Let’s get real, I stopped in at Zydeco Brew Werks, in Tampa, Florida and did not review the picture I took of my beer until later and sadly it’s blurry. But maybe a blurry picture is better than no picture at all. So, the bartender helped me with a dinner order turning the buffalo shrimp po boy into a salad which was delicious and he allowed me to taste a few beers and I decided rather than get an IPA with flavor fighting the buffalo I’d go with the pilsner – love the name – All I Wanted Was A Pilsner – to complement the spicy food. Perfect dinner.
pilsner
Upstreet Craft Brewing, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada
I stopped in at Upstreet Craft Brewing in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. With help from the bartender I selected Commons Czech Pilsner, Rhuby Social Strawberry Rhubarb Witbier, William Windsor Porter, and Top Stamp Honey Brown Lager. The bartender also gave me a taste of Do Gooder American Pale Ale. So here’s the run-down. I enjoyed the Commons; a great easy drinking crisp beer. And, my wife even enjoyed it which is very rare. She’s not a beer drinker. Rhuby Social is tasty with a hint of fruit flavor but certainly not overpowering. William Windsor is a lovely porter. Coffee and caramel and chocolate flavors. With the cold rain it was a delightful warmer. Top Stamp is smooth and malty. Do Gooder is a crisp Americal pale with a bit of citrus. Not strong. Very easy to drink and tasty.
The taproom offers food but we had recently eaten a very filling lunch at the Prince Edward Island Preserve Company and didn’t have room for anything to eat. That’s another story but this place is wonderful (seafood chowder, potato pie, raspberry cream cheese pie – enough said). Back to Upstreet, the taproom is a cool industrial space, comfortable, and indicative of the size of their mug club quite the local hangout.
Blind Tiger Restaurant & Brewery, Topeka, KS
I stopped in at Blind Tiger Restaurant & Brewery while in Topeka, Kansas for work. I stopped late one evening after a night flight into town and just missed the kitchen, but the Maibock and some peanuts were a perfect late night meal. The Maibock was everything it should be – strong, malty, filling. The next day I enjoyed their Burnt Ends for lunch along with the Pils Vom Fass Pilsner. Great food and great beer. The pilsner was a great pairing with lunch and it tasted spot on for its style. Great food and great beer.
Tooth and Nail Brewing Company, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
I stopped in at Tooth and Nail Brewing Company in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada for a late beer. I had trouble deciding so tried small pours of Vim and Vigor Pilsner (delicious; renewed my faith in pilsner), Tenacity Pale Ale ( a solid pale), and Red Letter Day IPA (certainly a nice IPA). I enjoyed all of the beers.
Troegs Independent Brewing, Harrisburg, PA
I stopped in at Troegs Independent Brewing in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania attending a work related event. I was really impressed! And I had the wonderful opportunity to sample a number of beers in one evening which was a delight. And, the food they prepared and served for the event was also great. I especially liked the chicken salad rolls and the java chip cupcakes!. But, back to the beer. Troegs HopBack Amber Ale is a great balance between hops and malt. Drinking this you get some of both and it is really easy to drink. Troegenator Double Bock is a rich brown caramelly beer that feels perfect for fall weather. And, JavaHead Stout is a tasty coffee and chocolate tasting stout. Their Perpetual IPA is a delight to drink. Not too hoppy yet flavorful enough for most IPA lovers. Although not as well-versed in Belgian beers, their Jovial is a delicious dubbel, pardon the comparison, but with some of Troegenator and some of JavaHead flavors swirling together. Although Pilsners are often too “light” for me, their Sunshine Pilsner was tasty and a beer I’d drink again for sure. The current seasonal, Hop Knife was the only beer I enjoyed a full serving of and it was well worth the full glass. Not only that, I won a six-pack at the event I was attending and am looking forward to enjoying it with family this weekend. I also had the opportunity to enjoy to “scratch” beers. The Mango India Pale Ale was delicious and reminiscent of a Mango IPA I enjoyed in Hawaii earlier this month. And, if a Harrisburg brewery can make me feel like I’m in Hawaii, that’s awesome. Finally, I enjoyed the American Style Sour Cherry. I like sour beers and I really like sour cherry. This beer reminded me of a similar one at Jolly Pumpkin in Michigan last summer. I was really tempted to bring a growler of this home with me but with a six-pack of Hop Knife and a fridge full of beer at home I passed on the opportunity. So, if you’re ever in Harrisburg, PA or even near the area do yourself a favor and stop at Troegs.
Denizens Brewing Company, Silver Spring, MD
I stopped in at Denizens Brewing Company in Silver Spring, Maryland with my daughter to enjoy some beer and dinner. I have been seeking a brewery local to my home that I could call “my brewery”. I’ve found it! Denizens has the best beers of all the nearby breweries. In fact, I’d put Denizens beers head to head with most of the 500 breweries I’ve visited. I’ll give some tasting notes on beers we sampled last night. I loved the Born Bohemian Pilsner and I’m not even a big pilsner fan. The beer tasted great, was light enough to drink easily, but flavorful and had a delicious finish. Their Bocho Gose was true to the salty taste of a gose but not too salty. It was also hoppy with a hint of lime and very refreshing. Southside Rye IPA is also delicious. Personally I didn’t get a lot of rye taste in the beer. Tasted like a very drinkable, fresh IPA to me. Not too hoppy but hoppy enough. My daughter was keen on the Summer Jam Mix DIPA. I thought it was good but this was not as outstanding as the previous beers – in my opinion. Lowest Lord ESB was so malty and delicious that I bought a four-pack to bring home. Can’t wait to have it again. Need I say more? We tried the Third Party Tripel. I need to appreciate Belgian beers more. Big Red Norm Red Ale was malty and hoppy – a good balance – and delicious. When I noticed that the Chapless Horseman Russian Imperial Stout was aged on bourbon barrels – I love anything with bourbon – I was excited. This beer did not overly impress me. It felt weak. HOWEVER. There was an experimental ‘A Petit For $400’ petit sour aged on bourbon barrels that was so good that we had to have another pour of this deliciousness. All of these beers helped wash down their pretzel and beer cheese appetizer and a burger/salad for me and a chicken sandwich/fries for my daughter. All the food was also delicious. I can’t wait to crack those ESB’s at home and to head back to Denizens with friends and family.
Brookeville Beer Farm, Brookeville, MD
I stopped in at the newest brewery in the Maryland area where I live, Brookeville Beer Farm in Brookeville, Maryland. I ordered a flight and enjoyed their beers. The Philsner Pilsner was tasty and very drinkable with good flavor. Road Dust is a solid brown ale. Their IPA and Double IPA were both very good. I really enjoyed the Ridiculous Stout, it was smooth, rich, flavorful with coffee, chocolate maltiness. I hope to stop here frequently. The bar area is beautiful with a large outdoor seating area as well.
Outliers Brewing Company, Indianapolis, IN
I stopped in at Outliers Brewing Company in Indianapolis, Indiana and enjoyed a taste of Blau Machen Pilsner but what I really enjoyed was the Country Brown. I really enjoyed the maltiness, caramel and even chocolate flavors of the Country Brown and best of all, it wasn’t heavy. It was very drinkable. A delightful beer for the fall.
Fremont Brewing, Seattle, WA
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.
DC Brau Brewing Company, Washington, DC
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.