Beers in the Pandemic: What I’ve Been Drinking

It’s crazy how fast time flies by. One minute you’re minding your business, drinking a beer at your favorite local spot, and the next you’re doing the same, only spaced 6-10 feet apart from everyone else.

Because this fast-yet-slow-yet-fast pandemic is now over one year old, I figured I’d take some time to appreciate the beers I drank and places I drank them.

So, with no further ado, here’s what I’ve been drinking.

Migrating Tulips – Pink Hazy IPA – Brasserie Saint James

Long time readers (and one-time readers that stumbled upon my Reno Spotlight page) know that I visit Reno, Nevada often. And oh boy, let me tell you, Reno has beer.

The Migrating Tulips is, as far as I know, the only Pink Hazy IPA in the world, and it might be a good thing. Sure, the beer was fine, but beyond tulips, hops, malts, and migration, the only thing I could taste was pink lemonade.

But what’re you going to do when you see this on the menu, not order it? Come on.

Ye Olde Centaur – Barleywine – Fremont Brewing

The crème de la crème, Ye Olde Centaur is yet another phenomenal barleywine produced by the consistently excellent Fremont Brewing. My only lament? It was the middle of January and, being COVID rules, we were forced to sit outside. Barleywine warms you up, but only so much.

To enjoy it when I’m not at freezing temperatures, I also took a bottle home.

Assorted Beers – Reuben’s Brews

The only thing I can tell you for certain about this photo is that it was during my mustache phase and taken just minutes after voting. The beers? Not a clue.

Truth be told, I’ve visited Reuben’s so many times over the past 12 months that I wouldn’t have remembered this visit had it not been for this iconic picture. Regardless, it’s what I’ve been drinking.

Flicker – IPA – Block 15 Brewing

Sometimes you buy the beer for the photo, and sometimes the photo buys the beer for you.

Aside from being an excellent prop for this picture, Flicker represents the continued success of Block 15 and their IPAs. This was taken pretty quickly because I foolishly forgot to pour the beer into a glass before putting the can by the fire. The beer was only slightly warm by the time I got to it.

Assorted Beers – Stoup Brewing

Yup, another assorted beers category. What did you expect? With Stoup Brewing being just around the corner from Reuben’s, you’d be able to guess that I’ve gone to Stoup quite a few times. 

If I had to guess — and I don’t — I’d guess that this was the Mixtape Romeo, an (unfortunately) limited pilsner. 

Beer Slushie – Assorted Sours – Urban Family Brewing Co.

After four months or so in a quarantine, you begin to say to yourself, “well, I’d try just about anything now.”

Cue the beer slushies.

Urban Family either blessed or cursed the world with its beer slushie machines, and only time will tell which it was. And, like other “assorted” posts, I can’t tell you which beer was in the slushie. But hey, I’d recognize that purple IPA can anywhere.

Pilsner – Pilsner – Pigeon Head Brewery

Pilsner? Pilsner. So simple that it works. 

Pigeon Head Brewery, a long-time favorite of mine in Reno, sits in an unassuming spot just a few feet from being under a bridge. That’s just a fun fact — it has nothing to do with the quality of their beer (which is very good, I should add).

This photo also ranks #1 on my personal “Top Photos of 2020” list, so I had to include it.

Mystery Beer – Probably a Pilsner – The Hangar

Ooooh, Myster Beer! This beer wasn’t a mystery when I bought it, but I went to The Hanger in South Lake Tahoe, California to drink…what I think was a Pigeon Head Pilsner.

To clear things up, The Hangar is an outdoor taproom. Of course, when you get another good photo like this one (yes, more pats on my own back), you include it in the article.

So, there you have it — that’s what I’ve been drinking.