Bottle Capping the Subject

The time shall come in every blogger's life when she will say to herself ‘Wow, what the hell have you been doing & WHERE are your priorities?!’ That moment presented itself to this girl at work on Tuesday when a fellow Berry worker (& all-time rock star of a McAwesome friend!) turned to me and said something to the effect of: “What’s up with the blog lady? Did you fall off the ghetto laminated beer map or something?” She doesn’t even really drink beer and even SHE’S calling me out for dropping the blog ball.

Nice.

I made some half-assed joke to MGD a while ago about quitting the blog on my 1 year Anniversary (August 6^th for anyone wishing to send gifts/flowers/beer to commemorate the occasion).  As it turns out, my funny joke (funny to me, not MGD so much) wasn’t all that far from the truth considering my lack of dedication & attention lately. I can’t even whip out my favorite excuse of having a professional photographer boyfriend who puts so much effort into editing etc., that I have to wait quite awhile for pics before I can scribe anything. He specifically carved out a bunch of time to get mucho pictures done for me before he took off for a few months. Totally screwed me over with that one, being all efficient & timely. Guess my persistent hints that he should be doing a few guest blog from the land of the New ZzZzZ’s aren't really coming across as intended.

So even my McAwesome friend, who knows that I’ve been overwhelmed & busier than a busy thing with moving and a zillion other things, now questions my blogginess. Fine. Okay. Fine!

I’m planning a special blog for the 1yr specialness that is my creative outlet & excuse for drinking so much. For now, I’ll leave you with an inside look into my home life. I'm so busy & important that I dedicated the better part of an hour to organizing my cherished (chaotic) bottlecap collection.

Adventures in Bottle Cap Organizing
(Alternate Title: Hell Yeah My Life is Exciting, Try to Keep Up!)

Finally found a big enough container to house all of the caps I’ve collected over the last year.  Although I have some sweet ones that I could have taken pics of (if my fancy smart phone camera wasn't currently broken), I’ll leave you with an internal snapshot of my favorites through the memories they conjured  when I found them.

Rebus'n it up w/ Justin @ Parkway

• Kona Brewing – I have a ton of these, super heart that the inside of each features a Hawaiian translation. My faves: Moana/Ocean, Ola/Life, Honi/To Kiss & Hoa/Friend.
• Rainier – Features those rebus puzzles. I’ve never ordered a Rainier in my life, these caps have all been given to me by Justin Johnson @ Parkway on one random night or another.



My efforts on NYE, 2hrs worth

• Heineken – In Spring of ’10, my roomie traveled to Amsterdam and brought me back a custom made bottle of Heiny. Custom made =’s having my full name printed on the label. For whatever reason, I decided to open & drink this bottle during a BBQ at my house. Twas the same night that MGD & I became an ‘us’. Totally awesome souvenir. Totally awesome night. Totally awesome beginning.
• Dogfish Head World Wide Stout – Long story behind losing the cap and even longer story about how much time I spent looking for it at a New Years Eve party at Amocat Café. Thought it was lost forever but Mr. Alexander (owner of Amocat & doubter of bottle caps existence beneath cooler that night) did find it and then lost it again. Last seen in a 'safe place where I wouldn't lost it' so if you have any information as to it's whereabouts please call 555-JerkDoucheFace.



In NYC, before completion.

• 1403 – Random cap labeled with a little garage sale circle sticker, from the Parkway Pro-Am beer judging event. It was my favorite IPA and did not win. Let's face it, the only thing better than a 1403 is an Ithaca BC Flower Power IPA.
•  Red Stripe – Once I realized there was a Rock/Paper/Scissors game inside the caps, it was on like Donkey Kong. Collected each and every one for the 2 sets while in New York City last winter, except the final one I was missing that I found at Parkway during Full Sail Night. Talk about your epic liBEERian freak out happy dance party.
• Magic Hat Brewing – MGD collected a ton of these for me while on his journey through the United States. They state awesomeness such as ‘Magic Hat won’t make you fat’ & ‘#9 is on my mind’.
• Goose Island – Drank one shortly before boarding my flight home from Chicago. I was going to type why this one is important but I think I’ll keep it to myself. Let’s just say that when I opened the cap, I bent it almost completely in half because I was so distraught.
• Dogfish Head Caps – Well… they get their own special container. I still have big plans for those little guys involving a giant wooden pallet & a power saw.

Needless to say, the collection is still going strong. There are 100’s more where those super nostalgic ones came from and they are all chilling in the kitchen windowsill. Silently waiting for their numbers to grow, reeking of ale & memories & laughter & tears.

If I'm gonna collect something, might as well be small, kewt & easy enough to keep the collection up.

flippin' my lid & yours,
the pissed liBEERian

Tap into Tacoma's Night, Events full of Brewers & an Anniversary bash worthy enough to sail the 7 Seas

Lots of local awesomeness going down this week for your enjoyment and merriment. Free yourself up some free time and hit up one of the following events.

Monday 

Tap Night Tacoma (casks tapped at 6p) Hit up any of the following locations to try some real cask ale and support local loverliness. One of my favorite ongoing Tacoma events.

Red Hot - Black Raven Trickster IPA
Parkway - American Brewing 2x Dry Hopped Breakaway IPA
Doyle's - Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted
Swiss - Fish Tale Reel Ales Starfish Imperial Red
E9 - E9 English IPA

A visit to the Red Hot during a long ago Tap Night. MGD & I somehow had no $ yet a strong desire for cask beer so we made things happen.

Wednesday

There are two brewers nights going down this Wednesday so pick your favorite place (Red Hot & Parkway), brewery (Sound Brewing & Airways Brewing), or just make time to hit up both.

Red Hot: Airways Brewing Night (starts at 6p) Airways will be the featured brewery this evening and have promised the masses an external release (was initially poured during the Airways Taproom Grand Re-Opening event last Saturday) of the Über Hag. I tried the Über Hag at the Taproom party and it was delicious. Über Hag ='s Sky Hag IPA aged in bourbon barrels... yes please & thank you.

and...

Parkway Tavern: Sound Brewing Promo Night (starts at 6p) The following beers will be a pourin' into zee pints: Triple Entendre, Dubbel Entendre, Kopperen Ketel Belgian Pale, Bevrijder Belgian Double IPA, Poundage Porter, O'Regan's Revenge Red and Kristallweizen.

Saturday

The 7 Seas Crew & their stately Queen at Strangebrew

7 Seas Brewing 2 Year Anniversary Bash (12-8p) Head on over to Gig Harbor for the day to celebrate with the fun & talented people behind 7 Seas Brewing. There will be live music, BBQ and of course many a proper pint for you to be holdin'. The event is 21+, cash only and piratey speech is strongly encouraged.

arrrrrrrrgh you going to be there?

the pissed liBEERian

Yeah, I do what I want. & I wanted more beer.

Photographic stylings by none other than the Real Ehm. Gee. Dee.

Happy Scrappy Hero Pups & why MGD is kind of a big deal.

Whilst lounging around the casa recently I had an epiphany-ish moment of sorts. Twas surfing the interwebs of bloggy informative goodness in bed with MGD while watching 'Clerks' and the following scene struck me fast & hard in the funny bone.

[Randal is on the phone when a woman and little girl come to the counter]

'Happy-Scrappy' Mom: Excuse me, do you sell videos?

Randal Graves: Yeah, what're you looking for?

'Happy-Scrappy' Mom: Happy Scrappy Hero Pup.

Randal Graves: Uh, one second. I'm on the phone with the distribution house now, lemme make sure they got it.

'Happy-Scrappy' Mom: 'Kay.

Randal Graves: What's it called again?

'Happy-Scrappy' Mom: Happy Scrappy Hero Pup.

'Happy-Scrappy' Kid: Happy Scrappy!

'Happy-Scrappy' Mom: She loves it.

Randal Graves: Obviously.

[into the phone]

Randal Graves: Uh, yeah, hi. This is RST Video calling. Customer number 4352, I'd like to place an order. Okay, I need one each of the following tapes: "Whispers in the Wind", "To Each His Own", "Put It Where It Doesn't Belong", "My Pipes Need Cleaning", "All Tit-Fucking Volume 8", "I Need Your Cock", "Ass-Worshipping Rim-Jobbers", "My Cunt and Eight Shafts", "Cum Clean", "Cum-Gargling Naked Sluts", "Cum Buns III", "Cumming in Socks", "Cum On Eileen", "Huge Black Cocks with Pearly White Cum", "Girls Who Crave Cock", "Girls Who Crave Cunt", "Men Alone II: The KY Connection", "Pink Pussy Lips", oh, yeah, and, uh, "All Holes Filled with Hard Cock". Yup. Oh, wait a minute.

[to the woman]

Randal Graves: Uh, what was that called again?

Aaaaaaaahahahahahahaha. Ha. Ha. Haaaaaaaaaa. Sigh. So. Effin. Funny. My apologies for the highly inappropriate language used in this scene (if it makes you feel any better, I didn't type it all out and only copy/pasted it from IMDB) but it served it's purpose when I discuss my next point. That point being 'blog search terms'. I find lots of entertainment in how people end up finding the pissed liBEERian blog via key word searches. Here are my favorite findings so far, I wonder why they are all so dirty...

• buzz effing woody
• hot snow bunnies in bed
• is the shocker enjoyable
• getting a happy ending Tacoma
• port-a-potty urinal (ok, that one might be legit due to the lovely picture I took above from TCBF)
• licking ice sculpture dick
• www libeerian sexy girl (hmmm, perhaps not such a 'random' search after all)
• clothing optional abbey house
• the Real MGD Tacoma (I know, right?! Now you get my Happy Scrappy Hero Pup reference from Clerks?)

It super tickles me when we go out to pubs or attend events and people exclaim "You're MGD!" when they see us together. Even better is when we're hanging out with people we've known for quite some time in the local beer community, MGD leaves the conversation and our friends ask me "What's MGD's real name anyways?" Now don't go getting all excited 'cause while I do tell them his name, I'm not revealing his true identity on the blog for public consumption.

After all, he has a reputation to protect. Mine's been a loss for quite some time now.

Here are a few more search terms that I thought were either weird & worth noting:

• I could not finish 2 rounds of beer (this scares me...)
• drinking arm
• apron
• Resco watches (from Downrange to Downtown bitches, love these watches! If you do a Google image search with these keywords, the picture below comes up. MGD possesses dos Resco timepieces and they are my favorite to 'borrow'. He took both watches on his current sojourn so I'm beginning to go through some hardcore withdrawals. Wonder if Resco does loaner watches... I know the owner/watch maker himself, which you'd think would give me an in to the whole loaner thang but probably not so much. He's also kind of a big deal but his taste in beer needs some working on...)

 kind of a big happy scrappy deal,

the pissed liBEERian

(and apparently MGD too)

 Pictoral works courtesy of The Real MGD & Myself

Come party like it's sancitoned by the Mile High Club at Airways Brewing Grand Re-Opening - Saturday, July 9th -

If you haven't met Alex Dittmar (Founder/Brewer) & assorted crew of Airways Brewing Company, I am very sad for you. They are a fun, hilarious bunch to talk beer with and make some amazing brews to boot. Airways has been diligently working on the expansion of their tap room in Kent and this would be as good of a chance as any to head that way for a visit and a pint or two.

The celebration will include not only revelry & debauchery I'm sure, but extended hours (1-9p) and food stuffs from their neighbor, Yukon Grill. In addition to the regular lineup offered (First Class IPA, Sky Hag IPA, Jet City ESB, T-Tail Blonde Ale & Starliner Stout), Airways will be serving the following specialty brews:

• Midnight Departure CDA - brewed for the first time since last summer
• Tickel Your Zwickel - German unfiltered lager
• Maylani's Tropical Stout - Chocolate Coconut Stout
• Über Hag - Sky Hag IPA aged in Heaven Hills Bourbon Barrels

I've yet to walk away from an experience with Airways Brewing (& Mr. Dittmar) not laughing and having experienced a thoroughly great time. I am ashamed to admit that this will be my first time visiting the Tap Room but special occasions & beers bring out even the laziest of folks. Including me. I plan to be there with bells on (plus a few other items) and minions in tow. Below you'll see a few examples of some fantastic moments spent with Airways...

Winter Beer Fest in Seattle

Airways busted out all the stops with their ice sculpture tap handle... thingy. Sick, right?

 

The clips above are from the Airways Brewers Night at Parkway Tavern in Tacoma. I was honored with the task of opening the firkin. I always love it when someone hands me a mallet and tells me to go to town.

In closing I'll just say that I'm really super dee duper (like, public happy dance happiness) stoked about this event and I hope Airways has the crowd and support they've earned and deserve.

I'm Über stoked (again) that even though MGD will be all absent like on party day (super sad face), Alex told me "Sigh. I guess you'll just have to do then Tracy. We'll pour a pint in MGD's honor (almost certain he'd prefer an Über Hag) and let it sit on the counter."

I'm ALSO jazzed because I know that Alex has an amazing memory. Therefore, even though it's months after we met up at the Airways Brewers Night at Parkway Tavern, he will recall that when it comes to work shirts, I wear a size Medium.

Cheers to always keeping things refreshingly Hag-a-licious!

the pissed liBEERian