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13 Jul 2017

Thirsty Thursday: Pitchers

Happy 9th issue of Thirsty Thursday.  Panclog has been having fun adventures. These adventures have taken us away from the beautiful art that is reviewing breakfast spots and sometimes talking about tasty beer. But have no fear.  The Panclog Pals have plenty of articles coming to keep you away from the hot hot sunshine.

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I don’t know if you can remember all the way back to our 2nd Thirsty Thursday. Click the link if you don’t immediately remember. Well now that you’ve read it, we can move onto the next portion of “Panclog Drinking Through Baseball.” We have decided to complete the battery.  We are deciding on which pitcher we would like to be tossing to our catcher. But more importantly, we are deciding on which pitcher we would like to have a beer with.

Let’s get to it!

Brent – Whom I would have a beer with – Madison Bumgarner

One would think that his name is Voldemort given how citizens of Kansas City react to hearing his name. This behavior is understandable considering Madison Bumgarner was the only person standing between the Kansas City Royals and winning the 2014 World Series. In that series it seemed the Kansas City Royals had an answer for everything the San Francisco Giants threw at them, except for Madison Bumgarner.

The 2014 Royals electrified Kansas City and showed the country what a great baseball town our fair city is. The Royals’ style of play, never give up attitude, and capitalization on the opponents’ mistakes, while making few of their own, re-inspired a great love for this team. To be a Royals fan up to this season was difficult at times as the team languished in the cellar year after year. But watching the 2014 Royals make comeback after comeback allowed our people to hold so strongly to hope like it hadn’t done in years.

And then came Bumgarner. The Giants pitcher was stellar throughout the series. He looked unbeatable every time he stepped to the rubber; quite frankly, he was unbeatable. Bumgarner himself was the one who crushed the hopes and dreams of every Kansas City fan.
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Normally a starting pitcher, Bumgarner took the mound as a reliever in the fifth inning of game 7 to protect a one run lead. Doing so on only two days’ rest. He gave up a hit to Omar Infante in the 5th inning, but was lights out the rest of the way. Well at least until the 9th inning when Alex Gordon took the plate with 2 outs. Why not watch what happened in the at bat. When this play occurred I was absolutely certain the Royals would win the game. Absolutely certain. The Royals seemed to pull out wins on plays like this throughout the year and especially in the post season. But as I am sure you have guessed, the Royals did not win this game.

Bumgarner, an excellent pitcher, and an outstanding one on this particular night, threw 6 high and inside fastballs to Salvador Perez. Perez, on that 6th pitch, popped out to the 3rd baseman Pablo Sandoval, earning Bumgarner the longest save in World Series history. I remember it being a painful moment watching Alex Gordon stare at home plate just 90 feet away and thinking what if.

The Royals would go on to win the 2015 World Series in dramatic fashion the following year. I cannot explain how elated I was watching this series. Here are some highlights from 2015 World Series Game 5. What made game 5 in this series so great, is that Mets pitcher, Matt Harvey, looked unbeatable himself, up until the 9th inning. Then the Royals worked their magic.

I know what you are thinking though. Why in the world would you invite Madison Bumgarner out for a beer when he thoroughly crushed your hopes whenever he took the mound? The reason is simple, during the 2014 World Series Madison Bumgarner demonstrated true excellence on the field of play. I would like to talk to him about that and how it felt. I would like to know how much work and practice he puts in to his chosen career that makes him one of the top pitchers in the majors. Most importantly, I would like to raise a glass to him. Madison beat the Royals fair and square, and he has earned every accolade he has received.

The beer I would like to share with him is one I recently discovered on a business trip to Seattle, WA. When travelling I like to sample what the local breweries have to offer and on this trip I made it over to Pike Brewing. Whilst there I sampled much of what they have, but I think the one I enjoyed the most is the Pike Place Ale.
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The Pike Place is a pale ale with a lot of citrus like overtones to the beer. The drink has a cool and crisp flavor that clears the palate quickly. The flavor is refreshing and pleasant throughout, and I am eager to have one again.

Jared – Whom I would have a beer with – Bartolo Colón

Baseball is America’s pastime.  Do you know why? It is due to the fact that seemingly anyone can do it.  I will absolutely agree that hitting a baseball well is one of the hardest things in sports.  But the basics of baseball are something that almost anyone can handle.  Playing toss with friends is the core of the beauty of the game.  This idea that anyone can play this fantastic game is the reason why I chose my favorite pitcher, Bartolo Colón

Bartolo

 

Bartolo Colón has an amazing nickname.  Big Sexy. Don’t you wanna be friends with someone who has earned that nickname? But before you do anything else, watch this beautiful highlight of Bartolo making an athletic out.

Bartolo isn’t just a nice, thick man with a lot of personality.  He is a Cy Young award winner.  Bartolo won the award in 2005 while pitching for the then Anaheim Angels. He went 21-8 that year with a 3.48 ERA.  He is the last active player that was on the Montreal Expos. The Expos relocated to Washington D.C. in 2004.  Bartolo is truly a fun and lovable guy to have in the dugout.

Bartolo ‘Big Sexy’ Colón became a fan favorite while with the New York Mets.  He seemed to allow his personality to come out more.  This led to his Mets teammate, Noah Syndergaard, celebrating Bartolo resigning with his team by buying his whole family Big Sexy t-shirts.
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If anyone wanted to get me that shirt.  I would smile and do one of Bartolo’s most famous celebrations.

With all the fun things Bartolo has done. He does have some real flaws about him.  He was suspended for 50 games in 2012 for synthetic testosterone.  He was also sued for failure to pay child support by a 2nd family.  I am not here to promote cheating in games nor in marriages.  I simply believe Bartolo would tell a heck of a story over a beer.

Bartolo was recently signed by the Minnesota Twins organization.  Because of this fact I chose a Minnesota based beer to share.  I have chosen Brau Brothers Brewing Co.  I have been slowly dipping my feet into the very deep and rich waters that is Scotch whisky.  I love a rich smoky and mossy scotch. Isn’t it interesting that the Canadians, Scottish, and Japanese all spell whisky without the E.  I don’t know why. But I know that’s how it is done. So when I saw a peated scotch ale in my Beer Book Club package I get each month, I instantly knew that it would be in my mouth very soon.
peat  Bancreagie Peated Scotch Ale is a lovely scotch ale that is incredibly drinkable compared to other scotch ales on the market.  I get small hints of the peat moss.  But I do not get the smokiness that comes with a scotch whisky.  Bancreagie is a strong beer that comes in at 7.8% ABV.  I would absolutely love to try more of Brau Brothers’ brews. I truly hope that Bartolo is successful with the Minnesota Twins.  I’d love to see the oldest active pitcher in the game continue to make people happy.

And yes I did take that incredible picture of my beer.

Who would you like to have a beer with? What beer would you drink with them?

Let us know at our Twitters: Panclog, Jared, and Brent.

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31 Mar 2017

Thirsty Thursday: Podcast Personalities

Welcome to the 8th edition of Panclog’s very own Thirsty Thursday.  The great island nation of Panclog has decided to throw our support behind the TryPod movement by choosing some podcasting personalities that we would want to share a beer with.

Podcasts are episodic audio series that can be downloaded and played on your smart phones or mp3 players if you still have one of those.  You will find not only an amazing article about cool people who do podcasts that we want to drink beers but also some suggestions of podcasts that the Panclog pals recommend.

Check out TryPod’s website. Let’s get into the article to end March with a big smile.

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Jared – Whom I Would Have a Beer With – Bill Simmons (The Bill Simmons Podcast)

Podcasts have been a big part of my life for a little over a year and a half.  I listen to them where ever I am be that: the car, the gym, the home, the work, the grocery store, the Earth.  It is the greatest way to spend some time with a socially acceptable voices in your head.  Once you follow a podcast for a couple episodes, you will begin to feel a weird bond with the people involved with said podcast.  You may begin to call them your friends that don’t communicate super well.

I had a lot of trouble deciding on which podcast personality that I would be writing about.  I really think that I could write about 8 of these Thirsty Thursday articles, all about the podcasts that I love. I began with the most stereotypical choice for me, Tyler Marchant.  Tyler started the first Adam Sandler podcast that discussed Sandler’s oeuvre in chronological order.  It’s real fun.  The Adam Sandcast. Check it out.

I then began to debate if I should write about my first and longest podcast love, Scott Aukerman. Scott Aukerman hosts Comedy Bang Bang. CBB is an incredible mix of talk show and improv show.  I can not recommend this podcast any higher.  I believe CBB to be the greatest comedy podcast around.

Then there is one of the most intriguing minds in podcasts, Alex Blumberg.  Blumberg created one of the finest podcast networks in Gimlet Media.  They have plenty of great shows but my favorites would have to be StartUp (featuring Blumberg himself), Science Vs., and Reply All.

I have plenty of  more recommendations that you can definitely get out of me if you see me out and about.  Ask me while I’m buying cereal and almond milk at the grocery store.

After so much debate, I have decided to share a beer with the wonderful, Bill Simmons.

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Bill Simmons is one of the greatest sports writers of my generation.  He is an unabashed homer for his hometown of Boston.  This creates some interesting moments when he breaks down his favorite teams and acts like he is on the team.  I enjoy this aspect of Bill because it makes him more of a “Man of the people.” I can say with all certainty that I always talk like I am an integral part of all of my teams.

Bill is always a great listen because you can tell that he believes all of his takes, sports or not. This is seemingly untrue with a lot of the sports personalities in the world today.  Bill also loves his friends.  He has a good rotation of guests on his podcast. You can really tell that he cares about each of them very much.  Bill used to work at ESPN, but had a bad falling out and he created The Ringer podcast network with help from HBO.  I listen to 3 different podcasts from his network.  They are all run by seemingly good people.  I am impressed by Mr. Simmons ability to curate a staff of smart and interesting individuals.

My recommendation of an episode from The Bill Simmons Podcast would be the interview with Golden States Warriors superstar Kevin Durant.  Bill Simmons was able to get KD to speak candidly about life in the league.  I enjoyed it quite much.  Click on over here to give it a listen.

The beer I have paired with Bill Simmons is going to be Boston’s own Harpoon Brewery. More specifically, Harpoon’s Take 5.

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Take 5 is a session IPA. Session IPAs tend to be lower ABV and lower IBUs compared to other IPAs.  The Take 5 has an ABV of 4.3%.  It has a lovely citrus-forward taste and aroma.  I think this beer will be perfect to drink and watch sports while having deep conversations during the commercials.

Brent – Whom I would have a beer with – Car Talk Guys

40 years ago a Boston radio station, WBUR, thought, it would be wise to develop a call-in radio show featuring a panel auto mechanics to help folks with their car repairs. Several mechanics were contacted but only one showed up, Tom Magliozzi. Performing well, Mr. Magliozzi was invited back and he brought his younger brother, Ray Magliozzi, in tow.

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Surprisingly, this show blossomed into a remarkable career for the brothers, spanning from 1977 to October of 2012, when they retired. Ray and Tom continued their day jobs as mechanics, but they also continued to work on the show week after week, and year after year. They accomplished this feet by assembling an expert knowledge of cars, friendly voices, a penchant for laughing, self-deprecating humor, and a genuine concern and care for their callers. Listening to the show always brings a smile and an easy way to pass an hour.

The show contained many recurring features. One of my favorites being the “Puzzler”. I did not have a prayer of answering any car-related puzzler, but I did have a chance at the language, mathematical, or historical puzzles. One puzzler in particular I remember was phrased something like the following:

Eight folks are at a party and they are getting ready to serve the cake. Out comes the plates, forks, and a knife to cut the cake. Now, all the partygoers want an equal share of that cake. Using only three cuts, how can the cake be divided into eight equal pieces?

I suspect you all know the answer to this question. However, I remember hearing this Puzzler as a child, roughly seven or eight years old. My father happened to be driving me somewhere when the Puzzler was announced on the radio and he asked if I knew the answer. After a little bit of thought I came up with the answer, and saw a smile creep across my father’s face.

It has been a pleasure to listen to the Car Talk program off and on over the years. Unfortunately, the program usually aired on Saturday mornings in the areas I lived. Far too often, getting up to listen to the radio was too great a challenge. Thankfully, NPR began to publish the weekly Car Talk radio show as a podcast, available for downloading soon after that week’s show aired. This allowed me to download the show to my phone and listen at my leisure.

Listening to Tom and Ray provided me great joy and, on occasion, imparted some knowledge to me about cars. More importantly, they provided me the confidence to attempt my own car repairs occasionally. I am getting somewhat decent at changing brakes by the way.

While Car Talk is the first podcast I discovered, I do listen to many others. If you are curious, here is my current list:

1. Car Talk (NPR)

2. Ask Me Another (NPR) – it is a weekly quiz show hosted by Ophira Esienberg and Jonathan Coulton.

3. The Loh Life (NPR) – a very short podcast about the life of Sandra Tsing Loh

4. Doug Loves Movies – a comedic podcast show about movies hosted by Doug Benson

5. Wait Wait.. Don’t Tell Me (NPR) – another weekly quiz show hosted by Peter Sagal

If you have any great suggestions, I would like to know. I prefer podcasts that are comedic and do not necessarily require listening to every episode to keep up with the material.

Getting back to the point of this blog, I would very much enjoy sharing a beer with Ray Magliozzi. He seems like a genuine and friendly person with a lot of experiences and stories to share. The beer I would like to share is the American Kolsch by Boulevard Brewing Company.

Boulevard-American-Kolsch
The beer has that classic golden color most people expect from a beer and has a comforting aroma. The beer feels light and uncomplicated as you drink it with a kind of citrusy kick to it.  There is not anything challenging about drinking this one and it makes for an easy backdrop to a long afternoon conversation.

Who would you like to have a beer with? What beer would you drink with them?

Let us know at our Twitters: Panclog, Jared, and Brent.

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02 Mar 2017

Thirsty Thursday: Child Stars

Episode VII: The entrance of the child star to planet Panclog.

Pretty dope title, right? Wrong.  That is a subtitle.  Learn ya facts.

Brent and I (Jared Scot-with-1-T Sova) have decided that our next way to make the world a little better is to celebrate the child actors that we grew up with.  Aren’t we all just a little bit interested in how these little people survived the world of Hollywood.  More like Hollyweird, amiright?

Let’s get to the beautiful part of this lovely editorial. The part where two dudes talk about someone we think is cool and then pair them with a beer.  Trust me.  This is the coolest article you will read this week.  If not, call 913-648-8888 and complain.

Brent – Whom I would have a beer with – Danica McKellar

What would you do if I sang out of tune,

Would you stand up and walk out on me.

Lend me your ears and I’ll sing you a song,

And I’ll try not to sing out of key.

The dulcet tones of Joe Cocker’s voice belted out of the television as his cover of “With a Little Help from My Friends” provided the title music for “The Wonder Years”. Joe Cocker’s cover of this song is arguably better than the original. I get that those might be fighting words, but I believe it is one of those rare circumstances where the cover is better than the original. I would also argue that Guns & Roses cover of “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” rivals Bob Dylan’s masterpiece, but I digress.

The opening lines of that song always brought enjoyment as the lead in to a television show that hit me right where I needed to be. “The Wonder Years”, debuting in 1988, was a coming of age story for the main protagonist, Kevin Arnold, and his friends, Winnie Cooper and Paul Pfeiffer. The show takes place during the years 1968 to 1973, with the main characters aging from 12 to 17.

What made the show great is how well the stories revealed what it felt like to be a teenager. The conflicts demonstrated on the show reflected reality and its difficulties, while remaining fun and entertaining. I am not sure how well the show would play now though. While the individual stories will always be relevant, we may now have too much distance from the setting those stories took place in. For instance, the overriding presence of Vietnam and the nation’s wide and varied reaction to it, or the rising “red scare” of the Soviet Union. Many other elements sit as a backdrop to the narrative but have a direct impact on the characterization of the show.

I would not mind having a beer with the portrayers of the three main protagonists of the show. However, for this article, I would specifically enjoy having a beer with Danica McKellar. Her portrayal of Winnie Cooper was at the beginning full of innocence growing into maturity throughout the show’s run. The bonds the characters developed, especially that of Winnie, clearly showed how difficult a friendship could be. More importantly, their bonds showed how friendships could survive and persevere, as long as the participants are willing to work through it.

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The real reason I would like to have a beer with Danica is that she has a degree in mathematics. I would therefore assume that she enjoys talking about it. It is not often that one finds another who likes to discuss the subject, requiring you to jump at the chance when it is available. I am certain that she is far more knowledgeable in the subject than I am considering she has written at least four books on the subject. Perhaps Danica penned the best title for any math book ever written, “Kiss My Math: Showing Pre-Algebra Who’s Boss.” Although, one of her other books, “Math Doesn’t Suck” is certainly a runner up. I ask you, who wouldn’t want to sit back on a nice cool afternoon discussing the area under a curve while sipping a bottle of suds?

The beer I would share with Danica is the Higher Math brew from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery.
higher
I cannot comment on how well it tastes as I am currently suffering from a fit of sobriety. This is all thanks to my doctor asking me to pop antibiotics as if they were Pez. The Dogfish website states that Higher Math is an American Strong Ale with an ABV of 17%. The site also sadly states that the beer is retired and no longer brewed. I suggest we all write to Dogfish and tell them to get back into math class and fix this problem.

Jared – Whom I Would Have  A Beer With – Tiffani Thiessen

Let’s go back to high school.  Bayside High to be specific.  We will find your favorite group of friends rooting for the Tigers.  Zack, Screech, Lisa, Jesse, AC, Kelly and You.

Saved By The Bell was the joy of my childhood.  I learned so much of what to expect for when I went to high school. Most of the plot lines came true in my life.  One of my best friends got hooked on caffeine pills.  I made of my best friends cross-dress to sneak into the girls locker room. My friends and I saved our local hangout from a financial collapse. Oh we also made a band, Ophelia & The Tots. I would definitely say that my life was influenced by Saved By The Bell.

Can you sit in a backwards chair and not feel super cool? AC Slater started that.  Thank him!

I could probably go on and on about my love of Saved By The Bell.  I could also chat about how much I enjoyed The College Years. I must choose someone I would like to share a cold one with.  I could almost guarantee that Dennis Haskins AKA Mr. Belding could put some back. I have chosen my very first crush, Tiffani Thiessen.

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Tiffani has not only played Kelly Kapowski. She has been a recurring character in my favorite show on USA, White Collar.  I know you think I am underrating great shows like Burn Notice and Suits, but trust me I have put some serious thought into this.  Mozzie could be my spirit animal.  Matt Bomer is the dreamest of boats. Don’t believe me? Check out Magic Mike XXL. The first one was garbage, IMO.

Back on track. back to Tiffani Thiessen. Tiffani is now hosting her own cooking show on the Cooking Channel.  It is called Dinner at Tiffani’s.  If you know anything about chefs and about the character she portrayed in White Collar, you could deduce that Tiffani would be a wine drinker.  So I chose a beer that I believe would be delightful for any wine drinker.   Cider Block French Cider by Cinder Block Brewery in North Kansas City.

This French cider has some very intriguing white wine notes.  It is dryer than other ciders that I have sampled in my day.  At a 5% ABV, Tiffani and I could drink a couple and discuss cooking, growing up while on television, and about weather this is the best cider that she has ever laid lips upon.

Check out Tiffani Thiessen’s website and watch her cook food.  She’s pretty darn good.

Who would you like to have a beer with? What beer would you drink with them?

Let us know at our Twitters: Panclog, Jared, and Brent.

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27 Jan 2017

Thirsty Thursday: Adam Sandler Co-Stars

Oh did you not think that this would happen?  Maybe you simply thought we would talk about which celebrity named Adam Sandler we would like to have a beer with.

Welcome to the 6th edition of the best ever companion blog to Panclog, Thirsty Thursday.  Beers are meant to be shared with good people. Brent and I will be discussing who we would like to have a beer with and then pair a beer to that person.  Let’s get into it.

Sandler can be a polarizing figure, but we can all agree that he has helped shape the pop culture of the last 20 years. He has done movies with some of the greatest actors around such as, Jennifer Aniston, Jack Nicholson, Don Cheadle, Paz Vega, and Kevin James.
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Which of Sandler’s co-stars would you like to share a beer with?

Jared – Whom I would have a beer with – Allen Covert

According to Yahoo Answers, Allen Covert has been in 13 films with Adam Sandler.
Need I say more?

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Yahoo Answers is surprisingly wrong with this answer. Covert has been 21 films with Adam Sandler.  How did Yahoo Answers get this wrong?  I am beyond shocked.

Think about your favorite character in 50 First Dates.  Alright let me guess who it is. Is it 10-Second Tom?  IT IS! I knew it! Well 10 Second Tom was brilliantly portrayed by Allen Covert. Same with your favorite character in Just Go With It.  The other doctor with the soul patch that plays bass?  Allen Covert.

Allen has also been in some extraordinary films without Sandler. He was in the always funny, Heavy Weights, and also the very cute, Never Been Kissed.  Allen Covert starred  in a film that he helped write, Grandma’s Boy.  I strongly urge you to watch the trailer to that film and remember that some monkey’s were just born to act.

Allen Covert is the type of actor that every kinda-funny person in high school wants to be like.  He’s had a very consistent career that allowed him to have fun and be silly characters. I can not think of another person that would be able to share some sweet Sandler stories.

I would love to pair Funky Buddha’s Maple Bacon Coffee Porter with Allen Covert.
funkFunky Buddha has slowly become the flagship brewery of Florida.  I have recently heard that Florida treats the tapping of the Maple Bacon Coffee Porter like a holiday.  In fact that day is today.  Florida is probably drinking all of the beers tonight.  I just hope and pray that nobody ends up on any FloridaMan blog because of crimes they commit while drinking this amazing brew.

Maple. Bacon. Coffee. Porter.  Think about all of those beers individually.  YES. YES. YES. and YES!  I think sharing this beer with Allen Covert would be perfect because his films with Sandler are built on things that are inherently good.  Grown Ups = Good people hanging out. Hotel Transylvania = A children’s movie with old school monsters. 50 First Dates = Romance.  The Waterboy = Football fun. Big Daddy = Charm.   All of these themes are simple and fun. Yet ultimately, good.  If you disagree, you stink.  Tweet at me with some complaints.

Brent – Whom I would have a beer with – Drew Barrymore

My good friend Jared is an avid fan of Adam Sandler. Displayed prominently on the mantle above Jared’s fireplace is an impressive collection of Sandler films. Jared does not quite have all of them but he is close. I am certain that this year Jared will complete the “Sandler Collection”.

When it comes to the Sandler films, I am not the fan that Jared is. I certainly have to be in the mood for them at least, although for some reason, Happy Gilmore always hits me in the right spot. Nonetheless, whilst we were trying to figure out whom we should have a beer with this week, our conversation sidetracked down Sandler Street. Good thing too, as this side conversation sparked this week’s topic. “Who is the best Adam Sandler co-star with whom you would like to have a beer?”

I thought about this for about two seconds and settled on Drew Barrymore. She is clearly beyond the other co-stars that have appeared in his movies. Perhaps one could say that she is the actual star and Sandler is the co-star. To the best of my knowledge, she has only made three movies with Adam, “The Wedding Singer,” “Blended,” and “50 First Dates.”
"Blended" - Los Angeles Premiere - Arrivals

I am not sure that I have seen “The Wedding Singer” in its entirety, and what I have seen occurred a long time ago. What I do remember of it was an epic scene with Billy Idol towards the end of the movie. I have also only seen Blended once. I do remember enjoying it, but it did not really stick with me as I am drawing a blank on what at all happened. I probably should have watched them both again before writing this.

In any case, I did recently watch “50 First Dates” because of a fantasy football league that I participate. The team with the most points for a given week gets to select a movie that everyone in the league is supposed to watch in the following week. If you get the movie watched before the conclusion of all football games that week, then you get extra points for you team. Sadly, Jared and I seem to be the only folks that consistently watch each movie. But hey, I will take the free points as it has delivered me a couple of wins.

What I like about “50 First Dates” is the character that Drew plays, Lucy Whitmore. The character is sweet, intelligent, witty, kind, passionate, caring, funny, etc. Her character is everything you want in another human being, save the memory loss of course. Her character is a magnificent foil to the more crude humor and situations posed by the rest of the film. Lucy seems to always rise above what is happening around her and Drew accomplishes this with aplomb.

I have seen many of her movies, but nowhere near all of them. However, what I have seen I have enjoyed. Mostly because that while she inhabits her characters, you consistently get the feeling that Drew herself truly enjoys her work. That enjoyment spills out from the screen and provides that little bit of extra spark. This is most evident in “Charlie’s Angels,” if you ask me.

“Charlie’s Angels,” is another movie that is a lot of fun. Just be sure to throw physics out the window when you are watching it. In addition, you could make a drinking game out of how many times the word “angel” is spoken in the movie; however, you would probably end up dead within the first 45 minutes.

The beer that I would like to share with Drew Barrymore is the Delirium Red made by Brouwerij Huyghe.

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The bottle is unique in that there is a red foil wrapper over the cap that you peel off as if you were opening champagne. The beer has a deep red color that makes the head have a pinkish hue. Its aroma is fruity and robust. I suspect that it is made with cherries, as there are hints of it in the flavor. While the initial taste is smooth, it does strike back with a bit of a bite. Overall, it reminds me of red cream soda. It does taste more like a soda pop than a beer in my opinion. Nonetheless, it is a good beverage. I look forward to welcoming Drew to my fair city and sharing with her this tasty brew.

Who would you like to have a beer with? What beer would you drink with them?

Let us know at our Twitters: Panclog, Jared, and Brent.

Posted by stephentshaffer in Thirsty Thursday and tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
05 Jan 2017

Thirsty Thursday: Celebrity Chefs

Happy 2017 to all of the breakfast buddies out there!

We truly apologize for being away from you for a whole month.  The holidays treated us well but were full of travel and food.  So here we are! First Panclog post of the year.

This, the fifth issue of your favorite segment on your fourth favorite blog, will be writing about which celebrity chef we would like to have a beer with and which beer we would pair them with.  It’s gonna be great!

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Read and smile. I triple-dog-dare you

Brent – Whom I would have a beer with – Alton Brown

Nearly all cooking shows follow one of three formats, a chef alone in the kitchen, a travel/food mashup, or some type of cooking competition. Various television networks of course try to combine the different formats but those shows always seem to be short lived. There is one component to all of these shows though that is absolutely critical, each show needs at least one strong personality to be the primary lead. Each show needs a celebrity chef.

I could be wrong about this, but, I believe that Emeril Lagasse is probably the first TV chef that leaped into celebrity chef status (Honorable Mention to Julia Child and The Galloping Gourmet). “Emeril Live” was a lot of fun, had a ton of energy, and served as a hub to connect Emeril’s personality with all of his work, including his books. If you want to point to a different progenitor, like Julia Child, I would suggest that Emeril established the current multiple media format full court press that each celebrity chef needs to achieve today. Emeril established what it means to reach the necessary critical mass to become a celebrity in cooking.

This model that Emeril established has been consistently used to build up other chefs. The most blatant example is Food Network’s show “The Next Food Network Star”. A show that is a competition to find the next personality that will, hopefully, achieve celebrity chef status. I watched the year that Guy Fieri won and enjoyed it quite a bit. But you can clearly see the celebrity chef machine at work.

Since we are talking about cooking shows, I would like to bring up a show that I really enjoyed as a teenager. The show was called Pasquale’s Kitchen and was hosted by Pasquale Carpino. I enjoyed this show because Pasquale always threw liquor into one of the pans, sometimes setting it on fire, and always added it to his coffee. By the end of the week, he seemed to be quite drunk. He also had some lines he consistently delivered like, “Somebody cook, somebody clean,” which are words to live by. The interesting point is that if you played his show today, it wouldn’t look any different from most of the shows on TV today, even though his show was on in the ‘80s and ‘90s.

I bring all this up, because, while I do occasionally enjoy watching a cooking show, there is not one that I will consistently watch. Until I found a lovely little show called “Good Eats”. The show loosely fit into the one chef format noted above, but not quite. What hooked me most about this show was that the host didn’t just show the how of food, but showed the why. The incorporation of food science into a demonstration of how to make a particular recipe just grabbed me. Not only did the host demonstrate culinary art, but filled your mind with science behind.

“Good Eats” was also littered with fun sketches and recurring characters that really hammered the topic of any given show. The moment that the host used puppets to represent bacteria, and listening to them burp, as a demonstration of fermentation I was hooked. “Good Eats”, to put it succinctly, is Sesame Street for adults.

The main creative mind behind this show is of course Alton Brown.
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I believe I’ve watched and enjoyed every episode of “Good Eats”. More importantly I have learned quite a bit about the why of food, and to that I am grateful. This show made me laugh, taught me something, and provided me with great recipes. A family favorite is his Chicken with 40 Clove. In regard to the celebrity chef critical mass, I have bought it hook, line, and sinker. If you want proof of this, I own one of his books, saw him do a sales presentation at Nebraska Furniture Mart, and saw one of his food science shows just this year, and I have enjoyed every minute of it. Every recipe of his I have tried has been a crowd pleaser, well except for one. There was a barbeque sauce recipe that ended up saltier than what we were hoping for. That sauce notwithstanding, I will follow his recipes to the letter because they have pretty much all been terrific.

He of course has been involved with other cooking shows. I say unfortunately, these other shows fit perfectly within the formats noted above. I say unfortunately because these other shows seem to have reined in his creativity whereas “Good Eats” allowed it to flourish.

If you want to get a sense of Alton’s individual creativity, I believe you need to see one of his “one man shows”. I, through the kindness of friends, was able to attend the “Alton Brown Live, Eat Your Science” show here in Kansas City. The show was terrific, where you saw a man with a tremendous amount of talent and knowledge deliver something truly unique. Especially considering the giant, rocket, popcorn popper.

While I have truly enjoyed the bulk of Alton’s creative work, I would certainly enjoy just taking an afternoon to simply visit about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I thoroughly enjoy talking about science just for the sake of it, and he seems to be a dude who is happy doing the same.
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To that end, the beer I would like to share with Mr. Brown is the Accumulation White IPA, made by New Belgium brewery. I am slowly becoming a fan of New Belgium and more specifically their Accumulation brew. To me, the beer comes across as very dry and hoppy, making it seem bitter. Given Alton’s new music album name, “Bitter Like Me”, the selected beverage seems appropriate. Once past those initial flavors you will definitely find a citrus undercurrent. My spouse thinks it is most like a grapefruit. Since her palate is much more refined than mine, at least that is what she tells me, I will go with it. The drink finishes clean and crisp and is a delight to consume.

Judging from the label we are to enjoy Accumulation in the winter time. I had mine next to the drafty back door to our house which sent a nice chill throughout the experience. Like I said, the IPA is a little bitter but the overall flavor is smooth and pleasant. On the off chance Alton stops by for one, you should join us.

Jared – Whom I Would Have A Beer With – Rachael Ray

Cooking.
Talking.
Magazines.
Feeding Dogs.
Winning Emmys.
Changing the World!

These are all things that Rachael Ray is great at. Just read that list again. Go ahead. I’ll wait.
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Yeah so Rachael isn’t just a celebrity chef. She is a life-champion. Rachael Ray takes cooking to a level that is understandable for a simple minded guy like me.  I now know what EVOO is.  It is extra virgin olive oil.  Rachael Ray is a person that created a food empire that, I believe, has some actual integrity.  I have purchased some of her branded knives and they were given thumbs up by my favorite chef.

Who is my favorite chef, you ask?   That would be my lovely bride, Megan.  Megan graduated from culinary school.  That makes her a chef.  Also that’s the difference between a cook and a chef. Right,  Bethenny Frankel? Megan has always been my favorite chef. She makes me food that is better than anything I’ve ever had before.  But sadly, Brent said that she wasn’t a “Celebrity.” So sorry babe, I won’t be picking a beer to pair you with.

Back to Rachael. She was first signed to the Food Network in 2001. How surprising is that?  I simply thought that Rachael was always around.  If I were to choose one of her recipes to share with you that I can make. It would have to be the Florentine Penne with Chicken.  Click that link and make some tasty cuisine.  Did you know that Rachael also makes food for dogs?  Yeah how cool is that? A celebrity chef making food for my dog?  I feel like a rich dude who only has a dog to love.  I heard a rumor that she initially came up with the idea when cooking for her pit bull. So cute!

The beer that I have chosen to share with Rachael Ray was a fairly simple choice to make.  I can only think of one brewery that has chosen to make beers that would be crazy good as food.  That would be Big Rip Brewing Company.  In fact, one of the owners and brewmaster told me that if you can bake it, you can brew it.  This is evident in their beer list.  From an Oatmeal Raisin Cookie ale to a Cherry Cheesecake ale. This is just a small array of the incredible beer that they brew.  Big Rip is a brewery in North Kansas City, MO.  They opened in May of 2013 and instantly became my favorite brewery in Kansas City.  They are owned by incredible people and make beers that are even more incredible.
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I have chosen the Magic Hour Chai Milk Stout from Big Rip to share with Rachael Ray.  I think she will fall in love with the smooth and spicy nature of this amazing beer.  The milk stout base is a slightly sweet and very drinkable beer in of it self. But when they added the Chai to that lovely beer, it took it to a different and exciting level.  At 6% ABV, Rachael and I could drink a couple and talk about her empire in the food world.  Would I cook for her?  Probably not.  But I would gladly share a brew.

Who would you like to have a beer with? What beer would you drink with them?

Let us know at our Twitters: Panclog, Jared, and Brent.

Posted by stephentshaffer in Thirsty Thursday and tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment
01 Dec 2016

Thirsty Thursday: Singer-Songwriters

Happy Thursday to the thirstiest of readers.  This is the 4th edition of this fine editorial.  If you haven’t read the other three, I should probably catch you up.  The boys of Panclog choose a human they would like to have a beer with and then we choose a beer that pairs well with that humans essence.  We didn’t post last week due to the lovely food holiday of Thanksgiving.  Did you have any beers with interesting people?

There will be a new Panclog on Tuesday! No, this is not a December Fool’s Day prank.  It will be reviewing a restaurant that is less than 3 months old. Be excited. Set your alarms.

Here we go. Which singer-songwriters do the Panclog Pals want to have beers with?

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Jared – Whom I would have a beer with – Paul Baribeau

September 2008, Driving around the rough streets of Overland Park, Kansas with me newest friend, Matt. The late summer heat is finally starting to give way to the slightly chilly breeze of fall.  The windows down, the music up.  The CD ends and with all of the style in the world, Matt hands me a compact disc that will blow up my very fragile understanding of “indie” music.  The CD contains bands like Andrew Jackson Jihad, Tom Waits and Paul Baribeau.

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Paul Baribeau struck me instantly. His simple acoustic guitar backed poetry is just what you need when your world is changing from the safety and security of high school to the open and friendless space that college begins as.  Paul’s lyrics can bring you to laughter or break you into tears. Paul has written songs that perfectly encapsulate the youngest of loves. Strawberry is one of the most romantic songs that I have ever heard. Give it a gander in this best fashion you can, a lyric video.  Paul Baribeau has given me great advice like “Hard work helps the time go by.”and “Name 10 things you want to do before you die and then go do them.”

Sadly, Paul Baribeau’s last released album was in 2010.  The last song on that album is called Wild Eyes and is all about reckless love and loss.  Pretty exciting. I don’t want you to be sad because, Paul still releases music.  it is just different.  He releases some delicious new age music with guitar mixed into it.  It will make you want to hold hands and get things done. He releases this music under the name New Boy.

The beer I selected to share with Paul Baribeau is none other than a beer I brewed on my own.  Why not drink something home brewed to share with someone who creates their own music?

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Kelly Bripa is a beer. That is all I have to say about it.  I brewed this beer as a gift for my best friends’ wedding.  I made this recipe as an ode to their relationship.  In fact they both have been guest writers on this fine Panclog.   He loves dark beers and she loves IPAs.  I put these two styles in the best way I knew how.  It turned out very well.  The crowd loved it.  I brew under the name Trestache Brewing with all of my friends help.  Hit me up on Twitter and we can brew and drink our creation.

You can follow Paul Baribeau on his tumblr.

Brent – Whom I would have a beer with – Tom Petty

When listening to music very rarely am I able to equate the song with the artist. Asking me who sang such and such song will only lead to a dead end. This deficiency in my knowledge was most recently demonstrated when someone asked me what band wrote and performed “Come, Sail Away.” I can’t remember what my answer was, but it was certainly not Styx. The only reason that I know it is Styx now is that I just looked it up on Wikipedia.

So when confronted with the suggestion of favorite singer/songwriter for this column I was kind of at a loss. I like almost all music and musical genres, but since I would find it difficult to determine which artist belonged to which catalog, how could I fairly say that person is my favorite. Performing a quick scan of the stations I have setup on Pandora only yields more confusion. I pick artists for the shuffle play because I know they belong to a genre of music I enjoy listening too. A quick sampling of the list of stations I have setup includes, Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast), Lisa Loeb, The Roots, Straight No Chaser, Bettye Lavette, Green Day, Wicked, The B-52s, Hootie & The Blowfish, Frank Sinatra, A Tribe Called Quest, The Piano Guys, Wynton Marsalis, etc.

I soon realized that I was going to have to dig deep on this one. So I thought back to my teenage years, the age when music seems to capture people more tightly than any other. In 1989, when I was 15, Tom Petty released “Full Moon Fever”, a solo album. The album took off pretty quickly and peaked at number 3 on the US Billboard 200 list. Following my siblings and friends, whom were all avid watchers of music videos, I quickly discovered Runnin’ Down a Dream. The video caught my eye way before music actually did because of the surrealist animation. However, it didn’t take long for my appreciation of this song and his music to grow. A couple years later Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers released “Into the Great Wide Open”, an album I truly enjoy from beginning to end, cementing Mr. Petty as one of my favorite artists.

2013 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival - Day 4

In any case, Tom Petty is an artist whose music I know, well almost. It is a good thing that I know Jared, because he knows all the music, and can correctly steer me in regard to music trivia.

There seems to be a slow, easy drawl through all of Tom Petty’s music, with a strong emphasis on the lyric. That isn’t to say that the music is over powered by the words. Mr. Petty seems to be able to consistently balance the two threads of music and lyric. Throughout the bulk of his music there is a bluesy quality that permeates, of which I am a fan.

Playing his music in the background while working helps push the day along. Earlier this afternoon listening to “Learning to Fly” powered me through a rather complex SQL query and “Out in the Cold” delivered on the application of some JQuery validations for a web application. I am certain Mr. Petty would be pleased with this outcome.

The beer that I would like to share with Mr. Petty is Boulevard’s Bourbon Barrel Quad (BBQ).

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I find that the flavor of the BBQ is very deep, and rich overall. However, I do find the initial sip unexpectedly sweet. The beer finishes clean and clear with very little aftertaste. If you focus on what you are tasting you can get hints of vanilla and cherries. According to Boulevard’s website, this shouldn’t be a surprise. Also, it is probably only due to the power of suggestion in the name of the brew, but I do think I can taste the Bourbon from the barrels. If this is true, and it is only suggestion, don’t tell me, I like it the way it is. BBQ, in my opinion, is unique across the rest of Boulevard’s offerings and it is one of my favorites.

Who would you like to have a beer with? What beer would you drink with them?

Let us know at our Twitters: Panclog, Jared, and Brent.

CHEERS!

Posted by stephentshaffer in Thirsty Thursday and tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment
10 Nov 2016
1 Comment

Thirsty Thursday: Authors

Welcome to Panclog’s Thirsty Thursday Episode III: Return of the writing about people we want to have a beer with.  It is a long name,  but I really believe in a title that makes sure you know what you are getting into.

This was a fun week for the Panclog crew.  We released the latest review on Tuesday. It was all about The Wooden Spoon.  Make sure you check that out if you have not yet.  Thursdays are a fun time for us. We love to chat about new beers and amazing people that would be fun to hang out with.

Let us get into it. Enjoy.

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BRENTLES – Whom I would have a beer with – Christopher Moore

Christopher Moore is one of only a couple authors writing today that I actively seek out and purchase sight unseen. He currently has 15.5 published novels all of which I have read and own. (Well except for that 0.5 which is a reprint of “The Stupidest Angel” that has some extra content). I so enjoy his books that I have read each multiple times and recommend them to others.
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His work is comedic, paced evenly, with lots of action, and is well researched. Most of his novels touch on the horror genre, although I would not characterize them as scary. There are moments in his books that seem fresh and new and can only be described as delightfully weird. One example is the god of a cargo cult being unable to bluff Jesus in a game of poker.

Titles like “Bloodsucking Fiends, a Love Story”, “Island of the Sequined Love Nun”, “The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove”, and “The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror”, provide a clear picture of what the reader can expect in the pages. Christopher’s books have consistently given me over to audible laughter, and sometimes true shock; which has caused me to stop reading and set the book aside because I was wholly unprepared for what happened on the pages. “Island of the Sequined Love Nun” even inspired me to write a college paper on cargo cults for a religion class.

I was introduced to Christopher Moore’s book  21 years ago by a gentleman named My Friend Mike. My Friend Mike is an interesting cat to whom I am eternally grateful, and indebted to for letting me borrow “Bloodsucking Fiends”. I remember starting the book with very low expectations as most books about vampires just aren’t good (Bram Stroker’s excluded). From the first chapter I realized I was reading something truly unique. After burning through “Bloodsucking Fiends”, I moved on to the other two books available at the time, “Coyote Blue”, and “Practical Demonkeeping”. Both were just as interesting and fun to read. Subsequent books have delivered on his unique style.

Mr. Moore has consistently turned out books every 1 to 3 years since 1992. Which makes me think we should be due another one in 2017. Some of the content in his books can be challenging so I have always recommended reading “Bloodsucking Fiends” first as it seems to have the lightest content overall. However, with the release of “A Dirty Job” in 2006, I changed that advice.

“A Dirty Job” is probably my favorite book that he has written. The book is entertaining and heartfelt throughout, while avoiding being overly sentimental. The book also possesses all of Moore’s trademarks and, in my opinion, executes those trademarks most effectively. If you haven’t read any of his books, this is the one to start with.
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The beer that I would like pair up with him is a sour beer from Boulevard Brewing Co called Love Child. Details from their website concerning Love Child No. 7 suggest it is a return to a Flanders-style red base beer. The beer does have a reddish color, along with a pungent aroma. The first sip is striking. The only way I can describe it is that it is like drinking a Warheads sour candy. Needless to say it is not for the faint of heart.
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Actually, the beer seems to soften with exposure to air and the initial tartness begins to wane. That or you just get used to it. Once the flavor has softened though, the beer is good, albeit, it doesn’t taste like one. The reason that I would like to share the Love Child No. 7 with Christopher Moore is that the beer brings an experience that is unexpected, just like Moore’s novels. It would be nice to chat with Mr. Moore over this beverage and discuss his books and the art of writing.

JARED – Author I want to have a beer with – Chuck Palahniuk

I am not known as a savvy reader.  I very rarely find myself entrenched in a book.  This is a trait of my impatience to sit in silence and enjoy some paper in my hands.  There is only one author that has kept my attention through many books.  This author would be Chuck Palahniuk. Choosing Chuck Palahniuk was not a tough decision in the slightest.  He is a different type of author than I have ever experienced. He builds characters and worlds that are nearly seamless.
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If you only know Chuck’s name because of Fight Club. I must tell you that you are only at the beginning of his works.  He has written so much more than the epic Tyler Durden.  He has written 18 novels and many other pieces of short fiction stories and even a couple of non-fiction books. I have been a big fan of Chuck ever since one of my Omahomies, Cori, gave me a copy of Survivor to read.  Oh you want to know what the fudge an Omahomie is? It is what I call my friends from the city of Omaha, NE.  Yeah I try to be cool and original. Cori and I wrote literal letters to each other about Chuck. I can not thank Cori enough for introducing me into an author that opened up more literature.

Survivor is about the last surviving member of a cult that committed mass suicide. Dark? You bet. It is more than a simple dark story.  It talks about pop culture and how our media loves tragedy. Chuck does an incredible job getting into the head of the antihero.

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Chuck Palahniuk recently released a sequel of Fight Club as a graphic novel. He wrote it with some of the greatest comic writers of the day. And the art was brilliantly done by Cameron Stewart. This novel was released in 10 issues through Dark Horse Comics.  This was a big deal for me.  I am a big fan of comics. So when you put my favorite author with one of my favorite hobbies, I become ecstatic. Fight Club 2 is awesome. Come on over and we can read them together like when we were 8.  Yeah I am talking to you.  Come over.    I implore you to try to find any work of Chuck’s and sit down and enjoy.

I have chosen to share Dogfish Head’s Palo Santo Marron. I chose this beer because it is strong, dark, and interesting. Just like Chuck Palahniuk’s books.

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Palo Santo Marron is described as an unfiltered, unfettered, unprecedented brown ale aged in handmade Palo Santo brewing vessels.  This beer comes in at 12% ABV.  It has amazing vanilla and caramel noted from the wood. Palo Santo is an exotic wood from Paraguay.  It adds a lovely tone and smoothness to the beer. Wood is awesome.

Dogfish Head is one of my top 5 breweries I know. They are known to constantly challenge the rules of beer. Like what ingredients are allowed, or can they even compete with Big Beer? They even released a beer with  scrapple in it. That’s a pork product! WHAT!?

Just like Dogfish Head, Chuck Palahniuk changes the game by writing a coloring book.  Yeah. Short stories with amazing pictures that you get to color. Yeah an adult coloring book with stories.  How cool is that? Answer: VERY COOL.

I would love to discuss everything under the sun with Chuck over a nice cool Palo Santo Marron. I think with a nice beer, the conversation comes easier than honey from the bottle on a hot summer day.

Who would you like to have a beer with? What beer would you drink with them?

Let us know at our Twitters: Panclog, Jared, and Brent.

CHEERS!

Posted by stephentshaffer in Thirsty Thursday and tagged , , , ,
26 Oct 2016
2 Comments

Panclog: Thirsty Thursday – Catchers

Thank you for coming in and checking on the Panclog.  I hope you enjoyed the first edition of Thirsty Thursday as much as we enjoyed making it.  We somehow both chose comedians for the first edition. This brought us to picking a topic. Because baseball is the national pastime and the World Series started this week, we wanted to discuss baseball players we would like to have a beer with. More importantly we narrowed the field (pun intended) down to which catcher we would like to have a beer with.

Jared- WIWHABW – World Series MVP Salvador Perez
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When you grow up with John Buck as the starting catcher for your favorite team, you begin to discount the whole position of catcher.  Then a magical day in August 2011, your whole world changes. Salvador Perez comes in and throws 2 base runners out.  I had seen nothing like it.  He hasn’t slowed down since.  (Funny side note: Wade Davis started that day for the Rays and Joakim Soria blew the save for the Royals. Pretty cool. I know.)

Salvador Perez made the game fun again.  He always has such a positive energy about him.  That smile he always has is more contagious than the common cold.  Salvy is the embodiment of the joy that baseball was and should be again.

Baseball is the perfect analogy of life. You must not sprint through life but live and enjoy every single day. If you sprint through life you will miss out on all of the great things the monotony of life can bring. I.E. Binge watching shows to waste time. Laughing with a buddy over bodily functions.  Eating too many cupcakes just because they are there. etc.  And life is better when you have baseball to talk about, or even better, go to a game with a great friend.

The beer I would like to share with Salvador Perez, well…. erm….beer(s), I have two. The first would  have to be the beer that Kansas City’s hometown brewery, Boulevard Brewing Company, made to celebrate the Royals getting to and then winning the World Series in 2015. This beer would be Crown Town Ale.
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When your  city is full to the brim with sports losses for your whole adolescence, the moment a team is great, everyone celebrates it.  Boulevard created a beer that would rejuvenate the hope in sports that a lot of KC had lost. Some (my lovely wife) would argue that Boulevard became a replacement, or at the very least, a placeholder of pride for Kansas Citians.  If we can’t have sports, by God, at least we have one of the most touted craft breweries in the country. So it seems fitting that, in a sense, Boulevard has passed the bottle back to the Royals as our city’s source of pride.

Enjoying this subtle golden ale with Salvador Perez would be the dream of any Kansas Citian. In fact, this would be a perfect charity raffle thing. Boulevard get up on this.

My second beer is going to be Brickway Brewery and Distillery’s Hefeweizen.
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This beer is brewed in Omaha, NE where the Royals have their Triple A team the Omaha Storm Chasers. This hefeweizen is a 5.0% ABV beer with a creamy mouth feel and some lovely banana and clove notes. Although Salvy only played 24 games in Omaha, I think it would be fun to drink a Hefeweizen and reminisce on the history of the game, and its future.

Brent – WIWHABW – Johnny Bench

OH JOHNNY, OH JOHNNY, PLEASE HIT THAT BALL. OH JOHNNY, OH JOHNNY, OVER THE WALL.

My grandmother would tell me how she would sing this song whenever Johnny Bench stepped up to the plate at the height of the Big Red Machine. I believe that he was her favorite ball player, and he is certainly one of mine. He is the first professional athlete whose name I would know.

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At the time, Johnny Bench was probably the most well-known member of the Big Red Machine, a nickname given to the 1970-1976 Cincinnati Reds. Bench, of course, has had his fame eclipsed by Pete Rose and his lifetime ban from baseball. Bench may even be less well-known than Joe Morgan, another all-time great, given that Joe has regularly worked in the broadcast booth since his days with the Machine. Nonetheless, in my mind, Bench was the best player to have ever put on a Reds uniform. I also think he is arguably the best catcher to have played the game.
Over his career he batted .267, had 2,048 hits, 389 home runs, and 1,376 RBI. He also played in 14 All-Star games, won 2 world series, 2 NL MVPs, 10 gold gloves, and many more achievements. The man was an amazing ball player. In 1984 his number, 5, was retired by the Cincinnati Reds. To cap off his career he was inducted into the baseball hall of fame on the first ballot in 1989 with 96.42% of the vote. Which in baseball terms is 100%.
His statue at the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati is one of the coolest as it depicts him throwing out base runner, a skill he had mastered.
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Johnny Bench meant a great deal to the game, changing how it was played. To quote Joe Posnanski from his book, “The Machine”:

And Johnny Bench wasn’t a normal catcher; he revolutionized the position. He snagged pitches one-handed. He pounced on bunts with the quickness of a snake striking. His arm was a marvel – he threw out so many base runners that by 1972 players had more or less stopped trying to steal against him. Time magazine put him on the cover that year, with the understated headline: “Baseball’s Best Catcher.”
I would like to pair up Johnny Bench with the first beer that I actually enjoyed. Many, many years ago I was told by a coworker to avoid acquiring a taste for beer; advice I followed for quite some time. Nonetheless, the first time I encountered this beer a few years ago, I was surprised to discover how much I liked it.

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Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat is one of my favorites. The first time I had it the beer was served with a lemon in it. Perhaps this is what pushed me over the edge on acquiring a taste for the beverage. Nonetheless, I have been an avid fan of the brew for a while now. The beer is kind of cloudy and lacks the bitterness that a lot of other beers have. According to Boulevard’s website the alcohol content (ABV) is 4.4% and the beer has a light fruity aroma, with a sweet bread-y flavor. Not sure what makes it light and fruity, but I will take their word for it.

Speaking of pairing things up. I would love to get a Johnny Bench Reds jersey and a Frank White Royals jersey, split them down the middle and sew the halves together. The purpose being to not only show my love for both the Royals and the Reds at the same time, but to have the name on the back say Whench and/or Bite.

 

Who would you like to have a beer with? What beer would you drink with them?

Let us know at our Twitters: Panclog, Jared, and Brent.

CHEERS!

Posted by stephentshaffer in Thirsty Thursday and tagged , , , , , ,
13 Oct 2016

Panclog: Thirsty Thursday

Whom I would have a beer with

Jared and I often times share a drink together. On one of these occasions it came up that we would like to share a beer with some individual. I cannot remember who anymore, but it did germinate the thought, “wouldn’t it be nice to add a section to the Panclog where we would talk about someone that we would like to share a beer with.” Over lunch on a later date, where we ate breakfast, we fleshed out the idea a bit further. Once, every other week, we will both pick someone that we would like to have a drink with, selecting a beer that would go well with that occasion.

For the inaugural article we opted to pick a famous person. At later dates, we will pick athletes, presidents, teachers, friends, spouses, historical figures, or whomever. We may even pick each other someday (would that be a quiet act of desperation).

I am currently sitting in Detroit, MI, staring across the river at Windsor Canada and this thought came to mind, what great Canadian comedic actor would I be excited to meet and talk to. I quickly came to the conclusion that Martin Short would be that person.

2015 AFI Life Achievement Award Gala Tribute Honoring Steve Martin - Show

I’m sure most of you know of Martin Short and his work with SCTV, Saturday Night Live, Inner Space, and many other famous roles. He has a tremendous gift for character development and has wide array of characters that can be produced at a moment’s notice. I suspect his most well-known character is Ed Grimley. However, my favorite is probably Jiminy Glick. His consistent ability to get other performers to break character in spite of themselves while remaining in character as Glick is truly remarkable.

When I say that he is gifted I mean that from the perspective of how hard he has worked to develop that talent. After reading Short’s book, “I Must Say: My Life as a Humble Comedy Legend,” you can only reach one conclusion about his talent. That while he was born with a God given talent, it is carefully honed and developed into something terrific. It is this that I would like to talk to him about over a beer. I would like to know his take on how to develop skill into craft. Not that I am a comedian, or have a desire to be, but one can look at the work of one individual and develop principles for turning your own work into a craft. I believe that Mr. Short must have tremendous insight into this.

The beer I would like to share with Mr. Short is the Atwater Purple Gang Pilsner.
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It is a beer that is brewed in Detroit, MI and that I thought was quite tasty. The menu listed the following characteristics about it: 5.5% ABV, bright, floral, crisp, and light bodied. I agree with these sentiments, at least as far as I was able to notice them. If I were to suggest tastes like this, I say that it has the sharpness of 7-Up with a lingering cracker like aftertaste. I thought it was very good.

(Jared)

I have always enjoyed sharing a nice drink with an interesting person.  I can not think of a better way to open up communication than over a nice cold beer.  I can not tell you how many meaningful conversations happen every day with the help and guidance of a groovy brew.  I would have to guess that the number is well into the teens!

It was quite a journey to find who I would like to share my inaugural beer with. I first thought about people who are great at conversation.  Maron seems cool.  Yeah Marc Maron is good at talking and he seems cool.  oh? Yeah, you are right. He does not drink.  Never mind I have another person.  Buzz Lightyear himself, Tim Allen! That would be cool.  Tim is what all boy’s think what men should be like.  A tool-man.

After a the littlest bit of research, I discovered that Tim Allen is sober as well.  I also learned that people who are sober are called teetotaler.  That is interesting or very weird.

I want to have a beer with someone who is nice but can give it to me straight.  Someone who will can make a joke at their own expense.  Maybe someone who is more than they seem.  They are complex yet fun.  I am going to choose Louis C.K..

lck

Louis has been one of my favorite stand-ups for a very long time.  He can make me laugh in many different ways with pure awkwardness, an incredible one-liner, or physical comedy.  I have even fallen in love with his acting be it in Louie or in the fantastic Horace and Pete. He was also in American Hustle.  That’s cool.  I also find it crazy interesting that he grew up speaking Spanish. He also completely changed the game for comedians when it comes to releasing new material; be it the frequency or the way he self releases it.  I would love to swap stories over something delicious.

I am going to try to pair a beer with what I envision Louis C.K. liking.  I see him as a full-bodied beer.  I think he needs some deep flavor in his beverage.  I am going to go out on a limb and say we will be drinking, nay sipping, on a Russian Imperial Stout.  I will have to go with the most recent one I have had. That is Spider Bite Beer Co.’s Boris The Spider.

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Spider Bite Beer Co. is based in Long Island, NY.  I have been able to try their beer because I am in a craft beer membership club that sends me 12 beers from around the country every month. I have really enjoyed being able to try brand new beers each month.  Boris the Spider is a very heavy stout.  The mouth-feel is on the verge of crude oil.  It has flavors of coffee, dark chocolate, yet some light sweetness from the malts.  I would describe this beer as a sipper due to its high ABV.  At 10%, you would not want to nor be able to take large gulps of this beer. Because we are sipping, Louis C.K. and I would have plenty of time to discuss anything that comes to our minds.

Who would you like to have a beer with? Let us know what you think of our new segment.

Send recommendations and feedback to the Panclog’s Twitter

You can follow Jared and Brent on Twitter. You may also have a beer with us if you like.

Cheers

Posted by stephentshaffer in Thirsty Thursday and tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

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