Brew Co. - Newport Beach, CA

This week I found myself in Newport Beach, CA on a business trip.  This is an area of beautiful Beaches, beautiful houses, beautiful cars, and beautiful people. And of course a local brewery!

Passing the Porsche, Tesla, and Maserati dealers, around the corner from the Yacht Docks is the more relaxed location of the Brew Co.  The sign posted on the building indicated that it is "Husband Day Care"... give him money for food and beer and they'll watch him all day.  A bit corny, but a welcomed corny considering the surroundings.

The beer covered all the basics from Pale Ale to Stout to Special Cast Pours. They have a menu of Burgers, Sandwiches and Pizza.  This evening we went they also had a special Taco Buffet and Margaritas, which several people seemed to be enjoying.  The pricing was very reasonable, not only considering the area.

I order a sampler to try the regular pours: Newport Beach Blonde, Pelican Pale Ale, Disaster in the House IPA, Village Idiot IPA, Bulbon Brown Ale, Lil cowboy Stout Nitro.  My favorite was the Disaster IPA and I also thought the Stout was nice and smooth.  I wish I could have tried the Hefeweizen because people said that was a nice beer.  The pale ale had a very champagne like taste and feel, which made it too light for me to enjoy. The pours were a good size and the price was $9 for the sampler.  I thought it was quite reasonable.  They didn't share the alcohol % and I would have like to know that information.

This was a nice place to visit. There was beer to enjoy, the environment was welcoming and relaxed.  They have been there for a while so there was a nice local crowd. There was free parking onsite which isn't the norm for other places in the area (required valet $$ is normal).  It was nice to be in a place where there was good beer, a nice environment and not loads of pretense.

Dispatches From the Front: Presidente

Editor's Note: While this blog is in theory about sampling samplers at local breweries, it is actually more about travel, and the beer we find therein.  There are places that instead of many local brewers, have one beer that embodies the region and culture so fully you need nothing more.  It is a part of the place.  "Dispatches From the Front" posts will be set aside for just such occasions. 

There is nothing better than a cold beer, except a cold beer on a hot day.  There is nothing better than a cold beer on a hot day, except a cold beer, in the morning, on a hot beach.  This is such a day, and in The Dominican Republic, Presidente is such a beer.

We are on the island for a wedding (vacation).  And like so many other places, there is a beer that is THE beer.  If you go to a bar or a restaurant or a roadside stand and ask for a cold beer, Presidente is what you get.  And there are reasons.  Sure, it's made locally and cheap and available.  But more than that, like beers on every warm island, it is made for a hot day.  Somewhere between a fine Pilsner and a cheap American Lager, it holds the cold and cools the body.  It is perfectly suited to be run across a sunburned brow, cracked open, and swilled poolside.

Bubbly, refreshing.  Breakfast, lunch, dinner.  Si, por favor.  But, be warned... these beers should not be ordered in the states.  Want a Presidente?  Go to DR.  Want a Red Stripe?  Go to Jamaica.

Michele is sleeping... I think I'll have a beer...

Wolverine State Brewing Co. - Ann Arbor, MI

Hey y'all, we're starting a new blog.  A beer blog.  But, not a blog about beer, necessarily... more like a blog about drinking beer, and trying beer, and using beer as an excuse to check out cool new places.  A beer experience blog...

We have gone out of our way on our last few vacations to try local craft beer wherever we go... this blog will be our chronicle.  We'll not describe each beer in intricate, specific, nerdy detail.  We'll get a sampler, drink it, snap some pics.  Join us. 

And to start, we went .9 miles down the road to...

Our home venue.  The Wolverine.  We were mug club members the week they opened the doors.  Alexandra is as comfortable here as she is at home.  She asks to go there.  There is room to run around and cool stuff to look at.  There are maps on the walls and table, and she loves maps.  This is the face she makes if you suggest going there...

No food.  No waitress.  No frills.  Just amazing beer (all lagers) and a fun comfortable environment.  They do special runs and small batches.  They experiment.  Today there were nine beers on the board...

 And so we tried them.  From left to right: Wolverine Premium Lager, Wolverine Dark, Hopstadt Altbier, Gulo Noir, Gulo Gulo, Faustian Stout, District 16 (Wolverine Amber), Insolent Mink, & Gulo Revilo.

 Smooth, drinkable, refreshing.  And big pours.  Robin and I shared this sampler and it's a good thing we did.  Given some time I could drink it all, but it's a bunch of beer... including some with as much as 8.3% alcohol. 

We sat and talked and laughed.  Bob and Alex played foosball.  Michele poked me in the ribs and drank Hopstadt.  It was the perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon.