Denver, yesterday;

A winter wonderland of road rage fueled birds being flipped, horns being honked, and cars sliding about on the skating rink of I-25.

But not for me.

With a bemused smile I watched the antics of the poor fools trapped in their cars from the cozy warmth of the light rail train.

My commute? The usual 40 minutes. Not a second longer (and certainly not the 4 1/2 hour nightmare a coworker who lives just north of the city had to contend with)
The blizzard of 2006 was not without its blessings; including an early release from work yesterday that found me at home by noon.

After a delectable lunch of roast beef on panini and a side car of Bud Light, I determined my thirst was growing. A thirst for something a wee bit more hearty than my usual bowling brew (the Bud Light).

My immediate thoughts leaped to a nice bottle of scotch. Sadly, the Vietnamese seem to have an innate talent for two things; creating gorgeous female offspring, and inflating prices larger than a Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade float.

My usual $25 bottle of Johnnie Walker Black was going for $42. Not a chance.

My interest therefore shifted to the beer cooler, and I spied a six pack of this year’s “2 Below” winter ale from Colorado’s own gift to art of brewing; New Belgium.

$8.50 later, I was off.

Upon arriving home and cracking one open I was amazed at the robust flavor. A hint of caramel, perhaps just a pinch of chocolate and the delectable essence of beer battered bread.

For a beer that weighs in at a hefty 6.6% alcohol content, I was delighted by the smoothness; this was obviously a brew that could sneak up on you.

As I settled in for a long winter’s night of reading and watching DVD’s (I’d forgotten how hot Penelope Cruz looks in Blow, well, before she gets preggers and insane anyway) I was delighted to have such sublime company.

2 below is highly recommended.