Tuesdays don’t line up great in the quaffing-sphere, but yesterday was warm—in comparison to the weekend. A productive day—PlayStats will debut in earnest this weekend—then a wander down to Geelong practice. My ex-boss called it balmy—it was. Stayed long enough to swat a few mozzies; what to do then? Maybe one at the BC—why not.
It started in Bloomfield, Connecticut—the Back East Brewing taproom; Greg, John, and the boys—and girls. Ice Cream Man, a delightful citrus IPA, full of tropical fruit and orange with a smooth finish. It came in three versions: Lil’ scoop, Double scoop, and a morning-wrecker Triple scoop, which clocked in at nearly 10.0% ABV! I usually started with a Lil’ scoop, then finished with a double.
I liked it there. There was always a crowd, live music, sports on the screens, and Greg behind the jump was the consummate hospitality veteran. Good chat, good craic—he loved his music and football, and was always keen to learn more about Australia.
I don’t remember the night specifically, but we were on a tight schedule; a Lil’ scoop was down and a double, “Having another Nick?” “Ahh, can’t do, Greg, have to go.” “You know: maybe one, sometimes two, but never three!” He laughed, and a phrase was born. I wish I’d taken it more literally, more often.
Last night I did. It’s never too late.
Nick
