I am not sure if Terrapin's slightly eccentric brewer, Spike, was channeling Pink Floyd or Star Wars when he came up with the newest side project "The Dark Side". I am guessing a little of both. The beer is a Belgian-style stout, which basically means that it is a big, strong, dry stout with some Belgian yeast element that takes the flavor in a new direction. This style of beer is not all that common (think Allagash Black, with Terrapin personality). The beer is arriving in stores now. Many of you may have already tried it.This coming Tuesday at The Fred we will be pouring this beer, along with Terrapin's Wake N' Bake (it is about cookies, what is the deal with all of the snickering?) and Hopsecutioner. Not impressed? OK, how about if we also have a cask of The Dark Side aged on cherry wood? If that didn't wake you up, what if I told you that Spike and the crew from the brewery would be there, and that they would arrive in a Darth Vader shaped hot air balloon? Would you be impressed then? Really, because that's not going to happen. Sorry. Spike and the gang will be there, but I think they are driving. The hot air balloon in the photo belongs to people who love Star Wars a little too much. Oh, it's cool. No argument there. But how much do you think that thing cost? I was 6 years old when the first movie came out. Let's just say that it had a profound impact on me, and every child in America for that matter. For my younger readers, this was before VCRs were available to the general public. For my really young readers, a VCR is how you watched movies before DVD players and On-Demand. So not being able to see this movie again after seeing it for the first time left us with one option: Go see it again in the theater. Ever seen a movie so good you went back to the theater to see it again? Sure, we've all done that. How about 8 times? That is how many times I saw Star Wars in the movie theater, and I still remember that over 30 years later. Eight times was nothing though. Some kids went and saw it 15 to 20 times. Their parents had more money, or maybe loved them more, than mine. Just kidding Mom & Dad! You were great. I am definitely not scarred by being way behind every other kid who got to see Star Wars more often than me. I'm over that. I didn't even mind getting teased about only having like 8 gimpy, half busted Star Wars men. I mean, sure, most kids had like 50, but you were right Mom & Dad, I had "plenty". I didn't need that Millennium Falcon either. Or the X-Wing Fighter. Just "cheap plastic" like Dad said. Who needs it? Not me. Incidentally, I went over to an old high-school friend's house about 15 years ago. I had not seen him in a long time, like 5 years. He was married, had kids, etc. But in his den he had a glass display case with all of these mint-condition Star Wars toys displayed like museum pieces. He had the figures and the aircraft and all of the accessories and everything. All his, that he somehow kept in this shape since he was a kid. A true visionary. I'm sure his wife was "enthused".
Anyway, I am not one of those people who is way too into Star Wars. I mean I was, but I am an adult now. I have other things that I am geeky about. Like beer. Head down to the Fred on Tuesday (6-8 pm) and find out just what Spike was thinking when he came up with this brew. If anyone shows up in a Star Wars outfit (you know who you are!) that represents The Dark Side (i.e. none of the good guys), you definitely will get to tap the cask. I am officially stating that Star Wars garb trumps wacky facial hair (see two posts ago if you don't know what I am talking about) for cask tapper Tuesday. In lieu of no evil Star Wars personages, we will go with the 'staches.
Have a good weekend. Thanks for coming out Wednesday. Good turnout for the NB Lips Of Faith beers by the way. See you Tuesday. If not Happy Holidays.
