I met my friends Brad and Rachael last night at World of Beer to catch up on things. It also gave me the chance to try a holiday ale that I was curious about. Bell’s Christmas Ale (Bell’s Brewery; Kalamazoo, MI; Scottish Ale; ABV: 5.8) is an interesting, somewhat unconventional Scottish ale. Dark brown in [...]
Christmas Day was a sunny 60 degrees in Savannah. With most of the pubs and restaurants closed for the holiday or at least until dinner, save for a handful of places, Anne and I decided to seize the day and explore the city. While walking downtown, we came upon the official headquarters of the Savannah [...]
Anne and I spent Christmas weekend in Savannah, which is becoming a tradition for us this time of year. As a local stated, “In Augusta, they ask you which church you belong to. In Charleston, they ask what your family name is. In Savannah, they ask what you drink.” We arrived around dinner time on [...]
After a fun filled weekend in the City, it was time to head back to Florida. After going through security, I stopped by one of my favorite airport bars to grab lunch and have a pint or two. The NY Sports Grill, located in Terminal 5 at JFK, is a little gem of a pub. [...]
I’ve been watching Boardwalk Empire on HBO, which focuses on Atlantic City during the days of Prohibition. During this time, speakeasies were popular; in fact, Chumley’s in Greenwich Village started out as a speakeasy in 1926 and remained a neighborhood icon until its closing in 2007. And in between seeing family and enjoying the sights, [...]
Just got back from a long weekend in the Big Apple visiting family. The City’s especially festive this time of year, and it was great catching up on things. I also had the chance to explore some brewpubs while in town, as this series of posts will detail. My first stop upon settling in on [...]
We stopped by BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse in Pinellas Park on Sunday for dinner, and noticed that they had an abbey ale as the special on draft. Beer Advocate had it listed as retired, but BJ’s is brewing it again. I can definitely attest, after a couple of pints, that everything’s back to Normal! BJ’s [...]
It’s an annual right of passage at the beginning of February that two world renowned Imperial IPAs make their mark upon the craft beer world. The first, Russian River Pliny The Younger (Russian River Brewing Co.; Santa Rosa, CA; Imperial India Pale Ale; ABV: 11.0), has become the Holy Grail for many beer enthusiasts. While [...]
With the explosion of the craft beer industry, it seems like ales and lagers are giving wine a run for its money as the drink of choice. In fact, many breweries have started to age their ales in oak barrels which give them a distinct wine like character. This “crossover” is producing beers that appeal [...]