St James and "Craft" Brews

Saturday brought my first trip to the St James Tavern. The bar is in the Italian Village area, not too far away from some parts of town we've been encouraged to avoid. It might be called either a "dive bar" or, more complimentarily, a neighborhood bar. From the front it looks pretty inconspicuous, but once you get inside you are greeted by wood panelling throughout. They started out well in my mind with the catchy slogan: "No crap on tap for 15 years". Not only was there no crap (ie the big three: Budweiser, Coors or Miller) on tap, but what they did have was mostly new to me and all at $3.50 a pint.

I started out with a Founders Red's Rye. Couldn't really resist the opportunity for my first rye beer and I have to say the citrusy flavor wasn't too overpowering and definitely something I would have again given the opportunity. Just when I think I've narrowed down the list of breweries that are new to me whose beers I need to experience, another one comes along. I will be getting on and trying their oatmeal stout before the Ohio summer arrives.

In another first, I turned next to 21st Amendment's Black IPA. It was decent, but the power of the malt seemed to overshadow the supposed hopiness of some sort of IPA. Pleasant enough, but not on the list for a second go. I had previously had another of their brews from a can. As the barrels were being emptied by a busying crowd, the bartender kept returning with new brews and I got the chance for a glass of Monks Blood. Served in a tulip style glass and coming in at a hefty 8.3% this dark Belgium style ale has plenty going on and dangerously does more than enough to mask the fact that it's as strong as it is!

I ended the night with what has to be my current fave: Bell's Two Hearted American IPA. Bell's brewery is in the fantastically named Kalamazoo, Michigan. It's not really on the way to or from central Ohio to Detroit, but I think we'll have to find a reason to stop there sometime soon.