chazwicke
09-26-2004, 12:07 PM
Just got this email:
Yes, Virginia. There is a Thoroughbreds Grill and Brewery. In
Leesburg, it's the newest brewpub in our area. It opened
yesterday.
Dean Lake, ex of Dominion where he was a brewer and QC manager,
holds the brewing reins at Thoroughbreds.
His brewhouse is a Newlands system that began its life at a
now-shuttered brewpub in Cleveland called Wallaby's. (That's the
second former Wallaby's system in our area; the other Cleveland
native is a Bohemian system, also from a defunct Wallaby's,
under the brewing bridle of Charles Noll at Franklin's
Restaurant and Brewery in Hyattsville.)
In Thoroughbreds' cellar, two of the fermenters are (8-bbl?)open
fermenters. Both began their lives at the downtown Capitol City
Brewing Company. And if brewing karma has influence, Dean's
beers will be fortunate: Bill Madden, now of Founders, pulled
award-winning beers from those same fermenters.
I am partial to open fermenters. They allow visual inspection
during a brew's life cycle and proffer a heavenly aroma, two
sensory analyses prevented by the stainless walls of closed
fermenters.
Opens allow an initially cleaner brew: off-aromas are vented
away rather than collected in the ullage of a closed conical and
forced through the narrow confines of a CIP arm. In most US
craft brewries, so-called TOP-fermenting yeasts are harvested
from the BOTTOM cones of fermenters. But with an open fermenter,
a brewer can corral the frothy barm from the top.
Dean told me that his flagship beer will be Throughbreds Pale
Ale, He'll ferment it exclusively in open fermenters. His
describes it as slightly malty, slightly hoppy, i.e., an
authentic, drinkable English-style ale. (Dean was in attendance
at the Old Dominion Beer Festival in June, proudly pouring his
first batch of tasty Thoroughbreds Pale Ale. He had brewed it at
Dominion before the brewpub's equipment had been set in place.)
I've visited Thoroughbreds while it was under construction and
it promised then to be fabulous.
The brewhouse is front and center in the entranceway as you
decide whether to head to the dining room or the bar area
(called "The Paddock"). There's an interesting wooden paneled
recessed lighting pattern repeated throughout. There's an
outdoor patio.
I don't recall how many taps there will be (10?), but Dean told
me that he will have guest taps. His intial guests will be from
Dominion.
He'll be pulling his beers from casks as well.
From its website (http://www.thoroughbredsgrill.com):
**************************************
Thoroughbreds will open in Summer 2004, open 7 days a week. The
“Paddock” lounge area will open at 3 pm daily, and the Dining
Room will begin seating at 4:30 pm daily. The “Paddock” menu
will be available from 3 pm until closing. The Dining menu will
be available until 10 pm Sunday through Thursday, and 11pm
Friday and Saturday.
The “Paddock” menu is a selection of high quality bar foods
ranging from $5 to $10.
Our Dinner Menu offers a wide array of American bistro
selections, with entrees ranging from $14 to $24.
Look for our opening for Brunch in September, and Lunch in
October!
**************************************
To get to Thoroughbreds, brave the Dulles Toll Road and continue
on it, and then the Greenway, to Leesburg. There, stay left onto
7 West. Remain in the exit lane and take an immediate right onto
Business 15 (King Street). Continue to Catoctinn Circle NE. Turn
right. Thoroughbreds will be to the left, on the ground floor of
a business office building at 50 Catoctin Circle NE.
I believe Thoroughbreds will be open for dinner this evening
(Sunday). But, to be certain, call ahead at (703) 777-1207.
Yes, Virginia. There is a Thoroughbreds Grill and Brewery. In
Leesburg, it's the newest brewpub in our area. It opened
yesterday.
Dean Lake, ex of Dominion where he was a brewer and QC manager,
holds the brewing reins at Thoroughbreds.
His brewhouse is a Newlands system that began its life at a
now-shuttered brewpub in Cleveland called Wallaby's. (That's the
second former Wallaby's system in our area; the other Cleveland
native is a Bohemian system, also from a defunct Wallaby's,
under the brewing bridle of Charles Noll at Franklin's
Restaurant and Brewery in Hyattsville.)
In Thoroughbreds' cellar, two of the fermenters are (8-bbl?)open
fermenters. Both began their lives at the downtown Capitol City
Brewing Company. And if brewing karma has influence, Dean's
beers will be fortunate: Bill Madden, now of Founders, pulled
award-winning beers from those same fermenters.
I am partial to open fermenters. They allow visual inspection
during a brew's life cycle and proffer a heavenly aroma, two
sensory analyses prevented by the stainless walls of closed
fermenters.
Opens allow an initially cleaner brew: off-aromas are vented
away rather than collected in the ullage of a closed conical and
forced through the narrow confines of a CIP arm. In most US
craft brewries, so-called TOP-fermenting yeasts are harvested
from the BOTTOM cones of fermenters. But with an open fermenter,
a brewer can corral the frothy barm from the top.
Dean told me that his flagship beer will be Throughbreds Pale
Ale, He'll ferment it exclusively in open fermenters. His
describes it as slightly malty, slightly hoppy, i.e., an
authentic, drinkable English-style ale. (Dean was in attendance
at the Old Dominion Beer Festival in June, proudly pouring his
first batch of tasty Thoroughbreds Pale Ale. He had brewed it at
Dominion before the brewpub's equipment had been set in place.)
I've visited Thoroughbreds while it was under construction and
it promised then to be fabulous.
The brewhouse is front and center in the entranceway as you
decide whether to head to the dining room or the bar area
(called "The Paddock"). There's an interesting wooden paneled
recessed lighting pattern repeated throughout. There's an
outdoor patio.
I don't recall how many taps there will be (10?), but Dean told
me that he will have guest taps. His intial guests will be from
Dominion.
He'll be pulling his beers from casks as well.
From its website (http://www.thoroughbredsgrill.com):
**************************************
Thoroughbreds will open in Summer 2004, open 7 days a week. The
“Paddock” lounge area will open at 3 pm daily, and the Dining
Room will begin seating at 4:30 pm daily. The “Paddock” menu
will be available from 3 pm until closing. The Dining menu will
be available until 10 pm Sunday through Thursday, and 11pm
Friday and Saturday.
The “Paddock” menu is a selection of high quality bar foods
ranging from $5 to $10.
Our Dinner Menu offers a wide array of American bistro
selections, with entrees ranging from $14 to $24.
Look for our opening for Brunch in September, and Lunch in
October!
**************************************
To get to Thoroughbreds, brave the Dulles Toll Road and continue
on it, and then the Greenway, to Leesburg. There, stay left onto
7 West. Remain in the exit lane and take an immediate right onto
Business 15 (King Street). Continue to Catoctinn Circle NE. Turn
right. Thoroughbreds will be to the left, on the ground floor of
a business office building at 50 Catoctin Circle NE.
I believe Thoroughbreds will be open for dinner this evening
(Sunday). But, to be certain, call ahead at (703) 777-1207.