Beer Review: Long Trail Double Bag

Perfect after work beer. 

Type: Alt bier

Score: 8 out of 10

Origin: Vermont 

Bonus: Hiker Cap

Beer review: Old #38

Delicious dark stout. I enjoyed this one with Andy last week at Grease in West Palm Beach.

Dog Days Ale

Recently I gave this Atlanta brewery a chance with their Dog Days Ale. It was a nice beer but the finish was a bit strange. I couldn't quite place the taste but it certainly lingered. This wouldn't be my first choice but this is coming from a gal that doesn't really love ales. The Red Brick Brewing labels are definitely entertaining and worth a second look. I would love to try one of their darker beers in the future.

Summer Wheat, Summer Beer

This seasonal beer from the Southern Tier Brewing Company is exceptional. I love the clean aftertaste with hints of lemon. It's a perfect wheat beer for the summer.

Rum Sampling

EmilyLark and I sample our Puerto Rican rum selection.

With a salty snack

This may be the cheapest beer ever. It's $7.49 for a six-pack at Publix but with the purchase of a salty snack this beer is $3 cheaper. Add that to the fact that this is a easy-drinking beer and you have a match made in beer heaven.

So if you're looking for an alternative to the big beer brands try out this beer from the Kona Brewing Company. And for those that collect beer caps you'll notice that each one is stamped with a Hawaiian word and an English translation.

Wacko

This beet colored beer is so mild that it's hard to believe it has any hops. That being said I rather enjoyed this pleasantly sweet beer made by Magic Hat Brewery.

Woody Creek White

This is an interesting beer from Flying Dog. I enjoyed the light summer feel but the aftertaste was a little strange.

V is for Victory

My life has been a whirlwind today so I sat down to dinner tonight with Victory's Whirlwind Witbier. Let's just say this was one easy-going-down beer. I could drink a case of this Belgian-style Wheat Ale.

One tasty beer

This one is exactly what I want on a hot summer afternoon. Rich taste but a soft finish. Love it!

Spring seasonal from Magic Hat

A decent beer. Not my favorite but something new. What's with the upside down fairy?

Dive Bar #2

The Bloody Bucket in St. Mary's, GA

There are certain charms about Lowcountry Georgia and one of them has to be the amount of small town dive bars you can find. The Bloody Bucket had been a source of conversation every since our friend Hewy started working at the nearby state park, Crooked River, years ago. On our way to visit her we would see the red and black striped building with its POW and Rebel flags flying proudly and wonder what those four walls could have in store for us. Our interest was piqued when the outside light up marquee advertised a Divorce Party. But like many things in life we resisted the temptation of attending and merely filed it away for future reference.

On the eves of Thanksgiving 2007 Andy and I were traveling in route to South Carolina. We met up in Kingsland, Georgia for a nights stay and it was decided that the Bloody Bucket would be ours. We backed into a space (for a quick get-away) and then strutted into the bar for a few drinks. We were happily surprised to find that not only were the patrons friendly (after about 30 minutes of being there they warmed up to us) but also that this establishment hosted Andy's favorite low budget brew: Southpaw.

As for the bar itself, it was heavily adorned with Georgia bulldog paraphernalia and beer signs. We enjoyed some pool and the conversation with the locals, which included talk of American legion baseball in my home state of South Carolina. At the end of the night we capped it off with a shot. The Bloody Bucket lived up to its name and provided us with some great memories.

Hewy, Andy, and Eva sharing a shot at the Bloody Bucket.

Bar Name Rating: 8/10
Best Beer: Southpaw but they only sell it in limited quantities
Best Bathroom: Women's for the wall decorations
Best Stolen Article: Georgia Bulldog flag off the wall for Mo
Number of times we have visited for a drink: twice

Rum Review #3

Ron Viejo De Caldas Rum

Country origin: Colombia

Price: $13.99/750ml

Proof: 80 (40%)

Purchased: Total Wine & More on Pines Blvd., Pembroke Pines, FL.

Their Description: “Colombia’s finest rum, developed with the secrets of the Caribbean and the traditions of Spain. The Aristocratic lineage and aging in oak casks produce the smooth taste, body and flavor of Ron Viejo De Caldas.

Our Description: “This is a pretty decent rum. There’s a sweet flavor mixed with the before-mentioned oakiness, which lingers for a good bit. The chaser macadamia nuts didn’t need to be reached for until at least 45 seconds after the deep sip. Would purchase again, if we didn’t have countless other rum countries and brands to sample!"

Rum Review #2

Saint Teresa Superior Gold
Country origin: Venezuela
Price: $14.99/750ml
Proof: 40%
Purchased: Total Wine and More in Boynton Beach, FL

What the kids are saying:
"Sweet brown sugar notes and the unassuming label hints at the quality."
"Sweet, sipping rum."
"Spicy!"

Even though we are attempting to try a different rum from every country I have actually purchased this rum again. Of course for scientific purposes only! Try it at your own risk, you may never buy another rum again.

Dive Bar #1

Jimbo’s Pub

Nestled in the heart of Dania’s nothing district on Dixie Highway, this whistle-wetter is quite internally adorned, despite its outward appearance. The inside is festooned with a Valentine’s tree (no affiliation with Christmas), video poker, an 18-inch screen TV, and a sideways mattress (I don’t know, and I don’t want to know). Jimbo’s seems to have some sort of partnership with Budweiser, or so the abundant advertisements throughout the bar will have you think. More likely though, one of the bartenders has a penchant for Dale Jr.

Speaking of bartenders, the on-duty attendant this weekday afternoon had a lot going on. He and his award-winning belly were truly entertainers. During our 1-beer, 30-minute session at this bar, our bartender doubled our alcoholic intake. I suppose drinking goes quickly when you’re getting your 3-D glasses ready for the series premiere of Chuck.

The other three patrons were quite friendly. They consisted of a chain-smoking couple who were rather feisty with each other, as well as a beaten down 40-something dude who opened the lines of communication with us by pointing out Barack Obama’s poor public speaking skills. Despite that, the overall atmospheric comfort level in this dive was higher than anticipated.

Physical Oddness Level: 4/10

Cultural Oddness Level: 6/10

Price of a bottle of domestic: $2

Chance of Returning Again in Life: 18%

Rum Review #1

Brugal Dominican Gold Label Rum

Country origin: Dominican Republic

Price: $10.99/750ml

Proof: 80 (40%)

Purchased: A small liquor store west of I-95 off of 10th Ave. in Lake Worth, FL

Taste: "Like a peice of wood marinated in rubbing alcohol."

Background: Andy and I decided that since rum is such a prevalent drink in South Florida we would go on a mission to try and drink a rum from every country in Central and South America. If you have any suggestions feel free to leave them in the comments.