"Sit Down or I'll Sit You Down!" A Double IPA from Peticolas

Peticolas Brewing Company

Dallas, TX



Velvet Hammer by Peticolas...because I didn't photograph "Sit Down..."

Owner and brewer Michael Peticolas has a way with people.  Perhaps it comes from an unusual mix of cool hobbies and legal savvy (he’s a lawyer by trade).  Ask him about his beer, and you’re his friend.  Ask him for a freebie, and you’re a freeloader.  He’s serious about beer…and just as serious about business.  That’s the impression you get whether you meet the man himself or drink his beer.

I had the pleasure of enjoying the new “Sit Down or I’ll Sit You Down!” double IPA (DIPA) at the Holy Grail Pub in Plano, TX.  At 10% ABV (alcohol by volume), this, like most Peticolas concoctions, requires restraint and moderation.  My first impression is that Michael is spiking his beers with deliciousness.  Peticolas beers have a full-flavor bang on the palette, followed by whatever the style is supposed to leave on your tongue.  The “Sit Down…” is no different.  The hops are mild and only leave a simple bitter aftertaste to justify the “IPA” label; the front end, however, is tasty and slightly malty. 

There are differing ideas of just what the “double” of double IPA should taste like, but it really has to do more with the strength of the brew than anything else.  Doubles typically feature a higher-than-average ABV for an IPA. As for the rest, some double up on the hops to wreck your palette, and some sweeten the brew to mask the uncontrolled antiseptic flavor.  My favorite doubles deliver a slightly malty introduction, followed by a hops finish and high-alcohol kick.

“Sit Down or I’ll Sit You Down” is another Peticolas winner.  Other personal favorites are “Velvet Hammer”, “Wintervention” (seasonal), and “The Duke” (limited).  Try to get your hands on these brews while they’re available.  Cheers!

Bedford Beer and Cider Festival - Bedfordshire, England

Wednesday 2nd to Saturday 5th October 2013
Corn Exchange, St Paul’s Square, Bedford MK40 1SL
Open: Wed 4-11, Thu-Sat 12-11


Admission prices:
Before 4pm £1, after 4pm: Wed £2, Thu £3, Fri £4, Sat £2
CAMRA members admitted free at all times on showing a valid membership card. No one under age 18 admitted – ID may be required.

More than 100 real ales plus about 40 real ciders and perries
Wide range of draught and bottled foreign beers from Belgium, Germany and other countries

Hot and cold food available every lunchtime and evening, Saturday all day. Souvenir pint and half-pint glasses available at £2.50 sale or return. Draught beers and ciders sold in full, half and third pint measures. Wide range of CAMRA and brewery books, clothing and products available Win unusual prizes on the tombola or bar game

Our Engraver will customise your glass or other objects for you

Live entertainment:
Wednesday evening Dr Busker
Saturday lunchtime Bedford Morris Men and friends
Saturday evening local blues singer Kerry Hodgkin and group

Festival Website

---

Jeffrey Dale Starr is a beer enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

Beethoven & Brews in Denver Tonight!

Experience the symphony in a brand new way… with great beer!

Enjoy an exclusive beer tasting paired with hors d’oeuvres and the sounds of a Colorado Symphony chamber ensemble performing Beethoven. Staff from Wynkoop Brewing Co. will be on hand to pour a special selection of beer while you enjoy the music. After sampling four to five distinct brews grab a full glass of your favorite from the cash bar. The musical selection and brews will be revealed at each event.

Presented by Magnolia Hotel Denver, Wynkoop Brewing Co. and Schmitt Music

Be sure to secure your ticket early as there is limited availability!

Ticket Price: $65 per person

Location: The Magnolia Hotel Ballroom, 818 17th Street Denver, CO 80202

Parking: Due to the nature of the event, we encourage guests to use alternative modes of transportation. Valet at the Magnolia Hotel is $16, otherwise there are self-parking options within a block of the event.

Info at Colorado Symphony

---

Jeffrey Dale Starr is a beer enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

Beer of the Day: Smithwick's Irish Ale

Smithwick's Irish Ale

DESCRIPTION:
The number one Irish ale, Smithwick's has been brewed since 1710, and in that time the brewers have learned a thing or two about beer. A seven time winner of La Monde gold medal, 300 years on, Smithwick’s is still a favourite with ale drinkers today. Smithwick’s is available on draught, in bottle and can. The aroma is clean and delicate with individual notes, and from the top fermentation by the Smithwick’s yeast, come aromatic esters, creating a fruity aroma. The aroma hops, added late in the boil, contribute clean, fresh floral notes. ABV 3.8%. In 2011, Smithwick’s launched Smithwick’s Pale Ale, its first innovation since 1987.

Over 300 years on and the Smithwick’s global footprint is ever growing and is, today, enjoyed in the UK, North America, Korea and several other countries. Experience. It’s what you do with it that counts.

---

Jeffrey Dale Starr is a beer enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

LA Beer Week

LA Beer Week (LABW) 2013 is September 19 – 29.

LABW was founded in 2009 by a group of dedicated beer enthusiasts and members of the Los Angeles and Orange County beer communities. As our local beer culture continues to expand, evolve, and improve, we hope that LABW can assist in that evolution and expansion.

Website: LABeerWeek.com

---

Jeffrey Dale Starr is a beer enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

Beer of the Day: Cigar City Hunahpu's Imperial Stout

Cigar City Hunahpu's Imperial Stout

DESCRIPTION:
Pours extremely dark in color with a brown head with big notes of chocolate and espresso, moderate notes of vanilla and cinnamon and mild notes of tobacco and chilis. The flavor opens with a big blast of chocolate and moderate espresso with notes of dark toffee and interjecting notes of vanilla with lingering hints of cinnamon and tobacco and chili notes with a mild scoville heat in the finish.

---

Jeffrey Dale Starr is a beer enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

The Beer of Star Wars Part II: The Empire Kicks Back

The latest time-wasting installment of nerd nonsense.

Princess Leia Abrasive Ale "Governor Tarkin, I should have expected to find you holding Vader’s leash. I recognized your foul stench when I was brought on board." "I don’t know where you get your delusions, laser brain." "Would it help if I got out and pushed?" 'Nuff said.

Lama Su Mother of All Storms It's not easy living on a water-covered planet that's in a constant storm state. "Can you imagine what it's like for me, living on Kamino? I mean, can you just imagine?", Mr. Su was overheard complaining to whoever would listen. "How do you plan a picnic? Why in the world do we still live here?!" He then drank his beer and calmed down.

Shmi Skywalker Lars Birth Of Tragedy "I can't explain it...ever since I had Ani I've craved this beer", the former slave used to say. Her appetite for this potent brew may be a clue to something else she couldn't explain.

Zam Wesell Assassin Imperial Stout "Man, I should really switch beers. But I can't resist the flavor!" Miss (Mr.) Wesell was referring to the fact that her (his) cover has been blown numerous times while tailing a target due to her (his) choice of brew. "I have this one last contract on Coruscant, and then it's retirement city!"

Qui-Gon Jinn Permanent Funeral "OK ... explain this to me: I 'defy' those arrogant do-nothings on the Jedi council ... that's my big crime ... and when devil-boy kills me, that's it. No more Qui-Gon. But precious Anakin - that little monster - becomes the terror of the galaxy, kills millions, biggest villain ever...he just throws the Emperor down a tube (with the selfish motive of saving his son, I might add), and suddenly he's redeemed and appears at the end of 'Jedi'. That's real fair. Whatever."

C-3PO Pink Champagne Yes, pink champagne is not beer. But what else would C-3PO drink?

---

Jeffrey Dale Starr is a beer enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

Beer of the Day: Jester King Atrial Rubicite

Jester King Atrial Rubicite

DESCRIPTION:
Atrial Rubicite is our first barrel aged sour beer to incorporate fruit. It won’t be the last. We love taking fruit that is highly aromatic and flavorful and fermenting it to dryness, so that the beer is imbued with the rich character of the fruit but is devoid of sweetness. With time we plan on developing a robust program of barrel aged sour beer with fruit. Eventually, we also hope to re-ferment our 100% spontaneous coolship beer with fruit.

---

Jeffrey Dale Starr is a beer enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

Beer of the Day: Saison Rue

Saison Rue

STYLE:
Saison / Farmhouse Ale

COMMENTS:
from The Bruery: Saison Rue is an unfiltered, bottle conditioned, Belgian/French-style farmhouse ale. This is a beer of subtlety and complexity, with malted rye, spicy, fruity yeast notes, biscuit-like malt backbone and a slight citrus hop character. With age, this beer will dry out and will become more complex with rustic notes of leather and earth from the contribution of a wild yeast strain. Being a saison, Saison Rue is ambiguous unto itself as it is a different beer when fresh and when aged.

---

Jeffrey Dale Starr is a beer enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

Beer of the Day: Paulaner Salvator Double Bock

PAULANER SALVATOR DOUBLE BOCK

DESCRIPTION:
The Salvator Double Bock is a bottom-fermented beer and has been brewed in almost exactly the same way since the end of the 18th century. It combines the most delicate of hops and dark barley malt to give a strong, characteristically malty taste and an inviting, gleaming copper colour.

The Paulaner monks drank Salvator Double Bock as a substitute for food during Lent. The most famous brewer of all was Brother Barnabas who ran the Paulaner monastery brewery starting in 1773. To this day, his original recipe remains almost unaltered.

---

Jeffrey Dale Starr is a beer enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

The Beer of Star Wars

Whether taking a respite at a Mos Eisley cantina or rubbing shoulders with the hoi polloi at a Coruscant nightclub, the characters in Star Wars are going to get thirsty.

And when they do, what will be their brew of choice?

This question, which has befuddled the masses for decades, we will attempt to answer below (feel free to offer your insights.)

Darth Vader Surly Furious Well of course Anakin Skywalker would drink no other beer than Surly Furious. Not only does the name describe him perfectly, but the beer itself is dark, mysterious, and will take you out of commission if you're not careful. Do not underestimate the power of the dark beer.

Han Solo Odell Myrcenary Yes, Han ended up becoming a hero. But there's no denying the fact that in Episode IV his main motivator was money. Saving a princess solely for a reward definitely qualifies as mercenary. Solo gives Odell's brew this ringing endorsement: "I don't have a bad feeling about this."

The Sarlacc The Abyss (Deschutes Brewery) I feel kind of sorry for The Sarlacc. For a long time now, he drinks The Abyss from Deschutes because he thinks that it was named after him. But he isn't the only one to benefit from the delicious beer. Boba Fett was quoted as saying, "Yes, it's no picnic being slowly digested by a giant plant monster. But if I can help pass the time by drinking a refreshing beverage like The Abyss, it's almost worth it."

Sebulba AleSmith Speedway Stout What else to refresh a parched podracer on a hot Malastare afternoon than the fittingly named Speedway Stout? And as an added benefit, this beer is like drinking a fine cup of coffee, motivating a Dug to reach that finish line in style.

Lando Calrissian Colt 45 In an amazing coincidence, Lando's beer of choice is the same as Billy Dee Williams, the actor that plays him. Whether dealing with a stressful day managing Cloud City or making a guest appearance on The Jeffersons, Colt 45 makes everything go a little smoover.

C-3PO Pink Champagne Yes, pink champagne is not beer. But what else would C-3PO drink?

---

Jeffrey Dale Starr is a beer enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

Beer of the Day: Brooklyn Lager

Brooklyn Lager

STYLE:
American Amber Lager
MALT:
American Two-row Malts
HOPS:
Hallertauer Mittelfrueh, Vanguard and Cascade

---

Jeffrey Dale Starr is a beer enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

Beer of the Day: Surly Furious

SURLY FURIOUS

STYLE:
American India Pale Ale
MALT:
Pale Ale, Golden Promise, Aromatic, Medium Crystal, Roasted Barley
HOPS:
Warrior, Ahtanum, Simcoe, Amarillo
YEAST:
English Ale

---

Jeffrey Dale Starr is a beer enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.