The Tale of the Isolation Ale

I'm not really an alcoholic, in fact, I'm sure I drink less than you *think* I do. So let me apologize in advance for yet another post centered on alcohol.

See the pic to the left? That is the great Odell's Isolation Ale. Mmm earthy hops, cookie like malt aroma and suggestions of chocolate and toasted biscuits. I'm not a huge beer drinker & if it's called "beer" rather than "ale" I probably won't touch it. I'm a snob like that.

A little backstory - I first touched my lips with this awesomeness last year at a little place no longer in existence called JoShmos. For $2 a bottle you could chill with your friends on a snowy night, watch sports & drink this glorious, nay, heavenly winter warmer. Then it was on tap. ON TAP! For as long as the keg lasted, we had Isolation.

Then it was gone.

Imagine how happy I am come winter. I start hitting the local places - Mass Beverage, Cork & Barrel, Beer Cave, etc. in search of the best part of winter.

There are three big problems with this ale.

Problem #1 - Lawrence, KS gets a very limited supply.

Problem #2 - Isolation Ale is a "seasonal" brew. Only available October thru December. Ahem, what month is this?

Problem #3 - Dave likes it too.

We've been searching since the end of October and we've put our names on numerous waiting lists.

Until... the other night we decided to hang out at Old Chicago to watch KU whoop up on Memphis. We chose to sit at the bar as to see the game better and low & behold, there it was. Isolation Ale - ON TAP! JOY! We were thrilled. However after like 16 years or something, Old Chicago on Iowa will be shutting their doors permanently tomorrow. There is no way we can finish off their keg at $5/pint in the next 24 hours. Damn it!

So last night I decide to try Cork & Barrel again. You will not believe this, but I swear, it's a true story. They had ONE bottle. One lonely bottle on the shelf. It was only me. Just me. Dave patiently waiting at home perfectly aware of my whereabouts & all I have is one bottle. I look pitiful at the clerk and ask him to check stock. Surely you have more than this one bottle? In theory he had two six packs according to the computer. After 10 minutes of searching the cooler, he returned empty handed. So that's it, I have one bottle. I explain to him that with this one bottle there will surely be rock, paper, scissors or a drawing of straws to determine who will partake in this deliciousness when I get home. The clerk looks at me and says, "But you're a girl, so of course you should have it." Wait... what? That's brilliant! I *am* a girl, in fact I am *the* girl, *the* girl who found it and by golly in the name of having a vagina - I claim this last Isolation Ale as mine!

I arrive home & it so did not go down like that. I tried the whole "but I'm a girl" and the "but I'm the girl who went & found/got it." To no avail, I had to share the last bottle & all I can say is that "Sharing is completely overrated!" Sigh.