A Very Beery Christmas

Wednesday is my usual rest day for running and when I take a rest day, I like to go enjoy a few beers. Yesterday was no exception, so after work I decided to brave the cold and walk over to The Lackman.

The Lackman is easily one of my favorite bars in Cincinnati and has really been a great asset to OTR since it opened. It really feels like a neighborhood bar; patrons seem to know each other there. I love it because they carry a tremendous, rotating stock of drafts. I really enjoy going in there and being able to try two or three things I've never had before. The staff there is amazing, too. I'm not one of the neighborhood regulars, but I'm in enough for them to recognize me and greet me warmly. That makes all the difference in the world.

After coming in from the cold, I ordered a 21st Amendment Back in Black, an aptly named black IPA. I'm a big IPA fan, but haven't really delved into this style of beer, so it was very interesting to me. You have the sweet, almost burnt taste that accompanies many darker beers up front followed by a hoppy aftertaste. Not my favorite beer in the world, but I would really like to try others of the same style. They have something for everyone, though. For the non-beer drinkers, they have wine and a full bar.

My phone died after this, so no pictures, but I also had an Ommegang Adoration and a Bell's Two Hearted. The Bell's I have had about a million times, but the Adoration was a new one. I believe it is a Belgian strong ale; very dark and quite sweet. It will knock your boots off at 10% ABV, though, so sip slowly.

I was starving by this point, so we headed across the river to Keystone Bar and Grill for some mac and cheese and other assorted noms, accompanied with a Founder's Double Trouble, another aptly name beer (this one being a double IPA). Delicious food, but again, no pictures.

Now the best part: we get home and get to exchange presents. I got a bunch of great stuff from my fiancee, including a portable beer journal so I can take notes and embarrass myself at bars more than I already do and The Naked Pint: An Unadulterated Guide to Craft Beer. Either of these would be great gifts in the future for friends or family who have a hankering for good beer. Obviously I love them. She sure knows what I like. That must be why I'm marrying her.

 

What a great day. Good beer and good company. What else could you ask for? (Other than to not be dragging the next morning because you maybe had one too many good beers and slept through your alarm clock by 45 minutes.)