It’s hard to find good gluten-free beer.  Really hard.  While beer’s not my usual beverage of choice for cocktail hour, there are certain occasions, where I find myself thinking, “It would be nice to have a cold beer right now.”  Boating on the Chesapeake Bay, watching football on a Saturday afternoon, or grilling in the backyard.  Mmm, yes.  Beer please.

Needless to say, my attention was captured when my friend Brittanny (who’s an expert on all things beer) sent me this Beer News article about Estrella Damm DAURA, which apparently has received the label, “Best Gluten-Free Beer.”  (Of course my first thought was DAURA sounds a lot like Dharma Initiative.)  Produced in Spain, at the Esrella Damm Brewery, DAURA has won this title at the World Beer Awards in 2008 and 2009.

Watch out USA, because DAURA is hitting the shelves in the land of the free and the home of the brave.  What better way to celebrate October: National Celiac Awareness Month by tasting this “new to the USA” tasty adult beverage?

Have a any of you tried DAURA yet?  Thoughts?  Reviews?

Check out this article for more information on DAURA’s arrival: U.S. Beverage Brings Estrella Damm Daura to U.S.

You know you’re old when…a former student sends you beer koozies.  Yes, I’m officially old enough to have past students that send me koozies and it’s ok, in fact welcomed.  These aren’t your typical beer koozies that my advisee, Becca, sent me, not even personalized wedding reception beer koozies.  (I do love those too!)  These are Dharma Initiative beer koozies.  If you have no idea what that phrase means, you have either never seen the show “Lost” or haven’t yet finished the first season.  If that’s the case, I’m very jealous and you should immediately put this amazing series in your Netflix queue.

If you’re like me, however, and know exactly what Dharma is, then you’re:

1)    jealous of my awesome koozies.

2)    anxiously awaiting the 2.5 hour finale on Sunday night.  Oh, wait, the 4.5 hours, including 2 hours of recap (which I will absolutely watch), or as David figured out, the 3.1666 hours of actual “Lost” (when you fast forward through ads on your Tivo).

Yes, I talk about “The Bachelor” and “Top Chef” but the show that I’m most fascinated with is “Lost.”  If you, too love “Lost,” just thinking about Sunday night evokes many emotions for you.  The emotional roller coaster for me includes:

• Eagerness to know how it’s going to end, as well as worry that I just might not understand the final moments.  (More time travel?  Ugh.)
• Overwhelmed by questions: Can “the black smoke” die?  Will Jack really be the protector of the island?  Where did Anna Lucia come from?  Are we going to see Libby again?  (I hope so!)  How is Desmund going to reconnect everyone in the parallel universe?
• Sentimental about the show and the many memories I have watching it.  Basically my whole married life we’ve been watching “Lost,” spending many dinner table conversations as a couple and with friends talking “Lost” theories.
• Concern that I’ll be disappointed with the ending.  I’ve invested so much time into the show over the years.  How can they possibly explain everything?
• And of course I can’t help but be sad that like all good things, “Lost” must come to an end.  I mean, I love this show.  The twists and turns and time changes have been endless, but I’ve kept watching nonetheless.

Even when I get frustrated with some of the plot ridiculousness (Seriously, Jack has a son now?) and formulas that only my math-minded friends, Patrick, Mindy and Mimi, understand, the show always brings me back.

I had to go with a Season 2 cast photo because Echo was one of my favorite characters.

Once Sunday night has come and gone, I don’t know what I’m going to do without Sawyer’s cynical stares, Jack’s desire to save everyone, Hurleys’s visions of dead people, and Clare’s whacked out hair.  Any bets that at least three new characters will be introduced in the final episode?  Maybe Jack and Locke are brothers in real life?

What are your thoughts about the finale?  Any predictions?  Concerns of your own?  Please share!  I’m always eager for more “Lost” theories.

Thanks to Becca for sending me these awesome Dharma koozies.  Of course, I’ve got New Grist, a gluten-free beer made with sorghum and rice, in my koozie.  They will be with me during the finale.  Enjoy the final 150 minutes of glory!  (If you’re in search of a show to watch now that your relationship with “Lost” has come to an end, and you’re ready to move on, may I suggest HBO’s “The Wire?”  I promise, it won’t be sloppy seconds.)

Ok, so I’m never going to be able to eat at Ormsby’s, but I love the atmosphere of this new Westside tavern.  I literally don’t think there’s anything on the menu I can eat except the peanuts and rosemary popcorn, and perhaps a burger patty, hold the bun.  This tucked away bar in the White Provisions development that opened right before Christmas, is known for its beer, but I must say, that it’s also got a great wine selection.  They do not yet have any gluten-free beers, but Ormsby’s wines by the glass are well priced, with a large selection.  (Sure, it feels a little funny to not be getting a beer at a place intended for beer drinkers, but we celiacs are used to feeling a bit out of place at breweries and taverns.)  My wine preference here is the $8.50 glass of Grayson Cabernet Sauvignon.  The biggest difficulty is finding Ormsby’s as it’s basically in the basement of the building.  If you park in the garage behind West Egg, and walk towards White Provisions, there’s a big wooden door with a small sign saying Ormsby’s.  On a Saturday night, it’s not as difficult to find as this quickly popular spot will have a long line of folks waiting to get through the door.

It isn’t just the booze that makes Ormsby’s a great place to meet up with friends, watch a game or celebrate a birthday.  Downstairs they have a variety of games to entertain, such as bocce ball, shuffleboard and darts.  We went to Ormsby’s one of the first nights it was open and had a great time playing the games.  Now that Ormsby’s has been ‘discovered,’ you should definitely plan on waiting awhile for a game on a Saturday night.  Weekday nights or a weekend afternoon might be your better bet if trying to get in on the game action.

David and I went a few weekends ago to watch the Duke/Georgetown basketball game.  (We don’t have television so during basketball season, we spend more money going out to watch games than an actual cable bill would cost.)  As Duke was getting frustratingly clobbered, David and I noticed Ormsby’s also has board games.  Love it!  We pulled out Scrabble and brought it over to the bar.  I proceeded to crush David at Scrabble, as witnessed by our friend John Jones, making me victorious in at least something that day, since my Dukies couldn’t pull off the ‘W’.

Ormsby’s will continue to be one of our ‘go to’ Westside neighborhood spots due to its  great atmosphere and the entire place is non-smoking.  Ormsby’s has enough TVs so you can watch your favorite game (they’ll even change the channel for you), but the televisions don’t overtake the place like some sports bars.  The wine list is pretty expansive, not limited to ‘house red wine’ like many beer spots.  As I mentioned earlier, gluten dominates the menu, so if you’re looking for a gluten-free dinner, try somewhere else in the neighborhood for dinner, then venture to Ormsby’s for a glass of wine, boiled peanuts and a game of bocce.

Ormsby’s -  1170 Howell Mill Road – Atlanta, GA 30318 – (404) 968-2033