Beer Spot: Andy’s Corner Bar

Everyone wants to have their version of Moe’s Tavern.  For those of you not down with The Simpsons, I will explain.  Moe’s Tavern is Homer Simpson’s go to spot after heroically stopping a meltdown at the power plant or when he has got to work out one of his schemes.  It is the place that offers him what he loves most…..beer.  He can go to Moe’s and relax with some buddies.  Moe’s is a place where everyone knows your name (where have I heard that before?)  Andy’s Corner Bar is that kind of place.

Andy’s is by no means dingy and sort of depressing like Moe’s Tavern is; it is actually a cool place to hang out.  The bar is in Bogota, NJ and a is a hidden gem.  It’s not a flashy trendy bar and if you didn’t know it was there, you’d probably drive (or walk) right by it.  Trust me, you’d better make it a point to stop in.

Andy’s has new beers coming in all the time, so the draft list changes pretty constantly.  Especially if there is a cool new beer that is out (first place I had an Ommegang Aphrodite on tap) or some fan favorite.  They also have beers in cask, which is usually a sign that the place knows what it is doing.  They also have a full regular bar with spirits and that sort of stuff.  I’m a beer nerd, so I’m not up on all the spirits they have, but I’ll trust that they have some good stuff available.

There is also a fully stocked beer fridge if you want to switch it up from the drafts and crack a bottle.  Just like the taps, the fridge is always changing and has really good beers.  I’ve had an Aventinus, Southern Tier Creme Brulee, and other stuff I cannot remember.  As an added bonus, you can always take some bottles home with you, if you liked what you saw.

Andy’s also has promo nights from time to time.  Breweries do a tap take over kind of thing and you can sample the tasty goodness they bring with them.  Those are always fun, but you usually want to get there early because it will get full pretty quick.  I was lucky enough to chat with a rep from Ommegang when they were there a while back and the guy (can’t remember his name) talked beer with us.  I’m looking forward to the next promo night.

If you are in Jersey and are looking for a place to have a good beer, make your way to Andy’s Corner Bar.  The owner George, is a nice guy who is usually behind the bar.  He is knowledgeable about beer and will talk beer with you.  I’ve got a link to the Andy’s website at the bottom of the post, so you can check on the latest offerings on tap.  I’ll see you there!

 

Andy’s Corner Bar

http://andyscornerbar.blogspot.com/

Home Brewing

Got some news for everyone, I’m going to start home brewing.  I just got my license, so it is all legal and all good, so I am jumping into the fray.  Hopefully, it all goes well and I can make some quality beers at home.  For my first home-brew, I bought a home brewing kit from the Brooklyn Brewshop; it is a peanut butter porter.  I’ll take some pics and let you know how it turns out in the end.

I’ll also rate the home brewing kits and ingredients I buy and use.  Hopefully I can offer some insights to other home brewers or aspiring home brewers.

If anyone reading this is a home brewer, let me know because I am positive I will have questions and be looking for advice and tips.  Once I get more comfortable, I will also be looking for some recommendations on recipes and ingredients.  I am pretty excited to start home brewing, so follow along on my trials and tribulations.  Wish me luck!

 

Cheers!

 

Eisbock

One of my favorite beers is Aventinus from Schneider-Wiess, so I had to do a post about the Eisbock.  I’ve had the Eisbock once before, but to be honest didn’t want to do a review from memory.  So, I did what any beer nerd does…..went and bought the beer.  The Eisbock is a little hard to find; I haven’t seen it around all that much, so when in doubt just buy the beer.

The beer poured a dark brown color; it looks like cola.  The pour produced some creamy beige head that dissipated pretty quickly.  The ABV on this bad boy is a healthy 12%, so you know it is a sipper.

The aroma is classic dark fruits and raisins.  The aroma also had some cherry-like sweetness, so a little tart smelling.  There was also some brown sugar sweetness to it as well.  It’s one of those beers you want to keep smelling.  (I just noticed what an odd little sentence that was and it would only come from a beer nerd).  Moving on……

The mouthfeel was really slick, so very easy to drink.  The carbonation on it was good too because it left that carbonation tingle after every sip. It had the dark fruit sweetness, as expected from the aroma.  It also had some wine like tartness; very much like the cherry tartness I got in the aroma.  The 12% ABV is very well hidden.  If I hadn’t seen it on the bottle, I would have never known it was big on ABV just by tasting.  However, after finishing the glass I had really good buzz going.

Verdict: Fill It!  This was an easy Fill It because Aventinus is awesome.  I will absolutely have another one of these.  This beer is very enjoyable and perfect for just lounging around the house and watching some TV.    This beer is flat-out delicious and you should buy one.

Amber Waves

During this intermission, I thought I’d do a review of Amber Waves.  On our trip to Hawaii, we were able to spend some time in San Francisco and I was able to visit 21st Amendment Brewery (you know a Beer Spot post is coming).  This beer was actually my second choice because at the brewpub they were all out of the Hell or High Watermelon.  I’ve been on the hunt to try to get some, but have had no luck yet, but  I digress.

Amber Waves had a good amber color, so it stays true to its name.  To be honest, I couldn’t notice a lot of head because it came from tap.  The brewpub was packed, so we were standing and I had start drinking immediately.   The ABV on the big board was 5%, so a good choice with dinner.

The aroma was all malts, nothing crazy, but the always welcomed smell of malts.  There was also some caramel notes as well.

This brew had some good malty bitterness which was just enough for me.  The caramel notes in the aroma also follow the brew in the taste.  The caramel added a slight sweetness, so this brew felt pretty well-balanced. This brew was very drinkable.

Verdict: Fill It!  I liked this amber ale.  I’m sure you can tell because the glass is half full and not the usual full glass shot.   It was the perfect beer to enjoy while my wife and I waited for our table in the brewpub.  It wasn’t too bitter or too light on bitterness.  This is a very solid beer that you guys should try if you get the chance.

Intermission

I thought this would be a good time to take a brief intermission in the Hawaii Beer Series.  I thought I’d post a couple of non-Hawaiian beers to be an amuse-bouche (that’s for my Top Chef fans).  Don’t worry I have plenty Hawaii beer reviews to still post!

Cheers!

P.S. Quick thanks to everyone that is now following me on twitter!  If you aren’t already following, you should be!  @fillitorspillit

Sunset Amber Ale

This brew comes from the Hawaii Nui Brewing Co in Hilo on the Big Island.  I had it when I stopped in at Humpy’s Alehouse on the Big Island, which was a cool spot (review forthcoming).  I thought the name was pretty dope, so I figured why not give it a try.  Cool things usually have cool names, right?

I had the Sunset Amber on tap, so when it came to me I could see some nice frothy head.  The head seemed to enjoy the beautiful day, so it decided to stick around for a while.  This beer had a deep caramel-hued amber color.  The ABV is 5.45%, so it was a laid back beer.  The aroma was really pleasant.  It was a light malty aroma with some subtle caramel notes.

The mouthfeel was good, it had a light to medium body.  It wasn’t heavy at all, but had enough body that I felt satisfied drinking it.  I could definitely have had a couple of these.  It had some hints of malt, with a slight bitterness.  The bitterness was enjoyable.  It was like having some buffalo wings with the right amount of spice in the sauce.  I also picked up some slight caramel flavor too.

Verdict: Fill It!  I really liked this amber ale.  It was a nice intro to what Hawaii Nui brewing has going on over in Hilo.   Sunset Amber was perfect for sitting out in the amazing Hawaii weather and enjoying the gorgeous views.  It was a change from the lighter beers I had while in Hawaii.  The sad part is I wasn’t able to visit the brewery in Hilo.  Next time I’m on the Big Island, I’m definitely going to plan a visit to Hilo and visit the good folks at Hawaii Nui.

Poll

Hula Hefeweizen

This brew I first tasted as part of a sampler (the same one Mauka/Makai was in).  It is brewed by the good people at Kona Brewing and served at their brewpub.  My wife and I were fascinated by the prospect of a banana hefeweizen, so we called on Kona Brewing to see what they had for us.  Just a note, pay no mind to that empty snifter in the pic; I had to warm up my beer drinking engines.

The beer had some fluffy white head that had some good staying power.  It was served with a wedge of lemon that gave me that “I’m so in Hawaii” feeling I loved.  It had a nice banana yellow color; showing this beer had character.

As expected it smelled just like banana, but not manufactured banana.  Just like you guys, I hate that cheap “Let’s make it taste like _____” that happens with beer and food sometimes.  None of that going on here.  It smelled like fresh fruit and it made me want to eat it instead of drink it, but I digress.  It had a little something extra like a little citrus kick.

The taste was b-a-n-a-n-a-s! (a poor attempt at an Eminem reference). The banana flavor was really good, the right amount of flavor.  It also had some wheatyness to it.  The wheatyness was welcomed; it balanced out the banana flavor nicely.  Subtle citrus in there, but I had to “chew” the beer to pick it up enough to notice it.  The body was full, but not as full as I expected which made it really drinkable.

Verdict: Fill It! I was really into this beer.  It was perfect for the trip.  I had one of these while I stuffed my face full of food at the brewpub.  My wife really liked this beer too, one of her favorites while we were on vacation.  Bananas are pretty filling, so I thought this beer might be hard to finish, but not the case at all.  Hula Hefeweizen is a really good beer on vacation.  I was hoping I could find this in a 6-pack while over there, but no luck.  Mahalo Kona!

Hawaii Beer Spot: Maui Brewing Tasting Room & Brewpub

You guys are going to get two for one today.  This post is going to be about the Maui Brewing Co.  brewpub and tasting room, which are two different locations.  Like I said before, even on vacation I am going to be on a beer hunt, looking for delicious new beers to try.  What better place to try new beers than a tasting room and a brewpub?

My wife and I wanted to take the brewery tour, since the brewery was really close to where we were staying.  I called up the number to make a reservation for the tour.  The guy who answered the phone said the tour cost $10, but we get a flight of beer (each) and a token for a free beer at the brewpub.  Who is going to say no to that?

We made the short trip to the brewery tasting room and walked in.  The tasting room is basically a cool little bar with a few taps, some merch on the walls, and a cool laid back vibe.  The guy behind the bar was a cool guy, Owen who seemed like somebody you’d want to sit down and have a beer with.

The tour of the brewery was cool, our tour guide Buck was a guy that looked like he had all sorts of beer knowledge.  He told us about the brewery, how the brew, and the importance of sustainability.  Maui Brewing uses cans because it is easily recyclable and keeps broken beer bottles off of the beautiful beaches. In the world we live in, it is great to see people are still out there doing something that helps everyone.  For those of you out there thinking that the beer in the cans probably tastes like aluminum….not true.  The beer inside those Maui Brewing Co. cans is delicious!

After the tour, we went back into the tasting room for a couple of beers.  There was homebrewing talk going on, which is always interesting to listen to.  Owen told us that the brewpub has a bunch of beers on tap and it is a place we definitely had to check out, which you know I did.   Another plus of the tasting room is you can buy some of the appetizing cans seen on the brewery tour.

The brewpub was dope spot.  It has a really laid back feel to it, definitely a place to kick it and just drink beer.  It has tables, picnic tables, or if you prefer a bar with flat screens behind it showing sports.   There was also an over-sized chalkboard with all sorts of beer on it.  I am a little sad I didn’t get to drink them all, but such is life I suppose.

The food menu looked good; pub food.  My wife had the Local Plate, which was pork, rice, and mac salad.  Side note: if you are ever in Hawaii please buy some mac salad, my new favorite side dish.  Mac salad is basically potato salad with macaroni and other miscellaneous ingredients (depending who is making it). I had the fish and chips, which was good.  I had a couple of beers (reviews will be up soon) that I definitely wish I could find back home.

My visit to the Maui Brewing Co. tasting room and brewpub was a great experience.  Next time I am in Maui, you better believe I am stopping in for some beers.  If you are going to be in Maui definitely put these two places on your itinerary.

 

http://www.mauibrewingco.com/mbc/MBCHome.html

 

Lahaina Town Brown

The third beer in the Hawaii series.  Another brew from the fine people over at Maui Brewing.  I tried this at the Maui Brewing Brewpub (review will be up soon). I don’t drink too many brown ales, but I was impressed by the beers I had from Maui Brewing.

This brew pours a nice deep brown color.  It had a frothy, white head that stuck around for a little while.  The head settles  and forms an almost  foam-like coating on the beer.  The carbonation is about average, but the beer showed life.  The ABV is 5.2%, so it was just right with my fish and chips.

The aroma was roasted malts.  The scent of roasted malt was really smelled fresh like the malts had just been roasted and the beer was brewed right before I got there.  I could also pick up some subtle hints of chocolate in the beer, which is always welcomed.

As you can already imagine the taste is all malts.  It had a slick feeling to it.  I like how light it felt without making me feel empty afterwards.  The bitterness wasn’t as strong as I anticipated, which was also good.  I also picked up some chocolate notes that worked well with the roasted malt taste.

Verdict: Fill It! As I mentioned before, I don’t drink a lot of brown ales, but I really like this one.  The brown ales I have always had a muted, but bitter taste that I didn’t like too much.  This brown ale was a nice companion to the dinner I was having over at the brewpub.  If all other brown ales were as enjoyable as this on, I’ll be drinking a lot more of them.  If you are at the brewpub (or can find this somewhere), I would check it out.