One Night Stand with Beer

I woke up Sunday with some of the worse back pain I've ever had. I have no clue what I did, but my back was sore most of the day to the point where I had a hard time moving. When it came time head home, I decided to let Lauren do the driving especially since she offered. While our drive home, I became hungry and suggested stopping somewhere. We were traveling a dark highway through the state of New York when out of nowhere we spotted an Applebees. We were looking to get something quick and the fact that we had a gift card was all the motivation we needed to stop.

Because it was late Sunday night I wasn't in the mood to drink; I even mentioned to Lauren that I planned to order ice tea. Most of the restaurant was closed off so we were seated in the bar section where they had the Heat/Knicks game on. Whenever I go to a restaurant, I always scan the bar area to see what they have on tap even if I don't plan to drink. Looking at the line of beers on tap, I knew each beer expect one. In the middle of the row was a tap that had a barrel on the top which immediately spiked my interest. Intrigued about this beer I questioned the server about this beer and she explained that it was a local beer called Captain Lawrence Pale Ale. It was then that I threw the towel in for ice tea.

I found the beer smooth in taste and refreshing after such a long day. As most of the beers I drank over the weekend were light in color, this was definitely a darker beer. If I were out and saw this beer on tap, I would order this beer again, but because I've never even heard of this before I doubt I'll have another chance to try it. I guess you can say my experience with Captain Lawrence Pale Ale was like a one night stand. It was just nice seeing that an Applebees which advertises being a neighborhood bar and grill actually had some local beer.

If your wondering, No, I didn't order a brewtus.

Too Much Sam Adam's

Our original plan for Saturday night was to hit up a few bars, and meet up with Lauren's friends. I ended up at the same beer store that I went to the prior night, and noticed the Sam Adams cutout staring at me. The cutout was all I needed to be persuaded as the taste of cherry wheat quickly flooded my memory. My beer decision was two 6 packs of Sam Adams: Sam's Cherry Wheat, and Sam's Latitude 48 IPA. Although I have a man crush on IPAs, I found the cherry wheat more enjoyable and only drank one of the IPAs. I finished a few beers, and found myself exhausted and wanting to go to bed. I'm disappointed to say that I didn't get out to check out any bars in CT that night, and didn't get to drink more beer. Instead, I was asleep by midnight.

 

 

Thomas Hooker: A CT Beer

Before going to CT, I did some research during the week to find out if there were any local breweries or brewpubs I could visit. Although I found a few locations, I was saddened when I found that none of the breweries were within driving distance. As the plan was to enjoy some brews Friday night, I headed to a local beer store that I visited before and approved of their beer selection. I'm not sure about you, but I ALWAYS have a difficult time deciding on what I will be drinking as I am just sooo picky. Lately, I find myself trying to branch out and pick stuff for this blog. Sometime this week, I will be putting together H's Guide to Picking Beer which you can use to make a decision. You'll have to check back later this week for that.

Prior to getting to the beer store, I knew my beer decision would be based on getting something that was brewed in CT. As I scanned the stocked coolers I noticed the Thomas Hooker Beer and remembered this was brewed in the state. This beer brand was one of the breweries I had found during my research. The store was stocked with several different types of this beer, and I grabbed two 6 packs: their IPA and their Blonde Ale. After getting back to the house, I began my drinking of the two beers.

I'm going to be honest, as I drank both of these on Friday I don't really remember what they exactly tasted like. What I do remember was that I enjoyed their IPA over the blonde ale, but that isn't a shocker. The IPA did have a nice hoppy taste that wasn't overwhelming, and the blonde ale had a light taste that some of the non beer drinkers enjoyed. I did notice that this beer tasted very fresh, which definately made the experience that much more enjoyable. I guess you can say that I really enjoyed this beer as I finished both 6 packs and was up until 6AM. At one point I ended up doing a shot which was awful and later found myself in a hot tub.

Beer at a Supermarket: Just Not a NJ thing

There's nothing like a rainstorm to wash your car. For the past week my car has been filthy with all the grime and salt that was used to treat the roads during the snowstorms. I've been trying to get my Escape to the car wash but haven't gotten a chance due to work and other obligations. Although it was pouring on my ride up to CT, I did manage to get a free car wash. It's been a few days since I've had beer. I didn't think it would be a good idea to drink last night prior to my 4 hour drive especially having to drive through New York. Our plan today was to visit Lauren's grandmother and prior to going we stopped at two local supermarkets which were well stocked with beer. No liquor, but plenty of beer. As we were on a strict time frame I didn't get a chance to check out the selection and prices. I was happy to see Magic Hat being sold, but didn't notice any local choices. I have yet to pick up beer for tonight, but I'm hoping when I visit the beer store I can find some local flavor.