Press Release:

WOODINVILLE, Wash. – (May 15, 2012) – In commemoration of the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption and to kick off the cycling season, Redhook Brewery will host its 17^th annual Haul Ash ‘Tour de Brew’ bike ride on Sunday, May 20^th. The 42 mile roundtrip ride will begin at Redhook Brewery in Woodinville, Wash., and follow the scenic Burke-Gilman trail to Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood. Upon arriving at Fremont’s LTD Bar & Grill, participants over the age of 21 can quench their thirst with a refreshing Redhook brew, grab a snack and take a breather before biking back to the brewery for a community after-party.

Redhook’s Haul Ash after-party is open to the public, riders and non-riders alike, of all ages and will feature live music from Seattle’s own Massy Ferguson. For non-riders, a $5 tax-deductable donation to Bike Works, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building sustainable communities by educating youth and promoting bicycling, is recommended for admission to the party, but not required.

What:             Redhook Brewery’s 17^th Annual Haul Ash ‘Tour de Brew’

More than 1000 riders from throughout the Pacific Northwest will ride 42 miles roundtrip from Redhook Brewery in Woodinville to Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood and back in commemoration of the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption and the kick off to cycling season. Following the ride, Redhook Brewery will host an after-party at its Woodinville location featuring the latest Redhook beers, live music by Massy Ferguson, and BBQ.

When:            Sunday, May 20

• Haul Ash Registration and Packet Pickup: 8 a.m.
• Riders Depart: 9 a.m.
• After-Party: 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Where: 
Redhook Brewery
14300 NE 145^th Street
Woodinville, Wash. 98072
Phone: 425-483-3232

Haul Ash pre-registration is available at Redhook Brewery’s Forecaster’s Pub or online at:http://redhook.com/calendar/?mth=05&yr=2012&eventID=5223 through Wednesday, May 16 at 11:59 p.m.  Day-of-event registration begins at 8 a.m. in the Forecaster’s Pub.

Cost:              Pre-registration: $30; Day-of-event registration: $40

Riders receive a Haul Ash T-Shirt & Pint Glass, Redhook backpack, 2 Drink tickets and entry to the after-party.

Suggested donation for non-rider admittance to the after-party: $5

Wingman Brewers

They also moved to their new taproom location back in April, and they are now open 2-11pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

More info from their newsletter:

Taproom!
A big thank you to everyone who made it to the grand opening of our taproom. For those who haven’t made it in yet, we are open 2–11pm every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. We always have our beers on tap for pint or growler fills, and try to keep a homemade non-alcoholic option on tap as well (check out our Facebook and Google+ pages for the weekly selection). The taproom is located at our new location a block away from many take-out options at Freighthouse Square, and we welcome you to bring in your favorite food to enjoy with our beer. We also are partnering with some local food trucks, and Barrel 51 BBQ will be here for the next few weekends!

Wingman in a Can
If all goes well, we get to can our beers next week. Cross your fingers that the equipment arrives, and perhaps you will be able to find P-51 Porter and Ace IPA in cans later this month. Watch our Facebook and Twitter feeds for updates on where to get Wingman cans throughout the Tacoma and Seattle area.

May Events
Pocket Aces Double IPA Release Party
May 12th, 6pm @ The Wingman Brewers Taproom
After many moons we will finally be releasing our Pocket Aces Double IPA. Check out our event page to RSVP and get more information.

Dog & Pony Brewers Night
May 16th, 6pm @ Dog & Pony Alehouse and Grill
There will be prizes… and BEER!

Made in Tacoma
May 26th, 6pm @ The Wingman Brewers Taproom
Madrona Coffee, 21Cellars Winery, Barrel 51 BBQ, and Backcountry Creamery will be joining us in a celebration of products made in Tacoma. There will be beer, coffee, wine, cheese, and BBQ. Check out our event page to RSVP and get more information.

Washington Brewers Festival
It’s that time again. Last year we made our festival debut at WA Brewers Fest and we’re very excited to be coming back. Here’s a sneak peek at some of the beers we will be bringing this year:

•Peanut Butter Coconut P-51 Porter
•Stratofortress
•Pocket Aces Double IPA
•Pomegranate Porter
•We may or may not also be bringing a secret beer for Friday’s session

Urban Family will be featuring a large lineup of beer from two great breweries: Boneyard Brewing of Bend, OR, and Avery Brewing of Boulder, CO. They’ll have 18 beers total on tap from the two breweries, including a couple very special releases from Boneyard. They will also have 18 different cheeses to pair with each beer.

All you have to do to win the SIFF pass is show up to grab a raffle ticket between 4pm and 8pm, and then stick around for the raffle at 8:30pm.

SIFF starts the last Thursday of Seattle Beer Week, so the winner can move from concentrating on one great local celebration to another.

Intro:
For the first time, the commemorative Seattle Beer Week beer is a style that does not concentrate on hops. While I am a self-proclaimed hophead, I welcome the change. Coffee stouts/porters are one of my favorite styles when done well. Elysian used cold-infused coffee from Lighthouse Roasters in Fremont for this brew.

Description:
Pours a very dark brown with a creamy light brown head. Coffee comes through loud and clear in the aroma along with some chocolate. The coffee continues in the flavor, and the profile manages to come through as smooth espresso with very little bitterness or unpleasant flavors. Dark roasted malts lay the base and lend flavors of chocolate that builds towards the finish. But, coffee comes through more than anything else. There is just a hint of sweetness, and the medium body holds up the flavors just fine. Overall, I really enjoy this year’s commemorative beer. I’m a big fan of coffee beers, and I’d put this in the upper echelon of what I’ve tried. It packs in quite a bit of flavor while ultimately remaining quite sessionable. I think the body is just about right, and I’ll be happy to throw down several of these throughout Seattle Beer Week. Well done by the crew at Elysian.

Verdict: Buy It
Look for this in 22oz bottles and on draft all over town.
Click here to see a list of select local bottle shops.
Brewery Website
Ratebeer Info
BeerAdvocate Info

Commercial Description/Press Release:

In Seattle, beer and coffee grew up together. They’re like siblings, jealously balancing the day between go-go and go-slow, dividing the hip and tattoo’d into brewers and roasters, barkeeps and baristas. Split Shot Coffee Milk Stout combines the talents of Elysian Brewing and Lighthouse Roasters, and commemorates not only Seattle Beer Week as its official beer for 2012, but the fact that it took a lot of talk and lot of Lighthouse coffee to get Elysian off the ground back in 1996. Split Shot has a radically complicated malt bill, with C-15 and C-45 dextrine malts, Franco-Belges kiln coffee malt, Black, Roasted and Chocolate malts and flaked oats. It’s bittered with Magnum and slightly sweetened with milk sugar. OG 16 (1.065); alcohol 7.25% by volume., Split Shot is the official beer for 2012 Seattle Beer Week. Available in select Seattle area restaurants, bars and stores, on draft and in 22-oz. bottles.

There are too many events to even think about trying to hit them all, and you’ll have to make some tough decisions regarding which events to attend. My suggestion is not to go overboard. Don’t try to hit an event every day, or else you risk burning yourself out. If you are a casual beer drinker, you might be happy to just pick a couple events and stick with those. If you do plan to hit a bunch of events throughout the week, try to limit yourself as to how much time you spend at each one.

Now that I’ve given some sage advice on how best to make it through the week, chances are that many of us are going to have a few rough mornings throughout SBW. I never said I was smart enough to heed my own advice.

You can find the full list of SBW events here, but following are a few events that should definitely be worth your time. These are seriously just the tip of the iceberg.

Brouwer’s Festivals – Brouwer’s Cafe is well-known for throwing some of the best festivals around, and two of them come during SBW. First up is the Back in Black Stout Fest on Friday, 5/11, which will feature amazing stouts from all over the country. The other is their Sour Fest on Thursday, 5/17. If you like sour beer, and you haven’t been to Sour Fest, you need to get there this year. It is one of the best sour festivals in the country. Just a warning that these events are quite popular and you should expect a crowd.

Double Mountain vs. Terminal Gravity Tap Takeover at The Noble Fir
Friday, 5/11
Two outstanding breweries from our neighbor down south cross the border for an event at one of my favorite Seattle bars.

Cask-O-Rama at Beveridge Place Pub
Thursday, 5/10 and Friday, 5/11
12 cask beers on the bar top all from Seattle breweries. A great way to start off the week.

The Dray 4th Anniversary Celebration
Saturday, 5/12
I don’t make it up to the Dray nearly enough, and food trucks, rare beers, and an outdoor party seem like a great way to get me up there.

New Brewers Night at Park Pub
Tuesday, 5/15
Get to know some new Seattle breweries. The Park Pub will be hosting Churchkey Can Company, Hilliard’s Beer, NW Peaks Brewery, and Twelve Bar Brews for a night of beer, giveaways, and hanging with the brewers.

Newbies Night at Brave Horse Tavern
Sunday, 5/13
Another event featuring some of Seattle’s newer breweries. Twelve Bar Brews, North Sound Brewing, Slippery Pig, Dirty Bucket and Brick Yard will all be at Brave Horse.

New Belgium Sour Symposium at Stumbling Monk
Wednesday, 5/16
A special chance to attend a sour blending session with Lauren Woods & Eric Salazar from New Belgium.

Firkin-Firkin at Elysian Capitol Hill
Wednesday, 5/16
8 San Diego breweries take on 8 Seattle breweries in a firkin throwdown. There are sure to be some special beers here.

Fort George Brewer’s Night at Barking Dog Alehouse
Thursday, 5/17
Another great OR brewery makes a trip up north to join us for SBW.

Barrel Night at Fremont Brewing
Friday, 5/18
A special night of tastings from Fremont Brewing’s Barrel Room including B-Bomb, Kentucky Dark Star, The Lamb (Brett Saison), Flanders Red and Lambic. Try these beers before they are ready for commercial release and learn how they mature and change over time.

Ellen’s 40th Bday at The Noble Fir
As a Cubs fan, how could I not mention this one? Ellen Kelly of the Noble Fir is getting a Cubs Walking Bear tattoo for her 40th bday, and Two Beers Brewing is joining in the celebration with a special Walking Bear Imperial IPA. Go Cubs.

Have fun!

Washington breweries fared well at the competition, with 9 breweries taking home a total of 11 medals: 1 gold, 6 silver and 4 bronze. The big winner was Silver City Brewery from Bremerton; they took home 3 medals total, including a gold for their imperial stout. Congrats to all the winning breweries, and cheers to all of the local breweries that submitted beer to the competition. With so many great breweries these days, it is tough to take home the hardware at competitions like the World Beer Cup.

Here is a full list of the WA winners:

Category 2: American-Style Wheat Beer With Yeast, 28 Entries
Bronze: Leavenworth Boulder Bend Dunkelweizen, Fish Brewing Co., Olympia, WA

Category 5: Field Beer or Pumpkin Beer, 19 Entries
Bronze: The Great Pumpkin, Elysian Brewing Co., Seattle, WA

Category 21: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer, 91 Entries
Bronze: Bourbon Abominable Winter Ale, Fremont Brewing Co., Seattle, WA

Category 22: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout, 58 Entries
Silver: Great Grandfather Raven, Black Raven Brewing Co., Redmond, WA

Category 39: Traditional German-Style Bock, 30 Entries
Silver: Winter Bock, Silver City Brewery, Bremerton, WA

Category 48: German-Style Kölsch/Köln-Style Kölsch, 46 Entries
Silver: Chuckanut Kolsch, Chuckanut Brewery, Bellingham, WA

Category 73: English-Style Brown Ale, 30 Entries
Silver: Nut Brown Ale, Redhook Ale Brewery, Woodinville, WA

Category 74: Brown Porter, 42 Entries
Silver: Poundage Porter, Sound Brewery, Poulsbo, WA

Category 80: Old Ale or Strong Ale, 51 Entries
Bronze: Old Scrooge, Silver City Brewery, Bremerton, WA

Category 94: American-Style Stout, 34 Entries
Silver: Pike XXXXX Extra Stout, Pike Brewing Co., Seattle, WA

Category 95: American-Style Imperial Stout, 36 Entries
Gold: Imperial Stout, Silver City Brewery, Bremerton, WA

Roosevelt Ale House

Not too far up the street from The Reservoir is the Roosevelt Ale House, our next stop. They also have a nice patio out front, but this one was pretty packed and there were no tables for a group of our size. No matter, as we all grabbed some beers from the solid, but not spectacular, selection of taps and then headed to the pool table (where I proceeded to embarrass myself). The Roosevelt seems to follow the pattern of other alehouses in town, offering solid beer and food in a laid back, family-friendly environment. While not exactly a destination for those outside the neighborhood, it’s well worth a visit if you find yourself in the area.

Next, we embarked on a longer leg of our hike as we ventured up to Boud’s Pinehurst Pub. Once again, Boud’s doesn’t have much of a beer selection, but options were limited on our way to the next stops further up Lake City. Boud’s is a bit of a dive, but I recall a few decent beers on tap here as well. They have a sizable patio out front, as well as pool tables. The place seemed friendly, and I imagine I’d find myself on their patio occasionally if I lived in the neighborhood.

Next, we were off on the last stretch of our walking and on the way to Beer Authority. Part of Seattle’s new revolution of bottle shops with beers also on draft, Beer Authority has a great selection of bottles and several outstanding beers on tap for pints and growler fills. I enjoyed a pint (maybe two?) of the Boneyard RPM IPA, which I just can’t get enough of these days. They have a small bar with a TV where you can enjoy your pint and watch a game, as well as a couple tables inside and outside. There isn’t much in the way of atmosphere, but that wouldn’t stop me from frequenting the shop.

The new Elliott Bay brewpub on Lake City Way.

The last stop of the day was the new Elliott Bay Public House & Brewery on Lake City Way. The popular West Seattle based brewery opened up this location just a month or two ago, and business is booming. The restaurant is quite large, with room for the hordes of families that live in the area. The huge bar was packed with people waiting for tables, and we joined them with pints in hand. The pub has a nice feel to it. There are quite a few Elliott Bay beers on tap, including several that they make just for this location. I had a coffee stout on nitro that I really enjoyed, and the much-needed food we ordered was good as well. As this was the last stop of the hike, I’d love to make a return visit when things aren’t quite as “hazy” as they were after a day-long beer hike…

So, there you have it. This turned out to be a very successful beer hike to explore an area that tends to get overlooked when it comes to beer spots. I hope you get to check out some of these places for yourself if you haven’t, especially Hudson/Last Drop, Cooper’s, Beer Authority and Elliott Bay.

Patio at The Reservoir

When it comes to discussing Seattle neighborhoods that boast a lot of options for drinking great beer, you typically hear people mention areas like Ballard, Fremont, West Seattle or Capitol Hill. You likely won’t get many people pronouncing that Lake City, Ravenna, Maple Leaf or Pinehurst are the craft beer center of Seattle. But, this is just another thing I love about Seattle. There are a lot of worthy bars that go a bit under the radar to many of us because we don’t live near them. A few Saturdays ago a group of us decided to explore the northeast Seattle neighborhoods for a lengthy urban beer hike on a perfectly sunny Seattle spring day. While the official Urban Beer Hiker wasn’t able to make it, he fully approved of our plan.

This hike was 3.7 miles altogether, with several of the bars coming in clustered bunches. Many beers were sacrificed for this beer hike. Visit Flickr to check out photos from the hike.

We kicked things off with lunch at Hudson Public House. Owned by Seth Howard, who also runs the Collins Pub located just off Pioneer Square, Hudson offers around 15 taps of beer to go along with a food menu that is definitely a step above your average neighborhood pub. The beer selection is well-curated and is typically more exciting than some places that have twice the amount of taps. The lunch menu focuses on simple, light sandwiches, salads, and their popular burger. You are always sure to find a few good hoppy beers at Hudson, but the style selection is varied with a concentration on West-coast beers. I started off with a Cascade Spring Gose, which at just 4.5% ABV seemed like a good way ease into the day. If you are not familiar with the style, a gose is a German style of wild ale that traditionally has additions of coriander and salt. They are typically refreshingly low in alcohol while packing a lot of flavor into the sour/salty profile. Also worth checking out if in the neighborhood is The Last Drop, a bottle shop run by Howard right next door to Hudson that has a great selection of bottled beers, as well as several selections on tap for growler fills and pints (wasn’t open yet when we were there).

Cooper's Alehouse

Our next stop on the hike was the shortest walk of the day right across the street at Cooper’s Alehouse. One of Seattle’s oldest alehouses, Cooper’s does a nice job of featuring a great selection of beer in a bar that reminds me more of a Midwest sports bar (in a good way) than a NW beer bar. We visited during their IPA Festival, which they hold every April. Quite a few great beers were on tap, but the highlight was a flight of 4 blind IPAs. We also took advantage of their ping pong table and dart boards, and the competition definitely got a little heated. Cooper’s is a place that any fan of sports and beer should love to have in their neighborhood, and I’ll be back sooner rather than later I hope.

Losing pull tabs at The Reservoir

Just a pleasant walk slightly uphill brought us to our next destination, The Reservoir Tavern, located in Maple Leaf. The Reservoir is definitely not a beer bar, but it’s always fun to throw a dive bar or two into the route. Plus, even Seattle’s dive bars typically have a few solid beers on tap or in bottles. We grabbed a couple pitchers of the always-enjoyable Manny’s Pale Ale from Georgetown Brewing and headed out of the dark, slightly depressing bar to their back patio. And what a back patio it is. Despite being completely empty on this beautiful, sunny day, The Reservoir’s patio is pretty awesome. It’s almost more like a back yard, with a few picnic tables in the sun, a few under cover, a little heated hut for the smokers, a big screen TV for watching games, and a BBQ for bringing your own meat to grill. What is there to not like about drinking Manny’s in the sun? After getting lucky on a few pull tabs and then losing those winnings on more pull tabs, we figured we should tear ourselves away from the sun and be on our way.

Check back tomorrow for Part 2 of our Northeast Seattle Beer Hike.

Moerlein Lager House

The last day of my trip was spent in Cincinnati, where I had not been since my college days. I’m a big baseball fan (Go Cubs & Mariners) and I could not pass up a chance to see a day game at the Great American Ball Park. The Reds were taking on the Giants, and before grabbing my cheap $7 ticket I went to the huge new brewery and taphouse across the street, the Moerlein Lager House. They had six house beers on tap, and I quite enjoyed their Over-the-Rhine Pale Ale and the Barbarossa Double Dark Lager. This is really a perfect pre-game spot, with plenty of room and an upstairs patio. They also had quite a few nice guest taps, including Founder’s Breakfast Stout, Victory Prima Pils, Bell’s Oberon, and Rogue Chipotle Ale.
I went into the game early to explore the ballpark and see what beer options I could find, of course. While most concession stands had pretty bland beer selections, it wasn’t difficult to find some great beers. The gem of the park was a stand located just back from section 114 that had Bell’s Oberon and Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Stout on draft, as well as a selection of cans/bottles that included Founders All Day IPA, Southern Tier Hopsun, 21st Amendment Bitter American, and Bell’s Two Hearted. The ballpark itself was just fine, but not the type of park that really makes an impression. There was a nice view overlooking the river, and food options were plentiful. I had to get a little work done before heading out that evening, and I wasn’t too sad about leaving the game a bit early when I saw that Sean Marshall (also on my fantasy baseball team…) blew the save in the 9th, leading to a Red’s 6-5 loss. Go figure.

From my downtown hotel, it wasn’t a far walk to the neighborhood where I’d spend the rest of the evening. Called Over-the-Rhine, this historic area is a mix of old architecture, bars and restaurants intermingled in an area that has streets of condos, old houses, and some lower rent housing. It seems like a very diverse area in a state of change, and I’d overheard a couple people talking about the neighborhood earlier saying that they still didn’t think was very safe these days. I didn’t really get that sense when I was there. My first stop was at The Lackman, which featured 14 beers (13 craft + Guinness) on tap and around 20 craft bottles/cans. The space was small but comfortable, with lots of sun streaming in through the windows. The atmosphere was lively, and they were pretty packed for happy hour. Aside from the bartender telling me they don’t have a beer list because it changes every day (that doesn’t stop most beer bars around the country from having one, or a chalkboard at least), service was good. I enjoyed my Founder’s Old Curmudgeon, and other offerings included Avery Maharaja, Anchor Summer Ale, 21st Amendment Monk’s Blood, Luna Coffee Stout, and several more. Upon the bar back’s suggestion, I next ventured down the street to a restaurant called Bakersfield OTR to take care of my rumbling stomach. This was just the place I was hoping to find. They specialize in amazing tacos, and I enjoyed a couple along with some of the best guacamole I’ve ever had. Their 8 taps of beer included 5 craft beers and 3 crap beers, but I was delighted to find a beer featuring roasted ancho chile’s from 5 Rabbit Cerveceria in Chicago and an IPA from Dark Horse Brewing in Michigan. Most patrons were enjoying the tempting margaritas, or $2 PBRs. Bakersfield was also packed with the after-work crowd, and I was lucky to be by myself and slide in at the end of the bar (I heard the waitress tell a group of 4 it was over an hour wait for a table). The garage door windows were up, and despite being very busy the place had a relaxing vibe.

Life size Jenga at Neons Unplugged.

Wandering around just a few streets over I heard some good live music coming from the back of a bar and decided it was my duty to check it out. What I stumbled upon was a place called Neons Unplugged, and undoubtedly it would be my bar of choice for a sunny evening if I lived in Cincinnati. The inside bar is pretty non-descript, but out back they have a huge year-round outdoor patio with full bar featuring a few craft beers on tap and quite a few bottles/cans. They were also making plenty of great-looking cocktails. In addition to a bluesy, rocking band, there was also a full-size bocce court (YES!!!), a life-size Jenga game, and a lot of tables. The patio was busy, but there was plenty of room to pull up to the bar. It looked like they also had a grill set up in back with burgers/sandwiches, but I didn’t get too close of a look after the meal I had just had. People were roaming about, many with dogs, and it was a friendly crowd.

My final stop of the night was just up the street at Motr Pub. This dark, slightly hipsterish music club had a surprisingly good selection of beers, including Three Floyd’s Alpha King Pale Ale (love it), Great Divide Espresso Yeti, and lots of canned craft beers. I hung out here for a bit too long, but I enjoyed talking to the bartenders and the live music that took the stage after a bit. I was about to order one last Alpha King when I came to my senses and booked it for my hotel room and the bed that awaited me there.

Overall, I was pretty impressed with what I found in both Cincinnati and Dayton. As someone on Twitter said to me, “It’s not beer Mecca.” But, there were plenty of spots worth visiting and beers worth drinking. I’ll happily look forward to returning.

Lucky's in Dayton

Dayton is a sizable town (842K people in the metro area) with a lot of thirsty beer drinkers, but the craft beer craze really seems to just be catching on there for most. I visited a couple of beer bars that I really enjoyed, and a bottle shop with an outstanding selection. There are no local craft breweries as of right now, but there are several in the works with plans to open soon. My first stop was at Lucky’s Taproom in the Historic Oregon District of Dayton. This neighborhood features several bars and restaurants surrounded by an area with older houses with character and a pleasant overall feel. To sum it up right off the bat, I loved Lucky’s. It had the non-pretentious, laid-back vibe that I love in a bar, with maybe 18 taps of all craft beers, including several gems that I was excited to see. I started off with a Palate Wrecker Double IPA from Green Flash Brewing Ballast Point Brewing, which is one of my favorite examples of the style. The food was good, the staff was friendly and helpful, and a friend I work with and I even got to chatting with a gentleman at the bar who turned out to be Joe Waizmann, formerly of Merchant du Vin and now organizer of local beer events in Dayton. With guys like Joe around the scene, good things are sure to come. Right down the street from Lucky’s is where Toxic Brew Company will be opening the first brewery in downtown Dayton in over fifty years. I poked my head in the door as they were hard at work with constructing the brewery and taproom, and I’ll be excited to visit on future business trips back to Dayton.

Located not too far from downtown Dayton was my next stop, Belmont Party Supply. While the name could lead you to think they sell just about anything you need for a party, this place is all about beer. They have a large selection of six-packs, singles, and various other formats. The selection included a lot of Midwest and East Coast beers that we don’t get out in Seattle, and several imports that don’t make it out our way. The only negatives I could really find at Belmont is that they don’t have much cooler space for beer, resulting in beers sitting out on shelves, and I also saw quite a few older seasonals and special release beers, which made me wonder what their turnover is like and how much old beer might be sitting on the shelves. That aside, for a city with no breweries Dayton is lucky to have such a great selection of beer. There is also a homebrew shop right next door.

Toxic Brew Company in Dayton

Further south away from Dayton was my final stop in the area, Chappy’s Tap Room and Grill. Located in a non-descript strip mall in a town called Moraine, Chappy’s has about 30 taps of quality beer on display (with a few macros mixed in). I didn’t hesitate when I saw Bell’s Two Hearted on tap, and there were several other beers I would have enjoyed trying. It seemed like there were several people at the bar that were newbies in craft beer, and having a place like Chappy’s in this suburb of Dayton is lucky for them. The weekend after I was leaving Dayton, Chappy’s was actually holding a cask festival featuring 15 beers. Organized by Joe Waizmann, who I met at Lucky’s, the participating breweries included Bell’s, Green Flash, Thirsty Dog, Heavy Seas, Hoppin’ Frog, and more. I guess I should have planned to spend the weekend…

Check back tomorrow to read about my adventures in Cincinnati.