Weekend Overview!

   Hey Guys! So, this weekend was actually kind of fun! To start it off, my friend Chadivus needed help with his blog. He is starting a new one where he will be interviewing local bands in the Salt Lake Valley & I will be helping him with photos/video if possible. If done right, this will be good exposure for these bands! The band we interviewed goes by the name of The Last Gatsby. When his blog for this interview is finished, I will share it with you all.

Later that night, we all met up at the best Irish bar in town! 
Piper Down. This has become our home bar. We will occasionally venture to other bars in the valley, but this is the one we have all come to love and feel at home. Pictured below is the back bar area. We prefer this area because it is like a different world compared to the front bar area. It has a more relaxed vibe and is never as crowded.

The group that made the night up was Chadivus, David, Jordan, Carly & of course Travis and myself. We enjoyed Strongbow hard cider on tap, which is far better than Redds Apple Ale and many other hard ciders.

 Because Utah is a Mormon state, it has strange liquor laws. They now are able to serve Strongbow on tap but have to serve it in a carafe because it is considered a "wine" not a cider. Weird right? Welcome to the life of a non Mormon in Utah...

Definition: The carafe /kəˈræf/, is a container without handles used for serving wine and other drinks. Unlike the related decanter, carafes do not include stoppers.

We have discovered the best way to drink a hard cider is by mixing it with a shot of cinnamon whiskey. We originally would use Fireball Whiskey for this mix but after news came out about their ingredients, I think its safe to say no one really wants to try it anymore. Luckily, Evan Williams has a great Cinnamon Whiskey that pairs well with the ciders. Travis & I then decided we needed something to eat. My mind goes into autopilot when food is brought up at Piper, because my favorite thing to get is their Smothered Leprechaun. Basically it is chips and queso dip, but not just any queso dip. Just imagine a pile of handmade guacamole covered in white queso dip with jalapenos swimming through out it. It's heaven! I always end up licking the bowl clean. (Not literally but pretty close lol). We often say its so good, we could forget the chips and just eat it like soup! Now this isn't the only good thing on their menu. They have everything from brunch items to Pub favorites like Corned Beef and Cabbage & Scott Eggs w/ Guinness Mustard Sauce, to just your typical bar foods like cheese fries & more. Here is a link to their menu! Piper Down Menu. 



Brunch is a great time to go because on weekends they have a Bloody Mary bar & mimosas. More on that another time! All in all we had a a great time with friends, enjoying their company, the spirits, and the music. If you are ever looking for a great bar, keep Piper in mind! :)




 To finish out this entry, I do have to hit one more topic. Going back to my previous post about the Superbowl, I had mentioned that at Hogle Zoo (my workplace), our male lion, Vulcan, had a shot at predicting the 2015 winner. And if any of you watched the Superbowl, you know who won! That's right! Vulcan predicted the Patriots to win the 2015 Superbowl and he was RIGHT! This makes Utah's Hogle Zoo animal predictions correct 8/8 times, 7/8 was predicted by our male Orangutan, Eli, who sadly passed away this past September. Below is the video of Vulcan predicting the winner!