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
Walk a mile in THESE shoes...
It's not only Sunday, it's
Second Sunday so that means walkin' on King Street.
On the sidewalk.
On the street.
In and out of stores.
Buy a pair of shoes at the booth for the Ronald McDonald House.
A couple of visitors from Israel are on a tour of the United States and hit King Street.
"I asked them if I could buy a pair and I promised to take pictures of them in Israel, " said the proud new owner.
They flew into New York, did Washington, D.C. and The Smokies, now Charleston then off to the West Coast.
He'll stand out in the crowd, that's for sure.
Everybody who has a dog was out on King Street today.
Did not see even one
cat-on-a-leash. Go figure.
I asked this lady if I could take a picture of her doggie and she said
"Sure. Think I will too."
Her husband added
"I'll take a shot of you taking a picture of her taking a picture of the dog."
A baker's dozen members of my Photography Group were strung out along the street.
I told them I had brought bright red stick-on name tags but Kevin, host for today, said
"Uh, Chuck, we're supposed to be low key and blend in to explore street photography."
He was right of course.
We were gathered by the Francis Marion Hotel to begin our photo trek.
I tucked the badges back into my pocket. And took mine off as well.
Some stealthy Ninja!
I caught up with several members across the street from a fine violin player. We all were focused on him, trying to get blurred passersby.
I do "blurred" almost as well as I do soft focus. Sometimes on purpose.
Saw this "Lion in wait" in a shop window.
My intent was to keep him sharp and slightly blur the other objects so he would stand out.
I'm pleased with what my Canon sx260HS can do.
(I also used some plug-in software to do a controlled blurring effect. Shh. That's a secret.)
Whoever was in charge of the weather did a fine job. A few clouds kept the temps down, the humidity was lower and there was a nice breeze.
Saw a Labrador patiently waiting as his owner picked up a slice of pizza. Well, drooling actually. The dog, not the owner.
Passed a gallery with its doors wide open and inviting.
A really colorful image caught my eye and I stepped in.
Turns out, it was not one of the paintings - the back garden was in full sunlight as seen through another open door.
Wrap that one up, I'll hang it on my living room wall.
Quite a few galleries were open and people milled around inside.
Vendors on the street offered hot dogs,
Paolo's Gelatos and popsicles as well as sit down meals served curbside.
A very nice day to be out and about in my historic hometown.
Couldn't wait to get outta here when I was a teenager but so glad I came back home about 20 years ago.
Lots of dining and shopping going on so the idea of blocking off the main street and letting pedestrians roam is a good one.
Serving meals outside adds delicious and spicy aromas all along King Street.
I'm reminded it's probably time to have a bite to eat.
I had suggested that the members might want to regroup after an afternoon of stealth activity.
I headed through the strollers to meet them on Beaufain Street at LEAF.
Passed shoppers who were discussing how their day had gone.
Hey, shop in moderation. Have a cold beer.
(Click on the photo for more details.)
I saw a cameraman from Channel 2 who was covering the day and I mentioned my small camera was a LOT lighter than the rig he was toting.
As we chatted he asked if I would go on camera to give my thoughts on the resumption of football season.
Well, I'm awfully shy but he started the camera, focused and held the microphone near me as I said
"It's great to have football back. I can watch all the action on my 60-inch wide screen tv."
Be interviewed in moderation.
Labels: 2nd Sunday on King Street, baker's dozen, cat-on-a-leash, Francis Marion Hotel, Labradors and pizza, Leaf Restaurant, Ninja photographers, Paolo's Gelatos, Ronald McDonald House., stealth shooters
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.
