SEAHOPS! And everything else.

It's only been a week, but GUYS, so much has happened!

First, Marshawn Lynch helped the Seahawks destroy the Saints (ok, maybe saying "destroy" is overstating it a bit - we all definitely got very nervous late in the fourth quarter). The Seahawks are now one game away from the Superbowl - but they have to beat the much loathed (and regrettably, not horrible) 49ers first. AH!

All of this also means this city is going nuts. 12th man everything. Ridiculous 12th man Bartells commercials, Seahawk spirit days at work...and well, basically the best thing ever: Marshawn Pinch.

From the Seattle Times: "...a hermit crab at the Seattle Aquarium becomes the 1st Crustacean in support of the team. Marshawn "Pinch" has been fitted with a vending machine souvenir for as long as the team continues winning ways."

Oh Seattle. You always find a way to warm my heart, even amidst your soul-sucking dark mornings and the occasional endless bouts of rain. Maybe that's why I keep coming back for more...

...which leads me to the second thing that happened: I celebrated my one year anniversary of moving back to Seattle on Wednesday! Yep, one year ago, to the date, I left San Francisco, the place that everyone couldn't fathom why I'd ever want to leave, to give Seattle another go. I was both excited and terrified, as so much had happened in that insane year known as 2012. Well, it turns out that 2013 had a lot in store too, with thrilling adventures and long nights of work, weeks of soaring happiness and times of self-doubt. And what does 2014 have in store? A and Ja are describing it as a "yellow-carrot-orange," promising of excitement and big things. Right. Well, um, as they figure out the specifics of what a yellow-carrot-orange year entails, I'll let you know.

Third: one of my favorite places in Seattle - if not my actual favorite beer place at present - was named one of America's 100 Top Beer Bars for 2014! Oh hellz yeah, Draft Magazine finally caught up with what I've known from Day 1: The Sixgill, of Seattle's Fremont neighborhood, is among the best places to get a beer on the West Coast and well, in the U.S. of A. The best part? Ok, the best part after their always phenomenal beer selection, fantastically knowledgeable and friendly staff, and very stellar foodstuffs? The Sixgill has only been open since April 2013. That means, in 9 short months, The Sixgill has established itself among the beer bar elite, the old money of brewski mavens nationwide. So here's to The Sixgill and all its wonderment (as depicted below) - cheers!

Where the magic happens: ah, soooo many great beers on tap, every night.

Ryan, one of The Sixgill's finest, pours a badass brew (unlike the quality of this picture) and writes witty beer descriptions like "unlike fruitcake, this is a beer that will not be regifted."

On the subject of The Sixgill - shocker - I've had the pleasure of enjoying some very tasty beers there lately. One of them was Pelican Brewery's Seahops (5.2% ABV, IBUs unknown, a few more limited details here), which made its debut on Saturday - shocker - for the Seahawks v. Saints game. See, those witty PNW-ers. Marshawn Pinch, Seahops...oh what punny people.

Anyway, I met A, Ja, Co, Cr, and Jo at The Sixgill to watch the game (ok, fine, I showed up an hour early and fought off no one for the prime table for game watching, and they met me at the SG at a much more reasonable time), and well, duh, to enjoy football and beer, and football and beer. The Seahops was a little less hoppy than I'd want my ideal beer to be, but honestly, it was kind of a perfect hop-forward football game-watching brewski. Why's that? Well, football games are long. I'm learning this - that and the rest of the game I suppose (yep, no one wasn't sacked in the envelope this game either) - and what I might enjoy at home after a long day at work or big bike ride may not always be I'd enjoy over the course of four hours of watching football. And at a comparable lower ABV than the typical hoppy beer, the Seahops makes an even stronger case for its status a pretty solid IPA to be swilled while hawking out. Sixgill bonus: you got to enter a drawing for two nights for two in Ocean City, OR and a tour of Pelican Brewery if you purchased a pint during the game! I'll be honest, I know nothing about Pelican Brewery, nor Ocean City. But I do know all about how much I like winning things, so this was a pretty easy sell for me - that, and Ryan saying that it was probably the hoppiest beer they had on tap on Saturday.

While the Seahops - and well, the Seahawks - delivered on Saturday, unfortunately, some beers I've sampled lately just haven't tickled my fancy (my tastebuds? my liver? meh, something somewhere in there). While I prefer to highlight awesome beers I've enjoyed, I also need to remember which ones weren't so stellar, which include (in no particular order, aside from what I pick off my coffee table first, second, and third):

(1) Apocalypse IPA, 10 Barrel 

(6.5% ABV, 65 IBUs, more details here)

So I thought I'd really like this one: a PNW IPA, described as having "a firm bitterness," and c'mon, it's got kind of a cool label. Well, someday I'll learn to be less judgmental of a beer's cover. From my notes: "[This is] a kind of 'light IPA' such that it would be the equivalent of a Bud Lite to a Bud: not horrible, but certainly more watery and of less substance than I'd ever really want my beer." Sorry, 10 Barrel, but you might be overselling the whole apocalyptic beer thing.

(2) Hop Lava, Double Mountain

(7.0% ABV, 75% IBUs, more details here)

Ok, I'm open to giving this one another shot. Maybe I was in a bad mood, maybe my taste buds took a nap and weren't responding to this beer's alleged "hop explosiveness." Maybe this whole review could be symbolic of second chances, or something equally deep and ridiculous. When it comes down to it, I just wasn't really excited about this beer. It was kind of blah, just kind of hanging out there - perhaps akin to a mediocre kisser. Like it's hard to precisely pinpoint what's lacking or going wrong, but it's just not good . And there's definitely a reason why I didn't pick up a second round of the Hop Lava at my most recent visit to Bottleworks (and opted for my beloved Hopnotch by Uinta and a Boundary Bay IPA instead...)

(3) Hop Logic, Highwater Brewing 

(9.5% ABV, 75 IBUs, more details here)

...and on the topic of Bottleworks, please know that - gasp - I'm not uber-boring and always go for tested-and-true brews when I hit up that oh-so-special place in Wallingford. Nope, I try to examine the hoppy beer corner and see if anything new catches my fancy. This time, I decided to give the Hop Logic a go, largely based on its Beeradvocate review saying that the "Hop Logic Imperial IPA is brewed for the true 'Hop Head.' " To follow that logic (ha!), I'd say yes, I consider myself a hop head, and thus yes, I should like the Hop Logic. Perhaps this reasoning wouldn't get high scores on the LSAT (drats, that could explain my poor performance come test day), but wow, I'm either not a "true Hop Head," or this beer is crap. Ok, fine. It's basically brandywine, which I should have been concerned about given the high ABV, but they said...they said...they said it was for Hop Heads! Not brandywine bozos! ARGH. So yep, in sum, this beer was way too heavy, too syrupy, too brandywine-y to even remotely be palatable for me. Never again.

And with that, I'm out. Another week awaits, another adventure to begin. Go Marshawn Pinch, The Six Gill, and Seahops!

Cheers,

N

Unlike fruitcake, this is a beer that will not be regifted.

It's 2014. It's 2014?!?!?!

How did it become 2014 already? As in, almost 30 years ago, I was born. As in I was a little blob of skin and organs who didn't know anything. As in I didn't know my right hand from the left, whether I'd become the President or a plumber (I figure my current position is somewhere smack in the middle - maybe), what the wonderment of the Polar Bear Plunge could be (see right), whether I'd be married at 30 (ha), and if I liked beer, let alone hoppy beer.

Almost 30 years later (I'm going to emphasize almost here), it turns out that I usually can tell my right from left, I probably won't be the President or a plumber (again, I'm thinking my current job is a slightly better fit for my skill set), I loved the Polar Bear Plunge (again, see the photo), it's highly unlikely that I'll be married at 30 (and I'm very much ok with that), and I really like beer, especially (if not almost exclusively) hoppy beer. Hurrah!

So what's in store for 2014? Well, some pretty cool work projects are on the docket, which is always exciting and fun. I plan to do the Seattle to Portland (STP) Bicycle Classic, which yep, means I'll be bicycling from Seattle to Portland (totally classic, right?). I'm doing CityLeague ski racing again this year, and I hope I get in a lot of big snow days. And oh yes, my brother is getting MARRIED! AHH!

Amidst all this wonderment, I also plan to enjoy an assortment of hoppy beers, ideally with an assortment of hoptastic people. And on this fifth day of 2014, I'm happy to report that I've enjoyed the following hoptiful brews (in no particular order):

(1) Workhorse IPA, Laurelwood Public House & Brewery
(7.5% ABV, 80 IBUs, more stats here)
Guys, this one is good. It's got all the hops you'd want without being overwhelming, probably thanks to a nice strong citrus-y finish. It's not low on the alcohol content, but it tastes like a less intensive IPA - again, maybe it's the citrus joy that helps offset the decently high ABV. I'd be willing to say that the Workhorse would be quite splendid in the summer, but maybe that's because of the chilled pint glass I'm enjoying it in right now (thanks D for suggestion! Those Mainers know it all).

(2) Winter IPA, pFriem Family Brewers
(7.5% ABV, 65 IBUs, more stats here)
Ok, Ryan at The Sixgill strikes gold again. Thanks to the "Hoppy Winter Ale Progression" I enjoyed with J last Sunday, I got to discover pFriem's phenomenal brew (by the way, the p is not silent, as I learned). I'll admit, I'm not the biggest fan of winter ales - they just tend to be too heavy, too sweet, too un-hoppy. But "hop-forward winter seasonals" - and a Seahawks win? YES PLEASE! So of the three in this progression, I liked pFriem's brew far more than the others. J said "this is what I'd expect if I ordered an IPA." From my notes: "so tasty, very smooth, and then there's an explosion of wonderment as an aftertaste. Light citrus, something kind of woodsy - and oh, the Seahawks score. This beer is just about as amazing as the Seahawks mowing down the Rams at the end of the 1st quarter." So there you have it. Yay, yay, and to p-FREEAM!

Actually, I want to share Ryan's phenomenal write-up for this equally phenomenal beer: "Cozy up to the fire with a pint of pFriem's Winter Ale and gift your tastebuds with hints of spice, orange zest, caramel, and a touch of spruce tree. You may even sense the subtle notes of fruitcake, which might encourage you to share this winter ale with your family and friends. Rich bold flavors of hops and malt meld with a touch of orange zest and huckleberries. The finish leaves the mouth covered with a trace of caramel cut by an assertive hoppiness. Unlike fruitcake, this is a beer that will not be regifted." (clearly, Ryan knows much more about beer than I do - and is far wittier than I am).

(3) Merry Taj Winter IPA, The Lost Abbey
(8% ABV, IBUs unknown, more stats here)
Ok, this isn't a bad beer. Actually, it's not even close. But I must admit, after having the Merry Taj after pFriem's Winter IPA, I was hoping for something more. Something a little bit more boom boom pow HOPS than a jazzy smooth hey, there, here's a bit of hops, but here's some jazzzz. Here are my notes from last Sunday: "Hoppy but balanced. Definitely more  [than the pFriem] but not what makes you think of a winter ale. Not as hoppy as the previous one, but very flavorful and balanced. Nice slow finish, but not a kapow hop punch. Well crafted, but less flavorful as you drink it." It was still better than the Bifrost ("drinkable but not super flavorful"), and when A and I took to Ballard on Friday and visited The Sixgill's older brother (The Noble Fir), the Merry Taj really wasn't too bad. It just simply wasn't mind-blowingly good.

Other recent fun:
- A growler of Fremont's The Sister Imperial IPA!!!!!! Seriously guys, this is one of the best. Seriously. Get it while you can - and/or propose a special occasion for which we can pop open my growler.

- After going to WildLights with M, St, and Sa last night, St kindly offered me a bottle of Reuben's Brews Imperial Rye IPA. And why did St have this delightfully hoppy but balanced IPA? Because M's dad didn't want it during his visit! Mr. H, if you're reading this (which you might be and yes, I would love you to be a guest poster): next time you're here, you need to try this beer. Yes, it's got a high ABV, and for most beers and breweries, that would mean this brew would border on brandywine material. But Reuben's got it going on, and he knows how to balance an insanely hoppy (and high ABV) beer with...something. Yes, whatever something is, it's good and you can't leave Seattle again without trying it. Or at least, that's my whole-hearted recommendation. 

Cheers!
N

Merry Maine-mas! Also, beer ME.

After quick trip home, G and I hightailed it to Maine to celebrate Christmas with his fiance's family. In sum, it was absolutely wonderful, brimming with family flimflam, holiday merriment, entirely too much food (M's lasagna, S's grilled yams, Christmas cookies and chocolates galore), and snow...

SNOW! And lots of it (especially during yesterday's mini-blizzard). Which made me extremely happy, since well, you can take the girl out of the East Coast, but you can't fully take the East Coast out of the girl...

Amidst the awesomosity that was my visit with my brother, M, and her extended family, beyond the totally rad lobster claw headband I got in my stocking, was the beer - oh yes, apparently the other Portland can deliver too. This was very much helped by the fact that D, M's mom, is a hoppy beer fan as well, so many a good IPAs were had over the course of my visit.

First, I tried Gritty McDuff's Christmas Ale, which is a seasonal favorite from the Portland-based brew pub. At 6.2% ABV and 28.5 IBUs (???!?!!), on paper, I should have hated Gritty's Christmas Ale; with IBUs like that, it may as well be beer-flavored water. But somehow, in some way, this brew definitely tickled my fancy. Beer Advocate's description helps me understand why I could like such a low IBU brew: "Our Christmas Ale is a robust E.S.B. (Extra Special Bitter) full of holiday cheer. Christmas Ale has a lovely, dark red/amber color and a rich, full-bodied, malty taste with a slightly roasted undertone. We brew our Christmas Ale to an original gravity of 1064 (about 6.2% alcohol by volume) using only the finest English Pale and Crystal Malts, with a touch of Roasted Barley as well. A blend of Clusters, Styrian Goldings, Saaz and Yakima Goldings leaf hops round out this hearty brew." Props to Gritty's!

Speaking of Gritty's, G and I hit up one of its downtown Portland locations yesterday afternoon, enjoying a tasty cup o' chowdah and brewskis. This is where I sampled Maine's Best IPA, which is another concoction from Mr. McDuff. At 6.8% ABV and 60 IBUs, you'd think I'd prefer the state's superlative IPA over the - gasp - Christmas Ale. Well, it turns out that Maine beers really shouldn't be judged by their covers (unless they're blueberry beers - more on this in a moment, oy). Maine's Best IPA was fine and perfectly drinkable, but like many things that are fine, it wasn't anything worth writing home about. Still, it was a great pint to enjoy with G...

...after frolicking a bit in the snow and finishing up some post-Christmas Christmas shopping (50% off ornaments from Stonewall Kitchen, what what), we headed over to the Shipyard Brewing Company. G wasn't sure if there were tastings (or any beer available beyond what could be purchased at the beer shop), but lo and behold, upon arriving, the Shipyard Beer Guy announced that there would be a tasting out back in two minutes. The F-kids for the win.

We were led to a back-bar which featured an assortment of Shipyard brews on tap. The Shipyard Beer Guy walked us through the various beers, ranging from some kind of apple-infused beer that thought it was pretty damn cool (its tap had aviators) to a bourbon-brew that G loved and I hated. The worst: Smashed Blueberry, which tasted like what I imagine one of my oddly smelly childhood Cupcake Dolls would taste like if you melted her down into a beer. The Mint Chocolate Stout also was a really strange concoction, tasting as if beer, mouthwash, and mediocre chocolate had been blended all together. Given the former two ingredients, perhaps Ke$ha would have liked it (aka when she wanted to give brushing her teeth with Jack a break).

Shipyard nevertheless prevailed with three awesome brews, in the following order:
(3) Prelude 
(6.7% ABV, 45 IBUs, more stats here)
As Shipyard's winter seasonal ale, Prelude was pretty solid. It was a little heavier than I typically prefer my beers, and perhaps a bit more caramel-ly than I'd usually go for. Nonetheless, its flavor was complex enough to keep my tastebuds entertained, and if you tend to like darker beers with a bit o' hops included (and you're brimming with Maine pride this winter), this could be your brew.

(2) Black IPA
(6.2% ABV, 60 IBUs, more stats here)
Featuring a Captain Sparrow-esque pirate (with beard dreads topped off with sparking dynamite?) on its label, this beer tries to look pretty hardcore - or hopcore? - and it performs fairly well. It's dark, as suggested by the name, but it also has enough hops to make a hophead like me pretty happy. It's got some other interesting undertones (vanilla? coffee? who knows?), which makes the Black IPA a little more adventurous than your traditional IPA...yarrrr.

(1) Monkey Fist IPA,
(6.9% ABV, 74 IBUs, more stats here)
With this one, beer ME (get it - beer Maine (ME)?) anytime. Monkey Fist delivers a jaunty punch of hops alongside a nice, tart grapefruit-y base. If you didn't know better, perhaps you'd even think this hopfest originated from the other Portland, of Beer Nirvana country...woohoo, well done Monkey Fist!

It was pretty tough to say goodbye to G and M, but luckily I know I'll see them soon(ish). Hopefully I'll get the chance to see them before the wedding in August 2014, but at least for now, I've got a pretty swell stockpile of memories, laughs, and stories to keep me going until then. Merry Maine-mas and here's to the almost New Year!

Cheers,
N

Heading home to Heady Topper

Heady Topper.

This increasingly sought-after - and widely heralded - brew has caused all kind of brouhaha (or shall I say...brewhaha? HA HA!) for its small hometown of Waterbury, Vermont. After BeerAdvocate rated Heady Topper as the world's best beer (supplanting long-time favorites Pliny the Younger and Elder from Russian River), its popularity has absolutely exploded. The Alchemist Brewery recently closed its retail operations in order to appease its residential neighbors, who have apparently disliked the "rowdy beer lovers" stampeding Waterbury in pursuit of the fairly rare Heady Topper. People have been busted for trying to sell the beer on Craigslist, a move that sounds fairly ridiculous (sure) but perhaps more accurately reflects the pure demand and the lengths people will go for the illustrious Heady Topper.

Guess whose dad somehow got a four-pack of the good stuff from his ski patrol friends - and who kept that four-pack until his daughter came home for the holidays.

In sum, it was pretty spectacular. It was certainly hoppy (it's a double IPA after all), but not in an overly aggressive manner. You can tell that The Alchemist was thoughtful in producing the Heady Topper, deliberately considering how to balance out heavy hops without sacrificing the beer's delightful bitter undertones with too much sugar or additives. It's a bit citrus-y, but not like you're sucking on a lemon - it's just an additional component of the beer that makes tasting it even more fun. 

I think I still prefer Pliny the Elder - it's been too long - and some of the other PNW brewskis that aren't as highly lauded (Stone's Enjoy By series are stellar, and they're "only" ranked 53rd by BeerAdvocate), but it's quite exciting to see an East Coast brewery go head-to-head with reigning West Coast hop champions. Well done The Alchemist, and most importantly, well done Dad.

Cheers!

N

Sister Christian, oh the time has come

Oh. My.

This beer - The Sister Imperial IPA by Fremont Brewing - is the brew equivalent of a Night Ranger concert (plus Foreigner and Journey).* Translation = epic.

I had the great pleasure of my first Sister sampling on Friday night, as K and I met up with M and L at Fremont Brewery after work. The Sister had the delightful hops punch I love - apparently about a billion IBUs - without being heavy at all. There's been a lot of winter ales circulating around these parts, which is fine and dandy, but they're just not quite my jam. The Sister, however - oh my.

*This I've also sampled, one delightful October night in 2011 with MM. If I had to choose between that concert and The Sister Imperial IPA, well, I'd be facing one hell of a pickle.

Is there any chance that Fremont Brewery would fill up my growler with Sister - perhaps as a Christmas miracle? If you'd like, I can even leave out milk and cookies...and I can make some pretty fantastic cookies. What do you think?

Cheers,
N

It's the hop, hoppiest time of the year!

Yep, Merry Christmas 2013. It's gonna be - and it already is - pretty grand.

You know what else is grand? HOPPY BEERS! And lot's of them. Hurrah!

Last Sunday, we had the first meeting of the Hopheads Unite over Beer (HUB) Club. A, MH1, MH2, and K came over and tried almost all of the beers from my November Half Time delivery. In sum, the beers weren't as hoppy as I hoped they would be (granted, the highest IBU count was 82), but the company was stellar and I discovered a few new brews of interest.

Of the nine we tried for HUB Club, we went in the order of ascending IBUs so we wouldn't automatically ruin tasting the lower IBU brews. We skipped a couple so we could ensure that everyone could try one of the highest IBUers (I'll star those, since, well clearly I tried them later). And here go!

1) Snapperhead IPA, Butternuts Beer and Ale

(6.8% ABV, IBUs unknown, more stats here)

Honestly, I wasn't the biggest fan of this "IPA" (or more aptly: water beer with a dash of hops). Notes indicate "IPA Bud Light" and "good for drinking games." Oh well, you can't win them all.

2) Southampton IPA, Southampton Publick House

(6.5%, 40 IBUs, more stats here)

Well, just in case we weren't sure before: it's confirmed. I don't like low IBU IPAs. They're kind of silly, like MC Hammer Pants.  Notes say "slightly hoppier than [Snapperhead] but still fairly watery."

3) Hopside Down, Widmer Brothers Brewing Co.

(6.7%, 50 IBUs, more stats here)

As the first brew I recognized in the line-up, this Oregon biddy was an interesting one. Notes reveal that it was "again light, but tickles the tongue with some fun hops." There was a bit of a woody aftertaste, perhaps pine. It wasn't my favorite, but at least it was more interesting...and as MH1 so eloquently quoted, "[I'm] sensing a pine tree in my mouth."

4) Big Daddy IPA, Speakeasy Ales & Lagers

(6.5% ABV, 55 IBUs, more stats here)

Oh Big Daddy. You'll always have a fond place in my heart, as I seemed to get you whenever I went to Mojo Bicycle Cafe (a favorite neighborhood haunt near my old place in SF that had EPIC chicken and avocado sandwiches...and don't get me started on their pop-up burger nights. Hmmm). Maybe it was being in SF (and thus I was viewing everything with a hop-tinted glasses), but I thought I remembered Big Daddy being...bigger. Or perhaps they served Double Daddy instead, and I'm simply remembering it all wrong. One fun note: "vanilla aftertaste?" Intriguing.

5) Southern Hops'pitality, Lazy Magnolia Brewing Co.

(6% ABV, 60 IBUs, more stats here)

So I had high hop(es) for this one. The witty name. The pretty bottle. Unfortunately, the cover misrepresented this book, as it had a distinct bad white wine taste. Like bad cheap white wine - oy. MH1 was a bit more kind, indicating that she thought it "wasn't bad enough to send back, but maybe you'd kind of want to." That my friends, is hospitality.

6) Back in Black, 21st Amendment Brewery

(6.8% ABV, 65 IBUs, more stats here)

"Coffee-y, darker, cozy, and lovely" - and MH2 took the can home as a souvenir. This is when I started to get excited, as we were officially out of the < 65 IBU realm...

7) Centennial IPA, Founders Brewing Co.

(7.2% ABV, 65 IBUs, more stats here) 

...ok, maybe I needed to wait a beat more. This beer was fine and "easy to drink, but [it wasn't] anything to write home about."

8) Lake Placid IPA, Lake Placid Craft Brewing Co.

(6.8% ABV, 67 IBUs, more stats here)

The red Adirondack chair. Childhood memories of visiting Lake Placid with the family and going to eat at the Black Bear Restaurant. Trying to race my brother down a paved hill on roller blades, falling hard, and ultimately bruising my tailbone - which then made watching James and the Giant Peach that night really uncomfortable. Anyway. This IPA was smooth, but as A observed, there was "a bit of a bitter aftertaste."

9) Avery IPA, Avery Brewing Co.*

(6.5% ABV, 69 IBUs, more stats here)

Just go for the Dugana instead. It's far better and more enjoyable. The Sixgill used to carry it, and I believe Wallingford's fabulous Bottleworks may now.

10) Islander IPA, Coronado Brewing Co.*

(7% ABV, 75 IBUs, more stats here)

Again, there are just better options from Coronado. Idiot IPA, Hoppy Daze...in sum, opt out if you're an actual hophead.

11) Timber Beast, Lazy Magnolia Brewing Co.

(9% ABV, 80 IBUs, more stats here)

FINALLY! A brew suitable for a hops beast. Notes exclaim "YES!! Delightful!" The HUB Club's unofficial winner! (well, ha, at least for me - others may think differently)

12) Hop Notch, Uinta Brewing Co.*

(7.3%, 82 IBUs, more stats here)

OH MY. Hopfreakingtastic. I need to find more of this wonderment. Oh wait, Uinta has a wonderful little beer search engine...Murphy's Pub, I'll see you soon!

And of course, now that I've finally finished writing about the November Half Time beers, the December ones are on their way. What a bummer...ha.

Cheers!
N

HUB Club (finally) begins!

Starting tomorrow, the Hopheads United over Beer (HUB) Club will have its first meeting of the minds (and livers?) at my place. Hurrah!

On the docket:

CAN'T WAIT!

Cheers,
N