Category Archives: United States Brewpubs

IECHYD DA BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

ELKHART, INDIANA

Opened in 2011 by hometown married couple, Chip and Summer Lewis, Elkhart-based IECHYD DA BREWING COMPANY (its name is Welch for Cheers!) has become a popular Main Street bistro in this small northern Indiana metropolis. Visited July ’14, the caliginous freestanding pub was packed on a Friday evening. Settling in at the long right side granite bar (with hanging tiki lamps), I ordered up some hummus from the respectable light menu (pizza/ sandwiches/ snacks) and prepare to consume all eight currently available house brews.

Iechyd Da’s dark gray and maroon interior and scenic Welch decor match the dusky twilight setting of its external design. Shelved ceramic mugs, two TV’s and a back-walled blackboard beer list inundate the bar while an open kitchen, one community table, several tables, exposed pipes and black ceiling fill out the midsize room. A side patio is also available for dining and the brew tanks are stationed in the rear.

First up, light-bodied session ale, Local Blonde, offered buttery corn malts and light rice niceties to softly perfume-hopped grapefruit-juiced navel orange tartness.

Sour lactic acidity imbibed Tata Rosa Razz Berliner Weisse, a tart raspberry-laden summertime treat with lemon-dropped cranberry, green apple, mandarin orange and white grape souring over a soft salty-bottomed white wheat base.

Just as smooth, Cantankerous Irish Red brought toasted caramel spicing to tropical orange, pineapple, mango and peach fruiting as well as tobacco-leafed crisping and wispy nuttiness.

Approachable Two Mile Pale Ale let IPA-like lemon-seeded grapefruit and orange fruiting and oily pine-hopped perfuming deepen its juniper bittering above moderate pale malting.

A bit bitterer, floral-perfumed hops engaged Revolution American IPA, a wood-dried medium body gathering orange-peeled grapefruit, pineapple and pear illusions.

Each fine dark ale had a similar mocha profile. 13 American Black Ale layered sweet dark-roasted malts above hop-charred dark fruiting while Fearless King Rye Smoked Porter dealt smoked chocolate malts to dry-spiced rye breading, cocoa powdered chalking, cookie dough yeast and black cherry tartness.

For dessert, dry English-styled Cannonball Rye Stout plied sweet milk chocolate creaming to its toasted rye-pumpernickel base.

www.iechyddabrewingcompany.com

GALVESTON ISLAND BREWING

United States Brewpubs,

 

GALVESTON, TEXAS

In a freestanding garage-like edifice near the beach, GALVESTON ISLAND BREWING got off to a good start with its June ’14 Grand Opening. Featuring outback ‘Sunset Bleachers’ that overlook the island, this concrete-floored brewpub (with epoxied bottle caps) promises a huge amount of future expansion. A 12-seat yellow wood bar with six-plus taps distributes homemade beers emulating from rear brew tanks. Its sportsbar atmosphere gets reinforced by the 10 TV’s showing baseball, basketball and hockey games.

On tap are four diverse offerings and the small cask room readies barrel-aged ‘big beers’ aged in Four Roses whiskey and Makers Mark bourbon. On the light side, sessionable soft-toned pilsner-like Ze German Ale brought bread-crusted cereal graining to yellow-fruited niceties, picking up a dankly dewy  rye malt splurge.

Piney Simcoe-hopped acridity seeped into citric-spiced Excelsior IPA, a wood-lacquered medium body offering clean-watered briskness to dry grapefruit, pineapple, navel orange, tangerine and lemon zest as well as minor floral-wafted white peppering.

Dewy earthen peat draped The Scotsman Scottish Ale, a caramel-malted moderation allowing a dash of Scotch, a hint of caraway-seeded pumpernickel, and a daub of dark nuttiness to outdo its desiccated orange fruiting.

Like an instant brown coffee, Predido Porter placed smoky mocha malts in a cocoa-beaned dark chocolate setting with hazelnut, walnut and peanut illusions.

www.galvestonislandbrewing.com

BEERFOOT BREWERY

United States Brewpubs,

Beerfoot Brewery on Galveston Island | CRISP Marketing Agency

GALVESTON, TEXAS

Open for business in springtime 2014, Galveston-based BEERFOOT BREWERY, plans expansion beyond its one flagship offering. Right near the pier ‘looking out at Seawall Boulevard,’ this beachfront sportsbar/ taproom not only crafts its own brews but also provides 100-plus selections in a large cooler. At its L-shaped and V-shaped bars, several worthy Texas brews get served alongside Beerfoot’s own homemade offerings.

My friend Dennis was kind enough to bring back to New York a half-gallon sample of the soft-toned Beerfoot Island Kolsch. A sessionable moderation, its lemon-soured grapefruit, navel orange and lime tartness received a dry grassy-hopped mildness.

FYI: Grocery store chain H.E.B., with many Texas locations, features goodly Build-A-Six-Pack deals and high-profile bombers.

www.galveston.com/beerfoot/

SKEWED BREWING

United States Brewpubs,

  

WATERTOWN, NEW YORK

Opened during autumn 2013 (and closed 2020), Watertown’s SKEWED BREWING is located in the rear of Salmon Run Mall next door to Regal Cinema. An upscale gastropub with sportsbar leanings, Skewed’s the first brewpub in this remote rural village 90 miles north of Syracuse and 20 miles south of Thousand Islands.

Techno-industrial brushed aluminum, dark wood and high ceilings fill the interior while one dining section faces the mall’s food court. An elongated wood-lacquered bar features 24 taps on each side and multiple TV’s crowd the ample space. Behind plexiglass are several brew tanks holding Skewed’s proprietary brews. Also available on draught are several Stone, Left Hand, Brooklyn, Great Lakes and Lost Coast fare. Light Americana food fills the menu.

My pal, Dennis Flubacher, brought back three flagship offerings during a May ’14 excursion. The lightest, Hop ‘N Mad Pale Ale, brought red, orange and yellow fruiting to musty peat-moistened compost earthiness and leafy hop astringency, picking up wispy  dried plum-fig notions.

Dry coffee-soured Breaking Out Stout gained soy-milked dark chocolate and cocoa powder illusions above its oily hop char, but may’ve been too moderate for its dark ale styling.

Best bet: busy chartreuse-hazed Skewed Wit wondrously contrasted orange-peeled pineapple, melon, banana and peach ripeness as well as wheat-honeyed butterscotch malt sweetness against lemony hop bittering and white-peppered Belgian yeast fungi.

‘Get Skewed,’ indeed.

www.skewedbrew.com

CHARLESTON BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

 

CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA

Located a few blocks from West Virginia’s Elk and Kanawka Rivers, CHARLESTON BREWING COMPANY merged with Black Sheep Burrito & Brews to form a uniquely rural beer and burrito pub in springtime 2013 (and closed October 2016). Visited by my pal, Dennis Flubacher, April ’14, this corner-blocked concrete-floored downtown watering hole maintains a yuppie sportsbar atmosphere. Its back bar (with 2 TV’s) saddles glass-enclosed brew tanks while windowed seats crowd the side walls.

Bought in half-growlers for consumption back in Jersey, the best bet had to be compellingly complex Mr. Malum Tripel, a hybridized off-dry saison with sugary cherry-raspberry bubblegum alacrity serenading tart lemon-candied orange, apple and pear nuances alongside contrasted black-peppered fungi must as well as minty herbage.

Another hybrid, Unsteady, combined the brewers’ English-styled bitter (a.k.a. Wobbly) with fungi-like Belgian yeast for a mildly peat-soiled moderation that’s softly dry-hopped to its salty dried fruited finish.

Crisply easygoing H-Hop IPA scattered lemon rind bittering across desiccated navel orange and yellow grapefruit tartness as well as piney spruced herbs, leaving a floral-daubed vegetal smidge in the mildly dry-hopped malt-smoked backdrop.

Similarly styled piney-fruited IPA, The Raj, placed orange-peeled grapefruit briskness atop earthen mineral graining.

On the dark side, a mildly astringent dark chocolate roast inundated Mark 1 Oatmeal Stout, leaving coffee-soured toffee, soy and raisin illusions in its watery midstream.

www.charlestonbrewingcompany.com

DETROIT BEER CO.

United States Brewpubs,

DETROIT, MICHIGAN

In the historic Hartz Building, mainstream downtown venue, DETROIT BEER CO. opened September ’03 and has ties to equally centrist Royal Oak Brewery and Rochester Mills Beer Co. Serving decent Americana cuisine alongside predictable, yet well-rounded, hand-crafted libations, this spacious two-floored space with high tin-tiled ceilings, exposed pipes and prominent brass brewtanks sits across Comerica Ballpark and Detroit Opera House.

A veritable sportsbar with multiple TV’s, Detroit Beer  Co. benefits greatly from its accessible central locale. A front porch area gets set up when weather warms up and a relaxed ambiance suits local businessmen.

Though stylistically underwhelming, each on-site beer had its moments. Farmhouse Pale Ale brought hoppy lemongrass herbage to sweet Belgian yeast sugaring undone by phenol astringency.

Local 1529  IPA provided refreshingly clean floral-bound grapefruit and navel orange zest. Detroit Dwarf Altbier maintained a red ale-like citric spicing and caramelized nuttiness over toasted hop bittering. Semi-sweet brown chocolate malting and roasted hazelnut consumed Brokedown Brown.

Belgian yeast affected best offering, Dark Strong Ale, a Belgian-styled strong ale bending grape-soured stewed prune, raisin and black cherry fruiting into coffee-stained burgundy wining.

For dessert, citra-hopped Yeti Barleywine suited stronger tastes with its candi-sugared fruit zest and fusel alcohol burn.

www.detroitbeerco.com  

GUVNOR’S BREWERY

United States Brewpubs,

  

NORWALK, CONNECTICUT

In downtown Norwalk across the street from another beer-centric gastropub, Ginger Man, elegantly detailed GUVNOR’S BREWERY is the brainchild of owner Tony Aulakh, a former basement-bound home brewer with an eye towards well-prepared standard pub fare and high-end cocktails.

Open September 2013 (and closed quickly by 2014), my wife and I sojourned to this quaint glass-fronted, wood-designed, red-bricked saloon during March ’14 for Sunday lunch. Formerly a candy store, Guvnor’s charming interior includes a 12-stooled bar with three beautiful gycol-cooled Italian-styled Perlick tap stations serving Aulakh’s eclectic in-house ales (plus 2 TV’s, fine wines, upscale liquor and beer grafitti). The sterling glass-encased copper brewtanks behind the bar contain today’s six choices listed in erasable chalk.

Seated at one of the 12 right side tables, we enjoy award-winning clam chowder, fresh fried mozzarella sticks and meaty Guvnor’s Burger alongside the three lightest brews.

Lightly creamed Skinny Jeans Light Pale Lager delicately placed grassy hops next to honeyed cereal grains. Dryer Iron Curtain Pils seemed daintier than most stylistized Czech pilsners, gently flowing forth with honeyed malts and light earthen hops.

Served with an orange peel, easygoing Summer Chill Wheat plied coriander-spiced citric niceties to its fragile white wheat spine.

Approachable Guts & Glory American IPA maintained a moderate grapefruit-peeled bittering to contrast its orange-candied peach-apple-pear spicing and sugary caramel malting.

For dessert, two inspiring dark ales took center stage. Intensely roasted Choc-A-Block Porter brought creamy vanilla-beaned cocoa nibs to the fore, leaving Baker’s chocolate, chocolate liqueur and chocolate eclair undertones in its wake.

Even better, subtle nitro-like Black Magic Stout spread heavenly mocha creaminess across ancillary dark cherry-pureed black grape and blackberry fruiting. Mild black coffee, dark chocolate and dark cocoa illusions simmered soothingly.

www.guvnorsbrewery.com

FALLING DOWN BEER CO.

United States Brewpubs,

WARREN, MICHIGAN

Perhaps less eccentric, over-the-top and wide-ranging as Warren’s two magnificent brewpub staples (Kuhnhenn and Dragonmead), FALLING DOWN BEER CO. nevertheless has a fine lineup of craft brews. Located inside a converted diner and open for biz, March 29, 2013 (but closed February 2018), this blue-topped red-bricked pub maintains a charmingly blue collar appeal serving light Americana food with its approachable liquid fare.

Visited by friend, Dennis Flubacher (who brought back samples to Jersey), Falling Down never tries to be too fancy or audacious, settling for a quaint suburban atmosphere approved by many locals.

During his two-hour dinner stay, Dennis imbibed  six ample samples, starting with easygoing light body, Chiller’s Revenge Amber Ale. Its clean-watered caramel toasting and phenol hop bite may’ve been unremarkable, but it’d suit amateur thirsts.

Next up, Rye My Donkey Rye Saison brought a large yellow-pink grapefruit contingent to Russian rye-breaded pumpernickel flouring and sweet banana-clove undertones.

Perhaps even better, Ninja Chicken American Pale Ale got elevated by an aggressive India Pale Ale-like hop bittering that amplified piney tropical fruiting and zesty orange-peeled grapefruit rind tang.

Royal sour cherry-candied sidestep, Vampire Bunnies Cherry Blonde, offered a tart cherry pucker to crisp crescent-watered freshness.

On the dark side, Cascadian Dark Ale, Black IPA kept its dark-roasted black chocolate malting ahead of mild charcoal hop bittering.

Similar in style, dry Irish-styled FnA Stout worked cocoa-powdered Baker’s chocolate and mild black coffee into clean-watered hop briskness.

www.fallingdownbeer.com

TOP SHELF BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

 

MANCHESTER, CONNECTICUT

Located at historic Hilliard Mills in the rustic eastern Hartford suburb of Manchester, TOP SHELF BREWING COMPANY opened its doors during August 2013 – right in the midst of Connecticut’s booming microbrew renaissance (and closed 2014). Distributing product all over the state from a 2,000 square foot warehouse, the three-barrel nanaobrewery has room for expansion.

Taking up the space Onyx moonshine distillery once occupied (and picking up the slack left by the closing of Tullycross Brewery), Top Shelf came into existence when three nearby UConn alumni (home brewer Mike Boney and fellow co-owners TJ Lavery and Joe Frost) gained inspiration from local New England and Back East breweries and decided “it was time to get involved” with brewing on a professional scale.

On my initial one-hour February ’14 Saturday afternoon exploit, the inconspicuous cement-floored tasting room featured samples of various limited edition ales and one winter seasonal as well as three flagship beers (bought for home consumption). Behind the tap room in a seperate space, the immaculate brewhouse puts out the well-rounded selection of generically-named American, Belgian and Irish styled ales.

I reach for Smoked Belgian Ale, an alternate to the regular Belgian, upon entering. Its lightly smoked peat malting, toasted caramel spicing and earthen musk pick up meager orange fruiting. But a lack of true Belgian yeast character hurts.

Three more limited edition brews hit my lips thereafter. Snowed In Imperial Stout brought chocolate-chipped molasses malting to caramel-burnt toffee-cocoa-coconut restraint, creme brulee sweetness and compost-wafted winter spicing.

Village Charm IPA gained floral-perfumed citrus prominence as lemony grapefruit rind and Chinook-hopped resin subtly embittered creamy crystal malts.

Interestingly experimental hybrid, You Be The Judge, an unclassified one-off (?) offered raw-honeyed cider souring to saison-like lemony orange tartness, vinous green grape esters, kiwi-mango-guava tropicalia, fig-dried acridity and sourdough wheat (retaining a crisp watered freshness).

My only problem was that Top Shelf’s Belgian- Style Ale surprisingly had a similar pungent yeast profile as their Irish Style Ale.

For the former, an astringent cider solvency seems to outdo the apple-soured green grape tartness and herbal-peppered guava-kiwi-pitaya tropicalia. As for the latter, a blatantly acrid cider souring overruns the peated molasses malting.

Bottled versions are listed in Beer Index.

www.topshelfbrewery.com

BACK EAST BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

  

BLOOMFIELD, CONNECTICUT
Located at a red brick industrial park just outside Bloomfield’s small downtown center next to Dunkin’ Donuts north of Hartford, BACK EAST BREWING COMPANY currently can and keg thier growing inventory of easygoing fare in a 4,500 square foot space. Expanding from a nearby Southington garage, founding cousins Edward Fabrycki and Tony Karlowicz, along with current head brewer, Mike Smith (ex-Mayflower), crafted a few sessionable pale ale offsprings alongside substantial Imperial Stout and Porter stylings during my initial early February ’14 sojourn.
Serving local restaurants with draft beer and offering growlers or canned versions since opening for biz, August ’12, Back East is already one of the Constitution State’s largest microbreweries. A walk-in serving station provides samples of each available brew for the large afternoon crowd.
Upon entering the apartment-sized serving station (with expansive backroom brew area), several local patrons dive into the year-round offerings. First up, light-bodied flagship Back East Golden Ale retained a refreshing soft-watered summertime pleasantry, draping creamy crystal malts with a modicum of lemony grapefruit rind bittering.
With a tad more body and character, easygoing American Pale Ale moderation, Back East Ale, brought floral citrus brightness to sugary malts and herbal celery frisk.
Just as approachable and mild considering its richer style, Misty Mountain IPA caressed lemony orange-peach-pear-apple fruiting with astringent raw-honeyed herbal hops, dry wood tones and wispy 7% alcohol burn.
Enigmatic raw-honeyed seasonal, Back East Winterfest, sprinkled cinnamon atop evergreen-fresh spruce, fern and pine nut illusions as well as perfumed herbal notions.
As for the dark ales, musty coffee-dried Back East Porter gained black chocolate and dark cocoa sustenance above soy-sauced cacao nibs, toffee and walnut undertones. Affluent cocoa-seeded black chocolate roast and reedy hop char ascend above ashen pine-tarred tobacco chaw bittering for Back East Imperial Stout. (Full reviews at Beer Index).

BROAD BROOK BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,
Image result for broad brook brew  
EAST WINDSOR, CONNECTICUT
In a red-bricked industrial strip mall behind a busy brown-sided billiards hall at Sofia’s Plaza in the quaint Tobacco Valley town of East Windsor, BROAD BROOK BREWING COMPANY occupies the suede-textured walls of an unfinished plank-boarded warehouse. On my initial Saturday evening sojourn, February 2014, Broad Brook reached full capacity as local beer enthusiasts, traveling brew hounds and New York Times scribe Chris Brooks crowded the tiki-lounged central serving station.
My wife and I grab one of the tables across the bar to taste a few generous samples while the bartenders keep busy distributing growlers-to-go.
Owned and operated by three seasoned homebrewers, Broad Brook did well at a few local and national beer contests before opening its doors during the winter of ’13.
The wide ranging beer selection includes flagship, Broad Brook Ale, with its earthen ESB-like morning dew picking up mild perfume-hopped bittering and moldy orange compote above biscuit-y caramel malts.

Light-bodied Chet’s Pale Ale brought honeyed red-orange-yellow fruiting to floral spiced whims for familiar sessionable alacrity. Equally affable German-styled moderation, 6 Balls Alt, prodded dried fig and grapefruit with light peppered hop bittering and toasted caramel sugaring.

Possibly the most intriguing elixir on this cold winter’s night, Pink Dragon Wit offered soft-toned hibiscus flowering to champagne-fizzed lemon zest and saison-like sour fruiting. Its herbal Belgian yeast peppering and cider-sharpened banana-clove-bubblegum whir receded at the doughy bottom.
Homewrecker Holiday Ale plied molasses-sugared coffee tones to cherry-pureed prune, raisin and fig dried fruiting as well as dirty earthen minerality.
For dessert, easygoing Porter’s Porter retained a dry stout likeness as Baker’s chocolate, cocoa nibs, raw molasses and sour cherry illusions flooded its dark-roasted hop char.
Before leaving, picked up growler of Broad Brook Chocolate Oatmeal Stout, a clean-watered English-styled dark ale with chalky cocoa bittering leading the way for oats-roasted dark chocolate malting and spiced iced coffee follow-up. Its nutty bottom heightened the overall bitterness.

FIREFLY HOLLOW BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,
The Beer Show – Firefly Hollow Brewing Co. – Cygnus Radio
BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT
Residing at a historic factory on a spooky hillside above downtown Bristol, FIREFLY HOLLOW BREWING COMPANY certainly makes the most of its raw warehouse space. Open for business, October 24, 2013, this rustic partner-owned microbrewery takes advantage of its ample size, using a wood-furnished left side lounge (with upholstered benches and exposed ducts) to provide a relaxed vibe across from the 20-seat L-shaped serving area.
Becoming part of a growing Connecticut trend, Firefly Hollow’s conveniently located inside an industrial warehouse plant – just like nearby Broad Brook and Relic. Rad logo-designed black-and-blue pottery mugs and homemade ceramic tap handles welcome visitors to the serving station.
As my wife and I settle in late Sunday morning early February 2014, Elton John’s clap-happy “Bennie & The Jets” plays loudly. We take the two far right chairs closest to the seperate brewing area. Though Firefly Hollow’s popular Toad Stool Oat Stout is out today, there are two fine midrange beers for softer palates as well as one galvanizing porter (even better on nitro) and a unique smoked beer.
The place fills up as I quaff the five ambitious prospects.
Dewy ESB-like mossing and tea-like hop toasting front the dried-fruited Moonrise Amber, a sensible moderation with wispy fig, passionfruit and grapefruit undertones.
Next up, pleasantly light-bodied The Wisp American Pale Ale (the second lightest offering next to the unavailable Ramshackle Golden Mild) brings a gentle caramel-spiced citric spritz to tangy orange-grapefruit-peach sweetness and tropical guava-kiwi-passionfruit souring.
Bourbon-soaked wood chips and Scottish peat malts consume the fine Smokey Moore Scottish Ale, a smooth medium body with mild ruachbier tendencies.
Ecuadorian cocoa nibs bring a subtle complexity to velvety Emily’s Choconut Porter. Nearly majestic, its dark-roasted coffee nuttiness, chocolate-chipped mocha malting, toasted coconut affectations and vanilla-beaned Baker’s chocolate bittering drape the delicate soft-watered backdrop.
On nitro, Emily’s Choconut becomes a softly creamed maple walnut milkshake with coffee-chocolate overtones and wispy dried fruiting.