Dude! What are you doing? Those are not what you would call "cougars"! Those are old ladies, and there is a difference. You need to step away from the grannies, and get out of there as soon as possible. I mean, it looks like a swell party and all, but I'm pretty sure that lady on my left is dying right in front of us. If you don't split like now, they are going to try to pin her death on you. I mean, you do look sort of suspicious, so unless you know CPR, it's time to bail. I get it though. You thought you could roll up into this little soiree, have a couple free beers and then get some action from a rich cougar. Now Gladys is having a coronary, and Ethel's heading for the hard liquor. It's about to get ugly in there, and a smart player like yourself should be looking for the door. Nothing good is gonna happen anytime soon, especially if that lady croaks. Besides, it looks like you already stole some clothes from Ethel's late husband. Rest in peace, Harold. Those are some dynamite threads though. Slam that beer down, champ. Party's over.The party is not over for the rest of us, however. Have you noticed that summertime beers lack some character and oomph? I mean, it is hot out, so lighter beers are appropriate this time of year. But, we do have air conditioning, so it's not like we can't handle some beer with flavor. Well, if these thoughts echo your own in any way, I am here to help. Since last fall and winter, Taco Mac has been cellaring some cool weather seasonals in our beer coolers. This Friday, July 10th, we will be releasing them en masse. Each store has a different selection; some bigger, some smaller. Each item has been assigned a vintage date (year only) so that they will count as a new credit if you are a Passport Club member and drank these beers when they first came out. Get out next weekend and see what 6 months or more of aging has done to these beers. All of them are darker and stronger than your average beers, so the aging will improve their flavor. One item in particular that I am really looking forward to is the Sierra Nevada Celebration. A friend of mine bought a keg once in the fall/winter when it came out and saved it for a July 4th party. It was beyond awesome. I think most stores have these kegs in their coolers. Trust me, you will not be disappointed by this beer. So, here comes the "Christmas In July" cellared beer extravaganza! Just remember, I love you people so much that I was thinking of doing this for you 9 months ago. Enjoy.
Also on Friday we have a cask of Avery IPA at Metropolis. It has been dry-hopped with this newer hop variety called Apollo. There is not a lot of info on Apollos, but they are apparently massively bitter. The cask gets tapped around 5 pm, so put this on your calendar and don't miss it. Big-ass IPAs from a beer engine are a special kind of experience.
Speaking of beer engines, I just had a North Coast Red Seal from the beer engine in Decatur. Awesome. If Canton is more your next of the woods, they are pouring Red Seal from their beer engine as well. Get one!
On Wednesday, July 15th we will have brewmaster Hugh Sissons from Heavy Seas at Metropolis. He will be bringing a special cask, and I don't want to say too much about it until I know for sure. But, the rumor is that it will be a Red Sky At Night Saison aged in red wine barrels. Come down and meet the brewer and drink some great cask beers. These guys have been in our market quite a while, and it's time to show them some love. Same with Avery and North Coast.
Only 4 spots remain for the Matt & Fred's Big Picnic beer dinner on the 21st. If you have not seen the menu, do yourself a favor and peek at it on our web site (http://www.tacomac.com/).
Lastly, the 24th will be the debut of a Double White (Wit) made at Terrapin in conjunction with SBS Importers (De Proef beers from Belgium). This beer has a charitable aspect to it, and Taco Mac will be the sole draft retailer. So, put that on your calendar as well. It is going to taste great, and should be gone in a hurry. The wit category is red hot right now, and the overhaul it gets when it is brewed as a "double white" is superb. Go Spike!
Thanks for reading kids. Have a great 4th of July weekend.
