Peace, Love, And Beer.

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!!

It's been a few weeks since I enlightened you all with a brewery like this one here and here.

Since we have cover my top two breweries, I feel it's only fair to give my third all time favorite!

Today's Brewery: 



ncbrewing.org



Mother Earth, a name that originated from two men listening to their rock-n-roll vinyl albums, some dating back to the year 1965, when they stumbled across the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.  

Those two men, Stephen Hill and Trent Mooring,



motherearthbrewing.com

both from Kinston, NC, decided to take their creativity and love of beer to a whole new level.  Staying true to their name, Mother Earth, they decided to stay green in each process.  For example, when choosing a locating there in Kinston, they decided that instead of tearing down a building to build a new one, they would buy said old building and enhance it giving it the TLC it needed through using environmentally friendly construction material.

How was this done you ask?

To name only a few things, they used a 100% recyclable product to insulate the walls called blue jean insulation.  This insulation is literally made out of old denim.  They also used soy-based foam insulation for the ceiling of the second floor, and low voc paint for the walls.

The list literally continues, and if you would like to know more about what they used in the building, beer, etc., go here.

Now for the beer!



thegreatestbeerofalltime.com



Weeping Willow Wit

A different Belgian wit for those that typically drink Blue Moon or Shock Top. 

This was the second Mother Earth beer I tried after falling in love with Mother Earth's Dark Cloud.

 

Weeping Willow is very light, sweet and crisp. 



I would suggest this beer to those that claim not to like beer but are willing to give it another go.



thegreatestbeerofalltime.com



Dark Cloud

The first Mother Earth beer I ever tried!

I think most are afraid to try Dark Cloud because of its appearance.  Being a Munich Dunkel, it is darker in color as a dark lager should be, yet like a lager, Dark Cloud is somewhere in the middle of being light and heavy.

 Encompassing a rather earthy taste, I love Dark Cloud for what it brings to the table, unpredictability.

It makes me laugh to watch others try Dark Cloud for the first time as their faces go from fear to surprise, ending with the phrase I love to hear, "Wow! This is good!"



thegreatestbeerofalltime.com



Sisters Of The Moon 

I was really excited to try Mother Earth's India Pale Ale and as expected, drank every last drop, yearning for another, only to hear myself say I was okay with water.

Sisters of the Moon carries an earthy start, as I'm beginning to think most Mother Earth beers do, exploding into a bitter ride and ending with slightly sweet finish.

 

The first, and only (yet won't be the last), time I tried Sisters of the Moon, was this past Tuesday when Ryan and I went to Raleigh for his grandpa's 92nd birthday. Not a beer for everyone but definitely one all should try if offered or available.

If you are going to friends/families home today to watch the Superbowl, be sure to pick up Mother Earth or try one by building your own pack at the grocery store!

*Background information from Mother Earth Brewery.

A Brewery You Can't Say No To.

Just as promised!

Today's brewery:

beerreviewdude.com

 "Good People Drink Good Beer" - Hunter S. Thompson

Although I love Rogue, you really cannot go wrong with a Flying Dog beer.

Every beer that I have ever tried from this brewery I have loved.

They all encompass the smoothness that one would normally look for in a beer, yet they don't always finish off smooth, which is a nice surprise if you ask me.

thebeerista.wordpress.com

George Stranahan

Founder of Flying Dog.

The mastermind behind it all.

By simply noticing a picture of a flying dog that just didn't seem to fit, Stranahan did what most of us wish we could do, he created an amazing company out something some people saw everyday.



 Hunter S. Thompson

An amazing man alone, played one role in Flying Dog, introducing the man above (Stranahan) to the man below (Steadman).

*Won't allow me to add. Picture via flyingdogales.com

   

zimbio.com

Ralph Steadman

Illustrator for Flying Dog.

A genius really.

Illustrated many of Thompson's articles and books.

 Road Dog Porter was the first beer label that he illustrated for Stranahan.  He added "Good Beer. No Shit." and Stranahan liked where Steadman was headed, they even fought the American Civil Liberties Union to keep the phrase on the label.

Onto the beers.

First up:

umicit.com

Gonzo
Imperial Porter.
A part of the Canis Major Line-Up.

This was the first Flying Dog beer I ever tried, thanks to my friend Amy Buechler, it was love at first taste.
Gonzo has a very bold taste with notes of chocolate, coffee, and vanilla.
Very smooth with a bite at the finish.



As most of you may know, Gonzo was made as a tribute to Hunter S. Thompson soon after he died.
For those of you who don't know who Hunter S. Thompson is, he is widely known for his story Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
The awesome, and at times confusing, story of a journalist (Thompson) and his attorney traveling to Las Vegas to cover a motorcycle race....among other things.




jandlventuresllc.com




In-Heat Wheat
Hefeweizen

Yum! I have become a big fan of hefeweizens.
You really can't go wrong if you are looking for a beer with loads of flavor.  Some may turn with disgust because of the tart/bitter taste of most hefeweizens, you will be pleasantly surprised to find that this beer is lighter than most hefeweizens and easy to drink.


To keep with the three beers a brewery that I have already done, I introduce to you another of my favorite's out of the Flying Dog selection:



clubplanet.com


Doggie Style
Classic Pale Ale
Don't let the name turn you away!

This pale ale is neither heavy nor light but does lean more towards the thicker side.  Contains a sweeter beginning that leads into a slightly bitter finish. 
I'm not usually a fan of beers that have a citrus flavor in the mix but it doesn't stand out as much which is nice.

Great beer to order if you're looking to try something new that's darker than the go-to lager.

*Background Information Found at Flying Dog Ales.

Which Which Will It Be. Peek At The Next Brewery.

Happy Saturday!

Apparently when I talk about weddings to much it begins a frenzy of questioning so I am going to talk about something that won't get me into trouble:

Food.

Ryan is coming tomorrow and who else better is there to try my cooking on!

I have decided that as I said before I will try to attempt the bruschetta!

I will definitely let you know how that turns out!

But

I have more than one night to cook and so,

I have decided I am going to cook one of the four variations of sloppy joe's I have picked out for Ryan to choose from.

www.food.com/recipe/taco-joes

www.squidoo.com/sloppy-joe-recipe

http://www.grilledcheesesocial.com/

http://lacucinadilauren.blogspot.com/

I hate sloppy joe's, always have, but I'm willing to try it either taco, philly cheese steak, grilled cheese, or a very close version to the original, style.

One of these has to be good right?

I will be sure to let you know which which he chooses and how the process went.

I'm a little scared but excited all in same!

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

 I will also be picking a few beers for my attempts at being a chef this weekend.

There are no questions here as to what I will pick, only Ryan will be venturing out from his usual Yuengling and trying something a little different!

Hopefully he likes it!

Ryan's Beer:

Flying Dog 

http://www.blogbier.com/

We will discuss Flying Dog later this week!

Ande's Beer:

Rogue



http://www.aleheads.com/



Ale's For Me. Ale's For You. And A Stout Of Course.

I love going out and having a good time and I know that there are some that want to explore other beers also

so,

I thought it would be a good idea to spotlight breweries as I come across them or are told about them.

Todays brewery: 

“From man’s sweat and God’s love, beer came into the world.”

- Saint Arnold of Metz 
The Patron Saint of Brewers

All Rogue Ales are sealed in a brown glass (better shelf life) using an oxygen absorbing cap.

They also vow to never include preservatives, additives or chemicals!

Dead Guy Ale.

German Maierbock Ale.

History:

Created in the early 1990s to celebrate the Mayan Day of the Dead (Nov. 1st, All Souls Day) for Casa U Betcha in Portland, Oregon.

Absolutely delicious! One of my favorite beers and is a great gateway into darker beers.

Pumpkin  Patch Ale.

How it's made:

Using real pumpkins from a patch 77 miles away from the brewery!

Pumpkins are roasted and added to a kettle to create the batch.  Ingredients that are also included are ginger, vanilla bean, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

I can't wait to find this beer and taste it for myself! 

Chocolate Stout.

American Stout.

History:

This stout was released on Valentine's Day in 2001!

Made with natural chocolate flavoring, this beer will leave that bitter-sweet finish many of us search for in a beer.

We have this beer on tap at Taco Mac in Huntersville and I am more than excited to get my hands on it!

All Picture and Brewery Information from Rogue Ales.