Beer Review: Young's Double Chocolate Stout

Hi all! Just to prove that I can still do a decent beer review, I was looking in my fridge last night for a review-worthy brew and what did I find? An old favorite: Young's Double Chocolate Stout.



We'll start with Presentation. In this case, I am reviewing a bottle poured into a pint glass. As you can tell from the picture above, it is very dark (effectively black) in appearance. It pours with a solid deep tan head that dissipates fairly quickly.

The smell was chocolate with a distinct coffee/espresso aroma. Some maltiness was also evident.

Taste was very smooth and creamy. Dominant chocolate flavors with a hint of coffee and malt. It had a very smooth finish and the chocolate flavors really came to life as it warmed slightly.

This is one of the most drinkable beers I've found. It is a stout (big time) so it may not be for everyone, but drinkers of Guinness have probably already discovered and fallen in love with this beer.

If you haven't tried it, go out now and buy some!

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That's all for now!

Random Weekend Alcohol Check!

Hello Drink Dummy fans! Time for another installment of the Random Weekend Alcohol Check. What have I been drinking this weekend? Let's find out!

I was out at the bar on Friday night and they had a $2 shot special of Rumple Minze Lime. Now, I'm kind of a sucker for a $2 shot and Rumple Minze isn't the worst shot ever, so we decided to give it a shot (pun intended).



Now, for anyone not in the know, Rumple Minze is a 100 proof Peppermint Schnappes. Now to me, the "Lime" version pretty much tasted like regular Rumple Minze with a twinge of lime flavoring. I happen to like Peppermint so I thought it was tasty. Some of my friends were not singing the same tune. To each his (or her) own, right?

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Pyramid Apricot Ale - Now, I've had this particular beer quite a few times and overall, I'm a fan. My only complaint has always been the uneven settling of the contents in the bottle that can make for some uneven taste from one bottle to another.

Guess what I found this weekend? Pyramid Apricot Ale on TAP! Whaaat?? Yeah, you heard me. And it was REALLY good. Gone was the issue with settling and the draft version had a much cleaner and fresher Apricot flavor to it than the bottled version. Call around, and see if you can find someplace that has it. Here in Denver, the Mellow Mushroom is where I found it.

Now, I will re-iterate, the bottled version is also good, but just not AS good...


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I'm going to share something with everyone here. I am not a fan of mixing alcohol with dairy products, but some friends of mine and I were inspired by a recent viewing of "The Big Lebowski" and we decided to make some White Russians. This classic recipe is good for a drink or two, but I find that I can only take so much of milk-based drinks.



The White Russian (On the rocks)

2 oz. Vodka (make it decent vodka or your whole drink will taste like Skoal)
1 oz. Kahlua (or other coffee liqueur)
3 oz. Milk or Light Cream

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And now for some pics:








Adios my friends!

Wasted Wednesday Wharrgarbl...

We'll start out with some fun pics...

Here's a few new tastes I've picked up in last few months:

Pear Vodka is great with Red Bull and Apple Cider...

White Grape Vodka is also great with Red Bull and Apple Cider but also goes well with most sodas like Coke, Sprite, and Orange Soda...

Now don't go abandoning me because of this next post, but Bud Light Golden Wheat is surprisingly good! It tastes like a lighter Blue Moon (which I like alot but gets awfully heavy). It's a pretty darn good "drinking beer" and has become somewhat of a favorite House beer of mine lately. the drawback is that it's kind of hard to find. Give it a try before you lambaste me for saying something nice about a Bud Light...

I'll leave you with a new shot invention that I came up with for my birthday 2 days ago called the JagerMill which is a shot glass with half Jagermeister and half Bushmill's Irish Whiskey (you can sub Jameson or any other Irish Whiskey of your choice). It goes down smoother than it sounds and isn't quite as bad as you're thinking, but it hits like a freight train....

When in Rome Part 2 – The Tequila/Mexican Bar

When in Rome Part 2 – The Tequila/Mexican Bar

In the last edition of When in Rome I touched on Irish Pubs and how to not be a complete Douche by embarrassing yourself with a Bud Light or Pina Colada. In the spirit of keeping yourself free from merciless taunting in yet another temple of alcoholic consumption, I bring you “The Mexican/Tequila Bar”…


(pictured) One of my favorite tequila Bars in Denver is La Sandia at Stapleton.

For the sake of establishing this conversation, I am going to refer to a Mexican Bar as any type of bar or tavern that makes a real attempt at establishing a “Mexican” style theme. Most of these types of places serve Mexican food and many have Spanish names like “El Coyote”, or “Las Margaritas”, or “Frijoles Grandes”. For anyone here in Denver, “Casa Bonita” DOES NOT qualify as a Mexican Bar. Mexican bars typically have Hispanic style décor like bright colors, pictures/paintings of cactus, and signs advertising Corona or Margarita specials… A “Tequila Bar” may or may not follow any of the guidelines above, but they pretty much always advertise the fact that they are a Tequila Bar so they are pretty easy to spot.

Ok, so you’ve established that you have indeed entered a Mexican/Tequila Bar, now what? First of all, any Mexican beer is just fine (Corona, Tecate, Negro Modelo, Modelo Especial, Pacifico, Dos Equis, etc). Any drink with Tequila like a Margarita or Tequila Sunrise is also encouraged. What else you ask? Well, given its overwhelming popularity in Mexico and in the Mexican community here in the US, Bud and Bud Light are acceptable in a Mexican Bar. Another very acceptable alternative to beer and Tequila is Sangria. Sangria is usually pretty different everywhere you go as there is no “official recipe” so try it before you buy it.

Now on to the most important part any visit to the Mexican/Tequila Bar… Shots. Tequila is the only acceptable shot in a Tequila Bar. If you don’t like Tequila, refraining from shots is probably your best bet, although many higher end (read: expensive) Tequilas are quite smooth and have almost nothing in common with cheap well or Cuervo shots. Try a Premium or Super Premium Tequila like Don Julio, Herradura, or Cabo Wabo and see if they don’t change your mind about Tequila. Shots in a regular Mexican bar (read: not a Tequila Bar) are a little easier. Any shots that are on special or advertised in the table tent or menu are fine although Tequila is still preferred.

There you have it. Hopefully you can now go into the world and seek out a Mexican or Tequila Bar and not have people pointing at you and talking behind your back. If so, my job here is done.

Wisdom of Norm from Cheers

I'm 33 and like most people my age, I grew up watching Cheers. As a child, I don't think I ever really understood the intricacies of the characters that populated everyone's favorite fictional watering hole, but I do now. Only in reruns can I now pick up on exactly how sad these people's lives really were. Honestly though, I think I can now look back on Norm as the wisest and funniest of the bunch. I've scoured the internet for some of his best one-liners (and 2 and 3 liners too) and have assembled his wisdom here for the Drink Dummy masses...

Coach: Can I draw you a beer, Norm?
Norm: No, I know what they look like. Just pour me one.

Woody: Hey, Mr. Peterson, what's the story?
Norm: Boy meets beer. Boy drinks beer. Boy gets another beer.

Sam: What's new, Normie?
Norm: Terrorists, Sam. They've taken over my stomach. They're demanding beer.

Woody: What's going down, Mr. Peterson?
Norm: My cheeks on this barstool.

Woody: How would a beer feel, Mr. Peterson?
Norm: Pretty nervous if I was in the room.

Woody: What's your pleasure, Mr. Peterson?
Norm: Boxer shorts and loose shoes. But I'll settle for a beer.

Sam: Hey, how's life treating you there, Norm?
Norm: Beats me. ... Then it kicks me and leaves me for dead.

Woody: What can I do for you, Mr. Peterson?
Norm: Elope with my wife.

Sam: Beer, Norm?
Norm: Have I gotten that predictable? Good.

Coach: How's a beer sound, Norm?
Norm: I dunno. I usually finish them before they get a word in.

Good stuff! Words to live by if you ask me. Anyway, since I'm already here posting this, I think I'll leave you with an awesome shot recipe:

Mind Eraser

Ingredients:

* 3-4 cubes Ice
* 1/2 shot Kahlua
* 1/2 shot Vodka
* 1 shot Sprite to taste

Place ice cubes in a small, narrow glass. Add the Kahlua, then the vodka and then the Sprite.

Do not stir or shake, drink through a straw all at once. Drink should be layered.

Alcohol Party

So I was looking around youtube and I found this video by stand-up comic Jim Breur and I thought it was pretty funny so I'm sharing it with you...

When in Rome - A Guide to Bar Themes #1 (Irish Pubs)

Sushi Bar, Sports Tavern, etc... The purpose of this series of articles is to save people from making fatal mistakes in these specialized places of alcohol consumption. We've all seen it right? If you haven't, you might be a perpetrator. read on as we start with Irish Pubs! here is a picture of the Irish rover here in Denver, CO. It is one of my faves:




Irish Pub - I admit to being very partial towards the Irish Pub. I love the atmosphere, I love the culture and I love the alcohol. Please don't be the guy who orders a Corona or a Bud Light at an Irish Pub. What is preferable is any Irish Beer or liquor.

Common Irish Beers include: Guinness, Smithwick's, Murphy's, and Beamish. Though not really Irish (made by Coors), Killian's Irish Red is also acceptable. This list is not exhaustive as many Irish Pubs will feature several excellent (though not well known) Irish beers that are not listed above. If you can confirm it is Irish, it is acceptable.

Irish Liquors include, but are not limited to (see above): Jameson's, Bushmills, Tullamore Dew, Baliey's Irish Creme, and almost any Meade.

Also acceptable is any British or Scottish Beers and liquor (ie: Newcastle, Bass, Strongbow, and any type of Scotch). Basically, try to fit in. Don't get a Bud Light, try something new and different. Get out of you comfort zone. Trust me, people notice the guy sipping a Pina Colada at an Irish Pub. I'm just sayin'

Next in the series - Sports Bar

Visions of the Weekend...

So, I got an e-mail forwarded to me yesterday with a bunch of pictures of the worst hang-over moments imaginable. Some of them I found quite entertaining, some not so much, and some VERY NSFW. Since I post most of this blog from work, I have decided to leave out the NSFW ones (and some of the not funny ones) and post these warnings of the dreaded "next morning" here at Drink Dummy. So without further ado:














Sadly, these pictures do nothing to quell my thirst for a nice big glass of beer and a a half dozen shots. It's weird, because I myself have been in similar positions as the ones above, yet I shall not be denied! I have the next week off of work and I intend to make the most of it...

Tuesday Tidbits and More Flasks

So, I'm at work, trying to find some inspiration to work and I cannot. It's the day after a long Memorial Day weekend and I just can't bring myself to concentrate, so I figure it's a good time for some alcohol related musings...

Not Your Father's Flasks (Revisited): I found the best way to sneak liquor onto the golf course (or at least to not look like an alcoholic on the golf course). I bring you the Kooler Klub Golf Club Flask


Holds 48 oz. of you favorite beverages. It's insulated for hot and cold drinks and is easy to clean. Buy it HERE.

Avid Bird Watcher (or just want to pretend you are)? Check out the Barnoculars Binocular Flask:



Holds 16 oz.(8 in each barrel) and can be bought HERE


It isn't often that I find a liquor that I really don't like, but I found one, Absinthe. Basically it tasted like someone soaked a whole box of Good and Plenty's (black licorice candy) in a bottle of Everclear for about a month. It was not good. Well, I guess that's not fair to say as I really think it might just not be good by itself. So, to make my peace with Absinthe, I will attempt to find some kind of use for it in the coming weeks and I will report back to you when I find a shot/cocktail recipe that makes good use of it's not-so-subtle licorice flavor.

My top 5 list of canned domestic beer (in order of cost-to-taste ratio):

1. PBR
2. Busch Light
3. Keystone Light
4. Coors (regular, not light)
5. Miller Light

Ok, I have to get some work done now... See you soon.

Not Your Father's Flasks...

So, I'm looking at flasks the other day online and I was somewhat surprised to find not only a vast array of traditional flasks, but also a whole slew of "flaskesque" items that run the gambit from pretty cool to just plain ridiculous. Today's DrinkDummy is about some of the items I came across.

Flip-Flop Flask




They claim each flip-flop will hold 4 shots worth of liquor (3 oz.) Seems tailor made for the beach or outdoor summer concerts. They also have a built in bottle opener!

The Sippin' Seat

Perfect for sporting events!

Cell Phone Flask

Pretty much good to go anywhere! Looks like a cell phone, especially when in it's case.

Beer Belly Flask

WTF? Doesn't seem like this would really work in a real life setting. Seems like people would catch on that your belly was shrinking... hmmm...

Well, there you have it, the best of the "Flaskesque". See you next time.

What Makes a Dive a Dive?

What makes a "dive bar" a dive bar? According to Wikipedia:

A dive bar, or simply a dive, is a down market drinking establishment serving a working class (or poorer) clientèle.

The term "dive" dates from the London of the 19th century when younger men wanted somewhere slightly more risqué to spend their afternoons than the great clubs frequented by their fathers. They formed more informal clubs where they smoked and drank coffee.[citation needed]

The Shorter Oxford Dictionary indicates that in the U.S in the 1880s, it referred to an illegal drinking den or place of low repute, especially in a cellar or similar place. It has also been used to refer to opium dens. More recently, in Canada at least, it is associated with cheap and dirty accommodation (such as fleabag motels and run-down rooming), as well as with prostitution and other disreputable or illegal activities.

While most of this doesn't seem to apply to a modern day dive, I thought some other internet research was in order. I found multiple message boards and such with interesting things like: "a dive has no food and no windows", and "the bathrooms are what defines a dive", and my favorite "a dive is any bar with me in it". Since I don't think any of those definitions really helped either, I was forced to look inward.

Here are my thoughts on the "dive bar". To me, a dive is a bar that feels "non-corporate". By that I mean you find stuff like home-made menus, graffiti that never gets cleaned, bartenders and waitresses taking shots, a stool at the bar that has seemingly always been broken (and probably always will be), at least one sign above the bar threatening people with physical harm if they walk-out on their tab, a broken juke-box, etc...

Have you ever been drinking at a place where the waitress asks you to finish up your current drink so she can use the glass for your next drink? That's a dive.
How about those places with $5 pitchers of PBR or $1 pints of Natural Light? Also a dive.
Have you ever taken your waitress home for a night of drunken passion? Probably happened at a dive.
If you walk into a bar and someone is passed out sleeping at the bar with a drink in front of them, you've just entered a dive.
Can't find your bartender because he's back in the kitchen frying up your wings? It's a dive.
Does it seem like making it in the urinal (or toilet) is completely optional? I'm gonna say dive.

A lot of Corporate chains these days are trying to pass themselves off as "dive-esque" but don't let them fool you. You can spot corporate bars. Some good indications are: clipboards and thermometers (real dives don't do safety and temp checks), uniforms of any kind (stink of corporate identity), overly pleasant wait staff or bartenders (it usually takes a few visits for them to come around and treat you like a regular at a real dive), topshelf drink specials (like $1 off Grey Goose or $10 Beefeater Martinis), and clean restrooms (total corporate give-away).

I guess we all have our own personal definitions of what constitutes a "dive bar", but I think we can all agree that they have the best drink specials, the best company, and feel the most like home.

Is There Anything Better?

Is there anything in the world better than the first sip of an ice cold beer after a long day's work? Honestly it doesn't even matter to me what kind sometimes. Even crap like Keystone Light or PBR taste like gold medal champions with that first glorious icy cold gulp. I personally believe that if you disagree with that statement then one of two things must be true about you. Either you really aren't a "beer person" or you have way too easy of a job.

Now when I say not a "beer person", I don't mean you don't like beer. I just mean that you are not one of the beer passionate people who would (and sometimes do) do almost anything for a beer (any kind of beer). There are people out there who are passionate about a particular kind of beer like Guinness or Czechvar (both outstanding by the way) but they tend to be looked at by "beer people" as "beer snobs". I am a "beer person". I love all beer. Obviously I greatly prefer some beers over others, but I have no problem grabbing a 30 pack of Keystone Light for house beer when it's on sale for $12.99. If I'm watching the game and the bar has a $5 Coors Light pitcher special, guess what I'm drinking for the rest of that game.

Now, I'm not downgrading "beer snobs". They have a very prominent place in the great alcoholic ecosystem of which we all play important roles. If everyone was a "beer person" there would really only be a couple kinds of beer. "Beer snobs" keep the non-Anheiser-Busch/Miller-Coors breweries in business which we can all agree is a good thing.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that I've had a long day at work and I am really looking forward to that first frosty gulp of beer (whatever it is) in about an hour when I get home. Cheers!

Shots

I have recently stumbled upon the following article via Modern Drunkard Magazine and I had to share it with anyone and everyone who will listen. The Art of the Shot is a masterpiece of shot etiquette. It should be read and shared by all who would even entertain the notion of possibly ever partaking in the social ritual of the shot. It contains the fundamental rules and faux pas of the shot and it's closest relation, the toast. Read it, read it again and commit it to memory.

While we are on the subject of shots, I would like to share with you one of my favorites. It appears to be an original (I haven't seen it anywhere else) of a bar near my house in Arvada, CO. It is a bomb shot (kind of) and you will need a 12 oz beer mug (or glass) and a standard shot glass. I will do my best with the description but I don't know about the actual quantities. Without further ado:

The Jacob's Ladder

You will need:
Cranberry juice
Pineapple juice
Raspberry vodka
Triple Sec
Light Beer

Pour about a half inch or so of cranberry juice in the mug. Then place the shot glass into the bottom of the mug (in the cranberry juice). Then fill the shot glass with raspberry vodka. Then add a layer of pineapple juice into the glass. Next, pour about a half oz of Triple Sec over the shot glass. You should be pretty close to the top of the glass by now (three quarters of an inch to an inch from the top). Lastly, finish the shot off with a light beer up to the top of the glass.

Now, I realize this seems awfully big for a shot (it really is intimidating) but it goes down very smoothly. Go try it and you can thank me later!