[caption id="attachment_1674" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Beer Tasting"]<a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/img_1467.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1674" title="Beer Tasting " src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/img_1467.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333" /></a>[/caption]

One of my new favorite things to do in Walla Walla is to duck out on wine tasting and go to taste beer instead. The first time I went was a couple of years ago when my dAd got my siblings and me lined up to drive to Waitsburg to check out <a href="http://www.lahtneppur.com/">Laht Neppur</a>. Now driving over to Waitsburg for beer has become a Christmas tradition (rumor also has it that Waitsburg is one of the 10 best small towns in America so it's pretty hard not to want to drive to Waitsburg for beer given a reputation like that--and it's only 25 minutes or so from Walla Walla).  This year however we ditched our parents, aunts and uncles and headed out--my brother, sister and my brother's girlfriend.

[caption id="attachment_1667" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Me, my brother and my sister at Laht Neppur"]<a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/img_1468.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1667" title="Laht Neppur" src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/img_1468.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333" /></a>[/caption]

It doesn't look like much from the outside.  It more or less looks like an glorified-overgrown garage with a big yellow sign over the door.  Once inside there's a wood burning stove, some wooden picnic tables and peanut shells all over the floor but again it's not much to look at.  That's okay because the beer is good.<!--more-->

[caption id="attachment_1668" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Beer Samples!"]<a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/img_1434.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1668" title="Beer Samples " src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/img_1434.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333" /></a>[/caption]

We are creatures of habit so we order two beer samplers and eat both peanuts and pretzels.  The peanuts are great fun because you just get to through you peanut shells on the floor.  I tried to stack them up in front of me on the table until my brother looked at me, rolled his eyes and reminded me I can toss them on the floor.  Thanks. There really is something very satisfying about throwing things on the floor. <a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/img_1440.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1671" title="Nick and Char " src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/img_1440.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333" /></a>

<a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/img_1441.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1672" title="Nick and Char 1" src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/img_1441.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333" /></a>

<a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/img_1442.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1673" title="Nick and Char 2" src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/img_1442.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333" /></a>This trip though we don't order hot dogs like we normally do. Gasp, gasp. Instead, I split a pizza with my brother Nick's girlfriend and Nick and Charlotte, our sister, share an order of jalapeno poppers.

Then we got down to the business of tasting beer, joking around and trying to pick out the two beers we would take home.  This of course is always the hardest part. I like dark beer, Charlotte doesn't, Nick like fruity beer but I don't and so on and so on.<a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/img_1445.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1678" title="Carolyn and Kellie" src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/img_1445.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333" /></a>

<a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/img_1459.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1679" title="Carolyn and Kellie 1" src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/img_1459.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333" /></a>

<a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/img_1461.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1681" title="Carolyn and Kellie 2" src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/img_1461.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333" /></a>It was pretty easy for us to decide on the winter warmer beer.  It's got a warm well-rounded flavor with hints of nutmeg.  In a word, a perfect Christmas beer.  The second choice is harder to negotiate.  I want the oatmeal sout but in the end I am out-voted and we end up with a beer that has hints of strawberry.  Needless to say, we drink the winter warmer right away and are left with the strawberry ale.  I poured the rest of it out last night--flat and still a little sickly sweet.