All posts by John Fortunato

OCEAN AVENUE BREWERY

LAGUNA BEACH, CALIFORNIA Visited April ’07, this beautiful Pacific shore village is home to efficient restaurant-pub OCEAN AVENUE BREWERY (closed permanently). Across the street from the beach, this modest establishment had a small patio entrance, bright blue and maroon interior walls, terra cotte tile floors, eight wood tables, five booths, and a left side marble-topped bar with brass-metal tanks. Though brewmaster Scott Breznock (on hand since 1998) only had two beers available as reggae played this sunny afternoon, both were precisely detailed. Big O’s Light Lager placed honeyed wheat and rolled oats atop serene hop-fizzed bruised orange sedation and distant juniper bittering. Libidinator Doppelbock layered Belgian-like candied yeast above gluey malts and overripe orange-cherry to honeyed Courvoisier finish. www.oceanbrewing.com

DOWNTOWN GRILL & 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.

www.downtownbrewery.com

CALHOUN’S – KNOXVILLE

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.

www.calhouns.com

KELLY’S CARIBBEAN BAR & GRILL

Kelly's Caribbean | Key West Travel Guide - Visitor Information for Key  West, FL in the Florida Keys KEY WEST, FLORIDA Sunny southernmost U.S. outpost boasts bohemian downtown haven, Duval Street, coolly reminiscent of New Orleans drunken Bourbon Street paradise. Sloppy Joe’s roadhouse bar, Captain Mario’s Seafood all-u-can-eat, Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, and Nicola’s Restaurant are local hangouts visited January ’08 while not watching beautiful sunsets on catamaran. One block south of Duval in a former Pan Am terminal, KELLY’S CARIBBEAN BAR & GRILL, owned by Top Gun actress Kelly Mc Ginnis, is a multifarious brewpub within walking distance of Ernest Hemingway’s historic Bahaman-styled house. Its beautiful tropical outdoor deck, second floor Vaudeville Theatre, and overall white Victorian splendor overwhelm silver metal bar (made out of airplane scraps) serving homemade beers. While flimsy, flat, phenol Southern Clipper Wheat lacked substance and scattered meager sour orange and tart fig across tepid malting, Key West Golden IPA brought mild woody Cascade hop bittering to tempered grapefruit-peach sashay. Best bet: easygoing Havana Red Ale, with its sweet honeyed tea opening clearing the way for fig-date souring, cherry puree dalliance, and port finish. www.kellyskeywest.com

FEDERAL JACK’S RESTAURANT & BREWERY

KENNEBUNKPORT, MAINE In a quiet sub-mall in Kennebunkport lies bottling company Kennebunkport Brewing Company (birthplace of Shipyard Brewery). On the second floor, with rear entrance overlooking the harbor, FEDERAL JACK’S RESTAURANT & BREWERY, was visited October ’05. Upon entering, central oak-hued bar (with Shipyard mugs lining the topside) and billiards backroom capture attention. Televisions in all corners of dining section and nice menu dominated by seafood, pasta, and burgers sufficed as I ate mussels, clams, and crab. Non-bottled tap beer tried were smooth nougat-y nitrogenated Cask Porter (not unlike Shipyard Blue Fin Stout), British bitter-styled malt-sticky sour-fruited tickler Taint Town Pale Ale, chocolate-cocoa-swirled vanilla-malted hazelnut-walnut serenity Longfellow Winter Ale and fizzy paper-thin cotton-candied grapefruit-soaped Goat Island Light. www.federaljacks.com

ELM CITY BREWERY

KEENE, NEW HAMPSHIRE In an old-fashioned community at red-bricked Industrial mall, Keene's Colony Mill Marketplace, ELM CITY BREWERY had an easy appeal matched by its fruity brews during January ’06 visit. Marked by a small green awning, its cedar booth area leads to midsize bar, where corner TV’s and awning-hanging club mugs reside (fronting extra dining space). Glass encased leftward brew tanks served deliciously juicy peach-cored, rye wheat-backed Peachy Keene, lusciously ripe berry-tongued soft-grained Raspberry Wheat, lactic, candi-sugared, orange peel-embittered, berry-tart Belgian Tripel and vegetal fig-dried currant-hopped wood-tinged Hoppy New Beer. After meeting brewer Bill Dunn, went on to discover toffee-malted alcohol-burnt wood-grained Nor’easter Scottish Wee Heavy, dry nutty Old Castle Brown Ale and creamily black chocolate-y hazelnut-coffee-saddled Perfect 10 (a dry-bodied Russian Imperial Stout). Wintry seasonals included soft red-fruited hop-embittered Rudolph Red and Roggenbock-like prune-stewed orange-bruised nutmeg-tinged Christmas Cru. www.elmcitybrewing.com

OLDE PENINSULA BREWPUB

KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN On the corner of Michigan Street in the heart of Kalamazoo, OLDE PENINSULA BREWPUB had a central bar with extravagant mahogany mantle, back-and-side dining, and fine pub fare, August ‘06. Glass-encased brew tanks served barley-dried wheat-chaffed popcorn-like Haymarket Light, slimly grape-soured apple-spiced pear-juiced caramel-dipped Sunset Red, soapy raspberry-tart lemon-pitted sourly-embittered Rockin’ Razberry Wheat and creamy black coffee-chocolate-fronted, oaken black cherry-dried, nutty-tarred Midnight Stout. Better choices were sweet banana-nutty clove-spiced Summer Hefe-Weizen and piney red-fruited floral-spiced alcohol-empowered Opie IPA. www.oldepenkazoo.com

KRAFTBRAU

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.

www.kraftbraubrewery.com

KALAMAZOO BREWING / BELL’S BREWERY

KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN Two worthy brewpubs and one excellent microbrewery dot this midsize Western Michigan University metropolis perused August ‘06. KALAMAZOO BREWING, located in several large interdependent brick buildings just outside the center of town, is rightfully celebrated for its terrific line of Bell’s bottled stouts and ales. Its brewpub, open since 1991, offered free samples of Beron Wheat, Sparkling Ale, and Porter (reviewed in Beer Index with at least 50 more Bell's beers). On a larger scale, since the 90's, Kalamazoo's lineup of Bell's beers, especially the stouts and other 'big' beers, have been featured on taps all across America. Easily one of the country's best breweries. www.bellsbeer.com

BROAD RIPPLE BREWPUB

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA Across a small bridge and within walking distance of Brugge Brasseire was beige tiki-styled BROAD RIPPLE BREWPUB (visited August ’06), Indiana's 1st brewpub circa 1990. In the hip northeast section of Indianapolis along the White River and servicing nearby Butler University, its back bar had olden feel due to antique mahogany furnishings and gold hotel ballroom ceiling tile. Several dinky dining sections found customers munching pizza, fried pickles, mussels, and sandwiches while right side brew tanks offered decent variety of beers. Light tea-like wheat-chaffed grassy-bottomed Lawnmower Pale Ale, sweet malt-fruited tea-honeyed Red Bird Mild, earthen-wooded peppery-hopped floral-grapefruit cask ale ESB, and hazelnut-walnut-almond-blanched hop-charred Diving Duck American Brown were smoothly mild. Better still were zesty mandarin orange-juiced, lemon-bruised, bubble-gummy Farmhouse Saison Ale, creamy-frothed apple-tangerine-grapefruit-dabbed, piney hop-smoked IPA and coffee-caressed chocolate-milked light body Monon Porter. www.broadripplebrewpub.com

BRUGGE BRASSERIE

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.

www.bruggebrasserie.com

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.

www.oakenbarrel.com

RAM RESTAURANT & BIG HORN BREWERY

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA Across the street from Alcatraz Brewing in downtown area, visited middling RAM RESTAURANT & BIG HORN BREWERY, June ’04. I had dry wheat-chaffed Big Horn Light; blandly wheat-dried yellow-fruited Indy Blonde; flat-hopped banana-clove-soured Big Horn Hefeweizen; red fruit-spiced, tobacco-leafed relaxant Buttface Amber; mild Colombian coffee-roasted, black chocolate-affected Total Disorder Porter; and, most important, majestic perfume-spiced grapefruit-orange rind-embittered Big Red IPA. www.theram.com Beer snobs would be better off at nearby BUFFALO WILD WINGS GRILL & BAR. Unlike other chains, bar manager Brian Forsyth and owner Mike De Weese make sure finest tap brews are available. First tasted fabulous J.W. Lees Harvest Port Cask, fruity Upland Maibock, Mad Anthony Ol Woody Pale Ale, Bell’s Winter White Ale, and Arcadia Lake Superior ESB at this unassuming joint (reviews in Beer Index). Take note: Belgian tap selection rivals Pittsburgh’s Sharp Edge.