Belmont Strawberry Blonde

Tonight I'm enjoying a Strawberry Blonde by Belmont Brewing Company of Long Beach, California. 

Fruity, crisp, refreshing, and just lightly sweet, and the big bottles were less than six bucks at the local supermarket. It's a great Summer beer, and I'm having it with some shrimp and red beans & rice. Delicious. 

Stone Chipotle Smoked Porter

Hello all! Seems like it's always been a long time since the last time, so let's just get to it. Here I have Stone brewing's Chipotle Smoked Porter:

Duvel Green Belgian Golden Ale

A few months ago my favorite grocery store shuttered, and since then I've felt like a refugee. My buddy Mario from Arms Armor and Awesome knows I care about the food I buy. He suggested the Whole Foods near his place, which is not uncommon in the Bay Area, but this one had a special treat: a tap room.

Gnarly Wine

It's been a bit of a week, and I thought it would be nice to chill out with a Cappuccino Stout. Turns out I've missed it by a matter of days. But life's not all bad...


...Not in the least. "Tis the season for barley wines, and Lagunitas' Gnarly Wine is on deck. I'm having it with some chicken and a mushroom-asparagus-tomato risotto. This rich, high-gravity brew looks and goes down like candied cherries. My photo doesn't really do it justice, but you owe it to yourself to hold a pint up to the light and admire it before enjoying every velvety sip.

Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout

Since moving to Sonoma County, I've developed a wonderful new relationship with the Lagunitas brewing company. Put simply, what they brew, I drink. I'm experiencing a lot of their seasonals for the first time this year, and when I saw this the other day I couldn't resist:


Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout. How thoughtful of them to combine two things I love into one. Like chocolate and peanut butter, they go together so well. I enjoy stouts, and at first pour I was lost in the oppressive blackness that threatened to jettison my glass from the universe.

The brew is beyond rich. The pale-brown head and bittersweet aroma truly invoke a fresh cappuccino. The beer goes down full-bodied, creamy, and just slightly sweet. I know that coffee beers are nothing new, but this Cappuccino Stout is so finely crafted that it can't be overlooked. Before you have one, I recommend you clear your calendar; it's worth lingering over.

That's a pastrami sandwich on focaccia next to the stout. I don't know why, but lately I've been craving only things like sandwiches and burritos. What does this obsession with lunch mean?

Moylan's Celts Golden Ale

New beer night! My first Monday back to work after a week-long Thanksgiving break felt like it called for a tasty brew. Not that work today was very hard, just a special project I've been wanting to do for a while; I'd even invite you to watch the Under My Thumb gaming blog around Thursday or Friday to see the fruit of my labors. Anyway, let's crack a cold one...


Moylan's Celts Golden Ale. This honey-hued brew is fruit-sweet and buttery, with a lightly hoppy finish. Clean and crisp. I'm having it with shrimp tacos: shrimp, onions, and garlic sauteed in olive oil, lime juice, and Caribbean rum, wrapped in tortillas with roma tomatoes and spring mix greens. I could've gone a little easier on the cayenne pepper.

Pranqster beer isn't fooling around

Can I drop a bad line to start? Pranqster is no joke. While I wait for more permanent housing in California, I am currently shacked up in a low-rent hotel attached to a bar and pizza restaurant. As an occasional Dungeons & Dragons player, it's actually quite entertaining to tell people that I'm "staying at the inn." The advantage is that I'm mere yards away from an excellent selection of beer and liquor. Tonight's experiment is the aforementioned Belgian-style ale from the North Coast Brewing Company (bless their souls!)
I'll admit, I didn't exactly balance this beer well with my meal, as it completely outclassed the cold sausage-and-veggie pizza I had (which, to be fair, was pretty good hot.) I knew by the Pranqster's golden-brown color I was in for something good. It starts with a sweet, citrusy aroma. The beer is very smooth, with a mild bubble. It tastes like honey, and I pick up an aftertaste like wild blackberries. It's a beer to be enjoyed on the porch on a Summer afternoon, a refreshment before dinner with some fruits and cheese. Lovely.