BEST BEERS OF 2006

Below are my favorite beers of 2006. They are not necessarily in order of favoritism, although Thomas Hardy’s Ale and Young’s Double Chocolate Stout were my top two favorite beers of 2006.

#1—Thomas Hardy’s Ale

a Barley Wine by O’Hanlon’s Brewing

8.5 ounce bottle. Heaven in a bottle. I’m not sure it gets any better than this…

#2—Young’s Double Chocolate Stout

a Sweet Stout by Young’s Brewing

16.9 ounce bottle. A wonderful stout that goes good with medium-grilled steak in a slightly salty rub or dessert.

#3—Gulden Draak

a Belgian Strong Ale by Brouwerij van Steenberge

11.2 ounce bottle. It accompanied one of my favorite meals: pot roast with roasted potatoes, carrots, and onions.

#4—Three Philosophers Belgian Style Blend

a Quadrupel with a Cherry Lambic by Brewery Ommegang

25.4 ounce bottle. I now have two bottles in the newly created “beer cellar” at home. I hear the wait helps to really bring the cherry to the forefront.

#5—Powerhouse Saison

a Saison by Powerhouse Restaurant & Brewery

On tap. My first experience with a saison. Spicy, fruity, and all-around enjoyable.

#6—Whoop Pass IPA

an India Pale Ale by Silver City Restaurant & Brewery

On tap. A trip to my hometown of origin, Silverdale, for a birthday celebration brought this wonderfully fruity IPA to my attention.

#7—Cinder Cone Red Ale

an Amber Ale by Deschutes Brewing Company

12 ounce bottle. This is probably my favorite amber ale of all time. Smooth, with a good mixture of malt and hops.

#8—Old Nick Barley Wine Style Ale

a Barley Wine by Young’s Brewing

16.9 ounce bottle. My first experience with a barley wine. It will not be my last.

#9—Jubelale

an English Strong Ale by Deschutes Brewing Company

12 ounce bottle. Happy holidays, indeed! This is one with which to keep the winter warm and delightful.

#10—Pilsner Urquell

a Pilsener by Plzensky Prazdroj

12 ounce bottle. A good pilsener, made better by the fact that I got to drink a couple of these on Christmas Eve with my dad during round one of our family’s Christmas celebration.

A CHILD IS BORN...

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

—Luke 2:1-20

BEST READS OF 2006

Below are my favorite reads of 2006. They are not necessarily in order of favoritism, although Sacco and Vanzetti Must Die! and Voices from Chernobyl were my top two favorite reads of 2006.

#1—Sacco and Vanzetti Must Die!
by Mark Binelli
The two anarchists, railroaded through the court system and then executed by the U.S. federal government, are reimagined as vaudevillians-cum-comedy team movie stars. Funny, sad, probing.

#2—Voices from Chernobyl
by Svetlana Alexievich
Firsthand accounts of victims of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident. Alexievich, who spent three years in The Zone conducting interviews, now has immune disorders from her exposure.

#3—Lincoln's Melancholy
by Joshua Wolf Shenk
A biography of Abraham Lincoln, as seen through the lens of his depression. An interesting look at depression, its public perception then and now, how it shaped Lincoln and his presidency, and how he subsequently handled the Civil War.

#4—Europeana
by Patrik Ouředník
A weirdly poetic fever-dream constructed of facts about Europe, focusing on the past one-hundred years, especially the Second World War and the Cold War. It also looks at the effects of capitalism, communism, fascism, and the influence of the United States on Europe's identity. Is it a novel without characters? Is it a "biography" of Europe? It is subtitled "A Brief History of the Twentieth Century," but I am not sure that helps much.

#5—Mother Country
by Marianne Robinson
An examination of how Great Britain has allowed nuclear facilities to jeopardize the health of its poorest citizenry, and create one of the largest, mostly unnoticed environmental disasters. The book is banned in Britain because Greenpeace sued for libel, due to the unflattering light with which they are portayed. Read this book to see how government really cares very little about the individual.

#6—Everything That Rises: A Book of Convergences
by Lawrence Wechsler
Wechsler sees the world differently than you and me, which is a good thing for us. He finds fascinating similarities in juxtaposed images and artworks. Then he write about them. This book also includes the images that he is writing about. The visuals are intriguing and the writing moreso.

#7—Atomik Aztex
by Sesshu Foster
The main character is a high ranking official in the twentieth-century Aztek culture that controls the Western Hemisphere and is now fighting fascism in WWII-era Europe. Or is he? He dreams he is a Latino working in the nightmare of a East Los Angeles meatpacking plant? Or is he? Because he dreams he is a high ranking official in the twentieth-century Aztek culture...

#8—St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves
by Karen Russell
Short stories that reflect the collision of our contemporary world and the world of myth and legend. Modern fairy tales, if you will. The Minotaur helps pull his family's wagon in the westward migration that will become known as the Oregon trail. A young girl abandoned by her parents on their alligator farm/tourist attraction struggles with the deteriorating condition of her mentally ill sister and the visits of the Bird Man.

#9—The Road
by Cormac McCarthy
A father and son fight for survival in the apocalyptic wasteland that was once America. Most plants and animals are extinct, most people have banded together into cannibalistic clans, food is being scavenged from the detritus of the consumer culture of a few years prior. Where is God in the midst of it all? Where are most other people? Where are the women? The man and the boy are "keepers of the fire." But, will they survive?

#10—Thank You for Not Reading
by Dubravka Ugresic
Essays challenging the status quo of international publishing and book culture. Ugresic leaves no one unscathed—publishers, book stores, distributors, agents, other authors, even herself. Witty and funny, with enough sense to pull back when the sarcasm is about to become too much.

WANDERINGS

The child and I wandered around Puyallup this morning in the gray and rain. We stopped in Puyallup's latest coffee shop, Forza Coffee Company. Forza is a local "chain" of ten stores in Pierce, Thurston, and King counties, mostly located in Tacoma and East Pierce County. The staff was very friendly, perhaps a little too friendly for my tastes. That is when the child comes in handy, however. She is a great foil to deflect attention and provide easy escape. I should have had children much earlier in life!

The hot chocolate I had was very good, though. The chocolate was rich and dark; overall, the drink was smooth and warm; and the shot of peppermint added just enough additional flavor and sweetness to make it "that much" better.

After we wandered back home from the post office, the park, and various minor errands, the child took a nap. I took advantage of the time and worked in the yard. It rained. It hailed. There was even some snow mixed in with the other precipitation, for good measure. I cut up fallen limbs from the prior wind storms. I moved piles of walnut twigs with a pitchfork. I filled our bird feeders with seed.

Just before returning inside, I climbed up into one of our hazelnut trees and gave the squirrels a "fresh" cob of dried corn to nibble upon. I sat in the tree, in the rain, for a few minutes and watched chickadees and red-breasted nuthatches flit about. It was a nice quiet moment in the midst of a relatively quiet morning. I wish I could do it more often.

JOYS OF LIFE

The child made "snowflakes" with her friend. I hear that paint and glitter was everywhere. At least it wasn't at our house!

These glorious specimens are now hanging from the ceiling fan in the child's room.

on THE TAPHANDLE

In my youth, I enjoyed wandering around in the acres of woods behind our house, especially after or during a heavy rain. The forest smelled, amongst other things, of wet tree bark. So does Widmer Brother's Snow Plow Milk Stout.

The aromas I detect, moving from foreground to background, are (1) wet tree bark; (2) a slight earthiness; (3) some light spiciness; (4) a hint of caramel; and (4) a sweetness of milk. The flavor was very sweet, almost too sweet, with only a light bitterness. The flavor didn't quite match up with the aroma, being mostly milky with a strong dose of coffee, and a hint of tree bark lurking in the background.

Although the color was a beautiful brown, the thin head on the pour disappeared almost immediately and there was no detectable lacing. The palate was also too thin for my liking, almost watery. This is a beer I would be more likely to serve to unsuspecting guests than drink myself.

I had it with spicy chicken burritos my wife made for dinner, and the spiciness of the burritos masked some of the flavor, which made this stout more tolerable. Still not to my liking, however.

BRING ON THE DUCK!

Our staff Christmas party was at Il Fiasco in Tacoma this year. Even though it was five days ago, it still seems like yesterday. And, the meal was so rich, I was full throughout the following day. I was in beer and meat heaven. There was good conversation, and it was fun, but my meal really was the standout of the evening for me.

It started with soft white bread with a good chewy crust that was dipped in garlic-infused olive oil. Next came appetizers: asparago arrostitio, "tender pan roasted asparagus, creamy gorgonzola & toasted pine nuts drizzled with balsamic & Austrian pumpkin seed oil" and antipasti Italiani, "an array of seasonal Italian meats, cheeses, & vegetable marinades." The asparagus was excellent as were the marinated tomatoes on the antipasti platter.

My entree was L’antara arrostitio, "tender duck breast roasted with a black currant & pomegranate port wine reduction with roasted chestnut ravioli." The duck was prepared medium, at my request, and was mouth-watering. The meat was slightly oily, juicy, and tender. The flavors of the black currants and pomegranate played nicely against the savor of the meat. The roasted chestnut ravioli was interesting. I probably would not choose ot eat it alone, but it played nicely with the flavor of the duck and the dark fruits. All of this was accompanied by thin slices of butternut squash, which helped to cleanse the palate and act as a bridge between duck and ravioli. I could have eaten my entree all night.

Dinner was accompanied by Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale. This was the perfect complement to the meal. The ale was a beautiful dark brown, with good lacing. The flavors were of roasted nuts, caramel, and an ever so slight hint of fruitiness. It was sweet and malty. The ale echoed the flavor of the roasted chestnut ravioli, brought forth more flavor from the squash, and played well off of the duck and its sauce. The currants and pomegranate helped pull even more flavor from the ale.

Dessert was Carlos' Killer Cheesecake, but by that time it just could not compare to the duck, ale, and company. The cheesecake wasn't very "killer," although, to be fair, its competition was stiff.

The wife and I had a great time, and it was nice to just enjoy a great meal without hurry or worrying about where we had to be next.

FOR FURTHER READING

Here are some links to authors and works referenced in previous posts:

*Sacco and Vanzetti Must Die! by Mark Binelli—read an interview with Mark Binelli at the Dalkey Archive website here: Mark Binelli interview

*The website for poet Kathleen Flenniken—everything you ever wanted to know about a wonderful local poet here: Kathleen Flenniken website

*Lincoln's Melancholy by Joshua Wolf Shenk—visit the website devoted to Lincoln's Melancholy here: Lincoln's Melancholy website

*Lincoln's Melancholy by Joshua Wolf Shenk—everything you ever wanted to know about author Joshua Wolf Shenk here: Joshua Wolf Shenk website

*The Road by Cormac McCarthy—a New Yorker review of one of McCarthy's previous books here: Cormac McCarthy review

*The Believer—trust me, just read a few articles of this great literary journal here: The Believer website

MORE STORM DREAMS

November rain, flooding, snow, and cold gives way to December more-of-the-same. The winds that ravaged British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon last night meant for another night of fitful sleep. The child slept with the wife and I. When the wife and I were looking outside at 12:45 a.m., a tree across the road fell. Fortunately, it didn't damage anything on its way down. It blocked a turnaround in the park, but nobody really uses it much.

The river is running high again. More trees and debris have been stripped from the mostly bare banks by its swift currents.

After the rain subsided and the winds began to do the same, the sky was a brilliant blue, peppered with clouds that raced by overhead. Now, the cold is returning. Snow is once more a possibility.

STANDARD DISCLAIMER

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

A few people have asked about the use of "the wife," "the child," "the brother," et cetera. I choose not to name the innocent. The same for my friend D. and any other "characters" that may grace these posts. Private people shall remain as such. Public figures are fair game. Everything within the Work Table should be taken with tongue planted ever so loosely in cheek. Or not. It is your choice...