Columbia, MD September 21, 2018

We celebrated the last day of summer with friends at the local pub — The Second Chance Saloon. Tonight’s inspiration was Earth, Wind and Fire’s hit song, September. You probably remember the words… 

“September”

Do you remember the
21st night of September?
Love was changing the minds of pretenders
While chasing the clouds away

Many years ago, the 2nd Chance was once The Last Chance and offered over 50 taps when things like that were unheard of. Once, beer writer/connoisseur, Michael Jackson, came from England to give a beer tasting at this innovative beer bar, which I attended with my dad and brother. We had a blast!

Today, the Second Chance is more a neighborhood bar with nights dedicated to things like karaoke, trivia, or board games. The bottle list is impressive and the tap list has 9 steadies and 9 ever-changing beers. The food is pretty good; the burgers and wings are great. Tonight I had the chili; it was spicy and a bit overcooked but I found it quite satisfying and was tempted to lick the bowl.

Our large party seemed to overwhelmed our inexperienced waitress. I struggled to get a beer. When my Yuengling Golden Pilsner finally arrived, I found it horrible, unbalanced with a harsh, unpleasant aftertaste. After a few sips, I abandoned it and ordered a Sam Adams Oktoberfest, my go-to beer of the season.

I really wanted to end the night with a Bell’s Gose (sorry, I don’t recall the specific beer) but the keg had just kicked. Instead, I savored a Bell’s Quinannan Falls, an Imperial Pale Lager (IPL). It was smooth and creamy, lightly hopped. It was a perfect ending to a fun night out with friends.

Cheers!

Warren