My Phat Summer

With well-deserved props to my brother-in-law and his impressive fitness post, this will not be like that, and certainly will not contain any topless photos of myself. This is the back story of how I gained 12 pounds this summer. And I'd do it all again. In fact, I find my real motivation now to run each morning is the hope that I can repeat this next summer.

I flew to the US with the goal of trying as many excellent beers as possible. After a year of Tiger, Heineken and 333, I was ready for real beer and I was not disappointed. My hoppy journey began with the three best beers of the summer:

An IPA my brother had brewed this past year. 

Incredible and so good with Copper River Salmon to celebrate Lauren's birthday.

An Amber, which went so well with my ham sandwich

 on mom's homemade bread (Dad's recipe) and cracked pepper Kettle chips.

...and a solid Pale Ale that went so well with the summer meal of corn on

the cob, grilled hamburgers and a salad from Molly's p-patch.

Don't you wish Ben were your brother? Of course you do.

While in Seattle I visited my favorite watering hole, the Wedgewood Ale House with my brother and enjoyed a delicious Reel Amber from the Port Townsend Brewing Company and a Regrade pale ale from the Schooner Exact Brewing Company. Yep, I met a beer I didn't like. The Regrade was yucky.

Then it was off to see what the east coast could bring to the table. The Hennessys

offered a Burning River from the Great Lakes Brewing Company. Nice after the

flight across the country and went so well with my wife's amazing salsa.

With my brother-in-law Graham, I enjoyed a Dortmunder Gold, also from the Great Lakes Brewing Company. Yeah, that's a Heineken mug, but not like the kind I get here in Vietnam. The classy, folksy kind. Also enjoyed from Gr. Lakes: an Edmund Fitzgerald Porter and an Elliot Ness Amber...or two.

Later, at Paige and Jeff's new place, we had a great meal of pulled pork with a Dirty Bastard Scottish Ale from the Founders Brewing Company in Michigan. Very Nice.

Then it was off to the Penn Brewing Company for some local Pittsburgh brew.

Lauren & Dave

 We each ordered a beer. Not sure what Dave and Lauren had (Lauren ordered a

beer with fruit in it...always a bad idea). Mine was called Penn Marzen and was

possibly the best beer I had outside of my brother's this summer. It was, after all,

one of beer critic Michael Jackson's (save it) "Top 24 Favorite American Beers."

Incredible...

 ...and even better when the second one arrived with a Philly cheese steak sandwich.

Oh man. I'm wearing that right above my belt as I type.

By the time we were done, it was dark and the building reminded me

of a set out of that great film, Strange Brew.

What would summer be without baseball?

Yep, we were there as the Pirates embarked on a remarkable and

rare winning season. I enjoyed our great seats Paige and Jeff
treated us to with a beer from America's Oldest Brewery: Yuengling.

It was divine with the bucket of wings we ordered.

Then it was back to Seattle. 

My bother does not only make great beer, he also buys it. He stocked his fridge with

these three from Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon. I have always loved their

Black Butte Porter but almost anything they make is incredible. I did not drink all these,

but I helped. With these in hand and some cool, cloudy weather, I was at peace.

Sorry. I know it is not beer but I like this picture of my mom and her dog in their

beautiful home and this delicious raspberry cocktail our friend Barb mixed up.

We spent a peaceful, wonderful weekend on Whidbey Island at a friends amazing house,

just hanging out with family: hiking, laughing, sleeping in, playing on the beach,
and drinking a few beers. I have always loved Redhook ESB. Classic.
And is anything better than beer and pizza?

Well my wife of course, is better.

(I only had sips of this Blue Moon as it was my wife's beer.

With orange in it, it is something I only drink in private.)

Double Happiness:

My beautiful wife and a Fat Tire from New Belgium in Colorado.

All that and a bowl of chips.

There were many more beers consumed at times when I did not have my camera. At Lauren's cousin Matt's wedding I tried some beers I can't remember. I'm sure they were good. I realized I don't like Corona with lime as much as I used to.  I enjoyed the incredible Perspective IPA from Big Time Brewing, a mediocre Hodgsons IPA from Leavenworth Brewery,  and the really tasty Total Domination IPA from Ninkasi in Eugene, OR. that my good friend, Wallace introduced me to. I was fortunate to spend an evening with a great group of friends in West Seattle at The Beverage Place Pub, where I enjoyed a couple pints of my staple NW beer: Manny's Pale Ale from Georgetown Brewery.

It was an incredible summer. 

(And yeah, I'm sort of new to the joy of hyper linking. Sorry about that.)