2019 flew by so fast! I have had a great time meeting so many people during brewery visits and festivals this year. I love being able to promote craft beer, especially the beer that is being brewed in my home state of Nebraska!

I still am amazed at all of the new things I got to experience this past year. Here are a few of my firsts from 2019:

  • Podcast

  • Helping connect a brewery and bourbon barrel coffee business in making a beer

  • Started writing for Dine Magazine

  • Was on a charity committee for a Beards and Brew festival

  • Helped to organize two craft beer and popcorn pairings

Another fun year visiting the Nebraska breweries! I made it to 26. The ones in bold are new for me this year:

  • 5168 Brewing (Local Beer, Patio, and Kitchen)

    • Hawaiian Porter has coffee, vanilla, coconut, and cocoa nibs. This beer is definitely in my Top 3 coconut stouts & porters. Would love to see a blind taste test against Death by Coconut from Oskar Blues Brewery!

  • Blue Blood Brewing Co

    • Citra Pale Ale is a very approachable citrusy American Pale Ale.

  • Boiler Brewing Company

    • DDH Haze Hunter IIPA tantalizes your nose and your taste buds with Amarillo and El Dorado hops. Citrus flavor with a touch of hop bitterness. Great hop combination!

  • Brickway Brewery & Distillery

    • Raja Gaj Imperial IPA has a hoppy boldness from a blend of 5 hops. An IPA lover’s dream!

  • Bottle Rocket Brewing

    • M-80 Pale Ale has a nice amount of hop bitterness in a very sessional Pale Ale.

  • Canyon Lakes Brewing Company

    • West Coast IPA has nice hop flavor with caramel notes.

  • Code Beer Co

    • Red Ale has incredible vibrant color! The ale combines caramel malt and a hop blend of Azacca, Cascade, and Centennial that makes this ale so delightful!

  • Cosmic Eye Brewing

    • The Beauty of Forgetting is an American IPA that has some oats in it make it a soft, hazy IPA. The blend Idaho 7, Comet, Huell Melon, and Eldorado hops provides lots of fruit flavors. One of my favorite IPAs of 2019!

  • Empyrean Brewing Co

    • Tequila Barrel Age Mind Over Matter IPA was exquisite! The light mango fruit flavor wrapped in a nice amount of hop bitterness with a just a kiss of tequila flavor! This is my favorite tequila barrel aged beer in 2019!

  • First Street Brewing Co

    • Popular Blonde Clout Edition brings bourbon aroma and flavor with a slightly bolder coffee taste!

  • Hwy 14 Brewing Co

    • Ace of Spades milk stout has lot going on. The chocolate malt flavor is forward. The mouth feel is silky. The finish is very intriguing. There is some sweetness but then I get more of the roasted malt. The chocolate flavor transitions to a slightly nutty one. This is one you will want to try!

  • Infusion Brewing Company

    • Peanut Butter Stout is an excellent drier stout with lots of peanut butter flavor that is wrapped in chocolate. Step aside Reese peanut butter cup, you are no longer needed!

  • Jukes Ale Works

    • Ninja Juice IPA is a citrusy, piney IPA with a nice hop selection of Warrior, Citra, and Simco hops.

  • Kinkaider Brewing Co, Lincoln

    • Snow Beast is a winter warmer that is well balanced with a little sweet vanilla and cinnamon. A nice maltiness rounds out this one that makes the winter holidays special!

  • Kros Strain Brewing Company

    • Fairy Nectar London Double Dry Hopped is a juicy, hazy, full of citrus and fruit flavor. No wonder this one is such a hit!

  • Lost Way Brewery

    • Summer Porter was simply delightful! Chocolate malt and 3 pounds of cacao nibs that will tantalize your taste buds! Soft, silky mouth feel. This one should be named 8 Days a Week Porter because you are going to want to drink it that often!

  • Lucky Bucket Brewing Co

    • Certified Evil is an Imperial Oatmeal Stout that will have you channeling your dark side.

  • Nebraska Brewing Company

    • Little Betty is an Americanized Russian Imperial stout is so good with the hoppiness it brings in combination with all the dark chocolate malt!

  • Pals Brewing Company

    • Midnight in the Daylight is a gem of a coffee stout! The aroma from the blend of Kona and Sumatra coffee is wonderful. The bold coffee flavor balances well with a chocolaty, smooth finish. This is my favorite coffee stout in 2019!

  • Pint Nine Brewing Company

    • Blackberry Fudge Stout is very unique in how the sweet chocolate flavors come out up front and then the finish has this wonderful tartness from the blackberries. The flavors are also more predominant the warmer the stout gets!

  • Roc Hopper Brewing Company

    • Coconut Blonde is so captivating when I raised the glass and got the coconut aroma. I could definitely taste the coconut as it melted into the very soft, malty blonde ale.

  • Thunderhead Brewing Company

    • Total Solar Dunkel Bock is a dark lager that has deep chocolate and coffee notes. So smooth and a little lower in ABV than the 2017 version.

  • Upstream Brewing Company

    • Afterglow White Stout was my favorite beer in 2019. This beer on nitro was amazing! The coffee flavor comes through up front with the chocolate flavor. The finish is creamy and slightly sweet. Well done Upstream Brewing!

  • Vis Major Brewing Co

    • 22 Bones is a dark coconut wheat with chocolate malt and coco nibs. This year’s version I thought was great. More coconut really made this beer even better!

  • White Elm Brewing Company

    • Fluffaluffagus is a 13% ABV Imperial Stout with chocolate and marshmallow. Who needs hot chocolate when you have this beer!

  • Zipline Brewing Co

    • Mocha Stout has a nice chocolate flavor that blends so well with the Meta Coffee Lab espresso! At 8.5% ABV, it is a nice warmer when it is cold outside.

 

Another great year! I am looking forward to a new decade and meeting more new friends. Thanks everyone for your support, it is greatly appreciated!

Cheers!