Last week Saturday I had to work in the morning (I rarely work Saturdays), so after work was done I and a co-worker went to the Old German Beer Hall (at this point, I think I can safely say it has become a favorite spot of mine) for their smoked porkchop meal and a beer.
Right after I gave my order to the bartender I heard someone tell one of the other patrons that they currently have 2 seasonal beers - their summer beer and a maibock. I don't know what their summer beer is, but I ordered it. I have to say it's the first time I've had a beer there that I didn't care for. It wasn't bad, but it was... well, bland, I suppose is how I would describe it. It lacked character, so I can't think of how to describe it better.
Later in the afternoon, Amanda and I went to the "first annual" Milwaukee Brewfest. I had a fantastic time. We got there before they opened, and we brought non-perishable items to get the discount on the tickets. As part of the event we each got a free pint glass. It wasn't just a souvenir, but it was pivotal to the event. There were 2 beer tents and a few of the beer vendors had separate stands around the perimeter. All you did was walk up to a vendor and let them know what you wanted that they offered, then they'd give you a free sample (about a quarter of the glass). So all you did was walk around sampling different beers (or ciders in a couple of cases). They had live music and food vendors.
Now, being a first year event, it had it's short comings - beer ran out earlier than expected, and they ran out of the Milwaukee Brewfest glasses (although they brought in more glasses with logos from breweries instead of the Milwaukee Brewfest logo). They also didn't have enough bathrooms. But first year problems aside, it was absolutely worth the money we paid to go. I'm really looking forward to next year.
After our first few beers, I started wishing I had a palate cleanser so the tastes wouldn't all run together. They had rinsing stations for rinse your glass, but I didn't know what to do to clear the taste of my latest beer from my mouth - which is when I noticed people walking around with pretzel necklaces. It was like childrens' candy necklaces, except better. It was a simple string run through pretzels, and we bought them from one of the food vendors - Problem solved!
I kind of wish I'd had a pen on me so I could keep track of the different beers I had, but I didn't and I had so many that I can't say I remember what most of them were. I remember I had 3 kinds of Crispin cider, Stone Brewing Co., St. Francis, Ale Asylum, Horny Goat, Buffalo Water, and Rogue. Were there more? yes. Do I remember who they were? No. Did I have any beers I didn't like? No. Were some more my style than others? Of course. Absolutely worth it.
After the event ended, Amanda mentioned that she wanted a Strongbow cider on tap. I'm pretty sure she was thinking of going to Paddy's Pub, which we both really like (although we haven't been there in a while). But I really wanted to get back to the Old German Beer Hall to try their Hoffbrau maibock. So I suggested we go to the Harp - which serves Strongbow on tap AND is just a couple blocks away from where I was hoping to go.
So we had an appetizer at the Harp while Amanda had her Strongbow and I drank a Guinness. Then we walked across the street to Trinity Three Irish Pubs for a desert, and I had a Carlsberg. This was the first time I had a Carlsberg, and although it isn't quite my normal choice in beer I liked it. I'll have to try one again when I haven't had an afternoon of drinking leading up to it. After Trinity, we walked over to the Old German Beer Hall and I had a half liter of that maibock I wanted to try. It was great. Definately my kind of beer. We finished off the day by walking over to Molly Cools for an actual dinner. I had their Crabby Patty and it was delicious.
All in all it was a great afternoon and evening.
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