Kinslahger Brewing Company

 

I went here with a group of five on a Friday night. We were able to grab the last table and if we had arrived five minutes later, we would have been standing all night…. They attract a good crowd to this lovingly restored old storefront.

The bar is on the west side of the room and tables are on the east. Bathrooms are in back.

No food but they did have a food truck in front of the building.

Service was friendly and I thought they did a good job keeping up with the crowd.

Beers are all lagers. I had a nice IPL, a couple of red “Chicago Style” lagers made with rye and finished up with a couple of dunkels made with lactose. All were tasty but the Red Lager was my favorite as I thought the rye added just the right touch.

I would have no problem returning for my lager fix!

Very cool little taproom, it's been restored with 1920's era details like a pressed tin ceiling, ornate crown molding, raised textured wallpaper, and more. Cool stuff like this is probably lost on the average hypewhale seeker.

The bartender Keith was a great host, explaining lots of details about their beers, and well versed on the beer scene in general. We talked a little bit about lambic blending and his travels through the Payottenland.

The lagers were all solid, some stood out more than others for different reasons. Their baltic porter could walk toe to toe with most imperial stouts, it was packed with rich complex flavors. On the other end of the spectrum, the pilsner is immaculate with a firm hop bitterness and easily sessionable. They had less beers on than usual, as they were in the middle of expanding the brewery.

Overall this was a great lager brewery and a worthwhile visit if in the area.

Vibe here is great. Its a small place, but boy is it beautiful. Place looks retro and the bar and seating area is done in an old school bar look. Great place to stop and have a beer.

Quality is very good - the beer is really well done and the prices are very reasonable.

Service is top notch. While I was there, the head brewer was the one manning the bar. Although you can tell he's a quiet guy by nature, he did a great job engaging the customers and sharing his extensive beer knowledge.

Selection was pretty big - 12 taps - but that is more than usual. Most of the time its closer to 6 or so. Still, they'll have everything they've brewed on tap and available. No distribution right now outside of some kegs to local bars/restaurants.

Few notes - they have tasting flights and you can get anything as part of the flight. They have crowlers to go - again any beer you want. They also have some nice branded glassware and gear available in the tap room.