May 1st, 2026 - The Knights Who Say Wee for the Album of the Soundtrack of the Trailer of the Film Monty Python and the Holy Grail

 

"And Now For Something Completely Different..."

Good evening keepers of the sacred words!  It is Friday, so what the hell... let's do another pairing!  Your drinkin' pal the Meista here pairing Monty Python's "The Album Of The Soundtrack Of The Trailer Of The Film Monty Python And The Holy Grail" and a The Knights Who Say Wee, Wee Heavy Scotch Ale from the fine folks at Proper Brewing Company!

Album Info:

• Artist: Monty Python
• Title: "The Album Of The Soundtrack Of The Trailer Of The Film Monty Python And The Holy Grail"
• Recorded: 1974 though1975 at Sunrise Music And Recording Ltd.
  Release date: July 1975
• Record company: Charisma / Arista
• Production: Kay Gee Bee Music Ltd. for Python (Monty) Pictures
• Album cover art: Terry Gilliam
• Personnel: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin
• Additional personnel: Douglas Adams, Connie Booth, Bee Duffell, Neil Innes, and John Young
• Style: Comedy Soundtrack
• Major themes: Pure silliness!
• Tracks: 

1. "Introduction To The Executive Version"
2. "Tour Of The Classic Silbury Hill Theatre"
3. "Live Broadcast From London: Premiere Of The Film"
4. "Narration From The Silbury Hill Gentlemen's Room / You're Using Coconuts"
5. "Bring Out Your Dead"
6. "King Arthur And The Old Woman: A Lesson In Anarcho-Syndicalist Commune Living"
7. "A Witch?"
8. "A Lesson In Logic"
9. "Knights of the Round Table"
10. The Quest For The Holy Grail"
11. "Live From The Parking Lot At The Silbury Hill Theatre"
12. "The Castle Of Louis De Lombard: A Strange Person"
13. "Bomb Scare"
14. "This Is Side Two!"
15. "Executive Version Announcement - Apology"
16. "The Story Of The Film So Far"
17. "The Tale Of Sir Robin"
18. "The Knights Who Say Ni!"
19. "Interview with Filmmaker Carl French"
20. "The Tale Of Sir Lancelot: At Swamp Castle"
21. "Tim the Enchanter/ A Shakespearean Critique"
22. "A Foul-Tempered Rabbit"
23. "Executive Version Addendum"
24. "The Castle Aaargh / The End"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Proper Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: http://www.properbrewingco.com/ 
• Brew: The Knights Who Say Wee, Wee Heavy Scotch Ale
• Style: Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 8.0%
• IBUs: 25
• Pour: The Knights Who Say Wee pours a deep, dark mahogany brown hue with a thin, off-white head that dissipates fairly quickly, leaving only trace lacing.
• Nose: The nose is malty, bready, sweet, roasty, and toasty.  There are aromas of roasted barley, dark toasted sweet bread, oak, a hint of bourbon, caramel, and burnt toffee.
• Taste: The taste of The Knights Who Say Wee follows the nose with malty, sweet, roasty, and toasty flavors.  There are notes of dark roasted malts, hearty barley, sweet caramel, burnt toffee, and a hint of bourbon.
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel of The Knights Who Say Wee is thick and smooth, yet crisp with a dry and somewhat sweet and boozy finish.

Overall pairing: "Oh, what sad times are these when passing ruffians can say `Ni' at will to old ladies. There is a pestilence upon this land, nothing is sacred. Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress at this period in history."

Cheers!!

May 1st, 2026 - Prepare the Longships and Sing Your Battle Ballads!

 

Góðan dag and happy Friday my friends!  The Meista here today channeling my Viking heritage with a pairing of a bold and tasty Longship IPA from the fine folks at the Mad Swede Brewing Company and the wonderful "Battle Ballads" from the mighty Týr!  Hells yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Týr 
• Title: "Battle Ballads" 
• Recorded: late 2023 at Hansen Studios, Studio Bloch, and Sono Studios
• Release date: April 12th, 2026 (9th studio album by Týr)
• Record company: Metal Blade Records 
• Production: Týr 
• Album cover art: Gyula Havancsák 
• Personnel: Hans Hammer (guitars and choir), Heri Joensen (guitars, and lead and choir vocals), Tadeusz Rieckmann (drums and choir vocals), and Gunnar Thomsen (bass, and backing and choir vocals)
• Guest musicians: Haraldur Sveinbjörnsson (orchestration on "Torkils Døtur") and Lars Vinther (orchestration)
• Musical style: Heavy metal, folk metal, Viking metal 
• Sound: With "Battle Ballads", the mighty Týr proves once again that they are not only thoughtful, outstanding musicians, but adaptable and relevant.  Musically, "Battle Ballads" is a powerhouse of metal integrity and artistry!  It combines wonderfully rich folk melodies and choruses with profoundly powerful and soaring Viking metal guitar, bass, and drum work!  It is both aggressive and melodic... and simply wonderful!  This is yet another gem in the vast Týr anthology!  
• Major themes: With songs about the principal lifestyle and culture of ancient Vikings, themes on the album include Viking lore, history, and paganism, tradition, culture, mythology, life, violence, death, valor, music, destiny, etc. 
• Tracks: 

1. "Hammered"
2. "Unwandered Ways"
3. "Dragons Never Die"
4. "Row"
5. "Torkils Døtur"
6. "Vælkomnir Føroyingar"
7. "Hangman"
8. "Axes"
9. "Battle Ballad"
10. "Causa Latronum Normannorum"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Mad Swede Brewing Company (Boise, Idaho)
• Website: https://madswedebrewing.com/
• Brew: Longship IPA 
• Style: Northwest India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 6.6%
• IBUs: 60
• Pour: The Longship IPA pours a fairly clear, deep bonze-amber with a billowy, 1+ finger, off-white head with great retention and lot of sticky, sudsy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is earthy, citrusy, spicy, and malty.  There are aromas of wet pine needles, cedar, grapefruit rind, tangerine, lemon zest, hints of onion, herbal tea, and light toffee.
• Taste: Like the nose, the taste of the Longship IPA is very hoppy and malty.  There are notes of grapefruit, tangerine, pine resin, black tea, black pepper, and soft caramel/toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Medium in body with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is very crisp, slightly bitter, yet smooth with a dry, slightly bitter finish.

Overall pairing: The well-balanced Longship IPA from Mad Swede is a complex, hoppy, yet very drinkable brew... great for tossing back on whilst singing battle songs with your brethren and rocking out to the wonderful melodies of the amazing Týr and their most recent triumph, "Battle Ballads"!  'Nuff said!

Make sure to check out my interview with drummer Tadeusz Rieckmann from waaaay back in 2019 here: https://brewsandtunes.blogspot.com/2019/08/august-24th-2019-far-from-worries-of.html

Skål!  Rock on!!

April 30th, 2026 - Togo, Obey!

 

Good evening and happy Thursday metal maniacs, and craft beer lovers!  The Meista here tonight pairing a delicious Togo Vienna Lager from my friends at Ogden Beer Company in collaboration with Wolfdog Brewing and the heavy hitting "Obey" from San Diego/Phoenix metal band Benedictum!  Hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Benedictum
• Title: "Obey"
• Recorded: 2013
• Release date: November 29th, 2013 (4th studio album by Benedictum)
• Record company: Frontiers Records
• Production: John Herrera 
• Album cover art: Robert Mello (artwork and design)
• Personnel: Aric Avina (bass and backing vocals), Veronica Freeman (lead vocals), Rikard Stjernquist (drums and backing vocals), and Pete Wells (guitars and backing vocals)
• Guest musicians: Tony Martin (vocals on "Cry"), Nina Osegueda (vocals on "Thornz"), Joshua Schwartz (acoustic guitar on "Cry"), and Lissa Voigt (backing vocals)
• Musical style: Heavy metal, power metal
• Sound: In the tradition of bands like Chastain, Doro, and Hellion, Benedictum's sound on "Obey" is a pure adrenaline heavy metal sonic attack!  With Freeman's aggressive, yet beautiful vocals as the focal point, the band lays down track after track of stellar musical prowess!  
• Major themes: Life, death, darkness, freedom, inner strength, aggression, anger, rebellion, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Dream Of The Banshee"
2. "Fractured"
3. "Obey"
4. "Fighting For My Life"
5. "Scream"
6. "Evil That We Do"
7. "Crossing Over"
8. "Cry"
9. "Thornz"
10. "Die To Love You"
11. "Apex Nation"
12. "Retrograde"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Ogden Beer Company (Ogden, Utah) in collaboration with Wolfdog Brewing (Sandy, Utah)
• Website: http://www.ogdenbeercompany.com/ 
• Brew: Togo Vienna Lager 
• Style: Vienna Lager
• Serving: 32 ounce crowler can
• ABV: 5.0%
• Ingredients: Hallertau Mittelfrüh, Czech Saaz, and Tettnang hops
• Pour: The Togo pours a clear, rich burnt toffee color with a 1-finger, off-white, frothy head with great retention and lots of soapy, sudsy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is a characterized by malty, biscuity, slightly fruity, floral, and lightly herbal aromas.  There are aromas of toasted malts, apple/pear, wildflowers, fresh herbs, and soft caramel.
• Taste: Well-balanced, the Togo is a nice blend of bready, grainy, malty, and herbal flavors.  There are notes of toasted bread, bread crust, roasted malts, crackery biscuit, light apple, herbal hops, and light, sweet caramel/toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Light to medium in body and well-carbonated, the mouthfeel is crisp and smooth with a dry, clean finish. 

Overall pairing: The inviting and crushable flavors and aromas of the delicious Togo Vienna Lager from Ogden Beer Company/Wolfdog Brewing is a great brew for the crush whilst banging your head and shaking your fists to the heavy-duty, yet melodic metal onslaught that is Benedictum!  The roasty, toasty, and malty flavors are great for Freeman's powerful vocal attack along with the intensity of the band as a whole!  'Nuff said!

Cheers and hails!!

April 29th, 2026 - Need Someone to Lay Down Beside Me for a Lil' Nap After I Hasten Down the Wind

 

Good evening and happy Wednesday rockers, rollers, and craft beer lovers!  A little break from my usual metal albums, the Meista here paring my childhood crush, Linda Ronstadt and her lovely "Hasten Down The Wind" album with a tart and tasty Lil' Nap Sour Ale with Blackberry and Lime from Prairie Artisan Ales!

Album Info:

• Artist: Linda Ronstadt
• Title: "Hasten Down The Wind"
• Recorded: March 1976 at the Sound Factory in Hollywood, California 
  Release date: August 9th, 1976 (7th solo studio album by Linda Ronstadt)
• Record company: Asylum 
• Production: Peter Asher 
• Album cover art: John Kosh (art direction and design) and Ethan Russell (photography)
• Personnel: Linda Ronstadt (lead and backing vocals, and handclaps) with Peter Asher (shaker, tambourine, cowbell, woodblock, handclaps, and backing vocals), Karla Bonoff (backing vocals), Mike Botts (drums), David Campbell (orchestration and conducing), Dan Dugmore (electric and steel guitar), Kenny Edwards (bass guitar, mandolin, acoustic guitar, string arrangements, and backing vocals), Richard Feves (double bass), Gerald Garrett (choir vocals), Jim Gilstrap (choir vocals), Andrew Gold (acoustic piano, organ, ARP String Ensemble, acoustic guitar, finger cymbal, electric piano, sleigh bells, handclaps, electric guitar, bass guitar,  tambourine, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, cowbell, clavinet, and harmony and backing vocals), Pat Henderson (backing and choir vocals), Don Henley (harmony vocals), Ron Hicklin (choir vocals), Dennis Karmazyn (cello), Clydie King (choir vocals), Russ Kunkel (drums), Becky Louis (backing and choir vocals), Sherlie Matthews (backing and choir vocals), Clarence McDonald (acoustic piano), Herb Pedersen (backing vocals), Paul Polivnick (viola), Bill Thedford (choir vocals), Charles Veal (violin and viola), Waddy Wachtel (electric and acoustic guitars), Wendy Waldman (backing vocals), and Ken Yerke (violin)
• Musical style: Pop, rock, country rock, soft rock 
• Sound: Highlighting Ronstadt's incredible vocal talents, the sound on "Hasten Down The Wind" is a richly textured and wonderfully executed album with wonderful melodies, harmonies and honesty... a true testament to the sheer talent of Ms. Ronstadt and the musicians involved with the production of this album!
• Major themes: Love, life, desire, loss, etc.
• Tracks:  

1. "Lose Again"
2. "The Tattler" (Washington Phillips cover)
3. "If He's Ever Near"
4. "That'll Be The Day" (Buddy Holly cover)
5. "Lo Siento Mi Vida"
6. "Hasten Down The Wind" 
7. "Rivers Of Babylon"
8. "Give One Heart"
9. "Try Me Again"
10. "Crazy" (Patsy Cline cover)
11. "Down So Low"
12. "Someone To Lay Down Beside Me"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Prairie Artisan Ales (Oklahoma)
• Website: https://prairieales.com/
• Brew: Lil' Nap Sour Ale with Blackberry and Lime
• Style: Fruited Sour Ale
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 6.0%
• Ingredients: Sour ale brewed with blackberry and lime
• Pour: The Lil' Nap pours a very cloudy, violet / beet-red hue with a frothy, but thin light pink head that slowly dissipates to a thin ring with light lacing.
• Nose: The nose is fruity, sweet, and rather tart.  There are aromas of freshly picked blackberries, blackberry jam, bright lime juice and zest, lemon zest, and a hint of honey.
• Taste: The taste of the Lil' Nap follows the nose with juicy, fruity, tart, and sweet flavors.  There are notes of tart lime juice, tart and sweet blackberries, blackberry preserves, lemon juice and zest, a splash of cranberry juice, a splash of honey, and very subtle graininess.
• Mouthfeel: Light to medium in body and well-carbonated, the mouthfeel is very tart and crisp, juicy and refreshing, yet smooth with a sweet, juicy and lip-puckering tart finish.

Overall pairing: The Prairie Lil' Nap is a bright, tart, sweet, and crushable brew that works perfectly well with the beautiful vocals of the legendary Linda Ronstadt!  Those complex and tart fruit flavors actually really work well with the whole quintessential Ronstadt catalog!  'Nuff said!

Cheers!!

April 26th, 2026 - It's All About Heaven and Hell on the Sabbath

 

Hello and happy Sabbath headbangers and artisan brew fans!  The Meista here today pairing one of my favorite albums, Black Sabbath's phenomenal "Heavan And Hell" and a very delicious, complex, and fruity Sabbath Saison from the fine folks at Fisher Brewing Company!  (HEAVEN AND) HELL YES!!

Album Info:

• Artist: Black Sabbath
• Title: "Heaven And Hell" (Reissue, Remastered, Deluxe Expanded)
• Recorded: 1979 to early 1980 at Criteria Recording Studios in Miami, Florida
• Release date: April 18th, 1980 (9th studio album by Black Sabbath)
• Record company: Warner Bros. Records / Rhino Records
• Production: Martin Birch
• Album cover art: Lynn Curlee
• Personnel: Geezer Butler (bass), Ronnie James Dio (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), and Bill Ward (drums)
• Additional musicians: Geoff Nicholls (keyboards)
• Musical style: Heavy metal, doom metal
• Sound: One of my all-time favorite albums, the sound on "Heaven And Hell" is wonderfully rich, powerful, and full of electrifying energy!  Guitarist Tony Iommi stated in an interview that he knew with "Heaven And Hell" the bad was creating "something very special".  And indeed, they did!!  "Heaven And Hell" is definitely on my list of one of the great heavy metal albums of all time!  This album is a wonderful example of metal at its purest!  Dio's magical and mythical lyrics coupled with his amazing vocal range make for an awe-inspiring experience.  Iommi's guitar work is other-worldly... richly textured, at times ethereal, at times fiery, and always organic.  Although troubled with bouts of alcoholism and personal tragedy, Bill Ward's drumming is big, bombastic, and thunderous.  Also struggling with personal demons at the time, Geezer Butler's bass work is still solid, precise, and masterful.  Each track is wonderfully crafted and perfectly executed!  "Neon Knights," "Children Of The Sea," "Lady Evil," "Heaven And Hell," "Die Young," "Walk Away," and "Lonely Is The World" are definite classic Sabbath tracks, but with a new, fresh voice and lyrical creativity that would re-establish the band as masters of their craft at the time and inject new energy into the band as a whole. 
• Major themes: Power and might, good vs. evil, darkness, the occult, death, war, revenge, etc.
• Tracks:  

1. "Neon Knights"
2. "Children Of The Sea"
3. "Lady Evil"
4. "Heaven And Hell"
5. "Wishing Well"
6. "Die Young"
7. "Walk Away"
8. "Lonely Is The World"
9. "Children Of The Sea" (Live, Single B-Side)
10. "Heaven And Hell" (Live, Single B-Side)
11. "Lady Evil" (Mono Edit, 7" Single)
12. "Neon Knights" (Live In Hartford, CN, U.S.A., 1980)
13. "Children Of The Sea" (Live In Hartford, CN, U.S.A., 1980)
14. "Heaven And Hell" (Live In Hartford, CN, U.S.A., 1980 & 12" Single Version)
15. "Die Young" (Live In Hartford, CN, U.S.A., 1980)

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Fisher Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: http://fisherbeer.com/
• Brew: Sabbath Saison
• Style: Saison / Farmhouse Ale
• Serving: 32 ounce crowler
• ABV: 4.0%
• Pour: The Sabbath Saison pours a very cloudy golden-pear yellow hue with a bright white, very frothy 1+ finger head with great retention and lots of soapy, layered lacing.
• Nose: The nose is fruity, yeasty, malty, and slightly sweet.  There are notes of lemon zest and juice, Chardonnay, Belgian yeast, a hint of barnyard funk, soft banana, pink bubblegum, and light hops.
• Taste: Following the nose, the flavor of the Sabbath Saison is characterized by notes of Chardonnay, pear juice, lemon zest, soft banana, very light bubblegum, Belgian yeast, light cloves, and light hops and grains.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel of the Sabbath Saison is crisp and refreshing with a dry, slightly tart finish.

Overall pairing: Those intricate and bold, yet very drinkable flavors are perfect for the complex sound, depth of songwriting, and musical prowess of the mighty Sabbath boys!  The boldness and complexity of the brew is a wonderful companion the power of each member of Black Sabbath and their amazing live performance from "Heaven And Hell"!

Cheers and hails!!

April 25th, 2026 - Into the Electric Castle Gate

 

Hello and happy Saturday proggers, rockers, and craft beer lovers!  The Meista here today pairing a delicious Castle Gate Schwarzbier from my friends at Ogden Beer Company and the wonderfully amazing "Into The Electric Castle (A Space Opera)" from the Ayreon rock opera from the brilliant mind of Arjen Anthony Lucassen!!  Hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Ayreon
• Title: "Into The Electric Castle (A Space Opera)"
• Recorded: 1998 at the Electric Castle in the Netherlands, drums recorded at RS 29, and Fish's vocals recorded at The Farm in Scotland
• Release date: 1998 (3rd studio album by Ayreon)
• Record company: InsideOut Music
• Production: Arjen Anthony Lucassen
• Album cover art: Jef Bertels
• Personnel: Roland Bakker (Hammond organ), Edwin Balogh (Roman character vocals), Peter Daltrey (The Voice character vocals), Sharon den Adel (Indian character vocals), Jay van Feggelen (Barbarian character vocals), Fish  (Highlander character vocals), Taco Kooistra (cello), Arjen Anthony Lucassen (Hippie character vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, mandolin, bass, Minimoog, mellotron, and keyboards), René Merkelbach (keyboards), Clive Nolan (keyboards), Ernö Olah (violin), Jack Pisters (sitar), Edward Reekers (Futureman character vocals), Anneke van Giersbergen (Egyptian character vocals), Thijs van Leer (flute), Damian Wilson (Knight character vocals), Robert Westerholt and George Oosthoek (Death character vocals), Ton Scherpenzeel (keyboards), Robby Valentine (piano and keyboards), and Ed Warby (drums)
• Musical style: Progressive metal/rock, power metal, symphonic metal, hard rock with elements of folk, electronica, experimental and classical music
• Sound: Incredibly powerful, complex, and mesmerizing, the sound on Ayreon's "Into The Electric Castle" is hard to describe... in a word BRILLIANT!  There are so many amazing elements, voices, musicians!  It is truly a masterpiece of progressive rock/metal music. Ayreon employs elements of hard rock, metal, folk, symphonic, and progressive rock in the tradition of bands like E.L.P., Yes, Genesis, Jethro Tull, Kansas, and Gentle Giant, but with a fresh, modern approach.  This album "is the most pleasant-sounding album I’ve made so far", says Arjen. “And that is mainly due to the analog equipment I used. Like vintage synthesizers from the 70′s, which still have that warm, instantly recognizable sound. I had enough of triggered drums, samples and prefab digital sounds. I’m a sucker for contradictions. "Into The Electric Castle" is one to start with. But I also like the idea of telling a sci-fi story and using equipment that – in some cases – people might find outdated."
• Major themes: A sci-fi/fantasy concept album that tells the story of 8 individuals (each played by a different vocalist) from various eras of Earth's history that have all been transported together to another planet and/or plane of existence.  These adventurers find themselves brought to this place of "no-time and no-space" by an ancient alien race that wants to study human emotion.  They are guided to the Electric Castle by a mysterious Voice.  The characters are all exaggerated stereotypes inspired by B-movies.  Arjen stated that he rented old B-movies for inspiration to see how Romans, Barbarians, and Egyptians were portrayed in the 1950s and 60s. “I like this tongue in cheek-thing, although I take the music itself very seriously.”  Themes on the album include love, loss, pain, sorrow, death, childhood, deception, vengeance, pride, inner strength, hope, mythological tropes, history, fantasy, etc.
• Tracks: 

Disc 1:

1. "Welcome To The New Dimension"
2. "Isis and Osiris (Let the Journey Begin / The Hall of Isis and Osiris / Strange Constellations / Reprise)"
3. "Amazing Flight (Amazing Flight in Space / Stardance / Flying Colours)"
4. "Time Beyond Time"
5. "The Decision Tree (We're Alive)"
6. "Tunnel Of Light"
7. "Across The Rainbow Bridge"

Disc 2:

1. "The Garden of Emotions (In the Garden of Emotions / Voices in the Sky / The Aggression Factor)"
2. "Valley Of The Queens"
3. "The Castle Hall"
4. "Tower Of Hope"
5. "Cosmic Fusion (Soar on the Breeze / Death's Grunt / The Passing of an Eagle)"
6. "The Mirror Maze (Inside the Mirror Maze / Through the Mirror)"
7. "Evil Devolution"
8. "The Two Gates"
9. "Forever Of The Stars"
10. "Another Time, Another Space"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Ogden Beer Company (Ogden, Utah)
• Website: http://www.ogdenbeercompany.com/ 
• Brew: Castle Gate Schwarzbier
• Style: German-style Schwarzbier
• Serving: 32 ounce crowler can
• ABV: 5.0%
• Ingredients: 
• Pour: The Castle Gate pours a deep, dark brown (almost black) with 2+ finger, mocha, creamy and frothy head with great retention and lots of soapy, sudsy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is a characterized by malty, roasty, grainy, floral hops, and lightly herbal aromas.  There are aromas of roasted malts, dark toasted bread, light cocoa, a hint of coffee, herbal hops, and burnt toffee.
• Taste: Well-balanced, the Castle Gate is a nice blend of bready, grainy, malty, and herbal flavors.  There are notes of toasted bread, bread crust, roasted barley, crackery biscuit, a hint of chocolate, soft caramel, and herbal hops.
• Mouthfeel: Medium in body and well-carbonated, the mouthfeel is crisp and smooth with a dry, clean finish. 

Overall pairing: The bold, dark, yet crushable flavors and aromas of the Castle Gate Schwarzbier from Ogden Beer Company is a great brew for the bombast and fantasy brilliance of "Into The Electric Castle (A Space Opera)"!  The roasty, toasty, and malty flavors are great for all the mind-blowingly awesome guest singers and musicians and how well attuned they are to one another, the songwriting, and storyline! 

Make sure to check out my interview with the legendary Arjen Lucassen from waaaaaay back in December 2013 here: https://brewsandtunes.blogspot.com/2013/12/december-6th-2013-progressive-waves.html

Cheers!!

April 24th, 2026 - Strutting D.C. for Some Juicy Bits

 

Hey there rockers, rollers, and hopheads!  Happy Friday!  The Meista here today rocking the hell out to a pairing of a delicious, juicy, and hoppy Juicy Bits India Pale Ale from WeldWerks Brewing Company and the self-titled, debut album by hard rockin' band D.C. Strut!  Hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: D.C. Strut
• Title: "D.C. Strut"
• Recorded: May 1989 at Acqrock Studios
• Release date: Original release 1989; reissued in 2022 (1st studio album by D.C. Strut)
• Record company: Heaven and Hell Records 
• Production: Bob Francis and D.C. Strut
• Album cover art: Steve D. Cobb (artwork) and Chris Ferguson (design)
• Personnel: Mary B. (lead vocals), Roy Coston (guitars), Rikk Masters (bass), and Kevin Meacham (drums)
• Musical style: Hard rock, glam metal
• Sound: In the tradition of Bitch and Lida Ford, D.C. Strut's sound is pure, in-your-face hard rock and roll!
• Major themes: Rock and roll, relationships, sex, lust, desire, rebellion, freedom, loss, heartbreak, life, etc. 
• Tracks:  

1. "Strut"
2. "Blvd. East"
3. "Bitch Pink"
4. "Bad Things Good"
5. "No Pussy Tonight"
   
6. "Take Me Away"
7. "Leave Me Cold"
8. "Shock City"
9. "Had Enough" (unreleased demo)
10. "Shorty Blue" (unreleased demo)
11. "Little Tattoo" (unreleased demo)
12. "Nothing Personal" (unreleased demo)
13. "Hanging Out With The Boys" (unreleased demo)
14. "Still Thinking Of You" (unreleased demo)
15. "Suffragette City" (unreleased demo)
16. "Party Time" (live at Lost Horizon Syracuse NY 2/16/89)
17. "Bad Things Good" (live at Lost Horizon Syracuse NY 2/16/89)
18. "Little Tattoo" (live at Lost Horizon Syracuse NY 2/16/89)

Brew Info:

• Brewery: WeldWerks Brewing Company (Greeley, Colorado)
• Website: https://weldwerks.com/
• Brew: Juicy Bits India Pale Ale
• Style: New England India Pale Ale (NEIPA) / Hazy IPA
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 6.7%
• IBUs: 6.5
• Ingredients: Mosaic, Citra, and El Dorado hops
• Pour: The Juicy Bits pours a very hazy, dark golden-yellow with a frothy, off-white, 2+ finger head with great retention and lots of sticky, intricate lacing.
• Nose: The nose is very citrusy, tropical, floral, and herbal.  There are aromas of orange juice and peel, lemon zest, grapefruit rind, pineapple, mango, wildflowers, herbal tea, crackery biscuit, and sweet caramel.
• Taste: Like the nose, the taste of the Juicy Bits is citrusy, tropical, herbal, and malty.  Hop-forward, there are notes of freshly squeezed orange juice, orange zest and pith, tangerine, pink grapefruit juice, mango, grassy hops, orange tea, and soft caramel/toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is very crisp, very juicy, yet smooth with pillowy soft finish.

Overall pairing: Those punchy and juicy hops of the WeldWerks Juicy Bits are perfect for the old-school rock and roll punch of D.C. Strut!  'Nuff said!

Cheers!!  Rock on!!