Awesome!

Shall We Shandy?

One of the best things about summer is summer brews - those amazing seasonal beers, like Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy. It's a traditional Shandy (that's lager and lemonade to you teetotalers) and when chilled is the sweetest refresher you can have on a hot summer evening, one that will also knock you over if you have more than 3.

Drink up! They won't last long on the shelves! And if you can't find them in your neck of the woods, here's my basic recipe for a great Shandy:

1. Heat1/2 c. sugar and 3/4 c. of water in a saucepan over medium until the sugar dissolves (like a minute or so). Stick it in the fridge for 30 minutes to cool.
2. When it's cool, combine it with 3/4 fresh squeezed lemon juice, or the fake stuff in the plastic lemon bottle.
3. Pour a glass of your favorite lager, and top it off with 1/4 c. of the lemon mix and a wedge or two.
4. Drink them all before your company gets there. (Optional)

Get that sparkle in your eye.

Thanks to the overflowing tap at Zeitgeist, I've fallen in love with Coopers Sparkling Ale. Made in beautiful Southern Australia, it's sharp and cloudy and light, and the best tasting beer I've had in a while.

And we must have done something to impress God up there with our postings as of late, because Coopers Ale is on sale this week at BevMo! (That must have been who was reading our site from heaven.com. Ba dum bum...)

Check it out if you get a chance, and don't forget to try their Pale Ale while you're at it! Thanks, God!

mmmmmint.

Irish whiskey is good, and cream is good, and mint is really good too. And when you mix them all together for $14.99 you get Bailey's Mint Chocolate Irish Cream and it is so so so so so so so so good. So good. *So* so so good.

If you're used to drinking your Bailey's in coffee, try a few shots of Bailey's Mint over a glass of ice. It's unbelievably smooth and is just the kind of warm-up we all need while we wait and wait for summer to get here already.

Is it here yet? No? Ok, one more shot.

Carlsberg beer: Probably the best.

Are the holidays over yet? No? Not yet? One more week, huh?

It's a good thing I've found a new favorite beer. Like their solgan says, it's probably the best beer in the world.

If you don't believe me meet me at the Bonn Lair Christmas night where they've got it on tap. (My tab's been open all week.)

Duchesse de Bourgogne

I was having a really terrible New Years Eve last year (story of my life) -- jetlagged and a little heartbroken, I'd decided to just sleep through the ringing of 2005.  But then I recognized sounds of joy and happiness in the apartment upstairs, so I got dressed, put on some lisptick, threw on a great pair of earrings, and went to have a look-see.  Someone handed me a glass of something and within minutes, my whole night turned around.  That 'something' turned out to be Duchesse de Bourgogne beer -- dark red, slightly sweet, but with just a bit of sour, aged in French oaken liquor casks -- the Duchese de Bourgogne proved to be just the antidote to my holiday blues.  Drink this beer from a goblet on a cold winter night, and watch your troubles melt away.

YUM: Pete's Strawberry Blonde Ale

Last weekend, my friend George had a housewarming party, and on a whim I decided to bring Pete's Strawberry Blonde Ale. I'd never had it (or heard of it) but it was AMA-zing and I can't wait to try more.

It's a light golden lager with a very clean taste, made with Yakima cluster and Tettnang hops. Guess what I am? That's right: A beer snob. And this one is totally being added to my list of The Only Beers I'll Buy.

Pete's Wicked Strawberry Blonde isn't one of their seasonal brews, so it can be found at any good-hearted liquor place near you.

Andre!

Spending Thanksgiving with your family?  Well, if yours is at all like mine, you'll need a lot of booze to get yourself through it.  Start early in the morning with some mimosas, made with delicious Andre Champagne!  Sarah recently reminded me that at about 3 bucks a bottle, this champagne is not only good for you, it's super cheap, too -- even your frugal Aunt Sally will be impressed with its thrift-appeal.  And trust us, she'll be more fun if you get her drunk.