craft beer

Carmel Indiana’s Bier Brewery has great food and greater beer

/ Roadtirementvintage / 3 Comments

Carmel, Indiana is just north of Indianapolis and is known for its many establishments for eating and drinking. Recently our son drove us to a craft brewery named, appropriately, Bier Brewery. It is part of the Indy Craft Pass list of over 50 breweries and wineries in mostly the Indianapolis area.  You go, check in on a phone app and get points that you can cash for merchandise. A great incentive to check out reasonably close – by new places.

Main entrance, outdoor seating to left

Step up to the bar and place your order…

The Bier Brewery is located on the end of a nice strip mall. Getting there was something, as Carmel is known for all of the round abouts.  It was too cold for outside seating, and the roll up windows were of course closed. The bar is where you place your orders, either for drinks or food. Our bartender was a delightful lady.

Basket of fires and pilsner glass

Blue cheese burger and homemade slaw

Sher ordered a pilsner, while I chose an IPA. We both really enjoyed  our two choices. The menu for food was not very large, but anyone could find something to order. Our son ordered one of those huge fresh baked pretzels. Sher got a large basket of fries for all of us to share. The blue cheese burger and home made coleslaw sure went well with my IPA.

Maj’s IPA

We had a great time!

This establishment is quite an enjoyable place to have a beer and a light snack. There are comfortable chairs and sofas where we saw many enjoying quiet conversation with friends or working on phones or laptops. We enjoyed each others company, our drinks and the food. We also got free pint glasses as part of our Indy Craft Pass participation. Oh, and here is the link to the Bier Brewery website. Check it out sometime.

 

Craft beers at Sun King Brewery in Carmel Indiana

/ Roadtirementvintage / 7 Comments

It was a foggy evening in Carmel, Indiana, an upscale city north of Indianapolis. Finishing our day out, we went to Sun King Brewery in the center of Carmel. They are part of the Indy Craft Pass, a group of over 50 breweries and wineries that offer a listing and directions. You check in and get points for visiting member establishments.

Outside seating, upper level balcony

Main entrance, love that face!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sher and I and our son got to Sun King about 6 o’clock, checked in on the Craft Pass app, and were seated by Chase, our server. I told Chase that when choosing a beer, I prefer one with a lower number IBU (bitterness rating). Chase checked with the bartender who recommended the Keller Haze IPA. Sher ordered a margarita.

The bar

We thoroughly enjoyed just sitting, enjoying our drinks and the company. While were were here the place began to fill up with couples and groups of folks, who like us, enjoyed the ambience of the place. Food was available from walk up windows, and what we saw looked very good, worthy of a return visit to eat sometime. We did buy a growler of Maj’s IPA to take home.

Maj’s IPA and Sher’s Margarita

Chase filling our growler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This facility is set up for both inside and outside seating. Of course the rain and fog prevented using the outside seating but the huge outdoor TV was on! There is a second level, a trivia game was underway when we were there.

“Back of house” equipment

We had a wonderful time at the Carmel version of Sun King Brewery.  (There are seven locations, including one in Sarasota Florida) We would recommend without hesitation a visit to this fine establishment. A marvelous number of beers and other drinks await you. Hats off to Chase, who took care of us while we were there. He was a part of our good time. Here is the link to Sun King Brewery.

Texas Hill Country’s Jester King Brewery

/ Sher / 4 Comments
This is a post that Sher wrote back in February, 2020 just before we cut short our time as Winter Texans and headed back to Indiana before COVID struck. We just found this and somehow it never got published. So…Here it is.

It was a special treat for us to visit Jester King Brewery while we were in Austin, TX because our last name is Jester.  So, of course we had to buy some beer with our name in it!

Enjoying our beer under one of the heaters

It is located at a beautiful 165 acre ranch in the Texas Hill Country.  It is so welcoming and a fun place for all ages.  Since we are retired we were able to visit when it opened at 4pm, so they weren’t super busy.  We had had a late lunch, so we weren’t hungry but their pizza looked delicious and by the looks of people ordering it I think it was a favorite.  We were there on Maj’s birthday and  we already had reservations in town with our family in Austin, or I would have suggested we have dinner there.

The kitchen/food bar

The spacious and comfortable seating area

 

 

 

 

 

They had many choices of beer, but it was easy for us to choose one we wanted try, the Jester-King one!  We, also, bought a bottle to bring home.  How we could we turn down a beer with our name on it?

Had to have it!

We had fun and it is on our recommended places to visit.  The bartenders were exceptionally nice and so friendly and helpful in answering our questions.  They have an outdoor covered area for seating with heaters, and a bonfire outside when we were there.

This is a favorite place and we’ll definitely  be going back the next time we are in Austin.  And, getting pizza!

Wooden Bear Brewing

/ Roadtirementvintage / 15 Comments

Sunday afternoon seemed like a good time to have an adventure. So it was off to Greenfield, Indiana for a stop at the Wooden Bear Brewing company. Wooden Bear is in an old auto repair garage, and it is quite spacious.

Seating with bar on back wall

Company namesakes

 

 

 

 

 

The Wooden Bear has quite a nice selection of brews on tap. We decided to start with a four sample flight each. You can have as many as you like, with six being a full set, or as our waiter said, six is the most he can carry in one hand.

Sher’s flight

Maj’s flight

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A local pizza restaurant happens to be in the back of the building. Very handy, and we certainly enjoyed the thin crust pizzas. They got to our table quickly after we ordered them.

Black olives!

Pepperoni!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We liked the NEIPA (hazy) so much we got a growler to go

Lazy Sunday afternoons are perfect for relaxing, enjoying a pizza and a flight of different brews. It is also a perfect time when you can spend it with the love of your life and the most important person in your life. Sundays don’t get any better than that.

Snoqualmie Falls Brewery, a detailed look

/ Roadtirementvintage / 13 Comments

Yesterday we gave you a sneak peek at the Snoqualmie Falls Brewery. What you did not find out about was how nice a pub this is.  The main seating was outside in the open with tables that were sun protected by umbrellas. The small indoor eating area had tables spread very far apart, with mask required. All staff wore masks all the time.

 

 

 

 

We had just come from seeing the actual Falls and were both hungry and thirsty. This brewery certainly took care of immediate needs. Of course we had to get a flight, so our server Kelly picked out four to sample. Sher and I liked each and every one of the flight.

We’re having a ball in Snoqualmie

The “bar food” was absolutely delicious. We love good bar food and good beer. Thus it is easy for us to say “We love Snoqualmie Falls Brewery!” The cheese bread, garlic fries and of course the Fish and Chips really hit the spot.

Flight’s gone, time for a tall one

Sher and I both liked the Mailbox Hazy IPA

 

 

 

 

 

Kelly on station, taking care of business

By the time we finished our meals we had also finished our flight of beer samples. It was time for more, as we were planning to enjoy just relaxing at our table for a while, enjoying each others company and the delightful weather. Kelly kept checking in and taking care of us. She made our time at the pub very nice indeed. This stop was a most enjoyable part of our day at Snoqualmie.

 

Sunday evening gathering of friends

/ Roadtirementvintage / 17 Comments

Sunday turned out to be a gray rainy day, including a couple of claps of rolling thunder, which is not common in Seattle. Our daughter invited her best friend and family over for a relaxed evening of food and fun.

Pepperoni, foreground and veggie, background

Loaded with everything!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nothing better than hot pizza for supper with friends. The pizza came from Bravas Pizza and Pasta in Snohomish. Oh my it was so good. We have dined there before on previous trips.

A seasonal craft beer from a Seattle brewery. Very good, 8.8% ABV

Our daughter’s friend relaxing with “grown up art”.

 

 

 

 

 

The evening’s activities included eating, watching the highlights of the day’s football games, watching the Emmys, eating, watching movies, eating and drinking. Did I mention eating? We had a wonderful time, and Sher and I enjoyed meeting and interacting with our daughter’s friend, husband and daughter. A relaxed Sunday evening always proves to be a great way to get ready for the coming week.

German beer and peach wine at 450 North Brewing Co

/ Roadtirementvintage / 35 Comments

We traveled to the 450 North Brewing Co. outside of Columbus, Indiana yesterday afternoon.  It was our first time to this brewery and we weren’t sure what to order.  In fact, we were too “coronavirus scared” to go into the establishment.  So, our dear son went in and brought out a beer list for us.  We got a growler of the Dunkel,  which is advertised as a German style lager, dark, smooth and malty.  At 5% ABV we loved it and will for sure be getting more.  We  are wanting to try some of their other brews as they have a large selection to choose from.

We are anxiously waiting to get our coronavirus vaccines so we can start visiting places again.  450 North Brewing is going to be one of our first go to places, as the food menu looks very good.

They are part of Simmons Winery, so we guessed at a bottle of wine we wanted to try.  We tried the Fuzzy Peach table wine and we were a little disappointed with our pick, as it wasn’t as sweet as we like.  But, our fault as we didn’t go inside to do a wine tasting.  Next time we will go in and try some of the sweeter wines.

Looking forward to going back to this winery and brewery.  I’m getting hungry just thinking of their menu!

Bastrop Texas

/ Roadtirementvintage / 2 Comments

Bastrop Texas is an interesting little town southeast of Austin. We headed there with our Austin family to check things out.  We found a place to park and found a nice map of the town on a large display board. This let us kind of make some plans for our adventure.

Great map allowing for planning the day

Cute gravel alley leading to some shops

 

 

 

 

 

We enjoyed the visitor center that also had a museum as well. The history  of Bastrop is a tale of the old West that is fun to learn. The town is proud of its heritage and rightly so.

Some neat old stuff

A very unique raised flower bed

 

 

 

 

 

We enjoyed the 602 Brewery and Restaurant for a beer and a delicious meal. (read our review of the 602 Brewery here) After our meal we walked around the Main Street looking at the stores and shops. We also took a driving tour that led us to several historic homes in and around the downtown area.

Posing with a tortoise outside Visitor’s Center and Museum

Main Street, Bastrop

 

 

 

 

 

All in all we really enjoyed seeing Bastrop. There seem to be a lot of activities planned during the spring and summer months. There are over 30 festivals planned each year.  The 900 acre Lake Bastrop has a plethora of recreational opportunities. This town is proud of its heritage and is most welcoming to visitors. Put Bastrop on your list of Central Texas places to visit.