Tonight I’m going into the city for the evening, do not expect any update tomorrow. I’m getting back into my 6-days a week routine. The lord must rest on the 7th day. In this spirit of going out for a drink, I present you with:
THE TOP TEN BEERS CONSUMED ON THE ROAD
Honorable Mention(s): Shiner Bock, Pyramid Hefeweizen, Leinenkugel Honey Weiss Bier, Goose Island Blonde Ale, Schlafly Pale Ale
10. Engine House No. 9 Belgian White (Tacoma, WA) – I think that’s where Adrienne and I ate in Tacoma. I chose not to remember the name of the locale because the service was horrible. I distinctly remember hearing “Belgian White,” before I ordered, I think. It could be my mind playing tricks on me. Nevertheless, whatever I ordered was kind of bland.
9. Cumberland Brewery Blonde (Louisville, KY) – My second night in Louisville was long enough ago that I don’t remember exactly what this tasted like. This could be because I was wrapped up in conversation with JK McKnight, but I distinctly remember enjoying it. Saying a beer is “light and crisp” is the equivalent of saying a particular recording sounds “warm and punchy!”
8. Anchor Steam Beer – When in San Francisco… They served this in an awkwardly shaped pint glass in a Thai restaurant where Jen ate what looked like curdled mudpie. I just drank beer.
7. Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat – I like beers that are easy to drink. I think that’s why I enjoyed this one, from Kansas City.
6. Flying Dog Snake Dog IPA – My first trip to the Party Source in Kentucky netted me some brews I’d never heard of before. I got 12 of these and devoured them along the road. I think Gretchen and I finished the last of ’em on a hot afternoon in Tucson.
5. Upstream Brewery Honey Raspberry Ale (Omaha, NB) – It’s like one step above their light beer, but I was in the mood for some flavor after sampling the IPA and the Hef, so I asked for a pint of this. As you can expect, it was nicely flavored. There was a cute girl in a Saddle Creek t-shirt sitting with her mom next to me at the bar.
4. Hub City Brewery Oatmeal Stout (Lubbock, TX) – Way smoother than any other stout I tried on the road. Maybe it was the multiple servings in one sitting but after a while it started to taste like chocolate. It was much better than their Raider Red.
3. Red Lodge Hefeweizen – The smoothest Hefeweizen I’ve ever had. I was at this bar in Cody, Wyoming called the Silver Dollar, and I was downing pint after pint of this until I realized it was the middle of the afternoon and I was drunk. The bartender was nice, she made me this awesome platter of piping fresh fries. The rest of the day was an adventure.
2. Big Sky Moose Drool Brown Ale – Touted as the best selling beer in Montana, you can’t not walk away with a case of it. On tap at this casino way down Main Street practically in another city, I had a few of these with the biggest Idaho potato skins I’ve ever seen. It took a few beers to wash it all down. I’ve got some Moose Drool the basement now, and they’re calling out for me like the Telltale Heart. It goes from sweet to bitter, like most male/female relationships!
1. New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale – I know I probably have “issues” when one of the reasons I want to move west is for access to more Fat Tire. It’s sweet and full and I try to force it on everyone who comes over to hang out these days. On tap it’s even better. Have I mentioned I have no idea how to describe or rate beers? I just know whether or not I like them, and whether or not I was too drunk to notice when I drank them. My taste buds pick up what they will and that’s my barometer for good alcohol.
