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Craft brewery Seven Bro7hers is to open its first Manchester city-centre bar, following a £245,000 investment through crowdfunding and a Government-backed loan.
Source:Seven Bro7hers Brewery to open first city bar
Hobgoblin has launched a one-off range of Halloween beer cocktails featuring an unusual ingredient – frozen wood ants.
Source:Hobgoblin launches one-off frozen ant cocktails for Halloween
 Brewery
Date and time reviewed: Thu, 27 Oct 2016 12:37:35 EDT
Overall Score: 91.7
Selection: 4.25 | Service: 4.5 | Atmosphere: 5 | Food: 3.5
Reviewer: Curmudgeon
In the Fall of 2016, wife Persimmon and I left the confines of comfortable Southern California (and our jobs behind managing an apartment building) to travel across and throughout the United States to see….just see what was out there.
No, we didn’t (and don’t) have millions of dollars but rather went depending on friends and our own capabilities to see us through.
As I write this after 2 months on the road (and now in Pittsburgh with a dear friend) I can only say what a grand time we’ve had so far…an adventure beyond measure and very difficult to describe. Too many things on daily basis to convey in all their beauty and humanity.
However, this is a beer “blog” and one of our “goals” (since we really don’t have demands on our time now) was to visit all of the “under-appreciated” breweries in each state and, the so – called “hippie” burgs as well.
We missed some. To catch them all would have required a itinerary that, on a map, would have looked like a Looney Tunes cartoon chase from West to North to West to East to South to West to North; a zig-zag line reminiscent of someone attempting to draw a straight line on a roller coaster.
But we had friends in Yellow Springs which just happened to boast not only the “hippie” label but also that under-appreciated brewery as well.
What a find!
Yellow Springs (named for the “yellow” {rust colored actually from iron in the water} springs) is a 2-block downtown college burg that boasts glass and art studios, street sellers of afghans and tie-dyed shirts, bakeries, 1 eatery, 1 coffee shop…and more than a few tourists.
It also houses, right by a bike-hike trail the brewery.
And on a Saturday afternoon around 1:00, it was just starting to see some life. We found a table
and ordered up their Prowler, an Oatmeal Stout clocking in at a whopping 11% and was, without a doubt, the best I’ve ever tasted. Full and malty, as opposed to most Oatmeal stouts that come in around 5–6% and taste weak and watery, this rolled around in the mouth like a thick molasses leaving a trail of slightly sweet bitterness in the throat.
Their double IPA (Wobbly Wheel) was quite good — and this coming from an advowed opponent of IPA’s in all their varieties. The saison (Captain Stardust) was a well-seasoned and balanced brew as well.
They have snacks here, not food…a beer garden that was at first populated then, as the weather cooled, became a bit deserted but it sits right on that aforementioned bike path and has a delightful atmosphere.
The one shock you need to be aware of…the door to the bathroom opens into the brewery! Bam!!! There are the mash tuns and fermenters but where, oh where is the…oh! There, in the corner. You’ve got to make major water and the folks are tour are wondered if you about to join in?
Yep, Yellow springs brewery has a good thing going and if I could pick it up and carry it around with me in my little red Jeep for the rest of the journey, I would do so.
But alas, no. Can’t…but I can come back.
And to finish this little piece of doggerel in the vernacular of past times….
Duuuuuuuuuude! It is just so bitchin’ and gnarly! (Yes, we did talk like that!)
Link to this Review at beermapping.com
Source:Yellow Springs Brewery
 Brewpub
Date and time reviewed: Thu, 27 Oct 2016 22:14:58 EDT
Overall Score: 41.7
Selection: 0.75 | Service: 2.5 | Atmosphere: 3 | Food: 0.75
Reviewer: Curmudgeon
Back in the medieval days, Belgian monks were having trouble getting people to attend their worship services. So they hit upon an idea…
Everyone who came got a glass of beer.
And the tithing bowls over-flowed with cash.
They still do, although now they’re cash registers and almost any brewery or brewpub that opens its doors have to really screw things up not to succeed.
Church Brew Works in Pittsburgh has a direct connection to this story. Housed in an old Catholic Church, its main room is the old sanctuary, the confessional now a waiter’s stand; the holy water bowls remain although I was sad beer was not pouring from the fountains.
Wife Persimmon & I went there for dinner with a friend who was excited to show off their beer and pizza.
Too bad. Wrong night. The well-respected pizza oven was down for repair; the beer fermenters had just been replaced. So, no pizza and only 4 beers; Pale Ale, Bud rip-off, Oktoberfest and a Stout.
Bland, watery, little taste, no layers or character.
The food was decent; fettucine w/chicken, a vegan stew with kale, potatoes & carrots, a salad full of lettuce, tomato and french fries. (French fries?) Yep.
And like the beer, bland & un-offensive so as to please the typical American palate.
All that for $75.
What do you think my recommendation is going to be?
Link to this Review at beermapping.com
Source:Church Brew Works
Brampton Brewery’s Mild has been named the best beer in the Midlands at the SIBA Independent Beer Awards, hosted by the Birmingham CAMRA Beer festival.
Source:SIBA: Brampton Mild named best beer in Midlands
The daughter of licensee parents, Candice Brown, has won the BBC light entertainment show, the Great British Bake Off.
Source:Publicans' daughter wins Great British Bake Off
The Ellon-based brewer and operator has outlined its strategy for 2017 across its bar estate with a focus on beer quality, training, greater guest ale choice and new sites.
Source:BrewDog announces bar plans for 2017
Following research
that nearly 80% of people have left a pub or a café early because of the level of noise in the venue, licensees discuss the benefits and perils of music in the pub.
Source:Licensees discuss the importance of music in pubs
Brewpub
Date and time reviewed: Wed, 14 Sep 2016 17:31:59 EDT
Overall Score: 33.3
Selection: 1 | Service: 2.5 | Atmosphere: 1.5 | Food: 1.0
Reviewer: Curmudgeon
Walnut Brewery is a block away from the historic Pearl Street mall in college-ville, Boulder.
It is a subsidiary of the Rock Bottom Chain which explains the quality of beer and food.
Best word; mediocre. The brown was good, the others (Pale Ale, IPA, mild {very mild} dark) all without character.
The food is expensive and the portions small. Our pretzels “bites” (and that’s what they were…all 5 of them) were almost $5.00 — on a Wednesday afternoon — with 2 half pints — total, $15.75 without tip.
This was my fault.
In my zeal to experience a new brewery, I asked a young lady on the street if she lived in Boulder. She answered, “yes” with a lovely smile. Then I asked about Walnut. She raised her hand, fingers stretched out in front and wriggled her hand in a “meh” gesture.
“And New Flanders?”
No words. Same hand expression…then, “I’d go to Mountain Sun.”
Well, wife Persimmon and I have been there and, as I said, I wanted to try a new place.
I did.
I won’t return.
Link to this Review at beermapping.com
Source:Walnut Brewery
Brewpub
Date and time reviewed: Tue, 20 Sep 2016 17:44:25 EDT
Overall Score: 81.7
Selection: 3.5 | Service: 4 | Atmosphere: 4.75 | Food: 2.5
Reviewer: Curmudgeon
Evergreen, Colorado is a small community nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains…meaning it’s 7000+ feet high surrounded by trees, streams and quiet.
Evergreen, Colorado is also the home of Lariat Lodge brewing, also nestled above the community with a spectacular view of the mountains, a stream flowing below and unfortunately, the busy street…although the busy street has a rush hour total of perhaps 50 cars so….
Wife Persimmon and I had completed a 4-mile hike to Maxwell Falls a few kilometers away and, although the falls were disappointing, we did discover Lariat Lodge…and this being a Monday, the trail and brewery were not too populated.
A good selection of beers from a delicious Irish Red to a mild and bland, milk stout with stops for a coupla of IPA’s, a blonde and a brown….none of which had mud body.
However, the location of the brewery was delightful. A big main room for food opened to an outdoor seating area overlooking that aforementioned stream below and the surrounding countryside….a beer “garden” that consisted of 3-levels including a tented area for live music.
It was the perfect end to a perfect outdoors-type day and typified a quintessential Colorado setting…something downtown Denver just can’t deliver.
Big city your “thing”…Denver is 40 minutes away. You want a beer in the “Rocky Mountain High”, Lariat Lodge provides.
Link to this Review at beermapping.com
Source:Lariat Lodge Brewing
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