(SpoCOOL) A Spokane Blog

But hey, on St. Patrick's Day -- or the Saturday before, as it often is -- we're all apparently Irish, right? Parades, and stews, and Guinness, and all of that. Anyway, a lot is happening around town, so let's just take a look at a few highlights.

Sante is serving up their Guinness stew again, which really is kind of important. I mean, you're really missing out if you don't try this; the previous incarnations have been stellar. You're too old and sophisticated to do Irish car bombs anyway; make this a Sante weekend instead. 

Saranac, meanwhile, has a whole gamut of Irishness happening. A bunch of drink specials -- we do like Irish Death if you want something else than the standard (albeit tasty) Guinness -- Shepherd's pie, Irish sausage... They'll be open at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Check their Facebook page for more information.

For those on a budget, Pjs Bar is running a $1 green PBR special. The Spokane car bomb -- Jameson and Bailey's in a No-Li Stellar Stout -- might be more up other people's alley. I mean, way to go fusion with local and Irish.

Lucky's Irish Pub -- always a classy joint -- opens at 8 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Among the usual suspects they will serve free green eggs and ham on Sunday. So hey, that's kind of awesome.

Finally, I would assume the Irish likes pizza too. Therefore you should head up to the Hop Shop on Saturday at 5pm for some Veraci pizza. It'll be good for you.

Well, screw it. It wouldn't be a proper March if we didn't drink Sierra Nevada's Bigfoot, and it wouldn't be a proper March unless you drank three of them in a night. That might be a feat in itself, but also a rite of passage. The Bigfoot is not entirely up there with the Arctic Devil, but it comes pretty close, especially when the price point is taken into consideration.

The Bigfoot is a pretty beer. No, really. It actually has an amazing color, all deep, ruby red. The head is a thin half finger, like it doesn't want to take the attention away from the color. I could stare at it for... Well, for a little while at least.

A whiff will be greeted by a sweet maltiness, and just a bit of alcohol. Actually, the latter is surprisingly restrained, seeing it packs a 9.6% punch.

Give it a taste, and things change quite a bit. It's not a restrained beer, and it certainly lives up to its Bigfoot monicker. That's not a bad thing, mind you. While this certainly is a big beer in every sense of the word, there are plenty of subtleties to be found. Behind the very pleasant taste of caramel and booze, you can pick up on a more gentle spiciness and just a hint of hops. Let it warm up a bit, and vanilla will make itself known.

Who knows what you'll find three bottles in?!

The one and only issue I have with the Bigfoot is the rather thin mouthfeel. I have seen reviews where it has been described as anything from "silky" to "creamy", but I don't really get that. Age it, though, and the mouthfeel definitely improves, something a recent sample of the '12 edition proved.

I mean, really, that aside, there is no denying the Bigfoot is a stellar ale. Grab a four pack, and do March Madness properly by enjoying three of them, while putting the fourth one in the cellar. It'll make for a good night and a good future.

Do you enjoy classic Disney cartoons? You probably have been crying yourself to sleep over the last few year. I mean, good grief, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, what the hell?

Fan of the classics or not, you really should take four minutes out of your day and watch Croissant de Triomphe, a Mickey Mouse short, animated very much in the style of the old school classic, with just a dash of modern touches thrown in. The subject matter is, of course, croissants.

Disney has banned the YouTube video, but do go watch it on their site. Really. It's fantastic.

The cartoon was directed by Paul Rudish, who previously worked on the awesome Dexter's Laboratory.

Any beer weighing in at 13.2% ABV can be pretty scary, particularly when it comes in a bomber. Down one by yourself and odds of hitting the ground sometime during the evening seem pretty decent.

Midnight Sun's Arctic Devil Barley Wine falls squarely in that category, and probably is one best shared with a few friends or, for that matter, foes. Really, this is a great beer, and sharing it just seems right. Of course, "Great"... "Nigh perfect" might be more apt.

Pour, and the deep, dark color, with just a bit of head should instantly intrigue. Give it a sniff, and you can instantly pick up on a well-constrained sweetness. Caramel dominates, paired with bourbon. The alcohol is certainly present, but not in a crazy, face-slapping way. This is all very well balanced.

And that carries over to the flavor. I mean, really. With all respect to Bigfoot, I cannot remember a barley wine quite as astounding as this.

The caramel creeps up on the tongue, quickly followed by the bourbon. There's just a bit of spice kicking off around the middle, with the alcohol gently making itself known right at the back. Keep sipping, and other subtleties will make itself known. Just a little bit of chocolate, and a hint of vanilla. An ever so understated citric kick. Maybe some cherry?

Even at 13.2% the Arctic Devil feels incredibly smooth. Maybe not the up there with the velvet-y texture seen in many Firestone Walkers, but certainly silky enough to impress.

So, yeah, there is no reason not to try the Arctic Devil. It's awesome. Some would say legendary. Go pick at least two up right now, one for tasting and one for storing. You'll thank yourself for showing such great judgement.