It's November. I'm participating in National Novel Writing Month for the third consecutive year. I've been up since 6:30, writing sporadically. It's cold and blustery outside but I have a fire roaring in our buck stove and I'm downright toasty. I'm four thousand words and two lage cups of coffee deep into this November's portion of my novel. I'm warm and cozy and in need of a solid break.

What better way to take my mind off my monumental task than enjoying the first beer of the blog's second annual Maple Month? Yeah, I couldn't think of one either. So, take a break from writing with me by reading about this beer I'm about to start writing about. Does that makes sense? Who cares! Today's brew: Octopi's Double Maple Imperial Morning Stout.

Yesterday, I pushed passed the 50k mark in the draft of my manuscript, thereby completed NaNoWriMo. Meaning that today is the first day this month where I didn't set an alarm to wake up and start writing. So, I guess I ought to celebrate somehow, huh?


Since the blog's Christmas season starts on Friday, let's end the maple season on a (hopefully) high note. Again, we're dipping into Avery's Barrel Aged Series with Double Barreled Maple Stout. Let's see how this holds up.

Welcome to maple season post number two! I'm halfway through my NaNoWriMo word count for the day, so I figure now might be a good time to take a break and look at another maple-flavored beer.


Today's offering comes from Michigan's Odd Side Ales. I'll admit, I've had this beer a time or three before. I got wind of it and asked my dad, who spends a good deal of his time in the Mitten State, if he'd seen it. A few days later, he told me he'd nabbed a four-pack.

So, since I've had it before, I'm drinking this beer at room temperature--I've found that sipping on it when it's any colder dulls the flavors. Now, without further fanfare, here we go: Hipster Brunch Stout.

Urban Artifact is one of those breweries that I've wanted to write about for a long time but about which have never found the opportune moment for a post. Ever since I discovered their beer at the 2015 Ohio Brew Week (in Athens, of course), I've been steadily, but not overwhelmingly, enjoying their beers. As one of my friends put so plainly three years ago--I've liked every single one of their offerings.