we know you've heard this before....

So with Lauren back to work and me in school and work FT, the blog has kinda taken a back seat. However, if not sooner, Lauren and I have a definite review coming. WE have made our reservation for our weekend in AC and will be reviewing the only brewery in AC at the sheraton called Tun Tavern. Stay tuned..... *clink*

Tap and Table Gastropub

I have a few first for the summer of 2010. Its the first time I am not working 11 hour days. What a joy it is to have 2 months off, I know you're jealous. Its the first time I've played a full round of golf. That was an adventure. Even though I was unsure what to do sometimes, and it started to pour halfway through, I managed to make it through with a few good shots on the day. Don't ask me what I shot, I don't focus on numbers. Yes, I shot that badly. The best part of the day was the post golf drink at Tap and Table Gastropub in Emmaus, PA

From the very second you walk in the ambiance takes you away. It has a castle like feel with the surrounding lanterns, sconces and chandeliers. The pub consisted of a large bar topped with copper, dark wood floors and long tables with benches. For those who need constant entertainment, there were marble game boards on the bar for patrons to play Chinese checkers. Candles light the entire pub at night. Of course the pub is earth friendly by recycling the candles throughout the different holders.

We sat at the bar to order our drinks and were met with a kind, courteous and knowledgeable staff. Their selection included 93 beers, 3 on cask and a large refrigerator holding their selection of bottles. If you check their website, it states 3 cask beers, 6 draft beers and 120+ bottles available. I believe I was going based on their bored posted above the bar, but I would believe website regarding their selection. Shawn was impressed with the glasses they served their beers. I think it is because he ordered Delirium Tremens, on tap, and they served it in a Delirium glass. The pub only had 6 of those glasses, so I think they would have noticed if one had gone missing. I was indecisive about my choice for a first beer, but the bartenders were helpful and attentive, giving me honest opinions and direction. While we enjoyed our beers, we made conversation with fellow patrons and they shared their bottle of beer with us.

Along with our beers we ordered a few appetizers. Todd ordered the Kobe beef sliders. Shawn and I ordered the shrimp plate and lamb meatballs. Just a warning, this is not an appetizer sharing type of venue. The portions are a good size, but are meant for one person. What an interesting argument Shawn and Todd had on the drive home regarding this situation. Regardless of the fight's outcome, the food was fresh and I enjoyed it. The shrimp dish included 3 jumbo sized shrimp with a creamy aioli. The lamb meatballs came with 3 large meatballs on crusty bread in a sauce (definitely my favorite). Todd's Kobe beef sliders consisted of 2 sliders on fresh rolls.

Summer, golf, good beer, good friends and only a little bit of rain completed this eventful day. If you are in the area of Emmaus, PA I would absolutely recommend you stop in at Tap and Table Gastropub. The ambiance, good natured staff and excellent selection of beers has patrons coming back. Make sure you visit their website http://tapandtable.com/index.html.

we know weknow

So we know its been a while since we've posted, but fear not. This weekend we will be going up to visit friends and during the trip we will definitely review the Sarah Street Grille and maybe another place if there is time. Stay tuned. *clink*

Northampton Brewpub

Ahhhhhh Northampton, MA. That kind of quaint little town you could spend all day just walking around and taking it all in. Little shops and cafes are as far from commercial franchises that you can be, and a brewery which is not only friendly to the environment, but friendly to your beer pallate. Northampton Brewery is linked via family to Smuttynose Brewery. Owner Janet is the sister of the Smuttynose owner, who helped her open the Brewpub almost 22 years ago. The building was originally a carriage house, but recently underwent a massive 10 day renovation putting earth friendly plaster on the walls and also included a smart comfort control system in place to run the air/heat only as needed depending on the amount of people in the building and the conditions inside and out. Another AMAZING thing they do, and quite frankly I don't know why other places don't, is recycle. Out back you will find many, many large trash containers divided into waste and recycle, not to mention one lone container they put all their used hops into for compost. As far as their used grain, it is sent to local farms to feed moo cows (lol). So, after hearing about trash from manager Chris, he led us to the brewing area to meet the brewer, Donald. Donald was in the mists of making a German rye beer. While he worked he took a few minutes to enlighten Lauren and I about his beer making abilities before he loaded the grain into the auger. As a little side note, both Chris and Donald are hopheads (w00t). Donald told us about the main brew kettles. They are used and as old as the brewery, which in fact were originally brought out from Washington state. This is mainly because back in the 1980's the small scale brewing world was not what it is today, so equipment was hard to come by. Going up the sides of one of the boilers were various recipes used and developed over the years by the various head brewers who have stood in Donald's galashes. While Donald discussed beer, he let us taste the Nanatuck IPA directly from the fermented cooled the day before and due for a dry hop before being served to the public. Let me assure you though even in this unfinished stage, it tasted awesome with a clean bite and smooth finish. We let Donald get back to work and followed Chris up to the outside deck. This was quite a spot. On such a beautiful day, if we didn't have plans immediately afterwards, I think Lauren and I would have parked it up there and tied one off. There is a bar upstairs with all the current beers on tap along with various types of good liquors in the well stocked bars. Next, we headed inside and admired the custom artwork painted locally for the brewery. The tables were topped in copper and fit beautifully in the eclectic atmosphere. Finally it was time to head downstairs again to taste the wares. Chris had some manager duties to fulfill, so he left us in the very capable hands of Jaime, their tenured bartender. We were cutting it close on time, so we couldn't sample every beer, but we did get to try 3. Lauren tried their Graduation Ale, which was a lighter-bodied beer a fruity aroma and taste and a clean finish (as described by Lauren). I'm not one for really fruity beers, but I found this one very pleasant as it wasn't overwhelming. This is a one-time-a-year beer that is made with 60 lbs of strawberries and raspberries. I started off with the Hoppily-Ever After. This is a project by Donald in which he Divided the batch into 3 before dry-hopping and then proceeded to dry-hop with a different type in each. The one they had tapped when we were there was made with Cascade hops and had a nice bite and was balanced all the way through with a medium body. We were able to try one more beer before we hit the road and that was at the recommendation of Jaime. It was called the Alpha project and it's an experiment by Donald in which he used one type of Hop throughout the entire brewing process (this particular batch was made with only Horizon hops). It was a medium to full bodied amber beer that started off malty like it wanted to be a lager and then finished with a bite like an IPA, yet kept an even keel all the way through. It was the Alpha project that we took with us in a Growler. I should mention that we didn't get a chance to try the food because of time constraints, but I'm told its is California influenced but really is a bit of everything. We will be sure to try the food next time we are up in the area. We would like to thank Chris, Donald, and Jaime for taking time to hang with us and hope all of you will go see them at Northampton Brewpub. It will not be a wasted trip, I assure you. *clink*

Amherst Brewing Company

After driving for what seemed like an eternity, we finally arrived in Amherst, MA, and more specifically, ABC. It is a multi-level establishment with a bar on the top floor and a restaurant and a smaller bar on the lower level. We we starving so we didn't even bother going to the second floor, but the­­ locals tell me its a good time. Upon entering you are greeted by wonderful hostesses and seated in a timely fashion. Its worth mentioning that when you enter look to your left. They have growlers and pints to go, as well as condiments (some made with their beer) that are made on site. They also have a mug club, but don't expect to get in as there is quite a long waiting list.
Our server was courteous, but she could have been a little more knowledgeable on the food/menu end, on the beer end she was excellent. We had a sizable group so we got to sample many different things. I started out drinking Seeing Double IPA. It was indeed a double IPA that had a medium amber color with just a hint of cloudiness and light lacing down the glass. Had a great hop aroma and tasted of grapefruit and the slightest hint of banana. I also had the ESB that was a medium-full body amber that started off malty and had an easy hoppy finish. Lauren started out with the Brown ale that had a full body with hints of caramel that went down smooth, but it did drop off a little in the finish. She also ordered a Belgian trippel that we both enjoyed. It was a medium body, pale orange brew that smelled and tasted of bananas and berries. We actually took a bottle with us and I'm enjoying some of it as I write this. Also being drank at the table were the smoked porter and super stout, which we didn't partake in, but i can tell you were ordered multiple times by the parties involved.
Now for the food. For appetizers the table ordered buffalo wings, mozzarella cheese bread sticks, and beer-battered pickle spears. The wings were plump, and meaty, served with a side of blue cheese, celery, and carrots. The mozzarella bread sticks were small, but tasty and served with a chunky marinara sauce. The pickles were ordered by our end of the table and were very enjoyable. They had a thick, crunchy beer batter and unlike most places I've been to that serve fried pickles as small slices, ABC served them as spears (The only other place I've enjoyed them like that was in the south). Then came our dinners. I ordered the Victoria burger that was topped with white cheddar and a spicy, sweet apple chutney on a toasted sesame seed bun I ordered it medium-rare and it was cooked perfectly. It came with my choice of a side of fries and a pickle spear. Lauren ordered a cheddar cheese burger, cooked medium with a side of fries and a pickle. It was to her liking but seing that it WAS just a cheddar cheese burger, I don't really think we can get into all the suttle nuances of tastes.
After all the beer and food there was no room for dessert, but i will sure to save room next time because the deep-fried oreo sunday and warm apple crisp sure had my mouth watering, even though my belly was full!! I will definitely recommend that if you ­­­are ANYWHERE in the area of Amherst, MA you should make a trip to the ABC. *clink*

Papercity Brewery

Last night Shawn and I traveled to a dive bar around UMass-Amherst to meet up with my sister's friends. After being carded and having to show so many forms of ID we sat down at the bar to order our drinks. Our plan this weekend was to visit Paper City Brewery since they are close to the college, so when I saw 2 of their beers on tap I decided to enjoy the experience. That visit won't be happening after the taste test. I ordered their lager while Shawn ordered their IPA. After the first sip I knew I made a mistake. The beer did taste like a lager, however it had an odd drawn out flavor and lacked a clean finish and, quite frankly, left me disappointed. I passed it around because everyone had to try it now. We all agreed, the Paper City Brewery Lager was a letdown. So much so, I ordered another beer. I NEVER do that. I couldn't even stomach one pint. Shawn ordered the IPA and I'm gonna pass him the netbook and let him tell you about it.....
I was able to stomach an entire pint, and if no other DECENT choices were available i would have stuck with it. It was lacking most of the bite us hopheads cherish. It did have a clean finish, but the whole experience seemed watered down. For someone who is not a devout hophead like myself but wants an IPA, than this is the one for you to try. Come out with me though, I'm sure i can find you something better that you will enjoy. *clink*

The birthday and layout

With all the work I've put in on this in the last day I forgot to post HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAUREN!!!!!

Also this is the layout we are sticking with, now that I've made up an acceptable logo, let us know what you guys think.