Category Archives: United States Brewpubs

BEAVER STREET BREWERY

United States Brewpubs,

FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA

Sojourned to rustic ski-bound mountainous town, January ’05. Within walking distance were three valiant brewpubs. Inside old Foodtown Supermarket lies spacious BEAVER STREET BREWERY. Upon entering cozy couch-imbued waiting area, wafts of mash tun hit the nose. Left side open grill served wood-fired pizza, fondues, and sandwiches.

Mien bar with glass-encased brew tanks offered stone-fruited caramel-spiced local fave Railhead Ale, sedate hop-frisked raspberry-centered Bramble Berry Ale, piney hop-embittered red-fruited India Pale Ale, chalky mocha-soothed Nut Brown Ale, wispy chocolate malted Vienna Lager and dry ‘gelatanized’ oatmeal-sugared chocolate-roasted R & R Oatmeal Stout.

www.beaverstreetbrewery.com

VINTAGE 50

United States Brewpubs,

FALLS POINT / LEESBURG, VIRGINIA

Ex-Capitol City brewer Bill Madden provided upscale restaurant-brewery, VINTAGE 50 (becoming Beer Joint Brewing 2014), with a humble beer selection nearly as variegated as its exquisite menu, July ‘07. The veteran brewer was replaced by Kristi Mathews Griner (formerly of nearby Alexandria’s Hops Grill) in 2012, after he took head brewing ownership of Falls Church’s Mad Fox.

Formerly known as Thoroughbred’s, Vintage 50 opened November ’06. Located in a pristine professional office building on the outskirts of Leesburg’s historic downtown, its quaint patio with water-resistant couches and outdoor grill greet customers.

Side entrance leads to a redwood sportsbar with couch-backed seating and widescreen TV’s, several rear silver brew tanks, back dining space, and upper deck banquet area. A primo cocktail selection complemented excellent dishes such as crab medusa and California panini (smoked salmon).

On tap, light butter-salted lemony-hopped grapefruit-embittered flatbread-backed Catoctin Kolsch, lemon-wedged banana-cloved cornbread-bottomed Hefeweizen and smoke-spiced lemondrop-candied caramel-malted fruit-dried ESB were moderate-bodied openers.

Headknocker Blonde Barley English Pilsner layered barley-honeyed wheat biscuit nicety above orange-bruised apricot-pear fruiting.

Approachable coffee bean-embittered, espresso-milked, molasses-chocolate-walnut-blanched, cherry puree-finishing Porter was equally mild.

Best bet: floral hop-spiced Hoptail Double IPA, a bold step up with barleywine-doused red-orange fruited cornucopia (apple-grapefruit-tangerine-melon-pear) subduing spruce-sweetened pine comb sapping and tree bark parch.

When my wife and I return to Vintage 50, March ’12, premier brewer Bill Madden has left and gone to start his own brewery-restaurant, Mad Fox, thirteen miles east at Falls Church. Happily, his replacement, Kristi Mathews, learned how to craft a few equally splendid brews to go alongside Madden’s successful fare. After spending four years at Alexandria’s Hops Grill & Brewery, Mathews developed a well-rounded taste for crisp, clean brews that go beyond stylistic conformity.

Packed on a Friday night at 8 PM, we grab a table across the bar and order the copious Catoctin Fish & Chips (Atlantic battered cod with malt vinegar) and hummus with pita. Also worthwhile was the Jumbo Sourdough Pretzel (with a selection of grain mustard, honey mustard and spicy cheese sauce).

As the Eagles’ liberating breakup stomp “Already Gone” plays loudly in the background, I dip into Mathews’ strawberry blonde ale, Ginger Kids, a creamy cinnamon-toasted gingerbread-like honey-malted medium body with mild orange peel and mandarin orange nipping at the white wheat base.

Nearly as good, Irish Style Dry Stout retained a smooth watering to pacify the dark-roasted chocolate malting, hop-charred walnut roast and espresso-bound black coffee bittering.

Then it was time for the strong 9% alcohol elixirs. First up, Meditator Doppelbock brought peppery-hopped briskness to up-front banana-bruised sweetness, surging fig-date affability and honeyed caramel malts. Next, creamy Devil’s Due Belgian-style Pale Ale had a similarly fruit-seasoned profile, delivering a white-peppered banana-clove-vanilla punch to dried cherry tartness and red licorice traces.

www.vintage50.com

Along Route 7 at the Potomac Run Plaza, Sterling, Virginia’s Total Wines & More had a magnificent beer selection. Despite already reviewing over 6,000 bottled or canned beers, I came up with 25 more from local mid-Atlantic brewers such as Devils Backbone, Duck-Rabbit, DuClaw, Flying Dog, Lost Rhino, Starr Hill and Williamsburg Alewerks. Also bought were several previously untried beers by West Coast breweries such as San Jose’s Knee Deep, Everett’s Scuttlebutt, Mukilteo’s Diamond Knot, San Jose’s Ass Kisser and San Diego’s Green Flash. (reviewed in the Beer Index).

SWEETWATER TAVERN – MERRIFIELD

United States Brewpubs,

FALLS POINT / LEESBURG, VIRGINIA

Done up in Southwestern motif, SWEETWATER TAVERN in Falls Church (one of three in northern Virginia) featured peach-toned stone castle design, purple-blue window trim, huge grain silo (near entrance), up-front copper kettles, and convenient side deck.

Located ten miles west of Washington D.C. at the Gatehouse Plaza, this upscale restaurant-bar offered beef-ribs-chops plus sandwiches-salads to go with revolving line of 36 brews. “Nick’s Handcrafted Beers” during July ’06 trip included three crisply dependable standards and three decent cyclical brews.

Regularly brewed libations were bright lemony-soft grain-spined clean-finishing Naked River Light, piney-hopped grapefruit-embittered caramel-sugared Great American Restaurant’s Pale Ale and wispy yellow-fruited straw-grassed maize-dried Silverado Cream Ale.

Recurrent fare comprised brisk mandarin orange-embittered, tart banana-greened, coriander-spiced, wheat-chaffed Wit’s End (Belgian-styled) Ale, dry chili pepper-spiced, black chocolate-lined, licorice-blotched, tobacco-stained, English-styled Chipotle Porter and dry-bodied Pale Ale/ Chipotle Porter mix, Snakebite Black & Tan (with its raw chocolate nibs, bitter espresso, dark spice, and earthen wood illusions).

www.greatamericanrestaurants.com

ELLICOTTVILLE BREWING

United States Brewpubs,

ELLICOTTVILLE, NEW YORK

Open since ’95 and visited July ’05 on the way home from Niagara Falls, ELLICOTTVILLE BREWING resides at a tiny prairie village 40 miles south of Buffalo. This violet-lavender-fronted colonial-styled Victorian brewery features right side brew tanks, gorgeous wood bar with marble columns, beautiful backside beer garden (with water fountain and tucked-in serving bar), tile floor, and second floor deck. Fine menu included seafood appetizers, soup, salad, and healthy-sized sandwiches.

Authentic Blues music played during lunch as I sucked down honey-sweet, curacao orange-soured, coriander-dabbed Ms. Wit Belgian Style Wit and dryly smoked pepper-spiced yellow-fruited almond-wisped Golden Hill Toasted Lager.

Diacetyl chocolate-roasted nut-dried 9303 German Red, mouth-puckered fig-grape-soured honey-tinged Allegany Alers German Stein Beer, mildly hop-embittered, tangy orange-tangerine-doused Prince Of Pales and fig-raisin-soured Scotch-licked celebrator True Bocka 10th Anniversary followed.

Unexpectedly, mildest tap brew was clearly Black Jack Dry Stout, a dry-bodied espresso alternative with pine tar, burnt wood, and chocolate bean illusions.

Best bet: lively citric-bitter quince-ripe Cascade-hopped Two Brothers Pale Ale. Note: head brewers’ initial recipes were maintained despite his move to fine Southern Tier microbrewery.

During 2005, Ellicottville Brewing opened a second location in nearby Fredonia. There are at least a dozen more beers that have donned the menu since then.

www.ellicottvillebrewing.com

ELLICOTT MILLS BREWING

United States Brewpubs,

ELLICOTT CITY, MARYLAND

Rustic bohemian village, Elliott City, an old milling and manufacturing community,  featured Old World charm, unrefined antiquity, and the B&O Railroad Museum. Along steep hillside in gray-stone green-trimmed building, ELLICOTT MILLS BREWING (opened 1997) was originally visited November ’06.

Interior featured windowed brew tanks, exposed ducts, and copper-top wooden tables. Left bar featured huge wood-column mantle and twin TV’s. Catacomb-like lower-level Batskellar offered single malt Scotch, cigars, and bar specials while loft dining space served family-office parties.

Appetizers, salads, pasta, seafood, and wild game went well with wort-nosed sour-fruited mineral-grained vegetal-oiled rye-finishing Alpenhof Kolsch, dry-hopped fruit-soured cereal-biscuit-y Illchester Ale, earthen rye-breaded fig-dipped caramel-nutty Redrum Ale and phenol chocolate-malted date-dried Semper Fi Strong Ale.

Best bet: Scotch whiskey-fronted raisin-fig-dried toffee-lingered Bock Of The Bat.

Upon January 2011 revisit, sat at copper-topped stainless-steeled left side bar to sample a few goodies while the lunchtime crowd rolled in. It seemed as if each brew’s flavor profile led nicely right into the next.

Best-selling hop-spiced sugar-malted Marzen attained buttery walnut resolve above orange-soured finish.

Australian-styled lager, Boomerang, brought sour butterscotch-malted orange-rotted candi-sugared fig-cherry spurt to musty fungi yeast.

Buttery fig-date-soured caramel-toffee-malted hazelnut-pecan-backed Dunkel gained murky fungi funk and cellar mustiness.

Even better was nut-roasted crystal-sugared Brown Ale, with its careening honeyed walnut, pecan, chestnut, macadamia, and butternut illusions.

Not far behind, soft coffee-burnt toffee-malted German-styled Dopplebock gained apple-bruised pear-browned fig spicing.

www.ellicottmillsbrewing.com

HARPER’S RESTAURANT & BREWPUB

United States Brewpubs,

HARPER'S RESTAURANT & BREWERYEAST LANSING, MICHIGAN

Michigan State University’s farm-hemmed ‘Moo-U’ campus boasts decent HARPER’S RESTAURANT & BREWPUB, with its red-bricked green-trimmed exterior, twin patios, centralized bar, and six-screen TV.

On September ’04 trip, tap beers included Bavarian-styled football team salutation Spartan Wheat (a lemon slice usurps citric pale malts), wheat-soured English mild ale Harper’s Light, banana-clove piquancy Burning Couch Hefe-Weizen, tart berry-melon-tangerine-aided Raspberry Wheat, sharply bitter perfume-hopped, orange peel-soured Grove St. Pale Ale, and milk chocolate-y, marshmallow-sweetened, ice coffee-backed Imperial Porter.

www.harpersbrewpub.com

BRICK TOWN BREWERY

United States Brewpubs,

DUBUQUE, IOWA

Saddled in a small industrial port along the Mississippi River amongst old red brick warehouse buildings, Dubuque boasts the fittingly blue collar BRICK TOWN BREWERY (defunct as of 2020). A small deck area fronts the Main Street saloon better known as the Back Water Grill, which served burgers, wood-fired steaks, ribs, and chops to go with on-site beers from glass-encased copper kettles, August ‘06.

L-shaped bar offered candelabra sampler tray of mildly grassy-hopped, maize-rice-oats-smoked, hay-barnyard-wafted sedation Crown Pilsner, honeyed tea-soaked, creamy caramel-burnished, agave-tinged The Mexican and moderate mainstay, Laughing Ass (with its sour bruised fruit tartness upstaging fig-pear jot).

Though light-bodied Buckeye Stout scored lower with its masked coffee dirge, sour fig wisp and meager hop-roasted chocolate malting, perfectly descriptive Orange uniquely mimicked the pulpy bittersweet tang of an orange-tangerine-clementine above a quenching lemony hop prickle.

Also admirable were the refreshingly tart raspberry-blueberry-kissed gummy bear-like approximation Gorilla Vanilla and the citrus-spoiled prune-dried fig-soured white-wined Bulldog Double Bock.

www.bricktownbrewery.com

CAPITOL CITY BREWPUB – D.C.

United States Brewpubs,

Best Washington DC Brewpub | Capitol City Brewing Company | Capitol City Brews

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA / SPRINGFIELD, VIRGINIA

In town for surprise birthday party to celebrate my Uncle Ed’s 60th birthday May ‘02, found godsend Total Wine & More in Springfield. The store’s wide selection forced me to fill up trunk with much-needed Weeping Radish, Blue Ridge, and De Groen’s brews (all brewed in Maryland), Dominion Octoberfest and Octoberfest Special (Virginia) along with North Carolina middleweights from Rock Creek and Wild Goose.

The only D.C. bottled beer I scored was Olde Heurich Maerzen, though JOHN HARVARD’S BREWHOUSE on Pennsylvania Avenue (closed since ’07) and CAPITOL CITY BREWPUB on Massachusetts Avenue were worth the trip for pints of stout and draft samplers.

In July ’07, had Fortunato family reunion at Uncle Ed’s new Fredericksburg estate, buying Williamsburg Washington’s Porter, Legend King James Ale, Speakeasy Old Godfather Barleywine and five Blue & Gray beers at local Total Wines.

www.capcitybrew.com

BACKCOUNTRY BREWERY

United States Brewpubs,

DILLON / FRISCO, COLORADO

On Frisco’s tranquil grain silo-marked Main Street corner, tan stucco brown-timbered BACKCOUNTRY BREWERY (opened 1996, sold to Broken Compass Brewing 2017) looks out at splendid mountainous terrain and Lake Dillon atop an ice cream shop, drawing families and vacationing outdoorsmen. Perused August ’07, its second floor dining space and outdoor covered deck were serviced by small central bar while first floor space was unfinished.

Pizza, calzone, and burgers went well with delicate lemony grapefruit-spiced, floral-perfumed, wet-grassed, piney-hopped Ptarmigan Pilsner, bark-dried, tea-honeyed, pumpernickel-chipotle-teased Switchback Amber,and hop-roasted, cola-nutty, toffee-tinged Peak One Porter.

Better were orange peel-embittered, coriander-spiced, peppery-hopped, lemon-candied, lavender-tweaked Wheeler Wheat, soft-watered, wood-embittered, grassy-hopped, citrus-quince-dabbed Telemark IPA and banana-chipped, apple-baked, tangerine-apricot-zipped, cereal oats-nipped Maibock Lager.

As strong as a Turkish coffee, astounding Breakfast Stout regaled extreme coffee bean bittering to oats-flaked, milk-creamed, hazelnut-roasted, tobacco-chewed, black chocolate rift.

www.backcountrybrewery.com

PUG RYAN’S STEAKHOUSE & BREWERY

United States Brewpubs,

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.

www.pugryans.com

DAM BREWERY

United States Brewpubs,

DILLON / FRISCO, COLORADO

Beautiful Alpine area of Rocky Mountains is too gorgeous and pristine for mere words. My wife and I took a 3-hour pontoon boat cruise around Dillon Reservoir between visiting three fine area brewpubs, August ’07.

Dillon’s DAM BREWERY, a freestanding building with grain silo at the Route 6 mall, had definite sports bar atmosphere. Tan-wood-paneled green-sided Dam featured U-shaped central bar (with opposing flat screen TV’s), left brew tanks, rear umbrella-covered deck, loft level billiards-seating, and separate back dining area.

Build-your-own burger, appetizers, salmon, and rib-eye went well with lemony corn-sugared wheat-husked oats-honeyed dry-hopped Dam Lyte, light popcorn-like rye-breaded lemon-fizzed Paradise Pilsner, floral-fizzed honey-glazed vanilla-sweetened grapefruit-tangy Vienna-styled Dam Straight Lager and exemplary lemon-candied floral-teased eucalyptus-cooled grain-dried Wildernest Wheat.

While alcohol-burned woody-hopped currant-embittered apple-orange-spiced Extra Pale Ale and mild caramel-molasses-like, hazelnut-macadamia-pecan-backed Sweet George’s Brown were just alright, banana-honeyed citric-spiced Hefe-Weizen and creamy black chocolate-y hazel-nutty Mc Luhr’s Irish Stout truly captivated.

Bitterer than most Colorado competition, perfumed floral hop-embittered India Pale Ale placed grapefruit rind and wood chipped hop dryness alongside tenacious red-yellow fruiting.

www.dambrewery.com

FORT STREET BREWERY

United States Brewpubs,


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.

Uniquely blended Snowplowed, an unusual light-bodied winter warmer, brought caramel nuttiness and rye-honeyed oats to mild juniper berry bittering.

Equally abstruse Kudzu IPA plied dry Japanese Sorachi Ace hops to sake-riced black and red peppering.

9th anniversary celebrator, Wheat Wine No. 9, loaded white-sugared honeyed wheat with apricot, pear and quince nuances to contrast its bitter alcohol-fueled hop astringency.

Two more limited edition Valentine’s Day brews made the rounds as well. Crisply clean moderation, Pommaceous Apple Ale, allowed Granny Smith apple souring to snazz up its wheat-grained lemongrass dalliance.

Kombuchu, a German-styled moderation, placed barley-wheat malts and brown-riced sweetness against herbal lemongrass souring.

As for the updated Beernormous, its viscous coffee bean-oiled dark chocolate and Blackstrap molasses entry gained a nutty respite to contrast mild hop bitterness.

www.fortstreetbeer.com

Bought several King, New Holland, Traverse City, Nine G, O’Fallon, and Summit bottled beers (plus Two Brothers Incinerator) at South Dearborn’s remarkable Merchant’s Fine Wine in August ’06.

www.merchantsfinewine.com