Washington, DC

What better way to beat the Monday blues than reminisce about a convivial weekend of beer tasting?

On Saturday, our buds Justin and Teri came over to sample two of our bottles and one of their parting gifts from SAVOR:

• Pursuit of Hoppiness, an Imperial Red from Grand Teton Brewing Co. in Idaho
• Black Moon IPA, an American Black Ale from Rock Art Brewery in Vermont
• SAVOR Flowers, a collaboration beer brewed by Jim Koch of Boston Beer Company and Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head

Kelly and I liked the black IPA best but SAVOR Flowers was the most discussed. According to Beer Advocate's style guide it is a Scottish Gruitt / Ancient Herbed Ale which has been said to stimulate the mind, create euphoria, and enhance sexual drive. I will agree to the first two but don't feel comfortable commenting on the third.

The next portion of our evening took place in Northeast, DC beginning at The Red and The Black, a dive bar with a little goth and some Syfy (yes, Mega Python vs. Gatoroid was on TV and the patrons were cheering). It's a strange mix but they have a good beer selection - although no taps! Our choices:

• The Public, a Pale Ale from the capital's own DC Brau for Kelly
• Fat Dog, an Imperial Oatmeal Stout from Stoudt's in Pennsylvania for me
• Lake Erie Monster (the last 2 bottles, lucky bastards), a Double IPA from Great Lakes in Ohio for Justin and Teri

The final leg of our journey was only 0.2 miles farther down H Street: Biergarten Haus. Our previous visit occurred during September's H Street Festival, an eclectic annual event showcasing arts and entertainment - including DC Rollergirls arm wrestling - and the mood Saturday night was just as boisterous.

We spent an hour in the upstairs bar before grabbing a bench on the patio, right in front of live music. We made new friends and even bumped into a mutual acquaintance, Matt, who works at Port City Brewing Co. in Alexandria (to be reviewed at a later date!) So our beer worlds collided but we went all German:

• Hofbrau Dunkel Weizen (the seasonal) and Hofbrau Original Lager for Kelly
• Paulaner Hefe-Weissbier and Hofbrau Original Lager for me
• Köstritzer Schwarzbier and Paulaner Premium Pils for Justin
• Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse and Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier for Teri

Prost! (Sept. 2010)

I've never had the pleasure of traveling to Deutschland but Kelly spent 3 weeks there during the 2006 FIFA World Cup and vouched for Biergarten Haus' authenticity.

Of course the main drawback is its location. If you're not driving (parking and valet service ARE available) you're fairly limited to bus, H Street Shuttle or taxi. Is it worth the haul? YES...at least once to toss back a liter, nosh on a wurst platter, and see what the hubbub is about.

Wilmington, DE

We spend a lot of time with my retired parents in Wilmington, NC so it was fun to check out the OTHER one on our ride home through Delaware. Iron Hill Brewery has 7 locations: Newark, West Chester, Wilmington, North Wales, Phoenixville, Lancaster and Maple Shade, with a Chestnut Hill site opening later this year.

I created a sampler of the Maibock, Vienna Red Lager, Saison Noir (the Seasonal Belgian Ale) and Bourbon Vanilla Porter. Kelly ordered glasses of the Dunkelweizen and Bourbon Vanilla Porter. The latter was our favorite - fantastic flavor! Our only complaint was the steep price tag on Iron Hill's bottled reserves, ranging from $16.50 to $24.50. Unusually high for a local craft brewery and a deal breaker for us.

I have to add that the food was stellar - some of the best on our trip in fact. I loved the Caribbean Spiced Chicken Breasts (especially that golden pineapple chutney) and Kelly chowed down on the Seafood Pot Pie, bursting with shrimp, scallops, jumbo lump crab and veggies. The riverfront deck was picture perfect so we're giving this spot the seal of approval for anyone passing through Wilmington and looking for well-made beer and food in a scenic setting.

Northampton, MA

Northampton is a college town with diverse venues for dining and drinking. We enjoyed both activities tremendously at The Dirty Truth on Main Street. The dimly lit interior with red walls and black accents struck me as a contemporary wine bar, but the long line of taps quickly corrected that notion.

We hopped up to a bar table and spread open the artful menu. Now, I realize this is a beer blog but allow me two sentences to gush about our food...grilled corn on the cob with herbed citrus compound butter to start, then pulled BBQ duck breast sliders (with impossibly delicious carrot jam that they make in-house and would not sell to me). Kelly was presented with a humongous, glass dish of baked mac and cheese jacked up with cayenne pepper and a couple add-ons.


As for the liquid portion, I sat out the first round - content in foodie paradise - then ordered Beer of the Gods, an American Blonde Ale from High and Mighty Beer Co. in MA. It would have paired better with the currywurst but I still deemed it unoriginal. (Kelly thinks I'm being harsh, but hey, I want impressive brews in my glass and assume our readers do too.)


Kelly enjoyed:

• De Ranke's Noir De Dottignies, a Belgian Dark Strong Ale and nice change of pace from the American styles he had been favoring
• Bear Republic's Apex, a double IPA which he couldn't resist

On our final day, we appropriately moseyed over to Northampton Brewery, the oldest operating brewpub in New England. The brewery itself is located in a restored carriage house (c. 1894) but years of renovations have expanded the facility to include a basement, new kitchen, sunroom, and 150-seat rooftop beer garden where we sat!

We both ordered 4 samples:

• Scuba's Marzen, Blackberry Porter, Hoover's Porter, and Black Cat Stout for Katie
• Summer Fling, Scuba's Marzen, Blackberry Porter, and Blue Boots IPA for Kelly

Inside, Kelly also tried Black Cat on cask. Our only complaint is that Northampton did not have any unique or experimental beers aside from the subtle blackberry porter. This could be a product of our timing though, and we thought the history and outdoor dining made the trip worthwhile.

Greenfield, MA

Hello again faithful followers, this post highlights two different beer havens from the small Western Massachusetts town of Greenfield.

Right off Main Street is The People's Pint, a quaint little brewpub recommended by our good friends Justin and Teri Housenger.  After an intense night of partying at my best friend's wedding, we weren't super-motivated to try more beer, but I pulled it together and ordered a sampler. (It's all for the blog.)

I enjoyed Farmer Brown, obviously a brown ale; Pied PIPA, an American IPA; the Double IPA; and the Oatmeal Stout on cask.  Nothing too crazy, but every style was well done and it was a great spot for lunch.

The next stop on the tour through Greenfield was Ryan & Casey Liquors, another outstanding recommendation from the Housengers. Definitely one of the better stores I've visited, and the local selection was incredible.  In addition to the crazy amounts of liquor and wine, packed beer freezers lined every wall plus Belgian and American bombers were kept at room temperature in the middle of the store.

While I could have spent an hour or more pondering the selection before me, Katie was recovering in the car so I had to be decisive.  This was my stash, mostly local but I had to splurge on some Port and Grand Teton as well (and please feel free to be jealous):

• Element Brewing Dark Element - Black IPA
• Element Brewing Vernal - Dunkel Wheat Wine
• Grand Teton Pursuit of Hoppiness - Imperial Red Ale
• Grand Teton Trout Hop - Black IPA
• Haverhill Brewery Triskelion - Barley Wine
• Middle Ages Brewing Dragonslayer - Russian Imperial Stout
• Paper City Brewing Fogbuster Coffee House Ale - American Porter
• Paper City Brewing Hop Monster - Double IPA
• Port Brewing Panzer - Imperial Pilsener
• Port Brewing Shark Attack - Imperial Red Ale
• Pretty Things December 6th, 1855 EIP (East India Porter) - English Porter
• Wachusett Larry - Double IPA

I must say, while this looks like a run-of-the-mill liquor store from the outside (flickering neon sign included), it's a top notch beer store on the inside and I easily could have spent our life's savings in there.  Luckily, I did not.  And the 10% off cases (boxes of 12 bombers) helped ease the burden!

If you're ever in Western Mass and want to find one of the best local beer selections, I recommend this place highly.

Grafton, VT

We're giving a nod to Grafton because our two-night stay at The Old Tavern presented us ample opportunity to try a variety of bottles from McNeill's Brewery in Brattleboro, VT.  While attending the wedding of one of my best friends, we were shocked to have a quality selection from a local craft brewer.  I know at most weddings we've attended (including our own), we're lucky to find Sam Adams amongst the Amstels and Bud Lights, so this was certainly a treat.  The selection itself was very impressive as well, with some more of McNeill's extreme beers available.

Someone who agreed with us

Between the two of us, we sampled Blond Bombshell, Extra Special Bitter, Champ Pale Ale, Sunshine India Pale Ale, Dead Horse India Pale Ale, Warlord Imperial IPA, Pullman's Porter, Oatmeal Stout, and Dead Angel Imperial Stout.  So yeah, that's a lot of McNeill's beer on hand.  Of course, we did space it out over two nights, but needless to say it fueled our good times.  I was particularly fond of the Dead Angel, Warlord, and Pullman's Porter.  I think Katie was a fan of everything, if you know what I mean.  The wedding was insanely fun regardless of the beer selection, but that was a definite bonus.  Great job Vermont by staying local!

Kelly, Groom Tim, Vick & Ricky

Greensboro, VT

Greetings everyone, I have broken from the shackles of my iPad in order to compose an eloquent post about the brewery known as Hill Farmstead.  By far the most remote destination on our New England brewery tour, it was well worth the drive up unpaved roads and off our GPS grid.  The atmosphere was probaby what you'd expect of a two-man farm operation, but that only added to the allure.

Not Hill Farmstead...but across the street from it

Facing the parking lot was the actual production brewery, with founder Shaun Hill concocting his masterpieces.  (He's standing behind me...take my word for it.)  Attached was a larger structure with separate side entrance to the tasting room.

At the helm of the taps was Hill Farmstead's other employee, Dan, who is incredibly knowledgable and has sampled just about everything out there.  We enjoyed chatting with him about all things beer-related and give him extra credit for fearlessly braving the transition from Brooklyn to Greensboro. The man is seriously dedicated to craft beer.


As for the sweet nectar of Hill Farmstead itself...nothing short of amazing.  We were able to try six different brews, four of which Shaun named after ancestors:

• Edward, the flagship pale ale, which was the hoppiest pale ale I've ever tasted
• Florence, a wheat saison
• James, a black IPA
• Motueka, a single hop pale ale named after a New Zealand variety of hops rarely used in the US
• Double Citra, a double IPA using only Citra hops (American variety)
• Abner, a double IPA and my personal favorite of the entire trip

There's no doubt that Abner stacks up to the super-hoppy double IPAs I have experienced on the West Coast.  But each beer was superb in its own right, and definitely ranks up there with the best I've had.

In addition to the tastings, we wisely decided to purchase some logo items...a t-shirt for Katie and a Belgian-style glass for me.

L to R: Katie, souvenir t-shirt in-hand, taps of glory,
Dan (aka James McAvoy in Katie's dreams)

We also bought the following ancestor-inspired bottles:

• Anna, a honey saison
• Flora, essentially the wheat saison, Florence, aged in wine barrels
• Edward, a 750 mL bottle of fresh pale ale to share with my best friends at the wedding

Overall, the trip was outstanding...and completely worth arriving (nearly!) late to the wedding rehearsal in Grafton.

The Road to Beervana

Morrisville, VT

We're back on the grid after a wild (though not so wireless) wedding weekend in Grafton, VT so let's recap briefly. Our first stop Thursday was the brand new Rock Art Brewery location that had opened only the day before. Aside from some boxes and construction dust, they are up and running with tons of swag and an online store coming soon. Mainly, the space will allow them to double their beer production. We had the pleasure of meeting Renee, whose husband Matt started the brewery in their home's basement in 1997. Rock Art's name was inspired by the petroglyph images they discovered while living in Colorado. Needless to say, Renee was positively gleeful about the recent expansion!

We paid $3 to sample four beers in a souvenir glass. First up was Whitetail, a golden wheat ale and first beer Matt brewed. Next was Ridger Runner, a mild barley wine and an interesting interpretation. I've never heard of a "mild" barley wine, but it was definitely toned down in both ABV and flavor. The third beer was Midnight Madness, a smoked porter and Katie's favorite. We ended with Magnumus ete Tomahawkus, an extreme take on the ESB style and very hoppy.

All in all the beers were great and we were fortunate to see the new brewery. We wish Rock Art the best of luck and hope they can eventually distribute to the DC area.

Burlington, VT

Welcome to day #2 in the Green Mountain State where we sampled Cold Hollow cider and fudge, Grand View Winery's tasting, Cabot cheese, and yes, more beer. For lunch we drove to Burlington's Farmhouse Tap and Grill. Katie's picks were half glasses of Trapp's Vienna Lager; Rock Art's IPA; and her favorite, Sierra Nevada's Snowed In Stout, an imperial oatmeal stout and product of their beer camp. Kelly opted for Trapp's Dunkel; J.W. Lee's Harvest Ale 2009, an English-style barley wine on cask; and Hill Farmstead's Abner - yep, so good he had to try it again.

Our bartender, Justin, tipped us off about a 5pm tapping of the bourbon barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout cask from Lawson's Finest Liquids, a nanobrewery located in Warren, VT. Naturally - after listening to a bit of the Burlington Jazz Festival and walking along Lake Champlain - we returned for this momentous event and enjoyed the beer garden ambiance despite midday thunderstorms.

For dinner we dropped in on American Flatbread which has its own onsite brewery, Zero Gravity. In honor of the 6th Annual Real Ale Regalia (R.A.Re.) we started with 2 casks: Farnum Hill Dooryard Cider with '07 and '09 harvest vintages from Lebanon, NH for Katie; and Kelly's favorite of the night, Zero Gravity's Old Ale, an English-style strong ale brewed with heather flowers. We then sampled a couple of the house drafts: a rather soapy Wheelhouse (lavender ginger pale ale) and Black Cat Porter for Katie, and Conehead (wheat IPA) and TLA IPA for Kelly. We finished the evening with another half glass apiece: a quality Tribbel (Belgian-style Abbey Ale) for Katie and an unusually carbonated 90 Schilling Scotch Ale, Greg, for Kelly. And shoutout for tonight's flatbread special - chorizo sausage gumbo with red and green peppers, sweet corn, baby spinach and Grafton cheddar - deeelish.

We actually made a final stop at Beverage Warehouse, 3 miles away in Winooski. The store offered a vast selection, especially of Vermont beers, but we left empty-handed (shocker!) due to our thorough work thus far. Stay tuned....

Waterbury, VT

Tonight we're staying at The Old Stagecoach Inn on Main Street - conveniently (and intentionally) 1 block from the highly anticipated brewpub, The Alchemist Pub and Brewery. Katie's 4oz flight consisted of their Holy Cow IPA, Celia Saison and Pappy's Porter. Kelly kicked it off with a pint of Shut the Hell Up!, a 3% super hoppy session beer, and followed that with Mortal Sin, a black IPA. We shared Wild Child, a sour ale - happy to report, not too tart.

We then walked across the street for a nightcap at Blackback Pub and Fly Shop where Kelly imbibed Hill Farmstead's Edward, their flagship pale ale. 'Twas a good night indeed!

Montpelier, VT

Yankee Brew News tipped us off to a gem: Three Penny Taproom. If we lived in Montpelier, we'd probably be at that bar 5 nights a week. The chalkboard menu boasted 24 taps but we stuck with the Vermont offerings and ordered 5oz flights: Trapp's Helles Lager and Maibock, and Hill Farmstead's Arthur Saison for Katie; The Shed Three Penny IPA (house beer), and Hill Farmstead's Abner (Double IPA) and Double Citra Single Hop IPA for Kelly. Arthur and Abner were the favorites.

Unfortunately, due to a recent flood, Three Penny's bottle selection was unavailable but our knowledgable bartender, Scott, guided us through the drafts and even helped us improve upon this week's beertinerary. For anyone planning a visit - if your arteries can handle it - best grilled cheese ever and then drive 15 minutes to Waterbury for dessert at the Ben and Jerry's factory.

New Haven, CT

Greetings from green and pristine Connecticut where even the fire stations look like prep schools. Thanks to 95N road work along the NY/CT border, we arrived at our 1st beer destination thirstier than ever. Delaney's Taproom accommodated us on the patio with the first round: the much sought-after New England Brewing Co. Ghandi-bot Double IPA for Kelly and the Sebago Boathouse Brown (from Maine) for Katie.

After a power nap and leisurely stroll around Yale's campus we ventured to The Cask Republic in downtown New Haven. We started with a round from New England: 668 Neighbor of the Beast (Belgian Strong Pale Ale) for Kelly and Gold Stock Ale (an American strong ale only 6.5% ABV) for Katie. Our enthusiasm garnered us an invitation to the vintage bottle cellar where beer greats such as The Bruery's Black Tuesday and New England's Imperial Stout Trooper taunted us from their 60-degree shelves.

Next we split a 500mL bottle of New England's Wet Willy, a Scotch Ale, in which we were surprised and pleased to detect notes of oak. Kelly finished the night with Rogue's Double Dead Guy, an American Strong Ale / Double Maibock.

Harrisonburg, VA

As an '04 graduate of JMU (go Dukes!) Kelly relishes a return to his alma mater...well, Cally's Restaurant and Brewing Co. to be more specific. Our latest excuse came after dropping off our Westie, Benny, with her grandparents. They're watching her in Roanoke while we **Spoiler Alert!** hit the road for a week of beer tasting through New England. Oh yeah, and we're going to a wedding.

To get in the spirit, we stopped at Cally's for dinner on the patio and I ordered the $5 sampler: Belgian White, Kolsch, Pale Ale, Nut Brown Ale, and Smokin' Scottish. Last night my favorite was the Nut Brown - more malty than dry and nutty. Kelly ordered a glass of the Kolsch - light and refreshing with a clean finish - and the Scottish, which is our go-to beer. In fact, it was our very first growler once upon a time.

1/2 price apps 4:30-6:30 Tues. thru Sun.

In addition to the beer and his monstrous pretzel, Kelly gave his pulled pork platter two thumbs up...especially the sweet potato fries and vegetable medley. I devoured my fish tacos (mmm corn salsa!) and finally, no trip to Harrisonburg is complete without a stop at Kline's Dairy Bar for world class custard.

Washington, DC

Yesterday, Katie and I rode (thanks, Capital Bikeshare!) to ChurchKey again to take advantage of the rare beers in town for SAVOR.  One of our favorite breweries, Odell, was represented and I ordered a glass of Myrcenary, their first Double IPA. They definitely nailed it.  In addition, Katie sampled the Cutthroat Porter.

Odell Brewing Company
Fort Collins, CO - September 2009

The main reason for our visit, however, was Cigar City Brewing. Based in Tampa, FL, it's consistently one of the top-rated breweries in the U.S. It seems like they don't make a bad beer.  Offered on tap:

• 110K + OT Batch #4, an American Strong Ale
• Nielsbohrium, a collaboration with Mikkeller and an American Imperial Stout
• Maduro Oatmeal Brown Ale

Katie sampled all three, and I tried the strong ale and imperial stout--my favorite.  I feel that Cigar City would make a great addition to our fast-growing market and help establish DC as a craft beer destination.  I really hope that their popularity at SAVOR and other local events encourages Cigar City to distribute to the DC metro area.

We capped off the afternoon with one additional sample each:

• Short's Sustenance, a Schwarzbier, for Katie
• Flying Dog's Barrel-Aged Gonzo, an Imperial Porter aged in Stranahan whiskey barrels, for me

Washington, DC

Happy SAVOR Beer Week! The masters are in town showcasing their best brews so we hope you partake in the festivities. Kelly and I attended SAVOR in 2009 when craft beer was on the verge of exploding here. (That was back in the day when tickets didn't sell out in under 10 minutes.) We had a GREAT experience - as you can see below - but since then have opted to focus on the DC area events surrounding SAVOR.

SAVOR 2009

Last night's pick: ChurchKey's tap takeover for Short's Brewing Company (DC debut!) from Michigan. They've got some unique stuff and we were jazzed to sample several of the 25. Had I known they wouldn't sell out quickly, I would have made wiser food pairings...but I couldn't help myself. The list, strangely in order:

• CARROT CAKE (Brewed w/ Carrots, Walnuts, Pecans & Spices) 5% American Amber Ale
• ANOTHER CAUCASIAN GARY (Brewed w/ Coffee, Vanilla, Milk Sugar & Brown Sugar; Inspired by White Russians) 6% American Brown Ale
• MAMA'S STRAWBERRY MILK (Brewed w/ Strawberries & Milk Sugar, Aged in Brandy Barrels) 9% Fruit Beer
• CHOCOLATE WHEAT (Brewed w/ Chocolate Malt & Wheat Malt) 6% Robust Porter
• BLOODY BEER (Brewed w/ Tomatoes, Dill & Horseradish) 7% Specialty Lager
• KEY LIME PIE (Brewed w/ Lime, Marshmallow & Graham Cracker) 5.5% American Blond Ale

The first 3 were SUPER sweet (obvi) so 4oz were plenty. And originally I ordered the Bananarama but swapped with Kelly...too heavy on the molasses and for once I preferred the brandy-aged beer. I felt disappointed by the Key Lime Pie as well and decided that fruit beers aren't my thing, even if they do have yummy stuff tossed in. If I had to order a glass of any of these it would be the Chocolate Wheat, hands down. Not too sweet, not too roasty - hit the spot. BUT my award for best surprise goes to Bloody Beer! I couldn't leave without trying it and I'll admit, I had to work up a little courage. I don't even like Bloody Marys but this had character - namely pepper - and somehow it worked!

Okay, Kelly's turn...

• HUMA-LUPA-LICIOUS 6.8% American IPA
• FREEDOM OF '78: PURE GUAVA IPA (Brewed w/ Guava Nectar) 6.5% American IPA
• BANANARAMA (Brewed w/ Bananas & Molasses) 10% Fruit Beer
• RICHARD IN THE DIRT 8% Tripel
• ANNIVERSARY ALE (Brewed w/ Blood Orange Zest & Puree & Peppercorns) 10% Wheat Wine
• WIZARD (Fermented w/ Raisins) 11% Barley Wine

I decided to go for the hoppy beers first, and I was not disappointed.  The Huma-Lupa-Licious was a great American IPA, and I could definitely taste the guava in the Freedom of '78, which was a collaboration with Half Acre Brewing from Chicago.  The sweetness cut into the hoppiness, but it worked well enough.  As Katie mentioned, I switched with her to have the Bananarama, and I was actually a fan.  The molasses flavor was prevalent but I could taste the bananas as well, very unique.  The Richard In The Dirt was a very sweet and enjoyable tripel, and the menu said this was the first time it's ever been brewed by Short's.  I finished off the night with two of the more high octane beers, and the two beers I had most hoped would not sell out.  I was in luck, and both were excellent, although I couldn't detect much orange or peppercorn flavors from the Anniversary Ale wheat wine, which was fine with me.  The Wizard was a delicious barley wine.

All in all, the selection was amazing with some incredibly innovative beer styles that you just don't see anywhere else.  We were definitely grateful that we could sample a large array of beers, and while not every one was a hit, they were all worth trying.  Well done as always, ChurchKey!