DILLON / FRISCO, COLORADO
Across the street from Dillon’s Best Western lies freestanding white-bricked green-trimmed PUG RYAN’S STEAKHOUSE & BREWERY, visited August ‘07 and opened '97. Named after a local outlaw, Pug Ryan had small front bar (surrounded by TV’s), rear dining-brew tanks, overhung patio, and wood-paneled back. Winter sports paraphernalia and tin liquor canisters lined walls. Nearby Dillon Marina’s tiki bar featured a few Pug brews quaffed after wife and I enjoyed stormy afternoon pontoon boat roundabout.
Corn-syrupy citrus-juiced orange-oiled moderate-bodied Cream Ale, blurry lemon-wedged lime-fizzed floral-hopped moderation Morningwood Wheat and lemon-dried woody-hopped oats-barren bohemian-styled Pug Ryan’s Pali Pilsner suited lightweights.
Pallid fig-date-ensconced fruit-caked coffee-oiled Kilt Lifter Scottish Ale and nitro-injected chocolate-creamy coffee-perked Irish Stout were fine reps.
Over The Rail Pale Ale hit the mark firmly with its overt perfume-hopped spicing, tangy apple-pear-grapefruit fruiting, and implicit alcohol bang.
DETROIT VICINITY, MICHIGAN
Going South past Dearborn, Lincoln Park’s ample FORT STREET BREWERY opened in a new-sprung freestanding red brick building with green awning during ‘05. Visited August ’06, its high ceiling interior featured an L-shaped bar with silver kettles, exposed ductwork, and well-placed TV’s.
Inexpensive sports pub fare went well with lighter offerings such as straw-grassed wheat-dried maize-husked yellow-fruited clove-licked Lincoln Lager, mandarin orange-sweet, banana-pineapple-dabbed, prickly pear-soured, cracked wheat-backed Summer Sunsation Hefeweizen, and acrid hop-roasted chocolate-nutty Farmers Tan Brown Ale.
Better were astringently alcoholic red-orange-fruited nut-charred Steam Engine, espresso-embittered chocolate-soured maple-walnut-tinged floral-spiced Beernormous Imperial Stout and bluntly orange-grapefruit-soured pine-backed Amarillo-hopped Piston Pale Ale.
Incredible cask conditioned Sloe & Fizzy soaked Steam Engine Beer with Tanqueray Gin for a clean-tasting wood-dried red-fruited wheat-honeyed juniper-fig-aided stimulant.
Sharp hop-spiced root beer, Doug’s Turbo Sasparilla (named after brewer Doug Beedy), with its ginger-rooted grassy grains sufficed non-alcohol crowd.
During February '14 trip, my pal Dennis Flubacher enjoyed the $9 sampler beer tray and quesadillas while blues music played in the background. He picked up a certain peanut-shelled walnut and pecan influence for my previously imbibed Lincoln Lager, then moved on to some newer offerings brought back home for my consumption.
Old West pilsner, Downriver Fog, placed peppy hop bittering alongside walnut and hazelnut illusions.
Peat-malted black tea earthiness and dill-pickled souring surrounded caramel malted Malcomson's Scotch Ale.
DETROIT VICINITY, MICHIGAN
Across Highway 75 one mile away from Flint’s Redwood Lodge, Auburn Hills’ villa-styled BIG BUCK BREWERY featured huge interior with 25-foot ceilings, central bar area, ample dining space, and a big screen TV in billiards area, August ‘04.
Fabulous menu offered steaks, burgers, pork porterhouse, and big appetizers. Brew tanks in back face the highway and brew master Doug Jakubiak crafts seasonal and traditional fare there.
Traditional brews included low calorie corn-husked wheat-dried raw-grained Buck Naked (when mixed with homemade black cherry soda makes a scrumptious Cherry Shandy), diacetyl cherry-chapsticked cotton-candied Kolsch-styled Big Buck, malt-lagered amber-grained quince-peach-grapefruit-spiced Antler Ale, butterscotch-sugared grape-ripened Redbird Ale and bittersweet red apple-ripened, white peach-aided, Scotch-malted IPA.
Seasonals imbibed were first rate red-fruited hop-embittered malt-lacquered Steam Beer, mildly carbolic grapefruit-fringed Bavarian lager Munich Helles, tangy raspberry-pureed Raspberry Wheat, 4-grained 3-hopped caramelized apple-fronted Scotch-sweet Doc’s ESB, wispy banana-tart clove-spiced vanilla-creamed summertime Hefe-Weizen and espresso-milked chocolate-sugared cherry-dried River Stout (reminiscent of Murphy’s Irish Stout).
DETROIT VICINITY, MICHIGAN
Further north of Birmingham’s Big Rock Chop & Brewhouse, Flint’s REDWOOD LODGE MESQUITE GRILL & BREWPUB (opened 1996), with its winter resort warmth, wooden furnishings, outside patio, and raw bar, retained a welcoming cottage-like intimacy, August ‘04.
Quaffed phenol floral-hopped grapefruit-mellowed Redwood Light Pils, summery citric-soured wheat-backed Kolschbier, tart yellow-clouded banana-grapefruit-orange-sweet clove-influenced Belgian Wit, orange-bruised cherry-tart Saison, citric wheat-cracked Munich Helles Lager, softly red-fruited perfume-hopped American IPA, buttery dry-fruited Pale Ale, and black chocolate-y espresso-roused Russian Stout with lobster-steak dinner.
DETROIT VICINITY, MICHIGAN
Heading westward from Detroit to Ferndale, roadhouse-styled pub, WOODWARD AVENUE BREWERY, served a hip young crowd and had neat license plate menus at its brick-walled wood-floored upstairs bar August ‘04 during annual Dream Cruise car show..
Rangy brew selection included unique licorice-Schnapps Custom Porter; spritzy Belgian-styled spearmint-clove-banana-influenced Wittekerke; sweet vanilla-chocolate-malted Vanilla Porter; buttery banana-clove Hefe-Weizen; dry-spiced Cascade-hopped Pale Ale; mild chocolate-mocha-embittered Brown Ale; and tart strawberry seed-fronted wheat-backed Raspberry Blonde.
