Around the Bend Beer Co.

It's not much of an assuming building (as if many truly are, even I understand that function should dominate over flowery form), but inside is an intgeresting idea - a new one to me, at the very least: Before heading up the ramp, you give your credit/debit information to the cashier, who gives you a card. This card you use at the various kiosks (rather, wall portions with taps attached, just to give the proper visual) to pay for the pours you provide yourself. Yup, you can pour as much or as little as you want. Not sure why everywhere doesn't charge this way (you don't need the self-serve, just really flexible menus and/or bartenders), especially to cater to the manic tickers amongst us, myself primus inter those particular pares. Up the ramp, you get the main space, across the way from the brewing equipment, which houses the various breweries' kiosk walls and a BBQ joint for some food. The AtB station was to the right of the door, but was the last I visited, as I went all clockwise and whatnot. To my left was a shelf of board games for all of us overgrown children to have some fun with (or, y'know, some actual children, I dunno, whatever). Being the ticker I am, I went for the offerings I hadn't had before amidst the bunch I had had, meaning I poured myself a raspberry brett thing and an IPA (had to have at least one before I left the premises). Both were solid, if nothing all that special. As much as you serve yourself, you also bus your own tables (something that should be more common, just sayin'). Everything was actually pretty nice as far as atmosphere goes, mostly due to the fact that the space isn't as, well, spacious as one might assume, given the circumstances. It just feels like something of a cozy gaming hall that happens to have some beers a-flowin'. Not much in the way of comment on the staff, though the cashier and attendant (for lack of a better term for the gentleman who showed me how things worked, it being my first visit) were rather genial and helpful. Though not the standout of the breweries on offer here, AtB showed more variety than the others and provide a decent reason to come back and see what else they could have to pour.

Around The Bend is an original partner the District Brew Yards brewery collaborative. This place is new and state-of-the-art, stop at the front desk and head up the ramp, inside there's an "ATB" brewery kiosk to the right with 10 rotating beers, cans to go up front, and some assorted swag in the front also. It really doesn't seem right to judge a brewery based on a handful of beers at a kiosk, but here we are. The kiosk had a quasi-steampunk motif, with large rusty gears, and "ATB" spelled out with bulb lights.

Their beers were okay, a good range of styles, the highlight for me was Pennyfarthing Pilsner. I tried half of the 10 beers they had: pilsner, brut IPA, hazy DIPA, BA barleywine, and a "tropical stout".

The self-pour concept for a brewery was kind of impersonal, it left me wanting some kind of interaction with brewery staff. Hopefully they will host events in the future where you can talk to someone from the brewery.