End of the Year Beer Awards

Who's Going home with the BROTHA AWARD!

No not me exactly, but the beer awards for the end of the year. It is almost exactly one year since I did my first written beer review and consequent first blog post of DuClaw's at Arundel Mills Mall in Maryland. I've learned a great deal about beer styles, the intricacies, what's new, what's hot, and what's just f'n crazy (hello Magic Hat). Thanks for all of you who have followed me around on this blog. Lord knows I have not posted regularly like a lot of other bloggers, but it's like that sometimes. I find this to be very enjoyable and will keep doing it until blogging gets out of vogue and we just read the information directly out of peoples' minds.

Some time in early January I'm going to give out a few "Best of" awards. Well, I ain't sending a damn thing to anybody, maybe an email. But I will have it written on here. The "Best of" categories will probably be a little bit different than what you're used to. Rather than just running down best style and best brewpub, I'm going to throw in a few of my own. Examples will include (in no particular order):

Best Brewpub - Obvious

Best Beer - Obvious

Best Brewery - Obvious

Best Wow Beer - Beer that on the first sip you will say "wow" to yourself

Best Beer to have with a Cigar - smoke sum'tin

Best Adjunct Ingredient - what violations of the Purity Law were the best this year

Best Tailgating Beer - damn Texans, nobody tailgated this year

Best Swill Beer - Who has the best of Miller/Bud/etc

Best Beer with Spicy food

Best Texas/Louisiana Brewpubs, Beers, Beer Bars and Brewery

Best Beer to give a woman - what would the sistahs like

Best Gateway Beer - Beer that gets you into craft beer

Best Mexican Beer - Obvious

Best Workhorse Beer - Best of beers that are usually all over the place

Best Style New to me - What style did I not know about last year that was the best

Most Jacked up Beer Name - I'll have the poontang pale...

Most harsh beer - makes you tear up

And the Brewpubs

Brewpub with best Selections

Brewpub in the Most Picturesque Setting - Oh yeah

Best Food from a Brewpub - I'll take the thai style lamb

Most memorable experience at a Brewpub

Beer Bars (gotta love 'em)

Best Beer Bar

Best Beer Bar Food

Most Knowledgeable Staff

Best Beer selection

Best Membership club

If you can think of anymore, feel free to let me know. I'll be adding more categories probably once I get some alcohol in my system tomorrow. Of course all of these will be limited to brewpubs I've actually been to or beers I've actually had. Don't bust me on the MB saying there's a Chocolate and Lead Paint beer in Brownsville I should have put on the list. But I am open to suggestions of places we should try to go. Right now we are locking up our plans to go to Oktoberfest for a hot minute, then off to Belgium for about 8-9 days in early October.

Other trips include a run up to DC to see our boy Barack Hussein get inaugurated, and we'll probably spend most of that time in Baltimore. We'll be likely heading to New Orleans some time after I knock out the PE Licensing exam in April (hopefully NOLA will be open) and back to Atlanta for my family reunion. And I can't forget San Antonio for New Years and the opening of the Freetail Brewpub. Merry Christmas.