Leap for Larkin

Tonight our favorite Irish band, Larkin will be playing upstairs at McNellies. The Guinness will be flowing freely (not actually free, but cheap at $4 for an imperial pint) and the crowd will be full of Irish cheer. Their infectious enthusiasm for all things Irish is a great way to get geared up for St. Patrick's Day.

Larkin is a 6-member band from Tulsa who plays traditional Irish folk tunes and uses instruments such as the tin whistle and fiddle. Vocalist Chad Malone bursts with charisma as he roars out lyrics in an Irish accent. The more pints they consume, the more difficult they are to understand. It's all part of their charm.

They begin at 10pm, or "whenever they're good and ready," as their poster indicates. So come out, raise your pint, and be sure to slosh it on the floor so all my customers downstairs will complain about getting dripped on all night.

Afterall, the 29th is an extra day added to the year. Spend your bonus day getting bolloxed with the Irish.

Great Scot(ch)!

McNellies is notorious for a great beer selection, but we also carry an extensive assortment of scotches. In order to encourage people to try some different varieties, we have recently added a scotch flight to our menu. The cost is $30, and you get to choose 5 out of the 7 following single malt scotches:

• Talisker
• Caol Ila
• Glenkinchie
• Oban
• Lagavulin
• Dalwhinnie
• Cragganmore

Regretfully, my knowledge of scotch is inadequate and therefore I have no personal testimony of these. If you click on the photograph, you'll be able to read the commercial descriptions. Perhaps one of these gloomy days when I'm itching with boredom, I'll head down to the pub and try one of these flights.

Big Sky Brewery

Oklahoma has recently acquired some new beers from the Montana brewery, Big Sky. The Big Sky Brewery offers four varieties year-round, all which are now available at McNellies. The Big Sky Brewery has themed their beers with Montana wildlife, and I choose the one with the most interesting name to try first: Moose Drool.

I'm not sure why the name of this beer drew me to try it. You would think with such a disgusting name and repulsive picture on the label, it would have the opposite effect. Perhaps it's the train wreck theory that led me to try it. Anyhow, as distasteful as the packaging is, I found the contents to be quite the opposite.

Moose Drool is a brown ale that poured with a small head, spare lacing, and a murky dark brown appearance. It's darker in color than other brown ales that come to mind, such as Newcastle, Avery's Ellie Brown Ale, and Tilburgs Dutch Brown Ale. It's a lightly hopped beer with a smooth taste and 5.3% alcohol content. It's brewed with pale, caramel, chocolate, and whole black malts and Kent Goldings, Liberty, and Willamette hops. I found the beer to be very well balanced, not too sweet or hoppy, with substantial flavor. It's known to be the best selling beer from the brewery, and the best selling beer brewed in Montana.

Other beers from the brewery include Scapegoat Pale Ale, Trout Slayer Ale, and Big Sky IPA, as well as two seasonals: Powder Hound Winter Ale and Summer Honey Seasonal Ale. I gave the Big Sky IPA a try last night and wasn't a huge fan. I found the aroma to be very pleasing, but the taste was all hops, too much in my opinion. I know, I know, it's an IPA and therefore that's what it's supposed to be, but I felt like I was eating one of those hop pellets again.

If you want to try some new beers, get on down to McNellies. With a name like Moose Drool, you must be curious to try one.

Drop The Bomb On Me Baby

One of the most popular "shots," if you can even call it that, at McNellies are Irish Car Bombs. They are particularly favored by the staff, which should be a good indication they're something to write home about. For those who are unfamiliar with the Irish Car Bomb, allow me to explain how this shot works.

A pint glass is filled about half way full of Guinness. A a mixture of an Irish Cream and Irish whiskey, usually Baileys and Jameson, are poured into a shot glass. The shot glass is dropped into the glass of Guinness, then immediately chugged. You can't take this shot slowly or it will began to curdle, which is pretty disgusting. I don't even like the word curdle, much less the effect. But when taken properly, this shot is quite tasty and fun.

As the name may indicate, this is a rather potent concoction. It's one of those drinks that tends to sneak up on you, so drink with caution. It will definetley get the job done. Normally a rather pricey drink at $6.50, this week Irish Car Bombs are on special for $4.00! So, come on in and knock back a few. And if you have a few too many, take a cab! City cab: 582-3333 or Yellow cab:587-6611

Cerveza de Guatemala

Right now my boyfriend is in Guatemala. Although coffee is their primary export (and the purpose of his visit), even good ol' Guatemala produces and exports cerveza. So I thought I'd drink a Guatemalan beer in his honor; the only one we carry at McNellies: Bahia.

Bahia is a premium imported lager brewed by Cerveceria Centro Americana, and available in select markets across the United States. It's packaged in a clear bottle with a Marlin pictured on the label. It's comparable to Corona, or "Crapona," as I've heard it called. Honestly, I didn't expect it to be great, so I can't say I was disappointed. The taste wasn't unpleasant or offensive, but there wasn't much substance to it. It has a slightly sour flavor and a bit of skunkiness. Due to the warm climate of Central American countries, brewers don't grow barley or hops, and instead have them imported. They typically make light, basic lagers intended simply as thirst-quenchers. So, for what it is, it wasn't too bad. If I ever find myself roaming the streets of Guatemala, parched with thirst, I would gladly welcome the sight of a bottle of Bahia.

Fire Sale!

We need to make room for some new beers, so we are going to offer the following pints at a special "fire sale" price of $3 until we run out:


* Paulaner Hefe-Weis
* Paulaner Lager
* Boulevard Porter
* Pyramid Snowcap
* Bridgeport Ebenezer

The outgoing beers will be replaced by:

* Leinenkugel Red
* Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat
* Leinenkugel Creamy Dark
* Bridgeport Beertown Brown
* Bridgeport ESB

Also, for the month of February, pints of Harp and Abita Amber are on special for $3.