Brokeback Cabin

We managed to get back to Brokeback Cabin before dark and immediately set out to do the important things. First on the list was setting up and testing the beer station.

Rico and the Beer Station


Some of you may know that my friend Bruce is an excellent brewer of beer and he was the one who came up with this excellent device. It incorporates a five gallon container similar to the one that dispenses soft-drinks and another container of pressurized gas of some sort that keeps the beer under pressure. A lot slicker than trying to keep those kegs pumped up. Plus, the container is insulated enough so it keeps the beer cold for a long time without having to submerge it in a bucket of ice. Who says you don't get smarter as you get older?

The next step was to break out the supplies make a mess inside the cabin. We are very good at this.

The Mess


By this time it was getting late and we were privileged to a beautiful sunset, or maybe a sunrise. It gets a bit confusing.

Sunset or Sunrise


The first night we usually have something quick to eat, sauerkraut and sausages this time. As the weekend goes on, however, we have more interesting fare. Wonderful beef shanks braised by my brother, an excellent cook, braised venison shanks prepared by yours truly, linquini with an anchovie, butter, and honey sauce (my brother's creation and much better than it might sound), and much more.

Barman Preparing Venison Shanks


There were more snacks than you could imagine and two of the favorites were pickled pike and pickled peppers prepared by Bruce.

I slept a bit fitfully that first night because there was a big lump right in the middle of my fairly small bed. In the morning I found out why. My "buddy" Rico had placed a can of beans under my mattress to get back at me for grabbing one of the beds in the main cabin. This is considered a coup because the majority of the group has to sleep in a separate guest cabin. You can imagine what it is like in there with six guys who have had sauerkraut and sausages for dinner washed down with copious quantities of beer.

Rico and Beans


Bright and early the next morning Chris and Cubby could be found on the deck studiously attacking crossword puzzles and having their morning beer.

Chris and Cubby


We don't actually spend too much time on the lake, but my brother, Marty, brought up a kayak and Jerry, the owner of Brokeback Cabin, took it out for a spin.

Jerry Kayaking


Others were content to lounge on a raft that remained securely on shore.

Barman, Cubby, and Marty Safely on Shore


We did do a bit of fishing off the dock. Some attempts were more successful than others.

Unsuccessful Attempt with Chris and Cubby


Jerry's Success Story


Amazingly, this rather pathetic excuse for a fish, which we released, drew an amazing crowd and for most of the rest of the weekend there were other fishermen in boats hovering around our dock. And, alas, nobody brought a potato gun.

The Poachers


Some people preferred just hanging out:

Marty, Jon, and Gus


Or practicing their martial arts:

Marty and Cubby with Bruce Refereeing


On Sunday a friend of ours, Skippy, who lives on the lake dropped by with his new bike. With his leather jacket and slicked back hair he looked like he was trying out for the part of the dentist in the movie Little Shop Of Horrors. The one where Steve Martin played the part, not the one featuring Jack Nicholson. You can see why.

Skippy, Barman, and Bike


Alas, all good things must come to an end. Chris had left earlier in the day so he didn't make this group picture.

The Gang


And so ended yet another Fishing Opener at Brokeback Cabin.

The Opener

As many of you may know, the Fishing Opener in Minnesota is a big deal. I usually go back every year, primarily just to hang out with my friends at Brokeback Cabin. The year I actually hit my 1000 bars I didn't go back because the friend Jerry canceled so he could help his daughter move back home from her dormitory when school let out. That is why some of the bars you see here weren't included back then.

My trip started, where it often does, in an airport bar. In this case it was Shannon's at JFK.

Shannon's


It looked promising enough and, I wonder why, I thought I might be able to get a nicely poured Guinness for brunch. It was almost 10:00 AM, after all.

Faux Guinness


Well, there was no brunch Guinness to be had. I was informed that the bar didn't open until 3:00 PM. When I asked why, using a bit of Monty Python logic, I was told "just look, no customers." Well, duh, the bar isn't open. Why would there be customers. However, even though the bar wasn't open, you could buy a beer from a nearby cooler, carry it over to the one person working at Shannon's, pay for it and then sit down at the bar to drink it.

Pseudo Bar


Making Do


For this privilege I was only charged $6.38 for my beer.

Things got better on the trip of to Jerry's cabin though. Although not everyone going up rode together (there were nine of us) I am sure that most of those coming up from Minneapolis stopped at The Muni. A few people came down from more northern cities; International Falls, Ely, and Brainerd.

Hinckley Firehouse (AKA The Muni) and Rico


This is a great old bar typical of those you find as you head up north in Minnesota. It also has an attached liquor store so we generally stock up on supplies here as well. They make a dynamite Bloody Mary served with a snert, or snit, or whatever you want to call it. Just a small beer, really, but is the perfect touch. The bartender, Mary, is a gem and keeps us apprised of who of our group has already passed through. After as many years as we have been going up there for the opener (except for one year, that I may have mentioned) she knows us all by name, and probably by smell.

Barman and Mary


Our final stop before actually getting to Brokeback Cabin is traditionally The Blue Max.

A Welcoming Sign


Despite what the sign says, we didn't enter the Karaoke Contest. Everyone wanted to sing soprano.

The sign on the door is a bit more indicative of what you might expect to find inside than the one on the pole.

Enter At Your Own Risk


My buddy Rico and I got off to a bit of a late start (he had to wash his car before we left) so by the time we got to the Blue Max almost everyone was already there. For me, who doesn't get back to Minnesota too often, this is like a great reunion and a great tradition, one that has been going on unbroken (except for that one year) since, I believe, 1981.

I settled in and ordered a Blue Moon and was then ridiculed by most of my friends who were drinking more manly beers like Bud Lite. Of course I had to add a slice of lemon just to provoke the crowd.

Barman, Blue Moon, and Lemon


Considering that Blue Moon recommends you drink it with a slice of orange, I thought I was pushing the edginess envelope.

Blue Moon with a Slice of Orange, Not


Blue Moon is made in the Belgian style, but it is made by Coors so if they recommended you add maple syrup I wouldn't be terribly surprised. At least they don't make a big deal of saying "Man Rules" prohibit you from "fruiting your beer" like Miller does (which sells Chill, a beer with lime flavoring added).

After we all had a couple of drinks (except for the designated drivers, of course) we headed down the road a bit to Brokeback Cabin for the rest of the weekend. I will be posting more on that tomorrow but, in the meantime, here is a preview.

Brokeback Cabin


Be sure to check back for the rest of the story.

Cask Head Cask Ale Festival

For those of you who regularly read my blog, you may have seen my write-up on the last one of these I attended. It is a three-day long affair and you get a chance to sample a lot (thirty, last time) of great cask ales that you don't find too often. I highly recommend that you drop in if you can.

It is this week-end and runs from Friday, May 11th through Mother's Day, May 13th. A perfect place to take your mother and get her loaded.

As I said last time, one of the things that I liked about this festival is that you buy tickets for either $4 for a 10 ounce glass or $5 for a 16 ounce glass. No little sippy cups here. You can exchange your glass for a clean one when you switch your drink so you don't get any of that hated taste overlap. It really is a great way to spend a day or two or three and learn something about Cask Ales in the process. I don't really think of it as drinking, I think of it as furthering my education.

Brazen Head is in downtown Brooklyn on Atlantic Avenue conveniently located just kitty-corner from the Brooklyn House Of Detention. This is between Court Street and the street of many names (Adam's, Boerum, and Brooklyn Bridge Boulevard). This is an impressive number of names for a relatively short street that starts in Brooklyn right after you get off the Brooklyn Bridge and ends about eight blocks later.

If you drop in, be sure to say hello to Lou, the manager, who puts this all together and also arranges barbecues in the summer and has his famous stew available during the colder months.

Beers they expect to have this time around:

Chelsea Fritzkrieg Hop
Chelsea Ard Righ Stout
Chelsea April Showers
Oskar Blues Gordon
Cricket Hill Maibock
Cricket Hill Jersey Summer Breakfast Ale
Cricket Hill Barrel Aged Col. Blide's
Ramstein Alt
Ramstein Maibock
Ipswich Barrel Aged Dark
Ipswich Barrel Aged Oatmeal Stout (Tennessee Whisky cask)
Sly Fox Route 113 IPA
Arcadia Whitsun Ale
Arcadia London Porter
Arcadia Hopmouth Double IPA
Smuttynose Shoals Pale Ale (Liberty dry-hopped)
Defiant Porter
Blue Point No Apologies Double IPA
Ommegang Rare Vos
Southern Tier Un-Earthly Double IPA

Note, not all ales are available each day so return trips are essential if you want to become a Cask Ale maven.

Sadly, Barman will not be able to attend because I will be in Minnesota for my annual Fishing Opener Weekend. I suspect, however, that I may be drinking a bit of beer though and will post about it upon my return.

You can get more information about this by clicking the cask:

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

Today was both the 133rd running of the Kentucky Derby and Cinco de Mayo. What was the Barman to do?





Well, the only thing, obviously, was to celebrate them both.

Floyd's


My first stop was Floyd's in downtown Brooklyn just a short hop down Atlantic Avenue from Pete's Waterfront Ale House. Floyd's has an indoor boccie ball court so you wouldn't immediately associate if with the Kentucky Derby. It turns out, however, that the owners are, indeed, transplanted Kentuckians, so this wasn't just a gimmick to draw in a crowd. Well, maybe it was. Otherwise why would they have the floor strewn with hay. I doubt if the winner of the race would be showing up to mingle with the crowd.

My Mint Julep


I have to admit that I was a bit put off by both the size of my drink and the fact that it was served in a plastic glass. I was told that the plastic glasses were necessary because of the large crowd that was expected. Seeing as how the place wasn't very crowded at the time I wasn't really buying this. However, my spirits (get it, spirits) were lifted a bit when after I mentioned to Gabby, the bartender, that my drink was a bit on the sweet side she took care of it by adding a very generous slug of Old Crow. Nothing brightens up Barman's day like a stiff drink being made a bit stiffer.

Bartenders Gabby and Robert Plus Barman


The place had indeed begun to pack up by the time I left so the explanation of the plastic glasses seemed reasonable. They were commemorative plastic glasses, but I failed to take mine home. I used to have one that I actually got at the Kentucky Derby the year Seattle Slew won. That was my only time being there and I couldn't see a bit of the race due both to the crowd in the infield and the amazing amount of alcohol that was consumed.

Mezcal's


For the second part of my day I didn't have far to go. I merely toddled down the street about 20 yards and headed into Mezcal's for a margarita. Now, I won't say the drink was bad, but they did use a mix instead of fresh lime juice so this drink too was a bit on the sweet side. Barman is not overly fond of sweet drinks, as you may have noticed. Well, that isn't totally true. I do like Pina Colada's (my mother used to delight in embarrassing us when we were younger by ordering a Penis Colossus) and I have a bartender friend, Allison, who makes a dynamite Chunky Monkey that we drink by the pool in Puerto Vallarta.

My Margarita


After successfully celebrating both the Kentucky Derby and Cinco de Mayo I decided to stop back at Pete's Waterfront Ale House and have the Harpoon Refsvindinge Private Stock Ale that I had tasted the night before. Damn, I waited too long and it was gone. I settled for a bottle of Bluebird Bitter, a nice little beer brewed by Hepworth brewery in Horsham, West Sussex, England.



It is contract brewed for Coniston brewery which makes a cask version of this. It was a nice coppery orange color with a somewhat thin head. I can't say there was anything special to recommend it, but it was a good palate cleanser after my previous drinks.

Rib Ticklin' Good

Every once in awhile Barman gets a craving for barbecued ribs. Luckily, on of his favorite haunts has some of the best you can get anywhere (unless you do your own).

Pete's Waterfront Ale House


The somewhat disreputable fellow standing in the doorway is actually one of their bartenders opening up for the day. He cleans up well and is quite knowledgeable about the beers he serves and if you ask nicely will offer you a taste before you commit to actually paying for one.

Gulden Draak Ale


No, this is not a beer brewed on Long Island, once famous for their ducks. Gulden Draak actually means Golden Dragon and this is a mighty fine Belgian Ale brewed by Van Steenberge.

It has a dark amber hue that sparkles when you hold it to the light. There isn't much of a head, but what little there is clings to the side of your glass almost like spun sugar. The beer is thick and sweet, almost like a Scottish Ale and has a noticeably caramel taste to it. It is a triple and has a nice kick to it, 10.5% in fact. You can pick that up just by sniffing, but it is just as noticeable going down. This would be a great beer to drink while ice-fishing. It would also go well with a chocolate desert or a good cheese.

Legend has it that Prince Arn, a knight of the Round Table, drank this after he slew the golden dragon. I would guess he probably drank quite a bit before attempting it too.

Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA


Another strong (9%) beer from the ever reliable Dogfish Head brewery in Delaware. IPAs are all the trend now and, interestingly, beers like this that I would never have put in that category a few years ago are claiming the title. True to IPA tradition it is strong and hoppy. This was originally necessary to keep the beer from spoiling on long ocean voyages. However, there is a trend among some brewers towards making them both sweeter and heavier then they used to be. This falls into that category. Whereas I would normally think of drinking an IPA to quench my thirst on a hot day (hey, they were once sent to India for the troops) this would not do the trick. Very good though.

Harpoon Refsvindinge Private Stock Ale


I was about to sit down for my ribs when the bartender suggested that I try this beverage. A good call. Harpoon brewery in Vermont collaborated with Refsvindinge brewery in Denmark to produce the exceptional farmhouse ale in a limited edition, only 100 barrels (so you better try to get it quick).

A very pretty dark golden color with a nice creamy white head. It has a nicely fruity, think apricots, and spicy, think pepper, nose to it and is very smooth and crisp. Very easy to discern both the malt and hops in this one. At "only" 7.8% alcohol it was almost like a soft-drink at this point. But much better.

Ribs At Last


The Mysterious Chinese Woman (yes, she is still around) and I finally sat down to our ribs with a bottle of Brooklyn Brewery's Local 1 (which I have described elsewhere). The ribs were delicious, as usual. After splitting a reasonably priced rack we still had plenty to take home for lunch the next day. I may have mentioned that the food here is always exceptional.



Sam Barbieri, the manager of Pete's Waterfront Ale House, is an avid barbecuer and has several trophies to attest to his prowess (although I am not sure if he is directly responsible for the ribs, they also have a mighty fine chef). At any rate, Sam along with Jeff Riley of The Smokin' Grill and Rob Richter of the Long Island Barbecue Team will be serving up barbecued delights at 7th annual Brooklyn Pigfest next Saturday, May 12th. It will be held in Dumbo (God, I hate that name) in Brooklyn at the Empire State Tobacco Warehouse. There will also be live music and beer supplied by Brooklyn Brewery (the beer, not the music, unless Garrett Oliver, Brooklyn Brewery's brewmaster, decides to sing). The music is by The Cobble Hillbillies and the South Slope String Band. Admission is $75 in advance and $85 at the door. A bit pricey, but you get a lot and it is for a good cause, the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy. It runs from 1:00 P.M. until 6:00 P.M. so you should be able to eat, drink, and dance your money's worth.

Blinded By Love

Blind Tiger


An old favorite bar of mine, Blind Tiger, is now in a new location down on Bleeker Street just one block from Seventh and right across from a great seafood restaurant, Fish. It has been in this location for awhile now, but due to a variety of reasons has just recently gotten their liquor license. The recently had a Belgian Beer Festival and I figured that would be a perfect time for me to pop in for a visit.

Bar Man About To Pop In


Blind Tiger always has a good selection of interesting beers, and this was no exception. I decided to try a few draft beers first.

A Tasting About To Begin


I had a Sly Fox Saison Vos, which is a Belgian style farmhouse style of beer. It was a nice golden orange in color and had a spicy touch to it while still being fairly dry. It was very good.

Next I had a Southern Tier Triple, an hefty 9% alchohol but nice and malty while still being spicy and somewhat sweet. The beer is straw colored and a bit on the cloudy side, or so it seemed. It was very good and dangerously drinkable.

Now you might have noticed that these are Belgian style beers but they are not actually made in Belgian. I decided to continue with this theme when I moved to a couple of bottled beers. These were carefully served up by Kate, the cheerful bartender.

Cheery Kate



Brooklyn Local 1


I started out with Brooklyn Local 1, made by my favorite local brewery, Brooklyn Brewery. Not like there are a lot of local breweries anymore, but these guys consistently turn out excellent beers. This one was no exception. It uses the traditional, though uncommon, bottle re-fermentation process. It has a nice spicy citrus flavor with a hint of yeast. It is also quite lively so you have to be careful so it doesn't foam all over the place.


Captain Lawrence Smoke from the Oak


My last one was not a Belgian beer, but sounded so good I couldn't resist. It was Captain Lawrence Smoke from the Oak. This porter style beer has been aged in French oak barrels that were previously used to age Merlot and Pinot Noir. A nice smooth beer that has all kinds of flavors to it in addition to the smoke. Think chocolate, vanilla, and malt. Really great. It would go well with game or chili and would be great to use when making chili if the recipe called for beer.

Of course part of any drinking experience is the friends you meet, new and old. This couple, Tom and Amanda, was visiting from either Ireland or England. I wasn't sure because Tom came from Ireland and Amanda was from England, specifically Liverpool. They were interested in the area around the Blind Tiger because they were big Bob Dylan fans. They were looking to find remnants of when he used to live and play in the neighborhood. I wished them well and sent them off to walk down Bleeker Street.

Tom and Amanda and Barman


After drinking my fill I headed across the street to Fish for a great piece of salmon. Then, before heading back to the subway home I stopped into SushiSamba for a quick saki.

SushiSamba


Barman Downing A Quick One


I had a cloudy saki, but forgot to write down the name. Bad reporting on my part. It was quite good though and made an excellent nightcap.

Fruiting Your Beer

Just a thought. You ever watch those Miller commercials, the ones with the "Man Rules"? Well, do you think this guy, who is now on about his third face lift and wears a wig, should be telling a man like me not to be putting a slice of lime in his beer? I don't think so.



I will damn well put a lime or two in my beer if I want, and a pinch of salt too: no facelift, no wig:



Come on Burt, bring it on.

By the way, Miller also sells "Chill." It's a chelada style light beer with lime and salt added. I guess they fruit their own beer. Sheesh, you would at least think they would get their messages straight.



Well, I guess in Burt they got a spokesman who can go both ways.