OCB: Obsessive Compulsive Beering

The thing about having beer as a hobby is that it's fleeting... the beer, that is, is quickly (sometimes very quickly) gone. Stamp collectors have books of stamps, scrapbookers have scrap books, music people swim in shelves of vinyl, and if you like to travel chances are you have lots and lots of photographs. But with beer, you drink it, it's gone. All that's left are the memories, and sometimes not even those.

I don't know if this is true of all hobbyists or just the obsessive ones, but the Mrs. and I, spurred on by each others' insane encouragement are determined to safe some physical manifestation of our beer love (for posterity I guess: "Dear Kids, this will explain a lot of things.") Which means bottle caps and unusual looking bottles. Have we purchased a beer just for the bottle? Of course, heck we've purchased beer just for the cap. Not to mention pint glasses from breweries we visit (and then they break and we have to go back) and coasters and posters with beer themed whatevers on them.

And should you think that all sounds perfectly normal, know we've recently had a discussion about starting a growler collection.

We kill a few hours at the Front Porch Cafe

Last week was a long one for me. After a 54 hour work week, I was ready to start my 1 day weekend with a beer. Rob, always thinking of others, thought it would be a great time to go to The Front Porch Cafe, the new beer (and wine) bar at Rozi's Wine House in Lakewood. This, of course, had nothing to do with the fact that they had just tapped Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale. Rob was thinking only of me, and I'm lucky to have such a considerate husband.

Rozi's has always been one of our favorite places to grab a six or 22 of beer, and the occasional bottle of wine. It's also where we have been doing the bulk of our ingredient shopping for our home brewing. We really didn't need another excuse to go, but I'm glad that they gave us one anyway.

The new patio is cozy and cute with bistro-style tables and wine crate themed walls. We enjoyed an entertaining view of Lakewood with excellent people-watching opportunities. The draft beer selection is small, but impressive. They have wines, too, for those poor saps who have a significant other who prefers that sort of thing.  They even offer flights of beer or wine and a bottle selection of... well... the entire store. I could see how we could easily kill a few hours there.

We did not partake of any, but they also have a small selection of delicious-sounding foodstuffs.  I look it as an excuse to go back, which I'm sure we will in the near future.

Best of all, we met another pair of Cleveland people crazy about beer, check them out over at The Barley Whine.

Saccharomyces Cerevisiae and you!



Also Think Geek sells plush yeast.

 


If I have a great love that takes its place among beer, puzzles, and Autumn than that love is called science. So I find myself so very excited about the latest news that lager yeast may have ancestors in Patagonia. Here's the thing. Having been born in Bavaria almost 100 years before Columbus sailed the Ocean blue the Lager predates sailing ships crossing the Atlantic. So how did the yeasty beasties get there?

... oh and I guess I should add my husband to that list of great loves.