I started this blog as a way to keep track of my beer adventures and so that other fellow craft beer drinkers can live vicariously through me or find some sort of commonality in our journey into the great world of craft beer.
On my next post I will tell you the reader (who else? right) those 5 w's you learned in current events class.
Who?
What?
When?
Where?
Why?
but not How....ha
I actually recently returned from Portsmouth, NH for the release of Kate The Great.
I must say the drive was well worth it and a special thanks to Brennan the Resturant manager, Tod the Brewer of KTG, the head chef and all the great staff at the Portsmouth Brewery. That being said.
I go on my beerventures with a good friend of mine speedwayjim and his friend whose new alias is "Duck Duck Steph". I convinced said friend we should drive early to Portsmouth and prior to leaving I posted on Beer Advocate a desperate ISO (in search of) thread for a bottle or two of KTG. We leave around 9:50pm and off we go arriving at Portsmouth, NH around 2:00am to a line of about 20-25 ppl. I of course attempt to leave the moving vehicle to get on the line.. ha.
One thing that never cease to amaze me is the friendly people you meet at these releases and events. There I met another blogger Katy who was very kind and a trooper to brave the weather despite her recent surgery.
During our wait, of course from prior releases the itch came back... at many beer releases I've been to many craft drinkers break out bottles to share with all who contribute, but alas Portsmouth is in a residential neighborhood and no tastings were allowed. Thus to satisfy this itch at 2:30am I broke out a Bells Hopslam and shared it with Jim but alas us craft drinkers one brew rarely satisfies the palate. I run back to the car to retrieve a Founders Backwoods Bastard and cracked that open. Half way through the lights to the paraphernalia shop turn on and an up roar of excitement is heard. There were rumors that they would be handing out Calendar pages (ticket to ensure 2 bottles of KTG) early, and boy were they right. I finished the rest of the Backwoods... and prepared to obtain my ticket. We get our tickets (Mine was Lucille Jan 30/31) I should get two days worth of bottles but alas my play on words couldn't get me those bottles.
Right before leaving the car to get our bottles, I decided to check BA for any offer and low and behold I have an offer for one of the bottles I brought to trade just in case. Special thanks to Husslerc for trading. Straight up 1 Olde Rabbits Foot for 1 Kate The great, and as always I throw in a bottle of Hopslam as an extra. Three KTG not a bad haul at all.
I forgetting that at all these releases beer paraphernalia is the most important part. Partly because I get stuff for my sisters and dad from all my journeys, but also to Rock/ rep clothing from good breweries.
We finally get out bottles and bad on line for the tapping of KTG. We get up to about 15 people ahead of us before the Restaurant manager Brennan announces that they have reached capacity and will try their best to make our wait a bit more comfortable. During our wait we were given Pretzel bread and oysters to hold us over till we got in. Luckily for those only looking to try KTG they opened up their patio with only chairs. After the long wait we finally get in and share a table with three other "beer geeks" and partake of the long awaited KTG.
Finally having Kate the Great for the first time despite having bottles of 2008, and 2009, I must say "Kate was Worth the wait". On my next post I will link and post my review of Kate. After another glass of Kate I ordered the milk stout to finish of because I still had to drive. Looking back on it I should have had another glass of Kate, but alas I have my bottles to hold me over till the next release.
The service at Portsmouth was top notch and I must say this is a brew pub that I would come back even if Kate was not being served. The 5hour drive was well worth it, and the only thing to make the dreaded 5hour drive back was the thought of a Kate 2011. Ha.
*On a side note the first time I heard of Kate The great it was when Speedwayjim, Wheatman106 and I first started out crash course in Craft beer. Mind you this was about 8 months ago. We decided that we would try this when the release came around again. I'll elaborate in future post about the craft beer crash course.
One thing I must say I enjoy about these releases are the people you meet who share the same passion/ love for masterfully made brews and the time spent with my fellow beer hunters.
Till my next post "Keep drinking the good stuff",
Cheers,
~Suitcase Jon
P.S.- Let me know what you think of my first post.... all feedback is much appreciated.
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