St. Louis

[Brownbeard]

I will be heading to St. Louis for the Dead show July 23rd. I need to find a brewpub or micro I can hit up during the day. Preferably somewhere where we can get a nice lunch with some kind beer. I will gladly visit a few. Also, I would like to find a liquor store where I can buy some brews to bring home.

[brewmonkey]

Shlafly's is the best in the area.

Visiting a few may be tough as they are spread out between St. Louis and St. Charles.

[HarkJohnny]

Il Vicino!! A great pizza joint with with Schafly on tap.

www.ilvicino.com

[chazwicke]

Originally posted by Brownbeard
I will be heading to St. Louis for the Dead show July 23rd. I need to find a brewpub or micro I can hit up during the day. Preferably somewhere where we can get a nice lunch with some kind beer. I will gladly visit a few. Also, I would like to find a liquor store where I can buy some brews to bring home.

I read recently in ICE magazine that on April 20th Rhino releases All Good Things: The Jerry Garcia Studio Sessions box set. It contains all 5 of Garcia's studio albums expanded with bonus tracks plus a disc of rarities. All togther 48 bonus tracks. Sounds great based on the info in ICE Mag.

[crashbobo]

http://www.schlafly.com/

Check out the Tap Room or Bottleworks. Both places are great. The tap room will have a bigger selection and they have Cask conditioned ale too :)

[hops99]

Definitely Schlafly. The tap room isn't in the best neighborhood, but it's worth the trip. It's a great old building, and the beer is very good.

Also, try to stop by Growlers on the West end of town (Creve Couer if I remember correctly?). It's a good beer bar, with over 40 taps of good stuff - lots of New Belgium, Boulevard, and many other goodies.

Route 66 is so-so at best, and Trailhead in St. Charles serves more AB than their own stuff, if I recall.

[chazwicke]

I hate that when a brewpub serves macro beers!

[Realale Dave]

Schlafly is hands-down the best brewer in St. Louis, and both the Tap Room and the Bottleworks have very good food. No need to be concerned about the neighborhood around the Tap Room, unless you're going for a stroll several blocks afield in the wee hours, which is probably true for the downtown area of just about any city. I've been going to the Tap Room on a very regular basis since I moved to St. Louis in 1993.

Two beer store worth hitting. The first stop is Corral Liquors in Granite City, Illinois - its only about a 15 minute drive from downtown St. Louis. Great U.S. micro selection including Three Floyds, Victory, Allagash, Avery, Bell's (which is also all over St. Louis), Arcadia, etc. Very nice selection of Belgians, including lots of Cantillon, all of the Trappists (except Westvleteren), Fantome, etc. Excellent British and German selections as well, plus Czechvar kept in closed cases.

The other is Starr's, which is just a hop skip from Hwy. 64/40. Best selection on this side of the river, but, obviously, none of the beers that aren't distributed here (3F, Victory). Some Fantome, some Cantillon. Some storage issues - ask if you're unsure.

Happy to provide directions, or more options if you're interested.

Cheers,

Dave

[chazwicke]

Welcome to the board! I like your handle. And the avatar. Is that representing the famous Young's Lamb brewery?

[Realale Dave]

Originally posted by chazwicke
Welcome to the board! I like your handle.

Thanks! I like your declaration of love for real ale. Richard English invited me over from Beer Advocate, and I look forward to mucking in where I can.

Originally posted by chazwicke
And the avatar. Is that representing the famous Young's Lamb brewery?

Indeed it is. Pint of Ordinary for me, thanks. :D

Cheers,

Dave

[Richard English]

Welcome, too, Realale Dave.

Kalleh (who posts here), her husband and some other drinking friends visited the Young's brewery last month when she was in London. A wonderful time was had by all and significant quantities of Young's beers were consumed (check their share prices).

And at the end of last month she repaid my hospitality by arranging (with Stevah's help) to show me all that's best in Chicago. Ah, Goose Island!

I hope you'll like it here - this is a very friendly and erudite board.

Incidentally, I already have heard that some from this board will be visiting the GBBF in London - 03 to 07 August. That's less than three months away so maybe we should try to organise a party.

[Realale Dave]

Originally posted by Richard English
Welcome, too, Realale Dave. . . . I hope you'll like it here - this is a very friendly and erudite board.

Thanks, Richard. If the warmth of welcome is any indication, I think I'll be spending a lot of time over here.

Originally posted by Richard English
Kalleh (who posts here), her husband and some other drinking friends visited the Young's brewery last month when she was in London. A wonderful time was had by all and significant quantities of Young's beers were consumed (check their share prices).

LOL! I've not been to the brewery on either of my trips to London, but its very high on my list for next time.

Originally posted by Richard English
And at the end of last month she repaid my hospitality by arranging (with Stevah's help) to show me all that's best in Chicago. Ah, Goose Island!

Very nice. My in-laws live in Chicago, only a brisk 15 minute walk from the Clark St. Ale House. I have also had many a lovely pint at original Goose Island across the street from Sam's. Quality beer indeed.

Cheers,

Dave

[Richard English]

We went to the Clark Street Alehouse and stood outside with our tongues hanging out as it didn't open until 1600! When we got in the welcome was grand but the beer, sadly, was not ready for drinking and shouldn't have been served. However, as there was only the one cask-conditioned beer I just had to force it down.

Having said which, that was probably the closest to an English pub that I found in Chicago.

Then we went to Mac's and, amazingly, this quite ordinary neighbourhood bar had TWO cask-conditioned beers - Goose Island and Two Brothers. Both excellent and only $6 for an Imperial pint (a bargain compared with the $3.50 for a regular bottle of Budweiser).

When you visit Young's just listen to the introductory video with John Young. It's a wonderful example of an owner who has really enjoyed the products of his firm (several pints of product, I should think!).

I have had an invitation to visit Fuller's next month; sadly I'll be in Qatar!

[Realale Dave]

Originally posted by Richard English
When we got in the welcome was grand but the beer, sadly, was not ready for drinking and shouldn't have been served. However, as there was only the one cask-conditioned beer I just had to force it down.

That's too bad. Every time I've been there, the Bell's Two-Hearted has been in fantastic condition. One of my very favorite American Pale Ales.

Originally posted by Richard English
I have had an invitation to visit Fuller's next month; sadly I'll be in Qatar!

Well, I hope you're being well paid, or at least paid!

Cheers,

Dave