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Loreley was recommended to me as a good example of a German beer bar in Manhattan and I have to say that it didn’t disappoint. After checking their website based on the recommendation, I saw that they had a beer tasting with food for $29. Unable to pass that up, I went to check it out.

My expectations were low given the low price, but Loreley proceeded to blow them away. Not only did I sample nine German beers, but they delivered a three course meal that while fairly straightforward, was substantial and certainly more than the few bites I was expecting.

Here’s a list of the beers with some of my notes:

1. Reissdorf Kolsch: from Cologne, a very light, crisp and bitter ale, pale gold in the glass. This wasn’t very strong in flavor, not very developed. Like a better Coors Light.

2. Bitburger Pilsner: Pale gold, crisp, with a strong honey aroma on the nose and honey on the initial mouth followed by hoppy bitterness. A good Pilsner.

3. Radeberger Pilsner: slightly metallic nose, bitter and hoppy. A mineral quality to the finish. I didn’t like this one as much as the Bitburger.

4. Hofbrau Lager: pale gold, more malt coming through than hops. Honey and orange on the nose and up front, hoppy on the finish.

5. Franziskaner Hefeweissbier: This one resembled orange soda a bit in the glass. Orange and clove on the nose, some grapefruit and spice. Creamy mouthfeel, citrusy, a little bitterness. Undercurrent of banana. My girlfriend predicted that this would be good with pancakes.

6. Schneider Weisse : Floral and spice aromas, poured a cloudy apricot color. Light and fruity, it reminded me of Blue Moon.

7. Erdinger Oktoberfest Weizen: Aromas of apple and pineapple lifesavers. Banana bread on the palate with hints of citrus.

8. Kostritzer Schwarzbier: Thick tan head with lots of bubbles, the color of sarsaparilla. Metallic odor, minerals. Hoppy and bitter up front with a smoky, malty finish. Almost has a hazelnut or walnut aftertaste. We snuck out a few of Vosges’ Barcelona Almonds (chocolate covered salty, smoked almonds) and they paired perfectly with the beer.

9. Spaten Ur-Marzen: Smelled…like a lager. Poured a reddish brown with a thin head. Malt up front, hops in the finish. For the ending beer it was a little unremarkable.

The food they served was simple as mentioned – a simple Caesar-like salad to start; beef, mashed potatoes and cabbage for the main course; and vanilla sponge cake with icing and jam for dessert. Still, we ate and drank well for what we paid. I would suggest that if they do another one, go check it out. Rudy also provided some great information about the beers and the regions. I intend to go back, just to have some beer and food next time. Brats and beer sound like a good combo to me.

• I feel like a bear in winter on tranquilizers today. Can even coffee help me? Stay tuned… #
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• Just read that Blur are reuniting this year with Graham Coxon. Nice! #
• @Shineanthology I went with increasing alc. content. And complexity, I guess. But I tend to like to go light to dark. It was good, though. #
• @RichelleMead How does it hold up? Storywise, I mean. #
• It’s so beautiful outside. Why are cubicles such dreary, soulless places? #
• @spitkitten I did indeed drink one in your honor. I selected the Delerium Tremens for you. #
• Part 2 of my look at Post-apocalyptic Comics (Walking Dead) – http://tinyurl.com/d8jz2u #
• #beer drinking Brooklyn blunderbuss scotch ale. Sweet and citrusy. Full bodied with a hoppy cap to the finish. #

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Years ago, when I was first attempting to be a serious writer, I read a lot about writing, from other writers, from editors, from anyone I could find. I knew I wanted to improve and didn’t know how and so I tried to take as much in as I could.

One of the pieces of advice I received at the time, from several sources, was the idea that every word should count. To paraphrase one writer, you should hold a gun to the head of every word and see if you need it or not.

At the time, this seemed an impossible task. How could you, the me of the time would think, examine every single word and assess its worth? I could only see a story on a sentence level, not on a word level and I just chalked it up to the way my brain worked.

Yet know, years later, with more experience under my belt and, hopefully, a better perspective, I now understand what that means. I now know the effectiveness, even the joy, of going through a story and cutting a word here, a word there, of breaking a sentence down to its essentials and making it say what you really want it to say. I only realized that, however, today. And it feels like an accomplishment. It feels like I made the next waypoint and that I have traveled a bit further down the road.

Better still, I didn’t have to work at it, at least not at that specifically. I worked at writing better, certainly, but that ability and that awareness arose out of the process organically. As I said, I think it’s a matter of perspective.

I guess I’m having one of those writer moments and I think it’s pretty fucking cool.

• Offered without comment: http://tinyurl.com/cbyq6z #
• My concession to today might just have to be listening to U2, Damien Rice, and Snow Patrol. #
• Finally! Copy and paste! #
• @chriscallan yes. And landscape keyboard in everything. #
• Part 1 of my look at postapocalyptic comics is up at Tor.com – http://tinyurl.com/dkstd3 #
• Beeeeeeeeeeeeer #
• @spitkitten okay. You convinced me. #
• @spitkitten I am guilty of that. #
• @johnjosephadams Because you touch yourself, John. Because you touch yourself. #

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• @chrisbillett Well, I liked the Tom Baker eps when I was younger and I like the new series. But it’s not for everyone. #
• @levarburton Yes. #
• Btw, I failed on Pi day to eat pie, which is shameful. I blame the delicious red velvet cake from the Cake Man who kept derailing my plans. #
• What does the term “mentalism” mean to people? #
• How does this Twitpic thing work? #
• This is a test. http://twitpic.com/25h7z #

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