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What makes a brewery/brewpub great (other than the beer of course)?

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by psykosis, Mar 30, 2012.

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  1. psykosis

    psykosis Initiate (0) May 21, 2009 Indiana

    Your favorite breweries and brewpubs... What is it about them that makes them special to you? Obviously great beer is paramount, but what else do you love?


    I live in northern MI, and this is what I love about my favorite joints:


    -Shorts: the layout, and the location. It's a beautiful drive to and from, which makes it a great destination.
    -Jolly Pumpkin: location for the same reason as Shorts, and the food. Their BLT is so simple, but so good.
    -Right Brain: industrial design (it's in a "warehouse district"), clientel (everyone seems relaxed and chill), lack of food (it's odd not having food, but I love the absolute focus on craft beer)
    -Filling Station: it's in an old train depo overlooking a lake. It's hard to beat that.


    And some not-so-local joints:

    -Stone: the large garden area. It's great to find a corner with some friends and just lose yourself.
    -Cascade: simplicity of design. Small, but focused and functional. Great place to sample their beers.
    -Dark Horse: ambiance! Mugs are EVERYWHERE. It's a treat to visit.
    -Greenbush: it's a tiny brewery in the middle of nowhere, but turning out great beers. The building they are in is perfect for a brewery.
    -Brewery Vivant: it used to be an old church. It's hard to get more unique than that. So dark and moody inside, it fits their beers perfectly.
     
    #1 psykosis, Mar 30, 2012
  2. DirtyPenny

    DirtyPenny Pundit (891) Jun 25, 2011 Massachusetts

    The short, shmaltzy answer is: the people you go with.

    About the only brewpub I go to these days is Tullycross in Manchester CT. The beer is mostly good--some hits, some misses--but the important thing is that dad and I both like it. I've hit that stage in my life where I realized my folks won't be around forever, and I'm trying to spend more time with them.

    Slight tangent: I also find it cool that I can have a beer with my grandfather now. Grandpa's fridge full of Moosehead and Sam Adams has helped bridge the generation gap.
     
    #2 DirtyPenny, Mar 30, 2012
  3. Supes

    Supes Initiate (0) Jun 22, 2011 Arizona

    For me in Arizona I have not come across a brewery I just loved. Besides the beer, because they are turning out some good brews. But I am in love with Stone. I loved the bar and inside but the gardens and the pond was so cool. Grabing a Double Bastard and walking around the place is a great experience.

    [​IMG]
     
    #3 Supes, Mar 30, 2012
  4. Duff27

    Duff27 Pooh-Bah (2,530) Feb 10, 2010 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    For brewpubs: no TVs.

    If I want to watch TV I'll stay home or go to a bar. It's nice to "unplug" ans just enjoy your beer and good conversation.
     
    #4 Duff27, Mar 30, 2012
  5. Cr0wBait

    Cr0wBait Initiate (0) Feb 17, 2012 Florida

    I haven't visited any of my favorites, but I admire New Belgium's initiatives to help the environment. Encouraging employees to bike instead of drive to work, utilizing a great deal of wind power, recycling. These all have an impact.
     
    #5 Cr0wBait, Mar 30, 2012
  6. MarkIntihar

    MarkIntihar Initiate (0) Mar 17, 2010 Michigan

    Jackie O's is my answer for a perfect brewpub. Awesome feel and atmosphere, great scenery when school is in session, and awesome pub food! Oh, and the typical music is reggae or bluegrass. Yeah, I'm down with that.
     
    #6 MarkIntihar, Mar 30, 2012
  7. spitInTheOcean

    spitInTheOcean Initiate (0) May 1, 2011 Michigan

    you pose a brilliant question. i had the rare pleasure of visiting stone. i am sure i will never forget that day. they must have spent millions on design and construction of that beer garden and i am sure no where in europe can top it. maybe india or japan. it cannot possibly receive enough praise.

    but what really sucks about the answer to this question is that it is the service. how in the hell do you get cool servers? its just a fluke. having a half a dozen girls on the server staff that just want to hang out and chill and talk about beer and drink beer. like a small cultural revolution. all the right people together at just the right moment and you think/hope it will always be like this and then, as hunter s. thompson says, "the wave breaks..."
     
    #7 spitInTheOcean, Mar 30, 2012
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