Dec 5th, Vicorty Storm King Imperial Stout

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Very excited for today’s beer; Victory Storm King Imperial Stout from Victory Brewing Company, Downington PA.
A burnt aftertaste which I like, but also very bitter. 4 out of 5, not perfect.

The label says;
For Your Taste
Emerging from the deepest shades of darkness, a rolling crescendo of flavors burst forth from this robust stout. The thundering, hoppy appeal of Storm King subsides into the mellow subtleties of roasted malt, exhibiting an espresso-like depth of characters in its finish. An exquisite blend of imported malts and whole flower American hops merge harmoniously in this complex ale. Discover the dark intrigue of Storm King, as it reveals the rich, substantial flavors that it holds within. Cheers!

Glögg Party

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Swedes drink Glögg for Christmas and during the cold winter months. Glögg is kind of a version of mulled wine, but much better! Every Christmas for the last few years Blossa has made a special edition, this year with coffee taste.

We had a few friends over to taste this years edition for the first time and I was very pleased! I had two bottles thinking I’d give the second bottle away if I didnt like it, but I think I’m gonna keep the second bottle for myself!

Dec 4th, Blue Moon Pale Moon

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I have to admit I was not super excited when I unwrapped the beer for today;

Blue Moon Belgian-Style Pale Ale Pale Moon from Blue Moon Brewing Company in Golden, CO. To my surprise though, it wasn’t all that bad, and I told W that this is probably one of the better Belgian style beers I’ve had since it’s not so wheaty as I am used to – or maybe I am just growing up… I give this a 3 out of 5.

The label says;
A Belgian-style pale ale crafted with a hint of wheat, orange peel, and hibiscus for a perfectly balanced hop taste and smooth finish.
Pale Moon is our unique take on a pale ale. It’s crafted with a touch of wheat to offer an inviting hop taste with a smooth finish. Pale Moon is brewed with Cascade hops, European malts, and a touch of orange peel and hibiscus-all perfectly balanced in this copper-colored ale. Cheers.

Los Angeles 32nd Annual Swedish Christmas Fair

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It was the time of the year again when SWEA had their annual Christmas Fair at the Shrine in Downtown LA. There was a line outside 20 minutes before the doors open.

We went straight for the food, started with a shrimp sandwich.
I love semlor, and I think it’s worth going to the fair just for these!
The Swedish folk dance group was there to show some moves.
There’s a lot of different craft artists and a lots of little Santas and his helpers.

I buy an ornament from the fair every year and got one of these little fellows with me home today.

Dec 3rd, Firestone California Pale 31

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After a long hike and we had decorated the Christmas tree it was time to open up the beer for today;
Firestone California Pale Ale from Firestone Brewing Company, Paso Robles, CA
I really like this beer, and I’ve had this beer many times before. Definitely a 5 out of 5!

The label says;
Passion For the Pale

Christmas Tree

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We decided to get a Christmas tree this year and I am so excited! There’s two tree lots within walking distance from us so we went over there to check them out.

It was never our intension to get a tree from the $250 section, but we had to check them out!

The $40 section was more in our price range and size.

We have a winner!

I love our new Christmas tree! The cats seems to accept it as well, we’ll see when it’ll get tipped over the first time.

Verdugo Mountains Hike

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We did our first hike in a very long time, in the Verdugo Mountains in Glendale. Yay, Mountain Lions!

We had not hiked for very long before we had to make our first decision…

We picked the northbound and came across this tree that had fallen over in the wind, we stopped for a moment and were debating if we should bring it with us home and use as a Christmas Tree, but we decided not to.

As we stood there making up our minds a few other hikers passed us by and we decided it was for the better to ask for directions right away so we wont get lost like on pretty much all the other hikes we are doing.

Turned out, it was pretty much straight up and it looped around. We said we’ll see if we’ll loop around or just hike straight up for an hour or so and then just turn around home.

We reached this, erhm, thing, after about 90 minutes and thought that was enough and turned around home.
Going back down is a lot easier and quicker!
We stopped by the ‘Christmas Tree’ again to pick up some decorations for the home.

Brilliant solution if there’s a bunch of people who need to have access to a locked gate, just bring your own lock!

11 Things To Do In 2011

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I know this year has not come to an end just yet but I made a list last December of 11 things to do in 2011. I am already wrapped up in Christmas and don’t see myself ticking anything else off the list before it turns to 2012, so how did I do on my 2011 list?

1. Camp out
Yep, I went camping, twice! Catalina Island and Malibu

2. Go to 5 concerts
Hmm, yeah, I’ve been to a lot more concerts than 5 this year,  favorite so far has been Prince which totally surprised me and blew me away!

3. Re-design www.popnea.com
FAIL! I can’t believe it’s been a year and I still haven’t even thought about what I want my new website to look like! Isn’t that what they say though, that the shoemaker’s son always goes barefoot?

4. Read 5 books
FAIL! I read one book; Queens New Hat by my friend Tomo, and I started reading a Beach Boys book but I never finished. This was kind of expected.

5. Run three 5k’s
Yes, I ran three 5k’s. Started off with the Warrior Dash in May, then the Malibu Dirt Dash in September and ended with the ROC race in October.

6. Stay up and watch the sunrise
Yup, on July 3rd.

7. Take a beginners class in Spanish
Yes! I took a Spanish for Absolute Beginners and continued with Beginner’s Spanish! It’s fun, I should study more Spanish!

8. Visit a city in the US I have not been to
Yes, went to San Diego and Santa Barbara

9. Visit 5 museums I have not been to
That’s exactly what I did!

10. Visit Catalina Island
Yes, twice! In April and in July

11. Volunteer for a soup kitchen

FAIL! And I’m really disappointed in myself! I did some research and all the shelters I could find only want help on the weekdays during business hours – when I work! Next year I will have to find some other way to help.

Now I’m gonna start thinking of what to add to my 12 things to do in 2012 list. Whatever I failed with in 2011 will have to carry on over to 2012, so I have;
1. Re-design popnea.com
2. Read 5 books
3. Help a shelter in any way
I also want to
4. Run a 10K. This doesn’t have to be a race, I can just do it by myself on the streets in my neigborhood. I just wanna be able to say that I can run a 10K!

I need 8 more things, what to do?

Dec 2nd, Blue Moon Belgian White

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I have to say I was a little bummed when I unwrapped today’s beer and found a Blue Moon Belgian White Belgian-Style Wheat Ale, from Blue Moon Brewing Company in Golden, CO. Blue Moon does not have much credibility in my book for some unknown reason and I am not a big fan of wheat or Belgian style beer. But then as I open up and poured the beer I could feel my mouth was watering. My taste buds are still a little off cos of my cold, but the first sniff of the beer was aaah! and the first sip was a lot better than I was expecting. I am giving this a 2 out of 5. It’s better than the Apricot beer I had yesterday but still not good enough for me to buy it again.

The label says;
A refreshing unfiltered wheat ale brewed and spiced in the Belgian tradition for a uniquely complex taste & an uncommonly smooth finish.
Brewed with wheat and oats, Blue Moon features a crisp wheat finish and the perfect combination of orange peel and coriander. Bring out Blue Moon’s natural spices by serving it in a Pilsner glass with an orange-slice garnish.

Dec 1st, Pyramid Apricot Ale

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Super excited to wrap open the first Christmas beer! I got Apricot Unfiltered Wheat Ale from Pyramid Breweries (Seattle WA, Berkeley CA & Portland OR).
I think I’ve killed my taste buds with all the couch drops I’ve been eating lately for my cold that doesn’t want to go away, but I still think the Apricot Ale is a little to sweet for my taste. You could totally taste the apricot though, which is kind of cool. I give it 2 out of 5 – nothing I would drink again.

The label says;
Life is what you pour into it. Your thirst for life demands an offering that can match it. With the artistry of our brewing, we’ve created in every bottle an adventure worth sharing with friends.