Oh My God! - They Kilkenny!

Our good friends at The Dubliner are the first in the country to offer Ireland's Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale on draft. Think of Kilkenny as a sister to Guinness. It has the same creamy head but the brew is a starkly-Irish red ale. It's a bit sweet with a somewhat dry finish and not as heavy as Guinness. Frankly, it's just like Guinness in terms of feel but Kilkenny tastes like an ale rather than a stout. If you're looking for an alternative to Guinness this is it.

The Dubliner has been voted Washington, DC's best Irish Pub for good reason. The place feels like Ireland. It's dark, everything is wood, and the bartender has a goofy accent. The food is typically Irish pub food. The beer selection is what you expect from the Irish - always a variety on tap ranging from your Irish favorites to domestic standbys. And they have history too. So much that Morning Joe broadcast from the Dub on Inauguration Day. Next time you're around Union Station, stop by for a Kilkenny and have the fish n chips.

Day Tripping at Troegs

If you have 90 minutes to kill in Harrisburg, PA there are a few options at your disposal. You could: 1) tour the beautiful Capitol building, 3) shop and dine in the quaint downtown, or 3) visit Troegs Brewery.

Such was our dilemma today and it should surprise nobody that we decided to visit one of the finest breweries in the mid-Atlantic region. Never high on drinking alone we were joined by our old friend "naked man brewing" (for the record Troegs requires full clothing for all visitors). We spent the bulk of our time roaming the gift shop and tasting room while enjoying the samplers platter of 7 Troegs brews. You can hang out in the bar area for food, drink (by food we mean frozen pizza - if you're lucky they will cook it for you), and good conversation.

If you need to walk about, head over to the gift shop to collect your wares. They have t-shirts, hats, stickers, and belt buckles. Yes, big Troegs belt buckles that are only missing one thing - an attached bottle opener.

The folks were quite friendly. Most importantly, they kept us happy by pouring brews. However, when it was time to leave the staff spent several minutes taking our feedback and answering questions about upcoming products. We were really struck by the small batch soaking in oak barrels that's soon to be released. Unfortunately, it will be hard to come by if you can't make it to the brewery.

One Regret: Today was not a brewing or bottling day. Well, our late arrival makes it likely that they brewed or bottled earlier in the day. The brew house and Gift shop/Tasting Room areas are separated by wide, tall glass windows. If we had better timing we could have watched the Troegers brew their magic. Apparently we have a reason to take another trip to the Pennsylvania state capital.

The Public's Assistance is Requested

Albany, GA - Almost 500 cases of pure swill were stolen yesterday at 8:30 am from the Florida/Georgia Railway and today local police are asking for your help. Contrary to reports, this theft does not have white trash written all over it. OK, yes it does.

Within hours of the theft, police apprehended Randy Price. Police were able to recover 37 cases of the stolen Coors Light. "He is charged with theft by receiving stolen property, interference with government property and driving while his license is suspended." Mr. Price is currently relaxing in the Dougherty County jail in lieu of $4,500 bail while his truck relaxes in the impound lot. According to police officials other arrests are forthcoming.

"Anyone who has any information regarding this incident should call Crime Stoppers at (229) 436-TIPS (8477) or the Albany Police Department at (229) 431-3288."

Source: Albany Herald

Shotgunning A Keg

According to FOX Chicago, 4 men were arrested in Wisconsin after a Dukes of Hazzard-like chase - except this time Roscoe P. Coltrane actually caught them ole Duke boys. "The Marathon County Sheriff said the chase started after a deputy tried to stop 19-year-old Kolton Kafka for a broken tail light. While cops were in hot pursuit at speeds that reached 120 mph, one of the passengers, 21-year-old Kevin Schleicher, threw a beer keg from the car, according to police. The whole incident was captured on a police dash cam."

Let's go to the video.

Capitol Hops Farm

We have hops - more than we expected when we started this experiment and that aligns perfectly with our mantra "expect nothing and you won't be disappointed."

The size of the harvest is unclear...maybe because we underestimated the size of our green thumb or maybe because we didn't adequately prepare the "farm". The last picture in the set is our initial harvest. We have sprouts on the vines ranging from beginners to almost ready to pull so maybe we'll get a few more. Not bad for are first ride on the tractor.