Taking a Break

For anybody out there reading, I don't want you thinking I disappeared into oblivion.  My husband and I just have a lot going on in our lives right now and I am taking a bit of break from the blog (and beer) in general.  We did some traveling last month for my sister-in-law's wedding, my step-daughter was visiting, and the Navy took my husband out to sea yet again.  We are working on planning a cross-country move to Albany, NY and I recently left my job.  Between all the changes I haven't had the chance to enjoy as many beers lately, but never fear, I will be back soon and then there will be a shift to East Coast beers!  Here's a preview of some beers I've picked up lately and will be reviewing sometime soon:

Thanks for your patience and understanding!

222 Days of Deployment = 108 Beers

So when my husband left with the Navy on a 7 month deployment I decided I wanted him to come home to more beer than he would know what to do with.  He will have been gone 222 days by the time he returns.  Last time he left for 7 weeks he came home to a beer for each day he was gone.  When we realized that this would be 200+ days he made me promise not to buy him a beer for each day (crazy boy).  So instead, over the months, I managed to nearly buy him a beer for every 2 days he was gone.  Marriage is about compromise, right??  I did my best to pick up beers that were limited to certain times of the year, some that were his favorites, or just ones that I picked up for one reason or another.  It may sound strange but I looked forward to a weekly shopping trip to get him these beers - it gave me a good opportunity to think about him, what he'd like, and made me feel connected to him.  And I'm pretty sure he looked forward to the pictures I sent via email of the beers waiting for him.  Each care package that he got had a stack of all the beer magazine he subscribes to.  I'd read them first and put in sticky notes with my thoughts & comments of things I wanted him to notice, just like I'd point out to him if he was home.  Turns out beer somehow keeps us together even when we're on opposite sides of the world.

Here is the list of what he has waiting for him, now we just have to find the time to work on some this list:

1. 7 Seas - Ballz Deep
2. 7 Seas - British Ale
3. 21st Amendment - Allies Win the War
4. Alameda - Yellow Wolf Imperial IPA
5. Alaskan - Perseverance Ale
6. Alchemist / Ninkasi / Stone - More Brown Than Black IPA
7. Anchor Brewing - Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
8. American Brewing Co - Breakaway IPA
9. Avery - Maharja
10. Beer Valley - Delta 9 IPA
11. Boston Brewing - Infinium 2011
12. Bruery - 4 Calling Birds
13. Bruery / Dogfish Head - Faster, Bigger, Better, Bolder
14. Bruery / Elysian / Stone - La Citrueille Celeste de Citracado
15. Buffalo Bills - Blueberry Oatmeal Stout
16. Deschutes Brewery - Jubelale
17. Dogfish Head - 120 Minute IPA
18. Dogfish Head - 120 Minute IPA
19. Dogfish Head - Burton Baton
20. Dogfish Head - Chateau Jiahu
21. Dogfish Head - Faithful Ale
22. Dogfish Head - Fort
23. Dogfish Head - Immort Ale
24. Dogifsh Head - Life and Limb
25. Dogfish Head - My Antonia
26. Dogfish Head - Namaste
27. Dogfish Head - Noble Rot
28. Dogfish Head - Pangea
29. Dogfish Head - Pangea
30. Dogfish Head - Palo Santo Marron
31. Dogfish Head - Punkin Ale
32. Dogfish Head - Punkin Ale
33. Dofgish Head - Ta Henket
34. Dogfish Head - Tweasonale
35. Dogfish Head - Tweasonale
36. Dogfish Head - World Wide Stout
37. Driftwood Brewing - Singularity
38. Elysian - Dark o’ the Moon
39. Elysian - Idiot Sauvin
40. Elysian - Idiot Sauvin
41. Elysian - Night Owl
42. Elysian - Nimbru (#1 of 12 Beers of the Apocalypse)
43. Elysian - Rapture (#2 of 12 Beers of the Apocalypse)
44. Firestone Walker Brewing - Firestone 15 Anniversary Ale
45. Great Divide - Hibernation Ale
46. Fremont - Interurban IPA
47. Full Sail - Top Sail Imperial Porter
48. Full Sail - Wreck the Halls
49. Hair of the Dog - Blue Dot IPA
50. Hair of the Dog - Blue Dot IPA
51. Hopworks - IPA
52. Iron Horse Brewery - Cozy Sweater
53. Iron Horse Brewery - Cinco de Drinco
54. Iron Horse Brewery - Double Rainbow
55. Iron Horse Brewery - Malt Bomb
56. Iron Horse Brewery - Mocha Death
57. Iron Horse Brewry - Mocha Death
58. Lagunitas - Cappuchino Stout
59. Lagunitas - Holiday Ale
60. Laruelwood - Stingy Jack
61. Left Coast- Hop Juice
62. Left Hand - Fade to Black (Volume 3)
63. MacTarnahan’s Brewing Co. - Winter Humbug
64. Maritime Pacific Brewing - Jolly Roger Christmas Ale
65. Midnight Sun - Arctic Devil
66. Midnight Sun - Treat
67. New Belgium - Frambozen
68. New Belgium - Lips of Faith Series - Kick
69. New Belgium - Ranger
70. Ninkasi - Imperiale Stout
71. Ninkasi - ReNEWale Porter
72. North Coast - Old Rasputin XIV
73. Pelican Pub & Brewery - Bad Santa
74. Pike Place - IPA
75. Pike PLace - Kilt Lifter
76. Ridgeway Brewing - Bad Elf
77. Ridgeway Brewing - Lump of CoalFifteen
78. Ridgeway Brewing - Pickled Santa
79. Ridgeway Brewing - Santa’s Butt
80. Ridgeway Brewing - Warm Welcome
81. Rogue (Chatoe) - First Growth Pumpkin Patch Ale
82. Russian River Brewing - Pliny the Elder
83. Samuel Adams - Black Lager
84. Samuel Adams - Cream Stout
85. Samuel Adams - Holiday Porter
86. Samuel Adams - Irish Red
87. Samuel Adams - Mighty Oak Ale
88. Samuel Adams - The Vixen
89. Samuel Adams - Whitewater IPA
90. Samuel Adams (Imperial Series) - Imperial White
91. Samuel Adams (Imperial Series) - Wee Heavy
92. Shipyard Brewing - Pumpkinhead
93. Sierra Nevada - Bigfoot Ale
94. Sierra Nevada - Bigfoot Ale
95. Sierra Nevada - Bigfoot Ale
96. Sierra Nevada - Celebration
97. Skagit River Brewing - Sculler’s IPA
98. Smaltz Brewing - Jewbelation Fifteen
99. Southern Oregon Brewing - Nice Rack IPA
100. Southern Tier - Chokolat Stout
101. Southern Tier - Harvest
102. Southern Tier - Pumking
103. Southern Tier - Uneartly Imperial IPA
104. Spoetzel Brewery - Holiday Cheer
105. Stone - Vertical Epic (11-11-11)
106. Two Beers - IPA
107. Unita - Punk’n
108. Unita Crooked Line - Oak Jacked Imperial Pumpkin