The Man on the Flying Mouflan

Opted for the Flying Fish Grand Cru Winter reserve the night of my last blogpost, and a great choice it was. But last night, with temps heading toward the teens and even single digits, and tired after a long day at the mats, I popped open a Flying Mouflan from Troeg's.

Not for beginners, especially if you never heard the term "barleywine." The Flying Mouflan is, however, not your ordinary barleywine. But I recommend it for any cold winter's night. Gorgeous caramel-red color, sweetish nose, redolent with malt. First taste will remind you it's a 9.3% big guy, but this complex beer finishes with exceptional balance.

I used an Allagash tulip glass (refilled once) to empty the 22 oz. bomber. Oh, and one more thing. This "over-the-cliff" beer is most wisely drunk at home or at a friend's where you can stay over. Excellent beer that I will try again, and they say it improves with age. That's what they say about us men, too, so I'm not sure I'm buying into that. Besides, winter ends in mid-March, so two months isn't making that much of a difference to me, and I'm sure not going to let it sit until next winter. Cheers!

Choices, choices and Upcoming Beer Dinner Mayhem

The frost may still be on your pumpkin, but you can chase it away at either of the upcoming beer dinners at local pubs and breweries. First up, Uno's Grill and Brewery in Metuchen near Menlo Park has set George Washington's birthday--2/22--as its next event. maybe in honor of the Father of our Country, we can acquire some GW Tavern Porter (Yards Ales of the revolution Series). The menu hasn't yet been drafted, but Moshe The Barman is being brought in to work his magic once again, so it should be outstanding. Reserve a spot for yourself and some friends now by calling Mike Sella and Co. at (732) 548-7979.

Speaking of Moshe the Barman, he's now plying his considerable crafts at Hailey's Harp and Pub, the cozy, friendly Irish pub at 400 Main St., also in Metuchen, near the train station. Hailey's is having a special beer dinner event on March 3. Irish Owner Chris Flynn, Italian Chef Johnny LaBarbera and Mensch Moshe are concocting a unique event you won't want to miss. Call 732-321-0777 to get info and make reservations.

Now back to business. Another round of "global warming" is set to hit us tonight, and there are weighty decisions of great moment to make.

• Boak's Monster Mash


• Oskar Blues Ten-Fidy


• Allagash Tripel


• Southern Tier Chokolat


• Flying Fish Grand Cru Reserve


• Stone's Double Bastard


• Ommegang's Three Philosphers


• Troeg's Flying Mouflan


• Urthel Quadrium

A picture of all bottles is on top of column; individual bottle labels appear on photos link on the right side panel

Ah, the many difficult choices of a beer writer. Perhaps you'd care to make a suggestion to the PubScout from this list?

Cheers!

Going to the drugstore? Pick me up a growler...

In what is clearly a first, a Brooklyn Duane-Reade is putting a beer bar in a pharmacy. Talk about pain-killers....

 

A Duane Reade in Brooklyn With a Beer Bar - NYTimes.com

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