This series of posts is dedicated to the many, many six packs, pony kegs and pints that have sauntered into my life at one point or another.

I don’t ever really need a beer, but there are times when I definitely want one. Similarly, normal morning joshing aside, coffee is not a beverage I actually require to get through a day, but I am always exceedingly happy to have a fresh cup poured for me. One of the most blessed things in this misbegotten culture of ours is the emergences of good beer that incorporates coffee as a component.

As noted, I acknowledge there are never instances when I truly need either beer or coffee, and yet I am convinced, deep down in my soul, that there are occasions when only an artful combination of both will do to get me through the task of the moment. I would like to thank Chicago’s Around the Bend Brewing Company for coming to my rescue the most recent occurrence of one of those occasions.