FSSB #4 Beerneuring

[kmbader]

For my second beerneuring entry, I enjoyed a Red Ale from Rock Bottom – Ballston this evening, along with some pretzels and wings as you can see The red ale was tasty and balanced, not too hoppy for me

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[Bruno Moore]

Stupid gimmick time? Yes, I think it is. While I’m planning some epic breweryriding for the next week (maybe even dragging a parent or two out for some of it), there was one particular brewery combo I wanted to hit up just for the pure sleeze value…

District Chophouse and Brewery: *Dunkelweizen
There was a Caps game when I dropped by the brewery for HH, so I couldn’t score a seat at the bar—but no matter, I was thirsty, and was just fine with drinking my beer on my feet. After a botched CaBi half hour record attempt, I needed a beer. Now, a good Dunkelweizen is hard to find. Franklin’s had one this winter; a nice balance between the dark roasted malts—giving you the sharpness of a Schwartzbier—and the banana and clove flavors of a Weizenbier yeast, sharpness and spice playing off fruit and sweet malt.

Now, this one wasn’t quite that sublime, but it was still pretty durn good. Not overly roasty (a downfall of many a Dunkel I’ve had), perfectly quenching, just complex enough to satisfy your brain, not so much going on you couldn’t just down the thing if you were thirsty. In other words, it’s just what I needed.

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And now, for stupid gimmicks: if this is beerneuring, and I’m riding my bike places, then I guess I’m hopping on a CaBi, riding two blocks, and walking in the side door.

Gordon Bierch: Rauchbier

Now, Rauchbiere are interesting things. A good one is like a deliciously barbecued beer: perfectly balancing a strong yet sublime smoke flavor with malt sweetness and a bit of hop spice, just like proper Oklahoma barbecue melds oak/hickory smoke, meat sweetness, and spice from the dry rub or bologna spices. A bad one, though…it’s like getting a rack of ribs that’s been cooked according to the Book of Leviticus, no meat, no flavor, all jerky. So I had to try this one, in the hopes it’d be a good one.

Eh. Not the worst, but…eh. Too much smoke, not enough malt support. Yes, a Rauchbier should be smoky, but it should be more than just smoke, just as good barbecue should be as well. It’s the interplay of elements, of combining smoke with the base amber beer, that makes for a good one. This one…whatever. Something else next time. Still, can’t complain about the setting—the elegant and ornate lobby is a good place for a drink, even when packed with hockey fans.
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[Steve O]

Went to see the movie Merchants of Doubt with my son last night. So I thought, “Hey, that’s right by Gordon Biersch. I can get a beerneuring point.”
Then, “Dang! We’re metroing there. That doesn’t count.”

Then: “Bing! CaBi!” I checked back at the rules, and there does not appear to be a minimum ride distance. So I took a short CaBi ride to get me there.

I got the marzen, which was nice and drinkable. My son got the Rauchbier, which Bruno described. That one was more interesting.
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[Boomer Cycles]

I went to Bardo’s after the Vasa ride and tried the Imperial black ipa and dremo (dry-hopped), with a little help from my friends. Both were delicious. But then again, what wouldn’t be after cycling 76 miles?!

[Boomer Cycles]

Last week I stopped by Franklin’s in Hyattsville MD and took a test flight of their many concoctions. My favorites were the 13th Anniversary Larger and Oatmeal Stout. I really didn’t like the Cheery Picker, nor did I fancy much the Private IPA. The Hop Zen was OK. See the menu pic for a worthy description of their brews.

[Boomer Cycles]

I cut out early this afternoon to ride since it’s such a Beautiful day, and it dawned on me that I’ve yet to collect a beerneuring point at Cap City Brewery in Shirlington, even though I blast by on the nearby 4MR trail on a regular basis. So I stopped and ordered a Prohibition Porter. As the menu says “traditional English style ruby-brown Ale with pronounced chocolate malt character.” I couldn’t agree more. Especially the chocolate part. Delightful.

[Tania]

Who do I bribe to get on this team next year?

[Steve O]

Hey, Claeys! Boomer’s on a roll. How ’bout updating the standings for the final sprint?

[Bruno Moore]

@Steve O 111411 wrote:

Hey, Claeys! Boomer’s on a roll. How ’bout updating the standings for the final sprint?

Those standings are probably already out of date; Instagram suggests there are more than a few folks holding their cards close, marking opponents, and Watching.

Competitive brewery touring. Who woulda thunk it?

[Rockford10]

On Saturday I visited another Gordon Biersch location – near the Verizon Center. I had the Golden Export and it was very nice. It was cold and refreshing on such a miserable day.

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[Rockford10]

The adventure on Sunday lead to Lost Rhino brewery in Ashburn. I admit to not liking Lost Rhino beers in the past, but my trip to the brewery itself was lovely! They had many beers and some nice eats. I had something I can’t remember (oops!) and a milk stout. Both were very nice.

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[sjclaeys]

IMPORTANT – All Beerneuring entries must be posted on this thread by 11:59 EDT on Friday, March 20. I will go by the post time and date as indicated on this website. That is all (for now).

[Rockford10]

Are we really holding back all the recent beer rides? Well then.

Last Saturday also meant a visit to Right Proper off of Florida Avenue. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn’t eaten at Gordon Biersch right before. The Kick Kick Snare I had was very nice and sour, but it may have been too “fussy” for more than the half-pour I got. I would go back here again and try their food!

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Next up was Atlas Brew Works. It seemed like a nice place to hang out with friends on a rainy Saturday. While I can appreciate the beers, they were not necessarily something I would want to drink again. I got the sampler and liked the Saison des Fetes the most. I believe they were almost out of the Saison. Pizza truck rolled up as we rolled out.

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Finally, a trip to Bardo. I didn’t see other riders there or at Atlas, but I am sure they were out and about. I had the Chuck Brown Ale. I usually like brown ales, but this was a little bitter for my tastes. Next time, I would try something else. The brewery was, interesting. It was wet and soggy outside and the neighborhood was a little more up-and-coming than I frequent. No food.

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[Boomer Cycles]

I treated myself to a flight sampler (see menu pic) for lunch at Sweetwater in Merrifield VA to celebrate the end of BAFS2015. My favorite, by far, was the #33 Chipotle Porter. Very unique. And filling.

[Boomer Cycles]

Ok, since I drank one, I might as well go for a second. This time it’s the Oatmeal Stout at District Chophouse. Two thumbs up!

[Author]

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