Despite my best efforts, I don't always have home brew on tap, at least not in as well-conditioned state as I would like it to be. Patience is something that I typically find fleeting, but when it comes to waiting for a beer to condition, I can stick it out. Thankfully, the solution to this little conundrum is as easy as a trip to liquor store.

I actually find it nice from time-to-time to take a little break from home brewed beers to sample some new craft beers. And I'm not ashamed to say I have a little chubby for Firestone Walker beers at the moment; there's lots of DBA, Union Jack, and Mission St. Pale Ale in my fridge right now (The Mission St. beers you find at Trader Joes are actually brewed by FW, and at $6/sixer, they're a hell of a bargain.) The quality, flavors, consistency, and originality that Matt Brynildson is brewing up in Paso Robles is pretty fucking outstanding. That combined with a Sierra Nevada or two are keeping this brewer happy until my next few beers are ready. Speaking of which....

My Czech pilsner I brewed awhile back has been lagering away for the better part of two months now, and I can't wait to dig into that keg. Also the Foreign Extra Stout from two weekends ago has fermented out, and is conditioning on the yeast cake at the moment. This weekend I'm brewing a robust porter, so stay tuned for the details and recipe on that one, and an American amber ale is soon to follow.

In other exciting news, my Girlfriend and I decided we are going to Austria and Slovakia in late-April, so if anyone knows of any good bars or breweries in Vienna, Salzburg, or Bratislava, drop me a comment!