Happy Second Anniversary Swamp Rabbit Party

Just back from the Second Birthday Party for Swamp Rabbit Tap Room, still going on. Filled with people having fun, loud music, and Ben Pierson walking around accepting congratulations. Staff was very busy, big crowd, lots of excellent beer being served (I had the American Pale Ale, very satisfying beer) and all in all, a successful celebration, even without the participation of the sun. Some snaps I managed to take between sips:

Here's to another year!

Cheers!

Friday Quiz

Question for Friday:



https://www.facebook.com/boneyardbeer/photos/a.428597563648.193036.294686673648/10153693939778649/?type=3&theater


Cheers and Happy Easter!

Looking for Love?

Been looking for love in all the wrong places? This might be the solution....

http://www.aleindustries.com/10-Reasons-You-Should-Totally-Date-Someone-Who-Works-At-A-Craft-Beer-Brewery

Whiskers on Kittens? D9 Brewing has them.

The Community Tap was the scene of a tap takeover by D9 Brewing from NC, a new brewery to me. Well known for their sours (and they were pouring 3 of them) they also include International IPAs, Ancient Sour Ales, Cascadian Dark Ales and various imperial and oak aged beers. The three sour ales pictured are all hop-free, a mind-blowing achievement, especially since they were all very good sours.

I want to visit their brewery, just north of Charlotte in the very near future, to get more experience with their beers. And to complement them on achieving success with weird beer names; Whiskers on Kittens??

Hop-free ales.... who knew!

D9 beers available at the takeover.

Cheers!

First Farm to Forge Event: Fabulous Time

Just back from the Inaugural Farm-to-Forge Dinner and Beer Tasting with Fireforge Crafted Beer at Greenbrier Farms. Very memorable affair with consistently good beers, wood fired oven pizzas, lively music from My Girl, My Whiskey and Me, and to top it off, Smores from the fire pit! Since this was the first ever ‪#‎FarmtoForge‬ event, and my first visit to the farm, I wasn't sure what to expect but I can unhesitatingly say that it is one of the best affairs I've attended in recent years and if there's another next year, I'm gonna be there. 

Beers available (all mid-6% abvs) were a Fires of Helles Helles Boch; Napoleon Passion Imperial Florida Weisse, a sour German wheat with lots of passion fruit and pomegranate that was just so deliciously tart; Spirito Santo, a grapefruit and orange IPA that brought out the Pacific Jade hops; and The Fixer, a smoked baltic porter that was perfect with the Smores! 

Great beer, great food and of course, great people, all part of our exemplary craft beer community (Mike Okupinski was there helping pour, taking time away from the The Community Tap). Glad to be a part of it. Some photos to whet your appetite for the next one.... don't miss it!

http://www.greenbrierfarms.com/

Brian and Nicole welcoming crowd, while band tunes up.

Part of the lucky, sold-out crowd.

Kristina Mayberry serving that smoked baltic porter.

Brian announces dinner time in an old school way.

Fresh out of the oven pizzas went fast, but good beer makes waiting just fine.

Line for the pizza. Two ovens kept it moving along nicely.

Now that's fresh pizza!!

Travis tasting one of the FireForge beers, Danny photobombs.

Mike Okupinski took time out from pouring to enjoy some pizza and porter.

S'mores were the dessert, an ideal pairing with the smoked porter.

My Girl, My Whiskey and Me performed their remarkable medley of styles and speeds!

 Cheers!

River Rat Come to Town

While at Upstate Craft Beer Co. today, preparing to bottle my latest collaboration ( a session IPA, with Jason Uhrinek), met Nate Warner from River Rat Brewery who was taking tap hostages for the evening's tap takeover. Dang, didn't get a t-shirt, tho.

 Cheers!