The New Prog Beer Snob Thread

[SteveSly]

Anyone else experiencing post-quarantine changes at their favorite watering holes? I took my vaccinated ass to one local restaurant/pub that always has at least 6 Sierra Nevada varieties on tap (sadly, no Big Little Thing), plus plenty of other brews, and a great outdoor seating area. It was my first time there in over a year. They once had a happy hour that featured half price for any of their many draft beers, as well as some decent happy hour food specials. All that is gone now. Done away with. Off the menu. Now there's just full price beer and no snacks. They still have nice employees, like the young waitress who told me about all the changes, sympathized about the loss of the happy hour specials, and helped me select a beer that suited my taste preference (bitter and twisted). I chose a draft Seismic Brewing Company Shatter Cone IPA from Sonoma County, California. Delicious.

In Michigan restaurants / breweries have been limited to 25% capacity during COVID so many places have gone to limited menus and draft choices. Many breweries had to cut way back on draft beer production because they were not selling normal amounts with so many restaurants / bars either closed or open to limited rules. Michigan went back to 50% capacity indoor and 100% outdoor yesterday, and 100% indoor will start on July 1. I expect that all the menus will go back to normal once volumes of people come back.

[spellbound]

I’ve seen in DC/MD/VA, cost/labor saving measures such as elimination of happy hour for existing craft venues. I expect some of this to change as labor goes back to work and people go back to these. On the other hand, I’ve seen upgrades to existing places and more new breweries. Those with resources are investing because they are getting ready for the surge in demand which will happen, unless the governments start policies which suppress business and the economy.

In Michigan restaurants / breweries have been limited to 25% capacity during COVID so many places have gone to limited menus and draft choices. Many breweries had to cut way back on draft beer production because they were not selling normal amounts with so many restaurants / bars either closed or open to limited rules. Michigan went back to 50% capacity indoor and 100% outdoor yesterday, and 100% indoor will start on July 1. I expect that all the menus will go back to normal once volumes of people come back.

Thanks. Guess I forgot how much money businesses didn't make during the shutdown, being naturally more concerned with my own survival. Maybe they'll go back to normal as business picks up, and there's competition to get people in the pubs. Happy hour specials do work to get more people in, and many of them stay for meals, and/or spend more than they would without the specials. A pub may not make as much money during happy hour, but they don't lose money. Another thing that might affect happy hour is the scarcity of jobs. Or vice versa.

One local microbrewery/pub hasn't updated its website yet. It still shows curbside growler service only. I have mentioned it to them, as have others. They're back to 100% indoor and outdoor. It'll come together eventually.

A lot of places, especially those within restaurants, seem short-staffed.

[SteveSly]

Thanks. Guess I forgot how much money businesses didn't make during the shutdown, being naturally more concerned with my own survival. Maybe they'll go back to normal as business picks up, and there's competition to get people in the pubs. Happy hour specials do work to get more people in, and many of them stay for meals, and/or spend more than they would without the specials. A pub may not make as much money during happy hour, but they don't lose money. Another thing that might affect happy hour is the scarcity of jobs. Or vice versa.

One local microbrewery/pub hasn't updated its website yet. It still shows curbside growler service only. I have mentioned it to them, as have others. They're back to 100% indoor and outdoor. It'll come together eventually.

A lot of places, especially those within restaurants, seem short-staffed.

Yes, I think staffing is playing into all this as well. Around here you can literally see “help wanted” signs on every corner. I am a member of a Facebook group called “Kalamazoo Menu” that has a lot of restaurant / bar owners as members and most of them are really struggling with staffing right now. It is not unusual to see an establishment post limited hours right now due to staffing right while everything is opening back up. Many restaurants around here are now offering signing bonuses to new employees and are competing with higher wages too.

I talked to a guy who works at Bell’s Brewery here in Kalamazoo a few months ago and COVID had a remarkably interesting impact on them. Although their canned / bottle beer sales went through the roof, their draft beer was cut by more than half. When Oberon was released back in the spring they had barrels and barrels of it sitting in their distribution centers because they typically get so many sales from bars and restaurants, sports stadiums, concert venues, etc. all of which were not happening. He said that they cut way back on draft beer production for all their brands and it may take a while to catch back up once restaurants get back and rolling again. Bells distributes in all 50 states now, so the other challenging thing was different rules in different parts of the country.

We have already noticed prices going up at restaurants, and I think this is inevitable. The restaurants need to make up for lost revenue during the pandemic, and the labor market begin what it is will push up wages, which will also push up prices.

[NogbadTheBad]

20210605_113336.jpg

Road trip to Vermont, visited Hill Farmstead, The Alchemist and Foam.

[Lopez]

Yesterday, my son and I went to Boston, a short trolley ride for us, to feed the squirrels in the park so he could send videos of such to his girlfriend in Myanmar. After about 5 minutes of that, we went to the Trillium outdoor tasting area on the Boston Greenway. Not cheap, especially for 12-oz pours, but their beers are indeed all they are cracked up to be. We had a chocolate malt stout (9%) and dry-hopped IPA (7.2%). We then decided to hit the Wachusett beer garden on city hall plaza. It was vacated, so onto the Sam Addams pavilion nearby. The line was much too long, so back to Trillium for a pale ale (6.2%) and a honey ale (7.3%). So good to be out in public again on a nice warm day by the waterfront without a mask on.

[Firth]

Sweet!

[Old Boy]

As a craft beer geek, I'm not sure why I've never posted on this thread (outside of the fact that I don't visit here very often), but thought this might be helpful to anyone living or traveling in the Midwest. Just got back from a weekend trip in Iowa. What a great place for craft beer! Visited Barn Town in West Des Moines, Lua in Des Moines and Gezellig in Newton. All were very good. Also in Des Moines, there is El Bait Shop (175 taps) and the Iowa Taproom (100 taps). The Cellar Peanut Pub in Pella, where I was staying, has 75 taps. Seems like the folks in Iowa love their craft beer. There are many more breweries in those areas that I did not have a chance to visit. Stopped at Wake Brewing in Rock Island, IL after crossing the Mississippi on my way home and was blown away by their Double Barreled Unholy Trinity Barleywine.

[moecurlythanu]

^ Toppling Goliath Brewing is in Iowa, iirc, and is one of the top breweries in the country. Thankfully, they distribute to where I live.

[Just Eric]

If I bring up cider in this thread would I get booed off the stage? While I absolutely love beer in all it's iterations to death, I am allergic.

[Firth]

If I bring up cider in this thread would I get booed off the stage? While I absolutely love beer in all it's iterations to death, I am allergic.

Cider is a brew, correct?

[Old Boy]

^ Toppling Goliath Brewing is in Iowa, iirc, and is one of the top breweries in the country. Thankfully, they distribute to where I live.

TG is great! I was there about five years ago at the old place, as well as trip to Pulpit Rock. While at Lua, I had an OG Duckies 8.5% DIPA, which was a collab with TG and brought home a 4 pack of Ferrari Backpack, another TG/Lua collaboration. Good stuff!

[Just Eric]

Cider is a brew, correct?

Technically it isn't. It's a alcoholic drink made from fermented fruit. The brew part of beer is the steeping of the barley. But if I can get by on a technicality that would be great!

[Lopez]

If I bring up cider in this thread would I get booed off the stage? While I absolutely love beer in all it's iterations to death, I am allergic.

Fine with me, Eric. I love the stuff and I've made my own.

Sad day in ciderland; Bantam of Somerville, Massachusetts, announced yesterday that they are closing soon. I am crushed. Their dry cider, Wunderkind, is killer. Guess I better stock up before there's a run on their products.

[NogbadTheBad]

When Mystic closed in Chelsea my wife stocked up for me.

[Just Eric]

Fine with me, Eric. I love the stuff and I've made my own.

Sad day in ciderland; Bantam of Somerville, Massachusetts, announced yesterday that they are closing soon. I am crushed. Their dry cider, Wunderkind, is killer. Guess I better stock up before there's a run on their products.

Sorry to hear. I do the same here but usually when a seasonal offering I like is going off season. The local cidery had one called Little Umbrella that featured jalapeno peppers AND was actually spicy. I bought two cases knowing it was about to go into off-season.

My preference are to the flavorful ciders, something more than just the apple variety. Peppers and spicy are my absolute favorite, although there are only 2 or 3 producing those.

The cidery up the road from me just purchased a local brewery so they could leverage their tap room. So as soon as they close the deal and open, I'll be a regular at South City Cider. Can't wait.

[Lopez]

When Mystic closed in Chelsea my wife stocked up for me.

I live within walking distance (well, a couple miles) of Mystic and had no idea they closed. Good thing there's still Night Shift and Bone Up in the same area.

[NogbadTheBad]

I live within walking distance (well, a couple miles) of Mystic and had no idea they closed. Good thing there's still Night Shift and Bone Up in the same area.

Both of those are great.

[SteveSly]

We were just in Alabama for a wedding. Discovered some good breweries in the Mobile and Huntsville areas.

[Firth]

We were just in Alabama for a wedding. Discovered some good breweries in the Mobile and Huntsville areas.

Also if in Huntsville, there is a German restaurant which was fostered by Wernher Von Braun, that I hear is great.

https://www.southernfoodways.org/gra...v-gravy-ep-42/

[SteveSly]

Also if in Huntsville, there is a German restaurant which was fostered by Wernher Von Braun, that I hear is great.

https://www.southernfoodways.org/gra...v-gravy-ep-42/

That looks cool, but we are already home now. We have friends that live in Huntsville, so maybe we will get back there again one of these days.

[spellbound]

Wife and I had:

Maui Big Swell IPA, Kihei, HI - Centennial, Chinook, Mosaic, Citra, Simcoe hops

El Segundo Broken Skull IPA, El Segundo, CA - Citra, Cascade and Chinook hops

Belching Beaver No Worries West Coast IPA, Vista, CA - Strata, Galaxy, Mosaic, Citra, and Amarillo hops

Alibi Ale Works Chance of Klaus Hefeweizen, Incline Village, NV - 555 wheat (whatever that is)

All great. I preferred the El Segundo for its wonderful bitterness, but had no complaints about any other we tried.

[moecurlythanu]

. I preferred the El Segundo for its wonderful bitterness,

A man after my own heart.

[Dave (in MA)]

When I couldn't decide what else to get, or if I was in a place with not-so-great selection, a nice standby was Sam Adams Boston Ale. I haven't seen any in quite a while, so I checked, and it's no longer made. They have all kinds of cutesy, fruity crap with cutesy ads to go along with them, but they dropped the two things I'd occasionally buy from them: Boston Ale and Rebel Rouser.

[SteveSly]

Wife and I had:

Maui Big Swell IPA, Kihei, HI - Centennial, Chinook, Mosaic, Citra, Simcoe hops

El Segundo Broken Skull IPA, El Segundo, CA - Citra, Cascade and Chinook hops

Belching Beaver No Worries West Coast IPA, Vista, CA - Strata, Galaxy, Mosaic, Citra, and Amarillo hops

Alibi Ale Works Chance of Klaus Hefeweizen, Incline Village, NV - 555 wheat (whatever that is)

All great. I preferred the El Segundo for its wonderful bitterness, but had no complaints about any other we tried.

We drank a lot of the Maui Big Swell when we were in Hawaii a few years ago. Good stuff!

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

one Hawaiian brew my wife and I loved there was Kona Black Sand Porter. Not available on the continent, only in Hawaii