That Ish Be ReDANKulous!!

     Having recently relocated and found new employment, I've been afforded the opportunity to try some of the best beer the midwest, and debatably the world, has to offer... I'm incredibly fortunate in that aspect, and even more-so that I get to share these special beverages with an abundance of beer enthusiasts... Though the new scenery is awesome, I just haven't been able to find the "sweet spot" when it comes to locating the finest craft brews in town!! Not that what I've found isn't up to par, I'm just realizing that I've possibly been spoiled at my previous residencies - At least as far as locating the best place to pick up countless intriguing bombers is concerned!!

     With that being said, I tried out a new spot to see what they had to offer, and I was, again, slightly underwhelmed in regards to their bomber selection... I must say though, if I was looking for a nice scotch or whiskey - This was ABSOLUTELY the spot I would head to!! I searched the aisles for a quick while and perused them diligently, when finally the owner asked if I had anything specific in mind... I responded that I was simply browsing and continued to keep checking things out... Shortly after our interaction, he reemerged at the end of the aisle after walking to the back room and held up Founders' "ReDANKulous" and then simply asked, "Is this the one??" And that it was... I took one look at the name and it drew me in, once I realized the label's design was composed of finely ground herb, I simply had to have it... Even though, I didn't LOVE this particular places beer selection, I'm definitely not going to write it off anytime soon after they presented me with this gem!!

"TRANSITION" An art exhibition by DOES

     The crossover from graffiti artist to fine artist is topic which divides quite a few members of the scene from the others... Some believe graffiti belongs solely in the streets, while others believe if the artist has put in considerable amounts of work in the streets, then the transition is a commendable one... Whichever side you fall on, if any, even the most naive of artistic eyes could tell you - this DOES guy, he can fuckin' paint!! And paint he does, astonishingly, in fact...

     Having had the opportunity to play soccer for his national team, DOES afforded himself time to paint numerous places abroad and see numerous different styles, all while perfecting his own... In his late twenties he was forced to give into his injuries and hang up his elite cleats, to which he responded by devoting himself fully to his art... He founded the European based Love Letters crew, which allowed him commission walls and mural work, gaining more and more notoriety for himself and his razor sharp artwork... Australian based Ironlak even got him on their team, and gave the guy his own shade of orange titled "Dieci Does..." It reflected his soccer status as "dieci" translates in Italian to 10, a number typically worn by captains and highly skilled members of soccer teams... He has been producing extremely precise and methodical pieces for years, and now has his own solo exhibitions such as "TRANSITION" at Maxwell Colette... Also, for any Chicago dwellers in the know, he did an amazing mural on the outside of the James Beard recognized "Violet Hour..." So go see that before someone fucks it up... Oh, and if you do happen to make it to Violet Hour, sip on their "Crema de Mezcal" neat - it's entirely too fuckin' delicious!!

Soundset 2015 - Shakopee, MN

     As any veteran Soundset goer will tell you, good weather at Canterbury Downs is never a guaranteed thing... Though some years have been nice, there is the occasional overcast and tornado threat... This year's treat was consistent rainfall... Nothing horrific, and at some times it added an almost majestic quality to watching your favorite artists fiercely spit bars while the rain falls upon them their whole set... But did that stop anyone from not enjoying their Soundset experience?! Well obviously some, but a high percentage of those that showed up stuck it out for the long haul and enjoyed it all the while...

     Having been to other festivals: Warped tour, Curiosa, Riotfest, Paid Dues and Rock The Bells, I can confidently say that Soundset is my favorite of them all... Granted I am biased, as Minnesota is my home state, but it's more than that... It's a TRUE Hip-Hop festival in purest sense - there's B-Boys & B-Girls, graffiti, DJ's, emcees, beat boxers, as well as skateboarders, and a car show... Not to mention the fried cheese curds were fucking delicious, and Fulton brewery's "Lonely Blonde" blonde ale and "Once Upon A Vine" IPA were excellent local offerings as well... The roster is another consistent draw in, as it was once predominantly midwest acts but has since grown to include some of the hottest and classic names in the Hip-Hop world!!

The End Of Faith - Religion, Terror, And The Future Of Reason

The End Of Faith - Sam Harris

     Many years ago I hit the literature store and purchased Mark Bowden's Killing Pablo, and Sam Harris' The End Of Faith... At that juncture in my life, the collusion of our American government and armed forces, with those who were supposed "enemies" of us, was of high interest to me... Thus, I finished Killing Pablo in a matter of days, while The End Of Faith sat idly on my shelf... Admittedly, I had began reading it easily a half dozen times, but hardly ever made it through the first 50 pages unto the second chapter... But now, over half a decade later, after many religious, spiritual, philosophical and political discussions and debates, as well as quite a few more (aided and unaided) spiritual/philosophical experiences under my belt, I felt I could pick up this book and knock it out in a relatively short amount of time... And that I did...

     A short background to help one understand my state of mind before fully diving into this review... I was raised Lutheran Christian as the majority of my mother's side of the family has Scandinavian ancestry... Lutheran practices began in the 1500's after the German Martin Luther rejected the papacy and insisted on teachings based solely off of faith... Whilst I'm sure my father's side, full blooded Mexicans from the state of Sinaloa, would insist on Catholicism, that was not the doctrine I was to be raised upon... I, like many other children, attended church as well as "Sunday School" every weekend, had been baptized as well as confirmed, and was scarcely aware that any of religious sects existed, let alone entirely different religions... Of course, I'm sure that's to the preference of any Christian parent bringing up a child, as the book of Deuteronomy states that any person trying to seduce someone into serving other Gods, shout be killed... Which seems to be more or less a teaching out of the Satanic Bible, as it instructs vengeance, as opposed to "turning the other cheek..." Enough digression though... I am an only child, thus my upbringing was significantly different than most of my peers, in that sense... Being a product of much solitude, I was afforded the time to contemplate and question MANY things that seemed to lack sense in our world... Religion and faith being two of those topics my thoughts often scrutinized...

Graff 101: Handstyles To Whole-Cars

Pregame preperations... 

     Nine years ago, the graffiti documentary "Infamy" dropped, and is debatably the most influential graffiti movie to occur since "Style Wars..." It's opening sequence has TKO's TLOK (TOOMER at the time) explaining how graffiti is simply making your mark... He references how Mt. Rushmore was created by people who wanted to do just that, how they disregarded that the property they left their mark on wasn't theirs to deface... For those who don't know, the land was occupied by Cheyenne and Sioux tribes until foreign settlers found gold in the Black Hills and encroached on their land, eventually engaging in battle over the land they felt they needed to possess... He then sums it up nicely, saying "They wanted to leave a mark, they said 'These people right here - They are our founding fathers!! So we're gonna put their big faces on this mountain, and fuck who don't like it!!'" In relation to graffiti, I feel that it's a great comparison, that some people are willing to take a piece of property, transform it into a piece of art and ignore the fact that somebody else might not appreciate the medium of the art or the "canvas" which it was created upon...

XII's - Bare Bear X Uncle Jacob's Stout

     It's always a difficult task when deciding which brews to choose when doing a "XII's" (Twelves) review... For those who don't know, XII's is where I review two beers which have been distributed to the masses in vessels that are 12oz or less... Usually this is a fun venture and allows me to view the brews I often look over when solely searching for a bomber... But, lately I've been running into quite a few of duds when searching amongst the smaller containers, and it's frustrating because often times it's not just a single beer I've invested in... Though it does sometimes suck ass to have five beers left of a sixer to get through before I can justify going to get something new, it's all part of the journey, and helps me appreciate the brews which are truly exceptional...

     I had initially gone into this edition of XII's with the idea that I'm gonna go for beers with exceptionally high ABV's!! I had my Avery "Uncle Jacob's Stout" alongside my DogFish Head "120 Minute IPA" for a quick while before I got to sit down and begin these write ups, and then it happened... I don't usually take the time to point out the beers I don't overly enjoy, but why the 120 Minute receives that much praise is beyond me!! Nevertheless, that brew received a healthy scratch for this write-up and Off Color's "Bare Bear," with it's weird, sexually charged graphic, filled the slot...

XII's - Threadless X London Balling

     This time I wanted to do something other than the traditional bottle for twelves... After my stay in Colorado, I realized that I had been a "bottle snob" for entirely too long!! How could I have assumed that canned beers were subpar to a bottled beer, but then be ecstatic about a certain beer on tap that's essentially canned in a cooler behind the scenes?! How foolish of me... What really swayed me while in Colorado is that, even though it's an outdoor fitness fanatics wet-dream, not much is better than enjoying a nice cold brew after accomplishing a hike or while cruising down the slopes in the mighty Rockies!! I mention "not much" because it's also nice to be able to burn some of the planet's finest herb without all the stupid social stigma that accompanies it elsewhere... BUT - With those luxuries come the responsibility to enjoy them properly, thus you can't be bringing glass bottles to some of the most amazing mountain-land in the world!! Hence my recent appreciation of those breweries who are electing to can beers for those types of occurrences... Oskar Blues, Dry Dock, Sanitas and Upslope come to mind when I think of my favorite canned selections from Colorado's outstanding microbrew scene...
     Illinois is likely the closest behind Colorado as far as the microbrew scene is concerned, with Michigan trailing slightly behind them rounding out the top three... Those not being facts, just a guesstimate from what I've gathered from my travelings... So while looking for an Illinois brew, Finch's IPA collaboration with Threadless was an easy selection due to Threadless being quite an interesting and attractive company for artists the world over... For those who are unfamiliar, their products are made from art and graphics that have been submitted and voted on by the general public!! Founder Jake Nickell doesn't just take artists' work and create products for the sole use of the company, he's set up a payment structure in which the artist receives monetary compensation for their work!! It's currently set so the artist receives a 20% cut of the unit price, with the minimum being $1... A nice way to give back to the artist(s) involved since it can be basically anybody who has submitted work, as opposed to companies only working with other already accomplished artists or companies... Makes me wonder if the graphic for the can was chosen via submission??
     Since I've yet to do a writeup on a canned beer, I thought this to be a perfect opportunity to do so... Also, having just been exposed to Against The Grain's brews in the form of their delicious "Kentucky Ryed Chiquen," it was a no brainer to indulge in their barrel aged barleywine... Plus, the fact that it's in a rather unfamiliar shaped bottle was entirely too fitting for this month's edition of "Twelves..."

Fuck It, Dude... Let's Go Bowling...

     In 1998, Joel and Ethan Coen first released their comedy "The Big Lebowski" at the Sundance Film Festival... Story goes, it received mixed reviews at film festivals and major theatre debuts, but has since evolved into a cult classic!! It has gained such a large following that there is now an annual "Lebowski Fest," which is essentially a viewing and bowling party themed around the characters and situations within the movie... Hosted originally in Louisville, Kentucky in 2002, it has since spread to many metropolitan cities nationwide...
     The movie's cast is low-key phenomenal, (Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Philip Seymour Hoffman, John Turturro, Tara Reid, Mark Pellegrino, and even Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist Flea - to name a few) as each character executed their roles in exquisite fashion... Of equal preeminence was the movie's score, consisting of excellently placed tracks which brilliantly accompany each character or situation... The plot, however, seems to be one of the least celebrated aspects of the film... It's Pulp-Fiction-esque, in regards to it having multiple underlying story lines applicable to each individual character, all adding bits and pieces to the overall plot, which, in the end is ultimately secondary to all the comical anecdotes each character encounters...
     Since it's central storyline has never been the most celebrated aspect of the film, I believe it's the love for the characters that has truly been embraced by the "Lebowski communities" everywhere... So much so, that Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago has brewed a Lebowski inspired White Russian Imperial Milk Stout!! Russian stouts aren't typically creamy in nature, but when modeling a beer after a White Russian, it only makes sense... Now join me in indulging in the aptly named "Hey, Careful Man, There's A Beverage Here!!"

Nothing Like A Stick To The Nuts On All-Star Weekend

Many moons ago I had my first affair in the craft beer world with Rogue's "Hazelnut Brown Nectar…" I credit that brew alone with being the one that got me interested in the craft beer world and everything that it has to offer… Needless to say, I now have an affinity for nut brown ales, as they are extremely nostalgic to me… So much so, I made sure my first home-brewed beer was a honey-nut brown ale!! I had other experimental trials in my home-brews, but the one I was most excited about was the one I screwed up during the bottling stage… It was supposed to be my "Peanut Butter Chocolate Milk Porter," but after reading that I could use maple syrup as my conditioning agent, I chose to take that option over the tried and true priming sugar… It turned out to be a complete failure as my brew was severely under-carbonated and tasted like weird chocolate milk… That was the last time I had thought about peanut butter in a beer… Then I came across "Stick To The Nuts!!"

When my eyes first grazed the bottle, I was immediately drawn to it's graphic due to the hockey influence of their brewery's name - "SlapShot…" As one of my previous articles states, hockey and beer is the perfect marriage!! The graphic has a little peanut hockey player as well, further intriguing me to the quality of its' contents… The only downfall I could find upon my initial inspection of the bottle was it's from Chicago, and not that Chicago is a bad place, but I'd assume the brewery is full of Blackhawks fans… But with this being All-Star weekend, I figured I could put my distaste for the 'Hawks aside and enjoy a hockey influenced brew in the spirit of the best sport in the world!! Also, as much as I'm NOT a 'Hawks fan, I respect the players of the game, and the fact that they have five individuals from their roster in the All-Star competition is no small feat…

So with a small, weird sense of disloyalty, I chose to enjoy this brew as I watched the final day of the All-Star weekend… Hopefully I'll be able to find out what a beer brewed with peanut butter is TRULY supposed to taste like… And for the record, I'm only hoping "Team Toews" wins due to them having Minnesota's Ryan Suter on their roster!!

Deceiving Looks - Master Of Disguise

Stone has always been a brewery that pushes the brewing envelope, especially when it comes to IPA's, as they brew more of that style than any brewery that I'm aware of… They don't discriminate though, as last year they released a pair of smoked porter varietals, and then asked for consumers input as to which one they preferred better… I preferred the vanilla version over the chipotle version, but both were delightful concoctions… I must also give them a nod for encouraging consumer feedback and participation, which is evident in their porter experiment, as well as their recent Xocoveza collaboration with a homebrew competition winner!!

This particular brew caught my eye because I've never even heard of a stout that's not dark in color… It made me think of how Black IPA's were a recent trend, and the back of the beer even mentions how they've been accepted as somewhat normal in the realm of IPA's… I've always had an affinity for the darker styles, so I've wanted to try every Black IPA I could get my hands on… Making me think - If a Blonde Stout is anywhere near as good as most of the Black IPA's I've consumed, it's sure to be a real treat!!