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Drink Your Way Through the 7 Kingdoms With the GoT Iron Anniversary IPA

By Mark Chalifoux
Game of Thrones IPA
(IG/Mikkelerbeer)

Game of Thrones is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its premiere on HBO, and if there’s one great way to celebrate an Iron Anniversary (or any anniversary, to be fair), it’s beer. And Danish brewery Mikkeller is ON IT, collaborating with the fine people of Westeros and HBO to produce a “Game of Thrones” Iron Anniversary IPA.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by mikkellerbeer (@mikkellerbeer)

This is the first in a series of “Game of Thrones” beers brewed in partnership with the folks at Warner Bros, so if an IPA isn’t your thing, maybe they’ll release a Night King stout or a Targaryen White Ale, or maybe a red ale to memorialize that one wedding everyone loved.

The point is, soon you will be able to channel your inner-Tyrion and drink your way through the Seven Kingdoms. And if you have enough of them, you’ll forget the divisive last season ever happened, and you’ll remember the good old days of Thrones, when it was one of the best shows on TV.

It was truly revolutionary, and it’s not their fault that George R.R. Martin wrote a brilliant story that even he couldn’t finish. If you stumble at the end, shouldn’t you still get credit for the great years before it?

Either way, the Iron Anniversary IPA will transport you back to a simpler time, when you could actually discuss a hit show around a water cooler, and not over Zoom.

“We have done a lot of collaborations, but this is without a doubt the biggest so far, and we are extremely proud and happy to get this opportunity,” the brewery founder said.

The first beer, and merch, will be available starting on April 17, with more beers and lagers to come later this year.

Need Beer Delivered Right to Your Door? These “Brew Dogs” Are Hoppy to Help

By Yael Meshulam
Brew dogs help deliver beer
(Instagram/six_harbors_brewing_company)

Most of our favorite activities don’t mix all that well. We can’t nap and snack simultaneously, and it’s nearly impossible to fish while playing video games. Cracking open a cold one with the good boys, however, is a long-standing tradition after a long day of work. Man’s best friend and man’s best drink really are a winning combo (as long as your furry drinking buddy sticks to dog-approved brews), and now, Six Harbors Brewing Company is providing both.

Like many business owners, Six Harbors Brewing Company co-founders Mark and Karen Heuwette were forced to redefine the way they ran their business after COVID hit. Though their company was deemed an essential business, they were no longer able to open their doors to the public. Instead, the people of Huntington, a coastal town on Long Island, New York had to either order their beer for delivery or pick up their brews curb-side.

Beer delivery runs became the perfect opportunity for the Heuwette’s dogs, Buddy, Barley, and Brandy, to hop in the car and hang their heads out the window. After seeing how excited customers got when they caught a glimpse of the adorable pups in the car, the dog-loving couple decided to give their golden retrievers a very special job.

“People started seeing the dogs on the deliveries, and so we came up with the idea of having them [help] bring the beer to them,” Mark Heuwetter, co-founder of Six Harbors Brewing Company told CNBC Make It.

Like a modernized version of a Saint Bernard with a barrel hanging around its neck, the couple attached empty beer cans to the dogs’ collars to help them look the part. The “Brew Dogs” accompany a beer-delivering human, bringing smiles to everyone they visit. The three pups not only spread some much-needed joy during a difficult time, but they’ve become the faces and tails of the brewing company.

The adorable goldens dominate Six Harbor’s Instagram feed, and lend their faces to various ads and promotions. Special thanks to cereal-peddling rabbits and toucans who helped pave the way for all animals to break into the food and beverage market.

Heroic Baseball Fan Sacrifices His Beer To Save Woman From Dangerous Foul Ball

By Mark Chalifoux
Baseball Fan Saves Woman With Beer
(Twitter/rebilasphoto)

How far would you go to save a life? The first hero of the very young Major League Baseball season answered that question when he sacrificed his ice-cold stadium beer (retail price $457) to stop a dangerously fast foul ball from seriously injuring a woman next to him. The only casualty in the incident? That poor beer.

It was during a spring training game between the As and the Angels when Sean Murphy, catcher for the As, smoked a foul ball screaming down the 3rd baseline. The ball was heading directly for an unsuspecting woman, but the guy she was with selflessly jumped into action by using his beer as a shield. The result ended in his beer spraying everyone in the rows around them as it went out with one final gasp. Seriously, watch this:

But it’s Pulitzer-worthy photographs from Mark J. Bitcoin, that drive the point home.

The fan in question was rewarded for his chivalry, as the Angles did the right thing and sent the fan not one, not two, not three, but FOUR replacement beers. Not only that, but he also got a signed Mike Trout bat. He also got a section-wide standing ovation.

This really could have been a tragic situation, as foul balls can be very dangerous (same goes for hockey pucks deflected into the stands), but instead, we get to playfully mourn a lost beer while also praising its former owner as a hero. And four beers and a signed bat is a hero’s just reward.

But seriously, if you’re going to a baseball game and sitting that close, PUT THE PHONE DOWN and pay attention. Either that or make sure you have a beer-wielding protector covering your 6 in case of emergency.

Archeologists Uncover World’s Oldest Brewery in Ancient Egypt

By Mark Chalifoux
Old Egyptian Brewery
(Egypt Department of Tourism and Antiquities)

When people think about major archeological discoveries in Egypt, they think of pharaohs and pyramids, but now we have an even better discovery; a brewery. In fact, it’s now the world’s oldest brewery, as on an archeological mission uncovered the oldest high-production brewery in the world in the ancient city of Abydos.

The city is one of the oldest of ancient Egypt and is home to a high number of temples and cemeteries. And now this giant brewery.

The team was a joint effort between American academics from NYU and Princeton and their counterparts in Egypt. The brewery they uncovered dates back to 3100 BCE (waiting for the first beer snob to complain breweries aren’t “like they used to be” because they aren’t in a desert), and Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said the 5,000-year-old brewery was likely used for burial rituals for some of Egypt’s earliest kings.

See? They get it. When a king is asked what he wants at his funeral, the answer was beer. And LOTS of it. It’s that type of wisdom that makes a king beloved. The ancient brewery was split into eight sections to maximize production and the experts (unclear if it’s archeology experts or the beer experts) claim it could produce 5,900 gallons of beer at a time. They (the archeology people this time for sure) said the beer was likely to supply the royal rituals taking place in funeral facilities and that there’s evidence of the use of beer in sacrificial rites.

It sounds like those kings knew how to party. Hopefully, this can get worked into the plot of Indiana Jones 8, when Harrison Ford travels the globe to find an ancient beer that belongs in a museum.

Bud Light Is Here To Save Your Valentine’s Day

By Mike Julianelle
Budlight Valentine's Box
(Twitter/budlight)

ALERT! ALERT! Valentine’s Day is approaching! Get your asses in gear!

It’s still about 5 days away, so you’ve got some time, but not much. Plus, after a year of pandemic hell, the typical flowers and chocolates might not do the trick. You may need to up your game with candy-flavored mac and cheese and some LEGO flowers?

But f you really want to show your love, Budweiser is here to help, in the form of some heart-shaped beer. Or, at least, a heart-shaped box.

The brewery is ramping up the romance this Valentine’s Day with a heart-shaped 12-pack of Bud Light, because, as the box says: Roses are red, Bud Light is blue…

The catch is that the heart-shaped box doesn’t come with any actual beer. Hey, wait! I’ve got a new complaint. NO BEER? There’s no beer? And it costs how much to reach beer nirvana?

That’s right, it’s just a corrugated-cardboard box shaped like a heart that you can put your previously purchased 12 cans of beer inside of, and it’ll cost you 25 big ones.

The other catch is that your better half might not see the romance in a collection of light beers that cost you at least twice as much as they should have, but that’s not for us to decide.

Follow your heart and go with God and if things backfire then at least you’ll have a 12-pack of Bud Light with which to wash down your heartbreak and brainstorm a new plan.

Official Waffle House Bacon Infused Beer Sold Out In One Weekend

By Mark Chalifoux
Waffle House Beer
(Twitter/oconeebrewingco)

There are many ways to enjoy beer. There are many ways to enjoy breakfast food. Some true innovators have enjoyed both, at the same time (hello college students). And now, for the first time, you can enjoy them both in one product, as Waffle House gets its first official beer.

Partnering with a craft brewery near the Waffle House HQ in Georgia, the Waffle House Bacon & Kegs red ale was born. In terms of innovative beers, 2020 hasn’t been terrible. For every mustard beer out there, there’s also something fun, like dog beer. And the Waffle House Bacon & Kegs will go down in that fun column.

If you want the important details about the brew, it’s made by the Oconee Brewing Company in Georgia. It’s a 6.5 percent ABV red ale and, here’s the most important part, it tastes like bacon. And the brewery explains how it all comes together:

“The beloved scent of bacon stands out from the typical medium hop aroma of a red ale. The malty sweetness of the base beer blends perfectly with the salty, savory, and smoky bacon extract to create a delicious and unique beer. Bacon & Kegs pairs well with breakfast food items (obviously!) or can be enjoyed as a stand-alone, soon to be iconic beer.”

Sadly for the rest of us, the beer sold out in a flash.

“Bacon & Kegs four-packs sold out in one day. Draft, available exclusively at the Brewery, sold out in one weekend.

The most FAQ ever: Will you brew more?! The answer: We don’t know yet. Obvi, we hope so!”

Bacon beer? We are here for it.

Absolute Legend Finishes Chemo, Shotguns a Beer in the Middle of the Hospital

By Yael Meshulam
Legend celebrates end of chemo by shotgunning beer in hospital
(Twitter/blomdotcomm)

Beating cancer is one of those things that there really is no proper way to celebrate. Even the biggest celebration in the world doesn’t feel adequate, but that doesn’t stop us from trying. Twitter user blomdotcomm (we’ll call him BDC, Because Damn, he’s Cool) recently shared his truly legendary way of marking the end of his cancer treatments, and even just watching the video has us all hopped-up.

While still in the hospital, our hero approaches the traditional post-cancer bell, one that patients look forward to ringing as a symbol of completing their cancer treatments. For most, this gesture is the only celebration that happens within the confines of the hospital. But BDC came prepared.

He steps onto a towel as the cheers of those who came to support him turn to laughter as he summons a can of Busch Light seemingly from thin air. Holding a set of keys in one hand and the can in the other, this absolute madlad proceeds to shotgun the whole damn thing in a matter of seconds.

BDC shared the video on Twitter with the caption, “ever shotgun a beer in a hospital? Done with chemo. Done with cancer!”

The tweet has accumulated over 35,000 likes in just two days and support for both BDC’s cancer-free status and his method of celebrating poured in from around the world. If the hospital beer was any indication, our dude has a lot more celebrating to do – but he’s taking the time to respond to dozens of comments, providing words of encouragement to others battling cancer.

Huge congrats, BDC – cheers!

Enjoy the New “Barkweiser” 7-Pack With Your Favorite 4-Legged Drinking Pal

By Mark Chalifoux
Barkweiser 7 Pack
(Twitter/Barkbox)

Listen, with bars shut down in many places, and governments imposing curfews and other restrictions until this pandemic ends, our drinking options are limited. But this just means you have to get innovative in how you enjoy a cold one, and maybe the best development has been the attention given to man’s best friend.

We’ve already seen one company develop a dog-friendly “beer” so your pup can throw one back with you, and now Bud Light and BARK have gone a step further and created the “7-pack” to truly elevate a night with your best bud.

The 7-pack of “Barkweiser” or “Bark Light” includes six beers, plus one crinkly stuffed dog toy bottle for your pup. He’s no longer left out of the hang, as he gets something he’ll like, and you get six of something you’ll like (or maybe you include another human into the equation).

If you’re gonna do the 7-pack thing, you gotta do it right, and few places deliver better quality dog toys than BARK, as many owners can attest to. So when you’re shopping for your true best friend this holiday season, you can always grab the gift that benefits both of you, as they are available for sale at ShopBeerGear.com.

Also, have you joined us over at The Dad Pets, yet?

Drones Are Delivering Beer at Michael Jordan’s Golf Course

By Mark Chalifoux
Jordan Drones
(Twitter/GolfDigest)

It goes without saying the pandemic has changed the way we live our lives, and some of the changes will echo long past 2020. The way we eat, shop and work has been changed forever. The movie industry is changing forever, and there’s no doubt we’ll be Zooming in some fashion for years to come. And some technological innovation born from social distancing SHOULD carry on. And by that, I am specifically talking about robots delivering booze from the sky.

We have Michael Jordan to thank because it’s his golf course The Grove XXIII that delivers snacks and drinks via drones. And it’s quite a sight to behold.

This is what robots are made for, to deliver on the whimsy and wishes of the humans that control them (for now). When you think “the future” some people might think of flying cars, but other, more sensible people think “flying robots delivering beer.” And my friends, the future is here.

Jordan has had a strong impact on society in 2020. When COVID hit, he helped open two life-changing health clinics serving people without insurance. A truly impactful action. As the virus continued to rage, he helped the food insecure by donating millions to food banks. And as we begin to look at life beyond COVID, he’s given us another great innovation.

Obviously, this solves a key component of social distancing, and golf is already a very safe recreational activity in the time of COVID (you’re pretty much alone the entire time, with no one around for hundreds of yards). The only interaction you might need to have on the course is ordering some beers and maybe a hot dog, so now you can do that and have it freaking airlifted down to you.

The future is here, and we have the GOAT to thank.

15+ Drinking Games That Aren’t Just Beer Pong (But Yeah, That Too)

By The Dad
Adult Drinking Games
(Getty/Moussa81)

Who says drinking games are just for college kids and frat parties? Admittedly, now that we’re adults, we’ve let the art of imbibing get a little boring. Drinking now might be tossing back a few cocktails during dinner or whiskey on the rocks while working from home after hours. Why, though? Why aren’t we playing Kings with our friends on a Friday night? And there’s no reason we shouldn’t “Ride the Bus” or play Flip Cup with our partner.

Besides, now seems like the best time to bring drinking games back. After all, it’s not like we can go out and chase down fun in all the usual ways (thanks again, COVID-19). While the drinking games with cards we’ve included here might only work well in person with people in your pod or “core four,” that doesn’t mean all social drinking is out. You could easily fire up a Zoom meeting with your pals and play a game of Truth or Drink.

So, the next time you order groceries, order up some Blue Ribbon or Fireball. Then set out on an endeavor to bring drinking games back to your life as a grown-up.

Adult Drinking Games With Cards

1. Pyramid or Beeramid

Pyramid is the ultimate BSing card game. First, you set up a “pyramid” by placing cards face down: six cards on the bottom row, five on the next, then four, three, two, and one card on the top row. Afterward, the dealer deals each player three cards. From there, you try to get your friends to drink based on what cards they think you have.

2. Horse Race

Like betting but don’t want to waste alcohol money on a horse race? In this drinking game, you bet using drinks instead of money and each ace card is a “horse.” The best part: Literally no skill is required. It’s all left to chance.

3. Ride The Bus/Around The World

The best way to describe Ride the Bus? It’s kinda like drunken Uno. The object of the game is to get rid of your cards.

4. Kings

In this game of chance, how much you drink depends entirely on the cards you draw. Many cards (especially face cards) have rules unique to each friend group, family, or gaming establishment. We love it because it’s your chance to personalize it based on your friends and setting.

Drinking Games For 2+ Adults

5. Beer Pong

Beer Pong is probably the drinking game that requires the most skill and coordination. It’s also absolutely the most popular game played at frat and sorority parties. But, who says you can’t play it on your wife’s farmhouse dining room table?!

6. Flip Cup

The only game as popular as beer pong at frat parties is Flip Cup. Setup is cheap: Some disposable cups and whatever you want to drink, even Natty Lite. And the object of the game is simply to flip cups and get drunk.

7. Quarters

You may have played quarters at a college party back in the day, too. But you don’t have to have a big group in order to play. As a matter of fact, sitting at a table and bouncing quarters with just your best bro or lady is equally chill and fun.

8. Drunk Jenga

Drunk Jenga is another game that’s easy to play as a pair. And it only gets more fun the more you drink.

Drinking Games For 3+ Adults

9. Fingers/Finger Spoof

If we’re being real, Fingers is a little iffy as far as sanitation goes. After all, the game is played by everyone putting their fingers on the rim of the glass and betting how many people will drink. That’s a lot of fingers where your mouth will go. You do you, though. After all, drinking games and questionable behavior sort of go hand-in-hand (or, in this case, fingers-in-beer).

10. Wizard Staff

Wizard Staff is kinda like Edward Forty-Hands. But in this case, instead of taping your drinks to your hands, you tape them to each other. Each time you crack open a new beer, you tape it to the top of your empty can. The more you drink, the more cans you stack, thus creating a wizard staff. Whose will be the biggest?

11. Never Have I Ever

Never Have I Ever can be played in a pair or in a larger group, but it’s definitely best played with people you know well. The concept is simple. You take turns saying, “Never have I ever…” and following up with something fun or scandalous. (“Never have I ever gotten so drunk that I puked” or “Never have I ever cheated on someone.”) Anyone who has done that thing takes a drink.

12. Truth or Drink

Truth or Drink is very similar to Never Have I Ever. In this game, though, one person poses a question and players either answer or — you guessed it — drink. There’s an actual game you can buy, but you can easily DIY it by writing questions on index cards or simply pulling them from thin air.

13. No Hand Flip Cup

We all remember flip cup from our old college days, but have you ever played it without using your hands? Instead, players must drink and flip their cup upside down using only their mouths. Good luck!

14. Mr. Freeze

Mr. Freeze is probably the messiest game of freeze tag you will ever play. At the beginning of the game, one person is named Mr. Freeze. When that person freezes, everyone else must stand still as well. The last person to freeze must take a shot. To avoid getting blackout drunk, pay attention.

15. Russian Roulette

This game does not require a pistol but is just as exciting! To play, you’re going to need six shot glasses, playing cards, dice, and a bottle of vodka, tequila, or any clear liquor. Fill one or two glasses with liquor and the rest with water. Make sure you mix them up so no one knows which glass is which. Layout six cards numbered one through six. Place a glass on each playing card. When you roll the die, whichever number it lands on is the glass you drink. If a number was already picked, roll again until you get a number that’s there.

16. Straight Face

When you’re drunk, being serious is hard. In this game, everyone writes a funny or inappropriate sentence on a piece of paper. Then each player places their note into a hat. Each player takes turns picking a funny line out of the hat, and anyone who laughs or smiles must take a shot.

17. Pennies

Have you ever tried throwing a penny into a shot glass? It’s pretty darn hard, and that’s the point. Everyone must take turns bouncing or tossing the penny into the tiny cup. If you miss, surprise! You drink. If you get one in, pick someone to take a shot.

30-Yr-Old Stash of Gum and Beer Leave Library Hopped-up on Nostalgia

By Yael Meshulam
Stash of old gum and beer found at Washington library
(Facebook/City of Walla Walla Government)

After having kids, you’re forced to start finding new and creative ways to stash your snacks. Whether it’s a box of Sugar-O’s or a cake that literally has your name on it, food seems to disappear without a trace overnight in a house full of kids (aside from anything that even resembles a vegetable). It’s like having a rat infestation, only the rats are extremely expensive and eventually ask to borrow your car. Whether you tuck them away in a closet full of holiday decorations or shove them in a box you haphazardly label “Math Books” and stash under your bed, The Good Snacks need to be hidden for their own protection.

Recently, someone’s well-hidden stash was discovered in an unlikely place after they presumably forgot about it like a squirrel hiding their nuts for the winter. Like many libraries across the US, the Walla Walla Public Library in Washington closed in March due to the COVID pandemic. To make the best of a crumby (wait for it) situation, the library decided to do some renovations.

When removing some 50-year-old paneling in the mystery section of the library, the demolition crew stumbled upon a sticky mystery of their own. Five unopened cans of Hamm’s beer and a bag of Godzilla Heads gum (which hasn’t been manufactured since 1988) was found tucked away in a falling-apart paper bag.

The City of Walla Walla Government shared the photo on Facebook, presumably prompting one dad (maybe grandpa at this point) to yell, “oh crap!”

The caption read, “While moving the mystery collection to a more accessible place, a Facilities crew member uncovered a real-life whodunit when he removed a corner panel on some 1970s-era shelving with an open top. Along with the usual dust and dead bugs, he found five unopened cans of ‘the beer refreshing’ and some monstrously stale gum still in its vibrant packaging, along with a moldering paper bag. Someone had apparently taken a cue from ‘Treasure Island’ and stashed their booty behind the shelving, but then wasn’t able to retrieve it.”

As we all well know, beer tends to come in packs of six – so it’s entirely possible that whoever stashed their loot in this public library some 30 years ago wasn’t thinking with a completely clear head. The unexpected treasure was a blast-from-the-past for the 50-year-old library – we’re just glad that their snack of choice wasn’t yogurt.

Guinness Releases a Non-Alcoholic Version of the Beloved Irish Stout

By Mark Chalifoux
Guinness
(Diageo)

A Guinness for the sober folks, as the first alcohol-free Guinness Irish stout hits shelves in the UK and Ireland next week. This is the first time in more than 250+ years that there will be a non-alcoholic Guinness. That news is worth toasting (with whatever your drink of choice may be).

We are going through a drinking renaissance, to be sure. We’ve seen the market for hard seltzers go totally bonkers over the last year and change, to the point where it’s hurting traditional beer by shorting the aluminum can market. We also have the continued growth of craft breweries, which change the game on the reg and allow drinkers to get more specific with their choices. We even have a dog beer now, for when you wanna relax and toss some back with your pup.

What Guinness is doing by unveiling the Guinness 0.0 (which will be available in bars in the Spring) is smart. The market for non-alcoholic beverages is also thriving currently, especially as people change how they drink. Budweiser and Pabst Blue Ribbon have both announced new non-alcoholic options in recent months as well. Overall, the sale of non-alcoholic beverages is up nearly 50 percent over last year.

The Guinness 0.0 is made through the same process with the same ingredients, and the alcohol is removed through a cold filtration. So, in theory, it should taste nearly identical to the Guinness you’ve been drinking for the past couple hundred years (look at you, old guy!).

A spokesman for the brand said they knew the taste was important and wanted people to be able to enjoy the new drink without comprising on the taste. This is the result of a years-long production process to perfect the Guinness 0.0. He said it was a historic day for the brand.

“The launch of Guinness 0.0 highlights our long-held commitment to innovation, experimentation, and bravery in brewing, harnessing the power of our brewers and our ingredients, to create an alcohol-free beer that is 100% Guinness but 0% alcohol.”

The drink clocks in at only 70 calories and reportedly, tastes pretty great, but you’ll have to wait until 2021 to determine for yourself (or just drink a few in the meantime and pretend it’s the same).

7 Marvel Beer Bottle Openers That Make Drinking…Inevitable

By Mike Julianelle
7 Marvel Beer Bottle Openers
(Amazon)

I just had a birthday, and in the weeks leading up to it, my wife must have asked me what I wanted 20 different times. I never had an answer. Sometimes I pulled my dad’s old “for the kids to get along” chestnut out of my ass, sometimes I shrugged and said, “Between you and the kids, I already have everything I could possibly need, honey!” Sometimes, after she stopped laughing at me, I simply said, “beer.”

I wish I’d taken a spin around Amazon before she closed the books. Because while I did get that beer…thanks, honey… I could have also got some Marvel cooking accessories or even better, a sweet-ass bottle opener to use with that beer.

Unbeknownst to me until just recently (and a good several days after my birthday has come and gone), Amazon has a whole collection of Marvel-themed bottle openers, and they are pretty cool.

Thor’s Hammer

Thor's Hammer

 

Buy various styles on Amazon for $9 to $14

Thor’s Stormbreaker Axe

Stormbreaker Axe Bottle Opener

Buy it on Amazon for $16

Hulk’s Fist

Hulk's Fist Bottle Opener

Buy it on Amazon for $13

Hydra

Hydra Bottle Opener

Buy it on Amazon for $14.25

Deadpool

Deadpool Bottle Opener

Buy it on Amazon for $8

Venom

Venom Bottle Opener

Buy it on Amazon for $21

And my personal favorite, Thanos’s glove. Because when you’re in your forties and you have kids, drinking is… inevitable.

Infinity Gauntlet

Infinity Gauntlet Bottle Opener

Buy it on Amazon for $10

So the next time you crack a beer, you can do it with a replica of one of your favorite Marvel items.

Whatever it takes.

Just a heads up, if you buy stuff using the provided links, The Dad may collect a small commission.