2011... The Year in Beer

I drink a lot of beer. Hey I'm no alcoholic or anything, I just like the taste of it and all the styles and flavors and such. The buzz is a bonus. So every year I seek out a lot of new beer to try and visit all the pubs my fat butt can get in to before I'm kindly shown the door. 2011 was no exception. I actually visited 3 breweries in 1 day this year. July 5th, a day that will live in infamy. Did 2 breweries in 1 day later in the Summer in Nashville. I also made it to beer festivals in Texas and Mississippi. I drank beer in New Orleans, Las Vegas, Nashville, Memphis, Little Rock, Houston, Hot Springs, Jackson (MS) and various points across Missouri. I played beer pong, held numerous tastings, added another plate to the wall of the Flying Saucer and a plaque on the Wall of Foam at Old Chicago. I also started brewing again. Yes my friends. I. Drank. Beer. And lots of it.

So crack open a cold one and behold the glory that is my end of year beer awards. And please, turn off all cell phones and hold your applause until they're all over.



11 Favorite New Beers Tried in 2011

* Dogfish Head World Wide Stout - Overpriced but awesome. Dark, rich, roasty and complex.

* Russian River Pliny the Elder - Finally had this one right after I finished my first half-marathon and it's just a fantastic IPA. It packs plenty of hops punch. Yet, very, very drinkable. Super smooth.

* Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Vanilla Stout - The vanilla takes away from some of the harshness of the regular Bourbon County and gives it a very smooth finish.

* AleSmith Speedway Stout - Roasty, toasty, caramel malts attack your taste buds.

* Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast - If there is a beer heaven, this is definitely served at breakfast.

* Founders Blushing Monk - An explosion of rich dark raspberries with floral notes and sweet malt.

* Mikkeller Simcoe Single Hop IPA - Really everything you could want from an IPA... hoppy, bitter after taste, nice malty balance.

* Boulevard Chocolate Ale - Loads of sweet milk chocolate flavor with some cocoa and vanilla.

* Stone El Camino (Un)Real Black Ale - Sort of a charred or roasted flavor of dark fruits... hints of pepper.

* Surly Coffee Bender - It's like popping open a big ole can of expresso. Roasty malts and choco with a super smooth finish.

* Goose Island Night Stalker - Like a big, delicious, boozy glass of licorice.

11 Favorites Beer Bars Visited in 2011 (Great selection, great atmospheres or just great locations... but MUST have the great beer selections)

11. Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop @ New Orleans - Breaking my own rule above, but really the beer selection isn't that special here. Just an awesome old dive. They were filming scenes for Abe Lincoln: Vampire Hunter with Brad Pitt when we were there last. People keep mistaking me for him. Happens a lot.

10. Gaido's Seafood Restaurant @ Galveston - Good food and a shockingly good selection of brew. Overlooks the beach.

9. Brick House Tavern and Taproom @ Galveston - Nice selection of Texas beer and good food. Next door to our hotel was helpful.

8. Hofbrauhaus @ Las Vegas‎ - Great selection of German style brews and food with a wildly fun atmosphere. We ended up in a limo back to the strip and just had a blast all around.

7. The Yard House @ Las Vegas - Well off the strip, we hopped a cab to go to another pub and he directed us here, and it was well worth the detour. Excellent selection of taps from the west.

6. Cooter Browns Tavern @ New Orleans - Odd place way down at the end of the St. Charles trolley line but the beer selection and burger makes it a must-visit place.

5. Farmer's Gastropub @ Springfield, Mo - Fantastic little pub with lots of local grub and all sorts of good brew.

4. 12 South Taproom and Grill @ Nashville - Excellent beer selection out of the tourist area. Got tipsy, hopped in a taxi and ended up with a shirt from here when I woke up the next morning. Signs of a fun night. The camera agreed.

3. The Avenue Pub @ New Orleans - Look up a dive and there should be a picture of this place. Look up awesome beer selection and a location just off the St. Charles trolley line and you'll see it too.

2. The Burger Bar @ Las Vegas - I just love the sliders here but their beer menu is excellent too.

1. The Flying Saucer @ Little Rock, Nashville, Houston and Memphis - A great chain for beer lovers and the Little Rock one is my home base. I love the Nashville building in an old train station and the Memphis one is just a block or so from Beale Street. Made it to the downtown Houston Flying Saucer this year as well.

Best Beer Stores: I discovered the awesome Brown Derby in Springfield, Mo this year as well as the equally awesome Spec's Wines, Spirits, & Finer Foods in Galveston.

Favorite New Breweries (to me): We got Tallgrass beer in cans here and even before that I was picking up their brews on road trips, not only because of the sweet can (heh heh sweet cans) but also it's just damn tasty beer. Their Oasis, IPA, Buffalo Sweat, Halcyon Wheat, Ale and Velvet Rooster all regularly made an appearance in my pee-pee. Also discovered Mother's Brewing out of Springfield and was pleased plus from out in the middle of nowhere Missouri we went to Piney River Brewing and just had a fantastic time and sampled some great beer (see plenty more here). Can't wait to get these 2 around here. Spent a week in Texas drinking Saint Arnolds and Southern Star also and couldn't have been happier to do so.

All this typing is making me thirsty now, and all the flashbacks are sort of giving me a hangover, so I'll stop I guess.

You'll be missed 2011. R.I.P.