Ah, NC Girls’ Pint Out… even when you throw together an event last minute, you are always fun!

Last night, I ventured over to Raleigh’s Flying Saucer with a few of my favorite princesses of pilsner for an impromptu GPO get-together featuring the special of the night, the Narrangassett Lager, and their GORGEOUS 20 oz glass that went along with it!

It was a packed house at the Flying Saucer and, for my first time visiting the establishment, this place ROCKS! They have a fantastic club called the UFO club where, for $18, you can join, get a sweet shirt, and a magnetic card to track all the unique beers you drink. After 200 unique beers, you get a saucer on the wall with your name for all the world to see!  If I lived a little closer to this joint, I’d be there ALL the time.  Luckily for my wallet (and my liver), it was a bit of a hike… But I still love it.

ANYWAY, Melissa and I grabbed ourselves some veggie-friendly (and tastebud friendly) nachos, which were fantastic, as well as a beer for each of us.

Fun fact: Narragansett was the official beer of the Red Sox for 32 years! Melissa clearly knew this, and dressed accordingly:

The beer was what all of us at the GPO table called “A Beery Beer”. Refreshing, tasty, and crisp, we struggled to find words other than “Lager-y” and “beer-like”.  I know, I know, all those beer education classes for naught, right?

I volunteered to help Jim, who came all the way from Providence to pub the beer, out by running around and taking pictures, as well as handing out some raffle tickets for swaggggg.

I schmoozed with strangers, even pestering a few for pictures with Jim… Luckily, they obliged my blogging tendencies.

I also got to try some of the fancy (and seasonal) Narragansett Bock (that fancy green can pictured above) that was definitely more my style.  From the brewer:

Gansett Bock is a deeply flavorful beer with a rich golden color and a full body.  It is drier, hoppier, and slightly more bitter than a traditional bock, but still with a relatively low hop flavor.  It offers an extremely approachable craft experience not to be confused with the double and triple bocks out on the market.  The beer pours well, producing a large creamy, persistent white head, and moderate carbonation.  Despite its full body, the flavor is not overly malty and delivers an elegant spicy character from the hops that produces a balanced, smooth finish.

From the ME:  I liked this beer a LOT more than the lager. Though I received it in a can, I promptly poured into my new Narragansett glass for consumption. A little sweeter, a little fuller in the mouth, and with a drinkability that I don’t always get from the aforementioned double and triple bocks “out on the market”, this beer was a slightly more complex tasting brew without being too intimidating for the average beer drinker (you know, the one that might not be interested in a Habanero Pale Ale or something crazy like that…)

ANYWAY, as with all the nights with NCGPO, my favorite part was socializing and, after collecting all the signups for swag, it was time to kick back and relax with my ladies.

And a few of us even managed to walk away from the event with some new swag of our own….

You better believe I’ll be rocking my new, kelly green ‘Gansett shirt come March 17th.  No pinches for this girl.

What’s the “weirdest” or most “out there” beer flavor you’ve ever tried?

I make it a point to try any and every wonky brew I can find.  I definitely did try the habanero pale ale (not my favorite) and the “bacon beer” of Fullsteam’s Hogwash still stands out as a pretty intense flavor-profile.