Long nights in hotels ( Aka post nap time beer)

While I really just want a sammich, sometimes you me up with a beer instead. When my options are pretty much Guinness on draft which would lead to no room for sammiches or a local brew, I guess the local brew will win. This leads us to the amber colored brew you may see posted here. According to the website, victorybeer.com, I'm drinking a heavyweight 6.7with lots of flavor. I would give it a solid 3/5 since the hops are a bit bitter. I would prefer. Bit more citrus to balance the bitter, maybe American hops just aren't my thing. I wish I realized they had yingling. Anyways, hooray, beer. Cheers! 

So far from home, and in need of snacks!

Whats the best way to end a great day of skiing? Or as everyone else said " a really terrible day with awful conditions, too much ice, and a whole bunch of shitty snowboarders sitting on all the good slopes"? The answer of course, is to stop by a local micro-brewpub for some yummy food and delicious beer.
This is made even more awesome, of course, when you find out that the local brew pub, Riff Raff Brewing Company, that is conveniently located on the way home from the ski mountain, has happy hour starting at 4 with half priced appetizers and cheap pints. So much good!
The first time i went i go the Spruce Juice, a beer made using spruce instead of hops, that is sadly no longer on tap. If you ever make it there, i hope they have this awesome microbrew. I also tried their red, their awesome chili beer, and a few others. Check it out http://riffraffbrewing.com/ and go visit!

Toddies Anyone?

Exciting news! I learned how to make a hot toddy! The internet makes this drink look really complicated, but an easy way to do it (and the right way, of course) would be to squirt a bit of lemon juice into a mug. Add a teaspoon or so of honey, pour in some boiling water, and top with some super yummy whiskey or bourbon. I suggest Bulleit. This awesome, local to Colorado spirit is pretty much my favorite bourbon ,which is saying a lot from a person who is fairly indifferent to bourbon and whiskey. A friend of mine, and fellow blogger, has been known to crack open the cheap stuff when i visit, knowing that the good stuff would just be wasted.
Bulleit, however, gets 5 stars from me. Best when consumed around camp fires, in hot toddies, or surrounded by leather bound books.
At about 12 dollars for the 375 ml bottle, its not the cheapest stuff, but if you want quantity, you probably aren't drinking bourbon anyways. Try it, if you get the chance!

Making your own cider

The internet is a wealth of amazing knowledge! Especially when it comes to making alcohol at home.

A while back I stumbled on an awesome page describing exactly what i'd need: http://www.howtomakehardcider.com/making.html

This step by step tutorial was just what i needed to get me started.I picked up a gallon of Whole Foods Organic apple juice, borrowed a stopper from a friend and was ready to go. Well, ready to go after buying an airlock, some sanitizer and some amazing happy live English Cider Yeast from White Labs.

The first batch ended up being super tasty! Even though i brewed it with the ever classy balloon method, since i didn't have the right sized stopper for my first try. It didn't make it to bottling since i drank it all too fast out of the jug.

I'm a little spaced on nyquill right now, but the moral of the story is organic apple juice makes yummy cider. Other apple juice makes ok cider. More on this topic later.

I'm really tempted to throw some concentrates in with some water and yeast to see what happens..... Purple Jesus anyone?

Winter Brews

Winter Beer Season! So many awesome winter brews to check out. Unfortunately, Woodchuck pumpkin hasn't come to town, yet. The other night a friend picked up some beers i hadn't had a chance to try yet. The Ska Euphoria is highly rated pale ale with some funky can art. The beer is a little bit on the bitter side, but still pretty yummy. I'd give it a 3.5/5, although i'm sure most other beer snobs would rate it higher.

The Mole Stout wasn't quite my favorite either. I like how thick it is, and its slight, pleasant spicy flavor. Overall, i just thought they were trying too hard with it. Like many of the Ska specialty beers, it just seemed a little experimental and raw. Not quite a finished product. 2.5/5.

Cheers!

Back blogging white wine

Call me crazy; it might but true, but I actually bought this bottle of wine for the container it comes in. I needed a second gallon jug to re-rack my homemade cider into... but that's another story.
After a long conversation on the phone with a friend who knows something more about wine than i do, i selected the Carlo Rossi Rhine based on the idea that "hopefully its not as sweet as the zin". As it turns out, its pretty darn sweet and lightly fizzy. A hangover in a gallon sized jug.
I guess i'm not up for a proper review of this stuff. I bought i knowing that it was probably going to be meh, and honestly the 16 dollar price tag was about the same as ordering the jug off amazon, and at least i could get drunk and have a container. If you are ever in the market for something sweet, cheap, and housed in glass, go for it. Otherwise, have some self respect. Buy something in a box next time :).
Also- as a side note, i could have just bought more cider in a gallon jug for 9 dollars at the local Natural Grocers. Sad day. I shall console myself with a large glass of leftover Carlo Rossi.

Santa Fe Brewing Once Again

What to do when you need to bring beer to a BBQ? Pick something that looks tasty- and if you are me, grab something you haven't tried from a brewery that seems to do you right. The only problem, which I didn't realize until the aroma hit me, was that i purchased a Saison (Saison 88 to be exact) which is a type of beer I don't generally enjoy. For those of you that love a fruity, wheaty beer, you'll love Saisons. Unless of course you don't like higher alcohol beers. Then stay away.
For me, Saisons tend to be too fruity and too wheaty. When i popped the top of this Santa Fe Brewing Company beer I got a whiff of the fruity pale ale smell. A smell that made me reconsider my buying decision. However, after a few sips, I found that I wasn't completely wrong in choosing Saison 88. It still bears the hallmarks of a Saison, but it is much more drinkable, less cloying, and well balanced. Most saisons seem to slap you in the face with their fruitiness, while this one is pleasant. I may not buy it again, but i give it props. 3.5/5. Also, the can is damn pretty.