Shipyard Brew Pub in Winter Park worth the trip

Maine, the state that is home to most of the action in author Stephen King’s novels, is also ranked 5th in the United States for breweries per capita. It seems that those crazy northerners really like their craft beer, a fact that was not lost on the founders of Shipyard Brewing Company. In 1992, entrepreneur Fred Forsley and master brewer Alan Pugsley established the Kennebunkport Brewing Company at Federal Jack’s, a brew pub in Kennebunk, Maine. The brew pub, built on the former site of Kennebunk’s famous schooner shipyards, was a hit and demand for the fresh brews produced there soon outgrew production. To keep the beer flowing, Forsley and Pugsley opened Shipyard Brewing Company in the former Crosby Laughlin Foundry on thewaterfront in Portland, Maine. Since then, the Shipyards brand has spread across the country to over 40 states, including Florida. And one of the best places to sample tasty Shipyards brews is at the Shipyard Brew Pub in Winter Park just northeast of Orlando.

The Shipyard Brew Pub is naturally themed to a nautical sensibility, but it also presents itself as sleek with clean lines and an open, inviting atmosphere. Out front are a number of outdoor seats along with several cornhole lanes. Inside is a bar, plenty of seating and even an area decked out with a show kitchen for cooking demonstrations.

As you would imagine, the menu features Maine staples such as clam chowder, crab cakes, and of course, lobster rolls. But, it also features innovative flat bread pizzas such as the Lobster Flatbread with chinks of Maine lobster, roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, dill Havarti, and fresh tarragon. Other favorites on the menu include Chicken and Shrimp Etouffee with roasted peppers, onions, and creole sauce and decadent Lobster Mac and Cheese with bacon and a three cheese sauce. Executive Chef David Squillante keeps things fresh and the quality and great flavors prove he has a passion for comfort foods.

But, since this is a brew pub,  beer is a big player. In fact, beer is such an important part of the restaurant’s culture that they have hired an on-site brewer. Eric Hilgendorf hails from Wisconsin but has learned to call Florida his home. Hilgendorf brews small batch beers that are added to the Shipyard line up on the beer list. You will still find your Shipyard favorites like Export Ale, Fuggles IPA, and Old Thumper, but you also may find brews such as Rye by Nightfall or Felipe’s Magic Ale.

This weekend, Shipyards Brew Pub will be celebrating its second anniversary on Saturday, Jan. 26 from 12:00 noon to 12:00 midnight. The festivities will include .50 oysters, $2 Shipyard bottles, $2 house wines, and $2 new menu samplers. Along with the great food and drink, partiers will be entertained by The Adam Moreno Trio, John Babcock and David Crabtree.

Shipyards Brew Pub is located at 200 West Fairbanks Ave. in Winter Park, Fla.

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Related articles

• New Bangor Daily News Article – Maine’s beer production grows by more than 50 percent since ’09 (bretherenbrew.wordpress.com)

 

The Porter in Atlanta much more than just a beer bar

Nestled in a funky, somewhat grungy corner of Little Five Points in Atlanta, Ga., The Porter Beer Bar appears rather low brow form the exterior. When you step through the door the impression does not change much with its dark wood cabinets, grey concrete bar, and Mason jar light fixtures. But, you would be wrong in setting your expectations low for this pearl of the burgeoning Atlanta beer scene.

Upon entering, a tattooed and bearded man asked if we would like a table or to sit at the bar. Because I like to be able to see how the bar runs and chat with the bartenders, we opted to sit at the bar. The bar stools seemed mismatched and held together with copious amounts of duct tape, but perhaps that is part of the atmosphere and charm.

We were greeted cheerfully by the bar manager, Justin Wickline who handed us two clipboards; one with the beer list and the other the menu. The Porter boasts around 40 taps of brews that, in the crowded Atlanta beer market, may not sound like a lot when you consider the typical Taco Mac trumps that number with over 100. But, at The Porter, it is not the quantity but rather the quality of their tap choices that draw drinkers to the bar.

On tap the morning we visited was the likes of: Duck Rabbit Duck-Rabbator, Evil Twin Freudian Slip, Green Flash Le Freak, and Lost Abbey 10 Commandments. Along with the taps, imbibers have the option of two brews on beer engines. On our visit there was only one choice, but it was the excellent Allagash Curieux. In addition the bar has an extensive bottle collection ranging from obscure Belgian brews like Pico Alvine Gaspar to excellent American brews like Founders Red Rye Ale.

Wickline was a font of information and definitely knew his beer. As we sat and chatted he presented several beers for us to taste and gave a little information on each. We worked quickly and adeptly to fill orders, take orders, and discuss the finer points of Belgian IPAs. A better bartender would be difficult to find.

Beer, though, is not the only story at the Porter. The food at this quirky little slice of heaven is phenomenal, too. The menu contained such delights as Poutine – rosemary fries covered in parmesan cheese gravy, and cheese curds, Pork & Foie Gras Terrine served with drunken raisins, whole grain mustard, pecans, bacon jam, and bacon powder, and Brasstown Pork Belly served with arugula, cherry tomatoes, bacon vinaigrette, and roasted hatch pepper.

I chose the brunch special Hangover Hash, which was a potent combination of corned beef, potatoes, red peppers, and onions topped with Buffalo sauce and three fried eggs. My companion opted for the Porter’s Half-Pound Cheeseburger of house-made fresh Angus beef patty, bacon, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, homemade pickled red onions, and homemade pickles. The hash was delightfully spicy, but not so much so that the flavor of the corned beef and potatoes were masked. My companion’s cheeseburger was perfectly cooked and heaped with toppings; she could only manage to eat half of the monster.

All-in-all, The Porter, which was recommended to me by a brewer friend, was an excellent choice for a Saturday morning lunch before an afternoon of visiting breweries. The excellent beer choices primed us for later consumption and the food kept us nourished as well as very happy. On our next road trip to Atlanta, The Porter will definitely be on our must-visit list. It should be on yours, too.

 

Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant commercial raises ire of some homebrewers

A new commercial from wing and beer juggernaut Buffalo Wild Wings has home beer brewers a bit upset. The commercial, which began airing in August, depicts three friends watching football at home on a sofa surrounded by bubbling carboys (glass, 5-gallon bottles used by homebrewers for fermentation). One of the friends announces that he has made bratwurst beer for one friend and a “secret” beer for the other. The scene is less than flattering to the homebrewer.

The American Homebrewers Association, founded in 1978 by Charlie Papazian in Boulder, Colo., boasts more than 30,000 members who may be more than a little offended by the new commercial. According to the association’s website, there are an estimated 1 million homebrewers in the United States and over 1,000 homebrewing clubs. Last year 1,900 homebrewers attended the 2011 AHA National Homebrewers Conference in San Diego, Calif. That is a lot of potential customers to alienate.

Buffalo Wild Wings was founded in 1981 by James Disbrow who lived in Buffalo, N.Y., but had traveled to Kent, Ohio to judge a figure skating competition at Kent State. While in Kent, Disbrow went looking for a restaurant that served Baffalo-style wings, but was unable to find one. He teamed up with his friend, Scott Lowery and together they decided to open up their own restaurant in Columbus, Ohio. The first restaurant was called Buffalo Wild Wings & Weck, which was commonly shortened to BW3. Since those humble beginnings the company has changed its name to Buffalo Wild Wings and has expanded to more than 652 locations in 48 states and Canada.

One Jacksonville, Fla. Brewery’s owner and head brewer commented on the commercial on Facebook, “Hey Buffalo Wild Wings! Making fun of homebrewers and craft beer is not a smart marketing ploy. Wonder if the “Big Three” had any part in this.”
Another Facebook poster said, in response to the original post, “Definitely the wrong side of the craft beer movement to be on.”

And the comments were even more brutal on You Tube. Commenters on the video site did not hold back on expressing their ire with the company for running an ad that seems to belittle homebrewers. One commenter said, “You should learn to make good wings before you pick on the people that have taken the time to make good beer.”

“Don’t forget that many pro craft brewers began life as a homebrewer,” another You Tube commenter pointed out. “Ostracizing part of your demographic isn’t a good idea.”

Neither the American Homebrewers Association nor Buffalo Wild Wings’ home office responded to requests for comments.

 

European Street taps new Lagunitas brew

Beer drinking and storytelling are two activities that go hand-in-hand. Barstools are full of storytellers that spin fantastic yarns over cold brews on a daily basis. But, a beer new to the Jacksonville area and now tapped at the Park St., San Marco, and Jacksonville Beach locations of European Street has the story to tell this time. And Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale from Lagunitas Brewing Co. has quite a story to tell.

The label on the bottle of the beer hints that the story is not one that sits well with Tony Magee, the owner and brewmaster at Lagunitas. In tiny type on the edge of the label his diatribe says, “From the first day of the first congress at the moment of the passage of the first law, we became weaker.

The extra-large B. Franklin said it well that you can tell the strength of a society by the paucity of the pages in its book of laws – Tax laws, civil law, criminal law, Statutes and Bills. Laws that make large and small criminals of us all.”

The label refers to the 2005 investigation and subsequent shut-down of the brewery for 20 days the next January that resulted from complaints of parties on breweries premises. The parties were said to include food, beer, loud music, and – perhaps most damning – marijuana usage.  The investigation took place over two-months with investigators going to the weekly parties undercover to see for themselves what was going on.

According to the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control public information officer John Carr, officers attended parties over an eight-week period to determine whether partygoers were dealing in drugs. During a St. Patrick’s Day party at the brewery the officers revealed their investigation by showing their badges and arresting one employee and patron.

Punishment came to the brewery in the form of a 20-day shut-down in January of 2006, which Magee used to install a planned new bottling line.

Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale is called “especially bitter ale” to commemorate the bust and shut-down of the brewery. Later Magee, not none for his quiet demeanor, said, “This beer, I wanted it to be a knuckle sandwich. It’s big, it’s bitter and it’s angry. It’s unrepentant, and it’s unforgiving.”

And Magee, is right in those characterizations. The brew weighs in with 10.1% ABV and 74 IBUs. Popular beer rating website Beer Advocate gives the brew an 89 out of 100 points. One reviewer on the site left comments referring to the beer as, “Barleywine-like strength with well-kilned grains and citrus hops.” Another said, “Interesting. Both the hops and toasted malt appear upfront, then the bitterness hits on the finish.”

But, drinker beware, a few pints of this brew could lead to a few of your own stories. Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale is available until supplies are exhausted at European Street.

 

European Street’s Beer & Baseball a hit

Palm beer (Photo credit: Abi Skipp)

Once a month European Street Cafe throws a party in the Beer Garden located past the left outfield area of the Baseball Grounds known as Beer & Baseball. This month the gathering took place on July 21 which also happens to be the Belgian Independence Day known as Fesstdag. To celebrate, Estreet poured Palm, the number one selling beer in Belgium, and Bright Lights White, a Belgian-style Wit from Intuition Ale Works. Along with the beer there were Estreet sandwiches, soft drinks, and a lot of great people.

The next Beer & Baseball — also the last for this season — will be held on August 11 and will feature Highland Brewing Compay beer. Tickets are available at all European Street Cafe locations. For just $20 you get all the beer you care to drink between 5:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m, all the Monster German Weiners and Estreet sandwiches you can eat, and a ticket to the game.

The video below was shot at the July event.

 

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