An evening at Ashley's

On a recent trip to Ashley's, we continued our beer tasting frenzy . We opted for our usual sampler of the rotating taps, trying 4 new beers.

Arcadia Jaw-Jacker Ale: an easy drinking beer with a finish that reminds me of drinking pumpkin pie. I can't imagine drinking it any time of year but autumn. M found it lackluster, missing 'something'.
Avery "The Kaiser" Imperial Oktoberfest: I found it to be smooth and unusual with a nice flavor. M said it was well balanced and "won't hurt the tonsils on the way down".
Kuhnhenn Brewing A Few Schillings: M thought it was full and sweet, while I thought *too* sweet, almost syrupy. What is the ABV on this one??
Flying Dog Barrel Aged Gonzo: A barrel aged Imperial Porter with a surprising orange blossom nose!

Of all that we tried, I can't say that I would order a pint of any of them. M liked the Kuhnhenn.

Wine country weekend

Back from a very nice, mellow weekend in wine country... we had wine club events at Mayo in Sonoma and Peterson in Healdsburg, plus a special private tour with Mantra and stops at Maurtison and Seghesio. We had a great time! The Peterson event was a wine blending seminar, and we all got to bring home a bottle of our "special blend", mine called "I Can't Believe It's Not Zin". :-)

On Friday night, after a long evening of wine, we stopped for dessert and I got to try a beer I'd never had before: Avery Brewing's IPA, from Boulder, CO. Tasty and hoppy, it didn't pair with chocolate bread pudding and vanilla gelato so well, but it was yummy all on it's own. It was the perfect antidote to all that red wine!

BTW- if you're ever passing through Glen Ellen, be sure to stop by the Garden Court Cafe for breakfast or lunch: homemade sausages, jams & jellies, whole wheat bread, sticky buns... good stuff.