#BeerSaturday is at week 213 and I close the book on a box of hoppy fun!

Source: https://www.pinterest.pt/goldensaintbeer/ with a little Zeke design on top.

I became a beer blogger because of the years I have spent brewing for myself, the breweries I work with now on their technology and marketing, and the decades spent imbibing combine for the self-decreed title of the #Blockchain #Beerologist.

This week, I am diving back into that IPA Box of Fun we started a couple weeks ago. Have I saved the best for last? Pull up and pint and discover now!

Shorty of the Week

The Shorty of the Week returns with a passion this week as it has been hard to showcase the fridge when there are so many pints of the week out on the town after the lockdown. As a refresher for longtime followers, I love to keep a few local, small cans of goodness in the fridge for those time when we want another beer, but a full pint would just be too much. Plus, the shorter cans are often the vessel of delivery for great one-off beers from our local brewers.

This week, I am headed back to the OG of local breweries Black Swan Brewing https://blackswanbrewing.ca/ Seeing as I am headed out on a mini camping vacation, this Hawaiian Vacation New England IPA brewed with Mango and @pinmapple https://black-swan-brewing.myshopify.com/collections/frontpage/products/hawaiian-vacation-neipais about perfect. What I love is it is less sweet than expected but balanced with the moderate hops and fruity NEIPA body. I have a couple more in the fridge and will try and save 'em for the next shish kabob BBQ!

And Now...back to the FUNBOX!

Usually, these variety packs are filled with random beer and I am suckered into buying a couple stinkers just to get at a unique IPA. While I generally skip over many of the Refined Fool Brewing Company https://www.refinedfool.com/ beers, I absolutely HAVE to purchase a whole box made up of different IPAs.

Perhaps it is a bit of a spoiler on my overall impression of this variety pack but I am going to award the coveted seal for having the game to assemble 6 different IPAs at once. https://www.refinedfool.com/collections/beer/products/ipa-fun-box-2nd-edition Well done!

Leather & Lasers!

You KNOW that brewers and branders are going out on limbs when this is the face of your sour IPA. Leather & Lasers Sour IPA https://www.refinedfool.com/collections/beer/products/leather-lasers-sour-ipa looks like one part Taladega Nights https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0415306/ one part Austin Powers https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118655/ and a sprinkle of the legendary Chris Farley https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Farley.

How does this translate into flavour? I honestly don't remember! Either there was too much distraction going on or it was the typical both ends that should never meet in the middle of the sour and the IPA. Either way, I didn't hate this and I would be good to classify it as 'I am glad I got to taste it.'

Hold on to your Bag Zane!

This is the second time that Refined Fool Brewing https://www.refinedfool.com/ has snuck this beer under my nose as part of a variety pack. Knowing the design wouldn't have me picking it individually, or the fact that avocados are better in guacamole than beer, I guess I have to hand it to them.

What is coolest about Zane Lost His Avocado Bag https://www.refinedfool.com/collections/beer/products/zane-lost-his-avocado-bag-brut-ipa is that it is a Brut IPA. This is a progressive west coast style of beer that is a little bit of a contradiction in that it is an IPA but is very dry. The residual sugars are all but removed in the unique brewing process and you could expect a hit or miss taste. Truth is, I have never met a Brut I didn't like and am consistently surprised at the strong flavour despite a comparatively low level of hops. Good stuff again!

Pizza Time!

This strange character is another along the lines of 'What in the hell are we gonna call this one? Good enough print it!' Not that I would avoid anything on this label individually as I love pizza, believe pineapple is a topping, and it is also a nice part of an IPA! Still, it looks to be more funny than it is well designed so lets see how it tastes.

We Danced for the Pizza Guy Pinapple IPA https://www.refinedfool.com/collections/beer/products/we-danced-for-the-pizza-guy is a damn fine beer. I would be fine chugging this one on a gaming night, for a pizza party, or even sitting on a patio. I will have to wholeheartedly agree that pineapple goes on both pizza and in beer. Well done again Refined fool. Possibly the best beer in the funbox.

#BEERSaturday!

Thanks again for this wonderful #hive #beer gift by @spirall on Twitter! Hop in on the marketing push with us and invite the world of beer bloggers to join us on Hive.

It is week 213 (that is right...213 weeks of #beersaturday s on the blockchain!) and @detlev is getting christmassy in the contest this week.@detlev/show-me-your-xmas-beersaturday-week-213-calls-you-to-join I am a little confused by changes to https://friends.beersaturday.com/ and had a little trouble dropping a beer in the box to have a shot at being the Beer King because of a WAX wallet?

I invite a friend to the party every week and this week it is my newest friend @dkid14 who is a big basketball and sports fan, and is into digital marketing like me!