Category Archives: Miscellaneous

Goodwilltasting’s Summer in Review

Well it’s been fall for a little over a week now and, admittedly, I have been skirting my blogging duties for much of the summer. I apologize profusely to you, my leagues of loyal readers, and now that the days are getting shorter, the weather is getting colder, and the souls of fellow Bostonians are getting slowly crushed by the impending threat of winter, I hope to spend much more time faithfully updating my humble food/beer/manliness blog.

So what have I been up to this summer? In a word, PLENTY.

In May I had the pleasure of volunteering at the American Craft Beer Festival. It was a great time of pretzels, neon t-shirts, and of course, beer samples.  So much beer.

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Love My Free Shirt

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Calm Before The Storm

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Beer Swaaaaaaaaag

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Probably the most interesting beer I tasted at the festival.  Indra Kunindra by Ballast Point. Stout brewed with curry spices.  Definitely different.  Definitely not drinkable.  I’m sorry. D. 

Took a few trips this summer as well. TAKE A LOOK!

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Thoroughly stocked up on Heady Topper up in Burlington, VT

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Incredible bar in Montreal, QC- Le Sainte-Élisabeth.

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Poutine is a Montreal staple. Fries, cheese curds, gravy. Comes with a referral to a cardiologist. 

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First time at Rising Tide in Portland, ME. Great little tasting room, and corn hole in the front! 

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Beautiful bike ride in Peaks Island off the coast of Portland

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Highly recommended- Portland Hunt and Alpine Club. Great cocktails and Scandinavian food. Match made in heaven. 

It’s been a great summer. When I’m suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder in a couple months hopefully I can look back on this post for a cheap pick me up.

New Page

Check out my new ESTABLISHMENTS page, where you’ll find my recommendations for beer bars, cocktail bars, gastropubs, and beer all over this fine country. It’s still a work in progress (sorry mid-west), but hopefully it will continue filling up as time goes by.

Also, if you haven’t already, check out my quick beer reference. All my beer reviews and info in a convenient spreadsheet for your perusing pleasure.

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Craft Beer Connoisseurship vs. Alcoholism

“When one knows something of the history of a thing, something about its power, influence, and potential, one is (hopefully) less inclined to simply see that thing as a mere medium for intoxicant.”

Are you masking an underlying alcohol dependency under the guise of craft beer “connoisseurship?” Here’s an interesting article regarding this issue that also, strangely, promotes the virtues of low-ABV session beers:

http://beergraphs.com/bb/344-high-functioning-craft-beer-and-alcohol

Also, a discussion about it on BeerAdvocate:

http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/beergraphs-high-functioning-craft-beer-and-alcohol.152700/

Men (and ladies), my hope is that you are drinking craft beer to appreciate its flavors and complexities rather than to get hammered drunk.  Of course if you do indeed struggle with alcoholism then by all means stop reading this, or any other alcohol-related blog, and please find the help and support you need to beat this addiction.

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Maine Beer Company Another One

Maine Beer Company Another One IPA

NAME: Maine Beer Company Another One
TYPE: American IPA
ORIGIN: Freeport, ME
ABV: 7.0%
REVIEW: Golden wheat color, slightly opaque, beautiful foamy head, fresh lemony pine aroma, nice and bitter up front, then gives way to grapefruit, lemon, and a tart finish. Very crisp mouthfeel but no overly carbonated. This would be a great summer IPA to go with pizza or BBQ chicken, but I’ll take it in the fall anyway. Better than MBC’s lunch IMO.

goodwilltasting grade: A-

Brooklyn Brewery Lager

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NAME: Brooklyn Brewery Brooklyn Lager
TYPE: Pre-Prohibition Style Lager
ORIGIN: Brooklyn, NYC
ABV: 5.2%
REVIEW: Pours amber with substantial head, fresh smelling, nice citrusy hoppy aroma, malty and clean tasting with a nice hoppy kick at the end. Slightly biscuity mouthfeel. Really nice, drinkable lager to wash down some greasy Chinese food.

goodwilltasting grade: B

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Pilot

Welcome to Good Will Tasting. I have been wanting to start a food+beer blog for quite some time… and now, on a whim, in the middle of the work week, at 10 PM, I have started said blog. It’s really pretty exhilarating.

“So what’s this blog about? Food? Oh that’s original!” said no one ever in the 21st century.

…yes this blog is about food. So what makes me different from smitten kitchen? Well, for one thing, this blog is also about beer! And it’s also about food PAIRED with beer! What a concept.  There will probably be some scotch and bourbon shout-outs as well. Another difference is that I’m a dude. There aren’t many testosterone-fueled food blogs out there and I thought it would be nice to have a male perspective thrown into the mix. Hope I can hang. One more thing- I don’t have a DSLR. I have an iPhone with Camera+.  And it’s not even an iPhone 5. It’s a pre-Siri iPhone 4 with 5 shameful megapixels. So I guess that’s another thing that sets me apart.  Crappy photographs.

And that’s it! Here goes nothing. I really hope you will get something out of this because I’m really not sure if I am. Please enjoy my blog and keep coming back!

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