I stopped in at Fifty Fifty Brewing Company in Truckee, California for dinner and a beer. I enjoyed the fish and chips for dinner and tried the Charles B. Brown Brown Ale which paired very nicely with dinner.
Brown Ale
Two Henrys Brewing Company, Plant City, FL
I stopped in at Two Henrys Brewing Company in Plant City, Florida and enjoyed a taste of the Blueberry Vanilla Wheat which was surprisingly tasty considering I don’t typically enjoy wheat beers. I also enjoyed a taste of the Coffee Brown which was rich with coffee flavor. And I have to admit I tried the Badd Apple hard cider which was quite refreshing. I recommend stopping in here. Great beers.
Cigar City Brewing, Tampa, FL
I stopped in at Cigar City Brewing in Tampa, Florida again, this time with my family. My wife enjoyed the Whateley Family Cranberry Farmhouse Ale with Cranberry, and that’s saying a lot because my wife is not a beer drinker. My son liked the Florida Cracker Belgian Wit – I’d liken this to Allagash White – but I suppose I shouldn’t make cross brewery comparisons – regardless, it was tasty. My son and I both enjoyed Oatmeal Raisin Cookie, which would make a perfect dessert beer. In all, we give thumbs up to Cigar City Brewing and their beers. Even Uncle Ed approves. See photo below.
—————————————————————————————————————————————
I stopped in at Cigar City Brewing in Tampa, Florida again today. I think I’ve stopped in here more than any other other microbrewery. Today I tried the Sun Spear Session Amber and really enjoyed the combination of hoppiness and amber ale. I guess that’s why I stop in here so often. It’s a great place with great beers.
—————————————————————————————————————————
Whenever in Tampa I stop in at Cigar City Brewing, Tampa, Florida. It’s so close to the airport that it makes for a great stop either right after landing or right before take-off – or both! The Jai Alai IPA is a great IPA and one I’d go for anywhere. The Humidor Series IPA was available when I stopped. The cedar flavor mixed with the IPA was quite a complex beer. I had to bring some home with me. The Maduro Brown Ale is also a solid go-to brown ale that I enjoy when in the mood for something a bit malty.
Sly Fox Brewery, Pottstown, PA
I stopped in at Sly Fox Brewery and Tastin’ Room for dinner and a tasting flight. My brother and I split the pork nachos which were outstanding – spicy and filling. I enjoyed all of the beers I tasted. I especially enjoyed the Chester County Brown Ale, smooth and full flavored. I also enjoyed the Phoenix Pal Ale which was an enjoyably hoppy pale ale. and, I really liked the 360 IPA. In fact, I liked it so much that I bought a four-pack to bring home. I’m looking forward to the next time we visit family in the area and stopping in again.
Falls City Beer, Louisville, KY
I stopped in at Falls City Beer in Louisville, Kentucky and enjoyed tastes of their beers on tap. I especially liked the IPA. I also enjoyed the brown ale which I ordered with a meal at a local restaurant earlier in the week. I recommend stopping in at Falls City Beer. It’s a great spot in downtown Louisville and well worth the stop.
West Mountain Brewing Company, Fayetteville, AR
I stopped in at West Mountain Brewing Company and Tiny Tim’s Pizza for dinner and a beer. The pizza was delicious and so was the brown ale. I’d highly recommend both of these for someone looking for a meal in downtown Fayetteville. This brewery was one of my stops on the Fayetteville Ale Trail which I highly recommend for those who love craft beer and are in the Fayetteville area.
Hitchhiker Brewing Company, Pittsburgh, PA
I stopped in at the Hitchhiker Brewing Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and tasted the Roadie IPA which I really enjoyed. It was well balanced with the hops and malt. Not too hoppy. Very drinkable. I also tried the seasonal Festbier. The Drifter #004 Keystone Common does taste a good bit like Anchor Steam. Finally, the Tumbleweed brown ale was absolutely delicious. I would have like to have brought home a growler of this. I’ll definitely be looking forward to stopping in again the next time I am in Pittsburgh.
Tenaya Creek Brewery, Las Vegas, NV
I stopped in at the Tenaya Creek Brewery in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Ocilac Brown was smooth and malty. An enjoyable beer.
Freetail Brewing Company, San Antonio, TX
Check out my more recent review from February 2016 at Microbrewing America
I stopped at Freetail Brewing Company in San Antonio, Texas for dinner. I enjoyed some nachos and salsa and the beef brisket salad. Both were very good. The beef was a bit fatty but that’s the nature of the beast. I tried a flight of beers. I started with the Primavera Prematura which is a saison with what I consider somewhat of a fruity bite to it. This is not my favorite style but this was a good saison. I moved next to the Multigrain Brown Ale. Sounds healthy. It was dark and rich but tasted burnt to me. Here’s where I completely diverged into new territory. The Spirulina Wit is brewed with blue-green algae. If you look at the picture above you can see the green beer on the right. I’m still living so apparently this isn’t dangerous. It tasted pretty fruity to me. It’s so unique I just had to try it but wouldn’t drink it again. Finally the Round Earth IPA was a good way to end the tasting. It was very good and I enjoyed finishing my meal with it.
Good People Brewing Company, Birmingham, AL
I was with a Good Friend when I stopped in at Good People Brewing Company in Birmingham, Alabama. In fact, my friend had just treated me to a gourmet lunch and had given me a grand tour of Birmingham. I guess that’s what they mean by Good People. We concluded our time together at the brewery and I enjoyed a flight, tasting a number of beers. I started with the Bearded Lady American Wheat Ale which was the best wheat beer I’ve ever had. I typically stay away from this style because wheat beers are not my preference. But, this one had a hoppy flavor to it and I enjoyed it. From there I moved on to the Pale Ale which was smooth with a slight hoppiness to it that I also enjoyed. Next was the IPA which is a great go-t0 IPA; flavorful but not too hoppy. I then tried the Brown Ale which was smooth but not too sweet or too malty. And, finally I tried the Coffee Oatmeal Stout which had a rich coffee flavor. In the past I had also had Snake Handler Double IPA, thanks to my friend, and this is also excellent – very hoppy. In short, I enjoy all of these beers and would consider Birmingham as a possible relocation place in the future ;~) The brewery is a really cool industrial/warehouse space. Old extra-large electric wire spools are used for tables. The bar is an huge circle. And, our bartender was a really nice guy who was very informative.
I Stop For Hops 