What to drink this summer
By Richard O. Stehli | May 12, 2010Summer is here, and hot temperatures and light course loads translate into plenty of time and reason to drink a nice, refreshing beer. Here are your top picks for summer 2010.
Summer is here, and hot temperatures and light course loads translate into plenty of time and reason to drink a nice, refreshing beer. Here are your top picks for summer 2010.
When you finish your final tests and papers, it’s important to start your end-of-semester celebration the right way. Start it off with bombs. Bombs are an easy way to take simple ingredients, most of which you already have, and transform them into an exciting, entertaining drink.
Brunch is back, baby. No longer reserved for bourgeoisie and soccer moms, this two-in-one meal unites the sweetness of breakfast with the substance of lunch. Whether you’re getting the family together or dragging yourself out of bed after a Midtown rage-fest, brunch will satisfy all your dietary needs.
In the next few days, most of us will be poring over course schedules, desperately trying to find classes that aren't too difficult but still can convince our parents that we are learning things. If you have and interest in alcohol and find yourself with a few free credit hours, look into GEO3803, The Geography of Alcohol.
Take it from me: There is no better way to spend a weekend than drinking good beer and eating free food. If these activities are relevant to your interests, look no further than The Greater Gator Beer Festival. This Saturday, for the price of admission, you get ample helpings of food from local restaurants, premium entertainment, and most importantly - unlimited beer samples from across the country and around the world.
With the first day of spring on Saturday, it’s time to trade in your heavy, warming stouts and porters for lighter, crisper spring fare. Here are a few suggestions for what you can drink as the days get longer:
There is no way to pack so much excitement into a single beer purchase as with a brewery sampler pack. Featuring four to six different beers, usually spanning the entire spectrum from light to dark, a 12-pack of beer and a handful of friends can quickly become your very own beer-tasting party.
Drew: Find yourself hungry on the weekend? Then stay the hell away from Mac’s Drive Thru, ‘cause it ain’t open. These two critics learned that the hard way, but that’s one of the few flaws of this classic Gainesville eatery.
We hate to burst your fried-chicken-eating bubble, but Spring Break is a little less than three weeks away, and it is taking no prisoners. It will soon be time to show your friends from home that your college’s football team is not only better than theirs is, but your body is also way more bangin’.
Usually, there is nothing more annoying than public broadcasting stations trying to raise money. Instead of Car Talk kicking off your Saturday morning, you have the pledge drive.
The hipster couple: The Top. The kitschy design and eclectic menu shine at this downtown staple with options from pest gnocchi to deep-fried corn nuggets. 352-337-1188
Go ahead and buy the oysters and strawberries at a grocery store, but when it comes to buying the booze, go to a real wine shop. You will find better selection and lower prices. Gracey Castine, of Dorn’s Liquors, had plenty of advice to offer on the subject this Valentine’s Day.
With Spring Break five weeks away, it’s time to hit the gym if you want that perfect bathing-suit body.
Last summer, you never would have heard me telling you to drink local, because you couldn’t. Thankfully, that all started to change in April, when Swamp Head Brewery brewed its first batch of beer. Founder Luke Kemper returned home from his undergraduate work in beer-soaked Boulder, Colo., and saw Gainesville to be lacking. In his own words, “I realized how great it would be to have a local beer in Gainesville.” Last Friday, I had the chance to sit down with Kemper and Swamp Head master brewer Craig Birkmaier to sample the beer and talk shop, and let me assure you, it is great to have a local beer in Gainesville.
Drew: Tagged down behind enemy lines, you might not expect to find a delicious plate of crispy egg noodles. But that’s exactly what you’ll encounter at regionally famous Saigon Legend, located on 1228 W. University Ave. This unassuming Vietnamese eatery doesn’t plaster its rooms with glow-in-the-dark tables and new-age bullshit; instead it brings a nice medley of pork, chicken and Asian vegetables that will delight the senses and set your taste buds ablaze.
Deciding where to eat on your next late-night food run just got harder. You now have more to add to your repertoire of fast-food options.
While you were out having a good time Friday night, we blindly sampled a list of light beer so you wouldn’t have to. Two dozen beers later, we are weary but wiser. What should you drink? What shouldn’t you drink? What helps you stay slim? What if you don’t like beer at all? We have everything you need to know to get started.