Suarez Family Brewing (2018)

There's a new black lager they just did, I'd imagine that to be on tap. But I've still found the best method for checking is looking up Suarez on Untappd and looking to see what people are checking in at the brewery that day or the day before.

 

Currently on tap Saturday 9/17/16 @ 3pm
Palatine Pils
Crispy Little
Believe You Me
Old Fangled
Bones Shirt
Hecto
Qualify Pils

 

According to the young man pouring our beers a few weeks ago, he said don't expect anything heavier/bigger coming out of Suarez for the forseeable future, if ever....

 

I'll echo what twizzard said, from talking to Dan, and from what I've read, I'd be shocked if anything over 5-6% abv ever came out of there. From the Times Union Beer Nut blog (http://blog.timesunion.com/beer/a-beer-with-dan-suarez-of-suarez-family-brewery/5157/) in March:

Dan: Things like Double IPA, I hardly ever crave them or opt to drink them, so I definitely don’t plan on making a Double IPA. I might make an IPA, but I think I’d rather just specialize in pale ales. I was talking to Mike Naclerio [of Craft Beer Guild] the other day and we were talking about “impression beers” versus “drinking beers” and between the session ales, the lagers, and the mixed fermentation beers my goal is to make them all be “drinking beers.” Those are the beers that I like to make, those are the beers I like to drink, those are the beers that are a pleasure to drink. They’re nuanced, but they’re delicate enough where you can have a couple.

 

Sadly this is the reason I'm not at this brewery weekly. I love IPAs and Suarez is only 25 minutes from my home. If they made a great IPA, I would stop driving to Monson once a month. Don't get me wrong, their beers are fantastic but I think adding a killer IPA would put them over the top.

 

I guess it’s true; everything is subjective, as I believe they are already over the top with that prestigious aroma and that crisp, clean flavor.

 

I think Dan's pale ales and low-abv hoppy ales are better than most IPA's out there. And what's the main difference? Just a few notches on the ABV. His low ABV beers are no by means watered down or super light. I'm more impressed by a low abv beer that can bring such flavor and body.

 

And I can drink more than three of them without my girlfriend telling me I'm embarrassing her.

 

now that's the real reason to drink these delicious little beers.

 

I'll take Believe You Me or Hecto over just about any IPA I can think of.

His beers are so perfectly crafted and clean, such an enticing aroma to all of them, full of flavors that just dance merrily on the palate, and that soft mouthfeel just frames the flavors so well and makes them all super refreshing.

 

I agree, believe you me was unbelievable

 

I've really enjoyed what I've had from them so far, I have no problem if they never make an IPA. Plenty of those out there already anyway.

 

Sloop is right down the road, and the "Bombs" are all pretty big juice bombs, right at 6.5% I think.

 

new kamut beer on tap. yep, ancient grains. you can find it in the SFB tasting room.

WED // 4 - 7 PM
FRI + SAT // noon - 7 PM

CURRENTLY ON TAP

• OLD FANGLED // hoppy blond ale brewed with kamut // 4.5% abv
• BONES SHIRT // black lager 5.3% abv
• BELIEVE YOU ME // aromatic dry-hopped pale ale // 5% abv
• HECTO // aromatic dry-hopped pale ale // 4.5% abv
• PALATINE PILS // unfiltered classic german pils // 5.2% abv
• QUALIFY PILS // hop-accented unfiltered german pils // 5.5% abv

 

palatine pils and believe you me are pretty much perfect. If Dan decides not to brew a higher abv beer simply because the masses ask for it, I'm fine with that.

 

So much deliciousness.

 

Whats a range of cost for fills? Cost of glass for growlers?

 

IIRC when I went the growlers were $3 and fills of everything were $7? Definitely very cost-friendly.

 

For those who have been since they started doing growler fills, are they filling other breweries' growlers or only their own? I know our laws permit breweries to fill any growlers but just wondering about Suarez's policies.

 

The growler prices were some of the most reasonable I've seen in a while. The prices mentioned above by @IGaveYouPower are correct.