The Perfect Storm

The nonfiction book about the fishing crew out of Gloucester, Massachusetts that inspired both a George Clooney movie and an idiom has little in common with the best beer I've had in 2010 other than both originated in Gloucester.

Actually though, Cape Ann Brewing's fabulous Greenhorn Double IPA, cask conditioning, a pull tap at the GLB, a tulip glass, and my mouth formed a perfect storm-like chain of circumstances and events that resulted in my enjoying a beer as much as I have at any point this year. The Greenhorn (I don't like the name--because I don't like green as a beer descriptor--but brewer T.J. Peckham says it refers to first time fishermen, and the similarity between the rookie fisherfolk and the woobly knees effect this beer can have on the novice drinker) is more balanced than most double IPAs, and the cask smooths out the hops a bit more. The result is an incredibly easy drinking double that is still bursting with hoppy flavor. It's a complex beer that goes down like a session beer.

Brewer Peckham also told me that Cape Ann has a brew pub, staffed entirely with current and former and itinerent fishermen, in keeping with Gloucester's heritage. It's 106 miles from here, by land. I might have to go by sea!

NYC Trip

Had a great trip to NYC, although my research assistant and I had an initial disagreement over the need for hand sanitizer after strap and pole-hanging on the subway. I agreed with her after a couple of trips in from Queens, and we carried antibiotic for the longer subway rides. We drank some great beer at
the Waterfront, which doesn't seem that close to the water, and I found some mediocre ramen at Zen, on St. Mark's Place (skipable). Research assistant had a Meg Ryan moment over the corned beef at Katz's Deli. All in all, a terrific trip!

This Beer Will Suck

7 Eleven convenience stores are going to start brewing their own beer, kind of. They've contracted the brewing to Wisconsin based City Brewing. It's a safe bet this beer will suck. Actually, I wonder why they think we need more shitty beer in the marketplace? Maybe, it's to wash down the double down. A potentially perfect food-beer pairing.

A Pause for Tea, Not Beer

The tea-baggers were within locavore limits, in Boston, and attracted a crowd of literally tens of like-minded citizens. The fellow (?) pictured here, sometimes known as "Pat", typifies the movement. A couple of Bud Lights, three or four KFC Double Downs, a cleverly misspelled sign or banner (resisance?) protesting something like health care reform, foreigners, gun control, gays, taxes, or Obama's birth certificate and it's time to tea party!

In the latest local news, we had a story which blends the tea-bag with the d-bag: a poor Windham bastard got too fired up in the unique tea-baggers approach to the tail-gate party and was unable to attend the rally.

Hey, Yarmouth, This is NOT Beer

The local news has been strange lately: a young woman took advantage of the fact that it's perfectly legal for all--men and women--to march topless in downtown Portland and organized a topless march. She then expressed outrage that men showed up with cameras. In a similar move, a young man has organized a walk around the Back Cove (my running path) with the only requirement being that participants must carry a loaded and visible handgun (taking advantage of laws allowing the open display of handguns). The fellow insists it's not a publicity stunt. So the purpose is?

In marginally related gun news, my former favorite host of my former favorite show--Anthony Bourdain--was dismissive of Portland, condescending towards Maine and Mainers, and an all around jack-ass New Yorker (sorry for the redundancy) in his Maine segment of No Reservations, which aired this week. He even out-douched Dana Street. He finished the segment, as he frequently does, by shooting guns. Hey, Tony, that gun is not your penis!

And then there's this: A Yarmouth High School student was disciplined for violating an honor code that she'd signed which indicated she (and other signees) weren't allowed to drink beer. The evidence of her violation--a Facebook photo of her holding a silver can. She (her parents) hired a lawyer to fight the penalty, which he (the lawyer) is doing (and losing, apparently) on constitutional grounds. They've missed the boat however. Coors Light is NOT beer. That's the point. Unless the honor code strictly prohibits the consumption of yellowy, favorless, corny, over marketed, liquid crap she should not be penalized.