There's not much to dislike about Victory beers, particularly the Prima Pils, which may be the single best beer for a summer day. Hop Devil's not too bad, either. This one was enjoyed on a warm, nearly summer day in Portland, Maine, back in May.
I was a little surprised that none of the 203 photos posted before mine bore any reference to the devil in the details.
Hot, sticky August day in the Windy City. Wrigley Field's roof provides some shade and a North Side breeze cools us off a little, but it's still a muggy day in the Midwest. On the field, the Cubs take on the Mets, but in the stands the fans buzz with talk -- Cubs vs. White Sox, Chicago vs. New York. One fan even trumpets the Red Sox to anyone around him who will listen. He knew what he was talking about -- 2 1/2 months later, they'd be World Series champions. And among us all walk the beer men, bringing us carbonated refreshment on a summer Friday at the ballpark.
Despite the nature of the game -- balls being tossed around the lawn -- Penny had little interest in our bocce game on the Cape. Kathy and Casey had a lot of interest in Penny -- and their cocktails. Summer's great.
Just taking a few still life shots in a rudimentary "studio" setting of the vintage cans my father-in-law bequeathed to me.
From the back label: The Namyslow Brewery is over 600 years old, dating back to 1321. The word Zamkowe means "castle" named after the brewery's 14th century gothic castle. To this day, Zamkowe is known as the "Beer of Knights."
Oh, man, the beer selection at Hopleaf was amazing. I can still taste this one now, and not in a bad way.
Our trip had two main purposes: to see the Mets and Cubs upon our arrival and to eat and drink our way around Chicago. The city's got some great restaurants and bars, so in between museums and baseball and sleeping, we hit what we could.
But this one. Woah. It was our destination on this afternoon, a bit out of the way from anywhere else we were that day. And it's not like we went there for a liquid lunch -- it was strictly for the comfort of beer. If it wasn't for our dinner reservations that night, we might have stayed and used the menu as a checklist.
Drunk (and nearly drunken):
1. 3 Floyds Gumballhead, Munster, Indiana
2. Dogfish Head Festina Peche, Lewes, Delaware
3. De Konick, Belgium
4. Lagunitas Sirius Ale, Petaluma, California
5. 3 Floyds Alphoa King Ale
The De Konick was described as an "ale with pilsner malts and Saaz hops brewed over direct flame" -- refreshing!
