About a week ago, I got a chance to do something I thought I never would: brewing beer at a brewery. I reviewed beers from freetail before and written about them. I’ve gotten to know Jason Davis a little over the last year or more and have always wanted to try my hand at helping out at a brewery. Learning from the professionals. I got my chance a little over a week ago.
What is John doing?
I arrived a little before 9 a.m. Jason had already started the mash, so I was a little behind. As I walked in Jason said ‘Hi, come on back’, but looked not my direction, as he was busy stirring the mash. As I walked into the brewing room and around the mash tun, he said come on up, ‘it’s you’re turn to stir’. I’ve been homebrewing for a little while, however this was going to be something very new for me. A giant leap in my brewing education.
Continue reading ‘Brewing it up at Freetail Brewing Company’
Yesterday was a day indeed. After spending a couple of hours bottling my Coffee Porter Friday night, I was tired. Then the time spent ordering more homebrew equipment and ingrediants for the next batches..whew!
I did find a way to get the kiddos to their rocket launches, piano lessons and other shenanigans! In the middle of all this, I did find a few moments to stop by my favorite brewpub in South Texas, Freetail Brewing Co., for their February 2010 Beer and Cheese Tasting. As always, brewmaster Jason Davis did a fantastic job (I still need to chronicle my brewing adventure with him).
3 courses, 3 cheeses and 3 of Freetail’s intoxicating elixers…
A nice and simple plate
Continue reading ‘Beer and Cheese Tasting At Freetail Brewing Co.’
What has become part one of my experience with Pavil Restaurant was entitled ‘Brasserie Pavil – Not your Average French Restaurant’ and posted on UpTake.com. Recently however, they have gone through a name change. What was once Brasserie Pavil, is now Pavil Restaurant and Bar. This will serve to be part two. In part one, I spoke of Pavil’s monthly beer dinners, their focus on craft beer and the Stone Brewing Co beer dinner I attended earlier this month. In this article I’ll speak more of the Stone dinner, as well as my talk with Pavil’s manager Luciano Ciorciari.
Classic Decor
Continue reading ‘Pavil Restaurant and Bar – Not An Average French Restaurant’
- This was originally written and post by myself on Uptake.com on Feb 14, 2010 13:05 – By: Jeremybanas
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- Tucked somewhat away from from the highway at 818 North Loop 1604 W in the Northwest part of San Antonio, is a little known French Restaurant called Brasserie Pavil. You may as well throw out your preconceptions of this establishment with the bath water, as they will change what you think of high-end French dining and cuisine. When I came here about a week ago, it was to attend a beer dinner. That’s right, I said a beer dinner. So what may you ask, is a French Restaurant doing hosting a beer dinner? Let’s find out.
Classic Decor
Continue reading ‘Braserie Pavil – Not your Average French Restaurant’
I have a confession to make. I’ve never been to the Nebraska Brewing Co. I’ve haven’t been to many of the breweries who make the fine hoppy, fermented beverages I enjoy. With Nebraska Brewing though it certainly seems as if I have been there many times. Such is the fantastic atmosphere that they seem to exude through their contact with everyone in the beer world and beyond.
Continue reading ‘Nebraska Brewing Co and Black Betty, A Whisky Barrel Aged Imperial Stout’
The Fredericksburg Brewing Company is tucked away in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. This area of Texas is a somewhat well-known, yet also underrated and hidden as well. I got the chance to come back to a fantastic town on Christmas Eve with my kids. I’ve always loved coming to Fredericksburg and this time around was special. Dating all the way back to 1994 when the ‘great’ state of Texas finally allowed the operations of brewpubs within it’s borders.
Continue reading ‘Fredericksburg Brewing Co's Hoppy Holidaze Strong Ale’
Let me first say, that I love collaboration beers. They often take the best of each brewery and mix it all up into one fantastic beer. The latest is ‘Life and Limb’ the American Strong Ale brewed with maple and birch syrup by the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co of Chico, CA and Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales of Milton, DE.
Continue reading ‘Sierra Nevada/Dogfish Head's Life and Limb’
Published on
December 17, 2009 in
2009 and Here's What's Brewing.
Tags: alamo, Bar, beers, breweries, brewpub, California, cheers, colorado, craft beer, family friendly, microbrew, pub, san antonio, United States.
Originally posted on UpTake.com Nov 23, 2009 10:06 – By: Jeremybanas
All we are is just another tap on the wall
Everyone knows The Bull and Finch Pub in Boston (known as ‘Cheers’ on T.V.) as the place ‘Where everybody knows your name’. To me, that is an essential ingredient in any place you frequent, visit once, or always hope to get to. For years living in San Antonio there was a drought for a place where you could get more than the average beer served at the ‘insert your name here’ bar on the corner. Sure, one or two places pop up here and there, but they do not have the overall atmosphere and selection that many craft beer bars on the west coast, east coast and Colorado have. Namely, an incredible selection of what many refer to as craft beer bars. Places that serve beer for those with a more refined taste of our favorite malted beverage. Continue reading ‘The Tap Exchange Alehouse and Grill – A True Beer Lovers Haven’
Ok. I’m officially going on record as saying that I am absolutely pissed at the changes to The Tap Exchange Alehouse and Grill here in San Antonio. Beer snob am I? Heck yeah! If you call having actual taste in something that has more variety than even wine, then yes, I am. What’s happening to ‘Jimmie’s’ place is a travesty. So much for craft beer in Texas. Without places like the ORIGINAL Tap Exchange, Freetail Brewing, Real Ale and the like, we’d have nothing here at all. Jimmie’s place was a slice of heaven in Texas for craft beer bars. If the new management keeps this new direction, then the Tap Exchange will be ust another bar you can see anywhere…
Continue reading ‘A few thoughts….’
Saint Bridget’s is an example of an American Porter which is based on the English Porter style. This style typically has a high hop flavor to it, lots of malt, often chocolate and coffee flavors as well. Introduced to the U.S. during colonial times, many American brewers used other flavorings such as molasses and gets it coloring from the use of brown malts. Continue reading ‘Great Divide Brewing Co's Saint Bridget's Porter’
