Good Afternoon Boys and Girls…

Originally posted 10 May 2008


…can you say hangover?

Man, I had fun last night. I started the evening directly after work with a quick jaunt to the Club for a few pitchers of Yuengling and some spicy chicken fingers with the boys. The beer was cold, but there was way too much work talk. That and a couple of muckety-muck douche bags tried to muscle in on our table. From there, my buddy Woody and I had plans to go the Flying Fish brewery in Cherry Hill, but first we had to swing by his house for some Magic Hat that he had been raving about.

I’ve read some pretty good reviews about Magic Hat #9 and apparently a lot of people like it, but I didn’t. It’s too fruity. Not Village People fruity, apricot fruity. I’m sure The Wife would like it; in fact I think I’ll pick her up some today, but I want to try their Lucky Kat or hI.P.A.

We ended up getting lost on the way to Flying Fish and damn near didn’t make it. The whole reason we were going was because Don Russell aka “Joe Sixpack” was there signing copies of his book Philly Beer Guide and he was only supposed to be there from 5-7 pm. At 6:30 we had no idea where this brewery was. Apparently it’s pretty fucking easy to hide a whole brewery. No wonder Eliot Ness had so much trouble.

We ended up finding the place about 6:45, but it didn’t really matter because Don got caught in traffic and didn’t get there until 6:00 anyway. After we got our copies, we decided to hang out and sample the wares they were pouring. They had their ESB, Farmhouse Summer Ale, Belgian Abbey Dubbel and Big Fish Barleywine. I’d had the ESB and Farmhouse before and they’re good but not overly impressive. Big Fish was my first barleywine. It was good, but I have no frame of reference. The Dubbel was really good. Strong, thick and warm. Not the kind of beer you want to drink a case of while sitting in the hot sun.

After numerous samplings, we headed for the gift shop where I ended up getting two pint classes, a hat and a t-shirt for The Wife. After all the book signing, beer sampling, gift buying and shit talking, I had totally lost track of time. When we got back to the car it was 7:33 and I realized I was missing the Pens/Flyers game.

We headed for the bar down the road from my house to watch the game because a) I knew they would have the game on, b) the place is kind of quiet, with an older crowd so the chances of me getting my ass kicked for rooting for the Penguins was pretty slim and c) my neighbor bartends there and usually hooks me up.

I would have liked to stick with Flying Fish, but they only had Farmhouse on tap and I was in the mood for something stronger. I settled on Black and Tans with the Guinness first and the Bass on top so it all mixes up. After about five of them, a plate of really hot buffalo wings, the Penguins kicking the Flyers asses and no one kicking my ass even though I was cheering for the nonlocal team, I was plenty ready to call it a night. So, of course when I got home I had to play drunken Rock Band with the family for another two hours.