I’ve been ridiculously sick and therefore passing out after taking coughing meds every single night before I had time to blog. Now, however, I’m home, slowly getting better, and ready to wedge myself in the couch and type away!
Our lovely friends invited us over to their house for dinner. I was too busy shoveling the delicious pork roast, rice salad and buttery carrots into my face to get a picture, but I DID remember to take one of Louise’s AMAZING biscotti! She used to make this for my bestie Michelle and me when we were wee tykes rollerblading around the neighborhood and packing picnics to eat on the golf course. To this day, I can’t even look at any other biscotti with any respect at all.
Since we were in Colorado, I had to pick up a local brew. This is Friek, a kriek beer that Odell Brewing made a single batch of. Once this is gone, it’s gone for good (at least until the next Small Batch Revival which we attended – more on that in the upcoming blog). This was not as sweet as I was expecting from a kriek. It was more of a sour ale that you’d enjoy sipping slowly over the course of an evening.
Which I did. This is a delicious beer, made to be enjoyed in a single glass. Personally, I think more than that would be overwhelming and ruin the palate.
The next day we drove around to check out neighborhoods in the area. I love this about Colorado – elk wander freely through the lawns, chowing down on young saplings. I love this because I don’t own saplings that are being chewed on by elk.
For lunch we went to Mad Greens. ANOTHER thing I love about Colorado – this Chipotle-style restaurant with salad. You choose your lettuce and walk down the assembly line picking other vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts and proteins to be added, which are all married together with one of their HUGE selections of dressings.
I ate here twice in one day. I want to go back already!
After our healthy lunch, Michelle and I went up to Boulder to walk around Pearl Street and visit the Walnut Brewery – a place I used to go after playing billiards at the Foundry next door. The Foundry is now Absinthe Club. I weep for the loss of innocent pool tables.
Walnut Brewery is a big local brewpub that serves chicken-fried chicken (my favorite when I was eleven), nachos, potato skins and a huge variety of other artery-clogging deliciousness. They also brew their own beer on site in these big mash tuns and fermenters.
We split a taster of their five beers and then ordered a pint each. After 3/4 of that pint, we were both incredibly tipsy (read: a little bit drunk), and had no idea why until we realized that we’d both come from sea level up to altitude. Cheap dates!
Afterwards, we slowly made our way around the different shops of Pearl Street until we sobered up, then I headed to my hotel before the long trek up to Fort Collins. Best friends and beer – not a bad way to spend the day.
Filed under Drinks, Uncategorized
Tagged as biscotti, Boulder, brewpub, Colorado, Elk, Friek, kriek, local beer, Mad Greens, Odell Brewing, Pearl Street, The Foundry, Walnut Brewery
I’m very fickle when it comes to diets. Once I tell myself I can’t have something, I crave it more. Surprise, surprise.
Healthy success at one of my favorite fast food joints – Mad Greens: a build your own salad place. Salads that are made by other people just taste so much better for some reason… This one was stuffed with cannellini beans, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, tuna and a sprinkling of goat cheese. I could eat this every day!
A gorgeous, chilly, cloudy hike.
Driving by Lake Loveland on a different, yet still beautiful, day.
Dozy lap dog.
My new niece, Hallertau – Hallie for short. We’re a very beer-centric family.
A gorgeous sunset. I love this view.
Save the Berries at Verboten Brewing.
A six-pack of KCCO Black Lager found in Fort Collins. So glad I didn’t have to drive down to Denver to find this!
Nutty, roasty with a crisp ending and a hint more caramel and body than I was expecting in a black lager. I ended an incredibly busy weekend at the brewery with a couple of these. Have I mentioned yet how much I love my job?
Frost on my windshield as I prepared to go get my new license plates! I’m officially an official Coloradoan!
