The Brick Store Pub in Decatur, GA, just outside of Atlanta. 

The BrewDog Show on DrinkTV just named them the best place for beer in Atlanta.

We talk about how the bar came to be and how the industry has changed. They have an absolutely amazing beer cellar. Check out my blog to see some pictures.

This place wins in every way. You can find them all over the place. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, & Untappd

Want to be a guest?

doug@douginapub.com

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He makes Fezzes. 

He has an interesting story and great talent. His team has made some amazing products. Some of the best made clothing I own.

Episode 5 will be about fear and love.
I also have some great interviews lined up.
The brew master from Giant Jones Brewery. Singer song write Mark Croft and the amazing Eliza Rickman.

Do you have any questions? Want to be a guest?

doug@douginapub.com

The post Ep 4 Interview with Jason from Fez-O-Rama first appeared on Doug In A Pub.

The Beginning

We first found BrewDog by way of it’s TV show on the Esquire network in the fall of 2013 (they have since started a TV network, Drink TV, and are making new shows). We fell in love with James Watt and Martin Dickie, the hosts and owners of BrewDog. These guys love beer the way we do. They don’t take themselves seriously and have fun in everything they do. They brewed beer underwater, on a dogsled, on a parade float…. Almost everything was a go, it was about creativity and wackiness. In each episode, they would travel to a different city, visit and tour local breweries, talk with the brewers and other local business people, then craft a beer that in some way represented the city they were in, and share it with local beer enthusiasts.

The Hotel

Before even trying the beer, I backed the DogHouse hotel in Canal Winchester, Ohio, on Indigogo. The hotel opened in August of 2017 and is a magical place. Growler tapper, curated (very well curated) guest beer fridge and a shower beer fridge full of BrewDog beers in every room. Amazing breakfasts, comfy beds, cool rooms and it is inside a brewery! If you love beer, this needs to be a destination for you. If you know someone that loves beer, get them a night there as a gift.

Becoming an Equity Punk

One of the unique things James and Martin have done with BrewDog is creating the Equity Punk. They sell equity shares in the company from time to time. This lets you own an actual piece of BrewDog. I currently own a tiny amount of shares and never expect to make any money on them, but that is not why I bought them. Buying different numbers of equity shares brings different perks, from discounts at every BrewDog location to a chance to brew a small batch specialty beer at the BrewDog brewery. The perks cover all price entry points. There are over 100,000 Equity Punks worldwide at this point. Think of it as a global mug club, but instead of a mug, you get discounts and a tiny bit of ownership. I bought 4 shares in the first US round, before even trying any of their beer, and more in the second after having a change to actually taste it. The sense of ownership among equity punks increases commitment to the brand, creating a loyal and invested (literally) fan base. I often talk about BrewDog being a cult. I am good with that.

The Beer

In July of 2017 I finally made to it Canal Winchester to try the beer at the DogTap, the bar at the brewery. I was nervous because I had already invested in the hotel and owned four shares in BrewDog. I was so very happy that every beer I tried that first day was above average. To date I have tried over 70 different BrewDog beers, by far the most from any brewery I like. Most are above average, some are spectacular, a few are so so. These guys do amazing things with hops!

The People

That first time I visited BrewDog in Ohio, I took a tour. Kayla, our tour guide was great – fun, friendly and full of facts. After the tour, we chatted for a while about BrewDog and beer. She has since moved onto a different position at BrewDog and is Cicerone trained, like most of the BrewDog staff. After the tour, some of the staff invited me to hang out in the outdoor beer garden area. I learned that James and Martin are good people, and that the company does good things. Like 20% of the profits go to charity. And they pay their serving staff a living wage. Since then, we have met and chatted with James and Martin on several occasions, I can’t think of another company the size of BrewDog where the owners are so involved in what the customers have to say and so approachable and personable. This goes for all of the staff we have met. Involved, committed, and friendly.

The Community

The biggest part of BrewDog (other than the beer) is the community of Equity Punks from around the world. We have met some of the most amazing people every time we go to a BrewDog bar. We have made life long friends because we share a love of beer. There is a definite family feel to being an Equity Punk. We have now visited 14 different locations and have been joined at each by other Punks, many of which we did not know until we got there, but can now count them as friends. We just let people know on the forum or Facebook page that we were going to be in the area, and they came to meet us. We had my partner’s birthday party at BrewDog Tower Hill in London, joined by fifteen Punks from around the United Kingdom that went out of their way to join us there to celebrate. The staff pulled out all of the stops, providing free apps for the table and a full cake!!! They also supplied the birthday girl with some very special beers that weren’t available to the public.

Conclusion

• Get thee to a BrewDog!!!
• Is it a cult? Most likely.
• Is it a MLM scheme? Not really.
• Is it a company that pays a living wage, donates a huge amount to charity? Yes
• Do they make fantastic beers? Absolutely
• Want to buy shares the next time they go on sale in the US? Use my referral code: A116938
• They have Pawternity leave for a week if you get a pet.
• James Watt and Martin Dickie have amazing Scottish accents.
• No really, it is my favorite brewery, hotel and group of people.

P.S.

And, yes, BrewDog has made some pretty good size mistakes, mostly with regard to advertising and marketing. They are not perfect. They are growing and moving so fast they sometimes lose site of how much impact these mistakes can have. Pink IPA? Scofflaw? BeerPorn? While I can see what they were aiming at with these, they clearly missed the mark. But they learn lessons, regroup, and move on from there.

The post BrewDog – A letter of love first appeared on Doug In A Pub.

I have my first guest this episode. Brett, my partner and fiancé. We talk about the difference between want and need. One of our first conversations about our relationship.

We also talk about BrewDog, our favorite brewery and the people we have met because of it.

Then I talk about the first time I understood memories could be completely false and how that changed me.

Here is a link to the Mind Field episode about false memories.

I will post my BrewDog love letter this week.

The next episode will have my conversation with Jason from Fez-O-Rama.

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Episode summary. I start off talking about the word why and how it has affected me. A brief story of how the Doug in a Pub podcast and blog came to be. I was the first guest on a podcast called “Life in a Kilt” it is now gone from the internet, but I have gotten my hands on the episode on which I was a guest. I will post it soon. We talk about life and kilts. The hosts, Rick and Cheri have started a new podcast called. This Epic Disaster. I never miss an episode, give it a listen. 

A review of one of my all time favorite bars, The Brick Store Pub. Here is a link to a review I posted on my blog. I finish up with a story of how changing a tire changed my life. Episode three will include two conversations with my partner Brett. We will talk about want vs need and BrewDog. I will also talk about a story from when I was little and how it changed over time and how those changes affected me.  Memories are not what they are cracked up to be.  Thanks for listening. What do you want to hear me talk about? Want to be a guest?  Please share!! You can subscribe to this podcast in most places. iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, SoundCloud, Stitcher, Beyond Pod….

The post Doug in a Pub podcast Episode 2 first appeared on Doug In A Pub.

History

The Nutshell held the record for the smallest pub in Britain for a long time. It started serving beer in 1867 and is still going strong. It became part of King’s Brewery in 1874 and then Greene’s in 1887 after Greene merged with King.

Being a Greene King Pub, that is what they like to serve. It only has 6 tap heads, but two were for cask ales. The cask ales were pretty tasty. They also had a selection of spirits and wines behind the bars, but this is not where you go for variety.

Our Visit to Bury St. Edmunds & The Nutshell Pub

The city itself was pretty amazing. So very old. his place was our first pub when we got to Bury St. Edmunds. There is an abbey from 1020 here. The Magna Carta got started here. But, you’re here for the pub. Like we were.

Although it is no longer the smallest pub in Britain (that is the Signal Box), it is a wonderful place. On our first visit is was just us. on our second visit there were locals trading jabs with the bar tender and let us join in. The staff and the locals were fun and friendly. Well worth a visit if you are ever in the area. The beer is served right, they sell crisps and fridge magnets.

And where else can you find a jackalope and a 400 year old desiccated cat hanging from the ceiling?

Short review for a tiny pub.

The post The Nutshell Pub – A Review first appeared on Doug In A Pub.

The beer

The have an impressive selection of house made beers. Lots of styles and flavors. Most of which were to be found on a self serve beer wall. This lets you pick what you want and how much. It also lets you go back for your favorites again and again.

While every beer I had was above average in my book, there are a few of the stand outs.

Larkness Monster – Dark and silky, packed with rich complexity. – Stout

Paper Stacks – Hoppy and drinkable. Great juiciness. – NEIPA

Oatis Redding – Super hop & malt balance. – Red Ale

The Food

I had a bowl of the house made portabella mushroom soup. It was so good I almost ordered a second bowl. I followed this up with deep fried German meatloaf chunks covered in a brown mushroom gravy. I wish I were hungrier when I was there.

Etc….

I spent some time talking to the bartender and the brewmaster. Both friendly and knowledgeable. Sean makes great beer because he loves beer. this is a place I will pin on my map as a must stop when in the area.

You can find Lark Brewing on Facebook.

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The Malt House in Madison, WI is a local treasure.  It has been named on the top 100 beer bars list twice in the last five years. A small cozy place that is television free and a great place to share a beer with friends. A beautiful civil war era bar (Madison’s oldest) is like an old friend as it holds up your beverages. Try to visit in the warmer months so you can enjoy the patio!

The staff is friendly and well versed in all things beer and whisky. You can order one of the 12 rotating beer taps or choose from over 150 bottles in a wall cooler. They have over 75 whiskeys to pick from and they will help you build a flight. They host regular tasting sessions with distillers and brewers.  Live music is a regular event at the Malt House.  There are  small snacks available from the bar but if you want a meal, you need to bring it in or have it delivered. The also have food truck from time to time.

The Beers and Beverages

To say they have a excellent beer selection would not do it justice. On our most recent visit we had some Schloss Eggenberg Samichlaus Classic on tap!  To find a beer this rare and special on tap so close to home was awesome. I might have done a little happy dance as I declared my intent to get some. Up to this point, I have only had it in bottles. We followed that up with a Duchesse De Bourgogne. Heaven! The twelve rotating taps cover the globe, from local to rare. The cooler has more than 150 beers, biers and ciders to choose from; small bottles to drink yourself or larger 750ml bottles to share with friends. 

The post The Malt House – Madison, WI first appeared on Doug In A Pub.

The staff was friendly and has taken the time to understand what the serve and help create tasty concoctions. In house mixers and ingredients round out the craft feel of this distillery. 

They don’t have a large menu of spirits yet, but what they have is well crafted. They continue to add to their depth. 

No food served but you can bring your own. There is a large outdoor seating area also.

Dancing Goat can be found at:

909 Vineyard Drive
Cambridge, WI  USA  53523

The post Dancing Goat Distillery first appeared on Doug In A Pub.

Located in a remodeled funeral home, it has been turned into a welcoming and wonderful place to eat and drink. Long communal benches, seats at the bar and an outdoor area make this a great space for everyone.

Food

They have a food menu that is Belgian/French in style. I had frites (of course) and escargot. They offer roasted bone marrow, cheese plates and duck confit nachos. I would go back here again just for the food. But that is not what I want to talk about here, or why I have been telling everyone to go to Brewery Vivant.

Beer (Bier)

They have a tap list that also includes many barrel-aged beers. Stouts, sours, farmhouse and IPAs. They also have a chalk board with some additional beers.

I had 2 different flights (don’t worry, I took Uber) and every one was above average.

Farm Hand – Saison / Farmhouse Ale

A 5.5% ABV Saison that has very nice light flavors and might be a little too easy to drink.

House Sour – Foeder-Aged Sour Ale

This 4.5% ABV sour would be a great starter sour for those who have not spent the time to develop the taste for or don’t have the desire for the more aggressive sours out there.

Love Shadow – Port Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout

This one they aged in different barrels, the one I had was port barrel-aged, the current one is bourbon barrel-aged. Good stout with a strong coffee finish. Oh, and a 11.7% ABV.

Escoffier – Mixed Culture Farmhouse Ale (American Wild Ale)

This is a collaboration with New Belgium brewing. This is a mild sour with great funk. 10% ABV.

Port Love – Stout

This strong 9.5% ABV port barrel-aged stout has a nice complex flavor profile.

Tree Bucket – Double IPA

This was the only IPA I had here. A strong one at 9% ABV. This a a great hoppy and fruity beer.

Zaison – Imperial Saison / Farmhouse Ale

This was the most dangerous beer I had. A light and tasty beer at 9.3% ABV. This one will sneak up on you.

Angelina – Barrel-Aged Sour (2017)

This was my favorite beer of the night.  An oak barrel-aged sour coming in at around 10% ABV. Packed full of flavor and pucker.

If you ever find yourself near Grand Rapids, this is a must stop for anyone who loves beer in the Belgian style.

Oh, the staff. The ones I spoke to knew about beer in general and the house brews, and were friendly and chock full of knowledge.

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