Dogfish and Dragon's Milk with a side of Jesus

 So, I'm on sabbatical.  I had the intention of blogging more, but I've been writing music instead.  I haven't even made it to my watering hole.  Despite that failure, I have gotten to try some really great beers.  Even better they were gifts from friends.

The first picture is the Palo Santo Marron from Dogfish Head in MD.  It is a delicious brown with complex vanilla and caramel flavors.  It starts with a great aroma and finishes with a clean aftertaste.  The amazing thing about this beer is that it is 12% ABV but full of flavor.  Some high alcohol beers just taste like rubbing alcohol.  Not so with this rich brew.  In fact, I didn't realize it was a high ABV beer until I finished it and read the label.  One of Resurrection House alumni, who just got his first gig after seminary back here in Omaha, brought this to me.  It was a gift from his dad because I had turned him onto Stone Brewing's Russian Imperial Stout.  One of the things I most value about the Beer community is the sharing that goes on.  YUM!

Anyway, this is the Dragon's Milk Ale aged in oak barrels from New Holland Brewing company.  This one is also high in alcohol, but it is very full of flavor.  The primary notes are dark chocolate and coffee.  It's kind of like a beer version of a mocha latte.  My good friend Joel Pakan, one half Tangled Blue brought it to me when they were in town for a gig last week.  We had a cook out and split this amongst ten people or so at the end of the evening.

There is a richness to community, a deepening of connection and compassion.  Somehow raising a glass allows us to tap into this sense of community.  Maybe that's why Jesus started a radical table ministry in his day? Just maybe?