Memorial Day Weekend: Part II - Beds yield more beer

On Sunday morning, my ass was dragging like a muffler hanging from the bottom of an old, rusty El Camino. I'm not overly fond of sleeping in a tent, so that - coupled with my beer intake from the previous day and not getting to bed until about 3 a.m. - contributed to my loaf-like demeanor. I had a feeling that we were going to skimp a bit on my ambitious Sunday schedule, which included return visits to Upstate and Horseheads (see Everybody Got to Deviate from the Norm) as well as a dip down into Billtown before retiring at the chalet for the evening. Turns out we only hit a fraction of what we'd anticipated, because I was beat like a 7th grader's dick on a sick day home from school. OK, enough with the similies. Let's get to the beer!

But not quite yet! I really wanted to get back to Farmhouse Brewery, but they didn't open until 1 p.m. on Sunday. So, we consulted our trusty Google and found a suitable place for breakfast. Off we go, then, to Owego! We settled on the family-owned and operated Owego Kitchen, and I'm glad we did. not only was the food fantastic, the owner was super-friendly and the service was swift. So swift, in fact, that we got done eating and still had time to kill. What to do? Much to the chagrin of Brewslut, I asked the owner if there were any record stores around. I'd noticed a wide assortment of shops and boutiques as we searched for a parking spot near the eatery. He kindly informed me that just down the street was an antique complex in an old Newberry's department store. (Remember Newberry's, that great "five and dime" store? We had one in Shamokin back in the day.) At any rate, we had about an hour or so to kill, so we took the short walk down the street to the old Newberry's-turned-antique complex and did some vinyl hunting. I picked up four records (including a still-sealed copy of Bob & Doug McKenzie's Great White North album)! so it was an hour well-spent. After all this, we still got to Farmhouse about thirty minutes early, so we sat in the parking lot until someone arrived. We managed to gain access about five minutes early when the owner/brewer arrived.

Tons o' taps at Farmhouse Brewery in Owego, NY!

Last year, I really enjoyed our visit to Farmhouse, a small brewery in what seems like the basement of someone's house. But this tiny place cranks tons of interesting beers. If you're feeling adventurous, you can get a mega-flight of everything on tap, which is somewhere in the ballpark of 21 beers or thereabouts. Needless to say, this is a sampler-friendly brewery. So bring on the flights, I say! Here's what we sampled during our visit:

• Cuke Skywalker - cucumber gose with live probiotic cultures. 
• Sweet Fancy Moses - Wheat wine with cacao nibs and Madagascar vanilla beans. 
• Conflagration - coconut coffee brown ale.
• Ain't it Dandy - Berliner Weisse brewed with estate-grown organic dandelions and local lemon balm.
• Grinder - saison fermented with aronia berries (aka chokeberries). I've never heard of either!
• Crazy Daizy Went Wild - barrel-aged wild Belgian-style Tripel. 
• Commander Bovine - DIPA fermented with Brettanomyces
• The Unfermentables - oatmeal stout... this one was more "special" but I can't remember what additional ingredients this beer featured. 

Pleeps taking flight at Farmhouse.

I remembered everyone from our last visit to Farmhouse (not their names... are you kidding me?!) but their faces and personalities. I love the experimentation that goes on at this place. The beers here are always creative and well-done, and the breadth of styles available is mesmerizing. I also appreciate the low-key vibe the brewery emanates. The people here are friendly and not in any way pretentious at all. To me, this is so refreshing to witness firsthand, especially as the number of breweries continues to grow, some of which are run by entitled hipsters who think they know everything. Thankfully, Farmhouse is churning out quality beers with the right attitude. There's nothing more off-putting than a brewery that takes itself too seriously. Am I wrong? You're not wrong Ffej, you're just an asshole. OK then.

Our second stop of the day, Diversion Brewing Company, was a first-time visit for us. To be honest, they weren't even on the original list (I wasn't aware of its existence, actually). But the fine folks at Farmhouse recommended them, and they were situated in the general area we were headed. So, in the literal sense, we actually make a diversion to get to Diversion. Ultimately, I'm glad we swung by because not only did we get to cross another new place off the list, but their beers were worth the effort.

My vantage point at Diversion.

Since this was a new place for us, more sampler flights were in order. Here's the gist:

• Zested Interest - light, refreshing pale ale heavy on citrus zest. Great name!
• Sunny Side Up - session IPA with grassy and earthy hop notes. Name sounds familiar...
• Empire's Key - crisp, smooth DIPA with big hop nose.
• Talent Juice - aggressively hopped DIPA.

We enjoyed a literal diversion to visit Diversion.

Beer aside, this place had lots of character. Situated on a farm, the rustic tasting room was constructed almost exclusively of recycled and re-purposed materials, including barn wood, metal siding, and a number of other things. The decor was unique and the overall atmosphere proved conducive to drinking. It's just a cozy place to kick back and enjoy a few beers. 

Cool re-purposed barn siding at Diversion.

After our flights, we decided to get half-pours of something else, since our initial beers passed the test. I went with East Coast Roast, creamy stout with hints of chocolate and coffee. Overall, the beers were well done for a new-ish place, and the atmosphere was spot-on. It was definitely worth the diversion in our itinerary to swing by for a visit.

"Mine!"

We decided to forego both Upstate and Horseheads since we'd need to go a bit further north from Diversion and then backtrack down to Yorkholo. Instead, we headed for Yorkholo for a late lunch. We'd only just finally got to visit Yorkholo on a recent Chalet excursion (refer to aforementioned link provided above if you haven't clicked on it already) and were thoroughly impressed, not only with the beer, but, well... everything! So I was excited to be back despite my weary state. Plus, we were hungry.

First, lunch! In perusing the menu, we noticed that they featured an "award-winning" veggie burger. It sounded too good to turn down, so we both got one. Hot damn! Served in a grilled flour tortilla with some kind of awesome sauce, it reminded me of a Taco Bell grilled stuffed burrito, except way better (both tasting and for you). I washed mine down with a tasty Double Dry Hopped Saison
Brewslut opted for Gumption & Grit, an IPA with real mango puree blended into it. Thick, fruity and opaque, this sucker boasted a peppery citrus rind (you know, the white pith) character with a moderate bitter finish. Appearance-wise, it reminded me of freshly squeezed orange juice. The description indicated it might be pretty "chunktastic" (my word, not theirs), but we didn't experience any floaters or foreign matter suspended within.

My vantage point from the bar at Yorkholo.

I closed out our visit with a pour of Mountaineer, an extremely hazy DIPA. This one featured a peachy character with an abundance of citrus fruit. And with that, stick a fork in me, because that was about all I could muster after driving a few hundred miles and getting less than adequate sleep the previous night.

Unfortunately, Selin's Grove was closed on Monday (not just because of Memorial Day, but because they are always closed on Monday), so we took the shorter route home. But first, we stopped in at Pizza Boy to try some recent tap list additions. It had been a while since I got some face-time with Terry (the brewer), so it was cool to see him there hanging out. I started with a pint of  Hop Vision - Motueka, Terry's answer to the "haze craze." While it definitely didn't disappoint, I was more interested in a new DIPA called Wheezin the Juice (nice Pauly Shore reference!), which was insanely drinkable given its 8% ABV. Brewslut worked on the latest in the Swinglebeer series, a Passionfruit and Oat pale ale. (Side note: Hey Swingle, when are you doing to make "Drink My Ass for Thanksgiving?") She also enjoyed - I mean really enjoyed like on the level of multiple orgasms - the new milk sugar sour IPA called LemonDAIRY. I must agree that this was easily our favorite of the bunch. She liked it so much that we took home two 6-packs of recently canned pounders to enjoy elsewhere. This beer is so tart and refreshing, but straddles the line between citrus tang and hops nicely. Terry definitely knocked this one out of the park!

To cap off an enjoyable - albeit tiresome - weekend, some random guy paid for everyone's tab in the entire restaurant! When was the last time that happened to you?! More than likely, your answer was "never!" All in all, it was a fine long holiday weekend, and we were able to enjoy some favorite breweries along with a few great new finds. I look forward to returning to (especially) Upstate NY again to explore a bit further north into Fingerlakes territory. Thanks for reading. Until next time...

Memorial Day Weekend: Part I: DetFest Bound

For the last four years, we've made the trek up to the Montrose, a tiny blip on the map in northeastern PA just south of Binghamton, NY for a small, private music festival organized by fans of my long-time original band, herbie. I recalled last year's trip in depth, so I'll keep the opening to this year's voyage brief and point out the 2016 blog for reference.

We set sail in the early evening of Friday, May 26 (the start of Memorial Day weekend) with a few new places on our agenda. Our first stop of the evening was Benny Brewing Co. The last time we were up in this neck of the woods, we skipped Benny due to time constraints. Since then, they'd moved to a larger location and opened a brew pub in Wilkes-Barre, only a few miles from our next stop - Breaker Brewing. But more on Breaker in a bit. I was surprised by the size of Benny... um, OK... that sounded dirty! But the place was much roomier than I'd anticipated. They also have a beer garden out back, and they even grow their own hops. See?

Hop bines outside in Benny's beer garden.

The place was hoppin' and no tables were available inside, so we sat in the beer garden area. The weather was pleasant albeit a bit chilly, so it was fine with us. After perusing the beer menu, I opted for something simple for my inaugural beer of the weekend - Pale Ale. No clever name, just a no-frills, straight-up American-style Pale Ale. You know what? It actually reminded me of the old Tröegs Pale Ale (R.I.P.) from back in the day. Brewslut opted for the Sippin' Time Session IPA, which was also served its purpose. Both beers were solid, although I preferred the Pale Ale a bit more. We had a hankering for some grub, so we decided to split an order of hummus, which came with baked pretzel bites and veggies. Our waitress was only two days in, but she did a fine job. I noticed that their giant soft pretzels looked eerily identical to the ones we serve at the Tröegs Snack Bar, which almost prompted me to order one, because they're that good! But Brewslut vetoed, so hummus it was. I almost got some fish tacos, but we decided to eat at Breaker since we enjoyed our pannini sandwiches so much last time we visited. We rounded out our visit at Benny with its Hopenstein IPA, a decent offering with ample bitterness, although the hop character was a bit non-descript. So the Pale Ale took top honors for me on this visit. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by Benny, and we even got to meet the owner/brewer himself. I like when owners/chefs, etc. walk around to the tables and chat with customers. Turns out Benny just opened this site in November 2016, so it's still a very new undertaking. We enjoyed our visit, and even got a few games of Connect 4 in while we enjoyed our beers. We'll definitely stop in again next time we're in the area.

Pleeps with our first beer of the weekend!

We headed a few miles across the town to Breaker Brewing Company, a haven for coal crackers. I appreciate this place due to its nod to the coal region, which as many of you know, is our old stomping grounds. Well, Breaker is a bit north of where Brewslut and I grew up, but it's definitely all the "coal region" up in them there parts! We typically opt for sampler flights at Breaker, since they usually have 10+ beers available. Since our last visit, it seems like they changed gears a bit and moved more from using odd ingredients in lieu of more approachable NE-style hoppy beers. Aside from the Farmhouse Plum (which Brewslut ordered as part of her 3-beer flight), all three beers I sampled were hazy hoppy offerings. Here's the low-down:

• Dem Oats Pale Ale - American pale ale brewed with oats and Citra and Eureka hops.
• Smooph 04 - NE IPA hopped with Citra and Mosaic. Hints of melon and tropical fruit.
• Carbon IPA - IPA hopped with Simcoe, Citra and Apollo. Grapefruit and piney notes.

Insider Breaker's bar area.

While each of the three hoppy beers I sampled were fine, I'm hoping that Breaker doesn't jump on the bandwagon of hazy IPAs.

With a new-ish tasting room, I made it a priority to add Susquehanna Brewing (SBC) to our weekend itinerary. While the spot itself was pretty cool, I was ultimately disappointed with my beer. Sadly, Brewslut concurred. SBC first hit our map when brewer/friend Guy Hagner (of One Guy and Berwick fame) helped open - and then started brewing for - SBC. I'd had a few of its beers over the years, none of which particularly "wowed" me (although Brewslut loves the Shady Spot shandy beer). But based on Guy's reputation as a brewer, I tried the beers as I encountered them out in the real world.

Entrance to Susquehanna's newly opened tasting room.

For our inaugural visit to the tasting room, I decided to go with the Hop Five IPA. I noticed the Hopcelerator was also available, but I'd had that before and wasn't a huge fan. Unfortunately, the IPA I ordered was a complete diacetyl bomb. If you are not familiar with diacetyl, it is a common off-flavor found in beer that elicits a microwave buttered popcorn flavor. Some beers - such as Heineken and Rolling Rock - consider it a hallmark flavor (why on earth, I have no idea)! I rarely don't finish a beer when I'm traveling for two reasons: 1.) I don't want to appear to be rude, so I'll usually just choke down a flawed or off-putting beer; and 2.) Because I paid for it, damnit! Sadly, Brewslut was equally unimpressed with her Hopcelerator.

Monkeying around with Pleeps.

Disappointed with our brief visit to SBC, it was off to Sabatini's - NEPA's premier craft beer mecca! I usually find a new SOLE beer to try while visiting, and tonight was no different. I spotted a beer called Over 9000 on tap; a DIPA, so I was sold! While it was a vast improvement over the beer I'd recently abandoned, I felt it didn't hit the mark of other hoppy offerings I've had from SOLE in the past. Coincidentally, SBC contract brews for SOLE, and its can releases are conducted on premises at SBC. Since we had about a 30-minute drive to the hotel, I nursed this beer while Brewslut dug into the menu a bit more, even ordering a cocktail (created by our friend and server, Kristen, so happened to be working that evening). It's always great to catch up with a friend in real life, as opposed to the interwebs.

I'd like to quickly point out that I love the bathrooms at Sabatini's... perhaps not as much as Zeno's, though. But still, I love the walk through the corridor to a collection of unisex stalls, with each door depicting a famous celebrity - everyone from Kermit the Frog to Bill Clinton.

...back and to the left.

When nature calls at Sabatini's, you have plenty of decisions to make, one of which is this: Who's going to watch over me while I urinate? I went with Caitlyn.

OK... I'm going in!

After an enjoyable visit to Sabatini's (which included a pizza, of course!) we were off to our accommodations for the evening, which were much nicer than the Red Roof Inn we stayed at last year over Memorial Day weekend.

Things got off to a good start on Saturday. I'm not sure how our first brewery of the day had eluded us for so long. The North, situated just west of Binghamton in the town of Endicott, had been alive and kickin' for a solid 5 years by the time we'd caught wind of this sweet little brewery. I had pretty high hopes after perusing the website, and I'm glad to say The North didn't disappoint. Sometimes I feel I possess an innate ability to sniff out the "good ones." The North is definitely one of the good ones.

The North... cross another one off the list!

The North is set up like a typical tasting room, with a long standing bar and sampler flights, growler fills, and the ability to purchase a glass of your favorite beer. I wanted to try everything, so Brewslut and I each ordered a flight, which included all five beers available on tap. Here's the skinny:

• Naked Rambi - kettle soured ale
• Blü - easy-drinking pale lager (the first lager they ever brewed).
• Black Donald - flagship porter with equal parts roast, chocolate and hops. My favorite of the line-up!
• Roasty O'Donnell - Pun-filled roasty, coffee-forward oatmeal stout. 
• Kookie Klouds - a tasty imperial cookies and cream stout.

Inside The North.

Since we pretty much opened the place, patrons were sparse. Luckily, the bartender was extremely friendly and knowledgeable, and answered all of our questions about the beer and brewery. The brewer was also on-site (brewing, no less) and came out to share a few words about the beers (and chow down on some Chinese take-out for lunch). When we mentioned Pizza Boy, the bartender expressed her love for the brewery, so I asked her if she'd ever had the Vietnamese coffee version of Sunny Side Up. She hadn't. I just so happened to have a can in the cooler out in the car, so I brought it in to share with the group. Our bartender reciprocated with Beelzebub, hoppy stout from The Alchemist. They definitely didn't skimp on the hops with this one. It reminded me of a Victory Storm King or more full-bodied version of Tröegs Dead Reckoning Porter. Either way, I was glad to see them dabbling in other styles outside of the tried-and-true IPA.

This isn't the monkey you're looking for.

After sharing these cans with our small congregation, one of the other customers purchased a bottle of Loaded God Complex, one of The North's Imperial Stouts, and cracked it open to share with the group. It's never too early to imbibe a nice RIS (that could be our Pour Travelers motto... or perhaps our mantra), and this one was a fine example of the style. As its name implies, this particular variation was the "loaded" version, and was touted as a "hazelnut mocha chili stout." The hazelnut was quite prominent, but there was also some peppery heat in the finish, which mingled nicely with the cooling chocolate notes.

Thanks for sharing, bro!

This is the kind of brewery every town needs. I loved the vibe, the people, and - most importantly - the beers. This place is worth going out of your way to visit. We'll definitely be back... hopefully sooner than later.

After kicking things off on the right foot, it was off to Binghamton Brewing, another first-time stop for us. During our previous night's visit to Sabatini's, Kristen said that Binghamton was her favorite of the breweries in Binghamton, so we were excited to check it out. We arrived right at the 2 p.m. opening time, so the place was vacant, save for the cheery and talkative purple-haired bartender. We took our places at the bar and perused the tap list, which included about six beers. I began with a short pour of the aptly named Citra Pale Ale, which was light, hoppy and enjoyable. Brewslut opted for the Purple Rain, a Gose with Concord grape juice. She was wowed. I rarely see her bowled over with a beer, but this was one such occasion. Ultimately, I believe it turned out to be her favorite beer of the weekend. I must admit, it was quite delicious, and the color of the beer hearkened our friendly bartender's hair.

Pleeps and a half pint!

After our pair of inaugural beers, I made a comment about the number of taps on the wall, remarking how sometimes breweries keep "special secret beers" on tap. Turns out my instincts were correct, as they did, in fact, have a secret, unmarked tap! The incognito beer was called Susan Bees! (another clever pun), an imperial brown ale brewed with honey. Our bartender was kind enough to let us in on the secret and provide a sample. It was smooth, viscous, and sweet. By now, I had to visit the restroom (we drink a lot of coffee in the morning too; a diuretic, according to Dr. Brewslut, which causes the coffee to travel through your bladder quickly and efficiently). A quick stroll through the production space and I could relieve myself. See?

...just a quick stroll through the brewery to the can!

Back at my seat, we went in for round two. I decided on the Maple Brown Ale, while Brewslut went with the Sweet Milk Stout. Both were solid but not quite as enjoyable as our initial beers. However, Purple Rain especially was tough to beat. Since our bartender was so friendly and accommodating (and an apparent fan of Tröegs, I learned), I went out to grab her a bottle of Crimson Pistil, our new hibiscus IPA, and she was thankful (so much so that she comped our entire tab)!

I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention the awesome cheddar popcorn they had as a complimentary bar snack. This stuff was like crack, and I had to push the bowl away after a while before I devoured an entire bag myself. Hey, at least I was loading up on carbs, right? (Actually, the beer was doing a fine job in that respect.)

This popcorn is making me thirsty!

Two for two, and it was off to Water Street. We first visited last year on our NEPA excursion and were impressed enough based on our initial experience. Plus the owner is a Judas Priest fan (as evidenced by some framed posters and LPs on the wall), so that's always a plus in my book! I opted for a wheat session IPA called Suco de Tangerina. As you can imagine, this one boasted hints of tangerine. Brewslut tried one called Betty White, described as "a golden beauty with a rye sense of humor." Cool. More puns. Over a pour of Avenger Pale Ale (a study in Cascade and Northern Brewer hops), we struck up a conversation with a couple from North Carolina, which kept us occupied. Water Street is a cool little spot, although I failed to snap any photos during this particular visit. Also, just around the corner is another mainstay of the Binghamton beer scene. "Hooray!" I thought. "We don't have to park again."

Like Water Street, we first visited Galaxy Brewing over last Memorial Day weekend. This place has an obvious outer space vibe with a seating area called the "lunar lounge," complete with a moon mural, and many of its beers are named with the space theme in mind. Last time, we enjoyed a few hefty IPAs. This time, however, it was a whiskey barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout called Panic that caught our attention first. But first, a bathroom break!

The Lunar Lounge inside Galaxy Brewing.

On my way back from the restroom, one of the brewery employees asked if I could spot an anomaly in the moon mural. I looked over it briefly, and noticed that the planet earth in the upper right corner depicted two North American continents. For displaying such a keen sense of observation, Galaxy kindly awarded me a complimentary beverage of my choice. Panic it is! At 8.8% ABV, it wasn't too heavy, although the whiskey character was fairly pronounced and tangy. I let Brewslut enjoy the lion's share of this pour since I was driving (plus I had to play drums for about two-and-a-half hours later than evening).

Speaking of stouts, our next selection was named after my favorite episode of Ren & Stimpy - Space Madness. This was an Oatmeal Stout with Brettanomyces (a wild bacteria that imparts sourness or barnyard funk to a beer). I don't dig sour stouts too often, but this one was subtle and pretty enjoyable. And we couldn't leave without trying Clax, a lime stout, which came across like a Mexican cola. The lime was off the charts here. I'm not sure how they landed on that particular name, as a quick trip to Urban Dictionary lists the following definitions:

• A word to describe people with the relative IQ of a salmon. 
• Somebody who acts like a complete idiot 24/7.
• It can also mean nothing.

Hmmmm. OK, so that wasn't helpful. I guess this one will remain a mystery sealed in citrus. 

After our visit to Galaxy, it was time to say "farewell" to Binghamton and head back to Montrose, PA for one final stop - Endless Brewing. For a super tiny place in the middle of nowhere, these guys are legit. When we arrived, the parking lot was full and the place was packed with folks sampling beer and getting growler fills. Upon perusing the amusing chalkboard, I was sad to see that Grasshopper, an excellent pale ale (and its flagship beer) was sold out for the time being. Last year, I bought a six-pack of cans and enjoyed it very much. However, there were plenty of new beers to try this time.

Always great to be back at Endless!

First up for me was Vacation Inspiration, a white IPA brewed with limes and kafir lime leaves (a type of lime native to tropical Asia commonly used in Thai food recipes). I love me some lime, and this one was pretty tasty. While imbibing, we chatted with a variety of customers as well as one of the owners (the woman we spoke with last time and also the wife of the brewer, I believe). We were able to snag a small table in the corner of this otherwise standing-room-only tasting room, which was fine because I was about two-and-seven-eights sheets to the wind by this time. However, we couldn't leave without enjoying some Bombshell Blonde IPA, its signature IPA. Last time, Brewslut was loving a TRIPLE version of this, which sadly wasn't available during this visit either. Still, this one is a solid, drinkable, straight-up golden IPA. Finally, we sampled the Bourbon Barrel Cider, a house-made hard cider aged in bourbon barrels for 11 months. This sucker was strong and boozy!

After our last sample, it was time to head to DetFest and get down with my peeps. More drinking ensued, of course, thanks in part to my well-stocked cooler of Tröegs beer including recently procured crowlers of Scratch Boysenberry Gose and Passion Fruit IPA. I also had a few nicks of whiskey, thanks to a few of my bandmates. After melting faces for a few hours, it was time for a hard - and well-deserved - crash in the tent!

Stay tuned for additional adventures from Memorial Day weekend 2017, including the return trip home and our stops along the way. Never fear! We took the scenic route.

Until next time...

Brewslut must have been pretty tipsy to let me capture her eyes on camera. 

(Pleeps is usually her photo stand-in; otherwise, she's usually wearing sunglasses.) 

Jammin' in the 'Burgh: Part 2

We began our second day where we'd planned to end day one - at Hop Farm. In hindsight, I'm glad we decided not to squeeze in one more place on the previous night, because it would have likely been a blur. So, we opened the place. I knew we were in the right spot thanks to the van parked outside in the small customer lot. Zoinks, yo!

Hop Farm's van reminded me of the Mystery Machine!

The small tasting room was vacant when we arrived, save for the bartender. We perused the chalkboard, and there were a dozen or so interesting sounding beers available - everything from English-style Cream and Brown Ales to IPAs to funky barrel-aged beers. While I'm always a sucker for variety, I decided to start off with the brewery's eponymous Hop Farm IPA. It's flagship beer (and for good reason), is brewed with generous amounts of Cascade, Columbus, and El Dorado hops. This one went down all too well, especially for how early in the day it was. It wasn't hazy, turbid or trendy; this was a no-frills, straight-up, tasty, juicy-ass IPA. I was diggin' it fo' sho'! It was a good way to start the day. (I'm always about good omens!) Brewslut opted for a coffee porter called Fresh Pot of Porter. Quickly, I was reminded of the hilarious video of Dave Grohl in the studio demanding more coffee by screaming "fresh pots!" at the top of his lungs. This was quite the coffee-forward beer. I actually liked how they describe the beer as "local La Prima Dark Roast coffee brewed with beer."

Lots to choose at Hop Farm.

For her next beer, Brewslut was eyeing up Cupid, a chocolate cherry stout. I must admit, so was I. There was plenty to be had, so we settled on smaller pours of several beers in order to experience the full spectrum of Hop Farm's beers. Naturally, we also had to sample Cupid's Wicked Woody, a soured version of the standard Cupid that had been aged in a bourbon barrel with Brettanomyces from Wicked Weed Brewing. While vastly different than the base beer, I actually preferred straight-up Cupid. While I've had a few sour stouts that I've loved, it's generally not a style to which I gravitate. Still, it was nice to try them side by side and make note of the different nuances of each.

My view from the bar at Hop Farm.

Since I enjoyed the IPA so much, I decided I might as well try the Black IPA. Hop Dreams proved to be a roasty, citrusy treat. Brewed with three pounds of El Dorado, Lemon Drop and Mosaic hops per barrel, this interpretation was on the hoppier side of the spectrum. It had a nice slick texture, which I often appreciate in the style. I like the "black" characteristics to be stout or porter-like and the "IPA" attributes to be... well, duh!

Akin to myself ordering a Rauchbier when I see one on tap, Brewslut must always try a brewery's Russian Imperial Stout if one is available. Enter Kulak, a dark and foreboding 8.5% ABV treat. I'm typically on board with this, as it is one of my very favorite beer styles. This one seemed more along the lines of a classic RIS with flavors of smoke, leather and tobacco in lieu of chocolate and coffee. Given those flavor descriptors, I may have enjoyed it a bit more than Brewslut, as she tends to stray from anything even remotely described as "smoky." Me? I say, "Give it to me!"

I'm still not quite sure how Pleeps got that Russian hat.

After a great start at Hop Farm, it was off to East End. A few weeks earlier, I had the pleasure of meeting head brewer Brendan when he dropped by Tröegs with his cohort Scott (East End's owner) and the Pizza Boy crew. They were getting a tour from John Trogner and I came down afterwards to say hi. It turned out to be quite an evening, as we hung out in the tasting room for a few hours. Yup. Never made it to the gym that night. But we set the groundwork for a few Ffej of July collaboration beers for 2017 and made a few friend. Brendan had another commitment later that afternoon, but he was kind enough to meet us for an hour or so, share plenty of samples, and give us a quick tour. I reciprocated with a pair of recently released Pizza Boy cans - BBA Sunny Side Up with and without Vietnamese coffee. I also cracked a bottle of Freaky Peach and shared with him before he left. But let's talk East End beer. Here's what we enjoyed during our visit:

• Eye Opener - tasty coffee porter brewed with local Commonplace Coffee.
• Big Hop - flagship IPA brewed with tons of Centennial and Cascade.
• Chamwow - a Belgian-style "table" beer brewed with chamomile. Slighty tart.
• Little Hop - dry-hopped session version of Big Hop. Nicely done! 
• Fat Gary - nut brown ale.

The bar at East End. I love the hop cone lighting!

Commonplace Coffee actually shares the space with East End, but sadly they were closed on Easter. East End does pour a tasty nitro cold brew, though, which I tried at the tail end of our visit. I wish more breweries would hop on the nitro coffee bandwagon. I'm all for every brewery having coffee available, especially dispensed via nitrogen right from the tap tower! After enjoying several samples, Brendan showed us around the brewery. I was surprised to see so many barrels in the cellar area. I was also surprised that they started releasing barrel-aged versions of the fantastic Gratitude Barleywine, one of my favorites of the style. Brendan was sure to send us home with one of those (and a pounder can, no less)! After poking around "backstage," we settled back into the tasting room area for a pint of Little Hop, my favorite of our visit. I also nabbed a pounder can of the newish Wheat Hop, a wheat IPA that was pretty damn delicious (had to wait to get home to enjoy that one)! I'm also looking forward to the beer that Brendan and Swingle concoct for this year's Ffej of July! 

Behind the scenes at East End.

After an enjoyable visit to East End, it was time to head south of the city (and rivers) to a few breweries closer to our hotel for the evening. I also got in touch with my friend and herbie band mate, Jay, who had migrated to the 'Burgh a few years ago, to meet us for some drinks. He's more of a whiskey guy, but appreciates a good beer now and then... at least when he's not drinking Miller Lite or Dos Equis.

Outside the larger-than-anticipated Spoonwood Brewery.

First on the chopping block was Spoonwood. When we arrived, I was surprised at the size of the building. I had a similar response a few months ago when we visited Double Nickel on our New Jersey and Philly weekend jaunt. We arrived about 45-minutes prior to Jay and his wife, Nicole, so we ordered some food and dug into the beer menu. Judging by its beers, it's obvious that Spoonwood has a soft spot for IPAs, as four of the five beers we sampled fell into the IPA category.

• Side Scroller - dubbed a "16-bit" IPA brewed with El Dorado and Denali hops. Clearly the brewer (or someone at the brewery) is a pretty serious gamer.
• Killer Diller - IPA with citrus, floral and fruity notes.
• Good-eye Sniper - 9.5% ABV DIPA hopped with Amarillo, Citra, Equinox and Sorachi Ace.
• Smoke & Oats - brewed with cherry wood smoked malt and flaked oats.
• Forever Single - single hopped Citra IPA.

Again, I enjoyed everything we tried here, plus the food was very good as well (nachos and some other carb-heavy menu item that escapes me). I must admit that I wasn't concerned too much with the surroundings or taking notes, because we were catching up with Jay and Nicole. I do remember Side Scroller being the stand-out beer, though. Must be the El Dorado hops. Jay was also nice enough to pick up the tab, indicating "You're in my town." I promised to get a bottle of Crown Royal for our upcoming herbie rehearsal in two weeks. 

I'm pretty sure this mural was done with chalk!

We talked Jay and Nicole to join us at our next stop. Mindful Brewing was a large, modern building with about a dozen house beers and a host of guest taps. While there was some interesting stuff not brewed on premises, I always like to try the house beer first. I decided on Zero Visibility, described as a "turbid ale." I was led to believe that this would be akin to a Northeast style Pale Ale or IPA. I think that was the intention; however, this beer was clear as a sunny day. Great name if it would have lived up to its description. Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed with my selection, not only for its lack of turbidity (that didn't bother me, actually), but the flavor just didn't deliver. I questioned whether or not I even received the correct beer. At any rate, I felt obliged to move on to a guest tap for my next selection. I settled on a Northeast Auburn Pale Ale from Knee Deep, which was a step in the right direction but average in the grand scheme of things.

Aside from an impressive tap list, Mindful also boasts a diverse and well-stocked bottle selection for take out and on-premises consumption. The building and atmosphere was pretty cool - perhaps a bit too trendy for my taste, but modern and well-maintained nonetheless - and had a pretty sweet outside deck area. There were a ton of people there during our visit, which gave the appearance that this was definitely a hot spot. Sadly, I snapped no pictures during our visit, save for this group shot of Jay, Nicole, Brewslut and I that a guy at the next table was kind enough to take:

Although Jay and Nicole headed back to Cranberry, Brewslut and I kept the Pour Travelers train a-rolling. Hitchhiker, our next stop, was pretty dark and crowded when we arrived. The dimly lit space made it feel like an old saloon. I moseyed up to the bar while Brewslut secured seating at a small round table in the corner of the small, crowded room. I opted for a pour of Porch, an American Pale Ale with hints of pine, melon and grapefruit. Brewslut settled on A Different Animal, a dry-hopped sour ale with notes of lemon, watermelon candy and bread. Both were quite good, and we noshed on a bowl of mixed nuts while we enjoyed our beers. Snack time anytime! It was pretty dark inside, so I failed to snap any pictures during our visit. It was also a pretty quick one-and-done stop for us, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.

Stock photo from Google.

Our final stop, Insurrection AleWorks, wasn't even included on our original itinerary. Not sure why, because it was pretty damn awesome! Either they were really new or I somehow missed them on the Beer Mapping Project map when I was researching our trip.

The place featured several heady-sounding IPAs (two of them named after Phish tunes) and a general crunchy vibe, if you catch my drift. Fine with me. Seems that hippies generally make really good beer, especially dank-ass IPAs. (Gee... I wonder why?) Seems like all of their hoppy beers were brewed using oats and wheat, giving them a silky mouthfeel and hazy appearance. Here's the low-down on everything we had during our visit.

• SHPAS - Pale Ale hopped exclusively with Galaxy. 
• Aufstand - Berliner Weisse with fresh strawberries and rhubarb. 
• Weekapaug Groove - IPA hopped with Denali (there's that name again), Motueka, Amarillo and Nelson Sauvin. 
• Split Open and Melt - DIPA hopped and dry-hopped with exclusively with Citra.

The kitchen was just ready to close, so we quickly ordered two bowls of mac and cheese. I enjoyed all of the beers immensely, and the fact that two of them were named after Phish songs was an added bonus. By this time, we were turning into pumpkins and it was time to make the short drive to our hotel and retire for the evening after a productive day of doing what we do best! While we were leaving, I snapped this pic of me and a diminutive guy I've dubbed "Calvin the Dwarf."

Me with Calvin the Dwarf. 

I couldn't decide if he was a gold prospector or a D&D character. I'll let you be the judge... kind of like a Choose Your Own Adventure book. Remember those? I sure as hell do!

But for now... Beer. Beer. Beer. Bed. Bed. Bed.

On Sunday morning, we woke up fairly early and grabbed some coffee and granola bars from the "free breakfast cart" in the lobby. Weak compared to our previous night's accommodations. We had one single stop before we hit the PA Turnpike for our return home - Brew Gentlemen, located just outside of the 'Burgh in Braddock. I'm going on record that Braddock, PA is the saddest, most depressed town I've ever visited. And folks, I've been to Camden and outside the casino area of Atlantic City. This place was virtually a ghost town. Arriving in town about thirty minutes before Brew Gentlemen opened (they were hosting a yoga class in the adjacent room to the main tasting room), we decided to walk from the brewery down into "town" (I use that term loosely) to try and find some food. I swear, we walked for five blocks and encountered not a single open store except for a Family Dollar store, which was packed! The town did have its share of dilapidated buildings, boarded-up windows, and graffiti a-plenty. It seriously was a sad sight to behold. I couldn't believe that such a revered brewery was located in such a desolate place. I still can't believe that I didn't take any pictures. I felt like I was trapped in a weird episode of the original Twilight Zone.

Brew Gentlemen... a great brewery in a ghost town.

Dejected yet in awe of what we'd just experienced, we returned to Brew Gentlemen hungry and thirsty. Thankfully, a food truck had parked itself outside the brewery and was in the process of opening. I checked out the menu and - SCORE! - burritos, quesadillas and tacos. Sold! I don't know if it was because I was so hungry or what, but damn that was one tasty-ass burrito. It may have been one of the best I ever had. I love when burritos have potatoes as an ingredient, and this one was stuffed with them. Bonus points for guacamole too! By the way, this particular food truck was Brassero Grill, and they are at BG every Thursday and Sunday.

Inside Brew Gentlemen's tasting room.

Inside, the space was modern and hip but with a vintage feel. For example, the bartender was wearing a tie and apron, which made me feel I was back in the 30s or 40s at a speakeasy. He looked more like a mixologist than a beer slinger. The music choice, however, was total gangster, and while it fit perfectly with the vibe of the town, it felt out of place inside the establishment. I seldom comment on the music while we're visiting breweries, but Brewslut pointed out that it was indeed quite a peculiar choice. Fair enough.

With only five beers currently on draft, we decided to try them all. I've heard that BG has a penchant for brewing hazy NE-inspired hoppy beers. Sounded good to me. I began with the General Braddock's IPA, their flagship beer. While it didn't knock my socks off, it was a delicate, balanced beer with complex nuances if you dug deeply enough. Its sweet malt backbone played nicely with layers of citrus, melon and honeysuckle. It wasn't overly aromatic or flavorful, but it was insanely drinkable, and the texture of the beer was spot-on... for my tastes, anyway. I've always been a fan of hazy beers, so not being able to see through my glass has never been an issue for me. It's a good thing too, because all of the beers today were hazy and translucent.

Pleeps bogarting my juice!

Brewslut opted for the BG Lime, an ale brewed with lime (obviously). I found this one to be fragrant and extremely refreshing. It may have been my favorite of the bunch. Listed as a spring seasonal, this one is a thirst-quencher for warmer weather for sure! We followed up with pours of Overgrowth, an American Pale Ale. Floral and citrusy, this one was also quite delicate. Liquid Resume, an Americanized Kölsch-style ale dry-hopped with Motueka. This one featured citrus tones and a hint of grape. We ended with Tiny Tross (unfortunately Brewslut's least favorite), a Pale Wheat Ale reminiscent of Trillium-esque hop profiles. Come to think of it, it was probably my least favorite of the five beers we had. Not to end on a negative note with a run-of-the-mill beer, I will say that this place seems worthy of the hype overall. While I wasn't blown away by anything, I left satisfied and glad that the trend for this type of brewery is spreading across the country like wildfire.

Pleeps was all set to do a speech about the trip, but he must have forgotten to bring his note cards so we'll just leave you with this pic. Until next time...

Jammin' in the 'Burgh: Part 1

It was time for a return trip to Pittsburgh. We hadn't dropped by the 'Burgh since our Drinksgiving Trip back in November 2013. A lot had changed since our last visit, and we planned to add another nine or ten new breweries to our ever-expanding list.

After an almost four-hour trek, my brain was begging for beer. Travelling a long distance always makes me thirsty, which perhaps is why we love travelling for our beer rather than cracking open a few bottles at home. The first stop of our long day took place at Fat Head's on Carson Street, Pittsburgh's equivalent of Philly's South Street. Upon entering, we noticed that they were going through a construction phase. I also asked about bottle shop situated upstairs in the loft area, as it looked like it no longer existed. Indeed, it was gone. We found our way to the bar just inside the main entrance.

In typical Pour Travelers fashion, I opted for a 9.4% Imperial IPA as my inaugural beer of the trip. Brewed with Citra, CTZ, Simcoe and Warrior hops, Bonehead Red blended biscuity malty notes with piney and resinous hops. Think sticky and slightly burnt malt and sugars. While not my favorite flavor profile for a DIPA (I was pining for some Hop Juju, but the well was dry), this was still enjoyable and easy to drink for such a hefty brew. Brewslut went with You Dropped the Hops on Me, Baby! This was a peculiar choice for her, as she's typically not a fan of Belgian IPAs, which is exactly what this beer is. Plus it includes Amarillo hops, so that's a double whammy. Still, she enjoyed it, as did I (although it was a tad too sweet for my palate overall). But the beer itself was inspired by the brewery's collective love for 70's funk music (named after the Gap Band's hit, "You Dropped a Bomb on Me").

Taps at Fat Head's from my vantage point.

There were a few others I wanted to try, but Fat Head's doesn't do half pours or single samplers, so we opted for a flight of five offerings, three of which were Fat Head's house beers. The other two were guest taps. Here's the run-down:

• Jack Straw Pilsner - very good interpretation of a classic Czech pils!
• Trail Head Pale Ale - brewed with whole flower Simcoe and Citra hops.
• Black Knight Schwarzbier - excellent take on a classic German dark lager with notes of chocolate and coffee.
• Windows Up - an IPA hopped with Citra and Mosaic from Alpine Brewing. This was a far cry from the old days of Nelson and Duet, unfortunately.
• Goedenacht - a strong ale from Draai Laag brewed with apples, orange blossom honey, coriander and Brett. This tasty beer was a sign of good things to come! 

It's no Creepy Baby Head, but still...

Fat Head's does a good job across the board. While it's my opinion that they make some of the best hoppy beers on the East Coast, each of the three beers in our sampler flight was a spot-on representation of its respective style. Food-wise, we both enjoyed a tasty chicken chipotle cheese steak sub with house-made chips for lunch. Fat Head's always features plenty of tasty pub grub and comfort food on the menu, and we've never been disappointed. Although once again I was denied of Hop Juju, there was still plenty of great beer to be had during our visit to Fat Head's.

Since it was Easter weekend, I figured we'd better get to church. Our kind of church, anyway. Not much had changed since our last visit to Church Brew Works, the next stop on our agenda. I've often cited this brewpub as one of the coolest places I'd ever enjoyed a beer. Despite not having set foot inside a church since high school (with the exception of weddings and funerals), I find the architecture of churches quite breathtaking. I've always been a fan of stained glass windows and all of the ornate decor that adorns the house that Jesus built (after all, he was a carpenter). I'm just not generally a fan of what transpires inside. Except, of course, when it means drinking beer. Church and beer... it's a match made in heaven (pun intended)! I always thought the blood of Christ wasn't quite so carbonated. I guess not.

Jokes and blasphemy aside, we entered the building and were greeted with awe-inspiring views of the brewhouse (typically where the minister performs his sermon). Soaking it in, we b-lined to the jagged, winding bar (not that they were busy at this time of day; we just prefer bar seating) and took our seats. I feel they need to add some pews and perhaps make the beer menu mimic the Bible. Hey, why now go the whole nine yards, right? After ordering our first beers, I decided to take a quick stroll and snap some pictures of the surroundings.

The window above the pipe organ inspired Church's logo.

I started with a pint of ThunderCloud, dubbed as a "hazy IPA" brewed with Citra, Mosaic and Nugget hops. I had already had the Thunderhop, their flagship IPA, a few times in the past, and it was enjoyable. While this beer wasn't hazy in the least (see below for a shot with Pleeps), it was pretty damn tasty. It was light and went down easy... almost too easy! The hop combo provided a sweet, fruity base with some tropical notes around the edges.

Pleeps meets ThunderCloud

Brewslut opted for something called Almond Joy, which turned out to be a bourbon barrel-aged stout with a big coconut character and hints of chocolate, bourbon and vanilla. At 8.5% ABV, it was pretty light-bodied, although quite smooth and oily. The coconut character struck me as quite authentic. I've had some coconut beers in the past that have displayed a "fake" or chemical-like flavor, but not this one.

Interior of Church Brew Works. Love the stained glass!

For some reason, I always forget about the beer engine. Many places have them, but oftentimes you have to ask if anything is available. The beer menu indicated to "ask your server," so I asked. On this particular occasion, The Church was offering up its Ambrosia, a wheat ale brewed with herbs instead of hops. This cask-conditioned offering also benefited from the addition of apples. I've rarely (perhaps never) encountered a wheat beer on cask at a brewery, so I was game. We opted for a full imperial pint to share. The apple didn't really shine through like I'd expected, but it was a light, refreshing beer nonetheless.

Cherubs rockin' out at Church!

Prior to our trip, Deuane mentioned that Voodoo had opened a brand new taproom in the Homestead area. Needless to say, we had to go. We'd been fans of Voodoo since our first encounter with original owner/brewer Matt Allyn at Philly Beer Week shortly after he started Voodoo. We bonded over the band Primus (one of his beers, Wynona's Big Brown Ale, is a reference to one of the band's songs). So we worked it into the itinerary. Reminiscent of the original taproom in Meadville, this location mirrored the vibe and garage-like atmosphere of its predecessor. I noticed some familiar-sounding beers on the list, including Killapilz (formerly Pilzilla) and Big Black Voodoo Daddy. I knew Brewslut was going to get a pour of the latter. I was right. She did. I went for a limited brewery-only release, a DIPA called I'm a Loner Dottie, a Rebel. This 8.9% ABV bomb was brewed with Citra, Columbus, Simcoe and new 7 C's hops. The latter hop is actually a blend of seven varieties all starting with the letter "C" to produce a distinct tropical fruit character: Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Citra, Cluster, Columbus and Crystal. As for the peculiar name of the beer, I was proud of myself for instantly knowing the movie to which this moniker made reference.

Go ahead, think about it for a few seconds. It'll come to you.

If not, I'll give you another hint. I mentioned to the bartender that "Large Marge sent me" when I ordered the beer. (If you still don't know, I'm not gonna tell you. Google it!)

Inside Voodooo's new Homestead taproom.

By this time, I was getting pretty hungry. I noticed something on the small but interesting food menu: salmon cakes. I was hooked. While they came out a bit mushy, they still tasted great and hit the spot. Plus they were served with a side of bowtie pasta salad. This served as a good mid-day snack while we continued to imbibe on the beer trail. 

Pleeps is down with the Voodoo.

We kind of went out of our way a bit to get to Voodoo, so in the words of James Brown, we "hit it and quit it." Up next on the agenda was Roundabout. The last time we visited, they'd just opened their doors for business a few months prior. The tasting room looked pretty similar, although they built on to it in order to facilitate more seating. But the bar area remained the same. Brewslut recognized the server as well (we believed her to be the wife of the owner/brewer). With only a handful of beers available, I opted for the Cadwallader IPA, which might have been my favorite IPA of the day. Brewed with Nelson Sauvin (already sold when I read this), Galaxy, Mosaic, and Cascade hops, this beauty of an IPA boasted hints of ripe melon and bright citrus fruit, especially pineapple. It was bangin', and I should have gotten a growler of it to take home. Fail!

Cadwallader IPA... you had me at Nelson Sauvin!

While Brewslut visited the restroom, I took a chance and ordered her a pour of the "And Now Pitching" Gose. Turns out I know her pretty well (I should after 27 years), because this was the beer she wanted. She was equally impressed with this offering. I'm glad to see Roundabout still operating and churning out some tasty beers. These two beers are definitely a step or two up from what we had when we originally visited, so kudos to them!

Up next was Grist House, and what a shit show! Remember the old days when Tröegs first opened in Hershey and it was a chaotic as all hell? Well, add the amount of customers we now have on any given Saturday and factor into the equation side street parking, and you can get somewhat of a snapshot of this place on the day we visited. But hey, good for them! These guys seem to be cranking out beer that people want to drink. Can't complain about a place for being popular, right? Plus it was a dog-friendly brewery, which I always enjoy visiting.

Outside at Grist House

Honestly, it only took us about five or ten minutes to get a beer at the bar despite the ordering process being a free-for-all. Grist House seems known for its take on the super-trendy hazy, turbid Northeast IPAs introduced first by breweries such as The Alchemist and later "perfected" (for lack of a better term) by places like Tree House and Trillium. The beer I settled on - Hazedelic Juice Grenade - was one of these types of beers. Great name! Brewslut went with the equally awesome-named Member Berries (fans of South Park will get that reference), a tart ale brewed with blackberries. While it wasn't overly sour or tart, it was enjoyable and the blackberry character was pretty pronounced. I enjoyed my "juice grenade" quite a bit, although Brewslut claimed it "tasted like a Trillium beer," so she wasn't too jazzed about it. She claims many of these types of beers have hop profiles that display notes of onion and cat piss. (For more on this phenomenon, you can go waaaay back into the annals of Pour Travelers history and read more about Brewslut's olfactory anecdotes.) I wanted to stay and try another beer, but it was so crowded and there was no place for me to rest my weary buttocks, so we decided it was time to move on.

After having a taste of Draai Laag (pronounced "dry log") at Fat Head's earlier in the day, we were excited to get to the tasting room. When we arrived, we felt right at home in the relaxed, charming atmosphere of the small space. Sitting down at the small bar, I thought, "This place is right up my alley!"

The Dutch term "Draai Laag" loosely translates to "turncoat."

With eight house brews on tap, the selection was quiet eclectic, offering up a variety of sours, farmhouse ales, and barrel-aged treats. I was more inquisitive than usual, and we were lucky to have a super-friendly and knowledgeable server who answered my questions about "lees" and "wild angels" (their signature yeast strain cultivated through open fermentation during their first year in business) as well as the origins of the name "Draai Laag." I was also surprised to learn that Draai Laag in fact had its own Koelschip (aka "Coolship"). We'd only ever come across one in our travels when we visited Allagash, and it was pretty cool (OK, that one wasn't intentional).

Tap list at Draai Laag.

We would have enjoyed sampling all eight selections, but we made a pretty good dent (considering we had one of these at Fat Head's earlier too). Here's what we tried:

• Wild Hazy Dry Hopped Prototype #6W - a tart, lemony dry-hopped saison
• Atomic Pomme - a bourbon barrel-aged American sour ale brewed with apples
• Öl (pronounced Oil) - strong ale brewed for Draai Laag's 5th anniversary
• Red Briar - an American wild ale brewed with raspberries

Taps at Draai Laag.

All of these beers were unique and against the grain. They've really carved out a niche for themselves in this market. I doubt you'll ever see an IPA on run of the mill styles like brown, red, or amber ales. The Atomic Pomme was especially memorable, offering an almost apple brandy character. Red Briar featured an authentic tart raspberry flair with a pleasant wild yeast backbone. We were also both pretty smitten with Öl as well. This 11.3% ABV strong ale was aged in Laphroaig Scotch casks, bourbon casks, and 27-year-old rum casks. I believe it was also conditioned on local maple syrup. The result was a viscous concoction of rum candy, dark fruit, molasses and Belgian chocolate. It was very Imperial Stout-ish, but with a Belgian yeast character that played nicely with the dark fruit and barrel wood. Before we left, we also had a thimble of a beer that had replaced the Prototype #6W, which was brewed with mustard seed. I'd never seen that as an ingredient in a beer before, so I was curious. It worked. It had more of a sweet, citrusy character, which was pleasant. I love when breweries experiment with non-traditional ingredients!

Peek-a-boo!

Overall, we were both really impressed with the complexity, inventiveness, and presentation of the beers, the service, and the space itself. A brewery like this could easily come across as pretentious; however our experience proved otherwise. While it was definitely an elevated beer experience, it felt casual and not forced in any way. In a nutshell, Draai Laag has their shit together. I will be seeking out more of their beers in the future for sure!

"Do we have to leave?"

We were happy to find that there was a food truck at our next stop, Dancing Gnome. We quickly perused the menu before heading into the taproom, which boasted a variety of wood-fired oven goodness. We settled on a calizone and headed in, but not before one of the pizza guys suggested we try the Jam. Sounded good to me, as I'm always up for a sweet jam session.

Following his advice, I ordered a Jam. This was a soft, hazy NE-inspired IPA brewed with rye and Australian Vic Secret hops. This newer hop variety is similar to the more popular Galaxy, also with origins in the land down under, offering notes of tropical fruit (especially pineapple) and pine. We also opted for a pour of Spy Dolphin, a DIPA with Citra, El Dorado and Idaho 7 hops. There was another DIPA on tap during our visit, but the Pour Travelers were becoming weary and fatigued. It had been a long, productive day, but alas we were tired... too tired to continue to our final destination of the evening, Hop Farm. We decided that we'd open Hop Farm the next day and adjust accordingly. For now, it was time to head to our hotel.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of our Pittsburgh jaunt, coming soon. Meanwhile, Pleeps will strike a pose. Until then...