Something's brewing here....
I admit it was on my second visit to
Ghost Monkey Brewery in Mt. Pleasant that I caught the joke.
Looking over the changing menu of freshly-brewed beers - trying to remember the name of the one which I had liked so much on my first visit - I spotted the bold sign about WATER.
Many restaurants with soft drink dispensers usually have one tap for water when you don't care for a sugary, fizzy soda.
Just didn't register until my buddy pointed at the sign and said, "That's funny."
Huh? What's laughable about knowing where to find the water?
Well, in a place that concocts its own types and tastes of craft beers, it produces a chuckle when you see what these brewers think a certain other national beer tastes like.
Actually, when I told the owner I liked his visual joke, he explained he didn't have a Bud Lite pull to sit on top of the tap.
I agreed that anything with "LITE" in its name is hardly a craft brew.
At the second stop along a recent
Brewery Crawl - centering on East Cooper - I pulled up a stool at
Two Blokes Brewery and tried to quickly slurp a Spilt Milk.
Didn't follow the physics exactly, but, similar to an Irish Car Bomb, when you combine two different elements together in a rush, there is an explosive effect.
Here you start with a tasty Milk Stout and a separate 4-ounce glass of coffee.
I was advised to sip some stout to make room to add the coffee for an interesting mixture and taste.
I also was warned there would be an overflowing surprise reaction if I added the coffee too quickly.
(The bartender stood nearby with a handful of paper napkins and a fluffy bar towel.)
He saw the look in my eye and knew there would be some soppin' up to be done.
The final stop on this Crawl was nearby at
Westbrook Brewing Co.
I had taken its excellent brewery tour a while back and remembered it as one of the largest in the area.
Several restaurants offered the
Westbrook Mexican Cake, it's first anniversary series, that contains aged cocoa nibs, vanilla beans, cinnamon sticks and fresh habanero peppers.
It is a chili beer, but it is not available year round.
Evil Twin Brewing liked its contents enough that it collaborated with Westbrook to produce the Imperial Mexican Biscotti Cake Break.
Evil Twin is a gypsy, meaning its beers are brewed at/by another brewery. In this case, Westbrook.
As it was being poured the bartender made sure I knew it was the Biscotti version.
Tasted great!
Westbrook does not sell food so a few nights later I went to
Zia Taqueria on Maybank Highway in West Ashley and ordered three enchiladas with chicken, pork, and steak.
I probably should have ordered the Mexican rice as a side dish or the black beans to add some variety.
The "Christmas colors" of red and green sauces, drizzled with sour cream, were the reverse of what I expected: the green was hot and the red was milder.
Oh, and no Mexican Cake or Biscotti here so I drank a Dos Equis Amber. Sorry, Westbrook.
(Click on the images and links for more details.)
Thanks for tagging along on this three brewery area "crawl."
Just heard a new one has opened so I will explore another area where several breweries are clustered.
I believe the number of breweries here in Charleston now is a
"Baker's Dozen."
Look out Asheville!
Labels: baker's dozen, enchiladas, Evil Twin Gypsy Brewery, Ghost Monkey Brewing Company, Mexican Cake Double Imperial Stout, Spilt Milk, Two Blokes, Westbrook Brewery, Zia Taqueria
So, what's brewing on the music scene?
I support Live Music and have been vocal about that for many years.
Also, have been known to check out new breweries when they open around town.
Last Sunday I had a chance to do both when I stopped by
Ghost Monkey Brewery in Mount Pleasant for an early afternoon beer and for conversations with members of the
Charleston Live Music Meetup.
The brewery is easy to find, turn left just before you enter the State Port Authority (SPA) on Long Point Road.
Josh Parker, a co-owner, took me on a neat tour before I sat at the bar and tasted their Ghost Beard Baltic, an 8.25 ABV porter. This was a great collaboration with Frothy Beard brewery.
I decided I would have a growler filled with that when I left!
I like the cooperation among the breweries here as a new one seems to pop up every six months or so. Yay!
It was a bright and sunny day so I joined the music fans group seated outside.
Two had attended meetings of my 8-year old Photo Group and I passed out cards, inviting the others to come to a meeting or join us on a photo walk.
The Live Music folks formed 4 months ago, about the same time this brewing company opened its doors.
Needless to say, there was music provided. Well, DUH.
Mark Schuler, who describes himself as an Acoustic Soloist, provided a nice melodic background.
I asked if the group selected the musicians and they explained the venue does that.
Then they spread the word about where they encourage members to show up to enjoy the sounds and show their support.
A true use of online social communications.
Families with small children arrived and sat outside on comfortable benches, listening to the music as their kids ran around, burning up energy.
While I was talking with Josh and Jim Leonard, also a co-owner, I noticed the skull tattoo on Josh's neck was the same as the brewing company's logo.
I didn't ask but I wonder which came first?
He probably would have been the one to suggest it at a planning session, pointing to his neck and saying, "
I have a logo suggestion."
While we were touring, Jim was pouring bags of ingredients into one of the three large stainless steel tanks.
Josh explained how they control the temperature by wrapping tubes around the tanks and running a coolant through the coils.
Years ago, I tried making a small batch of beer at home and did NOT have a way to keep things cool.
As the summer temp rose in my workshop, I regretted that I did not have air conditioning downstairs.
No, my 2-gallon container would not fit in my refrigerator. I did try!
Their efforts are MUCH, MUCH better.
I had sipped a pint of their Lemon Basil IPA - with a reasonable 6.7 ABV - but, when it was time to leave, I had them fill my growler with the higher 8.25 ABV Ghost Beard Baltic porter.
It was sealed and I took it with me to drink and enjoy at home - when there is no driving involved.
(Click on the photos and links for more details.)
I enjoyed my first event and thanked Drew Anderson and Kelly, the group's Organizer.
Labels: #Mark Schuler acoustic soloist, Charleston Live Music Meetup, collaboration with Frothy Beard, Ghost Beard Baltic porter, Ghost Monkey Brewing Company, Lemon Basil IPA, Skull neck tattoo, SPA
I admit it was on my second visit to Ghost Monkey Brewery in Mt. Pleasant that I caught the joke.
As it was being poured the bartender made sure I knew it was the Biscotti version.
Just heard a new one has opened so I will explore another area where several breweries are clustered.
