Halloo, shipmates! The Beer Skipper is feeling fine and traveling light today, ’cause I think I’ve found one of the best craft beer deals in town!
Well, that, and also because the doc said my burning sensation would clear up after a few doses of penicillin, and he was right! (Watch where you dock your barge, sailors. Especially those dirty German ports . . . you broke my heart, Helga!).
But back to the fine ales: It seems that Paul Lindlau and the crew at Mellow Mushroom are supporting craft beer with a simple formula for taste and value: “5-5-5.”
Deciphered, that means that the folks at 2955 S. Rutherford Blvd. not only offer some of the best pizza in town, but they also offer five 5-oz. samples of any beers among their 37 taps for only $5!
For Lindlau, a homebrewer and self-proclaimed “beer freak,” the chance to spread suds love is both fun and good business sense. With 5-5-5, “hopefully everyone will find some beers they really like,” says Lindlau.
As fans know, MM keeps the tap rotations fresh, changing many out seasonally or as new offerings hit the scene. And as we head into that best of all beer months, Lindlau recommends a good Oktoberfest brew to get the party going.
A little maltier and slightly stronger than typical Vienna-styles ales, Oktoberfest beers are a variant of Marzen-style lagers originally brewed in Germany?to get everyone drunk and attack Poland (Kidding, Helga! Come back to me, fraulein!).
Anyway, Lindlau says brews such as Paulaner Oktoberfest-Marzen and Boulevard Brewing’s Bob’s ’47 Oktoberfest are a great compliment to flavor-laden MM specialties such as their famous House Special and Magical Mystery Tour pizzas.
Finally, note that one tap is not allowed in the 5-5-5 deal: Bluegrass Brewing Co.’s Jefferson Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout. It’s a beauty that runs about 8 percent alcohol by volume and is enjoyed sipping, not quaffing (especially if you’re groovin’ on Milli Vanilli with a former Scorpions’ groupie named Helga ? call me! Ich leibe du!).
The Beer Skipper, a.k.a. John Cummins, is a Murfreesboro resident, a founder of the Middle Tennessee Home Brew club (msbrewcrew.org) and captain of the Nashville Brews Cruise (nashvillebrewscruise.com).
