Of Arrogant Bastards and Moose Drool...

Last weekend I was in the quaint and quirky upstate town of Ithaca. It had been at least ten years since my last visit, and decided it was time for a return. I was meeting up with some old Florida friends, reminiscing about the Miami mayhem of years past, how we miss it yet at the same time we're glad to have moved on from it. Just seeing "C" is enough of a memory trigger for me to feel as though there is a small piece of Miami in my upstate world.

After sharing a bottle of yummy wine for dinner, it was time to get serious. Ithaca is home to the Ithaca Beer Company, voted 2008 Best Brewery of New York State. Who voted for this brewery I knew not, but it didn't matter. I wanted to try some of this Ithaca stuff in Ithaca. Sure, Syracuse is an hour away and I can get Ithaca beer easily, but somehow it just tastes better at the source. (Corona tastes ten times better in Mexico -- trust me!) I was feeling fun, flirty and fruity, so I wanted to drink beers that would reflect my mood, and beers I had never had. After two glasses of wine, I didn't want to jump right into a porter or stout. That would have been the end of the night for me. Instead, I opted for an Apricot Wheat. Light, fruity but not sweet, I liked this one. Not a pounding kind of beer, I sipped it slowly and enjoyed the conversation. Next bar, I wanted something bold. Something with a funky name and feel. Like the beer festivals I attend, sometimes the best choices are random, whether chosen because of the name, the label, or for no reason at all.

Take for instance, my recent choices based on name alone. Arrogant Bastard Ale, thumbs up. Moose Drool Brown Ale, thumbs down. I never know what I'm going to get, even if it sounds scrumptious at the onset. Without overthinking it, I ordered a Flower Power, a most hoppy and earthy IPA goodness. I MUST find this at my local beer store because this one's a keeper! A potent (8%) and spicy, almost floral like brew, this is the stuff I dream of! After the flower afterglow, it was time for a radical choice. I was intrigued by one beer in particular on the menu, Banana Bread Beer made by Wells. I had never heard of the stuff, and the server assured me that it tasted just like banana bread! If he was trying to sell it, this was not the manner in which to win me over. There is never a time that I crave a fruit bread and a brew at the same time. Never. However, after a convivial evening with dear friends and interesting drink choices, I threw caution to the wind and ordered bread in a bottle. Surprisingly enough, I didn't spit it out nor did I curse the server for suggesting such nonsense. It was a refreshing and fruity beverage, but not one I would order again. Sometimes, the novelty of a particular beer is just that -- a novelty. I am usually not swayed by dancing fruits or psychedelic labels. This was not one of those times -- this time I channeled my inner fruit.