Decision 2016: What We're Drinking On Election Night

Daniel Ford: I figured I might as well try to start a thread while I'm refreshing my Twitter feed every few minutes.

Is anyone drinking tonight? And if so, what's on the Election Night cocktail menu? And if you're not, what is wrong with you?

Lindsey Wojcik: For Election Night, I'm turning to the drink that has comforted me through many moments in my life—be it celebratory milestones or trying times—red wine, specifically a Malbec or Pinot Noir. It has yet to fail me, and I know I'll be soothed through the coverage of this stress-inducing election with my standard drinking buddy by my side. If the results call for celebration, a bottle of rosé may be popped. #RoséAllDay, no matter the season, in my opinion.

Dave Pezza: I’ll be drinking what’s left of the bottle of Bushmills Irish Whiskey that was abandoned at my house like an off-brand condom wrapper. I loathe Irish whiskey, and yet someone brought it to my house with the worst best intention. It won’t be the only thing I’ll have to choke down this evening.

Daniel: I finished off my Jefferson's a few weeks ago, so I may have to turn to Rough Rider. Over/under on number of glasses it takes me to cry out, "Bully!": Three.

And if things go sideways, it's on to Basil Hayden's. Beer just doesn't seem like enough for an election like this. Gary, what do you think I should drink?

Thanks for playing, Gary!

Also, you know the republic is in trouble when Dave Pezza has turned to Irish whiskey.

Gary Almeter: Since it's #TacoTuesday I am going to purée some tacos and drink those.

Dave: Oh Gary, where would we be without saints such as yourself? Don’t ever change.

Sean Tuohy: I’ll be drinking a case of Capri Sun.

Alex Tzelnic:

No, really, found Suntory at the liquor store in Union Square, and I plan on holding this pose all night long.

Alexander Brown: I'll be drinking half a bottle of Maker's Mark because, yikes, this election.

Daniel: No Labatt? Or Steam Whistle?

Robert Hilferty: I'm convinced we're all in an episode of the “Twilight Zone”/”Black Mirror,” and this election will literally never end. No matter what I drink tonight we'll all wake up and the election cycle will begin anew. Forever.

Robert Masiello: I'm going to an election watch party at a bar near me. There are two cocktails on special:

Nasty Woman: Gin, Cocchi Rosa, Benedictine, lemon, grapefruit and simple syrup garnished with a lemon swath

The Orangeman: Glendalough Double Barrel, Averna, Orleans bitters, lemon and simple syrup shaken with a rosemary sprig and orange swath

Times like these that I love living in Massachusetts.

sometimes I love living in Massachusetts. Drinking the night away and awaiting results with @omandica

A photo posted by Rob (@rjmas8) on Nov 8, 2016 at 4:20pm PST

Share your own Election Night drink of choice by tweeting us @WritersBone or writing on our Facebook wall. 

Happy Hour Archive

Shaken or Stirred? A Cocktail Menu of Writing Styles

Editor’s note: Every Friday deserves a fun, boozy question. I asked the Writer’s Bone crew to choose a cocktail that best describes their writing style. I couldn’t be happier with the results (which included a segue involving roosters). Trust me, this is group you’d want to drink and write with! Imbibe and keep writing!—Daniel Ford

Alex Tzelnic: Sex on the Beach because... Okay, fine. I'm going to go with rye, neat because I'm wry and neat.

Rachel Tyner: Wine, because I avoid it like the plague.

Sara Silvestri: A Dark and Stormy because I don't write much anymore, but when I did it was always something emotional.

Daniel Ford: I'd choose a Boilermaker (Budweiser with a shot of Jim Beam) because at the moment writing feels like writing in a coal mine. Nothing makes you forget your black lung like a Boilermaker.

Stephanie Schaefer: Sangria. I tend to keep my writing light and refreshing with hints of sass throughout. Naturally, there's a time and place for more serious work, but overall I'd say I favor light-hearted conversational pieces.

Matt DiVenere: Long Island Iced Tea. I've written about nearly anything and everything you can imagine; from the number of roosters legally allowed in a residents yard in Vermont to a murder-kidnap on the police beat to "How to Get the Taylor Swift" look for a Midwestern fashion and jewelry company. Oh, and sports.

Alex: So what is the number of roosters?

Matt: If I remember correctly, in Essex, you can have two in a fenced in yard. But it was being revisited when I left. #vermontproblems

Lindsey Wojcik: If I'm going to drink and write, my favorite writing buddy is a bottle of red. Something about the tannins of a red eases any insecurity I have staring at that blank page, and they really get the creative juices flowing. Really? No. I just love a delicious, moderately priced red wine, usually Malbec or Merlot, soothing music, and the ambiance of a lit candle on the side of my blinking curser. Drinking and writing, for me, comes with a warning label though: I must drink in moderation. Otherwise, after two paragraphs, I'm drunk and dancing to whatever music accompanied me in the background. 

Jenna Casey (graphic designer and Writer’s Bone newbie): Second Circle (port, bourbon, and maple syrup). Dark, (slightly) dramatic, a little cynical, but in a funny way. Maybe not a funny “ha, ha” way. But it’ll make you laugh. Or cringe.

Jesse Ackerman (also a graphic designer and Writer’s Bone newbie): Water because if I drink with my current creative situation all hell will break lose and I like my freedom.

Robert Masiello: My writing style would definitely be a tequila shot. I don't do much pre-writing planning or organization, and I'm a huge procrastinator. I just sit down and force it all out of me at once, the same way you just gotta force back a shot in one motion.

Happy Hour Archive

Friday Happy Hour: Newport Storm Brewery

Photos courtesy of Clare Simpson-Daniel

By Daniel Ford

We may have had a ton of storms in New England so far this year, but I guarantee that none of them were this tasty.

Rhode Island’s Newport Storm Brewery offers beer drinkers everything from its Hurricane Amber Ale to its Rye of the Storm IPA.

The brewery’s PR guru Clare Simpson-Daniel recently answered some of my questions about the brewery’s history, its selection of beers, and which of their brews would be a viable Presidential candidate in 2016.

Cheers!

Newport Storm Brewery

DF: Can you give us a little background on the brewery’s history?

Clare Simpson-Daniel: It isn’t surprising to hear that four guys from college came up with an idea to start a brewery. What may be surprising is that these guys are all still great friends and the brewery is still growing after more than a decade. Coastal Extreme Brewing (or The Newport Storm Brewery as we are known by many) was the dream of Brent, Derek, Mark, and Will. These four spent their years at Colby studying the science that would help them understand how to make beer while also doing the “sampling” that would make them love beer. In 1997, staring at graduation and a life just working in “a job,” the idea was hatched to start a brewery.

Over the next 18 months information was gathered, plans were written, investors were begged, and skeptics were grown as the founders pressed forward with their dream. In April of 1999 they moved into their two, 2,500-square foot garage bays in the Middletown, R.I. tradesman center. Concrete was cut, used equipment was found, and on July 2, 1999 the brewery’s first beer, Hurricane Amber Ale, was released. Since then, the brewery has continued to slowly build itself and its reputation. In 2002, the brewery expanded into an additional 1,000 square feet. In 2006, they started Newport Distilling Company to make Thomas Tew Rum, utilizing much of the same equipment and bringing back this historic practice to the area. Perhaps the biggest event of all came in 2010 when the brewery and distillery built a brand new facility in the North End of Newport, which increased the company’s square footage to 10,000, allowing the guys to build a beautiful visitor’s center and tour deck. It was also their first opportunity to upgrade their equipment from when they first started in 1999.

Much has happened since 1999. In the past 15 years the brewery has made up to 60 different varieties of unique craft brews. They helped pioneer the idea of making limited release beers in 1999 and did the same with canned beer in 2004. Thousands of people have visited the facility and many more have had the opportunity to try our unique beer throughout Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maine, and Massachusetts. Through it all, the focus continues to be making quality, unique, local beers for our fans. As in the beginning, Brent, Derek, Mark, and Will hope you enjoy their beers as much as they enjoy making them.

DF: How involved are you in the community and how has the city/state embraced your beer?

CSD: Newport, R.I. is an exciting place all on its own. It is home to an outstanding St. Patrick’s Day Parade and is a major Northeast destination for amusement-seeking summer tourists. Add in a great local beer, and the good times roll! On day one, the Storm crew started bringing fun and entertainment to the streets and venues of Newport. It wasn’t long before they learned how to direct that fun to the support of good causes. By donating beer, ingenuity and time, the crew helped raise more than $100,000 for area non-profits and had a blast doing so!

Here are our Brewmaster Derek Luke’s thoughts on the Rhode Island craft beer scene from a recent interview with The Newport Daily News on Rhode Island beer culture:

“I think that Rhode Island itself hasn’t really come around as a general-populace state that respects beer…and that’s where all these new breweries, big or small, I think will help out. It was Newport Storm that carried the torch for 12 years, and if the beers that we produced weren’t necessarily in somebody’s flavor wheelhouse, then they shied away from us. Where now, say, Ravenous Brewing Co. (in Woonsocket) has a really great coffee milk stout, so someone may be like, ‘Oh, I want to try that.’ So it helps Rhode Island craft beer, I think, or at least there’s the hope. When you look around at a lot of the restaurants, I think they could do a little bit of a better job getting behind the local brewery scene, but being in sales for a while I also know there’s some politics behind. If the customer demands it, and the brewer makes great beer, then it’s a win-win.”

The Newport Storm crew at the Newport Folk Festival

DF: Give us a quick tour of the different beers you offer. What brew would you recommend for a newbie?

CSD: In our 15 (nearly 16 years) of operation we have handcrafted close to 60 varieties of beer. Our year round staples consist of our Hurricane Amber Ale (flagship, great session, not too bitter, not too malty), India Point Ale (an IPA style of beer made with local Rhode Island hops), and Rhode Island Blueberry beer (refreshing kolsh ale with fresh Rhode Island blueberry juice!). Our seasonal line up consists of a Spring Irish Red Ale, Summer Hefeweizen, Pilsner, R.hode I.sland P.umpkin, Oktoberfest Marzen Lager, Winter Porter, and Smoked Porter. Our Cyclone Series, now a retired line up, consisted of 26 beers named alphabetically like a Hurricane Season whose names alternated boy/girl/boy/girl and each style of beer was completely different from the last. Names for these beers came from family members, friends, investors, and previous employees. Now that this series is retired we are venturing into barrel aged beers as well as limited release four packs. To this day, our barrel aged beers have all be 22 ounce bombers and styles have been infRIngement (a Russian Imperial Stout) and Mass HysteRIa, (a double IPA). Our four packs have been Wham! Bam! Van Damme (a Belgian Pale Ale) and Rye of the Storm, (a double rye IPA).

We also have an annual release series that comes out every November. These beers are packaged in 9.4 fluid ounce bottles and we only make 3,000 of them to distribute. The beers range anywhere from 10% to 15% and there is no set style. We usually try to come up with a theme, unique idea, or particular flavor we like to build the ingredient list for this beer. For example, our crew loves coffee and chocolate so for the Annual Release ’13 we created a kind of espresso stout which contained fresh ground coffee beans, chocolate malt, roasted.

A collection of storms we wouldn't mind weathering. 

DF: Your 2014 annual release “snow beer” would have been right at home in New England at the beginning of 2015. Any insights yet into what 2015’s release will be?

CSD: Unfortunately I cannot divulge any specific details about this brew. What I can say is get ready for a sweet and savory surprise!

DF: What’s your brewery’s biggest brewing mishap? What lessons did your brewers learn from a bad recipe or mistake?

CSD: We’ve been pretty lucky as far as mishaps go (knock on wood) there have been the occasional over-fermentations. For example, CO2 run offs from our fermenting tanks where we’ve lost some really great yeast strains for fermentation. Also there was the time our brewmaster went to add Cascade hops into a tank fermenting our summer Hefeweizen not knowing the pressure valve hadn’t been shut off so we had a yeast waterfall run down the tank. But other than that we’ve been able to keep everything in check!

DF: If we were in Prohibition times, do you think your brewers would be bootleggers?

CSD: I would think no, but our brewmaster Derek did brew beer out of his dorm room at Colby College…

DF: Since we’re gearing up for another presidential election, if you were going to run one of your beers for President, which one would it be and what would your campaign slogan be?

CSD: Rye of the Storm: A spicy SOB all its own.

DF: What are your plans for growth and what does the future look like for Newport Storm?

CSD: While many of our competitors have focused upon growth at all costs, we remain dedicated to our staying small approach focusing on freshness and quality. That’s not to say that expansion is the enemy, since moving to a larger facility in 2008 to keep up with demand, we have gone from a starting production of 400 barrels in 1999 to a yearly maximum of 4,000-plus in 2013. It’s all about remaining personal while coping with demand. When we first began we were bottling by hand, now we’re producing roughly 800 cases of beer in every run with a fully automated bottling line. We’ve had to find that balance between growth while remaining true to the spirit of the craft beer movement. The most important thing for us to recognize is that a great deal of planning goes into expansion; shipping needs, beer allocation, promotions, and licensing to name a few. To do it right takes a great deal of commitment, not only by our crew, but by the wholesaler we partner with.

DF: Can you name one random fact about your company?

CSD: The first beer we ever brewed is the Hurricane Amber Ale. To this day it still remains one of our best-selling beers whose recipe, created in 1999, still remains the same. Also the name for this beer comes from the 1938 Hurricane that swept through and took Aquidneck Island (Newport, R.I., Middletown, R.I. and Portsmouth, R.I.) by storm!

To learn more about Newport Storm Brewery, visit the official website, like the brewery’s Facebook page, or follow it on Twitter @NewportStorm.

Happy Hour Archive

Friday Happy Hour: Mikkeller 1,000 IPA Beer Review

By Danny DeGennaro

After discovering the glut of excellent beers at Shep's in St. Pete, I was inspired to check out some hop bombs from across the pond. I haven't looked this up, but my guess is that it's 1,000 theoretical IBUs? Mikkeller doesn't do anything halfway, especially when it comes to failure.

The pour is an esoteric shade of dirty amber, more Dubbel than DIPA. Tons of sediment (Mikkeller's yard stick when it comes to bang for your buck-ness). The head and the lacing are both outstanding, though.

I brought the beer outside and honestly it smells like a malty wreck. Truly the wreck of the S.S. GiMALTer (sorry). Lots of toasted caramel and off-putting sugary notes, but with some pungent resin on the back end.

The taste is intense, and dispels any doubt that this is or isn't a fresh DIPA. There isn't actually a ton to report on here; this is bitter as fuck. My hoppy adjective bank is overdrawn—this is simply a stupidly hoppy beer. From the outset it's blow after blow of nearly characterless bitterness. There's some herbaceousness I guess, but only as a formality. It took everything the malt had to be present in the nose, 'cause it doesn't even make a cursory appearance in the taste.

The arms race to be the hoppiest brewer is long over in my opinion; it's trivial to unveil a triple IPA, or a Mean Manalishi, or Hopsickle clone. Single hop varieties are where it's at, preferably without the volume cranked to 11.

This isn't a bad beer, but it lacks balance and defining character. In the wake of all of Mikkeller's smaller, single hop beers, this seems anachronistic—a gauntlet throw down to challengers who aren't even playing the same game. Worth a try if you're feeling a little masochistic or need an alpha acid fix, but don't expect divinity, or even tact for that matter.

Happy Hour Archive

Happy Hour Friday: 3 Movie-Themed Drinking Games to Enjoy With Your Drunkest Friends

By Sean Tuohy

What is better than sitting around with your friends and drinking some beer and watching a movie? Maybe having a real life, but since none of us on the Internet can do that let's play some drinking games! The games below are our favorite movie-themed drinking games. All you need is booze, a DVD, and some friends who don't mind when you throw up on their shoes.

Feel free to share your own drinking game in the comments section or tweet us @WritersBone.

Cheers!

"Die Hard"

Watching this classic action thriller in your boxers is more fun when you're blasted.

Booze needed: Beer, whiskey, Jägermeister

Rules:

• Drink beer any time "Christmas" is said
• Take a shot of whiskey whenever Bruce Willis kills a terrorist
• Take a shot of Jägermeister whenever the German terrorist kills someone
• Drink beer whenever something blows up
• Chug a beer when you hear the catch phrase "Yippee Kay Yay"

"The Notebook"

Most men need copious amounts of alcohol to get through "The Notebook."

Booze needed: Wine coolers, fruit-flavored vodka

Rules:

• Drink a wine cooler any time the two main characters kiss
• Down a shot of vodka when they kiss in the rain
• Chug a wine cooler whenever the old woman gets lost
• Take three shots of vodka during the "sex scene"

"Super Troopers"

First off,  I made this game up with my friends when we were still high school. This cop comedy is great, but its even better with a lot of barley and hops.

Booze needed:  Beer. A lot of beer.

Rules:

• Drink any time "cup the balls" is said
• Drink any time "meow" is said
• Drink whenever you see a naked body
• Drink when you hear the word "enhance"

Happy Hour Archive

Friday Happy Hour: Our Favorite Bars of All Time

Thirsty yet?

Does this happen whenever you walk into your favorite bar?

You’re probably not as funny as Norm Peterson, but you probably feel more at home in your preferred drinking establishment than you’re actual place of residence.

The Writer’s Bone crew got together and discussed their favorite watering holes recently. Here’s what they came up with:

Oblivion Taproom

Orlando, Fla.

Danny Degennaro: Stupidly good selection of rare brews, great food, awesome service, and free pool.

Hemingway's Lounge

Hollywood, Calif.

Hassel Velasco: Great drinks, better atmosphere. The walls are lined with books and typewriters.

Captain America

Dublin, Ireland

Lisa Carroll: Reaching back to my “drinking” days I'd have to go with this bar where I was schooled in Gaelic. I was studying at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in the summer of 1990 and we went out to Captain America’s and saw a sign that advertised their 4th of July party "Great American Crack!" I was in shock that “crack” was legal in Ireland. Little did I know it was supposed to be "craic," which is Gaelic for “fun.” Funny thing about Ireland is that Bud is an imported beer! Thank God I love Guinness, Smithwick's, and Harp!

Ulysses

New York City

Daniel Ford: I could have easily chosen Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden in Astoria, N.Y. or the Connolly's on Madison Avenue that the JCK magazine crew used to frequent.

However, I have to choose Ulysses on Pearl Street in Downtown Manhattan. Great beer, great atmosphere, and live music on Saturday nights. The other Ford brothers came down for my birthday one year and that's the bar we went to. I also once saw the U2 cover band, 2U, there one Saturday night and they rocked my face off. Great memories.

But it is a bitch to get to if you live in Queens.

Rí Rá Irish Pub

Burlington, Vt.

Matt DiVenere: This is the perfect spot to start your night. Moderate prices, pretty good DJ, cheap jello shots, and PBR pounders. Did you stick to the floor when you walked around that place? Yes. When you went to find the bathroom in the basement, did you feel like you would never see your friends again? Of course. But it is glorious. And I'm a sucker for a good Irish pub.

And recently they just added a second bar in the back of the establishment called The Whiskey Room, which only has the finest whiskeys. And I'm not talking Jack Daniels and Jameson. It's fantastic.

Happy Hour Archive

Friday Happy Hour: Southern Tier Brewing Company

Southern Tier Brewing Company

By Lindsey Wojcik

The dog days of summer are upon us, and there’s no better way to end a humid, sun-filled day with a cold beer in hand. Southern Tier Brewing Company understands this and touts its newest seasonal brew—fittingly named Farmer’s Tan—as the beer to grab at the beginning of a summer evening. Plus, Farmer’s Tan pairs well with traditional barbecue fare like hot dogs, burgers, and grilled foods. What could be better?

Phineas DeMink, founder, president and owner of Southern Tier, along with the company’s graphic designer, Nathan Arnone, takes Writer’s Bone on a tour of the brewery’s history and beers.

Cheers!

Lindsey Wojcik: Tell us about Southern Tier's history and how you started brewing.

Phineas DeMink: I first started home brewing while going to college. It quickly became an obsessive hobby for me. Every weekend, my roommate and I would make five-gallon batches of beer on our stove. Shortly after finishing school, I found a magazine article about a course you could take to become a professional brewer. At the time, it seemed like a great way to defer entering the workforce. I headed out to California to take the class. That's where I was able to network and get my first professional brewing job at the Ellicottville Brewing Company in New York.

While in Ellicottville, I met my business partner and wife, Sara, who was also working at the brewery. After four years at EBC, I decided to go back to school at the Seibel Institute of Technology to further my brewing education. Upon graduation, I took a job with the Goose Island Brewing Company. I worked there from 1998 to 2002. Sara and I decided to leave the Chicago area and head back to her hometown of Lakewood, N.Y., to start a business and family. In early 2003, the Southern Tier Brewing Company was born.

LW: Give us a quick tour of the different beers you offer. What brew would you recommend for a newbie?

PD: We make around 30 unique beers throughout the year. For those just starting out, I'd recommend our lightest and newest beer. Farmer's Tan is a session (low abv.) India Pale Ale. It's not high in alcohol, not too bitter, but it has enough of a hop bite for an initiation.

LW: I'd consider Pumking the king of pumpkin brews. What's the secret to this wildly popular brew?

PD: It's a secret, of course! Joking aside, it's a flavorful beer that is released for the fall season, so it is limited in availability. We've worked really hard to perfect the recipe to make beer taste like pumpkin pie, right down to the spices and crust flavor.

LW: What was your biggest mistake brewing? What lessons did you learn from a bad recipe or brewing mishap?

PD: Trial and error is not necessarily a mistake. Learning by doing is the only way to learn. Taking notes and remembering to refer back to those notes for next time is a lesson. But they have it right when they say "just do it."

LW: Your logo has four distinct symbols. What is the meaning behind each symbol and how does it convey Southern Tier's mission?

Nathan Arnore: The logo is made of several symbols, each with significance. At the top we have a hop cone, one of the essential ingredients in beer. Below this we have two pieces of brewing equipment, the mash paddle, or rake, and a shovel. Outside and around the logo are grains, another important ingredient, and between this and the equipment you'll notice a circle. This represents the brewing vessels, as well as the glass. The bottom-most piece is the brewer's star. This is an age-old symbol of brewing purity, originating in Germany in the 1500s. The six-pointed star represents pure ingredients; water, hops, grains, malting, yeast, and, of course, the brewer.

LW: Southern Tier is inching its way to become one of the top 25 craft brewing companies in the country, recently moving into the No. 31 slot, according to USA Today. What are your plans for growth and what does the future look like for Southern Tier?

NA: We are constantly making improvements to the brewery for a variety of reasons. First and foremost is to maintain high quality products. That is our number one goal. But we also have a need to increase capacity, but never to sacrifice the liquid. So most every addition to the brewery relates back to improving production and therefore improving the beer.

LW: If you were in Prohibition times, do you think you’d be bootleggers?

NA: Haha! Well, after all, beer is the drink of the people, is it not?

LW: If you were going to run one of your beers for President, which one would it be and what would your campaign slogan be?

NA: I'd run UnEarthly for President. It's an Imperial India Pale Ale. We'd use the campaign slogan "A Pint in Every Hand."

LW: Name one random fact about your company.

NA: We replanted more trees on our property than we removed to make room for our brewery.

To learn about Southern Tier Brewing Company, check out the brewery's official website, like its Facebook page, and follow it on Twitter @stbcbeer.

Happy Hour Archive

Friday Happy Hour: The Best Drunken Movies of All Time

"Frank the Tank! Frank the Tank!"

The Writer’s Bone crew got together to discuss what the best drinking movies and the best movies to get drunk to. This is the result. Cheers!

"Old School"

Daniel Ford: I remember seeing “Old School” in college with my buddy Steve-O and him laughing so loud I thought my ear drums were going to explode. When the movie ended, but didn’t really end because there was one more scene, Steve-O shouted to some of the departing audience, “It’s not fucking over!” One of the top movie-going experiences of my life. It’s tough to choose my favorite scene from the movie, but Mitch’s drunken wedding toast speech is pretty stellar.

Drunken Quote: “True love is hard to find, sometimes you think you have true love and then you catch the early flight home from San Diego and a couple of nude people jump out of your bathroom blindfolded like a goddamn magic show ready to double team your girlfriend...”

"Sex and the City"

Stephanie Schaefer: Although it's not necessarily a "drinking movie," the “Sex and the City” series, and the films that followed, led to a slew of 20-, 30- and 40-somethings all over the country ordering Cosmos at happy hour. Although the first movie definitely wasn't as good as the series, it was still a fun excuse for a girl's night (although since we were teenagers, my friends and I celebrated with "mock-tails"). And as far as “Sex and the City 2” goes, you had to have a drink (or two, or three) just to get through the terrible plot and ridiculous outfits.

Drunken Quote: “Why did we ever stop drinking these?"

"Swingers"

Matt DiVenere: I think about “Swingers” being on while me and my friends were pre-gaming my junior year of high school to this day. True story: I can recite the entire video game sequence from “Swingers.”

Drunken Quote: “This place is dead anyway.”

"Die Hard With A Vengeance"

Sean Tuohy: Heavily armed terrorist versus a crushingly hungover John McClaine

Drunken Quotes: FBI: “Anybody following you at all? Any kind of surveillance, telephone, house, anything unusual at all?” John McClane: “Well, now that you mention it, I have experienced a, you know, like a burning sensation between my toes. I thought it was just some athlete's foot or something.”

"Inception"

Rachel Tyner: The only time I ever drank before seeing a movie was when I saw Inception which was a horrible idea.

Drunken Quote: “I'll tell you a riddle. You're waiting for a train, a train that will take you far away. You know where you hope this train will take you, but you don't know for sure. But it doesn't matter. How can it not matter to you where that train will take you?”

"Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"

Daniel: I’m bending the rules “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” is more about drugs than booze, but fuck it, it’s my website.

I read the book and watch the movie before every trip to Las Vegas. Never gets old.

Drunken Quote: “The possibility of physical and mental collapse is now very real. No sympathy for the Devil, keep that in mind. Buy the ticket, take the ride.”

"Adventureland"

Lindsey Wojcik: I'm a sucker for Ryan Reynolds and most films set in the 1980s. So why not brown-bag it while being nostalgic for an era I barely remember?

Drunken Quote: “Panty stain, that's me. Good night everybody.”

"Beerfest"

Matt: That is all (but check out Writer’s Bone’s interview with Kevin Heffernan and Steve Lemme of Broken Lizard).

Drunken Quote: Anything the German team says.

"Super Troopers"

Sean: I made a drinking game to this in high school where you drank every time they said "meow" and any time they said a character's name.

Drunken Quote: “Who wants a mustache ride?”

"Superbad"

Lindsey: Seth and Evan spend the whole film on the quest for alcohol. Unaware of the plot, I went prepared.

Drunken Quotes: Officer Michaels: “How old are you McLovin?” Fogell: “Old enough.” Fogell: “Old enough for what?” Fogell: “To party.”

"Batman & Robin"

Robert Hilferty: One of the best, most ridiculous drinking games I've ever played was while watching "Batman & Robin." We all picked a character that has their own rules and half way through the movie three of us were blacked out.

Drunken Quotes: Poison Ivy: “There's just something about an anatomically correct rubber suit that puts fire in a girl's lips.” Batman: “Why is it that all the beautiful ones are homicidal maniacs? Is it me?”

"There Will Be Blood"

Hassel Velasco: I came up with a “There Will Be Blood” drinking game.

Drink every time...

• You see fire 
•  “Oil” is mentioned
• You see a drill in motion
• Creepy (read: any) violin music plays
• Daniel says “H.W.” or “my son”
• Daniel says “plain speech”
• You want to punch Eli in the face
• Daniel slaps Eli (and also every time he screams like a girl).

So hungover...

Harry Potter Series

Dave Pezza: Harry Potter drinking game:

Drink every time…

• Every time Gryffindor is awarded or deducted house points drink the same number of times
• When Hermione says something pretentious and douchey (be careful, that's every word she speaks in the first two movies)
• When Dumbledor says something homoerotic
• When anyone says "Harry Potter" in an English accent
• Every time a new professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts is introduced
• When Malfloy says something a Hitler youth would say
• When someone says "He Who Must Not Be Named"

Try it with multiple Harry Potter movies and you'll be drunk off your broom by the end of “The Chamber of Secrets.”

Happy Hour Archive

Friday Happy Hour: Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast Review

Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast

By Danny DeGennaro

The pour is a deep, regal brown. No light penetrates the edges. I guess let’s call it black. There’s a pleasant finger of brown egg shell head that terminates to a thin cap. For 7.5 percent, this is a seriously leggy little beer. Gams for weeks.

The nose is heavy on the coffee (duh), but rather than a roasty, acrid character, there’s a gentler blend that hints more at lactic sugars, rich cream, and milk chocolate.

The flavor follows suit, with some energized bottom of the pot coffee—the more this warms, the more it becomes the coffee monster I was secretly hoping it would be. The initial caramel notes are bumrushed by disgruntled bakers chocolate and day old café. The back end is rounded out by a kiss of bracing hops.

The carbonation is right on the money, and the oats lend themselves nicely to a smooth, relaxed, but not slick, mouthfeel.

This is an A-1 coffee stout that can be aged, but begs to be had as fresh as possible.

Also recommended:

Mikkeller’s Beer Geek Brunch Weasel

Cigar City’s Cubano-Style Espresso Brown Ale

Dieu du Ciel's Peche Mortel

Happy Hour Archive

Friday Happy Hour: Smuttynose Brewing Company

By Sean Tuohy

The folks that reside in New England know two things: Freezing winters and how to brew quality craft beer. No one knows the latter better than New Hampshire-based Smuttynose Brewing Company.

Smuttynose is known for its "Old Brown Dog Ale" and "Robust Porter" and the time and effort the company's brewers put in to each beer.

I chatted with David Yarrington, Smuttynose's director of brewing operations, to learn more about the company and its future.

Cheers!

Sean Tuohy: Give us a little background on your history and how you started brewing.

David Yarrington: I studied chemistry at Colby College in the late 1980s/early 1990s. While I enjoyed my studies, it was fairly clear that I wan't going to be a chemist so I started looking for other opportunities. I spent the summer of my junior year traveling out west and was able to visit several of the small breweries that were just starting to open. I became intrigued with the idea of leaning this craft and have pursued it since.

ST: For a newbie what beer would you recommend them to start with from Smuttynose?

DY: If you're new to Smuttynose (but not craft beer in general) start with the FinestKind IPA. It's what we're most known for and there's a good reason for that. Beautiful beer.

ST: What was your biggest mistake brewing?

DY: Someone convinced us to add rhubarb to our Strawberry Short Weiss. Totally ruined a great beer. Not that I mind rhubarb, it just didn't work in this case.

ST: What is the process of making a new beer? Take us through the steps from the time the idea light bulb goes off till its bottled.

DY: Most new beers come from wanting to explore certain styles, or enjoying flavors in various foods that I'd like to see manifested in a beer. Once I know which ingredients I'm looking to use, I start to consider how best to balance them within the malt and hop profile. I like balanced beers, but don't mind pushing the envelope in certain directions.

ST: Could you describe your beer in one sentence?

DY: Wabi Sabi

ST: If you were in Prohibition times, do you think you’d be bootleggers?

DY: I don't know if I would have been a bootlegger, but I certainly would have found a way to enjoy a few drinks. The idea of legislating morality is so obviously counterproductive. I don't mind sensible regulation to keep people safe, but advocating abstinence just seems very naive.

ST: What does the future hold for Smuttynose? Will we be able to find Smuttynose around the world?

DY: With our new brewery online, the future is very bright indeed. We're opening some new markets here in the United States and will start shipping to Europe and Asia later this year. Could be time for a road trip.

ST: If you were stuck on a deserted island with just one case of one of your beers, which one would it be and why?

DY: I'd have to go with our Vunderbar Pilsner. So tasty, yet light enough to drink all day long.

To learn more about Smuttynose Brewing Company, check out the company's official website, like the brewery's Facebook page, or follow it on Twitter @smuttynosebeer.

Happy Hour Archive

Friday Happy Hour With Cigar City Brewing in Tampa, Fla.

By Sean Tuohy and Daniel Ford

I always knew cigars and scotch were a great combination, but wasn’t too sure about cigars and beer.

Thanks to Tampa Bay’s Cigar City Brewing—whose beers include “Wandering Pelican,” “Jai Alai,” “Florida Cracker,” and “Puppy’s Breath”—I’m pretty sure all my reservations about the pair are eliminated.

Sean Tuohy sat down with the brewery’s owner and founder Joey Redner to find out more about the company and its history.

Cheers!

Sean Tuohy: Give us a little background on your history and how you started brewing.

Joey Redner: Cigar City brewing grew primarily out of my desire to have a packaging craft brewery in Tampa and basically being tired of waiting for someone else to start one.

ST: For someone not from Florida, why did you pick Cigar City as the name of the brewery?

JR: Tampa was the cigar capital of the world for a century. At peak production more than 50 million cigars were rolled, by hand, every year.

ST: For a newbie what beer would you recommend them to start with from Cigar City?

JR: Invasion Pale Ale.

Yeah, we'd drink this on a deserted island.

ST: What was your biggest mistake brewing?

JR: We once had a batch of beer that just did not attenuate properly and we thought it would finish conditioning in the bottle. It didn't. And it was not yummy.

ST: What is the process of making a new beer? Take us through the steps from the time the idea light bulb goes off until it’s bottled.

JR: It usually starts with the spark of a putting a twist on something classic or traditional style wise or looking to a culinary inspiration. From there the ingredients are discussed and debated to try to get the end result inspired by the original idea. It is often a multi-step feeling out process to get it just right.

ST: Could you describe your beer in one sentence?

JR: We brew beer we like to drink.

ST: If you were in Prohibition times, do you think you’d be bootleggers?

JR: Absolutely. No doubt about it.

The sweet smell of Puppy's Breath...wait, what?

ST: What does the future hold for Cigar City? Will we be able to find Cigar City around the world?

JR: Probably not around the world, but hopefully around the Southeast.

ST: If you were stuck on a deserted island with just one case of one of your beers, which one would it be and why?

JR: Invasion Pale Ale. It is just a great all around drinking beer.

To learn more about Cigar City Brewing, check out the brewery’s official website, like its Facebook page, or follow the company on Twitter @CigarCityBeer.

Happy Hour Archive

Friday Happy Hour: City Steam Brewery in Hartford, Conn.

If you don't like this logo, Mel Brooks' "Eunuch Test" might be needed.

By Daniel Ford

My love for City Steam Brewery started with a pint glass.

I was in Crazy Bruce’s Liquors in my hometown in Connecticut, hunting for new craft beers to try with my brothers. A pint glass at the entrance to the beer aisle caught my eye.

Actually, I should say, a beautifully drawn woman caught my eye.

Writer's Bone HQ looked great this week!

Needless to say, I bought it and a six-pack of Naughty Nurse Ale.

According to the brewery’s website, brewmaster Ron Page has been “manning the kettle” since the company’s opening in 1997, and has brewed more than “80 different styles of ales, lagers, and porters, for a combined total of more than 4 million pints!”

That is a tremendous amount of delicious beer.

Page took a moment from his busy brewing schedule to answer some of my questions about how he got started, the origins of Naughty Nurse, and the original verse featured on every label of Mr. Page’s Private Reserve.

Cheers!

Daniel Ford: Give us a little background on your history and how you started brewing.

Ron Page: It all started about 30 years ago, when I ran out of beer…on a Sunday! Vowing for that to never happen again, I took up home brewing back when the only hops available where Bullion and Cluster. Before long I had a 1 bbl. “nano brewery” in my basement, entered many competitions, and won New England Home Brewer of the Year for five years straight in the late 1980s/early 1990s. I was approached by Dick King to work with Phil Markowski in the start up New England Brewing Co. located in Norwalk, Conn., and began brewing professionally in May 1990. I worked in Norwalk for five years, and then brewed at the New Haven Brewing Co. (aka Elm City) for several years before taking the helm at City Steam in downtown Hartford in 1997.

DF: As a Connecticut native, I’m always happy to hear success stories come out of Hartford. How involved are you in the community and how has the city embraced your beer?

RP: Sooner or later, it seems, everybody in Hartford has passed through our doors, from the mayor and governor, members of the Hartford Stage, bums off the street, doctors, nurses, firemen, etc. We specifically support the Knox Park Foundation, as well as many other charitable groups. The fact that we are still in business after 17 years is either a restaurant miracle, means somebody likes us, or we are just plain lucky!

DF: Your beers have some of the most original names I’ve come across in the beer world—in particular Naughty Nurse (the logo gets me a look from my significant other every time I break out that pint glass). Where do those names come from and what’s the process like for selecting them?

RP: The original “Naughty Nurse” works in the Norwalk emergency room and is a short, balding, hairy chested old Englishman…would send a picture, but don’t want to upset your sense of decorum. His name is Jerry Nichols, and he is one of the funniest men you could ever hope to meet.

DF: Speaking of that logo, the reason I get in trouble is because of the wonderful Art Deco-style drawing of a beautiful woman holding a beer. How’d you come up with the idea and who designs your logos?

RP: As much as I would like to claim I invented the concept of “boobs and beer,” I will have to let history take the credit. My attic is filled with hundreds of original beer ads and illustrations, many featuring beautiful women holding a beer. The walls of City Steam are decorated with much more of the same. We work with local artists to design most of our labels and posters. It’s the most fun part of the whole brewing business.

DF: What was your biggest mistake brewing? What lessons did you learn from a bad recipe or brewing mishap?

RP: Some things are best left unmentioned. Needless to say, brewing takes practice and patience, and when you are working with yeast—a moody living beast—you can never take anything for granted. Good sanitation is an absolute must! A batch of sour beer is not only shameful but costly!

DF: You whetted my appetite when I emailed you originally by talking about your limited release “Mr. Page’s Private Reserve,” which features a sample of original verse on the label. How did the idea for that release come about?

RP: The more things change, the more they stay the same. My original homebrew labels were always accompanied by an original “poem.” The beers in the new series are meant to appeal to label collectors as well as beer lovers. We only sell them on premise, and in extremely limited quantities. They are crafted more like fine wine than everyday libations, meaning they are high alcohol, high gravity, unfiltered, and very long aged and are expected to develop fairly well over a period of several years.

Page found this picture in his attic. The man is believed to be his grandfather, Alcide Page, circa 1915. Photo courtesy of Ron Page

DF: If you were in Prohibition times, do you think you’d be bootleggers?

RP: We are still in Prohibition, just a different kind.

DF: If you were stuck on a deserted island with just one case of one of your beers, which one would it be and why?

RP: Couldn’t you come up with a more original question? Needless to say, I love all my beers, but if push came to shove, it would be a strong hoppy IPA, just in case no one ever came to the rescue!

"Her beauty launched 1,000 blogs." Poster designed by City Steam bartender Kim. Photo courtesy of Ron Page

DF: (after pondering a more original question): If you were going to run one of your beers for President, which one would it be and what would your campaign slogan be?

RP: Alright, but keep in mind that I’ve only picked one winning Presidential candidate in 42 years. I nominate “Innocence Ale.” Its slogan: “A chicken in every pot—A six-pack in every fridge!”

DF: Name one random fact about your company.

RP: City Steam actually uses “city steam” power to process their beers. The steam is supplied by the Hartford Steam Co., and travels 300 yards through 3-inch iron pipes from the sub generator plant located next door. Offhand, there are probably few, if any, breweries in the United States that can make that statement.

To learn more about City Steam Brewery, check out the official website, like its Facebook page, and follow the brewery on Twitter @CitySteam.

Happy Hour Archive

Friday Happy Hour: Shipyard Brewing Company

Shipyard Brewing Company

By Sean Tuohy

There's nothing tastier than enjoying a beer in your own backyard.

In that spirit, I reached out to Shipyard Brewing Company based out of Portland, Maine, which isn't too far from our home base in Boston.

Bruce Forsley, Shipyard’s vice president of sales and marketing, answered some of my questions about his favorite beers and what's next for the brewery.

Cheers!

Sean Tuohy: Give us a little insight into your background.

Bruce Forsley: My background has always been in hospitality. Prior to Shipyard, I owned and operated two restaurants in Waterville and Portland , Maine. Prior to that, I worked as an on-premise wine sales representative for wholesaler located in central Maine. Both occupations were excellent preparation for entering the craft beer business. Craft beer is sold very much like wine with focus on process, ingredients, style, and incorporation into a healthy lifestyle. I was very familiar with the distribution network which was essential in gaining early distribution for our products. I am not actively involved in the brewing process, but steer new product development and portfolio management.

ST: What Shipyard beer would you recommend for a newbie?

BF: Shipyard Summer or Export. Both beers are mildly hopped and moderate an alcohol, but with beautiful balance, consistent quality, and wonderful drinkability.

ST: What was your biggest mistake brewing?

BF: Oh my…there have been several. We tried to make an alcoholic iced tea from a 100% malt base years before Twisted Tea. We failed, but they succeeded by using neutral grain spirits. Shipyard Wheat Ale…with a mermaid on the label…the beer was great, but the package didn’t sell. And there are others…

ST: Pumpkinhead is one of the best beers out there. What is the back story of that beer?

BF: It was initially developed as a fall seasonal at Federal Jack’s brew pub in Kennebunkport, Maine. After the third season we realized that when available it was our most popular draft. Oddly the decision to produce in bottle was not an easy one. There were skeptics including myself. I could not have been more wrong!!!

ST: Could you describe your beer in one sentence?

BF: Balanced and consistent are two essential criteria for consumer confidence.

ST: If you were in Prohibition times, do you think you’d be bootleggers?

BF: Definitely. In the early days of self-distribution we’d deliver beer from the back of a car. Legalized bootlegging!!

ST: What does the future hold for Shipyard?

BF: Our goal is to be recognized as a national brand, stay true to our Maine heritage, and be a responsible corporate neighbor and loyal employer of many Maine families. When we are gone we will leave behind a legacy of creating a great beer to be enjoyed by my kids and generations of Mainers!

ST: If you were stuck on a deserted island with just one case of one of your beers, which one would it be and why?

BF: Summer Ale because I’m assuming I’ll be stuck on a deserted island in the South Pacific and I’ll need the clean thirst-quenching refreshment of that wheat-based ale until I figure out how to make a coconut beer.

To learn more about Shipyard Brewing Company, visit the official website, like the brewery on Facebook, or follow it on Twitter @ShipyardBrewing. 

Happy Hour Archive

Friday Happy Hour With Miami's Wynwood Brewing Company

This looks like a crew we'd like to drink with!

By Sean Tuohy

Since Daniel Ford got to rejoice in interviewing a brewery from his beloved Astoria, N.Y., it was only fair that I got to chat with one from my old neck of the woods.

So pull up a Tim Dorsey novel, park yourself on the beach, and have a drink with Miami’s Wynwood Brewing Company, makers of South Florida's first craft beer.

Cheers!

Sean Tuohy: Give us a little background on your history and how you started brewing.

David Rodriguez (head cellarman/assistant brewer): I started brewing after graduating high school out of necessity to make beer because I couldn't legally purchase it as well as to experiment with different ingredients.

ST: Wynwood area has a lot of history in Miami. Why did you pick this location for the brewery?

DR: We chose Wynwood because it is an up and coming neighborhood. The entire district is covered head to toe with incredible graffiti murals and street art. There are many young professionals creating businesses here and there is a very prevalent "mom and pop" mentality with these local businesses. Also, Wynwood is a Puerto Rican barrio so it definitely falls in line with our owners' heritage.

ST: You are Miami's first craft beer. What does that honor feel like?

DR: Being Miami's first production craft brewery means that we will set the standard for local craft beer. It is a tremendous honor and one that doesn't come without hard work to build and maintain our reputation.

ST: Craft beer is not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Miami. Why did you pick the Magic City as your location?

DR: We felt that Miami is the last frontier for craft beer in the Florida as well as the United States. There are many local breweries throughout the country and for some reason Miami has zero. You can find breweries in Tampa, Jacksonville, Orlando, etc. but none here. We are happy to be the first but we won't be the last. There are already two other breweries in construction here in Wynwood with an additional two to four more in planning. Also, there are two breweries in construction over in Doral. Miami needs an identity when it comes to craft beer and we are here to create that.

ST: For a newbie what beer would you recommend them to start with from Wynwood?

DR: Beer is very personal; it depends on the preferences of the drinker. I would recommend a tasting beginning with La Rubia, which is our Blonde Ale, followed by Pops Porter and the Wynwood IPA. Different people tend to gravitate towards different beers and I wouldn't judge someone to drink a lighter beer just because it was what they were raised on.

ST: What was your biggest mistake brewing?

DR: Not buying a bigger brewhouse! We currently brew 15 barrels at a time (465 gallon batches) and since opening in August have outgrown our current equipment. In February, we tripled our capacity by adding more fermenters and conditioning tanks. The demand is huge!

We'll take 10.

ST: Could you describe your beer in one sentence?

DR: "A work of art in every glass." Cheesy? I'm not sure…you be the judge.

ST: What does the future hold for Wynwood? Will our readers be able to find you nation wide soon?

DR: Soon we will be bottling some of our barrel-aged beers. Currently, we are aging a wheat wine in petite syrah barrels (been aging since December of last year) as well as a Belgian golden strong aging in Bulleit Bourbon Barrels. These beers will be bottle conditioned in 750ml wine bottles with cap and wax. Also, we will be most likely expanding our operation to an additional building. Lots to come.

ST: If you were in Prohibition times, do you think you’d be bootleggers?

DR: That or we'd move to the Bahamas! I can't imagine it would be easy to hide an operation like ours.

ST: If you were stuck on a deserted island with just one case of one of your beers, which one would it be and why?

DR: Magic City Pale Ale. It’s our brewmaster's recipe of a very quaffable pale ale with medium bitterness and juicy hop flavors and aroma. Sitting at 5.6 percent , this is something I can drink a lot of.

To learn more about Wynwood Brewing Company, check out its official website or follow the brewery on Twitter @WynwoodBrewing.

Happy Hour Archive

Friday Happy Hour With SingleCut Beersmiths in Astoria, N.Y.

These are some pretty badass beer taps.

By Daniel Ford

I love Astoria, N.Y., for a variety of reasons, but great beer is pretty high on my list.

Fellow Astoria lover, and Writer’s Bone contributor, Lindsey Wojcik swears by the brews at SingleCut Beersmiths and may or may not have been drinking a flight on Thursday night while her brother was in town.

SingleCut’s head brewer/president Rich Buceta took a break from brewing those beers to answer some of my questions about how he got started, what his biggest brewing mistake was, and which beer he’d like to have with him on a deserted island.

Cheers!

The flight of SingleCut brews Writer's Bone contributor Lindsey Wojcik enjoyed recently.

Daniel Ford: Give us a little background on your history and how you started brewing.

Rich Buceta: I was a longtime homebrewer who became disenchanted with my then career (advertising) and quit. Not having a “Plan B,” I decided my next chapter might revolve around beer since it was such a longtime passion of mine. I brought samples of my homebrew to a local brewery and got hired by the first place I went (Greenpoint Beerworks). I started cleaning kegs and climbed the ladder to eventually become a brewer. Once I had confidence in my “big league” capabilities, I left to start SingleCut Beersmiths.

DF: I’ve lived in Astoria twice during my time in New York City and it still holds a special place in my heart. How are you involved in the community and what kind of response have you gotten from patrons of your brewery?

RB: We’ve invested quite a bit in our tap room to make it a comfortable and welcoming environment and it’s become a well-known destination in Astoria. We’ve supported many local charity events. The notoriety of SingleCut throughout New York City has helped increased Astoria’s profiles and we believe has added considerably to the wealth of higher end pubs and restaurants that have and continue to open since our establishment.

Live action shot of SingleCut beer. Sexy. Photo credit: Lindsey Wojcik

DF: What was your biggest mistake brewing? What lessons did you learn from a bad recipe or brewing mishap?

RB: Experimenting with a new yeast strain on a full batch! The results were not what we anticipated whatsoever. Lesson: Have such experiments worked out in our pilot system first.

DF: Your logo is simple, but so awesome. What was the process like for coming up with it?

RB: I knew I wanted the SingleCut origin (guitar body shape) to somehow tie into the “S.” It took many versions before I arrived at the current logo, which was the simplest solution and, not coincidentally, the best.

Simply awesome.

DF: You’re very active on social media, and also manage a blog on your website. What’s your social media strategy and how has it helped build your brand?

RB: Tell as many newsworthy and inside stories as we can while encouraging a dialogue with our audience. Such stories speak to our passion and qualify far better than a contrived advertisement.

DF: If you were in Prohibition times, do you think you’d be bootleggers?

RB: Ha! Not sure I’d have the stomach for it. More likely, I’d move to Canada or elsewhere where I could operate legally.

DF: If you were stuck on a deserted island with just one case of one of your beers, which one would it be and why?

RB: 18-Watt, no question. It’s been my go-to beer since the first day we brewed it. I love hops and the sessionable aspect of its alcohol by volume makes it something I can drink often enough.

Good for all your deserted island needs.

DF: What’s next for Single Cut brewery? What does the future look like?

RB: We’d like to start to package our beer. 16 ounce cans are on the very near horizon, most likely stating with 18-Watt and 19-33 Queens Lagrrr! Packaging our beer would expose us to a whole new market and provide us with greater visibility. It’d be the best form of advertising we could imagine.

DF: Name one random fact about your company.

RB: The vast majority of our employees are musicians.

To learn more about SingleCut Beersmiths, check out its official website, like the brewery on Facebook, or follow it on Twitter @SingleCutBeer.

Happy Hour Archive

Friday Happy Hour With Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co.

Majestic and smooth...Kentucky Bourbon Ale

By Daniel Ford

Not long ago, Sean and I had a brainstorming session at Hugh O’Neills, our favorite watering hole in Malden, Mass., following an afternoon of marathon podcast recording.

I was struggling to choose a beer, but my eyes kept coming back to one brewed by the Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co.

“How’s the Kentucky Bourbon Ale?” I asked our waitress, as one does during moments of boozy indecision.

“A lot of people order it,” she said. “It’s good.”

Well, with that hard sell how could I not try it?

I wasn’t disappointed. The beer came to me ice cold and it poured nicely into the handsome pint glass I was given. It was refreshingly sweet and smooth, with an oaky finish usually accompanied by hard, brown liquor in a heavy glass.

By the time I finished my second bottle, a new idea for Writer’s Bone was born. We couldn’t be more pleased to start our Friday Happy Hour series with the brewers of Kentucky Bourbon Ale.

Nathan Canavera, the brand manager for Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co. , answered some of my questions recently and made me very, very thirsty.

Cheers!

Daniel Ford: Your company has a lengthy and colorful history. Give us a little background on that history and how you started brewing and distilling.

Nathan Canavera: Much too much to list, check out this video.

Daniel Ford: Kentucky is known for bourbon. What kind of relationship do you have with the community and how have they reacted to what your brewery has to offer?

NC: When we began brewing our beers after we bought the brewery in 1999, it was a much different landscape than craft beer is today. Craft beer and brew pubs were not on every corner. We had a very grassroots approach to pouring beer at every event that would let us in the door. At that time, and for years after, the yellow fizzy water was the choice of brew for central Kentucky. We built a craft following locally with sponsoring what events we could afford and Lexington was very supportive. Years later, we came upon what is now our flagship, Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, and like you said, Kentucky is known for bourbon and it has taken off like wildfire for us!

DF: How did the idea for your Kentucky Bourbon Ale come about?

NC: The video goes over that a bit, but with Dr. Pearse Lyons history of both whiskey and coopers, as well as his background with Jameson in Ireland, he had a connection with the use of barrels. Fast forward to the brewery where we have barrels on display and we are tripping over barrels here in Kentucky, where there are more barrels with bourbon aging than people. Seems like a no brainer!

Brewmaster Dr. Pearse Lyons 

DF: All of your products have won multiple awards. Which award are you most proud of?

NC: I think the Silver Medal at the World Beer Cup in 2010. This came at a point where we were really beginning to see our growth take off and had opened into Ohio. This award put our brands on the map nationally and it was a huge honor to receive amongst our brothers and sisters in the craft community.

DF: You’re on Facebook and Twitter, and also manage a blog on your website. What’s your social media strategy and how has it helped build your brand?

NC: Funny enough I started our Facebook and Twitter pages years ago before they were seen as business pages. It was a way to engage customers and get feedback at little to no cost. Now, as you mention, it requires strategy, full-time upkeep, as well as individuals with writing skills far surpassing that of a simple beer guy. That being said, we still view social media as our direct line to the consumer—an open arena for good, bad, fun, silly, and serious discussions about our brands, our industry, and our competitors. Our goal is to keep our friends and followers as up to date as possible on everything in our world as well as answer any and all questions or concerns they may have. We know how much work went to getting to where we are today and how important our loyal supporters are to our success.

DF: If you were in Prohibition times, do you think you’d be bootleggers?

NC: Much like the Lexington Brewing Co. did in Prohibition, I feel like we would have been just like they were: brewing low/non-alcohol beers, but still brewing beer on the side. They were later busted and on one sad day the streets of Lexington were flooded with beer.

Beer filling the streets during Prohibition

DF: If you were stuck on a deserted island with just one case of one of your spirits, which one would it be and why?

NC: Our new Rye, Town Branch Rye would be it for me!! The spicy notes of this whiskey, as well as its higher proof (100 would last longer on the island), would make this easy to enjoy while deserted…hopefully I wouldn’t have to share!

DF: What’s next for Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co.? What does the future look like?

NC: Hopefully we can continue to see the growth we’ve experienced over the last 14 years, we look for continued expansion into new territories while still back filling the territories we currently distribute within and filling in the gaps in our footprint. Our spirits are slowly following in the footsteps of the distribution of the beers that had a good six-plus years head start. As always, we need more pots and pans to continue to grow and these are all great problems to have!

DF: Name one random fact about your company.

NC: Dr. Lyons, our owner and original brewmaster, was the first Irishman to gain a formal degree in brewing.

To learn more about the Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co., visit its official website, like its Facebook page, or follow the brewery on Twitter @KentuckyAle.

Happy Hour Archive