I think you can both tell that over the last 15 years or so there has been a MASSIVE infusion of (borrowed) cash at all of those places.

I'm actually surprised that they're not holding buy one get one condo sales yet, and that's probably only because there's still people sitting on huge piles of cash that buy those buildings whole for pennies on the dollar to busted developers.

And Joe and Jane (Indebted) American need to live high on the hog on vacation.

(I have successfully avoided the beach this entire summer, and it appears I am going to not see sand for the first year since at least 2003)

I think there's a lot of that, especially in the high rises that were constructed as a two part extortion involving REIT money from Wall Street and convincing every rube from B-ham to Baton Rouge that they needed a piece of the American beach condo dream, but there's also a lot of people who make a lot of money and buy or rent a second home down here.

It's like when we move somebody to a giant new house in John's Creek or Milton these days, I mostly get the idea that the people can handle their purchase. It's not 2005, ya know?

Had some beer nerd guests in town this weekend so we hit up most the major San Diego beer spots

Breweries:
AleSmith
Green Flash
Alpine
Ballast Point
Stone

Craft beer bars:
O'Briens
Blind Lady Ale House
Toronado

Tucher Dunkles Hefe Weizen
Brau Brothers Bancreagie Peated Scotch Ale
Both are pretty decent, and get high marks from Beer Advocate.
I wish I had more of the Scotch Ale, since it would make a great beer for the rest of the night.

Ok I finally have them all. I've been picking up one or two a week, and I have 6 22's and some cans. It may not all fit. My theme was "ultimate summer beers," and having a theme helped a lot. All I had to do was think of what I would want to drink if I were in Bombingham in August and it was 114 degrees out.

Themes always make things easier. Going "Southern Sampler" with you helped narrow but not necessarily limit my choices.

LSU will begin brewing it's own beer to help alleviate the effects of budget cuts. Kind of strange.

Brewed with swamp water and the tears of Auburn fans?

heh heh

Tears of Auburn Fans has to be the best name for a beer ever. I want to start a brewery just to name a beer that.

Natty Greene's is a local brewery from Greensboro, NC that has been brewing their own beer in the bar/restaurant for years and just started bottling beers fairly recently. I've tried the beers in the bar, but last night I picked up a sixer for the first time. Maybe a slight bit of homerism here since I grew up right near Greensboro, but I really like this amber ale and wouldn't hesitate to pick it up again when it's on sale (like I did last night).

I have so many to post. And no fucking time.

Just ordered:

1 2008 Brauerei Hofstetten Krammer "Granitbock" Stein Bier, Austria 16.9oz @ $5.49
2 2010 Goose Island "Matilda" Belgian Style Ale, Illinois 12oz @ $3.49
2 Czechvar Premium Czech Lager 12oz @ $1.49
1 Aecht Schlenkerla "Oak Smoke" Rauchbier, Germany 500 ml @ $5.99
1 Great Divide Brewing "Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti" Imperial Stout, Colorado 22oz @ $10.99
1 Hair of the Dog "Blue Dot" DIPA, Oregon 22oz @ $7.49
1 Oy Sinebrychoff Ab "Sinebrychoff" Baltic Porter, Finland 11.2 oz @ $3.99
2 Reissdorf Kölsch 500ml @ $4.99
1 Russian River Brewing "Blind Pig" IPA 500ml @ $4.30
1 Russian River Brewing Co. "Consecration" Wild Ale, California 375ml @ $11.99
2 Victory Brewing "Prima Pils" Pilsner, Pennsylvania 22oz @ $3.49

and some wine & pot-stilled rum.

Never had any of those. Which should I be most excited about?

I can't get Russian River down here but I'll get there someday. Pliny the Elder is like a myth for beer fans down here.

That Goose Island is spicy, clean, and with hints of pears and apricots (IMO) but it isn't a fruity beer. Shit is incredible. I'm on record with Victory. Just a solid brewery that does a LOT of things right. Prima Pils is one of the best pilsners around. Not a crazy beer, just drinkable and solid.

Half the beer in my fridge is Pliny and I have four more from another order to pick up. It's a really great beer.

Drinkable and Solid is pretty much what you look for in a pilsner. Should be a good summer one.

The Blind Pig got cancelled on me. I guess I'll have to try again some other time on that one.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Going on memory for all this but I've had some good stuff recently. None of the pics are mine.




The Bruery - Orchard White

First beer with these guys and I have to say I'm pretty impressed. Strong smell of spices in the head and a hazy pale yellow color. I think it was billed as a Belgian style saison? Shit is simple yet complex. Great summer beer. May have to try their Saison de Lente next.




Blanche de Bruxelles - white beer?

Had this at the bar last weekend. Pic doesn't do it justice. This thing was almost bright pale yellow. So light and drinkable. Hints of lemon and yeast. Highly recommended if you're looking for something light and crisp.

Orange Blossom Pilsner

I'm still confused about this beer. I know Greenville, SC brewery Thomas Creek has an Orange Blossom Pilsner but this beer claims it's from Florida. Regardless, it was kind of meh. Faint, faint hints of "honey" that it claims but I didn't get much out of it. I could drink the shit out of it but it's only a notch or two above mass produced domestic.

Lagunitas - Hop Stoopid

Heard varying opinions on this beer. It's one of those that is real proud of it's IBU's (102). Lagunitas has done me right so far so I went for it. This beer is everything I hate about IPA's. Double IPA's in this case. I don't know what hops they use but if I find out, I'll stay away from beers with that particular strand of hops. Just overwhelmingly "hoppy". I realize it's called "hop stoopid" but I think I'm learning that if I want to drink a beer with a shitload of hops, I prefer the citrusy, piney, variety like in Bell's Hopslam or Sierra Nevada's Torpedo or maybe Lagunitas other offering Little Sumpin Sumpin.

Blind Pig is pretty great. Keep looking for it. I think I like it better than the Elder.

Hasty comments in your quote box.

Lagunitas - IPA

This was more like it. Just a straight ahead, well balanced IPA. Nothing outrageous, just good. Went well with my burger and fries. I'd keep these around.




Bells' - Kalamazoo Stout

Probably didn't give this one it's due. Was the last beer of the night after I got home from the bar on Friday and it's probably not the best stout weather. I've just heard good things. From my recollection it was dark and roasty like a good American stout should be. I'll have to give it another shot when the weather changes. Not sure it's ready to displace Young's Double Chocolate just yet.

I went to a Cask Party for Empyrean Cafe au Lait Vanilla Porter last night and stayed around for the Jameson tasting party. I got some more Jameson swag and enjoyed another Great Divide Belgian Style Yeti. I generally drink any variation of the Yeti when it is available for $5 on tap, since it is on par with best Imperial stouts. Great Divide released this variation in the spring of 2011, and I suggest that you all try it if it is available in your region.

Enter your zip code, find the cheapest beer in your area.

http://www.saveonbrew.com/home

Recents.

Brewery de Ranke - XX Bitter

Had this with my saturday BBQ a few weeks ago. For a belgian it is indeed hoppy, but it's nowhere near the comical IBU levels stateside these days. It was good, and I'm glad I had it but at $8 a bottle this size, I wouldn't get it again. B-


Sixpoint - Righteous Ale

Finally got around to trying all 4 kinds of these 4-pack tallboy can setups from Sixpoint. On the negative side, they don't give you much real information on the packaging. It's poetry and stylized thoght exercises, and then at the bottom an ABV and IBU count. I like seeing what's in it. At any rate, Shiv had it right on these, this one is mid-pack and the best is the Bengali. This one has that sharp Rye flavor all over it, is big and red and hoppy, a little sweet, and decently balanced. B


Avery - IPA

All my damned glasses are still packed up - moving at the end of the month. Hence the 70's amber riesling glass here. Anywho, this was a good mid-level IPA, but not very memorable. I recall it being a bit dry for my taste, not "green" enough for what I really like, and not something I'd go back in for. The kind of beer you'd love to see in someone else's fridge when you go pilfering, but not really the one you'd buy with your own money when there's Bell's or Lagunitas around.



How cool is this bottle opener? Spotted it at a weekend party.


Pretty Things - American Darling

Took this guy down at a party at someone's house, and it was smoooooooth sailing. Still love this brewery. The lawnmower is perfect. It was clean, mellow, and yet absolutely not boring. Sunshine and possibilities. No longer available, glad I got it while I could. A-


Sixpoint - Sweet Action

This was by the Charles river for the 4th. We took a boat out and sat right under the fireworks. The beer was too similar to the others from Sixpoint to really distinguish itself. I recall it being decent but I should've poured these into glasses so I could see and smell them better. It really does make a difference. B-


Peak Organic - Weiss Principal

The second or third I've had of this hybrid style, half wheat and half IPA, both of the imperial (thick and boozey) variety. This was pretty damned good. Maybe it's aided by some of the novelty, but not that much. If it doesn't taste great, I don't care how novel it is. I think they made very good choices with the ingredients and their levels on this beer, and what came out is on the sweeter side, but with a pleasantly massive hop bloom at the end. And the whole time there's that spicey wheat flavor too... yeah this was excellent with BBQ. Recommended. A-


Founders - Centennial IPA

I have a ton of respect for these guys. They have that midwestern knack for taking the malt decisions really seriously, and making interesting statements before the hops even come into play. This was no exception. The malt profile is more interesting, rich, and varied than you normally get in a mid-level IPA. Hops tended towards the dryer side, but not unpleasantly. It didn't taste like the other 400 beers in this category, which is in itself an accomplishment. This keeps their stock very high with me even if I wasn't amazed. These guys know what the fuck they're doing... solid, solid work. A-


Sixpoint - The Crisp

Cleanest, lightest of the 4. But still in the same flavor grouping as the other 3, just not distinguished enough. B


Old Speckled Hen

At Chez Neuro for an oil change and some Formula One on tivo. It's nice to go back and have stuff like this that I haven't touched since undergrad when I was trying all the beers I could find. It's so mellow and restrained, and utterly unlike anything in the US. Like drinking an antique almost. Anywho, great to go back and sample the old classics once in awhile. A-


Victory - Summer Love

The first semi-dud I think I've had from them. I didn't get this beer at all. It's not as off-putting as Sam Adams summer beer, but it wasn't right. I guess it's harder to do these well than I realized, because Victory is normally a solid performer. C+


and fuck there are more... where are my pics?

Pretty sweet. Is the can just for decoration or does it catch the bottle caps? If so, is it removeable?