Tag Archives: giveaway

Lately {+ Giveaway Winner}

Happy Sunday Tuesday, everyone! I’ve been enjoying my midweek weekend quite a bit – recaps of a special brewery tour will be coming later this week. Here’s what’s been going on in my life lately:
amThis magazine. It’s absolutely awesome.
am2My brother designed and built in the in-house brew system for Craft Beer and Brewing. I’m so very proud!
am3Monstas in the sunshine! Green for days!
am5Meatless Monday – organic kale and quinoa burger, fresh avocado sprinkled with lime juice and paprika and a pickle.
am6More monstas!
am4One of the top five business cards I’ve ever received.
am7Walked into a thrift shop while rocking out to Thrift Shop. Succeeded in embarrassing my mumsie quite a bit.
am8New Belgium’s Mint Mild at Cranknstein.
am9Bathroom floors are in at my house!
am12Lights are in at my house!
am13I am way too excited about a toilet in MY HOUSE!
am14Bhakti is gone 🙁
am15Bhakti is back 🙂
am17Grilled cheese with Schnapps-candied bacon and a saison.
am18An absolutely amazing sour gifted to me from Aaron.
am16I won a giveaway! BlogHer Visa card to pay for my new mattress!

Thanks to everyone who entered the Magic Bullet giveaway! The winner is….
Screen shot 2014-04-01 at 4.19.58 PMGwen Y! Check your e-mail, Gwen, and thanks for playing!

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Weekday Weekends {plus Giveaway Winners}

I work almost every weekend, so it’s nice to be able to treat Tuesdays like my Saturday.
amAfter checking out the progress on my new house (the drywall is up!!!), I headed over to d’Vine Bistro in Old Town Fort Collins for a late lunch.
am1It’s my Saturday. Don’t judge me.
am2The restaurant is tucked away off of the main road on Mason Street. Quiet and spacious with lots of warm wood and a crackling fire for those snowy days.
am3Seeing that it was Fat Tuesday, I thought it would be best to get something ridiculously rich and found that in the goat cheese and artichoke dip.
am6Tangy, creamy and incredibly filling.
am5Smoked trout pate with clarified butter for my lunch date! I had another plate coming to me, so I decided to have just a small taste of this one.
am4Ahi tuna stacks were the incredible finale. Freshly seared ahi on top of a sweet strawberry and red onion salsa, topped with wasabi cream. That fruit salsa! I’ve been fixated on it ever since!
am7Must. Recreate.
am8Yesterday, I met up with my bestie Michelle for a tour at Celestial Seasonings in Boulder. The tour is completely free and consists of tons of free tea tastings, a walk around the factory, free hairnets and a stop in the famous Peppermint Room to sear your eyes and nostrils. Both of us have taken the tour before, but we realized that it’s been about twenty years since our last visit. TWENTY. We’re old.
am9But young at heart.
am10Very, very young at heart.
am11Those twenty years ago, I lived in a set of condos right across the street from the factory. At Christmas time, the air always smelled like cinnamon and peppermint, and during summer there was a distinct aroma of lemons that wafted through the warm breeze.
am12I brought back a box of Roastaroma and Sleepytime Extra. I gave up coffee for Lent, and this herbal infusion is a perfect caffeine free replacement for it! It’s made with roasted barley and chicory, and is like sipping a warm mug of wort pulled straight from the boil kettle. Blissful.

And now the winners for the rest of the Craft Beer for the Homebrewer books!
Screen shot 2014-03-06 at 8.55.11 AM Screen shot 2014-03-06 at 8.55.27 AM Screen shot 2014-03-06 at 8.56.53 AMJosh, Dan H. and Jason H., I’ve sent you emails with further instructions! Congratulations!

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The Dailies

Today is the last day to enter for the grande finale of the giveaway!
AMFor serious. No more after this one! You guys have till 6pm MST! Check out this link and comment away!
am2I gotta be honest… There hasn’t been anything too exciting over here this past weekend. The dailies – work… archery…
amBreakfast via Love and Olive Oil – avocado toast (THIS recipe for the bread) with goat cheese and red pepper flakes. I read this post and immediately went into the kitchen and made it minutes later. Absofrigginlutely delicious!
AM1Pairing beer with housemade ranch popcorn. Delicious.
am3German pancakes with blueberry compote for Sunday pancakes. Also delicious.
am4Work, work, work.
am5Feeling binge-y.
am6Feeling regret-y.
am7And yesterday’s work, work, work. Yup. Nothing too out there or enthralling.

But then…
Screen shot 2014-03-03 at 11.26.31 PMI got this awesome e-mail last night! I’ll be attending the Craft Brewers Conference this year in Denver as media! I went to the CBC in 2012 with Enegren Brewing Company and can’t wait to go this year in my {new} home state!

So yes, it’s been quiet on this front, but things are really starting to pick up and get crazy! Go and enter the giveaway for the Craft Beer for the Homebrewer before it’s too late, and I’ll be back with the winners and more thrilling things on Thursday!

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Memory Lane (plus Giveaway Winners!)

I had an amazing five days in California seeing wonderful friends! I must say, I miss the 80 degree weather while sitting on the patio at Ladyface and the gorgeous sunsets from the beachfront hotel room in Oxnard, but it is so nice to be home in Colorado. I really do feel like I’m where I’m supposed to be. Now for a picture-heavy recap of the trip, plus the winners of the Craft Beer for the Homebrewer book giveaway!
am11Remember how I said that me as a 27 year old wouldn’t be skipping workouts? I may have lied to both you and myself and taken the rest of the trip off. Oops.
am13Story Tavern in Downtown Burbank on a beautiful patio with even better temperatures and amazing beer. It was a rough start to the trip.
amBirthday breakfast at the hotel! A half serving of Eggs Benedict and copious amounts of horrible hotel coffee.
AM2CUSTOM MELT to see my favorites Thomas and Phil! I was headed to the beach so I got some sammiches to go and sat around catching up with these two wonderful men.
AM1I may have also tasted some of Enegren’s beer that I can’t get way out here in Colorado. Sniff.
AM3Nothing Bundt Cake! I picked up a red velvet bundlet as my birthday cake and did a happy dance out the door.
AM4No, we didn’t actually stay here, seeing that it’s abandoned and decrepit, but I had to swing by and say hello to one of my favorite formally-local hotels.
AM5Once I got to the actual hotel, I scarfed down my Custom Melt sammich of choice – the Crispy Chicken: Thomas style. Fried chicken smothered in buffalo sauce and topped with carrots and celery in a creamy heaven sauce. My arteries were aching and it was so worth it.
AM6A slow stroll on the beach followed by a relaxing sun-bath on the lifeguard stand.
AM7Just because I’m artistic and stuff.
AM8I hit the hotel hot tub to warm up and then sat out on the back deck to enjoy the sunset.
AM9Blissed out.
AM10Overpriced hotel salmon and cous cous for birthday dinner.
AM12Sunrise the next morning.
AM32Overwhelming beauty.
AM33Okey, I am definitely missing this right now.
AM13Lunch with my other favorites at Ladyface Alehouse in Agoura. The weather was to die for.
AM15Beautiful mother and daughter!
AM14And so very stylish, Avery! Now please stop chewing on Becki’s sunglasses…
AM16I had to. I always have to. The mac ‘n cheese with bacon and jalapeno is too good to turn down, especially paired with the Ladyface IPA.
AM17After saying farewell to Janelle and Avery, I went out to the mall to pick up some gelato and say hi to my friends who run the place, then enjoyed a walk through the farmers market.
AM18Year round strawberries! It’s killing me to look at this.
AM19Yet another stop on the food list. Andria’s Seafood at the Ventura Harbor.
AM39And another sunset. You bored yet? Too bad.
AM24Another sunrise that will never get old (to me).
AM20I enjoyed a leisurely walk in Downtown Ventura and then drove up the coast to visit more of my favorite people who work at/own one of my favorite breweries. We had to visit The Spot for burgers and shakes while we waited for the brewery doors to open.
AM21Island Brewing Company!
AM34I enjoyed the Avocado Honey Ale with the ocean in the background. A perfect way to spend a Hallmark holiday.
AM35Oh, I miss the ambiance of this place. They’re expanding to the space next door soon, and Mark was kind enough to give me a tour, which basically was him opening a door to a HUGE empty space and telling me to look while pointing out where the gigantic walk-in and canning station will be. Awesome.
AM22Valentine’s Day flowers and sunsets make for a happy Becki.
AM23Once I was back at the hotel I poured myself a Black Market Hefeweizen (all the beer consumed on this trip was beer that I can only find in California, for obvious reasons), and visited the pool for a swim.
AM36More sunsets.
AM37Never enough sunsets.
AM38Sunsets with best friends.
AM40Trying to be artistic again and forgetting to drink my Trader Joe’s Mission Street Anniversary Ale (which is only $2.99!!!). Luckily we have a Trader Joe’s opening here in Fort Collins soon! I missed it so much!
AM41Okey, enough with the art.
AM42The final sunset on the beach. Le sigh.
AM25On Saturday afternoon I drove up to the Burbank area so I could catch my flight early on Sunday and checked into this awesome hotel. What a view!
AM26Golden Road was visited. 2020 IPA and Berliner Weisse with woodruff syrup was had. Fried artichokes were consumed. The hotel was visited and slept in.
AM27Bright and early Sunday morning, I was sitting back on the plane with my face pressed against the glass, trying to will myself not to cave and move back.
AM28Oh, Lord, why?
AM29Once I landed, I had to go and check on the progress of my new house! It was 63 degrees outside and the bathtubs were installed! I breathed in the fresh Colorado air and felt right once again.
AM30The wind picked up last night, followed by an unexpected downpour. I opened up this Enegren Brewing 2nd Anniversary Dopplesticke that I’ve had aging in my cellar since right before I moved and sat by the fire enjoying the company of my wonderful family.
AM41What a glorious trip it was.

Okay, you guys ready for the winners of the book? I assigned all of you entry numbers (you could get up to four), and did a random number generator online. The winners are…..
AMCourtney L. and Aaron C.!!!! I’ve sent you both e-mails to let you know! As for the rest of you…
IT’S NOT OVER YET!!!!!
The publisher has offered up THREE more copies for me to give away! If you didn’t win, your name is going into the next giveaway! As soon as I receive those copies, I’ll put up an extension to the giveaway and three more of you will get this book for free. If you can’t wait until then, here’s a link to buy the book:
Craft Beer for the Homebrewer: Recipes From America’s Top Brewmasters

Happy Monday to everyone!

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Craft Beer for the Homebrewer {GIVEAWAY}

A few months ago I was contacted by a publisher who’d seen some photos of mine and wanted to put them in a book about clone recipes for homebrewers. Um, okey!
AMYesterday I saw a tweet by the Beertographer (check out his photos, by the way. Absolutely beautiful beer porn) that his copies had just arrived. I lamented back in a tweet.
Screen shot 2014-02-07 at 8.24.02 AMSeconds after I posted that, a knock came at the door.
AM1“Didja hear dat?”
AM2“What dat? Who dat?”
AM3Well, my sweet Barleywhine, that’s called a book. It’s got about 40ish recipes from a bunch of high profile breweries.
AM7Cigar City, which I haven’t yet had a chance to visit or try.
AM9Rogue Ales, which I’ve been fortunate enough to taste, but not visit. Yet.
AM8Stone Brewing which I’ve visited, tasted, taken a test at, fallen in love with…
AM10The Bruery, which I’ve visited, tasted, re-taken a test at (rawr) and fallen in love with…
AM4And also a handful of smaller breweries like Funkwerks!
AM5Sorry, I still can’t get over seeing my name in another published book. Insert smiley face here.
AM6And there’s Andy who now works at New Belgium! Good to see some friends in this book!
AMAnd now it’s YOUR turn to get your hands on one of these! I’m giving away two copies to two lucky readers! I know I’ve got a LOT of lurkers and not many commenters, but you’re gonna hafta come out of your shells if you want one of these books. Your e-mails are private to everyone but me, so relax, don’t worry, have a homebrew. Wait, I mean relax, don’t worry and comment away.

How to enter: Leave a comment on this blog post letting me know your favorite brewery and favorite beer that they produce! Make sure you leave a valid e-mail so I can contact you if you win!

For a second entry: Follow me on Twitter! Leave a comment on this blog post telling me you followed! (If you already follow, leave a comment letting me know)

For a third entry: Follow me on Facebook and leave a comment on this blog post telling me so! (If you already follow, leave a comment letting me know)

For a fourth (and final) entry: Follow me on Instagram and leave a comment on this blog post letting me know! (If you already follow, leave a comment letting me know)

You get up to FOUR entries for this one! Open to U.S. residents only. This giveaway will run through next Friday, February 14th at 6pm MST. I’ll randomly select two winners and contact you by e-mail!

Happy homebrewing and happy Friday!!!

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BIG Changes!!!

HECTICITY – noun: an accumulation of hectic situations. That has been my life lately. I told you guys that crazy things were happening and now I can officially let you know what those crazy things are.

I interviewed at Wolf Creek a few weeks ago. I interviewed at Stone Brewing last week.

Today, I accepted a job offer to be assistant brewer at Wolf Creek Restaurant and Brewering Company in Valencia!
Wolf Creek will be moving from a 10 bbl system up to 30 bbl, and I’ll be joining them in upping current production as well as moving to the new brewery! On top of that comes everything to do with “playing brewery” – cleaning, mashing, transferring, cell counts, pilot brews, more cleaning, tasting, cleaning, cleaning… Ecstatic doesn’t even begin to explain how happy I am right now. I start on Wednesday with my first brew early in the morning! Since it’s my first day, I’ll attempt to take pictures and document, but I make no promises.

This calls for celebration – the best way I know how.
Beer. Duh.

I’ll be recapping the rest of my San Diego trip tomorrey. For now, time to crack open something fancy!

Don’t forget to enter the growler giveaway! It ends Wednesday and there are still 5 (possibly only4)  growlers left to be spoken for!

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