How do you play Bocce Ball?

I am in! That is right ladies and gentlemen, I have a team. Next year, I won't have to watch from the sideline, because I have a Bocce Ball team. I don't know how to play, but who cares. I have a year to learn how.

I was so pissed that I wasn't able to play in Sam Calagione's Bocce Ball Tournament again this year. However, all was not lost. I was able to meet my hero, Sam. However, I couldn't help but wish I was participating instead of sitting on the wall, drinking Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, and watching all the people have fun.

As soon as I got home, I put the word out. I asked everyone I knew if they were interested in joining my Bocce Ball team. Within minutes, I had a team. Gotta love it! I know I do. I'm sure the other teammates do as well. The only problem is that none of us have ever played before. Not to mention that we don't know the rules or how to play.

Either way, I get to play. And it is going to be so much fun. This weekend, I am going to buy a Bocce Ball set, and figure out how to play. I think I might even set up an official Bocce Ball field in my back yard. Yes, I just might do that. And I am going to practice, practice, and practice some more.

So I am going to say this. I love Sam, but next year, he is going down!

-Cheers!

I met Sam Calagione

Today I met the man, the legend, Sam Calagione. That's right, I was able to meet my hero today. And I have yet to stop smiling.

After the devastating news on Thursday night, I though all was lost. However, the good news was that Sam was going to be in town through the weekend. And there was no way on God's green Earth that I was going to miss my chance to meet Sam. So thank you God, I did!

After my sons baseball game, I drove across town to the Bocce Tournament. I was never able to talk to anyone at the hotel who could tell me anything about it. I called 5 times on Friday, and still had no answers. So the only way I was going to find out, was to go. I am so happy I did.

As soon as I pulled into the parking lot, I knew it was going to be fun. Right there, in front of me were the Bocce Ball fields and a good sized group of people holding red cups. Red cups are always great sign. So I got out, and simply watched the for a while. As I sat there, I scanned the area for any site of Sam. I kept getting distracted by all the people dressed up in costumes. There were Super Heroes, Safari guys, Human Beer Bottles, and countless groups wearing matching Jerseys or shirts. All I knew was that I was missing out on a good time. And the only way to make the trip,was to meet Sam.

So I grabbed my backpack, and walked out onto the field. I was amazed at how nice everyone was. There were people playing Bocce, people playing Cornhole, and people just chilling, or recuperating from the night before. I grabbed a chair, and enjoyed the time.

After 15 minutes or so, I spotted Sam. He was in the group wearing Sombreros. A good look for them. I watched him and his team win their match and have a celebratory beer. I wanted to walk up and introduce myself, but I didn't want to bother him.

Finally, Sam came walking by and noticed me. Actually, he noticed my shirt. He thought it was cool. He shook my hand, and asked me my name. Then he asked if I was playing. I explained to him that I was huge fan, and tried to get a team together. However, all my friends are too cheap and I wasn't able to pull it off in time. He then told me that I should have come by yesterday, because he could have got me on a team. Go figure. I told him how I called 5 times on Friday and nobody at the hotel was able to help me out.

Then he told me to just hang out then, and "go grab a beer". Was he serious? I told him that I didn't pay, and I was just here to watch and get his autograph when he had the time. He told me. "Who cares, go grab a beer, and hang out with us, and I will sign your stuff".

Wow, after a moment of shock, I went over and poured myself a beer. 60 Minute IPA was on tap, and something else. I didn't know what it was, so I poured myself a cup. I am glad I did.

I did exactly what Sam said, I poured myself a couple pints and watched everyone play Bocce Ball. I have never played, so I wanted to figure out how it works. It looks simple enough. And I am going to start practicing as soon as I buy myself a set.

After an hour or so, Sam noticed me again and said "Hey, you wanted me to sign something, bring it over". So I did. I had a copy of Draft Magazine with Sam and Jim Koch on the cover. He signed it and asked "should I sign it over Jim's face"? I told him he could sign it where ever he wanted. He chuckled, and said "No, Jim is my friend, I couldn't do that". So he signed it for me, and then he signed my his book, Brewing Up a Business. I told him that I have met hundreds of famous athletes and got their autographs. But meeting his was really a big thing for me.

I thanked him again for everything. He was so gracious to let me hang out and drink the beer, for free. But it didn't end there. He told me to go grab another beer. And to be sure to try the Pale Ale, because it isn't available anywhere other than the Atlantic region because it "doesn't travel well". So that is what that was. I liked it. I really liked it. How could I turn down Sam? I didn't. Then he started asking me questions.

Sam: "Do you home brew"?
Me: "Yes, but just a little bit. I am trying to be more prolific at it".
Sam: "You know, I only brewed 7 batches before I went into business".
Me: "That is amazing. And I can' believe you did it on that home brew system".
Sam: "I know, it was hard, but it worked".
Me: "That is amazing".
Sam: "Go grab another beer and watch us play"
Me: "OK, I will thanks so much for letting me hang out today. And thanks for the autographs".
Sam: "My pleasure".

So I poured myself another Pale Ale, and watched Sam and his team win their next match. He really seems to enjoy Bocce Ball. And I can understand why. It looks like fun, and you can play while you drink beer. It is the perfect sport, or game. On one occasion, he said to me, "We are in this"! He really seemed to take it serious, yet in a fun way. And his team did indeed pull off the win, in come from behind fashion. I told him I was pulling for him.

But my time was up. I needed to get home. So I thanked him again for everything. He said to me:
Sam: "__________, are you leaving"? (He called me by name. On all 3 occasions, he remembered my name)
Me: "Yes, I gotta get going"
Sam: "Well thanks for coming and hanging out with us today".
Me: "It was my pleasure. Thanks for letting me hang out".
Sam: "Are you going to play next year"?
Me: "Are you going to do it again next year:?
Sam: "We sure are".
Me: "Then I am going to have a team ready for sure".
Sam: "Great".

I asked him if I could get a picture with him, and without pausing, he said sure. He was more than happy to do it. He asked the woman standing next to us if she would take the picture for me. Then he told me to make sure I sent him an email. How could I forget. (I already sent him one). You see, he liked my shirt. And as luck would be, I just so happened to have an extra one, brand new. I told him I would send it to him. He told me if I did, he would send me a Dogfish Head shirt. How could I turn down a deal like that? So he gave me his email address, and told me to send him an email and he would give me the info and where to send it.

That's my story. Can you believe it? I can't. I am still in awe. I can't believe I got to meet him. And to make it even better, he was cool as hell! He was so much cooler than I thought he would be. Completely down to earth, and an all around nice guy. If I wasn't already a fan, I surely am now. In fact, I am a fan for life.

A truly amazing day. A day I will never forget. Thanks Sam.

-Cheers!

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)

Beer Swapping

I did it. Last week I made my first beer swap with a friend. I will tell you now, I am hooked. Beer swapping is so much fun. I'm going to do it again, and again, and again. In fact, I think I might have even found a new Beer Swapping partner. This is going to get addictive.

I have a friend, we will call him "Chef". He lives on the east coast. We spend a lot of time talking about beer. Drinking beer, making beer, different beers, beers we like, beers we wish we want to try, and beers we wish we could get.

That last one is what got us started. I read on other blogs about all these different beer from regional breweries that I can't get out here on the west coast. Chef has the same problem. He wants to try all the beers from all the breweries here on the west side of the country. Thus, we decided to trade.

It started off easily enough. We each made lists of the breweries and certain beers we wanted to try. But we decided to choose a few of out favorites for each other. Kind of like a surprise. Boy, was I surprised.

I got 9 beers I have never tried before. 5 were from regional breweries I have never even heard of. Here is the list.

Cape Ann Brewing Company -Fisherman's Brew Lager
Victory Brewing- Hop Devil Ale
Brooklyn Brewery - Pennant Ale
Troegs Brewing Company - Hop Back Amber Ale
Bell's Brewery - Two Hearted Ale
Bell's Brewery - Oberon Ale
Clay Pipe Brewing - Hop-Ocalypse India Pale Ale
Dogfish Head - Aprihop Ale
Dogfish Head - Palo Santo Marron

So far, I like what I have tried. In fact, I liked them a lot! Some more than others, but I still enjoyed them. As of 5 minutes ago, I only have 1 left of the original 9. But don't worry, I took notes on each one. Come Saturday night, I am going to review them all for you, my blog reading fans.

In the meantime, I leave you with this. Imagine walking up to your front door and finding a package. This is usually a good thing. But this time, it's something special. This time, Brewmaster Santa left you a special Christmas present. Beer! And not just any ole beer. This is special beer that you can't get. How cool is that? So, are you ready to trade yet? I know I am!

-Cheers!

Beer snob?

I was talking to a blogger friend about being a "Beer Snob". For the most part, I agreed with everything he was saying. Yes, I would consider myself a "Beer Snob". And most people who read my blog are fellow "Beer Snobs". But is that a bad thing? Come to think of it, it might be construed as an insult.

Guys, take a minute and think back to high school. How cool was it to score a 6 pack of Bud light back then? But that isn't where I am going with this story. Every school had one. Every guy knew one. That girl. That super hot chick that every kid in school thought was "Hot".

You know who I am talking about. What was her name? Jennifer? Or was it Lisa? What about Heather? Or was it Bambi? Yes, Bambi. That was it wasn't it. Remember how she dated the Quarterback, or the rich kid, or the guy you just didn't like? And do you remember what you called her?

Snob!

But was she really? To be honest, you didn't know her that well. She might have been the nicest person in the world. Sure, she might have been a little self absorbed, but was she really a snob? Is it possible that she was just far more advanced than we were? (D's in High school? I would say yes!) Or was it that she just had a better idea of what she wanted than we did?

Fast forward to that last time you stood in the beer section, looking at all those different beers. To the left, we have the math club members (Bud, Miller, Coors, etc,). In the middle, we have those people we all knew and were friends with (Heineken, Becks, Stella, New Castle, Smithwicks, etc.) Those were the people who thought they were cooler than they really were. Just like these beers. For the most part, they are like the Big 3, but think they are better. But we all know they are owned by the Evil Empire.

Then there is the right. The special. They are where you spend most of your time, and where you wished you would have spent most of your time in high school. You have the Dogfish Head, Stone, New Belgium, Flying Dog, Sierra Nevada, Left Hand, Laguintas, Deschutes, and so on. That group that is special indeed. That group that is so different, that you have grown to love, and appreciate.

Why is that? Because they are "Snobby"? No, because it is just a better place to be. Does that make us "Beer Snobs"? I don't think so. It just means that we know what is good, and what isn't. At this time in our lives, we know what qualifies as good, quality beer instead of that watered down, flavorless, piss water that they call light beer.

It might have taken us a good 10 or 20 years to realize what Bambi knew all those years ago in High School. But it is our time to shine. We have arrived. And there is nothing wrong with being a so called "Beer Snob". Come to think about it. Snob was just the name that we gave to that "Hot" girl who wouldn't give us the time of day. And now, "Beer Snob" is the name that all those Bud, Miller, and Coors, drinkers give to us because we are on a higher level that they are.

So celebrate being a "Beer Snob". We are a special kind of people. And be willing to share, or point and laugh when some band geek buys a sixer of Bud Light. We have earned our stripes. We have done our time. And at that 20 year High School reunion, buy Bambi a real beer.

-Prost!

Tale from a beer line.

This is going to be short, and sweet. It has been a long day, and I feel like going to bed. But dammit, said I would do this, so here it is.

I was looking through the beers yesterday at, the BevMo. And I noticed these three Frat looking guys. They pushed the shopping cart up and down the rows a few time. Ultimately, they picked up a case of the usual college brews, Bud Light and Miller Lite.

I wasn't judging. They are young, and stupid. But I didn't realize just how stupid they really were. One of the three seemed to have a little style with his beer choices. He walked over and picked up a 6 pack of Samuel Adams Boston Lager. I thought to myself, good choice young man. You are have a future in the beer world.

But I soon realized how screwed we all are. He showed the 6 pack to his friends, put it in their cart and blurted out this gem:

"I drink Sam Adams because he makes good beer, and was a good President".

Wow. The public education system did it's job well, didn't it. Because I really doubt this genius made it into college, or "colege" like his shirt said.

-Cheers!

New plan of attack

To be honest, I have a hard time keeping up with my posts. I forget to write, or I don't feel like writing, or I really have nothing to say. But today, I made a decision. That is about to change. Here is what I plan on doing.

Beer talk will be on Tuesday. It will be called "Tales from the beer line". I am going to talk about the what conversations I might have overheard while I was standing in line, for a beer, or buying beer at the BevMo or Total Wine (where I buy most of my beer). I always seem to have a conversation with someone about beer. And I almost always end up having a story to tell.

Saturday nights will be my beer reviews. That seems to be the night that I have the most time to write about the beers I drank during the week. Not to mention, Saturday night seems to be the night I drink (I mean, taste) a large amount of beer. For example, tonight I have tasted the following:

Hacker Pschorr - Munich Gold finest Lager
Dogfish Head - Punkin Ale
New Belgium - Mothership Wit (Organic Wheat Beer brewed with spices)
Dogfish Head - Raison De' Entre
Dogfish Head - 60 Minute IPA
Stone Brewing - Pale Ale

How does this sound? If you like my plan, come back on Tuesday and you can read the latest story I overheard while I was standing in line for a beer at the baseball game. Then come back next Saturday, and you can read my full review of each one of these great beers I have been drinking this week.

I forgot to mention. I went to the premier of "Beer Wars" on Thursday night. I loved it. Tomorrow night, I am going to tell you about it. It was a great movie. I loved it. And I changed my opinion of beer after watching it.

Thanks for being a fan of "Good Burp".

-Prost!