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.
In 1812, when America was fighting its second war against Great Britain, Napoleon's troops occupied parts of the Austrian Empire including the Plešivica region and the town of Samobor, a free royal town since 1242 as established by King Béla IV. Whether the troops introduced "moustard" to the region or provided its name, Samobor is known for their Muštarda -- a sweet and spicy sauce made from local mustard seeds and sweet grape must. 
The troops most likely also sampled Bermet, a local aromatized wine made with a specific sweet-bitter taste. This beverage was first concocted by physicians for medicinal purposes as indicated by a 1755 document from the manual of pharmacists of the Samobor Franciscan monastery. It was soon adopted by multiple Noble families as an aperitif. Since Samobor was a trading center located at the crossroads of the Austrian Empire, these recipes included various Mediterranean fruits and herbs, such as wormwood, carob, dried figs, candied sugar, and nutmeg. 
Because of Bermet's historic production in Samobor and the desire to protect and promote that tradition, on "March 22, 2017, the Croatian Ministry of Agriculture approved the product specification for the existing geographical indication of aromatized wine products: 'Samoborski bermet', making it the only protected aromatized wine product in the Republic of Croatia". In 2020, the European Union extended this designation throughout Europe under the geographic quality schemes -- which "establish intellectual property rights for specific products, whose qualities are specifically linked to the area of production". These are systems similar to the national appellation systems used for wine throughout Europe.
Members of the Filipec family have been making Bernet and Muštarda since at least 1812. The Filipecs were leather makers with the tannery located steps from Samobor's main square. However, in 1946, the tannery was confiscated from Josip Joca Filipec, who in need of a livelihood, started producing Bermet and Muštarda commercially. Upon his death, he distributed the Bermet production to his eldest son Vojko and the Muštarda production to his youngest son Antun Dubravko. 
In 1999 grandson Antun officially opened Podrumi Philipecz after renovating the old tannery discovering an old well and forced to work with the sloping floors of the former factory. Antun also augmented into producing more traditional still and sparkling wines -- some produced partially using a wooden press built in 1864. These include delicious Grasevina, Pinot Sivi (Pinot Gris), a Rose Tia, and Cuvee Roko. 
During our visit, Antun showed us how Bermet ages, even after opening as the herbs act as a preservative. The 2009 shows less bitterness but richer figs and orange with a mint aroma. The 2006 is more bitter as the wormwood dominates. Finally, the 1992 retains a remarkable freshness with a strong aroma of various fruits and herbs and just a hint of bitterness. I purchased a bottle in hopes of witnessing the wine develop over the next couple of decades. And every year post an updated tasting note. Cheers.
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