A Love Letter to Moustache Brewing Company, or “Hey, didn’t that guy used to be in a ska band?”

I’m back in New York!  We’ve taken a hard jump right into summer, it seems we’ve skipped right over spring, but I’m wearing shorts, and that’s ok by me.  My pale, white body is craving some Vitamin D that I don’t receive in the form of gummies that Holly and I bought at Target.  (Although I will still keep taking them because they’re basically candy.)

We’re going to go back in time to just about 5 years ago.

Holly and I had just gotten married, and had moved out to Long Island.  At this point, my knowledge of craft beer was still pretty limited.  I knew how to describe the flavor, and how it made me feel, but if I had the selection of beer available now (again, to my still semi-limited knowledge), five years ago, I think I might have been completely overwhelmed.  So, I think Holly and I met Matthew and Lauri Spitz at just the right time.


Look at these two friendlies!  And check out that SHAG tattoo!

I worked with Matt at “Fruitz R Us” (that’s not the actual name), and we became fast friends because A. He’s awesome.  B. I’m ok too, I guess.  C. We both love beer.  D. Shoeberry Jam.  E. Check out that sweet moustache. At this point, Matt had been homebrewing for a long time, and knew waaaaaaaaay (look at all those A’s!) more about Craft Beer than I did.  We started hanging out outside of work, and that’s how Holly and I got to meet Matt’s wife, Lauri.

We quickly became friends, and they were the reason Holly and I signed up for LIBME, or, The Long Island Beer and Malt Enthusiasts.  LIBME is a group that meets monthly at different restaurants and breweries on Long Island to socialize and talk about beer.  They are also a member of the American Homebrewers Association, and participate in homebrewing competitions throughout Long Island. We joined as Charter Members, which gave us discounts at local bottle shops and restaurants, and we attended multiple meetings and met some amazing people.

IMG_0704

A LIBME meeting at Long Ireland Brewing Company where Holly won a pint glass and Matt creeped on her like a big, moustachioed, handsome creep!

Along with Matt and Lauri, and among many great folks, (Tim Sal and Joshua Hawkins, I’m talking about you!) we met Phil Ebel, fellow Disney Nerd, formerly of Great South Bay Brewery, and now Beer Ranger at New Belgium Brewing (which just began distributing to New York!  Go grab some!), and his lovely wife Katie.  We also found out at the first meeting we attended that my family friends Lee Ann and Ed Hahne were also members!  Ed passed away, tragically, nearly two years ago.  Some of my fondest memories of him were, when I was younger, when he used to bring six packs of his homebrewed beer to my parents’ house for parties (he was a music teacher with my Mom), and also, being able to spend time with him and Lee Ann at our LIBME gatherings to talk about beer, and music.  If we hadn’t joined LIBME, we may not have reconnected with him, but I’m so glad we did, and so thankful for those memories.  I miss that dude, a lot!  (Matt and Lauri made an amazing beer in his memory, which you’ll see later in this post)

LIBME was like a giant, extended family, that reached all over Long Island.  The beer community on Long Island is so strong, and everyone is supportive of one another.  As I mentioned earlier, Matt and Lauri had been homebrewing for several years, and were able to start their amazing brewery, Moustache Brewing Co., in part because of a Kickstarter they ran, called “We’re Growing a Moustache!” that raised just over $31,000 to help them realize a dream they’d been…  Well, dreaming, for so many beers…  I mean, years (since 2005, when they brewed their very first beer!).

Before the brewery opened, we would spend time with Matt and Lauri, both at LIBME meetings and elsewhere.  One of my favorite evenings was a bottle share that we had at Andrew and Katherine’s (two more amazing LIBME members) house.  It was epic.  That night, I got to try Sam Adams Utopias for the first time.

IMG_0509

Some delicious selections at this particular bottle share…  Including Sam Adams Utopias (27% ABV) and Brewmeister Armageddon (65% ABV).


Lauri modeling one of the highest ABV beers ever made.
603111_4896813893655_1829261519_n

Lauri’s Instagram Post from January, 2013 of Holly chugging a bottle of The Bruery Rugbrod and me making a normal face…

Hanging out with Matt and Lauri offered Holly and I so many amazing opportunities to taste some of Moustache’s many delicious libations in their early stages.  I had the opportunity to spend the day with Matt in his father’s backyard while he brewed Moustache Everyman’s Porter, a 4.5%, black as night, Porter, with intense coffee and chocolate, both on the nose and palate, something you can drink in the dead of winter by the fire, or in the intense, Long Island, summer heat.  Go to Riverhead, drink this beer.  It’s unreal.


A crushable Everyman’s Porter, straight from the source.

I believe it was around this time that they were also brewing their Mojito Pale Ale, which tastes just as insanely delicious as it sounds.  Brewed with fresh lime zest (HAND ZESTED!!) and mint (HAND…  MINTED?), it’s a lime citrus forward Pale Ale with refreshing mint, that will also ward off Scurvy.  I promise.  Give this to all of your pirate friends.  They’ll thank ya later.  (Also, if you have pirate friends, send them my way.  I want pirate friends.)

In April of 2014, we were able to attend the Kickstarter Backers preview at the new Moustache Brewing Company in Riverhead.  It was so special to see the outpouring of love from Matt and Lauri’s friends and family as they poured their beers, sort of officially, for the first time.  These two had been working their butts off for as long as I’d known them to get their business, their love, their baby, up and running.

Cheers!


Kickstarter Backers Board at Moustache Brewing Company in Riverhead, NY!

A few days later, we were at their official Grand Opening, where Matt shaved off his bushy winter beard, AKA his Rally Beard (after which they have named a once-a-year Rally Beard IIPA) revealing the eponymous Moustache, and beginning a tradition that has been replicated at both their first and second anniversary parties!

IMG_0900 Authentic barber’s chair for the shaving of the Rally Beard at the Grand Opening of Moustache Brewing Company, April 2014.

IMG_0907

Revealing that glorious, glorious Moustache that everyone knows and loves.  And Matty’s sweet cheeks!

Since they’ve opened two years ago, people have been asking for their amazing brews across Long Island, in New York City, and even stretching into Upstate New York.  They’ve already gotten larger fermenters so they can make more beer for your face.  They’ve released some special, barrel aged beers, like Snügg, an Old Ale aged in French Oak Bordeaux barrels, that is inspired by Glögg, a spiced, mulled wine, and most recently, a Bourbon Barrel-aged Blueberry and Ginger Tripel, that will be released next Saturday, June 4th.  (I’ve had the non-barrel-aged version of this beer, and it tastes like a Blueberry scone, it’s unbelievable.)
IMG_0218

Look at these gorgeous barrels…


“But I was just looking for the bung hole!” -Is something I probably said about 100 times.

They’ve also made beer for charity.  Buffalo Theory, a Double IPA, was made in memory of our friend Ed Hahne, was brewed with hops from his garden, and all proceeds from the beer were donated to the charity in his name at Stony Brook University.  They also participated in the Craft Cares IPA, with breweries from all over Long Island, which was given out in exchange for two non-perishable cans of food, for Long Island Craft Beer Week.

IMG_0874

They took a blank canvas inside of a warehouse and designed an amazing tasting room.
IMG_0913

Gorgeous bar at Moustache Brewing Company.
IMG_0212 Decorated for the Holidays!
IMG_0866

Holly and our dear friends Pete and Kelsey Shelly on Opening Day, 2014!

I wanted to write a post about Matt and Lauri, because they have worked so hard, and are so passionate, they have helped shape me into the sort-of knowledgable beer geek I am today.  It wasn’t an easy road for them (you can ask them), but they’re doing amazing things for the community.  Their dedication to their art is inspiring, and people are chomping at the bit for their beer to be in restaurants and bars all over New York.  So look out for these guys, because they’re going to be all over the place before you know it.

For now, head over to their gorgeous brewery and tasting room in Riverhead, and follow them on Facebook here to see what’s on tap!  (I suggest the Franco ‘Murica, a pale ale brewed with French Saison yeast!)

Until next time, Cheers!

When Opportunity Knocks, Part II

This is a continuation of my previous post!  If you like reading, you should go back and check that out.  If you already did that, thanks for coming back!  I’m not insufferable!  Yahoo for me!

After my Saturday in San Francisco, galavanting about on beautiful, old, 100% haunted, wooden ships, eating amazing seafood (with draaaaaaawn butter…), and drinking some fresh, delicious, local craft beer at Southern Pacific Brewing Company, I figured I would start my first free Sunday in California by doing what any hard-working 30-something would do, I put on my lime green swimsuit and I hit that hotel hot tub.  Hard.  But I was not alone.  I stepped into the pool area, and, as the steam from the hot tub dissipated (not unlike the fog over the Golden Gate Bridge), I gazed upon a pair of sunglasses and a wide, bright white smile.  I felt like Alice, gazing upon the Cheshire Cat.  “A SUUUUUH DUUUDE” came swirling out of the steam (I think one of those capital U’s smacked me in the face).  

A photo of the Cheshire Cat, for reference.
A photo of Eric, for reference.

I stepped into that lukewarm (the temperature has since increased, thank God) bubble bath and chatted with Eric for nearly an hour.  The topic quickly turned to beer (surprise, surprise).  We talked about Founders and Bells, as he’s from Michigan.  (What’s good for the Goose is good for the Michigander, I’ve heard.)

“Dude, do you want to go to a brewery today?” I asked.  Eric smiled, “Of course, dude.” (I’m paraphrasing, but I’m 99% sure that’s how it went down).  

We ended up at Alpha Acid Brewing Company, in Belmont, CA.  It was the only brewery in the area that was open on a Sunday, surprisingly.  Also, we almost didn’t find it.  We used our technology to get us there, and it brought us to an industrial complex with a bunch of closed, locked garages.  We drove around for a few minutes, and tucked away in one of the back buildings, was the brewery.  Their giant garage door was open, and inside was a small tasting room, with a few high tables, some picnic tables, and my absolute favorite thing, some old whisky barrels.  The beer, that delicious nectar, hibernating inside the walls of that wooden wonderland, soaking up all of the flavor from the spirits that inhabited that barrel.  

Absolutely gorgeous.

A simple chalkboard displayed the beers that these made scientists at Alpha Acid were cooking up.

Ali and I opted for the Citra Bro.  I’ve mentioned before that single-hopped IPAs can sometimes be one-note.  Citra’s hops have a spectrum of citrus flavors, this one was bursting with mango, pineapple and grapefruit.  You know those “Let’s all go to the lobby” cartoons that played in Movie theaters?  Replace those dancing snacks with citrus fruits, and put those dancing citrus fruits in my mouth, that’s what this beer tastes like.  It was unreal.  I also had a Stout called I’m in Love with the Mocha, which is a play on my favorite O. T. Genasis song (also, the only O. T. Genasis song I’ve ever heard), I’m in Love With the Coco.  I’ve never done, or been in love with coco, but I do love mocha, and I love a nice, roasty, coffee, chocolate, oatmeal stout, so this guy did the job.  It was an awesome brewery.  I wish we could have stayed longer, but we wanted to do some exploring, so we drove through a gorgeous mountain covered in beautiful greenery, and over to Half Moon Bay.  Only in California can look out at a gorgeous ocean, turn around, and see the most amazing rolling hills and picturesque landscapes imaginable.

Absolutely unbelievable view just before you get to the GD PACIFIC OCEAN!!  Can you believe that??

That ocean tho.

Another amazing idea, fueling an off the cuff adventure, planned over a fantastic craft beer.

On our way to Half Moon Bay, Eric and I were talking music.  We had both bonded over The Format earlier in the week, so we were talking about other bands we had a mutual interest in.  “Do you like Motion City Soundtrack?” I asked.  “Dude, they’re playing tomorrow night, in San Francisco.

Needless to say, we bought tickets later that night and ended up seeing one of my favorite bands of all time play on their Farewell Tour.  It was amazing.  The floor literally shook as they played their encore songs.  Their original drummer, Tony Thaxton (who now has his own hilarious, Christmas themed podcast called Feliz Navipod, check it out) came back to play with them on this tour.  I was in heaven.  Eric was in heaven.  It was absoutely out of control, and another spontaneous adventure.  

Motion City Soundtrack sonically rocking The Regency Ballroom in San Francisco.

The Regency was a very cool venue.  If fit right in with the city, which has so much charm and character.  They had an entire room dedicated to Local Craft beer!  They featured a bunch of Lagunitas Brewing Company, some Anchor Brewing Company, Bear Republic Brewing, and Sierra Nevada Brewing.  I went with one of my favorite, easily available, brews, A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin.  This is a pale wheat ale, packed with citrus and pine from the 50% wheat malt, and all the “C” hops (Cascade, Centennial, Citra, Columbus).  It tastes like freaking orange juice.  I’m a huge fan.  Although I didn’t get to visit the brewery in Petaluma (about an hour north of San Francisco), I was able to drink a few of their beers very fresh, and man, they’re awesome.  (They also don’t need me as an advocate, Heinekin now has a 50% stake in their company so they can distribute their beer internationally.) It’s also nice that we get their beer relatively fresh out here in NYC.

A blurry picture of me looking like a doofus with a $14 (with tip) Lagunitas A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’.  

Gorgeous exterior of the Regency Ballroom.  Go see a show here!

I had an amazing time in California.  I got to experience a lot (but still not enough) of the Bay Area.  I’m so glad I met some amazing people, and had the opportunity to sample some amazing California beer while experiencing some crazy adventures (stay tuned for our adventure to Muir Woods).  Thank you all so much for tuning in (can one “tune in” to a blog?) each week to read about my experiences.  This has been a fun two or so months writing this, and I hope to continue to share my adventures with you, as long as you’ll keep reading! 

See you next week! 

Cheers!

When Opportunity Knocks…

Holly and I have been talking lately about being open to opportunities, and saying “Yes” when an opportunity arises. Having been in California for two weeks, and not knowing when I’ll be able to come back (either for work or otherwise), I’ve been contemplating this conversation a lot.

I’m 32 years old, and most of the time, I don’t feel it. (Also all the time I act like a grown man baby.) There are days when I’ll come home from work and feel like crashing. I’ve been taking in a lot of information at work while I’ve been here, and some nights, I will want to just turn on the television, order Pizza Hut (because, let’s face it, I have no excuse ordering Pizza Hut living in New York City, but since I’m here, where all pizza is bad pizza, I may as well order my favorite bad pizza), and shortly after, hating myself for eating Pizza Hut and falling asleep. Thankfully, I’ve only done this twice since I got here!

Saying “Yes” has put me in some unbelievably awesome places here. I’ve been to two breweries so far, and seen some of the gorgeous scenery that the Bay Area has to offer. It hasn’t really been warm, and it hasn’t really been sunny (I think I brought the rain from New York, but I hear that California is in a drought, so I can’t really be mad about it, because without water, there is no beer…), but we’ve made the best of our time.

This past Saturday, some of my new buddies and I went to Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco.  It was raining, but it didn’t really impede us.  We found a metered parking spot in front of a little chocolate shop, and our friends pulled into a spot behind us (after my roommate Ali spent about 10 minutes shooing away people who tried to park behind us). Ali is Persian, and has just the friendliest face you’ll ever see, so it was hilarious to see him jump out of the car every few minutes to chat with the presumably (and rightfully so, we were parked like a-holes) angry drivers, flashing a smile and lying right to their faces, telling them we already payed for both spots.  As it turns out, the spot we were in didn’t have a meter.  We asked a passing traffic cop if it was ok to park there, because there was white paint on the curb, and the lady in the chocolate shop told us it was for deliveries.  Traffic cop tells us that in San Francisco, they only go off what they can clearly read, and since whatever was painted on that curb was all faded, we were good to go.  Boom!  Parked right in the heart of San Francisco!  (I’ve been told multiple times by Kat, one of my classmates who is a local, to never call it “San Fran”.  I’m trying so hard.). Maybe the traffic cop was lying to us.  (In New York, that would definitely be the case).  We didn’t really care at that point.  We didn’t want to waste anymore time.  Thankfully, he wasn’t lying, and we got a free parking spot for 4 hours.  Again, boom.

Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco

It looks like a movie set.  Not pictured, all the panhandlers, Ripley’s Believe it Or Not, or Madame Toussaud’s Wax Museum.  It’s still way nicer (and less crowded) than Times Square.

For lunch, we hit up The Franciscan.  And, my dear sweet lord, we filled our bellies with the freshest seafood you’ll find.  Basically jumping (do Mussels jump?  I think shrimp would probably jump, if ever given the opportunity) right off the docks and into our gullets.  Also, you have the opportunity to dine overlooking the San Francisco Bay and Alcatraz, so the ghosts of all the dead murderers and Sean Connery (not a ghost, and don’t you even think about it, 2016…) can watch you eat!

Can you guess how many of these crabs are haunted by the ghosts of prisoners of Alcatraz (pictured in the background)?  I can guarantee at least one of these things winked at me.

I had Steamed Mussels and Shrimp with drawn butter (is there a better phrase in the English language than “drawn butter”?)

We walked around the Wharf (a much needed walk) after our amazing lunch.  We explored some unbelievably gorgeous old (read: Haunted) Ships at the Maritime National Park.

I stood up on this anchor and a Park Ranger down on the dock shouted “YOU GOTTA DO THE SAILOR’S POINT!  LOOK IN ONE DIRECTION AND POINT IN ANOTHER.”  I’m so thankful for him.

After our jaunt at Fisherman’s Wharf, we drove a mile or so and headed to meet Kat at Southern Pacific Brewing Company.  This is a relatively new brewery, and the joint was jumping on a Saturday afternoon!

Southern Pacific Brewing Company
Like I said…  The joint?  She was a’jumpin’!

A bunch of us got flights, so we could all sample a bit of everything they had to offer.


I tasted a bit of all of the house beers.  The highlights were:

Their Barrel Aged Blend, which was a blend of their California Blonde and Saison, aged in Pinot Blanc barrels.  It smelled like hay, citrus, and funk (I love a beer that has some funk to it).  Taste was sour lemon, grass, white wine, ginger.  What a way to start!  It was an amazing beer to be drinking with my new friends, out on the front porch of the brewery. If this is how San Francisco tastes, I don’t wanna leave. 

A ton of awesome people.

Other highlights:

Hefeweizen, a Bavarian wheat beer, which was totally unfiltered and looked like a beautiful glass of pineapple juice, and tasted like ripe bananas and clove.  Gorgeous brew.  Wish I had a nice soft Bavarian pretzel to go with it.

Pale Ale, brewed with some classic hops (Cascade, Centennial, and Summit) was absolutely crushable at 5.2%ABV, but packed a punch with smells and flavors of daaaaaank pine and citrus.  (All those extra A’s were on purpose)

IPA, brewed with Columbus, Tomahawk, and Zythos hops, smelled and tasted just as sticky icky as the Pale Ale, and clocked in at only 5.8%ABV.  

So yeah, they’ve got some beers that smell like weed.  I had originally heard that Humulus Lupulus (hops) and Cannabis Sativa (marijuana) were relatives, but according to this article, there is no scientific proof.  I’ve always been fascinated when I smell a hop forward beer, the nose can evoke such interesting aromas, like pine, citrus (tropical or otherwise), black tea, grass, floral notes, herbs, spice, or, in this case, front row center at a Phish concert.  (Editor’s note: I’ve never been to a Phish Concert.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that.  I like pretty much all their songs that clock in under 5 minutes, also, I’m tickled by the fact that their drummer’s last name is Fishman.)

Packed house at Southern Pacific Brewing Company on a Saturday afternoon. I’m 99% sure there’s something delicious inside that tank.Gorgeous view from inside the brewery!

As I sit here in my hotel room, my exhausted Holly (she’s here!) is asleep after a long travel day, I reflect on all the great experiences I’ve had since I got here nearly two weeks ago.  I can’t fit them all into one post, so in a few days, I’ll post up again with my adventure to Half Moon Bay, a local brewery that we almost couldn’t find, and a farewell to one of my favorite bands.

Thank you all so much for taking the time to check out this blog!  You’re all wonderful!

Cheers!  See you in a few days!

Counting my Blessings

This is a blog about beer.

But first…  Love.

I’ll start off by saying, I really miss my wife, Holly.  I’m in California for three weeks for work, and I’ve met some cool people, I also have had the opportunity to travel here with some awesome Coworkers, and all around good sons, Alex and Daniel.  I am their Dad.  Not even their Work Dad.  I am their actual Father.  You can ask them.

But, being away from the one person you love most in this world is really hard.  Yes, she’s coming to visit next weekend (which I’m over the moon about!!), but we haven’t been apart this long in… Ever.  The most we’ve been apart is about a week, and even that was difficult. (Although, last time we were apart she was in Mexico, and she got to hang glide off of a boat and also they have Tequila in Mexico so…  She won that round.). The time difference also doesn’t help.  I’ve been waking up at 7am PST, and she’s already at work.  When I get out at 6pm, it’s 9pm on the East Coast.  So, it’s not ideal, but it definitely makes me appreciate all the time we’ve been able to spend together over the last 7 years.  (I love you, Holl!!)

My Gorgeous Lady.

This is a blog about beer.

But first, food.

I’ve finally gotten used to the time difference, aka I’m not exhausted and trying to keep my eyes open at 10pm.  I’ve had some amazing food since we’ve gotten here.  I ate Korean BBQ at a restaurant called Gooyi Gooyi, (which you’ll now find yourself shouting out loud to yourself, ya weirdo), and had beef tongue for the first time, as well as all the other meat you could possibly imagine.  

GOOYI GOOYICooking up some of that beef tongue, baby!

Kimchi Fried Rice and Pork Belly

My suitemate, Ali, is from Iran.  He took us to a Persian restaurant called Arya, and he lit up like a Christmas tree when he saw the menu.  He looked at the waitress, smiled, and said “This reminds me of my childhood.”  It’s amazing how food and drink can transport someone to another time and place.  We all decided what we wanted, and he insisted he order for us.  He was so thrilled, because where he lives now (Charlotte, North Carolina), he’s unable to get good Persian Food.  And Cupertino, I’ve learned, has one of the largest Persian populations in America.  He even bought fresh Persian sour fruit (he can’t ever find it fresh in North Carolina) and mailed it to his wife and 2-year-old son in Charlotte.

From L to R, Myself, Alex, Ali, and Daniel.

But yeah, this is a blog about beer!

I haven’t gone on any beer adventures yet (I’m hoping to get to Lagunitas, in Petaluma, and Russian River, in Santa Rosa.  I owe Justin “Panda” Mendes a Pliny the Elder.  I’d also love to hit up 21st Amendment in San Francisco.

Let’s talk about what I HAVE had.

Because, I don’t know if you’ve heard…  This is a blog about beer.


This. Is a sexy beer.  Green Flash West Coast IPA.  Because, when one is on the West Coast, even if one has had this beer before, and one can find a bottle that is fresh to death (as the kids say), one does not pass up this opportunity.  

This beer is 8.1% ABV, Made with Simcoe, Columbus, Cascade, Centennial, and Citra Hops, and a British Crystal Malt. Comes in at a whopping 95 IBU (emphasis on the WHOP)!!

I’m immediately smacked in the face by grapefruit, lemon zest, tropical citrus, sweet mango, pine, and floral notes.  Grapefruit and pine dominate the palate, with lingering caramel sweetness from the malt.
This beer grabs you, picks you up from wherever your lazy, near-lifeless body sits (warning: this beer gives ya the Jelly Legs), and drops you in a hammock in paradise with a good book and a tropical breeze.  Drink this beer.
My first time with this beer.  Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA.  Comes in at 6.5% ABV, so I was able to enjoy it and still cook a damn amazing burger.  I’ve heard a lot of great things, so my expectations were high.

Made with Citra and Mosaic (there she is again!  See earlier blog posts for my love letter to Mosaic).  Smell is Pineapple, grapefruit, orange.  Taste follows, but the malts balance the bitter citrus with a delicious, caramel sweetness.  I’m sad they don’t distribute to NY.


Stone Enjoy By 5.30.16 Tangerine IPA.  9.5%ABV.  90 IBU.  Ok.  Listen to these hops.  They just sing. Nugget.  Super Galena (COME ON HOW AM I NOT A HOP NAMER?).  Simcoe.  Delta (fly me to the moon).  Target (also mine and Holly’s favorite Department Store).  Amarillo.  Cascade (a waterfall of flavor).  Galaxy.  Citra.  Nelson Sauvin (The “Rico Suave” of hops).  Motueka.  Helga.

Helga.

Stone has been putting out this Enjoy By IPA for a few years.  As with all IPAs, as soon as it’s bottled, the hops begin to fade.  Stone’s goal was to brew a beer designed to be drank…  Real quick.  Within 37 days.  This batch was brewed with puréed tangerines, as if the citrus from the hops wasn’t enough.  I shared this beer with a bunch of people at the cookout, and my classmate Doug threatened to walk away with my glass.  Thankfully, he’s a classy gentleman and would never walk away with another man’s beer.  This is the best variant from this series that I’ve tasted.  Speaking of classy, this beer is just that.  I wowed multiple people with a taste of this bad boy, beer lovers and non-beer lovers alike.  These dudes at Stone know what’s up.

Tonight, Daniel and I met up with some former Coworkers, Chrissy and Steve.  We met up at BJ’s Brewhouse, which is a chain restaurant that brews their own beer.


From L to R, Daniel, Steve, Myself, Ram (hiding) and Chrissy

The beer was ordinary.  The company was amazing.  California has gained some amazing people over the past year, and I was so glad to be able to spend a bit of time with them.  

So, to recap, I miss my gorgeous wife, I’ve met some wonderful people, spent time with old friends, and had both ordinary and extraordinary brews.  

I look forward to the rest of my time here in California, and, as it’s nearly 2am PST, will fall asleep, counting my blessings.

Welcome to California!

I made it! I’m here in Cupertino for a work trip, and today was my travel day. I was on a six hour flight from New York, in which a young boy (read: Monster) was running up and down the aisles (all the while being lazily watched by his seemingly uncaring mother), and he was hitting everyone in an aisle seat, including myself. Remember the movie Clifford? With Martin Short? Think of that.

Definitely an image of the boy who kept smacking me and all of the other people on the aisle with his bacteria laden stickyfingers, and definitely not a picture of Martin Short as Clifford in the movie Clifford.

It’s 9:15pm PST, which means it’s 12:15am EST. I’ve been traveling since 9am EST, and I ate a Country Fried Steak and my buddy Alexander’s extra Oreo Shake at Denny’s. So, basically I’m ready to hibernate, like a full bellied, exhausted bear. But, at the end of a long travel day, comes a sweet, sweet, luxurious California reward! 

Sierra Nevada Five Hop Experimental IPA

5.8%ABV, made with “Experimental Hops”. Sierra Nevada’s website does not say what hops they use. Comes in at 60 IBUs. (IBU = International Bitterness Units)
This was bottled on 02/02/2016. I love my IPAs super fresh, as the older they get, the more the hops fade. When I opened this one, it smelled like fresh grapefruit, orange, and even some coconut and vanilla. It had a two finger, bright white, fluffy head, that stuck around for days, seemingly. Sierra Nevada makes such amazing quality beers, the age didn’t do much, although you can tell the hops faded a bit, especially on the nose. Taste is candied orange (less grapefruit than the nose), and dry. Another great beer from these dudes. I rated it a 3.75/5 on Untappd, only because it’s not super fresh. I bet I would bump it up if it were fresher.  
I wanted to post a quick beer review for my first beer in California! Stay tuned for more stories, I’ll be here for the next three weeks! Cheers!