It’s official: we’ve hit the doldrums of summer. The time between the end of the NBA Draft and the beginning of football season is the worst dry spell of the year for people who have nothing else with which to fill their life [also known as sports fans]. Sure, baseball’s going on, but there’s no point in watching that until at least September. Â The only good stories on Sportscenter are about NBA and NFl free agency, and 90% of those stories are just rumors, and the other 10% are usually boring.
When the most interesting sports story of July involves a 38-year-old Canadian with a bad haircut, you know you’re in trouble.
At least the Olympics is coming up. And is there anything better to enhance the viewing of athletic events you know nothing about than beer?  Probably not. To remedy the summer woes of sports fans, OKC.NET-ers Helen Grant, Andy Gomez and I met at McNellie’s in Midtown on Tuesday night to talk shop and watch Sportscenter. OKC.NET’s favorite bartender Hannah was tending bar when we got there, and always makes great beer recommendations, so we were ready to rock. The only problem was…Helen and Andy didn’t order any beer, so I had to stoically go it on my own. I felt like David Banner hitchhiking. Cue sad piano music.
You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry. It’s probably because of the short shorts.
Anchor Steam
$5.00, 4.9% ABV
I’ve had Anchor Steam before and didn’t care for it, but I decided to give it another shot based on that apparently everyone but me loves it. I admit it, I was wrong. Anchor Steam is fantastic. It’s a light to medium-bodied, very drinkable beer, but with a surprisingly full flavor. Anchor Steam has a great malty flavor, just a little bit of sweetness, and a fair balance of hop bitterness. Its hop profile is prominent, but not citrus-y, which is a refreshing change from virtually every other beer you would describe as being “hoppy”. There’s also a really nice caramel color to it, and a nice aroma. I’m not sure why I didn’t like Anchor Steam last time I tried it, but this is a really, really good beer. And since it’s a California beer (Anchor Steam is brewed in San Francisco), Steve Nash will get plenty of opportunities to drink it when he gets to L.A. I wonder if Steve Nash and Metta World Peace will be best friends in L.A.; in my head their relationship would be just like an ’80’s buddy cop movie.
Steve Nash already has the hair for it.
Would you drink it again?
I would definitely drink Anchor Steam again. In fact, I liked it enough on Tuesday night I sort of just wanted to get another Anchor Steam instead of trying something else. This could be my new favorite beer.
Great Divide Rumble Oak-Aged IPA
$6.00, 7.1% ABV
Yes, there is a beer on tap at McNellie’s called Rumble. Research revealed that not only is there a beer called Rumble, it also has a blue label and a sort-of buffalo on the label. As such, Thunder fans have no excuse for not trying this beer. Neither do beer enthusiasts, for that matter. It’s a strongly-hopped IPA with an imperious bitterness that’s enhanced by the notes of charred oak in the aftertaste; I’m not a huge fan of the oak element in the beer, but it’s worth trying.
Would you drink it again?
I prefer a cleaner, crisper flavor than the Rumble IPA offers (which may explain why I don’t care for a lot of California Chardonnays and their oak barrel flavor), and so I don’t know if I’d get it again. Unless the Thunder were playing. Then I’d have to.
Hannah the bartender even makes recommendations when she’s not working; we saw her at Byron’s last week, and she got us to try an organic pilsner. Not only did she make a recommendation, she also agreed to awkwardly pose for a picture in the beer aisle.