tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70149446445864310502024-03-27T08:13:11.754-07:00Beer HereHere is where I am and beer is what I'm drinking.Lynn C Dothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05096334642266196000noreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014944644586431050.post-45553896639507700382024-03-27T08:12:00.000-07:002024-03-27T08:12:21.009-07:00Grand Opening of Indio Taphouse<p>The grand opening was yesterday (March 26, 2024). It's called <a href="https://www.indiotaphouse.com" target="_blank">Indio Taphouse</a> although a better name might be Big Bar. Owned by the same people who own <a href="https://www.little-bar.com" target="_blank">Little Bar</a>, Indio Taphouse only has five taps pouring the usual suspects (around these parts): 805, Even Par, Poolside Blonde, Ultra, and Modelo.</p><p>Meanwhile, the bar itself is thirty feet long in contrast to the bar at Little Bar which is - well, very little. It stretches the length of the establishment then turns the corner and continues on. As you can see, it is very well stocked with everything - except beer.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbDlbi4S90-kHghNL64LtCxO1u1OlJeaVPCuWuNJy1U5lag74toOfBVloWijV8CvWXtdR6N7KOIaly_kBtpWc-eLV2rSyB9cXjgS-_sLO4T4_RPKoDkVVu9YAhLt9fQDJ3HHrcdnmmXBpSI14TVeVPjJ-rw1qqM9IWDdOfDuxfSrGXHzxkDQTQBj31a6PU/s4032/IMG_5539.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbDlbi4S90-kHghNL64LtCxO1u1OlJeaVPCuWuNJy1U5lag74toOfBVloWijV8CvWXtdR6N7KOIaly_kBtpWc-eLV2rSyB9cXjgS-_sLO4T4_RPKoDkVVu9YAhLt9fQDJ3HHrcdnmmXBpSI14TVeVPjJ-rw1qqM9IWDdOfDuxfSrGXHzxkDQTQBj31a6PU/w400-h300/IMG_5539.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Big bar at Indio Taphouse.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Appearances, however, are deceiving. The <a href="https://www.beermenus.com/qr_menus/3724">beer menu</a> is quite extensive with selections available by can or bottle. If you're looking for a beer, they will have what you're looking for whether it's a Trappist quadruple from Belgium or a cider from San Diego. I would not be surprised if this evolved into more of a bottle shop with a wide variety of packaged beers to go at some point in the future as it seems that is what they're really set up for.</p><p>In addition to beer, Indio Taphouse serves <a href="https://www.indiotaphouse.com/menu">upscale bar food and inventive cocktails</a>. We tried the falafel which was excellent but I would recommend getting the dragon sauce on the side!</p><p>Indio Taphouse is located on Miles Avenue in downtown Indio right next to the new outdoor Amphitheater, currently under construction. Anyone attending Indio's <a href="https://www.indio.org/our-city/second-saturdays" target="_blank">Second Saturday</a> events should be able to hear the music while enjoying a drink at the bar or on the patio outside of garage-style doors.</p><p>But, wait! It gets better. Right next door to Indio Taphouse is a space which will house an upscale Italian restaurant: <a href="https://italica.bar">Italica</a>. It's owned by the same people and shares a kitchen with the taphouse. Currently, there are no signs for Italica (not that I noticed) which gives it a speakeasy vibe. (The door is located next to the taphouse on its west side.) We mistakenly went through the door thinking it was another entrance to the taphouse and caught a glimpse of the restaurant's interior. Very cool; I can't wait until it opens.</p><p>As if all that isn't exciting enough, while I sat on my barstool at the taphouse, enjoying a <a href="https://www.ironmaidenbeer.com/brewdog-and-iron-maiden-unleash-hellcat-collaboration/">Hellcat from Brewdog and Iron Maiden</a>, I spied yet another new-to-Indio storefront just across the street: <a href="https://www.gabinos-creperie.com">Gabino's Creperie</a>. This will be Gabino's second location, the other location being in Palm Springs. Claim to fame: their Palm Springs location was featured on <a href="https://youtu.be/simv7LahmWw?feature=shared" target="_blank">Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives</a>.</p><p>So now you have your to-do list for this weekend: Check out Indio Taphouse and keep your eyes peeled for Italica and Gabino's to open soon.</p>Lynn C Dothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05096334642266196000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014944644586431050.post-65077847099946480652023-11-06T12:29:00.001-08:002023-11-06T12:29:17.071-08:00Cheap Beer!<p>The Ralph's on Jefferson has Octoberfest beers on sale:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://alesmith.com/aleschmidt-oktoberfest/">Aleschmidt Oktoberfest</a> from <a href="https://alesmith.com">Alesmith Brewing Company</a> (San Diego, CA) which won the 2021 California Craft Brewers Cup in the Märzen/Oktoberfestbier Category. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.thebruery.com/products/ruekeller-helles">Ruekeller: Helles</a> from <a href="https://www.thebruery.com">The Bruery</a> (Placentia, CA)</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.hofbraeu-muenchen.de/en/beer/hofbrau-oktoberfestbier">Hofbräu Oktoberfest</a> from <a href="https://www.hofbraeu-muenchen.de/en">Hofbräu München</a> (Munich, Germany)</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Pauli_Girl#:~:text=Pauli%20Girl%20is%20a%20brand,Missouri%2Dbased%20Anheuser%2DBusch.">St. Pauli Girl from St. Pauli-Brauerei</a> (Bremen, Germany) </li></ul><p></p><div>They're all on a table at the back of the store.</div><div><br /></div><div>I bought the Alschmidt Oktoberfest (six-pack) for $6.20. These beers are already at least a month old and there's no way of knowing how they've been stored during that time so there's a risk that they'll be awful even if the beer was originally excellent. But, at about a buck a beer, I felt it was a risk worth taking. (I didn't make note of the other prices.)</div><div><br /></div><div>I already have a Hofbräu Oktoberfest in my refrigerator which I am looking forward to trying. In addition, I have <a href="https://www.bitburger.com/beers/premium-classics/premium-pils/">Premium Pils</a> from <a href="https://www.bitburger.com">Bitburger</a> which you can get for $6 (4 x 16oz.) at <a href="https://www.traderjoes.com/home">Trader Joe's</a> (in La Quinta, CA) and <a href="https://www.5440beer.com/kolsch">Kaskadia Kölsch</a> from <a href="https://www.5440beer.com">54-40 Beer</a> (Washougal, WA).<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>These are just my Fall beers. . . .</div><div><br /></div><div>The next time you see us sitting in the driveway, stop by. Bring a Fall beer to trade if you have one (although there's zero chance you'll get a Kölsch out of Hubby). Or, just stop by and we can taste some German-style beers. Bring a lawn chair or your own glassware (or plasticware), if you want. If you want snacks, you'll have to bring those as well. If you want conversation, beer, and a sunset, this is the place.</div><div><br /></div><div>It isn't October any more. (Or even September.) But, we can pretend it is. </div><div><br /></div><div>Prost!</div>Lynn C Dothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05096334642266196000noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014944644586431050.post-1910965989522416482023-11-05T15:40:00.001-08:002023-11-05T15:40:13.263-08:00Something must be wrong.<p>I just went on a road trip during which I visited no breweries. This is unprecedented. Furthermore, it's been over a weeks since I've been in ANY brewery.</p><p>I did go to a tap house, however. And while this one isn't really worth noting, it is worth noting that there's a really good one in Orlando. </p><p>The one we went to this weekend is called <a href="https://www.coldbeers.com/cheeseburgers/verrado/">Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers</a> (<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">👟</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">🍕) </span>in Verrado (a neighborhood in Buckeye, AZ). They had a reliable menu of beers which included several choices from local breweries. I had the <a href="https://www.fourpeaks.com/8th-street">8th Street Pale Ale</a> (<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">🍻) </span>from <a href="https://www.fourpeaks.com">Four Peaks Brewing Company</a> (Tempe, AZ), a very reliable beer. It's easy to drink at 4.9% ABV. It had enough flavor to keep me interested but didn't overwhelm my palate. </p><p>The tap house itself was easy to get to and had plenty of parking. The beer menu was ample but wasn't very interesting. There was plenty of shade on the outdoor patio but the music (rock) was just a little too loud. Servers wore t-shirts with phrases such as "I'd tap that" or "Show me your tips."</p><p>The one in Orlando was called <a href="https://www.rockandbrews.com">Rock & Brews</a> (<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">🔙</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">🍕) </span>which we visited earlier this year. It's really not fair to compare the two because it's not like you can easily go from one to the other. They're 2,000 miles apart from each other. But, if you were ever faced with the unlikely decision about whether to go to Phoenix or Orlando based on just these two tap houses, I would recommend Orlando. (I will point out that Rock & Brews has locations in several other states including California.)</p><p>First of all, the music Rock & Brews plays falls more into the classic rock category. It's older by definition but so am I so that works for me. The brew menu was broad and deep. No matter what you're into, there's a beer for you on this menu. The wait staff was friendly and attentive (and didn't wear kitchy t-shirts.)</p><p>The vibe was a little like a <a href="https://www.hardrockcafe.com">Hard Rock Cafe</a> where the experience includes music and memorabilia. The Orlando's Rock & Brews had plenty of parking and seating areas both indoors and out. We went back a second time while we were there. The first time we were at a hightop table, and the second time we snagged a couch.</p><p>When we weren't at Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers this weekend, we were visiting with family and eating Frito Pie for dinner. It was paired with <a href="https://coronadobrewing.com/beer/weekend-vibes/">Weekend Vibes</a> (<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">🍻) </span>from <a href="https://coronadobrewing.com">Coronado Beer Company</a> (San Diego) which we brought with us. 6.8% ABV and 60 IBU (according to <a href="https://untappd.com/b/coronado-brewing-company-weekend-vibes/2868166">Untappd</a>), it's described on Coronado's website thusly:</p><blockquote>Bursting with tropical dankness, this beer is everything you want from a San Diego-style IPA. It’s bright, bursting with hop fruitiness, and refreshingly dry. . . . <br /><br />Bronze Medal Winner – American-Style India Pale Ale – 2019 Great American Beer Festival</blockquote><p>I couldn't have said it better myself. It was an excellent pairing with Frito Pie.</p><p>Now that we've moved the clock back an hour, I have more time to kill before Hoppy Hour today. I guess should go find something productive to do.</p><p>Or not.</p><p>Cheers!</p>Lynn C Dothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05096334642266196000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014944644586431050.post-76784392212566418192023-10-28T12:53:00.008-07:002023-10-28T13:34:57.595-07:00Beer Visits #2 and #3<p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.purebrewing.org/location/vista/">Pure Project Brewing</a>, Vista, CA</span></b> - <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">👟⬅️</span></p>This is a 14,000 square foot warehouse facility that includes brewing, bottling, and canning operations; and a tasting room with indoor and outdoor seating. Despite its size, it maintains a comfortable, local-hangout vibe. It's located in an industrial center, making it feel like an in-the-know location. <br /><br />You enter through a rollup door to find an ample bar with several taps, plants everywhere, and comfortable seating areas inside and out. Their Carlsbad location, by contrast, is small and often crowded. Carlsbad can be a fun location for people watching while the Vista location is large and open with ample seating and a more relaxed, local vibe.<br /><br />This is definitely a place I would go back to visit but I would explore their beer selections a little more.<br /><br />We tried the the <a href="https://shop.purebrewing.org/products/rain">Rain</a> (Pilsner) 👟 and the Under the Oaks (Festbier) 👟🍺. For us, the Pilsner had no defining characteristic or flavor. It was almost too "clean." Perhaps that is what their website describes as "bone dry." The Festbier was better with a slightly spicy/rye flavor and medium feel. It was worth a pint. <br /><br />I also sampled the <a href="https://shop.purebrewing.org/products/mystery-veils-the-desert">Mystery Veils the Desert</a> which I found very interesting and would categorize as a weird beer. I happen to like weird so if I went back I might opt for this beer when available. (It's a recurring collaboration beer with <a href="https://www.wrenhousebrewing.com">Wren House Brewing</a> of Arizona.)<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.themillfallbrook.com">Booze Brothers Brewing</a>, Fallbrook, CA</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"> - </span><span face=""Google Sans", Roboto, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(31, 31, 31); color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 12px; white-space: pre-wrap;">🧦⏩🍕👫</span></p>This location has a bit of an identity problem. It's located at a funky intersection on a triangular lot with signage for The Mill which is a pizza joint which shares space with Booze Brothers as well as Owl Farm, an offshoot of Booze Brothers. The website describes the outdoor seating as lush and inviting when in reality it's mostly dirt which is particularly inviting to children. Indeed, they have set up play areas for the kiddos which include sand toys, trucks, and a structure that looks like Lucy's Psychiatry Booth but is easily imagined as a restaurant with a takeout window (as we witnessed while we were there). <br /><div><br /></div><div>In italics, the website goes on to advise that indoor seating has only recently been made available.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's funky but I can see why families would like going there. It's easy (once you figure out how to access its parking lot). The kids have something to do while the grownups sit in the sun with their beers and someone else makes dinner.</div><div><br /></div><div>There are two other Booze Brothers locations in Oceanside and Vista which we have yet to visit.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx8DUjpp7hdyTXGGfPrMTgcY_3O1l1j7J4l0jgzSNR08VdRof9fNrqTgw7oa1TQQ6C72kXFMq0It1ddMWH9Tw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>We had the Pushing Daisies (Pilsner)<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">🧦</span> and Penny Blonde (Blonde)👟. We found the Pilsner to be off the mark. It was cloudy, slightly hoppy, and had a medium mouthfeel rather than a clear, light, and slightly biscuity or doughy flavored beer. We liked the Blonde better and felt it was a better representation of its style.</div><div><br /></div><div>If we were to go back, we would opt for one of their other locations and would try different beers. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>If you're wondering where Beer Visit #1 was, it was La Quinta Brewing in Old Town La Quinta, CA, which will be featured in a separate post.</div><div><br /></div><div>Happy beer hunting and remember to #beercareful and #drinklocal.</div><br />Lynn C Dothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05096334642266196000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014944644586431050.post-19427381873761326852023-10-16T11:23:00.001-07:002023-10-16T11:23:46.600-07:00Beer Here's new rating system:🦶= blew my socks off<div><br /></div><div>👟 = did not blow my socks off<br /><div><br /><div><div>🧦 = dirty sock; avoid</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>🤯 = mind blown; reserved for a truly special place or beer</div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The shoe was meant to be a clean sock but I couldn't find a clean sock emoji to signify that, indeed, my socks had not been blown off. Assuming you wear socks with your athletic shoes, I picked what I thought was the next best thing.</div><div><br /></div><div>No, I do not have a food fetish. I thought I was being clever.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ultimately, I mean to provide more beer and brewery reviews. Once upon a time, I lived in Washington and was a member of the <a href="https://washingtonbeer.com/washington-beer-lovers/">Washington Beer Lovers</a>. This is a wonderful organization that did a great job of promoting Washington breweries. Using their passport, I visited 200 breweries all over the state. Since I lived near the Oregon border, I also visited Oregon breweries but didn't keep track of those as well. In addition, I visited local craft breweries when I traveled. I have easily visited 300 different locations but stopped counting after I left Washington.</div><div><br /></div><div>I live in California, now, in a beer desert. It's an actual desert, to be fair, but to my point there are only seven breweries in the immediate area.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://29brews.com">29 Brews</a> - Coachella</div><a href="https://www.babesbbqbrewery.com">Babe's Bar-B-Que and Brewery</a> - Rancho Mirage<div><a href="https://www.cvbco.com">Coachella Valley Brewing</a> - Thousand Palms and Palm Springs (coming soon)</div><a href="https://www.desertbeercompany.com">Desert Beer Company</a> - Palm Desert and Indio (coming soon)<div><a href="https://www.laquintabrewing.com">La Quinta Brewing</a> - Palm Desert, Palm Springs, La Quinta</div><div><a href="https://www.laspalmasbrewing.com">Las Palmas Brewing</a> - Palm Springs</div><div><a href="https://www.luchadorbrew.com">Luchador Brewing Company</a> - Cathedral City</div><div><br /></div><div>More information can be found in <a href="https://www.palmspringslife.com/7-breweries-to-try-in-the-coachella-valley/">this article from Palm Springs Life</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>The good news is there's some really good beer being produced here. For additional variety, I visit independent craft breweries in San Diego and Los Angeles and locations in between, as well as breweries in Arizona. How many I've already visited, I don't know because I haven't been keeping track. </div><div><br /></div><div>That changes now. I have a blank spreadsheet and a blinking cursor. It's time to start adding to my brewery count.</div><div><br /></div><div>I can't wait to get started. </div><div><br /></div><div>Is it Friday yet?</div>Lynn C Dothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05096334642266196000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014944644586431050.post-68509611336048174192023-06-26T16:21:00.000-07:002023-06-26T16:21:06.946-07:00Road Trip<p><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.666667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I learned there is a new brewery in town. There are only a handful near where I live so when a new one comes on the scene, I want to check it out. This one is not actually in the town where I live. It's an hour and a half away but that's close enough for me. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.666667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><a href="https://joshuatreebrewingco.com/">Joshua Tree Brewing</a></b> isn't new but they didn't previously have a tasting room. I don't know if that was because of COVID or because they were too small to have one. We didn't live here before COVID so I don't know. But I recently saw on Google Maps that they had a tasting room in Twentynine Palms, open only on weekends, so last weekend, we decided to go for a drive.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We started out heading west on I-10 and then drove through Morongo Valley, Yucca Valley, and Joshua Tree before getting to Twentynine Palms. It was close to 3 by the time we got there and we were hungry so we stopped at a place called </span><a href="https://mexican-street-tacos.business.site/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mexican Street Tacos</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. It was attached to a bowling alley and a bar. The food was very local, very delicious, very Mexican. It was practically around the corner from the brewery which had no food.</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-b376cda9-7fff-cca0-baa3-f8bed6206b6d"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The brewery only had two taps but only one beer so that’s what we had. A $7 hazy IPA that was cloudy and dense at roughly 7% ABV. I can’t say it was my favorite but we had made the drive so we were going to get the beer.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The entire facility wasn’t much bigger than my bedroom. They had the type of furnishings you would expect in a small brewery: barstools and picnic tables and benches. There was a shelf all the way around the room near the ceiling that featured a collection of old beer cans. We were the only customers.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There were spray misters on the back patio which was as big as the building itself. Maybe bigger. The tables were made of four cinder blocks standing on end and supporting a wooden pallet. They were surrounded by a mismatched collection of plastic lawn chairs like one might find at Ace Hardware on closeout. Parking was in an adjacent lot that was shared with an unmarked, two bay, car repair type garage. I refer you to the <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/wy34y1ixWe5Zrgkm6">pictures on Google Maps</a> for a visual aid as the photos I took don't really give you the whole picture.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Lsd34F8ozaTpGpOmasT5kjUNEsT79pbRBrg1ZDYeatxH7fveDds9QqZreuWPL7QhqrBdTV-CYXV3G-C6PLTPhf6Ox28TVx78oPmj-DvdoHpSsxRKEzI1CEj-RrpzeHWearjV8_qnZEWRsPUECFLH8JtlrdtrWP05zFaXu2ElenHbRgf6dmhBPdHUXckH/s4032/IMG_4642.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Lsd34F8ozaTpGpOmasT5kjUNEsT79pbRBrg1ZDYeatxH7fveDds9QqZreuWPL7QhqrBdTV-CYXV3G-C6PLTPhf6Ox28TVx78oPmj-DvdoHpSsxRKEzI1CEj-RrpzeHWearjV8_qnZEWRsPUECFLH8JtlrdtrWP05zFaXu2ElenHbRgf6dmhBPdHUXckH/s320/IMG_4642.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7DqzGJAC8Uu-b0MSLm5F0rQmbaXPuQwSanLmUSXaIsm--RhlTX1r9ZB-M41CnSbgwC528ZLcXqI09nPzAAi5sECA1axxTHK0NneLsZLmQB2sYLwZZTS_bu_aHCc7RyIgwzbNTiBUk4YN-oMlri1Heh1iiqc7XTFcXVD7LnzjLb4Io4rab3npXvv8dlBkw/s4032/IMG_4643.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7DqzGJAC8Uu-b0MSLm5F0rQmbaXPuQwSanLmUSXaIsm--RhlTX1r9ZB-M41CnSbgwC528ZLcXqI09nPzAAi5sECA1axxTHK0NneLsZLmQB2sYLwZZTS_bu_aHCc7RyIgwzbNTiBUk4YN-oMlri1Heh1iiqc7XTFcXVD7LnzjLb4Io4rab3npXvv8dlBkw/s320/IMG_4643.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">There was no bathroom at the brewery. You had to go out of the patio's chain linked fence gate, through the parking lot, and around the garage. The handle and lock were flimsy and there were no paper towels but it was clean. Or I assumed it was since a woman with rubber gloves and disinfectant exited prior to my entering. It wasn’t the worst bathroom I had ever been in but it was definitely on that end of the scale.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Joshua Tree Brewing is a self-described microbrewery “making great beers since 2017.” While their website declares they have distribution in California, Texas, and New York, I suspect that the brewer has family there and brings his own beverages when he travels. I’ve never seen it in any bar anywhere but, then again, I don’t go to that many bars.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I only tried one of their beers since that was all they had. Based on that, I’m not in a hurry to go back. On the other hand, I don’t want to discourage anyone from going to Joshua Tree Brewing and trying it for themselves. The drive is interesting and Mexican Street Tacos is worth a stop, in my opinion. On the way back, we drove through </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.nps.gov/jotr/index.htm" style="text-decoration: none;">Joshua Tree National Park</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> which is also worth a visit. My recommendation is to go early and reverse the route. That is, go through the park first, stop and take a hike, and wind up in Twentynine Palms for a lunch and a beer. Then drive through the towns of Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley, and Morongo Valley on the way back.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We ended up at <a href="https://www.laquintabrewing.com/taprooms">La Quinta Brewing</a> in Old Town for a second beer while we waited for a pizza to go from <a href="https://stuftpizzabarandgrill.com">Stuft</a>. It was a good day but we were ready to be home. The drive is about 3 hours total without the stops.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Let me know if you get to Joshua Tree Brewing!</span></p></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Lynn C Dothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05096334642266196000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014944644586431050.post-52688653613397104172022-09-30T15:20:00.006-07:002022-09-30T15:20:47.083-07:00Próst!<p>If you're just now asking about Oktoberfest, you're almost too late to the party. In Germany, Oktoberfest starts every year on September17 and runs through the first Sunday in October or October 3rd, whichever is later. (This year, that would be October 3rd.) But here, you have plenty of time to attend one or more Oktoberfest events.</p><p>I attended the opening Oktoberfest event at <a href="https://www.cvbco.com/">Coachella Valley Beer</a> on September 17th. I'm not sure why they dubbed it an Oktoberfest event given they didn't have any German beer or any oom-pah-pahing but it was a lot of fun and it served the purpose of getting people in the door. Tomorrow, however, they will have a Laughtoberfest event from 2-10pm. It's not Oktoberfest-themed but there's no cover and it's lots of fun. They will have a Berliner Weisse on tap which is, generally, a tart wheat beer. Named 99 Problems, it's a collaboration with <a href="https://www.tkbbakery.com/">TKB</a>. I haven't tried it but at least they're getting in the spirit of things. </p><p>I went to their Comedy Festival last year where Michael Longfellow was the headliner. Now, he's one of the newest cast members on Saturday Night Live. (You can see him on <a href="https://youtu.be/LUyaugxcOw8">YouTube's Netflix Is A Joke: The Festival</a>.) Who knows whom you might see this year?</p><div><a href="https://www.desertbeercompany.com/">Desert Beer</a> will have an Oktoberfest event tomorrow starting at noon. They will have bratwurst, sausages, and music. They will also have three German style lagers on tap: Olaf & Jurgen Festbier, Oh Face Oktoberfest, and Uncle Kunkle Dunkel. (I've had and can recommend the Dunkel.) Their Valle Molinillo colab with CVB will be on tap as well as several other styles of beers. </div><p>I can't believe how many people don't know of Desert Beer. They're good people making really good beer. They're also opening a second location in Indio so that's something to keep an eye out for. (I certainly will be.)</p><p>La Quinta Brewing's Oktoberfest isn't until October 29 (at their Palm Desert location). They promise to have German beers, food, and authentic Bavarian music. They are even offering a prize for the best Oktoberfest-themed outfit - a $25 gift card to La Quinta Brewing. Might be worth breaking out the lederhosen.</p><p><a href="https://bigbearevents.com/oktoberfest/">Oktoberfest started early at Big Bear Lake</a> on September 10th but runs every weekend through November 5th so you still have plenty of time. This is also a fun event but you must purchase a ticket to attend. <a href="https://bigbearevents.com/pricing-2022/">Prices vary</a> on when you go and where you want to be seated. It's also a bit of a drive from anywhere so if you don't have a designated driver, I strongly encourage spending the night at a local hotel or vacation rental.</p><p>In all cases, drink responsibly. Have a designated driver or take Uber and have yourself some Oktoberfest fun.</p>Lynn C Dothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05096334642266196000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014944644586431050.post-74539237679749962672022-09-06T09:17:00.001-07:002022-09-06T09:17:48.759-07:00There's a new brewery in town and you should go.<p>"Support your local brewery," I like to say. I also like to say, "I'll have another!"</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQvFW6FSpJOuo8yn81pMRZ-50RiycTBc5buDRIOd114MXDYwmsUEEwFNVtRMkYQo8epVBsxeBQLry3HVPndTnGuGNmQJJNmlkW7bLr47ZNHO5Vscdel5Z_3S79Cgwm_xBEB8jV4VCGRwB5VS7YiL-dg7Hu9AP49Q-0TuhFoWyU6yGcTv_Wmf5ZqHG6Q/s4032/IMG_2701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQvFW6FSpJOuo8yn81pMRZ-50RiycTBc5buDRIOd114MXDYwmsUEEwFNVtRMkYQo8epVBsxeBQLry3HVPndTnGuGNmQJJNmlkW7bLr47ZNHO5Vscdel5Z_3S79Cgwm_xBEB8jV4VCGRwB5VS7YiL-dg7Hu9AP49Q-0TuhFoWyU6yGcTv_Wmf5ZqHG6Q/s320/IMG_2701.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>This weekend, we visited <a href="https://www.luchadorbrew.com/">Luchador Brewing Company</a> which recently opened in Cathedral City, smack in the middle of the Coachella Valley. They have a variety of beers on tap plus ceviche and tacos served from a food truck located inside the brewery, cleverly attached to the kitchen. It's located next door the <a href="https://cvrep.org/">CV Rep</a> and about a block away from the <a href="https://dplaceentertainment.com/location/mary-pickford">Mary Pickford Theater.</a> Parking is ample. (You can read all about it in the <a href="https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/local/cathedral-city/2022/09/02/luchador-brewing-company-opens-second-location-cathedral-city/7868333001/">Desert Sun</a>.)<br /><p></p><p>It was a little loud inside but it was worth it for the beer and tacos. Plus, we can always use another local brewery. Their merch is great with slogans such as "Cerveza Mas Macho" and "Hecho in Cat City."</p><p>It's been a while - seven years - since we've had a <a href="https://craftbeerie.com/tres-caballeras-brewery-restaurant-indio-california/">brewery on the east side of the valley</a> although I understand there has been interest by both <a href="https://www.desertbeercompany.com/">Desert Beer Company</a> and <a href="https://www.cvbco.com/">Coachella Valley Brewing</a> in establishing second locations here. We can certainly keep our fingers crossed and our growlers at the ready.</p><p>In the meantime, it's up to us to support the breweries in the Coachella Valley. We are thirsty here in the desert and can always use another beer. And good beer, at that.</p><p>Welcome, Luchador Brewing!</p>Lynn C Dothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05096334642266196000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014944644586431050.post-33062785348899468432022-09-02T11:02:00.000-07:002022-09-02T11:02:16.773-07:00I have a beer problem. Maybe you can help.<p>Even as I write this, I'm walking it back. "Do I really?"<br /></p><p>Hubby said I had to get rid of some of the beers in the refrigerator before I can buy any more. He's right. There are some that have been languishing in there. Forgotten. Passed over. No longer seen.</p><p>But when I took an inventory, I didn't think it looked all that bad.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdNRdUvbWNS2H5qI2u5uSLgVV0GdDnfFHoa8a1_TcZgTJj8aW412pS5OzPLTxCeOYu-C1WPjg9HvsOMHBTpAuavyAXy_9Xehb3DGXSKcE8VtJKac13bEJaq6ak2Q8PQSIElLjPkovJx7mko37YvX7-9Qah2o0k9QoSyyl4t_FX3QUTD_6Pr1xpovHJsw/s4032/beer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdNRdUvbWNS2H5qI2u5uSLgVV0GdDnfFHoa8a1_TcZgTJj8aW412pS5OzPLTxCeOYu-C1WPjg9HvsOMHBTpAuavyAXy_9Xehb3DGXSKcE8VtJKac13bEJaq6ak2Q8PQSIElLjPkovJx7mko37YvX7-9Qah2o0k9QoSyyl4t_FX3QUTD_6Pr1xpovHJsw/s320/beer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>From this picture, you can see I have a wide range of tastes which is what contributes to my beer problem. I like to try beers from different styles. I'll find something I want to try and then end up with more than I really want to drink. Or, once tried, I'm ready to move on to the next thing leaving behind an inventory of "been there, done that" beers that now I have to get rid of.</p>I have three of the <a href="https://warsteiner.us/our-beer/oktoberfest">Warsteiner Oktoberfest</a>. I first tried this at last years <a href="https://www.bigbear.com/events/annual/oktoberfest/">Oktoberfest at Big Bear Lake, CA</a>. Later, I saw the beer at Costco and bought a case of 24. I only have three left which means I liked it well enough to drink 21 of them. But it also means they're about a year old. While it'll be Fall soon enough, I've lost interest in finishing the last three.<p></p><p>The one on the left is <a href="https://shop.mikkellersd.com/products/passion-pool?currency=USD">Passion Pool</a>, a gose style ale from Mikkeller. (The picture at the link shows a different label.) It's fruity and sour, perfectly refreshing on a hot day and would probably be perfect for floating around the pool. I have three of these, having only drunk one. I could try it again, but the bubbles, which were tight and plentiful, gave me gas. I could be wrong here - it could have been something I ate - but I haven't really wanted to give it another try. Besides, I don't have a pool.</p><p>I forgot that I had three of the <a href="https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/27642/75507/">Boatswain Chocolate Stout</a> in the fridge. I really like dark beers so this surprises me. I think it came in a six-pack so I drank half of what I bought. Maybe it just got too hot outside for me to be interested in a dark beer although at 5.4% ABV, it's very drinkable. While it's plenty hot outside this week, this could be a good beer to have around a few weeks from now.</p><p>But, a deal is a deal. There are other beers I want to try so I need to make some room. If you're in my neighborhood and you want to try some of these beers, let me know and they're all yours. Or, if you have a similar problem, we can make a trade. </p><p>(I just won't tell Hubby.)</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMmum2rbgUeXYKX_Zy_zFmXtz1JYVK2eSE4jQRXejr-EO75dssDbEz21lF40Hhn0thYmorgGB53HlgWg-4CHhhIodF6HRswrQ0nD_tMRCaAHpkPUG9x518QdgD0ZCn4zncejdgtKJi8tFtXOr1LSF7pWJgv5wM30p1n7vUfionxaSFOb_Kfe1gU9oT4g/s4032/not%20beer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMmum2rbgUeXYKX_Zy_zFmXtz1JYVK2eSE4jQRXejr-EO75dssDbEz21lF40Hhn0thYmorgGB53HlgWg-4CHhhIodF6HRswrQ0nD_tMRCaAHpkPUG9x518QdgD0ZCn4zncejdgtKJi8tFtXOr1LSF7pWJgv5wM30p1n7vUfionxaSFOb_Kfe1gU9oT4g/w200-h150/not%20beer.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>I also have one <a href="https://www.brewdrkombucha.com/raw-organic-kombucha/superberry/">Brew Dr Superberry Kombucha</a> if anyone's interested. It's non alcoholic and good on it's own but it's also pretty good with a shot of vodka.<br /><p></p>Lynn C Dothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05096334642266196000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014944644586431050.post-35818028632315923352022-08-04T10:36:00.001-07:002022-08-04T10:36:13.111-07:00National IPA Day<p>I dreamt of drinking an IPA at Eppig Brewing. Don't know where that came from except today is <a href="https://nationaltoday.com/national-ipa-day-india-pale-ale-beer/#:~:text=National%20IPA%20Day%20honors%20the,it%20falls%20on%20August%204.">National IPA Day</a> according to whoever makes up these things. Tomorrow is <a href="https://nationaltoday.com/international-beer-day/">International Beer Day</a>. </p><p>I guess the only logical thing to do at this point is to head to San Diego, grab a chair in the sun, and have one of these:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitF4zYAo0V-MMQAJQzoYoPuzKRQC8ALuJvR6cSP47s_kaTUSTgvzVwlfMGcTke28vcD99KkyZflrw3GSVaLKofo-eLtBB0ct6I6hZnFnH6Nb4Lostyp9DdSRkJ7tdmqGTpBWVsqAg3ELVE1lIozBFVFZFZJIWUb_P2dfqkcQfjpG8DgdZkwbDPBig7kA/s4032/IMG_1458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitF4zYAo0V-MMQAJQzoYoPuzKRQC8ALuJvR6cSP47s_kaTUSTgvzVwlfMGcTke28vcD99KkyZflrw3GSVaLKofo-eLtBB0ct6I6hZnFnH6Nb4Lostyp9DdSRkJ7tdmqGTpBWVsqAg3ELVE1lIozBFVFZFZJIWUb_P2dfqkcQfjpG8DgdZkwbDPBig7kA/s320/IMG_1458.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p>Hope to see you there!</p>Lynn C Dothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05096334642266196000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014944644586431050.post-25901174927776771372022-07-20T08:32:00.002-07:002022-07-20T08:32:29.343-07:00How much is a buttload of beer?<p>According to <a href="https://www.geeksaresexy.net/2020/08/26/did-you-know-a-buttload-is-a-real-unit-of-measurement/">Geeks Are Sexy</a>, a buttload is an actual unit of volume, usually of wine or beer, equal to half an tun. </p><p>A tun is a large beer or wine cask equal to four hogsheads.</p><p>A hogshead is 64 gallons.</p><p>Which makes a buttload of beer equal to 128 gallons. </p><p><br /></p><p>You might say it was a shit ton.</p>Lynn C Dothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05096334642266196000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014944644586431050.post-54547128889059905302022-04-24T15:17:00.000-07:002022-04-24T15:18:51.032-07:00Coffee Here<p>There are more coffee joints than breweries in the Coachella Valley and<a href="https://www.palmspringslife.com"> Palm Springs Life</a> has reviewed some of its local purveyors in <a href="https://www.palmspringslife.com/coffee-palm-springs/">The Joy of Coffee</a>. </p><p>I was surprised when I read that the beans used at Ernest Coffee were from a roaster in Oregon. Cafe La Jefe's beans come from Colorado. But most of our local cafes get their beans from local roasters.</p><p>I created the following list using the information from the Palm Springs Life article to keep track of where these places are. You know, just in case I'm out and about and a need a coffee. (I have personally sampled the places noted in <span style="color: red;">red</span>.)</p><google-sheets-html-origin><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" dir="ltr" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; table-layout: fixed; width: 0px;" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><colgroup><col width="130"></col><col width="180"></col><col width="180"></col><col width="100"></col><col width="176"></col></colgroup><tbody><tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Local Coffee Joint"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-weight: bold; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Local Coffee Joint</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Location"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-weight: bold; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Location</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Roaster"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-weight: bold; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Roaster</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Try"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-weight: bold; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Try</td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-hyperlink="https://flanneryexchange.com/cafe-la-jefa/" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Cafe La Jefe"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); color: #1155cc; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: bottom;"><a class="in-cell-link" href="https://flanneryexchange.com/cafe-la-jefa/" target="_blank">Cafe La Jefe</a></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Palm Springs"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Palm Springs</td><td data-sheets-hyperlink="https://www.sisterscoffee.com/" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Sisters Coffee Company"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); color: #1155cc; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: bottom;"><a class="in-cell-link" href="https://www.sisterscoffee.com/" target="_blank">Sisters Coffee Company</a></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"CO"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">CO</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"café de olla"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">café de olla</td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-hyperlink="https://sixthstreetcoffee.com/" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Sixth Street Coffee"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: bottom;"><a class="in-cell-link" href="https://sixthstreetcoffee.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Sixth Street Coffee</span></a></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Coachella"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Coachella</td><td data-sheets-hyperlink="https://www.arcadecoffeeroasters.com/" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Arcade Coffee Roasters"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); color: #1155cc; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: bottom;"><a class="in-cell-link" href="https://www.arcadecoffeeroasters.com/" target="_blank">Arcade Coffee Roasters</a></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"CA"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">CA</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"horchata latte"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">horchata latte</td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-hyperlink="https://www.facebook.com/BluebirddaysPS/" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Bluebird Day"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); color: #1155cc; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: bottom;"><a class="in-cell-link" href="https://www.facebook.com/BluebirddaysPS/" target="_blank">Bluebird Day</a></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Palm Springs"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Palm Springs</td><td data-sheets-hyperlink="https://jtcoffee.com/" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Joshua Tree Coffee Company"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); color: #1155cc; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: bottom;"><a class="in-cell-link" href="https://jtcoffee.com/" target="_blank">Joshua Tree Coffee Company</a></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"CA"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">CA</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"chai affogato, cold brew"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">chai affogato, cold brew</td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-hyperlink="https://www.ernestcoffee.com/" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Ernest Coffee"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); color: #1155cc; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: bottom;"><a class="in-cell-link" href="https://www.ernestcoffee.com/" target="_blank">Ernest Coffee</a></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Palm Springs"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Palm Springs</td><td data-sheets-hyperlink="https://www.stumptowncoffee.com/" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Stumptown"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); color: #1155cc; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: bottom;"><a class="in-cell-link" href="https://www.stumptowncoffee.com/" target="_blank">Stumptown</a></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"OR"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">OR</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"pistachio-rose latte, espresso"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">pistachio-rose latte, espresso</td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-hyperlink="https://www.everbloom.coffee/" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Everbloom Coffee"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: bottom;"><a class="in-cell-link" href="https://www.everbloom.coffee/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Everbloom Coffee</span></a></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Indio"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Indio</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"butterscotch iced latte"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">butterscotch iced latte</td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-hyperlink="https://kofficoffee.com/?v=7516fd43adaa" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Koffi"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: bottom;"><a class="in-cell-link" href="https://kofficoffee.com/?v=7516fd43adaa" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Koffi</span></a></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"house roasted"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">house roasted</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"CA"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">CA</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"location TBD"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">location TBD</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Palm Desert"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Palm Desert</td><td data-sheets-hyperlink="https://www.818coffee.com/" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"818 Coffee"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); color: #1155cc; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: bottom;"><a class="in-cell-link" href="https://www.818coffee.com/" target="_blank">818 Coffee</a></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"CA"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">CA</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"distribution only"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><br /></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Palm Springs"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-hyperlink="https://coachellavalleycoffee.com/" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Coachella Valley Coffe"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); color: #1155cc; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"CA"}" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr></tbody></table><div><google-sheets-html-origin><br /></google-sheets-html-origin></div>There are other notable coffee places about town that were not included in the Palm Springs Life article:</google-sheets-html-origin><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://cartelroasting.co">Cartel Roasting Co</a> has multiple locations in AZ and one in Palm Springs.</li><li><a href="https://coachellavalleycoffee.com"><span style="color: red;">Coachella Valley Coffee</span></a> in Palm Springs supplies the coffee for <a href="https://www.facebook.com/105585197993566/posts/the-psp-coffee-house-featuring-coffee-sourced-from-coachella-valley-coffee-and-t/140232457862173/">PSP Coffee House</a> at the Palm Spring Airport and where I personally get my own supply of coffee. </li><li><a href="https://www.idyllwildcoffeeroasters.com">Idyllwild Coffee Roasters</a> is a short drive away in Idyllwild.</li><li><google-sheets-html-origin><span style="color: red;">IW Coffee</span> in Indian Wells also brews coffee from </google-sheets-html-origin><a href="https://jtcoffee.com">Joshua Tree Coffee</a>.</li></ul></div><div><google-sheets-html-origin>According to the <a href="https://www.desertsun.com">Desert Sun</a>, we will soon have a new coffee roaster (and tap house!) in downtown Coachella at <a href="https://www.desertsun.com/story/money/business/tourism/2022/01/27/coachella-general-bring-locally-roasted-coffee-city/9236067002/">Coachella General</a>. </google-sheets-html-origin></div><div><google-sheets-html-origin><br /></google-sheets-html-origin></div><div><google-sheets-html-origin>Coffee and beer at the same location? We could not be more pleased.</google-sheets-html-origin></div><div><google-sheets-html-origin><br /></google-sheets-html-origin></div><div><google-sheets-html-origin>Take note the next time you're vacationing in the desert: There's plenty of local coffee houses to try. And, while the local beers here are very good, there aren't nearly enough breweries. </google-sheets-html-origin></div><div><google-sheets-html-origin><br /></google-sheets-html-origin></div><div><google-sheets-html-origin>Cheers!</google-sheets-html-origin></div>Lynn C Dothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05096334642266196000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014944644586431050.post-4775779504962854942022-04-07T08:46:00.006-07:002022-04-07T08:46:56.052-07:00Today<p> ... is National Beer Day.</p><blockquote><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Cullen–Harrison Act</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">, named for its sponsors, Senator </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Harrison" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0645ad; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Pat Harrison">Pat Harrison</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> and Representative </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_H._Cullen" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0645ad; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Thomas H. Cullen">Thomas H. Cullen</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">, enacted by the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congress" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0645ad; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-line: none;" title="United States Congress">United States Congress</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> on March 21, 1933, and signed by President </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_D._Roosevelt" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0645ad; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Franklin D. Roosevelt">Franklin D. Roosevelt</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> the following day, legalized the sale in the United States of beer with an </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_content" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0645ad; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Alcohol content">alcohol content</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> of </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-alcohol_beer" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0645ad; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Low-alcohol beer">3.2%</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> (by weight) and wine of similarly low alcohol content, thought to be too low to be intoxicating, effective April 7, 1933. Upon signing the legislation, Roosevelt made his famous remark, "I think this would be a good time for a beer."</span></p></blockquote><p><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cullen%E2%80%93Harrison_Act">Wikipedia</a></p><p>Too bad it's not Friday. </p><p>Oh, well. Thursday's close enough for me.</p>Lynn C Dothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05096334642266196000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014944644586431050.post-57202373554122057232022-02-01T08:42:00.001-08:002022-02-01T08:42:24.960-08:00Beer Can Appreciation Day<p> ... was last week - which was last month - and I saw no love for the beer can. Was no one paying attention?</p><p>January 24 was also National Compliment Day and National Peanut Butter Day. So while we're several days late, it's time to compliment the maker of your favorite peanut butter beer on their can.</p><p>Great job, <a href="https://belchingbeaver.com/#">Belching Beaver</a>, on making the beer can that contains your <a href="https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30923/97563/">Peanut Butter Milk Stout</a>. Without it we'd have - well, quite a mess. And while it's the <i>only</i> peanut butter flavored stout I've ever tried, I have to imagine it's the best.</p><p>So, thanks. I appreciate you.</p>Lynn C Dothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05096334642266196000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014944644586431050.post-64042875241607171602021-12-13T18:51:00.000-08:002021-12-13T18:51:19.607-08:00To meeting the neighbors<p> <b><span style="font-size: medium;">I</span></b> had my first <a href="https://untappd.com/b/belching-beaver-brewery-peanut-butter-milk-stout/638512">Peanut Butter Milk Stout</a> from <a href="https://belchingbeaver.com">Belching Beaver Brewery</a>. "First" implies there will be a "next." I want to be clear here: There absolutely will be a "next."</p><p>In the past, I've actively avoided this beer. There seemed no justification, in my mind, to drink (much less make) a beer that tasted like peanut butter. For that matter, I didn't (and still don't) see the point of beer that tastes like maple syrup or bacon (or both). Or marshmallows. </p><p>I like coffee beers but, like my coffee, I like it plain. No sweeteners. No milk. So, a Milk Stout will make me pause. I like chocolate but sometimes that connotes sweetness and I am not a sweet girl. I'm a grown-ass, straightforward woman. And, peanut butter is for kids. In a nutshell, as it were, there was nothing about this beer that sparked my interest.</p><p>Until, the host of a small gathering offered me one. I could have said no but I was intrigued. Without it being said, I took it as a dare. <i>Try this if you will.</i> </p><p>It was served in a Stella Artois glass chalice. Cold, dark brown, and foamy. I was delighted from my first sip. </p><p>The thing I was most afraid of - the flavor of peanut butter in my beer - was subtle. Rather than the feature flavor, as the beer's name might imply, it supported the roasted flavors of a coffee and dark chocolate stout like a backup singer.</p><p>I continued to sip it slowly as if it might be a high-alcohol beer but it's not. The ABV on this <a href="https://belchingbeaver.com/oceanside-belching-beaver-landing-beer">award winning</a> beer is only 5.3%. Our host worried that I might be sipping a little too slowly, saying he didn't think I would like the beer as it warmed up. I disagreed although I did notice the peanut butter flavor more but not in an overwhelming way. It was very much like the experience of eating a Reese's dark chocolate peanut butter cup. It's a delicious and comfortable combination of flavor.</p><p>As a parting gift, our host presented me with a <a href="https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/31987/451243/">Black House - Vanilla Latte Edition</a> - from <a href="http://www.moderntimesbeer.com">Modern Times Beer</a> and I have to say, that was amazing as well. Not something I would pick but after tasting it, I think this neighbor and I are going to get along quite well.</p>Lynn C Dothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05096334642266196000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014944644586431050.post-85964116149999703842021-04-02T07:58:00.004-07:002021-04-02T07:58:53.932-07:00Scented candles that smell like your favorite dive bar.<p>Miller Lite created three bar-scented candles: Dive Bar, Game Day Bar, and Beer Garden. </p><blockquote>Dive Bar is described as offering a mix of musk, tobacco, pine, and yeast aromas. "Dive Bar evokes the joy we find in the most unexpected places," its label reads. "As you take a whiff, you can hear the musings of the 'Watering Hole Sage' who has delivered wisdom from the same stool for decades."</blockquote><blockquote><p><a href="https://www.travelandleisure.com/food-drink/beer/miller-lite-bar-smells-scented-candles">Travel+Leisure | This Beer Company Dropped a Line of Candles That Small Like Your Favorite Bars </a></p></blockquote><p>They sold out in 24 hours.</p>Lynn C Dothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05096334642266196000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014944644586431050.post-24147580119274659932020-05-13T17:44:00.000-07:002020-05-13T17:44:07.963-07:00Has anyone noticed it's Craft Beer Week?Sadly, breweries are closed across the country or open only for take out of food or beverage. Some are offering delivery. <a href="http://craftbeer.com/">CraftBeer.com</a> is offering a <a href="https://www.craftbeer.com/craft-beer-muses/craftbeer-com-launches-nationwide-list-of-to-go-beer-from-breweries#state-select">nationwide list of to-go beer options</a> so you can get your favorite suds. You may find, as I did, that this list is incomplete. Check with your favorite local brewery if you don't see them listed, order some beer. Fetch it or get it delivered. This, should be considered essential travel.<br />
<br />
While <a href="http://www.washingtonbeerblog.com/washingtons-brewery-taprooms-set-sights-on-june-1st-reopening">Washington breweries are hoping to open by June 1</a>, according to Washington Beer Blog, MyNorthwest predicts <a href="https://mynorthwest.com/1839951/wa-lose-half-breweries-stay-at-home-orders-summer/?show=comments#comments">we could see as many as half close if stay-at-home orders continue beyond that</a>. This would be tragic not only for beer drinkers but also for the economy, particularly of Washington State, as they are "<a href="https://www.thenewstribune.com/entertainment/restaurants/tnt-diner/article241482901.html">an important role in manufacturing, agriculture and the food supply chain</a>." <a href="https://www.thenewstribune.com/">The News Tribune</a> explains that Washington breweries, for example, not only have an economic impact of $1.4 billion, they employ 6,300 people and support agriculture by buying hops (of which 75% of the US supply is grown in Washington) as well as by feeding livestock with spent grain which is a byproduct of the brewing process. Breweries also buy barley, supporting the agriculture in western states such as Idaho, Montana, and North Dakota.<br />
<br />
Clearly, <i>all </i>breweries deserve our support.<br />
<br />
Coincidentally, this weeks is also Double Stars Week at Starbucks. That means you earn double the stars (or points) towards free food and beverages if you have a registered Starbucks card. While I've wondered which habits will be broken and which will be reestablished after businesses reopen, it appears the coffee addiction is well intact. I've witnessed long lines of cars snaking around Starbucks locations with drive-through lanes as Starbucks stores are reopening for drive through and take-out coffee.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, alcohol sales have increased during this pandemic so while we may lose some brewery locations (like the well-established <a href="http://www.washingtonbeerblog.com/pyramid-brewing-announces-permanent-closure-of-the-seattle-alehouse-and-brewery/">Pyramid Alehouse in Seattle</a>), I predict they won't be gone for long. The craft beer community is resilient. And, we are thirsty.<br />
<br />
So, celebrate Craft Beer this week in support of your local craft brewer. They want to know you're out there and that they're appreciated. And, we want them to keep brewing the craft beer we've come to love.<br />
<br />
Cheers.Lynn C Dothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05096334642266196000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014944644586431050.post-41273129985162669002019-08-19T08:08:00.002-07:002019-08-19T08:08:42.604-07:00Tacoma Trek by Track<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">8/9 (Fri)</span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-32702592-7fff-4987-e7b5-f71ac5200c9b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Took an early evening Amtrak to Tacoma last week. It was a nice, comfortable ride on the <a href="https://www.amtrak.com/routes/coast-starlight-train.html">Coast Starlight</a>, one of their nicer trains - roomy, clean, quiet.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Grabbed a taxi to </span><a href="http://www.hotelmuranotacoma.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjw1rnqBRAAEiwAr29II8IlbJcJD6n_SeXIIt513DKVZlcdgABYQp6-SlXDIhKwpUQjAcpEFhoCqcAQAvD_BwE" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hotel Morano</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, checked in, and then met our fellow beer hunters at </span><a href="https://matadorrestaurants.com/locations/tacoma" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Matador</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> for dinner. From there, we went to </span><a href="https://www.mcmenamins.com/elks-temple" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Elks Temple</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (McMenamins’ newest location) which features six bars plus live music in the ballroom. We stayed there until - was it midnight? It was late. We were tired. That was all she wrote that night.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/E9PqYDVUWVqqVRvK0Yn7Mf659CpwOMWIrmpuVpEg4pA4wmHOUGZyz8M9MQQOjJrP81qjfa_ChISwxh3jutFPXWrAukCoq5jxSoEUfWtYj8wXpDoTkCd2xCBe40RXY0niH4vPndq7" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/E9PqYDVUWVqqVRvK0Yn7Mf659CpwOMWIrmpuVpEg4pA4wmHOUGZyz8M9MQQOjJrP81qjfa_ChISwxh3jutFPXWrAukCoq5jxSoEUfWtYj8wXpDoTkCd2xCBe40RXY0niH4vPndq7" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="179" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">8/10 (Sat)</span></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lazed about the hotel until nearly noon when we finally ventured to meet up with our fellow beer hunters at Tacoma's beer and musical festival: <a href="https://thesubtimes.com/2019/07/08/kick-off-tacoma-beer-week-with-brew-five-three-tacomas-beer-music-festival/">Brew Five Three</a>. It was a well attended event with plenty to sample. Although the feature was beer, the longest lines could be found at the booth for <a href="https://www.pearupcider.com/">Pear Up Cider</a>. Our merry band of beer hunters, meanwhile, split our votes between <a href="https://e9brewingco.com/">E9 Brewing Company</a> and <a href="https://www.rainydazebrewing.com/">Rainy Daze Brewing</a> for best brews.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Afterwards, we sampled the offerings at </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.dystopianstate.com/" style="text-decoration: none;">Dystopian State Brewing</a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> while </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666984558105px; white-space: pre-wrap;">playing a few rounds of cornhole </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> From there we took the free </span><a href="https://www.traveltacoma.com/plan/link-light-rail/#" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Link Light Rail</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to <a href="https://www.harmonbrewingco.com/">Harmon Brewing</a> for something to eat. We were starving and gorged ourselves. It was only 7:30 but we were all tired so we called it a night. </span></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This old lady was asleep before 9pm.</span></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">8/11 (Sun)</span></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today was beer hunting day. We met our fellow beer hunters at the marina where they were staying on their boat. (It's a good life.) They were supposed to sail to Bremerton today but decided to stay another night when they found out the weather was rainy there. Together, we all piled into an Uber and started our afternoon at </span><a href="https://e9brewingco.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">E9 Brewing Company</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. The ladies enjoyed the Petite Belle Grisette - light and refreshing. The men enjoyed The Bearer Porter and the Tacoma Week Pale Ale, the latter brewed specifically for yesterday's beer fest and <a href="http://www.tacomabeerweek.com/">Tacoma Beer Week</a>. We were all delighted with our choices, as well as the patio where there were some good tunes playing and outdoor games (including a </span><a href="https://images.app.goo.gl/RiXaJ7QyjzxNjssi7" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5-3-1 version of cornhole</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">).</span></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 468px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="468" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/dC7IXtSF4BvkvFBQI_v1POEnXh3k8d4c_CzdHh4japZdD4qW9GXP9FspyYuxfOBdph24AAOvlweaUh3RERKwpjVj1rjKSe8Ox5QZDyc-y2rT9GYdpo-QTPFAwpho9ZsUBp53GAGh" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">From there, we walked to </span><a href="https://www.blackfleetbrewing.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Black Fleet Brewing</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Hubby had the Freebooter's Dunkel Weissbier while I had the Marris Otter S.M.a.S.H. I also tried the Der Haifisch Gose which I found to be outstanding. We snacked on nachos and fried cauliflower for sustenance.</span></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our next stop was </span><a href="http://www.7seasbrewing.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7 Seas Brewing</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Hubby had the Pilsner and I had the Manifesto Collaboration Coffee Porter, dark and dry. There, we played on the longest shuffleboard table I’d ever seen! </span></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 437px; overflow: hidden; width: 328px;"><img height="437" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Ii6QmiP6TLariyAHfjlyFbUklfcISE6mhaptjZBO-_J6OJ5LlSXhISZ3A17fk2i8a0Dp8GS36QN5BGs_cVDRSYNmjZX3zpAlMgC_DeOFQXjBBCyFdEJIhBbjZFHg0YFk5HjYrogQ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="328" /></span></span></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our last stop of the day was </span><a href="https://www.dunaganbrewing.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dunagan Brewing</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. We were greeted by a woman in a hotdog costume and while she had worn it to meet someone for a joke, she never thought to take it off when the person she was going to meet didn’t show. She certainly contributed to a festive and friendly atmosphere. We all had the Oyster Stout and played a few rounds of Uno. Hotdog Woman helped us with recommendations for dinner before we left. (On foot, we ended up at </span><a href="http://www.fishpeddler-tacoma.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Fish Peddler</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> on the Waterway for dinner.)</span></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our favorite experience for the day was E9 (the beers were good and the atmosphere was fun) while Dunagan took the prize for best surprise of the day (Hotdog Woman notwithstanding). Dunagan Brewing is in a small, unassuming location on Commerce Street right on the Light Link Rail line. It’s easy to get to but from the outside, it just looks like a dark pub near a train stop. But, inside, they delivered beer done well. Well done!</span></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 468px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="468" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/DAXAJ_oyu1Tfyaq2lUv72QjAgwmILcrdWeJdcKlnHZGB0Ev135GezuTXZTQT4dl99TqSAfzrLE22F_ghS5W0ceLJH-666KjA5cWtMGkULHGiDc7Yz7MJIUishn_VzcNB3sEEMsJJ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fellow beer hunters at E9</span></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">8/12 (Mon)</span></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/c9da_e1BJ__Q_i98cVr4_rh5WqQjDHmXiUUWQY6zBt1I8aT030N6HdeVsLeEPteOQeEpV9cxS0zLXCwLMo7bcnlmG6LLTecy38OUsw_HjlkiaTviZfmIzVzEiG4rY_FSTbGCWQvb" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/c9da_e1BJ__Q_i98cVr4_rh5WqQjDHmXiUUWQY6zBt1I8aT030N6HdeVsLeEPteOQeEpV9cxS0zLXCwLMo7bcnlmG6LLTecy38OUsw_HjlkiaTviZfmIzVzEiG4rY_FSTbGCWQvb" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="301" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We made it to the dock just as our fellow beer hunters were sailing away. We got some pictures of their boat on what appeared to be a perfect day for a boat cruise.</span></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hubby and I had all day to ourselves and started it out at </span><a href="https://www.americascarmuseum.org/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">America’s Car Museum</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. It hosts an amazing collection and an enthusiast could easily spend an entire day there. </span></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By the time we were done there, we were tired and hungry. We caught the Light Link Rail at the Tacoma Dome and rode to the other end of the line, hoofing a few more blocks to McMenamins. There, we had lunch and then hunted the property for passport stamps. It’s a huge property - bigger than you would believe from the outside - and beautifully renovated.</span></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Aiming to get more WABL passport stamps, we next went to </span><a href="http://pacificbrewingandmalting.com/#beer" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pacific Brewing and Malting</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> where we shared a Summer Wheatley - subtle and refreshing. Odd Otter was next where I sipped a Ottermelon Hefeweizen on their streetside patio. There, we spotted an emergency delivery of this:</span></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 469px; overflow: hidden; width: 352px;"><img height="469" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Fu2YR3Br1hTpzWmL9wN1iSRKxCY3a06GfCrwzj-VQgdqMdf3UHkhSBCWaPyfF9PYvKLIV6jjo5RFUeX7c0imRBo3zEVwbXN5Yx7LgolubyZYRKm5P_OyTwlQ6TAN6USHphhQVdJZ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="352" /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://lynndairy.com/pages/lynn-proteins" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lynn Proteins, Inc.</span></a></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lactose is an unfermentable sugar that lends sweetness and body to beer. (Read more about lactose in beer </span><a href="https://www.craftbeerjoe.com/craft-beer-talk/lactose-in-craft-beer/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">here</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.) I don't know what the brewer plans to make with this but I can guarantee it will be odd in the best possible way. (My name is Lynn and I approve this lactose.)</span></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">From there, we caught the Light Link Rail back to our hotel to retrieve our luggage and continued back to the Tacoma Dome where we grabbed a late afternoon snack at </span><a href="https://www.sluggobrewingtapandkitchen.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sluggo Brewing Tap & Kitchen</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. While they have brewed small batches of beer in the past (currently seeking new space for production), Sluggo now features a Mediterranean food menu and an ample selection of guest taps. Our Lamb Kabob was delicious. Sluggo an easy stop if you’re on your way to the Car Museum, Tacoma Dome, or transit center.</span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Before boarding our Amtrak back home, we had just enough time for a quick taste at </span><a href="https://wingmanbrewers.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wingman Brewers</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Parking can be hard to find for this brewery but we were on foot. If you’re driving, it’s worth finding a parking spot. Wingman makes unique and well made beers in their small space across the street from the Greyhound Bus Station.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We took a relaxing and enjoyable evening train home, satisfied with our trek of beer hunting with the best of friends. It was time to go home, get rested, and get some work done. But not for long. . . . By Friday, we were beer hunting again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(Stay tuned.)</span>Lynn C Dothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05096334642266196000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014944644586431050.post-18895007359188564842019-06-21T06:37:00.000-07:002019-06-21T06:37:24.017-07:00Good News in the DesertI don't know how many years I've been visiting Palm Desert but in the years since I've discovered craft beer, there have been woefully few craft breweries there - only three: <a href="https://babesbbqbrewery.com/">Babe's Bar-B-Que and Brewery</a>, <a href="https://cvbco.com/">Coachella Valley Brewing Co.</a>, and <a href="https://www.laquintabrewing.com/">La Quinta Brewing Co</a>. The good news was that all three breweries turned out award winning beers - nothing to complain about there. In a way, it was a comfortable contrast to the the ever-shifting landscape of the craft brewing scene in larger markets.<br />
<br />
Well, things are shifting in Palm Desert.<br />
<br />
On a recent visit, I utilized a map app and searched for "brewery." I didn't expect to see anything new but you never know. Every once in a while, the map app finds a brewery that's not in my <a href="http://brewerypassportapp.com/">Brewery Passport</a> app which is my go-to app for finding local breweries. Although, it's been a while since anything new has popped up in Palm Desert.<br />
<br />
On this occasion, I was directed to a brewery I'd yet to discover: St. Arnulf Brewing located in <a href="http://www.boucheecafeanddeli.com/">Boucheé Café & Deli</a> near the west end of El Paseo. A home brewer of several years, Boucheé owner Tim DeGross moved his brewing operation to the restaurant only months ago. We are glad to see craft brewing expanding in Palm Desert and look forward to seeing more from St. Arnulf in the future.<br />
<br />
After sampling beers from St. Arnulf, we found ourselves running errands in La Quinta. As we traveled along Hwy 111 towards Costco, we looked up to see a sign that read, "Pizza Brewery." We maneuvered through several lanes of traffic and changed course. Could there be <i>two</i> new breweries in the Palm Desert area?<br />
<br />
The "Pizza Brewery" sign belonged to newly opened <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TuscanosBrewQuinta/">Tuscano's BrewQuinta</a> a collaboration between Yucaipa's <a href="http://www.tuscanosinyucaipa.com/">Tuscano's Pizza & Pasta</a> and <a href="http://www.brewcaipa.com/">Brewcaipa Brewing Company</a>. Opened earlier this year, they are still waiting for permits to begin brewing onsite. In the meantime, they are serving brews from Brewcaipa.<br />
<br />
Imagine my good fortune, to find two new breweries! This was on the heels of <a href="https://cvbeerscene.com/la-quinta-brewing-new-location-palm-desert-2020/">a recent article I read in Coachella Valley Beer Scene, by Andrew Smith</a>, announcing La Quinta Brewing would be expanding to a larger location near I-10 & Cook Street in Palm Desert. But there's more: La Quinta Brewing opened a Palm Springs location <i>last year! </i>How could I have missed this? I was just there two months ago! Obviously, I must go back.<br />
<br />
But then I came across this - <a href="https://cvbeerscene.com/desert-beer-company-palm-desert-almost-open/">another article from Andrew Smith of Coachella Valley Beer Scene</a>, published just days ago - announcing the opening of <i>another</i> craft brewery in Palm Desert: <a href="https://www.desertbeercompany.com/?fbclid=IwAR1gzxzkv08mr7rSxKiTpdW4jmo7S6jICQZN604ynDF62lmwASxqIsFsDpM">Desert Beer Company</a>. This one will be near the corner of Country Club and Washington, very near <a href="https://www.alpsvillage.com/">Alps Village</a> where I had lunch just a few days ago!<br />
<br />
This is getting to be too much - new breweries popping up everywhere I go!<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
A) I can't wait to get back to try them all.<br />
B) Am I following Palm Desert breweries or are they following me?</blockquote>
Lynn C Dothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05096334642266196000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014944644586431050.post-81970678054463729042019-05-29T08:34:00.002-07:002019-05-29T08:34:59.852-07:00Old (Style) Beer<h3>
Someone made beer using a 5000-year-old Egyptian yeast</h3>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
" The yeast was plucked from pottery used to produce beer in ancient times, extracted from the nanopores of the clay and converted into an alcoholic drink with the help of microbiologists, archaeologists, and winery experts. The end result is ostensibly beer that would've been similar to those drunk at the time of the Pharaohs. "</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Read more at <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/someone-made-beer-using-a-5000-year-old-egyptian-yeast-2019-5">Business Insider | Someone made beer using a 5000-year-old Egyptian yeast</a></blockquote>
Lynn C Dothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05096334642266196000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014944644586431050.post-79080739646843725542019-03-21T10:34:00.000-07:002019-03-21T10:34:39.031-07:00Time OutI know it's been a while, believe me, but I needed to take a break. Doctors' orders. A medical issue required my abstinence from alcohol so, heeding their advice, I stopped drinking beer (all alcohol) on February 26.<br />
<br />
Sobriety has its advantages. For some, it means weight loss but not so much for me - about 3 pounds. I haven't really noticed a difference in my sleep pattern either except I am tired and go to bed a little earlier. The biggest change for me has been my blood pressure which has been slowly creeping up in the last year but is now much closer to what doctors consider normal. That, and I'm more motivated to do things in the evening that I might otherwise do only during the day. Not drinking is also cheaper whether I'm dining out or at home and cuts down on my Uber bill.<br />
<br />
My social life hasn't changed much. I have good friends that don't care whether I'm drinking or not; while generally featured, alcohol is not a condition of our getting together to enjoy each other's company. We still have fun.<br />
<br />
This isn't to say I've lost all interest in beer. I still read about it, still follow beer happenings on Twitter. On the one hand, I'm looking forward to my first drink and wonder what it will be. I think it should be something special, memorable, celebratory. Like, hiking to a beautiful place with a beautiful view of the Columbia River with snow-covered mountains in the distance, sun shining on my face. Hearing the fizz as the seal is broken on a can of craft beer goodness, taking in the aroma of esters and hops, letting the bubbles dance on my tongue, letting that first sip linger allowing my whole mouth a taste before swallowing. Then waiting. Waiting for all the flavors to gently reveal themselves to me, subtly layered, one after the next.<br />
<br />
That's a good as it gets. That moment. I don't even need the rest of the can. Just that first glorious taste. That will be something.<br />
<br />
The <i>other</i> hand is to stop drinking altogether. I've considered it as I've never considered it before. Partly, for overall health reasons. But also, because I'm already <i>here</i>. It's not as though getting here was hard so much as every day is easier. Everyone's journey is different. If you're considering sobriety and it <i>is</i> hard for you, don't be afraid to get <a href="https://www.aa.org/">help</a>. Alcoholism (any addiction) is a serious matter. Sobriety can be a terrifying idea, even as one desires it. Also, no judgement. If you need help, get it. No one will judge you the worse for admitting you need it. Rather, the opposite; getting help is a good thing. A very good thing.<br />
<br />
For me, this journey is more about getting through this medical thing. The alcohol thing was an enlightening side trip. It's all good and it'll all be behind me soon. It's all been quite extraordinary.Lynn C Dothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05096334642266196000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014944644586431050.post-83558646843396772002019-02-17T16:53:00.000-08:002019-02-17T16:53:14.962-08:00PenisSitting in <a href="https://www.brasstapbeerbar.com/mesa">Brass Tap</a>, I heard the bartender call out to play music. The trivia contest had just ended and the music that went with it left, along with a good number of patrons, leaving a vacuum. Like an empty noise bubble.<br />
<br />
"Turn on the music," she shouted to the other bartender. Then, I heard, "Beat It." I thought she wanted to hear some Michael Jackson. Then, I heard a chant rising up from the remaining few in the bar, getting louder and louder. "Beat It!"<br />
<br />
But, wait. Were they saying "Phoenix"? Yes, that must be it.<br />
<br />
After a while, the chanting stopped and the bartender came to check on us. Meanwhile, the music started to play and not only was it <i>not</i> Michael Jackson, I couldn't figure out what the song had to do to Phoenix. "What was everyone chanting?" I asked her.<br />
<br />
"Penis. Don't you know that game?"<br />
<br />
Well ... no.<br />
<br />
"Remember how embarrassing that was to say in middle school, penis? Now it's just funny. One person says 'penis' and then the next guy has to say 'penis' only louder. On it goes so that the last guy is shouting it. Penis!"<br />
<br />
Sounds more like middle school to me but whatever.<br />
<br />
There were no more chants of "penis" before we left which was fine by me. As we neared the door, I called out to the bartender, "Thank you!" but she didn't hear me.<br />
<br />
So I said, "penis" and before the door closed behind me I heard her shout, "Penis!" I guess she heard that.<br />
<br />
Penises aside, it was a fun joint. Lots of taps to choose from and if you're in the Mesa area on the 25th, Northwest Brewing will be there from the Pacific Northwest with some of their brews. Northwest Brewing has undergone a bit of a revamp lately so their <a href="https://www.nwbrewingcompany.com/">website</a> doesn't have a lot of information but you can find them on Facebook or on <a href="https://untappd.com/">Untappd</a>.<br />
<br />
Also, it's trivia night.<br />
<br />
Also, penis.Lynn C Dothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05096334642266196000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014944644586431050.post-86780420441439132542019-02-14T18:38:00.000-08:002019-02-14T18:38:31.126-08:00Catching UpAlmost every traveler I know drinks when they travel (but I'm a drinker so it's equally possible that I only know other drinkers). It's not a requirement, drinking in airports, although it will certainly kill the time between passing through TSA and the jetway. Fortunately for us, <a href="https://www.wweek.com/culture/2019/02/12/portland-international-airport-is-beervana/">Portland International Airport is Beervana - Willamette Week</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Nearly every corner of the H-shaped concourse hosts some member of the state's thriving beer industry."</blockquote>
If you want to appear responsible, don't book your air travel for before noon. (At least.)<br />
<br />
The hottest topic, however, in the local news of late seems to be <a href="https://www.kgw.com/article/money/business/bridgeport-brewing-a-onetime-portland-ale-mainstay-to-close/283-e243b1d7-9698-438b-9511-2832d9d0b9cc">BridgePort Brewing, a onetime Portland ale mainstay, to close - KGW8</a> :<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"In 2013, BridgePort was Oregon's fifth-largest brewery based on barrels produced."</blockquote>
If you're planning on heading over for one last pint, do it soon. They close their doors on March 10.<br />
<br />
In California, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/food/la-fo-anchor-brewing-union-20190213-story.html">'America's first craft brewery' attempts to unionize - Los Angeles Times</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Although many of the country’s largest breweries are unionized — workers in the American facilities of Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors are represented by the Teamsters or United Auto Workers, for example — unions are practically nonexistent among smaller, independent and craft operations."</blockquote>
Is it ironic that United Auto Workers represent beer producers?<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, a looming federal shutdown has implications for the local beer scene with <a href="http://olive.columbian.com/Olive/ODN/Columbian/TranslateArticle.aspx?doc=TCL%2F2019%2F02%2F14&entity=ar00101&ts=20190214115001&uq=20190212121352">Federal workers on shutdown watch - The Columbian</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Bryan Shull, co-founder of Vancouver’s Trap Door Brewing, told The Columbian on the one-month anniversary of the shutdown that he was struggling to obtain federal approval for new beer can labels. Although the government has reopened, at least temporarily, the backlog is still so bad that the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau functionally feels closed to craft brewers trying to get their packaging OK’d. . . .</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"In order to cross state lines, beer labels need to be approved by the federal agency."</blockquote>
This brings us back to travel. Remember, not only is it illegal to cross state lines with marijuana, it could also be illegal to cross state lines with certain beer cans.Lynn C Dothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05096334642266196000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014944644586431050.post-12731451322097340372019-02-02T11:16:00.003-08:002019-02-02T11:16:47.341-08:00Overthinking It<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dHHt_VBefeQ" width="560"></iframe>Lynn C Dothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05096334642266196000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014944644586431050.post-44627776177577506132019-01-20T11:17:00.001-08:002019-01-30T19:05:41.140-08:00The Tax System, Explained in Beer!<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BomQxCG5VG4" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
[Submitted by a reader.]Lynn C Dothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05096334642266196000noreply@blogger.com0