I couldn’t resist trying the Peanut Butter Stout at Lucky Envelope Brewing in Seattle, Washington. And, you guessed it, it was a nice smooth stout with hints of peanut butter. All I needed was a jelly sandwich to go with it. I also tried the Helles Lager which was crisp and refreshing on this warm summer day. Great beers.
I stopped in at Hale’s Pub and Brewery in Seattle, Washington and enjoyed the Cream Ale. This style is not necessarily one of my go to beers. However, the Hale’s Cream Ale is a fine example of this variety. Smooth as silk. And very drinkable.
I did a double-take at Fremont Brewing when I saw the ice box. Wow. A blast from the past. Very cool! No pun intended. I stopped in for a beer and enjoyed the Cask Summer Ale with the taste of juniper. Very nice. The Rye Saison was spicy as I like it. Pilsner was refreshing. In all, some great beers and a great place to enjoy them.
I stopped in at Elysian Brewing Company for lunch and a beer. The salmon patty burger was delicious along with the sweet potato fries – I highly recommend this. In terms of the beers, if I were to recommend one I’d go with Men’s Room Summer Gold. The bartender recommended this. I agree. It is delicious. Very drinkable. Pairs well with many types of food. A great beer for any time. It goes down smooth and easy. I tried several of the other beers and they were all tasty.
I stopped in at The Pike Brewing Company in Seattle, Washington and tasted three beers. The Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale was tasty(malty and sweet). It was he best of the three to start out with. The Space Needle Golden IPA was a really tasty IPA. Not too bitter. It has a real clean taste. The best way to describe it is that it tastes golden. Very nice. And the Pike Extra Stout was caramelly but also had a bite to it. For my tastes I liked the IPA best, then the Scotch Ale and finally the Stout. But all three were delicious.
I stopped in at DC Brau in Washington, DC after a trip to the US National Arboretum which is right down the road. I enjoyed the Brau Pils which was the perfect beer after being out in the hot sun for several hours. I also bought a six-pack of Corruption IPA to enjoy later at home. The brewery is a cool place to visit. There were a number of folks there enjoying beer this Saturday afternoon.
I’ve been blessed to be able to visit a number of breweries and brew pubs across the United States and have enjoyed many wonderful tours given by passionate brewers and have enjoyed many wonderful pints of great beer. This blog is a simple opportunity for me to share my experiences with others who may be interested. I hope you find something you enjoy.
I stopped in at Center of the Universe Brewing Company in Ashland, Virginia and enjoyed a flight of their beers, all of which were very good. The one I especially liked was the El Duderino White Russian Stout. This was absolutely delicious.
I stopped in at Abita Brewing Company in Abita Springs, Louisiana for a brewery tour. WOW, just WOW!
Getting to Abita from New Orleans is an interesting trip. The drive across the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway bridge absolutely looks like a bridge into the ocean or a bridge to nowhere. Over 20 miles of bridge. But the trip is well worth the drive.
The Abita Brewing Company tour is well worth the time. The tour guides greeted us and gave us ample time to taste Abita beers. In fact, they allowed visitors to pour their own beers, opening up the taps to us. In countless brewery visits and tours this is the first time I’ve enjoyed this kind of hospitality. And, I must say I took advantage of it. I tried many of the offerings on tap.
The mainstay Abita Amber is a solid go to amber beer. Period. Purple Haze is a refreshing beer with a hint of raspberry – from the raspberries included in the brewing process. Wrought Iron IPA is an absolutely delicious IPA – I heartily recommend this. The beer that surprised me was the Strawberry Harvest Lager. I found this to be delicious and refreshing. I really enjoyed this. Andygator is intense. How about I just leave it at that. I tried the Two Boots Saison and concluded I’m just not sophisticated enough for this. I was delighted with the Macchiato Espresso Milk Stout – smooth and delicious. And I filled my cup with Abita Root Beer for the road which was also delicious.
Did you catch that they let us pour our own samples. WOW.
So maybe the key to all this success is the Abita Springs water. Or maybe they’re just great brewers. Or both.
Seriously, if you’re ever in New Orleans or otherwise near the brewery you need to stop by!
And, please check out Abita on MicrobrewingAmerica!
I stopped in at Old Rail Brewing Company in Mandeville, Louisiana for lunch and a beer. The daily special of cornmeal crusted catfish simply could not have been any better. Absolutely perfect! And the Echo Sierra Bravo ESB (Extra Special Bitter) was a great pairing – the recommendation of the bartender. The ESB was nice and malty; delicious. I also enjoyed the Cow Catcher Stout after lunch and enjoyed its rich chocolatey flavor.
I Stop For Hops 