I have something to tell the world: I really don't care much about the Super Bowl. There, I said it.
Like many things that are supposed to be the "most awesomest thing in the history of awesome", the Super Bowl itself never lives up to the hype. It's a bloated six hour commercial with some football sprinkled in when Toyota doesn't need to sell you something. I mean, think of it this way: Madonna is the halftime entertainment. Did I miss the black hole that spun the planet back to 1988? There's no one available more compelling than Madonna? Yes, I'll watch the game. I'll eat some chips and drink a beer (obviously!) and pay attention to the commercials. But I refuse to spend an excess amount of energy or time caring about this nonsense. Now this being said, who's making bets on this year's Puppy Bowl? Anyone taking action on Bud Bowl?
One highlight of the Super Bowl is that beer advertisements are usually among the most entertaining spots of the night. Sadly, the beer isn't quite as interesting as the ads. So, here's a much more interesting beer: Elliot Brew, a collaboration between De Struise and Mikkeller, a highly regarded gypsy brewer. I'm filing it as a beer from De Struise, as they seem to be the lead dog. Or at least, their name comes first. This collaboration brought together two unique perspectives on craft beer to create a double IPA. The beer pours a hazy amber color with an abundant foamy head. A good hop bitterness dominates the flavor, and it has a rich malt taste, with some toffee notes hiding underneath. Definitely a winner, grab one if you can.
Elliot Brew checks in at 9.0% ABV, and it's allegedly the hoppiest beer produced in Belgium. Not sure that I'm qualified to weigh on that distinction, so I'll just put it out there for you to be the judge. I've also seen Tsjeesees, another De Struise beer, on draft in our neighborhood, and I intend to try it when it's available again. There's a bottle from another Mikkeller project in our fridge, so the other half of this combo will get their due soon enough.
Thing to Think About Today:
While everyone is rocking out to the (awful) sounds of the Material Girl, let me suggest you mute the TV and put on some music you can actually enjoy. Today, I encourage you to think about The New Pornographers. A Canadian alt-rock outfit, this band has been churning out critically acclaimed albums since 2000. They're sort of hard to describe - they rock, they have a softer side, they blend harmonies together, they bounce through pop numbers. Maybe that what makes them so appealing? The band is fronted by Carl Newman, with Neko Case adding her amazing voice on most tracks (Full disclosure: I have a crush on Neko Case). This band currently resides on the list of my all-time favorite bands, so there's no way I could just give you one clip today:
Some awesome cameos in the above video for Moves. And, cocaine as a pizza topping!
A very sci-fi video for Up In the Dark.
You know that Steelers/Cardinals Super Bowl was exciting from start to finish...there not all '85 Bears/Pats like.
ReplyDeleteI'm fine with the actual games; that's just football which I love. But the dog and pony show for the two weeks leading up to it is just a bit unbearable. I don't need a damn 8 hour pregame show with special features on the back-up punter's workout plan, followed up with a 2 hour halftime rock concert.
ReplyDeleteDamn, I'm a grumpy old man.