I forgot to bring the battery charger for my newly repaired Nikon J1 so the photos are 3g iPhone quality. My work travels this week took me to Long Beach, California. I decided to suffer a little, leave the Houston heat and humidity behind and struggle with cool ocean breezes, nice scenery (!!!!!!) and some good beers.

At Parkers’ Lighthouse in Long Beach I had a Green Flash IPA – ALC. BY VOL. 7.3% | IBUS: 95 – Brewed in San Diego California….I really liked it and did not find it overly hoppy. The brewer says, “A menagerie of hops is layered throughout the brewing process: Simcoe for unique fruitiness and grapefruit zest, Columbus for strong hop pungency, Centennial for pine and citrus notes and Cascade for floral aroma. A multi-dimensional hop experience.” I do indeed like Cascade and Simcoe hops!!! They blended well with the rest of the hop schedule

The patio offered up a really nice view the evening my work buddy and I visited the Parkers’ Lighthouse restaurant. They have a good solid seafood menu and they also house a steak house on the top floor. Below is the view from the patio sitting under the overhead heater….just enough to take the chill off. Gosh I wish I could be on my patio in Houston …. swatting mosquitoes, wiping sweat off my brow and listening to the sound of the AC units kicking on and off, off and on, on and off………….

Queen Mary from across the water on the patio at the Parkers’ Lighthouse Restaurant.

Another view from the patio at the Parkers’ Lighthouse restaurant – beautiful sunset.

On another evening we dined at the Yard House in Long Beach – they have an overwhelming variety of beers on tap. We found a seat where we could catch a bit of the first game of the World Series – so while in Rome do what the Romans do….we cheered for the Giants. I sampled a couple of California IPA’s, the Speak Easy Double Daddy IPA from San Francisco was first down the hatch and it was – in my opinion – awesome! For my second beer I went south and tried a San Diego offering from Mission Brewery – the Shipwrecked Double IPA. Good beer but my choice between the two would the Double Daddy IPA…The food at the Yard House – typical pub grub.. I had a tasty Halibut but it was a little dry, the beer helped.

I have been good all week, three nights of fish, one night a flank steak salad –  so tonight will be a steak, a real steak….and probably a good beer. I catch the early flight out in the morning from LAX and back to the warm and humid embrace of the lovely  Houston weather.

Drink Local and …

TTFN

Bishop