El Bulli is by many considered one of the best restaurants in the world. I'm not going to argue either way about that, largely because I've never had the chance to eat there. With year long waiting lists odds aren't particularly good that I will get there any time soon either, but at least I can try their official beer, Estrella Damm's Inedit.
Spanish beers in general aren't the most exciting in the world. Mostly light lagers, they tend to be well brewed, but also more intended as refreshers while noshing on tapas or whatever. El Bulli wanted a more exciting beer to pair with their food, and thus commissioned Estrella Damm to create one for them.
The result, the Inedit, is a good, if not mind-blowing, witbier that probably would pair well with many types of seafood.
It pours a cloudy pale gold color, with a fluffy enough head. The nose is fairly subtle with hints of orange and spices which carry into the flavor. This is definitely a refreshing beer which is easily drinkable. It has an extremely clean finish, and at only 4.8% ABV you're not going to find yourself floored by it. It's pretty obvious that it was designed as a refreshment for food pairings.
I'd go as far as to say that this is a good gateway craft beer. It's not overly exciting -- although compared to the average Spanish lager it'd be The Exorcist of beers -- and one that nearly anyone could enjoy.
I'm not sure how easy it is to track down around here, but in Spain a bottle sold for around €3.
It's a situation we've all found ourselves in: We're hitting the town, be it for a dinner or a super secret underground event, and we need to accessorize to look the part. But what does one wear? A tie? Too obvious. A cravat? Too Louis XIV. A bowtie?! To quote David Sedaris: "A bowtie announces to the world you can no longer get an erection."
So what's left? The ascot! Classy, classic, and good enough for Cary Grant, the ascot sets you apart in any social situation. That is if you can find one.
Now granted, the Northwest in general might not be the most crazily exciting place as far as clothing goes, and that's fair enough. But I was shocked and outraged to learn that Spokane does not have one store that carries ascots. Macy's, Nordstrom, nada. Not even at Anderson & Emami. It was, in fact, the clerk at Nordstrom that informed us that as far as he knew, there was only one store that carried them in the state of Washington, and that was in Seattle.
This I find a little bit sad, and having to go on the web to find an ascot seems like waste to me. Surely a city of a few hundred thousand could support a decent ascot selection?
So. If Spokane wants to set itself apart from cities like Seattle and Portland -- and I hope to god that is the case -- I really think it's time to make this an ascot wearing town. It must be possible to achieve this. Go to any El Corte Ingles in Spain, and they have shelves of ascots. (As picture above illustrates.)
I mean, what better way to celebrate the new Nectar tasting room than proudly hanging out wearing an ascot?
It's that time of year again: As the nights get darker so do the ales, and you're not sure if you should curse winter for its coldness or celebrate it for the beers it provide.
We semi-celebrated Deschutes Jubelale last year, a trend that continues here in 2010.
This time around I actually feel the Jubelale is a wee step up, and more reminiscent of the Jubel 2010 special reserve. It pours a deep dark red with a fairly good head. A quick whiff reveals a nice aroma of malts and spices. It smells like Christmas. Heck, it even tastes like Christmas.
The spicy maltiness does carry over in the flavor, and there are subtle floral hints of orange in there too. Its finish is almost surprisingly dry. This is a very drinkable beer if you enjoy robust flavors, and the semi-creamy medium body makes Jubelale a good winter warmer. Had it had a bit more body I'd say it would have been pretty perfect actually.
Plus, at 6.7%, you can kick back one or two without getting completely tanked, which is, you know, kind of a good thing.
In these political times there is one issue that seems to be grossly overlooked. An issue that needs to be talked about but has fallen by the wayside while other less important subjects, like senate seats and taxes and what have you, have taken the limelight. You've already read the headline, so you know what this is about: Urinals.
Urinals are not good. Who decided it would be a good idea to line men up, side by side, and have them pee in troughs? Who was the genius that turning male urination into a social activity? It makes no sense!
To put it in context: I don't frequent women's restrooms, but from what I've been told, rarely will you see a bunch of toilets without stalls lined up next to each other for some quality time social peeing. (Zola apparently being a notable exception.)
Therefore we put forth this suggestion: Let's ban urinals in the city of Spokane. Or if we choose not to ban them, at least require stalls to be built around them. Social peeing is not fun, nor is it sanitary. It is a ridiculous activity, and Spokane should lead the way by taking a more sensible approach to urination.
In the meantime, I encourage every man in every city to use stalls. Let the troughs of yesteryear stand by themselves on their way into oblivion.
