I stopped in at Lakes & Legends Brewing Company in Minneapolis, Minnesota for a beer. I decided to try St.. Gail Raspberry Honey Ale and Mango Lassi Milkshake IPA. I enjoyed both. Each was slightly fruity. The brewery/taproom is a really cool downtown space with plenty of room and various seating to enjoy by various size groups. Great vibe.
I stopped in at The Freehouse in Minneapolis, Minnesota for dinner and a beer. I enjoyed the deviled eggs and fried cheese curds appetizers with business colleagues. The shrimp tacos were an excellent dinner choice. All paired well with No. 1 Kolsch. Great food and great beer and a great atmosphere to enjoy both.
I stopped in at Surly Brewing Company in Saint Paul, Minnesota for dinner and a beer. The brisket for dinner was fabulous. I paired it with Furious IPA and Hell lager. Both great pairs for the brisket. What a great restaurant and brewery.
I stopped in at BlackStack Brewing in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The clear choice on the beer list was Local 755, a New England Style IPA. Very fruit forward and not overly hoppy. The brewery and tap room are a great large space with plenty of areas to relax and enjoy a beer and a chat or a game with friends. I’m glad I stopped in.
I stopped in at Bad Weather Brewing Company in Saint Paul, Minnesota. I enjoyed the Hitched white grapefruit IPA and the Pineapple Wheat. Both had just enough fruit flavor to be interesting without being overpowering. The IPA was clearly more bitter and the wheat was more mild. Both wonderful beers and very drinkable. The environment at the brewery was hip and full of energy when I stopped by.
I stopped in at Barrel Theory Beer Company in Saint Paul, Minnesota. I wound up trying four beers. Robo Trippin is a tart cherry gose. Agua Fresca is a tropical fruit Berliner which I found to be delicious. Java Oats is a coffee stout and K3yb04rdW4rr10r is a delicious chocolate milk stout. I enjoyed all of these beers and the bartender was very kind to offer one of the stouts on the house.
I stopped in at Finnegans Brew Co. in Minneapolis, Minnesota for a beer. Although the bartender recommended the Cluster Truck IPA I decided to go with the Irish Ale and was not disappointed. I found this amber ale to be very easy to drink and a very tasty representation of this style. I enjoyed it while listening to live music which was really nice. Great beer and great vibe.
I stopped in at Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub for a late light dinner and a beer. And what did a find? A beer named after me. Big Jim IPA. And I enjoyed this beer along with a Smoked Trout Salad. I’ve never had smoked trout before. Very savory. And the beer was also very tasty and these two complemented each other well.
I stopped in at O’Connor Brewing Company in Norfolk, Virginia with my family on the way home from vacation in Virginia Beach. We enjoyed dinner at the food truck – great mac and cheese sandwiches, meatloaf sandwich, crab tacos, beer pretzel, I digress. The two flights at O’Connor set us up well to select beers to accompany dinner. I especially enjoyed the El Guapo Agve IPA, Kilauea Mango Saison, and Tart Tropic Ale.
I stopped in at Smartmouth Brewing Company Pilot House in Virginia Beach, Virginia. I had some family members with me and we enjoyed sharing a couple of flights. Grandson also enjoyed giant Jenga with my son. We liked all of the beers. Of note:
Tinamatua – ale with a coconut cream pie flavor – not too much but enough – -delicious
Wicked Awesome – coffee brown ale – yes – delivers totally as advertised
PILF – IPA – hints of lemon – we like citrus – this was perfect
Hope my travels bring me to stop in again.
I Stop For Hops 