A Postmodern Orthodoxy

If you’re a foodie and/or a beer geek that lives in Alabama, you may know about this already.  Just in case:

Alabama – up until today – had some of the most antediluvian beer laws of any state in the union – the size of bottles was limited, as was the ABV percentage of the beer that was sold. Today, the activism of the folks over at Free The Hops finally succeeded in getting Alabama’s beer laws changed.

This has been an ongoing saga for a few years, now, but hopefully this means that we’ll start to see more high-gravity beers in Alabama. Quite a few world-class beers – Belgian Trappist Ales, and the like – are now legal to sell.

I am, as I seem to be so frequently, sitting at The Nook writing a blog post and drinking a good beer. The beer, in this particular instance, is Olde Towne’s latest seasonal offering – their Pumpkin Ale. I have had several pumpkin ales in the past, but I have not yet had one that has been anything even remotely close to this good. It’s a remarkable beer, and they’ve got it on draft.

So drop whatever you are doing, and get over to the Nook and order an Olde Towne Pumpkin Ale. Seriously. This is the best beer that Olde Towne has ever released.

I am not making this up.

Those who are looking for theological ramblings occasionally have to tolerate my forays into discussions of good beer, fondue recipes, wine recommendations, and essays about Thai food. I will try to keep it brief.

I met a few folks tonight over at The Nook tonight – first time I’ve been over there – and it’s highly recommended. For this area, they’ve got a great selection of stuff on draft, and over 120 different kinds of beers in bottles. (They do not, however have Bud Light. This tends to cut down on the riffraff, although one wonders how they can stay in business in this area.) Also they have good food, good live music (that was quiet enough that you could still have a conversation, wonder of wonders), and a no-smoking policy. Quite a bit different – and better, for my money – than your average bar experience.

This is the sort of place that I would think I would run across somewhere other than in Huntsville. I’m rather surprised and delighted that we have it here. Wow.