BREW-isville, Kentucky

My wife and I and another couple took a holiday weekend trip to Louisville, Kentucky, where we caught a concert, checked out a bit of The Bourbon Trail and had an opportunity to try a few more new beers.

The first two were provided by our traveling companion, Nate, who like me is a beer snob. He had brought a cooler for the ride up so we could sample a couple of beers he had procured on a recent trip to Chicago. Both were from Dark Horse Brewing in south central Michigan. None of their products are currently available in Tennessee. The first was the Perkulator Coffee Dopplebock, a seasonal lager infused with great coffee taste - a perfect choice since it was still in the A.M. when we cracked this baby open (hey, at least we waited until we crossed over into the Eastern time zone). The second was their Fore Smoked Stout which was pretty good as well. Thanks to Nate for bringing these along and sharing them with me.

We stopped for a quick visit to the tiny Corsair Distillery in Bowling Green - these guys are producing some great spirits and just opened a location in Nashville (with great beer on tap as well) - but that's a whole other blog topic. We stopped for lunch in Bowling Green at the Double Dog Chow House which we just happened upon. It's a sports bar with a dog theme obviously and their food was tasty and their beer selection was fairly impressive. I opted for a bottle of Snake Dog IPA from the Flying Dog Brewing folks over in Maryland. A fairly common IPA that I just haven't had a chance to try yet. It's good stuff. Plenty hoppy with a smooth finish.
As we arrived in Louisville and started to "paint the town red" (whatever that means), it occurred to me that the land of bourbon makes some pretty good beer too. Before our concert we stopped at the downtown brewpub location of Louisville's own Bluegrass Brewing Company. I had a draught pint of their experimental Belgian IPA which was excellent. Belgian-style brewing has never been my favorite, but when you combine the hoppiness of an IPA then I am listening!


After the concert (an excellent show by The Swell Season), we did a bit of bar hopping in the downtown area known as 4th Street Live, and I had a bottle of Kentucky Brewing's ( out of nearby Lexington) Bourbon Barrel Ale at the Maker's Mark Lounge. Excellent bourbon flavor to compliment the amber ale. Nate is a straight bourbon fan as are many people, but I just can't say the same. I think it makes a great compliment to many things like amber ale, port wine, simmering meatballs, etc., but I just can't appreciate the taste straight on. Give me smooth, warm Tennessee-style sippin' whiskey any day of the week....or heck, just give me a beer if ya got it.

We went across the street next to the Ri Ra Irish Pub. Here I started with what I thought was my own concoction - half Guinness and half Red Bull Energy Drink - since it was getting late and I was a dragging a bit and needed a pick-me-up. The bartender said he had never heard of it, but poured it anyway and the Guinness sat as pretty as you please atop the Red Bull with a nice separation line. I told him I thought I had saw it on a menu somewhere, but after more thought it was actually Guinness with a shot of espresso (which sounds pretty good actually because while I can drink Red Bull it's not for the taste, but only the kick). I was gonna take credit for this new drink, but after a little Internet research it seems I am not the first to think of it. It even has a name, "The Flying Guinness." I like mine better: "The Irish Alarm Clock."

I got back to normal after that and ordered a Bells IPA that they had on tap. It's from Bells Brewing in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Not near as hoppy as I prefer, but a decent brew overall with nice color and a good finish. Bells Brewing products are not available in Tennessee yet, but seem to have invaded Kentucky fairly well because Nate had an one of their Oberon Ales at lunch in Bowling Green, but unfortunately he was not very happy with it.

Overall it was a pretty successful beer-hunting trip into the Land of Bourbon with good finds and only a few disappointments - the biggest one being that the BBC Brewpub doesn't serve beer until 1 PM on Sundays (goofy KY law) but yet are open for lunch at 11 AM - hmmpfh! well, at least their food was good. I was able to grab another Kentucky Brewing Bourbon Barrel Ale - this time on draught - at The Old Talbott Tavern in Bardstown in the heart of The Bourbon Trail that Sunday afternoon before we headed home.

Rolling 7 the Easy Way in Vegas

I took a quick long-weekend trip to Las Vegas recently to play some poker and in between tournaments (including a 3rd place finish for a tidy $500 profit at the lovely new Aria Poker Room - photo below) I was able to try seven new brews...surprisingly, all to my liking.

The first two I had were a Lagunitas IPA and a Mirror Pond Pale Ale from Deschutes Brewing. I didn't have to go far to get these either since they were on tap at the Munch Bar in Caesars Palace just a few steps from another of my favorite poker rooms on The Strip. This little eatery is new since I was in Vegas last year. They serve upscale fast food and have about ten beers on tap. The Lagunitas IPA was splendidly hoppy albeit expensive...eight bucks and some change, but at least it was a full pint of beer. Lagunitas is a northern California brewery whose only other product I have tried (Hop Stoopid) was also excellent, but that was while I was in Austin, Texas, because they still don't have a Tennessee distributor. Boo!!! The Mirror Pond Pale Ale was a better deal at $6 a pint and is a very solid beer. Deschutes is in Oregon and this particular beer has won a slew of awards. Also not available in Tennessee. Hiss!!!! I went mobile with this beer in a plastic cup as I took a stroll down The Strip and took in the amazing sites such as the beautiful Bellagio Fountains in action (video below - wait for the beer blog tie-in at the end).

Before leaving Sin City I was able to slip down Las Vegas Blvd. to one of my favorite restaurants/bars in the area, Yard House. They are chain eatery/bar and have over 100 beers on tap (a few of which are pictured below) and during this visit I picked the following three while munching on lunch. First was Moose Drool Brown Ale from Big Sky Brewing. Second was Speakeasy Brewing's White Lightning White Ale, and finally Firestone Double Barrel Ale. The name Moose Drool is funny enough, but it also happens to be a damn fine brown ale with good body and a nice finish. Big Sky Brewing is located as the name might apply in Montana and, of course, this wonderful beer is not available in Tennessee. Speakeasy Brewing out of San Francisco creates on of my favorite IPAs - the Double Daddy - which I first had at this very same Yard House - so I thought I would try their white ale they call White Lightning. White ales (witbier) are light wheat beers with a cloudy look and originated in Belgium. They are best served with an orange slice to supplement and enhance the flavor. I was served it without one which was surprising because after I did ask and received a nice fresh orange slice, the taste soared through the roof. It was easy to drain this smooth refreshing brew in quick order. Firestone Walker Brewing is located in California and their Double Barrel Ale (DBA) is their flagship beer. It's an English-style pale ale (and I usually do not like the English style of pale ales or IPAs) but without the bitterness and flat aftertaste. It may help as the name implies that this beer is processed in oak barrels.
My last stop before heading to the airport to a catch an early evening flight was much farther down Las Vegas Blvd. at the fairly new M Resort and Casino, a stand-alone complex far away from its numerous competitors on The Strip. It was busier inside than I expected as I set off looking for what I came to find: The 32-degree Draft Bar. They boast 96 ice-cold beers on tap and surprisingly with a few different choices than the neighboring Yard House. I give them credit for that since it almost seems obvious they have scouted their competition and want to offer something a little different including local brewers (of which Yard House has none because they are a chain). The first draught I tried was the Anchor Liberty Ale, a very nice dry-hopped product from the grand-daddy of West Coast microbrewing, San Francisco's Anchor Brewing. By the way, none of their beer is made with the use of steam despite it's most popular product, Anchor Steam. Liberty Ale has been produced since the mid-70's (and I am just getting around to it!) and it's a great brew. All of the Anchor beers seem to be distributed nationwide (although I have only seen Anchor Steam around here), so I am going to have to search out, find and try some more of their offerings. I finished with a pint of a seasonal brew from another well-known West Coast microbrewery,the Sierra Nevada Celebration. It's a dry-hopped winter ale with a deep red hue and a nice crisp taste from beginning to end. Although I applaud this beer bar for having local brews, I did not try any for two reasons: 1. the first local they had was Sin City Brewing and I have had it before and it's drivel - total tourist-trap beer. 2. the second was a brown ale from Tenaya Creek Brewing in North Las Vegas and while I wanted to try it, I am already planning to visit that particular brewery on my next trip to Vegas in July. We will see you then, my brown lovely!

ADDENDUM:

I started Cinco de Mayo this year the way it usually goes with a couple of bottles of Dos Equis Amber at a Mexican restaurant, but it ended very differently and very pleasingly as my wife and I and our friends Nate (another beer snob) and Ginny dropped by the Mt. Juliet Beer Company store to see what we could find. We opted for a mixed six-pack variety and the owner told us we could even have a couple out front at some tables he had if we discreetly drank it out of plastic cups...and we did just that! Here's the six I bought and the first two are the ones I had in front of the store:

O"Fallon 5 Day IPA - O"Fallon, Missouri - excellent and hoppy for a bottled IPA

Vanilla Java Stout - Atwater Block Brewery - Detroit - excellent coffee flavor and not too heavy

McSorley's Irish Pale Ale - Latrobe, PA - a bit too bitter for my taste

Point Cascade Pale Ale - Stevens Point Brewery - Wisconsin - good and fairly hoppy

O'Fallon Wheach - Missouri - great peach flavored wheat beer

Blackened Voodoo Lager - Dixie Brewing, New Orleans, LA - a decent dark lager. Glad to see these guys still brewing after Hurricane Katrina hit them hard a few years back.

Sweetwater, Sweeter Beer

My wife and I took a quick trip to Atlanta this past weekend and were able to take a quick visit and tour of Sweetwater Brewing Company. This is easily one of my favorite regional brewers and I clearly think their IPA is one of the best bottled India Pale Ales I have ever had. When I found out recently that Sweetwater doesn't pasteurize their bottled beer, I think I figured out why I like their bottled IPAs so much. The hoppy aroma and flavor isn't blasted away for the sake of longer shelf-life. Pasteurization may not make a big difference in taste of other ales, stouts, lagers and pilsners, but I truly think it hurts hop-heavy IPAs because while all beer is clearly better on draught, it is extremely evident when you compare bottled IPAs to tap-poured ones.


Sweetwater Brewing sits on a dead-end road in an industrial park in the shadow of I-85 near downtown Atlanta and you better be looking for it if you want to find it. No big fancy signs or touristy glitter. This is a working brewery that just happens to have a huge tasting room with a spacious bar that allows folks in for a few hours three days a week. For $12 we got a souvenir glass and 5 tasting tickets. The pours while not full glasses were generous and easy to get thanks to several tap stations despite the surprisingly big crowd that was there. I started with their new seasonal pilsner, Road Trip, and thought it was quite good for what it was. If I have got to drink pilsner, let it be fresh from the brewery. I next opted for the Georgia Brown, a solid brown ale that makes Newcastle pale in comparison. I went for the Blue next which is my wife's favorite. This was my first time having it on draught and it was delightful. I burned my last two tickets and one of wife's on my beloved IPA and the pure draught taste and aroma just blows me away every time.


The quick tour was bit ho-hum with a glorified bartender leading it. He seemed to have rather limited knowledge on the brewery and the brewing process. For example, my wife asked him why the Blue states that it is a "malted beverage" on their bottles and a not a "beer." He had no answer as to why and also admitted he never noticed the label saying that. (how about more beer and less pot, dude?). By the way, a malted beverage is technically a beer, but when flavoring is added to the original beer (for example, blueberries) then legally it can be described as a malt beverage. Despite our Jeff Spicoli tour guide, the Sweetwater operation looks slick and impressive. Our tour guide did reveal the important information I mentioned earlier about Sweetwater not pasteurizing their beer as they aim for quality not quantity. The biggest monetary drawback to non-pasteurized beer for a brewery is of course shelf-life and by that accord Sweetwater is only available in Georgia and it's surrounding states. It's that dedication to real beer taste and quality that makes this microbrew industry such a great thing.

ADDENDUM: Thanks to my friend, Rex, in Atlanta for sharing one of his Full Sail Pale Ales while we were there. A great bottled beer out of Hood River, Oregon.

Something Old and Something New for Nashville Brew

SOMETHING NEW

I was recently able to check out the new Cool Springs Brewery over in Williamson County in the Cool Springs Mall perimeter a bit southwest of Nashville. These guys had really impressed me recently at the Franklin Beer Fest (see previous blog) and I was anxious to see their new digs. My best friend (and previous blog guest), Craig, and his wife, Alison, and their boys, Ryan and Colin, were coming back through town from spring break and gave me a call to meet them for dinner. Albeit a litte out of the way, Craig and I as beer lovers both wanted to give it a try.

The place was easy to find and was really jumping for a Wednesday night. After a brief wait, we were able to get a table. I immediately ordered a pint of their hilariously-named Pecker Wrecker IPA. Yum-a-dum-dum!! Smooth and hoppy to the last drop. Craig had their oatmeal stout and was impressed with it (photo above). I had a sample of the stout at the beer festival, but Craig's opinion is probably more true since stouts are his beer of choice usually.

We ordered New York style pizza for dinner which was enjoyed by all. The pesto and shrimp combo that Alison and I shared was unusual and tasty. My second beer was their Franklin's First. Per the name it has the distinction of being the first microbrew commercially produced in Williamson County whose seat is the city of Franklin. While I am not the biggest fan of the German kolsch-style beer, this stuff isn't bad at all and went down smooth and light.

Unlike some microbreweries, their craft at CSB is actually produced on site. The tanks are visible as you walk in the establishment. They are a bit limited (for now) on production --I wanted to try their Scotch ale (another great name, the Kilt Lifter) but it won't be ready until next week -- but they are off to a great start and I wish them all the success possible. I will definitely be back whenever the opportunity arises. Here's a link for more info:

http://www.coolspringsbrewery.com/


SOMETHING OLD

The other night before a concert at The Ryman, the wife and I and our friend, Nate, met at The Flying Saucer Draught Emporium in downtown Nashville to knock back a few brews. Amazingly, I have never been to The Flying Saucer despite their long-time reputation for having dozens of beer on tap and even more to choose from in bottles. I can't really say why I have not other than lack of purpose on my part. That...is going to have to change. What a great place! We sat out on the open-air patio (the only real bummer is that smoking is allowed inside) and poured over their expansive beer menu. They were running a Sunday special on some of my favorite regional microbrews (Sweetwater, Terrapin, Highland and Yazoo) and par the course I went ahead and picked one from Terrapin right off the bat that they were out of (this seems to happen to me all the time....CARRY MORE HOPPY BEER, PEOPLE!!! IT'S VERY POPULAR!!). So much for the good deal since I had already tried everything else they carried from these particular brands. I settled for the Victory Hop Devil in a bottle for my alternate choice. It was nice and hoppy, but not as extreme as the name might imply, Victory's Hop Wallop remains my favorite from these Pennsylvania brewers. Next I went a little weird and tried Lost Coast Brewing's Tangerine. Not bad for a fruit-infused wheat beer, but now that I have it on my growing list of beers I have tried, I don't see me getting it again. I finished with something I had tried a sample of at a recent beer festival, Rogue's Hazlenut Brown Nectar - this nut brown ale is extremely good and made a great finale for my first, but definitely not last, visit to this regional chain. Here's a link for more info including their 14 locations:
http://www.beerknurd.com/

The Mac Daddy of Original Great Beer Menus

Growing up in the Chattanooga area I have seen it go from one of the most depressing, dirty downtowns anywhere into one of the most vibrant revitalized urban centers around (and I travel a lot and have had a lot to compare it to). The craft beer culture has also been a big part of Chattanooga's rebirth and from previous blogs you can see that I list it as one of my favorite places to drink a beer (Market Street Grille, Deluxe Grill) , discover new beer from around the country and the world (Southern Brewers Fest, Riverside Beverages, Green Life Grocery) and now that even produces great beer (Terminal Brewhouse, Moccasin Bend Brewing). But I would be remiss not to give a shout out to one of the most original and best places in downtown Chattanooga to lead the way if providing great beer selections at reasonable prices with good food to go along with it. The place is called Taco Mac, and it's a regional chain started in Atlanta over 30 years ago. The one in Chattanooga has been open at least 20 years and it's definitely the first place I remember seeing a "real" separate beer menu and where draught beer was taken seriously by the establishment.

My wife and I stopped by for dinner there this past weekend while in town visiting family and we quickly remembered what a great place it is, and that it had been way too long since our last visit. We ordered fajitas and they were excellent. We sat and watched on a huge clear TV screen our favorite college basketball team, Duke, dismantle West Virginia on the their way to the national championship game, and I had two delicious beers. The first was a bottle of Shipyard IPA from Maine. Great hoppy taste and finish. The second was a draught of 400 Lb. Monkey IPA from Left Hand Brewing out in Colorado. A supremely good single-batch seasonal brew that I hope these guys put in their regular rotation because it's a damn good beer.

Thanks again Taco Mac for basically busting my "real beer" cherry so long ago and for continuing to pride yourselves in good beer and good food while copycats spring up all around you.

Franklin Main Street Brewfest 2010

Saturday, March 13, 2010 - Franklin, TN

My wife and I and some friends attended the SOLD OUT Franklin Main Street Brewfest tonight and had a great time. I was able try over a dozen new-to-me beers and was pleasantly surprised at most of the results. This event was known last year as Fiele Franklin and we also attended, (see previous blog), but this year the organizers dropped the free activities early in the day and focused on the beer tasting in the evening, and it was a rousing success since all the $30 tickets were gone well before the 6 PM start.

We started our day as we did last year by having a late lunch and a few pints at McCreary's Irish Pub which is right in the middle of the Brew Fest area of downtown Franklin and one of the stops on the tasting tour. Nothing really new was had while I was there although I did try my wife, Ashlee's, Sweetwater Blue, a blueberry infused ale from one of my favorite regional microbrewer's down in Atlanta. The Brew Fest started promptly at 6 PM and had 22 tasting locations serving over 40 beers. Here's a quick rundown of the new-to-me-stuff I tried and what I thought of each:

- Sierra Nevada Kellerweis - not bad, but I am just not a big fan of wheat beer

- Saranac Irish Red - a decent red ale from one of America's oldest independent breweries in upstate New York.

- Point 2012 Black Ale - a dark, roasted ale with the Mayan calendar deadline in mind

- Point Cascade Pale Ale - a good pale ale from Point Brewing in Wisconsin

-Victory Whirlwind Witbier - again not a big fan of wheat bear, but this one was bearable

- Fruli Strawberry Beer - very sweet going in, but mellows quickly to a nice aftertaste. Great product out of Belgium. Definitely the most unique beer of the tasting.

- Jubilee Nut Brown Ale - one of the few nut brown ales available for tasting tonight and it was a good one. Interesting story in that Jubilee is a brand-new Nashville-based beer company that currently has their nut brown ale brewed at the nearby Bluegrass Brewery in Louisville. Half of the proceeds of their beer sales goes to aid a local youth organization.

- BBC Jefferson's Reserve Stout - a nice hearty stout from Bluegrass Brewing. This was a chaser for a shot of Feckin Irish Whiskey as well.

- Fatback Amber Ale - an excellent product from the new and local Cool Springs Brewery

- Pecker Wrecker IPA - best name of the night, best IPA of the night from the "Best in Show" brewery of the night, Cool Springs Brewery

- Cool Springs Oatmeal Stout - yep, three for three. These guys are doing it right here in Williamson County. An excellent addition to the local microbrew scene.

- 1900 Amber Ale - a nice ale out of Colorado's Fort Collins Brewery

- Retro Red - an Irish red ale also from Fort Collins

- O'Fallon Smoked Porter - a decent brew with a nice smokey flavor and finish from the St. Louis area

- Cablera IPA - an excellent India Pale Ale served up in an aluminum can. This one is a real mystery. I can't find any information on it anywhere. Don't know where it is brewed or even if it's available locally. More research is needed because it was excellent and being in a can makes it Bonnaroo noteworthy. EDITOR NOTE: 7/7/10 - Learn to spell, dumbass. It's Caldera IPA out of Oregon. And, yes, it is available in Tennessee.

We ended the evening after the tastings at The Red Pony Restaurant 's bar and I was actually able to try one last new beer to end the night. The name intrigued me, Old Engine Oil, and when it was poured from its bottle I saw the name was accurate. It's a black ale as dark as motor oil. Its from Harvestoun Brewing in Scotland and I did enjoy its smoky delivery and pleasing aftertaste. A great way to end a great evening of beer tasting. Congrats to the city of Franklin for a roaring success to their 7th annual festival. Here's hoping next year's is bigger and even better.

Blinded by the Tiger

My wife and I took a brief long-weekend trip to New York City and one of our activities was a food tour around one of the great neighborhoods in Manhattan, Greenwich Village. During the tour our guide pointed out a local watering hole called The Blind Tiger on Bleecker Street which she said has "lots of good beer on tap." Well enough said!

After our tour concluded we wandered around in Greenwich Village and found ourselves at The Blind Tiger's door. Smaller than it appeared from outside, we stepped into a charming, little pub very reminiscent of some of the great bars we encounted in Ireland last year. Our guide was dead-on with her report that they had "lots of good beer on tap" - 28 very unique choices to be exact - with only a few I had even heard of. We found a couple of seats and placed our order. I started with the first of 4 new-to-me IPAs available - Smutty Nose from New Hampshire. My wife, Ashlee, is a big fan of ginger beer ever since our trip to Australia a couple of years ago and was excited to see Hitachino Ginger Beer on tap as well. I had a few sips of it on the way back from ordering it at the bar and have to say it is pretty good despite my less-than-enthusiastic opinion of ginger beer. This one was not near as overwhelming in ginger taste as some others we have tried. It also had a whopping 7% ABVwhich was even more than the Smutty Nose weighing in at 6.7%. The Smutty Nose was decent although not as hoppy as I really prefer.

Ashlee stuck with her ginger beer on the second round (the girl is loyal) while I opted for Green Flash IPA out of California. Now this is what I was looking for! Good and hoppy with a great opening flavor and pleasing aftertaste. Ashlee was happy to remain seated in the active little bar people-watching and sipping her ginger beer. I, of course, was VERY happy to continue hanging out in The Blind Tiger as the USA and Canada dropped the puck for Olympic Gold and there were two more IPAs on the board calling my name to try them. Number 3 on the IPA hit parade was Moyland's IPA from California. Not bad, but the Green Flash stayed in the lead as my favorite. I finished my IPA tour with Southern Tier out of New York. And the winner by a nose (not a smutty nose) was Green Flash.

I finished the afternoon with a Slyfox O"Reilly Stout from Pennsylvania which was nice and hearty in flavor and weight and at only 3% ABV, a good way to slow down before I was walking out of the place like a blind tiger! We met some really nice locals who obviously enjoyed beer and they were telling us about another place in Brooklyn called Spuyten Duyvil (Spitting Devil) that had an interesting beer menu as well. Definitely something worth checking out the next time we visit The Big Apple, and I sure wouldn't mind coming back to The Blind Tiger.

BY THE BY: On our way to NYC we got stuck in the Philly airport for four hours due to a mechanical problem with our inbound plane. We drowned our sorrows in a fairly cool airport bar there called The Jet Bar (kind of a Hard Rock Cafe-style place) and they had two decent local mircobrews on tap: The Sly Fox Pale Ale had a clean, smooth taste, and the Dock Street Rye IPA wasn't as hoppy as I prefer, but it was an interesting blend and a decent beer overall.