Thoughts of LoWriter

mmmmm, a tasty sunny day. It's been cloudy here. What is the deal with 'on tap'? It is really used too much, perhaps it keeps us going through the day by focusing on the beer we get at the end of it?

In the Pacific Northwest we have great beers on tap at several area restaurants. And everywhere Scott takes me they seem to have a Heffewiesen, which is what he drinks.

Lo, you should do a beer review or something. Just your opinions on all the ones you've experienced.

that would take up a whole blog in itself!

i will argue with you, because even at Costello's, my favorite hole, there are decent beers on tap. Bell's Oberon. Bass. Guiness. riiiight next to the Hamms and Bud Lite. i think youve got your priorities wrong, honey, cuz tap beer is wayyyyyyy better than bottled/canned beer. favorite example: Hard Core Cider. it tastes like apple juice from the botle. but from the tap, damn. way better. Plus, with bottled beer, there's always the risk that it was exposed to too much light and is skunked. anyway, teh crap beer comes in bottles too, you know...

Tap beer is better; however, at your typical run-of-the-mill bar, there are not that many good beers on tap. This is why I celebrate Old Chicago. I'm not saying that tap beer isn't better than bottled beer. I am saying that the stuff they usually have on tap is not that faboo.

Old Chicago or The OC as I like to call it, has a variety of nice tap and bottled beer. For instance, I happen to enjoy the Goose Island Hex Nut Brown Ale. This is a fine fine bottled beer. I also celebrate the fine "staff choice" options that are on tap at the OC during Oktoberfest. That said, usually when I go to a regular bar, I drink cocktails because I don't like the beer options. I like some of Bell's seasonal options (particularly their holiday brew), and I like Guiness, but I've gotta be in the "I want to drink my meal" mood, and Bass is all right, but I would take a nice Dunkel or Mai Boc (bock?) any day of the week over any of those.

10-- Interesting. Good beers on tap...

And perhaps I will review the beers I've had. And it probably will take an entire blog. :) I've become a slight beer snob these days.

snobbiness is ok in moderation! it's all about what you prefer. i'm a wine person, and snobbiness aside, i can pick a damn good bottle to share. perhaps, instead of blogging about your beer, you should buy me the beer and i can experience it for myself! ;o)

I just want to know some brews that I should try when I see them. I just don't have a clue yet.

Jeff--

I reccommend any of the Goose Island varieties. They're usually around. It also depends on what you like. Blue Moose and Blue Moon are also both nice, but Blue Moon is sort of an... odd beer. You need an orange wedge in it. Guiness is good but very heavy. Killian's is nice. Red Hook is pretty good, but there's one kind that my friend says is not good, and I don't remember what it is right now. I like any Mai Bock and any Dunkel so far. Right now is a good time to go get any of the Oktoberfest varieties. Many bars will have "Oktoberfest" beers out, and they are fabulous. I will have to look at my list at Old Chicago next time i go and let you know some more.

Also, any microbrewery in town (Granite City, Hirkemer) will usually have some decent brews. I personally don't like any of the IPA varieties (India Pale Ale). These taste a little to "spicey" or bitter for me.

IPA tastes like skunk to me. :o) but then again, Lo, last night you said the white wine tasted like sulpher.

Goose Island is my hometown brew!

a halfeweisen (spelling) is alwyas faboo around this time of year. try Anchor Steam if you're into microbreweries. i also love imports above all. O'Donovan's has the best selection i've seen. all types of Murphy's on tap! mmmmm! PLUS, they have kick arse $6 happy hour dinners and the best corned beef sammich i've ever eaten.

Yeah, well, I've never been a fan of chardonay.

And I agree on the Anchor Steam front. Very nice beer.

Guess who's going to have to give up on alcohol, though? That's right. Me.

Let me quote Nelson by saying "ha ha."

I believe utilizing "on tap" as a synonym for upcoming is merely an example of linguistic evolution. I had a roommate that would become livid if you ever said nucular instead of nuclear. I saw his point, in that pronouncing it differently from the way the word is actually spelled exhibits a certain lack of sophistication, but I would argue that he still understands what the word means and from a speaking standpoint, the saying nucular is effective.

So, when you hear someone saying they have a meeting "on tap" for today, it might not conform to the strict definition of the phrase, but dictionaries conform to the way language is used, not the other way around. I have to practice this mantra when I hear people saying "like" every other word. I realize that the language is evolving in that direction for a reason, but I have the hardest time understanding why everyone seems to feel the pervasive need to live in simile.

By the way, I tries Blue Moon the other night and did not like it :/

blue moon is an acquired taste. i went to a brewery today and got myself a red. it was tasty!

i'm very concious about how i talk vs how i write. i find it facsinating that we still grade grammar and base business on propriety in speech, but we can have wretched language for emails and everyday speech. is it a separation of the mindsets? lax language.... creativity & evolution or defilement and de-evolution?

I guess that I don't have a problem with the phrase itself. I do still think it's a dumb phrase whether the language is evolving or not. I think it mostly bothers me because the only people I've ever heard use it are OLD PEOPLE who are clearly trying to sound cool. This is similar in my mind to 40 year old women who shop in the juniors department and wear their daughters' halter tops.

Additionally, I said Blue Moon was an odd beer. I liked it right away, but I realize that it's strange, and I only like it if it has an orange wedge in it.