Nightcap: New Belgium’s Springboard Ale

Posted at 11:56 pm by Patrick under Seattle with the Presidents:2007

Among the cool things about our hotel is the little ground-floor lounge that has a short but decent tap list. Of the four available draft offerings was this one, the latest seasonal offering from New Belgium.

From the description I saw, it is a Belgian style light ale, made with wacky additives like goji berries (!!?!). Wacky or not, it is really damn tasty. It’s a lightly colored and flavored ale with an herbal presence and slightly sweet finish. It’s hard to describe, but clearly does not suck.

And, being served in the signature glassware finishes the presentation.

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The glass says it all

Posted at 9:30 pm by Patrick under Seattle with the Presidents:2007

How fitting that Andrea’s pint glass would have “Naughty Nellie” inscribed on it?

Her convection-fried fish and chips are a winner, too.

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Fish n brew

Posted at 9:02 pm by Andrea under Seattle with the Presidents:2007

Watching men throw some big-ass fish across a crowd of cheering tourists made us thirsty. Turns out the famous Pike’s Place market area has a brewpub! Go figure. Here Patrick enjoys a stout as dark as . . . Hell it’s just dark.

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The simpler joys of Seattle

Posted at 6:54 pm by Patrick under Seattle with the Presidents:2007

I suspect that Andrea just posted something salacious about this 24 oz can of memories. So let me now set the record straight.

While it’s now probably up there with PBR and High Life for hipster street cred, Rainier is one of the iconic old-school beer brands. It hails from the era just before industry consolidation and changing tastes made it less culturally relevant.

Taste-wise, it’s a slightly sweet finishing light lager that wouldn’t pass muster with those who drank it in its heyday. At $1.19 for a 24 ouncer at a gas station, it’s now just a cheap buzz.

Ironically, it’s now brewed in California now. I’m not sure it can still make the claim of mountain fresh beer, or at least not from the eponymous one anyway.

And, no, I’m not drinking this whole thing.

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24 oz of fun

Posted at 6:43 pm by Andrea under Seattle with the Presidents:2007

Patrick couldn’t resist this tall boy at the gas station due to its name - Rainier Beer (Mount Rainier we saw today). But when faced with the task of consuming this mammoth brew, he showed some understandable apprehension.

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