To shake things up a bit (I am just crazy) today there will be a smaller amount of beer news combined with some images that just had to be shared.  So, for your enjoyment today I bring you . . .

• What happens when titans of the craft brewing and culinary worlds combine forces?  I guess any of us who will be visiting New York City starting sometime this summer will find out.  Check out this story and then this article too for more information.  Here is a hint . . .

Just part of the equation (via http://www.huffingtonpost.com/)

I will skip the details because you can check them out by seeing what The Wife had to say, but there was birthday cake earlier this week for yours truly.  There was bacon in it and on it and it was good.  Though after mentioning the bacon no proof of goodness should be necessary, I will still present you with some evidence . . .

Bacon frosting alone would have been good.

But there was bacon in it too!

Mine! You can't have any!

Best.  Wife.  Ever.

Not that I had put much thought into it, but I did not think I would ever turn down easily accessible BBQ for tacos that were a drive away.  I guess looking back on how I am drawn to fresh, authentic tacos at previously unknown locations I should not be that surprised.  It certainly helped that Jackie and Jim not only vouched for the goodness of the food, but drove us there as well.

I should back up a bit to the BBQ option before moving on.

A view early on (from above)

Since the weather was just awesome on Saturday we (The Wife, Jackie, Jim, & little Elizabeth) decided to go downtown for the 4^th Annual City of Orlando Blues B-Q.  Surely you can guess that good music and meat products were plentiful.  The smell in the air was just awesome.

A view from the ground

After seeing a few of the Cleveland Cavaliers grabbing some food (they were in town for a game and their hotel was across the street) we decided to pass up the BBQ on hand for the opportunity to have what we were told were can’t miss tacos.  Maybe I was the only one who decided that, but regardless we left the festival and headed further south.

Passed on one of our favorites

This is another situation where pictures will tell the story best, but I will say that The Wife and I ordered one taco for each of the meat options on this board:

Always wanted to order one of everything.

That seems like a lot, but we could not decide on what to leave out, they are relatively small, and it was our first time there so we wanted to take in as much in as possible.  Had I known at the time that our chauffeurs that day would be picking up the tab I may have shown more restraint.  A huge thank you to Jim and Jackie for bringing us along and treating us to some great food!

Very good orange soda.

Though The Wife did not enjoy a few of them because of the texture, the lengua was a solid favorite for both of us and the chicharron and tripa were a nice surprise for me.  The bar of taco toppings and hot sauces was the perfect accompaniment to the meal.  Since we enjoyed so many of them I am not sure if we narrowed the list down much for our next visit.

One of the plates of goodness.

Choose your toppings.

And yes, there will be a next visit!

Since we did a fair bit of running around last week with Cousin Adam and Melissa here, I have quite a few pictures from (most of) the places that we visited and a few from after they flew back home.  With that, I think more of a pictorial recap is the way to go today rather than many paragraphs of text to go through on a FAT Monday.  So, lets see if I can remember where all of these pictures were taken . . .

Heavenly truffle popcorn with parmesan

Sweetbreads with gnocchi

Beef shortrib ravioli

A short stop by Orlando Brewing to try the goods.

A bit of window shopping in Daytona.

This one was a bit different.

Available in all sizes.

Stopping by the speedway before the crowds arrive.

Soon to be filled.

Soon to be littered with trash.

Taking in some nature.

Another visit to see our manatee friends.

The rains kept us inside at Redlight Redlight

Passing the time with a Brooklyn Cookie Jar Porter and board games before friends arrive.

Enjoying a Saturday afternoon with a good friend.

Surely there are a few stops along the way that didn’t make it into today’s post, but we do occasionally give the camera a rest during our travels.  Looking back, there are a few pictures that I wish were taken, but that only means that a return visit is in order!

There will never be a time where I complain that it gets cold in Florida because, well, it doesn’t ever get that cold.  I have friends and relatives that would get on a plane to come down here only to slap me if they knew I was complaining about the weather at all during the winter months.  However, the slight chill in the air that we have had made me think of places we have visited that were a bit brisk for us warm weather dwellers.  It did not take too long for Chicago to become the basis for today’s travel post.  I certainly cannot cover our entire time there without writing a small book, so a little piece (as done previously) will have to do.

The Wife and I tend to cover a lot of ground on foot no matter where we travel and Chicago was no exception.  Also, for whatever reasons, zoos tend to find a way into our plans (especially mine) wherever we choose to go.  So when we were out exploring the streets on the north side of Chicago and happened by the Lincoln Park Zoo with its free admission, our schedule for the day became a bit more clear.

Breakfast awaits!

Initially though, we walked past the west entrances of the zoo to continue on our path to the Green City Market that was our intended destination for a bit to eat that morning.  From there we walked down to the east entrance of the zoo with Lake Michigan in full view the entire time.  I can let the pictures do the talking form here, but I highly recommend both stops if you are in Chicago and find markets and zoos as enjoyable as we do.

Good cheese.

Good bread.

Blueberry bread pudding it is!

Approaching the entrance

He can certainly handle the weather.

Lost in a moment of deep thought.

Just slightly intimidating

A little snack.

That rock is moving!

Watch out for the spit as you leave!

Mondays were long ago dedicated as the food and travel day and it just so happens that gifts of edible goodness arrived from home today, so this post really fell into my lap (and refrigerator).

I do not really know what is in the box from my father, but I do know what came from my grandparents and have already started my way toward a sugar-induced stupor in the coming days.  I think that is a great way to get through the Christmas season and that is probably why Christmas cookies are such a staple this time of year.  Also in case there was any question, beer does go very well with cookies so have at it.

There are certain things that I just cannot recreate on my own and Grandma’s cookies are one of them.  I look forward to them every year and always plan to ignore whatever good sense I have of portion control for the days after they arrive.

Sugary goodness from the north!

As I opened the containers of cookies this afternoon it made me think of some other foods from where I grew up that make me a very happen person.  Moments after that I even sampled some of the pickled/marinated hot peppers that I have in the fridge as an example of one of the things that I can actually make on my own.

I only hope that the package from my father (still sealed in the fridge) contains some Croghan Bologna.  Give me that, some good sharp cheddar, and some spicy mustard and you won’t hear from me until it is gone.  Throw in some fresh (squeaky) cheese curd and I am good for days.  Add in a case of Genesee and you can just plan on not hearing from me until after the New Year celebration has passed.  As The Wife is already well aware, if I found out a way to ship subs from the New Bremen General Store I would have done that long ago.

Certain foods are just like gold to me since I have moved so far away from where I was able to enjoy them all the time.  Are there any foods like that for you?

It is time to pick up where I left off on Monday.

On the way home we decided to take somewhat of a scenic route and drive through Sanford just because we were on no real schedule.  Well, that and because we had a sudden desire to stop in for lunch at a place that we have been meaning to go to for some time.  It seemed to fit in perfectly with the theme of our day.

First though, we walked by the lunch spot to take a look at the market going on not too far down the street.  Again, we simply cannot help ourselves.  We didn’t spend too much time there (probably because we were really hungry), but The Wife did have enough time to make a few friends.

A few small(ish) horses.

Our boys will be jealous!

As previewed on Monday, the draw for lunch was the promise of meat and beer.  If there is one thing that I have a weakness for other than good beer it is probably cased meat products, so our stop at Hollerbach’s Willow Tree Café was an absolutely perfect choice.

Maybe we will sit outside next time.

Of course before deciding on the food we had to make our beer choices, as we were both more than ready for one after our early (and long) morning.  After asking what the seasonal selections were I decided on a Bischoff Doppelbock and, after imparting my two cents, The Wife went with a Köstritzer Schwarzbier.  As the menu said, schwarzbiers are a great idea for people who don’t think they like darker beers.  Both beers really hit the spot and I did what I had to do to make sure they were both finished when we left.

Just what I was looking for.

Just trying to decide which I prefer.

Being our first time there we wanted to sample as much as we could, so we settled for the “Schlachthaus Platte Für Zwei” or “Butchershop Platter for Two” which is described as . . .

This meal is meant for two or one very hungry person! It includes one each Bratwurst, Weisswurst, and Knockwurst, LeberKäse, (a finely ground seasoned baked pork loaf) and Kassler (boneless smoked pork loin) served with warm German potato salad, sauerkraut, sweet red cabbage and German bread.

They had me at “Butchershop Platter!”

Just as promised.

The Wife's personal sampler.

It was exactly what I was looking for and really did go well with the beers that we were drinking.  I even had enough left over to enjoy it again later that evening.  I am fairly certain that I enjoyed the food more than The Wife did (not as big a German food fan as me), but we both have every intention of making a return visit to sample even more of the food and beer.  It is a very fun environment and I can only imagine what it is like when the accordions are fired up in the evenings.  Hopefully I can talk Cousin Adam and Melissa into drinking a boot with me when they are visiting next month!

I will be back!

Since it was on the way home, we decided to make one last stop to yet another never before seen local attraction.  Soon we were standing in front of the largest Bald Cypress tree in the United States.  Yes we went to see an enormous tree, but it was free and worth every penny!  It really was massive and we were glad to cross it off the list.  Check out this link if you are if you are interested in the history and details of The Senator.

It would make a few toothpicks.

I am frozen with fascination.

Thus comes to an end the recap of our excellent Saturday morning and early afternoon adventure!

Some days just turn out better than originally planned.  After driving by the sign for Blue Spring State Park countless times in the years since we have moved to Florida, we finally made it there Saturday in hopes of seeing a manatee or two.  The only part of the driving directions I knew was what exit to get off at and I knew that parking would be 6 dollars.  That was the extent of my planning efforts for this trip.  I didn’t set my expectations low, but I figured we would be there for a short while, then drive back home and move on with our weekend.

We almost had the place to ourselves early on.

The closest I have been to a manatee was at SeaWorld a few years back when Jim, Sarah, and Jeff were visiting.  Though that was great (mostly because of the company), seeing them in the wild was spectacular.  We were amazed at how close we were able to get to them even with the barriers put up to prevent people from getting in the water during this time of year.

Came right up to to say hello!

Of all shapes and sizes.

We saw one almost immediately and then a few more shortly after that.  It was so quiet there (minus the thousands of people at SeaWorld) that we would often hear them before realizing where they were.  Going in I assumed that it would be great to see a few, but there were times where we could see over twenty just from where we were standing.

Though we forgot our video camera, The Wife was smart enough to take some video using our digital (still) camera.  Here is a sample of our time at the park.

When leaving the park we decided to meander home rather than taking a more direct route back.  Not too long after that we drove past what we thought was a farmer’s market and we couldn’t resist turning around to check out the goods.  Almost immediately it was apparent that it was probably 75 percent flea market and 25 percent farmer’s market, but there was food there to be had, so I was pretty excited.

All of this could be yours . . .

Looks like brunch to me!

If you are interested in my not-so-breakfast-like mid morning snack (and review of that meal) check out the first 3 minutes or so of this video (or the last five for additional footage).

Leaving there we passed through DeLand, which I had never been to before so we stopped and walked around for a while to do some window-shopping.  I must say that it was quite a good time and fortunately my tacos held me over to our eventual lunch that came on our drive home.  In an effort to keep this post a reasonable length (both for me and you), the remainder of our day will be recapped another time in the near future.  I will say that there was beer and it was good!

Downtown DeLand was bustling.

Until part 2 . . .

Saturdays are always nice, but this past one had a few particularly great moments.  To start, The Wife completed her first half marathon (as I drank coffee and strolled around downtown Orlando) and then later that day she picked BBQ for dinner as a little reward for all of her hard work.  The greatness of that choice comes because we finally made it to a new place that opened (somewhat) recently on our side of town.  In no way did that meal supplant my adoration for Dinosaur BBQ, but 4 Rivers Smokehouse is finally the BBQ place in Orlando that we have been waiting for.

Granted I am basing my reaction on one meal but I have every intention of going back again (and again) to sample other items on the menu.  That is probably the best compliment that I can give a restaurant.  The only (slight) downside was that parking was difficult and that was really because the place was so busy.  A full parking lot and a line out the door can’t be held against them.

Any wait is well worth it

When you go you will likely be waiting in line, but it moves along pretty quickly and you will need the time to look over the menu to decide what you want anyway.  I say likely because the inside is pretty small but also because there will probably be a lot of people already there.  You have your food in hand before you leave the line, so the wait is really no issue.  Besides, I am more than OK to stand in a room that smells so damn good!

Time to study up

It is a good there there was glass keeping me from it.

I will be back for those jalapenos!

Getting a sample of the brisket as we waited in line only solidified my decision to go with the stacker consisting of the smoked brisket topped with onion rings, jalapenos, and melted provolone dubbed the “Texas Destroyer.”  The impossible decision of choosing sides ended up with the mac and cheese (a must) and the smokehouse corn, which turned out to be the surprise star of the show.  The Wife went with pulled pork, shredded cabbage, and homemade Creole mustard served on a baguette named the “Cochon De Lait.”  She also went with the fried pickles and collards so we ended up with a pretty good sampling for our first visit.  No complaints other than not having a second stomach to sample more of the menu.  There is certainly enough there to get to before deciding on a favorite.

Before attacking the "Cochon De Lait"

Some dessert to go next time?

Most people that were in line with us ordered their food to go which keeps the flow of vehicles in and out of the parking lot pretty consistent.  We sat at the outside tables in back since there was plenty of room to do so and because there was no reason to torture ourselves by sitting in a car with those aromas for the entire ride home.  Those tables are the only seating options, but they are all under roof and are well stocked with sauces and napkins.  Who wants to eat BBQ inside if given the option anyway?

Well done to the people at 4 Rivers and we are happy to have to in Orlando!  You were all exceptionally nice (even to the few incredibly rude people in line ahead of us) and now all of my relatives and friends will know where we are going to eat when they come to visit.

Since I have been tasked with a making a dessert item to bring to Thanksgiving in a few days, I found myself looking at what beers would make a good pairing or a stand-alone replacement.  I suppose that I have odd ways of procrastinating.  The benefit of all of my mind wandering is that I now have a couple of lists with quite a few beers that I need to try with dessert or otherwise.  So, if you are looking for last minute ideas for beers to have with Thanksgiving dessert in a few days, take a look at these:

• Top 10 Beers that Can Replace Dessert

• Thanksgiving Beer and Dessert Pairings

Your dessert options are . . . via http://draftmag.com/

With the change in diet this week for The Wife and me, maybe I should have researched the answer to this question before Monday.  I probably did not because I was afraid of what the answer would be and I didn’t want to give up my precious beer for seven days as well.  From my short bit of research I have seen the answer explained in various ways, though the common thread seems to depend on what is used for clarifying the beer.  If you are at all curious, this post does a good job of explaining the details of potential animal products used in making beer.

The answer is not as simple as you might think.

It likely has something to do with the diet that The Wife and I have lined up this week (check out her site for details), but for whatever reason I found myself reminiscing about a food item that I have craved on occasion over the last few months.  It must have been (and was) really good to leave that lasting fond memory.

I have no intentions of starting a New York versus Chicago pizza argument since I haven’t spent enough time in the two cities to make a proper case for either.  Generally my feelings are that a slice of pizza is something that you should be able to pick up in one hand and eat.  Sure you may be able to pull that off with the deep-dish variety, but you know what I mean.

With that said, I will take the pizza (or whatever you would like to call it) that I had at Lou Malnati’s in Chicago at least nine times out of ten if given the choice.  Maybe that strong feeling was influenced by the whole day leading up to that meal, but the food definitely took it over the top.

A close up from Oak Park

We spent the most of the day out in Oak Park walking around among the many Frank Lloyd Wright designed houses and the rest of the afternoon exploring the side streets in the area near our hotel.  Being completely exhausted from walking all day we decided to go out for pizza, choosing the River North location of Lou Malnati’s since it was only a short walk from our hotel.

Taking the opportunity for a quicker meal we decided to sit at the bar, which made me happy since we would be able to watch college basketball on the TVs nearby.  Deep-dish pizza takes some time to cook, so we ordered some Calamari Fritta (which was very good), a Goose Island 312 (for me), and a soda (for her) to pass the time and take the edge off our hunger.  While The Wife stuck with veggies for her pizza (spinach, mushrooms, and tomatoes), I could not pass up the chance at a continuous layer of sausage with fresh spinach enhanced with garlic, basil, and onion.

Calamari Fritta (before diving in)

Just one of many great people there bring out our pizzas

It was so incredibly good.  I could not think of anything that would have been better at that time, especially with really good beer and college basketball added to the mix.  After eating my entire pizza and polishing off a few more beers, The Wife boxed up what was left of her pizza and we wandered the short distance back to our hotel.  The day’s events ending in a deep-dish pizza (and beer) induced coma that caught us up on some much-needed sleep.  Just another fantastic day in Chicago!

Another Monday gives me a good opportunity to confess another of my food obsessions in life.  I have already come clean on pie, doughnuts, and pockets of goodness among other things.  Today is the day to give some love to the noodle.

I was given the task of choosing what to have for dinner Friday evening and as indecisive as I can be sometimes, I chose pho without hesitation.  Basically it is a Vietnamese beef and noodle soup that can be adjusted to your individual liking with a number of garnishes.  The Wife and I have tried a number of Vietnamese places here in town, but often find ourselves at either Anh Hong or (in this case) Pho 88.  We both love Vietnamese food and it is very affordable, so pho makes it into our rotation a fair amount.

First I got settled in with a Tiger Beer (which I know is from Singapore and not Vietnam) and shortly thereafter with a BBQ pork banh mi.  A banh mi is essentially a Vietnamese sub and, in this case, a very good one.  I didn’t really need the extra food with the big bowl of pho coming, but I am so glad I did (especially at $2.50).

mmmm . . . . Tiger Beer

Really good banh mi

Soon the garnishes and the steaming bowls of broth and noodles arrived.  My choice of pho had rare flank (it cooks in the broth), beef meatballs, and tripe as my meat components.  The Wife went the vegetarian route with a vegetable broth and tofu in hers.  My broth already had green and white onions in it along with the meats and noodles.  The garnishes included thai basil, sprouts, peppers, and lime wedges (no culantro this time as we have seen elsewhere).  As always the sriracha and its friends were already at the table.

Enough talk . . .

Friends of pho

The usual suspects

The Wife's before

Mine as it arrived

After everyone jumped in the pool

What happened after that was a flurry of chopsticks and expressions of pure happiness.  Something simple but so good!

When in Ithaca, NY you must drink what the Ithacans do.  I didn’t spend enough time there to do a formal poll of the residents, but if I lived there the beverage(s) of choice would definitely be beer from the Ithaca Beer Company.

Before moving on with that, I must share a few things about travel and food that I experienced on the way to Ithaca.

• During the accelerated walk to catch my connection at JFK, I noticed how beautiful the JetBlue terminal appeared to be.  I guess it has been a while since last flying through JFK, so it was my first time in the new digs.  I think a longer layover will be in my future to really get a better feel for the place.
• Picking up a (reserved) rental car should be a much quicker process than it always turns out to be.
• Driving into Syracuse and seeing familiar places again made me feel pretty comfortable even though I was there for only a short time.
• It is pretty much impossible for me to put into words how much I love Dinosaur BBQ.  I can say that there are very few things in life that I am willing to wait in line for and I would wait in line for hours at that place barefoot standing in broken glass just to get a spot inside so that my clothes could absorb the smell.  Fortunately a few friends and I did not have to wait that long to get a table when I met up with them in Syracuse for lunch.  For their sake I did not take their pictures while eating to save them from being seen with sauce all over their faces.  Thank you to Ann Marie and Rob for helping me get my fix!  If only the pictures were scratch-n-sniff . . .

Be sure to look both ways . . .

Slide into a seat . . .

Grab a bunch of napkins . . .

Do work!

Back to Ithaca and just a few beers (I was there for a wedding after all).

• Before getting into the Ithaca brews, I started with a Great Lakes Brewing Co. Edmund Fitz Porter.  I had to give a try after hearing good things about the brewery from a few friends.  It did not disappoint and only left me really wanting to try some of their other beers.

Edmund Fitz Porter

• From my somewhat limited experience, the Ithaca Beer Company really makes some excellent beer.  The Nut Brown and the Pale Ale were quite good, leaving me bummed that I did not have enough time to get to the brewery for some additional samples.  Lucky for me The Wife stopped in and gifted me some photos and glasses as souvenirs.  An even bigger surprise was Cousin Daniel’s gift of some or their more unique brews as a parting gift.  Pretty awesome family I have!  The next time I am town I think we will all make the trip to the brewery together.

Ithaca Pale Ale

Inside the brewery

• Pre wedding I enjoyed some Magic Hat Odd Notion.  Post ceremony I enjoyed (among others) a few Saranac brews and some Magic Hat #9.  Not a bad day for beer!
• We happened to be there during an apple festival downtown so I had to try some pumpkin whoopie pies, grab a few fresh off the tree apples, some apple cider doughnuts, and just take in the aromas of it all.  Not a bad time to be in town.

It's best to have a few to share.

Syracuse and Ithaca were an awesome start to a fantastic trip north.  If you are interested in a bit more of the goings on in Ithaca aside from my beer/food adventures (such as the wedding and some cool dogs) The Wife took care of that some days ago.

Having a Monday off, followed by the short workweek can only be a good thing in my book.  Labor Day has always been a good time because it falls at a time of year when the weather is perfect for a get together with family and/or friends.  While my family was getting together some 1300 miles to the North, The Wife and I had a few friends over to splash around in the pool with the dogs and enjoy some good eats.

Jim, Jackie, and little Elizabeth are welcome at our house all of the time . . . they are bowling buddies after all and you just can’t break that kind of bond.  The fact that they brought me some beer (and one that I have never tried before) only moves them closer to getting their own key.  Many thanks to them for making it possible to enjoy some Hop Ottin’ IPA from Anderson Valley Brewing Company by the pool today!  Official review will be coming at some point.

Good eatin'

I don’t dare try to recreate my grandfather’s grilled chicken just yet, so The Wife put together a great spread of vegetarian options that worked really well for an outdoor dining experience.  She made a quinoa and veggie salad the night before as well as some really darn good veggie burgers for me to put on the grill (I am sure she will give up the recipes for anyone interested).  I got off easy by throwing together some broccoli for the grill with coconut oil, roasted garlic, and lemon juice as an additional side.  Jim and Jackie brought some really awesome chicken sausage from Petty’s to perfectly round out the plate.  Dessert was my lemon-lime tart/pie (sorry Matt and Sally) and a new coffee custard pie concoction that turned out pretty well for the first time.  It seems that between the two of us we can put on a good show for guests.

Pie fixes everything

After all was done (to make Rob proud) I drank a Guinness while watching golf and almost immediately fell asleep in the chair after the last drop was gone from the glass.  Actually getting a lot of work done on the house this weekend made the nap seem more deserved in my mind.  All in all it was a very good weekend.

I know I wasn’t the only one drinking beer today . . . especially since I know my family got together!  So what were all of you drinking on Labor Day this year?

It was shortly after moving to Florida that we went to our first “Taste of the Nation” event in Orlando.  That was a great evening and after an even better experience Saturday, I am not sure why we haven’t been going every year.  Combine that with helping to raise money for two very important causes in Central Florida (helping the homeless and ending childhood hunger) and it’s a must do if you have the opportunity.  I believe that those of you in the Minneapolis area (ahem, Erin and PJ, ahem) still have yours to look forward to!

Pork belly biscuit

There was certainly a lot of good food in the room (of course), but now that a few days have passed there a few dishes that still stand out in my mind from those that I tried.

• Whisky Cola Pork Belly on a Manchego Biscuit (Norman’s) – It also happened to be the first thing that I tried that night.

• Tamarind Glazed Ribs with Jicama-Cucumber Raita and Sesame (Luma on Park)

• House-made Cavatelli and Chocolate Stout Cupcakes (The Ravenous Pig)

The latter two happen to be pretty close to our house and were already favorite dining destinations for The Wife and me.  They certainly did nothing to change that opinion (for me anyway).

That's right . . . pink on pink and wearing it well!

I also made sure to sample a few beverages as I strolled around the room multiple times.  I am sure that a few opportunities were missed, but even with a designated driver I needed to be somewhat reasonable!  Shipyard Brewing Company helped build even more anticipation for my planned visit to Portland at the end of September by having their Brown Ale and Export Ale as well as some Sea Dog Blue Paw Wheat Ale on hand.  Stella Artois and Leffe had a long line, but the complimentary glassware was worth eating some desserts while we waited.  I also enjoyed smaller samples of Brooklyn Local 1 (must try again), Old Chub (couldn’t resist), Avery White Rascal (I enjoy Avery very much), and some Woodford Reserve (I always enjoy a good bourbon).

We also ran into a friend of The Wife and her husband early on in the evening.  So as a bonus to all of the great food and drink I also made some new friends, which elevated the evening to a much higher level of enjoyment.  Thank you to Caitlin and Kristien for putting up with me for a few hours!

As promised yesterday, I have decided to pass along some of the wonderful beer glassware that the folks from Stella provided at the event in a give away on this site.   Consider this a redistribution of marketing goodies.  I will be giving away two identical packages of:

Don't worry, they will be clean!

Here is what you have to do. . .

1. Leave a comment on this post, telling me what your favorite beer is at this moment and what makes it stand out. (Don’t think too hard!)

2. If you’re on Twitter, post the following tweet and leave me another comment letting me know you did: “What’s your favorite beer? Leave a comment on this post: http://cli.gs/tDvSZT and enter to win some beer-related goodies!”

3. If you’re on Facebook, share a link to this post and leave me another comment letting me know you did.

4. If you’re on Digg, Digg this post and leave me another comment letting me know you did.

5. If you’re on StumbleUpon, “like” this post and leave me another comment letting me know you did.

6. If you’re on any other social media sites, share this post and leave me another comment letting me know you did.

7. If you have a blog, add me to your blogroll and leave me another comment letting me know you did.

You’re allowed one entry per category, so if you’re ambitious, you can get up to seven entries. I’ll randomly select two winners from the comments at the end of the day on Friday, September 4 and announce the winners in a post on Saturday the 5th.  Good luck!