Craving Bitter- My Favorite Hop Heavy Delights

Lovely view…

I heard about bitter being an “acquired taste”.  I was convinced there wasn’t a chanceit would ever grow on me.  Why would someone even want to like the taste of bitter?  Sip after sip of IPAs ended with the tensing of every face muscle I had (also known as bitter beer face).  To my surprised it happened.  After one marathon my husband asked me in regards to our ritual post long-run beer, “Are you craving malty or hoppy?”  There it was.  When faced with the two options all I craved was hop, Hop, HOP!  Below are my list of my favorites and must tries for any Hop Head.

1)  Favorite all around: Racer 5- Bear Republic- With an IBU of 65, I’d consider this the most mild on my list and one that broke me in, turned me around and gave me a good spanking.  I love this beer.  Someone once asked if I was stuck on an island with just one beer, what would I want it to be.  Heaven forbid I’d only be stuck with only one type of beer (totall okay playing Blue Lagoon with my husband on an island though), but if that were the case it would absolutely be Racer 5.  Yum, yum, in the tum-tum!

2) Favorite Local:  Pure Hoppiness- Alpine Brew Company-  (IBU- listed as Classified on the Alpine Beer Company website).  Currently my favorite hop heavyweight in San Diego, I was given a bottle of this for Christmas from a co-worker.  There are great mountain bike trails in Alpine.  The co-worker has made riding the trails and visiting the brewery a Wednesday evening ritual.  Now I feel like he’s my dealer for the sweet stuff, always handing him some cash Wednesday morning hoping he could score a couple bottles for me.  “Please sir, I want some more,” I say in my best Oliver Twist impersonation.  Piney and earthy, I found this beer to be very unique and familiar at the same time.

3) Hop Stoopid Ale- Lagunitas- (IBU- 102- YOWZA!)  Despite the high IBU, this beer is extremely easy to drink.  Hop Stoopid could be found fairly easily at local liquor stores that carry craft beer.  The price has alwasy been fairly reasonable.  Its standout aspect is the smell.  Pair with a couple of fish tacos for a great weekend lunch!

4) Maharaja- Imperial IPA – Avery- Being one of my husband’s favorite beers means I get to this tasty treat fairly often for it only being a seasonal release.  Definitely share a bottle with a friend or loved one or prepared to be useless the rest of the day.  This one packs a punch!

5) YOU TELL ME!  What do I need to try?  Better yet, send me a bottle.  Thanks.

Race RECAP: Tinker Bell Disney Half Marathon

Happiness is... being able to high-five Daisy Duck at a finish line

It’s a great time to be a woman.  No better is that reflected than in the running and endurance community.  Not long ago women weren’t allowed to enter marathons being considered physically incapable of completing them.  Definitely the more stubborn of the sexes with our “I’ll show you” attitude, women have proved not only can they complete the distance but that they are a market smart race organizers cannot and should not ignore.  The perfect example of this being the new Tinker Bell Half Marathon put on by the machine that is the Disney Corporation.

I’ll admit it, I’m a sucker for all things Disney.  I’ve visited Florida on seven occasions.  Each time I’ve landed at the Orlando International Airport only to take a shuttle right to Disneyworld, never once venturing away from the parks.  Slightly pathetic, I realize this.  When Run Disney gave their facebook fans the opportunity first to sign up for the inaugural Tinker Bell Half Marathon, I had my credit card ready to go the day registration opened.

A “BIG” race that didn’t feel so big-  Like all of the Competitor RnR series races, the Tinker Bell Half prices were through the roof.  I registered early and got the “discount” price of $120, ouch!  Compared to the Rock and Roll Las Vegas Half, I found Tinker Bell to be much more worth the dough.  In an effort to wring out as much money from a race as possible, registrations are not being capped at a manageable number (as was obvious during Las Vegas).  Disney did not make that same mistake.  The course never felt too crowded or that I had to weave in and around people.  I was actually able to RUN- what a concept!

 

Running before sunrise

Disney Magic-  From the fireworks at the start to the finishers medal with a Tinker Bell that spins, everything about this race was sprinkled with a bit of fairy dust.  I think in all of my pictures I was caught with a grin from ear to ear.  This was Thu’s (my running buddy) first Disney race and she kept giggling at all the fine details that were put into the event.  Everyone got into the spirit of the event and there were probably more people in costume than regular running clothes.  If I had to guess, I probably made about 30 Glam Runner tutus for the race.  Finally a race were I fit right in!

 

 

Glam Runner Jillian in her custom Tinkertutu

 

Miles 1-5- The race started at 5:45 am.  Thu and I made it to corral A after running from my hotel with just a couple minutes to spare.  It ended up being a fairly warm day, so it was probably a good thing we started before sunrise.  The time we spent in Disneyland was in the dark, but the characters were out and park lights were on.  Running through Main Street was surreal.  I tried to take a picture using my camera phone, but it wouldn’t focus so we scrapped the stopping to take pictures idea.  By mile 5 I could feel the muscle aches from legs that had just done a full marathon the weekend before.  If my calves could talk I’d imagine they would say, “WHY?!  Why are you doing this to us?!  I hate you.”  I should probably listen to my body more before it turns on me.

 

ALL SMILES!!!

 

Miles 6-13.1- I was trying to hold out for mile 7 before I asked Thu to slow down but the request came closer to 6.  I didn’t need to dip over 10 minute miles but mentally struggled through “scenic” Anaheim.  Again, with the help of a running buddy I was able to push through.  We missed the mile 7 marker and were pleasantly surprised to see the mile 8 sign.  ”This half feels like it is going by so fast,” Thu remarked (or something to that sort).  Before we knew it we were running through Disney’s California Adventure park and I smelled the finish line.  At the end we were greeted by more characters giving high-fives.  Awesome!

 

Not my best, but not too shabby for tired legs.

At the End-  Ben said it was pretty easy to find us.  Both Thu and I run with T-Rex arms and our “unique” form can be spotted from a distance.  At the finish line I ran into another running fanatic and childhood friend, Ria.  After celebrating for a moment and snagging up post race goodies we were off to put something more substantial in our bellies.

 

At the finish with Thu and Ria!

 

Up Next-  Could it be??  A race free February??!?  YES!!!  My body and mind need a break. I believe my last race free month was December of 2010.  Now I’ll have some time to spend with my SoleMates team training for the San Diego Half Marathon in March.  Our team is raising money for the San Diego chapter of Girls On The Run.  We hope to raise enough money to sponsor an entire scholarship site!

Race RECAP: Carlsbad Marathon

Tags

Carlsbad, Marathon

Happiness is... being finished and ready for a beer!!

4:30:18- The Finish Time.  Thought I would post my time and get it out of the way.  I PR’d by almost 7 minutes from The New York Marathon in 2010.  It’s an honest time.  Last Sunday was a perfect day to run 26.2 miles.  Besides the usual jitters, I was feeling good.  This would be the first time having a run buddy dedicated to my finishing goal time, I wasn’t having any stomach issues, and the weather was brisk but dry- great running weather!  4:30:18 is true reflection of the effort I put into the race with all other factors being ideal.

4:20- The Goal. Considering my half marathon times last year have been right around 2 hours, a 4:20 finishing time in theory seemed perfectly doable.  At this point in my life I can spit out 13.1 miles and skip around afterwards without issues.  Not sure how many times I need to beat it into my head, but being in shape for a full marathon is a whole different beast than being in shape for a half.  I did not increase my weekday mileage, in fact it probably dropped.  I cannot be sure since I didn’t keep a log.  Training fail (again)!

The Running Buddy- What can I say?  Everyone should have a Monika to run and train with.  There is so many reasons why I love Girls On The Run.  One of which are the AMAZING women I now get to work with.  Carlsbad marked her 17th marathon.   The marathon prior she had reached her goal of a sub 4 hour finish and soon after decided she wanted to join the Marathon Maniacs.  Her goal for Carlsbad was  to cross the finish line, which put me in luck!  A 4:20-4:30 finishing time was a super comfortable pace for her so I could tell she was determined to get me in that range.  She kept me accountable for our long training runs and even “encouraged” no beer for the days prior (BOO!).

The color coordination was purely coincidence. =)

Carlsbad- Did I mention already how perfect conditions were?  Starting at 6am meant having to wake up at 3:30am, when some are just getting home from their night out.  That also meant getting to run during sunrise along the beach.  It was absolutely breath taking!  With just under 1200 participants for the full, the course was not crowded at all.  Even when the route met up with the half marathoners for the first time, we were put along side runners at our pace.  Awesome!  When the course met up with the half marathoners again, it was clearly marked for marathoners and half marathoners.  There was no need to weave around half marathon walkers like the poor runners who just did the Vegas Rock and Roll the month prior.

Miles 1-18-  I felt great.  Monika was there to slow me down when I ran too fast and I was able to see the 4:15 pacer about a football field away for the majority of the time.  Mile 8-9 marked the biggest “hill” of the course and after I got over the hump feeling good I was pretty confident.

Miles 19-26.2- I felt like complete poop.  I hate that dreaded “wall”.  I wish it were a person so I could stomp on its big toe.  I don’t know how it’s possible to go from feeling fantastic to craptastic in just a few steps.  Chugging along progressed to wanting to crawl into a grass pile and nap.  My heart broke when I saw the 4:30 pacer zoom by me.  Thank goodness Monika was there to glue it together and do the math to realize he was more on track to be under 4:20.  How cruel is that?  If you read this Mr. 4:30 Carlsbad pacer man, I’d call you “Wall Jr.” and stomp on your little toe.  Humph!

Left our smiles at mile 18

I saw many familiar encouraging faces in the last few miles which REALLY helped me cross the finish line.  Christian, Lisa and Trasie- thanks for being out there and cheering everyone on!  You’ve inspired me to do the same.  It really does help!

18 seconds- I missed the 4:30 mark by 18 seconds.  Boo-hoo-who-cares!  I still PR’d!  If I ever get my training and diet down, maybe I’ll have higher expectations for myself.  Today, I’m just going to be happy with exactly where I am and what I’ve done.

Baize PR day- I wasn’t the only one to PR that day.  Even with FIVE pee breaks, my ridiculously awesome husband also posted a PR by over 20 minutes!!!  He has come so far from the guy who I signed up to run his first half at Carlsbad 5 years ago.  He was all smiles afterwards and that’s always a beautiful sight.

GLAM RUNNERS-    Shout out to a couple of my Glam Sisters!  It is always nice to see our supporters out on the course.  Look at how happy, strong and beautiful they are!  Silly too, but what’s life without a little silliness?

Marie and Michelle rockin' the tutu

UP NEXT- The new Tinkerbell Half Marathon is this weekend.  I’m doing this one for fun and plan on taking it easy.  I’ve made a ton of tutus for this race and can’t wait to see everyone running around in them!

BEER Spotlight: Rogue Bacon Maple Ale

Tags

Bacon beer, Rogue

I come from the mind frame that everything really does taste better with bacon.  Naturally when I first saw the piggy pink bottle of Rogue’s Bacon Maple Ale posted on KnB’s facebook page, I knew I had to try it.  I have a healthy respect for the Rogue brand, yet wasn’t quite sure what to make of a Bacon Maple Ale.  I love sweet.  Yes.  I love salty.  Yes.  I love bacon. Yes.  I love beer.  Why hell yes!  Combined into one bottle, I was left with doubt.  Can Rogue really get this right?

I’ve been putting way too much thought recently on beer styles and enjoying them in the right context.   Right time, with the right food, and even with the right company, it all comes into play.  I’ve been trying to put myself in the brewer’s head.  What does he/she envision for this beer?  Brewer’s are thoughtful people.  I just want to be a thoughtful consumer.  Since it sounded like breakfast in a bottle, 9:30 a.m. seemed like the most obvious time slot!

Now before any of you start trying to organize an intervention for me, let me explain that morning a little more.  This was a race day.  Not only a normal race day but one I had to set up a booth for prior to runners arriving.  My alarm was set to 4 a.m. and I was out the door by 5:30.  After a quick 15K and taking down the booth, I found myself back at home 5 hours after waking up.  That’s lunch time for a normal person, and a perfectly acceptable time to crack open a beer.

That justification was for any reader who may have judging eyes (hi mom and dad- I love you).  For beer lovers who get me, hooray for breakfast beers!

I thought this would be like many other novelty beers.  With ‘maple’ and ‘doughnut’ on the label I automatically assumed it would be sweet.  I purposely avoided reading the back of the label prior to tasting.  The first whiff and the smell of doughnuts pops through making my mom come to mind (she worked at Winchelle’s for 10+ years while I was a kid).  First taste and I instantly pick up on smokiness.  The flavor was not over-bearing like some “smoked” beers I’ve had in the past.  Overall it was very well balanced.  The maple and bacon were present but not at all in a “in your face” sort of way.  Paired with Turkey Spam and white rice, this was a breakfast of champions.

Did I like this beer?  Any beer that makes me think of my mom, has a place in my heart.  I think Rogue could repackage and market it to appeal to a larger population.  Great job Rogue.  This was a winner!

Beer and You: Finding Your Flavor

Tags

beer club

Find YOUR flavor

Like beauty, great beer is in the eye (or taste) of the beholder.  The more I learn about beer the more I believe that statement to be true.  Of course I should take no offense to someone who says, “I do not like beer.”  I really have no good explanation as to why I feel like that person has kicked a puppy when I hear it.  I go into automatic defense mode.  There is such a HUGE array of beer flavors, I have a really hard time believing someone can dislike ALL beer.  People with food allergies and those who stay away from it for religious reasons aside, there is a beer out there for everyone!

Take Off Your Blinders.  If you restrain from trying beers because you are convinced you don’t like it, let those thoughts go and give it another shot.  So many people have been tainted by commercial big brand craptastic beer, they’ve let their first impression be their only impression.  Being honest, I was guilty of doing this for years.  It wasn’t until my late twenties that I decided I should broaden my beer horizons.  It’s never too late!

Join/ Start a Beer Club.  A few years ago my childhood friend started a beer club and invited hubby and I join. This marked a huge turning point for me.  This gave all of us the opportunity to try numerous beers in a relatively small amount of time.  Not to be confused with a frat party where slamming beers is the objective.  Keep the pours to 2-4oz.  Dump when you have to.  Share what you like and taste or dislike.  There are no wrong answers.  Try a theme and keep the field manageable.  Avoid getting to the point of “tastes like yum” if getting to know beer is your goal

Visit a local brewery.  This is a great way for a beer newbie to try a range of beer styles at an affordable price.  You really cannot beat $1- $2 per tasters and are not commited to a full pint.  Win!

Beer can be sour, hoppy, sweet, tangy, bitter, malty, fruity, and spicy.  Beer can be aged in liquor and wine barrels to add complimentary flavors.   These days beer can even taste like bacon.  With such a large spectrum of possible flavors, to lump it into one all encompassing category seems crazy to me.  I understand, “I do not like bitter beers,” or “Fruity beers are just wrong,” and even “Belgians smell like dirty dish water” (even though I do not agree). “I do not like beer,” does not compute.  If you haven’t given the craft beers out there a chance, why not give it a shot?

Bootlegger’s Mint Chocolate Porter

Tags

bootlegger, mint chocolate

If I had to pick just one ice cream flavor to have for the rest of my life, without a doubt it would be Baskin Robbin’s Chocolate Mint Chip.  So when the hubby came home with a bottle of Bootlegger’s Mint Chocolate Porter, I was very anxious to crack it open.  One of the best parts about the weather getting colder are beer winter special releases.  Brewer’s get creative, allowing themselves to deviate from their year round staples.  This was my first exposure to Bootlegger’s and definitely left me interested in seeing what else they have to offer.

Not surprising, the predominant smell to this beer was mint and cocoa.  As soon as it hit my lips I felt the coolness similar to that of applying Blistek’s medicated chapstick.  Did that turn me off?  Hell no!  A mint fan would enjoy this special release while others may find it too over powering.  I found the flavors to be balanced and smooth.  Unlike my ice cream though, a Mint Chocolate flavored beer is not something I’d choose if I could only have one type for the rest of my life.

Best time to enjoy:  In lieu of a mimosa at brunch or instead of that chocolate cake for dessert.  Good beers can be great when enjoyed in the right context!

BEER Spotlight- Manzanita Serenity

Tags

Manzanita, Serenity

Find this... before I do.

 Feeling rather uninspired to write about anything in the last few days, my husband came home with a bottle of yuminess that has shot put me out of my funk.  Manzanita Brewing in Santee brewed up Serenity for their 1st Anniversary and what a great brew to celebrate the milestone.  A Barleywine aged for 9 months in Canadian whiskey barrels, it is smooth and sweet with plenty of caramel flavors and a punchy warmth that screams the holidays are here! 

I am not giving up where Ben picked up a bottle.   Yes, this beer not only inspired me, but has brought out my jackass side (is that really hard to do?).  At just under $10 for a 12fl oz bottle, it’s not a beer you take to down at a party.  This is dad worthy beer.  I plan on sharing this find with my pops and hoping it brings a smile on his face this Thanksgiving. 

 

SDBW Kickoff- Downtown Johnny Brown’s 3rd Annual Barrel Aged Night

November 4^th kicked off the start of San Diego Beer Week and that Third Annual Downtown Johnny Brown’s Barrel Aged Night.  Last year’s event has been ingrained into my brain being the first time experiencing the awesomeness that is Avery’s Rumpkin.  That beer knocked me on my butt and I’ve been a fan of barrel aging beers in a major way since then.  When the calendar of events for beer week was published, we decided Downtown Johnny Brown’s was a MUST visit.

San Diego beers were well represented and accounted for over 40% of the list.  I wish more bars would take a cue from Churchill’s and offer tasters for purchase.   Ben and I only had two each before heading out to a place nearby for dinner.   Below are my notes from a couple we had to sample.  Wish they had brought back Rumpkin!!!

Ballast Point Navigator- Doppelbock 8.9% APV: I believe my taste buds may have been tainted by the sour I consumed right beforehand, but it almost was a little too sweet for my liking.  It smelled of prunes and caramel.  I’d love to give this one another shot if it’s pouring again in the BP tasting room.

Deschutes Brewery Stoic- Quadrupel 11% ABV (Ben’s choice):  Mmmmmm… spicy flowers!  The alcohol was undetectable to me.   16.5% aged in oak wine barrels and 16.5% in oak rye whiskey barrels, neither left too dominant a flavor.  I’d definitely pay for a bottle of this beer if I saw it at the store.

Overall I was happy kicking off the SDBW with this event.  A couple things would make it even better.   Taster sizes should be available for purchase, more out-of-state breweries would be great, and an overview or each beer would be a nice to have.  Specifically I would like to see what kind of barrel was used in the aging process.   Much of the information I had to look up after the fact on the internet.

OktsoldierFest @ Mission Brewery RECAP

Tags

Mission Brewery, Oktoberfest

Sporting my "Will Run For Beer" Team Shirt

Held on October 22, OktSolierFest was a Beer Tasting and live music event hosted by Mission Brewery and benefited the Warrior Foundation.   Personally I’m not huge on beer tasting events.  Most of them cost in excess of $40 and I don’t believe in solely consuming  $40 worth of beer in one sitting as much as I love the stuff.  By the 8^th sampler, the complexity of anything I taste is lost and everything just “tastes like yummmm.”  Still I was persuaded to try this event by my Will Run For Beer crew and the facebook coupon code they found.  $25 for VIP entry, 14 tasters and food included??  SOLD!

Will Run For Beer Ring Leader - Marie!

Beer outside on a beautiful day!

I never had the chance to visit since Mission opened up their new brewery converted from an old Wonder Bread factory.  The space is big, beautiful and clean.  I didn’t realize OktSoldierFest would be an outdoor event, but it made sense that they would need to close off a portion of the street to accommodate 40 breweries.    Many beer lovers would see this as a challenge and to attempt to hit up as many breweries possible.  As I grow wiser in my years, I realize that’s not the point.  Well.. at least it is not MY point.   I must have a method, or it will become madness.

Lederhosens in full effect at Oktsoldierfest!

The last time I did tasters (Churchills Sour Fest) I split each sampler with a group of 4 people. I was able to cover a lot of ground that way while still getting a good feel for what each beer had to offer.  During Oktsoldierfest, everyone had their own tasters.  Since many of the breweries were local and easily attainable, I decided to try and stick with the breweries I had not sampled before or new beers for me that perked my interest.  Below is the list of breweries and in bold are those I decided to visit.

Abita Brewing
Affligem Brouwerij
Airdale
Allagash Brewing Co – I was happy to see the had Black since although I see it at Bevmo all the time I’m too cheap to buy it.
Alpine
Anderson Valley
Ballast Point
Bay Bridge
Bitburger Brauerei
Boston Beer
Brasserie Huyghe
Brouwerij Verhaeghe
Coronado
Deschutes
Eel River
Erdinger Weissbrau
Fox Barrel Cider Co-  On such a warm day, the sweet cider was very refreshing
Gordon Biersch
Great Divide
Green Flash
Hofbrau Munchen
Hangar 24
Hess
Iron Fist
Julian Hard Cider
Lagunitas
Malheur Bieren
Manzanita
Maui
Mission Brewery
New English
North Coast Brewing Co.
Ommegang- Went back 3 times! 
Pizza Port
Rock Bottom
San Diego Brew Co.
Shipyard Brewing Co.
Sierra Nevada
Spaten
Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan
Stone Brewing
Tijuana Beer Company

The Mission Brewery facility was open during the festivities.  Although it is a San Diego beer, since I don’t make it into downtown a great deal I decided to pop in and hang out for a little bit.  Something lovely was fermenting at the time and it smelled just wonderful.  Our beer attendant was nice enough and I am already a fan of their beers, so I’ll definitely be back!  Two thumbs up Mission Brewery for putting on a great event.  It was a very fun day!

Fermentation Magic... Am I the only one that finds this sight beautiful?

BEER Spotlight: Karl Strauss Two Tortugas

Tags

beer, karl strauss, two tortugas

When West Coaster posted that Karl Strauss would have its Bronze Medal Winner from the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) on cask last Friday, I called up the Sorrento Valley location to make sure they still had some flowing before heading their way.  Karl’s Holiday release, Two Tortugas went up against 73 others in the Belgian-style Abbey Ale category and was the only Quadruple Ale to medal in the category.

The beer was malty and sweet with a definite warming affect from the 11% ABV.  It wasn’t served too chilled, and seemed to coat my tongue well.  This beer was definitely heavy to me, and I’m not saying that in a bad way.  Ben met me there after just coming from Alesmith.  I found it really interesting that he thought of it more of a Red than Belgian at first.  It wasn’t until we requested two samples of their Red Trolley to test side-by-side that his taste seemed to recalibrate his sensory system.

So complex, we had to put out "thinking" faces on.

Did I enjoy this beer?  YES!  It went well with my Mac and Cheese although I wouldn’t have more than one glass at a sitting.  If it were on tap again, I’d definitely grab another.  The Karl Strauss website states the beer should change in spice level as it ages.  I hope I get to taste the same batch again when it’s a few months older!