Category Archives: United States Brewpubs

CASK & LARDER SOUTHERN PUBLIC HOUSE

United States Brewpubs,

WINTER PARK, FLORIDA

Just northeast of Orlando in suburban Winter Park on bustling Fairbanks Avenue, well-respected CASK & LARDER SOUTHERN PUBLIC HOUSE opened during summertime, 2012. The brainchild of Ravenous Pig gastropub chef-owners James and Julie Petrakis, the freestanding brick-fronted venue (with plush green plants and floral-bound broad-iron cafe tables lining the garden entrance) serves sessionable flagship beers and sundry hybridized novelties alongside delicious locally sourced food.

Joining the Petrakis clan after becoming a Cicerone-certified Shipyard brewmaster with a Masters in computer engineering from University of Central Florida, Ron Raike specializes in English and Belgian styled ales as well as sour ales. A trip to Belgium with a few local beer enthusiasts and Red Light Red Light companions inspired Raike to emulate the witbier style, changing up spices and citric zest but keeping the same base for various different versions.

Upon visiting Cask & Larder December ’13 on a sunny Tuesday afternoon, my wife and I grab seats at the 15-stooled bar across from the right side community tables, wood booths, open kitchen and brick hearth. Bright aquamarine-hued walls and exposed beige ducts bring a warm Floridian feel to the elegantly pristine setting. Two glass-encased brewtanks and stainless steel fermenters behind the tap engines serve ten diverse offerings.

Tom Petty’s classic rocker, “American Girl,” plays loudly as I order ten 5-ounce samplers and enjoy a dozen oysters. The upscale southern cuisine includes many items made from scratch. And several fine wines line the menu.

For starters, I imbibe three easygoing year-round ales. Lone Palm Golden Ale balanced dry grassy-hopped herbal peppering with soft lemon-spiced florality and corn-husked grain malts.

90 Shilling Scotch Ale stayed sweet as its honeyed tea influence draped dewy earthiness and dried orange.

Those choices sufficed, but the most amazing flagship offering had to be Olde Southern Wit, a mellow herb-spiced moderation bringing lively lemony orange zest to coriander-daubed lemongrass-basil-roasemary seasoning above a soft wheat bed.

From there, Simcoe 5 Point IPA brought dry wood acridity to perfumed pineapple, grapefruit and orange peel alacrity.

Old Southern Starfruit Wit evenly spread coriander-spiced star fruit, navel orange and tangerine tones across generous grapefruit bittering.

And mild pablano-jalapeno peppering added heat to Smoked Pepper All Jacked Up, an autumnal hybrid with hop-oiled foliage and citric-quince nuances.

Then came the colorful dessert beers, led by dark-spiced Winter Lager, a tame crystal-malted moderation with soft hop bittering and rye-dried prune sugaring.

Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Porter captured the true essence of sweet ‘n sour strawberry as desiccated fig and cherry found tertiary space beside the understated chocolate backdrop.

Aged in whiskey barrels, St. Katy On Whiskey Milk Stout delicately blanketed dry Johnnie Walker Blue serenity with soft-toned black chocolate, blackberry and black cherry nuances.

Since it’s almost Christmastime, I saved Holiday Cookie for an encore. Its sweet cinnamon-spiced sugar cookie theme got usurped by raw ginger and lacquered wood tones.

Any brewhound taking a trip to central Florida must frequent this encouraging public house. Cheers!

www.caskandlarder.com

ROCK BOTTOM – DENVER

United States Brewpubs,

    

On a busy downtown corner at the 16th Street Mall, Denver’s ROCK BOTTOM BREWERY is one of the large chains’ busiest and roomiest franchised restaurant-pubs. A large railed patio at its entrance provides beautiful views of the city and a wonderful outside dining experience. Dark wood furnishings get scattered throughout the multi-section interior. Large glass-encased copper brewtanks spread across the large expanse.

A casual sportsbar atmosphere (multiple TV’s; three billiard tables) keeps the general bar customers happy. The menu serves typical pub fare. A private banquet room is available for special events.

My friend, Dennis, brought back to Jersey two fine specialty beers October ’13. The first one tried, Rock Bottom Double Down Double India Pale Ale, attached perfumed fruiting to resinous pine hops. Its gin-like juniper bite and yellow grapefruit rind bittering mellowed to a sweet orange peel misting before reaching its floral citric-sugared finish.

On deck, ambitious Rock Bottom The Gnome Baltic Porter went beyond the usual stodgy stylistic souring most Baltic dark ales mistake for mocha sweetness. Its fudgy brown chocolate and maple molasses overtones allow less obvious black grape, black cherry and blackberry illusions to emerge alongside sharp hop toasting (causing less discriminate tasters to compare the rich suds to a Black IPA).

www.rockbottom.com

RUSHING DUCK BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

CHESTER, NEW YORK

Making quite a splash since opening in autumn 2012, Hudson Valley’s second microbrewery (following eastbound Newburgh Brewery), RUSHING DUCK, is presently housed at an old tile factory just off Chester’s historic Main Street in the rustic rolling hills just off Route 17 West. Led by Dan Hitchcock (a proud Weyerbacher alumni) and companion Nikki Cavanaugh (part-time Copper Mine bartender), this inspiring independent business will undoubtedly grow way beyond its current parameters.

Upon my first visit with family dog, Roscoe, I got to taste five 5-ounce tapped samples at the small hardwood-floored tasting room during a sunny Saturday afternoon, August ’13. Already familiar with the award-winning stout, flagship pale ale and hop-headed double IPA (bought in growlers from Bardonia’s fabulous Cable Beverage), I also got to try a hybridized Brit-styled ale and brettanomyces-soured pale ale. Though all beers are draught-only at this time, bottling cannot be far off. And barrel aged beers are coming soon.

For starters, brisk year-round offering, Naysayer Pale Ale (a stylistically robust West Coast-styled beauty), brought grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering and gin-soaked juniper hops to floral-nipped tropical fruit sweetness.

Pungent War Elephant Imperial IPA rampaged forward with deeper grapefruit peel bittering, brighter orange-pineapple juicing and resinous pine needling to contrast ‘subdued malt’ sugaring and tangy peach, melon, cantaloupe and tangerine wisps.

Then came two whimsical delights that will hopefully become permanent fixtures. An English strong ale with light brown ale nuttiness, Nimptopsical Ale relied on caramel-burnt toffee and brown chocolate sweetness, dried fig-date overtones, earthy caraway-fennel-carrot notions and banana-breaded chestnut-acorn nuances, finishing with a rye whiskey touch (derived from the five barley strands used).

Not to be outdone, soft-watered Panic On Funkatron used wild brettanomyces yeast to fortify the soured grapefruit, mango, guava and passion fruit illusions while pumping up the herbaceous lemon zesting.

As a treasured dessert, Beanhead Coffee Porter (Best of Show at Hudson Valley’s 2012 Brewfest) loaded bittersweet Guatemalan coffee beans atop bitter cocoa and dark-roasted chocolate, finishing with a totally satisfying espresso-fortified coffee nuttiness.

During springtime 2021 revisit, Rushing Duck had expanded its parameters to include a cement-floored barnhouse with covered outside deck, large serving station and decorative Edison lights. My wife and I enjoyed a few more deserving homemade brews at one of the picnic tables.

Amiable light lager, Courtyard Crusher, let pasty acidulated malts dot zesty lemon tartness and candied orange wisps over mineral grained caramelization.

Lemon-bruised cara cara orange rot scurried thru sweet banana-clove-coriander expectancy, mild grains of paradise peppering and herbal lemongrass tartness for mellow Witbier, a slightly sourer alternative.

Glowing red ‘fruited sour’ ale, Stab In The Dark, brought mild cherry tartness, cara cara navel orange tang and pink grapefruit sweetness to salty acidulated malting in distinct fashion.

Honeyed dried fruit spicing gained fungi earthiness to counter brown-sugared caramelization of Belgian Quad, leaving banana-chipped plum, fig, prune and raisin serenity.

Mild NEIPA, Casual Chaos, allowed spritzy lemony grapefruit zest and mild orange rind bittering to hover above dryly pined herbal hop astringency efficiently.

Dry dark-roast coffee nuttiness galvanized Imperial Beanhead Porter, a more complex and ultimately richer version of its original, adding cola, walnut and Brazil nut influence to maple oats-sugared java richness.

Bustling flesh-headed mahogany-bodied nightcap, Oatmeal Stout, plied maple-sugared oats, bourbon vanilla and cappuccino creaming to dark-roast mocha goodness.

During noon time stopover, April ’22, hail fell down as I consumed one previously untried lager and an updated milk stout.

Easygoing light lager, Duck Dry, let peppery-hopped lemon spritz settle into red-riced sourdough malting.

Lovely Chained To The Dead (2022) stayed robust as lactic milk-sugared medium coffee roast embraced dark chocolate-fudged cocoa powder, espresso, hazelnut paste, cola and pistachio illusions.

www.rushingduckbrewing.blogspot.com

 

GRANITE CITY FOOD & BREWERY – PEORIA

United States Brewpubs,

Granite City Food And Brewery, Peoria - Restaurant ReviewsPeoriaRestaurants.com - Peoria, Illinois restaurants

PEORIA, ILLINOIS

Though I’ve yet to experience Peoria’s GRANITE CITY FOOD & BREWERY, my friend Dennis has perused this trusty midwest chain brewery on several occasions during 2008-2013 stints at Caterpillar. In an exquisite brown and beige freestanding building along the Illinois River on the revitalized light industrial East Peoria section next to Logan’s Roadhouse, this spacious riverfront joint’s large back patio overlooks the westside’s cosmopolitan downtown area. Cultured stone and earthen wood tones give the homey interior a lodge-like ambiance.

A variegated food menu features steaks, burgers, pasta, sandwiches and salads while the beer menu offers familiar chain brews alongside a few seasonal or one-off libations. Brunch buffets are affordable and recommended to out-of-towners visiting this mid-sized midwest hub.

During August ’13, Dennis brought back to Jersey a growler of Granite City’s worthy Batch 1,000 Double IPA, an easygoing soft-watered turnabout less interested in monstrous stylistic bittering than affable fruited subtlety. Its creamy caramel malting contrasted grassy floral hops as mellow grapefruit, orange, red apple, Bartlett pear and white peach illusions began protruding above the earthen vegetal bottom.

After Labor Day ’13, Dennis came by Jersey pad with four more Granite pleasantries for Thursday eve Patriots-Jets football game.

Polite White Ale snuck sweet navel orange peel tartness into quaint coriander-clove-allspice seasoning and delicate white-breaded spine of easygoing summertime session beer. Lemon zest, orange pith and tangerine undertones wisp by.

Mild German-styled dark lager, The Bennie’s Bock, pushed soft coffee-roasted mochaccino alacrity across black-breaded pecan, walnut and hazelnut illusions, finishing with an unassumingly dry Baker’s chocolate whim.

Dewy tea-like Oktoberfest retained reedy-hopped autumnal foliage above pumpernickel-honeyed Russian rye breading and mild orange-grapefruit-fig dessication, picking up distant cocoa bean influence at the earthen finish of highly sessionable seasonal.

Soft-toned Duke Of Wellington IPA brought English-styled resin-hopped dewy earthiness and musty cellared fungi waft to roasted hop char, leaving a tinge of grapefruit upon the centrist dry-bodied moderation.   

www.gcfb.net

RALEIGH BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

    Drinks

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA

At a light industrial section just north of downtown in a maroon brick building (with yellow insignia), RALEIGH BREWING COMPANY opened March 9, 2013. Run by married co-owners Kristie and Patrick Nystedt, the friendly noir-like beer joint served well-rounded American, British, Belgian, Scottish and Czech styled fare from its dank maroon-walled high-ceiling tasting room on my June ’13 summer sojourn.

Since future renovations seem imminent, its worth noting the spacious cement-floored pub area can easily be expanded to the gigantic back-spaced brewing room. For now, Atlantic Brewing Supply Company runs the left space while a narrow outdoor porch and parking lot benches provide extra drinking spots.

Settling at the trusty tasting room bar (featuring white bell-shaped light fixtures, exposed pipes, 10 bar stools, 10 tables and 4 dartboards), blonde bartender, Rachel, serves eight 6-ounce samplers as MGMT’s hook-filled “Kids” plays in the background this sunny afternoon.

As a soft-toned sessionable opener, City Of Blokes English Bitter proves to be a durable English pub ale with its dry-honeyed toasted nuttiness, serene hop-spiced pale malting and earth-toned vegetal fungi snip.

Also light and crisp, Uncommon Curiosity Lager brought grassy-hopped cereal graining to dry citric-vegetal tones.

Dryer still, Moravian Rhapsody Czech Pils gathered citric-hopped pale malts for vegetal squash, asparagus and celery pungency.

These easygoing libations led the way for more complex fare. Pilsner-malted Hell Yes Mam Belgian Golden offered honey-spiced Belgian candi-sugaring to ripe banana, apricot and pear fruiting.

Scott’s Petit Saison plied black-peppered herbage to rotted orange juicing.

Arguably the best offering, House Of Clay Rye IPA saturated dry-hopped rye toasting with grapefruit-peeled dessicated orange bittering and dark floral-spiced pineapple, mango, kiwi and passion fruit tropicalia.

Seductive Blatherskite Scottish Ale may’ve topped all previous servings as well. Its caramel-honeyed toffee malts, cereal grained sugaring and ripe fruiting seemed sweeter and more enjoyable stylistically.

On the dark side, finely detailed Hidden Pipe Porter rounded up dark-roasted chocolate malts, coffee-roasted cappuccino creaminess and sugared molasses to elevate tertiary black cherry, blackberry and black grape notions.

An appealing freestyle microbrewery with rangy fare and ambitious determination, Raleigh Brewing represents the beer-centric North Carolina capitol quite well.

www.raleighbrewingcompany.com

TROPHY BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,
 Image result for trophy brewing
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA
In a small red brick-topped shopping mall anchored by Food Mart (and just one-half mile from the center of town), Raleigh’s TROPHY BREWING COMPANY was established in 2012. Besides selling a terrific revolving varietal of brews crafted at its tiny backroom 3-barrel nano system, Trophy’s excellent pizzas have become locally renowned as well.
Visiting this small two-room pub with family in tow during June ’13, I get readied to try four worthy brews at the cramped 6-table patio space (with folding doors allowing for warm weather outside acess). An open kitchen keeps busy behind the small left side bar area that fills up with North Carolina State hipsters, local businessmen and families for dinnertime while a torrential storm hits town.
Efficiently run by owners Chris Powers and David Lockwood and head brewer Les Stewart, Trophy’s tap handles pour three Belgian styled offerings and one increasingly popular German knockoff this rainy evening.
Ultra dry Participant Berliner Weissglazed its salty coriander spicing with light crystal malt creaming, making for a nifty sour wheat moderation.
Citric-dried Quiz Wiz Wit brought spritzy orange-peeled coriander spicing to white-peppered mandarin-clementine briskness and lemon-honeyed banana tartness.
Grassy perfumed hops and Belgian candi sugaring laced Best Of Show Citra Saison, a light citric-embittered medium body with lemon-pitted yellow grapefruit rind tang contrasting banana-bruised pineapple tartness.
Though lacking specific Belgian yeast influence, Biggest Flirt Belgian IPA let its dry resin-hopped floral spicing sedate soft-focus grapefruit, pineapple and peach tropicalia with impressive results.
Equally impressive were the gourmet pizzas, such as Most Outgoing (tomato-sauced arugula and mozzarella-cheesed caramelized onions, mushrooms and brie), The Daredevil (fire-roasted tomato-sauced jalapeno and caramelized onions and chili peppered salami), Farmers Market (basil, pesto, tomato, kale, spinach, squash, asparagus and red onions), Most Loyal (herb-roasted chicken with mozzarella, onion, basil and pesto) and Local Celebrity (mozzarella and ricotta-cheesed sopresseta, kale, mushroom and, asparagus).

BOYLAN BRIDGE BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

The Raleigh Connoisseur (June 1, 2009) - BeerCon: Boylan Bridge

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA

The City of Oaks’ and its smaller neighboring industrial municipality, Durham, house North Carolina State and Duke, while the more affluent, less populated, Chapel Hill, is home to University of North Carolina. After visiting N.C. State campus and middling local brewpub GREENSHIELDS, July ‘03 (closed ’07), stopped by fabulous Super 7 Even, one of the finest beer stores in the country at that time (located in Exxon station at 6901 Louisburg Road), finding cornucopia of Highland, Carolina, Charleston, Cottonwood, Pipkin, and Dogwood brews. Soon after, North Carolina’s microbrew revolution happened.

Leading the way for Raleigh’s current brewpub explosion in 2008 (and closing May 2019 and becoming Wye Hill Brewing), BOYLAN BRIDGE BREWING COMPANY became popular a few years before hard-nosed competitors Lonerider, Trophy, Big Boss and Raleigh Brewing came to fruition. Up a hill across the railroad tracks overlooking Oak City’s skyline in a rustic beige brick building, this yellow wood furnished cafe-styled pub brings brusque blue collar fare to hard working locals.

Besides the hand crafted beer, perhaps the most outstanding feature of Boylan Bridge is the large side deck with red-white umbrellas – a comfortable outdoor station boasting the most picturesque view of downtown.

During the start of a June ’13 family trip, we ate Corn Tortilla Chipped Nachos while grabbing a few samplers from the glass-encased stainless steel brewtanks while sitting across from the cozy soffit-covered center bar next to framed poster art. Today’s blackboard beer list offers five in-house choices to go alongside Americana fare such as the Angus Burger, Philly Cheesesteak, BLT and Crab Cake Sandwich.

Sturdy flagship beer, Rail Pale Ale, gathered orange-peeled grapefruit bittering for prickly floral hop-spiced crisping, placing tangy peach-tangerine illusions down below.

Mild Endless Summer Ale brought corn syrupy lemon-grapefruit tartness to wood-dried hop spicing while maintaining a brisk carbolic spritz. Similarly pleasant, Autumn Amber Ale amplified its lemon-soured citric foundation with spicy perfume-hopped bittering.

On the dark side, caramel-malted Brown Ale left subtle coffee-oiled honey nut, butternut and praline illusions atop toffee candied soaping. A better bet, Pullman Porter, added molasses-smoked mocha malts and dried fruiting to coffee-roasted nuttiness, leaving a caramel-burnt sweetness on the back of the tongue.

Retaining stylistic integrity while expanding the loose guidelines on the bitter end just a tad, Boylan Bridge’s common fare makes fine crossover fodder for mainstream drinkers ready to take a bold step forward discovering the craft beer revolution.

www.boylanbridge.com

BIG BOSS BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

Photo  Big Boss to increase production | Craft Beer Collective

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA

Located three miles northeast from downtown just inside the Raleigh beltline at a white warehouse facility, BIG BOSS BREWING COMPANY is one of the city’s largest microbrew operations as of my June ’13 visit. Established in 2006 by University of North Carolina grad Geoff Lamb and brewmaster Brad Wynn, this plentiful brewhouse makes five year-round offerings (Bad Penny Brown/ High Roller IPA/ Angry Angel Kolsh/ Blanco Diablo Wit/ Hell’s Belle Belgian Ale) plus a long lineup of seasonals and one-offs (reviewed in the Beer Index).

At the English tavern-styled taproom above the brewery, patrons seem intrigued by the retro-styled arcade game dispensing beers to winners on my initial stopover. A large blackboard beer list, several flat-screen TV’s, high-shelved collectible beer bottles, pool tables, ping pong and darts dot the entirety. A bottling plant for 6-packs and serving tanks readying kegs reside downstairs on the expansive first floor.

Not afraid to bend stylistic boundaries, Big Boss beers tend to gleefully test the limits. D’Icer Dunkelweizen renders sourdough wheat malting for lemon-dried plantain, vinous green grape and oaken cherry, leaving behind any stylized banana-browned sweetness.

Surprisingly, thick molasses sweetness coats the front end of Bad Penny Brown Ale, a hop-oiled sidestep placing coffee-soured black chocolate over expectant walnut bittering.

www.bigbossbrewing.com

LONERIDER BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,
Surviving COVID-19: Lonerider Brewing Company — Triangle Around Town
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA
More like a crazy-ass Confederate co-operative than a humble Carolina craft beer station, LONERIDER BREWING COMPANY make ‘Ales For Outlaws’ at its off-the-beaten-path Industrial outpost since January 23, 2009. In a chocolate brown aluminum warehouse with a glass-windowed tasting room sidling ‘The Hideout’ (a connected restaurant), Lonerider employs three owners, four brewers, two bottlers-keggers and at least three bartenders as of my June ’13 sojourn to Raleigh.
Utilizing the purest water source imaginable, this ever-expanding microbrewery delivers a wide range of crystalline ales for a thirsty local crowd that keeps ’em busy. A few community tables and the 12-seat bar (with eight tap handles) gets crowded by the time I depart this Friday afternoon.
Betty the Bartender serves my wife and I the soft-focus German-styled summertime ale named after her first. Soothingly smooth Shotgun Betty Hefeweizen lightened up the tongue with tangy hop-spiced lemon spritz, stylishly sweet banana-clove-bubblegum illusions and soda-breaded white wheat wisps.
Next up, wondrous Peacemaker Pale Ale brought caramelized apple, peach, pear, orange and pineapple fruiting to resinous floral-pined hop-spiced vegetal musk.
Sessionable True Britt English-style Pale Ale enhanced its light nuttiness and bready pale malting with subtle earthen hop bittering, retaining a mineral-grained dewiness to the finish.
Sweet Josie Brown Ale layered molasses-sapped toffee and dark-spiced black chocolate over walnut, hazelnut and Brazil nut in a truly definitive way.
White and black peppering spiced up The Preacher Saison, a fruity summer seasonal with lemon-dropped bruised orange, banana and tangerine tartness.
The darker offerings were just as fine. Mild dry-bodied dark lager, Mad Dock Weizenbock, married sweet cocoa malting to raisin-breaded fig, date and plum illusions, picking up cinnamon apple nuances along the way.
For dessert, tried the luscious Hangman Barleywine, a sugary caramel-chocolate malted full body withlingering Blackstrap molasses bittering, creamy vanilla sweetness and cherry-bruised candied apple tartness.

CAPE COD BEER

United States Brewpubs,

Cape Cod Chips and Cape Cod Beer | Talk-  Cape_Cod_Beer.png

HYANNIS, MASSACHUSETTS

Escaping to the Massachusetts shoreline for a long weekend in July ’13, stopped by reliable CAPE COD BEER for a few pints (picking up each flagship beer in bottled versions as well). Inside a white sheet metal industrial building just off the main drag in Hyannis, this multifaceted microbrewery (with cement-floored back tap room, beer shop, retail store and large silver brew tanks) opened in 2004 and has grown in size over the years.

A comfortable beach-styled front porch with eight patio tables fills up this afternoon as my beers get poured inside. Presently, Cape Cod’s suds are only sold in the eastern Massachusetts area, but slowly the brewery’s range has expanded. Going from lightest to darkest brews during my one-hour stint, each efficient offering proves to be not only stylistically forthright but also intriguingly original.

Crisply light-bodied Beach Blonde saddled cereal-grained Vienna malting and soft Cascade-hopped bittering with a refreshingly sugared citric finish, gaining musky Czech pilsner-like lemon-rotted vegetal nuances along the way.

Medium-bodied signature beer, Red Right Return retained a toasted amber-grained hop spice reinforced by pallid crystal malt sweetness. Its centrist flavor will please pilsner, lager and pale ale imbibers.

Engaging hot weather moderation, Summer Hefeweizen, pleated its lovely banana-clove insistence with lemony Cascade hops and honeyed wheat.

Dry-bodied India Pale Ale loaded woody Chinook-hopped grapefruit rind bittering atop lightly smoked pale malts, picking up a sharp alcohol burn that nearly muted the ancillary peach-pineapple tang.

On the dark side, nutty mocha full body, Cape Cod Porter, worked its dark-roasted grain bill into Brazil nut, hazelnut and walnut illusions as well as molasses-sweet brown chocolate chalking and roasted coffee undertones.

Afterwards, spent two days at beautiful Orleans beach and windy Yarmouth inlet to try bottled versions (reviewed at Beer Index).

www.capecodbeer.com

SMARTMOUTH BREWERY

United States Brewpubs,
Smartmouth Brewing Co. :: McPherson Design Group  Smartmouth Brewing Co. - Virginia Is For Lovers
NORFOLK, VIRGINIA
A diverse group of parents with children and post-collegiate hop-heads gather on blankets spread across the cement porch fronting SMARTMOUTH BREWERY’s inconspicuous gray brick warehouse to enjoy the sunny Saturday afternoon swelter on my initial July ’13 one-hour stopover. Set in a light industrial Norfolk hub, this spirited microbrewery has gained quite a substantial local following since opening for biz, November ’12.
Inside, the pristine white interior features eight back-walled metal stools, six community tables, four tap stations (with two handles each), black acoustic ceiling tiles, a huge blackboard beer list andglass-encased copper-kettled brew tanks. A beautiful beer-centric collage painting hangs from the front wall. Presently, Smartmouth only sells kegs and growlers to the general public, but imminent expansion will increase capacity and bottling seems likely in the future.
Flagship Alter Ego Saison spreads buttery caramel malting across Belgian candi-sugared sweetness, white-peppered grapefruit-orange-lemon bittering and soft hop-spiced prickles.
Lighty caramel creamed Murphy’s Law Amber Ale pleased moderate thirsts with its nutty toffee dalliance, mild perfume-hopped stone fruiting, minor wood char and toasted white bread base.
Extremely dry Bandwagon Citra Pale Ale plied hardwood lacquer to resinous hop-embittered orange rind and grapefruit illusions, picking up spritzy lemon zest along the way.
 
Sharp wood-dried hops also affected Rule G IPA, an orange-dessicated grapefruit peel-embittered medium body sweetened by creamy crystal-sugared malts.
Harsher wood tones embedded Notch 9 Double IPA, where creamier crystal malts contrast dry-hopped pine needling and livelier grapefruit-orange briskness.
Flaked corn malting gave grassy-hopped Inappropriate Cream Ale an approachable easygoing nature underlined by a subtle perfumed whiskey niche.

O’CONNOR BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,
O'Connor Brewing Co. | Norfolk, VA | Beers | BeerAdvocate
NORFOLK, VIRGINIA
Just two miles east of Smartmouth Brewing on the other side of the railroad tracks in a tan industrial building lies O’CONNOR BREWING COMPANY. A glass-inlaid brown tree insignia welcomes patrons to the raw cement-floored warehouse space where entrepreneurial brewer Kevin O’Connor opened this increasingly popular Norfolk microbrewery July ’13 (and closed July ’23).
Beforehand, the crafty zymurgist worked at Viriginia’s well regarded St. George Brewery. Gaining experience, he soon set up a basic garage operation and began brewing under his own name (receiving plaudits for O’Connor Red Nun Red Ale).
A few days after opening in its current space I got to visit and try a truly terrific tap-only Irish Stout while purchasing bottles of El Guapo Agave IPA, Great Dismal Black IPA and Norfolk Canyon Pale Ale (all listed in the Beer Index under O’Connor).
At the entrance, two guys are tossing back a few on the front deck. Inside, a few community tables sidle silver brew tanks and bottling equipment. A few bartenders serve the late afternoon crowd from the right side serving area. Extra glass-encased brew tanks hold beer being readied for bottling or kegging.
Today’s worthiest brew may’ve been O’Connor Dry Irish Stout, an illustrious sedation layering molasses-sapped coffee, vanilla, cocoa and walnut pleasantries beneath creamy dark/ brown chocolate sugaring.