Everything Falls into Church - Part I: Docking at Port City and ending in the Caboose

OK, I'll admit it... the title of this blog is dumb. But that's how my mind works. It's a blessing and a curse. With things slowly starting to return to normal, we've been soothing our cabin fever with a few quick weekend excursions to nearby regions to explore uncharted territory. On this particular weekend, I was supposed to be playing a gig with Solar Federation in Pittsburgh; however, as with all of my gigs throughout 2020, this one was postponed to a later date. Thanks 'Rona. Brewslut took a rare personal day to accompany me, and we'd planned to spend a day hitting up our favorite Steel City breweries. When our plans were thwarted, we decided to keep our PTO on the books and figure out an alternate game plan. 

Upon examining a beer map of Virginia, I noticed that a fairly large portion of the state remained unexplored for us. Turns out the Falls Church/Fairfax/Alexandria/DC area has lots going on beer-wise. It also happens that Silver Spring, MD, is a mere hop, skip and jump away from where we settled on staying - Fells Church, VA. Already, the itinerary was coming together in my head. 

For some reason, our first stop of the trip - Port City - wasn't on my initial list. However, Deuane gave this brewery an enthusiastic "thumbs up," so we added it to our agenda. Since they opened earlier than most other area breweries, we decided to start our day there. Well, actually, that's not entire true. I started by hitting a nearby record store an hour before Port City opened, while Brewslut went up the street to a local coffee place I'd discovered. I'm always on a quest to feed the demon when it comes to record stores. And if you're anything like me, buying records is nothing short of an addiction. I suppose it's better than gambling or heroin. So after about 45 minutes of digging, we were off to Alexandria, VA, for our inaugural visit to Port City. 

First ones here... first ones here...

We were the first people to arrive right as Port City was opening for the day. Actually, I'd made advance reservations because the weather forecast promised "warmish" temperatures and they only had outdoor seating. I didn't want to get there to discover a Friday lunch rush or something. We needn't have worried, because nobody else was there. 

We grabbed a table at the far side of the beer garden. It was a tad brisk and windy, so we had one of the nearby heat lamps turned on. Like a few other breweries we'd visited during COVID, all ordering was done via an app and paid for with each transaction. With that said, I tried to order a pilsner but user error ensued and I ended up with Essential Pale Ale. However, it was a welcome blunder, because this was a textbook pale ale: deep golden in color with hop aroma reminiscent of citrus fruit. Nothing fancy. Not a hazy juice bomb or a Bourbon Barrel-aged Chocolate Coconut Coffee Raspberry Pastry Stout aged on Madagascar vanilla beans, cocoa nibs and 50 lbs. of Cinnabons. It's just a delicious, drinkable, no-frills pale ale. Score one for Port City in my book! 

Pleeps is ready!

I loved the fact that we were in Virginia and didn't have to order food at every stop. Regardless, I decided to keep things light and simple with my next beer, Golden Export Lager. This European Export style, also called a Dortmunder, is characterized by a deep golden hue and a slightly higher ABV compared to, say, a helles. Additionally, the Export style is maltier than a pilsner and hoppier than a helles. This one boasts notes of lightly toasted malt and floral hops with soft bitterness and a clean, dry finish. This was another winner as far as I was concerned. 

Brewslut was eyeing up a beer called Colossal One, so we decided to share a pour as our final beer at Port City. Described as a Belgian imperial stout aged in red wine barrels, Colossal One is brewed in celebration of Port City's anniversary, which occurs is in the dead of winter. So I suppose it's only fitting that they brew a very strong, very dark high-gravity beer to keep folks all warm and toasty inside. Westmalle Trappist yeast provides the beer's Belgian flair, offering a tinge of phenolic spiciness and some pleasant fruity esters. However, deep down this beer is all about decadent cocoa and dried stone fruit with flashes of espresso, Swiss chocolate, and just a touch of citrus zest.

All in all, Port City provided an enjoyable experience. Although we didn't get to enjoy this impressive-looking brewery from the inside, we had nice chats with the greeter and our server. It's also refreshing to see a mid-sized production brewery churning out tried-and-true beers and more traditional styles rather than jump on a bandwagon craze. Everything we had here was solid... better than solid, actually. I look forward to returning once things get back to normal so we can check out the entire brewery. 

The colorful world of Aslin.

Our second stop of the day was the only brewery with which I was previously familiar: Aslin. Also situated in Alexandria, Aslin has a second location in Reston, VA, which I originally thought was the main location. Turns out I was wrong. Regardless, we'd had several of its beers in the past and have been routinely impressed across the board. However, the brewery has a penchant for pushing innovation and creativity, and our visit definitely seemed to drive that notion home. Upon perusing the beer board, we were greeted with a cornucopia of styles ranging from pilsners and lagers (I even took home a 4-pack of a dark Czech lager, which was delicious) to an assortment of IPAs from one end of the spectrum to the other to... well, just really odd-sounding beers with disparate ingredients (more on two of those beers in a bit).  

I dipped my toes into the water and opted for something on the lighter end of the IPA spectrum: Don't Dial in and Focus. This IPA is triple dry-hopped with Citra, Mosaic and Galaxy to elicit notes of juicy peach and zesty citrus fruit amid accents of mango and pine. With its peachy character and huge hop nose, this beer proved to be a good starting point. 

For my next selection, I decided to go a bit more experimental with IPA #2. This beer is part of Aslin's Brewer's Series, which spotlights the recipe of a particular brewery who creates and executes his own recipe from start to finish. This mouth-watering, tropical IPA features milk sugar and is dry-hopped with Amarillo, Simcoe, and Galaxy and conditioned on pineapple and coconut. This beer was pretty damn amazing, and I did not hesitate to take home some cans of this fantastic limited release.

Pleeps gettin' down to business at Aslin!

Remember those "odd" beers I mentioned two paragraphs ago? Well, it's time to tackle a pair of them right now. First up is Durango Doug, and I'm not gonna lie to you... I love the opening of this beer's description (even though I have no idea what it means):

    Remember Corvette Steve? We’d like to introduce you to his cousin, Durango Doug. Doug would love     to help you take that dresser to the Goodwill this weekend but there’s not much room in the back ever     since he put in those sick 18” Rockford Fosgate subs. 

Durango Doug is an interesting sour ale loaded with raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, hazelnut, maple and marshmallow. Man, I'm telling you... marshmallow is going to be the new ingredient craze of 2021. I've encountered at least a dozen beers with marshmallow since the tail end of 2020, and most of them have been great. The goal here was to hearken back to a few of the favorite sugary Saturday morning breakfast cereals of childhood's past. However, the maple definitely nudged its way to the forefront, giving this one more of a French toast vibe rather than cereal. 

Beer... it's what's for breakfast!

Speaking of breakfast beers, up next was something called Brunchies. Brewed in collaboration with Troon Brewing, Brunchies is a sour IPA brewed with blueberries, maple, lemon and coffee. Wait... lemon? I'm not sure how lemon factors into that odd equation. Perhaps I needed to use the quadratic formula. Despite its promising list of ingredients, this one fell a little short with me overall. I appreciated the experimental nature of this beer, though. 

Overall, it was great to finally get to Aslin, as it had been on our radar for several years. The space and atmosphere reminded me of Modist Brewing based in Minneapolis, MN, which was a stand-out on our epic trek to Great Taste of the Midwest back in 2018. Even the beers were done in the same vein. Fortunately, my memory of breweries remains at least partially intact thanks to my diligence at keeping this blog alive. 

Gettin' chubby with it!

After a chill visit to Aslin, it was time to set the GPS to Fairfax for our next brewery visit: Chubby Squirrel. I'll admit that I'd never heard of this brewery prior to putting together our itinerary for the weekend. Located in the heart of downtown Fairfax, this tiny brewery touts itself as "your neighborhood brewery" and is apparently the first craft brewery in Fairfax proper. I always say that every town needs its own small brewery. Chubby Squirrel is a quaint little place situated in the Courtyard Plaza Shopping Center, so there's plenty of parking available. 

Chubby Squirrel welcomes you!

By this time of the day, we were feeling a bit peckish. Luckily for us, Chubby Squirrel offers a condensed menu featuring snacks and small bites. Inside, the place feels kind of like a pizza or sub shop; it's a long, narrow room with a counter at the very back. I'm an animal guy, so I dug the squirrels, though. (We actually have a family of squirrels living in our old tree in our yard who've been named Dig Dug, Dozier, Bull, and Paulie Walnuts.) After perusing the menu, we settled on pierogies and grilled wings. Both hit the spot and added some more fuel in our tanks. Meanwhile, Pleeps was off making new friends. I knew he'd find a kindred spirit at this place!

Pleeps is looking rather svelte next to the chubby squirrel.

Anyway, onto the beer. The selection was modest, with about six to eight beers on tap. We eventually landed on The Mangolorian, a boozy Triple IPA with brewed with mango, orange, and lactose. Weighing in at 10% ABV, Brewslut and I decided to share a pour of this heavy hitter. The obvious Star Wars reference wasn't lost on us, despite the fact that neither of us had ever seen an episode of the Mandalorian. Overall, this was fairly enjoyable, but in the grand scheme of things I don't think I could have handled a full pour of this beast, especially given our ambitious timeline for the day. 

That chubby squirrel... what a nut!

After our fairly lengthy session at Aslin, we needed to recharge a bit, so I suppose one shared beer (albeit a 10-percenter) was a sound decision. Fortunately for us, nothing else on the beer menu was calling our names, so we left this as a one-and-done stop. It was time to bid a fond farewell to Pleeps' new pal, the chubby squirrel, and set our sights to the next stop. 

When I checked out a map of the area, it looked like there was a lot going on in Falls Church. Turns out our next three stops were all located in the Falls Church area. First up was Solace Outpost, a satellite location of Solace Brewing in Sterling (Sterling, Virginia... baaah baaah burky burrrr!), home of my favorite comedian, Patton Oswalt. Solace launched in 2016 and expanded to this second location after the previous tenant, Mad Fox Brewing Company, closed its doors in July of 2019. 

We parked on the street around the block and, unbeknownst to us, took the long way around the block. Oh well. I always appreciate getting a bit of exercise when we're binge drinking (which, according to Letterkenny's Pastor Glenn "is a form of alcoholism"... although I beg to differ). OK, I guess "binge drinking" does, in fact, imply negative connotations, so let's just call it "brewery hopping." 

How 'bout a picture of some tanks?

Inside, the dimly-lit space captures a chill, cozy vibe and features a long, curved bar and lots of wood plank accents throughout the space. We sat at a high-top table for four right inside the side entrance. For some reason, I felt like I was in Oregon when we were here. Perhaps it reminded me of a particular brewery we visited out there. For whatever reason, my thoughts immediately went back to that awesome trip.  

The food at Solace Outpost is provided by Sauced and boasts the tasty trifecta of "pies, thighs and fries." I must say that these are a few of my favorite things. After some discussion, we opted for the Bama Chicken pie featuring garlic butter, mozzarella, crispy chicken, red onion, banana peppers, and white barbeque sauce. It was quite tasty to say the least, especially the crispy thin crust. 

As for the beer, this was a one-and-done stop for us, and it was perfect timing because we arrived during Happy Hour! The beer I ultimately decided on was Capturing Moods, a pale ale brewed with flaked barley, wheat and Munich malts and hopped with Citra Cryo in the boil and double dry-hopped with Comet after fermentation. Now you might be thinking to yourself, "What's with this newfangled "Cryo" designation? I've heard of Citra hops, but what's this Cryo business?" Cryo Hops is a trademarked brand of hops that utilizes "cryogenic" processing (i.e. they're frozen in liquid nitrogen). During this process, whole-leaf hops are separated into concentrated lupulin to help preserve all of the hop's oils and resins. What does this accomplish? Well, it boosts the hop potency considerably and produces an enhanced hop flavor. Traditional hop cones and pellets contain undesirable vegetative material that can add astringency or bring forward unwanted flavors. Cryo Hops, however, eliminate this issue. The more you know...

Pleeps betwixt a pair of brews at Solace.

After a slight refueling at Solace, it was time to head over to Settle Down Easy, the second of three breweries in Falls Church on our list for the day. A brewery with a music bent, Settle Down Easy opened for business in 2018 and borrowed its name from lyrics to the Grateful Dead song "Ramble on Rose." Actually, the brewery almost had to settle for another name, as "Settle Down Brown" was copyrighted by Odell Brewing out of Ft. Collins, CO. But when the owners of Settle Down Easy explained to Odell that the name was a tribute to the fallen brother of one of the owners, Odell allowed the small Virginia brewery use of this meaningful name. 

The beer selection during our visit included about a dozen taps of varying styles, and it was a Schwarzbier that jumped out to me. The aptly named It's a Lager That's Dark is a classic German-style dark lager similar to a dunkel but with the addition of roasted and debittered black malt. Noble Tettnang and Saaz hops add a tinge of spicy and floral notes, while a traditional yeast strain lends a crisp, clean finish. This one was pretty solid overall, and I'm always pleased to see a Schwarzbier (same with a Rauchbier) on tap when we travel. 

Since they offered half pours, we opted for a second round. This time, I went with Birt's Bock. Named after a friend of the brewery who picks up spent grains to feed his cattle, this medium-bodied bock (i.e. strong lager) features notes of toasted bread and caramel. 

There was also a little taco stand right over by our table. Their prices were right, so I opted for a little snack and grabbed a taco. It was about the size of two regular tacos and hit the spot for sure (although I felt a little queasy the next day, which may or may not have been the result of said taco... just sayin'). 

Settle Down Easy was pretty solid overall, and I definitely appreciated the music-centric vibe of the place, with its plethora of rock band flags and banners adorning the entire wall above the main entrance. They also seemed to be pretty busy during our visit, so good for them! 

Our third and final Falls Church brewery of the day was Audacious Aleworks, and it was easily our most social visit of the day. More on that later, though.

Pleeps says, "Blue is nice!"

There was much to be had on the beer menu; everything from sours and coffee beers to IPAs and a variety of traditional styles were represented here. After a few moments, we settled on two coffee-forward beers and shared them. First up was Hazelnut Espresso Stout, a pastry stout sweetened with lactose and finished on espresso and hazelnuts. The other was called Bombastic Birdie Beans, which I found to be a peculiar name. This flavorful blonde ale is brewed with Madagascar vanilla beans and (hence the beer's name) Birdie Blend coffee from a local Falls Church coffee roaster called Rare Bird. So there you go! Both of these were solid offerings overall.

As I was heading back to our table (adjacent to the brewhouse), I overheard a table of three guys talking about one of my favorite TV shows of all time - Seinfeld. I sat down and my ears perked up as they began discussing whether Seinfeld was better than Friends. (They all agreed correctly that there was no comparison; Seinfeld was the superior show.) So I got roped into a lengthy conversation about classic TV, beer and a myriad of other things with this friendly trio. Meanwhile, Brewslut was starting to show signs of fatigue and kept Pleeps company by allowing him to climb around on the wall separating us from the brewhouse. That's Pleeps... always monkeying around. I decided it was time to stick a fork in our visit, so I grabbed a few cans of Joyous to give to the trio of guys with whom I passed an enjoyable hour (one of them was already a Tröegs fan)! Although Brewslut was fading, I talked her into one final stop of the day... which isn't hard to do, by the way. 

Pleeps being Pleeps.

We had planned on hitting Caboose Commons for breakfast on Sunday, as they opened a little earlier than most of the other breweries on our list. It's a good thing we decided to swing by on this particular evening, because we learned that they didn't actually open until 11:30 a.m., not the 7 a.m. I'd thought. (Yes, that's early for a brewery but in pre-COVID days, they offer a killer breakfast and brunch that sadly we were not able to enjoy. Thanks again, 'Rona.) At any rate, we arrived about two minutes prior to last call. We told the greeter that we were just going to be grabbing one beer and heading out. She seated us, and by the time my QR code scanned and we were ready to order, last call was made and I couldn't place my order. I'd thought we'd been pipped at the post. However, the manager on duty was kind enough to let us, um, manually order a beer (actually live and in person). That was mighty kind of him.  

I decided to end big and ordered a pour of the Rum Barrel Aged Tiramisu Stout, an imperial stout aged in - you guessed it - rum barrels with the help of cacao nibs, whole coffee beans, Madagascar vanilla beans, and lactose. Turns out this beer was the first beer release of the 2021 Caboose Barrel Club! I mean, I'm not even a card-carrying member... plus we rolled in late... so I suppose I should count my blessings. It was might tasty, but the rum character just wasn't sitting well with me. Once it approached room temperature (which it barely did because we only had about 30 minutes to spend here), it mellowed a bit. 

Meanwhile, Brewslut was digging her Mango Milkshake IPA with its tropical, juicy fruit flavor and faint herbal, almost peppery hop bite to add some contrast. Since we only had time for one beer each, we decided to share these. I'd typically prefer the imperial stout, but this milkshake IPA was legit and I ultimately decided it was the superior beer of the two. 

Caboose definitely had the potential to be one of our favorite stops of the day, but we just didn't have enough time to soak it in, unfortunately. Breweries in this area like to make "last call" 30 to 45 minutes before closing. We're used to 0 to 15 minutes here in PA, so it was an adjustment we tried to make (more on that in Part II). I'd love to visit in post-COVID times so we can enjoy their breakfast with a nice, roasty coffee stout or beermosa. 

Well, that's it for Day 1, folks! Tune in again next time for Part II of our Virginia adventure, which actually will take us to Silver Spring, MD, and down into our nation's capital before traversing back to base camp. Until next time...

A Weekend Fit for a President - Part II: Gettin' Schwilly in Philly

Since Sunday was Valentine's Day, I felt it prudent to make a reservation for our first stop, the ever-popular Evil Genius. Coincidentally, neither Brewslut nor I had ever been to Evil Genius, so we were able to finally add it to our long list of breweries visits. 

I must admit that they've been somewhat hit or miss with me over the years, and I can never seem to decide if I like their beer names. On one end of the spectrum, you have the nonsensical (i.e. Purple Monkey Dishwasher). On the other side, there's the truly epic (i.e. Has Anybody Tried Turning 2020 Off & Back On Again?). Then there's a whole lot of hashtags, movie quotes, and cartoon references all squished in the middle. I've had some good beers as well as some not-so-good beers from this new-ish brewery. Upon turning to Google for some history on the brewery, it seems this particular taproom opened back in 2017. For some reason, though, Evil Genius seems to have been around longer than that.  

Welcome to Evil Genius.

As for the taproom, it's got an awesome old-school industrial warehouse vibe with lots of exposed brick and metal ceiling beams. The night before we visited, they hosted a Back to the Future-themed event that I must admit looked pretty amazing. The entire taproom was decorated with "Save the Clock Tower" fliers and other references to the movies, and the back area even featured a small stage complete with an "Enchantment under the Sea" banner. One can only hope that they were able to secure a Marvin Berry & the Starlighters tribute band to provide the entertainment. Nobody... and I mean NOBODY... would dare to say they were just too darn loud. 

"...we'll be back in a while, so don't nobody go nowhere."

In spite of all the breweries popping up across the country, Evil Genius (which, by the way is an awesome name for a brewery) seems to have carved out its own clever niche... certainly among its local competitors. It's refreshing to see a brewery not taking themselves so seriously (I mean, their "About" section on Facebook declares: "Very silly names for very serious beers. Our moms think we're cool." Of course, whose mom doesn't think her kid is cool?

Inside the Evil Genius tap room.

At any rate, let's get into the beer, shall we? 

Turns out my peach clause was in full effect, and I opted for #SORRYNOTSORRY. See? A hashtag! I told you! All kidding aside, this Peach IPA features a blend of Azacca, Mosaic and Simcoe hops to produce a fruity yet hoppy blast of juicy peach backed with tropical fruit and light citrus. I enjoyed this one quite a bit and made sure to grab a 4-pack of cans before we left. 

Pleeps is masked up and ready to go!

Meanwhile, Brewslut was enjoying a peach beer of her own with The Gang Gets Quarantined, a sour ale brewed with peach and mango. She was quite pleased with her decision to order this beer, and I concurred. Pleeps thought it was pretty tasty as well. 

Pleeps standing tall with the gang at Evil Genius.

I went into Evil Genius with no preconceived notions, and it turns out I was pleasantly surprised. The staff was great, the vibe was awesome, and the space was comfortable. I was also impressed with my beer, and our food (grilled cheese and tomato soup) was very good as well. I'd like to get back here post-COVID and park myself at one of these cozy-looking sofas. 

Can't wait for some couch time at Evil Genius!

All in all, it was a pleasant experience, and now that we visited I totally get what Evil Genius is all about. 

Our next stop was another new brewery for the Pour Travelers, Punch Buggy. Situated in the Kensington neighborhood of Philly, Punch Buggy is a tiny garage brewery with lots of rough-and-tumble charm. The brewery's name takes inspiration from an orange punch buggy (a name typically given to a Volkswagen Beetle) driven by one of the owners during his college days. Punch Buggy opened its doors in August 2019 with a 1 bbl brewhouse and eight taps, which they've kept constantly rotating since the beginning. 

When we arrived, the entire city block right outside the brewery's front door was closed due to construction. (Earlier in the day, we had one hell of a time getting into the city due to a massive construction project on the way to Evil Genius... but when isn't Philly under construction? They should look into expanding the dreaded Schuylkill Expressway, arguably my least favorite stretch of road in America.) 

Outside Punch Buggy's small garage brewery in Kensington.

Inside, the place was equal parts tasting room and storage area. We parked ourselves at a small plastic table adjacent to dozens of 50-pound sacks of malt. Perusing the beer menu, I was greeted with several hop-forward ales, a stout, and a raspberry hibiscus sour, among a one or two others. We decided to share a pair of half pours, so I opted for a "Smash" beer - "single malt and single hop" - called Bru-1 Smash. I inquired about the type of malt and hop varietal used in the beer, and unfortunately the bartender didn't know. However, one of the owners was on-hand and he told me. Of course, I'd since forgotten and I was unsuccessful in finding any information online. I'm fairly certain it was a simple recipe featuring Pilsen malt and Citra hops, so let's go with that. The beer certainly had a distinct citrusy character backed with some subtle malt tones reminiscent of honey and lightly toasted grains. Quite drinkable, if I may say so.

Pleeps makin' friends with the fuzz.

Brewslut went with the humorously named Stout Flavored Stout. Slightly dry and roasty with a hint of coffee and chocolate notes, this stout sits somewhere between Export and American. Body-wise, it was perhaps a tad thin for my preference but otherwise this one captured the roasty character of the style nicely with just a slight slap of earthy hops on the palate. 

Pleeps loving life!

We were satisfied with our first impression, so we decided to share a pour of Zip Zap Hazy IPA, one of Punch Buggy's most popular offerings. This NE-influenced IPA is hopped with Azacca, Simcoe and Vic Secret for a well-rounded hop profile boasting citrus, tropical fruit, creamsicle and a hint of pine. This may have been my favorite of the three beers we tasted during our visit. 

Pleeps helps us with our pour of Zip Zap IPA.

While we were chatting with the owner of Punch Buggy, he asked about other breweries we were planning to visit, and I threw out a few names from our agenda. He suggested a nearby place called Human Robot, mentioning terms such as "world-class pilsners" and "award-winning lagers," which piqued my attention not unlike dangling a piece of meat in front of a dog's face. Actually, I'd heard about this brewery in passing but couldn't remember when or where. Despite being on the Philly beer scene for a little over a year, this brewery failed to pop up on the beer mapping website I typically use. Well, it sounds like I need to find an updated beer mapping web site, because this place blew my mind! 

Like Punch Buggy, Human Robot is situated in the Kensington neighborhood, having set up shop at the previous site of St. Benjamin Brewing Company, a brewery we hadn't had the chance to visit while they were open. Although we sat outside on the sidewalk at a tiny two-person table, I did get to scope out the place when I visited the men's room. The food component of Human Robot comes courtesy of Poe's Sandwich Joint, and while we didn't eat, the food we saw others enjoying looked great. 

The brewery takes its name from the two ends of the spectrum to which its beers extend. The "human" side of the brewery refers to its penchant for classic, European-styles such as traditional lagers and pilsners, while the "robot" side is a reference to out-of-the-box styles that blend more trendy American styles and unusual ingredients. So to categorize our visit, I delved into the "human" side, while Brewslut opted for the "robot" side. (However, we debated this little fact about Human Robot; Brewslut suggested that the "human" side should pertain to the experimental end of the brewing spectrum because human beings are perpetually curious. The "robots," on the other hand, are cold in nature and are effective at mimicking a specific task for which it was created to perform... in this case, brew traditional beers exactly like Europeans do.) I love when we have these types of discussions rather than spend too much time on our "devices." After thirty years, it's refreshing to know that we still have stuff to talk about. But enough of my yackin'. 

Human Robot, located in Philly's Kensington neighborhood.

First up was a beer called Polotmavy, described as a Czech Garnet Lager. The word "polotmavy" actually translates from Slovak to "half-dark" meaning "amber." A distant cousin of the Vienna lager, this style boasts a nutty, bready and caramel-like malt flavor without a sweet, cloying finish. This particular beer utilizes "decoction," a traditional and intensive method of mashing. The gist of decoction is basically this: you remove part of the mash, boil it, and return it to the main mash, which is held at a constant temperature. I'd actually heard of this term about a year or so earlier, when we did some R&D tests at Tröegs with a few Scratch lagers using this method. In earlier brewing times, most breweries used this method. Many traditional (i.e. German) brewers claim that it helps develop malt character, depth, and superior foam. After drinking this beer, I wholeheartedly agree!

Brewing lesson aside, this dark amber-colored lager boasts a slight roast flavor courtesy of Vienna and chocolate malts. This beer was so delicious and fresh with a rich, full-flavored malt character and creamy, foamy head. This was also the first time I became privy to the traditional side-pull draft beer faucet (aka Czech beer faucet). Essentially, this way of dispensing beer controls the flow of beer to create a creamy head whereby the faucet is submerged into the mug (in this case, a traditional dimpled mug) to create a silky, sweet head of foam. When all of these pieces come into place, it creates a world-class beer like Polotmavy. Seriously, people. This beer was stunning. It turns out I was just getting started, because they were all this good. 

Up next was a traditional Czech pale lager called Czech 10°. I find that Czech-style beers have a bit more flavor and complexity than its German counterparts. This lightly hopped lager offers an exquisite bready malt character balanced with a hint of floral spice. The quintessential noble hop Saaz complemented by German Pils and Munich malts is a match made in heaven. This was one of the best lagers I've ever had in my life, and I was immediately transported to Europe despite the fact that I was freezing my ass off on a small metal table a few feet from a Philadelphia gutter. Sometimes beer works its magic, and let me tell you... this beer was magical! 

How about some Peach Mango Splash?

While I was enjoying the "human" aspects of the brewery, Brewslut was dipping her toes into "robot" territory with a pair of equally stunning beers. She kicked off with Peach Mango Splash, yet another peach beer we encountered this weekend. She followed it up with another tasty beer called TastyRoboCake Coffee Crumb Stout, a stout brewed with a few cases of (presumably) Tastykake coffee cakes. I'm usually skeptical about beers brewed with ingredients like cookies, cake, etc. but I had a few sips of this and it was pretty damn amazing. By this point, I was sure there was nothing this brewery couldn't do. Most breweries have their forte, but Human Robot seems to have all of the bases covered. Seriously folks, I can't say enough good things about the beers here. Case in point, stay tuned for more commentary coming up. I just couldn't stay away from this place! 

After an amazing first impression at Human Robot, it was time to traverse uncharted territory and head into the historic Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia to check out Attic Brewing Company. The first craft brewery in this section of Philly, the impetus for Attic took shape back in 2010 like most other small breweries... as a homebrewing experiment. When owners Todd and Laura Lacy weren't brewing, they were traveling all over the country to visit breweries for inspiration. After falling in love with everything Germantown had to offer, the couple knew it was the perfect place to open their dream brewery: a 6,000 sq. ft. facility with a 10 bbl brewhouse. 

Outside Germantown's Attic Brewing Company.

Shortly before deciding to visit Attic, I learned that one of our ex-Tröegs brewers, Bogdan, had been working there for a bit. After Tröegs, he had brief stints at Forest and Main as well as Trillium as its Head of Mixed Fermentation before joining Attic as its head brewer. I'm not sure of all the details, but I was excited that Tröegs alumnus was at least in part responsible for the beers at Attic. 

Attic's taproom definitely has a lot of character. When we arrived, I was immediately reminded of an antique complex. We snagged a small two-person table pushed up against the bar (no bar seating in PA... thanks 'Rona) and began to have a look around. The far wall to the left of the 1920's style wooden bar features a montage of portraits and other photos of regular Attic customers. Brewslut actually recognized one of them as our friend (and past FOJ Drunkie McGee recipient) Charles. Colorful Tiffany-style lamps decorated the ceilings, and a mix of exposed brick and weathered wood provided a rustic ambiance. 

Welcome to Attic Brewing Company!

Outside, Attic also boasts a makeshift beer garden thanks in part to its large parking lot area. While it was chilly outside, the weather didn't stop a motley bunch of locals from enjoying a beer outdoors. Across the lot, a local food truck beckoned me, as we had already started to feel the pangs of hunger set in. Upon perusing the small menu, I was delighted to find what we coal crackers call "Pot Pie" on the menu (essentially baked pulled chicken mixed with boiled potatoes and squares of scratch-made dough in a light chicken-based broth). I forget what the guy in the food truck called it, but to Brewslut and I, it was classic pot pie as we both know it... and it was freakin' delicious! 

Beer-wise, they had a few draft features for Valentine's Day weekend, so I opted for Love Bird Oatmeal Stout, a roasty, toasty, dry stout brewed with lots of flaked oats. It's not a style to which I typically gravitate, but it was only 5% ABV and on special. Brewslut apparently failed to check in her beer on Untappd, but if I remember correctly, it was a Mexican Lager (or was it?). Who knows? It's hard enough keeping track of my own beers... and Pleepleus. Pleepin' ain't easy, you know!

Pleeps is just a love bird at heart!

We decided to swing by Crime & Punishment on our way back into the city, but it turned out to be a quick stop. They were only open for pick-up and take-out, so we figured we'd grab a few crowlers to enjoy at the hotel and/or home. During our short visit, Tröegs came up so I shared a few beers with the guys who were working, and they reciprocated with a complimentary crowler. Here are the two beers we decided to take with us:

Big Swifty - This is the first IPA from C&P to utilize Incognito hop extract in the kettle. Since the name is derived from a killer Frank Zappa tune (I'm a huge fan), this one is dry-hopped with Galaxy and new varietal Zappa. The C&P guys say it tastes like 2 a.m. Fruit Loops, and it definitely has that vibe, boasting flavors of lemon-lime, citrus zest and tropical fruit. 

Tender Bender - IPA hopped with Citra and double dry-hopped with another newer hop called Strata. If Name of the beer notwithstanding, I preferred this one a bit more. This hop combo coaxed juicy notes of mango, sugar-coated grapefruit and "dank winter nugs" as the C&P boys say. Gotta love them nugs!

Since we couldn't hang at Crime & Punishment, we had some free time. We intended to stop at Yards on our way home on Monday around opening time, but with a bit of extra time on our hands, we decided to end our Sunday night there. Yards is a Philly institution and needs no introduction. We've enjoyed its beers for years. Love Stout and Philly Pale Ale are two beers most Pennsylvanians seem to take for granted, but they have a longstanding track record for a reason... they are damn fine beers. Upon arriving, I wasn't sure if we'd have to sit outside under the pop tent affair or if we could wrangle seats indoors. Turns out the tasting room was only sprinkled with patrons, so we had no trouble getting in. 

I started off with a pour of something from Yards' First Draft small-batch series called Winter Lager. Described as a Dunkel Lager with a complex roasted malt character, this full-flavored lager is aged on Saxby’s whole coffee beans to coax additional notes of cocoa and hazelnut. It's hard for me to pass up a beer with coffee in it, and this one did not disappoint. 

Speaking of coffee beers, I decided to "go big or go home" with my next beer. OK, so perhaps I should say "go big AND go home," because this was my last beer of the day... and man, was it a doozie! BA Cold Brew Tripel is a lovely whiskey barrel-aged Belgian-style Tripel with cold brew coffee. This beer was really enjoyable and put a cap on a fine day in Philadelphia. I always like visiting Yards, and this particular occasion was extremely chill in comparison to other part visits (especially during loud soccer games). After that Tripel, it was definitely time to retire for the evening and make our way back to the hotel to recharge our batteries. 

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On Monday, we didn't have much of an agenda since the majority of the breweries in the area were closed. We'd planned on hitting Yards before leaving Philly, but with Crime & Punishment only open for to-go beer, we called an audible. Not a problem, as I immediately made the executive decision to return to Human Robot for another few rounds. Although we sat outside in a makeshift wooden patio with a few heat lamps, we got to chat with one of the owners/brewers for quite a while. He was struggling with some electrical work and was trying to avoid a trip to Home Depot for parts. So I was able to pick his brain and learn a lot about the brewery (most of which was already provided to you earlier in this installment). After our amazing initial experience on Sunday, I simply had to go back for seconds. Lucky for us, Human Robot is open 7 days a week, which is a rarity in the craft beer world these days. Being open on a Monday definitely makes planning an itinerary so much easier. 

Pleeps says, "Look at the head on that mug!"

For this visit, I enjoyed a pair of excellent pilsners. First up was Il Cielo (translates from Italian to "the sky"), a rustic Italian-style pilsner that's dry-hopped exclusively with Tettnang. So, what's the difference between an Italian pilsner and, let's say, a German pilsner? Essentially, an Italian pilsner is simply a German-style pilsner that's been dry-hopped with European hops for maximum aroma. Now that's a style I can get on board with! Similar to the noble Saaz hop, Tettnang imparts subtle fruity and citrus notes with a pinch of earthy, herbaceous tones. 

Similar to Il Cielo, my next beer was a Polish-style pilsner called Niebo, which by design also happens to translate to "the sky," but in Polish. Niebo is delicately hopped and dry-hopped entirely with Lubelski, the oldest and most traditional noble hop of Poland. This was indeed a uniquely flavored pilsner with a bouquet of lavender and assorted wildflowers. 

I'll sit anywhere for a beer from Human Robot!

We decided to hit up the relatively new Sly Fox Malvern site, as we hadn't been there before. I always enjoy their beers, especially traditional styles like the ones we drink during the Bock Fest and Goat Races (i.e. the best beer festival of all time by a single brewery... sorry Dark Lord Day fanboys). Unfortunately, by this time of the trip I was kind of already checked out and wanting to be home on my couch. 

Pleeps, our trusty co-pilot.

Since we were back in PA, we needed to comply with the "gotta eat" policy, but luckily Sly Fox had some cool mini-apps for Happy Hour. So we noshed on some tasty soft pretzel bites and chips and salsa while we enjoyed our last beers of the weekend (well, until we got home, anyway). I opted for something light since I was pretty fatigued from a long weekend of drinking, so I went with Reality Czech Pilsner, a 3.9% ABV Czech-style pilsner. As much as I love Sly Fox (especially its German-style lagers and bocks), I just couldn't help comparing this to the beers I'd just had at Human Robot. While Reality Czech was enjoyable, it just didn't compare to Human Robot's lagers.  

Meanwhile, Brewslut went with a 16-ounce can of a double dry-hopped IPA called Baby Sparkles. Sly Fox referrs to this beer as a "Pottstown-style IPA" in lieu of what it actually is... a NEIPA. This occasional release features a healthy dose of oats and double dry-hopping courtesy of El Dorado, Simcoe, and Citra for a juicy hop experience. This was one of the more enjoyable IPAs I've had from Sly Fox, whose forte is typically the aforementioned German styles. Nicely done! 

Pleeps gettin' his sparkle on at Sly Fox.

It turned out to be a quick one-and-done stop, as Pleeps - like me - was ready to get back on the couch with his family. Pleeps is a well-traveled superstar celebrity, but even he needs a rest every once in a while. Of course, come the following weekend he's raring to go and do it all over again. What a warrior!

Pleeps is already packed for the next trip.

Well, that's a wrap, folks. Stay tuned for another all-new blog, which follows us on another long weekend to uncharted Pour Travelers territory: Falls Church, VA, and the surrounding area as well as Silver Spring, MD, and our nation's capital. Thanks for reading, kids. Until next time...