Side Project Cellar

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of visiting the newly opened Side Project Cellar in Maplewood, MO. Since I’ve been dying to get my hands on some of Side Project’s beers, this was quite the exciting day for me. To make it even better, I brought my mom along to convince her just how great craft beer really is (I think it worked).

When we first walked in, we were amazed by all of the reclaimed wood decorating the walls of the bar. It was a Pinterest-lover’s dream. The next thing that caught my eye was the plentiful tap and bottle list, featuring beers from all over the world. The accompanying 24 taps left me with a smile I just couldn’t wipe off  of my face. The service we received after we sat down at the bar was exactly the kind of service I expected from this kind of place – attentive and informative. We learned a lot about the operations of the cellar as well as the few SP beer available. You may be asking, why only a few? Since Side Project is so delicious, they have a hard time keeping their own beer in stock. The ladies behind the bar informed us that they usually try to keep 2 of their brews on tap and 2-4 bottles available for on-premise consumption at all times. So pretty much, if you’re looking to try out some Side Project, your best bet is to head right to the cellar.

To start off our tasty expedition, we ordered the two Side Project brews available on tap that day: Grisette and Saison du Ble.  Strong notes of lemon and grapefruit drifted from the glass of Grisette and  into my nose. My lips were greeted by a snappy flavor that engulfed my mouth soon after. To me, it started off a bit tart but then mellowed into a grapefruit dream. A++. The Saison du Ble was easily just as good. The head was a bigger than with the Grisette and the Saison smelled a lot funkier; like a farm that also grows apples. I noticed a slight bitterness with this brew and lots of apple-licious flavors hanging around as well but when it warmed in my glass, it developed into a sweeter drink with a bit of zip. At this point, I pretty much died of happiness.

For all of you living in or visiting the St. Louis/Maplewood area, I highly recommend taking a trip over to the Side Project Cellar. It is absolutely the place you want to be if you’re interested in drinking some of the best beers in the country. Cheers!

2014 GABF Fantasy Brewery Draft

I recently drafted my (the best) Fantasy Brewery Draft team for Great American Beer Festival. We win points on medals awarded. We all know who’s going to win (me) so keep up with the action on PorchDrinking.com to see what we all know is going to happen.

 

http://www.porchdrinking.com/2014-gabf-fantasy-brewery-draft-results/

Cooking with Beer | Köttbusser Spicy Ketchup

PorchDrinking.com Article:

Chelsea Mitchell makes a spicy beer infused ketchup using Snow Drop Köttbusser Ale.

Ketchup – made with Snow Drop Kottbusser Ale by Grimm Brothers Brewhouse. You need to make this right now. No, seriously, you need to make it because it’s an ingredient in the next recipe being posted.

http://www.porchdrinking.com/cooking-with-beer-kottbusser-spicy-ketchup/

4 Hands Brewing Company | St. Louis, Missouri

PorchDrinking.com Article:

Chelsea Mitchell takes a trip to St. Louis to explore and tastes the beers at 4 Hands Brewing Company.

Check out my showcase of 4 Hands Brewing Company!

http://www.porchdrinking.com/mitchell-4-hands-brewing-company/

Barrels and Bottles New Beer Release

 

The other night, I popped in to Barrels and Bottles to check out the new creations of head brewer, Kim Collins. I tried Piney the First, the sessionable Lil’ IPA, and Hot Lips, a sour mash blonde ale. The first three releases of the B&B flagship line were pretty great, especially Piney. The rest of the line-up for the  brewery/taproom/wine bar is set to come out throughout the month of July.

While sippin’ on some goodness, we also chowed down on the baked camembert with fruit compote and let me tell you – it was to die for. I’m excited to see what else Kim has up her sleeve as the rest of the brews roll out and I’ll definitely be heading back to Barrels and Bottles to get more of that delectable baked cheese.

Explore: 4 Noses Brewery Opening

I paid a visit to the brand new 4 Noses Brewing Company out in Broomfield for their opening day. I was expecting some good and some bad – because it was a new brewery after all. What I got was all fantastic.

The brewery itself was gorgeous. Wood-paneled walls, tree knots for tap handles, and a perfectly simple poured concrete bar. They even have a garage door to open up the brewery on sunny days. From the bar, you could see through the windows and take a gander at their massive set-up. These folks are not kidding around. They are fresh in the brewniverse and already they have an enormous brewing capacity. I could tell the founders had visited quite a few breweries and learned from other’s successes before building their own brewery.

Saison Risotto with Bacon, Leeks and Sweet Peas

Sometimes I get these crazy ideas that I’m going to cook something I’ve never made before and I get overly confident that it will turn out amazing. Sometimes it actually works – like this time. Never have I ever made risotto, but I definitely have eaten it. Its creamy, flavorful, and you can put practically anything in it. So I thought, why not just cook it in beer? It is usually cooked in white wine so I figured beer would work just as well, if not better. I waited and waited to use my favorite brew, Saison by Funkwerks, until I found the perfect recipe. Finally, I had my chance.

Explore: Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project

I knew The Source was a rad place long before I went there to drink beer. Not only had I looked it up online, I had eaten a delicious chorizo benedict at Comida, a restaurant in the building, a few weeks before. The Source is a collective of eateries, providers of booze, and quaint little shops. Within the warehouse, there is a butcher, a baker, a florist, a gallery, a distillery, and nestled in the back left corner is Crooked Stave. The surrounding atmosphere is hip yet the look of the bar is simple and sleek. They put all their focus into their brews, which becomes quite apparent when you start to drink them.

Explore: River North Brewery – Anniversary Ale 2 Release

I said in my review I would return to River North…. and I did. River North Brewery in Denver released their Second Anniversary Ale this weekend and I was lucky enough to try it out. The bartender described it as “tropical” and I agreed. Its like Belgium meets Hawaii. Anny Ale #2 has those good farmhouse flavors you would expect in a Belgian Golden but it is also sweet. The sweetness tasted sort of like a pineapple but without the tartness. The other pictures are of BPR, which I’m now addicted to, and Hello, Darkness which is also delish. If you want to read more about those, check out my review of River North from a few weeks back.

 

Happy Anniversary River North Brewery!

 

Explore: River North Brewery

 

Can you imagine a tiny little beer haven where they play Alt-J through the speakers, have beautiful bartenders, and a surprisingly large barrel aging program? This sounds kind of like a beer dream doesn’t it? Well, its real and its called River North Brewery. Tucked away in a small building near Coors Field in Downtown Denver is this somewhat small Belgian inspired brew palace. Although it is slight in size, it pumps out beers with big flavors. Maybe you’ve heard of some of them like Hoppenberg Uncertainty Principle or J. Marie. If you haven’t, you should try to get your hands on some of them. If you’re in town, visit their intimate taproom (which is no larger than my living room and kitchen combined) and grab a seat at the bar. You won’t be disappointed. We tried every beer on tap that night. When we left we were slightly tipsy and very happy with our overall experience.