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You’re coming here for the beer and the beer only. No food, no shuffleboard, none of that. They’re open only three days a week, just for a few hours. It’s a small operation, very simple as taprooms go. The beer, on the other hand, is some of the most complex and beautiful you’ll ever get to try. You can range the wide world over and might only try a few things anything like what TAA offers. This was easily one of the best beer-drinking days of my entire life, and these five stars go for the beer (which you could drink elsewhere), as well as what happens here. Like I said, it’s small. Seating for about 20. Couple barstools, few tables. One nice clean bathroom. They work here–they’re aging beer in barrels, they’re conditioning finished beer in bottles. They fill bottles and pack beer for shipment. The brewing happens up in the hills, where the beer almost never touches metal; they transfer, condition, store, and ferment beers in wooden containers of various kinds. They have to boil in metal, but otherwise it’s all wood all the time until it lands in glass. That stuff is offsite from the taproom, but you can see the barrels around the corner from the bar. These beers are so complex and interesting and so far beyond 99% of the stuff you see anywhere. Deep sour and funk, deep fruit, deep barrel character. Crazy ingredients (pine needles!) in some stuff. The flavors all work together to make something big and engaging, it’s never just a who-knows experiment with these guys, ever. The beers cost more, and even a couple of fairly experienced-looking beer fans in the room didn’t seem to click with what they tried. But they were heavily outnumbered by geeks who drove hundreds of miles to get here and fall even more deeply in love with these beers. Can’t wait to crack my take-home bottles and go get more.

Hoppin’ Frog Brewery Menu with Prices 1680 E Waterloo Rd, Akron

Hoppin’ Frog…. what can I say! Easily the best brewery I have been to and I have been to a lot. It’s a favorite of ours, I just wish it was closer. This was our second time at Hoppin’ Frog. Both times we have had friendly and prompt service. The bartenders are quick to offer suggestions and help you find a beer right up your alley. The prices are a little high. However, most of the beers are pretty high ABV. Plus they are delicious. We left with several different bottles to take home. Some of their beers are possible to find in the Pittsburgh area but many of the specialty beers are tough to find. Now onto the important part, the BEER. The hot it out of the park on their stouts, which I love. However they have a lot of taps and truly have something for everyone. B.O.R.I.S. 300 – This beer was released the day we went. We have had multiple variants of B.O.R.I.S. and enjoy them. This is an oatmeal stout base. This particular one was aged in port barrels, bourbon barrels and rum barrels. It was definitely smooth, which most of their beers are. The taste was good, but personally I felt there was too much going on. With so many other great choices this just isn’t my top choice. Gavel Slammer – This is described as a monumental ale and it does not disappoint. This drinks surprisingly easy for a 17.4%. It is complex, flavorful and smooth. We bought bottles of the original and bourbon barrel aged version. Frogichlaus – This is a Swiss style holiday lager. We ordered this at the bartender’s recommendation. It was one of our favorite beers of the night. You get some of the holiday spices along with caramel notes. It is a smooth easy drinker. This is a nice change of pace from the typical Christmas beer. Northern Hoser – The label on this bottle of a frog’s ass is great. This is a Canadian barleywine with maple syrup. I had pointed out this beer on the list to my boyfriend. When the bartender returned with our bottles we had purchased he brought a bottle of this and said it seemed up our alley. I guess it was meant to be. The only bad part is we only purchased on bottle. The beer is maple forward but it doesn’t overwhelm the beer. It is smooth and boozy with toffee notes. It is 15%, so be careful. These were just some of the highlights from this trip, though we tried several others. I highly recommend doing a flight and trying many different beers. A good portion of their beers are available to purchase to go.

Community Pint – Menu with Prices – 120 E Sprague Ave, Spokane

No crap beer here! Finally got a chance to stop by! I have looked at their beer list on Untapped and finally said “I’m stopping”. Great options for beer here. Should be able to find something for everyone, unless you happen to just like the canned water that is passed off as beer….you won’t find that here. What you will find are many craft beers from the PNW that you may not find on tap elsewhere in the area. They also have a selection of cans and bottles. If you want one of the beers on tap to go, they have a canner there as well. Staff was very friendly and knew about the beers. Great place to stop after work! Music could have been a little better. A little loud and not to my liking, but hey, I am getting older…Get off my lawn! I’ll be back!

Local Brew & Belle Vie Menu with Prices 21 Furnace St, Akron

Local Brew is great. It’s in a wonderful location with tons of seating and rotating local beer selections on tap. They also had a nice wine list if beer isn’t really your thing. I was looking at their two pumpkin beers on tap and the bartender was kind enough to give me a sample of both. I fell in love with the Imperial Pumpkin from Thirsty Dog. It’s aged in bourbon barrels and you can tell- the bourbon flavor is strong and delicious. I really appreciated the atmosphere/vibe in this place and would love to go back to watch a football game with a couple of friends and some great beer!

Half Barrel Beer Project – Menu with Prices – 9650 Universal Blvd #143, Orlando

I was staying on I-Drive out by Disney for the weekend and discovered a new craft beer bar that I had not yet had an opportunity to check out, and man was it worth it to do so. The atmosphere was very laid back with plenty of seating options, and they even have a world map where you can pin where you are from. They have an expansive draft list including their own beers and guest beers, and everything on tap were high quality beers and a unique selection of beers you wouldn’t normally find on tap elsewhere. They also have a large selection of canned on bottled beers which can be enjoyed in the tap room or taken to go (beers taken to go are given a $1 or $2 discount depending on their tier). The staff (Wesley, Chad, and Anthony) were extremely friendly and we had a lot of fun chatting with them about different beers and about different breweries and craft beer bars in the area and the rest of the state. They were able to recommend several beers to try in the tap room, as well as a few we took home. I was very impressed with their own beers that I tried from them (including a NEIPA, an imperial stout, and a brown ale). I was also really enjoyed the guest sour beers they recommended for me to try. If you enjoy craft beer, and finding local places to go I definitely recommend checking out Half Barrel if you are in the Orlando area. I really enjoyed my time here and will be coming back next time I’m in town. Cheers!

Dirty Couch Brewing – Menu with Prices – 2715 W Fort St, Seattle

My friends and I literally stumbled upon dcb after finishing a drizzly & brisk walk at Discovery Park on a Saturday afternoon. Truthfully, we were drawn in by the minimalist logo and the dogs we saw sitting inside. I’m so glad we did! Most of the menu is sour beers, which can be very polarizing if you’re not in the mood for it. Luckily, they have a couple IPAs on the menu too. What I enjoyed was their option to get a 5oz pour ($2) for all of the beers on tap – not as much of a commitment as a 12oz pour! We ended up sharing multiple beers amongst our group in the short time we were there. Our favorites were the Plausibility Whiskey Sour Porter and the Irregularity Blackberry Sour Blonde. There’s a decent amount of seating, some board games, and service was very friendly. When I come back to Seattle in the future, I’ll make an effort to stop by dcb!

Utepils Brewing – Menu with Prices – 225 Thomas Ave N #700, Minneapolis

I’ll probably get some s**** for this. I personally thought the beer was ok. Nothing about it was a “wow” factor. I did the flight because I’ve never had this beer and then from there went to individual beers. Maybe is all the beer people consume that its. It a thought but it’s an ok beer. Now I did try the dey Irish beer and yeah it wasn’t that great either. Most I’d the beers seriously felt like I was just trying beers from other breweries. The one beer I wanted to try was not available and I’m going to try and go back and get one. Over all the atmosphere is great, very spacious and enough room to walk around and not bump into anyone….but that’s about it. Now this is my opinion on the beer because I enjoy a good beer. I know so much goes into making a batch but maybe itll get better.

LoDa Bier Garten – Menu with Prices – 7899 Cottage Hill Rd, Mobile

Solid 5 for beer selections here. Good variety and lots I’ve never tried. Since it was half priced bottles/cans Tuesday, I could get way out of my comfort zone. Tried two really great Canadian Dubbels. Unfortunately, that’s where the accolades stopped. First, the server was nice and friendly, but also not helpful and prone to disappear for long periods. First, asked for a cold pint glass with our beers and her response was “not sure we have those”. Made me wonder what they were serving the 60+ drafts in…One person was drinking tea and it literally took over 15 minutes to get the tea. Actually had to track down another server and ask for the tea. Her performance was similar on getting the second round of beers and with the food delivery. Didn’t do anything but make the experience less than stellar. We did order food. Unfortunately. First was the Pig on a Stick. First, the portion was lacking. 3 2″ pieces of sausage for $10. That alone was concerning. Looked good, and then I took a bite…so overcooked that all I tasted was a greasy, crunchy mess. The concept was good…bacon wrapped Conecuh sausage dipped and deep fried. The execution was terrible. Shared with the table and between 5 people we didn’t finish them. Ordered a salad since I wasn’t really hungry. Essentially paid $11 for a house salad. No protein. Just greens, veggies, fruit, dressing. And it was small. That feeling of being ripped off was really starting to sting. So overall, not something I’d pursue unless you are wanting to do anything other than drink. While limited to what I consumed, those dining with me reported similar discouraging takes on their food. But please do drink the beer!

Alesong Brewing & Blending – Menu with Prices – 80848 Territorial Hwy, Eugene

Alesong is making some very good beer. Approximately 30 minute drive out of Eugene to get to this place next door to King Estate Winery, so be prepared. The drive is worth it, though. Beer geeks who live in or visit the southern end of the Willamette Valley should visit this place. We had Berliner Weiss, Oregon Honey (farmhouse ale), Saison Lorane, their Anniversary double IPA, Pinot Spontanee (wild barrel aged beer with pinot grapes), Cherry Parliament (barrel aged with cherries), Hop Farm (hoppy saison aged in barrels), and Mocha Rhino Suit (barrel aged imperial stout) on our visit, and the barrel aged half of the menu stood out. Their intent seems to be barrel aged beers, many with wild yeast or lambiic style, along with some more conventional/clean beers. Stand out beers were Cherry Parliament and Pinot Spontanee, while the Saison Lorane was a solid 3rd place. Nice place to visit, and they have some limited food along with food trucks available frequently. I believe they have plans to grow and make their tasting room more of a destination while they make wild beers here and clean beers in Eugene. We’ll see how this develops.

The Brew Market & Beer Garden – Menu with Prices – 1510 Riverside Dr, Chattanooga

I’ve been here a couple of times and it’s such a cool and unique place. Now I’m not a beer person, but I love the whole idea of this place. Someplace local that people who live here to be able to get the supplies and answers and help that they need to do some home brewing. They have outside patio seating and you can bring your dog. It’s a great place to hang out, try some unique beers (even a cider or two) on tap or in cans/bottles. I have enjoyed the patio myself and my dog loved being able to come too. I know they do classes too, so if you’re interested in dipping your toe into brewing your own beer, they can help. The staff are all super friendly and helpful and want to share their passion for small batch brewing. Give ’em a try.

Orchestrated Minds Brewing – Menu with Prices – 803 NW 1st St, Fort Lauderdale

Move over Ft Lauderdale, there’s a new brewery in town and if you like IPAs, Sours, Pilsners or even a Porter, you may have to visit Orchestrated Minds. It is not your typical brew house. It is housed in a loading dock kind of warehouse. The entrance is right across from CubeSmart. It is small and quaint, there literally is a bar and then seating area. There’s a rest room and a water cooler. Two bar tenders and a bunch of thirsty patrons. You can tell it’s a new spot because it still has that new spot smell. I first learned about Orchestrated Minds at another brewery’s first anniversary. There is a lot of great beer in the Ft Lauderdale area. More than is to be expected. Makes me happy to have so many great beer options. And…. Orchestrated Minds is definitely a great beer option. The beers: Little Miss Perfect… she is a perfect sour Whippin’ That Work… not my favorite Auckland to Boise… decent, don’t taste it, you have to atleast do a half poor to appreciate it, it grows on you. There were four musketeers right? This is the STAR of the show… by far the best…. every IPA lover will love this one. Cosmic Conversation… Its a Pale Ale… starts a little sour and finishes smoother. It is a beer drinker’s beer. And, got to meet the brewer/owner, … His passion will make you love his beer. All in all, it’s a new brewery and has a lot of potential. Come visit it and find a beer you like.

Hops and Bottles Menu with Prices 1420 W Grove St, Boise

This place is a pretty chill place to hang. Choose indoor or outdoor seating. Inside is a bit loud but isn’t that why you are out on the town?! To see, hear, and be with people?! No pun intended but this place is “hopping”! (Get it Hops & Bottles… hopping? No?) My jaw dropped when I saw the prices on the library collection of beer to choose from and for only a few dollars!?? Hold it right there…. there is a corking fee but don’t worry, your beer will still be WAY more affordable than a beer down the street or in the heart of town. (Beers on tap as well!) The only challenge with this place, choosing which delicious beer/cider you want. You will want them all! Great place to try something new!

The Casual Pint Huntsville – Menu with Prices – 2 Off Broadway St NW, Huntsville

Review was for To-Go beer only. Walked in on a Monday night and it was quite busy. They had a nice selection of room temp beer and create your own six packs of misc canned beers. There were almost too many beers to choose from to figure out what I wanted. I wish they were organized by location or type of beer. Crest your own six packs was a little confusing. Wish they offered more help or had better pricing. At $5 a single can your six pack is $30 but then I believe it’s a 40% off your total six pack when you take it to go. Pricing seemed high to me, esp if you only wants 3-4 beers, you end up paying the single can price. Good selection of draft beer too. If I’m back in Huntsville I’ll probably check it out again as I like to try the local beers and I now know what I’m getting into. Cheers!