
OCEAN AVENUE BREWERY

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE
In the heart of Knoxville on Gay Street, DOWNTOWN GRILL & BREWERY served fair-to-good beers, August ’08. Located in the Woodruff building, its green neon sign and green awning welcome visitors. A midsize front deck, wood tabled exterior, beautiful oak bar, and cattycornered TV’s are initially noticed.
Large bronze brew tanks near the open kitchen served Woodruff Brewing’s offerings to go along with southwestern fare plus pizza and burgers. On the light side were glutinous yellow-orange-fruited, grapefruit rind-embittered, honey-grained, Kolsch-styled Downtown Blonde; efficient honey-roasted chestnut-fronted caramel-malted phenol-hopped coffee-beaned Downtown Brown; and moderate black tea-dried, juniper-embittered, raw-honeyed German-styled Alt.
Medium-bodied bids included spicy orange-grapefruit-centered, green tea-snipped, rye-malted White Mule ESB and dry hop-charred, black cherry-teased, anise-daubed State Street Stout.
Piney grapefruit-peach-apple-consumed Woodruff IPA and black coffee-deepened, bark-dried New World Porter were finer fuller-bodied choices.
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE
A busy industrial city that’s home to University of Tennessee, Knoxville serves as a gateway to the west in similar fashion as St. Louis. Along the Tennessee River, CALHOUN’S bustling freestanding green-wooded roadhouse (next to Women’s Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame) overlooks the riverfront. Red booths surround stain-glassed central bar and large outdoor deck with red metal patio furnishings provides relaxing ambience. Inexpensive food and blue-collar beers supplied by nearby Pigeon Forge’s Smoky Mountain Brewery adorn the menu.
KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN
Across the street from Kalamazoo Brewing, in an old yellow brick factory, KRAFTBRAU brewer Jim Quinn relinquished several well-rounded beers, August ‘06 (closed February '08).
Creaky wood floors, antiquated wood furnishings, small indie band stage, billiard table, and garden deck festoon the rickety walnut-oak bar.
Honey-licked, malt grist-wafted, dry cereal-bottomed Light Lager, mineral-grained hop-spiced corn-sugared clover-honeyed Bohemian Czech Pilsner, silken butterscotch-candied coarse-grained honey-tinged Hefeweizen and satiny, lemony grapefruit, wheat-chaffed, daisy-dandelion dalliance Helles fared well as softer fare.
A certain Belgian yeast profile seemed to flutter through buttery, bubble-gummy, coriander-spiced, mandarin orange-grapefruit-banana-fruited Summer Alt and creamy wildflower-honeyed yellow-orange-fruited Pale Ale.
Daintily carbonated, caramelized apple-dipped, fig-clipped Munich Red and subtle coffee bean-fronted, berry-citrus-date-aided Raspberry Porter completed the score.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
Visited Indianapolis’ vibrant Broad Ripple section, August '06. A recreational riverbank village north of midtown, its small boutique shops and affordable night clubs make this a perfect hotspot for young adults.
Demure tan-bricked BRUGGE BRASSERIE (closed April 2020) did a fascinating job re-creating Belgian ales in an odd mod upscale environment distinguished by weird purple-blue walls, metal chairs-tables, small central bar, and cozy outside deck. Fab menu included crepes, fritas, soups, and stews.
Better than comparable Karmaliet Tripel was creamy Chardonnay-like Tripel De Ripple, a sticky butterscotch-vexed, tartly mandarin orange-hexed, bruised lemon-soured, cotton-candied treat with a slight medicinal kick.
Just as delightful was sweet-n-sour citric-centric fig-pecan-spiced hop-roasted burgundy-barleywine-finishing digestif Dubbel.
Docile 'American-styled' Belgian Wit had washed-out lemony tartness, candied orange surge, and minor floral-cardamom-chamomile tinge.
Bought bottled selections from Greenwood’s Oaken Barrel Restaurant & Brewery, located 10 miles South of Indianapolis near remote airport. Situated in small Western-styled mall, this exquisite brewpub offered wood-furnished family dining and television-ensconced right side bar (with rear brew tanks). Check Beer Index for reviews of Oaken Barrel’s Alabaster Wit, Gnaw Bone Pale Ale, Razz-Wheat, and Snake Pit Porter.