Some kind of draft cider. With cinnamon. I needed a couple things at the store so decided to sip and shop. I wasn’t a fan but it was $2 for a pint. And I came home with interesting groceries.

This.

Goose Island is drinkable, but only just. So much better stuff out there, even from the macrobreweries. I far prefer Great Lakes to Goose, for example.

As for tonight for me, Founders Backwoods Bast@rd. Boozy, rich Scotch ale. Drinks almost like a bourbon barrel aged stout. Also sundry IPAs (love taster flights!).

True, but that's a pretty damn low bar! haha.

I was in China all last week and finding good beer there is very difficult since most places only have their domestics Tsingtao and Yanjing, neither of which are very good IMO.

Back at home, Saint Arnold's latest seasonal, Spring Bock has hit the shelves. It's one of my personal favorites of their seasonals so grabbed a 6 pack today.

Man, I've wanted to go down to their can releases so badly. Just the most horrible times for someone who lives up in Baltimore. I'm super jealous.

Pliny the Younger tomorrow! Philly here we come!

super easy to find, too.

Hooter Brown from Oyster City Brewing. Not my favorite of theirs, but I hope to visit the brewery tomorrow if I can talk the wife into a drive to Apalachicola.

Somehow my favorite local bottle shop in RTP got their hands on a couple cases of beers from Maine Beer Company:

Lunch (favorite MBC - never had Dinner though)
a tiny beautiful something (first time trying - quite good)

I was only able to get a couple bottles of each but still amazed they even got some in the first place.

Well.... I don't care for "light" beer, but I will gladly drink Budweiser, Heineken, Asahi, Singha, Beer Lao, Bia Saigon, etc. or any of a myriad of plain jane local rice beers over the vast majority of craft beers. I quite enjoy the refreshing taste of these types of beers. That said, I much prefer many but certainly not all craft IPAs and double IPAs. As I've been in SEA for 3 months now, the pint of Coronado Brewing Idiot IPA I had in Bangkok for US$15:eek: the other day is making me homesick. :)

Tasted the Maine Lunch today. Was underwhelmed; had Bell's Two Hearted instead.

Haven't had the Bell's Two Hearted - will put it on the short list to try soon

Our favorite local bar had it on tap last weekend. I drank a few while we were there.

Spring training weekend.

Today: Four Peaks Kilt Lifter bomber. Better than I remember it being.

Yesterday: $11 PBR bomber :D

I tried a concord grape gose yesterday afternoon. I think it was from Founders. I normally like sour beers but this was horrible. Concord grape is just too sweet to make a sour beer. Fortunately it was just a taste and Funky Buddha has released the February batch of Last Snow toasted coconut coffee porter.

A growler of Mangrove Wheat (mango flavor) from Oyster City Brewing. I'm lucky I live 90 minutes from Apalachicola or I would be at the brewery every night. And day.

Had a tasting with a work colleague yesterday:

Pliny the Elder
Treehouse Green
Treehouse Julius

First time having Treehouse and it fully lived up to the hype. Could drink any of those three anytime anyplace.

Starting Friday night out with a CA-UK trio of:

Ballast Point Sculpin IPA
The Kernel Citra Galaxy IPA
Weird Beard Black Perle (stout)

The Ballast Point was the only one I've tried before. After a glass of all three, I think we all need more samples to pick a winner :)