Idiot Sauvin... bringing people together since 8/28/10

 Due to not keeping a running post that I edited as each day went by, it has to be said: "The details of my revelry are a bit fuzzy." We'll see what all I can remember, it hasn't been too crazy in my little piece of the planet.

Wed. 8/25

Ale - (please keep in mind this list is divided by 2, although everything was shared) Avery Hog Heaven Barleywine, Scuttlebutt Hoptopia, Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Bock, Lagunitas Brown Shugga, Port Brewing 4th Anniv. IMP IPA. There may have been 2 additional ales consumed once we moved deck side but I do not recall. @ Steilacoom Pub we both tried the Elysian Mens Room Red. @ home we busted out the Bitches Brew (don't get kewt, that's the beer name) I've been saving, a recent Dogfish Head release.

Location & Companions -Jakes Bar & Bistro, Steilacoom Pub then on to MGD's house to watch "Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels"

411 - Got together, to seek out sunshine while casting away our troubles from a long work week & family troubles. However, by the time we made it out to Jake's, the sun was on it's descent and the wait for a deck table was long; so it never happened. Stupid golf tourney getting in the way of my Vitamin D, crowding the place up. My pasty stems will get evened out eventually, I'll keep wearing skirts in vain 'til summer is officially over.

  Very impressed with Jake's overall. Nice selection of ales on tap in addition to a long list of specialty rotating beers. Tried the snapper, Thai shrimp skewers and seafood fettuccine; all great in my mouth. Mouth feel: awesome. Can't wait for Jake's round two so we can kick back a bit more when it's not so crazy. Post Jake's we took a moonlit walk up to Steilacoom Pub, which was entertaining for me personally. I continue wearing this jean skirt I love although it gives me nothing but trouble. As it continues to ride up and up and up, all I can think is that these hips don't lie. Well they lied to me dammit!! Maybe it's too small and I'm living in a size 12 fantasy world. Eventually I gave up w/ my battle and just let it ride up to look like a big scrunchy denim belt around my waist. Whatever, who's going to say anything in Steilacoom?

  The pub was kinda dingy and I felt a bit out of place (maybe it was everyone staring while I adjusted my belt/skirt to cover my naughty bits as we walked in). Most likely it was the transition from Jake's to the Steilacoom Pub. Very different atmosphere. Grabbed pints of Elysian Mens Room Red which I've been excited to try. Pretty decent stuff, have to grab a bottle @ 99 to try in the comfort of my own home and review. I stopped after 1 pint (ie designated home finder)and MGD got a 2nd ale but I don't recall the name. It was no bueno apparently as his response was "One sip was good, we can go whenever. I'm not going to finish that." Weird, right? "No beer shall go unfinished" I declared while jumping up out of my hunter green plastic chair! So I did what a good gurl does, I downed the rest. Okay not really, I was over it & winding down so we walked back to the the car. What's a chick gotta do to get a damn piggy back ride 'round here?

  Drove home and was convinced that tonight was the night for some Bitches Brew. Holy flying spaghetti balls that was a dark beer. I don't mind stouts but I just wasn't expecting... well... THAT. (that = what I poured into my glass) MGD felt one sip of it was enough of a contribution (is this going to be a fucking theme? he's supposed to finish my gross beer) on his end so the rest was all mine to enjoy. Great... It wasn't bad but it's not a kind of beer that I can drink a lot of. Yet being the enthusiastic supporter that I am, I would never say not to trying/finishing/taking a bath in ANY Dogfish Head brew. Note to uninformed self: read the description online so at least proper expectations are in place. "a bold, dark beer that's a fusion of three threads imperial stout and one thread honey beer with gesho root." Got it.  

Thurs. 8/26

Ale -  Buffalo Bill's Orange Blossom Cream Ale, Boulevard BC Single Wide IPA, SE's SU (growler)

Location - MGD's house, watching Battlestar Galactica & contemplating why I've never finished a crossword puzzle besides the one's in People 'zine. I see "Ra is the Sun God" and lose all interest.

'Sup - 2nd trip to Tobacco Pipe & Cigar. Had a fun chat with an employee about awesome craft beer and revealed my much coveted holy grail location of Dogfish Head acquisition: MSM deli. He seemed totally worthy of knowing. Plus, he let me shamelessly promote this blog with minimal (noticeable) eye rolling. Next time I go, some Dogfish Head World Wide Stout damn well better still be there. Just sayin'. 

Hadn't had the Orange Blossom in a year or two, and even though I enjoyed it, pretty sour ale. I used to looooooooooooover it. Meh... movin' on up in the ale world. Single Wide IPA was good. I'm told IPA gets better when you let it warm up a bit. I think I need to sit down and let this phenomenon happen and see what I think. Right now, I just don't know. MGD thought it would be a great beer to try on tap so I take that as a personal mission. Naturally. Oh Siiiiiiingle Wide... where arrrrrrrrrre you?

  

Sat. 8/28

Parkway IPA Festival 2010

Totally popped my cherry on the Parkway IPA Festival Saturday. I was so excited for this event and believe me, they did not disappoint. Got all sexified post workout with Jo for the festivities, walked up 21st/I street and was like "whoa", the place was packed and hoppin'. Then I was like "whoa" because I hardcore tripped over the sidewalk. Fucking Tacoma. Haha, gotta start the night out right I guess.

Got our little blue star wrist stamp and headed right in to the back of the huge ass line. While I hate waiting for most things beer related, it did give me a sec to collect myself. Busted out my itemized IPA list with my top choices bolded for easy referencing. My preparation skills are to be envied, I should be an honorary Girl Scout (hint to Jo). Both pints and 6oz tasters were being served so @ this point my over stimulation hit a leve 5.6 due to the atmosphere, the prospect of getting some hops in my system and calculating just how many we could reasonably consume with no DD. 

I have to stop for a moment and say how much I heart Jo. 

She is always down to do random stuff that I enjoy & come up with, plus she is all kinds of enthusiastic about shamelessly promoting my blog. She wanted me to select her IPAs so that I could have the ultimate experience & try everything I wanted to. Good fwend right there. She's a keeper.

Each trip to the bar resulted in a double fisting. Round 1 left me feeling pretty bummed because my first choice, Elysian Idiot Sauvin, had already blown. DAMMIT. So we just went from there and ordered it all up at random. Didn't see any familiar faces within, so we headed outside. Pulled up a piece of brick and tried to remember what was in our 4 collective hands. This got more humorous as the night progressed. 

However, the Idiot Sauvin had a more divine plan for us. 

Invaded the brick space of the owner of Amocat Cafe and fellow IPA seeker and enjoyer. He happened to have an entire pint of Idiot Sauvin and offered it up graciously amidst my protests that "my lipgloss will effect the flavor! just sayin".  Ended up a threesome all night; talking beer, blogs, and our fave brewers. Had some random friends and family make appearances throughout the evening much to my delight.  It was a great time had by all.

It has to be said with much authority, that sharing tastings is a much easier endeavor with multiple people. We had approx. 15 different IPAs that night, at least that I kept track of. And one mystery pint left on our ledge by a previous group. Yes... I tried it. And have decided that it must be the one and only Our Lady of the Hop Hop Messiah ale we couldn't acquire earlier in the evening (despite the hints of iced tea-ness) Being the bravest one of the group, we'll never really know for sure, will we? So it's my call.

Here's a list of IPA's we were able to try that night (alphabetically of course)

(For non beer aficionados, ABV %: alcohol by volume & IBU: international bitterness units, measures the hoppy bitterness which is important in IPA drinkage for it can create the awesome Tracy IPA face. Sexy.)

• 2 Beers Infused Summer Hop (ABV 7.1, IBU 68)
• Airways First Class (ABV 5.5, IBU 40)
• Black Raven Trickster (ABV 6.8, IBU 67)
• Dogfish Head 90minute (ABV 9, IBU 90; like I wasn't going to have this one, cereal)
• Elysian Idiot Sauvin
• Georgetown Lucille Cask (ABV 7.2)
• Harmon Citra Single Hop (ABV 7.4, IBU 100)
• Hale's Nitro Supergoose (ABV 7.1, IBU 80)
• Hale's Over the Hop (ABV 8.8) Name was fitting, we could barely finish it was over the top/hop/top/hop. Majorly skunkified.
• Maritime Pacific Double Dry Hopped Imperial (ABV 7.5)
• Naked City Hoptrocity (ABV 9)
• Oskar Blues Gubna Imperial (ABV 10, IBU 100)
• Port Brewing Mongo Double (ABV 8.5)
• Southern Tier Randall (ABV 6.9) *this is the only beer I took notes on per Jo's reminder. "Notes: Mild." Yep, that's it. Hahahaha. Apparently I was still in the mind set 'I'm here for research!" After about 5 tastings I swiftly switched to 'I'm here to drink!' Yay for my granola bar dinner, I gotta sort out my food/drinking timing. Chaperones or those w/ sufficient amount of relationship credits to boss me around, feel free to apply within.
• Stone Double Dry Hopped (ABV 6.9, IBU 77)
• Walking Man Homo Erectus (ABV 9, IBU 100)
• Mystery Pint, why not? It's a night of revelry and I have a mouth of steel. Still convinced it was Our Lady of the Hop Hop Messiah...

Overall I call the night a success in my heart of hearts. I spent an hour trying to secure a veggie dog which led to a RedHot like experience I'm trying to get over, made my Tracy IPA face several times. (it's been awhile since that's come out, now that IPA's are befriending my mouth. MGD: you would have loved, they were hardcore faces) Had fun conversations and waxed poetic about Dogfish Head & Schooner Exact. I'm sure a haiku or two were written. Thanks to all who came out, new fwends and old, you made my 1st Parkway IPA Fest a memorable event. Good fwends and good ale go together like all things that are mutually awesome. Can't wait til round 2 next year and my first Barleywine Fest in April! In the meantime, will start thinking about organizing a Non-IPA Fest like all you pansies were talking about for a grip. ;)

Signing off with a happy tipsy smile,

Your pissed liBEERian

P.S. It has to be said that it's probably (definitely) time to call it a night when I've started searching for some lip gloss (B&B Works Liplicious Frozen Daquiri) I had lost weeks ago in the Parkway womens restroom. Good. Night.