Apologies, as I was driving back from downtown tonight (more on that in a moment) the radio noted -- and was confirmed in my email I just checked -- that the Ravens' Joe Flacco will not be at the Greene Turtle in Columbia tonight as reported here earlier. Neither will Jason Brown.
Thanks to the Ravens' Saturday night start on the road against the Cowboys this week instead of the usual Sunday game, there was a mandatory team meeting they had to attend and thus, no appearance. They're still handing out prizes, tickets etc. there if you still want to attend although in this rain/ice storm I kind of doubt it, please do enjoy. The email says there will be a makeup appearance, so stay alert if Joe Flacco + Greene Turtle is your bag.
Not sure how many of you out there are fans of "Resurrection" made by Brewer's Art, but I'm absolutely in love with this beer.
Most of us don't live in the city so a trek to Brewer's Art, although desirable, is not a frequent thing. Luckily I've found at least two places in Columbia that regularly feature it: Frisco Grille (which is a GREAT beer place that I'll discuss later on) and the Greene Turtle.
Feel free to argue with me, but I think it's the best regular beer in Maryland (made by Maryland brewers). Its refreshing with some sort of subdued Belgian candy sweetness as well as some tartness/sourness and complexity that makes it incredibly drinkable and enjoyable no matter the weather.
Oh, bytheway, Brewers Art's "Ozzy" is now available in bottles at The Perfect Pour. I doubt they'll stay on the shelves long so be sure to trek over there and grab one or two.
You've got Mojo. More specifically, you've got InHD Channel, which is another name for Mojo. Mojo is an all-HD cable network with some fairly interesting programming. Notable within their lineup: Three Sheets and Beer Nutz.
Three Sheets is a personal favorite of mine and has a bit of a cult following. It's a show hosted by Zane Lamprey, who travels the world and participates in its various booze cultures. Lamprey is equal parts comedian, host and guinea pig. Despite the title, there isn't too much embarrassing drunkenness. Instead, the viewer gets a snappy, well-edited local profile of his various stops and their beverage cultures.
Beer isn't so much the focus of this show. If the show stops in France, the obvious focus is on Champagne and wine. In Kentucky: bourbon. In Ireland: Guinness. You get the picture. Watch the New Year's Even NYC Pub Crawl Episode or the full Croatia episodes here for a taste of the magic of Three Sheets. The show's fans have even developed a fun drinking game that meshes well with the content of the episodes.
The lesser of the two booze-related programs is Beer Nutz. Its two hosts travel around the U.S. sampling and rating beers, breweries and brewers. Beer Nutz provides a decent look into the beer culture of the featured cities. The hosts are nice guys but seem a bit aloof to the intricacies of beer which could make the show more informative.
As for a local connection ... there isn't one. Neither show has spent any time in Charm City. However, several local establishments feature beers from Magic Hat (I've seen #9 on draft at Greene Turtle and bottles of Circus Boy at Victoria), a strange but well-regarded brewery in Vermont that was featured in an episode of Beer Nutz.
