Long travels with a rich reward

It's been a long long travel day. Our flight from BWI was delayed by 2+ hours even after we got to the airport mongo early to account for 5 people checking and security.

So there went my plan for a leisurely repaste in the haven of Dallas-Ft Worth airport.

Upon landing in Albuquerque a family sitting near me on the plane
offered up an excellent recommendation for local food and brew. So with everyone checked into the hotel and the rental vehicle loaded up we ventured out to Il Vicino -- known for their wonderful flatbreads pizzas and microbrews.

Oooo. Yeahhhhh!! Great choice. The menu had a great selection of pizzas which took us a good 8 to 10 minutes to order. The beer list was shorter and was an easier decision.

Although the server recommended the IPA I opted for the Slowdown Brown
(I think Dogfish Head has spoiled me for IPA's so the bar is pretty
high now).

The Slowdown Brown was a great way to start the meal. It had that
wonderful malty flavor you expect from a good brown ale. And I really
appreciated he smooth finish.

 My wife had ordered the Rob's Amber and didn't enjoy it.  Being the chivalrous dude that I am.... I switched with her.

And what a good call that was!  At first sip I could see why she didn't like it.  The glass was filled with what looked like a standard amber ale, but the taste buds revealed a hoppy flavor that really took this beer someplace special.  It really provided for a complex experience that was like finding a hidden surprise (much like when you find an extra 5 bucks in your jeans, but tastier).  My only regret is that I could have only one.

Oh well, this gives me another reason to come back some time.

Not Quite Yet, but Texas is Already on my Mind

First stop on this sipping sojourn is a hotel in Baltimore before we fly out of BWI in the morning.

Considering our schedule we (wisely) decided to just have dinner at the hotel. But alas where my heart had already been planning for a Clipper City or Natty Boh there was no local beer to be had.

However amid the bland choices of watered down Miller or Bud there emerged an interesting choice.... Shiner Bock.

Now truth be told this was my ace in the hole for tomorrow as our flight has a layover in Dallas and I had already planned this one out. But in light of the situation I had to act.

And Shiner never disappoints.  When trying to step away from the ordinary, she has a way of popping up and saying "there's a better choice". Tonite was no exception. Paired with a buffalo chicken sandwich it was a perfect way to start the journey.

What's interesting is that this is the one Shiner brew that seems to have escaped the great state of Texas.  What's up with the other fine Shiner brews?  The web site mentions a blonde ale. That should surely be worthy of export. But the faithful Bock is the only one that people outside of Texas seem to able to sip.  I'll have to investigate further.

Of course now the quandry that faces me is.... What's waiting for me in Texas tomorrow? It's a worthy challenge.

Starting in the Old Dominion with Starr Hill's The Gift

We haven't quite left home, but that doesn't mean I can't start my beer journey.

So for lunch, I took the opportunity to crack open a bottle of The Gift -Winter Bock Lager from Starr Hill Brewery.  I love this beer for two reasons.

1)  It's the last of the truly "local beers" in that it's brewed in Virginia.
2)  Other than sneaking in a Bell's Christmas Ale, it's been my holiday beer of choice for 2009.

It's got a great blend of tastes that really mix it up and take it out of the category of lagers (I owe that to the Bock style) so don't let the "lager" category fool you.  Or as Starr Hill says on their website:

• A German-style Hellerbock with a few twists, The Gift is Starr Hill’s holiday offering. The beautiful golden color only hints at the fire inside. Made with two-row and Munich malts and balanced with German noble hops, The Gift is the perfect accompaniment to any holiday event or festivity.

Either way, it's been a perfect compliment through the holidays as I've been cooking, cleaning and spending time with family.  So it seemed a fitting way to start this journey.

Next stop, Maryland where we stay before flying out of Baltimore tomorrow morning.  

Beer Travels Well (or is that it makes travels better, i'm not sure)

I'm heading out today for a family trip which will take me through at least 4 states with a final destination in Colorado.  So what does any good beer drinker do?  Look at travels as an opportunity to sample local beer.  Keep an eye out for some upcoming posts about where we have ended up and what beer I'm sampling.

Variety is the spice of life. Hand me a turtle!

Or so they say about things in general. And in looking at my fridge right now I'm one spicy kinda guy. I have at least 5 different beers in there and that doesn't even count my home-brew that's lagering.

But the one that has captured my palette tonight is Big Hoppy Monster from Terrapin Beer Co. A friend was visiting from out of town last week and brought this one over because her husband is friends with the brewmaster. I've been drinking a good bit of Dogfish Head lately so I wasn't to hopped up about hops so I held off until this weekend and had another tonite.

OMG!!! What was I waiting for? At first glance when pouring it into the glass it had all the appearance of a mix between an amber and a porter with a lovely tone to it. And then... and I swear I'm not making this up... it seemed to be almost have texture just in looking at it. Ahh... and the first taste. Yep. Hoppy just like the name. But not overpowering like some IPAs are. It was just right and provided a perfect balance of malt and hops to top off the evening.

So, I have two thoughts I look at my now empty glass:

1) Gotta run to Whole Foods and pick more up (that's where my friend found it)
2) I really need to go visit my friend and her husband so I can go visit the masters of this brew.