A few weeks ago, I was in balmy Springfield, Massachusetts enjoying a much-needed vacation with family and beer. It is integral in the dealings I have with my brother, who also enjoys a decent pint every now and then. We’ve always been able to bond over a frosty glass, enjoying the various flavors of beer…
Nothing to say
A mostly personal post There are times when words fail me; despite being very loquacious and incredibly drull when I want to be, I’m also left without words to describe the feelings I’ve encountered in this waking life. Now is one of those times. I’m moving on short notice back to Portland, the nexus of…
A little different
I’m sitting at the bar at the Westside location of La Cumbre in Albuquerque, and they’re doing something a little different for the second or third year in a row: traditional Kolsch service. When service was measured differently Kolsch service is basically beer service using smallish glasses (called a strange) where the service person will…
Trip to the Baltics
The season is plodding along, and we’re deep into the time when we should expect snow and freezing temperatures, even here in Albuquerque.That usually brings the dark beers out of the barrels, as everyone knows, and into goblets and chalices and glassware designed to let something warm up and get tasty. It’s all part of…
As your doctor…
I suggest at least 2 hours of social time a week, specifically over a pint or three (that’s the self-imposed limit New Mexico breweries have pushed on their customers). Get some of your friends together, decide on a good time once a week, and make your schedule around it. You can thank me later. I…
Another circuit around the sun
Yes , it’s that time of year when everything is either a retrospective from last year or predictions for the future. This is really neither of those, because last year was pretty shitty and next year isn’t looking too hot, either. It’s not my fault, so just chill out and have a pint while you…
What’s up with Vegas?
It’s a recent hot headline so I guess I’ll jump in. I spent about 36 hours in Vegas recently, so I don’t know jack shit about the deeper problems Vegas faces, but I did notice a ton of breweries operating really close to each other in certain sections of town. I didn’t get the chance…
Just a bar
It’s just a bar. You know the type – there’s nothing but some booze, maybe a small TV in the corner playing some sport you’ve never seen, and the bathrooms are definitely not someplace you go to relax while doing business. It is ‘Just a Bar’ in the truest sense, a place to go and…
Wheels Up – Another travel edition
I’m enjoying a double hazy IPA while I contemplate an impending trip; Did I pack everything I needed? Or too much? What the weather like…oh damn better pack another jacket, it’s Portland, after all. Beervana? Yeah, I’m heading back to the promised land of a local brewery every couple of blocks, where young people go…
A full bag of beans
I’m enjoying a nice flavored latte – mocha, if it matters – at my local coffee shop this morning, and it occurred to me that I haven’t posted in several months. Don’t worry, I’m not dead, I’ve just been busy being blocked creatively. Writing a blog post, even one as meandering as one can be,…