I love porters and oatmeal stouts. This is nice. Looks like a great pre-dinner beer.

Woot has a Mr. Beer Premium Edition Home Beer Kit today for $20.

Joyce has mentioned that she'd like to try brewing someday.

What say you, oh Gods of Hops, shall I make the purchase, or shall our new kitchen not smell of the brew??

*crickets*

All the beeromoes must be sleeping in today ....

There's just something wrong with plastic+beer. But hey, it's $20, go for it, Mark!

Really, Rich? And just how many time-of-day stamped bottles constitute 17 waking hours?

My co-workers are time-based drinkers, too! Only, they're so unsophisticated, they "use" the same beer all day and all night long. Philistines! They should have their own homeland.

No, they'd need a classic beer to have a real country. Or maybe some nuclear weapons. Zappa. Reflect!

I used the Young's Double Chocolate in beeramisu once. It was very good.

I don't think those little plastic beer kits are worth your time or money. Using one of those and saying it is "brewing your own beer" is like listening to a crappy soundbar and saying it is "home theatre". While technically correct, the results are insufficient to convey truth or meaning.

As to my own beering, I remain in love with Sierra Celebration Ale, especially this year's "fresh hop" version. I also recently experienced Ninkasi ReNewAle Porter, from one of my favorite NW IPA brewers. Very nice.

I passed on the Mr. Beer.

I didn't have high expectations for it, and it was only $20, but figured if Joyce and I want to get into this, the first step would probably be to join the (apparently, very active) local brew club and see what people recommend for equipment.

Doesn't Tom have the right to sue anyone who calls themselves, or anything else, "Mr. Beer?"

Mr. Beer kits make mediocre beer at best. They may be responsible for turning many people off to brewing.

Here is a list of beers I drank over the last week that I either brought with me to share in Oklahoma (at my parents' place) or purchased and shared after arriving. They are listed in order, all imbibed from 10 days ago to two days ago.

Allies Win the War! (English Strong Ale) by 21st Amendment Brewery
Dark Intrigue (Russian Imperial Stout) by Victory Brewing Company
Moose Drool Brown Ale by Big Sky Brewing Company
The Sixth Glass (Quad) by Boulevard Brewing Co.
Scape Goat Pale Ale by Big Sky Brewing Company
My homebrew saison
Rhinoel (Dubbel) by Lost Rhino Brewing Company (a new local NoVA brewery)
Autumn 2011 Farmhouse Pale (brewed with plums) by Almanac Beer Co.
Double-Wide IPA by Boulevard Brewing Co.
Our Own Bavarian-Styled Doppel Weizen by Lagunitas Brewing Company
It's Alive! (Belgian wild ale) by Mikkeller
Black Lightning (American Black Ale) by DuClaw Brewing Company
Koppi Tomahawk x Guji Natural Coffee IPA by Mikkeller

The standouts? Allies Win the War, Sixth Glass, Double-Wide IPA, 2011 Farmhouse Pale, and the Coffee IPA were all fantastic, but every one was at least quite good.

I like how my brothers and I have specialized in different beverage categories. I provide beer, Adam provides wine, and my youngest brother Andy (now 21) handles coffee at family gatherings.