The Beer Tap

Michigan Beer Stop #2: Founders

After departing Bell's, I made the hour and a half drive up MI 131 to Grand Rapids to visit Founders Brewing Co.  The Taproom is located right next to the brewing operations with several views into the process area through windows throughout.  The brewery itself is tucked into an older industrial building that has been restored and now also contains a number of offices (I think they were offices).  Founders grew out of the home brewing hobby and despite 10 years of operation still only produces about 4,000 barrels a year according to their website.  Don't get me wrong...slow growth is not necessarily a bad thing, though.  Another patron who frequents the Taproom told me that they had recently installed some new tanks so capacity may be a little higher now.  He also mentioned that they were already using 100% of that new capacity.  Good thing they are working on building a brand new brewery! I already feel lucky that such a small brewery is able to get product all the way over to Milwaukee.  I'd hate to find out capacity limits prevented them from getting Dirty Bastard and Red's Rye on tap here in town.

When I arrived, I made my way directly over to the bar and ordered up my first pint: Kentucky Breakfast.  Catchy name, eh?  Breakfast is a stout brewed with coffee and vanilla which is then aged in oak bourbon barrels.  So coffee accounts for "breakfast" and bourbon is made in "Kentucky".  There isn't any fried chicken in it in case that's what you were thinking.  A very tasty brew with bourbon and oak flavors that are very apparent but not overpowering.  The coffee comes through in both the aroma and in taste.  I bet this would be a perfect beer for a cold winter day (or morning if you prefer).      

Next I tried a sip of their 10th Anniversary Deca.  It was listed on the board with a high ABV and I knew a whole glass would be too much.  I didn't take any notes on it because it was way too sweet for my tastes.  I believe Founders used some sort of dark sugar or molasses in the brewing process and too much of that dark, sweet flavor remained in my opinion. 

Finally, I went for the Space Mountain Brown since I was focusing on new beers and the alcohol percentage was in the right range for me to complete the remaining 2.5 hours of driving.  When I ordered the Brown, I was expecting a standard American brown ale.  I was surprised when I discovered that it was actually a Belgian style brown.  I found it similar to Fat Tire in that it was very smooth and drinkable, but with more pronounced Belgian yeast flavors and roasted, malt sweetness.  A sessionable beer without any offending flavors.  It was good to taste something new, but I think Founders other beers are at a higher level.  It can be tough when you set the bar high with your customers!

It was then time to hit the road.  Why call it completely quits on Founders for the weekend, though?  I grabbed a Red's Rye growler to go…a souvenir jug for me and beer to share with friends over the weekend.  And since the Blushing Monk at 13% ABV also seemed like a bad idea before getting behind the wheel, I grabbed a 22 oz of that as well.  Both were enjoyed by all without worry of tasting notes.  After all...we had a wedding to celebrate!

Michigan Beer Stop #1: Bell's

Despite my goal of 5 breweries during the holiday weekend, I only made it to 3.  That's batting 600 and not too bad considering that I also had a wedding with activities on Friday and Saturday.  I think I also get additional points for hitting up one location twice.  Yep...twice.  More details on that later...

First stop on the tour was Bell's Brewery Inc. in Kalamazoo, MI which is approximately 245 miles from my house.  I left in the morning with the goal of reaching Bell's just in time for lunch at their brew pub.  As I rolled up to where Google maps had so kindly led me, I realized that I must have entered the wrong address.  I was in an office/industrial park and couldn't imagine a brewpub surviving so far from the city.  Unfortunately I had accidentally mapped the brewery instead of the brew pub.  Not all bad since it was only about 7 miles out of the way and I got to snap this great picture of the brewery.  Plus it added to the anticipation of getting to my first beer and some lunch.  I was hungry and thirsty!  Luckily a nice women at the front desk got me back on the road headed in the right direction and at the pub in about 15 minutes. 

Upon reaching the pub I headed straight to the bar and ordered up my first beer.  I've had most of the Bell's collection so I wanted to branch out and try any seasonals or special brewpub only offerings.  My eyes quickly found their Batch 8000, a strong wheat beer and the 8,000th that Bell's has brewed, and a 12 ounce specialty glass (pictured on the left) was quickly in hand.  I was expecting something in the neighborhood of a wheat wine with the 9% ABV rating, but was pleasantly surprised by the banana and clove aromas.  Batch 8,000 was not a wheat wine, but rather a German style wheat where the yeast contributes a great deal of flavor and aroma.  I found this beer to be very well balanced and the alcohol level to be subdued despite being on the high end.  There also was not any cloying sweetness that can sometimes be an issue for higher alcohol beers.  A good start to my Bell's tasting experience.  [Update: Apparently its a Belgian style beer, but the flavors and aromas were very similar to a German style in my opinion.  Banana aroma and the combination of coriander, orange peel, and paradise seed came across clove-like for me. Hey...either way I liked it!]

With the first couple of sips across my tongue, I quickly turned to the food menu and discovered a sandwich with two different pork products: pulled pork and bacon.  Since I was on my way to my friend Brian's wedding I decided that bacon was definitely a necessity.  You see...bacon is Brian's kryptonite and I am not sure I have never seen him pass it up.  I could think of no better meal to begin the weekend than a sandwich that combined two cuts from the "wonderful magical animal" as Homer would say.  Plus pork and German beer are a natural pair!      

As I finished up eating the delicious sandwich, I noticed that the only other beer I had not tried before was Bell's Oktoberfest (5.3% ABV by the sign in the bar).  Another German style beer that fit well with the theme started with the first beer and lunch, so I ordered up a pint.  The beer had a nice clean malt aroma and crisp malt flavors.  The malt flavor was nutty and earthy and consistent with what I tend to associate with malty beers made in Europe.  The finish was dry and clean leading to a beer with great malt flavor and no excessive sweetness.  Very enjoyable, but alas I had to get back in the car so I had to refrain from drinking it all.  Yep...I bricked half a pint of very good beer.  To go cups are typically frowned on and for good reason. 

Overall, Bell's Brewpub has great food and the solid beer I have come to expect from the brewery.  My only negative was that the service at the bar was unfriendly and the bartender appeared to be less than thrilled he was there.  I don't need to be pampered in a brewpub, but even a faint attempt at hospitality isn't too much to expect in my opinion.  Let's just say that even if I hadn't been on a road trip I probably wouldn't have stayed any longer than it took to finish the half pint I left behind.  Big miss on their part in my opinion and I certainly hope that this is limited to one individual on a bad day!  Since everything else was excellent, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.  Bell's can rest easy that they haven't completely lost a customer since will still pick up the Double Cream Stout and the Hopslam when they reappear on store shelves.

Up next....Stop #2: Founders

World of Beer: Tampa Beer Bar

Last week for work I was on the road for a few days which sometimes offers me a chance to try new beers, breweries, or bars.  While in Tampa, co-workers took me out for a few beers at a local bar called World of Beer.  I had not heard of the place, but the name alone was enough to warrant a visit!  What can I say...I am a sucker for even just the potential of a large beer selection.  When we first arrived in the parking lot, I have to admit that I was a little pessimistic since World of Beer is tucked into a shopping center.  In my past experience, bars in strip malls have not been my favorites.  As we got closer to the front door, I realized that my concerns were totally unfounded.  The first thing you see as you walk in is an entire wall of cooler doors filled with singles.  Several doors of American crafts, a door of British imports, a door of German imports, two or three doors of Belgians, etc.  My time searching out beer in Florida is extremely limited, but I have to think that this collection represents probably everything available in the state or at least 90 plus percent.  But it only gets better...as you move back into the bar, you hit a wall of 30 taps.  Score!   

It was a Wednesday night so the crowd was not too large, but we hardly had the place to ourselves.  Definitely a relaxed vibe with all people of all ages including someone celebrating their 21st birthday.  The service was friendly, prompt, and helpful in selecting beers to try.  On a number of occasions I witnessed bartenders walking over to the cooler doors with several patrons to help them select their next beer.  If I lived in the area, I could see this becoming one of my favorite bars.  As you can see in the picture to the right, there are even a number of TVs for catching important games, but the focus is not purely on sports.  Beer is the main attraction here! 

I did not take any notes on the beers I tried, but one beer stood out as worth mentioning.  Even then, the beer was good but it was the way in which the beer was served that I noticed most.  My pint of Sea Dog Blue Paw Wheat Ale (Maine) was served with a small handful of tiny blueberries swimming in the glass.  A nice visual addition to a beer with a great blueberry aroma and subtle flavor.  According to their website, Maine wild blueberries are added to the beer during the brewing process.  The beer is a nice golden color so I am curious how they got all of the flavor and aroma without any of the blue coloring my hombrewed blueberry beers have displayed.  Also...the beer isn't the Belgian style wheat that most breweries are creating these days.  It was very clean and I suspect a very neutral yeast was used in combination with a relatively low amount of wheat.  All guesses on my part, though.

For a full list of the beers available at World of Beer, check out the following links:

                                 Bottled Beer                        On Tap

Belgian IPA, the Unconnected Life, and Homebrew Mishaps

Its been a tough week!  My Internet at home has been down for almost a week now.  I had forgotten what's it like not having instant access to sports scores, news, and weather.  I even tried a local coffee shop last night to get this post up, but they were also having issues.

Compounding the lack of connectivity was disappointment on the homebrew front.  2 of the last 3 beers I've made have been well below expectations.  An amber clone lacked the necessary solid malt backbone and was slightly tainted by some wild bugs along the way.  After handing out some advice on sanitation to the guys over at Monday Night Brewery, it seems only fitting that I would run into issues of my own.  Hoses have been replaced and the bleach is on stand by for use before my next batch (and no that's not going into the beer).  I also ended up with an IPA at the low end of the bitterness threshold while a bit heavy on hop flavor, but it was an experiment and I am less upset about that one.  It is still drinkable.  Luckily my kolsch finished up quite nicely after 2 months of lagering in the fridge.  I expect that keg to go quick!

Enough lamenting about my woes and on to some beer...Back two weeks ago I was at Cafe Hollander here in town which offers a solid selection of Belgian beers in the bottle and on tap.  In fact, the only American beers on tap are all Belgian Wheat beers with a few other European imports thrown in for variety.  So if you go, designate a driver, order up some Patat Frites, and work your way down the extensive beer menu.  On this trip, I was there with a couple of people from work and one of the guys was a homebrewer.  He recommended that we try this Belgian IPA he had sampled before.  Yeah...a Belgian IPA.  How could this be?  What would this taste like?  I was sold and the bottle of Chouffe Houblon Dobbelen IPA Tripel by Brasserie d' Achouffe was ordered.  Here is the breweries description of the beer and its pertinent specifications:

A unique marriage between the English tradition of IPAs, the new American revolution of Imperial IPAs and the classic Belgian way of brewing. Houblon Chouffe, although very much hopped as it is, showcases the unique balance between a very strong IPA and a very special Belgian Tripel exclusively created for this ale (Big malty body, distinct dryness, expressive estery fruitiness). - IBU: 59, Original Gravity: 1092

The beer poured with an amazing head of thick creamy foam that rode all the way to the bottom of the glass maintaining a pyramid-like shape imparted from the special glass.  Rarely do I get too excited about head retention, but this was absolutely amazing and added to the enjoyment of the beer.  The beer was a pleasant mix of a Belgian tripel and the higher hopping rates typically found in IPAs, although not at the Imperial IPA level currently showing up here in the states.  Overall I found this to be an intriguing beer with a complexity of flavors that change as the beer moves from the front of your tongue to the swallow.  I didn't take detailed notes on the tasting, but wanted to share my general enjoyment of the beer nonetheless.  For more detailed reviews be sure to check out notes on Rate Beer.  Better yet, run by Whole Foods (I have seen it there in multiple cities) and pick up a bottle yourself.  You won't be disappointed!  If you do, be sure to come back and drop your tasting notes in the comments.

Terrapin Rye Pale Ale and The Vortex

Last week on my way to Daytona, I made a quick pit stop for a night in Atlanta.  I was staying in Midtown so I ducked into The Vortex Bar and Grill for lunch on the 4th.  I went to undergrad in Atlanta and was a frequent visitor for both the burgers and the beer.  In fact, the tap and bottle selection probably helped launch my quest to try new and unique beers that some may say is now a borderline obsession.  While there last week, I decided to limit myself to US crafts that aren't available where I live.  One immediately jumped out and I quickly ordered up a 20 oz Imperial pint of Terrapin Rye Pale Ale.  I have heard of the beer many times, but for some reason I cannot pinpoint what I read that had me so excited to try it.  I know the guys over at Monday Night Brewery have mentioned it before, but I do not think they praised it to a cult like level.  Hey...I had never tried it, so that's enough reason to get me pumped!

A little history on the beer that I discovered on Terrapin's website now that I am home...the Rye Pale Ale was first released in 2002 and 6 months after its release won the American Pale Ale Gold medal at the GABF.  Not bad and reminiscent of Sam Adams when they first launched.  I was also surprised to discover the number of different malts and hops used to produce the beer:

• Malt: 2-row pale, Munich, Malted Rye, Biscuit Malt, Honey Malt
• Hops: Amarillo, Cascade, East Kent Goldings, Fuggle, Magnum
• IBU's: 45
• O.G.: 13.5
• ABV: 5.3%

I did not take detailed tasting notes while at the Vortex, but decided instead to test my shorthand and memory.  Probably not the best idea considering the weekend that followed but here goes!

• Appearance: Copper to caramel color, lasting tan head
• Aroma: Some malt sweetness noticeable, citrus and grapefruit aromas
• Taste: Lightly toasted malt and biscuit/bread flavors, Slightly spicy and biting on the tongue, A dryness from the use of the rye comes through, Not over powering with bitterness, pine and herbal hop flavors

The verdict?  Definitely worthy of another pint.  Very drinkable yet still somewhat complex and nuanced.  A good choice to start the holiday weekend!

Roman's Pub

Over the weekend I finally made my way to Roman's Pub here in Milwaukee.  Most craft beer drinkers in town have been telling me for months that I needed to make the trip down.  Here's the funny part....its only 6 miles from my house and its taken me 6 months to get there.  Pretty pathetic when you think about it.  I go out of my way to walk every beer aisle in any store near by but somehow have trouble convincing myself to drive down there.  Now that I realize just how close they are, I think I'll be heading over there more often.

The bar itself is located in an old house that probably hasn't been a house in a really long time.  Pictures around the bar show older versions of what used to be there and while they look house-like there is no doubt that each one is a bar that once "lived" there.  In its current life, Roman's is a very laid back, no extra frills, beer focused bar.  When we arrived, Roman himself was behind the bar and quick to toss advice our way.  I was sold on the 2004 vintage Sierra Bigfoot pretty quickly, but was given the option to "try before you buy".  I am usually willing to buy a full pint without the upfront sample, but then again I love to try new beers.  I think a full pint gives you the opportunity to fully appreciate what a beer is all about.  Even if you decide it just isn't the beer for you, at least you know for sure. 

Anyways...back to the bar and the beer.  The Bigfoot had mellowed very nicely over the last few years.  The bitterness and high hopping were still noticeable but in a less pronounced manner.  The malt sweetness was still there and combined well with the bitterness and hop flavor that remained.  I think you definitely could have used the phrase "rounded out" in this instance.  After that, I decided to completely switch gears and tried the Monks Cafe Flemish Sour Red Ale.  I think this beer served more a pallet cleanser for the final course.  I am not usually a fan of sour beers and lambics, but I keep trying them just in case.  I have to say that this one was pretty tart and not one of my favorites.  For those who like these styles of beers, you may really enjoy this particular one.  I chalked it up to pushing the limits and trying new things.  A sort of self imposed, adult version of being forced taste new things when you are a kid.

After stepping out, I decided to go with one final selection that I was pretty sure I would like.  I had heard good things about Dragon's Milk from New Holland and was anxious to finally try it.  Rich, creamy, smooth.  Close your eyes and you might think you are drinking a beer milkshake (hmmmm...might have to try that).  Also tasted caramel sweetness, roasted grains, vanilla, hints of bourbon.  Definitely the right way to finish off the night.

Other beers in the cellar I look forward to trying on future trips: New Glarus Barleywine, North Coast Old Stock Ale, and South Shore Bourbon Barrel-Aged Coffee Mint Stout.  I may have to wait a while to see these on tap, but the rest of the beer selection should help keep me busy while I wait!  Now we just need the guys over at Stone to get out here to Wisconsin so they can be on tap there as well.  Apparently it is in the works...but I am growing impatient.  For now, I will just have to keep flying back to the West coast to get my fix.  Every other weekend, you'll find me sitting at the bar at Roman's enjoying the great beers they do have.

the otheroom

Over the weekend I was back in LA and had the opportunity to return to one of my favorite beer bars on the west side, the otheroom.  OK...so its not exactly your normal beer focused bar.  Rather its an upscale bar/lounge that serves up a nice selection of beer and wine.  The concept started as "the room" in Soho in NYC.  Since then 2 more locations have opened in New York, 1 in Miami, and the otheroom in Venice.  The otheroom combines big city style, hip decor, a laid back crowd and of course good drinks. 

The tap list is always rotating with a few regulars.  This past trip included Bear Republic Racer 5, Rogue, Widmer Pear Cider, and Chimay on tap.  They also feature a number of bottle beers as well.  (I unfortunately decided to get my fill of the Racer 5 and failed to venture out too far.)  There are certainly larger total selections at other places in LA or throughout California, but I really enjoy the ambiance.  It is the kind of place that you can take any of your friends, even if they usually do not like beer focused bars.

Just a word of warning...this location is popular with the locals with lines forming by 11 PM on the weekends.  Unlike lots of LA, there is no list so get there a little early and stay late.  Venice locals cut the line, but hey...they probably invest a good bit of money over time.

Another interesting feature of the bar?  The bartender usually DJs so there is no telling what will be on. 

If you make it to LA and need a place to chill with friends over some good beer, this just might be your place.

On the street bar review

I got a call from my friend OC on Friday about a bar he was drinking at in Atlanta.  I've been wanting to add posts about good places to drink beer so I asked him to send me some info.  Here is what he had to say... 

"Attached is the website for the Brick Store.  A pub in the Decatur area of Atlanta.  Check out the Belgian beer list. Its unbelievable! The rest of their beer list is pretty amazing as well.  This place was like the Gingerman on steroids.  The atmosphere was awesome, and we even had a pretty good dinner.  Great brunswick stew and shepards pie.

I had the Kasteelbier Brune, Rochefort 8, Westmalle Dubbel, De Koninck, Blaugies La Maneuse (very awesome saison), Maredsous 8, and a Liefman's Frambozen for dessert (this was a great raspberry wheat, very rich).

I don't think there is a valid excuse not to stop into this place if you are in the area…"

OC went on a mission at the GABF to find all the Belgian style beers he could that were made in America so if he says its good, I trust him!  The Gingerman is a bar in Houston that also has a lot of beers.  Typically around 50 or so plus seasonals.  If you happen to be in the Atlanta area, be sure to check this place out.  I know I will!  Just checkout this list of beers they have: Belgian List.

Do you know of a place that has a great selection of beers?  Send me a review and I'll add it to the blog.  In the future, I hope to develop a list or database that includes beer freindly bars and stores across the US.  A few other sites do this, but they tend not to be current and often lack any details.  Maybe we can fill the void.