The Brew Lounge

Monday, December 19, 2005

Although this visit to The Brewer's Art was made all the back in the first week of August, it made such a favorable impression on me that I feel compelled to write about it even now. And, of course, the more I dwell on it the more I want to schedule a follow-up visit a.s.a.p.!

My visit came before we got this site up and running, so I don't have any pictures to post except for the ones that I lifted off of their site. I was in Baltimore on a day trip for business and I didn't complete my business day until around 4 p.m.

So, what to do? Of course, I could get on the road and try to get a jump on rush hour traffic. Eh, boring. Or I could reward myself for a good presentation with a trip to The Brewer's Art to sample their beers which I've only flirted with from afar in Philly.

I believe until that point, I only had their beers at the Bishop's Collar bar in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia. Plus, the reputation of the Ozzy beer and the Resurrection are well documented. The only thing I'm left curious about is the name of the brewery and their website name.......Brewer's Art and belgianbeer.com. Hm, I just can't get comfortable with the use of those names, but I digress. I can get way comfy with their beers, so here goes :)

I was their first customer of the day as they opened their doors at 4 p.m. They are a bit off the beaten path, north of the downtown area of Baltimore and on the

way to the Johns Hopkins University. I was a little skeptical of the area, not in a scared kind of way, but there's really nothing else in the area to draw you there except for the bar.....so, I park the car and inside I go. It was a sweltering hot day, so the frigid air conditioning was a relief.

The "front of the house" (actually, it is a converted rowhouse) is a comfy bar/lounge area, perfect for grabbing some after work brews and light food. Natural light (no, not the beer) pours in through large windows facing Charles Street. The middle room provides some more comfortable seating while the back room serves as the dining room. Downstairs is a dark and cozy bar area which reportedly gets quite popular later in the evening. As you probably tell from this paragraph, my overall impression of the ambience is....comfortable!

Well now on to the beers. I got quite a bit of attention in my first hour as the only customer at the bar. As the bartender was prepping the bar for the evening, he was pleasant to chat with me about the brewing operations, the beers, the food, and the Baltimore beer scene (which I believe is greatly improving as of late).

I started with the Ozzy because I have such fond memories of it. It most certainly is a good start as a full-flavored Belgian ale. (Think how quickly this beer disappeared since I had been speaking all day long!) I then moved on to a couple of unknowns, the Wit Trash (witbier) and Sluggo (APA). Both lacked in flavor and body and were otherwise forgettable.

I then moved to another that I had only heard of previously....the Proletary Ale. While I remember it being a dark and heavy beer, I don't recall much else about it. However, it was still a major improvement over the previous two. Then, I figured if I was going out, then I was going out with a bang.....with the Resurrection and the Ozzy (again, ha!) I've had the Resurrection (dubbel) in Philly and was so happy to again have this mouthful of barley malt bursting with flavor. It's a tough call between this ale and the Ozzy for my favorite beer from The Brewer's Art.

Oh, and in the middle of all this beer, I did manage to have some food! Dinner hadn't yet started but I tried some bar food. Actually, a bit better than typical bar food, I had an overflowing, seemingly bottomless, bowl of plump mussels in a delicious broth. Also, an order of fries (regular and sweet) and leeks with a tasty side of aioli dipping sauce. Unlike my experience at Dogfish Head Alehouse in Montgomery County, MD, I was able to take growlers of beer home with me. Fortunately, I had called ahead on this topic and learned that they'll fill your growler for you.....but they don't supply any of their own. So, phew, I brought two growlers with me for some more Ozzy and Resurrection at home, woohoo!

Soooo, the moral of the story here is when in Baltimore, leave the Inner Harbor and head north to The Brewer's Art. This is definitely beer that I wish we had better access to in Philly. I suppose, though, that it makes it all the better when I do finally get the chance to have some of their brews. And from what I understand, the relatively new chef is making high marks by turning out decent dinners from the kitchen. You should not be disappointed.

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Highlights from Beer Events

Thursday, December 15, 2005

Dogfish Head Alehouse, addendum

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ugh, I can't believe the one comment I forgot to make about Dogfish Head Alehouse in Gaithersburg, MD and their takeout policy.

Adam reminded me in a comment to my original post. I enjoyed our visit to DFH, but went home a bit disappointed because they're in the only county in Maryland that does not allow beer carry-out from a bar like theirs. So, the growler I brought with me went home empty :(

Just a word of advice in case you ever try to do the same. ALSO, in response to Baba's comment from beerrag.com, the owner of the DFH Alehouse in Gaithersburg mentioned that one of the next locations they're scouting for expansion of the DFH concept is Leesburg, VA. Sounds like a further push into the D.C./Northern VA market.

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Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Brewing: Wee Heavy, Imperial Stout & Barleywine

They are both doing very well. I put a regular airlock on the Wee Heavy now that its fermentation has settled down a bit. The Imperial Stout is still using a blow off tube. I really want to get that barleywine bottled too. Bryan supplied the remaining beer bottles that I need. Image from Wikimedia Commons.

Blog: A Good Beer Blog

Yep that's what it is called, "A Good Beer Blog". I would say I pretty much concur. I don't know the Canadian, Alan, that runs it, but, I like hearing from up North and getting another perspective. Check it out when you get a chance :-)

Philly Beer Calendar - What to do in the remainder of 2005

Just a few things that might be interesting to do in the Philly area over the last half of this month.

Fri. 12/16/05 - Rock the Dock, Reel the Fish - Grey Lodge Pub; Philadelphia, PA (6-10; pay as you go)
Fri. 12/16/05 - Beer Tasting: Legacy - The Beer Yard; Wayne, PA (5-7; free)
Fri. 12/16/05 - Third Friday Firkin Fest - Sly Fox Brewery & Pub; Royersford, PA (5:30-?; pay as you go)
Tues. 12/20/05 - A Night at the Brewhouse Dinner - Victory Brewing; Downingtown, PA (6:30; $50pp)
Thurs. 12/22/05 - End of Year Big Beer Extravaganza - John Harvard's; Wayne, PA (6:00-?; pay as you go)
Fri. 12/23/05 - Beer Tasting: Troegs - The Beer Yard; Wayne, PA (5-7; free)
Sat. 12/31/05 - New Year's Eve Beer Dinner at Monk's Cafe - Philadelphia, PA (6:30, 9:30 seatings; $50pp)

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Dogfish Head Alehouse in Gaithersburg, MD

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Holy 's' batman! I'm looking back over my reviews and realize that I still haven't posted my thoughts and experience with Dogfish Head Alehouse from our recent trip to Washington D.C. This should not be confused with my work-related trip to D.C. that came only 3 days later from this trip.

Patty and I took the day off from work on a Friday two weeks ago to visit the new panda cub, Tai Shan, at the National Zoo in Washington. After our best zoo experience ever, we headed out of the city and decided to stop at the DFH location for a bit of sustenance to carry us back home ;-)

So, while I still haven't visited the Delaware operations of DFH, we couldn't pass up the opportunity of visiting the new DFH location in Maryland. It's only 10 miles off the D.C. beltway. And, as anyone knows from driving the beltway, any diversion off the beltway is usually a welcome distraction. And, when the distraction is DFH, then it's a no-brainer!

It's an easy location to find just off of route 270, exit 10. For one last landmark, it's directly across from the entrance to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)......creates a lively happy hour crowd ;-)

Where to begin? I suppose I could say that the location had me a bit skeptical at first. It's along a very busy road in suburban D.C. and on the edge of a corporate/retail mall area. I suppose it's kind of like the King of Prussia area along route 202 (for all of my Pennsylvania friends). The parking lot is ample and when you walk inside you instantly feel isolated from all of the craziness of the outdoor environs that you just left behind. It's impressive how quickly they have hung recent press clippings about their new location.

Inside you will find dining room seating scattered around two floors. One unique aspect of the dining operations is a private eight-seat table above the main entrance. I could definitely see spending a few hours eating and drinking in the privacy of this room. Anyone else???

The only bar area is located on the first floor. The area is sufficient, but not ample. But, who cares, we got two seats at the bar. It was only 3 p.m. on a Friday afternoon, so we definitely beat the happy hour crowd. However, we knew for sure that we lost any chance of beating the rush hour traffic north out of D.C. (we won't even discuss the 4 hour trip back to Pennsylvania, ugh!) So, given the time of day, we had the complete attention of the very friendly and talkative bartender.

We ordered some decent sandwiches and appetizers along with a Chicory Stout and Indian Brown Ale for starters. The food menu is quite restaurant-oriented. In other words, they are striving very hard to be recognized as a quality restaurant that also happens to serve Dogfish Head beer. More on that later. The beer is delivered straight from the Delaware operations of DFH and managed tightly under DFH standards. My second beer was the Raison D'etre. These first three beers were all up to expectations. No surprises, fortunately....just great beer.

Then, came the surprise. The person responsible for the beer operations here was trying to get the Pangaea settled down and ready for the weekend. He poured off a couple of glasses for us to try (gratis). This is a beer I've heard of but never before tried. It had just been released a couple of weeks prior in Delaware and is reportedly made with an ingredient from every continent. The name pangaea refers to the.....oh, forget it....just follow the link instead!

It was odd how complex it seemed but how easy it was to drink. I was surprised, though, to see the ABV only around 7%, because I thought that I tasted more alcohol presence than that. Oh well, try it if you get the chance. I'm not sure where you'll find it on tap, but I don't believe that they'll be bottling it.

I mentioned that I discuss more about the food. The only peculiarity that I registered regarding the restaurant was that this was a business owned by a D.C. area restaurateur, with the permission of DFH. I'd suppose that there's some type of ownership by Sam and DFH, however it was obvious from talking with the owner here that his primary background and skills are in food and the restaurant business, sales, and marketing. I don't doubt that he has an interest in beer. And, obviously, Sam and DFH most likely wouldn't make this type of investment if they weren't convinced that it could work under this gentleman's guidance.

Oh, anyway, I'm probably reading too much into it. In any case, it's an interesting story. So, my only recommendation (other than to make sure you visit the new DFH in Gaithersburg when you're in the D.C. area) is that you keep an eye on the clock and rush hour traffic! Otherwise go, drink, and be merry. And, try to stay in a local hotel if possible.

p.s. the Shady Grove Metro stop is close by.....cabs are available.
p.p.s. they also have an outdoor dining/drinking area that is open, weather permitting.
last p.s. I couldn't resist, here's a couple pictures of baby Tai Shan and mother Mei Xiang at the Zoo.

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Brewing Beer: You Name it Imperial Stoutenporter

I know I know there's nothing called a Stoutenporter. Well you read on and then tell me what I should call it. The following is a list of beer ingredients I had sitting around the house; 10.6 lbs of dark malt, 14 oz. of brown sugar, 11 oz. of molases, 4 kinds of left over hops and some fresh espresso. Hey, I was tired of looking at those cans of extract in my basement. I mean what good are they doing us there? ;-) One was from 1997 {wince} don't worry I taste tested it. Some call this a Kitchen Sink beer or Frankenstein beer...I call it MINE! Muhuwahahah! Seriously if it works out I think the ABV will be around 10% or so depending on the attenuation. Is it an imperial stout? Who the heck knows? I'll tell you one thing. It is gonna kick your butt! From Barley Wine to Wee Heavy Scotch Ale to Imperial Stoutenporter...sheesh I think it is safe to say we like BIG beers. But where do we go from here?

Monday, December 12, 2005

Beer Words: Small Beer

"Small Beer" is a new term to me. On the way to work I was listening to WXPN and heard it mentioned as the word of the day. So here I am passing it on to you. You can find references at Wikipedia and Dictionary.com. It's similar to "small potatoes", meaning; of little or no significance. Of course when used literally it means beer of low alcohol content.

Sunday, December 11, 2005

Brewing Beer: Wee Heavy, Scottish Ale, 80 or 90 Shilling Ale

Matt, friend of ours, chose this style for our next batch. Wee Heavys are known for being higher in alcohol content, very malty and somewhat sweet. 10 lbs. of liquid amber malt extract, 1 lb. brown sugar, and 8 oz. of molases should get us there! We're aiming for 8-9% avb. Hey do you remember the exploding fermenter problem? Well this time I remembered and used a blow off tube again. The picture here is of last time. This time I'm using a glass carboy as the primary. Oh yeah, and the barleywine is doing fine.

Saturday, December 10, 2005

McKenzie Brew House in Frazer, PA - Construction Update 12/10/05

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I'm sure they don't appreciate the snow, but construction can still progress indoors. Fortunately, the roof is mostly finished. And, just think that maybe in a few months we can be enjoying a nice stout, abbey, tripel, or export ale indoors while the snow is coming down outside. mmmmm.... :)

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Friday, December 09, 2005

Mixed Case: Dogfish Head Boom Box

Dogfish Head has a mixed case that is totally awesome. It contains the following...

Raison D'Etre 60 Minute IPA Shelter Pale Ale

Picked up a case tonight. Mmmmm...something to enjoy playing pool tonight. Dogfish Head must think very highly of "Raison D'Etre" they gave it quite a name in French. Translate it yourself here.

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

Site Changes: What's new?

There's all these Web 2.0 apps out there that look so interesting. I just had to try some... New RSS Feed Feedburner makes it easier to subscribe to each of the most popular feed readers. So check out the RSS Newsfeed on the right. Let me know what you think. Email Newletter If you don't like to fire up the browser to visit the Brew Lounge site and you don't want to use the RSS feed then maybe you would enjoy a Brew Lounge email delivered to your inbox. Enter your email where it says Email Newsletter. Enjoy!

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Dave Alexander's Regional Food and Drink (aka D.A.'s RFD) in Washington, D.C.

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So what are two hard working business people with a bit of time to spare who just put in a long day of presentations to do in Washington, D.C. on their way to Union Station? Well, of course, stop at Dave Alexander's R.F.D. for a couple of celebration brews!

I've been here before and have read plenty about the place, but I still can't get a good handle on the name. Is it D.A.'s R.F.D.? Is it Dave's R.F.D.? Is it Dave Alexander's R.F.D.? Technically, for those who care, R.F.D. stands for Regional Food and Drink. Personally, I think this is one of the stranger names for what is hands-down one of the best beer bars that I've ever been to.

While there is a good representation of regional beers, the other couple hundred of beers are well outside the region and the country. Ok, so let's move past the name issue, right? (I hear you: "Get over it!")

The draft list is nicely varied with different styles of beer. The bottle beer list is phenomenal, boasting over 300 varieties. My colleague, Melissa, and I had some time to kill before our Amtrak train left Union Station. For anyone who knows her, they understand that it did not take any arm twisting to get off the Metro train at the Gallery Place/Chinatown stop (under the MCI Center, home of the Wizards and Capitals).

From there, it's just a short walk down the block on 7th street to Dave's. Many people will often list Dave's and Brickskeller as the two best beer bars in D.C. I tend to favor Dave's. For one thing, your first step in the door you realize that the bar area seems more spacious and inviting. We were quite comfortable dragging our baggage and shoulder bags to the bar and stashing them while we had drinks.

The second reason that I favor Dave's is for the ample selection of draft beer, as opposed to just bottles at Brickskeller. Lastly, Dave's is in a convenient location where you can easily walk between the Metro station, retail shops, restaurants, and other bars. Brickskeller, on the other hand, leaves you feeling a bit out there with not as many other options within walkable distance.

Without getting into naming specific beers available at Dave's (since just about any that you might be looking for are on the list :), I'll just mention that Melissa had this year's Anchor Christmas ale and Unibroue Maudite. I started with the Unibroue and finished with Ommegang's Three Philosophers (don't believe I've ever had it on tap). Melissa and I both agreed that the Maudite is a strong ale, although so very smooth and drinkable with flavorful hop notes. It has some of the characteristics of a belgian but with a bit more hops than you'd expect in a typical belgian beer.

So far, Dave's had not disappointed me in my visits. I highly recommend a visit if you're ever bopping around D.C., at the MCI Center for a game or concert, at the convention center just blocks away, or simply passing through like we were with some time to spare. Did I mention, it's only 2 stops on the Red Line from Union Station?

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Beer Words: Real Ale

Hmmm...interesting. Didn't know it was such a big deal to have the yeast still present and active in the beer. In this respect Real Ale is like home brew.

Sunday, December 04, 2005

Brewing Beer: Kolsch is gone :-( What's next?

What can I say? A holiday party did a number on my homebrew keg! I was happy to have so many people try it and like it :-) Now, I really need to get my butt in gear. I don't have any homebrew left. Well, I do have the barleywine, but, supposedly that shouldn't be ready until sometime in the summer. I think I need to bottle it and have a tasting to be sure ;-)

Thursday, December 01, 2005

Thirsty? What's in the fridge?

We've been lagging here for the past week. So, since I don't have anything intelligent to say at the moment, I thought I'd let you peak into my refrigerator and see what tasty beverages await.

Hm, looks like some beers from Clipper City in Baltimore: Peg Leg Imperial Stout; Winter Storm Category 5 Ale; Loose Cannon Hop3 Ale. How about some Winter Ale from Blue Point on Long Island. There's a few leftover Oktoberfests like Erdinger, Paulaner, and Spaten. Then there's some two year old Rudolph's Reserve and last year's Rude Elf Reserve, both from Bethlehem Brew Works. And, of course, some old standbys like Amstel Light and Rolling Rock for the less adventurous. Whoa, wait a minute, where did those Wexford Irish Cream Ale's come from?!?!

Then, upstairs sneaking into our wine cooler are some quality brews from Dogfish Head (60 minute IPA and 120 minute IPA); Rochefort 10; Chimay (all 3 varieties); La Trappe Quadrupel; and Abita Turbodog.

Oh, and just for good measure there's some Sly Fox Christmas Ale, Sly Fox Saison Vos, and Southampton Saison hanging around, but too lazy to join in the picture.

Well, that's all that I have to amuse you with for the time being. Stop by if you're thirsty ;-)