Brews and Reviews -Wings and Craft Beer at Pizza Luce

So Andy and I headed out to Pizza Luce last week for a little strategy meeting about the blog.  Pizza Luce is so far the best place in Richfield, MN that I have found for craft beer.  They have a cozy little patio, and the staff was in good spirits and quick on their feet.

Andy and I had a pretty good night working on Beerploma's future so we were both in the mood for celebrating.  I wasn't quite up for pizza, but their wings looked pretty good:

I ordered the spicy buffalo and the spicy peking.  Both sets of wings came out whole, with great charring on both sides.  The peanut dipping sauce was a bonus.  Creamy, flavorful and paired well.  Also both wings were ample spicy.  For those of you who want to "crank it up notch" every time you order something hot, and get something Minnesota hot (you know, like Ketchup), then these wings are for you!  After so many mediocre wings, these were a spicy treat to behold and cherish, and no, I did not share them with Andy.

There beer list was extensive and had a little something for everyone.  If I had one recommendation I would have a couple more local porters/stouts on hand, especially to pair with some of their more earthy pizza, but overall really a good selection.

First on my list of beers to try is Enki's Hootenanny Hefe Weiss (Seasonal):

This hazy golden brew serves up a thick banana/clove armoma.  It had a very smooth taste with slight spicy notes, and a great biscuit/malty flavor.  Very well carbonated.  Thicker mouthfeel then what I am used to for Hefe beers, but this seems to fit and didn't detract from the beer at all.  It was perfect for a summer day and paired best with the Peking wings.  Rating:  ** (Very Good)

Well Andy and I rarely get together and have just one.  A second one was definitely in the works.  For me it was Lift Bridge's Shadow Effect on Nitro:

This pitch black beer allowed no light to escape it.  The aroma gave off an inky chocolaty smell, and was served with a creamy head.  Smooth caramel like flavors with back hints of chocolate, and a fruity sweetness.  It had a silky medium mouthfeel.  A dry finish with a light coffee like bitterness.  This a very well put together beer, and a great choice for porter/stout beers who are looking for something different.  Rating:  ** (Very Good).

Great wings, great beer!  Who can ask for anything better then that!

Brewz and Reviewz: Big Wood Bad Axe and a Sneak Preview of Jack Pine Savage

I normally leave the beer reviews to Andy and Des, but this week at Midweek Beer Geek we got not one but two tastes of one of Minnesota's newest breweries:  Big Wood Brewery out of White Bear Lake, MN.  

Their first offering was their Imperial IPA Bad Axe.  But they had a surprise for us, a taste of their new and upcoming beer Jack Pine Savage, and American Pale Ale.

The Jack Pine Savage is your typical American Pale Ale.  Nice fruity/citrus aroma.  Very crisp clean golden color with a little bit of haze (though that might have been the cold temperature the beer was served at).  This was you typical American Pale Ale with an earthy bitterness.  It had a light mouth feel, and a dry bitter after taste that lingered a little too long.  Pretty decent for an American Pale Ale, and will be a great addition to a summer line up.  Rating:  *1/2 Stars (out of *** or a "Good" rating).

The Bad Axe had a deeper, reddish gold color, hazy.  It had a great fruity aroma to it and formed a nice creamy head.  It was very sweet, and well carbonated for an Imperial.  Medium mouth feel, and a pleasant after taste.  It was also NOT bogged down by a heavy alcohol flavor.  Overall this is one of the best Imperial IPAs that I have ever had.  Rating:  *** Stars (out of *** or an "Excellent" rating).

Overall I enjoyed these two offerings and am looking forward to the future of this wonderful Minnesota craft brewery!

Jack Pine Savage (Left), Bad Axe (Right)

Dez's Brewz and Reviewz: Third Street Brewhouse: Three Way Pale Ale

I've let it be known in past reviews that Pale Ales are not my cup of tea. Seems lately, I may be in the minority as week after week I see super-duper double hop, hoptastic, hop till you drop....and on and on it goes. So when Third Stree Brewhouse offered up a Pale Ale...I was hesistant (3 kinds of hops!?). When so many other brewers are packing as much HOP as they can into a bottle the Three Way Pale Ale was a great suprise. It pours a hazy, golden amber with little head. Taste is light and a little sweet/fruity. But most of all, and most important to me, the hoppy bitterness was kept under control, making this an unbelievably easy drinker. Maybe its the balance between the 3 hops and 3 types of malts? Both in appearance and tastiness, I kept trying to figure out what it reminds me of. Some that came to mind were: Smithwicks and Yuenglings. Somewhere along the lines of great Irish Reds and Lagers. I wish Third Street was closer to the Metro area, but they will give me a reason to head out of town this summer. *** Stars (too obvious?) Like I said when I drank it "only bought 1, should have bought 6"

Coming soon: Cigar City Brewery of Tampa, FL and hopefully whats on tap at Epcot Walt Disney World...stay tuned!