Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #95, October 20, 2016, Sunny Side Up Coffee Stout by Pizza Boy Brewing Co.

When we woke up this morning in the cabin in McCarthy, our iPhones didn’t have any service, so our first concern was that I wouldn’t be able to post a Thirsty Thursday beer painting for the first time since I started the project at the start of 2015!  The second thought that crossed our minds was that maybe the world had ended after last night’s Presidential Debate, and we had no way to find out, but then I remembered that I saw a jet fly by earlier.  We didn’t know whether we were the only ones having this problem, so when our neighbor stopped by for coffee, the first thing we asked him was wether his phone worked.  But he said it was low on power, and he hadn’t turned it on all morning, and left it at his cabin.  Luckily, someone, somewhere fixed the problem promptly, and now we’re connected to the outside world again.  

I painted this piece yesterday next to the burning wood stove in our cabin, but I drank the Sunny Side up Coffee Stout by Pizza Boy Brewing Co. a few days ago, and I can tell you that it would be a great way to start the day.  My friend Rich gave me this can when I visited him in Philadelphia last month, and I brought it all the way back to Anchorage in my luggage.  He says he feels sorry for anyone who’s never had this beer, and I agree.  Drinking this beer with your breakfast eggs would be kind of like starting the day with a rock concert.  This batch of Sunny Side Up is brewed with coffee from Little Amps Coffee Roasters in Harrisburg, PA, so that’s why there’s an amp on the beer can, and band instruments on a stage in the painting.  As my wife sipped on her share, she commented that this is a nice coffee beverage with some beer in it.  Well, not just a little bit of beer, considering its 9.5% ABV.  If you drink this beer after 4PM, you better have a concert to go to, because there is so much coffee in this tasty hybrid beverage that you won’t be sleeping until well after midnight.  Pause your morning band practice and raise that coffee cup full of brew in a toast to Pizza Boy and Little Amps, a marriage of flavors from two great companies!

This original oil painting, and 52 limited-edition prints are for sale at my Etsy shop RealArtIsBetter.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #95 by Scott Clendaniel. October 20, 2016. Sunny Side Up Coffee Stout by Pizza Boy Brewing Co., 8″x10″, oil on panel.

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Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #47, November 19, 2015

Delirium Tremens, not only a delicious Belgian ale brewed by the Huyghe family brewery, but also a physical condition caused by alcohol withdrawal. The medical condition is not pleasurable at all with seizures, hallucinations and even a 5% chance of possible death! The beer on the other hand is one of the most delicious beverages known to man.

The Delirium brand has pink elephants on the label and the pub in Brussels has a pink elephant above the door, as well as on the fancy snifter goblet glasses. Pink elephants make me think of Walt Disney’s 1941 classic Dumbo, specifically the musical number in the scene when Dumbo is drinking the brew from a big barrel and Pink Elephants on Parade starts to play. I did my best to capture the song with this image of pink elephants marching down stairs.

If you get to the Delirium pub in Brussels make sure you peek around the corner to see the statue of a peeing girl, which is not as world famous as the one of the peeing boy, but worth a visit nonetheless. Don’t know why the Belgians find potty humor so hilarious but, hey, if you drink a lot of beer… you will have to pee, and if you drink way too much you might get the Delirium Tremens (not the beer).

The original oil painting sold. You can purchase limited-edition prints, or order a custom beer painting at my Etsy shop.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #47 by Scott Clendaniel. November 19, 2015. Delirium Tremens. 8″x10″, oil on panel.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #45, November 5, 2015

This week’s painting is inspired by Keith Haring, who passed away in 1990 after living a short 31 years. He died from health complications related to AIDS. His art is youthful, vibrant, socially charged and in my opinion, brilliant. He started out by creating social commentary pieces illicitly on black sheets of paper that covered unused advertisement space in the New York Subway. The resulting backlash not only granted him instant notoriety and fame, but also landed him in a heap of trouble. He was arrested a few times, and was forced to pay many fines. However, all of that paid off, because it resulted in a hugely successful international public arts career. Haring painted one of his most famous murals on the Berlin Wall in 1986.

Although Haring was a staunch advocate for safe sex, he was diagnosed with AIDS in 1987. Instead of taking the news badly, he became incredibly prolific, knowing his life would be cut short. Young, but close to death, Haring had a perspective on life that allowed him to produce stunning artworks that encompassed life and death themes that would be impossible under other circumstances.

I feel that Haring would find this version of his painting comical. He had a lust for creativity and art that I believe the craft beer community also embodies. It was not until I utilized his characters that I began to understand his aesthetic and viewpoint on life. The simple outlines are freeing and an amazing form of art that embodies the spirit of the 80s in a way I will never understand, since I was only a decade old when they ended. Cheers to great art! Thanks Keith Haring for living your life to the fullest!

The original oil painting, and limited-edition prints are for sale at my Etsy shop.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #45 by Scott Clendaniel. November 5, 2015. Beer Parody of Keith Haring’s Art. 11″x14″, oil on panel.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #42, October 15, 2015

What is a jawn? Well, according to the Urban Dictionary a jawn can be anything — a person, place, or thing. However, it must be used in context. Often the jawn in question is a female person. That being said, Neshaminy Creek Brewing put out a beer called J.A.W.N, which is an acronym for juicy ale with nugget. A beer is a jawn, because it is a thing. I put all these jawns in the background, because I felt they epitomized Philadelphia. This beer is nice and clean, with a good hop bite. It has a great label, which also depicts some epic Philly jawns. It took me a while to notice that the guy smoking a cigar on the back of the can is Benjamin Franklin.

So break out that J.A.W.N and celebrate!

The original oil painting, and limited-edition prints are for sale at my Etsy shop.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #42 by Scott Clendaniel. October 15, 2015. J.A.W.N. by Neshaminy Creek Brewing. 8″x10″, oil on panel.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #38, September 17, 2015

Short’s Brewing Company’s Huma Lupa Licious India Pale Ale is a noteworthy beer, one you cannot buy outside of Michigan.  Named for the hop plant Humulus Lupulus, this beer is for the hop head.  Fruity and piney, Short’s doesn’t hold back on the hops.  This beer comes in at 7.7% ABV, and 140 IBUs!  Most people would call it a double IPA.  Michigan has some great beer, and this one is a fine find when you are in MI!

Short’s is only 13 years old, starting out in a small vacated hardware store in Bellaire, Michigan. With a seven-barrel brew system, and five fermenters, Joe Short only produced 178 barrels in his first year.  However, this is not the case today.  The upgraded facility in Elk Rapids now produces 800 cases a day of the fine product.  What a great success story!  I hope you get to drink a little of this tasty brew if you get a chance!  As Short says, “Life is Short’s, drink it while you’re here!”

This original oil painting, and limited-edition prints are for sale at my Etsy shop.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #38 by Scott Clendaniel. September 17, 2015. Huma Lupa Licious by Short’s Brewing. 8″x10″, oil on panel.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #36, September 3, 2015

I recently traveled to the Midwest, and was lucky enough to make a visit to the Union at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. I had a beer for lunch and a taste of the local ice cream. Whodathunkit, but ice cream and beer for lunch is a good idea! I also had a Union burger, which was okay, until I loaded it up with the huge amount of condiments and toppings available. It was very hot for this Alaskan’s blood, so the cold one and the extra cold one (ice cream) were a big hit. Windy on the lake, but my beer was guarded with my life. The iconic colorful metal chairs livened up the atmosphere.

My beer of choice was Hopaliscious, which is an American Pale Ale with a serious hop bite. A great beer, from a great place, in the middle of our great country. I knew that Wisconsin has great cheese, but since I live in Alaska, and getting beer from Wisconsin that isn’t brewed in a macro facility in Milwaukie is a bit tough, I was pleasantly surprised to discover delicious craft beer there. Luckily, I have a friend who was getting married there, and I decided it was time to make a trip to the lovely Midwestern State. The first beer I drank in Wisconsin was Hopaliscious from Ale Asylum, and I was immediately impressed. So much, I knew I was going to make a beer painting of it. Drinking this beer on the shore of a lake is a perfect match, just like the couple I watched getting married! Great job, Ale Asylum!

The original painting, and limited-edition prints are for sale at my Etsy shop.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #36 by Scott Clendaniel. September 3, 2015. Hopalicious by Ale Asylum. 8″x10″, oil on panel.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #34, August 20, 2015

How often do I paint live in breweries? Not that often. I think there are still under ten paintings that I have managed to create in a tasting room. I recently made a trip to the Midwest of our lovely North American continent. I spent a few days in Chicago, enjoying the delicious beer there, as well as catching a Cubs game at Wrigley field. Maria enjoyed a Goose Island 312 during the game, I held out to sample a fresh IPA from the local GI taproom in Wrigleyville. After Chicago we left to Wisconsin for a wedding. I definitely enjoyed my share of Spotted Cow. Thanks Adam and Kara for getting two kegs of delicious New Glarus brew.

We figured that a trip to the Midwest wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Michigan. Actually, my grandmother was born in Michigan so I have some extended roots there, and I definitely have friends who live in Michigan. First, we went to Grand Haven and enjoyed some Odd Side Ales, swam in Lake Michigan and explored the dunes. We then drove to Grand Rapids, known as Beer City with big hitters like Founders, Brewery Vivant, and Perrin. Not to mention Harmony, Rockford, B.O.B., and Mitten. Grand Rapids is a very beer-forward town. On our way there from Grand Haven we detoured on a special trip to Kalamazoo, MI to go to the world famous Bell’s Brewery, where I painted live for an afternoon at the Eccentric Cafe. The beer I painted is the double black IPA, called Uranus, part of the planet series. Brewed in homage to Gustav Holst, the composer best known for his musical suites entitled the Planets. The food was also really good and the service was excellent. I hope I get a chance to return to the Eccentric Cafe, it seemed like my kind of place. Great art was everywhere adorning the interior, including some amazing stained glass windows with relief sculptures, as well as mosaics on the floor. I finished this painting, and then got to drink the beer. Two more days of beer enjoyment in Grand Rapids completed out the trip, and I had a very full ten days in the Midwest!

The original oil painting, and limited-edition prints are for sale at my Etsy shop.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #34 by Scott Clendaniel. August 20, 2015. Uranus Double Black IPA by Bell’s Brewing. 8″x10″, oil on panel.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #27, July 2, 2015

Wow, Fourth of July is right around the corner!  I can hardly believe that it is already this far through the 2015 year!  My friend from Philly sent me this bottle of Sour Monkey Brett Tripel by Victory Brewing, which I really wanted to try, but couldn’t get here in Anchorage, even though Victory distributes to us.  Thanks Rich!  It is the standard Golden Monkey Belgian-Style Tripel, but with a sour twist of Brettanomyces added.  I found it to be a nice, refreshing sour beer, especially in the summer time.  I love popping a champagne cork out of a bottle of the good stuff.  At 9.5% (same percentage as the Golden Monkey), it is a good idea to share a bottle of this.  Maria and I enjoyed every last drop.  Sours are becoming more popular, and it is a good thing to develop your palate to enjoy this type of brew, as well as solid bitter pilsners, hop-aromatic IPAs and sweet Belgians.  Beer is like a rainbow of flavor — there are so many different kinds of tongue-tantalizing varieties.  I just returned from the annual Salmon harvest on the Kasilof River and finished smoking ten big Sockeye Reds late last night.  Makes me think of smoked beers.  Here’s an idea for Ron and Bill, Smoked Monkey!  I bet it would be great!

Cheers to the wild Sour Monkey — a great beer with a great label!

You can purchase this painting, or a limited-edition print at my Etsy shop.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #27 by Scott Clendaniel. July 2, 2015. Sour Monkey Brett Tripel by Victory Brewing Co. 8″x10″, oil on panel.

 

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #20, May 14, 2015

I am sitting in my outdoor studio in McCarthy, Alaska on my first whole day of the summer season here in the Wrangell – St. Elias National Park. I am a happy camper, because I just went down to town to get the water I will need for the next two weeks and stopped in at the Museum where I met John and Barb Rice who brought me a homebrewed beer all the way from St. Louis, Missouri! It was a ginger-honey beer called the Drippy Hippy, brewed from a recipe I formulated with my friend Nick Pugmire about ten years ago. I love drinking this beer and I ran out of my own a few months ago. So I was very excited to hear that John’s friend Kevin Cummings brewed a batch using the recipe that I published on this blog several months ago, during the Year of Beer Paintings. Kevin nailed it! It tasted just like the Drippy Hippy I brew here in Alaska! Good brewing Kevin! I will see if I can send a homebrew back in your bottle at the end of the summer when John and Barb return home. Thanks Kevin and John for following this blog, and a huge thank you for brewing this beer, Kevin, and to John for bringing it all the way here from the other side of the country!

McCarthy is a beer-centric place where beer is like currency and everybody is drinking the golden suds in the Golden Saloon, in the middle of the street, or at the softball game. Last night after portaging my supplies from the truck to my tiny house, Maria and I sat around the campfire and popped the cork from a bottle of Abbey Ale by Brewery Ommegang. I’ve had this beer many times, and it is a real favorite of mine. I carried a bottle all the way to the top of Mt. Marathon in Seward in 2007, and it was one of the first beers I drank when I visited the brewery in Cooperstown last fall. I bought it originally because it’s premium beer with a cork! Perfect for celebrating, nothing starts a party like popping the cork of a premium beer – the pop is a true sign of good times! Thanks Ommegang for brewing such a delicious beer!

You can purchase this painting, or a limited-edition print at my Etsy shop.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #20 by Scott Clendaniel. May 14, 2015. Abbey Ale by Brewery Ommegang. 11″x14″, oil on panel.