“A vacation is what you take when you can no longer take what you’ve been taking.” - Earl Wilson
When I joined up with the other Snobs of Beer we decided that first and foremost this experience should be a fun and relaxing one. However, as is often with life, events arose and circumstances reached a fever pitch for me personally. This caused me to decide to take a short break.
Then something happened….
I actually had a day off from work and absolutely NO obligations to speak of! I had zero, I repeat, ZERO, responsibilities to attend to today! So firstly I was able to stay in bed in a semi-comatose state until 1 p.m. (I am usually out the door by 5:30 a.m.). Then I watched a couple movies and finally I settled down on the couch for the night with the notion of cracking open a delicious craft beer.
I went with Great Lakes Brewing Company’s Burning River. It seemed like an easy decision, This brew has won a Gold Medal at the World Beer Championships eight times since 1994.
It was somewhat like when the Kentucky basketball team schedules games against Marist or Radford. It’s a given, a slam dunk and boy did this brew deliver. The second you pop the top on this beer you get a wonderful smell that is grassy and earthy but also has a hint of sweet fruit. The solid orange color and large foamy head that quickly dissipates create a fantastic looking beer.
This Pale Ale has a medium body and above average carbonation that can be somewhat off-putting at first sip. The taste is sweet with a just a bit of bitterness on the back side. It stays on your tongue for minutes after a drink and will not let you forget a sip for the foreseeable future.
Long story short, Burning River lives up to its reputation.
This fantastic beer was a great compliment to a day of movie watching, junk food eating and overall loafing around. I will definitely try to consume more of this delicious brew throughout the weekend as I pursue this “vacation at home” experience that I have been embarking on successfully so far.
So if you have not tried this beer yet, in between the dying of eggs, easter egg hunts, and other family related activities crack open a Burning River. Get a pizza and vegetate on the couch for a couple of hours. If anyone asks you to do something or tries to put you to work, just tell them you are on vacation, and that the Snobs of Beer said it’s OK.
Musical Pairing: Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here or if you want something more upbeat, Go-Go’s – Vacation