Astoria Trip

I'm posting a link to Good Rat Andy's review of last Monday's trip. When you read it you will see that Andy is much more eloquent than I. I have somewhat of a theory about that though. I recently heard about an internet service that won't allow a person to send email unless they are a certain level of sobriety. The idea is to prevent someone from sending email when, let's just say, they aren't thinking clearly. Maybe that service should be extended to posting to blogs as well. This in light of the fact that I posted my last musing not too long after I got home from the Astoria trip. Alas...

We all appreciate Andy's writing and especially the pictures you will see if you follow the link. It was a great day and a lot of fun. Thank you Andy for your friendship and your ability to put into words what the rest of us were thinking.

So... check this out:
http://malchert.blogspot.com/2008/10/good-rats-astoria-trip-10-20-08.html

Good Rats 10/20/08 Trip

Six Good Rats found their way (and back again) to Astoria today. The forcast called for rain and wind but our good fortune found sunshine instead. We made our way to the Wet Dog first for a fine lunch and a brew. Then we were off to the Fort George Brewery where I was the only one brave enough to try their nine brew sampler. Afterwards we made our way to the Rogue Brewery where our informative waitress guided us through the numerous beers that were on tap. I really should keep a log of what we tried and what we liked but I was neglegent in doing so.

I will say, now that I'm home safe and sound, we had a little fun at Good Rat Darren's expense while he wasn't looking. While he was off to the "facility", someone substituted his sample of Double Dead Guy Ale for Imperial Pilsner. He didn't seem to know the difference but that's what makes him a Good Rat. Proast Darren!

Speaking of "facility", on the way there one couldn't help but see the FREE self-guided tour of the old BumbleBee Tuna cannery next door to the Rogue. Most impresive was the wall of signatures dedicated to those that worked there at one time or another.

As a most memerable moment I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Good Rat Andy dressed in his Goonies t-shirt. How appropriate since the movie was filmed in Astoria.

Andy's Review

Reviewer Andy has some informative information about his recent trip to Astoria and his visit to the Fort George Brewery. Click on the link to read his review. Thank you Mr. Self-Appointed Reviewer... http://malchert.blogspot.com/2008/10/fort-george-brewery-public-house-review.html

Anyone Up For A Trip?

My brother-in-law was telling me about a recent trip he and my sister made to Republic, WA. They participated in a petanque tournament there (winners I might add). The host provided a microbrew from nearby Colville which he said was very nice. A little research on the web and I found LOST FALLS BREWING COMPANY. Although the brewery apparently doesn't have it's own web site, all the reviews I read say that it's a must visit. According to one reviewer Chip is the "owner, brewer, chief chemist, bottle washer, and deal doer". Sounds like the Good Rats need to plan a trip up there.

Big Sigh

Yes, a big sigh indeed. My latest find in micro-brews was nice indeed but the circumstances around it have me feeling a little sad. We took my daughter back to college, her sophomore year at Western Washington University in Bellingham. I always hate to see my kids go off to school. This year is a little different because although she's gone my oldest is back after graduating this June from the University of Washington with hopes of working for a year and saving enough money for graduate school next year. But enough of that... on to the beer. Morgan took us to a local favorite for dinner, Boundary Bay Brewery and Bistro. I had a hard time deciding between the Inside Passage Ale and the Scotch for starters. The Scotch won out and I wasn't disappointed. They described it as "With a similar malt profile to its more famous cousin Scotch whisky, this smooth, strong beer is complex with a lingering hop finish. Original Gravity 1.064". I'm sorry to say I didn't get to try any of the others but what a great excuse to go visit Morgan.

San Diego Diversion

Ron and I just got back from a business trip to San Diego. It wasn't all business though. We found time to visit Old Town with our new friend Tony who's from Camrose, Alberta, Canada. Tony would definately be a Good Rat if he lived among us. Here's to you Tony, "Prost!".

I'm sorry Fred, we found more margaritta's than beer on this journey. Another person we met there who was from nearby Coronado told us we had to visit the Tilted Kilt Pub and Eatery near Petco Park. On the morning we headed home Ron and I checked it out. Just for a coke (I won't go into the details why no brew). Fred, I'm so sorry. They not only had Smithwicks on tap but yes... Firestone Double Barrel! It was so close yet so far. Well, maybe there'll be a next time.

A Little Lie-Down

Leave it to Andy to find Good Rats where ever he goes. Here's what he had to say about this one: "Our Hood to Coast team took this picture of a Good Rat that was sleeping off a good time in Portland. He finished off his cig and had himself a little lie-down in the gutter. I'm sure he got back up after his rest and went to party on." I'd like to think the cig belonged to someone else because none of the Good Rats I know smoke.

When and How it came about

"Good luck comes to those that drink responsibly." Well, I guess so because as luck would have it here's how this quest for flavorable beer came about.

I was never much of a connoisseur of beer until my friend and co-worker Ron and I were in Seattle for a week of training a couple of years ago. The first night in our hotel found me looking at a list of nearby restaurants. There in the mix was Kell's Irish Restaurant & Pub ( http://www.kellsirish.com/ ) located in Post Alley near Pike Place Market. The ad said they had nightly music to boot. All right then, that's where we're headed. We walked the five blocks or so from our hotel. The "alley" looked a little iffy from Virginia Street but what the heck. In the alley we passed The Pink Door, an Italian restaurant my little sister had told me about so I figured it must be okay. Across the alley was Kells. It didn't look like much from the outside but when we walked in we found a cozy place to eat and drink. The waiter asked what we wanted and of course we had to ask what they had on tap. He could see us thinking about our choice when he asked if we had ever tried a Smithwick's (pronounced 'smit-icks'). Nope, never heard of it. Our waiter described it as an Irish red ale that looked dark but smooth and was an older brew than Guinness. Well, we tried it with our pasties and I must say it has become a favorite of both Ron and I.

I haven't found Smithwick's available at a lot of pubs but fortunately for me there is a Kell's in Portland (and San Francisco) so whenever I get a chance I visit the closer Portland establishment. I must say though that I like the atmosphere in the Seattle place a little better but the Smithwick's is definitely the same. If you've never tried it you MUST.

The Name

Before I get into the hops and the foam part of this blog, I'd like to explain the name GOOD RATS. For the last year or so some friends and I have been making a pilgrimage to Portland every few months or so to sample some of the local suds. This last week Darren, Andy and I made the trip. The ultimate goal of this trip was watching a Portland Beavers game against the Utah Bees.

Darren thought it would be fun to take the underground tour and bought tickets before we left for the big city. After seeing the dark dirty tunnels and a cell used to house shanghaied men sold to work on ships we ate at the pizza place up above. During lunch someone had the bright idea that our group should have a name. We thought of several but settled on Darren's suggestion "Good Rats" which happens to be the name of a Dropkick Murphys song.

So, with that said, be a good rat and tell me about your favorite brew or perhaps an experience you've had sampling a brew... or two.