Tonight is a drinking night. As the Aleheads send around a few internal emails the resounding theme is that we’re all tossing back a few this evening. This of course is nothing new – I for one enjoy a beer from time to time – But this eve we’re collectively drinking together, albeit scattered throughout the country. We’re reminded tonight of a departed friend, a fellow Alehead. We don’t drink to drown our sorrows, to quell our own fears of mortality, but to celebrate the life of a fellow beer enthusiast. With that, we’re drinking some pretty damn good beer.
Amongst the Aleheads we’ve consumed several Founders varietals including the Red Rye, Backwoods Bastard, and KBS. We’ve got Troegs Mad Elf, Long Trail Imperial Red, Lagunitas Sucks, Sixpoint Righteous – Well, you get the point. The suds are a flowin’ tonight, as is the Bourbon and Scotch.
So fellow drinkers, wherever you are – What are you drinking tonight?
ALEHEADS 
Gin & Tonic, weirdly enough.
On to a Cigar City Jai Alai courtesy of Barley. I’ll eventually cap off the evening with some good Laphroaig.
Victory’s Otto
After having a Ranger at a friend’s domicile, am currently not particularly enjoying an off-label Chianti with a Mellow Mushroom Magical Mystery Tour pie. I think a Ten-Fidy for dessert will round things out…
What are the Alehead’s thoughts who is enjoying the Lagunitas Sucks ? I saw it on a shelf last week but passed it by for a forgotten bottle of Wilco Tango Foxtrot..
Ballast Point Big Eye, Troegs Mad Elf, last bottle of homebrew Surly Furious clone, Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, some red wine with dinner… Stay tuned.
Moved onto a Firestone Walker Union Jack (finally available in 6 packs in MA)
BeerBanker – get the Lagunitas Sucks ASAP. I love it and Slouch mentioned that it might be the best beer in the world on the recent “all beers considered”. It’s very good
RIP Magnus. I’ll admit I didn’t have it in me to put back a Skullsplitter, but I expect he’d approve of my choices today: OB Old Chub ( good warmup before an hour at the playground when it’s nipply out), Left Hand Milk Stout (goes with anything after Halloween and before Columbus Day and it is damn tasty), Ommegang BPA (4 pack austensibly purchased for the frau. She’s got one chance left, and that may be gone by halftime of the Big 10 championship). Just cracked a second Milk Stout because you can’t have too much of a good thing. I only knew Magnus as a legend, but I bet he’d agree.
Cheers to you Herr Direktor. Well done.
BeerBanker: you’ve made a tactical error. Run, don’t walk to pick up some Lagunitas Sucks. Report back when your mission is complete.
I’m “sipping” some Autumnal Fire from Capital Brewery that is brewed right here in Madison, Wisconsin.
Yummy stuff!
Decided to crack open the last Founders Devil Dancer I’ve been saving. Good choice
Had a smutty nose pumpkin ale, cuz it reminded me of a trip we took to David Copperfields to try their dozen different pumpkin beers on tap. I don’t think he ever wrote them up, but we had a good night talking about beer, writing, and girls. I still miss him tons. Tomorrow, we hit a sad, sad, Scottish bar in NYC, and will raise a skull splitter, even though it’s gross.
Argh, too much is the answer. Thanks Herr D. in particular for reflecting on this fucking terrible anniversary–he was there for me this whole wretched week last year before I could make the trip to PA/NYC for Magnus’s interment and related booze-filled events.
I was disappointed though not surprised to see I had only made it to the second of the supposed 5 stages of grief. I drank a bunch of Bear Republic Racer 5, Lagunitas Sucks Holiday Ale, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale… but above all, Buffalo Trace Bourbon. Goddamnit. More to follow.
Cheers to that, Pint O. Added a Left hand Black Jack Porter, Lagunitas Undercover Shutdown…, and another Firestone Walker Union Jack to finish the night off.
Lang May Yer Lum Reek.
I’m a day late here but last night was a memorial for my best man. He passed away in May at the age of 27 … he would have been 28 yesterday. We commemorated his life as only beer people can … we drank. His name was Jon, born in Joliet, IL (within the Chicago limits). Earlier this year, prior to his passing, I traded for a Goose Island Big John. When he passed, I knew that I had to save that beer … Big John brewed in Chicago to celebrate Little Jon from Chicago.
I appreciate your love for your brother … it’s healthy to see the way others cope .. especially men. Jon was my best man, friend and brother for 16 years …
Cheers to those we’ve lost!
Well said DoctorB2B… here’s to your friend Jon, Magnus, and all the others we’ve lost too soon. Cheers!
The Packers won again, so I’m celebrating with a Madtown Nut Brown made at Ale Asylum in Madison, Wisconsin.
It’s amazing stuff.
Great beers last night – 5 different Ithaca Beers: Pale Ale, Nut Brown, Flower Power, Casca Zilla, and Apricot Wheat.. Had a Unibroue Maudite 2009… Finished with the 2011 St. Ambroise Russian Imperial Stout… Canada’d best RIS in my humble opinion… mmmmm wow.
A little late to the party, but I had a Crooked Line Cockeyed Cooper Bourbon Barrel Barley Wine.
SURLY FURIOUS IN MINNESOTA
Thank you to everyone for your comments, even a few days after the fact. We’re going to make this a weekly column so check back sometime after work on Friday for a new edition. Assuming of course that you’ll still be drinking come Friday. I think that’s a safe assumption.
Hooray! the friday night “what are you drinking?” emails have been a great way for me to hear about and try some new stuff when I can find it, plus to get informal tasting notes (or at least feedback/opinions) from the guys. It will be great to hear what the rest of Alehead nation is tossing back too.