HamFon's BrewPub Ratings


The purpose if this page is to keep track of brewpubs that I've visited. If you are interested in brewpubs or microbreweries in many other locations, check out some of the links on my Other Info tab. If you're looking at this page without frames around it, try the main Build A Beer page.

I rate brewpubs since I am a home brewer, and I like many styles of beer. Also, it seems that most brewpubs have exceptionally good food, since most of it is made-from-scratch (often with left-over brewing grain, etc.).



Arizona - Phoenix:
  • Hops! Bistro and Brewery
Bermuda:
  • Bermuda Triangle Brewing Company
California - San Francisco:
  • E&O Trading Company
  • Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant
  • San Francisco Brewing Company
California - San Jose:
  • Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant
  • Tied House
Colorado - Denver/Boulder/Fort Collins:
  • Avery Brewing Co. (Boulder)
  • BJ's Pizza, Grill, and Brewery
  • Dry Dock Brewing (Aurora)
  • Left Hand Brewing Co.
  • Left Hand Tap House
  • Mountain Sun Pub and Brewery (Boulder)
  • New Belgium Brewery (Fort Collins)
  • Oasis Brewery and Restaurant (Boulder)
  • Odell Brewing Company (Fort Collins)
  • Oskar Blues (Lyons)
  • Overland Stage Stop Brewery (Longmont)
  • Pints Pub Brewery and Free House (Denver)
  • Pump House (Longmont)
  • Redfish New Orleans Brewhouse
  • Rock Bottom Brewery (Denver Airport)
  • Sandlot Brewery (Denver)
  • Twisted Pine/Peak To Peak Brewing Co.
  • Wilderness Pub (Rockies Brewing/Boulder Beer)
Florida - The Keys:
  • Kelly's Caribbean Bar, Grill and Brewery
Florida - Central:
  • Big River Grille and Brewing Works
  • Hops - Orlando
  • Spanish Springs Brewing
Florida - West Coast (except Tampa/Clearwater area):
  • Hops - Fort Myers
  • Sarasota Brewing Co - Sarasota
Florida - East Coast:
  • Abbey Brewing Co - Miami Beach
  • Big Bear Brewing Co - Coral Springs
  • Brewzzi - Boca Raton
  • Brewzzi - West Palm Beach
  • Charlie & Jakes - Melbourne
  • Gordon Biersch - Miami
  • Hops - West Palm Beach
  • Hops - Pembroke Pines
  • Hops - Boynton Beach
  • Hops - Pompano Beach
  • Monkey King - Stuart
  • Ragtime Tavern and Grill - Atlantic Beach
  • Titanic Brewery - Coral Gables
Florida - Tampa / Clearwater and surrounding areas:
  • BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse - Clearwater
  • Dunedin Brewery - Dunedin
  • Hoppers Grille and Brewery - Palm Harbor
  • Hoppers Grille and Brewery - Tampa
  • Hoppers Grille and Brewery - Trinity
  • Hops - Palm Harbor
  • Hops - Port Richey
  • Hops - South Tampa
  • Saint Sebastiaan Belgian Microbrewery Restaurant
  • Tampa Bay Brewing Company
Grand Cayman Island:
  • Stingray Brewery
Hawaii - big island:
  • Kona Brewing Company
  • Mehana Brewing Company
Illinois - Chicago:
  • Millrose Brewing Co.
Kansas / Missouri - Kansas City area:
  • Barley's Brewhaus
  • Boulevard Brewing Co.
  • Dave's Brewpub
  • McCoy's Public House and Brew Kitchen
  • Mill Creek Brewing Co.
  • Overland Brewing Co.
  • Power Plant Restaurant and Brewery
  • Rock Bottom Brewery
  • River Market Brewing Co.
  • 75th Street Brewery
  • Sports Page - KC
  • Zymer's Grill and Brewery
Kansas - Lawrence:
  • Brown Bear Brewing Co.
  • Free State Brewing Co.
  • Sports Page
Kansas - Manhattan:
  • Little Apple Brewing Company
Louisiana - New Orleans:
  • Crescent City Brewhouse
Nevada - Las Vegas:
  • Big Dog's Brewing Company
  • Chicago Brewing Company
  • Ellis Island Casino and Brewery
  • Gordon Biersch Las Vegas
  • Monte Carlo Resort and Casino Pub and Brewery **CLOSED**
  • Tenaya Creek Restaurant and Brewery
  • Triple 7 Brewpub - Main Street Station


Barley's Brewhaus

119th and Quivira, Overland Park, KS

Turns out that this isn't really a brewpub. They don't make their own beers. However, they have a large selection of locally brewed beers, including from Barley's Brewhaus in Topeka which IS a brewpub. The sampler of beers below is from Barley's in Topeka. Local brewery products are from Boulevard, River Market, Pony Express, 75th Street, and Flying Monkey. They also have (from the menu) 33 bottled American beers, 18 bottled international beers, 13 draft international beers, 35 draft American beers, and 22 local brewery products.

We visited on Friday August 26, 1996, at 8PM. There was no wait, but it was pretty busy. Food seemed a bit pricey, but portions were large. Red Hot Wings were in a Tabasco-type sauce with roast garlic and sesame - VG - dipping sauce was garlic and slightly sweet. Big Barley Burger (with provolone) - VG - tasty traditional burger - fries were plain but fresh and hot - G. Smoked Clubhaus was slightly smoky - E - came with pasta salad which was light and not too oily or creamy - E. Smoked Sharp Cheddar and Ale Soup was slightly spicy - E - not overly creamy. Overall impression of visit was quite good.

BEERS (4 oz samples at $1.00 each)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
BilliardBerry G 3 3 2 3 2 fizzy fruity
Chief Burnetts IPAVG 3 3 3 4 3 slightly bitter
Heartland Wheat G 2 3 3 3 3 smooth
Ray's Red VG 3 2 4 3 4 smooth slightly bitter
Shunganunga Stout VG 4 2 5 3 4 creamy

Zymer's Grill and Brewery

5005 W. 117th, Leawood, KS (451-2525)

Under new ownership YET AGAIN.. (was Bayou State Brewery before) - and with a "real" brewmaster this time. Visited Friday 6 Nov 1998 with wife and friend, at about 7PM. Busy, but not full. Still somewhat upscale prices - $7 for burger - Black and Bleu burger was VG and fries VG. Cheese and Broccoli soup was VG. Baked potato overcooked, and salmon was only G+.

The notes below were done before BSB went belly up and reopened. Visited again on 5 Sept 1997. BSB is NOT a brewpub anymore - just a restaurant with some brewing vats for display. Food was mostly Cajun, up scale prices, and not particularly special. Lunch half-sandwiches were served alone on a small plate (terrible presentation). Day soup (tomato-y and spicy) was good, but very different. Most people at the table did not finish their meals (they did not like them). Oh, well.

******* OLD NOTES: ********
This is an upscale brewpub that focuses on New Orleans style cuisine. I could not get a hamburger or chicken wings (two of my staples for food comparisons). The parking lot was full of BMWs, Mercedes', and Acuras. We visited Bayou at 10:15 P.M., Saturday, September 21, 1996. Fairly busy, but no wait. Live Jazz music. Food had a nice presentation. Appetizers priced reasonably, but some dinners were pricey. Large selection of pepper sauces. Server seemed to be in a hurry (impatient), although not particularly busy.

We had Cheddar Fondue for an appetizer - $5.95, VG+, served with garlic toast (had tomatoes and onions(?) in the cheese). I had Sausage and Cheese Appetizer for dinner - $6.25, VG+, including tasty sausage pieces, 3 cheeses (pepper jack, smoked gouda, and baby swiss), with a mild spiced mustard. Caroline had Chicken Fingers Appetizer for dinner - $6.95, F, batter was too light (would have been better for fish) - should have been more hearty, served with BBQ sauce and honey mustard, chicken was OK, but one piece was tough (overcooked?). We had White Chocolate Bread Pudding for desert - $3.95, E, outside like a cinnamon roll, inside with golden raisins and bread pudding - very tasty.

BEERS (sampler of six 4-oz beers was $4.25)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Peters Porter Stout G 4 4 3 4 3 Coffee
Scottish Heavy VG 4 3 4 3 3
Ambrosian Ale VG 3 3 3 3 2 Fizzy
St. James Pale Ale VG 2 3 2 4 2 Tannin
Mad Dog's Red VG 3 4 2 5 3 Tart
KristallKleer WeizenBierVG 2 2 3 2 2 Woody Cloves/yeasty

Brown Bear Brewing Co.

729 Massachusetts, Lawrence, KS (913) 331-4338

Visited with brother-in-law Richard 9 Oct 1997 at 12:45 pm. Not busy. Presentation of sampler on wait tray - not very elegant. Chips and guacamole - fresh, average guac, with pimento, lemon, and garlic. Needs more onions! Small bowl of guac. Chips were fresh and good (including tomato chips). Portabella soup - mushrooms, potatoes, carrots, onions, green beans, tomatoes, rosemary - VG. Cheeseburger and fries - VG - heavy bread (good but different), fries were homemade and E. Fish and chips - catfish with red pepper mayonnaise sauce - G+ - large serving of 4 fish fillets. Good light batter.

BEERS (4 oz samplers 80 cents each)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Unfiltered Wheat E 2 2 2 4 2 fizzy fresh
IPA VG 3 3 3 5 2
Red G 2 2 2 3 2
Stout G 3 1 3 2 2 smoky,coffee
Peach Wheat VG 2 2 4 2 2 fruity heavy peach

Boulevard Brewing Co.

2501 Southwest Blvd, Kansas City, MO 816-474-7095

This is actually a locally brewery, with no attached brewpub. Of course, that means that I had to search ALL over town to find JUST what I wanted to taste ;-) There's a porter and a stout and maybe a bitter still waiting to be tasted... I'm on a mission... *smile*

BEERS
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Nutcracker Ale (bottle) 3+ 2 5 3 5 2 Unfiltered Spiced IPANutmeg, Juniper, Allspice Christmas Ale
Pale Ale (draft) 4 3 4 3 4 2 Light fruitLight yeast
Unfiltered Wheat (draft)3+ 2 4 4 3 2 Smooth but unremarkable

Dave's Brewpub

10635 Floyd, Overland Park, KS

Strictly a place for regulars. Nachos and home-made salsa were simple and average. Kamikaze wings were not particularly hot, more like BBQ than spicy (they were "G"). Honey glazed wings were different - sweet and smoky - VG. On Friday, at 6PM, there was no crowd, and by 6:30PM, Dave's was only about 1/4 full - mostly regulars. Dave said that he makes the beer in small batches - sometimes as small as three barrels. All of the beers tasted dishwatery. We hope that this was from dirty glasses and not the quality of the beer. However, the beer was fairly unpleasant because of this. We may go back some other time to see if it's any better. The beer ratings reflect this taste.
BEERS (Sampler of 10 4?oz beers was $3.00)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Red Lite F 3 2 smooth
Honey Wheat Lager P 5 fizzy bitter
Cattle Drive English Bitter AleP 5 sulphite
Flint Hills Lager F 3 3 3
Tornado Belgian Trappist Ale P 5 5 3 heavy sulphite
Buffalo Brown Ale G 4 4 1 3
Dave's Vienna Red Lager F 2 3 5+2
Fred's Habanero G 2 2 2 spicy hot
Maibock G 3 4 3 malty and sweet
Mother Earth Stout G 3 3 1 2 smooth

Free State Brewing Co.

6th & Massachusetts, Lawrence, KS

Visited 9 Oct 1997 2:00 pm - almost full restaurant. EXCELLENT customer service, staff was very knowledgable about beer (both their own and beer in general). A very professional but down-to-earth atmosphere. Free State was the first brewpub in the KC area, and continues to set the standard for the others. The Reisling/beer was an experiment by the brewmasters, which they shared with us - Hogue Johannesberg Reisling (just a tablespoon or so) in Wheat State Golden. It was interesting.

BEERS (5oz samplers 85 cents each)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Wheat State Golden VG 3 2 (20 ibu) 3 3 3
Lemon Grass Rye VG 2 2 (18 ibu) 3 2 2 smooth lemony
Ad Astra Ale VG 3 3 (27 ibu) 2 4 2 caramel
Octoberfest E 4 3 (21 ibu) 4 2 3+smooth winey
Copperhead Pale Ale (IPA) VG 2 4 (48.5 ibu) 1 4 3 hoppy
Bison Dark Ale E 4 5 (69.5 ibu) 3+3 4 smooth hoppy
Oatmeal Stout VG 4 4 (42 ibu) 3 3 4 balanced hoppy
Reisling/Wheat State Golden VG 3 2 4 3 3 champagne
Ironman Stout E 4 3 3 3 5

McCoy's Public House and Brew Kitchen

4057 Pennsylvania, Westport, MO, (816) 960-0866

Visited at 3:00PM on Thursday (3Sep1998), with brother-in-law Richard - sat at the bar. 1997: reviewed with visiting brother-in-law Richard. Nice atmosphere, live music at night (jazz, etc.). Had a smoking (cigar) room with board games and books. Knife And Fork Philly ($7.95) was a Philly Cheesesteak with a single slab of sirloin (not sliced), white cheddar, sauteed onions and mushrooms, and spicing (tasted like rosemary), on a potato-onion hoagie bun, with a tasty brandy au jus. Sandwich was filling, and rates Excellent. Accompanying fries were below average - a bit soggy. Also got Buffalo Chicken Wings (1 lb. for $5.95). Wings rate VG - medium hot Durkee-type sauce, with bleu cheese. Richard and I each finished our sandwiches, but were unable to finish all of the wings (a LOT of food!). Overall feeling for the place was comfortable and laid-back, but that quality and presentation were important (food presentation was very artistic, original, functional, and clever) - a classy (and slightly up-scale) brewpub. They also have a Dead-Tuesday night, and several employees noticed and commented on Richard's Grateful Dead shirt. There were ten house rules, including #1, "No one leaves our house without finishing their beer," and #9, "Save room for desert." Rule #1 makes sense - rule # 9 ... NOT. Visited Thursday, 17 July 1997, both in the afternoon, and at night (for the live music). Service was above average, and it was not very crowded. They served beer brewed on-site, as well as "imports" from 75th Street Brewery, and from Pony Express Brewing Co. The beer sampler was served on a placemat with spots for each beer, and with small stories about the beer, it's name, and why it's name was selected.
BEERS (Sampler of 8-5oz beers was $4.25)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Landing Light 4+4 2 2 1 2 dry pleasant
Newcomb's IPA 4 2 5 3 4 3 flowery bite
Mild Specialty 3 2 1 4 1 1 malty
Amber Specialty 3 3 4 5 3 2
Black Rye 4 4 3 4 1 3 chewy smoke,chocolate
Stout 4+5 3 5 3 4 creamy very smooth
75th Street Royal Raspberry 4 3 2 4 3 2 no edge good berry
Peach 3 2 2 5 3 2 very peachy sickly sweet
Hog Pound Brown 3 2 4 4 4 2 smooth
Pony Express Nut Brown 3 4 3 4 3 3 smoky
Revisited McCoys on 1 May 2004 with Caroline, Maritza, Joe. Very Good salsa (4+). Reevaluated beers:
BEERS (Sampler of 6-5oz beers was $4.50 - plus two complimentary samples)
Namerating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste stylecolorfizzyAlcohol%IBU
Landing Light 4+3 1 2 1 1 maltybanana American lagerlight straw3 511
Hog Pound Brown Ale 4+3 2 2 2 2 brown alecopper35.7
Newcomb's IPA 4 3 4 2 4 3 juniper India pale aledark straw36.445
Hellesbock 4 3 3 4 3 2 slight drymouth Hellesbock (Maibock) light copper47
Red Light Raspberry 4 1 1 3 1 1 fruit fruitlight straw3510
Thompson's Dry Stout 3 4 3 3 4 4 stoutblack23.940
Belgian Dubbel Trappist Ale5 3 1 4 1 2 fruityapricot Belgian Trappist aleamber2720
Bohemian Pilsner 3+1 3 1 4 1 Pilsnerstraw3

Mill Creek Brewing Co.

4050 Pennsylvania, Westport, MO, (816) 931-4499

Visited at 2:00PM on Thursday (3Sep1998), with brother-in-law Richard - sat at the bar. Much more satisfying experience this time - chatted with the brewmaster - very personable, and seemed very knowledgable. The Pilsner is award winning class. Excellent! 1997: reviewed with visiting brother-in-law Richard. Three of the four beers available were exceptional. The fourth beer (Pilsener) tasted to us like it had come from a sour keg, or possibly had picked up some bacteria in the beer lines. We spoke with the brewmaster as well as the bartender, and they said it was supposed to taste that way. We suspect that they had a bad keg, and had not yet tried a taste from it. Still overly stuffed, foodwise (from McCoys), we did not try any food or appetizers. They serve good wines by the glass (e.g., Franciscan). They also have a hand-crafted root beer which was VG+, sweet and creamy, similar to A&W draft. Attention to quality and presentation was average (no coasters, for example - they used bevnaps). Atmosphere was average - it was slow when we visited in the afternoon of Thursday, 17 July 1997. Brewmaster seemed to be quite knowledgable about beer making and components, and about other microbreweries. He should have offered to taste the Pilsener, though... Sampler presentation was average - a row of samplers on bevnaps, with verbal identification by the bartender. The Forty Acre Wheat beer had a solid body (for a wheat), but tasted fresh and was not yeasty like most wheats. The Tinker's Irish Stout was almost excellent - it just did not quite have the depth of complexity of a Guinness or Watney's Cream Stout.
BEERS (Sampler of 4-3oz beers was $3.50)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Forty Acre Wheat G+ 2 1 3 1 2 spritzyfruity
Real McCoy Amber VG 2 4 2 3 3 smoothlight
Prospector Pilsener E 2 3 2 2 3 smoothfresh
Tinker's Irish Stout VG 3 4 4 2 3 fizzynot chocolate

Overland Brewing Co.

9083 Metcalf, Overland Park, KS

**** Changed to Sports Page **** Visited on 14 June 1996 at 1705. Not busy (but it got full by the time we left). Good background blues music. Jamaica Jerked Wings ($5.95) were very tender, slightly spicy (appeared to be a sauce made of Worstershire sauce, black pepper, and beef boullion), marinated. Greasy, but good flavor - G+. Bacon Cheeseburger ($5.55) with poppy seed kaiser and spiced meat - G+. Chicken Finger appetizer was four large pieces of white meat in a fish-and-chips type of batter. Crispy and flaky, but the batter is too light for the chicken flavor - better suited for light fish. Served with BBQ sauce (sweet, not particularly good) and honey-mustard. Chicken rating G-. Even though business was pretty slow when we were there, service was mediocre to poor.
BEERS (Sampler of 5 3?oz beers was $3.75)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Ruby Red ESB E 2 1 5 bitter
Sunflower Gold Ale G+ 2 3 2 3 smooth flowery
Tornado Path Porter E- 3+ 4 creamy smoky
Overland Raspberry WheatG 2 1 1 3 smooth
Sunflower Gold Light G+ 2 3 3 4 smooth flowery

Power Plant Restaurant and Brewery

2 Main Street, Parkville, MO (816) 746-5051

Visited on Thursday, 5 October, 2000, with brother-in-law Richard. Wings mildly spicy, very good flavor. Burger average, VG fries. 80 year old building with very comfortable bar-type atmosphere - also the roof is covered with tables. Service at the bar was VG+.
BEERS (Sampler of 6 4oz beers was $6)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Walnut Creek Wheat VG 3 4 1 3 2+smooth lingering malt
Colonel Park's Pale Ale G+ 2 4 1 5 2 hoppy bitter but smooth
Seasonal - Oktoberfest G 2 1 3 2 2 allspice
Seasonal - Harvest Rye G 3 3 2 2 2+
Southbound Nut Brown VG+ 3 3 4 1 4 very smooth walnuts, long linger
Steamboat Stout G 5 4 4+3+4+ coffee
Specialty - Belgian Ale E- 2 2 4 2 2 fizzy cloves

River Market Brewing Co.

500 Walnut (Downtown by City Market)

Visited on 5 October 2000 at 2:00 pm with brother-in-law Richard for beer tasting. On the previous visit (1998?): Excellent burger (the Oregon Tillamook - the grilled onions on it were great). Excellent french fries. Chicken wings were quite good, pretty spicy, and had a different flavor from "most" wings (oregano?). Also, the wing dip was a unique cucumber/dill sauce (quite good). The Fish (and chips) was light a fluffy - very tasty. We went Fri PM at about 6:15 and had a 25 minute wait. Good music- 50's and 60's. Service was excellent - attentive, not oppressive.
BEERS (sampler of 5-3oz beers was $5)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Bomber Blonde Ale G 2 4 1 3 1+light flavorhoppy
Sodbuster Pale Ale VG+3 5 1 4 2+smooth
River Market Red AleG- 3 4 2 3 3 smooth lemony
Flying Crow Porter G+ 4 3 3 4 4-coffee
Seasonal - Alt G+ 3 4 2 4 3 hoppy noseAlt is a German beer style

Rock Bottom Brewery

11721 Metcalf, Overland Park, KS

Burger good (not special). Fries were very good - ask for Maker's Mark Gourmet Sauce for dipping - it's a light, medium sweet BBQ sauce from the folks who brought you great whiskey. Wings were crispy, with a mildly spicy pepper sauce. Complementary beer bread was thick and heavy, with carrots and zucchini (?), and was fresh and warm and moist - very good. Dinner salad had very good house vinegarette dressing. Hazelnut chicken was excellent - melts in your mouth - vegetables were flavorful with just enough pepper, and crunchy, yet tender - chicken was very nutty, with the nuts overpowering the other flavors. We arrived at 7pm on Friday, and waited for 50 minutes (estimate was 40-45). Service was very good.
BEERS (sampler of 7 3?oz beers was $4.80)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Palomino Pale Ale G 3 3 3 2
White Tail Wheat G 2 2 2
Falcon Red Ale VG+ 4 4 smooth pleasant
Riverboat Brown G 5 4 smooth winey
Schooner Stout E- 4 4 4 smooth luscious
Prairie Rock AmberG 3 2
Bitter Cold G 5 3

75th Street Brewery

520 W. 75th, Kansas City, MO (523-4677)

Visited at 3:00PM on Thursday (5Oct2000), with brother-in-law Richard - sat at the bar - tried out "new" California Common, which is an Anchor Steam style beer. Visited at 4:00PM on Thursday (3Sep1998), with brother-in-law Richard - sat at the bar. Visited at 9:15PM on Saturday (23Nov1996), 30 minute wait. Bagpipes and drums entertainment - St. Andrews Club was meeting there. Prominent brewing vats and equipment - more a bar than a restaurant. Service was fair (but the waiter was busy). Complimentary bread with honey butter (G+). Chicken wing appetizer (VG+) was spicy hot, but very flavorful and meaty - not your average Durkee's flavoring like lots of restaurants use, and with a garlic-y ranch dressing. Homemade potato chips (with garlic-y ranch) were tasty, fresh and crisp, slightly overcooked (VG). Stockyard Cheeseburger ($6.50) with large ranch fries - fries were fresh and hot (VG), burger was average (G) and overcooked (was Well, wanted Medium Rare). Club sandwich ($6.95) with black beans - beans had a spicy afterteste and came with cheese (VG), club was huge (E), good flavor, with the flavors complementing each other perfectly (so you didn't taste distinct cheese or meat flavors).
BEERS (sampler of 7-4oz beers was $1.75)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Cow Town Wheat G 4 1 2 1 2 smooth malty
Yardbird's Golden Ale G 2 4 3 2 2 smooth sweet
Royal Raspberry Wheat VG 3 2 4 3 2 no edgegood fruit
Belgian Wheat Christmas StyleVG 2 2 3 1 2 clove/cinnamon
Cask Conditioned Golden AleVG 2 3 3 2 2 smooth Distinct hops
Possum Trot Brown Ale G+ 4 2 4 1+3 fizzy
Muddy Mo's Stout G+ 4 2 4 1 4 creamy coffee
English Pale Ale G 3 2 3 2 3 smooth
Russian Imperial StoutVG 5 2 5 2 4 honey very smoky
California Common VG+3 5 3 4 3+ Very good copy of Anchor Steam

Sports Page

23rd & Kasold, Lawrence, KS

Visited 9 Oct 1997 3pm with brother-in-law Richard. Lots of money went into building and decorating this place - solid doors, etc. Service was average, even though business was very slow. Bartender was trying to impress us with his beer pouring skills (we weren't). Chips and salsa was G+ - picante was spicy.

BEERS (sampler of 6-3oz beers was $3.75)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Unfiltered Honey Wheat G 2 2 4 1 2 smooth
Crimson Ale G 3 4 2 4 2
Golden Glove Ale G 3 3 3 2 2
Pigskin Porter VG 4 3 3 3 3 smoky
Real Raspberry Wheat VG 3 2 4 2 2
Brown Ball Bitter G 3 2 4 2 2

Sports Page - KC

9083 Metcalf, Overland Park, KS (913) 385-2739

Visited 13 Mar 1998 (Friday) 19:30 with Caroline. Very slow service (same as when this place was the Overland brewery). Philly Cheesesteak was VG ($7), fries were G, Caroline had a veggie burger ($5) - rating G.

BEERS (sampler of 7-3oz beers was $3.75)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Unfiltered Honey Wheat VG 2 3 2 2 2 smooth citrus
Crimson Ale G 3 4 4 4 3 crisp hoppy
Golden Glove Ale G 1 1 3 2 1 metallic
Pigskin Porter G 3 2 4 4 3 light smoky
Real Raspberry Wheat VG 2 2 4 2 2 light fruit
India Pale Ale VG 3 2 2 5 3 bitter
Black Diamond Stout G 3 3 3 4 3 fizzy

Little Apple Brewing Company

1110 Westloop, Manhattan, KS (913) 539-5500

Visited 15 Feb 1998 Noon with Caroline. Large, lots of wood decor. Service was G. Started to get crowded with church letting out. Tex Burger (G) with ranch fries (VG) was $5.95. Portabella Mushroom sandwich (G) with onion rings (VG)was $6.25.

BEERS (sampler of 6-5oz beers was $3.60)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Wildcat Wheat (K-State)G 2 4 2 4 3 slight bitter
Wheat bock G 3 2 3 2 3
McApple Scottish ale F 1 1 1 2 1 watery
Prairie pale ale (IPA) VG 3 3 2 4 2 fizzy
Pony Express porter G 4 3 4 3 4 smoky
Black Angus stout F 3 2 2 2 3 watery

Brewpubs in other cities


Millrose Brewing Co.

South Barrington, IL (15 miles W of Chicago)

Visited Monday at 8:00PM (18 Nov 1996) - 45 minute wait, but got a bar table immediately and ate there. Huge old-west atmosphere barn setting (made from six 125 year old barns, supposedly) with high rough-wood ceilings, etc. Service was EXCELLENT! They have a wide menu selection from sandwiches to higher priced steaks and seafood. I went with a plan of getting the biggest baddest steak that I could but the appetizer sampler platter looked like something I should report on. The "Taste Of Millrose" appetizer included: Brew Battered Shrimp (2 large, very meaty, light batter - E), Rose's Italian Sausage (spicy, anise - VG), Potato Skins (2 - cheddar, scallions, ham - G), Fried Jalepenos (2 - stuff with cheese and breaded - E), Wings (spicy - Durkee's type sauce - G), Onion Straws (light and thin - G), Rib Sampler (sweet, mild - VG), and Cucumber (who cares...). Also, a complementary bread basket was served with plain white (medium heavy - G), a Raisin Rye (medium heavy, very flavorful - VG), and a Tomato Bread (G).
BEERS (sampler of 4-4oz was $5.25)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Panther Ale VG 3 2 5 3 3
Prairie Pilsner VG 3 2 3 5 3
Country Inn Ale G 1 3 2 3 2
Dark Star Lager G 2 2 3 4 2
Harvest Weiss G 4 4 5 1 4 coriander
Raspberry Wheat VG 2 2 4 4 2
Wheat N' Honey G 2 3 3 1 2

Tied House

San Jose, CA

Visited Tuesday at 9:00PM (18 Feb 1997) - No wait, sat at the bar. Bar service was good. Didn't try any food.
BEERS (sampler of 8-5oz was $5.25)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Alpine Gold VG 2 4 2 4 2 Tart
New World Wheat VG 3 3 3 2 2 Smooth Fruity
Passion Fruit/SpiceG 2 3 4 4 2 Slight Bitter Fruity
Wheat Bock VG 3 1 5 1 3 Smooth Fruity
Cascade Amber E 3 3 4 2 3 Winey
India Pale Ale G 3 4 4 2 3
Iron Wood Dark E 4 4 3 2 3 Smooth Winey
Oatmeal Stout VG 4 2 4 1 4 Smooth Smoky

Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant

33 E. San Fernando, San Jose, CA (408) 294-6785

Visited Wednesday at 9:00PM (19 Feb 1997) - No wait. Service was very good. I had Satays (shish-k-bob's) (2 sticks per order, about $2 each): Lamb (E), Chicken/Potato (E), Scallops/Mushroom (G), Shrimp (E). Also Ginger sweet bread (G). Glazed baby back ribs with baby bok choy (soy sauce/honey glaze?) was VG. Walnut salad (lettuce/oil-vinegar/walnuts/ sauteed onions/bleu cheese) was $6 and VG.
BEERS (sampler of 4-3oz was !!FREE!!)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Pilsner G 2 1 5 1 2 smooth
Marzen Oktoberfest G 3 4 2 1 3
Dunkles VG 3 3 4 1 3
Unfiltered Blond BockG 2 2 4 1 2 fizzy

Avery Brewing Co.

5763 Arapahoe #E, Boulder, CO 440-4324

This is a small microbrewery, no sampling room, no pub/restaurant. The two guys working there (bottling/washing) were kind enough to give me a tour, and then provide me with a taster's selection of their current beers (in bottles).
BEERS (6 12-oz bottles - $6.00)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
14'er ESB Ale VG 2 4 3 4 2
Out Of Bounds StoutVG 4 2 4 2 4 creamy smoky
Redpoint Ale VG 3 5 3 5 2 tart
Ellie's Brown Ale VG 3 3 4 1 3 fizzy winey

BJ's Pizza, Grill, Brewery

1125 Pearl Street, Boulder, CO 303-402-9294

Visited 2 Jan 1998, at 15:00, with brother-in-law Richard. This is a chain. Chicken wings - VG, but typical hot "tabasco" style wings., Fries and ranch - VG.
BEERS (6 5-oz tasters was $4.50)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
BJ's Blonde G 2 3 3 1 2 fizzy
Harvest Hefeweisen G 2 2 4 2 2 wheat
Piranha Pale Ale VG 1 5 2 2 1 citrus peach/apricot
Jerimiah Red G 2 3 2 1 2 clean
PM Porter G 3 2 4 2 3
Tatonka Stout G+ 4 3 4 4 4 light smoke/coffee

Dry Dock Brewery

Aurora, CO

Visited 15 April 2008 with sister and dad. Small location with attached homebrew shop. They are moving to another location in the same building that is much larger. Knowledgable and friendly staff.
BEERS (4 oz samplers were complimentary)
Namerating malty hoppy sweetbitterbodynotesstylecolorcarbonation
Blonde Ale422122Blonde Aleclear straw2
Breakwater Pale Ale4+33133American Pale Aleclear amber2
Nut Brown Ale4+33233toasty; chocolateAmerican Brown Aleclear copper2
HMS Victory ESB4+32143ESBclear amber2
HMS Bounty Old Ale442124English Old Aleclear amber2
Irish Red Ale4+32133roastyIrish Red Aleclear amber2
Irish Dry Stout4+43134roastyDry Stoutclear deep mahogany2
USS Enterprise IPA434133green citrus hops; grapefruitAmerican IPAclear amber2
Urca Vanilla Porter3+42123vanilla; slightly soapyVegetable Porterclear mahogany2

Left Hand Brewing Company

Longmont, CO

Brewery for Left Hand beer as well as Tabernash and also contract brewing. Visited with brother-in-law Richard on 28 Dec 1999. We got an exceptional tour - not rushed - very personal. We also tasted before and after (small taster cups). The ratings below are from bottles of beer sold at the tasting area.
BEERS
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Tabernash Golden Pilsener Lager 4+ 3 2 3 4 3 creamy
Tabernash Amber Colorado Lager 4+ 3 2 4 3 3 smooth
Tabernash Munich Colorado Dark Lager5 4 2 5 3 4 very smoothnice malt aftertaste
Left Hand XXXmas Ale 3+ 3 4 3 3 2 light cardamon, maybe cloves?
Left Hand JuJu Ginger 3+ 3 3 4 4 2 refreshing lingering ginger
Left Hand Sawtooth Ale 3 3 3 2 3 2
Left Hand Imperial Stout 4+ 5 4 4 3 5 creamy
Left Hand Jackman's American Pale Ale5 3 4 2 4 3 refreshing
Left Hand Blackjack Porter 4 5 4 3 4 4 smoky

Left Hand Tap House

Longmont, CO 772-0258

Outlet for the Left Hand brewery - they don't brew on site. Left Hand brewery does Left Hand beers and Tabernash beers. Dale's Pale Ale is from Oskar Blues in Lyons (Dale runs the Tap House). Chili con queso is tasty - spiced ground beef in it. Visited with brother-in-law Richard on 28 Dec 1999 - and we'll probably also tour the brewery itself.
BEERS
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
One Nut Brown Ale 4 3 4 4 4 3
Black Jack Porter 3+ 3 4 4 4 3 Light
Dale's Pale Ale 4 3 5 2 5 2 Bitter -IPA style
Tabernash Weiss 4 2 4 2 3 3 Cloves

Mountain Sun Pub and Brewery

1535 Pearl, Boulder, CO 546-0886

Visited 2 Jan 1997 at 3PM - no wait, good service. Very Boulder - Grateful Dead for music, and foods from burgers to sprouts. I placed an order for small fries ($0.90) - a pretty large basket of hot and fresh fries with skin - VG.
Revisited with Richard 30 Sep 2005 (GABF trip), got a 20-taster sampler! Organic burger 4+, $8.50.
BEERS (7-6oz beers for $5)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Fest G 4 2 4 2 3 smooth
XXX Pale G 4 3 5 4 3 flowery
Java Porter VG 5 2 5 2 5 smooth coffee
Raspberry Wheat VG 2 3 4 3 2 fruity light fruity
Colorado Kind Ale VG 3 5 3 4 3 hops
Thunderhead Stout VG 5 4 4 3 5 smooth
Belgian Ale VG 3 2 5 2 3 fruity orange bitters,honey,coriander,ginger
BEERS (20-2oz beers)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste stylecolorcarbonation
Annapurna Amber432112amber alehazy amber3
Colorado Kind Ale444123IPAhazy amber3
FYIPA4+45133IPAhazy amber3
Hogback442214doppelbockhazy amber3
Hollers Haze Porter4+53224porterhazy amber3
Illusion Dweller4-43223IPAhazy amber3
Java Porter4+43113smoked; coffeeporterhazy amber3
Korova Cream Stout4-43123cream stouthazy amber3
Nitro Java Porter5-42113creamyporterhazy amber3
Nitro Kind4-34123smooth; creamyIPAhazy amber3
Pachamana Pils4+33123pilsenerhazy amber3
Pearl Street Porter444133porterhazy amber3
Quinns Golden Ale432113golden alehazy amber3
Raspberry Wheat4-22112fruit alehazy amber3
Rice Beer3+32112light lagerhazy amber3
Scotch Ale442314Scottish Alehazy amber3
Super Kind4-54224double malt; slight wineydouble IPAhazy amber3
Swan Song3+34123dry hoppedIPAhazy amber3
Thunderhead Stout4+53224stouthazy amber3
XXX Pale443224double IPAhazy amber3

New Belgium Brewery

Fort Collins, CO

Visited 1 Oct with brother-in-law Richard.

BEERS (2oz samplers)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste stylecolorcarbonation
15544+43213roastedblack aledark brown3
2° Below3+44133winter beeramber3
Abbey5-52314banana; coffee; clove; slight smokyBelgian brown alemahogany3
Frambozen4+43213fruityfruit alemahogany3
La Folie5-42214sour browncopper3
Le Terroir542113sour browngold3
Loft433122Belgian alegold3
Saison532123fruity citrusBelgian saisonstraw3
Test Brew JR08053+32222pale alecloudy straw3
Tripel4+42313Belgian tripelgold3

Oasis Brewery and Restaurant

1095 Canyon, Boulder, CO 303-449-0363 (also 3201 Walnut Street)

Visited the downtown one (3201 only open from 4 to 8 and no kitchen - only finger snacks) on 2 Jan 1998, 11:30, Friday, with brother-in-law Richard. Only one other customer at that time, but got busier after noon. Marty is the GM. Had Green Chili Stout Stew - EXCELLENT! Lots of meat - large chunks of sirloin. Also vegetables - potatoes, carrots, celery, onion; very spicy, but all the flavors mixed well - the gravy/sauce was very tasty ($5.95).
BEERS ($3.50 for all - 3oz beers)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Scarab Red G 3 3 2 4 3 Fizzy
Tut Brown Ale E 3 4 4 4 3 Well Balanced Nutty
Oasis Pale Ale VG 2 2 3 3 2 Bitter
Zoser Oatmeal StoutVG+5 4 5 4 5 Creamy Malty
Capstone ESB VG 4 3 2 5 4 Bitter
Snoasis (seasonal)E 3 3 4 3 3 Cinnamon/Clove Nutmeg
Kolsch Pilsner E 2 2 3 3 2 Smooth Nutty
Porter VG 4 3 4 3 4 Smoky
Cider (apple) VG 3 2 4 2 2 Fruity Apple

Odell Brewing Company

Fort Collins, CO

Visited 1 Oct with brother-in-law Richard.

BEERS (2oz samplers)
Namerating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste stylecolorcarbonationnotes
5 Barrel Pale Ale3+34123Pale Alegold35.2% abv
5 Barrel Pale Ale334113Pale Alegold35.2% abv; nitrogen pushed
90 Shilling Ale3+33113Scottish Aleamber35.3% abv
Cutthroat Porter4+43123coffee; roasted; slight smokyporterdark mahogany34.8% abv
Dortmunder Lager3+33112lageramber3
Easystreet Wheat4-23112slight citrus; low banana; low clovewheathazy straw34.6% abv
Levity Amber3+33122amber alegold35.1% abv
Levity Amber432112nice balanceamber alegold35.1% abv cask conditioned

Oskar Blues Grill & Brew

Lyons, CO

Visited with brother-in-law Richard after dinner at Torguga's (in Longmont) on 29 Dec 1999. Young crowd, live blues - one main performer, and others joining and jamming - VERY enjoyable :-)
BEERS
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Lucky's Lager 3+ 2 2 4 1 2+ Koolaid
Dale's Pale Ale 4 3 5 2 5 2 Bitter -IPA style
One Nut Brown Ale 4 2 4 3 3 2
Reverend Sandi's Sinful Stout3+ 2 2 2 2 3 Watery
Dubbel Trouble Stout4 3 2 4 2 3
Guest Tap Stout 3 3 4 4 3 3

Redfish New Orleans Brewhouse

2027 13th Street, Boulder, CO 303-440-5858

Visited 2 Jan 1998 at 13:30 with brother-in-law Richard. Brewmaster Brian was very knowledgable, and also very happy to talk about his work and his beers. Menu was Cajun, but didn't eat.
BEERS (5 oz samplers)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Wild Magnolia Pale Ale G+ 3 3 2 5 2 bitter
Angry Monk Belgian Ale VG 3 4 2 5 3 lambic
Gaston's Swollen Delta Stout VG 4 5 4 3 4 smooth
Pelican Smoked Porter VG 3+4 4 3 4 smoky
Ragtime ESB VG 3 4 2 4 3 smooth fizzy
Santa's Big Helper Scotch Ale (9.3%) VG 5 1 5 2 5 sugar caramel

Rock Bottom Brewery

Denver International Airport, Denver, CO

Visited 15 April 2008. Actually is a taproom pouring beers from Rock Bottom in Westminster, except the 16th Street Wheat which comes from the downtown Denver Rock Bottom.
BEERS (4 oz samplers - $5(?) )
Namerating malty hoppy sweetbitterbodynotesstylecolorcarbonation
Falcon Pale Ale4+35143citrus; grapefruitAmerican Pale Alecloudy gold3
16th Street Wheat432122peppery; slight banana; cloveBelgian Witcloudy amber2
Red Rocks Red4+43233caramel; slight orangeIrish Red Aleclear copper2
Molly's Titanic Brown Ale443233roasted malt; slight chocolateAmerican Brown Aleclear deep mahogany2

Sandlot Brewery

Coors Field, Denver, CO

Visited 1 Oct 2005 with brother-in-law Richard. Menu was bar snacks, but didn't eat.
BEERS (2 oz samplers were free)
Namerating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste stylecolorcarbonation
Arbitrator German Dopplebock4-53324doppelbock lagercopper3
Barman Pilsner4-32133-pilseneramber3
Blue Moon Belgian White4+32113fizzy; slight banana; coriander; orange peelBelgian witcloudy straw3
Goat Rancher Pale Bock4-43223fizzybock lagergold3
Hefeweizen4+32112big banana; big clove finishwheatcloudy straw3
Helles of a Play433222lemony; fizzyhellesstraw3
Pinch Hit Pils4-33123-citruspilsenerstraw3
Sandlot Stout444224lactoseIrish Stoutdark mahogany3
Second Hand Smoked Beer4+42113very smokyrauch lageramber3

Overland Stage Stop Brewery

Longmont, CO

Small brewpub, pool table, friendly atmosphere. Chips and Salsa - corn chips were blue, yellow, and tomato. Salsa was mild and fresh, with cilantro and with large chunks of tomato. Good, but not spicy enough. Thursday 2 Jan 1997 at 11PM.
BEERS ($6.00 for 6-5oz beers)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Red Coach Amber G 3 2 3 2 3
Li'l Bear Brown G 3 2 4 2 2
Whales Pale Ale G 2 2 4 2 3
Tamarack IPA VG 3 5 3 3 3
Jingle Ale VG 3 3 4 3 3 cinnamon/cloves/cardamon
Old Man Winter StoutG 3 4 4 3 3

Pints Pub Brewery and Free House

Denver, CO

Friday, 29 September 2006 - in town for GABF with Richard, and stopped at Pints for lunch before the afternoon session. They have a 3-barrel system. Through a clear tile in the floor of the bar, you can look into the cellar which has 30-40? kegs in it. Pints brews their own beer, and also serves some of it on hand pump. Food was above average, and a particularly interesting item was the homemade potato chips (very thin) with dried malt sprinkled on them. Pints other claim to fame is that they have the largest selection of single malt Scotches (in the world?) "on tap". They currently have 260 different single malts, and they are all lined up around the bar in upside-down shot pourer contraptions. Very comfortable atmosphere - all wood, but lighter than a typical pub. Definitely worth the walk from the convention center (5-10 minutes).
BEERS (no "taster" set, but they gave us a couple of individual samples)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body comments
Dark Star Ale 4 33123cask conditioned
Lancer IPA 3+33133cask conditioned; slight sour
Alchemy ESB 4-32123nitrous draft; light on hops
Gael Force Ale 3+42114slight sour; caramel
Airedale Pale Ale4-43123
Phone Box Amber 4-32123

Pump House

Longmont, CO

NTN trivia. 11PM Thursday 2 Jan 1997. No food or snacks - kitchen closed.
BEERS (5-3 oz beers in snifters $2.25)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Fire Pail Ale VG 3 2 3 2 3 smooth
Red Alert Ale VG 3 4 4 3 3 winey
Wildfire Wheat VG 2 3 4 2 3
Pumper Porter VG 4 3 4 3 4 smoky
English Brown Ale G 3 3 5 4 3 syrupy

Twisted Pine/Peak To Peak Brewing Co.

Email

Twisted Pine and Peak To Peak merged on 1 Jan 1997. Also, according to Gordon Knight (the Twisted Pine owner), they absorbed Timberline Brewing Co. This is a microbrewery only, no food or tasting facilities. I brought home a sample of each of their beers for tasting.
BEERS (3-22oz for $7.50)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Raspberry Wheat AleE 2 2 4 1 2 smooth fruity
Twisted Amber Ale E 3 4 3 2 3 creamy winey
Twisted Brown Ale E 4 4 3 4 4 creamy smoky

Wilderness Pub (Rockies Brewing/Boulder Beer)

2880 Wilderness Pl, Boulder, CO 444-3402

This used to be the Boulder Brewery, started in Niwot in 1979 or 1980. They moved to the current location in Boulder in 1984. They make the excellent Boulder beers available around the country. Visited Thursday 2 Jan 1997 at noon - full but no wait. I sat at the bar. Service was excellent (Tony). David Zuckerman is the brewmaster. Wilderness Pub is the brewpub, while the brewery is called the Rockies Brewery. Seasonal beers are: Igloo (winter), Cliffhanger (winter/spring), Single Track (late spring), Extra Special Bitter (summer), and Fall Fest (fall). Clapton on CD - can't lose with that, eh? Hot Cajun Wings were VG - $5.50 - dry spice, medium hot, flavorful, with chili pepper and oregano and fresh (crunchy) carrots and with (who cares...) celery. Visited again 2 Jan 1998 16:45 with brother-in-law Richard - was busy. Mostly the same beers, added Single Track and Unfiltered Porter.
BEERS (11-4oz for $5)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Rockies Premium Ale G 1 2 2 4 1 fizzy
Buffalo Gold Premium Ale G 3 3 4 3 2 smooth
Boulder Extra Pale Ale VG+ 3 3 3 3 3 smooth winey
Boulder Amber Ale G+ 3 4 3 4 3 dry
Unfiltered Amber Wheat AleVG 2 3 2 2 2 served with lemon
Igloo Seasonal VG 4 4 5 2 3 spices cloves
Wrigley Red VG 4 3 4 4 3 smoky
Boulder Brown Ale VG 4 2 5 2 3 smooth winey
Boulder Porter E 5 3 4 2 4 smooth smoky
Boulder Stout E 5 2 5 2 5 smooth chocolate
Cliffhanger Seasonal E 3 5 2 3 2 dry hoppy
Cask Conditioned Brown E 3 3 3 2 2 smooth fresh
Single Track Copper Ale G 2 2 4 3 2 fizzy
Unfiltered Porter VG 4 3 4 2 4 smooth coffee

Stingray Brewery

Grand Cayman Island, British West Indies

This is Grand Cayman's only native beer - the brewery is a micro, with a reception area for purchase of souvenirs, and for small tastings. Visited on 31 July 1997. No food or snacks.
BEERS (2-4 oz beers in plastic cup - free)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Stingray Premium WheatG+ 3 5 2 4 2
Stingray Light G 2 4 2 3 2

Big Dog's Brewing Company

Las Vegas, Nevada

Brewpub several miles north and west of downtown. Got there via public transportation bus. Visited 21 October 2007 while on trip to celebrate Farrah's 21st birthday. Burger 4- and crispy fries 4+. 15 barrel system. Excellent service. Yummy brewed Root Beer.
BEERS (2 oz samplers - $0 ("taken care of"))
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste StyleColorCarbonationNotes
Big Dog's 38 Special4-43123nice comboBlendclear amber35.3% abv; blend of Pale Ale and Red
Big Dog's Small Beer433133North German Altbrilliant copper34.5% abv; second runnings of Moondog Barleywine
Bitches Brew Pumpkin Ale4+32123mace; brown sugarVegetableclear amber35.0% abv
Black Lab Stout4+43134complex layers; coffee; chocolateSweet stoutclear deep mahogany35.5% abv; nine malts
Dirty Dog IPA435143American IPAhazy light gold36.5% abv; dry hopped Summit
Fur Hound Peach Lager4-22323very peachy - almost syrupyFruit beerbrilliant amber35.0% abv
Holy Cow Original Pale Ale435133American Pale Aleclear amber35.3% abv
K-9 Kolsch4-22122Kolschclear straw35.0% abv
Leglifter Light4+21111light lagerclear straw24.0% abv
Red Hydrant Ale433133red aleclear deep copper35.3% abv
Tailwagger Wheat4+22112banana; big clovesWeissbiercloudy milky white straw44.8% abv
Traditional Oktoberfest Lager4+33133nice laceOktoberfestclear deep amber36.0% abv
Wardog Imperial IPA4+44144smooth; alcohol warmthImperial IPAcloudy amber38.3% abv; Warrior/Simcoe/Galena

Chicago Brewing Company

Las Vegas, Nevada

Serving room is in Four Queens in downtown. Did not visit the actual brewery which is west of the Strip. Visited 19 October 2007 while on trip to celebrate Farrah's 21st birthday. Tasty brewed root beer. Growlers for $7.
BEERS (4 oz samplers)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste StyleColorCarbonationNotes
All Nighter422122Blonde aleclear straw24.6% abv
Black Star4+42134roasty; creamyDry stoutclear black brown2Nitrogen 4.5% abv
Blueberry Vanilla Hefeweizen422322very berry; moderate woodyfruit beercloudy gold2
Hardway IPA434153resiny; cascade; centennial; grapefruitAmerican IPAvery slight hazy gold26.2% abv; unfiltered
Old Town Brown433123Northern English brown aleclear deep gold34.6% abv; "German-style brown"
Ramblin' Reck4+33133American Amber Aleclear amber34.5% abv
Sin City Brown - Riviera Casino4-33133American Amber Aleclear copper3Riviera casino contract brewed
Weizenheimer422112bananaWeissbierhazy gold24.6% abv; unfiltered

Ellis Island Casino and Brewery

Las Vegas, Nevada

Brewpub just off the Strip. Visited 21 October 2007 while on trip to celebrate Farrah's 21st birthday. Yummy full flavored complex brewed Root Beer. They don't have "samplers" but they did them for me anyway. $1 pints of their beer.
BEERS (3 oz samplers)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste StyleColorCarbonationNotes
Amber Ale433133toasted maltAmerican Amber Alebrilliant amber2
Dark Lager432133roastySchwarzbierclear deep mahogany2
Gold4-32122DMS; cornBlonde alebrilliant gold2
Hefeweiss421212bananaWeissbiercloudy white straw3
Light Lager4-22111Light Lagerclear straw2

Gordon Biersch Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Nevada

Brewpub off the strip in Las Vegas. Visited 20 October 2007 while on trip to celebrate Farrah's 21st birthday.
BEERS
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste StyleColorCarbonationNotes
Blonde Bock442223Maibockclear gold27.0% abv
Golden Export432132Hellesclear straw25.0% abv
Hefe Weizen4-32122banana; clovesWeissbiercloudy light copper35.5% abv
Marzen432133Oktoberfestclear amber25.7% abv
Octoberfest4-33133Oktoberfestslight hazy gold2
Schwarzbier4-33133roastySchwarzbierhazy mahogany24.29% abv

Monte Carlo Resort and Casino Pub and Brewery **CLOSED**

Las Vegas, Nevada

Brewpub in the base of the Monte Carlo hotel/casino. Didn't try the food. Visited on 23 July 1998, during the Active Worlds Reunion.
BEERS (6-5oz beers for $6)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Las Vegas Lites VG 2 3 3 3 2 fizzy
Jackpot Pale G 3 3 2 4 3
Winners Wheat G 2 3 3 2 2
Orange Wheat Special G 2 3 3 2 2 lemon,oranges
High Roller Red VG 4 3 4 2 3
Silver State Stout VG+5 4 4 3 4 smooth

Tenaya Creek Restaurant and Brewery

Las Vegas, Nevada

Brewpub several miles north and west of downtown. Got there via public transportation bus. Visited 21 October 2007 while on trip to celebrate Farrah's 21st birthday. 15 barrel system.
BEERS (8 - 2 oz samplers - $5)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste StyleColorCarbonationNotes
Belgian Tripel4-42213fruity; slight tartBelgian Tripelbrilliant light gold28.6% abv
Belgian Wit4-22112orange peelBelgian witbrilliant light gold25.2% abv; 18 IBU
ESP Pale434133American Pale Alebrilliant light gold35.5% abv; 38 IBU
Gold Medal Pilsner5-32132Bohemian Pilsnerbrilliant light gold25.4% abv; 19 IBU
Hefeweizen422122banana; slight clovesWeissbierbrilliant light gold25.0% abv; 11 IBU
Nut Brown Ale442123walnutsNorthern English brown alebrilliant light gold25.5% abv; 28 IBU
Oktoberfest432133Oktoberfestbrilliant light gold25.9% abv; 22 IBU
Ringtail IPA434133slight citrus; grapefruitAmerican IPAbrilliant light gold26.5% abv; 49 IBU

Triple 7 Brewpub - Main Street Station

Las Vegas, Nevada

Brewpub in downtown Las Vegas, in the Main Street Station casino. Barbecue bacon/cheese chicken sandwich was G. Food nothing special. Visited 25 March 1999 at 13:15 with Caroline.
BEERS (5-5oz beers for $5)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
High Roller Gold G+2 3 2 3 2 clean crisp hops
Hefeweisen Special G+2 3 3 3 2 light mild yeast
Marker Pale Ale G 2 5 2 4 2 strong hops
Royal Red Lager G+2 4 5 4 2 clean
Black Chip Porter G 3 3 5 3 3 watery slightly smoky

Revisited 20 October 2007 while on trip to celebrate Farrah's 21st birthday.
BEERS (5 - 5 oz samplers - $4.95)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste StyleColorCarbonationNotes
Black Cherry Stout Brewmasters Special4-42324very cherry; slight metallicFruit beerclear black brown25.2% abv
Blackchip Porter4+43134roastyBrown porterclear dark brown24.3% abv
High Roller Gold422122American wheatclear light gold25.0% abv
Marker Pale Ale434133citrusAmerican Pale Alehazy gold25.6% abv
Royal Red Lager4-33132vienna lagerbrilliant copper24.5% abv

Hops! Bistro and Brewery

Scottsdale, Arizona

Brewpub at Scottsdale Fashion Square (mall) and 8668 E Shea Blvd (602) 998-7777. Chips were fresh and hot (E), salsa were homemade (E), guacamole was VG. Visited on 23 Jan 1999.
BEERS (6-5oz beers for $8)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Brewers Blonde Ale VG+3 4 2 2 3 crisp
Sunset Red G 2 3 3 3 3
Grand Slam Golden Ale VG 2 5 2 4 2 hoppy
Three Peat Wheat VG 2 3 4 3 2 banana/clove
Raspberry Royale VG 2 3 4 2 2 not tart fruity
Paradise Porter G 3 4 4 3 3 smoky
IPA Cask Conditioned G 2 2 4 2 2 smooth

Kona Brewing Company

Kona, Hawaii

Brewpub visited 16 June 1999 with Caroline. Excellent Vegetarian Wild Mushroom Pizza.
BEERS (4-6oz beers for $6)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Pacific Golden Ale 3+3 2 3 3+2 full body slight bitter
Longboard Lager 3 2 3+2 3 2
Duke's Draft Golden Ale3 2 2 2 2+2 light body slightly dry
Awa Awa IPA 3+3 4 2 4 2
Fire Rock Pale Ale 3 2 4 2 4+2
Lavaman Red Ale 3 3+2 3+2 2 slight roast
Pahoehoe Porter 4 4 4 4 4 4 smoky
Golder Bear (guest - Golden Pacific Brewery - CA) 3+2 4 2 4 2 bite on presentation

Mehana Brewing Company

Hilo, Hawaii

Tasting room visited 14 June 1999 with Caroline. 275 E. Kawili Street, (808) 934-8211.
BEERS (2oz beers for free)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Mehana Beer (Ale) 3+2 3 2 3 2 fresh slight yeast
Mehana Red Ale 4 3 4 2 3 3 fizzy slight yeast
Tsunami Lager 3 3 4 4 2 2 fresh
Tsunami Light Lager 3 2 3 2 2 2
Roy's Private Reserve Lager (for local restaurant) 4+3+2 4 2 2

Bermuda Triangle Brewing Company

Bermuda, middle of the Atlantic Ocean

Planned to visit on 24 Dec 1999, but it turns out that the brewery had JUST gone out of business. I was able to get bottles of three of their beers at a local store - they are rated below. On Bermuda, there was also North Rock Brewing Company - a brewpub - but we got there 30 minutes after they had closed for the rest of the holidays, and missed it :-(
BEERS (bottles $1.60 US each)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Spinnaker Kolsch 3+ 1 2 2 3 1 Limes
Full Moon Pale Ale 3 4 2 4 2 3 Syrupy
Wilde Hogge Amber Ale4 3 4 2 5 2 Hoppy - IPA style

Big River Grille and Brewing Works

Orlando, Florida

Visited 11 April 2003 with family. 2101 N Epcot Resort Blvd, Lake Buena Vista, FL, on Disney's Boardwalk, (407) 560-0253. Homemade salsa 4, Beer Cheese Soup 3+.
BEERS (sampler of 6-4 oz beers)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Southern Flyer Light Lager 3+2 3 1 3 1
Tilt Pale Ale 3 4 3 2 5 2
Magnolia American Brown Ale 4+3 4 3 3 3 coffee
Wowzer's Wheat 4 2 2 3 2 2 banana
Rocket Red Ale 3+3 4 3 5 3
Irish Red Lager 3 2 4 2 5 2
Revisited Sat, 26 Feb 2005 at 5pm. Had customers but not jam-packed like last time. Caroline says the blackened salmon was "yummy" - rated 5. Chicken cashew salad 4. They have a 10-barrel brewing system.
BEERS (sampler of 5-4 oz beers for $4.95)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste stylecolorfizznotes
Southern Flyer Light Lager 422122-light lagerstraw42.92% abw; OG 8.5°; Liberty hops
Gadzooks Pilsner4+33/td>122+pilsenerstraw34.00% abw; OB 12.0°; Hallertauer hops
Sweet Magnolia Brown Ale3+43223slightly sour (ok)American brown alecopper34.13% abw; OG 12.5°; 1998 GABF gold winner
Rocket Red Ale 4+44123+citrusred alecopper34.25% abw; OG 13.5°; cascade hops; 2003 GABF gold winner
Tilt Pale Ale 3+33123pale alecloudy amber34.18% abw; OG 13.0°; perle hops

Hops

11448 University Blvd, Orlando FL, 407-381-9109

Visited Sat, 26 Feb 2005 at 2:30pm. Beers consistently above average - one of the best Hops, beer-wise. Sampler served in chilled rocks glasses. This works well for Light and Gold, but others get more flavor as they warm up a little. Restaurant about half full - seems to be good business for the middle of the afternoon. 7-barrel brewing system, fermented in 14 days. Manager gave me a tour. Briess malt purchased pre-crushed.
BEERS (sampler of 6-4 oz beers for $3.25)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste stylecolorfizzy
Clearwater Light421212-refreshinglight lagerlight straw3
Lightning Bold Gold4+33122+golden alegold3
Hammerhead Red43+4223amber aleamber3+
Alligator Ale4-43233+portermahogany3
Oatmeal Stout444234roasted maltoatmeal stoutblack brown3
Scottish Ale452214nice malty; not cloying; fizzyScottish aledark copper4

Spanish Springs Brewing Co

1105 Main Street, Lady Lake FL, 352-750-4466

Visited Sat, 26 Feb 2005 at 11:30am. Part of a Main Street in a cool retro 1700s Spanish style town. DME Brewing Services 10-barrel system. Salad very crispy 5-, Steak soup 4. Nice long chat with assistant brewmaster Doyle. Business good, got busier continuously.
BEERS (sampler of 8-4 oz beers for $3.50)
Nameratingmaltyhopssweetbitterbodyfinishaftertastestylecolorfizznotes
Spanish Springs Light3+11111slight tartlight lagerlight straw34.2% alc
Sebald's Select3+22122Munich lager stylelagergold3+4.8% alc
Hefe Weizen4 23212clove; bananaunfiltered wheatslight hazy gold3
Father Rollando's Righteous Ale4 34133American pale aleamber35.0% alc
Wilhem Sebald's Oktoberfest Bier4+43213maltyOktoberfestcopper35.8% alc
Cherry Berry Lambic4-23322raspberry; cherryfruit lambichazy garnet red38.0% alc; made with fruit puree
Seymour's Southern Stout4 54134smoky roasted maltstoutblack3
Scottish Ale4 52214fizzy; roasted maltScottish alemahogany3+

Ragtime Tavern and Grill

Atlantic Beach, Florida

Visited 4 December 2004 with Caroline. 207 Atlantic Blvd, Atlantic Beach, FL. Hopping on Saturday night at 10 PM, live (single-performer) music, wall-to-wall people.
BEERS (sampler of 5-2 oz beers for $3)
Namerating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste stylecolorfizzynotes
Dolphins Breath Lager442222lagerstraw3OG 8.5° Plato, 3.0% abw
Red Brick Ale435133red alecloudy copper3OG 13.0° Plato, 4.18% abw
Sweet Magnolia American Brown Ale434233brown alecloudy mahogany3OG 12.5° Plato, 4.13% abw
Holiday Porter3+34233cinnamon?, allspice?winter alecloudy copper3
A Strange Stout4-4+3424chocolatestoutblack3OG 14.5° Plato, 4.5% abw

Monkey King

Stuart, Florida

Visited 20 May 2007 with Caroline. Bar was busy, bartender didn't have much time to spend talking beer with me. The Berry Wheat is the wame as the Honey Orange Wit, but they added some of the Berry Salmon Glaze from the kitchen.
BEERS (sampler of 3?oz beers)
Nameratingmaltyhoppysweetbitterbodynotesstylecolorfizzy
Berry Wheat422122raspberryFruit beerclear straw3
German Pils423132German pilsnerclear gold3
Hear No Evil Honey Orange Wit4-221114.4% abvBelgian Witclear straw3
Oatmeal Stout444134coffeeOatmeal Stoutclear mahogany2
See No Evil Light4-221213.5% abvlagerclear light straw3
Speak No Evil Amber4-331335.9% abvAmerican Amber Aleclear copper3

Hoppers Grille and Brewery

Palm Harbor, Florida

Visited 1 November 2002 with Caroline. 36221 East Lake Road, (727) 786-2966. Burger excellent, fries good, Caroline's shrimp fajita very good.
BEERS (sampler of 8-4 oz beers plus a root beer for $9.95)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Royal Bohemian Pilsner 4 4 5 1 5 3 fizzy
Tampa Red 3 2 3 2 4 4 smooth
Old Porch Dog (brown) 4 5 4 4 4 4 fizzy
Fischer Hefe Weizen 4 2 2 3 4 3 wheat yeasty
Wild Berry Lambic 2 1 1 5 2 2 fruity, too sweet strawberry
Cattail Pale Ale 4 3 5 2 5 3
Flying Gator Ale 3+3 4 2 4 3
Amarillo Light Pilsner 5 4 2 2 2 3 smooth banana
Helm's Dunkler Bock 4+5 4 3 4 4 creamy coffee
Revisited 14 March 2005 with Caroline. Franz (the brewmaster) has a Monday night get-together. He's a very passionate brewmaster - and very inventive too. His family has been brewing for Austrian royalty for 500 years. Root beer 4+. He also noticed that the Amarillo Light was cloudy and immediately 86'd it.
BEERS (sampler of 12-4 oz beers plus a root beer for $10)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste stylecolorcarbonationnotes
Amarillo Light Pilsner 3-2 3 1 2 2-slightly sourlight pilsenercloudy straw33.9%; almost a Belgian Wit
Royal Bohemian Pilsner 3 2 3 1 2 2 pilsenergold35.0%
Cattail Pale Ale 4-3 4 1 3 3 pale aleamber36.4%
Tampa Red 3+3 3 1 2 2 red alecopper34.8%
Fischer Hefe Weizen 3+2 2 1 1 2-light bananaunfiltered wheathazy light straw35.4%
Erics Dusseldorf Alt 4+4 3 2 2 3 coffee aftertastealtdark copper35.8%
Wild Berry Lambic 4 3 2 3 1 3 fruit lambicgarnet red310%
Gueze 4+3 2 1 1 3 lemony soursour brownamber36%
Piña Colada Lambic431 4 1 2 fruit lambichazy straw310%
Blitzen 4-5 1 3 1 4 slight wineybarleywinecopper39%
Bourbon Blitzen 4+4 1 3 1 3 mild mellow bourbonbarleywinecopper313.5%
Rootent Berry 4-3 2 4 1 3 root beerbarleywinecopper3blend of Cattail and 3 other beers plus sarsparilla; aged 2 years

Hoppers Grille and Brewery

Trinity, Florida

Visited 20 June 2004 with family (father's day!). 8817 Mitchell Blvd, 34655, (727) 375-2667. Burger excellent, fries good, Caroline's salmon average (chewy).
BEERS (sampler of 10-4 oz beers for $7)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste stylecolorfizzy%Alcohol
Helms Dunkler Bock 4+4 2 3 2 4 chocolate and coffeebock lagerchocolate brown2 6.6
Fischer's Hefe Weizen 4-2 2 3+1 2 banana and clovesWeizencloudy dark straw1 5.4
Fischer's Hefe Weizen Bock4+4 2 3 2 3 Weizen bockcloudy copper1 8.2
Royal Bohemian Pilsner 5-3 3 3 2 3 smoothmaltyBohemian Pilsnerlight straw3 5.0
Bohemian Swinger 3+2 4 1 5 2 bitter (almost pale ale)Saax dry hopped Bohemianstraw3 5.0
Wild Berry Lambic 4+2 1 5 1 3 raspberries, blueberries, and notably blackberriesfruit lambiccloudy cherry3 11.0
Hammel Burger Maerzen 3+4 1 4 1 3 Maerzencopper2 5.7
Amarillo Light Pilsner 4 2 4 2 3 2 Pilsnerstraw4 3.9
Cattail Pale Ale 4-3 4 2 5 3 dry mouth American Pale Alelight copper2 6.4
Tampa Red 4 5 3 1 2 3 Irish Red Alecopper2 4.8
Revisited Feb 2005 - note that they have changed their beer selection quite a bit, some of them now matching the Tampa Hoppers.
BEERS (sampler of 11-4 oz beers for $9)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste stylecolorfizzy%Alcohol
Amarillo Light 3+3 2 2 1 2- light pilsenergold3 3.9
Eric's Dusseldorf Alt 4 4 4 2 2 3 fresh hops and maltaltcopper3 6.2
La Duchess de Bourgogne4+4 2 4 1 4 winey, nicely balancedBelgian sour brown barleywinemahogany4 9.2
Wild Berry Lambic 4+2 1 3 1 2 raspberry, blackberryfruit lambicred gold4 11.0
Hefe Weizen 4-2 2 2 1 2 bananawheatcloudy straw3 5.4
Royal Bohemian 4+4 3 1 1 3- pilsenergold3 5.0
Tampa Red 3+3 3 1 2 2+ slight sour and yeastinessred aleslight reddish gold3 4.8
Blitzen Ale 4+4 2 3 1 3+ nice balance, not overly alcoholicbarleywinecopper3 11.7
Cattail Pale Ale 4 3 4+2 3 3 maltypale alecopper3 6.4
Old Porch Dog 4 3 4 3 2 3 green hopsEnglish brown alecopper3 6.8
Piña Colada Lambic4+214 1 2 pineapplefruit lambiccloudy straw4 10.0

Hoppers Grille and Brewery

Tampa, Florida

12227 West Linebaugh Road, Tampa, 33626, 813-814-7748. Visited 30 October 2004 with Caroline. Innovative and good selection of beers. The only bad note is that their Helms Dunkler Bock had gone bad (soured). The problem is that they knew it, and were still serving it. Bartender said that they planned to take it offline in a few days. I don't have a problem with the beer going bad - but it seems like a bad plan to keep serving the beer even when you know it's bad!.
BEERS (sampler of 10-4 oz beers for $9.95)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste stylecolorfizzy%Alcohol
Royal Bohemian Swinger 4-322+22+pilsenerlight straw35.0
Helms Dunkler Bock 2+32223sourdark lagerdark brown36.6
Wild Berry Lambic 4-22512+cherry, blackberrylambicred copper311.0
Cattail Pale Ale 5-45223+American pale alecopper36.4
Fischers Hefe Weizen 4-22212strong banana, clovesunfiltered wheatcloudy straw3+5.4
Oktoberfest 5-42323maltOktoberfestamber3+5.2
Duchesse De Bourgogne 4+32413alcoholbarleywinecloudy brown39.2
Summer Mango Tango 4+324+13alcohollambiccloudy amber3+11.5
Old Porch Dog 4+44224brown aleblack36.9
Tampa Red 3+33113yeastred alecopper3+4.8

Tampa Bay Brewing Company

Tampa, Florida

Visited 9 August 2002 with Caroline. 1812 N. 15th Street, (813) 247-1422. Caroline says salmon was excellent. Burger very tasty, with spiced fries. Sampler presented on a wood tray with labels for all the standard beers - very professional looking - and it looks like they are serious about it :)
BEERS (sampler of 12-2 oz beers plus a root beer for $8.50)
Name rating malty hoppy sweet bitter body finish aftertaste
Redeye Ale 4 3 5 1 4 3 Amber ale juniper
Jack the Quaffer London Porter 4 5 4 4 1 4 chocolate
Old Elephant Foot IPA 4 4 5 2 4 3
Iron Rat Stout 3+4 4 4