Among This Week’s Non-College Football Highlights: Knee Deep’s Hoptologist DIPA
College football’s offseason is two months old already, but that means there’s still a little under six months until the 2013 season. It’s an eternity for any college football fan, and while many of us indulge in watching other sports, it just can’t compare to fall Saturdays.
With that in mind, we bring you the latest installment of our weekly feature, “Build a Better Offseason.” Every seven days or so, we’ll provide recommendations on what to do with all your free time now that you’re not all-consumed by college football, specifically focusing on beers, books, movies and sporting events. There’s also “this week in shame,” which you can view at the bottom of each piece.
Beer
Hoptologist DIPA, by Knee Deep Brewing Company in Lincoln, CA (Imperial/Double IPA, 9% ABV)
Enjoy hops? Like, a lot of hops? Knee Deep’s Hoptologist DIPA is exactly what you’re looking for. From both an aroma and taste perspective, this beer is chock-full of hops, as well as a generous selection of citrus flavoring. While I’d certainly characterize the finish as “bitter,” I’d assume you already know what you’re getting into if you grab a brew like this, and thus, embrace that element. Availability-wise, this one’s actually not as difficult to find as you’d assume. If you’re in California, you should just be able to stop into your local BevMo to find it (especially in Southern California) in 22 oz. bottles. But Colorado, Idaho and Ohio also have it pretty well-stocked (at least according to the brewery’s web site, anyway).
Book
“The Silver Linings Playbook,” by Matthew Quick (2008)
Yes, most people know this story at this point after watching the critically-acclaimed film starring Bradley Cooper and America’s Sweetheart, Jennifer Lawrence. But while the movie stays true to parts of the book, the novel’s narrative does go much deeper into the sadder and more violent parts of protagonist Pat Peoples’s life. Whether you’ve seen the movie or not, the book is an easy, yet powerful read, a smart and personal look at mental illness and how our society’s perception of it all is a bit off-base. Don’t look at it as preachy — the book is far from it. Rather, see it as educational for those of us who don’t personally deal with these issues on a daily basis.
Movie
Accepted (2006)
I feel like this movie is never really talked about, which is odd, because I believe it’s one of the better roles star Justin Long has ever played. He’s a believable underdog, and an inspired leader — not the best leader, of course, but certainly fits the bill this film calls for. With a PG-13 rating, what Accepted lacks in typical tropes comedies of that time period throws out, it makes up for in creating jokes that actually land (raunchiness aside). In that regard, Long’s quips fall perfectly and effortlessly as a commentary on the state of Greek culture and academic culture at many institutions. I would never sit here and call this movie “great,” by any means, but if you’re looking for a surprisingly prescient and honest look at mid-00s college culture, it’s tough to top Accepted.
