Into the Dark: Beer, Cigar, and Black Friday

It had been almost two weeks since I’d enjoyed a cigar. Between day trips, weekend travel, holiday prep, and time with family, I hadn’t found a moment to sit down for a proper, relaxing smoke. I’m not one to light a cigar just because — for me, a cigar is an intentional pause to sit, unwind, and appreciate the craftsmanship.

While the family binged on football, I slipped away for an afternoon smoke. It was cold and windy outside, but the enclosed screened porch offered welcome shelter. And since it was “Black Friday,” I went with the theme and grabbed two dark companions: a Micallef Black and a Winter Storm from Heavy Seas Brewing. That’s a far better way to mark the day after Thanksgiving than chasing supposed deals at the mall.

Winter Storm “Category 5 Ale” is a seasonal ESB (Extra Special Bitter) from the Baltimore brewery, a longtime favorite of mine going back to its Clipper City days. The label has changed over the years, but the beer remains the same.

At 7.5% ABV, the malt-forward ale shows rich caramel-toffee and dark fruit notes, balanced by a subtle pine and herbal hop presence. It’s thoroughly enjoyable. In years past I’d buy it by the case to age into the summer — or even for far-future drinking — but this year’s stash will likely be enjoyed fresh.

The Micallef Black I chose was the 5” x 52 Robusto. A Mexican San Andrés wrapper encases an Ecuadorian Habano binder with Nicaraguan fillers. The dark, oily wrapper and gold-on-black band make for an irresistible presentation. The Black is full-bodied, opening with earth, cocoa, and pepper. As it warmed up, I picked up dark chocolate, roasted coffee, and a touch of sweetness. Construction was excellent, with a clean burn and thick, flavorful smoke.

I actually selected the Micallef Black before considering the pairing, but the combination turned out beautifully. The bold, dark-leaning profiles played off each other well. The beer’s slight sweetness and dark fruit lifted the chocolate and sweeter tones in the cigar, while the cigar’s pepper and earth kept the ale from drifting too sweet. A satisfying match all around.

Outside, the day hinted at winter — 38° with a windchill of 26°, though sunny. Inside the porch, with the portable heaters on low, it was a comfortable 64°. Add some jazz from the speaker, a good book in my lap, and a cigar in hand, and it made for a remarkably pleasant afternoon escape before heading back inside to resume the holiday feasting.

Cheers!

The Problem With "Steal the Glass" Promotions

A popular event at many pubs is the deceptively named "Steal the Glass" night. There's usually a few beers offered from a featured brewery, and the patron gets to "steal" a special glass, featuring the brewery's logo. Often that glass is a simple shaker pint, other times the glass can be unique or interesting in some way. 

The fallacy of the promotion is that with few exceptions, the drinker isn’t "stealing" anything, they are actually paying extra for the beer, in order to keep the "free" glass. I have dozens of glasses I’ve acquired at Steal the Glass events, but often times I simply don’t want the glass, and I certainly don’t want to pay extra for a glass I don’t need. And therein lies the rub.

We went out for dinner at a local pub the other night. I had seen a post on Facebook that the restaurant was "featuring" SweetWater Brewery, and pouring their 420 Pale Ale and SweetWater's 20th Anniversary Imperial Hash IPA. However, when we arrived we learned the beers were part of a "Steal the Glass" promotion. In addition, there were actually no SweetWater Brewery specific glasses being offered. Instead we would pick from leftover glasses from previous events — it was a "garage sale."

Wanting to try the Imperial Hash IPA, but not wanting to buy a random piece of glassware not even related to the featured brewery, I inquired if I could get the beer at the regular price and not pay the premium to "steal the glass." As I knew it would be, the answer was in the negative. I knew that because I had asked in the past, with the same answer. I didn't need or want the glass, so I ordered a different beer enjoy. Fortunately, I did have a very tasty Heavy Seas Loose Cannon IPA served from a cask.

We end up at this establishment on Wednesdays often, so we happen to hit their "Steal the Glass" nights with some regularity. And indeed, there are often interesting beers being offered. On occasion I even opt to pay to "steal," and take home an interesting glass. However, on more than one occasion we have been refused the featured beer for not wanting to pay extra for a glass. A pub should have glasses in which to serve beer without requiring the patron to buy one.

I wonder, could I bring back some purchased glasses and get refills at a discount?

Too much 'extra' glassware already

Heavy Seas "Steal the Glass" Night

Last Tuesday evening Capital Ale House held a “Steal the Glass” night featuring four Heavy Seas Brewing beers. I had previously acquired a Heavy Seas glass, but I was still interested in trying out the new seasonal from the Baltimore brewery, TropiCannon, one of the featured beers.

TropiCannon is a variation of Heavy Seas Loose Cannon, one of my longtime favorites from the brewery. The brewery description says that TropiCannon mellows the piney malt aspect of the beer, and ramps up the citrus notes. In addition to altering the hops used, the brewers added dried grapefruit, orange and lemon peel in the brewing process as well as mango, blood orange and even more grapefruit post-fermentation.

The aroma of TropiCannon is something I would describe as “candy fruit.” I was immediately reminded of orange candy, an aroma was somewhat off-putting. On top of the aroma, my first sip impression was somewhat disappointing. The citrus notes had a faux sweetness to my palate.

After drinking about half my glass, I did start to enjoy the flavor of TropiCannon a little more. However, the flavor profile of this “variation” of Loose Cannon admittedly was not what I was expecting. The citrus aspect had an artificialness to it, not unlike what I’ve experienced the few times I’ve tried to drink a kid’s “juice box."

Heavy Seas Cutlass, Siren Noire and Smooth Sail were also on the menu for the evening. Colleen and "Checkered Flag” both enjoyed pints of the Siren Noire Imperial Stout, adding to our collection of “stolen” glassware. I was tempted by Smooth Sail Wheat Pale Ale, which I’ve not tried previously, but then I spied DuClaw El Kabong the menu and opted to try this habanero-flavored beer from another Maryland brewery.

Despite the featured TropiCannon not being a flavor that suited me personally, we had a fun evening of beer, food and conversation. It was a fitting way to spend what was yet another rainy evening.

Good Beer and Sports Celebrity Sightings

A lack of blogging recently isn't an indication of a lack of life activity, just the opposite in fact. It means I've been too distracted by life to sit down and write. We were out of town last weekend, in part to attend the Spring Game at VA Tech. I was pleased we had reservations at the same hotel at which we found good beer last year. Before I even checked in at the front desk I detoured to take a peak at the taps in the lobby bar. I was not disappointed.

Colleen and I visited lobby bar in the evening to relax over a few beers. Three of the offerings were old favorites, along with one new to me beer. I tried a sample of a local beer, River Company Dumpster Dog Porter, but opted to go a more hoppier route. Colleen enjoyed a pint of the Porter. I couldn't resist a pint of an old favorite, Loose Cannon from Heavy Seas, and later a pint of Bell's Two Hearted Ale.

As we were enjoying our drinks and talking with other guests, there was suddenly a lot of excitement in the lobby and bunch of folks leapt from their seats. Buffalo Bills Quarterback Tyrod Taylor was checking in to the hotel. He posed for a few selfies and things quieted down. For a bit anyway, until Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Bruce Smith walked in. He too posed for selfies and signed autographs and the lobby calmed once again. Seattle Seahawks player Kam Chancellor also made a pass-through of the lobby.

The commonality among the players is of course, they are all VA Tech alumni, in town for the Spring Game. In all honesty, if it wasn't for the other fans at the bar, and some quick Google searches, I wouldn't have known who they were, not being a big sports fan. Nonetheless, it added some excitement to an already enjoyable Friday evening.

Emptied Those Heavy Seas Kegs For You

On Friday evening we headed over to Park Lane Tavern to enjoy some Fish 'n Chips for dinner. Park Lane does a pretty decent version of the classic platter, and there's good beer. I had missed the Heavy Seas Brewing "Steal the Glass Night" earlier in the week, but was pleased to see the brewery's tap handles still up. There were three beers from the Baltimore brewery available; Siren Noire Imperial Chocolate Stout, Double Cannon Imperial IPA, and Winter Storm "Category 5" Ale, which was served on cask. Decisions, decisions. The bartender offered us sample of all three, which we didn't turn down.

The Winter Storm Ale is one of my favorite beers from the brewery. The cask serving was hitting a very nice temperature and carbonation level, so that was my decision. As I watched the server pull the handle to pump the beer, he remarked that the cask was getting empty and this was to be the last serving he'd be able to pour. Whew, just in time. 

The large snifter got me through dinner with ease. I typically pick up a case of this beer when it comes out each winter but didn't get to that this year. I was glad to have gotten this pint to enjoy.

For her selection, Colleen had the Siren Noire. Once again, as the beer was being poured, the keg started running dry. I think the bartender was a bit flustered, but it had been a few days since the STG event, so it was not unexpected. I actually didn't think they'd still have the beers available at all.

This is a new Heavy Seas beer that we'd not had yet. The aroma and flavor was ripe with dark fruit, bitter chocolate, vanilla and oaky bourbon. At 9.5% ABV it's a rich, enjoyable sipper.

We had an pleasant dinner with a couple of excellent beers. I even snagged a Heavy Seas 20th Anniversary coaster for my collection. We opted to not try for emptying the Double Cannon keg! 

Heavy Seas Deep Six

Last week I was picking up some beer for an evening with friends at our home. As I perused the aisles, I spied a cart of Heavy Seas Deep Six English Porter being unloaded in the store. I was shocked since I had just seen an email from Heavy Seas announcing the new beer the previous week, and hadn't expected to see it locally so soon. (In fact this sighting was two days before the official release party at the brewery.) Having long been a fan of Heavy Seas, I added a six pack to my shopping cart.

Deep Six pours a deep, dark brown color with a moderately thick cocoa head. I picked up rich aromas of dark chocolate and roasted coffee. Likewise in the flavor, dark roasted coffee and bitter chocolate, with hints of dark fruit, combine for a flavorful porter. The mouthfeel is creamy with a dry finish.

Deep Six English Porter is a great addition to the Heavy Seas lineup. There's plenty of bitterness and roasted malt, but at the same time the beer is smooth and mild. We quickly went through the six pack I picked up last week, so I think I'll make a return trip for more. This will be a good one to have on hand for the cool winter evenings.

Starr Hill Mango Genius

After an afternoon of stacking firewood and other yard chores, we decided to hit Capital Ale House for an early dinner on Sunday. (Or was it a late lunch?) While deciding on our beer selections, our server suggested a "mango habanero IPA from Starr Hill." I was intrigued but not convinced, so she offered a taster. After that I was convinced.

Some quick Google-fu at the bar helped me learn that the beer was called Mango Genius and was a collaborative effort with Brothers Brewing. The beer pours a bright golden color with a white head. The aroma is citrusy and fruit-like. Sipping the beer, the flavor is what I can best describe as tropical citrus "juiceness." The habanero makes its presence known at the end. A subtle warmth slowly comes into play in the finish. It never burns, but teases in the back of the throat.

This was an excellent suggestion and beer I'd definitely order again. In fact I did, to go along with a very spicy Mexicali salad. The salad, with copious raw jalapeños, went well with the "cooling" citrus fruit of the IPA. 

And that beer in the foreground? That's Colleen's glass of Heavy Seas Red Sky at Morning. This is a version of the brewery's delightful Red Sky at Night aged in Chardonnay barrels. Two excellent beers from two of our favorite breweries, with a Redskins win on the bar TVs, made for a enjoyable afternoon.

A Surprise Gift

Early Musings readers may remember the frequent postings about Clipper City Brewing. The Baltimore brewery is one of my old time favorites. Even though it's now officially called Heavy Seas Brewing, I still tend to use the old name.

Friday evening we enjoyed dinner at Capital Ale House and had a brief conversation with one of the managers, who always makes a point to stop by for a chat. He mentioned that we missed a Heavy Seas "Steal the Glass" night earlier in the week. I expressed my disappointment, and then shared some stories of some of my Clipper City beer adventures. A short while later, he came back and said, "We have a few extras" and set a nice logo Heavy Seas glass in front of me. It made my evening. Sometimes it's the simple things in life that bring a smile.

And I'm sure I'll put it to good use soon.

I Needed That

It was one of those weeks. Late nights at work. Early mornings at work. Little time for anything else, except sleep. By Thursday evening I was running on fumes, but I managed to meet Colleen and our friend Checkered Flag for dinner at Park Lane Tavern. My energy level peaked a bit when I saw the top listing on the pub's rotating draft menu — Heavy Seas Winter Storm. One of my old long-time favorites!

It's been a while since I've enjoyed this excellent Extra Special Bitter-inspired beer. And it was on draft even! I used to pick up a case each winter when it came out but haven't for a couple years. I sipped my pint slowly, savoring the roasted and caramel malt flavors, and the citrus hops at the finish. Park Lane has added a few new menu items recently, and I opted for the new jalapeño burger topped with sriracha sauce and pepper cheese. The Winter Storm was a perfect foil to the flavorful and very spicy sandwich.  

I've often said that a pint of ale is a great pick-me-up after a tiring day. This evening was no exception, and soon I was feeling revived. Unfortunately the invigorating effect is not cumulative, so I enjoyed just one pint of this old favorite before heading home for a brief rest to prep for another day.

Heavy Seas Loose Cannon

It was like visiting with an old friend. This week's "Steal the Glass" event at Capital Ale House featured beers from Heavy Seas Brewing in Maryland. One of the beers was an old favorite of mine, Loose Cannon Hop3 IPA. Also available were Cutlass Amber Lager and Small Craft Warning Über Pils. Naturally, I started with the Loose Cannon.

Two different glasses were offered for "stealing," a Belgian-style glass and a standard "shaker pint." I opted for the stemmed glass, as did Colleen for her Cutlass Amber Lager. Loose Cannon on draft has long been one of my favorite beers. It's not uncommon to find that a beer on draft tastes better than the same beer from a bottle. However, I've repeatedly found that Loose Cannon is significantly better on draft. So much so that I rarely bring it home, choosing to enjoy it whenever I find it on draft (which is infrequently in my local area.) The pine and fresh citrus flavors, caramel malt, and mild bitter finish brought back memories of the many pints enjoyed through the years.

I noticed that shaker pint glass offered sported an updated logo, different from the Clipper City/Heavy Seas pints I acquired years ago. So, in the interest of completeness, I opted for another helping of Loose Cannon, this time in the logo pint glass. A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.

Traffic, Evening Parade, and More Traffic

Friday Evening we made the trek to Washington, DC to take in the Evening Parade at Marine Barracks Washington. The Barracks, known also as "8th and I" are rich in history and tradition, and is called "the oldest Post of the Corps." But before we could enjoy the pageantry of the parade, we had to get there! Traveling up I-95 on a Friday evening, is an adventure to put it mildly. We finally arrived at a Northern Virginia Metro station and took the subway the rest of the way into the city.

Our first stop was for dinner and a beer at Molly Malone's, located right across the street from the Barracks. We've gone to the Evening Parade several times, and dinner at Molly Malone's has become part of our "tradition." The Irish pub fare is served quickly and is quite tasty. The beer menu is decent too. On this evening, they listed Heavy Seas Loose Cannon Hop³ IPA. This is one of my longtime favorite beers, but one that I've not had on draft in several years. I was happy to enjoy it again. It was as "juicy" and as hoppy as I remembered. My glass was nearly empty when my Fish and Chips arrived, so I treated myself to a second round with the meal.

After dinner we crossed the street to the Marine Barracks. The Evening Parade includes appearances by the U.S. Marine Band and the U.S. Marine Drum and Bugle Corps. Alpha and Bravo Companies, which make up the ceremonial infantry units of Marine Barracks Washington are present as well. Alpha Company includes the Marine Silent Drill Platoon. The silence of the audience during the Silent Drill Platoon's performance is almost as amazing as the drill team itself. Our seats this year were at the top of the bleachers, near the center, so we had a good view of the parade grounds, as is shown in Colleen's photos.

As opposed to previous years, the temperature and humidity was moderate, and a slight breeze made its presence known on occasion. The full moon rising up behind the Barrack's flag pole, added a special feeling to the evening. As an aside, that flag pole flies the flag of our Nation as it appeared from 1795-1818, with 15 Stars and 15 Stripes. Ft McHenry, Maryland is the only other location authorized to fly this flag, which inspired our National Anthem. The pageantry, precision, and Esprit du Corps of the Marine Evening Parade is a sight to behold.

Soon we were back on the Metro, heading to our car for the drive south on I-95. And what a drive it was. The never-ending construction would affect the trip home even more so than during the drive up. After spending some 30 minutes getting from three lanes down to one, we passed the paving work and the road opened back to three lanes. Only to stop again just a few miles later in order for traffic to be once again constricted down to one lane. That process took another 40 minutes. Why there is no one working for VDOT who has the common sense to keep the traffic in one lane through the entire construction zone is beyond me. Once we were in one lane, the traffic flowed below the speed limit, but it moved, and that would have been preferable to the repeated merge delays.

We finally arrived home some four hours after the parade. I had plans to be up early the next morning to go to a practice match at the Cedar Mountain Youths range. That practice session would definitely be affected by my lack of sleep. Despite the long trip, it was a fun time with good food, good beer, and an exciting ceremony. I'm sure we'll do it again.

Pope's Cream Cake and Saison

The other evening we were enjoying some Heavy Seas Red Sky at Night before dinner. Even though we stocked up on this beer last Summer, Colleen and I were discussing how it really fits as a good Spring beer. After dinner we enjoyed a family movie night, and Colleen announced we'd finish off the "Pope's Cream Cake."

Kremowka Papieska is a traditional Polish cream cake dessert that was much loved by Pope Saint John Paul II. Colleen made the dish in honor of the late Pope's Canonization, and it's quite tasty, even to us of Irish decent! When the dessert was served, I had the thought that another glass of Red Sky at Night Saison would be the perfect accompaniment. Really, it just wasn't an excuse to have another beer.

The mild sweetness of the Saison, combined with the malt and yeast flavors went along well with the creamy pastry treat. The beer is light bodied with a refreshing palate-cleansing carbonation. The pasty cream is mildly flavored and was not overwhelmed by the beer. The "traditional" pairing for a Saison is pungent cheese or spicy meats. However, cream-filled pastries work quite well too it seems.

Don't Drink From Cans

Heavy Seas is one of my favorite craft breweries. Loose Cannon IPA was one of the first IPAs I drank, and I still enjoy it frequently. However, when I saw the latest Pyrate's Log newsletter from the brewery, I couldn't help but exclaim, "No! Don't do that!"

I was surprised to see the brewery advocating drinking the beer from the can and missing out on the full aroma, the full flavor and even the attractive appearance of the beer. The brewery's own description reads "The carefully cultivated interplay of Simcoe, Palisade, and Centennial creates a most fragrant IPA—its nose bursts with notes of grapefruit, herbs, and pine." You won't get that drinking from the can (or a bottle.)

Given the advances in canning technology, I'm fine with putting craft beer in cans. In fact, I'm starting to prefer it — cans keep the beer fresh longer, there's no chance of light damage, and the package is lighter and more compact than bottles.

But pour the beer into a glass. Please.

Heavy Seas, and Heavy Seas

I've mentioned previously that I look for Heavy Seas beers when I travel outside of the Fredericksburg area. Heavy Seas, formerly Clipper City, is one of my favorite breweries, but sadly few of their beers are available locally. One of my most sought after souvenirs from the Outer Banks of North Carolina is beer from the Baltimore, MD brewery. Go figure. During our recent vacation, the beaches were closed to swimming on many of our days there due to rough water. Since I had brought along my old Heavy Seas pint glass, I frequently enjoyed Heavy Seas beer in the matching logo glass while watching the heavy seas from the deck.

I shopped at both Chip's and Trio while we were in the Outer Banks since both stores have extensive, and varied, craft beer selections. We brought home several Heavy Seas beers. (Truth be told, I brought back so much beer I couldn't fit it all in the beer fridge.) One of those beers was Heavy Seas Powder Monkey, an English-style Pale Ale. Powder Monkey the new Pale Ale in the brewery's lineup. The beer pours a hazy amber-orange with a slight head. The aroma is grain and sweet malt, with a hint of fruit. The flavor leans towards the caramel, with honey and some nutty notes.  The hop profile is grassy and bitter. Mouthfeel is doughy and slightly oily. A mild bitterness remains in the finish.

I found the flavor of this Pale Pale to be on the mild side, with the sweet malt and bitter hop aspects vying in good balance. This Heavy Seas beer might not intrigue those looking for a more hop-forward Pale Ale. However, if you like a malty influence in your Pale Ales, Powder Monkey will be to your liking.

Red Sky At Night

Nope, not a post about a picturesque sunset. I'm talking about the tasty Saison from Baltimore's Heavy Seas Brewing. Red Sky At Night is a favorite of ours, but one that's been an elusive libation. Last year the brewer was only able to brew a limited quantity, and none of it seemed to make it to Fredericksburg. I knew the beer was back this year, but again, never saw it locally.

Since I knew we'd be traveling to the Outer Banks for vacation, I held out hope that Chip's would have some. A couple years ago I found some other Heavy Seas beers there that I couldn't get locally. (Now as then, I consider this a failure of our local distributor, not the brewery.) Entering Chip's I immediately scanned the shelves and, sure enough, spied 2 six packs of Red Sky. Colleen grabbed one and asked at the counter if we could get a case. The answer was there's two sixers left in the cooler, and two left on the shelf. That's all that was left, so we grabbed what was left.

Back at the beach house that afternoon, we cracked a few open to enjoy before dinner. The beer is as we remembered. It presents a pleasing Belgian yeast and sweet banana fruitiness, in combination with some wheat in the background. There's a bit of mild white pepper in the finish. This is an enjoyable beer with a light mouthfeel.

Taking the accompanying photograph turned in to an adventure, but one that was quite apropos. As soon as I finished pouring my beer, a gust of wind came off the ocean, scattering the foam from my glass into the wind. Three times the bottle blew off the deck railing before I snapped the picture. Despite my desire to drink this "stormy" beer outside, I was quickly forced to retreat indoors.

Fredericksburg USPSA Match

This month's USPSA match at Fredericksburg Practical Shooters was a "Classifier" match, with 4 classifier stages and two field courses. Many of the USPSA classifier stages are "stand and shoot" stages but this event the match directors picked ones that I thought were especially interesting and challenging. Since the stages for next weekend's Area 8 Championship Match are being set up, the monthly Fredericksburg match was worked in around that activity. The two field courses made use of some of the stages for next weekend's event, with targets placed among those props.

Like most summer Fredericksburg matches, the day was seasonably warm hot. However, in a switch from what is typical, we were treated to a nice breeze much of the day, complete with refreshing strong gusts on occasion. Although, at one point my sunburned neck was unpleasantly abraded by cloud of wind-borne sand. Interestingly, my squad include two father and son pairs, and a husband and wife — this really is a family sport.

Our squad started with "Mini-Mart." The loaded gun and magazines are placed on a shelf under the table. A Virginia count stage, no extra shots are permitted. Each target gets two shots, then a mandatory reload followed by two more shots one each target. I fortunately placed two mags on the shelf even though only one is was needed. When I reached for the magazine I knocked it to the ground and had to go for the spare that was fortunately there.

Next up we shot one of the field courses, "Why Not." Ten targets were hidden among the walls setup for the upcoming Area match. The targets were placed such that they weren't visible without the shooter moving around quite a bit. I had one miss on this stage. When I shot that particular target I suspected I may have pulled the second shot, but didn't decide quickly enough to make it up before moving on.

Next up was "Raw Deal." The shooter started seated, with elbows on the table and holding a playing card in each hand. At the start signal three targets are engaged, followed by a mandatory reload, then the remaining three targets. This stage is also scored Virginia Count, which means no makeup shots. The furthest target was 40 feet from the table so careful aiming was called for. 

The second field course, "Barrel Race," featured targets placed among walls and barrels around the perimeter of the free fire zone. As an interesting twist, the stage started with the unloaded gun placed on a barrel at the start position. The shooter strategically placed all magazines he would need on top of barrels which were staged around the course, and all reloads were done by grabbing mags from the barrels. It was very fun stage requiring lots of running. I found myself reaching for my belt during the reload even as I was looking at the magazine on top of the barrel I was approaching. Old habits.

Next up was undoubtedly the most interesting and complicated classifier stage I've done, "Color Blind." Many shooters were surprised it was actually a classifier. The designer of this "test" made use of a smorgasbord of options and props. The starting position was seated in a chair, with legs extended under the table and crossed at the ankle. Arms were folded at the chest. The loaded gun was placed in the center of the table. At the start signal you had to lean forward to retrieve the gun and shoot at three head shot targets, aiming under a low barrier. Next the shooter moved to a door to be swung open, through which three more targets were engaged. That completed, the shooter ran to a low barrel port and shot at three partial targets through the barrel. It was a fun course of fire that offered a variety of shooting positions.

The final stage was "Big Barricade" which consisted of 7 targets arranged in an inverted "V" behind a barricade. All of the targets were partially covered by "no-shoot" targets. As I reloaded and moved to the other side of the barricade to the engage the last four targets, I missed getting a hit on the furthest right target, giving me my second miss for the match. The size of the available target area was a bit deceptive as we were shooting it at an angle. Several shooters ended up with misses on this particular target.

Even though I helped to set up the match on Saturday morning, seeing it for the first time fully set up on Sunday, with the targets in place, was interesting as I hadn't realized just how many "no shoot" targets were being staged. While I finished, again, about in the middle of the pack, at 52.182% match percentage, I felt a lot better about my shooting this month. I'm pleased that I no "no shoot" penalties and just two misses for the entire match. Once the scores are posted to the USPSA results page I'll be able to look at each stage in detail to get an idea of what was good and what was not. The interesting stages, the cooling breezes, and a fun squad of shooters combined to make a very enjoyable match.

Back home afterwards, I relaxed with a cool pint of Loose Cannon Hop3 Ale from Heavy Seas Brewing, while I started writing up my thoughts on the match. I thought the name of the beer was especially apropos to follow a day of shooting. The evening was capped off by throwing some very thick steaks on the grill for a tasty dinner. All in all a wonderful way to end the weekend.

The Tavern

I've written previously about a local pub called The Pub. I've told you about a local indoor shooting range named The Range. Now I'm here to tell you about a local tavern, yep you guessed it, The Tavern. We like to keep things simple around here.

The Tavern (also on Facebook) is a standalone, nondescript building in the Lee's Hill shopping center. Once inside we found a comfortable pub atmosphere with dark wood and a large stone fireplace. There's a small seating area with tables and a bar area separated by a windowed wall. There is also a small outdoor seating area. The beer menu on the table listed 15 selections, and the waitress named off a couple more that I don't recall. They had the usual factory beers, and the expected Irish selections of Guinness and Smithwick's. There were some good craft selections such as Blue & Gray Fred Red, Fat Tire and Yeungling. In a surprising twist, the draft selection also included Goose Island IPA and Heavy Seas Small Craft Warning. I was especially surprised to see the "Über Pils" from Heavy Seas on draft. That's an off-the-wall selection for a non-specialty pub.

I opted for the Small Craft Warning to enjoy with our Tavern Sampler appetizer, which consisted of buffalo wings, fried shrimp, mozzarella sticks and jalapeño poppers — a fried pub food delight. The wings were the best part of the platter and we'll definitely be ordering more of those in the future. Small Craft Warning is a malt-rich, sweet and toasted brew with some piney hops to balance. For our meal, our group all opted for burgers. The burgers are hand-formed, juicy, and surely check in around 1/2 pound. Ordered cooked "medium," the centers were hot but still bright pink. These are indeed multiple napkin meals. Add thick streak fries drenched in malt vinegar and you have a robust and tasty meal. I selected a Goose Island IPA to enjoy with my "Lee's Hill Burger" topped with green peppers, onions, mushrooms and provolone. The IPA was a malty English IPA with a rich dose of citrus hops mixed in.

I admit to being ignorant of the existence of The Tavern until very recently. It's not a new place, they celebrated 7 years in business earlier this year. The food was good, the beer selection interesting, and the service excellent. I understand the spicy tavern shrimp are quite popular. I expect we'll be back to try them out, along with more of those wings.

Beer & Food Tasting, Round 2

Click menu to embiggen

We hosted round two of our 2012 Beer & Food tasting extravaganza this weekend. Based on feedback from the first round, and availability of some menu items, we made just a few adjustments to the menu we presented in May. Colleen spent the days leading up to the event, planning and preparing the foods that were to be served with each course. Without a doubt, her cuisine is as big of a draw as the beer. Our son worked hard serving and clearing throughout the afternoon. For this gathering it was an all male guest list, and they each came with a big thirst and appetite. After a brief introduction to beer and food pairing, tasting procedures, glassware, and a prayer, we got down to the eating and drinking. I purposefully chose beers that are available year round, and brewed domestically. (Although one of the selected breweries is owned by a foreign company.) 

The first two pairings, Starr Hill Jomo Lager with Artichoke Dip and Tortilla Chips, and Victory Prima Pils with Cheddar Bacon Bites were meant to be "appetizers." These beers are craft versions of beer styles that many folks are familiar with. Next up was the Port City Optimal Wit and a Peaches and Cream French Toast Casserole. This combo made quite an impression and Colleen promised to share the recipe with the men's wives. Next up was an old favorite of mine, and one that I've not enjoyed in a while, Heavy Seas Loose Cannon IPA. I have to admit that when I was shopping for a hoppy beer to serve with the spicy Buffalo Chicken Sliders, I selected the beer for me. As expected, the beer was a hit with the other men as well.

Halfway through the list of beers now, we took a short breather to chat about other things. This gave Colleen a chance to catch up in the kitchen as well. We had a very enjoyable non-beer conversation about travel, guns, and society, before diving back in.

The next selection of Oskar Blues Old Chub with Spicy Beef and Provolone Semolina Panini was another hit that was followed by requests for the recipe. The slow cooked beef was a variation of this recipe, prepared with a Brown Ale. The Scottish Ale was an unfamiliar style to some of the participants, but one they'll seek out again. Next we changed gears a bit and served Ommegang Hennepin Saison with Olivada and Mozzarella on French Bread Crostini. One of my favorite pairings, the rich olive and garlic flavors of the olivada go exceedingly well with the spices of the Saison.

Finally we moved on to the "dessert" segment of the feast. Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout paired with a bowl of rich vanilla ice cream and a few chunks of Sea Salt Soirée Dark Chocolate. The rich roasted espresso flavor of the stout served to accentuate the flavors of the ice cream and chocolate. Lastly we brought out Brooklyn Local 2 with Stilton Blue Cheese, Sugared Walnuts, and Red Pear wedges. The mixed plated offered both matched (sweet fruit and walnuts) and contrasting (cheese) flavors. This course served as a light and refreshing ending to the meal.

After about a four hour exploration of beer, we finished over coffee and more conversation. It's always a lot of work to prepare for such and event, and there's no little bit of stress from wanting to entertain well and provide a tasty and enjoyable representation of craft beer. But once it's over, it all seems worth it. It's extremely fun and folks always enjoy themselves. I consider the afternoon a success if our guests leave with a new appreciation of beer and food. And since this done as a benefit for our son's school, it's even better. 

The aftermath

Heavy Seas Ale House Beer Blessing

Hugh Sisson, founder and Managing Partner of Heavy Seas Brewing in Baltimore, gives his blessing of the new Ale House.

Tip o' the hat to Tom Cizauskas. See Blessings for Heavy Seas at Yours For Good Fermentables for Tom's informative perspective of the history behind Heavy Seas Brewing.

A previous post about a more traditional beer blessing is here.

First Winter Storm of the Season

No, not the sort of winter storm that causes power outages and snarls traffic. I'm speaking of the one from Heavy Seas Brewing.

This is one of my favorite Winter Seasonal beers and I look forward to seeing it on the store shelves each year. Admittedly it's probably one of the most often mentioned beers in these Musings.

Heavy Seas Winters Storm pours a translucent copper color with a thin beige head. The aroma is sweet malt. The slightly sweet malt taste is followed by bitter citrus hops. The flavor has some mild boozy warmth and a lingering bitterness. The 7.5% ABV and hoppiness makes this a nice choice for setting a few bottles, or cases, aside for enjoying later.

It's not a weather-related Winter Storm, but it's certainly provides a reason to stay home.