March 2021

March was full of fantastic beers and a trip to Raleigh visiting some amazing breweries and sharing some fantastic beers! You can also tell from my selection here that we’ve finally seen a turn in the weather—this month includes many more fruity and refreshing beers!

In no particular order, here were my top beers in March 2021:

Lunchbox Series Blackberry PB&J from Funguys Brewing in Raleigh, NC

Funguys releases different variants of their Lunchbox Series of Smoothie Style Sour Ales, each that are Peanut Butter and Jelly inspired. This one is brewed with peanut butter, blackberry, and lactose, and truly tastes like you’re biting into an elementary school lunch sandwich. All of their Sours are incredibly delicious so you really can’t go wrong, but this one really exceeded expectations.

Deferred Stimulus from Cerebral Brewing in Denver, CO

Deferred Stimulus is a Double IPA with Galaxy and Cashmere hops coming in at 8.4% ABV. Cerebral makes some of the best Juicy IPAs in the game and this one is no exception! The color is warm and inviting, the smell is fresh and hop-filled, and the flavors are powerful and smooth. I absolutely love getting my hands on Cerebral’s brews and can’t wait to visit them again in the future!

Summer Jam: FrosE Collaboration from Barrel Culture Brewing and Blending in Durham, NC and Kings Brewing in Rancho Cucamonga, CA

This collab is a tiki-drink inspired Fruited Sour Ale with pineapple, mango, coconut, and key lime. At 7% ABV, this is a powerful Sour from two fantastic breweries. It is thiccc, packed with flavor, and super easy to drink. I had this one on tap during our visit to Raleigh and it was so good I also scooped a 4-pack to go!

Abstract Harvest from Heist Brewing and Barrel Arts in Charlotte, NC

Abstract Harvest is a Fruited Berliner Weisse with passionfruit, pink guava, pineapple, and lactose. It is extremely refreshing but super packed full of flavor. At 7.8% ABV it is definitely a boozy brew, but the fruits hide the alcohol and it is super easy-drinking. Pair this with a pizza from Livy’s and you won’t be disappointed!

Self-Reliance: Motueka from Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro Bend, VT

This batch of Hill Farmstead’s Farmhouse IPA, Self-Reliance, has hand-selected Motueka hops from Freestyle Farms, their agricultural partner in Upper Moutere, New Zealand. It was conditioned in oak puncheons for 3 months and then bottled since March 13, 2019. This was truly phenomenal and will probably be one of my favorite beers of the year.

Intern Backpack collaboration from Other Half Brewing in New York, NY, Shared Brewing in Maplewood, MO, and Monkish Brewing in Torrance, CA

Intern Backpack is an Imperial IPA with hand selected Centennial and Nelson Sauvin hops plus Vic Secret and Galaxy hops. This is a true juice bomb coming from three of the best breweries in the country—Other Half, Monkish, and Shared. Shared is by Side Project Brewing and where they create their non-Barrel Aged beers. I look forward to getting to try more of their fantastic creations!

Soft Parade from Short’s Brewing in Bellaire, MI

Soft Parade was my original favorite craft beer! I grew up in Michigan so Short’s and Soft Parade were everywhere, but now as a North Carolinian I rarely get to revisit this delicious classic. Soft Parade is their flagship Fruit Ale brewed with pureed strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. It is fruity and refreshing but still 7.5% ABV!

Extra Extra Juicy Bits from WeldWerks Brewing in Greeley, CO

Juicy Bits is already a phenomenal beer and one of the best IPAs in the country. Extra Extra Juicy Bits is the Double Dry Hopped Double IPA version of this classic beer with Citra, Mosaic, and El Dorado hops. This is an incredible beer and one of the top IPAs I’ve personally had. Don’t want to take my word for it? This brew won a gold medal at the 2019 Great American Beer Festival in the Juicy or Hazy Imperial India Pale Ale category.

Check back next month to see my top beers of April!

Cheers -Alexis

My Top Beers in February 2021

February brought A LOT of good beers! A trip to Asheville + a shipment of all of Other Half’s anniversary beers + some amazing goodies from friends means that this month’s list is a little longer than normal because it was just impossible to narrow things down!

In no particular order, here are my top beers of February 2021:

Toasty Camp Flight at Forestry Camp by Burial Beer Co. in Asheville, NC

Okay so yes this is totally cheating to have 4 beers as one selection but they were all so good! I will narrow it down to my top 2: Lecha Reserva from Bottle Logic Brewing in Anaheim, CA and Rogue in Exile from Eighth State Brewing in Greenville, SC in collaboration with Burial Beer Co. in Asheville, NC. Lecha Reserva is an Imperial Stout aged in tequila and bourbon barrels with chili pepper blend, cacao nibs, cinnamon, vanilla beans, and lactose. The spice perfectly flavors the chocolate base and adds a nice punch. Rogue in Exile is an Imperial Stout with caramel, toasted coconut, Mexican vanilla, honey dates, halawi date, and milk sugar. The flavors combine for a brownie-like thiccc sipper.

Vera Mae (2019) from Hill Farmstead in Greensboro Bend, VT

Hill Farmstead never ceases to impress! Vera Mae is a Farmhouse Saison with organically grown grains, American hops, Vermont wildflower honey, dandelion flowers from the Hill Farmstead fields, and their unique farmhouse yeast. The 2019 edition was aged in oak puncheons and wine barrels for two months and then bottle conditioned for more than a year. The result is a slightly sweet and earthy bottle of goodness.

Triple Juicy Diamonds collaboration from Other Half Brewing in New York, NY and WeldWerks Brewing in Greeley, CO

You know it’s a juice bomb when two of the best in the game come together for a Triple IPA collaboration! Other Half and WeldWerks both individually crush the IPA game and this one is no exception. This is an Imperial IPA with Citra, El Dorado, Mosaic, and Galaxy hops. This one might end up on my best beers of 2021 list at the end of the year, it was so good!

Ken Burns Presents: Guava, Passion Fruit, and Apricot from BlackStack Brewing in St. Paul, MN

BlackStack is so insanely underrated! I visited their taproom in 2018 and had the best IPAs of my trip to the Twin Cities. Since then I have been lucky enough to get some beer mail to continue to try even more of their beers. Their ‘Ken Burns Presents’ series of smoothie style Berliner Weisses has been incredible. This is the 11th edition of the series and is a Foeder-Fermented Fruited Berliner Weisse with guava, passionfruit, apricot, and milk sugar.

Holy Ghost from Parish Brewing Co. in Broussard, LA

Holy freaking Ghost! I am a huge Parish fan after living in Louisiana for almost 5 years so I was thrilled when they released this special version of their best beer—Ghost in the Machine—for their 10th anniversary! This is a Triple IPA with oats, raw wheat, and dry hopped with Nelson Sauvin, Galaxy, and Citra Cryo hops. Fingers crossed this one makes another appearance at some point like the Double Dry Hopped version has!

5th, 6th, and 7th Anniversary from Other Half Brewing in New York, NY

Okay yes I’m cheating again by picking 3 beers in one BUT how can you possibly not include all of this amazing juiciness in a top beers selection?! 5th Anniversary is an Imperial IPA with oats and Citra, Galaxy, Mosaic, Nelson Sauvin, and Citra Cryo hops. 6th Anniversary is an Imperial IPA with Citra, Mosaic, Sabro Incognito, Galaxy, Cashmere, Riwaka, Strata T-90, Cashmere, Tomahawk, and Citra Cryo hops. 7th Anniversary is an Imperial IPA with Citra, Citra Cryo, Motueka, Riwaka, Cashmere, and Eukanot hops. I loved being able to do a side by side tasting of these stellar beers to pick out the small differences between them. I’d love to see Other Half continue to release years past anniversary beers each year to see how things change over time!

Devil’s Edge collaboration from Devil’s Logic Brewing and Edge City Brewery in Charlotte, NC

Devil’s Logic and Edge City are both newer to the Charlotte beer scene, with Devil’s Logic opening in December 2019 and Edge City in April 2020. They’ve each jumped right into the mix of 40+ breweries in the CLT area with impressive beers and nicely curated taprooms. Together they created Devil’s Edge, an Imperial IPA with Citra, Simcoe, and Vic Secret hops. This juice bomb is perfectly hopped and incredibly tasty. You can enjoy it on tap at either location or snag a crowler to enjoy at home.

check back next montH to see mY top beers Of march! Cheers -Alexis

The Best Breweries in Georgia

When I visited my first brewery in Georgia in June 2014 you had to purchase a “tour” of the brewery and receive tokens for a few beer samples with your tour. The brewery was not allowed to directly sell you beer. You could not walk up to the bar, grab a pint, and take a seat as we all know and love today.

Thankfully in September 2017 that finally changed with a new law, leading to a huge increase in breweries in the state. Further regulation changes since then, such as the state’s max ABV and how much beer a brewery is allowed to produce, have opened the gates even wider for more breweries to blossom. Now in 2021 Georgia has just over 100 breweries.

In alphabetical order, here are the best breweries in Georgia:

Check out my guide to Atlanta and my guide to Savannah!

Contrast Artisan Ales

Located in Chamblee, Georgia, a city in the northeast Atlanta suburbs, Contrast Artisan Ales is a cute little spot with killer beers. They’ve got a small but mighty tap list particularly filled with IPAs. There is a high level of craftmanship being poured into each of their brews. It is worth the journey to the suburbs to check out them out!

Creature Comforts Brewing Company

Located in Athens, Georgia, Creature Comforts makes essentially every style of beer under the sun. They are strongest at Saisons and Mixed-Cultures, really honing in on the craftsmanship of funky beers. Their clean beers are also really well done, and Classic City Lager is a delightful all day sipper. Creature Comforts is also opening a second brewery and taproom in Los Angeles.

Halfway Crooks

Located in central Atlanta, Halfway Crooks is a Lager-focused brewery that is absolutely incredible. Their beers are delightfully crisp and packed full of flavor. Their Lagers, Saisons, and Pilsners are particularly top-notch.

Monday Night Brewing

Monday Night has two locations in Atlanta—the original taproom is in Midtown and The Garage, their Sour and Barrel Aging facility is located in the Lee + White West End establishment. Monday Night was one of the OGs of the craft beer game in the South. They were the first brewery I ever visited and what truly got me hooked on craft beer and exploring breweries! They always have a wide variety of beers to choose from and they do each style well. Their decadent Stouts and small batch juicy IPAs from their Hop Hut series are my personal favorites. Monday Night has also expanded to Birmingham and Nashville.

Pontoon Brewing

Located in Sandy Springs, Georgia, a northern suburb of Atlanta, Pontoon crushes the Sour and Stout game. Name an adjunct and you can probably find it in one of Pontoon’s beers. They throw some crazy things into their recipes but they turn out delicious! Located in a strip mall setting, Pontoon’s environment isn’t what you’d expect for a brewery with a pretty large distribution but their beers are top notch.

Two Tides Brewing Company

Located in Savannah, Georgia, Two Tides is located in a converted house with a super unique setting. Each “room” of the brewery has a different vibe and the balcony porch lets you embrace the lovely Savannah ambience. Two Tides is particular fantastic at crafting IPAs and Sours. They are always getting creative and making unique small batch beers so their tap list changes frequently. I’d recommend doing small pours so you can sample their smattering of beers. They’ve also embraced beer slushies to help cool you off during that humid Savannah summer.

Wild Leap Brew Co.

Located in LaGrange, Georgia, Wild Leap continues to impress with their IPAs, Sours, and Stouts. Their Alpha Abstraction series of Double IPAs always produces incredibly delicious juicy IPAs with a punch. Their Truck Chaser ice cream style Double IPAs are always highly sought after as well, and for good reason. Wild Leap is incredibly underrated and one of the best in the craft beer game. Fun fact, they also make their own craft vodka!

If you are exploring Georgia, here are my guides to Atlanta and Savannah! Cheers—Alexis

The Best Breweries in South Carolina

South Carolina has over 75 breweries and some that are truly crushing it. Living in Charlotte, South Carolina is just a half an hour away so I frequently head down to SC for adventures and of course brewery exploration.

In alphabetical order, here are the best breweries in South Carolina:

Birds Fly South Ale Project

Located in Greenville, SC, Birds Fly South crushes the wild beer game. Sours, Cuvees, Farmhouse Ales, Mixed Cultures, Saisons, Wild Lagers—if it has got funk, BFS does it and does it well. They are housed in Hampton Station, a mixed used development with a few other spots that you can explore. White Duck Taco is always a good idea to pair with your beers.

Charles Towne Fermentory

Located in Charleston, SC, Charles Towne makes great IPAs and Lagers. Don’t expect a huge variety or a huge tap list when you visit, but the things they do they do well. The head brewer used to brew at Trillium and then Tired Hands, so you know they crush Hazy IPAs. Their small taproom is located in the Avondale neighborhood.

Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co.

Located in Charleston, SC, Edmund’s Oast has three different locations: The Brewery, The Restaurant, and The Exchange. The brewery location is my personal favorite and will soon be right next to Juan Luis, a popular taco spot taking the former space of Workshop Food Hall for those familiar. The Exchange is connected to The Restaurant is is a great spot to grab to-go beers. Each Edmund’s Oast location has different Happy Hour specials that are fantastic, I highly recommend looking to see what they are featuring before you visit. Edmund’s Oast does each style of beer well, but their Sours are the best in my opinion. No matter what you order you will be impressed!

The Eighth State Brewing Co.

Located in Greenville, SC, Eighth State nails Fruited Sours and Pastry Stouts. They make insane beers because they are willing to go out on the edge and use things in their beers that others would never dare. You never know what you’re going to find on the tap list but just lean into it and enjoy! They’ve also got sandwiches and bread from Swamp Rabbit Cafe to go with your beers which is truly fantastic.

Slow Play Brewing

Located in Rock Hill, SC, just south of Charlotte, Slow Play makes incredibly juicy and delicious IPAs. They have a wide variety of beers if IPAs aren’t your thing, but if you enjoy them you will love this spot. They’ve also got an amazing food truck that lives onsite—Cibi Cibi!

Westbrook Brewing

Located in Charleston, SC, Westbrook is one of the OGs of craft beer. Personally I think their Stouts are their strongest style (can you tell from my flight above?) but they do each style of beer well! They are most known for Mexican Cake, an Imperial Stout with cocoa nibs, cinnamon, vanilla, and habanero peppers. Their taproom is in Mount Pleasant but you can find their beer across the state and neighboring states as well.

If you’re exploring South Carolina, here is my full guide to Greenville and here is my full guide to Charleston!
Cheers —Alexis

Charlotte Greenways Guide

Charlotte greenways are super confusing and there are no good resources out there to understand them, so I decided to create my own guide as I explored them! I prefer a mountainous and more difficult hike, but sometimes a greenway is ideal for after work or if you’ve got less time to explore. If you’re looking for a longer and more nature filled adventure, check out my guide to the best hikes near Charlotte here!

Other resources out there are just completely inaccurate in regards to distances and segments of the trails. AllTrails has the same issues with inaccuracies, but has some helpful maps and GPS directions to parking lots so I will link those for each greenway.

You can hop on most greenways at any point along the trail, so if you don’t want to do the full thing or if there is a more convenient area to join based on where you live, know that you can simply walk onto the greenway from most neighborhoods. That is also true in regards for areas to park—all of the greenways have a designated parking lot but you can park in most neighborhoods along the trail as well.

These are all the greenways within the outer 485 loop of Charlotte, but at some point I may force myself to venture into the suburbs! Whether you are walking, running, or biking, Charlotte has a fantastic greenway system!

Four Mile Creek Greenway

This greenway is in Matthews and a nice stroll along a creek. It is 4 miles total roundtrip out and back. This is definitely one of the more crowded greenways in CLT, but it is still worth checking out. Here is the AllTrails link to where to park along the road or in the neighboring subdivision. Check out Seaboard Brewing for homemade beer and pizza or Carolina Beer Temple for a great tap list of beers after your walk!

Stewart Creek/Wesley Heights/Urban Irwin Creek Greenway

These three greenways intersect in West Charlotte towards Uptown. At one point there is a fork where you can decide to follow Stewart Creek or Irwin Creek, but they are both about the same distance. Overall each trail is about 3.5 miles. I would recommend parking at the Stewart Creek Greenway Trailhead (904 Woodruff Place).

The trail starts in nature and then gets much more urban as you continue on, going right to Uptown. Town Brewing and Blue Blaze Brewing are both right near the trail to enjoy a beer after! Here is the AllTrails link to show the map of Irwin Creek and Wesley Heights. Here is the AllTrails link to show the map of Wesley Heights and Stewart Creek.

Irwin Creek GReenway

This short section of greenway is 3 miles out and back near South End. It runs from Revolution Park with a turf football field across a golf course to Clayton Park. It is a little odd to venture directly through a golf course, but the trail is pretty empty and the rest of it follows a creek through a more relaxing setting. Here is the AllTrails link for this section.

Little Sugar Creek Greenway

This greenway is segmented across parts of Charlotte and has multiple different sections, arguably this is the most confusing greenway in CLT.

Personally I prefer the section that starts in Villa Heights and goes through the Belmont neighborhood towards Uptown. There is a parking lot near The Hobbyist, a great coffee shop and craft beer bar. Grab a coffee to walk with or a beer afterwards! This section is 2.5 miles total roundtrip out and back. It starts at Cordelia Park and ends at Alexander Street Park. Here is the AllTrails link that will give you GPS directions to the parking lot and a map of the route. Occasionally the bridge under Parkwood Avenue will flood, if that is the case you can simply cross Parkwood on the main sidewalk and then rejoin the greenway.

A more urban section of the Little Sugar Creek Greenway winds through Midtown and Myers Park. This section is mostly just sidewalks through the city, but some sections are more scenic. It starts at Freedom Park and goes 2.5 miles towards Uptown. You could also hop on near the Target and Harris Teeter in Midtown and go in the opposite direction. Here is the AllTrails link that will provide you with a map. Grab a beer at Devil’s Logic along the way.

There is also a long section in South Charlotte that runs from near Marion Diehl Park to 485. AllTrails has it broken into two different trails: here is the link for the further north section starting near Marion Diehl Park and here is the link for the section starting at Huntingtowne Farms Park.

Mallard Creek Greenway

This trail is over 9 miles long out and back and is located up near UNC Charlotte. You do need to cross a road at one point, but otherwise it is pretty relaxed. Here is the AllTrails link, but I personally enjoyed combining part of Mallard Creek Greenway with Toby Creek Greenway. You can also connect to Clark’s Creek Greenway if you choose.

Toby Creek Greenway

Toby Creek Greenway runs across part of UNC Charlotte’s campus. It is just over 6 miles long total and connects to Mallard Creek Greenway if you’d like to expand your journey. Part of this trail is more nature filled than the section that goes through campus, but it is interesting to stroll across campus and provides great people watching. Here is the AllTrails link with a map, but the parking lot and distance are inaccurate.

Clark’s Creek Greenway

This trail is about 5 miles total out and back and is nice and nature-y. Park at Mallard Creek Elementary and enjoy your walk along the river! It can be muddy if it has recently rained. I thoroughly enjoyed this one personally. Here is the AllTrails link with a map and directions.

Campbell Creek Greenway

This 3 mile trail is right off Independence Boulevard making it convenient, but you will hear some road noise throughout your walk. It follows the creek throughout and is more nature filled than some of the other options aside from the noise.

As a heads up one of the Google Maps locations will take you to an apartment complex without parking options, so I’d recommend the parking lot AllTrails directs you to. Here is the AllTrails link. Unfortunately this parking lot is not at the exact beginning/end of the trail, it is right on Margaret Wallace and intersects the trail. If you follow the path from this parking lot on the same side of the road as the parking lot you will hit McAlpine Creek Greenway in about a half mile. If you cross Margaret Wallace from the parking lot the trail runs about two miles which is the main section of Campbell Creek Greenway.

This greenway is right near Edge City Brewery so I definitely recommend stopping by for a pint after!

Mcalpine Creek Greenway

McAlpine Creek Greenway is quite long at about 8 miles and connects to Campbell Creek Greenway as noted above if you’d like to extend your journey an extra 3 miles. McAlpine Creek starts near James Boyce Park and it leads to McAlpine Creek Park which has an additional 3 miles of cross country trails that you can explore. Personally I found this trail to be a little smelly unfortunately, you’ve been warned. Here is the AllTrails link for directions to the parking lot that I’d recommend, please note this route is not completely accurate as far as distance and correct markings, I just think the directions are helpful. This greenway is also right near Edge City Brewery!

There is also a lower section of the McAlpine Creek Greenway running 8 miles out and back going further South, here is the AllTrails link.

SHORTER GREENWAY OPTIONS

Personally if a greenway isn’t at least 3 miles I don’t find it to be worth my time and effort, but here are a few shorter options for those of you interested:

• Briar Creek Greenway

• McMullen Creek Greenway

• Taggart Creek Greenway

Cheers and happy exploring! -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

My Top Beers in December 2020

December was a month of a lot of beers. We took a beer trip to Richmond, Virginia, we checked out some new local breweries, college basketball and football heated up, and of course the holidays meant less work and more celebrating!

In no particular order, here are the best beers I drank in December 2020:

Squeeze Play by Slowplay Brewing in Rock Hill, SC

We visited Slow Play just south of Charlotte for the first time in December thanks to a collaboration I did with Discover South Carolina. I was absolutely blown away with how delicious the beers were, how friendly the staff was, how great the spacious patio was, and how delicious the food was from the onsite food truck Cibi! Cibi! My favorite beer I had was Squeeze Play, a Hazy IPA with Amarillo, Citra, and Mosaic hops.

Starve Exhibit D from The Veil Brewing in Richmond, VA

We were incredibly lucky that Rebecca and Daniel from @WanderingHops shared this amazing Stout with us when we stayed with them on our beer trip to Richmond! Starve Exhibit D is an Imperial Stout aged 18 months in Bourbon and Brandy barrels with honey, vanilla, and marshmallows. It was thicc, Bourbon-y, and packed with flavor! If you’re not already following @wanderinghops on Instagram get on it! They drink delicious beers and take incredible trips!

Blackberry, Banana, Cream Cheese, French Toast JREAM from Burley Oak Brewing Company in Berlin, MD

This is a Fruited Sour with lactose conditioned on blackberry, banana, cream cheese, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and brown sugar—it is absolutely phenomenal! This is by far the best JREAM I have had from Burley Oak and one of my top Sours I have had in a long time! I can’t wait to make it to their brewery someday, hopefully in 2021!

Everything at The Answer Brewpub in Richmond, VA

Okay okay this is cheating I know, but honestly everything I had at The Answer was SO good! My flight included the following beers, from left to right in the photo: Hoptone Galaxy Anniversary edition of the Hoptone IPA series featuring CY 2020 Galaxy Hops; Quadrupole Mother of Berries Joose with Boysenberries, Loganberries, Blackberries, and Raspberries; Quadruple Mother Pulka Joose with Red Raspberries, Redcurrant, Strawberries, toasted Marshmallow, and vanilla; Sleep Paralysis @smoothambler Barrel Imperial Stout with Peanut Butter and Oreos. Check out my Richmond recommendations here, but if you can only make one stop in RVA I would highly recommend The Answer!

Grandma’s Apple Pie Gose from Westbrook Brewing in Mt. Pleasant, SC

This is a Gose with apple puree, vanilla, cinnamon, sea salt, coriander, and lactose. At just 4% ABV, it is the perfect dessert beer without being too heavy. It tastes just like apple pie and is super yummy!

Heavy Mettle Collab brew from The Veil Brewing in Richmond, VA and Trillium Brewing in Boston, MA

Heavy Mettle is an Imperial IPA with Galaxy and Amarillo hops from Trillium Brewing, but thanks to the Freaky Friday beer collab initiative going around The Veil brewed this version! It was super juicy and I absolutely loved it, which is no surprise given my love for Galaxy hops. We paired this brew with pretzels from Eastern Standard Provisions—I definitely recommend checking them out! I got a box at my doorstep courtesy of my mom filled with pretzels and mustards accompanied by easy to follow directions on how to heat them in the oven and they were super good!

Tune in next month to see what my first favorites of 2021 will be! Cheers! -Alexis

My Top Beers in 2020

2020 was one hell of a year filled with an abundance of beers at home. I don’t know about you, but I am hoping for more beers on tap and less crowlers in 2021!

In no particular order, here are the best beers I had in 2020:

I Learned It By Watching You collaboration brew from Burial Beer Co. in Asheville, North Carolina and Other Half Brewing in New York City. Double IPA with Citra, Riwaka, Motueka, and Citra Cryo hops.

Blueberry Cobbler from WeldWerks Brewing in Greeley, Colorado. Berliner Sour Wheat Ale with vanilla, milk sugar, graham cracker, and blueberry purée.

Sleeping On The Blacktop collaboration brew from Resident Culture Brewing in Charlotte, North Carolina and Other Half Brewing in New York City. Triple IPA with Citra, Simcoe and HBC 692 hops.

LAX 2 JFK in the Clouds collaboration brew from Other Half Brewing in New York City and Monkish Brewing in Torrance, California. Triple Imperial Oat Cream IPA with Simcoe, Motueka and Citra hops along with oats and milk sugar.

Balloonhead from Newgrass Brewing in Shelby, North Carolina. Berliner Weisse brewed with black currant, boysenberry, and raspberry.

Flora Pear from Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro Bend, Vermont. Farmhouse Ale that is the wine barrel-aged version of Florence, a Farmstead Wheat Ale, aged atop organic pears.

Portal Beyond Nonexistence from Burial Beer Co. in Asheville, North Carolina. Imperial Stout aged on French Broad Chocolate cocoa nibs, Tahitian vanilla beans, Vietnamese cinnamon, and Maplewood Smoked Sea Salt.

Alpha Abstraction Vol. 11 from Wild Leap Brewing in LaGrange, Georgia. Double Dry Hopped Double IPA with Experimental Hop HBC 472.

Twice The Daily Serving from Trillium Brewing in Boston, Massachusetts. Berliner Weisse with blackberry and pomegranate.

Perception is Spoonfed collaboration brew from Divine Barrel Brewing in Charlotte, North Carolina and Vitamin Sea Brewing in Weymouth, Massachusetts. Dessert-style Berliner Weisse with key lime, coconut, lactose, vanilla, marshmallow, and graham cracker.

Double Dry Hopped Ghost in the Machine from Parish Brewing in Broussard, Louisiana. Double IPA with Citra hops.

Poppin’ Pastels from Transient Artisan Ales in Bridgman, Michigan. Fruited Sour Ale with blackberry, raspberry, lemon, vanilla, and lactose.

Scoring Discrepancies collaboration brew from Listermann Brewing in Cincinnati, Ohio and Bottle Logic Brewing in Anaheim, California. Imperial Pastry Stout with raspberries, peanut butter, and marshmallows.

Eclectic Potion Triple IPA from Cerebral Brewing in Denver, Colorado. TIPA with Citra, Idaho 7, and Nelson hops with added Gewürztraminer grape juice.

Quadrupole Mother of Berries Joose from The Answer in Richmond, Virginia. Fruited Sour with Boysenberries, Loganberries, Blackberries, and Raspberries.

Insert Hip Hop Reference There collaboration brew from Trillium Brewing in Boston, Massachusetts and Monkish Brewing in Torrance, California. Triple IPA with Citra hops.

What were your favorite beers of 2020? Let me know in the comments!

Charlotte Breweries with Heated Outdoor Patio Options

COVID-19 has certainly shifted the way that we’re able to enjoy breweries, but winter adds a whole new layer of complication. Now more than ever it is important to support your local breweries and to do so safely. Grab some cans or bottles to-go, buy gift cards for later, pick up some swag to represent them, or enjoy some beers outdoors!

Below is a list of Charlotte breweries with heated outdoor patio options so you can enjoy your favorite breweries while staying outdoors and warm during the cold months ahead:

• Divine Barrel: heaters

• Resident Culture: heaters

• Triple C: firepit

• Blue Blaze: firepit

• Birdsong: firepit

• Lenny Boy: firepit

• NoDa: firepit

• Petty Thieves: firepit

• Suffolk Punch: heaters on the patio, heated tent

• Wooden Robot: heaters on the patio at their South End location and fire pits at The Chamber in NoDa Thursday-Sunday

• Unknown: firepits and heaters

• Protagonist LoSo: firepits and heaters

• Salud: heaters

• Legion SouthPark: heaters

I will update this list as others add heated options or anything above changes!

Cheers to cozy beers outdoors,
Alexis

My Top 5 Beers in November 2020

I’ve found that posting my beers on Instagram doesn’t give me the ability to be reflective and really dig into which are truly exceptional, so welcome to my first roundup of favorites! Each month I will do a blog post on which beers were above and beyond the best. Most of the time I will pick 5, sometimes it might be less, sometimes more.

In no particular order, here were my favorite beers I drank in November 2020:

From Downtown by J. Wakefield Brewing in Miami, FL.

This is a Double Dry Hopped Double New England Style IPA with Motueka, Nelson Sauvin, Pacific Sunrise and Riwaka hops. We were lucky enough to get a four pack of this banger and thoroughly enjoyed each one! I visited J. Wakefield a couple of years ago and loved i! As I’ve tried more of their brews over time I continue to be more and more impressed.

Switchblade No. 21 at Workshop Brewing in Traverse City, MI.

This Hazy Double IPA is made with Kveik yeast and is dry hopped with experimental hop variety HBC-472. This was a truly delightful brew, the Kveik yeast made it not your typical Hazy IPA. I highly recommend a visit to Workshop if you are in Northern Michigan! Check out my Traverse City guide here!

Blueberry Cobbler Berliner from WeldWerks Brewing Co. at Forestry Camp in Asheville, NC.

This is a Sour Wheat Ale brewed with vanilla, milk sugar, graham cracker and nearly 1500lbs of blueberry puree. WeldWerks is based in Greely, Colorado and is most known for their IPAs, but this Sour was truly impeccable! Forestry Camp is from the team at Burial Beer Co. and is one of my favorite places ever, truly.

The Only Trail From Nowhere at Burial Beer Co. in Asheville, NC.

This Imperial Stout is made with pecan, peanut, cashew, hazelnut, banana, and coconut. Burial does no wrong, and this Stout is no exception. I had 8 different Burial beers this month so it was hard to choose a favorite but this one was just packed with flavor! I always love getting to visit Burial, check out my full guide to Asheville here!

Anna by Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro Bend, VT.

This is a Farmhouse Ale brewed with Vermont wildflower honey. This was my third time having a bottle of Anna and every time I do I love it a little more! Hill Farmstead always puts out incredible Farmhouse Ales and Saisons, this one is a little extra special with the honey addition.

Tune in next month to see what my favorites of December 2020 will be!

Project Watt-Ahh-Melon from Hardywood Park Brewery and Sheetz

A gas station beer you say? That’s right! Sheetz is releasing a brand new limited edition craft beer!

Project Watt-Ahh-Melon is a Watermelon Wheat Ale brewed in partnership with Hardywood Park Craft Brewery in Richmond, Virginia. This beer is only available for a limited time in Sheetz stores across Virginia and North Carolina. Check out the link here to find a store near you! 4-packs of 16oz beers are just $7.99!

Project Watt-Ahh-Melon is brewed with over 100 pounds of Sheetz watermelon gummy rings and comes in at 5.3% ABV. It is the perfect end of of summer beer! The watermelon rings were added during the whirlpool to ensure they melted and smoothly combined with the other ingredients. Project Watt-Ahh-Melon is light and refreshing but still packs a tart punch.

Hardywood Park Craft Brewing based in Richmond, Virginia. Hardywood opened in 2011 and now have two locations in downtown Richmond and West Creek. Hardywood’s motto is “brew with purpose” which they embody by using local ingredients and operating on 100% renewable energy.

Sheetz first beer release was named Project Coffee Hopz, a limited edition coffee bean IPA. They partnered with Rusty Rail Brewing in Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania. This one released in May 2019 and was available in Sheetz stores across Pennsylvania.

Their second beer release was Project Brewberry Muffinz, a limited edition Blonde Ale with Sheetz blueberry muffins. This collaboration was brewed with Evil Genius Beer Company based in Philadelphia and it was released in August 2019.

Sheetz released Project Hop Dog in May 2020, a collaboration with Nashaminy Creek Brewing Co. out of Pennsylvania. Project Hop Dog was a Dry Hopped IPA brewed with Sheetz hot dogs. What a wild idea!

What ingredient should Sheetz add to their next special release beer?! Let us know in the comments!

2 Days in Asheville, NC

Asheville is one of my favorite places to visit! It can be overwhelming to plan a visit to Asheville because there are just so many breweries and parts of town to explore. Check out my blog on the best breweries in Asheville here!

I’ve put together this guide for a two day trip to hit the highlights of this adorable mountain town. If you’ve got more time to explore check out my full guide to Asheville here!

Asheville Day 1

For your first day you have to go all in and hop around the South Slope area of town:

Start your adventure at Vortex Doughnuts to fuel up for a day full of brewery hopping.

Walk 2 minutes to Burial Beer, arguably the best brewery in North Carolina. Get there early to avoid the masses of people who will inevitably want to visit this great spot.

Walk 7 minutes to Hi-Wire Brewing. Their South Slope location is small but their beers are delicious!

Walk 12 minutes to Dssolvr, a newer brewery in central downtown. They are absolutely crushing it and I highly recommend a visit.

From the downtown strip walk 8 minutes to Terra Nova Beer Co for a tasty side pull Lager and some pizza to soak up your beverages.

If you are ready for another beer, pop over to Green Man, a 5 minute walk from Terra Nova.

Asheville Day 2

Start your day at Taco Billy for delicious breakfast tacos! You can order online ahead of time as well to save time.

Hike part of the Mountain-to-Sea Trail from the Folk Art Center to the Haw River Overlook. The views are gorgeous at the lookout of this 5.5 out and back trail. Plus, it is just a 15 minute drive from town!

After your hike take some time to drive part of the Blue Ridge Parkway for more stunning views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

On your way back into town, check out New Origin for tasty beers and pizza and then the secret brewery Cursus Keme next door

Head to the Biltmore Village area for a relaxing afternoon:

• Grab beers and lunch at Hillman Beer

• Sit on the rooftop patio and drink delicious beers at Forestry Camp by the team at Burial

If you’ve got more time in Asheville, here are my other recommendations!

What are your favorite Asheville stops? Let me know in the comments!