Beer and Pavement

So, I figured I’d enter the contest. I mean, Mikkeller is easily one of my favorite breweries and I’d do just about anything to try this beer. But what sets me apart from other beer geeks who will enter this contest for such a beer?

Well, for one, I have written a ton here about Mikkeller beers despite the relative difficulty we have just scoring any in the middle of Missouri. Just look at the tag cloud to the right. No other brewery is listed as large as Mikkeller. I may have to consider changing the “beer” portion of this blog’s title to “Mikkeller”. Here’s a rundown of Mikkeller mentions over the last two years of posting…

• There was the month or so after 1000 IBU was first released where it seemed to make an appearance at every tasting I participated, including a Saturday night with three dads.
• The beer made such an impression that it easily slid into a mid-2010 best of list.
• There was a post wrought with errors where I all I gushed over the brilliance of IPA’s produced outside the IPA-USA that just boggled my mind and dominated my IBU consumption.
• Last year’s holiday season was dominated by Mikkeller beers.
• I wrote a thorough defense of Mikkeller after trying their incredibly tasty coffee IPA. Hell, even Mikkel Borg Bjergsø himself posted this piece on his Facebook page.
• I wrote about Mikkeller even while reviewing Stillwater’s work.
• There was the post about gypsies in craft beer and indie rock. Of course, Mikkeller garnered a mention.
• Mikkeller is my number one go-to brewery.
• Thanks was given just for Mikkeller’s existence, especially in the Missouri market.
• Santa’s Little Helper has given me an excellent Christmas story to tell about a Christmas Eve celebration that resulted in my climbing onto a snowy roof.
• The quartet of Red White, Santa’s Little Helper, To From, and Hoppy Lovin’ Christmas made my top-5 holiday beer list.
• There’s the top-5 stout recognition.
• Three Mikkeller beers (two collabs with Stillwater) made my top-10 of 2011.

So, to say that I am a huge fan of Mikkeller brews and support them every step of the way is an understatement. I just wish I had more access to more of their beer. Still, winning this prize of a bottle of Royal Rye Wine would cause me to make some promises I will surely keep:

1. I will dedicate a page on this blog with it’s own Mikkeller-inspired emblem for all things Mikkeller, including the running list of posts.
2. I will review the Royal Rye Wine complete with a playlist that pairs perfectly with the awarded beer. I’ll make the playlist available to my readers via Spotify and even send a copy to Mikkel Borg Bjergsø.
3. I will write a post reviewing every Mikkeller beer I’ve ever had, even the ones I’ve completely forgotten about.

There. If this post doesn’t win me a bottle of Royal Rye Wine, I don’t know what will. Or maybe it’s just too difficult to ship a beer like that all the way to Columbia, Missouri.

Please give nothing but support for my quest and for Mikkeller’s beer in the comments. No comments about the cost of said beers. They’re totally worth it and I won’t have you disparage them.

Update: Tomorrow the winner of a bottle of Royal Rye Wine will be announced on mikkeller.dk on Facebook and on Twitter.

Double update: I won! Details to come.