Miller in Golden????? WHAT!

Miller Brewing and Coors have teamed up and starting this week Coors light and Keystone light will be produced in two Miller breweries in places that will be recognized later. In the meantime, Coors brewery in Golden, CO will be pumping out Miller High Life, MGD, and other miller products.

"Why?" you may ask... well, I don't know. Its disturbing.


Are you disturbed? Will High Life Light taste better at Mile High Lite now? Perhaps.

SloFo Preview too SLO!!! Catch up

Week -3 (BRS 3 - preseason game 2) Seattle Seahawks.

I screwed up on posting these on Fridays.... Fridays get to be too exciting sometimes.

Normally I would make a jibe about how the Broncos are going to demolish the seahawks and how they'd be better off playing the super sonics.... but alas, no supersonics in seattle. Also, I have no idea what the seahawks are capable of this year. The fact that there is pure silence eminating from the Pacific Northwest actually has me worried.

Keys for the Broncos to win - Protect Chris Simms with our second string O-L, make sure hes got numerous opportunities to throw to Jabar Gaffney and drop it off to LaMont Jordan. The D, just needs to keep their second and third stringers from scoring 49 points.... I just don't know if we'll have too many holes on D with out scrubs. Perhaps a few tricks up the madhooder's (I feel inspired by Peerality to come up with redonkulous names for our donks [I've always been the punner]) hood will be revealed this night... but I expect him to lay pretty low in the pre-season on showing his hand. After all, he is the diciple of Lucipher's second cousin's son-in-law (you know Hoody Sr.).

Prediction - Seattle 12; Broncos 13.

Thursday Beer Review - Colorado Beer Stuffs

TOOT TOOT!!!

Colorado Beer History - the condensed version.

Here comes the train, we're rolling up to the great state of Colorado. This Thursday- wait, what? Oh, its Friday! Damn..... well let's pretend I got this right.

This Thursday we're going to review one of the craft beer meccas in the United States. Now, I'm not claiming through my blatant homerism (homoism for my backyard) that Colorado produces the most or even the best craft beers in the country. But its pretty damn close.

Colorado Springs brews and delivers beers from Bristol (great brewery), Rockyard, Phantom Canyon, and Trinity - if I'm not confusing anything. Denver is scattered with breweries and brew pubs, but since the fleeing of Flying Dog (they went to Maryland.... those asses), the "real" brewery breweries left include Great Divide and Breckenridge (what its not actually in Breck???? Yep, its not). Boulder has probably 10 brewpubs and breweries with Twisted Pine (meh), Avery (wowsers!!!), and Boulder Beer being the primary bottling and distributing breweries. Durango has three breweries that distribute (Steamworks, Ska, and Durango - all very good). Fort Collins has four major breweries (and some minor brew pubs) if you include the Anheuser Busch branch in town, as well as Fort Collins Brewery, Odells, and New Belgium. Golden has Coors, and even little pass through Idaho Springs has Tommy Knocker. Between Longmont and Lyons you'll find two breweries distributing Oskar Blues cans (you know you like that Old Chub and Dales) and Left Hand Brewery (if you're not a fan of stouts, try one of their milk stouts).

With a myriad of small town brew pubs strewn throughout (special heads up to Mr. Grumpy Pants in Ouray and Kannah Creek in Grand Junction) the state is almost overflowing in beer. I sometimes wonder if the rise in humidity around here lately is due to the increased popularity to these craft brews.

The craft brew explosion in the state can likely be traced to the popularity of two small craft beer booms from two spots: Boulder and Fort Collins. In 1979 two CU professors applied for the 43rd brewery license (since the repeal of prohibition) from the US government. The two created three beers: Boulder Bitter, Boulder Porter, and Boulder Stout. Though there beers were not widely popular, they gained some recognition moving into their official brewery in Boulder in 1984.

Shortly thereafter Boulder Beer (aka Rockies Brewing) was purchased by Frank Day - the owner of the first, and at thtat time only, Old Chicago Restaurant in Boulder. Frank had previously started the Walnut Street Brewery in Boulder, carrying over his love for serving food and beer into a passion for developing high quality beers and giving people a place to drink them. This all occurred somewhere between 88 and 91.... facts are sketchy and I wasn't personally involved. Some how Frank taking over Boulder Beer and combining some of the quality of Walnut Street - people in Boulder were now trying to be in the "know" by drinking Frank's Buffalo Gold.

Yep... Buff Gold, the stuff that tastes like Coors original, just not as beery.... that was it. That was the great leap to BEER-NIRVANA-COLORADO. I wish it wasn't quite true... and really its not. What Buff Gold did is made more people realize in the state that there was local beer they could get and enjoy drinking. More people explored the Walnut Street Brewery's selection trying out the Devil's Thumb Amber and the Elk Brown nut ale. People began discovering that they liked this local beer. In 1993 Boulder Beer introduced Single Track... the first actually decent bottled beer sold outside of Boulder to come from Boulder. Now people who had no idea what good beer tasted like, but bought Buff Gold to be cool, were trying this other Boulder Beer - and they discovered hops. Now, we give an honorable hat tip to you Boulder Beer!

Meanwhile, the on goings in Fort Collins were a little bit more delayed in their explosion, but what happened there began to have more of a national impact and faster than what had occurred in Boulder.

- Let me digress, I am referring to this beer growth in the past tense, and that is incorrect. The beer boom is growing and ever evolving and both Boulder and Fort Collins Beers are served throughout many states of this nation, neither of them have reached every single state. -

Good beer was not terribly hard to find for those who looked for it. People could find it. And often that good beer invited people to try and make their own good beer. Something to actually carry some body and weight to it. Something that wasn't an Anheuser Busch or Milwaukee's best type of beer. Charles Papazian - the world's most renowned home brewer - lives in Boulder (and has since the 70s).

Jeff Lebesch, a Fort Collins resident found in the mid 80s that he liked good beer. As the 80s carried on he found that he really liked beers from Europe. More particularly, he liked the Belgium beers. He tried to order, find, and buy as many Belgium beers as he could... it was tough at that time as there wasn't a huge palate for Belgium beer in this country.

Eventually he attempted to start brewing his own beer... and to his wonder and amazement, he was good at it. So guess what he did? He attempted to brew Belgium beers in his basement in Fort Collins. Guess how that went. Not well. Jeff Lebesh did not have a lot of money, but he clearly had a dream. He dreamt of brewing beers like the Belgians. So, he went to Belgium on a shoe string budget, purchased a cheap mountain bike (with fat tires - giggle) and road from brewery to monastery (Monks make the best beer because they can't have sex) learning their tricks and ingredients.

He eventually returned to the US with a suitcase full of secret Belgium malts. In 1989 he brewed two very distinct and specific beers in his basement - a dubble brown he named Abbey and a hoppy amber he called Fat Tire. Both had immediate recognition from his friends, family, eventually the whole town of Fort Collins. The basement brewery went commercial in 1991 and since that day people from all around the country have discovered Fat Tire.... granted I think its a mediocre beer at best... it’s a beautiful story.

Somehow, around this same 1989-1991 period, independently two other breweries that I respect way more but I don't think have yet received the recognition they deserve, popped up. Avery in Boulder and Odell in Fort Collins. At this time, there was an underground movement as good beer from micro breweries in the US and Colorado were being passed around. People were discovering you didn't have to be nuts to enjoy good beer and it wasn't as hard as one thought to find it. Demand has since grown... but the Boulder Brewery brought it about first, and New Belgium's second blow can be considered by many as the start to what has become the craft brewing phenomenon. Anheuser Busch attempted to create several craft beers because it was worried about the market share it was losing. Coors bought out the brewery making Blue Moon and has been selling it as its own craft beer.

Well...whatever it is... I'll drink it. If its from CO then I will surely be proud as I drink it. Unless its Buff Gold.

Until next week friends.

Peerality's Guide to Mid-life Crisis'

Mid-life crisis’ hit just about everyone born with a penis. Different men deal with their respective crisis in different ways. Some guys buy sports cars. Some guys buy boats. Some guys undergo career changes. Some have plastic surgery. Some guys start popping Viagra. Still other guys leave their wives and or take mistresses. Many use a combination of these tactics to deal with the facts that they are what they. that time is running out on them and that they’ll never again be 23 years old.

Personally, I plan on dealing with mine by opening a bar with Pickelman and or buying a sweet boat – if I haven’t already done both of those things. I might even pick up a G-5 babay babay - Tom Cruise style. Anyhoo, it is not that often that a mid-life crisis kills a guy – a la booze and an extramarital affair (assuming the chick shot him). It is tragic, really. A former NFL quarterback, with a wife and kids, hooks up with a Dave and Busters waitress he met while with his family and is brutally murdered by her. Brutal, truly brutal.

Before you jump on me for going after Steve McNair, especially this soon after his killing, remember that he held himself out as a model family man and won NFL Man of the Year. He embraced this role and profited by it, so, to me he is fair game. If you think I’m insensitive, I don’t really care – here we go.

A D&B waitress? Really bro? What, Chucky Cheese’s was closed? Showbiz Pizza didn’t want any of that? Casa Bonita not open that late? I mean I’m sure McDonalds could’ve had you “Lovin’ it.” At Burger King you could’ve had it your way.” If nothing else, Red Lobster could’ve satisfied the “seafood” lover in you, right? I can see it now, you’re at D&B, “Here, honey . . . here are some tokens. Take the kids. I have to go cruise chicks.”

I mean, you’re Steve “Air” McNair. You could likely pound any vaj you want to . . . young . . . old . . . it’s all you bro. You’re the only successful black franchise quarterback in NFL history. Successful . . . black . . . franchise quarterback . . . was the man not genetically engineered to pull chicks? Go to Rio. Go to Miami beach. Go to L.A., New York or even your backyard there in Nashville. Do what you want, but, whatever you do, don’t hook up with and then buy an Escalade with a 20 year old waitress from Dave and Busters. What, Italian supermodels in waiting named Gianna don’t appeal to you? Swimsuit models don’t float your boat? I mean, what happened to the good old trusty neighborhood rub n’ tug? Come on, bro. You’re better than that, are . . . I mean were, weren’t you?

For an example of how to do a mid-life crisis, see John Elway. Elway didn’t develop a drinking problem or hook up and buy an Escalade for a 20 year old D&B waitress. Rather, he did some commercials with Mike Ditka, bought an arena league team with Bon Jovi, got a divorce from his wife and is now with a smoking hottie ex-Raiderette. I won’t speculate on rumors of infidelity or any of that, well, mostly because his last name is Elway. However, the facts are that Elway divorced Janet in ’03 and didn’t make plans to remarry until ‘08. He met his lady (a smokin’ hottie named Paige Green) at a celebrity golf outing when he was single – not at a D&B while out with his family.

There are three lessons to be learned here. Lesson 1: Don’t manifest your MLC via infidelity or leaving thine wench. Rather, find a more constructive outlet such as risky business ventures, expensive toys and or Viagra. Lesson 2: If you are going to be a D-bag and skip out on your lady, do it. Don’t linger and cheat with a wacked out D&B waitress 16 years your junior. Rather, get out of the marriage, meet some smoking hottie from your arch rival’s booty at a celebrity golf tournament and tap dat’. Lesson 3: Keep it real. I’m not sure this is really a valuable lesson, but it is an overused and underappreciated lesson nonetheless.

- Until next time, keep your reality on the fritz and your peerality on the blitz.

THURSDAY BEERDAY HOORAYDAY BABY - Palisade Brewery Farmer's Friend

I ignored the Szar's requests to review Miller High Life Lite and Kalkweizen (a lime wheat brewed by the Szar and yours truly that went horribly horribly wrong) and instead I proceeded on my wayward sons (and daughters - we're not sexist here at PM, even if we are as*holes). Today we will march into the obscurity of a Colorado brewery held fondly in my heart and off the beaten path, though only two minutes off I-70.

Welcome to Palisade Brewery where the popcorn is alway fresh, the views of Mt. Garfield and the Grand Mesa are never hidden, and on any given time of the week you might find a delicious array of Carolina Pulled Pork or a random dude playing the guitar. Palisade Brewery, located in Palisade, Colorado, a mere 10 miles form Grand Junction's city center, is a fairly small brewery trying to live up to a very large dream. Its situated across a parking lot from Peach Street Distillery making some of the finest sweet corn Vodka, Gin, and Bourbon one could hope for. Ok, so the Bourbon still needs a little refinement.

Any way.... where was I? Oh right - Palisade Brewery features four main line beers: Orchard Amber, Pal (a pilsner), Red Truck IPA, and Farmer's Friend. There are usually varieties of other forms of small batch beers brewed and kept on tap locally, some of which may be found at a beer festival near you! Perhaps one of the most intriguing beers to come out of Palisade was the black cherry porter. Having many fruit flavored beers, I must admit this was the first time I had tasted the dark malt of a porter clashing with the deep sweet of a black cherry. First sip thought "strange." Second sip though "strange." Third sip thought "DELICIOUS!!!!!" Ask where I could buy a ton of this and the answer was they only made two kegs.... sad.

Other interesting creations to come out of Palisade included their peach IPA and their Double IPA. Both of which were almost too overpowering for my taste, but both carried an alcohol content of aroun 9.8%.... in the beer world thats big.

Ok, so coming off the brewery and focusing on one beer, this week I picked Farmer's Friend. I am suprised by the fact that more people don't fancy this beer. Farmer's Friend totes itself as an Irish Ale, but is in no way to be confused with a Caffreys and should be pushed more towards a Smithwicks, but keeping a slightly pale ale boast to it. Palisade brewery loves its hops in almost all its beers - save for the Pal, which tastes like water.

Ok, its an ale, its a bit hoppy, its a bit of dark amber in color, its got about a pinky thick head after resting a moment, and loses all of its head by half way through. The smell coming immediately after pour is like pine nuts, roasted almonds, and a floral aroma associated with hops. The taste may be thought of by many to meet its smell, but the taste of this beer is what I think a beer should taste like. You might at first think your drinking a porter tasting a roasted malt sweetness roll off your tongue, but then you will get the kick of hop bitters after swallow. The hops aren't too strong, but if you don't think about it, you will consider you may have had a sip of pale ale to drink. A sniff of the beer and second sip will open up a much deeper malt flavor, which will slowly over take the hop after taste. In my opinion the alcohol by volume to the sweet medium-dark malt flavor have found a balance that will make you smack your lips and declare that you are definitely drinking a beer.

The tannin level at first glance of the tongue indicate a desire to reach that of a week port, but they are quickly rinsed away with the smooth drinking of a good ale. Also of note, some people mention that they can taste a bit of iron or a metallic taste in the beer. I've always found that I cannot quite detect a small amount of iron in food and enjoy a slight metallic taste to some degree, but in this beer I do not taste it. It goes down the hatchet with very little wince-factor (applied to hard to drink beers based on non-familiar or unwanted taste).

This beer doesn't exactly have a lot of frills, but the interesting balance of hops and sweet malt to its alcohol content will keep you wondering whether this is a true Irish Ale or perhaps more of a new hybrid Irish-Pale-Ale. I definitely like this beer and will keep drinking it on the road to heaven. Therefore I give this beer:

5.8 out of 7 pickled footballs!