For spring break we are heading on a multi-state tour of colleges and for my benefit, breweries and maybe distilleries. These types of trips make managing
theCompass Craft Beverage Finder worthwhile as we can search for craft beverage establishments in each city we pass through. I'll be updating this post as we visit more breweries. Cheers.
Great Oak Brewing - Southern Craft BBQ (Bristol, Virginia)
Apparently, we missed a great spot during last year's Bristol Rhythm & Roots as Great Oak Brewery and Southern Craft BBQ opened at the tail end of State Street. The BBQ was excellent - try the burnt ends tacos or half chicken. The two beers I tried were as good. The Tennessee Uncommon Ale has a mash bill that includes corn and was more flavorful than expected. The Twin Eddies Coffee Porter was a surprisingly good pairing with the burnt ends. Can't wait to return for the 2022 music festival.
Balter Beerworks (Knoxville, Tennessee)
Another brewery with a tremendous kitchen (blackened Mahi wrap), Balter is located in downtown Knoxville and provides a full bar in addition to a dozen craft beers. I went with a flight that included the
Good Neighbor Kolsch,
Maypop American Pale Ale,
Firebelly IPA, and
Bear Blend Coffee Oatmeal Porter. These are solid beers, interestingly the Maypop was more intense than the Firebelly. The Good Neighbor was well made - refreshing with a little breadiness - and worthy of a crowler to the hotel room.
Back Forty at Sloss Docks (Birmingham, Alabama)
On Friday nights it looks like half of Birmingham descends to the Sloss Docls to hang out at Back Forty Beer Company. Full kitchen, plenty of seating and outdoor space, wine, and lots of beer choices. I tried two Pale Ales side by side, the Naked Pig Pale Ale and the Barrel Smash American Pale Ale. Both are full of flavor with the Naked Pig a bit easier on the palate. We also had a glass or two of the Bama Mosa Brut Ale which is a tasty light ale fermented using champaign yeast and augmented with orange juice. A fan favorite for one in our party. Finally, we brought home a 4-pk of the Slur Bight Fruited Sour. Fermented with oranges and aged in vanilla it is soft with definite tropical flavors.
Southern Prohibition Brewery (Hattiesburg, MS)
Unfortunately, our timing was not optimal for stopping in Hattiesburg as the brewery's tasting room is closed for renovations. However, I was able to try two of their beers at the
Crescent City Grill while getting our first exposure to cajun cooking. The
Suzy B is an unfiltered Blonde Ale packing plenty of flavors and a lasting finish. The
Devil's Harvest is a Breakfast IPA weighing in at a mere 4.9% and carrying some oats in the mash bill. No need for high alcohol with this much flavor. Excellent.
Tin Roof Brewing Co (Baton Rouge, Louisana)
This brewery is the closest to LSU and I was able to try their Paloma Gose which lead me to visit the next day. Their
Voodoo juicy pale ale is their most popular but I was more overwhelmed by their experimental beers like the
King Cake Cream Ale brewed with malt, corn, rice, and two locally commissioned king cakes! The
Parade Ground Porter was brewed with plenty of coffee beans and dozens of donuts. Each is delicious but don't overlook the
Doubtfire Banana Coconut Cream Berliner Weisse. This is far beyond the traditional sea salt and coriander. Loads of flavors.
Parish Brewing Company (Broussard, Louisana)
Broussard is located about five miles south of Lafayette so it's a quick trip to Parish Brewing from the Hub City. It's also apparent that berliner weisse and coffee stouts and porters are popular beer styles in the south as Parish provides several. The
Greetings from Holly Beach is a tiki-styled Berliner Weisse with pineapple, mango, passionfruit, coconut cream, and toasted coconut. Fantastic. The
Sips Pinot Noir Black Currant is dry, but juicy with dark fruit and a lasting finish. The
Parliament of Owls is a powerful Espresso Blend Imperial Stout with graham crackers, chocolate, and toasted marshmallow. At 13% this packs a wallop of flavors and alcohol. On the lighter side, the
Parish Pilsner and
Canebrake Wheat ale are solid.
Natchez Brewing Co (Natchez, Mississippi)
This brewery is located in perhaps the oldest city in Mississippi with scenic views of the mighty river and plenty of historic homes and museums. The city also doesn't have an open container law so a nice way to spend an afternoon is to grab a crowler from the brewery and sit along the river at Natchez Under the Hill. I purchased two of these for destinations later in the trip. The first was the German Pilsner
Frölich which is spot on stylistically with a refreshing, bready profile. The second was the
Southern Grace Berliner Weisse keeping the traditional profile with very creamy sea salt and a slightly sour finish.
Ghost River Brewing Co. (Memphis Tennessee)
The brewery has two locations in Memphis, their original location on South Main and on historic Beale Street. This last location was within a short walk from our hotel so we had a quick visit before the
Redbirds baseball game. This location also has a large backyard patio where a band was setting up that couldn't get started before we finished our flight. This was a random flight generated by a pourer and started with a delightful
Grindhouse Cream Ale. The flight also included the
Dom’s Barrel-Aged Red Ale which spent six months in
Old Dominick whiskey barrels. Definitely taste the whiskey. It ended with the
Rocket 88 Stout which is a solid roasted malty beer. Finally, the brewery's flagship beer, the
Ghost River Gold, is available throughout the city - like at the Lookout Restaurant at the Bass Pro Shop Pyramid.
TailGate Brewery (Nashville, Tennessee)
This brewery has three Nashville tasting rooms with one in Music Row, just up the street from the original Tin Roof. Witness the long tasting board showing over 40 beers, seltzers, and ciders. Over a Lent pizza and Calabrese fries, I drank a flight of four well-made beers which consisted of the
Solar Eclipse Hazy Pale Ale,
Cranberry Gose,
Tennessee Lager, and
Peanut Butter Milk Stout. I appreciate the opportunity to taste locally inspired beers like the Tennessee Common Lager which includes some corn in the mash bill. I also had a pour of their house-made hard cider - delicious apple flavors with tartness and acidity. With this expansive beer menu, I hope to return before we leave Nashville to taste so many styles in my wheelhouse: Lager Projekt:
German Pilsner;
SHNACK Sour Series;
Barrel Project: Coffee, Coconut, Hazelnut;
Mixed Culture Stout;
Trees: Hop in Smoke, and so much more.
It looks like Lafayette, Louisiana will be our second home for the next 4-5 years and I'm excited about the small craft beverage scene in the city and parish. And these establishments take advantage of the numerous sugarcane fields in Cajun country. The excitement started last year during our first trip and a lengthy visit to Parish Brewing Company in neighboring Broussard. Their flagship beer is Canebrake - a wheat ale augmented with sugarcane syrup from Louisiana sugarcane. The Double IPA Ghost in the Machine is another popular beer but I prefer the Envie -- a juicy pale ale. And a new favorite is the refreshing Parish Pilsner. Yet, a conversation about Parish Brewing must include the SIPS sour series. On our first visit, we returned home with the Sips Pinot Noir Black Current Berliner Weisse (as we did this trip) - a juicy and tart sour ale brewed with what its name suggests. On this trip, we were able to finally sample Sips Chardonnay Apricot Berliner Weisse - a citrus and stone fruit version with a little less tartness and sourness. The future question will be how much I can fit into our return trips without having to utilize their shipping services.
Wildcat Brothers Distillery is the oldest continuously operating distillery in Louisiana and holds post-prohibition license #2. This Lafayette rum distillery leverages the local sugarcane and a proprietary distilling method to create rum in the agricole style directly from fermented sugarcane. Co-owners David Meaux and Tait Martin both trace their ancestry to the original Acadians who were exiled from Eastern Canada and Maine after refusing to pledge loyalty to the Crown in the mid-18th century. Furthermore, Meaux's grandfather purchased 750 acres of land in southern Louisiana that contained forests of long-leaf pine and various hardwoods as well as a mixture of fruit trees. These trees would have a very important role to play in the future of the distillery. Wildcat Brothers' signature spirit is the 40-proof Sweet Crude white rum which is a very clean spirit offering both honey and sugar notes. The Fifolet Spiced Rum is a finely balanced spirit where the baking spices and coffee do not overwhelm and overshadow the base rum. Sip slowly and enjoy. The final rum we tasted was the most interesting; the Noire is an aged rum -- aged in barrels made from the various timber harvested in the Meaux homestead. This "unique combination of charred ancestral hardwoods and Louisiana fruit trees has resulted in an entirely uncommon and delicious flavor profile." And we agree. There's vanilla and tobacco, plus an odd assortment of fruit flavors, providing a Bourbon-ish profile intertwined with the sweet honey of the sugarcane. 
Adopted Dog Brewing is the latest craft beverage establishment to spring up and the only one in the city of Lafayette. Based on the large number of families during our visit word of their recent opening has spread. Unlike the previous two establishments, there's a full kitchen onsite making this an excellent lunch or dinner option. Try the Crispy Brussels appetizer. As for beer, I partook in a flight consisting of the Fleur de Lis Golden Lager, Sunny as Helles Lager, Krayt Dragonfruit Sour, and the Oatmeal as Cream Pie Porter. All were well-made beers, very clean for the first two, slightly sour for the third, and a dessert finale. Looking forward to more meals at Adopted Dog.
