I broke down and had some beer

So there I was.  Driving down the highway minding my own business.  Then all of a sudden.  Nothing.  Just like that my car ran out of go.  

So, I called hubby who promptly came to the rescue.  I was about an hour away from home so I got to hang out on the side of the road waiting.  And, of course, I had to piddle . . . bad!

My faith (or lack thereof) in humanity was restored when not one single person stopped to see if I needed help.  So much for chivalry, knights on white horses, damsels in distress, and all that fantasy world stuff.  Thanks goodness I have a husband who is cute, smart, attentive, and mechanically inclined.

Anyhoo . . . an hour or so later hubby showed up with a toolbox that weighs something like 200 lbs.  After fiddling around with doohickies, whatsamacallits and thingamajiggers, he determined that the engine wasn't getting a spark and that it was probably a busted timing belt.  My poor car wasn't going anywhere except strapped down to a flatbed tow truck.


So, what's a girl to do?  Drown her sorrows in a big honkin' glass of beer (or three).  Duh!

Newcastle Winter IPA (5.20% ABV) by Caledonian.  I'm not a huge fan of Newcastle Brown Ale but I love IPAs.  So, why not?  Then, I learned that Newcastle is actually owned by Heineken.  Huh, who knew?  

No matter, I got served a long, tall amber beer with a nice little head in a glass loaded with bubbles.  The aroma is caramel malt and sharp hops.  The flavor is a nice balance of sweet malt and bitter hops.  It has a nice dry finish.   The mouthfeel is somewhat light making this an exceptionally drinkable brew.   I like it.  It's flavorful and goes down easy.  Especially, good on a day when a girl (or guy) needs to unwind!  Overall:  Good.

Also on tap I tried a:

Brewnette Amber Lager (5.00% ABV) by Beaver Beer Company.  Huh, this brewery is less than 20 miles away from me and I never heard of it.  Goodness, gracious!  There are so many breweries are popping up in Connecticut I can't seem to keep track!

Served up in a big, ol' pilsner glass, the beer is a fairly clear brown lager with a good two-inch head.  The aroma is caramely with hints of bready yeast.  The taste is somewhat sweet with malt and some toffee flavor, the yeast come through with a nice balance of bittering hops.  It's got nice carbonation, lots of bubbles. Generally speaking, it's a little light on flavor but it's not bad, just nothing special. Overall: Good.