Like many people, I like to have a little balance in my life. For instance, when grilling I like to have a beer in one hand and the tongs in the other. This creates a nice balance and keeps me from tipping over. Seriously though, I find it a lot easier on the conscience if I hit the gym before over indulging. Balance. By the time I was home from church and got cleaned up after the gym it was almost 5 o’clock. I was heading over to our good friends’ home in Savage. They have a seven month old and I am a bachelor on Friday nights so it’s a win-win for both of us. I don’t have to spend the night alone and they don’t have to get a sitter but we both feel like we didn’t waste a perfectly good Friday night. The warm weather meant it was time to get the grill out (enter ‘Tim the tool man Taylor’ sound effects here). In my opinion there’s nothing better than sitting outside on a warm evening. The smell of marinated meat sizzling on the grill, the sound of dogs barking and a glass of craft beer in your hand… ahhhhhh. The only thing missing was the smell of freshly cut grass. Soon enough.
The night was planned out perfectly. 5:00, happy hour. 6:00, eat. 6:30, enjoy a nice cigar. 7:00, Twins game. The evening was welcomed by a nice cold Summit EPA. Ah, yes, a man’s beer. A Minnesota staple. A craft beer brewed to perfection every time. Sure there might be more exciting, trendy craft beers out there but there is no beer more solid. Enjoyable day in and day out. A local favorite and must have in my fridge. After supper (and a couple cold EPA’s) it was time for a new favorite of mine… Cigars and Surly. I just love the flavors that dance in my mouth during the combination of a good cigar and a Surly Bender. As they say; it takes two to tango. The cigar tasting of rich tobacco, spice and of course smokiness with the dark chocolatey roastiness of the Bender meld in prefect harmony with one another. However, it could be the over the top hoppiness of this beer that really compliments the cigar. Give it a try.
After the fire was extinguished and Kaylee was put to bed the boys retired to the man cave for a night of baseball and bitterness. Bitter because the game wasn’t being broadcast in HD, Grrrr! But bitter also because I was enjoying the latest Surly seasonal – Bitter Brewer. I find myself saying “this is one of my favorites” about many of their beers but this one I really look forward to. So easy to drink yet so delicious at the same time. I love hops and this beer has plenty. A far cry from their Furious but more than enough to make me happy. Bitter brewer is also low in alcohol (4% ABV) so you can drink a few and still function. A classic session beer.
Our mighty Twins were just coming off a 2-2 opening series home stand. I always get excited for baseball’s opening day. For me, at least mentally, it signifies the end of winter and the beginning of summer. Other than that, there really is nothing too exciting about Seattle coming to town. I would have preferred to sweep them but hey, the Twins will lose 50 or 60 games this season so I can’t get down on them already. This next series is where it is at. Many of you remember last year… the dreaded game 163. A crushing defeat in a one game playoff with our arch-rival Chicago White Sox. That game was decided by a solo homerun by Twins-killer Jim Thome. Final score 1-0. White sox in, Twins out. Now, seven months later, we pick up right where we left off; US Cellular Field in Chicago’s south side. As we all know by now the game ended up in favor of the Twins and it was a treat to watch as a Twins fan. The highlight for me had to be Joe Crede’s homecoming. Joe was acquired by the Twins as a free agent from the White Sox in the offseason. He was a crowd favorite in Chicago.
When he came up to bat for the first time he was greeted with not only a standing ovation but a warm up song. As Joe stepped into the box the loud speakers blasted Air Supply’s hit All Out of Love. “I 'm all out of love, I'm so lost without you…etc”. It was pretty funny and even Joe himself got a kick out it as he was seen chuckling. Moments later he reminded the White Sox fans just what they loved about him… his ability to hit the long ball. Crede laced a 2-0 pitch off Jose Contreras (see picture) into the left field bleachers giving the Twins a two to nuthin lead. After see-sawing for the next five innings the Twins finally broke it open with a seven run seventh innning. Final score 12-5 Twins. It was a great game to watch if you are a Twins fan. And it was a great way to finish out the work week. Beer, Baseball, BBQ and Blunts. It was a Good Friday indeed.
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