Category: Beer

Trip to Vermont, Early August

Posted on by chappyshi

In early August I went up to Vermont to attend the Vergennes Union High School 30-year class reunion.  I actually left there after my 10th grade year but have had the privilege of attending the 20 and 30-year reunions as a guest.  Other than the reunion, the trip was for kayaking, birding, picture taking, hiking, camping and visiting with friends.  It was well worth it!

You can read more about the trip by clicking here or browsing under my “Currant News” section.  You can view photos by clicking here or following the “My Photo Album” link on my home page.

The links in the PDF format “trip read” don’t open in new windows as I had hoped they would.  If you follow a link in the PDF document, it will take you forever to reload the PDF file.  Ergo…

All the imbedded  links are replicated below.  Please use them rather than the links in the PDF document if you wish to find out more.  I will have to come up with another presentation format but bear with me in the meantime.

Trip to Vermont for VUHS Class of 79 Reunion (Not That I Graduated There)

Posted on by chappyshi

I will be, depending on the results of a job interview I had yesterday, heading out of the DC area north toward Vermont on Thursday, 30 July.  I would like to stop in the Scranton area to kayak on the Susquehanna River and visit an old Navy buddy in Avoca or camp in the area.  Should those plans come to fruition, I hope to be up at Linda Devino’s the next day around noon.

Saturday I will go to the reunion at D.A.R. State Park, which is about a 5 minute walk from the Devino’s.  My good friend, Danny Mack, will be in the area visiting his mother…we hope to hook up sometime other than during the reunion.  My good friend, Mike Livingston, who lives in Middlebury is another person with whom I would like to hook up at a time other than the reunion, hopefully at his camp in Ripton.  I love that place.  I would be happy to hook with anyone else that might be around while I am in the area.

Otherwise,  I will be traveling about Vermont kayaking and camping for a week or so.  I hope to get back up to Brighton State Park where I spend a very enjoyable three nights last October.  I would also like to get up to Lake Carmi State Park, Grand Isle State Park, and paddle in Lake Willoughby, the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge,  and Otter Creek.

I did all of this last October (see the pictures) less hitting Lake Carmi but I did it off-season.  I might have some difficulties during the peak of the summer vacation season getting the awesome campsites I got last year in October.  I would also greatly enjoy spending a night at Ed Devino’s deer camp in Pittsfield if I can swing it.  Who is to say whether or not I will be able to fit all this in especially since I would like to get a day or two of camping and paddling in New York state either in the Adirondacks or the Finger Lakes on the way back home.

To top it all off, my brother-in-law, Ed Davidson, who is from Rutland will be there visiting his folks.  He of course wants to show me some of his world and introduce me to his folks and I want to show him Vermont from my perspective.  So much to do and so little time.

Oh, and we will be drinking some beers and playing some Cornhole!

More On Unscrupulous Restaurant Employees

Posted on by chappyshi

I ordered a beer at a local Applebees.  When I was ready to pay for it, I asked what the damage was.  The barmaid said it was $3.15 with tax.  I put a fiver on the bar and the woman had the balls to ask me if I wanted change!  I said yes of course.  As if I was going to tip the wench 62% on a three dollar tab.  As it was, I tipped her 28%.  She’s dead to me now however.  I’ll never go in there again.

Northern Virginia Summer Brewfest, 2009

Posted on by chappyshi

Saturday I went with my sister and brother-in-law, Ed, to the Northern Virginia Summer Brewfest in Leesburg, sponsored at least in part by Vintage 50, a great restaurant and brewpub, also in Leesburg.  The weather was glorious, low 80’s and low humidity.  Parking was a snap which is always good.  Ed was the designated driver.

I have a few bumper stickers, cards, and coasters that were supposed to help me remember what beers I had tasted and whether or not I liked them.  I actually had no beers I didn’t like…probably an oxymoron…  I do remember a couple that didn’t do anything for me,  from the same  brewpub the name of which unfortunately escapes me.  One was an IPA and one was a double-hopped IPA…NOT!  I wish I could remember the brewery so I don’t make the mistake of trying it again.

Breweries We Support:

Breweries We Definitely Do Not Support (They are dead to me!  No links provided to crap!)

  • Anheuser Busch (bought out and shut down Old  Dominion Brewery who brewed Tuppers Hop Pocket Ale and Pilsner).
  • Fordham Brewing Company (partnered with Anheuser Busch to buy out Old Dominon Brewery).  Should be referred to as a “Crap” brewery.

We tasted mostly IPA’s, especially the Tuppers Hop Pocket Ale, which was the first of that we’ve had in nearly a year.  It is now being brewed by the St. George Brewing Company based in Hampton, VA.  I thought the beer need a bit of fine tuning to get it back up to par.  We’ll wait and see what happens…

As to the other beers, I did not take notes as I should have.  I will take a recording device to the next one of these tastings I go to.  I do remember having a very complex, i.e. multiple fruits, Hefeweisen and a quite citrusy IPA.  I do know for sure that I enjoyed Otter Creek’s Imperial IPA.  Though I lived in Vermont for a few years as a kid and go up there a couple of times a year I have never been that hot on Otter Creek.  I have always like the Wolaver’s IPA.

Bottom line, we spend a nice afternoon at a great location, in gorgeous weather, amongst a great crowd, sampling a few very tasty craft brews!