Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Tom W]

I love a good pilsner. I enjoy almost type of beer (save for the wheat beer bullshit), but an easy drinking, tasty pilsner is must have for your lineup -- especially for the day drinkers among us!

Of course. All the traditional styles have their merits and it comes down to personal preferences. The problem is that the snobs scream the loudest and as a result, this wild and crazy shit has taken over the taps and stocks at most stores. There are some great craft lagers out there- Great Lakes Dortmunder and the Old Nations Helles or Pils, for example. But almost every place that I've gone for a pizza/burger etc is so heavily weighed down with IPAs that I've ended up drinking a lot more PBRs than I would like to admit.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Dortmunder is a great beer of that style. At least around Cleveland, there's plenty of places where it might be the only craft beer on tap.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Although Great Lakes pumps out a lot of mediocre stuff now, their basic lineup (Dortmunder, Edmund Fitzgerald, Commodore Perry, etc.) is still strong. I am personally fond of Lake Erie Monster and Chillwave (both IPAs). And Christmas Ale obviously, though it's changed a lot over the years and better versions than others.

[iam416]

Dortmunder, Fitzgerald and Burning River are great. Conways is my favorite seasonal. Christmas Ale is garbage

[Tom W]

Agree- and I'll vouch for Eliot Ness as well.
Now if we can just get Fat Heads up here in Whitmeristan..

[AlabamAlum]

We have several craft brewers in the area that are good: Good People, TrimTab, Ghost Train, most notably. We might need to arrange a beer exchange.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Agree- and I'll vouch for Eliot Ness as well.
Now if we can just get Fat Heads up here in Whitmeristan..

FatHead's is in my personal Top 3 in Ohio even though I know they technically started in Pittsburgh. For a brewery that makes a ton of different styles, their track record with me is almost flawless. Tom I think you've said you stop at the North Olmsted location on occasion? Every time I go in I think this might be the time I try one of the guest taps and nope, I never do. They do a great job of keeping fan favorites available while still sprinkling in new things to try.

[Jeff Buchanan]

In COVID news of little interest to anyone here so fair warning stop here .......

Ha, got ya. The CDC has relaxed some of it's dictates that have essentially shut the cruise lines down for over a year. Yes, they are operating in certain areas of the globe but it's meager and not anywhere near enough to cover their massive losses. Stock valuations have plummeted.

Of course it's complicated and confusing as hell but that's typical for CDC guidance. Have you visited their web-page lately to try to understand their current position on COVID and mitigation measures for all areas that these morons have stuck their faces into? Not possible. 100s of pages of undecipherable and illogical bull-shit.

As I reported previously, the state of FL sued HHS and the CDC. Fundamentally, the suit alleges CDC over-reach and that the shit they've done to the cruise industry and by extension the FL economy is unlawful. I'm not a lawyer but the logic in the 5 elements that make up the suit is crystal clear. FL asked the federal district court of middle FL for and obtained an expedited hearing and that will occur on May 12th.

I have no doubt that the law suit was a factor in the CDC stepping back from its unworkable plan supposedly to get cruise ships operating from US ports again. Still, the announcement made yesterday evening and that contained portions of a letter provided to the cruise lines detailing the changes to their Conditional Sail Order (CSO) published last October is just more complicated BS. The takeaway from all this is? ....... The CDC and the morons that are the face of it are getting backed into a corner and not just on the cruise line stuff. What we're seeing is a government agency trying to gracefully pull-back on what their legal advisors in the Justice Department have told them are probably unlawful regulations of the cruise industry with impacts on various state's economies.

This is small potatoes in the big scheme of government things but it is refreshing, once again, to see the actual law impose reason and sensibility to government over-reach ..... I know this won't convince Hanni that anything good is happening in that regard.

[Dr. Strangelove]

We have several craft brewers in the area that are good: Good People, TrimTab, Ghost Train, most notably. We might need to arrange a beer exchange.

A lot of beer from the Deep South doesn't get distributed up here. Out of region I see much more from the East Coast, Colorado, or West Coast. Pretty sure I've never had anything from a brewery in Alabama, Missippippi, or Arkansas...and prob the only thing from Louisiana has been Abita.

[CGVT]

We have several craft brewers in the area that are good: Good People, TrimTab, Ghost Train, most notably. We might need to arrange a beer exchange.

I brewed for quite a few years and have made a bevy of different styles. I made a vanilla porter that won some awards. Brewed it once and probably couldn't replicate it. I made a mosaic hop IPA that I always had on tap that was a crowd pleaser. I made a lot of different IPAs some cream ales, different style stouts and porters, Altbiers etc etc. I don't like sours and am not a fan of Hefes. I like a good balanced pale ale. Sierra Nevada is the gold standard of west coast hopped pale ale. Good People brews a great pale ale. Sweetwater 420 is a passable sub and around here is almost always on tap. I like some of the East Coast style IPAs are pretty tasty. Creature Comforts Tropicalia is about as good as they get.

I am in the process of getting rid of my "brewery". A 4 tap kegerator, fermentation chamber, an assortment of keggles, corny kegs, pumps, hoses, jockey box, beer gun, CO2 tanks and regulators

I have come to the conclusion that if I want to keep my weight down, I a can only drink beer occasionally. It's not worth having all of that gear and invest the time and effort to brew for an occasional beer.

It's too bad. I really like beer and made some great brews

[lineygoblue]

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[Tom W]

FatHead's is in my personal Top 3 in Ohio even though I know they technically started in Pittsburgh. For a brewery that makes a ton of different styles, their track record with me is almost flawless. Tom I think you've said you stop at the North Olmsted location on occasion? Every time I go in I think this might be the time I try one of the guest taps and nope, I never do. They do a great job of keeping fan favorites available while still sprinkling in new things to try.

Yes, I make it a point to stop there every time we pass by that area. Everything about that place - beer, food, atmosphere- always assures me that THIS is how a brewpub should be.

[iam416]

I believe Chairman Joe mentioned last night or very recently that he is going to ban Menthol cigarettes presumably by executive order. First, I find that hilarious as a matter of Constitutional powers. Second, the reason for the ban is because menthol cigarettes have a disparate impact on AAs. Or, put another way, AAs really love menthol cigarettes. That's the stated reason.

Charles Cooke rips this incoherency apart. https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/...c-menthol-ban/

The proposed "law" literally targets AAs. Specifically. This is literally a "rule on drugs" that is intentionally targeting AAs. Now, of course, Chairman Joe's reasons are, of course, standard White Prog beneveolence -- we must protect the poor AAs from themselves. But, imagine for a second -- just try to imagine -- that a black market for menthols develops. I realize it's unheard of for such things to develop for illegal drugs -- but bear with me. So, a black market develops for menthols. Presumably, it'll be a crime to distribute menthols. Presumably there will be some distinction between having one menthol and 30 cartons. But, the latter will still be subject to punishment of some sort -- if the rule is to have any force. And that rule INTENTIONALLY TARGETS AAs for punishment.

Now, perhaps he just wants to ban the manufacture of Menthols. Ok, well, let's assume that crazy black market idea again. The costs associated with menthols just went through the roof -- again, the targets are AAs.

But, fortunately Chairman Joe knows what's best for AAs (and all of us). Black folks, though, should simply bask in his paternal wisdom. That is, of course, why Uncle Tim is so hated -- he refuses to simply bask in the wisdom of his white leaders.

[Hannibal]

We should base al of the policies of all three branches of government entirely upon whether certain maladies or benefits disproportionately affect women and minorities.

[lineygoblue]

If Chairman Joe would have tried to outlaw Kool's cigarettes back in the 60's and 70's, even the most devoted AA's would have demanded he resign. Most black folks I knew back then who smoked ALWAYS smoked Kool's or Newport's.