Denver Beer Tour (Denver, CO)

07/12/12

Ale House at Amato's

After a fantastic week of music with One Voice Mixed Chorus at GALA, an intrepid band of beer drinkers within the choir stayed an extra day to taste Denver. We started by taking the free MallRide to the northwest end of 16th Street to shorten our walk to our first stop across the river.  Here's a map of our path for the day.

We started at Ale House at Amato's because it opened earlier for lunch than anything else downtown.  Plus, the walk across the river in the late morning was a fun start to the day.  Two former students, who were in the midst of packing to move to DC, paused filling boxes to have lunch with us.  It's great when the timing of life works works in one's favor.  Because we had a long day ahead, I splurged and enjoyed the Fish n Chips but Gloria thought the flatbread, while good, was a bit weird.  Overall, the foodies in the group were fairly happy with it.  Great local beer selection, which allowed me to taste new beers: Yak and Yeti Himalayan IPA and Bristol's Edge City Imperial IPA.  Solid start.

Great Divide patio

Walking back over the river, the next stop was the famous Falling Rock Tap House.  I've been to Falling Rock before, but only during GABF.  Far less crazy on an early Thursday afternoon, we settled in the comfortable coaches.  A collaboration beer between Falling Rock and Pikes Peak was my high point: a Double Belgian IPA; pale, lager yellow but with a serious funk bite.  Sadly, Falling Rock was a tough stop for us.  One member fell off the several inch drop off and hurt her ankle and another member didn't notice her wallet fall into the deep coach (we returned for it later).  Great beer place in spite of our confluence of troubles.

Falling Rock Tap House

On my last GABF, I did a pub crawl with BeerAdvocate that included Great Divide. With BA, we not only got the VIP tour, but they didn't let us pay for any of the beer.  This was my first opportunity to pay back the kindness and my group of hop heads didn't mind.  My top beer of the stop was a Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti that was very worth the effort.

Even though the main brewing is done in Maryland now, Flying Dog still has a tasting room in Denver.  Hard to find (go around the back of the building for the address), we finally got into the tasting room for my favorite puppy in the pound: Double Dog.  Plus, I really liked the Wildeman Farmhouse, a funky farmhouse ale that was brewed for the famous beer bar (and personal favorite) In de Wildeman in Amsterdam.

A bit of ironic humor at
Flying Dog tasting room

Needing sustenance again, we finished at old reliable: Wynkoop Brewing in LoDo.  We love it and generally start, and this time end, every trip here. Tonight we returned for the amazing Mac & Cheese and the fantastic Veggie Green Chili, the latter being a particular treat for this vegetarian—didn't even know I missed it until this week. Added the ColoRojo Double Red to the database tonight, a fine ale to finish the day and the week.

In short, drinking in Denver is a bucket list day for any beer geek.  Taking a slow pace today, our tour is simply one of many options in the downtown area, much of which can be facilitated with efficient public transportation.  We just learned GALA 2016 is returning to the fabulous music facilities of downtown Denver and this beer geek can't be happier.  To quote the great philosopher Ferris Bueller, "It's so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend it."

Melange a Trois (Nebraska Brewing, Papillon, NE)

I picked up this bottle last summer on site at Nebraska Brewing on my way to Denver.  For various reasons, it sat in my fridge waiting for the perfect night, which never came so I'm finally partaking now.

Lingering fluffy white head with vacuous bubbles over a shimmering orange Belgian strong ale.  Layered spice in the nose, seemingly from the yeast, on top of the oak and sweet fresh bread.  Exquisite fresh malt, spicy puckering twang, pepper mixed with green apple, clean oak and a counterpoint sweetness before finishing dry.  Drink slow as the 10% ABV is completely hidden.

Light, complex, refreshing and challenging all at the same time. Sometimes, a beer can live up to the hype.

Cheers.

Wynkoop Brewing (Denver, CO)

7/12/12

First night of GALA the weekend after the 4th of July and we head to Wynkoop for dinner between tech rehearsal and the opening concert.  Love the downtown Denver free bus that runs along the 16th Street Mall that kept us out of the rain and got us within a two block walk of the bar.

We've been to Wynkoop enough times that I've lost count--bellied up to the bar more often than any pub outside of the Twin Cities.  I have notes from 2003, 2005 and 2008, doing the the tour during one of those visits.  Eight bonus pints from the ticket stubs of our first Great American Beer Festival (GABF) helped us learn a well worn path through the LoDo District.  My wife is a big fan of Wynkoop's B3K Black Lager and I drink whatever is new and hoppy, making Wynkoop a sure bet for a great start to any Colorado vacation.

Today's visit only confirms Wynkoop's status. I started with the Brewjolais (brew-szha-lay) Nouveau. Described as sour brown, it was light and wine-like with the filling body of Flemish brown and a solid sourness that's clear but not overpowering.  Excellent and a hit with a range of drinkers in our party.  Added another new brew to the list with the London Calling IPA on cask, which was a fine English Ale.  After a sip of my wife's B3K, I ordered my own draft to savor this smooth dark lager.  I could live next to Wynkoop's and be quite happy.

In between, we had dinner. Time has really helped Wynkoop's food. Veggie options used to be limited and perfectly adequate--nothing that I remember getting very excited about. We had developed a habit of drinking at Wynkoop and finding fool elsewhere.  However, last night we were blown away by our dishes. First was the Veggie Green Chili that came with fresh soft toritillas for dipping (and we doubled checked that it is vegetarian and not just veggies).  So good and just enough heat to make it interesting.  We also shared the Mac-n-Cheese with Gratineed Cheddar and Asiago sauce with bread crumbs.  It was baked and a took a little while to show up, but very worth the wait and being late to our show--our fault, not Wynkoop's.

We also had a great conversation with a local couple sitting next to us the bar. One was a regular volunteer at GABF and it was interesting to learn some of the behind the scenes going ons of the fest. Plus, we chatted about more local beer places to hit up in the future, which nicely confirmed some of my drinking choices for the week.  Friends we brought to Wynkoop overwhelmingly approved and enjoyed the food and beer, even those that aren't committed beer geeks.  Wynkoop is a must stop in Denver.  I'm already looking forward to my next trip.

Fathead Barley Wine (Nebraska Brewing, Papillion, NE)

Picked up this bottle of Fathead while at Nebraska Brewing on my road trip to Denver.  I hadn't heard of it before, but it's hard to turn down a rare chance of drinking barleywine on a summer trip.  One of the disadvantages to be a teacher-beer hunter is that I don't travel during the winter when some of my favorite dark beers are available.  

Beautiful ruby barleywine in the glass that only reluctantly gives up its off white head in spite of a hard pour from the second half of the bottle for encouragement.  Light legs when tilted, showing the nearly 11% ABV that's apparent, but not overwhelming, in the nose.  It's followed with cherry, molasses, oakiness and a clear, bright hop or yeast spiciness.  Elegant nose leads to a lightbodied, fruity ale with a slight oiliness.  Spice continues but doesn't live up to the promise in the nose.

As it warms, the 6 months in fresh whiskey barrels seeps out.  I missed the vanilla, initially, but it's clearly there.  The brown sugar in the description can be imagined when going back, but looks to be a bit of marketing to me.  It's definitely sweet, to the brink of cloying.   Drink this one slow, or leave it out for a while before tasting, to get to these flavors soon.  My beer fridge sits at about 42 degrees and that's too cold for this one.

The description on the website is enlightening as well.  The "fresh whiskey" barrels vaguely listed on the bottle are noted online as Stranahan's Whiskey.  When on the tour of Stranahan's just a day after visiting Nebraska Brewing, the tour guide said their barrels are used by breweries for aging beer on the strict condition that the Stranahan's name not be used.  This is quickly becoming my biggest mistake in that I didn't ask why they prohibit the use of the name since it seems to be good advertising.  Plus, had I known, I would've liked drinking this next to the Stranahan's bottle while in Denver rather than save it for later.  Oh well.

Overall, a very nice barleywine with little to complain about.  I'm enjoying it, slowly, as a celebration for finishing the last assignment of my very last class to top out on the salary scale. In theory, I'm done with required formal schooling as soon as I click send to turn in the assignment via email.

Tonight is not a moment that I could have imagined in 1989 when I started college at Purdue.  When I started college, I was a teetotaler who thought he'd teach physics and math while coaching wrestling and track.   While that would have been a perfectly acceptable path, I'm happy to be an English teacher and speech coach who hunts beer on the side.  Such is the amazingly capricious nature of life.  

Black Betty (Nebraska Brewing, Papillion, NE)

"Oh my.  There's the whiskey!" my wife exclaims after her second sip of Black Betty.  The dark brown head of this Russian Imperial Stout falls quickly with a bit of lace.  The whiskey is apparent in the nose. And familiar.  According the Nebraska Brewing website, Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey barrels is the source.

We did the Stranahan's tour earlier this summer and the whiskey is smooth and strong, which leaves a robust imprint on the beer.  The 9.3% alcohol shows with light legs on the side of the swirled glass.  As it warms, the whiskey actually smooths out and compliments the oily slickness of the ale.  Very sweet and malty, it keeps from being cloying by the 83 IBUs bringing a sharp bite the flows through the end.

A slightly imbalanced RIS that's heavy on hot alcohol from the beer and the barrel aging, but I like it a lot.  If you haven't read me in the past, I readily admit that I lean toward the big, bold, and slightly over the top.

Side note: At the Stranahan's tour, they mentioned that they let breweries use their barrels, but I understood that the Stranahan's name wasn't to be used.  Obviously I misunderstood since it's listed on the website; however, the bottle says "fresh whiskey barrels," so maybe the limit is to the actual beer.

Upstream Brewing (Omaha, NE)

Main bar at Upstream with Flagship IPA

7/5/12

The last time I was in downtown Omaha, Randy Madsen and I were coming back from Dan Gable's Tiger wrestling camp at the University of Iowa. In 8th or 9th grade, our bus from Iowa City had broken down in Des Moines because the AC was out. As a result, we missed our connection home in Omaha to home and spent the night together at the Omaha bus station. One of use would stay awake to watch our stuff while the other slept. In the course of the evening, we played cards with a guy who was rolling a joint and each were propositioned by several hookers. All in all, a good learning experience.

Staying at the downtown Econolodge and walking to Upstream Brewing reminded me of my last trip. Still seems like a tough neighborhood (remember, I lived in LA below south central), but the rough wrinkles smooth by the time I got to the refurbished downtown area with a lot of bars and restaurants. My guess is that most folks drive and park nearby, and don't see much of the surrounding area. Classic refurbished downtown area for any large city.

Inside, Upstream Brewing is expansive with a beautiful brewhouse behind glass. Large bar and a ton of beers, but it's been a hot day and I'm not up for tasting all of the brews on tap. I order water and a menu to start, and get to having a Flagship IPA and fish and chips for dinner. Flagship is a marmalade colored, solid west coast IPA that reminds me a bit of Masala Mama from Town Hall, especially the color. Clean and fresh, it blends well with the good beer battered fish and mediocre chips.

For a second beer, the Saison was off for the Brewer's Whim, so I tried the 1936 Strong ESB for a lighter beer. Off white head dissipates quickly on top of a muddled amber ale. English hops on a caramel, malt and mineral base. Hearty ESB that one could sip for an evening.

Upstream is a perfectly good brewpub, but feels more like a tourist trap than a real local like Nebraska Brewing early today. Nothing wrong, per se, but not much to really attach to as a pub for me. If I find myself in downtown Omaha ever again, I would gladly stop for lunch but I wouldn't go too far out of the way.

Certified Evil (Lucky Bucket Brewing, La Vista, NE)

7/5/12

Pitch black beer that appropriately represents the darkness of Evil. CE has a single tone tan head that drops rather quickly. Chocolate, light burnt roast and spice in the nose. Nose is not assertive but that could be the fan in the bar. Flavor jumps out strong with a heavy burnt chocolate and malt taste with earthy hops spreading along the side of the tongue.

 The beer lingers nicely and has a bit of a punch, betrayed by the light legs on the side of the footed glass from the 9.1% alcohol. Very good beer and is better on site than the bottles I've tried in the past. Fine beer to be the top of the line for Lucky Bucket.

Location:Lucky Bucket Brewing, La Vista, Nebraska

Lucky Bucket Brewing (La Vista, NE)

Lucky Lager draft with distillery in distance.
Playground fence clearly splits brewhouse from
distillery, I assume to meet licensing requirements. 

7/5/12

Warning--google maps sends you the wrong way. After a bit more research on my cell phone, I found myself in a nondescript warehouse district rather than a nondescript housing complex in La Vista, Nebraska.  Lucky Bucket is in a large commercial space with a handmade tasting area in the front of the open brewery. Lack of AC on what the Bug said is a 105 degree day makes a tour a bad choice at 4:30 in the afternoon, but that's how it goes when beer hunting.

Walking in the door, aging barrels greet me along with a cooler of beer to purchase. Can't see the boil kettles from my table, but there's a view are least eight large fermenters that speak to LB's expansion.  I've had a bottle or two before (thanks Linda from work who is friends with the brewer Zack), but have also seen them in beer stores that I frequent. Linda said the brewer was interested in starting a distillery, which the kettle for that can be seen clearly from the bar.

The place reminds me of Amnesia Brewing in Portland, minus five IPAs, a veggie dog and a life-sizes My Little Pony head on the wall: Lucky Bucket was clearly built lovingly by hand in the space available.  As I'm sitting here, several business types, a couple looking like they met her to do business and three that seem to be young bucks in ties meeting after work. Later, more T-shirted locals showed up as well and the placed filled up quickly right before the tour. Not bad for a Thursday afternoon.

First stop---check out the full tour.

Talked to the bartender and he's hoping to bring in food trucks and have football fans come in for Cornhusker games to drink Children of the Corn (cool name and sadly not on tap today). Free pretzels is the only food on site, but Jimmy John's and a pizza place will deliver to the tap room.

$3 for the tour with a free sample of the lager in plastic glass. Might want to bump it up to a pint in a glass glass for a better taste.  Groupon seems to be why many are here.  Most didn't pay for the tour and worked on the $25 credit through pints with friends. Good marketing idea.  Crazy busy tour and can't believe I was almost the only person in the bar 45 minutes earlier.  

Certified Evil with brewery in distance. 

The tour guide was a recently hired employee and very enthusiastic in his explanation of the brewery.  Standard chat for a non-geek crowd, but fun to walk around hearing the details and drink fresh beer samples from their kegerator styled cooler half way through the tour.

I learned a bit about LB, enjoyed the stop and the good beer on site. No surprise that Certified Evil, an oaked strong ale, was my favorite.  Not quite a top tier national beer, but a very respectable brew that packs a punch in spite of it's smooth character.  A close second for me--and a bit of a shock if you've discerned my taste for big and/or hoppy--was the Lucky Lager.  A pre-prohibition style lager, this is a very clean full malt brew that's dry hopped in the west coast style that makes it a unique and sessionable, an American lager to be proud of the label.

Lucky Bucket is clearly a hard working brewery that is passionate to grow, and I wish them well and hope that they continue to have success.

Lucky Bucket Lager (Lucky Bucket Brewing, La Vista, NE)

Lucky Bucket Lager with distillery in background

7/5/12

On the tour at Lucky Bucket Brewing, a free pint came along with the tour.  I'd had a bottle of the lager before with positive results, so tried a draft for comparison.

Tightly bubbled, thick, creamy head that lingers nicely as the effervescence builds the head from the bottom of the orange-amber lager. Bit dark for the stereotype of a lager, but, if I remember correctly, this is a pre-prohibition lager and fits a different style than the typical American macro-lager.

Clean malty nose with light spice, and, with a deep breathe, a hint of apple underneath. Smooth and full bodied, the spice, caramel and sweetness jump out on the tongue and linger--not typical lager characteristics, but a reason why I like this one. Refreshing on a hot day--a perfect reason to drink a lager.

Firehouse Brewing (Rapid City, SD)

7/15/12

As one of the only brewpubs in South Dakota, I've had Firehouse Brewing on my list for a long time.  I love the concept of a place built in an old firehouse, but the love affair ended there.  BA reviews are lukewarm at best and it seems like beer isn't necessarily the primary focus when looking online. With a fair amount of experience researching breweries, I've started to get a pretty accurate feel for a place ahead of time.  Plus, the guys at Monks in Sioux Falls said that I could find better places in Rapid City.  While part of the fun is being surprised, my beer-sense was spot on for this trip.  

As a walked into Firehouse at 8 pm on a  Sunday night, it was full to the brim and had a waiting list.  I hawked a seat at the bar after 15 minutes of lurking about and ordered a sampler of all of their beers.  Inside is clearly an old firehouse and a great brick building with a stamped tin ceiling in spite of the TGI Friday's decor.

The four ounce samples in low ball glasses were generous, but I didn't finish many of them.  Smoke Jumper Stout lead the pack with a drinkable smoked stout, and Smokin' Betty, another smoked beer but an amber this time, was a close second. But the rest dropped off precipitously.

    The bartender was friendly and helpful, but the sampler had no order or place mat to keep track of the beer.  I wrote down the beer names from the white board on the wall behind me and re-ordered them with the bartender's help to match my notes.  

Firehouse is a classic tourist trap brewpub in the vein of others I've been lured into before. In heavy touristy areas, my theory is that the beer suffers because there are no/few locals to serve and the quality falls as a result. Oblivious tourists will eat and drink there no matter what, so no reason to improve--just keep serving it up. We experienced this at Oak Creek Brewing in Sedona, Arizona a few years ago on a trip to see our niece Regan. And, I repeated the optimistic error at Estes Park Brewing outside of Rocky Mountain National Park, another pub where the traffic is to the detriment of the beer, just a few days before my stop at Firehouse. 

At Firehouse, the menu boasts the best food and brew in the Black Hills; I don't know about the food, but head to Spearfish and Crow Peak for the best beer in the area. 

Soaring Wings Vineyard and Brewery (Springfield, NE)

Soaring Wings tasting room at the top of the hill.  

7/5/12

After lunch with my mom and sister at Pizza Ranch for the 4th of the July, I spent the night with the folks in law in Sioux Falls before heading down early to drink Omaha the next day en route to Denver.  To my surprise, my mother in law Jo had a beer recommendation for me.

On a recent trip, Jo and her sister Truede stopped at Soaring Wings Vineyard for a bus tour and the guide boasted that the beer was very good as well.  They liked the wine and she wondered if the beer bragging was true or not.

Springfield is a short drive from Nebraska Brewing Co in Papillion, and very quickly I was in the corn and gravel roads.  According to my mother in law, the owner was a former military pilot that was making wine and beer in his retirement. Nice facility at the top of a hill with a view of the area. 

The tasting room deal is five samples for $6--wine or beer in any combination.  I tried four beers and ended with a wine recommendation from the friendly and seemingly knowledgeable server.  The recently retired marine at Nebraska Brewing had said the DIPA was ok, so made sure to save a sample.  Of the four brews, the Blackbird, vaguely labeled a dark stout, was the best, but that's not saying much.  

All of the beers suffered from a common brewing error that I was having difficulty pinning down, but there was definitely a problem.  And, the Hop Zeppelin was possibly the first Double IPA that I didn't finish.

Ended with wine since the beer conclusions were clear.  Based on a recommendation from the server, I tried the Chambourcin Special Reserve 2009. Heavy legs in the glass. Pretty, deep, two tone red. Good but I like my local Cannon Falls wines much better. I'm not a knowledgeable wine drinker, but this seems to be simply average.

As I was leaving, one of my fellow tasters was wearing a Pleepleus shirt.  We had a nice chat from the inside beer joke from the now defunct Three Sheets show.  Overall, a fun stop and an interesting beer hunt, but I won't be going out of my way for Soaring Wings again.

Nebraska Brewing Co (Papillion, NE)

7/5/12

Nebraska Brewing is on the outskirts of Omaha in Papillion, Nebraska in a big mall across the street from Dick's Sporting Goods. This is definitely the best brewpub I've visited that's in a mall. Brewpubs in malls tend to be on the Granite City variety--technically a brewpub but not very inventive. NB is clearly not in this category.


Long dark wood beer is inviting and the brewery is well displayed behind glass. Hard working brewery staff with work apparent in the brewhouse, including putting on labels on bottles by hand at one of the big tables on the slow afternoon.

For lunch, I had the four cheese spent grain pizza. Cheese combo is good on top of the thin, grainy crust. Fresh grated parmesan if you want that works very well. Offered a personal and full size, which is much appreciated. Not the best pizza I've ever had, but very good and hits the spot today nicely.


At the bar, a marine was on his second day of retirement and enjoying a sandwich with "death sauce." Evidently the super-hot habanero death sauce can come on wings and other items. I did not try it myself since I had a long day ahead of me.

From stickers on one tank and flags on the wall, the bar seems to be a local for many from the military base. When asked, the bartender didn't really categorize NB as a military bar, but many of the regulars stop in on the way home from the base and there's clearly a supportive relationship between the bar and those that serve our country.


I can see NB's famous Melange a Trois and Fathead Barleywine in bottles, so will go home with those for sure to end a very nice first stop in Nebraska. Added Black Betty as a last minute impulse buy. Of my samples, I really liked Hop God, which is basically a Belgian IPA. Listed as a trippel crossed with west coast IPA, Hop God has plenty of hops that are supported by a yeasty Belgian funk to make it very interesting.

Easily my best stop of the day in Nebraska, I wouldn't hesitate to return to Nebraska Brewing.

Hop God (Nebraska Brewing, Papillion, NE)

7/5/12

Stark white head that looks creamy in the tulip glass. Hazy gold to amber. Peppery spice in the nose, very Belgian yeasty. Hop is clear but under the spice. Strong hop bite on the tongue, but smoothed by the Belgian characteristics, especially the vinuous and oily traits. Nose opens up as it warms, the body lightens and the yeasty characteristics become more assertive, and, to be expected, the nearly 10% alcohol becomes more apparent in the taste. Good a several temperatures, this is a great beer to sip.

Monk's House of Ale Repute (Sioux Falls, SD)

7/4/12

On 8th street in the downtown area of Sioux Falls, Monk's is down near where I think the defunct (and not great ) Sioux Falls Brewing was years ago. As a kid, I remember heading to Lewis Drug just over the river, but that downtown was something to just drive through on our way to the Empire or Western malls.

However, my folks-in-law said as kids they would go to downtown Sioux Falls because that's where all of the big stores (some names I didn't recognize) were located. By the time I was a kid in the 70s and a teenager in the 80s, it seems the Empire and Western malls were up and running so that I don't remember the hey day of downtown at all. Now, the renovated old buildings make downtown a destination again for bars and restaurants and the Falls are around the corner to visit--truly worth a stop if you are near by, especially frozen and lit for Christmas.

Opening in December of 2007 (according to the bartender), I have a hard time getting to Monk's since I tend to come home on holidays when they are closed. Today is the 4th of July, but the small crowd is enough to be pouring drafts to a few locals and me. Twenty three taps from my count and several pages of bottles, this is definitely the place for beer in Sioux Falls (and maybe the midwest outside of the Twin Cities). I noticed while finding the bar again that a JL Beers has also moved in downtown, but a negative experience in Grand Forks with JL meant I didn't even swerve in my quest for Monk's.


Let's start with the name. Monk's House of Ale Repute. Very clever and I just enjoy saying that I'm going there for the pun. Very gorgeous bar of distressed metal and a pleasant, not-too-dark space that's conducive to chatting. Friendly atmosphere and clients, I've always had a chat with someone at the bar in my sporadic stops. There's a TV in the corner, but this pub isn't built to be a sports bar--beer and good conversation are clearly the point. I vaguely remember that they built it all by hand when they opened and the place has expanded into a larger sitting area and a patio (empty today in the triple digit summer heat). Not overly large, Monk's is a cozy local that serves up some great beers.


Taps include some solid classics like Delirium Tremens and Duchesse de Bourgogne and western favorites like Deschutes and Grand Teton with a few locals like Crow Peak and Brau Brothers mixed in. However, the bottle list is extensive and loaded with quality beers in a wide range of styles. I was sitting next to Jim, who introduced me to the owner Jerry Hauck. Jim argued that Monk's is the best bar between Denver and Chicago, and was willing to bypass the Twin Cities.

While chatting, Jerry and I agreed that the Twin Cities has a real advantage of distribution options plus just sheer volume of potential customers when looking at a pubs like the Muddy Pig, Happy Gnome, The Republic, Town Hall Tap or Blue Nile as a comparison. But for being in Sioux Falls, this is an outstanding selection, especially for some beers from the west that aren't often found in the cities. Jerry did acknowledge that he thought his bottle list is second to none, and I would agree. However, since my time is always limited, I've never gotten past two or three beers from the tap line that I don't have on my database (a compliment all by itself).

In chatting with Jim and Jerry, they very nicely updated my beer schedule on my drive to Denver via Omaha and Rapid City (to and fro, respectively), giving me several places to consider that I had not found in my research. Very knowledgable beer folks and a pleasure to take advice from tonight.

Jerry even divulged some new information that Monk's is going to build a brewery in the back space that he used to sell organic furniture (natural wood used from mill). While some of the plans are understandably vague at the moment, he hopes to add brewed on premise beers around December. Asked why he was adding a brewery (besides the fun of it), he said "for the fun of it".

Expanding a bit more, the motivation to have a well run brewpub in Sioux Falls seems to also be a factor. According to Jim, Sioux Falls Brewing had been very good when it opened in the late 90s and I remember reading some good reviews and that they had won several medals, which had gotten me to go there; it was obviously not good when I tasted it in 2003. Since SFB went out of business, there hasn't been a brewpub in Sioux Falls except Granite City (which we argued whether or not it's really a brewpub with the fermentus interruptus system of shipping wort from Iowa to finish locally). Regardless of your GC opinion, there isn't a brewpub in town of the quality of a Town Hall that is constantly bringing locally inspired brew to a loyal clientele. I wish them luck and hope to sample some original Monk's beer in the future.

Monk's is truly an outstanding bar and not to be missed if thirsty in South Dakota. While I don't know if it's the best beer bar in the midwest, it most definitely gives nearly every bar I know from Denver to Chicago a run for its money. Do yourself a favor and stop in at Monk's House of Ale Repute.

Location:Monk's House of Ale Repute

Lost Continent Double IPA (Grand Teton Brewing, Victor, Idaho)

7/4/12



Second draft for my 4th of July stop at Monk's House of Ale Repute. Almost white head on a clear, two-toned amber ale in a tulip glass. Again, a pretty lace (in a well cleaned glass) which funnels a strong grapefruit, tropical fruit and pine resin into the nose. 8% ABV is hidden in the nose, but a light peppery note betrays it on the tongue, which is assaulted by spice and sweet malt and an oiliness that coats sweetly. Very fun Double IPA, and, from memory, seems to be a bit brighter on draft. Not exactly news that a draft surpasses a bottle, but there seems to be a significant boost to the hops for this particular beer (or the bottles I've sampled were not up to snuff).

Location:Monk's House of Ale Repute

Pursuit of Hoppiness (Grand Teton Brewing, Victor, Idaho)

7/4/12

Served well in a tulip glass at Monk's House of Ale Repute. Dark amber ale with an off white head. Clean and a nice lace. Listed on the menu as 100
IBUs using Summit, Chinook and Nugget hops. Nose is full of hops and lives up to the advertising. Some grapefruit and citrus, but more earthiness with some serious spice. Hops and some alcohol hotness on the tongue that doesn't linger heavily, so a nice ale on this very hot triple digit day. Listed as an 8.5% amber ale, this is a great hoppy beer that has enough malt to give a different feel from drinking an IPA or DIPA.



Still learning to use the iPad on this trip, so I was a little slow taking the pic. Beer is half gone, but definitely worth a second draft. I didn't have time for it today, but would definitely give it another shot in the future.