Not So Deep Thoughts

     A whole day without rain. I'm almost in shock. Kinda like my readers and fancy schmancy blog ratings. Yeah, it's tough trying to put things together for a festival, not to mention 2 Twitter accounts, 2 blogs, 2 Facebook accounts. A trip to the mother country of Belgium for 35 people and an occasional foray into work. Then the constant e-mails, text messages, the out of the blue phone calls, yada, yada, yada. You get the drift. All good intentions go straight to hades after I do all the fest stuff. But I still love you. And I will try every now and then to reward you with my expertise of the written word. Or what my English teacher would probably say " A exquisite piece of drivel"

     I am trying out this map/fest gadget thingamajig on the side here to see how it works. So far I noticed my local time is different, but that is because I live on Kepler Mountain, where there are polar ice caps, volcano's and some type of magnetic fields that makes people drink large amounts of beer. I noticed through all my deep undercover work that a lot of people still check this blog out for some fest info. So, here is some fest info.

                              Craft Beer Bus and Don "Joe Sixpack" Russell. Perfect together.
That's right, you heard me. Mr. Sixpack is teaming up with the CBB and Bridgewater's Pub to come to Beersgiving. Why hell, CBB is teaming up with the Blue Dog Pub out of Lansdale too. Why I hear that they will have a bus coming out of Reading. Damn! Now that's what I am talking about. Let's see if we can get Jack and Lew on one of those buses too. Now all I got to do is get those nice brewer folk and high falutin distributor's to finish dotting the i's and crossing the t's. Then I will be half way there.....

100!

It's hard to believe that a little over three years ago, I started this, um,novel, life changing experience, a deep thought provoking trip inside my empty mind or just a blog, for lack of a better words. Now of course I should be celebrating my 200th post, but what do you want for for nothing , a rubber biscuit? So now that some of the wonderful furor from the other week has died down for a moment, let's give the crazy ass people who actually read this, a little how de do with 4 mini posts in one.

                                                                CINCO DE HOLLAND
Yes, tonight is the night when UJ'S on the mighty Manatawny Creek brings us the one and only Dr.Joel, the worlds hottest blogger and Mr. New Holland beer ambassador. I can safely say that tonight's lineup is evil in every possible righteous way and I shall be making an appearance for a quick round or two with all the fine people there, hell, I hear even the future bride and groom will be there too to help celebrate my birthday week. Stop by and have a seat on the deck and enjoy the fall weather.

                                                        CRAFT ALE HOUSE AKA TNSC
If it is Thursday night and I am pretty sure that it is, it will be time for another meeting to discuss what crazy dumb ass drunks we really are and what we plan to about it. My plan is simple, drink 21st Amendment Bitter American and wash it down with a small boatload of Sly Fox Helen Keller Pils, a beer so good even Helen Keller herself could see that.

                                                             SLY DOG GANG BANG
I am quite sure I will get in trouble for that line, but come on, who hasn't said that out loud at one point over the last couple of weeks? Mr. and Mrs. TJ's will be hosting  the final assault on my liver this week as I celebrate my 28 anniversary of turning 25 on Mother's Day. No need for presents, but large sums of cash will be accepted as, um, gratuity, a good will gesture, good beer karma?

                                                             CURTIN'S CORNER
When the most esteemed of all the beer writers in the world asks you a wonderful question at the Goat Race on Sunday, I must answer him in a most thought provoking way I can think of. That means I have to write one more post about the Fork and Barrel, AJY fiasco and how I think the beer community could have done a better job asking questions about it without ruffling too many feathers.

That enough for you? Tune in next time for.......

It's A Mad Matt World! Update!

Mathew J. Guyer, proud proprietor of the Beer Yard and, a all around good guy, is making his long awaited
return to bar tending this Monday night, July 26th at CAH, to help raise money for Habitat for Humanity.
30% of all proceeds that day will go to this fine organization. Mr. Guyer will be slinging barbs, jokes and drinks, literally, from 6 pm to 9 pm. If you can't make it between those hours, do not worry my friends. You can still help out the cause by stopping in anytime that day and writing Habitat on your check.

Now for the most important of all the news, what the hell will be on tap for this occasion?
(Sorry kids, no Brotherly Suds, but Victory instead)
St. Feuillien Cuvee de Noel
Troegs Mad Elf
Victory Summer Of Love Golden Ale
Ex Porter (collaboration of local beer writers, bar owners and Mr. Beer Yard himself)
Scratch 31 A firkin of Oaked Aged Citra of Brotherly Love
Scratch 31 Citra of Brotherly Love

There will also be a full moon that night which may lead to some howling. A whole lot more howling might be happening Tuesday morning, I reckon.
P.S. Rumour has it that the esteemed Jack Curtin may show up. May God take mercy on our souls.

A Picture.....

Is worth?

Belgium Comes To West Chester And More Tidbits

What more can I say that hasn't been said already? The best local event period. This years edition of BCTWC started a couple hours earlier than last year and that was fine with me. The board looked impressive as always and the lack of Professional drunks who would show up a couple of hours later on the bus from Philly , gave us some time to sample a few of these great beers before they disappeared in record time.

Standouts? How bout some Iron Hill Eddy? The Cannibal aged in a wooden barrel and loaded up with some brett. Ithaca came through with two very smart ones, White Gold and Brute, more funk monsters. Harpoon really showed off it's flying colors with Wild Hibernian 2007, aged in a bourbon barrel and then loaded up with B.lambicus and latic acid producers for ten months and then put into a firkin. Yum, yum, yum. Without a doubt, I had to add to my fiber intake for the day
with a Nodding Head Otay, a lovely Belgian style ale make with 25 pounds of organic buckwheat. Of course there is always a couple more sips of this and that from every body's glass. (no wonder everybody gets a cold this time of year!) A fine luncheon with the Tom boys and the esteem Mr. Curtin and other dignitaries capped off a fine day for yours truly.

Now on a more personal level, a boatload of thanks to all asking about my health these days. I know trying to explain this to people has not been easy, much less trying to write a blog post about my 17 page report that I got back and not have all the folks who read it go, Huh? I shall try my best to put it into layman's terms.

In some other non life threatening news, you may be wondering what ever happened to my follow up stories about the Craft Ale House opening? Well, since I set up their blog, and have been fooling around in the cooler and posting on the blog etc, I wasn't quite sure how to go about this story without seeming........? (Pick your own word.)

Last, but not least, this fine photo (also on Facebook) of a group of somewhat decent people having a drink before they try and knock off Mr. Curtin. They were foiled however by me and the beer board behind them. See ya!

Not So Happy Jack (UPDATED)

So the local beer world has been pondering this question, where the hell has Jack been? Waiting patiently Saturday at UJ's for him to show up (though some people were using my cell phone to text him!) we all started wondering what was up, once we (somewhat) sobered up. Well, the question got answered when his partner Rob Davis (from his other blog, Mermaids) posted that Jack's appendix burst over the weekend and that my friends will cut back on your drinking in a big way. He is fine now (for Jack) so lets all wish him a speedy recovery. Get moving and grooving, Helen Keller is calling your name. Talked to Mr. Curtin last night while the doctors were probing him, sounded pretty good for a guy who hasn't eat or had anything to drink in six days. Hopes to be home this weekend. Thanks to Mr. Parkerford and The Other One for extra details.