So Much Time...So Few Posts #494-501

 Well, well, well....it has at least been a 500 Beer Year!!!

During the first week after Labor Day in September I had a several beers at home.  

#494 - Smartmouth Game On IPA

#495 - Smartmouth Sommer Fling 

#496 - Smartmouth Murphy's Law

#497 - Smartmouth Alter Ego

#498 - 3 Stars Haze to the Dome

#499 - MOAT Mountain Brewing East Intervale Session IPA

#500 - Starr Hill King Kunu Pineapple IPA

#501 - Union Craft Snow Pants Oatmeal Stout

Short post but that will happen as I jump back in and begin posting again!

4th of July Weekend #339-352

Beginning July with the 4th on a weekend went well as there were more places opened for social distanced dining/drinking and we were able to visit two breweries in particular.

     

#339 - Aslin Cat Theory
#340 - Aslin Daddy Juice
#341 - Aslin Power Moves

#342 - Caboose The Fog IPA
#343 - Caboose Rowan Sour
#344 - Caboose Fog IPA with Pineapple & Peppercorns
#345 - Caboose Amarillo Pepper Rye
#346 - Caboose Kveiking Leprechaun Irish Ale
#347 - Caboose Slam Dunkel
#348 - Caboose Duchess Coffee Porter

And over the weekend and going to lunch on the Monday after, I was able to cobble together a few more in some of the restaurants in Old Town Alexandria.  

#349 - Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat
#350 - Kona Gold Cliff IPA
#351 - Smithwick's 
#352 - DC Brau Joint Resolution 

Finishing July #399-414

Well, the year is more than half over (7/12) and I am still less than half way to my goal (414/1000).   I am somewhat encouraged by the progress even through the lean months of March, April and May with stay at home orders and virtually all on-premise beer unavailable.

Here is how I finished July with an array of beers I had at home including crossing the 400 mark!

#399 - Rogue Paradise Pucker

#400 - Tree House Passionfruit & Hibiscus Tart

#401 - Aslin Chili Status

#402 - Oskar Blues Death by King Cake

#403 - Wicked Weed Lieutenant Dank

Already had Foxy earlier this year but didn't remember!

#404 - New Realm Lime of the Party

#405 - New Realm Hazy Like a Fox 

#406 - New Realm Hoptropolis 

#407 - New Realm Sunset Passion

#408 - Port City Rivershed Ale

#409 - Elysian Space Dust IPA

#410 - Kona Big Wave Golden Ale 

#411 - Dogfish Head Sunday Feels Beermosa Sour

#412 - Evil Genius Flyin' Hawaiian Tropical Punch Pale Ale
#413 - Elysian Dayglow IPA
#414 - Monocacy Brewing Riot Rye Pale Ale

Starting March in July #212-225

As the beginning of March started and the news cycle began to be all about the global spread and then pandemic status of the coronavirus, we began to stay at home before the lock-downs and mandatory stay at home orders began.  

This put a bit of a crimp in the plan for a 1000 beer year, though there were still beers to try at home during the March-May period!

#212 - Captain Lawrence Cookie O'Puss Limited Edition Carvel Chocolate
#213 - Center of the Universe Donny Coffee Brown Ale
#214 - Tree House Juice Machine

#215 - New Belgium Bicycle Kick Kolsch
#216 - Blake's Hard Cider El Chavo Mango & Habanero
#217 - Oskar Blues Rose for Daze
#218 - Boulevard Fling Craft Cocktail Margarita

#219 - Ballast Point Pumpkin Down
#220 - Blue Moon Iced Coffee Blonde
#221 - Dogfish Head 90 Minute
#222 - Dogfish Head All Things Yet IPA

#223 - Colt 45 Malt Liquor

#224 - Schlitz

#225 - Mickey's Malt Liquor

Many more to come catching up for the stay at home period and this summer!

Everything is Out of Order #338

OK...tried to jumpstart last month but wasn't successful...

Now as we start the second half of the year I am going to try again to get back on track!  

Posts and beer numbering will likely be out of order for some time while I work through the backlog to get caught up.  

I finished the first six months of the year on beer #338!

Not bad considering almost 3 months we were under stay at home orders, though that means I am off track for my goal of 1000 beers.  It will likely be a stretch to get there though with some reopenings and some responsible and socially distant travels planned for the second half of the year I will keep pushing forward!

Last Time Out...Back in March #207-211

Way...way back in early March we made a short day trip out into DC for brunch along Barracks Row and while that was just a normal Sunday for us at the time, we didn't know what was going to happen so quickly in the following weeks!

We had brunch at Matchbox and I tried beers #207-209 while there!

#207 - Aslin Trite IPA
#208 - Matchbox Signature IPA
#209 - Stone Fear Movie Lions IPA

Following brunch we walked down the block and popped into Valor Brewpub for a while longer and beers #210-211

#210 - Valor Ghostrider Porter

#211 - Valor Deep Dive NW IPA

Took a Break!

As the year started I had high hopes to push toward 1000 beers and through 2 months I had already reached the 200 beer mark!  Then a lot changed pretty quickly as March began.   Going into an extended work from home, isolation and social distancing period left many of my plans behind.  We had trips in March and April booked...which had to be canceled and with on-premise restaurants, breweries and bars closed I just took a break from posting....but not from trying new beers!

After just over 3 months since my last post, I am hoping to start again and as venues begin to re-open I am hoping to get out a bit here and there as well.

Over the last 3 months, I have added another 100 beers and counting so depending on how the summer and fall go, there is still a decent opportunity to get to the 1000 beer mark!!!

Here is to restarting the blog and tracking!

Finishing Feb & Starting March #192-206

To finish off the month of February we traveled to Connecticut and Massachusetts to visit family and also visit one of our favorite breweries to stock up a bundle and fill our suitcases for the trip back home!

Also 20% DONE for the year....

We were upgraded to first class on the trip so my first beer of the day was actually the first first class beer of this blog, though it was one I have already had and blogged for this year (Goose IPA)...

We flew to the airport outside of Hartford Connecticut and went to lunch in Vernon, CT where I had the first new beer of the trip!

#192 - Thomas Hooker #nofilter IPA

Then we headed to Tree House in Massachusetts to stock up....and we actually had a pretty short line!
We stocked up on an array of awesome beers and I was also able to have three beers from their draft line as well!!!

#193 - Tree House All That Is and All That Ever Will Be
#194 - Tree House Cachet Double IPA
#195 - Tree House Shimmer

Back closer to home, we went out to Labyrinth Brewing in Manchester, CT and I was able to work through a few beers there and take a 4-pack home.

#196 - Labyrinth Turbo Love Juice
#197 - Labyrinth Hesperia IPA
#198 - Labyrinth Champion of the Sun
#200 - Labyrinth Scorpio's Sting

Visiting family and relaxing at home with a brew in the evening led to a couple more to try...

#201 - Tree House Outlier
#202 - Alvarium Phresh IPA
#203 - Alvarium Hurricane Cocktail Style Sour
#204 - Tree House Punch

And on our final day, we went up to Springfield Massachusetts to check out the MGM casino there since the Basketball Hall of Fame was closed for renovations...and then off to the airport to return home...

#205 - Stony Creek Big Cranky Double IPA
#206 - Counterweight Headway IPA

So while the last two were in March (on  3/1)...I finished February with 204 beers on the journey to 1000!  Already 20% done!

Last of February at Home #153 & 188-191

It is a theme...still catching up...still catching up...still catching up!

In the second half of February I tried an additional 5 beers at home...

I actually learned something new when I found a new beer that I had never heard of before and having had over 3500-4000 beers before that is pretty rare.  I found Utica Club at a store way out in the VA suburbs of DC where I am now working and read the can which says it is the first beer to be sold when Prohibition ended!

#153 - Bud Ice
#188 - Kirin Ichiban
#189 - Alewerks Superb IPA
#190 - Utica Club 
#191 - Dogfish Head SeaQuench

The Rest of Charlottesville Weekend #164-181

The first night out was fun, and then we were looking forward to brunch at Three Notch'd Craft Kitchen to kick off the rest of the weekend!!!

It was a great brunch and some yummy beers!

#164 - Three Notch'd Nephrology #10 

#165 - Three Notch'd Nephrology #12 

#166 - Three Notch'd Hydraulian Irish Red

#167 - Three Notch'd Millstone Pale Ale

#168 - Three Notch'd Green Terrors Aussie Pale Ale

#169 - Three Notch'd Watermelon Gose

#170 - Three Notch'd Pomegranate Gose

For the afternoon, we tried to go to Monticello but the timing of tickets available were prohibitive so we headed back to Charlottesville to another brewery - Champion Brewing!

#171 - Champion Brewing Wheeze the Juice

#172 - Champion Brewing Missile IPA

#173 - Champion Brewing Shower Beer

Around town a bit more and a couple beers for the hotel from the gas station!

#174 - Seven Arrows Alpha Decay DIPA

#175 - Stable Craft Brazen Cider

#176 - Skipping Rock Nor'Easter New England IPA

#177 - Deschutes Wowza Hazy Pale Ale

#178 - Busch Beer

#179 - Devil's Backbone Always Open Apple Sparkling Ale

And finally lunch on Sunday as we left before we went to Luray Caverns and then home later in the evening!!!

#180 - BJ's Pirahna Pale Ale

#181 - BJ's HopStorm IPA

Charlottesville Weekend Day 1 #154-163

For our second driving weekend away this year where we drove rather than our more far flung plane-based weekends, we went to Charlottesville Virginia from 4/14-4/16.  

First we started out downtown in Charlottesville at Miller's Pub, then headed down the pedestrian mall to the Charlottesville Draft Taproom and their self-serve beer wall!!!

#154 - Stable Craft Total Entropy IPA

#155 - New Realm Tyrannosaurus Flex

#156 - Champion Brewing Champagne Problems

#157 - Deschutes Tangelo Cardamom Sour

#158 - Hardywood Park The Great Return

#159 - Three Notch'd Minute Man

#160 - Ithaca Beer Company Flower Power IPA

Then off to South Street Brewery and back to Citizen Burger Bar for dinner! 

#161 - South Street JP Pale Ale

#162 - South Street Bar Hopper IPA

#163 - Basic City X17 DIPA

February Alexandria Outings...#141-152 & #182-187

It has been a busy month while I wound down one job and started another, and also spent a weekend traveling to Charlottesville, VA (future post coming soon)...so I am a bit behind with the blog posts....here is to catching up!

In between all of that has been a few trips out to some of our favorite places in Alexandria and of course a few new beers too!  Including a bit of a Pro Re Nata take over of some taps at one of our super faves...Lost Dog Café!

#141 - Maine Beer Lunch

#142 - Firestone Walker Thrilla in Sarsparilla

#143 - Firestone Walker Mind Haze IPA

#144 - Two Roads Persian Lime Gose

#145 - Firestone Walker Flyjack 96

#146 - Fairwinds Quayside Kolsch

#147 - Ocelot Gorgeous & Alone IPA

#148 - O'Connor Anglers End Double IPA

#149 - Pro Re Nata Hop Drone

#150 - Pro Re Nata Go Johnny Gose (my poor notes didn't catch the specific version as they have made about 6 different versions...oops)

#151 - Pro Re Nata Buddha Kind

#152 - Pro Re Nata Scarlet Letter

#182 - Left Hand Hard Wired Nitro Porter

#183 - Einstok Icelandic Toasted Porter

#184 - New Realm Hazy Like a Fox IPA

#185 - Reason Beer Pale Ale

#186 - Parkway Triple A Amber Ale

#187 - Ardent Saison