DC/MD/NoVA Beer Updates (2021)

Do these breweries actually change the recipe in an effort to make it worse over time, do we overglamorize the beers from our past, or do our palates change considerably making a once great beer a shadow of it's former self?

 

I have no idea about recipe changing, as I would not know. But, I will say that the second time I went to Surly, I stopped in Chicago, visited a few breweries and a bottle shop. In the bottle shop, the owner started a conversation as he saw that I had purchased Todd The Axe Man, and he told me that Todd (yes that Todd) was the head brewer at Surly. Todd and his wife wanted to have a brewpub, but we’re declined, thus leading to the head brewer parting ways with Surly. Last I heard he was in Indiana making a new beginning.

ps-I just google surly Todd and head brewer, and I got a lot of pages that state he resigned Surly in 2016. Which was about the time I went to Chicago and Surly. I must admit, I may have caught his last batch!

 

Looks like Todd is with 3 Floyds now as their director of brewery engineering

 

Well, the Zombie Dust I've had recently both here an in Chicago was a shell of its former self, so not sure Todd is the main factor here. I thought the Abrasive I got at Dominion was as good as it's ever been, and definitely better than some previous batches from a few years ago.

 

Thanks for the heads up about Surly. It's been a few years since I've had it, but I used to have Abrasive shipped to me every year when it was released. I will report back on how it tastes.

Re: Zombie Dust. The initial batches they sent earlier this year were good. As has been the case for years now, that beer needs to be as fresh as possible. I think we got lucky early on with dates only being a couple weeks out. But now I see cans from July sitting on the shelves lol. Feel bad for whatever poor sap is paying $15 for that garbage.

 

Good to hear. I did not mention Abrasive because both times I was at the brewery, they did not have it! The Total Wine I went to in suburban Minn/St. Paul also did not have it. So for me it was my first time drinking it! Good beer, but I prefer the original Todd The Axe Man. A friend who went out to Surly a few times did not even bother trying Todd The Axe man, he preferred Abrasive…

 

Abrasive tasting great this evening. Wow this takes me back.

 

I just had an Axe Man and I think it's fantastic. The Mosaic and Citra shine through, and it's decently fresh, canned on 11/12. I had batches in the early days that were inconsistent—some were great, others were kind of bland and muted. This one is right up there for me.

 

Yeah, I was disappointed when France 44 in Minneapolis stopped shipping. Got a lot of Toppling Goliath shipped here in the early days. But my son lives in the Twin Cities and we have other family there, so I get there pretty regularly. In August when were were there I had some excellent King Sue etc. Plus, Furious is basically like Budweiser there, you can get it everywhere. Good stuff.

 

Same! What a great resource while it lasted.

 

Snowbirds bottles up for curbside order on the Other Half DC website.

 

From a Burley Oak Facebook post, a collaboration with Other Half on a double IPA called The Murder Bee. Being released on 12/13/21. No other details yet.

 

Greg (guy who runs Harry's beer side) said the distributor got 15 cases to spread around DC, so it probably popped up elsewhere as well.