Tag Archives: City Beverage

Fresh Squeezed or: The Less Desirables Beer of the Week

18 Wednesday Oct 2017

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Salutations™!!

City Beverage, the Official Beer Sponsor of The Less Desirables, presents Deschutes Brewery‘s Fresh Squeezed IPA, The Less Desirables Beer of the Week. 20171018_132152

So, yeah, I’m a fan of Deschutes and I must be to have an IPA this soon after Caitlin leaves the podcast, right? I have had a few friends say that this is on point and, well, let’s see what all the hubbub is, right? It’s 6.4% ABV and its IBUs are 60. That’s pretty up there. So, here’s hoping that Deschutes will continue to dazzle me with this one.

BeerAdvocate has it at 4.26 out of 5. Untappd has it at 3.97 caps out of 5. That’s really good, as you don’t usually see much over 3.75 on Untappd. Have you had it? What did you think? If you’ve not had it or just have a hankering for more, head down to City Beverage and grab your own sixer and test it out. Tell them that this is the beer of the week and get 5% off your order.  Tune in tonight to hear what Danielle, Bethany, Connie, Jason and I think of it. You can see Groot likes it.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“A juicy citrus and grapefruit flavor profile. As if fresh Citra and Mosaic hops were squeezed straight into the bottle.” – Deschutes Brewery

Black Butte Porter or: The Less Desirables Beer of the Week

04 Wednesday Oct 2017

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Salutations™!!

City Beverage, the Official Beer Sponsor of The Less Desirables, presents The Less Desirables Beer of the Week, Black Butte Porter, by Deschutes Brewery.

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Groot says he’ll fight you for it…

 

So, Caitlin isn’t here any longer and we can have the dark stuff again. Truthfully, I’d trade the dark stuff to have her back but she had to move on. I’ve had a few Deschutes brews and I think they do a great job. It’s dark and a porter (my favorite kind of beer) and from a reputable brewery, then, yes! Let’s do it! It’s 5.2% ABV so not too heavy.

BeerAdvocate has changed its overall scoring system which I think is fantastic. It rates each beer on its own merit and not compared to other beers. On The Less Desirables, we still rate it against the style, but yet on its own merits. So, the new rating system has it at 4.18/5. Their rating starts around 3.75, considering that anything ranked by a drinker at that percentage must actually like the beer. So, this is a good score. Untappd has it rated at 3.83 caps out of 5.

Have you had this beer before? What did you think? If not, or you just have a hankering for more, head down to City Beverage and grab your sixer. Tell them that it’s the beer of the week and get 5% off your order. This weekend is their annual tent sale so they will have a ton of beer and wine, much of the beer and almost all of the wine opened for sampling and you can save up to 60% off of cases of beer and wine. It goes from 9am-6pm and they’re at 915 Burke Street!

Tune in later this evening or early tomorrow to hear what Danielle, the UNCSA folks coming in and I think of it!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“This is the beer that started it all. A rich, creamy mouthfeel complements a layered depth, revealing distinctive chocolate and coffee notes. Full of flavor, yet easy to drink.” – Deschutes Brewery

 

A Happier Goodbye or: End of an Era

27 Wednesday Sep 2017

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Salutations™!!

City Beverage is the Official Beer Sponsor of The Less Desirables and we think you need to go buy the beer of the week (which happens to be The IPA from White Street Brewing Company). But, as great as City Bev is, I’m not talking about that in this post. Yesterday, I talked about a sad passing but today I’m talking about a happier ending.

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The Less Desirables as of tonight.

 

Tonight’s episode of The Less Desirables will be Caitlin’s last show as a full-time co-host. She was my first “work wife.” She has always brought a certain brand of “Yankee Snark” to the show and can take it as well as she can dish it. She’s cooler than most. She keeps me in line. She was a great compliment to both me and Eugene, as he was our co-host at the time. When Eugene left, Bruce came in and she was the “same ol’ Caitlin” with him, welcoming him but not holding back on him. When Bruce left and Danielle came along, she was the perfect compliment to Caitlin’s ability to take shots at the “fat man (that’s me).”

Caitlin had guested on the show a few times to promote the Winston-Salem Jaycees. Eugene and I had lost Brian to progress and decided, after several guest co-hosts, to find a permanent co-host. We had a meeting and decided we wanted to approach Caitlin to take that spot. We noticed her “talents.” She informed us that she was just a year from leaving. We said we were okay with that because we wanted her as long as she could give us time. Her first show as a full co-host was May 6, 2015. We didn’t announce her as a full-blown member until a month later, giving her time to get her feet wet. We could have announced it right away, really, because she was ready, then. That’s right, May 6, 2015. That’s TWO years. We got two years from her. And I couldn’t be prouder to have her. There’s an intro that says that she is “clearly the smartest person in the room” and I can’t remember any time that that wasn’t the case. She’s brilliant and she is an asset for the Army to have. She is an asset for the Winston-Salem Jaycees to have. She is an asset for The Less Desirables to have.

So, thank you, Caitlin, for TWO great years of snark, insight and keeping the show going. You’ve been a driving force for us. I don’t think I’m speaking out of turn but thank you from me, Danielle, Bruce, Eugene, Brian and all the guests that have been on the show since you arrived. We love you and know you’re going to go places!

Dear Reader, give tonight’s show a listen.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“I also have ‘Glee Radio’ on here!” – Caitlin describing what her playlists look like on her second show here.

Shortest Ever? or: The Less Desirables Beer of the Week

20 Wednesday Sep 2017

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Salutations™!!

City Beverage is the Official Beer Sponsor of The Less Desirables. This week, well, I’ll just leave this here:

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Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“Fiddlin’ Fish is the brew-child of Stuart Barnhart of Winston-Salem and his cousin David Ashe of Richmond. Together, they share a passion for cold beer and a love of the outdoors.” –  Fiddlin’ Fish Brewing Company

Tropic Plunder or: The Less Desirables Beer of the Week

13 Wednesday Sep 2017

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City Beverage, the Official Beer Sponsor of The Less Desirables, presents Tropic Plunder IPA from TW Pitchers’ Brewing Company, The Less Desirables Beer of the Week.20170913_161045

To my knowledge, I’ve not had a single brew from TW Pitchers. I don’t know what to expect. From their website, it seems they’re about some shandies. Okay, well, let’s see what they can do. I know they’re from San Francisco. That’s about it. I know this is an IPA with Passionfruit and a hint of Lycee. I know it’s 6.1% ABV. That’s where I stand in the knowledge of this beer. Groot probably knows more about it than I do.

BeerAdvocate has no rating for it at all. Untappd has it at 3.6 caps out of 5. Have you tried it? What did you think? If you haven’t or just have a hankering for more, head to City Beverage and grab your sixer. Tell them that it’s the TLD Beer of the Week and get 5% off your order. Tune into TLD later tonight and hear what Caitlin, Danielle, Chad and I think of it.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“This tasty IPA is loaded with mosaic and citra hops and blended with a touch of passion fruit and lychee post-fermentation. Juicy IPA, IPA shandy…call it what you want – we call it delicious and seriously crushable.” – T.W. Pitchers’ Brewing

Oktoberfest Festbier or: The Less Desirables Beer of the Week

06 Wednesday Sep 2017

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Salutations™!!

City Beverage, the Official Beer Sponsor of The Less Desirables, presents Oktoberfest Festbier 2017 from Sierra Nevada Brewing, The Less Desirables Beer of the Week.

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©Pete W (Untappd)

 

Sierra Nevada Brewing. Lately, their stuff is knocking my socks off. My favorite beer of the summer is Sidecar, the orange pale and now, coming off this week’s The Less Desirables, I really dig this Oktoberfest. I’m a big fan of fall beers that aren’t pumpkin based and this is no different. You’re asking, “how do you already know?” And the answer is that I’m writing this later Wednesday night, after I’ve already had it. It’s malty and has a great color. It can stand directly behind Spaten and Paulaner, the two world-famous Oktoberfest brews (Spaten being the first tapped in Munich for the actual Oktoberfest). It’s great stuff. It’s 6.1%ABV.

BeerAdvocate has it rated at 89 (Very Good) with no Bros Score. Untappd has it at 3.76 caps out of 5. Have you had it? What did you think? If you’ve not tried it or just have a hankering for more, head to City Bev and tell them this is the beer of the week. Pick up your sixer and get 5% off your order. Tune in to see what Danielle and I thought of it. Caitlin was off for the night and our guest, Doug, had to run after the conversation part.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“Each year, we partner with a different German brewer to explore the roots of Germany’s famous Oktoberfest beers. This year, we’re collaborating with Germany’s Brauhaus Miltenberger, whose approach to the classic style we’ve long admired. The result is a festival beer true to their style—deep golden in color with deceptively rich malt flavor and balanced by traditional German-grown whole-cone hops.” – Sierra Nevada

 

Fully Baked or: a Humble Bee Indeed

01 Friday Sep 2017

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Salutations™!!

When is the last time I told you about my friend Bee McGee? That’s Brittany McGee, of course, but her friends call her “Bee.” Well, hold tight, I’m about to mark out for a minute or two.

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©Brittany McGee

 

Brittany McGee is a fantastic baker, a genius around the oven and an all around brilliant young woman. A few months back she opened the area’s newest sensation, The Humble Bee Shoppe over on Brookstown Ave. She’s in good company, too.  Underdog Records, City Beverage, Mozelle’s, Bernardin’s, Camel City Goods, West End Cafe and Olde Fourth Street Filling Station just to name a few awesome things in the area. Brittany spends countless hours in her baker’s kitchen at the shop making gluten-free and vegan (not at the same time) cookies, muffins and other baked goodies for the public’s consumption.

The cool thing about that is that she does everything from scratch. She may run out of things, but her customers and now you (who should be a customer, Dear Reader) know that they’re getting the freshest products available. She doesn’t use frozen cookie dough, muffin mix from a box or cakes from Duncan Hines. She makes everything from her own recipes and when she needs to make more, it takes a little time. Again, scratch and fresh! You’re getting the best stuff possible.

If you’ve been to Willows Bistro in the last six months or so and had one of their desserts, guess who made that!? Yep, Brittany. She’s even a sponsor for The Man Who Ate the Town and I could have just written this on that blog. But, here’s the thing, I’m not talking about her because she pays me or because she gives me free stuff (she does neither), I’m talking about her because I believe in what she’s doing. And what she’s doing is using her powers for good. She’s busting her tail for you every single day to bring you the best cookies, scones, and muffins you can find. She has coffee, too. She serves Parliament Coffee Roasters‘ wares and that pairs nicely with the imaginative confections that she makes right there.

She was featured just today with on Fox 8 where reporter Shannon Smith visited to see what all the hubbub was and she found it. You can watch her report HERE. So, the word is getting out. So you know, she’s open today until 5 pm and tomorrow from 10 am to 5 pm. She’s closed on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday this coming week for the holiday. Go by and tell her that I sent you, I’d appreciate it and I’m sure she would, too. You can find her at 1003 Brookstown Avenue in downtown WSNC. Enjoy!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“That’s a good way to describe it. It’s a mouth experience.” – Shannon Smith

Unfiltered Wheat or: The Less Desirables Beer of the Week

30 Wednesday Aug 2017

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City Beverage, the Official Beer Sponsor of The Less Desirables, presents Boulevard Brewing Company‘s Unfiltered Wheat, The Less Desirables Beer of the Week. 20170830_142201

Spencer, at City Beverage, said that this is their #1 selling wheat beer. I know Boulevard does great beer and I am looking forward to this one. It’s only 4.4% ABV so you can drink a few and not be compromised in your inhibitions. The IBUs are only 14 so it isn’t bitter at all, either. Sounds like my kind of beer. Being that it’s unfiltered, there will be sediment and other stuff floating around in the glass. I’m good with that. The trick is to pour 75% of the beer, swirl the bottle (or can) and empty the rest of the brew into the glass. Get all that stuff in the glass. Drink up and enjoy. I don’t know how Caitlin will take to this, but that’s just something we’ll have to wait to see, right? Right.

BeerAdvocate has something strange. The majority of the votes were at 79 (Okay) while the Bros Score is at 87 (Very Good). I don’t see many times where the Bros have a higher rating than the base because they’re pretty fastidious in their ratings. So, we’ll see how we compare to them. Untappd has the beer at 3.59 caps out of 5. Have you had this beer? What did you think? If you haven’t or just have a hankering for more, head to City Beverage and grab your sixer. Tell them this is the TLD beer of the week and you will get 5% off your order. Tune in later tonight or early tomorrow to see what Caitlin, Danielle, Terri and I think about it. Groot already wants his own bottle.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat Beer is a lively, refreshing ale with a natural citrusy flavor and distinctive cloudy appearance. This easy drinking American-style wheat beer has become our most popular offering and the best-selling craft beer in the Midwest.” – Boulevard Brewing Company

Oatmeal IPA or: The Less Desirables Beer of the Week

23 Wednesday Aug 2017

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City Beverage, the Official Beer Sponsor of The Less Desirables, presents Oatmeal IPA from Mother Earth Brewing, The Less Desirables Beer of the Week.20170823_153214

Yeah, I know, another IPA and I hate IPAs, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. It looked interesting and I decided to take a shot. This is that shot. I love what Mother Earth does as far as their business and environmental ventures go, and I try to support them all that I can. So, when this came available to me, heck yeah, I jumped. I like Oatmeal things so why not this, eh?

BeerAdvocate has no rating as it’s that new. Untappd has it at 3.94 caps out of 5. That’s amazing. The ABV is 6.5% (although Untappd has it at 7.5%). Have you had this beer before? What did you think? If you haven’t, or just have a hankering for more, then head to City Beverage and grab your sixer. Tell them this is the beer of the week and get 5% off your order! Listen later tonight or early tomorrow to hear what Caitlin, Danielle, Eddie and I think of it.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“Our Oatmeal IPA will change the way you look at IPA! Brewed with a generous portion of flaked oats that provide a creamy, velvet-like mouthfeel, this IPA takes nearly all of its hops (Chinook, Mosaic and Citra) as late additions and dry hops during fermentation, resulting in big aromas and flavors of grapefruit and cantaloupe with very little bitterness.” – Mother Earth Brewing

Luau Krunkles or: The Less Desirables Beer of the Week

16 Wednesday Aug 2017

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City Beverage, the Official Beer Sponsor of The Less Desirables, presents Luau Krunkles “Passion Orange Guava” IPA from Terrapin Beer Company, The Less Desirables Beer of the Week.20170816_142759

Terrapin is one of those breweries that can be hit or miss with me. I mean, I guess they all can but I either like their stuff or don’t. Some stuff from them is very solid stuff. Not necessarily my favorite stuff, but it’s solid. That’s what Terrapin does the best. I don’t care for a lot of IPAs and they do a right many of those. I do like their other stuff like their porters and stouts. They step out of the box and that’s a plus. So, this is one of those “oddity” brews that happens to also be an IPA. I like fruity beer and I hope this is good on the fruit. I like the idea of Passionfruit, orange and guava all together in one beer. Let’s see how it goes. The ABV for this beer is 6.5% and its IBUs are 72.

BeerAdvocate rates it at 87 (Very Good) with no Bros Score. Untappd has it at 3.84 caps out of 5. I’m good with those ratings if they’re accurate. We’ll see. Have you had it? What did you think? If you’ve not had it or just have a hankering for more, head down to City Beverage and grab your sixer. Tell them that it’s the Beer of the Week and get 5% off your order. Tune in later this evening or early tomorrow to hear what Caitlin, Danielle, Liz and I think of it. It looks like Groot is already having a hankering.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“Tropical aromas of Passion fruit, Orange and Guava dominate the nose while a big juicy hop flavor and smooth bitterness complement the balance of the beer.” – Terrapin Beer Company.