Budweiser Budvar Brewery vs Anheiser-Busch

Who's familiar with the famous Budweiser trademark dispute between Czech brewery Budweiser Budvar and Anheiser-Busch InBev? In 1907 Budvar and Anheiser-Busch agreed that Budvar could use the name Budweiser in Europe (the can) but that A-B could use the name in North America. Since then there have been over 100 trademark disputes or procedural issues. In countries where A-B InBev has Budweiser rights, Budvar uses the Czechvar brand name. I usually prefer German style pilsners, but this Bohemian style works nicely. And you can read more about the trademark dispute at Budvar and Time. Cheers.

#VABreweryChallenge #49 - Sweetwater Tavern Centreville

We've been off the #VABreweryChallenge for too long and stopped of at local brewpub chain Sweetwater Tavern Centreville for an early Sunday dinner. There are two other Sweetwater Taverns, one in Merrifield and the other in Sterling, with the trio sharing the same beer menus. The food is quite nice and reliable across all three with the beer decent, but not exceptional. The Naked River Light is a lightly hopped Pilsner suitable as a lawnmower beer. On the other hand their Iron Horse Lager has more flavor and hop profile and more satisfying on my palate. The Great American Restaurants Pale Ale was my favorite - a solid offering. The Great American Restaurants Oktoberfest was as expected with suitable maltiness - I just don't care for the style. And finally, their Ghost Town Pumpkin Ale is not bad, spices added to the glass rim not the brew. I like that serving method. Cheers.

Beer at the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion

For those attending the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion next weekend (September 16-18), there will be plenty of local beer options to pair with the always talented music lineup.  Two breweries, Bristol Brewery and Studio Brew are located within (or just lining) the festival boundaries and Abingdon's Wolf Hills Brewing Company is available at several beer gardens and establishments.

Bristol Brewery is located adjacent to the Piedmont Stage so appropriately their Piedmont Pilsner is an appropriate choice for daytime listening. For the headliners such as Buddy Guy and Cracker go for the Sunset IPA.

Studio Brew's visible brick home is situated across the street from Cumberland Square Park and one hopes they will be pouring at the beer garden near that stage. I'd stay away from their higher abv barrel aged beers until after hours when Unknown Hinson and Houndmouth blast. the stage. During the day dance along with Scythian the hydrate with a pilsner and wit.

There are several other beers and breweries that should be available. I can't remember which venue poured the Wolf Hills Cream Ale but expect that beer to be available somewhere within the grounds. Or plan a detour into Abingdon on your drive down Friday.  In the past, Highland Brewing Company has had a presence and I would think the Devils Backbone will this year due to the monopoly distribution from ABI.  In any case, take advantage of the many shuttles to the area hotels and drink local craft beer. And remember, theCompass Winery, Brewery, Distillery Locator Mobile App has you covered for finding local breweries. Cheers.

Round Two of Exploring San Diego Breweries

With a second trip to San Diego this summer, I was eager to use theCompass Winery, Brewery, Distillery Locator Mobile App to explore the bounteous San Diego craft beer scene. Over 80 tasting rooms with a few knocked out during our Nationals-Padres trip.  And the first brewery listed in the location search was only two blocks from out hotel: The Beer Company. This brewpub is a bar first, pouring several other local beers, as well as a decent portfolio in house. These include the SD Wheat, San Diego Blonde, Cream Ale, Elimination IPA, and Pacific Beach Pale Ale. The last was my favorite, very balanced, then the IPA and Blonde.

After a long day at the magnificent San Diego Zoo, I noticed on theCompass app that South Park Brewing was only a few miles away.. Yes immediately I thought of the Comedy Central show, but the brewery is named for the community that lies southeast of Balboa Park.  It is owned by Hamiltons Tavern and Monkey Paw Brewing Company proprietor Scot Blair, with award-winning brewer Cosimo Sorrentino responsible for the taps. On this night, there were plenty of beer on tap - particularly the C.R.E.A.M. Ale (my Father's choice) and the Who Tarted? Vol 1, Cherry Edition.  How could I pass that beer up? It was light, and tart with the sour cherries enveloping the palette. Well down. The Cream Ale was also very nice, less vanilla than at The Beer Company and more refreshing.

My son discovered Pokemon Go this month so as the price for using my phone and a two hour meander through the Gaslamp District, Southport, and the Pier we concluded with a stop at The Local - home to Resident Brewing. I'm not sure if it was due to finally sipping a beer after walking all morning but these beers were fantastic. Particularly when there are two gose beers such as the Die Gose and Die Gose - Raspberry/Backberry. The latter is even more tart with a slight fruit sweetness and the original tart and salty. The Perky Blonde also carried some minerals and the Oatmeal Stout and Back Alley Porter nailed their respective styles.But the meisterstuck was the Vacation Coconut IPA - completely balanced with ample malts, coconuts, and Citra and Amarillo hops. Is there time for a third?

A trip to San Diego must include a trip to Old Town and to avoid the overcrowded restaurants head not to far to Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens, the prize of the trip. Not only is the venue spectacular but they pour the complete Stone portfolio brewed at their four locations. This Liberty Station location opened May 2013 in Point Loma’s now-historic Naval Training Center with the restaurant located in the former mess hall. "The restaurant encompasses more than 23,500 square feet of indoor and outdoor dining and bars, as well as a bocce ball court, outdoor cinema space and an 11,315-square-foot garden.".  Pretty impressive. While devouring a large and oozing grilled cheese sandwich, I chose a sampler of Liberty Station brewed beers; all truly unique and fascinating. It started with the Stone Liberty Station Arrr & Arrr!!! Table Beer at only 3.5% ABV and quite backed with flavor. The came the Stone Alright Hamilton Amber Lager with a little more hop character. The Stone Liberty Station Wittier Moron Imperial Black Witbier was both spicy and complex and the Stone Liberty Station Oatworthy Oatmeal Pale Ale a treat. This spot is highly recommended. Cheers and safe travels.

theCompass Winery, Brewery, Distillery Locator App Release 2.1

This week we released the first major upgrade to the Android version of theCompass Winery, Brewery, Distillery Locator App. The new version includes several library upgrades - including Location Services - as well as several workflow patterns. First, the data is now stored on the device allowing for data access in the most isolated regions. Second, the location and zipcode\name searches have been separated to different activities. And along with the state\province module, these activities utilize a viewpager to display the lists and maps of establishments for an easier flow. The maps also include an upgraded cluster library used for California and Washington state and probably for Oregon in the near future. The Company Details activity is basically the same except easier access to social media sharing and a new Weather API that graphically illustrates a seven day forecast.  The next release will include social media logins which will then allow the user to check-in and save comments when visiting an establishment. That work will commence after the WineCompass.com site is upgraded to a more stable platform. Cheers and safe travels.

 

Briney Melon Gose, Where Art Thou?

This week I failed to grab the newest Anderson Valley Brewing Company Gose release, Briney Melon Gose, so I decided to drown my sorrows with my existing Gose collection. This tart style is traditionally brewed with salted water, malted wheat, and augmented with Coriander and originated in Goslar and Leipzig Germany. The tartness is created using lactic bacteria and is normally comparable to a Berliner Weisse. And like the Wit beer style, Gose has been resurrected by the American craft beer industry.  My favorite American version remains the Anderson Valley Blood Orange Gose (4.2% abv) - which provides both tartness and tangy flavors.  Sierra Nevada Brewing Company Otra Vez (4.5% abv) is a new year-round offering that includes prickly pear cactus and grapefruit that is bittered and finished with experimental hops. Once again the tangy infusion of fruit completely compliments the tartness. There's also a pronounced hop presence at the finish which also blends nicely. The Victory Brewing Company Kirsch Gose (4.7%) comes across the tartest with cherries and cherry juice added after fermentation. The cherries dominate and the finish is a bot creamy sweet and dry.

Porter and Stout Impress at Jailbreak Brewing Company

Since it's inception two years ago, Maryland's Jailbreak Brewing Company has quickly become a popular local option for craft beer. Their everyday canned lineup of Feed the Monkey Orange Hefeweizen, Welcome to Scoville Jalapeno IPA, and the Big Punisher Double IPA are distributed widely in the DC and Baltimore regions.  And at their spacious tasting room they offer many special releases and cask specials. With a flight scheduled out of BWI we stopped for a short visit where I had the Desserted Chocolate Coconut Porter and the Dark American Stout with Peanuts and Chocolate on cask. These two beers raised my appreciation for the brewery as the porter is on par with or even better than the Oskar Blues Brewery Death By Coconut. The stout on cask took a couple sips to get past the absence of carbonation, but that absence allowed the beer's peanuts and chocolate to dominate the palate. Much better than the DuClaw Brewing Company Sweet Baby Jesus.  Jailbreak will becoe a regular stop when visiting Columbia or heading to the airport. And as usual, theCompass Winery, Brewery, Distillery Locator Mobile App will guide you there. Cheers.

Sin City Brewing Co. Delivers With Three Las Vegas Locations on the Strip

Most casinos on the strip offer a range of craft beer - mostly California brewed and heavy on Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Green Flash Brewing Company, and Ballast Point Brewing Company.  All great options, but if you are looking for a local brew as well as a beer distributed exclusively in Las Vegas then Sin City Brewing Co. is an easy choice. The brewery was "launched by long-time Gordon Biersch Director of Brewing Operations Richard Johnson" and provides three microbrew bars on the strip: Sin City Brewing Co. - Harmon Corner, Sin City Brewing Co. - Planet Hollywood, and Sin City Brewing Co. - The Venetian.

The brewery produces five everyday beers and I was able to try a couple at the Venetian location. The Weisse is Nice (Hefeweizen) is a bready, citrusy beer with a bit of spice and the Never Pass Up A Blonde is your traditional lightly malted beer with a tad of saltiness. Both are not bad offerings. Also on the menu is the Say Hello to Amber, The Ale With A Tale (British IPA), and the The Dark Side of Sin (Stout). These will have to wait for next year's Super Bowl when I allocate more time. And as usual, theCompass Winery, Brewery, Distillery Locator Mobile App will guide you there. Cheers.

#VABreweryChallenge - Loudoun Brewing Company (#26)

The #VABreweryChallenge gets more complicated as Loudoun Brewing Company opened it's doors recently. Located in downtown Leesburg, the nano-brewery augments the Loudoun County Beer & Wine Trail with a diverse portfolio of rather tasty beers.  The brewery is generous in its hours by opening at 11am on weekends which presented an opportunity to visit before preceding to Corcoran Vineyards & Cider. Owner-brewer Patrick Steffens lead me though a tasting of the seven beers on-tap as well as beers on deck. The healthy menu ranged from a standard Loud and Brewing IPA,  The Dogs Bullocks Dry Stout, and Blind Squirrel Brown Ale to the creative Thankful Belgium Cranberry Stout, The Bee's Knees Honey Wheat Ale, Jalapeno Business Jalapeno Saison, and Orange You Glad I Didn't Say Banana Belgium Quad. The Jalapeno Saison is a nice representation of a pepper beer as the heat comes early but does burn at the finish. My favorite two were the Dry Stout and Brown Ale, the later because it tasted more like a Porter than a brown ale, the former because of it's simplicity. It tasted just as expected. There's more good beer in the pipeline as Patrick hopes to release a Milk Stout on nitro as well as a Cinnamon Porter perhaps this week. Cheers to that.

Les Brasseries de Montreal

Did you know that Montreal, the "The City of Saints", is home to dozens of breweries (brasseries).   During a recent visit I was able to sample from several of these and in general, the beers were solid with a wide choice in styles.  Les 3 Brasseurs is probably the most noticeable establishment with six brew pubs located though out the area. We had lunch at the Brossard restaurant and was quite pleased with the food (first dapple with Poutine) and their beer menu -- consisting of five staple beers (Blonde • Amber • White • Brown • IPA), two neighborhood beers, and a guest cider. It became clear immediately that Montreal brewers have conquered the Blonde style as every version I drank was solid. Les 3 Brasseurs White was also spot on the style.


From that lunch, theCompass Winery, Brewery, Distillery app guided us to the production facility for Les Trois Mousquetaires.  The three owners opened this brasserie in 2004 and focus on Germany styled beers and they utilize Quebec grain malted in the Province's Frontenac and Maltbroue malt houses. Truly a local product.  There is no tasting room at their facility, but you can purchase any of the beer so we went home with their Noire, Blonde, Berliner Weisse, Gose, Oud Bruin - an oak aged Belgium inspired brown ale laced with brett.  The Gose was a little off kilter for me, having a stronger Coriander profile than salt, but I regret not buying more of the other four - particularly the Noire Schwarzbier.

I had received several recommendations to visit Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel (translates to Good Lord or God of Heaven) and the beer did not disappoint as I drooled over the beer menu. They produce a wide ranging portfolio from the delicate Rosée d’hibiscus to the Immoralité  Imperial American IPA. Once again the lighter style beers were rock solid such as the L’Été Aborigène Golden Ale and Corpus Christi Pale Ale. And believe me, a Pale Ale is on the lighter spectrum at this brasserie. The Résurrection Porter was quite delicious as was the Aphrodisiaque Chocolate & Vanilla Stout.


The final brewery we visited was the soon to open Mabrasserie coop de solidarité brassicole, a joint venture between Isle de Garde, Noire et Blanche Microbrasserie, Broue Pub Brouhaha, and Brasserie artisanale La Succursale. This will be a huge facility not only crafting and canning beer, but also a  a beer and brewing interpretive center targeted to home brewers. The facility will also house a large tasting area, both inside and on a terrace. We were able to purchase two future products, a growler full of Porter and the canned Tribale Pale Ale. The Porter was sold, but the Pale Ale was exceptional. Just enough hops to balance the malt for a clean finish. The outlook looks good for this startup.


Les Brasseries de Montreal

Bedondaine & Bedons Ronds
Benelux Brewpub
Bierbrier Brewing Inc.
Bistro Le Reservoir
Bistro-Brasserie Les Soeurs Grises
Brasserie Artisanale Albion
Brasserie artisanale La Succursale
Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel - Montreal
Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel - St-Jérôme
Brasseurs Illimités
Brasserie McAuslan Brewery
Brasseur de Montreal
Broue Pub Brouhaha
Brutopia
Ferme Brasserie Schoune
HELM Brasseur Gourmand
Isle de Garde
L'Amère à Boire
Le Cheval Blanc
L'Espace Public
Le Saint-Bock Brasserie Artisanale
Le Saint Graal
Les 3 Brasseurs - Brossard
Les 3 Brasseurs - Crescent
Les 3 Brasseurs - Laval 
Les 3 Brasseurs - Montreal
Les 3 Brasseurs - St-Denis
Les 3 Brasseurs - St-Paul
Les Trois Mousquetaires
Mabrasserie coop de solidarité brassicole
McAuslan Brewing
Microbrasserie Goudale
Microbrasserie L'Alchimiste
Microbrasserie Le Bilboquet
Microbrasserie Maltéus
Noire et Blanche Microbrasserie

Touring Metro's Red Line Beer Trail

The land along Washington DC's red Metro line is being revitalized - or if you prefer - gentrified and one benefit is the rise of local breweries in these neighborhoods. Silver Spring, Maryland is unrecognizable now from the days when I commuted through that metro stop. And Denizens Brewing Co. has leveraged the new community by opening a brewery\restaurant last year. This Sunday I returned to the brewery and see that they no longer rely on other breweries for stock - there's a wide selection of everyday and seasonal beers. Knowing it was the first stop in the day, I started with a low abv Born Bohemian Pilsner which is characterized by a tasteful hoppy and salty finish. The brewery also was pouring two sours, the Low Country Common and Bocho Bandido.  Both with different levels of tartness and sourness. Give them a try. I also look forward to trying a local winery that just opened close by, The Urban Winery.  The winery\restaurant carries local beer, wine, cider, and mead as well as their own wine produced from American and Maryland grapes. 

Denizen's is adjacent to the DC line and a few miles down the red line sits 3 Stars Brewing Company and Hellbender Brewing Company. I've tasted the former's over the last couple of years at the stadium or other venues. However this was my first visit to the brewery and I arrived on infant day - as there were at least half dozen families with small children playing or sleeping quietly. The facility was also unusually busy for a Sunday with employees cleaning tanks and hoses. And I can see why, there's a large inventory to fulfill. A went with a sampler of Peppercorn Saison, Southern Belle Imperial Brown Ale, Pandemic Imperial Porter, and Madness Old Ale. To be blunt, these beers were phenomenal, especially the Madness. This is a big beer, sweet like chewy dates, but completely dry and smooth at the finish. The Pandemic was next, a bigger more chocolaty beer than your average Porter. Next time I'll stay longer with the help of Uber and also visit on a Saturday so that I can segue a trip to nearby Don Ciccio & Figli and their artisanal liqueurs. Glad to see another DC distillery open.


Hellbender was my final destination and the most fun as I was drafted into an hour long UNO game in a company of strangers. This is a neighborhood brewery and it shows as everyone seems more inclined to talk to whomever is sitting nearby. The beer is attractive as well and the brewery had extra on hand after celebrating their one year anniversary the night before my visit. I went with another sampling ranging from a Kolsch to a Stout with the Compass Coffee Stout being spot on the style. Nice name too. The Paw Paw Wit was also representative of it's style, whereas the Bare Bones Kolsch was a little on the maltier side. Like I said, this is a place to just hangout whether watching a game on TV, playing card or board games, or just talking to strangers. Cheers to that. And theCompass Winery, Brewery, Distillery Locator Mobile App will guide you to these locations. 

Sours Dominate Last Week's Beer In Review

Last week seemed like a good time to clean out the beer refrigerator as some of the bottles were starting to collect dust. I started this cleansing with the Mad Fox Brewing Company Oaked Diabolic Ale, my favorite beer from the Virginia brewery. It is a Belgium strong ale, fermented with native yeast and aged in used oak barrels. And some strain of bacteria makes its presence known with the tart and funky flavors. There's also a creamy texture more associated with wine than beer.  Limited qualities are popping up at my local Wholefoods.

Last Spring I visited Atlas Brew Works and fell in love with their Town and Country Belgium Dark Strong Ale and the La Saison des Fêtes Farmhouse Ale. The former was received quite nicely at #WBC15 with it's wine like characters. On the other hand, the later is all sour - tart and funky with  subtle spice. I'll be headed back to the brewery when the nice iteration of brewing commences for this seasonal.

I usually have an Anderson Valley Brewing Company Gose readily available, either their The Kimmie, The Yink, & The Holy Gose or the Blood Orange Gose. The later is my all-time favorite in this style where the addition of blood oranges during fermentation leads to a delicious combination of citrus, salt, and tartness. The wort for both beers are soured with lactobacillus and salt added post fermentation. The Holy Gose is more readily available and more lemon flavor, effervescent and just as refreshing.

I've been following the New Belgium Brewing Company Le Terrior series and finally got around to buying their 2015 Le Terroir Dry Hopped Sour Ale. The base Le Terrior beer is aged three years in larger wooden  foeders with this version dry hopped with Amarillo and Galaxy. The beer starts out full of flavor with subtle tartness and at this point is delicious. However, when the hops enter the palate during the tail, they detract from the savory flavors.

Finally, I stopped by Caboose Brewing Company after a lunchtime bike ride and was excited to see their The Zoo Berliner Weisse still available. Can you see the sour inclination? Perfect for a post ride refreshment. They were also pouring a very nice Chocolaty Brown Ale on cask, which is their traditional brown ale brewed with chocolate bits. Getting close to Porter territory; it was medium bodied and very smooth.

How to #DrinkLocal at the 2015 #MLB Playoffs with #theCompassApp

With the 2015 Major League Baseball wildcard games over, baseball fans will be traveling to their favorite team's stadium or, if ambitious, to an away outing for the remainder of the playoffs.  Most fans will be content to chug mass produced lagers, but there must be a few among you who desire a richer beer experience.  That's where theCompass Winery, Brewery, Distillery Locator Mobile App comes into play. This application will help you find breweries, distilleries, and perhaps a winery near your destination. And for cities such as Kansas City and St. Louis, where the baseball stadiums are situated near two states, theCompass location and zip code search will find establishments across state boundaries.  Below are screenshots for each city, but I've also included a few suggestions near each stadium or in specific districts. Cheers and safe travels.

Chicago Cubs - Wrigley Field Dryhop Brewers Begyle Brewing Atlas Brewing Company Half Acre Beer Company Metropolitan Brewing Revolution Brewing Maplewood Brewery & Distillery Chicago Distilling Company Koval Distillery

Houston Astros - Minute Maid Park; Houston 8th Wonder Brewery Saint Arnold Brewing Company Buffalo Bayou Brewing Company

Kansas City Royals - Kaufmann Stadium Crane Brewing Company 75th Street Brewery Crossroads Art District: Border Brewing Co. Torn Label Brewing Company Double Shift Brewing Other:  Boulevard Brewing Company

Los Angeles Dodgers - Dodger Stadium Bonaventure Brewing Co Angel City Brewery Mumford Brewing Greenbar Craft Distillery

New York Mets - Citi Field Singlecut Beersmiths The Bronx Brewery Port Morris Distillery Big Alice Brewing Company Rockaway Brewing Company Transmitter Brewing Finback Brewery

St. Louis Cardinals - Busch Stadium Morgan Street Brewery 4 Hands Brewing Co Square One Brewery & Distillery Still 630 Ditillery Alpha Brewing Company Schlafly Tap Room

Texas Rangers - Globe Life Park in Arlington Humperdinks - Arlington Dallas: Deep Ellum Brewing Community Beer Company Peticolas Brewing Company Fort Worth: Panther Island Brewing Rahr & Sons Brewing Company

Toronto Bluejays - Rogers Centre Amsterdam Brewing Company Steam Whistle Brewing Mascot Brewery The 3 Brewers Yonge  Mill Street Brewery Bellwoods Brewery Duggan's Brewery Lansdowne Brewery Left Field Brewery

#VABreweryChallenge - Herndon's Aslin Beer Company (#25)

We've dropped way behind with the #VABreweryChallenge, but the opening of Herndon's first craft brewery, Aslin Beer Company, enabled us to renew the quest. The brewery is only a half mile from the W&OD Bike Trail off the Fairfax County Parkway near Reston. .I'm not familiar with the story behind the brewery, maybe someone will update us with a comment below, but I do know that they produce solid beers. And all were solid, not just a few. The Animal (Farm)house Saison was my favorite, spicy and a little funk and the In Memoria Lime Kolsch will be a biking favorite. The lime provides both creamy texture and citrus flavors. The Deceiver Imperial Stout and Mind The Hiop IPA were the big boys in ABV; but very smooth and balanced and never felt overly sweet or hoppy. The Hoppy Brown was exactly what the name suggests whereas the RTC/1857 name hides a Belgium Wit. Both, very likable beers. And as an added bonus, Cherry's Cheesecakes Catering & bar-B-Que was onsite with both options. Interesting the Deceiver worked well with the pulled pork and the German Chocolate Cake Cheescake. Cheers to the beginning of a wonderful relationship with the Aslin Beer Company. And theCompass Winery, Brewery, Distillery Locator Mobile App can provide the biking and driving navigation along with all contact information.

#VABreweryChallenge #19 Charlottesville's South Street Brewery

Looking for good food and a good sour (after all I am moving to the sour side), Charlottesville's South Street Brewery was a fitting stop on our #VABreweryChallenge. And why not? The brewery is owned and operated by Mandi and Taylor Smack of Blue Mountain Brewery fame, who purchased their old employer (Taylor was the brewer from late 2001 until early 2007) last year. Located adjacent to the Downtown Mall, the brewpub provides a broad portfolio of beer options including the Slippery When Wit. This Gose\Witbier hybrid was both tart and spicy - combining the pleasant characteristics of both styles. Quite good. I also enjoyed the El Jefe wheat beer and for dessert the chocolatey and heavy Anastasia's Chocolate Fantasy. This is one powerful beer. Of the lagers, the Classic Lager was pale and refreshing whereas the Virginia Lager was more malt forward in an amber ale style. We preferred the Classic. The food was also enjoyable (Pot Roast Grilled Cheese), particularly paired with a Virginia wine, in which they have several on the menu. The Pollak Vineyards Viognier was a favorite with our group. Our group was sad to leave, but fortunately the next day I found the Slippery When Wit in the can. Happy days. Cheers and safe travels while using theCompass Winery, Brewery, Distillery Locator Mobile App.

#VABreweryChallenge: Tyson's Corner & Gordon Biersch Brewery (#18)

Ironically, the Tyson's Gordon Biersch Brewery is not far from my home, yet I only seem to visit once a year. Probably a general aversion to the Tyson's Mall, or any mall really.  That's a shame because brewer Justin Damadio brews really good German styled beer. My go to is the Export Export lager, decently hopped and clean. It's a good indicator of the brewery's quality since you can't hide many defects in a light lager. I usually avoid the Marzen and Maibock because these styles are too sweet for my tastes, so move to the banana rich Hefeweizen or the dry Schwarzhier. On this visit, Damadio had brewed a Rye Lager, which is both spicy and hoppy. If you care for even more hops, there's also an IPA and a new Belgium Pale Ale, less IBUs than the Rye Lager, but the hops are more prevalent on the palate. I'll most likely be back on a Tuesday in July since the brewery is hosting special events this month on those days. Check out their events pdf.


Across Route 7 from the mall is another brewpub, BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse. We visited this establishment and learned that the beer is not brewed onsite, it is shipped from their facility in Texas. Thus, they won't be included in the #VABreweryChallenge, but there are a few decent offerings on tap. The seasonal Nit Wit was fresh and spicy as one would expect from a wit and the Harvest Hefeweizen is another summer option.