Stay Tuned For Spokane Beer Blog Season 2!

Apologies for the 'hiatus.' Yeah. I'm calling it that. And not calling it what it was. A lapse in motivation. Truth is, I got pretty well caught up in playing Fallout 3 for the past several weeks, and it consumed my free time. I'm done with it now. And just like that, motivation returns. But let's just ignore all that, and call this the sneak preview for season two, and everything I've written before was season one. And any other time I find myself at a loss for things to write about, you'll know that it's really just a season finale,  complete with stunt casting and cliffhangers.

The Sights of Sound Brewery Brewers Dinner

I've recently discovered the joys of a Belgian Stout. It's essentially the same as a regular stout, but made with belgian yeast, which affects the flavor, giving it a more belgian style taste. No need to thank me for pointing out that obvious little tidbit.

The stout I'm talking about specifically is the Ursus Spelaeus (don't worry, I'm not sure how to pronounce it either) from Sound Brewery. It was the first beer featured at the recent Sound Brewery beer pairing hosted by the Manito Tap House last Sunday (that would be 23rd). Don't fret, I'll get to the food (maybe), but first let me tell you a couple of things about this beer. It's not just a stout. No. It's an imperial stout. And it's not just an imperial stout. It's a belgian style imperial stout. And I'm a redundant ass. Not just a regular redundant ass. No. A total jack ass of a redundant ass. Keep reading. It gets better (maybe).

Wet Hops, We Don't Stop A-Rockin'

I got called a hop picker this last Saturday. I almost took offense. It sounds like some kind of slur, doesn't it? But it's not. So I don't know why I'd waste your time even telling you that short story of mixed emotion. The truth is, I wouldn't have ever taken offense to being called a hop picker. I said that in jest. A bit of a jocular exercise. If one wants to maintain a sharp wit, one must practice at every available opportunity.

Like now. That whole last paragraph can be chalked up to practice, which I obviously need more of.

Last Saturday (that would be the 15th), Iron Goat Brewing held a wet hop picking party, in which local hop growers brought in vines full of hop cones and volunteers volunteered to pick them. We were two such volunteers:

Manito Tap House Birthday Party Weekend pt 2: Math, Humility, and a Barrel-Aged Engagement

This post should have been written a week ago, but I think I've only now just recovered enough from the party to write about it coherently. So let's get right into it.

But first, a recap. If you read part one of the Manito Tap House Birthday Party Weekend saga, you'll remember the preview list of speciality barrel-aged ales I was looking forward to trying at the big Sunday birthday bash, which happened back on the 9th. I regret to tell you I won't be talking about all of them here, even though I tried just about all of the speciality beers. There was a couple I want to focus on, since I had fuller experiences with them.

A Grand Day Out

Last Saturday, we took a trip out to Post Falls, Idaho, which is just a few miles over the border. So it's not too Idaho. The purpose? To visit the legendary Enoteca, a fine wine and beer store I had been hearing so much about in the past month or so. It's off exit 5, on the corner of Seltice Way and Spokane Street.

It's smaller than I expected. But then again, I didn't really know what to expect, beyond the grand delusions planted in my head by half a dozen people. Walking in, it looked like a small speciality wine and beer store. Which is what it is. A small convenience store type place. Wine to the right. The register and a couple shelves of beer on the left. Directly ahead, a row of speciality beer, and behind that a chilled section.

At first, the selection of speciality beer seemed underwhelming. Stuff you might expect from brewery's familiar to the area. But then I started browsing, looking at the bottles between the bottles, and started to grow excited. A lot of great stuff from all over the world. Stuff I've never even heard of, and rare stuff from places I have.

Manito Tap House Birthday Party Weekend pt 1: Firestone Walking

This upcoming Sunday, September the ninth, the Manito Tap House will be celebrating their first birthday. If you couldn't tell by the many mentions thus far in this blog's short history, we here at the Spokane Beer Blog are big fans of the MTH, and are frequent visitors. The first time we went was about two weeks after they opened last year, being drawn in by the amount of beers on tap offered by the gastropub, but found we continued going back for the food as well as the beer selection. We go often. And that's probably an understatement.

The festivities started last Thursday night with a visit from from Firestone Walker Brewing, and a handful of kegs they brought that are rare in these parts of the northwest, and luckily we didn't get there too late to try them all.

A Labor Day Weekend Quickie

On Friday afternoon, this happened:

Lunch at Pig Out In The Park, the annual food and music fest that happens in Riverfront Park in downtown Spokane. We never miss it, if only for the great excuse to eat such horrors as the plate of giant fries slathered in cheese, chicken, jalapenos, salsa and a liberal addition of sriracha. We did not visit the beer garden, however, because one of us (it was totally My Indian Companion) had to go back to work. No matter, though. They were only pouring macrobrews and a few selections of craft beer from a local brewery I don't care for too much. I'm not going to name them here, because it's been over three years since I've had any of their beers, and I'd like to give them another shot. I'll cover that in a future post.

So where's the beer then? Don't worry. I'm getting to it. Plus, had you read my introduction, you'd know that beer is just the vehicle for me to talk about me, and all my many adventures. Most of which involve beer.

But first, more food.

Friday Night (de)Lights

See what I did there? Clever title, no? I amuse myself far too easily.

Friday night. Manito Tap House. I'm putting the brevity up front, because there is a lot to go over with this one. Delicious food. A handful of amazing beers. Almost all of which I failed to get pictures of because I was too busy having a great time.

To start, we have to talk about the Yeti. Great Divide Brewing's Espresso Oak Aged Yeti. This is a seasonal version of their Yeti Imperial Stout, and has many brothers. A Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti. A Belgian Style Yeti. So on. The standard Yeti is probably one of my favorite beers, and I like the regular version a bit more than any of the others that I've had (and I'm pretty sure I've had them all), including this Espresso Yeti. Not to say it isn't a damn fine stout. It is most certainly a damn fine stout. A bit thick and heavy for most tastes, I'd imagine, but packs a huge hop wallop. And it's 9.5% ABV. So why are you complaining? Knock that off and just enjoy it, why don't you.

Poker Night Roundup #1: For a Bin Full of Bottles

Saturday night poker. Behold the aftermath:

Chowder, Catwalks, Coffee, and Cans

I hate cliches. They're almost as bad as thumbs-ups. Almost. And one of the worst cliches is the one about fridays. About thanking some form of a deity for them. And how we live for them.

Don't get me wrong. I love a friday as much, if not more, than anyone who has to work a nine to five on a Monday through a Friday. But it's ubiquitous. Everyone loves a friday. You don't need to tell me. Especially if I'm standing in front of a urinal.

Man at adjacent urinal: "Oh, man. Thank god it's Friday. Am I right?"

Me: "You realize you're looking at me and trying to talk to me while we are both micturating, yes?"

Man at adjacent urinal: "What?"

Me: "Eyes on the prize, pal."

Man at adjacent urinal: "You're weird."

Me: "We have a bingo."

Monday Night Mario Outburst

I can be a particularly lazy fellow. Although unmotivated may be a more apt description. That said, this post should have been written Monday night, but here we are. Wednesday morning. But this post is about Monday night. And about Mario. And perhaps a little Luigi. 

I had plans for Monday night. Intentions. Yard work. Weed pulling. Watering. But first we had to hit the store for weekly groceries. That trip changed everything.

We stopped by the beer aisle. A common occurrence. Misty, my partner and Indian companion*, asked if we wanted beer. I asked, "for what?" A stupid question. Misty said she wants to play more Mario**. I smiled. Sweet, sweet excuses for procrastination.

Impaled by Massive Thumbs

There's something I do that I totally loathe, and when people do it I cringe. When I do it, and I do it often, I hate myself. But I keep doing it.

It's the thumbs up. To indicate approval or excitement. I do it all the time, and I hate it.

There is maybe one exception to this. The only person to make a thumbs up look okay is Joaquin Phoenix in the 2001 Ridley Scott film, Gladiator, and that might only be because of the implications behind the thumbs down. Although, I have heard that historically it was the opposite than what was portrayed in the movie. That the thumbs down meant you pass, and the thumbs up meant execution.

I knew there was a reason I never trusted Roger Ebert.

Was that too soon?

An Introduction and a Mission Statement

Me. Covered in mud. 

Let's get one thing straight and out of the way. 

This blog is about me. 

Sure, the name might suggest otherwise, but this is just a vehicle for me to write about what I want to write about. 

There will be beer, however. Oh yes. There will be beer. With a local Spokane focus. But that doesn't mean it will only be about Spokane beer, but rather about my experiences with beer in and around Spokane. There might be some on the road posts. Or posts about beer from other places that I'm simply drinking at home while grilling or watching Project Runway. 

In any case, most posts will include something related to beer and something related to my personal experiences here in or around Spokane. I might do interviews with local beer brewers, bar owners, and other quality craft beer enthusiasts, but this blog will likely just end up being my rants and diatribes paired with a delicious beer. Or two. Or three. I'll talk about food, too. Because food is awesome. 

In any case, whatever this is or becomes is up to me, and hopefully it's entertaining for other people. But as long as I'm entertained, I'll keep it going.