A cold, snowy day and a bold cup of coffee, an action movie and some hot buttered popcorn, homemade biscuits and sausage gravy, Sonny and Cher.
Obviously, these things go together and they make sense being together. Well, add Chicagoans and Craft Beer to the list too.
Recently, we traveled around the great city of Chicago and its surrounding communities. What we found were fantastic beer and great people. It’s not like we haven’t been here before, but it is worth repeating.
Nevertheless, it was a great time and during that trip I had the opportunity to meet with Rodd Specketer, one of the owners of Lake Bluff Brewing Company.
Normally, we do not stop and visit with the owners or brewers. We are more interested in the actual brewery or brewpub (and, of course, the beer). However, Lake Bluff Brewing Company does not plan to open until Mid-March of 2011 and our next visit to the area is not scheduled until about 8 months after that, so it was necessary to corner Rodd and see what was happening with the brewery.
It was around Thanksgiving when we had the opportunity to visit and Rodd was more than accommodating. I really appreciate the fact that he could make time for us. I also appreciate the fact that he brought a sample of his beer. With pints in hand, Rodd explained the inner workings and motivations of his new brewery.
What excited me the most was that his ideas are progressive and flexible. Our conversation included interior design, special events, beer styles, music style, ambiance, construction and finally, food. Lake Bluff will not be a men’s-only club that brings beer bellies together to overload on calories and football. It will be much more than that.
From the outside, the brewery fits in well with the surrounding businesses – classy, clean and very professional. Inside, things are a bit more creative and imaginative. You can tell just by the way that they named their beers that these guys have an inclination of whom they are and where they are going. Their beers include Bohemian Blonde, SoftTail IPA, HardTail DIPA, Black Squirrel Bourbon Stout and their Cosmic Speculation Barleywine. Although we only had the opportunity to try the Blonde, I think that anyone that opens up a brewery and serves a bourbon stout and a barleywine has a firm grasp on the current beer trends. I surely wouldn’t be surprised if they have been working on bringing some sours to the table. In fact, their beer recipes are well in line with the aggressive brewers of today including Founders, Goose Island, Three Floyds and Cigar City. Rodd even mentioned that I should be ready to explore the vault of their high gravity beers. I am not sure if it was a challenge, but if it was then, Rodd, “I … accept … your… challenge”.
It must be my age, but I have always enjoyed reading a good book in the afternoon while drinking a delicious pint. (Jack Kerouac and I have a couple of conversations to finish.) As a matter of fact, I currently do that at home; however, I rarely make it through more than a few chapters. Unless, of course, I am reading a book about beer while drinking beer then it’s game over. Somehow, the book is always better when you’re reading it in public; just like a meal is always better when someone else makes it for you. (Or even better, buys it for you.)
Rodd’s laid back demeanor will surely translate into a bar that will meet my criteria for casualness. By day it will have the tranquility of a coffee shop. By night, it will transition to beer geek brewery. Special events, small batch beers and a hand-picked selection of music will bring the identity of Lake Bluff Brewing into full swing. As Kerouac once said, “The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes “Awww!” Rodd and his partner, Dave Burns, are those people that will make us go “Awww!”
Let us not forget the food. Although they will not have a full kitchen, you will be able to get a selective menu that features food from many of the fine local eateries. I’ve eaten at a few of the places in town and I have never been disappointed. What a great idea! Not only are they bringing a brewery to Lake Bluff, they are clearly establishing themselves as partners within the city.
Even though the brewpub’s common area was not completed, slightly laid out or even marked out, Rodd shared a clear vision. His focus is what it should be, the beer. He envisions a place where you can come and drink a great beer, have a conversation, meet friends and socialize. It is truly a public house. You will not see a television hanging over the bar like a sports bar and you will not hear music cranked up on the jukebox. The focus is the beer. Enjoy it, discuss it and drink it. Cheers and good luck to Rodd, Dave and the staff at Lake Bluff Brewing. We’ll see you soon!
**UPDATE** Lake Bluff Brewing has just stained their bar and are working on putting in the wood flooring this week** Scheduled opening is Mid-March 2011… Check them out at Lake Bluff Brewing Company
For more information, check out our friends at TwoBeerDudes.com ! (They met with Dave and Rodd in July of 2010)
Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Craft Beer! Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Craft Beer! Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Craft Beer! It doesn’t really sound like the Chevrolet commercial, but it’s so American that it hurts! People across the country are finding that craft beer goes with baseball as well as any other beer. Baseball is slowly distributing craft beer around the country and it is an awesome trend. In Louisville, however, they have gone one step farther and brought the entire brewpub to the ballpark. God Bless Craft Beer! (and baseball. Oh, and hot dogs.. I think Apple Pie has already been blessed or I would add that one too..)
I’m not sure If I told you, but I like beer and brewpubs. Now let’s keep that between the two of us because I wouldn’t want people to think that I have an obsession. It’s not like I can’t control this obsession, but I really can’t. Some people buy shoes, some eat chicken wings, some are entrenched by the television when football season comes around and some people click their tongue and turn 3 times in a circle.(Wait a minute… that last one might not be an obsession.) I, on the other hand, am a kid in a candy store when it comes to traveling to brewpubs. Thanks to the ingenious people that developed beermapping.com, I have become a brewpub junkie. (Maybe that’s what this site should have been called.) Social Media does not help my cause either. I check my twitter account everyday for a new brewpub or the release of an exciting beer. There are many beer bloggers and tons of beer reviewers that are my enablers. (I guess now is the time to really thank them!) Thank You to everyone that keeps this mad world turning in the right direction.
I wouldn’t say that I know everything about beer and I don’t to pretend to. (Well, not yet anyway. I’m still in the process of getting rid of my invisible friend, Lake Bliskin. Now that guy can drink! and he wears a patch. How Cool!) Anyway, I just love brewpubs. Now, I do know things about the hospitality business and what it takes to make them successful, but I won’t even get into that. What I will get into is this place they call Browning’s in Louisville.
Sweeeeeeeeet!!! I wish I would have visited this place during a ball game to get the real feel. However, I did have time to move around and check it out without the place being packed. (and I got parking spot right out front without being handicapped.)
The patio outside is setup with a place for the band which looked like they were setting up when we were leaving. By the way, I forgot to mention that this place is right off the highway. That’s another bonus. Anyway, we walked in the front door and I really liked the setup of this place. A large table for 10-12 people right by the front, the bar to the left and seating to the right. (Here I am, back in the middle with you.) I walked straight through the center of the bar and out the other doors and low and behold there was the entrance to the ballpark. Now, I’m not a genius by any means, but someone sure can design ballparks and brewpubs.
We sat down at the bar and ordered the sampler. (Who is getting tired of this line? Maybe I should find a new one, but then again this really happened! No seriously, we sat down and then we ordered a sampler. Again!) I found the beer to be very smooth and well balanced. There wasn’t a big beer in the bunch. But there were plenty of session beers. We ordered the chips to go along with the beers on a recommendation from our bartender. She told us that the chips went well with one of the beers and she was correct. (She didn’t even check the Hoyle handbook for chip + beer pairing. Awesome!) I think my favorite beer was the stout. I am usually a hop-head, but this stout was on the money.
Back to the Bar: It’s very open and the first thing you notice are the brewing kettles that are positioned above the bar. It is a great way to decorate and it created space and brewing efficiencies. I also enjoyed the artwork. It really brought the place together. I found the staff to be friendly, but no overbearing and the place was very clean. (Ok, now i sound like a pompous ass.) In other words, I liked it.
Check it out when your in town. It’s a quick stop and when there isn’t a game you should be able to find a good seat and taste some delicious beer. Cheers!
You know, we just thought it wouldn’t be a trip if we didn’t go to the “Original” Goose Island Brewpub. Once again, this location is only a few minutes from downtown off of the Red Line. Everytime that we take these trips, we only walk about half a mile from the train, if that.However, the address that they have listed is a bit misleading, but it’s still there. Goose Island is right across the street from a Best Buy and a couple of strip malls. There is also a pizzeria that smelled delicious from the street.
Once we arrived, we found plenty of seating available. There is an upstairs, downstairs, additional room and a side room plus the bar. You know, I thought it was going to have the feel of a chain restaurant before I even got there, but what the hell do I know. It turned out better than I expected. It was kind of dark which helped the atmosphere. QW ended up talking to one of the customers and got some more information for other brewpubs. Now, we didn’t find anymore in the Chicago area, but there is a new Gastropub called Gage. It has a new beer that is being brewed in the city called “Daisy Cutter”. But, that’s another story!
Back to Goose Island: We were greeted right away and our waiter knew about every beer. That beer board is huge, so I would imagine that their training program is top notch. Also to note, the Seibel Institute, which trains future brewers, is located right by the front door. Another indication that the staff is or should be involved in a training program. Anyway, our waiter suggested some good stuff and we proceeded to imbibe.
I didn’t really find a “great” beer for my taste, but I did find some really good ones. With the huge selection, I didn’t have the opportunity to try them all, but the guy next to us was well on his way. He was drinking one of the strong stouts. I think the ABV was somewhere around 12%. I’m sure that made the conversation that much better!
I think the next time we go, it will be on a Thursday when they have weekly keg tappings. Nevertheless, it was a nice place and family friendly!
**Click Here for Yazoo Moving Information **
Top 5 reasons to go to Yazoo Tap Room:
Top 5 things to be aware of when visiting Yazoo Tap Room:
Cock a Yazoo Doodle Doo…. Wake up, Baby! This place is phenomenal! It has a great business model, story and atmosphere. Not to mention, they serve beer.
We pulled up at the building and it was no surprise to me, but our guests had thought we were taking them to a vacant building to rob them. We calmed them down and let them know that we would rob them later, but right now we needed a beer. My first thought when walking to the door was that this place was humongous. I couldn’t believe that a brewery of this size was using so much square footage. We walked in through the front door and quickly turned right. That’s when it hit me. The entire building was not theirs. ( I must have been a little fuzzy from the first brewery of the day.) Not only was the entire building not theirs, but I think that only used 10-15% of the building.
I don’t know if there was a special event. It didn’t seem like it. But, there was a huge line. It was about 15 people deep and it moved slowly. The first room I came to was a sitting room with ceiling fans. (FYI, Nashville is hot in the summer. Check Weather.Com if you don’t believe me.) There wasn’t any air conditioning in this room and it led to a long courtyard with a picnic bench in the middle. Once the line moved a little, I could see that it wasn’t the bartenders fault that the line was moving slow. Almost everyone in front of me had a growler that they wanted to refill, along with getting a full fresh beer. (I can’t fault them for that, but my guests ,that I was going to rob later, were really sweating out their previous beers and getting kind of grumpy.) I am sure that the owners are going to address this situation with a growler filling station at the next location. *Hint. Hint.*
They were having tours every hour and it seemed as though they were fully booked. I can’t imagine that they wouldn’t be. With the limited hours, it was like a last call all day long. The stress of getting your last beer and finding that special someone to finish the evening with. You know what I’m talking about, right? The 2 A.M. Shuffle? The only problem here is that on Saturday they are only open from 2pm until 8pm, so the 2 A.M. Shuffle is out of the question. But the anxiety of getting enough beers at the taproom was clearly prevalent because there was a line the entire time we were there. The best part was that the bartenders did not seem rushed and paid attention to every detail of my order. They weren’t getting freaked out like most service people do that have a line 20 deep. It was all about me when I was at the counter. I really respect that kind of professionalism.
On to the Beer: I really liked it. It was smooth and creative. They have a hefeweizen that is an award winner, but my favorite was the Hop Project #19. As always, I am a hop-head and they will never change. It wasn’t overly hoppy and had a great balance.
The most compelling part about Yazoo is that it started with a dream. A dream so big that the owner quit his job and opened up the brewery. (Read This) Now that, my friend, is passion. I tend to see this type of trend with most brewers. Most of them have done home brewing for a few years. Some of them get formal education, but more importantly they take the leap and hit the challenge head on.
I wish that I had been there from the beginning. Yazoo is by no means a secret to the locals of Nashville or even visitors to Nashville’s many restaurants. Also, you can get their beer almost anywhere in Nashville, but the true feel of the Yazoo Brew is felt at the Tap Room. Like I said earlier, they are in the process of moving locations, so check it out soon. If you want to follow their progress, check out the Owner’s blog. (Owner’s Blog – Linus Hall)
Yazoo Taproom has mystique, history and passion. Make time to visit before it moves.
Normally, I go on and on about insignificant facts and blah, blah, blah discussions, but this time it’s pretty simple. Sun King is a fantastic start-up with very good beer. Period.
The first time I was going to visit I tried to figure out the timezone change, so that I could get there on time (they have limited hours) then realized that there wasn’t a time difference and I left too late. Since when is Indianapolis on Eastern time? (However, I do want to add that the brewer, Clay Robinson, said he would stay an extra hour after the tap room closed so that we could get our growlers.) So, feeling like a dipshit, I turned around and headed back to town. Aggressively, I planned a trip on the upcoming Friday. On Friday’s, they have $5 growler refills. It’s like destiny was calling my name.
It was an easy drive and the brewery is right off of I-70. I mean it! Right off the highway. It can’t get any simpler. It is only a few blocks from downtown which means you can grab a couple of growlers and take them to your hotel, if you are planning a weekend in Indianapolis.
In the parking lot, there were plenty of people carrying in their growlers for refills. It’s a simple setup inside of their warehouse. Now, this is not a tap room but a tapping room. So, they don’t charge you to taste the beers, but they also don’t sell beer for on-premise drinking. Their marketing department (I’m assuming it’s Clay doing the work, but I forgot to ask.) is working hard at the moment, so you can find their beers on tap in many local bars. They also have local dinner events planned, as well as, a twitter account ( @sunkingbrewing ) that can keep you up-to-date with all of their happenings.
From reading their twitter account, I knew that things were growing leaps and bounds for Sun King Brewing. (Twitter is also the place that I found out about Sun King.)
When I walked inside, there was already a line forming for checkout and for the tap line. I waited my turn in line and told the gentleman that this was my first time that I had been to Sun King. He went through the process thoroughly and explained the beers to me. It also turned out that this was Clay’s father, Omar. He and the rest of the workers/volunteers were more than welcoming. They gave me my first two beers to taste and I sat down at one of the many picnic tables they have roped off. I watched as people continued to filter in, fill up their growlers, grab a keg or just mingle amongst the crowd. Their following and word of mouth has gotten huge and rightfully so.
Onto the Beer: It was excellent and my favorite was the El Gallo Negro Black IPA which also went over well with the In-Laws and the other Brews Travelers. (This isn’t one of their regular beers, so I hope they continue to brew it.) I ended up leaving Sun King with 6 growlers and some other swag. It was a pretty good haul and it turned out to be worth the trip. For now, Sun King Brewing is Indiana’s little secret. (But it won’t be for long.)
If you are heading to or through Indy make sure to visit Sun King, but remember to check their hours, check your watch and don’t worry about the timezone. Cheers!
Kentucky is known for a lot of things. Bluegrass, Fried Chicken, The Moonbow and, of course, Bourbon. But another type of brewing is catching on quick and the leader in this category, Craft Beer, is the Bluegrass Brewing Company.
When we went through Kentucky, I wasn’t sure where the locations of this well known brewery were, but we ended up being close to one of their three locations ( a new location is opening soon). The one we visited is on the East Side of Louisville. They also have one downtown and are opening one across from the new stadium downtown on 3rd and main.
Now, we went here back in August and the weather was beautiful . The patio was ready for the live band and the crowd was pretty lively and it was a Sunday! There were a couple of games on and my hangover was subsiding from another Brewpub the night before. (Ok, that’s a lie. I don’t actually get hangovers. I know, I know…. It IS a curse!)
Well, anyway, if I had a hangover, the food served at BBC would have been the perfect cure. It’s been so long that I can’t recall what I had, but I remember that it hit the spot.
We walked around a bit and saw that there were quite a few older gentlemen hanging around the bar. It was like a McDonald’s on Wednesday morning except instead of ordering the 20 cent Senior coffee they were enjoying their favorite pint at BBC. Now that is living the dream.
I would have to say that overall this was an exceptional brewpub. It had character, cleanliness and one of my favorites, coffee beer. (Made with a local brand of coffee.) With two other locations, I would have to say that it’s a local favorite, as well. It has a classic mug club that is doing quite well. Just check out the pictures of the mugs all over the place. They’ve even taken over the dart board area. Also, if you check out their website and the awards on the wall you can see that they are not a “one and done” award winner. They are still a brewpub that continues to evolve. Most recently they took 3rd place at the Barrel Aged Beer Festival in Chicago. (Using the barrels from delicious Knob Creek Bourbon)
BBC is moving forward and taking all the right steps to insure it’s success and the success of all brewpubs in Kentucky. A definite “must see, must do” on the list of Beer Travels. Cheers!
Most days, I feel like a fool. Today is no different.
Last week, I watched a Hop-Cast episode about Three Floyds (FFF) and reminisced about our times there. Then, last night, I was discussing FFF with a fellow Brews Traveler and found out that even though he is a fanatic, he had never been there. I politely said, “Check out our site and see what your missing.” – or something else that was clearly slurred and a bit more profane.
Well, it turns out that I had never written the article on FFF. I had never written the article on FFF. I had never written the article on FFF. (Each line should be said progressively louder to get the full effect of what is going on in my head.)
So, again, today is no different. I feel like a fool.
Three Floyds is, by and large, one of the most unique and creative brewpubs that we have been to, thus far.
Finding the brewpub is half the fun and walking in brings you to another dimension. It’s like the Star Wars bar or possibly the bar at the Hilton during the Chiller Theatre Convention in Jersey. (This is a great convention if you have never been!)
Three Floyds brings us Dark Lord, Dreadnaught and Alpha King among other creative and tasty beverages. They also have a strong sense of their geekdom whether it’s with their beer, labels, artwork, designs or their culture. It takes me back to my days when I collected comic books and drank Mountain Dew out of a long neck bottle.( Mmmmmm….. Long Neck Bottle.)
I could go on and on about Three Floyds, but I won’t. I won’t because I believe it would be better for you to experience it yourself. It is an eclectic atmosphere with movies or sports shown on the wall. Couches lining the dining area and a beautiful view of the brewing equipment from your table. It is set back in an industrial area and is attached to their warehouse. (Genius idea, I might add.) The food is delicious and my favorite is the Fry Cone with their homemade sauces. It seems to go with everything.
As foolish as I was not to post the Three Floyds visit, you would be just as foolish not to stop there when you are in the area. Take the time out of your day and walk into a real life Pop Culture phenomenon. It’s worth the drive, I promise. Cheers!
I love Brewpubs/Breweries so much that I check the time that they open and then I get there early ,just in case, they open even earlier. It’s all about beer drinking efficiencies. It hasn’t happened once, but I really need my Beer Karma to step it up.
I waited in the parking lot for the Blue Mountain Brewery to open. I was on my way back to Ohio from Charlottesville after a business trip ( Or was that just a 600 mile Beer Run… Hmmmm??) Quickly, I plopped down on a bar stool and took a deep breathe… I get excited when I can look across the bar and over the taps and see some 300-barrel fermenters staring at me !! I introduced myself to Tom, the bartender, and he hooked me up with a sampler of beers and I proceeded to dive in.
My next move was grabbing a menu and trying to decide what I needed to fuel my trip back home ( in addition to beer ) and while I really wanted to try the Brat pizza with caramelized onions and apples and local brats from Double H Farm… I went with the Veggie Quesadilla which was a very good choice and it went perfectly with the Pint of Chocolate Pumpkin Porter on Nitro !! Which is a Pumpkin beer unlike most…..They use the Pumpkins as a source of fermentable sugar and don’t try to put a pumpkin pie in a glass. (Best pumpkin beer I’ve had to date for sure!!)
As I eat, I make small talk with Jerry , a frequent customer, who stopped in to fill his 68 oz Blue Mountain Growler …yep, you heard me, 68oz !! It’s not your typical 64oz big time growler. It’s 4 additional ounces of beautiful beer. I guess it’s the closest thing to a baker’s dozen that I can find.
After that little nugget of information, Tom tells me that when I’m done eating I can take a peek in the back where Taylor and Matt (owners/brewers) are in the process of emptying the Mash Tun ( That smell is my own private aphrodisiac.) There’s also a fresh batch of Full Nelson just hitting the brew kettle.
I inhale the last few bites and jump off the bar stool and head back. Both guys are extremely hospitable and let me take some photos and show me around the Brewery. They have been around about 3 years while Taylor has 10 years experience as a brewer for Goose Island and Charlottesville’s own South Street Brewery. They have some nice bourbon barrels over in one corner that just produced “Dark Hollow”- Their tasty Imperial Stout was in the process of its last week of bottle conditioning, so I couldn’t get one at the time. ( I have since landed a bottle from Cowboy Neal and I have to say that it’s absolutely Amazing!)
I didn’t want to bother them as they were working so I headed back out into the dining room/bar which is very open and spacious with a nice brick fireplace at one end and a soft comfortable couch. I could probably spend a couple of hours there, if I had the time.
So now, it’s time to roll… I grab my usual allotment of swag. A t-shirt or three and a beer glass or two and I head out to take peek at the deck and patio area. It must have the most amazing views in the Spring and snowy days. (It was rainy and wet this January day ) Then, it’s time to check out the hop farm. Oh yeah, did I mention they have a hop farm and grow their own !! Very Cool !!
Anyway …back inside I order two of the 68 oz Flip Top growlers — Full Nelson and MacHayden’s Scotch Ale, grab my box-o-goodies and say my farewells… 64 West, here I come (That’s the highway, not another brewery.)
Blue Mountain Brewery exceeded my expectations every step of the way. I won’t hesitate to come back on my way through again!
Seriously, I really can’t wait for my next business trip/ beer run to Charlottesville …
It’s a Wednesday afternoon and another beer is being released in the area tomorrow. Twitter is on fire and my cellphone is ringing off the hook. Friends, Family and Neighbors are calling to inform, inquire and request a shot at the 24 bottles that have been dropped off in a Metropolitan area of 850,000 people. The unknown here is how many people know about the beer, want the beer or even enjoy craft beer.
My job or duty in the Brews Travelers world lately is to make sure that we get our hands on at least 15% of the local quantity, although 25% is our goal. It’s a figure that has been tweaked throughout the years. Limited quantity, special releases and special events have driven our desire to get the taste of the next great beer. I can only compare it to the release of the Cabbage Patch dolls or Furby during Christmas time. If only there were a beer catalog that was delivered to my doorstep weeks in advance.
Today is the day. I wake up early, grab a cup of Peet’s coffee and start perusing Beer Advocate and Rate Beer for release notes. The night before, I charged my cellphone and put a full tank of gas in the car. My secret weapon is an empty cooler and newspapers to cushion the bottles. I think I’m ready.
The call comes. (We have someone on the inside, a beer spy.) A case has been delivered to one of the few lucky locations. Outside, I have the car pointed toward the road. It’s an easy jump into the car and off I go. The highway is clear as far as I can see. It’s a quick 20 minute drive to the first stop. Ten minutes later, I come across my first accident. I wait twenty minutes before getting past it. One mile after that I come across a lane closure. It’s another twenty minutes before I get past that obstruction. My nerves are shattered and even the CoffeeHouse Channel on XM isn’t calming my nerves.
I arrive at my destination and the parking lot is almost empty. Of the 24 bottles that were delivered this morning only 8 remain. 8!?! Within the hour, 16 bottles have left the store. Another of the Brews Travelers pulls up behind me and we are able to procure 4 of the bottles… 17% of the total haul. I get word that another two guys grab 6 more bottles at the other location. Overall, we gathered 20% of the regions newest release. Not bad.
Beer Chasing has many forms, such as, buying, trading or even special tastings or tappings. It adds excitement to the already exciting world of Craft Beer.
This isn’t just something new that we have been doing. Beer Chasers have been around for many years. I’m not the best one, the first one or the last one. But, I am one. A modern day Indiana Jones. OK, that may be a little far fetched , but I can’t deny that the excitement is unnerving, the hunt is addictive and the “kill” is rewarding.
Recent Kills:
Russian River Brewing Pliny the Younger
Founders Nemesis
Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout
Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout
Foothills Brewing Sexual Chocolate
Ken Schmidt / Maui / Stone Kona Coffee Macadamia Coconut Porter
What beers have you caputured/killed lately? Let us know!
Michigan is our Mecca of Craft Beer.
Founders is our Mosque.
Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS) is our God.
We are EXTREMELY excited to be visiting Founder’s for their release of the delicious Kentucky Breakfast Stout 2010. It’s been on our minds for over a year now.
For those of you not familiar with Founder’s or KBS, here is a quick educational piece. Founders is in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It is the dream come true of two college friends. It serves very delicious beer.
As for KBS, “What we’ve got here is an imperial stout brewed with a massive amount of coffee and chocolates then cave-aged in oak bourbon barrels for an entire year, to make sure wonderful bourbon undertones come through in the finish. Make your taste buds squeal with delight.” ~~~Founders (11.2% ABV 70 IBU’S)
That should explain it all.
Approximately, eighteen of us will be leaving for a Southern Michigan Brewery/Beerbar tour this Friday and will return on Sunday. (Maybe) Our stops will include Dark Horse Brewery in Marshall, Bells Eccentric Cafe in Kalamazoo, New Holland Brewery in Holland, Hopcat in Grand Rapids and, Finally, Founders in Grand Rapids. Look out Smokey, there’s a new bandit in town.
If you’re in the area, we would love to have a beer with you. You can reach either Gabe or Dirt on Twitter or by email at Dirt@BrewsTravelers.com. Just let us know! If you can’t make it, we are going to try to get ustream running on the site.
Our itinerary on Friday is as follows:
Saturday:
Stay Tuned to see what happens next! Cheers!
Intense, Exciting, Entertaining and Exhausting. I may be describing the March Madness that is upon us, but this is not the basketball kind. It’s the “Beer Geek” kind.
A month ago, we were notified that 3 Floyds Brewing Company would be releasing the link to their Golden Tickets on their twitter account. (These Golden Tickets can be used to purchase the 2010 Dark Lord Imperial Stout on release day) With 5,000+ followers, this was definitely going to be a hectic free-for-all. Just like any other release, you never know who is going after what you want. Also, I have no clue how many tickets were available.
It was the Black Friday of Beer Tickets. You could feel the intensity as many people on twitter were discussing the impending release. What made it even more unbearable was the fact that 3 Floyds sent out a “teaser tweet” earlier in the day. (After work we’ll put the pot of golden tickets at the end of your rainbow. ~ 3 Floyds on Twitter)
Is this when the pub closes? When they’re done with brewing? Come on, what time is this gonna be? By the way, this tweet was sent at 6:36 am and finally, the tickets went on sale at 8 pm E.S.T.
The second the tweet went out I clicked on the link. I was through the first two stages and then I put in my credit card. (With plenty of credit, mind you.) There it was. The first of many. An error message. The site was bombarded and there was no turning back. “Try Again”, the button read. So I did. Again and Again and Again.
My frustration mounted. I cried for help on twitter. (Not real tears, just man tears filled with beer.) I could see from the other beer geeks that they were just as frustrated. One by one, people were posting that they got through. What was I going to do?** 49 minutes after I initially started, my card went through and my confirmation came across. “Two Tickets, Two Tickets… I got ‘em!”, I screamed. The cats ran, my wife shushed me and then real tears ran down my face. Nope, wrong again. It was beer on my face.
The frustration was there at first, but now I will be one of the few to purchase Dark Lord Beer on Dark Lord Day. I can share this beer with my friends and I can live the glory that is DLD2010.
Here is an Update! This is the amount of traffic that hit the sites Per 3 Floyds:
**The Golden Tickets sold out in 55 minutes this year. Apparently, it took 4 hours last year.
The clean, white beaches of the Gulf Coast combined with the brilliant sun, dynamic, flavorful food, multitude of cultures and hand rolled cigars makes Tampa the ultimate destination for any tourist.
However, a beer tourist needs more.
I don’t want to speak for everyone one, so this is what I need.
Without looking too hard, I found that Tampa’s burgeoning craft beer scene is perfect for both types of tourists.
The cornerstone of our trip is the often heralded Cigar City Brewing Company. Not only was it the cornerstone of our trip, but it is also the cornerstone of the Tampa Craft Beer scene.
Our Trip:
We arrived a few days earlier and took in the sights and sun of the local communities and planned our trip to CCB on Thursday.
Our arrival was rather prompt and the doors were just being unlocked when we walked up to the door. Tim, the bartender/host/CCB Historian, let us in and immediately put some righteous tunes on the antiquated, yet perfectly tuned 70′s era stereo. As I walked around and snapped some pics, QW engaged Tim in some beer conversation and ended up playing, “What state is this Brewery in?”. I will have to say that she did rather well by scoring a 66% on Tim’s quiz. (The last one was a trick question. It was a small brewery from his home state, but it’s his playground so we will go by his rules. Don’t want him to take his beer and go home.)
We ordered a pint for each of us. Mine was the Humidor Series IPA, while QW went with the big and tasty Marshal Zhukov’s Imperial Stout. **Wow!** We ordered the right beers and , so they could mingle with their friends, we ordered the sampler. (I guess that would be considered our chaser.) I didn’t find one beer that I didn’t enjoy. I’m sure I say that a lot, but when a brewery has “IT” there is no denying it.
The taproom was very nice and reflected the laid back culture of Cigar City Brewing. There was even a set of dominoes for the game, “Mexican Train”. (If you don’t know this game, check it out. It’s the perfect way to pass the time with a pint and some friends.)
Once again, a brewery that is laid out within a warehouse and then develops the taproom around them is a winning combination. This is the fourth one that we have visited that has used this business practice to create a successful brand and thriving business. The others include Three Floyds in Munster, Indiana, Sun King Brewing in Indianapolis, Indiana, and Yazoo Brewing in Nashville, Tennessee.
It was a quick trip to Cigar City brewing, but overall it was a great experience. They are clearly living up to the hype and helping Tampa meet the needs of this Brews Traveler. Cheers!
Hints/Tips:
“Location, Location, Location. ” This place has a great location. It’s only a couple of blocks from the Gulf of Mexico in a sleepy little town. Tampa is only a 20-minute drive, as is Clearwater.
We swung by Dunedin on our way back to Clearwater from Tampa. This wasn’t even in our plans. Nevertheless, what are you going to do?
I have found that after visiting one brewpub, it is hard not to stop at another one that is close by. It has become an addiction or better yet, an obsession.
It was such a quick visit (30 minutes), that I really don’t have a whole lot of insight.
The Brewery is in a very unassuming place. It is on a side street with a small parking lot out front. With live bands playing Thursday through Saturday, I can only imagine that this place is hopping on the weekends. We stopped by on a Thursday and they were getting ready for the evenings event.
We grabbed the tester as you can tell from the pictures, but one beer really stuck out. It was one of their specialty beers, Cafe de Bier. It was a fantastic coffee beer. It was light on the tongue, but just cranking out the coffee flavor. I could have put it in a mug and had it with my breakfast.
Overall, it was a great brewpub. I just wish we could have spent more time there. I could have gone for an order of their Black and Tan battered onion rings or their Mojo Fish Taco Wrap.
.
I would like to thank Beer Tap TV for making us the featured Bloggers this week! Check it out… I think our shout out is near the end! ** Update** It is right about the 26:50 mark
Things We May Have in Common with Terrapin Brewing Company
1. We’re fans of The Grateful Dead
2. We may or may not have eaten Chinese food this week.
3. We would pick Athens as our next home.
4. We cannot confirm nor deny the fact that we may have slept in a stairwell and/or fallen into a few bushes.
5. We love their Beer.
From their groovy turtle to their groovy beer, Terrapin Brewing Company is hands down an icon and trendsetter in the craft beer industry.
We had the opportunity to swing by Athens and check out the taproom for Terrapin and it was overwhelming.
I must be getting older. Well, I am getting older, but this taproom is crazy. We did little research for this one and by little, I mean next to none. (Actually, none.) This would be our downfall.
Seven things we know about this trip:
1. We arrived in Athens about 40 minutes before the tap room opened
2. We did not have a hotel room
3. The hotels were booked solid.
4. I phones help you get into an overbooked hotel
5. We arrived at the taproom right as they opened.
6. The taproom is only open for 2 HOURS. (Not a minute longer)
7. I now know how a Flash Mob operates.
It was Quench Wench’s birthday week and Terrapin lets you in free on the week of your birthday; however, it was not my birthday, so here are the details.
We arrived and raced to get in line because there were cars pulling into the lot faster than I could count.
The line wanders through the gift shop and up to the cash register. It’s $10 to gain entry, but you do get a Terrapin Pint glass and about 10 tasting tickets.
We followed the people in front of us into the warehouse. There were tours heading through the brewery on our right and three lines forming for beer in front of us. A few people had picked up the bags and started playing a little indoor cornhole. I walked past the taps and outside to where the live band was playing. What awaited me was breathtaking. There were two more lines with about 30 to 40 people in each line. There were dogs playing Frisbee and maybe a couple of the dogs were playing poker. As I stood there bewildered, more people were filtering in and within a few minutes, the place was packed. What was I thinking? It was Friday in a college town. The students of UGA can really throw back some good beer. The lines never dwindled. Their glasses were never empty and this beer was delicious.
If you go and you would like to try all of the beers, get your first beer, get back in line, and then repeat. If you are going for a good time, grab your first beer, maybe a hot dog, chill out to the sound of the band, and play a little hacky sack or cornhole. This is not a tap room for weak. You’re mingling with students that know how to relax and are in their element at a brewery.
Terrapin is everything that I wanted it to be and more. The beer was the delicious, the event was fun and the atmosphere was nothing but Southern hospitality.
We have been waiting a long time to bring a Tap Room to the pages of BrewsTravelers.com and here it is, The Tribes Alehouse in Mokena, Illinois.
We have been to quite a few places with great taps including The Map Room in Chicago and Hop Cat in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We just have not been ready for a full review on either of those places. Besides, we love to find the hidden jewel and it looks like we found one. And just between you and me, The Tribes Alehouse is closing in on the big boys of craft beer.
Now, I’m not completely familiar with Mokena or the surrounding area, but I do understand that they love their craft beer. Within about 30 minutes from Mokena is Flossmoor Station, Three Floyds and plenty of other beer bars, beer stores and breweries.
We arrived at “The Tribe” (A little slang that I heard while out and about. No disrespect intended.) a bit early, this ended up being a blessing in disguise. We were able to grab some seats at the bar and peruse the tap list. Their list was phenomenal. With 40 taps and many more in bottles, we were able to find a beer for every occasion. The beer menu was organized and easy to understand which is a big plus. I cannot tell you how many places we go that do not know how to organize their beer menu. Actually, I won’t tell you. It’s just not fun.
They started to get pretty crowded later in the evening and it became SRO. The band kicked it into gear, so we followed suit. The haze of good music and great beer did not, I repeat, did not haze my judgment. That’s been hazy since ’91.
From what we have been told, The Tribe had a former location that was much larger. You know, I don’t really like to get into the size matters discussion. (I tend to lose that argument more often than not.) I won’t get into it here either. I love small taprooms or alehouses. They are comfortable, cozy and very personable. The staff at The Tribe was very attentive and I think that owes its quality to training, culture and the personality of the establishment. What? Why do I sound so pretentious lately? Anyway, The Tribe was excellent.
What I really like about The Tribes Alehouse is their commitment to the craft beer community. They are getting creative and really involved. The weekend we were there, they had a full bus going to Dark Lord Day at 3 Floyds. And now, they are having beer bouts. The #1 rated beer on RateBeer.com is going head-to-head against the #1 rated beer on BeerAdvocate.com on July 17 of this year. Click here to check out the poster!
I am happy to welcome The Tribes Alehouse to the community of locations that have been featured on Brews Travelers. Thank you for your hospitality! Here’s to many years of success in the craft beer community. Cheers!
Traveling is great, but sometimes we just don’t have the time to get out of town. After reviewing a great taproom a couple of weeks ago (Tribes Alehouse), I think it’s time I share one that is closer to home.
Dayton and the surrounding areas are known for a few things, such as The Wright Brothers, NCR, Mike Schmidt (former MLB player), Rob Lowe, Martin Sheen, Allison Janney, Erma Bombeck, Edwin C. Moses, Nancy Cartwright (The voice of Bart Simpson), code breakers of World War II, Wright Patterson Air Force Museum, Jim and John Paxson (NBA players) and Matt Light (NFL player). Ok, so Dayton has quite a few things it’s known for.
However, Dayton is not known for professionally brewing craft beer successfully. With a homebrew club, plenty of homebrewers and the #17 ranked Best Beer Store on RateBeer.com, Belmont Party Supply there is plenty of interest in craft beer. In addition, there used to be some breweries, but they are here no longer and I am hoping that void is filled. So, if anyone out there has interest, I am begging you to go for it. Take the leap of faith. Do it. Just do It ™.
I have seen some plans for development of a brewery in downtown Dayton near the minor league baseball field; however, there hasn’t been any major announcement. So, for now we will continue to bask in the glory of other breweries around the U.S. and enjoy the fruits of their labor.
Ok, enough of the Dayton propaganda, South Park Tavern is a great tap house near downtown and the University of Dayton. Located on the edge of the historical area known as South Park, this tap house is really a house. It’s also a little tricky to spot, but if you look for the melon colored home there shouldn’t be a problem. The real problem will be finding a parking spot. They open at 4 p.m. during the week and by 5 p.m., there are plenty of cars in the parking lot.
Once you have tried their food, you will understand the excitement. It has pizza that is reminiscent of Piece in Chicago and 18 taps with plenty of rotation. My personal favorite is the Reuben pizza with wheat crust, but there are plenty more choices on the menu. According to their website, they are getting ready to revamp the menu and start using locally grown, organic ingredients. That’s another check mark on my list of must-haves. (If you’re counting, that makes two check marks. One for locally grown and the other for beer.)
The front door opens out to the patio, so when you walk in you get a chance to see if the patio is for you. For most people, it is the place to be. If you don’t want to hang on the patio, there are plenty of options inside. There are a few flat panel televisions, a Dig Dug machine and table hockey. You cannot go wrong with a Dig Dug machine. (Maybe a Tron machine, but not a Dig Dug.) One of their best ideas was putting a beer menu board inside and outside, so you can plan for your second pint with ease no matter where you sit. I was able to purvey a New Holland Oak Aged Mad Hatter IPA and then I followed it up with a New Holland Black Hatter. Two delicious beers, one enjoyable time. (BTW, there is no checkmark for classic arcade games. That’s just a bonus.)
Now, South Park is just as proud of their beer and pizza as they are the music they play there. They have live music four nights a week, sometimes five. I have not personally been there when the band plays, but I can only imagine that with such a small venue it becomes an intimate event. Here is their upcoming event listing. Upcoming Event Listing. (That’s all I have to say about that. Spoken in the voice of Forrest Gump, if you would like.)
Well, there is my local plug. I can honestly say that this is by far my favorite craft beer location in Dayton. As I always say, if you are near this place, you should stop in. It’s worth its weight in beer.
“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.”— Oliver Wendell Holmes
Creativity is a BIG deal in the world of Craft Beer. I am not just talking about the breweries and their beer recipes, beer names or awesome labels. There are beer tastings, beer pairings, beer festivals and tons of creative beer blogs. Let us also mention beer books, beer ratings and beer lists. Now ladies and gentlemen, we have our first official beer bout! That is right; this creative event blew our socks off. (Good thing too, because we were wearing sandals and we know that is not cool.)
This event was a head to head match between the #1 rated brewery 2010 on Ratebeer.com ( Three Floyds of Munster, Indiana) and the #1 rated brewery 2010 on BeerAdvocate.com (Stone Brewing Company of Escondido, California ).
When I first heard about the Ultimate Beer Bout, I thought it was going to be a set pairing with all of the different styles of beer paired together i.e. pale ales vs. pale ales, stout vs. stout. This was even better! Here is how it went….
The event opened at 10 a.m. with breakfast, but I am more of a lunch guy so we ended up getting there a little after eleven. (Bad, bad move, my friend) It was a packed house long before the event began.
When we entered, we were given our tasting glass, fourteen poker chips and a scoring card. It was a simple process to start with and from there it got better. (Yet, slightly complex with a hint of alcohol and nachos.)
Our poker chips were red and blue, each were numbered one through seven. When the event started, we were to hand the #1 red chip to the bartender or server for the first beer from Three Floyds, and then we were to hand the #1 blue chip for our first beer from Stone Brewing and so on. Here is where the fun began. Instead of having a firm list of what beers were going head to head, each representative from their respective brewery would take turns leading the round. This meant that the Three Floyds rep chose what beer he wanted to start with and then the Stone rep could counter that beer with any beer he wanted. A dynamic set-up led to some great matchups! You never knew what was coming next.
After a rousing rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, the event began. The bell rang and the boxing ring girls made their way around with the round cards.
The Ultimate Beer Bout #1 – Tribes Alehouse 2010 from Dirt Cooper on Vimeo.
As each beer was announced for the round, there were loud cheers from the crowd. Everyone was into the event. (I am sure that alcohol had a little to do with it, but this event was electric.) It was like being at a real fight! The brewery reps were into it, as well. They announced the beers as if they were developing a strategy based on Machiavelli or Sun-Tzu. (Or maybe a Bruce Lee action sequence. Or even a part of the Road Runner / Wile E. Coyote sequences. **That crazy coyote**)
Listing of the Rounds: (Selected by the Breweries themselves)
| Rounds | 3 Floyds Brewery | Stone Brewing Company |
| One | Gumball Head (1st move) | IPA |
| Two | Alpha King | Sublimely Self Righteous Ale |
| Three | Apocalypse Cow (1st move) | 14th Anniversary Emperial |
| Four | Arctic Panzer Wolf | 2006 Double Bastard Ale |
| Five | Dreadnaught (1st move) | Oaked Arrogant Bastard |
| Six | Behemoth | 2009 Old Guardian Barleywine |
| Seven | 2009 Dark Lord | 2010 Russian Imperial Stout |
This event was not for the light hearted and a designated driver was definitely in order, but with that being said, I am not sure that I can ever attend a regular beer-tasting event again. This was craft beer in a dynamic, exciting environment. This event brought us into the world of craft beer with everyone in the room. We were all involved in the judging, tasting and final outcome. Except for the beer, I think I was in a Disney Movie for adults.
As I wandered around the room, I spoke with as many people as I could. It was great to hear them discuss how they would have tactically moved through the event. It was armchair quarterbacking for beer geeks. This is our version of fantasy football. (Obviously, I cannot speak highly enough of this event.)
Lucky for us, they have already started selling tickets to the next event. The Ultimate Beer Bout #2 will put Rogue against Dogfish Head on September 25th of this year.
I want to thank the Tribes Alehouse, their staff, Stone Brewing and Three Floyds Brewing Company for putting on such a great event!
P.S. Three Floyds was the winner of this match… I feel a rematch coming on.
These next six posts are brought to you by our new sponsor… Pure Adrenaline and lots of coffee. I guess we should really approach 5-hour energy drink to be our real sponsor.
Tons of coffee kept us going over the two days of driving that got us through these next six brewpubs, so what better place to start with than the place that has a delicious coffee stout (Cup a Joe), Short’s Brewing Company.
Let us start with this statement. There is NO easy way to get to Short’s, BUT it is worth the trip. We drove through miles of back roads, saw some beautiful countryside, and met some great people along the way.
Short’s is located in a small vacation community with plenty of shops, but few hotels. If you plan to stay the evening, I would recommend booking a hotel before you leave.
The parking is scarce, but near the main intersection there is an empty lot that was being used for parking, so we parked there and walked half a block to short’s. Actually, I think I skipped most of the way. We had been on an island in Canada without electricity for a week, so this was my first foray into civilization in a while. (However, while we were on the island, I brought some Short’s beer to tide me over.)
The taste of Island fever and the taste of Short’s beer were all that it took. QuenchWench programmed the very much unreliable GPS for Bellaire, Michigan. I switched the controls to 4WD and it was on! (It was time to get my *ss to Short’s!)
As I skipped through the front door, I was overwhelmed. This was not what I had expected; it was more.
Once I heard the story of Joe Short, I was even more impressed. Joe Short is a man that followed his dream even though he was destined for greatness in another field. This is evident by the work that he had put into the bar…specifically, the bar. You see, Joe is a talented artisan that made the bar that his customers set their drinks on. (In addition, I think he made the pizzas because they looked awesome!)
This family-friendly joint did not disappoint. It was creative, clean and has twenty taps of their own eclectic beer. I even tried the Strawberry Short’s Cake, which he makes with 400 lbs. of fresh strawberries. (Crazy delicious… I might add.)
The only disappointment for me personally was that there was not any of Short’s Cup a Joe to be found. (Damn you winter seasonals!) I guess real coffee would have to suffice for the rest of the trip. So I grabbed a cup of coffee, six packs of sugar, some swizzle sticks and Slim Jims and hit the road for the next stop, Traverse City. Suck it up, Dirt! This trips just getting started and Short’s was a perfect way to get this thing moving. Brews Travelers, Mount up! Cheers!
Seriously… No Bullshit. I rate it 4 Brews Travelers Visors. ( out of 5…)
I’m gonna showcase this article with a quick 5 WHY. (Like why did I give it 4 out of 5 without really explaining the deduction of the 5th beatle visor.)
(BTW, 7 is a luckier number than 5. Also, there are a ton of pics at the bottom. I can’t stay on topic. Sorry.)
They (THE OG) are still very close to their roots with homebrew and that to me is very appealing.
We visited this place twice and in between, we stopped at some very good breweries. This being said, it can keep up with those breweries. I have no doubt about this.
You can find their beer in some pubs around Detroit, but you will have to visit the brewery to get some for your home.
I would even bet that it’s a brewery your mother would love to visit. Stay Classy, Travelers!
Honestly, I thought Traverse City was a lot closer to I-75 than it really is. I took a measurement and it was only about two knuckles away on the map. If anyone knows two knuckle measurement, it’s a man on a mission.
Anyway, two knuckles are a common measurement for all sorts of things. You name it and it’s been measured on the knuckle system.
However, I digress. This is not about my form of measurement, maps or knuckles.
This is about Right Brain Brewery and their Tap Room.
We stumbled upon Right Brain Brewery during our recent excursion through Michigan and found it to be a top notch establishment.
They fit their name to a “T”.
Creativity, Art Imagination and Insight are seen throughout the place.
Guess What?! They also have BEER.
When we were there, there was quite an assortment. We even tasted a Bourbon beer that was, well, really bourbon-y. Check out the beer list in the pics. There were quite a few good ones.
When you walk into Right Brain, it has the feel of an art studio. Clean, quiet and very professional. The crowd was gathering steam when we got there though and they quickly filled up the patio and Tap Room. As you walk in, to your right, are the windows that peer into the salon next door. On your left, is the bar. (Considered the most important piece of artwork among beer enthusiasts.) There is a semi-private room towards the back and plenty of seating elsewhere. It is really close to the lake, but still a bit difficult to find. There isn’t much street presence until the patio is filled with fans of Right Brain.
Overall, This is a great idea and a perfect fit for Traverse City. We really enjoyed their beer and the atmosphere. BTW, for those of you with children, it is more of an adult stopover, so leave the kids at home.Thanks for having us RBB! Cheers!
P.S. You can Follow them on FACEBOOK too!
**The Ladies of Brews Travelers (Hop Mama’s, as we like to call them) made a special trip to Athens, Ohio. Seriously, on their own they made the decision. Here is their experience of the special release by Jackie O’s **
OK, first of all I am not a college student so I was apprehensive about hanging out at Jackie O’s in downtown Athens, the home of Ohio University. The last time I did that I was there for a Keg and egg breakfast. I guess this day wasn’t much different.
**OU’s greatest claim to fame of late has been all over the news, but I hope that this beer release overshadows this travesty and it should.**
OK, so we get to the bar the night before the release of their Dark Apparition and Oil of Aphrodite Imperial Stouts. It looks like a dive bar with a dart board and one small round table in the room which looked out of place. The bar was a nice size with every seat occupied. The list of beers looked good and they had a nice guest list too.
The pony-tailed hair guy at the bar was very nice and explained all of the beers. We went first with a sampler that had the following beers -
1. OPA – Pretty good starter
2. Razz
3. Black Bacon Rhyno – good taste but alas tasted no bacon
4. Local Harvest – ok, session beer
5. Chomo Lung – MD – Do not remember this one
6. Matriarch – This was the best. Double IPA
7. Rt. 33 – If this is the porter than it was good
8. Bee Keeper – very thick honey aftertaste. Hard to get down
9. Mystic Mama – nice IPA
10. Funky Gold Verbena – Others in the bar said this tasted like cough syrup
We walked through a door to the left of the bar upstairs that let to a nice big outdoor patio with lots of seating. The weather was perfect and the beers were great. Our only regret was that they stop serving food at 9 and we didn’t get there soon enough. That is too early for us Brews Travelers to stop eating. Our favorite beer was their Matriarch, a double IPA, very yummy served in a tulip glass.
Since we had to wake up early to get the tickets to buy the beers in the morning, we left but made stops at the Burrito and Gyro buggies. *apparently, we are food travelers too.*
Next morning we wake up early from my cousin’s dorm. Thanks Rachel! I feel like crap, I’m going to blame the burrito and not the samplers/pints for that. *besides, there isn’t any MSG in the beers according to the Bavarian beer laws.*
We get to Jackie O’s @ 7:30 (That’s right, in the AM! ) and get numbers 16, 17 and 18. Not too bad. OK, so things look a whole lot different in the daytime. We come to find out that Jackie O’s has two sides and we were only in one the night before and not the exciting one.
Once it hits 10am we walk in on the side we missed. It was very nice. Nice woodwork, lots of tables and a long bar and food area. We all grab tables and before they start calling out the numbers for us to buy the beer Brad, the brewer, explains the process of the day.
Then, they start calling out the numbers. While waiting, we buy samples of the Barrel Aged Dark Apparition and Oil of Aphrodite and they didn’t disappoint. At first I thought I liked the DA better but it changed back and forth to the OoA. I really liked the nuttiness of the OoA. I think they were both yummy.
So we bought our beers (3 per person max) and shirts and hats and were on our way back home. Another successful trip for the Brews Travelers. We will definitely need to come back to Jackie O’s!
It’s been quite some time since our last post. **Brews Travelers Confessional**
We admit that we have been busy. Not only drinking beer, but planning and saving for our next excursions. We would like to apologize for not updating as often as we would like. Also, we are looking for some feedback. What type of information is important to you? Are the pictures helpful? Should we redesign the website? If so, what would you like to see? Let us know! Send an email or comment on this post.
Ten Reasons to continue reading Brews Travelers.com :
1. Road Trip in November to Chicago
2. We still drink Beer
3. We still trade Beer
4. We still share the Beer with you (virtually, visually and sometimes physically)
5. South East Ohio Road Trip Soon.
6. Our followers are important to us. (Not a real reason, just a fact.)
7. Asheville, NC Brewery Pictures coming soon
8. More Brews Travelers Swag is coming soon…
9. We are planning for the annual pilgrimage to Founders for the KBS Release.
10. We are begging for attention.
Lastly, we think a normal schedule may benefit all of us. From now on, Tuesday will be our publishing day. Without fail, we will have something posted. Thanks again for your patience. ~ Dirt
Article below is posted on Cigar City’s Facebook page.
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Last Thursday we went to get our temporary wet-zoning made permanent and to extend our hours of operation. Since we have operated for two years without incident this should have been a rubber stamp. But, due to politics, a willful lack of understanding and what I personally believe is just a downright embracing of unfair practices, we got a 3-3 vote (you need 4 yes votes) and had to reschedule.
Our next trip in front of the Tampa City Council will be December 2nd. My birthday. We need 4 votes at this meeting and a following one or we lose our wet-zoning on the 16th of December. This means no more Tasting Room, no more special events, no more limited release parties, no beer for sell, at all, at the Tasting Room.
We have had no incidents at the Tasting Room. There has never been a police call for the brewery. We have never been cited for any violations. In short, we have shown, through our actions not our words, that we are a responsible business and neighbor. And oh by the way, while the economy has been stumbling along we have gone from 2 employees to 22. And some of those employees are in danger of losing their jobs because some members on the city council lack leadership and critical reasoning skills.
I don’t know if we can change any minds. Some bias runs too deep. But I am humbly asking of everyone that supports craft beer in the Bay Area to help us. If you ever wondered why Florida is often considered a beer wasteland, dealing with provincial politicians and unfair laws is one of the reasons. And we have run headlong into that fact many times. This is just another iteration of the climate breweries have to operate in here.
This is what you can do to try to help. Contact ALL of the members of City Council. If you live in the city and vote, tell them so. If you live outside the city or the state, tell them Cigar City Brewing is one of the reasons you come into the city to spend money. In short, let the council know that Tampa having a craft beer scene is important to you. Handwritten letters (addresses are int he links) are always more personal, but if you simply do not have time there is an online contact for each member. And there is a phone # for each member as well. Feel free to call and let the members know that CCB and craft beer are important to you.
These are the three members of Council who voted against us.
Gwen Miller
Thomas Scott
Curtis Stokes
These are those Council members who voted for us, let them know that you appreciate that they looked at evidence and fact and were not swayed by unsubstantiated claims.
Mary Mulhern
Yvonne Yoli Capin
Joseph Caetano
Finally, the member who was absent. Let Charlie Miranda know you support CCB and craft beer and are counting on his yes vote on December 2nd.
I want to thank everyone for their support. When I look back at the last two years and see the growth we have had it both amazes and humbles me. And I know that any success we have had is due to our loyal supporters who buy our beer and spread the word to others. We appreciate and value that support and regret that we must lean on you again, but we truly do need your help again desperately.
Cheers,
The CCB Staff and Joey Redner
