State Fair Things

Went to the State Fair with Nic, Angie, Damian, and Ava. It was loads of fun. We saw the horse, pig, sheep barns. I drank 4 glasses of milk. We saw Ann's memorial brick at the DNR building. Looked at the fish in the fish pond. Went to Heritage Square and International Square and shopped around. I almost bought one of those East African skull caps but Nic and Damian thought I should then dye my beard with henna and wear a Somali men's dress. I had thought about getting one because Phil thought I looked wise in it. He had bought an African hat like mine at the RenFest. We saw the art exhibit. It was good but not as good overall. The drawing that won was an amazing piece of art. Nic got a Marine t-shirt for doing 20 pull-ups.

It is good going with them because I can buy somehting to eat and share it with 4 other people. Otherwise, I would roll out of there and be a 200 lbs. fat blob. We ate pot roast sandwiches, pulled pork sandwiches, deep fried candy bars, corn on the cob, onion rings, garlic fries, mango green tea slushee, malts, and other things that I can't even remember.

RenFest Things

On Sunday 30 August, I poured beer, FlatEarth beer at the Renaissance Festival in Shakopee Minnesota with my friend Phil. It was Scottish weekend and FlatEarth Brewing sponsored the professional and amateur heavy games. It was a beautiful day for a games and a RenFest. The crowds were down due to the State Fair. We poured Belgian Pale, Ctygnus-X1 Porter, Element 115 (California common steam beer), and Bermuda Triangle Tripel. The tripel was nice and dry this year with very little residual sugars. The porter was very full bodied and tasty. The Belgian tasted very good. It was a beautiful day. Norm was there. He hasn't missed a beer tasting event in 16 years. Brenda (brent during the week) was there in his/her mini skirt, hot pink spandex tights and bandana. Brent the whiner was there with Jeff so it was a good time.

Ancient Wargame things

Some friends of mine came over and we played Warhammer Ancients. The Romans vs. the Viking barbarians. It was a close run thing. The Vikings winning at the very end. The scenario was a Senator from Rome was coming to relieve a garrison. On the march and not far from the castrum the barbarians attacked. Light troops had very little chance being blown away in the opening moves. The legionaries more than made up for it. They really kicked and held their own until they had no one left and another group of barbarians joined in the melee. Don brought rules, terrain, and the war dogs. He also brought some nice IPA home brew. We played quickly and remembered rules when we could. Next time will be different. SPQR

Great Taste Midwest Things

Great Taste of the Midwest was held in Olin Turnvile Park on Lake Monona in Madison Wisconsin on 8 August 2009. After sampling over 60 beers during the weekend, I picked what I thought were the best of the fest. Summit Kolsch and Oatmeal Stout (cask), Schaflys Kolsch, New Glarus Raspberry Tart, Dragonmead Belgian Wit, Surly Helles and Smoked Baltic Porter, Micky Finns Wit, Jolly Pumpkin Rioja Kriek, Mpls. Townhall Russian Imp. Stout with chocolate, and Dark Horse Stout.
The second best beers were Two Bros. Tripel & Domain du Page, Rock Bottom (chicago) Lemon Saison and Raspberry Saison (casks), Ale Asylum Tripel and Abbey, Fat Head Baltic Porter, DragonmeadScotch ale, Surly Oak Aged Bender (cask), Esser Pils, Jolly Pumpkin Maracaibo, Barley Island Single White Friar, Barley Johns Old 8 Porter, and Michigan Pierre Celis White.

I had some great beers at the Old Fashioned on Capitol Square. I don't remember the names but they were a dunkleweizen and a weiss. I also had an amazing perch fish fry dinner. WOW! It was delicious.

Clayton Things

I will write about my Scottish trip very soon but first I wish to write about a little beer fest I attended. On Saturday, I went to Clayton Wisc. to the Clayton Sportsmen's Club Beer Fest. It was a great blast. There were brewers and breweries from several places Northwoods brewpub, Leinenkugel's, Flat Earth, Mantorville, Sand Creek, Summit, Viking, and the Bud distributor. Funny Miller wasn't there. The fest was held from 12 noon to 6 pm. It was lots of fun, though it seemed that it was going to rain. The rain held off until the very end when the heavens opened up and there was a deluge.

I played bagpipes for a few times. They played horseshoes, actually there was a tournament. Viking brewery brought their cannon and fired grapefruit out over the swampy ground to the trees. I poured beer for Summit. Summit Oktober Fest won the most satisfying beer award for the day. All in all it was a great day and we had loads of fun. We met new people and made new friends but that is what it is all about. Finding the commonality in us and enjoying our differences. Clayton Beer Fest is on my list for next year.

summer beer fest things

Sunday 28 June 2009, six months to my birthday and the day of the Summer Beer Fest at Midway Stadium in St. Paul. Congratulations to Flat Earth Brewing for their Sunburst Apricot Ale voted the best of the Fest. It was very good and very refreshing. I piped at Noon for the VIP people and then at 1 pm for the brew masses. I piped with Josh.

The other beers I tasted were: Barley John's Little Rosie and Wild Brunette, Bell's Kalamazoo Stout, Fitger's Goose Island Apricot Wheat and Prince Humperdinck's Hefeweizen, Goose Island Matilda, Grand Teton Sweet Grass IPA and Bitch Creek ESB, Left Hand Milk Stout, Liftbridge Minnesota Tan (not too great), New Belgium Mothership Wit, Abbet Belgian style ale, New Holland Dragons Milk, Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence, RockBottom Bastogne Blonde & Intoxicator Rauchdopplebock, Rogue Mom Hefeweizen and Dead Guy Ale, Schell's Hefeweizen and Helles, Southern Tier Iniquity Imperial Black Ale, TownHall Belgian White Ale, Ol' Jack Frost Imperial Stout, and Konigshoeven/La Trappe Witt Beer. A few of my favorites are Kalamazoo Stout, La Trappe Witt, New Holland Drangons Milk, Left Hand Milk Stout, and Ol Jack Frost. It was a great time.

Konigshoeven Things

This Friday I went to Four Firkins, beer store, to meet Prior Father Isaac Majoor. He is in charge of brewing at the abbey. The Trappist abbey of Konigshoeven is the only abbey in the Netherlands, and it is one of seven Trappist monasteries brewing beer in Belgium and the Netherlands. The beers I tasted were the Dubbel, 7% with a deep reddish colour. It tasted of dried fruit, with amalty sweet character. The Tripel, 8% was the next in line. It had a rich golden colour. It tasted of spices, and slightly bitter with hops adding a bitter profile. Next in line and my favourite was the Quadrupel 10%, deep amber colour, rich flavour, fruit, slight sweet, slight hop bitterness. This beer has always been one of my all time faves.. It is especially good with bread, cheese, and fruit like peaches. Two new beers in the profile were very good and tasty. The Witte a traditional Belgian wheat beer with lots of spiciness, flavour, and character. Refreshing and satisfying like no other wheat you will have ever had. The last beer is St. Isid'or 125th anniversary Beer was brewed to commemorate the beginning of brewing at this abbey 125 years ago. A picture of the monk, Brother Isidorus that started the brewery is on the label and was its first brewer. The beer is a amber in colour and mildly sweet with a slightly bitter taste and a taste of fruit in the finish with a hop bitterness. This beer is a fund raiser as well. All the proceeds from the sale of this beer go to the establishment of a new monastery in Uganda. The monks came under pressure and threatened violence last year in Kenya at their monastery. So they uproot themselves and went off to Uganda to reestablish a new monastery to continue to do God's work. Donations can be made to the Monastery directly, so please do. www.konigshoeven.nl

They no longer make the refectory beer, the Enkel, this was a very light weight beer and weighed in at around 3.5 - 4%. This was a beer the monks drank for refreshment. Another note, they are trying to reclaim the name La Trappe, a name they used to market under in this country. As I said, they are one of seven Trappist monasteries brewing beer. At one time, they were denied the appellation Trappist due to their relationship with a local brewery. In 2005, when Phil and I made our pilgrimage to Belgium and the Netherlands we did not stop because they were no longer considered part of the Trappist fraternity. They are back now and selling their great beer in the USA once again. Amen.