Finnegan's Wake at Hailey's

From Chris at the Pub:

Haileys
Finnegans Wake ( Benefit the Wounded Warrior Foundation)
Sunday, January 30, 2011 · 2:00pm - 5:00pm Try to imagine the ballad “Finnegan’s Wake” transformed into the Irish version of “one of those Italian Weddings,” only in place of the nuptials, there’s a funeral. This is a story about a wake, a party for the dead, held for Timothy Finnegan, who died in a fall from a ladder but was miraculously revived when accidentally splashed with whiskey.Better prepare your eulogies now for Finnegan’s Wake. You may be called on to stand up and salute the dearly departed with a joke, a song or a dance. It’s an interactive event, so you are part of the act. And be prepared to hear some great music. This is an opportunity to entertain and to be entertained - while Hailey’s Staff will host this evening of Celtic wit and merriment, you'll also have a chance to help console the poor widow. After all, this gathering is a celebration of life, not death.You'll laugh till you cry at Finnegan's Wake, simply an unforgettable experience.Tickets will be sold in advance of the event, contact the pub for details

One Month Lead Time...

No excuses now. Jan 16 at the Harvest Moon brewpub in New Brunswick will bring this year's edition of the Jimmy D annual celebration. You've got more than a month, so mark your calendars now, and plan to get there early. This event honors the memory of firefighter Jimmy D'heron who gave his life that others might live after a house fire years ago. $2 of every pint of Jimmy D's Firehouse Red will go to a children's Burn Camp. Hope to see you there!

'Twill surely bring a Tear to your Eye...

When I was just a tyke, I asked my beer-and whiskey loving uncle, "How did angels get to be on top of most Christmas trees? He said, "Sit down, lad. Here's the story: "

Many years ago on a bleak, raw, rainy and generally nasty Christmas Eve, Santa was fighting a severe case of the flu. Runny nose, hacking cough, high temps and diarrhea made him miserable, and the prospect of spending the night delivering Christmas presents to the world did not seem particularly exciting.

He went out to check on his famous reindeer only to find that two of them, Dancer and Prancer, had broken out of their pen and had flown away. One, Vixen, was in the process of giving birth, and Rudolph's nose was out. His sled was leaning to one side because of a broken runner.

Santa turned to his workshop to check on the elves only to find them all sitting around, refusing to do any more work until their pay was raised and sprinkles were liberally put on the cupcakes provided by Mrs. Claus.

Santa went to inform Mrs. Claus of the dilemma, only to find her walking out of the cottage with two suitcases in her hands. "I'm leaving you and this nonsense behind," she said. "I can't take any more." And away she flew in her own sleigh.

On the verge of tears and a breakdown, Santa headed for his secret cupboard where he had stashed a bottle of 150 year-old Chivas Regal. Pulling it out from the overhead cabinet, however, he lost control of the bottle, and it crashed to the floor in pieces, spilling its precious liquid through the floor cracks.

Poor Santa went to get the broom to sweep up the broken glass shards only to discover that the straw of the broom had been eaten through by the mice. He attempted to scoop up some of the bigger pieces with his hand, stuck himself on a large sliver and jumped up, hitting his head on the corner of the cabinet door he had left open. The pain was blinding and caused him to involuntarily release some diarrhea which soiled his red pants.

At that very moment, there was a knock on Santa's cottage door, and it opened to reveal a beautiful little angel carrying a very large fir tree behind her. She asked innocently, "Santa, what should I do with this Christmas Tree?"

And that, my child, is how the angel came to be the decoration of choice for Christmas tree toppers.

And now for something completely different…

I've been corresponding with Ken Hart, a fellow beer nut from Down Under for some time now. Ken's organization, The Thirsty Swagman, runs beer trips around the world that make our New Year's Eve celebration look like a church social. Ken has graciously invited me to attend one of his events, but so far the logistics haven't worked out. Someday, maybe. But until then, my readers will have to be satisfied with a special dispatch from Ken's "Swag Girl," Tash Marti. This trip sounds like so much fun, I decided to run Tash's piece as a guest column. Maybe some of you out there will get the itch, the courage and the gelt to "run with the Big Dogs" of the beer world, like Ken. One day, The PubScout himself may decide that Thailand is a beer destination he can't miss, just plunk the money down and say, "Phuket."

Herewith, Tash's guest column….

--The PubScout

 

 

The Wettest and Wildest Party on the Planet

Speaking of epic places people go to party - Southeast Asia's Thailand is home to what is possibly the biggest and wildest water fight event in the world. Keen travelers from all over, pack their bags and head to Thailand every April, to celebrate the Thai New Year (Songkran) with a splash. During this time, don't be surprised when the whole of Thailand stops for 3 days to engage in an immense, country-wide water fight.

For the entire Songkran period, party goers line the streets and post themselves in every corner, ready with their water-filled weaponry (sometimes mixed with mentholated talc) aimed at who-ever dare pass by. ..So if you plan on walking more than 3 metres down the road during this time, expect to return nothing less than soaked from head to toe.

But why stop at a 3 day Thai New Year, massive, celebratory water fight – when you could turn this crazy travel experience into a full week of one totally unforgettable pub crawl marathon?

Buckle up beer-loving travelers and prepare yourselves for one exhilarating pub tour experience of a lifetime, handled by renowned Australian based tour operator Thirsty Swagman (www.thirstyswagman.com) the company offering a purely pub- and bar-based itinerary worldwide. Your experience starts with bar hopping your way through Sentosa Island, where feet in sand and beer in hand, you'll enjoy taking in the rays while making friends with the Thirsty crew that will soon be your new best buddies for the next action-packed week of partying.

After a day of blissful relaxation – you'll be ready to head to the heart Clarke Quay, a cluster of themed bars ranging from Moroccan fantasy, to the Scottish Hilander. But be warned - A typical night at Clarke Quay usually involves nothing less that downing 4L towers of beer at Brewerkz microbrewery and then heading straight to The Clinic. Not the kind of Clinic guys end up at after a crazy night they can't remember – this ironically themed pub had doctors and nurses treating you with syringes and drips filled with nothing but tasty alcohol, while you and your mates chill out on the slightly odd seating arrangements – hospital beds. The Clinic is definitely an unlikely pub, in a country where chewing gum is prosecutable.

The next destination is Phuket, Thailand, for a hard-core party in the Bangla Road. During the trip in Thailand, travelers get to experience Songkran, the Thai New Year, where you and hundreds of other partygoers, will be stumbling through the streets of Phuket with your water guns strapped on, in a fully-fledged, country-wide water fight! And did I mention? Soaked hotties everywhere!

One of the places in Thailand where pub travelers will dwell on is the hardest-rocking pub in the world, named Rock city, which is located on Phuket's Patong Beach. With VIP entry and drinks, you'll be raising your glass to the most authentic AC/DC, Metallica and Guns 'n' Roses cover bands you've ever heard. Along your drinking journey, you'll also get to nail drinks at Tiger bar and several other of Patong beach's best pubs and bar.

One highlight of this pub tour experience that mustn't be left out is your speedboat adventure to a private pub on the beautiful Naka Island. To give you an idea of just how amazing this island is – it's fit for a king – literally – as the Prince of Dubai recently stayed there. You'll land on a stretch of beach with nothing but white sand, crystal clear water, and two tiny beach shack pubs that serve every beer, ice cold!

Ready to party? Visit www.thirstyswagman.com

'Tis officially The Season

Don't let your nibs turn blue

I stopped in Costco yesterday (albeit a bit early to hit the "Senior Buffet") and picked up some supplies. In the beer aisle, as I passed the very good and previously reviewed Kirkland offerings along with the inane "Turn your Mountains Blue" Coors Light, I found Sam Adams Winter Beers Collection, and since Old Fezziwig, Holiday Porter and Winter Lager have long been cold weather favorites, I picked up a case. $26 for 24 SA beers is a darned good deal if you ask this pensioner.

But what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a Chocolate Bock as one of the beers! I had always wanted to try this brew, and when I got home late last night I pulled one from the fridge. I read the label to discover there were "nibs" (whatever they are) from Ecuador used in the process, and that process included aging the beer on a bed of cocoa. Sounds a bit messy, but I poured the dark brew into a chalice-style glass to more fully savor what became an impressive nose, and Willy Wonka dutifully called out to my olfactory lobes.

The first sip made me think that this may be the silkiest, smoothest beer I have had in many moons, and the flavor was most rewarding. I remember treasuring chocolate egg creams at my childhood soda fountain, and this beer brought me back there. Not overly sweet, but definitely chocolatey, toasty and unbelievably smooth--and it improved as it warmed. It was liquid velvet on the tongue and palate with a finish that hung around like cigar smoke over a 1940's pool table.

I still chuckle at those Coors Light Silver Bullet commercials which attempt to convince beer folks that colder beer is better beer. What nonsense. And all you need to prove it is to pick up some of this stuff. I am disappointed that only four bottles come with this SA Winter pack, too. I'd have evicted the SA Lager (a good beer in its own right) in this collection and made room for four more of these babies. In fact, I'm probably going to see if Dan Ratti can get it in cases.

It's going to be long winter. Most days, Old Man Winter will do his best to turn my nibs blue. But he can't if they're in my Sam Adams Chocolate Bock.

Luna-Tic Here

By Kurt Epps—The PubScout

I love good pizza. And I love good beer.

But—confession time—I don't love them together. Don't know why, since beer and pizza seems to go as well in the minds of the general populace as beer und brats. But I never warmed to the combo, perhaps because of the breadiness factor. Pizza, no matter what you put on it, is bread, and beer is liquid bread. So I prefer a good root beer, birch beer or sarsaparilla with my pizza.

A guy, who used to take his dates out for pizza before bringing them to his place to see his, um, etchings, once told me, "Pizza is a lot like sex. Even when it's bad, it's pretty good."

Maybe. But what about when the pizza is simply out-of-this-world, like at Luna Pizzeria in Three Bridges, NJ? Following a motorcycle charity meetup for the American Heart Association at Duke Island Park, one of the organizers had us motoring (on a positively scintillating autumn day) on the back twisties of Somerset County en route to Frank Catena's place.

The place isn't big. Three Bridges itself is so small that if you don't get stopped by a train changing cars in the town center, you might not realize you even went through the town center. But, as the saying goes, "It's not the size of the pie in the dog…" or something like that. Frank's pies, written up extensively in the Star-Ledger, are special because they're made that way. Using a special dough and ingredients obtainable only in Italy, and following a pizza code that is every bit as stringent as the Reinheitsgebot is for beer, Catena puts out some absolutely delicious and varied gourmet pies. All the ingredients in every pie are incredibly—nay, religiously—fresh, right down to the basil leaves Frank or his wife Jeannette pluck from the basil plant growing by the door.

Frank, a motorcycle buff himself who owns a number of vintage Harleys (including a 1914 model), is amiable, knowledgeable and most of all, committed to his craft, which he's been plying for only three years. He was instructed in the trade by a Master Pizzauioli (Pizza Master) who spoke only in Italian, so a translator was needed. "This guy is one of the two best in the world," says Frank, "and I follow his direction completely. My customers tell me it shows."

Indeed it does. I had slices of the Margherita, the highly acclaimed sausage and Frank's personal favorite—the White Clam Pie. Hoboken's Ol' Blue Eyes himself used to order pizza shipped to him on the Left Coast from a guy in Jersey. Frank, with some difficulty, got the guy to share the recipe, and now Frank (who tweaked the ingredients) unabashedly claims, "Mine's better."

I ate so much Luna Pizza, accompanied by root beer, that I barely had room for the special Nutella Dessert Frank made for his fellow bikers. For that delicacy, there are, simply, no words.

Sated, I paid my part of the very reasonable tab, threw my leg over the Blue Eagle and departed via the Somerset County backroads, brilliant with reds, oranges, yellows and browns all splashed by a bright sun.

I left the little town of Three Bridges and its little award-winning pizzeria in the rearview mirror

But like The Terminator, I'll be back.

Luna Restaurant...429 Main St....Three Bridges, NJ 08887

908-284-2321