The Booze Beat

Branson Ridge impresses

webadmin@joplinglobe.com — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 01:23:13 GMT

One night on a recent Branson trip, I stopped in at the Branson Ridge Winery shop on The Branson Landing. It's new since I�ve been south to Music City. Branson Ridge had been developing a full-scale winery near Branson, but slowed development when the economy went south too.

I love Missouri vino and seldom miss a chance to sample the state grape. The Ridge shop offers a five-sample tasting for $5. A good deal. The samples were generous and the tasting staff friendly. My taste-test guide was great. She guided me through the process with out causing wine-tasting anxiety, like some places can � and do. No one inside the shop that night could speak fore the company. I didn�t get back in to talk to the big cheese during the weekend. I will soon. They provided a good experience inside during my tasting and I saw lots of folks sipping on glasses of their product on the patio outside. I didn�t check out the by-the-glass price.

By the bottle
I picked up a couple of bottles to take home. The Harmonie Sweet White was enjoyable and crazy-reasonable priced. Melon and citrus flavors with a clean finish and no Ozark�s aftertaste. I also grabbed a bottle of American Sweet Blossom sparkling wine. A little more $$$ than the other, but a good value @ 8.5 % ABV. Great bottle and label. Neither Branson Ridge product provided much info on the label, but maybe that�s Sometimes I just want to know about the grapes or vintner or company lore. Both good values, and great people watching on their Branson Landing wine shop patio.

Cheers

When Dave's beats collide

webadmin@joplinglobe.com — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:51:08 GMT

I can never understand why people think Branson is all Baldknobbers and funnel cakes. I can honestly say that I�ve always had a good adult time when visiting the music city of the Mid-west. Ni Juke. Those of you who snub your noses at Branson are missing out. I spent the weekend down there and was again surprised at the number of 20 to 50 something�s who were bellied up to the bars down on the Landing. At Bar Louis, the crowd was mid-40�s to mid-60�s. I was in the middle �. age wise � and felt like I was in college sports bar. Missouri was playing on one of the dozen flat screens. Kansas on another, and a really crazy group of Vikings fans were goin� nuts when Minnesota�s favorite sons scored. That was just Sunday. Beers flowed and chicken wings were a flyin.� Great special too: $2 Coors light and 10 cent wings. That�s a deal. And some say Branson�s too expensive. That�s not true. You just need to know where to go.

I hit a good restaurant on Friday night. The Blue Olive pleased. Kinds like Branson�s Club 609. It offered a good late-bar crowd and the food satisfied. I still prefer 609.

Caf� Laredo, as it always does, impressed. Great food, killer guacamole and tequilas galore. The bartenders there are helpful and a fun conversation. That�s a nice thing about bar staffs on The Branson�s Landing: Few of them are from around here. I�ve met bartenders who made the city switch from Las Vegas, New York, L.A., Seattle and Sante Fe. Many of the new Branson arrivals came to open the Hilton on the Landing with hopes of Ozark riches. I hope that�s worked out for them. Tsunami, a local rock and roll bar, still offers a more approachable night life experience. Nice Bartenders, local flair and decent drink prices. Tsunami shares the space with a Japanese restaurant. Sometimes it is a crazy strange fun crowd; restaurant workers, Branson locals and entertainers, and a few hearty tourists who can sniff out a good party.

I asked a couple of 20-something friends down top hang out and �Do Branson� with me. I mean, the full-meal deal: Silver Dollar City, Dick Clark�s, Andy�s Bar & Grill, Shorty Small�s floating bar, The Hollywood Wax Museum, several Branson Landing happy hours and wine tastings galore. I plan to ask him what he thought about our Baldknobber�s weekend, after he recovers.

Cheers.

Back on the Booze Beat

webadmin@joplinglobe.com — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:12:48 GMT

It�s good to be back home.
Since you heard from me last, I�ve crossed the Continental Divide, put another 2500 miles on my 1998 Honda Accord, stalked the streets San Francisco, sunned on the shores of Lake Tahoe, slipped a few coins into slot machines in Reno, driven the Pacific Coast Highway, picked up a parking ticket in San Luis Obispo and sweltered in 117-degree heat in Palm Springs.

By the way, Pam Springs rocks
What a crazy town. It�s not much larger than Joplin, but has a crazy rich population. Bars and clubs abound. The people were all from somewhere else,and were happy to be on vacation. Rounds of drinks and great conversation dominated my PS stay. The stay was cheap: Hotel/resort for $69 a night and every place I went had a good lunch or happy hour special. The prices were no higher than Joplin, Springfield or Tulsa. There are plenty of pricier options
I hafor dinner out or an upscale cocktail. The town impressed me so much that I�m going back in October.

Viva Las Vegas
I've an Elvis wedding to attend in Las Vegas. The significant other and I are renting car and heading west to Palm Springs for a couple of days after our friend Carri Campbell ties the knot, Elvis-style. That will be a party. Both the wedding and PS.
I�ve been back in Joplin for more than three weeks and haven�t been inspired to blog. OK, I can�t say that. I haven�t been on the beat � if you know what I mean, just not moved enough to take any cyber-dairy action.

Gossip confirmed
That�s in the past. Since returning to the Joplin Booze Beat I�ve picked up a couple of tidbits.
Charlie Bird has gotten out of the bar biz. Champ�s is closed and I�m told bird is looking for someone to lease the Champs space. He has also given up the ghost at Silverado Dance Club. Champs has closed and reopened so many times during the years sometimes I forget it�s even there. Billy Kuykendall, the longtime owner of SDC, from whom Bird bought it, has taken it back over. I hope to talk to both about their plans for the future.

Drinkin' shrimp
Club 609 has a new menu and still rocks the best happy hour in town. Drunkin� Shrimp and the new Philly Cheese Steak impress. Brewster�s Bar is still a great place to spend a Saturday morning. Franks Lounge offers fun karaoke, a stiff drink and opens by 7 a.m. six-days a week.

SWEEETTTT TTEEAA!!!
I�ve discovered the Iced tea cocktails. Jeremiah Weid tea mixes are a treat. The Weid sweet tea and Peach Tea Vodka-based mixers are worth a try. Also deserving of a test is the Firefly Sweet Tea. Both are available around town and the Firefly is a better deal, but just as good.

Reno in my rearview mirror

webadmin@joplinglobe.com — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 22:53:55 GMT

After almost seven weeks in Reno, I was ready to get outta� town. Reno was a fun place to spend the summer, but not a place I want to call home for much longer than that. The 24/7 city�s a little more than I think I could sustain. Too many all night bars and seedy lounges. Too many distractions and too many places to grab a cheap beer and hotdog. I know, �who brainwashed Dave?� is what your thinking. No one. I�m just ready to get back to the daily grind of my newsroom, the Booze Beat and my Branson blog.

When I left Reno on Friday afternoon I set out on the final leg of my newspaper summer camp adventure.

San Francisco here I come.

A couple of notes: The Bay Area is crazy expensive. A point of just about any domestic beer comes in at $5 or better. A cheap vodka and cranberry juice set me back $10 on Castro Street, a cosmo dinged me for $14. It ain�t cheap. I found a couple of all you can drink beer specials in SF for $10 for three hours of imbibing. One even offered a cheese burger and chips for the price.

San Francisco bound? Try the Hotel Whitcomb at 8th and Market Street for a good rate and central location. It�s just a few minutes walk down town, on the trolley to Castro or the waterfront. China Town�s an easy walk and so is the Financial District. A late night dinner for two hit me for $120.00 plus a tip at The Globe in downtown SF.

Not bad, but a lil� pricey for what I got:
A small order of BBQ spar ribs, some garlic mashed
A raw tuna dish and squash blossom saut�
Two salads and bread
A couple of desserts and coffee
Two bottle of sparkling water.

No booze. What was I thinking. Like I said, it�s expensive.

The affordable thing about my SF experience was the hotel room. A bargain at $69 a night. Don�t get too excited. Parking set me back $28 a day.

So long San Francisco, hello San Luis Obispo.

Brews, blues and BBQ

webadmin@joplinglobe.com — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:08:31 GMT

I love a good party. No surprise I suppose. The Great El Dorado BBQ, Brews and Blues festival in downtown Reno was a kick. The annual event drew out thousands, and I mean thousands, of hopheads and interested tourists from around the region.

More than 30 breweries were represented at the two-day event sponsored by the El Dorado casino and Resort. There were the usual suspects: Sierra Nevada, Bud, Coors, and the host brewery was Brew Brothers from the El Dorado. For $20 you received a small plastic mug and a dozen wooden beer tokens good for samples. What a party.

The Napa Smith Brewery offered up a pale ale I liked � I went back for a second mug. The featured the pale, an amber and a Hefe. They also were sampling their wheat beer an amber and a pilsner. All good.

Firestone Walker Brewing Company, in Paso Robles, Ca., offered up a Double Barrel India Pale Ale that was a winner too: The British style IPA comes in at 32 IBUs,, a color at 16L and ABV of 5%. Good stuff.

I stopped in at the Mammoth Brewing Company booth too. The Mammoth Lakes brewer sampled me a Pilsner that was had the bitterness I like in the style. Not so bitter it makes you make a bitter beer face, but just enough to be a good example of the style. Great t-shirts too.

The music blared from several stages, about a hundred retail vendors hocked hats, and shirts, jewelry and beer-centric memorabilia. On a 10-point festival scale, the event ranked a nine. Had the brew been free, easily a 10.

I�ll head back down there today.

Fellows Presilla, Sona and Brooke skipped the brew and went straight for a minty Mojitos.

A full weekend ahead

webadmin@joplinglobe.com — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:32:50 GMT

A couple of quick notes: I�m a bad blogger. It�s been toooo long since I shared any of my summer adventure. I have several things to share, but tonight is mine. On Saturday, I plan to cowboy up on a bar stool at the West Street Wine Bar and suck out all of the free Wi-Fi I need to catch up on the Booze Beat, my news service and Maynard blogs. That�s a promise.

I�ve been to the mother ship of Silver Peak and have a report on their new batch of seasonal peach ale. Mmmm. I stopped in at BJ�s in Reno last weekend and was super pleased with the service and the brew. I�ll hit the Reno Rodeo parade in the morning and have a float trip on the Truckee River at Tahoe planned for Sunday. Tough duty,\ I know. But, tonight it�s off for French cuisine at Boujelais Bistro and then out clubbin� downtown with a new friend.

Cheers.

Reno photo gallery

webadmin@joplinglobe.com — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 02:41:07 GMT

Reno really is "The Biggests Little city in the World."

The Cal Neva casino in Reno.

Another view of the Cal Neva at night. Frank Sinatra once owned it.

Maynard fellows enjoy happy hour at Circus Circus

Dancing dealers at Harrah's in Reno. I was almost kicked out for taking photos. Who knew you couldn't take pictures in a casino?

More dancing dealers at Harrah's

A sign advertising EuroFest in reno. Saw a great polka band and The Young Dubliners.

The Mustang Ranch really knows how to market their product. I'm told you can get a get in the door -- among other things -- for around $300.

The Nugget on Virginia Street in Reno

I stayed at Circus Circus my first two nights in Reno. Good value.

Reno's better known for divorces than weddings.

This sign says it all.

Sierra Taphouse

webadmin@joplinglobe.com — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 22:01:41 GMT

Home at last
I have found my happy-hour home for the next five weeks.
A week ago I stumbled onto The Sierra Taphouse along the Truckee River in Reno, NV. What a find. The bar is a little more than three years old and is a hangout for local home-brew fans and hobbyists. As you can see from the pic above, they offer a good selection of Sierra Nevada products and a couple of out-of-this-world specials. On Monday's it's $2 Sierra pints. That's half the price I pay anywhere place else around town. On Wednesday, it's $7 for a 10-inch pizza and a pint. What a deal. You might as well start sending my mail there. The staff was friendly and had a lot to offer concerning Reno's brew scene.

Young Dubliners at EuroFest

webadmin@joplinglobe.com — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:35:07 GMT

I saw the The Young Dubliners on Saturday night in Reno, NV. The show was fantastic. The crowd sang the songs, embraced the band, and danced and cheered. I saw them on The Jimmy Kimmel Show St. Pat's Day and was wowed. Kind of reminds me of the Kate Bush tunes of my youth. I never thought I would get to see the L.A.- based band live. I'm just glad I stumbled onto them in Reno. Just because I'm a redhead ... was, a redhead, I should say ... doesn't mean I'm Irish. Close though. Welsh, I'm told. Here are a couple of pics from the performance.

There are several videos of the The Young Dubliners online that give a taste of the band. I wanted to pick up a CD, but spent my wad on a new cap. My mistake. Maybe later. Oh, by the way � the beer at EuroFest was great too.

I paid $27 for a 32-ounce stein of Lindeman's Framboise. My favorite brew. The same size would have cost me a fortune at home. A 10-ounce at Pizza By Stout runs like $8. The proceeds from the event supported the Shriners Childrens Hospital in Nevada.

Mike, my fellowship roommate from The Oklahoman, shot and edited this video. It was a fun afternoon and a wild night under the tent. Hundreds of people drinking beer, enjoying The Young Dubliners. There were young redheaded families cloggin' and singing and hoisting their beer steins high. Not the kids. And, there were a lot of kids soaking in their Irish heritage. Saturday night, everyone under the beer tent was Irish.

Slainte!

Oktoberfest in June

webadmin@joplinglobe.com — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 04:52:11 GMT

What a weekend.
I didn�t really intend for it to end up that way, but it did. Who am I to argue with fate.
I mean really, I never thought the Sand�s Legacy EuroFest 2009 would be so much fun. The annual event features more than 50 beers from around the world and cuisine to suit it all. It started with a trip to downtown Reno and the search for an empty parking lot at near the hotel. Parking spot secured, my roomy and I set off for the event. The signs I saw promised live music, cold beer and a good time. Talk about under promising, and over delivering. What a great time. The event was a fundraiser for the local Shriners Hospitals for Children. I signed on for a $27 commemorative stein, and 32-ounces of Lindeman�s Framboise, a tasty raspberry ale from Belgium. Back home, that will set you back about $40. It�s a great brew I�ve blogged about befor

The Al Gruber Band was playing German polkas, Frankie Yankovic. waltzes and other popular euro-dance favorites kept the older crowd clapping and dancing. The Al Gruber Band is a family affair. I spotted Bobbie Cotter setting at a folding chair under the big white tent. The 75-year-old Reno transplant told me she�s a EuroFest regular. �We come every year,� Bobbie bragged. �This is one of the favorite things we do every summer. The event was a wild time. Beer stein holding contests, old folks dancing in Germanic costume and a lot of beer.

�I think it�s great things to see the old people get out here having fun.� Bobbie laughed and said, �Some of us can hardly walk, but we can get out here and dance.�
I asked Bobbie to give me her best pitch to get my readers to visit Reno. She seemed to have had her response rehearsed.
�Come to Reno,� she said. �We�ve always got something going on besides casinos.�
She added, �It�s not just about the beer, either!�
After about an hour of Roll out the Barrel and other dance favorites familiar to our grandparents. Oh Sola Mio, anyone?

Kathleen Knuf and her Reno-area family have trekked to EuroFest for the last six years. �We�ve been coming here since it was in Sparks,� she told me.
The annual celebration of all-things beer started Rail City Casino in Sparks and later moved to Reno. �We come to people-watch and for the food. It�s great people watching.�
Kathleen�s daughter Emma, 6, put in simply, �It�s fun.�

Best beer yet

webadmin@joplinglobe.com — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 17:11:23 GMT

Reno is a beer lovers city.
So far I�ve managed to stop in at two local breweries. First I found the Brew Brothers at the Eldorado Hotel and Casino. A great place. Since I was staying a short walk from the bar, I enjoyed more than a few of their brews.

Brew Brothers was �named Best Brewpub in America by Nightclub & Bar magazine,� the hotels Web site says of the establishment. �The Brew Brothers offers eight custom microbrews and a creative menu, including gourmet wood-fired pizzas, salads, burgers, ribs, sandwiches, homemade soups and complete dinners.� According to the site The Brew Brothers was voted �Best Microbrew, �Best Beer Selection,� and �Best Live Music� in a recent Best of Reno poll and was named the highest selling brewpub in North America.

I started with their Gold Dollar Pale Ale and was impressed. A good pale, drinkable and lighter than many. The Wild Card Wheat Ale went down easily too. A little cloudy for my tastes, but a great buy at $4.50 for a 20-ounce pour. The guy next to me at the bar said he loved the bar�s Redhead Amber Ale. He told me it puts Killian�s to shame. I inhaled a $12.50 plate of Cajun fettuccini and ordered Big Dog India Pale Ale. The IPA paired well with the spicy dish. A great experience. I'll get back soon and try the brewery�s seasonal options and the Redhead Amber.

Down Sierra Street a few blocks in downtown Reno is Silver Peak Grill and Tap Room. It�s a great place with plenty of outside seating. The menu is simple but appealing. I stopped in with a couple of fellow Maynard fellows and had some lunch. The Blackrock Blackberry Ale wowed me. I love a fruit beer and this one more than met my expectations. The brew had a clear blackberry color and a non-artificial taste. When I go in the next time I hope to talk a few minutes with some of the beer guys responsible for the brewing. A 20-ounce glass of the blackberry ale set me back $5 and was worth every penny. A barley encrusted chicken sandwich cost $8.95 and a second smaller ale was $4. My lesson: Always order the big glass. (photo by flickr user hathaway_M)
Silver Peak operates two breweries in the Reno area. The company�s Web site says they brew more than twenty styles of ales and lagers and the menus and beers offered vary by location.

Hello Reno

webadmin@joplinglobe.com — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 05:15:38 GMT

I arrived in Reno late Thursday afternoon. I had made a reservation with hotels.com for Circus Circus � in Reno. When I went to check in, they had no reservation. Apparently, the �Customer Care� rep at Hotels.com � and I use that title loosely -- made my reservation for Circus Circus in Las Vegas, not Reno. Their bad.

It took more than an hour and a half on the phone to the �Customer Care� center in El Salvador to get my wrongly made Las Vegas reservation cancelled, and a new one arranged for Reno. Mad? Me? A little! (photo by flickr user: Zach Sheppard)

I settled into my room and hit Virginia Street for a look around. A couple of observations: There are some aggressive panhandlers on Reno�s downtown streets. A lot of them are just kids. Many just fifteen- to nineteen-years old, asking for change and working tourists� sympathies. Not since living in Seattle have I seen so many panhandling youth roaming in packs.

The contrasts between Vegas and Reno are stark. Vegas seems hopeful, while Reno is gritty and desperate. The former Fitzgerald and Virginian casinos lay empty, and many downtown Reno storefronts are abandon. In Vegas, several of the big development projects didn�t see any activity during my three days in town, but the attitude on the street was hopeful. Convention season, I was told by a longtime local bartender, is �ramping up� and everyone is ready to make bank.

Food and drink are cheaper in Reno. I wondered across a great happy hour in the Circus Circus casino bars, and several other spots downtown. Half price is always a good deal.

Up next: Brews Brothers at the El Dorado Casino is exceptional and Silver Peak Grill & Tap Room satisfies.

Great Bierch, good time

webadmin@joplinglobe.com — Sun, 31 May 2009 16:28:24 GMT

I ventured out for lunch Wednesday AM and found a the Gordon Biersch Brewery, a Bahama Breeze and several other hot spots I normally would have to go to Kansas City to find. My experience at Bahama Breeze was all good. Across the street at Biersch, I was wowed.

I get to a Biersch Brewery so seldom I forget just how good their beer is. I ordered up a six-beer sampler, a chicken pizza and settled in. A group of young British guys came in to watch a soccer game. A British team � Manchester I think --- was playing Mexico. The already-drunk soccer fans and the Mexican kitchen staff kept the place cheering. The sampler disappeared quickly. The brewery offers a Golden Export lager, Hefeweizen, Chech Pilsner, Marzen, Schwarzbier and a seasonal option.

The Hefe was spicer than I was expecting, but great all the same. The seasonal brew was a Maibock. All were great. I even liked the Schwarz, but I ordered a big Bock and continued watching the game. The bartender told me it was the last keg they would have for the season. I had another. The sampler set me back $5.50, the beers $5, and the pizza and salad $18.25. Total bill: $30.92 and a tip. A great time was had by me. Good beer, good food, great people watching, and only a few dollars more than my 2-4-1 martini

Hello Las Vegas

webadmin@joplinglobe.com — Sun, 31 May 2009 16:27:21 GMT

I managed to make good time and ended up in Las Vegas around �. I don�t really know what time. Pacific Time screwed with my ability to set a clock. It was mid-afternoon when I passed through a security checkpoint before the Hoover Dam. Checkpoints creep me out. I�m still guilty for things I didn�t get caught doing twenty-plus years ago. I assume the officers were on the prowl for bomb-toting terrorists bent on some serious dam destruction. The view from atop Hoover is awesome. The new bridge under construction crossing the canyon is a marvel.

Las Vegas just pops up on the horizon. It's an impressive skyline.

I checked in at my hotel and hit the street. I hooked up with a few old friends from Joplin and Carthage who relocated to Las Vegas. They Love it.

Early Tuesday morning I set out again. Las Vegas has a lot to offer -- like a $5.66 pint of Landshark Lager at Jimmy Buffet�s Margaritaville on The Strip. Didn�t see that one coming. I saw a casino sign advertising 2-4-1 martinis, so I decided to try a couple out. I sat down at the bar and asked the perky bartender for a Cosmopolitan. I suppose I expected to pay around $12 or $15, but didn�t really think to much about it. I was way off. WAY OFF! I needed to get back on my walking tour of Las Vegas Boulevard, so I asked for my tab and pulled out a $20. The check: $30 plus tax. WOW! Buyer beware. I�ll ask the price first next time.

Goodbye Albuquerque

webadmin@joplinglobe.com — Sun, 31 May 2009 16:24:35 GMT

Goodbye Albuquerque, hello � another 473 miles of I-40 West.
New Mexico�s capital city offered me a good time on a Sunday night. A few things strike me as I motor west. This country is beautiful. The way the landscape quickly changes surprised me. New Mexico and Arizona should be on everyone�s must-do travel list. The hop from Albuquerque to Las Vegas is a long one. Flagstaff offers a good place to rest, and if your inclined to imbibe. I found the Beaver Street Brewery downtown, but Memorial Day hours foiled my plan to sample their suds. Maybe next time. On to Vegas.

Albuquerque, a mixed bag

webadmin@joplinglobe.com — Wed, 27 May 2009 21:36:54 GMT

I set out Saturday morning from Oklahoma City with a tall cup of coffee, a Rand McNally road atlas and the promise of an exciting summer.
I never thought I would buy a Rand McNally road atlas. Somehow, that�s the kind of thing old folks do. Before leaving, I shelled out around $1000 for some regular vehicle maintenance and a pre-trip once-over. The car � a 1998 Honda Accord with 100,000 miles on her -- checked out and I hit the road. At Oklahoma mile marker 181 my check-engine light popped on and my heart fell. If the rest of the trip goes like this, I might as well just turn around. I didn�t. Man-up Woods! (photo by flickr user Jay Tilstor)

I haven�t crossed Oklahoma on I-40 in more than 20 years. Making it through western Oklahoma and north Texas was mind numbing. When I left OKC gasoline was $2.17 a gallon. I lunched in Amarillo and topped off the tank at $2.30. Once you make it to New Mexico the landscape changes. So does and speed limit. Hello 75 mph. OKC to Albuquerque: 545 miles. I spent the first night on the road in Albuquerque, NM. After nine hours behind the wheel I needed a drink. I figured I would make a quick trip over the University of New Mexico are a look around. The Nob Hill section of the city is a hoppin� spot.

Kelly�s
A young hip crowd � a little tooo hip � seemed like they were having fun on the patio at Kelly�s, a brew pub and restaurant. I saddled up at the bar and ordered a much-needed beer. Disappointment ensued. The service was sub-par and the beer warm and unmemorable. I take that back, It was memorable warm. Kelly�s offered up around 20m brews. I also sampled their Apricot Ale. It too was unmemorable. I like the Pyramid Apricot Ale much better. Kelly�s has been brewing beer since 1993 according to my in attentive server, Devon Chapman. Devon told me the locals really like the place.
�We�re pretty eclectic,� she explained. We serve working people and college kids and people from the neighborhood. She said the appeal of the place is simple.
�Just set out on the patio and have a beer and watch people go by. It�s a great place. I love it.�

Il Vicino
I had better luck � and beer and service � down the street at Il Vicino Wood Oven Pizza. The small wood-fired pizza joint had it all going on. Fresh locally brewed beers, great looking pizza and super service set it apart from my earlier experience at Kelly�s. Opened in 1993 the locally owned brewer has a couple of other locations. Check out their site for more info. �Personal service and really excellent food� are what sets Il Vinico apart from other places according to Angela Walters, the manager on duty when I dropped through. Angela explained that the Nob Hill area has exploded in the last couple of years. Angela has worked at the place for more than two years, but said she has been a customer since 1993.
�We have a lot of loyal customers,� she added. �This place has good food and good people and great beer. Why shouldn�t it be popular?�

I headed out from Albuquerque at 6 a.m. Sunday and spent another nine hours on the road to Las Vegas. More later. Cheers!

West-bound blog

webadmin@joplinglobe.com — Tue, 19 May 2009 02:07:13 GMT

The Booze Beat is heading west.
Tighten up the seatbelt on your barstools and hang on � it�s going to be a long summer. I've received a Maynard Institute for Journalism Education fellowship in editing at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Wow!

It�s a lot to wrap your mind around. It�s a six-week program aimed at teaching me � and 11 other journalists from around the country � to be better editors. For a self-taught guy like me � that�s a bunch for them to bite off.(photo by flickr user: Zach Sheppard)

I joke. It�s crazy exciting. Six weeks in Reno/Lake Tahoe � not bad duty. Initial research indicates Reno is a great place for � as some have chided me, newspaper summer camp � and the Booze beat to explore. So far, I�ve found about a dozen brew pubs, hundreds of wineries and countless casino nightclubs. With so many online travel resources, I already feel like I�ve been there.

I check in at UNR on June, 1, and will be in Reno through July, 10. Heading out I�ll hit OKC, Albuquerque, a few days in Las Vegas and then north to Reno. Plenty of opportunities for Booze Beat coverage. Napa look out!

I set sail on my summer adventure Saturday morning. I�ll keep up along the way. Wish me luck. The way I�m told I drive � I�ll need it.

Cheers!

Big hearts at Brewster�s

webadmin@joplinglobe.com — Sun, 03 May 2009 18:44:06 GMT

Bar people have big hearts.
This hit home recently when a good bar-friend lost his long battle with Cancer. Frank �Sonny� Ownes, 57, died on Sunday , April 7, after a long illness. The Saturday following Sonny�s death, dozens of friends and family � Sonny had a lot of both � gathered at Brewster�s Bar in Joplin to celebrate his life.
�The bar was packed,� Carol, a friend of Sonny�s and Brewster�s bartender told me on Saturday morning. �There were people shoved into every corner. You could hardly get to the bar to get a drink.� It was �full capacity,� she laughed.(Carol put a few pics together for the celebration of Sonny's life)

I was out of town and missed the celebration, but had several friends call to ask when I would arrive. It sounded like a hell of a party. Sonny�s kind of party. �I miss him every day,� Carol said as her eyes started to tear.
The celebration of Sonny�s life touched many people. The crew who showed up to remember Sonny and lifted beer�s and shots in his memory, cook burgers and dogs and raise a few dollars for the cause. The event raised $500 for his mother, Marge, and will help offset Sonny�s burial expenses and help pay the property taxes due on the home they shared in his last years.
�When you work in bars, and go to bars, you meet a lot of really good people,� Carol explained as she poured me a beer. �You get to know a lot about them. You get to know their family. They kind of become like your bar-family.�
Carol is proud of her bar family at Brewster�s for helping put the fundraiser together for Sonny�s mom.
�Bar people care about each other,� she told me. �It�s one big extended family here.�

Sonny�s sense of humor made him stand out in any bar he patronized. He had a loud likable voice and good nature. He was always the first to offer up a round to celebrate someone else�s birthday or good news.

�I never saw him in a bad mood,� Carol remembered.

Cheers, Sonny!

Garvin Poker Run rescheduled

webadmin@joplinglobe.com — Sat, 02 May 2009 18:55:21 GMT

The Phil Garvin Foundation Memorial Poker Run today was cancelled due to wet conditions.
�It�s for the best,� Janet Garvin, Phil�s wife told me Saturday morning after calling the event. �Harley riders are smart, and know not to go out in the rain and get in trouble. It�s the right thing to do."

The rescheduled three-state ride and poker run will hit the road on Saturday, June 6, and follow the same route as originally planned. Proceeds from the annual fundraiser benefit the Wildcat Glades Conservation & Audubon Center.

�We really need to support this nature center,� Janet explained over breakfast and beers at Tropicana Grill. �The center offers so many free and inexpensive classes and activities for the area.� Even given the cancellation, The crew at Tropicana was in high spirits and making the best of a wet situation.

Here�s the lowdown on the rescheduled events.

Registration begins at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 6, at Cycle Connection with the first bike out at 11 and the last bike in at Sportsmans Park. Bikes and classic cars are welcome.

Poker run Prizes
1st prize is a IRON 833 Harley Davidson Sportster
2nd prize is $1000
3rd prize is $500
Worst hand gets $100

$40 for the first hand with additional hands available at $10 each.

Want to go?
Call Heidi Williams for info: 417-437-1165

Mom on the Booze Beat � again

webadmin@joplinglobe.com — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:54:47 GMT

I opened a n e-mail the other day to find a wine review penned � or, I suppose I should say, keyed -- by my mother. Mom�s always been a fan of the grape. Here�s her take on Layer Cake Shiraz (2008).

'Worth the price!'
�Here's a heads-up on the most decadent, intense -- and purest -- Aussie Shiraz making the rounds: ~ LAYER CAKE~ SHIRAZ (2008) , a DARK, inky red varietal (Syrah) from South Australia. Happened upon it at my local Fresh Market for $12.99 (sale price). Seems to usually go for $14.99 - 16.99. WELLLL worth the price!! Comparable to or better than any of the MUCH HIGHER-PRICED Shirazes that I've guzzled. With an alcohol content of 14.9 percent, it's not fruit juice.

Super dark, dense, and smooth, the nose is unobstructed by oak. Aromas brimming with deep cocoa, mocha, anise, ripe blackberries, plums, and Bing cherries blended with pepper, and, of course, exotic spices. Complements RICH cuisine (including chocolate desserts!). With a finish that l-i-n-g-e-r-s (in a good way).
A cake for wine-appreciating adults only.

Limited creation by Jayson Woodbridge of California cult favorite "Hundred Acre." Miles ahead of his previous years' Shirazes. Grab it while it lasts! (I'm not really sure where this shot came from, but I'm lookin.')

Tooo Much Information
Your Uncle Carnie said he even found a hint of tobacco among the aromas. I cringed at that, but as a non-smoker, he regarded it as a PLUS. I was too focused on the deep mocha in this lovely dry fruit bomb to notice. He and I went through three bottles along with a large stuffed pizza from Papa Murphy's.�

Thanks Mom,

Cheers!