Tag: IPA

Earthly Beer

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, BreweryLeave a comment

Cleveland’s ever-growing beer scene added another one at the end of April. Terrestrial Brewing Company opened up in the Battery Park area of Cleveland and this past weekend I made my first trip there. Surrounded by some of the best townhouses this city has to offer, Terrestrial is in a great location as the primary spot now for those residents looking to grab a quality beer.

The open concept of the place allows you to see all the fermenters up close. Combined with the patio this place opened up just in time for Cleveland to come out of hibernation. Plus they allow dogs and that is always a good thing!

Their beer was pretty good too as I enjoyed a couple of them and particularly liked the Pocket Flower. This is a Double IPA that packed just the right amount of flavor.  It is a well done beer. They also included many guest taps as well which I always appreciate from a brewery because it shows confidence in their own product to not get over matched by other beers and also is great for the industry as a whole. Terrestrial Brewing is another great new Brewery to the area and provides residents another area to visit and hangout in. Check it out, Terrestrial may mean “of or relating to earth”, but your visit will be out of this world.

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.

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.

Charleston: Filled with Southern Charm

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, Brewery, Restaurants, Trips, vacations1 Comment

Now that I’ve had 24 hours to regroup after that trip down South, I thought i would sit down and put the fingers to the keyboard. Charleston, SC is honestly a top 3 city I have ever been to. I spent just a few days there but accomplished so much yet still only saw a small piece of the city. And the people, wow! Talk about southern hospitality. Seriously this city has beautiful beaches, history around every corner and yeah some pretty good beer.

During my time there, I tried beer from four different local breweries and visited two. I enjoyed multiple beers from Palmetto Brewing Co. and Westbrook Brewing Company. Both produced quality beers. Trying local beers is one thing but I usually have to visit at least 1 brewery in a city. I think you get a better feel for the beer there and they usually have some you cannot get anywhere else. My girlfriend and I managed to get to two, Revelry Brewing Co. and Southend Brewery & Smokehouse. Honestly, while Southend had delicious food, the beer was just average. Revelry on the other hand was fantastic. Now, I have to admit I am not familiar with the New England style IPA but theirs called “Never Sunny” wins best SC beer in my book. Highly recommend it.

Beer wasn’t the only thing there though. We ate like gluttonous pigs at Hominy Grill, The Park Cafe, Closed For Business and others.  We saw the well-known sites like Rainbow Row, The Battery, and Angel Oak. And we enjoyed top end beaches like Isle of the Palms and Folly Beach where my back “Felt the  Bern” more than a 21-year-old Gender Studies major at a Sanders rally. Note to self, reapply sunscreen often.

Seriously, this was an amazing city. I will be back. I have to drag my girlfriend to all the historic sites next time. Charleston like its people, has more to give.