Craft Beer Monday Review: Two Brothers Atom Smasher

On Tap at Sheffields, this was an easy decision for me since I have always been a fan of the Oktoberfests, and Two Brothers was my first foray into Chicagoland craft beers (thanks Bingo, Steve A).

Uniquely flavored, Atom Smasher is a welcome addition to the Two Brothers lineup since they usually delve into heavily hopped ales and only produce lagers on a seasonal basis, and don't really promote them too much, if you ask me. In fact, I am including the link from Ratebeer, since TB doesn't have it on their website even.

Tasting: Cloudy amber with some orange colors swirling and with a beige head that disappears quickly, this was reflective of the Oktoberfest lagers I have been accustomed to except for a couple flavors I wasn't expecting: citrusy early and a hint of sourness at the finish. I think I will try it again in the bottle to make sure.

CBC Rating: 4.

Beer News: Coors Can Contest

Someday I hope to make it out west to Coors (Golden, CO for the tour). Maybe while I'm there I hit the New Belgium and Fort Collins Brewery tours. I thought I would mention this contest for an American classic. Always had a soft spot for the Banquet Beer, some good times associated with it, plus, of course, Smokey and the Bandit, one of the best movies of all time. Like others I have some favorites for some occasions, (like Bells Oberon while on Sean's boat), and Coors has occasionally been the fill in for those times when a session beer is needed.

This contest was to pick the next can to hold their beer. I liked the blue-bottomed post Prohibition can (B), but I think a small part of me wants to have all the cans so I can re-start my beer can collection that we (well, mostly my dad and brothers) started when we were kids.

As it turns out, by the time I posted this the contest is over and my can won! I don't know why I am telling you this other than I hoped the contest would go on longer and you could participate.

Are there any other CO breweries I missed? Let me know so I can plan that trip!

The Livery-Hand Forged Brewing

Last weekend we traveled to the eastern coast of Lake Michigan to spend time with some good friends and to visit the first Michigan microbrewery I have been to. I have been hearing about many from Northern Indiana through Michigan and was excited about being able to go here. My excitement was well-founded, because the Livery proved to be worth all that I have heard.

Describing itself as a maker of hand forged micro-brews, the beer list was extensive (15) and they were serious about their beer. They offered a variety of styles for all sorts of tastes, some available on hand pull. Besides their beer, ciders and pop, they offered some local wines, and that's it. No hard liquor or non-Livery beer sold there. But, with the list they had, why would you want any other?
The bar itself was downstairs, and had an industrial feel to it, yet welcoming, thanks to its friendly customers and knowledgeable staff. I think we knew we were in the right place when one of the customers had embroidered into his shirt hop vines.

Among the things I liked here the most was the names of the beers, such as Telewhacker, Lawnmower Lager, Kilt Tilter, Mt Baldy and Hoppy Chick. But throughout the night and later at a local restaurant we were able to try quite a variety of choices.


We sampled 4 beers, throughout the course of the evening, and I think there was a good mix of their offerings. My tastes differed a little than those of my drinking partner, Bingo, so I wanted to try those with a little less alcohol, especially after the blaster we had first.

This first one we tasted, the Runemeister, was described as an Imperial Honey Pilsner, with its 9.25% ABV. Served in a snifter it was one of the best beers I have ever had, a classic. Slightly sweet thanks to the caramel malts and Michigan honey yet its rusty color was warm and inviting. I prefer a stronger alcohol taste, especially for my first of the night so it worked well for me. Rating: 6. (My first ever!)
The second I tasted was the Mandau Man, served in a pint glass, was reddish in color and was listed as an English Red Ale. I prefer the ambers and reds and this was one also good, but maybe too much of a bite, maybe not a good enough balance of malts.
Still good and definitely repeatable: Rating 4.
Next, we tried the Bungtown Export Lager, which was served at a local restaurant we visited for dinner, Clementines. Sure, we left the bar for this, but it was worth a try and when you think about it, since it was only exported a few blocks away and was draft it is about the same.
The Bungtown had the familiar feel of a lager, comparable to Sam Adams Lager. It is a Dortmunder, a regular summertime lager beer, but was a bit heavier and with a slightly metallic taste which changed greatly as it warmed up. I was quite surprised by that. I think it was a good beer, just nothing to brag about. Rating: 3.
We did a taster of the Lawnmower Lager but apart from the name it was a lot like Coors regular, a straw colored session beer that I wasn't terribly thrilled with either.
Lastly on our way back home we swung back and picked up a quick Red Canoe, a dark red lager that had a surprisingly bitter finish that was quite enjoyable. I would like to return and try another of these. My rating: 4.

Can't wait to return to Livery, where hopefully I can try some of the others. I think its my kind of place.

Ales of the Revolution at the City Tavern, Philadelphia

On my recent trip to Philadelphia, we ate lunch at the City Tavern, a multi-story tavern that used to host George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, and whose servers still wear the colonial clothes from those old days. The food is traditional and on the fancy tablecloths and napkins, but the highlight, as you may have guessed, is their beer selection. I think it should have been pretty obvious where I was going with this.

I tried the flight of four beers they serve, which are brewed from recipes used in colonial times by a local brewer, Yards Brewing.

Sadly we were unable to go to the brewery due to our schedule so the tastings I took at the tavern there will have to suffice.
The four they offered were: General Washington's Tavern Porter, Thomas Jefferson's Tavern Ale, Poor Richard's Tavern Spruce, and Alexander Hamilton's Federalist Ale. These are also offered in bottles for "Take Away", which is what I will do on my next trip out there. I was a little unfamiliar with the policies in Pennsylvania, whose beer selling practices are extremely archaic and anti-craft in just about every way possible. I will cover those practices and others I have encountered in an upcoming post.

Now for the tastings:

General Washington's Tavern Porter, which has been brewed from a recipe on file at the New York Public Library, and is sold exclusively at the City Tavern. It is rich and bold with a certain nuttiness to it. One of the better porters, not too rich. Rating: 4.

Thomas Jefferson's 1774 Tavern Ale, is light and clean, without a lot of bitterness associated with most European style light ales. Thomas Jefferson himself made beer twice a year, and this sweeter recipe reminds us of a brew that would have been by a farmer and beekeeper such as he. Rating: 4.

Poor Richard's Tavern Spruce, which is according to Benjamin Franklin's recipe when he was ambassador to France, uses spruce essence and molasses, since it was too difficult to get hops and barley at that time. It was amber and sweet and you could pick up some hints of spiciness. With an unusual flavor and the first Spruce I have tasted, so, therefore I have to give it a Rating: 5.

Alexander Hamilton's Federalist Ale is crisp and light and full of hops. It can be considered an American Pale Ale but I get the feeling it was added later, since I don;t see a lot of Pale Ales originating from those times. Excessive hops is a 19th century process I am pretty sure. Still, it is a good and memorable one. Rating: 5.

All in all I was impressed by these, and it was an impressive place to go, in a really impressive town. Next trip there will have me going to the Yards Brewery for a tour and especially to the tasting room for more of these.

Summertime 2011 Part 3: Yuengling Brewery

When we were planning our summer vacation to Philadelphia I insisted on going to Pottsville to take the Yuengling tour. I'm glad I did, it was a classic old brewery. This is a very small hilly community in coal country, and while the beer is sold in many eastern states, this brewery is rather quaint and hometown-ey. I was first introduced to their beer by Pittsburgh friends, who wanted me to know that there was beer in Pennsylvania that wasn't Rolling Rock or Iron City.
Yuengling is America's oldest brewery, but I can't buy it here in Illinois since it has a rather limited distributorship. I usually only get it when someone is traveling to the states that do sell it, or if I am on vacation there. The good news is that it is spreading west, and will be available in Ohio soon, so at least it is a little bit closer. Everything is very old and looks like it can't support a ton of brewing, which is why there is another brewery nearby and another one in Tampa to support all its customers.
The tour was informative, they took us through the old kegging area where we were given our own bung to keep, and to the caves, like in the Miller Valley, that beer was kept cool year long in the old days. The brewery is spread out over a few buildings, to include all the warehousing and bottling and canning. The end of the tour leads us to the little tavern where we were given 2 samples. Specifically two samples only. They were very precise about that.
Since I have had many of their beers already I tried two that I hadn't yet had, the Porter and their Premium Lager. They sell a classic lager that is an amber and delicious and is really their flagship brew. But they also sell one that they call their Premium but it sells for less and is not considered a top of the line beer by many, plus it isn't available everywhere like the Classic Lager. They brew a Black and Tan, which is a mix of the lager and the porter, which I have had (have some in my home fridge as we speak), that is really good too, so I wanted to try the porter to see for myself. Here are the reviews:
Yuengling Premium Lager: crisp, no bitterness, smooth and served very cold: 3.
Porter: Thicker and maltier, slightly bitter and rich: 4.
Can't wait to go back.

Summertime 2011 Part 2: Rahr Brewery

When on vacation in the Dallas/Fort Worth area I went to the Rahr Brewery, which brews a limited number of beers it sells all over the DFW area. It is good beer, and they offer tours twice a week, which is a good way to sample what they offer. The interesting thing is that its tours are offered, but there is not much of a tour since the warehouse, bottling area, and brewery are all near each other. There is a short explanation about the brewery, and a brief description on how beer is brewed, and the rest if the time is spent enjoying three beers in the glass they give you for walking in the door. They have a food stand available selling bar food, and a band entertaining us, and that is about it. They offered three of their beers, which I tasted, and found them to have their own interesting taste differences from other brands making the same styles of beer.

These guys started up this brewery in the tradition of their ancestor who opened their brewery, the Eagle Brewery, in Wisconsin, over 150 years ago. The original guys changed their direction to malting, and all this time later the latest Rahr, Fritz, opened up the Fort Worth brewery 7 years ago. It is only available locally but has a pretty good output for a microbrewery. It is so hot there I bought coozie that is made to hold a pint glass. Kind of a cool idea.

Now for the beers: The first, Stormcloud IPA, upon the recommendation of the pourer, was a good tasting ale, slightly bitter and piney. Strong too, which surprised me that I would like it so much, since it is so hot down there. Compares well with the better IPAs.
Rating: 4.
Next I tasted only about 4 oz of the Blond. Unfortunately I have not been much of a Blond Ale fan, and I found it to be much like what I expected in a blond. Kind of a funky taste at the end.
My Rating: 2.
Finally I tasted the Ugly Pug, which is a Black Lager similar to Shiner Black, but with a little more chocolate edge and a lot more malt than other lagers. I found it really good and worthy of another, which I had. It is their biggest seller, and nice for a brewery to sell so much of a beer that is not just an ordinary ale or lager.
Rating: 5.

This was a fun afternoon, sitting at a picnic table in kind of a hot warehouse, but everyone was having a good time and the beer and food were good. They must have good distributors because they sell it in the local Kruegers plus all the liquor stores all over that part of Texas.

Summertime 2011 Pt 1: Great Crescent Brewery

It had been a while since I have been traveling to taste beer, other than local bars and restaurants or breweries already commented on.

Ohio Beer Drinker Tim took me to a small corner of a building in Aurora IN, where they brew fresh beer in really small quantities and sell it on the premises. We were not allowed to drink it there, except for the small quantities that are distributed after their tour. But I thought it was an interesting visit, because you can see how a really small beer maker works, and the beer is truly their own. I had rarely tasted anything like it before.

The brewery is in downtown Aurora, in view of the Ohio River, and was named out of respect for a brewery that has gone away a long time ago. They have a little shop in the front of the plant, where they sell their packaged beer in 1/2 quart cans, kegs or growler pours. The facility is really tiny, and is managed by their brewmaster, who does everything but run the shop.

They gave us a tour, and it was interesting to see their make-shift equipment, from a boiling kettle fashioned out of two older kegs welded together, to a refrigeration unit that had a thermometer cable running out of it so the temperature can be monitored on the outside.

The beers we tasted were strong, rich in malt and with a slight hop presence, and they were brewed with some imagination with the ingredients. They do not use bottles, so they only needed a canning line or pour into kegs. It was an interesting visit, and one we enjoyed later when we consumed the pint cans the next day at Indy. Plus, Tim purchased a growler of the Bourbon Barrel Stout which he agreed was some of the best of that style he had.

Unfortunately the reviews I can give are only about the one pint I drank, with just a mention for the tasters that were keg drawn.

Great Crescent Mild Ale: Darker Amber Color, rich and nutty tasting, without being too sweet. Mostly a malty flavor and not too much hops. Drinkable in the can and with character. Rating: 4.

GC Witbier: Belgian Style White: sharp tasting and fruity, retaining much of the malt with very little hop. Rating: NETJ (not enough to judge).

GC IPA: Slightly bitter but very dark, reminds me of those Black IPAs that are coming around now. A fair IPA, missing some of the piny and spicy effects I expect from an IPA. Rating: NETJ.

Great Beer at my Favorite Restaurant

We went to L Woods, in Lincolnwood,our favorite restaurant and, as usual, the beer selection couldn't be beat. It is not often I struggle to decide on one, but it took a minute or two.

L Woods reminds me of a Wisconsin Supper Club, with pine walls and stuffed fish and pictures of Wisconsin scenery throughout. But the food is excellent, offering ribs and steaks and fish. We really like to sit in the Paw Paw Lake Room, coincidentally named after the lake where my good friends summer.

I usually reserve postings for travels to breweries or beer halls, but since the selection was so great I had to include it here. They serve their tap beers in 23 oz glasses, and the price is between $6-7. Each night they have a special bottle, in this case, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.
What a place.

Even though it is kind of boring I went with two glasses of Domaine DuPage.

On Tap:

• Two Brothers Domaine DuPage
• Two Brothers Prairie Path
• Guinness
• Bell's Best Brown Ale
• Bell's Amber
• Stiegl
• Sprecher Amber
• Goose Island Honkers Ale
• Goose Island 312
• Leinenkugel's Red
• Half Acre Daisy Cutter
• Amstel Light

Bottle:

• Pabst
• Schlitz
• Old Style
• 3 Floyds Robert the Bruce
• Harp
• Stella
• Point
• (expected BMC products)
  

For the Love of Hops

Attended the 2nd annual "For the Love of Hops" festival in Warrenville at the Two Brothers Brewery lot in June and it was as successful as the first last year. This year was an option to pay a little extra and become a VIP, with a few perks including indoor seating and bathrooming, buffet and dinner. Looked good but seemed to take away from the idea of a festival-enjoying the festival itself. For this I did not partake.
But it was enjoyable for me to sample the Hop Juice plus a few extras I had not tasted yet. I started with Hop Juice, then I tried the Long Haul, an English style session bitter, followed by a Resistance IPA, another oak foudre beer, followed by Domaine Dupage with a Cane and Abel mixed in the middle. I was not so turned on by the Long Haul but I was pleased with the others, especially with the Hop Juice. It was high in alcohol and long on hops, but with a pleasantly sweet taste I did not expect.
We camped our lawn chairs at the end of the lot just past the wash-up sinks because they were the only shaded areas there, and this came in especially handy later when it started to rain. Plus, we didn't want to blow the smoke from our big stogies in everyone's faces.
Note to myself for next year: walk around the other side of the fest for food and don't settle for the soggy black bean nachos that were kind of gross. The brats they were cooking around the other side looked rather good.
Glad I went but wished it could have lasted longer. What a great thing they have going down in the SW suburbs.

An American Craft Brew Paradise

I was looking for a nice place in the Wrigleyville area of Chicago with a decent selection of beer, for before and after a Cubs game, and I found the perfect place. I heard about this place last year and have been on the e-mailing list before stepping in, but I am glad to have found it.

Located at Sheffield and School Street just a block north of Belmont, Sheffields looks like a smallish corner bar, and the interior reflects that of other bars in many ways. But catching my eye almost immediately is the multiple beer taps, none of which were labelled with BMC products at all. A walk to the back of the bar displays a neon sign saying "Beer School Bar", and a walk down that passageway opens into another bar area with tables, and stools at the bar, and more taps of many different domestic craft varieties. Lining the walls and ceiling in the Beer School Bar are old beer cans and bottles and beer taps.

A short walk to the left brings you into a third bar, much the same as the first two, but less populated (at least on a Sunday afternoon). And I can't forget to mention the beer garden outside, with the layered decking and access into the first bar, the back bar and the sidewalk out front.

The food was barbecue style and was excellent. Served to us by the lovely Nicki, we started with barbecue bites which were pulled barbecue pork spread into egg roll halves, which can be dipped into the spicy southwestern sauce that accompanied it. We followed with the pulled pork platter, which was equally delicious. Along side was the house sweet barbecue and a little dish of a Carolina sauce which had more of a vinegar consistency. Suggested to us were a variety of beer choices, and they were so vast they met every possible taste or preference.

My first was a pint of Half Acre Daisy Cutter, which is an American Pale Ale with a smoothness and piny aroma that leads you right up to the bitter punch. Half Acre is a Chicago brewery, located just up Lincoln Avenue, which has tours and a minipub inside. I have not been there yet, but it is on my list. I followed with another Midwest favorite, Bell's Two Hearted Ale, which is an American India Pale Ale with a more pronounced bitterness yet with less piny and spice than the IPA I tasted previously. Bell's is located out of Kalamazoo Michigan, and brews one of my all time favorites, the summer offering Oberon.

This would provide me with a good base to take me into the cold for the afternoon of baseball.

After the game, we walked right back to Sheffield's, and although we were not served by Nicki, we were instead served by a very knowledgeable and pleasant beer tender. Tasting a few different varieties allowed me to choose something interesting off the menu, something lighter and bubblier, Summerfest from Sierra Nevada. Most famous for its Pale Ale and heavier butt kickers SN came up with a lighter although slightly bitter, Czech Pilsner presentation for its summer beer. It was actually quite refreshing. But I knew along I needed to follow it up with a brewery that I have wanted to revisit for a long time, Great Lakes out of Cleveland. Having tried some other ones, which I really enjoyed, I tried the Conway's Irish Ale. It was the Irish red treat I hoped it would be, but since it was a seasonal I knew I wouldn't see it again, which is unfortunate. I would like to have some again.

Overall I really like this place, and will come again. I think I will try to avoid the Saturday night party time, and stick to Sundays or weeknights, because like a lot of other local establishments, this place has to be very popular. The beauty is that the selctions, especially on tap, will keep changing, and I look forward to seeing what will be up next time.