If you've been reading my blog posts, you know I'm a big fan of bourbon. So when Budweiser came out with their collaboration with Jim Beam in the fall of 2018, it was something I had to try.
When I was going through our fridge recently, I found one bottle hiding in the back, so I decided to crack it open and do a beer review. As far as bourbon-flavored beers go, this one has a lot less of a bourbon taste than the Hardywood Bourbon Cru that I wrote about last week. Budweiser says they aged the beer on Jim Beam bourbon barrel staves, so it imparts some of the flavors you would get in a bourbon without being overwhelming. The official description of the beer says it has a "toasted oak aroma, a deliciously nutty taste with caramel rye and vanilla notes, and a smooth finish." I've said before that I'm not an expert beer taster, if there is such a thing, but I know what I like. I can tell you that this is a very smooth beer and I definitely got some nut and rye flavors while I was drinking it. Budweiser has been putting out some great stuff with their Reserve series, and I think this might be the best one they've release. I still need to try the Discovery Reserve and the Nitro Gold, but for a brand that my parents always told me was like drinking water, they've brewed some quality beers recently. Untappd Rating: 3.75 out of 5
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For those of you that live in the Harrisonburg area, you know we have some pretty good breweries around here. There are the staples downtown that have been there since the start of the craft beer boom, but it seems like new ones pop up every month. The latest addition to local breweries is Elkton Brewing Company. When my parents told me Elkton was getting a brewery, I was a little shocked. But they've been there multiple times since it opened, and I think it may be their new favorite brewery in the area. One of the things that made my dad like it so much was their selection. Most breweries are heavy on the IPAs and real bitter beers, but Elkton's selection has almost every type of beer you could want. The ones that stood out to my parents were the red and brown beers that they offered. The brewery, like almost every other business, has shut down the taproom due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it's still open for to-go beer. My dad stopped by there recently to pick up some crowlers, and I was thoroughly impressed with the product. The first one that I tried was the red lager, Reddish Knob. First off, I love that they name their beers after local landmarks and history. The Reddish Knob has all the characteristics that you would expect in an excellent red lager - nice amber color, toasty and caramel malt flavors, and some hops, but not too bitter. I was a big fan of this beer. My dad bought three 32 oz. crowlers, which I thought meant we each got our own, but my parents didn't go for that idea. Untappd rating: 4.00 out of 5
It seems like every day is some sort of unknown, made-up holiday. Not today.
The day that we know as National Beer Day actually has some meaning to it, other than an excuse to drink beer (which, let's be honest, who really needs an excuse?) According to Untappd, National Beer Day is celebrated each year on April 7 to mark the day that the Cullen-Harrison Act went into effect. The bill, signed in 1933 by Franklin D. Roosevelt, amended the Volstead Act by permitting the production and sale of beer up to 3.2 percent alcohol by weight, or 4.05 percent alcohol by volume. The 18th Amendment was repealed later that year on December 5, marking the end of Prohibition in the United States. So when you have a beer (or a few) today, you're not just partaking in a made-up day on a calendar. You're actually celebrating history. And that's worthy of a toast. If you need recommendations for something to drink today, check out our beer reviews here.
With the Valley League deciding to cancel its 2020 season last Thursday, we are on the verge of not having any baseball this summer in the Shenandoah Valley.
High schools and colleges had their seasons cut short and the Valley League decided to cancel based on concerns regarding host families taking in players for the summer. But amidst all the negative news, it looks like the Rockingham County Baseball League is still planning to play its 2020 season. The league released this statement on Monday night:
While it looks like it will be a shortened season and the league won't get all 28 games in, at least we'll have some baseball to look forward to this summer.
Another positive from the RCBL playing this summer is that it would give college players a chance to get some games in, even if it is a short season. College players who were planning on playing in the Valley League could give the RCBL a shot. The league said it is increasing the amount of free agents each team is allowed, as long as those free agents attend a university in the league's geographic area. Those universities are Bridgewater, EMU, JMU, Mary Baldwin, Shenandoah, UVA, VMI and Washington & Lee. Players from any of those colleges who want any type of summer season will now have the option to play in the RCBL with the increased number of free agents. The important thing to do now is continue to abide by all social distancing guidelines so that we can get back to normal as soon as possible and increase the chance of a 2020 baseball season. There's nothing like being at the ballpark - any ballpark - hanging out before the game, eating a hot dog and drinking a beer, watching batting practice and listening to the songs come over the loudspeakers. There are some songs that are staples at every sporting event. The ones that get you hyped up and ready to go, that make good walk-up songs. Those songs are played not just at baseball games, but at football and basketball games too. They're good at energizing the crowd. But there are certain songs that you only hear at baseball games. Mostly because the lyrics revolve around baseball in some fashion. They might be a little cheesy and they all have a similar cheery, upbeat sound, but that's part of their charm. In my opinion, these are the best baseball-related songs you'll hear on any given day at the ballpark. 4. "Go Cubs Go" by Steve Goodman I had to include this song, but it has to be at No. 4 just because you'll only hear it at Cubs games. Steve Goodman wrote this song in 1984 and it has been a Cubs anthem ever since. It's been used officially by the Cubs at various times and is sang by Cubs fans after a victory at Wrigley Field. In 2016, after the Cubs won their first World Series since 1908, the song rose all the way to No. 3 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart, showing just how much Cubs fans love this song. For that reason alone, it deserves a spot on this list. 3. "Centerfield" by John Fogerty A joyful song from the perspective of someone who wants nothing more than to play baseball, this one comes in at No. 3 on my list. You can hear this tune at practically every baseball field across the country, whether it's high school, college, Minor Leagues or Major League, it's almost a surefire bet this song will be played. John Fogerty became the first musician to be celebrated at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown when the song was honored by the Hall in 2010, a sign of the impact it has had on the game of baseball. 2. "Glory Days" by Bruce Springsteen This classic from Bruce Springsteen only mentions baseball in the first verse when he sings "I had a friend was a big baseball player, back in high school." Despite the brief mention of the game, the video features Springsteen himself playing catch, and the song has cemented itself as another one of the best baseball tunes. While not as widespread as "Centerfield," this song has still become a go-to tune for ballparks across the country. 1. "The Cheap Seats" by Alabama This song just about perfectly describes what Minor League Baseball is like. Not everybody is a fan of this one, but the upbeat way Alabama sings about hanging out at their local ball field, enjoying the game and socializing with friends is what being a baseball fan is all about.
Sometimes your team isn't doing so hot, the beer and food isn't that great and the umpire is making all the wrong calls, but you're just happy to have a day at the ballpark with your friends. That's the feeling this song captures, and it does a damn good job of it. If I left out a song that you think belongs on this list, leave a comment and let me know which baseball-related tune you think is the best one out there. Ever since I made the Rum Old Fashioneds the other night I've been on a bit of a rum kick. That continued recently when my parents and I did a virtual happy hour with my sister and we needed to come up with a drink. My mom has always been a big fan of mojitos, and after my parents' trip to Key West earlier this year she praised the fantastic drinks they had while they were there. They ate at multiple restaurants which were frequented by Ernest Hemingway, including Sloppy Joe's. If you're in Key West and you're eating at Hemingway's favorite restaurants, you have to get a mojito, so I've heard all about the great mojitos they had down there and decided to recreate them for our happy hour the other night. This is by far the most complicated drink I've made yet in the Quarantine Cocktail series, but it's worth it. It's got quite a few ingredients and is a little labor-intensive, but if you take the time to make one at home, you just might feel like you're on a tropical beach somewhere forgetting about the chaos going on around you. I got this recipe from allrecipes.com, but you don't have to follow it exactly. Theirs calls for 1/4 cup of club soda, but we just added the club soda until the glass was full. Likewise, you can add as much sugar as you like to get the drink tasting just how you want. MojitoIngredients
10 mint leaves 1/2 lime, cut into wedges 2 tbsp. sugar 1.5 oz. rum Club soda to top Directions 1. Add one lime wedge and the mint leaves to a glass and muddle to release the lime juice and mint flavors 2. Add two more lime wedges and sugar. Muddle 3. Fill the glass with ice. Pour in the rum. Add club soda until the glass is full. Stir 4. Add one more lime wedge as a garnish and enjoy! I think today's Saturday, but I'm really not sure. As my mom has started saying, every day is "Blursday." Whether this is a weekend or not, my parents decided to me to work while I'm home for quarantine and we spent the morning cleaning windows. And drinking beer. Don't judge us too much, though - we had a Daylight Cravings Breakfast Stout from Brothers Craft Brewing in Harrisonburg. Since it's a breakfast stout, you've gotta drink it in the morning, right? For a brewery that is known for some fantastic stouts, this one did not disappoint. The bottle describes it as a "Maple Bacon Breakfast Stout," and while I didn't get much of a bacon taste, there were definitely some notes of maple throughout the beer, especially in the aroma. The taste has all the flavors you expect from a stout - malty, sweet, etc. - but with some coffee and maple added in. From the Brothers website: "We’ve jam-packed Daylight Cravings with all the sweet and savory flavors of a hearty country breakfast. Smoked malt and a drizzle of rich maple syrup impart the essence of your favorite cured meats, and as with any good morning meal, we’ve rounded off this beer with rich cold brewed coffee. A delectable pour as suitable to start a day as it is to end one." Brothers also brews breakfast stouts in with flavors such as chocolate chip pancakes, hazelnut cream, coffee maple and blueberry donut. This particular version of the Daylight Cravings is made with coffee from Merge Coffee in Harrisonburg, and it makes for a great way to start a day full of chores. Pretty much every night since I've been home during this whole quarantine thing, I've had some kind of dessert. Whether it's ice cream, brownies or cookies, we're stocked up on sweets in our house. So tonight, I decided to merge the cocktail and dessert into one - the Chocolatini. I found the recipe for this particular drink from The Spruce Eats, but you could make it in any style that you want. The vanilla vodka makes a good base spirit, but any kind of coffee or chocolate liqueur would work as an ingredient in this cocktail, adding sweetness to your Friday happy hour. If you decide to make a variation of this drink with different ingredients, let me know what you try and how it turns out! ChocolatiniIngredients
1.5 oz. vanilla vodka 1.25 oz. Bailey's Irish Cream 0.25 oz. Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur Chocolate syrup for garnish Directions 1. Add vodka, Bailey's and Godiva to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake 2. Drizzle chocolate syrup around the inside of a chilled cocktail glass 3. Strain mixture into glass 4. Enjoy! The COVID-19 pandemic has affected nearly every part of life at this point. For sports fans especially, the past few weeks have been tough. Practically every sports league has either canceled its 2020 season or temporarily suspended operations. For baseball fans, this means no college baseball this spring and an indefinite amount of time until MLB Opening Day. Now the effects have hit a little closer to home. The Valley Baseball League announced on Thursday that it was canceling its 2020 season. The VBL is the first summer collegiate league to announce its cancellation, but likely won't be the last. The Valley League is one of the most historic baseball leagues in the country, with its roots in the Shenandoah Valley dating back to 1897. It became an NCAA-sanctioned league in 1961 and has produced more than 1,000 professional baseball players throughout its history. The league is an important part of life in the Valley, and a summer without it will be a difficult one to endure. Summer league baseball is influential to many of the people involved, principally, the players. Summer leagues provide college baseball players with an opportunity to get noticed by professional scouts. Every year at the VBL All-Star game, there are numerous scouts from MLB teams in attendance to see the best that the league has to offer. Each summer for the past few years, the Valley League has participated in the Southern Collegiate Prospect Showcase, a tournament in North Carolina against other summer leagues from around the southeastern United States. Like the All-Star Game, plenty of professional scouts are in attendance for this event. With their NCAA season canceled and now their summer season in jeopardy as well, many athletes are losing out on the opportunity to make a case for themselves in front of MLB scouts. Players who may be flying under the radar but were poised to have a breakout spring or summer are now without the chance. Hundreds of athletes from around the country may be missing their shot to get noticed, and in turn missing out on their chance to play professional baseball. But the players aren't the only ones affected. Summer leagues are a great training ground for those looking to work in baseball. I spent three seasons woking in summer leagues, including last year as the broadcaster for the Harrisonburg Turks in the VBL. Those years provided me with valuable experience that helped me land my current job. The Turks also employed interns from JMU, Roanoke College and Virginia Tech last season to do everything from social media to writing to scoreboard operation. Many of my classmates at Virginia Tech have spent time broadcasting in summer leagues. I have friends who have worked everywhere from the Northwoods League the Coastal Plain League. I know aspiring broadcasters who have spent time in the Cape Cod League developing their skills. Without a season this year, these students will miss out on valuable experiences that you can only get from spending a summer working for a baseball team. Internships teach you far more about the industry than classes will, and a ballpark is the best place to learn. These internships are significant to college students and can make the difference in who gets a job after graduation. Summer leagues are also important to the towns and cities where they are located. The ballpark is a community gathering place where friends and family can come for an inexpensive, fun night out during the summer. Local businesses sponsor the teams and leagues. The teams highlight local nonprofits, charities and organizations throughout the season, hosting theme nights at the ballpark. Area celebrities come to the park to throw out the first pitch and perform the national anthem. With the current state of the world and all the social distancing recommendations from the government, we need community interaction more than ever. Once the restrictions are lifted, a night at the ballpark will feel greater than ever, taking in the sights and sounds of the game, socializing with friends, and supporting local businesses. If we can't have those experiences this year, we'll miss out on some of the greatest parts of summer. More than anything, the relationships built in summer league baseball will stand the test of time. I've talked to former players and coaches who still keep in touch with teammates from 20 or more years ago. Spending a summer in a collegiate baseball league is one of the most fun, rewarding experience for a player, coach or intern. No one wants to see the summer baseball season canceled all around, but we all have an obligation to do what we can to mitigate the effects of COVID-19. The better we do now, the higher chance there is that we will have baseball back this summer. Everyone knows about Barry Bonds' 762 career home runs, Cal Ripken, Jr.'s 2,632 consecutive games played and Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hit streak. But there's a record that I don't think gets enough respect or attention. From the sixth inning of a game on Aug. 30th to the 10th inning of a game on Sept. 28th, Orel Hershiser pitched 59 innings without allowing a single runner to cross the plate. He broke the previous record - held by former Dodgers pitcher Don Drysdale - by 1/3 of an inning. The streak officially only includes regular season starts, so after taking into account Hershiser's Game 1 start in the NLCS, the streak extends to 67 scoreless innings. In that time, Hershiser pitched five complete game shutouts, just one shy of Drysdale's record of six-straight. In the final game of his streak, he pitched 10 scoreless innings in what would eventually be a 16-inning game. The scoreless streak was the best stretch of Hershiser's 1988 season that culminated in his only Cy Young Award. After leading the Dodges to the postseason, Hershiser won both NLCS MVP and World Series MVP. His performance in 1988 also earned him the second of three career All-Star selections and a Gold Glove Award while he led the National League in wins. He finished the year 23-8 with 178 strikeouts and a 2.26 ERA. When people talk about baseball's unbreakable records, the ones I mentioned at the beginning of this post are the ones you usually hear. Maybe throw in Pete Rose's 4,256 hits and Cy Young's 511 wins, but no one ever talks about Hershiser's 59 consecutive scoreless innings. When you think about the streak in context of the top-10 scoreless inning streaks in baseball, its even more impressive. Hershiser and Drysdale are the only two pitchers to throw more than 50 consecutive scoreless innings. Two other Dodgers pitchers have put together significant streaks, but neither have come close to Hershiser's record. Zack Greinke pitched 45 2/3 innings without allowing a run in 2015 while Clayton Kershaw tossed 41 scoreless innings in a row in 2014. If Hershiser's streak is ever matched, it probably won't be as impressive. In today's game, pitchers don't usually pitch as deep into games as they used to - averaging 5.2 innings per start in 2019 compared to 6.4 in 1988 - so we would be unlikely to see five straight complete game shutouts during a scoreless inning streak. That, combined with higher offensive production, make it hard to believe that we will see another 59-inning scoreless streak. Hershiser's 1988 season was the best of his career, but it wasn't the only good season he had. He struck out 150 or more batters six times in his career. He led the league in innings pitched three times and in 1989 led the league in ERA+ and FIP. Despite these accolades, Hershiser's career numbers come just short of an average Hall of Fame pitcher. In his first year on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2006, he received just 11.2 percent of the vote. The next year, he received 4.4 percent, falling below the 5 percent threshold required to stay on the ballot for the next year. Hershiser has twice been considered by the Today's Game Committee to be elected to the Hall of Fame, but has not received enough votes either time. As a result of this, and as per Dodgers policy, Hershiser's number cannot be retired by the team. A man with as impressive a career as Hershiser and with a record-breaking season deserves to be honored. Whether he eventually makes it into the Hall of Fame remains to be seen, but what is for certain is that his 1988 scoreless inning streak deserves to be considered among baseball's unbreakable records. |
AuthorMatthew Atkins, Journalist and Baseball fan. Archives
March 2023
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