We were visiting with family in Montana for a few days last week, but like any good Irish family, we didn’t let St. Patrick’s Day go without celebration. For lunch on Saturday, we stopped into Flathead Lake Brewing in Bigfork, MT for a quick lunch. Colleen and I both opted for their 369’ Stout. The mildly bitter American Stout, with caramel and roasted notes, was made even smoother by the nitro serving. I did go a little “off reservation” and enjoyed the stout with a Greek-themed gyro filled with tasty lamb, feta and tsatziki.

Finishing lunch, we enjoyed a relaxing afternoon (meaning I fell asleep on the couch) before heading out for the Vigil Mass that evening. Afterwards, my father in-law asked, “Who’s up for a wee dram of Jameson?” I certainly wouldn’t pass by a chance to raise a glass with the 90 year old Irishman. He produced a bottle of Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition. This whiskey is aged in beer barrels that previously a aged stout brewed by the Franciscan Well Brewery in Cork, Ireland. The whiskey had a smooth finish with butterscotch and milk chocolate notes. It was a mild but quite enjoyable libation.

After our drinks, we enjoyed a delicious Irish-American meal of corned beef, mashed potatoes, and cabbage that had been prepared by Colleen. That was a fitting end to a day honoring Ireland’s favorite Saint.

Sláinte!

It’s that time of the year when a Saint revered by many, especially in the Irish-Catholic community, has his good name and works twisted into an excuse to drink to excess and abuse the color green. As a Catholic of Irish decent, and a lover of naturally-colored beer, it pains me to see what this day has become.

It strikes me as odd that this day, meant to honor a great man and Saint, has evolved the way it has. Whether you accept the traditions associated with his life or not, there can be no denying the good he did. (As much as some of these stories cannot be proven, they cannot be disproven either.) Kidnapped as a young boy and sold into slavery in Ireland, he grew to love the Irish people. Late in his life, he was around 60 at the time, Saint Patrick returned to the Emerald Isle to teach and convert the people he had grown to love so much. Certainly that is worthy of our respect.

Odd is it may seem, we actually have to remind people, and pubs, that St. Patrick was a man, not a woman. His name is Patrick, which comes from the Irish, Pádraig. Shorten his name to Paddy if you must. However, we do not celebrate “St. Patty’s Day.” Patty is a shortened version of Patricia, a girl’s name. Feast-related debauchery is one thing, but transgendering our Saint is unacceptable.
So, celebrate the memory of St. Patrick. Enjoy a drink or two and some good food. There’s nothing wrong with bringing a little revelry into the world. I like a good party as much as the next guy. (And I certainly appreciate a good Irish drinking joke.) Drink your green beer if you must. Dress up in silly clothes. Dye your water fountain green. But please, remember the reason for this feast. Take a moment to honor the man and all the good he did. In our house we’ll raise a toast, and a prayer, to St. Patrick in honor of his deeds, and in reparation for the abuse of his good name and faith.

Heh. More like “water.”H/T to Wirecutter at Knuckledraggin My Life Away for the laugh.
[ This content originated at Musings Over a Barrel ]

President Kennedy’s Commemorative Message on Roosevelt Day, January 29, 1961.”Today we need a nation of minute men; citizens who are not only prepared to take up arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as a basic purpose of their dail…

It’s always a blend of multiple goals when I go to the range, two in particular. On one hand, I simply enjoy shooting. I find it a relaxing activity, one of the few things I do that totally and completely removes thoughts of anything else; no distracti…

I’ve observed it for the last decade, young men who do not stand when being introduced to another man, or even to a woman. I came across this list on Facebook recently. Although I’ve seen it before, I don’t know where it originated. Unfortunately the cowardly snowflake generation never learned these finer points of how to be a man.

1. Never shake a man’s hand sitting down.
2. Don’t enter a pool by the stairs.
3. The man at the BBQ Grill is the closest thing to a king.
4. In a negotiation, never make the first offer.
5. Request the late check-out.
6. When entrusted with a secret, keep it.
7. Hold your heroes to a higher standard.
8. Return a borrowed car with a full tank of gas.
9. Play with passion or not at all.
10. When shaking hands, grip firmly and look them in the eye.
11. Don’t let a wishbone grow where a backbone should be.
12. If you need music on the beach, you’re missing the point.
13. Carry two handkerchiefs. The one in your back pocket is for you. The one in your breast pocket is for her.
14. You marry the girl, you marry her family.
15. Be like a duck. Remain calm on the surface and paddle like crazy underneath.
16. Experience the serenity of traveling alone.
17. Never be afraid to ask out the best looking girl in the room.
18. Never turn down a breath mint.
19. A sport coat is worth 1000 words.
20. Try writing your own eulogy. Never stop revising.
21. Thank a veteran. Then make it up to him.
22. Eat lunch with the new kid.
23. After writing an angry email, read it carefully. Then delete it.
24. Ask your mom to play. She won’t let you win.
25. Manners maketh the man.
26. Give credit. Take the blame.
27. Stand up to bullies. Protect those bullied.
28. Write down your dreams.
29. Always protect your siblings (and teammates).
30. Be confident and humble at the same time.
31. Call and visit your parents often. They miss you.

After I returned from very fun morning at the range, we headed over to Strangeway’s Brewing to relax with some good beer and food. Colleen had noted an announcement on Facebook earlier in the week about some new releases on Saturday which sounded too good to pass up.

One of the new beers, and the one that grabbed her attention was Basic Honey B Bourbon/Port Barrel Imperial Honey Ale. The beer is brewed with Virginia honey and Copper Fox Distillery’s applewood smoked malt, and aged in A. Smith Bowman barrels that had been used to age bourbon and port. It was a truly Virginia-bred beer. The ale brought forth caramel, dark fruit, with a smoky bourbon punch. Colleen’s short review, “Oh, I like this.”

As tempting as this one sounded, another release Aardvarks for Math! Coffee IPA, grabbed my interest. The beer is flavored with local Dier House Coffee Roasters Burundi Blend coffee. This “juicy roast” with notes of raspberry and cherry compliments the citrus hops very nicely. I’ve been intrigued by the use of coffee in hoppy beers like Pale Ales and IPA’s, instead of the typical dark Stouts. Unlike the very strong coffee flavors found in Cocka Doodle Brew Coffee Ale from Parkway Brewing, this one still had the bitter citrus flavor of an IPA. The coffee influence came out in the finish with hints of dark chocolate and bitter tea. I very much enjoyed it.

Forgoing my second cup of coffee Saturday morning, I made a spur of the moment decision to head out to the Winding Brook Indoor Range. Arriving just as the doors where unlocked, there was no waiting to shoot.The range trip was not expected, so in a rar…

Here’s a little mood music to kick off the weekend.Cheers!
[ This content originated at Musings Over a Barrel ]

After my inglorious introduction to the Mossberg M590 Shockwave during the Chesapeake Cup last month, I commented that it didn’t interest me as a defensive weapon. I prefer a shotgun I can aim. Admittedly I knew little about the gun or how to…