Michelob Winters Bourbon Cask Ale

Here's how Michelob describes it: "During even the coldest of weather, warm up to the smooth, robust taste of our Winter's Bourbon Cask Ale. Full of rich aromas that you find in the winter months, hints of vanilla and flavorful hops, this is a beer that is great for pouring into a large tulip glass and enjoying with friends around a fireplace."

I'd say it was more of a standard Budweiser product with a little more caramel color, a bit more artificial malted and vanilla taste, no real mouthfeel, no head, and really nothing special about it. As usual, Anheuser-Busch has taken a good idea and diluted it down in an attempt to get mass appeal. Am I the only one who thinks that's a silly thing to do with a small batch (relatively speaking), seasonal beer?

Now, if they dropped the words "Cask" and "Ale" from the name, maybe...

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

I've posted a few hundred photos up on Phanfare.com of my European vacation... Access to the albums is limited to invited friends, so if you'd like an invite, drop me an email.

I'll be adding captions "soon".

With creative stunts like this, maybe there's hope...

It's stuff like this that restores my faith in mankind...

Miller Chill

Most people who know me probably wouldn't peg me as a Miller Chill drinker. But I've got to tell you, I think this is a pretty good beer -- especially for a flavored beer. According to the Miller folks, it's a "chelada-style" beer, which means they've added lime and salt flavoring. I don't taste the salt, but the hint of lime makes this a great summer brew. Add in the fact that it's Miller Lite-based, and you've got a winner... A lite-weight winner (pun intended) in terms of taste, but refreshing none the less.

After reading up on chelada, I think I'll try this beer in a salted glass on ice. Why not?

Stay tuned.

I'm back... I think I'm over Miller Chill. The ice may have been the corker. Truth is, I realized how little taste there was to this "beer" other than the chemical lime taste... I think I'll try something like a Negra Modelo the same way -- over ice, with a slated rim and a dash of fresh jalapenos...

Special Report: Top 100 Independents - 4/15/2008 - Restaurants & Institutions

Special Report: Top 100 Independents - 4/15/2008 - Restaurants & Institutions

No, there's no sign of Gibby's on the R&I Top 100 list of independent restaurants for 2008, but I thought I'd share this anyway... I'm kind of surprised at the sheer number of Vegas restaurants on the list, but it's been so long since I've been to Vegas I probably don't have a clue how busy those restaurants are... The last time I was there, I got mad that there were 30 people in line at Caesar's Palace's buffet line, so I went back and lost even more money so they'd comp me for dinner and I'd get to jump the line.

How many of these have you been to? Not just Vegas, anywhere?