It was for their special report on achievement. Go figure.
By the way, if any of you ever feel like buying the Bar Man a little gift, this would make a welcome addition to my home:
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Forbes Online Article
I haven't been posting as often as I would like to. I have guests, one of whom is my five, soon to be six, year-old neice. You can imagine that she keeps her old uncle quite busy. I did manage to write an article for Forbes Online though, and you can access it via this link:
Over Achiever
It was for their special report on achievement. Go figure.
By the way, if any of you ever feel like buying the Bar Man a little gift, this would make a welcome addition to my home:
Gift Suggestion
It was for their special report on achievement. Go figure.
By the way, if any of you ever feel like buying the Bar Man a little gift, this would make a welcome addition to my home:
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Carnival
After my refreshing siesta I headed out to look for the much heralded Carnival. Much to my disappointment I didn't really see anything that would qualify. I did find a suitably cluttered bar though.
Cluttered Bar
There wasn't anybody in the place, but I was undeterred. Shortly after I sat down at the bar the proprietor did emerge from somewhere and served me a beer. I wondered around the place looking at all of the stuff on the walls, and there was plenty to see. You will notice in the picture they even had a picture of, surprise, Zapata and his gang.
Bar Man Amidst The Clutter
After finishing off a couple of beers I headed outside and wandered into the midst of, ta da, the Carnival Parade. Now this was supposed to be the Mexican equivalent of Mardi Gras but, fun loving people that they are, the Mexicans put a decidedly macabre touch to the event.
Float Of Death
If that one wasn't enough to traumatize the little children, and it was amazing how many of them there were, considering the lateness of the hour, there was also:
The Demon Float
Of course there had to be a float celebrating Jalisco's most famous product:
The Tequila Float
The parade made its way to a large fairground where there was a full blown fair in progress. It was kind of neat in that it reminded me of fairs that I remember from my youth, except this one had electricity. There were all kinds of booths and interesting looking rides for the, by now, traumatized kiddies.
A Ride For The Kiddies
I was touched to see that they even payed homage to the good old U.S. of A. with one of their rides.
The Statue Of Liberty Ride
That ride would have been even cooler if it was surrounded by a fence and you had to dig a tunnel to get to it.
There were also numerous games of skill and chance and this one was, without a doubt, the best I had ever seen.
Electrocute The Convict
I am not quite sure which was the more gruesome, the convict you were supposed to electrocute or the guy selling the tickets. The point of the enterprise was to shoot a target with the rifle. If you hit one you sent a jolt of electicity to the guy in the electric chair, lights went off, there were puffs of smoke, he gave a great shudder, screamed and, somewhat anti-climatically, you won a prize.
And A Prize For The Terrified Tyke
All in all it was a most gratifying evening and I am very glad I decided to spend the night.
Cluttered Bar
There wasn't anybody in the place, but I was undeterred. Shortly after I sat down at the bar the proprietor did emerge from somewhere and served me a beer. I wondered around the place looking at all of the stuff on the walls, and there was plenty to see. You will notice in the picture they even had a picture of, surprise, Zapata and his gang.
Bar Man Amidst The Clutter
After finishing off a couple of beers I headed outside and wandered into the midst of, ta da, the Carnival Parade. Now this was supposed to be the Mexican equivalent of Mardi Gras but, fun loving people that they are, the Mexicans put a decidedly macabre touch to the event.
Float Of Death
If that one wasn't enough to traumatize the little children, and it was amazing how many of them there were, considering the lateness of the hour, there was also:
The Demon Float
Of course there had to be a float celebrating Jalisco's most famous product:
The Tequila Float
The parade made its way to a large fairground where there was a full blown fair in progress. It was kind of neat in that it reminded me of fairs that I remember from my youth, except this one had electricity. There were all kinds of booths and interesting looking rides for the, by now, traumatized kiddies.
A Ride For The Kiddies
I was touched to see that they even payed homage to the good old U.S. of A. with one of their rides.
The Statue Of Liberty Ride
That ride would have been even cooler if it was surrounded by a fence and you had to dig a tunnel to get to it.
There were also numerous games of skill and chance and this one was, without a doubt, the best I had ever seen.
Electrocute The Convict
I am not quite sure which was the more gruesome, the convict you were supposed to electrocute or the guy selling the tickets. The point of the enterprise was to shoot a target with the rifle. If you hit one you sent a jolt of electicity to the guy in the electric chair, lights went off, there were puffs of smoke, he gave a great shudder, screamed and, somewhat anti-climatically, you won a prize.
And A Prize For The Terrified Tyke
All in all it was a most gratifying evening and I am very glad I decided to spend the night.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
A Road Trip
After a few days in Guadalajara I decided it was time to take a trip out of town and see what I could see. I had heard about Lake Chapala since I was a kid. It is a large lake about an hours drive from Guadalajara. Because it is far enough inland foreigners can buy property outright (there are restrictions about actually buying on the coast or near borders) and has long been popular with both Americans and Canadians. In fact there are about 12,000 ex-pats living in the vicinity.
It was easy enough to get to and the bus ride only cost about nine dollars American. The bus was quite comfortable too.
Fascinating Picture Of Bus
The size of the lake, big, and its altitude make the climate particularly tolerable for gringos. The lake has had its ups and downs but for the last three years there has been plenty of rain in the region so it is considerably higher now then a few years ago. Still, it is quite shallow and more of a marsh than a lake near the shoreline.
A View Of The Lake
This is a view of the lake from the town of Chapala named, surprisingly enough, after the lake. Or, maybe, it was the other way around.
After a quick peek at the lake I headed into the center of the tiny town to take in the sights. There weren't a whole lot of them but my fascination with meat was quickly satisfied. I love these little butcher shops where they drive the sides of meat up to the back in an open truck where somebody hacks it apart into pieces that can be carried off.
The Local Meat Market
This place was really great though because some of the less edible stuff was being grilled right out in front.
The Grill Room
Now don't get me wrong, Bar Man loves this stuff. I bought a plastic bag full of a variety of whatever it was and hauled it over to a table where I could buy a few beers, douse the meat with hot sauce and chow down.
Outdoor Dining
While I was sitting there I noticed a lot of activity in the little square, including someone selling a lot of balloons.
Balloon Man
I thought at first this was just a normal event, Mexicans being a happy and fun-loving people except when they are sneaking across our border to irritate Lou Dobbs. However, I soon noticed a number of signs that indicated something else was afoot.
A Carnival
It appears that Chapala has a Mardi Gras celebration and I had, by luck, arrived on the day it was to start. I hadn't planned on staying overnight but how could I miss this. I bought a toothbrush and toothpaste (please don't comment on my not buying a change of underwear) and went looking for a place to spend the night.
I didn't have to go far before I spotted a sign for a hotel that proudly advertised that they had hot water 24 hours a day. On top of that, who did I spot standing in the doorway with a beckoning look in her eye? Why, the Mysterious Chinese Woman.
Hot Water (Not Sheets) Hotel
The proprietor was, of all things, a middle aged Mexican transvestite who hadn't yet quite dressed for the day. She was wearing a tattered robe and had her hair up in curlers. Nicely painted toenails though. Bar Man felt like he was back in New York. I would have loved to have gotten a picture but she wouldn't let me take one because she said she looked a mess. Well, she did, actually, and I didn't feel like waiting around for three hours while she made herself presentable.
The room was only about $20 and was clean enough even though very small. Big deal, I didn't plan on spending a lot of time in it. It had a surprisingly nice little terrace though that looked out over the neighboring rooftops with the mountains in the background.
El Terraza
After checking out the room and making sure that I could touch all four walls with my hands and feet at the same time I wandered around the town a bit looking for a place where I could get a cocktail.
Across the street from the lake was this lovely looking restaurant and bar with a lovely wrap-around deck.
Lovely Restaurant
I sat and enjoyed the view of the parking lot and the cool breeze while sipping a rum and coke. I liked this place because they give you a glass of ice, a bottle of Coca Cola, and sizable pour of rum. You get to be your own bartender, kind of.
Enjoying My Drink
After finishing my drink (well, alright, two drinks) I decided to head back for a bit of a siesta before the evening festivities began. I will fill you in on those when next I post. It should be pretty soon though because I finally got my DSL connection and can actually work in the daylight now.
It was easy enough to get to and the bus ride only cost about nine dollars American. The bus was quite comfortable too.
Fascinating Picture Of Bus
The size of the lake, big, and its altitude make the climate particularly tolerable for gringos. The lake has had its ups and downs but for the last three years there has been plenty of rain in the region so it is considerably higher now then a few years ago. Still, it is quite shallow and more of a marsh than a lake near the shoreline.
A View Of The Lake
This is a view of the lake from the town of Chapala named, surprisingly enough, after the lake. Or, maybe, it was the other way around.
After a quick peek at the lake I headed into the center of the tiny town to take in the sights. There weren't a whole lot of them but my fascination with meat was quickly satisfied. I love these little butcher shops where they drive the sides of meat up to the back in an open truck where somebody hacks it apart into pieces that can be carried off.
The Local Meat Market
This place was really great though because some of the less edible stuff was being grilled right out in front.
The Grill Room
Now don't get me wrong, Bar Man loves this stuff. I bought a plastic bag full of a variety of whatever it was and hauled it over to a table where I could buy a few beers, douse the meat with hot sauce and chow down.
Outdoor Dining
While I was sitting there I noticed a lot of activity in the little square, including someone selling a lot of balloons.
Balloon Man
I thought at first this was just a normal event, Mexicans being a happy and fun-loving people except when they are sneaking across our border to irritate Lou Dobbs. However, I soon noticed a number of signs that indicated something else was afoot.
A Carnival
It appears that Chapala has a Mardi Gras celebration and I had, by luck, arrived on the day it was to start. I hadn't planned on staying overnight but how could I miss this. I bought a toothbrush and toothpaste (please don't comment on my not buying a change of underwear) and went looking for a place to spend the night.
I didn't have to go far before I spotted a sign for a hotel that proudly advertised that they had hot water 24 hours a day. On top of that, who did I spot standing in the doorway with a beckoning look in her eye? Why, the Mysterious Chinese Woman.
Hot Water (Not Sheets) Hotel
The proprietor was, of all things, a middle aged Mexican transvestite who hadn't yet quite dressed for the day. She was wearing a tattered robe and had her hair up in curlers. Nicely painted toenails though. Bar Man felt like he was back in New York. I would have loved to have gotten a picture but she wouldn't let me take one because she said she looked a mess. Well, she did, actually, and I didn't feel like waiting around for three hours while she made herself presentable.
The room was only about $20 and was clean enough even though very small. Big deal, I didn't plan on spending a lot of time in it. It had a surprisingly nice little terrace though that looked out over the neighboring rooftops with the mountains in the background.
El Terraza
After checking out the room and making sure that I could touch all four walls with my hands and feet at the same time I wandered around the town a bit looking for a place where I could get a cocktail.
Across the street from the lake was this lovely looking restaurant and bar with a lovely wrap-around deck.
Lovely Restaurant
I sat and enjoyed the view of the parking lot and the cool breeze while sipping a rum and coke. I liked this place because they give you a glass of ice, a bottle of Coca Cola, and sizable pour of rum. You get to be your own bartender, kind of.
Enjoying My Drink
After finishing my drink (well, alright, two drinks) I decided to head back for a bit of a siesta before the evening festivities began. I will fill you in on those when next I post. It should be pretty soon though because I finally got my DSL connection and can actually work in the daylight now.
Friday, February 23, 2007
A Plate Of Meat Product
Guadalajara isn't realy a town for tourists, unless you are someone who thinks packing up the family and heading to Detroit sounds like a fun time. That isn't to say it isn't an interesting city though, and people come from all over Mexico to shop for things you can't get elsewhere. This means stuff like frying pans, cooking pots, restaurant supplies of all kinds, you name it. A by-product is a huge flea market that covers blocks and blocks. Parked in the streets in front of the market are all kinds of buses that must run regular trips from smaller towns so people can shop. The luggage holds are just jammed with stuff that they are bringing back.
After spending a morning wandering about the place but finding nothing I could use I stumbled upon a set of swinging doors and figured I would check out what was on the other side. Bar Man has never met a set of swinging doors he hasn't liked.
Swinging Doors
On the other side was a classic Mexican tavernaro, just a bricked-in area in the back where an old lady was frying stuff up, a couple of refrigerators, one of which held beer, and a few bottles of tequila on a wooden shelf.
This didn't look like a place I was really interested in grabbing a bite to eat, but I had worked up a bit of a thirst so I ordered a beer. It came with a plate of something I can only describe as pink, moist, and meat-like in appearance with toothpicks sticking in it. I would have avoided it completely but the waitress presented it with such enthusiasm and then watched expectantly to see if it would meet with my approval. I had no choice but to try it.
Bar Man With Beer And Meat
Think baloney, old room-temperature (and in Mexico the rooms are quite warm) baloney, sprinkled with vinegar. Yummy it wasn't. I did manage to smile my way through a couple of pieces, and encouraged her to continue to serve it to other gringos who might be foolish enough to enter their premises. Bar Man does what he can to promote tourism and good will.
Later I wandered along a desolate stretch of discount auto-part and plumbing fixture stores and who knows what else to Guadalajara's pride and joy of a park. It really wasn't too bad, large cages of parrots like you see in a lot of restaurants, a butterfly enclosure that had, by my count, about six buterflies, and a bird house with about the same number of birds.
In the middle of the park, however, I did stumble upon the archealogical ruins that the park had been built around. A "genuine" pyramid and maus0leum of some type.
The Ruins
This was an exciting find indeed. Although the two buildings were locked, I was able to peer through the windows of the mausoleum where I could see the bones of what I presumed to have been a rather large ancient warrior decked out in the garb he was interred in.
Bones Of A Fallen Warrior
All in all it was a wonderful day. I returned to my hotel room shivering with excitement, a slight fever, and a bit of diarrhea. It just doesn't get any better than that.
After spending a morning wandering about the place but finding nothing I could use I stumbled upon a set of swinging doors and figured I would check out what was on the other side. Bar Man has never met a set of swinging doors he hasn't liked.
Swinging Doors
On the other side was a classic Mexican tavernaro, just a bricked-in area in the back where an old lady was frying stuff up, a couple of refrigerators, one of which held beer, and a few bottles of tequila on a wooden shelf.
This didn't look like a place I was really interested in grabbing a bite to eat, but I had worked up a bit of a thirst so I ordered a beer. It came with a plate of something I can only describe as pink, moist, and meat-like in appearance with toothpicks sticking in it. I would have avoided it completely but the waitress presented it with such enthusiasm and then watched expectantly to see if it would meet with my approval. I had no choice but to try it.
Bar Man With Beer And Meat
Think baloney, old room-temperature (and in Mexico the rooms are quite warm) baloney, sprinkled with vinegar. Yummy it wasn't. I did manage to smile my way through a couple of pieces, and encouraged her to continue to serve it to other gringos who might be foolish enough to enter their premises. Bar Man does what he can to promote tourism and good will.
Later I wandered along a desolate stretch of discount auto-part and plumbing fixture stores and who knows what else to Guadalajara's pride and joy of a park. It really wasn't too bad, large cages of parrots like you see in a lot of restaurants, a butterfly enclosure that had, by my count, about six buterflies, and a bird house with about the same number of birds.
In the middle of the park, however, I did stumble upon the archealogical ruins that the park had been built around. A "genuine" pyramid and maus0leum of some type.
The Ruins
This was an exciting find indeed. Although the two buildings were locked, I was able to peer through the windows of the mausoleum where I could see the bones of what I presumed to have been a rather large ancient warrior decked out in the garb he was interred in.
Bones Of A Fallen Warrior
All in all it was a wonderful day. I returned to my hotel room shivering with excitement, a slight fever, and a bit of diarrhea. It just doesn't get any better than that.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Guadalajara
Well, here I sit on my small balcony in Puerto Vallarta at four in the morning banging away at my laptop. I haven't been able to get a DSL connection in my unit yet so I have to try to suck from someone else's wireless connection. I can only pick it up out here and it is too bright during the day for me to see my screen. Not unlike a vampire I drain drain the wireless connection and work in the dark. I shall sleep on the beach during the day, avoiding the sun and having Igor bring me my drinks.
I left New York on February 6th on a 6:00 AM flight to Guadalajara with a short lay-over in Atlanta. As I was waiting for my connection (airplane, not drug) Shawn, the mayor of International Falls was on CNN talking about how cold it has been up there. You may remember her, she was at Woody's Pub where I had a party for bar number 777.
The Mayor And Me
I got to Guadalajara with no problem and I must say that compared to the hassles you generally have to go through returning to the United States from abroad, getting into Mexico is a piece of cake. It goes without saying that the Mexicans seem to like us better than Lou Dobbs likes them.
I stayed in the Morales hotel right in what is known as the Historical District. The hotel was very nice although it didn't seem to be doing much business. Apparently it was very popular with visiting bull-fighters when bull-fighting was a much more popular and glamorous sport than it is these days.
Hotel Morales
The hotel is right across from a little park where the primary activity seems to be either shining shoes or getting your shoes shined. There is also a little horse and carriage that is always on the corner and never seems to go anyplace.
The Park
The carriages used to be the means of transportation for the wealthy who, when they weren't using them, allowed the drivers to hire them out. To signify that the carriages were available the drivers would wear a yellow arm-band. Hence, the carriages for hire were referred to as canaries and they are still called canarios (Spanish for canaries).
The hotel had a nice little roof-top area where, supposedly, you get get cocktails on Friday and Saturday evenings. Alas, that never seemed possible. I suspect this was because there were so few guests that it wasn't worth their while to open the bar. The views were nice though.
Views From The Top
I don't know how many people are familiar with the thing New York had with cows a few years ago. For some reason if you were an artist you could get a plastic cow and then decorate it as you saw fit. These were then placed in various locations around the city, some of which are still there. For some equally strange reason Guadalajara seemed to have the same kind of a thing going on, but their cows seemed to be decorated in what I can only assume is a more Mexican style.
Vaca de la Muerte (Cow Of Death)
I particularly liked this one of a cow displaying his victory over an enemy elephant. Go figure.
Vaca Victoriosa (Victorious Cow)
I will post more about my stay in Guadalajara in a day or so, but I did want to share a couple of pictures of a bar in which I had one of my more interesting experiences. I don't remember the name of the bar, you had to kind of take it on faith that there was actually going to be a bar behind the door.
The Door To The Bar
Actually, a lot of bars seemed to have fairly obscure entryways, for one reason or another. Anyway, the reason this place was a bit unusual was that above the bar was a small television that was showing the movie "A Dog Of Flanders." Not exactly the most upbeat of movies and the woman bartender had to serve me my beers through her tears as she sobbed during all of the sadder parts (and there were many). One of the few times it was the bartender and not me crying in my beer.
"Enjoying" A Beer At The Crying Bar
I would have liked to have gotten a picture of the bartender but she kept waving me off. I guess her mascara was running or something.
Well, I hear a rooster crowing which means the sun will be coming up soon, so it is time for me to head inside and put on the coffee. Until manana then.
I left New York on February 6th on a 6:00 AM flight to Guadalajara with a short lay-over in Atlanta. As I was waiting for my connection (airplane, not drug) Shawn, the mayor of International Falls was on CNN talking about how cold it has been up there. You may remember her, she was at Woody's Pub where I had a party for bar number 777.
The Mayor And Me
I got to Guadalajara with no problem and I must say that compared to the hassles you generally have to go through returning to the United States from abroad, getting into Mexico is a piece of cake. It goes without saying that the Mexicans seem to like us better than Lou Dobbs likes them.
I stayed in the Morales hotel right in what is known as the Historical District. The hotel was very nice although it didn't seem to be doing much business. Apparently it was very popular with visiting bull-fighters when bull-fighting was a much more popular and glamorous sport than it is these days.
Hotel Morales
The hotel is right across from a little park where the primary activity seems to be either shining shoes or getting your shoes shined. There is also a little horse and carriage that is always on the corner and never seems to go anyplace.
The Park
The carriages used to be the means of transportation for the wealthy who, when they weren't using them, allowed the drivers to hire them out. To signify that the carriages were available the drivers would wear a yellow arm-band. Hence, the carriages for hire were referred to as canaries and they are still called canarios (Spanish for canaries).
The hotel had a nice little roof-top area where, supposedly, you get get cocktails on Friday and Saturday evenings. Alas, that never seemed possible. I suspect this was because there were so few guests that it wasn't worth their while to open the bar. The views were nice though.
Views From The Top
I don't know how many people are familiar with the thing New York had with cows a few years ago. For some reason if you were an artist you could get a plastic cow and then decorate it as you saw fit. These were then placed in various locations around the city, some of which are still there. For some equally strange reason Guadalajara seemed to have the same kind of a thing going on, but their cows seemed to be decorated in what I can only assume is a more Mexican style.
Vaca de la Muerte (Cow Of Death)
I particularly liked this one of a cow displaying his victory over an enemy elephant. Go figure.
Vaca Victoriosa (Victorious Cow)
I will post more about my stay in Guadalajara in a day or so, but I did want to share a couple of pictures of a bar in which I had one of my more interesting experiences. I don't remember the name of the bar, you had to kind of take it on faith that there was actually going to be a bar behind the door.
The Door To The Bar
Actually, a lot of bars seemed to have fairly obscure entryways, for one reason or another. Anyway, the reason this place was a bit unusual was that above the bar was a small television that was showing the movie "A Dog Of Flanders." Not exactly the most upbeat of movies and the woman bartender had to serve me my beers through her tears as she sobbed during all of the sadder parts (and there were many). One of the few times it was the bartender and not me crying in my beer.
"Enjoying" A Beer At The Crying Bar
I would have liked to have gotten a picture of the bartender but she kept waving me off. I guess her mascara was running or something.
Well, I hear a rooster crowing which means the sun will be coming up soon, so it is time for me to head inside and put on the coffee. Until manana then.
Monday, February 19, 2007
Stay Tuned
Just wanted to say thanks to all of you who continue to visit my blog despite a bit of a dearth of new content recently. I am no longer hitting multiple bars on a daily basis but, as you can see, I haven't stopped going to bars either. Right now I am sitting in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico using a pirated wireless connection that I can only get while sitting on my small balcony. As a result I can pretty much only log on after dark or I cannot see my screen. On the other hand, what would I be doing typing away on my laptop while the beach is mere steps away.
I will soon be posting about my travels here in Mexico, including a brief stay in Guadalajara before I took the bus here, about a five hour ride. I hope you find them interesting and will continue to post your comments or send me emails with you suggestions.
Once I get back to Brooklyn at the end of March I will also try to update this site on a more frequent basis, but it won't always be just about bars (sorry, the liver can only get so big).
As a teaser though I will post this picture of me at a bar in Guadalajara with a billboard for the gay strip club accross the street. After visiting Mexico for about 25 years I have finally figured out that terraza means terrace. Languages are not my strong suit.
Mi Terraza
Stay tuned, there will be more to follow and you can be sure the Mysterious Chinese Woman will be making an occasional appearance. She is relentless in her pursuit and can be found lurking almost anywhere.
The Lurker
I will soon be posting about my travels here in Mexico, including a brief stay in Guadalajara before I took the bus here, about a five hour ride. I hope you find them interesting and will continue to post your comments or send me emails with you suggestions.
Once I get back to Brooklyn at the end of March I will also try to update this site on a more frequent basis, but it won't always be just about bars (sorry, the liver can only get so big).
As a teaser though I will post this picture of me at a bar in Guadalajara with a billboard for the gay strip club accross the street. After visiting Mexico for about 25 years I have finally figured out that terraza means terrace. Languages are not my strong suit.
Mi Terraza
Stay tuned, there will be more to follow and you can be sure the Mysterious Chinese Woman will be making an occasional appearance. She is relentless in her pursuit and can be found lurking almost anywhere.
The Lurker
Monday, November 06, 2006
Cask Head Cask Ale Festival
A local pub in my neighborhood holds several Cask Ale Festivals every year. This was their tenth tri-annual festival and the third of the year, if I am not mistaken. For some reason I usually miss them either because I am busy or I don't find out about them until it is too late. This one lasted three days and to make up for lost time I visited each day.
The Brazen Head
The Brazen Head normally has two Real Ales available but for this event they were going to have between 25 and 30 over the three days. Needless to say this required the addition of several more barrels.
Helping out with this even were a couple of friendly and knowledgeable guys.
Andy
Although Andy seemed to know a lot about the Real Ales he was pouring, the only thing I saw him drink was Pabst Blue Ribbon out of a can. I guess he didn't want to over-tax his palate.
The other fellow, Alex, was willing to quaff the Real Ale on occasion though.
Bar Man and Alex About to Quaff
Alex also had the job of mopping the floor and ceiling when one of the tapping jobs went a bit awry.
Alex Mopping The Ceiling
The regular bartender, Joy, kept busy behind the bar where two of the Real Ales were available as well as their usual fine selection of beers and other potables.
Barman and Joy Enjoying A Real Ale
On Friday I met a couple of congenial fellows who stopped in for the Festival and we shared a few beers.
Art, Jay, and Bar Man
Jay didn't care for the Cask Ales though so he had to content himself with one of the other offerings, of which their were plenty available.
Jay had such a good time that he came back on Saturday with his wife, Lorraine.
Jay and Lorraine
The Mysterious Chinese Woman and Lorraine hit it off, probably because the could commiserate over how much their men-folk were imbibing. They graciously agreed to pose in front of the list of the offerings.
Mysterious Chinese Woman and Lorraine
On Saturday the four of us headed to Pete's Waterfront for ribs and then stopped in at Montero's for a few beers and tequila shots. I should have taken more pictures but, for some reason, lost my focus.
The Brazen Head has a small outdoor area where you can sit if the weather is nice, or pop out for a smoke. I thought it was put to excellent use this weekend.
On Friday I had:
Hoptical Illusion - 6.2%
A good IPA type of beer.
Legacy Hoptmus Prime - 9.5%
A bit of a perfume nose to it, but in a good way.
Heartland Smiling Pumpkin 5.5%
Not a bad pumpkin ale and kind of appropriate for this time of year.
Sixpoint Ginger Righteous Ale - 7.2%
A bit on the thin side with only a hint of ginger flavor. I will have to try this one again because my palate wasn't at its sharpest at this point.
Captain Lawrence Pleasantville Smoked Porter - 6.4%
This was a really good smoked porter, lots of smoky taste which I tend to like
Brooklyn Brewery Blast IPA - 8%
This is what I thought I had a Peter's Waterfront Ale House the other day, but it wasn't. This was more of what I expected, a very hoppy and quite tasty IPA.
On Saturday I had:
Chelsea Cream Stout - 7.5%
Heavy and chocolaty with a nice creamy head.
Stoudt's Juniper Scarlet Lady - 5%
On the thin side with almost no head at all. It did taste like juniper berries though.
Warwick Valley Doc's Cider Cherry - 4.5%
A surprisingly refreshing cider with a hint of cherry to it. Not overly sweet. It tasted really fresh, like something you might find at a roadside stand, if you were lucky.
Paper City Winter Palace Wee Heavy - 7.6%
This had a dark color to it but had a very nice crisp dry taste.
Sly Fox IPA - 7.2%
Really dry, too dry to be much of a thirst quencher, but pretty good.
Defiant ESB - 6.5%
This was a really dark brew with a strange head, almost like little soap bubbles that never really accumulated but kept building and popping for a long time. It was dry and very hoppy.
On Sunday I had:
Butternut Pork Slap Pale Ale - 4.2%
This was very heavy and sweet with almost a butterscotch flavor. Would have been good for desert. The little kids would love it.
Thomas Hooker Imperial Porter - 7.8%
Very heavy and dark and very hoppy.
Rogue Brutal Bitter - 6.5%
This was very good. Rogue seldom disappoints. It was a dark golden color and was very dry and bitter.
Paper City Blonde Hop Monster - 9%
I guess this would qualify as a barley wine. Quite potent but the alcohol didn't overwhelm the flavor. It was very hoppy and had a nice floral nose to it.
Captain Lawrence Captain's Reserve Double IPA - 8%
Very hoppy and, considering the alcohol content, went down way to easily.
Defiant Christmas Ale - 8.4%
This was quite heavy and sweet but the high alcohol content kept it from being cloying.
Now one of the things that I liked about this festival is that you buy tickets for either $3 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.
The Brazen Head
The Brazen Head normally has two Real Ales available but for this event they were going to have between 25 and 30 over the three days. Needless to say this required the addition of several more barrels.
Helping out with this even were a couple of friendly and knowledgeable guys.
Andy
Although Andy seemed to know a lot about the Real Ales he was pouring, the only thing I saw him drink was Pabst Blue Ribbon out of a can. I guess he didn't want to over-tax his palate.
The other fellow, Alex, was willing to quaff the Real Ale on occasion though.
Bar Man and Alex About to Quaff
Alex also had the job of mopping the floor and ceiling when one of the tapping jobs went a bit awry.
Alex Mopping The Ceiling
The regular bartender, Joy, kept busy behind the bar where two of the Real Ales were available as well as their usual fine selection of beers and other potables.
Barman and Joy Enjoying A Real Ale
On Friday I met a couple of congenial fellows who stopped in for the Festival and we shared a few beers.
Art, Jay, and Bar Man
Jay didn't care for the Cask Ales though so he had to content himself with one of the other offerings, of which their were plenty available.
Jay had such a good time that he came back on Saturday with his wife, Lorraine.
Jay and Lorraine
The Mysterious Chinese Woman and Lorraine hit it off, probably because the could commiserate over how much their men-folk were imbibing. They graciously agreed to pose in front of the list of the offerings.
Mysterious Chinese Woman and Lorraine
On Saturday the four of us headed to Pete's Waterfront for ribs and then stopped in at Montero's for a few beers and tequila shots. I should have taken more pictures but, for some reason, lost my focus.
The Brazen Head has a small outdoor area where you can sit if the weather is nice, or pop out for a smoke. I thought it was put to excellent use this weekend.
On Friday I had:
Hoptical Illusion - 6.2%
A good IPA type of beer.
Legacy Hoptmus Prime - 9.5%
A bit of a perfume nose to it, but in a good way.
Heartland Smiling Pumpkin 5.5%
Not a bad pumpkin ale and kind of appropriate for this time of year.
Sixpoint Ginger Righteous Ale - 7.2%
A bit on the thin side with only a hint of ginger flavor. I will have to try this one again because my palate wasn't at its sharpest at this point.
Captain Lawrence Pleasantville Smoked Porter - 6.4%
This was a really good smoked porter, lots of smoky taste which I tend to like
Brooklyn Brewery Blast IPA - 8%
This is what I thought I had a Peter's Waterfront Ale House the other day, but it wasn't. This was more of what I expected, a very hoppy and quite tasty IPA.
On Saturday I had:
Chelsea Cream Stout - 7.5%
Heavy and chocolaty with a nice creamy head.
Stoudt's Juniper Scarlet Lady - 5%
On the thin side with almost no head at all. It did taste like juniper berries though.
Warwick Valley Doc's Cider Cherry - 4.5%
A surprisingly refreshing cider with a hint of cherry to it. Not overly sweet. It tasted really fresh, like something you might find at a roadside stand, if you were lucky.
Paper City Winter Palace Wee Heavy - 7.6%
This had a dark color to it but had a very nice crisp dry taste.
Sly Fox IPA - 7.2%
Really dry, too dry to be much of a thirst quencher, but pretty good.
Defiant ESB - 6.5%
This was a really dark brew with a strange head, almost like little soap bubbles that never really accumulated but kept building and popping for a long time. It was dry and very hoppy.
On Sunday I had:
Butternut Pork Slap Pale Ale - 4.2%
This was very heavy and sweet with almost a butterscotch flavor. Would have been good for desert. The little kids would love it.
Thomas Hooker Imperial Porter - 7.8%
Very heavy and dark and very hoppy.
Rogue Brutal Bitter - 6.5%
This was very good. Rogue seldom disappoints. It was a dark golden color and was very dry and bitter.
Paper City Blonde Hop Monster - 9%
I guess this would qualify as a barley wine. Quite potent but the alcohol didn't overwhelm the flavor. It was very hoppy and had a nice floral nose to it.
Captain Lawrence Captain's Reserve Double IPA - 8%
Very hoppy and, considering the alcohol content, went down way to easily.
Defiant Christmas Ale - 8.4%
This was quite heavy and sweet but the high alcohol content kept it from being cloying.
Now one of the things that I liked about this festival is that you buy tickets for either $3 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.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Buck Fever
I walked by this bar on Atlantic Avenue and had to do a double take.
Bucks Lodge
The reason for the double take was that just a week or two ago Bucks was
Soju
The interior underwent a bit of a change as well. Kind of like from Geisha House
to basement rec-room.
The owner's are the same, I guess they just decided to go with a change. Soju was a primarily gay bar with a Japanese theme so I guess it was natural to switch to a rustic, cabin-like decor with poker tournaments and chili contests. I will have to stop in some Thursday when ladies in cowboy boots get $1 off all liquor drinks.
I was told to come back after they get the deer-heads mounted. You can be sure that I will.
Bucks Lodge
The reason for the double take was that just a week or two ago Bucks was
Soju
The interior underwent a bit of a change as well. Kind of like from Geisha House
to basement rec-room.
The owner's are the same, I guess they just decided to go with a change. Soju was a primarily gay bar with a Japanese theme so I guess it was natural to switch to a rustic, cabin-like decor with poker tournaments and chili contests. I will have to stop in some Thursday when ladies in cowboy boots get $1 off all liquor drinks.
I was told to come back after they get the deer-heads mounted. You can be sure that I will.
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