Three From Mad Fox

After I finished shooting that exhausting pistol match, we made our way to Falls Church to join a friend for dinner at Mad Fox Brewing Company. I always look forward to a visit to Mad Fox, both for the tasty beers, and the good food. I actually debated quite a while before making my drink selection. All the beers sounded good, but I had a long, and late, drive home. One of these days, I'm going to get up there with enough time to enjoy more of the offerings, especially the wonderful sounding Barleywine Ales that Bill Madden is creating. Of course, we all would share tastes of our selections and that helped to ease the frustration of needing to limit my consumption.

I finally opted for Dingo IPA. This is described as an "American style" IPA, which means I could expect plenty of citrus hops in both the aroma and taste. And that's what I got! The aroma was citrusy with some fruit notes, and the flavor had a rich malt base with the citrus hops.

For her selection, Colleen ordered Diabolik Belgian Strong Ale. The flavor is ripe with yeast and citrus flavors. At 8.8% ABV, the small snifter glass full was plenty to get Colleen through her dinner.

Our friend picked Mad Fox's signature Kölsch. This is a crisp beer with a drying finish. There's a hint of grassiness and tartness in the flavor that results in an enjoyable, refreshing beer.

A Tasty Trio
Photo by C. Turley

Dinner started with the Frickles and a Soft Pretzel Twist. Both these appetizers were served with side "sauces" that were especially enjoyable. The fried pickles were accompanied by a spicy ranch dip. I found myself scraping the last bits off my plate after the Frickles were gone. The whole grain ale mustard served with the pretzel was especially zesty, and brought out several delightful exclamations as we ate.

Our group, as is typical, feasted on burgers and "Beer-BQ." The food was delicious and filling. I had finished my IPA just as the food was served, and was considering ordering a glass of Schwarzbier to accompany the "Bacon Jam" burger. Alas, the burger was so tasty, I had pretty much finished it before our waiter returned so I skipped trying the black lager on this visit. It probably made for an easier drive home at the end of a long tiring day. I'll have to go back.