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.