What's Andy Cooking?

Number 10: Top Ten Beers

First of all, I'd like to note that this is Entry 200! That gives me exactly 25 entries in eight months time, or an average of 3 entries a month since April 12. Incidentally, I think this may be the month where I pick up more regular entries again. Truly, this is a significant development, as I think it shows the return of my will to engage myself in repeated thought process.

On with the list . .


As Jankowski pointed out, it's going to be far more interesting if I can relate "10 specific occasions when I consumed a beer, and the beer that it was." So, without further ado, I bring you,


Number 10: J.J. Foley's and the Greatest Summer Kickoff Party: Boston Weekend.

The night featured fine dining at a swag local hotel retaurant, a Scorpion Bowl, the Squealing Pig, and finally, the sweat-lodge feel of J.J. Foley's Irish Pub in South Boston. It was here that Andrew, Joel, Mark, Jeff, and myself enjoyed a round of Guiness, a classic beer that deserves to be on any list.


Number 9: New Year in Boston.

Last year's New Year's Celebration featured cheesy singing and subway brawls, and most importantly, Harpoon Brewery's Winter Warmer. This amazing seasonal truly tasted like the holidays in a way no other beer has ever come close to, with strong flavors of nutmeg and possibly hints of cinnamon.


Number 8: The Three Crabs.

In late June, Eric made his second trip west of the continental divide to visit the spoils and wilds of the Pacific Northwest. In a stroke of luck, Lindsey and I managed to make it out to the Olympic Penninsula to meet the Furst Brood, spending a day cliff jumping and hiking before settling for dinner next to the Dungeness Spit.

At the Three Crabs restaurant, we enjoyed raucious laughs and Eric and I shared the Pyramid Brewery Hefeweizen. This beer is a Northwest standard, and a fine brew for such a summer event.


Number 7: The U-5 Party.

This party, the brainchild of Mark and Johnny, was enacted to celebrate the combined births of Mark, Johnny, Jackson, and Peter Lynn. Not only did it include the selective non-inclusion of certain key people, but it also held the false rumor of featuring an ice sculpture of a Joshua Tree.

The pinnacle of this event was indeed the four honorees, as well as the sweet nectar of the night: Orchard Street Brewery's Stock Ale. This robust beer had the slightest hint of nuts and seasoning, making it one of the Top Five All Time Beers.


Number 6: Beerfest/Beardfest.

In honor of truckers and beerswine everywhere, Jack, Mark, and myself transformed in celebration of the convergence of hundreds of beers upon Seattle Center. There were multiple meads on tap, weissbiers of all flavors, lambics, ales, and lagers aplenty. Perhaps the clear favorite of the afternoon, however, was the Brave New World section.

This string of tables was devoted entirely to the innovative new beers emerging from the Western US. From Ambers and pales, to creams and porters, this section had twists and tweaks of probably every type of beer imaginable. And they were all fantastic. In fact, the ability to taste multiple beers at one go only confirmed two of my Top Five All Time Beers (Numbers 2 and 4 below).


Number 5: Many Glacier Hotel

This was perhaps my favorite stop on my trip with Lindsey to Glacier National Park this September. Nestled into a plush convergence of about three different valleys, Swiftcurrent Lake is lined along the eastern shore by a seemingly authentic swiss logde: the Many Glacier Hotel. It was here, in the Interlaken Bar, that we experienced the most significant point of my Montana Beer pilgrimage: the Scully Bomber Stout. A rich choclatey beer, it was named for the water-bombing, fire-fighting planes that are a local staple. The brewer himself was a small one-man operation who worked far south of the park, at the opposite end of Flathead Lake. His effect was far-reaching, putting this beer in my Top Five All Time Beers list.


Number 4: The Parkway Drinking Reunion.

In September, I had the pleasure of getting a visit from Joe Splinter, my American drinking mate in Wales. In one full night of catch up, and the retelling of many a good yarn, Joe and I rekindled our friendship back to the heat of what we'd felt along the coast of the Irish Sea.

As a first-timer with Northwest beer, and on territory very familiar to me, it was essential that Joe be treated only to the best of the best: Mac and Jack's Serengetti Wheat. This beer managed to beat out every other wheat beer available at Beerfest, and remains in solid holding among my Top Five All Time Beers.


Number 3: Graduation Barbeque.

As a final celebration of emancipation from years enslaved in the churning machine of academia, Mark, Johnny and I, with the help of Jack and Lindsey, organized the quintissential northwest barbeque: countless friends and family, smoked salmon, and Mac and Jack's African Amber.

This beer, endorsed by Eric Furst himself, is truly a northwest great. It, like its bretheren the Serengetti Wheat, can only be found on tap, and is brewed at a tiny brewery in the wild Redmond backcountry. This beer, above all others, is the finest amalgam of brew flavors ever to grace my tongue, and holds its own as the Number One All Time Beer.

Anyone who comes to visit me can count on this: there's a round of this very beer waiting (most likely at the Parkway) with our names on it. That's a garauntee.


Number 2: Final Visit to Thompson Tower.

In the eve of Mark Bielecki's departure south, I had the distinct pleasure of taking him up to 'Makeout Roost'. There, while I seduced him with some of his very favorite brew, we reflected on three years of solid friendship and steadfast study-buddying.

Indeed, Mark's favorite beer, the Full Sail Amber, marks a top notch brewery just south of us in Hood River, Oregon, home of the 'windiest winds'. The Full Sail range of beers is a fine spread indeed, but none so distinct and beautiful as their Amber.

As a final send-off, and a tribute to two things that have been at the center of our friendship (Physics and Beer), Mark and I watched the parabolic paths as our bottles hurled from nine stories up into the Thompson fountain below. We then shared a moment of silence for the children who's feet were subsequently cut in homage to a great friendship.


And the Number One Beer Experience of 2004: The Comic Book AfterParty.

There are two things (among others) that mark a truly epic friendship: loyalty and sacrifice. In February of this last year, Jackson Hays IV exemplified these two characterstics as we toiled for many hours on a certain art project that I'm sure you're all aware of.

Of course, I should pause here to mention Lindsey Paul and Jess Thompson, who, with no small effort, both gave incredible amounts of help and support on this project as well.

The morning of Brian Bendis' visit to Tacoma, I had still a good amount of work to do on my giant SpiderMan comic cover. Jack had already spent into the wee hours of the night before hard at work with me, and was back again early in the morning to finish up.

When he and I finally brought the nearly-finished project to the signing, we were as giddy as could be imagined. Never had either one of us put so much effort into any hero-worship in our entire lives. And Bendis was damn excited.

Having Bendis utter such phrases as 'You really made my day.' and 'Bagley [the artist] is going to flip when he sees these pictures.' Was enough to make us wet ourselves and hurl all at the same time.

We didn't, and instead, we headed to the Parkway for a celebratory dinner and beer. And food never tasted so good. The beer we had this time around was again of the Oregonian persuasion. From Bend, in the dead center of the state, we drank a pitcher of the Dechutes Brewery's Mirror Pond Pale Ale. This is hands down the greatest Pale Ale I've ever tasted. Yes, better than Sierra Nevada.

But more tasty was the incredible bond of joy and utter excitement, the pure buzz that left Jack and I glowing for a month strait.

Cheesy enough?


Ok, so as a final disclaimer, I think you'll see from this list that my top ten beers are not necessarily in order. This is indeed a list of 'Top Ten Drinking Experiences' with the strait 'Top Ten Beers' mixed up in no particular order.