Helles in a Hand Bock-sket

In the shadow of the majestic Colorado foothills, where the Big Horn Sheep roam with a regal air, there existed a hidden grove known to few. This was the secret brewing haven of "Helles in a Hand Bock-sket," guarded by the most unlikely of allies: German Gnomes and the Big Horn Sheep.

The German Gnomes, no taller than a keg but as wise as the ancient oaks, were the master brewers' assistants. They wore tiny lederhosen, their beards braided with hops, and their hats adorned with the finest barley. Their laughter was like the tinkling of glass bottles, and their songs were hymns to the art of brewing.

Q is for Smokin' Bones BBQ

Big Q. Little Q. What begins with Q?

Nothing. 

As I mentioned in P is for Public Offering Brewing Company, according to the Colorado Brewery Map & List we have no breweries in the Denver Area that start with "Q".

We don't even have any brewery left with the letter Q in it.

In previous rounds of the A to Z series of posts, we have used Q is for Queen Bee Brews, Q is for LiQuid Mechanics Brewing Company, Q is for barQuentine Brewing Company, and Q is for Six Capital Brewing and BBQ.

There is a brewery in Fort Collins that we could potentially use, but I don't want to make that trip just to mark a brewery off this list. Maybe we can use that in round 6.

But ... I decided to do something different for Q this time ....

Q is for Smokin' Bones BBQ

Photos of Poppers and Ribs

I'm sure this will come as a shock to all of you .... but ...

I. Love. Ribs.

I really really like smoking and eating just about any kind of ribs.

Pork spare ribs. Baby back ribs. Beef ribs. Country style ribs (which are not really ribs).

The kind that I make the most are Spare Ribs, for sure, and the weekend before this past one I made spare ribs for dinner.

Just for the fun of it, I added on some Jalapeño Poppers as well.

If you've followed along on this blog at all, you probably know how I make both of these things. If not you can check out Sheppy's Blog: Spare Ribs and Sheppy's Blog Jalapeño Poppers and find lots of information on how to make these.

Clan DunBroch Scottish Ale

In the mystical hills of Scotland, where the whispers of ancient clans still echo through the glens, there lies a hidden brewery tended to by a community of Scottish gnomes brewers. Nestled amidst rolling emerald hills and moss-covered stones, these diminutive artisans craft their legendary Clan DunBroch Scottish Ale with utmost care and reverence for tradition.

Legend has it that these gnomes, with their weathered hands and mischievous grins, have been brewing their beloved ale for centuries, using age-old recipes passed down through generations. As stewards of their craft, they infuse each batch with the essence of the Highlands, channeling the spirit of their ancestors into every pint.

P is for Public Offering Brewing Company

Well ... even though it's been awhile since I posted O is for Odyssey Beerwerks, we're chugging along pretty good on Round 5 of the A to Z Breweries Series of Posts.

We started round 5 in August with A is for AC Golden Tank Room, and we're already more than halfway through the alphabet.

I mentioned in A to Z Denver Breweries Round 4, that we were running out of breweries in certain letters and actually were considering not doing a round 5.

While we have had to use "Artistic License" on some of the letters, we've really not had too much trouble finding breweries to use for every letter so far.

After O comes "P". We had plenty of "P" breweries to choose from, and The Beer Model picked:

P is for Public Offering Brewing Company

Melting Stream Spring Saison

Once upon a time in the picturesque Front Range of Colorado, there was a brewer named Sheppy who had a passion for crafting unique and flavorful beers. As the snow began to melt and the streams swelled with the promise of spring, Sheppy was inspired to create a Saison that captured the essence of the season.

He called it the “Melting Stream Spring Saison,” a beer that was as refreshing as the cool, clear waters rushing down from the snow-capped peaks. The Saison had a light, golden hue like the morning sun reflecting off the melting snow, and a taste that was crisp and lively, with hints of citrus and spice.

Training for Triple Bypass

If you follow SheppyBrew on Facebook or Instagram, you might have seen that I signed up for the Triple Bypass in mid-July.

The Triple Bypass is a one-day ride over 3 Colorado Mountain passes.

The route is about 118 miles with 10,800 feet of elevation gain.

While I've done several Century Rides over the past couple of years, 118 miles will be my longest ride ever, and I've never come anywhere close to climbing 10,800 feet in one day.

The mileage doesn't concern me at all. All that climbing does.

So, over the next 61 days or so, I will be training to increase my climbing ability.

Saturday, I did my first "Triple Bypass Training Ride". As a bonus, I also increased my #MetricCenturyEveryMonth streak to 34 months.

 

Clan DunBroch Scottish Ale (Batch 356)

If you read Roll-a-Style 11 ... 14C. Scottish Export ... you knew that I would be brewing soon.

This past Saturday was the AHA's Big Brew Day, which if you've been following along for awhile, you know is a day that quite often my brewing friends use as an excuse to get together.

This year, we decided to meet at Du's Brewery, up in Fort Collins.

So early Saturday morning, The SheppyBrew Beer Model and I started a mash and packed up brewing equipment on my Traveling Brew Checklist to drive up to Du's.

The beer I brewed was my 14C. Scottish Export ...

Clan DunBroch Scottish Ale

Tuesday Ribs and Cheesy Rice

Historically, the cooking I do is usually over the weekends, but my wife and I have agreed that I should be in charge of dinner at least one time each work-week.

Usually Wednesday. 

Since I work at home, and most of what I make is very easy to multi-task with, there really isn't any reason I can't do long cooks during the day.

Last Tuesday, I decided to cook pork spare ribs during the day.

I didn't really do anything special with this batch of spare ribs. If you need to see my process / "recipe" ... take a look at past posts on Sheppy's Blog: Spare Ribs.

Helles in a Hand Bock-sket (Batch 356) and Chicken

It is almost May. 

Well, when I post this (and likely when you are reading), it will actually be May.

I don't know if I've mentioned it on this blog, but I'm making an effort this year to brew a Seasonal Beer for every month this year.

In SheppyBrew Seasonals, I identified 12 Seasonals.

Last year (see 2023 Seasonals), I brewed 8 out of 12 of those beers.

I missed March (McShepardSons Irish Ale) and May (Helles in a Hand Bock-sket) along with a couple of other months.

This year, I've already hit 2024 McShepardSons Irish Ale (Batch 352). Last weekend (as I type this ... by the time I post it, it will have been 2 weekends ago), I got my "May Seasonal" brewed as well:

Helles in a Hand Bock-sket

 

April #7100MilesIn2024 Progress

I'm probably the only one who cares ... but I've been tracking my 2024 Strava goals every month on this blog. This year, I'm targeting 7,100 miles and 319,500 feet climbed (11 Everests).

Knowing that I'll ride more in warmer spring and summer months, I planned for less riding in the snowy winter / early spring months.

I was behind my plan at the end of January. I caught up by the end of February.

I moved ahead of my plan in March, and extended my lead quite a bit in April, logging 576 miles and 29,429 feet climbed.