Notch Brewing (2019)

I know it's not quite the right place to talk about this, but has anyone had the Deacon Giles + Notch gin collab, Rauch+Hopfen?

"Using some rauchbier smoked grain in the distillate, and hops as one of the botanicals, this unique gin is great in a martini, or for a beer drinker trying to get into spirits."



Interested in it, but not sure I really want 750mL.

 

I can’t count how many times I’ve been there. Multiple trips have been on Saturday afternoons/nights and I’ve never encountered this. It’s been busy with a short line for pours, but nothing like what you’ve described.

Did you go in October?

 

That was my thought, weeks leading up to Halloween or Octoberfest?
I've been up there many times and basically found it busy but not overly so,

 

A Saturday afternoon in late September this year.
I can't recall when I went last year. Probably also a Saturday and it was snowing.

 

In late September and October, Salem turns into Halloween Disney World. Especially on a weekend. I learned the hard way this October. Happily I went to Notch this year the day after Thanksgiving in the early evening and it was very slow. No lines at all. Very pleasant evening and learned a bunch about the brewery from the servers.

 

Strange, last time I was there on a busy night they had a long line but were “at capacity” despite no one standing at the bar. Something about low fire capacity

 

Out of curiosity: are the mliko foam pours the same price as a regular draft at Notch's taproom?

 

Those pours are $3.50. It’s only half the volume of a regular pour. Remember the glass is filled with bubbles. And you should drink the whole pour in a few minutes because the bubbles dissipate quickly. At least that’s the intended practice.

 

I wish I took a picture. We had to wait for people to leave before we were allowed inside and once we got in, it was crazy. I guess my visits were just coincidentally busy times.