Thursday! Friday!

Thursday, I learned something.

Bell's Two Hearted + discounted meat + Power of the Dragonflame = the perfect Thursday evening.

Friday, I learned something.

I have a new favorite pale ale, but I can't get it.  In the far away land of cheese and the Discount Double Check lies New Glarus Brewing Company.  Despite having a devoted following and stellar reviews, they have no intention to distribute outside of Mother Wisconsin.  Which is a bigger disappointment than Brett Favre's post-Packers career, because Moon Man Pale Ale is outstanding.

In a thrift store-bought, lobster-clad Sam Adams Perfect Pint glass, it pours a beautiful deep amber with nary a cloudy characteristic, save for the fluffy not white/not tan head.  It smells mostly of grapefruit, or maybe pineapple.  I can't quite make up my mind here.  But the taste is like an entire citrus-heavy fruit salad, only with that wonderful hop bitterness following it up clearly - but not overpoweringly - at the end of each sip. Unlike Double Trouble (not the same style, but another favorite), I could drink bottle after bottle of this stuff.  If I could keep a stock of it on hand.

Seriously, this beer just leapfrogged right into my Top Five.  Maybe it's because I was sweaty and gross and stress-relieved after a short run, and there was a storm slowly making its way in, and I had tasty pizza waiting inside.  Maybe I was just too happy about everything else the night had in store to be an unbiased judge of this beer's merits.  All I know for sure is that I have five more bottles left, and I intend to enjoy the crap out of them.  And then beg our Wisconsin native at work to buy me several cases of it if he ever drives home.