Beer 23 - Summerbright Ale, Breckenridge Brewery

My favorite movie of all time is Lonesome Dove. I have nearly all six hours memorized. My beautiful bride decided to get the book for me as a Christmas gift, which has proved to be very useful. Practical and simple are good for me. Like the new coffee pot she also got me. I use it every day.

The draw for me is not necessarily the small town in south Texas on the Rio Grande, although it has its appeal too(the heat a dryness of the S. Texas desert is probably what convinced me to drink a summer beer today). What pulls me in is the discontentment we share, me and the Captain. Now don't get me wrong, I am definitely content with all the Lord has blessed me with, which is everything I have. The discontentment I speak of is with the everyday. The world in my head tells me that there's something to be done. One more project or mission that I should undertake to keep me from dying of boredom. I need an adventure.

Scene Setting: I hope this is not TMI. Stretched out in my tub with my Summerbright Ale and chapter 13 of Lonesome Dove. They just got back from "reclaiming" horses from Mexico and are preparing for the drive to Montana.

Verdict: My first thought was that it was honest and solid in construction. Just kidding, that was printed on the bottle. Although when I drank it first I did think "that's a good beer from the aroma to the aftertaste," and I guess that's another way of saying solid. Anyhow, I enjoyed it and it left me with a light feel that would be welcome in the heat of the summer.

Day 12 - Satsuma Harvest Wit, Abita Brewing Company

Every now and then the History Channel has something that can hold your attention. Tonight it was Life After People, "Wrath of God." It's fairly interesting to see to what extent and how fast the enormous places of worship, sacred sights, and cathedrals breakdown and crumble.

What really caught my attention was how anything we create as humans will eventually return to dust. Not only that, God's creation begins to take over and consume every structure. What a great reminder. There is no amount of striving that can rival Gods creative brilliance.

Considering that all man's creations will eventually fade, I thought I should go ahead and drink the Abita summer beer before it deteriorates.

Scene Setting: Slumped deep into my couch watching the world fall apart on the History Channel.

Verdict: Light and refreshing. I enjoyed the citrus and hint of spice. This is a great option for a day out in the sun. Anyone for disc golf?

Day 10 - 2009 Summerfest Lager, Sierra Navada Brewing Company

I went to Dr. Jeckylle's a couple days ago to pick up 12 days worth of beer to write about, and I noticed that a Sierra Nevada 2009 Summerfest Lager was still hanging around. I figured I better grab it before it was gone for good. One of the helpful things about this particular beer store is the knowledge base you have at your fingertips when you walk into the door. Both Pat the owner, and Scott the right hand man are full of great information. Pat helped me build a few 6-packs as I asked every question I could think of about each one. Yeah, that's another thing. You can buy singles or create your own 6-pack. A nice feature I think, for the connoisseur.

Staring at the summer beer in my fridge while it was cold outside just felt weird. Fortunately today it warmed up a bit. I was cleaning my carboys outside today for our latest batch and I had to take my sweatshirt off because it was too hot. Clearly a day for the Summerfest Lager.

Scene Setting: The end of a long day of hard work brewing my first Porter. What better than a little refreshment as I watch my beautiful bride organize her coupons for the next week of savings.

Verdict: Crisp and refreshing. The taste actually made me forget that it has been very cold for weeks now. I imagined myself sitting next to the water, sun reflecting off of my aviators while I kept close watch on the tip of my fishing pole in anticipation of the next bite.