beer

Watch: Pat McNamara answers 13 questions about military, metal and life

Ballistic Magazine sat down with Pat McNamara and asked him the following 13 questions. Watch the video to see the responses he gave. As always Mac does not disappoint and delivers some great answers and advice.

We’ll start with the serious stuff. You spent 22 years in the U.S. Army and did a ton of special operations work. How did you first end up in the Army? Was joining the military something that was always on your radar?
Again, you had extensive time in the military. A lot of things we’re sure you can’t talk about, but what was the most valuable thing you took away from your time in the Army?
Firearms training has obviously become a major part of your post-service life. How’d you get started with TMACS Inc.?
The apocalypse just started. It’s a true SHTF situation. Name the first three people you’d have on your team.
Your personal range videos are always over-the-top. You’re never just shooting; you’re always adding in some type of physical activity. Why?
Speaking of physical activity, let’s delve into your workout regimen. Anyone who watches you on Instagram knows you’re an absolute beast in the gym. What does your typical workout look like?
Part of staying in good shape is a good diet. What’s your diet look like? Is it easy to maintain on the road?
What’s your go-to cheat food?
What about drinking? Do you allow yourself to enjoy life’s finer alcoholic beverages? Do you have a go-to?
When watching you work out, another element people can’t help but notice is the metal music blasting in the background. You’re a well-documented metal aficionado. How’d you get into metal?
What are your top three metal bands of all time?
What’s the best metal show you’ve ever been to?
What’s one bit of advice you want to leave our readers with?

*Photo and video Courtesy of Ballistic Magazine

5 Pro-Tips For Keeping Your Beer Cold While Camping and Hiking

When it comes to camping, many consider drinking to be an integral part of the overall experience. And when you’re in the great outdoors, beer is generally the alcoholic beverage of choice. Sure, it’s easy to bring a case of beer to your campsite if it’s close to your vehicle, but if your campsite is further away, or if you’re going on a hike, packing and storing your beer correctly is critical.

If you want to keep your cold ones cold, check out some of these pro-tips for storing your beer while camping. When your next camping trip comes around, you’ll be able to crack a cold one anytime you wish.

Skip The Bottles:

Unless you’re camping near your car and have access to recycling, bringing bottled beer on a camping trip is generally not the best idea. Clear bottles can easily be skunked from excessive sunlight, but the possibility of dealing with broken glass is an even bigger risk. And if you’re going on a hiking trip, bringing back the empty bottles will be a headache, so it’s best to avoid it altogether.

Consider Cans:

Cans are a much better alternative to bottled beer, but keeping them cold has proven to be difficult. When packing your canned beer into a backpack, consider the temperature. If it’s exceptionally hot, you’ll want to enclose the beer in the center of the pack and keep it insulated. But if it’s cooler out, you can easily keep the beer close to the outside of the pack and use the natural air as a refrigerator.

Get Your Growler On:

Growlers are easily the best option for drinking during a hike. They typically come in two standardized sizes: 32 oz. and 64 oz., so think about how much weight you’ll be able to carry and how much you’ll want to drink on your excursion. Some growlers are insulated to help keep your beer cold, but if yours isn’t, don’t worry — there’s a super quick and convenient way to cool it down, even without a cooler…

Cool It In The Creek:

That’s right — believe it or not, you can place your beer into a creek or other body of water and feel it get cold within minutes. Fully submerged beer gets cold in about 10 minutes, and partially submerged beer takes about 30 minutes to reach the temperature of the water. With this trick, you’ll never need to lug a cooler on a hike again!

Know Optimal Drinking Temperatures:

Finally, you should know that different types of beer are best enjoyed at certain temperatures. According to Beer Advocate, strong beers should be stored and consumed between 55 and 60 degrees, lighter beers at between 45 and 50 degrees, and standard ales and IPAs at between 50 and 55 degrees.

Ultimately, beer may not be a camping essential, but it’s a luxury for many. And by taking the right steps, you can enjoy a cold one anytime on your camping trip, whether you’re on a strenuous hike or sitting by the campfire.

Article and photos courtesy of Drink Tanks

Get Smooth Beer Flow With the "Snake Bite"

Snake Bite | A Perfect Beer Pour From a Can

I’ll bet that many of you have poured a beer a little too quickly and had it mostly turn to foam. I know I have. It’s annoying to sit and wait for the foam to subside, or worse, to pour out the foam, wasting time and tasty beverage. Well, I’ve found a solution to my troubles in the Original Snake Bite.

When it comes to beverage accessories, you can find a product for just about everything. In reality, most are junk and a complete waste of money and space. When I first saw the Original Snake Bite, that’s pretty much what I thought it was going to be. I’ve been carrying this thing on my keychain for the last month and I have to admit – I was wrong.

The first thing that made me actually give the Snake Bite a legitimate run-through was their pour-test video (below). This is all dependent on the carbonation level of the beer you are pouring, but even then, it beats out any regular can pour. Even the guys at Snake Bite will tell you that pours may vary from beer to beer. But overall, I found it an awesome bottle opener/beer-pouring accessory.

If you only drink your beer out of the can, well, this isn’t the product for you. If you like to drink your beer out of a pint glass or an innovative beer receptacle like the Hydro Flask True Pint, believe me, you want this. Not only does the Snake Bite give you the smoothest pour out of a can, but it’s 100 percent American-sourced and -made.

From its protective cowhide sheath (so you don’t accidentally stab yourself in the inner thigh or worse while carrying it in your pocket) to the razor-sharp steel, you can count on quality craftsmanship.

To test it, I poured the beers much faster than an average pour. When poured slowly, the vent holes provided by the Snake Bite eliminated extra head from an imperfect pour. As I said earlier, no one wants to wait around for the head to subside or pour out precious beer.

The Bottom Line

You can now smoothly pour your ice cold Hamms, the champagne of beers, Olympia, Coors Light, or even hipster beers like Pabst or Montucky just like they came from the tap. Ok, maybe not quite, but the video below will give you the idea. The Snake Bite also comes in handy if you want to feel like you’ve warped back to your college years to shotgun some beers.

As craft breweries start to can their beer more and more frequently, this product couldn’t have arrived at a better time. I can drone on about how convenient the Snake Bite is, or you can watch the videos and see for yourself that you should get out and get an Original Snake Bite.

Legacy Lager honors fallen troops, raises money for Gold Star families

he next time you crack open a cold one, take a moment to appreciate the can.

Starting Sept. 1, 26 states have been authorized to distribute Dog Tag Brewing’s Legacy Lager through a partnership with Pabst Brewing Co.

Each can of Legacy Lager honors a fallen service member whose family was selected for a legacy grant. Dog Tag Brewing donates 100 percent of its profits to its Dog Tag Brewing Foundation, which benefits charities created or selected by each Gold Star family chosen for a grant.

“We want to give them the tools where they can dream the dream,” said Marine veteran and Dog Tag Brewing founder Seth Jordan. The company has donated over $120,000 in grants so far, and Jordan says he intends to distribute $250,000 by year’s end.

A beer-finder app will be available on the website and will populate over the next couple of months so those interested can find where to purchase the beer near them, Jordan said.

“We hope to be in all 50 states in 2017,” said Jordan, who served from 2004 to 2013 as a UH-1Y helicopter pilot. “[The partnership] gives us the best chance of success to make this a movement for all Americans coast to coast to get involved.”

Jordan said it’s a way for people across the country to learn about fallen warriors and the charities that benefit their communities.

“As America responds, more beer is made, more cans, and more warriors’ stories are told,” he said.

Read more – Marine Corps Times

(featured image courtesy of marinecorpstimes.com)