A Heavenly Playlist

What does it take to get me out of my blogging hibernation? A celestial event of epic proportion will do the trick. Living in the Solar Eclipse 2017 Path of Totality is motivation enough. The Event on August 21, 2017 is on the minds of everyone. What would be a proper playlist for this event? Yep, that is how my mind works sometimes.

First, the Top Ten Solar Eclipse Songs, then the Best of the Rest, and finally some dishonorable mentions.

10. Darkness - Tab Benoit 

My favorite artist is required to be on the list plus it is an appropriately great song.

 9. Hear Comes the Sun - The Beatles

You would think this would be higher ranked but it is not.

 8. Moondance - Van Morrison

Love Van Morrison. Very worthy of the Top 10. Maybe a little pagan of of me but...

 7. Blinded By The Light - Manfred Mann's Earth Band (via Bruce Springsteen)

"Only use NASA approved ISO 12312-2 eclipse glasses."

6. Bad Moon Rising - Creedence Clearwater Revival

Should this song by higher ranked? Probably. I've just heard it a million times though.

5. Invisible Sun - The Police

Great song by a great band. Yes the sun will be invisible for 2:31 in Tennessee.

4. Black Hole Sun - Soundgarden

Seems to fit perfectly. 

3. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark - Robert Cray

A very underrated tune, this song once touted the virtues of dark beer. Worthy.

2. Ain't No Sunshine - Bill Withers

I know, I know, I know, I know... 

1. Eclipse - Pink Floyd

The entire Dark Side of the Moon album could be Number One. Eclipse is the song of the event.

The Best of the Rest, in no particular order:

Rise To The Sun - Alabama Shakes

Cheap Sunglasses - ZZ Top

Holidays In The Sun - Sex Pistols

Dancing In The Dark - Bruce Springsteen

Moon River - Andy Williams

I'd Rather Go Blind - Etta James

Spirit In The Sky - Norman Greenbaum

(Ghost) Riders In The Sky - Johnny Cash

Night Moves - Bob Seger

Dark Was the Night - Blind Willie Johnson

House Of The Rising Sun - The Animals

Blue Moon - Elvis Presley

Sunshine Superman - Donovan

Fishin' In The Dark - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Walking On The Moon - The Police

Third Stone From the Sun - Jimi Hendrix

Give Me The Night - George Benson

Moon Shadow - Cat Stevens

Shine A Light - The Rolling Stones

You Are My Sunshine - Gene Autry

Wheel In The Sky - Journey

Strange Magic - ELO

Fly Me To The Moon - Frank Sinatra

Soul Sacrifice - Santana

Soak Up The Sun - Sheryl Crow

Neon Moon - Brooks & Dunn

Boom, Boom (Out Go The Lights) - Pat Travers Band

On The Dark Side - John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band

A Hard Day's Night - The Beatles

Shine - Collective Soul

Lights Out - UFO

Walking On Sunshine - Katrina & The Waves

Bark At The Moon - Ozzy Osbourne

Sunshine Of Your Love - Cream

One Of These Nights - Eagles

I Saw The Light - Hank Williams

Strangers In The Night - Frank Sinatra

Burnin' Sky - Bad Company

Dishonorable Mentions because these are just bad songs:

Sunshine On My Shoulder - John Denver

Dancing In The Moonlight - King Harvest

She Blinded Me With Science - Thomas Dolby (this is arguably a decent song. Nah.)

Children Of The Sun - Billy Thorpe 

and the Number One Worst Eclipse Song of All Time:

Total Eclipse Of the Heart - Bonnie Tyler

There it is. I know I missed some both good and bad. What would you add to this list?

Put your eclipse glasses on and enjoy your two minutes of totality and hours of eclipseness.

The Twelve Beers of Christmas 2015

The holiday season is upon us meaning that it is time for my annual Twelve Beers of Christmas for 2015. Every year since 2008 great beers have been carefully selected to be elevated to this very select list. Obtained through trades, gifts from friends, purchased when traveling, by whatever means necessary to make certain that by Christmas there are great brews I have not yet tasted, saved for this exclusive anticipated event. This year's selections are a mixture of barrel-aged, sour, Brettanomyces yeast, and rare beers, highly coveted, saved for this occasion, including a couple of highly regarded Tennessee goodies to help give this dozen a local flavor.

Here are my Twelve Beers of Christmas 2015:

1. St. Bernardus Abt 12 Oak Aged

St. Bernardus Abbey Ales are world class. For the past several years St. Bernardus Christmas Ale has been paired with our family Christmas dinner, always stellar, always pleasing. When this oak aged Belgian Quadrupel was purchased, it immediately moved to the top of the Christmas dozen.

From the brewer:
"St.Bernardus Abt 12 Oak Aged is brewed with that same original recipe and then matured for 6 months in Oak Calvados barrels before it is bottle conditioned. This maturation on oak barrels gives the beer a deeper and richer taste." 



2. Modern Times Universal Friend

Every beer I have tried from San Diego's Modern Times has been very good. This grape-based saison was a birthday/Hootenanny gift from Jason. I know it will not disappoint. 

Brewer's description:
"Universal Friend is a saison made with Pinot Grigio grape must. This light and crisp ale imparts aromas of clove, grape, citrus, and a little sweetness that all carry into the flavor."

3. Unknown Brewing 1.5ish

"A Belgian Style Red Rye Ale aged and soured in French Oak Cabernet barrels with strawberries and vanilla beans."    

Yes, please. This Unknown Brewing ale is another birthday/Hootenanny gift, this one from good friend Pfoxy John aka Beer Santa. Looks like a lot going on with this beer: a barrel-aged sour with strawberries and vanilla beans... Sounds like dessert.

4. Central Waters Kosmyk Charlie's Y2K Catastrophe Ale 2012

There has to be some barleywines in the twelve. This one is another beer present from Pfoxy John, Godfather of the Wisconsin Beer Mafia. Guaranteed to warm one up on a cold winter's night. The only catastrophe will be if it accidentally spills.

Central Waters says:
"This Catastrophe is aged one year in our cellars, delightfully fruity and smooth enough to help you slide over the worst Y2K glitch."



5. AleSmith Barrel Aged Olde Ale 2014

AleSmith Brewery produces some of the best ales in America. The Barrel-aged Olde Ale makes the fifth different offering from this fine brewery that has been including in the annual twelve. It is aged in bourbon and brandy barrels. Thank you Todd for another rare barrel-aged AleSmith.

"AleSmith Barrel Aged Olde Ale is matured in both premium bourbon barrels and brandy barrels to add vinaceous complexity to its rich, malty profile. Notes of oak, vanilla, and bourbon compliment the beer's dried fruit and burnt toffee character to make this limited release worth the wait."

6. SweetWater The Pit & The Pendulum

I have said it many times before - I love peaches, and I am a sucker for peach beers. SweetWater beers are usually on point. Southern, peaches, Brett, Belgian yeast, I am all for that. 

  "The perfect balance of three distinct divergences. Allowed to initially flower with Belgian ale yeast, The Pit & The Pendulum was then incarcerated with Brett and freshly puréed peaches to intensify the trifecta of its persona."

7. Sierra Nevada Into The Woods Barrel-Aged Old Ale

This barrel-aged goody was obtained during a recent trip to Sierra Nevada's immaculate Mills River, NC facility. As one of the top breweries in the United States, Sierra Nevada brews some fantastic beers. This one should be no exception. It should be big, boozy, strong and delicious. Definitely a sipper.

 

8. Yazoo Embrace The Funk Deux Rouges Cassis (Purple Wax)

 

Embrace The Funk's Brandon Jones (l) and myself at ETF Release.

Brandon Jones is concocting some amazing award-winning elixirs at Yazoo Brewing in Nashville. I am honored to have received several of these outstanding brews from the Wrangler of Funk himself. This Deux Rouges Cassis was purchased at an Embrace The Funk special release this past September. Yes, there was hot chicken at the event.  

9. Black Abbey Barrel-Aged Potus 3 (Batch B69 MCS JC)

"Potus 3 is a Colonial Farmhouse Ale from a recipe brewed at Monticello during Thomas Jefferson's time. The base saison conveys lots of pepper and spice with the barreling imparting a Sauvignon Blanc-type grapey-ness with some tart and a hint of salt."

Another standout Tennessee brewery. Drinking local means drinking fresh and putting tax dollars back into your area. That is good business. #DrinkLocal
 
According to Carl Meier at The Black Abbey Brewing Company, the batch code is:

B69 is for barrel tracking.
MCS is where the barrel came from, in this case McScrooge's in Knoxville.
JC is for the type of barrel, with the code indicating "J" for Jefferson, "C" for Cabernet, with the barrel being a Cabernet barrel that also held Jefferson's Reserve Bourbon, thus keeping with the Potus 3 theme.
 

10. The Bruery Tart of Darkness 2013

Another west coast offering from another stellar brewery. Sour porters and stouts are among my favorite styles. The Bruery has mastered sour and funky ales. This 2013 cellared selection should be outstanding; been holding to this one since it was released.

"We brewed a stout but we then decided to throw it into oak barrels...and added our special blend of souring bacterias and yeasts. The result is a perfectly tart yet awesomely dark and roasty sour stout. Not a style you see too often - and in our opinion, not a style you see often enough."

11. Dominion Millennium Oak Aged Barley-Wine

Barleywine number two on the list. This Dominion ale was gifted by DC Dave aka Foam Fan. Barleywines are usually better if aged for at least a year before enjoying them. That usually mellows the beast a bit. This one is a couple of years old. 

"We have just solved a brewery mystery (and it is delicious). We wondered what would happen if we put Dominion Millennium in oak barrels that had bourbon in them for five years. Three months later we had Oak Barrel Millennium. Something special, we think. Ruby-red color with a wide range of complex flavors. Malt and sherry predominate."

12. Wicked Weed Dark Arts Tequila Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout w/Brett and Espresso

Wicked Weed in Asheville, NC is one of the stars of the brewing South. Fantastic funky beers, a sourheads paradise, and a great place to eat, it is a must-visit on any proper trip to Asheville. Good friend Jason procured this beauty for me. Love the brewery, love the label artwork, love the beers.This one should be huge. Thanks Jason!

"This beer was brewed with brown sugar, agave, and honey., fermented using our house Brettanomyces culture. Dark Arts is ever the fulfillment of a goal we set for ourselves in the beginning: to not only strive for the cap, but to also craft a culmination beer, reflective of our love of all beer styles. Cheers to another year of reveling in the Darkness."

Here is to good friends, great beers, and enjoying family during the holiday season. Thank you to everyone who helped me compile this list.  I hope you enjoy your own Twelve Beers of Christmas.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Twelve Beers of Christmas Past:

Twelve Beers of Christmas 2008
1. Anchor Our Special Ale (2008)
2. Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale
3. Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel
4. Great Lakes Christmas Ale
5. Bison Winter Warmer
6. Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock
7. Delirium Tremens
8. New Glarus Apple Ale
9. Corsendonk Pater (Abbey Brown Ale)
10. Corsendonk Agnus (Abbey Pale Ale)
11. Thirsty Dog Siberian Night Imperial Stout
12. Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale (2008)

Twelve Beers of Christmas 2009
1. Thirsty Dog 12 Dogs Christmas Ale
2. Goose Island Christmas Ale
3. Tommyknocker St. Nicks Cocoa Porter
4. Avery Old Jubilation Ale
5. Rinkuškiai Missing Elf
6. Fort Collins Double Chocolate Stout
7. Ken Schmidt / Maui / Stone Kona Coffee Macadamia Coconut Porter
8. Rochefort Trappistes 6
9. Rogue Santas Private Reserve Ale
10. Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza
11. Cantillon Iris
12. Lurgashall Christmas Mead

Twelve Beers of Christmas 2010
1. Spaten Optimator
2. Dogfish Head Olde School Barleywine
3. Ass Kisser Double IPA
4. Stone 14th Anniversary Emperial IPA
5. Terrapin Wake-n-Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout
6. Depot Street The Limited Maple Pecan Porter
7. AleSmith YuleSmith – Summer
8. a. Oskar Blues Gordon / b. Oskar Blues Gubna
9. Maredsous 10
10. Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Urbock
11. Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Fritz & Ken Ale
12. Victory Old Horizontal

Twelve Beers of Christmas 2011
1. AleSmith Yulesmith – Winter
2. Brew Kettle White Rajah
3. Brooklyn Black Ops
4. Capital Eternal Flame
5. Dogfish Head Miles Davis' Bitches Brew
6. Founders Backwoods Bastard
7. Hoppin' Frog DORIS The Destroyer Double Imperial Stout
8. Lagunitas Hairy Eyeball Ale
9. Odell Mountain Standard '09
10. Olde Hickory Bourbon Barrel Aged Bardstown Ale
11. Ommegang Brasserie D'Achouffe Gnomegang
12. Three Floyds Dark Lord Imperial Stout

Twelve Beers of Christmas 2012
1. De Ranke Pere Noel
2. St. Bernardus Christmas Ale
3. Hopworks Organic Abominable Winter Ale
4. Lompoc C-Son's Greetings
5. Midnight Sun CoHoHo Imperial IPA
6. N'Ice Chouffe
7. Ninkasi Sleigh'r Dark Double Alt
8. Oakshire Ill-Tempered Gnome
9. Pelican Bad Santa
10. Port Brewing Santa's Little Helper
11. Samuel Adams Merry Mischief Gingerbread Stout
12. The Bruery 5 Golden Rings

Twelve Beers of Christmas 2013

Twelve Beers of Christmas 2014

The Bucket List: 50 Years in the Making

Today I celebrate my 50th birthday.  Where did that come from? 50.  Really? Time really does fly when you're having fun. I remember 50 being "old" when I was a kid, so now I guess I'm old. I don't feel old.  I don't act old. I don't even look old.  Maybe I'm not old, I'm just 50.

So, as this day approached, I felt it necessary to compile my Bucket List.  It is what you do when you are old you know. Things that I have not yet done, things that I want to do before I can't do them anymore, before they are gone forever, things to do while I am able.  In no particular order, my Bucket List:

1. Beer tour Belgium
2. Climb Mt. LeConte in the Great Smoky Mountains
3. Visit Ireland
4. Visit Scotland and the UK
5. Go deep sea fishing
6. Learn to fly fish
7. Work the soup lines at the shelter on Thanksgiving or Christmas 
8. See, from the ground, the Grand Canyon ✅
9. Visit and tour Jerusalem, pilgrimage 
10. Experience New Orleans✅
11. Explore Alaska✅
12. Attend the Kentucky Derby
13. Eat hot chicken in Nashville✅
14. See Reelfoot Lake in West Tennessee
15. Attend the Chicago Blues Festival
16. Go to a Tennessee VOLS football game via the VOL Navy
17. Attend a Daytona 500
18. Attend an Indianapolis 500
19. Visit and explore Australia and New Zealand
20. Eat some real Kansas City BBQ✅
21. Experience a proper Mardi Gras
22. See Niagara Falls 
23. Attend a Super Bowl
24. Do a Southern BBQ tour✅
25. Do the Kentucky Bourbon Trail
26. Buy and drink a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle 
27. Visit New England during fall✅
28. Safari in Africa
29. See Egypt
30. All of Italy
31. Visit Greece
32. Eat a true bowl of Pho, in Asia
33. Visit Canada✅
34. Attend Memphis in May
35. Learn to smoke great beef brisket✅
36. Enjoy Jamaica
37. Drink wine and tour Napa Valley
38. See Yosemite
39. See Yellowstone✅
40. Hike parts of the Appalachian Trail, eventually all of it
41. Attend a World Series Game
42. at Wrigley Field
43. or Fenway Park
44. See Colorado - the Rockies, Denver, et al✅
45. Attend Oktoberfest in Munich
46. Eat true deep dish pizza in Chicago  ✅
47. Eat and drink at Schlenkerla in Bamberg, Germany
48. Visit and tour Prague and the Czech Republic
49. Tour the Jack Daniels distillery ✅
50. Visit Weihenstephan Brewery, the oldest in the world

It is what it is.  I like sports, music, good food, great drinks, beautiful sites, my ancestral history, getting in touch with my spirituality. This list covers that.  Lots of different influences on my list from many sources.  I thank them all.  

Now on to the adventure that is life. 

Fall FWD: Top 10 Reasons to Love Autumn

There is a hint of cooler weather in the air. Tolerable nights, bluer skies, leaves hinting at turning colors, can mean one thing: autumn is near. It is the most desirable season in East Tennessee; I always look forward to fall. Post-Labor Day means that many loved things will begin in earnest.

The Top Ten great things to love about autumn (from a Southerner's perspective):

  

10.  The World Series, The Fall Classic. Baseball in cool crisp fall weather is near-perfect. 

 9.  The annual craft beer releases of Oktoberfest Märzen and Pumpkin beers mean that Oktoberfests are near - think German food, beers and Oompah music.

 8.  Apples. Our annual seasonal pilgrimage to Rowell's Orchard in Crossville, TN means apple pies, apple cider, apple cakes, apple fritters, apple butter... apple anything is good with me.

7.  The annual Blues, Brews and BBQ Hootenanny: great food, beers, and music. @HootenannyTN

6.  Cooler weather, which leads to the fall colors, more fire pit usage and even more cookouts and BBQs.  Autumn turns East Tennessee into the most beautiful peaceful place on earth.

5.  Pumpkins. They're usually orange, tasty, big and just plain fun. Pick your own at the pumpkin patches (which, locally, is right next to the corn maze.)  Like apples, you get pumpkin pies, pumpkin butter, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin spice lattes, even pumpkin beers. Also used for Jack-o-lanterns during...

4.  Halloween. Many children's favorite day; candy and sugar overdose day. What other day do kids AND adults get to go out in costume? All Hallows' Eve.

3.  Fewer mosquitoes. Mosquitoes love me. Late summer means I must slather myself in DEET-fortified insect repellent just to walk the dog. Fewer bugs in general is a good thing. Don't underestimate my hatred of mosquitoes; they are the bane of my summer existence. 

2.  The annual feast of epic proportion that is Thanksgiving. There is not one negative thing that can be said about this Holiday. We all learned how it started. We all need to give thanks. We all need a nap after eating.  Then we watch...

1. FOOTBALL. It is said that in the South there are three seasons: football season, recruiting season and spring practice. High school, college, NFL - football is king. In the South, SEC football absolutely rules.  Tailgating. Massive stadiums. Rivalries. Tradition. Championships. Football brings families together, or tears them apart. Please do not schedule a wedding on a football Saturday in the South.  Football is 24/7/365 around here. And that's the way we like it.

Did I miss any? What are your Top Ten things about autumn?  

Enjoy the fall weather, get out to a local festival or two, get some apples and pumpkins, but most of all, enjoy your favorite football team - tailgate, cheer for your favorite team and Just Win, Baby!