I stopped in at Wooden Robot Brewery in Charlotte, North Carolina for a beer. The brewery has a great vibe. Indoor and outdoor seating. Lots of locals and great energy. They also have food available from the Twisted Eats Food Truck (but I had already eaten). Looking at the beer list:
…I decided to go with Universal Automation, their sour golden ale. It is delicious. It had a good sour bite, but not too sour. It is crisp and refreshing.
I stopped in at Legion Brewing in Charlotte, North Carolina and enjoyed their Juicy Jay East Coast IPA. Although I’ve backed off from IPAs to some extent, when I asked the bartender what the most popular beer was, I took their recommendation and tried the Juicy Jay. I really enjoyed this beer. I love a grapefruit-flavored IPA. This IPA was full of citrus flavor, including grapefruit. Very hoppy. Tropical.
It was open mic night when I stopped in and I enjoyed several musicians while enjoying my beer. A great relaxing evening.
I stopped in at Thirsty Nomad Brewing Company in Charlotte, North Carolina and enjoyed a Sweeney English Brown Porter. What a treat. Smooth. Malty. Dark. Rich. I’d call it chocolatey. This would be a delightful after dinner beer.
The tap room is a delightful place with remnants of an English pub. Bartender and staff were very kind and helpful. And, I found the bullshit corner –
Who’d have thought? A brewery in a Whole Foods Market? Revolutionary!
I stopped in at Whole Foods Market Brewing Company in Houston, Texas and, of course, I had to try the TX Grapefruit Blonde Ale. What a delight to drink this light, effervescent, slightly grapefruit flavored beer.
I stopped in at Karbach Brewing Company in Houston, Texas for dinner and a beer. Their fish tacos were excellent. And all of the beers I tried were also excellent. And, I want to give a shout out to my great bartender. Not sure whar her name was but she was very kind and helpful. Their Zee German Pils was light bodied and easy to drink. Their Weekend Warrior Pale Ale was solid. Just a bit hoppy and flavorful. Mother in Lager was rich and malty. 5th Anniversary Quintuple IPA was the closest thing I’ve had to Dogfish 120 – rich IPA!. And the BBH bourbon barrel series. You just have to say bourbon and you have my attention. The BBH with Cherries and the Secret Beer aged in bourbon barrels were both rich and delicious dessert drinks. What a great line-up!
I stopped in at 8th Wonder Brewery in Houston, Texas and tried their Rocket Fuel Vietnamese Coffee Porter. Wow. I feel like I just drank the 8th wonder of the world. Delicious. Smooth. Rich. Malty. Coffee. Caramelly. Sweet. This is a go to beer for anyone visiting Houston.
I stopped in at Urban South Brewery in New Orleans, Louisiana. Getting there gave me a good opportunity for a long walk after a day long workshop in New Orleans. After sizing up the beers on tap I decided to go with the Holy Roller IPA. Hey, I’m a holy roller, why not? And it’s been a while since I’ve had an entire IPA. I’ve been branching out into other styles. I found Holy Roller to be quite good. Hoppy but not overboard. Not heavy or resiny. Very nice to drink and enjoy. I wish I liked crawfish. There was a company selling coked crawfish and many locals were enjoying them. Quite a large group – lots of energy.
I stopped in at CraftHaus Brewery in Henderson, Nevada and lurked during a distributor’s Christmas gathering. It was actually pretty cool because I had the opportunity to hear the owners and brewers speak about their passion for craft beer. I tried two beers to decide which I wanted a full glass of. It was a hard decision. The Zitrone Gose was delicious, but I had already had a sour beer earlier in the evening. The Pecan Pie Porter was delicious off the charts. Think smooth, malty, delicious porter. Then layer pecan pie flavor – not too sweet – but those taste notes and sweetness. Absolutely delicious. Like dessert in a glass.
Las Vegas, Nevada, is not known for craft beer. I found a hidden gem when I stopped in at Bad Beat Brewing in Henderson, Nevada. Their Imperial Milk Stout with Serrano Peppers, aka The Heater, is off the charts. First, think delicious, rich, smooth milk stout, deep and creamy. Add the heat of Serrano peppers which adds a kicking bite at the end. At first it’s just a small bite. After a full glass your palate is totally warmed up. And at 9.5% it packs a bit of a punch. I wish this beer was available at home.
I stopped in at Lovelady Brewing in Henderson, Nevada and greatly enjoyed their 9th Island Pineapple Sour. It did not have a strong pineapple taste, however, it was a delicious and very drinkable beer. Just slightly tart and tangy. I had a small taste of the Café Femenino Coffee Porter which was smooth, coffee flavorful, and delicious.
I Stop For Hops 