Your adventurous blogger has nothing to do for the next four hours, because he's headed to the Big Apple for a Yankees-Nats game (two teams he could care less about, but hey, it's beisbol) and (hopefully) a trip to the BK Brewery. All this before Fri morning, when he hightails it back to D.C. on account of more pressing responsibilities. Should be a nice little 2-day trip.
The original plan was to live-blog the next four hours, not because any of our readership particularly cares to hear my innermost thoughts, but because I need something to do to stave off the boredom. But then I realized having to go back and re-edit each post to gain the live-blog effect would get pretty wearisome after about half an hour. Therefore, I will be writing one single post for the duration of the trip. When I arrive in NY, up goes the post.
And so, without further ado...
9:49. Why do some breweries persist with twist-off tops? I understand why Bud/Miller etc do it, but Mad River? Peak Organic? Stone? Really? C'mon guys. Your beers are better than that. I know the screw-top is more user-friendly and all, but it's almost like a winery using plastic corks. Heck, even the OS Brewers employ regular tops on their bottles. Get with the times, man.
9:53 I can't get in contact with my contact. I lost his number somewhere back in a gchat conversation gone horribly awry. However will I navigate my way through the urban midtown canyons without a sherpa?
9:55 What's the most recent beer I had? Oh yeah. Dogfish 90. Meh. I need to get on my game.
9:59 Contact has been reached. The game is afoot.
10:00 On the BW Pkwy, about 1/3 of the way between DC and Bodymore, Murdaland. I have to say, even though it's about six months too late to be gushing over it, Merriweather Post Pavillion is such a good album, it's not even slightly amusing. And of course, my one chance to see them in concert...and I had to finish a seminar paper. Fml.
10:08 Last night's sleep was far too short. Worked until midnight, closed the place down with Larsonist and Crasher, tidied things up later, and moseyed on home round about three o'clock. Then: print bus tix, pack, shower, and wouldn't ya know it, it's after 4 by the time I hit the sack. Up again at 8:30 to catch the bus. So...4.5 hours of mediocre sleep. Here's hoping Kivett provides a couch to nap for a few hours this aft.
10:11 I've been informed by someone in the know that tonight's pre-game festivities will included dumplings, in honor of Chien-Ming Wang and his new son, JJ. JJ Wang dumplings! And bud light.
10:13 Let's go on a bud light tangent. I can't say I dislike bud light, even though I never drink it. It's one of those things where you're not really opposed to something, but for some inexplicable reason, you won't let yourself do it. I felt much the same way about Chipotle for a long time. I used to sate my Mexican urges with Qdoba, and would go out of my way to patronize that place, even if there was a Chipotle right around the corner. Why? I don't really know. Qdoba has much better queso and taco salads, but other than that, Chipotle is clearly the superior chain. Today, I go to Chipotle all the time. Will the same happen with bud light? Probably not. For one thing, I do drink bud, and bud is so close to bud light in taste, I already know what I'm missing even though I don't miss it at all. For another reason, I only drink bud at parties and sporting events. I so rarely attend either these days that the chance of an aberrational event (like me just spontaneously decided to go for it and move to bud light) is pretty low. So there you have it. Chipotle = delicious. Bud light = ignored.
10:18 There are, by some estimates, over fifteen thousand (!) established commecial microbreweries in the United States. That's gotta be some sort of record. Anyway, it makes me wonder: how many of those breweries are relevant to my life? What breweries are people "cumming" over these days, and which ones are only important to the few thousand people who live in that area? Are there "secret gems" hidden all around the country waiting to be discovered? People from SE Wisconsin to California know all about New Glarus, but nobody east of Chicago can drink it. Three Floyds is the jam in Indiana, but most Ohioans have never heard of it. What breweries are most relevant to you? Which breweries do you think of most when somebody asks you, "Hey beer snob, who makes good beer these days?"
10:25: Bear Republic. Stone. Avery. Oskar Blues. All kind of important, in their own way. All good names to see on a label.
10:26 Brooklyn Brewery. Troegs. Victory. Peak. Same--good beers you'd consider if you saw them on tap or in bottle.
10:27 Mad River.
10:28 Abita? Nah. Abita is pretty overrated. Who likes Turbodog? Not me. How about that purple haze? I'd rather have an Oxford Raspberry, thank you. Still, they're from Louisiana. That's gotta count for something?
"I got purp in the dutch; I got purp in the cup"
-Weezy F
10:29 Rochefort 6, 8, or 10? Everyone raves (and by everyone, I am including myself) about the 10; has anyone bothered to try the 6 or the 8? Prepare to be pleasantly surprised.
10:32 An hour into the trip, and the coffee is kicking in. Finished AnCo and started on Crystal Castles. Wishing I was curled up by the fire with a nice brew. Not really; wishing I was curled up in bed getting my solid 8 hours.
10:33 Shot out to Dreddy for his beer encouragement. If he ever wants to guest-post, we'll be right here.
10:41 Just thinking about the South Park episode "Go God Go" when Cartman freezes himself to get a Nintendo Wii. Played Wii last night after work. Bowling, then Mario III, then more Mario III, then Contra. Pretty much don't think I could survive without a wee bit o' Wii every once in awhile. I'll see if I can ferret one out in NY
10:43 Really dig Crystal Castles, but I guess Alice Glass is supposed to be a huge b***h at her shows? People with more social capital than me have attested to this online, but I have nothing to go on except hearsay. Even if this is true, I can forgive her--the music speaks for itself. Question: How would you pair beer and music? Larsonist might do a guest post on this topic in the near future, but for now, think about it. Would you pair a nice summery wheat with some Steely Dan? Would you mix a robust imperial porter with some Dethklok?
"Just think about it"
-Fred Durst
10:49 First beer I drink tonight: Brooklyn Local 2. I promise. A great beer, even for the hefty price (will probably be over 20$ in NY...what a preposterously expensive city.)
10:51 Wonder what Sampson is doing in Honduras. Climbing over Mayan ruins? Enjoying Asylum II? Scuba diving through the reefs? Probably all of the above. Wonder what Reid-O is doing. Sitting at his desk? Yes. Wonder what the OG is doing. Probably selling beer to people like you.
10:58 Tried to stream some good old Arrested over Hulu, but the bandwith wouldnt widen for me. How dare it!
11:00 Albums I won't be listening to this summer:
1. Green Day's new album
2. Eminem's new album
3. Rob Thomas's new album
11:02 Apparently there's actually a "best of" Vanilla Ice album. Hwhat, besides "Ice, Ice, Baby," could possibly be on it? Ninja Rap? That one awful slow jam that makes Dru Hill sound like The Coup? Anyone? Bueller?
11:06 One time, I went out for beer and ordered a bottle-conditioned dubbel, and the server poured the beer perfectly. I mean, just up until the very last second before the yeast would have spilled out. I drank the beer. Twas delicious. Then, sensing I had finished quaffing my brew, the
server returned...and poured the yeast into my glass. Don't get me wrong: I've had a yeast shot before (at De Koninck's Antwerp brewery, where it's actually CUSTOMARY to down a brettanomyces shot along with their smooth, sessionable brown brew). But if I hadn't had the yeast by that point, what makes you think I'd want it once you'd poured it out into my glass?
11:16 Oh good! We appear to be just minutes away from New Jersey. After we cross the bridge, it's only 90 short minutes until we arrive. Making great time on the roads. No traffic, no construction (fingers crossed.) Only things that would make this trip more pleasant? Arrested Development and 3 hours more sleep last night.
11:27 This is getting boring.
11:44 Stopped at a rest stop in Jersey. Wishing we'd just get into NY already.
12:12 Listening to Patton Oswalt..
12:22 Only an hour to go...
12:43 Olivia Judson is hot.
1:02 Into the homestretch. Exit 11 on the Turnpike is coming into focus.
1:10 We need to conserve cake and paper.
1:11 What kind of 'wich will I get? Pastrami/Rye? Sesame bagel/lox/cream cheese?
1:25: About to enter the Holland tunnel.
Signing off.
-HH
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