February 10th, 2022 - Snapdragons In Chinatown

 

Hey there rockers, rollers, and artisan beer freaks!  Your drinking buddy the Meista here today rocking the hell out to the wonderful "Chinatown" album by Thin Lizzy and a brand-new beer from my friends at UTOG Brewing Company, the spicy and unique Snapdragon Imperial Rice Lager!  Hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Thin Lizzy
• Title: "Chinatown"
• Recorded: April through August 1980 
• Release date: October 10th, 1980 (10th studio album by Thin Lizzy)
• Record company: Vertigo / Warner Bros.
• Production: Thin Lizzy and Kit Woolven
• Album cover art: Jim Fitzpatrick
• Personnel: Brian Downey (drums, percussion), Scott Gorham (guitars and backing vocals), Phil Lynott (bass guitar, lead vocals, and keyboards), and Snowy White (guitars and backing vocals)
• Guest musicians: Tim Hinkley (electric piano), Fiachra Trench (string arrangement), Midge Ure (keyboards, vox, organ), and Darren Wharton (keyboards) 
• Musical style: Hard rock, rock, pop
• Sound: The album opens with the rockin' anthem "We Will Be Strong" and keeps on swinging throughout until the final notes of "Hey You"!  Songs like the ominous "Chinatown", the poppy "Sweetheart", the drinking song "Having A Good Time", and the emotional ballad "Didn't I" make for a great rock and roll Sunday afternoon!
• Major themes: Inner strength, love, loss, danger, murder, life, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "We Will Be Strong"
2. "Chinatown"
3. "Sweetheart"
4. "Sugar Blues"
5. "Killer On The Loose"
6. "Having A Good Time"
7. "Genocide"
8. "Didn't I"
9. "Hey You"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: UTOG Brewing Company (Ogden, Utah)
• Website: https://www.utogbrewing.com/
• Brew: Snapdragon Imperial Rice Lager
• Style: American Lager
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 7.0%
• Ingredients: Rice lager with ginger and lime
• Pour: The Snapdragon pours a slightly hazy, bright yellow hue with a thin, bright white head that dissipates fairly quickly, leaving a thin ring with only trace lacing.
• Nose: The nose is characterized by spicy, citrusy, and grainy notes.  There are aromas of spicy ginger, lime juice and rind, a hint of hay, a hint of rice, and an ever so slight hint of honey.
• Taste: The taste of the Snapdragon follows the nose with lots of lovely spicy, grainy, and citrusy flavors.  There are notes of ginger/ginger beer, light herbs, light and crackery grains, crisp and refreshing lime, and a hint of honey.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and well carbonated, the Snapdragon is crisp, spicy, and refreshing with a clean, dry finish. 

Overall pairing: The crisp, spicy, citrusy, well-balanced, and very drinkable flavors of UTOG's Snapdragon Imperial Rice Lager is a great beer for the upbeat, soulful, hard rockin' punch of Thin Lizzy's killer "Chinatown" album!  'Nuff said!

Sláinte... rock on!!