Yard House Coming to Virginia Beach

The draft beer-focused Yard House chain will open its first Virginia location this November in Virginia Beach. The restaurant is known for it's large draft beer selections. Fans can expect around 250 beers on tap, stored in a central keg room that holds up to 5,000 gallons of beer, according to an article posted today at The Virginia Pilot website.

This could be an exciting development for beer fans living in, and visiting, the Virginia Beach area. While the beer list remains undetermined, let's hope that the managers opt to focus on the many excellent craft breweries right here in Virginia.

See Beer-focused restaurant to hire 150 in Va. Beach for more details.

Washington's Cherry Wheat

The seasonal Washington's Cherry Wheat from Blue & Gray Brewing was one of six beers on tap at the Lee's Retreat brewpub during a recent visit. As noted previously, I had opted for the Black IPA, while Colleen asked for a sampler of the wheat beer, followed by a full pint serving, of which she kindly allowed me a few sips.

Blue & Gray Washington's Cherry Wheat pours a hazy golden color with a thin white head. The aroma is as expected from a wheat beer, but with the faint addition of a tart cherry hint. The flavor is wheat, mild butter and caramel. The cherry notes added some zest to the taste. Colleen remarked she was glad the cherry was mildly tart, rather than sweet. The fruit is subtle and adds a pleasing twist. I was already enjoying my Black IPA so I wasn't inclined to switch, but I found I enjoyed this beer quite a bit. I'm generally not a fan of fruit in beer, neither in the brewing nor on the rim of the glass, but I'd certainly be inclined to order this beer again. It would be a refreshing libation for a warm summer afternoon.

Fredericksburg USPSA

This past weekend I shot at the monthly Fredericksburg Practical Shooters USPSA match. The match director made use of some of the stage props that had been built for the recent VA/MD Sectional Championship. Targets were slightly rearranged in each course of fire, and the moving targets taken out, giving us six stages, with a 7th classifier stage thrown in. This mix presented a variety of challenges from close up speed shots to longer shots that required careful aiming. Approximately 130 shooters came out to enjoy the day. Dark skies threatened in the morning, but the sun came out later in the day and left us wishing for some cloud cover.

As usual, the Fredericksburg match was challenging, but overall I was pleased with my performance. There were 48 shooters in Production Division, and my highest stage finish was 15th. I ended up in the top half, or right near the middle, for most of the stages. That's where I expect to be as a C-classified shooter. Still, there were inconsistencies, especially the one stage I totally bumbled and placed 46th. Despite that poor showing I still managed to finish 24th out of 48 shooters in the Division.

Watching the videos of my shooting was, shall we say, enlightening. When I first reviewed the videos, I had a few moments of "oh no" and "that didn't look good" but I started viewing more subjectively. Then I could note areas where I've made improvements, and had actually remembered to do what I had practiced. My repetitive practice on magazine changes is starting to pay off. I've also been practicing skills such as getting the gun up and ready to shoot when I approach a new position, along with getting moving sooner after shooting. Like most things, it's easier to do in practice than in a match.

The match was long, but fun. From the first shot to finishing tearing down the stages at the end was a long 6 hour day. But it was a day filled with interesting, and challenging shooting, with fun and friendly people, not to mention lots of Goldfish® crackers and granola bars. I was great to shoot with some old friends, and make a few new ones too. Next weekend I'll be participating in the Mid-Atlantic Championship Match in York, PA. Hopefully I will successfully put to use some of the lessons from the Fredericksburg match.

Session #52 - Beer Collectibles & Breweriana

I've been remiss in keeping up with The Session, however the fifty-second episode caught my eye. This month's Session is hosted by Brian Stechschulte at All Over Beer. The chosen topic is Beer Collectibles & Breweriana. Brian writes:

So what old or new beer related items do you collect and why? It’s that simple. This is your opportunity to share the treasured objects your wife or husband won’t let you display on the fireplace mantle. You don’t need to be a major collector like this guy to participate. In my mind, just a few items constitute a collection. Maybe you have mementos from a beer epiphany or road trips? You can focus on a whole collection or tell the story behind a single item.

I opted to focus on the "new beer related items" for my post. For several years I've been saving beer bottles. Unlike the beer can collection I built as a kid, I was able to actually consume the contents in building this collection. I can't explain this compulsion, I keep telling myself I'll soak off the labels someday and to store in albums that take up much less room. But that hasn't happened. There are over 400 bottles now, and with each addition that task gets more daunting. I do enjoy looking through the bottles on occasion. Many of them bring back memories of friends, trips, or other good times. Even the ones from beers enjoyed at home often bring back memories of holidays or good foods enjoyed. In some cases I can trace changes in labels or brewery ownership.

I won't keep the assemblage forever. The shelves are filling (not to mention in need of dusting.) But, as long as there's room to squeeze in another bottle, it will keep likely growing.

Update: The Session roundup is posted here.

Black IPA at Blue & Gray

Settling in at Lee's Retreat for a dinner with Colleen, I was ready to order my usual Falmouth American Pale Ale, when the server informed me they also had a "Black IPA" on draught. My curiosity aroused, I opted for this unnamed beer. Blue & Gray Brewery has been turning out some new beers recently and I was interested to see, and taste, what this one was all about.

Blue & Gray "Black IPA" pours a dark, not quite opaque, black with a thin white head. The aroma is mild grapefruit citrus, the beer smells like a pale ale. The flavor is initially the bitter citrus of grapefruit zest. Soon a mild roasted bitterness of the malts comes through. The roasted flavor lingers for some time afterwards. Like the juxtaposition in the name, black - pale, the flavor is hard to describe, though the descriptor "tasty" fits well.

I enjoyed my first pint with our appetizer of Irish Nachos. This dish consists of crispy waffle fries topped with tomatoes, black olives, lettuce and cheese sauce. Strange as it may sound, it works! Another pint of the Black IPA paired very well with a pulled pork BBQ sandwich. A new beer, tasty food, and the house Irish band made for any enjoyable dinner date.

The exploration in new flavors going on in the brewhouse at Blue & Gray is exciting. I look forward to seeing what else Jeff's crew comes up with. 

Dogfish Head Midas Touch

As I started writing this post, I thought about Mike over at Another Gun Blog. Mike writes a gun blog, with the occasional post about beer. He's also a fan of Dogfish Head Brewery. (In contrast, Musings is a beer blog, with the occasional post about guns.)

On one of our visits the Dogfish Ale House in Fairfax we were intrigued by the description of Midas Touch:

This recipe is based on ancient findings. Brewed with barley, white muscat grapes, thyme honey, and saffron, it has the smooth dry body of a beer but finishes fruity like a fine white wine. 

However, noticing also the 9%ABV we opted to pass before our long drive home. This would be one of those strange DFH brews I'd have to try another time. While shopping for refrigerator stock recently, Colleen spied a four-pack of Midas Touch and remembered it sounded interesting, so we picked it up.

Dogfish Head Midas Touch pours hazy bronze-yellow color with a very thin head. It really does smell like a mix of honey and white wine. The smell was so un-beer-like I was put off a bit at first. The flavor was slightly sweet, again with notes of honey and white wine. At first I was thinking, "meh" but as the beer warmed the flavor became more enjoyable. A slight spiciness started emerging and the alcohol warmth was more perceived, which was a welcome addition to the flavor profile. The mouthfeel is thin and slightly oily.

Like some of the other off-centered ales from Dogfish, I did enjoy this one, with some reservations. The flavor was interesting, and very drinkable, if not exceptional. Would I keep it on hand as a regular beer? No. Would I order it for sipping after a meal if circumstances were right? Perhaps.

What's your take Mike?

How Dry We Weren't

I recently finished a fascinating account of what Prohibition was really like in the U.S., especially in our Nation's capital. In Prohibition in Washington, D.C.: How Dry We Weren't, author Garret Peck brings the people and the times alive. This isn't a dry history book, Peck tells us the behind the scenes stories of how Prohibition came to be, how it was largely ignored across all social classes, and how those "thirteen awful years" ended.

Garrett Peck does an excellent job explaining the various forces that came together, at just the right time, to bring about Prohibition. While Prohibition movement was an obvious attack on the consumption of alcohol, the "dry" forces also used anti-German sentiment and U.S. patriotism, racism, anti-Catholicism, among other prejudices, to help push their cause.

Throughout the book, the reader is reminded how ineffective the laws were, especially in D.C. The social elite, and the poorest of the poor, all had easy access to alcohol, though not always of the best quality. It is estimated that bootleggers brought twenty-two thousand gallons of illegal booze into the city every week. And, though hardly surprising, those charged with making, and enforcing, the laws were often the biggest law-breakers.

Numerous photographs from the period help the author bring alive the people and places that earned Washington, D.C. the nickname the "Sodom of Suds." A reporter once described the city as being "so wet it squishes." Many of the names and buildings talked about in the book are familiar to us today, and indeed many of the buildings still stand. The book includes a "walking tour" of local speakeasies and private residences where alcohol freely flowed. This living history is described in an easy to read and engaging manner. I enjoyed Prohibition in Washington, D.C.: How Dry We Weren't very much and I suspect you will too. You can get it on Amazon.

Disclaimer for the bored bureaucrats at the FTC: A review copy of the book was given to me by the publisher. I was not compensated in any manner to express my thoughts on the book.

Tuesday, But Not Tied

Through the serendipity of the calendar, the month of May had a fifth Tuesday. This allowed me to stop in at the "Steal the Glass Night" at Capital Ale House. I'm not often able to go to the weekly event due to other commitments on the first four Tuesdays of any month. And, in one more stroke of luck, the featured brewery this week was one of my favorites; Oskar Blues Brewery of Lyons, Colorado. Three beers were featured, Mama's Little Yella Pils, Dale's Pale Ale, and G'Knight Imperial Red Ale.

I opted to enjoy the both Dale's Pale Ale and G'Knight Imperial Red Ale. The G'Knight is the new name for the beer formerly known as Gordon. The bartender was kept busy reciting "G'Knight which used to be called Gordon." I enjoyed both beers. Dale's Pale Ale is a beer frequently enjoyed around here, but the G'Knight/Gordon is one I've not had in a while. The Oskar Blues brewers do an excellent job of blending the sweet malt of the "red ale" with the strong grapefruit hoppiness of the "imperial". I think I'll be picking up some cans of this soon.

Oh, the reference to "tied"? As I sat there looking at the line of Oskar Blues glassware lining the bar, I couldn't help but thinking of a tied house. We don't have tied houses in the U.S. obviously, but one can daydream.