Starr Hill this Thursday at the Hot Spot

Starr Hill Brewery has this awesome line of beer called "All Access." It's sort of their experimental, showcase line where you can really see why the company is as successful as it it. All the beers are inspired by music in this line, and all of them (so far) are pretty incredible. 

The last one was Psycho Kilter, a wee heavy that is almost all gone in the state of Virginia, was awesome. My band did an opening, kind of a release party, for it at the Pompei Lounge in Staunton. People went crazy for it. Plus, it was just a great night with the Murder Bros. I personally had a good night, and there was not shortage of people coming up to me and telling me what a success the evening was.

This week, we're doing it again at the Hot Spot for the new Starr Hill All Access, Little Red RooStarr Coffee Cream Stout. We're turning it into a Tap Takeover and Steal the Pint Night. So every tap at the Hot Spot in Waynesboro will be Starr Hill, and if you buy a pint, you get to keep the branded glass.

I love events like this but of course, with a lot of moving parts comes a lot of things that could go wrong. The band we were supposed to play with cancelled at the last second, and for a minute I was really worried we wouldn't get all the beer we needed for the event. 

But now, we're back on track, and an even better band will be playing with the Murder Bros. on Thursday; namely, Dead Professional!

I can't wait. It's a free event, so you should come.

Call of Cthulu

Lately I've been really into table top gaming. When I came down with the flu, I watched a lot of episodes of Wil Wheaton's show, Tabletop on YouTube because a guy at work mentioned it, and it made me wonder why I ever stopped playing games. It's been a long time since I've played Magic or D&D or anything else like that.

So, I went out and bought Zombie Dice and Munchkin, and I got a few friends together and we have been making it a weekly ritual to play a game or two together over beers. The group grew a little and a friend named Mike had Cthulu Dice and Munchkin Cthulu, and I fell in love with H.P. Lovecraft all over again.

I downloaded the complete works of H.P. Lovecraft and I'm trying to get through all of it. I hadn't read him since I was a teenager, and it's so much better now because I'm able to laugh at his prose a lot more and able to just let go a bit more than I used to be able to. I was a very serious teenager in many ways.

So now that I'm on an H.P. Lovecraft kick, I'm glad to find that Cthulu is a much bigger deal in pop culture than ever. There are a ton of games and memes and all sorts of things paying homage to the unspeakable horror. There must be a bunch of people out there just like me who are rediscovering what they once loved as a kid. There are probably even more getting into the unnameable awesomeness for the first time, which is fantastic!

So I went to the local game shop (Dragon's Hoard) and picked up the Call of Cthulu Card Game. At first my wife, who's never read anything Lovecraftian, thought it would be too complicated and difficult for her to play. Why do people always say that? But once we learned the rules, she's all about playing again and again. It's as if she has traveled to a vast Antarctic wasteland and unearthed something she can never unsee.

Awesome game

In the meantime, I've also rediscovered Dr. Who. I liked the old ones when I was a kid, and in England, I got really into it again because people always asked me if I knew who the Dr. was. I was reluctant to start watching the new ones because I thought maybe it was going to be like how the new Star Wars movies ruined Star Wars for me. But I'm here to tell you that the new Dr. Who show is brilliant. I love it. There's even an episode with Cthulu slaves serving a dark ancient lord trapped on an asteroid floating above a black hole. What?!?!!

Lastly, I want to mention that Tabletop Day is March 30. It's a day to get together with family and friends and play a game you play on a table, i.e., not a video game. It's a perfect excuse to nerd out with friends and drinks. Most wine and beer geeks are geeks about other things too, I've found, so don't be afraid to ask your friend the beer geek. And whatever you do, don't look back at the mirage over the ancient and forgotten city of the grotesque.

My Birthday and Henry Rollins

Last week was my birthday. We got so much snow, we were unable to leave the house for the first part of the day and unwilling to leave for the rest of the day.

I received no gifts that day, but I was buried with birthday wishes on my facebook, which is nice.

My father didn't call me. I haven't spoken with him for about a year. This is fairly common for me. I often wonder how I was born to a person so disinterested in my welfare. It was difficult growing up under his tyrannical rule. He tore apart the family several times, and it's at one of those points now. But I don't think it is ever going to be together again. I haven't spoken with my brother in many years. Something like seven or eight. My mother doesn't speak with him either. Neither does my father.

This year I felt like a commercial for an iPad because I "facetimed" with my mother in California. The technology is only 10 years too late, but that's OK. It was interesting to feel closer to someone because I could see her face over a distance of thousands of miles over a hand-held device. 

The next day I received the only birthday card I received this year. It was from my employer, the company, Virginia Eagle.

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I have been working out poetry in my mind. I'm trying to write a book called the Chris Hemsworth Sonnets. Sometimes I think it's genius. Other times I feel like it will not be taken seriously because of how funny it is at parts. I feel like the Glen Danzig of poetry. No one ever knew how to take the Misfits, and maybe the Misfits didn't know how they wanted to be taken. But my cult following is nowhere near as big.

I met Henry Rollins. I said something about Sons of Anarchy and we had a short conversation. We met at a gallery/art museum in DC that was showing old Punk and GoGo artifacts. It was amazing. There are pictures. When Henry Rollins was done DJ-ing and the party was over he walked out alone and waited for a taxi. I said "good-bye Henry Rollins, and thank you." He looked at me like he was trying to figure out if he knew me. He said "thank you" and got in a cab alone. I wish I did know Henry Rollins. I think he would appreciate my writing and my music. People these days have so many buffers around them. I'm not sure how I know as many people as I do.

After that, we met this guy named Jared, and we went to the after party, another gallery-cum-discotheque. The after after party was great, too. But the night was dissolving, so Mary and I bugged out and went to the hotel. 

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My birthday makes me somber. Sorry about this sad post after so long being away. I'm trying to work blogging back into my regular routine again. These flaws and starts are killing my writing.

The Lovely Madame Rose

Madame Rose is a remarkable Kriek style beer from Goose Island. I tried the 2012 and decided to make a video review of it right then and there. A dark crimson color is the first thing you'll notice about it. Cloudy as hell and alluring, I must say. It's gorgeous to look at in a glass with the tiny bubbles popping at what passes for a head like a champagne. Wild yeasts do that!

God I just love wild yeast anything. I love having to tell people that we're constantly being eaten by yeast and breathing it in and that when we die, yeast will help turn us into ash and dust. It reminds me that we are all part of a cosmic process showcased by the miracle of fermented beverages.

I also just love funky sour beers. It should remind you about a whole world out there that disregards the Reinheitsgebot and the prevailing tastes of untrained palates looking for tasteless lagers.

Madame Rose is aged on cherries in wine barrels for a complex treasure.

Here's my Instagram photo of it.

3 Bros. Coffee Breath

Probably the worst video I've done, but it's a really good beer. Apparently, I couldn't come up with a better word than "amazing" seeing as how I say it like five times.

So here's what I meant to say: Troy Lucas is a local coffee roaster. He cold brewed a huge batch of coffee for this nut brown from Three Brothers Brewing. So, locally roasted and brewed coffee meets locally brewed and fermented beer for a delicious beverage called Coffee Breath. I like that.

This video was made on the fly at a steal the glass night at Capital Ale House in Harrisonburg. And even though I make this video suck (kind of distracted by how busy the place is), it's only a minute long, and you can see Troy Lucas and Adam Shifflett for a second (the coffee guy and the beer guy, respectively).

Black Crown Is Coming

I've had Black Crown, and I like it. It's an easy drinking gateway drug to craft beer. If I saw it at a party, I would drink it. If I was at a bar and they didn't have a beer I was curious about or something else I had to have, I would order it. It's that good.

Basically, it's a darkish lager that's still light enough to drink fast, but at 6% ABV, most light-weights shouldn't. I would pair it with smoky cheeses or anything with chipotle . . . or anything else smoky. The bigger body and ultimate drinkability will make a hit at Fourth of July parties and barbecues this spring and summer. I would totally drink one of these on a hot day.

And if you're thinking you're one of those people who always says Budweiser gives them a headache, I defy you to say that about Black Crown. It's smoother and rounder and tastes like they dialed back the adjunct grains but left the beech wood conditioning in. I'm not gushing about this beer, but I'm here to say it's totally worth a try and a couple repeat visits, and if it sticks around in the market, I hope to see it at parties and celebrations where I'd normally see the old red and white labelled Bud.

 

The way they're advertising it is pretty sexy. A Super Bowl commercial is going to really push it, and it's bound to sell everywhere because of that alone. Hopefully it'll have some staying power though. Black Crown is like Bud Light's sexier older brother all the hot chicks want to hang out with long enough to kiss at the stroke of midnight.

Dark Abby from Devil's Backbone. She's Here!

After some labeling issues, Dark Abby is finally here. It's a Belgian Mountain-style Dubbel that's got a bit of a sohrgum thing going on for a silky texture on the sweet side.

There's a "secret spice mix" swirling around in there that gives you an earthiness you'll enjoy plus plenty of work for your brain to do while it tries to figure out just exactly what is in the bottle. Meanwhile, the brown sugar notes preoccupy your thoughts for a moment, and well, the label is sexy too.

And there's a great story behind it all. Remember Azrael? If you don't, don't fret, she'll be back May. Anyway, Azrael's twin sister, her "dark twin," is Abby. So the girl on the bottle is related in theme and by blood to Azrael, which is kind of a nice touch for die-hard Devil's Backbone fans like myself. What thrilling adventures will Azrael and Abby get into?

The pic with the lips and the bottle cap is from a cool blog I found called A Cap A Day. Check out her beer reviews and pictures.

If you were lucky enough to get an unlabeled sample, your already know how good this beer is. If not, you only have to visit your local beer store to find out now.

3 Brothers Beer

Three Brothers Brewery is the newest brewery in Virginia, in case you didn't already know. The three Brothers are the Schifflett brothers who have been roaming around Harrisonburg for most of their lives, so most people around here know who they are. 

Adam's the oldest brother and was a submariner for many years. How cool is that? He's now the head brewer.

My favorite beer of theirs is the Coffee Breath because it's made with local coffee roasters, Lucas Roasting Company's cold brew coffee. I've liked Lucas coffee for a long time, and I really dig it when to local guys can get together and collaborate on something awesome.

Their new double IPA, the Admiral is a flowery giant IPA. It's great if you're into that sort of thing. If you don't typically like IPA's, you won't of course, but if you're like me, a person who is always looking for something bitter and complex and floral, you'll enjoy it like crazy.

I'll probably be posting a lot of pictures of them and their brewery on my blog and Instagram as time goes by and they grow.

Tonight there's a steal the glass night at Capital Ale House in Harrisonburg. It starts in a couple hours. It's going to be epic. I'll be posting pics on Instagram of people I meet there. If you see me there, tell me you read my blog and I'll buy you a beer. You can still keep the pint glass.

Tilted Kilt Cometh

They're opening a Tilted Kilt in Harrisonburg in a few weeks. Can you believe it? I'm sure it'll be a huge success. I've always wondered why there wasn't a Hooters or some other Breastaurant in the area. Finally, there's one right around the corner.

Everyone loves young women in skimpy clothing serving them greasy pub food and beer right? I'll probably stop in and have a pint. According to their online menu, they don't seem very vegetarian-friendly. But they are very beer-friendly. I hope corporate lets them put some local beers on tap.

Apparently there are 70 different locations around America. I have only known the one in Vegas. It's kind of like a Hooters with an Irish/Scottish theme. Kind of school-girl, too.

Their website encourages you to join the Kilt Clan, which is a little unfortunate in the south. But most people don't look at things the way I do.

If you see me at Tilted Kilt, say hello and I'll buy you a beer.

Watch "Lance Armstrong's Confession - Oprah's Next Chapter - Oprah Winfrey Network" on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_0PSZ59Aws&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Just as a follow-up, I wanted to post this confession of Good Ol' Lance confessing to cheating. I feel like a chump having believed his adamant denial of cheating for so long.

Here's also a link to a simple explanation of EPO.