Just a short couple of days in Vermont on our last trip but we made the most of it while we could. We stayed at Elise’s favorite state park, Mount Philo, again and lucked out with the weather the whole weekend.
Camping
Fourteen Stone Drinking Crew #3
Another great get together with the crew, with some of our recent hauls, some beers Richard brought back from his trip to Seattle and Bill’s birthday beers. This was our first tasting since I finally cleaned up the basement enough to have some beers down there. I have a few stools, a nice 8 foot kitchen prep table I’m using as a makeshift “bar”. The beer cellar is repaired, we’ve got this nice water jug/dump bucket system going (although I really want to get a glass rinser but I don’t think that is in the cards for a while) and I should have a couple more glass racks installed in the ceiling by week’s end. Plus the card table, surround sound system, and the dart board that folds into the ceiling I’ve had for a while now. I’m pretty happy with how the man cave “tasting room” is shaping up.
So after a pretty successful night of running around with Mike, we went back to Chez Fuj and met up with the rest of the guys and a couple of friends of Bill’s from NJ. The lineup for the night:
- Tsunami Stout by The Pelican Pub & Brewery
- Madame Rose (2012) by Goose Island Beer Co.
- The Cowboy by Evil Twin Brewing – pretty much locks in my hatred of smoked beers
- Oude Tart by The Bruery – delish, like all Bruery sours
- Meadowlark IPA by Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project – absolutely fantastic. Glad Bill brought this one to share, been meaning to try it for a while/
- Curieux by Allagash Brewing Company – long time fave since first having it back in May. Richard hadn’t had it yet so I broke this one out from my Birthday Beers from Elise.
- Hop 15 Ale by Port Brewing Company
- Horny Devil by AleSmith Brewing Company – meh. Other than Speedway Stout and their IPAs not much has impressed me from AleSmith.
- Survival 7-Grain Stout by Hopworks Urban Brewery – very solid, just like the IPA goofybear sent me
- Sled Dog Trippelbock by Wagner Valley Brewing Company
- Beer Hop Breakfast by Mikkeller
- Black Hole Barrel Aged Bourbon by Mikkeller
- Femme Fatale Brett by Evil Twin Brewing – Can’t get enough of this beer, really. Evil twin is killing it.
- Rye Hopper Ale by French Broad Brewing Co.
- Declaration by Backlash Beer Company
- Fat Scotch Ale by Silver City Brewing Co. – Dave’s 500th unique Untappd beer
- Tripel Threat by Cambridge Brewing Co.
- Luscious by The Alchemist Pub & Brewery – my 500th unique Untappd beer
- Head Hunter IPA by Fat Head’s Brewery
- Winema Wit by The Pelican Pub & Brewery (Oregon)
- Gandhi-Bot by New England Brewing Co.
- Vampire Slayer by Clown Shoes
- Aphrodisiaque by Brasserie Dieu du Ciel
- Black Butte Porter by Deschutes Brewery
Other than Luscious, which we only incidentally opened because of Untappd, I don’t think any beer stood out as the clear “best beer of the night” or anything. A lot of really solid beers here, of all different types so it’s tough to compare. Fat Head’s never ceases to surprise me with that IPA, same with that Meadowlark. Black Butte was great, as was Curieux, Oude Tart and Madame Rose. No complaints here.
Richard acting a damn fool.
Dave showcasing pretty much how everyone felt by the end of the night morning.
Did A Test Run of the New Backpacking Stove Last Night
Needed something to heat water for coffee to make with the Aeropress without building a fire every single morning. This is about a quarter-turn on since anything further and flames shot out the sides of the kettle. It boiled 40 oz of water in about 4 minutes. Needless to say, it’s fucking badass.
Elizabethtown, NY: Memeorial Day Camping at Lincoln Pond Campground
First time camping at Lincoln Pond Campground, first time for Kuma camping, and first time Elise and I camping together*. We loved the experience and are already planning our next trip. Here’s a few pics from the trip.
*first time not sleeping on stupid air mattresses which totally don’t count as camping.
Awesome food truck right off the Northway where we picked up some much needed sausage and peppers after drinking at Adirondack Pub and Brewery. We also filled up our jugs of water at the natural spring located behind him.
Kuma looking ever so regal even though he was a huge pain in the butt, shit-starter the entire weekend.
Reeeeally roughing it with our Aeropress and kettle in tow.
…followed by pancakes on the Weber Q, obv.
Yeah. This happened. Don’t judge me.
McFatty Melt Classic – Hamburger with two grilled cheese sandwiches as buns. My GI system was begging for mercy by Sunday night.
Kuma and I taking an afternoon snooze.
Attempting to burn the largest log in the world. We were unsuccessful, but that didn’t stop us from trying.
Sippin’ on some two year old caffeinated Four Loko by the fire.
Our sleeping buddy I found under the fly as I broke down the tent Monday morning. It’s leg-spand was bigger than a silver dollar. Creepy as fuck.
Totally Normal Amount of Craft Beer to Bring “Car Camping”…
What we took to Lincoln Pond this weekend. (More on that later). This isn’t including the shitty beer and the hard alcohol. The run down:
- Maine Beer Co. – Mean Old Tom
- Keegan Ales – Joe Mama’s Milk
- Adirondack Pub and Brewery – Cocoa-llaboration (Barrel-Aged Chocolate Smoked Porter collab with Crossroads Brewing)
- Adirondack Pub and Brewery – Barrel Aged Fat Scotsman (Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy aged in Jack Daniels Barrels)
- Adirondack Pub and Brewery – Whiskey Sour (Belgian Black Ale aged in Apple Jack Whiskey Oak Barrels with Lactobacillus added)
- Adirondack Pub and Brewery – Adirondack Double Mocha Stout (on nitro, in Ruck growler)
- Troegs – Nugget Nectar
- The Alchemist – Heady Topper
- Pre-Ban Four Loko – Cellar-aged two years
Yeah, I still have some old illegal Four Loko, what of it? Doesn’t everyone craft beer drinker out there age caffeinated Four Loko like they cellar limited-release barrel-aged stouts? No?
matthew 'fuj' scher 