Beer, Battle Flags, and Gators

Lots of things to do today , but I have to throw some meat at you jackals. Accordingly, I'm going to link myself to this awesome article about the Hunter-Gatherer that I did for Fig.

In other news, the Democratic candidate for Governor has taken a strong stand on the Confederate Flag. (SPOILER ALERT: He's against it.) Mostly, I am fine to take the flag down. It's not an issue at the top of my Important Issues List, but then again, everyone's not me. I can hear some of y'all now: Thank god for that.

I'll be going alligator hunting tomorrow evening, so right now the issue on top of my Important Issues list is to make sure that I don't end up getting eaten by a big gator down in the ACE Basin.

Hopefully, I'll have some good pictures for y'all afterwards.

Traveling Friday: Heading to Nashville

I'm hitting the road for Nashville, TN today to sample their fine food, consume their local brews, and hopefully watch the Gamecocks sink the Commodores on Saturday night.

Updates and general observations from this weekend's road trip will be via my twitter account, so if you're not already following me, you can do so now. Better late than never, right?

I'm Busy - Go Visit My Favorite Food/Beer/Grilling Blog

Had a full day of litigation and transactional work, but being busy is a good problem to have.

Lots of things going on, so the blog will be light today. Don't worry, there will be lots of content upcoming, as I have to do my traditional Gamecock Football Prediction Post. I also have a few posts in mind, but the real trick these days is finding the time to actually get them down.

Meanwhile, go over to one of my favorite food/beer/grilling blogs on the interwebz, and check out what Mike is doing.

Here's a teaser:

Can you tell why I like his blog so much? Mike's pretty much the go-to guy for grilling, beer, and photography. I'm pretty good on the grill, but I'm absolutely horrible behind the camera.

How To Have An Awesome Backyard Summer Party

SERIOUS BACKYARD STYLE: BBQ, beer, and a jazz band.

My FigColumbia Post on Yellow Dog BBQ

SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION. You can read my write-up here.

Looking for A Good Beer?

Sam Adams had a contest for homebrewers. Out of the 1,000+ who entered a beer, Sam Adams picked a winner and mass produced his beer.

Pretty cool. I wonder if I can get some at Morganelli's.

The Stone (Brewing) Bill

I'M ALL FOR THIS: SC Legislature has a bill pending to reduce the state regulations that would prevent brewpubs from operating.

Less government regulation = more freedom (and beer).

Capital One Bowl Pre-Game Thread

Happy New Year! I stayed in last night, but apparently I was the only person who decided to do that. It sounded like there was a Revolutionary War battle going on last night from around 10:00PM until about 12:30AM.

Anyway, it's one of the best days of the year. Today is the day when college football gives us an overflowing buffet of football games to watch as we enjoy the beginning of a new year.

Enjoy the day, y'all. If you need to get pumped up, here's the scene setter.

To begin the New Year I'll be smoking some wings, enjoying frosty refreshment (required when using the smoker) and basking the glory of college football.

Go Gamecocks!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope y'all enjoy the holiday. Spend time with your family, and be thankful for the blessings you have.

I'll be hosting the extended family and smoking the turkey on my Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker. Beer will be a delicious Cold Mountain Winter Ale from Asheville, NC.

Come Celebrate Oktoberfest on Devine Street!

Happy Friday.

After work today, check out the Oktoberfest at Incarnation Lutheran Church, which will run all weekend. If you're into local beer, you should definitely come on out, as they'll have local Columbia beers on tap from Conquest Brewing, among others. Yes, even though it's hosted by a church, there will be beer. Food will be traditional German fare.

Opening ceremony is at 4:30PM today. See you there!

Government Shutdown Now Affecting SC Breweries

The ATF isn't approving any new licenses for breweries during the shutdown.

“Our permits are just sitting on someone’s desk right now,” said Mike Tourville as he watched his tall, conical stainless steel fermenting tanks being installed in the new River Rat brewery at 1231 Shop Road. “Every week it stays shut down, we lose a week. We can’t even do test runs. Until the feds say so, you can’t brew alcohol.”

Yes, that's right folks. The government shutdown is now preventing local Columbia breweries from opening up, because the federal government has to stamp a piece of paper. I wonder if the enforcement side of the ATF is still working.

Maybe the fact that the the federal government has anything to do with a local South Carolina brewery needs to be re-examined.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2013/10/08/3027852/government-shutdown-puts-stopper.html#storylink=cpy

Mexican Cake Is Back!

It's back. "The brewery has readied 6,000 bottles (500 cases) of Mexican Cake, a sharp increase from the 1,440 bottles (120 cases) produced during the initial release."

I had a growler of Mexican Cake from Morganelli's when it first came out. I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a serious beer. This isn't something you take out on the boat fishing, though. This is something that you'll want to schedule some time to sit on the porch and just enjoy.

New Blog Addition to Sidebar (Drink. Blog. Repeat.)

I've added a new blog to the side-links on the right hand side of the page. I stumbled across Drink. Blog. Repeat. in connection with the Pint Bill pending in the SC Legislature. If you don't know what the Pint Bill is, you should read the very good explanation of it from Drink Blog Repeat.

If you like local South Carolina beer, you're going to love this blog. It has reviews, opinion, and upcoming events in the local beer world. If you're a beer guy (or gal) this is your go-to place for South Carolina beer happenings.

Plus, he has a cool logo, which kind of makes it look like a pirate's blog.

Drink. Blog. Repeat.

 

Cheers!

Summer is Coming!

Samuel Adams told me so.

Happy Octoberfest!

For some good actual Octoberfest beer info, check out this post from Another Pint Please. If you just want to see a nice collection of pictures from the real Oktobefest in Germany, fine. Here you go.

Saturday Open Thread

Enjoy your day, and don't worry if you burn dinner. The beer still tastes great.

Oh 1950's sexism....bless your heart.

1,300 Cases of Corona Stolen

I know it's hot out there...

However, stealing 1,300 cases of Corona just isn't smart. Think about all the limes that you're going to need to steal now. Whoever did this, please return the beer to me, and I'll handle returning it to the proper authorities. Hey, sometimes a little beer falls of the back of the truck, though.

Friday Happy Hour (Southern Beer)

If you like to beat the heat by enjoying a cold beverage, Garden and Gun has some Southern summer beer recommendations.

I've never had any of these. If you have, let me know.

The Hungry Lady Reviews Senor O'Malley's

I've been wanting to Senor O'Malley's, as I am a fan of both Guinness and tacos. This review has increased my interest. If you're looking for a local Columbia foodie blog, check out The Hungry Lady.

Friday Happy Hour (Abita Turbodog)

Abita Turbodog. It's delicious, from Louisiana, and it's fun to say. Try it out.

Tub of Tasty Turbodogs