Monday's Meatloaf - Do you remember when?...

We used to say...

Back in college, Joe Waterloo had this phenomenon he'd point out almost anytime we got into a car, cranked the engine of the old '67 Malibu Chevelle, and then did the same with the car's stereo (appropriately modified for the late 1980's with a Blaupunkt, btw...).

"Hey. This song was playing when we got out of the car!"

The first time this happened I just played along. There was always the chance he was just a bit touched, in a slightly imbalanced kind of way. After all, we'd just met and just because we were at the University of Georgia didn't mean he talked like we do. Maybe I was misunderstanding him.

Like the time he first said "I really smacked that puppy!!" while playing some early adoption Nintendo golf game I believe. We all looked at each other like what kind of sadistic and inhumane male role models do they have in southern Maryland that produces a guy that thinks smacking puppies around is something to brag about. But I do digress.

It didn't matter to ol Joe Waterloo that there was a cassette* in the deck. One that had been patiently waiting for the right key to make the right turn and re-ignite the tales of Pyromania that had so abruptly stopped when we'd finally found a parking spot in the Russell lot (this is before parking decks were invented kids. One had to burn at least a quarter of a tank of gas to luck into a spot back then, gather the groceries cheap beer and packages of Ramen noodles out of the trunk before hiking twelve miles uphill to your dormitory.) No, it was part of the gag I guess.

Which is why I found it so funny last week when I parked the car in the driveway Thursday evening with Van Morrison blaring and the dude just sat there all night long (without the aid of a cassette deck, a compact disc or even an iPod) until Friday morning when he could finish BIP BOP BIPping along about his brown eyed girl. I sat there dumbfounded. A flood of memories returning from decades back just to make me chuckle. I quickly looked in the backseat to see if somehow Joe Waterloo was (screwing) with me.

 As my 12yo said, it's no leg lamp but it's
still a major award!

Then I chuckled again. Turned that puppy up a little louder and...FA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA ti DA.

Just like that.

Today's Ingredients
- Given our victory this weekend (see inset picture and bow to our supremacy fledgling hopheads) the following bullets are all hopped up and ready to be poured as well as eaten.
- Make sure you check out the latest Junkyard Dawg Podcast. We've kegged episode three and are dry-hopping a two week long battle with iTunes for acceptance. Oh the drama!
- Fox's Hoop Dawgs boiled up to a two-seed in the NIT and will host Vermont Wednesday night at the Steg. Go Dawgs!
- Speaking of which, tickets hit the brew menu this morning for Wednesday night's game.
- Tyler has the skinny (or at least as much as teh internets will offer) on Vermont's basketball program on draft, post Tom Brennan.
- Sure the brackets are all set. But PWD is so malt-forward in looking ahead to next season's hoops schedule.
- Back on the gridiron Lugnut Dawg asks if Georgia's contract with its offensive coordinator isn't carbonated enough.
- Andrew has a spring practice primer on tap.
- If your Georgia tackle football expectations have too much yeast in the fermenter Blutarsky has some cogent and sobering thoughts on the year after the Year of the Quarterback.
- Emerson continues his look at the pre-Spring depth chart here with the defense.
- Greg found a mascot fight on the baseline! Whoa. Talk about a brew ha ha...Ahem. Sorry.
- Lastly, met two more friends of the blog Saturday up in Suwanee. Keep that internet connection paid up and the craft beer flowing Jon and Ben! Go Dawgs!

Special shout-out to my homebrewing pahtnahs Nama and Cord, the other two-thirds of BeaverDawg Brews. I'll hand over the winning medal soon enough. Just know that both Kroger and Publix frown on you wearing it up and down their beer aisle whilst screaming the lyrics to We are the Champion!

The dude so abides y'all. In closing, Happy St. Patrick's Day and all that! As the saying goes, there are only two kinds of people in the world - Irish and those that wish they were! So let's close out this end out with an good Irish Joke:

 An Irishman was drinking in a bar in London when he gets a call on his cell phone. He orders drinks for everybody in the bar as he announces his wife has just produced a typical Irish baby boy weighing 25 pounds. 

Nobody can believe that any new baby can weigh in at 25 pounds,
but the man just shrugs, "That's about average up our way, folks ... like I said … my boy's a typical County Clare baby boy." 

Two weeks later the man returns to the bar. The bartender says, "Say, you're the father of that typical Irish baby that weighed 25 pounds at birth, aren't you? Everybody's been making' bets about how big he'd be in two weeks .... so how much does he weigh now?" 

The proud father answers, "Seventeen pounds." The bartender is puzzled and concerned. "What happened? He was 25 pounds the day he was born." 

The father takes a slow swig of his Jameson Irish Whisky,
wipes his lips on his shirt sleeve, leans into the bartender and proudly says, "Had him circumcised."

Thanks for sending that one Mac, ya old bloke! Sláinte Reader! Here's your fork and a pint glass of Murphy's. Call it lón.

Bernie

Monday's Meatloaf - of hop pellets and a lead foot

Until yesterday my memory of homebrewing went a lot like this: walk into obscure mid-1990's brew supply store, walk past all the wine-making crap to the back corner, grab some ingredients according to a recipe I found on the internet in a book mom had given me for Christmas, get really excited, convert the kitchen into a sticky mess, listen to the wife complain about the smell while you smile uncontrollably at the thought of all that Miller Lite you're not going to have to drink now, finish the batch and laboriously bottle it all up, then come to the realization that although it's better than a Coors Banquet beer, it's still not close to what I had anticipated in the back corner of the mid-1990's brew supply store.

Rinse with sterilization solution and repeat.

Yes, until yesterday. Sunday July 14th the inaugural batch of Beaver Dawg Brew boiled to perfection. And while it did so, Nama, Cord and myself were able to drink really good beer...and talk about football...and grill meat...and drunkenly discuss the intricacies of the George Zimmerman case...and drink really good beer...and talk about the recipe Cord found on the internets...and eat grilled meats...and plan out the fermentation process.

I'm sorry your tailgate this fall won't be nearly as hoppy as ours Reader. But if you stumble by maybe we'll give you a taste. Cheers!

Today's Ingredients
- Another successful Dawg Night is in the books. And Dyshon Sims' commitment is the talk of the town.
- Speaking of Sims, Blutarsky recaps why Saban will have to use a cellular device to sell his one year plan to the St. Pete prospect.
- DavetheDawg evaluates the current class of commits and asks you what position would best round it out.
- Tyler has a theory as to why UGA is not preparing billboards touting Murray for Heisman. Have to say I agree. Individual attention is the last thing our quarterback wants. Or needs. All good things...

Not what Archie meant by "I twins right
formation" Johnny. Not at all.

- As Manziel was nursing his acute illness massive hangover this weekend, I couldn't help but wonder how his erratic behavior will affect the sports betting odds in A&M games this fall. Will people lose confidence in his ability to lead on the field?
- Confession: I didn't watch that shark movie y'all. But LSUFreek makes me wish I had.
- With Media Days looming this week, Paschall tells us the focus is not on the rear view.
- Hey look, I made the #NoleNationDraft!! (h/t Hale)
- Lastly, this was a great read by Weiszer on the current landscape for gay athletes, both at UGA and across the country.

Dear Officer Myers,

It was great meeting you along highway 64 a couple weeks ago. I apologize for arriving at your speed trap so hastily. The family was eager to get to the beach and the pressure was sitting squarely on my shoulders. Or the gas pedal under my right flip flop as the case may be.

We had a chance to meet so many nice people while in your neck of the woods. I wish you had the same opportunity. No, really I do.

There was the gentleman in the tank top using his knees to steer his Dodge Ram while he used his two thumbs to text his buddy. Undoubtedly it was something of vital importance, such as how much Coors Light he had consumed in the 7-11 parking lot. Or perhaps to ask which finger he'd blow off with an M-80 the next night during their Fourth of July celebration. I'm just glad we didn't allow our car to interfere with the weaving of his truck, and the trailer he was using to haul his jet skis. And his Coors Light. And his

Then there was the gal holding a cigarette with her left hand while scratching off her lottery tickets with her right. I'm no math major Officer Myers, but I believe that leaves her with less than one hands to steer her Expedition as she weaved in between cars. You would've loved to meet her...assuming you could've forced your vehicle up to a speed fast enough to catch up to her. Word of caution, watch out for flying butts. And used cigarettes.

Anyway. I hope my transgression didn't ruin your July 4th holiday. After you served me with my summons and we parted ways, suddenly my daughters were quite adept at shouting out the speed limit changes from the back seat. If they had only found the time to assist 30 minutes before you asked me to roll down my window we would've never met.

And I'd be a couple hundred dollars richer. Perhaps that nice lady could loan me some cash from her scratch off winnings.

Sincerely, 
Bernie, the guy in the UGA cap

Monday's Meatloaf - gettin' salty, again

Ok, so maybe I was overly insensitive towards Mr. Oliver Saturday. Perhaps it only proved that I'm still not over that loss to Alabama. Don't get me wrong. The self imposed "king" of college football is still a first rate idiot, but I need to move on. That all happened months ago.

Pass the salt. I'm reopening the wound.

Water under the bridge. Get over it Bernie!

Ok. I hear ya. In an effort to move myself forward, I'm self-imposing a deadline of sorts. I'm sick of scrolling through my DVR list and seeing that SEC Championship game sitting there, both beckoning me and taunting me at the same time. "C'mon Bernie...fire it up and relive the heartbreak all over. Don't you want to see Tree run back that blocked kick again? Let's do this."

Sometime before next week's meatloaf I will rewatch this game. And then I will delete this game from my digital television recording device. I will wash my hands of it and refuse to carry the burden of it into the summer. I would like to go to the pool without Quinton Dial mercilessly blindsiding me into the deep end. I want to go to the beach without Coach Saban cramming six extra scholarship vacationers into my car when the rules clearly set the limits with the number of functional seatbelts available.

I'm going to aim for this Thursday. If you would also like to crap this thing out and flush it, feel free to join me. I'll certainly live tweet it and attempt to monitor my alcohol intake sufficiently.

Or not. And if anyone is chummy with Oliver please invite him for me. Perhaps he can sit beside me and relate the story of meeting David Greene as a 9th grader and trying to move him to defensive end. I love that one.

Today's Ingredients
- If you're not ready to close the door on spring yet, Ching has the wrap up ready for your fine toothed comb.
- And DavetheDawg has fifteen talking points for your perusal.
- Tyler faces off against the nine game SEC schedule that has picked up momentum recently.
- Paschall has a lot of nice quotes (link corrected) from Grantham and Richt on the 2013 prospects.
- This time next year we'll be defining Aaron Murray's legacy. Blutarsky helps frame our reference point entering his final season.
- Similarly, Kimberley wonders if Murray can shut up the haters.
- Kelin wants to welcome you back to his blog.
- A late rally helped lift the softball team over visiting LSU 10-5.
- Run Home Jack finds the Lou Holtz Kithing Boothh in the trash heap outside of Notre Dame's athletics facility and Nick Saban photo bombing a grad's picture. (Nope, not an actual football player.)
- Lastly, for you St. Simons readers that I love so much, Buddy relays this message: the island now has a growler shop! Welcome Webers Growler Factory!

At this end of the loaf we have a pompous high school track star blatantly taunting competitors as he blazes towards the finish line. So glad they caught this kid in the act of such unsportsmanlike behavior so that his self-aggrandizing act could cost his whole team the glory they had earned. Well done you governing body of fat Texas bureaucrats. Way to stick it to em good!

As you let that simmer Reader, here's a napkin. Go have yourself a Monday!

Bernie

Podcastin' with CFBZ

If you like beer and college football, you are in the right place. And you may want to listen to this podcast I had the pleasure of being a part of yesterday. Kevin at CFBZ invited me to join him and we talk about craft beer and a little Georgia football. Make sure you read his blog and follow him on twitter - @CFBZ.

Listen to internet radio with College Football Zealots Podcast on Blog Talk Radio

Beer of the Week: Drafty Kilt Scotch Ale

This is likely the last BotW post here. For some of you that might be welcome news. If so, grab a whine glass out of Mrs. Bernie's collection and go sit by a fire somewhere while you knit, or read People magazine. The rest of you stay tuned within the next week or so for more info.

Monday Night swag!

Had the pleasure of meeting Jonathan the other day. Who's Jonathan? Well, I'm glad you asked. He's the creative guy at Monday Night Brewing. He's also their "Master of Mind Control". Channeling all that power, he came out to The Best of Brews with some great beer in tow. You remember when we talked about their Eye Patch Ale back in January. Well, since then I've had it a couple more times. I even had a growler of it that Ale Yeah! randallized with some coffee. 


Holy crap America is a great place to live! Yet, I digress...


Today we're tasting and typing about their Scotch ale, affectionately referred to as Drafty Kilt. Scotland's location and weather isn't really conducive to growing much in the way of hops. So a Scotch ale is going to be low in IBUs and rich in malt flavor. And although there tend to be many variations of it these days, a traditional Scotch ale will be nice and roasty, sweet, full flavored and around 7-8% ABV.


The Drafty Kilt Scotch Ale doesn't disappoint. It pours a dark reddish brown with a generous head that lingers nicely. This naturally came from a growler so the head might not be as prominent after a couple days. I couldn't tell you one way or the other as the two growlers of this one that I've had haven't lasted into day three. *fist bump!*

Casual tap handles

After admiring the color and letting everything settle down (including myself into a comfortable chair), the first quaff is creamy smooth. It has a lasting sweetness as the roasted chocolate flavors from the malt do battle in your mouth. There's a hint of cherry as well as some bite, but you never catch a mouth full of alcohol burn like some other Scotch ales I've had. This is ultra-smooth and exceptionally flavorful. And what I really like about this brew and Scotch ales over all is their versatility. You can pour a glass of this while grilling, eating dinner or just hanging out on the deck swing. It even works exceptionally well after dinner. Just a great beer.


The guys at Monday Night are growing. Keep an eye on this Atlanta brewery. They released two exceptional beers that complement each other well and have really drawn some attention. Their lines at Suwanee Beer Fest a few weeks ago were steady and there were plenty of content faces walking away from their tent. The Eye Patch and the Drafty Kilt are both very tasty and unique while also giving proper respect to their respective styles. Next is a Belgian Wit that is due out this summer. Fans pitched in with the naming and I believe Fu Man Chu won. In the mean time you should be able to find their unique tap somewhere close by if you live around Atlanta. 


If not, ask for it by name and help spread the word. Something as good as these beers shouldn't be a secret for long.

Monday's Margarita - tequila > brownie

Greetings sports fans, from the sun drenched Atlantic coast. Don't worry, I'm not just here for fun and games. I'm also training the snowbirds of Ohio and Ontario to not sound like squawking chicken hawks when they talk.

I know we're all discouraged with the recent news. Richt's boat gets lighter and lighter.It seems like everyday there's someone else in trouble or leaving Athens. I'm not going to pump sunshine. I'm frustrated too.

But don't let a mistaken brownie or a couple spring transfers dampen your spirit for this team, this season. Voicing frustrations over the uneven playing field when it comes to drug testing is understandable. Shaking your head at dumb decisions is a simple yet appropriate reaction. But the reality is there's still guys working hard and competing for the right to wear the G 'tween the hedges.

Shortened list of ingredients today as I traveled pretty light. But mix well and be sure to tell your waitress if you want a salted rim or not.

Today's Ingredients
- Blutarsky wonders if there's more to these transfers than meets the eye.
- Rex has an opportunity if any of you want to show off your Georgia Glory.
- Patrick takes some time to rank the greatest tight ends to wear the G.
- Not the best weekend on the diamond as T Kyle King reports.
- ecdawg has some defensive highlights for you.
- Interested in a GDay Tweetup? You can talk to people in more than 140 characters.
- Hope everyone had a great April Fools Day. You didn't get Mike Campo'd did you?


Great day Saturday up in Suwanee. This year's beer fest far exceeded 2011's in both participation, organization and tasting. Shout out to Mary Kate, the other organizers, the breweries, the bands, the participants and especially the volunteers. Can't wait for next year!

That's all for now Reader. That's about the best I can do from this phone. I hope to have at least one more installment in the GATArchives this week. And I've got a Humpday Hilarity that I'm told The Senator may have previewed for you over the weekend. Unless I'm overrun by Ontarioanites in the Piggly Wiggly look for those posts and others later this week.

Squawking chicken hawks do love their bagels.

Bernie

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Monday's Meatloaf - Cover Two and the Fart Girl

Saturday evening the wife and I felt like two lost defensive backs in a Willie Martinez secondary. You know...like that Arkansas game in 2009, where there seemed to be two sets of silver britches and about 11 hogs?


The youngest turned eight Saturday and four of her classmates came over for what we thought was going to be a slumber party. Turned out they were just there to wreck the house and scream. A lot. 

Who has two thumbs and a can of Lysol?

Just like a dangerous squad of receivers these kids came with their own proficiencies and skill sets. For instance we had The Farter, an obvious deep threat that could run all day...and night. And she always seemed to leave a cloud in her trail. Then there was The Calm One, she's fairly easy to control but can burn you with the subtle crossing route when you're not looking.


As dangerous as both of those are there's a flat out baller on the sideline waiting in the wings for a chance. Some of you parents know the threat I'm about to mention. It's the Malcolm Mitchell of slumber partyers. Able to defend and offend...that's right, it's The Double Threat. Your own kid. Your flesh and blood. You think you know them and then suddenly you're getting a glimpse of what they're like around these other hooligans. At first there's just a hint of chaos in their laughter that is both unrecognizable and eerily familiar. Weird. You quickly realize that there's trouble brewing in her beautiful little brown eyes  The Double Threat may or may not show her hand early on, but when the evening is in the balance and you least expect it...watch out.


And if you spend too much time trailing The Farter with a can of Febreze, The Double Threat shakes loose and then it's game over.

Today's Ingredients

• Not a great weekend to be on the diamond in Nashvegas. After a beautiful 1-0 victory Friday, the Diamond Dawgs drop the next two to Vandy.
• However, the tennis teams are hot. While in Baton Rouge the men win their 8th in a row and the women dominated.
• Inside LB Johnny O'Neal of West Laurens became CMRs 9th commitment for 2013.
• The Senator puts a poll up as the backdrop to the national attention that Aaron Murray is mgetting.
• The RB position is a hot race this spring. Ching breaks it down pretty thoroughly. ($)
• Travis is usually ahead of the curve. And no exception here with his bold predictions, including the 2012 Heisman trophy winner.
• Staying with prediction theme, ecdawg finds Mizzou winning the East in their first SEC season is getting trendy.
• Interesting roundtable discussion at College Football Zealots on whether or not Coach PaJammies has plateaued on the flats.
• The Lady Sportswriter finds a contemplative and realistic lil Dools at work in Knutsville.
• Lastly, Suwanee Beer Fest is this Saturday. If you're impressed by the way I type (and really...how could you not be?) then you ought to come see me drink beer. Seriously, more selection and cooler temps than the first one. Win, win.

Like Vance Cuff: great speed, but not
enough coverage skills

In the end Mrs. Bernie and I fell back on experience and were able to contain with a prevent defense that was surprisingly and appropriately aggressive. After all this wasn't our first rodeo. Of course, there's always some differences in sleeping comforts...teddy bears...who still sucks their thumb...who only wears pajama bottoms. Maybe we couldn't control the flatulence from The Farter, but the wife could sure as hell tell her she would most certainly be taken home if she jumped on furniture. And nothing was thoroughly damaged by misuse or overuse. Everyone stayed moderately civil despite a complete and utter lack of table manners and there was next to no drama, aka intrapersonal conflict/strife. And we even kept The Double Threat in check as evidenced by this breakfast table exchange:
(Bernie furiously passing out pancakes so we can shove the slumberers out the door) 
The Farter's twin sister: These pancakes are burnt!
Bernie: They're not burnt, they're golden brown and the chocolate chips are deliciously melted.
The Double Threat: (pointedly at her classmate) Don't argue with him. Trust me.

So all in all it could've been much worse. Our over stretched WilMart zone defense managed to control the little hellions and get five hours sleep before the cutting of the cheese and more screaming commenced afresh in the pre-dawn hours. Like beautiful little birds, stretching their cute little wings as the sun crests the subdivision's rooftops and elm trees...then SCREECHING AT THE TOP OF THEIR LUNGS FOR FOUR MORE HOURS UNTIL THEIR MOMS RELUCTANTLY KNOCK ON THE DOOR.


Yes, the slumber party is a cheap and economical way to have a birthday. No room rental or liability waivers. You just shove some pizza down their gullets and rent a couple movies that they never watch. But I'll pay three times the charge at Monkey Joe's next time, observe them for a couple hours and then send them home. The house will smell better and the dog won't look at me as if to say "WTF were you thinking?"


Here's your fork Reader. Have a great Monday!

Bernie

Beer of the Week - the Irish stouts

Tomorrow is my second favorite holiday. So to prepare I'm comparing two of the big three Irish stouts for St. Patty's Day consumption. Beamish is the highest rated (according to Beer Advocate) of the Irish dry stouts: Guinness, Murphy's and Beamish. The drinking experience between the three is going to be very similar. Dark roasted tasting notes and a creamy head that complements perfectly. Still, Guinness grabs most all the attention here in the US while Beamish and Murphy's stand tall on their own in the background. 


So...what's the difference? First let's provide some background. I tried all them the way I prefer (when not at a pub in front of a tap), in a can with a nitro widget. You can get Guinness in a bottle and it's perfectly fine. But I like the pour from the can, not to mention the sound of the nitrogen getting kicked by the pull of the tab. Speaking of the pour, use the traditional two part pour. Guinness says the perfect pour should take 119.53 seconds. I don't employ that overly tantalizing method myself. Just tilt your pint glass at about a 45 degree angle and pour slowly until the can is only 2/3 full. Sit glass upright on table and wait a bit before pouring the remainder right down the middle.

Nama and Cord drink a LOT of beer.

Now your pint is ready to drink as you watch the bubbles antagonize you with their cascading dance.


Murphy's Irish Stout. I read somewhere recently that this is considered the craft beer in Ireland when it comes to stouts, while Guinness is the big pint on the block. Nothing wrong with that of course. But I mention that to point out that Irishmen tend to stick with one over the other, based largely on where they are from; Murphy's is brewed in Cork, Ireland and is owned by Heineken while Guinness is brewed in Dublin. The Murphy's is creamy smooth and rich with maltiness and an ABV of 4%. It's certainly not overly sweet but I pick up a lot more chocolate than I expect as well as some caramel. The finish is light, malty and then dissipates into a dryness. Entirely drinkable and seems to get a little sweeter as the glass gets lighter.


Guinness. One word. A name synonymous with Ireland and its famous dry Irish stout. This pint is going to be 4.1% ABV and is extremely flavorful. I would imagine most of you have had a Guinness or 20 in your lifetime, so you know what to expect. It's roasty and around the tongue you're going to get some coffee tastes and maybe some cocoa flavor. But the finish is completely dry and leaves you wanting more immediately. Many view the Irish stout as difficult to drink and never give it much of a chance. I find a pint of Guinness just the opposite. I think this comes down to the experience, more on that in a minute. 


A bonus Guinness has going for it is the publicity it's received as having healthy qualities, more specifically that it is good for your heart. I point this out for that moment at around 3pm Saturday when your wife frowns at you and the piles of empty cans at your feet.


Beamish. Couldn't try it. No longer available in the US. Bummer.


Overall, unless you are from Ireland and just feel an allegiance to a particular brand you can't really go wrong with any of the Irish stouts. I've omitted the O'Hara's which some claim to be the smoothest. Like the Beamish and as with any other authentic Irish stouts, I just haven't gotten my hand around that one. 


Whether you like the style or not, I think it's unfair to compare Irish stouts to other stouts that one might prefer. That's like comparing apples and oranges as types of fruits. The Irish stouts to me come down to an experience as you work through the pint. I just love the way the roasted flavors work against the creaminess of the head. The malt character and the hops work well against each other too. Some just aren't going to get into the slight bitterness, and I think that's because the expectations the eyes build of the Irish stout resembling a milk shake. I don't know, maybe not. I just know the first time I had one I was surprised at the bitterness and the dryness of it. I'm glad I gave the style another chance.


And this....this is an Irish Car Bomb. Maybe if we're lucky Nama will stop by and give us a link to the recipe in the comments. While we wait, do you like Irish Stouts? If so, which do you prefer?

BotW: Milk Stout Nitro

Oh the froth!! [before pic]

Left Hand is a great brewery. I don't know if you can say that it is the best Colorado craft brewery. But for my money it is right up there with Oskar Blues. And their Milk Stout is my favorite among their selections.


Last week the Milk Stout Nitro bottles became available in Georgia. If you're not familiar with nitros, you're probably in the majority. Nitro beers (usually on tap, but in this case in the bottle!!) are infused with nitrogen to produce a freshness and smoothness to the experience. When you pop the cap you get an extra hiss! If you get a growler of nitro brew it needs to be consumed that day (oh the horror!!!) but will taste even fresher, creamier due to the fullness of the head. Last week I drank a LOT of pressurized Guiness cans and Murphy's Stout cans with Nama and Cord. The concept behind those is similar: produce an intense frothy head that compliments the stout's unique taste and drinkability.


I grabbed a sixer of Milk Stout Nitro at Beverage Super Store Friday knowing it had been nearly a year since I've had their (for lack of a better word) regular Milk Stout. Nitro or not, understand that this is a great beer. If you like stouts, this one is creamy, smooth and milky sweet. The beer stats for the nitro are the same really as its predecessor. The difference is the head really. The bottle instructs you to pour heartily and you're rewarded with a foamy, sudsy head that lingers throughout as you drink it. You even get the same bubbly effervescence cascading on the side of the glass as you do from a Guinness two part pour.


If you like sticky, sweet, lick the lactose off your lips goodness of a milk stout this one will not disappoint. And if you want the nitro experience in a bottle, Left Hand has slowly released these across the country. And Atlanta is one of the lucky cities. Grab some and pour aggressively.

Lacing that lingers... [after pic]

Brewvival: the repour

The field adjacent to COAST brewing getting
prepped for Brewvival 2012

Before Saturday I considered myself a beer festival novice. The first one I went to was simply about drinking beer. I was able to have a few ones I hadn't had before but otherwise it was just a glorified kegger. My second beer fest was about bringing in good beer and good people and letting the event fly with that momentum. Met some great people while drinking a lot of beer I hadn't had an opportunity to taste. Great time.


However, North Charleston's Brewvival transcends all of that. I put on my big boy beer pants and tried to hang with some serious beer nerds and talented brewers. I'm proud to say I not only survived, but had a great time doing so.


Why does this event stand out? Well, for one everything is right from the tap and poured by a rep or actual brewer from the brewery. There were a few bottles I saw at the Great Divide table, but that was it. Each time you held out your tasting glass you knew you were going to walk away with something fresh and had a chance to talk to someone knowledgable about what was poured. And often what you were drinking was something that is either hard to find or relatively knew to the market. There's an air of trying to do better than the brewery at the table next to yours. Competition boils the wort and breeds success.


The runaway favorite was a brewery in Boca Raton FL that continually amazed everyone with their bold flavors and creative beers. I've told you before that I have some trouble picking up things off the nose, but I didn't have any trouble with Funky Buddha's* bold beers. More often than not you were hit with the aroma well before you even held the glass to your nose. I was smelling maple syrup long after finishing their "Maple Bacon Coffee Porter". The peanut butter and jelly dominated both my taste buds and my nose with their "No Crusts". Each tap they had was extreme and immensely flavorful. It made for long lines at their table as the event carried on, but each one was well worth the wait. Unfortunately they do not distribute, yet. So only those in the area get to enjoy these regularly.


I eventually counted about 24 new beers that I was able to taste on the day. Over the course of the weekend (and with the help of an immensely well stocked beer fridge at Ben's house) I was able to add another 8 more to that total. Not a bad weekend at all. Can't wait for next year!

Owner Ryan Sentz and Co taking orders for a
non-stop six hours Saturday

The highlights:

• Funky Buddha - All of theirs were great, although the Ich Bein Lime is not really up my alley. But my favorite of the entire day was the very first beer I had, Last Snow. Amazing coconut with some white chocolate blended in. Great, bold flavor. Next I would put their Maple Bacon Coffee porter and then Bonita Applebaum, which reminded me of this scene from Justified just with a beer instead of moonshine.
• RJ Rockers' Impeachment - The Spartanburg brewery will likely never win an award greater than having their beloved Son of a Peach named the official beer of this blog's Beer of the Week. But they kicked it up a notch with this imperial version of their unfiltered peach beer. The sample I had at the festival had a little too much burn, the peachiness couldn't keep up. So I tried it again downtown that night and was glad I did. More peach flavor than SoaP and boy do you feel it!
• Southern Tier's Oak-aged Pumking - I hadn't had one of these and the anticipation was great to try it. I love pumpkin flavor and this one definitely did not disappoint. Very rich and the other complimentary flavors of cinnamon and graham crust give it the full drinkable pumpkin pie experience.
• Westbrook's Mexican Coffee Cake - Terrific taste from this celebratory beer from a nearby brewery. There are really too many flavors to experience fully in a small sample pouring. I want this one again to get the full effect of the heat from the chilies with the sweetness of the vanilla and cocoa.
• Speaking of which...New Belgium's Cocoa Mole - Ok, this one wasn't at Brewvival. But I had it downtown at Closed for Business later that night. And wow! Great creamy chocolate on the front that dwindle to a spicy, peppery heat on the back. And unlike most of those others, this one should be fairly easy to find around the Atlanta area. 
• More than honorable mentions: Left Hand's Ambidextrous, Foothills' 2010 Sexual Chocolate, Fullsteam's Bourbon Barrel-aged Lager, COAST's Export Scotch Ale and Kona's Koko Brown (from the infamous beer fridge).

The disappointments:

• Highland ran out of beer.
• Allagash's Bourbon Barrel Black - perhaps I had "over-stouted" myself at this point but this one just didn't do it for me. Maybe they should have aged it a full year in Jim Beam barrels. 
• Evil Twin's Biscotti - this one's description was a little overwhelming and produced some high expectations. Perhaps this "traveling brewery" needs to settle down...
• And Sweetwater's Calypso - the flavor just seemed washed out. As a big Sweetwater fan I'd like to give it another shot, hopefully in a month at Suwanee's Beer Fest.

So to summarize, great weekend as expected. And if I have any readers in the Boca Raton area, go to the Funky Buddha Brewery and Lounge TODAY! Whatever you have planned this evening can wait. And if you can find a way to ship me a growler, I'll gladly spring for the dry ice.

*Here's some more info on how Funky Buddha got started a couple years ago through the dedication and hard work of Ryan Sentz, Jim Bast and Kevin Abbott.
 - an interview with Sentz
 - an article from just before they added brewery to the name in 2010 
 - Beer Drinker Rob's review of some Funky Buddha brews

Monday's Meatloaf - taking a flying leap

Did you get some Funky Buddha?

It's almost Leap Day. I was just thinking as I type this that there's a LOT of people walking down some red carpet right now I wish would take a long leap on Wednesday. Maybe someone should start a petition that the Oscars are only to be held during a Leap Year. Save us from Hollywood's exercise in self glorification.


Anyway, just a thought. Perhaps I'm in the minority, as I usually am. This will be savory, yet short as I just got back from Charleston. Normally I would forgo the meatloaf prep on a Sunday evening like this, but it was just too great of a weekend to be a Dawg, especially a beer drinking Dawg in the low country of South Carolina.


I had the pleasure of attending Brewvival for the first time. I haven't been to a lot of beer festivals. But I've been to enough to know that it'd be hard to imagine one that is better than the one COAST Brewing and Charleston Beer Exchange put on each February. I'll have my official review up tomorrow. For now suffice to say I was blown away. I was among a record number of craft beer lovers to descend on North Charleston and taste what has to be some of the best brew in America. If there's anything better, it's well hidden.


And you know what goes great with beer, some meatloaf. Here are....

A little TO at the turn...

Today's Ingredients

• It truly was a great weekend for UGA sports. Where to start...??
• How about on the hardcourt with the men's hoops. Coach Fox's Hounds played a complete game and beat Florida 76-62.
• Should you want tickets for the regular season finale against lowly Carolina, you can get them here.
• Staying on the hardwood, Coach Landers' Ladies routed LSU yesterday. Maybe Bubba Watson should lend a hand more often.
• Coach Perno's squad now 7-0 after a weekend sweep of Winthrop.
• Great combine on Saturday it sounds like, especially for a former Dawg. Cordy Glenn's stock is up. Way up.
• In more pro news Weiszer reports that Boykin is setting up for UGA's Pro Day.
• Trinton Sturdivant is moving along. He's landed on his feet more than most while on the gridiron. Here's hoping he does the same in the "real world".
• Lastly, for all of you coffee drinkers that also like to support a red and black cause...how about some Freudian Drip from Jittery Joe's? Portion of the proceeds benefits the UGA Psychology department.

Hailing a cab is always a leap of faith isn't it? We were reminded of this a couple times Saturday as we made our way around Charleston. These guys that drive taxis get a captured audience on a meter and you're either subjected to their semi-amusing ramblings or their "creative route selection". Or both.

Bickle isn't a fan of Oscar either

Even as Scott pulled out his smartphone and checked the direction and "towardance" our middle eastern navigator was using to get us to the Brewvival gates, Punjab was insisting that he was using the best route to  get us to the event asap maximize his earning potential. He gave us his card as we unloaded so we could call when we "are done drinking your beers sir". But somehow I think Ben lost it. Unfortunate.


But the most entertaining ride was Saturday night getting back to the hotel. We crammed into 1995 Saturn owned and operated by "South Carolina's greatest non-matriculator not named Stephen Garcia" and he proceeded to tell us all the Cola bars where he used to score chicks*, especially the artsy bars. I think this dude leaped out of a psych ward sometime in the early 2000s and hasn't taken his lithium since. When I wasn't being force fed visuals of him hitting on chicks with long armpit hair and nose rings I was having visions of him taking us to his van down by the river to show us his collection of navel lint. Yeh, he was that kind of guy.


But he operated his motor vehicle just well enough to get us back to the hotel where Brook just happened to have some more beer. So, win win! And in a sense that allows me this opportunity to remind you that Wednesday is an extra day on the calendar to do so many things. You can start with hating tech, then you can do the world a favor, perhaps you can finish the day off by laughing a little harder at Auburn students' inability to spell. Regardless, fortify yourself with a hearty helping of meatloaf. Here's your fork!


Bernie
*I transcribed Mr. Schizo's loose terms here to keep this post as close to PG or PG-13 as possible.