Hoof Hearted Brewing – South of Eleven

Hoof Hearted Brewing (Marengo, OH)

Today I had a couple hours to kill, and I knew exactly where to go. I quickly decided to visit my favorite gastropub in Clintonville, OH, The Crest! The Crest is a newly renovated gastropub that has about sixty craft beer taps to choose from. About half of the taps are usually local Ohio brews as well. Along with all of the great beers on tap, they feature local wines and spirits as well. They also have a great selection of foods that use local and on site grown ingredients.

Today as I was scanning the beer list, I saw Hoof Hearted Brewing. It peaked my interest as I’ve never heard of them before. They had a couple of offerings, but as an extreme hop head, I landed on their South of Eleven Imperial India Pale Ale. It checked in at a hefty 10% ABV. As I received my tulip, it had a nice silky head with a dark golden color. I allowed my beer to breathe as I searched for a place to sit, The Crest is usually full of patrons seeking good drinks after all. I found myself on my own out on the patio on a brisk autumn evening. As I enclosed my nose in the glass, I immediately picked up on a smooth floral hop aroma. It was such a beautiful bouquet that I indulged my nose for a few more smells before letting my taste buds in on the joy this was bringing.

As I finally gave in, I was overjoyed with an amazing pine forward hop flavor. Piney hops are a great honor for me to taste in world of citrusy, west coast style India pale ales. The hop flavor was a quick punch of pine with a quick bitter bite that faded fairly quick. This flavor was a great compliment to the aroma of freshly fallen autumn leaves. Just as I finished my pour, it was cold enough to head inside and take care of the bill. As a bonus, The Crest was having an off hour special where drafts were 50% off!

Don’t forget to ‘Like’ Hoof Hearted Brewing at https://www.facebook.com/hoofheartedbrewing?ref=br_tf

and check up on their webpage at http://www.hoofheartedbrewing.com/

Also check out  The Crest Gastropub

2855 Indianola Avenue

Columbus, OH  43201

Visit them at www.thecrestgastropub.com, Give them a ‘Like’ on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheCrestGastropub

Here are their great daily specials:

Monday – half off appetizers and bar snacks.

Tuesday – a pie and a pint for only $10

Wednesday – burger and fries for $5, well liquors for $3, and Jackie O’s cans for only $3!

Thursdays – Tacos & Tequila. Two tacos (veggie, pork or beef) $4, tequila for $5, and Ohio drafts for $4

Sunday – All Ohio drafts are 50% off until midnight!!!

Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. – Gilbert, AZ’s First Microbrewery

At the time of it’s Grand Opening in early September 2013, Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. in Gilbert, AZ was the city’s first microbrewery.  I have followed these guys on Facebook from the time they were home brewing in their garages, through the early stages of planning their dream business, until now. I do not personally know them but judging by their Facebook posts and videos that they recorded during the building process of their brewery, they seem like really down to earth, hardworking guys who have a deep passion for craft beer. It is clear that they are highly inspired by the great, ever changing landscapes of Arizona, hence their name, Arizona Wilderness Brewing Company.

My wife and I arrived on a late Saturday morning, shortly after opening hours. We were immediately greeted by a cheerful and heavily bearded bartender and a chipper waitress. The environment was a welcoming semi-rustic, outdoorsy theme and I immediately felt at home. The waitress came over and began describing the beers to us. The final beer on the menu was the Bear Wallow Berliner Weisse. I hadn’t ever had a Berliner Weisse, which she described as being a sour beer. It intrigued me, so I ordered a full pint and I’m sure glad I did.

Upon receiving this ale, I was enamored with its bright yellow color, which seemed to glow in the naturally lit dining area. I held it up to my nose and began to waft and let the aroma infiltrate my senses. It had great citrus and wheat aroma, similar to that of a Hefeweizen, this is a wheat ale after all, however it was much more bold and that excited me.

I took a generous sip and held it in my mouth for what seemed like a blissful eternity. I experienced a rush of flavors. The sourness was at the forefront, yet not overpowering. It was pleasant, not a sickly puckering sourness. I tasted lemon and some grapefruit notes with great citrus acidity. It was complex and vibrant as I agitated the sip in my mouth, chewing and releasing a myriad of amazing flavors. It had a tart finish and I couldn’t have been happier with my choice. This ale has a very low alcohol content, clocking in at 3.2%, only proving that a beer doesn’t have to be an imperial booze bomb to be complex and delicious.

I also had a small sampler of their other beers on tap after the Bear Wallow Berliner Weisse, and they all were simply fantastic. I especially liked their Big Rye Guy Rye IPA. It was big and bold but easily drinkable with the right amount of rye spiciness. Other beers they offered were a Witbier, West Coast Style IPA, a great Pale Ale, and an Amber ale which was hoppier than most beers of its’ style.

Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. also has a somewhat small food menu, but the food choices are unique and they give you plenty of extra options to make each dish distinct. They do suggest food and beer pairings, but I didn’t pay much attention to them as I was still reeling from the excellence of the Bear Wallow Ale. My wife and I both agreed that the food was delicious. I am excited to revisit Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. to try each and every one of their beers.

Cheers and a big thank you to everyone at Arizona Wilderness Brewing Company for the hospitality, great food and amazing beers. See you soon!

Check Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. out on Facebook and give them a “LIKE” @ http://www.facebook.com/azwbc

ARIZONA WILDERNESS BREWING CO.

721 N. ARIZONA AVE. #103
GILBERT, AZ 85233

HOURS:

MON-THURS: 11AM-11PM
FRI – SAT 11AM-1AM
SUN 11AM-10PM

HAPPY HOUR: $1 OFF PINTS

MON-FRI: 4-7PM ALL DAY SUNDAY!

Comments, concerns, suggestions?

Message me @ broffi_1027@hotmail.com or http://www.facebook.com/brodie.fitch

Weekend Beer Events at the Jersey Shore

Carton Brewing (Atlantic Highlands, NJ) – 077XX Zip Code Tour

Friday September 20, 2013 – 6:00 pm

Carton brewing will be featuring unique dry-hopped versions of their amazing 077XX DIPA (“0-dub”) at some of the best beer bars in New Jersey.  You can join the Carton folks on this unique van tour and treat your palate with these rare one-offs.  Seats will be filled on a first come first served basis.

The tour will leave from the brewery (6 E Washington Ave. Atlantic Highlands, NJ 07716), and includes the following stops:

1. Maloney’s (07747 Galaxy) Matawan

2. Bond Street Bar (07712 Centennial) Asbury Park

3. Ron’s West End Pub (07740 Simcoe) Long Branch

4. Jamian’s (07701 Apollo) Red Bank

5. Boyle’s Tavern (07750 Nelson Sauvin) Monmouth Beach

6. Barcade (077-07302 Warrior) Jersey City

7. Cloverleaf Tavern (077-07006 Sorachi Ace) Caldwell

8. Chubby Pickle (07732 Cascade) Highlands

Get more information here:

http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=d19a01f8684f6875a07560cf2&id=55d7596333

or email tours@cartonbrewing.com

www.cartonbrewing.com

Kane Brewing Co. (Ocean, NJ) – 2nd Anniversary Celebration

Saturday September 21, 2013 – 12:00 pm

Congratulations to the staff at Kane Brewing Co. on their 2nd Anniversary this past August.  Be sure to join them on Saturday to show your support to this amazing local brewery.  To celebrate, Kane will be featuring 17 specialty and rare beers, check out this amazing list:

1. Seven Hundred Thirty – 2nd Anniversary ale
2. Three Hundred Sixty-Five – 1st Anniversary ale
3. Barrel Aged 365 – 1st Anniversary ale aged 1 year in barrels
4. A Night to End All Dawns – Imperial dark ale aged in barrels
5. A Night to End All Dawns COFFEE – with Rook Coffee Roasters
6. Apiary – Farmhouse Saison w/ local wildflower honey
7. Apiary Brett – Secondary fermentation w/ brettanomyces
8. Barrel Aged Overhead – IIPA aged in bourbon barrels
9. Barrel Aged Solitude – Belgian Dark Strong aged in bourbon barrels
10. Double Dry Hopped Head High – with Citra
11. Double Dry Hopped Ripple – with Nelson Sauvin
12. Malus Vintage 2012 – Belgian Dark Strong with local apple cider
13. Mosaic Overhead – IIPA double dry hopped with Mosaic
14. Silent Nights Vintage 2011 – Imperial Stout
15. Silent Nights Vintage 2012 – Imperial Stout
16. Sour Blonde – Tart Belgian-style ale aged in oak dry hopped with East Kent Goldings
17. Sea Change – 100% Brettanomyces fermented American pale ale dry hopped with Citra and Mosaic

www.facebook.com/KaneBrewing

www.kanebrewing.com