Category: Brewery Tour

A concise brewery bio

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A Trip to Julian

I made a drive out to Julian with two agendas. Pie from one of the many pie establishments in the small mountain town and beer from both breweries to pair with all that pie crust.

First was Nickel Beer Co. which reminded me of Happy Valley back in Portland. A corner location that looked to be a roadside hangout now brewery.

Inside was a memento filled small room with the taps, I picked out a sampler tray and set to tasting on the patio to enjoy the sun and wind and blue sky.

Unfortunately, three of the five beers exhibited off flavors which is something since I don’t usually pick “off” up much. The Farmer Jon Strong Pale was unique but not greatly hoppy. The Apple Pie Ale was as advertised but the others did not make the grade. I was hoping that the Pink Boots beer being a DIPA would be a saving grace, but alas, not to be.

On the other end of Julian is the aptly named Julian Beer Company with plenty of front patio seating in front of a pair of red barns to watch Pacific Coast Trail hikers going past.

I had a sampler tray with lovely taster glasses but alas, though better than Nickel, the beers were only so-so. My favorite was the Rye IPA, Pistol Whipped. If the Grave Digger was labeled as a dark lager and not a Dopplebock, I would have ranked that a bit higher. I had another Pink Boots IPA and it was a bit underdone.

To be blunt, the two Julian ciders that I had were easily the best drinks of the trip.

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Firestone Walker Invitational brewery # 2 – Chuckanut Brewery

We head to Washington State for Chuckanut Brewery. They do traditional styled ales and do them very well and I hope that their booth gets mobbed with people drinking beers like…

Export Dortmunder Lager – “Honey colored, bready, moderate bitterness.”

Grodziskie Lager – “Pale straw colored, fresh grain, gentle smoke, effervescent.”

Mosaic Leaf Pilsner – “Golden, dry, bitter, fruity noble hops, refreshing.”

Yellow Card Ale – “golden colored, spicy, crisp.”

Alt Bier Ale – “Deep bronze, zesty hop flavor, snappy, full malt flavor.”

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“Old” Brewery Tour # 3 – Alaskan Brewing

Our final “old” brewery is Alaskan Brewing. This brewery is past the 35 year mark which is quite an achievement.

Stratasphere IPA – “Brewed with a ton of Strata hops and Alaska-grown wheat for a slight haziness, this bold IPA is big in citrusy mango flavors that showcase this new exciting hop variety.”

Juneau Juice – “This unfiltered IPA is a glowing medium gold, with a hazy appearance reminiscent of a lazy summer day in Juneau, AK. Ripe pineapple, fresh tangerine and pine resin abound in the aroma, with a host of other tropical and stone fruit flavors. Juneau Juice is all about bright and succulent hop character.”

Pilsner – “It’s been said that Pilsners represent the high art of brewing. Named for the region of the Czech Republic known as Pilsen, this style of beer is considered both challenging to brew by brewmasters across the world and an easy to drink beer that delights beer drinkers everywhere.”

and of course, Smoked Porter – “Known as “rauchbier” in Germany, smoke-flavored beers were virtually unknown in the U.S. until Alaskan Smoked Porter was developed in 1988.”

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“Old” Brewery Tour # 2 – Great Lakes Brewing

Another, more descriptive term for old is heritage and that applies well to Great Lakes Brewing in Cleveland.

Dortmunder Gold Lager – “A classic award-winning balance of sweet malt and dry hop flavors, proudly waving the flag for Cleveland and refreshing beer drinkers everywhere since 1988.”

Conway’s Irish Ale – “A pint for Pa Conway! Our co-owners’ grandfather and policeman who’d likely uphold that an Irish Ale with full-bodied caramel malt flavors is just the ticket.”

Lake Eerie Monster Imperial IPA – “Issue a small craft advisory: this South Bay Bessie-inspired brew launches an intense hop attack amid torrid tropical fruit flavors.”

and of course…

Edmund Fitzgerald Porter – “Robust and complex, our Porter is a bittersweet tribute to the legendary freighter’s fallen crew—taken too soon when the gales of November came early.”

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Driving to Pasadena

It looks like a brewery is on progress for Pasadena. Social media shows a bit of life to Driven Beer.

Automotive themed from the looks of it. Joining Upshift and All Season in search of car hop pubs and beer names. More to follow.

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“Old” Brewery Tour # 1 – The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery

Well, it is right in the name ain’t it? Our first March stop is at Charlotte, North Carolina’s oldest brewery, Olde Mecklenburg.

They have a line-up filled to the brim with old(e) school beer styles, so let’s dive in…

Fruh Bock – “Our seasonal “Spring bock” captures the promise of warmer days ahead, combining a slight malty sweetness with a refreshing touch of citrus aroma from its noble bavarian hops. The result is an amazingly fresh, crisp beer that masks a higher alcohol content in its smooth character.”

Copper Altbier – “OMB’s flagship, Copper, is an authentic Düsseldorf-style Altbier (German amber ale). Its full-flavored start suggests notes of graham cracker, toffee and caramel, transitioning to a smooth and balanced finish. Altbier is a “hybrid” beer – although it’s brewed as an ale, it is “lagered” (stored on the yeast at very cold temperatures) for several weeks after primary fermentation. The result is a beer that combines the full flavor of an ale with the crisp, clean refreshment of a lager. Copper is great by itself or as a complement to any cuisine.”

Hornet’s Nest Hefeweizen – “A German classic, Hornets Nest hefeweizen is the original hazy, unfiltered ale. This subtly sweet wheat beer is rich in body and finishes with notes of banana and clove from the unique hefe yeast. At OMB, we love our local history almost as much as we enjoy brewing our premium local beer. While most people think Hornets Nest is an ode to Charlotte’s basketball team, it’s actually the nickname England’s General Cornwallis gave Charlotte after 16 futile days of trying to take the city during the Revolutionary War – “Let’s get out of here, this place is a damned hornet’s nest.” Raise a glass to the spirit of rebellion in the Queen City!”

Fat Boy Baltic Porter – “a bold, full-bodied, dark beer that wraps a rich malty sweetness in notes of caramel, toffee, dark fruit and rich chocolate. Despite the higher ABV, this porter drinks smooth, owing to the use of lager yeast and extended cold conditioning. With a beer this good, every season is dark beer season! Fat Boy is a tribute to our original brewer’s passion for his Harley-Davidson motorcycle, which could often be seen parked outside of the brewhouse in the early days of OMB. Winner of a GOLD European Beer Star.”

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Premier League Brewery # 3 – Chalk Hill Brewing in Norwich

Norwich has has a rough go this year, it seems that the green and gold brings goals for the opposing side but you can head to Chalk Hill to have a pint and plot how to escape relegation.

Start with…

CHB Bitter – “A copper-coloured beer with a malty aroma, fruity sweetness and bittersweet hoppiness towards the finish.”

Gold – “A straw-coloured and malty golden ale with gentle sweetness.”

Flintknappers Mild – “A mild that’s black and malty, full of flavour. Available in Autumn and Winter.”

Pump Action – “Pumpkin spiced ale”