on THE TAPHANDLE "TOUR"

Friday night was birthday dinner night with the friend D. I had to drive around for some time before finding a parking space. It happened to be across the street from Pike St. Beer and Wine. There was a small sandwich board on the sidewalk in front of their storefront informing me of tastings every Friday from five to seven. Since I had half an hour before meeting D., I wandered in.

I had the opportunity to taste four beers from Klosterbrauerei Weltenburg, all styles I am somewhat unfamiliar with.

First was Weltenburger Kloster Anno 1050, a Vienna. I found it to be sweet and floral, with a hint of spices.

Second was Welternburger Urtyp Hell, a Dortmunder/Helles. It was light in color and body. In flavor it was somewhat buttery and light.

Third was Weltenburger Kloster Barock Dunkel, a Dunkel. Primary flavors were nutty, chocolate, and tortilla chip. My favorite of the four.

Fourth was Weltenburger Kloster Asam Bock, a Doppelbock. This one was nutty and had a strong alcohol flavor, although it was not overpowering. The alcohol flavor seemed to belong there.

I felt inspired to purchase a bottle each of Urtyp Hell and Asam Bock for further exploration in the comfort of my dining room. I also grabbed a bottle of Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws Barley Wine for the beer cellar.


Then, it was off to meet D. and head off to dinner. We ended up at the Madison Park ¡Cactus! We were told that the wait to be seated would be thirty to forty minutes. So we picked up a pager and headed to nearby Red Onion Tavern for drinks. I ordered a Mac & Jack's African Amber Ale. Our pager buzzed us after only twenty minutes, so I had to "chug" the last half of my ale.


At ¡Cactus! I ordered the Chimayo Enchilada—"blue corn tortillas, house-made chorizo, chicken, spicy green chile sauce, and jack cheese," which was accompanied by rice and black beans topped with cotijo cheese. I figured my best bet was to choose a "native" beer to accompany my meal, so I went with Negra Modelo, a Vienna by Grupo Modelo. It was a good beer to accompany the enchilada, but I kept thinking that the Weltenburger Kloster Anno 1050 from earlier in the evening would have been an even better match.

After dinner, the rest of the evening was spent in conversation with D. about life and literature and losses of various sorts. There I drank ice cold water. It was refreshing, like the discussion.