Now I'm Pissed

Here is a followup to yesterday's review of Flying Dog Raging Bitch. (Yes, Misszippy, it's brewed in Colorado, as well as Maryland. Thanks, Al.) While at the local, overpriced grocer for disparately cheap fancy milk (local, non-homogenized, yum), I decided to check to see if there was a sixer of Raging Bitch. Low and behold, there it was!

The price? $8.99. Eight dollars and ninety-nine cents. Fuck you, Lockview! For an additional $0.99 plus tax more than I spent at the overpriced grilled cheese joint, I could have had five more glasses of this beer.

A Trend?
Gin sent me an e-mail yesterday remarking that she couldn't believe I spent $8 on a single glass of beer. She also sent a link to Stone Brewing Co.'s Cali-Belgique IPA, another Belgian-IPA hybrid like the Flying Dog. Has anyone else noticed these styles out there?

A Quickie
Yesterday was a beautiful day, and I just had to get out there, even if time was tight, which it was, but I just had to run. I laced up the Brooks T6 Racers and bolted out the door for a fast three miles. I was surprised to see my watch read 7:40-something at the first mile-ish. It was mostly down hill until then, but I tried to keep up my speed to see how fast I could run this old route. My legs started to get heavy with a half mile to go as I was climbing up the biggest hill of the run. After making the final turn toward home, I was struggling a bit, but a burst of finishing adrenaline kicked in and charged up my foot turnover. The results were a pleasing 8:02 average mile pace.

Springtime Sickness
Finally, I woke up this morning with a sore throat and body ache. I hate when the weather gets nice and I get stuck with some sort of illness. Boo-hiss!

For Relaxing Times ...

Exhibit: Simpler Times Lager
Origin: Minhas Craft Brewery, Monroe, Wis.
Stats: 6.2 percent ABV

Simpler Times Lager is brewed by Minhas Craft Brewery for Trader Joe's grocery store. Where I live, a six-pack of cans is $3.99. You might be saying, "Cans? Only piss beer comes in cans!" Not so. There is a little revolution in the craft brewing world where canning is the new black.

The theory goes that modernday cans don't leave the aluminum flavor that your dad's canned beers did, and canning is a much cheaper process than bottling. Some well-respected microbrewers are turning cans to provide their drinkers a cheaper buzz.

I've never tried any other Minhas brews, but the company slogan is "Damn Good Beer!" I like their swagger. However, Simpler Times Lager won't blow your doors off with its damned goodness.

It's still a light-flavored lager, but it's very drinkable. It's the kind of beer that goes well with a pizza pie. The flavor is slightly sweet and, as the label says, very simple. However, it packs a heftier punch than the other swill you might pick up at the same bargain basement price. And we all know I'm a sucker for decent, cheap beer. As one reviewer called it, Simpler Times is "recession chic."

Simpler Times is also available as a pilsner, with around 5 percent ABV, but why bother with such a weak alcohol content? Doesn't seem worth it to me.

The main problem with the beer is its exclusive location. The closest Trader Joe's to me is a good 45-minute drive. I just happened to be in the area shopping for a wedding gift. If you're in the area of a Trader Joe's and you're looking for something cheap to send you on your way to Blackout Island, pick up a couple sixers of Simpler Times Lager.