Category Archives: Beer!

Bramble Rye is Memories. Those Made and Those to be Made.

The Session, a.k.a. Beer Blogging Friday, is an opportunity once a month for beer bloggers from around the world to get together and write from their own unique perspective on a single topic. This was supposed to be up last Friday, but I missed. You can have it today. The host this month, for #84 is Oliver J Grey and he asked for “alternative beer reviews.” This is mine. Even if you don’t love beer, you may enjoy this review.

I have never had a chocolate covered raspberry. I feel they must exist, somewhere. But I’ve never had one. And, frankly, I’m fine with this. I adore chocolate, but raspberries are generally not my thing.

Blackberries, on the other hand, I will eat like the world is ending.… Continue reading →

Strawberry Mermaid and Sea Smoke – Story

When she’d walked up to him & announced she was a mermaid, he’d responded that she looked like neither Darryl Hannah nor Ariel. A furrowed brow and cocked head were her only response. As the silence had stretched, with her mouth twisting into a small frown, he’d found himself compelled to break the silence.

That had been a mistake too, he thought, sipping his effervescent bitters. He should have ignored anyone weird enough to tell a complete stranger her delusions of fishiness, but he had hoped it was simply a unique come-on. And when he was incapable of ignoring, he should have bolted away from anyone who didn’t know some very mainstream mermaid references.

But, no. He’d been entranced from the moment he’d laid eyes on her a half an hour or more before she had approached him.… Continue reading →

Strawberry Mermaid and Sea Smoke – Cocktails

These were invented, and the previous post written, for Chuck Wendig’s flash fiction contest. The story is very rough around the edges, but the cocktails are pretty damn good. Or so I think.

Indeed, we’ve shared them with guests now. And, as in the story, almost no one (just me) likes the “Sea Smoke,” but both Bill and Tony agree they can see why I like it. The “Strawberry Mermaid” has been a big hit, however. So, grab your booze and your bar tools and make this happen.

Strawberry Mermaid

1 barspoon good strawberry jam/preserves (homemade, in my case)
1/2 oz Campari
187 mL (~6 oz) sparkling wine.

Mix the jam with the Campari thoroughly, trying to break up any huge chunks of strawberries. Poor chilled wine over, mix gently, and serve.… Continue reading →

My Organic Chemistry is So Rusty.

One of the funny things about being in a long-term, live-in relationship is how you can manage, sometimes, to do a single thing that manages to simultaneously irritate your partner and make them happy. I did so recently.

On a whim, I signed up for an online class. But not just any online class. A free, college-(senior)-level chemistry class. Prerequisite of “organic chemistry” listed. My friends JP and Jason are taking the class, and encouraged me to sign up. So I did. Then I tweeted about it.

Which is how poor Bill found out I was suddenly enrolled in this class. And was, understandably, a bit grumpy that not only did he find out about this via twitter and not, say, from me, he also was suddenly married to a woman who had homework again.… Continue reading →

Beer and My Better Half

Hello, everyone. I hope those of you who are celebrating Thanksgiving today are having a great one. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, largely because the point is to be joyous and grateful. To remember what we have in life. Thus, when I got this guest post today from Jeremy over at Subbeerbia about meeting his wife, I realized it was the perfect story for today. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Considering the circumstances of the household where I grew up, the fact that beer, homebrewing, and the industry surrounding them have become such an important part of my life is quite astounding. I won’t get into the details here since I plan to discuss this topic at length elsewhere, but I was raised by a father who abhorred alcohol in any form.… Continue reading →