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Craft Brewery Experiences (1 Viewer)

Excellent thread. Lots of good suggestions so far.

Obviously, good beer is important.

I like food too. Your food menu need not be overwhelming -  just having some apps and a few decent things for lunch is usually ok with me. If you can't do food, at least do snacks. One place I liked had pint glasses of goldfish crackers for a few bucks, and a few other snacks. Then they started making decent sandwiches and salads.. 

I'll second having a few basics always on hand, and have some beers across the entire ABV scale too. I hate when there are 14 beers, and only two are under 6.9%. Someone else mentioned not being "out" of too many items. I agree. If my second choice is "oh, sorry, we're out of that too", I'm usually not happy with the place.

I like places that let you pick your own flight on a card or chalkboard - that's always cool. 
I agree with all of this. Some decent food is nice. 

 
For me it’s mainly about consistency and rotating beers. Have something new and the consistency to expect them to be good.

I’m good friends with 4 brewery owners with very different models

-#1 is very community focused. Very faithful regulars, great environment. Small batches, constantly rotating but lots of repeat beers for the regulars. Quality is good and I’ll always find a couple good beers.

-#2 is very set in his ways - 4 core beer, 4 rotating with two reoccurring seasonals. Great quality and specialty beers are well done but rarely available. Very focused on their niche crowd and openly prefers not attracting a new crowd.

-#3 Opened just before the pandemic and was forced into canning. Does a ton of collabs with breweries and businesses with fun can labels. Good quality beers, sometimes misses. Only ok taproom environment.

-#4 is opening soon but has been making great beer through (kinda) contact brewing. Total hype brewery - makes great beers and has even done collabs with some famous breweries. I would be surprised if his taproom isn’t constantly full when open.

#1 is the brewery I go to the most (also the closest). Used to go to #3 a lot but now mainly buy their beer from stores. #2 I rarely go to even though I have a ton of gift cards. I will be a frequent visitor of #4 when it opens. It’s really having the right combination that works for your demographic.

 
Our local Fred Meyer does a cool thing, not sure if it's common in other places. They have a separate fridge with all local breweries and you can mix and match a six pack for $9.99. Great to try new ones without having to buy a whole 6.
A brewery by me does this too, but I think it's a bit pricier than $10...still cool tho, I wish more places did it.

If there are kids running around, I'm out. 

 
There are at least 4 local breweries within 20 minutes of my house. All exactly the same. Good beer, average food but great atmosphere. We don’t go often because we want more than hot dogs, pizza and pretzels. On the flip side I see the challenge of having great food at these places. The open field and farm like atmosphere contradicts fine dinning-ish plates.  

Maybe these companies should bring in a pit BBQ company or different food trucks to swing by. 
 

Note: This is the perspective of a 45 y/o family man. I likely wouldn’t care if I were a young man and single. I’m not sure I’m their demographic.

 
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Treehouse is phenomenal, luckily they are opening a new building 2 miles from my house. Is Hill pretty much still a barn and picnic tables or did the modernize? Lovely beverages there
Hill Farm has been pretty drastically revamped.  When I first went there, like 11 years ago, it was literally a garage with a handful of taps built into the wall.  This is what it looks like now, at least as of September 2021.  Tough to beat that view.  I can't find a good picture of the interior but it's a pretty nice taproom.

 
A brewery by me does this too, but I think it's a bit pricier than $10...still cool tho, I wish more places did it.

If there are kids running around, I'm out. 
This is actually at a local supermarket, so it's different local breweries all in one fridge.

 
Yeah, went 2-3 times years ago. I think I heard it's not a Vikings bar anymore. I remember Chris Walsh showed up when I was there once.
Really? That's depressing. Ten years ago it was the spot for us Vikings fans on Sunday morning. 

 
We made a permanent move to Boise last year and the craft brewery scene here is awesome. We have like 8 or 9 breweries within walking distance and we try them all. Our new favorite is Mother Earth, which only recently opened. Besides a good variety of excellent beer, the seating indoor and out is laid out really well, allowing some privacy if you want or being in the crowd if you prefer. Very friendly staff and a few TV's. No food but they regularly have food trucks on site. Just a great and welcoming environment.

Another of our favorites is Mad Swede. For me, it's strictly for the great beer. They get a good crowd for their open mic nights, trivia nights, comedy nights, etc. They're fairly new too but quickly gained popularity. 

Barbarian Brewery has a new location that we haven't tried yet but their downtown spot is really good. They have excellent beer and sours.

There are a bunch others of varying quality in product and atmosphere. Great beer comes first. I like when they have special limited releases that I make sure I get a chance to try. We like places that are very dog friendly too. Payette does a good job with that, but you need the right type of space. Make sure to take acoustics into consideration. Some places ignore it and they are so loud when crowded that you can barely hear the person next to you. We will usually only go back when they are less crowded.

Good luck...keep us posted!


hmmm, there's a mother earth brewing in Kinston, NC, which does not appear to be a affiliated.

 
A cool feature of our little hometown brewery is their "Buy a Friend a Beer" chalkboard. It may be common but I haven't seen it at others I've visited.


Thanks. I'm not familiar with this but friends and beer are always a good combo. Can you elaborate? 

 
We made a permanent move to Boise last year and the craft brewery scene here is awesome. We have like 8 or 9 breweries within walking distance and we try them all. Our new favorite is Mother Earth, which only recently opened. Besides a good variety of excellent beer, the seating indoor and out is laid out really well, allowing some privacy if you want or being in the crowd if you prefer. Very friendly staff and a few TV's. No food but they regularly have food trucks on site. Just a great and welcoming environment.

Another of our favorites is Mad Swede. For me, it's strictly for the great beer. They get a good crowd for their open mic nights, trivia nights, comedy nights, etc. They're fairly new too but quickly gained popularity. 

Barbarian Brewery has a new location that we haven't tried yet but their downtown spot is really good. They have excellent beer and sours.

There are a bunch others of varying quality in product and atmosphere. Great beer comes first. I like when they have special limited releases that I make sure I get a chance to try. We like places that are very dog friendly too. Payette does a good job with that, but you need the right type of space. Make sure to take acoustics into consideration. Some places ignore it and they are so loud when crowded that you can barely hear the person next to you. We will usually only go back when they are less crowded.

Good luck...keep us posted!


Western Collective is my favorite in Boise. https://westerncollective.beer/ but I haven't been since pre covid. Is it still good?

Payette was ok but felt like the same brewery you see everywhere. 

 
Congrats @Northern Voice on the new job. 

I'm not sure if you're looking for input but the one thing I see now is that for a long time, breweries were new enough just when your medium sized town got one, you were just thrilled to have one. Now with just about every town having lots of them, people are getting more discerning.

Way too many seem like they don't have any real thought put into the vibe or the experience. They have the industrial space for the brewery and clear out some space and throw up some tables and chairs. 

The beer is fresh, but that's about all you're getting. The bar has been raised and you need more. 

A few to me that stand out.

Our Mutual Friend in Denver is fantastic. https://www.buyomfbeer.com/  If there's a consistent theme for breweries, it's they all feel like a dude's basement. OMF is way different. Last time we were there I started talking to a woman at the bar and learned she was in management there. I commented that the vibe felt way more cool and not like a dudefest. She said, "Yeah, that's me. I did a ton of the design". Made total sense. 

Western Collective in Boise. https://westerncollective.beer/.  Boise pegs the hipster meter but this place seems to walk the line well.

Other Half in Brooklyn. https://otherhalfbrewing.com/  Legendary beer and the vibe is so bad it's almost fun. Ugly neon chalkboard menu and zero care given for the experience. But the beer is so good you don't care.

On the other end of that spectrum is Grimm in Brooklyn. https://grimmales.com/ Beer is as as good and they clearly obsessed over the vibe. Probably my favorite brewery in the country.

Nashville is the picture of tourists and bachelorette parties so much of the beer is awful. Bearded Iris is fantastic though. https://beardedirisbrewing.com/

My favorite closer to home is Burial in Asheville. https://burialbeer.com/ Pretty easily the best tap handles in the country. Fette Sau in Brooklyn is a close second.

 
You buy a beer form someone who may or may not actually be at the place. Next time they go up to the bar they see their name and their beer is already paid for. Kinda like the whole drive through pay it forward schtick


Thanks. That's rad.

 
A couple more,

West 6th in Lexington is really good. https://www.westsixth.com/.  Part of huge old bakery they bought and have repurposed to several other businesses. West 6th lets the Lexington Roller Derby girls team practice in the area where they store the cans. You have to like that.

St. Arnolds in Houston is old school. https://www.saintarnold.com/ The old brew hall is mostly replaced by the outdoor space now though and it's not nearly as cool as it used to be.

It's way smaller but I think my favorite in Houston is Eureka Heights. Just solid all around. https://www.eurekaheights.com/

For Dallas, 3 Nations is my favorite. https://3nationsbrewing.com/. Super rad repurposed building. 

 
Going to be in downtown Chicago next weekend with my brother and we are looking for some craft beer establishments, preferably with good food, for an imbibing Sunday afternoon catch-up session. He lives in Minneapolis, I'm in Miami, so we don't get this opportunity very often.

All opinions welcome. 

 
Western Collective is my favorite in Boise. https://westerncollective.beer/ but I haven't been since pre covid. Is it still good?

Payette was ok but felt like the same brewery you see everywhere. 
I haven't really found a beer I love from Western Collective yet. Their spot in Garden City is nice but is a pretty long walk from where we are but it is in an area that is really starting to boom. I mentioned it before but it seems like they hit gold downtown with their Western Proper. Big for parties and families during the day and early evening and gets packed for the college crowd on weekends. Not really my thing but it's ok.

Payette is good and has decent beer. We rarely plan on going but will stop in if we're walking the Greenbelt. They get huge crowds and now have a really good permanent food truck on site. Queens Trailer

 
I was part of the early scene in microbreweries in FL. I was the original GM for The Riverwalk Brewery in downtown Fort Lauderdale circa 1992, I think we were the third micro/restaurant to open in the state. At the time I had just sold a restaurant in Jax Beach and had met these Greek guys who told me they were building a micro and wanted me to open it for them. They had hired a brewer from Palo Alto and he was very talented (Mark Safarik), he was a huge fan of Sierra Nevada and tried to emulate. I basically took care of the restaurant. At the time I was a Bud guy. I soon became a craft beer guy. 

The Dolphins used to hang out at the bar and I met quite a few of them including Doug Pederson (backup qb at the time). We were very popular. The owners eventually tried to "auction" off the place with an essay contest that was eventually determined to be a huge scam. I had moved on by then. But I do visit micros everywhere I go and I love that they are ubiquitous.

 
My favorite bar in the world has been doing this forever.  It’s on jost van dyke in the British Virgin Islands.  Soggy dollar  I’ll buy you a painkiller, the next time I’m there. 


Thank you!  
 

But so I understand, if the person doesn’t show up, the bar keeps the money?  Or at worst, they hold the money until the person shows up? What a great deal for the bar. 

 
Senor Schmutzig said:
Going to be in downtown Chicago next weekend with my brother and we are looking for some craft beer establishments, preferably with good food, for an imbibing Sunday afternoon catch-up session. He lives in Minneapolis, I'm in Miami, so we don't get this opportunity very often.

All opinions welcome. 
Haymarket is very good

 
Joe Bryant said:
Thank you!  
 

But so I understand, if the person doesn’t show up, the bar keeps the money?  Or at worst, they hold the money until the person shows up? What a great deal for the bar. 
It’s mostly a free revenue stream for the bar.  I’d estimate that maybe 15%, maybe!, are actually redeemed.  Down at the soggy dollar, it’s one of those giant pads of paper that presenters use at seminars.  There are pages and pages of drinks that have been purchased, waiting to be redeemed.   And this place is seriously off the beaten path. It is regularly listed as one of the best bars in the world. But it's not easy to get to. I honeymooned there. And actually redeemed a round during my honeymoon. 
 

good lord! I just googled it, looking for a picture of the board of drinks…..they’ve gone next level!  You can buy your friend a painkiller online now!  😂🤣😂

 
Senor Schmutzig said:
Going to be in downtown Chicago next weekend with my brother and we are looking for some craft beer establishments, preferably with good food, for an imbibing Sunday afternoon catch-up session. He lives in Minneapolis, I'm in Miami, so we don't get this opportunity very often.

All opinions welcome. 
Here’s a link for haymarket.  
 

https://www.haymarketbeer.com/

 
It’s mostly a free revenue stream for the bar.  I’d estimate that maybe 15%, maybe!, are actually redeemed.  Down at the soggy dollar, it’s one of those giant pads of paper that presenters use at seminars.  There are pages and pages of drinks that have been purchased, waiting to be redeemed.   And this place is seriously off the beaten path. It is regularly listed as one of the best bars in the world. But it's not easy to get to. I honeymooned there. And actually redeemed a round during my honeymoon. 
 

good lord! I just googled it, looking for a picture of the board of drinks…..they’ve gone next level!  You can buy your friend a painkiller online now!  😂🤣😂


That's a great deal for the bar. It's like Starbucks selling gift cards that are never redeemed. Smart for them.

 
Senor Schmutzig said:
Going to be in downtown Chicago next weekend with my brother and we are looking for some craft beer establishments, preferably with good food, for an imbibing Sunday afternoon catch-up session. He lives in Minneapolis, I'm in Miami, so we don't get this opportunity very often.

All opinions welcome. 
West Loop has district brew yards - four brewery in one establishment and they give you a card that allows you to self pour all 25+ taps. They have bbq too. Kaiser Tiger and Green Street Meats are close by for additional food options. 

Revolution, Half Acre and Goose Island are the main stays and all have decent spaces. 

If the weather is nice, it will be tough to beat Metropolitan for atmosphere. They have huge new outdoor patio on the river. 

 
It’s mostly a free revenue stream for the bar.  I’d estimate that maybe 15%, maybe!, are actually redeemed.  Down at the soggy dollar, it’s one of those giant pads of paper that presenters use at seminars.  There are pages and pages of drinks that have been purchased, waiting to be redeemed.   And this place is seriously off the beaten path. It is regularly listed as one of the best bars in the world. But it's not easy to get to. I honeymooned there. And actually redeemed a round during my honeymoon. 
 

good lord! I just googled it, looking for a picture of the board of drinks…..they’ve gone next level!  You can buy your friend a painkiller online now!  😂🤣😂
Our local place eventually converts them into beers for civil servants and emergency responders. I don't know the period of time but it's a while. The only reason I know this is early on, aided by alcohol, I bought a beer for Joe Strummer. It stayed up there for a while and that started a trend of buying beers for well known or dead folks.  They banned that not too long after and real folks only stay up there for so long. That reminds me, in honor of the rich FBG history I should probably see if I can get by with buying a beer for "Fan of Joe Strummer".

 
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It’s mostly a free revenue stream for the bar.  I’d estimate that maybe 15%, maybe!, are actually redeemed.  Down at the soggy dollar, it’s one of those giant pads of paper that presenters use at seminars.  There are pages and pages of drinks that have been purchased, waiting to be redeemed.   And this place is seriously off the beaten path. It is regularly listed as one of the best bars in the world. But it's not easy to get to. I honeymooned there. And actually redeemed a round during my honeymoon. 
 

good lord! I just googled it, looking for a picture of the board of drinks…..they’ve gone next level!  You can buy your friend a painkiller online now!  😂🤣😂
Yeah, Soggy Dollar is great. A little more mainstream now than it was our first time there back in 2010. Fun story: We see this guy at the bar wearing a Coors Light hat, Coors Light shirt and drinking a Coors Light. We just started laughing and then we realized that it was Sterling Marlin. He was driving the Coors Light car at the time. So my friend's wife walks over to him and says that we're in the middle of nowhere with 25 people at the bar. Does he really need to represent Coors Light like that? And he says you never know and it's worth the sponsorship to skip the Painkillers and other beers. Really nice guy but it's got to be a pain to have to do that. 

 
Yeah, Soggy Dollar is great. A little more mainstream now than it was our first time there back in 2010. Fun story: We see this guy at the bar wearing a Coors Light hat, Coors Light shirt and drinking a Coors Light. We just started laughing and then we realized that it was Sterling Marlin. He was driving the Coors Light car at the time. So my friend's wife walks over to him and says that we're in the middle of nowhere with 25 people at the bar. Does he really need to represent Coors Light like that? And he says you never know and it's worth the sponsorship to skip the Painkillers and other beers. Really nice guy but it's got to be a pain to have to do that. 
Yes it’s changed over the years.  Was first there in 89

 
There's a street in my hometown of Costa Mesa, CA, that has FOUR breweries on it, all about a 5 minute walk from the furthest ones away from each other.

Each of them are just a little different, but all offer nice outdoor seating.  In no particular order, and have to link 3 Yelp profiles 'cuz my work blocks certain sites (bleh):

Bootleggers:  doesn't have their own food, but you can easily order from "The Lab" next door, which is a conglomeration of hip restaurants and shops.  Nice patio, and the inside opens up to the patio, so it's a very open-air type of concept.  Plenty of beers, wide variety.  Couple of TVs for sports.  Probably my favorite out of the four since they have a wider variety of brews.  Wish they had their own food, though.

Green Cheek:  used to be Barley Forge, which had a good variety of beers and a fairly extensive menu.  Sold to Green Cheek a couple years ago.  Not as much selection in terms of beer (I mean, they have THREE hazy IPAs), but they do have insanely good smashburgers.  During the first part of COVID, they redid part of their parking lot to feature a huge covered patio with plenty of picnic tables.  A favorite for those with kiddos and/or dogs to come enjoy the patio on a sunny afternoon.

Gunwhale:  used to just be a smaller tasting room with small patio, but when COVID hit they were able to convert parking into a larger patio space with patio tables and food truck most nights.  More of a "beer snob" type of selection.  A buddy of mine who runs a cold brew coffee company did a collaboration with them on a cream ale, which is pretty cool. I find this to be my least favorite of the four, but my buddy from Denver who comes into town a few times a year swears by it, so I end up going from time to time.  

Salty Bear:  solid overall, with a nice wide range of beer selections.  Open-air concept inside, with a large patio (that got larger during height of COVID).  They will have food trucks or "pop-up" type of food purveyors, which adds to the popularity.  

----------

So I think, in general, to have a great concept you:  have an "open-air" indoor space, with plenty of outdoor seating; some kind of food option; and have a wide variety of beers.  

 
Yeah, Soggy Dollar is great. A little more mainstream now than it was our first time there back in 2010. Fun story: We see this guy at the bar wearing a Coors Light hat, Coors Light shirt and drinking a Coors Light. We just started laughing and then we realized that it was Sterling Marlin. He was driving the Coors Light car at the time. So my friend's wife walks over to him and says that we're in the middle of nowhere with 25 people at the bar. Does he really need to represent Coors Light like that? And he says you never know and it's worth the sponsorship to skip the Painkillers and other beers. Really nice guy but it's got to be a pain to have to do that. 


I admire the loyalty!

 
There's a street in my hometown of Costa Mesa, CA, that has FOUR breweries on it, all about a 5 minute walk from the furthest ones away from each other.

Each of them are just a little different, but all offer nice outdoor seating.  In no particular order, and have to link 3 Yelp profiles 'cuz my work blocks certain sites (bleh):

Bootleggers:  doesn't have their own food, but you can easily order from "The Lab" next door, which is a conglomeration of hip restaurants and shops.  Nice patio, and the inside opens up to the patio, so it's a very open-air type of concept.  Plenty of beers, wide variety.  Couple of TVs for sports.  Probably my favorite out of the four since they have a wider variety of brews.  Wish they had their own food, though.

Green Cheek:  used to be Barley Forge, which had a good variety of beers and a fairly extensive menu.  Sold to Green Cheek a couple years ago.  Not as much selection in terms of beer (I mean, they have THREE hazy IPAs), but they do have insanely good smashburgers.  During the first part of COVID, they redid part of their parking lot to feature a huge covered patio with plenty of picnic tables.  A favorite for those with kiddos and/or dogs to come enjoy the patio on a sunny afternoon.

Gunwhale:  used to just be a smaller tasting room with small patio, but when COVID hit they were able to convert parking into a larger patio space with patio tables and food truck most nights.  More of a "beer snob" type of selection.  A buddy of mine who runs a cold brew coffee company did a collaboration with them on a cream ale, which is pretty cool. I find this to be my least favorite of the four, but my buddy from Denver who comes into town a few times a year swears by it, so I end up going from time to time.  

Salty Bear:  solid overall, with a nice wide range of beer selections.  Open-air concept inside, with a large patio (that got larger during height of COVID).  They will have food trucks or "pop-up" type of food purveyors, which adds to the popularity.  

----------

So I think, in general, to have a great concept you:  have an "open-air" indoor space, with plenty of outdoor seating; some kind of food option; and have a wide variety of beers.  
we need to corn hole :oldunsure:   you'd like docent in SJC

 
we need to corn hole :oldunsure:   you'd like docent in SJC


I am both a creature of habit and tend to want to only drink close to my house.  Maybe I'm cheap and don't want to pay $40+ for an Uber ride.  :lol:   I know there are awesome breweries in and around OC; I have just been reluctant to go venture out.  I did sample a few up by Anaheim Stadium a few months ago with a buddy.

I know you like Bootleggers... let me know when you're due back and I'll do my best to come out.  

 
I am both a creature of habit and tend to want to only drink close to my house.  Maybe I'm cheap and don't want to pay $40+ for an Uber ride.  :lol:   I know there are awesome breweries in and around OC; I have just been reluctant to go venture out.  I did sample a few up by Anaheim Stadium a few months ago with a buddy.

I know you like Bootleggers... let me know when you're due back and I'll do my best to come out.  
i'm the same way. :lmao:    

here are some others down south.  dog parwk is by my kids TKD studio.  it's ok at best.  but it's next door to las golondrinas.  excellent tacos.   i like the beers at artifex.  there's a mexican food truck parked there most days.  location for both of those is pretty bad.  my buddy and i have done a SD train ride and then scooter tour.  pretty fun.  half door down by the stadium is excellent.

 
i'm the same way. :lmao:    

here are some others down south.  dog parwk is by my kids TKD studio.  it's ok at best.  but it's next door to las golondrinas.  excellent tacos.   i like the beers at artifex.  there's a mexican food truck parked there most days.  location for both of those is pretty bad.  my buddy and i have done a SD train ride and then scooter tour.  pretty fun.  half door down by the stadium is excellent.


A buddy of mine's brother-in-law owns Lost Winds Brewery down in San Clemente.  I've been meaning to go down there.  Another buddy of mine suggested we take the train down to SC / SJC some day to day-drink and hang out at the beach spots.  Maybe this summer.

 
A buddy of mine's brother-in-law owns Lost Winds Brewery down in San Clemente.  I've been meaning to go down there.  Another buddy of mine suggested we take the train down to SC / SJC some day to day-drink and hang out at the beach spots.  Maybe this summer.
keep me in the loop.  never been to lost winds

 
Brony said:
West Loop has district brew yards - four brewery in one establishment and they give you a card that allows you to self pour all 25+ taps. They have bbq too. Kaiser Tiger and Green Street Meats are close by for additional food options. 

Revolution, Half Acre and Goose Island are the main stays and all have decent spaces. 

If the weather is nice, it will be tough to beat Metropolitan for atmosphere. They have huge new outdoor patio on the river. 
All excellent suggestions here.   I haven't been to Half Acre, but their beer is excellent. Revolution is also fantastic. I've been wanting to get down to Metropolitan for some time.   If you happen to venture outside of  the city,  Mikerphone brewing in Elk Grove Village (Not far from O'Hare)  is absolutely outstanding.  Their barrel aged beer is some of the best around.

 
One of the biggest complaints I have had at craft breweries is the lack of help at the bar or ordering process.  I went to a new place in my town a couple weeks ago and they had two people at the bar and one CC payment apparatus.  They didn't allow you to start a tab and they had to wait for the CC from the previous person to finish before coming to the next person.  It was extremely slow and had a lot of people standing around waiting to be served.

Prompt service and enough servers is critical to a great experience.  

 
Another place I loved visiting was 5e Baron in Gatineau, Quebec. This brewery is in an old residential building, with a beautiful tree lined front terrace and fantastic beer. Sometimes I think it's just as simple as that - great environment and great beer. 


I am headed to Quebec this summer and I am definitely checking out the brewery. Thanks!

 
These lists are always highly contested of course. And it's Yelp, so consider that. But fun.

https://vinepair.com/booze-news/best-breweries-according-to-yelp/
I was surprised to see Begyle listed, but it brings up a good point.

While many farms have a CSA program, Begyle is one of the few I'm aware of to have a CSB (Community Supported Brewery) program.

http://www.begylebrewing.com/csb

The program is loosely based on the Community Supported Agriculture model (CSA) where customers buy discounted "shares" of a farm's harvest in advance and receive a portion of the crops as they're harvested. Similarly, we offer beer “shares” to our customers!

Memberships are available in 6 and 12 month increments. Members can choose to receive one or two 64oz. growlers, two or four 32oz. crowlers, or even a sixtel of beer each month. Along with monthly fills, a CSB membership includes discounts on merchandise and beer purchases (additional growlers, crowlers, and/or packaged goods). We also have multiple CSB member-only events throughout the year.

 
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If anyone's ever in BFE east Texas, north of Houston, I cannot recommend this place enough:  Fredonia Brewery in Nacogdoches.  Oldest town in Texas.  Spent a late afternoon/early evening there last week passing through on business and loved it.  Great beers and atmosphere.  Liked it enough to pick up a t-shirt.  

 
One of the biggest complaints I have had at craft breweries is the lack of help at the bar or ordering process.  I went to a new place in my town a couple weeks ago and they had two people at the bar and one CC payment apparatus.  They didn't allow you to start a tab and they had to wait for the CC from the previous person to finish before coming to the next person.  It was extremely slow and had a lot of people standing around waiting to be served.

Prompt service and enough servers is critical to a great experience.  
This is a major problem in the restaurant/bar business.

 
Food

Live music

Outdoor area with fire pit(s)

Board games and other standard bar games

 
I went to Ommegang in Cooperstown last weekend.  Beautiful place.  Their summer concert series blew me away and I will head back up to see one of them. 

The National, Wilco, War on Drugs and Lord Huron all with shows this summer.

 

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