Beer Club VICTORY!

Ahhhh!  We finally got our 25 beers for the Mellow Mushroom Beer Club!  Hello Koozies!

#24: New Belgium Ranger IPA.  With the Fat Tire craze that has swept the south over the past year, we thought we'd give another New Belgium brew a try.  Two thumbs up!

#25!!!!!  RED OAK!!!!  We knew we were gonna save one of our all-time favorites for the big 2-5 and here it is...RED OAK.  Yay!  It was hard not to order my go-to beer every time I went to the Mellow Mushroom, but it was fun sampling all kinds of new things! 

So there you have it, friends!  25 beers for the Winston-Salem Mellow Mushroom Beer Club!  

Here is a quick re-cap of our journey....
(it's also fun to see the evolution of Trey's facial hair over the past few months...from no beard to beard to no beard)

1, 2, 3 MM Bogart, Battlefield Bock, Highland Gaelic

4, 5, 6 Brooklyn Brown, Magic Hat #9, Sexual Chocolate

7 & 8 Black Mtn Bitter, Pilot Mtn Pale Ale

9-13 Natty's Buckshot Amber, Duck Rabbit Amber, Rogue Dead Guy

12-14 Sweetwater 420, Sweetwater IPA, Sam Adams Noble Pils

15-18 Lagunitas IPA, Smuttynose Brown, Big Oak, Bell's Two Hearted Ale

19 & 20 Great Lake Dortmunder Gold Lager, Mother Earth Weeping Willow Wit

21-23 Hummin' Bird, Mad Hatter, Golden Cap

Ribs, Beer Club & Nathan's Famous!

Summer is FINALLY here!!!  Trey and I kicked off the season by attending the Twin City Ribfest (held right here in Winston-Salem, NC).  We were pretty excited to go because we'd never been to a ribfest before.  Unfortunately, it was kindof a let down...I mean we got there, paid money to get in, paid money for an 'over 21' wristband, paid too much money for one beer, and walked around the entire festival in about 15 minutes. 

BUT...The ribs were good.  Really good.  There were probably fifteen vendors there from different places around the southeast and we just happened to choose Big Boned BBQ Co. by a random decision.  One thing I wish I did do though was buy the '2 bone coupon' where you could go around to different booths and sample 2 ribs at almost every booth. 

BEER CLUB: 21-23

We are almost at 25 beers at the Mellow Mushroom!  Those will definitely be celebratory brews next week after we spend the weekend moving from one apartment to another.  Fortunately, our new apartment is about three blocks from the Mellow Mushroom and now we can walk there (...which could be a good thing or a bad thing...I'm not sure yet).

Beer #21: Hummin' Bird!  Yet another 'Red Oak' beer.  It is a light lager that is refreshingly smooth on a hot summer's day :)

Beer 22: New Holland Mad Hatter.  An IPA that's pretty darn 'hoppy' but pretty darn delicious.

Beer 23:  New Holland Golden Cap -a Saison Ale (yeah I don't really know what that is either...).  It was okay, just not what I prefer.  BUT it was on special that night!

Charlotte Nathan's Qualifier 2010

Well, this was the third year in a row I've been to the Charlotte Nathan's Qualifier and every year, someone different has won!  I would like to thank whoever decided last year to move the contest inside, because it was very awesome once again being in the cool mall instead of outside in 100 degree weather.  Good call. 

Some of the rumoured entrants (Wing Kong, Juliet Lee) didn't show up at the contest so it was pretty clear from the get-go who was going to win: Pat.  He ended up eating 30 hot dogs & buns which was enough to qualify for Nathan's on July 4th.  I think someone ate 13, Richard Foley ate 11.5, Super Paul ate 10, and that's all I could really figure out.  The one & only drawback to having the contest in the mall is that the sound from the speakers really echo and it is hard to understand the announcers.  I attempted to 'tweet' the contest but it is hard to multitask.  Jamie usually does the cell-phone tweeting, but she couldn't make the contest this year. 

The 2010 Nathan's Famous shirts are pretty cute this year.  Supposedly you can buy them at Old Navy but I went to the one in Concord Mills after the contest & no such thing was to be found.  In other news, all 3 Hungry Sisters will be flying out to New York City on July 2nd and are super-excited about being in Coney Island once again on July 4th!!!

--Sadie

Beer Club 6!

This was our first weeknight beer club adventure!  Ok so we intended on going to Subway on April 15th--tax day, to buy one footlong get one free.  BUT, the Subway near our apartment was so f-ing crowded we didn't want to deal with it.  We made an honest attempt to go to the Subway downtown, but it was closed.
Lucky for us :) the Mellow Mushroom is about a block from Subway.  Plan B: Thursday Night Beer Club!

Beer #12: Sweetwater 420. 

Hi Mr. Waiter, I'll have a workin' man's beer, please, because I'm still in my work clothes. 

I'd never had Sweetwater 420 before and it was DEEE-Lightful!

Beer 13: Sweetwater IPA

Sweetwater is the 'brewery of the month' at the Winston-Salem Mellow Mushroom so their beers were cheap(er)!  Out of the two, I liked the 420 & Trey preferred the IPA.

Beer #14: Sam Adams Seasonal (Noble Pils )...and this is what I look like after work...BUT the beer was fresh and tasty.

Beer Club #5!

With it being almost 90 degrees outside, we decided it was time to participate in beer club again!  Nothing beats sitting outside in the warm weather, sipping on some delicious brews. 

Beer #9: Natty Greene's Buckshot Amber Ale.  Brewed in Greensboro, about 20 minutes from where we live, this brew was smooth.  Would I get it again? Yes, especially if it was a special like it was last night at the 'shroom.

Beer #10: Duck Rabbit Amber.  I've had this before in a bottle and thought it was just ok, but let me tell you, it is pretty dern delightful on draft.  Yet another North Carolina gem (....we <3 supporting NC breweries!). 

 

Beer #11: Rogue Dead Guy Ale.  Not a N.C. beer, but still good and went really well with our pizza!

 

...yeah I don't have a lot to say about these beers.  I'm no beer connoisseur, but none were the best I've ever had.  Don't get me wrong, I'd try all three of them again, though!

--Sadie

Beer Club #4

Same seat, different night, different beer!

Theme of the night: get what is on special because it is the end of the month and we don't have a lot of money.

Beer #7: Highland's Black Mountain Bitter-Organic Pale Ale. To my knowledge, I'd never had organic beer until then. At first, I didn't really like it...but it actually grew on me towards the end. It is bitter (hence the name) but for those who dig the organic, I'd recommend it!

Beer #8: Foothills Pilot Mountain Pale Ale. I've had this one before at Foothills, but I got it again tonight for three reasons: it was only $3, we hadn't checked it off of our 'Beer Club' list, AND I just got a new job in Pilot Mountain so I thought this would be an appropriate celebratory beer! Overall a delightful beer, but out of the four Foothills brews I've ever had, it is probably my least favorite (1. Sexual Chocolate, 2. Oktoberfest, 3. Hoppyum IPA, 4. Pilot Mtn Pale Ale). However, I'm pretty excited to try their March seasonal--Foothills Red!

--Sadie

BEER CLUB! part 2

We ordered the same thing each round again...maybe this will be our beer club tradition!?


Beer #4: Brooklyn Brown Ale. Pretty tasty, very smooth, would order it again. Bonus:it was the special for the night so it was a dollar cheaper than the others! I'm thinking a stop at the Brooklyn Brewery next July 4th weekend for a tour/tasting is in order.

Beer #5: Magic Hat #9....'not quite pale ale'. Just okay. I hear people talk about this stuff all of the time & sometimes even see it in the grocery store. It is a little on the sweet/fruity side. Trey really liked it but I probably wouldn't get it again.

Beer #6: SEXUAL CHOCOLATE. OMG. If you live anywhere in or around Winston-Salem, you know this beer is a big F-ing deal, so I knew I had to finally taste it during beer club. Foothills, our local brewery, makes it once a year and has a huge release party when they first put it on draft. They also sell it in limited-release bottles and people line up outside for hours to get theirs...and they sell out really quickly--like within a few hours. ahhh it was everything I thought it would be and more. I mean with a name like 'sexual chocolate' how can you go wrong?

Two big thumbs up.

Not in beer club but worth mentioning: Burke St. Pizza garlic knots. Oh lord. After our night of beer sampling, we needed some good greasy food to soak up the booze. Out of all of the foods I've eaten since living in Winston-Salem, I'd have to say that these garlic knots are by far the most delicious thing I've tasted yet. I'm telling you, I have had my fair share of garlic knots and items of the sort, but I have never in my life eaten any so delicious as this (not even in New York). After they take them out of the oven, the pizza makers literally dunk these things in a tub of butter/garlic/parmesan/olive oil while they are still warm. Ohhhhh, it makes me hungry even looking at a picture of them.

--Sadie

BEER CLUB!

Trey and I are officially card-carrying members of the Mellow Mushroom Beer Club. To be in the club you have to drink different draft beers at one Mellow Mushroom location. Once you drink so many different types, you get prizes (a koozie, tshirt, your name on the wall, gift certificates, and most importantly, self gratification and pride). We decided to document our Beer Club adventures so we can remember which brews we like the best for future reference. Follow our journey to Mellow Mushroom Beer Club infamy!

Our first Beer Club night, we decided to order the same thing each round:

Beer #1 to wash down our garlic pretzels: We chose the signature Mellow Mushroom Bogart Pale Ale for our first beer-club-beer. It was delicious! I have never had this before but will get it again once I conquer 99 other types of beer.

Beer #2 & hello, pizza: Battlefield Bock, brewed right down the road in Whisett, N.C. The brother beer to one of my all-time favorites, Red Oak, the Battlefield Bock was one of the better 'dark' beers I've had, with a nice coffee/chocolate aftertaste.

Beer #3 and a happy smiley face: Highland Gaelic Ale...also brewed right down the road in Asheville, NC. Least favorite beer of the night, but still delightfully tasty nonetheless. Would get it again...probably should have had it before the heavier Battlefield Bock.

Check back soon for the next installment of BEER CLUB!

--Sadie

Pizza.

Yes, we have been busy and school and work has slowly consumed almost every ounce of fun as of late, but rest assured, we are still eating. Lately, it seems I have eaten pizza almost every day and have yet to tire of it. Everywhere I go, friends and coworkers seem to offer me a slice, or two, or five. Now, I am not a girl to turn down food, ever; so I gladly accepted every savory, delicious slice.

I'm pretty sure it is blog-worthy to describe my pizza experiences as of late.

These are the pizza's I have consumed within the past month, or as many as I can remember:
Little Caesars Pepperoni (free)- This past Saturday I spent seven hours folding never ending piles of men's jeans while being reprimanded by a customer who was unsatisfied by t-shirts that cost $1. As we were about to close, my manager told me that Little Caesar's from the K-Mart adjacent to the mall where I work brought them a free Pizza yesterday as an advertisement. My day was better. I actually may go by K-Mart tomorrow before work and buy a pizza for lunch. Seriously, $5 for a large pizza is a perfect treat.

Mellow Mushroom "Funky Q Chicken" (also free)- At my other job, on campus at UNCA at the Student Health Services, I have gotten a lot of free pizza this month. One of my coworkers brought in leftovers on a few occasions, and since I am the only student who works there, they feel sorry for me and give me food and buy me coffee a lot. Bless them. This pizza was particularly delightful. It had bbq chicken, cheddar cheese, carmalized onions and bacon; need I say more?

Pizza Hut (FREE!)- From the same job, a few weeks later, the same coworker brought leftover pizza from pizza hut. I had one slice of cheese with thick crust (pan, if my pizza hut crust knowledge serves me right) and a slice of thin crust that had meat and onions. I don't remember the exact on the meats, but I do remember bacon, and pepperoni. Pizza hut never fails me.

Papa Johns (free, thanks to Lindsey)- Last week, I had gotten the movie Shag in from Netflix. It is about four girls in the 1960s who had just graduated high school in Spartenburg, South Carolina and they go on a trip to Myrtle Beach. This movie is a requirement to watch for anyone who has ever been to Myrtle Beach, so I was shocked when I asked my friend, Lindsey if she had ever seen it. Anyway, she told me that she had ordered a pizza and needed help eating it (and do I ever say no to helping anyone eat anything?) so I brought the movie and we ate a quite peculiar pizza, but tasty nonethelsess. See, she does not eat cheese, so she ordered a thin crust, mushroom pizza sans the cheese from Papa Johns. I must say, Papa Johns has tasty sauce.

Papa Johns (I paid for this one)-So, apparantly with the first order you make online for Papa Johns, you get a free medium cheese pizza! So technically, I still got something for free with this experience too.... free is so fun. Anyway, since I knew I was getting a free cheese pizza, I had to order something that would put my order over ten dollars. I opted for a small, specialty pizza: Spinach Alfredo Deluxe. Not bad at all.

Papa Johns... again (and free, again)- My roommate ordered pizza the other night with his girlfriend. He told me I could have some. I ate a slice of pizza but I don't even remember what kind it was because I was mainly focused on the breadsticks. They were DELICIOUS and garlicky and buttery. He left the next morning to go to Maryland, and the pizza stayed out on the kitchen counter all day. I knew the pizza and breadsticks would just have to be thrown away if I didn't act fast; hello breakfast AND lunch!

I plan on reporting back about other places in Asheville that have pizza that is way better than these fast chains. There are a lot. I have eaten at most of them, and will eat at these places very soon, I'm sure. Stay tuned, Stay Hungry!


Jamie