Filed under: Beer Travel, Cask Ale, Craft Brewed Beers, Michigan, Travel, microbreweries
With 13 beers available, and flavor combinations like parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, grapefruit, beets, lemon, maple, chocolate, ancho chili, vanilla, bourbon, cherries, and oranges, who wouldn’t be happy at Right Brain Brewery? I’m so glad this is where we chose to end the night. It’s a pub that, from a visitor’s perspective, gets overlooked by the very awesome Shorts Brewing in Bellaire. Granted, Shorts has a menu of delicious sandwiches and bottles for take-out, and they are pretty creative themselves (with 20 taps to choose from!) but Right Brain still wins for creativity.
We just missed a pale ale brewed with grilled asparagus and lemon peel, but we go the ancho chili dutch double chocolate porter, the Scarborough Fair spiced ale (brewed with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme), a cream stout brewed with orange marmalade and peel, a wheat brewed with oven-roasted beets, an amber brewed with chocolate malt and cherry juice, a cream ale with maple syrup, barleywine aged seven months on Madagascar vanilla beans in Woodford Reserve bourbon barrels…it just goes on!
A staff member told us that the brewer has produced approximately 90 different beers in the year-and-a-half they’ve been open! For instance, the Pale Ale is a new recipe every time – practically every two weeks!
Right Brain is in the warehouse district of Traverse City, MI and located behind Salon Saloon, where “you sip, we snip”. It’s non-smoking, and the menu is limited to popcorn, tortilla chips and hummus. You are encouraged to bring your own food from outside, and sit at the bar, at one of the tables, or in a barber chair. There is no television, but they play music and have darts. There is a mug club, and the mugs are colorfully displayed on the wall. Windows also overlook the Salon Saloon.
Right Brain always has one beer on cask, and will serve Pints for $4.75 and half-pints for $3.25. Also, there are sample trays of six 8-oz pours for $15. Happy Hour on Monday – Friday from 3-6 PM means $3 pints, and there are growlers to go (and they will fill ANY growler – not just their own!)
If you find yourself anywhere near Traverse City, this place is absolutely worth the stop for rare and creative beers!
Filed under: Beer Travel, Craft Brewed Beers, Michigan, Travel, microbreweries
It’s the beginning of a “beer-cation”, and we travelled straight to Michigan for the start. There’s a little brewpub in Milan, Michigan that we have missed out on so many times coming through this area. We made it a point to get here today, and Original Gravity does not disappoint!
One block off what appears to be a “town square” (or maybe it was my sleepy-eyed perspective), at 440 County Street, is a little brick building with a packed parking lot. Arrive between 3 and 11 on Monday, and it will be Happy Hour all day. On Tuesday through Friday, it goes from 3 PM – 6 PM (and they remain open until 11.) Happy hour means a tall (20 oz) for the price of a small (10 oz.) We missed that, but it’s okay because neither of us needed talls…there are so many good beers to choose from! BTW – Original Gravity also keeps Saturday hours from 11:30 AM to 11 PM, and the owner/brewer told us he will often “open” when he’s here other hours.
Brad Sancho is the owner/brewer, and he was fairly quick to come and greet us. He seems to be friendly with all of the customers, and willing to make recommendations up and down the bar. The bar seats about 15 people, and wraps around the taps with the brewing area behind. A larger L-shaped dining room wraps around the bar, and some of the tables stick out as being unique – doors refurbished as tables. A shelf of games gives the impression that you are welcome to come and stay awhile, and outdoor seating to the back of the place looks welcoming on a warm, dry day.
Currently on tap are seven beers, and so far, not a bad one among them! We’re finding the following (I’m stealing some of the descriptive language from the web site):
- Southpaw IPA (O.G = 1.064; ABV 6.6%) has a pronounced hop flavor and aroma. It’s deliciously citrusy from tons of Cascade and Amarillo hops.
- Belgian Training Wheels (O.G. = 1.054; ABV 5.7%) is a Belgian Golden Ale brewed with Belgian candi sugar, wheat, and pilsner malt. The unique Belgian yeast strain gives this beer a citrusy and slight tart finish.
- Mason Brewer (O.G = 1.050; AVB 5.2%) is an English style Special Bitter named after Brad’s son. It is brewed with a variety of English malts, including wheat and rye.
- County Street Amber (O.G. = 1.054; ABV 5.5%) is a roasty Red Ale with caramel notes, balanced with loads of Cascade and Amarillo hops. With OG’s opening during the hops shortage, this was his substitute for an IPA for some time, and it holds up the hops!
- Primordial Porter (O.G = 1.058; ABV 5.3%) was the very first beer brewed here, and it is a robust porter! Almost black in color with a complex malt profile, it balances chocolate and coffee roastiness.
- Orange Peel Wheels(O.G. = 1.054; ABV 5.7%) is the Belgian Training Wheels infused with dried orange peel. It has a delicate citrus flavor and aroma, lending to a delicious starter beer for the evening.
- Vanilla Java Porter(O.G = 1.05O8; ABV 5.3%) has a description of “beer, coffee, vanilla… Mmm” on the board, menu and web site. It is a slightly aromatic and sweet porter, so dark that not a speck of light comes through. The roasty quality of the porter is strong enough to keep this from being a sugar-coated girly beer.
There is a nice menu of sandwiches, and fortunately we were attracted to the same thing. Not only did they let us share, but served the halves in separate baskets with a pickle for each of us (no fighting!) Our mesquite-smoked turkey with guacamole and Vermont cheddar was served on panini bread with a bag of Brickman’s Original Kettle Crunch chips (made in Grand Rapids.) On the side, we shared a Landjaeger* Sausage (yummm!)
Original Gravity beers range from $3 to $3.50 for a 10-oz pour and a $4.50 – $5 for a 20-oz. In addition to the sandwich menu (which includes deli and veggie combos, grilled cheese and PB&J), there are peanuts, pretzels and chips with salsa. Additionally there are Sprecher sodas available (root beer, cream soda, cherry cola (Dain, I think you owe me one of these!) and orange cream.
We had a really nice time at OG – the bartender, Stephanos (sp?), took great care of us and the locals were all chatty. It’s down on our list of places that “if I lived here, I would come here all the time!” I hope if you are reading this and you live there, you go often. It’s worth it!
* pork and beef, garlic, coarse ground, semi-dried German Hunter sausage from Usunger’s summer sausage collection, served in bite-sized slices for $2.50.
It’s going to be a crazy day at Bullfrog Brewery in Williamsport, PA! The beer geeks who can make it will be out in full force to buy Frambozen – a wild, barrel aged raspberry ale – for $20 a bottle (limit one case per person.)
Doors open at 11 AM. There are only about 30 cases, so it will go fast!
This is where they make it!
Yummy!
Filed under: Beer News, Brown Ale, Craft Brewed Beers, Non-Smoking, Pennsylvania, Travel, microbreweries
Be among the first to try Elk Creek Café + Aleworks Mid State Trail Ale at the 40th Anniversary party for the Mid State Trail.
On Sunday, July 12th, 2009 from 2:00PM to 4:00PM, the Mid State Trail Association is sponsoring a party in honor of the trail. All are invited to join the MSTA for this mixer and to share experiences on Pennsylvania’s wildest footpath. A portion of the proceeds from each beer sold will be donated to the Mid State Trail Association.
Mid State Trail Ale is a Northern English Brown Ale, described by brewer Tim Yarrington as a beer with a profile designed for balance in a quote for the Summer 2009 MSTA newsletter, the ‘Brushwhacker’:
“The Northern English Brown Ale style is a rich yet approachable English style ale, brewed with English malt and Fuggle hops. The Mid State Trail Ale will be well balanced, with moderate alcohol content, making it a drinkable and satisfying beer.”
Brown Ales pair well with all types of foods, but I will highly recommend the tofu sautéed with spinach and caramelized onions, any trout dish available or Chicken Liver Toast. Also for sale that day will be the trail map and guide.
Make a day, or a weekend, of it – take a hike and go for the beer!
The Mid State Trail System (MST) is Pennsylvania’s longest and wildest footpath, suitable for day-hiking and backpacking. It is now more than 300 miles in length, beginning at the Mason-Dixon Line near Artemas, and traveling through the Seven Mountains and Pennsylvania Wilds Regions to end in Tioga County. It travels through the Bald Eagle State Forest, including Harry John’s picnic area, Poe Paddy State Park or R.B. Winter State Park - all within 30 minutes drive of Millheim.
Just yesterday, we were thrilled to hear that the hops are free (or at least MORE free!) in Alabama. Governor Bob Riley signed HB373 with amendment into Law, giving the citizens of Alabama the right to purchase beer that is up to 13.9% ABV (formerly, the limit was 6%), and it will be found in the liquor and grocery stores, but not convenience markets.
Want the story from the people who really know? Check it out on the Free the Hops blog.
The deck at Old Forge Brewing in Danville, PA is open, and starting next month, there will be added hours to enjoy it! They will now be open on Tuesdays (4 PM – 12 AM) and extending Wednesday and Thursday hours to midnight.
So that’s Tuesday evenings from from 4 PM to midnight, and Wednesday through Sunday opening at 11 AM and closing ad midnight; still closed Mondays.
Still can’t get there? Check them out at Harrisburg Brewers Fest (June 20) or at the Hops, Vines & Wines Festival in Selinsgrove (July 18).
After the fiasco of last year, I considered not attending the 2009 event, but it feels like with the new “golden ticket” program, Three Floyds may have a handle on the event today. Except that it’s pushing 7 AM Central, and they haven’t posted how many bottles a ticket holder can purchase yet – cash only, $15 – I’m thinking the ATM lines are going to be the ones to worry about this year!
I’m (voluntarily) stuck in Philadelphia, so I missed out on the pre-DLD festivities, but the text messages and Facebook updates sounded like everyone is having a great time.
Can’t wait to be there!
D and I decided to have a night out together to try out a restaurant near our house, then come home to a Raspberry Eisbock.
Mitaka, located at 560 S 29th St in Harrisburg, is a Japanese restaurant that also offers an extensive menu of hot and cold Dim Sum along with an extensive menu of sushi, hibachi, miso soup and a variety of traditional noodle soups including beef, shrimp, seafood, chicken and vegetable. The sushi was all very nicely presented, and there were several rolls on the menu that appear to be unique for this area.
Dim Sum is not the sort of thing found in Harrisburg, so we approached the menu with enthusiasm and the spirit of adventure. The Spring Roll was a simple choice, as were the Stuffed Egglants with seafood. Spicy Kani Bowl was extremely interesting and delicious - a complex mix of crab, cucumber, spicy mayonnaise and something crunchy (maybe tempura bits?)
Our only disappointment was the Phoenix Claw with Black Bean Sauce (we should have asked…I found a recipe, and anything that starts out , “Wash feet, chop off toenails…” should not be eaten by humans.) I don’t know if they were poorly prepared, or it this is just the way these things come out, but they were stinky and I could not find a piece to eat off. I stuck one in my mouth – more than once – attempting to bite something off, but I couldn’t. We were surprised and pleased that our waitress offered to replace the order with something we could eat, so we opted for the Scallion Pancakes. These were a really nice choice.
As for sushi, we enjoyed all three rolls. Smokie Roll was made with smoked salmon, mango and avocado in a tight inside-out roll. Star Roll was made with tuna, white fish, salmon, avocado and masago (roe) in the middle of a seaweed roll. And our final choice was the Boston Red Sox Roll, which I can’t even describe, other than to say it was one of the best rolls ever. It was done with the lightest touch of tempura and spicy heat – I should have paid more attention to what was inside.
When we got home, we decided to share a bottle of Kuhnhenn Raspberry Eisbock (2007). This beautiful beer weighs in at 11.9% ABV, and comes in a 187 ml bottle – see the size comparison with a standard 12-oz beer below.
The back of the bottle states, “Real raspberries abound in this chocolate caramel after dinner treat,” and I’m not sure I could describe it much better than that. The mysterious dark liquid in a tiny green bottle dipped in red wax with a homemade label gives this bottle a sense of mystery.
There is a really fruity nose to this beverage, and flavors of raspberry, molasses and milk chocolate abound. It lingers in the mouth as if I just ate a box of fruited chocolates. The appearance hovers between cough syrup and port as it swirls in the glass, and particulate matter is obvious. We shared the 6.3 oz bottle which was both a blessing and a disappointment. The sweetness and alcohol burn are more than I need in a small glass of beer, but the flavor and aroma are so pleasing, it leaves me wanting more – unlike the chicken feet.
They almost put us over the top! At 315 Chestnut Street in Mifflinburg, there is a sweet looking storefront property with nicely painted signage declaring Bald Eagle Brewing Company is taking up residence. Inside there was a guy obviously working hard on Easter day, but (without poking my head in the door) not much evidence of exactly what’s going on.
A brewing company in Mifflinburg has the possibility of being the core to a beautiful circle of brewpubs. With Selin’s Grove Brewing Co. less than 30 minutes drive to the south, Elk Creek Cafe + Aleworks approximately 30 minutes to the west (and, while not a pub, Copper Kettle Brewing is even closer), Bullfrog Brewery just over 30 minutes drive to the north, and a similar distance to the east, Old Forge Brewing Company, the valley would be filled with local beer.
But in this case, the name “Brewing Company” does not refer to a brewery or pub at all. Instead, the goal of owners Tom and Brenda Sweet appears to be to create a business dedicated to supplying ingredients and equipment to the homebrewer, as well as wine and soda makers. Bald Eagle Brewing Company will offer classes to new home brewers, and special order ingredients by request.
The business was slated to open April 1, according to initial news reports, but delays have pushed that date back to May 1. It will be easy to find – right downtown (close to the Scarlet D Tavern) – on the south side of Chestnut Street (Rt. 45). There is meter parking on the west-bound side of the street, and the contact information is listed below.
315 Chestnut St
Mifflinburg, PA 17844
(570) 966-3156
info@baldeagle-brewingco.com
It was welcome morning news from the Patriot-News:
By the end of the month shoppers will be able to purchase six-packs of beer from Wegmans supermarket in Silver Spring Twp.
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board Wednesday approved a restaurant liquor license transfer to the Silver Spring Square store, said board spokesman Nick Hays.
Restaurant-category liquor licenses allow beer, wine and hard liquor to be sold for drinking at the restaurant and the equivalent of two six-packs of beer per customer for takeout.
Wegmans is the first midstate supermarket to purchase a restaurant liquor license; however, it is not the first license the chain has acquired.
It should be there by May 2009, joining Wegmans stores in State College, Scranton, Williamsport, Easton, Bethlehem and Wilkes-Barre and the Erie area as PA grocery stores selling beer.
I probably won’t need to use the service (although you never know…), but I can see friends and family members taking full advantage of this added service to their local grocery shopping experience. Hooray for us!
