BrianMSTL

Land Grant Brewing Company Columbus, OH The first stop in Columbus was Land-Grant Brewing, which is located just across the river from downtown Columbus. Since it was a weekday, the crowds were light, so we grabbed a seat by the bar. After looking over the menu, we decided to split two flights to sample about 3/4th of the available beers. Of which my favorites had to be "Bae" and "Concentrate V.102". First off, Bae was an Imperial Porter that was brewed with chocolate, raspberry, and lactose to produce a sweet and fruity porter. Next up, Concentrate V.102, a New England IPA brewed with both traditional, and cryo-hops to create a wonderfully delicious and juicy beer. The atmosphere here was very relaxed, with a reasonably large inside and an even more massive outside patio with enough space for a food truck or two to squeeze in without being too cramped. I could easily see Land Grad being a perfect patio weather destination.

Hoof Hearted Brewery & Kitchen Columbus, OH My second brewery stop in Columbus was an obvious one, how could I resist visiting Hoof Hearted which had recently made their beers available in St.Louis. It was a no brainer to check out their taproom to enjoy some fresh, uniquely brewed beers. After a short Lyft ride from Land-Grant, we arrived at Hoof Hearted, again due to the time (Early afternoon 2-3pm) there taproom/restaurant wasn't overly packed, and that was a good thing as it still allowed us the opportunity to grab a seat at the bar and chat with the bartenders. Honestly, I am not sure where to start here, much like earlier, we went with two flights to try as much as possible, but it was nearly impossible to pick a favorite. However with that being said at the top of my list was "Don't Worry, My Mom Said It's Cool," which was an Imperial Birthday Cake Stout brewed with Astronaut Ice Cream, Cacao Nibs, & Vanilla; it was dessert in a glass (I even...

2nd Shift Brewing Company St.Louis, MO How have I not reviewed 2nd Shift Brewing yet, seriously its one of my favorite breweries in St.Louis, so I figured it's finally time for a review. 2nd Shift is a great brewery serving up a variety of beers. Much like every brewery, they do have their flagship beers, so quit your bitching about the same old beers. 2nd Shift isn't afraid to experiment either, often releasing varients or blends along with new creations. 2nd Shift also has some of the best friends in the brewery industry, which allows them to create some killer collaborations. Some that come to mind are recent collabs with Mikkeller Baghaven, Off Color, Mikerphone, and many more. The staff here is killer, many of the awesome bartenders have been serving since I first started visiting, so that speaks volumes.  The taproom has a large bar along with a large open area complete with board games and food from Guerilla Street Food. If you're lucky, you might make frien...

My Night in the Doghouse June 9th, 2019 - Columbus, OH (BrewDog Brewery/Hotel) Over the last weekend, I had an opportunity to venture outside of St.Louis and visit Columbus, OH. Now typically, Ohio isn't the top choice when it comes to craft beer vacations; however, you might want to take notice. Cincinnati has an active beer scene that could likely go up against many other, more recognizable cities. However, it was Columbus that caught my attention. After the UK based, BrewDog announced that they were opening their first location in the United States only a short six-hour drive from my home. The brewery must have been a hit because shortly after opening, they announced and built a hotel in the brewery. A little over eighteen months after the hotel first opened, I decided it was time to plan a trip, better late than never. I decided that an extended weekend was in order, so I booked a Thursday night in the BrewDog "Doghouse," aka their hotel leaving me with Fr...

Hairless Hare Brewery Dayton - Vandalia, OH On a recent trip to Columbus, OH, I needed to grab some lunch, but unfortunately, none of the breweries that served lunch were open around the time I was passing Dayton. I turned to Twitter and put out a call and was promptly provided with a recommendation to check out The Hairless Hare Brewery, which was just off the highway. Let me say that the Hairless Hare Brewery was a welcome stop, as I had been driving from St.Louis and needed a break. I arrived shortly after lunch and found a pretty good lunch crowd, but was still able to grab a seat at the bar. One of the first things you will notice is the unique mugs that line the wall, all of which belong to their Mug Club. These were some seriously unique looking mugs; later, I learned they were all created by a local artist. Since this was my first (and likely my only time visiting), I figured I would order a flight to sample several of their beers, and to be honest; it would have been ha...

Pescadores Casa Cervecera  April, 24th, 2019 - Quintana Roo, Mexico  While planning my trip to Mexico earlier this year, I discovered that just about 15 minutes from my resort was a local Mexican craft brewery. I  immediately knew that I was going to have an excursion to check it out at least one day out of my vacation.  On the third day of my week-long stay, I called up the concierge and ordered a taxi. Pescadores Casa Cervecera is located just of the main highway between Cancun and Playa Del Carmen, so its quite easy to access no matter where you are staying. I arrived after lunch, and once inside, I was greeted by a friendly face and a warm welcome. Several locals were drinking; however, we were the only Americans visiting at the time. The bartender noticed my Drink Local shirt and even commented on it asking me where I was from, we exchanged some brief conversation, and she told me how she appreciated us stopping in. Overall the service here was excellent...

Wellspent Brewing Company St.Louis, MO Wellspent is one of the newer breweries to open in St.Louis, although their beer already has its established taste. Located in Midtown, Wellspent is just a short Uber ride from downtown. Wellspent took over an abandon old movie theater, although you would not have know as the inside has been artistically updated to provide a warm, welcoming atmosphere that is perfect for sampling some of their craft beer. Board games are available, as is a limited food menu from The Tamale Man. However, if Tamales are not your thing you within a short walk to both Pappy's BBQ and Southern should you want something more to eat. The beer at Wellspent is spot on, with a somewhat heavy focus on fruited sours such as Apricot, Boysenberry, and even Mango although flavors are seasonal so depending on the time of year you may find a rotating selection. In addition to sours, you can find a variety of beers that would likely make even the pickiest of beer drink...