I stopped in at Final Gravity Brewing Company (conveniently co-located with Original Gravity Homebrew Supply) in Richmond, Virginia. For a nano brewery they certainly had a number of beers to try. I first enjoyed the Red Rooster Red Rye IPA, then the Irish Goodbye Stout. Both were very good. Their Venus IPA was delicious and their Grapefruit IPA (Venus IPA through Randall with grapefruit) was so good – even had bits of pulp in it – yum!
I stopped in at Huss Brewing Company in Phoenix, Arizona to try their beers. I enjoyed a flight. That’ll Do IPA is just fine. Koffee Kolsch is a crisp, lighter beer with a delightful coffee taste. My least favorite was Sour Hussy, but I may not have been in the mood for it. The Barrel Aged Rise of Rio was very nice and the Husstler Milk Stout was creamy – on nitro – smooth and tasty. I love the mason jars they serve their beer in – bought one for my wife.
I stopped in at Arizona Wilderness Brewing Company in Phoenix, Arizona and enjoyed a taste of Roosevelts Double IPA. This is a strong and enjoyable beer. I’m glad I only had a taste. This could be dangerous. I also tried the White Canyon Blonde Stout. I’ve never seen a blonde beer that tasted like a stout before. Delicious!
I stopped in The Beer Research Institute in Phoenix, Arizona for some higher education. I learned that Morning Sex is good (sweet and delicious coffee sweet stout) and that Dirty Jesus is strong (imperial brown ale).
I had heard that The Perch Pub and Brewery in Chandler, Arizona was different. Well, that’s an understatement. I’m not sure where to begin. The rescued wild birds are fabulous to watch! That alone in itself is worth the trip. It’s like an exotic bird zoo. Then there’s the food. The fish tacos were the best I’ve ever had. Then there’s the bartender. E is the best bartender ever. He’s awesome. And the whole reason I stopped is the beer. I had a flight: Paleyeah! is a solid pale ale / Desert Blossom Saison is very tasty – one of the best saisons I’ve had and possibly my favorite / Rosemary IPA – if you like rosemary – YES – if not – NO / Belgian Peach – delicious – sweet – peachy goodness / Velocirazter Gose – tart, salty, raspberry refreshing goodness / Stirabout Oatmeal Stout – a happy ending. Very few flights are all good – this one was. Excellent.
I stopped in at Papago Brewing Company in Phoenix, Arizona and tried a flight of their beers. Each one was perfect. Orange Blossom had a light, crisp taste flavored with orange and vanilla. Coconut Joe was an absolutely delicious coconut coffee stout – I’d come back for this alone. The Hopago IPA was also very good. And the Oude Zuipers Belgian Strong Ale was spot on. I enjoyed their white pizza with these beers and enjoyed the food and drink. Well worth the stop!
I stopped in at Mother Bunch Brewing in Phoenix, Arizona after a long, direct flight from Washington, DC. The Chicken Tinga Tostadas were a great late dinner. And, all of the food I saw delivered to other patrons also looked delicious. Rather than picking one beer, I tried a few four ounce tasters. The Grapefruit Wit was where I started and it was delicious – a slightly tart and very crisp drink to pair with dinner. I then tried the Campfire IPA – a very solid west coast style IPA. Again, a good pair with dinner. I also tried McBride’s Irish Red. I think I realized Irish Reds are not my favorite. This was very good but just not my go to. The Juniper Berry Gose was delicious and also paired well with my meal. It was tart and salty and balanced well with the food. I sampled the Cherry Popper Porter but at the recommendation of the bartender I tried the Oatmeal Chocolate Milk Stout which served as a liquid dessert. OH WOW. So delicious. Very good beers here. If you’re in Phoenix I recommend stopping in and trying them all.
I stopped at Bluejacket in Washington, DC with my wife and friends to celebrate a good friend’s birthday. We had a great time. The food was delicious. I enjoyed scallops and shared the chocolate almond cake for dessert. Bluejacket has a large variety of beers available. I created a flight of four. The Wary Fiend farmhouse ale was the most tart tasting of this variety I’ve ever had. Lost Weekend was a nicely hopped IPA – not too bitter. The Killing Moon Imperial IPA was smooth – both hoppy and malty. Now, let’s talk about some crazy good beer. Rheinhard De Vos is an amazing sour red ale. Tart and tasty. And, finally, I paired Mexican Radio, a spiced sweet stout, with the chocolate almond cake for dessert. A perfect pairing. Delicious!
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 Waredaca Brewing Company in Laytonsville, Maryland for a beer and had a wonderful time! Waredaca is only twenty minutes from home and now I’m wishing I had stopped in sooner – although this could become a dangerous habit. What a great place. The farm setting is really beautiful and I’m sure this spring, summer and fall it will b a delightful place to visit. The tap room is really neat; a bar, a number of tables and chairs, and a casual seating area. It’s not cramped – has plenty of room for folks to hang out. And, yesterday with the gorgeous weather, dozens of folks were hanging out on picnic tables outside. I was not anticipating the roughly 50 cars in the parking lot when I got there. And, I was concerned it may be crowded, but despite the numbers it felt easy to get a great seat at the bar. And the enjoyment didn’t stop there. The guys at the bar were so kind and friendly. I had my brother with me who isn’t a beer drinker and he absolutely loved the homemade Lemongrass Ginger Soda. For me, I had to try the Beecher IPA which was really nice. Not too hoppy but hoppy enough. And not too heavy. Very drinkable. Then I tried the Reveille Coffee Stout – WOW – delicious. Smooth. Coffee. Delicious. It was so good I wanted to bring some home. I know my wife wouldn’t appreciate another growler. So I asked for one of the custom 32 oz cans. So Cool. They filled the can right from the tap then used the machine to cap it. See photo below. Despite visiting hundreds of breweries, this is the first of those machines I’ve ever seen. I’m looking forward to sharing that can with friends at home. Waredaca has a number of other beers you can check out plus a small snack menu that looks worth checking out as well. I hope to stop in again soon. Maybe you should too! Hope to see you there.
I Stop For Hops 