Commentist Beer Barrel: A Thirst Artist

makeitsnowondem - January 16, 2016

When I run out of a beer, unless that beer is Sierra Nevada Celebration, and unless Sierra Nevada Celebration is still being sold somewhere, I replace it with something new. There are a few other scattered exceptions to this rule, but the concept of a "go-to" beer is more or

Commentist Beer Barrel: Happy Birthday To Me

Commentist Beer Barrel

makeitsnowondem - January 10, 2016January 11, 2016

Good evening, everyone. I'm afraid this Beer Barrel will be even more self-indulgent than usual, and no, I've never engaged in any self-deception about just how high that bar is. You see, yesterday was my thirtieth birthday, and I decided my gift to myself would be to drink whatever the

Commentist Beer Barrel: Bastards

Commentist Beer Barrel

makeitsnowondem - December 25, 2015December 25, 2015

Happy Holidays, you bastards. This review has been a long time in the making. Since Thanksgiving or so, with lady snow's help, I've been diligently tasting every beer I could get my hands on from Stone's Arrogant Bastard line. Today I'm ready to share my findings, but as usual, I've

Commentist Beer Barrel: Hans, Solo

makeitsnowondem - December 20, 2015

My beer biases are, by now, probably pretty clear to any regular reader of the Beer Barrel. I won't deny them, and I certainly won't apologize for them. I love big beers. I love barleywines, imperial stouts, double IPAs, anything with a double-digit ABV and a whole lot of flavor.

Donald Trump Gets A Friendly Call

makeitsnowondem - December 18, 2015December 18, 2015

A phone rings in a spacious, luxurious apartment in Trump Tower. A large, dead caterpillar perched atop a molding orange answers.                                                                                

Commentist Beer Barrel: Barrels and Barrels of Barrels

makeitsnowondem - December 12, 2015

Beer, as most of you know, is really good. Another thing that many of you also know is that liquor is also good. But as with many pairs of things that are good individually (ice cream and hot sauce! sex and skiing!), combining the two can be dicey. Maybe you pour

Commentist Beer Barrel: Winter Is Yummy

Commentist Beer Barrel

makeitsnowondem - November 28, 2015

Winter is the best season for drinking, as everyone knows. In the winter, whether you favor wine, spirits, or beer, you can drink any of the things you normally like to drink, which by default makes it no worse than any other season. But! On top of that, you'll spend

Commentist Beer Barrel: Dogfish Did It

makeitsnowondem - November 21, 2015

Yesterday, I walked into a bar, sat down, and ordered a beer seasoned with chocolate, basil, and lobster. It's important to me that I record this event so that if either I or the American craft beer industry as a whole are ever charged with a serious crime, we will each

Commentist Beer Barrel: Iced, Bro

DFOing Good

makeitsnowondem - November 15, 2015November 15, 2015

For the first week of the year here in Austin, it's cool enough that lady snow and I don't have to worry about turning on the air conditioning, which is one of my favorite things to happen every year. It'll be at least a couple more weeks before I have

Kommenter Beer Barrel: It’s Chili Outside

Kommenter Beer Barrel

makeitsnowondem - November 1, 2015

I won't take up too much of your time today, folks. I know we've all got football to watch. I've loved spicy food for a long time. I don't believe that this is something that makes me special or unique, but it is true. I don't really even know a lot about

The Texan Football Experiment

makeitsnowondem - October 31, 2015October 31, 2015

In 2013, researchers at the University of Houston exposed five people to an entire season of some of the worst football of all time. Promising potential subjects the opportunity to watch every minute of an all-time great season by a generational defensive football talent, rent-free and supplied with endless barbecue,

Kommenter Beer Table: America’s Ale

makeitsnowondem - October 17, 2015October 17, 2015

I think the first time I had a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, I was in Wrigleyville. That was, anyway, the first time I had more than one Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. I wasn't new to good beer at the time; I was just back from a semester in Europe and keen