Fat Head’s (North Olmsted, OH)

I don’t know what it is with these no-name towns on the outskirts of major cities, but I think that’s the beginning of a formula for great brewpubs: be in the middle of nowhere, but within driving distance of a well-known city + have a great name + a penchant for the ridiculous + an obsession with quality = absurdly good beers.

Fat Head’s is brewed in both PA and OH, and this particular brewery and saloon is located just outside of Cleveland in North Olmsted, OH. The exterior (and even interior) is no different than your typical sports pub, but once you start reviewing the chalk board of taps and reading their respective descriptions in the menu, you quickly develop tunnel vision (or rather, tunnel “taste”) for a wide variety of extremely well-made beers.

I’ve always thought that the mark of a great brewery is one that can handily make a standard and seemingly simple beer like a bitter or pilsner, as well as create complex fruit, aged and other distinctly unique brews. Fat Head’s does the former, latter, and everything in between in droves.

Their Head Hunter IPA has gained accolades at several international beer festivals, but outside of being a classical example of the style, this beer packs an amazing punch of fruity/resiny hops that will surprise even the most jaded of hop heads. The tried and true hops of Simcoe, Columbus and Cascade dominate this ale, with just enough added sweetness and body to allow for the hops to shine through. The lighter body masks that fact that this is a pretty big beer at 7.4% abv. An absolute must try if you visit Fat Head’s.

Duke of Lager, a self-described German Fest Bier, begins with a touch of honey-flavored malt, and finishes dry to make this a great summer beer to enjoy on a hot day.

The Bumbleberry Honey Blueberry Ale is another good summer drinking beer. It tastes of a light lager with a hint of blueberry, dowsed with a dollop of honey, without the cloying or artificial flavor of most commercially brewed blueberry beers.

I saved the heavy Bourbon Barrel Aged Battle Axe Baltic Porter for my final Fat Head, and am glad I did. This is an absolute palate wrecker (and delight), which begins with a big waft of Bourbon, which is also noticeable in the flavor, along with other common whiskey barrel-aged flavors such as vanilla and oak. The beer has a alcohol hotness to it, but is nice, as it reminds you of a snifter of a hearty, quaffable whiskey, but is also balanced with plenty of dark chocolate and roasty coffee notes.

There were no less than eighteen Fat Head’s taps available, not to mention a treasure trove of other craft brews from across the nation. Both widely recognizable brands such as Stone and Troegs could be enjoyed, as well as beer-cult rarities such as 3 Floyds Gumballhead, one of the first American Wheat Wines.

Fat Head’s is one of those brewing rarities that enjoys both commercial success (they now brew in both Cleveland and Pittsburgh, and have won multiple International awards) as well as a distinguishing itself as a unique and distinctly local saloon.

Tired Hands Brewing Company (Ardmore, PA)

I strive to be as objective as possible and let the reader decide whether the brewery or pub described is someplace they’d enjoy or plan to visit. In this case, my bias is sure to show through, so I’ll go ahead and preempt my overview of Tired Hands by saying it truly is a place of unique character, and embodies more so than any other brewpub I’ve visited so far what craft beer is all about.

Ardmore, PA is much like any other ‘historical’ district you might encounter on the East Coast, with various craft and knick knack stores, ripe for window shopping. The town has a laid-back vibe and being within reasonable driving distance of Philadelphia, embodies the type of genuine sensibilities often associated with this area of the country. Tired Hands is at the end of one of the main streets in Ardmore, but feels tucked away due to its nonchalant and cozy features.

The menu, for the most part, consists of locally-sourced (all within 100 miles) charcuterie, including house made bread. On this occasion I wanted plenty of room for the varied menu of beers and ordered a simple platter of bread and butter. Rather than acting as a means of cleansing the palate, the nearly whole loaf of bread I received enhanced each and every beer I ordered. Accompanying the just-hard-enough crunchy exterior and fluffy, slightly sour interior bread, was a super creamy, dark yellow butter and dash of sea salt and very pungent fennel.  I had to not just pace my drinking, but my eating of this amazing bread so as not to fill up too quickly.

To say that Tired Hands does not brew to style would be an understatement.  It becomes clearly evident with each subsequent tasting of the nine taps that the brewer had a distinct vision for each creation and chose ingredients to both enhance and dazzle the taste buds.

The beers themselves offer a complex array of flavors so extensive, that I would be doing them a disservice by trying to describe them in simple objective terms, plus their website attempts to provide detailed descriptions already. I will say, that for the ‘wild beer’ drinker, you will assuredly find Tired Hands a mecca for these types of beer. They are not shy about using Brett (ie. brettanomyces, a yeast strain heartier than your typical ale strain, with additional complex tastes and aromas ranging from tropical fruit to barnyard), as I noticed in at least three beers including a saison, a hoppy pale and a grisette (made with wheat, honey and tea).

Whether you are just dropping in few a quick bite of some local bread and cheese, or plan on making Tired Hands a destination in itself, I would find it extremely difficult not to endorse either. Regardless, I assure anyone that you will likely find that time has quickly fleeted by when you leave this amazing brewery.

Lancaster Brewing Company (Lancaster, PA)

Just over an hour west of Philadelphia, amid a plethora of Dutch and Amish farms, stores, and yes, a Wonderland (no joke, check it out), you’ll find Lancaster Brewing Company, the first brewery in Lancaster in over 40 years. Lancaster has a pretty surprisingly rich history of brewing tradition, and as the menu at Lancaster Brewing says, it was once even referred to as “little Munich”. The brewpub isn’t hard to spot, as it resides within a converted tobacco barn, and has kept a majority of the original exterior for a truly unique look. Plenty of seating is available both inside the restaurant, at the sprawling bar, and outside on nice days. Much like many other small-town bars, Lancaster definitely cultivates its share of loyal locals, as I soon found out that most of my bar companions were from the area and very much versed in the offerings.

I find that in order to test the meddle of a craft brewery, it’s often best to sample the most basic of their creations to see how they are able to showcase the subtleties of classic styles, such as an English Mild or Bitter or German Pilsner. So, on this occasion I paired my soft shell crab sandwich with Lancaster’s Country Cream Ale. Smoooooooth…. no noticeable bitterness, lots of creamy mouthfeel, no astringent aftertaste, but a touch of hops to balance it out. This ale still carried a 5.5% abv, so I’m guessing this combined with its easy drinking quality has led to many a long summer days followed by even longer next mornings. I also sampled the Boss Hog Double IPA and would’ve gladly ordered a full pint of this bitter and hoppy punch in the mouth had I not still had several more hours of driving ahead of me.

Trinity Brewhouse (Providence, RI)

I dropped by Trinity Brewhouse for a quick lunch en route to Newport, and was able to try two of their craft brews. The brewhouse has a cool, laid back vibe and is festooned with some pretty great custom painted vintage-like sideshow banners.

I had their Redrum Imperial Red with a corned beef reuben (quite good) and it’s everything you’d want in an amped-up version of a red: big and juicey, caramel maltiness, lots of floral and fruity hops, and a lingering bitterness that balances out the heavy sweetness.

I got a sample of the Belgian Saison, and got the impression that it was more like a Belgian dubel, as it had a very prominent Belgian yeast flavor and nose, and was not nearly dry enough to be considered a true saison. That being said, the beer itself had lots of flavor, and if you enjoy a big, yeasty Belgian, by all means try it.

Crop Bistro & Brewery (Stowe, VT)

I randomly found Crop in between a hike up Vermont’s highest peak and a night in Burlington (see previous post), but am sure glad I did. Crop had several beers on tap, but as I had just finished a pretty exhausting morning all I craved was a refreshing American pale ale to go with my cobb salad. Luckily they had just the thing (no notebook on hand, so can’t remember the name of the brew) to quench my thirst. What I do remember is that it definitely packed a hoppy punch with all the fixin’s of your typical West Coast style: big, juicey fruit and floral flavors, with just enough bitterness to balance it out. I could’ve had several of these, but had plenty more drinkin’ to do later in the day!

There are several other hiking trails in this area, as well as skiing in the winter, so if you’re ever in or near Stowe, definitely check out Crop for some apres ski. I used the site EveryTrail.com  to find my course (Mt. Mansfield), which also has a great app for locating and logging hikes.

Zero Gravity Craft Brewery at American Flatbread and The Vermont Pub and Brewery (Burlington, VT)

Burlington, VT is home to four breweries, three within about four blocks of each other. I was fortunate enough to check out two of them on my recent pass-through of this area. The city of Burlington has an eclectic, artsy air about it, which supplies fertile ground for creative types, including brewers.

I started at Zero Gravity Craft Brewery, which is located within American Flatbread. In addition to a nice offering of multiple classic ales including several pales, a California common and a porter, Zero Gravity was also pouring some more experimental brews. The first, and by far one of the more rare offerings you’ll find, was a gruit. Gruit is essentially a beer made using several herbs and spices as opposed to hops, as was the custom prior to the 16th century (and earlier in some areas such as Germany… you should read about it, and you can actually thank political and religious oppression for the use of sweet sweet hops!). Zero’s Summer Gruit Ale contains some of the more traditional herbs you’d likely find in a medieval-style, including sweet gale, yarrow, mugwort and even tea. It really is the perfect summer ale on a hot, balmy day, as was the case on this 80% humidity day in July. There is hint of fruitiness, with a light body, and little to no bitterness despite the clear presence of herbs.

Zero’s Organic Saison was another great summer offering. It was not as dry as you might typically find among saisons, but still crisp and refreshing. My last sample was Hopscotch, a Peated India Pale Ale. This brew was not as smokey as I was anticipating, but definitely still had a moderate to high level of roast and bitterness.

After devouring one the phenomenal pizzas (ahem… flatbreads) at American Flatbread, I headed up the street to Vermont’s oldest brewpub, the aptly named Vermont Pub and Brewery. The restaurant and pub definitely have more of a neighborhood vibe than the bohemian, hipster feel of Zero Gravity, and offers a pretty wide range of beers as well as pub fare. I had a sampler of too many beers to review, but the highlights were definitely of the German and Belgian variety. Beetlejuice is a sour-mashed weissebier. It has your typical big yeasty flavors with the expected banana and clove, but with a nice added twist of a sharp acidic bite at the end. I’m assuming this comes with the sour mashing, which is likely pretty short as it is by no means tart. This beer definitely inspired me to try and recreate a beer that has quite honestly come to be a mainstay at craft brewpubs, with a pretty low amount of imagination. Most brewers seem to rely exclusively on the yeast to provide a majority of this style’s character, so it was nice to try a spin on a very classic beer. The other must try in my opinion is the Spuyten Duyvil, a Belgian sour red ale. This sour red had a little less tartness than is typical of say a Rodenbach Gran Cru, but had an added flavor of ‘barnyard’ (yes, I promise that is a common beer descriptor) from brettanomyces yeast. There is still the lactic acidity you would typically expect, but the brett quality really shines through for a complex and really tasty brew.

The city of Burlington itself is well worth the visit outside of the several breweries (also in Burlington is the brewpub 3 Needs, which I’m told has an extensive draft and bottle list of other sought after craft beers from Vermont, as well as the production brewery Switchback). A meadery and cidery are also within driving distance, and if you have the time (and have yet to begin your tour of imbibing) definitely check out some of the myriad hiking trails. Below is a snapshot I took while hiking halfway up Vermont’s highest peak, Mount Mansfield:

 

Moat Mountain Smoke House and Brewing Co. (North Conway, NH)

Located in the uber family friendly town of North Conway, NH, Moat Mountain offers a range of classic beers along with heaping amounts of BBQ. One thing I’ve noticed throughout my travels in the Eastern U.S. (PA, NH, VT) is that most, if not all, of the breweries here are very community oriented. That isn’t to say others throughout the rest of the country aren’t, but each place I’ve highlighted seems to draw heavily on the local crowd. I don’t think I’ve been to one local brewery that didn’t have a ‘mug club’ with about 100 personalized mugs hanging on the walls for fervent patrons. Every single bartender knows at least three people at the bar by name. Also, most of them typically have a local charity they support as shown on wall posters, or offer a special brew to which proceeds go to various community projects.

Moat Mountain is no exception, highlighting sustainability in just about everything they do. According to their website, all of the spent grains from the brewery go to local farms and bakeries (and as I’ve seen, vice versa for other other ingredients for most of the local brewpubs… with locally sourced honey, apples, and used aging barrels being utilized in the brewing process), installation of solar panels for heating water, and using cans instead of bottles for distribution.

The beers offered are of classic styles and predictably good. The Moat Czech Pilsner is the highlight in my opinion. It is extremely crisp and fresh, with no lingering bitterness or aftertaste. The Hoffman Weiss is their standard hefeweizen offering, being very yeasty with ester qualities of banana and clove. Iron Mike is their pale ale, and although it probably won’t be big enough in the hop department for the most lupulin-craving palate, it is a very drinkable beer, with a slight bitterness and floral aroma. Square Tail Stout is quite dry and not as heavy as most beers of this style. Nice light chocolate notes are evident, coupled with a smooth, roast character.

A good go-to place for the whole family, with solid beers and large portions of food from a very extensive menu. Ask for a side of the homemade BBQ sauce, and try not to finish the rest with a spoon after you devour one of their signature meat dishes.

Flying Goose Brew Pub and Grille (New London, NH)

First off, this place is quite small, yet they have no less than seventeen taps! That’s insane for a brewpub of this size. Seeing as there is literally something for everyone, including kids (they have their own root beer), I was a bit distracted by the horse’s arse that ordered a Bud Light…  But I digress. The varied assortment of beers includes a few intriguing tastes outside of your typical lagers and pale ales, and since I only had the fortitude to try a few since I was on the road, I had to go for the unique.

Ed’s Honey Basil Ale is truly a head scratcher. It is quite enjoyable, but I’m not sure if it was the basil or the malts, but it had a pretty prominent roasty character. The honey balances out the roast with a nice, sweet finish. I haven’t had many successfully brewed beers with basil, so this was a nice surprise.

The one other beer I tried was Brimley’s Best Oatmeal Pale Ale. Yes, that’s not a typo, “Pale Ale”, not “Stout”. I was expecting this to be a heavy-bodied brew, but it was nice and crisp, with super fruity and floral hop aroma and flavor. Flying Goose brews this with 100% Simcoe hops in both the boil and dry-hopping. Great all-around pale ale for hop heads.

The brewpub itself is a quaint building on the side of a mountain, with a chalet-like interior, complete with hundreds of personalized mugs for the locals. View ain’t bad either:

DuClaw Brewing Co. (Hanover, MD)

Typically when I hear the words “sports bar” and “mega mall” the last thing that comes to mind is “craft beer”. DuClaw Brewing is probably aware of this, and definitely doesn’t care, especially since their motto is, “Craft Be Cherished. Rules Be Damned.” I’ll be honest when I say I was originally skeptical as I pulled up to one of DuClaw’s three restaurant locations, situated between a Medieval Times themed restaurant and a large cineplex. That skepticism gave way though as I tried a flight of six beers among their eleven taps, including a nitro.

Euforia, a toffee, nut-brown, is just what it says. A quaffable, malty brown with lots of toffee and caramel, and notes of chocolate. It’s a bit effervescent and has some alcohol warmth, but is quite drinkable and one of the more flavorful and complex beers they offer.

Venom is DuClaw’s staple American Pale Ale, and was being served on their nitro draft. It starts with a citrus nose and is flavored with floral and fruity hops, then finishes off with a nice balance of earthiness and bitterness. The nitro adds a lot of additional creaminess and body to an already big flavored brew.

One of the seasonal taps was Snake Oil, a self-described Imperial Pilsner. Although it does clock in at 7% abv and can thus be described as “imperial”, that’s about all it resembles as far as the name goes. I was expecting a bit more of a carbonic bite as is standard with pilsners, but it never really became evident. It will definitely appeal to the typical sports bar swill served and you could easily knock back more than one, but the high alcohol will definitely catch up with you.

If you want a giant beer with noticeable alcohol that you can pretty much chew on, go for the Misery Wheat Wine. A wheat-based ale similar to a barleywine, but less dark and hoppy, this guy is big and bold. Let it warm a bit so the full flavor of the wheat can come out.

Using similar hops as Venom but with the addition of the ever-popular Amarillo, the Serum Double IPA is another big offering from DuClaw. Big body, herbal hops, drinkable, dangerous.

Sweet Baby Jesus!, a Chocolate Peanut Butter Porter, is probably what several customers have exclaimed when they first tasted (or even heard of) this ale. Inspired by a former winner of their annual H.E.R.O. (Honest, Excellent, Robust, Original) homebrew contest, and originally made with real peanuts (now made with extract), Sweet Baby Jesus is a pretty damn delicious beer. Peanuts are prominent in both the aroma and flavor, and linger in the glass after it quickly disappears. Not a big-bodied porter, but this allows for the chocolate and peanut flavors to be much more expressed.

Although not my vibe for a quintessential craft beer bar, I’m glad places like DuClaw exist and are making good beer. While sitting at the bar on a Wednesday at 3pm, this place was full. And although the customers weren’t your typical craft crew, it was clearly a locally driven clientelle that craved something different. I had a conversation with a gentlemen who compared DuClaw to the unique styles of Dogfish Head, and although their portfolios are quite different, the spirit of adventurous beers is very much shared.

Not everyone finds craft beer the same way, so the microbreweries that begin in hidden nooks with exposed brick walls and crawling with ivy will oftentimes stay just that, hidden. Most often though, beer drinkers need an in-your-face advertising program that delivers unapologetic beers, and that’s exactly what DuClaw does; as you’ll notice the most used adjective in this post is “big”. Beer snobs need not apply…  but they will be missing out.

 

Bosphorus Brewing Co… and a bath with Mustafa (Istanbul, Turkey)

Part I: The Beer

Rarely is a bar just a bar and a pint just a pint. No place is this more evident than at Bosphorus Brewing Company (BBC) in Istanbul, Turkey. Yes, this is supposed to be Brew Through “USA”, but hey, I’m in Istanbul and just visited the only brewpub within hundreds, if not thousands, of miles.

If you think the blue laws in your Bible-belt town are restrictive, you haven’t been to BBC. A British pub by design to cater to Turkish ex-pats, they soon will be closing their taps on that most British of beer exports, real ale. Due to a new restrictive law which requires bars to serve beer through kegs, this will negate the ability to naturally carbonate their beer and serve from a cask. Additional restrictions are likely forthcoming as Turkey’s current prime minister was recently quoted as saying, “I want them to know that I want these (restrictions) for the sake of their health … Whoever drinks alcohol is an alcoholic.” Quite an ironic statement from a country whose most revered figure and founder of their republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, died from cirrhosis of the liver brought on by years of heavy drinking, and whom it is still illegal to criticize.

I was the lone patron on what is typically a busy Saturday afternoon. The area near BBC, Taksim, is currently at the epicenter of what has become the biggest political and social issue in Turkey at the moment, free speech. Due to massive protests, public transit was closed off in the area so that demonstrators would be deterred from congregating. They were not however, as tens of thousands crowded the streets and public areas for several days, despite being pummeled with water cannons and tear gas so heavy that I was able to smell it from miles away. With a google map in tow though, I was able to direct a cab to the general area, and with some luck (and recognition of their logo) able to find the new brewpub.

Not only is it a difficult road to navigate to produce their beer legally, it’s also a logistical nightmare. Due to the lack of drinkable water all of the water used in BBC’s beers goes through reverse osmosis. One in particular, the Yagangee, goes through additional burtonization with the addition of minerals so that nice mouthfeel of traditional English beers shines through.

BBC’s Karbon Stout combines the three traits most characteristic of a stout: chocolate, coffee and creaminess, to make it my favorite of the lot. All three traits are so evident I was surprised that no adjuncts were used in the process of this brew.

The portfolio is rounded out with several traditional and well-made English bitters and a nod to the American IPA with a their “Istanbul Pale Ale” made with fruity Cascade and Amarillo hops (but with a little help from some English Maris Otter malt).

The Haliç Gold is a great example of brewing to your crowd without caring about the critics. This beer, a Belgian blond, has enough diacetyl to make even the most conservative of BJCP sanctioned judges sneer. It is made this way on purpose, as head brewer and owner Philip Hall says the locals love it due to the added sweetness. Some people talk about not compromising to meet the larger demand, but in this case it’s about not compromising your market to suck up to the beer snobs, which is quite refreshing in an industry obsessed with “brewing to style”.

Originally, I had some misgivings about spending time going to a 21st century brewpub versus a 500 year old mosque or palace, but I don’t think I would’ve gained nearly as much perspective about what the country of Turkey is currently going through, especially on that particular day. So kudos to the Phil Halls of the world who, despite the nearly impossible obstacles before them, are literally risking life, limb and money to bring their passion to all parts of the world, and hopefully make a change for the better not only on the palate of beer drinkers, but as a force for social change.

Part II: The Rubdown

Two pints and a tasting of all six taps gave me the courage to go looking for another of this great country’s well known institutions, a Turkish Hamam, or more commonly known as, a Turkish bath.

The closest one to my hostel ended up being Çemberlitas Hamami, a Hamam built in 1584 by the sultan Nurbanu.

Upon entering the structure, which is located below street level as Istanbul is such an old city and has been built literally on top of itself numerous times, you are given a key to a personal room to change into the tiniest of tiny towels and then directed to the steam room.

The steam room isn’t like your typical hot and humid wooden closet at the local Holiday Inn, but rather a vast stone structure with a circular slab of marble in the middle. I have to say, I personally hate being hot and am no friend of sweat, but the totality of moisture that you shed is so relaxing that it seems almost natural. 

Once you have a good sheen going, you lie down on the slab and wait for a tap on the foot indicating it’s your turn for a bath. On this occasion I was greeted by a bear of a mustachioed man (in an equally teeny towel) by the name of Mustafa. A scrubbing ensues in which one is given the choice of “hard” or “soft”. Feeling emboldened and not wanting to disappoint the Turkish version of Ron Swanson, I of course opted for hard. Once the pain of what felt like sand paper being rubbed across every part of my body began to subside, Mustafa pointed to a soggy sawdust-like substance that had formed on my arm and stated simply, “skin…  good.”

From here your senses continue to take a pounding and you begin to question why are you being subjected to this forced penance. Before you try to convince yourself of your own righteousness a bucket of water from a guilded brass bowl is heaved in your direction, and you await that cool, refreshing sensation, only to experience hydro-flagellation in the form of nearly boiling water that washes away your final transgressions. It’s no wonder most Hamams were built near mosques.

Mustafa’s actions are forceful and deliberate, as he finishes with a soapy lather and massage (well, more of a tugging, cracking and twisting) and again, only a handful of words: “done.. now oil.” You are directed to a smaller, cooler room and oiled head to toe and given a proper massaging for about twenty minutes that eases all the tension and abuse that one has just experienced in the previous hour. 

Following what I thought was a nice thorough shower I am stopped by my friend Mustafa who rubs his index finger across my skin like that of a school-house nun with white gloves on a chalk board, and proceeds to wash me again not unlike a punished child who is being shown the proper way to conduct a task. The slap on my back indicating he is finished is again accompanied by only a handful of words, this time, “good.. clean… now tip.” 

I gladly hand him five Turkish Lira and leave the Hamam a happier, more relaxed, if not bruised and battered, man. 

Turkey is an oasis and an enigma in a region fraught with religious strife and constant political upheaval. What appears to be a free and democratized country on the inside, one soon finds out, is merely a shell of what could be a shining example of secular freedom within an area known for severe oppression. It is an oasis, in that it is by far the most westernized of Muslim countries in the Middle East, but an enigma in that what freedoms they purport to have, are heavily curtailed, especially in the form of free speech. Turkey still remains the number one country on the planet for jailed journalists (even ahead of notorious China and Iran). As I recently saw though, the people have grown accustomed to the freedoms they once enjoyed, and as those begin to slowly be stripped away, the people have responded.

Update, July 16, 2013 – Due to restrictions by the government in Turkey regarding advertising beer-related articles on websites, Bosphorus Brewing Co. has launched a blog at http://beer-ist.com/. Additional info can also be found on their facebook page, at https://www.facebook.com/bosphorusbrewingcompany. 

Update, July 22, 2013 – Recipe for ‘Narbeer‘ (a pomegranate ale) now available under Brewer’s Corner section of blog