Loads of drunken fun last night at Toronado. The place was packed. Here are the draft beers I tried (most favorite first)
Judgment Day - holy crap! I LOVED this beer - this is a dangerous beer - goes down real easy even though it is 11%. I want to make brownies with this beer. It is barrel aged with raisins.
Cable Car - wild yeast - and not that sour. Overall a great example of the style.
2nd Anniversary Imperial IPA - lots of hops - very tasty .
Lost and Found Abbey Ale - this one didn’t blow me away - there was pretty much no corbonation - still flavorful and complex.
Wipeout IPA - i think i might have been a bit drunk at this point - i remember linking this IPA but thinking it wasn’t anything really special but i will have to try it sometime when I sober.
I wanted to buy all the bottles but because of money and ability to carry them home, I ended up with a bottle of Isabella Proximus and Older Viscosity. After a much needed sausage next door, I had some not completly mature but still very good homebrew stout at a friend’s house. Another fantastic Toronado night.
I’m going to say it right up front–The Publick House in the Brookline neighborhood of Boston is the best beer bar I have ever been to. Ever. It’s not just the wide variety of beers–both Belgian and American–available. I’ve seen places like Toronado and The Ginger Man that have just as many. It’s not just the atmosphere–hoards of young people looking for pints of Allagash White. It’s all those things PLUS the best food I’ve ever had at any beer centric establishment.
While we waited for a table (get there EARLY!), I had a bottle of Saxo, and Joe had a Weissbeer on tap from Victory Brewing. Table service, once we got there, was pretty fast, though harried. We started with an appetizer size pot of mussels, which we couldn’t finish. Our main courses were what I will alway remember though: meatloaf with mashed potatoes and Maytag cheese and a fish stew.
My other favorite thing about this place is the samplers. I always assign bonus points for samplers. It’s $1.50 for most American beers, $2 for Belgian or anything over 9%. The one I was most proud of was the dessert sampler we concocted for ourselves. It included Southern Tier Creme Brulee, Triticus Wheat Wine, Founders Rubaeus (raspberry) and Atomium Grand Cru. You could smell the creme brulee from two feet away.
The Publick House is easy to get to–the T runs right in front and drops you off just a block away. If you can’t get a table, you can order food at the bar if you can score a stool. It’s well worth elbowing your way in.
This month’s Session is hosted by The Barley Blog. The topic was anniversary beer:
“Use this as an excuse to celebrate. Open a limited release anniversary beer from your favorite brewer. Enjoy that special beer you normally only open on your wedding anniversary or birthday.”
We decided to finally crack open our three bottles of Newport Storm from the Coastal Extreme Brewing Company for our own beer Olympics. Watch as we do a vertical tasting (with scores!) of the ‘05, ‘06, and ‘07.
If you aren’t doing anything this coming Saturday and live in the bay area, you might want to head to Speakeasy Ales & Lagers. They are having their 11th anniversary party from 2pm - 6pm and they know how to party. The 10th anniversary was amazing last year - just be careful of the double daddy and big daddy they pack a mean punch. Also come early it gets real crowded. Oh and I would not suggest driving - take the Muni T or 19 bus - or maybe a cab. See you there!
We've been exploring the beer world, trying to find amazing brew anywhere we can for a few years now, and we wanted to share our experiences with everyone.
We're not experts, but we do know what we like in a good beer.
So come drink a beer with Joe.
Cheers!
ever had at any beer centric establishment.
It included Southern Tier Creme Brulee, Triticus Wheat Wine, Founders Rubaeus (raspberry) and Atomium Grand Cru. You could smell the creme brulee from two feet away.