Dark amber beer with a roasty nose that actually tastes like a lighter sour ale. I’m confused.

My cool hat makes up for the 15 min wait.

1659 - WOLF CREEK BREWERY MIDNIGHT HOWL INDIA BLACK ALE – Wait, is this the same brewery I’d written off earlier this year as mediocre? I dig this. A lot. Good black IPA with a bitter finish.

1660 - KERN RIVER BREWING JUST OUTSTANDING IPA – I never see Kern River brews. One of my Facebook friends recommended this today, and a couple hours later, by chance, Vendome has a few bottles tucked away behind the counter. A lucky accident, especially considering today is National IPA Day (whatever). Great IPA, hoppy, rich, and balanced.

Fri 8/8 – Pismo Beach with the family

1661 - BLUE MOON BELGIAN WHITE – Surprisingly not bad.  Then again, after 4 hours of driving, anything would taste good.

1662 - BARRELHOUSE BREWING TRIPLE DOUBLE SESSION IPA – Pretty nice, good session IPA.

1663 - HOAGIE'S SANDWICHES & GRILL HOAGIE'S IPA – A decent IPA with a thick, full mouthfeel, but was it worth waiting 15 minutes for? I’ll have to say “No”.

1664 - FIGUEROA MOUNTAIN BREWING WRANGLER WHEAT – Not bad, slightly sweet, a bit of wheat, nice accompaniment for the sunset.

Games for the kids and whaaat? What a coincidence!

1665 - SANTA CLARA VALLEY BREWING NEW ALMADEN IMPERIAL RED – At Hot Shots Family Entertainment center, this place rules… pool, air hockey, video games, and top shelf taps.  Best of all, this imperial red is deeeeeelish.

1666 - FACTION BREWING SUMMER IPA – Wow, that’s bad ass.

1667 - KERN RIVER BREWING SIERRA SINGLETRACK SESSION IPA – I can’t find Kern River anywhere this year, and now twice in 2 days I find their beer. Mind = Blown. A great session IPA.

1668 - LAGUNITAS BREWING FUSION 23 IPA – Not sure what this is, but it tastes like a session IPA, and like a close relative of the Kern River session IPA above.

1669 - MAD RIVER BREWING STEELHEAD BOURBON BARREL AGED EXTRA STOUT – Oh, you already know how good this is by the name alone.

Sat 8/9 – Pismo Beach, a strangely low number for being out of town

1670 - HERETIC BREWING BLACK MARIA BLACK IPA – Menu says it’s Black Moriah, an imperial black IPA.  I can’t find that online anywhere, even on the brewery’s website, so by default it’s gotta be Black Maria.  Call it what you want.  I call it goddamn tasty.

This kid loves the Manrock brew dog.

1671 - GREAT DIVIDE BREWING OATMEAL YETI – Oh Yeti, can you do no wrong?

Sun 8/10 – Central Coast tasting on the way home

1672 - OSKAR BLUES BREWERY MAMA'S LITTLE YELLA PILS – A perfect way to start the day. Brunch beer.

1673 - HERETIC BREWING PETITE ROUGE – One of three tasters at Manrock. Nice, mellow hibiscus brew.

1674 - MANROCK BREWING REAPER-CUSSION DOUBLE IPA – Well done Imperial IPA from this family run operation. Mom & Dad are out for the day, but the kids are holding it down. Support this place, big time!

1675 - HERETIC BREWING CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT PORTER – Like cookie dough. Yum.

1676 - FIRESTONE WALKER BREWING BRAVO #217 – Praise Firestone for their extensive samplers. This one is a superior imperial brown ale aged in spirits barrels. Crazy delicious.

1677 - FIRESTONE WALKER BREWING PARABOLA (2013) - Thank you Barrelworks. Yes, this is true love.

1678 - FIRESTONE WALKER BREWING XVII ANNIVERSARY ALE – Oak aged strong ale, practically infallible.

1679 - FIRESTONE WALKER BREWING SOUR OPAL – Barrel aged sour Gueuze style ale. Loverly.

Firestone Walker: Like Fantasy Island for beer nerds.

1680 - FIRESTONE WALKER BREWING OAKTOBERFEST – Full bodied and easy drinking. Can’t wait to have this again in the Fall.

1681 - FIRESTONE WALKER BREWING SUCABA (2014) – Bourbon and crème brulee, stupidly perfect.

1682 - FIRESTONE WALKER BREWING VELVET MERKIN (2013) – Barrel aged imperial oatmeal stout. A ridiculous treat from the Barrelworks room. Now I know what I’m sitting on with my bottle at home. 

1683 - FIRESTONE WALKER BREWING BRETTA WEISSE – Refreshing and mildly sour, heavy pineapple.

1684 - FIRESTONE WALKER BREWING FOEDER #2 – Barrel aged red Flemish style ale, tart and fruity and evenly balanced.

1685 - FIRESTONE WALKER BREWING DOUBLE DBA (2014) – Barrel aged imperial bitter, superior.

Hop envy at Pure Order Brewing.

1686 - PURE ORDER BREWING VIVA LAGER – Dig it.

1687 - PURE ORDER BREWING CROOKED NECK HEFEWEIZEN – Named after the famous deceased local celebrity giraffe with the crooked neck. The giraffe was weird.  This beer is not.  One of my favorites from Pure Order, along with their porter.

1688 - PURE ORDER BREWING RED EYE WHEAT – Good one, not super distinct, but nice.

1689 - PURE ORDER BREWING WILLIE WAUGHT – Good wee heavy.

1690 - PURE ORDER BREWING SANTA BARBARA COMMON ALE – Decent.

1691 - PURE ORDER BREWING SANTA BARBARA PALE ALE – Decent.

1692 - PURE ORDER BREWING BLACK GULL PORTER – One of the best of the seven in the sampler.

1693 - MISSION BREWERY HEFEWEIZEN – Very tart, not bad, don’t think I’d make it my house hefe though.

1694 - MISSION BREWERY IPA – Mellow hops, mildly acidic finish, and cookie dough yeast. OK.

The Fam can hardly contain their excitement.

Mon 8/11 - Home

1695 – RUHSTALLER GILT EDGE – Wheaty and grainy and golden and really good when it’s not super cold. There’s nothing to feel gilty about.

1696 – RUHSTALLER CAPT CALIFORNIA BLACK IPA – Delicious hops and chocolatey malt.  Toni Tennille would be proud.

1697 - UNCOMMON BREWERS BACON BROWN ALE – Nut brown ale brewed with toasted buckwheat and bacon-cured pork. Really tasty, like a mildly smoky rauchbier. Not overly bacony or gross like a Rogue novelty shit beer.

1698 - DOGFISH HEAD PALO SANTO MARRON – Deeply rich, Paraguayan palo santo wood aged imperial brown.  Dark, yeast-heavy, malt heavy. A real powerhouse.

Tues 8/12 – Flight at Tony’s and a few at home

1699 - SURF BREWERY BLACK IPA – Roasty and a lil’ hoppy, easy sippin’.

1700 - HANGAR 24 ESSENCE DOUBLE IPA – Tastes more citrusy than hoppy, hard to believe it’s a double IPA, it tastes like a fruity pale ale.

1701 - SMOG CITY BREWING WEIRD BEER SAISON – Herby, estery, heavy on the cloves, would make a good Hot Toddy in the winter time.

1702 - THE LOST ABBEY WITCHES WIT – Cloudy, wheaty, with a hint of herbal spiciness. Finishes clean, like it was never in your mouth… that must be the witchcraft part of it.

1703 - SCUTTLEBUTT BREWING AMBER ALE – Heavy roasted barley & hops, not bad.

1704 - OSKAR BLUES BREWERY DEVIANT DALE'S - Welcome back, old friend.  Crazy over the top piney hops. An ol’ favorite. Hardcore.

Action shot from Tony's.  Riveting.

Wed 8/13 - Home

1705 - SAM ADAMS DOUBLE AGENT IPL – Tastes like a buttery pale ale, not like an IPL at all. Not necessary.

1706 - KONA BREWING FIRE ROCK PALE ALE – Middle of the road pale ale. Perfect for the beach when you really don’t care about flavor, so much as you just want to consume anything cold and wet.

1707 - SAMUEL SMITH OATMEAL STOUT – One of the first beers I ever liked. It tastes weak compared to most stouts I’m into now, but I can’t really knock a legend, even if it does taste like an old popsicle.

1708 - STILLWATER ARTISINAL ALES CELLAR DOOR AMERICAN FARMHOUSE ALE - Another brilliant Stillwater brew. White ale with sage, I hate other sage beers but I love this. It’s evenly balanced, cloudy, herbal, and addictively drinkable.

Proof that Little Green Men are lightweights.

Thurs 8/14 – Weekly new release tasting at Vendome and a few at home

1709 - SANTA CLARA VALLEY BREWING HEART'S DELIGHT – Summer ale aged in wine barrels with cherries added, low carbonation, almost like a tart wine. Vanilla. Not overbearingly acidic or sour.

1710 - MIKKELLER HUES – Vinegar, corn, big time pucker, sweet & sour pork on the nose. Supposed to be a gueuze.

1711 - MOTHER EARTH BOOKOO IPA WITH MOSAIC AND SIMCOE – Crisp, golden, with a wonderfully crunchy and skunky hop bite.

1712 - STONE BREWING 18TH ANNIVERSARY – Brown IPA with major sweet malt on the back end. Caramel and hop infused oatmeal cookies.

1713 - LOCAL OPTION / CENTRAL WATERS COLLABORATION LA PETITE MORT – Delicious upper-Midwestern collab. Weizenbock with Belgian yeast added. Dark caramel, syrupy sweet, but still drinkable. Pair this with ice cream.

1714 - BUTTE CREEK BREWING ORGANIC PALE ALE – Serious toffee, better than I hoped it would be.

The "R" is for Raisin, not Redneck.

1715 - BISON BREWING ORGANIC HOP CUVEE – Well balanced, smooth hops. Don’t let the “organic” part scare you away. Or the “bison” part.

1716 - SHMALTZ BREWING HE'BREW GENESIS DRY HOPPED SESSION ALE – Whoa, tastes a hell of a lot like the Bison Hop Cuvee. Well, they both have centennial & simcoe hops. This one’s just more kosher.

Friday 8/15 – Home

1717 - LAGUNITAS BREWING A LITTLE SUMPIN' EXTRA! ALE – Nice DIPA. Lagunitas doesn’t make a bad beer.

1718 - W BREWING 559 RFA – A Central Valley beer? Right on, something different! Raisin Farmer Ale, apparently brewed with raisins. Red ale that doesn’t taste like a red. Light, acidic, a tad malty.

1719 - BLACK DIAMOND BREWING GRAND CRU BOURBON BARREL AGED – An acidic, liquefied chocolate covered vanilla cherry. I was expecting something more “rounded”, with less bite.  OK.

Saturday 8/16 – Family party in the afternoon, friend’s pre-wedding party at night

1720 - BLUE MOON BREWING HARVEST PUMPKIN ALE – Heavily spiced, not nearly as bad as anticipated for a Blue Moon.

1721 - TECATE LIGHT – Que malo.

1722 - SAM ADAMS LATITUDE 48 IPA – Is it more embarrassing to be seen drinking this, or to be the brewer that made this?

1723 - BRASSERIE DUPONT SAISON DUPONT – Wow.  Just wow.  The old standby.

Finally, a beer for stinky ass hippies.

1724 - KONA BREWING BIG WAVE GOLDEN ALE – Big surprise, so much better than other Kona brews. Well-balanced honey golden ale. Mahalo!

1725 - PACIFICO CLARA – How do you say “liquid sadness” in Spanish?

1726 - UNITY VIBRATION BOURBON PEACH AMERICAN WILD ALE – It was inevitable… a kombucha beer.  So, it’s good for me, right? Tastier than expected, perfect at the hot summer’s eve party where I popped it. I didn’t taste any bourbon barrel whatsoever. Not as sour as expected. Peachy, sweet, mildly tart, a bit like cider.

1727 - PIKE BREWING COMPANY OLD BAWDY BARLEY WINE STYLE ALE (2013) – Very drinkable, not as cloying as many barley wines can be.  Sweet but not over-the-top rich. Think session barley wine, if there could be such a thing.

1728 - BREWERY OMMEGANG THREE PHILOSOPHERS QUADRUPEL ALE – Deep amber quad with 2% Liefman’s Kriek blended which adds just a hint of tartness to the thick, malty base. Easy to drink, even just shy of 10%.

Sunday 8/17 – Tasting at home, at the Vendome bottle share, at Eagle Rock Brewery, and Mohawk Bend

1729 - BLACK DIAMOND BREWING FREE STYLE BELGIAN BLONDE – I was expecting something completely average. I got a well-balanced blonde, infinitely better than what the average ale of this style typically delivers.

Sooo, that's why you hold beer tastings?

1730 - BEACHWOOD BREWING SKYLINE GOLD KOLSCH – Smooth and easy to guzzle, wheaty with maybe a hint of butter? Thanks to Harley for bringing the growler.

1731 - THE BRUERY OUDE TART (2013) – Flemish style red ale aged in red wine barrels, pomegranate, rich with dark fruit.  Superior.

1732 - MILL VALLEY BEERWORKS ESPIRITU OSCURO – Wow! Musty, dank nutmeg, spicy Belgian style dark ale.  Killer!

1733 - CLOWN SHOES RIDE THE LION – Decadent, sweet caramel with a boozy finish.

1734 - GREAT DIVIDE BREWING ESPRESSO OAK AGED YETI (2014) – Excellence! Oily and chocolately bean brew. Effing perfection. Dare I say abominable?

1735 - SIERRA NEVADA BEER CAMP ACROSS AMERICA WEST COAST DOUBLE IPA – Not oppressively hoppy, creamy with a back end bite, and a pleasantly malty aftertaste.

1736 - SUN KING BREWING RING OF DINGLE – Clean, roasty, a bit watery. Still nice to try considering it’s not readily available in Cali.

1737 - SANTE ADAIRIUS RUSTIC ALES PROFESSOR RON 22C WOOD-AGED BEER – Tart stout, heavy on the cherry finish.  What a treat.  Thanks Chris Wilder!

1738 - STONE BREWING 13TH ANNIVERSARY ALE – Like a malty barley wine, slightly funky on the nose, but resilient and drinkable. I like how the bottle clearly states: “Do not cellar. Enjoy in 2009.”

1739 - THE BRUERY BLACK TUESDAY (2012) – Bourbon barrel imperial stout, strange thing is it’s brown, not that inky blackness you would expect. But it’s thick & deliriously delicious. And 19%... whoo boy, it’s a powerhouse.

1740 - PIKE BREWING COMPANY NAUGHTY NELLIE – Standard golden ale. Not as distinct as the other Pike brews, but ya can’t always bat 1.000.

1741 - EAGLE ROCK BREWERY RED VELVET – Sleek imperial red with rye. At 10.8% it’s deceptive.  Delicious, and capable of creeping up and incapacitating you quickly.

1742 - FACTION BREWING FACTION PILS – Really nice basic pils.  Nicely done for such a straight forward, simple style.

"To crush your enemies..."

1743 - KNEE DEEP BREWING TANILLA – That’s a beaut! Smooth vanilla porter, grab a spoon and dig in.

1744 – TAPS RIS: RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT – Loving this, it’s a flowing blanket of silky roasted, malted, creamy goodness. I want to make a nest out of this so I can curl up inside of it.

1745 - ANDERSON VALLEY BREWING HORSE TONGUE WHEAT – Easy to drink, a bit tart, very fruity, nice one.

1746 - NOBLE ALE WORKS TONGUE TICKLES – Hard to believe it’s a DIPA, tastes like a session beer, but damn tasty.

1747 - SIERRA NEVADA BIGFOOT (2014) - Mildly spicy, dang that’s good. Seasonal barley wine. Sasquatch would be proud.

1748 - MOTHER EARTH CALI' CREAMIN' VANILLA CREAM ALE – Tastes like the same says, more like a soda than a beer, if soda was 5.2% ABV.

1749 - GOLDEN ROAD RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT – Oh yeah baby, that’s a real treat!

Monday 8/18 - Home

1750 - SMUTTYNOSE BREWING SUMMER WEIZEN – I love Smuttynose, but this tastes like Bud.

1751 - NEW BELGIUM BREWING TRIPPEL – Belgian style tripel brewed with coriander. A solid brew, which is unexpected considering how mediocre a lot of their releases have been.

1752 - BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON BEER WORKS TELL TALE HEART IPA – Piney, buttery IPA, well done like all other B-W output.

1753 - BOULDER BEER COMPANY SWEATY BETTY BLONDE – Not bad, slight banana taste, decent but wouldn’t willingly buy it again.

"Look, Earthling... I saw you talking shit about Intergalactic in your last entry..."

Beer #444-462 / Day #77-80: Zen And The Art Of Beering

"Treat a disaster as you would a triumph."
That's a quote The Wife sent to me today.
Very zen.
I thought about it for a few seconds, and realized... hey, I already do that!
Whether it's a disaster or a triumph, my reaction is the same... I drink good beer!
I'm a good Buddhist after all!
Except I drink alcohol and they don't.
Whatever.
I never looked good in orange anyway....

Many praises to Jon Emery for the video link above.

The tally continues:

Tuesday 3/18 - INFEST practice night

• GRAND TETON BREWING PURSUIT OF HOPPINESS IMPERIAL RED - Beer #444, good one, next to barrel-aged, I'm a sucker for anything imperial
• GOOSE ISLAND 312 URBAN PALE ALE - Beer #445, not to be confused with the 312 Urban Wheat Ale. Which one was Obama's favorite beer?  I've had corn whisky, and it blows.  This tastes like corn beer.  I need to hang out with Obama and turn him on to some good shit. Well, I am going to DC in 4 weeks.
• GROLSCH PREMIUM PILSENER - Beer #446, run of the mill, but not bad for a beer you can find everywhere; it gets the job done, and it's not as watery and bland as most American mass consumption beers.
• SUDWERK BREWING DOPPELBOCK ULTIMATOR - Beer #447, I remember going to this Davis, CA based brewery waaaay back in the mid-90s, when I really wasn't a beer person. Chris W. was just talking about this place, and out of the blue, I found this 12 ozer.  Yum!  Looks like a trip to NorCal is in order after all.

Wednesday 3/19:

• PIKE BREWING TANDEM DOUBLE ALE - Beer #448, I absolutely fell into a serious man-crush with the Pike IPA and Extra Stout; this one... eh.... not so much. As Mr. Loaf says, two outta three ain't bad.
• ANGEL CITY SPECIAL WINTER VANILLA PORTER 2013 - Beer #449, Love this brewery and 98% of what they do; this fell into the 2%. Blech. Bottle didn't hold up well.  I've had this on tap and enjoyed it.  This 2013 bottle was past its prime and tasted like novelty soda.
• THE LOST ABBEY INFERNO ALE - Beer #450, they cork it, so you know they're serious.
• LEFT COAST HOP JUICE DOUBLE IPA - Beer #451, good, but I've had it even better on draught.
• UNCOMMON BREWERS BALTIC PORTER - Beer #452, Heavy on the anise, which works perfectly with this style; I need to find out more about this Santa Cruz based outfit.  Both Uncommon brews I've had so far have been top notch. Not to mention both were in cans

Big Swell + Tina Yothers = Swell Yothers

Thursday 3/20:

• BOULEVARD BREWING THE SIXTH GLASS QUADRUPEL ALE - Beer #453, Yum.
• BOULEVARD BREWING TANK 7 FARMHOUSE ALE - Beer #454, Way yummier.
• MAUI BREWING BIG SWELL IPA - Beer #455, decent IPA, nondescript, but if I was on a beach in Hawaii I wouldn't turn this down.
• SIX RIVERS BREWERY MOONSTONE PORTER - Beer #456, worst porter I've had since Pismo Beach Brewing. Doesn't taste like a porter.  Tastes like a bad batch that could be pawned off to hipsters as a sour.  I don't like to hate on breweries, but I strongly dislike this beer.
• BOULEVARD BREWING BOURBON BARREL QUAD - Beer #457, Bourbon?  I'm listening.  Barrel?  I'm listening more attentively.  Brewed with cherries? Doesn't sound like the best idea, but turns out it's the best idea.  I love it. The Wife says she would drink this everyday.  Thanks to Eric King for the hook up.

Friday 3/21:

• EVIL TWIN HOP FLOOD AMBER ALE - Beer #458, sounds like the billionth IPA, but it's actually a hop bomb amber. Killer.
• FLYING DOG OLD SCRATCH AMBER LAGER - Beer #459,Good one.
• GOOSE ISLAND THE ILLINOIS IMPERIAL IPA - Beer #460, my favorite Goose Island output by far, and the high price reflects the quality. 
• FLYING DOG DOGGIE STYLE PALE ALE - Beer #461, Another good Flying Dog, Steadman or no.
• THE LOST ABBEY SAINT'S DEVOTION - Beer #462, mildly sour & floral Belgian style blonde-wit-golden; friggin' perfect

Beer #359-396 / Day 62-69: The Extreme Foodism Of An Outspokenly Anti-Foodie, Yet Secretly Foodie Non-Foodie

My sis-in-law, Lori Jonasson, sent me a link last month about pairing beer with Girl Scout cookies.  I try to avoid posing as a food expert, like the billions of wannabe Foodies out there (I spend enough time as a wannabe beer nerd), because I know my palate is far from perfect.  But the allure of something so silly was undeniable.  And by chance, I had ordered some Girl Scout cookies recently.  Plus I had a few of the noted beers in my stockpile.
For as much of a novelty as the article is, there is one pairing I found particularly appealing, and well played:  Tagalongs, a chocolate covered peanut butter mound, with Wells & Young Banana Bread Beer.  Sheer genius.  Fat Elvis would undoubtedly approve.
The article also recommended Trefoils, a very plain shortbready cookie, with a couple different stouts.  I had a few Trefoils with the Fifty Fifty B.A.R.T. and it was damn pleasing.  Then again a shortbread cookie is like a plain canvas.  Something slightly sweet with minimal character can pair with freakin' anything!  I had Trefoils with several other non-heavy beers, and it was equally as great.  I even tried one with the Evil Twin Hipster Ale, which just a well-rounded pale ale, and it paired well...
... All of which leads me to believe most food and alcohol pairings are a crock of shit.  Think about it.  Would you ever pair chocolate and ketchup?  Hell no!  That sounds disgusting.  But would you ever order a burger and a chocolate shake?  Aha!  Given the context, you can make most things work.  I'd have no problem making a BBQ sauce with a ketchup base, and adding a bit of chocolate to it.  Makes sense, along with other seemingly adverse ingredients like cinnamon, molasses, or sugar.

Take my earlier post about my revelation of spicy food and IPAs.  How many spicy food joints (think Asian or Indian) offer IPAs on their menus?  Not a whole hell of a lot.  They all offer super bland Asian lagers, that are fun to drink only because you get to read a weird label and get to brag about drinking this oddball beer.  I ordered a super hoppy Anderson Valley Hop Ottin' IPA with my super spicy bowl of ramen, and it was a match made in heaven.  The hop bomb cut through the heat of the dish, but the heat of the dish didn't nullify the hops.  The oddball combo happened to be the best one yet.
I continued my quest for a multitude of unique brews this past week, and even improvised cooking with beer  in a semi-inebriated state, and everything came out delicious. My Wife will confirm.  No cookbooks:  just intuition, and a desire to attempt something new.
Piggybacking on the idea of pairing IPA with spicy food, I made a ghost pepper salsa with dehydrated peppers courtesy of my pal Marvelous Marvin Harris.  Some grape tomatoes, minced garlic, cilantro, cumin, coriander, salt, and ghost peppers, with a couple pulses in a food processor.  Done.  At the same time I opened a Pike Brewing IPA, a beer I didn't get to enjoy in Seattle last weekend, but strangely enough, stumbled across at Total Wine & More in Northridge this past week.  The ghost peppers weren't burn-your-face-off hot, I'm guessing because they were dehydrated, and hence, not super oily, as it's the chili oil that sticks with you.  Good flavor, and good match-up of brew & eats.
I've already claimed the Ballast Point Sea Monster Imperial Stout in my Big Year, and had an extra bottle, so I used a good amount of it to marinate a rack of ribs, with a dash of soy sauce and a hint of hot sauce for complexity.  50 min on the grill with some mesquite smoke, wrapped in foil for 20 min, and slathered with homemade BBQ sauce. Even tastier than expected.  The stout gave it an unexpected deep cocoa aftertaste which was different, but totally worked with the infused smoke and mild heat of the barbecue sauce.
The next evening, I dug out a few Hangar 24 bottles, leftover from my BDay Beer Party, and made Alt-Bier Ale Chicken Wings.  I usually use a stout for slow cooking chicken wings, but I went for a well-rounded ale, and they came out just as awesome.  Coat the wings with some salt, pepper, garlic power, and paprika, brown them in a pan with olive oil, then add to a baking dish with the beer, fresh minced garlic, and sriracha. Pop in in the oven at medium-low heat for 2 hours or more.  Done! And crazy delicious.
 You don't have to watch a million Food Network "challenge" shows, or follow any recipe to a T.  Just have a general understanding of what you enjoy, and throw it together.  It won't always work, but if you have half a brain, it will come out tasty more than half the time. 
As far as I'm concerned, Foodie Snobs can eat it.  So to speak.

The tally continues:

Monday 3/3 - Back home from Seattle:

• ABITA BREWING MARDI GRAS BOCK - Beer #359, not amazing
• EPIC BREWING BRAINLESS BELGIAN STYLE GOLDEN ALE - Beer #360, one of the very few unopened bottles from my BDay, courtesy of Matt Domino.  Good one!

Tuesday 3/4 - One of the only Tuesday nights that Infest didn't practice, otherwise my count would have been twice as much:

• BROUWERIJ VAN STEENBERGE BORNEM DUBBEL - Beer #361, good
• BROUWERIJ VAN STEENBERGE PRIVATEER BELGIAN ALE - Beer #362, super good
• FULLER, SMITH & TURNER 1845 ENGLISH STRONG ALE - Beer #363, pretty good

Wednesday 3/5 - Home again with the lovely Mrs.:

• BROUWERIJ VAN STEENBERGE PIRAAT - Beer #364, a classic
  
• EINSTOK OLGERD ICELANDIC WHITE ALE - Beer #365, better than I remember
• BROUWERIJ VAN STEENBERGE MONK'S CAFE FLEMISH SOUR ALE - Beer #366, not crazy sour, actually more sweet and sour, fun to sip, and would double as a great salad dressing

Thursday 3/6 - Home yet again... am I setting an new record?:

• ANDERSON VALLEY BOONT AMBER ALE - Beer #367, Holy Christ, I've been wrapped up in beer snobbery for so long I've neglected some truly great everyday beers like this one.  Seen this at every major grocery store since I can remember, but goddamn, what a great beer!  An amber with powerful hops.
• EVIL TWIN BREWING HIPSTER ALE - Beer #368, excellent pale ale, I'm nuts about Evil Twin, one of the only times I'll ever say I'm proud to be a hipster.

Friday 3/7 - Home again?  What am I, a loser?  Naw, just enjoying rare moments not being on-the-go.  Pizza and beer night:

• CISCO BREWERS THE GREY LADY - Beer #369, a top of the line witbier, so much more going on than your average wheat beer, spicy and complex, I've quickly become a fan of this brewery.
• SPEAKEASY SCARLETT RED RYE - Beer #370, I haven't been much a Speakeasy supporter until now.  This is a truly great beer.  Lots going on.  Not the cheap, knock-off label I wrote it off as, up until this moment.
• AVERY BREWING NEW WORLD PORTER - Beer #371, a limited porter from this standout label, although not my favorite effort from them.

Saturday 3/8 - All bets are off... tasting 16 new beers at Vendome (plus a few repeats), then drinkin' back home:

• INNSTADT BRAUEREI EXTRA SCHWARZE - Beer #372, schwarzbier with major anise, good and surprisingly light
• STILLWATER SENSORY SERIES V2 SMALL BLACK - Beer #373, a schwarzbier / saison mash-up, I'd expect nothing less adventurous from Stillwater
• NORTH COAST OLD NO. 38 STOUT - Beer #374, damn good, when it comes to North Coast, I always avoid this in favor of Old Rasputin. This is a solid beer.  An easy drinking stout with depth.  Sure as hell doesn't taste like 5.6%.
• ALMANAC BIERE DE CHOCOLAT - Beer #375, I love all things Almanac, but this was a bit heavy handed on the cocoa, even for a true groupie.
• BROUWERIJ HET ANKER LUCIFER - Beer #376, yeasty, unique, caramelly, nice but glad I had a taster instead of a full glass.
• BIERE DU BOUCANIER GOLDEN ALE - Beer #377, a buttery bale of hay in a glass
• EPIC BREWING ELDER BRETT SAISON BRET GOLDEN ALE - Beer #378, you can taste that wild yeast, a real heavyweight.
• UINTA CROOKED LINE TINDER RAUCHBIER - Beer #379, liquid campfire, where's the marshmallows?
• ALESMITH HORNY DEVIL - Beer #380, sugary, yeasty, friggin' delish!
• GREEN FLASH LE FREAK - Beer #381, Belgian Trippel / Imperial IPA hybrid.  Love it.
• VICTORY V12 - Beer #382, Whoa! Heavy like a barleywine, intense, slightly sweet, kinda hoppy. 
• TELEGRAPH RHINOCEROS - Beer #383, A barleywine style ale with rye malt, delicious and not cloying at all.
• UNIBROUE TERRIBLE - Beer #384, a classic
• SPEAKEASY SYNDICATE SERIES 01 VINTAGE ALE AGED IN BOURBON BARRELS - Beer #385, good gravy... just as toothsome as it sounds.
• BROUWERIJ DE MOLEN HEL & VEDOEMENIS ALE AGED IN BOURBON BARRELS - Beer #386, A five-star beer if there ever was one.  Not heavy, but incredibly complex, mildly sweet, barrelly goodness, mild cocoa and malt depth.  The label says "Enjoy within 25 years". Not a problem.
• RJ ROCKERS BREWING BELL RINGER - Beer #387, maybe the Vendome tasting spoiled me, but this beer was so unimpressive, most of it went down the sink. Sorry, I never do that, but it seemed fitting.
• UNCOMMON BREWERS SIAMESE TWIN ALE - Beer #388, exemplary brew from a mysterious Santa Cruz outfit.  I need to team up with South Bay local Chris W. and track these guys down.

 Sunday 3/9 - Perfect Sunday afternoon to sit outside, read, snack, grill, and drink:

• FLYING FISH BREWING EXIT 4 AMERICAN TRIPPEL - Beer #389, exceptionally good tripel style from this NJ brewer.  Haven't had a bad Flying Fish brew yet.
• PIKE BREWING IPA - Beer #390, strangely I was in Seattle the week before and never got to try a Pike Brewing beer, but back home this week, I found a few Pike bottles for the first time in SoCal. Good timing. Great beer.  Paired well with my ghost pepper salsa.
• BAYHAWK ALES ZAPPA BREWS NELSON IPA - Beer #391, I had this on tap last Dec and it was incredible; this time out of the bottle, not as staggering. A good one, but much MUCH better if there's a fresh keg around.
• CLOWN SHOES HOPPY FEET BLACK IPA - Beer #392, Consistently great brewer. This is no exception.  The Hoppy Feet 1.5 is even better, from what I recall.
• MENDOCINO BREWING IMPERIAL STOUT - Beer #393, Overall very good, would make a terrific everyday stout
• FLYING DOG GONZO IMPERIAL PORTER - Beer #394, the whole Ralph Steadman thing jumped the shark in the '80s as far as I'm concerned, but this beer and this brewer are consistently reliable

Monday 3/10 - Blogging tonight, at this very moment:

• CORONADO / CIGAR CITY COLLABORATION JURATA BALTIC PORTER - Beer #395, the first glass is great, the second glass is perfection.
• CISCO BREWERS WHALE'S TALE PALE ALE - Beer #396, Really unique pale, as the label says "fruity hops", hard to describe, but crazy good like all other Ciscos I've tried.