It's about time!

The problem with beer adventures is that I'm so busy adventuring, I don't have time to write about them. (Such a problem!) Since the end of Tax Season, we've been to Palm Springs, Phoenix, and eastern Washington and we're about to leave for Seattle and then back to Phoenix. [Actually, Seattle already happened, and I'm in Phoenix right now indicating how drastically far behind I am!]

Angus Boy Scottish Ale and
Push Mower Blonde at PCB, Peoria

In less than a month we visited 16 breweries, 14 of which we had not been to before. [Before Seattle and re-Phoenix.] I don't know that we'll visit as many on our upcoming trips but there's nothing to say that we won't try!

Our April beer adventure took us to:

Arizona

• Four Peaks Brewing Company, Tempe - 8th Street Pale, large space in a college town, beer is available by the pitcher
• Freak'N Brewing Company, Peoria - flight, I liked the Piñon Coffee Brown, Hubby liked the dirty Double Blonde; the raspberry puree in their Raspberry Wheat comes from Oregon! Difficult to find in small industrial complex.
• Good Bad Ugly Brewing, Glendale - Scorpion Queen Amber Ale, beers by the pitcher and bowling. Wait, what?
• Peoria Artisan Brewery, Litchfield and Peoria - Angus Boy Scottish Ale and Push Mower Blonde Ale (Peoria), Haboob Black IPA and Savannah Marie IPA (Litchfield). Peoria is a larger space with a food menu. Litchfield is a small tap room with a much smaller brewing capacity than Peoria. Friendly staff, in a cute town.

Poolside Blonde at La Quinta

If you're contemplating retirement in Arizona, take note that there is a Zymurgy Club at the R.H. Johnson Recreation Center in Sun City West.

California

• Babe's Bar-B-Que & Brewhouse, Palm Desert - I met my gateway Belgian beer here with their Belgique IPA, came back for the Blackfin Lager and Palm Springs IPA and some pretty amazing food.
• La Quinta Brewing, Palm Desert - Heat Wave Amber, Poolside Blonde (poolside) and Spring Break Maibock. No food but always a regular stop for us.

In May, we headed to eastern Washington and visited the following:

• Atomic Ale Brewpub & Eatery, Richland - we had an amazing bowl of soup but locals say this is the place to go for pizza. I liked the Szilard Vanilla Coffee Stout while Hubby went for Burks Blonde
• Bombing Range Brewing Company, Richland - corn hole on the outdoor patio, this brewery took over White Bluff's old space. Had a flight and enjoyed them all.
• Dwinell Country Ales, Goldendale - Tongue Tied (smokey) and Blue Light (crisp, clean), definitely a place where you want to spend some time.
• Ice Harbor Brewing Company, Kennewick (where the locals go) and Clover Island (at the marina where the tourists go), both have food menus, the Kennewick location has character while Clover Island has the views. Hubby loved the Columbia Kölsch. I had the Stormwheeler Stout but preferred the Nut Brown Ale.
• Paper Street Brewing Company, Richland - Rocket Dog Rye IPA and Crook Look IPA, this brewery donates a meal to Feeding America with every fifth beer they sell.
• Rattlesnake Mountain Brewery (housed within Kimo's Sports Bar), Richland - lively place with full bar and menu, with a view of the Columbia River. I had the Seasonal Oatmeal Stout and Hubby liked the Screaming Eagle IPA. Both were satisfying.
• Shrub Steppe Smokehouse and Brewery, Richland - had a flight and favored the Hoppicat IPA. We didn't sample the food but probably should have; it looked good. One of three in close proximity.
• Snipes Mountain Brewery and Restaurant, Sunnyside - full food menu, we tried the Pilsner and the Bye Bye Miss (Rye) and weren't big fans of either



Tasting flight at White Bluffs

• White Bluffs Brewing, Richland - We met Roe who explained the brewery is now open Sundays. I immediately notified Google as we might have missed this place had we not driven past and noticed the Open sign. (Google Maps reported them as closed.) We also met Jeremy M., a patron, who also adventures far and wide for beer. (I suggested he join WABL.) I met my gateway Bière de Garde here but Red Alt is their 2014 GABF gold medal winner.

Our drive home took us to Freebridge Brewing in The Dalles, Oregon, where we had the Pulpit Rock Pilsner and a Scandalous Pale Ale with a Cherry Pizza. (Trust me, it was good.)

Where am I now? Who knows but you can bet there will be a beer adventure.

Filler

I admit it, this is pure filler. I'm in the middle of writing a post but find myself without my notes and unable to complete it. We've visited many breweries in the last few weeks and I remember all the places but not all the beer names and I want to get them right. (Yes, I still keep my notes on paper.)

In the meantime,

When I think of all the beer I drink, I feel ashamed. Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the brewery and all of their hopes and dreams. If I did not drink this beer, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. I think, it is better to drink this beer and let their dreams come true, than be selfish and worry about my liver. Babe Ruth "When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading". Paul Horning "24 hours in a day and 24 beers in a case. ​  ​ Coincidence? I think not". H. L. Mencken "When we drink, we get drunk. When we get drunk, we fall asleep. When we fall asleep, we commit no sin. When we commit no sin, we go to heaven. So, let's all get drunk and go to heaven". George Bernard Shaw "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy". Benjamin Franklin "Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, But the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza". Dave Barry “Beer: Helping ugly people have sex since 3000 B.C.” W. C. Fields Remember "I" before "E," except in Budweiser. Professor Irwin Corey “To some it is a six-pack. To me, it is a Support Group. Salvation in a can”. Leo Durocher One night at Cheers, a TV Sitcom,Cliff Clavin said to his buddy, Norm Peterson: "Well, ya see, Norm, it's like this ... A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo.  And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members ​. ​ In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells. But, naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. That's why you always feel smarter after a few beers".