Drinks for the Drinking Nonthusiast: Cigar City Brewing

 The Contestants:
Cigar City Brewing's Jai Alai IPA, Maduro Brown Ale, Hillsborough River Dry Irish Stout, Florida Cracker Belgian Wit, Tocobaga Red Ale, and Hotter Than Helles Lager

All pictures are from their website

The Review:
So this review is going to be a bit different for a few reasons.  I actually visited this brewery when I went home for Thanksgiving (thanks parents for telling me about it!), so the majority of that list is what I tried while at the brewery itself.  The only one I had any large amount of recently is the Maduro because I bought a growler of it to take home.  And, unfortunately, I didn't take notes while I was at the brewery because I am lame like that.  So most of this review will be from memory.

What are you're initial thoughts?

Jai Alai IPA (7.5%):  I honestly don't remember too much about this one...  I know I didn't have more than a small taste of it, but from what I remember it is just a pretty standard IPA...  I'll have to see if I can find any around here, seeing as this is really the only one of their brews that gets shipped out farther than the immediate city.  This is their most well known brew and the only one I had heard of before realizing the brewery even existed, and in my hometown for that matter!

Maduro Brown (5.5%):  Now this is my favorite out of those that I sampled.  Obviously I liked it enough to buy a growler (a full quart filled from their taps at the bar that you take home with you).  It has a rather chocolate-y flavor, that is still bitter with a slight roasted espresso flavor.  I'm not usually one for "flavored" beer, but this is absolutely delicious, especially as a sort of winter/dessert beer (seeing as a opened my growler on one of the first chilly nights this past week), although it is brewed year-round from what I understand.



Hillsborough River Stout (5.5%):  I got a sample of this beer for one reason only: the river for which this is named for is one of my favorite places in my hometown.  I have rather fond memories of hiking around the river and canoeing on the river itself.  So I had to try the beer (which ironically shares the same color as the river)!  If the Maduro had a chocolatey coffee flavor, it was nothing compared to the Hillsborough River.  This brew was overwhelming in its flavors of roasted coffee and cocoa.





Florida Cracker Wit (5%): This was the first beer I sampled at the brewery.  I don't remember too much about it, but I don't think it was my favorite by any means.  I remember the flavor being much stronger than I had anticipated, although I don't really remember much else than that.  According to their website, this beer has citrus-y notes with a hint of coriander and vanilla.






Tocobaga Red (7.2%):  This was my boyfriend's favorite of everything we sampled.  Therefore, I made him (although rather unwillingly haha) write up the mini review of this one.  He says, "It was a strong beer, with a very rich piney taste that may put off people that aren't too big a fan of reds. Personally, I really enjoyed it and wouldn't mind having it again sometime. "  I will have to agree with him on the piney nature of the beer being off-putting.  While I do enjoy reds upon occasion, the piney-ness of this beer was a bit overwhelming in my opinion.




Hotter Than Helles Lager (5%):  This was the favorite of my light-beer-drinking parents.  They initially got this thinking it would be spicy (I think someone told them it had a bite), but is wasn't like that at all.  From what I remember, it was just a nice beer, especially for those who aren't used to the stronger flavors of craft beers,






How's the price?
Well, my parents took my boyfriend and I on the tour of the brewery which was $5 a person and included a beer and a pint glass.  What a deal!   I don't remember the price, but the growlers were rather reasonable as well.

Would you ever buy this again?
Well, next time I am at home I plan on buying another growler of the Maduro Brown and possible a six-pack of the Jai Alai, so I would say yes.  I'm rather sad that I don't have any more of the Maduro!

Question for the Makeup Knowledgeable!

I purchased some red lipstick over the summer and wore it a bit then, but I want to start wearing it more now (like to class and such), but I don't want to have to worry about reapplying it every hour.  Any tips to help with this?  I know red is a high maintenance color, but I want it a low maintenance as possible!

Drinks for the Drinking Nonthusiast: Terrapin Beer Company's Gamma Ray

 The Contestant:
Gamma Ray

Source: Terrapin's Website

The Review:
I went on a beer hunt today for a specific beer (which I did find, and will review later), but while I was on that quest, I ran into this monster and had to pick it up.  Needless to say, the superhero-themed labeling forced me to buy it.

What are you're initial thoughts?
*ROUNDHOUSE KICK TO THE FACE*  Holy ball, Batman, this beer is strong.  Lesson learned, read the ABV before purchasing any beer claiming to be a "monster" of a brew.  Actually, I should probably look at the ABVs all the time....  This lovely little beer has twice the amount of alcohol in it that any other beer I usually drink.  According to the website, "This Gamma Ray will stop any super hero’s arch enemies in their tracks!" In all honesty, I don't think I can actually even finish the glass I have sitting next to me, it is that strong. I guess that makes me a supervillian!  The flavor is sweet, but with a hoppy bitterness that is stronger than I expected in a wheat beer.  I guess that is what makes it a "wheatwine."  My roommate had a sip and told me it reminded her more of wine than beer, but she isn't a beer or wine drinker, so we have to take her evaluation with that in mind.  As for the color, Gamma Ray is an innocent amber color.  It hides its strength well!

How's the price?
I paid around $10 for a 4 pack.  That is definitely a lot more than I would like to spend on beer, but it was worth the experience.

Would you ever buy this again?
Nope.  It is too strong for me to even enjoy the flavor.  I am interested in trying Terrapin's other brews, especially the Sunray Wheat and  Moo-Hoo Chocolate Milk Stout (never the Monster brews though!)

Movie Reviews for the Bad Movie Lover: Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter

The Contestant:
Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter (2001)

"The Power of Christ IMPALES You!"

The Review:
I went to my friend's Halloween party last night, and somehow this movie got brought up.  We decided that it was life-threateningly important that we find the movie and watch it.  Surprisingly, it is on Netflix.

How is the overall quality?

Jesus and his hot bitches?  Look at the amazing image
quality!  Also this was part of a musical number!

When you hear the title of the movie, you expect a low-budget film of questionable intent.  And this film doesn't disappoint.  The movie looks like it was filmed by a college student using his parents' old video camera.  The video quality it absolutely terrible and the sound doesn't make up for it.  It looks like a poorly dubbed movie, with the actors' lips not syncing up to the sound, except it is originally in English, so I'm not sure what is going on there.  To top off the awful video and sound, the acting seems like the actors have never tried to act before, and the director just told them to "be tough."  Everyone is monotone, because apparently monotone = tough. Oh, and there are trippy crosses randomly.

How are the plot and the characters?
Awful and awful, to sum it up nicely.  In all honesty, I got distracted around the time the luchador showed up, so I can't give a very good review of the full plot, but from what I saw, the plot was pretty bad.  The vampires want to kill Jesus for some reason and they are also hunting lesbians.  Why lesbians?  I don't know.  In any case, Jesus is a kung-fu master, and he kicks major vampire butt.  He doesn't really have a personality, but I think expecting that would be holding this movie to too high of standards.  Also appearing in the movie is Mary Magnum, who's only defining feature is a shiny red jumpsuit.

Is it so bad it’s good?
Yes.  Very much yes.  I haven not seen a movie so terrible in a long time, if ever!  I don't know if I could actually sit down and watch the entire thing without a big group (and beer!) to make fun of it with.  The dubbing would probably drive me crazy.

So would you watch it again?
Probably not.  It’s worth the watch if you are in the mood for god-awful movies, but I certainly don't want to watch it again.  I don't even know if I want to finish it!

Drinks for the Drinking Nonthusiast: Magic Hat #9

 The Contestant:
Magic Hat #9

Isn't the label awesome looking?

The Review:
This is the second installment of the night I went out with friends and just picked a random beer off of the menu!  I decided on Magic Hat #9 because I already love their Circus Boy.  (If I am incorrect in my labeling of this beer please correct me because the menu only said "Magic Hat" and I never saw a bottle or the tap, so I had to read other reviews to see what flavor they said for Magic Hat's main brews so I could label it on here)

What are you're initial thoughts?
I should have stuck to the Dead Guy Ale.  The moment I received the Magic Hat, I knew I made the wrong decision.  The smell was overwhelming.  I decided (with the help of my friends at the table) that this beer smells exactly like a Jolly Rancher candy.  Specifically the strawberry one.  If you have ever had one of these candies, you know it smells and tastes nothing like a real strawberry, but it is sugary sweet artificial strawberry none the less.  Now imagine that with beer undertones.  That is what the Magic Hat I ordered tasted like.  (according to other reviewers, #9 has an intense fruity apricot flavor, but I couldn't get past the candy-like flavor in general)

How's the price?
I believe I paid about $5 for a pint, which of course is more than I would like to pay for beer, but since I was eating out, I was willing to pay for it.  I assume a 6-pack is a bit more reasonably priced.

Would you ever buy this again?
Never again.  The candy flavor is not something I enjoy at all.  The beer itself is not necessarily a bad beer, but the flavor is just not my thing.

Drinks for the Drinking Nonthusiast: Rogue's Dead Guy Ale

The Contestant:
Rogue's Dead Guy Ale

Their website

The Review:
So I went out to eat with some friends, and decided to pick a random beer from the drinks menu!

What are you're initial thoughts?
Well, considering I had no idea what I had ordered, I was pleasantly surprised!  This beer is pretty delicious, if I do say so myself.  It has a distinct hoppy flavor (think bitter if you don't know what hops taste like), although it is not incredibly strong in that respect, like an IPA would be.  It was perfect with my fajita quesadillas.

How's the price?
I believe I paid about $5 for a pint, which of course is more than I would like to pay for beer, but since I was eating out, I was willing to pay for it.  I assume a 6-pack is a bit more reasonably priced.

Would you ever buy this again?
Most definitely!  I am thinking about picking up a 6-pack when I am out of the beer I have already, or maybe trying another style from Rogue.  (I've had their Chocolate Stout before and if you like a rich chocolate flavor, I suggest it!)  I will have to see what the local liquor store has in stock!  In any case, the name alone makes Dead Guy Ale appropriate for a Halloween gathering.

On the Subject of my Crazy Life: Drawing 2 Class

Just some work from my Drawing 2 class!  Sorry for the blurry and dark photos, the pieces are much to big to scan, and I took these photos inside where it was rather dimly lit already.  As always, click the photos to see a bigger image!

I like to call this "The Deconstruction of a Petticoat."  The assignment was to draw an article of clothing without any background.  I obviously chose my petticoat because I really like drawing the fabric folds.  A lot.

Petticoat!  First take-home assignment.  Done in pencil (mostly mechanical pencil!)

After a couple of assignments in pencil, we moved on to stick and ink.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with this medium, it is literally a stick that has been sharpened to a drawing point at one end and the other end is left brush-like.  Then you dip either end into ink and draw with it.  The whole process is rather labor intensive because you have to press down really hard to get the ink out of the porous stick after the initial ink on the outside is gone.

Still life done mostly in class.  Stick and ink

This is the most recent assignment we did in class.  Technically this assignment is due Monday, so I still have time to do some more editing, but I am happy with it so far, so I might just be done.  I think pen and ink is my favorite medium, even though it is ridiculously time consuming!

Still life done mostly in class.  Pen and ink

This has nothing to do with class assignments, but I do like it enough to share!

Bonus!  Hippo Skull in pen and ink!