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Categories Drink & Drop Challenge

Day 6 – Turning a Corner?

Anyone who’s followed this adventure to this point has come to one of several conclusions …

  1. I’m not a writer
  2. This beer thing is a true obsession
  3. I suck at making good food choices
  4. All of the above
If you raised your hand for either 3 or 4 above … this post is for you! Chili cheese dogs, Super Bowl smorgasbord of garbage, wings, fries … this is NOT the path to better health. I know this, but why can’t I get over that mental hurdle and just make better choices??? Ugh.
Today felt – different. I was faced with a situation where I would normally go with the flow and choose the lard-based food options. But I didn’t. I was less bad than I should have been. I’ll explain.
Breakfast. You guessed it. Fiber One bar to the rescue
Lunch. This is where my choosing came into play. I was at a work thing with a catered meal. And as you all know, those situations can be hardest – your options are severely limited. This was a create-your-own-taco/salad bar from a local Mexican chain. (It’s the place that I believe is in opposition to my moral compass … but that’s a story for another day.) Giant fried flour salad bowls … full of greasy ground beef, queso, and tons of assorted deliciousness. Mountains of tortilla chips. YES! This is my jam. What did I create? I skipped the fried bowl, made a bed of lettuce, added grilled chicken with some shredded cheese and some pico de gallo. That was it. Not chips … no queso … no greasy meat. I felt like Rocky Balboa at the top of the steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It was a victory. Not a huge one, but a victory nonetheless.
Dinner. More salad. I got the Zaxby’s Blackened Blue Zalad … with lite vinaigrette dressing. Pretty solid option (although I couldn’t resist the slice of Texas toast. I mean, I’m still human.)
Going to bed tonight feeling somewhat fabulous. Time will tell. Did I turn a corner into understanding the value of good decisions? Or was this just one day? We’ll see soon enough.

Beer time …

Just one beer tonight. But I dug back into the cellar and pulled out a fave. Founders KBS from 2017. Ohmagoodness. So rich and deliciously smooth. This was such a great year for KBS. (I liked it a lot better than 2018, and slightly better than 2016.) Time has NOT taken away from the quality of this one.
Mike Pennington by Mike Pennington
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Categories Drink & Drop Challenge

Day 5 – Deep Thoughts …

I work from home.
The pantry is 50 feet away.
It speaks to me.
I listen too often.

If you’ve been following along for the last week, you might be shocked and saddened to know that I actually am doing a better job of watching what I eat. Obviously, the bar has been set very low. So, I currently find myself in an interesting place. And I always get here when I start monitoring what I eat. If I go salad and baked fish at every meal, I’ll do great, and it’s do-able for a defined period of time. But it is NOT something that I can sustain as a lifestyle change. I know this about myself. Yes, I know to make better decisions in restaurants (and sometimes do), but going to the extreme is not a lifestyle I can live long-term. So, the interesting place is one where I’m eating less, adding to the cardio, but still eating crap-food from time to time. Not the best call, but I’ll be interested to see how this plays out over the course of the month. Enough of the rambling – what did I enjoy yesterday??

Breakfast – same ole, same ole
Lunch – leftover hotdogs (yes, that’s plural) from Sunday. I don’t think I’m doing this right.
Dinner – mostly AirFryer french fries. And maybe a little bit of chicken. I know that sounds ridiculous …

And my saving grace once again … tennis. Cardio is apparently good for you, or something. Nothing like 3 hours of running around like a lunatic to burn off 1000+ calories, right?

The beers I earned on the court …

To be a good and social teammate, it’s important to bond with your crew over a beer or four. Tonight, we went with …

Mike Pennington by Mike Pennington
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Categories Drink & Drop Challenge

Day 4 – The Backlash

Comments from people have been very interesting since beginning this February #DrinkAndDropChallenge exbeeriment. Most of you are lovely people and have been saying things along the lines of, “This is awesome. I’ll be following this, just out of curiosity. Good luck!” I even had someone go so far as to tell me that they respected my opinions and wanted to see the conclusions.
And then I get the reactions that truly crack me up. I’m not one prone to engender stereotypes, but these reactions are following gender lines at a 100% clip. Guys have clearly and loudly confronted me with, “There’s NO WAY you’re only going to have only one beer per day.” Pay attention, gentlemen. Never did I say it would be only one beer per day … quite the opposite. I merely said that I would have at least one per day. I think there’s another stereotype here about dudes not paying attention or following directions.

And now for my female followers. Any comments outside the supportive arena have adhered to one central theme: “you and are all men are ***holes because you can drink beer all month and still lose weight.” One particular thread went something like this …

Now, I fully get that these were all meant in a spirit of good-natured humor. But I also know that they come from a place of real frustration. So, without discussing this too much more, I appreciate all of you. Everyone who reads, shares, comments, etc.

Okay – how did we do today?
Breakfast – broken record … Fiber One bar
Snack – Unsalted almonds
Lunch – Super Bowl leftovers. 4 roasted wings; one slice of buffalo chicken pizza; half a sandwich. I’m a human garbage disposal, apparently.
Dinner – Roasted buffalo chicken salad. The chicken was pretty lean … and only had carrots, celery, lettuce, and a small amount of blue cheese dressing. I think this was a pretty solid choice.

Feb 4 Beer!

After another baseball practice, chasing 10 7-8 year olds around the field for an hour and a half, I felt like a nice refreshing beer. I reached in the fridge and found an old friend I’d forgotten about. This was a special release from Scofflaw … Jaywalker. It’s a very light IPA. Light in body, has a solid flavor profile, and weighs in about 5%. This was a really nice finish to the day.
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Categories Drink & Drop Challenge

Day 3 – Super Bowl Sunday

I got lucky. Or maybe it’s because I knew deep down that I earned it. Long story short, I kinda went nuts today. The luck part comes in when I tell you that Sunday afternoon included a long tennis match followed by coaching my kid’s baseball team for two hours. Yes … I ate some garbage at Super Bowl time. And yes, I had more like 4-5 beers over the course of the day. But I feel like the 18,000 steps I put in allowed for some indulgences.

Breakfast – My requisite standard Fiber One bar.
Lunch – Not a lot, truthfully. When I play tennis, I don’t eat too much before, and then snack it up a bit after. A few chips … a meatball or two. That’s about it. The bananas weren’t close to ripe, so I didn’t add one of those but should have anyway.
Dinner – Super Bowl. It was a smorgasbord. Dips here, wings there, hot dogs and hamburgers o’ plenty. Not gonna lie. 1) I wasn’t the best at making solid decisions. 2) It’s almost impossible to catalogue everything I ate, because it’s a bite here and a chip there. Suffice it to say that I ate a bunch of crap and don’t feel 100% this morning. I feel like there’s a correlation. The only miniscule saving grace is that we made wings in the AirFryer and in the Instant Pot. So, they weren’t technically as bad for you as fried wings typically are. I know it’s still a fatty meat … small victories.

And now for the beer …

Among others*, I enjoyed two fantastic beers. Thanks to Sprayberry Bottle Shop for always stocking beers that make my wallet go empty.
This weekend, I went out to re-stock the beer fridge and picked up some winners. Back to tennis for a second. I’m not good at that whole “hitting the ball over the net” thing. I’m there for exercise and camaraderie. And there’s always beer. I typically like a pre-match beer, just to calm the jitters. I was completely excited to try Wild Leap’s latest in the Alpha Abstraction line … Vol. 5 (pictured above). This may be the best one in the series.
Once back home and getting everything together for the festivities, I popped open a Bearded Iris Homestyle. Again … so good.
* Yeah … as the game dragged on, I had a few. The commercials were flat, the halftime show was underwhelming, and the game was a yawn-fest. I had some beer. It made everything slightly better. Back to normal life tomorrow. Everyday routines and more normal-ish scheduled and eating habits. (Note: I know that I need to grow as a person to the point where I still make those good decisions on weekends. Again, I say … baby steps.)
Mike Pennington by Mike Pennington
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Categories Drink & Drop Challenge

Day 2 – Groundhog Day

It is never, ever too early for flapjacks?

Ever feel like you go through the same eating and drinking rut day after day after day after day?
Same beer … same bad decisions … same results…

Going through a prolonged challenge like this is giving me the opportunity to change some of those habits and hopefully prove to myself that a wonderful place exists: a place where I can enjoy my beer without looking like Austin Powers’ one-time foe, Fat Bastard.

Moving on to Day 2, I awake knowing that last night, while not my best effort, wasn’t terrible. I stayed within my daily allotment of calories and had a great time with friends. Success. Tonight posed a challenge for a very different reason. My beloved alma mater faced the #1 hated rival in basketball. When games turn south, it can be easy to find solace in a bottle. Fortunately, it was a comfortable and fun win the whole way through, so there were no additional temptations.

Here’s what I had for Day Two:
– Breakfast: same old granola bar
– Lunch: chili cheese dog. But instead of adding more normal fries and being extra bad, I ordered the tomato, cucumber, feta salad and it was delicious!
– Dinner: Bonus! My daughter is cooking these delicious homemade Raddish meals once a month and last night was the night. We had salad nicoise, croque monsieur, and chocolate dipped creme puffs. All from scratch! Super good, and not terrible on the waistline.

And now for the beer …

 


I had two yesterday: Scofflaw Neopolitan Milkshake Stout and Wild Leap Truck Chaser. First time I had had either and they both were unbelievable! Absolutely great way to finish my Saturday!

Good thing I don’t have any major social events Sunday night. Wait … what?

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Categories Drink & Drop Challenge

How Was Day 1?

Well, I sure know how to pick a great day to start the #DrinkAndDropChallenge …

A friend was celebrating her 40th birthday last night … at a place with a pretty solid tap list. And really good ‘bar food.’ THIS is exactly the situation that typically laughs at my feeble willpower, scoffs at my well-intentioned “I’ll just have one” thoughts … this is real life. Can I go to a festive gathering, surrounded by friends, food, beer and still maintain some level of resistance?

In short … yes. These situations are when we turn to little tips and tricks to help make it through those temptations. Borrowing another lyric from a U2 song, Running to Stand Still. “Sweet the sin, but bitter the taste in my mouth.” Yes, the sliders, wings, nachos, and potato skins sound, smell, and look delicious. Of course, I would enjoy them. But how would I feel later tonight … tomorrow morning? Not just physically. How would I feel mentally, knowing that I lost yet another battle with temptation?
The tips and tricks:
– Accountability partner. I don’t care if they publically shame you, slap the food out of your hands, lick the whole bowl … we all need someone to KNOW how to get us to walk away. For me – it’s my spouse, my rock, my smokin’ hot wife.
– Be the DD. This is the gift that keeps on giving. On one hand, you’re the rock star that takes one for the team and offers to get everyone to/from safely. And on top of that, you have a built-in accountability, knowing that you have to stop at one or two so that you’re in good shape to get home. (At least, I hope you have that built-in accountability.) Bonus: it can be quite entertaining to sit back and enjoy the show when other people get a little too “happy.”
– Train Your Brain. This is a long-term solution. But the thought is to continue to tell yourself that the guilty stuff that you love is actually something you don’t like. Easier said than done, I know.
– Eyes on the Prize. Find something tangible to remind you of your goals. If you’re trying to lose twn pounds, write a 10 on your hand. Reaching for the queso, you’ll see the 10 and remember to focus on the goals.
– Don’t Get Discouraged. We all will likely succumb to temptation from time to time. The single most important thing to remember is to not lose focus. One bad decision does not need to lead into a “well, I’ve blown it now … might as well finish the whole bag of Cool Ranch Doritos now” mentality. One decision should have NO bearing on future decisions. Okay, so you had a second pint of stout. BFD. That doesn’t mean that the night is a loss and you can jump into the deep end of the fryer. It’s okay … smile and move on!

Day One – how did I do?

  • Breakfast – a Fiber One Caramel Nut protein bar worth 140 calories.
  • Lunch – I’ll call it a deli sandwich. Swiss, ham, turkey, salami, Dijon mustard. I’m calculating 525 calories.
  • Dinner (at the aforementioned birthday extravaganza) – not so great. I had a much smaller volume of food than I normally would, but the health-quality was not the best. This was pre-ordered food for the party, so I didn’t have much in the way of options. (I know I could still choose to eat something better before I arrive. Lesson for another day.) Two chicken fingers, a few tater tots, and a mozzarella stick. My best guess from MyFitnessPal is about 400 calories.

The Beer

I had three beers … and that still fit within my daily calorie window. I had two Cherry Street Coconut Porters and a Scofflaw Basement. Pretty solid Friday!

And Fitbit says I got in about 5,000 steps. All in all, I think I managed day 1 pretty well. But that’s just Day 1 …

NOTE: I promise every post won’t be this long. When I have more stuff to say about the journey … I’ll share.

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Categories Drink & Drop Challenge

Drink and Drop Challenge

I have a theory. And I’m going to put it to the ultimate test this month. There are diets that seem to spring up just about every day … Keto, Atkins, Whole 30, gluten-free, vegan ….. they all seem to have similar results (according to my extremely non-scientific study.) They are difficult to maintain, and in many cases are dangerous because they do not promote a healthy balance of nutrition.

People who know me well are currently thinking, “When have you ever promoted a healthy balance of nutrition?” I know, I know. Without getting too science-y, here is the theory I’ll put to the test this month …

 

 

That’s it. Burn more calories than you consume … lose weight. Take in too much … gain weight. PLEASE KNOW that I am not suggesting that all calories are the same or that you can have 1,500 calories of stout with a McDonalds cheeseburger for a successful day. My point in all of this is that life can still be enjoyed, as long as we enjoy it in moderation.

So, what is the #DrinkAndDropChallenge? I am going to drink at least one beer every day for the month of February. I will also monitor the calories that I take in the rest of the day … aiming to stay under 2,000 calories per day. I am ALSO not recommending this as a permanent lifestyle. I think our friend, Mr. Liver, needs a break from time to time. I reiterate, the point of this exercise is to prove (or disprove) the notion that life should still be celebrated and enjoyed, but we have to understand our limits and live inside the margins.

Every day for the next month, I will post updates of the beers (and foods) I had the previous day. I will also provide weekly weigh-ins, hopefully showing progress toward a smaller me. And I’ll even be sprinkling in some cardio from time-to-time. Wish me luck … and make sure to tune in every day and join me on this little journey.

Cheers!

Mike Pennington by Mike Pennington
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Categories Non Beer Stuff (but still fun)

Our 100th Post!

Cheers! This post is officially 100th post that we have put up on BabyGotBeer. Instead of just reviewing another beer, addressing another issue du jour, or discussing current events, let’s take a ride down memory lane and walk through the 10 most popular posts we’ve ever had. Thank you to EVERYONE who has stayed with us through the years … sharing, commenting, suggesting, supporting, SHARING, liking, (did I say sharing?) We wouldn’t be here without you, and we have big plans for the future as well! Just so you know, what started out as a fun little side project now received about 10 times as many hits as we did at the beginning. The growth is real, and we think it will continue. Thank you for sharing the site and the posts with your communities … that’s how the word really gets out and goes to all corners of the globe. (Seriously, we have hits from 10 countries which shocks me to my very core.)

Enough with all of the sappy stuff, and with apologies to David Letterman, here are the Top 10 BabyGotBeer posts of all-time (based on total number of visitors):

10. So … How Was It? (March 27, 2018)

This was actually the second in a two-part series discussing the Roswell Beer Fest. We led into the event with a discussion on how to gameplan for a large festival. And this post was the synopsis of the event … the layout, the day, the beer, the PLAN (and how well it worked), etc. Spoiler alert: the event was awesome, and we already have March 23, 2019 circled on the calendar for next year!

9. The Brewery Vibe, Part I (June 19, 2018)

This was the first in a series that currently has three parts, but will likely have many more to come (because y’all obviously love these posts from Russ.) This first post in the series was more generic in nature … why do we love breweries? What is it about the visit that is intoxicating (no, not THAT kind of intoxicating) and has us wanting to come back time and again. It’s not always just about the beer … it’s about the vibe.

8. Tuesday Brewsday, Week 6 (October 9, 2018)

Obviously the 6th in the series that’s running this fall. I guess we have a lot of Texas Longhorns that read the blog because this recap of the Red River Rivalry just kept getting hits. Or maybe it’s the only one in the series (so far) that has highlighted a bar/ pub, rather than a brewery. I don’t know what it was, but this one went kinda nuts … in a good way.

7. So. Many. Choices. (March 21, 2018)

Okay, so the sequel to this post weighed in at #10 on this list, and now we have the original coming in at #7. In this post, we faced the daunting challenge of how to attack a beer festival (like the one in Roswell) that offers so many beer choices … this event had almost 400 beers. I laid out a strategy, trying to make sure I avoided the dreaded FOMOOB!

6. Beer Bloggers Conference, Day One (August 9, 2018)

As you might guess, this post was a synopsis of our first day in DC/ Virginia/ Delaware for the Beer Bloggers Conference in August. From a flight at lunch to the bus ride into Delaware and then the next level tour of Dogfish Head (complete with flight, dinner, fireside chat with the founder and a bottle of DHF 120 from 2008), it was a pretty ridiculous day!

5. Tuesday Brewsday, Part 3 (September 18, 2018)

And once again, you guys are digging on these #TuesdayBrewsday posts. This one was a recap of the Oklahoma State – Boise State matchup. I have a feeling that this one may have been aided by a lot of social sharing from some friends who recently moved to Boise and adopted the Broncos as a surrogate team. Ya see what sharing can do for a fledgling blog like this one???

4. Taco Mac (December 17, 2013)

Taking a trip in the wayback machine, this post goes back to our humble beginnings. Only having recently started  in the blogosphere, this review of Taco Mac (and more specifically, their Brewniversity rewards program) went our version of ‘viral.’ Reading it today, a lot of the facts about the program have changed, mostly on the rewards by level. But the review is still on point!

3. Have we gone too far? (August 2, 2018)

In a very rare case, we actually attempted to address a growing issue in the beer universe with this post. We almost always go with the more light-hearted side of the industry. But we wanted to take a stand against … beershaming. Too many people are taking joy in shaming people’s posts about beer online. There’s no reason to bash someone for what they like or because their glass isn’t perfect.

2. Review: Wild Leap Alpha Abstraction Vol. 3 (October 10, 2018)

Okay … this one shocked to my very core. Once this blog was posted, it just kept growing and growing and growing. I don’t know what the secret sauce was that made this one (simple) beer review continue to get hits for such a long stretch. Maybe because it was the new “it” beer of the week and people wanted to read about it. I don’t know what it was, but I definitely am not complaining!

1. College Football Meets Beer (September 15, 2016)

As much as the #2 post surprised me with its popularity, #1 on this is no surprise at all. We attempted to marry beer with college football … all done in a silly and playful way. We took the opportunity to find a beer that would be the perfect stereotype for every SEC team’s fanbase … taking equal opportunity to lampoon the lunatic fringe from each school. Beer + college football … this one had all the ingredients to be a winner.

And that’s a wrap on 100 posts! Please comment below with any topics you’d like us to cover for the next 100 posts. And, if I haven’t mentioned this already, please share these posts with friends, family, neighbors, co-workers. Thank you!!

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Categories Brewery Reviews

Top Christmas Beers

Quoting Russ on this one … everyone sing along: “It’s the most wonderful time … for a beer!”

Holiday season – winter – cold weather. They all bring some of my favorite times of the year. I love cold weather – College football bowl season (40 games in 24 days!) – and of course, the perfect time to drink dark, heavy beers. Yes, I’ll drink porters and stouts all year, unlike some other people. But everyone should agree that now is the time to enjoy the dark and heavy stuff. So, bring out your BA quads, Russian Imperial Stouts, and all of the heavy stuff. ‘Tis the season!

Today, we focus on one style of beer that really only appears in the colder months. The Winter Warmer. Some call it a Christmas beer, but the style is really a winter warmer. These beers fit my profile perfectly … super malty, very little hop bitterness, and some even drop in some holiday-esque spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger. The consistent theme throughout beers in this style is that they’re not all that consistent. There is a great deal of variety across this spectrum, and the exploration is what makes it great! It just screams sitting next to the tree with the fireplace glowing. Yeah, watching Elf, Scrooged, or Christmas Vacation at the same time would help, too.

I thought I’d share with you a list of the best Christmas/ holiday/ winter warmer beers I’ve ever had. Yes, there are tons of options out there that may be better … but these are the best ones I’ve personally tried. What are your favorites?

In no particular order:
Samichlaus Helles – only brewed one day per year and then aged for 10 months. This one was a great find a few years back. I need to find it again!

Trader Joe’s Vintage (2018 is really good)

Sweetwater Festive – be careful. This one packs a surprising wallop and can sneak up on you.

Anchor Christmas – it’s my annual quest to find this one. Slightly different recipe each year, and I can’t wait to find it and try it.

Deschutes Jubelale – maybe the gold standard for the American winter warmer

Full Sail Wassail – here we go a-wassailing!

Cinnamon Cocoa Drafty Kilt – this maybe doesn’t fit the style exactly, but a Scotch ale with cinnamon and cocoa seems to fit this list really nicely.

St Bernardus Christmas Ale – potentially the best I’ve ever had. So fantastically terrific. It’s their Abt 12 (quadrupel) with winter spices added – weighs in at 10%.

Samuel Smith Winter Welcome Ale. Just had this for the first time this week. Exceptional!

Breckenridge Holidale (Whiskey Barrel Aged) – this was a 2017 beer. I haven’t seen it since. I hope it comes back?

Great Lakes Christmas Ale – honey gives this one a little extra sweetness.

21st Amendment Fireside Chat – very nicely balanced.

Southern Tier 2XMAS – I need to find this again. This was an awesome one.

And that’s a wrap. (See what I did there?) Tell us – what are your favorites? And which of the above have you had?

Mike Pennington by Mike Pennington
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Categories Brewery Reviews

What makes a brewery good or bad?

Do you like or dislike a brewery based on what someone else says? How much of your opinion of a brewery or beer is based on reputation versus actual experience?

This question arose from a recent discussion I saw where a few people were actually angry that others liked a certain brewery. “How dare you like the brewery that I hate? You must be new to this craft beer scene.” This is a slightly different discussion than our recent post on beershaming, but it’s at least in a similar category. It should be okay for people to have differing opinions on a brewery, but I feel that those opinions should be based on more than just one data point.

This is a bit more than just thinking “beer good = brewery good”, and vice-versa. Among others, here are some of the factors that should be considered when forming an all-encompassing opinion on the quality of a brewery.

– The beer. Yes, the beer is central to this discussion and always will be. But there’s more to it than just the beer found on the shelf in the grocery store…
– Even more beer.  A brewery may have 3, 4, 10 standard year-round beers available, with many of those available in stores. But don’t forget the special seasonal-beers and one-off releases. Many people will tell you that these special beers show the true creativity and artistry from resident brewmasters.
– And even more beer. Brewery-only beers. I think this could be the #1 way to determine the quality of brewery. Straight from the tap … SO MANY CHOICES. As an example, Gate City Brewery near me has about 3-4 beers that are canned and distributed. And they have 18 beers on tap at the brewery. I like the beers that they package. I love going into the brewery to see what new creations they have for me.
– The vibe. We’ve talked about this a lot in the past. I won’t re-hash the discussion.
– Customer service. Can you talk to the staff? If there are issues, how were they resolved? Some breweries pride themselves on this point – some couldn’t care less. It’s all up to what you’re looking for.

… or have a gravel backyard. They can be equally amazing.

What I would like you to consider is that there is a lot more to this discussion than trying one beer and then panning an entire brewery. Or maybe you had a friend who reported a bad visit to a brewery. Does that mean that you would have the same experience? By the way, this also works in reverse. Just because someone likes a beer or brewery doesn’t mean that you necessarily should. All tastes are different. What one person calls a pine tree, another calls a deliciously hoppy triple IPA. A thick sugarbomb to one person is a phenomenal dessert beer to another.

“I had one of their beers a few months back and didn’t like it” should NOT equal, “that brewery is crap. No one likes their stuff.” Pay ‘em a visit and try a flight. You might be surprised. BUT, if you still don’t like it, it doesn’t mean it’s bad beer … it’s just not for YOU.

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