Author: Chris Elliott

Craft in the Flats

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, Brewery, RestaurantsLeave a comment

It is getting difficult to keep up. A new one is popping up left and right. Again, Cleveland welcomes another new brewery in the city. Collision Bend Brewing Co. opened up last week on Cleveland’s East Bank of the Flats. The Flats has received a well talked about makeover in the last few years and this brewery adds to the revitalized area. The place was once known as the Watermark and sits right on the water. The views from this place are some of the best and the huge patio is sure to become a clear Cleveland favorite.

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To go along with the views, this place brewed some pretty good beers. Personally, I enjoyed the IPA and my girlfriend said the Lake Erie Sunset beer tasted like you would imagine a sunset to taste. The place will continue to expand its product line, I assume, as there were a few openings on its list.  The quality beer combined with the nautical theme is a great fit to this location  and go very well with the view. I expect this brewery to fill up quickly this summer as people flock to the flats to check out Cleveland’s newest brewery. Well, newest for now. The Cleveland beer scene grows with another new brewery this week but Collision Bend will continue to draw people in this summer.

Commerce Craft Brews

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While I visited Griffin Claw Brewing in Michigan one night last weekend, I also visited two others on Saturday night. Saturday my friend Phil and I went to a couple of the Commerce, Michigan area breweries: Kickstand Brewing Company and CJ’s Brewing Company. These were two more new ones to cross off my list.

Kickstand had some great beers. This small brewery situated in a strip mall has a industrial mixed with rustic feel to it with the re-purposed wood pallets hanging from the ceiling. The Mort’s Buck Brown Beer was a delicious beer. Very drinkable for a brown ale. I really enjoyed the smoothness of it. The staff was great and friendly and all three bartenders helped us out. It is a well run establishment that I see having a bright future.

CJ’s brewery had a great patio. It’s always nice to sit outside after a long winter. The Summer Brew beer was pretty tasty wheat beer similar to an Oberon. That summer beer is definitely a popular type among breweries lately. The tater tots there were very unique. I love a good tot (see previous posts) and these were rectangular shape instead of the traditional cylinder type tots. A nice complement to the beer and another great tot for my list.

These two are great additions in the recent years to the Commerce area and a part of the ever growing craft beer scene in Michigan and Nationally.

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Kickstand Brewing Company

Jesus would have drank craft beer

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, Brewery, RestaurantsLeave a comment

I know it is Good Friday, I shouldn’t be drinking beer and eating meat but Jesus would have drank craft beer. That I am sure of. Can you think of anything more Jesus like then drinking something that is kind of anti-establishment? I mean the man liked wine and didn’t appreciate those in positions of power. Jesus would have drank craft beer.

Tonight, I tried out a brewery in Birmingham, MI 15 minutes from where I grew up. Griffin Claw Brewing Company has made a big name for itself the last few years and it lived up to its reputation.

The GC brewery was packed for dinner this Friday night. And luckily my buddy and I were able to snag a table. I tried out a couple brews including the Norm’s Raggedy Ass IPA, which is their award winning beer and definitely deserved its award. For dinner I had the above pictured Mac and Cheese. It was very good and the chicken on top was perfect, not over cooked or under cooked. A true contender for top 5 Mac and Cheese. Overall, this was a great spot and whenever I am back visiting my family in Michigan I will have to stop back in. Griffin Claw Brewing Company is a true gem of the mitten state craft beer scene.

Beantown, Sam Adams, Merica

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, Brewery, History, Restaurants, Trips, vacationsLeave a comment

When traveling to a new city, it is hard to know what to expect. You create an image in your head of what the city looks like, what the food tastes like, how the place feels. However, when you get there that image can be completely wrong. This is not one of those times.

This weekend I visited Boston, Massachusetts, home to the Sox, Harvard and Tom Brady. While I may dislike (hate) Tom Brady, Harvard would probably (definitely) reject me, and the Sox have caused me some (lots) of heartache over the years, I have to say Boston is an amazing city. It is clean, vibrant and, besides the awful traffic, a city with lots to offer.

Of course in a new city I need to check out the breweries. We visited two, Harpoon Brewery and Boston Brewery also known as Samuel Adams. Both gave great tours. Harpoons tour included a 30 minute tasting with as many as you wanted. For  five bucks that cannot be beat. Plus, in their beer hall you have to try their pretzels. That is a game changer and my girlfriend, Olivia, agrees with me. Best pretzel we have had. Samuel Adams’ tour was extremely informative with a mini beer tasting class and three different beers all  for free with a small donation to a few charities being encouraged. Well worth it for the beer and tour. Then after we headed to Doyle’s nearby where they give you a free glass of Sam Adams’ specific glass designed for the perfect drink to take with a beer purchase.

In addition, to the breweries Boston is filled with great food, (the Mac and Cheese at Stephanie’s on Newbury is one of the best I’ve tried),  historic landmarks and beautiful parks (Good Will Hunting). Additionally, the old taverns such  as Bell in Hand and Warren Tavern take you back to the 1700s when men like Paul Revere frequented these places. Talk about drinking a beer for freedom. A city like this right on the water is a beautiful place, I just wish it had been a little warmer.

I think one of the most interesting things about the city is Uber Pool. Now I know other places have this, but it is not here in Cleveland yet and the concept is very interesting. Uber in itself is an app about trusting a stranger to give you a ride. In an age where we are more and more connected electronically but less and less connected personally, Uber Pool allows you to not only get a ride from a stranger but share a ride with one. Some of these rides are silent, but others such as the girl going in town for a grad school interview or the local with suggestions on things to do can create a connection sometimes lost among strangers. When we part we go on our way to never see each other again but for a few minutes you can  trust a stranger. Boston was great for that. It is a city that lived up to those expectations I had created in my head. When I first arrived, I tweeted that the city was in my top five I have visited after just a few hours and a follower of mine responded back that it would soon be in my top three. They were right.

Suburban Brew Sprawl

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, Brewery, Restaurants1 Comment

While in recent years across the country, we have seen a retreat from a suburban sprawl. Millennials have moved into the cities and gentrification has happened as soon as the hipsters find a new run down neighborhood to move into. While this has happened we have also seen breweries pop up left and right.

There are  two places new breweries pop up. Go where the foot traffic is and try to stand out among the crowd.  Or pick a new location and pave your own path. Both ways can work and it really comes down to the beer you make, service your provide, and atmosphere you create.

Avon Brewing Company launched a few months ago out in the suburb of Avon, Ohio. This is away from the downtown brewery scene that adds a brewery faster than a teenage girl adds Instgram pics.

While I love a good beer, I also am a giant child and love mac and cheese. Avon Brewing has one of the best mac and cheese dishes around. Great choice with the shells and the perfect amount of cheese. Top 5 mac and cheeses I have had and trust me I have eaten a lot of mac and cheese.

Another great thing about this brewery is that they just don’t serve their beers. It takes a brewer that not only believes in their product but believes in beer as a whole to serve guest beers at their place. Sometimes people want some other variety than the 5 or 6 beers many smaller brewers have and I think having guest beers is a great addition. This brewer realizes their beer can still stand out among others. Some brewers are afraid of the risk that their beer may not get selected every time but if people know they have choices I think they are more likely to return and hang out longer. I commend Avon for that decision. Overall, Avon Brewing is a great experience a little way away from the typical brewery spaces throughout the Cleveland area. Perfect for when you need a break from the downtown environment but still want a good beer.

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Big Beers, Big Taste

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I firmly believe more beer is always better. Hansa Brewery is one of the many places that came onto the Cleveland beer scene in 2016. Located in Ohio City, it is a European style brewery with European food as well. The potato pancake were delicious.

I digress, let’s get back to the beer. Like many European style breweries, think Hofbrauhaus, they serve the large liter and half liter size beers that are standard in the European style breweries. The prices were extremely reasonable for these beers and very refreshing. They make a very drinkable beer there even for those that are not as big into the beer scene but like to tag along with the craft beer enthusiasts. Or maybe dragged along as I sometimes do with my girlfriend as I want to try out more places. Nevertheless, its got something there for everyone.

This European style brewery is a great addition to Cleveland and Ohio City. The fresh and clean atmosphere attached to the little European grocery store next door, that has been around much longer than the brewery, is sure to continue to be a Cleveland staple. img_1544

Whiskey and Beer in Cle

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, Brewery, Distillery, Restaurants, whiskeyLeave a comment

The Cleveland Brewery Scene is growing rapidly. Cleveland Scene just wrote a large article about it. It’s a well done article you can read here. While there may or may not be a bubble, it is great for the beer lovers of Cleveland that so many places keep popping up. A few weeks ago I visited Portside Distillery and Brewery for the first time. This place has been open since 2015 but I had yet to stop in.

What makes this place unique in Cleveland is that they not only brew beer but they are a distillery. Not many places out there do both. That is a nice addition to the traditional brewery. They have a good variety of beers and the pretzels were pretty good as well. This location near the water is pretty spacious and when I went on a Sunday afternoon provided a good laid back spot to have a Sunday Funday. Once thing I do regret not trying was the whiskey but it does give me a reason to go back and try it again.

The Beach, The Beer, Kennedy, and The Don

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, Brewery, History, Trips, vacationsLeave a comment

So, it’s been a little more than a week since I returned from Palm Beach and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I pretty much knew nothing about the area when I booked the trip 9 months ago. Turns out Donald Trump vacations there and was there at the same time as we were (I didn’t see him). Also, turns out Florida has quite a few breweries. I tried out many different beers such as the Funky Buddha Floridian but I also visited two Breweries, Twisted Trunk Brewing and Civil Society Brewing. Both of these Breweries had some good stuff to offer. Each had a beer that is high on my list.

Twisted Trunk is more of traditional upper class bar with outdoor seating available located in the Palm Beach Gardens area. Their IPGA is a fantastic IPA that I really enjoyed.

Civil Society on the other hand, located in Jupiter, offers that industrial brew pub feel that is becoming popular. A couple of locals recommended the DDH Fresh and I’m glad I listened. This Double Dry Hopped Beer did not disappoint. Both of these breweries are great spots in the South Florida scene.

We did not just drink beer and sit on the beach though. We did a little sight seeing and took a short boat ride out to Peanut Island. This man made island is home to the former JFK cold war bunker. This was designed to house JFK from fallout and anywhere a president vacationed during the cold war had to have a bunker available. Pretty cool to think of the mind set back then to warrant these being built.

Between some beer, a history lesson and all you can eat tacos on Clamatis Street, Palm Beach and the surrounding area has quite a bit to offer.

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Nano Brewing Detroit

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, Brewery, Restaurants, TripsLeave a comment

Detroit has received a bad rap for quite some time now. I must admit I was someone who talked down on it. However, like much of the rust belt, it is seeing a revival (thanks hipsters). On a quick trip back to where I grew up, I spent a day downtown and checked out a few different spots that are a part of Detroit’s recent resurgence. One such spot is located in the Corktown neighborhood, Batch Brewing Company.

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Batch is a small brewery that focuses on nano brewing. Brewing smaller batches that pack a lot of quality but also allow for experimentation since the scale is smaller. Batch Brewing is a cool industrial type place with some pretty good beers. While I didn’t have anything to eat, it does seem to have a pretty solid menu with good offerings. Detroit is not the bleak dismal place it once was. The city is rebounding and places like Batch Brewing company are a part of that. If you’re in the city, I recommend checking this brewery out. Or maybe take a drive up north and spend a few days there. Detroit may surprise you.

Climbing the Mountain of Beer

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, RestaurantsLeave a comment

I am late on this because it was about 4 weeks ago that I went but I need to get back to getting some posts up. Ascension Brewing Company is located in Novi, Michigan. It is relatively new on the craft brew radar and is tucked away among random other shops and businesses. I thought I put in the wrong location at first in my GPS.

Once I found the place and made my way inside, I ordered up a beer sampler. I have to say the beers were not bad but nothing really stood out to me. They have quite a bit of variety on their tap list and I think this place is trying to find their niche. I will say though the Mac and Cheese will pork was excellent. Besides beer, I like to think I have tried lots of different mac and cheeses. Beer and mac and cheese is a great combination in my book. I think I’ll have to give Ascension some time to climb the beer mountain and try them again in the future. Potential is there, they just have not reached the summit quite yet.