The Weekend Before Halloween

I had a hankerin' for a beer and some Pizza on Thursday. I really wanted to go to Lazy Moon or try out Mellow Mushroom since I'd never been there, but when my sister got home from work she let me know she'd already told some friends of hers we'd meet them up at Sip, less a down to earth pizza joint than it is a quasi swanky wine-focused bar. Whatev's, I tried two new beers.

It was too dark (stupid swanky people) to get good pictures. My first beer was Orlando Brewing Company's Blonde Ale (American Pale Ale, ?% ABV). The first sip was the best, but it was decent to the bottom, kind of strawish, grassy hop flavors.

The other beer I had was the Orlando Brewing Company's Red Ale (American Amber, ?% ABV). I didn't like it as much, but it was okay. Too much hop, not enough carbonation.

After these, I was tipsy as I have lost my tolerance and had not eaten much, having saved calories for a big yummy slice of pizza. Cami and I determined that the only pizza place still open past midnight on Thursday within a reasonable distance was Broadway Pizza. It was okay, but not great, and that was disappointing. Also, I scorched the top of my mouth.

Friday night I was a loser at home with ice cream, convalescing once again from a damn gym injury.

Saturday night I had a Halloween party to attend, but my costume had not yet arrived in the mail. I still have no car, and Cami had to run out the door as soon as she got home from work. Actually, the rest of this story will appear in my travel blog. Click here if you're interested. At one point I was at Orlando Ale House and had a Shipyard Export (American Pale Ale, 5.0% ABV). This was lackluster, thin, boring, drinkable but not all that enjoyable.

Eventually I wound up in a costume, pre-drinking a Shock top Belgian White (Witbier, 5.2% ABV).




I thought it was all right, certainly drinkable anyway (probably due to being pretty carbonated and really mild).

When I got to the party I had some more of the Yuengling Black and Tans I still had around. They also had a keg, so I had some keg beer whilst losing badly at a game of beer pong. At the end of the night, I finally had the Grolsch Light (Light Lager, 5.0% ABV) I've randomly had in the fridge for a few weeks.

It wasn't offensive, just a milder lager, not so offensively bland and shitty as a Bud Light.

Sunday night another friend wanted to go to Mellow Mushroom, which was awesome except that I'd just secret shopped a fast food restaurant and wasn't really hungry. Needless to say, I still ate a third of a 10" pizza and did a sampler of four 5 oz. beers. Since Cami also did that, I tried 8 beers. Hooray! Too bad some of them aren't getting the proper glass...

1. Clipper City Loose Cannon (American IPA, 7.25% ABV): Sweet at first, then a little bitter

2. Hazed and Infused (American IPA, 4.85% ABV): Smells good, tastes pretty good, bitter/harsh finish

3. Rogue Dead Guy Ale (Helles Bock, 6.5% ABV): Not bad, not delicious, kind of different (pine?)

4. Terrapin India Brown Ale (American Brown Ale, 6.2% ABV): Pretty good, solid all the way through, with brown sugar and earthy flavors

5. Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin Head (Pumpkin Ale, 9.0% ABV): Yummy, good spicyness, better at first

6. Sleepy Hollow (I believe this was another one from Shipyard, a pumpkin stout, ?% ABV): This was my favorite of all of them. Of course I love creamy stouts, and then it had the holiday spices and pumpkin flavors.

7. Sea Dog Wild Blueberry Wheat Ale (Fruit Beer, 4.6% ABV): Boring, just the sugary blueberry flavor.

8. Woodchuck Granny Smith Cider (Cider?,?% ABV): Well, it was cidery, kinda tastes like wine to me.