TUD.
That stands for Totally Unnecessary Drink, the cleverly-named Philly Beer Week last-call event at Fergie’s Pub (which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this very night—wish I could be there) and is stolen for use here with the gratitude of management.
The food and drink orgy that was Thanksgiving calls for a reasonable period of caution and abstinence in the beer-consumption (and baked goods gorging) in the diet of that very management so, aside for a quick and much enjoyed few ounces of Victory Harvest Ale from a fresh growler at the Beer Yard this morning, I’ll be foregoing brew for most of the week.
The last beer I opened last night before embarking on this trip into the wilderness was a gift bottle, shown to the right, added to my last shipment of West Coast goodies from the Unmanageable Carl P, chosen, I’d guess, because he liked the name. That he stumbled upon one of the better examples of the West Coast IPA style in this process, one which has a special story to it, is likely more a testament to my own good karma than his superior judgment.
Lagunitas Hop Stoopid Ale is an imperial rendition, 8% abv, and packaged in a 22oz bottle. Bold and lively, with all the fruity character that you’d expect, it is brewed with hop extracts rather than whole leaf hops, which is not what you’d expect. The brewers argue that this creates cleaner hops flavors and it’s difficult to disagree with them. Hop Stoopid is both tasty and very easy drinking, quaffable almost.
I am not particularly inclined toward hop bombs and the almost universal focus on hops and more hops which dominates craft brewing in many parts of the nation, but that’s not because there are not some good beers produced under that rubric, but rather because I find myself somewhat bored by a certain sameness to it all. That the adventurous folks at Lagunitas could go playful with this one and essentially thumb their noses at the true believers who have been ingrained with the belief that there is only One True Way warms the cockles of my cold heart.
A good beer, much appreciated.
But it was definitely a TUD in the wake of what had come to pass in the 72 hours or so previous.
