Top 10 New Breweries Visited in 2018

I know, I know... it's already April! But each year, we visit a lot of breweries, many of which are first-time visits for us. Following in last year's footsteps, we thought we'd continue to offer a year-end review of some of our favorites. Here’s a list of our Top 10 “new-to-us” breweries we had the pleasure of visiting in 2018. How did we come to the final list? While we’ve utilized no specific equation in determining the final Top 10 list, we did take the following into consideration: beer quality, atmosphere, service, gut instinct, and general awesomeness. With that said, we present to you the Pour Travelers’ Top 10 New Breweries Visited in 2018 (in alphabetical order):

1. Abolitionist Ale Works - Charles Town, WV - First visited March 2018

This visit marked only the second brewery we've ever visited in the state of West Virginia. Deuane had raved about it prior to our trip, so I was anxious to check it out. It obviously didn't disappoint! Upon perusing the beer menu, I quickly realized there was much to try. In lieu of worn-out, pedestrian beer styles, Abolitionist offers a handful of varied farmhouse-style and wild ales, Belgian styles, and barrel-aged treats. My first experience with Pale the Funky (Black & Blue), a wine barrel-aged farmhouse ale with Brett and finished with blackberries and blueberries, sucked me into the vortex. Let's Gose, a straight-up German-style tart wheat beer was on point and delicious.

Beverly Farmhouse Ale, a wild ale brewed with local cascade hops and fermented with wild WV yeast then keg conditioned with pear juice, really intrigued me on paper, so I tried it. It delivered! This was one of those rare beers where I swear I could taste the stuff floating around in the WV air. Shenandoah Saison, the house Saison, ain't no slouch either. This variation was aged for eight months in a wine barrel with local plums. You could really taste the plum skins in this one!

But my favorite of all was perhaps West by Quad. This Belgian-style Quad aged in French oak bourbon barrels was strong and alluring. The bourbon character wasn't overly boozy, but instead offered a nice, round vanilla-chocolate flavor. I really enjoyed this one!

2. The Answer - Richmond, VA - First visited October 2018

When we went to Richmond, I thought The Veil was going to take the cake. Turns out I was wrong. It doesn't happen often, but this time my projections were a bit off. The Answer kicked our freakin' ass! Not only do they pour some of the finest stouts I've ever put in my face, they also served the most amazing ice cream sandwiches of all time. I mean, EPIC ice cream sandwiches. Like, think of the "be all, end all" ice cream sandwich you've had in your lifetime. Then multiply that by like 47. But we're not talking about ice cream sandwiches; we're talking about beer. The Answer seems to do everything right. Aside from the stouts, they also had some delicious, well-crafted IPAs that exploded with tropical fruit. Tart fruit beers? Check. They even do signature frozen "beer slushies" that you should at least try once for the novelty of it. The food - heavy on the Asian flair - is pretty bangin' too. This place was so awesome, that we visited twice in two days. So that's gotta tell you something!

3. Chestnut Hill - Philadelphia, PA - First visited April 2018

Chestnut Hill's brewery is situated in a delightful little market tucked away from the main street called Market at the Fairway. Our visit occurred shortly after the brewery's first anniversary. I know this because we had it's One Year Anniversary Ale - yes, that was the name of the beer - on tap during our visit. But the beer of the day had to be Motra, a fantastic West Coast-style IPA hopped with Mosaic and Citra. The body, texture and appearance of this beer was textbook West Coast IPA. I commented to Brewslut that it reminded me of a Pizza Port IPA; not a particular IPA, but rather a dead ringer for something that might have been brewed by Pizza Port. I've since gone on record and professed that Pizza Port makes the best West Coast-style IPAs in the country, and lord knows I've had quite a lot of them over the years (thanks to many trips to San Diego). Motra, in my opinion, is one of the finest Wet Coast IPAs I've had to date - not only on the East Coast, but outside of San Diego! For that reason alone, Chestnut Hill made the cut. The brewery and adjacent market are both downright cute, too!

4. Funk Factory - Madison, WI - First visited August 2018

Focused on exploring the traditional production of Lambic and Lambic-derived beers, Funk Factory actually refers to itself as a "Geuzeria." The first beer to serenade me on our first of three visits over two days was Cherry Meerts. I typically get sucked into anything with cherry in it, so this was the perfect place for me to start. If you're not familiar, "Meerts" is a near-extinct beer style that falls under the "lambic" umbrella; a low alcohol table beer traditionally made from the second runnings of a lambic's turbid mash. Funk Factory has a dozen or so variations on this theme. The Arnold Palmer Meerts (named after the popular iced tea-lemonade hybrid) was one of the most unique beers I've ever tasted. I was also able to try both the Peach and Lemongrass Ginger Kombucha variations of Meerts, which were equally as tasty as the others. In an increasingly over-saturated craft beer market, it is important to stand out as much as possible. Well folks, Funk Factory has definitely carved out its own little niche.

5. Lucky Hare - Hector, NY - First visited April 2018

I feel I needed to include at least one brewery from our insanely fun trip to the Fingerlakes with a group that usually isn't in tow with us for beer treks. Several things contributed to Lucky Hare making the cut: the staff, my company, the dog-friendly atmosphere, and of course the beer. There may have been a few new places we'd visited with better beer, but like a good stew it takes more than one ingredient to stand out. Plus the first beer I tried was named Ned Ryerson, a rye IPA brewed with local NY hops and named after an annoying character in the classic Bill Murray movie, Groundhog Day. Pop culture reference for the win! Their two "falcon" beers, Falcon Punch and Millennial Falcon (nice Star Wars reference there) proved to be a great pair of IPAs to try side by side. The former is a lovely golden-bodied East Coast IPA with a citrusy kick, while the latter is a hazy, softer though imperial version of Falcon Punch. Uppers and Downers, a dark lager with coffee, sealed the deal and proved a great "after dinner" beer following the hop assault from my earlier beers.

6. Masthead - Cleveland, OH - First visited August 2018

The first stop of our Great Taste Caper '18 set the bar extremely high. Yes indeed, Masthead set the tone for the rest of the trip, and I used it as the benchmark for all of the other breweries we visited during the week-long excursion. It appeared to me that this place was just crushing it; the beers were amazing, the place was packed, the atmosphere was on-point, and the staff knew what they were talking about. We even bumped into a guy who recognized the Selin's Grove logo on my shirt, and we got to talking. This always elevates the experience for me (unless the person is a douchebag, which obviously detracts from my enjoyment). Thankfully this guy was cool. The first beer of the trip, Ten Minute DIPA, wowed me from the first sip. I'm pretty jaded when it comes to IPAs, but this sucker delivered. We closed out with Raspberry Espresso Torte, a thick, luscious Imperial Stout brewed with raspberries, locally roasted Six Shooter coffee, and lactose. This served as the proverbial icing on the cake of an amazing visit to Masthead and a well-deserved first stop of our Great Taste Caper '18.

7. One Trick Pony - Lansing, IL - First visited August 2018

Conversely with Masthead, One Trick Pony was our last brewery of the Great Taste Caper '18. Things got off to a very nice start with my first beer, Georgia Grande, a Hefeweizen-style ale infused with fresh ginger root and peaches. I seldom gravitate to a hefe (especially for my initial beer... you know, first impressions...) but this beer was refreshingly tart with a ton of juicy peach character and a subtle spicy note in the finish. Leathercoated Mind, an IPA hopped with El Dorado and Mosaic, brought on the tropical fruit and a bit of summer melon, and I soon found myself wanting to extend our visit despite the grueling 9-hour drive we had in store for us the following day. Well, I'm glad I decided to get one more beer, because I saved the best for last. Enter Cocoa Butter Kisses. I simply had to have it. I mean, there was no way an Imperial Stout aged in Buffalo Trace barrels brewed with cinnamon, vanilla, and cocoa wasn't going into my belly. Fucking hell, this beer was amazing! It was one of the most well-executed imperial stouts I've ever had in my life. The ingredients were perfectly balanced. The bourbon warmth was present but not boozy or overbearing. And it was soooo insanely drinkable. I wanted to bathe in it. I can go on and on, but you get the picture. For this beer alone, One Trick Pony made the grade.

8. MobCraft - Milwaukee, WI - First visited August 2018

When we first stepped into MobCraft, touted as "the world's first crowdsourced brewery," I knew we'd be back for a second visit the following day. I loved the concept of this brewery, not to mention the board was chock-full of some 20-odd tempting beers; so many that I simply couldn't try everything I wanted to try in one sitting. After my first sampler flight, I knew we had a winner. Batshit Crazy, a coffee brown ale, was memorable not only for its awesome name but also for its intense coffee flavor and supple mouthfeel. Our bartender during our first visit was awesome. I always appreciate a talkative and attentive server who is happy to answer questions. Turns out I had a lot during our visit. Two beers really wowed me the following day. The first, Nuance, is a Farmhouse Ale brewed in collaboration with 1840 Brewing Company. This beer was fermented and aged in fresh wine barrels for four months, conditioned with Brettanomyces Bruxelles and blended with apricots and peaches. Can you say "Yum?!" The other, Sour Support, is a barrel-aged blended sour with raspberries and ginger. Damn, another beer with ginger for the win. This place was definitely worth of dual visits.

9. Surly - Minneapolis, MN - First visited August 2018

I mean, DUH! We visited Surley three times over the span of 48 hours, so that should tell you something. This place had been on my "brewery bucket list" since I had my first sip of Furious back in the day. I was so excited to finally have this beer fresh from the source. But even more amazing was experiencing vintage 2017 Darkness on tap. Children, this was a near-religious experience for me! Pleeps still dreams about this more than 9 months later. Brewslut couldn't get enough of the Lime Lager. She seldom orders the same beer twice in one visit, but this beer was an exception to her rule. Surly is like the Twin Cities' version of Disneyland, except instead of an annoying mouse and his chums, you have some of the best beer brewed on the planet. Everything about Surly's facility screams "destination brewery," from its world-class beers to modern facility, to its food and landscape. If I lived in the Twin Cities, this would definitely serve as my "happy place." (Feel free to refer back to my previous blog, which includes tons of pictures.) We'll be back, Surly... I'm not sure when, but we will be back!

10. Wolf's Ridge - Columbus, OH - First visited November 2018

So many great things happened at Wolf's Ridge during our visit. I sampled "seacuterie" (essentially charcuterie for pescetarians) for the first time. Yes folks, they had me at pickled herring. I learned what a "puncheon" is. What is it? It's basically a really big wine barrel that holds one-third of a "tun," which is the English unit of liquid volume used for measuring wine, oil, or honey. I also enjoyed my favorite beer of the Great Taste Caper '18: Terre Du Sauvage Green, an otherworldly farmhouse-style saison fermented and conditioned in oak with a mixed culture of Brettanomyces and saison yeast. Dry-hopping with whole cone Ekuanot hops elicits delicate ripe melon and a punch of citrusy lemon-lime notes. Tart and complex yet fruity with zesty citrus and juicy tropical fruit, this beer was an absolute joy to drink. All in all, this place is a diamond in the rough. The beer, the food, the service, the vibe... all A+.

Once again, this year's list proved to be a difficult undertaking. Here are a few "honorable mentions" that came oh-so-close to making the final ten.

The Bottlehouse - Lakewood, OH - First visited August 2018

Everything here was killer! Vox Maris, a blended strong ale with dark candi syrup and sour cherries aged in bourbon barrels, proved tart and amazingly complex, and was far and away my favorite.  Pina Sour, a sour pineapple saison aged in wine barrels with Brettanomyces, was another stand-out. I'm also glad we worked up our appetite for a late-night snack, because the cheese plate we devoured was one of the best we've ever encountered.

Lakefront - Milwaukee, WI - First visited August 2018

It pains me that Lakefront didn't make it, because I had wanted to visit for soooo long! Still, this brewery is an institution and craft beer pioneer, so needless to say it was a pleasure to visit such an historic brewery. The tour at Lakefront is one of the most fun you'll ever take - you better prepare to sing, too - and the people here are just genuinely nice and friendly. I mean, it is Wisconsin! From its classic Lakefront Pils and most decorated beer, Eastside Dark (a Bavarian dark lager) to more experimental beers from its Beer in Progress Series, Lakefront is no joke. I mean, they've been in business since 1987, so they must be doing something right. Hooray for the old guard!

Root Down - Phoenixville, PA - First visited January 2018

What do you get when you combine craft beer with 90's hip hop, graffiti, and cheesy vintage kung fu movies? A pretty dope-ass brewery, yo! Root Down is housed in an old Hires root beer factory, so the place is huge. With an awesome roster of IPAs including Flux, Flying Guillotine, and its flagship GABF gold metal-winning Bine, Root Down also boasts a solid Keller Pils (not easy to brew) that I enjoyed during our visit. I mean, you know a place is legit when they win Midsize Brewpub & Brewer of the year at GABF, which they did in 2018. Yup. Good things are a-brewin' at Root Down!

Town Hall - Minneapolis, MN - First visited August 2018

Another one that just missed the final list, Town Hall is another one of the old guard that keeps all the new kids on their toes. Masala Mama on cask is still a force to be reckoned with, and it was one of my Top 5 beers of the Great Taste Caper '18. That alone was worth my long-awaited visit. The fact that they are located in the same town as Surly blows my mind. I mean, a world-class brewery AND Brewpub a few miles from each other? Damn, son!

Urban Growler - St. Paul, MN - First visited August 2018

Urban Growler, the first woman-owned microbrewery in Minnesota, churns out some fresh-faced, forward-thinking beers. In addition to year-round and seasonal specialty beers, its Plow to Pint series focuses on local ingredients and farmers, and the Hayloft series features experimental, small-batch beers. Two beers I sampled turned out to be two of the most memorable beers of our Great Taste Caper '18. Kentucky Common, a toasty copper-colored ale, takes a bourbon recipe and modifies it for beer. Sticky Rice, a wheat beer brewed with Jasmine rice, ginger, fresh mango, and organic coconut, is based on the type of rice served in Thai restaurants. The latter was easily one of the most unique beers I'd ever tried, so kudos to Urban Growler for that!

Väsen - Richmond, VA - First visited October 2018

This Scandinavian-inspired brewery is making its mark with unique sours, fruit beers, and Belgian-esque ales. A Smoked Blood Peach Sour? Um, yes please (even though I'd never heard of a blood peach). The Barrel-Aged Grapefruit Tripel, an Abbey-style ale aged for 4 months in Chardonnay barrels with grapefruit, was a complex flavor explosion of subtle fruitiness, citrus, white grape, clove and black pepper. Väsen really stood out from the usual Richmond suspects and turned out to be one of the most memorable visits of our weekend.

So, just how many "new-to-us" breweries did we visit in 2018?

110.

Not too shabby, eh? This total includes the new Yards facility as well as different locations for Hardywood, Hofbrauhaus, and Hardywood.

I'd say see you in 2019 but we're already four months deep! Until next time...

The Great Taste Caper 2018 - Day 4: We'll be back, Wisconsin

Day 4 of the trip saw us cover a decent amount of ground, from Milwaukee to Lake Mills, WI, before heading to the middle of nowhere, which in this case is Black River Falls. I thought it would be a good idea to get halfway to Minneapolis after visiting Tyranena Brewing, which proved to be exhausting. But more on that later.

For now, we're still in Milwaukee. We kicked off our Monday with a brewery that was thankfully open early. (NOT-SO-FUN FACT: Most breweries are either closed or open late on Mondays so workers have a day off since weekends are popular drinking days. This is decidedly inconvenient for Pour Traveler folk.) I found that the majority of breweries in Milwaukee were either closed on Mondays or didn't open until 4 p.m.

Outside Good City in Milwaukee.

So, thanks Good City to for falling in the minority. Upon our arrival, I was immediately struck by the branding of this place. I often have my eye on this type of thing, being someone who works in marketing for a brewery and all. The logo itself was one of the best I've come across: an old skeleton key with the letters "G" and "C" as well as a hop cone worked into its design. Clever. Inside, the place was super clean, modern and comfortable with lots of blonde wood and brick and contrasting black and chrome detailing.

Now that looks like a good city!

The brewery's three founders connected in Portland, Oregon, at the 2015 Craft Brewers Conference. While hanging out at a newly opened brewery, the trio hit it off and eventually hatched a plan to open a brewery together with a desire to help Milwaukee continue its growth into a mature craft beer city. I must admit that for an operation with only two years under its belt, they seem to have their shit together.

View from our bar stools at Good City.

Upon reviewing the draft selection, I was excited to come across a German-style Rauchbier called Stadt. Turns out this is a smoked version of its Oktoberfest lager brewed with German beechwood-smoked malted barley. sign me up! I rarely come across smoked beers and will always jump at the chance to sample one. Brewslut? Not a fan. So if the beer turns out to be sub par, I'm stuck drinking it because she hates smoked beers. Lucky for me this one was good!

From good to better, my next beer was something called BFG. Hmmm... Best Friend's Girl? Back From Gettysburg? Batman Fled Gotham? Bangin' Four Guys? Big Fuckin' Gorilla? Bert Forgot Gum? I could come up with funny acronyms all day. The official name of this beer, however, is "Big Friendly Goodness," and a name like that could only manifest itself as a huge 12-ish% ABV American-style Barleywine. This tasty concoction is brewed with malted rye for a distinct red color and subtle spicy note. Perhaps this could have been named "Better Forget Guzzling!"

Pleeps knocked my robot's block off!

With extra time to kill since most breweries didn't open until 3 or 4 p.m., we stayed for a second round. This time, we opted for Motto, a SMASH (single malt and single hop) ale brewed with pale ale malt and Mosaic hops. These stripped down beers geared to showcase the unique characteristics of a single malt and hop variety are becoming commonplace at craft breweries these days. Mosaic is one of the most complex and versatile of the newer crop of hop varietals, and this beer allowed its juicy tropical and resinous pine notes shine. We also grabbed a pour of Goodhaus, a double red IPA brewed in collaboration with Bavarian Bierhaus of Glendale, WI. This one was as anticipated with an assertive floral hop bite with a good bit of caramel maltiness and some citrusy undertones. Overall, this place is pretty legit, and they were one of my favorites with regard to branding. Before we left, I noticed that their crowler design closely resembled our Nimble Giant logo with its shield-like frame and gold, black and white color. Needless to say, I had to give them a can simply for the sake of coincidence. They'd never heard of Tröegs, so I'm sure they were happy to try a new beer. And with that, it was time to move on to our next destination.

Thanks for opening early, Milwaukee Ale House!

I'll admit that I didn't have very high hopes for Milwaukee Brewing. I worked them into the itinerary because there were one of only a handful of places that opened early. When we arrived, the brewery appeared to be situated in a high traffic area. Once inside, the layout and atmosphere reminded me of a "brewpub chain" that served mediocre beer to tourists, who happened to be in town for a conference or sporting event. My Spidey sense was tingling, but fortunately for us, it was a false alarm because this place was legit.

We set up shop at the bar and were quickly greeted by a friendly thirty-something guy. The draft list was hop-heavy, so we ordered accordingly. Hop Happy, my first selection, struck me as more of an old-school East Coast IPA akin to some early favorites like Bell's Two Hearted or Ithaca Flower Power. Brewed with not-so-trendy hop varieties Columbus, Cascade, Mt. Hood, and Bravo, this was a throwback to the type of IPA we were drinking a decade ago. It didn't knock my socks off, but it was fine as-is.

Brewslut ordered a pour of Earl Grey IPA, which I found to be an odd choice for her. While we've both since graduated from tea to coffee in our middle-agedness, I'll confess that Earl Grey is probably my favorite variety of tea, not just for the connection to Jean-Luc Picard, but also because of its flavor. However, I haven't had that many tea-based IPAs that I've been jazzed about. This one was no different. I think a robust flavor like Earl Grey tea would be much better suited for a Belgian Dubbel or even a saison. But an IPA? You'd think that since Earl Grey is flavored with the oil of bergamot (a variety of orange), it would be a natural complement to the citrusy notes often found in IPAs. However, this one was too earthy and floral for my liking.

Pleeps gets around just fine without a map.

However, one of the other IPAs we tried called MKE IPA turned out to be one of the more memorable IPAs of the trip. Brewed with generous amounts of Citra and Mosaic hops, this flavorful and aromatic IPA boasts notes of grapefruit pulp, passionfruit, and juicy mango. And this came from a can! I was getting a more West Coast vibe from this IPA, although it was a bit hazy, the crispness of the malt lead to a nice, dry and moderately bitter finish, which NE-styles don't really capture. Whatever style it's meant to be, it sure was pretty freakin' tasty!

Pleeps chillin' in Milwaukee.

Another odd choice for Brewslut was her next beer, O-Gii Imperial Wit, a collaboration with Milwaukee’s own Rishi Tea. This 9.2% ABV monster of a wheat beer boasts an Asian flair due to a blend of tea offering hints of chamomile, orange, and ginger. Seems as though the folks at Milwaukee Brewing love tea. And that's OK. Plenty of breweries have coffee stouts for those who enjoy drinking before noon. Overall, we were pretty impressed by the beers here, especially the MKE IPA, which was a personal favorite of mine. I wish I would have bought some to take home. Plus, our bartender was friendly and attentive although it wasn't very busy while we were there. But he poured a beer by mistake and gave us a freebie, which was thoughtful. So bonus points for that!

When we left, we still had some time on the meter, so we hopped across the street to check out a bottle shop. Well, it was more of a beer, wine, liquor, and lottery shop with glass "tobacco" pipes and a few other sketchy items. I was hoping to find some Surly or Toppling Goliath, but nothing was very fresh, so I only left with a 4-pack of the excellent Peruvian Morning, a bourbon barrel-aged imperial coffee stout from Central Waters. That's one that will age nicely in my cellar, thank you very much. I'd actually considered working Central Waters and the nearby Point Brewing into the itinerary, but this detour would have taken us well off the beaten path. They would have to wait for another time.

Well-played, MobCraft... well-played!

Back at MobCraft for our return visit, we were able to plow through the remaining beers we wanted to try the previous day. Again, sample size pours were in order because there were five more beers to be had. Here's the skinny:

• Rhubarb IPA - a slightly tart IPA with a pinkish hue and contrasting citrusy hop notes. 
• Nuance - Farmhouse Ale brewed in collaboration with 1840 Brewing Company. This beer was fermented and aged in fresh wine barrels for four months, conditioned with Brettanomyces Bruxelles and blended with apricots and peaches. 
• Squeeze the Day - DIPA inspired by strawberry lemonade featuring strawberry puree and zested, juiced lemons as well as Citra and Sorachi Ace (the latter a lemon-forward hop variety).
• Gentlemen S-Tart Your Engines - barrel-aged dark sour ale with berries and vanilla.
• Sour Support - barrel-aged blended sour with raspberries and ginger.

This time around, it was Sour Support and Nuance that captivated me most. Since I'm a sucker for a nice spicy ginger beer (I love me a kickin' Moscow Mule... thanks Dano), the Sour Support sat well with me. Ginger can be a tricky ingredient to use in brewing, but this beer worked really well, in my opinion. As for Nuance (aptly named), there was plenty going on with it. Aging in wine barrels coaxed out notes of oak and dark fruit, while the Brett added a layer of funky, earthy complexity to the mix. Throw in peaches and apricots, and you get a hint of juicy sweetness that ties it all together.

All in all, I'd say that MobCraft was one of the breweries we visited on the entire trip that operates "outside the box." I didn't really focus on it during our last episode, but MobCraft's schtick is undeniably unique. Established in 2013, it touts itself as "the world's first crowdsourced brewery." What does that mean, exactly? Well, they basically turn your ideas into beer. Each month, the brewery leverages its fans (i.e. the "mob") to submit ideas for potential new beers. The ideas are then advertised on MobCraft's web site, and fans can vote on their favorites. The beer with the most customer pre-orders is the winner, and the beer is then brewed, packaged and shipped straight to customers via an online retailer. Or you can just pick up beer at the brewery. Pretty cool concept, right? So if you've ever had dreams of a particular beer and no brewery has yet to step up to the plate, then perhaps MobCraft can make your dream a reality. Glad we got to visit them twice.

Outside City Lights Brewing.

I don't know why, but something about City Lights reminded me of Portland, ME. Perhaps it was because it's situated near a body of water (OK... a river, the Menomonee) but still. I seemed to be transported to Portland momentarily. This was the last brewery on our agenda for Milwaukee, after which we would enjoy a nice little 45-minute drive to our next destination.

But first, a quick history lesson about the brewery. In 1902, the Milwaukee Gas Light Company began construction on the West Side Water Works, a campus designed to turn coal into gas to be used to light street lamps throughout Milwaukee. Over the years, Milwaukee established itself as the first beer capital of the U.S. with the forerunners of the day (Miller, Pabst, Schlitz, etc.) defining the beer industry. Fast forward to 2012, four brothers decided to enter the craft beer arena. After transitioning from a family-run business, the brothers partnered with some experienced industry moguls to create City Lights Brewing Company. The brewery occupies two of the buildings of the original West Side Water Works campus, hence the brewery's moniker. You can check out the full story here. It's pretty compelling.

Anyway, on with the beer. Once seated at our table, we were greeted by an extremely friendly young guy, which was a good sign. The tasting room was fairly small but very well kept and clean. The bar was packed with what I assumed to be regulars. One of them (a guy we'd dubbed "NF," short for "neck fat") seemed to be quite boisterous, loud, and glad he was off work for the day. Still, it was good to see a healthy crowd converged at a small brewery around happy hour time.

I decided to go with one of its signature beers, Coconut Porter. This is just as the name implies although it is enhanced by the addition of Madagascar vanilla beans. This beer boasted a rich blend of chocolate, coffee, and, as anticipated, toasted coconut. A worthy year-round beer, for sure.

Brewslut went with the Hazy IPA this time. Again, not too clever with the name of this beer. However, its flavor had plenty of character. This hazy IPA is hopped with Citra, Mosaic, and Amarillo for a big smack of tropical fruit. The grain bill features malted barley, wheat, and flaked oats for a silky texture. Double dry-hopping with Vic Secret (a new-ish variety from New Zealand) brings out even more tropical fruit notes, especially in the aroma.

Beer, please!

OK, thank you!

Sticking with dark beers, I opted for the Coffee Stout next. This tasty stout is brewed with seven different malts, Chinook hops for a hint of pine, and cold brew coffee from local Stone Creek Coffee. I enjoyed this one as much as the Coconut Porter. It seems like they do justice to their dark beers!

Brewslut decided to try the Mexican Lager. Brewed with flaked corn and fermented with a Mexican lager yeast strain, this easy-drinking beer elicits a refreshing island vibe. Motueka hops impart hints of fresh lime, giving it a margarita-like flavor. They even garnished it with a lime wedge.

Strike a pose, Pleeps!

I was so excited to get back to Tyranena after a 6-year lapse. It also marks one of only three breweries we visited on this trip I'd been to previously. Since our last visit, they added a really nice outside beer garden area that unfortunately was void of patrons when we arrived save for a few stragglers. But Lake Mills, Wisconsin, is a pretty small town (less than 6,000 folks), and it was a Monday night, not the most popular night for brewery hopping. At any rate, I'd always been impressed by this small brewery's output, especially its barrel-aged beers. Established in 1999, Tyranena produces five year-round beers, eleven seasonal brews, and a wide variety of specialty beers. Its distribution footprint covers just four states: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana, and Illinois. The names of each of its beers pay homage to the history and folklore of the Lake Mills region, referring to something quintessentially Wisconsin.

It's good to be back in Lake Mills!

I was hoping they had Scurvy on tap, an IPA brewed with orange peel. This was one of my favorites many years ago when we first visited, but sadly it was not available during our visit. However, the board was rife with about a dozen other assorted beers to keep me lubricated. Most were beers I had never tried before, so it was looking like we'd be here for a while. That, my friends, is an understatement!

I started off with what was, in my opinion, the most interesting beer on the menu. Sailors Take Warning! is a blonde ale brewed with agave and blood oranges with cherry purée added then aged in tequila barrels. Might as well go with the money shot right off the bat! The bar was sparsely attended, but we were kind of fatigued from drinking all afternoon, so we decided to chill out on the couch in the foyer for a bit. I got halfway through my beer and started getting antsy, so I headed in to check out the beer garden and, of course, got chatting with people at the bar. After a few minutes when I didn't return, Brewslut took my cue and came in to join me. By then, she'd been working on a half pour of Lost Adult, an unfiltered double dry-hopped Imperial IPA, and soon enough we were engulfed in conversation with the bartender, Dan (who was down from northern Wisconsin and celebrating his birthday), an older guy who works on the bottling line at the brewery, and a beer-loving couple from Wisconsin who were visiting the area.

Chillin' on the couch in the foyer at Tyranena.

Talking makes me thirsty, so it was time for another round. I opted for what could be Clubber Lang's favorite (or least favorite) beer, Wrath of Rocky, an imperial brown ale aged in bourbon barrels. OK, I'm sure the beer was NOT influenced by the Rocky movie franchise; that's just how my mind works. Plus, I love saying Clubber Lang. Tyranena's got the barrel-aging thing down to a science, as far as I'm concerned. Everything I've had from them that was put into a barrel and came out the other end has been pretty delicious. This one was no exception.

I decided to do a complete 180 and order a small pour of Helles for Real, a lightly hopped German-style Helles lager, just to change things up a bit. Helles Lagers don't get a whole lot of love from beer geeks, but I'm a fan. Same goes with pilsners. They are simple beers that aren't flashy, but when executed well they just hit the spot. This was a fine example of the style.

Back to being bludgeoned by barrel-aged beers (pardon the rampant alliteration), it was time for a fun-sounding beer called High-Class Broad. Like Rocky's Revenge, this too was an imperial brown ale. However, this one was aged in brandy barrels. I'll admit I'm more of a bourbon guy but this was pretty damn awesome too. Plus, I love a brewery that uses the word "broad" in one of its beer names. Non-PC for the win, Alex!

More barrel-aged goodness was up next with Imperial White Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels, golden stout aged in bourbon barrels. This one must be pretty new, hence no clever name. White stouts to me come across as imperial cream ales. I find it hard to call a non-dark beer a stout. Call me old-fashioned. But this one was rife with coffee and chocolate notes, and certainly tasted like a stout. Looks can be deceiving, I suppose. I look forward to seeing if this becomes a mainstay or a one-off.

By this time, it was pretty much Brewslut and I, plus the bartender, the bottling line guy, and Dan. And then there were five. The beer was still flowing, though. Up next was the evocatively named Balling the Queen, an Imperial IPA brewed with honey and hopped with Citra and Simcoe. I appreciate some well thought-out sexual innuendo in a beer name from time to time, and I had to chuckle upon reading this one aloud. (Although, in all honesty, pretty much anything with the word "ball" in it makes me giggle like a second grader.) I don't really recall much about this particular beer because we were - wait for it - balls deep in conversation with our new Wisconsin beer friends. Man, I love this state!

After trying pretty much everything I was really interested in drinking, it was time to revisit an old favorite: Devil Over a Barrel. This dark, decadent treat is a blend of an imperial oatmeal porter brewed with coffee beans and aged in Bourbon barrels (60%), and a porter brewed with coffee beans (40%). As soon as the first sip went down, it was like seeing an old friend after many years. It tasted exactly as I'd remembered it. This is one of the most coffee-forward beers I've encountered, and the bourbon and vanilla notes actually take a backseat to the assertive roastiness of this beer. Yet in all of its over-the-top coffee goodness, it still retains a lushness that's hard to explain. It's a special beer, and I'm still perplexed as to why I didn't purchase any bottles of this to take home. I've had it on plenty of occasions, though. This was supposed to be my last beer, as we had already fallen behind schedule. but birthday Dan wanted us to stay for one more, and who am I to argue with a guy who just turned a year wiser?

The taps keep comin' at Tyranena.

By now, it was small pours (it may have even been sample size glasses... at least for my next beer).
You don't see many altbiers these days, but Tyranena brews one called Headless Man Amber Alt. I'll admit that I rarely if ever get a hankering for a malty Düsseldorf-style Altbier (translates to "old beer" in German), but we'd already had pretty much every other beer available, so I figured I'd might as well get another Untappd check-in. Yes, it's a boring style. I won't regale you with the history of the beer, but if you're unfamiliar and so inclined, here's a link to the Wiki page.

I'm pretty sure I ended our epic visit with a half pour of Chief Blackhawk Porter, an English-style porter named after the Native American leader of the Sauk tribe whose name translated to "the black sparrow hawk," or Black Hawk for short. This one struck me as more of a robust porter, as I'm not a huge fan of the acrid, sour note that is a hallmark of most traditional English porters. Roasty with pleasant bittersweet chocolate notes, it wasn't too heavy-handed on the hop bitterness in the finish. And with that final sip, it was time to officially vacate the premises. We got there an hour-and-a-half early and left about an hour or so after we'd planned on leaving. After all that (including a T-shirt for Brewslut), somehow our tab was only $15. It was arguably the best $15 I'd ever spent at a brewery. It was an epic visit, to say the least!

I was pretty exhausted after the grueling two-hour drive to our hotel. It seems much longer than two hours, actually. But it wasn't. That was just me in dire need of a bed. I didn't even have a post-day beer before crashing. But the room was cozy and spacious (we scored a suite this time), plus it had a big free breakfast to boot, which was good because I couldn't find a decent breakfast spot in Black River Falls on Google. 

Stay tuned for our descent into Minneapolis and St. Paul for Day 5 and 6 of the trip, respectively. We've still got a lot of ground to cover, right Pleeps?

Pleeps?!

***crickets***

Until next time...

The Great Taste Caper 2018 - Day 3: Algonquin for "the good land"

Our itinerary for Day 3 had been under construction up until about two weeks prior to our departure. I really wanted to squeeze in Milwaukee, so we had to drop Chicago from the mix. Fine with me, as we'd been to Chicago about three times in the last decade, while I'd never been to Milwaukee and Brewslut hadn't been there in almost 10 years. So, we booked a room and it was set in stone. We were off to "the good land!" (You'll want to click on that link... trust me!)

Following a leisurely 100-mile drive into Milwaukee, WI, (complete with a bit of road construction), we landed at what was most certainly the impetus for including this historic beer city on our itinerary. Brewslut had first visited Lakefront Brewery during her inaugural trek to Great Taste with fellow Team D(r)INKers Deuane, Carolyn, and Dain. She had routinely mentioned the top-notch quality of the brewery tour there, citing it as insightful, educational, and also quite humorous. FUN FACT: Part of the brewery's bottling line is the same piece of equipment from the opening title sequence for the 70's hit TV sitcom, Laverne & Shirley. Following the tour, guests are encouraged to sing the lyrics to the song while two volunteers from the tour group place a rubber glove on one of the passing bottles (just like in the opening credits of the show). But more on the tour later.

Outside Milwaukee's Lakefront Brewery.

As we walked up the inclined platform to the brewery entrance with a Tröegs 6-pack in hand, I was stopped by a greeter, who kindly informed me I wasn't allowed to bring in any outside beverages. Of course, I wasn't attempting to smuggle foreign beer into the brewery, but rather I was bringing a gift for the fine folks from one brewery ambassador to another. Once they figured it out, they rolled out the red carpet for us.

These Three Stooges sculptures used to be beer tanks.

Our first order of business? Beer, of course! When one reserves a spot on the Lakefront brewery tour, each person is given four wooden tokens to then acquire 5-ounce beer samples of his or her choice. In an amazing display of long-term memory retrieval, Brewslut recalled still having two tokens from her visit a decade ago, found them and took them with us on the trip. So we were afforded the luxury of FIVE samples instead of four. Nicely done, buddy! Since the tour wasn't starting for another 20 minutes or so, we had time to chat with some of the employees about beer, our travels, Tröegs, etc. I was surprised to learn that Lakefront had been in the beer business for 30 years! I knew they were considered one of the "old guard" when it came to craft beer, but that's pretty impressive. Conversely, I was startled when I discovered that they produce less than half the barrelage of Tröegs (around 45,000 bbl). After chatting for a bit, it was time to soak in the authentic German beer hall atmosphere of the tasting room. Here's a little peek:

Bavaria comes to Milwaukee at Lakefront.

Anyway, onto the beer. I started with a pour of Fuel Cafe, an organic coffee stout brewed with roasted malts and coffee from Milwaukee's renowned Fuel Cafe. I find it appropriate to start off the day with a coffee beer, and this one is on-point.

Pleeps and I shared beer tokens since he didn't get any.

Up next was a beer called Just Muck'n Around, a collaboration with a nearby small brewery called Eagle Park (coincidentally, our next stop on the list). Dubbed a "black NE-style hazy IPA," this may very well be the first of its kind. I'm not sure how a black beer can be "hazy," but whatever. Since most NE-style IPAs are know for aroma vs. bitterness, this one came across as a typical black IPA with a prominent roasty character and citrusy hop flavor with a hint of coffee and chocolate. Still, it was pretty enjoyable and I always appreciate experimentation in brewing.

By this time, the tour was about to start, so I grabbed a pour of Eastside Dark, Lakefront's most decorated beer with regard to various competition medals. Honoring the eclectic East Side of Milwaukee, this Bavarian dark lager blends three different specialty grains to create a rich, creamy schwarzbier that was quite enjoyable. It is also worth mentioning that folks are allowed to take beer with them while on the tour (a no-no at some other breweries). The other thing they allow on tours, unfortunately, is children. (At least Tröegs has that part right!) As luck would have it, there were three annoying ones on our tour, so we made sure to steer clear of them when we arrived at stopping points along the way. Our tour group was pretty large (around 40 people) so it wasn't an up-close-and-personal tour, but our tour guide was knowledgeable, funny, and loud when he needed to be.

Midway through the tour, we were able to get a beer refill at one of the conveniently located "pop-up" bars along the tour path. This was pretty sweet! I opted for Lakefront Pils, a traditional German-style pilsner that hit the spot, especially since it was a bit humid and stuffy during the tour. Although it didn't pop quite as much as the trifecta of PA pilsners I'm used to drinking, this is still a fine example of a style that often gets overlooked for its simplicity. However, everyone knows that it takes true grace to brew a world-class pilsner using just four ingredients and nothing to hide behind.

Lots of beer to choose from at Lakefront!

Speaking of lagers, my final pour was something called Beer in Progress - Mexican Lager #001. It seems to me that "Beer in Progress" is the name of a Scratch-esque Series of experimental beers from Lakefront. Seems a lot of larger breweries have these small-batch series now. This one is a refreshing take on the "island lager" a la Dos Equis with a bit more flavor. This one has a nice lemony character with an almost margarita-like flair.

After the tour, we chatted with the tour guide, and I grabbed some beer from the trunk to give to him. He mentioned he was a fan of pilsners, so I got him some Sunshine Pils. Sharing beer with fellow breweries always proves to be a good omen, and more often than not, breweries reciprocate with gifts of beer.

As our visit was winding down, we decided to join a guy I'd met briefly on the tour from York, PA. I heard him say, "Tröegs Scratch Beer" and my ears perked up. We high-fived and that was the end of it. Well, I saw him sitting at a table in the tasting room so I decided to join him and his friends. It was cool to run into someone from my next of the woods almost 800 miles away from home! While we chatted, our tour guide returned with a mixed 6-pack of Lakefront beers for us to take home. Now that's good beer karma!

Me doing the touristy thing at Lakefront.

Our tour also included a voucher for a free pint glass or $2 off merchandise in the gift shop. Since we have so many beer glasses, we opted for the keychain bottle openers, which were conveniently just $2 each. So they were free! You can never have too many of those. Well, actually yes you can, but at least they're good to have around when someone breaks out a random beer somewhere.

After an enjoyable visit to Lakefront, it was off to nearby Eagle Park Brewing, which was less than a mile away and just across the Milwaukee River. Founded by two brothers who also play in a band together, Eagle Park marries their passion for craft beer and music. Many of the brewery's beers are named after music references or song titles (Set List, Loop Station, From a Land Down Under, etc.). Inside, the space was open and bright with lots of natural light, blonde wood, and a cozy lounge area to which we were drawn immediately.

Outside Milwaukee's Eagle Park Brewing.

Since we had quite a bit of beer at Lakefront, we settled on a sampler flight of three beers to share. First up was Guava Wheat Wine. Another Wheat Wine... how 'bout that? Of course, I had to try it. This particular one was brewed with over 200 pounds of guava. Had the Eagle Park brothers been fans of the band Ween, perhaps they could have named this one Pure Guava. Speaking of music references, we also chose Pink Houses (likely named after the John Mellencamp hit), a black currant Berliner Weisse, as one of our three samplers. There was no way we were getting out of there without Brewslut trying the Berliner Weisse. Goon Juice, a hazy NE-style IPA hopped with Citra, Mosaic, Eureka, and Columbus rounded out the flight. The chalkboard was pretty IPA-heavy during our visit, but this one came highly recommended from both the bartender and a few patrons at the bar. This beer is loaded with aromas of bubble gum, tangerine, papaya, and a touch of pine. Goon Juice was definitely my favorite of the three, and an excellent example of a style that has been all over the map in my experiences. This piqued my curiosity, which led me to wanting to get another IPA before we left.

Pleeps has taken flight!

Pleased with all of the beers in our flight, we decided to get a full pour of Nelson Sauvin NEIPA to share. Besides, we were camped out on a couch over in the corner of the tasting room and digging the vibe. Brewed exclusively with one of my favorite hop varietals from the land of Jemaine and Bret, this tasty IPA boasts fruity notes akin to white grape with traces of tropical fruit and pepper around the edges. Although Nelson Sauvin hops are hard to beat, I have to give the nod to Goon Juice as my favorite beer we had at Eagle Park. An exemplary take on the NE IPA style, for sure.

Pleeps chillin' with his buddy Nelson.

We were beginning to get a hankering for an afternoon snack, and as it turns out Eagle Park has a little kitchen with a walk-up window to order food. With a small but varied menu featuring shared plates and sandwiches, we liked what we saw and decided to share the Chicken Tostadas. These tasty little Mexican-inspired treats feature chili-stewed chicken on a house tostada with crema, chimichurri, cotija, pickled jalapenos, radish, and corn nuts. These were delicious and added a little extra fuel in our tanks.

View from the couch at Eagle Park.

A quick 5-minute drive landed us at our next stop, Black Husky Brewing. With a name like Black Husky and its logo featuring, well, a black Husky, I was fairly certain this would be a dog-friendly brewery. Started in 2010 in a small log cabin nestled in the rural town of Pembine, Wisconsin, Black Husky takes its name from the sled dogs occupying the kennels on the land. Six years later, they moved operations to the Riverwest neighborhood of Milwaukee, where they currently produce their beers and operate the taproom we visited. Yup, definitely dog-friendly!

Outside Black Husky's taproom.

The taproom definitely had a log cabin or ski lodge vibe with lots of bright, clean wood. We set up shop at the bar and ordered a pair of beers from the dozen or so offerings. The first one that leaped out to me was an IPA called Sprooce 2. Brewed with locally harvested spruce tips and weighing in at 106 IBUs, this aggressive DIPA reeked of fresh pine needles. Christmas tree in a glass, indeed. While I appreciated the execution, this was one intense beer that demolished my palate with its barrage of sappy sweetness and dry bitterness. I will say that it was probably the most pine-forward beer I've ever tried.

Brewslut opted for Vain, a Citra-hopped pale ale. At 7.2%, this definitely straddles the line between pale ale and IPA. This one fell squarely in the middle of the road for me. However, it could be due to the beating my tastebuds took from the Sprooce 2. Either way, it wasn't as memorable as Sprooce 2 and didn't entice us to stay for seconds.

Outside Third Space Brewing.

Our fourth brewery of the day was Third Space. This place is situated in an old factory and has a lot of character. There's brick as far as the eye can see. The outside courtyard serves as a beer garden of sorts, and customers can grab a beer inside and soak up some rays out in the open area. We opted to stay inside and chill. With only about 7 beers available, we reviewed the list and chose wisely. I really liked the sound of Java Blanca, a coffee cream ale, but it wasn't available on draft, only in cans. I rarely opt for can or bottle over draft when visiting breweries, but I made an exception this time. Brewslut went with Happy Place Citra, a Citra-hopped variation of its house pale ale, Happy Place. Both beers were solid, but we'd already decided that this was going to be a one-and-done stop. So we nursed our beers and enjoyed the atmosphere. There's just something about drinking in an abandoned factory or warehouse that appeals to me for some reason.

Beer selection at Third Space.

We were getting hungry again, so we bought a 1-pound bag of squeaky cheese curds to nosh on while we enjoyed our beers. I mean, we're in Wisconsin, right?! That's like going to Florida and not eating an orange, or not eating soupie when you're in Shamokin. We blazed through the bag of curds swiftly, and I made the mistake of reading the fat and caloric content on the back of the bag. It wasn't too terrible. However, then I saw the "serving size" was 1-ounce. We polished off the entire 12-ounce bag in one sitting, so once I did the math I could feel the cheese congealing in my gut and turning to fat. Oh well. It was worth it.

Just a logo on a brick wall, that's all.

As I was poking around the brewery and tasting room, I came across a few signs for beers that weren't on tap at the moment. One of them was called "Unbridled Enthusiasm," which immediately reminded me of a quote from Seinfeld. I asked the bartender about it, and she confirmed my assumption. Then I noticed a beer called "That's Gold" and realized that someone here must really like Seinfeld. "That's gold, Jerry! Gold!"

Pleeps was getting a little wobbly by now.

I kind of dig the name of this brewery, by the way. People have their first place (home) and second place (work). So a third space would kind of be a "happy place" or meeting place for friends. Simple but effective. Nicely chosen, folks! 

More logos painted on stuff.

We finished our beers (and cheese curds) and were off to our next brewery. After crossing the Menomonee River in two different places within two miles, we arrived at our final brewery of the day.

Outside MobCraft Brewery & Taproom.

As soon as I saw the tap list at MobCraft, I was pretty sure we'd be visiting again the next day. Boasting 20-odd taps of primarily IPAs, stouts, and sours, I was certain I wouldn't get through everything I wanted to try in one sitting. With every description I read, I thought, "That sounds awesome. I want that." Well, it turns out I wanted about 14 of the beers and realized pretty quickly that that wasn't going to happen. See?

Decisions... decisions... decisions...

So, let me walk you through my first flight of beers at MobCraft:

• Midnitro Dragon's Dream - chocolate oatmeal stout with blackberries served via nitro.
• Batshit Crazy - brown ale with coffee. Dee-licious!
• Hoppy Hoppy Pants Pants - dank, juicy DIPA featuring some far-out hops: Dr. Rudi, Jarrylo, Idaho 7, and Amarillo.
• Senor Bob - Imperial Cream Ale brewed with agave syrup and aged in tequila barrels.
• Existence Blackberry - blackberry sour ale.
• Squeezin' Juice - juicy, citrus-forward American IPA.

Tons of taps at MobCraft!

My favorite of the lot was probably Batshit Crazy, which says a lot because I tend to stray from brown ales. However, add coffee to pretty much any style and I'm sold! Overall, I was definitely digging the sours and dark beers here a bit more than the IPAs. I mean, everything was enjoyable, but I just felt that the other non-IPA offerings were a bit more interesting and flavorful. MobCraft is really doing lots of unusual styles and flavor combinations. They also love using fruit, which comes in handy when the person drinking the beer also loves fruit (i.e. me). 

We enjoyed our visit quite a bit, and it's clear that MobCraft is one of the more adventurous breweries in Milwaukee. Our bartender was super-friendly and talkative, and was happy to answer my dumb questions. I passed off some Nimble Giant to him just for being cool. Speaking of cool, it looks like Pleeps was out cold for the time being. I must have been a little loopy too because I can't for the life of me remember what's in the glass in the following picture. I guess I needed a nap too! Pleeps knows what I'm talking about...

Pleeps needed a quick power nap after that session!

Since we decided to return the following day to make a bigger dent in the tap selection, we were off to use our final token procured at Lakefront as a gift for taking the tour. New Glarus does this as well, whereby you take the token to a participating bar or restaurant and redeem a free beer (in this case, a free Lakefront beer). But first, we enjoyed a great impromptu meal at BelAir Cantina, which we stumbled upon while parking our car a block down from Stubby's (more on that in a moment). We each enjoyed a spicy pollo bowl consisting of pulled chicken, árbol sauce, citrus slaw, beans, rice, lettuce, crema, and salsa roja, plus a side of tortilla chips and salsa. This was some legit Mexican food pretty far from the border. Coming across some bangin' authentic Mexican cuisine in Wisconsin is like finding amazing Korean BBQ in South Dakota... or something like that. Either way, I'm glad we found this place!

BelAir Cantina serves up some bangin' Mexican food!

We ended our night at Stubby's Gastropub, one of the participating bars at which we could redeem our Lakefront token for a free beer. I figured we might as well cash it in. I mean, free beer, yo! I settled on Fixed Gear, a hoppy American Red Ale brewed with Chinook and Cascade hops. This one was quite floral and some sticky citrus and pine around the edges, and plenty of caramel malt sweetness to stand up to the heavy dry-hopping. It was also one that I hadn't tried while visiting Lakefront, so chalk up another Untappd check-in for me!

Pleeps is lookin' rejuvenated after his nap!

We still had a pretty ambitious half-day planned in Milwaukee for the following day, so we decided to head to the hotel and rest up. I'll leave you with this lovely view of the Milwaukee River as we walked from BelAir Cantina up to Stubby's. Stay tuned for Day 4 as we continue to make our way across Wisconsin into Minnesota. Until next time...