To The Bone, from the Rogue's notebook.

"Being raised in a place where you plow your driveway before you surf lends itself to a different perspective
on beach lifestyle for a good chunk of the year."   -Brian Nevins.
Sub-freezing offshores stand up smooth, clean framed head-highs. 48th Street break, OCMD. 1/20/2019

   January. First snow. Inch or two. Couple of days in single digits with the windchill. Water straddlin' the 40F. mark. Just before the deep freeze, near 60 degrees made perfect to get some pre-spring yard prep done. Drink a couple brews. Past Sunday, as the NFC Championship was at half-time, a chance to check the surf conditions. Cold front started movin' in. Winds rippin' up at about fifteen knots. Sweet, heavy, head-high walls folding over. Spraying in defiance

as the lip smashed into the floor of the swell. Three core riders. Would've liked to join them if only... More than the water temps, it's the wind that kills.

Quick freeze.

Chill penetrates to the bone. Did I mention water at 40? They could have at it. Headed downtown. Grabbed a coffee. More like it. Home. More close championship football. Bitter controversy. Beer.

   Speakin' of... two unusuals, but perfect warmers for the nip (and drowning the controversy). Evil Twin Brewing. Every one of these guys brews have been good tastin'. Key Lime IPA. Hazy gold pour. Thin, white, bubbly head. Sweet key lime and honey aromas. Tastes of tangy citrus-lime peel, grainy malt, and bitter orange. Sorta a margarita style IPA. Not overwhelming, even at 7% ABV. Bitter, grapefruity hops provided a refreshing finish. Rated a B+.

"Beer is not a good cocktail-party

drink, especially in a home where
you don't know where the bath-
room is."                -Billy Carter

Close this post with a bourbon barrel aged Imperial Stout. Lagunitas snagged a few serum soaked wooden casks from Kentucky's Willett Distillery and allowed them to infuse their bourbon muscle into their big, heavy stout. Willettized. This one kept my blood flowin' all night long. Dense, black pour with a finger and a half brown head. Smelled of rich, dark chocolate, smokey coffee, and bourbon. More smoke in the taste, more coffee, and more conspicuous bourbon. Finished off with 32 IBUs of hoppy booziness. A sweet drift thanks to accents of molasses and vanilla. Downed a bomber of this thick broth which at 12.9% ABV, was more than enough. No need to ruin the next morning. Rated an A.

St. Martin's ice cream churn. Mid-afternoon, 1/20/2019.