Beer Sales Grew in 2011

The increase was fueled by craft beer sales. I've done my share.

Bud, MGD, and other domestic shite beers have seen huge sales declines in the past five years.

Maximizing and Minimizing

As in, low price, high flavor and alcohol content, and low calorie count. The beer pictured here--Flying Dog Snake Bite IPA--is at the apex of appropriate maximum and minimum. It's brewed in Maryland, after being born in Colorado. The influence is Hunter Thompson, with art work by Ralph STEADman (that's the way he spells it, by the way, with the CAPS through half of his last name.

Anyway, it's good: hoppy and citrusy, flavorful, 7.1% ABV, and $7.99 a 6-pack at my local store. 183 calories in a 12 ounce bottle.

Desperate Measures

In an effort to satisfy my body and my soul, in my pursuit of basketball mediocrity, I got my Canadian beer fix by reaching for, then quaffing, the end of the world (La Fin du Monde), if my bad french comprehension is correct.

And to fix my constantly ailing feet, a recent meal included chicken feet. Upon reflection, sore feet aren't such a bad thing, given the remedy.

The Canadian beer, by contrast, was delicious. A Belgian style tripel that is bitter and sweet, spicy and just right.

And best of all, the world was still here when I woke up this morning.

This and That

I have a hard and fast rule that I don't drink any alcoholic beverages on Mondays and Thursdays. To give you an idea about just how strict this rule is--I haven't broken it (the rule) since Monday, Nov. 21, 2011.

But if I did drink on Monday, I'd go to the East Ender, on Middle Street, in the old Norm's East End space. They have a terrific draft beer selection, and all their beers are $3 on Monday. In addition, they have great food items at a "buy one, get one free" deal.

Because I'm a bit of a masochist, I re-did the Nutripper again this morning. I shaved 19 seconds off my previous time. I loved the DOMS effect that had my entire posterior chain pleasantly sore as hell after the last workout, so I have that to look forward to. During the workout, it's the quads that seem to be under the most stress, however, if I had to narrow it down to one muscle group.

6:00 AM geezer hoops tomorrow morning! We'll see how that goes.

5K The Hard Way

The gym was closed today, hijacked by a damn craft fair. This is the second closure since we moved indoors, which means gym closure rates are greater than rain out rates. Anyway, it sucks on many levels. The Saturday morning game is both my best and my funnest workout of the week. And I had two good practice sessions this week and was feeling good about my game going into the weekly tilt. So I was really disappointed with the closure.

I replaced the workout with a session that almost killed me. It was no fun at all. Some background: one of my midweek workouts is 5K on the Concept II indoor rowing machine--20 minutes of mid-to-high end aerobic work that also works almost every muscle in the body. Bizarrely, the rowing motion is very similar, physiologically, to a kettlebell swing. So I combined the two. The result was a 46:20 nutripper of a workout.

I rewarded myself afterwards with an early Christmas Present: First the now mandatory pickle juice recovery, followed by a Double Old Thumper; then an early Christmas present and a real treat--the Double Bastard. The pickle juice was wrong--kosher dill is right. The Double Thumper is also too sweet. The Double Bastard is everything a beer should be. Flavorful, fullbodied, complex, malty, and kick ass.

After the reward, a nap ensued.

Balance

Balance, like moderation, is one of those things that is really important in life. And like moderation, I suck at it. But when a friend offered an opportunity for me to stray from my normal hops heavy beer, I jumped at the chance. And I was rewarded: this home-brewed wheat beer is complex and delicious, earthy and malty, full-bodied, with a hint of a Belgian sour at the finish. It is the cat's meow!

The Best Happy Hour in Portland for Beer Geeks

At Mama's Crowbar all draft beers are $3 every day between 4 and 6. And I'm not talking about a Shipyard Export or a Coors Light--Mama's got Allagash Black and Thing 1 and Oxbow's FPA and Maine Brewing Company's Zoe!

So how does this tie into basketball? Well, it doesn't really, except that it's important to be focused and go all in. If you are playing basketball, even if you are old and more of a never-was than a has-been, it's still important to give it your all. And if you are a beer bar serve great beer, and cater to folks who like great beer by offering it at a really good price. And don't trick it out with distractions like food and televisions and trivia contests and credit card machines. Keep the background music in the background--conversation counts. And keep the magnetic poetry unsophisticated enough so even beer geeks get it.

Conventional Wisdom

Despite the clear, irrefutable evidence supporting beer as the perfect recovery beverage, I tend to follow conventional wisdom, which dictates holding off on beer until lunch time. So my Saturday morning post-basketball routine includes a sauna (this is probably a mistake, since I've already sweat a lot, but it feels good), which is included in the $5 gym entry fee, followed by a bagel and lox. These are very simple pleasures that add to the basketball experience.

Too Much Head

Actually, too much of everything. My weight is creeping up (wrong direction!). My theory is that food and beverage intake is a factor. There is some science behind this radical hypothosis, evidently.

It's Maine Beer Week, and I paired a magnificent burger with a bottle of Maine Brewing Company's Peeper Ale. Simple elegance!

Result, Analysis, and Recovery

Game day was a success by the most crucial measures: it was a terrific workout; it was fun; and I came away uninjured. I was 1-2, however, which brought my 2011 record to 23-35. Ouch!

I had a pretty good first game and then tailed off as fatigue set in. I need to lengthen the duration of my workouts, I think, to build in more endurance on game day. I'll focus on that this week.

The rest of the day was a tribute to the kind of post-workout recovery possible only here in the great state of Maine. A drive up the coast to the Oxbow Brewery, for tastes of the FPA, the Freestyle #2 (a chocolate stout), and the Oxtoberfest. Had a terrific pulled pork sandwich, catered by the Newcastle Publick House, while there and came away with a growler of FPA. Stopped at the Lion's Pride (Brunswick) for a glass of Hugh Malone on the way home.

Unfortunate Timing

Although I've found the perfect recovery beverage it remains important to continue to source alternate recovery drinks, given the potential for shortages and drought and what-not. Be that as it may, I will miss a tremendous opportunity to scout geezer hoop fuel because I'll be out of town this weekend and therefore unable to attend the Maine Brewer's Fest.

The good news is that I'll be in New York City, where they are reputed to have ample amounts of the fuel that makes geezers go. So I'll scout there, and report back in with the results.

Job One

The most important thing, and perhaps the most challenging thing, in my basketball pursuit is to stay uninjured. Uninjured is a relative term--I'll never feel 100%, but I need to be healthy enough to play regularly.

So my strategy is to play, regularly. 3 times per week is the target. By that I mean to play twice and practice once, or practice twice and play once. And work on my fitness most of the other days of the week. And, of course, to recover appropriately after playing.

My current favorite recovery beverage is an Oxbow Farmhouse Pale Ale, brewed by my friend Tim Adams, in Newcastle. Maine. It's unfiltered, light golden in color,and hoppy, with citrus notes. Refreshing, as a Saison should be, but fullbodied and very smooth despite the sophisticated blend of flavors. At 6% or so ABV, it's a bit much for my recovery beverage of choice after the Saturday morning game but it's perfect after Wednesday night hoops.