Pothole Porter

If you're a motorist in Winnipeg right now, you'll likely be weaving around a plethora of potholes.

But if you're a beer lover, this also marks the time of year that Half Pints Brewing releases one of their finest seasonal selections, the aptly named Pothole Porter.

There is a strong scent of roasted coffee and dark chocolate. For someone more inclined to the taste of a hoppier beer, I find Pothole to have a particularly smooth and malty taste. 

The description of the beer on the label is "stare into the abyss" and this metaphorically describes its jet black colour. It’s like black liquid silk.

Pothole can be purchased at select MLCC locations. I also tried it at the Yellow Dog Tavern last week and it tasted even better on tap.

Well worth seeking out.

The Masters

The PGA Tour season officially started back in January but the first major tournament of the year begins next week in Augusta, GA. This tournament, of course, is The Masters, "a tradition unlike any other," as CBS broadcaster Jim Nantz will inevitably call it.

Augusta National Golf Club will be hosting the event. Unlike other major championships, The Masters is held at the same course every year. Augusta National is a staid and very conservative club; only recently did it admit its first two women members, Darla Moore and Condoleeza Rice.

The television coverage of the tournament is similarly conservative, with announcers being required to call fans, 'patrons'. Nantz will be fresh off of calling college basketball, but his tone and style at Augusta will be relaxed and restrained. 

The background theme music for The Masters is a simple twinkling piano melody with string accompaniment. Viewers are shown images of majestic towering trees, blooming azaleas, and grass that is far too green.

But for all of the saccharine elements that are involved in the coverage, The Masters is one of, if not the most, exciting golf tournaments to watch. Augusta National teams up with a handful of sponsors every year and is able to all but eliminate advertisements (only four minutes out of every hour is allotted to commercials). This creates a nearly uninterrupted flow of golf.

The rich history of the tournament and the fact that it's played at the same course each year helps add a sense of nostalgia and déjà vu for long-time fans.

Who will forget the epic birdie putt by Jack Nicklaus on the 17th hole in 1986, en route to winning his sixth green jacket at the age of 46? Or the daring iron shot by Phil Mickelson on the 13th hole in 2010? Or the nearly-impossible chip shot by Tiger Woods on 16, in 2005?

There's nearly always drama during the The Masters (the exception maybe being Woods' runaway victory in 1997) and it makes for riveting television. And it's a sign of spring, even if it happens to be a snowy one in Winnipeg this year.

Audrey Magazine Launch

Red River College’s Creative Communications students will unveil their magazines this Thursday, March 28, at the magazine trade fair. The event is happening in the Atrium of the downtown campus at 160 Princess Street, from noon to 4p.m. All are welcome to attend.

Our group is introducing Audrey magazine. People who visit our trade booth will have an opportunity to get their photo taken while wearing some fun accessories. Also, we will have a number of prize packages and goodies to give away.

Note: the above post is for a school assignment.

Old Boy Classic Ale

Old Boy Classic Ale, from Parallel 49 Brewing Company in Vancouver, has a dark brown colour. There's a roasted coffee bean nose and the flavour is full but it doesn't smack you in the face like some beers. Old Boy is somewhat similar in taste to Half Pints Brewing's Sweet Nikki Brown. A solid session beer, if not exactly memorable.

Portage and Main IPA

Portage and Main IPA is the newest addition to Fort Garry Brewing’s Brewmaster series - a line of beers that branches into more bold and complex flavours than is found in Fort Garry’s standard offerings. I’ve reviewed several other beers from this series in previous blog posts.

This IPA is made with West Coast and Manitoba flower hops. It has a pretty intense nose: a strong grapefruit scent dominates but there is also a slightly floral aroma, no doubt because of the aforementioned local hop presence.

The head is a fluffy white with a tinge of orange. The colour is a light amber. 

This beer has a surprisingly malty taste for an IPA and the mouthfeel is a bit on the creamy side.

Another good addition to the ever-growing selection of locally-brewed craft beer.

A Thousand Farewells

Nahlah Ayed’s account of her life and career as a journalist offers a behind-the-scenes look at a foreign correspondent and what is involved in that job.

What works in her book A Thousand Farewells is the inside glimpse it provides of a reporter working under conditions of sometimes extreme stress and unpredictable or ever-changing situations. Ayed at one point tells a dramatic story of being attacked by an armed man in Baghdad.

This reminded me of a story from the book Hitch-22, where Christopher Hitchens writes about a time he was roughed up in Beirut. Hitchens also writes extensively about his experiences in Middle East in his memoir.

Ayed gives us a sense of what it is like to be in Cairo’s Tahrir Square amongst thousands of protestors or to come home to her apartment in Beirut and find that the windows have been smashed because of a nearby bomb blast.

She also writes of corrupt officials in several countries who not only accept bribes but expect them. Fellow journalists can learn that values and customs differ according to the country you are in and what is accepted as fairness in Canada may not be the same thing in Iraq, for example.

Journalists can learn other things from Ayed’s book as well, such as her use of Twitter to report on wars and protests in real-time. The book also serves as a warning of sorts, as the author relates how she got so caught up in her work that her physical and mental health suffered as a result.

Although Ayed does touch on her health issues, I think it would have been interesting to have more of the book devoted to that aspect. She is also fairly brief about her time at The Canadian Press and I would have appreciated a little more insight into what it is like working there.

The book affected me because of Ayed’s connection to Winnipeg; she grew up here for part of her childhood and returned here to go to university. I also one day aspire to become a foreign correspondent, so the stories that Ayed tells are of a personal and professional interest for me.

Kona Imperial Stout

This beer, from Fort Garry Brewing's Brewmaster series, has a browny-white head and a jet-black colour. It has a strong roasted coffee aroma, which is no surprise as it is brewed avec café. There’s a pronounced malt and coffee-flavoured taste, and the finish is smooth but mildly bitter. Recommended for stout lovers.

Half Pints Brewing will be releasing an Imperial Stout of its own, called “Le Temps Noir”, this Saturday at 9 a.m. at the brewery. Check out their blog for detailed information about the beer.