SPE spent the final week of Spring Training down in the Bay area of the Sunshine State, catching a few ball games and plenty of beers. Local brewer gone big Cigar City is commonplace, and Jai Alai is not a bad fall-back brew at all. And he even scored a Perfect 10% Double IPA version.
Lesser known Magnanimous Brewing is another nice local find, Juice Lord holds up well against the New England brews.
But now it’s Opening Day! Baseball may have lost some of it’s luster from the glory days. It’s gone through juicing scandals, inside betting, lockouts and strikes. Games dragged on endlessly with seemingly no action, so much so that new shot-clock style rules had to be imposed. But it’s still insanely popular. They still draw an average of 29,000 fans a game, not for a 17 game NFL season, or 82 game NHL or NBA season, but 29,000 fans a game for a 162 game season! That’s 90 million tickets! That’s over 19 million hot dogs!!!! And THAT is why we watch baseball: hot dogs! So what’s your fav? Classic dog with a squirt of yellow mustard? Dripping with chili & cheese or kraut bathed in lager? Maybe something more exotic like a Reuben dog? The best thing about hot dogs may be that they can serve as the focus or as a canvas for unlimited foodie creativity. Check out these dog blogs and let us know what catches your eye!
https://tasty.co/article/rachelysanders/hottt-dogs
https://www.mashed.com/160297/the-weirdest-types-of-hot-dog-from-around-the-world/
https://www.foodnetwork.com/restaurants/photos/crazy-over-the-top-hot-dogs
https://www.bustle.com/articles/85142-21-hot-dog-toppings-that-are-so-crazy-you-just-have-to-try-them-for-yourself
Dessert Wings?
The Center Street Grill has some fantastic food at very reasonable prices. They are also very creative when it comes to wing recipes:
Fighting the Trend
The Craft Beer Revolution appears to have ended, and the industry plateaued. According to the Brewers Association, 420 craft breweries opened in 2023, but 385 closed. There is more competition. The bourbon revival and legalization of weed are real factors. But the recent “innovation” in craft beer seems suspect. Using hops that taste like tropical fruit (rather than tasting like hops) or brewing stouts that taste like cookies, cakes, and pies may have provided a gateway for a few craft beer converts, but not to the same extent. Now the traditional styles reign supreme. Cutting edge brewers are making full-flavored low ABV light-lagers. Enticing? Coincidence the trajectory has gone flat?
Remember when adding 2% ABV and 10% more hops meant we HAD to try it! We would search it out, wait in lines, drive hours on beer-hunts! I fondly remember my first taste of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. I could actually TASTE the hops front and center and this was new! And the ABV was warming and quenching. The malt backbone created a perfect balance, not sweet or dry, a balance. Still one of my favorite beers to this day.
I remember my first 60 Minute—more of a hop assault, but still well crafted. I remember not caring for Nugget Nectar when it was initially released (was a bit harsh) but soon they perfected it and I remember sitting at the Troegs Paxton St brewery with Braun (before they moved to the beautiful, family friendly. Hershey location which is way better) and trying it again and this time, it blew my mind!
And then Braun handed me a Heady Topper… Holy Shit!!!! I’m pretty sure handing Timmy a Heady Topper after my own Stowe pilgrimage is what cemented our friendship. Is even the best crafted light-lager going to have that kind of impact? Don’t think so.
I think the path to growth for the craft brewing industry is still in the hop fields. It is still pushing the limits of hops, while maintaining that malt backbone, and increasing the sophistication and complexity of the flavors. Orval is a fav of mine, and Boulevard has done some nice brett-IPA’s—I think there is a HUGE opportunity there!!!! More Hops, More Flavor, More complexity. The game has gotten harder, it’s time to drop the gimmicks and get back to true innovation making better hoppy beers. Bring back Hop Sexy!
https://www.hopculture.com/craft-beer-trends-2024/
https://getollie.com/blog/craft-beer-trends-2024
https://daily.sevenfifty.com/6-beer-industry-trends-to-watch-in-2024/
Should Slowpaddle Start a Race Team?
Repeat: Obligatory Hype Machine
I’m really excited for this year! Some great things are happening behind the scenes and I think we’re going to be 10x better than our first year. Please spread the word and if you’d like a free coozie, hit me up via email rob.johnson@slowpaddle.com or DM me on X https://twitter.com/SlowpaddleBnB
