Birthdays and Beer...

Happy Valentines yall. I recently celebrated my birthday and had an excellent home-cooked meal (brisket bbq, mashed taters, and chocolate raspberry cupcakes) thanks to my beautiful wife ;) In addition to that, the night before, we also went out to a local brewpub for dinner and beers: 5 Seasons Brewing (www.5seasonsbrewing.com). If you're in Atlanta, I'd recommend checking them out. The food was unique; I had the Georgia Rabbit Quesadillas which was my first experience eating a bunny. It was good, but the real reason I picked this joint was to try their brews.

Pictured above (L to R) are Lumburg Belgian Dubbel and Hopgasm IPA. I chose the IPA and my bro-in-law chose the Dubbel. I'm an IPA guy and the Hopgasm had a full aroma and tastes great! Here's a description of the two brews courtesy of the 5 Seasons website:

Lumburg Belgian Dubbel: This complex, malty, and sweet Belgian Dubbel has a dark red color and rich body. You will notice subtle raisin notes in it's fruity aroma and flavor. A great sipping ale at 10% ABV. Don't forget your TPS report!

Hopgasm IPA: Brewmast Kevin McNerney's inaugural release at 5 Seasons. It is a west coast India Pale Ale, bold in every sense. It invites you with a nose far more intriguing than most IPAs. We use 5 different hops, including Simcoe and Amarillo, which give an incredibly rich bouquet and a pleasurable mouth feel. It has a sold malt backbone and a sumptuous aftertaste that will make you want multiple Hopgasms.

My wife and sister chose the Munich Helles (once again, per their website, here's the description): What the Helles this beer? Helles translates as pale or light in German. This Bavarian style is a golden lager with more malt characteristics and less hop bitterness than a pilsner. Have a few and see why it's such a popular style.

Here's Kristy with her giant pint:

Here's Christen with her giant pint too:

Lastly, pitchers and catchers report today............

Actually, it's not in a koozie....

On a recent trip to Tampa, albeit before spring training begins, I was able to visit Cigar City Brewing. It's a small, local Tampa brewery which I'd recommend to anyone visiting the Tampa-St. Pete area (www.cigarcitybrewing.com).

They have a tasting room where you can sample their beers by the pint. Prices range from $4.50 to $6 or more, depending on what they've got. On my visit I tried the following:

• Jai Alai India Pale Ale
• Improvisation (which is pictured above)
• Jose Marti

All were great! I'm a pale ale fan and I really liked the flavor of the Jai Alai brew. Lastly, it's finally February, one of the best months in the year. Hopefully the groundhog predicts an early spring tomorrow.

When do pitchers & catchers report?

Now that football season is over (both for the Dawgs & Falcons) I'm ready for baseball! The poor Falcons looked good for 1 quarter and then it was over. To answer the question; the date is February 14th.

Today's featured koozie is one of my personal favorites. It's a retro Atlanta Braves koozie that was picked up at a garage sale. It's old, so it's thick and sturdy, unlike the cheap, collapsible ones today. I love the olds one, but they are tough to take into a game, since you can't simply stuff them into your back pocket, like the new ones today.

Regarding the beer, it's a Terrapin Rye Pale Ale. It comes from my college town of Athens, GA. Here's a quick review from their website (www.terrapinbeer.com):

By using an exact amount of rye, a grain seldom found in other micro brewed beers, the Rye Pale Ale acquires its signature taste. Made with five varieties of hops and a generous amount of specialty malts, it offers a complex flavor and aroma that is both aggressive and well balanced – a rare find among beers.

The Terrapin Rye Pale Ale was released in Athens, GA in April of 2002 at the Classic City Brew Fest. Six months later this beer which was sold only in Athens was awarded the American Pale Ale Gold Medal at the 2002 Great American Beer Festival, the most prestigious competition in North America. We hope you will agree with our peers in the brewing industry that this is truly one of the best pale ales in the country.

ABV: 5.5%

IBU’s: 35

O.G.: 13.3

Malt: 2-Row Pale, Munich, Malted Rye, Victory Malt, Honey Malt

Hops: Magnum, Fuggle, East Kent Golding, Amarillo (Dry Hop)

Food: This beer cries out for spicy foods to match it’s hoppy flavors…jerk chicken to shrimp and grits.