Thanks to Siri's directions, we arrived with almost no hitches, although the convenient location of this brewery makes it easy enough to find. They'd set up a little party area for us off to the side of the bar in the tasting area - some snacks, and quick and easy access to the taps.
For myself, I had the Rowdy, described as a hop forward Rye at 6.2%. Checking the ingredients - I see Bravo, Zythos, and Centennial hops...Bravo is a high alpha bittering hops and is probably the biggest contributor to the hoppiness of this beer, while Zythos and Centennial are more medium alpha varieties, complementing the Bravo for flavor and less bitterness. Of course, the rye malt offsets some of the alpha strength of the combo.I have to admit, now that the hop yards is in progress, I am paying more attention to the ingredients and brewing craft in these breweries. In fact, I did a quick scan of the list of hops on the menu and didn't see any of Hawksbill Hop Yards varieties - and thought to myself that maybe from now on every brewery visit will become market research. Such is life.
The brewery is housed in an old industrial building, where they have made good use of the loading dock and open warehouse space for the 40BBL brewery and supporting functions. This was probably the 10th brewery I've visited since last May (the Northern California Beer Pilgrimage/Marathon, as Mary likes to call it) - so I'm getting to know my way around. We had a great time checking things out.
And the beer was really good, so it will be one I keep an eye out for when we're out and about, especially since they've recently gotten distribution into Virginia. It was a nice affair for Kathy's birthday - a great idea for a place to celebrate, and a great way to conclude the weekend.
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