Site and Personal Updates
May 14, 2010 at 21:37 | Nor Cal Beer Guy I'm out here in Richmond, VA, for a week visiting friends, hence the lack of activity on the site over the last few days. Been here three days and I'm already feeling thirsty for California. I guess 90% humidity does that to a person.
The beer scene out here is hard to get a bead on. I go to stores (even the one natural food store in the area) and while the beer selection is alright, it's nothing to write home about. Half of the selections are Sierra Nevada or Bell's. Not that I'm complaining about those two, but I was hoping there would be a little more variety and something that I can't get all the time in California. I've become spoiled living in the Bay Area.
I checked out Legend Brewing here in Richmond and the smell coming from that place reminded me of the Ram Brewery in Seattle, lots of cooking grain. The food was pretty decent and the MaiBock I had was a little on the buttery side, but all in all a good place to go. Their giant porch was perfect for the weather which was hot a muggy. It smelled like cigarettes inside, someone told me they were banned but people still light up in some places, hence us outside (plus it was porch weather). I was sad not to see their mobile taps vehicle at the 5k Mud Run the following day, instead it was Miller and Coor's, but I guess they weren't invited.
Just hit up the Capital Alehouse in downtown Richmond and if I lived here that would be my hangout for sure. They had I don't know how many taps pouring beer from god knows where, plus a great bottle selection. Their glasses come in 12oz and 23oz which seemed silly to me. Sitting there with a 12oz glass? Shots anyone? Why more places don't stick to the 20oz Imperial as a standard is beyond me. It makes the beer look good, it holds well, and it's the perfect amount. Want less because it's a barleywine? Get a 10oz snifter. There, done.
Tomorrow I'm heading for Dogfish Head out in Delaware (sweet, I'm in Delaware) to pick up some bottles for back home and check out the place. The tour reservations are all booked but I'm hoping someone gets a flat tire on the way to the Brewery and a slot opens. After that, I hope to visit Clipper City Brewing in Baltimore and get better hold on their Heavy Seas line, it tastes great and I can't find it anywhere on the West Coast.
Off to bed, I promise to take lots of pictures...
As for the site? A new, better map should be up sometime soon. And I'm looking into overnight brewery tours on bio-diesel buses for Northern California. I'll keep you posted!
Reader Comments (2)
Hopefully you checked out Mekong in Richmond. THE best beer bar in Richmond, by far.
Let me know what you thought of the Heavy Seas crew! (formerly known as Clipper City). Great beer, great people.
Tried to go to Clipper City but they only do tours certain days of the week. The beer is amazing and I wish I could drag one of those mixed 12-packs back with me on the plane. Still recuperating so tonight it's Rogue chocolate stout and vanilla ice cream. Yum!