Rooster Brewing

Vibe: Really cool building. Big glass windows in the front. Random Goose Island sign on the front of the building, although this might be because Rooster is in Bourbon County. They have a bunch of different tap handles on display and a sticker wall (always a plus, in my book). In the kitchen, there is a trap door which leads to the basement (apparently where they brew the beer). I would love to go down there. They have a full bar, which is great for people who don't drink beer, but it sometimes seems like they can't decide whether to be a bar or brewery. Nice selection of games.

Quality: Honestly, this is not the best beer in the area, but there's REALLY stiff competition. I think they rely too heavily on their flagships. Apparently, they have made at least 75 different beers during the time they've been open. However, they usually keep the same 2-3 on tap, with maybe one new one at a time. I think they would do themselves a huge favor to mix it up a bit. One of those smaller batches, Tallest Man Alive, was delicious.

Service: No complaints, whatsoever. Prices are pretty good too, 4 dollar beer on Wednesdays. I met the owner once, and he was a pretty nice guy (my girlfriend has a grudge against him, but he's cool in my book). Business must be good... at the start of this year, they were only open on Thursdays and Fridays. Now they've expanded to Wednesdays and Saturdays. They've also started serving food, which is pretty good, but the kitchen seems understaffed. Bartenders have always been nice.

Selection: Oof... that's no bueno. Rooster usually has 3-4 of their own taps on at a time. Not a problem, but the guest taps are laughable. Lots of macro brews. Oddly enough, I've seen a lot of craft beer that isn't on the menu in the fridge in their kitchen. I'm not 100% sure what the deal is with that.

They also have a second location in Lexington, Oscar Diggs. It's better, in my opinion. Amazing food (their former food truck partners run the kitchen) and a cool steampunk vibe. They have a small (one-barrel?) system in the basement, where they brew their experimental batches.

 

 

A small brewery in a small town. The beers are pretty solid. The taproom is small, but that hasn't really bothered me much. It's a pretty short drive from Lexington and is better than most of the new spots that have opened up there recently. The owner is one of the nicest guys in the industry.

 

Rooster Brew isn't large. They don't yet have a large selection of their own brews on tap (three seems to be about the max, out of 8-10 taps), but those beers are good enough to make a side trip. They are only open Thurs. - Sat evenings right now, so plan accordingly.

They don't serve their own food, but restaurants are springing up within a block, and they are making efforts at getting more regular food truck visits from nearby Lexington.

For what was a beer desert, Ralph Quillens has created an oasis in Paris. Granted I have to trek the 20 minutes from Winchester it's no problem against a gorgeous backdrop. 12 draft beers and 50 bottles or so there's usually 3 or 4 of his own. This is still a work in progress but with every entry I get more excited as the new open fermented sour is stellar. A sour wheat was my wife's favorite, Henrietta, and rumors of some high ABV stouts, its going to be a fun ride at Rooster Brew.