Baltimore Brewsky

I can be quite snobby about beer. I guess we all can be. Well some of us can let our guard down and imbibe a Miller High Life (no names) or a PBR occasionally. But sometimes I also really hate it. In Atlanta/Decatur, I know my turf. I pretty much know the places ahead of time. But I was in Baltimore, out of my league. Other than Clipper City Brewing, I didn't know much about the beer scene.

I had the wonderful luck of checking out the Brewer's Art--a very funky and beautiful brewery in the lovely slash trendy Mount Vernon neighborhood. Well, not exactly luck. It had been featured in the NYTimes. And I had come there based on that. They had a good selection of bottles and their own brews on tap. Which were mostly Belgian styles, my favorite being the Saison/farmhouse style beer. And rosemary garlic frites---delightful!

My stint at the 13th floor of the Belvedere Hotel was different. It was also another cool old and lovingly restored building in the same area of town. Taking the creaky elevator to the top floor, I expected a lovely view and a classy bar. The view was nice, though no windows, but the bar was not classy at all. And it made me depressed when the best beer they had was a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. That one beer confirmed that I do not like that beer very much. But the company was fun and exciting that I hardly noticed.

Last night back in my old 'hood of DC, my dear friend Magda & I checked out Bread and Brew, a nice lil' bar + restaurant. Good beers on tap of course, including BREW FREE OR DIE! IPA. Actually quite fruity and delicious!