February 2023

February flew by in a breeze but I somehow tried 152 different beers in this quick month. Bottle shares and beer flights always mean getting to try a wider variety of beers which I love! This list of beers has the best of the best that I had over the past 4 weeks which I rated a 4.5 or above on Untappd.

This month included a trip to Savannah and the Jacksonville Beach, Florida area to hang at the beach and explore the local brew scene as well as the local beer fest Queen City Brewers Festival, a bottle share, a Superbowl share, many visits to local breweries and lots of great beers at home in between.

In no particular order, here are the best beers I had in February 2023:

Even More Daily Servings from Trillium Brewing in Boston, MA and Evil Twin Brewing in New York, NY

Even More Daily Servings is a Fruited Sour with raspberries and marshmallow. This is an amped up version of Twice the Daily Serving which is already my favorite Sour, so add more fruit and marshmallow and it can only get better! Another superb collaboration from Trillium and Evil Twin.

Paulus from Schilling Beer Company in Littleton, NH

Paulus is a Helles Lager with Noble hops. Schilling crushes the Lager game and I am so excited to be seeing more of their beers around North Carolina. I enjoyed this at Salud Beer Shop in Charlotte, in a big ole dimple mug as it should be done.

Medium Raw from Root and Branch Brewing in Copiague, NY

Medium Raw is a multi-oat/wheat Triple IPA with Citra and Freestyle Motueka hops. This was a fantastic brew from Root and Branch. Especially for it being a Triple IPA this was way too easy to drink and I wish I had more cans of it!

Searching For The Proof That We’ve Truly Lived from Percent Tap House in Harrisburg, NC and Forgotten Road Ales in Graham, NC

This is a wine barrel aged Farmhouse Saison with pairs, honey and locally grown Green Szechuan. It is pictured right in the photo above. These two breweries tend to be a little quieter in the North Carolina brew scene but are always cranking out delicious beers! This was a very interesting collaboration with superb flavor.

Flora (Batch 10) from Hill Farmstead Brewing in Greensboro Bend, VT

Flora is the wine barrel aged version of Florence, a wheat Farmstead Ale. This was barrel aged for over two years. Hill Farmstead continues to crush this style of beer.

Double Barrel Coconut Fionn from Angry Chair Brewing in Tampa, FL

Double Barrel Coconut Fionn is a rum and bourbon barrel aged Imperial Porter with hazelnut coffee and coconut. While in Florida a dark beer from Angry Chair is always a must. I enjoyed this one at 9 Zero Pour in Jacksonville, FL. The rich notes of coconut were fantastic!

Infiltrator from Root and Branch Brewing in Copiague, NY

Infiltrator is a multi-oat/wheat IPA brewed and dry hopped with New Zealand grown hops from Freestyle Hops. Normally it is difficult for a single IPA to be overly impressive when you can pack so much more flavor into a Double or Triple IPA, but Infiltrator is a top-notch beer. I’ve had this beer in the past and am always impressed by just how incredible it is!

Genealogy of Morals: Buena Vista Organic from Hill Farmstead Brewing in Greensboro Bend, VT

From Hill Farmstead: “We have chosen three barrels as the base for this single country origin coffee and cacao nib variation. After aging more than 26 months in select bourbon barrels, we conditioned the beer atop organic Buena Vista beans from Caranavi, Bolivia, sourced and roasted by our friends at The Coffee Collective in Copenhagen, Denmark, as well as organic Bolivian cacao nibs.”

Check back next month to see my top beers of March! Cheers—Alexis

February 2022

February brought a slue of fantastic beers! I also took trips to Greenville, SC and up to Michigan, so that led to some great beers as well. Fingers crossed we are moving towards warmer weather and more patio beers in the coming weeks!

In no particular order, here were my top beers in February 2022:

Tulip from Fidens Brewing in Colonie, NY

Tulip is a Double IPA brewed with Citra and Simcoe hops. Fidens has really fine-tuned what a Double IPA should be and Tulip is a prime example of this. Smooth, juicy, flavorful, and delicious.

Never Gonnagetit³ from The Veil Brewing in Richmond, VA

This is the triple fruited version the Veil’s mixed berry gose with raspberry, boysenberry, and blackberry. Anything mixed berry is always going to be a win from my perspective and this was delicious. Shout out to Salud Beer Shop for hosting a Veil tap takeover so we can have their RVA goodness in CLT.

Ana from Fair Isle Brewing in Seattle, WA

Ana is a tropical Saison refermented on Ananasnaya Kiwi fruit from Red Cedar Farm in Poulsbo, WA. In my opinion, Saisons are always best enjoyed on a beautiful day sitting outside (preferably also with a cheese board). I have been hyping Fair Isle up since I visited their taproom in July and Ana reminded me of just how good their beers are. If you haven’t jumped on this train yet I highly recommend it!

I Once Left My Mind In A Bed-Stuy Juice Bar Collab from Burial Beer Co. in Asheville, NC and Other Half Brewing in New York, NY

This killer collaboration is mashed with oats and candi sugar, whirlpooled with Incognito hops, and triple dry-hopped with Mosaic, El Dorado, Blanc, Motueka and Riwaka hops. It is another banger from the folks at Burial and Other Half, which should come as no surprise.

All Is Not Lost from Petty Thieves Brewing in Charlotte, NC

All Is Not Lost is a Saison brewed with ceylon tea and lemon peel before being refermented on Asian pear puree. Petty Thieves always has a wide array of beers to choose from but I’ve found their Saisons to be my favorites. All Is Not Lost was superb—the pear flavor was not too overpowering but the perfect balance of fruity and refreshing.

Stress Dream collab from The Eighth State Brewing Company in Greenville, SC and Fidens Brewing in Colonie, NY

Pictured left, Stress Dream is an Imperial Stout with Monteblanco Passion Fruit Washed Coffee Beans from @methodicalcoffee , Toasted Coconut, Strawberry, Papua New Guinea Vanilla, Peruvian Cocoa Nibs, and Caramel. When two of the best in the game team up your expectations are pretty high, but Eighth State & Fidens did not disappoint. I am excited to open the bottle of this that I got soon too!

Crunchtime from HopFly Brewing in Charlotte, NC

Crunchtime is an American Lager from one of Charlotte’s newest breweries, HopFly Brewing. They opened in March 2020 in Rocky Mount, NC and just expanded to CLT last week. If you haven’t already checked out their new space in South End get on it! They do each style of beer well, but I found Crunchtime to be well-rounded and refreshing—perfect for their rooftop patio space.

Dots on the Wall from Birds Fly South Ale Project in Greenville, SC

Dots on the Wall is a Farmhouse Style Table Beer. Did you ever think a Table Beer would make a top beers list? I certainly didn’t, but Dots on the Wall has flipped that idea on its head. This was a fantastic, easy-drinking beer that still had plenty of flavor.

Hopnosis from Firestone Walker in Paso Robles, CA

Hopnosis is a West Coast IPA with Mosaic Cryo hops. This was a superb West Coast IPA from the folks at Firestone Walker who have been honing in on this style of beer for over 15 years. Learn more about Hopnosis in my PorchDrinking Beer Feature linked here!

Curtains Closed from High Branch Brewing in Concord, NC

Curtains Closed is a Hazy Double IPA with oats and Sabro, Citra, Azacca, and Centennial hops. High Branch is best known for their IPAs and Curtains Closed was perhaps the best one that I have had from them.

Ghost Big Sherb from HOMES Brewing in Ann Arbor, MI

Ghost Big Sherb is a Smoothie Sour with milk sugar and double fruited with blackberry, black currant, and plum, then aged on vanilla bean. HOMES always makes delicious beers, particularly their Sours. It was fruity without being overly sweet or thick, and I thoroughly enjoyed every sip.

Check back next month to see my top beers of March 2022! Cheers—Alexis

September 2021

September brought the return of college football with lots of game beers and a trip to Richmond, Virginia for Zwanze Day 2021. Check out my top beers in September 2021 below:

Saint Lamvinus from Cantillon Brewery in Brussels, Belgium

Saint Lamvinus is a blend of Lambics aged 16 to 18 months and of Merlot grapes. We enjoyed this fantastic brew at Zwanze Day hosted by The Veil Brewing. This was my top Cantillon beer of the day and truly phenomenal.

The Sum of Its Parts from Triple Crossing Brewing in Richmond, VA

The Sum of Its Parts is a Mixed Culture Ale with petit manseng juice and dry hopped Nelson Sauvin hops. Triple Crossing is known for their juicy IPAs, but don’t sleep on their Wild Ales! It is best enjoyed on the Triple Crossing patio with pizza and pretzels!

Lake James Rind: Ashtray Style from Fonta Flora Brewery in Morganton, NC & Salud Beer Shop in Charlotte, NC

Lake James Rind is an adjunct Lager with heritage corn, lime zest, tajin, and watermelon. This is a classic summer sipper from Fonta Flora and always a delight, but to step up your game I suggest you have it ashtray style at Salud. In the NoDa neighborhood of Charlotte, Salud Beer Shop offers an even better version of Lake James Rind with lime, hot sauce, pepper, and tajin.

Zwanze 2021 Parasol from Cantillon Brewery in Brussels, Belgium

Zwanze 2021 Parasol is a special blend of Lambic and a citrus blend featuring mostly oranges. This was another delightful brew from Cantillon and it was awesome to get to experience Zwanze Day for the first time. This years release was refreshing and light with a hint of orange.

Zero Drunk Thirty 7th Breakfast Club and Condron Raspberry Blueberry Cheesecake from The Answer Brewpub in Richmond, VA

Zero Drunk Thirty 7th Breakfast Club is The Answer’s 7th Anniversary Barrel Blend Imperial Chocolate Stout. The barrels were Laird's Apple, Rye, and Rum. It is then brewed with Banana Flambé, Saigon cinnamon, Tahitian vanilla and Vermont maple. This was a delicious Imperial Stout that is thick with flavor and booziness. Another killer beer at the answer was one of their Jooses: Condron Raspberry Blueberry Cheesecake. This is a Fruited Sour with Raspberry Blueberry Cheesecake. All of the Joose series is great, but these two fruits and the cheesecake flavor made it a perfect indulgence.

Banana Vanilla Almond Apple Brandy Circle of Wolves from The Veil Brewing Co. in Richmond, VA

Banana Vanilla Almond Apple Brandy Circle of Wolves is an English Barleywine aged in @lairdsapplejack Apple Brandy barrels for 20 months then conditioned on bananas, Madagascar vanilla, and Marcona almonds. This was hands down the best beer I’ve had this month and will go down as one of my top beers of 2021. The banana hits heavy but in a delicious way and the apple brandy kicks in on the back. Highly recommend!

Check back next month to see my top beers from October!
—Cheers, Alexis

My Top Beers in January 2021

Some people choose to do Dry-January, but personally that’s not something that I have ever or probably will ever choose to do.

First, my birthday is in January. Second, I like beer. Third, to me, forcing yourself to not do something is not a healthy option over moderation. Fourth, it’s a global pandemic, we celebrated a new President, and we faced an insurrection on our nation’s capitol.

In summary, I drank some beers in January! Here are my favorites, in no particular order:

CLIMB THE BALLMER PEAK FROM TRILLIUM BREWING IN BOston, MA and Equilibrium Brewery in MIDDLETOWN, NY

The second batch of this Triple IPA loaded with hand selected Citra hops. I love a good collab and EQ teaming up with Trillium was bound to be amazing! I brought this one up Stone Mountain, and although it wasn’t the Ballmer Peak it was a great peak to enjoy such a delicious beer. Check out all my favorite hikes near Charlotte here!

Even More Gummy Saurus from Evil Twin Brewing in New York, New York and Tripping Animals Brewing in Doral, FL

Even More Gummy Saurus is a Fruited Sour with coconut and marshmallow. I did not have high expectations for this beer because I am not a huge coconut fan and I generally like my Fruited Sours to be berry focused, but this one was stellar. Best paired with college basketball watching.

Marvoloso V7 from Commonwealth Brewing Company in Virginia Beach, VA

Wow. This one was an Imperial Chocolate Stout aged on Basil Hayden’s Bourbon and Woodford Reserve Rye barrels and conditioned on marshmallow, coconut, walnuts, cocoa nibs, Tahitian vanilla beans, and Ghirardelli dark chocolate. I enjoyed this adjunct-packed Stout at Carolina Beer Temple, we were lucky enough to visit when they were doing a Commonwealth tap takeover! Their outside patio area is great, I definitely recommend checking them out!

Hommage Bio Frambozen from Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen in Brussels, Belgium

Lambic Life! This is the Season 17|18 Blend Number 60 version Lambic with raspberries, cherries, and local honey. There is nothing that makes you feel quite as boojie as a Lambic basket. This was a special treat for my birthday from a good friend that we enjoyed at The Whale Beer Bar in Asheville. They’ve always got a killer tap list and can/bottle list as well!

Dessert Cart from Mountains Walking Brewery in Bozeman, MT and The Whale Beer Bar in Asheville, NC

Dessert Cart is a Pastry Stout brewed for The Whale's 3rd Anniversary using Mountains Walking’s thick and decadent Pastry Stout base conditioned on toasted coconut, toasted pecans, cocoa nibs and Tahitian vanilla bean. Creamy, thicc, flavorful, and delicious! We enjoyed this can at Salud Beer Shop, one of my favorite spots in Charlotte.

Second Hand Shanty from Vitamin Sea Brewing in Weymouth, MA and Resident Culture Brewing in Charlotte, NC

This is a Triple IPA Double Dry-Hopped with Mosaic, Strata and Michigan Copper. Vitamin Sea and Resident Culture both crush it in the IPA game so it was no surprise that this collaboration was great. I personally preferred Vitamin Sea’s version, but both were absolutely fantastic!

Tune in next month for my February favorites! Cheers -Alexis

The Best Craft Beer Bars

Obviously I love exploring breweries, but craft beer bars are always fun to hang out at as well. I love getting to try hard to find or obscure beers from breweries across the world!

My favorite craft beer bars each offer a little something different, but they all have delicious and unique beers! Check out my top picks globally below:

The Avenue Pub in New Orleans

The Avenue Pub

Located in New Orleans, Louisiana this craft beer haven is open 24/7 365 days of the year! The Avenue has a fantastic tap list at both their main bar downstairs and their balcony bar upstairs.

The balcony is one of the best parts of The Avenue, it is a fantastic place to kick back and watch the streetcars roll by and soak up some Louisiana sunshine. Their location right on Saint Charles Avenue makes it a prime spot to watch parades during Mardi Gras season, but beware of beads flying into your beer!

The Avenue also has a full food menu that is typical bar food. The cheese fries are fantastic, especially after a beer or two. If you’re local to New Orleans their Mug Club is a fun feature to earn discounts on beers and get invited to special events.

Polly and her team do a fantastic job at The Avenue so be sure to show them some love the next time you’re in The Big Easy! Take note that The Avenue is 21 and up only.

Check out all of my New Orleans recommendations here!

Salud Beer Shop in Charlotte

Salud Beer Shop

This Charlotte, North Carolina beer bar and bottle shop opened its doors in 2012 and has been crushing the game ever since. Located in the NoDa neighborhood, they’ve got 16 taps and a plethora of cans and bottles for consumption both on and offsite.

Salud’s owners Jason and Dairelyn Glunt host frequent events such as tap takeovers, porch parties, and special releases in the bottle shop. They’ve also got natural wines, meads, and a food menu featuring Neapolitan-style pizzas.

Salud also won the top spot for Best Beer Bar from USA Today in 2019 and 2020 so don’t just take my word for how great they are! Be sure to check out their brewery upstairs too, Salud Cerveceria.

Liquiderie Bottle Shop in Paris

Liquiderie Bottle Shop

Liquiderie is located in Paris, France. It is a tiny little spot with a just a few bar stools, but it is full of some incredible beers. They’ve got three beers on taps and a slue of cans and bottles for sale to drink in-house or take to-go.

They’ve also got a small food menu for snacks. Liquiderie’s staff is super nice and friendly so don’t be afraid to ask questions or just hang out!

This cute little spot is located right in the heart of the Folic-Mericourt neighborhood.

The rest of my Paris recommendations are located here!

Torst in New York City

Torst Bar

Torst is located on Manhattan Avenue in Brooklyn, NYC. With so many beer bars and breweries in The Big Apple, Torst sets itself apart with its killer tap list and unique environment.

Torst is classier than your average beer bar, with a sleek set-up and intimate atmosphere. They have 21 taps, a large list of can and bottle beer options, natural wines, and cocktails as well.

Torst also has a small food menu with snacks and a few sandwiches. They offer Happy Hour from 4-7pm every weekday.

Beer Street is another one of my favorite NYC craft beer bars with more of a dive bar atmosphere, cheaper prices, and still a fantastic tap list. Check out all of my NYC recommendations here!

The Whale in Greenville

The Whale Craft Beer Collective

The Whale has locations in Asheville, North Carolina and Greenville, South Carolina. Each location has 20 taps and a large can and bottle list to enjoy.

On tap at each spot you will also find Whale Exclusives, which are beers they collaboratively brewed with local breweries for release only at their taprooms.

The Whale is dog-friendly and also offers, wine, mead, sake, and non-alcoholic craft beverages. Be sure to stop by next time you’re in AVL or GVL!

Check out my Asheville recommendations here and my Greenville recommendations here!

The Porter Beer Bar in Atlanta

The Porter Beer Bar

Located in the heart of the Little 5 Points neighborhood of Atlanta, The Porter Beer Bar is a mecca for ATL’s craft beer nerds.

The Porter has been open since 2008, before the craft beer scene in the US really took off.

They have over fifty taps, a large selection of cans and bottles, wine, and cocktails. Be sure to bring your reading glasses with you to this beer bar—the tap list is a novel but it is worth the effort!

The Porter also has a full food menu to keep your appetite at bay while you peruse and enjoy your many drink options.

The rest of my Atlanta recommendations are located here!

The International Beer Bar in Zurich

The International Beer Bar

Located in Zurich, Switzerland, The International is a cozy little spot with indoor and outdoor seating options. They have craft Swiss, European, and global beers available.

Their staff is super friendly and they have truly delicious beers to try. They do tap-takeovers and also have cans and bottles available.

Check out my Zurich guide here!

State of Beer in Raleigh

State of Beer

State of Beer is in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. It is from the team at Trophy Brewing which has three taprooms as a part of their brewery as well.

State of Beer is a bottle and sandwich shop with 12 taps, a plethora of bottles and cans, small plates, salads, and sandwiches. You can also buy beer to-go here.

They have a nice outdoor patio to enjoy your beer and food on as well, it gets busy when the weather is nice. Check it out next time you’re in the area!

Pop The Top in Charlotte

Pop The Top Craft Beer Shop

Another gem in Charlotte, North Carolina, Pop the Top is located in the South End neighborhood. Ketan and his fantastic team have 24 taps, cans, and bottles for sale to consume on or off premises.

Pop The Top does not have a kitchen so they are dog-friendly and you can bring your own food. They host frequent tap takeovers and you’ll frequently find a bottle share happening as well.

They’ve also got an outdoor patio for those sunny days, board games, and TVs.

Local Option in Chicago

Local Option

Located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, Local Option is—as you might guess—where the locals go!

They have 24 taps, a few of which are usually their own beer they brew as well. The food at Local Option is delicious, so be sure to come hungry and eat up!

Their taproom has some punk-esque vibes but is still welcoming and friendly to everyone.

They partner with AJ Maka Distributors to get some amazing craft beers and meads on tap and in the bar, so be sure to stop by next time you’re in the Chicagoland area!

Check out my Chicago recommendations here!

Monk’s Cafe in Philadelphia

Monk’s Cafe

Monk’s Cafe is in downtown Philly and advertises itself as “The soul of Belgium in the heart of Philadelphia”.

They have 25 beers on tap and a bottle list, both with an emphasis on Belgian beers. The vibes are more pub-like with a full food menu and servers, but I would recommend just sitting at the bar to get the full beer nerd experience.

Monk’s Cafe also has a lot of special events, such as a special tapping of Pliny the Younger from Russian River that happens each year. Check it out next time you’re in Philly!

My guide to Philadelphia is located here!

What’s your favorite craft beer bar? Let me know in the comments!