Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Can and Growler Choices Expand

Torrance, California's The Dudes' Brewing Company quietly rolled into town recently, with at least five styles hitting the Kelly Liquors on Wyoming. Four-pack cans include the almost obligatory IPA (CalifornIPA) and DIPA (Double Trunk) styles, but they also offer a Berliner Weisse. Not a whole lot of canned Berliner Weisse to stock up on in Albuquerque, so give these Dudes a try.

Billy's Long Bar has started filling growlers. They have their own logo growlers for $5, or they will fill your growler of choice. "They" apparently referring to one of the managers; when I asked the bartenders about the process, I was directed to two non-bartenders who were working. Whatever the case, you should be able to walk out of there with a filled growler with a wide range of beers to choose from. Growler of Backwoods Bastard, growler of Union Jack, growler of Project Dank even! Just don't ask for the Firestone Walker XX or the Bourbon County Stout in a growler. Super premium beers not available for fills. Also, don't expect to be able to get a sample of Firestone XX, as "We don't do samples of it because of the high ABV." Which makes no sense, obviously. You want to tell me you won't do a sample because of the high cost of the keg, fine. I can understand that. In which case I'd be willing to pay $1 for a sample if that keeps me from paying $9.50 for a 10 oz. pour of something I don't like. In the end, I had to be satisfied with a Bourbon County draft served in a MUG. M-U-G.

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Black Friday. Black Beer. Don't Blackout.

Black Friday fight day! Take a break from wrestling grandma for that 4K TV and head over to O'Niell's Pub on Central Avenue for a black beer Black Friday event. The good people there have gathered a number of dark beers to take the edge off of what was once just another good day because you didn't have to work. Then it became a day to get good deals on presents. Then it became a day to buy yourself all the cool electronics. I'll be at Sears. Nobody goes there anymore. Probably because Craftsman tools aren't exclusively made in the USA like thy used to be. Is that on Trump's list of things to do in the first 100 days mandate? Should be. Anyway, kegs being tapped at O'Niell's include:

Boxing Bear's multiple medal winning Chocolate Milk Stout
Oskar Blues - Death By Coconut - Irish Porter w/ chocolate and coconut, a GABF silver medal winner
La Cumbre 2015 La Llorana Baltic Porter
Full Sail Black Gold (bourbon barrel-aged Imperial Stout)
Boulder Nitro Chocolate Porter
Deschutes 2015 The Abyss barrel-aged Imperial Stout

The fun begins at 11 am.

Nob Hill Bar and Grill will be tapping both the 2016 and 2015 Bourbon County Brand Stout on Friday. Or maybe that 2015 is the same keg that was sitting on tap for a long time earlier this year...but now that it's an "event", people will be packing the place for it. Funny how that happens.

Jubilation knows you've been making room in your beer fridge just for this day. If you wake up and line up outside early enough, you can take your pick from these limited edition goodies, listed courtesy of Jubilation's Adam Auden:
Limit 1 bottle per customer unless otherwise stated.
Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout 2016 (Limit 2)
BCBS 2015
BCBS 2014
BCBS 2013 (Limit 2)
Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Barleywine 2016
BCBW 2013 (Limit 2)
Goose Island Bourbon County Coffee Stout 2013 (Limit 2)
Goose Island Bourbon County Regal Rye 2015
Goose Island Bourbon County Backyard Rye 2013
North Coast Cellar Reserve Series:
Old Rasputin XIX Bourbon Whiskey
Old Rasputin XVIII Wheat Whiskey
Old Rasputin XVIII Rye Whiskey
Old Rasputin XVII Bourbon Whiskey
Old Stock 2014 Wheat Whiskey
Old Stock 2014 Rye Whiskey
Old Stock 2013 Bourbon Whiskey
Bosque Scotia Limited 2014
Santa Fe Sour Porter
Founders Lizard of Koz (Limit 2)
Firestone Walker XX
Firestone Walker Barrelworks Agrestic
Evil Twin Maple Bourbon Jesus
Blackberry Farm Brewery Brett Red Wine Barrel (GABF Silver Medal!)
Deschutes Dissident 2016
Deschutes Collage #1 2012
Moylan's Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout 2013
Black Diamond Bourbon Barrel Peak XV Imperial Porter 2014
Green Flash Silva Stout 2015