The Untimeliest of Sunsets

A sunset can be beautiful, even spectacular. Unless this big blue marble we reside on gets flipped off its orbit by some large celestial object, this planet's inhabitants can expect this phenomenon to occur at dusk for the foreseeable future.

Human beings might wish that sunsets on our life on this earth were equally as timely and regular. But mix in luck and circumstance with the complex organisms that we are, and we find some will live into the triple digits, and while others will find that their sun has set far too early.

There's almost always a bit of unfairness in the latter instance. It hurts even more when the person sports a larger-than-life personality and charisma that naturally draws others to them, who are genuinely nice and makes others feel better about themselves. Patrick and Joe, who left this world and my life roughly a decade apart, were two such people.

Cincy Trip Pt. 3: From Sleepy Bees to Screaming Trees

Our Sunday focus in Cincinnati was to grab some screen time in front of the TV for a little football action. But of course, we needed some fuel in the system after a good night's sleep, so we headed to the Blue Ash branch of the popular local breakfast and lunch purveyor Sleepy Bee Cafe.

Started in December 2013 in the Cincinnati suburb of Oakley by John Hutton and Sandra Gross, the eatery's popularity prompted a second location a ten or so miles up Interstate 71 in Blue Ash (a third location in the heart of Downtown Cincinnati is nearing completion.)

If you hadn't guessed from the restaurant's name, the Sleepy Bee has an apiary theme, borne out of the owners' love of bees.  Honeycomb tile clusters and vaguely-beehive-shaped wire lamp covers dot the ceiling, while a flowery glass sculpture hangs over the bar area (unlike their Oakley location, the Blue Ash eatery has a liquor license.)

From The Healthy Land to the Banks of the O-Hi-O

Cholera - most people in the USA today may recognize it these days in the title of a novel turned into movie by Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez. However it wasn't too long ago when this malady was an issue here in this country. The quaint Cincinnati suburb of Mt. Healthy (roughly 6,000 residents these days) earned its name due to cholera, or rather, the ability of town residents to largely avoid the ravages of the intestinal infection (typically caused by poor sanitation) unlike the residents of Cincy proper. Because of this rather handy little happenstance, the town renamed itself from Mt. Pleasant to Mt. Healthy when it incorporated as a city in 1893.

Mt. Healthy may also not be the first place one thinks of for craft brews and mathematical equations, but indeed one can find it here in one place in the form of Fibonacci Brewing, which was the second stop on our recent venture down to the Cincinnati area.

Beer along the National Road: Black Acre (Indianapolis, IN) and Hairless Hare (Vandalia, OH)

The Unofficial Official Map of Breweries Visited: 614ortyniner Edition

Now mind you, we have done our share of brewery hopping (we stand at about 150 breweries visited between the two of us heading into August), but our most recent road trip/vacation was really focused on the Great Eclipse of America.

So the multiple number of breweries we actually ended up visiting in seven different states was something of a happy (and tasty) accident. We thought we'd start looking at our beery contingent with the two breweries that provided the bookend experiences for our big road trip, which both happen to lie next to US Route 40, more famously known as The National Road.

For The Sake of Sake: The Takara Sake Museum and Tasting Room (Berkeley, CA)

Berkeley, California: where free speech monuments and
sake museums can reside next to each other in peace

My first experience with sake, the Japanese beverage fermented from rice that dates back to roughly 300 BC, was an indirect one, Back in high school at a party hosted by a mutual friend, we found a fairly ornate bottle containing this truly exotic beverage (for us at that time, Corona qualified as exotic.)  One of my friends particularly found the sake to his liking...too much so, as it turned out. That was the first time I had seen anyone so stinking drunk in my presence, and it still ranks well in the top 5 examples of this unofficial and ignominious personal category.

Flash forward to today, where my spouse and I have made craft breweries one of our top targets during our travels. If nothing else, this has led to a pursuit of other forms of adult beverages on a lesser scale, including wines, cocktails and spirits, and mead. When it came to sake, our experience pretty much amounted to combination of nil, nada and zilch. Combine that status with a willingness to try new things and some free time to kill before the holiday family gathering, and we found ourselves in, of all places, Berkeley, California.

(Fort) Bragging about the North Coast

In terms of rugged beauty, it's very hard in this country to beat the coastline of the Pacific Ocean. Some places get more publicity than others, and rightfully so; the Bixby Bridge leading into Big Sur, the Oregon Dunes, and Washington's Shi Shi Beach. But really, your odds for a spectacular view are tremendously good along any of the pacific coastal highways or small towns.  On our latest California visit, we decided a tour of the north coast was in order, including a stop in Mendocino County's Fort Bragg.

Sporting a population of just over 7,200 people, Fort Bragg started off as traditional hunting grounds of the Pomo Indians. As settlers moved in, this town alternately served as military post, Indian reservation, and later as a central point for fishing, railroad and the lumber industries. These days, this tony town's economy is much more diverse, including a fair number of tourist dollars.

Chico and the Plan: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company

My first ever experience with Sierra Nevada Brewing's products involved, like many others I'm sure, their signature Pale Ale back in my college days. As is the case with most college students, the more inexpensively you could do something, the better. In beer terms, this often meant copious amounts of cheaply made lagers.

Every now and again, however, I would encounter a bottle of Sierra Nevada's flagship Pale Ale at a party. Many of my fellow students hated the bitter taste profile, now considered fairly tame by current standards. I was not one of those people: I didn't hate it, but I wasn't really sure if I liked it or not. As time has gone on, though, I have come to appreciate this beer, especially when it's the lone craft beer selection in a sea of macro beers.

Out On The CAT-walk: Buckeye Lake Brewery (Buckeye Lake, OH)

CAT (Columbus Ale Trail) Brewery: Buckeye Lake Brewery

First Impressions: "Garage doors...patio...a perfect warm season hangout."

Reality: Most everyone familiar with Central Ohio knows about the struggles that the businesses surrounding Buckeye Lake, located roughly a half-hour east of Columbus, have gone through the last two years. The moment, while dreaded, was inevitable - the 180-year-old earthen dam that created the lake was determined to be on the verge of failure, requiring upgrades to prevent a major flooding catastophe. However, the completion of this work would require a drastic reduction of lake levels for a few years, a reduction that would seriously constrict what has long been the area's historical financial lifeblood: tourists coming out to the area enjoy a day on and around the lake.

However, one wouldn't suspect the area was going through a crisis was going on if you looked at the area's namesake brewery. Since its opening in early 2012, the brewery has undergone two separate expansions, including bottling and distribution of their brews in bottles to local area stores and the removal of their brewing equipment to a separate space to accommodate more guests at their brewpub.

Who Let The Dogs Out: Thirsty Dog Brewing (Akron, OH)/Brewdog USA(Canal Winchester, OH)

Having your business go to the dogs is hardly a bad thing if you're in the brewing world; in fact, it may actually be a boon to the bottom line. 

Recent travels to the Sacramento area brought me in contact with two very dog-friendly venues; my return to Buckeye State put my spouse and I firmly into the canine world with a trek up to Akron's Thirsty Dog Brewing and the debut event for Scottish-import Brewdog, who are setting up their distribution and taproom facilities in the southern portion of the Columbus metro.

First Impressions: "Looks like a pretty neat red-brick industrial facility."

Reality: Established in 1997, Akron's Thirsty Dog has some serious history embedded within its production facility, lying within the historic Burkhardt Brewery facility. Founded by Wilhelm Burkhardt in the 1870s, his wife Magaretha broke convention and guided the brewery after her husband's death in 1881 well into Prohibition. 

After surviving Prohibition through a combination of their soda pop, real estate, and commodities business lines, the company returned to brew its beer for another two decades under the Burkhardt name and for a few more years under the ownership of Cincinnati's Burger Brewing. In 1964, Burger closed the Akron facility, which sat idle until Thirsty Dog set up shop in the existing space.

A nod to the pioneering members of the Burkhardt brewing legacy on the doors leading to the bathrooms - replacing the standard men and women placards are portraits of Wilhelm and Magaretha themselves.

Brews Cruising (California Edition): The Yogi Berra Conundrum

A decision between these two Russian River sours may not be as tough as
figuring out where else to go for craft beer in Santa Rosa

Earlier this year, I wrote a blog post on one of craft beer's long time stalwarts in Russian River Brewing in Santa Rosa, California. One thing I noted then is that the throng of locals and out-of-towners that make getting into the brewpub a bit of a challenge, and this was no different on a my return to the brewery to pick up a couple bottles of their sour brews.

Thankfully for someone in my position, a second line strictly dedicated for bottle sales on particularly busy days makes things go a lot faster. For those dining in on these days, however, even an arrival a half-hour before opening is no guarantee that you'll get inside in short order. From where the picture was taken below, the waiting time was close to an hour.

This phenomenon may be eased a bit with Russian River's planned 15-acre brewpub facility in nearby Windsor (the current schedule slates an opening of Summer 2018, per this craftbeer.com article.) But until then, one may ponder the old Yogi Berra conundrum when seeing this queue.  Berra, long-time Hall of Fame catcher for the New York Yankees and master of contorting the English language into a confusing understandability, is often credited with saying, ""Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded."

So where does one go for craft beer in Santa Rosa other than Russian River? My spouse and I had been to downtown neighbor Third Street Aleworks previously and found it a decent enough place, but I was itching to try something new. Based on a tip from a Cleveland area ex-pat now enjoying the Sonoma County life craft beer loving friend, Cooperage Brewing was the place I needed to visit.

Brews Cruising (California Edition): Sac-Town Sipping

Sacramento's State Capitol Building, whose construction was completed in 1874

Having lived in the both the Columbus, Ohio, and Sacramento, California areas for a few years of my life, I have found quite a few parallels beyond their capital city status. These parallels range from geography (mostly flat land at the junction of two rivers) to population (roughly 2 million people in their respective Metropolitan Statistical Areas to their quests to gain more prominence on the world stage) and even extend to pop culture. As hipster as Columbus can be, Sacramento is apparently more so, if you believe the folks behind infogroup.com, which rated this Central Valley city 4th on its Most Hipster City in the U.S. list (FWIW, Columbus didn't do too badly by its own man-bun, coming in at 20th.)

Not surprisingly, the craft beer scenes in both cities have also seen parallel, big-time growth. Starting in the single digits prior to 2010 like Columbus, Sacramento's brewery count now hovers in the mid-forties. A brief jaunt to the West Coast recently allowed me to dip into Sactown's beer scene with visits to West Sacramento's Bike Dog, and the Natomas-area production facility for Track 7 Brewing.

OH Beer Travels: Willoughby Brewing Company (Willoughby, OH)

Our recent mini-venture into Northeast Ohio allowed us an opportunity to visit some of the area's breweries, starting with our first stop a half-hour outside of metro Cleveland in the form of Willoughby Ohio's long-standing craft beer haven.

First Impressions: "The pictures didn't lie; this is one large space."

Reality: Located in a former trolley car repair company building, Willoughby Brewing, which opened up in 1998, has helped anchor a bit of a renaissance of the downtown area of this Lake County town of roughly 22,000 people. Within its space, one can sneak a peek at the building's former life by looking overhead as the mini-trolley model wends its way around the tracks.

Out On The CAT-walk: Ill-Mannered Brewing (Powell, OH)

CAT(Columbus Ale Trail) Brewery: Ill Mannered Brewing Company

First Impressions: "This is a like a cocktail party...but with pints of beer."

Reality: This Powell-area nano-brewery, located a few miles north of the Interstate 270 Beltway that loops through the greater Columbus area, crams a lot into their not-quite 1,000 square foot space, including a bar area, tables and chairs, a three-barrel brewing system, and two six-barrel fermenters.

This growth reflects the interest that this relative newcomer to the Columbus-area brewing scene has generated. At peak capacity, this leads to a very lively and interactive atmosphere that is very much an extrovert's delight; those who don't find themselves a seat end up spread throughout standing throughout the entire space pints in hand, making it easy to listen in or engage in conversation. It doesn't hurt that the co-owners of the brewery aren't shy about engaging their customers as well. A small patio area in front also provides some extra room for visitors to kick back and relax or engage in more chitchat.

Brews Cruising (Pt. 1): A Seventh Son Sighting in Big D

“A Seventh Son Brewing T-Shirt? In Dallas?”

Little did I know it at the time, the t-shirt, sporting the logo of one of the most well-regarded Columbus-area craft breweries, belonged to a well-traveled beer aficionado.

Similarly unbeknownst to me at that time, it was something of a symbol of a parallel growth in craft beer in two rather different cities, as well as a sign that I would be doing some fairly substantial beer traveling in the next few days.

Finding Its Level: Russian River Brewing Company (Santa Rosa, CA)

Maybe, maybe one day, the brews of Russian River Brewing, based in Santa Rosa, California, will match the distribution of other well known craft beer purveyors like Chico, California-based Sierra Nevada, or even Bend, Oregon's Deschutes Brewing (who made their Ohio debut early in 2014.) Maybe, maybe one day, co-owners/husband and wife team Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo would make beer drinkers like my spouse and I extremely happy (or is that hoppy?) by having bottles of their Pliny the Elder Double IPA next to Columbus' Brewing Bodhi (the latter a soon to be reality, from the rumors I hear) and whatever other favorite IPA you can think of in the cooler next to each other, at the ready for a impromptu beer taste comparison.

But for a brewery that is already operating at full capacity with limited distribution and no immediate expansion plans, with an added dose of cult status (related mainly to the hype generated by their Pliny the Younger Triple IPA) mixed in, Russian River Brewing, like the waters of its namesake river (which for the most part remains unchecked by flood control measures) has found its own unique and highly sought level in the craft beer world.

No one, not even the Cilurzos themselves, would have predicted this back in 2002, when Vinnie was laid off from the original Russian River Brewery, a venture by a champagne maker (Korbel) to forge into the craft beer world. Rather than take a financial severance, Cilurzo asked only for (and received) the rights to the brewery name, logo, and the name rights to its line of production beers.

After money was raised for all the necessary brewing equipment, the brewery was reborn in downtown Santa Rosa in 2004 with a commitment to doing things in their own unassuming way. Things progressed steadily from there, until proclamations by beer review sites like BeerAdvocate and Ratebeer put the brewery's Pliny the Younger as one of, if not the best, beers in the whole wide world. Achieving cult status certainly was not the Cilurzos' intent when Younger was first brewed in 2005 as a winter seasonal beer (they are still reportedly uncomfortable with the whole notion) but this brew now has it in spades, promoting much discussion among aficionados about whether this brew could possibly live up to the hype it has generated and pushing the brewery itself to unforeseen heights.

All Lined Up: Lineage Brewing

Opened by four Clintonville residents, Lineage Brewing has been
welcomed by the neighborhood with open arms 

A basic and important component in a business's success is the connection with their surrounding community. The four co-owners (two couples who met through the local homebrewing club Scioto Olentangy Darby Zymurgists (SODZ)) who founded Clintonville-based Lineage Brewing have this component in spades: two sport long-time family roots to the neighborhood (thus the name Lineage) and all reside within short distance of the brewery's North High Street location. As mentioned in local media articles, it was always their intent to open up within their home community to give residents a brewery to call their own. And based on my first few visits, the community has returned the love in kind and sent Lineage off on a very successful start since its soft opening roughly one month ago.

Lineage's interior fits in that general contemporary/minimalist style, with a lot more room for visitors than one might guess when glancing at the brick-facade exterior. Well-appointed splashes of design can be found within, including the herringbone-style wood backsplash and the large garage door, the biggest hint of the space's former life as a car wash and meant to be left open when the weather permits. Behind the tap area, a chalkboard menu of Lineage's offerings can be found overhead, while windows allow visitors a glimpse of the brewery's barrel system.

Lineage Brewing's roomy and well-appointed interior gives little
hint of the space's previous life as a car wash

Lineage's focus right now seems to be more in the local hangout spot versus one that is geared toward production; this reminds me of the feel I got when we visited Big Beaver Brewing in Loveland during our recent Colorado trip. Similar to Big Beaver, Lineage appears to be gearing to have a rotating, fairly comprehensive selection of beer styles to be enjoyed on site or in growlers.

So far, my spouse and I agree that Lineage has put out a very drinkable collection of brews. Our favorites so far have been the just-enough-coconut Mike Drop Porter, the tart without being too puckery Aunt Bernice Berliner Weisse, and their Ryemora Rye IPA, but in reality there really hasn't been a blah brew in the bunch we've tasted. For those who aren't into or willing to be swayed into beer, a select menu of cocktails, cider, and pop from local craft producer Rambling House are also available.

Lineage offers a rotating selection of very drinkable brews in combo
with freshly made hand pies; cheese plates and dessert are also offered

Unlike other local breweries, Lineage has decided to forgo the food truck route and produce their own food, and their staple product is a bit on the unique side in the form of hand pies. These creations sport four different savory options along with dipping sauces; like their beer, we have found them pretty satisfying fare. We have not come to a favorite yet, but of course there is plenty of time to figure that out. We've found that Lineage's food orders tend to come out in spurts, which may mean that you may get your food at the same time as someone who ordered later than you. However, the opening week kinks with the food ordering and delivery system seem to have been worked out on more recent visits, meaning the food wait isn't too bad except on the busiest of nights.

If you have a sweet tooth, Lineage has come out with something that should provide perfect satisfaction - the very recent introduction of homemade dessert pies featuring dough from local baker Dan The Baker. The pecan with bourbon pie slice was calling my name on my last visit, but I overcame culinary temptation and stuck with the cheese plate and my beer pints,

Of course, I can't promise the same refusal of dessert on my next visit, however.

Lineage Brewing
2971 N High St (Clintonville - Google Maps)
Columbus, OH 43202
(614) 461-3622
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Tried and True: Smokehouse Brewing Company

My first introduction to Columbus-area brewing lay with what I ended up naming "The Barleys." Whether it was the Ale House next to the North Market or the Smokehouse on Dublin Road, I soon realized I could get some good pub-style food or barbecue depending on the location, and a great brew at either destination.

I came to learn that I wasn't alone in the struggle to distinguish between the two locations. However, the owner of Smokehouse Brewing Lenny Kolada (who had sold his stake in the original Barley's) made that a lot easier for many by removing the Barley's name from the Dublin Road eatery. Indeed, on this first visit for me since the re-branding (my spouse had a previous visit under her belt), the only thing I saw that referenced the Barley's name was the sign above the main entrance.

However, people should not be worried about the beer; these still remain the same great Barley's beers that have always been served here as originally conceived by head brewer Angelo Signorino. On this visit, my spouse was slightly disappointed that the Centennial IPA had just tapped out, but the pint of Pale Ale she ordered in its stead proved to be satisfying on its own.

The interior of the restaurant itself pretty much maintains the same overall feel and atmosphere I had experienced in the past, with perhaps maybe some minor enhancements and rearranging of the seating.

Top: Smoked Bahn Mi
Bottom: Spent Grain Pretzel Bites
and White Chicken Chili

Smokehouse's traditional and quite enjoyable barbecue items from their days under the Barley's banner still provide the main focus for the restaurant-goer, but we've found their new menu items a definite asset. On this later-night, last-minute decision visit, I didn't arrive here with a completely empty stomach and decided to take the opportunity to sample the appetizer menu. Their Spent Grain Pretzel Bites ($8), a collaboration with a local favorite of mine Dan The Baker, were of a softer, lighter texture than the typical bar-style snack. The spent grain lent them a very unique flavor profile that went well with both the accompanying dipping sauces as well as the bowl of White Chicken Chili ($5) I had ordered to supplement my meal.

On a previous visit, my spouse had already sampled and very much enjoyed their Smoked Pork Barbacoa Three Way (pork shank on Asian slaw, pork belly in BBQ sauce and pulled pork on lettuce) from their original new menu. Alas, this item was not on the new Fall/Winter menu, but that allowed her to order their Smoked Bahn Mi ($11) on this trip. This is by no means any thing close to traditional, but Smokehouse's take on this Vietnamese standard offered a blend of tastes that made this another winning offering for both of us. Also, while this sandwich is not über-gigantic like, say, a Thurmanator Burger from Thurman's Cafe, the size of this tasty Smokehouse sandwich makes it a fork-and-knife affair for all but the widest mouths.

Smokehouse Brewing
1130 Dublin Road (Grandview Heights)
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 485-0BBQ (0227)
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