Anne & I spent Memorial Day weekend in the Big Apple, visiting my family and taking in the sights. The weather was perfect, and the city was buzzing even with a lot of people out of town. It was also a great time to bar hop and mingle with the locals & tourists. New York’s [...]
I took in a Rays game last Saturday afternoon, at the Trop, with my friends Gary, Leon, & Dave. It was a pitchers’ duel for most of the game, with the Rays beating the Tribe 4-2. By the time we got back to Sarasota, the weather was lousy, so Anne & I decided to stay [...]
Our friends Timm & Lori are having their engagement party at Urban Flats tomorrow night. Like me, they’re avid beer lovers. Anne & I recently celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary. So the theme of this blog is bells. Wedding bells, as well as several beers that I had recently from Bell’s. Bell’s Special Double Cream [...]
Last week was a long one indeed, with 2 days of jury duty, the bank stress tests, and my own stress test at work. So after we reached the verdict on Friday and were dismissed by the judge, it was time for a beer or two. I met Anne and our friend Gray at Cafe [...]
It’s been a while since I had the Ommegang Abbey Ale, so I stopped by my local Total Wine & More to pick up a bottle. This is one of the best dubbels around; it more than holds its own with such Belgiums as Chimay Première (Red), Trappist Westvleteren 8, & St. Bernardus Prior 8. [...]
We stopped by BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse in Pinellas Park on Sunday for dinner, and noticed that they had an abbey ale as the special on draft. Beer Advocate had it listed as retired, but BJ’s is brewing it again. I can definitely attest, after a couple of pints, that everything’s back to Normal! BJ’s [...]
It’s an annual right of passage at the beginning of February that two world renowned Imperial IPAs make their mark upon the craft beer world. The first, Russian River Pliny The Younger (Russian River Brewing Co.; Santa Rosa, CA; Imperial India Pale Ale; ABV: 11.0), has become the Holy Grail for many beer enthusiasts. While [...]
With the explosion of the craft beer industry, it seems like ales and lagers are giving wine a run for its money as the drink of choice. In fact, many breweries have started to age their ales in oak barrels which give them a distinct wine like character. This “crossover” is producing beers that appeal [...]