316. Real Ale Brewing Co. – Rio Blanco Pale Ale
May02

316. Real Ale Brewing Co. – Rio Blanco Pale Ale

I’m in McAllen, Texas for work, and sat down tonight to get some work done.  However, I wanted it to feel a little bit more like home, so I went out to the local grocery store for a 6 pack.  I was hoping to find something local, and after I missed being able to post a review about this beer at SXSW, I went for the Real Ale Brewing Company sampler pack.  Unfortunately, the only thing I had in my hotel to drink it was this little...

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312. Yazoo Brewing – Amarillo Pale Ale Draft
Apr26

312. Yazoo Brewing – Amarillo Pale Ale Draft

I was looking for a place to go for dinner in Nashville, and a friend mentioned that The Flying Saucer was pretty close to my hotel.  While I don’t have a Flying Saucer nearby, I was fairly familiar with the concept from my cousin Steve, his wife Sarah, and my friend @BettyWriter (who sent me a Breckenridge Brewing glass from glass night at the Austin Flying Saucer).  They were having trivia tonight and I settled in at the bar...

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310. Blackstone Restaurant & Brewery – American Pale Ale Draft
Apr26

310. Blackstone Restaurant & Brewery – American Pale Ale Draft

Yesterday I was in San Jose, California having Gordon Biersch Maibock and Marzen, and after many airline delays, I made it to Nashville about 2 a.m.  So what better way to relax after some crazy travel than to grab a beer.  Right across the street from my hotel was the Blackstone Restaurant & Brewery.  I had visited here a couple years ago when I was here for work, but most recently, my sister brought me a growler of their Dry...

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291. Ranger Creek – OPA, Oatmeal Pale Ale Draft
Mar11

291. Ranger Creek – OPA, Oatmeal Pale Ale Draft

When I had my cuisinternship in Oregon, I met @kfinsand from @taplister on Twitter before coming out there.  It was great to finally meet up with him at the Oregon Brewers Festival and chat.  I found out that he was also going to be at SXSW and was helping to put together a beer lovers get together.  I couldn’t turn down the chance to meet other beer folks, and try some local brews, so we met up at Opal Divine’s in Austin....

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286. Kona Brewing – Fire Rock Pale Ale
Mar10

286. Kona Brewing – Fire Rock Pale Ale

I’m down in Austin, TX for SXSW and my new friend Robert and I headed out on the town to try to find a place to eat.  We found The Hickory Street Bar & Grill, which had a nice patio looking out on to Congress Ave.  Although I know it’s probably made by one of the other Craft Brewers Alliance breweries, I was glad to see beer from Kona Brewing on the beer list.  I haven’t had any of their beers, but they sounded...

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266. Full Sail – Brewmasters Reserve Hop Pursuit
Jan23

266. Full Sail – Brewmasters Reserve Hop Pursuit

After having the Hopivore yesterday, I was still craving a big, bold, hoppy beer.  You can pretty much say that this one spoke to me, since was really in pursuit of a hoppy beer.  When I got this beer, it was literally from the Brewmaster’s Reserve, when John Harris, Brewmaster at Full Sail – Riverplace, dipped into his hidden fridge and gave me several beers when I was there for my Brewmaster Cuisinternship.  The bottle...

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265. New Holland – Hopivore Michigan Wet-Hopped Harvest Ale
Jan22

265. New Holland – Hopivore Michigan Wet-Hopped Harvest Ale

Things have been pretty crazy at work, so I was looking for a nice hoppy beer when I got home today.  Of all the beers in the fridge, this one looked like it had the most potential.  The bottle says, “Michigan-grown hops are the story in this seasonal harvest ale. Hopivore is wet-hopped, with hops added to the brew just hours after harvest, creating rare, fresh flavors.” Numbers: 5.85% ABV, 55 IBUs Appearance & Aroma:...

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256. Magic Hat Brewing – #9 not quite Pale Ale
Jan07

256. Magic Hat Brewing – #9 not quite Pale Ale

I was at Friar Tuck looking for new beers and decided to get a mix-a-six.  I was surprised when I saw this beer, as I didn’t realize we got Magic Hat brews here in Illinois yet.  I had heard about this and finally had one about a year ago at Bridge in St. Louis.  The label says, “The ancient ritual of brewing a distinctly rich and flavorful beer is a performance to behold. Our mysterious mélange of time- honored...

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240. Bass Brewers Ltd – Bass Ale
Dec17

240. Bass Brewers Ltd – Bass Ale

I’m on my way back home already from my trip for work to Dallas, TX.  Yes, I’ve only been in Dallas for about 18 hours, but it’s a quick one.  Last night I documented my trip to Uncle Buck’s Brewery & Steakhouse – along with their IPA, Brown Ale, and English Pale Ale – and while their English Pale Ale was the best thing I had there, that’s not saying much.  So what better beer to have the...

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239. Uncle Buck’s Brewery & Steakhouse – English Pale Ale Draft
Dec16

239. Uncle Buck’s Brewery & Steakhouse – English Pale Ale Draft

After experiencing their Captain’s Choice IPA and their Brown Ale, I’m not sure why we decided to have another beer here.  I guess it was just a long day of work and travel.  My coworker wisely decided to go for the Stone Ruination IPA they had on tap, rather than try another one of their beers.  However, I decided I could get that elsewhere, and while here, I might as well try another of their beers.  So, I decided to try...

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230. Springfield Brewing – Mueller Pale Ale Draft
Dec06

230. Springfield Brewing – Mueller Pale Ale Draft

As I mentioned in my last post, we’re in Springfield, Missouri for work, and stopped at Springfield Brewing Company for dinner.  I first had the Blacksmith Stout, and a dinner salad.  I found out that the brewery was built to show off the stainless steel tanks made by the local Mueller steel factory.  It looked gorgeous when we walked in, but being with a couple co-workers, I couldn’t explore the brewery too much.  I was...

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221. Boddingtons – Boddingtons Pub Ale
Nov24

221. Boddingtons – Boddingtons Pub Ale

My brother-in-law and his family are visiting for Thanksgiving week.  He asked me if I knew why Boddington’s had such a different type of head than other beers.  I explained that it was “carbonated” with nitrogen, while normal beers are carbonated with carbon dioxide.  My wife, influenced by her brother, decided to by some and bring it over.  So, I thought this would be a good opportunity to knock this beer off of...

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