Pondering March and Beer

It is Wednesday, and it is nearly 70* outside in March, in Chicago. This is beyond unusual. The strange weather we have been having (we also got 3 inches of snow in like 2 hours on Friday) has me thinking about how to prepare for the Chicago Beer Festival that is in 3 weeks. Normally I wouldn't think so far ahead, except I haven't been to this festival before, and I rarely have the opportunity to escape downtown with my husband and friends for adult libations without having to worry about getting home before my babysitter falls asleep on the couch. BUT this beer festival is starting in the middle of the day!!! So, I don't have to worry about falling asleep at the table, or rushing home to relieve my mother in law. It is like someone has kids and understands that you can't forever be that hip kid who stays up all night and goes to work in the same clothes you left work in. I think it is so refreshing to be able to go to an event, doesn't even have to be a beer event, without having to feel anxiety about getting there (did I mention that the Festival is being held at Union Station? I don't even have to drive), getting home, and getting to bed. Maybe that makes me sound old (ancient at 28), and if so, oh, well.

I will admit that I miss the days of staying up all night drinking like a rock star sometimes, but when I really think about it, I was not drinking because I enjoyed what I was drinking, I now can appreciate the complexity in a beer, and the craft that it takes to make it. I might not be the party animal that some of my friends are, but I like to think that I have something else now, and usually that does not include a hang-over.

Well if you are looking for something a little more fun, and equally as strange as this Chicago weather, check out this article about the strangest beers. I thought it was very interesting.

Happy Wednesday!

revenir, ritorno, voltar, återgå

Return

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Return may refer to:

In business, economics, and finance

Rate of return, the financial term for the profit or loss derived from an investment

Tax return (disambiguation), various meanings relating to taxation

Returning, the process of bring back merchandise to a retailer for a refund or exchange

Return (economics), the benefit distributed to the owner of a factor of production.

Abnormal return, denoting the difference in behaviour between one stock and the overall stockmarket

Taxes, where tax returns are forms submitted to taxation authorities

In technology

Return (architecture), the receding edge of a flat face

Carriage return, a key on an alphanumeric keyboard commonly equated with the "enter" key

Well none of these things really encompass my return to beer consumption this past weekend. There are many ways to say "I'm Back"

Well it wasn't quite like that... but I was excited to crack one (or 3) open. So, we had a few good beers this past weekend, and one I was not so excited about.

We started with Grand Teton Grand Saison, which I thought was a little hoppier than I expected. It was a crisp and clean beer with a  gorgeous color. I liked that you could taste the hops, as well as the malt. Like any Saison, it is more of a refreshing beer than a filling one. 

The next one we cracked open was Dogfish Head's Hellhound. Normally I LOVE Dogfish beers, but this was one I can't say I liked. According to the Dogfish website, "Hellhound is a super-hoppy ale that hits 100 IBUs in the brewhouse and 10% ABV. It's dry-hopped with 100% Centennial hops at a rate of 100 kilos per 100 barrel brew-length". Boy do I wish I had read that before I opened it... it is also brewed with lemon. It smelled a bit like a Lemon Head, but the citrus/hops combination is very powerful and, in my opinion, too overwhelming. Blake liked it. I recommend you make your own decision on this one.

After all the hops, my mouth was aching for something a little more mellow, and malty. This is when I decided to open my Smuttynose Winter Ale (it is still winter). I thought that this was a really light (as far as winter beers go) and tasty beer. I loved the tones of vanilla and the gorgeous dark color. These are the types of beer that I look forward to each year, and really the second winter brew I have had all winter.

The last beer that we had was Bear Republic's Racer 5, well not really we but Blake. I wasn't about to go back into the IPA territory, as it would seem that my taste buds have become unaccustomed to extreme IBU's. Again, this one was one that Blake really liked. He said it was crisp, clean, and well balanced. 

So that is it for my first beer review in what seems like forever. I hope I didn't leave you disappointed.