New squared

Those of you living in and around Albany may be aware that there's a new bar or two in town. What makes me especially happy is that said new bars have two things that are very important to me - good beer and outdoor drinking space. The latter has been seriously lacking in our fair city. Tonight I had occasion to try out one of the new joints - Stout, down in the warehouse district, yup, I'm jumping on the bandwagon of calling it a district - with a new friend. While I'll say it might not have been the best day to share a beer with someone who is also a Big 10 alum but not a Buckeye, the company was gracious in the face of my pain, the tap selection was good (Magner's cider on a hot day ... heaven) and the breeze through the giant patio doors was lovely. I'd heard some grumblings about seven dollar beers, but they are 20 oz drafts and I didn't at all feel that we'd spent too much for a couple of rounds with good conversation in a nice setting. We're not talking coors light here folks. I did not try the food, choosing instead to obtain my sustenance in liquid form, so I can't weigh in there.

All in all, I'm a fan of new.