Labels of my Favorite Brewery, Magic Hat!

A note from Swaying Daisies inspired this post about my favorite brand of beer: Magic Hat.
She made a note about also consuming the new summer seasonal Wacko, but ultimately being more in love with the packaging. This is me modeling the bottle to my iMac camera:



As a designer I must admit that the packaging is a lot of the initial draw to Magic Hat! The packaging is so illustrative and inventive! And then you taste the beer, which is ALSO very inventive. It is always easy to spot the newest flavor!

I couldn't find any good pics online of the packaging, boo! But on Magic Hat's site they have a section devoted to the different brews with labels on illustrated bottles....so the best I could do was screen shots of all these awesome labels. (and here I get to gush over another love of mine: The screen shot. Oh such a useful device!).

Let's start with my favorite brew, Circus Boy. I love me a good Hefeweisen!



Hocus Pocus is another favorite...so I am upset that I found this in the offed section of the site. Aww...but I guess it was the old summer seasonal, since this brewery likes to mix it up a lot. I will miss this one!

And while I am not a fan of IPAs, I LOVE this wacky illustration!


I never got to try any of these, but I really loved the illustration. Especially that for Unnatural Thirst. So simple!


Then we have the most widely available Number 9. A little too fruity for me (it has apricot in it), but still good. and usually the one that's on tap!


Lucky Kat is another one I am not too fond of, but I like the bold color and the cheshire cat-like illustration. And the Odd Notions are fun because they change! You never know what it'll taste like season to season, because they change with the season, ad the labels clearly show!


And there you go! A little taste of my favorite brewery, both for the invention in the flavors of their beer and their packaging! I need to visit the factory someday, since my hometown isn't all that far from Burlington, VT where they are located. Visit their site, too, it's quite fun: magichat.net

Day in the Kitchen

I did, as I suggested to myself, try my hand at baking some more bread and an apple pie. I needed to make something!
So I found a recipe for Italian bread. I had no dry milk (or regular milk for that matter) sooo I just omitted it. I had to get it set in the morning, since I had made a starter for it and it had already fermented moore than long enough. Anyway, I forgot to omit part of the liquid since there was now less dry material so it was really really sticky, wet dough. Soo I didn't really know if it would work-out....but it seemed to! Although I haven't cut the one to the left to see how it is yet...they both have a fairly thin crust, so that is good! My earlier breads all had a really think crust. Soo I think this is more on the right track. I will see if I can make it a teeensie bit drier, since the extra liquid made it spread out and stuck aaaall to my hands, but also in a way made it easier to handle/shape. at least not over-handle. Nevermind that it rose beautifully (also thanks to a little sugar to feed the yeast). Anyway, here are the loaves. The one spread out and got reeeally fat. I think it's hilarious looking!


and here is the Apple Pie! I called my mom and she quickly gave me her recipe. Followed it exactly, and it came out pretty damn good! I am most happy with the crust, which seems to be a little frail but good. That could also be because I made a mistake with the baking temp, and brought it down to 315 instead of 350! I figured it out and turned it back up, gave it another 15 minutes ha ha. But I am quite happy that it turned out so well, and wish the friends Mana invited over would get here to help devour it.

My whole day was dough to supermarket to dough to pie crust and apples to cooking dinner!
And picking up a 6 pack of Magic Hat's summer seasonal, Wacko. Mmmm.....

Good Saturday.

Chasing the blues away...

I almost inexplicably had an awful day emotionally. I can't even pin point what really set me off. But I do know what finally cheered me up: some encouraging texts with an older and wiser friend...and then going to the movies with my sister to see "The Hangover".

HILARIOUS! Feeling much more stable now, thanks to a friend who is a very good shoulder, and inversely to a lot of sophomoric humor.

Eek, I've been absent here for a month! I will try to update with something more amusing tomorrow.....clearly this must mean I need to finally try baking a pie.