As if there aren’t enough things to love about California, the Golden State is home to more breweries than you can shake a flight paddle at. Taking its name from the town in which it broke ground in 1996, Coronado Brewing Company has been staking its claim in the craft beer world for two decades. The San Diego-area brewer enjoys coast-to-coast, and even international distribution, all for good reason. Continue reading
Over the course of 2016, I dove headfirst into an abiding love affair with sour beers, making it a point to try as many as I could find. A straight and obvious line was drawn from my existing predilection towards sour fruit and candy, so in the bars and beer aisles I set my sights on goses and weisses galore. In particular, the Berliner Weisse – born of the German style of brewing that combines wheat, warm-fermented yeasts, citrus fruit and certain bacteria that aids in souring- has risen to the top of my list. Tart, sour, and at the same time malty, the Berliner Weisse is a fantastic choice for those aren’t into the all-out hop game when it comes to their taste in beer. What is also great about this type of beer is that the option to modify it with flavored syrups – often raspberry or lemon – is available, which provides for a sweetness that balances out the tart nature of this unique variety of ale. Continue reading
On Friday, January 13th, 2017 – the luckiest of all days – a new brewery will open its doors in the town that I used to call home. Nestled in the heart of the industrial park in Lakewood, New Jersey, Icarus Brewing Company will bring about the free flow of lovingly-brewed beer to the local masses. Everyone has heard the oft-cited chant “location, location, location!” in relation to business planning, and Icarus Brewing has not only heard it, but has taken it to heart. In a brilliant act of positioning, the brewery has set up shop in one of the world’s largest industrial parks, creating a perfect spot for an after-work pint for the park’s thousands of employees. Also just a stone’s throw away from towns such as Brick and Toms River, and seated right near an entrance to the Garden State Parkway, Icarus Brewing’s home base makes for a convenient draw for not only the beer-loving denizens of the Jersey Shore, but also for those from further-off lands. Continue reading
The No Seatbelt Blog returns from its hiatus just in time for the holidays, and is ringing in the Christmas season with a brand-new edition of “The Beer List”! This year, I get to gush about one of my favorite Christmas beers, White Christmas from Sam Adams. Since this brew mysteriously eluded me in 2015, my words here will carry excitement as fresh as the fallen snow.
Nicolas Cage has gotten a bad rap over the years, be it for his questionable role choices, or for his dry, monotone delivery. I once saw a short cartoon that pokes fun at Cage for his apparent inability to turn down much of anything that comes his way. In the cartoon, you see an animated version of Cage sitting in a chair, with text on the screen reading something to the effect of “Nicolas Cage After Reading Any Movie Script.” He looks up from the script and simply says, in his signature drawl, “Sure.” What is not questionable, however, is that the man has had some gems peppered about his resume throughout his long tenure in Hollywood. Here, five of his best movies (in my not-so-humble opinion) will be discussed. It’s not that these movies would be nothing without him, but Cage brings a quirky charm to these obvious selections (no, Raising Arizona did not make the list). So, without further adieu, I present in no particular order, five must-see Nicolas Cage movies… Continue reading
It’s quite literally the stuff of nightmares. Right up there with spiders, a world without bacon, and this year’s Presidential election, a bone-chilling phenomenon has quickly spread from its apparent origins in the Carolinas (where much of the inland demographic is comprised of good ol’ boys with shotguns and itchy trigger fingers) all the way to my hometown in New Jersey. It seems that certain members of society have taken it upon themselves to prey upon the general public’s abject fear of clowns, and have hammered that fear in without, to my knowledge, actually inflicting physical harm upon anyone. Continue reading
This week on “The Beer List” here at The No Seatbelt Blog, a special beer is being featured, and it goes by several different names. Brewed by my friend and fellow loudmouth from The Only Podcast That Matters, Andrew, and by a beer-loving buddy of ours who goes by the name of Scott, this Belgian quadrupel took the title “Scott and Drew’s Strange Brew.” Concocted lovingly at The Brewer’s Apprentice in Freehold, New Jersey, where amateur brewers, guided by the professional sort can make their own beer and wine, this particular brew is truly the proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing. Continue reading
Nowadays, I’m nothing of a gamer. I own an Xbox 360 that is covered in dust, my Live membership having lapsed long ago. In my youth, however, a video game controller was often in my hands (or being thrown from them during a temperamental rage-quit) after I reluctantly came inside. There were many games that I enjoyed, but here I will discuss five games that I miss immensely and long to have back in my life. These games span from the original Nintendo system, on through Nintendo 64, and encompass perhaps thousands of hours of gameplay between them. Continue reading
As interconnected as the world is today, it’s still a big place. If you want to see some of the incredible places that our home planet has to offer, you might be required to board a pressurized metal cylinder that soars tens of thousands of feet of above the ground and is subject to an endless list of possible mishaps. Continue reading
Welcome to the first ever Brewery Special at The No Seatbelt Blog! In lieu of simply reviewing one specially designated beer this week, I will present the details of my visit to Firestone Walker in Los Angeles. With my friends Chris and Jack, I went to the brewery, which also had a restaurant attached to it, for some pre-movie eats and brews. Continue reading
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