554. Spoetzl Brewery – Shiner Hefeweizen
Mar08

554. Spoetzl Brewery – Shiner Hefeweizen

Today is the first day of SXSW, and although I’ve been there before, I’m not able to go this year. However, I’m missing being there a ton and am taking advantage of their live streams of some of the keynote speakers. In order to truly make it a “SXSW experience at home” I wanted to crack open a Shiner while watching. Fortunately, my good friend @BettyWriter sent me a mixed 6 pack of Shiner beers right...

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553. Lagunitas Brewing – A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale
Mar06

553. Lagunitas Brewing – A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale

After the happy hour at Station 220 ended, where I had the Boulder Freshtracks and a bottle of Old Rasputin, I still had a little bit of time. So, I ran by Medici in Normal to grab a beer during “Wednesday Warriors” (where if you have a beer on 10 Wednesdays during the year you get a t-shirt and discounts). Now the first beer I ordered ran out (just the luck I was having if you read my last post), and they had a bunch of...

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552. North Coast Brewing – Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout
Mar06

552. North Coast Brewing – Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout

I’ve been having a great time hanging out with co-workers at a happy hour for a few of them who are moving on to bigger and better things.  After having the Boulder Freshtracks, I thought I’d try something different. I ordered a beer, and the tap blew. The only only remaining one that looked good was the Schlafly Pale Ale. Guess what? That one blew too. To avoid further issues with the taps, I ordered this bottle, which...

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551. Boulder Beer Co. – Freshtracks Wet-Hopped Singletrack
Mar06

551. Boulder Beer Co. – Freshtracks Wet-Hopped Singletrack

Tonight I’m at a happy hour for a couple of co-workers who are moving on to other positions within the company. We’re at Station 220 in Bloomington, IL., and I was a bit surprised to see they had 6 different craft beers on tap. I hadn’t heard of this one before, but I like Boulder’s Singletrack Copper Ale (I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed that one yet), so I thought I’d give this wet hopped...

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550. Boulevard Brewing – Smokestack Series Dark Truth Stout
Mar05

550. Boulevard Brewing – Smokestack Series Dark Truth Stout

I stumbled across this in the back of the beer fridge, and I have no idea when or where I got it. The label says, “Best by 10/9/11,” so it must have been a while ago. I’m watching my Mizzou Tigers taking on Arkansas and enjoying this beer before I sit down to get some work done. The bottle says, ” Roasted English malts provide a deep, rich texture, Belgian yeast Vistowes plum like fruitiness, and German hops...

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549. Perennial Artisan Ales – Peace Offering
Mar04

549. Perennial Artisan Ales – Peace Offering

As I mentioned with the Perennial Hommel Bier I had, my dad lives in St. Louis and I visit there often. I stopped by Perennial once and picked up a couple of beers, but I can’t remember when it was, and there’s no date on the bottle. The bottle says, ” Peace offering is un-American brown ale, brewed with a few hundred pounds of maple roasted Missouri squash. We hope you enjoy our take on autumn in that the flavors...

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548. Cathedral Square Brewery – Hail Mary Belgian-Style IPA
Mar03

548. Cathedral Square Brewery – Hail Mary Belgian-Style IPA

It’s Sunday night, and I’m finally getting a chance to sit down and relax after sending the kids up stairs to get ready for bed. I’ve found another corner of the beer fridge, with some beers (like Perennial Hommel Bier) I brought back from my many trips to St. Louis to see my dad. I’m not sure how long these St. Louis beers have been in the beer fridge, since they don’t seem to have dates on them, but...

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547. AleSmith Brewing – Old Numbskull Barley Wine Ale
Mar02

547. AleSmith Brewing – Old Numbskull Barley Wine Ale

I’ve heard a lot of great things about AleSmith beers, and really wanted to try them, but we haven’t been able to get them here in central Illinois. Fortunately, my friend David, who lives out in San Diego was willing to send me a couple of them. If you live in the San Diego area and need a photographer, please give him a shout – davereedphotography.com. So, as I sit here and watch my Missouri Tigers on TV, I decided...

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546. Boulevard Brewing – Grainstorm Black Rye IPA
Mar01

546. Boulevard Brewing – Grainstorm Black Rye IPA

We’ve been having a rough go of it lately, and so to escape things for a bit, my wife and I took the kids out to Flinger’s Pizza and Pub tonight for dinner. Nothing beats their tomato-basil cheesebomb (especially when you can’t eat meat on Fridays during lent), and the craft beers on tap. I usually try to stay away from beers like Boulevard that I can get easily, but this one looked interesting. It was confirmed when...

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