Mellody Brewing

Beer Life: Top 50 Things I Want to do Before I Die (21-25)

21. Share a cold one with my grandchildren

22. Create my own yeast strain for brewing

23. Have had a beer on every continent (two down...)

24. Trade for an extremely rare beer

25. Drink a Mellody Brewing Product at a bar in Philadelphia. (couldn't resist.)

Beer Life: Top 50 Things I Want to do Before I Die (11-20)

11. Attend the Fleadh Nua in Ireland - drink lots of Guinness and whiskey with family and friends

12. Tour Russian River Brewery

13. Tour Jolly Pumpkin Brewing Company

14. Get a bottle of 120 Minute IPA and not drink it for five years.

15. Drink with Zane Lamprey

16. Brew beer for son/daughter, save bottles for his or her 21st birthday, like Merlot futures but with beer.

17. Drink cold beer on island beach in Caribbean.

18. Have sushi and cold Japanese beer in Japan.

19. Spend a day in a pub in Ireland, see what happens, who you meet.

20. Camp with bottles of homebrew.

Beer Life: Top 50 Things I Want to Do Before I Die (1-10)

So, I've been thinking - as I've been going through this 1/3 Life Crisis here, what are the things, beers, breweries, places I want to go before I die.  Morbid, no.  This is really a goal writing session.  I've been thinking about this lots over last few days, here's what I got, in no particular order.  Except number one.  I'm leaving out the goals related to the brewery, we all know them by now.

Please note, there is plenty of other non-beer related things/places I want to go/do.  Some of them are in this list as well, but the non-beer ones, well - they wouldn't make sense to have here would they now?

  1.  Tour Belgium - specifically visit all the Trappist Breweries and talk to the monk's and drink beer with  them.

  2.  Brew beer for my wedding.  Save bottles for each anniversary.  Will hopefully need lots of cellared  bottles.

  3.  Win a home brew competition - yes must enter to win, give me time.

  4.  Drink with Sam Calagione (founder of Dogfish Head) - ask him many questions, drink beer with him and laugh.

  5.  Drink with Jom Koch (founder of Sam Adams)

  6.  Enter the Sam Adams Long Shot Home Brew Competition = again, give me time.

  7.  Rent out a bar with all my friends and have a beer and food tasting party.

  8.  Oktoberfest - 'nuf said.

  9.  Attend Great American Beer Festival.

10.  Grow my own hops.

Why Only One Week?

I hope you enjoyed American Craft Beer Week last week.  I know I did.  I celebrated by enjoying the last two Jolly Pumpkin beers I have access to that I hadn't tried.  What did you do?

Tasting Panel and Seminole Sunset Update

We've bottled Batch "A" and will hopefully be brewing Batch "B" this weekend or upcoming week.  I'm still assembling the parts to improve the three tier brew system but hope to have them all soon. Once that's in place we'll get back on schedule.

For those who signed up for the tasting panel, I've been working on a discussion board to add to the site so I can get your reactions and also solicit feedback on some other ideas.

We're still moving ahead here, despite what the previous post may have you thinking.  Not stopping, trust me, just forging a slower, more deliberate path.  Thanks for sticking with me as I figure this out.

Roots

Monk's Cafe Favorite, originally uploaded by Smellody.

I'm a bit sentimental this morning. Maybe it's because a friend who was to visit had to fly home stopped up with imodium and couldn't hang this weekend (no ill feelings, feel better!) Maybe it has to do with the fact that I haven't been home in over five months, and am feeling a little homesick. Maybe it's the feeling that no matter what I try to do here I just can't seem to fit in. I feel like an outsider more and more at work and lately can't seem to shake it. I know, what the hell does this have to do with beer, and your brewery Mellody? What's with the online journaling fool? Well, I'm not 100% sure but after drinking much coffee this morning and spending some quality time alone I've had a multitude of thoughts around what I'm trying to accomplish, in life, in work, in general. So, of course the brewery is a large facet of this conversation. I'm also on a never ending roller coaster as I dream this impossible dream, and we're definitely on the downward end of a massive fun filled drop.

Beer to me isn't a science, as much an art. What I've always enjoyed about art is its impact on each individual. Some analyze it, deconstruct it, the artist and the meaning. Others just look and move on, while some don't imbibe at all. For me, beer and my seemingly endless pursuit of getting into the beer business isn't so much about the analysis of beer, its the impact. See for me beer has always been about the experience. As my Top 50 lists showed, I seem to tie beer to events with family and friends and good times. There's good times with out beer or alcohol, but come on, they just aren't as memorable are they?! I remember the taste of each beer, but more importantly I remember the times and conversations with my friends. I also remember the beers I drank to escape, to run from bad times - a weakness for sure - but who is perfect. The good times though, they are the driver in my wanting the brewery - to create those times for my friends with my beer - like a chef cooking for friends. I also can't help but think how cool it would be to do that for strangers. Weird, yes but welcome to my world.

I've gone through what I feel are some fundamental decisions in my short 33 years. I've loved and been broken, been lied and cheated on by friends and a church I thought I loved. I've battled my own ambitions to make a difference in the world and got caught up in material work and the "benefits" of a hard working career. I've sacrificed friendships and possible relationships for selfish reasons. I've made good friends along the way, and as I fight to figure out what's next and why I'm not where I want to be I've never felt more alone in the battle. Time to crack a beer, eh?

So in all of this, I was thinking of my roots - where all this began, where it took hold of me and grew from a few nights at a bar I've mentioned many times here and with friends, Monk's Café. Amazing food, an eye opening beer selection when I first started going there but foremost is the times with friends there. Lately, I've been talking non-stop to friends about home. Home places, food, experiences and friends. Sometimes I feel bad comparing them to somewhere I spent 90% of my life. I'm sure they've thought it too - it really isn't fair.

Where's this drunken rambling going? Well, I've stated that this blog is an outlet as I trudge to figure out how to achieve my dream, so deal. I'm not giving up, no way. I'm just adjusting the plan a bit I think. Time to refocus and reengage as we begin the ticking up the hill of the roller coaster to the next fun filled ride.

Grab a cold one and enjoy the ride.

Down But Not Out

Hello faithful readers.  I've been MIA for last week or so due to some work travel and just lack of energy to post.  I've been "on-the-clock" for almost 10 days straight and need a break.  So, after a much need weekend of beer drinking, I plan on returning to our regular scheduled programming.

BA Throwdown

That's right, I took part in a internet meet up of beer geeks, I mean enthusiasts. I must admit you have to love how the internet can bring like minded people together. For those beer novices out there Beer Advocate and Rate Beer are two well known beer websites for the geeks amongst us. I am not a big Rate Beer user, for no particular reason other than I have always used Beer Advocate. Anywho...users post discussions on forums, rate beer, bars, etc. Rate Beer has an amazing list of reviews for pretty much everything under the sun. Overtime, I'd say you can tell whether a beer is something you want to try based on its users reviews. I link to Beer Advocate's beer reviews in my What I am Drinking section, so you can get the idea if you ever clicked through.

The meet-up or Throwdown basically is a bunch of like minded beer lovers who bring rare beer together to share. No expectations, just friendly conversation, beer geekdom conversation and well - lots of note taking if you're a rater. I had to laugh at some of the conversation, not being a rater. It was nothing personal (if any of you happen to read this.) I really was just thinking how even as a non-rater I knew what they were saying, but if someone walked off the street and heard you say, "I have had that, I will pass...I rated it a 3.75." They'd be like, huh?! The arguments would confuse a Trekie.

There was a few familiar faces there, and we were welcome to share our beers at the Oldsmar Tap House. The owner Tony, again showcases his support for the beer community in Tampa Bay. I met some new friends, and throughly enjoyed a few very selective beers. I brought a few myself, one being a 2.5 year old Russian Imperial Stout from Iron Hill Brewery that I had been saving for a special occasion. The group loved it, and I felt welcome into the fold. It was as if I had paid my tribute to the elders and gained their respect. Now I just need to get my hands on more rare beers for future meetings. Hearing them discuss beer was like listening to the analysts on CNN talk about the race for president. It was a great afternoon. I wonder why it has taken me so long to get involved in groups like this.

Best tastes of the afternoon for me:

Russian River Beautification
Blushing Monk
Iron Hill Russian Imperial Stout

Used Rate Beer links for solidarity, and maybe you'll read a review from one of the attendees.