Give Me Liberty!!!

Give me Liberty! 

Tucked away in the Olde Village section of Plymouth, the Liberty Street Brewing Company is well worth a visit.   Housed in a 100+ year old building, the brewing operation  itself is less than a year old. The inside looks brand-spankin' new, but, at the same time, has that "old pub" feel...in a modern way.  Confused?  Get there and you will see what I mean!  The combination of tile work on the tables, woodworking and recessed lighting at the bar, high ceiling, and color scheme makes for an awesome atmosphere.  Instant comfort. I still have no understanding of the ceramic squirrel on display in a brick recess in the men's room.  (I suspect there is a nut joke here somewhere, but I am going to stay away from it....)

Interestingly enough, while they do serve food, the most involved item on the menu is an 8" personal pizza.  They apparently can't manage big meals from their small kitchen. The solution?  They have an agreement with at least 10 different restaurants in Plymouth that will deliver!   Pizzas.  Subs.  Pastas from the local fancy-scmanzy place.  You can get it all. How cool is that?

Then, of course, there is the beer.  That's why they call it a brewery, right?  Even though they have only been open since late 2008, they already have a Gold Medal from the 2009 World Beer Expo.  Liberty House Pilsner (641), Blonde Ale (642), Red Glare Amber Ale (643), House Mild Brown (644), Clementine Lemon Thyme (645), Foreign Extra Stout (646), and Helles Yes (647) where all on tap.  Hands down, the best beers were the Stout, Pilsner, and Amber Ale.   (If you are a regular reader here, you know I love it when breweries have fun with names that reflect local themes.  The "Red Glare Amber Ale" is perfect given theme of liberty and independence.  They are on the right track but have some work to do here!)

For an after dinner warm-up, you can also get Green Mountain coffee, brewed one cup a time.  If you are not familiar with them, they are making steps to promote better coffee sustainability. Almost half of their coffee Fair Trade. While that alone is not up to snuff from a bird standpoint, it certainly beats a cup of slop from Folger's or Maxwell House!

Consider the Liberty Street Brewing Company for Life, Liberty and pursuit of Good Beer!

More Blog Fodder

I have not been out and about lately, but I have spending some time online (too much time, I suspect).  Anyhow, I bumbled into some websites that might be of interest to some of you.

One is called The Raptorphile and is posted by a buddy of mine from the greater Chicago area, Vic Berardi.  He has been a big player in the North American hawk circle for a few years.  He is quite the photographer, too.

I suspect some of that photography has rubbed off on his son, Steve.  Steve's blog, PhotoNaturalist is a killer! Not only does he take awesome photos, but he shows you some tricks of the trade. 

Check 'em out when you get a minute!

Morning Sun

A few days ago, I snapped this pic of this young Sharp-shinned Hawk catching a few morning rays of sunshine.  I think she would have enjoyed the spectacle a bit more if she had nailed that Blue Jay a few moments before....

A Few Birds Today

So with today being my last day off until well into next week, I opted to spend the bulk of the day at Lake Erie Metropark for the Detroit River Hawkwatch.   We saw a few birds...

An Owl Predicted My Milestone Beer

Owls are just so awesome. Not only are they one hell of a predator, but the myths and legends that surround them can be very interesting reads and quite varied.

Depending on where you call home home, seeing one on the way to harvest will provide a good yield. Hearing one may mean a child will get sick or someone will die..unless you're a pregnant woman at which point you can expect a girl. For some, however, if you hear it while you are in labor, the child will live an unhappy life. In India, a broth made from owl eyes could be used to help a sick child. In Algeria, placing the eye of an owl in the hand of a sleeping woman will force her to tell the truth. Guess who believes that if an owl flies in your house, you have to kill it because it leaves with your luck? Yup. The Irish.

I think you get the point. I could go on forever.

But, I would rather start my own myth - if you hear a Great Horned Owl calling before sunrise in a suburban Detroit neighborhood, you will consume a milestone beer.

Actually, it is not a myth. It 's true. Really.

Yesterday morning, before sunrise, from the comfort of my warm bed, I heard the calling of a Great Horned Owl. Birders often describe the hoots of this particular bird as one asking a simple question: "Whoooo's awake. Meeeeeee, toooooo !" Seeing that it was 5am, I guess I got to answer the question "Meeeeeee dammit. Thaaaaaaaaanks alot!"

With dinner yesterday (parmesian chicken bake with julien potatoes), I "enjoyed" my 630th beer. What is the big deal with that number? 630 is now a point when my bird list and my beer list are the same! I never thought the day would come, but it is here - I have sampled as many beers as I have seen birds!

So what was the milestone beer?

The Hitachino Nest Beer from the Kiuchi Brewery in Japan got the call. Unfortunately, it was not worthy of such a milestone beer. It started good with a great look (cloudy straw yellow and a shortlived white head). Everything crashed when I smelled it. Lemon, lemon, lemon. On the palate? Guess what? More lemon with a titch of carbonation. The finish was dry, lemony,and tart. There was no suggestion of hops at any point. All in all, I think it could be described as a funny, watered-down, carbonated lemonade. 2 out of 5.

So why would I have chosen a sub-par beer for such a milestone? First, I did not know it was sub-par. Ultimately, I had something else in mind. I simply wanted to have a beer with a bird on the bottle. Nothing more. As you can see from the bottle cap, this fit the bill. I have had it in my fridge for over a week.

Tuesday was kinda interesting if you think about it. An owl in the morning. An owl in the evening. One was a bird. One was a bust.