Archive for the ‘Travel Report’ Category

Travel Report: Buffalo

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009

I was in Buffalo on business twice in the past month, and I had the opportunity to check out the local microbrew pub, Pearl Street Grill & Brewery for a couple of beers. Not too shabby, all in all —both the city and the pub.

Buffalo exhibits some interesting Victorian and Edwardian architecture. I was most impressed by the city hall’s huge art deco facade. It’s an industrial city that has declined in similar fashion to Baltimore, and seems to be on the verge of the same kinds of resurgence that we hope for in Mobtown.

That post-industrial nature seemed to have a pretty healthy effect on the populace’s attitude toward beer also. While I was mostly meeting people related to work, they all seemed to have an interest in the fact that I am a brewer and I write about beer — maybe they were just beng nice to the beer geek, but maybe it’s an indication that the city has an innate interest in the proletariat’s beverage of choice. (more…)

Travel Report: Northern Colorado

Friday, February 27th, 2009

I recently had business in Northern Colorado, and managed to enjoy some finely crafted ales while there. The area is home to a relatively large number of breweries, especially in Fort Collins. New Belgium, O’Dell’s, and Fort Collins Brewery are all located near the campus of Colorado State University, nestled at the base of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Avery Brewing is in Boulder, Colorado; and Oskar Blues is in Lyons and produces Dale’s Pale Ale – the first canned microbrew. You can actually find Dale’s here in Baltimore at better package stores like the Wine Source.

While I didn’t get to any brewery tours this trip, I had the pleasure of checking out New Belgium’s state-of-the-art facility before Christmas 2007. Not only is it an amazing facility from a functional standpoint, it’s also the most aesthetically appealing brewhouse I’ve ever seen. The beer isn’t too shabby either. On this trip I rocked mostly the plethora of Pale Ale offerings of the region, starting with New Belgium’s Spring seasonal, Mighty Arrow Pale Ale. (more…)