The search for Pliny... or: Grrrrrrrrr...

 Pliny the Elder, 

I really wanted my first post to be about drinking this beer. Instead it will be about how much I want to drink this beer. I've met few peoples who've had the good fortune of drinking Pliny, the Double IPA from Russian River. Besides the select few (one of which went to California just to get Pliny from the Russian River Brewery), I know of it only by legend, and because of lucky ducks from California who've posted their love of the brew here.

My search for this beer started long ago, but it only got serious in the past couple weeks. I've heard tell that West End Tavern occasionally gets it on tap so I started there...

Silas [to West End]: Hi, I saw on your website you might get Pliny the Elder on tap soon.

West End: Let me get the bartender.

Bartender: Hello?

Silas: Hi, your website says your gonna have Pliny the Elder in soon.

Bartender: I don't know where you saw that. We have Stone on all of our taps right now

Silas: I know, I saw that on you're website. I love Stone beer, but it says your gonna have Pliny after that.

Bartender: ...We have Stone on tap right now. 

Silas: So you don't know if or when you will have Pliny in? 

Bartender: Come in sometime, we have Stone on tap. 

Silas (cheerfully): Thanks, I will. 

I hope this isn't where I'm headed if I keep loving beer. By the way, did you hear West End has Stone on tap right now? The list does look pretty sweet, but it would be nice if she just said, "no Pliny," or, "go away."

So next I emailed Russian River. The owner and head brewer, Vinnie Cilurzo got back to me!

Apparently Pliny gets shipped once a month to certain vendors, but I would have to ask the distribution Co. to learn exactly when it would be available. So I did. 

I will have you know the distributor did get back to me, but you're a sucker if you think I'm gonna tell you anything more. It was hard work getting this far and I'm not taking any chances! Besides, what if the beer isn't all that it's cracked up to be and you waste all that time trying to get some? Wouldn't it be better to make me go through all the trouble to make sure it's good first? It's only a month after I try it that you could then have some. Heck, if that's isn't what this blog is for then...well...I don't even know what else it would be for.

My guess is it will be a while before I get to try Pliny the Elder (let alone Pliny the Younger...oh yeah there's another Pliny alright), so stay tuned for me to talk about less elusive–but probably not as tasty–beer. Perhaps an Avery? 

-Silas

"Lets drink beer in the spirit of friendship and culture, not escape and release."

-Some hipster guy (but not the Pabst drinking kind of hipster. They should be called Pabsters from now on).

So It Begins

Welcome to my beer blog!!!!!
I made this blog to share with the world all of my beer expertise, for I am the true expert of the beverage. Think of me as your beer messiah: the apostle of ale, the leader of lagers, the prophet of porters, the steward of stouts, the master of... messing with your noggin? In truth, I like to drink delicious beer and I thought it would be fun to talk about it with those who want to listen and share.

If you're looking for someone to tell you about the deep citrus aroma and the pine under tones of a snazz Trappist Tripel, you've come to the wrong blog. Don't get me wrong, I love me $15 bomber of oak barrel aged imperial stout, or a Double India Pale Ale that contains twenty five varieties of hops from all over the world, I'm just not the type to make you feel silly for not tasting the cinnamon in it (if you can taste cinnamon in a liquid that contains four ingredients–of which non are cinnamon–I'm happy for you, really I am).   

I don't know the first thing about proper beer tasting etiquette, but I do know a lot of people that need to move on from Pabst Blue Ribbon as their guilty pleasure. There are too many beers to try in a life time, so why limit yourself to one even if you really really like it?

I write this blog because very few other things in this world have had so much history, time, effort, money and mastery put in to them to result in something so easy to share and enjoy by so many. My goal is not inebriation or to advocate anything like it. As I write this I am carefully considering the fine line between alcohol connoisseur and con-in-a-sewer. We should embrace the enjoyment we receive in the most moderate fashion. Lets drink beer in the spirit of friendship and culture, not escape and release.

Feel free to share you're favorite tea on this blog too!!!! There is hardly a better feeling in the world than a nice hot cup of Oolong and a great piece of literature.

Thanks for reading!
Stay tuned!
-Silas