| The
Quest for the Holy Grain |  |
| Best
Brew Pubs |
Annapolis
| Baltimore | Rocky Mountain
Region | Alaska | Pennsylvania
|Delaware | Canada | California
| Washington DC Area | Maryland | New York | West
Virginia | Florida |
North
Carolina | Wisconsin
South Carolina | Northern
Virginia | Asia | London/U.K. | Deutschland | New Jersey | Austria | Slovak Republic | Palestine | New Mexico | Colorado | Georgia | Massachusetts | Vermont
| New Hampshire | Ireland | Michigan | Spain | Missouri | Louisiana | Oregon | Bermuda | Tennessee | Monaco | Italy | France | Nevada | Nebraska
Just
about all brew pubs are good...worth going into and trying the beers. Oh, I've
been in one or two where all the beers tasted the same, and that was none too
good, but for the most part, they are either better or best. There's something
about drinking a beer right where it was brewed that...just....well, look at the
guy in the photo.
How do you know when you're in one that's not so good? Well,
if you look down the bar and more people are drinking Miller Lite than the home
brew, that would not be a good sign.
| Of course we know of more good brewpubs. Your Questmasters, however, need to re-visit each one before posting them on the site. This list will grow! Download this Notesheet for evaluating a Beer Bar, Brew Pub or Retailer. |
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Horny Goat Brewing Company Horny Goat Brewing Company is a brew pub on the river outside of Milwaukee. Most of the service is on a large sheltered patio. There is what appears to be brewing equipment in the nearby building, but the waitress said that all of there beer was produced in Steven's Point. All of the six Horny Goat beers are on tap, and the pub grub is reasonably priced. |
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Hinterland Erie Street Gastropub The Hinterland Gastropub in downtown Milwaukee, an upscale winebar, is an outlet for the brewery based in Green Bay. The decor ran to lots of brick and wood, and had an earthy feel. They have 6 Hinterland beers on tap. One would think that for a brewery outlet, they would focus more on beer and less on wine, but considering this location, maybe not. The noveau cuisine was quite pricy. |
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Stonefly Brewery Stonefly is a neighborhood brewpub in an older area of central Milwaukee. The whole establishment consists of one large room, with seating at a large bar or several |
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St. Francis Brewery St. Francis Brewery is a brew pub in a new stand-alone building far from anything else in the south Milwaukee suburbs. The very long bar area takes perhaps a third of the space, the dining area the rest. The brewing operation is at the rear of the bar. They have 8 of their own beers, mostly German style, that are true to style and very tasty. The menu is mostly pub grub, well done and not expensive. |
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Milwaukee Ale House The Milwaukee Ale House is a large brewpub in downtown Milwaukee. The bar area is very large, the dining area smaller, and also there is some seating on a balcony over the river. The brewing operation is on display at the front of the bar, however, the barmaid explained that they have another brewery for beer that is packaged, or drunk elsewhere. They have 8 of their own tasty beers on tap. The beer is inexpensive and so is the pubgrub. It is a comfortable place to drink. |
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Water Street Brewery The Water Street Brewery is a large brewpub in the trendy drinking district of downtown Milwaukee. Although the bar itself is modest, the bar area is quite large with a seated bar rail along the perimeter and several booths. The dining area is quite extensive and has several rooms and many little nooks. There is also outside seating. There are six fermenting tanks adjacent the bar, but the rest of the brewing operation is not visible. They aspire to be a German brewery but with 8 beers on tap they have several other styles. The beers a quite tasty. The food is good and not particularly expensive. |
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Miller Brewing Company While in no way a brew pub, the 72 buildings of the Miller Brewing Company dominate at least 3 city blocks on the west side of Milwaukee. The visitor center, mostly a souvenier boutique, is the gathering place for their tour. At the appropriate time, they take the group into a theater to view a 12 minute "history" which is mostly promotional material. From there it is a several block walk to the first stop, the packaging line. The scope of this is impressive as you are standing at one of the bottling lines and also the canning line which cans 2000 beers a minute. Another movie explains that process, then on to the warehouse, brewhouse, and famous caves, followed by the free beer: mandatory Miller Lite, then any of their other products. You are now on your own, three blocks from where you parked your car. |
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Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery Young Questors are going to live longer and that has its obvious advantages. But older Questors are sometimes played like a harp by a young lithesome virtuoso performer and it a thing or beauty to behold. Deserea was her name and she took better care of me than my mom did when I was growing up. Back rubs, unrequested free samples, and she sat down to explain the pros and cons of the menu choices. She smiled nicely and knew how to lean over the table she made beer drinking so much more fun. But stop the presses, here is the neatest thing about this place that used the available warehouse building to create a reasonably pleasant flat screen dotted rectangular bar in the middle (of course) classic rock in the background place to drink. Near the front windows were large booths (6-8 people) arranged around a big wooden table. In the center of the table were two taps, each with a different house brew. The lucky patrons in these booths never had to wait for a beer wench they only had to jerk a beer whenever they wanted one. Why didn't someone thing of this sooner?
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Upstream Brewing Company Built in 1903, we sat in the path of phantom fire engines bound to save the burning Omaha of a century past. The old firehouse itself lost its third floor to a fire in 1917 as firefighters lounged on the sidewalk outside their burning firehouse. In 1972 it was resurrected as a dinner theater and since 1996 it has been the Upstream Brewery. It is not ancient Omaha but it was pretty damn close. Interior walls stripped to their bare brick essence tell a story of long ago to those not engaged in conversation. Wooden floors mark the bar, carpet marks the restaurant. The rectangular bar occupies most of the wooden floor area, a second bar is found upstairs. It is Midwest chiche. The bar was too busy to sit at so we found a table in the bar area. Our server was a diminutive wenchette who seemed to be pushing beers, a trait I have never found necessary and rarely found appealing, but it was happy hour and she was serving up $2 pints of some of the finest micro brew beer I have had in a long time. Six seasonals headlined, among them a mediocre American Wheat, an MIA Mooring Vapor California Common, and a Maibock. There were also six regulars. All the beers are brewed on premises and all were afflicted by the small brewery curse of mildness. But Usptream managed to turn mildness into an asset as they finessed it with distinction. Every beer was remarkably solid, flavorful and distinctive without ever resorting to boldness or over the top flavorings. I did not have a single beer I did not like and I would have happily ordered each again had it not been for the selections that were available. Ceiling fans spun just above globed lights hanging from an industrial ceiling dotted by playing cards undoubtedly propelled skyward the 15 feet to the ceiling by alcohol addled patrons. Classic rock played in the distant background generally muffled by the jibber-jabber of Midwest yuppies (muppies?). You Can't Always Get What You Want and IORR graced my visit among appearances by Neil Young, Alice Cooper and other old friends. Omaha seems like a very pleasant purgatory and the Upstream Brewing Company was a nice place to do penance.
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Boulder Dam Brewing Co. The Boulder Dam Brewery is a brewpub in downtown Boulder City. Fairly small, it has seats for perhaps 30. It appears bright and friendly; large windows overlook an expansive outdoor seating area in the front. Although the beer is served directly from 8 bright tanks located behind the length of the bar, the brewing operation is not visible. Four year-round beers are on tap as well as several seasonals. The beers are quite good and they seem to experiment with their styles. This is a wonderful oasis for desert tourists. |
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Triple 7 Brewpub The Triple 7 Brewpub is located in the Main Street Station hotel in downtown Las Vegas. The brewpub itself is in an extremely large room with a long bar on either side, and pehaps 50 tables in the center. The bigger-than-average brewing operation is glassed in at the rear. They serve 5 year-round beers as well as two seasonals. The beers are tasty and true to style. A pint costs $3.25, but wait...one can go to the casino bar and get one for a buck and a half. |
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Chicago Brewing Co. The Chicago Brewing Company is a brewpub in a large stand-alone building near a strip mall in the Las Vegas suburbs. There is a separate entrance for the modest dining area. The brewing operation is behind glass in the center of the building. The bar area is quite large and there is a smaller lounge upstairs. They have six year-round beers on tap as well as two seasonals. The beers seem true to style and are quite good. They have a second outlet downtown in the Four Queens Casino. It's small and cozy, sitting about 20, and has the same beers as at the brewpub. |
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Tenaya Creek Restaurant and Brewery Tenaya Creek is a brewpub in a stand-alone building across from a hospital center in Las Vegas. Small and cozy, the bar and it's three tables sit maybe 30. The brewing operation is behind glass at the end of a long, dark lounge that has three pool tables. Tenaya Creek serves four year-round beers and two seasonals, as well as several premium guest beers. Although the bar doesn't seem busy, they brew the house beers for several large casinos and will be expanding their brewery soon. Oh, and the beers happen to be very good. |
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Big Dog's Brewing Co. Big Dog's Brewing Company is a brewpub in the Las Vegas suburbs. There is a large bar area containing several alcoves with tables. The sizable brewing operation is behind glass on one side of the room. They have 4 year-round beers on tap as well as 2 seasonals. The beer is quite tasty and true to style. The food is good but seemed a bit pricey. |
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Barley's Casino & Brewing Company Barley's Casino and Brewery is a neighborhood casino with a brewpub, far from the tourist area of Las Vegas. It is disconcerting to enter the casino and see the large brewing operation behind glass at the back of the room. The large bar is the dominant feature of the casino. They have 4 of their own beers on tap year- round, as well as a seasonal. The local gang were all drinking Miller Lite. The beers seemed true to style, but were not particularly good. The highlight was their food special: a big burger, fries, and a beer for $3.99. |
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Brasserie Au Brasseur The Brasserie au Brasseur is a brewpub in an old part of town near the famous Cathedral. Medium sized, it is dark inside and particularly crowded with tables and chairs and stools. The brewing operation is in a low area behind the L-shaped bar in the center of the main room. They had two full time beers and a seasonal on tap, as well as some guest bottles. The beers were tasty and seemed to be in the Belgian Style (or, in this case French). |
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Mosto Dolce Mosto Dolce is an almost- American style brewpub. There are about 10 seats around the curved bar with about a half dozen tables inside and that many again outside. The menu consists mainly of pizza and sandwiches. They have four year round beers, and one seasonal on tap. They don't make American style beers, but one can recognize the styles they make. The beers are tasty and reasonably priced. |
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Brasserie De Monaco The Brasserie de Monaco is a brewpub in the walking area of Monaco's inner harbor. Although there is no dance floor, the place has the feel of a night club in that the bar is quite long and multisided. There are many tables set in a modern decor. They serve two beers year round and one seasonal. The brewing equipment is visible in the rear. The beers are tasty and quite reasonably priced for the area. |
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Smokey Mountain Brewery & Restaurant The Smokey Mountain Brewery and Restaurant is a secret chain. There are four locations: Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and the 2 flagship locations in Knoxville. We visited the Gatlinburg location in May of 2009. It is owned by a larger company that owns and runs several restaurants in Tennessee , so it's a fairly large chain and sort of has that feel when you step in. The Gatlinburg location does not appear to brew its beer on site – there were no signs of that. However, they offer only their own brews on tap, of which there are eight: plus seasonal brews. The food was good and economical. We had the pizza, which was quite tasty. It is worth noting that nothing in Gatlinburg comes closer to a brewpub than this. I had fun because I wasn't expecting to find good or unique beer in Gatlinburg. The Smokey Mountain Brewery had both. I had the Cherokee Red Ale and the Tuckaleechee Porter, and found both to be very good. The rustic décor fits in with the German influence of the area. They describe it as a cross between a ski chalet and a German bier hall, and that about covers it. It's contrived, but it doesn't feel too contrived. There are TV's set to sports channels around the bar. You are not likely to have the time of your life, but you'll get very decent beers and good food at a good price in the heart of a tourist town. Pleasantly unexpected.
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The Frog and Onion Pub Located at the Royal Naval Dockyard in beautiful Bermuda , The Frog & Onion Pub is a pub-lover's dream; everything on the menu is named after old English pubs. The atmosphere, with vaulted limestone ceilings and thick walls, should make any British pub-crawling bloke feel right at home. Onsite at Frog & Onion is the Dockyard Brewing Company Limited, a joint venture between Frog & Onion and North Rock Brewing. Bermuda's only onsite brewing organization, drinkers can experience “the frosty taste of five different home-made brews in a setting unlike any other on the Island .” Whale of a Wheat, Somer's Amber Ale, and Black Anchor Porter are some of the domestically-brewed swills, and all can be enjoyed in massive quantities; for just $20 American, patrons can down a mammoth 50-ounce local adult beverage, and if you can finish it, you get to keep the glass. Make sure to stop by the next time your cruise docks in Bermuda .
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Bridgeport Brew Pub & Bakery Nestled snugly in an old warehouse district in the shadow of a bridge is the sprawling ivy-encrusted Bridgeport Brewery. A huge iron staircase divides the pub into left and right, upstairs and down. There is outside seating along the old loading dock, our place to escape the unnecessarily dark interior. The nice thing about the place is each of the quarters seemed to have its own identity, so you could find your peeps somewhere in this warehouse beer hall. There were eight beers available on our visit, but you had some pour options. Three were in casks and one on nitrogen. The cask beers were unrefrigerated and served at cellar temperatures providing a more authentic 19th century beer drinking experience, save for the towering pricey condos that filled the skyline. The beers were all solid, each swallows like the last one. Clear and consistent, with flavors that did not fade. All-in-all not a bad experience. But neither do you say this has to be one of my Portland stops. Very good beers, but they compete in a tough town. Beer Advocate gives them a B+ and I won't argue with that, but they barely made it to B+. The Stumptown Tart was a raspberry Tripel available only in bottles that was quite good. I sampled all the beers to aid my choices and the sampler there is a nice deal. Blue Herron Pale Ale was a pleasant surprise. Hop Czar is their pride and joy and it was nice enough but not a stand-up and salute beer. It's 85 IBUs were not terribly acidic making it very quaffable. The carbonated porter outrated the nitrogen for me. But the cask ESB and cask IPA may have been their two nicest beers. You've got to hit Bridgeport at least once if only to see the ivy and the walk-in sized porcelain urinals. A word of warning is in order. The sausage they sell as brats had little or no pork in them; go a different direction. The pretzels make a nice appetizer.
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Roots Organic Brewing Company Roots Organic Brewery is the first certified all-organic brewery in Oregon, which is akin to being the first certified atheist in the former Soviet Union. Who cares? Housed in an old warehouse district, Roots is a nightmarishly painted funky little brew pub in yellow, green, red, and blue in an indiscernible pattern. All the brewing works are right on premises as are a collection of grassy hippie beers any child of the sixties can be proud of. Tables and chairs line the perimeter of the bar; a dozen or more stools defined the bar. At the time of our visit five regular “handcrafted ales” were on tap along with one seasonal, a Gruit Kolsch. Roots is in one corner of the Beermuda triangle along with the Lucky Labrador and the Green Dragon. Acoustic women on guitar and spool tried their best to ruin the experience but failed. This is a must stop, not for spectacular beers but for a good idea whose time has already passed.
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Lucky Labrador Brew Pub If you're a visitor, missing home and want to pet your pooch, the Lucky Labrador is the place to go. With three locations in Portland the LL Brew Pub is the brewing site and the best venue to visit. On our stop there were 11 house ales, 1 cask, 1 nitro, 1 cider and one guest tap. This is a beer hall. No table service, queue up and seek your pleasure. Like most other Portland microbrews this is hop heaven and if you drink from light to dark, let us suggest the Crystal Weizen for starters... a truly exceptional American hefe beer. Follow it with the Triple Threat IPA, then the Super Dog Pale Ale that weighs in over 90 IBU's, and finish with the Stumphouse Porter. This is a fun stop. A cavernous warehouse offers lots of tables but no bar seating. Outside one will find about 20 generous picnic tables and half a dozen or so labs or lab wannabes. It is a canine hangout outside, where most but not all hounds are well behaved. Inside, the labrorbelia will delight many and tire others; they do not appreciate the innate superiority of the boxer breed here. But they make good beers. There are no bad beers at the Lucky Lab but no stop-the-presses specials either. Good solid, drinkable beers in a beerhall atmosphere is a very nice thing. Food is not the reason to go here but it is moderately eclectic and fun like the beer and the dogs.
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| Rogue Distillery & Public House (PDX) Rogue Distillery and Public House is the Mecca for any Questor. Housed in a low-key three story brick building that covers a lot more ground that the building height suggests, we found 20 Rogues on tap, three Track Town Ales (a sister brewery in Eugene), two Issaquahs, and seven featured guest taps. Surprisingly you'll find Bud and Coors Light on tap as well! As you enter, to the left you'll find a bright and airy dining area. To your right is a small bar and next to it an adjoining party room. There is a delightfully unplanned ambience to this Rogues' gallery. There is Rogue clutter everywhere. Surfboards, flags, t-shirts, bumper stickers (Rogue Nation, Dare*Risk*Dream). The Portland beer chic are not found in this bar. There are knowledgeable beer aficionados here. The beertender today is working overtime and affecting a perfect replica of John Belushi's Samurai Deli character. I will not ask for a Pepsi today. There is great 60's music playing in the distant background. Lots of folks do samplers and this is a good idea for the high gravity beers. One can lose one's soul here. While sipping the Honey Orange Wheat from their sister brewery in Eugene a brewer began to work on a brew in the upstairs brewery unleashing a heaven-sent malty wort aroma. The works here must be for special available-only- at-this-bar beers like the Charlie 1982. A very pleasant surprise was the food. The menu is heavy with Kobe beef options and the Kobe burger was the best; it could not have satisfied more had the comeliest patrons fed me rice and rubbed my belly. Once in the lifetime of every beer drinker with means to travel he or she must visit this bar.
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Tug Boat Brewing Company Just around the corner from Mary's Club and its All Nude Revue, Tug Boat Brewery is a colorful and eccentric little place to stop for a beer. Visitors are greeted with a Norm-like round of “yeahs” when they enter and everyone is booed when they leave, unless the bar is closing and you're being ushered out. The décor is crazy uncle who lived in the family homestead alone for the last 40 years without changing or cleaning a thing. This grimy family-run place is a fun stop. The filmy walls are lined with bookshelves filled with volumes that some people loved and others no one has bothered to open. What else in the city that drinks and reads? Homey painted wooden booths line one wall the bar lines the opposite wall. A small stage (one foot raised) takes up most of the third wall across from the entrance.
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Deschutes Brewery & Public House Just a few short blocks from Powell's, the greatest bookstore in the world, stands the low-rise brick warehouse- looking home of Deschutes. Without the sign at the corner of their building you could miss it. Inside you will find some of the most substantial beers of your life. The ambience is a substantial part of the experience. Outside a brick warehouse - inside an airy wooden barn full of architectural features that bear no relationship to the structural integrity of the building. There is wood everywhere. Big thick timbers framing nothing. Carved wooden totems guard the entrances to a large dining area. Beautiful wood-grained tables remind you of the wooded drive into the city. The place is noisy with a friendly chatter and clatter that grows annoying after a while...it is not everyone's favorite pub sound. The crowd is Portland beer-chic, different from your ordinary bar. Pilgrims mix with the chosen ones. There is a bar with half a dozen or so round tables and limited bar seating, but many tables line the windowed walls and it was a pleasant table we had. Water arrived before the beer and on our visit there were 17 beers and a cask bitter. These are quality beers, all substantial and all well described in the beer card. This is hop heaven. Twelve different varieties of hops were identified on the beer card and it is not hard to find a beer with three or more styles therin. This is a place to sample then decide. If you're doing the beer tour, don't lose your way here. Four beers at this place can put you away if you do not choose wisely!
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Crescent City Brewhouse A Questor will absolutely love everything about the Crescent City Brewhouse . Everything but the beer. They feature four regular beers and usually one seasonal that can best be characterized as tourist-experience beers. They are big, pretty looking, and costly. CCB has the advantage that they do not need to have really good beers to do a nice business. Food is the bigger part of their business and their focus. The beers are consistent and bland; the Black Forest comes closest among the standard beers to having some flavor and there is an occasional pleasant surprise among the seasonals. But it is a fun place to drink a beer. Ungodly heat guides you through the open-fronted brewpub, where a massive blast of cold air holds the heat wave at bay. Inside a jazzy brick and wood interior, accented with large copper fermenters, gives a cozy NOLA feel to your experience. Around 5:00 PM, live music usually begins enhancing the NOLA experience, assuming you prefer that to good beer. Assume everyone but the wait staff, who are literally outfitted in Blues Brothers black outfits including shirts, ties and fedoras, is a tourist. Do not assume they are all going to be interesting and you will often be pleasantly surprised. Neon sea nettle lights decorate the bar in a tacky, fun style while more serious art attempts to decorate the walls in the downstairs eating area. They must have run out of money on the upstairs. Gone is the happy hour, that made the ordinariness of the beer more palatable. Gone is the chalk board with ABV's and other geeky details. Blame it on the hurricane; post-Katrina CCB has not been kind to its beer seeking customers, but it is still a fun place to drink a mediocre beer.
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Square One Brewery Square One Brewery is a neighborhood bar in a mature St. Louis neighborhood. Relatively small, the dark and cozy bar area seats perhaps 30 with a small dining section in the rear, as well as an outdoor area used in nicer weather. The brewing operation takes up lots of room and is visible on either side of the hallway to the back of the restaurant. The beers are good and seem true to style. |
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Buffalo Brewing Company The Buffalo Brewing Company is a small restaurant in a strip of collegiate-style eateries. Small, plain, and very, very well lit, Buffalo has the feel of a diner, because of the many windows. The brewing operation is visible through a window behind the bar. They have four year-round brews and two rotating seasonals. The beers are very good, inexpensive, and true to style. |
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The Schlafly Tap Room The Schlafly Tap Room is in a large, renovated brick building near downtown St. Louis, Mo. The medium-sized bar is separated from the dining area by a small partition. One can look through a window into the smoking bar in another wing of the building. This Questor was there twice. The first evening they had 12 beers on tap and a cask. Two nights later, 5 of the 12 beers were different, with two different casks. All of the beers are good, inexpensive, and true to style. |
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Springfield Brewing Company The Springfield Brewing Company is in a large renovated brick building in an older section of Springfield, Mo. A very large, modern brewing operation takes up about half of the ground floor and is behind glass walls. The rest of the floor space is bar area; a large oval bar and about 20 tables and booths. The dining area is on the second floor. They have six of their own beers on tap. The beers are good and seemed true to style. The pub grub is tasty and reasonably priced. |
Mattingly Brewing Company The Mattingly Brewing Company is a very small neighborhood restaurant in an eclectic mature St. Louis neighborhood. The total bar/restaurant seating is about 50. They have 8 of their own beers on tap; the brewing operation is in the basement. The pub grub was tasty and seemed to be popular with the locals.
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The Stable The Stable is a very spacious restaurant in a converted stable; part of the Lemp Mansion in the historic district near downtown St. Louis. As I understand it, it was part of the old Lemp Brewery, and is located near the Anheuser-Busch works.They have 24 guest beers on tap, and none of their own...yet. The guest beers are all "big" beers and are on an aggresive rotation. The bottle beer list has about 50 of the worlds best beers. For lunch they serve a very limited pub grub menu. The 1/4 barrel brewing system is behind glass next to the bar. Though the house brews were not ready for public consumption yet, being a representative of the Quest for the Holy Grain, the brewer brought me a helles, and later a kölsch. He said they soon would be brewing a bock and a dunkel. |
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Trailhead Brewing Company The Trailhead Brewing Company is a large stand alone building on the Missouri River in St. Charles, Mo. The very large bar, seating about 30, along with tables and booths, is upstairs. Dining is on three floors, and the brewing equipment is on display throughout. They have five full-time beers and a seasonal. They sell high end pub grub. The bar staff was quite busy and had no time to chat. |
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Morgan Street Brewery The Morgan Street Brewery is huge. It takes up half a block of the trendy tourist district, and parts of the building have as many as three levels. Although the main bar area is spacious, the bar itself has only three stools; one is encouraged to sit at a table. The brewing operation is behind glass at the main bar. They have five of their own drafts as well as Bud and Miller Lite guest bottles. |
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An American's Thoughts on Beer in Spain You're not in Spain to drink beer. If you visit a cerveceria (bar) and just ask for a beer you'll probably get an Amstel Light, Heineken or Carlsberg. Improve your chances by at least asking for a Spanish beer. In that case you'll probably get an Estrella Damm (in the north), San Miguel or Mahou (in the mid-country), or Cruzcamop (in the south) – all nondescript international pale lagers but at least native beers. |
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Questor's Notes on Beer Drinking in Southern Europe: Before we left I gathered addresses of brewpubs and good beer bars for the cities we were traveling to. I had several for each city from various sources, and maps, too. But...one place was closed for remodeling, one was closed for siesta, one was closed for no reason, two were abandoned, and several were mis-represented. The good news was that I found all of the addresses. A "Bar" in this part of Europe has a different meaning than we are used to. The word more describes the fixture or the arrangement of the place. Usually there will be a raised counter four to 10 feet long. One can order a beer, soda, coffee, ice cream, sandwiches, or whatever, and can consume it there, standing up. Any tables would be for wait service. Most "Bars" usually have a tap of local beer and several different bottled beers. |
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Cerveseria D'Or In the midst of streets lined with small cafes and bars, the Cerveseria D'Or is a true beer drinking oasis. Actually a tapas bar, they have three beers on tap as well as about 50 bottled beers. About a dozen of the bottles are local to the Barcelona area, the rest are from nearby western Europe. |
Naturbier Naturbier is one of Madrid 's only two brewpubs so it's worth a stop for that reason alone. It sits in the heart of the old central city about a five minute walk east of Plaza Mayor. There's seating in the very picturesque Santa Ana Plaza just outside the pub – perfect for watching life go by. Inside there's a bar in the front and tables in the back, all in a faux-German setting. The bar has a largely local clientele mixed with city shoppers and tourists. During our visit we were lucky enough to get a few minutes with “Maestero Cervecero” Alex Schmid, a transplant from Germany and very proud of his 1,500 liter brewing system (about 12.5 barrels). Alex admitted “there is no brewing culture” in Spain but he's doing his best to turn that around. His year-round brews are a passable Dunkel – malty yet a touch hoppy for the style – and a light Helles. Alex also makes seasonal specials that include an Oktoberfest and a Christmas beer. Naturbiers are served from the tap; unfortunately, during our visit it looked like the tables with the built-in multi-taps had not been used in some time. The pub serves typical Spanish bar food (tapas and the like).
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La Cervesera Artesana La Cervesera Artesana is a few blocks from the northern end of the busiest strip of Barcelona 's trendy Passeig de Garcia. The neighborhood is pleasant and quiet, fitting for Barcelona 's only brewpub. Inside the pub is narrow and cozy. The bar offers three beers made on-site in what looks like about a two-barrel brewing system: a blond, an Iberian pale ale, and an Iberian stout. The later was out when we visited, and the other two tasted much like the multitude of other international pale beers readily available everywhere else. Fear not – there are seven guest taps and at least fifty bottled beers largely from Europe and unavailable or hard to find back home (OK, Bud was there, too, as the lone US rep). There's a limited tapas menu, but stick with the beer and eat elsewhere. Unusually, the bar staff spoke less English than I spoke Spanish so our conversation about craft brewing, buying a logo glass (yes, they have one), and taking beer back to the hotel was awkward. If you visit La Cervesera Artesana my advice is to try a small (cana) glass of the brewery beer and then move on to the unusual stuff in bottles, like Judas (Belgium), Louny (Czech Republic), or La Bierre du Demon (French 12% alcohol crazy beer). And take a cab back to the hotel.
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Michigan Brewing Company Founded in 1995, Michigan Brewing Company housed its brewing operation and brewpub until recently in a log structure in rural Webberville. The brewpub had a friendly, cozy atmosphere that seemed to beckon on cold Michigan winter nights, where peanut shells were strewn on the floor and friends could quaff a wide assortment of hand-crafted brews. Owing to their commercial success as brewers, Michigan Brewing Co. outgrew this rather quaint structure, and recently moved to a huge new industrial park building nearby. On a recent visit, there were just a few regulars in the brewpub on a summer weekday afternoon, although that is not surprising, given the time of day and the rural setting. Owing to the time of day, none of the food was sampled, but the fare looked to be of the basic burgers-and-fries variety. Michigan Brewing Co. has two lines of beer – one that is marketed under its own name, and a full line of Belgian-style beers that goes to market under the Celis brand. Representative samples of each were tasted, and based on the last visit nearly 7 years previously, it is obvious that this brewer has gone from good to great. There were 16 brews on tap – 12 with the MBC label, and 4 Celis offerings. Also sharing the space with the brewing operation and brewpub is a large fully stocked homebrew supply retail store, (“thingsBEER”), as well as a Michigan State University Bio-Refining Training Center. The bio-fuel produced there provides the heat needed by MBC's brewing operation during the cooking stage. MBC's beer is currently distributed in about a dozen states, and plans are said to be underway for opening a second location in the University town of Lansing. As the company continues to expand based on its excellent beer, the sad fact is that the old log cabin pub might be preserved only in the memories of its patrons.
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Messrs. Maguire
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The Porterhouse Central One of the Porterhouse brewpubs in Dublin is right across the street from the entrance to Trinity College. A moderately-sized bar being in the front, one is surprised to find that in the back room is another moderately-sized bar. They have about 10 of their own brews on tap, with guest taps of the other usual beers. Unlike the Porterhouse in London, there is no emphasis on bottled guest beers. A brewing operation is not evident. |
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| Seven Barrel Brewery The Seven Barrel Brewpub is across the street and visible from the southbound exit of I-89 in West Lebanon, NH. It's kinda dingy on the outside and rustic on the inside. It's not very large, with a very small bar. They have eight of their own beers, and a cask, but nothing else. The beers seem true to style, but a little thin. Service was good, food was cheap. |
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Three Needs Taproom & Brewery
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American Flatbread/Zero Gravity Brewpub There is no indication from the outside that the American Flatbread is a brewpub. But at the bar, all of the signs point to the fact that they make their own beer. The brewing operation is not visible but is accessible from the bar. The bar serves nine of their own and nine guest beers. The beers are true to style and tasty. The only food they serve is thin crust pizza. It is very good, but very pricey.
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The Vermont Pub and Brewery The Vermont Pub and Brewery is just across from the town square in an imposing brick building. They have an outside patio and a two-segment bar, part of which is in an enclosed porch. The interior is not that spacious, but has an English pub decor with dark woods and cozy booths. They have eight beers on tap plus two casks. The beers were true to style...good, but not wonderful. The service and food were both good, and all prices were quite reasonable. |
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Boston Beer Company/Sam Adams Tasting Room The Sam Adams Brewery in Boston is a brewery, not a brewpub. It has an address that should be easy to find. Except that the streets are all one way away from the facility. Once found, the brewery has a handout for exiting the neighborhood. The Brewery tour starts every hour. The first speaking stop is just inside the door...in a classroom setting where they discuss beer ingredients, with samples of barley and hops. A few steps away is the brewing operation. They have two or three kettles, and a half dozen fermenters. They appear to be 71/2 barrels systems. They explain the smallness as these are the research and development facilities. They are constantly changing their reciepies, especially the seasonal beers. The next stop on the tour is the bar. They serve 7 oz. servings of three of their beers, give a spiel, and answer questions. |
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Cambridge Brewing Company The Cambridge Brewing Company is near the MIT campus and thus very crowded with young people. It is very modern, almost fern bar-ish with light colored paneling and lots of windows. Cambridge had at least 10 of their beers on tap including a cask. The beers are true to style and very well made. The food was good, though a little pricey. The service was particularly good. |
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Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery - Boston Part of a chain, the Rock Bottom brewpub in Boston is in the Theater district. The bar and dining area are very large and spacious. The brewing operation is not evident. The six beers on tap, probably standard in each outlet, were good but not great. The food was pricey but adequate. |
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Watch City Brewing Company The Watch City brewpub is just off the beaten path in Waltham, MA. The brewing operation is in a glass walled room in the front window. The bar is large and spacious with only room dividers separating the dining area. Four full time beers are on tap as well as three seasonals and a cask. The beer is good, but the food on the menu seemed pricey. |
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Boston Beer Works Boston Beer Works is part of a chain of Brewpubs. This one is located near the Boston Garden, in the Sports bar area. It is very large with mostly restaurant space. They serve 16 of their own brews, all of which seem true to style. The food was well prepared with large portions. It seemed pricey, but it was the big city. The brewing operation is adjacent to the bar and the various tanks are visible on the upper level. The website has very little to add to this description. |
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Moon River Brewing Company Moon River is unequivocally the best brewpub in Savannah , Georgia . OK, it's also the only brewpub in Savannah . But even if it weren't it would be hard to beat. On a visit today you can sample nine Moon River beers for $9.50. Notable year-round selections include the Swamp Fox IPA that holds its own against Dogfish and the Californians, a darned decent Claire de Lune Kolsch originally on tap before the hop crisis made it fashionable, and a chewy Captain's Porter. Almost every Thursday there's a creative small batch brew that has included the award-winning Little Chocolate Doughnuts Porter “ actually ‘dry-doughnut-ed' in the firkin for a little touch of ‘HOT NOW' goodness!” If this were not enough Moon River stocks guest taps that recently poured Brooklyner-Schneider Hopfen Weisse and Kasteel Rouge from Moon River is in the Savannah Historic District so it has a large tourist trade. But it keeps local roots with a Quality Assurance Club ($3.50 house draft beers all day, and more), by hosting the Savannah Brewers' League (homebrew club) the first Wednesday of every month, and in sporting local art for sale on the walls. And there's no need to slam down that last beer – you can take a to-go cup and walk around the Historic District. And so it goes at Moon River Brewing Company, Savannah , Georgia , USA . Bless its heart. |
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Steamworks Brewing Company Steamworks Brewing, just off Main St. in Durango, is unusual in that the glassed-in brewing operation is in the center of the facility just past the foyer. The kitchen and dining area share the left side, and the entire right side is bar area; with the large bar seating about 40 itself, and about 25 tables and booths. They serve eight of their own beers and eight guest brews. They specialize in Pizza and cajun-style food, but the items on the menu seem pricey.
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Carver Brewing Co.
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Ska Brewing Company
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| Three Rivers Eatery and Brewhouse The Three Rivers Brewery is located in an historic building in downtown Farmington. The bar area is adequately sized with the bar itself seating about 10. The adjoining dining area, game room, and beer museum are each in separate store fronts. Beers include a golden honey ale, a stout, an IPA, and a cider among others. Two casks are also offered. The pub grub is good and not expensive. One must step between various brewing tanks to reach the rest rooms. |
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Santa Fe Brewing Company
The Santa Fe Brewery, New Mexico's oldest microbrewery, is in the desert just outside Santa Fe. The brewpub is located across the parking lot from the brewery. The pub is very large, but most of the space goes to the eatery, game rooms, and dance hall. What appears to be brewing equipment in the foyer is actually holding tanks for the bar, with the beer being pumped underground from the brewery. The pub serves all 10 of the Santa Fe beers. |
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| Second Street Brewery The Second Street Brewery is in an older industrial neighborhood with very limited parking. Very eclectic; the dining area, kitchen, and bar share the same space. They serve nine of their own beers. The proprietors envision Second Street as a |
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Blue Corn Cafe and Brewery The Blue Corn Cafe and Brewery is a large stand-alone restaurant across from the Mall in Santa Fe. There is also a downtown location.The bar seats about 30 itself and has about 15 tables and booths. The brewing operation is visible beyond the large dining area. |
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| Chama River Brewing Co Located in the restaurant strip near the mall, |
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Il Vicino Il Vicino is a small brewery with a small "tasting room". With four seats at the bar and four other seats, ten people make this a crowded place, although there is seating outside. They have their 8 beers on tap and all sizes of kegs and growlers are available. |
Kelly's Brewpub Kelly's Brewpub is in a building that used to be an auto dealership. The one time showroom is now the main dining area. This large area seats well over 100 in German beerhall style. The patio seats nearly as many. The bar, too, is large and spacious. Kelly's has about 20 of their own beers on tap as well as about 15 guest beers. Access to the brewing operation is adjacent to the men's room, but the brewery is not really visible. The menu has typical Bar B Que pub grub, and seems high priced. |
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Taybeh Brewing Co. Ok, so Taybeh is not really a brewpub, but it's the Middle East's only microbrewery, and that's pretty special. |
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In May of 2006 I had the opportunity of visiting the charming little Palestinian village of Taybeh , the Taybeh Brewery, and the Khoury family who have made this enterprise their lifetime commitment. One does not ordinarily associate brewing beer with the Arabic-speaking residents of the West Bank , because of the natural assumption that they must all be Muslims, who abstain from alcohol. However, there still remains a sizeable number of Palestinian Christians throughout the Holy Land . |
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Only 20 minutes from Jerusalem , Taybeh is located in the gently rolling Judean hills, and is covered by olive trees. The Khoury family has lived in Taybeh for at least 600 years. Taybeh currently produces two varieties of beer, Taybeh Gold, and Taybeh Dark. Both are produced with strict attention to German purity laws, allowing them to export and sell Taybeh in Germany . |
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The Khoury family are absolutely determined to make a difference, one beer at a time, no matter what the odds. I have consumed thousands of beers for the pure pleasure of it, but it was not until I visited Taybeh that I understood that drinking a beer could be so virtuous, and provide such benefits for others. |
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The Slovak Pub The Slovak Pub is on the second floor in a busy shopping district. It has seven rooms and is advertised as a college bar. At lunch it was very crowded. Brewing equipment is not evident. Happy hour is before 6:00; the house beer is very inexpensive. They also have several other draft beers. They claim to be the only bar in the world where a student gets free soup for getting an A on an exam. |
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Foamee Geht Nach Österreich. In den folgenden Fotos folgen wir Foamee auf seiner „Skireise“ zu Österreich und zur Slowakischen Republik. |
| Parken war frei ungültig, aber. Folgende Aufträge der Leute nicht werden gesprengt. |
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Foamee tat viel Einkaufen in "Lebensmittelgeschäftspeichern." |
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Jeder ist gehender Skiing. Aber wo ist Foamee? |
Jaaaaaaaa..... |
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Augustiner Bräu Kloster Mülln The world famous Augustiner Brewery is in Downtown Salzburg close to the tourist district. It's pub is unique. After walking down a myriad of halls, there is a cash register. Pay for the beer you want, grab a mug from the wall and take it to the guy that fills it.(see photo) When changing taps, he drives the tap into the wooden keg with a mallet. Take the beer into one of three large rooms that each seat about 200. Back in the hall are various food concessions selling meals or snacks to take to your table. The brewery and equipment are not accessable from the pub. |
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| Schwalben-Bräu This brewery is in a small restaurant. There is no bar. The one-barrel system shares the dining room with 12 tables. The three year-round beers and one seasonal are good, but not wonderful. It is located near the busy tourist area. |
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Schloss Brau
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Weissbierbrauerei Bernd Tobsch This brew pub in Salzburg is much larger than it seems. The modest front enterance leads to room after room, each in the traditional beer hall motif, as well as a large beer garden. The older style seven-barrel brewing system is hidden in a back room. Many young people frequent the place, most speaking English !! The two beers on tap are a weiss and a particularly good marzen. |
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Brigitta-Brau Brigitta-Brau is a neighborhood brewpub in a neighborhood that has seen better days. The place is bright, with three sides all glass and has brew pub decor. The three barrel system is in a room adjacent to the bar. They have one beer year round and five seasonals, noted by their appropriate months, on the menu. They tend to ignore the bar patrons as they serve those dining. |
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Wieden-Brau
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1516 Krugerstrasse 18 / Schwarzenbergstrasse 2, 1010 Wien. Tel.: 01 - 9611516 The 1516 bar is located near the high end shopping district in Vienna. Modern fixtures with old dark woods and plenty of windows make this an interesting place to drink. What appears to be a seven-barrel system is behind one side of the bar. They have six of their own beers on tap as well as a Victory Hop Devil which is guest brewed on the premises. It is uniquely their own as they could not get American hops for it. |
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7 Stern In a neighborhood with many other bars, the 7 Stern stands out. It is large with many rooms, a glass-domed ceiling, and brewing memorabilia on each wall. The bar is built around a computerized copper 10- barrel system. They have at least six of their own beers on tap. However, the staff seemed too busy doing other things to pay much attention to the customers. |
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Brew Wharf Yard
The Brew Wharf is a brew pub away from London's tourist area but close to the London Bridge railroad station. It is large and spacious. The main dining room is blocked off during lunch as there is penty of space in the bar and the outside patio. The brewing system is behind glass off of the main dining area. They make four of their own brews and have several guest taps and handpulls. The foods on the menu were quite pricey. |
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Simple Simon's Simple Simon's brewpub in Canterbury is just off the tourist path. Although they have recently started making their own brew, they have been selling beer for 600 years. Some of the original patrons were still lingering at the bar, but seemed a bit slow in responding to my questions. Besides their own beers, they have 21 guest taps, including 9 different handpulls. The bar area is small and cozy, but there is an upstairs dining area as well as a large courtyard.
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Mash Mash
is a very unique brewpub located in one of London's busier shopping districts.
The decor is ultra-modern, and the three-barrel, automated brewing system is on
display behind the DJ booth, until happy hour when a curtain is pulled across.
The crowd is very young and techno music blares from the speakers. The beer caters
to this young crowd in that they serve a wheat , a wit , and a summer blonde,
along with their vienna lager. The beer seemed true to style. |
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| Bunker
Bier Hall Bunker Bier is a brewpub in a trendy London shopping district. Located in the basement of a store block, the facility is quite large. The stand up bar is about 40 feet long. The dining area and kitchen probably extend another 50 feet. The beer-making equipment, a copper ten barrel system with four fermenters, is at the other end. The center of the bar area has a half dozen sofas and some leaning rails. There are very large booths throughout, and several of the tables in the dining area will seat 12. The beer is brewed in the German tradition and seemed true to style. There are also bottled beers. The Japanese bar girl wouldn't discuss beer as she is a non-drinker. The brewer was on vacation, and the manager was busy.
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Gordon Biersch Brewery The new Gordon Biersch-Annapolis sits in a brand new spacious retail mall off of Riva Road just South of Route 50. The restaurant is clean and spacious as befits a successful brew pub chain. The bar seats about 15 with numerous tables, booths and rails...the dining area is large. Gordon Biersch makes German-style lagers; you will find nothing new or complex here, but all are clean, drinkable, and true-to-style. The brew works are visible from the bar. Garage-door type windows open behind the bar to service outdoor patrons in warm weather. Biersch offers six taps consisting of 5 standards and 1 seasonal. Gordon Biersch is about 10 minutes from Main Street Annapolis, and well worth a visit in this historic town...a beer destination in its own right. |
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Baltimore Area
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Red Brick Station 8149 HoneyGo Blvd • White Marsh, MD 21236 • 410.931.PUBS Red Brick Station houses the White Marsh Brewing Co., a local brewer of fine beers. There are around 7 on tap, one hand engine, and one guest beer. The regulars range from Honeygo Lite at 3.6% to the Daily Crisis IPA weighing in at 6.1%. RBS offers a casual atmosphere with good food and "Baltimore's Best Happy Hour." Mug clubbers drink more for less. |  |
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Ellicott Mills Brewing Company 8308
Main Street One of the best types of brew pubs for a Questor is one that makes good beers and lots of them. Ellicott Mills Brewing Company is one of the best in the Baltimore area. They are prolific in the styles of beer they make, but their specialty beers are their bocks. Walk down to the Batskeller where bartender Tim Kendzierski runs one of the best bars in the region. The food is great, too. |
The stone edifice that is the Ellicott Mills Brewing Company used to be a hardware store. Don't take these beers for granite. |
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Pictured top: Timmy K. Below:
Brewer Darryl &
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Timmy exhibits his own method of sanitizing the beer glasses.
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DuClaw Brewing Company DuClaw
began as a brew pub in Bel Air, MD and now has spread to Fells Point, Bowie, and
Arundel Mills. DuClaw's secret is brewing beers that people love to drink, and
providing a fun setting in which to do it. DuClaw unveils a new seasonal beer
each month, and these give-away nights are extremely popular. You can get on their
email list and print coupons for these free products. |
| The Brewer's Art 1106 N. Charles Street Baltimore, MD 21201 Tel: 410-547-6925 The Brewer's Art is one of the rare jewels in the crown of Baltimore's craft brewing industry. I don't know how far you'd have to journey to find another Belgian brewpub...if you find out, let us know. The basement bar is dark and secluded, offering private corners, attracting mainly locals and the occasional brood of interlopers. The home brews are Belgian. There are usually 5 on tap, with Ozzy and Resurrection being staples of Baltimore's beer-drinking populace. Each beer is served in a specific glass. The overhead chalkboards list at least 100 bottles of guest beers from all over the world. Everything seems to be carefully chosen to satisfy the pickiest beer drinker. Upstairs is upscale, with another bar overlooking Baltimore's historic Mt. Vernon neighborhood. |  |
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Ruddy Duck Brewery & Grill The Ruddy Duck Brewery & Grill, located in scenic maritime Solomons, offers six brews of their own and six guest taps. Proprietor Carlos Yanez and brewer Jonathan Reeves have conspired to privide an ambitious spectrum of beers, including a golden ale, a porter, and a Belgian wit, dubbel and tripel. I found the three that I consumed to be well-crafted, delicious, and true-to-style. And they are served in appropriate glasses! There are also at least 10 bottled beers, mostly imports in large bottles.
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Eastern Shore Brewing Set on Scenic Talbot St in beautiful St. Michael's, MD, Eastern Shore Brewing has several regular brews with seasonals in the works. The tasting room is small, but with all of their varieties on tap at reasonable prices this is a stop you should make when on the Eastern Shore. Oh... be sure to ask about Big Blue. |
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4
W. Main Street Located
in quaint downtown Westminster, Johansson's in noted for fine dining and beer.
Although their brewing operation was on hiatus for a while, they are brewing once
again; although on our visit, they only had two varieties...an amber and an altbier.
They have brewed maybe 10 different beers in the past, and are probably best known
for their Hoodlehead IPA. They provide 11 guest taps and about 20 bottles, mostly
commonplace. The bar is long, dark, and comfortable, and darts are offered for
those so inclined. |
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North Market St. Brewer's Alley is located in an historic building, and was Frederick's first brewpub. They have 7 brews on tap, and rotate about 10 seasonals in with their 5 regulars. They also offer three bottled beers. On this Saturday night, the bar was jumping, and the fact that many patrons were consuming Miller Lites is testament to the fact that this must be a swinging night spot as well as a source of excellent craft-brewed beers. The Pils was hearty, yet delicate, and well-hopped. The hefeweizen was excellent, so much so, that when I set mine down, it disappeared. On the right you can see a "giraffe", a device that dispenses 2.5 liters of beer right at your table. It's guaranteed to infuse your group with instant Gemutlichkeit. |  |
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Barley
and Hops Located in a shopping center, just South of old downtown Frederick, Barley and Hops is a friendly place to eat and drink. They offer about 7 taps...one is a hand engine. They also offer several bottled beers. Their brewings range from the summery hefeweizen and kolsch to a hoppier, stronger pale ale and red ale. My favorite was the pils, which was an excellent example of the style. The staff was particularly helpful in providing material for this site.
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North Country Brewing North Country Brewing is a brewpub in downtown Slippery Rock. It is particularly rustic in style, like a hunting lodge, with slab wood on the bar and exposed beams and wood everywhere. Although rebuilt, there has been a brewpub on this location since 1805. The brewing operation is behind glass in what would be the front room. They have a large rotation of beers, with about 10 on tap at any one time. The beers are very tasty. The food they served seemed a bit high end, but there was no lack of customers. They have several rooms and various nooks and crannies. The patio looks like a mining camp with large wooden tables and a great stone fireplace set under trees. |
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The Blue Canoe The Blue Canoe Brewpub in Titusville, PA is housed in a refurbished store front. The old store windows give the otherwise darkly paneled bar plenty of light. The ten-barrel kettle is in a separate, glass-enclosed room, and the rest of the seven-barrel system is in the basement. The dining area is small with about ten tables...the medium-sized bar has seating for about 20, plus several tables of it's own. The food was quite good and not over-priced. On the bar is an embedded, frozen metal stip, a "cool tray" to keep the glasses of beer cold. There are seven beers on tap. They are tasty and true to style.
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| Allentown Brew Works Allentown Brew Works is located in downtown Allentown and features 6 year round "flagship" beers as well as 6-8 additional seasonal selections. The establishment also carries a decent selection of international bottles. There is a mug-club for regulars and a patio called "Der Biergarten". With an ultra-modern feel, this is a decent place to check out when in Allentown. There is also another location in Allentown, and one in Bethlehem. |
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Bavarian Barbarian Brewing Company First let us say that Bavarian Barbarian is not a brew pub... it is a microbrewery where a crew of thirsty Questors can walk in off the street, during tasting hours, and be treated to a sampling of Bavarian Barbarian's tasty beers. Brewer and Barbarian Chief Mike Hiller will be glad to explain the brewery's philosophy and processes, while pouring you a sample of his Hammerin' Ale, Headbangerz' Brown, Weldspatter IPA, and Steel Drivin' Stout. The brewery now supplies kegs for local venues, has plenty of room for expansion, and will begin bottling bombers as these words are being written. Growlers are also filled on premise.
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Old Forge Brewing Company Old Forge Brewing Company is as delightful on the inside as it is unassuming on the outside. Inside the narrow storefront in this small central Pennsylvania town, it is clean, cozy, and comfortable. The brew works are right up front and behind the bar is evidence of a sizable mug club...testament to the fact that the locals know where to drink. The small bar seats about 10, with a half-dozen tables. Upstairs, you'll find another bar, booths, and an outdoor deck. The barmaid, though not a beer-drinker herself, was knowledgeable and friendly. Brews included a light session ale, Belgian-style blonde, Czech pils, porter, stout, and others. So if you can bend your beer trail along Rt. 11, between Sunbury and Bloomsburg, your time spent inside this little gem will be well-rewarded. |
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The Valley Inn & Abbey Wright Brewing Company Abbey Wright Brewing Company is located in the Valley Inn just across the river from Williamsport, PA. They had six of their own beers on tap at the time of our visit, and we were surprised to see an assortment of 14 macro taps, too. They also stock maybe 45 bottles. The whole place is done in knotty pine, with many places to sit, rest, lean, eat, and drink. Pool and Foosball are available to while away the hours while drinking your Abbey Wright, though most of the patrons at this time seemed to be partaking of the macros. A stage for live music was at one end of the room, and thankfully, we counted only one television.
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Earth Bread + Brewery "Earth Bread + Brewery is an earth-friendly place that puts respect for the environment and the comfort of our guests above all else." |
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McKenzie Brew House McKenzie Brew House features 5 regulars on tap as well as 2 or 3 seasonals. They sell no other beer. They offer a varied selection of boilerplate regulars...lager, ale, and stout. I had two seasonals; one hit and one miss. Two bottle-conditioned beers are also featured. The bar is large and rectangular and there is lots of open space. The feel is modern, clean, and hi-tech. Wood bar and floors warm up an otherwise minimalist feel. The brew works are visible. Bartenders were young and pleasant when questioned. The crowd was young, upscale, and lively.
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General Lafayette Inn and Brewery The General Lafayette Inn is housed in a building whose construction was begun in 1732. The restaurant and brewpub itself is a warren of cozy, comfortable rooms that make even a first-time patron feel at home. At any given time they will offer 8-12 taps of their own beers, and two casks. They included a nice assortment of styles with several Belgians and a raspberry mead ale. |
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Victory Brewing Company Victory has a pub ajacent to their brewery in Downingtown, PA. Tours are available, but the brewing operation is not evident from the pub. The bar area is very long and narrow starting at the entrance door. The dining area is a large area beyond, with the tables crowded together in a noisy and casual manner. They have about 12 of their own beers on tap, and they are quite reasonably priced. A store with their bottled products and paraphenalia is at the far end of the building. |
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Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant
130 E. Bridge Street The Iron Hill Brewpub in Phoenixville, PA, is one of seven in this chain, and is in a newly renovated building in the downtown area. It has large windows and light colored paneling, accented with stainless steel and copper ornamentation, making the place feel very bright yet somewhat sterile. They have six of their own beers on tap. The beers are true to style but expensive... as were the menu items.
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Sly Fox Brewery The Sly Fox Tavern is a brewpub in an older strip mall in Phoenixville, PA. The bar is long and zig-zags around kettles and some fermentation tanks. There are also about 8 tables. The dining area is in a separate room and seems rather small but cozy. There is more dining area upstairs. The pub grub was good and reasonably priced. They had about 10 of their own beers on tap as well as bombers of two of their specialty beers.
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Dock Street Brewery Located in West Philly, on the edge of University City, can be found Dock Street Brewery. The decor was industrial, yet cozy, and the crowd was a mixed lot. Dock Street offered 6 taps of their own beer, and two more in bottles. The styles included an excellent IPA and Golden Ale, as well as Kolsch, barley wine, and others. The bartenders were friendly and helpful, and...this is a big plus...each style was served in the appropriate glass. It may be a little out of the way, but put Dock Street on your list. |
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Union Barrel Works You wouldn't expect to find a great brew pub in this sleepy little Pennsylvania town about a mile off the main antique drag. But you'd be wrong. A long bar has ample room for a crowd of beer drinkers, and there are a number of tables for dining. The beers were tasty and true-to-style. Tin ceilings and hardwood floors add to the feeling of a mature neighborhood watering hole. You have to look for the Union Barrel Works, and that you should do. |
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Lancaster Brewing Company The Lancaster Brewing Co. sits in the idyllic small town of Lancaster , PA, which carries its 200+ years with great dignity. The building is perfect for a brewpub; a former tobacco warehouse. It's a massive, timber-framed structure, with all of the hand-worked joinery left exposed. There are ample nooks and crannies to create an adventuresome, varied floorplan. The high ceilings, exposed timber framing, varied textures of wood and steel in the structure and brewing vessels, and overall spaciousness combine to create the perfect setting for enjoying beer, food, and the company of other bon vivants. The knowledgeable and friendly wait staff might be stretched a bit thin at the busiest times, but are still good-natured and helpful. Being a brewpub, it really is all about the beer, and Lancaster really delivers. Its Milk Stout, Hop Hog IPA and Hefeweizen all stand out as superb examples of vastly different brews. I would return in a heartbeat. |
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The Brewerie at Union Station The Brewerie at Union Station is in a refurbished railroad station. They have lots of room in a spacious setting with railraod decor. There is a 3.5-barrel lauter and kettle on display in one hallway, and seven barrel fermenters in another. The food is very cheap and the service good.They have seven of their own beers on tap as well as two guest taps. Their bottled beers are all from other local breweries. The men's room is spacious with no waiting. |
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Triumph Brewing Company The Triumph Brewing Company is an upscale restaurant that serves nouveau cuisine; small portions of unique dishes at high prices. Go there for the beer. |
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Kutztown Tavern The Kutztown Tavern is an inviting place to drink. There are several over-stuffed couches sharing the entryway space with what appears to be the 5-barrel brewing system of the Golden Avalanche Brewing Company. The very long bar area shares space with six 16-barrel tanks. A large dining area is beyond. They have eight beers and a seasonal on tap. The food is good, the prices are low, the service is quick, and the servers attentive. |
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Marzoni's Brick Oven &
Brewing Company Marzoni's
is a stand-alone building in a shopping center near Altoona, Pa. A new building,
it has lots of windows and blond paneling making it light and spacious. The bar
side takes up at least half the space. There are about 25 booths and tables and
the large bar sits about 35 . The food is good and not expensive. The 10-barrel
system is visible adjacent to the bar. They have six year-round beers and two
more seasonals in a good rotation. The beer is tasty and true to style, and quite
reasonably priced at $2.75 for 20 ounces, even cheaper at Happy Hour. |
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| Manayunk
Brewing Company Located
on the banks of the scenic Schuylkill River in the quaint town of Manayunk, the
Manayunk Brewing Company provides locals and visitors with an array of hand-crafted
beers, and much more. At the time of our visit, they offered 8 taps...4 regulars
and 4 seasonals. Their brews seemed diverse in style, and, as brewer Chris Firey
explained, are "brewed to satisfy a variety of thirsts." A trip to Philly
should include a stop in Manayunk; walk the streets and check out the several
good beer establishments...and then grab a seat on the deck at the Manayunk Brewing
Company and sip a cool one while watching the river flow. |  |
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Bullfrog Brewery The
Bullfrog Brewery is
in the shopping district of downtown Williamsport. It has a long bar and one row
of tables that extends into an alcove in the back, making it seem larger than
it is. It's bright inside, with light colors...blonde woods, copper tanks, and
copper- colored ceiling. Large windows, with ferns and other hanging plants give
it a '90's feel. The copper cooker and lauter tanks are right in the main seating
area, the ten 310-gallon beer holding tanks are in a row behind the bar. They
had 9 beers on tap and an ESB on hand engine. Since the brewing equipment is in
the restaurant, the brewer comes to work in the middle of the night, and is gone
by the time the place opens. |
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Appalachian Brewing Company 50 N. Cameron St. Harrisburg, PA ABC seems to have found a real niche in Harrisburg. They have a spacious bar and restaurant and brew a wide variety of beers that people just plain like to drink. For a sample of the events and activities, visit their website and get on their mailing list. Specials, beerfests, live music, contests...ABC has them. Did I mention the beers? They brew a wide variety of ales and lagers, and had 11 on tap during our visit. Brewmaster Artie Tafoya was glad to take some time to talk about the brewery. Upstairs is the Abbey Bar...more intimate with a selection of over 50 Belgian drafts and bottles for those so inclined. ABC
also has a brewpub in Gettysburg. Questors are encouraged to check out one or
both of these worthy establishments. |  |
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Bube's is certainly one of your most unique brewpubs. Housed in an old brewery dating from 1859, Bube's features lots of dark wood, stone and copper. Bube's usually will have about 5 of their own brews on tap. The alt bier was a session beer that went down easy. They provide 18 taps altogether and about 40 bottles. As you descend the steep stone steps into the catacombs(left) you could be easily going back in time. Bube's has a mug club, special Feasts, mystery dinners and theme parties. Mount Joy isn't far from Lancaster or Harrisburg, and going a little off of your route will be well rewarded. |
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| Route 272 Adamstown, PA 19501 (717)-484-4386
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| Stoudt's has about 9 taps of their hand-crafted beers. Though they specialize in German lagers, the styles are diverse with the likes of a stout and a double IPA. There is really too much happening at Stoudt's to cover in this space...just visit their website. |  |
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717-258-1234 Well,
this is another brew pub in a college
town that makes me want to re-enroll. Market Cross has 13 guest taps and 3 of
it's own brews. This a small brewing operation, but the beer is big on quality.
Their Olde Yeller is an IPA pumped from a hand engine that will probably make
my top 10. What's more...they offer maybe 200 bottles from their cooler. Frequent
visitors should sign up for their Passport Program to earn free stuff. Market
Cross certainly deserves the numerous awards they have won. |
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| 2105
N. Atherton St. 814-867-OTTO (6886) |  |
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It was a mild surprise to cruise into Otto's at 12:30 on a Sunday afternoon and find the bar full. I guess Otto's is a popular place. The only brewpub in State College provides about 8 taps, one of which is a hand pump. The beer is brewed right here, and they offer no guest taps or bottles. The barmaid was helpful and knowledgeable, expertly filling me a growler of Pils. There are specials nightly, with Friday being firkin night. They have a Pub Club featuring many bargains. Otto's is a necessary visit for any Questor in the region, and it's worth traveling to get to. |
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Nodding Head Brewery and Restaurant 1516
Sansom St. The Nodding Head motto is "Taking over the world seven barrels at a time" and they sure seem to be living up to it. It will be well worth the climb up the steps to locate this gem of a brewpub. They are confident in the quality and appeal of their own brews, offering no bottles. Their confidence is not misplaced. The Grog, a medal-winning brown ale, was excellent, and so was the Monkey Knife Fight, an aromatic summer brew. Brendan, our barkeep, was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. The crowd was lively and the mood of the establishment was infectious. We will return as soon as possible. |
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Brendan mans the taps |
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| West Virginia Brewing Company 1291
University Ave. College
towns will often have some fine beer establishments, and Morgantown is no exception.
WVBC will usually have 4-6 of their own award-winning beers, and about 30 bottles.
Of course, beer in WV cannot be over 6.0%
ABV, but this does not prevent WVBC from brewing up some delicious offerings.
Ned's Pale Ale seems to be one of the favorites, and I found out why. The staff
was extremely friendly and helpful. Diversions include darts, pool and trivia.
The sandwich was the biggest I have ever had. |  |
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Thomas, W.Va. 304-463-4500 Brewer Brian Arnett, who used to brew for Ryleigh's in Baltimore before they ceased their brewing operation in 2005, has succeeded in bringing his craft brewing skills back to his home state. Along with his partner, Willie Lehmann, they have set up shop in beautiful and rustic Thomas, in West Virginia's scenic Canaan Valley. The Brewery is not hard to locate...right on Rt. 32 in Thomas. These lads turn out some great brews. The small onsite outlet is a snug little pub, with lots of stone and timber. They featured three beers at the time of our visit; Almost Heaven Amber Ale, Seneca Indian Pale Ale, and Cold Trail Ale. The crowd was lively, and all the beers were different and delicious. Whether you are in the Valley for skiing, hunting, or hiking, you'll want to make sure Mountain State is at the end of your trail.
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| Nestled in the mountains, not far from Blackater Falls, is the Blackwater Brewing Company. They feature 5 or 6 styles, and all are clean, crisp, and well-made. There are several macro bottles for those who want...well, I don't know what they want. Blackwater is a great place to eat and drink in a beautiful area, and a must to visit in the Canaan Valley. |  |
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16 Mile Brewing Company The 16 Mile Brewery is not a brew pub, but a microbrewery with a tasting room. Located not far from the beach in rural Georgetown, Delaware, 16 Mile is so named because Georgetown is "16 miles from anywhere" in Sussex county. |
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Iron Hill Brewery Iron Hill in Newark is among the seven (for now) locations in Delaware and Pennsylvania. The square bar seats at least 20, with lots of tables and outdoor seating. They feature 10 of their own beers on tap, and 1 cask. The staff was friendy and glad to help and make suggestions. Iron Hill was a pleasant respite on a hot day in this buatling college town. |
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Stewart's Brewing Company Bear, DE
is about 10 minutes off I-95 and a nice stop on the way to Philly. Stewart's
Brewing Co. offers 9 draft selections of their own beer, 3 of which are seasonals.
The brew works are visible and the aroma was stimulating. Brewer Ric Hoffman explained
that while Stewart's always strives to satisfy the general beer-drinking populace,
they have been diversifying of late, brewing more higher octane beverages, such
as Belgians and barley wines. They brew about 30 beers per year. The staff was
very helpful, both with beer info and directions. |
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| Dogfish
Head Brewings & Eats Dogfish
Head Craft Brewery |  |
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Iron Hill Brewery 710
South Madison Street The Iron Hill Brewery is situated on Wilmington's scenic Christina River in the midst of many interesting attractions. Of course, the prime attraction here is the beer. Iron Hill was carefully conceived and constructed to be both modern and comfortable. The beer menu features 6 regulars and two seasonals. Those we tried were fresh, clean-tasting, and delicious. The friendly staff went out of their way to be helpful, knew a great deal about their beers, and showed great pride in their workplace. Check out their website to view Iron Hill's impressive list of awards. If you can't make it to Wilmington, don't despair; Iron Hill has brew pubs in Newark, West Chester, Media, and North Wales. |
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On duty...Zack and Ben |
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Mad Fox Brewing Company Mad Fox is located in the charming yet bustling center of downtown Falls Church. When you enter you are greeted by the hostess, and 6 large stainless steel serving tanks...so you know they are serious about the beer here. The long bar seats 30, and a variety of stools, tables, and booths provide for a total of 300 thirsty patrons. Mad Fox features 18 taps and 6 hand pumps, but at any given time they most likely offer 6-10 draft beers and 1-3 cask beers. They offer exclusively their own brews, crafted by owner/brewer Bill Madden, formerly of Vintage 50 and Capital City. Mad Fox also fills growlers. |
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Vintage 50
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Sweetwater Tavern There was nothing not to like about our visit to Sweetwater Tavern in Sterling, VA. The outside bar afforded a beautiful view of the lake and was a cool place to sip a hand-crafted beer on a very hot day. Brewmaster Nick Funnell has a repertoire of about 35 beers, of which 5 were on tap. The Wild West Fest was possibly the best beer I've had this summer. Inside, the spacious bar area has seating for about 60 Questors, and is surrounded by a large dining area. Their beer is fresh and popular; manager Chris informed us that they fill about 250 growlers per week. Much, but not all, of the talk around the bar was beer-related. Our bartender, Sandi, was a gem...attentive, professional, and personable. Sweetwater has two other locations in Northern Virginia but I see no reason not to return to this one. |
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Piccadilly's Brew Pub &
Restaurant Piccadilly'sis located in scenic, historic Winchester in a beautifully restored warehouse.The
beers are extract-brewed in six gleaming tanks that are on display. Four regulars
brews are produced, and they feature several that are blends of the other four.
They also offer a large selection of bottled beers, mostly of the macro variety.
The staff was extremely friendly and helpful, and proprietor Gary Rutherford was
eager to explain the brewing process and show us around the premises. On site
are two spacious dining rooms and an area for banquets and live music. |  |
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Hops Grill and Brewery Located in a suburban shopping center, HOPS offers four standard brews and two seasonals. A few macro bottles are available. The Bold Gold was good and clean as a whistle. At lunchtime, the bar was mostly manned by businessmen eating and drinking their lunch. The bar is rectangular and spacious, and the bar staff helpful. Kristi, the brewster, showed me the seven-barrel system and explained that she is required to brew the four standards, but has more choice in brewing the seasonals. The Fun Zen Bock was tasty with body. HOPS also has a location in Richmond, but I would not hesitate to return to this one. |
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Dogfish Head Alehouse Dogfish Head is finally dispensing their fantastic, far-out beers in dear old Maryland at their Alehouse in Gaithersburg. On tap are 6 regular and 6 seasonal or limited brews. If this does not appeal to you, they have several bottles of mundane macros. The place was jumping at the post-lunch hour, yet the bar staff was attentive and helpful. As always, the ales were outstanding. |
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Growlers 227 East Diamond Ave Gaithersburg, MD 20877 (301) 519-9400 |
Growlers is a brewpub located in the quaint section of Gaithersburg that is still reminiscent of a sleepy, small town. It occupies the same site as the old Summit Station Brewpub. They offer 8 taps, six of which are their house beers...the other two are guest taps. They also carry about 15 bottles. The lunch hour presented an eclectic crowd of diners and beer drinkers. The bar is comfortable, and the beer was very fresh. As the name would indicate, growlers can be filled. |
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Gordon Biersch Gordon
Biersch is a successful chain of brewpubs across the U.S.
We visited the McLean, VA location and found their lagers to be crisp, tasty,
and true to style. There were 8 beers on tap, and the selection was comprehensive,
including marzen, hefeweizen, and Czech lager. The place had a corporate feel
to it, and was populated by an upscale crowd. Nevertheless, Matt, the bartender,
made us feel at home and was willing and eager to answer a vast range of questions.
There is also a location in nearby Washington, DC. |  |
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Rock Bottom Brewery The Rock Bottom Brewery is a successful chain, with the Bethesda location being the only one in Maryland. Brewmaster Geoff Lively knows his craft and his clientele. The former is evidenced by the impressive array of awards and medals he has garnered, and the latter by the sampler of six very smooth and drinkable beers that he graciously proffered. "We try to have something for everyone." is Geoff's philosophy, and this is no idle boast. Their five regulars are brewed to satisfy the normal spectrum of beer drinkers. In addition, Geoff offers one or two seasonals, and one or two cask-conditioned ales dispensed through a hand engine, for his more beer-cultured or curious customers. Ask your bartender, and other special brews are liable to be available in 1-liter bottles. Rock Bottom offers fine foods and special events as well, and should be a definite stop for residents, tourists, and those citizens in search of good beer. |
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| District
Chophouse January 26th, 6:22 PM...it was cold in the District. We were in town for the Lupulin Hoppy Beer Slam at RFD. But being on the Quest, and so close to a brewpub, I threw on my coat and ran a coupla blocks down 7th Street to the District Chophouse. It was a good move. Brewmaster Barrett Lauer crafts about 8 regulars and a seasonal. The Bourbon Stout had been recommended to me, but in its absence, I had a Weizenbock, which was remarkably good. At a great beer place, always sit at the bar...that's where you'll learn about the local beer scene. The bartender was exceptionally helpful in spite of being very busy. The Chophouse seems to be a great place to meet and chat with friends while consuming great beer. My all-too-brief visit was over, but I'll be back. |  |
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| Franklin's Restaurant, Brewery, & General Store 5123
Baltimore Ave. Franklin's is one of Maryland's best kept brewing secrets. Located right on Rt. 1 between DC and College Park, Franklin's has a restaurant downstairs and spacious bar up the steps. They offer 8-10 taps of their own brews, and several macro bottles for the unenlightened. Head brewer Charles Noll crafts a kolsch, hefe-weizen, pale ale, red ale, IPA, and Belgian triple to name a few. The lunchtime crowd was quite diverse, the General Store fun to browse in, and most importantly...the beer was excellent. |  |
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652
S. Pickett Street Shenandoah is the area's first and only brewery, brewpub, and brew-on-premise facility rolled into one. The bar is small, and serves fresh on draft about 8 of Shenandoah's award-winning beers. What is not on draft is likely in a bottle. It's a minimalist menu, providing mainly chile and chips, because most patrons don't come here to eat...they come to drink beer, brew beer, and discuss the same. Drinking a beer at SB is like drinking milk on a dairy farm, or eating potato chips in Hanover...this is where it’s made, this is where they do it for real, and that adds an air of electricity to the place. There is something passionately satisfying about sipping one of SB’s many fresh selections as you wait for your wort to boil. Novices need not worry; brewmaster and proprietor Anning Smith will guide you through the process of making the style you select. The conversation is seriously about beer as well, and the bar serves as a malting pot for locals interested in drinking and brewing. It’s a hoppening place.
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The Mash House The Mash House brewpub is in a modern stand- alone building not far from the shopping center area. It's designed like a chain restaurant in that one is confronted by the hostess stand upon entering the front door. The large bar area is to the left, and a very large dining area to the right. The brewing operation is visible through windows behind the bar. They have 5 year-round brews on tap, as well as a seasonal, and no guest beers. The beers are tasty and seem true to style. An award from the GABF is on display as well as local awards. The food was good but seemed pricey. |
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Southend Brewery Southend
Brewery in Charlotte, seems to be quite successful. Located in a converted
warehouse, there is lots of room, but most of it is dedicated to the restaurant.
The brewing operation is visible in the back but not emphasized. They have six
regular brews and one rotating seasonal. The beers are true to style, but seem
more commercial than passionate. It is one of a chain with other locations in
Raleigh and Charleston. |
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THIS IS A MICROBREWERY...NOT A BREWPUB - BUT THEY DO A THRIVING GROWLER BUSINESS, AND WILL BE GLAD TO HAVE YOU SAMPLE THEIR BEERS! The Heinzelmannchen Brewery, Sylva NC, is a one-man operation. He has a cooker, and one 10 barrel fermenter. He uses lager recipes, but an ale yeast to make his five brews. After a three day ferment, he kegs the beer for further conditioning. He has several commercial accounts and does a good growler business.
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| Thomas
Creek Brewery Wait a minute now...Thomas Creek ain't a brewpub...it's a microbrewery. You can't get food, but call ahead for a brewery tour and delicious samples. Thomas
Creek Brewery in Greenville, SC does no retail sales. They have a cooker,
and six 50- barrel fermenters. They also have three half-barrel fermenters for
special restaurant contracts. Taps on the wall allow tasting of four different
beers. They have a small bottling line, and they insert bottles into cases by
hand. Their variously named products are sold through SC and also Georgia. If
expansion is called for, they have space thru one wall to double their operation. |  |
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Blue Ridge Brewing Company Located
in the boutique shopping district of Greenville, SC, Blue
Ridge seems like a typical yuppie brew pub. They seat about 100 and have a
cozy patio in front. Their copper cooker and lauter are displayed in front with
a row of 5 stainless 10 barrel fermenters down the side. There are four regular
beers and a seasonal; stout, blond, ESB, pale ale, and dunkle weissen. The beers
seem true to style. |
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War Horse Brewing Company The War Horse Brewery has it's tasting room at the rear of the Three Brothers Winery near Seneca Lake. It is not a brew pub. The beer is contract brewed, and is for sale at the tasting room. They sell growlers and have one beer in bottles. They can also sell a round of samples. And they have a fair amount of samples. The draft was tasty and seemed true to style. The bottled beer also contains a grape juice. |
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| Lake Placid Pub and Brewery Known for their Ubu Ale, the Lake Placid Pub and Brewery is located on Mirror Lake in Lake Placid, Maryland. With 5 or 6 different beers on tap, there aren't a ton of options, but what they do have is well worth the visit. The award-winning Ubu Ale, an English Strong Ale, alone makes the trip worthwhile. |
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Great Adirondack Brewing Company The Great Adirondack Brewing Company is located in downtown Lake Placid at the Great Adirondack Steak and Seafood Restaurant. The 7-barrel brewing system is located in a separate building behind the restaurant. The bar is small but boasts 7 taps with several different seasonal brews available throughout the year. A great little place to visit when up in the area. |
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Syracuse Suds Factory
Just around the corner from Clark's, you'll find the Syracuse Suds Factory. They offer 7 taps of their home beer, and 6 macros, along with an extensive bottle list. A long, L-shaped bar seats about 20, and the large room proffers numerous booths and tables. The setting could be described as Industrial/Urban-Casual, with lots of brick, glass, and metal. A jazz band was playing during our visit, which augmented our experience. Our barmaid, Heather, was helpful and informative. The Suds Factory definitely merits a stop on a Questor's Syracuse beer tour. |
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Scale House Brewery In the Lansing section of Ithaca, in a strip mall behind another mall, wedged between an Asian tofu parlor and a laundromat, you will find a hidden gem...the Scale House Brewery. The Pub joins Northeast Pizza, so the Questor can satisfy his hunger and thirst simultaneously. Scale House cooks, ferments, and dispenses their beers from shiny 5-barrel tanks behind the bar, and there are three of them...pils, bock, and a red ale. Owner Steve Fazzary was glad to explain his system of fresh beer and tasty pizza. Scale House seemed like a fun place with something always going on; live music ranges from bluegrass to blues to jazz, and there's a karaoke night too. If you are visiting the vibrant beer community of Ithaca, Scale House is worth searching out. |
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Pearl Street Grill and Brewery Pearl Street has got to be one of the largest brewpubs in the land, and you can't miss it. On the corner above the main entrance is a massive replica of the Lake Effect Man beer tap. Elsewhere, porches surround the building (a la New Orleans ), offering a great outdoors view toward Lake Erie in the back. Inside there are four floors and a basement with six separate bars - the barkeep estimated close to 200 taps in the place. Seven year-round beers (amber, pale ale, stout, etc.) are rounded-out by rotating seasonals, which included a double IPA, double wheat bock, maibock, chocolate stout, raspberry stout, and porter on my visit. Each beer has its own specially sculpted tap handle - classy. Don't forget to look up and catch the belted ceiling fans - very industrial upscale Buffalo . The menu features top notch brown and white food - from pot roast and mashed potatoes smothered in gravy to sandwiches, pizza and wings. And each menu item is accompanied by a symbol for the year-round beer that makes a good pairing. Now that's the way to get people thinking about food and beer! Pearl Street always has a good crowd - located downtown and two blocks from Coca-Cola Field (go Bisons).
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Southern Tier Brewing Company The Southern Tier Brewery is located in a sparsely built industrial area outside of Jamestown, NY. It's tasting room is open Friday evening and Saturday afternoon. In The Empty Pint, as the tasting room is called, they have their seven regular beers and a root beer on tap. The bar stands about 8 and there are three picnic tables in the room as well as a bootled beer display and souvenirs. There is an outdoor seating area as well. On a pleasant Saturday afternoon, there were about 20 customers. |
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Flying Bison Brewing Company You gotta really want to visit Flying Bison. The sign on Ontario Street says the brewery is at the back of the building, and so it is in many ways. Still, once safely inside you're treated to the innards of a working brewery. Owner and head brewer Tim Herzog is proud of his facilities and his beers. He built the place around the wish-lists of other brewers and so it has such things as its own lab and a one-barrel system for test brewing. There's no restaurant but there is a small bar with Flying Bison beers on tap for samples. On our visit seven taps were pouring – the Blizzard Bock and Barnstormer Pale Ale were favorites. Pint glasses, ball caps and similar beer paraphernalia are also available for purchase. Tim and his crew give tours on Saturday but they were happy to indulge us on a dreary Monday morning. If you fear the back of buildings in industrial areas, you can also find Flying Bison in restaurants, bars and grocery stores throughout Western New York.
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Empire Brewing Company The Empire brewpub has reopened in the tavern district of Syracuse. The facility is in the basement of an old brick building with bare brick motif. Although there is a large bar in the center, about half of the space, in several rooms, is for food service. The brewer, Tim Butler, was the head brewer at Middle Ages. He is re-creating some of the original Empire beers and will make several of his own unique brews. Some of his creations have already won prizes. In addition to eight of there own beers on tap, they have several guest beers from the local area. |
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Rooster Fish Brewing Company The Rooster Fish brewpub is located in the tourist section of Watkins Glen, NY. One door enters into the restaurant, and the other entrance is to the bar. The brewery operation is in the dining area of the bar, and makes only ales. Six of their ales are on tap, and there are several guest taps. |
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Ellicottville Brewing Company The Ellicottville Brewing Company is in a building that has always been a tavern, located in a ski resort. It has a modest bar and nearly no dining area, but there is outside seating. The computerized brewing system is visible in the back. They have nine of their beers on tap and the menu is yuppie-style bar food. |
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Buffalo Brewpub 6861 Main Street Williamsville, NY 14221 716-632-0552 |
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| The Buffalo Brewpub has been in business since 1996.They are in a large facility with a rustic flavor.The brewing equipment is in a room visible from the dining area.They display what appears to be five 7 barrel fermenters, although the sign says that one is a lauter, and another is the kettle. The food is good and not expensive; the service adequate. They have 34 taps, five of which are their own beer. |
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Sackets Harbor Brewing Company Sackets
Harbor Brewing Company is located on the water in the tourist district. The
restaurant has waterside seating. The bar is fairly small, high ceilinged and
darkly paneled; a very comfortable place to drink. They have a 10-barrel system
with four fermenters adjacent to the bar. The bar food was a little pricy, but
good and plenty. Eight beers were on tap. All were tasty if not true to style.
Their Scotch Octoberfest is a Scotch-stlye beer made with German ingredients.
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King Arthur's Steak House
& Brewery King
Arthur's full service bar is attractive and fairly upscale, with 5 of their
own beers on tap. The brewer, there since June, is at his first full- time brewing
gig. He had been an assistant at other small breweries. All the brews on tap are
his, all true to style and rather tasty. They included a Golden Ale, IPA, and
an ESB among others. |  |
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Ithaca Beer Company Ithaca
Beer Co. is hard to pass up as it is right on the highway near Ithaca. The
store front is as large as a 7-11, and sells home brew supplies, Ithaca logo souvenirs,
and of course Ithaca beer. In their sampling area they have 8 taps and their rootbeer.
Everything they make is on tap, everything they bottle is in the cooler. The seasonals,
which aren't bottled, are available on keg or by growler. Mix and match 6- packs
or cases are available. It's a wonderful beer store!
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Street Brewing Company |  |
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| Wagner Valley· Micro Brewery · Restaurant 9322 Route 414 Lodi, NY 14860 · 607-582-6450 This is a microbrewery in the
heart of New York wine country. Wagner
Valley Brewing Co. produces both lagers and ales -- several "regular"
brews (Dockside Amber Lager, India Pale Ale, Caywood Station Oatmeal Stout and
Sled Dog Doppelbock), plus seasonal beers throughout the year. The small bar is
in a corner of the brewery. Tastes are .25 or 1.50 for all six. When you find
one you like, you can get a mug, pint, pitcher, or growler. They have tables on
a very large deck overlooking Senaca Lake.
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Squatters Pub Brewery First
of all, you have to understand that brewpub beer
in Utah is about 4.0% ABV. Having said that, Squatters
is a fun place that makes a variety of beers that are more than drinkable; pils,
IPA, hefeweizen, and stout to name a few. There are quite a few styles, they all
seemed to be in stock, and they don't taste the same. Plus, a nitrogen tap. Look
at the photo above. That thing in the back is called a "table tap."
It's a cylinder, about a meter high, holding 2 liters of beer. Twelve bucks. A
gimmick, sure, but it's fun to watch the bar staff try to fill them. When you
leave, walk the block-and-a-half to the Red Rock Brew Pub. |  |
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Walter meets up with some Belgians |
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Red Rock Brewing Co. Ok...so Red Rock may feel like a chain, but darn it, I liked the beers. And then you've got the Utah beer laws, which you should ask your bartender to explain. If you understand them, you should have another beer. We ordered an Abbey Ale, Dunkelweizen, Jr. IPA, Oatmeal Stout and Pilsener, of which the IPA was best, even for a Jr. As you leave, walk down to Squatters just a block or so away. Neither should be missed if you're in Salt Lake.
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| Desert
Edge Brewing at the Pub Desert
Edge is located in an interesting trolley building. Remember the Utah
laws; 4.0. Brews include pils, hefeweizen, several ales, Munich lager, porter,
and stout; most all have won awards. We preferred the hefeweizen. The Latter Day
Stout is a nitrogen tap. Desert View was an oasis on a 100-degree day.
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Snake River Brewing Company
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| Snake River brews and serves an impressive variety of high-quality beers. Their 4500 barrel per year brewery has won gold medals for their Guido's Kolnerbrau and Rock Chuck Rye. Their pale ale, lager, and Zonker Stout seem to always be on tap, along with about three seasonals, ranging from the Indian Paintbrush Pils to the heftier Old Stinky's Strong Ale. Their Snake River Lager seems to be a favorite of the region and is found everywhere. Of the several beers I rated here, I preferred the St. Marty's Choice, a Scottish ale. |
Walter would trim that branch if he had it to do over. |
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Wolf Pack Brewing Co. 111
Canyon Street |
| West Yellowstone is just outside the west entrance of the Park;a great place to visit if you're close. It's a tourist town with a charming tackiness and a lot of good beers. Wolf Pack is their brew pub, "dedicated to producing authentic style German lagers & ales of superb quality and character." We had the Druid Pack Dunkelweizen and the Smokejumper Rauchbier. For some reason, they can't serve beer after 8 pm. Yow! While you're in town, check out Bullwinkle's and Bear Tooth Barbecue. West Yellowstone offers a lot of good local beers in a small, scenic area. |  |
Alaska
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| Snow
Goose Restaurant & 717
West Third Avenue The Sleeping Lady Brewery offers a wide variety of local and seasonal favorites. There are about 10 taps. The usual lineup includes India Pale Ale, Porter, Scottish Ale, English Pale Ale, Stout, and Barleywine. There are numerous speciality brews, firkins, and $2 pints in the winter. Yikes! The venue also includes a dining area and gift shop.
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Moose's
Tooth Pub & Pizzeria They call it a Pub and Pizzeria and the pizza is good. Don't kid yourself, people go to Moose's Tooth for the beers. On a recent night, and the nights can be long in Anchorage, the Tooth offered 19 different microbrews. They've got bottles, sure, but forget the bottles. This is a stop every Questor should make at some point in his life. |
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Glacier
BrewHouse With four standards and 48 seasonals, Glacier BrewHouse offers one of the best selections of fine hand-crafted beers you'll find anywhere. Glacier BrewHouse recently claimed top honors with a Gold Medal at the Great American Beer Festival for it's Big Woody Barleywine. "Like the light of God just shines brightly on this beer as it sits in your glass." said one judge. The
staff at Glacier Brewhouse was generous with their samples. This is a good place.
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Thirsty Bear Brewing Company If you're going to San Francisco, be sure to drink some Thirsty Bear beers there. This is the very best micro brewery this Questor has ever visited, bar none. The ambience is that of a San Francisco art gallery/warehouse. It is a curious mix of track lighting, modern art, bare pipes in the ceiling, bare brick walls, huge skylight and concrete floor with an antique hardwood floor insert. The brew works are all on premises and they are a curious silver, no copper in sight. Men in black leather jackets sit cross-legged at high table and chairs—It is San Francisco after all. Other men come and go with briefcases slung low against their backs. It does not take long to realize this place has an awful beer décor. Worse, the menu is terrible, with great food. Go figure. Appetizers include olive with herbs, spicy fried chickpeas, roasted beets and other so-called delight. There is little to no meat to be found on this tapas menu! I am ashamed to say I ate roasted beets and liked them along with bocadillos, tortilla Espanola, and empadaes. Someone please tell me what paella is, Kramer loved it! The crowd was eclectic sexually but mostly young. There was a long L-shaped bar and indecipherable music played unnoticed in the background. Later it turned to class rock and it delighted. Baseball was on for two home teams but no one seemed interested. Now let's talk beer. The Thirsty Dog had 11 beers on tap. I had Rumrunner Brown Ale, Golden Hallucination (a strong Belgian), Kozlov Stout, and Meyer ESB. The last two were nitrogen conditioned. They were the best danged microbrews I have ever had. Each was consistent, solid, smooth, with lots of body and very, very tasty. The Rumrunner was my favorite; it was a seasonal brown ale flavored with molasses. The Golden Hallucination was as good a Belgian draft as I have ever had. The beers were universally great. You've got to put Thirsty Bear on your to do list if you come to San Francisco. Now, for the women, for this part of any better beer drinking experience, is it not? Just as I had begun to give up on the TB two raven haired goddesses entered and sat at the small raised table across from us. And there sat Snow White. It had to be. Her top was cut as low as her hemline was high. She had legs, crossed and long, that would have giganticized all seven of the dwarfs. When she uncrossed and recrossed her legs the entire bar sighed as one, I along with it. From the first gay to the last hooray, the Thirsty Bear has the best micro brews I have ever had. Strong colors, crystal clarity and firm bodies characterize all of their beers. Be sure to ask about the seasonals, they were especially good on our visit. This is a must stop for any beer lover in the City by the Bay.
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Karl Strauss Brewing Company Southern California is home to six Karl Strauss brewery-restaurants. We visited the Costa Mesa location next to the sprawling South Coast plaza and there were plenty of thirsty beautiful-people shoppers on hand. Based on a number of visits over the years, Karl Strauss beers have always been first class, ranging from Endless Summer Light (when's the last time you saw an American craft-brewed 3.4% beer?) to a seasonal saison (7%) and trippel (9%). Food is on the better side of typical brewpub fare and stretches from mac and cheese to filet mignon. A large parking structure is a short walk away. For a mall brewery, this Karl Strauss is worth going out of your way to visit.
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The Lost Abbey We're-Not-Worthy Beer Tour stop #2. If Stone isn't enough then travel the 3.2 miles to brewer Tomme Arthur's beer playground at The Lost Abbey, located in a light industrial complex. We were there on a Saturday afternoon when it was standing room only, albeit any room to sit or stand was scarce. Still, the beers, which include brews from both Port Brewing and Lost Abbey, are worth a stand on one leg if necessary. Lost Abbey beers are all high-end and Belgian-inspired. Some are within a traditional beer style, others defy both tradition and style. During our visit the nine Lost Abbey taps ranged from a 4.8% Witch's Wit to an 11% Serpent's Stout, with most closer to the stout in abv. You may not be standing at all after two pints in this place. Wooden barrels are everywhere, including being used as bar stools. While there's no food, Lost Abbey offers some of the best craft beers we've ever tasted. You want to go to there.
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Stone Brewing Company
The We're-Not-Worthy Beer Tour stop #1. We recently visited Stone for the fourth time, and this time we included a brewery tour before lunch. Tours are free but you need to sign in early as they fill up quickly; you'll get to see an operation that looks more like one of the big guys than a craft brewery. Besides, the tour finishes with a sampler of five Stone beers. Great start. Stone is one of the few brewery-restaurants that has paid attention to food and how it pairs with its beers, so anticipate a damn good meal. And it looks and acts like a restaurant, with park-like outside dining and a soaring inside dining area. Imagine a California biergarten...this is it. But then, seriously, there's Stone beer. When we visited there were nine Stone beers on tap and three more in the bottle, including Cali-Belgique IPA (6.9%, $5), Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale (8.7%, $4), and the 2007 and 2008 Old Guardian Barley Wines (each 11.26% and $12). But if Stone beer alone were not enough, there were also 23 taps and 69 bottles from places like Alesmith, Green Flash, Russian River, Moylan's, Brew Dog and others. All well-crafted and mostly big beers, and with great food and service to accompany them. This must be on your brewery bucket list.
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| Pyramid
Alehouse, Brewery & Restaurant If you were drugged and blindfolded and awoke in this brew pub, your first words would be, "Am I in California?" Nine handcrafted ales. Spend the night with the triplets Amber, Hefe and Apricot Weizen, three of the finest unfiltered wheat beers on the planet. Hefe is the dog here. And the ABV's are respectable for wheats. The décor is California industrial. The tan and black color scheme makes this the kind of place Larry David would invest in. But the beers are really good. The Curve Ball is a Kolsch with a distinctly herbal essence to it. The IPA was quite lupin. Get
the pizza. It is simply the best pizza you have ever had in a bar, if not ever.
Three thumbs up outta two.
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| In Davis,
Questors must go to Sudwerk
Restaurant & Brewery. Period. German beer made in America. Why didn't
someone back East think of that? Smooth and consistently flavorful beers is what
you will find at this award-winning Rheinheitsgebot Brauerei. Brewed on premises, these are splendid brews. The hefeweizen is one of the best outside der Vaterland. This is not Southern California, but it is California, and the clientele is so good looking on some nights, that many Questors risk being asked to leave for excessive blandness. No way these women drink beer and look like this...no way.
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Schalander Hausbrauerei Schalander is a small brewpub in the dingy edge of an otherwise vibrant older neighborhood in midtown Berlin. The typical-sized bar area has a few seats at the bar and several tables, with more tables in a back room. Most of the seating is on a front patio. The small beer operation is on display by the front door. The beers are particularly tasty, so bold they may be called American-style German beers. The menu is mostly flatbread and appetizers, inexpensive but very popular with the neighborhood. |
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Hops & Barley Hops & Barley is a small brewpub in an older area of Berlin. Although there are several tables inside, most customers sit out front when the weather permits. There is also a large room in the back. Augmented with only a few snacks, the menu emphasises beer. Not really true to style, the beers are bold and flavorful, with three on tap at any one time. A small brew kettle, on display in the barroom, is mostly for decoration as the real brewing takes place in a back room. |
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Schlossplatzbrauerei Coepenick Self-proclaimed as the smallest brewery in Germany, the Schlossplatz brewpub is across the street from Schloss Kopenick in the Berlin suburb of Kopenic. The size of a generous two car garage, there is a small bar and several tables and a work area with what looks to be a 1 Barrel kettle. The is more seating on the patio out front. They serve a helles and a dunkel. |
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Hopfingerbräu Hopfingerbräu is a brewpub in the main train station in central Berlin. The small storefront isn't very promising as it is as narrow as a small row house, but looks are deceiving as a sign in the entranceway says it seats 300 inside as well as 200 more on their patio. The pub widens out inside and is about a city block long, with the part beyond the generous bar blocked during the slower times. The brew kettles on display on either side of the bar are for decoration as the beer is brewed at their other location. They have the standard three beers on tap, a Pils, Dunkel, and Hefe. The beer and menu items seem pricey but are probably quite reasonable given the location. |
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Brewbaker Brewbaker is a middle-sized brewpub in a quiet district in central Berlin. Built into the viaduct under the railroad tracks, the building rumbles with each passing train. There is inside seating for about 70 at mostly large tables, as well as a front patio and one in the rear, and a few bar seats. The bar confronts a residential-sized kitchen, so one must watch the cook putter around the stove. The menu items seemed high priced, but one can watch their meal being prepared. The brewing operation is on display by the front window. Their brews, although tasty, may not be true to style. Besides the standard pils, the were serving a red and a stout. |
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Badisch Brauhaus Badisch Brauhaus is a large brewpub in the basement of a hotel on the edge of the busy shopping district. Immense, they describe themselves as an indoor bier garten and have about 30 good-sized tables. The typical bar area is nearly as big. There is a lower level, closed when I was there, almost as spacious, and a third level below that. The brewing operation is glassed in at the back of the main bar. They have two year-round beers on tap as well as a seasonal. The beers seem true to style, good, but not wonderful. The afternoon beer special each day is a full litre for E3.00. |
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HopfenSchlingel HopfenSchlingel is a brewpub in downtown Pforzheim. Very small, the bar seats about 25 customers on barstools placed randomly around small bar-style tables. The diminutive, computerized brewing operation is behind the bar. They have a pils on tap as well as occasional seasonals. The main dining area is upstairs. |
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| Wirtshaus Wolfbräu Wirthaus Wolfbrau is a corner bar in a residential neighborhood; an outlet for the Wolf brewery. They have three full- time beers on tap as well as at least one seasonal. They also have about 10 guest bottles. There is no bar to speak of, although there are several long, narrow, bar-style tables with bar stools along each side, as well as perhaps a dozen dining tables. At meal times the place fills up with neighborhood folk, families, and young and old alike, so that every seat is filled. The food is attractive, inexpensive, and judging by the crowds, quite tasty. Oh, and the beer is quite good, too. |
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Brauhaus Kühler Krug Brauhaus Kühler Krug is a very large facility in a park-like setting by a river. It's been there a long time as the transit stop is named for it. On the day of this visit, several sections were closed off. It appears they have a dance hall as well as a bier garten. What might be a bar was also closed. The main dining area focuses on the brewing operation which is up a few steps in the center of the back of the room. A chalkboard shows the month's brewing schedule; something nearly every day. They have two full- time beers as well as a seasonal. The manager, quite friendly, gave me that day's release, a märzen, in exchange for a Questor card. All of the beers were quite good.
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Der Vogelbrau Karlsruhe Vogelbrau is a brew pub in a busy residential area just off the University campus. The dining area is in a separate storefront. They have one year-round pilsner. A pamphlet at the bar lists 23 seasonals and their release dates. The beers are quite tasty. The modern computerized brewing operation is behind glass in the front room, which seats about ten and a long bar that opens to another small seating area. There were two beers on the list, Pils and Doppelbock. When I ordered a "doppel" the bartender looked as if he didn't understand, so I said "double". Being busy, he was impatient and said, " Pils oder buck." I said "kein pils."
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Hausbrauerei Eschenbräu Triftstr. 67 · 13353 Berlin Tel. 030 / 462 68 37 0162 / 493 19 15 Eschenbräu is a small brewpub located in the center courtyard of an apartment complex in the Berlin suburb of Wedding. The courtyard has about 20 large picnic tables and a kiosk where the beer is served. The lone barmaid also runs the bar in a nearby small and cozy cellar. The brewing operation is displayed in a storefront above. Menus were available, but a kitchen was not evident. The beer menu has the release date for each of the nine seasonal releases. They also have a pilsner, a dunkel, and a hefeweizen year round. I really enjoyed the place; I'd go back. |
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Brauhaus Lemke
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BRAUHAUS GEORGBRAEU The Brauhaus Georgbraeu is in the middle of the busy tourist district of Berlin, next to the river Spree. With an immense seating area outside, few people are inside, although there are several dining rooms and some smaller cozy places, too. It's a busy place; you might have to wait for service...oh, and they only make one beer...Pilsner. It's pretty tasty, but it's not cheap. |
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Brauhaus Südstern Tel.: +49(0)30-6900 1624 The Brauhaus Südstern is located in the front of an apartment building in the nicer Südstern neightborhood. Almost American style, they have a small dining area on the front patio, an indoor dining area and a slightly separated long bar area. The brewing equipment takes up a corner of the front of the bar area. They have three full-time beers and seasonals as appropriate. The service was good, the beers were tasty and seemed true to style, but the menu seemed a litle pricy. It's a short walk from the U-bahn. I would like to go back. |
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Brauhaus in Rixdorf Brauhaus in Rixdorf takes up about a city block in Berlin. About half of that is the brewery. The rest is a large biergarten with a large restaurant building in it's midst. One was encouraged to sit outside as the restaurant was dark and unattended. Service is good and the beers are tasty. This brewery has a following locally in various restaurants and also bottles several beers. |
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Brauhaus Wittenberg The Brauhaus Wittenberg is in the center of the busy tourist district. There is a courtyard with outside seating prior to entering the building. Part of the brewing operation is visible behind the bar, the rest is in the basement. The beer engine shown at right delivers the beer to your glass. Some storage tanks are on the floor above, along with hotel rooms. The bar is also the hotel check-in desk. The beer is tasty and seems true to style. The food is good and not expensive. |
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Brauhaus Mitte The Brauhaus Mitte is across the street from some tourist attractions, and also a big subway hub. Modern and brightly lit, it is on the second floor of a shopping mall, with it's own separate staircase. There is outdoor seating below and also on the patio above. The stairway leads to the main bar area, there is a large dining area also which has the brewing operation. There are three year round brews on tap as well as the appropriate seasonal. |
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Marcus-Bräu
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Brauhaus in Spandau The Brauhaus in Spandau is a classic brewpub. The brewing operation is on a platform behind the bar. Bar tables are nestled up close to the fermenters. The bar is not particularly spacious, but there are several dining rooms as well as a large upstairs area and also quite a large outdoor seating area. The food is cafeteria style; you can get it yourself or the wait staff will get it for you. There are several year round beers on their list as well as several seasonal. The beers were tasty and seemed true to style. It is worth the short trip from Berlin. |
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Brauhaus am Markt Brauhaus am Markt is an American-style brewpub located at the end of Market street in downtown Kaiserslautern. The brewing operation is visible and open between the bar area and the dining area. The large bar seats about 18, and they have 4 of their own beers on tap, three regular and a seasonal. The regular beers, Helles, Hefe Weizen, and Dunkel, were true to style, but the seasonal, Nikolas, a Christmas beer, was excellent. At right is a photo of an afternoon well-spent at Brauhaus am Markt. |
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Brauerei Uerige GmbH The Uerige is an ancient German restaurant in the touristy market area (Old Town) of Düsseldorf. There are several large dining areas and a small bar area. The brewing operation is inaccessible from the rear of the restaurant. The front door enters to a hallway; the first room is a bar area with tables and chairs. They have one beer on draft, Alt, which comes in an 8 ounce glass, as well as their own bottled Hefe Weizen. There are several other bar areas in this large building, each area with its own different clientele. If the weather is nice, patrons can stand outside the Uerige on Berger Straße, or sit on the Forum across the road. Some argue that Uerige is the oldest pub in Düsseldorf, but this would be difficult to prove. |
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| Hausbrauerei Zum Schlüssel The Hausbraueri zum Schlüssel (The Keys) is a typical German restaurant in the touristy market area (Old Town) of Düsseldorf. There are several large dining areas and a small bar area. The brewing operation is in the rear of the restaurant. The bar area has no seats but tall pub tables that you can lean on. When you find a place in the bar area, the barman will be there with a beer. If you are there in the first place then that means you want a beer...why else would one be there? When your beer is empty, another one appears, until you give the barman the "no" sign. The beer won't go to waste; if you don't want it, the next guy will. They have one beer, Alt, which comes in an 8-ounce glass as shown.
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Brauerei im Füchschen The Brauerei im Füchschen (the Little Fox) is a typical German restaurant in a high-end neighborhood (near the Art Gallery and museums) of Dusseldorf. There is a large dining area and a small bar area. The brewing operation is not evident. The bar area has no seats but tall pub tables for leaning. When you find a place in the bar area, the barman will be there with a beer. If you are there, then you are there to drink. When your beer is empty, another one appears, until you tell him "Nein!". The barman won't be offended, he'll just give the beer to the next guy. They have one beer, Alt, and it arrives as an 8-ouncer. |
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Brauerei Schumacher Brauerei Schumacher is a typical German restaurant located in the hotel district near the rail station. There is a large dining area and a small bar area. The brewing operation is in an adjacent building. The bar area has a few seats but mostly tall pub tables against which patrons can lean. When you find a place in the bar area, the barman will be there with a beer. If you aren't there for beer, you don't belong there. When your beer is empty, another one appears, until you tell him "Nein, danke ". They have one beer, Alt, which comes in an 8-ounce pour. |
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Peters Brauhaus Peters Brauhaus is located close to the busy tourist area around the Cathedral in Köln. It's a large restaurant with many rooms and alcoves. There is no bar area. The brewing operation is not apparent. One sits at a table and waits for the waiter to notice; then he will bring a menu. The food seemed pricey, but the portions were large. They have one beer, Kölsch, which comes in a 7-ounce pour. |
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Brauerei zur Malzmuhle
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Stiefel Brau Stiefel Brau is a brew pub in the busy shopping and tourist district of Saarbrucken, Germany. Two large copper kettles are in the main dining room although no other brewing equipment is evident. Although the building is large, both the bar and dining room seem rather small and cozy. The beers...Helles, Marzen, and a Dunkle, seem like home brews in that their defining characteristic seemed overemphasized, for example, the Marzen was very malty. The food menu was varied and reasonably priced. |
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Calwer Eck Calwer Straße 31, 70173 Stuttgart Calwer Eck is a large restaurant upstairs in the busy shopping district. The bar is beyond the food buffet. The typical brewing equipment is in a glassed-off room next to the bar. Piled inside are small wooden cases containing six half-litres of their beer to go. In addition to their other typical beers, they make a saison. It is subtle but tasty. |
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Sophie's Brauhaus Marienstr. 28 Sophie's Brauhaus is a large restaurant, upstairs in the busy shopping district. The typical brewing equipment is in the back, but turned around so that the rear of the tanks face the bar. They have three of their own on tap, and they seem quite tasty. Food portions were large and relatively inexpensive.
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LINDENBRÄU
AM POTSDAMER PLATZ Lindenbrau
is located in a busy tourist area. They have seating for probably 300 outdoors,
in a sheltered area between buildings.There are 3 floors, with some of the floor
space is taken up by the brewing equipment. |  |
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| Steamworks
Brewing Co. 375
Water Street, Steamworks brews about fifteen different beers over the course of the year and typically has between seven and eight house brews on tap at any given time. Steamworks is unique in that it uses live steam for the brewery. The steam which heats the mash tun is from the same steam line that runs the town's historic steam clock.The steam gives the brewer a finesse of temperature that electrically heated vessels cannot produce.
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our visit, taps included a lager, a pale ale, an IPA, a nutbrown, an oatmeal stout,
a cream ale, and a summer white. There are three entrances; take
the one to the main bar. The bar food is above average. |
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Yaletown Brewing Co. 1111 Mainland Street Vancouver B.C. V6B 2T9 Tel 604-681-BREW
(2739) |
| Yaletown Brewing was voted best Brew Pub in Canada in 1999 and 2000 by internationally acclaimed "Brew Pub Magazine". Serving six beers and one seasonal, Yaletown also features TV's, pool tables, and $2.78 pints on Sundays. |  |
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Tampa Bay Brewing Company Amongst Ybor City's restaurants, bars, tattoo parlors and cigar stores is Tampa Bay Brewing Company. Located in the faux-mall-like Centro Ybor, Tampa Bay provides choices from the usual suspects: blonde, weizen, red, pale ale, IPA, porter, stout. We tried three and I can only recall the IPA - it was exceedingly OK, as was the hummus appetizer. The place is spacious and dark and a welcome relief from the Florida heat. Still, this was our second time here and neither trip left us with much to write home about, or to even write a Questor review. When in Ybor there's better food elsewhere (The Columbia and Bernini's) and much better beer at New World. |
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Cigar City Brewing As if the beach were not enough, it's worth a trip to Florida just to visit Cigar City Brewing. It's a classic craft brewery - a bit hard to find, situated in a light industrial building, limited seating, dart board. Since they only serve beer and no food, it's technically not a brewpub, but food is secondary to beer anyway. Most beers are in the 8% and above range - see what I mean about being worth it? We tried the Jai Alai IPA (a keeper), Guava Grove (a bit sour for me), a very cherry tasting scotch ale, and Marshall Zhukov's Imperial Stout (reason enough to make the trip). Most beers are available to carry out: the IPA in a six-pack, Marshall Z's and a few others in bomber bottles, and most all beers in growlers. Get a sitter for the kids and stop by before the place loses that new brewery smell.
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BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse BJ's Restuarant and Brewhouse is a stand-alone restaurant in front of a shopping mall. Part of a very large chain, they actually make no beer, although they have 5 propriatary beers on tap. They also have 28 guest beers, 14 American craft brews as well as 14 European brands. The interior is all open space with a very large bar. The BJ's beers are tasty and seem true to style. The food comes in large portions and is quite reasonably priced. |
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Seven Bridges Grille & Brewery Seven Bridges Grille and Brewery, part of the Gordon Biersch group, is a large stand- alone brewpub near the trendy suburban shopping area just outside Jacksonville. The main door opens on the hostess-stand and the restaurant portion that has perhaps 50 tables and booths. To the left, the large bar area also has booths, tables and about 50 seats around the bar and near the perimeter shelves. The four year-round beers are dictated by the larger corporation, but the two seasonals and the hand pull are unique to this restaurant. All the beers were tasty and seemed true to style. The brewing operation is visible on the upper balcony. The barmaid said the manager would be glad to give me a tour, but because of time constraints, I had to refuse. The food looked good and the portions were large, but seemed quite pricey.
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Big River Grille & Brewing Works Disney World's only brewpub is in the Boardwalk development and a short boat ride from Epcot. On tap at Big River are a set of year-round "signature" beers: light lager, pilsner, pale ale, red ale, brown ale and wheat. During our visit they were joined by a seasonal winter bock. After a Space Mountain-quality wait for a table we split a plate of nachos for a late lunch and sampled the bock and pale ale. While the placemats acknowledge a couple of GABF medals, the atmosphere, food and beer had all the charm of a school cafeteria (...what, your cafeteria didn't serve beer?...). The beers were uninspired, hopless thirst-quenchers at best. Don't go out of your way for this place, which is one in a small chain owned by Gordon-Biersch - what are they thinking? Head back to Epcot or Downtown Disney if you're looking for beer (...c'mon, after a few hours at Disney who's NOT looking for a beer?...)
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You driving to Florida? You gotta stop at River City BC and have some beers. At $2 a pint from 4 to 7 PM a twenty dollar bill can get you into some serious trouble. Here you will find some of the most flavorful beers this side of Portland, Oregon. That we did not care for any of the styles the first time through the beer list, reflects poorly on us. After the first $10 was gone those beers got better and better. Jackson Pale Ale, Amber Bock (A seasonal), Riptide Porter, Red Rooster, and Jackson Light rounded out the microbrews, while the locals drank from the Bud suite of swill. Go figure.
A glass-walled bar and generous deck provide indoor and outdoor seating with spectacular views of the city, its shoreline and bridges. A tacky black-stuff-and-wood motif is more than offset by the fermentation tanks and works of the brewery on display in a glass enclosure that looks like a giant beerquarium. There is a dining room and the staff wear Florida shirts, i.e., Hawaiian shirts with less color. And the waitresses got legs, man they’ve got legs.
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| Ragtime
Taproom and Brewery 207 Atlantic Blvd Atlantic Beach, FL 32233 (904) 241-7877 |
A local landmark, the ragtime packs ‘em in more nights than not. Half dining room and half pick-up bar/club the Ragtime takes up a full block along the city square, one block from the Atlantic Ocean. What distinguishes this from other local establishments is four standard microbrews and a seasonal. If you like the street names in Columbia, Maryland you’ll love the beer names at Ragtime. Red Brick Ale shows no originality but A Strange Stout piques your curiosity and any chick will say “Awwww!” when ordering a Dolphin’s Breath Lager. The other standard is a pale ale. The seasonal on our visit was a Seinfeldesque “Big Pilsner” that was an impressive imperial pils. Let the record show I paid for the Big Pilsner. But make no mistake...these are beach beers. Like beach music they want to make you happy. No heavy themes in beach music, no driving rock, no heavy flavors or get up and dance beers here.
The food is good by Atlantic Beach standards, okay by most others. They are a Cajun wannabe. There are three bars and varying decors all working with wood and brick. No offense to Pete’s Bar (the place to be since ’33) but this is where you want to drink beer in Atlantic Beach.
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| Tawandang
German Brewery In the mood for some great Thai food and a good German beer? Head for the Tawandang German Brewery conveniently located on Rama 3 Road in Bangkok. What could be more fun that a damn good hefeweizen and the Ramanyana? It’s a microbrewery, it’s a German beer hall, it’s a rock show, it’s a cultural event, it’s one fine restaurant! They have three beers... a hefe, a lager and a dunkel. The hefe is as good as you’ll find, the lager is sweeter than a lager should be, and the dunkel is “a-roi.”
Beer hall-style seating and a Thai rock group that played everything from the Captain and Tenille to Pink Floyd entertained with a light show. The Thai entertainment will transport you against your will.
The food was among the best the city has to offer. You’ll score some beers any Questor would envy. They have no pitchers, but you can order a meter of beer. Think of a cylinder of beer a meter long. They bring it out inverted in a cold dispenser and you get a server who stays with you at your table until the meter is gone. If your glass goes empty, your man is on it and you are full again before you knew you were empty. What a great way to do beer.
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Tun
Tavern
The thoroughly modern AC Tun has the requisite copper kettles massively on display flanked by a winding seating area with outdoor tables. They boast eight regular brews that tend to the ale family. The selections are more serviceable than noteworthy but they are a welcome relief from the casino choices and the limited taps in the town's pubs. If you are in a mood to flaunt man law and "fruit" the beer, you can add raspberry or apricot to any of their selections. But if you do it is time to cut you off. | |
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"People who
drink light "beer" don't like the taste of beer; they just like to pee
a lot." ...Capital Brewery |  |