Skip the Mint Julep! Great Beer Alternatives for the Kentucky Derby

Like Horse Racing? Yeah, me too. And this Saturday is the Kentucky Derby (I know it’s also Cinco de Mayo, but that’s just a stupid, made-up, get-drunk, American-media-marketing holiday in the US). Now, as much as I enjoy the actual racing event, I’m not all about the hoity-toity mint julep drinking atmosphere. Instead, since I know you guys are wicked cool, I’m going to offer a few beer alternatives. Continue Reading…

After Dinner Beers, Anyone?

Sometimes it’s not about what you’re drinking with the food but rather what what you’re drinking when relaxing after the meal. Yes, you can have Scotch or Cognac and probably be satisfied, but I’m here to show you how diverse beer can be. It really is quite the enjoyable after-dinner drink! Continue Reading…

Easter Beer Hunt

My church is having an enormous Easter Egg Hunt this Sunday. In fact, they are having two. After each service, they will have an egg hunt with an iPod Touch as the grand prize in each one. If you live in or are visiting the Miramar, FL area, consider this your invitation from me.

That got me thinking about a different kind of Easter hunt for Sunday afternoon. Forget the eggs! For this hunt, you’ll be trying to find the hidden beers! I picked a few that I feel are appropriate for the day. Continue Reading…

Ides of March: Shakespeare’s Beer

Beware the Ides of March! Can’t say the soothsayer didn’t try to warn JC. (No, not that JC! I’m talking about Julius Caesar, though the Romans did actually crucify Jesus too.) I wonder if the soothsayer was thinking “told ya so” later on in that play. I bet Shakespeare probably had that in one of his earlier drafts, but it just missed the final cut. Continue Reading…

SoBe Wine and Food Festival: Swine & Wine

Sunday afternoon, my wife and I went to one of the South Beach Wine and Food Festival events. We attended Swine & Wine, an event at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables hosted by none other than Gabriele Corcos and Debi Mazar. I asked Gabriele if he could help me get media passes a few weeks ago and he totally came through for me. Thanks again, G. The best part of the afternoon was the giant hug I got when I introduced myself! And I’m sure I have one of the only autographed menus around. Continue Reading…

President’s Day: US and Italian Presidents Share a Beer

You didn’t know it’s President’s Day? Come on, it’s only the 50th most important holiday on the federal calendar! Wikipedia says at the federal level, this holiday celebrates George Washington‘s birthday. However, some states have changed the name or meaning to include Abraham Lincoln too. And that’s what I’m going to do, as I want to work with two loved Presidents. Continue Reading…

Valentine’s Day Beer Surprise

When I told my wife I was going to give her flowers, chocolate and jewelry for Valentine’s Day this year, she was really surprised how creative I was with my gift ideas. Not! What she didn’t know is that I actually was being ultra-thoughtful and spending a lot of time designing a cool gift. And I tricked her! Continue Reading…

An Italian Love Story and Beer Celebration

I’m going to teach you a little Italian. Don’t be shocked! I recently thought about the most defining moments in my own life, and my marriage sits right near the top. So I decided to help you shy guys get up your courage so you can propose romantically in Italian. Speak slowly, with a confident look in your eye and swagger in your voice. If you do that, I don’t believe that any of you can screw this up!

However, just in case, I am going to offer a few beer options to pair with a Thumbs Down answer in addition to the expected Thumbs Up Celebratory Beers.

Memorize it, Romeo. You can’t read it! Continue Reading…

Tuscan Gun Dishes with Beer? Michelangelo and da Vinci Give Two Thumbs Up

This is my Christmas present to Gabriele so I actually did do some thinking before just typing. Yeah, I know you’re surprised. What I’m going to do is make beer pairing recommendations for the last handful of food dishes that Gabriele posted on this site. Now, some of you may know that this little project will take me a bit out of my comfort zone (I usually pair beer with just a glass), but I think you’ll enjoy this little exercise. After all, though not an expert, I’m not an idiot either. Shhh. Be quiet! This is a little long, but remember it’s a recap of 7 of Gabriele’s dishes along with some beer ideas for each (and I numbered and bolded each for you low-attention-span readers). Continue Reading…

Santa’s Beer Run

Are there any beer lovers reading this? Ever had a hard time finding your favorite beer and wondered why? How can I get that great beer I had while visiting Aunt Sally last year? I guess I’ll just find the brewery website and have them ship me a case. Right? Wrong!

I’ll spare you most of the details but beer is one of the most highly regulated industries that I’ve come across. Many of the laws still date to the Post-Prohibition Era when they were written to keep organized crime from running the operation. Yet today we still have regulations that protect a three-tiered system–brewery, distributor, retailer. And it’s way more complicated than that. There’s your answer to why you don’t see every beer in every city. Continue Reading…