Had Insight Brewing's Hop Spin tonight per recommendation from a friend. Their beer has always struck me as decent, but not something I would seek out.
Hop Spin is a rotating series according to the text on the can. This one was a triple IPA (second in the series) and was outstanding. Rivals many of Blackstacks TIPA offerings, and that's saying something (to me anyway). I might have to start giving more of their beers a better chance.
Insight is solid. I'll have to look for that one.
You know their new head brewer was the head one at Blackstack?
I did not know that... I guess that makes sense then.
That is quite a get for them then. Blackstack has been, in my mind, one of the best breweries in the state the past few years. Its been my personal favorite due to the quality and variety of IPAs they put out there.
Spent the birthday Friday doing a short tour. Started with lunch and beers at Pyres. The pizzas they had were great. Headed to my favorite TC brewery (Dangerous Man) and got a great Watermelon Sour, plus the Blue Raz Slushie to share. Headed to La Dona for a couple before a free birthday drink at Royal Foundry next door. Got a Gin Old Fashioned which was great as well.
Spent the birthday Friday doing a short tour. Started with lunch and beers at Pyres. The pizzas they had were great. Headed to my favorite TC brewery (Dangerous Man) and got a great Watermelon Sour, plus the Blue Raz Slushie to share. Headed to La Dona for a couple before a free birthday drink at Royal Foundry next door. Got a Gin Old Fashioned which was great as well.
Sounds like we missed your birthday. Happy belated!
:bd: :bday2:
My wife and I went to Drastic Measures as a pit stop on our way to Bemidji. [mention]Cowgirl[/mention] they had a lot of fruit forward sours there and another that tasted like a jolly rancher. The non sour beers I had were excellent too and overall it was worth the trip given all the hype I’ve heard about them.
We are sitting on the patio at Bemidji Brewing tonight trying a bunch of variants of their double Porter. They’ve all been excellent and I think a few bottles are coming home with me
I love Drastic Measures.
Highlight for beer for the weekend. At The Fitz in Eagle River MI (just north of Houghton), due to an inventory snafu, Perrin somehow still had a 2016 No Rules keg, which the Fitz bought, and just tapped. Good. God. Yes!
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
I love Drastic Measures.
Highlight for beer for the weekend. At The Fitz in Eagle River MI (just north of Houghton), due to an inventory snafu, Perrin somehow still had a 2016 No Rules keg, which the Fitz bought, and just tapped. Good. God. Yes!
We are going to stop in Monticello before we get our son and dog to see if they have the one that tasted like the Jolly Rancher. They didn’t have many of the sours to go but at least it’s close to where my parents live anyways.
My neighbor is moving later this week and they texted me if I wanted the beer in the cellar they weren’t bringing with them. They won’t take any money so it’s all free and there’s probably 2 dozen bombers of different things
There’s a bunch of Darkness, a couple PAMP Pastry Stouts and at least one Starkeller beer.
In the ‘this will be interesting’ category there’s a bottle of Hexxit (Todd Haug’s last beer he made in MN) and some vintage Old Friend from Indeed.
In the likely drain pour category will be some DIPA from Bauhaus that I’m assuming is years old and a few bottles of Surly’s Brett Mikkel IPA. We’ll try them but I suspect they haven’t aged gracefully
On the way home from Houghton, stopped at Cold Iron Brewing in Ironwood MI. Awesome space, just had a 6oz of the blonde. Meh. Bought a sixer of the honey cream ale to take home. Also stopped at Uncommon Loon in Chisago City, decent space, the wheat was average. Bought a blood orange IPA crowler to take home.
As for MI beers, brought home a 4pk of Old Nation B43 (I guess it's the lo-carb/no residual sugar version of the M43), and a sixer of Founders' Cerise (which on this go-round was tough to find in Keweenaw area).
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
I just tried a beer called Hearing Colors from Drastic Measures that we picked up over the weekend. It’s billed as a strawberry, mango and bubble gum sour
The beer pours close to a Bloody Mary color and it smells like fresh bubble gum. The mango is the most dominant flavor but you get the other two as well
It’s a really odd combo that surprisingly works out OK
I just tried a beer called Hearing Colors from Drastic Measures that we picked up over the weekend. It’s billed as a strawberry, mango and bubble gum sour
The beer pours close to a Bloody Mary color and it smells like fresh bubble gum. The mango is the most dominant flavor but you get the other two as well
It’s a really odd combo that surprisingly works out OK
I have seen that beer, but don't think I'd like it...
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
I just tried a beer called Hearing Colors from Drastic Measures that we picked up over the weekend. It’s billed as a strawberry, mango and bubble gum sour
The beer pours close to a Bloody Mary color and it smells like fresh bubble gum. The mango is the most dominant flavor but you get the other two as well
It’s a really odd combo that surprisingly works out OK
I have seen that beer, but don't think I'd like it...
I thought it was ok. We have another crowler of it but may keep it to share so others can try it.
I am set for a while...I did just come back from MI with a full cooler. 
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
I am set for a while...I did just come back from MI with a full cooler.
Funny…i wasn’t intending to say you could have it. 
I am set for a while...I did just come back from MI with a full cooler.
Funny…i wasn’t intending to say you could have it.
<img class="go2wpf-bbcode" src=" https://media.tenor.com/images/eadc1a3d2e49717f1d985ba4e684e8cb/tenor.pn g" alt="">
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
Molson-Coors is sunsetting 11 of their economy brands, including Hamm's Special Light: https://www.fooddive.com/news/molson-coors-to-sunset-11-economy-brands/604212/ :censored:
Went to Pryes on Saturday after a friend’s wedding. We haven’t been there for a few years so we wanted to go somewhere other than Indeed or Dangerous Man.
I don’t think they’ll ever get a lot of run but we had some really good beers there. I liked Pineapple sour and their Tropical Smoothie sour, but their Dry Stout and Lost Moon were both fantastic. Lost Moon was one of the best local RISs I’ve had in a long time.
Went to Pryes on Saturday after a friend’s wedding. We haven’t been there for a few years so we wanted to go somewhere other than Indeed or Dangerous Man.
I don’t think they’ll ever get a lot of run but we had some really good beers there. I liked Pineapple sour and their Tropical Smoothie sour, but their Dry Stout and Lost Moon were both fantastic. Lost Moon was one of the best local RISs I’ve had in a long time.
I think Pryes is underrated. And couldn’t agree more on Lost Moon. So good. :good2:
If you drink the following beers you are out of luck as Molson/Coors is discontinuing them.
Milwaukee’s Best Premium
Mickey’s Fine Malt Liquor Ice
Henry Weinhard’s Private Reserve
Keystone Ice
Hamm’s Special Light
Keylightful
Icehouse Edge
Magnum
Miller High Life Light
Steel Reserve 211
Olde English HG 8000.
https://www.ibtimes.com/11-molson-coors-beers-are-going-away-your-favorite-chopping-block-3265479
A college buddy of mine would buy 30 racks of Keystone Ice.
It was abysmal. But it was strong and cheap.
A college buddy of mine would buy 30 racks of Keystone Ice.
It was abysmal. But it was strong and cheap.
For college student purposes, I suspect those last two attributes were the driving factor, yes.
B1G refs... corrupt, or just incompetent?
A college buddy of mine would buy 30 racks of Keystone Ice.
It was abysmal. But it was strong and cheap.
I still remember a guy two doors down in the dorm my freshman year who brought back 12 cases of Old Milwaukee Light bottles one weekend and by Friday he had finished all of them and turned the cases into the beginning of a new dorm room chair. He eventually had pretty much multiple
Pieces of furniture made from empties by the end of the year
Between him and my next door neighbors who moved out a bed and turned their room into a bar (completely with selling out of it) I think I was surrounded by alcoholics. I have no clue how I was able to sleep that first year given all the noise.
A college buddy of mine would buy 30 racks of Keystone Ice.
It was abysmal. But it was strong and cheap.
For college student purposes, I suspect those last two attributes were the driving factor, yes.
For me it was Pig's Eye (bottles only, unless it was a road trip) and Mickey's 64ozers (and Mickey's Ice when that came around). Mostly Pig's Eye, though. $7 for a case (after you got your deposit back)!.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
A college buddy of mine would buy 30 racks of Keystone Ice.
It was abysmal. But it was strong and cheap.
For college student purposes, I suspect those last two attributes were the driving factor, yes.
For me it was Pig's Eye (bottles only, unless it was a road trip) and Mickey's 64ozers (and Mickey's Ice when that came around). Mostly Pig's Eye, though. $7 for a case (after you got your deposit back)!.
Going to Mankato, it was Hauenstein for us. $11.00 for 24 bottles, got two bucks back if you brought them back. This was a little less than twenty years ago.
A college buddy of mine would buy 30 racks of Keystone Ice.
It was abysmal. But it was strong and cheap.
For college student purposes, I suspect those last two attributes were the driving factor, yes.
For me it was Pig's Eye (bottles only, unless it was a road trip) and Mickey's 64ozers (and Mickey's Ice when that came around). Mostly Pig's Eye, though. $7 for a case (after you got your deposit back)!.
Going to Mankato, it was Hauenstein for us. $11.00 for 24 bottles, got two bucks back if you brought them back. This was a little less than twenty years ago.
There were two distinct groups that were the majority: Busch Light Draft, and Pig's Eye. This was 1994 or so, tUMD.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
Anyone here old enough to remember Pfeiffers?
"Back in the day" you used to be able to score three cases of the stuff for $9.00. Yes, it was overpriced, but for a bunch of us underaged teenagers, it got the job done. And readily available at "Mendota Teenage Liquor Store".
Anyone here old enough to remember Pfeiffers?
"Back in the day" you used to be able to score three cases of the stuff for $9.00. Yes, it was overpriced, but for a bunch of us underaged teenagers, it got the job done. And readily available at "Mendota Teenage Liquor Store".
I not only remember it, I've had it. I've also had Huber (because you can't be picky when you're raiding dad's fridge).
Tact is the ability to step on a man's toes without messing up the shine on his shoes - Harry S Truman
Pfeiffers - Famous Beer. It said so on the can!
In the mid-80s we could slide over to Superior and get a case of Old Milwaukee, with deposit, for about $5. Our justification is it was as good as Stroh's.
The cases were then used as furniture and between several dorms I think we had about three pickup loads to return in May. We gave the nearby liquor store a heads up and he brushed us off like it's no big deal. Dude, we're probably talking over a hundred cases here. Once he saw the light he told us when returnables would be picked up, we brought the cases then and helped load him and the driver load them into the truck. That act scored us a couple more cases of Old Swill (cans - he was no dummy!) and a jug of Windsor. The money from the case returns went to good use....a keg.
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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Going to Mankato, it was Hauenstein for us. $11.00 for 24 bottles, got two bucks back if you brought them back. This was a little less than twenty years ago.
Gotta love a beer with a little character.
If you're in Laguardia and want to buy a Sam Adams Summer Ale..... 
Even by airport standard those are insane prices. Holy crap
Even by airport standard those are insane prices. Holy crap
The price for the Sam Adams was evidently corrected to $18.15, which is still nuts to me. This tweet prompted the retailer to perform a full price audit of everything on the menu, though.
Crappy beers from my youth:
Cold Spring
Fox Deluxe
Bohemian Club
FYI there's a free concert scheduled on Saturday 8/11 at the Luce Line Brewery (12901 16th Ave N, Plymouth). This will be the 10th annual "Blues, Brews and BBQ's", albeit a scaled down version of what it's been in past years when several different bands performed on nearby church grounds. Music starts at 4:00pm.
https://highergrounds.moply.org/bbnbbqs/
Oktoberfests on the shelves already. Seems like it comes out earlier every year.
FYI there's a free concert scheduled on Saturday 8/11 at the Luce Line Brewery (12901 16th Ave N, Plymouth). This will be the 10th annual "Blues, Brews and BBQ's", albeit a scaled down version of what it's been in past years when several different bands performed on nearby church grounds. Music starts at 4:00pm.
https://highergrounds.moply.org/bbnbbqs/
My wife and I have been to these in the past at the church grounds. A great time and very good causes. ?
Oktoberfests on the shelves already. Seems like it comes out earlier every year.
August 1st is about right now. The pumpkin beers are out too
FYI there's a free concert scheduled on Saturday 8/11 at the Luce Line Brewery (12901 16th Ave N, Plymouth). This will be the 10th annual "Blues, Brews and BBQ's", albeit a scaled down version of what it's been in past years when several different bands performed on nearby church grounds. Music starts at 4:00pm.
https://highergrounds.moply.org/bbnbbqs/
8-11? A Saturday? Sure about that?
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
8-11? A Saturday? Sure about that?
Big :oops:, sorry about that. The event is tomorrow, Saturday the 7th!
Had the 2021 Perrin No Rules (regular) last night. This year's batch is a really good batch. Already tasting like it has aged a bit. That smooth.
Forager announced their lineup for Forager Fest in Sept...the line-ride might be back. Depends if I want to spend the money and the time for the bottles.
Barrel Aged Beer Release starting at 10am;
Kitten Treats Vintage 2021
Cognac Puncheon Aged Wheat Wine 16.8% ABV $50
Nillerzzzzz Killerzzzzz 2021
Barrel Aged Vanilla Coffee Stout 14.5% ABV $50
Chicatanazzzzz
Barrel Aged Stout 14.5% ABV $50
Syncopation
Double Barrel Stout 13.4% ABV $50
Derby Pie
Barrel Aged Pastry Stout 14.8% ABV $50
.
Critter Cuvee
Barrel Aged Cuvee 13.5% ABV $50
Buzzed
Barrel Aged Coffee Stout 14% ABV $50
Full descriptions on their FB page.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
The Bourbon County 2021 lineup was announced today as well...
Bourbon County Stout ABV 14% and 14.4% - After spending eight to 14 months in a variety of Heaven Hill, Wild Turkey and Buffalo Trace barrels, the beer is blended together giving us Bourbon County Stout (BCS). Expect big notes of chocolate, molasses, oak and vanilla, per usual.
Bourbon County Cherry Wood Stout 14.3% ABV - The first way Goose Island is utilizing barrels/wood in this year’s lineup, Cherry Wood Stout’s name pretty much describes the beer. The brewery took BCS and finished it with toasted honeycomb-shaped cherry wood chips.
Bourbon County Reserve 150 Stout 15.6% ABV - To celebrate Old Forester’s 150th anniversary, the distillery picked 150 barrels that were resting in their barrelhouse and created three unique batches of bourbon. Those barrels then housed Bourbon County and that’s how we get BCS Reserve 150 Stout.
Bourbon County Double Barrel Toasted Barrel Stout 16% ABV - This beer spent one year in Elijah Craig’s Small Batch Bourbon Barrels and then another year in Elijah Craig Toasted Bourbon Barrels.
Bourbon County Reserve Blanton’s Stout 15.4% ABV - Continuing down the trend of using special barrels, this variant takes the base BCS and puts it into Blanton’s Original Single Barrel Bourbon barrels for 18 months.
Bourbon County Classic Cola Stout 14.1% ABV - This one screams Kentucky Fog from 2020 and is the variant that will be the most polarizing. People will love or hate this one as it’s the first time Goose Island is doing a cola-inspired variant of BCS. They took those classic cola flavors and added lime and orange juice, zest, coriander and a host of other adjuncts to produce a beer that mimics that a whiskey cola.
Bourbon County Fourteen Stout TBD ABV - To honor that beer, Goose Island is taking the 2014 recipe but adding more rye to the beer. The original adjuncts of cassia bark, cocoa nibs, panela sugar and coconut water are still there but expect an additional level of spice we didn’t have in 2014.
Proprietor’s Bourbon County Stout TBD ABV - To wrap up the lineup, Proprietor’s (only available in Chicago) returns with a similar theme from 2020. After going for a take on Spumoni last year, which overall was pretty well done, Goose Island is going for a strawberry ice cream bar flavor this year.
Why do I think that lineup is going to add up to me having a much lighter wallet than I usually do after I buy BCBS?
Why do I think that lineup is going to add up to me having a much lighter wallet than I usually do after I buy BCBS?
Assuming you can find 'em. 
I barely found regular BCBS last year, hitting stores AFTER work was the issue. The majority of the crowds still treat these as a jewel, so I have had little luck the past few years, but it's not a HUGE deal to me. I'd like to get them, sure, but not heartbroken.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
Why do I think that lineup is going to add up to me having a much lighter wallet than I usually do after I buy BCBS?
Assuming you can find 'em.
I barely found regular BCBS last year, hitting stores AFTER work was the issue. The majority of the crowds still treat these as a jewel, so I have had little luck the past few years, but it's not a HUGE deal to me. I'd like to get them, sure, but not heartbroken.
I don’t usually have much of a problem and likely could get you some as well if I find extra variants.
Well, you know one of the crowds I run with, and frankly, BCBS (and variants) are not something I really chase, like back in the day. It's nice to have, I love 'em, but man, I gotta limit my expenses during stout season.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
The new Drekker BRAIIIIIIIIINS Raspberry, Raspberry, Raspberry...
I don't know if this would count as a liquid. That thick. Absolutely delicious. It's all the raspberry puree that man ever created and jammed into a pint can.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
I wish places would stop trying to make < 4% stouts. Had a Dry Irish Stout at a brewery in North Platte NE tonight and it tasted like it was watered down and no flavor or body.
I wish places would stop trying to make < 4% stouts. Had a Dry Irish Stout at a brewery in North Platte NE tonight and it tasted like it was watered down and no flavor or body.
Even Guinness is 4.2. I can't imagine how thin under 4% would be.
B1G refs... corrupt, or just incompetent?
I wish places would stop trying to make < 4% stouts. Had a Dry Irish Stout at a brewery in North Platte NE tonight and it tasted like it was watered down and no flavor or body.
Even Guinness is 4.2. I can't imagine how thin under 4% would be.
Wicked Wort did a sub 3% one once. Calling it terrible would be the nicest thing I can say about it
Wicked Wort did a sub 3% one once.
<img class="go2wpf-bbcode" src=" https://sweatpantsandcoffee.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/940x450-Ryan-Reynold-Reaction-GIFs.jp g" alt="">
B1G refs... corrupt, or just incompetent?
LTD party today. It was great. Perfect weather. I was selling bottles with 2 friends and 1 employee (per shift; I pulled a double). First employee taught one friend how to use the iPad. From then on, the employee's job morphed into "Get us a beer." That was it. The employee(s) LOVED it. Easiest job ever according to them. 
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.