I heart beer.

A wise man by the name of Benjamin Franklin was supposedly quoted as saying:

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."

I believe it. What a smart guy.

This weekend was spent at the Oklahoma Craft Beer Festival. The beer tasting event gave you access to over 200 craft beers from around the world AND a commemorative tasting cup. I don't know if you know this about me, but I'm a sucker for "free" event souvenirs. I'll do anything for free stuff - I'll run 13.1 miles, even. The itty-bitty cup was totally worth the $37 ticket.

Food trucks were expected to roll up to the OCBF, but little did we know which trucks would be in attendance. The Food Network's show The Great Food Truck Race was in town filming the upcoming season and several of the trucks were parked in Bricktown for the day. You better believe we gave 'em a try. Too bad the film crew was pre-occupied while I was waiting in line... The camera would have loved me!

Lone Star Chuck Wagon was delicious. Their menu items were given names to market directly to OKC inhabitants such as the "Thunder Wheel" and the "Sooner Yardbird Wrap." So clever. If only they had a Pistol Pete-o de Gallo.....

The wrap was full of fresh, Tex-Mex flavor and made my taste buds do a little dance. My only complaint is that it was pricey and tiny (but the perfect size to compliment my beer tasting cup, mind you). Oh well, I'll still root for the Wagon to win the competition. And you better believe I'll be DVRing the OKC episode when it debuts, just incase I make an appearance.

Alright alright. Enough food talk. Back to beer.

I sampled a handful of delicious brews ranging from stouts to ciders and everything in between. I had a few that made me scrunch my nose up in disgust, but that is to be expected. I narrowed it down to my top three choices that you simply must try:

• James Page Brewery's Casper White Stout
• Boulevard Brewing Company's Chocolate Ale
• Rogue Brewery's VooDoo Bacon Maple Ale

Runners up include: Lefthand Brewing Company's Ambidextrous #6, Anthem Brewing Company's Special Blood Orange Ale, and Choc Beer's Gose w/Peach. 

I went into this loving a good stout (and I still do), but towards the end I learned to appreciate the lighter ales a little more. That heavy beer can be kind of overpowering after a few rounds....and honestly, the stouts all started to taste the same. The flavored beers gave my 'buds some variety - that "mmm what is THAT I'm tasting?" sensation. I like that sensation. I like it a whole lot. 

At the end of the day as we sat on the porch and drank a Busch, the verdict was clear: I heart beer. Most any beer, really. And I heart this guy, too. Awwww.