Cascading The Darkness returns, “Oh, F*ck!”

Minus the screeching tires of the van as it came to a swift halt nearly murdering a dude, the night was perfect.

When MDOT first constructed the northbound exit via Ottawa Ave. (77C) in the heart Grand Rapids, I personally found it to be a bit of a conundrum, to say the least. Why build that?

Now that I’ve personally driven that high road on many occasions, current opinion will state only the good things.

Monday night, the Hoops crew of 4 hopped in the van and left the Dirty Water headed to North Monroe for our meeting to decide November’s Beer of the Month. Bohemian Rhapsody, check. Northbound I-94 to Milwaukee (well, I-196 into GR), check. We were jamming, on the 1! The only thing missing was Phil’s sick face and the metallic blue paint of Wayne’s 1976 AMC Pacer. The Hoops van is Borgman Ford red.

And then,

“Holy F*CK!”

It happened right there and then.

In the blink of an eye, a pedestrian crossing against the signal, conveniently with cellphone in hand, darted out in front of the crew and the van as we exited the highway at speeds above 50 mph. With it’s prepared readiness provided by Butch’s Car Care, NickExel (the HoopsVan) did what it was supposed to do. It stopped. He was safe. We were safe. The walker was obviously just normal America. That would mean inattentive to the world or overattentive to the phone, if you’re counting. It was dark. NickExel was cascading to a green light. It all made perfect sense. 

Thanks, Phil. Brakes are good. Tires are good. We love van.

Thanks, Stephanie. Reaction times are near perfect.

Within mere seconds of our near future-altering experience, our now wide-eyed foursome searched intently for an open meter to park. Even knowing it was after the 6pm paid parking deadline, finding a meter near our destination still feels like thievery. Oh, to be of the Hood. Rachel gets it. (So does Robin. It’s a pretty Thicke joke.) 

Secured in the Motu 50200, the quest for our monthly grail continued afoot. 30 pieces of silver? No, 30 strides of march tuned to a different drum. Sadly, the song was over before it started but with only the most grandiose of consequences.

A swiftly opened door, the aroma of Queservesa, the cracking of the Klask puck against the sideboards. Oh, home. Born here, built here. Our life is this City.

We’re all City Built in a way. Hoops Boss is WestSide born, SouthEast-side grown. JW rocked the crown as a Polar Bear, now she’s Hoops Queen. CG camped out at PAC-man’s, goddess of Lincoln Park.  The Lost from 7-7-11 live on and watch over us. Oak, Harry, Chunk and Lucy all said goodbye, but loved us muttly. Our HOF is littered with those long gone. Who Loves You Babe? #WLYB

Where were we? We were at City Built. Where am I going with this?

Focus. (Spelling it f-o-u-c-s autocorrects to douche on our cpu) Seriously, focus.

Ok, okay, O.K. Pill, please. Tangential love for America. Wait. What? (I need a day off.)

As we reset the pins for the 2nd game, we’ll move you over a couple lanes and have you throw those rocks on the “Bumpers Up!” side of the facility. We’re not saying you’re unable to comprehend our Beer of the Month on a ‘every night of the week’ bowling schedule, we’d just rather you come hang out on Glow Bowl night because that’s who WE are. There’s a whole lot of ‘my way or the highway’ going on out there, we’re on the “hey, it’s over here if you want some” train. Trumpets aren’t Bugles, they’ll hurt your teeth.

(Hoops Boss is pretty sure the staff at City Built found out about his bartender cheat sheet.)

From GC,

“seriously, it’s a way of connecting with them. I (don’t) forget names (but I don’t care to say hi to 

that girl our friend allegedly banged back in 1995, Steve). I like nicknames. They’re better. If you think I’m Corn because my last name is Cobb, frickin’ cool! If I’m a Defensive Back to you, call me DB (yes, that’s douchebag)! Thanks, Fonz! That actually happened. He dated Pinky. Ask Roundy.  We got Stout his Dirty J Stout shirts, too. Weed, Boze, DDD, JW, Gordo, Crocket & Tubbs, Dennis, Ernie, Luck Unit, Spoelly, Zood-amah, G Unit, Ed Nealy, The Whit, Lil’ Chris, Chris Jesus, PaulE, ‘netter, FeetzMann, DonnySue, DannySue, Kissimmee, Sonny Bono (mikey nap), Mono Nick, Blueberry, Boo Gaa!, Sofia, Pork, Pudge, Spider, Rug, Arlo, Deerdra!, Swamp Donkey, Hollywood, Nick from New Girl, Benny 9-10, Coley, T, Grizzly Doug, Gage, JW, Bud Man, Peggy from the FLA, the Aunties, Grandma Ruth, Grandma Jo, Grandma (jo) Hall, my Father-In-Law Jake the Snake, Big Jimmy G, MC Brophy and that dude, Ronnie Mack. Who are you talking about?”

We got him back on track when we had Sarah with an H drop off his favorite beer of all-time, Melisandre, at the table.

Game 3:

Hey, I thought I was still in charge until December? MOVE!

Back in control of the night and the keyboard, I asked Nick from New Girl to add on a Cascading the Darkness knowing that we’d already settled on City Built as our BOTM brewer.

City Built Brewing Company logo Without further ado (nearly 900 words into it), we’re proud to announce that Cascading The Darkness from City Built Brewing is our November 2018 Beer of the Month! Whether or not there has been a 2-time winner beforehand, I’m claiming 1st 2-time winner! 

Now, I’m probably wrong because of New Holland’s Mad Hatter and my love for their beer. But, this dark conglomerate of Porter-like style

and IPA finish. Like a black-and-tan without the shitty domestic Mississippi River water from Bud. Is it perfect? Um, what is perfection except craft beer? That’s just a silly question. Can it score? People keep ordering it up. Can it defend? Lovers of it will swear up-and-down about its natural coloring and distinct influence on their food choices. Brussels Sprouts anyone? Intangibles? Porter-like IPA. Hoppy, smooth, dark. Pour it correctly and it’s a tall, dark and handsome fella that will make you take that walk of shame in the mor

ning, sans the sheep-following invoice (I mean college tuition) and the inevitable donation request from your alma mater on the day you pay off college, whether you’re dropping two or none upon presentation.

Find a ride home before you go, Uber ain’t picking you up once you’ve Cascaded through this flow. Gutters await if you’re walking.

6.6% ABV. Available in a 4 oz. skosh, 10 oz. DeVito, 16 oz. pint and crowlers to-go! But, unless you’re in a rush, there is no sense in missing out on this crowd of characters behind the bar, on the floor and, especially, in the kitchen.

Chef Lizzie is incredible! While she won’t talk to me anymore (I’m annoying and inquisitive), I’ll keep bugging the staff to let her know everything is superb. Eddie’s had our back since Day One.

City Built would go 12-for-12 every year in the Beer of the Month category if I keep having to write it.

Hell, I’m already a Mug Club member.

Cascade my friends, into the darkness.

Nothing. Is. Better.

 

 

MELISANDRE from City Built Brewing

Beer of the Month is Back!

While it’s been a fun summer of taste testing across this great state of Michigan, the early fall weather (after the Equinox, not when school starts) took over the senses and sent us back inside for the beginning of basketball season and another year-round of Beer of the Month.

This season, we’ve got a new twist to our selection process. Each week, we’ll try a different concoction from one of our favorite locals and let you know the nominees until the monthly champion is chosen in the final week of each month. It’s our Beer of the Month, during Beer of the Week week. Got it?

This month, there’s been nothing in the cold box except for Melisandre!

It’s my personal favorite, a Red IPA that packs 7.1% ABV and flows like the water on some distant Starwarsian planet. Did I mention it’s Red and an IPA?

And now, City Built is putting it in cans so they can open up some spots at the bar and people like me can “go drink that somewhere else, please”.  #HappyHourHustle

No more news, just go get some cans while they last. Make sure to take a flight while you’re there.

 

Cascading, Brewt, Melisandre…

 

CHEERS!

Orange is the new Tangerine (Space Machine)

My Tangerine Space Machine Tour

Let me begin by first listing a few random, personal disclaimers; I’m no beer connoisseur, I’m generally good at knowing what suits my taste, and more importantly, I clearly identify those beers I will not be trying again.

I wouldn’t specifically call out fruit-flavored or fruit-infused beers, but I haven’t met a citrus beer I’ll turn down, and February 2018’s Beer of the Month goes with that flow – fruity enough to notice, while hoppy enough to differentiate itself from the Blue Moons and Oberons of our great craft brewery booming country.

If you’re still reading this amateur craft beer review, you probably won’t stop until the end. I’m sorry in advance. Buckle up, you’re about to take a virtual trip on the Tangerine Space Machine.

Any other beer, by any other name, would’ve been purposely overlooked, but not this one. The big, bold, orange and blue box caught my eye, and in light of Valentines’ Day, stole my heart.

Tangerine Space Machine (TSM) is a refreshingly fruity blast of hoppy beer goodness. The kicker – the thing that ultimately compelled me to try it – the words on the box, the marketing works! The first thing I read aloud, “Citrus Juicy Hazy,” brought me back to TLC’s CrazySexyCool album, peaking my curiosity.

Then, I found it, in itty bitty capital letters, on one of the end flaps of the 6-pack box:

There once lived a bitter soul

With a fruitful life as his goal

Hopped in his space machine

Went to New England to find his queen Came back…In a haze of tangerine.

Had I known my love of the English language would bring me to feel so fondly toward any beer, much less a beer that my husband also enjoys, this is my destiny. Who knew a tangerine filled space helmet could inspire so much harmony?

After having enjoyed this juicy, holy nectar, I hope this craft beer isn’t a special, seasonal, temporary New Holland treat – I need it all year ’round.

4 Elf from Dark Horse Brewing

HOLIDAY CHEER IN LIQUID FORM

It’s that time of year again. Yes, it’s Christmas season. Or holiday season. Or, well, let’s just call it December and agree that we should steer away from political talk and venture into revealing the beer of the month together.

Trying to stay with the winter theme, we’ve picked 4 Elf from Dark Horse Brewing as our 2017 December Beer of the Month.

This winter warm spiced ale “is holiday cheer in liquid form. Spicy aromas like cinnamon and clove give this dark brown winter warmer a proper holiday welcome. Balanced between malt, hops, and spice at 8.75% ABV this beer goes great with all holiday foods—from sweet snacks to the roast beast”, according to their website.

With 840 ratings on BeerAdvocate.com, 4 Elf is a VERY GOOD 3.85 out of 5. One of those ratings, from user  Eamonn-Cummings3, explains “Poured from a 12oz bottle into a Teku glass. Look is a dark brown with an off white head. Aroma is of coffee malt and dark dried fruits. Taste is a lot more of the spicing and more of that roast coffee.”

Over ar RateBeer.com, 4 Elf received an 88 overall score. 4 Elf has 287 hits on Untappd (282 are unique visits).

This brew, freshly available in October, November and December, comes in pony kegs, half barrels and the ever so readily available and easier to carry 4-packs.

Merry Christmas! Cheers to you getting lucky and finding some 4 Elf on your shelf.

November 2017: Bockefeller by Atwater Brewing

BOCKEFELLER wins November!

Atwater Brewing Company’s Bockefeller has been named the November 2017 Beer of the Month by the  BeerCityHoops staff.

Brewed to flavor the season, Atwater’s Winter Bock “boasts the body and deep malt flavors matched with a warming, but well blended hint of alcohol”, according to their website. This brew chimes in with an ABV of 7.00% and IBU rating of 25.

Over on Untappd app, 68 users check in monthly with 7,151 unique hits and 8,686 totals hits for Bockefeller.

BeerAdvocate.com gives the winner 3.75 out of 5 score with a VERY GOOD rating. One user described it: “Pours an orange amber color with decent head. Kinda taste Like a Mai Bock. Starts out with a mild caramel honey flavor maybe hints of bread only slightly sweet. Then turns a little bitter with some hop notes. The very final finish ends more sweet. Somewhat smooth over all.”

 

October 2017: Pigeon Hill’s Oktoberfest

Why wouldn’t October’s beer of the month be named Oktoberfest?

We couldn’t think of a good reason either.

Pigeon Hill Brewing in Muskegon produces this “lightly hopped beer (which) has a semi-dry finish that nicely complements its light-to-medium body. A light caramel and malty sweetness provides a pleasing smooth flavor.”

With an overall score of 3.57 out of 5 on BeerAdvocate.com’s scale, Oktoberfest is right in line with some of our past winners.

The beer come in at 20 IBUs and has an ABV of 6.0%.

“This is a pretty nice looking Marzen with a slightly higher amount of medium sweetness and a little bit of an apple cider-like aroma that ends with a fairly smooth & crisp, slightly creamy taste on the lighter side.” reader StoutHead said back on October 18, 2017.

Superspak had earlier chimed in with “tastes like a step between Pale Festbier and Amber Marzen overall. Clean and flavorful Pils/Munich malts, just enough bitterness for balance, and solid noble hop flavor presence. A very enjoyable offering, and great style example.”

Check out our October beer of the month while it lasts at:
PIGEON HILL BREWING COMPANY

Allen Durham wins back-to-back Best Import award in Philippines Basketball

For the second straight season, Allen Durham has taken home the award for Best Import in the Philippines Basketball Association.

After taking home the award last season, the former Grace Bible College standout returned to the islands this year and averaged 27.8 points, 19.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists while helping the Meralco Bolts back to the PBA Finals. Durham shot 49% from the field, 45% from behind the 3-point arc and 70% from the free throw line in nearly 40 minutes per game during conference play.

Meralco returned to the PBA Finals against rival Ginabray but find themselves in a 2-0 deficit heading into Game 3 on Wednesday.

Durham is the first player since Gabe Freeman, the winner of the Best Import in 2009 and 2010, to win back-to-back awards.

Nikki Thompkins named head coach of Grand Rapids Galaxy

When the Grand Rapids Galaxy open the 2018 Women’s Blue Chip Basketball League (WBCBL) season there will be a new voice in charge of the sidelines. Nikki Thompkins, a 1990 graduate of Creston High School in Grand Rapids, will take over the reigns as head coach.

Nikki Thompkins Galaxy
Galaxy owner William Kelly, head coach Nikki Thompkins and GM/VP Darnell Hollis

When asked about the future of the Galaxy, Thompkins hopes to “build on the success of our inaugural season last year. We have revamped the staff but still bring a winning attitude to the new season. We look forward to a new style of play, increased sponsorship, great attendance and more community involvement.”

New GM/VP of Operations for the team, Darnell Hollis, made the move official today, announcing it on social media. Hollis, also a Creston HS graduate, spent last season as an assistant coach with the Galaxy.

“I loved playing for Creston High School. I’m a proud Polar Bear!!”

Thompkins starred for the Polar Bears before heading off to Central Michigan University (1991-1994). She ranks 12th on the Chippewa’s all-time scoring list with 1,258 points, averaging 12.0 points per game. The Galaxy will surely be practicing their shooting and rebounding early and often this season. Thompkins still ranks at the top of the list on CMU’s field-goal percentage rankings at 54.3% for her career. She holds the 10th place spot for rebounds at 780, or 7.4 boards per game.

Thompkins played alongside Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame recent inductee, Carla Sterk, during her time at CMU.

She then spent eight years as a professional player in Isreal, Portugal, Switzerland and Turkey. After her experiences working out with WNBA teams and training with UTS Sports Training, her passion for the game shows she is ready to lead the team to a successful season.

During last year’s City League Pride Weekend, an event put together by former Union High School All-Stater Michael “Pops” Sims (Marquette University), Thompkins led the Polar Bears squad to a tourney championship and was named MVP. When asked about the weekend, Thompkins showed her inner spirit and competitiveness, “That was awesome. It was great to represent my school and win. Bragging rights!!! I loved being the only female and dominating the guys! haha”

Hollis knew he wanted Thompkins to coach this team from the very start. “I wanted Nikki to be the coach when I was offered the job. My number one goal was to bring a coach that has passion and love for this game. When you want a team to win and have the passion it starts with the coach. I couldn’t think of a better person than Nikki,” Hollis told us in an interview. “I watched her in practice last year and listened to her talk about the game. I new she could lead a team and help develop a team to continue their career of playing professional basketball. Not to mention both of us being Polar Bears (Creston High School) helped a lot.”

The Galaxy are in good hands on the floor and in the office. Maybe a WBCBL championship isn’t so far, far away after all.

The 3-Point Turn: The Legacy of Michael Sanders

Finding a way through the world after the loss of a loved one is quite possibly the most difficult task to take on. Elizabeth Sanders has accepted that challenge and excelled at making sure her late husband’s legacy lives on.

Michael Sanders was an avid basketball player who grew up in the Wilcox Park neighborhood. His love for the game was only matched by his devotion to his family. After his cancer diagnosis in 2014, Michael fought the good fight and made sure that Elizabeth knew she was loved and would be taken care of. That fight lasted 18 months. On July 26, 2016, this world lost that fighter. But his legacy lives on.

Elizabeth set up a Patronicity campaign aimed at raising $12,500 in Michael’s name to be donated to update and reinvent the basketball courts at Wilcox Park, a place Mike was known to trash-talk the best of the trash-talkers. On September 11th, the campaign went live. Within three days, the goal had been reached and the Michigan Economic Development Coalition had agreed to match the $12,500 for a grand total of $25,000. But, the campaign was not over yet. With an closing fundraising date of November 10, 2017, we still have the opportunity to help raise funds for even more projects at Wilcox Park. While the original goal was to honor Mike and update the courts, there’s possibility of upgrading the bathroom facilities, the lighting and more. Oh yeah, there’s going to be a bench for us old fogies.

Campaign raises over $12500 in 3 days in honor of Michael Sanders

While Elizabeth is doing all she can to keep Mike’s legacy alive, she’s also jumping at the chance to chase her dreams, something her husband was adamant about. She’s currently researching and schooling herself in Thai Massage and Yoga (you’ll see her soon at Yoga Fever in GR), running and writing the flyoverwidow blog and looking to self-publish her new book (yet to be titled).

Listen to the podcast to hear her real emotions and the love that she has in her heart.

Maybe you’ll join us at the dedication on the basketball court at Wilcox Park and trash-talk the writer of this article. Hopefully, you’ll join us on the brick roads of Eastown to raise a glass and cheers Michael. We hope to see you there.

 

(photo courtesy of Abbey Moore Photography)