Beerneuring – BAFS 2020

[sjclaeys]

Do you like to bike? Do you like beer? If so, this side bet is for you. I refuse to call this a pointless prize because: 1) there are points; and 2) there is nothing pointless about either riding a bike or drinking a beer.

The rules are simple:

1. Ride your bike to a brewery or brewpub. I estimate that there are over 50 breweries or brewpubs that can be reached by bike from DC, over 10 of them are in DC. Some of them have left us since last year (RIP Mad Fox), but there are also new ones (special shout out to Settle Down Easy, though biking their is a bit tricky).
2. Acquire a beer brewed at that location.
3. Take a picture of the beer.
4. Taste the beer.
5. Post on this thread the picture of the beer, the name of the beer, the location, and a comment about the beer. It can be anything from “tastes mostly like beer” to “the hop aroma contained grapefruit pith and apricot that was matched by a good malt backbone, which added a hint of graham cracker”. If any of these are missing from your post, you don’t get a point. Rules are rules.
6. Whomever posts entries from the most number of breweries or brewpubs by the end of Freezing Saddles wins!
7. You get an extra point if you number each of your posts.
8. Cider and mead count. Wine, distilled spirits, kombucha, or anything else not beer, cider or mead do not count.
9. The winner will receive a bottle of beer that reflects the nature of the competition. If only a few participate and the winner had 3 entries, then you will get a good bottle but nothing super special. If the competition is heated and the winner has 30 entries, then I will do my best to get something special.
10. New Rule – The winner or their proxy must be at the closing happy hour to receive their prize. Otherwise, I will drink your prize.

A few further clarifications:

1. BE SAFE! No riding while under the influence. If you rode your bike to the brewery but find that you need to get a ride or take Metro home, the entry still counts.
2. You can go to more than one brewery on a ride, but see above.
3. The beer must be made at that location. Having a 3 Stars at the local bar does not count.
4. Some brewpubs have more than one location. A trip to each location counts as long as the beer is made at that location.
5. Keep in mind that this competition is to visit the most number of breweries and brewpubs. Once you visit and have a beer at a brewery or brewpub, then you cannot post another entry for that brewery or brewpub, even if you go back later and try a different beer.
6. It is not required, but try to go on at least one brewery tour. Fun, educational and you usually get to sample beer.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]20560[/ATTACH]

Topic

[reji]

Feb 9 at Ono Brewing in Chantilly. Cool vibes and self service pours. You pay for what you pour here…want more than a taster but less than a 1/2 pour? No problem, just pour 5, 6 or 7 ounces…whatever you want. I got the Hazy Ivan, a DIPA. Citrusy and bright with moderated hoppiness.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]21135[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]21136[/ATTACH]

[bikedavid]

Beerneuring #7: Elder Pine

Continuing with the Maryland Brewery Farm series, I tagged along with Eric for his ride to Elder Pine. Not too surprising based on the name but they have a Nordic and pine theme with their beers. Got a flight consisting of a couple of sours, A Sun That Never Sets and In Awe of Blackberry Mango, and a couple of hazy IPA, Treemeister and Vague Illusions. Particularly liked the Sun That Never Sets with the passion fruit and raspberry–tart and a bit sweet. Also the Treemeister which was a solid hazy IPA. Vague Illusions was interesting though for the pine after-taste and the Blackberry Mango with an oaty after-taste.

Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk

[jrenaut]

S.C.A.M. Alert – IPA: Pretty basic IPA. Pleasant. Not hazy so that’s good
[ATTACH=CONFIG]21147[/ATTACH]

Private IPA: better than the SCAM Alert.

Big family ride – the top four kids on the Pointless Kids leaderboard rode from Brookland (Some from Columbia Heights) out to Franklin’s. Multiple playground stops. A good time was had by all.

[jrenaut]

Rye Not: Rye-y. Good. I wish I remembered some of my sign language

[ATTACH=CONFIG]21148[/ATTACH]

So-Hy-Pa: pretty solid IPA. This had been a day of solid IPAs.

[lordofthemark]

Beerneuring #8 Silver Branch

Well this one was an interesting ride. Riding north through DC is always interesting (I did 15th to W to 11th to Kansas to 3rd) Managed to get to a couple of Our Streets reports in, including the jackpot, a car parked in the 15th street cycle track. Getting from 3rd and Blair to DTSS is always “interesting”. DTSS itself has been transformed in terms of bike infra since I was last there – I rode the Cedar/Spring and Second Avenue PBLs, and got to experience the protected intersection – in fact I couldn’t resist riding around it a couple of times.

Silver Branch was fine. Service was more “eager” than I’m used to at microbreweries. Sadly for a place with such an excellent bike infra location (across the street from the second avenue PBL) there was no bike parking I could find so I locked to a fence.

Sacred Table, a Belgian Single

Clear dark straw, nice white head. Belgian yeast. clove, lightly fruity, maybe a hint of banana or plantain. Taste is soft, a bit of tang after the spice, some malt. Smooth and very pleasant

Chronicle. A stout (they call it a tropical stout)

Pours nearly black, medium brown head. Aroma is light mocha, leaning to espresso, touch of plum? Cocoa much stronger on the taste. Fairly one note, but pleasant enough. Very smooth creamy mouthfeel.

(pic to follow)

[lordofthemark]

Beerneuring #9 Astro Lab

So this is sort of the opposite bike conditions – its in a less bikeable part of DTSS, and is right on Georgia Avenue which had lots of riders, all taking the sidewalk. But there were nice progressive bike racks right in front – yay!

Supergroove, a New England IPA

Quite hazy, big white head. Aroma is lots of tropical fruit. Mango, touchvof citrus. Taste is soft, fruity, specialty sweetness. Pleasant, not super complex, though some interesting notes on the finish.

Peekaboo Mosaic – an IPA

Pours hazy yellow, thin white head. Aroma is subtly dank,range of fruit and pine notes. Not sure I can recognize passionfruit. Taste has some bitterness, some grapefruit, some softer tropical notes. More of a middle of the road IPA.

I forgot to take a picture. Since I am not going to win anyway, ¯_(ツ)_/¯ I am still going to number this as my ninth brewery, and will number my tennext (where I hope to remember to take a pic) as ten.

[kwarkentien]

Baltic Porter at Port City. Quite a nice start to my morning/afternoon.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[reji]

Feb 16 at Streetcar 82. Got the Geaux Nuts, a pecan IPA. Yum! Not too sweet, a little hoppy and malty. Beautifully balanced.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]21204[/ATTACH]

[reji]

Feb 16 at Denizens in Riverdale. Got the Southside, a rye IPA. Not very spicy, lots of grapefruit and piney notes
[ATTACH=CONFIG]21205[/ATTACH]

[bikedavid]

Beerneuring #8: Denizens

Had a Suffragette Stout. It’s supposed to be a chocolate raspberry stout with coffee notes but the coffee stood out more. Would have preferred a bit more chocolate and raspberries.

Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk

[bikedavid]

Beerneuring #9: Astro Lab

Stopped by Astro Lab. They have a large selection of IPA so thought I should try a couple of them. Tried the No Mates – Amarillo and No Mates – Taiheke. Preferred the Amarillo which was bright and zesty but the Taiheke which was more grassy was good too.

Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk

[jrenaut]

Saugatuck Brewing Co Neopolitan Milk Stout: As advertised. Not too heavy

[ATTACH=CONFIG]21217[/ATTACH]

Paled It pale ale: very piney and crisp

[jrenaut]

Fearless the Idiot IPA – Had to get a second pour because the first was full of sediment. They were happy to oblige and the second was quite pleasant

[ATTACH=CONFIG]21218[/ATTACH]

[jrenaut]

The One IPA – a little soapy, but not in a terrible way

[ATTACH=CONFIG]21219[/ATTACH]

Mojito blonde ale – Wow. Just wow. Can’t really put this one into words

[jrenaut]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]21220[/ATTACH]

Bright White Ale – Belgian. Nice, not too heavy.

We were in Kalamazoo for my father-in-law’s 80th birthday – met him and his brother at Bell’s for a pint.

[Author]

Replies