It's Impossible to Turn Down Half Off Pints.

I know that I wrote about Founders last week when they reopened for ArtPrize. But that was all from word of mouth. Tonight, I actually checked out the expansion for myself, and it was impressive. I’m talking two open fire-pits impressive, and a whole lotta extra seating.

You may think that Founders is paying me for all of the publicity on my blog. But they are not— yet (wink, wink, nudge, nudge). I would be happy one day to try their beer and get paid for my inebriated ramblings about it, but that day is not today. But, I can still appreciate $2.50 pints on Mondays; it’s almost as good as free beer.

Tonight, my roommates wanted to celebrate a hard day of classes. I had a rough weekend of watching “The I.T. Crowd” on Netflix and drinking. Then today, I had one 75 minute class, so yeah; I was ready to cut loose for a night, keep your judgments to yourself. Plus, I have a few papers that I still have to write for tomorrow and drinking is one of the most effective means of procrastinating. What have I said before about “writing drunk and editing sober?” That it’s genius, and guarantees success.***

We found a DD for the night (god bless her) and headed down to the new and improved Founders Brewing Co. It’s beautiful. The porch now stretches almost to the road, with brick tiles, high top tables and two glorious fire pits. The ceiling is equipped with massive heaters that would scare the shit out of even the largest birds. Now the outdoor porch has its own bar, complete with an attentive bar staff, tall chairs and beer—duh.

The all-season eating/dining area has blossomed as well. The inside used to seem cramped, as though unless you arrived at an off time you couldn't find a table. Now the seating stretches past the kitchen and into a whole new alcove. Founders has managed to keep the cozy microbrew vibe all the while expanding to fit the booming industry. I know that Founders rushed to complete the project in time for ArtPrize, but they did a phenomenal job.

That's me, with the Inspired Artist Black IPA. I am absolutely feeling the 7.5%.

Speaking of ArtPrize, I finally drank the Inspired Artist Black IPA in the most delicious form: draft. I’m warming up to IPAs, and this one was gooooood. It wasn’t too bitter—as I always fear IPAs will be—but had a strong citrus flavor that mixed well with a hint of smoky pine. It was a 7.5% ABV, but it disguised the alcohol content a little too well for a Monday night (again, this is not a place to judge me). I ended up getting a Centennial IPA too. The Centennial IPA was  hop-heavy with more citrus and honey flavors than I was expecting. As my second beer of the night the flavors had the dangerous ability to hide the high alcohol content, which was a smooth and unassuming 7.2%. Although it was a Monday night and I have a long list of things to do this week, it was so worth it. Beer is always worth it.






***This is also a very good way to flunk out of college if you’re not an English major. Even if you are an English major, please don’t follow this advice.