Category: Beer

  • BoldBelvoir’s West Coast Wander: Pt.4 – Sacramento

    BoldBelvoir’s West Coast Wander: Pt.4 – Sacramento

    FRIDAY 30/09/22

    Today was primarily spent travelling. Unlike the last flight, everything went smoothly and we were back at Oakland International by mid-afternoon. An hour or so later we were back with our friends Mark and Suzanne in Concord. Of course, this had to be celebrated with a beer and within half an hour we were all on our way to the Concord Taphouse – 3517 Clayton Rd, Concord, CA 94519. This is a busy, single-roomed local’s pub with a great draft beer offer (24 on tap, plus a shedload of cans) and a good food menu to boot.

    9% DIPA at the Concord Tap.

    Just the one this evening as we had to prepare for tomorrow’s journey to Sacramento, so I thought I’d better make the most of it and chose an Altamont Beer Works – Hella Hoppy 9.0% DIPA [3.75], which certainly hit the spot. It was a fleeting visit but, hopefully, we might make it back here later in the holiday.

    SATURDAY 01/10/22

    Our Amtrak train to Sacramento departed from the town of Martinez, about nine miles from Concord and Mark kindly drove us there, arriving in good time for its arrival. Once inside the immaculately clean and very characterful station, the departure boards informed us that our train was ‘LATE’. Great start! There was no indication of which platform we needed (although there were only two), and no one milling around seemed to know either so I went to ask the person in the ticket office.

    The lass behind the glass was being incredibly patient with an elderly lady customer who seemed to be asking for the times of every single train service in the state of California. When she eventually decided where she wanted to go, she handed over a swag bag full of coins, from which the ticket lady had to count out the requisite amount to pay for the fare.

    Delayed at Martinez Station.

    I finally reached the front of the queue to ask for platform information and ‘ticket lady’ was as clueless as everybody else. “Just stand anywhere until a train turns up” I was told. This is all well and good until the train actually turns up, blocks off the entire far platform (there was no bridge) and you can’t get on! Luckily, the public consensus was the ‘near’ platform and, sho-nuff, the train eventually rolled up, albeit 40 minutes late. We boarded the train and, after being stood for another 10 minutes, slowly rolled out of the station – for about 400 yards – and ground to a stop again! We stood for another 40 minutes and then were eventually on our way proper to Sacramento.

    I’d been told how slow and unreliable the trains were in the States so it wasn’t totally unexpected. It’s strange to think that a country whose history was literally changed by the railways has now let its rail system slip into such neglect. You’d think they would have a world-leading network with all the distances involved between cities and it’s a real shame to see everybody prefer car travel, even over long distances. In the event, once on our way, the journey was comfortable enough (despite the girl behind us talking loudly on her phone all the way) and within an hour and a half, we were at Sacramento Valley Station.

    View on AirbnbHome in Sacramento · ★4.96 · 1 bedroom · 1 bed · 1 private bathroom

    We got an Uber through town and were installed in our AirBnB by early afternoon. This was hosted by a lovely lady called Angela (and her elderly dog, Wicket) and was situated on a beautiful, quiet tree-lined avenue and, it turned out, just seconds away from two excellent craft bars. A quick freshen-up and half an hour later we were back out exploring the area. On our street intersection, there was one of the aforementioned bars, an ice cream parlour, and another 30 seconds away, a second craft beer bar. Of course, to please Mrs Belvoir, the first stop was for ice cream!

    Gunther’s Ice Cream was established in April 1940, being in this location since 1949, and is open seven days a week, serving no less than 50 flavours of ice cream, all made on the premises. The place was heaving with customers, with a line wait of about 10 minutes. The ice cream wasn’t particularly cheap, but it was worth every cent, and the wait! It’s great to see a little family-run business like this thriving, especially considering its relatively quiet location.

    Gunther’s Ice Cream est. 1940.

    Having earned brownie points from Mrs Belvoir, I was now confident in suggesting we search for a brewery. Google informed us that the nearest option was just under three miles away. Track 7 – 5090 Folsom Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95819, was another brewery in the now familiar format of an industrial unit with a corrugated shutter frontage and make-shift benches inside and outside area in the car park. It’s a formula that works well.

    A choice of 15 from the tap menu here, including a style I hadn’t encountered before, ‘Cold IPA‘. The very knowledgeable lass behind the bar answered my query quite concisely; “a Cold IPA is fermented at lower temperatures than normal, delivering IPA hop intensity whilst keeping the malt character restrained and ultra-crisp” or words to that effect. I thought I’d better try one after that! I went for their Angel of Abomination 8.0% Cold IPA [3.75] along with a Hazy Panic 6.8% NEIPA [3.75], which were enjoyed over the course of an hour or so, whilst sitting outside in the warm Sacramento evening sunshine.

    Cold IPA at Track 7.

    I’d heard that this place had actually closed down, so it was nice to see them back open. It’s always sad to see little indy places like this go to the wall. It was a fair walk back to base, so we (meaning me) decided to make the last stop at one of the previously mentioned bars near our AirBnB.

    Hop Gardens – 2904 Franklin Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95818, was only a four-minute walk from our digs, and what a cracker this place was! The bar was heaving when we arrived at about six o’clock, and we struggled to find somewhere to sit. I spent the time perusing the 24-tap draft list and generously stocked can fridges. Eventually, we jumped into some just-vacated-still-warm seats in the outside patio area, where I whittled my choice down to three: Tripping Animals – Hedging Bets 8.0% NEIPA [4], Movement – Fruitality Frosé 8.3% pastry sour [4.5] and a Weathered Souls – Who’s Got the Juice Now? 7.5% NEIPA [3.75]. Mega, mega, mega!

    Mega beer at Hop Gardens.

    We ordered some ‘dirty fries’ and buffalo wings to go with the beer but the wings didn’t turn up. After telling the serving chappy, they eventually arrived, but the price was crossed off our bill. Excellent service! The only downside to this place was the number of kids running around screaming, seemingly unattended, but I guess this is one of the reasons the place was so popular, and it was a Saturday night after all. This place definitely warranted a second visit.

    Saturday’s route.

    SUNDAY 02/10/22

    When we asked our host, Angela, what the best things to see in Sacramento were, she replied that people don’t come to see things in Sacramento! Nevertheless, she told us that Old Sacramento (or ‘Old Sac‘ to the locals) was worth a visit. We duly consulted Google maps and plotted a course – a nice, leisurely four-mile walk away. En route, we passed the original Tower Records building. There was a long queue outside, so we crossed the road to see what the attraction was.

    When we got to the other side, we heard a car tooting its horn. Turning around, we saw the driver flashing their lights and waving frantically at us. I was just about to mouth off at them (we had crossed safely), when the car drew to a halt, stopping all traffic behind it. The lady driver got out of the car and picked something up off the road in front of the car. She then ran towards us waving the said item – it was Mrs Belvoir’s purse, with all our cash and cards in it! How lucky was that? I wouldn’t think that would likely happen back in the UK, but maybe I’m just being cynical. Anyway, we counted ourselves very lucky! In the event, the crowd was queuing for a restaurant so we carried on our journey.

    Old Sacramento, a small area adjacent to the Sacramento River, between the Tower Bridge Gateway and I Street Bridges, is a piece of the Old Wild West with beautifully-preserved buildings, railway locomotives and even a paddle steamer. The buildings, of course, have been re-purposed into gift shops, bars and other touristy stuff, but the character of the place can’t be denied and it’s a lovely area to stroll around for a couple of hours.

    Hangin’ with the Old Timer (and the bloke next to her) in ‘Old Sac’.

    By mid-afternoon it was beer time, so we set off towards Urban Roots Brewing & Smokehouse – 1322 V St, Sacramento, CA 95818, just over a mile away. I loved how the streets were just lettered A-Z. I could just imagine some fat council planner leaning back in his leather chair, smoking a cigar going “Hell, what are we gonna call all these streets? Ah, fuck it, let’s just name them after the alphabet!”. The building was situated in a plain-looking unit down an anonymous (albeit pleasant enough) side street. The spacious and bright interior was inviting, but we elected to sit out under the canopy of the beer patio out front.

    The brewery itself was located behind a glass wall at the back of the bar area and was lined on three sides with dozens of oak ageing barrels, so I assumed that these guys specialised in sours and/or Impies. However, there was little evidence of these on their beer menu, apart from the Pause For Sunset 7.5% fruited sour [4] I ordered, along with a No Cuts, No Buts, No Coconuts 6.0% AIPA [3.75], and a Right Right 6.5% AIPA [3.75], all enjoyable beers. We were thinking of staying for some food, but everybody eating outside was getting plagued by wasps, so we decided to move on.

    Nice beer, shame about the wasps at Urban Roots.

    We’d already been to the Fieldwork Brewery, back in Berkeley a few days ago, but these guys had another outlet locally so that was the next port of call. Fieldwork – 1805 Capitol Ave, Sacramento, CA 95811, was smaller than their brewery but still offered a 25-strong tap list, majoring on West Coast IPAs, but I opted for a Hazy Train 6.9% NEIPA [4.25] which was utterly delicious. These guys had glassware of a shape I’d never seen before, made of really thick, heavy glass that felt really good in the hand. I asked if I could buy one, but when I was told they were $8 each, I decided I’d rather spend that money on the beer, not the container. I wish I’d bought one now!

    Great glassware at Fieldwork.

    It had been a tiring day (we’d walked about 10 miles at this point, so we decided to make the final stop at the other bar back near our AirBnB. We made a leisurely stroll through the leafy streets admiring some lovely house architecture and started talking to a couple of blokes who were working in one of the gardens. They’d recently bought the house together and were in the process of ‘fixing it up’. We wished them luck with their project and carried on our walk, finally arriving at Pangaea Bier Café – 2743 Franklin Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95818 at around six o’clock. A smallish bar on a street corner with just enough room for two or three tables on the pavement outside, it still had 20 beers on tap, specialising in European (mostly Belgian) beer styles.

    I chose two beers brewed a little nearer, namely: Crooked Lane – Dank Mode 8.5% DIPA [3.5] and a HenHouse  – Avian Surveillance Division 6.2% AIPA [4] which were both enjoyed sitting outside in the setting sunshine, together with an excellent pulled pork sandwich. All in all, a lovely relaxing day. To find an AirBnB within seconds of two quality bars like the Pangea and Hop Gardens was a hell of a stroke of luck!

    Pangaea Bier Café.
    Sunday’s route.

    MONDAY 03/10/22

    After a breakfast of porridge oats and blueberries, homemade by our host Angela, we set off to explore again. This time we headed towards the ‘Capitol Mall‘, a modern shopping centre. Whilst walking down the main streets lined with office blocks and peppered with coffee shops and food outlets, it struck me how quiet everything was for a Monday morning. Whether this was because of working from home as a consequence of Covid (mask-wearing was still mandatory on public transport) I’m not sure, but the streets seemed eerily still for such a big place.

    Even when we arrived at the shopping mall it was very quiet. We wandered around the empty shops for a while, aimlessly window-shopping, when we just happened upon the Yard House – 405 K St, Sacramento, CA 95814, a modern-looking, glass-fronted bar situated on a corner, mid-mall. I took a look through the window, nose pressed to the smoked glass in order to see through. I liked what I saw! A central ‘island’ bar, lined with beer taps all the way around the back wall. It was still fairly early – about 11.30, but when I heard ‘Battery‘ by Metallica pumping out on the sound system, I was tempted in (as if I needed any persuasion).

    Chance find in the Capitol Mall.

    We took a stool each at the bar and the bar lady handed over a beer menu. No less than 110 beers on tap! Unfortunately, Mrs Belvoir was complaining about the coolness of the air conditioning, so just a swifty in here, and I plumped for an Elysian – Space Dust 8.2% AIPA [3.75]. This was a big place inside, but besides us, there were only two other blokes perched on the other end of the bar so it seemed a bit lifeless, but I would imagine this place would be banging on a weekend. At any rate, it was a great chance find.

    We continued our walk around the city which is, to be quite honest, pretty characterless really, but the streets were clean and well-kept, with some interesting artwork including some giant darts sticking out of the pavement. Not sure what the significance of those was, maybe there’s a big darts scene in Sacramento? Suggestions below!

    By about 3 o’clock, it was beer time proper and a quick Google search revealed that Device – 1610 R St, Sacramento, CA 95811 wasn’t far away. Another ultra-modern glass ‘n’ chrome establishment with a patio outside area, Device offered a modest 12 beers on tap, with another six ‘can pours’, so I tried one of each; What the Haze?! 6.5% NEIPA [3.75] and a Sweet As! (can) 7.0 % AIPA [4] which were drunk sat outside on the patio, shifting from table to table in an attempt to stay in the shade. It was fairly busy out here and the beers were very enjoyable, particularly the tinny.

    Chrome ‘n’ glass at Device.

    We were a good three miles or so from our BnB, so we decided to make the leisurely stroll back to the mega Hop Gardens we’d visited on our first night. Again struggling with their mammoth beer list, I finally chose a Moonraker – Lazy Jack 7.1% NEIPA [4.25] and an Alvarado Street – Riot Punch 8.5% DIPA [4.25], both monster beers and a magnificent end to our Sacramento visit.

    Monday’s route.

    What little bit of Sacramento we saw was a lovely clean, safe city, albeit with no real ‘attractions’ other than the ‘Old Sac‘ Wild West area. As American cities go, it is on the compact side and we managed to walk everywhere we went. I’m sure there was a lot more to see if we’d had the time. Well recommended. Tomorrow we were meeting up with our friends Mark and Sue again to on a road trip to Yosemite Park.

    SEE THE REST OF THE WEST COAST WANDER HERE:

    Part 1: San Francisco | Part 2: Portland | Part 3: Seattle | Part 5: Yosemite Road Trip | Part 6: Los Angeles | Part 7: San Diego | Part 8: Phoenix+

    The numbers in brackets [ ] are my beer scores (out of 5). Find me on Untappd
    Some tinnies wot I have necked.
    And some more pics from Sacramento below.

  • BoldBelvoir’s West Coast Wander: Pt.3 – Seattle

    BoldBelvoir’s West Coast Wander: Pt.3 – Seattle

    TUESDAY 27/09/22

    The Portland-Seattle Amtrak train we had booked a couple of months previously was unceremoniously cancelled with just one week’s notice, with no alternative routes or transport offered. Nice. We rebooked the 175 mile, three-and-a-half-hour journey on Flixbus which, ironically, departed from opposite the Portland railway station.

    Whilst checking the line of passengers on board we thought the driver was being super friendly to everyone, making strange noises and nodding to each person in turn, but as soon as we set off and he started gesticulating toward phantom traffic it became apparent that he had an Alf Ippititimus-style tic. It wasn’t very reassuring but he did at least get us to our destination in one piece and on time Phwaaaay!

    View on AirbnbTownhouse in Seattle · ★4.89 · 1 bedroom · 2 beds · 1 private bathroom

    We got settled in at the AirBnB by about 2 o’clock and so had time to do a bit of exploring. Setting off on foot, we headed toward the centre. Seattle itself is a pretty characterless city. We were wandering around aimlessly when Mrs Belvoir spotted a sign for a bar. This was a hell of a spot, as you may have missed it even if you’d been looking for it. The Flatstick Pub – 240 2nd Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104 was tucked out of sight, in a basement down an alley, but when we went through the doors at the bottom of the stairs, the place opened out into a sprawling space and the place was heaving!

    Superb beer at the Flatstick.

    The pub was full of pre-match Seattle Sounders FC fans (the ground was only a few minute’s walk away). The pub itself had the usual industrial feel with regimented rows of tables but was really characterful with its colourful wall murals, complete with two ‘crazy golf’ putting courses. More importantly, it had an absolutely astounding draft beer list. I sampled two pints in here, one either side of a delicious plate of ‘dirty fries’. A Varietal – Sup Cuz 6.7% NIPA [4.25] followed by a Seapine – Rainbow Suspenders 8.7% DIPA [4.25]. Both spectacular beers.

    We enjoyed our beers and food whilst we took in the noisy atmosphere. The place thinned out quite rapidly just before the game, but we’d had our fill and it had been a long day so set off back for base ourselves. What a brilliant chance find! On the walk home, we passed another brewery. Mental note made for a future visit.

    WEDNESDAY 28/09/22

    We actually managed to suss out the bus system in Seattle. It was app-based (but cash could be given) and cheap ($8 for a day pass), although we saw loads of people just getting on and not paying, so I don’t think the drivers cared much anyway. Anyhow, on our first day in Seattle proper, we bussed back into the city and headed on foot toward the Pike Place Market, an ex-farmer’s market. Although parts of it remain for fresh meats, fish and produce, most of it has been nicely repurposed and it is now a warren of small indy shops – and a brewery – more of that later. We spent an hour or so exploring the market, including the stomach-churning ‘Gum Wall‘ and then decided to make our way on foot to the Space Needle.

    Part of the ‘Gum Wall’ on Post Alley. You dirty bastards!

    We had no intention of going up the top of the Needle, but were relieved we had already made that decision when we saw that the ticket price to get to the top was $59 each! I decided that the money could be much better spent on beer, so went on a search for the first pub of the day. The Teku Tavern + Café – 100 Taylor Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109 was soon located a few minutes away on the corner of a faceless street-cum-building site.

    A wide range of beer styles in here, dispensed from no less than 45 taps, but my eyes were drawn to the bank of about eight fridges (I didn’t actually count them), from which I selected a can from local brewers Ravenna – Parallel Existence 8.5% DNEIPA [4.75]. I took it to the bar to pay for it and the miserable barman, who had followed us in off the street, didn’t even acknowledge me when I tried to engage him in conversation. Instead, he ID’d me. What?? I’m 64 years old!! Luckily I had my passport with me and he let me have the beer. I didn’t know whether to feel angry or elated – It was the first time I’d been ID’d in about 40 years! Suffice it to say I didn’t tip the mardy git. That’ll learn him!

    My first beer with Phantasm!

    In the event, the can turned out to be a monster, monster beer, made with ‘Phantasm‘ – a powder derived from Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc grapes in New Zealand – and by far the best beer I’d tasted so far. No, I’d never heard of Phantasm either, but I can’t wait to find another and, if you like your beer juicy and hazy, I urge you to try it yourself.

    Mrs Belvoir and I were the only two in the place and there was no music or atmosphere, just a mardy barman, so we decided to walk back to the Pike Market and visit the brewery we’d spotted earlier in the day. Old Stove – 1901 Western Ave, Ste. A, Seattle, WA 98101 is situated at the rear of the market and its windows back onto the waterfront, making it a pleasant space to be in. Sitting between the large fermentation vessels and the aforementioned widows we were soon served, and before long my two selections were in front of me, both brewed on the premises. A First It Giveth Juicy 6.3% NEIPA [4], followed by a Fresh Hop Citra Hazy 6.4% APA [4]. I’m not sure why, but I wasn’t expecting much from this brewery (perhaps as it looked a bit touristy and commercial), but the beers were actually delicious. The food was tasty too.

    Good beer at the Old Stove Brewery.

    By the time we had finished in the Old Stove, the sun had begun to go down and we decided to make the two-and-a-half-mile journey back on foot to walk off the food and make a visit to the brewery we had spotted the day before as the last stop. On the way, we passed a homeless chap in a doorway, shooting up underneath his toenail.

    Métier – 2616 E Cherry St, Seattle, WA 98122 is a one-bar, high-ceilinged room with a glass frontage onto the street. Overall a nice place with friendly staff. 16 taps in here, but just had the one, a Fresh Hop Hazy 5.9% APA [3.5]. Sadly mediocre, but since I’d had some crackers earlier in the day, I wasn’t too disappointed.

    Nice bar, shame about the beer.

    We had to squeeze past another poor homeless zombie-woman and her supermarket trolley on the walk home. The smell from her was overwhelming, the sort that sticks in your nostrils for days. You just couldn’t imagine yourself living like that and it’s desperately sad to see.

    Wednesday’s route.

    THURSDAY 29/09/22

    Having fuelled up for the day at the Hi-Spot Café, we boarded a bus into town. Today we decided to take a bus trip North, crossing the ‘Fremont Cut’ into the Fremont area of the city. Our first stop, however, was Lumen Field Stadium, home of the Seattle Seahawks, to pick up a couple of souvenirs for a mate back home.

    Whilst walking back through the city centre to find our bus stop, it became evident how bad the homeless problem is in Seattle. The entire length of one avenue’s pavements was covered in tents and make-shift canopies with some people bawling across the road at each other, others wandering aimlessly into the path of oncoming traffic shouting and gesticulating at some imaginary person in front of them. It was rather intimidating and it was obvious that the authorities had let the problem get way out of control.

    We eventually found our stop and boarded the bus, taking the three-and-a-half mile ride over the Aurora Bridge into Fremont. Our first visit was to the Fremont Troll, a large sculpture under a road bridge, created by local artists in the 90’s. A few street’s walk away took us to the Fremont Rocket, another sculpture, this time made from the fuselage of an old cold-war rocket. En-route, we passed the Lenin Statue. Apparently, the locals have made a pastime of irreverently adorning the statue in various ways. Today he was wearing a dunce’s cap.

    The Fremont Troll

    Our final planned visit was the Fremont Dinosaurs, two topiary sculptures of, erm, dinosaurs, that were so poorly maintained you could’ve walked past without actually noticing them. I was so underwhelmed, I thought I deserved a beer as compensation, so it was a brewery stop next.

    We made a slow walk along the canal, past the Google offices and under the hundred-year-old Fremont Drawbridge, which we were lucky enough to see in operation as some canal traffic went underneath it. This was a really pleasant, green, peaceful area and a stark contrast to the Seattle we were experiencing only two hours or so before.

    A couple of hundred yards further and we arrived at our destination, Fremont Brewing – 1050 N 34th St, Seattle, WA 98103. Although it was beside the main road it wasn’t particularly noisy, so we chose to sit outside in the lovely shaded beer garden. Twenty taps to go at in here, but I just had the one; Head Full of Dynomite (sic) v.40. a 6.8% NEIPA [4]. These boys really know how to brew! I was enjoying the beer, taking in the sun and people-watching, when I spotted another sign of the sort we’d seen in Portland: ‘THANKS FOR BUSSING YOUR GLASSES‘. I felt like asking for my tip back, but just left our empties on the table out of spite!

    Excellent beer at Fremont.

    The next brewery was another couple of miles away, so we hopped back on the bus and made our way to Cloudburst – 5456 Shilshole Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107, located in the Ballard district of the city. This was a lot smaller affair than the last place but nonetheless had 14 beers on tap, from which I sampled two; a Beautiful Distraction 6.6% AIPA [4] and Anyone’s Ghost 6.7% AIPA [4], both hugely enjoyable. We sat in the beer garden enjoying the atmosphere, when a boat on the nearby canal sounded its horn. It was so loud that the bloke on the next table jumped and chucked his beer all down his front. Hilarious!

    Cloudburst on Shilshole.

    We made our way back over the Fremont bridge and, after a quick fodder stop at Just Burgers, we arrived at our last brewery visit of the day, Rooftop – 1220 W Nickerson St, Seattle, WA 98119. This place was little more than a shack at the side of a busy road, with service from a hatch in the side, leading onto the decked patio. A modest selection of 10 taps in here, from which I sampled just two; Gateway Hazy 5.8% [3.5] APA and Tropical Staycation 6.9% IPA [3.75], both of which hit the spot and made a nice end to the day.

    Last one at the Rooftop.

    At this point, we were a fair way from our AirBnB, so it was time to make a move back to base. Once back in the city, we had to change buses and found ourselves once again negotiating our way through all the homeless people, trying to find the correct stop. I suppose the locals are used to it, but when you encounter homelessness on this scale – entire communities living on the street, dealing and taking drugs quite openly with no authorities in sight – it can be quite daunting. We boarded our bus and a guy followed us on, bypassing the ticket check, sat on the back seat and sparked up his crack pipe and nobody said a word. Unbelievable! We reached home after a long day and reflected on how lucky we are.

    Thursday’s route.

    Seattle is a city of contrasts. Parts of the city are filthy and stink. Some main streets are overrun by homeless people on a worrying scale. The north of the city and over the canal in Fremont and Ballard, however, is a different world with lovely green areas and well-kept streets. It’s a real eye-opener to see the poverty gap in these big cities. I’m glad I’ve seen Seattle, but I won’t be back. Tomorrow we were flying back for an overnight stop back at Concord before starting the next leg of our tour, Sacramento.

    SEE THE REST OF THE WEST COAST WANDER HERE:

    Part 1: San Francisco | Part 2: Portland | Part 4: Sacramento | Part 5: Yosemite Road Trip | Part 6: Los Angeles | Part 7: San Diego | Part 8: Phoenix+

    The numbers in brackets [ ] are my beer scores (out of 5). Find me on Untappd
    Some tinnies wot I have necked.
    And some more pics from Seattle below.

  • BoldBelvoir’s West Coast Wander: Pt.2 – Portland

    BoldBelvoir’s West Coast Wander: Pt.2 – Portland

    SATURDAY 24/09/22

    The day started off so well. Beautiful sunrise, warm morning sun, and a luxury ride to Oakland Airport, thanks to Mark taking us door to door in his Jaguar XJ. We were straight through security and into the departure lounge within 15 minutes and everything was on schedule. Unfortunately, it started going downhill from there…

    Your transport awaits.

    As we boarded Alaska Airlines flight AS 3303, we noticed the passenger in front of us spin a little projection on the cabin door with his finger as he passed by. Mrs Belvoir jokingly remarked that she hoped the door didn’t fall off during the flight and we both shrugged it off, shuffled past and found our seats. Sho nuff, when it was time to shut the door, it wouldn’t close. After several attempts, the Captain made an announcement that we would have to ‘deplane’ and wait for the engineers to come from San Francisco Airport to take a look.

    We disembarked back into the departure lounge (where we had already spent two hours) to start what would become a several-hour wait. We should really have told the staff about seeing the guy tampering with the door, but I don’t think either of us would have recognised him again and it surely was just a coincidence. The thought that someone could stop a plane from taking off with one twist of a finger is a bit far-fetched, isn’t it?… Isn’t it?

    Anyhoo, after a couple of hour’s wait, we struck up a conversation with a couple, Glenn and Kathy, from Florida. It was unclear how long our wait was going to be and Glenn suggested going to the lounge bar, the Rockridge. He got the first round in, so I didn’t realise the prices, but when I reciprocated, two pints of Sierra Nevada – Hazy Little Thing 6.7% NEIPA [3.75] cost $34; 17 DOLLARS A PINT!!! It was tasty enough but I’m really happy we didn’t have a session in there!

    We finally boarded the plane four and a half hours later, and a massive roar went out when the door was finally closed before the plane pulled back. It was quite comical watching the hostess get out of her seat no less than four times to check and re-check the door before takeoff. Arriving in Portland mid-afternoon, we were installed in our AirBnB less than an hour later so still had time to go exploring.

    View on AirbnbTownhouse in Portland · ★4.95 · 1 bedroom · 1 bed · 1 private bathroom

    A quick google search told me that there was a brewery just under a mile away, so we headed for Breakside Brewery 1570 NW 22nd Ave, Portland, OR 97210. Although the place was fairly busy we managed to get a table, but when I asked the waitress if I could pay with my phone, she said she needed a physical card or cash. We had neither on us, so we reluctantly moved on. Luckily, on our way to the brewery, we had spotted the Piedmont Station Food Carts – 625 NE Killingsworth St, Portland, OR 97211. This was an eclectic collection of shacks, sheds and food vans and a thriving little food cooperative located just off the main road. We went through the gate and I spotted what must be one of the smallest micropubs I’ve ever encountered. In fact, it was so small, there was no seating inside!

    The pub with no seats!

    The Beer Shack may have had no seats, but it did have 12 beers on tap, and to make up for the recent abortive brewery visit, I had a Breakside – What Rough Beast 6.8% NEIPA [3.75] which was the perfect accompaniment to the Thai green curry I had from an adjacent food van. We sat on a nearby picnic table enjoying the sun’s last rays of the day when a Country ‘n’ Western band struck up in another bar next door. Time to move on.

    Another mile or so away was a brewery whose beers I had enjoyed several times back in the UK, but now I was going to get to sample them straight from the source! Great Notion – 2204 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR 97211 are renowned for their big, juicy, hazy New England-style beers, so I thought I’d try five of them;

    Super jooose at Great Notion.

    ISMO’s Phantastic Ale 7.0% NEIPA [3.75], Ripe IPA 7.0% NEIPA [4], Serpent of the Stars 7.9% NEIPA [4], Thiology of Ghosts 7.8% NEIPA [4] and a Juice Invader Vs. the Thiolizer 7.0% NEIPA [4]. All of them super juicy and massively enjoyable. The taproom itself had a lovely outside yard area with trellised partitions, whilst inside was more industrial with the obligatory formica tables and wobbly chairs. I could’ve spent all night in here but sadly it was time to get back for some kip.

    Saturday’s route.

    SUNDAY 25/09/22

    Portland suburbs are a mesh of beautiful green and leafy avenues and we enjoyed looking at all the attractive wood-built houses and architecture as we took a leisurely stroll into the ‘Mississippi’ district of the city, an area bustling with independent shops, boutiques, cafés and bars, just over four miles away.

    Our first beer stop of the day was Stormbreaker – 832 N Beech St, Portland, OR 97227 where we encountered what might just possibly be the campest waiter in history. He had a highly impressive macho ‘Village People’ moustache, an exceedingly limp wrist, unfeasably tight hotpants that left nothing to the imagination and had perfected a little ballet-hop-cum-pirouette every time he ascended the step into the bar. He was also very efficient at his job, and in no time I had a pint of their Supermassive 7.0% AIPA [3.75] in front of me.

    It was a tasty enough pint in a nice beer garden and we were considering staying for some food, until the couple on the next bench started changing their baby on the table. Then when their dog began to eat the sick that baby had previously deposited on the ground, we decided to move on.

    The next call was Ecliptic – 825 N Cook St, Portland, OR 97227, right on the outskirts of the city. Here I selected a Phaser 6.5% NEIPA [3.75] which I savoured whilst shifting every few minutes in an effort to stay in the shade of the canopy above us.

    Great décor at Ecliptic.

    Bizarrely, I got mistaken for Glen Plake (Yeah, I had to google him too – he is/was a famous free-style skier) by the chap on the next bench. I had to explain that no, I wasn’t him. I was the good-looking one and Glen was the one with the money! I liked the characterful space-themed Ecliptic a lot, and they also have what has to be one of the best hashtags ever: #poursomespaceinyourface.

    The last brewery of the day was located less than a mile’s walk away in the Williams area of town, situated in a rather characterless building block. Nonetheless, Migration (Williams) – N Williams Ave, Portland, OR 97227 offered a selection of 18 of their own brews, from which I went for a ReFresh Hazy 6.3% NEIPA [4].

    Migration (Williams).

    Again, the time had passed far too quickly, but it was a fair walk back to base and it was time to make a move, so I went to pay the bill. There was a sign next to the till ‘recommending’ a 20% tip. Just beside to that was a big sign that read ‘THANK YOU FOR BUSSING YOUR GLASSES‘ (returning glasses to the bar). I couldn’t help wondering what the tip was actually for!

    Sunday’s route.

    MONDAY 26/09/22

    Today, we decided to walk the six and a half miles in the warm morning sun, crossing the Williamette River across the impressive W Broadway Bridge and into the city. After a couple of hours visiting the Washington Park International Rose Test Garden and Portland Japanese Garden it was time for a well-earned pint and first place on the list was Deschutes – 210 NW 11th Ave, Portland, OR 97209.

    Two very nice beers here: Trellis Smack 6.6% AIPA [4] and Fresh Hop Strut Your Strata 6.6% AIPA [4.25] with a rather delicious pulled-pork sandwich in between. We spent a couple of hours sitting at the pavement tables outside, just chilling and watching the people and trams go by. The waitress here was from London but recognised my accent from her time spent at Nottingham University. Small world.

    Deschutes Brewery interior.

    We had been told that no visit to Portland is complete without going to Voodoo Doughnut – 22 SW 3rd Ave, Portland, OR 97204, so that was next on our to-do list. Can you imagine a cake shop with a barriered queue line of about twenty customers waiting outside and a security guard on the door? Unbelievable! We duly waited our turn and about twenty minutes later were ushered in by the guard. I could have ordered the lot, but I went for a Voodoo Doll, with a coconut cake for Mrs Belvoir. Well worth the wait and a must-visit if you’re ever in Portland. They also have a great strapline: ‘The magic is in the hole’. Oooer!

    The next brewery visit was Von Ebert – 131 NW 13th Ave, Portland, OR 97209. An airy and spacious interior here with 21 taps, but I only sampled the one; Fresh Hop Sector 7 7.0% NEIPA [4] which was rather delicious. Unfortunately, time was drawing on and I’d noticed another brewery that was closed when we’d walked it past earlier in the day on the way into the city, and it was on our way home so that was going to the last call.

    Spacious interior at Von Ebert.

    Upon entry, it was obvious that the brilliantly-named Grains of Wrath PDX – 3901 N Williams Ave, Portland, OR 97227 was a metalhead’s pub, with its skeleton murals and biker-type clientele gathered around the rather dingy bar area. This theory was reinforced by the sounds of Anthrax and Slayer blasting out of the sound system. I loved it!

    Grains of Wrath PDX.

    Sadly, no hazies in here, so I chose an appropriately-named Built for Speed 6.7% AIPA [3.75]. Crystal clear, but it still hit the spot! And so back to base to ready for our third leg of the holiday, Seattle.

    Monday’s route.

    Portland – certainly the areas we explored – the Mississippi, Williams and Pearl districts – was lovely. Our BnB was situated in a beautiful green, leafy suburb within relatively easy walking distance to all these places and we felt perfectly safe and comfortable doing so. Well recommended.

    SEE THE REST OF THE WEST COAST WANDER HERE:

    Part 1: San Francisco | Part 3: Seattle | Part 4: Sacramento | Part 5: Yosemite Road Trip | Part 6: Los Angeles | Part 7: San Diego | Part 8: Phoenix+

    The numbers in brackets [ ] are my beer scores (out of 5). Find me on Untappd
    Some tinnies wot I have necked.
    And some more pics of Portland below.

  • BoldBelvoir’s West Coast Wander: Pt.1 – San Francisco

    BoldBelvoir’s West Coast Wander: Pt.1 – San Francisco

    Mrs. Belvoir and I have wanted to return to the States ever since we returned from our epic East-Coast tour, four years ago. This West-Coast jaunt was originally pencilled in for last year, but a spiky little bastard named Covid put a stop to that, and so we re-scheduled for 2022. The original plan was to fly into San Francisco and then just improvise for a month as we did on the last visit, but as our dear friends Mark Slezak and Suzanne Ricci invited us to use their house as a base, we felt it right to be a bit more disciplined and so our route, accommodation and transport were all pre-planned from the UK a couple of months in advance.

    The plan was to visit seven major cities – San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego and Phoenix over the month, with a road trip midway around Yosemite National Park and the surrounding area as a break. I have broken up the report into digestible chunks for those whose attention spans are wanting, like mine.

    Obvs, part of the enjoyment was to find great beer and visit new breweries and I can assure you it didn’t disappoint in that respect! I’m not one for giving arty-farty nonsensical beer descriptions (which are largely subjective anyway) so apart from the odd ‘fab’, ‘awesome’ or ‘wowsers’, I’ll just put my Untappd score (out of 5) after the beer name in square [ ] brackets. You can find me on Untappd here. 

    THURSDAY 22/09/22

    After a full day’s (10 hours) flight the previous day we felt pretty fresh on the first day proper of the holiday. As mentioned above, our base for the whole stay was with friends in Concord, about 40 miles out of San Francisco and a one and a half hour ride on the Bay Area Rapid Transit, or ‘BART’. Although it wasn’t particularly rapid, it was frequent and got you from A to B fairly efficiently. All four of us (Mark, Sue, Mrs. Belvoir and I) disembarked at Rockridge station for our first day’s exploring, today in the Berkeley district. A short Uber ride dropped us off outside the University and we took a leisurely stroll through the campus enjoying the sun on the way to our first stop, Triple Rock Brewery 1920 Shattuck, Berkeley, CA 94704.

    First beer at Triple Rock

    Mark had brought me a Triple Rock T-Shirt to the UK some years ago and I was happy to finally visit so that I can now officially say ‘been there, got the T-Shirt’! It’s a traditional-style bar with plenty of character, although it was fairly early in the day so still quiet inside. We decided to take lunch here so I chose a pint of premises-brewed Silo Time, a 6.5% AIPA [3.75] to accompany the food. A tasty start to the holiday!

    Lunch over, we set out on a short half-mile walk to the next stop, Cornerstone 2367 Shattuck Ave. Berkeley, CA 94704. There are two Cornerstones in Berkeley, one on Durant Ave, which calls itself a music venue and this one, which describes itself as a ‘restaurant’. I must admit I get really annoyed when great beer outlets push themselves primarily as a food venue. All too often you google a pub name and it returns pictures of food, as if the beer is secondary. In actual fact, this was a great beer bar with a superb ‘draft’ beer list.

    Great selection at Cornerstone.

    Again, it wasn’t all that busy but the place had a great modern/hipster/industrial vibe going on and I loved it there. After much deliberation, I chose three from the extensive choice: Cooperage – Lyrical Dankster 6.9% AIPA [3.5], Original Pattern – Coincidental Calamity 6.6% NEIPA [3.75] and a Laughing Monk – Sister Strata 6.8% AIPA [4].

    The last stop of the day was a three-mile Uber trip away. I’d had Fieldwork beers in cans several times back in the UK, but I was now going to try them directly from the source as our next call was Fieldwork 1150 Sixth St, Berkeley, CA 94710.

    Fieldwork Taproom, Berekley

    These guys are serious about their beer! 32 of their own brews on tap, from lagers, through sours, to Impy stouts. I, being a jooose boii, opted for a couple of hazies: Space Maze 7.0% NEIPA [4] and a Galaxy Sauce 9.3% DIPA [4], followed by a Blackberry Parfait 6.4% fruited sour [3.75]. It was the perfect finish to the day and an excellent start to the holiday. The evening was marching on, so it was back to Camp Concord via Uber and BART for a well-earned kip and to hopefully shake off the remnants of jet lag.

    Thursday’s route.

    FRIDAY 23/09/22

    Today followed the same pattern as yesterday, but this time we targeted the Haight (pronounced ‘hate’) district. Once the centre of the long-gone Hippie Universe of the 1960s, this trendy neighbourhood has now developed into a whole new scene with vintage boutiques, cafes, hip restaurants and – of course – bars! Echoes of Psychodelialand of old remain, such as street murals, smoke/bong shops (it’s actually legal in the State of California!) and the odd veteran hippie wandering around looking totally lost (or off their tits), but it’s a charming and characterful area. After exploring the shops and taking in the chilled atmos, it was time for a beer. 

    Magnolia Brewing 1150 Masonic Ave, San Francisco, CA 94117 was the first stop. Table service only in here, but it was hard to hear what the waiter was saying as the music was so loud despite the inside being empty, except for us. What I did make out was that Magnolia had recently been acquired by New Belgium brewery, hence several of their beers being on the tap list. I decided to try one beer from each brewery; A Haze Lands 7.5% NEIPA [3.75] from the former and a Dominga Mimosa Sour 6.0% [3.5] from the latter. The sour was average at best. New Belgium had actually been on my to-do list, so as I’d had one of their beers I decided to miss them out and go somewhere else.

    Magnificent Magnolia frontage.

    Magnolia was a pretty building and worth the visit but just didn’t have the ‘wow’ factor to keep your interest. Time to move on, and the next one was a classic! A 20-minute walk took us to Toronado 547 Haight St, San Francisco, CA 94117. A true no-nonsense, drinker’s beer bar.

    Terrific Toronado.

    No less than 62 beers on draft here, including one on a hand pump. When I asked for a fruit juice for Mrs. Belvoir, the barkeep replied “No juice, just beer”! I explained that I had a pub back in the UK called Just Beer. Maybe we should twin up sometime? As they didn’t do food, we were allowed to order in some fodder from the German Bratwurst shop next door, which I washed down with a very enjoyable pint of Fort George – Strata Architect 6.6% AIPA [3.75]. A proper, proper boozer’s pub and a must-visit if you are ever in San Francisco. Sadly we only had time for one, but I will definitely visit this bar again in the future.

    Menu at the Cellar Maker.

    As I’d struck New Belgium off my visit list we would get more time at the next call, so it was Uber time straight to Cellar Maker 1158 Howard St, San Francisco, CA 94103.Another hipster-industrial hybrid brewery/taproom with 18 taps serving all their own brews. It was buzzing in here and we had time to savour several, so I opted for three: Medieval Cowboys, a 6.3% AIPA [3.5], a Spectral Delineation 6.4% APA [3.75] and the spectacular Cloudy With A Chance of Dobis 6.8% AIPA [4.5], the best beer of the day by far.

    Friday’s route.

    Sadly, the distances between places in big American cities make a meaningful pub crawl nigh-on impossible, but we’d had some great beers and I was satisfied with the six venues we’d visited. This was only the second day of the holiday and we’d had some crackers already. It was time to head back to base and prepare for the second leg of our tour and tomorrow’s flight to our second city – Portland.

    SEE THE REST OF THE WEST COAST WANDER HERE:

    Part 2: Portland | Part 3: Seattle | Part 4: Sacramento | Part 5: Yosemite Road Trip | Part 6: Los Angeles | Part 7: San Diego | Part 8: Phoenix+

    The numbers in brackets [ ] are my beer scores (out of 5). Find me on Untappd
    Some tinnies wot I have necked.
    And some more pics from San Francisco below.

  • Peeving in Portugal: Pt.2 – Porto.

    Peeving in Portugal: Pt.2 – Porto.

    SATURDAY 25/6/22

    We made the 186-mile journey from Lisbon to Porto by coach for an insanely cheap price of 11 Euros each. The journey was comfy enough and took in some lovely scenery along the route, although the large, loud woman in front was taking constant calls on speaker phone and the girl across the aisle was jabbing her mobile for the entire four-hour ride, save for preparing a rolly at the one ‘comfort’ stop we took. I felt like snatching her phone off her and chucking it out of the window. Kids, eh?

    Upon arrival in Porto, we decided to Uber straight to the AirBnB, rather than fart about negotiating the public transport only to end up miles away again, which could be my speciality subject on Mastermind. Again, we found our digs to be a good distance (seven miles) out of the main town in the Matosinhos district. The tram route was, once more, right outside our accommodation. Thankfully, due to the thickness of the stone walls and the depth of the building, this time the trams rolled by unheard from our room.

    View on AirbnbHome in Matosinhos · ★4.86 · 1 bedroom · 1 bed · 1 private bathroom

    Here’s the map I’d prepared for our Porto trip:

    We dropped the bags and had a quick freshen up, and then it was off to explore. After half-sussing the tram tickets (the system must have been devised by a committee of mathematicians or sadists, or maybe a select combo of each), we boarded the tram… and a half-hour later got off at completely the wrong stop! A short exploratory wander around some dodgy-looking side streets told us we were in the wrong district and as it was getting dark we decided to eat. We found a local restaurant that looked popular with the locals and ordered some tapas, which included my first taste of chicken gizzards, and jolly nice they were too. I had a glass of the ubiquitous Super Bock which tasted like your Nana’s wee-wee, but it’s all they had. A google search revealed we weren’t too far from the Brewpub Fabrica Nortada R. de Sá da Bandeira 210, 4000-427 Porto.

    Tank beer at Fabrica Nortada.

    Immediately upon entering, it was obvious that the place was busy with diners, rather than beer drinkers, and the unimaginative beer menu reflected that. After some deliberation on whether to walk out or not, I opted for an India Pale Ale 6.0%, which was a wishy-washy excuse of the style. I struggled to finish it and we were about to leave, when the chap sat behind us struck up a conversation so, to be polite I stayed for another. This time a 5.3% Weisse Beer, not one of my favourite styles and obviously not of the brewer’s either. The chap turned out to be a Brazilian-American from New York who had sold his hostel business in the States and emigrated to Portugal to attempt to start up a similar business in Porto. I managed to finish the beer and wished him well for his new venture. Time for bed said Zebedee.

    Saturday’s route.

    SUNDAY 26/6/22

    After consulting the signage at the tram stops, ticket office, tourist information, Lonely Planet guide and google reviews, I finally worked out how the tram tickets worked – only I didn’t, ‘cos I paid too much for the zones we were travelling to/through/in – and we were off for the first day in Porto proper. This time we alighted the tram at a more suitable stop and walked through the main town on our way to the picture-card pretty and touristy Av. Gustavo Eiffel, the main walk along the Douro Riverside which is lined with eateries and trinket stalls, whilst hoards of tourists browse and stand watching the various buskers and street entertainers. It was a lovely atmosphere and actually not too busy.

    Wanting to get away from the main tourist hotspots for something to eat, we wandered to the far end of the Avenue we encountered a paved ramp. The Calçada das Carquejeiras takes you to the upper level of the town via a 28% incline. For some inexplicable reason, we decided to make the climb. Halfway up, gasping for breath, we encountered a lady, accompanied by an Al Capone lookalike on her arm, making the descent in killer five-inch heels. I felt like a right amateur. I bet I was a far better beer drinker than her, though.

    Pollo with the locals.

    At the top, we found a large, make-shift tented eating place, obviously hugely popular with locals and exuding a marvellous meld of garlic and barbeque smells. After regaining composure and breath, we decided to stop for something to eat, so we joined the queue to get in and after a short wait we were shown to a table. There was no written menu and the waiter had no English, but after some translation help from the chap on the table beside us we ordered (we thought) pork for me and grilled fish for Mrs Belvoir.

    Ten minutes later we had a colossal plate of barbequed chicken and enough chips to keep the average MacDonalds open for a week. Great food and astounding value for money – always look where the locals eat, rather than use the tourist areas. The place afforded great views over the Douro River Valley and it was a magnificent accidental find. We enjoyed the food (and another glass of Nana’s wee-wee), taking in the sights and atmosphere. The place didn’t have a google or Facebook entry (I suppose because it was only temporary/seasonal) so I can’t give you an actual address, other than ‘at the top of the ramp’.

    Full to bursting, we exercised it off by walking through town, back towards the Ponte Luiz I, the iconic bridge that spans the Douro River. To the left on the approach to the bridge was our first beer stop. CAL Craft Beers Av. Vimara Peres 56, 4000-544 Porto. A strange little place inside, that didn’t seem to know whether it wanted to be a restaurant or a bar. They had, if I remember correctly, four taps behind the small bar, all serving ‘CAL‘-branded beers. I managed to coax out of the miserable bloke behind the counter (who seemed to be pre-occupied with keeping people out of the toilet) that these were all brewed by Post Scriptum brewery, although due to the small size of the place, I really couldn’t imagine these beers being exclusive to CAL. I suspect they were just rebadges.

    Hipster beer outside the CAL.

    I had a rummage in the fridge and selected another Post Sriptum beer: Cryo Hoperation 2nd Edition, a 7.2% NEIPA which was totally hip (thanks Gazza) and fab. We sat outside on the busy pedestrianised walkway people-watching for a couple of hours, during which I had another can from the fridge, this time a Dois Corvos X Brewfist (Italy) collab – Scigoli Lingua Double NEIPA at 8.0%. Stupendous! We tried to revisit this place several times over the next few days, but despite its superb location and hundreds of people passing by constantly, we never found it open again. Along with the fact they don’t seem to have a web presence or Facebook page makes me doubtful it will be around for long. I hope I’m wrong.

    Next on the list was Armazém da Cerveja R. Formosa 130, 4000-254 Porto. Another specialist bar with a very ordinary shop-looking frontage, but once in you immediately realise that this place knows what it’s good at! As well as the 12 beers on tap, there was a shed-load of cans and bottles in the cold room behind the bar, visible through a window. From the taps, I chose a Fuerst Wiacek (Germany) – Jejune, a luscious 6.8% American IPA. We sat at one of the tall tables next to another couple, who immediately commented on my Yards Brewing (Philadelphia) T-shirt, asking me if I’d actually been there. When I confirmed that I had, we struck up a conversation. It turned out that Adam and his lovely lady (I’m embarrassed to say I’ve forgotten her name) were from Pennsylvania and knew the brewery well. Small world.

    New friends at the Armazém.

    Adam and I decided to do a can share and selected one each from the back room. I chose a Sibeeria (Czech Republic) – Yummy/Gelato Strawberry & Rhubarb 5.4% pastry sour, which was frickkin’ awesome and he went for a Nepomucen (Poland) – Maria, a 5.4%, fruited Berliner Weisse, also mighty tasty. Adam told us he worked for some kind of tech company and had recently, along with his co-workers, had his name etched into a plaque attached to a probe (oo-er, missus) destined for the moon (or Mars, I can’t remember), which I thought was pretty damn cool! We enjoyed their company for an hour or so, then it was time for the next and last beer stop of the day.

    Letraria Porto Rua da Alegria 101, 4000-042 Porto, advertises itself as ‘Porto’s Beer Garden‘, but we elected to sit inside as the early evening had sprung a chilly breeze, despite the pleasant sunshine.

    Great selection at Letraria Porto.

    An impressive 24 taps here, but just two sampled: Moersleutel (Netherlands) – Fruit Bomb Batch #1 8.0% which was fantastic, and one of their own beers, Letra – Mango Berliner Weisse BA 5.5% which was also very tasty. The evening was drawing on now and we had to find the station for the 50-odd minute tram ride back, so we decided to call it a day in order to be back at the flat before we turned into pumpkins.

    Sunday’s route.

    MONDAY 27/6/22

    Today, we decided to cross the Ponte Luizi I and explore the other side of the river, along the Av. de Diogo Leite. This side of the river is, as you would expect, somewhat quieter. It’s a little less characterful too, but still has many bars and eateries along the front, along with another rather large food hall, whose name escapes me. We ambled along the riverfront, browsing the gift stalls until we reached the terminal for the Teleférico de Gaia Cablecar. The cable car runs along the length of Av. de Diogo Leite, back to the Ponte Liuz I and serves no other purpose than to be for tourists, as far as I could fathom. Anyway, we took the bait and paid €6 each to make the 600 metre, five-minute ride back to the bridge. It wasn’t particularly good value for money, but at least I can now say ‘done that’ and it did actually afford fantastic views of Old Porto.

    By 3 o’clock it was time for a beer and today’s first visit was to the newest addition to Porto’s craft beer scene, Baobab Rua do Almada 377, 4000-303 Porto, which had only opened eight weeks previously. And you could tell! The place was immaculately clean, the paintwork blindingly white with large expanses of unadorned wall. It all felt a little too clinical. I really hope it develops some character. The place was a single room, with a WC off to one side. No cellar room, no storage area, no office. Nowt! It just shows how simple it is to set up a craft bar nowadays, but I can’t help thinking that the owner would struggle once the business takes off. The beer selection, although small, was pretty decent.

    Beans at the Baobab.

    I chose two beers: Dois Corvos – Benta APA 5.4% and a Maltgarden (Poland) – Trunk Full of Fruits, a 3.5% fruited Berliner Weisse, both of which were fine. The beers came with a complimentary bowl of beans. I thought they were a bit leathery, but ate them anyway. Apparently you’re supposed to bite and split the outer shell to squeeze out the contents and then discard the skin (thanks Gazza!). A bit late now, but at least you’ll know how to eat them. I bet the bar lady thought I was a right doilum! Before we left, the owner told us of another recent start-up, so we decided to make that the next port of call.

    An hour’s walk and a mile or so later, we arrived at Cask Beer R. da Arménia 54, 4050-066 Porto, tucked away in a cobbled street, adjacent to the main riverside road. Upon entering, it was immediately apparent that these guys knew what they were doing! Despite the bar’s name, they didn’t serve any cask beer, but did have thirteen on tap plus shed loads of bottled and canned choices. I must say the cans seemed a bit on the expensive side, for example, a can of Ārpus beer would set you back around between 11-13 Euros, something you could get for maybe seven or eight quid in the UK. No matter, there was a great selection on draft to go at!

    No cask at Cask Beer!

    I ordered four: Piggy (France) – All in 2022 Edition 8.0% DIPA, Burguesa (Portugal)- NEIPA HBC472 at 6.0%, Fuerst Wiacek (Germany) – Logic Maze, a 6.8% NEIPA and a Lupum (Portugal) – Triple IPA Citra a whopping 9.6% DNEIPA. All massive, massive beers. Not content with those, I also dipped into the fridge and bought a can from another German brewery, BrewHeart – Tour de France at 8.0%. Again, a cracking DNEIPA. All the beers I had here were superb.

    Cask Beer had been open for three months. Their location, I felt, was a bit off-track and I’m not sure what the skull logo had to do with cask beer, but everything else they were doing right, and I’m sure these guys will make a massive impression on the Porto craft beer scene. Totally recommended!

    Our last call for the day was Catraio R. de Cedofeita 256, 4050-174 Porto. Catraio ‘Craft Beer shop & Bar’ was a pub on three levels, with a winding staircase from the street level taking you to a covered second bar, which lead to a raised outdoor terrace. The ‘kitchen’ was a hipster with a home-barbeque precariously perched on the stairs outside. Very H&S, and I’m sure he would’ve been pulled up by the authorities in the UK! Anyway, he was doing a roaring trade. It felt all very ramshackle-make-do, but it all seemed to work.

    It’s hard to say how many beers were available as the taps were spread over two bars, but the overall offering seemed good. We located a table in the second bar area. Only 10 taps here! Mrs Belvoir ordered some food from Chef Makeshift whilst I fetched beer. Two sampled here: Piratas – Sailing the Milky Way 22:02, a 4.5% fruited Gose and a Maltgarden – Red Carpet Stars, a banger 8.2% DIPA.

    The food was basic but tasty and good value. Both beers were delicious and a great end to another very tiring day. More adventures tomorrow.

    Monday’s route.

    TUESDAY 28/6/22

    A full day’s walking around today, general sight-seeing, including the magnificently decorated São Bento Station (the Portuguese sure do like their tiles) plus the Museo do Vitral and after about eight miles, we thought we’d earned a beer or two. First stop was Cervejaria do Carmo (Goulden Draak) Praça de Carlos Alberto 124, 4050-526 Porto. As the name might suggest, they majored on Belgian-style beers. I chose one from the tap: Madam Lindinha Lucas – The Margarita Gose Solo 5.0% followed by a bottle of 6% APA from Athor (Argentina). I couldn’t work out the provenance of the former, despite asking the lady behind the bar for some gen. I got the impression that they like to say they brew their own, but suspect it’s all contracted. Whatever, both beers were very average, and summed the whole place up for me really.

    Average beer at do Carmo.

    We sat outside in the sun but the constant screeching of the ‘walk now’ alarm of the nearby pedestrian crossing was starting to grate on our nerves and we quickly drank up and left.

    Time had taken us by surprise today, so we decided to find some food before walking back to the tram. I had spotted a tucked-away spit-n-sawdust Asian restaurant on our first day in Porto, so we decide to eat there before making a second visit to the superb Armazém as it was on our way back to the station. The Royal Nobab Grill & Halal Restaurant was obviously catering for the local Asian population as many popped in and out during our short stay for the food. The menu was simple and basic but delicious and marvellous value for money. As I said before – always eat with the locals!

    Great VFM at the Nobab.

    On to the Armazém now, but unfortunately only time for two. I had one on draft; Attik (Spain) – Bushido, a superb 6.5% DDH IPA, and a can (that I had spotted on our last visit) selected from the cold room – Three Little Birds, a stunning 8% Double NEIPA from Dutch hop masters Floem. Time to head towards the tram.

    Superb Double NEIPA at Armazém.

    We had visited a bar near our digs in the Matosinhos district the previous evening only to find it was closed on Mondays, so rather than call it a night we made the short walk from our home tram stop to HopTrip R. Heróis de França 617, 4450-159 Matosinhos, our last call of the night and boy, was it a winner! Despite a superb selection of 15 on tap and dozens more in cans, I was limited to two, as their card machine was kaput and I only had a few Euros on me. No matter, I would make a return visit tomorrow with plenty of dosh! I chose two from the wall: Fuerst Wiacek – Nodding Dog 6.8% NEIPA and a Maltgarden – Most Beautiful Places 8.2% Imperial IPA.

    Great selection at HopTrip.

    A perfect finish to the evening and, to be honest, I was ready for my pit! Tomorrow was our last full day and we were going to make the most of it.

    Tuesday’s route.

    WEDNESDAY 29/6/22

    By now, we’d seen most of what we wanted, so our last day was spent just browsing around the shops and sitting around the various squares enjoying the street entertainers and general people-watching.

    By mid-afternoon, it was food time and I decided that before I went home, I had to try the traditional Portuguese dish of Francesinha. This is a heart attack on a plate, a sandwich of sausage, ham and steak with fried egg top and bottom, smothered in melted cheese and coated in a spicy sauce. It was a Herculean effort for me to actually finish it and the lady that took our order had asked me if I wanted fries with it! Luckily, I had declined.

    Totally pigged-out, it was a good job we had chance to burn calories during the fair walk to the first bar, Musa das Virtudes Passeio das Virtudes 28, 4050-629 Porto. A small entrance off the street led to a long, narrow bar running back from the frontage. The plain stainless steel-topped bar had 15 taps behind it. Truth be told, the beer choice here was pretty lacklustre. I chose two, both from Post Scriptum, Calapa, a 4% APA and Catarônica, a 7% sour. Both were below average, which was strange as I’d had a superb Post Scriptum at the CAL bar a couple of days before. The overall atmosphere was lacking here, but I couldn’t really put my finger on what it was. Hey-ho, time to move on.

    Lacklustre beer at Musa.

    Next on the list (and our last bar visit in the city) was a tiny brewpub, A Fábrica da Picaria
    Rua da Picaria 72, 4050-477 Porto. This bar had a tiny space at the front which, by any definition of the term, was a micropub. I selected two from the nine taps on the bar: A Fábrica American Pale Ale 5.0% and a Milkshake IPA at 6.2%. Sadly again they were both below par and we decided to cut our losses and make our way back to the HopTrip at Matosinhos for the last drinkies of the holiday.

    All their own at A Fábrica.

    In the event, Mrs Belvoir decided to call it a night and go back to the AirBnB early to pack our bags and do wifey stuff (is that PC? – I never know nowadays). I reached HopTrip to find it bustling both inside and out. The beer menu had changed slightly since last night’s visit and I chose one on tap from local boys Dois Corvos – POGO 8.5%, an OK Milkshake IPA, but this was blown out of the water by my last selection, a can of Prizm (France) – On Phone Lines & Letterheads – a monster, monster 10% Triple NEIPA. A superb beer to finish the holiday on and I couldn’t have chosen better.

    Final winner at HopTrip.

    And that was it. Time to take the short walk back to the digs and prepare for the flight home tomorrow.

    Wednesday’s route.

    Overall, I enjoyed Portugal. Porto (IMO) was better than Lisbon in every way (but of course, much more touristy). Both cities were easily walkable (I estimate we covered around 80 miles on foot over the whole nine days) although public transport was cheap if that was your option. Ubers are another really cheap alternative, especially if there are two or more sharing.

    Highlights for me (beer-wise) were the Quimera and Outro Lado in Lisbon, and Cask Beer, Armazém and especially HopTrip in Porto (although the latter is a fair way out of the main city). The craft beer scene seems to be burgeoning in both cities, but more so in Porto. It was a little frustrating that many of the craft establishments didn’t open until around 4pm, but I guess that’s the norm in many European countries where socialising doesn’t really get going until early evening at least.

    I hope my brief reports give you some insights into the beer scene in Portugal. Many thanks to both Gazza Prescott and Owen Ogletree for their recommendations whilst planning this trip. Go check their web sites.

    See the first leg of our Portuguese trip: Pt.1 – Lisbon

    Find me on Untappd
    Some tinnies wot I have necked.
    And some more pics from Porto below.

  • Peeving in Portugal: Pt.1 – Lisbon.

    Peeving in Portugal: Pt.1 – Lisbon.

    This visit was actually a rearranged trip, the original having been cancelled two years previously because of the Covid-19 malarky. Then, the plan was to fly into Porto, then bus to Lisbon and fly home from there.

    As it happens, because flight routes have changed since lockdown, we were doing it the opposite way and on June 21st 2022 we flew out to Lisbon on the first leg of our Portuguese break.

    Because this trip was primarily about the beer (don’t tell Mrs Belvoir), I’d already researched the beer scene and come up with a lot of recommendations. Here’s my Google map for Lisbon:

    Arriving at Lisbon airport, we promptly found the ‘AeroBus‘ stop outside the terminal and awaited the cheap shuttle bus to take us into the city. Despite a sign saying that the shuttle ran every ten minutes, after a wait of about thirty minutes with no sign of a bus, we were approached by a taxi driver who informed us that the service had been suspended until further notice. He pointed to a sign on the bus shelter which said so. Unfortunately, neither Mrs Belvoir nor I can read Portuguese.

    After offering his (rather expensive) taxi service to us (we politely declined as he was cash-only and we didn’t have any), we entered the adjacent metro station and tried to figure out a) how to purchase a ticket and b) which station to get off at. We sussed out a) quite quickly, with the help of a friendly local. Point b) was a bit trickier, and of course, we ended up on completely the wrong side of town. We finished up getting an Uber. At least they didn’t want cash.

    Our AirBnB was duly located in the Belém district, and by early evening we were installed in our new temporary home. It was a lovely apartment, but we were soon to find out why it was so cheap. It had been a long day and there was really no time to go beer hunting, so we just had a meal in a nearby eatery and went back to have an early kip so that we were refreshed for our first day’s exploring tomorrow. Or so we thought.

    View on AirbnbRental unit in Lisboa · ★4.87 · Studio · 1 bed · 1 bathroom

    AirBnB advertised this place as being handy for the tram into town. And it was. The tramline was literally right outside our window, and they rumbled by with monotonous regularity every 10 minutes or so. Until 2 am. And started again at about 5.30 am. We were also directly underneath the flight path of planes taking off from Lisbon airport. And the icing on the cake (literally) was that the ovens for the bakery, situated immediately beneath our flat, roared into life at 7 am on the dot. We certainly weren’t going to get any meaningful sleep here, that was for sure.

    WEDNESDAY 22/6/22

    On the first day of our holiday proper, rather than take the tram into town, we decided to walk and get a feel for the place. When we booked the flat, we didn’t realise how far out of town the Belém district is from the main city. It was a good five miles or so into the main areas, but we had no schedule so it didn’t matter. Despite being very overcast and drizzling with rain, we walked along the ex-industrial seafront. // Big warning here! Most of the walkways are stoned with a patchwork of very shiny ceramic-looking tiles. They are very slippery in the dry and lethal in the wet, especially when some of the pavements are very narrow and the traffic and trams pass by with seemingly little regard for pedestrians. Please be careful! \\ Eventually reaching the more ‘picture book’ areas of the town about an hour and a half later, we had a few hours of just general nosing around and getting used to the layout of the place, and by about 2 o’clock, it was beer time. Yaaay!

    The first establishment on the list was Crafty Corner R. de São João da Praça 95, 1100-519 Lisboa, a one-roomed bar with an open frontage onto a cobbled alley, offering 12 beers on tap. I had a flight of five, consisting of: Praxis – IPA 6.4%, HopSin – American IPA 6.5%, Lince – Ariana 6.0%, Aldeana – Pale Ale 6.7% and Oitava Colina – Joe APA 5.5%. They were all pretty average, to be honest, the Aldeana being best of the bunch, but I enjoyed them all.

    Crafty Corner, Lisbon
    Beer flight at the Crafty Corner.

    Onwards, and a leisurely 40-minute stroll away took us to the Duque Brewpub Calçada do Duque 51, 1200-156 Lisboa, another one-roomed establishment, with a couple of tables outside on the steep killer-tiled terrace. I tried just the one here, Duque – SOURreal 5.0%, which was only slightly tart but very refreshing in the building heat of the day.

    Duque SOUReal
    Duque SOUReal on the terrace, complete with lethal tiling!

    After another hour of meandering around the tiled streets (it was dry by this time but we still had to mind our footing), we arrived at 8a Graça (Oitava Graça) R. Damasceno Monteiro 8A, 1170-112 Lisboa, where I sampled two of their own creations: Devil’s DIPA at 8.0% and Sour Imperial Gose at 7.3%, both very tasty. Another tiny bar, this time with an industrial feel, and additional seating out on the street, overlooking Lisbon and out to the sea. Very relaxing, (albeit windy) and it was worth the hike up the hill for both the views and the beer.

    8a Graça (Oitava Colina)
    8a Graça – Worth the hike.

    It was approaching evening now, so it was decided that the next stop would be the last, and in another half an hour or so, we were at 21 Gallas Brewpub R. Angelina Vidal 53A, 1170-122 Lisboa. Again, I tried just two of their own beers, Simcoe IPA 6.0% and Dona Filipa 9.0%, a Double NEIPA, the latter of which turned out to be the best beer of the day and a nice way to round off the evening. Home now for some kip – or not!

    Wednesday’s route.

    THURSDAY 23/6/22

    A five-minute stroll from our front door was the World-famous Pastéis de Belém, bakers of (amongst other things) the traditional Portuguese custard tarts, or Pastéis de Nata. The shop was more full of masked Oriental tourists taking photographs than paying customers, but I waited my turn and bought two very reasonably priced and delicious custard tarts for breakfast. Well worth the wait.

    There was more touristy stuff to be done before starting on the peeve, and today we decided to do the famous Tram 28, which starts (or finishes, depending on which way you travel) at Martim Monez and finishes (ditto, vice-versa) at Campo de Ourique. We walked through some pretty dodgy-looking areas to get to the stop at Martim Monez, but (obviously) still here to tell the tale! The tram’s route meanders around the twisty (and sometimes insanely steep) streets of the old city, some of them being so narrow you feel you could almost stretch out and touch both sides! The trip lasts about 40 minutes and cost (I think) less than 4 Euros. If you’re going to do Tram 28, be sure to get a window seat. If the window seats are all taken, it’s worth hanging back for another 10 minutes or so to catch the next one. We did, and it was totally worth the short wait.

    By about 2 o’clock, we (well, only me actually) began to think about beer and first on today’s list was The Beer Station Largo duque de Cadaval 17 Quiosque D, 1200-160 Lisboa. After doubling back several times, we eventually located the place underneath the terrace we were standing on and duly made our way down the steps toward its door, which was open. Alas, the pub itself wasn’t (until 4 pm), so the owner directed us to the establishment next door and told us to ask for ‘an IPA’.

    Self service at the Pisco Bar.

    The Pisco Peruvian Bar Largo Duque Cadaval, 1200-090 Lisboa, was basically a serving hatch in the side of the building, with a ‘SELF SERVICE‘ sign hanging above it. What they actually meant was no table service, which I didn’t actually twig onto until after about 10 minutes of sitting at the table, waiting for someone to take the order. I went to the bar and asked for an IPA, as instructed. The beer served was a 5.9% Dois Corvos 1 of 6 Cold IPA. Disappointingly average, but it would suffice whilst waiting for next door to open. At the stroke of 4 o’clock, we moved a couple of yards across the, er, yard, to sit outside the aforementioned Beer Station. The four-tap selection here wasn’t inspiring, so I delved into the well-stocked can fridge and found a Dois Corvos X Basqueland (Spain) collaboration brew, TOPA! an 8.0% Double NEPA. I love Basqueland beers, and this was a stunner!

    Whilst searching for this place a little earlier, we had noticed signs in various windows such as ‘NOT A STATION‘ and ‘NO TRAINS‘. I asked the owner of the Beer Station (now there’s a clue) what the significance of that was, and he told us that the buildings were originally on the periphery of the courtyard leading to an underground railway station that was decommissioned many decades ago. Every day’s a learning day.

    TOPA!

    The next stop was only a fifteen-minute walk away, and by about 5.30 we had reached the Sacarrabos Beer Co. R. Moeda 12, 1200-275 Lisboa. Another brewpub, this one had around 15 taps, of which I sampled two: Sovina 500 Double IPA 7.3% and one of their own brews: Crocodilo APA at 6.0%. The former was the better of the two, by some margin. Sacarrabos was OK, but I didn’t feel like there was anything there to attract me back again. We decided to take the long trudge back by Shanks’s Pony and call in one further place en route to our AirBnB.

    All quiet at Sacarrabos Beer Co.

    Just before 8 o’clock, we arrived at our last call of the day, the excellent Quimera Brew Pub
    R. Moeda 12, 1200-275 Lisboa. Situated just off the main street, it is easy to miss. But once found, everything about it is charming. Entering through a shaded courtyard, you enter a stone-walled vault which to me – and to anyone of a certain age and location to remember – was reminiscent of the old (now closed) Cornhill Vaults in Lincoln. The place had real character, as did the owner, who came over to explain the beer menu at our table. The pub has 12 taps, all offering Quimera beers. I chose a flight of four which were promptly delivered and described once more. Excellent service. I chose a Bloody Mary Sour 4.3% DIPA at 7.0%, NEIPA at 5.3% and finally a Raspberry Sour at 4.7%. They were all good, the sours being better than the IPAs. They weren’t face-puckeringly sour like some of your favourite Belgian Lambics, but very acceptable nonetheless. If you visit but one pub whilst in Lisbon, make it the Quimera!

    Plenty of character at the Quimera.

    Embarrassingly, we walked out of Quimera without paying and the poor barman had to run about five minutes down the road to catch us. We backtracked to pay our dues, of course… and that was the end of our second full day. A short hike back to the digs to try and get some shut-eye between trams. All to do again tomorrow.

    Thursday’s route.

    FRIDAY 24/6/22

    Another morning and early afternoon was spent just wandering and taking in the sights, including the massive Time Out Food Hall, so busy we couldn’t find a seat, despite its size. After a strenuous uphill trek to see the Castelo de São Jorge and have a well-earned ice cream, we settled on a more modest family-run establishment amid the maze of tiered streets of the Alfama district. Incredulously, some motor vehicles still drive through these streets, when it was obvious that even a donkey would’ve struggled to get through.

    Thoroughly knackered, but now well fed, it was time to get watered (read: ‘beered’). First on today’s list (and fortuitously nearest to our current location) was Outro Lado Beco do Arco Escuro 1, 1100-585 Lisboa. In another blink-and-you-miss-it location, it is situated up a cobbled side alley, but once in you are rewarded with a magnificent array of 15 taps from some fantastic craft breweries. This was by far the best selection (IMO) I’d seen so far in Lisbon.

    A superb selection at Outro Lado.

    The place itself was a little dingy, due to there not being any window light, but the beer selection and the pleasant bar lady more than made up for the lack of sunlight! I opted for a flight of four beers: Nepomucen (Poland) – Time for Tropics a pastry sour at 7.5%, Sibeeria (Czech Republic) – Blackcurrant Sorbet, a 4.4% Berliner Weisse, Aguarela (Portugal) – Impressing an 8.0% DIPA and another one from Sibeeria – Star Factory 6.5% IPA. They were all mightily tasty and impressive – and a great start to the evening. Well recommended.

    Another 30-minute’s walk and another mile away, we arrived at Sputnik Craft Beer R. Andrade 41A, 1170-014 Lisboa. This bar was a bit trendier, with large plate glass windows to the frontage and a light, airy, modern feel to the inside. This was possibly the busiest bar we’d seen so far. The modest 10 taps offered up mainly local breweries. I sampled three tasters: a Dois Corvos – Creature 6.3% and two from Letra – Plata, a Fruited Berliner Weisse at 5.0% and Rebendita, a 6.0% Milkshake IPA, which was absolutely lush.

    Busy at the Sputnik.

    Our last port-of-call was supposed to be Livraria Ler devagar R. Rodrigues de Faria 103 – G 0.3, 1300-501 Lisboa. It is a bizarre industrial unit/library/art centre/bar hybrid, and part of the LX Factory. Alas, tonight there was no beer (except some dusty and presumably warm) bottles on the back shelf and the bar appeared permanently closed. The LX Factory itself, situated underneath the supporting columns of Ponte 25 de Abril – Lisbon’s own Golden Gatesque bridge (designed by the same geezer) – is now a bustling avenue of various bars and eateries and it seemed very popular with the trendies. Not for these old duffers though, and we decided to call it a night. Tomorrow we were starting our second leg of the holiday and travelling to Porto.

    Friday’s route.

    Lisbon is a big city, lovely in parts and underwhelming in others. Once you’re in the centre it’s very walkable (though I estimate we walked about 40 miles over the three days), despite the steep hills and the killer paving tiles. I wouldn’t go out of my way to return any time soon but would not put anybody off visiting. I’m glad we’ve been and hope the above report gives any potential beery tourists at least some pointers.

    Thanks to Gazza Prescott and Owen Ogletree for their recommendations whilst researching this trip.

    See the second leg of our Portuguese trip: Pt.2 – Porto

    Find me on Untappd
    Some tinnies wot I have necked.
    And some more pics from Lisbon below.

  • American Adventure Pt.7: Hamilton & Toronto

    American Adventure Pt.7: Hamilton & Toronto

    WEDNESDAY 5/9/18

    The day started with us making the journey from Buffalo back to Niagara Falls to drop off the hire car, before making the crossing over Rainbow Bridge into Canada by foot. The difference between the US and Canadian sides of the Falls on each immediate side of the bridge is quite different, and if you ever visit, you really should see them from both sides.

    The US side is quite tasteful, with lots of green space and treed terraces from which to observe the Falls. The Canadian side, however, is somewhat tacky, resembling something like Blackpool, with amusement arcades, casinos and cheap cafes, which is a shame as the views afforded are far better than the American side. After having a quick scout around (we would be back for a proper look) and picking up another hire car, we made the two-hour drive to our hotel in Hamilton.

    If we thought the last couple of hotels were posh, this one was a level above and, to be honest, I felt a bit out of place here! We dropped off our stuff and got a cab back into town for something to eat and quick nosey around before making a pre-arranged meet with an old pal later that evening. After stuffing our faces on some Portuguese nosh, we walked done the street and found the Merit Brewing Company – 107 James St N, Hamilton, ON L8R 2K6. A modern building, purpose-built I suspect, with a spartan industrial vibe, but more importantly, 14 taps on the back wall.

    Early doors at Merit.

    Just the one here, seeing as it was still early doors and we (hopefully) had a good session ahead of us. I sampled their 6.3% Cali Creamsicle Milkshake IPA, which was superb. Just half an hour in here, before having a scout around the town for a couple of hours, then diving into Augusta’s Winking Judge – 25 Augusta St, Hamilton, ON L8N 1P6. This was a truly wonderful pub, and I would say the nearest we found to a traditional British pub we found on the whole holiday (see the photo’s on their web gallery). Sadly, this is another pub that has closed permanently since our visit. The place was very busy when we called in, despite being 4 pm on a Wednesday afternoon and we struggled to get a seat. It’s a real shame that nobody has stepped in to take this place over.

    Augusta’s Winking Judge.

    Happily, we were able to spend an hour or so in here, during which time I savoured a pint of 4.5% Fox Hunter Sour w/Mango from the Muddy York Brewing Co which was fab. It was over too soon and we planned to revisit later with our friends to sample some of the food, which looked very good. A quick ride back to base for a freshen up and then out again, this time to Collective Arts, where we were going to meet my old mate, Jonno.

    Ian Johnson and I used to play in 80’s metal band Paralex. He later moved to Canada, where he has been ever since. We collaborated again, over thirty years later, on our 2016 album Key to a Thousand Doors. I had seen him briefly back home in 2016, but as he only lived a couple of hours away from here in Union, we planned to meet up again over a beer. We arrived at Collective Arts Brewing – 207 Burlington St E, Hamilton, ON L8L 4H2, at around 7 o’clock, with Johnno and his wife arriving a few minutes later. We spent a lovely couple of hours here catching up and talking shit in general, during which time I had three of their excellent brews: 5.2% Jam Up the Mash sour, 4.5% Prophets and Nomads gose and 6.1% Life in the Clouds NEIPA.

    Great friends, great beer.

    Time was marching on and as Jonno had over a two-hour drive back, we decided to return to the Winking Judge to get some nosebag. Unfortunately, when we got there it was full to capacity and we couldn’t even get in. We had noticed another pub at the other end of the street so we decided to call in there. The Ship – 23 Augusta St, Hamilton, ON L8N 1P, was another traditional style boozer, a bit more spit ‘n’ sawdust than the Judge, but welcoming nonetheless. A half-decent beer selection on the menu here, from which I tried a pint of 5.6% Jelly King sour from Bellwoods, which was excellent and a 4.1% Strawberry Kettle Sour w/Lactose from Anderson Craft Ales which was pants but did a decent job of washing down my pie and mash anyway.

    All too soon the evening was over and we had to say cheers to our friends then it was back to the hotel for some shut-eye. Hopefully, I’ll meet up with Johnno again before long.

    Wednesday’s route.

    THURSDAY 6/9/18

    Today we were exploring the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. We parked our hire car up and took a walk along the Niagara Parkway, which runs adjacent to the river and affords great views of the Falls. We also went up the Skylon Tower and booked tickets for later that evening so we could get a night view. A five-minute car ride took us the four miles or so north to the Whirlpool State Park, where we took a ride on the Whirlpool Aero Car. This antique cable car, in service since 1916, carries passengers over 200ft above the water and interestingly, although it travels between two points on the Canadian shore, it actually crosses the international borderline between Canada and the US a total of four times each trip due to the meander in the river below.

    But enough of the touristy stuff! Before we left the UK, a friend recommended that we visited Niagara-on-the-Lake, so that’s where we headed for next, just another 10 miles or so away. A quick reference to Google told us that a brewery was nearby, so that’s where we headed!

    Beer for the boys at the Oast House.

    Niagara Oast House Brewers – 2017 Niagara Stone Rd, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S 1J0, was situated on a country lane on the way out of the town in a ranch-style building. We found a bench on the balcony at the rear of the building the looking out onto the hop fields below. To accompany my excellent BBQ pork, I tried a pint of 6% Farmer’s Tan Summer IPA which, although not brilliant, still went down well.

    After getting fed and beered, we headed back into the main Historic Old Town, where we parked up. This was basically a long main street with lots of quaint shops and artisan businesses… including a brewery. The girls wanted to go shopping so Scary and I headed for more beer. The Exchange Brewery – 7 Queen St, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S 1J0, situated in the building of Niagara’s first telephone exchange (hence its name), is a tiny microbrewery on the high street and has the brew kit visible at the back behind a glass wall and a small bar as the shop-front.

    Excellent beer at the Exchange.

    We spent a pleasant couple of hours in here, during which time I sampled three, all very enjoyable: A 5.8% #61 Grapefruit Pale Ale, the 7.6% +Golden Ale (a Belgian Blonde), and the 4.6% #5 Session IPA. The girls caught up with us again and it was time for the short ride back to the Skylon Tower, from which we saw the Falls illuminated at night. Overall, a lovely relaxing day of sightseeing and beer. Tomorrow we were going to visit Toronto.

    Thursday’s route.

    FRIDAY 7/9/18

    We set off on the 45-minute drive to Toronto on the long, straight highway and the appearance of this enormous city steadily growing in size on the horizon as we approached was an amazing sight.

    After eventually finding parking space in a multi-storey, we got a fantastic al-fresco breakfast at Fran’s Restaurant, followed by some general walking around and sightseeing for a couple of hours before stumbling upon the brilliantly-named Thirsty & Miserable – 197 Baldwin St, Toronto, ON M5T 1L8, and with a fantastic name like that, we just had to pop in for a bevvy. Really rough-and-ready in here with rickety, chipped Formica tables and graffiti on the walls and doors, and the barmaid played the role too and really made you NOT feel at home. But it had a really good beer list. Mine was a superb pint of 6.4% Meanwhile… Down in Moxee IPA from Great Lakes which was very enjoyable and worth the misery.

    Only in it for the beer! – Thirsty & Miserable.

    Our next stop was a nine-minute walk away: The Kensington Brewing Company – 299 Augusta Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 2M2. This was another long deep bar with a small frontage to the street and brewing plant situated at the back. I tried four in here. All were good, but the sours were particularly noteworthy. 6.5% FishEye IPA, 8.5% Breaking Point NEIPA, 4.5% Convergence w/ Guava & Passionfruit sour and the excellent 5% Qullqa fruited gose.

    I felt quite at home in the Kensington, as my shirt was almost a perfect match for the wallpaper. However, we’d spotted another bar only a couple of doors away, and it was time to move on.

    Spot the Belvoir.

    Trinity Common – 303 Augusta Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 2M2, was a bar and grill with plenty of street seating out front. The food menu was excellent and there was a row of 18 taps behind the bar, from which I chose just the two: 4.5% Delta Mango fruited sour by Forked River and a 6% Ale of Two Cities (2018) sour IPA from Stone City, which was absolutely stunning and quite possibly the best sour of the trip. Time was getting on and Tracey had a fair drive back to the hotel and we had one more stop on our list.

    A 45-minute walk away, the CRAFT Beer Market – 1 Adelaide St E, Toronto, ON M5C 2V9, was a recommendation from a friend, and wow! Was he right! This place was cavernous, with a central bar sporting an unbroken row of 200 taps around its entire length. Beer is transported from the vast array of kegs behind glass wall panels, over the heads of the drinkers through suspended stainless steel ducts and down to the bar. Very impressive. If you like that sort of thing.

    Despite its bewildering range, I thought the actual choice was somewhat disappointing, focusing on mainstream and commercial breweries (maybe we visited on a bad day). There were some gems to be had though, and I tried a 5.2% Armed ‘N Citra APA from Rainhard and a 5.5% Bang-Bang, another superb sour, this time from Left Field.

    Massive choice at CRAFT.

    CRAFT was rammed with happy drinkers, and I shuddered to think how much money was going through the tills. This place, though, demonstrated that beer is still big business despite its general decline in recent years. It was late evening by now and a big day was ahead of us tomorrow – we were going home – so we decided to call it a night.

    Friday’s route.

    SATURDAY 8/9/18

    This was sadly the last day of our epic American Adventure. Luckily our flight wasn’t until early evening so we had most of the day to fit in just a few more things (e.g. beer). We took our time packing and didn’t check out until midday, arriving back in Toronto at around 2 pm. We decided to take the Jack Leyton Ferry ride across to Toronto Island. It was a long wait and fairly chaotic queue but we eventually made it, arriving on the Island some 20 minutes later.

    Toronto Island is a pleasant enough space, but not really much to see there, so we decided to get something to eat at the Toronto Island BBQ & Beer Co – 120 Center Island Dock, Toronto, ON M5J 2E9. This place was about as tacky as you could get. It was a really run-down place in urgent need of some TLC. We sat outside in the beer garden with our complete waste-of-money food and were immediately plagued by what appeared to be the entire wasp population of Southern Canada. Still, the view of the city over the water was good.

    Making the return ferry crossing back over the lake to the city, we found the nearby Amsterdam BrewHouse, 245 Queens Quay W, Toronto, ON M5J 2K9, which was to be our last beery stop of the holiday*. This was a large, modern glass and metal constructed building and, being Saturday afternoon, was extremely busy. We had to wait in line for a few minutes to get a table and then were guided by a very friendly and helpful waitress to our seats.

    Busy at the BrewHouse.

    We had a long slog in ahead of us, so sensible was the word, and I only had two, both brewed on-site: A 6% Space Invader IPA and a 4.9% Cruiser Pale. Both were pretty average, but it was a nice end to a perfect holiday.

    It was a 14-mile drive to the Airport and a further eight-and-a-half hour flight back via Reykjavik. I only saw the canteen at the airport (where I was charged 14 quid for an inedible sandwich) but at least I can say I’ve been to Iceland!

    Saturday’s route.

    *We did actually have one more beer, breaking the journey down from Manchester airport at Real Ale Corner – 415 Chatsworth Road, Chesterfield S40 3AD, where I had a disappointingly average pint of C-BOMB 4.2% session IPA from The Brew Foundation. My first pint of cask since New York!

    FINAL THOUGHTS

    I loved everything about this trip, except for the constant humming of air-conditioning units! Granted, we only saw a glimpse of all the places we visited, but all the people we met were super-friendly and helpful (except for the driver on the Greyhound bus), it felt safe everywhere we went (and we walked – A LOT!) and everywhere was clean and seemed to run efficiently. Prices were reasonable, on par with home I would say, and the whole trip, including flights, hotels, Ubers, and spends cost less than £4k each.

    The bustle of New York was not really to my liking, but even there you could find some quieter corners. Washington D.C. has some lovely green spaces also, but the most picturesque city for me was Pittsburgh. If I had to recommend just one city to visit, it would be Boston. It just felt a bit less hectic and I felt ‘at home’ there. And, of course, it’s home to the brilliant Trillium Brewery!

    I was particularly impressed that everything is built for the purpose. The city blocks are constructed in a grid system so everything is reasonably easy to find. The car parks are huge and parking spaces are big enough to fling your car doors open without bumping next door’s vehicle. I could go on… I guess that all comes from being a fairly new Nation and having the space to build on.

    I was less impressed with the amount of throw-away waste still being produced, for example, polystyrene plates and plastic cutlery being used in sit-down cafes when proper plates could’ve been used. I suppose it’s no different from other countries, but when you imagine how much rubbish is being generated every day in this giant country, it’s very worrying.

    I’d like to thank my great pals Chris and Tracey for sharing this adventure with us and particularly Tracey for taking on the driving duties on the latter part of the holiday. Also to Mark and Sue for spending both time and money travelling the width of America to be with me on my 60th birthday and making it so special. I will cherish the memory forever.

    Mrs. Belvoir and I have a trip to visit Mark and Sue in San Francisco pencilled in for later this year, but with all this Covid-19 malarkey, it’s looking increasingly doubtful. Rest assured though, when we do make the trip it will be fully reported in these pages!

    SEE THE REST OF THE AMERICAN ADVENTURE HERE:

    Part 1: Boston | Part 2: New York | Part 3: Washington | Part 4: Philadelphia | Part 5: Pittsburgh | Part 6: Erie & Buffalo

  • American Adventure Pt.6: Erie & Buffalo

    American Adventure Pt.6: Erie & Buffalo

    SUNDAY 2/9/18

    We left our Pittsburgh motel around 10ish to start the 120 mile-odd drive to Erie, which is on the coast of Lake er, Erie. Having not taken advantage of the stale bagels back at the motel, we were all getting rumbly tumblies it was time to look for somewhere to stop for breakfast. After passing several off-ramps, we picked one at random, this one headed to Slippery Rock. And what a winner this turned out to be.

    Rolling into the village down a long, green leafy avenue, it resembled a Hollywood movie scene. The sort of American idyll that we had thus far not seen on our journey, and it was lovely. There wasn’t a soul about to ask for recommendations, so we parked up and walked a few hundred yards until we came upon the Camelot Restaurant. We opened the door and found what must have been the entire population of Slippery Rock – the place was absolutely heaving! After waiting to be seated for 10 minutes and getting our order, it was easy to see why the place was so popular. Wholesome, home-cooked food at a reasonable price, served on proper plates with real cutlery (for a change). Excellent!

    Finishing up a satisfying breakfast at the Camelot, we came back out into the sun and, only 20 yards away, was the North Country Brewing Company – 141 S Main St, Slippery Rock, PA 16057, a beautiful wood-constructed pub originally built as a cabinet maker’s shop in 1805. The place was lovely inside and, more importantly, they brewed their own beer. To wash down breakfast, I ordered six, just to make sure: Locals Only 4.5% Session IPA, Paleo 6.2% IPA, Cascade AF 4.6% APA, Summer Dew 5% Honey Beer, Bucco 4.9% Blonde, and the 4.5% Kölsch .45. Six beers already and it was before midday on a Sunday. Me likeee! Slippery Rock was an ace chance find and I was really happy we made the decision to choose that highway ramp at random.

    North Country Brewing.

    Back onto the Perry Highway 98 and a few miles north, there was a severe weather warning broadcast on the car radio. Within a few minutes, it had started to rain. And by rain, I mean RAIN! Now I know it sounds a cliché, but I’ve never seen rain fall as hard and fast as this. We had to pull over and stop for some time, waiting for it to abate somewhat before continuing on our journey. Frighteningly, cars were still passing us at full speed during the downpour. Maybe they’re used to it!

    Reaching Erie around two hours later, we parked up for a quick reccie, this time finding the Lavery Brewing Company – 128 W 12th St, Erie, PA 16501. Lavery seemed to specialise in recreations of classic beer styles. None of them turned out to be spectacular, but I thought I’d better try six (just to make sure): Amarillo Apricot 7.1% IPA, Pretty Visitors 6% APA, Out Come the Wolves 10% DIPA, Vanguard 5% Lager, Rauch Bier 5.8% smoked Lager and a Gold Leopard 5% Farmhouse Ale. It was time to find the hotel whilst we were still capable (although Tracey was in charge and sober).

    We found the Avalon Hotel & Conference Centre about 20 minutes away and this place was well posh, for the money we had paid. By 5 o’clock we had all freshened up and it was out again. Lake Erie is mahooosive. If you didn’t know, you would think you’re at the seaside. And the girls wanted to go to the beach, so we ordered an Uber from the hotel to Pettinato Beach, dropping us lads off at the Sandbar Drafthouse – 2835 W 8th St, Erie, PA 16505, on the way. This place was a bit of a rough-and-ready dive but preferable to the sandy shenanigans that the girls wanted to get up to.

    It looks like the Sandbar is another victim of closures since our visit, but frankly, I’m not really surprised. We still spent a couple of pleasant hours here nonetheless, during which Scary thrashed me at pool (I blamed my bad shoulders), and I sampled a pint of 6% Nu Skool IPA from Southern Tier and a 7.5% Fully Loaded IPA by Timber Creek, both average but enjoyable anyhoo.

    We had arranged to hook up again with the girls at 7 o’clock, but by half-past they hadn’t turned up and seemed to be out of phone signal area so we decided to go and look for them. We walked as far as the Sara Coyne Campground to try the phone again. This place was manically busy, with vehicles queuing to get into the car park. After several tries, we got a call through to find that there had been a traffic accident somewhere between them and us and the tailback was causing delays. They eventually caught up with us and we joined the long queues of folk at the food cabin on the side of the car park. I chose a hot dog. I wish I hadn’t bothered – it was utter shite and a waste of money. It’s astounding what some people will put down their necks!

    Meet the Simpsons.

    Another Uber was called, which dropped us back in town, and then we found the nearby U Pick 6 Tap Room – 333 State St #110, Erie, PA 16507, a smallish corner bar with 22 taps on the back wall. Another two pints in here before making our way back to the hotel for some well-earned kip. I tried the Fresh Haze, a 6.5% NEIPA from Deschutes, and an 8% Hopsouloution DIPA from Bell’s.

    It had been a brief stop-off in Erie, but I found it to be a lovely place and the little visit to Slippery Rock had been a nice Brucie bonus.

    Sunday’s route.

    MONDAY 3/9/18

    Another 100-mile drive to Buffalo today, and two short stop-offs at Aldi in Dunkirk for some supplies and the Eden Seafood and Pizzeria in Eden for some nosebag. Alas, no beer at either. No matter, we were in our hotel, checked in, and Ubered back into town for a 2 o’clock drop-off at the Buffalo RiverWorks – 359 Ganson St, Buffalo, NY 14203. This was a Massive ex-industrial complex for various sporting events and concerts with large sprawling bars and dining halls. The six enormous ‘Labatt Blue‘ towers at the entrance immediately put us off and, after taking a quick look around one of the bars, we decided not to linger.

    Impressive, but not today, thank-you.

    Back the way we came, walking adjacent to the railway lines, we reached the Pearl Street Grill & Brewery – 76 Pearl St, Buffalo, NY 14202, a large and imposing building with a balcony all around it and a lovely garden terrace on the top floor. Now, this was more like it! We found a table on the terrace to take advantage of the sun while it lasted – ominous clouds were gathering on the horizon. I elected to try a pint of Lake Effect 6% APA, brewed on the premises. We were right about the weather; there was soon a downpour and we had to seek shelter inside. It soon abated, however, and after an hour we decided to have a walk to another couple of nearby brewpubs.

    What we didn’t realise, or obviously plan for, is that this was Labor [sic] Day in the US and almost everything was shut here (apparently everyone goes out of town for the day). Indeed, walking around town in the warm drizzle, we found Buffalo to be a near ghost-town, not even the tram service was operating. We reached the Big Ditch Brewing Company – 55 E Huron St, Buffalo, NY 14203. CLOSED! Next was the Sato Brewpub – 110 Pearl St, Buffalo, NY 14202. CLOSED! We decided to cut our losses and go back to the Pearl Street and have another whilst we waited for an Uber to pick us up for the ride to what would, in my opinion, be one of the beery highlights of our entire trip. I had a pint of aptly-named Nautical Disaster NEIPA, which was delicious.

    Thin man – OPEN!

    12 minutes and two miles later, we were at Thin Man Brewery – 492 Elmwood Ave, Buffalo, NY 14222. I’d not heard of this brewery before our visit, but it has since become one of my favourite US breweries. The rain had stopped and the sun was back out, so we chose to sit on the balcony, taking in the last of the day’s rays. Truly fantastic, world-class beer here. I had a Bliss 8% DIPA, Badger Assassin 5.5% Sour Berliner Weisse, and Burning Money 6.6% IPA, all brewed on-site, plus a None of Them Knew They Were Robots 7.4% IPA by Barrier. We spent almost four hours in here, savouring these splendid beers to the full, before making the seven-mile taxi ride back to base for some sleepy times. Tomorrow we were off to Niagara Falls.

    Monday’s route.

    TUESDAY 4/9/18

    We started out at around 10 am in the hire car from the hotel for the 20-mile journey to the Niagara Falls State Park, arriving about an hour later. We grabbed some brekkie before going to the visitor centre to buy tickets for the Falls. Coincidently, it was outside here that we encountered the only roundabout of the whole trip. Apparently, they’re not a ‘thing’ out there!

    The Falls experience was, to use a cliché, ‘awesome’. This natural feature is truly breathtaking and the power of the water has to be seen to be believed. It’s hard to imagine that, just three months later, we saw on the news that the Falls became totally frozen. But not today! Tracey and Chris did the ‘Lady of the Mist’ boat ride into the death pool, but Mrs. Belvoir and I chose to watch them from the relative safety of the parapet above!

    Spot Tracey – The only one without a poncho!

    After a really pleasant afternoon visiting the Falls and exploring the adjacent park, it was back to the hotel to freshen up (and dry off). Beer time was approaching. On the way back in, we discovered the Hotel bar – the Twigs Lounge – 2040 Walden Ave, Buffalo, NY 14225. Scary and I decided to do the decent thing whilst we waited for the girls to get ready, so I had a pint of 7.2% Hayburner IPA by Big Ditch, which was very tasty and made the wait somewhat more tolerable.

    The Uber arrived and took us out to Gene McCarthy’s Old First Ward Brewing Company – 73 Hamburg St, Buffalo, NY 14204, a lovely traditional-style brewpub in the middle of the sleepy Old First Ward neighbourhood which was full when we arrived, apparently due to the weekly quiz that was already underway. We managed to squeeze to the bar and get drinks, which we took outside and sat at one of the benches so we could enjoy the last of the evening sun.

    I tried two, both brewed on the premises: The 5.8% This is Not a Pale Ale (which WAS a pale ale) and the 7% Hoppy Oasis IPA. Both were delicious. Whilst we were sipping our drinks, I noticed another brewery a little further up the road – Pressure Drop Brewing – 65 Vandalia St, Buffalo, NY 14204. We took a short walk towards it, but it soon became obvious that they had already shut up shop for the day. Shame.

    Gene McCarthy’s.

    After a pleasant couple of hours, we decided to move on and take another four-mile taxi ride to the Resurgence Brewing Company – 1250 Niagara St, Buffalo, NY 14213. Another two pints here: A CitMo IPA and a Passionfruit Sour, both 6.5%, both brewed by Resurgence, and both delicious! We stayed here until about half 10 before calling it a day and returning to base.

    Tuesday’s route.

    And that was the end of this leg of our journey. Again, only fleeting visits to Slippery Rock, Erie and Buffalo, but from what I saw they were all lovely places that I’d heartily recommend to anyone. Tomorrow we were going over the border into Canada.

    SEE THE REST OF THE AMERICAN ADVENTURE HERE:

    Part 1: Boston | Part 2: New York | Part 3: Washington | Part 4: Philadelphia | Part 5: Pittsburgh | Part 7: Hamilton & Toronto

  • American Adventure Pt.5: Pittsburgh.

    American Adventure Pt.5: Pittsburgh.

    FRIDAY 31/8/18

    For this leg of the journey, we decided to get a hire car, which Tracey had volunteered to drive. Although I was very grateful and more than happy to have her do the driving duties, it was a little disconcerting that she went to get in the car on the wrong side when we set off 🙂 It was almost 300 miles to Pittsburgh so most of our time would be spent travelling today.

    It was gone 10 o’clock before we got on our way. We made a stop at Brecknock Township in search for something to eat at around 2ish. Asking for recommendations in a ‘gas’ station proved fruitless, but one of the other customers overheard our request and offered to show us to ‘the best diner in town’. He got in his car and proceeded to lead us around a couple of blocks, where he indicated for us to stop. He even got out of his car and opened the door for us to go in. What a genuinely nice man!

    The Hilltop. Thankfully, Bates wasn’t in residence.

    About five hours later, we reached our destination – The Hilltop Inn, our first taste of an American Motel. And it was everything I expected! Tatty magazines, stale cakes and broken coffee machine in the reception. Peeling woodwork outside, grimy tobacco-stained walls and frayed curtains in the room, and a television which looked like it was made in the ’60s, with a coat hanger for an aerial. All that was missing was an Anthony Perkins lookalike. But it was cheap and comfortable and although some of the residents looked a bit scary, they seemed chatty and friendly enough. We booked in and freshened up and as time was marching on – it was about 19.30 by this time – it was beer o’clock.

    An eight-mile taxi ride took us to the Grist House Craft Brewery – 10 E Sherman St, Pittsburgh, PA 15209, and it was busy here tonight. The tap area was a wooden built lean-to off the main brewery building, spilling out onto the yard, where there were several marquees and a food van selling British ‘FISH & CHIPS’. ‘Yes, we DO mean fries’ read a sign attached to the van! After queueing at the van for half-an-hour to get some nosebag for the girls, I was finally allowed some beer. It was worth the wait: pints of Hazedelic Juice Grenade 6.4% NEIPA and Space Cactus 6.8% NEIPA, both brewed on-site, both spectacular. One of the locals told us about another brewery that was literally a few minutes’ walk away, and what a contrast that was!

    Great atmosphere at the Grist House.

    Strange Roots Experimental Ales – 501 E Ohio St, Pittsburgh, PA 15209, a small, one-roomed bar set back off the street was empty when we got there, which we thought odd for this time on a Friday night. When we tasted the beer though, it became apparent why! Now, I’m all for experimentation, but I’m not so keen on being the guinea pig. I tried two here: Desert Wolf 5.1% IPA, which was just about neckable, but the Summer Ghost 5.1% Farmhouse Saison was undrinkable and hands-down the worst beer of the whole trip. In hindsight, I wish we’d stayed for another one at the Grist House, but no matter, onward to the next stop.

    Another 8-mile Uber ride and we were dropped off at Hitchhiker Brewing – 190 Castle Shannon Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15228. This was a bijou town-centre tap room (although the brewery is in another part of town) which, though busy, wasn’t overcrowded. I tried a flight of three in here: a 15th & Canal 5.8% APA, 7.1% Spatial Influence NEIPA (which was superb) and an Into the Fade 8% Double NEIPA. Much needed after the shite we’d just suffered back at Roots.

    Superb NEIPA at Hitchhiker.

    Time was getting on now, but we had to make up for a lost day’s drinking due to the car journey! Another short cab ride took us to the Korner Pub – 4 Bower Hill Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15228. Looking like a supermarket from the outside, with a big neon-lit Coors sign in the window, I wasn’t expecting much. It turned out OK. Stepping through the doors to find it rammed with customers, we managed to find some table space, sharing with some locals, and I ordered a pint of Hop Knife 6.2% IPA by Tröegs Independent Brewing which was a very tasty nightcap before calling it a night. It was nearly half-past midnight by now and it had been another very tiring day. Tomorrow we were going to explore the city.

    Saturday’s route.

    SATURDAY 1/9/18

    A little sightseeing this morning, starting at the PNC Park, home ground of the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team, followed by brunch (it’s like a cross between breakfast and lunch, apparently) at Nola on the Square, 24 Market Square, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, a New Orleans-style restaurant. It appears to be another venue that has closed since our visit which is a real shame as it had excellent table service and some really delish food here, accompanied by a 7% Two Hearted Ale IPA from Bell’s which wasn’t anything special but started the day off nicely.

    Our bit of non-beer culture for the day was the Andy Warhol Museum, where we spent an interesting hour-and-a-half before getting all pop-arted out and having to find more beer, this time at Mike’s Beer Bar AKA Beerhead – Boggs Building LP, 110 Federal St, Pittsburgh, PA 15212. An amazing beer supermarket-cum-bar with over 500 beers, 80 of them on tap, plus a great food menu. Beerhead is one of a franchise of specialist beer bars springing up around the NE of the States. A great concept, I wonder where they got the idea from? Anyway, back to the beer. We sat out on the street and I ordered three: Strawberry Mango Smoosh 7.8% Milkshake DIPA from Separatist Beer Project, 6.2% Victorious IPA #2 NEIPA from Victory and a 6.3% Misfits & Misanthropes #13 from Helltown, which was totally wowsers!

    A small section of the menu at Beerhead.

    Suitably refreshed, it was time for a bit more sightseeing and me and Chris decided we’d take the girls up the funicular, fnar fnar! The Duquesne Incline has a 19th-Century wooden cable-car running up and down every few minutes. There were fairly long queues and the short ride cost $5 but, once at the top, the sweeping views of the city below were totally worth it. By the quaint little payment kiosk (built in 1877), we found the Coal Hill Steakhouse, where we sat on the balcony sipping glasses of ice-cold Pepsi (no comments, please) and taking in the views below. Without a doubt, Pittsburgh was the most picturesque city we had visited on the whole tour so far.

    On the way back into town, we passed The Tap Room, 555 Grant St, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, and thought we’d pop in for one. We shouldn’t have bothered. A very lacklustre choice in here. We should’ve left but we all needed a rest and some respite from the sun. I opted for a 6% 60 Minute IPA from Dogfish Head, which was decidedly average. Move on there…

    Next was a quick one at Sharp Edge Bistro – 922 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, where I wasn’t expecting much of the 6.8% Samuel Adams NEIPA from Boston Beer Company, but it was surprisingly good. Just the one here before we made the two-minute walk to the Proper Brick Oven & Tap Room – 139 7th St, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, where we spent another hour and I had a pint of 7.5% Jal Alai IPA from Cigar City, which was OK, at best.

    Grand views over Pittsburgh.

    We all elected to finish the evening back at Beerhead where we spent another hour until 10 o’clock, when we decided to call it a night. I chose a 6% Wild Sour Series: Synchopathic from Desthil, which was stupendously good and the perfect end to our short stay in Pittsburgh. Tomorrow was a long drive toward the Canadian border and our next stop, Erie.

    Saturday’s route.

    Pittsburgh was, from the little we saw of it, a lovely, safe and well-organised city with lots of green and community space and a thriving craft beer scene. Highly recommended for a visit.

    SEE THE REST OF THE AMERICAN ADVENTURE HERE:

    Part 1: Boston | Part 2: New York | Part 3: Washington | Part 4: Philadelphia | Part 6: Erie & Buffalo | Part 7: Hamilton & Toronto

  • American Adventure Pt.4: Philadelphia.

    American Adventure Pt.4: Philadelphia.

    TUESDAY 28/8/18

    We boarded the 10.20 Greyhound bus bound for Philadelphia, another four-hour journey including a 20-minute stop-off in Baltimore. It was on this bus that we encountered the only miserable person of the entire holiday. The driver was a surly and downright rude man who could obviously do with some lessons at Charm School. When Tracey made a call on her phone, he shouted back that she was endangering the bus as he was being distracted from his driving. Tracey ended her call and soon after, he spread out a whole picnic across his knees and proceeded to eat his lunch whilst driving on the highway!

    Arriving at the Philadelphia Greyhound Terminal I was, as you can imagine, bostin’ for a pee, so I immediately went off to find the ‘bathroom’. When I got there I had to navigate around a uniformed security guard who was in the doorway shouting into the room: “Come out of there! You’ve had long enough!” This continued whilst I stood against the wall doing my own thing, until the guard came in and started hammering on a cubicle door “COME OUT, COME OUT!”

    The trap door eventually opened and a skinny, shirtless youth darted out, obviously high as a kite, carrying a shirt covered in blood and with three perfectly round (bullet) holes in his torso. “Sorry Sir,” he said to the guard “I don’t mean to be any trouble”. He dodged the guard’s attempt to grab him, pushing past me in his dash to the door. He then did a 180 spin and raised his thumbs. “Cool hair dude!” he said to me before he disappeared into the crowds outside! What an exciting introduction to Philadelphia!

    After finding our AirBnB, we explored the locality on foot for a bit and found the Roy Pitz Barrel House – 990 Spring Garden St, Philadelphia, PA 19123. We popped in for a bevvy and something to eat. Roy Pitz is a light, airy and modern bar with a glass frontage, trendy artwork murals to one side and tiers of oak ageing barrels the other. The back wall houses the bar, equipped with 15 taps, all dispensing their own beers, plus one hand pump.

    I tried a taster flight with five beers: Truly Honest 6% American amber, Cherry Hound 6% sour, Das Pretzel Gose 4.5% sour, Berlina Blue 4% sour blueberry Berliner Weisse, and the superb 5% NEIPA Step Up your Game – their flagship beer. The later was so good, I decided to take a can home for fellow BeerHeadZ colleague, Lincoln Beer Baron to review on his Instagram feed. I think he was suitably impressed.

    Flights at Roy Pitz.

    We’d had a pretty long day and I think the heat, travelling and previous eight days of intense drinking were starting to get to us. After a nice relaxing three hours, we elected for an early finish and walked back to the flat (via an off-license we had spotted on the way). Chris and I picked up a couple of cans each, mine being 6.3% Live Transmission Milkshake from Flying Monkeys which I sipped back at the flat with my feet up watching Netflix whilst the girls did the washing. Happy days!

    WEDNESDAY 29/8/18

    29th August 2018, and today I was 60 years old. This was what all the holiday was about and I didn’t care what we did today, as long as it involved beer! After breakfast, we did some general walking and sightseeing, including the Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary Soldier. Just after midday, we decided to look for a pub and seemed to be wandering aimlessly. Undecided whether to take a left or right turn, we chose right… and bumped into my great pals from California, Mark & Sue! Well, you could’ve knocked me down with a lump hammer.

    Unbeknownst to me, Mark and Sue had secretly been talking to the rest of the gang about meeting up in Philly for a birthday surprise and had planned to meet up at a nearby pub. Before we made the rendezvous, we bumped into them in the street by chance! Despite the random meeting, it was a brilliant surprise and lovely gesture from Mark and Sue, who had travelled the breadth of America to be there.

    Less than 30 minutes later, we were in Monk’s Café – 264 S 16th St, Philadelphia, PA 19102, a Belgian beer bar. My first beer at 60 was a 6.5% mono.tone.citra IPA by Tonewood. Followed by a 5.5% Monk’s Cafe Flemish Sour Ale from Brouwerij Van Steenberge and a 7.5% Confluence American wild ale from Allagash. Great beer with fantastic company. Cheers!

    Birthday beer with wonderful friends.

    We decided to move on. Yards Brewing Company – 500 Spring Garden St, Philadelphia, PA 19123, was a 20-minute cab ride away. Another tap with an ultra-modern, industrial feel to it. I sampled four of their beers in here: 4.6% Grapefruit Philadelphia APA, 7% Signature English IPA, 5% Sons of Ben Belgian pale, and a mighty 9.3% Cape of Good Hope DIPA. A couple of hours in here before a revisit to Roy Pitz for a quick last pint of Step Your Game Up before Mark and Sue had to catch a train back to New York. It had been a wonderful and memorable 60th birthday and thanks to Chris, Tracey, Mark, Sue and Mrs Belvoir for making it happen.

    Wednesday’s route.

    THURSDAY 30/8/18

    We decided to separate into couples again this morning to do our own thing for a few hours. Mrs Belvoir and I made for the Independence National Historical Park to do the Independence Hall and see the Liberty Bell (for the compulsory selfie). Tracey and Chris went to visit a local prison. Hopefully, they would get released. Most of the museums and historic attractions around the Independence National Historical Park are free to enter, but you still need to queue to get a free ticket and allotted time slot. Nobody tells you this, so take note if you ever visit!

    By early afternoon, we were all Independence Day’d out and it was beer time. We passed the Rittenhouse Square and found the Tria Taproom – 2005 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19103. Another long, deep bar with a small frontage to the street, offering no less than 24 taps. Just the two for me here. 6.9% Citra by Funk and a 5% Action Bronson’s 7000 fruited sour from Stillwater Artisanal, both excellent.

    Quiet inside the Belgian Cafe.

    Back out onto the street, right turn and a mile’s walk was the Belgian Cafe – 601 N 21st St, Philadelphia, PA 19130, another bar which has sadly permanently closed since our visit. It had a very similar layout to Monk’s Cafe, visited yesterday. There was no one inside the pub so we elected to sit under the awning outside whilst we waited for Chris and Tracey, who duly turned up a few minutes later. I sampled four here: 6.6% County Line IPA and 5.2% J.A.W.N, both by Neshaminy Creek, 7% Grapefruit Sculpin IPA by Ballast Point, and a 7.5% Racer 5 IPA from Bear Republic. We spent a lovely couple of hours here. The waiter was very chatty and helpful, giving us a long list of recommended craft bars in town. Alas, it was too late – we were leaving for Pittsburgh tomorrow. However, we made one of his tips our next destination.

    Bottle Bar East – 1308 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125, was a hell of a recommendation and Christ on a bike, am I glad we went! I immediately warmed to the place when we stepped through the door as Slayer was playing on the sound system. Then we saw the seemingly endless row of fridges – apparently over 600 beers to choose from in here – where to start? It was our last night in Philly and I was gonna make the best of it!

    600 beers at Bottle Bar East.

    First, The Fujiwhara Effect, a 7.5% IPA from Captain Lawrence. Followed by a 6.2% My Name is Citrus Maximus by River Horse, Tart ‘n Juicy 4.5% sour IPA by Epic, The Flava Influencer 7.8% Milkshake IPA from Evil Twin, Saison Aux Baies Ameres 6.8% Farmhouse from Left Hand, Jenny Says 7.7% DIPA from Singlecut Beersmiths, and finally an 8.5% Fresh IIPA v5 NEIPA from Hubbard’s Cave. Wow! Just WOW! It was the perfect end to our Philly visit. It was only a mile back to our digs, but I don’t think any of us would’ve made it so, we ordered an Uber.

    Thursday’s route.

    Again, three days is too little time to see even a fraction of this city, but what I did see, I enjoyed. A surprise meeting and drinking beers with great friends made my 60th birthday really special and I’ll treasure the memory forever.

    SEE THE REST OF THE AMERICAN ADVENTURE HERE:

    Part 1: Boston | Part 2: New York | Part 3: Washington | Part 5: Pittsburgh | Part 6: Erie & Buffalo | Part 7: Hamilton & Toronto

  • American Adventure Pt.3: Washington.

    American Adventure Pt.3: Washington.

    SUNDAY 26/8/18

    After getting the obligatory eggy breakfast, we boarded a Greyhound bus at 10 o’clock bound for Washington. We were scheduled to cover the 200 miles or so in just over four hours. Sho nuff, we arrived at Washington Union Station – another fine piece of architecture – at just gone 14.00. We grabbed a cab to take us to our hotel, which was over eight miles away. After a quick freshen up and another cab, we were dropped off at the National Mall back in town and standing on Jefferson Drive in front of the Whitehouse for a selfie opportunity by 17.30.

    It had been hot today – about 36 °C – and the gentle evening breeze was welcome. After having a quick nosey around and getting the lie of the land, we decided it was beer time. Capitol City Brewing – 1100 New York Ave NW #710W, Washington, DC 20005, was about 25 minutes’ walk away.

    Capitol City Brewing.

    Capitol City was a large, modern bar situated on a busy street corner and looked about as American and commercial as you can get, devoid of any real character. But we wanted a beer and some much-needed sustenance, so we decided to stay for just the one. As feared, the 6.6% Cap City IPA I ordered was nowt to shout about and after we finished the food we swiftly moved on.

    A 20-minute walk brought us to ChurchKey – 1337 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20005. When we found the place, it looked like a fine dining and wine venue and actually walked out. When we doubled-checked the address, we asked one of the waiters who directed us out the door and up some steep wooden steps which led to their craft beer bar. It turned out to be a hidden gem. A single long and deep room with drinking area to one side and bar along the other, sporting no less than 48 taps, plus five hand pumps.

    ChurchKey – worth finding!

    There was a printed beer menu here, so I suspect that most of the beers were permanent offerings. Nevertheless, it was a pretty decent selection. I chose six from the list: Peeper, a 5.5% IPA from Maine, On the Wings of Armageddon, a 9.2% DIPA from DC Brau, an 8% Double NEIPA Hollow Horse from Bluejacket,  Kodachrome Dream(ing), a 4.5% Radler (I didn’t realise when I ordered it!) from Right Proper, a Hoof RARted 9% DIPA from RAR and one of the cask choices, the 5.9% Ghost IPA DDH+Grape from 3 Stars. It was the first cask I’d tried since arriving in the States, and this one was a belter! It was nice in here, but the air conditioning was making Mrs. Belvoir cold, so we felt obliged to move on after a couple of hours.

    Next on our list was the Bier Baron Tavern, but when we got there it was just closing, being a Sunday an’ all, so we went in search for another place. Unfortunately, in spite of being keen rambler, Tracey managed to stumble on an uneven paving stone and fell over (nothing to do with the beer, honest) and ripped off the end of her big toe. Ouch! Luckily there was a pharmacy on the other side of the road, where we went to buy some first aid supplies. On inspection though, it was evident that the wound would need more than a plaster, so we asked a police officer who was parked up in his car where the nearest A&E was.

    The Two Sergeants!

    Being a Sergeant in the British Police Force herself at the time, Tracey quickly struck up a conversation with the officer, and within minutes there was an ambulance in attendance for some curb-side treatment. It could only happen to Tracey. Amazing! By the time all the excitement was over, it was time to call it a day and we got another cab for the twelve-mile ride back to the hotel.

    Sunday’s route.

    MONDAY 27/8/18

    In the light of morning, it became apparent how bad Tracey’s wound was and it was obvious a lot of walking was not practical today. So it was decided that her and Scary would split from the Belvoirs today and we would do our own things. A cab dropped us all off back at the National Mall where we arranged to meet up again later that day. Tracey and Chris decided to do an open-top bus and water tour, whilst Mrs. Belvoir and I decided to start with the nearby Smithsonian Institute tour. This place is split up into several sections along the length of the Mall and is so extensive you could spend all week exploring. We decided to do the National Museum of American History.

    This alone is a massive place, and I’m sure we only saw a fraction of it, but to be honest, after an hour we’d seen enough. So back out into the sun and along the Mall away from the Capitol Building and past the Washington Monument (which, unfortunately, was closed due to refurb) toward the World War II Memorial, where we stopped for a few minutes to pay respects and take on some water. It was baking hot here today, about 38 °C, and there was absolutely no shelter around. We walked the length of the reflecting pool and eventually reached the Lincoln Memorial. By the time I had climbed the steps, I was that hot I thought I was going to pass out! Still, we got our obligatory selfie.

    Sightseeing in DC.

    After a bit of a sit down in the shade we recommenced our walk, jinking right behind Lincoln’s statue and continuing adjacent to the Potomac River, and through the Georgetown Waterfront Park. There was some lovely green space here and I bet the real estate prices were at a premium. Our intended destination was actually the steps that featured in the 1973 film, The Exorcist. After much searching and asking three locals (the first two didn’t know!), we found the steps at the intersection of M Street NW, Canal Rd NW, and Whitehurst Freeway NW and boy, are they steep! When we got there, a lady was jogging up and down the flight for fun. Every time she completed a cycle, she put a pebble on a window sill at the bottom. We counted 21 stones and she was still going strong! Just watching her was making me feel thirsty, so I decided I needed beer!

    The Tombs – 1226 36th St NW, Washington, DC 20007, an aptly-named cellar bar, was close by and the air conditioning was a welcome relief from the heat outside. For a Monday lunchtime in a hidden underground bar, it was pretty busy in here. Despite this obviously being a foody place with only a limited beer choice, we settled on some stools at the bar and perused the menu. I opted for a 5.2% Vienna Lager by Devils Backbone, which was bog-standard and sickly sweet (as expected, being an Anheuser-Busch sub), accompanied by a plate of hot wings (which were very nice). Nice bar, shame about the peeve. No matter, it was a welcome oasis in a time of need. Time now to start the walk back to meet our travel pals.

    We caught up with Scary and Tracey at Stoney’s on L – 2101 L St NW Suite #103, Washington, DC 20037, another smallish modern bar, this time with 24 beers on tap. I had a 4.4% Blood Orange Gose by Atlas, which was very acceptable and a perfect quencher in this weather. We were getting a bit peckish by this time so it was off for some din-dins.

    A two-mile hike took us to the Right Proper Brewing Company – 624 T St NW, Washington, DC 20001. We found space on one of the benches on the street outside and got a tray full of beers, which we sipped while we waited for our food to arrive. Some proper good beers here: Ravaged by Wolves – a 6.5% Brett, New Weird America – 5% APA, Humulus Lycanthropus 6% APA, Eno – 5.1% Saison and a Vintage New Weird America 5% APA, all brewed on-site. Suitably fed and watered, we ordered an Uber to take us to our final stop of the day, back to the Bier Baron to make good on our aborted visit from last night!

    Proper good beer here!

    The DC Comedy Loft and Bier Baron Tavern – 1523 22nd St NW, Washington, DC 20037, to give its full name is, as you may have guessed, a bar with a resident comedy club. Or is it a comedy club with a bar? Either way, a fantastic setup with almost daily comedy performances in a separate area from the bar by amateurs and professionals alike. Tonight there was a ‘comedy school’ where new hopefuls took a five-minute spot on stage overseen by a professional comic, who would interrupt the routine to comment on their technique in order to improve their material and/or delivery. It was fascinating to watch and we sat there sipping a beer for half an hour or so before we returned to the bar area for some serious drinking.

    Sourtastic!

    Great selection in here, and tonight it was sours all the way! 6.4% Queen of the Seven Kingdoms from Ommegang, 8% Crimson Tart from Uinta, 5.2% Mr Kiwi from Highway Manor, 5% ChiChi 5% from Denizens, and finally a 2015 sharing bottle of 10.3% Tangerine Dream from the mighty Cascade, which was about $35 but worth every penny. We had a great session here and were the last ones to leave at gone 11 o’clock when the Uber arrived to take us home.

    Monday’s route.

    And that was the end of our stay in D.C. I was aware that in two days we didn’t really see much of it and I know the city has had its troubles in the recent past, but I liked what we’d seen and done and would definitely go back. Next stop – Philadelphia.

    SEE THE REST OF THE AMERICAN ADVENTURE HERE:

    Part 1: Boston | Part 2: New York | Part 4: Philadelphia | Part 5: Pittsburgh | Part 6: Erie & Buffalo | Part 7: Hamilton & Toronto

  • American Adventure Pt.2: New York.

    American Adventure Pt.2: New York.

    THURSDAY 24/8/18

    Around 08.30 we boarded a BoltBus bound for New York, a journey of about four-and-a-half hours and 200 miles. The bus was comfy enough and the ride smooth. On the roads there didn’t seem to be any lane discipline, vehicles swapping lanes on a whim, but it all seemed to work well enough. I’d be interested in what it says in the US Highway Code (if there is one?). The bus dropped us off at a road-side terminus somewhere between the Lincoln Tunnel and the Theater (sic) District and, obviously, by this time we were bustin’ for both a pee and a beer, so we decided to find the nearest bar whilst we figured out where we were in relation to our pre-booked AirBnB.

    Rounding a couple of corners, we found Hellcat Annie’s Tap Room – 637 10th Ave, New York, NY 10036. Two banks of 10 taps each in here, but I must’ve been so excited I forgot to make a note of what I drank in here. How remiss! Suffice to say I enjoyed it. Suitably refreshed, we upped again to find our digs.

    We duly found our flat, where we unpacked, freshened up, and then off out again, this time toward ICONYC Brewing – 43-63 11th St, Long Island City, NY 11101, which was a mere 20 minutes’ walk away. This was a tiny space that served as the tap for the brewery just across the road. Only ICONYC beers in here, but we tried them all! As you can see from the bill, it was a hell of a session. Three hours later, we were the only customers left and we sensed our host wanted to get home, so we called it a day. A great little place and well recommended.

    Flights at ICONYC.

    FRIDAY 25/8/18

    Breakfast, and I’m feeling I will soon look like an egg. We decided to walk into town today. It was a fairly long one – four miles – but it gave us time to look round and get a feel for the city. Plus the traffic was that busy it was going nowhere quickly. We had the day part-planned and were going to do the touristy thing today, starting with the water tour. So we set off toward the Gantry Plaza State Park, where we could board the boat.

    En route, we stumbled upon the Fifth Hammer brewery. The shutters were up but the brewer was too busy to come and talk to us, so we made a mental note to go back later to get some beer (we didn’t make it!).

    No entry at Fifth Hammer 🙁

    We started the boat tour, which took us down the East River, under the Brooklyn Bridge and into the Upper Bay, giving us great views of the city, Brooklyn, Jersey City and of course the Statue on Liberty Island. The trip lasted about an hour, so we had time to visit the onboard bar and get a beer! It was only Goose Island IPA served in a plastic beaker, but hey, it was better than nowt!

    We disembarked where we got on and the next stop was the 9/11 Museum. We all voted to walk it and stop off somewhere at random for a midday beer or two. We ended up in the Irish American Pub – 17 John St, New York, NY 10038. In hindsight, it was a bit of a mistake, as it was probably the naffest pub visit of the whole holiday. Never mind. At least it offered shade and had a modest selection on the bar. I opted for a 6.3% Bronx APA, followed by 6.2% Lagunitas IPA. Both were really average, like the pub.

    Onward with the sightseeing and we reached the 9/11 Memorial and Museum at about 13.15. The queues were only modest and we had done the whole thing by about 15.30 so it was off to the next drinkie station. This time, it was a recommendation from my American pal, Mark. It was a fair walk to get there – but we were still going faster than the traffic. But what a pub we were rewarded with! The Blind Tiger – 281 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014, was rammed to capacity and you could immediately see why it was so popular. Proclaiming itself as ‘N.Y’s Premier Craft Bar’, it’s difficult to disagree with them. A modest selection of 12 taps here, but what a selection! Grimm, Trillium, Equilibrium, Other Half and a ‘House Beer’ from KCBC!

    I tried Bloomerang, a 6.4% NEIPA from Two Roads, a Holy Icon 8% Sour from Hudson Valley, and Mmm… Fruit (w/ Plum), a 4.2% sour Berliner Weisse from Other Half. Outstanding! The food was great too. Everybody we spoke to in here were obviously beer connoisseurs, and one chap gave us a list of places to visit during our stay. Unfortunately, we only had one more day so wouldn’t be able to visit. If you’re ever in NY, the Blind Tiger is a must-visit.

    We still had to make use of our pre-booked Empire State Building tickets, plus we wanted to find the building depicted on the album cover of Led Zeppelin‘s ‘Physical Graffiti’ album, which is located in the Ukrainian Village area (the building, not the album). We eventually found the building, happily seeming not to have changed one bit. Strangely, we couldn’t find any mention of the building’s significance anywhere around. Anyone not knowing would just walk past. There was, however, a little cafe situated on the ground floor which calls itself ‘The Physical GraffiTea Shop’

    Anyone for tea?

    Then it was off to find the Empire State Building, which we did easily (it was that tall mofo on the horizon), only to find that we couldn’t secure a time slot for the tour for another couple of hours. So back out onto the street, we killed a few minutes calling into the Grand Central Station to have a gander at the architecture and went to look at the Rockefeller Centre, which we also had tickets for, but alas no time to do the tour. A few hundred yards later, we happened upon the Flatiron Hall – 38 West 26th Street, New York, NY 10010, which is the Heartland Brewery Tap. It would’ve been rude not to call in, so we did, where I sampled a 5.5% Summertime Apricot Ale by Heartland. It was very average, but no matter, we had to get a move on.

    Back to the old Empire to do the tour. The place was absolutely bustling with tourists and to be honest, it’s not something I’d generally do but hey, when in Rome (or NY…). By the time we got to the top of the tower, night had fallen but the 360-degree views from the outside parapet over the neon-lit city made the effort totally worth it.

    Time for one more stop before home on what had been an utterly exhausting day. Our final call was The Ginger Man – 11 E 36th St, New York, NY 10016. A charming English-style bar of mainly wood construction, with over 20 beers on tap, from which I tried two; a Robot Fish #12 Optic/Centennial 6% APA from KCBC, followed by a Super Stario, an 8% DIPA from Peekskill. Both were absolutely superb and a great end to a very busy day. We were all so tired that we couldn’t face the four-mile-long walk home, so for the first time, we ordered an Uber.

    Friday’s route.

    SATURDAY 25/819

    A lot pre-planned again today, so we set off early at 07.30, opting this time to make the journey uptown on the Subway (that’s a train, not a sandwich). Taking in, amongst other stuff, Central Park, American Museum of Natural History and USS Intrepid floating Air and Space Museum, it wasn’t until about 18.45 that we got our first beer, but man! it was worth the wait. Another 45-minute Uber ride dropped us off at the Other Half Brewing Company – 195 Centre St, Brooklyn, NY 11231. In my opinion one of the best craft brewers in the World today, Other Half are at the top of their game. Basically, just an industrial hangar in a run-down part of town, this place is about as hip as you can get. Hip-hop music blasting on the speakers, tattoos and baseball caps a-plenty, the place was heaving with customers.

    Like a kid in a sweetie shop here with around 20 tap choices. We’d come a long way for this, so I was determined to make the best of it! I had six; DDH Double Mosaic DIPA 8.5%, Simcoe Daydream IPA 6%, DDH Cheddar DIPA 7.9%, DDH Double Citra Daydream 8.5% DIPA, DDH Hop Showers (w/ Eldorado) IPA 7.4%, and a Go With the Flow IPA at 6.5%. As with the Trillium guys, if you haven’t checked this brewery out yet, you really should!

    Take-away menu at Other Half.

    We were a fair way from base, so we ordered another Uber and decided to break the journey at another of Mark’s suggestions; Mugs Ale House – 125 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211. Sadly, from researching this article, it appears that after 27 years, Mugs‘ closed its doors for good in June 2019. I’m glad I got to visit it. To be honest, as soon as we entered the place, I thought it was noticeably quiet for 9ish on a Saturday night. With hindsight, this ‘old-timey’ (their words, not mine) pub was obviously already in decline and missing out to the trendier places in town. It just shows how you must keep on top of your business and adapt to survive.

    Despite being quiet, it was a lovely place, with a homely ‘English’ pub feel to it and a strong beer line-up, including cask choices. We spent a couple of hours in here, during which I sampled three beers: Splish, an 8% IPA from Grimm, Mercury Rising 6.8% IPA by Foreign Objects and Money, a 7.3% IPA from Barrier. All were very enjoyable and the perfect wind-down to another exhausting day before we took the final four-mile Uber journey home. Tomorrow we set sail (on a bus) for Washington.

    Saturday’s route.

    I found New York too manic and busy for me. The traffic was crazy, the crowds in some places (like the Empire State) overwhelming. I prefer things a bit quieter. Maybe spending a little longer there and being able to do things at a more leisurely pace might have made a difference. But it truly is an amazing city and I’m glad I’ve been.

    SEE THE REST OF THE AMERICAN ADVENTURE HERE:

    Part 1: Boston | Part 3: Washington | Part 4: Philadelphia | Part 5: Pittsburgh | Part 6: Erie & Buffalo | Part 7: Hamilton & Toronto