APPALACHIAN BREWING

United States Brewpubs

Appalachian Brewing Company close to replacing one of its Gettysburg brewpubs - pennlive.com
GETTYSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA

Stayed at Gettysburg Hotel (established 1797) two blocks down from train station where Lincoln delivered Gettysburg Address, April ’06. Quaffed Guinness Stout at attached Mc Clellan’s Tavern, a gorgeously snug turn-of-the-century Van Tromp mahogany bar imported from England.

By nightfall, drove one mile towards historic Civil War Battlefield and nearby freestanding wood-pillared spire-roofed APPALACHIAN BREWING (thirty miles west of original Harrisburg brewery). Prominent midsize bar centered right-left side dining sections while banquet room and brew tanks bedecked downstairs area.

Classical tavern food was served alongside sharp, lemony grapefruit, floral-hopped, pepper-embittered Peregrine Pils, mild apple-orange-fronted, cereal-grained, honey-malted Zoigl Lager, orange peel/ grapefruit rind-embittered Hoppy Trails IPA, and creamy malt-fruited softie Celtic Knot Irish Red.

Heartier thirsts will gravitate towards black chocolate-dried, coffee-burnt, wood-chipped Chocolate Coffee Stout and sourer Susquehanna Stout (which tasted drier in bottled version). Really enjoyed seasonal malt-sugared cherry-bruised banana-lacquered Broad Street Barleywine and Belgian-styled Abbey Roade, a candi-sugared dark ale with peppery spices and speckled pear-grape-plum notes. Bottled Appalachian selections listed in Beer Index.

www.abcbrew.com

BIG RIVER GRILLE – CHATTANOOGA

United States Brewpubs

CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE

Let’s hear it for Chattanooga’s mountains, lakes, caverns, and taverns. While Atlanta, Georgia, 100 miles South, is a vital party town and Bacchanalia’s restaurant boasts great oysters and lobsters, the home of the Braves is not well known for its wealth of microbrews (though that changed tremendously in the 2000′s). Instead, I spent July ‘98 in the Peach State with cousins, parents, kids, and wife in beautiful Georgia Pines.

Tucked away in a few woodsy cabins, we hiked cliffs by day and barbecued at night. Though the rural area offered very little by way of fine beers, I did discover the better than average Georgia Wild Raspberry Wheat Ale and the not-so-thick Mississippi Mud Black & Tan, which, to my surprise, was actually brewed way up yonder in Utica, New York (reviewed in Beer Index).

Meanwhile, nearby Chattanooga, Tennessee, had its charming small town rewards. THE BIG RIVER GRILLE & BREWERY down from famous Chattanooga Choo Choo’s made fine handcrafted bitters. And those nifty mining caverns with geysers we visited along the way were magnificent.

www.bigrivergrille.com

GROWLERS

United States Brewpubs

GROWLERSGAITHERSBURG, MARYLAND

Perched between Washington DC and Baltimore, Gaithersburg’s rustic charm is best discovered at street-cornered brewpub, GROWLERS, visited April ’09.

After operating as Summit Station Brewery for eight years, Growlers came into existence during 2006. Located inside a historic red brick building at the center of town, this refurbished dig features Redskins football-inspired paraphernalia, faux-marble painted walls, antique wood furnishings, cozy right side and loge dining, and a smattering of archaic beer cans.

The left side bar had two TV’s and served house beers from the windowed brew tanks. Lighter fare such as lemony grapefruit-fronted, fig-spiced, biscuit-buttered Kingpin Kolsch and mild corn-spiced D Rail Lite Ale make pleasant session beers. Tangy peach-pear-apple-spiced, currant-embittered, grapefruit-soured, woody-hopped Engine House Pale Ale topped the bitterer Brass Lantern IPA, a briskly Cascade-hopped, alcohol-burnt, lemony grapefruit-soured medium body. Meem’s Crème Ale gained a hop-spiced vanilla ice cream appeal that may’ve outdid sweetly soured blueberry-seeded wheat-sugared Blueberry Wheat as a dessert treat.

www.growlersofgaithersburg.com

BARLEY & HOPS GRILL

United States Brewpubs

BARLEY & HOPSFREDERICK, MARYLAND

Family-styled eatery, BARLEY & HOPS GRILL, located in congested mall area, had red brick exterior with green trim, cozy left side deck, and burgundy walled interior, November ‘06. Grain silo welcomes patrons to spacious dining area. Nice wine selection and burgers-ribs-pork glut pub-styled menu.

Glass-encased brew tanks behind ample left side wood bar served generic fare including pale-malted wheat-corned sour-fruited German-styled Catoctin Clear, sterile maize-buttered caramel-cheapened Tuscarora Red, popcorn-like walnut-teased Big Ben Nut Brown, and tame hop-roasted burnt coffee-soured dry Irish-styled Schifferstadt Stout.

Better beer choices were pale ale/ nut brown elixir, Dirty Nerdy (with its minor pine-hopped apple-grapefruit restraint), and bitterly red-fruited, woody Cascade-hopped Annapolis Rocks Pale Ale.

www.barleyandhops.net

BREWERS ALLEY

United States Brewpubs

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FREDERICK, MARYLAND

Visited November ’06, this former Union-Confederate battleground near Sugarloaf Mountain 100 miles west of Baltimore hosts Brewers Alley Restaurant & Brewery and, on the outskirts, Barley & Hops Grill.

Opened 1995 and centrally located in a red brick building formerly housing Frederick City Hall (and then an opera house), BREWERS ALLEY patrons enter through a black archway to a side entrance atrium with stain glass windows. Its olden oak bar with wood tables and glass-encased brew tanks are separate from less noisy right side dining area. Variegated menu had four different paella dishes, sundry seafood platters, and wood-fired pizzas to go with single malt Scotches, fine wines, and cognacs.

Enjoyed mild corn-syrupy oats-honeyed yellow-fruited prickly-hopped Kolsch, kiln-smoked grassy-hopped grapefruit-peach-dabbed India Pale Ale and biscuit-y banana-cloved bubblegum-sweet Weizen with dinner. Inferior hazelnut-molasses-depleted Nut Brown Ale was too astringent.

Hop-roasted nut-coarsened Oatmeal Stout may’ve been weak, but piney-hopped, red apple-centered, orange-bruised, apricot-ripened Resinator and gooey cherry-banana-bruised, fig-date-grape-sidled, peat-malted Scotch Ale exceeded expectations.

Revisited Brewers Alley June ’20 on a sunny afternoon, gathering at the black gated patio with wife and dog. A promenade was set up for Covid-19 restrictions and chairs were also set up in the street.

Retried year round selections such as delicate lemon-dried, grassy-hopped, orange-spritzy Kolsch and soft-toned, banana creamed, chocolate-malted, wheat-sugared,  Dunkelweizen.

The updated English-styled India Pale Ale retained dry wood tones, spry floral-hopped citrus tanginess and rye-spiced pale malts.

As for the newly tried, mild blueberry pureed Blueberry Wheat let washed-out blueberry-boysenberry tartness recede alongside light vodka-nipped juniper above wavered white wheat base.

Gentle light-bodied Pilsner placed floral-hopped herbal spicing inside husked corn-maize astringency and biscuity barley malts.

Distinct specialty grained 1634 Ale fortified its standout caraway molasses sweetness with floured rye, caramelized pumpernickel and roasted tobacco, creating an ‘austere colonial’ setting.

Locally sourced beets gain lemony cranberry-crabapple-blueberry souring for 1634 Ale – Beets Trial, an alternative version with bitter raw molasses hiding its multi-grain origins.

Velvety cask conditioned Irish Dry Stout, Trinity – Cask, brought dark-roasted coffee sedation to mild mocha molasses caking.

Coffee-milked dark chocolate enriched maple-sugared oats for Oatmeal Stout, leaving a soft nutty mocha remnant on the back end.

Splendid Barrel Aged Oatmeal Stout, conditioned in High West Bourbon and Stranahan whiskey barrels, retained a taut bourbon vanilla sweetness penetrating dewy earthen wood tones as ancillary creme brulee, chocolate cake, toasted coconut, fudged caramel and marshmallow illusions deepen the spirited nightcap.     

www.brewers-alley.com

BLACK FOREST BREWHAUS

United States Brewpubs

BLACK FOREST BREWHAUSFRANKENMUTH, MICHIGAN

Located behind gigantic Bronner’s Christmas Store, castle-like wood-arched BLACK FOREST BREWHAUS featured upstairs and basement level banquet facilities plus patio area to complement ski lodge-styled main area. On September ‘04 afternoon trip up from Detroit,  discovered many fine libations at this capacious ‘Little Bavaria’ outpost.

Well defined dark brews seem to be specialty, as per terrific smoked chocolate-fronted, mash tun-wafted, butterscotch-soured, maple-sugared ‘Muth Porter, dry earthen-grained, coffee-roasted, oats-charred, anise-embittered Sully’s Irish Stout, and creamy chocolate malted Russian Imperial Stout (with its sugared fig-date-raisin cluster, sweet cherry wining and spiced rum lacquering).

While moderate-bodied, lemon-limed, Vienna-styled Amber Waves Of Grain Lager and pallid lemon-dried, bubble-gummy, wheat-backed Woody’s Light Golden Ale denote lighter fare, sharp red-fruited, ruby grapefruit-tingled, perfume hop-embittered IPA, lemony pine-hopped Frolfing Pale Ale, and dark-fruited, pecan-buttered, raisin-figged Scottish Rye Ale signify more complex fare.

Seasonal brews included harshly brass-toned, raw-honeyed, spice-hopped Honey Bee Wheat and phenol, floral-dried, apricot-soured Angry Bald Man Bitter.

www.blackforestbrewhaus.net

FRANKENMUTH BREWERY

United States Brewpubs

FRANKENMUTH, MICHIGAN

On September ’04 jaunt, discovered two opposing brewpubs in German town holiday haven 100 miles north of Detroit. While Frankenmuth Brewery offered fine conventional mainstream fare, Sullivan’s Black Forest Brewhaus concentrated on experimental American and Bavarian-styled choices.

Overlooking the Cass River, spacious brick FRANKENMUTH BREWERY (second oldest brewery behind Yeungling re-developed after destructive ‘96 tornado) featured original beer cellar, wooden table-stool setting, high ceilings, mezzanine area, and wood carved columns at lower level bar (with six stainless steel brew tanks).

Traditional Bavarian beers were bold whiskey-rye-soured hop-fizzed German-Style Pilsener and warming leafy wheat-grassed hay-leathered Marzen-styled Octoberfest.

Grain-based American heartland styles included dry wheat-husked lemon-apricot-soured Mel-O-Dry Light Lager, soft-bodied corn-dried yellow-fruited hop-fizzed Geyer’s Cream Ale, sharp hop-embittered grapefruit-soured Pioneer Pale Ale, bitter lemony orange Old Detroit Amber Ale, and dry wheat-breaded mocha-diluted Mitternact Muncher Dark Lager. Excellent cream-frothed, coffee-roasted, tobacco-chewed, nitro-injected Dry Stout wrangled rich black cherry,blackberry, raspberry, and date influence.

www.frankenmuthbrewery.com

COOPERSMITHS PUB

United States Brewpubs

Image result for coopersmiths fort collins

FORT COLLINS, COLORADO

Opened 1989, just months after initial Colorado brewpub, Wynkoop, began operations in Denver, COOPERSMITHS PUB is located in the heart of Fort Collins. A key watering hole for Colorado State University students and business professionals, this side-entranced grain silo-marked archway-accessed brewpub-restaurant spreads across two adjacent locations. Wood bar furnishings, windowed brew tanks, and back dining bedeck left side locale while opposing Coopersmiths Poolside housed a billiard hall serving pizza-calzones (instead of full wood-fired pizza/ dinner menu across the alley). Brewmeister Dwight Hall’s diversified libations were fully appreciated during August ’07 afternoon jaunt.

Banana-clove-vanilla-receded toffee-sweet wheat-grassy lemon-wedged Mountain Avenue Wheat, cereal-grained pumpernickel-dried orange-bruised grapefruit-teased Rye P.A., and cherry-tart orange-soured peach-pied wheat-cracked witbier Mellow Fellow Cherry Ale please with ease. Silken nitro-injected chocolate-walnut-dried espresso-creamed oat-toasted Horsetooth Stout and mild hop-fizzed, chipotle-jalapeno-burnt, salami-smoked, rye-dried Sigda’s Green Chili thrill adventurers. Soft fungi-vegetal wafts splotch piney Cascade-hopped fig-date-tinged Cask Punjabi Pale Ale.

Lighter, less interesting mainstream fare included maize-dried popcorn-like lager yeast-warmed Bud Lite-knockoff Columbine Kolsch and putrescent corn-dried grape-soured hop-sharp rye-breaded peppercorn-dotted Modela Negra-shirked Cerveza Del Verano. Acetous cranberry-tart, green grape-parched, grassy-hopped Raspberry Mead suits honeyed wine lovers.

www.coopersmithspub.com

MOGOLLON BREWERY

United States Brewpubs

MOGOLLON BREWERYFLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA

Through backyard alley from Flagstaff Brewing, reached ‘98-opened MOGOLLON BREWERY, January ‘05. Entered backroom music lounge, went around front to rustic wood bar, and met bar manager Mike D’Amico, who proudly showed off new vodka-whiskey distillery tanks and mezzanine game room.

On tap, tried hop-spiced cereal-sweetened citric-spruced Wapiti Amber Ale, tangy orange-apricot-fruited pear-browned Vienna-malted Octoberfest, Headless Horseman Lager, and creamy chocolate-milked coffee-stained Donnybrook Irish Stout. Reviews of bottled Mogollon Heffevenom, Apache Trout Stout, and Superstition Pale Ale in Beer Index.

www.mogbrew.com

FLAGSTAFF BREWING

United States Brewpubs

FLAGSTAFF BREWERYFLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA

Hit snowy streets after leaving Beaver Street Brewery, crossed over railroad, and landed at ‘94-opened FLAGSTAFF BREWING on Route 66, January ‘05. Homey brick-walled bar with shelves of 100 single malt Scotches, ancient beer cans, and sundry memorabilia at entrance contained brewer Gordon Kier’s delightful tapped beers.

Buttery grapefruit-ensconced spice-hopped Bitterroot ESB,  earthen whiskey-bound cherry-ripened chocolate-sugared Sasquatch Stout and soft maple-sapped nutmeg-allspice-seasoned The Grinch Christmas Ale were approachable. For dessert, silky chocolate nougat-fronted, Fuggle hop-spiced, nut-backed Blackbird Porter sufficed.

www.flagbrew.com

BEAVER STREET BREWERY

United States Brewpubs

BEAVER STREET BREWERYFLAGSTAFF, 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, 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.

Approachable coffee bean-embittered, espresso-soured, molasses-chocolate-walnut-blanched, cherry puree-finishing Porter was equally mild. Headknocker Blonde Barley English Pilsner layered barley-honeyed wheat biscuit nicety above orange-bruised apricot-pear fruiting.

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).