Escape from the Half-Crazed Hop Heads

When you hang around with hop heads, sometimes your tongue gets numb and you feel the need to chug about a gallon of water. Of course, I favor several brands of balanced American and British pale ales, such as Sweetwater 420 and the Brooklyn Pennant Ale, and I’m a big fan of Terrapin’s new, slightly hoppier Brown Ale. I just haven’t reached the epiphany, or insanity, that allows me to embrace the hop monsters of the brewing world.

For example, I recently visited the Music City Brewers Festival with my husband and some good friends. As soon as we arrived, the buzz at the brewfest was the mystery keg at the Yazoo tent. We got in line--and it was a long line. We laughed and talked while waiting and absorbing a few too many UV rays. It was clear that the mystery keg was a hop bomb and this hop bomb would be my first tasting of the day. My hands grew sweaty. Well, not really. I suppose my whole body was kind of sweaty since it was so hot outside, but I scoured the nearby tents to survey my other options. I had to formulate a plan to avoid the Mystery Hop and I had to do it fast because this long line was moving quickly!

I bailed, leaving my friends behind with confused looks on their faces. I landed safely in the cool, breezy line at the Highland Brewing Company's tent. The smiling lady at the table passed me a generous pour of the Highland Oatmeal Porter. It was beautiful: dark, rich and malty. The Oatmeal Porter was almost sweet, but a slight hint of hops kept the sweetness in check. Instead, what I tasted was silky and indulgent and since a porter is lighter than a stout, my beer was decadent yet surprisingly refreshing on such a hot day. Don't wait til winter my friends. Cool off with Highland's Oatmeal Porter today. It's time to bring something "a wee bit different" to the cookout.