Category Archives: Beer Locales

Places to enjoy and experience the Beer.

Beermentor’s Neighborhood: 4Hands Brewing (Beer 28/Day 28)

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Welcome Back to Beer Mentor’s Neighborhood!  We are visiting a brewery 1.4 miles from my place but in another world because of the beers they are making!  This place is awesome. 4Hands Brewing.

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I usually like to mix it up when I visit but today I stuck with the Resurrection IPA (28th beer in 28 days … keeping the train going!).  This beer is fantastic!  Maybe it is the Mosaic hops they are using … I don’t know.  But the Aroma and Flavor in this IPA is really satisfying.  I thought the flavor was Simcoe at first … but I guess Mosaic is derived from Simcoe and Nugget.  What a great kiddo.  haha.  Quick note: I’d go get some if you haven’t yet … it may be coming off the menu for a while.

They have a tasting option too and it is well presented.  Here’s a couple of pics of the Resurrection and the tasting flight.

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This is really a nice place.

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They have food available as well–however, it is a separate service so you will pay for the food separate from your beer.  

They have a great variety of beers and they have an extensive barrel-aging effort.  I didn’t try it this time but they have a beer called “Smoked Pigasus” — a smoked rye porter.  Can’t wait to try that one!

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They have great events going on here and all over the city.  These folks are very involved in the Craft Beer industry and support local homebrewers.  Every 2nd and 4th Wednesday they have a bottle-swap event … worth checking out.  A few more photos for those who enjoy a nice brewery! Oh, I should tell you — you can buy growlers or take home some bottles too.  

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Welcome to the Neighborhood!

Beer Mentor

Beer 27/Day 27 – Rochefort 10

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Well, I said I was going to drink only fantastic beers for the next two weeks–this is an awesome start!  Many beer-aficionados say that Rochefort 10 is one of the best beers in the world.  Ranks in the top 20 on beeradvocate and in the top 10 on ratebeer.  Of course, these websites are heavily skewed by Americans.  So the rankings on these sites are like calling the American Major League Baseball Championship the “World Series.”  Regardless, this Rochefort 10 is an amazing Quadrupel (Belgian Strong Ale).

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Of course I am of the opinion that, if you can get them, it is appropriate to drink a beer out of the glass designed for that beer.  I bought this glass at Achel Brewery (they had an amazing beer glass selection too!)

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Actually I bought this case of Rochefort at Achel too–I was living in Germany at the time.  I drank all of that beer.  Fortunately, not 5 minutes from my house is Randalls.  Awesome store.  Their beer selection is amazing.

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Currently I have some nice homebrew in this case ready for consumption!

I visited this brewery in 2009 and I have to say it wasn’t very inviting.  It is kind of outside of a small town and there’s no real signs to guide you to any “visitor’s center.”

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Both Achel, Westmalle, and Westvleteren are similar, except they each have focused visitor locations.  The beer store at Achel is amazing.

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The Cafes at both Westvleteren and Westmalle are exceptional.  The two most inviting Trappist breweries are Chimay and Orval.  Many times there is a Monk answering questions at Chimay and you can enter some of the grounds.  Orval has a nice tourist setup and  you can also schedule tours of the brewery.  Well worth a visit.

Enjoy!  Beer Mentor

Beer 3/Day 3: Schlafly’s Tripel! Woo Hoo!

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Stopped in at my local neighborhood Belgian Beer Bar … Tripel Brasserie.   This is basically my watering hole.  Let me know if you want to meet and have a brew there!

The beer selection is excellent, the staff is great, and the atmosphere is wonderful.  Oh … the food is excellent too.

But on to the Beer!  Today I had a nice Schlafly … This local (regional) brewery is making very good beer — as a matter of fact, their Pumpkin Beer is near the top of the list for best Pumpkin Beers in 2013! (Great to see Selin’s Grove and Southern Tier in the top 10 … those guys are awesome!)

Since I was at a Belgian-style restaurant I had the Tripel from Schlafly.

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A nice touch at Tripel … as far as I know there are only a couple of places you can get the Tripel on tap and they have it.  This is a very good beer … right in style, goes down smooth … love the crisp hoppy flavor in this one.  The right spicy yeast too … very nice!

Recommend a trip to Tripel … you won’t be disappointed!

Beer Mentor

365 Beers … in 365 Days? First: Perennial Artisan Ales Hommel Bier!

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Woo Hoo!  I took this 180 beers in 180 days challenge two years ago (see previous posts) … and I ended up making it to 250 beers/250 days.  This time … I’m going for the full year!  (I have to pad my Beer Drinker of the Year resume … (haha).

The first beer?  It is a Perennial Artisan Ales work … the Hommel Bier.
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Yep, I went for the growler!  Beer advocate gives this beer an 89 and I have to agree.  It is almost a match to the Poperinge Hommel Ale (almost) … I just close my eyes and I’m back at the Hotel de la Paix enjoying one on draft!  But I digress … I liked this beer so much I did a taste test while at Tripel in Lafayette Square.
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If you are in St Louis, I really recommend a visit to Perennial.  They are a little difficult to find (the GPS address takes you to the backside of the place … just drive around the block!)  The folks are awesome, they are really passionate about their brews and you can tell.  The Head Brewer has some side projects on-going and they usually have something really special on tap.  Worth a Trip!    Here’s a few pics of the place …
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Enjoy!  Beer Mentor

 

#42: Gösser Bierklinik (68)

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Third entry in the “Catch Up” series.  Continuation of the report on our two-week European Beer Excursion we titled The Gypsy Beer Experience.  This link will take you to a copy of the Itinerary:The Gypsy Beer Experience

This is #4 of 18 places on the All About Beer Magazine’s Growler List we visited.  The first three were: 1) Oktoberfest (#5), 2) Hofbrau Haus (#11), and 3) Die Weisse.

This is #68 on All About Beers Growler list: Goesser Bierklinik.  You can’t go wrong with a place that’s been doing the same thing since 1683.  haha.  This was actually our last stop of the day … we started in Munich, drove through Salzburg (visited Die Weisse), visited Melk Abbey (stunning), and then attended the Mozart Concert at the Music Hall in Vienna.  It only made sense to us that we stop here for our nightcap(s).

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Although their beer list is short (see menu below), they were served with gusto and a lot of fun.  The food, beer, and atmosphere were all great.

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Definitely a worthy entry on the Growler List.  Stay tuned for more updates from The Gypsy Beer Experience.

Beer Mentor

 

South Africa: Newland’s Brewery

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I had the opportunity to travel to South Africa in June of 2012.  While there I made it a point of touring the oldest brewery in South Africa … Newland’s Brewery.  Technically it was the Mariendahl Brewery in the early 1800’s, but all breweries eventually change, don’t they?  Well … maybe not some German breweries.  haha.

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Yes … Newland’s is a part of the SAB family of breweries.  Regardless, the brewery was awesome, the people were great, and the beer was good.  I recommend a quick pass out that way if in Capetown.  The tour is 5 Rand I think … and you get to sit in the pub at the end and have a few!

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This place has quite the history — and it’s well worth the tour.  I know most people think of wine in South Africa but there is definitely a tradition of beer brewing.  I enjoyed the lagers (naturally … what country doesn’t server lagers on the African continent?) and the Stout.  Like I said — you get to enjoy yourself at the end of the tour.  Reminded me of all my US brewery tours.  haha.

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Enjoy!  Beer Mentor

Abita Brewing … Restoration Ale

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On my way back to Texas in December I was looking for a place to stop overnight … I was scanning the map (should have been scanning the “Beer Mapping” tool), but I was just using good ole’ Google.   I was trying to make my way through New Orleans so I could stop at Cooter Brown’s.   Since I had my Mountain Bikes on my car and all my luggage,  I didn’t want to stop downtown New Orleans so I was looking for a place up around the I-12/I-10 interchange and realized Abita Springs was up there!!  Yes.  What did that mean?  Well, Abita brewing obviously!   After a little more searching I found out they have a brew pub in their Original Brewery.

I pulled into this place and was pleasantly surprised.  It was not crowded at all, the people were friendly, and they had a full selection of their beers on tap.   I spent a couple of pleasant hours in this place — best of all, they had a cask-conditioned version of Abita’s Restoration Ale.  Wow!  It was very good.

  

If you are passing through and would like a refreshing, local brew and some pretty good food I recommend a stop.  It was a nice diversion on my drive to Texas!

 

I understand that the brew pub is not owned by Abita but it was nice anyway.  Once I was finished I drove by the Brewery just to say I’d been there — I think they were having their Christmas Party that night!  haha.

Enjoy!

Beer Mentor

Kempinski Resort in Djibouti

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So if you come visit Djibouti I would recommend staying in a couple of places.  There’s a Sheraton here.  There’s also this place: Kempinski Resort.  This place is a five-star hotel/resort.  You have to see it to believe it.  It has as many as five bars to choose from … Check out the details here.

Last Friday I had the pleasure of hanging with some friends at the Kempinski.  What was special about it?  Well … besides the live music, great scenery, they had both Stella Artois and Leffe on tap.  The only drawback on having Belgian beers available was that they didn’t have the right glasses for it.  However, that’s ok — I enjoyed the glass they gave me for my Leffe … especially since I could only have two!

Ha ha.  Again … the Kempinski is a nice plan to go if you are in the area! :o)

Beer Mentor

Part of the Old Dominion: Lost Rhino Brewery!

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In December I had the pleasure of visiting the Lost Rhino Brewery with my good friend Brian (and his lovely bride).

I think the place has had a face-lift since then … it was pretty nice then–I’d like to visit it again to see the changes!  It is out a little ways in Loudon County (Virginia) … but worth the drive.  The folks who own this place were originally brewers in the Old Dominion Brewery.  When they saw their original brewery (and brewpub) closed in the area they decided to open another place … Lost Rhino.

We sampled all their beers (thanks for driving, Lynne!)  We also showed up for the tour … the fellow who gave it (I can’t remember his name, darn it) did a great job.

  

Very knowledgeable … you were able to walk around and look into everything … it was the way a brewery tour should be!  These folks are passionate about their beers… yes … we even got to sample the fresh stuff (see pic).

I only had one complaint with the trip … the ladies serving the beer weren’t very pleasant.  Actually they were downright cold (a little rude).  However, everything else was worth it.  Make the trip, drink the beer.  You’ll be glad you did.  And tell the ladies hi for me.

Beer Mentor