Just about a month after moving to Laguna Beach, Khaos and I had our first completely free weekend. No unpacking, no plans, no nothing. And it couldn’t have been better! So I topped off our amazing Saturday with beer number 28, White Ale from Telegraph Brewing Co.
This particular Saturday was one of those days where it felt like everything was going my way. And I know how important it is to cherish every moment of a day like that. I wasn’t about to take a single minute for granted.
After waking up on our own accord, Khaos and I made our way up the coast to grab a nice breakfast before a trip to the local record shop where, among other things, we picked up Infinite Arms by Band of Horses and the new Bon Iver album, Bon Iver, on vinyl (the latter was a gift to my soon-to-be wife. She didn’t know about it until later. I’m crafty like that!).
After a short walk down the street to watch the surf for a moment, we picked up our wedding programs that I personally designed. Two good things came from this. First, our wedding programs are done (yay!) and, second, they turned out to Khaos’ liking! My worries disappeared quickly!
Next up, we made our way to the market to prepare our feast for the night. It was on this trip where I found this week’s beer. Initially, I wasn’t able to find what I wanted at the grocery store. Thankfully for me, we had to make a special trip to Whole Foods where I discovered their AMAZING beer selection.
This was a huge discovery because prior to this trip I didn’t think anywhere in town had a decent aisle of brews worthy of this space. Boy was I wrong! Not only did they have a cooler full of great beer, they also had a shelf full of dry beer. So now I know where to go. No longer do I have to leave the friendly confines of Laguna Beach to get my beer.
(Quick explanation: if you’ve never been to Laguna Beach, not having to leave is a good thing. Not only is it a beautiful place to live, but it’s pretty isolated from the rest of Orange County. There’s basically only three ways in and three ways out and they all seem packed on the weekend. Especially during the summer! So when Friday evening hits, Khaos and I hope to park our cars and never move them again! But I digress…)
But enough of the background, let’s talk about the beer! Telegraph’s White Ale is a simple, unassuming beer that fit my evening perfect. And that was what I needed because in a rare turn of events I drank my weekly beer with dinner. Which is something I usually avoid doing because I like to focus all of my energy on the task at hand.
But this week I had to pair my beer with my meal. Khaos prepared fillets of Dover sole and crab cake balls (that’s what Maryland does!) along side some early summer tomato risotto with basil and parmesan. How could I not drink a good beer with that meal?
Like I said, this was a simple, unassuming beer. And I meant that as a compliment. Considering most beers I drink are either extremely hoppy or overpoweringly malty, I thoroughly enjoyed the light, refreshing crispness to this beer. It also continued with my theme of summery beers.
Initially, I didn’t think it stacked up with other white ales that I like. But that all went out the window when I compared it to a sip of Khaos’ beer (my favorite white ale, that’s all I’ll say), and I honestly couldn’t tell the difference. That quick comparison sealed a “Thumb’s Up” for White Ale while also adding it to the esteemed list of “52′s Faves!”
I have to be honest though, I wasn’t all that surprised that the beer turned out as good as it did. Considering the day I had, it was the icing on the cake. I just wish I had bought a lottery ticket!
