I stopped in late to try the beers at North Mountain Brewing Company in Phoenix, Arizona. Their C.R.E.E.M. golden ale is simply delicious. It is refreshing and flavorful. The Belay IPA has to be one of the best IPAs I’ve tasted – at least according to my tastebuds. The Spiral Man Oatmeal Stout was a tasty end to the evening.
I stopped in at Wren House Brewing Company in Phoenix, Arizona and really enjoyed their beers. I was skeptical with Senor Gallo considering there is wild rice in the recipe but it was a really tasty beer. It’s a bit nutty. I’ve enjoyed some gose style beers recently and Lady Banks is clearly one of the best I’ve tried. It is only slightly salty – the salty taste sometimes can be too much for me. The rose petals, hibiscus and chamomile add to a flowery complexity that is delicious. Jomax is a very tasty oatmeal stout. Not as chocolatey as some but full of flavor nonetheless. You need to stop in and try these.
I stopped in at O.H.S.O. EATERY + nanoBREWERY in Phoenix, Arizona to try their beers. Their Brite was a tasty refreshing ale. Hoppy was a solid IPA. 89 is a malty delight. And, The Lost Viking was simply delicious – a smooth robust porter. I’m glad they found him!
I did a two-fer stop. Phoenix Ale Brewery and Sonoran Brewing Company, both co-located in Phoenix, Arizona. The Watermelon Ale offered by Phoenix Ale Brewery was delicious. The Orange Peel IPA had a great orange taste to it and the Camelback IPA was a very solid offering of this style. Great beers. But wait, there’s more. The White Chocolate Ale offered by Sonoroan Brewing Company is awesome. So delicious! I even bought a bottle to bring home and share with my wife (who doesn’t drink beer). This tastes totally like white chocolate and not like beer. I can’t wait for her reaction.
I stopped in at Goodwood Brewing Company in Louisville, Kentucky. Several industry friends and I stopped in after dinner to try their beers. With the current construction in Louisville, getting there was a bit tricky, and we may have used a slightly illegal maneuver to park down the block. The area the brewery is located in felt a bit sketchy, but that’s not always uncommon for breweries. Fortunately we got there safely. When we arrived it was close to last call so we quickly put in our flight orders. There was only one other small group in the tap room at the time. The atmosphere was rustic – very enjoyable. Having tried several of their beers, here are some thoughts. The Cinnamon Stout was new for me. It tasted like a mix of Red Hots and stout at the same time. Tasty for what it was. I think my favorite brew was the Bourbon Barrel Ale – an ale smoothed out with the flavor of bourbon – sweet and tasty. The Pale Ale was crisp and hoppy. The Bourbon Barrel Stout was smooth and flavorful. I hope I have another time to stop in here before this trip ends.
I stopped in at Busted Sandal Brewing Company in San Antonio, Texas. The thing is, they weren’t open to the public tonight. But, that didn’t stop the owner, Mike, from responding to my e-mail and meeting me at the brewery and giving me an entire tour and explanation of their story along with several tastings. Wow! What an experience. Mike is an awesome guy, and if you’re in the San Antonio area you really do need to try these beers. So here’s some idea of what they have on tap. The 210 Ale is a deliious and very drinkable blonde ale. This would go great in the hot weather. It is smooth and very easy to drink. The Slippery Rock IPA has got to be one of the most drinkable IPA’s I’ve ever enjoyed. It has the flavor of an IPA but is not heavy at all and is very easy to drink. Currently they are experimenting with a Grapefruit 210 Ale which is their flagship blonde ale with grapefruit added. Personally, I love the grapefruit flavor. I could drink this all day. The El Robusto Porter is awesome. It is rich, chocolatey, and delicious. This would be a great dessert beer. So, there you have it. Get yourself over to Busted Sandal and try one!
There are two reasons I write this blog. The first is that I love craft beer. The second is that I love meeting the people who make craft beer. This is a story about both reasons. When I recently traveled to Savannah, Georgia for business I contacted a few breweries that offered hours only on days I would not be in town. I heard from one brewery that they would not be able to accommodate a visit from me. However when I reached out to Coastal Empire Beer Company, the co-founder, Kevin Haborak, told me that I was welcome to drop by. So, I did. Today, on the way back to the airport.
Kevin arranged for his brother Chris to meet me, show me around, and allow me to taste practically everything on tap. These guys make awesome beer. Let me try to step you through a few of these. The Savannah Brown is a delicious brown ale, caramelly, sweet, malty, solid and very drinkable. The sort of brown ale you’d drink several of, especially say in the fall when there’s a slight chill in the air. The barrel aged version of this is like putting it on steroids. Wow! The flavor from the barrels makes it all that much richer. This puts it in the category of a sipping beer that I would enjoy after dinner instead of dessert, in a snifter. Perfect. Going a completely different direction is the Tybee Island Blonde Ale. This is a great option for hot summer days. Cans of this are perfect for the beach. One of these after cutting the lawn would be perfect. I also tried a pineapple, coconut and sea salt gose which is basically a secret weapon. Wow! This beer is off the hook! Its sweet and salty and tart all at the same time. My tastebuds were all over the place. Let me wrap with Dawn Patrol. Think Imperial Stout. Think Chocolatey goodness. Think Mole. Think Peppery Spices. Wrap all four of those together. KaBam! This is crazy good.
If you line in Savannah or are visiting Savannah you must stop in here. There’s at least one beer for every person’s tastebuds. You will love this beer. I need to figure out how to get distribution north to Maryland. The rest of the country needs these beers. Chris and Kevin, thank you for taking the time to meet with me. Thanks for the snifter. I will eagerly anticipate drinking Dawn Patrol from it in the comfort of my own home some day. And, I’m hoping to bring my wife to Savannah at some point and will definitely stop in to see you when I do. Keep up the great work!
I stopped in at Dewey Beer Company in Dewey Beach, Delaware. Dinner was great – a delicious local crab cake sandwich. The plaintain nachos were also delicious with chorizo as an appetizer. When I asked for a flight little did I know that I was getting EIGHT beers. Wow. I couldn’t begin to comment on them all. Let me start by saying the Summer Ale was absolutely delicious – a light grapefruity summer beer. The pale ale and IPA were also very good. The saison was wonderful. and after that I think I lost track of my tastebuds, memory and other senses. In all I had a great meal and experience at the Dewey Beer Company. Stop in if you have a chance.
I stopped in at Dogfish Head Brewings and Eats in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Wow. I enjoyed visiting the original brewpub of this now dominant craft brewery. Since Dogfish Head also has a brewpub in my hometown of Gaithersburg, Maryland I tend to consider this my home brewery and go to brand. I sat on the outdoor patio with my family for lunch. We all had great meals. My fish tacos were delicious. With 120 Minute IPA on tap how could I resist? And as always it did not disappoint. Absolutely delicious. This is very strong – clocking in at over 15 ABV, so beware! I also purchased a four-pack to take home and at $36 that’s not an insignificant decision. But I can assure you it will be well worth every $9 bottle. I also gave a try to the Palo Ahumado which was a delicious brown ale with notes of vanilla and coconut. My wife even enjoyed a few sips which is very rare. And, before we left for home we purchased t-shirts and other swag to memorialize the visit. Hope to return here again one of these days.
I stopped in at Wasatch Brewery in Salt Lake City, Utah for a quick beer. The premium ale was a great blend of malt and hops. Very enjoyable.
I Stop For Hops 