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Monday, February 11, 2013

2/11: Flying Dog's In Heat Wheat

Hi all.  The team I coach is in a tournament now, so it is a hectic week. I am glad that my bocce team had a bye tonight, otherwise there might not be a post this week.  Seriously, tomorrow I have a meeting at 6, and basketball practice at 8; Wednesday is our multi-course pre-Valentine's Day dinner; Thursday is a basketball game; Friday is Card Party!; Saturday we have both a league game and a tournament game.  So enough about the rest of my life, you've probably come here for the beer...

In last week's post I mentioned beers that I had had, without saying anything about them.  Let me now talk about some of the beers that I've had in February...

 Trader Joe's 2012 Vintage Ale:
They say...
Drawing upon centuries-old Trappist Monk brewing traditions, the Belgian-style dark ale is bottle conditioned on lees (aged in the bottle on fresh yeast). This year, it results in finely structured brew that presents rich, malty (mildly sweet) flavor, with notes of cocoa and mulling spices.

My reaction...
Being a "dark ale" I was surprised that it wasn't black or brown, but rather reddish/golden.  At 9% abv, it was a winter warmer, that was bubbly and spicy and a bit sweet.  It had red wine notes.  So their was a mulled wine aspect to this beer.  An interesting beer.

Killian's Irish Red:
It is a lager, and it tasted largely like a mainstream lager.  The difference was that the malt was slightly roasted, which showed up in some slight "toast" and "caramel" notes on the tongue and accounted for the reddish color of the beer.  But it looks more different than it tastes.

Is a Mexican lager.  The brand is not a craft beer.  It is a beer designed for quenching a thirst on a hot day, or cooling your mouth down after eating some spicy food.  It is not very popular with Anglos in America, but the brand is popular with Mexicans and Mexican Americans.  Tecate sponsors several Mexican soccer teams and advertises primarily on Spanish-language television.  But they are starting to advertise to Anglos with the tag line... "It's not beer, it's cerveza."  Can the guy who wrote "Foster's, it's Australian for beer" sue?

Flying Dog's In-Heat Wheat Hefeweizen:
They say...
Flavor notes: Huge banana and clove notes.

I didn't taste either.  Instead I tasted a subtle cotton candy note on the finish.  It wasn't cloudy like the
hefeweizens I have enjoyed before.  It was a good wheat beer, but it didn't strike me as a hefeweizen.

Happy Valentine's Day.  Have a good week.  Go Raiders!

-Jim from Milwaukee

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

2/6: Five beers in six days

After month #1 of My Year of Beer, I was was tired.  Not tired of drinking beer, but tired of writing about drinking beer.  A post takes about an hour to write, and this is not my whole life or my career.  On Friday, February 1st, I worked until quitting time, walked to my car and found that my car wouldn't start.  I called my wife for a ride because I needed to get to one of my volunteer gigs - the monthly fish fry at my church.  She was able to get me to the fish fry 10 minutes before the doors opened.  (Just 20 minutes late.)  Other volunteers had organized my station, so I was ready to go when the doors opened.  My station?  I sell beverages; bottled water, soda and yes - beer - cans on Miller Genuine Draft and Miller Lite and bottles of the "mystery" Beer of the Month, (BOM).  This month the BOM was Killian's Irish Red.

As the fish fry was wrapping up, one of the guys from the kitchen offered me a cup of the beer they use to batter the fish. (Pabst?) And when the event ended I was able to have one of the BOM's with my fish fry.  Then it was time to go home.  At home we had invited over my home-brewing friends; Jim S. and Jon P. (and their wives) - with whom we are hosting the "Beer Dinner" in June.  Jon and Jim brought beer - as did my father-in-law.  We opened a bottle of Trader Joe's 2012 Vintage Ale and shared its contents.

The next day, after getting my car battery replaced and coaching my basketball team, I attended a sheepshead party that was a fundraiser for my church.  While playing cards I had two bottles of New Glarus' Spotted Cow.

Over the next four days, I had three days of work, two basketball practices, my bocce night and a can of Tecate with dinner tonight.

So let us recap.  I worked a fish fry and attended a sheepshead party in successive nights.   That is why they call me...

-Jim from Milwaukee

Thursday, January 31, 2013

1/31: Milwaukee Brewing's Booyah Farmhouse Ale

So my "Year of Beer" ends month number one with Booyah, a farmhouse ale from the Milwaukee Brewing Company.  (My first beer from the city of Milwaukee.)  Farmhouse ales are also known as "saisons."  These beers, which originated in the southern Belgian countryside, were typically brewed in the spring.  According to MJ, they "had to be sturdy enough to last for some months, but not too strong to be a summer and harvest thirst quencher." (Companion, p. 125)  But Booyah is year-round beer for Milwaukee Brewing

MJ describes the style as... "refreshingly crisp, tart beers" and "the flavor was heightened by a generous dose of hops, and perhaps spices." (p. 125)  To me, it tastes somewhere in between a summer wheat/white beer and a hoppy ale.  According to the brewery's website, one of the owners explains that Booyah was named after a soup/gathering-centered-around-eating-the-soup.  He said that the soup is made with a long list of ingredients, and their farmhouse ale is too.

It is a fine beer.  The spices (if there are any) are subtle.  It starts out slightly fruity and ends on a hoppy note.  As I have said before "hoppy" is not my favorite taste in beer, but it might be yours.  It rates a 3.

-Jim from Milwaukee

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

1/30: Potosi Fiddler Oatmeal Stout

I am drinking differently now, and differently than I thought I would.  Tonight, among the thoughts about the taste of the beer (is that toasted cherry?), I am thinking "how is this stout any different than a porter?"  Luckily, I have MJ to help me on my journey.  In Companion, he says that in the heyday of porters, brewers would make several different strengths of porters, and the fuller-bodied ones became known as stouts.(p. 170)  Fiddler has 8% abv, so I suppose it qualifies as a stout, even if it is the only porter/stout that the brewery makes.  But this one isn't just a stout, it is an oatmeal stout.  And oatmeal stouts are considered to be a more nutritious than "regular" stouts.

MJ claims that a comment he wrote in a  1977 book resurrected the oatmeal stout style.  According to MJ, "Brewers with vague recollections of having made the style in the 1950s maintain that they used up to 15% oats." (p. 187)  But because oats gelatinize and make mashing difficult - and because "oats in the lower single figures" influence the taste, MJ doesn't think an oatmeal stout needs that high a percentage of oats. (p. 187)  Potosi Brewery in Potosi, Wisconsin agrees with him, they use 10% oats in this seasonal beer.

It was good.  A 3 on my scale.  There is nothing wrong with this beer.  It had the dark roasted caramel, coffee, chocolate, toasted fruit flavors that are typically found in a porter or stout, but if the oats imparted a "firm, smooth, silky body" to the beer (p. 187), I missed that.  (It is much subtler than the rye beers.)  But if they snuck healthy oatmeal into my beer without me noticing, then these brewers from the southwest corner of my state are to be commended.

As I approach the end of my first month of my year of beers, I am contemplating changes.  I can find time to drink a beer every day, but finding the time to write about them has been more difficult.  It often takes an hour to write a post.  I am losing sleep on some nights.  Maybe I will cut back on my posts.  Of course, things like illness, coaching or international travel may interfere with my ability to drink a beer everyday.  We will see how it goes, but I guarantee that I will post tomorrow with my 31st beer of January, 2013.  Or my name isn't...

-Jim from Milwaukee

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

1/29: Redd's Apple Ale

Redd's Apple Ale
Well I knew it would be different, and since the weather was unseasonably warm, I figured that I would drink a beer out of season too.  Today's beer is Redd's Apple Ale.  (If you have seen the movie "Rock of Ages," let me say "Double the "d," Double the "p" - Double the flava.")   The bottle says it is made by Redd's Brewing Company, Albany, Georgia.  Their website says nothing.  The only content is a "store locator" that doesn't currently work.

I did some digging and discovered that SAB Miller acquired this Polish label and decided to bring it to America.  It was first rolled out primarily in the south, and is now becoming available in the midwest.  In fact these markets are going to see this 15 second commercial during the Super Bowl.  I guess this is my week to be timely with MillerCoors products.

So in paragraph three, I suppose I should start discussing the actual beverage.  In a press release they said, "The beer is 'Crisp like an Apple. Brewed like an ale.' This is no cider, it’s a golden ale with red apple hints."  I poured it in my glass, it fizzed like soda, there was no head.  I tasted it and I detected no ale taste.  I beg to differ with you marketing copywriter person; this is a cider.  Don't get me wrong - I like cider and I'll give it a 3 - but it really doesn't belong in my year of beers.

-Jim from Milwaukee

Limited Bibliography

Monday, January 28, 2013

1/28: Goose Island Mild Winter

After yesterday's tasty beer made with rye, I thought I'd try another today in Goose Island's Mild Winter.  The label describes it as "American mild ale brewed with rye," and that is what it is.  This is an ale with some rye bread-y notes.  It isn't bad, but it doesn't create the same magic with the rye that Canoe Paddler did.  But still, a solid 3.

But the label that so clearly described the beer also confused me.  Was this the same Goose Island Brewing Company that made 312 Urban Wheat Ale?  "312" is Chicago's area code, and Goose Island is a Chicago beer... but this Goose Island says "Brewed and Bottled... in Baldwinsville, New York."  The Chicago Tribune set me straight; Goose Island was purchased by Anheuser-Busch a few years back and starting in the second half of 2012, Chicago's Goose Island is going nationwide - being brewed at A-B plants from Colorado to New Hampshire, including their facility in Baldwinsville, NY.

I prefer this truth in labeling to just printing the address of the home office.  The consumer has the information, and can decide if they care that Chicago's beer is now being brewed elsewhere.  And they can also judge if quality control is up to their personal standards.  Does NY's Goose Island taste the same as CO's, and taste the same as the original.  Granted a bunch of long-time fans are likely to come to the knee-jerk conclusion that only Chicago's Goose Island (or Chippewa Falls' Leinie's, etc.) is the real deal and the others are impostors, so I understand why a brewery might not be as revealing.  But at the end of day, beer is a food product and I want to know both where and when it was brewed.  Kudos to Goose Island for clearly labeling the bottled date of this beer as 11/10/12, as well as saying it is "brewery fresh" for 180 days after that date.  I much prefer that than giving an expiration date, or worse yet a coded bottled date.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

1/27: Leinenkugel's Canoe Paddler

imageThis beer is so new that - as of this writing - it does not appear on Leinie's website, and this beer doesn't have enough ratings at ratebeer to qualify for a score.  This is a new seasonal (spring - summer) beer for Leinie's.

That aside, it is a Kolsch-style beer, brewed with rye.  That description led me back to my periodic chart of beers and to MJ's Companion.  Kolsch is a golden ale popularized in Cologne, Germany.  The beer's name comes from the name of its city (Koln, in German).  The beer is "as pale as a pilsner, but with the fruitiness of an ale, Cologne's beer has its own teasing delicacy." (Companion, p. 153)  It is listed as an mixed style, in column XIV, in the chart - a type of Alt beer, but Wikipedia says that Altbier is from Dusseldorf, and while it tastes very similar the rivalry between the two cities probably means that in Cologne they view Altbier and a type of Kolsch.  Regardless, MJ calls it "clean tasting, remarkably light-bodied, soft and drinkable, only faintly fruity..." (p. 154)  This is not a sipping winter beer. I could see drinking a couple at a a ball game.

MJ says that in Cologne, brewers might use up to 15% wheat to get a little more fruitiness, but that this is a "delicate style" without many "dramatic differences" across breweries. (p. 154)  The rye in Canoe Paddler might be dramatic by Cologne standards, but it works.  The rye comes through in the finish, and it lends the beer an added depth of flavor.  I suppose if you don't like rye, you won't like this beer.  To my taste buds, it tastes like a light rye bread.  It would also pair well with a fish fry or a corned-beef sandwich.

I give it a high "3."  No.  I take that back.  I am craving one right now.  This is a "4."

Jim from Milwaukee

Saturday, January 26, 2013

1/26: Alaskan Brewery's Winter

Here is another beer with a gimmick; Alaskan Brewery's Winter - an ale brewed with spruce tips.  They claim that this is a old ale, like Rocky's Revenge - "Style: English Olde Ale. Traditionally malty with the warming sensation of alcohol."

I am not tasting the alcohol, or any warming sensation.  But I am tasting the spruce.  Ironically, it has more alcohol by volume that Rocky's Revenge has (6.4% vs. 6.0%), but it doesn't taste like liquor, instead it tastes like a pine-y ale.  Obnoxious, but not too obnoxious that I want to pour it down the drain.  I will be able to finish this one, but it is not a favorite.  I'll give it a low three.

They say that brewing with spruce tips is an Alaskan tradition that goes back to the late 1700s.  There is something to be said for using traditional local ingredients, but this strikes me as a gimmick.

-Jim from Milwaukee

Friday, January 25, 2013

1/25: Shiner Bock

We moseyed out to a Texas smokehouse barbecue this evening, so I thought I'd have a Texas beer.  They had Shiner Bock on tap, so that is what I ordered.  It came out even flatter than the picture.

They say that everything is bigger in Texas, but apparently they overlooked "flavor."  Their website describes the beer as having, "a mellow taste free of the bitter aftertaste found in many micro, specialty and imported beers."  I think they wanted a comma between "taste" and "free," but those two words are appropriate.  It was an attractive dark amber color, that somehow came across as cold, beer-flavored water.  There would have to be no other beer alternatives for me to drink this way again, but it didn't taste bad - it just didn't taste like much.

-Jim from Milwaukee

Thursday, January 24, 2013

1/24: Tyranena Brewery's Rocky's Revenge

Rocky's Revenge is a dark brown ale that I could feel warming my throat as I drank it.  Since the name Rocky's Revenge doesn't give a clue as to its variety, my senses - honed by research and 24 days of experience drinking new beers - told me this was a porter.  It was dark, caramel-y, and warming like a porter.  It actually tasted like a hard alcohol, which was not like any porter I had tasted to this point.  A quick trip to the internet led me to a site that called it Bourbon Brown Ale.  The fine print on the label said it's "an American brown ale with a portion aged in bourbon barrels."  So that explains the liquor notes I tasted.

In Ultimate, MJ, (you remember "the King of Hop(s)"), classifies some porters, stouts and ales as "Sociable Beers" while others are classified  as "Winter Warmers."  He says of these ales "...often dark brown ales, usually malt-accented, sweet, and relatively full-bodied but only medium-to-strong in alcohol are typically regarded as winter warmers." (p.110)  This beer has a 6.0% abv which is in the range of his highlighted "Old Ales" in his "Winter Warmers" chapter.  But this beer is not seasonal. Tyranena makes only six beers year round and this and Chief BlackHawk Porter are among these year-round beers, with a scotch ale and an oatmeal stout among their six seasonal brews.

I like this beer.  It is different in a subtle and good direction.  I'm still giving it a 3, but I am looking forward to trying more from Tyranena.

Jim from Milwaukee

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

1/23: Samuel Adams' Winter Lager

So here is one of those beers that Bell's Winter White Ale is countering; Sam Adams' Winter Lager.  It is a reddish, roasted malt beer brewed with spices.  They say "The cinnamon, ginger, and hint of citrus from the orange peel blend with the roasty sweetness of the malts to deliver a warming, spicy flavor."  I am glad they told me what spices because I couldn't have named them.

It tastes like a medium-bodied brown ale.  It drinks like a medium-bodied brown ale.  It is good.  A three in my rating system.

Readers, I am starting to run out of beer in the house, so I am looking for suggestions.  What should I drink next?

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

1/22: Bell's Winter White Ale

As I mentioned yesterday, most winter beers that I have come across tend to be dark in color.  With roasted malts that give the beer coffee and toasted caramel notes to warm a drinker on a cold winter's night.  Yesterday's winter beer was orange, today's - Bell's Winter White Ale - is a more typical amber color.  The difference is intentional.  According to their site; it was designed to be "a lighter yet abundantly flavorful alternative to the traditional heavy winter warmers."

In other words... "if you are tired of the porters and stouts, we brew a summer wheat ale - but only in the winter time."  And because it is a Belgian-styled wheat/white beer, we call it Winter White and put a picture of a white snow-covered forest on the label.  Aren't we clever!

In general, I like wheat beers, but this one - not so much.  The overwhelming sweetness that I couldn't stand in Shakparo is hinted at here.'s readers gave it an 86, gave it a B, but noted a "grape bubblegum" flavor and I suppose others might like that.  It is ok enough to earn a 3, but just barely.

Jim from Milwaukee

Monday, January 21, 2013

1/21: Capitol Brewing's Winter Skal

While there was celebrating at the capitol in DC today, I drank my second beer from Capitol Brewing in my state capitol of Madison: Winter Skal.  (I apologize for not being able to replicate the little circle over the "a" in Skal.)

I expected a "winter beer" to be darker, but as their website says, the beer has "a warm amber hue."  Personally, I thought it was orange.  Skal, from what I can find on the internet, is not a style of beer, only a Scandinavian toast to good fortune and good health.

So how did they discribe this beer?  "A full bodied beer with a warm amber hue showing off its rich malt heritage. Mildly bittered featuring a hop presence that compliments and rounds out the malt overtones."  They say the used 4 types of malts in this brew, Brewers, Munich, Caramel and Honey.  I didn't taste full-bodiness or complex flavors.  I am not sure if it is an ale or a lager.  (Though my money is on "ale.")  For me the brew was kind of boring.  It had one taste, and it was a hoppy taste.

It didn't do much for me.  It was just another beer.  (That is a "3" for those of you scoring at home.)  It wasn't bad, but it didn't make much of an impression at all... except for the fact that it was orange.

Jim from Milwaukee

Sunday, January 20, 2013

1/20: Capitol Brewing's Weizen

Yesterday's sheepshead party, spilled into this morning.  So I am counting my last beer of the party as today's beer.  It was Weizen by Madison, WI's Capitol Brewing Company.

It is a seasonal beer, with the season being summer, so this beer was likely 6 months old. I found it refreshingly light and fruity after the dark lagers, but it was a bit sweeter than I like. Their website says "a unique yeast provides spicy bubblegum, banana, clove flavor notes." Maybe it was the bubblegum notes that pushed it into the "not a preferred beer" range.  Still a 3, just a less preferred version of a favorite style of mine.

I will be having a fresher example of a Capitol beer soon when I drink a Winter Skal that I acquired in a Christmas 9 pack of winter beers.

-Jim from Milwaukee

Saturday, January 19, 2013

1/19: Guinness Black Lager

Smithwick's (I hear it pronounced like "Smith-icks") is a red ale and Ireland's oldest ale.   If past sheepshead parties at the McCauley's are any indication, I will be enjoying one or two of these fine beers tonight.

When I spend the night socializing late in to the evening, what else can I do but write my post earlier in the day? I suppose I could be having a beer now, at 3 in the afternoon. But I actually don't drink a lot of beer, and don't want to start now. One (or occasionally two) per day is enough. I'd rather have one quality beer than many inferior beers. I propose a toast - To moderation!

I'll come back tomorrow with my tasting notes and my rating (odds are it will be a "3".)

1/20: Update: When I entered the party, the first person I saw drinking a beer was drinking out of a Smithwick's glass, but alas there was no Smithwick's on hand.  But the McCauley's represented Irish beers well with two Guinness selections: cans of their famous stout, and bottles of their black lager.  I chose the lager because I couldn't recall having had it before.

It was good.  Roasted malted barley imparting the usual caramel/coffee flavors in a smooth tasting lager.  A definite 3.

I was at the party for 6 hours and had three beers in that time; two of the Black Lagers and a Weizen by Madison, WI's Capitol Brewing Company.  As for the sheepshead, after 4 rounds I was in 7th place out of 16, so I just missed the money table (top 6).  A fun night.

-Jim from Milwaukee

Friday, January 18, 2013

1/18: Howe Sound Rail Ale Nut Brown

Today's beer is my first Canadian beer of the year. Howe Sound Brewery is located in Squamish, BC, a 45 minute drive north of Vancouver on Howe Sound, the southern-most fjord in North America. Besides the brewery, they have a brew pub and a 20 room inn. I don't know how comfortable their beds are, but they make a good brown ale. The brown in the ale comes from roasting the malted barley, and they want people to know that this beer's malt is 100% barley. The roasting imparts a coffee and caramel flavors to the beer. The label mentions hints of chocolate and licorice as well, but I guess I didn't take the hint. I did find it smooth, creamy and flavorful. A 3 in my book.

British Columbia and the American Pacific Northwest is a prime hops growing region and with good mountain water, local hops and barley the brewery strives to have "zero effect on the environment."  As part of their Eco Push initiative they get their spent grain to local farms for animal feed and composting, but what the beer buyer will notice is their 1 liter sized resealable and reusable bottles.  It is big enough to share, but resealable so you don't have to share.  All of their beers seem to come in this type of brown bottle.  Speaking of their other beers - they make 17 - 7 year round, and 10 seasonals.  The Nut Brown ale is a year-round variety.  I need to look for their King Heffy Imperial Hefeweizen this summer, because their description of it mentions banana.

Another thing to like about this brewery is that the tout their relationship with John Mitchell, a man they call "the grandfather of micro-brewing in Canada."  They say that Mitchell was one of the initiators of the craft brewing renaissance in 1980.  A chart I was sent yesterday by a reader, shows that 1980 was indeed the start of this trend.  In the late 1970s their were only 89 breweries in the entire United States, and now there are over 2,100.

Jim from Milwaukee

Thursday, January 17, 2013

1/17: Blue Moon Winter Abbey Ale

See my post from the 9th to learn about "Abbey Style Ales." This particular variety is a "single" and is really good. Its alcohol content is only 5.6% abv, compared to last week's triple's 8.4% abv., as you would expect since single, double and triple refer to alcohol content.

This beer is a golden brown and red color, and poured with a better head than is pictured, but the foam quickly dissipated. The flavor was smooth and carmel-y without being overly sweet. The bottle says it is brewed "with roasted malts, Belgian sugar and a touch of wheat." That would explain the carmel and the smoothness. The label says there is "a smooth toffee finish." I didn't pick up on that, but you might. It is definately one would have again, so a 3.

Now I want to talk about the brewery, Blue Moon. It is part of the Tenth and Blake Beer Company - a craft brewing division of what is now MillerCoors.

What do I think about multi-national conglomerates making craft beers? If you make a good beer, I don't care how big you are. They use their distribution networks to get in to bars and grocery stores across the country, and good for them... as long as the local breweries also get to represent at these establishments. And in my town the true little guys get to compete in the marketplace. In some ways, the Blue Moons of the world can serve as a gateway to true Belgians or other small craft beers. It is a good time to drink beer. Craft beers are gaining marketshare (at the expense of the mega-lagers) and consumers like me are learning to appreciate different styles of beer. Blue Moon and Leinenkugel are brands that can help MillerCoors hold overall marketshare when High-Life and Coors Light take a dip. It is good business. And as long as it is good beer and alongside true micro-brews, I believe it is good for beer drinkers.

Jim from Milwaukee

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

1/16: Sprecher's Shakparo

Shakparo is a gluten-free beer. Instead of wheat or barley, the grains used are sorghum and millet. It looks like the ales and lagers that I am used to, with a bright golden color. It smells like beer too. But the taste... I'll let Sprecher tell it...

"An unfiltered, light, crisp ale with a cider or fruit profile and a dry vinous aftertaste..."

"Vinous" means "related to wine" or "wine-like," but if it meant vine-like or grass-y, then they would have described what I tasted. In every mouthful I had three distinct flavors; at first ale, then apple juice-y sweetness, and lastly the lingering taste of dry grass. The grass-y aftertaste was not pleasant, but much preferred over the overly sweet apple juice flavor. The only part of the flavor that I liked - the ale stage, was the one that lasted the briefest.

It is a West African style of beer - a region of the world where wheat and barley don't readily grow.  It was first brewed for Milwaukee's African World Fest, but being glutten-free meant people on certain restictive diets could drink beer again.  That audience buys enough of this beer to keep Sprecher brewing it year round.

I am glad that they make beers for people with celiac disease, or other gluten issues, but since I do not have these afflictions, I do not think I will ever have another of these.  I give it a 2.  But God help me, Sprecher makes another gluten-free beer made with bananas, sorghum and millet.  It is called Mbege, and I am thinking that I should try it sometime.  Maybe I am a gluten for punishment.  (Sorry about that.)

-Jim from Milwaukee

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

1/15: Sprecher's Russian Imperial Stout

In Ultimate, (p. 118), MJ calls porters and stouts "winter warmers" and "the most wintry beers of all."  Describing them as "extra-strong, almost tarlike."  In Companion, (p. 189), he defines stouts as "strong porters,"  "brewed strong to travel."  Much of this style when to North Sea ports, where it was popular among Scandinavians and Czarist Russian court, and this is why the variety became known "as Russian Stout and Imperial Stout,"  Ultimate, (p. 118).

"Tar" was the first word that came to my mind when it hit the back of my throat.  Its blackness coated my mouth with a warmness that lingered in my mouth.  As for flavor, I agree with MJ, "tar-like notes with 'burnt' fruitiness and alcoholic warmth," (Companion, p.189).  I like his description, "the fruitiness is reminiscent of the burnt currants on the edge of a cake that has just been removed from the oven."  In my head it was somewhere between cherry and raisin, and I think currant fits the bill.  There is a hint of sweetness, but I wouldn't call it sweet.

When it comes to the alcoholic part of the equation, MJ describes  one variety as "whiskey-ish," another as "rummy" and yet another as "sherry-ish."  I fear I don't have enough experience with these beverages to classify Sprecher's variety.  Its alcohol content is high; 7.9% abv, but it is lower that that of the two imperials that MJ spotlights in Ultimate; one being 8.9, and the other 10.0 abv.

Yes, I'd gladly have another (3) on a cold winter's day (or night.)

Jim from Milwaukee

Monday, January 14, 2013

1/14: Sapporo Premium Beer

Tonight we ate at a Japanese restaurant, so I took the opportunity to have a Japanese beer.  I had options but I chose the brand that I was most familiar with; Sapporo - and I was served a Sapporo Premium.  Sometimes known as Sapporo Black Label.

The Japanese drink a lot of beer and happoshu - a lower malt beverage (grain less than 67% malt).  My guess is that this beer (which may have been brewed at their brewery in Guelph, Ontario, Canada) contained some rice.  According to Wikipedia, Europeans in the 17th Century started making beer in Japan to supply European sailors and the locals found that they liked it.  This isn't to surprising since sake - coming from a grain - is a variant of beer. (Ultimate, p. 11)  Sapporo was started in 1876 by a Japanese brewer who was trained in Germany.

It is an imported lager, but it doesn't have that skunky taste I found in last week's Peroni.  It starts with a hoppy bouquet that quickly gives way to a crisp, dry finish.  It's solid if unspectacular.  And if you have been following this blog, (Hi Mary), my next sentence should not surprise you.  I rate it a 3 - I'd have another.  While I expected "3" to be my most common rating, I didn't expect 80% or more of the beers to earn a three.  I guess when I choose a beer, style is a much more important factor than brand.  Different styles are appropriate in different settings, and keeping that in mind - almost every beer I have tried I feel has a context where I might like another.

Speaking of context, Sapporo is a taste of Japan, but it is firmly in the European tradition.  So I can see why you might order one in a Japanese restaurant, but in a liquor store or grocery store or even a cooler at a tailgate... whenever you are looking for a "beer" - instead of a "Japanese beer" - I am not sure why you'd want to choose a Sapporo Premium.  Unless you really like Budweiser, but you are trying to appear more worldly.

-Jim from Milwaukee

Sunday, January 13, 2013

1/13: Chameleon's Witty

WWitty, a wheat ale brewed with spices.  Like yesterday's 312 wheat ale, this one looks like lager.  But I would never confuse these two due to the spices.

These spices are right up front and in your face.  But what spices are they?  I could identify a lemon-y back end due to the yeast, but I couldn't identify the overpowering spiciness.  Maybe ginger, maybe rosemary, something sharp and bold.  So off to the internet I went.  The answer was "grains of paradise, coriander and orange peel."  I have had "Belgian White" beers with coriander and orange peel before, so the "different" thing must be "grains of paradise."

Wikipedia (the previous link) says grains of paradise is an African spice in the ginger family that is rarely used in America except in some beers.  Also the article says that it can be used as a substitute for black pepper.  I can see that now.  An hour after I finished the beer, I can now identify a peppery tingle in my mouth.

Okay, so now that I know what that taste is, what do I think of it?  I think others might like this beer, but it isn't for me.  So that is a 2 on my rating scale.

Now on to "Chameleon Brewing Company, Glendale, Wisconsin."  I bought this beer at the gift shop at Sprecher in Glendale when I purchased the another non-Sprecher brew brewed in Glendale, Bucky Blonde. Bucky was attributed to Lithia Brewing, so I figured it was brewed under contract by Sprecher.  Maybe that isn't the case, because that is not true of Chameleon.  According to their website, Chameleon was founded by Randy Sprecher.  So Sprecher Brewery is making and selling Chameleon for Randy Sprecher.  Maybe these off labels are trying to be bold and be loved by a few, and that is a noble effort, but they don't connect with me.

Saturday, January 12, 2013

1/12: Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat Ale

Tonight I spent the evening in a sports bar to watch a football playoff game.  I knew I was going to be there for a few hours and a few beers, so I chose a beer variety that wasn't too heavy.  Besides their usual selections, they were featuring Goose Island's 312 Urban Wheat Ale and Milwaukee Brewing's Polish Moon Porter.  I had a Polish Moon at the end of last year - and it is a good beer - but the wheat ale seemed like the better choice.  It was a good choice.

When I made my choice, but before my first taste, I joked about the name.  What makes it an URBAN wheat ale, bits of asphalt?  Goose Island says it has "densely populated flavor."  I don't know about that, but is was good.

As you can see in the picture, this beer looks like a lager - and it goes down just as smooth.  There was no hoppy after taste.  It finished very citrus-y/lemon-y.  It was a good beer for the occasion.  I give it a 3.  Although it is a very high 3.

Part of me wonders if my choice of a Chicago beer over a Milwaukee beer, somehow affected the Packers.  But I had already had a couple by the time the Packers tied the game in the 3rd quarter, so I think the Packer defensive struggles were not beer choice related.

- Jim from Milwaukee

Friday, January 11, 2013

1/11: Big Bay Portside Porter

We had my company holiday party tonight at a pizza place just south of downtown.  Being day 11 in MYoB, I wasn't worried about finding a beer there that I hadn't had yet.  But thinking ahead to day 327, I decided to find something off the beaten path.  Their seasonal tap beer was Big Bay Portside.  I had never even heard of the Big Bay Brewery, so I found my beer.  I took out my tasting notebook and a sniffed, sipped and gulped my beer, trying to come up with something to say about it, and I came up with nothing.  No that isn't exactly true.  I wrote "sweet note" and "coffee."  I swear I tasted cherry in one sip, but I couldn't find it again, so maybe I imagined it.  So "hint of cherry" became "sweet note."  And "coffee," well it was a porter, don't they all taste a bit like coffee since the malt is roasted the same way that coffee beans are roasted? (Companion, p. 173)   It was ok, I'd have another, so it rates a 3.  Day 11 and I have nothing to say about a perfectly competent beer.  Maybe that is the problem, I have written about Porters before and since this one didn't suck or wow me what else can I say?

I don't want to drink "extreme beers" just to have something to say... "The habanero peppers worked well with the marshmallow in this Equadorian ale..."  So what can I write about?  Thanks to the internet I now know that Big Bay is a craft brewer with a tasting room and store located on Oakland Avenue in Shorewood (Milwaukee County.)  I was not able to find a website, but did read a press release.  I also read that they don't have a location to brew their own beers, so they contract out their production.

Jim from Milwaukee

Thursday, January 10, 2013

1/10: Point St. Benedict's Winter Ale

The marketing for St. Benedict's Winter Ale says nothing about Belgium or Abbeys.  It does say, it uses "generous amounts of dark roasted malts and the finest noble hops for a robust warming flavor."  The website was designed for serious foodies.  Besides having sections for food and cheese pairings, they even suggest wines that you might want to substitute with their beers.  (Drink this instead of a Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Port.)  They also reveal their malts (2-row, 6-row, Pilsen, Roasted, Aromatic, 2-row Chocolate) and hops (cluster).  I do taste the hops and malts. I am reminded of caramel and a hearty whole-grain bread.

The words "dark" and "chocolate" were used in the previous paragraph - and in a recent post about a porter.  But this beer isn't black like a porter, it is very red - like a 50/50 mix of cherry and apple juices.
Is it any good?  I give it a 3. I'd have another.  It won a silver medal at the 2012 World Beer Championships.  I just looked up what Beer Advocate had to say, they call it an Abbey-style beer and their official taste testers rate it a 90 (exceptional).  I am glad to say that they use the phrases, "burnt sugar" and "toasted bread flavor" which isn't far from my "caramel" and "whole-grain bread."  So I guess my taste buds work.  They also talk about plums and pears, so I guess my taste buds need more excercise.  I now have 355 days left to go in My Year of Beer, so more exercise they will receive.

-Jim from Milwaukee

p.s.  6.2 abv, so not as much alcohol as yesterday's triple.

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

1/9: Sprecher's Abbey Triple

Welcome to Belgium.

OK, this beer was brewed here in Milwaukee County, but this is the first Belgian style ale that I have had in My Year of Beer.  In Companion, MJ lists six types of Belgian ales - one of which is "Trappist."  The Trappist religious order maintains six different monasteries - five in Belgium and one in the Netherlands.  They make about 20 different beers, and only these beers can be called "Trappist."  But if you want to brew a beer in that style - relatively strong, bottle-conditioned, plenty of yeast, fruity and aromatic - you can use the word "Abbey" instead. (pp. 131-133) The "fruit" that I taste is apple, and it has a crispness like an apple cider.  It even looked a bit like apple cider. While with yesterday's red ale, I felt that the malt kept the hops balanced, with this beer, I feel the yeast is accomplishing that task.  So what does "relatively strong" mean?  Well in Ultimate, MJ lists the alcohol content of American Ale, Redhook ESB at 5.4 alcohol by volume (abv), Goose Island's Honker's Ale at 3.8 abv, Franziskaner Kristallklar Weissebier st 5.0 abv... and this Abbey Triple tips the scales at 8.4 abv.    Four of the five Abbey Beers he details in Ultimate are between 8.0 and 9.0 abv.  The other, Orval, is "only" 6.2 abv.  According to MJ, single, double and triple correspond to the strength of the beer.  I'm feeling the triple.

MJ and other beer aficionados take their Belgians very seriously.  In Ultimate, he calls abbey beers aperitifs - a beverage to whet the appetite.   Elsewhere he says, "some of the abbey beers are excellent, characterful brews, but none is a classic." (Companion, p. 133)  Maybe not, but I'd have another of these - so it rates a 3.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

1/8: Berghoff's Reppin Red Ale

The last variety of my Berghoff 12 pack is Reppin Red Ale.  A search for an image to accompany this post found labels for "Famous Red Ale" and "Rock River Red Ale."  It is my guess that all of these Berghoff Red Ales are the same beer.

It is a good beer.  It earns a three.  It was hoppy and malty.  The label here says "a perfect balance of malt and hops."  Marketing speak - but the point is valid that the malt and the hops are both upfront creating loads of flavor, with neither overpowering the other.  I tend to like yeasty and malty beers, more than I do hoppy beers, and for me the hops were kept in check enough that I found it enjoyable.  I am looking forward to tasting other red ales.

-Jim from Milwaukee

Monday, January 7, 2013

1/7: Peroni Nastro Azzurro

I found myself with a few other beer drinkers at an Italian establishment tonight, so I asked the bartender for a Peroni.  The Peroni Brewery is in Rome, and is now owned by SAB Miller.   Wikipedia says that it is the most recognizable beer brand in Italy, and that their Nastro Azzurro (Blue Ribbon) brand is their "premium pale lager."  Mine was served to me in the green bottle without a glass, so I really never got to see it's true color.  But I did get to taste it.

Being a lager, it is light and refreshing when it first hits your taste buds.  It was thirst quenching.  Then comes the aftertaste.  This is where the flavor is located.  I am not sure if it from the hops or the water, but the aftertaste reminds me of many other imports that I have had; I immediately thought of Heiniken and another said it reminded him of Moosehead.  The aftertaste is somewhat "skunky" but not in a totally unpleasant way.  If you've had a few import lagers, I think you know what I am talking about.

It was ok.  I'd have another.  So that rates it a "3" on my scale.

Jim from Milwaukee

Sunday, January 6, 2013

1/6: Berghoff's Straight-Up Hefeweizen

I continue my way through the sampler 12 pack.  Berghoff makes a version of my favorite style of beer - the hefeweiss.  As I have mentioned, the yeast (hefe) usually gives this style of beer a lemon-y/citrus-y flavor.  Berghoffs version does have that flavor, but not enough of it to rate it above a 3.  It is a pleasant enough version of a hefeweiss.  Pleasant; but not special.  There is no "wow-factor."

Three Bergoff's rated and three "3"s awarded.  I don't foresee a pilgrimage to their brewery in Monroe in my immediate future.

Wikipedia said this about the 2006 sale of the Joseph Huber Brewing Company...

"Berghoff beer, Huber's most popular label, will be produced by a new company called Berghoff Brewing Co., which will contract with Mountain Crest to brew the beer at the Monroe plant. The brewery was renamed Minhas Craft Brewery."
The Minhas Craft Brewery's website doesn't mention Berghoff.  But the label still says made in Monroe.  I can't find a website for a Berghoff Brewery, either.  Apparently this is a brand that does little to no marketing and inspires little enthusiasm.  The "Berghoff Brewery" page on facebook is pathetic, with only 104 likes.  In contrast, Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee has over 33,000 likes, and Sprecher in Glendale has over 8,000.
I bought my 12 pack out of a need to supply beer to my New Year's Eve party guests.  It was a mix of interesting sounding flavors at a good price.  The price was kept low in part by limiting marketing.  And while no one wants to pay for marketing campaigns, a total lack of a marketing campaign (no website in 2013?) might lead one to guess the manufacturer has a total lack of enthusiasm for their product.  I believe I am tasting their lack of passion in every glass.
Jim from Milwaukee

Saturday, January 5, 2013

1/5: Berghoff's Sir Dunkle Dark Lager

Yesterday's Dormunder came in a mixed 12 pack of beers from Berghoff.  Today I enjoyed the Sir Dunkle Dark Lager.  The beer was medium bodied, not too heavy, it had coffee and creamy caramel notes.

Referring to yesterday' periodic table graphic, Munich Dunkles is one square below Dormunders.  And while the color and flavor are different, there are similarities.  These two could be every day drinking choices, and a drinker might want to follow one with another.  These aren't beers that you need to sip like the the porter.

According  to MJ, in Companion, dark lagers are associated with Munich and Bohemia.  "This style combines the dryish coffee and licorice notes of dark malts with the roundness and cleanness imparted by a lager yeast."   He goes on to list 5 producers of dark lagers.  Two German, one Czech, and the last two are from... Milwaukee County.  Apparently you don't have to go all the way to Monroe to get a dark lager.  Sprecher's Black Bavarian and Lakefront's East Side Dark Lager are two more examples of this type of beer.

I liked Berghoff's Sir Dunkle.  I'd have another, so I'd rate it a 3.  Which is good because I have one or two more of these in my 12 pack.

-Jim from Milwaukee

Friday, January 4, 2013

1/4: Berghoff's Dortwunder Lager

One of my readers pointed out that I erred yesterday when I classified porters as being distinct from Ales.  Ales are top fermenting beers, while bottom fermenting beers are lagers.  The table above does make this distinction; I-IX are Ales,  X-XIII are Lagers, the bottom varieties are Mixed.  And as you can see porters (VIII) are a subset of ales.

While I will find this classification helpful from here out, my main source of beer knowledge to this point - the King of Hops: Michael Jackson - breaks things down in groups like the roman numerals above do.  There are Wheat Beers, Lambics, Belgian Ales...Scottish Ales, Brown Ales, Porters, Stouts, etc.   I encourage comments on the blog.  Thanks Dan.  Also thanks to Gene for sending me the link to the above "periodic table of beer."

Today's beer is a Dortmunder Styled Lager - #25 on the chart above in column XII; European Lager.  To me it tastes like a Standard American Lager (#24, XI).  So let me compare it to some Milwaukee Lagers you might have tried.  To me Miller High Life is much lighter, less full-bodied than Pabst Blue Ribbon - and this Dortmunder is somewhere in between - probably a little closer to the Pabst end of the spectrum.  MJ says of the style "less fragrant than a true Pilsner , but still dry; firmer in its maltiness than a Munich lager." (Companion, 1993)  He goes on to say that the style was popular in Dortmund, Germany with the men who worked in the coal and steel industries, but when those industries waned, their beer fell out of style.  It became "your parents beer" - totally uncool in the eyes of the younger generation.  It has caught on in the U.S. and Japan.

I grew up with PBR.  Berghoff's Dortwunder Lager tastes to me like "beer."  I like beer.  I'll rate it a 3.

* - Correction: I see now that the call the beer "Dortwunder."  Due to the font used on the bottle I couldn't tell.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

1/3: Leinenkugel's Snowdrift Vanilla Porter

Just like there is no fruit in fruity tasting hefeweisses, there is no chocolate in porters.  The flavor of chocolate comes from the malt. According to MJ in Ultimate, chocolate malts are "kilned at high temperatures without being burned."

The label of this porter declares it to be "a perfect beer to celebrate the winter season.  Complex malt character reveals layers of coffee and cocoa."  So it looks like chocolate, and it tastes a bit like dark chocolate, but it contains no chocolate. Beer is magic.

MJ classified porters (and dry stouts) as sociable beers - meant to be lingered over in a pub.  I found it to be a good beer to accompany my dinner on a cold winter's night.  Not sweet, but full of flavor.  I will rate it a "3" - I'd have another.  It is a good tasting beer.

Since this is my first "dark" beer, I should pass on MJ's note on darker beers; they "are not necessarily fuller in body or stronger in alcohol.  There is no connection between color, fullness and potency.  Color derives from the malt used."  (Ultimate, p. 13)

Jim from Milwaukee

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

1/2: Franziskaner Weissbier

After not liking yesterday's ale, I selected a favorite of mine for day two: a Hefeweiss.  In German, "Hefe" means yeast and "weiss" means white.  According to Ultimate, this style of southern German beer is also known as hefeweizen. "Weizen" is German for wheat.  MJ says, "This type of beer is often served with a morning snack of bread and veal sausages.  Bavarians call it a 'breakfast beer' because it is light, cleansing and digestible." Which reminds me of the line, "you can't drink beer all day, if you don't start in the morning."

As you can tell from the picture, this "white" beer is not white in color, but it a cloudy golden brown.  It is only called white, because it is much lighter in color than traditional Munich brown beers.  The cloudiness comes from the fact that the yeast is not filtered out after the brewing is completed.

Where yesterday's ale was hoppy, today's hefeweiss is yeasty.  And the yeast is the star here.  Hefeweisses are some of my favorite beers, and to me most of them taste of lemon or other citrus fruits - because of the yeast, there is no fruit in these beers.  But Franziskaner's leaves a distinct banana taste in my mouth.  The combination of wheat and banana brings banana bread to mind.  Maybe it is not for everyone, but that just means more for me.  I rate it a 4; "I'd seek this out."  I have.  And I would gladly do it again.  If other Spaten Brewery selections are equally interesting and tasty, I could consider a pilgrimage to Munich.

Jim from Milwaukee

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

1/1: Bucky Blonde Ale

Beer #1:  Bucky Blonde Ale by West Bend Lithia Beer, brewed in Glendale, WI by Sprecher Brewing.
I chose this one to celebrate the Badger's playing in today's Rose Bowl.  One Bucky didn't have a great game in Pasadena, and the other Bucky didn't have a great showing in my glass.  The label mentions that this is a pre-prohibition recipe of West Bend Lithia Beer, "brewed with the finest mineral containing water."  Whatever.
I picked this one up at Sprecher Brewery in Glendale.  At first I thought that Sprecher was highlighting some local micro-microbrews, but in small print on the side it says, "Brewed in Glendale, WI."  So this is brewed under contract by Sprecher.  It has a nice golden color, with a good head.  It was hoppy and crisp and dry on my palate... but I don't like ales. I give it a 2; "I can understand why others drink it."  Ale is just not my cup of beer.


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Thursday, September 19, 2013

Battle of the Boxes

Many of you are probably familiar with the idea of Beauty Boxes. Nail polish lovers can choose from Julep, Scratch, and The Nail Art Society for monthly deliveries of polish, snack lovers can choose Graze boxes, Nature boxes, even Vegan Cuts boxes. For lovers of all things cosmetic the choices are nearly endless. There are Ipsy, Beauty Box 5, Blissmo, Beauty Army and loads more. But how do you choose a box? Are they even worth it? Which ones offer the best benefits?  Well today I'm going to break down four beauty boxes for you to help you decide!  The beauty boxes I'm comparing range various prices, options and lifestyles and each box is the August 2013 edition. we go.

We'll start with the Birch Box because it's the cheapest option on my list.  Birch Box runs you $10 a month and offers four beauty samples and a "surprise" item in each box.  Here's the August box:

Yay nail polish! I was actually quite disappointed with this months box. Only two of the samples are really 'deluxe' and sunscreen is kind of a throwaway this late in the year.  The polish has a value of about $5 and the hair oil about .36 despite it's deluxe size. So...the box wasn't very valuable. I did also get a 20% off coupon code but it's for Anne Taylor so let's face it, that's going in the trash.

Pros: I really like that Birch Box ships early in the month because that means I get August's box IN August.  I also really love the price point because it works out to .33 a day. It's basically two coffee's.  I have had some REALLY stellar boxes. I also really love the point system. Each month you can review your items for points and then you can spend the points like cash in the Birch Box store. I've gotten quite a few items for free that way.

 The Birch Box point system has changed. While you still earn points for reviews, the reviews now must be at least 20 words long and be approved by someone before points are issued. Not so in love anymore.

Cons: Birch Box is VERY hit or miss. Some boxes, like this one, are just junk. Others are really great but there's no guarantee what you'll get. Sometimes the free gift is really silly too; more than once I've gotten a hair rubber. I also don't love their customization which asks you a lot of random questions instead of just being forthright.

So now let's move on to the Eco Emi box.  Eco Emi is $15 a month and, as the name suggests, it's an eco friendly box filled with five to ten samples of natural, organic, green, eco-friendly, cruelty free, vegan, vegetarian or Fair Trade products.. Here's my box for August:

As you can see it's filled with a whole range of items. I've even gotten laundry soap in them! This box has a value of $12.50.  Last month had a value of $25 so these really do even out and more often than not I LOVE the box and am more than happy with the cost. This box alone has cookies, walnut butter, green tea leaves, eyeshadow, soap, some super cute wooden utensils, nail polish and some samples of lotion and body oil.

Pros: If you're vegetarian or into Eco Friendly things then this is an excellent way to try out new things. Sometimes those items can be a little more pricey so it's nice to be able to try before investing. I love that I get a lot of different things like snacks and hair care and makeup; it's fun to be able to try out lots of things. I also think the price point is spot on. There are always at least 7 or 8 items in my boxes and often more.

Cons: There is zero customization. Each box is the same every month so there's no tailoring it to your wants/needs. I get a lot of eye shadows and chap sticks. They're all different and I always need those things but sometimes it's a bit much. These also ship at the end of the month so for example, August's box arrived this month around the 29th.

Next up we have the $21 Glossy Box subscription.

So I actually cancelled my Glossy Box subscription this month and went back to Birch Box. It was meant to be for the points cause there's something that I want to buy from their shop. BUT I just learned that they have all sorts of requirements now for reviews so it's sort of a waste. I'm really kicking myself and will probably join up again before this posts!  This box is epic. It has a value of close to $70! Everything in this box was full sized and I'm really excited about the red lip pencil. The fact spray is great in the summer and with curly, thick hair I can always use masks. The nail polish is a little "meh" (all of them will be reviewed later this week!) but the face powder is amazing. I also got a little jean Guess bag in this box as an extra.

Pros: Boxes nearly always have a high value and I've never had one that didn't contain at least one full sized item. I've gotten several Tarte lip sticks as well as a few nail polishes and eye liners. But on the other hand, I've also gotten a lot of things I'll never use like gel blushes and hair sprays. HOWEVER, you'll always have that with a box subscription.

Cons: While the value outweighs the cost nearly always, $21 is a little pricey for some.  There is customization but it's fairly minimal and the Glossy Dots they offer are basically useless.

And finally we come to a new brand of box called Wantables. Wantables runs you $36 a month and you choose whether you'd like an accessory box or a beauty box. I chose beauty:

So here's my Wantables box. This box had a lot of brands I hadn't heard of before BUT that said, they definitely lived up to their price point!! There is an eye shadow quad, two lip glosses, a NAIL POLISH (Hello!!) and a little sample of body oil. The value of this box is around $80. VERY fair for a $36 price point. These boxes really vary because of the full customization Wantables offers so I've seen boxes with very diverse contents. They also appear to work with indie makers as I saw a few boxes with Rainbow Honey polishes.

Pros: The value is indisputable and the items are also high quality.  You can choose between accessories (and jewelry) or cosmetics. The box came in a timely manner. This is the MOST customizable box I've come across. They not only ask you what cosmetics you like but then they break them down further by asking about specifics. I chose nail polish and was then asked if I liked colors or neutrals, shimmers or sheers, cremes or glitters, etc.  My box is VERY suited to the choices I made.

Cons: They are a bit of a reach for some people at $36 a month. BUT all my cosmetics are full sized and high priced items so if you already spend a lot on makeup it could be a great deal for you. I don't believe they have a rewards program either.

All in all Glossy Box and Eco Emi will continue to be my choices. But in the future I may definitely jump on board the Wantables train. I really loved that my box was MY box. No two are the same and it's really made up just for me. If I used more makeup on a regular basis it would definitely be worth the money. My Birch Box is going to the wayside again! Which box is your favorite?

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Oscars 2017 Red Carpet Favorites

Naomie Harris in Calvin Klein

Charlize Theron in Dior

Emma Stone in Givenchy

Nicole Kidman in Armani Prive

Pharrell in Chanel

Ryan Gosling

Brie Larson in Oscar de la Renta

I hope you all had a chance to watch the Oscars! As much as I wanted LaLaLand to get every Oscar they were nominated for, that didn’t happen. Oh well! As always speeches and outfits were my favorite. The one thing that confused me the most were the Walmart receipt short films, and the whole Walmart sponsorship of the ceremony in general. Anyone else? What looks were your favorite?

Make sure to link up with us this week – Monday Mode

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Oscars 2014

In anticipation and preparation to tonights Oscar’s Viewing Party at Muse, it only makes sense to start creating boards and collections of the beautiful clothes one is expected to wear. So before I choose the actual outfit, I am going to play around with these:

Being a big fan of SJP (who isn’t?) I have also been lusting some of the shoes from her new Nordstrom collection. They would be perfect for tonight! Of course it’s -1 in Minneapolis and I am very uncertain about what to wear.

Who are you excited to see on the Red Carpet tonight? Who is your favorite nominee? Let me know, and stop by tomorrow for the recap of the viewing party I am attending and announcement of the giveaway winner!

Let’s connect:

Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Minneapolis a la Mode // Bloglovin’

2014 Minneapolis Oscar Experience

Looking for a fun and exciting event to attend this weekend? Why not go to the Oscar Experience in Minneapolis on March 2nd?

The evening will be hosted by TV Personality Laura Schara and Christopher Hopkins, owner of ReVamp Salon and Spa at Muse.

Now celebrating the 21st year, this event is not ONLY the longest running Oscar party in the U.S. outside of Los Angeles, it’s also the ONLY gathering in the state of Minnesota sanctioned by the Academy of Motion Pictures.

What is the best part about living like Hollywood royalty for a night? You get to dress the part, decked out in snazzy attire (black tie optional) suitable for sauntering down the red carpet, sipping on champagne (after being transported to the venue via a luxury UBER car, naturally), pausing for the cameras.

But even better! All proceeds will be split between the charities, Smile Network and Aegis Foundation, making the lavish revelry worthy of a standing ovation.

And, two stars of Oscar nominated film “Captain Phillips” – Mahat Ali (“Elmi”) and Barkhad Abdiraham (“Bilal”) live in Minneapolis and plan to attend the Oscar Experience Minneaplis at Muse. Oscar nominee and Minneapolis resident Barkhad Abdi, up for Best Performance in a Supporting Role (“Muse”) for “Captain Phillips” will be walking the Red Carpet at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles.

The evening promises to be filled with exciting and fun events, from a red carpet show to dinner, to a silent auction. Plus fabulous swag bags, who can say no to that?

Red Carpet hosted by Jasmine Brett Stringer …………………….5:00 PM

VIP 3 course Dinner ………………………6:00 PM

Presentations…………………..6:30 PM

Predict The Winner Ballots Ends ….7:00 PM

Viewing Party …………………..7:00 PM

Silent Auction Closes …………9:00 PM

For more information and to purchase the tickets please go to AegisFoundationINC!
Hope to see you there!

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Golden Globes 2012

We all love red carpet events, we wouldn’t be fashion bloggers if we didn’t. And the Golden Globe Awards are yet another reason to discuss, gossip and comment on the good, the bad, the ugly, the over priced designer gowns!

 Charlize Theron

 The Jolie-Pitts

 Elle McPherson

 Gerard Butler

 Heidi Klum

 Naya Rivera

 Sarah Hyland

Sofia Vergara

 Zooey Deschanel

For more pictures, go to yahoo.com 🙂


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Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Pest Control Destroy Ants As None Else Can

Ants can be a kind of fine pets as long as they remain constantly outdoors, but the moment these creatures begin to invade living place, the time has come to do something about it. If you happen to have ant infestation at home and want to know the best way to kill ants, you’d better destroy the very nest of the ants itself.  You might be constantly warding off or killing an ant trail here or an ant trail there, and feeling very happy about eradicating hundreds of ants. But the real truth is there are several thousands of these pests out there, swarming all over their nests alive and well, waiting for someone to throw a piece of cake out into the open. Ant Exterminators in my area realizes this and are the best exterminators for ants.
The Ingenious Poisoned Bait
The ideal way to do Ant Control in House is to use poisoned bait which works extremely well, as it is prepared with the behavior of ants in mind. This poisoned bait consists of a mixture of sugary substance and poison. Once the ants eat their fill, they carry the bait to their nests to be stored as well as to share with others. The Ant Exterminators Seattle has made the poison bait ingeniously. The poison in the bait acts slowly so that the workers have enough time to carry their nest before they die.
The ingeniousness continues further when the body of the dead ant is eaten by other ants. In small nests it will take about 2 days and in large extended colonies about 3 weeks for the total eradication of the nests and colonies. Eventually the queen also will eat it, and it is the end of the colony.
Ants are of various kinds. Carpenter ants pest control becomes necessary when these ants become a menace to the timber used in houses. Then there is the black ants pest control, and big ants pest control to kill black ants. Ants AMPM Exterminators is engaged in ant’s natural pest control. Often kitchens are swarmed with ants and then sugar ants pest control and fire ants pest control are in the cards. Flying ants are a real menace as they don’t always keep to the ground and get into all kinds of things, to the detriment of many. So pest control flying ants becomes necessary.
Advantage of Poisoned Bait
By using poisonous bait it is not necessary to find out where the ant nests and colonies are situated. The workers will do the job for the home owners. Apart from poisonous baits, certain types of ants can be subjected to electronic pest control ants.
AMPM Exterminators is a family owned and operated company that uses non-toxic pest control products to control all kinds of ants. Their services are available in and around Seattle area. They are in the forefront of major pest control companies in the West Coast. Their field employees are professionals in their field, and have the experience and expertise to do pest control efficiently and effectively. Full details of their activities such as ants exterminator cost can be had from their website  http://ampmexterminators.com/ . One can also contact them by phone at 206.571.7580.

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Monday, 25 April 2011

Sunset Eyes Look

Hey :)

So here's a look that I did, it was inspired by a gorgeous picture of a sunset I saw on some random website. It uses golds, peaches, pinks and purples and I really like how it turned out.

Products used:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Sleek Primer Palette, Peach
Stila eyeshadow, Flicker
OCC loose eyeshadow, Red Light and Smote
Rimmel Eyeshadow Three-sum, Breath Taking
MAC eyeshadow, Amber Lights
Naked Cosmetics pigment stack, Harvest Moon, white with gold shimmer
(Random) Active eyeshadow trio, mid-tone purple, lilac and black
Barry M duo jumbo pencil, Lilac
Collection 2000 Kohl, Brown
Maybelline Colossal Mascara

Natural Collection lipstick, Berry Sorbet
Clinique gloss, Apricot

I hope you like this look, to view the tutorial click here, please subscribe to our channel and follow this blog :D

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Sunday, November 21, 2010

18 months- 1 and 1/2 years old

18 months old!
• They love to sit in things “just their size” – we have some little red chairs that they sit in and “read” books to themselves
• They call each other bubba and sissy- and they get very worried when the other one isn’t around-it’s so cute
• Aiden’s favorite new word is mama- which I love 
• Aiden now says- choo choo, kitty, mama, shoes, night night, uh oh
• Abigail says- cracker, dada, mama, e-i-e-i-o (loves to say this), uh oh, she also repeats a lot
• They both love to read books and beg me to sit them in my lap and read for hours on end
• Still are on 2 naps a day- and we’ll take this as we can
• Climb everything- furniture, tupperwares, the stairs, often get into boxes/drawers/ect. and get stuck, cry to get out, just to get back in again
• Abigail is much more independent than aiden (she’s the only one we can leave in a nursery by herself)
• Aiden’s loves a push lawnmower, abbi loves a cell phone
• Aiden loves to organize and to pretend to cook- his FAV toy is a regular spoon and Tupperware bowl
• Hold hands when they are scared
• Both are very ticklish
• Read about the “can’t take you anywhere” stage- want to be independent but not quite ready for it, ect….but I’ve feel like I’ve been there the whole time! Maybe that’s just because there are two- but I can count on one hand the number of times we’ve taken the twins out to eat, and when we do we prefer Chic-fil-a in mall foodcourt because- a. it’s so loud you can’t hear my kids, b. it’s dirty and doesn’t matter when they throw food on the floor, and c. it’s chic-fil-a  moms any opinions on this “stage”?

Thanksgiving is for thankfulness. I love this Holiday becuase it cultivates within my heart a spirit of gratitude. I begin the see the little things I take advantage of every day. In many ways life feels so fast paced right now- the twins are 90 to nothing, school is extremely busy and demanding, and other responsibilites can sometimes drown out the simple pleasures in life. I'm so thankful the Lord has saved me from myself and redeemed my life, adopting me into His family as His own child. I'm thankful for my husband- his heart for the Lord and love for His family, and for my precious children. They are such a joy and delight- what a precious gift the Lord has given to us.
My little buddy

How we get upstairs- crawl ahead of mom, but always look back to make sure she is chasing us :)see who gets to the top first

bathtime fun!

"What's in your mouth Aiden?"

The Great Balloon Race- a HUGE St. Louis Event- they release hundreds of Hot air balloons who then race to another point in the city!

Such a little ham

Aiden getting his mullet cut by our neighbor

Abigail gets SO EXCITED about things!

1st and 90th Birthday celebration

The Birthday Boy- This is my grandad James Rutland. We celebrated his 90th birthday with him this year.

The birthday girl- Addison Elizabeth Dart (my niece) turned one!

Sisters :)

Addison's daddy couldn't be at her party because he is loyally serving our country in Iraq. :(

Granny reading to Abigial- so sweet

2009 babies of the family (we had a busy year :)

Aunt Debbie and the 11 great-grandchildren

Immediate family

Abigail blowing kisses

My grandparents and some of the kiddos

Sisters :)

The second generation- Ruth and James Rutland and their legacy (6 children, 10 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren so far)


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The Bourbons All Hallows Scream

The Bourbons All Hallows Scream Venue:
The Bourbon in Gastown
Sat Oct 31 2015 6:00PM
50 W Cordova
Type: Regular, Price:$15.00 Buy Your Ticket

The darkness is coming…the chill has begun at the base of your neck…and as the nights pass…the chill becomes greater and greater.  The Bourbons All Hallows Scream will be without a doubt.. SCARY FUN!! The room will be decked out with rats and spiders, godzillas and vampire dudes and other scary ass stuff too.  Compete in the world famous BOURBON COSTUME COMP…there will also be door prizes and giveaways all night long.  You may die or become a zombie or something..but at least then you don't have to worry about wearing clothes or going to the gym!

$4.25 Lucky and $4 shots of Fireball all night long!!

Posted By Stefano Bouzari

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Power Wheels Kawasaki Brute Force Electric Quads Are Perfect

Seventy years ago children were limited when they wished to entertain themselves throughout the day. They would wait eagerly beside their family radio and count down the seconds until their favorite program began. Throughout the day, most would pursue outdoor activities such as hiking, exploring, fishing, swimming and other playful endeavors. One thing all children had in common is that they were fascinated by motorized vehicles. Whether they watched a motorcycle whiz down the road or they saw a four wheeled creation travel down a dirt path, all would become filled with excitement.

Modern society has adapted the idea that even children can be trained to operate motorized vehicles. In the traditional sense, pre-teens often learn to operate smaller motorcycles and ATVs. They are raised in a time where motorized vehicles have become affordable throughout the years and these off-road/on-road vehicles can be enjoyed for hours on end.

But what product exists for children who range between the ages of three through seven? For most toddlers and adolescents, motorized vehicles such as motorcycles and ATVs present too much power and can lead to severe injuries. Fortunately, Power Wheels toy vehicles have created the perfect solution. With the Power Wheels Kawasaki Brute Force electric quad, children are now able to enjoy the great outdoors atop a battery operated vehicle.

Below are four reasons why every child, boy or girl, would enjoy riding atop one of these Power Wheels quads.

Number One – They’re Affordable

Unlike conventional motorized ATVs, the Power Wheels Kawasaki Brute Force electric quad is battery operated and doesn’t require the use of gasoline or oil. Because it lacks the mechanical components that are found inside gas-powered motorized vehicles, production costs aren’t nearly as expensive. The electric quad is priced right around two hundred and ninety dollars. Since they are manufactured at an affordable price, they make the perfect gift for any toddler who wishes to explore the outdoors in style.

The Power Wheels Kawasaki Brute Force electric quad doesn’t skimp on its realistic details just because it is relatively inexpensive. Featuring a Power Lock Brake System and Monster Traction, it can easily navigate over mildly rugged terrain much like its gas-powered counterpart. Four large wheels allow a child to sit atop its frame and actually feel as if they’re driving a real ATV. All at an affordable price.

Number Two – Versatility

The Power Wheels Kawasaki Brute Force electric quad is not only highly realistic but it can be purchased in different colors, one of which includes camouflage. This makes it the ideal electric vehicle for children who fancy themselves as hunters and soldiers. Since it is also available in a traditional blue color, young girls will also enjoy countless hours of mobility.

The overall design allows for the electric quad to be operated on a variety of terrains. Because it is specifically designed to be driven on grass and pavement, it can be used by children who dwell within city limits and by those who live in the country. No child should have to be excluded due to their surroundings. Just short of living on a large body of water, every child can enjoy driving the vehicle with its realistic ATV controllers.

For beginning riders, typically those who are younger, a controlled speed of 2.5 miles per hour is locked in place. Responsible adults can switch the Power Wheels Kawasaki Brute Force over to a maximum acceleration of five miles per hour. This makes the electric vehicle suitable for multiple children who differ in age. Whether a child is younger or older, each can feel the excitement of riding a realistic toy ATV.

Number Three – Modern Components and Appearance

When plastic toy products began flooding the consumer market, outdated metal products were quickly placed on the backburner. The Power Wheels Kawasaki Brute Force electric quad is comprised of many plastic components and all of them are especially modern. A 12 volt battery replaces the need to constantly refill it with expensive gasoline and owners don’t need to perform laborious oil changes. The battery itself can be recharged and seldom needs to be replaced.

The Monster Traction Drive System allows the electric vehicle to power over small divots, ruts, wet grass, rocks and even snow. Children will absolutely love where their electric all-terrain vehicle will allow them to travel.

Also, the Power Wheels Kawasaki Brute Force all-terrain vehicle is purchased with a stock Power Lock Brake System. This innovative technology will help prevent accidents and can also help parents relax when their children are operating the vehicles.

As for appearance, the emphasis placed on realistic details lets children feel as if they’re riding the real thing. Trademarked designs and colors make every rider feel as if they’re playing with the big boys. It even comes equipped with a mobile shovel that gives it the all-terrain look.

Number Four – They’re Easily Purchased

While children might not necessarily enjoy the shipment and ordering process of their Power Wheels Kawasaki Brute Force ATV, their parents can embrace the idea that these models can be purchased online. Purchasers no longer have to travel to their nearest supplier and transport the bulky package. It can be ordered online and shipped directly to a buyer’s place of residence.

However, for future buyers who still enjoy the traditional method of purchase, they can easily find the electric quad at their nearest supplier. This can allow for an instantaneous pickup and children can begin riding immediately.

Power Wheels Kawasaki Brute Force
  • Realistic ATV styling
  • Monster Traction system drives on hard surfaces, wet grass and rough terrain
  • Drives 2.5 mph and 5 mph (4 and 8 km/h) max. forward; 2.5 mph (4 km/h) max. reverse
  • Parent-controlled high speed lock-out
  • Power-Lock Brake System

Last update on 2017-09-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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My Top 10 TV and Movie Cars

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Since the introduction of motion pictures, car enthusiasts have been intrigued by the vehicles seen on the big screen. Movie heroes and villains alike have been forever linked with the stunning automobiles they drive. Fans who watch the movies and love the cars therein can search used car websites like to locate a similar automotive treasure of their own. Whether you are searching for a pre-restored masterpiece or an economical project car offers both –  and virtually anything in between.

Here is a list of my top 10 movie cars in no particular order. If I had to pick an overall favorite, it would probably be tight race between the Interceptor from Mad Max and the chopped ’50 Merc from Cobra. You may not agree and if you have a favorite that I missed – please share it with us.

Driven by Vin Diesel, who played the lead role of Xander Cage in the Hollywood production of xXx, this 1967 Pontiac GTO posed an intimidating presence with a giant GMC 6-71 blower and twin four-barrel carbs protruding through the center of the hood.

In this timeless classic Mel Gibson played Mad Max a rogue post-apocalyptical Australian cop who chewed up black top in his Interceptor; a supercharged 1973 XBGT351 Ford Falcon Coupe. Australian movie and an Australian car, sorry folks.

The Bandit, played by Burt Reynolds, ran from “Smokies”, jumped rivers, and romanced “Frog” (played by Sally Field) in a 1977 Pontiac Trans Am. The movie was a blockbuster classic, called Smokey and the Bandit.

In American Graffiti, a movie chocked full of classic hot rods, this yellow 1932 Ford Coupe stands out. Driven by Harrison Ford, who played Bob Falta a teenaged, cowboy hat wearing rebel. The Coupe was the terror of the local drive-in and street racing scene.

, named after the lead character a rebellious San Francisco cop (played by Hollywood icon Steve McQueen), featured a 1968 Mustang GT 390 in a hair raising chase scene that also involved a thug with a double-barrel shotgun and a 1968 Dodge Charger R/T.

Yee-Haw! Bo and Luke Duke (played by John Schneider and Tom Wopat, respectively) navigated the dirt roads of fictional Hazard County, Georgia in the General Lee. It was an orange 1969 Dodge Charger (complete with a confederate battle flag painted on the roof) that became a star in The Dukes of Hazard, which was both a hit television show and later a movie.

In this 1986 action flick Sylvester Stallone plays detective Marion Cobretti — nickname Cobra — who takes on merciless criminals in a customized 1950 Mercury Monterey. This nitrous guzzling behemoth terrorizes the streets; jumping off the roof of a multi-story parking structure at one point.

Nick Cage plays a criminal with a heart of gold in Gone in 60 Seconds. He reluctantly attempts to steal his “kryptonite” a 1967 Shelby GT500 Mustang that has already cost him a past prison sentence. He has even given the car a name — Eleanor.

The role of Bond, James Bond, was played in Goldfinger by Sean Connery who wooed beautiful women and wowed bad guys in a specially equipped 1963 Aston Martin DB5.

Hip and trendy Southern California cops Michael Starsky and David Hutch(inson) (played by Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul, respectively) made this 1970s television series successful. A red 1976 Ford Gran Torino with slotted mag wheels and a unique white stripe made it even more fun to watch. A successful Hollywood movie, which featured the same car, followed in 2004.

S.M. Darby

S.M. Darby

I am a freelance author with over 25 years of experience as a professional, ASE certified automotive technician and shop owner, muscle car enthusiast, avid street racer, and classic car restoration specialist.

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Average rating: (1 reviews)

In: Test > Books > Science Fiction

5 votes

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Throughout history, man has been searching for better ways to gather information about his universe. And though they may have longed for it, not even the most brilliant minds could conceive of a device as infinitely powerful and precise as the macroscope ... until the twenty-first century. By analyz...

  • Author: Piers Anthony
  • Publish Date: 2007-09-08
  • Book Awards

    Nominated for 1 (1 unique awards)
  • 1 Hugo

  • Book Award Years
    1970 Hugo Nominated: Macroscope

    People Who Like Macroscope Also Like...

    Macroscope Ranks On The Following Lists:

    Best Classic Science Fiction Books (Ranked 26 out of 32)

    A public votable list of the best classic science fiction books from the 1940's to 1970's. Books before the 40's and After the 70's are not listed. This period is often referred to as the Golden Age o...

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Best Western Lake Lucille Inn

1300 W Lake Lucille Drive, Wasilla, Alaska 99654-7923
Phone: 907-373-1776   |   Fax: 907-376-6199   |   54 Rooms
Check Out Time: 11:00 AM   |   Check In: 3:00 PM   |   Online Reservations

Stay at this great hotel in Wasilla, Alaska offering panoramic views of Lake Lucille and a free hot breakfast!

The Best Western Lake Lucille Inn is a warm and inviting hotel overlooking beautiful Lake Lucille in Wasilla. Hotel guests will be located conveniently near the Iditarod headquarters, the Alaska State Fairgrounds and the Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. Business travelers will be located near the Matanuska Telephone Association and Alaska Railroad. Travelers looking for outdoor adventure will find it at nearby Alaska State Park and Denali National Park.

This Wasilla hotel offers inviting deluxe guest rooms and suites, several rooms include balconies overlooking Lake Lucille. Each room features cable television, free high-speed Internet and a refrigerator. Additional hotel amenities include a complimentary full hot breakfast, as well as banquet, meeting and ballroom facilities. Float plane and boat dock are available from June through September. Snow machine rides and dog sled excursions are available in the winter.

Enjoy the beauty and wonder of Wasilla, Alaska at the Best Western Lake Lucille Inn. Make a reservation today! Enjoy you stay.

Hotel Amenities & Services

  • Complimentary full breakfast, choice of breads, cereal, fruit, hot eggs, hot breakfast meat, other hot items, yogurt, juice, and coffee.
  • Complimentary breakfast
  • Fishing
  • Snow skiing, cross country skiing
  • Sightseeing tours arranged
  • Meeting facilities
  • Banquet facilities
  • Audio/visual equipment
  • Business center
  • Fax services 24 hours, complimentary
  • Photocopy services
  • Courier available upon request
  • Exhibition services
  • Shipping, 24 hour UPS pickup
  • Guest laundry -onsite, coin operated
  • 24-hour front desk
  • Ice/vending machines
  • Free parking
  • Dry sauna
  • Interior corridor
  • Printer available
  • Computer available
  • Conference facilities, Easels/flipcharts,Microphones connected to podium available
  • Ballroom
  • Lakefront
  • Float plane and boat dock June through September
  • Snow machine rides and dog sled excursion can be arranged by calling the property direct.
  • Gazebo
  • Dance floor rental
  • Wireless connection throughout hotel

Best Western Lake Lucille Inn

Take advantage of the savings and fun with this special offer available at the best western lake lucille inn in Wasilla.

Best Western Lake Lucille Inn

Conveniently located, the best western lake lucille inn in Wasilla, Alaska is shown on the map. Detailed driving directions from popular points or nearby cities are listed below. For those with GPS, here you go:

Longitude: 61.577255  /  Latitude: -149.483555

Driving Directions to Hotel

From: Anchorage. The Best Western Lake Lucille Inn is located 45 miles north of Anchorage at Mile 43 Parks Highway; make a left at sign (Hallea Road), and travel 1 block to Lake Lucille.

Best Western Lake Lucille Inn

We care about the quality of your stay with us. Below are nearby attractions, shopping and restaurants that are popular with our guests. Listed locations are nearby with approximate distance listed where available.

Most Popular Area Attractions

Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center

Set in the Mat-Su Valley, the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center is located in southern Alaska in the city of Wasilla. Formerly the Wasilla Multi-Use Sports Complex, the Sports Center was created for year-round sports thanks to its state-of-the-art indoor arenas.

Constructed in 2004, the 102,000-square-foot facility features a NHL-regulation ice rink, kitchen area, meeting rooms, and an indoor track and artificial turf court.

Denali National Park & Preserve

Denali National Park

Denali National Park

Established in 1917, Denali National Park and Preserve is home to six million acres of Alaskan scenery, including Mount McKinley, the highest mountain peak in the U.S.

Visit this beautiful park to see the incredible mountain peaks, glaciers, forest, and tundra.

While in the park, be aware of the grizzly bears, black bears, gray wolves, moose, and sheep inhabitting the park.

Mountaineering, backpacking, hiking, fishing, and mountain biking are popular activities in this wonderful Alaska treasure.

Dorothy G. Page Museum

Open throughout the year, the Dorothy G. Page Museum & Historic Town Site is set in quaint downtown Wasilla in southern Alaska. The site commemorates Dorothy Page – the “Mother of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race."

Owned and operated by the City of Wasilla, the Page Museum features rotating and permanent exhibits on Wasilla, Knik, and Willow Creek area history. Those interested in the history of the Iditarod need visit the Page Museum, historic downtown Wasilla, and the Musher's Hall of Fame.

Iditarod Headquarters

Making its home in the city of Wasilla, the Iditarod Headquarters houses and commemorates the proud history of “the Last Great Race of Earth.” The headquarters is open year-round, showcasing an impressive collection of museum items and trophies.

What’s more, visitors can meet the race teams and even take a ride on an actual Iditarod dog sled. Free of charge, guests can also learn the history of the Iditarod by viewing a short video at the headquarters.

Independence Mine State Historical Park

Independence Mine State Historical Park

Independence Mine State Historical Park

Found in the town of Willow – just a short drive from Wasilla – the Independence Mine State Historical Park preserves the once booming mining communities of the Alaska Free Gold Mine and Independence Mine from the 1940s.

The park houses a variety of actual mining buildings available for exploration, including bunkhouses, engineering offices, shops, and more.

Guests are encouraged to stop the visitor center and museum as well – housing plenty of artifacts and displays telling of the Independence Mine’s intriguing history.

What’s more, due to the park’s location in Hatcher Pass – between Skyscraper Mountain and Granite Mountain – outdoor recreation opportunities are plentiful as well.

Matanuska Glacier State Recreation Area

Matanuska Glacier State Recreation Area

Matanuska Glacier State Recreation Area

Found along Glenn Highway just east of Wasilla, the Matanuska Glacier State Recreation Area is a 300-acre outdoors person’s paradise.

The recreation area gets its namesake from Matanuska Glacier – the largest glacier reachable by vehicle in the U.S. – serving as the picturesque backdrop.

Apart from the incredible views of the glacier, guests can also enjoy miles of intertwining hiking trails, where snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling are popular activities.

Due to the park’s adjacent location to the Matanuska River, opportunities for water recreation are plentiful as well.

Museum of Alaska Transportation & Industry

Located in Wasilla, the Museum of Alaska Transportation & Industry features exhibits commemorating the history of transportation and industry in the state. Open from mid-May through early September, the museum can be visited seven days a week in the summer months.

Guests of all ages are welcome to take a step back into the early days of transportation and industrialization in the harsh state of Alaska as it journeyed to keep pace with the rest of the rapidly industrializing nation. The Museum features an array of airplanes vital to the states history as it was originally opened as the Air Progress Museum in 1967.

Musher's Hall of Fame

Musher's Hall of Fame

Dog Sled Team in AK

Located on the second floor of the Knik Museum in Wasilla, the Musher’s Hall of Fame is also known as the Sled Dog Musher’s Hall of Fame.

Both the Knik Museum and the Hall of Fame rest inside one of only two remaining buildings from the original Knik townsite.

Known as the “Dog Mushing Center of the World," the museum features exhibits honoring the sled dogs and the musher’s who influenced the sport.

The historic town of Knik still remains a stop on the Iditarod Trail, which is known as the Last Great Race on Earth.

More Area Attractions & Services

  • 0.10 mile(s) from Iditarod Race
  • 2.00 mile(s) from Wasilla Lake
  • 3.00 mile(s) from Iditarod Museum
  • 5.00 mile(s) from North Star Raceway
  • 7.00 mile(s) from Palmer and Alaska State Parks
  • 15.00 mile(s) from Gold Panning-Hatcher Pass
  • 17.00 mile(s) from Independence Mine State Historical Park
  • 25.00 mile(s) from Thunderbird Falls
  • 32.00 mile(s) from Capitol Speedway
  • 40.00 mile(s) from Fort Richardson
  • 40.00 mile(s) from Knik Glacier
  • 90.00 mile(s) from Glacier Hiking-Matanuska

Local Area Recreation Opportunities

  • Fishing
  • Dry sauna
  • 0.10 mile(s) from fly out fishing and hunting

Nearby Restaurants

  • 1.00 mile(s) from Chepo`s, Full Service, Mexican, Open for: lunch, dinner,
  • 1.00 mile(s) from Tokyo, Bar/Lounge, Japanese, Open for: lunch, dinner,
  • 3.00 mile(s) from Evangelo`s, Bar/Lounge, Italian, Open for: lunch, dinner,

Best Western Lake Lucille Inn

Enjoy your stay with us even more by checking out some of the most popular area points of interest in or near Wasilla. Chase the links to explore the local region even more.

down Best Western USA & Canada
Alabama  |  Alaska  |  Arizona  |  Arkansas  |  California  |  Colorado  |  Connecticut  |  Delaware  |  Florida  |  Georgia  |  Hawaii  |  Idaho  |  Illinois  |  Indiana  |  Iowa  |  Kansas  |  Kentucky  |  Louisiana  |  Maine  |  Maryland  |  Massachusetts  |  Michigan  |  Minnesota  |  Mississippi  |  Missouri  |  Montana  |  Nebraska  |  Nevada  |  New Hampshire  |  New Jersey  |  New Mexico  |  New York  |  North Carolina  |  North Dakota  |  Ohio  |  Oklahoma  |  Oregon  |  Pennsylvania  |  Rhode Island  |  South Carolina  |  South Dakota  |  Tennessee  |  Texas  |  Utah  |  Vermont  |  Virginia  |  Washington  |  Washington D.C.  |  West Virginia  |  Wisconsin  |  Wyoming
Alberta  |  British Columbia  |  Manitoba  |  New Brunswick  |  Nova Scotia  |  Ontario  |  Prince Edward Island  |  Quebec  |  Saskatchewan  |  Yukon  |  Caribbean

Each Best Western® branded hotel is independently owned and operated. © 2002-2017 Best Western International, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2017 TripAdvisor LLC. All rights reserved.


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Team Members

We are a team of Young Living Distributors who each possess unique strengths in helping people on their journey to a healthier, more natural life with Young Living essential oils.  Team Members are sorted alphabetically by first name or you can use the search box at the top of the page!  There is also a map search here.

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Thursday, April 14, 2011

Blogging Around (April 14th 2011)

I have been naughty rather than nice in recent weeks. I keep meaning to visit and read the works of my fellow bloggers, but time has been of the essence as of late. Work has piled up and making the effort to write reviews on a consistent basis is something of a challenge. It will take a lot more than that for to fail you though. Here is a list of what Between the Seats has found interesting:

-I love it when Filmspotters branch out. It is a testament to the quality of that show and its message board rooms where solid film discussions are encouraged. Heck, had I never become a member, Between the Seats arguably would not exist. This time it is Seema and John who collaborate on a new podcast called Cinema on the Road, in which the two hosts choose a country and review two films, one recent and one old. If you guys think Between the Seats enjoys international fair, eh, you ain't seen nothing.

-The Chick Flick is at a loss for words in her review for Cronenberg's Naked Lunch. In part one of her two-part review, she takes a look at the creepy crawlers that inhabit the film.

-Suspend Your Disbelief, which has branched out to more than just film reviews and become a real, real, quality blog, has some articles on legendary Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan. While you're there, check out the post just below which features an alternate poster for The Dark Knight.

-Finally, Films From the Supermassive Black Hole has a fantastic review of the 1998 science-fiction movie Dark City.

Go forth!

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1 Mar

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