The Beer Menu Matters Too

I was looking forward to hitting my favorite brewpub last Friday evening. Apparently, so was the rest of the town. When we pulled up, cars were backed up onto the street just trying to get into the parking lot. Apparently the "Mardi Gras" menu was a hit. Good for the pub, bad for us. We turned around to look for another dinner spot. We stopped by another local pub that we hit on occasion, which can usually be counted on to have a decent craft beer selection.

Almost without fail, in any restaurant, my first question concerns the accuracy of the posted menu. In this case I was particularly interested in knowing if there were any beers not listed, so I asked "Is this list complete?" and received a reply in the affirmative. Colleen asked for the "Devil's Backbone" Kilt Flasher but was informed that selection was not available. (The brewery's name is actually Devils Backbone, with no apostrophe.) I had also intended to get the Scotch Ale so I opted for the Port City Porter while Colleen perused the menu further. She settled on the Avery White Rascal.

A few minutes later, the waitress returned to apologize that the White Rascal was also no longer available. We laughed (really, we did) and Colleen selected the Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald "Stout." Edmund Fitzgerald is actually a Porter, not a Stout, though that point was moot, since it too was out. Growing frustrated, we asked what they actually had. At that, the waitress informed us they just added a beer that wasn't listed, Devils Backbone Dark Abby. (I thought we settled the question of completeness previously?) "It's a Stout," she said. I knew better, and quickly told Colleen that she'd like that one, so it was ordered. Dark Abby is a Dubbel, not a Stout. A short while later, the waitress returned with our two beers, and the cider selected by our dining companion.

I relate this tale, not to disparage the establishment, which was one of the first local pubs to actually serve craft beer. The beers we got, though our second and fourth choices, were enjoyable, and the food was tasty. My purpose is to lament the casual attention to detail that beer menus often get, even at places that make a point to "do" craft beer. It's doubtful that a restaurant would put a food menu in front of a customer and not mention the selections that were unavailable. And of course, the entrées would be labeled correctly. They wouldn't label chicken as pork, even if they are both "white meat."

Beer runs out, and selections change, and I accept that. Heck, I pretty much expect it. It's why I start my selection process by inquiring about the menu accuracy. Unfortunately, in this instance it didn't make the process any easier. We still had a fun evening. We had a some extra laughs over the menu and the ordering difficulties, and there was fodder for Musings. And there's always next time.

Update: I noticed on the pub's Facebook page that two days before our visit they announced they had also tapped Old Speckled Hen, Sweetwater 420 Extra Pale Ale, and Great Lakes Conway's Irish Ale. I think I would have enjoyed those. Note to self: Check a pub's FB page before venturing out.

J. Brian's Back Yard

We met a couple of friends for dinner Friday evening at J. Brian's Tap Room in downtown Fredericksburg. J. Brian's is one of the older, if not the oldest, good beer pubs in town. They served good craft beers before other local establishments did, and well before specialty bars like Capital Ale House come to town. I haven't visited in a while, but I recall drinking many pints of Bell's Two Hearted Pale Ale there when it was a rare treat to find anything other than BudMillerCoors in the area.

J. Brian's offers 20 beers on tap. This evening the selection featured a diverse list including Start Hill Starr Pils, Avery White Rascal, New Belgium Fat Tire, and one listed just as "Burning River IPA." I opted for the mystery IPA. I figured I'd take a chance even though I couldn't place the name. After the first sip I realized the beer wasn't an India Pale Ale, but actually a Pale Ale. It was quite tasty, enough so that I stopped thinking about the name, and just enjoyed it. The beer was good and I didn't feel like going all beer geek at dinner.

It wasn't until we got in the car to drive home that it clicked. "Burning River, now I remember, that's Great Lakes!", I said to Colleen. Great Lakes Brewing Company has been distributed in Virginia since February of this year, and I've picked up various six-packs of the brewery's beers, but this was the first time I've enjoyed any Great Lakes beer on draft.

As noted, Great Lakes Burning River is a Pale Ale, not an IPA. The beer is a bright copper color with a pleasing aroma of floral hops and caramel malt. The flavor is crisp citrus with a substantial malt base. The finish is mildly bitter and dry. It's quite an enjoyable and balanced pale ale. Despite the mistyped menu, I enjoyed the beer and ordered another to accompany my dinner.

We had a very enjoyable evening dining outdoors. J. Brian's has a new outdoor seating area, in a courtyard behind the restaurant. It makes for a very pleasant atmosphere, especially with the mild breeze that was a constant during our meal.

I resisted the temptation to whip out my phone and take a picture of my beer as I do so often, so no pics. This time.