Happy Friday, dear readers! The past couple of days have been a total whirlwind.
Wednesday was the first day of Cicero's Beer School and I attended! This week's presentation was all about Bell's Brewery, a Kalamazoo, MI-based brewing company that's won the hearts of many with their Two-Hearted Ale. Two Hearted is great introductory IPA for those just getting into craft beer and is also a perennial favorite of seasoned drinkers.  |
| Beer School is held in the venue side, and the room was packed! |
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| My newest obsession is Cicero's Caesar salad, which I paired with a Modus Hoperandi. |
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| Double Cream Stout! |
After the tasting, we had a brief quiz, and I was fortunate enough to get called upon and answer a question correctly! I won a little prize pack, which I opened when I got home.
Inside: a pin, a bottle-opener keychain, a sticker, a koozie for tall-boy cans, two lip balms, and some sunglasses!
I will definitely be going back next week! If you attend 11 of the 15 weeks of the semester, you are considered a "Beer School Graduate," and receive a card entitling you to $1 off Cicero's drafts any time you go in until the next semester of Beer School ends; essentially, you get happy hour all the time! Since Cicero's was the first true beer bar in Saint Louis, between their 55 taps and excellent bottle and can selection, you're sure to find something new every time you step in.
Yesterday, as many know, was release day for Perennial's Sump Coffee Stout! It was my first time attending a Perennial bottle release, and I opted to take my mom for company (and also to help me carry/purchase the bottles themselves, since there was a 2/person limit and I had to pick some up for my awesome* boss!). She's actually been to 3 Perennial releases now, because she is far cooler than I am.
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| The line was long, but once 4 o'clock hit, it moved quickly. |
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| 50 dollars later... Victory!! |
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| I also HAD to sample a brew! |
While we were waiting, I popped out of line to grab myself a taster of the Salted Belgian Chocolate Stout, the Lips of Faith collab between Perennial and New Belgium. Sadly, I never got a chance to purchase myself a bottle of this delicious beer, so I jumped at the chance to finally taste it! It did not disappoint. Lots of roasty malt flavor with a hint of sweetness- I loved this beer. And my mom even tried it! And kept trying it... Which is a big deal, as she's not normally a fan of stouts. So there's my endorsement of Perennial: Kid-tested, mother-approved.
In other news, there's literally a week (assuming you're reading this on January 16th) until The OG's first anniversary celebration and trivia night! $100 for a table of 4 gets you 5 rounds of beer trivia, door prizes, and the chance to win some seriously kick-ass raffle prizes! I'll be there, of course. Shortly after that is Urban Chestnut's Wolpertinger festival and at the end of January, the Science Center is hosting a science-oriented beer tasting event, Science on Tap. The OG will be in attendance at the Science Center event, offering two different brews and some interactive pairing opportunities!
Speaking of Urban Chestnut, I found a notification about this bit of social media excitement as I was walking in to work! I was lucky enough to attend a lecture given by Florian Kuplent over the summer at the MO History Museum and am looking forward to seeing what exciting things Urban Chestnut will unveil this year!
Readers, were you lucky enough to grab a bottle of Sump yesterday? 2 bottles? MORE THAN 2 BOTTLES? I'd love to hear what you're planning to do with them. I've decided to cellar mine for about 6 months, and perhaps crack it in June with my honorary big sis after I help her move.
*When I say "awesome," I mean awesome. How often does your boss bring in Strange Donuts, hmmm?
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