This week we know what teams have advanced to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament we move on to our second round in our Beer Madness 2013. Congratulations to to Michigan, Syracuse, Wichita State, and Louisville for making it to the Final Four. We here at the Beer Friends would like to wish Kevin Ware a speedy recovery, it was reported yesterday that he was up and walking around on crutches which is great news after his injury this past weekend.
Tonight Paul and Graham reaffirm their friendship by going out without the other Beer Friends to enjoy a night of Beer and Bourbon at everyone’s favorite basement bar, Idle Hands. Tonight The Beer Friends are a day late (or a week) but are NOT a dollar short because The 3rd Annual White Christmas Winter Warmer Beer Extravaganza! is in full swing for the entire holiday season. We missed the first week of this holiday tradition; but good news for us, this is only week #2 of 4.
So what if it was 60 degrees earlier this week, Lets get into some Winter Warmers! (more…)
Week Eleven – Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers (#twobrosbeer vs #speakeasy)
Hashtag Battles this week features two NFC Superbowl hopefuls. The 49ers were a punt catch away from the SuperBowl last year and the Bears were a healthy MCL from the SuperBowl two years ago. In Concussion Sunday, both of these teams had a concussed starting QB, both of which took a few more snaps and then left the game for good. This weeks matchup is full of “Plan B’s” that hope not to de-rail a championship season. Let’s see who’s backup is best in this weeks hashtag battle!
Remember Tuesday, when we told you about that awesome Idle Hands Bar Birthday coming up… well – it’s here. BUT… Idle Hands Bar doesn’t open until a little bit later, so check out this Beer Friends Review with The Rev (hope we can figure it out without “The Table”). Two Brothers is out of Warrensville, Illinois and has shown up on the Beer Friends radar with Cane and Ebel and Heavy Handed so the third times a charm… or just another beer. Two Brothers has a great story (which The Rev tells us about) and makes some pretty great beer, so sit back – watch a review – subscribe to us on iTunes podcast and enjoy the party!
This week’s six pack of the week (SPotW) comes from Warrensville, Illinois and (like most sports fans) feel the need to take some shots at the Chicago sports community – we apologize in advance. Warrensville has Two Brothers Brewing which has produced some fantastic stuff for 15 years and is following the latest craft beer trend and putting their stuff in cans. We’ve had some stuff from Two Brothers before and it didn’t hit it out of the park, but we’ve never met a beer we wouldn’t drink so we’ll try them again…
In the spirit of competition, Beer Friends would like to invite everyone to our NFL season hashtag battles! Using hashtagbattle.com we will pit two breweries against each other when their NFL counterparts are facing off on the gridiron. Are you ready for some football? And drinking? And #hashtag battle?!?!?!
What’s a hashtag battle? When you’re drinking a beer of a brewery competing in the battle, throw a #hashtag of the brewery and tweet it (or setup your foursquare or untappd to push to tweet and include the #hashtag) and we’ll use hashtagbattle.com to declare a winner after the Monday Night football game on ESPN. And because football needs beer, we’re starting on Saturday morning to include the brews consumed during College Football Saturdays. Support your team, support your beer, drink local and hashtag battle!
Week Two – Chicago vs New Orleans (#twobrothersbeer vs #theabitabeer)
Chicago, the Windy City, is full of footballs in the air with Jay Cutlers arm and Mike Martz offensive scheme. They got off to a great start last week taking out Peter King’s Superbowl pick Atlanta Falcons and now continue their NFC South tour with former Superbowl Champion Saints. Chicago is also home to a few great breweries that aren’t purchased by large corporations – enter Two Brothers Brewing. Two Brothers Brewing is kept in the family by Jim and Jason Ebel and producing quality brews since 1996, will the new combo of Cutler and Martz help the old combo of Jim and Jason win this weeks Hashtag Battle?
New Orleans has been in the news for the right and wrong reasons: the horrific hurricane and the rise and rebuilding efforts of the Saints football team and more specifically Drew Brees. Abita also has it’s own rebuilding efforts with their S.O.S. Weizen Pils (Save Our Shores). So New Orleans plays the heart strings card and plays good football, produces good beer and (hopefully) wins this (very) important hashtag battle.
I had a feeling. And not just the usual feelings, but the awesome feelings. The sort of feelings that let you know this is going to be a big week. A HUGE week. Seriously though, the closest example I would give for the events happening this week would be a planetary alignment with the center of the galaxy. It wasn’t organized by anything beyond cosmic happenstance but despite it’s coincidental nature, it’s pretty damn awesome. Well, this week you can thank The Beer Friends for taking the random alignment of super-awesome craft beer events and organizing them into a coherent list of what you should drink and where you should drink it. Let’s see what we’ve got…
Tuesday, June 14 – The Good Beer Seal 2011 Awards Party @ Barcade, Brooklyn:
Ever had the urge to share your opinion regarding all things craft beer in the New York City metro area? But didn’t feel like being as verbose as creating a blog on the internet? Now here at The Beer Friends we don’t really know about such things. However, we do know about a more concise method of expressing your expert craft beer opinions. And it’s happening this week.
Shout out to Nick @ Stags head!!! Go see this man!!
Phil’s First-Oskar Blues G’Knight – Always my favorite from Oskar. Holds up at this great event. Just the right malty seedbeds with a hoppy bite to start the night off.
Brad’s First- Oskar Blues Ten Fidy – what else on a hot night but a stout… Wait… Somethings are just so good you need to get them. With no Hungarian Oak Aged available (See: The Pony Bar Oskar Blues Night) I settled on a brew I always enjoy – Ten Fidy, dark, malty and delicious.
Brad’s Second- Two Brothers Northwind Imperial Stout – I like a lot of stuff Two Brothers does, but this is no Imperial Stout, not nearly as heavy as the Ten Fidy, but this is unfair – like trying to follow Michael Jordan you’re never gonna be as good (Read: LeBron James).
Phil’s Second- Two Brothers Northwind Imperial Stout – thankfully I don’t really like basketball so I’m unbiased to my interpertaion…….and that means I liked it. Good and deep malty roasted goodness with a nice coffee sidecar attachment to the flavor. Definitely a repeat offender for my Taste buds.
Phil’s Third-Left Hand Sawtooth – always a fantastic way to round out the evening. This is one I never fail to have if it’s offered. Perfect for the back of the bell curve.
Brad’s Third-21st Amendment Monks Blood – classic, I’ve had this on tap a couple places and this is always enjoyable. This doesn’t taste like rotten fruit (Phil) but like a nice mixture of light fruity taste but still a beer. No overpowering notes makes this very light and drinkable.
Ah summer… things are heating up – baseball is in full swing (get it?) and the quest is on for refreshing beers – but put down that Coors Light friend, watch enough Beer Friends episodes and we’ll guide you in the direction of a delicious AND refeshing beer. Two Brothers BrewingHeavy Handed IPA from Warrensville, IL is a great first example. This IPA has enough of a hops taste to satisfy a hop-head (read: Graham) but is easily drinkable that you could have a few while watching insert name of hometown baseball team here. Summer! Refreshing! Beer!
Note: Heavy Handed IPA is a seasonal beer (September – December) but worth picking up whenever you find it.
I don’t like starting the NYC Craft Beer Events post without an original theme, but this week I’m stealing ideas…from us. I don’t know if you’ve all been keeping tabs on the Beer Friend Final Four Beer-March-Madness tournament but this year has been the craziest ever. A #12 seed in the Northeast bracket is currently poised to take it all. Anyone thinking VCU? Except this VCU could actually do it. If you haven’t voted yet then you should vote now here: http://thebeerfriends.com I’ll come back with an original theme next week, but this week I’m plugging the Beer Friends Final Four all over the place.
In the mean time let’s see what, and where you’re drinking while you’re voting this week. (Vote here, again: http://thebeerfriends.com) (more…)
dingerc
Brad
Corporate Kerouac
Phil
