The theme is fairly straightforward. He's a successful leader and wartime general. His men love him and will die for him. He has a vision of clarity and the US no longer follows its ideals of freedom. So, he and his men steal (name your favorite bad ass weapon) and occupy (name a spot - Alcatraz, desert caves, abandoned military bases, the Astrodome) and set up a war room. Then, they use their genius to take over communications from (name one - TV studios, communications satellites, the Disney channel) and make demands. To show they mean business, they destroy, just for show, (name a location - a sports stadium, a city, NBC - oh, sorry, that's Brian Williams). The good guys gather together and conference, and at this point, they call this leader gone bad "rogue." He's gone rogue, on his own, and he has to be reined in.
So, imagine my curiosity as to the origin of Rogue Ales? I have had a Rogue Ale a time or two and have enjoyed them, but it was my calling to inform you of beer, and as such, my calling has taken me to a higher level of information to help you through the clutter of advertising and thousands of choices. I can honestly say that I don't know if I have had as much fun learning about a beer as I have Rogue.
Rogue Ales website is worth a visit. The first page I would go to is the "About" page which is the link I've provided. In the movie "The Big Leboski," you know within twenty seconds that this is going to be different when Jeff "The Dude" Bridges buys half-n-half for his White Russians by writing a check for $1.47 (or some such amount) while wearing a house robe in the grocery store. The Rogue Ale website gives you this same feel.
The bottle I purchased to write about gives you the same feel. The top of the bottle has a ring that must be part of their beliefs that states: Dare, Risk, Dream. The bottle also contains the exact ingredients that are in the beer, in this case the Hazelnut Brown Nectar. This is rare in and of itself as most brewers are vague at best on what comprises their beer. As you read the ingredients, you see that Rogue has trademarked their malts for this beer, named Dare and Risk Malts (TM) from Rogue Farms.
This is all very different. It is like a spiritual awakening in the realm of the brew experience, an epiphany of sorts. Brewing and drinking can be mundane when you find yourself in mass-produced land. Craft brews break you away from that. Home brewing brings understanding. Calling your beer "The Revolution" and stating a Creed, A Fundamental Agreement, and The Rogue Way takes it to an entirely different level. Call it a religious retreat of solitude and meditation in the world of craft beers.
The Hazelnut was very good (okay please get to the point, did you like the beer). After brewing Pecan Pie Ale recently, there were similar flavors (much like saying my steaks on the grill are much like Charlie Palmer's. Yet Rogue captured the senses much more effectively, the aroma and the taste were there. Rogue, though, leaps miles ahead of the others with the persona it delivers in its name, its packaging on the bottle, and then its entire culture.
Buy a bottle of Hazelnut and enjoy it. Learn more about Rogue. As for Average Guy, beer has become much more than an experience through this recent beer. Average Guy's going rogue. Let the "Revolution" begin.
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Monday, February 2, 2015
Super Bowl 49
The world has been in turmoil, and the NFL delivers a day of respite from it. The economy has been in the tank, and the NFL has been there for us. The possibility of a great game. The always faithful commercials which deliver us from our depths and from perhaps a bad game to make us laugh.
So, what is a Super Bowl like when football itself is the eye of the storm? Spousal abuse, child abuse, brain damage from concussions, paralysis, player arrogance on display daily, and cheating the game.... all issues the game touched this year. To make matters worse, it started the year already under scrutiny and these issues were magnified under a microscope. The commissioner, a learned man, handled these matters poorly at best and is being asked to have his head handed to him on a silver platter (a la John the Baptist to Herod's wife).
Well, football used the big game to try to heal the wounds. Commercials were somber. We had JFK's voice-over with a famous talk in which he talks of our origins and our link to the sea. We had commercials asking us not to stereo-type girls (the "throw like a girl" commercial). We were privileged to hear a 9-11 call of a woman being abused. I just watched it at home with my wife, but I can imagine the parties, if they were like those I've been too, where everyone gets quiet to watch a much anticipated commercial, and what it was like when one of those came on. Chip in hand with dip on chip and dip on chip drips to the floor as the mouth falls open. A lull. Perhaps someone says, "Hmmm." Yes. Real downers. We even had an ad, in a format carefully regulated by both network and the NFL, which questioned the Pete Rose ban in baseball. Hey, stick to your own sport!
The world's most prosperous nation with freedoms never enjoyed by any other nation before it or even now seems to be the most introspective guilt-ridden nation in the world. Sometimes I just don't get it. Sure, life has its problems, and it is great that a moment where we all come together is used to perhaps posit thoughts for us to ponder...but come on, this is the Super Bowl.
Average Beer Guy was not really looking forward to the game. The two coaches of the team are questionable in character, so I went to the roster. The Patriots tout, currently, a Tech player and two UH alum, and Tom Brady's story is always a good reminder of good things coming to those who wait (never started at any level until the staring QB in New England was injured). The game was close, and the ending was classic. So, I was glad we took time to watch it.
The beer Average Guy drank during the game? Can you believe it was Miller Lite? It is a beer that goes well with just about anything on the menu. It is light in both alcohol and taste, so you can sip on it during the game. Yes, for me, my mass-produced beer of choice, is Miller Lite. Sure it is like drinking water, but every now and then, water is what is called for.
It is worth noting that the president enjoyed a home brew in a pregame interview. I didn't get to hear it, but I did see the carboy with the bubbler on the table as he was interviewed and then shared a brew with the interviewer. Average Guy will share that when it is found.
So, what is a Super Bowl like when football itself is the eye of the storm? Spousal abuse, child abuse, brain damage from concussions, paralysis, player arrogance on display daily, and cheating the game.... all issues the game touched this year. To make matters worse, it started the year already under scrutiny and these issues were magnified under a microscope. The commissioner, a learned man, handled these matters poorly at best and is being asked to have his head handed to him on a silver platter (a la John the Baptist to Herod's wife).
Well, football used the big game to try to heal the wounds. Commercials were somber. We had JFK's voice-over with a famous talk in which he talks of our origins and our link to the sea. We had commercials asking us not to stereo-type girls (the "throw like a girl" commercial). We were privileged to hear a 9-11 call of a woman being abused. I just watched it at home with my wife, but I can imagine the parties, if they were like those I've been too, where everyone gets quiet to watch a much anticipated commercial, and what it was like when one of those came on. Chip in hand with dip on chip and dip on chip drips to the floor as the mouth falls open. A lull. Perhaps someone says, "Hmmm." Yes. Real downers. We even had an ad, in a format carefully regulated by both network and the NFL, which questioned the Pete Rose ban in baseball. Hey, stick to your own sport!
The world's most prosperous nation with freedoms never enjoyed by any other nation before it or even now seems to be the most introspective guilt-ridden nation in the world. Sometimes I just don't get it. Sure, life has its problems, and it is great that a moment where we all come together is used to perhaps posit thoughts for us to ponder...but come on, this is the Super Bowl.
Average Beer Guy was not really looking forward to the game. The two coaches of the team are questionable in character, so I went to the roster. The Patriots tout, currently, a Tech player and two UH alum, and Tom Brady's story is always a good reminder of good things coming to those who wait (never started at any level until the staring QB in New England was injured). The game was close, and the ending was classic. So, I was glad we took time to watch it.
The beer Average Guy drank during the game? Can you believe it was Miller Lite? It is a beer that goes well with just about anything on the menu. It is light in both alcohol and taste, so you can sip on it during the game. Yes, for me, my mass-produced beer of choice, is Miller Lite. Sure it is like drinking water, but every now and then, water is what is called for.
It is worth noting that the president enjoyed a home brew in a pregame interview. I didn't get to hear it, but I did see the carboy with the bubbler on the table as he was interviewed and then shared a brew with the interviewer. Average Guy will share that when it is found.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)