Hats and Drinks - A Match Made in Heaven

[Hurricane Jack]

I am saddened today as our governor has had to issue new partial shutdown edicts due to the Covid pandemic. Saddened for our business employees, athletes, families and the local communities. The full extent ( for my business and industry) it is still to be determined. I have a meeting with my business attorney in the morning to sort out the nuances. Not shocking, but still a sad moment.

Refreshing my energies with a walkabout sipping a Founders Unrivaled IPA. It is a new for me and seasonal beer offering from Founders. Many IPA's that I sample taste the same and do not really excite me and my palate. This one has a great balance of hoppy pine taste, citrus and bitterness. It pleasantly suprises me this evening. At 6.6' ABV it is very drinkable. The Founders All Day IPA my go to IPA everyday beer is not as hoppy flavorful and more muted in all manner of tastes. It's 4.6' ABV makes it an easy beverage for life's simple pleasures.

Cheers this evening from Minnesota, Eric -

Sorry to hear of this for you, your partners & employees, & for your students. Having said that, no one should be totally surprised as we were warned about this very 2nd wave back during the Spring shutdown. The latest round of infections that shut down SEC college sports & athletics has been traced to a couple of Halloween parties. Over 1800 new infections have now been traced to a single polling place during the recent election. With Thanksgiving & Christmas parties & gatherings coming up this holiday season, the worst is yet to come I fear.

 

[Blare]

I am saddened today as our governor has had to issue new partial shutdown edicts due to the Covid pandemic. Saddened for our business employees, athletes, families and the local communities. The full extent ( for my business and industry) it is still to be determined. I have a meeting with my business attorney in the morning to sort out the nuances. Not shocking, but still a sad moment.

Refreshing my energies with a walkabout sipping a Founders Unrivaled IPA. It is a new for me and seasonal beer offering from Founders. Many IPA's that I sample taste the same and do not really excite me and my palate. This one has a great balance of hoppy pine taste, citrus and bitterness. It pleasantly suprises me this evening. At 6.6' ABV it is very drinkable. The Founders All Day IPA my go to IPA everyday beer is not as hoppy flavorful and more muted in all manner of tastes. It's 4.6' ABV makes it an easy beverage for life's simple pleasures.

Cheers this evening from Minnesota, Eric -

Sorry to hear of this for you, your partners & employees, & for your students. Having said that, no one should be totally surprised as we were warned about this very 2nd wave back during the Spring shutdown. The latest round of infections that shut down SEC college sports & athletics has been traced to a couple of Halloween parties. Over 1800 new infections have now been traced to a single polling place during the recent election. With Thanksgiving & Christmas parties & gatherings coming up this holiday season, the worst is yet to come I fear.

In reading about the 1918 pandemic and its devastating 2nd wave it became clear to me our goal for the summer should have been to get the case load as close to zero as possible to allow for contact tracing to be effective and having low infection rate as we entered flu season. Instead we came into the fall already hitting peaks just as we come into flu season at the same time people have let down their guard. I fear it’s a perfect storm.

Ok now I need a drink

 

[Hurricane Jack]

In reading about the 1918 pandemic and its devastating 2nd wave it became clear to me our goal for the summer should have been to get the case load as close to zero as possible to allow for contact tracing to be effective and having low infection rate as we entered flu season. Instead we came into the fall already hitting peaks just as we come into flu season at the same time people have let down their guard. I fear it’s a perfect storm.

Ok now I need a drink

I have hope for the 24 Hr Nasal Spray if it does keep the virus from replicating in the lungs of the infected & if they can get it to market quickly. Maybe the spray can stabilize the number of infections to a degree.

 

[RossRYoung]

A rough year to say the least. Long day called for a doubledown of my favorite Mitten brew, Bells. Their 2 Hearted is on my top IPA list, this Double Hearted... not so much. At 11%, it was a sipper and had a strong bourbon barrel taste. It was nice to try but may not reach for it again. The other is Juicy IPA which I liked a lot more.
Typically I am a BevMo shopper, but their selection of cold beer is very minimal. I went to Total Wine and they had at least double the selection of cold beers, and an even larger section US micro brews. An easy switch for a shopper like me.

 

[Short Balding Guy]

A rough year to say the least. Long day called for a doubledown of my favorite Mitten brew, Bells. Their 2 Hearted is on my top IPA list, this Double Hearted... not so much. At 11%, it was a sipper and had a strong bourbon barrel taste. It was nice to try but may not reach for it again. The other is Juicy IPA which I liked a lot more.
Typically I am a BevMo shopper, but their selection of cold beer is very minimal. I went to Total Wine and they had at least double the selection of cold beers, and an even larger section US micro brews. An easy switch for a shopper like me.
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Thanks for sharing your impressions. The 2 Hearted I recall imbibing was a grand beer. I will look for the brewery's offerings when I shop again.

Tonight I am out watching the stars on a walkabout sipping a New Belgium Sour IPA. It is partialy hazy, wood IPA with a tart hoppy taste that finishes with an fruit finish. A tasty beer that I will look for more when I next shop. Easy drinking 7'ABV beer.

Cheers, Eric -

 

[Bamaboots]

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Great pic, BB!

I'm celebrating Fri night with my BSHW & some Cragganmore 12.

For those of you trying to get lucky at home this weekend, at 7.9% ABV this might help set her mood.

City Barrel Brewing Pink Sexy Fog
"It's no surprise Rihanna concert, but Pink Sexy Fog is a treasure trove of flavor. This hazy IPA is loaded with Pink Guava, Green Ghost and Belma hops, giving you intense aromas of strawberries & cream, guava & passion fruit."

 

[Mm25]

I’m not the photographer some of you are, but here’s a manhattan with a Gannon. Both are much appreciated after a long week.

 

[Rumad]

View attachment 282172 I’m not the photographer some of you are, but here’s a manhattan with a Gannon. Both are much appreciated after a long week.

I love manhattans (the drink, not the island) and I love that Gannon. So I’m saying ya done good.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

not the island...

The whole East Village & Lower Manhattan is built on a landfill. You have to drill down 200 ft & pour piers to hit bedrock.

Have you ever been to McSorley's?

 

[Rumad]

The whole East Village & Lower Manhattan is built on a landfill. You have to drill down 200 ft & pour piers to hit bedrock.

Have you ever been to McSorley's?

Many times. Not a big fan of warm beer, but I wasn’t there for the beer.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Many times. Not a big fan of warm beer, but I wasn’t there for the beer.

While working a job up there, I had to go for the history of the place. I'll just say I was McSorley disappointed.

And if you ever come to the Midwest, skip Kelly's Westport as well. Predates the Civil War but it's a tourist trap ready to fall in.

 

[Rumad]

McSorley disappointed

LOL. Not bad. And thanks for the heads up. I’m too old and grumpy for touristy destinations, hell I don’t even do crowded stores anymore. I do like to travel and see places though, if we ever see our way through this damn plague crap.

 

[Short Balding Guy]

My Port.Water Dog Tio and I are enjoying the evening sitting by the water. Fortunately our neighborhood turkeys have found another evening feeding spot or yard as he was ready for some rough housing when I got home a bit ago. They have been out and about the past week and Tio has been hard to keep close and safe. I have been enjoying a Surley beer. Darn'd if I recall which one it was. The taste says t was one of the many hazy beers that they released this summer. Tastes terrific for a hazy on a cool Minnesota November night.

Cheers, Eric -

 

[Hurricane Jack]

A cold rainy afternoon spent under my BSHW blue Heather just to get out of the house. Time now to warm up the bones with some Ardbeg Wee Beastie Islay Single Malt Scotch.

PS: In following up after last night spending more time with this & drinking it neat, I was tasting lots of peat smoke & wood smoke, charcoal grilled beef steak & fresh black peppercorns. In the followup aftertaste campfire woodsmoke & a nice pine & fresh cut lumber taste. Very nice. This would go well with a charcoal grilled strip steak or ribeye, maybe a bacon wrapped filet from the broiler. It won't replace Lag 16 but it has earned a spot in my cabinet.

 

[Short Balding Guy]

A Surley Delicious beer is my beer choice to accompany a repeat of yesterday's breakfast of Chorizo burritos. They were quite tasty and deserve a second day in a row. The sausages should be done shortly on the grill.

The year around bird residents have been very active in the dusting of snow we got this morning.

Cheers, Eric

 

[RossRYoung]

@Short Balding Guy i forgot how good the unraveled is! Picked up a fresh 6er this weekend.

I also polished off a couple of single pint Pizza Ports today. Rewarded myself after a weekend of errands and getting honeydo chores done. Neither of them are worth a rebuy IMO, although the campfire was decent. Both hovered around 7% and have nostalgic theme graphics of my time spent in the water (which doesn’t happen all that often anymore!).

Wearing the 7x today and also a shirt aptly labeled ‘surfing cowboy’. A couple shots with yours truly from a few years back.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

I grilled a couple of breakfast steaks over charcoal with grilled onions for steak sandwiches on Texas toast. A perfect prequel to some Lag 16 & SNF. With my 1930's Stetson No.1Q Nevadan.

 

[Short Balding Guy]

@Short Balding Guy i forgot how good the unraveled is! Picked up a fresh 6er this weekend.

I also polished off a couple of single pint Pizza Ports today. Rewarded myself after a weekend of errands and getting honeydo chores done. Neither of them are worth a rebuy IMO, although the campfire was decent. Both hovered around 7% and have nostalgic theme graphics of my time spent in the water (which doesn’t happen all that often anymore!).
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Wearing the 7x today and also a shirt aptly labeled ‘surfing cowboy’. A couple shots with yours truly from a few years back.
View attachment 282749 View attachment 282750

Sounds like a special day! Surfing Cowboy shirt fits.

Cheers, Eric -

 

[Short Balding Guy]

I grilled a couple of breakfast steaks over charcoal with grilled onions for steak sandwiches on Texas toast. A perfect prequel to some Lag 16 & SNF. With my 1930's Stetson No.1Q Nevadan.

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Excellent breakfast and beverage pairing Jack. Wow! Tasty. Cheers, Eric -