tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39168223890083322542024-02-19T04:32:08.183-08:00Instant Riches through Copper Investment, LLCSend me your copper bullion now! Instant Riches A SURE THING.Tommy Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11197450698264575866noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3916822389008332254.post-15193844240165538092010-08-25T09:34:00.000-07:002010-08-25T09:46:45.887-07:00Only on a dare<div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Only on a Dare</span></strong><br /></div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"> I almost started this story with the words, “I don’t know when my goldfish started talking to me,” but that would have been a bald faced lie. I know exactly when it started; April 13th 2007. I know exactly what his first words to me were too. I didn’t want to get up for work so I had hit the snooze button on my alarm clock four times in a row. The fifth time the alarm went off I just laid there in bed feeling tired and sorry for myself. The buzzer was droning on, in its scratchy bi-tonal buzz like some sort of angry robotic cricket. I did not have the energy to even roll over and turn off the alarm. After 7 minutes of this I heard a splashing from the corner where my aquarium sits and an angry voice started shouting at me. “Turn off the that dig darn diddly alarm clock already would you neighbor?"</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 160px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509388300800200002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4rZo3x0624hDdTBt__uOaKHulIfZ-AAAhmxgZYqLVdDhikhN_zlHGlZKaQ7XkW5-S478aJiGZDlrZdPckpJ6BhT6o1tDfXYgieIthUGSeR7JB2ATwvGQI5mIja5CWpWql4tNpG7g7RgBc/s200/Fish_Cartoon08.jpg" /> <span style="font-size:78%;">Jerk.</span><br /></div> At that moment, 8:27 am I learned that I not only had a talking goldfish; but he sounded just like an angry Ned Flanders. And even worse was that I could not get him to talk again. I would stand above his tank and beg him to talk. I would reach up and flick his nose as he was eating. I would threaten to dump bleach in his water. I mentioned the 50s college fad of swallowing goldfish. Nothing worked. The little jerk refused to say another word. He’d just swim around and do fishy type things. But every once in a while right when I would give up, he would sort of look at me and smile that little smug smile that fish get and I would want to punch him in his little pisces face.<br /> I had given up trying to talk to him and the routine was once again setting in. Get up. Go to work. Come home. Feed my fish. Watch TV. The weekends were the exact same except I wouldn’t go to work. I’d just sit at home in my underwear and eat hot pockets and play on my X-Box all day. Every once in a while a friend would call and I would go out and drink beer at some greasy pizza joint. About four months after I had given up I was watching TV at three in the morning. It was a work night but I couldn’t sleep and had already decided to call in sick the next day. There was nothing on except for infomercials, ads for <em>Girls Gone Wild</em>, and some show on the History Channel featuring David Carradine talking about cowboy technology. The Kung Fu bastard had even stolen the show from own brother. The jerk couldn’t even let Keith have his own showing without butting in. During the commercials I started flipping channels again<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhb4_-WXO8FVXWxU-3Y-K4SFnqSRAqphmUe3DF8W35n46Y6-5GQ-RYJpUy9ByBs7HYWLTkTvQqH4N6p5YpXUGzK-JP32YP9gSJupXmdRMZNr9TP5_wD2x1bj0xMDvMDHt5jC0Ht_ycfYN2/s1600/the-magic-bullet.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 175px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509388732573314018" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhb4_-WXO8FVXWxU-3Y-K4SFnqSRAqphmUe3DF8W35n46Y6-5GQ-RYJpUy9ByBs7HYWLTkTvQqH4N6p5YpXUGzK-JP32YP9gSJupXmdRMZNr9TP5_wD2x1bj0xMDvMDHt5jC0Ht_ycfYN2/s200/the-magic-bullet.jpg" /></a>, praying that in the last 8 minutes something miraculous would happen and there would be something interesting on TV. No such luck. I started idly watching an ad for a blender called the <em>Magic Bullet</em>. After a few moments of watching some jerk face limey presenter making breakfast for various tropes/houseguest I was ready to flip back to David Carradine explaining about how advanced prostitution was in the Wild West. As I flipped away from the infomercial I heard a voice pipe up from the corner.<br /> “Dude, think you can switch back? I love that commercial. Cracks me up every time.” I didn’t want to jinx the moment, so I flipped back to the previous channel and turned the volume up.<br /> “<em>And all you have to do is put the cheese in the Magic Bullet carafe and blend for four seconds…one…two…three…four. Remove the base and screw on the microwave safe lid. Microwave for 35 seconds then PRESTO, instant nachos.”</em><br /> “Man I don’t even like nachos, but that looks so good right now.” The fish said.<br /> I was astounded. All I could say was “Why don’t you like nachos? I thought everyone likes nachos?”<br /> “Lactose intolerant. Makes me poo something fierce.”<br /> “When the fuck did you get nachos?”<br /> “Dude, it was before I met you.” And he left it at that. I didn’t want to press it, so my fish and I watched the TV in silence for a few more minutes. “Really what I love in this ad is the characters. You have the know-it-all brit with the non threatening yet exotic accent. His attractive yet not distracting wife. He is showing off his <em>Magic Bullet</em> to a hungover brother in law, his doting wife, a shrill know-it-all Aunt complete with the nasty cigarette dangling from her lips. Its like art. I do not know if the ad writers are making fun of the viewers or if this is just a really clever sell. Is this parody or is it real? All I know is that I don’t have any arms yet I really really really want a <em>Magic Bullet</em> now.”<br /> “Can I ask you a question?”<br /> “Sure.”<br /> “Why did you sound like Ned Flanders last time, but now you sound like some of stoned college kid?”<br /> The fish laughed that in that gravely, phlegmatic laugh that fish have. “That was on a bet. You should have seen the look on your face. I don’t how I kept it straight the entire time.”<br />I let it go at that. The rest of the evening was spent watching late night infomercials, critiquing their various sales pitches. He knew quite a bit about George Foreman’s life story; surprisingly much for a fish. He also did not like the Ronco rotisserie machines. He thought the sound stage/test kitchen presentation in front of a live audience was played out. He thought Ron Popeil was a shill.<br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 152px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509388971527619394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb08aQB8Ie-MnIt-ZVkgmPzNkivwC9mrBBSucKoZXmX-XswNuyvdSDfgUmAGIY2xROWR_t4vb5D9SOEEVTsqJ4xOaDqa8YOoZiwy9GUFbTdGaI1e8WD0CIUm1tYayvMFkXLuqmWvGQ8wcJ/s200/ron-popeil.jpg" /> <div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">I dunno what his beef was. Ron's okay in my book.</span></div><br /><br /> When I got up the morning, my fish was dead. That was a shame because he was kind of a cool guy if you like talking about late night infomercials. After he really opened up that evening I found out he was a little racist, but then no one’s perfect. I didn’t get too worked up over his death though. He might have been a talking goldfish, but he was still just a goldfish. I flushed him and went about my business. Although to this day I have no idea who dared him to talk like Ned Flanders. That’s going to bother me for a while.Tommy Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11197450698264575866noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3916822389008332254.post-2421827391885642292010-03-30T09:17:00.000-07:002010-03-30T09:29:05.838-07:00Jay Johnston is a sorceror<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYKFTxQ29eljhA_T0epcaaWDtT2O0gf0V7NqUsNnEgA7MU0Mej-ZYgnGTqBQbfDf3MIIln1YwxgLnQMpIo6rMqEeHIIjRRT5CWFFD_TgTNgoqRONJxUnLJ3pRMFHnJMNere1uZF3GiWUN/s1600/untitled1.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454462168679815314" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYKFTxQ29eljhA_T0epcaaWDtT2O0gf0V7NqUsNnEgA7MU0Mej-ZYgnGTqBQbfDf3MIIln1YwxgLnQMpIo6rMqEeHIIjRRT5CWFFD_TgTNgoqRONJxUnLJ3pRMFHnJMNere1uZF3GiWUN/s320/untitled1.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="left">I want to take a moment to discuss with you a topic that is of utmost importance. I think <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0426678/">Jay Johnston</a> is trying to subliminally control us all. You may think you don’t know who he is, but trust me; you do. Jay Johnston plays “Officer Jay McPherson” on the Sarah Silverman Program, the mustachioed American who is married to Sarah’s crazy hot nurse sister. Seriously, people go on and on about how hot Sarah Silverman is, but I don’t see it. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bouska/3693045533/">Her sister though is quite simply crazy amounts of hot</a>. Why has no one mentioned this yet? And bear in mind that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Silverman">Sarah Silverman is seriously like 53 years old</a>. She was on SNL when Chevy Chase was a cast member, I am not freaking lying. Look it up if you have to. Oh, it was during Chris Elliot’s tenure. My bad. You know he wrote a book about a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shroud-Thwacker-Chris-Elliott/dp/B001QTWA2K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269964253&sr=8-1">time travelling detective</a> and was <a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/410532-The_Inadvertent_Plagiarist_Chris_Elliott_Meets_Boilerplate.php">sued by the creators of Boiler Plate</a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boilerplate_(robot)">Victorian Era Supersoldier/Robot</a>? None of that is made up.<br /><br />A few weeks ago I was watching a rerun of the Sarah Silverman Program on Comedy Central, and despite the constant intake of Red Bull and amphetamines I take for legitimate medical reasons, I was feeling inordinately groggy and suggestible. The feeling lasted for approx 22 minutes, then I was back to my normal state of confused agitation and was taking apart the telephone for the fourth time that day. I had the strangest feeling of déjà vu, that for some reason JJ (my pet name for Mr Johnston) was entirely too familiar-as was my general feeling of malaise and impressionability . Then it struck me… JJ is one of the most prolific actors playing the roles of cops in comedy setting stretching back for over a decade! His influence goes back into the last freaking millennium for Christ sakes! Look at this list here:<br /><br />Community ('10)</div><div align="left">The Sarah Silverman Program ('07-'10)</div><div align="left">Reno 911! ('09)</div><div align="left">Last Laugh '06 ('06)</div><div align="left">Arrested Development ('04-'05)</div><div align="left">Hollywood Palms ('01)</div><div align="left">Tenacious D ('00)</div><div align="left">Desperate But Not Serious ('99)</div><div align="left">Mr Show (’98)<br /></div><div align="center"><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454462431601217250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 224px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV-QMZIprTLkKiole2OyQh1Nv5msQIxCQyLy6UVKwpiMU38EgLCqySU25Dkowkriil_gg2br2pISWdAj-HrXVMddS5KddaWeO3QxAOcj22rKBK-WOWDI5NvtkRtxFZ3FO4p_dTGnnW3Z4I/s320/untitled.bmp" border="0" /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;"><strong>We're onto you, bastard!</strong></span></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left"><br />In all of these shows he has played a law enforcement officer of one type or another. And suspect that we are being hypnotized during each of his appearances as a cop in these shows. I do not know who is behind this… Hollywood, Freemasons, The Government, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=71496614007&ref=ts">The Devotants of Mahlegeth</a>, or Jay “Undead Sorcerer of Great Power” Johnston himself, but I need to find out. Please let me know if you have any leads, as this insidious conspiracy has to end. Jay Johnston is a menace, and I just need the “proof” and “evidence” and “motive” to prove it.</div><div align="center"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454462799609371506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 179px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rsoNfnHVC64W_7D6GLRU12-Cdoc6RsZxCwblFJpJmwBxYieTIvYJfiUojXsEoxliA_3hyLS4xGWLNfX1UesbDT68VwtJ4NfZG8DmTa3twpUy0QplY5H9Xw0vSfFtlahZy68vkp5IUq9G/s320/police-oscar-1_sm.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;"><strong>Jeez, what does he have against Oscar Bluth!</strong></span><br /></p>Tommy Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11197450698264575866noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3916822389008332254.post-75550235928642835932010-01-29T07:54:00.000-08:002010-01-29T08:11:58.896-08:00Mimosas equal happiness<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9-h7VTp4TxSpIrAoWPrE8-_GicIdlTMvjFFEcTEcio_cInplxEKB5BzLDTU7Czn-5egnjK92YEmsuttJkISWbRComxzb-0AvDBhfd63FhKr2XxiCJB1kLO6vI4hr7V61NFdLTV27xLnk/s1600-h/180px-Mimosa_pudica_2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432192319546581394" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 180px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 120px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9-h7VTp4TxSpIrAoWPrE8-_GicIdlTMvjFFEcTEcio_cInplxEKB5BzLDTU7Czn-5egnjK92YEmsuttJkISWbRComxzb-0AvDBhfd63FhKr2XxiCJB1kLO6vI4hr7V61NFdLTV27xLnk/s320/180px-Mimosa_pudica_2.jpg" border="0" /></a>Who here loves mimosas? Go on, raise your hands. That’s what I thought, everyone! You can put your hands down, you look like an idiot and I can’t really see you (or can I???) In case you don’t know, mimosas are not only a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimosa">pretty flower</a>, but its also one of my favorite <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimosa_(cocktail)">drinks</a>! You see, if society frowns on drinking before 5 pm then drinking before noon really puts it patooter in a panic. As a result high society decided to invent two drinks that you can enjoy with your brunch without being labeled a terrible disgusting lush. One is of course the invigorating bloody mary. It packs a dual punch of nutrients and liquor, and is a great way to get your morning going. It does carry a slight stigma of being the morning drink of the hung over boozehound and vicious cougars. As a result, I tend to favor mimosa’s in the morning. Basically equal parts OJ and champagne, it brings an element of class to your search for the morning fix. While your friends and family frown with concern when you crack open a Budweiser with your morning eggs, they all smile and applaud when you pop open a bottle of bubbly and spike your juice. It quirky, fun, and non threatening.<br /><br />I even have a saying, “Houseguests get mimosas.” Right behind “<a href="http://www.wehatepants.com/index.php/Home">Pants are for Suckers</a>*” I strive to embrace this mantra as the pinnacle of hospitality. What houseguest doesn’t want to wake up to warm bacon, fresh eggs, and a nice crisp mimosa on a lazy weekend morning.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432192411556648050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 213px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHCC5wX799sdaIXOXPHoAqmGhYB5Xrx8-V1JHoAuCwlEo-LUbKAYNCfIvmfTPfMGZEE3l6wupi6adgKIkrU1CCPgU9SstpMogp9gVFWa69LlYolPxbMzTAlt35FNyif-hS4sgkCP24zbid/s320/mimosa.jpg" border="0" /> <div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">Oh I can just taste it right now...</span></div><br />I have even invented a special drink for mornings in which a normal mimosa just won’t cut it. I call it the “Red Bull Mimosa.” Two parts champagne to one part <a href="http://www.redbullartofcan.com/#config/home.xml">Red Bull</a>, this twist on AM indulging really delivers in both the taste and kick department. I have found that the acidic raspberry flavor of the Red Bull serves as a suitable replacement for the OJ without watering down the bubbly as the traditional mixer does.<br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432192586891904418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 241px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5OUJD10CcspIqu7HhOmlOI6QTi3DA6em8L7UHkNCfsKpq1BLr-ZALo27gYhPpULZdFDs9X0S7OHySlKswf97K-gaes8-ZFO9avOIu6eRzFTCfB02zZnx1b1bZ-GgujZCThDjPGWa6jxb/s320/Red-Bull-Art-9.jpg" border="0" /></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">Red Bull, not just a drink anymore...</span></p><p><br />So now, do you have any mid morning treats to share? What sort of unleaded goes in your tank to get things rolling?<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong><em>*Editors Note: I was shocked to learn that I am not the only one using this phrase, "Pants are for Suckers." I </em></strong></span><a href="http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=%22pants+are+for+suckers%22&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-701"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong><em>googled</em></strong></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong><em> it as writing this article, and other people have been using it exactly I have to describe the growing disdain for pants that people rightfully developing. Who knew?</em></strong></span></p>Tommy Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11197450698264575866noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3916822389008332254.post-1394923531724472842010-01-19T11:58:00.000-08:002010-01-19T12:22:40.229-08:00Jungle Joose tastes like sinIt was 10:30 am on a Saturday morning. I was driving a stolen UHaul to help move some televisions of dubious origin. Along the way I was going to pick up a buddy to help me load the goods. “Just pull off the on-ramp and pick me up. I’ll be the guy who looks like a homeless man” he told me on the telephone. Sure enough, when I got on the ramp, there was Ed in grungy clothing, a beggard’s sign pleading for food, and several cans of malt liquor.<br /><br />Well actually, most aspects of the above story is not true. Can you guess which part is 100% true? You guessed it, Ed waiting for me at a highway on-ramp with a shit-ton of malt liquor at 10:30 in the morning is completely true. I had recently bought a house, and in order to facilitate the move Ed thought it best to pick up some malt liquor to get us in the mood to spend the day lifting heavy objects. He bought a four pack of Sparks and a horrid abomination called “Jungle Joose.” Somehow I resisted the urge to partake, using the lame excuse that I had “several hours of hard lifting and UHaul driving ahead of me” and that “getting blitzed out of my gourd was the worst idea since they cancelled the Chevy Chase Show in 1993.” Despite being called a weakling and a sissy-boy I was able to maintain sobriety and only tried a sip. Even trying only enough to write a review I still have to say that I failed my saving throw, and lost a full 6 points off my sanity level.<br /><br />According to label it’s a “Premium Malt Beverage” that is spiked with “natural flavors, taurine, ginseng, caffeine, and certified colors.” I just want to be upfront and tell you that the “certified color” is some sort of horrid green nightmare. This can never be packaged in a bottle, as you body will not physically let you drink anything that shade of green without vomiting <span style="font-size:85%;"><em>(editors note: Ecto-cooler juice boxes were a similar shade. Thus proving that kids are disgustingly gross cretins with odious personal habits.)</em></span> The smell is off-putting. It has a sickly sweet smell that reminds you of rot and corruption. The flavor that hits you as you tilt back the 24 oz tall boy is cheap gin and gross soda.<br /><br /><br /><div><div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428543795492562706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis2PxXokUivxWXPAXR97oiDgSQFo-sfN7rZ9cu9rVSw9FPkiGTVnLUg5VTCp9PwrDoX0ZYDk-HAcNeaOjnpMsK-S3MjCn5Gs5JHgVZwI3EV6sqiJn3RsAwAnjpQsfcEOfmYnF6ekb8GMiG/s400/joose.bmp" border="0" /></div><div><br />The one thing it does have going for it is the fact that is pack a ridonkulous 9.9% ABV and it comes in a 23.5 oz can. Let break that down a bit; that equates to 695ml and a normal bottle of wine had 750ml and the roughly the same ABV. Drinking an entire can is like guzzling most of a bottle of wine. So lets recap… For about $2.50 you can buy almost the equivalent of a bottle of wine in malt liquor form, nearly vomit from the fact it tastes like the nastiest gin you can find mixed with the most nastiest fruit soda you can find, take in enough sugar to give you diabetes, and get ripped for a week straight on caffeine and taurine. This vile concoction should be renamed “bad idea in a can.” I think the police should just arrest you the moment you walk out of the store with it, because you are obviously high on something. And the can is just a visual abortion. Who are they trying to appeal to? Hardcore drunks? Sorry, we have more class than that. Maybe they are trying to appeal to high schoolers and the mentally deficient, because that’s the only people who will be attracted by the retina searing can. It even comes pre-chilled and sold individually in the freezer case, ready to be drank in the car on the way home. I honestly have nothing good to say about this product. </div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428544255609763634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 152px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7mVW887cptsH6tX5aJGyJRtcG4zDHJZnwAA7ZOnPdXtvfm-uMFroprXVOuRYgrceHhY9UMNxEJic2U4zWLJDBe1DeJSVRg1fRGBIryXv5TKsvFTkCRPbzD6eRcMzqFZ5ewgovrOdsgVN1/s200/churchill2.jpg" border="0" /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">Even history's greatest lush won't touch this dreck!</span></div><div><br />I suppose the real lesson to be learned in this post is to never trust <a href="http://smokesandbooze.blogspot.com/">Ed</a>.</div><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428544413459784338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIt3bizRylJARU07VzPLrJQHUgRoT-HNjfbA3Q8QOun556wwDtWikvFDs6Y4hRFp5ltZWzVk4oX4QXpNv2Syhj3NCDV7NZfC7c1qEp6WOQ-IMt5Kro2iACzIHCZiw2k-ECaK9s2gm7vekU/s320/n1323618903_5411.jpg" border="0" /></div><p align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">He was even a subversive baby mini-lush!</span></p><p></p>Tommy Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11197450698264575866noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3916822389008332254.post-11563243269736781932010-01-08T14:06:00.001-08:002010-01-08T14:20:58.332-08:00Honoring MahlegethIn honor of the Infernal Glutton and Glorious Omnigester Mahlegeth the Devourer, the staff of <a href="http://daysofbooze.blogspot.com/">Days of Booze Magazine</a> are hosting a contest! Post or link your idea for a drink honoring our favorite Elder God!<br /><br /><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424494485567796098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 140px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 116px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQY2KdqgHNmBq5RPghNk52K6tDpeBtH1K636CfQuRmPow8goquw88a7puBbPP26PT0JTEjqizRJh2VYIx1OmPZVEvUy_GkXmFt4GVI99H4DrgHvP0I5QE7VIPamva6JRNLC0vaNA4wIaH5/s320/dd09bdcf87c8a450.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:78%;">"'Lo,' said Mahlegeth, 'and go forth. Muliply and make plenty. For as the shepard tends his flock, I will devour you as well." --Book of the Devourer 1:1-3"</span></p><p><br />As an example, take boring old Champagne and add a candied hibiscus flower from our buddies at <a href="http://www.thinkgeek.com/caffeine/wacky-edibles/c0ce/">Think Geek</a> and... </p><p><br /> </p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424496444352929634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 151px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYO7tPm4DAsIxJxiNq3L8elRb4Xi-B_SktADWKnHrR6X_HZ4KuQZBf43BEG140b8hKUqW9XelYoGlz8Z7gjoYIgpZrmkfXe32HVkyy1LQYCjDF6WlwtDujrATzvSl045xVkLHDiYH7EBHH/s320/c0ce_edible_wild_hibiscus_flowers_bubbly.jpg" border="0" /> <p></p><p>By the Nine Tongues, its now a drink fitting for the most devout Devotant! The possibilities are endless! So lets combine my two hobbies, drinking and worshipping Mahlegeth and lets make some thing special!</p>Tommy Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11197450698264575866noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3916822389008332254.post-80976203772899053632010-01-06T06:50:00.000-08:002010-01-06T07:03:14.765-08:00New Belgium makes my Mudder's Milk<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2VaHpLxH3fM0YNcJZix320O6kTWsueJC6A3wTI6v5YkwgkoG3vcKVAMxbGhS0k0LpgVHQ9fvvYDDTwx1pyLRb-7KLy4WArTCXrRpGki61FrjAidx3dn8QUqt8YD7aSxp43Ro_PDFu_XEl/s1600-h/tripple.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423640015217008082" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 155px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2VaHpLxH3fM0YNcJZix320O6kTWsueJC6A3wTI6v5YkwgkoG3vcKVAMxbGhS0k0LpgVHQ9fvvYDDTwx1pyLRb-7KLy4WArTCXrRpGki61FrjAidx3dn8QUqt8YD7aSxp43Ro_PDFu_XEl/s200/tripple.jpg" border="0" /></a> From the moment you lay your eyes on the three lassies frolicking on the label, you are reminded that all good things come in threes. The Trippel by the <a href="http://www.newbelgium.com/">New Belgium Brewing Company</a> out of Fort Collins Colorado is certainly no exception. According to the brewer, the label is adorned with Zeus’s daughters Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia who represent splendor, mirth, and good cheer. All three of which immediately come to mind as I taste this beer. The first thing you notice is the thick, almost fruity smell that the beer gives off. As it hits your tongue you are enveloped by the sweet clovelike flavor that is present in a lot of Belgian beers. The hop character is present but not overpowering. Made with Saaz hops, it struggles to get past t<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixIuoS6uzeF7cckMAklSi3vuEO_7_oOMarNlR8z1atZAigv0c45v9nONvHJWLsFN2Cx5-qKtLhEJR2J2S_-DVN7zHngMTrqiDk-7zxEh1sd72sksvqsxBoyUxLwHBbSQOzJOcrgoqtqAWm/s1600-h/128px-NEW_NBB_Logo.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423640213312890546" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 128px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 133px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixIuoS6uzeF7cckMAklSi3vuEO_7_oOMarNlR8z1atZAigv0c45v9nONvHJWLsFN2Cx5-qKtLhEJR2J2S_-DVN7zHngMTrqiDk-7zxEh1sd72sksvqsxBoyUxLwHBbSQOzJOcrgoqtqAWm/s320/128px-NEW_NBB_Logo.jpg" border="0" /></a>he clove and citrusy flavor. Not a bad thing by any account, certainly not if you are a fan of Belgian beer and their proclivity for using coriander and sugar candies as flavoring adjuncts. One thing though that you do not immediately notice is the alcohol content. At 7.8% ABV this is actually on the weak side for a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trippel">trippel</a>, but it still makes for a fairly potent beer. It is all too easy to lose yourself in this orangey/amber liquid and wonder why you are laying on the floor after consuming three too many.<br /><br />To put it simply this sweet, thick, boozey beer is my Mudder’s Milk. What is Mudder’s Milk? Segue! Hop into the way-back machine and set the dial to 2002. Turn on FOX and watch the failed Joss Whedon sci-fi series <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefly_tv">Firefly</a>. A bold mixture of science fiction and western, it was doomed to fail from the beginning. It has enjoyed quite the popularity on DVD and even spawned a movie, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379786/">Serenity</a>. But back in 2002 it died a quick death after airing only 11 of the 14 produced episodes. Do I blame FOX for its demise? No, I blame us dammit. Right quick, all you fellow sci-fi geeks out there raise your hands. Now who loves Firefly? I see a lot of hands still up, good. It was a terrific show. Now who watched it when it was on TV? I see like one hand up, and please note that it is not even mine. None of us watched it when it was on! We all watched later in 2004 or 2005 because some overzealous drooling friend forced us to try it on DVD. All of us know that guy, and some of us BECAME that guy. We thought he was nuts, but we indulged him. Perhaps we were curious ourselves. Perhaps we were afraid he would stab us. But we relented and gave the show a try. Then like crack we had to watch the entire series in one sitting. Then when we found out there were only 14 episodes we punched holes in the walls as withdrawal set in. But is it FOX’s fault that only 14 episodes were made? NO! ITS OURS! Had we watched it when it was on TV they would still be making episodes! Hell, they even had a second shot with their movie Serenity. If the movie did well in the box office, then they had a solid shot at reviving the series (albeit maybe in film form). But NO! They only made $38MM in the theaters, and they had a budget of $39MM! Granted it has since done well on video but it cannot make up for the fact that we science fiction fans are collectively a bunch of LAZY FAT FREAKS WHO CAN’T GET OFF THEIR <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspergers">ASPERGERIC</a> ASSES AND STOP PLAYING WoW FOR TWO GOD-DAMNED HOURS TO HELP REBOOT A SERIES THAT THEY DROOL OVER and instead blame everyone but themselves.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423640474330913410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 117px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 145px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw2SC-1WOoovCJXeajeRFFXZyYGn4s3Zvkj5il0iMKG-mUeHciKJOX8zmgSJY_D6gGcq7NIH6k4sGzo5vsXDoYbW21t3ayi77xLesUYE8TrKC2RNf83Uq5hbhidnNfc7Yv7Y_W7T0_hJUz/s320/jayne.jpg" border="0" /> <div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">Click the ads or Jayne will shoot you in the face</span></div><br />Deep breath now. OK, in the series there is a planet that produces an exceptionally fine mud that is the crucial organic component to a ceramic compound, and it is mined by indentured servants. To keep them complacent they are constantly fed “Mudder’s Milk” which is basically a high calorie alcoholic drink that supplement’s their diet with carbs while keeping them nicely sloshed. New Belgium’s Trippel is my version of Mudder’s Milk. Supply me with an endless supply (and an overseer with a whip keeping me in line) and I will build you a rocking set of pyramids. Seriously, I will slave and toil for you just give me that beer. Hang it on a string and dangle it in front of me like a carrot and I will plow the entire freaking Midwest. If the Midwest is the nation’s bread basket than I am the mental patient weaving the wicker.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423640812894402530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 180px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 135px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgySJa46FZFoc33J18Dxxh78xmjuWFAlUiAWjLaI8gk8j8wshr6U33ByYZ15D_p86t4BuquAkAhd7l51zAcbKEsU1XKKkJqAhe8yR3oMMFCxsY2uqaqogwvRRQac_U59x2W8iaEv4VRjffI/s320/180px-01_khafre_north.jpg" border="0" /> <div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">Seriously, feed me this beer and you will have one of these in your backyard. One week. Maybe two, tops.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><br />Another item of note? The New Belgium Brewing Co is run by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Belgium_Brewing_Company#Business_and_energy_practices">hippies</a>. That’s a plus if you into that sort of thing. I guess.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423640746467097138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 145px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 126px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtozToYGfWlALWfiEbdi2Eqw5ojcvm7D7pWQgan3RTaLYHgQoux5QbTAEsk-3dZwhWsdYM6yPi1chJGKMTRwS7DrudTHq_igkWAiXbKQ52dE7hB2DWbQP8oGJgFLf0I2XNGi16KA5L2Cqu/s320/fa02a9894f355d72.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">Actual portrait of head brewer. I swear.</span></p><p></p>Tommy Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11197450698264575866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3916822389008332254.post-57754168288985655312009-12-23T08:28:00.000-08:002010-01-25T06:46:58.167-08:00Columbia MO SantaCon 2009 After Action Review<div align="center"></div><br /><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7NRRhiE6QMyh_lB0yD_toLKZUJHYuP8zpADAIVztLuM_jwkcox3Dwm0jGyslYAb9BIjeCAPYYtcb1B5_9uqxfssI0vVsArW4bwZdSw5tPYU7TlLf4waJvrZKDPolrhsqEKCRxJc9_mgd/s1600-h/1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418469551544075746" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 130px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 97px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7NRRhiE6QMyh_lB0yD_toLKZUJHYuP8zpADAIVztLuM_jwkcox3Dwm0jGyslYAb9BIjeCAPYYtcb1B5_9uqxfssI0vVsArW4bwZdSw5tPYU7TlLf4waJvrZKDPolrhsqEKCRxJc9_mgd/s320/1.jpg" border="0" /></a> OK all you drunks out there in InterNets land, if you haven’t yet please go out to a SantaCon before you die. If you enjoy drinking, carousing, and dressing like Santa then it should be right up your alley. If you hate those things, then I suppose you are up poo poo creek.<br /><br />Before we get started, you can see a lot of pics from the two photographers who followed us here:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/10thavenue/sets/72157622913263657/show/">Great photos from Notley Hawkins here on his Flickr site</a> (Notley Hawkins is my new favorite person)<br /><a href="http://www.columbiatribune.com/photos/galleries/2009/dec/22/santacon-columbia/2679/">Weak Sauce pictures here on the Columbia Tribune.</a><br /><br />On Friday 12/18/2009 in Columbia MO we kicked off the evening at McNalle<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Hrpxc33wZS6eBteuv1L2VMoTwTjOKpOWAVoMY6H-1kdK6emn0dO5R0KYsbbcWepNiuO9d-zSkiMDwqzh96mcxLNvgVXO5vLEFEQQkU796s1YfhT5aB8VdK-gkEPkyox0OlKYnEA8JeS8/s1600-h/2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418469628420303890" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 130px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 97px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Hrpxc33wZS6eBteuv1L2VMoTwTjOKpOWAVoMY6H-1kdK6emn0dO5R0KYsbbcWepNiuO9d-zSkiMDwqzh96mcxLNvgVXO5vLEFEQQkU796s1YfhT5aB8VdK-gkEPkyox0OlKYnEA8JeS8/s320/2.jpg" border="0" /></a>y’s. We walked in at 9 pm expecting a large crowd of Santas… But alas we were the only ones! At that point the five of us started wondering if we were stood up by flaky Santas. It would not have been that surprising. But luck be on our side, by 9:15 more Santa’s started pouring in. At 10 pm after many beers and a nip of scotch from my new girly birthday present/pink leopard skin flask (thanks Kara! That <em>was</em> some mighty fine scotch!), we moved onto our next stop.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhypMZxIf332pEfN-I6ZrkS0gW9cT1Nn2N09AVEjpL7mUtWxfB7tyMZH9E8pmKm2q-XeX1oavZ5Xc-iU_4o_in3Vb9BVZr54zm3OFVs1Up6z3reIJiS8uEzIEvq7vT4h8Fxp2r8Zpk5rThb/s1600-h/3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418469750162440370" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 130px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 97px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhypMZxIf332pEfN-I6ZrkS0gW9cT1Nn2N09AVEjpL7mUtWxfB7tyMZH9E8pmKm2q-XeX1oavZ5Xc-iU_4o_in3Vb9BVZr54zm3OFVs1Up6z3reIJiS8uEzIEvq7vT4h8Fxp2r8Zpk5rThb/s320/3.jpg" border="0" /></a>Flatbranch! Now Flatbranch is one of my favorite places to eat in Columbia. It is a microbrewery that serves its own version of Americana Pub Food. It for sure one of the treasures of Columbia. Is it a place for drunk Santas to make fools of themselves? Not really. I felt out of place there and was itching to move on. (<a href="http://www.columbiatribune.com/photos/galleries/2009/dec/22/santacon-columbia/2679/">And a creepy Columbia Tribune photographer took my picture while I was peeing.</a> Seriously, what's up with that peervy creep?)<br /><br />Next up was Addison’s. Addison’s is also one of my favorite eateries in town <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNFJnQpuKyMxQ_gzc9wJXt4eCs1LJW8iiwetLrmS9Uuzlx2ILhPF5Lvfe_upKcqQ0niJAcN01i9D87SD1iGwcfpfHThtiDttabveqLfGXoXirWdswDFEgIm-R0jVGmxt1_197nzr_-mN2h/s1600-h/4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418469886371977362" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 130px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 97px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNFJnQpuKyMxQ_gzc9wJXt4eCs1LJW8iiwetLrmS9Uuzlx2ILhPF5Lvfe_upKcqQ0niJAcN01i9D87SD1iGwcfpfHThtiDttabveqLfGXoXirWdswDFEgIm-R0jVGmxt1_197nzr_-mN2h/s320/4.jpg" border="0" /></a>(see a trend here? I love the dining options in downtown Columbia) I cannot say enough good things about their American fusion menu other than that you have to have a New Belgium beer there while you try their Nachos Bianca. Go ahead, go now. I’ll wait. Back now? Good, wasn't it? Back to the story: At that point in the night your boozey blogger had to switch to club soda, even though we were just 1 ½ hours in. I know, I’m a weak Santa.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYh__4b7e2ThpdszT4_vMvrEi2SsAEw9j38Ds1nolm3FROFSDmFKwlDLPYZVtQp5nXMwcEIfw6JhDweIcnUwYuSIOr8GTEP8bYD4efmeFlCg8HpBvYcsVlGmmJBSyVg-TwfNZDnpzz6Nth/s1600-h/5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418470191118194098" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 130px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 97px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYh__4b7e2ThpdszT4_vMvrEi2SsAEw9j38Ds1nolm3FROFSDmFKwlDLPYZVtQp5nXMwcEIfw6JhDweIcnUwYuSIOr8GTEP8bYD4efmeFlCg8HpBvYcsVlGmmJBSyVg-TwfNZDnpzz6Nth/s320/5.jpg" border="0" /></a>At 11 pm we made out way to Back Alley Bar. That made Santa feel old. I do not do particularly care for poorly lit dance clubs with loud music. I like comfy chairs with a glass of nice booze and conversation with friends. So I was pleased when we moved on. 11:30 we attacked Tellers. They seemed happy to see us there, and someone tagged the bathroom with graffiti. That was not cool. Santa does not condone such hooliganism. Is there no help for a widows son?<br /><br />Midnight found us wandering to our next drinking hole. On the way I ran into th<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqCK1fVYQDYc0Co4rK0X1mg_Mpyf3zqRgzhgZVX1I8FVhwr1qTzogDMLVsDn9IbgkdqBQJQqXrsMoIT2H5cQmiGGevViihgZFmOg3oU9rxAmZoYaKkqNYtck50v9y8xfjW1C7RNsr1U20/s1600-h/6.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418470038244252178" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 130px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 97px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqCK1fVYQDYc0Co4rK0X1mg_Mpyf3zqRgzhgZVX1I8FVhwr1qTzogDMLVsDn9IbgkdqBQJQqXrsMoIT2H5cQmiGGevViihgZFmOg3oU9rxAmZoYaKkqNYtck50v9y8xfjW1C7RNsr1U20/s320/6.jpg" border="0" /></a>e bassist for <a href="http://www.myspace.com/commonera65201">Common Era</a> (The coolest Joy Division cover band ever). I was ready to stay and drink with them, but an attractive reindeer pushed me towards our next stop instead. Rag Tag Cinecafe’ has a new location nearish to Eastsides Tavern and they put a big bar in front of it. I know, makes sense right? Huge bar in a movie theater? But it was perhaps the most fun of all the locations so far. Perhaps that had something to do with the fact I had been drinking for three hours…<br /><br />Finally at 12:30 I got to meet up with my non-Santa (read slightly lame) friends at Eastsides. Sadly, they had stopped serving beer when we arrived. Happily they were stills serving shots! Whiskey and Jaeger for this Santa! Sal Nuccio, the owner of the bar, also slipped BOGO drink coupons into our pockets at one point in the night! Go Sal! <a href="http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2009/10/14/eastside-tavern-owner-sal-nuccio-making-mayoral-bid/">He has my vote in the 2010 vote for the mayor of Columbia.</a> Seriously go to his <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#/event.php?eid=209335279359&ref=ts">facebook event page</a> and check it out!</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><strong>(**Editor's note: The reporter of this peice was apparently in no condition to tell time. He apparently got to Eastsides after 1 am! He has been written up for sloppy reporting. OOOPS***)</strong></div><div align="left"><br />At 1 AM the night finally ended and we tried to get in line at El Ranchos. Only some of our party got in. Oh well. We retired to my new Columbia residence with El Ranchos and quickly fell asleep with dreams of sugar plums dancing in our heads. The first SantaCon in Columbia was a rousing success! Thanks Liz for organizing. </div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418470898408335874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 133px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg86HKP9D-cY9bMoh9Qco_XhF0mnq9iEKaGyJx6ifWRkk6aMeFIcp9Q0DgJizgVq5a0w_SbxIPTow9MjbCOdcMdrntkxl5cqzV4d5yhxdijWAVhDasovMuJUHlqXdVwpLSLM1QkumbNpXkD/s320/n1625469553_8928.jpg" border="0" /></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">This man will be our next president one day.</span><br /></p><br />Postscript: What do hung over Santas do the next day? Champagne and Red Bull. It’s the mimosas of the future.Tommy Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11197450698264575866noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3916822389008332254.post-89442885513188880512009-12-20T17:58:00.000-08:002009-12-20T18:17:12.418-08:00My apologies to BoulevardAs various members of the Bluth Family have uttered, "<strong>I've made a huge mistake.</strong>"<br /><br />A few days one of the staff writers over here at "Days of Booze" mistakenly attributed the Sixth Glass Quadruple to the wrong Missouri brewery. Boulevard Brewing Company out of Kansas City makes this fine selection and I owe them as well as the entire metropolis of Kansas City an apology.<br /><br />I am sorry Boulevard. We have a writer who apparently can't read the bottle in front of him. I suppose that is the hazard of writing about booze while you are drinking the same booze. That is no adequate excuse for lazy writing and we promise to never misrepresent your brews again.<br /><br />The writer of that review has been fired and murdered and his body dumped in the Missouri River. By Eunice Moorehead, cuz nothing pisses her off more than screw ups.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417505621573616370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 223px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 175px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQbZUzAsVv7dRz9i9nQv1VajACq_usw-9FgwVdonIprz3RLeIRE8fu_Zs7tSpj2owFVMbuOVKSZ1XzfKEDv7i-gSPaH1x63pr2QRhpsHXTqG3AKfAyNxlfP4o-qTT581ucAkTrnGW_SWoZ/s320/eunice_moorehead.jpg" border="0" /> <div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">she WILL cut you</span></div><br /><br />Once again guys, Sorry. I hope we can still be friends. Boulevard rocks.Tommy Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11197450698264575866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3916822389008332254.post-57882863135689278602009-12-18T08:00:00.000-08:002009-12-23T10:47:11.016-08:00The Red Menace Approaches (Aka SantaCon is coming to Town!)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUKP87jhM_851Gegd97i86lX5wsKDaGHxeMEg7McKvUd-vQZvRjgsVT82v9zhNKpPUo2G_9agNCaUKRZuJvAlMNbMXJMQxu4BxVzJfD-QbVPuJKlO9T-1_TE0Rqr4bDQchJbXgeBDked_d/s1600-h/Pfilm22591025616482.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416607041035578578" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 189px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 182px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUKP87jhM_851Gegd97i86lX5wsKDaGHxeMEg7McKvUd-vQZvRjgsVT82v9zhNKpPUo2G_9agNCaUKRZuJvAlMNbMXJMQxu4BxVzJfD-QbVPuJKlO9T-1_TE0Rqr4bDQchJbXgeBDked_d/s320/Pfilm22591025616482.jpg" border="0" /></a> Tonight (Friday 12/18) there will be a Santa-themed pub crawl through down town Columbia MO. These are fairly common in larger cities, but to my knowledge this is a first for Columbia. I am a big fan of costumes, pub crawls, Santa, and drinking. We will see how it works out when you combine them all into one shindig. And its my 29th birthday today. What can possibly go wrong?<br /><br />(Edit 12/23/09 After action review can be found here: <a href="http://daysofbooze.blogspot.com/2009/12/columa-santacon-2009-after-action.html">http://daysofbooze.blogspot.com/2009/12/columa-santacon-2009-after-action.html</a> )<br /><br /><strong><u>Schedule is below</u></strong>.<br /><br />McNally's 9-10pm<br />Flat Branch 10-1030pm<br />Addison's 1030-11pm<br />Back Alley Bar 11-1130<br />Sycamore, Broadway Brewery and Tellers (Combo 1130-12midnight)<br />Rag Tag 12midnight-1230<br />Eastside 1230-1amTommy Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11197450698264575866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3916822389008332254.post-7547892227172245612009-12-17T08:02:00.001-08:002009-12-18T08:08:35.804-08:00Drinks of DesperationI am certain that most of you have been in my position at one time or another. You open the door to your fridge, and notice that there is no beer in there. You confidently look on the door to see if there is a bottle hiding next to the soy sauce. Nothing. So you walk over to your wine rack, and that’s empty too!<br /><br />Hmmm… This could be bad.<br /><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416237139933269042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 210px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 158px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6LWvdPWQ3qFSV9bTNDDC-rrYqNReTWpM8XAjCIagIWyCk-SQr55YbXTdOf286ELqv8As1trdR4Merr7fKfLIQSJG5iMzMypppyG78wlIWSOLuwPGevQhvkmpkUiSSKTSrj-fDnlWvGZtJ/s320/maggie-simpsons-archenemy-the-baby-with-the-one-eyebrow-140353.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">Angry baby needs his booze.</span></p><div align="left">You go to your booze shelf looking to make a highball, and you are out of rum and whiskey. All you have is gin, cachaça, and sweet vermouth.<br /><br />This my friends, is a unfortunate but hardly a disaster. Cachaça is made with sugar cane juice, and is similar to a raw white rum. Generally its from Brazil, and is used to make caipirinhas; a drink made with muddled limes and simple syrup-served over rocks in a lowball glass. It makes a great sipping drink. But tonight I am not looking for something fancy, this is an exercise in boozey desperation. So mix I the cachaça with diet coke and viola! Problem solved. But there was just enough for one drink, and as we all know one is never enough.<br /><br />So then I am left reviewing my options. I have a friend who shall remain nameless, but she has been known to mix vermouth and coke in her desperate scrabble for a fix. That’s just not right, I do have some standards. I focus on the gin but alas there is no more tonic, so G&Ts are out. But I do have sprite and Roses lime juice. Gin, Sprite, and lime juice. I don’t know if it’s a proper drink with a proper name but it works. The lime juice helps take some of the gross edge off the gin and the drink works passably. Sobriety averted!<br /><br />What is your desperation drink? What is the grossest thing that you have turned to for a fix? Don’t worry; I won’t judge you. </div><div align="left"></div><p><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqHSrdXpGB_wmVdX51JKWyleB3dzh1GyLMuLv2WTkJc9iYHGVgp5QO_QgU6G3lbj-s9M7_JUdvZJ1oyZrzEI2h_oj9M6PmgkvaG_pl_AL3cG-fyCuxYJT0XpyrEYEOxV48kpPjh-9UuWd9/s1600-h/buscemi.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416236745126142546" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 167px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 216px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqHSrdXpGB_wmVdX51JKWyleB3dzh1GyLMuLv2WTkJc9iYHGVgp5QO_QgU6G3lbj-s9M7_JUdvZJ1oyZrzEI2h_oj9M6PmgkvaG_pl_AL3cG-fyCuxYJT0XpyrEYEOxV48kpPjh-9UuWd9/s320/buscemi.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></p><p><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></p><p><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">(But he might)</span></p>Tommy Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11197450698264575866noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3916822389008332254.post-72401069323329863422009-12-12T06:58:00.000-08:002009-12-19T16:43:12.874-08:00The Sixth Glass Quadruple Ale (Schlafly)***Note from the editor: Sixth Glass is a Boulevard Product, not Schlafly. The writer of this blog is a drunkard and a fool. Boulevard is a mighty fine brewery, and we apologize profusely for screwing this review up.****<br /><br /><br />Before I get started I just want to admit one thing: <u>I Love Saint Louis</u>. Why? Well for starters St Louis is the home to the world headquarters of the American Mustache Institute. I bet you didn't know that? Further, St Louis has White Castles. If you have never had a slyder, I feel very, very sorry for you. If you are a fan of those little grease balls, I dare you to close your eyes and think of one right now. DO IT! DO IT NOW! Can't you just taste the steamed bun, those little dessicated onion, the hearty flavor that can best be described as the essence of umami. St Louis also has several Trader Joes locations. If you love moldy bread and tons of inexpensive wine then you will love TJs. St Louis also has a world class botanical garden, FREE ZOO, Forest Park, a kick-butt City Museum, the Rams, and the Anheuser-Busch headquarters. But most importantly St Louis is home of Schlafly's.<br /><br /><br />Schlafly's is one of my favorite regional breweries. They have a solid line of beers, two great resteraunt locations (The Taproom and The Bottleworks) and host a slew of beer tastings and festivals throughout the year. HOP in the City is their early fall festival where they pull out all the stops and serve 40+ beer varieties, pretty much their entire line plus seasonal brews. Did I mention that the price of admission also gets you a cute little beer tasting cup?<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOuhSLDknARFx6kBEnX5P30LjhcIdjAZq8JcIJ35nBPlcPHMmkOMrCIHJTDRiDwu8vIsf5Gqyt5uUL9zGCk8FqTnvbZg95RdsfPk23YTXcIwXOM2dReL9tJq1K6gsjTFK3qhBAyseNF4fA/s1600-h/DSCF0223.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414374444998451266" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOuhSLDknARFx6kBEnX5P30LjhcIdjAZq8JcIJ35nBPlcPHMmkOMrCIHJTDRiDwu8vIsf5Gqyt5uUL9zGCk8FqTnvbZg95RdsfPk23YTXcIwXOM2dReL9tJq1K6gsjTFK3qhBAyseNF4fA/s320/DSCF0223.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Today I am reviewing the The Sixth Glass Quadruple Ale. It comes in the Belgian style, packaged in a champagne bottle. At $8 a bottle, this is not a cheap beer. And at 10% ABV it sure as heck ain't for the weak of heart. Is it worth price tag and brain cells? It surely is. Would I drink it every day? If I could afford to I would!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKIVUuS_KJi9mzQ041U6ovuIyK1U-ML9qbMhnY0u2SXb8onorE3DvE6TEQNB8F_ShpK2N6Hq9TE_qf7BvVAsRw7yxQzi4TbG7ewp07a9ZE-xTmO0F_hwf7Hndb0WAxQl5snpvB5ozphKZ8/s1600-h/DSCF0225.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414374035595797970" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKIVUuS_KJi9mzQ041U6ovuIyK1U-ML9qbMhnY0u2SXb8onorE3DvE6TEQNB8F_ShpK2N6Hq9TE_qf7BvVAsRw7yxQzi4TbG7ewp07a9ZE-xTmO0F_hwf7Hndb0WAxQl5snpvB5ozphKZ8/s320/DSCF0225.JPG" border="0" /></a>I pulled out a couple of my 6 oz tasting glasses and poured a few drinks for myself and my lovely wife. I immediately noticed that the beer was a gorgeous red color with a solid white head. (It looks black in the photo, but thats the flash screwing the color up.) Upon tasting, you are distracted a little bit by citrusy-piney flavor of the hops. But not in a bad way, not at all. And while the hop character is heavy, its not oppressively in your face like an ESB or IPA. Once the surprise of the hops wear off you notice that the malt level is just rigggght. Its not heavy and burnt tasting, nor is it too light and wimpy like the aforementioned ESBs and IPAs.<br /><br /><br />With the 10% ABV the hop and malt character have to be perfect, otherwise you are stuck with a boozy disgusting mess. Think malt liquor. Think high gravity grossness like Steel Reserve, or Colt 45. Now, there are times when I feel like embracing my inner white trash. So those HGLs have a time and a place. This quadruple from Schlafly holds up so well that it can be enjoyed any time.<br /><br /><br />In short: Good job Schlafly. Once again a sucessful and tasty brew from an outstanding regional brewey. Keep it flowing and I will keep it puring!Tommy Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11197450698264575866noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3916822389008332254.post-60940637184196549562009-12-10T06:51:00.000-08:002009-12-10T12:56:40.535-08:00Baltika #9 (Commie Beer)<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisu717aCQKv-uprcW3K0HvjnsjHBHKgycDzpBc-_4teryLF1AfG_eAXbq1Z3AuNbHsrmZJLxl2Z0sWR_qoHAO4NAH9ZHAOp5kwmw6qHrSxMZjpskqR4qALpRLWihtuQoBU5oh2pgc8Khp5/s1600-h/Baltika_logo_svg.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413625111803225810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 107px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisu717aCQKv-uprcW3K0HvjnsjHBHKgycDzpBc-_4teryLF1AfG_eAXbq1Z3AuNbHsrmZJLxl2Z0sWR_qoHAO4NAH9ZHAOp5kwmw6qHrSxMZjpskqR4qALpRLWihtuQoBU5oh2pgc8Khp5/s400/Baltika_logo_svg.bmp" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:78%;">The Baltika logo- Rough translation: we shall bury the capitalist swine with superior beer, and socialist brew of the people shall triumph</span><br /></div><div align="left"><br />In 1998 I had the opportunity to do some spy work, I mean a student exchange trip to Moscow. Boris Yeltsin was still president, and the entire country had a strange wild west feel to it. Being a 17 year old, what really appealed to me was the fact that they let anyone drink and smoke, as long as they had enough rubles in their pockets. Russian smokes were 3 rubles a pack ($0.50 USD) and made your lung just pack up and quit. A pint of Russian beer was 6 rubles a pop ($1.00 USD) at the corner kiosks. I learned quite a bit in those three weeks, namely that I love to drink and to smoke and that drunk Americans can get away with peeing anywhere in Moscow. As my Russian host said “Who cares! Its Russia. The entire place is a shit-hole.” And eleven years ago it was! It was awesome! There were still hammer and sickles on all the buildings, the TV stations played bootlegged american movies (taped on a camcorder in a theater... and shown on their national stations!), the ruble was so worthless that they just took off 3 zeros and started over again (some of the bills said 5 rubles and some said 5,000 but they were worth the exact same). After 9 years of Putin the economy is back on track, Moscow is an expensive place to live, and I bet that I would have gotten beaten up for peeing in public. Although looking back, all the cops in Moscow did carry mini AKs and a corruption you could almost taste in the air. I suppose I got off lucky.<br /><br />But back to the beer: I developed a love for Baltika #6, their porter offering. You see, Baltika is THE beer in Russia. Established in 1990, they are based in Saint Petersburg and according to Wikipedia they are the second largest brewery in Europe. Mind you, this is their only major brewery and it has been open for just 19 years! Russians have a long history of drinking vodka, and drinking that to excess. The idea of cracking open a few cold ones and still being able to walk home without a wheel barrow was a new concept to them. Russians were shocked that they could drink beer all night, and not wake up with unexplained stab wounds. So along with capitalism, they decided to give another American institution the ol' college-try: BEER! Now they don’t follow the American tradition of giving fancy names to each of their beer offerings. Nope, they follow an orderly socialist method of just slapping a number on each type. Baltika #1 is their Bud Light version, Baltika #2 is their Budweiser, Baltika #3 is a pale lager, etc etc etc. So you see, all you have to do to order is just be upright enough to reach a bar and lift up enough fingers to indicate your desired variety.<br /><br />Finding this beer in the states has been next to impossible until just a couple of years ago. I remember back in 2005 I visited my drunkard-in-arms Marty when he was stationed in Virginia, and he managed to order some bottles at a huge markup off the webernets. The last time that we tried it we were both 17 and young and stupid. We were then 25 and still young and stupid, but we had quite a bit more beer drinking under our belts. And I am happy to report that the beer were still pretty freaking tasty. Not bad Russia, not bad at all! Then about a year or two ago I started seeing Baltika being offered in specialty liquor stores and even grocery stores in the suburban western reaches of St Louis County. It made sense though because there is a rather large Russian and eastern European community in St Louis. And they are bringing their new found taste for communist beer with them!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg82o4y5Q-bdbRp8Ezg6b1wU1bE85iGELExIFwXo2UFhtLX1FbFQhzL0hwQT4QhPH-i2iTqBqJ0XO-yTBLGDjDjWPuNPdZC2ctjRWWc5SC1E060RSGtUgIxJGiMrg8VF5JQvZMtQCgom7Ya/s1600-h/num9.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413625275324108658" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 123px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 221px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg82o4y5Q-bdbRp8Ezg6b1wU1bE85iGELExIFwXo2UFhtLX1FbFQhzL0hwQT4QhPH-i2iTqBqJ0XO-yTBLGDjDjWPuNPdZC2ctjRWWc5SC1E060RSGtUgIxJGiMrg8VF5JQvZMtQCgom7Ya/s320/num9.bmp" border="0" /></a>So I went to the Tinderbox in Columbia MO yesterday to peruse their bourbon offerings, and the beer cooler caught my eye. It was stocked with BALTIKA! And they had several of the varieties, all retailing for $2.75 for a pint. So I grabbed a few of the 6’s, and I decided to live on the edge and grab a #9. The #9 is their “strong lager” which packs a hefty 8% ABV. That stuff will knock you on your butt. How does it taste? Heavy, gross, and disgusting. Ever drink a high gravity lager or malt liquor? Like Cammo, or Steel Reserve? Yeah, its like that. Gross. Honestly if you want piss yourself with a strong beer, I would recommend that you try the Trippel by New Belgium brewery. That’s also crazy amounts of strong at 7.8% ABV but it tastes umpteen times better. To further its street cred it is made by American’s, not nasty foreign commu-nazis. But expect to see a full range of the Baltika line reviewed here later! </div>Tommy Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11197450698264575866noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3916822389008332254.post-3257912163417284952009-12-07T09:18:00.000-08:002009-12-07T09:23:10.172-08:00Isopropyl Alcohol<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO8D40UsVprK4nm6UZXaVu2Y2oyHO3YPr11jW3EKBEbcKn_Fg7lGxghzjR2CEHNNVgHpEqJbTkDCsWtFzh3-3BBd4F6WR8J25UkhTww8bcVqJCSsohtAMKjdSCDrmHQG0PvC78f-IgPpq7/s1600-h/alchohol.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412545155618970210" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 180px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO8D40UsVprK4nm6UZXaVu2Y2oyHO3YPr11jW3EKBEbcKn_Fg7lGxghzjR2CEHNNVgHpEqJbTkDCsWtFzh3-3BBd4F6WR8J25UkhTww8bcVqJCSsohtAMKjdSCDrmHQG0PvC78f-IgPpq7/s320/alchohol.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Clocking in at 194 proof, this really packs a whollup. And at $0.79/bottle at Walgreens this is perhaps the best deal out there to drink on the cheap. Sure, its considered “poisonous” and leads to "rapid organ failure" but what doesn't these days? California slaps the ol’ cancer label on everything, so much indeed that it’s a case of Chicken Little and the Falling Sky. Know what I am saying? No risk no fun?<br /><br />Aged about 45 minutes prior to bottling, the ripeness of this offering is painfully evident. In Portugal, any painfully young wine is referred to Vino Verde. I call this Gino Verde in an effort to bestow it with a sense of class. It has an off-flavor that one can describe as having banana-like qualities. This is due to the acetone content most likely. The burny fruity overtones can be off-putting at first, but once you learn to love the electric banana, you will never want to drink anything else. Gin is for the weak.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Author’s note: Drinking rubbing alcohol is awesome. Do it now, or I will call you a *****.</span></div>Tommy Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11197450698264575866noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3916822389008332254.post-61893794666161896112009-12-03T18:12:00.000-08:002009-12-03T21:04:25.085-08:0090 Shilling Ale (Odell Brewing Company)<div align="left">There is a magical place full of Subarus and fleece jackets and yuppies and breweries. This place is Colorado. I am covinced that even the homeless people in that outdoorsy square of a state are making an award-winning IPA in their filthy napsacks. </div><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411200474332108898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4veKxN9pNc4LwmaGLl6CvFqv6rCEAAQViiOa_2GzaD74KET1bYwH3IPadMLezEsCjVwyNWVd4WRZQUsKg_kVDU1cdYYVapCC4aDit67p0dhYeoC6b8RO83JU8jNTHJ9n4yDyrndN2JiJo/s320/colorado.bmp" border="0" /><span style="font-size:78%;">Pictured: Colorado, to the best of my knowledge</span> </div><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">The Odell Brewing Co is based out of Fort Colloins, CO and I honestly do not know much about them. I did a quick peek at their website and they have been around since 1989 when they introduced their flagship beer 90 Shilling Ale. When I bought a sixer at the store, I had no idea it was the flagship. Makes sense since it was the only offering from Odell in Gerbes in JC-MO. Mind you, Gerbes has a very weak selection, so whenever a new-to-me brew pops up there I feel compelled to try it out.<br /></div><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-e1V4T8DIx0O2iFiA7bsDYqtqGfWVOgG_SXQp8oI9PJA-3XvXceYBzR7lCdUDyD4XG4pL5d9VEjeiR1eUv9wp6oT0Q4-QTnLE7oZ8OGeOxW4MMxtcEsvVkoZg6IklTZvYiS8NyTjPoQR6/s1600-h/DSCF0204.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411205000826278498" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-e1V4T8DIx0O2iFiA7bsDYqtqGfWVOgG_SXQp8oI9PJA-3XvXceYBzR7lCdUDyD4XG4pL5d9VEjeiR1eUv9wp6oT0Q4-QTnLE7oZ8OGeOxW4MMxtcEsvVkoZg6IklTZvYiS8NyTjPoQR6/s320/DSCF0204.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="left">So according to the bottle this is a traditional Scottish ale that has been lightened. Tasting it I can see what they were shooting for. Its an amber ale with a nice amount of body and hops without being overpowering. It even packs a middling punch at 5.3%. As odd as it sounds, just about everything about this ale is middling. Now, my favorite word is mediocre but this does not apply here. I think I can rather fairly call this ale well balanced. While I would not call it light, a certain boozy blogger is ready for his next beer as soon as the first one is done. Maybe it is because 30 is knocking, but beer has been filling me up and making me feel bloated. 90 Shilling Ale has not left me feeling that way. I certainly enjoyed drinking it. No single aspect of it makes you stand up and say wow, but it's the flagship of the Odell brand. I mean, consider New Belgium's Fat Tire. Schlafly's Pale Ale. Boulevard's... Pale Ale? Good for Odell for chosing an amber ale to be the flagship rather than something staid and played out like a pale ale or wheat. <strong><u>Bottom line, I will probably buy this beer again and I will most surely be trying more of Odell's offerings if I can find them.</u></strong> </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">If I were to try to pair this beer with a food, I can honestly say with firsthand knowledge that it goes great with a homemade white chili. Or smurfberries. Or smurfs. Those blue bastards' days are numbered. Honestly, if I hadn't have driven through Colorado on my way to Burning Man last year, I would have sworn that it was a made-up imaginary place. I mean, a land of beer and white water rafting only two states away? A boozey mecca on the other side of hell (Kansas)? Yeah, I seriously thought someone was screwing with me.<br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div align="left"></div>Tommy Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11197450698264575866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3916822389008332254.post-52020312643333937362009-12-02T07:22:00.000-08:002009-12-02T10:44:52.587-08:00Fighting Cock, Bulleit, and Dan Akroyd<div align="left">I have a love of the brown. A complete, unabashed, poop-your-pants in excitement love. And by “the brown” I mean whiskey. Scotch, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourbon_whiskey">Bourbon</a>, Irish Whiskey, Tennessee Whiskey, even CANADIAN whiskey- It matters not. I just love it all. And while I can enjoy the complex flavors of scotch, from the peatiness of an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islay_Single_Malts">Islay</a> to the saltiness of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speyside_Single_Malts">Speyside</a> and the finely nuanced balance of a Highland; I must admit that my favorite whiskey is indeed the Kentucky Bourbon. Oh, I am not denigrating the other browns. It would be like asking a Sheik who his favorite gal in the harem is. They all have a beauty that is their own, but he has a special fondness for that redhead…<br /><br />Now I would not call my love of whiskey an unrequited love. Whiskey loves me much in the way that Ike loved Tina. Fun in the beginning, but without a doubt morning finds me curled up in a fetal position pooping blood. There is something that is bracing about the first glass, calming about the second, and addictively self abusing about the third. But this blog is not about lamenting of the evils of whiskey, but about exalting its glories.<br /></div><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410659989855339890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 161px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWdVaNITmJ4IjHzWorj8z-jNrrO3QMzmZEg8LDB89-eVuk1DWh3tj8c8Op8T6gwiGoVhpuMMDLRsrDV4oUmwC6dq5-ggEZKXqDP-yN8oBV88qJ9937giSFDEd0tPZEtVshUzIfaRK5Tmq/s200/dan.bmp" border="0" /> <span style="font-size:78%;">(good when mixed)</span></p><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><p><br />So a bit ago I was in the need of a bourbon. I decided to hit the store, unsure as to whether I would splurge on a $30 bottle (Think Woodford or Bulleit), buy the old $15 standby (Jim Beam is my go to man. A dependable man not unlike George Clooney), or buy something cheaper that is palatable when mixed (Think Evan Williams. He is the Dan Akroyd of whiskey. You can’t beat it or him as an ensemble, but you would never give either a solo leading role.) I decided to be a middling cheap bastard and grabbed the white bottle of Jim Beam. Yup, ol’ dependable. I started to leave the whiskey aisle, when a flashy bottle caught my eye. <a href="http://www.fightingcock.com/">Fighting Cock Bourbon</a>! It was moderately priced ($20) and packed a whollup (at 103 proof, it is even more potent than Wild Turkey). Now how in the world can I pass up a bourbon named after deplorable abuse masquerading as sport! If there was a bourbon named “Seal Clubbing” or “Cat Juggling” I suppose would be all over those too. Sometimes I think I am not a very nice person. But I gave a dollar to the Salvation army guy, so its all ok in the end.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiojdtCC9QEa1hYDKVTIzB6w1bVJrJc5rMPztmTlb5ztZ0AvL38jA62P-PKQHo2jzYOYKLjNGjP744LWx6LZOGxGGpO1sVC4Qxkmi1kNqMR-RGXhYYAqC8Oyw3SF9bAe5KOZUF0hi7o2G6/s1600-h/fighting.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410660399228155778" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 56px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiojdtCC9QEa1hYDKVTIzB6w1bVJrJc5rMPztmTlb5ztZ0AvL38jA62P-PKQHo2jzYOYKLjNGjP744LWx6LZOGxGGpO1sVC4Qxkmi1kNqMR-RGXhYYAqC8Oyw3SF9bAe5KOZUF0hi7o2G6/s200/fighting.bmp" border="0" /></a>How was it? Potent. Drinking it straight burned a bit. Mixing it with diet coke created a sickly sweet and strong drink. I suppose I am just too weak for the Fighting Cock. I would probably buy this again for a party to make my guests drunk and pliable, and the bottle for sure makes a great conversation piece. But sipping it straight on ice? Meh. I did it. I drank a good portion of the bottle that way. I wouldn’t recommend it though. This is a mixing bourbon. But at $20 a bottle, it makes for an expensive mixing bourbon. One of the ironies of life, eh?<br /><br />My second whiskey I want to give a shout out to is <a href="http://www.bulleitbourbon.com/">Bulleit Bourbon</a>. It is your typical $30 small batch bourbon. It calls itself a “frontier whiskey” because it comes in a rustic looking bottle and at 90 proof it packs a stronger whollup than your typical liquor without being stupidly overpowering. If I am to buy a sipping bourbon and want to spend $30, 3 out of 4 times this is what I grab. If you even think about mixing this bourbon, I will step on your face. Neat or with ice please.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs1v3diiagZISrsLisJqWL-YHMp_oyiwGE_1e36cJg-u5p1sU_9XOvA-tc7gIlHT_WFTjBXWjKVSK9Kjny5n8snpUJkDBcMHdmKJ1_RhOe2g4xPdpMp6is5bd78qsqH1PJAQfNRy3LWF3d/s1600-h/bulleit.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410660594856579538" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 132px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs1v3diiagZISrsLisJqWL-YHMp_oyiwGE_1e36cJg-u5p1sU_9XOvA-tc7gIlHT_WFTjBXWjKVSK9Kjny5n8snpUJkDBcMHdmKJ1_RhOe2g4xPdpMp6is5bd78qsqH1PJAQfNRy3LWF3d/s200/bulleit.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Its flavor is slightly spicy with the barest hint of vanilla overtones. Neither is overpowering though and the flavors seem both natural and real. Its 90 proof punch can be compared to a good natured tousle with an Australian. You maybe get a few bruises, but nothing is permanently damaged and the fight was all in good fun. Drinking Fighting Cock is more like fighting with an angry closeted redneck. He thinks that you embody all that is evil in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homophobia">Big City</a>, and you are the cause of both his recent layoff at the plant and his unexplainable feelings for men. The only way he can avenge either it to beat the first guy with hair gel and an IQ over 80.<br /><br />Over the holidays I picked up a bottle of Bulleit and drank the entire thing with a good college buddy and my brother in law. We blew through it over a period of perhaps 3 hours. Sure, we weren’t moving too quickly in the morning but we were in good enough shape for a big lunch of Churrasco. All you can eat steak, served on swords by Brazilian cowboys? YES PLEASE. And the caipirinhas helped take the edge of nicely. But that’s another blog entry.</p>Tommy Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11197450698264575866noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3916822389008332254.post-31934969415350903732009-12-01T07:09:00.000-08:002009-12-01T08:19:40.501-08:00Abrazo del Toro-Syrah (Spain)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjisfDF64_fFYVVLIqUeDRvVQSGK2mLAzWuMzX0o4J2gWjKny5TXZXfjePJuGJTPhMIxTGkL9AerB0k8gmgNYs2DJv8-FzW_eZiPnWn9WqKPkzT75S6ZNLyNe2SqQeZSUaXd9iWI0MvnNlf/s1600/Abrazo-Syrah.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410303170145504914" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 220px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjisfDF64_fFYVVLIqUeDRvVQSGK2mLAzWuMzX0o4J2gWjKny5TXZXfjePJuGJTPhMIxTGkL9AerB0k8gmgNYs2DJv8-FzW_eZiPnWn9WqKPkzT75S6ZNLyNe2SqQeZSUaXd9iWI0MvnNlf/s320/Abrazo-Syrah.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div>One of my great passions is drinking sub-$10 wine from Trader Joes. I picked up this<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5D5A6EbtUEwvDtKgh9X14By90ttP5VKbVIm6YU9OBzfrIDiLYhgPHd_PtKJTrr4Dzfp_IJpVHaN13KG56yRhjJ3WB6_ql_yhvFb2eVIDJPgnwtQTu0gCjV-FduPh1jLUmazFJEQccVymp/s1600/Abrazo-Syrah.jpg"></a> Syrah from Spain (Abrazo Del Toro) for around $7 and I will tell you that this is <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEm9CImFWU669CeIhp2dF8pK_Z_RYotDqztQ6O1FO8Ad1_uZjT31Q2gBZx2xgQtmxg8NqUir5RYZgVGGzeZ9c1wrFfO0AsywfLNoC_RWvq-LYWHv0CIpT4OTlJSQGIjODXTPUmBtdyJp8i/s1600/Abrazo-Syrah.jpg"></a>one of my favorite wines. When you pour it out, it’s a deep red color- almost purple. It smells almost berry like, but when you taste it you are surprised by how mellow and balanced it is. It’s not too sweet nor is it filled with tannins. I would say that it is so well balanced that you set it on a tightrope and it would stand upright. Normally, I am a big fan of the South American Malbecs; but I would have to give this wine high marks. This will certainly make it into my regular wine rotation.</div></div>Tommy Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11197450698264575866noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3916822389008332254.post-20280301814495275072009-11-29T20:31:00.000-08:002009-11-29T20:41:19.864-08:00Trader Joes wine... CHECKI went on a a hajji to Mecca, I mean Trader Joes and picked up a box full of sub $10 wines. Mostly spanish wines: I do love me a spanish red. I even picked up some good ol' Chuckie Shaw. Full report to follow.Tommy Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11197450698264575866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3916822389008332254.post-68468280829905535102009-11-19T10:28:00.000-08:002009-11-19T20:23:22.579-08:00Full Moon [Blue Moon Winter Ale]Full disclosure: I love me some Belgian Beers. I love me some <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witbier#Witbier">Witbiers</a>. So it only stands to reason that I love me some Blue Moon. Flavored with coriander and orange peel, I can’t get enough. Sure sure sure, its strong Belgian flavor is toned down to suit our juvenile American palates. But who cares! It’s tasty! I like it.<br />So today I am reviewing the seasonal brew, Full Moon, formerly known as “Blue Moon Winter Ale.” It is self described as a “winter seasonal ale that blends three varieties of slow roasted malts and multiple hops to deliver exquisite aroma and taste" and that this “Abbey ale is perfect for crisp winter days. This ale is brewed with roasted malts and Dark Belgian sugar for a perfectly balanced taste.” I believe it. Normal Blue Moon is light and superbly drinkable, this is no exception. It is a little bit heavier than Blue Moon, but not uncomfortably so; just enough to give it nice thick mouthfeel, something to hold on to! The addition of the Belgians sugars to the brew gives it a bit more of an authentic Belgian flair: a little reminiscent of Belgian style beers from another Colorado brewery: the aptly named New Belgium Brewery.<br />In short, if you love Blue Moon, try Full Moon. If you have never had Blue Moon, for god’s sake do something about it. Do it now, I’ll wait. Have you tried it yet? DO IT NOW!<br /><br />FYI, according to wikipedia(citation needed) some studies suggest the coriander increases the level of intoxication thought to be caused by accelerated entry into the bloodstream. Take that with a grain of salt, BONUS!Tommy Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11197450698264575866noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3916822389008332254.post-50214470453838914432009-11-09T12:46:00.000-08:002009-11-09T12:52:38.759-08:0011/07/09 Square One Brewery (Aqua Vit & Trippel)<div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvruG_eZ-opDCsOYhScI1_pMk6dXtIGMgH1nKGvjDS3Hh74NKHbVm8-ndCFIkzO0QIbuG9fuo2lmnIkhQl90JGCy9_Mf-eS0bsRCTgXrjrLnKYdTCj7ALLBEHCRsqfl2IbAMNWYn-GkOZF/s1600-h/vfeat.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402209109906175250" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 241px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvruG_eZ-opDCsOYhScI1_pMk6dXtIGMgH1nKGvjDS3Hh74NKHbVm8-ndCFIkzO0QIbuG9fuo2lmnIkhQl90JGCy9_Mf-eS0bsRCTgXrjrLnKYdTCj7ALLBEHCRsqfl2IbAMNWYn-GkOZF/s320/vfeat.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>“A toast to Bjorm!” </div><div> </div><div>All of the Vikings in the small row house raised their drinking horns in a salute to their warchief. They had just completed an unusually large raid against a village on the green isles, and their larders were now fat and well stocked. They had even managed to lose not a single axeman, which surely was a sign that Thor was smiling upon them.<br />“Mighty Ljormskeetjer, we are almost out of mead!” a servant with his head bowed low in respect whispered to the Viking noble hosting the triumphant war party. “I already have sent runners to gather more from the surrounding houses, but I fear that we will run out before they are back.”<br />That could be a disaster for Ljormskeetjer, as his position in the clan was precarious enough as it were. Running out of mead whilst hosting a victory party would surely leave him in the outs for years. He had to think fast. “Quick, go gather all the herbs in the kitchen and mix them with some rubbing alcohol from the bathroom. Pour it into small cups so that every man gets a measure and I’ll take it from there.” The servant ran off to follow his master’s instructions and Ljormskeetjer was left sweating nervously while he was eyeing the fill level in the decanters on the table drain with every passing toast. He nearly choked on a lambs leg as the last of the reserves ran dry and the rowdy Vikings started banging their horns on the tables demanding more mead. He only started breathing again when his servant returned with a tray of short glasses filled with a clear liquid. Mustering his courage, he stood to address the thirsty crowd.<br />“Men, instead of another round of mead or mulled wine I have a new treat for you.” He eyed the small glasses and goggled at how little there was for each man. He had to think fast. “Instead of quaffing down mead as if you were swivving a common wench at a feast, this drink is to be savored in small sips.” He brought the concoction close to his nose to smell, and quickly wished he hadn’t. Despite the fact he had the spice rack cleaned out, it still smelled of rubbing alcohol.<br />“This smells like a drunken baker’s piss!” One of the men yelled. His friends slapped him on the back and banged their axes in agreement. “And there is so little of it! Even most rot gut that people try to pass off as mead are in abundance. This is hardly enough to rinse your mouth with!”<br />Flustered, he nearly threw himself on his dagger before his servant Ricky piped up. “You do not need great quantities of this drink! In fact it is better to drink small amounts at a time, or it loses its magic!” This quieted the rabble for they knew better than to dabble with potions. “Yes, this tonic has healthful properties that can balance your humors, make a man as strong as an ox, and make him a more virile love. It is made from grain alcohol and flavored with cardamom, dill, caraway, and lemon. Its called… Aqua vit! Meaning water of life! It’ll soon be the regional drink of Scandinavia”<br />Bjorm looked at the servant with disbelief. “Aqua Vit is latin right? We’re fucking Vikings. We don’t speak latin. And where the hell did you lemons? They don’t grow in Norway. Cardamom’s from asia, and caraway’s hardly easier to find. I suppose dill is at least local. But is this a drink or a goddamn pie? As a regional liquor, this is seriously a fucking joke right? At least give it a proper Viking name, like Thoramine or something. Jesus Christ, you are a goddamn simpleton.” The warchief took a sip of the booze and spit it out all over his roast boar. “This taste awful! Seriously, you just took rubbing alcohol and dropped a shit-ton of herbs into it like a freaking pie. That’s it, I am not in a mood to party anymore. In fact, I am done being a Viking. Let’s start herding sheep or something. God, I hope you’re happy. Jurgenson, stab Ricky for me. Thanks. Now lets go build some plows or some shit like that. I’m done here.<br /><br />And this is the true story of how Aqua Vit was invented, and how it sucked so much the Vikings became the countries of socialist pansies that is Scandinavia today.<br /></div><br /><br /><div>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh452ctmJg2xBNQFGrKWwx19AcZoETh_XUc2H-ph8-VotRuLXRS2QerU9ertYHU63xavhpd_TINHjFZ3NrsFzGDgNIkQp5CBigPfQG73x4BtqqgXylm1_klA7br-_N3M0WjH3PaS3B6VKsw/s1600-h/sq1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402208440649761410" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 239px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh452ctmJg2xBNQFGrKWwx19AcZoETh_XUc2H-ph8-VotRuLXRS2QerU9ertYHU63xavhpd_TINHjFZ3NrsFzGDgNIkQp5CBigPfQG73x4BtqqgXylm1_klA7br-_N3M0WjH3PaS3B6VKsw/s320/sq1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Over the weekend I had the pleasure of eating lunch at <a href="http://www.squareonebrewery.com/">Square One Brewery</a> in Layfayette Square in St Louis. It is a local micro-brewery/resteraunt/distillery. Their menu was typical of an American microbrewery; pub foods prepared with high grade ingredients. I had a smoked beef Philly sandwich, and while the smoked beef was excellent and tender it was surely not a Philly. They should really have just called it a smoked brisket sandwich or something a little less misleading. Their pub chips were handmade, mixed russet and sweet potatoes. YUM is an understatement.<br />I started the meal with their <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trippel">trippel</a>. I must admit that I have a weakness for Belgian beers, and this surely hit the spot. High gravity without being too heavy, nice malty character with less obtrusive hint of hops, the unique Belgian yeast. It was everything a Belgian beer should be. Certainly it gets a hearty seal of approval from me.<br />Before the meal I decided to yield to my curiosity and I ordered a round of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akvavit">Aqua Vit</a> for the table. Now bear in mind that I am big fan of the exotic flavored liquors, but I found this a bit off-putting. Aqua Vit is a made from a grain neutral spirit and flavored with caraway, cardamom, dill, and lemon. Sort of a gin without the juniper if you will, or ouzo without the anise. If it had a stronger anise flavor, I might have liked it a bit better. As it is, this Scandinavian drink gets a low mark from me. I would much rather spend my precious brain cells on pretty much any other standard liquor. If I had to do exotic, break out the sambuca. They do have other hard liquors that pique my curiosity, a Lemon Cello made from blood oranges, and a gin that is more citrusy than junipery. I will hold out judgment until I get a chance to try it; but seriously folks, make some whiskey dammit. </div></div>Tommy Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11197450698264575866noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3916822389008332254.post-70919870243202809552009-11-05T11:17:00.001-08:002009-11-05T11:30:41.073-08:0011/05/09 Singha Lager Beer<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1CFUPqy4IH5HeCDKU6coFez9V-VKb4adtXUjL5fBMKqybUcqpNU9hw_5WwYAig7Ctl5lXPnx7AM25h830nhvXF6T-bXw-ThiMDZImJKH0Cl-9nckMJ9lEmmNeVGpMlnOjObQ8eLAUGISK/s1600-h/150px-BiereSingha.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400700989969133954" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 225px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1CFUPqy4IH5HeCDKU6coFez9V-VKb4adtXUjL5fBMKqybUcqpNU9hw_5WwYAig7Ctl5lXPnx7AM25h830nhvXF6T-bXw-ThiMDZImJKH0Cl-9nckMJ9lEmmNeVGpMlnOjObQ8eLAUGISK/s320/150px-BiereSingha.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Dear Diary,<br /> Last night I went out for Thai food at one of my favorite restaurants in Columbia, Bangkok Gardens. I remember it from a long time ago when it was just a small one room restaurant with maybe six table in a small storefront off upper 9th street. It has since moved to Cherry and has a two story dining room with a contemporary faux Asian decorating flare. They have expanded their both their entrée and appetizer menu, but several things have not changed: They still serve water in metal mugs, their Pad Thai is super bitchin’, and they serve their Singha nice and cold.<br /> Singha is a lager beer from Thailand that packs a whopin’ 6% ABV. If you drink a few of these you will surely know it. While not an airy beer by any means, it is not too heavy of a drink. It pairs very nicely with the noodle dishes that seem to make up the lion’s share of Thai food. The flavor almost reminds me of an American adjunct lager, but without the corniness or blandness, and with a slightly more sour flavor. While I wouldn’t drink it after mowing the lawn, I would happily suck down two while eating a spicy peanut noodle dish at the beloved Columbia institution.<br /> On a side note, they now have a spicy fried liver appetizer there. Highly recommended; not too livery, spicy tasty sauce, perfectly wok fried. It is the perfect complement to a round of ice cold Singha! </div>Tommy Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11197450698264575866noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3916822389008332254.post-84437665264663173262009-10-26T22:01:00.000-07:002009-10-26T22:04:09.756-07:00Bud Light Golden WheatJiiminy, where do i start. Bud Light Golden Wheat. $6 for a six pack. Taste like a Bud Light version of a micro-brew wheat beer. Not bad at all. Not great at all. Pretty much the definition of American mediocrity. It was like eating at Red Lobster. yes. It was just like that. Affordable, generic, safe, mediocrity.Tommy Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11197450698264575866noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3916822389008332254.post-48525505831037992012009-10-26T21:56:00.000-07:002009-10-26T22:01:38.863-07:00French Rabbit - Pinot Noir - 2007Wine in a box. <br /><br />Now those three words remind you of college? Myself, I drank cheap red wine from a jug. Sangria from jug. And it involved toga parties. College was fun.<br /><br />But I digress. French Rabbit Pinot Noir. This boxed wine was a pinot noir, from FRANCE, and it cost $10 for a full liter. No wimpy 750ml bottle here, no siree. How did it taste? Actually rather good. It was a full bodied pinot, a little sweet on the sweet side for a pinot, but not too much. Very much a good deal. And if you didn't know it, you would NEVER guess it was boxed wine.Tommy Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11197450698264575866noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3916822389008332254.post-37747822046527926402009-10-15T19:03:00.000-07:002009-10-15T19:04:54.817-07:0010/15/09Just Crystal Lite with fiber. Digestive health is impo'tant yo!Tommy Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11197450698264575866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3916822389008332254.post-91799541922285862302009-10-14T15:33:00.000-07:002009-10-14T19:54:46.627-07:0010/14/2009 (Firefly Martini, Cava Segura Viudas Brut Reserva, Barefoot Pinot Noir)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh941pemJtZJbrafbwasmbvIJmAbYq3WT1HVX9ZPYqfSWqMLORqMTq3zo5Ipx2313U7q9gZ7awDnjERUSppzUvUr8wB5BXSUdHIdFLoEprQ-mmlgVTVACTUMA9ogWhCAcm7LFGMC-Y8dG9R/s1600-h/DSCF0106.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392587905152351202" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh941pemJtZJbrafbwasmbvIJmAbYq3WT1HVX9ZPYqfSWqMLORqMTq3zo5Ipx2313U7q9gZ7awDnjERUSppzUvUr8wB5BXSUdHIdFLoEprQ-mmlgVTVACTUMA9ogWhCAcm7LFGMC-Y8dG9R/s320/DSCF0106.JPG" border="0" /></a> First off, its my 3rd Wedding anniversary. Go Me. To kick off the evening, I started with a Firefly Martini. Ok, its really a tea-flavored-vodka gimlet, but I think the former name has more panache'. Its 1 1/2 oz Firefly vodka, 1/2 oz Roses, shaken with ice, strained into a cocktail glass, garnished with a cherry. Hows it taste? Not bad. Kinda like the south; sweet tea, alcholholic, and vaguely racist. My next one will have less lime juice; maybe 1:4 ratio instead of 1:3 perhaps. More about Firefly: its a Tea flavored vodka I found at Target. (Yes, Target. In Missouri you can sell hard liquor anywhere. Fuck your oppressive liquor laws Ohio.) Retails for $19.99. Not bad for a novelty vodka. It makes excellent gimlets if I can say so. It also goes well with lemonade, but thats a little too froofy I think. I want to keep this liquor blod a little more old school drunkard; but one could say I already with the introduction of Firefly vodka. Those people can go to hell.<br /><br />For dinner we went to Sapphire's Resteraunt in Jefferson City. I had the rack of lamb and D. had the duck breast in a blueberry sauce. This blog ain't about the food though. We split a bottle of Spanish Brut; Cava Segura Brut Reserva. $22 at the resteraunt, but I am sure that it retails for half that. Overall good. fairly dry, tasty. It made a nice appetizer, went well with dinner,and made a fine desert. For those cheap bastards who have graduated from Osti Spumante and Andre and whatnot; I highly recommend.<br /><br />Finishing the night is a Pinot Noir from Barefoot. $6 dollars at Target I think. Not terrible, but not something to get excited about. Spend your money at Trader Joes on one of their pinots instead.Tommy Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11197450698264575866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3916822389008332254.post-50808616951687194552009-10-14T12:49:00.000-07:002009-10-14T13:09:46.398-07:00Fresh Hops Ale FestThere will be a beer fest this weekend in St Louis that I am looking forward to. Schlafly is throwing the <strong>Fresh Hops Ale Festival</strong> at their Kirkwood, MO Bottleworks locale. They are flying in fresh hops just so them and five other area brewers can make beer for us to imbibe. I'll look for you there.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amalgamatedbrew.com/" target="newWin">Amalgamated Brewing Company</a>St. Louis, MO / Grafton, IL<br /><a href="http://www.mattinglybrewing.com/" target="newWin">Mattingly Brewing Company</a>St. Louis, MO<br /><a href="http://www.squareonebrewery.com/" target="newWin">Square One Brewery</a>St. Louis, MO<br /><a href="http://www.morganstreetbrewery.com/" target="newWin">Morgan Street Brewery</a>St. Louis, MO<br /><a href="ttp://www.ofallonbrewery.com/" target="newWin">O'Fallon Brewery</a>O'Fallon, MO<br /><br />Info at<br /><a href="http://www.schlafly.com/freshhop.shtml">http://www.schlafly.com/freshhop.shtml</a>Tommy Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11197450698264575866noreply@blogger.com0