Adventure: Brewery Ommegang Game of Thrones Release

I'm really behind in adventures, and in looking at what needed blogging realized a huge oversight. Talk about a serious oversight, seeing as it was in MARCH. Egads. 

Have a dear friend, Adam, who I've known since college which was.....a while ago, let's say. He & his wife are beer nerds like us (actually, bigger beer nerds - which is a compliment). They hang out with a legitimately-knighted-in-Belgium-beer-nerd, with whom Brewery Ommegang trusted to hold a celebration dinner for the second Game of Thrones inspired beer, Fire and Blood. 



Ironically, we were already headed north to visit with them and their youngest son, just because, so it was divine intervention that Ommegang was releasing the beer on March 31, with only 12 celebration dinners held country-wide two days before, and one happening about an hour from their home.

The road trip to their house started as major downpour of rain, this taken just north of Columbus:

And by the time we left their house, to head to Cleveland for the dinner, it was major downpour of snow. As in blizzard-like conditions. 

Road sign with melting snow covering the window. 

We passed at least a half-dozen vehicles off the road, having slid there because of the crazy road conditions. Halfheartedly, I said to Adam, the driver, that should he deem it too dangerous, we'd be very happy just to hang out at their house, but he assured us he would go slow and take it safe, and we arrived just before the doors opened. 

To say that he did a great job of transporting us, is implied and I'm so glad he did because WOW. 

Here are some photos of the outside of the restaurant:

 

 

 

Inside the restaurant.

These folks did.it.right. They even had an Iron Throne. 

"Gee, Jen, did you get your picture taken on it?" 

 

The dinner was a buffet with a Medieval-like menu, complete with turkey legs. Totally worth the $60/head to get in, let me tell you. There was a little bit of everything, so no matter your eating preferences, you had more than enough to eat. 

There was also a crap-ton of GoT swag. Each person received a bottle of the latest release, signed by Ommegang's brewer, plus a fabulous goblet with the House Targaryen sigil, as you checked in for the dinner. 

Later on, they passed out Ommegang bottle openers, as well as GoT keyrings, again featuring the sigil of House Targaryen. They also had t-shirts for sale (Spouse and I bought one each of the two designs, but I apparently didn't take photos.....oops). 

 

In addition to the Fire and Blood release on tap, Winks also had the first GoT release, Take the Black Stout, plus a few other Ommegang favorites on tap. They also had a featured GoT cocktail, called Dragon's Blood, which was vodka, chambord and pineapple juice. It was tasty. We got a round for the four of us to toast. 

Winks also had entertainment! Before dinner began, there was a string quartet, plus two young men juggling. After dinner, they had young ladies in Daenerys like-clothing dancing about. On the bar, actually. That part was...interesting, but hey, whatever. 

I took a little stroll about the restaurant and also, to check on what outside was doing.....

Um, yeah - that's SNOW. 

Took this for my sister: a sign on the way to the loo. (Her name is Erin and all).

In short, a delightful evening, with wonderful friends, enjoying a tasty meal & beverages!

Tracy (Mrs. Adam), me, Spouse - Adam was the photographer.

By the time we left, the snow had mostly stopped and the roads were a little better. By the time we woke up on Sunday morning, the sun was blazing and a lot of the snow had melted. We hung out with them for a while, then headed home. Their dog, Murphy, found a nice, sunny spot though before we left. 

That is one smart dog. 

The weekend, with Adam, Tracy, Kiddo & Murphy, was another installment in the I Am Tremendously Lucky game. It is one thing to have had a friend in your life for the better part of 25 years, then another layer of great to like *their spouse*, then another layer of great for them to like *your* spouse, and even more great to like their kids. We hope to repeat this event at least once more this year with any number of brew fests between their hometown and ours. 

So my apologies to our friends, in my delinquency in posting a thank you blog for their hospitality, and camaraderie!!! 

Side note: weird to remember all that snow, when it is 84 degrees outside. 


For those interested in what Spouse is wearing, his shirt is a Game of Thrones hockey jersey that I got for him for his 42nd birthday. His favorite character is Jon Snow, the bastard son of Ned Stark, so it has the House Stark sigil on the front, and the back has the number 42, with nameplate reading Snow. 

He claims it is the best birthday present ever, but I'm determined to top it one year. Somehow. I have no clue as to how. 

The fetching cap he was sporting was purchased in Dublin, Ireland at Kevin & Howlin's, and is handwoven Donegal tweed. I absolutely love the cap, and him in it, because he looks so handsome.