Flying Saucer Anniversary

It's been a year since my first trip to the Flying Saucer in Kansas City. They've apparently seen fit to have a celebration of my first visit. Since my first visit was on their first day open I guess you could say that they are celebrating their first anniversary but I think they're really celebrating earning my kids' college fund.

A YEAR of GREAT BEER
Help Us Celebrate Our First Anniversary
THIS SAT., MAY 2 @ 2pm
Tapping 8 Rare Beers:
BEAR REPUBLIC RACER X
BEAR REPUBLIC THE GRIZZ
BEAR REPUBLIC NORCAL ALE
SCHLAFLY BOURBON BARREL IMPERIAL STOUT
AVERY SAMAEL'S
2007 GREAT DIVIDE OLD RUFFIAN
2007 BELL'S EXPEDITION STOUT
SIERRA NEVADA BROWN SAISON
_____________________
plus Raffling Great Beer Swag!
Flying Saucer

Surly

I have seen and tasted the future and that future is Surly.

I first encountered Surly in the Mall of America of all places. Stella and I had driven up to Minneapolis for a long anniversary weekend. We did some shopping at Ikea and went across the street to get a feel for the Mall of America. After checking out the roller coasters and a couple of stores Stella couldn't wait to go to, we found a happy hour in the mall, at a place called Crave*. It wasn't a particularly good happy hour, pints were still $4, but we thought it was the best we could get from the Mall (our hotel was a couple of blocks away so the Mall was very convenient for us).

*We went to Crave 3 times while we were there. We went for the happy hour on Friday, for brunch on Sunday and for reverse happy hour Sunday night. The brunch was really great, I had eggs Benedict and Stella had some French toast with a really great strawberry syrup. Everything was freshly made and local. For the reverse happy hour we ate $50 worth of sushi that was really great. If you're going to spend a day at the Mall of America, eat at Crave at least once.

As I looked through the menu for the draft beer I noticed 2 beers I hadn't yet drank, a Summit Extra Pale Ale (we were touring Summit the next day) and Surly Cynic. I was quite taken with the name Surly Cynic as I would hope that is how I would be described by people. I asked the bartender what style of beer it was and he said, "I'll just give you a sample, that's probably the best way to describe it". I'm sure that he just didn't know how to answer such a question but this conversation was a little bit of Dickensian foreshadowing. I tried it and told Stella that it was a great version of a Belgian Wit, like a Blue Moon. I really liked it, but I made the mistake of ordering the Summit Extra Pale Ale* anyway.

*I decided for the Summit because I didn't want to go to the brewery in the morning without having tasted their beer. Summit is Minnesota's largest brewer and they have a pretty wide distribution network. But the dirty little secret is, it's not that great. They have a very nice porter but even that is not enough to make me ever drink a Summit beer voluntarily again. There's nothing wrong with it really, I just expect to always have a better option available.

We went to a liquor store the next day to pick up some beer for the hotel room. I noticed a couple of Surly 4 pack cans in the refrigerator case. They were somewhat expensive $9.99 and $11.99 for a 4 pack of 16 oz. cans so I opted for a 12 pack variety pack of Schell's (which I was very happy with) because it contained some beers for Stella as well as for me. This would mark the last time I purchased a beer other than Surly in Minnesota.

The next day we spent in the Mall of America. We ate brunch at Crave, Stella shopped and I rode roller coasters (and bought a bunch of shirts at Nordstrom Rack where I made a lot of conversation with the saleslady simply because she was a member of the tribe and spoke with the Minnesota accent which was absolutely hilarious to me). When we were done with the shopping/riding we went back to the hotel to change and went back to Crave for their reverse happy hour, 8 - close. We gorged ourselves on sushi and I drank 3 Surly Cynics and fell in love with them.

The next day we went to another liquor store in search of beers to bring home with us. I got a 4 pack of Surly Furious and a sixer of Lagunitas IPA. We also noticed that they still had half a case of Boulevard Imperial Stout for sale, so if you want some head to Minnesota. Later that night we were going to a Twins game and went to a bar near the Metrodome for dinner, Grumpy's. I ordered a Surly Bender with my dinner (a truly horrible Cuban sandwich) and absolutely loved it. The waitress described Bender as "their dark beer", again with the Dickensian foreshadowing.

When we got home I cracked open one of my Surly Furious and now I find myself having trouble rationing them. I got it because the cans mentioned hoppiness, of which I count myself a fan. They certainly have that, but so much more.

This is why Surly is the future. Bartenders and waitresses don't know how to describe them because Surly doesn't categorize them in familiar categories; IPA, Pale Ale, Porter, etc. They just slap a name on them and let you decide what they are. If pressed I would say the Cynic is a Belgian Wit, Bender is some kind of brown ale and Furious is an IPA. But that's not the point, the point is, Surly doesn't care. They just brew what tastes good and don't stick to a style.

It's always a pet peeve of mine for breweries to brew an IPA or a porter or a barley wine and I've never understood why they wanted to follow rules. Why wouldn't you always be aiming to create something new rather than stick to predetermined styles? I know that the Beer Advocate people have categorized the Surly beers, but I don't think they're right. I would never categorized the Cynic as a saison like they do, but more importantly it doesn't really matter. What it is is a fabulous beer with some fruity flavors like a saison or Belgian wit but doesn't adhere to the standards of either. I like that they're rule breakers and employee #2 is shown on the website giving people the bird.

Surly has decided to brew beer, no style, just flavors. They're breaking the rules just like Fritz Maytag did when he turned Anchor around, just like Jim Koch did when he invented Boston Brewing and introduced America to beers full of flavor and just like Sam Calagione did when he started throwing ingredients not usually associated with beer into his brews. Someday the name Omar Ansari is going to join that list of innovative brewers. Surly is only 3 years old and they're starting to make their mark. They have distribution in Minnesota and Chicago today. In the next couple of years I would expect them to be very popular in the upper Midwest.

Do yourself a favor and beg, borrow and steal to get yourself some Surly, it's going to be worth it. Currently only Bender and Furious are being canned so those are your best shot unless you're going to Minnesota. I'm going to go looking for some Minnesota friends to keep me supplied with Surly.

Been to the ZOO lately?

The other night, my friend Mai Tai and I visited the infamous Zoo Bar just north of the Sprint Center in downtown KC. I'll be honest. I hadn't been in a long time -- since before the days of smoke-free bars. All I can remember from back then, was a cloud of smoke that poured out onto McGee every time someone opened the door. I didn't enjoy that aspect, and hadn't gone back until this past week.

Mai Tai and I walked in and commented how the place still smelled of stale smoke. There were a handful of regulars up front, near the large window overlooking the street. The bar is skinny, similar to a New York bar, where space is limited. There's just enough space for the bar, a long row of stools, and a place to walk by.

We also noticed how FRIENDLY everyone was! We were greeted at once, with smiles from all, and a very astute waitress. She was nice, but I cannot recall her name. We'll call her Janice.

Janice brought us some PBR in cans (which always brightens my day), and then noticed that we were really interested in reading the walls. There were signatures, dates, and messages dating back to 1988 -- or that's as far back as we were able to see. Janice told us that the bar has been a fixture in downtown for 25 years, and that people STILL come back to look for their names hidden up on the walls, ceilings, rafters, ductwork, bathroom doors, and so on. Then, she gave us a big smile and said, "Want a marker?" We jumped at the chance to put our own stamp on the walls of bar-heaven history!

Janice informed us that the bar does some serious business before and after Sprint Center games or concerts. "But," she said, "we don't get so much traffic through here for Disney on Ice, or Hannah Montana." Go figure.

Mai Tai and I agreed that the Zoo Bar is a GREAT PLACE for the following ten things:

10) A Back Scratch (from a friendly local...) <-- Yes. Mai Tai did get a back scratch from a regular...

9) A summer job

8) The Wives of Domestic Violence Counseling (Allow me to explain. Apparently, per Janice, there is a meeting space upstairs above the bar that holds WDVC sessions. While the battered womens' husbands are in the meeting, the wives hang out at the bar getting plowed. Hmmm. I'll toast to that.)

7) Writing on the walls. You may want to bring a sharpie and a ladder.

6) Writing on the dusty fan blades (with your finger -- in case you forget a sharpie)

5) People that don't know your name, but THINK they do.

4) The Sweater Kittens? I'm not sure why this is important to the list, but Janice had been talking about them.

3) Grandpas and other retirees

2) A quiet place to hang out before the Disney on Ice concert

1) YARD BEER in CANS! What more could you ask for, from a non-P&L, local bar!!!!

Mai Tai and I will definitely be back. What a great dive! A true diamond in the rough, and an awesome place to visit just a couple blocks away from "corporate bar Hell."

Here are more pictures and a FANTASTIC write-up on The Weekly Dive.

See you at The Zoo.

Big Sky Kansas

I just came home with a sixer of Big Sky IPA that I bought in Kansas. Apparently Big Sky Brewing has added Kansas to its distribution. I'm drinking the IPA right now and am quite impressed. It's a wonderful copper color and has the floral piney smell I'm looking for in an IPA. It's wonderfully balanced with a good hop bite but an appropriate amount of sweetness to round out the sharp bite. Overall, I think this is going to be one of my favorite IPA's.

I didn't buy the Big Sky Moose Drool, which I think is Big Sky's flagship beer, but Tipsy's had it. I've had it before at my fantasy football draft a couple of years ago. One of my friends stocks up on Moose Drool whenever he makes a trip to his native North Dakota. I really liked the Moose Drool that I had. It's a brown ale that's well worth trying. There are better brown ales around but Moose Drool is definitely worth your time and dime.

Wine to Your Door in Kansas

Well Kansans, you no longer have to memorize a friend's address in Missouri when you go to Sonoma on vacation. You can now receive wine in the mail just like a civilized human being. Governor Sebelius signed this into law today presumably before she packed up her stuff and chased off to DC by the teetotalers who are so happy not drinking that they feel it necessary to make sure you don't drink too. Heck, now you can even buy wine off the Internet and have it shipped to you.

Also included in the bill are provisions to allow Kansas wineries to sell wine at Farmer's Markets as long as the markets are licensed to sell alcohol which I'm virtually certain none are. Restaurants can also store your open bottle of wine.

Hopefully, this is the first step of many to get Kansas to join the 21st century of liquor regulation. Maybe the next step is to put the words "and beer" next to the word "wine" in this legislation.

The All New Hop Identification System

Let's do this one Billy Mays style.

Do you ever want to identify what hops are in your beer?
Of course you do and now you can.
Introducing the Sam Adams Longshot Double IPA.
The Double IPA doesn't have one type of hops..
not two..
not three..
But SEVEN types of hops!
That's right SEVEN!
Not only seven types of hops but..
Six pounds of hops per barrel.

What does this mean for you?
It means super hop flavor in every drink.
With that amount of hops you can taste every nuance
This will allow you, that's right YOU to be able to identify hops at will.
That's right, you too can readily identify hop varieties when you're drinking with your friends.

How's that?
Well let me tell you.
All you need to do is drink a beer with one of the seven types of hops..
Then drink a Sam Adams Longshot Double IPA and try to identify the hop flavor the previous beer gave you.
You'll be an expert in no time.

Not only that but the Sam Adams Longshot Double IPA gives you even more.
More than SEVEN types of hops AND SIX pounds of hops per barrel?
Yes!
Sam Adams Longshot Double IPA also gives you 9.60% ABV.
That's right, not only will you get great hop flavor..
You'll also get hyped up enough to think you can write a Billy Mays infomercial.

How can you get your bottle of Sam Adams Longshot Double IPA?
It's simple..
Go to your liquor store and find the box labeled Sam Adams Longshot.
Not only will you get one bottle of the Double IPA, you'll get another one for the same price.
And, if you act right then, you'll also get not one, but two, bottles of Cranberry Wit.
We'll also throw in 2 bottles of Traditional Bock.

How much is this kind of bounty?
2 bottles of Double IPA, with 7 kinds of hops and 6 pounds of hops per barrel..
2 bottles of Cranberry Wit AND 2 bottles of Traditional Bock.
$25? $15? $2.99 after rebate for taking Cranberry Wit off their hands?
No, $8.49! That's right 2 bottles of Double IPA, 2 bottles of Cranberry Wit AND 2 bottles of Traditional Bock for the low, low price of $8.49.
Go to Gomer's in Lenexa to take advantage of this limited time offer.
Go NOW!

Southern Tier Hoppe

When I was a kid I was obsessed with New York. I was intrigued by the world of high finance brought to me by such movies as “Trading Places” and “Wall Street”. I always wanted to have a faux brick wall in my million dollar condo and make fresh pasta with my Kitchen Aid mixer while drinking wine. When I was in 6th grade the principal of my future jr. high was talking to our class about the changes we were to expect in jr. high and for some reason he asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up, I told him I wanted to be a commodities broker like Winthorpe.

I grew up hating the west coast because I didn't like their attitude. Though I loved “Fast Times at Ridgemont High”, I didn't like the laid back attitude of west coasters. It seemed to me like the west coast offered nothing other than tasty waves and a cool buzz. I was then treated to the instant classic that was Bodhi and Johnny Utah in “Point Break”. Only then did I realize that the west coast had something to offer.

Now, while I don't particularly want to live on the west coast, I definitely look to the west coast for food and drink. What does any of this nonsense have to do with beer you ask? Well, I recently had a bomber of Southern Tier Hoppe and I've come to a conclusion. I like the west coast's approach to beer much more than I like the east coast.

The Southern Tier Hoppe was sickeningly sweet. And I didn't get a good hop feel that I would get from a west coast or midwest double IPA like Pliny the Elder or Bell's Hopslam. Some people may like the Southern Tier Hoppe and I would not say they were wrong, but for me, the sweetness was over the top. I've found the same thing in many of the other Southern Tier beers and even the Dogfish Head beers I've had.

All things being equal, I think that I would enjoy a west coast beer over an east coast beer of the same style. The Southern Tier Hoppe helped me understand that. Unfortunately for Southern Tier, I won't be buying another Hoppe. Instead I will look for Boulevard's Double Wide or Breckenridge Small Batch 471 to enjoy when I go see the “Point Break” sequel, “Point Break: Indo”*. My "Point Break" transition is nearly complete.

*When Billy Dalton, military special ops and star surfer, is disqualified from the pro-surfing tour, he takes off for the coast of Bali looking for the perfect wave. While there he’s recruited by a private security force who are trying to find a gang known as The Bush Administration, surfing outlaws and modern day pirates who work like “The Ex-Presidents,” a bank robbing crew from Malibu twenty years ago.

How Not to do a Beer Tasting

I don't know what this lady's schtick is and at the end of the day I don't value her beerpinion, but you simply don't hold a beer tasting in this way. Wes and I are not beer experts and try to eschew any opportunity to be held up as beer experts. We like beer and I like to try any beer I can get my hands on. If I want to get the aroma, I will pour it in a glass. If I want to judge taste, I will drink it from a glass. If I want to give it a review, I will drink a whole bottle to be fair. I don't hold a beer tasting where I drink 5 beers from bottles in 10 minutes and rarely, if ever, do I ask a dummy his opinion.

All of that being said, she was entertaining, which I guess is what she's shooting for, and she was talking about beer and notably our hometown beer. She's got a whole bunch of beer tasting videos on YouTube but also covers other topics including one exalting the greatness that is Glenn Beck (and I think she's serious, but it could very well be a parody, I can't figure Glenn Beck people out). I really only watched this because it was about Boulevard and she kind of looks like Chimpotle when he cross dresses.

Can You Feel the Summer Coming On?

With another April comes another baseball season where I will be ridiculed and shamed because my 2 favorite baseball teams have not won a World Series in a combined 155 years. But in April, it's possible I can be happy in 6 months, ask Red Sox fans. April is also a new beer season. Boulevard Zon is now in stores. Zon is my least favorite Boulevard seasonal, but many people enjoy it. I can understand that. I picked up a sixer of Goose Island Summertime which is one of my favorite Goose Island seasonals. Since I look to Chicago for baseball happiness it makes sense that I turn away from KC for my summer seasonal.

Perfect beer for this day
Sing along because it's one we know
It's a smile
It's a kiss
It's a Goose Island
It's summertime
Sweet summertime.

Go Cubs Go!