We Want Our $2

I'm trying to expand my social life to actually being out on the town past 6 p.m. In trying to achieve this goal Stella and I made our way over to the Flying Saucer to try the tap nite beer, New Holland's Black Tulip Trippel. We were able to secure one of my favorite booths by the windows overlooking the street. It's a great people watching spot.

I ordered the Black Tulip Trippel and Stella got the Fire Sale beer, a Schlafly Summer Lager. The Black Tulip was really quite great. It had a weird, but good sweetness, which the description says is like pop rocks. While that may not sound that great it was. It was a great beer to sip while watching the people head to the concert over in the Live section of the P&L.

As we were sitting there discussing LeBron dismantling Orlando (really this just involved me talking about LeBron as Stella was Ebaying on her iPod) a bunch of KCMO bike cops congregated right outside our window. Then a regular KCMO police patrol car pulled up and that policeman got out of the car to BS with the bike cops. I told Stella that I would hate to be as gray as that cop was and look as young as he did. His hair was about half gray and the other half was obviously graying yet he couldn't have been more than 40. As the cops were having a gay old time a Chevy Suburban with a Missouri Fraternal Order of Police logo on its doors pulled up and parked right in front of the valet stand (in a No Parking zone) and right at the entrance to the Live district and 6 people dressed to party piled out. They gave officer gray a friendly wave and went in to the party. The Suburban was parked there for the rest of our time at the Saucer. I guess it's better to let the populace of KC see that the rules don't apply to KC cops than spend $2 to park in the garage which is only slightly less convenient. I really enjoyed watching the KCPD flaunt the law. Good job Officer gray driving the 422 car, bicycle cops and FOP guy with license plate FOP-1, we appreciate the work you're doing for us, glad you could save yourself $2.

Anyway, after I finished my Black Tulip I ordered the Schlafly Summer Lager. When I took my first drink, I winced, it was really bad. It kind of tasted like a Miller Lite with some rusted chain link fence soaking in it. I don't think that is the taste they were shooting for.

We were quite surprised at how full the Saucer was on a Thursday night. I don't think there were more than 2 or 3 open tables by the time we left.

Berbiglia Wine Tasting

Stella and I decided to go to the big Berbiglia (not Beerbiglia) wine tasting that I read about on Fat City yesterday. It promised to have 75 wines to sample and while I didn't count them, I would say they were pretty close.

We decided to spend the $10 to get a couple of Riedel wine glasses because the thought of drinking nice wines out of a 1 oz. medicine cup made me gag just a little bit. Quite a few people were also enjoying the wine tasting meaning every table full of wine required a little bit of effort to sidle up to. It took a good minute to get each pour of wine.


As Stella and I were drinking our first or second sample of wine near the front door, Owen from Fat City walked in the door. Watching Owen walk in the door of any establishment is a little like watching the opening credits sequence of “Reservoir Dogs” or the scene in “Dazed and Confused” when Wooderson, Mitch, Don and Pink walk through the pool hall with the Dylan classic “Hurricane” blaring. Everything just kind of slows down and everyone turns to watch the Owen strut which practically screams “F you, I work for the Pitch”.

Owen and I discussed some of bloggy goings on around town, some of our posts from the past couple of weeks and discussed the ownership of Savvy. I would disappear for a minute or two to get another wine sample and we would pick up our conversation. At one point Owen went to look at the beer and brought back a bottle of Boulevard Two Jokers (which was also a wine at the sampling). Owen jokingly thought about opening it and drinking it in the store, “I don't think they would mind” was his justification.

As Stella and I proceeded to hit more tables we ended up near a beer cooler*. I had been telling Owen how I found O'Malley's beer offerings completely sub-par and basically bad mouthing O'Malley's quite a bit. Stella came up and told me to watch what I'm saying because the O'Malley's guy was in the next aisle pouring samples. I'd hate to get a beat down in the middle of a wine tasting. I suspect it would look a little like the fight at the end of “Bridget Jones Diary” but I don't know, the O'Malley's guy may be Irish which would mean the fight might look a little like Tyson-Spinks with me being Spinks of course.

*I noticed on the cooler door to the Boulevard selections a flyer that said something negative about Big Sky Moose Drool while trying to sell Boulevard products. Something to the effect of "Moose Drool, sounds tasty right? Drink Boulevard, a local beer, instead". I don't know if this sign was Berbiglia's idea or Boulevard's or even some joker who took an opportunity with a full store to post a sign. I do know that I considered it bad form to denigrate another microbrew in furtherance of another microbrew's sales. It's bush league, beat them on the merits of your beer. Moose Drool is a fine beer and shouldn't be singled out for ridicule by Boulevard or Berbiglia. I hope I don't see such a sign again.

I went over to the O'Malley's table to try their new Sunryes Ale, sticking to my rule of trying every Rye beer I come across. After drinking it, I stick to my assessment that O'Malley's beer is completely unacceptable. I had trouble drinking my ounce of the Sunryes, I can only imagine how I would get a 12 oz. bottle down.

In all, I tried about 15 wines and 1 beer, with the Michel-Schlumberger Cab and Chateau Montelana Cab (made famous by the "Bottle Shock" movie) being the star performers. We found a couple of malbecs that we liked which would be good for everyday drinking. I have a tough time recommending wines because I'm not an oenophile and don't pretend to be one. I think wine is much more personal, everyone likes different things in a wine and wines I don't like, might be great to someone else. Since this is a beer blog, I try not to enter the wine fray.

For $10 (the price of the 2 wine glasses which we got to keep) the Berbiglia wine tasting was quite nice. Stella and I had a good time with only one incident. Some lady complained to Stella that I cut in front of her (I did not), not knowing that Stella was with me. She bad mouthed me for a minute before Stella told her that I was with her which led the lady to backtrack a little. It was kind of a funny little incident because the lady was completely wrong (I think she was trying to jump ahead of me, but I never even noticed her since she was behind me). The event was a little crowded at times (not at the O'Malleys table) but well worth it. To be notified of Berbiglia events in the future you can subscribe to their email list here or for other dining events you can sign up for the Pitch's Dining newsletter here.

What Makes a Good Happy Hour

I realized that I'm wasting some of my best stuff (which isn't that great anyway) in our comments section which approximately 3% of our readers actually read. In response to the previous post about the worst happy hour special I've run across, a couple of commenters and I were laying out the reasons why that special (buy a bottle of wine get a 1/2 price appetizer) sucked. So I think we should lay out some rules for a good happy hour.

1. At least 3 hours long (4-7), this lets the people who leave work at 4 or 5 at least 2 hours of happy hour good times. Why discriminate against early risers or late risers? Be inclusive.
2. The drink special should be on single serving drinks. Happy hour is a social occasion, but people are paying their own tab. They're not sharing bottles of wine. Bottles of wine are for dates or family occasions, happy hours are neither.
3. The drink special should be heavily discounted OR very cheap. $2 Boulevard bottles, $3 microbrew draws, $4 martinis, etc. or something like $1 shots or $1 PBR cans. A special should be just that, special.
4. Make it easy to take advantage of the happy hour, people are coming and going constantly so you don't want it to be complicated. Buy X get Y for 1/2 price is annoying, just give us Y for 1/2 price. The goal is to get people to drink in your place, not get them to buy something you're not willing to discount.
5. Food specials. Give me some $2 wings or $2 pretzels. Portion size doesn't really matter. We've been working all day, we need a snack before we go home. Just make a couple of food items really cheap. Feature something that you want us to come back for at dinner if you want, just keep it cheap.
6. Have plenty of servers on hand. We're not there to sit around and wait, we're there to get a drink quickly and socialize with coworkers or friends. The longer time commitment I have to make to go to your happy hour, the less likely I am to go. Quick service is key.
7. Display your happy hour specials on the sidewalk or on your front door. Definitely feature it on your website. Your specials drive new business, let us know easily and with no commitment from me. I don't want to walk in your place and feel obligated to buy something without knowing what kind of special you have.

That's all I can come up with for now. Let me know in comments anything I may have missed.

If you didn't read the comments from the previous post, the worst happy hour was found at Savvy Coffee and Wine Bar in the Power and Light. I don't really want to say anything bad about the place because I haven't been there. But their happy hour special breaks rules 1-5. They nailed rule #7 because I saw it displayed on a sandwich board in front when I walked by at lunch time.[UPDATE: THIS HAS BEEN CORRECTED, SAVVY CHANGED THEIR HAPPY HOUR] I would like for them to succeed because it seems like a nice place. They're just feeling their way around still so go in and let them know they're breaking the KC Beer Blog's rules for happy hours.

Worst Happy Hour

Let's play a little game. I was going to bash this place for having the worst happy hour in town but, for reasons that are clear once the place is named, would be tremendously unfair. So I'm stealing from Charles Ferruza's "Where is it" game on Fat City and letting you, the reader, tell me what place has the following as their happy hour special.

Happy Hour 5-7, buy a bottle of wine get 1/2 off an appetizer.

So folks, where is it?

Portland Bust

Someone please explain to me what all the bad blood is about the P&L District???

I really shouldn't read the comments section to stories in KC's paper of record/cheerleader. If something stupid is said in this town, odds are that it appears in the Star's comment section. Maybe we're a little spoiled here at the KC Beer Blog because our commenters actually add value to the blog.

So I read the above little comment buried in some rant about Kansas Citians not being enlightened enough to throw away millions of dollars on downtown development. The comment was in response to a Star article proclaiming that the Portland Trail Blazers and city of Portland were impressed with the P&L District.

I was literally shocked that another city would look at the P&L District as a case study of what you would want your city to spend money on. It seems Portland has built their own version of Kemper Arena, an arena built in a depressed area with the hope that development will surround it. As with Kemper, it hasn't happened in Portland. This has made the Trail Blazers a little angry since their arena isn't making them enough cash. They're going to the city officials and begging them to spend even more taxpayer cash to develop the area around their arena. Since they're not footing the bill, they see the P&L as an acceptable project.

And there's the rub. The year-old Power & Light District is hemorrhaging taxpayer money. Opened amid an economic free fall, leasing rates and sales taxes have failed to hit city projections. Cordish has sued Jackson County to lower its property tax assessment in the district and has developed a local reputation for hardball negotiating and tin-eared community relations.

Meanwhile the city, which issued $295 million in bonds to pay for infrastructure and some building costs, has been forced to dip into its general fund to cover its debt service.

Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser, who is seen by the business community as anti-development, is philosophical about the district, launched during his predecessor's tenure. It's a "good product," he said, and it's nice to have crowds of people and night life where none existed before.

But he doesn't believe government should be building bars and restaurants. And as a former city auditor, he harbors few illusions about the economics involved.
"It's never going to make money," he said. "I can't imagine how it could make money."

None of this is mentioned in the Star article, of course, only the fact that Portland likes the P&L District. Hence, Star commenter confusion such as “Does anyone actually believe things used to be better back when there was absolutely nothing at all down there? Anyone? Anyone?... “.

Well I think we would have been better off with the $295 million we spent on the deal. That money's gone and we're not getting it back. So yes, we would be $295 million richer as a city, which would make us better off than a collection of douchey bars.

This would be even worse for Portlanders who have a thriving downtown. The thriving just isn't happening where city leaders and the Trail Blazers want it to happen.

Since The Oregonian doesn't really have anything to gain by cheerleading the P&L they also did some other real reporting.

The Power & Light District is credited with helping the city increase convention bookings by 30 percent in 2008, which represents an 80 percent increase in convention-related room days for local hotels.

But as a local gathering spot, it's still a work in progress. The district draws a decent lunch crowd, but weeknights can be slow. And though the district's Live block hosted 150 music events last year and does a brisk business on Friday and Saturday nights, the nearby restaurant row is often sleepy.

On a balmy Friday night in early May, casual dining chains such as Chipotle Mexican Grill and Ted's Montana Grill are moving burritos and bison burgers.

But at the 801 Chop House, which features a long wine list, curtained-off dining alcoves and 22 varieties of steaks and chops, exactly three tables are occupied at 8 p.m. Across the street at the Bice Italian Cafe, it's the same story.

High-end dining isn't the district's only sore spot. City officials say retail has been slow to materialize, too. There's the new grocery store and a JoS. A. Bank men's clothing outlet. But Cordish marketing posters festoon empty storefronts imploring people to "Take the new downtown for a test drive."

Blake Cordish, a vice president in the family business, contends that the district has been phenomenally successful given the state of the economy. Though other leading developers are going bankrupt, "our portfolio is thriving."

Cordish says 90 percent of the Power & Light District is leased, including tenants who have committed or are building out their space.

City officials figure only 72 percent of the space is occupied and say Cordish has made many pronouncements about tenants and occupancy rates that didn't pan out in the past.

"Missouri's motto is 'Show Me,'" said Missy Wilson, vice president of development services at Kansas City's Economic Development Corp. "The public will believe it when they see it."

In the meantime, Cordish has sued the county over its property taxes, as well as the owners of the Bice Bistro for back rent and the costs of finishing the restaurant and adjoining gelato cafe.

The contractor who did much of the nearly $3 million build-out of the 801 Chop House has sued the restaurant's owners and Cordish for failure to pay for $600,000 in work.

The real red ink, however, is at the city, which was looking for sales taxes generated in the district to pay three-quarters of its bond payments. In the first year of the district's operation, sales tax revenue fell 84 percent short of its projections, forcing the city to exhaust a reserve fund and tap its general fund for an additional $4.7 million to meet debt payments. This year, even with more bars and restaurants open, it forecasts a $7 million to $10 million shortfall.

"I think the City Council made some decisions that were socially driven and not necessarily business driven," said Jeffrey Yates, Kansas City's finance director. "While we're recognizing now it's going to cost the general fund, everyone realizes that it's better than what we had."

I'm not going to lie and say that I haven't enjoyed the P&L District, hell, I go to The Flying Saucer 3 times a week. What I am saying is that KC threw their money away and subsidized an unprofitable development all the while promising to make the city richer. It was all lies and I hope Portlanders see through the lies when it comes their turn.

Downtown Hangover

I wasn't even supposed to be downtown last night. I had made plans to see Michael Pollan speak at Unity Temple last night. The Scout had an extra ticket and agreed to let me have it. So we made plans to go last night. But then The Scout decided that she had someone better to take along and gave me the boot. So I had a free evening and nothing to do.

Then John in KC twittered that he had an extra free pass to see “The Hangover” and was looking for takers. I was the big winner. He emailed me the pass and we made plans to meet up for the movie. I was then left with an evening downtown before my movie, Kay Barnes' wet dream.

My trusty inbox led me to the free staff pick wine tasting at Cellar Rat. I got there about 5:45 and texted Abbey Ale to meet me, but she was still at work threatening to cut people. I fought the crowd of about 40 people and was able to try all 10-12 wines available. I only found one that I really enjoyed, the Chateau Ste. Michele Indian Wells Chardonnay. A couple of the other ones I didn't think much of at all. Overall I wasn't that impressed with the staff's picks this month. I'm willing to give them more shots assuming I can make it out again (a couple of times in the past week people have laughed at me for thinking that anything after 6 is a little too late to be out).

I then made my way over to the Saucer and reinforced my feelings about sitting at the bar there. I don't like it and don't want to do it again. But, I was unsure of Abbey Ale's arrival and I didn't want to take the only available booth in the place and sit alone. Of course, Abbey Ale eventually got there making my worries moot, but we decided to stay at the bar. She brought her work pal, Deschutes along with her. I was drinking a Maharaja IPA. Abbey Ale asked what she should get and I told her to get the Goose Island Matilda which is on tap at the Saucer now. She was quite impressed with Matilda (Deschutes and I both thought she might enjoy a different Matilda if you get my drift). Deschutes and Abbey Ale both told how much they loved Deschutes' Black Butte Porter and were discouraged they could only get it when they go to the west coast for work. I'm discouraged by that too, since I don't even get to go to the west coast to drink it. The time has come for Deschutes come to Missouri.

After we finished our beers I made my way over to the AMC Mainstreet Theatre to meet up with John in KC. I walked in and had no hassle getting into the theater. The theater with “The Hangover” was about two-thirds full when I got there, I called John to see if he was there yet but he was polishing off a Texan at ChefBurger (another of Kay Barnes' wet dreams). I found some seats a little closer to the screen than optimal and a little far to the right. John called a couple of minutes after I sat down.

I was a little chatty with John as I'm prone to be after sucking down a Maharaja. We had some good discussion about downtown KC and walking rather than driving (the best part about a downtown). Then the movie started and it was everything I hoped it would be. I laughed out loud at least 10 times and 3 or 4 of those times led to a coughing fit for me (I'm pretty sure I'm dying). The moral of “The Hangover” is one I think we can all get behind, don't mix Jagermeister and Rohypnol, it seems obvious but “The Hangover” cements it in your mind. My only complaint is that I didn't really care about them finding their friend, plus I didn't really need to see full frontal, untrimmed at that, obstetrician from “Knocked Up” (but I didn't much mind the gratuitous Zack Galifianakas nudity). The payoff of the movie is the slideshow of the evening before the hangover (which you don't see at all during the movie). When that little slideshow hits YouTube, or whatever similar thing that allows nudity, it will take the world by storm. It may be the funniest 2 minutes of film ever put together, with the montage of penis from “Superbad” coming in a close second.

I liked the Mainstreet Theatre, but it's not a whole lot different than other AMC theaters. Had I bought anything I might have a little more to say about the whole thing. I really only walked into the place, sat down and watched a movie.
Big thanks to John in KC for hooking me up with a free ticket. I had a pretty fun downtown evening for $20. I can just imagine how moist this post makes Kay.

Maharaja Hallucination

@ The Saucer. What a great text message to get at 3:30 on a Friday. The Scout was getting her drink on with her intercontinental friend, Tusker. I was headed over there anyway to meet up with Chimpo and Buttery Nipple so this was a fine confluence of players.

We got one of the big booths up by the bar. I started off with the Fire Sale beer (every day the Saucer has a beer that is $2.75/pint) which was Boulevard's Maibock. Scout and Tusker had just finished up the Boulevard tour and were raving about the Tank 7 beer which is on tap over there (soon to be on tap at all your finer beer establishments). Scout had an Arcadia Hopmouth and I don't remember what Tusker was drinking. Chimpo wanted the rare tap that the Saucer had tapped on Thursday, Arcadia Hop Rocket but they were out already. He had to settle for a Bear Republic Grizz (which he didn't like). Then we all laughed at Buttery Nipple when he got a Sam Adams Summer and put his beloved lemons in it. I then told Scout that he was the one we call Buttery Nipple. "I can see why" was her response.

After some great stories about Namibia and Kenya provided by Tusker and Scout and learned of Tusker's harrowing tale of a bus ride from Dallas to Tulsa it became time for another beer. I've been drinking Avery's Maharaja IPA at the Saucer for a couple of weeks now and never has it given me hallucinations because that is the only explanation for Tusker to have said "This is the conversation I've been waiting to have my entire life" which isn't all that strange except she was talking about the conversation she was having with Chimpo. Never has a woman said anything remotely close to that sentiment in regards to a convo with Chimpotle.

My second hallucination was when we started talking about Ikea. I was telling Chimpo and Scout about the fish cheese I had brought back from Minny for Meesha. I told Chimpo that we both got banana milkshakes from ChefBurger when I gave him the fish cheese. Right after I finished my sentence Meesha walked up to our table and said hi. I'm sure it's old hat for Meesha to walk up to tables and be told that the people at that table were talking about him since he is KC's Best Blogger. But it was so weird that it must have been a hallucination.

The Maharaja, aside from the hallucinations, is a great beer and without a doubt my favorite double IPA. Double IPA's tend to have a syrupy sweetness to balance out the hops but the Maharaja sweetness is refreshing. Everything about the Maharaja from the initial slap of the hops to the the sweetness in your throat should be the benchmark for a double IPA. It's like drinking 3 different beers at the same time as the tip of your tongue has a different taste experience than the back of the tongue and your throat (that's what Linda Lovelace said).

Overall, it was another fun happy hour at the Saucer with good beer and friends of the old and new variety.

Two Jokers

Boulevard's Two Jokers has not been released everywhere yet. It actually hasn't been released most places. But it is available at the Gomer's on north Holmes this weekend. No other store I've called is carrying the Two Jokers right now. So if you want to be the first in town to get a drink of the joker, head to Holmes, it may be worth your while.

Hat tip to Brother Bean.

The Caldera Curse

Last Friday I wrote a post claiming that my drinking Caldera IPA was responsible for the Royals 6 game winning streak. I then put KC on notice that I was out of Caldera IPA and was not going to buy any more. The Royals have now lost 6 straight games. Coincidence? I think not. It is fairly obvious that in order for the Royals to win again, some Caldera IPA needs to touch my lips. So who's buying?

On a related Royals note, one of our dear readers, Brad Dunn, is such a Royals fan that he makes kegerators and paints them with Royals colors and logos. He has one available for sale for around 600 bones. It has room for 3 kegs but only has one tap installed. If you've been wanting a kegerator and love the Royals, you could do a lot worse. If you are interested email Brad at bradjdunn@gmail.com.

Brett is Back

Boulevard's Saison-Brett, which I've proclaimed the best Boulevard beer, is out. The new batch is available now at Gomer's in Lenexa. I'd like to thank Gomer's Midtown for not telling me on the phone today when I was inquiring about Two Jokers, maybe they didn't know. I'm not going to lie, this one comes as a complete surprise to me.

I'm looking forward to buying one and comparing it to one of my 4 bottles left over from the last batch. I think if my arm was twisted hard enough we could have a beer blogger meet up to try the two bottles.

Hat tip to Chimpotle. I trust he was able to make it home without wrecking his car again.

Shoe Fetish

Joyce Smith is reporting that 4 new bars no one will go to are opening up in Village West.

The newly formed venture plans to open the complex in three phases over the next three months. The entities all have shoe-themed names with creative spellings.

The first will be Cleat’z Sportz Bar and Chill, to open May 18. It will be a neighborhood bar and grill with two high-definition 55-inch screens and nine other TVs.

Chris Dressel, formerly the chef behind the Italian menu at Leawood’s Soho 119 boutique, will offer a menu that goes beyond standard bar food — ahi tuna spring rolls, seasame-seared ahi tuna with fresh crisp vegetables wrapped in rice paper and served with cilantro, cream and sweet chili sauces, barbecue slawdogs, whiskey sirloin and Cuban pork sandwiches.

Starting July 1, Cleat’z will turn into a 1980s nightclub after 9 p.m.

The second operation, Flip-Flop’z Beach Bash, will be a top 40 nightclub with a dance floor, two bars, a stage for live shows and a VIP area. It is scheduled to open July 1.

Spur’z Rock N Saloon, a country rock nightclub with a stage for live shows, a big dance floor, three bar areas and VIP areas, also is to open July 1.

Then Stilleto’z, a dueling piano bar/martini bar with DJ booth, dance floor and one main bar, is to open July 17.

It never occurs to me to go out to Village West to get my drink on, and I'm certain that I will never go to one of these 4 places. But for those that are stuck in KCK, these might be right in your wheelhouse.

I'm a little concerned about the shoe theme though. I mean, of all the things to set a theme around, wouldn't shoes be around the 157th best idea? To paraphrase Josh Baskin "What's the fun in playing with shoes, why not make it bugs or something". Unless they're serving drinks in shoes (ewww) I don't get why the shoe theme would be appealing.

The Hangover

Okay, I don't usually get excited about movies coming out anymore. But I am excited for this one, super excited, so excited I may have to relieve some pressure in my groin region. Ed Helms = Sexy!.

Maibock the Forgotten One

I nearly forgot there was such a thing as Boulevard Maibock. That is until yesterday when I noticed it was on tap at ChefBurger. I had several pints last year of the Maibock and liked it, but German beer styles don't tend to be my favorites.

The usual suspects should have the Maibock on tap; Harry's, Waldo Tap Room and any other bars that typically have a Boulevard seasonal on tap.

Winning: A Beer Story

Last Friday night I left work a little early to go over to Gomer's Midtown to see if any new beers are available. I was hoping to pick up some Boulevard Two Jokers, but it's still not out yet (maybe next week). I looked around for awhile and decided on a six pack of Caldera IPA in cans.

That night I drank one of my Surly Furiouses and finished off my Lagunitas IPA's. The next day the grandparents de Vard came to town to babysit the kids while Stella and I went to The Killers concert. After they took the kids to dinner I cracked open the first of the Caldera IPA's.

I poured it into my pint glass and noticed the hop smell immediately. I even picked up a bit of a grapefruit smell. The beer was a coppery color. It had quite a bitter flavor at the beginning but mellowed on the way down and was quite refreshing. I really enjoyed my first can of Caldera IPA.

I had one Caldera IPA each night for the next 5 nights. On Sunday night I even drank one from the can after I had mowed the lawn. The can even spent 5 minutes in the shower with me (nothing untoward was done, it's a can not a bottle). I enjoyed every one of my 6 Caldera IPA's.

Now here's the thing, I'm out of Caldera IPA. It's $14.99 a six pack. I like it and all but I'm not going to spend another $14.99 on it. I just don't think it is THAT good. But here's the other thing, the Royals are 6-0 on days where I drink a Caldera IPA. At this point, I'm taking full responsibility for the winning streak. I don't much care to keep the winning streak going, I'm a Cubs and Indians fan, but you might. And since I like you I'm willing to continue to drink Caldera IPA's as long as you buy them.

If I don't drink one today (and I don't plan on it), I don't think the Royals can win tonight's game (Meche v. Palmer). If the Royals lose I don't believe anyone would much care, it's a long season and all. BUT, if I don't drink a Caldera IPA on Saturday when Greinke pitches, a historic undefeated season will go by the wayside. Can you live with that? Personally, I'd like to see someone go 32-0. But I don't want to see it enough to spend another $14.99 for 6 beers, I only care enough to take the time to drink the beers.

I'm giving you the opportunity to keep the winning streak alive. You can comment on this post your plan to buy me some Caldera IPA or you can email me at schlitz500@yahoo.com. Remember the Royals' and Greinke's winning streaks are in your hands.