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Next Steps and Other Random Beer News

 Well after a short tenure in the Ocean State, it seems that we're moving on again.  This is more than just moving on to a different school, or a different position in education, it is a full scale change!  New job, new industry, new city... pretty much a fresh start in ATL.  I'm really excited to get into the craft beer business and just learn about a whole new industry which I only have a passing knowledge of.  We are really excited about all of this, but for now we are forced to deal with the reality of relocating over 1,000 miles to the south.  We spent the majority of this past weekend starting to pack up the house, and it really seems to not made all that much of a dent. At least we know that we have a hobby to fill our evenings and weekends for the next two weeks!

Lately I've been checking out the scene in which I'll soon be working, in particular  I've been playing with some beer apps that I've heard good things about.  So far my favorite to use to date has been untappd. A great way to see what's out there and track what you've tried and what you haven't and start a wish list to remind you which ones you wanted to find.  Also Hoptopia has been a great source of reviews on beers and can be a huge help when stuck with a great deal of choice at your local store.  I'm still working with others, but these have really be standouts and fun to play around with.  While I was looking at the Hoptopia website this morning, I even noticed another brewery I'd been to and completely forgot about. It'll definitely be on my next updated list when I get around to updating!

I found the Obama Foodorama blog this morning talking about the White House's home brew and it really got me excited that our President is into craft brews like I am!  The White House Honey Ale debuted at the White House Super Bowl XLV Party last night and is brewed with a pound of honey from the White House bee hive!  Local sourced, home brew, from the White House... wish I could get a bottle...

My last bit of change/moving is that I'm considering starting fresh with my blog on MobileMe.  I figure the international travel portion of my life is coming to a close, so I'm working on a redesign with my new direction.   More on that to come, but for now back to preparing for the big move!

It's a great world of beer!

Over the past few years when I've been traveling around the world one of my favorite things to do is try sample the different beers of the world.  I thought to myself, "what better way to do so than by visiting breweries?".  So that's what I did, as I've traveled both inside and outside of the country and I've made some stops at some great breweries.  I listed them in no particular order, well they are somewhat chronological, but not really:
Heineken Brouwerij - My first brewery visit in Amsterdam, Netherlands.  A great tour with samples and a free glass at the end!
Sam Adams - One of the best tours I've been on to date.  Located in Jamaica Plain, right outside of Boston, MA it is one of my most frequented brewery tours and usually has one of the biggest ranges in terms of different styles, including some that will never leave the factory!  Officially the tour is free, but a donation is suggested! One of the coolest touches besides the souvenir tasting glass is the Sam Adams label as your entrance ticket.
Sapporo - Located in Tokyo, Japan this isn't the best brewery tour ever, but the automated tasting machine at the end and giant beer cans are pretty cool.
Guinness St. James's Gate Brewery - Located in Dublin, Ireland, this legendary brewery is the only one with a 9,000 year lease.  A bit costlier than some of the other tours I've been on, it really has a cool layout and and awesome view of the surrounding city whilst tasting the freshest Guinness you'll ever have! Can't remember how much it cost, but it was a great experience.
Mayflower Brewing Co.  - As you would guess, this small brewery is located in Plymouth, MA and hosts a great selection of beers and free sampling.  Only open certain days, but is a great place to fill up a growler.
SweetWater Brewing Co. - In Atlanta, GA, you can come visit for $8 and get 6 healthy pours and a nice glass to keep.  Nice place to be able to get all their beers on tap, including their "Dank Tank" limited offerings.
Pike Brewing Company - Right by Pike's Place Market in Seattle, WA, this place has some great beers and definitely a unique Obama taphead.  Great food as well and good to go check out for a tasting flight.
Long Trail - Located in Bridgewater Corners, VT and is a good stop along the way up to Burlington.  Only a self guided tour, but it is a very eco-friendly brewery and offers tasting size pints, but not free.
Magic Hat  - The "artifactory" is in Burlington, VT and has some interesting artwork located in and outside of the brewery.  Free tour and lots of yummy beers on tap to try!
Coastal Extreme (Newport Storm) - Only brewery on the Island located in Newport, RI.  At $7 it is a bit pricey, but you do get a nice snifter type glass to keep.  Usually you get to sample between 4 and 5 1/2 pours and there is also an option for a Thomas Tew Rum tasting (an additional $9).
Union Station Brewery - No real brewery tour or anything to speak of, but they brew their beer onsite and have awesome food.  A great stop in Providence, RI.
Trinity Brewhouse - Another good Providence, RI stop perhaps after a P-Bruins game.  Go for the beer, not for the food.  First place I tried a Scotch Ale.

Red Brick Brewing - Also know as the Atlanta Brewing company, is a small brewery in Atlanta, GA with some good beers including the Laughing Skull.  They offer trivia and games during sampling and tour times, so it is definitely a fun time.  Tasting was $8 ($10 with ATL coozie) with a pint class to take home and came with 4 pretty full pours.

Portsmouth Brewery - One of my favorite stops in Portsmouth, NH.  Great food and a huge selection of great beers on tap.

Harpoon Brewery - Last but certainly not least by any means on this list is the Harpoon Brewery located in the Seaport in Boston, MA.  This brewery opens in the evenings and is a great spot to try some fantastic Boston Beer.

Of course this list is no where near complete, but as I continue to visit some more, I'll update my list!  I think this is a pretty good start though!

Starting 2011 off with a bang!

It seems that 2011 is determined to be a wild and crazy year if this start has been any indication.  The first weekend back Jeanne and I headed up to Gunstock in NH to get some skiing in.  We got a full day in on the slopes and even got some fresh powder laid down on top of the packed snow and really made for some good conditions despite being windy and snowy! While of course being our first outing of the season made for a memorable trip, but got even better when later that evening after a great day of skiing I proposed to Jeanne!  So of course it will be a trip that certainly we'll remember for a long time.  

Shortly there after we got a snow day in the middle of a work week which was great (except if you live in Atlanta and probably still have ice).  This past weekend we had a great weekend in DC where we got to spend so time with friends and family.  Most notably hanging out with my 14 month old cousin Luke was tons of fun!  It's only halfway through the month and this weekend we have a baby shower for my future niece and nephew.  Maybe February will be a bit more calm, but who knows!

Home for the holidays...

Sitting aboard my Delta flight from DTW to LAS and enjoying my free wifi, I feel very contemplative about what led up to this very odd occurrence!  Most of my decisions regarding this day relate solely to the immense amount of travel I did this fall including about 8 weeks out of the country.  Naturally this helped me along to my Delta Skymiles goal for the year, but since I also was able to gain Silver on Continental, it left me less than a thousand mile short from retaining my Platinum status on Delta.  So here I am on flight 2 of 3 on probably the weirdest flight routing I have managed to put together within the country.  It all started out with a 3:35 alarm. My first leg of the trip was from PVD to DTW and left at 5:45 a.m..  While I despise getting up early and being on quite possibly the earliest flight I have ever taken, it was a necessary evil in order  to get home at a decent hour.  Flight number 2, the one I am on currently takes me from DTW to LAS.  Yes, LAS as in Las Vegas(though I am most disappointed I will not be leaving the airport).  I hope to land around 11:15ish local time and then turn around for a 12:15 departure for ATL.  So at the end of the day I will have been on a 3 different planes for over 10 hours.  I'm feeling good for the moment, but check back with me when I finally arrive home.

Other fun developments are that I have found two of my favorite cold weather beers: Widmer Brothers' Reserve Brrrbon and Southern Tier Crème Brûlée Imperial Milk Stout.  While they certainly would not be my first choice of brews to enjoy on a Summer's day on the back porch, they are perfect for sitting on the coach and watching the snow fall.  If you have a cold winter's evening and fancy a pint, I recommend one or both of these!  Colorful soccer shoes are also working out well.  I've been playing defense more than I've wanted to, but I still managed to net 2 so far and help out with a few assists. Happy Holidays!