Turkey Day Brew

I've read a couple blogs about what people are planning on drinking with Thanksgiving dinner. Lew does a great beer to wine breakdown and Beer Babe has her picks. Since I wont have time to shop for beer while at my parents place I need to figure out what to fly out with. Everyone who will be at the table on Turkey Day already knows me as the relative who doesn't drink "normal Beer". I've heard, "Oh that's one of Brian's strange beers." too many times to count. Understand I grew up in a house where at any given time the beer in the basement was Black Label, Rolling Rock, Genesee Cream Ale or Schlitz. Certainly not the most intriguing of beer lineups. Recently my mother has pushed aside the Cream Ale for Corona and has even opened her eyes slightly to the world of good beer. I managed to get a Sam Adams into her hands and she and Kelleigh have both enjoyed Lindeman's Lambics. Knowing my mom enjoys good rum and bourbon the time may be right for a bourbon aged beer. A bit of Backwoods Bastard and Curieux after the holiday meal is the plan. If all goes well around the table this may lead my family to someday thinking that the Genesse and Rolling Rock are the "strange beers" in the fridge.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Beer Congregation

This past weekend Kelleigh and I broke away from chasing down beer events to get together with a few old friends. As much as I love zipping around Philadelphia from place to place it's great to kick back and chill on a comfortable couch with a beer and a big plate of food. The problem is the older that we get the fewer opportunities there are for all of us to hang out. Life always seems to step in and alter plans. Who knew that kids, marriage, new homes and careers would interfere with friendly social gatherings? Since these congregations don't happen that often I made sure to sufficiently overeat and fill my glass as often as possible. Sorry no deep detailed discussion on food and beer pairings. This is just a quick break down of what poured through the evening.

The beer choices on Saturday covered a wide range of styles. The early part of the evening kicked off with Newbold IPA from Philadelphia Brewing Company. This was sort of the, "Hello, welcome to the party!!!” starter beer. Newbold was a good launching point. Where some IPAs lean almost into DIPA territory this one remains fairly mild in comparison. The, "bold", in the name might suggest an eventual hop assault but it never happened. However citrus, along with a nice bitterness, did come out in the finish. If we weren't headed to other beers it would be easy to toss back a few of these.

The evening really started with the opening of the big bottles. The first was Cuvée Van De Keizer Rood Belgian Strong Pale Ale from Brouwerij Het Anker. Before anyone makes comment on the picture I already know that this beer shouldn't be served in a pint glass. Don't worry we switched the glassware. This was a very carbonated beer with a huge billowy white head. The aroma was complex. Mild funk and flowers mixed with candy sugar, tropical fruit and apples. Honey and fruit came through in the taste with crisp champagne like quality. The slight warmth at the end reminds you that the abv is 10%. This was one of the best Belgian Pales I’ve tasted.

Next up we flipped open the top on Sprecher’s Doppel Bock Aged in Oak Bourbon Barrels. The bourbon aroma jumped straight from the glass along with malt and hints of vanilla. The taste is malty with caramel, oak and an earthy quality which I am guessing comes from the oak aging. I expected the overall taste to be bigger but instead it’s warm and mellow. The sweetness and warmth of the bourbon is there until the end. As the beer had a chance to warm the bourbon character became even more predominate. This is a great after dinner beer. Put this one in a snifter; find a big leather chair in front of a toasty fire and kick back for the evening.

The suburban beer trail suddenly turned explosive and pitch-black. Jolly Pumpkin’s Madruga Obscura, Dark Dawn Stout, which sounds more like the title of an old Police album than a beer, flowed wildly as soon as the cap was removed. This Imperial Stout foamed out of the bottle before we were ready with the Chimay glasses. The pour was motor oil dark with a latte brown frothy head. The aroma was an interesting blend of chocolate, coffee and sour fruit. The sourness (thank you Brett) continued with the first sip then faded to reveal a more traditional roasted chocolate stout flavor. If your not use to sour beers it may take some time to adjust to the distinct taste. To my surprise the odd sour twist worked surprisingly well.

The fifth and final beer, Unibroue 17, really deserved better treatment than I gave it. I've had this beer before so I've experienced the flavors of dark fruit, cinnamon, brown sugar and roasted malts. This is one of my favorites from Unibroue. However by the time we poured it my beer comprehension had just about reached its limit. Anytime you forget you're actually drinking a beer or don’t remember how the beer got in the glass it's a sign to find the designated driver and bring the evening to a close. So, after finishing what was in my glass I called it an evening. My memory of 17 definitely didn't come from my most recent experience. Sorry Unibroue next time we will start the evening with the 17 instead of using it as our evening's swan song.

A Long Soulful Journey

I experienced the perfect traffic storm on my way to the Sidecar Bar and Grille Thursday night.

Take rush hour (4:45pm), add in routes 422 and 76, then mix in a flipped truck and you have a two and a half hour drive from Audubon to Philly. Serves me right for moving out of the city. Fortunately my spirits were high knowing that soulful music, food and some of my favorite Michigan beers were at the end of the journey.

The Sidecar Bar is one of those places I wish I went to more often. It has that great warm neighborhood feel. The place is fairly small, dimly lit and was filled with a nice mix of people listening to the smooth sounds of New Holland's Soul Power Night. Kelleigh and I grabbed a table ordered drinks, food and had the chance to talk with Dr. Joel for a few minutes before dinner arrived. If you have the opportunity to bend his ear, do it. He is passionate about beer, New Holland and offers up some choice stories. As my first beer arrived I promised myself (and Kelleigh) a three beer limit for the evening. With so many beers available this wasn't an easy promise to keep. Since it was a New Holland Beer promo I made sure to enjoy a Cabin Fever (my favorite seasonal brown), Mad Hatter IPA and for dessert Dragon's Milk. My only regret was not tasting The Poet. My word is bond and I stuck to my limit. I'll rectify missing The Poet by getting a mix case of New Holland this weekend. Once our dinner arrived I dove into the savory meal so quick that I forgot to get a shot of the plate. Trust me it looked incredible. We each had BBQ short ribs, greens w/bacon, cheese grits, steamed string beans and sweet potatoes w/pecans. My only gripe; the sweet potatoes were a bit bland. My preference is a little more brown sugar. Everything else passed the home style cooking test. Our empty plates were proof of that. The Sidecar Bar and Grille is an inviting neighborhood corner bar that knows zestful comfort food and quality beer. I just need to find a way to return more often.

Give Me A Theme for My Beer Night

When I was in a frat back in my college days the most interesting parties were the ones wrapped around a theme. Heaven and Hell Night was one of the best (sorry the details will remain withheld). Now a days bars have embarrassed the theme idea to pull in valuable patrons. With so many great places to grab a good beer around Philly a creative twist to draw attention isn't a bad idea. Now I have never needed a reason to head into a bar and have a beer. "Hey, the work day is done, time for a beer". "Hmmmm, that place looks interesting, lets stop and have a beer". "I am still breathing and my legs function lets go in and have a beer". All have been reason enough to indulge in a pint or two. However I do like it when an establishment puts a little extra thought into it to create an interesting event. This can be as simple as a creative Happy Hour special or a detailed weekend extravaganza. Many times brewery reps or distributors work with bars to create cool beer promos. Something more stimulating than the mundane $2.00 Bud Light Pint Night. Many bars around Philadelphia have fun with specials maybe none better than the creative wizards over at Memphis Taproom. Brendan's Mystery Beer Weekend in August was one of the most unique. Over three days a total of 30 beers covering 11 styles were tapped. A few small clues were given and the goal was to list the beers on a ballot. The winner, Jim Keaveney, named an incredible 28 and second went to The Beer Lass, Sly Fox's Suzanne Woods. Other beer adventures at Memphis Taproom are the Me and Mom Happy Hour, the Pittsburgh Transplant Happy Hour (love the idea of that one) and the upcoming Boxing Day Beer Festival. The creativity is great, it creates atmosphere, it's a cool twist to grabbing a beer and it draws attention to the bar. There is nothing wrong with bringing in the business. I am sure more places will stir the creative fluids and develop unique ideas for great beer gatherings. It just so happens that there are two beer events tonight. One on the soulful side the other more seasonal.

Thursday is Beer Night

In the City
I've already mentioned this one but it deserves another shout out. Join Dr. Joel from New Holland Brewing at the Sidecar Bar and Grille for Soul Power, an evening of beer, soul music and soul food. Joel will pour The Poet, Mad Hatter, Dragons Milk and Cabin Fever and the DJ will spin the soulful sounds. The groove starts at 5pm and goes until whenever.

In the Burbs
For an evening filled with holiday cheer join Brian O' Reilly, Tim Ohst and Suzanne Woods at Teresa's Next Door for the Sly Fox Christmas Party. Enjoy Sly Fox's Christmas Ale and other specialty beers during the evening. The party starts at 6:00. Bonus from 6-8pm Don "Joe Sixpack" Russell will have copies of his Christmas Beer book for sale. Buy it, get it signed and chat about this season's best Xmas beers with the author.

The New Yorker Knows Beer

If you are a fan of extreme beer and all things Dogfish check out the article on Sam Calagione in this month's New Yorker magazine.

"A Better Brew: The Rise of Extreme Beer", by Burkhard Bilger

'Tis the Season of the Elf

Tonight at the South Philadelphia Tap Room experience Philly's first keg of Troeg's Mad Elf 2008. The joyous 11% holiday brew starts pouring at 6:30pm.

Also:

I forgot to mention another New Holland event that happens this Friday the 21st. Head over to The Beer Yard in Wayne for the New Holland Variety Case Tasting. Taste the beer, chat about New Holland and then buy a case so you can enjoy your favorites at home.

Trekin' to Dogfish and Dr. Joel

My beer weekend officially started and ended on Thursday night. Because of a full weekend of running around dealing with the purchase of a new house, Thursday was the only day to catch any beer activity. This meant, unfortunately, I had to miss the Brewers' Reserve Black and Tan Cask event on Saturday at Iron Hill. I am sure I'll have to miss more events since the next few months are only going to get crazier with the big move fast approaching.

Thursday night's suburban beer trek started early at Capone's with Dogfish Head. The beer lineup brought out one of the largest crowds I've seen at the bar. Anytime it's just after 5:00, you do two laps of the parking lot and end up grabbing a spot next door you know there is something serious happening inside. Once I managed to swoop into a seat at the bar I heard someone refer to the evening as, "beer Christmas". In a way it was; you just don't see that many Dogfish high abv creations all on draft at the same time. Theobroma, 60, 90, 120, World Wide Stout, Raison D' Etre, Palo Santo Marron, Indian Brown and to top it off the 90 Minute flowing through Randall. The only beer under 6% abv was the Festina Peche. All those beers under the tree on Christmas morning would spark any beer fanatics Yule Log. As much as I wanted to kick back and try them all I refrained knowing I had a long drive ahead of me.

My long, dark, wet, winding drive took me to Ortino's Northside for a meeting with Dr. Joel and Cask Kev for a few of New Holland's finest. I have been reading The Grain Bill forever but this was the first time I had a chance to talk with Joel. It was great getting the chance to enjoy a Cabin Fever with the Northeast Ambassador of all things New Holland. From the sound of it he has a busy schedule of spreading the word about the brewery. Michigan brewers have been making a big push into PA, especially in Philadelphia, and New Holland offers up some excellent choices. If you want to enjoy a few and learn a little more about New Holland, Joel has two appearances this week you shouldn't miss. The first is Dragon's Milk Night at The Institute from 7-9:00pm and then on Thursday Sidecar Bar is hosting Soul Power. An evening of soul music, food and New Holland beer. The good times roll at 5:00pm. It looks like New Holland will make Thursday night another great early start to the weekend.

Full Mooner Thursday at The General Lafayette

The General Lafayette Inn and Brewery is hosting Full Mooner XI tonight from 6-9pm. Chris Depeppe from Total Bru Marketing and Beerheads.com specifically arranges the tasting event on the eve of a full moon. Tonight's attendees have the chance to sample beers from He'brew, New Holland and Weyerbacher. The $15 includes a buffet.


Check out the post and photos from an earlier Full Mooner event.

Thursday is Dogfish and New Holland Beer Night.

A couple posts ago I blah, blah, blahed about how much Capone's shows up on this blog. Well here I go again and for good reason. On Thursday Capone's is doing a HUGE Dogfish Head promo. Matt starts the afternoon off right and continues through the day pouring 9 Dogfish beers. I have never seen 60 (6%abv), 90 (9%abv),120 (20%abv), W.W. Stout (18%), Palo Santo (12%abv) and Theobroma (10%abv) all on at the same time. To top it all off Randall the Enamel Animal makes it's appearance on the 90 minute. As you can tell from those abv percentages this is not a session beer event (check below for that one). I suggest hiring a designated driver for the night.

Dogfish Head Drafts

60 Minute IPA

90 Minute DIPA on a Randle

120 Minute Triple IPA

Indian Brown Ale

Raison D'etre

Palo Santo Marron

2006 World Wide Stout

Theobroma

Festina Peche

also on draft

2007 Troegs Mad Elf
Stone 2007 Oak Aged Bastard
Founders Backwoods Bastard
Founders Old Curmudgeon

Wings .25 4:00 to 6:00pm
Mussels on Special 5:00 to 10pm.
Give aways for Dogfish Drinkers!!!

Not to be outdone Ortino's Northside is having a New Holland Release Party. Join Dr. Joel "Ambassador of Hand Crafted beers for the New Holland Brewing Company" and the man behind, The Grain Bill for a night of beer, fun and merriment. It all starts at 7pm.

New Holland Beers

Pilgrims Dole, Wheat Wine
Cabin Fever, American Brown Ale
Dragons Milk Oak Barrel Ale, American Strong Ale

If the high octane brews of Dogfish Head and New Holland are a bit much for your evening's consumption then head to Tria's Fermentation School for, "The Session Beer Project", with Lew Bryson. Lew spreads the knowledge of full flavor low alcohol beers. Sample some of his favorites and learn that great beer can come with an abv under 5%. Class runs 6:30-8:00pm and seats are $50.00.

Prohibition Starts

I was checking out recent openings on Foobooz and noticed that Prohibition Taproom (501 N. 13th Street) has opened it's doors. Meal Ticket has some great photos and a rundown of the menu and beer list.

I like this trend of little corner taprooms opening around Philly. The corner of Buttonwood and 13th, although home to former bars, isn't an area most would head to for a good beer and an interesting menu. It reminds me that I still haven't made it to The Institute which is only a few blocks from Prohibition. I hope both of these bars can breath a little well needed life into the area east of Broad, around Spring Garden.

Prof. Don Russell's Xmas Beer Education

Everyone needs a good education and Don "Joe Sixpack" Russell is providing one on Christmas beers and winter warmers. Tomorrow night at Earth, Bread + Brewery join Don to sample various styles and discuss the history, culture and ingredients of winter beer. The course is done through Mt Airy Learning Tree, seats are limited and registration is required.

Also:

If you are looking to start your Christmas beer education early grab a copy of Don Russell's book, Christmas Beer: The Cheeriest, Tastiest and Most Unusual Holiday Brews.

Church Brew Works 12th Anniversary

It has been awhile since I've posted anything about beer happenings in Pittsburgh. I have a trip planned in a few weeks so I'll snoop around while I am out there. Meanwhile, starting tonight, there is a week long celebration for the Church Brew Works 12th Anniversary.

The brewery has a very interesting past. The building is the former St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church (1902-1993) in Lawrenceville. The church was decommissioned by the Diocese of Pittsburgh in 1993 and sat dormant for three years. The new owners purchased the property to build the brewery but were sensitive to the community's attachment to the building. They took the time to talk with many of the former parishioners who believed it was better to have the old church renovated than to see it torn down. After extensive renovations the building was restored and the brewery doors opened in August of 1996.

The Church has always been a favorite stop of mine. In 1996 I lived only a few blocks away and remember walking to the bar after work to enjoy the new microbrew thing. Anytime I travel to Pittsburgh part of my ritual is to have at least one beer at the bar to celebrate my return home.

When the Church Brew Works first opened it was part of the microbrew craze taking over the city. The upsurge of brew pubs in Pittsburgh, Valhalla (June 97), Foundry Ale Works (Dec 97), Strip Brewing Company (June 96), were all located within a couple of miles of each other. John Harvard's (August 97) opened around the same time just outside the city. Unfortunately Pittsburgh hasn't always been kind to brewing. Over the years all the local upstart breweries closed for various reasons. The same was true for two chains. Hereford and Hops in Cranberry Township closed in May of this year after a run of almost three years and John Harvard's bowed out recently. Along with Church Brew Works, currently Pennsylvania Brewing Company, Iron City Brewing (formerly Pittsburgh Brewing) and East End Brewing are all operating in Pittsburgh. Rock Bottom is in nearby Homestead and Rivertowne Pour House is 20 minutes east of the city in Monroeville. Plans still seem on for a Hofbrauhaus on Pittsburgh's South Side as reported by Lew Bryson back in October. Only time will tell if Pittsburghers have it in them to embrace another brewery in the city.

Through it all the Church Brew Works continues to create award-winning beers. Almost 60% of their beer sales take place away from the brewery. They are often hard to come by at this end of the state but a savvy beer hunter can find bottles and drafts around Philadelphia. Their larger specialty bottles, often not sold outside the brewery, have been showing up regularly at Capone's bottle shop in Norristown.

The brewery highlights it's 12th Anniversary with some interesting beers and past menu favorites. How often do you have the opportunity to taste rattlesnake and cactus pierogies? Along with their regular house beers there are four specialty beers including MM (12th Anniversary Ale). Draft list as of November 10th

M M
Double Amarillo Black Ale
After twelve years I am proud to unveil our 12th anniversary beer. The brew crew wanted to do something off the wall to help celebrate this momentous occasion. So I give to you MM. This beer can not be categorized into one beer style. It incorporates two styles into one brew. The first style and base of the brew is an Imperial Stout. You will notice that the beer is as dark as our oatmeal stout and has a rich full body. We achieved this with the addition of a significant amount of chocolate malt. The second style of beer incorporated into the brew is a Double IPA. If you smell the brew you will notice a significant hop aroma from the use of the Pacific Northwest hop Amarillo. We achieved this by dry hopping the brew with Ten pounds of Amarillo’s in the fermenter. Upon first sip you will taste espresso and chocolate similar to a good stout. After that the citrus hop bite kicks in and lingers on the palate through the finish like a good IPA. We went all out on this brew to reward our loyal customers through the years. We also are aging 3three barrels of this beer in new American oak casks, so check back in a year to sample this treat.

Specs
OG - 20.0 P/1.080 SG
IBU - 80
ABV - 8.5%
Grain Used - Pale, Caramel, Chocolate, & Roast Barley
Hops Used - Palisade & Amarillo

If my fellow Pittsburghers don't celebrate too much I just might get the chance to enjoy at least one glass of MM on my visit back to the old neighborhood.

CHEERS

HAPPY 12TH ANNIVERSARY!!!

Beer Battle

I was listening to Craft Beer Radio and Jeff and Greg brought up a recent episode of Iron Chef America where the secret ingredient was beer. I haven't seen the Iron Chef in years but the idea of creating some interesting dishes with my favorite ingredient was enough motivation to search out the video. The show aired back in October and the culinary battle pits Austrian chef Daniel Angerer against Iron Chef Bobby Flay. Garrett Oliver, Brewmaster for Brooklyn Brewery and food and beer guru is part of the judging panel.

The beers used in the show.
Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, Shiner Hefeweizen, Dupont Biere de Miel, Ridgeway Ivanhoe British Pale Ale and Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Marzen.

Beer Battle Part 1


Beer Battle Part 2


Beer Battle Part 3


Beer Batlle Part 4

Thursday is a Victory for Earth Beer Night.

Straight from the Victory website.

November 6 - A Victory for Earth (PA)

Bill Covaleski will be celebrating at Earth Bread + Brewery with 8 taps of Victory plus the great brews of Earth Bread + Brewery. Keep the pint 6:30-8:30pm. Earth Bread + Brewery 7136 Germantown Ave. 215-242-6666

Comfortable at Capone's

I was looking over my posts for the past year and noticed that my most frequent label is Capone's. It's no wonder; it's the closest craft beer bar to my home. If someone were trying to hunt me down, the chances of discovering me there are pretty good. Sure, I am a regular but I travel to places all around Philadelphia. Now that I live further from the city my regular beer territory has greatly expanded. There is so much going on that I already can't expect to get to all the events and promos. Certainly playing favorites and hanging in one area isn't going to get it done. Still, Capone's continues to pop up more and more. I suppose if I lived in Northeast Philly the Grey Lodge would dominate my posts or if Port Richmond were home Memphis Taproom would show up here more than it already does. We all have the hometown spot that we find solace in. Location is part of it but Matt Capone manages to combine several elements that make for a great beer experience whether your local or a traveler.

First: The beer selection is always amazing.

Matt knows what the people want. You have 12 rotating taps and you can purchase any beer from the highly rated bottle shop to enjoy in the bar. This beats just about any other establishment for overall selection. Plus if you can't hang load up at the shop or grab a growler to go.

Second: Old school atmosphere.

There is nothing pretentious about the place. From the outside you would never expect the beer treasures that pour inside. I think that if their signage were different they may even get more beer business. Inside you are as likely to meet someone at the bar enjoying a flight of craft samplers as you are to rub elbows with a regular who never goes beyond ordering an MGD. People respect each other and their beer differences aren't an issue.

Third: Frequent beer promotions.

Every few weeks Matt puts together a promotion that brings out beer people from all areas of Philly. Whether its a special tapping of Pliny the Elder and Younger, a focus on a new brewery (Roy Pitz) or bringing in a brewer (John Jordan, Breckenridge Brewery) the beer events are always interesting and well attended. Expect to find more than a few Beer Advocates in attendance around the bar.

I have had some friends complain that the servers aren't well informed about the beers they are pouring. While I do enjoy places where the staff makes recommendations and are incredibly knowledgeable, because of it's classic neighborhood bar feel I never expected it at Capone's. Combine all the positives with a solid menu and good service and it's clear why they are a great beer stop.

Also
On my last trip in I had the Backwoods Bastard and Curmudgeon Old Ale from Founders Brewing. Both were amazing. This was the first time I had Backwoods on draft and it may of be the first time on draft in the Philly area.

The Backwoods Bastard is a big beer. One warning; if you don't like bourbon there is no point in getting this one. The aroma is bourbon, the taste is bourbon and it almost looks like bourbon. Give this beer a chance to warm up and once the head fades you may swear that it's liquor in the glass instead of beer. Lucky for me, I LOVE BOURBON, so this beer is heaven. However I would recommend the Curmudgeon over the Backwoods only because the alcohol taste is more subdued and the overall flavor is better balanced.

Current Capone's Draft List

Founders Harvest Ale

Founders Curmudgeon"Old Ale"

Founders Backwoods Bastard

2007 Troegs Mad Elf

South Hampton Double

Ithaca Apricot Wheat

Sly Fox IPA Project Pearle IPA

Weissennohe Monks Octoberfest

2007 Brooklyn Chocolate Stout

Legacy Dear Abbey Dubbel

South Hampton Double White

Church Brew Works Tripel

2007 Stone Oak Aged Bastard

Brooklyn Post Road Pumpkin

New Draft Promo will be Dogfish Head Thursday Nov. 13 th "A great lineup of beers !

VOTE NOVEMBER 4TH!!!

Simple enough. On November 4th voting should be everyone's priority. Go early, go late, go Obama or go McCain just make sure that you go. I am not a huge political guy but even I am getting chills about the 4th. My day will start early to avoid any possible long lines, then it's off to do some volunteer work and by the end of the day, like most, I'll watch all the media coverage for the results.

After your vote has been cast there are several options for an evening of celebration or a place to simply drown your political sorrows.

Devil's Den
A special tapping of Avery's Ale to the Chief "Presidential" Pale Ale.

Tria Fermentation School
Get Stoned on Election Day. Head Brewer Mitch Steele of Stone Brewing Co. brings a variety of acclaimed Stone beers for a tasting. He has also shipped some rare specialties just for the class.
Tickets are required for this event, $55.00, 6pm-8pm.

Ortino's Northside Celebrates 5 Years
Northside celebrates B-Day number five. The party will roll with Victory Brewing, an appetizer buffet, give aways and keep the pint glass specials. Other draft specials will flow during the week including Russian River's Pliny the Elder and Flying Pig, Founders Breakfast Stout, Southern Tier's Unearthly and Cherry Saison and more.

Memphis Taproom

Pittsburgh Transplant Happy Hour. OK, this has nothing to do with politics but it does give you an interesting twist for an after the vote beer. As always the, every-first-Tuesday-of-the-month event will feature Pittsburgh beer (Iron City and Penn Brewing) and Primanti Brothers style sandwiches. This Pittsburgh transplant still needs to make it down one month. I promise it will happen.

No matter where you go everyone should at least raise a glass and toast to the end of all those annoying political ads.

You Betcha!!!