Brewery Review: White Rooster Farmhouse Brewery (Sparta, IL)

White Rooster Farmhouse Brewery
St. Louis Metro Area - Sparta, IL

White Rooster Farmhouse Brewery is a relative newcomer to the Saint Louis region craft beer scene, and they have already made quite a debut. Ever since opening in late March, they have already established quite a reputation with some of the local beer enthusiasts, which is one of the reasons they caught my attention. This past weekend, I decided to make the journey from Saint Louis to Sparta to see if the beer lives up to the expectation; simple answer, yes, it did!

Located in downtown Sparta, in what used to be an old Kroger grocery store just across the street from the Sparta Police Department, you will find some of the best beer in Southern Illinois. Just a note by the looks of the building on the outside, you would hardly expect to see a brewery, but once inside, you will immediately discover that this place has character. Inside, you will notice a more rustic feel with lots of wood accents, most notably are the tables made out of old doors and open ceiling rafters that make you feel like you are in an old barn. One of the features that stands out is the large barn door that separates the taproom from the brewery. The staff is friendly and extremely knowledgeable, too, which makes taking a seat at the bar a pretty enjoyable experience. Although if you wish to gather around a table with some friends, as there are more than enough to cover a busy afternoon or evening.

The beer here is pretty good too. Currently, White Rooster is serving a wide variety of beers, ranging from their take on a cloudy styled New England style IPA and a fine Berliner Weisse. Don't worry; they have other mainstays like a Kolsch, Pilsner, and several Porters. In addition to about eight beers available on tap, they also have several beers available in bottles available to go, or for on-premise consumption. Yes, I did manage to bring home two bottles to sample later. When I visited flights were not available. However, they expect to have the glassware shortly, until then you can go with a half pour, sip on a full pour, or go all-in with a growler to take home with you.

Overall if you are a craft beer fan or just in the area and looking for a good beer White Rooster is a must!

Comments

Brewery Review: 4x4 Brewing Company (Springfield, MO)

4x4 Brewing Company (Springfield, MO) While I was only in Springfield for a short time, I made every effort to visit each brewery. I could have passed on 4 by 4 Brewing because it was a little bit outside of downtown. However, this is not one to be missed. When I arrived, I noticed that they had eight beers available, along with four blends which offered up some variety by combining their brews to produce a more distinct flavor. Like always, I started off with a flight, which consisted of four 4oz pours. It was difficult picking a single beer as my favorite. However, I will say that my top three had to be the Salesman's Wit, Parkside Pineapple IPA, and the Pom Pom (Pomegranate Blond Ale). As far as the blends go, I enjoyed the Salesman In the Park, which was a blend of the Salesman's Wit and the Parkside Pineapple IPA. It was well balanced and a great tasting beer. In addition to beer, 4x4 also has board games and popcorn available, which will help make a night out ...

2019: Beer in Review

2019 was quite a year, I visited my first brewery outside of the United States during a trip to Mexico, visited the Great American Beer Festival, and visited my milestone 200th brewery. Over the year, I was able to visit 55 new breweries and sampled over 848 unique beers from 287 different breweries. The Great American Beer Festival in Denver, along with several beer festivals in my hometown of St.Louis helped me sample so many different styles of beers. Despite the massive variety, my most common beer style of the year was likely a toss-up between the many IPA varieties and Saisons, however towards the end of the year, I started to venture more into stouts, which is something I usually have stayed away from. St. Louis, MO (Metro Area) St. Louis is my hometown, so I would make an effort to visit every brewery within the region. I think as of this year I have visited most, but there is always something new opening. St.Louis is easily one of the best beer scenes in the country. ...

Great Taste of the Midwest Beer Festival

Madison, WI - August 10, 2019 2018 was my first year attending the Great Taste of the Midwest, and I have to say it was quite an experience that no craft beer lover should miss. For those that are not familiar, Great Taste of the Midwest is the second longest-running craft beer festival in North America. GTMW brings together over 190 brewers in a scenic location overlooking Lake Monona while providing some great views of downtown Madison and the state capital. Ticket sales can be challenging, as they are typically released the Sunday after Cinco De Mayo at select locations in Madison, however, if you do not happen to live in or near Madison you can enter their mail order lottery for tickets. Should you be lucky enough to secure tickets, you will encounter a massive selection of craft beer, great food, and fun entertainment. One of the best things about GTMW is that despite the size the festival never felt like it was too busy, lines were tolerable, and I never seemed to wait more ...

BrianMSTL

Search This Blog