2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Wildbräu Grandauer Weißbier. Advent Beer Calendar day thirteen.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.1% abv. • ****

There is a hazy orange body and a finger-thick off-white head. The body is very carbonated with many streams of the tiniest bubbles.

There are a lot of flavors at play: broth, berries, biscuit, pretzel, leathery yeast, light spices.

The mouthfeel is medium with a very bubbly bite, followed by a short sweet finish.

This is quite good!

THAI BUDDHA

The Nephew had an opportunity this past summer to travel around Thailand with friends from college. Before he left, he asked me if there was anything he could bring back for me. A small Buddha statue is what I told him. "Really?" "Really."

So he brought me back a small Buddha statue from Thailand. This Buddha has a stylized topknot/crown, sits in a meditative state, and has his right hand reaching toward the ground symbolic of renouncing the world.

It's a beautiful holy object and a welcomed gift from The Nephew.

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Fürst Carl Kellerbier. Advent Beer Calendar day twelve.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.1% abv. • **

Slightly hazy yellow body (barely) capped with an almost non-existent white head. And what was there on the pour is gone so quick!

The flavors are too faint. What I'm picking up are leaves, buttered bread, and light spices.

Medium -light mouthfeel, with essentially no finish.

There is nothing to offend, but that's the problem: nothing.

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Flötzringer Hell auf Rosenheim. Advent Beer Calendar day eleven.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.0% abv. • ****½

Yellow body and thick white head on the pour.

Leather and light lemon, Seabreeze and sage. Grains of Cheerios.

Medium mouthfeel. There is a short finish that speaks of leafy bitterness.

Excellent.

TROY'S WORK TABLE

Taking Troy's Work Table 2.1 on it's inaugural run. 

First, I sprayed the underside with KILLZ to keep mold at bay and protect the wood. 

Next, was taking advantage of some long-shadowed sunshine to spray paint base coats on beer coasters. 

Now it's time to make some "Daruma dolls" out of said beer coasters.

SPIDER-MAN

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) is quite the wild ride. It's a coming-of-age animated superhero film that is frenetic most of the time and tops it's predecessor, as far as I'm concerned. It's more than two hours in length but feels just right. Questions about identity and belonging abound; one person's superhero may be another's villain. 

Streaming on Netflix.

THE RITUAL

The Ritual (2017) is a buddy film that quickly degenerates to a "lost in the forest" horror film. I hear/see echoes of The VVitch, the epic poem Beowulf, Midsommar, and European fairy tales and myths. It's plenty weird and I liked it, but I'm not sure this will be everyone's cup of tea.

I keep thinking about the creature that is eventually encountered. It is like nothing I've ever seen before and that allows for some crazy things to take place!

Streaming on Netflix.

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Gmoastier Weisser Bock. Advent Beer Calendar day ten.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 7.1% abv. • *****

Hazy gold body. Finger-thick white head.

Flavors noticed include butterscotch, dried sage, dried cilantro, summer savory, Fruity Pebbles, leathery yeast. Is there a hint of white grapes? Maybe. Is there a hint of nutmeg? Also maybe.

Medium mouthfeel. The finish moves from sweet to dry, from butterscotch fading into herbs.

This is WOW!

(I also appreciate "Black Philip" on the can!)

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Turbo Prop Imperial Pils. Advent Beer Calendar day nine.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 6.5% abv. • *****

The body is a hazy golden yellow on the pour, capped with a finger-thick head. 

The nose is fruity and floral, almost a scent of candied orange.

The tongue is orange, leaves, caramel, buttered bread, and a hint of broth.

The mouthfeel is medium-heavy, which is welcome.

This beer is complex and balanced—sweet and dry, bitter and malty.

Awesome!

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Graminger Kirta Dunkles Weissbier. Advent Beer Calendar day eight.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.0% abv. • ***½

The pour is a hazy orange-brown (nut brown) with a thin white head.

The flavors are broth, graham cracker malts, light molasses, raisins, and light spiciness.

Medium mouthfeel. This has a syrupy sweetness on a short finish.

This is definitely the sweetest of the box so far.

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Bambule Pilsener. Advent Beer Calendar day seven.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.0% abv. • ****½

The pour is a hazy butter yellow capped with a white head that soon departs.

The tongue is yeast, grains, grass, and leafy bitterness.

Medium mouthfeel that is a bit buzzy on the tongue. A bitter bite leads to a somewhat drying finish.

This is excellent and easily drinkable. More, please!

HOLIDAY ALE

Holiday Ale, a Winter Warmer by New Belgium Brewing.

12 ounce can served in pint glass • 7.5% abv. • ***½

The pour is a ruby red body with an ivory head.

The main flavors are tree bark, cinnamon, other spices, tart cranberry, and dark fruits. 

Medium mouthfeel. It has a sweet start then dries on the finish with bark and spices.

I like it, but other than the cranberry the flavors make it feel too similar to Jubelale. And, if I'm going to have a Jubelale, then I want to have a Jubelale.

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Hösl Märzenbier. Advent Beer Calendar day six.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.3% abv. • ****

Marzen was my "gateway" beer out of big brewing and into craft brewing, so it always holds a special place for me as a style.

The pour is clear golden yellow. It's capped with a finger-thick white head.

Flavors include pretzel dough, leather, beef broth, apple, light leafy bitterness, light spices, and a "clean" airiness.

The mouthfeel is medium. Sips open leaning toward sweetness and then end with a medium-length lightly bitter finish.

This is very enjoyable.

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Erlkönig Hell. Advent Beer Calendar day five.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.0% abv. • ***

Another Hell!

The flavors are intriguing but overall the taste waffles a bit and feels slightly unbalanced. Hay, lemongrass, leaves, sage, savory, white pepper, leather.

Medium mouthfeel. A drying finish with most of the bitterness being spicy and herbal. 

THE VIOLENCE of CLIMATE CHANGE

I attended "The Violence of Climate Change" by Dr. Kevin O' Brien, professor of religion and environmental ethicist at Pacific Lutheran University. His presentation was hosted by Christ Episcopal Church of Tacoma.

He posed two main questions to us:

1. How should Christians respond to climate change?
2. What kind of problem is climate change.

He tackled the second question first, and admitted that it was so complex that anyone who claimed they completely understood climate change is lying. Instead we defined it as a multifaceted problem:

• It's a justice problem.
• It's a youth movement.
• It's a problem of colonialism.
• It's a religious problem.
• It's a political problem.
• It's an economic problem.

But, more importantly, it's a "wicked problem." That means that climate change (a) has no single definition; (b) adapts and changes across time and space; and (c) has no ultimate solution, although it embraces many responses.

And, climate change is a problem of violence. Creation bears our violence. Creation suffers our violence. Climate change is destroying homes, destroying land, destroying livelihoods, hence, it is violent. Ultimately, climage change is a problem of structural violence.

Some symptoms and problems of structural violence:

• All are complicit, but not equally so.
• Those who perpetrate and benefit from violence are often unaware of it.
• Multiple forms of violence intersect. 

To answer the initial question of "How should Christians respond to climate change?" Professor O'Brien highlighted the mission and ministry of two examples of pushing back against structural violence: Martin Luther King Jr. and Dorothy Day. These two modern-day prophets were shown to be beacons of hope in a difficult issue that can birth a lot of despair. But MLK and Day also didn't puch back against the extremes of the problems but those in the "middle" or mainstream.

"If you are fighting the extreme, you are more likely to feel the despair I'm talking about."

—Kevin O'Brien

In a call to action, we were reminded that because problems intersect, they need to be confronted by coalitions!

WU SONG

Tonight, I learned a new set of relaxation techniques in Shaolin Qigong: Wu Song (Five Loosening Methods). Afterward, I first felt like I'd been "beat up" but within a short amount of time did indeed feel relaxed. I slept like a baby.

The five methods were Shou Song (hands), Xiong Song (chest), Fu Song (belly), Tun Song (buttocks), and Tui Song (legs). When working on a particular area, those muscles felt like they were on fire and the release at the end was wonderful.

I laughed through most of Tun Song, as we were imagining cracking a walnut with our buttocks, and ensuring our insides didn't leak out.

This is a good tool/resource to have in my "box" of martial arts workout routines.

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Helle Aufregung. Advent Beer Calendar day four.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.0% abv. • ***½

A giant white head, which mostly sticks around, floats on top of a clear straw yellow body.

On the nose, there are raspberry and floral notes. On the tongue, there is grains, grass, an ephemeral antiseptic spice, and a whisper of flower petals.

Medium mouthfeel. Each drink starts with a crisp bite, then a bit of grassy sweetness, and finally a medium-length bitterness.

This is good. I just wanted it to be a bit more.

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Kurpfalzbräu Kellerbier. Advent Beer Calendar day three.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.0% abv. • ****

The pour presents as a clear straw yellow body and a finger-thick white head that quickly dissipates.

Flavors are graham cracker, (indeterminates) spiciness, leaves, light citrus, and pear.

The mouthfeel is medium. Each sip starts a bit sweet and then delivers a short finish.

This is excellent. The most intriguing piece is the flavor of pear lingering beneath everything.

SUNDAY NEW YORK TIMES

The two week, ten store quest to locate a copy of the Sunday edition of The New York Times in my area is complete. A paper is finally secured!

Why is this such a difficult task?

I appreciate the physicality of a newspaper. I don't want to read it online.

And home delivery isn't a viable option. The company that distributes for them can only get it delivered to me half the time, at best.

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Käuzler Helles Lager. Advent Beer Calendar day two.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.2% abv. • ****

The pour is clear light yellow capped with an inch-thick white head.

A plethora of flavors mix and match. Biscuit, floral petals, grains, light and leafy bitterness, honey, sage, a hint of white pepper.

Medium mouthfeel. An initial lightly bitter bite leads mellows into a medium-length finish of leafy bitterness.

I like this immensely. It's nicely balanced, complex, and very drinkable.

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Falter Export Hell. Advent Beer Calendar day one.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.3% abv. • ***½

If we can jump from Halloween to Christmas as a culture, then I can surely start my 2023 Advent Beer Calendar early.

The pour is clear buttery yellow with a thick white head, the latter of which leaves behind a lot of lacing.

Biscuit, lemongrass, grains, bitter leaves, and the faintest antiseptic bite of Seabreeze. 

Crisp intro leads into a longish bitter finish. Good.