Visit to Brooklyn Brewery

November 8, 2011December 27, 2012 / foodsweatandbeers / 11 Comments

Merry Tuesday to each of you!! In case you’re curious, today’s the last day of Harris Teeter’s Super Double coupons!

In case you’re just getting here, check out my first day of NYC adventures. Today’s post is a little bit out of order, chronologically, but one I really was itching to write. I love to visit breweries, ever since my Senior year in college when, for spring break, I didn’t go get topless in Cancun or make mischief in Cabo. Nope, instead, I went to scenic Pottsville, PA to visit Yuengling, America’s Oldest Brewery!

Knowing that we were going to spending the weekend based primarily in Brooklyn, how could I miss the infamous Brooklyn Brewery?

Actually, the construction outside of the building made it pretty easy to miss (or hard to find, depending on how you look at it.)

Inconspicuous, much?

Oh, there it is!

That’s the good stuff, right there!

Located just a few blocks from Smorgasburg in Williamsburg, we were even able to pick up Claire’s little brother, John, for the trip. This was important because: 1. I think he’s great and 2. He could take pictures of Claire and me! (vanity, thy name is Jordan.)

For $20, we grabbed 6 drink tokens and, if you can’t handle basic math, that meant two beers for each of us. We arrived around 12:45, just in time to pick up a beer before the “tour” of the brewery. Each token = one 12 oz beer, so we each went for the East India Pale Ale.

That’s 72 oz of beer right there!!

Read it and weep drink!

Unfortunately for us, but fortunately for the brewery, they’re expanding, so the first room, the brewhouse, which is normally open to visitors, was closed off. Luckily, they had this handy-dandy illustration that made us feel like we were right there!

Eric, our wise old tour guide, described the process of brewing, explaining how they outsource their bottling (of their smaller bottles) to a factory in upstate New York but their kegs and their bombers are brewed in the brewery in Brooklyn.

Wise owl!

Eric was funny, charismatic, and an excellent guide. I will admit, there wasn’t much to the “tour” as we mostly just relaxed, sipping our beers, in the main room of the brewery. It was okay, though, because he told some hilarious stories and shared interesting factoids with the group, ones we’d never know about if not for the tour.

Gorgeous logo!

Brooklyn Brewery’s iconic logo was actually developed by Milton Glaser, creator of the I Love NY logo (you know, the one with the heart instead of the word love). He originally asked WAY more than the $20,000 that Brooklyn Brewery had allocated for logo development. Luckily, though, Milton’s a bit of a beer fan. So what he did was create a fantastic logo and, in turn, Milton gets free beer from the brewery for LIFE!! (Hear that, graphic designers? Get those pens to the paper!)

Also, when the brewery was created, the NY mafia was taxing EVERY business in the area, and approached the brewery, former Associated Press correspondent Steve Hindy and former Chemical Bank lending officer Tom Potter, for some moneys. After weeks of negotiation and not really wanting to pay the mafia, one of the bosses approached Tom in the factory, telling everyone to get lost. Tom, probably shaking in his boots, was pretty certainhe was going to get “offed” and sleep with fishes. Then, to everyone’s surprise, the boss told Tom he was just messing with him and decided that the Brewery would be good for business and the area, and thus they were exempt from the tax.

We also learned the exciting tale of how the brewery got their tiny chandelier!!

Twinkle, twinkle!

Actually, this was the least interesting story of all. Someone put it up for a holiday party a few years ago, and everyone’s too lazy to take it down. Gotta respect their honesty.

After getting a quick shot with (some of) the logo, we decided to head back to the bar for another brew!

The bar is only open on Fridays from 6-11pm and Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 6pm, but it’s a lively atmosphere and a great vibe! They sell water and beer but, if you’d like, you can order pizza or delivery food right to the brewery (they’ll even provide menus!) It reminded me a lot of the atmosphere of Fullsteam in Durham, very open, very relaxed, and very much about the community. We saw birthday parties, bachelor parties, and a mom who’d brought her kids and some cupcakes while she enjoyed a beer. I loved it!

JOHNWICH!

True to form, since I can’t go anywhere without making a friend, we ended up connecting with our tour guide while getting our second beer and, since we’re adorable and great (and humble?), Eric treated us to another beer, on the house!I went with the Winter Ale for my second beer (delicious, malty, almost biscuity) and back to the IPA for the freebie.

Thanks, Eric!! We love you!

Everyone was nice, the vibe was great, and, if you’re interested in beer, some history, and a good time AND you’re in NYC, I’d totally recommend getting over to Brooklyn Brewery for a Saturday or Sunday tour!

Friday, I’m in NYC! Eataly, Ippudo, and Farmer’s Market!

November 7, 2011December 27, 2012 / foodsweatandbeers / 10 Comments

Hey there all!! It’s Monday, already, and despite that extra hour, I feel like I could’ve used at least 6 extra hours of sleep. Such is the life of a jet-setter.

In case you missed yesterday’s Six Pack Sunday: Brooklyn, Baby and hate following me on twitter, I’ll clue you into the good stuff. I spent the past weekend in NYC with my dear friend Claire (yup, the one that I spent Halloweekend with only a few days ago) and, though I’ve been in NYC a bunch of times in my life for conventions, weddings, or field trips, this was the first time I’ve gone in without much in the way of a schedule. I had a list of things I wanted to accomplish or visit, and that was about it.

Luckily, both Claire and I have one thing in common.

No, it’s not just that we love the Hoff.

We are totally and completely Type-A when it comes to planning.

Armed with smart phones and maps and print outs and lists, we will handle our BUSINESS to jam as much into a weekend as possible. I love that in a traveling partner.

After flying into JFK (and arriving half an hour early!), I navigated the public transportation (if you’re flying to NYC and you wanna use public transportation, FLY TO JFK!! Their AirTrain situation can get you from the airport to Manhattan in about an hour-ish, and for $7.25.) I killed it.

After dropping off my bags at Club Claire (aka her workplace), I was on my own for about 2.5 hours. I decided to kick my legs into high gear and walk ALL OVER THE PLACE!!

First up: Union Square Greenmarket!

Bustling on a Friday afternoon

There were so many options of something to nibble on, but I decided to save my tummy for an exciting dinner later and picked up a few little hard pretzels for crunch and some DIVINE tea to warm my chilly bones.

Hot and DANGEROUS!

The hot wild mint tea was sweeter than I thought it would be, and tasted more like cider than anything else. Luckily, that’s exactly what I wanted so, gloves on hand, tea in gloved-hand, I headed over to 5th Avenue for a little shopping.

Knowing that I didn’t want to fill up my carry-on with stuff I could get in NC, and not wanting to pay for a checked bag, I held myself back. The other thing that held me back?

H&M (Hectic Madhouse?)

I feel like H&M is always crowded and messy and crazy, no matter where you go. Oh well.

Next stop was somewhere Claire had mentioned, but I only accidentally stumbled on it (and I’m so glad I did!)

Eataly , an “Italian Culinary Funhouse”, was also a madhouse, but in a much more organized fashion. This place seemingly had everything, from fresh produce to gourmet cured meats and cheese plates. Although the Florence-lover in me was initially tempted by the wine, Eataly had something else pretty amazing to offer.

Molto Birra.

Their rooftop beer garden, Birreria, was more pleasant than I could’ve imagined. The heat lamps scattered all over kept me warm (important, considering it was on the 14th floor) and the beer selection was top notch.

I nabbed myself a Captain Lawrence Liquid Gold (mostly because it was a NY based brewery and because it reminded me of this hilarious Velveeta commercial) and enjoyed it, while giving this fellow a side eye.

So much for chivalry

I guess he decided that, although the bar was completely full and people were trying to sit down, his jacket was more deserving of a stool than the rest of us lonely stander-uppers. The man stayed like that for the 30 minutes I was there, never sat down once. Thanks for nothing, buddy.

Anyway, after I left Birreria, it was time to meet up with Claire and get our own culinary fun going. As I mentioned before, we headed to Ippudo (home of Anne Hathaway Drinking White Wine and Reading a Book). Unassuming from the outside, this place was popping inside!!

In case you can’t tell, that says Ippudo.

Once inside, we nabbed ourselves some Sapporo (when in ~~Rome~~ err ~~Japan~~ , or just a Japanese restaurant) and waited about 40 minutes for our spot. Well worth the wait, though, once we arrived at our seats. We were greeted with some Japanese words shouted at us (I was told they meant something like, welcome! or Eat! but they could’ve been calling me a clap-having jezebel for all I know) and seated at the “bar” right by where the food was prepped. This was the best seat in the house for a nosy Nelly like myself, and I had front row seats to watch all the food being plated, prepped, cooked, flipped, and served.

Oh lawdy.

The Hirata buns were ordered, described as: Steamed buns filled with your choice of pork, chicken, or shrimp served with Ippudo original spicy buns sauce.

We went with the pork, and were not disappointed in the slightest. In fact, if this had been the end of my NYC trip, I think I would’ve gone hope happy (well, at least my belly would’ve). Luckily, it was only the beginning.

Next up, the main course!

Having never tried Ramen from anywhere other than a pot in college, this was an experience that just blew my mind. It was hot and delicious , from the broth to the pork, and I think this was the one I got:

Akamaru Modern: The original “Tonkotsu” noodle soup topped with Ippudo’s secret “Umami Dama” miso paste, pork chashu, cabage, kikurage, scallions, and fragrant garlic oil

Totally on point, I slurped up the last drop. Couldn’t get enough.

Pure Bliss.

After dinner, we waddled our way back to Brooklyn to drop off our things and enjoy some brewskies (Lagunitas, to be more specific).

It was then that I realized the perfect simplicity of something which I tweeted immediately after.

Gloves are like koozies that you wear.

Why didn’t I figure this out earlier?

Ignore the devilish grin and the weirdy out of focus shot, I needed to illustrate this.

We took a bus to The Woods which was loud and fun and crowded. Someone snuck this picture of me, and I’m pretty sure I make this face ALL the time when I feel bars are too crowded.

Oh, Jordy.

But, after a Pickle Back (recap: shot of whiskey chased with pickle juice) and a few beers, I was in better spirits.

We danced the night away, then cabbed back to Brooklyn to fall instantly to sleep. It was an ideal way to start my NYC vacation!

Have you ever had ramen at a noodle house? What’d you think (and what’d you get in it?!)

What kind of bar is your favorite?

Cozy and dark, loud and flashing lights, discotheques, open, crowded, empty? SHARE WITH THE CLASS!

Six Pack Sunday: Brooklyn, Baby!

November 6, 2011 / foodsweatandbeers / 11 Comments

Greetings friends, from one very exhausted jet-setter. It feels like I barely left on Friday for my jam-packed weekend in the Big, juicy Apple of New York!! Though I plan to write a more serious grown up post documenting my experience in the future, this travel-addled brain thinks that, for right now, I’d better stick to the easy stuff. Namely, a Six Pack Sunday! Here are a few little nuggets from my trip that I can’t wait to share.

WARNING: Graphic images of cobra genitals are in this post. If that offends your delicate sensibilities…. read no further.

Six Pack Sunday: Brooklyn, Baby!

1. I’m Bringing ~~Sexy~~ Pickle Back

Have you ever heard of a drink called a Pickle Back? It’s not really a drink, per se, as much as it’s a series of two shots. In my fraternity, we used to call it Dickle and a Pickle, I believe. But that’s just semantics.

You start with a shot of whiskey (preferably Jameson). Then, you chase it with a shot of briney pickle juice.

Ready for my first pickle back...

Well, I finally tried one (I was down to try any/everything this weekend). My reaction?

Oh no no no no no, never again

Claire’s a bit of a pickle princess, but I really don’t think I’ll be ordering this one again. Then again, I’m pretty pleased that I can proudly claim the experience.

2. Anne Hathaway Reading a Book and Drinking Wine

I’ll admit, I’m a bit of a celebrity-crazed lunatic most of the time if/when I’m near a famous human. This weekend, I had an especially lucky brush with fame.

I spotted Anne Hathaway, in Ippudo, reading a book and drinking white wine. Well, technically, Claire spotted her first. And I tried not to ogle. And then, demonstrating EXTREME restraint and self-discipline, I didn’t run over and wildly demand a picture. In fact, I played it cool. I was all like, “Oh, Anne, I will acknowledge we’re dining at the same establishment, nbd, this happens all the time.”

This should sort of paint a picture for you.

This is exactly what it was like.

Secretly, though, all I could think of is “I’ve seen your boobs” which is (normally) not something I think about my dining buddies. Oh well, part of the business, I’m sure.

3. Museum of Sex? Yes, please.

Speaking of “boobs”, we went to the Museum of Sex! Through Google Offers (Google’s group buying site!), I got my ticket for half-price, and definitely saw enough that I definitely got the bang for my buck (bahahaha cheesey sex jokes).

Sexy, can I?

There were oodles of exciting and interesting exhibits but, I have to admit, the Sex Lives of Animals was beyond fantastic.

Mounting!

Pleases all the lady cobras.

4. Hot Cha Cha!

Since I’d already tried one crazy cocktail in the Pickle Back, I couldn’t resist the Jalapeno Quencher at our fancy, amazing dinner at Aqua Grill.

Feel the Burn!

Described as: Chilled Ketel One Vodka, Pomegranate Liquor, Jalapeno, Lime, and Cranberry Juice, this left my mouth on fire in the most delicious way possible.

5. Smorgasburg Started Off Right!

One event I’d been looking forward to since the moment Claire described it was Smorgasburg. A Brooklyn Food Flea Market, I couldn’t wait to go for brunch Saturday morning. And what better way to start off brunch than an oyster shooter?

When in Williamsburg...

The oysters were from Brooklyn Oyster Party and I couldn’t imagine a better appetizer for the meal we enjoyed later!! An interesting way to start a morning, without a doubt.

6. You Look So Good in SWEAT!!

Easily the most inspiring part of the weekend was cheering on the runners of the famous New York City Marathon. Sunday morning, we strolled to Prospect Park-ish, right around the 8 mile mark to cheer them on. We saw so many runners, shouting encouragement to them all, as I tried my hardest not to burst into tears from being blown away and inspired and proud all at once.

You're so fast!!

Shouting things like “You’re KILLING IT out there!” or “You’re a speed demon” was great, but my favorite were the runners who had their names on their shirts. To be able to pick out Katie or Paul (easily the most frequently seen name, I’ll never know why) from the pack and shout personalized encouragement was my favorite. They always looked so excited to be called out and some of them gave us high fives as they raced their hearts out.

It was beautiful, it was awesome, and I think I got a sunburn from the whole thing. Worth it.

Love those runners!!

Congrats to all the runners!! You’re amazing.

Clearly, we packed a lot into the weekend (perks of being hyper-planners) so I think I’m off to relax a bit before an early bedtime.

Have you ever been to New York city?

If so, what was your favorite part of your visit?

If not, what would you want to see/do if you visited?

Halloween Recipe and a Flavor Blasted Burger

November 1, 2011 / foodsweatandbeers / 14 Comments

It’s November, already, but it feels like January. I’m freezing cold every morning (primarily because I’m a cheapskate who hates turning on the heat when I have a Slanket as an option) and I wasn’t expecting these types of temperatures for at least another month.

Oh, weather, you tempestuous mistress.

As I mentioned yesterday, I celebrated my Halloweekend at UNC on Friday and Saturday. But yesterday, I had some treats of my own in store. We had a Paranormal Potluck at my office and it featured such tasty treats as: Heart-attack-a-roni, True Blood Salsa, Sleepy Hollow Haystacks, Pumpkin Cupcakes, Jack-o-Lantern Jambon Sammies, and my own addition.

Sorting Hat Pizza Puffs!

Voila!

I adapted this recipe from an old book of Halloween treats my beau’s step-mother offered up, so unfortunately, I don’t have it to give credit where credit’s due. Mine didn’t have the crescents on top, and I made vegetarian and meat-eater versions so I went with pepperoni slices instead of salami sticks. Either way, they were tasty niblets, along with an easy parmesan pizza dipping sauce (take parmesan cheese + pizza sauce + microwave!! )

I know this is hardly a real “recipe” but I figured I’d share the picture so that someone can benefit from it all!!

Here’s my finished product:

Fun for the Whole Funky Bunch!

Weird Cat proffers up the goods!

After work, I decided to burn off the calories I consumed off with a killer cardio session at BodyCombat. I also managed to blast the heck out of my shoulders with all those jabs and hooks, so I decided to keep the blast party going with a truly flavor blasted burger.

Takes a lot of punches to get these bad boys!

Since Laura’s Foodie Pen Pal package to me contained awesome ingredients meant to jam as much flavor into my food as possible, I decided to combine a few and see how it turned out.

Habanero Ketchup + Pumpkin Beer added to the mix!

I took about 1/3 lb of 93% lean beef and formed a patty. On this patty, I added only two seasonings: wood smoked salt and pepper (wish I had fresh to grind, but oh well.)

While cooking it in a cast iron skillet, flipping it rather often, I toasted a bun with some cheddar and caramelized some red onion, and topped it all off with some avocado. On the side, Habanero Ketchup for dipping (I prefer to dip my burgers/hot dogs, not cover it in ketchup, keeps things less soggy.)

This was, without question, the best burger I’ve ever made myself. Ever. That’s 24 years on this earth (though I probably haven’t been making burgers all 24) and this one just blows the rest out of the water.

I savored every bite knowing, with total certainty, that I’d be repeating the burger base tonight. We’ll see if I decide to get more creative with the toppings…. Then again, it’s hard to improve on perfection.

What would your dream burger (or turkey burger or veggie burger) be topped with?

What’s your favorite seasoning or sauce to spice up your foods?

Halloweekend at UNC

October 31, 2011 / foodsweatandbeers / 14 Comments

Sometimes, when you’re a grown-up, you choose to celebrate Halloween on the weekend prior to the Monday date.

Gwen Stefani + Zombie Prom Queen

That, inevitably, will lead you to be one of the few humans dressed up in fine, Franklin Street establishments on Homecoming weekend at UNC.

Establishments like the Crunkleton, where the ice is in giant, perfect cubes and the cocktails are the freshest, best made I’ve had in North Carolina. I’ll take a Tom Collins, thank you.

Oh, no worries weirdy dude in the back. We can't afford to be here long.

Or He’s Not Here, home of the infamous 32 oz blue cups.

Oh, hey Kinsley. Cute costume. What are you, well-dressed?

Don’t worry, though. If you follow your heart, you will wind up at the promised land.

In this case, the promised land was a little costume party at one of my personal favorite bars in Chapel Hill, Kildare’s.

Ok, maybe it was a little more than a little dance party

You’ll reunite with friends, both old

HEY Austin!

And new.

Kelsi (Marvin the Martian), Claire and... Speedy Gonzalez?

And end up dancing on a table, which was apparently the thing to do (sweet Hallo-rhyme, Jordan).

It's what Gwen would've wanted.

And, even when you’re sitting in your living room full of burger and pumpkin beer, and you haven’t gotten one trick-or-treater (WHATEVER, more candy for me!), you’ll be glad that you celebrated Halloween exactly the way you wanted to.

Merry Halloween, folks.

Did you celebrate Halloween (or Halloweekend) this year?

What was your costume?

PS big thanks to Gwen Stefani and No Doubt for Halloween-spiration this year!

Foodie Pen Pals: October!

October 30, 2011November 28, 2011 / foodsweatandbeers / 11 Comments

Post-Homecoming Coma is about to commence.

Before that happens, though, I need to give credit where credit is due.

That same day that I received an excellent package from Hannah , I also received one from Laura, the Oddest of the Ducks!

Hot and DANGEROUS!!

Laura knew just what I wanted (probably because she emailed me to ask).

I said I liked flavor.

I said I liked spice.

I said I like salty and sweet.

Laura delivered (well, the postman delivered for her).

Inside this beautiful box of Texas treats?

Salted caramels (my newest favorite indulgence, thank you very much)
Melinda’s Habanero Ketchup (can’t WAIT to try this, I got some meat just waiting to be a spicy burger)
Clint’s Hot Texas Salsa (I wanna bathe in it)
Chihuahua de Mexico Wood Smoked Salt that I want to use asap
Spicy Pepper Tanka Buffalo Cranberry bar (say WHAT?!?!)
DL Jardine’sBlazin’ Saddles hot sauce
I'll take mine on a chip with an avocado, thanks.

“Pimento Olive Almonds” – also known as almonds covered in chocolate, covered in more chocolate

Jealous?

Laura, you got my tastebuds in a tizzy, and I can’t thank you enough!!
And now it’s time for some details about Foodie Penpals. In case you’re a new reader, here’s a reminder of what the program is all about:

-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month. *US Residents only please at this time- hopefully we can expand soon!*

If you’re interested in participating for November, please send Lindsay an email at theleangreenbean@gmail.com and include the following information:
-Your full name
-Your email address
-Your blog name/address
-Your twitter handle (if applicable)

Gems from Men’s Health

October 28, 2011December 27, 2012 / foodsweatandbeers / 6 Comments

TGIF hasn’t meant as much to me as maybe it does today.

In a few hours, I’ll be picking my buddy, Claireb, from the airport.

Later in the night, my[fraternity] brother from another mother, Eric, will be pulling into Chapel Hill.

And, with the addition of my pal Kinsley, UNC’s Homecoming Weekend can truly begin.

And, to celebrate my excitement, in a completely unrelated manner, I’d like to share with you…. some pearls of wisdom from Men’s Health. Ryan forgot to have his subscription changed to his new address, so now we all get to reap the rewards.

I know, worst segue ever, right? But honestly, I’ve been wanting to share this for a hot second. And I’ve wanted to share pictures of my sexy friends, so it all works out.

Weirdy

First of all, Stephen King is really weird looking.

But, more importantly, of his ten favorite 1,000+ page books, I have read: ZERO!

Gotta up my game, I’ve been meaning to check out Infinite Jest for a while now. But, with the push from Mr. King, I may just have to make that move and buy it! (or borrow it…. anyone wanna lend me over 1,000 pages?)

Good to know

Were you aware that 41% of household surfaces are contaminated with rhinoviruses when an inhabitant has a cold?

With cold season in FULL gear, if that doesn’t make you want to run out and buy about a million Lysol wipes, I don’t know what will. (PS, I love Lysol wipes and use them for a huge percent of my cleaning activities.)

(Is that a real thing? A “cleaning activity”? Sounds so lame.)

Everyone in my office has been picking up sickness lately, so I’m gonna be doing extra wipes for safety (and for a sweet citrusy smell).

Thanksgiving Cheat Sheet!

This one’s a little tougher to read BUT I really loved it. It compares the best and worst “Thanksgiving sides” by nutritional value. The worst? Stuffing with sausage.

Luckily, this is my very favorite. Perfect.

Maybe I’ll just try to stick with their “best” bets: Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Fresh Cranberry Sauce.

I’ll assume that since my true love, sweet potato casserole, didn’t make the list, I’ll just have to eat a bowl the size of my head as it’s clearly gotta be a nutritional power-house.

Perfect.

Watch out, ladies

Also, folks, just a warning to lock up your daughters this weekend.

After reading this article, I can safely say that I will be able to date any and every woman imaginable.

Let me know if you need any tips.

Real talk, though: I LOVE reading Men’s Health (thanks Ryan for forgetting to change it!) The articles are well-written and relevant to every day life, they promote healthy living without anything extreme looking like cleanses or “~~bridal~~ groom bootcamp” (at least, that I’ve read so far), and 90% of the time, I end up finding something in the magazine that truly makes me laugh out loud (or LOL, for the 1337s out there).

Makes me think that, if I love that magazine so much, maybe I’d be a huge fan of Dr. Pepper Ten. We’ll see.

Anything making you TGIF today?

What’s your FAVORITE magazine?

I’m always looking for new ones to read.

What You (or maybe I) Missed Thursday

October 27, 2011 / foodsweatandbeers / 4 Comments

Whoah, jam. Sometimes, everything in life seems to hit you at once.

Between volleyball, beer events, exercise, work, personal care, meals, and sleep, my plate feels pretty full at the moment. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that it’s overflowing, but I think I see a bit peeking over the edge of that plate.

I loved hearing what you all had to think about the Dr. Pepper Ten advertising campaign. While I still haven’t tried it, Serious Eats: Serious Drinks reviewed the three Doctors together, and Dr. Pepper Ten apparently tastes more like Dr. Pepper. So, my personal jury is still out, at least until I try it, but I still don’t feel too fond of the campaign. Oh well.

In other news, here’s what you’ve missed in my life (or, conversely, what I missed blogging about).

Girls' Pint Out repping it so hard!

NCGPO rocked a table at the Casks for a Cure event hosted by Rockfish, and the event raised $2400 for Susan G. Komen for the Cure!!

Pink beer by Mystery Brewing!

HUGE crowd chomping at the bit for some Cask Beer!

My friends over at NC Brewing did a great job of covering this event, so I won’t bore you with my recap, but it was a blast to spend time with my favorite beer friends, drink new (to me) beers, andddd win some goodies.

This is probably when I won $30 to TJs.... or a brewery tour.

Winnings included:

Tour and Pint Glasses from Red Oak
$30 gift card to TJs in Carrboro!!

Not too shabby, eh? The perks of buying raffle tickets…

In other news, No Pants Wednesday has, at least temporarily, been replaced with Giant Warm Pants Wednesday. Adjust your calendars accordingly, it’s chilly out there!

Ole Miss on Top, UNC on the bottom, school spirit abounds!

I’ve also been eating a steady stream of spaghetti squash without getting sick of it one bit. I’ve been adding different mix-ins including, but not limited to: cauliflower, broccoli, steamed carrots, pizza sauce, cheese, red pepper, oregano, spinach, pepperoni.

Variety is the spice of squash.

Fourth bowl in four days? Yup.

As far as what else I’ve been up to…. well, it mostly centers around Halloween prep.

Remember when I was brainstorming not too long ago?

I think I settled on something.

Hmmmm. Pretty easy.

Any guesses? I’ll give you a hint, this is the easiest game ever.

What are you being for Halloween?

Since it seems to be THE weekend to celebrate, are you going out once, twice, thrice?

I have the costume I’m making, as well as a backup, just in case.

You never know when you gotta throw on a full Santa suit.

Dr. Pepper Ten: Gendered Soda Advertising

October 24, 2011 / foodsweatandbeers / 17 Comments

I’ll preface this post with a heads up: I took quite a few Women’s Studies classes at UNC. Graduating with a minor in Sexuality Studies, it was bound to happy. And, though I never planned on it, VOILA I ended up a feminist. The name of my game is equality, women’s rights, and all that good stuff. Imagine my horror, all that considered, when I saw this little gem on the television:

I’ll give you a moment to digest that.

Got it?

Good.

If you were too busy to watch the 30 second clip, let me give you the cliffnotes version:

Dr. Pepper Ten is a new product from Dr. Pepper that is their take on a “manly” diet soda. With only 10 “manly” calories, no longer will you seem like a lady drinking diet soda. You’ll appear tough, rugged, and bold drinking Dr. Pepper Ten.

And, apparently, it’s not for women.

Poppycock.

I can’t even say that I’m bothered by the “No Girls Allowed” part. Whatever. I don’t want your stupid soda anyway.

I think what really gets me is this idea that “diet” soda is only for women. Or that men can handle 10 calories but women can’t. Or whatever inane thought process fueled this ad campaign.

You know what else is 10 calories?

1 navel orange segment
A SINGLE Whopper (the malted milk ball, not the burger, crazy!)
HALF of a pecan
2.5 pistachios
3 green grapes

(big thanks to Self Magazine for doing that math for us all)

My vote for the least manly looking ten calories?

Pink Lemonade Crystal Light, gentlemen?

This isn’t the first ad campaign that’s been all about gearing a product towards macho men (see: Axe Body Spray, Old Spice body wash) and it’s not the first “diet” soda that is trying to be diet without actually calling itself diet (see: Coke Zero, Pepsi Max). But the whole idea behind these drinks being more appropriate for males vs. females just seems a little outrageous.

Anyone remember the Diet Pepsi skinny can?

Bottom line: People like the taste of soda, and they also like reducing their caloric intake (whether it’s to be “skinny” like the can or fit like the Dr. Pepper Ten Manly Men). And if/when I see a dude drinking Dr. Pepper Ten, I’m not going to think he’s more manly. I’m going to think he’s insecure about drinking “diet” Dr. Pepper.

It’s just where my mind’s going to jump now that Dr. Pepper has launched this campaign making me painfully aware that it has less calories than regular Dr. Pepper but more than Diet Dr. Pepper.

We’ll see how this Dr. Pepper Ten fares… I have to admit, I’d love to do a taste test with the 3 Drs. themselves to see where my flavor preferences go. I figure it’s the same morbid curiosity that drives me to want to try Chick Beer. I want to know if there’s more to this soda than a flashy ad campaign that pushes gender roles down the throats of viewers.

What’s your take on this whole “gendered” soda advertising?

Have you tried Dr. Pepper Ten? What did you think?

Six Pack Sunday: The Leftovers

October 23, 2011December 27, 2012 / foodsweatandbeers / 11 Comments

~~Sometimes~~ All the time, I keep a camera with me. It’s a little point a shoot, Nikon Coolpix S203.

Because I am painfully aware that I have this camera with me at all times, I find myself taking pictures a lot. Pictures of things I want to remember, pictures of things to remind myself of other things, funny pictures, stupid pictures. Then, I pull them onto my computer, and, unless I do something with them right away (blog, tweet, upload to Facebook), chances are, I’ll forget that I even took them.

This week’s Six Pack Sunday is dedicated to those pictures. The forgotten, the leftovers, the little snapshots that never surfaced on the world wide web. Come along for the ride, why don’t you?

1. I’m the Queen of the Cubes!

At UNC I had the unique opportunity to be a female in a co-ed literary and arts fraternity. And, every now and then, I’d visit my brothers at Ole Miss. Ole Miss being Ole Miss, their chapter was all male.

Ever wonder what it’s like to be in a fraternity?

This pretty much sums it up.

I know, I know, it’s not #craftbeer. I’m not mad. And man, does it pair nicely with spicy crawfish, loud music, and springtime in Oxford, MS.

2. Dora the… Crustacean?

She’s super crabby

There’s a lot of wacky things at the Jersey shore.

This Dora the Explorer hermit crab is just one of them.

3. Dogfish Head Tap Takeover

Woody’s at City Market had a Dogfish Head Tap Takeover this summer. And I rushed from my beach volleyball game in Cary to make it, still wearing my sandy shorts and tank top, sweating my face off.

Glistening with beer joy

It was completely and totally worth it, if only for a chance to try the Sah’Tea Randalized with Black Indian Chai and lemon zest. To date, one of the most delicious beers I’ve ever put in my mouth.

Oh, and the $3.50 flights didn’t hurt, either.

A Perfect Paddle

If I lived anywhere closer to Raleigh, I get the feeling that the folks at Woody’s and I would get very very close.

4. Sisters Icing Bros

Does anyone remember back when “Icing” was a thing? Icing is a drinking game for bros (and chick-bros), where the point is to make other bros drink Smirnoff Ice “against their will, at ridiculously inopportune times.”

Last year, we iced my brother on the beach.

And then, my aunt Iced him on Christmas.

Merry Christmas

99% of the time, I’m very very glad this is not a trend anymore.

1% of the time, when I’m writing Six Pack Sundays, I miss it so much.

5. Save the Date

I took the following picture the first weekend of January 2011.

Hmmm.

Well, I’m not absolutely certain what I was doing on May 21, 2011. But I’ll tell you what I wasn’t doing. I wasn’t hanging out with the big JC, despite wearing my most appropriate Return of Christ outfit.

Maybe next year?

6. Some People Eat Bugs

Every year, Raleigh’s NC Museum of Natural Sciences hosts Bugfest. There’s cool exhibits and people covered in bees and butterfly crafts.

Oh, and lots and lots of edible bug treats. Local chefs and restaurants will whip up versions of their food featuring one key ingredient: BUGS! There was lots to try last year.