Outlaw Drinkin' in Raleigh: Lonerider

The purveyors of Lonerider brews work hard to cultivate a virtual Old West atmosphere - note their website, with its frontier motif and the Deadwood-themed names of their concoctions (Peacemaker, Deadeye Jack, etc.).  A quick trip to west Raleigh last weekend to the tasting room, however, delivered the best of the saloon experience (no frills, wooden stools, undiluted spirits) without the pesky knifefights and lack of sanitation endemic to knocking back a few cold ones in 1849 (I would also note the lack of syphillis, but we weren't really there that long).

Ladies and gentlemen, the beer is excellent.  Yes, the lovely wife is fiercely attached to Shotgun Betty, Lonerider's Hefeweizen - I know, I know...you don't like "fruity beers" - Betty does not fit that description.  I know a few serious Guinness devotees that will steal one or two bottles from the wife's Shotgun six-pack if she doesn't pay attention.  In a moderately-sized offering, Lonerider covers a lot of ground.  A serviceable pale ale (Peacemaker) and the recent Great American Beer Festival (the big one) brown ale gold medal winner Sweet Josie would be enough to make the trip worthwhile - but the star of the show in October, at least, is the unique and spectacular Grave Robber Black IPA. 

You didn't leave the comfy confines of your sofa on Saturday afternoon watching college football to drive into a labyrinth of storage facilities to sip a half-assed, low-calorie, Lance Armstrong-endorsed wine cooler, did you?  No!  You came to find sustenance that reminds you why you were excited when the Flying Saucer opened in Raleigh and when Pop the Cap burst through the Bible Belt - and why you peruse high-quality beer journalism such as this blog.  I had never tasted a Black IPA, but it won't be the last time.  Imagine the freshest, best-drawn Guinness you've had blended perfectly with the freshest Dogfish 90-Minute you've tasted.  That's what I thought.  The only problem with this amazing brew is that it is what Lonerider refers to as its "Home Brew Winner", which means two things; first, the Lonerider guys may have had nothing to do with the recipe, and, secondly, that it will most likely only be available at the brewery.  Those of you who always go for the Double IPA at the bar or smirk at the dude that orders a Blue Moon in November (only slightly less OK than doing so in July) need to get your behind to Lonerider off Westgate Road in Raleigh (just east of the retail hellhole that is Brier Creek) and test your manhood with a Grave Robber before the rest of us knock it out.

Refreshment in Hotlanta - SweetWater Brewing

What to do on a sunny summer afternoon in the Capital of the South...tickets to the Braves game at 4, but time to burn in Atlanta beforehand...what's that, you say?  A brewery tour and tasting from the purveyor of the excellent SweetWater Blue and 420?  I guess if there's nothing else to do...

Actually, this Aces & Ales stop was planned some time ago - right after our trip to Georgia to see the Braves was scheduled and a quick check found that the brewery was located roughly halfway between our hotel in Buckhead and Turner Field.  Given A&A's great responsibility to its readers and the bias of my companion - my sister - whose husband is smitten by the 420 pale ale, heading to the brewery was a no-brainer.

Like smaller Triangle breweries Big Boss, Triangle Brewery and Fullsteam, SweetWater inhabits a non-descript warehouse district - few microbrewery startups have cash for high-profile locations - though much effort was put into the large tasting room to make it seem less like a brewery finishing floor and more like a regular bar. 

First off, they have bartenders - at least five - not the owners or volunteers pouring their brew.  Secondly, and not to be a beer snob, but all their beers are served ice cold.  Now, some folks may wonder why that is worth comment - after all, who wants warm beer, right?  Actually, most brewers will tell you that their beer is best flavored when served significantly warmer than the Bud or Mich Ultra you throw down out of your 'fridge.  That's why I first thought it unusual that the samples (actually 3/4 pint, one per ticket, six tickets and souvenir glass for $8) were served restaurant-cold.  Then the crowd started filling in, and I understood.

Apparently a Saturday trip to SweetWater is on the sorority to-do list; at least 40% of the crowd was female, sundressed, showed up on time and had no intention whatsoever of losing precious time to actually participating in the tour.  To be fair, however, the brewery holds the tour as an afterthought, using the tasting time to build interest in their beers so you can drop $6 a pint on one the next night at a local restaurant.

Oh, yes, the beers.  As mentioned earlier, I am a fan of both the Blue and 420 - particularly the 420, which is a VERY pale ale that could masquerade as a mild IPA if need be - and the other draughts available did not disappoint.  In fact, the Crank Tank Rye'd Ale and the Motor Boat ESB were highly drinkable but complex enough for the hop-savvy customer to appreciate - if a bit similar in finish.  In fact, the only drawback to the SweetWater palate, if it can be called that, is that their beers - of which I tried six - all have very similar character and depth.  Fortunately for SweetWater, those attributes are positive ones - but it would be admirable if the label took a bit more of an adventurous attitude occasionally (e.g. a barleywine, an imperial anything) now that they have a national foothold.  I would expect big things from SweetWater in the future, but not particularly fascinating ones. 
 

19th hole...and 20th...Part II - Fullsteam

The second leg of our Saturday tour took us west to the newly-opened Fullsteam Brewery tasting room, which proved to be unique in this reviewer's experience, not including their off-the-wall beers they offer.  I had followed Fullsteam's buildout for some time online and tasted its IPA, Sweet Potato, and Hickory Stout at other venues, but the tasting room has only been open for two weeks.  When one enters the establishment, the bar/tasting area is on the left and is reminiscent of your standard neighborhood bar, albeit rather plain and sterile-looking.  However, their "social area" is very laid-back and interesting - how else would you describe a large room whose contents are a ping-pong table, a multi-level deck/stage, a 1980s-era bowling arcade game, a Baywatch pinball machine, multiple picnic tables and a kiddie-level analog mechanical bull?  The beer, though, should play the pivotal role, and Fullsteam has a different, to say the least, approach to that.

The folks at Fullsteam tout their "plow-to-pint" philosophy for brewing beer - using local ingredients to create beers that you can't taste anywhere else.  Their signature brew, the Hickory Smoked Porter, is a good example.  Reportedly brewed to accompany North Carolina's beloved smoke-infused barbecue, the Porter is quite a beverage.  At first taste, you are overwhelmed with the fact that your throat now tastes like it does after standing next to a barbecue pit or pig cooker for five hours - which sounds great if you've actually done this and the delectable swine is in the offing soon - but, to be honest, is a bit too much after about 1/2 pint and no 'cue is immediately forthcoming.  I have to give it to the Fullsteam folks in that they fulfilled their mission here, and the beer is of good quality, but it's just too much for me personally.  It may be good with some good Barbecue Joint pork, but we'll have to wait to try that combo.

Fullsteam's other brews are acceptable (IPA, Carver Ale) and their setup is great - particularly in the fall when the open-air room is 70 degrees or so.  While their beer is an acquired taste (to be fair, they know this and state it plainly), their localvore leanings are admirable and their building is definitely worth a visit or two.

19th Hole...and 20th...Part I

We posited some months ago that it would require an early round for the Triangle Brewing Company tour in Durham to qualify as a 19th hole. Well, here at Aces & Ales we are willing to sacrifice to bring the ultimate in brewery information to our dedicated readers. Not only did your intrepid A&A editor make (barely) the TBC tour before last call after an early morning round at Quail Ridge, he joined fellow travelers for a double-header - a late-afternoon trek across the Bull City to visit the recently opened tasting room at Fullsteam Brewery.

The lovely wife and I invited friends to our Saturday afternoon brewfest, and they were suitably impressed with three things - the just-delivered TBC canning machine (yes, canned beer is better - it's all about air and light, or the lack thereof), its Canadian purveyor, who may very well have convinced our lovely wives to join him at the San Francisco beer equipment show next year (no, not the beer show, but the beer equipment show), and the newest TBC release, Imperial Amber.

Dave, my longtime ale-testing companion, who is not given to overstatement, practically gushed about the Amber upon my arrival. Our opinions about beer are not always in concert, but I have to agree that the Amber was one of the best high-gravity brews I've tasted in some time. Very smooth with a slight taste of dark cherry and a caramel finish, it reminds you you're drinking a high-alcohol beer, the Amber gives you a feeling you're enjoying a grown-up beer with no pretention (read: whiskey-like aftertaste). For a moment you imagine what it was like when beer was a requisite for around-the-Cape voyages along with hardtack and the occasional seabird - a beverage, yes, but one that demands more attention from your palate than your standard iced tea or Diet Coke.

Octoberfest Sighting!

O joy of joys! A rite of autumn was experienced today with the first sighting of Samuel Adams' Octoberfest brew in Durham. The golden moment was realized today at the Kroger on S. Roxboro St. (admittedly, an unlikely place for an epiphany) as I purchased a "Harvest Collection" variety pack that included two of the aforementioned harbringers of fall (the lovely wife was also pleased to find two of a new Sam's brew, Harvest Pumpkin Ale - I'm so proud of her). I also noticed an autumn offering from New Belgium (of Fat Tire fame), the invitingly named "Hoptober" - an Octoberfest-style with a hoppy character? I'll certainly have to include that one in the Aces & Ales seasonal beer review spectacular coming in early September. Stay tuned for details - don't grab a brew for the 'Fest without it.

Oktoberfest @ Carolina Brewery Sept. 25

The Aces & Ales crew has visited the Pittsboro Carolina Brewery location the past two years for its Oktoberfest celebration, and it's worth the drive. Live music, good food and, of course, one of A&A's favorite concoctions, the Brewery's Oktoberfest. Undoubtedly the most fun you'll have in Chatham County this year - make plans to join us on September 25 (it's also very kid friendly - bounce houses and other stuff).

Free Beer! Early Saturday Brew in Durham

Not really an 19th hole unless you play REALLY early, but the brewery tour and tasting at Triangle Brewery Company in downtown Durham is definitely worth a mention here. The lovely wife and I visited the friendly (and generous) folks at the warehouse on Pearl Street where they pour free samples - actually 3/4 pints - of all their current offerings. Yes, free. Yes, cornhole. Yes, ping pong. Yes, free. Yes, deck (well, loading dock). Yes, music. Yes, free (did I mention that?). Every Saturday. Yes, every Saturday at 1:30 PM. EVERY Saturday, and the owner/brewer is very cool. TBC has Aces & Ales' full endorsement for an easy early afternoon getaway.

Tiger and Golf

You do what you need to do.

Why We're Here

All literary and journalistic advice throughout history has centered on one simple instruction - write what you know. It didn't take much introspection to decide that I am not uniquely qualified but sufficiently motivated to take up a blog dedicated to the review of great golf and drinking destinations near and far. While we will try to focus on destinations in the Durham-Chapel Hill-Raleigh area, we cannot promise that our forays will not exceed the boundaries of the Old North State - though North Carolina's options for hacking and quaffing could keep a young man occupied through old age, as they continue to occupy me as I reluctantly move from one end of that spectrum to another.

I can't think of any better place to start this journey (other than Dugan's in Pinehurst, which I'll get to soon enough) than with the tools on the right, Dogfish Head Brewery's Squall IPA and Titleist's ProV1. We at the A&A are dedicated Dogfish fans, and the Squall fits well into their pallette of offerings as an unfiltered, somewhat muted version of the hammering 90-Minute IPA. The unfiltered nature of the beer adds some mellow notes, but if you've had the 90- or even the 60-Minute IPA, you know that if you don't like IPAs, a little bit of mellow may not move you enough. At any rate, it's in limited quantities and has been reputed (by the marketing guys - cough, cough) to age well. I'm not sure I like it better than the 60-minute, which I consider one of the best generally available craft brews, but it is different and any new Dogfish is welcome (see their website - we in NC don't even get half of what they actually brew).

What can you say about the ProV1, the marketing triumph that has convinced 25+ handicappers that they can add 50 yards to their drives and back 6-irons up 10 feet on the green (even if Golf Digest preaches that you really have to swing 110 mph in order to gain a real advantage by using it? It feels freaking great. I don't mean off the driver - most people, including me, don't see much of a difference - perhaps 10 yards - but it's the feel of the ball off the face of clubs from 7-iron under that makes the difference. Yes, it will check up quicker than your TopFlite on pitches, but you still have to be aggressive through the ball. It may sound stupid, but I notice the difference off my putter - it feels like I'm hitting one of the old Putt-Putt rubberized balls - it just feels better. Does it feel $45 a dozen better? Of course not - particularly when you balance that against what you feel when you launch one in the woods and remember that you just added $4 to your green fees...