Your Taproom Is Changed FOR-EV-ER

Drinking & Thinking - Issue 11

My Cardboard Cutout Is About To Get Kicked Out For Creepness

Off Color Brewing is doing cutouts in their beer garden (kinda like baseball has been doing with cutouts of actual fans in the stands instead of people). Well, they at least have a cutout of Allagash Brewing’s Rod Tod (excellent name).

I think it’s cool. I’ve never been to Chicago’s Off Color, but maybe I should get one for fun. Would they deem a beer podcaster to be worthy? Doubtful.

But if they did, and if Off Color really wants my cutout to be as realistic as possible, they’d place it in the corner, alone, and looking at the Untappd video board to see my check-in pop up.

But really, I am so into this. I would also be into a webcam feed of a taproom (not just Off Color but anybody) that is serving to-go beer and seating people outside. Maybe put the feed up on a screen in my garage or patio, just to give a sense that I’m out and about.

I also might need to do a mental health check. I’m getting pretty weird and it’s only the first segment of D & T.

Modern Times Opens, Goofy Approves

This new taproom opening from Modern Times in Anaheim could not have come at a more weird time. But it looks beautiful.

First: COVID-19. Second: Problems at Modern Times with layoffs and things. But what the hell!? Might as well open because it would be a shame to waste this:

Very L.A. indeed. Modern Times and Stone Brewing are the only other folks that can seem to pull off beer places like these. I will look forward to going when it’s safe and I need a beer break from Disneyland.

One has to wonder if a pool and a lot of beer is a good idea. Should be interesting to watch, anyway. It can be fun at my house, let me tell ya.

How can a beer garden in such a beautiful place like Juneau, suck?

Yep. I have reached the point in my five months of staying home (with the exception or work and picking up food and beer) where I tear apart beer gardens because of a fence.

I feel Alaskan Brewing’s beer garden leaves one feeling underwhelmed. In part because of the ugly, green, cyclone fence.

Juneau looks incredibly beautiful but Alaska Brewing’s patio does not reflect it.

Oh well, researching the taproom left me with a new respect for Alaskan Brewing. They have been doing the indie beer thing since the 80s and have managed to keep doing it to this day. Most would have sold out in some way by now but it doesn’t seem like Alaska has.

Time to buy a six-pack of Icy Bay IPA, next chance I get. Full post about it here.

Things Are As Weird As They Were During Prohibition … I’m Guessing

Did you know that women were not allowed in most bars before Prohibition? But during Prohibition, women (and even kids) were allowed into a speakeasy because, hey, there were no real rules anyway since they were already breaking the law.

After drinking was made legal again, they kept the ‘women allowed in bars thing’ because they realized that, yes, it is hella more interesting having women around.

Seriously, what in bloody hell was wrong with dudes back then? Besides the obvious asshole behavior of disrespecting women like that, there is no way drinking with only people you are NOT attracted to, is somehow fun!

I found out this fact and others by reading this article: “How Prohibition Changed America’s Drinking Culture” which you can read here.

It’s not about beer but about bar culture and how things will be different when things return. An interesting read. I wonder what drinking things that developed during COVID will stay around after it’s over?

Speaking of interesting, I would be really interested in you subscribing to D&T, if you have not done so. Sharing to your friends would be rad too.

Keep safe. Thank you for reading!!

-Mikey