No more Dogtoberfest

I tried. I mean I really tried. But any way I look at it, the search is over. I will tell you that I have a void inside. A void that can only be filled by the sweet, brewed nectar from Flying Dog Brewery called, Dogtoberfest.

I love Oktoberfest style beers. They are by far my favorite. At the top of my list is an amazing beer called "Dogtoberfest" made by that kick ass brewery in Colorado, Flying Dog. It isn't their fault. They did their job. They brewed a great batch this season. It kept me going for the last month. But now I feel like a junkie looking to his dealer for his next fix.

I looked to a few of the other dealers, but they were no help. They were either trying to sell me something else to get my fix, or some cheap knockoff of the real thing. But I can tell the difference. I'm not stupid. I'm a seasoned user of Dogtoberfest. And that is all that I will settle for.

I will admit it, I strayed. There are some others out there that I really enjoy. However, Dogtoberfest is just a well balanced and extremely flavorful marzen. Not only is it a great Oktoberfest, it is a great beer!

I held out hope all week that I would be able to score some more. But no luck. I even went so far as to go around my normal dealer, and went straight to the source. I talked to a "friend" who is connected to Flying Dog. He told me "I'm not sure there's lots of Dogtoberfest 2009 left in the world, actually". Those words crushed me.

The only place I was able to score any this season was at Total Wine and More. I stopped by on several occasions and stocked up. I went through plenty of them myself. But I am a nice guy, and I like to share. So my stash went fast. I think about it now, and realize that was a bad thing to do.

For weeks now, I tried to track some down from BevMo, but they were not able to get any. I started asking about it the first week of September. I figured that was early enough to get some. But I was wrong. The list from BevMo included a Flying Dog "seasonal". But for some reason, they were unable to get it for me.

I tried to get it in bulk (keg) from Total Wine as well. Same thing. No go. But I was able to pick it up in 6 packs, which I did. I had to cheat on my normal dealer, BevMo because they were never able to get any. I tried at 3 different BevMo locations. All of them told me that they were expecting to get some, but it never showed up. My father in law (my latest beer conversion student) tried at another BevMo. He even left his name and number, but never got the call.

So I sit here, shaking from withdrawals, trying to type out my story. But all I can think of is that I have to wait another 10 months before I can get my next fix. It is going to be a long, cold, and lonely winter.

-auf Wiedersehen

I missed my chance

Are you ready for this? Sam Calagione, the man himself, was in town yesterday, and I didn't know about it. By the time I heard about, it was too late. O, the Horror! I have been dying to meet my hero Sam, and I just missed my chance. He was kind enough to fly all the way across the country to my home town, and I didn't even know it. How could this have happened?

Here is the deal. My dad tells me last night at my son's baseball game, "Hey, some brewery guy is in town signing his book". What? How did I not head about this? Honestly, I am not up to date with Authors signing their books. I am not that kind of guy. But if it is a Beer Guy, I need to know about it. I should have known about it.

I racked my brain, and went down the list of the possible brew guys it might have been.
Me: "Charlie Papazian"?
Dad: "No, that's not it".
Me: "Jim Koch"?
Dad: "That Sam Adams guy? No, that isn't it".
- Who could it be? Who might have been in town promoting a book?
Me: "O, Garrett Oliver from Brooklyn Brewery?
Dad: "Never heard of him".
Me: "It wasn't Fritz Maytag was it?
Dad: "I don't think that was it". "It was something about brewing a business".
Me: "WHAT? ARE YOU SERIOUS? SAM CALAGIONE from DOGFISH HEAD"?
Dad: "Yeah, that's it"

O my God. How did this just happen? All these thoughts ran through my head. I can leave, buy a paper, find out where he is, and go. Or I can call everyone I know, have them find the article i their paper, and tell me what the article said. This is exactly what I did.

By the time my cousin called me back, it was too late. Sam held a 2 hour event to talk about his book, and his beer. And I missed it. By the time My cousin read me the details, the event was over. I wanted to cry. Yes, I am man enough to tell you that I really wanted to cry. How, after all this time of waiting, and reading, and talking to people about my "Man Crush" on Sam Calagione, did I miss my probable, once in a lifetime, opportunity to meet him in my one home town. It's a tragedy.

But all hope is not lost. I found out that Sam is still in town, through Sunday. Has my luck changed? You see, Sam is in town for his annual Bocce Ball tournament. It's the "Dogfish Head Intergalactic Bocce Tournament, Western Version".

This part is my fault. I have been trying to put together a team for 2 years now. But I have cheap friends. And none of them have the cash to play. But I try, and try, and try to put together a team. But I have struck out every time.

I also look at the website all the time to find out if Sam is going to be in a town where I just so happen to be visiting. And I kept checking the Dogfish Head website, looking for information about the Bocce ball tournament. But I never found it. And I guess, I just got a little too lazy, and I missed out on the giant post about it on their website. How could I have let this happen? I don't know, but I did.

I spent the better part of the day trying to contact anyone at the hotel who might be able to let me know about the details. But all I got was the head chef, concierge, or a receptionist. None of which were able to help me.

So I am stuck watching from the sidelines this year. That is the price I have to pay. I get it. But next year, I am there.

So right here, right now, I am putting it out there. Who wants to join my team? Who wants to play Bocce Ball next year?

-Prost. (gotta say it, but I don't mean it tonight)

What a bummer

The Super Bowl (am I allowed to use the term, or do I use the "Big Game" so I don't get sued by the NFL? Who cares) it's over. It was an amazing game, but I feel empty inside. Normally a beer or 4 will make me feel better. However, that just isn't going to do tonight. Instead, I need to drown my sorrow and hope for a better day tomorrow.

What are all those stupid cliche's, "it just wasn't meant to be", or "everything happens for a reason". Does it really? Has anyone ever found out that reason? I sure haven't. Was it a good reason? Was it really meant to be? If it was, why? I have yet to ever find out what that reason was. I bet that reason just flat out sucks. I would rather have the win. Screw the "Reason".

I bet the idiot who started saying such stupid things was a Cubs fan. They are the only ones who could have thought up such a stupid term. Now I think have a better understanding of the Cubs fan. Year after year, decade after decade, they come back for more heartbreak. Yet they keep cheering and establish new hope every season. How do they do it? How do they get punched in the nads every year and keep coming back for more? It is that "reason"?

At least I got to Cheer for a team I liked this season. It was fun. It was exciting. But most of all, it gave me hope. I am actually looking forward to next season. What will happen? Who knows. But I am going to enjoy the ride.

I really hate the Cubs. They suck. I'm more of a "south side" guy. I'm looking forward to cheering against them with hope that my team will make it to the Series this year. Then all will be right in the world again.

Now I need to go pout for a while. Tomorrow, I will feel better and ready to tell you a new story. It will be a good one.

-________. (I don't feel cheers works today)