I hope everyone survived the icy roads yesterday. Side streets were indeed a little treacherous, but once you got on the highway, everything was pretty smooth. Being from a colder region of the country, I did not "freak out" over the situation, but I can see how parts of the metro area seemed impassable if you have no experience with winter driving. Here now is some advice from someone who does have experience in that field: why don't you slow down and pay attention? I realize that those are two things of the last things most people want to do while they are driving. I hate to interrupt your terribly important phone conversations for a second, but every once in a while, especially when conditions are challenging, it is important to actually pay attention to your driving. I know, that's crazy talk. Especially when the phone conversation goes like this:"Oh my god, it is like so icy out here. I mean, I am like scared to even be driving, and.......Why is that guy giving me the finger, and.........Oh shit! Aaahhhhh!" Crash. "Are you still there? Oh my god, I just totally wrecked my car. And it looks like 28 more cars are about to pile up behind me. Oooh, hey, I gotta go, the OnStar guy is calling me. Yes, again. I know, I should be shot." And that is how I imagine that one person ruined a ton of peoples' day by causing a 29 car pile up on I-20 yesterday. Congratulations, I hope your injuries are serious.
OK, but back to some beer stuff. And yes, I talk on the phone in the car too. But that is different, because nobody ever thinks that they are the problem. For example, as George Carlin pointed out, everyone driving slower that you is a "god-damned idiot", and anyone driving faster than you is a "crazy mother f***ker!" You, of course, are doing everything perfectly, even while driving 60 mph in the left lane with your blinker on and sending text messages. Or if you are Tiger Woods, sexting instead of texting.
The photo is of our two casks from Wednesday, and that is Mary Katherine from Metropolis in the shot. We had Weyerbacher Winter and Weyerbacher Double Simcoe. Bob from the brewery was there too. Both beers were excellent, but I felt the Winter, pulled through the beer engine, was the more outstanding of the two. Not to disparage the Simcoe, which was absolutely delicious, but I appreciated a less hoppy diversion for a change.
No such diversions will be available at our cask events this week though. Wednesday our Crabapple store is doing their first cask in recent memory. They have a Heavy Seas Loose Cannon IPA, one of the first big IPA's Atlanta ever received. This brewery jumped on the Atlanta market way before the rush of new brands hit us over the last few years. This beer is going to be great. I will be there, and I expect to tap it around 5:30 or so. On Friday we will most likely be pouring a cask of Rogue Mogul Madness dry-hopped with Amarillo hops at Metropolis. This should be a great tasting beer as well, and anyone who is curious about what dry-hopping can do for a beer should put this on their calendar. I will also be there, and we will tap it at 6 pm. However, if the Left Hand Fade To Black cask shows up before Friday, it will be hard not to keep us from getting into that. Maybe that one goes next Friday, stay tuned.
Next Tuesday (the 19th, not 4 days from now!) is the Bell's event at Metropolis from 6-8pm. Owner Larry Bell will be in town, and we have a cask of Cherry Stout, a keg of Hop Slam and a very special keg of Van Twee. The Van Twee is Bell's collaboration with De Proef in Belgium. It is a Belgian dubbel with a little porter influence, tinted with Michigan tart cherry juice, fermented with Belgian yeast and carbonated with Michigan beet sugar. Reports are glowing to say the least. I have yet to try it myself. This is a small keg, so you will need to be on time or you are going to miss out. These are the types of beers that separate the hardcore beer drinkers from the mere "hobbyists". Do you want quotation marks around your status? I don't. Be there! Be there! Be there!
That is it for now. Before I go I want to share with you the news of a sickness that I have. I have been afflicted with this sickness since I was a small child in the 70's. So far, there seems to be no cure. Many times I have tried to rid myself of this illness, occasionally becoming disgusted by its shameful origin. But it won't seem to go away, and I have resigned myself to accept it, embrace it, and carry on with dignity. When push comes to shove, all I can say is GO COWBOYS! Big game tonight. I know, I'm sick. Enjoy your weekend.
