Entry 5: New Orleans 2022, Courtyard Brewery

(should have been published in June but I got distracted) 

Our wedding anniversary was June 1st. We went out to dinner at the Pelican Club (fancy) to celebrate all 31 years of our marriage. We had a fantastic time. Cocktails, wine, no beer.  We went back to the hotel and took a big nap. As we were nearing the end of our stay in New Orleans, we decided to check out a small brewery called Courtyard Brewery. A few people had recommended we do our best to get over there, so we did. 

A very small, tucked into a little nook between a few other buildings on Camp Street, you can get ice cream and beer in this little tasting room. Seating available outside, which on the night we were there it had finally cooled off enough for us to get out and enjoy. We met a cat, who came by to hang out with us. Seemed so cool.

We have to admit, we were very influenced to come based on the art on their website and stickers and stuff. A very metal, kind of dark look, combining beer images with minotaurs and horned goats, we thought for sure this would be a fun place. 

If nothing else, a Tshirt or stickers were in our future. For our super metal head kid back home. 

We walked in to hear The Postal Service cranking over the speakers and it put a smile on my face. 

Not exactly the "metal" feel I was thinking we'd walk into, but I love me some Postal Service and enjoyed my first beer while singing through "Such Great Heights." Metal can wait. But hey, all music has a space in the beer world.

Thankfully (since I'm writing this long after we visited) Untappd tells me that I started with the Prose vs Poetry and Doug got the Inverse Speedbump. 

We also enjoyed the coconut hibiscus sourbae (pictured here), which I recall had a really peculiar scent but fantastic flavor. I usually steer away from anything that says "coconut," I'm not a big fan, but this was fruity, fabulous, fancy. 

And the color was gorgeous. 

A few other beers, feeling the impact and having just the best time on the patio together, I went in to get my last pour. Sonic Youth in 1983. Peculiar name, for sure, and I had a fantastic discussion with the beer tender and a guy on line (I think I bought him his beer. Feeling happy and magnanimous, like ya do). 

I think we had a huge discussion about Kim Gordon, Kill Yr Idols, the noise rock scene, the fact that this was all happening when he wasn't yet born and I was 16 and oblivious to the music at the time. 

Here's the beer named for the band, in 1983. 

I for sure drank way too much there, but every pour was stellar, the vibe was good, and yes. We came home with 3 t-shirts, a bunch of stickers, and we wear the shirts proudly around town to the breweries in this area. Well done Courtyard. 

Entry 4: New Orleans 2022, Zony Mash, the Beerological Point Of Interest

 Entry 4 in a series on New Orleans (should have been posted June 5th but I got distracted)

Zony Mash is making history in a place of history.

The Gem Theatre once housed one of two African American movie theaters in New Orleans. When the theater closed, it stood vacant for years until Wayward Owl brewery moved into the space and created a great brewery from what I read online. They ran for about two years. 

The brewers behind Zony Mash saw their opportunity and moved in. 

The exterior of the building is much the same as it would have been if you were headed to see a show. And this is kind of beautiful in a lot of ways, to me at least. 

Located "uptown" near the Broadmoor area, the beer posters fill the slots where movie posters once were. And when you walk in, it still has that kind of theater foyer feel to it. The area that I assumed was once upon a time the parking lot is now a stone-filled outdoor beer garden, with a small corner stage, hardly any shade. 

We were there very early on purpose. We checked in with our tickets, got the wristbands, bought a couple beers, hit the food truck parked outside for some of the best red beans & rice, tacos, and quesadillas we'd had in a long time. 

I started out with the Tiny Bubbles beer, which was a good pairing with the quesadilla. 

The heat had dropped off substantially but radiated up towards us from the stones. I have to imagine that it's not fun being out there in August! 

We were there for the beers and for the band. Rebirth Brass Band was highly recommended to us by the bartender at d.b.a. and we were all for it. 

As noted in the previous entry, Julie let us know the brewery was doing a lot of sour beers, and we're happy to enjoy those. 

My next beer was the King of Carrot Flowers which Julie recommended. 

While it sure looks like carrot, I didn't detect any carrot flavor. Carrots don't really have a lot of flavor. However, this had a strong mango taste and I liked that a lot. 

The crowd was starting to filter in, I thought it was weirdly under crowded to start with. We took some seats on the left, and waited for the band to start up. They seemed to be running late, I got the impression as this was the third band I'd seen in New Orleans that running late may just be on time for some folks. 

That's okay as long as it starts up. 

Sound checking continued well past the start time, and Doug went to get me another beer. This time I went for the Session Pale Ale, Makin' Groceries. 

Just in time for the band to come on out and make a joyful noise. Rebirth Brass Band was featured in the show Treme, and for over 20 years they've been a huge feature in New Orleans Jazz, defining things in a new and fun way. Traditional yet new, with a sense of hip hop and jam bands, you could imagine how much fun this was. 

Lost track of the beers we had, started writing this entry months ago and got distracted by work. 

Let's just say, Zony Mash isn't located downtown, it's out of your way,  but it is worth it to take the trip out there. Do it.

Entry 3: New Orleans 2022, d.b.a. and Spotted Cat

Entry 3 in a series on New Orleans

On Sunday, after the Avenue Pub, we took a really long walk towards the Lower Garden District and Irish Channel. It was hot. We didn't stop anywhere along the way, even though there were plenty of good opportunities and if we didn't have to be somewhere by 5pm, we would have dipped down to Urban South or NOLA brewing or the others that are in the area. Next time, for sure!

Doug wanted to see the Palmetto Bug Stompers at d.b.a. so we Ubered over and got there before anyone else was there.

 Most of the time I wouldn't write specifically about a bar but I felt like our experience here was worth mentioning. 

We sidled up to the bar, and ordered a few things.

Doug ordered a DAT'SUMA IPA from Faubourg Brewing, and I got a High Noon Seltzer Peach (I do believe I had one at the Avenue too, but it's not beer so I didn't write it up). 

But, I will say the High Noon Seltzer is probably the best hard seltzer I've had.

Truly and White Claw are super gross in comparison and I can't believe people would pick that over High Noon if there's an option. High Noon is doing next level deliciousness, and the Peach is the best of them all (I had the Watermelon and Grapefruit too).  Do yourself a favor, if you see High Noon, get it instead.

The DAT'SUMA IPA was really good, very fruity, orange forward, flavorful. The taps were wonderfully cold, and we started having a wonderful conversation with the bartenders about craft brewing in New Orleans. Julie was wearing an Urban South shirt, so we asked about it and what her other favorite spots were. She noted we were there to see the band, and that we should go over to Zony Mash Beer Project on Tuesday for the Rebirth Brass Band and enjoy that. Tickets required, but worth the go. 

We noted that, enjoyed the band for three hours, and had more beers and seltzers. I didn't keep track, we were just in the moment, enjoying the folks at the bar, sampling shots of 21 Seeds Cucumber Jalapeño Tequila, which smelled like cucumber and bit like jalapeño. It wasn't bad, but I am not sure I'd get it for margarita making. 

Doug ended his night with a long time favorite, the Frambois by Brouwerij Lindemans. So delicious, wonderful, fruity, amazing. One of the best Lambics on the planet. And seeing as we didn't dive into any of the Boon offerings at the Avenue Pub, this was a good choice. 

d.b.a. doesn't serve food, and it was now late, and of course we were hungry. We missed our chance to grab a bahn mi from the market next door (again, on Julie's recommendation) so when the show ended we tried to grab something at Dat Dog. The balcony was closed, and the line was out the door so we walked across the street to Willie's Chicken Shack. We destroyed several pieces of chicken, and got daiquiris to go. I ended up with  brain freeze so vicious I had to hand mine over to Doug. It was horrible. And heartbreaking cause I kinda wanted the damn thing. Oh well.  

I'm grouping our d.b.a. visit with another stop a day or so later at the Spotted Cat Music Club. We found ourselves on Frenchman again, and it was the middle of the day. Not a lot was open over there yet, but we heard music coming from inside and decided to check it out. There was a trio playing, apologizing that their bass player wasn't there yet. But they were making due with the guitar, fiddle, and saxophone and it was wonderful to hear. 

We sat at the bar and I noticed they had two options from Zony Mash, where we'd be headed that very night. 

I had their seltzer, the Zony Pop Satsuma. It wasn't as good as High Noon but they're making it in bulk for national distribution and Zony Mash is a local brewery so their batches are smaller. It had a good flavor, and I'd have it again. 

I then tried their Be Present sour, which was super sour and fruity. Delicious.

 

Julie had mentioned that Zony Mash was doing some great work in the sours, and she wasn't kidding.  Trust the local bartender with the local craft beer t-shirt on. Always. We didn't stick around too long, and I got my head start on the Zony Mash Experience with these two tastes!

Entry 2: New Orleans 2022, The Avenue Pub

  Entry 2 in a series on New Orleans

In 2017, we visited New Orleans and were on a giant, long walk headed back towards the city from the Garden District. We made it to St. Charles and had hoped to catch a streetcar back to town but that line does not seem to have nearly enough cars. We walked for days. We stopped in at one bar which really sucked, and left after being ignored by the bartender. Walking a little further along, we found The Avenue Pub. It looked friendly. We went in. 

That visit ended up being one of my favorite stops at a bar/restaurant ever. Our beertender was delightful, the food was amazing, we sat and drank beers and talked Belgians and Brews for hours. We walked out to cooler air, and oh! A streetcar. And made it back to our hotel before the skies just parted and the city was awash. 

We knew we wanted to go back. The Avenue Pub was open 365/24/7 there in the pre-pandemic days, but now is not. It was Sunday, we knew they were closed Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday we had plans, so yes please. Let's go now. 

You may be surprised to learn that nothing has changed with the streetcar situation on St. Charles. Not sure what's up with that. Is there only one street car? We waited on line for a half hour and gave up and took an Uber over to the bar.

This isn't a brewery, which is okay. The focus is on the food and the beers they curate. 

Doug started with the Failed T-shirt Company from Rally Cap Brewing in Baton Rouge. It was a wonderful Oatmeal Stout, very malty and chocolatey. Usually on a hot day I wouldn't go in for a stout right off the bat (pun intended for the brewers) but we didn't walk all the way to the pub, and it just sounded good. I was happy he ordered it, and I had a good sample of it. 

By the way, I've been trying to drink less beer for my A1c lately, so I opted for a soda and vodka with lemon. I know, lame but. I'm trying to lower my numbers and I knew overall this trip was not going to help. At least Doug isn't against sharing.

For food, we started with me having a nice salad called the Smoked Cajun Shrimp Louis (our way) which was delicious. Doug was jonesing for the Toast aux Champignons which is basically sauteed mushrooms and onions in a cream sauce served with toasted bread. It doesn't sound mind blowing, but. Oh, it is.  He also ordered a Croque Madame, and loved it. 

I was about to order a sandwich or something more substantial than the salad when our waiter, James, came over to let us know that shortly there was going to be a Boon Brewery and a Chimay tasting, with a cheese board featuring Chimay Cheese. No need to order that sandwich, we are in. He described the cheese as "brie and cheddar had a baby" which hooked me completely, and that there would be two pieces of cheese. We thought the pieces of cheese were going to be small. But now. They were huge wedges and wonderful. 

The beer "flight" for the tasting was a few ounces of the Chimay classics we call White, Red, and Blue here in the US for their label colors. 

As you can see from the image below, the cheese board was amazing, the three Chimay chalices beautiful. We've had plenty of Chimay in our lives over the years. In fact, there are these same three sitting in the fridge that Doug got Geoff for Christmas this past year and he is "saving them for a special occasion." Maybe we'll get some cheese and build a board just like this. 

My only complaint about this cheese board was the grapes had seeds. Other than that, this was perfect.  We absolutely enjoyed every part of this, from the baby arugula, the perfectly toasted bread, the berries and walnuts. It was so perfectly done. I couldn't resist taking so many pictures of it. 

The Chimay distribution rep was in house, so she came over to chat with us after I had mentioned the beer blog to James. We had a great chat about Chimay, the brewing situation in NOLA, and how Guinness has helped the craft brewing scene in Maryland. 

All told, I feel like the Avenue Pub will always be a visit for us in New Orleans. Already can't wait to go back!

Entry 1: New Orleans 2022, Brieux Carré on a hot hot day

 Entry 1 in a series on New Orleans

Doug and I went on vacation to New Orleans to celebrate our 31st Wedding Anniversary. Beer Culture in New Orleans is pretty great. Last time we were there we only managed to get to one actual brewery at the Parleaux Beer Lab but enjoyed pints around town. 

This time, we enjoyed a few in person breweries, and also had pints around town. 

It's a blur, and I really need to start taking actual notes because ... well, beer. 

Here is where we went, and with the help of my camera and Untappd, let's unpack the brews. First Stop! 

Brieux Carré, Decatur & Frenchman
Located in a tiny doorfront on Decatur Street off Frenchman, there is a sweet little nano-brewery with a really nice patio. We checked into our hotel, had some lunch, and walked over on this blazing hot afternoon. 

Entering the brewery, the bar is on your right, tanks out behind, and a pathway out to the patio lies before you. There were only a couple people out back when we got there. As mentioned, it was brutally hot to this Mid-Atlantic gal, but we managed to snag a seat in the covered area of the patio by the one working fan and watched dozens of people flow back. 

Let me tell you, we hogged the shit out of that corner while sitting on high stools and using the big barrels as tables. I felt bad for others, looking for a breeze or respite. But without that fan, I wasn't staying. Thanks for having it there! 

I started with a Malcolm in the Mittlefruh, which I crushed in moments. My Untappd note is that it was a long walk but worth the trip. No real comment left on the beer, but as I recall it was perfect and refreshing after the stroll. Mind you, it was only a mile but... I'm delicate. Malcolm pictured below.

Doug started with (and I also ended up getting one for myself before we left) Moving to the City, Gonna Eat a Moderate Amount of Apricots. Duly noted at this point is the fun naming conventions Brieux Carré uses for their beers. This was a tremendously delicious sour, very fruity, and wonderful. The title indicates a "moderate" amount of apricots but no. This is a humongous amount of apricot flavor, and we both greatly enjoyed. 

It's hard to sing Presidents of the United States of America's "Peaches" with all the extra words mixed in to the title, but we did. 

Here's the Apricot:

Sticking with the fruities, we went to Ooh, Berry, I Like It Straw. It looked lovely and kind of thick and hazy. I was hoping the strawberry mash would kick me in the face as good as the apricot one, but it wasn't nearly as flavorful. 

I don't remember what other beer Doug got for round 2, but I for sure went to the apricots before we left. Again, I need to get better at this, take notes, and really check in correctly on Untappd so I can track everything. 

Here's the Ooh, Berry. I should have taken this in the sunshine instead of under the umbrella. Colors got muted and messed up as a result.

Doug got a T-shirt (his new thing is brewery shirts, I've noticed). We paid up, thanked the beertender who was rocking the place solo, and wandered off to enjoy Frenchman Street. 

Thanks Brieux Carré for a lovely visit. We'll be back next time we're in town.

"Hysteria When You're Near" - Hysteria Brewing, Columbia MD

We ventured away from Montgomery County for a visit up to Hysteria Brewing Company, located deep in the Warehouse district in Columbia. As previously mentioned here in the blog, there is a lot of brewing taking place in industrial parks here in Maryland. 

Hysteria has a spacious tasting room, whimsically decorated with some great paintings of Raccoons drinking beer (Hat tip to their Trash Panda brew). 

I mean, look at that lil' guy! 

Dogs and children are welcome, and there were plenty of both. Dogs are welcome inside and out too, which is also nice. 

Because our dog is a jerk to other dogs, we picked a table outside. Although I would have preferred inside. 

The side of the building seems to be on the east, it was in the shade, and very cold. 

Wishing we'd gotten there earlier but we would have missed the band if we were early birds. 

But it'll be hot soon enough. So no complaining about being outside the first week of April. 

We started with the 1996 and Oh Helles Yeah. Not very exciting pictures to be had, we were outside and there wasn't a lot of backdrop opportunities. The Helles was crisp and clean, had a really nice flavor. 

We drank the 1996 really fast, but I'm glad we grabbed cans to go, you'll see why further down. 

The table next to us had a few friends meeting up with their slew of kids, they set up a board game, they had a picnic. About 12 total humans just getting ready to enjoy some time together. 

At one point the parents had peeled off from the girls, who were playing cards. I needed to use the restroom, and Doug was inside getting more beer, so I asked the girls to watch Phineas. I felt completely comfortable, and they were more than willing. He loved the attention of 4 lovely young friends petting him and loving on him. 

It's that kind of place. I felt so comfortable there, and obviously the parents did too. I love experiences like that. So organic and kind.

The band was setting up, more people were coming to pet the dog. We also petted lots of dogs. We talked to so many people. Fans of Carbon Leaf, a librarian from the Community College, all the girls at the table beside us, and a little kid who fell down and needed some doggie pats as a distraction. I danced with a little boy named Marcus who was completely into the band, when I walked past and it was obvious his mom was just plain tired. 

We were having an exceptionally good visit. 

Round two had Doug getting the Monasterium which was in a wee tiny cup because it is a tripel at 11.5%. Sour and tart, super cherry, very good. Easy sipping and too much will kick your ass after a while, methinks.

I got the "Gotta Haze 'em All" because anything named for the Pokemon scene is alright by me. 

Doug said that he is kind of over the Hazy scene but I'm still loving it. Murky and bitey, it was a great taste. 

Now, let's talk Linner. 

We got to the brewery at 4-ish, well after lunch and borderline old people Early Bird Special time. Adjacent to the brewery is a BBQ joint called Bullhead Pit Beef. If you're wanting BBQ, they got the meats, sandwiches, mac & cheese, they have it all. Doug got a burrito and I got 2 meats on top of mac & cheese (Brisket and Pork) with a topping of KC sauce. This was delicious. Just the right size for me. Anything more would be too much but I would have loved a wee bit of of slaw too. 

What a great mix of flavors. Twenty thumbs up.

I got the "Be Kind Please Rewind" which I forgot to check into on Untappd, duh. Sometimes having too much of a good time to check into beer is okay. But. I did take a photo of with my Linner as seen above. Great pairing with the BBQ and the mac & cheese, this was fantastic.

Last round, I got the Trash Panda. 

As evidenced by their interior art, the "Trash Panda"  is a raccoon to others but here he is the official Hysteria Brewing mascot!  The art is delightful, and I really want to go back, sit on the bench with that little guy up top, and enjoy his namesake. 

Check out this dude loving hanging out with a pint. I mean, c'mon!

Doug got the Green Tea Pseudo Pils and neither of us enjoyed it. 

I found it had a "nose" reminiscent of pot, which was unpleasant. Doug said he didn't catch that but I felt the aroma was not actually reminiscent any other kind of green tea and he did not enjoy the beer overall. 

Hmmmm. Gotta say, in all honesty if that's the only no-fun brew in the bunch that we had (there were others we didn't visit upon) there is nothing really for me to complain about. 

Back to 1996. Getting a retro vibe from this brewery isn't hard to do. References to rewinding video tapes, or Pokemon, the signs are everywhere. We brought home the Trash Panda (which I'm enjoying right now!) and 1996 in cans. 

Lo and behold, the can art is a hard nod, an homage, a hella great reference to Rocco's Modern Life, a fantastic 90s cartoon that my kids (and I) grew up on. Seeing that TV Set, the door, the date, and the West Coast IPA - it's all so beautiful and brought me right back to the living room of our homes and watching with the kids. And oh how I loved that show and my kids (I still do but the 90s were special).

 If you're not familiar with the show, I recommend it. It's pure, delightful, weird, and wonderous. Any brewery that is steeped in this early 90s nostalgia is alright by me. 

Not to leave without a mention of the band, Old Eastern ripped the industrial park up with a caustic mix of American blues with kind of a psychedelic bent. They even have a trumpet and a flute. Their drummer was a monster. I'd go out of my way to hear these guys play again. Great show.

We'll be back. It's a good location once I can convince some folks north of us to come out for a pint. Looking forward to going back!

Plant Workshop and Beers Too! - 3 Stars Brewing, Washington DC

I have had a challenging week or so. 

Doug bought me a ticket to a plant workshop at 3 Stars Brewing in DC. 

Of all the local breweries this is one that we have had on our list and have never made it to and we both couldn't believe that it has taken this long for us to drop in.  

We arrived about a half hour before the workshop, so it was beer time. I ordered  the Shuriken Kellerbier, which was pretty great (see left). Doug got the Funkerdome Society #1 2021, which was served in a tiny glass which was probably a good idea. 

The Shuriken was very good, and the Funkerdome was delightfully sour, but I would have loved a bigger glass. It was listed with a 6.7 ABV which isn't that high, but it seemed their policy. 

I headed to the plant workshop and got settled in. Brought a Diamonds are Forever with me and got in a spot of trouble for walking into an area of the brewery that was wide open but not intended for the public. But I managed to get the picture I wanted, as seen below. Diamonds are Forever was a really nice New England Hazy IPA, slightly more bitter than most but that was alright by me. It had great lace as you drank it down, and was a really enjoyable beer.

Apologies extended for going into the restricted area, the workshop began and it was delightful. There was a young boy there who knew a lot about the ecosystem for carnivorous plants and bogs and marshes. The workshop came with a pot and one plant, but I wanted all three so, I basically paid a lot more to get the full setup I envisioned. 

I sat at a table with a couple, and a woman who lives very close to me. We had a lot of fun building our pots and chatting. The instructor was very helpful and I felt like I learned a lot about these carnivorous plants.  

My table neighbors, their beers and plants.

My little Sun Dew, before I accidentally dumped it out into my pot and it got covered up with the 
dirt. I'll clean it up so it gets its dew renewed!

Pitcher plant (can't remember the official name) with my 

Diamonds Are Forever beer.

My finished pot with my Birds of a Feather beer
slightly blurry because it was darker in the taproom than I'd liked, and the focus came out on the mural
which I love. 

3 Star has a lot going on most weekends. There were savory hand pies, smash burgers, and edibles for sale,  jewelry for sale, and a record swap. The taproom is big and spacious, with plenty of seating and really cool wall art featured throughout. The staff pulling beers were all great, very friendly and very busy. There were families, kids, and a lot of activity for the middle of the day. 

The only thing I really was not feeling into was the DJ. For 2pm, the music was kind of excessively loud, a bit much, impossible to have conversations and I left with a headache. It was cool to hear some old school jams though, I just wish it wasn't as loud as it was. 

I'll be heading back to 3 Star for some more plant shenanigans late in April, they host a prop swap, and I'm in the market for some new plants. As a burgeoning plant mom, I am digging the whole community feel they present with events like this. 

Ardent Craft Ales, Richmond VA

We recently spent a few days in Richmond, Virginia (see the Mekong write up earlier this week). Doug had done a lot of research on the brewing scene in Richmond and we were eyeballing a lot of spots on the Richmond Beer Trail. 

My cousin was in the hospital recovering from surgery, and I was his after care specialist for when he was released. Doug came with me to hang out, and we were both planning to have a full work day from the cousin's apartment. 

After walking up the street to the delightful Riverbend Roasters for coffee and bagels, we settled into work.  

But fate would have other plans. 

The internet was out (thanks to down detector we were sure it wasn't just a problem at his address but his neighborhood). Both of us did what we could to reschedule meetings and alert our teams to the lack of internet (thank you, phones and Slack!) Then we thought... what to do, what to do... I thought for sure my cousin would be spending the second night in the hospital, Doug said that he'd be released when the hospital felt that he should be released.

Doug had downloaded the pdf of the beer trail map, because he is smart like that. We then had our plan for the day. 

We opted to head to the most dense part of the beer trail on the map, a neighborhood labeled Scott's Addition. Looked like we'd be able to visit a couple breweries in one fell swoop. We'd grab a beer at a couple locations and take out for the rest (gotta drink responsibly!) 

Ardent Craft Ales is centrally located at spot 2 on the neighborhood map featured above, so it seemed to be a great option for a starting point. As it was early in the day, we were looking forward to lunch (Doug had scoped the menu out while planning, and was looking forward to the charcuterie board). 

He wanted to sit outside, but immediately it became obvious we were destined to hang at the bar when I started to talk with the beerkeeper, Maddy, who was delightful, welcoming, vivacious. 

Thinking about the recent visit I had to a northern Virginia brewery which I didn't enjoy and felt ignored and overlooked, this was refreshing. Talking about the industry and brewing, the neighborhood and the Beer Trail with Maddy was a lot of fun. 

To be honest, I always recognize when it is busy in a brewery or a bar, the staff are not going to have time to shoot the shit with some rando amateur beer blogger. I know I'm not important, I know I'm not some sort of professional. I just think small talk is sometimes the heart of things in this industry, so when you can get some and get GOOD some, it's even better. 

Beats the shit out of a middle distant stare-through when your glass is empty and the person doesn't ask you if you want another. If you're sitting at the bar, it usually indicates you're gonna be looking for your glass to be filled. 

Maddy made sure of that. If anyone from Ardent ever reads this - please know your staff was exceptional, and it's why we didn't end up leaving and going to a secondary or tertiary location on our "tour" of Scott's Addition, and also why I'll be back in June when I am back in Richmond. 

Anyway. The beers. 

I started with the Cold IPA which sounds like a weird name until you look at the art on the beer board in the picture above.

Instantly it brought up the image of the ICEE art and other similar cold fruity summer heat slaying snacks of our youth. 

It was crisp, clear, lovely. 

Doug got the Ardent Wheat, which had such an amazing flavor. Pictured to the right here, the Ardent Wheat is on the left and the Cold IPA is on the right. And down below the Ardent Wheat is hanging out with the Doug-desired and very well adored by both of us charcuterie board. 

The charcuterie board had three different cheeses, two different meats, pickled onions and wee pickles, and olives. The pear, delightfully sliced, was perfectly ripe and lovely with a piece of cheese against it. 

My only complaint about the charcuterie board was I usually love a nice piece of toasty bread or two for building up a mini stack of the cheese and meat together. That would be the only thing I think that would improve this presentation. The bleu cheese would have been best suited against a cracker or toast. The Appalachian in the middle was perfect against both meats, and I think the cheese at the far right was the Carolina. Smooth and creamy. The Ardent Wheat was a perfect pair to all the flavors here. 

Next, I went into Gose territory to get the Mixed Berry Gose. Initially, I'd wanted the Orange & Clove but they didn't have it on draft, just can, so I'd wanted it on draft. I'm not a huge fan of mint so I didn't go the pomegranate route. 

It's times like this that a flight is nice, but in some ways that's cheating in my book, especially with checking into things on Untappd. 4 oz samples are not exactly a full experience. 

The mixed berry gose was a beautiful color, vibrant and happy. The flavor was subtle, and it wasn't very sour so if you like your Gose to be puckery, this isn't it. It was a good transitional choice between the first course and the sandwich to come.

Doug went with the Defenestrator. 

A collaboration with the Cask Cafe, this was a great doppelbock. We ordered our sandwiches. Doug got the Pressed Avocado, which came with ham, fig jam, brie. Struggling with my decision, I ordered the Roast Beef which came with gouda, spicy mustard and garlic aioli. 

I asked the beerkeeper (Maddy was off on other duties) what he'd recommend with the sandwich and if the IPA X or 14 would be the better bet. He steered me toward the IPA 14 (noting IPA X doesn't mean 10, the way one might interpret). 

Doug had the Kellerbeer with his sandwich. Note that I didn't photograph either beer at this point because we were very busy eating our delicious sandwiches with the amazing side slaw.  

The IPA 14 was great with the roast beef and the Kellerbeer came home with us in a takeaway bag along with some Ardent Wheat. All told, both great choices with the meals we had. 

To be honest, I am sad that I didn't get his name but the beerkeeper we had was delightful. A lovely person, and I would recommend going to Ardent to meet him. I asked him to pose for me with his Sláinte tattoo, as it is a big part of my family heritage to see such a marking of a great server and one who shares such cheer. 

Cheers, dears!

If anyone from Ardent does social media or tracking of web referrals in Google Analytics, leave a comment and let me know who this lovely human is. I won't post Maddy's picture that she let me take because she's mostly sharing her tattoos and I don't have permission necessarily. I wanted to take pictures of them for our kid Jess to show them a fellow sea creature liker. But I did tell this human why I wanted the picture.

Everyone in my family would agree this is awesome. 

We were thinking of swinging round to the cidery or another stop on the beer trail before heading back to base camp in Church Hill. My phone rang and it was the hospital telling me my cousin would be ready for pick up very shortly. Oh! okay! So that changes things. Doug brought me back to the house, and he headed north to home. 

I waited for the pick up call (which didn't come for another 2 hours, but that's okay - I was happy to get a nap) and my take away beers were in the fridge, waiting to keep me company later on that week. 

Where my cousin lives there isn't a brewery right handy - there are some good beer bars, and one restaurant within walking distance where we had some Ardent and others during the week. I understand someone is opening a brewery in Church Hill this spring/summer so that'll be another addition on the beer trail to go visit when we go back! 

Thanks Ardent for a great day and visit! 

Astro Lab Brewing, Silver Spring, MD

Date of Visit, February 19, 2022

Feeling cooped up for a couple of weeks, Doug suggested that we head to downtown Silver Spring to visit Astro Lab Brewing for some lunch and brews. Twist my arm, wouldya? 

We'd only been to Astro Lab one time, back in July 2021, where we actually ran into one of my co-workers hanging out on the patio. We had a wonderful visit with him, so I didn't log my beers for a write up. Happy to return to do an official blog entry on the space. 

Downtown Silver Spring currently hosts three breweries. The most popular is Denizens, everyone seems to know it if you mention breweries in town, and they have a second location s they've expanded their vision and mission in brewing. There's also Silver Branch, which is conveniently right on the Red line of the DC Metro line. In the Before Time when I'd be commuting, Doug would sometimes text me to say he was stuck in traffic in Virginia. I'd bail in downtown, grab a pint or two, a container of popcorn, and do a little more work for a half hour or so to avoid waiting or languishing in the cold at my stop (or, walking the 3/4 mile home in the cold or rain, or brutal heat). 

Astro Lab is located right on the main drag through Silver Spring, parking on the road in the immediate vicinity is sometimes a challenge, but garages in the neighborhood are free on Saturday and Sunday, and after 7pm weekdays, which makes it a little easier. They have a small limited menu of food, and they do not allow outside food to be brought in, which is kind of a shame when you scan the nearby neighborhood and realize the huge assortment of cuisines from Chinese to Indian to Ethiopian and good old American Subs right in front of your face. 

We were hungry in addition to thirsty, so we did get the hand pies they serve. Having been to a number of places that serve this sort of nomage, they're similar to Cornish Pasties or my favorite KO pies from Australia which  we used to enjoy all the time in Boston. They're not very filling, so we were careful not to overdo it with the beers vs. having a nice full belly to offset the ABVs. 

I only checked into 4 beers on Untappd, which is not the full experience of what we had. We share beers when we go out, Geoff always wants to try what we got so we've just all gotten used to trying from one another's glasses. It's a family thing. 

I started out with the Rock Creek Lager .. Lagers should be simple, easy, and clean and this one certainly is. Does not disappoint as a first choice.

Geoff got the Ripple, which was a nice berry stout. It had a lot of "nose" as it were, very berry scent but the flavor wasn't to match. Still, quite tasty overall.

Zero to 60 was Doug's choice, described as an Imperial/Double IPA/New England Hazy, tremendous flavor and scent. 

Gravitas Rainbow was my second beer, chosen for the nod to Thomas Pynchon novel. Which I've never read and I actually only know one person who has - Doug. This beer is fruit-full and delicious. The rainbow being all the flavors you get out of the mix, like peaches, nectarine, melon. Incredibly tasty without veering into any sort of Gose or sour. It remains a true IPA. 

We also had the Groovier (Geoff), and Battle of Nantes (Doug), and Geoff had a third to go with his awesome ice cream sandwich, but I didn't record what he had. I was busy goofing off and playing with the brewery cat. I really should do a whole write up of awesome brewery cats. Gotta protect the ingredients from mice! Keep doing amazing work across the country, you good babies.

I should mention the hand pies again. I had the curry and Doug had the beef. Both were delicious, but like I mentioned - small. Usually when I head out to a brewery I really also want a decent nosh. Potato chips on the side don't necessarily increase the experience. Overall though, the flavor made up for the small, and hand pies are supposed to be hand pies... and not the hands of a giant. 

It's nice to have some really good choices close to home!

Caboose Brewing, Vienna VA

Date of Visit: February 21, 2022

For several weeks, Doug and I have been spending time over in Reston helping a family member with some issues at home. That's not beer blog fodder. But. After spending several hours and feeling like no progress is getting made, filled with the overwhelming sensation that we're not getting anywhere, a person should just take a detour to get a cold one. 

This was one of those days. 

Presidents' Day is a holiday for many, but not for my husband. So I went and did the family duties with care and love all by myself. I had been eyeballing options for places to stop but found the couple I wanted to visit were closed on Mondays. 

So I picked Caboose Brewing. Slightly out of my way but I figured it would be great to just sit, relax, and have a beer. 

The place was super crowded when I got there. It was a gorgeous day, and the tavern backs up onto a rail trail. Dozens of cyclists and families with kids were hanging out enjoying a break on their long or short hauls on the bright and sunny afternoon. 

I entered the tavern, the signs said to wait to be seated so I waited. For a rather long time. I was about to give up and leave when one of the staff noticed me and asked if I wanted anything. Yes. To sit. Somewhere. Please. 

She told me that I could sit anywhere, gestured around and gave me a big smile. I thought it odd, and pointed out that the sign said to wait to be seated. 

She shrugged. I headed straight to the bar. 

The bartenders (they have a full bar) basically ignored me as they washed glasses and cleared the bus corner where the waitresses were bringing things back.I finally flagged one down and asked if I could order. He said sure. Again, kind of a weird feel to this but okay.

I chose To Helles and Bock because I love good pun names. It was very refreshing, especially after hours of cleaning and working. Great taste and a nice maibock. I downed it fast, but got a picture for the socials. 

I wanted a second one, and just couldn't get the attention of anyone behind the bar. There were two or three people back and forth, filling orders for the wait staff bringing things to the tables. I even got a middle distance stare through by one of the staff, like I wasn't even there. Eventually I walked over to the to go case because there were a couple beers I wanted to try, and when I came back I asked for my second beer, and the guy heard me. 

"I'll take a second pour and these to go. You can close out the tab then." 

I ordered the Dunkelweisen, and got the Fog Hazy IPA and Blackberry Gose to go home to the boys. My notes in untappd are blank from the check in, so I think that I just wanted to drink it and go. I don't have a really strong mental note either of what I thought.  

Caboose serves food too, but I knew I was headed home to a fully made dinner in an hour, and I didn't want to ruin my appetite. The menu looked good, and the bike rider next to me had a buffalo chicken sandwich. It smelled amazing and he made a couple audible groans of delight at the deliciousness of the sammitch. I asked him how was it and she shook his head, asking "are you married?" 

Laughingly, I admitted to such and he told me that if I had that sandwich, I'd leave my husband, and live with the sandwich forever. His wife was sitting on his other side, and she was laughing (with her salad in front of her, probably not feeling the same about her salad). I asked him if he was going to leave his wife and go live with this sandwich, and he said yes. Yes he was. 

Note to self that the sandwich is worth divorce. 

I had to flag down one of the waitstaff, while sitting at the bar, to pay my tab. I realized that the bartender was paying attention to the couple next to me and I still felt that this was just weird. 

It was time to go. I felt overall that the beer was good here, but my experience was negative. I'm not used to ever sitting at a bar and not getting attention. Luckily the ride home was swift, and we were able to enjoy the Fog and Blackberry Gose at home. I didn't take notes or photos of them, but we overall really loved the Gose. 

To be honest, I'm not sure I will ever go back to Caboose, even for the divorce sandwich. Even with Doug.